Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex-Chapter 296. Distortion World 1

"Great! We'd better go then," Cynthia said before tapping a Poke Ball on her belt.
With a flash of red light, a Gardevoir popped out with a twirl.
"Take us to Sendoff Spring."
The Gardevoir swept her gaze over Alex and the girls before activating Teleport. Moments later, they teleported from one location to the next before arriving at their destination.
Alex and the girls stood before a towering, obsidian-black arch. Beneath it shimmered a portal, its surface rippling faintly as if the structure hadn't fully formed, flickering between stability and collapse. The structure rose over the mirror-still lake at Sendoff Spring, its massive pillars anchored firmly into the ground around the water as though pinning it in place.
Surrounding the arch, government presence was everywhere. Rows of uniformed League security patrolled the grounds with vigilance, and automated checkpoints scanned every entering team.
Beyond the barricades stretched an entire district built around the gateway, with reinforced labs, research towers humming with energy, restricted-access greenhouses for studying mutated flora, and sprawling command centers where analysts monitored the unstable realm in real time.
"Cynthia!" a man with short, spiky blond hair called out.
"Volkner, what's the situation?"
"It looks bad. I think this is going to be the biggest flood this year."
"Already? It's only been eight months since the last one."
"Yeah. I've seen the readings, and it might be even bigger than the one from four years ago."
"Alright. I'll take position right away. Oh, and can you send these four to the isolated region?" Cynthia said, gesturing to Alex and the girls before turning to them. "This is Volkner, one of my Elite Four. He'll show you where you can set up and defend for the next week, maybe a month, depending on how long the flood lasts."
"Three of them are Elites!" Volkner exclaimed. "Are you sure you want to send them to the isolated region? It'll be even nastier this year."
"Alex has enough Pokémon to cover a slot on his own. With the girls included, they'll have the easiest time compared to the others."
"Your call," Volkner said, shaking his head before turning his gaze to Alex. "Follow me."
Cynthia raced toward the building behind them, presumably the command center, while Volkner dashed for the portal. Alex and the girls followed him, stepping through as well.
Once they were on the other side, they were met with a mind-boggling sight. The terrain tilted sharply in multiple directions, with jagged ridges jutting unpredictably and flat stretches broken by sudden drops and rises, forming a disjointed, chaotic landscape that defied any natural pattern. Large rock platforms floated overhead on fixed paths, drifting past each other like fragments in orbit.
Scattered among the rocks were strange plants, some tall and spindly, others low shrubs, that seemed to flicker in and out of existence, appearing and vanishing as if reality itself couldn't hold them steady.
There was no sky or horizon, just a vast, three-dimensional space that felt like outer space, filled with drifting rocks, floating platforms, and the ephemeral flora in every direction, as if they were moving through a field of asteroids. The area was lit evenly from nowhere, with no clear source of light.
Only after taking in the surroundings did the physical effects register. Gravity felt inconsistent, mostly normal but with sudden light pulls that shifted their balance without warning. The air carried a faint static vibration, and every sound they made came back slightly delayed. Nothing threatened them, but the environment made it clear they had stepped into a place where the rules of physics barely applied.
Around them, trainers and their Pokémon moved quickly, taking up positions to defend the portal behind them. On every visible landmass, a trainer stood ready to protect their assigned area. The deployment was carefully organized, ensuring that every location had coverage in case of an attack. Scattered among the terrain were small prefabricated buildings, likely set up for research or observation purposes.
"Welcome to the Distortion World, where nothing makes sense," Volkner said as he walked to the edge of the landmass. "Rule number 1, gravity is unpredictable here, so pay attention to what you feel, not just what you see. Rule number 2, it's safer to stay on your platform and wait for a trainer to pass than to run around blindly. Rule number 3, never use Teleport. It can disorient you and make it impossible to find your way back."
Volkner stopped in front of a sign and pointed to the one that was lit. "These are your best tools for navigation. Follow the direction of the lit sign, and eventually you will reach your destination."
He took out his phone, swiped through it, and said, "Your area is IR-89, one of the most isolated zones at the front of the flood. You and your team should be able to handle it since Cynthia approved. Any corpses you collect are yours to keep, but they cannot be eaten unless purified. Purification costs 50% of the corpse and can be done back at the base in Sendoff Spring."
"Any questions?" Volkner asked.
Alex shook his head, and Volkner nodded.
"This is a marathon, so conserve your stamina and fight in rotations. Your shift will end once the flood subsides, which could take anywhere from a week to a month. You'll know it's over when you go a full day without a single battle." With those parting words, Volkner returned through the portal.
Alex studied the lit sign labeled "Isolated Region" and followed the direction it pointed, with the girls trailing quietly behind. They went straight ahead until they reached a ledge dropping into the abyss, surrounded by floating landmasses.
"Do we jump?" Lyra asked, her voice wary.
"Let's find out," Alex said, stepping forward boldly. Instead of falling, gravity shifted mid-step, letting his foot plant firmly on the side of the landmass.
"It's safe," he called back. "Just be mindful of your balance."
The girls followed, and soon they were all traversing the side of the landmass, their balance adjusting so that the side now felt like the ground beneath them. Ahead, a trainer stood in the center, ready for battle, and a lit sign labeled "Isolated Region" pointed in another direction.
"First time?" the trainer called out.
"Yeah," Alex replied, moving toward the direction the sign indicated.
"Did you go through orientation?"
"No, we were hired on the spot by Cynthia."
"Ah, so a flood is coming," the trainer said with a nod. "Here's some advice. Follow the lit signs, even if they point back the way you came. Once you reach your station, defend the signs at all costs. They are your only guaranteed way back unless you find another trainer. Don't pick fights with every Pokémon. Focus on defending yourself and the sign. There are enough trainers between you and the portal to keep it safe, so prioritize your own survival. Good luck."
"Thanks," Alex said.
Taking the advice to heart, Alex and the girls pressed on through the confusing labyrinth of platforms, focusing solely on the lit signs. Most of the time, they moved along the sides of their landmass, but occasionally they had to wait for a sign to light up as the platform drifted.
After two hours, they finally reached Isolated Region 89. The landmass was solitary and a few kilometers wide, with nothing in sight except a sign in the center pointing toward Isolated Region 90 and another indicating the way back to the portal.
"I thought there was a flood?" Lyra asked. "It's quiet and kind of peaceful here."
"Should we set up camp or something?" Mika added.
"Can I dig up the ground? There's something solid under us," Sable said.
"Let's set up camp, figure out a rotation for our Pokémon, and try not to dig anything up, Sable," Alex said as he released all his Pokémon, prompting the girls to do the same. "We haven't gone through orientation, so it's best not to poke around blindly. Let's just relax and wait for the battle to start."
They set up camp around the sign, arranged a rotation for their Pokémon, and then sat down to relax.
"You know, spending a year like this doesn't seem so bad," Lyra said. "You could set up a prefab like they have on the other platforms and just focus on your hobbies while your Pokémon do all the work."
"You'd have to do it alone, though," Mika said. "I don't think I could handle spending a year here by myself with just my Pokémon. The atmosphere isn't exactly welcoming, and I'd go insane after a few months."
"Can't we ask someone to come with us, like we're doing now?"
"This might just be an exception."
"How much was the pay again?" Lyra asked Alex.
"30 million credits and 3 thousand contribution points per year," Alex replied.
"That's not bad. You could do it once every 3 years and spend the rest of the time training your Pokémon. Plus, you get to keep half of your kills."
"I'd be bored out of my mind," Alex replied.
"You still get fights here every year, at least judging by Cynthia and Volkner's conversation. If you built a nice mansion, you'd be set for life, as long as you took trips outside for supplies."
"There's not enough of a challenge," Alex said, staring up at a passing landmass. "Fighting nests gets stale fast. Trainers are different. They have that extra edge. Take Brutus, for example. You never know when an opponent might pull a fast one on you, unlike nests where everything is predictable."
Lyra hummed in reply, accepting Alex's reasoning. There was a clear difference between fighting humans and Pokémon. Pokémon were straightforward creatures, even at higher levels of intelligence, while humans were cunning and unpredictable. Victory over a human carried a sense of pride and accomplishment, whereas defeating Pokémon felt like just another day outside.
Suddenly, the landmass beneath them quaked, followed by a sudden shift in gravity that threatened to throw them off the edge. A gust of wind rushed past, and a shimmering portal flared to life. From it poured a deluge of Pokémon of varying strengths, all sharing a few disturbing traits.
Their eyes flared red, and a dark, swirling purple aura radiated from their bodies. The ground shook under the weight of their stampede, and Alex gave Gardevoir the signal, bracing for a long, grueling defensive battle.
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