"It was never explained when it occurred, how it came about, or what the circumstances were," Jenny began. "But a long time ago, Arceus attempted to create humans alongside the Pokémon. The result was the original Jenny and Joy. They were found as children in a village that took them in and raised them as their own."
"Years passed, and the Jenny became a guard while the Joy became a healer. As they each fell in love and had children, their unique qualities were discovered. The genetics of their female children were always a Jenny and Joy respectively, just like Pokémon."
"A long time passed, and eventually both clans survived beyond reason. You have to understand, there is a solidarity among us that goes beyond family ties. No matter the relationship, we are all sisters, so we stuck together and thrived."
"Can you imagine the collection of power and resources we have managed to accumulate over the years, especially when you take into account our propensity to leave the nest and return? We have not only lived off of our ancestors' efforts but the compounding efforts of those that came after."
"We are incredibly powerful and also incredibly traditional, which is why we have never changed our names. Somehow our titles stuck as well over time. Now, my name is Officer Jenny, as will my daughter's if I ever have one."
"That's beautiful, sad, and terrifying all at the same time," Alex said.
"It's not so bad. At least we're all rich," she said with a chuckle. "Though we hardly ever use our stipends, they're more like emergency funds."
They exited the building and were met with a breathtaking panorama that looked unreal. The city stretched far into the distance, its skyline filled with tall, sleek towers that reached toward the moonlit sky. Most of the buildings were made of smooth metal and glass, their surfaces alive with flowing streams of neon data. The structures varied in design, some rose in clean, elegant spires, while others were layered and circular, stacked like futuristic beehives.
The air was cool and carried a low, steady hum from the traffic above. Small aircraft and shuttles moved between the towers, their lights cutting faint trails through the haze. Overhead, the moon hung bright and still, reflecting off the upper windows and walkways that connected the buildings like bridges of glass.
Transit rails intertwined between the buildings like veins of glass, carrying crowds of people, Pokémon, and drones in constant motion. Far below, the streets gleamed with reflected luminescence, as if the ground itself was made of liquid crystal.
It was a vision of the future, cold, beautiful, and vast. It reminded Alex of what he'd seen in the past while flying with Grim, the Roaring Moon. There were differences, of course, but the architecture felt unmistakably similar.
"Where are we?" Alex asked.
It was around noon when he'd left Saffron City, yet here it was already evening. It was clear they were no longer in Kanto.
"I'm not really sure. We try to keep it that way, so we don't get attacked from all directions," Jenny replied. "At most, we only have to defend the teleportation hall. What I do know is that we're on an island." She took Alex's hand and started leading him down to the streets. "Come on, there's this ramen shop I've missed since childhood."
As they walked through the still-busy streets, Alex took note of the people around them. Most were either children under 16 or Champion ranked trainers. By his rough estimate, there had to be millions of them. It felt like this was where all the strongest had gathered to disappear from the rest of the world, or maybe it was simply where the resources were too good to leave.
"What did she mean when she asked if you were a Champion?"
"Usually, we don't come back until we reach Champion rank and start thinking about retirement," Jenny explained. "Most of us take easy jobs here, like being a receptionist, to earn some money. Some still go out in the field as agents, others just find a quiet place to settle down. It all depends on what comes after years of being a police officer."
"Are only Jennys allowed to live here?" Alex asked.
"Anyone in Interpol can stay here," she said. "But if you're older than 16 and still below Champion rank, you have to leave. It keeps the city from getting too crowded. We're on a lone island in the middle of nowhere, after all. Most of the people who live here are from the older generation, it's a safe place to retire if they want to."
"Are there any other places like this?" Alex asked.
"Oh, sure," Jenny replied. "There's the Joy clan's research facility, which serves a similar purpose. Then there's the League's global headquarters. And more recently, the professors built a Moon base. I'm sure plenty of other organizations have their own islands scattered around the world, quiet places where they can focus their resources, manage their people, and train in peace."
Alex suddenly felt the whole world open up. He had always wondered where the Champions had gone. Now, he knew, they were simply at their luxurious private homes, training in comfort.
He could attest that it took years for Pokémon to master their moves, and even longer to reach the next rank. They weren't all out in the world fighting for resources; most were content to live quietly, spending their days in peace.
It made sense why the League imposed the contribution point system only at the Champion rank and not for Elites. Elites were still relatively poor by comparison. They lived by the years, while Champions lived by the decades. Perhaps Masters lived by the centuries.
They stopped in front of a clean-looking noodle place, its sleek glass façade glowing softly with neon accents that traced the edges of its minimalist design.
They sat at an empty floating table and ordered from the holographic menus. Alex chose the Oinkologne special, a rich, savory broth swirling with tender pork slices and fresh vegetables, while Jenny opted for the Taurus, a heartier bowl with bold spices and thick, chewy noodles that promised a satisfying bite.
Their orders arrived a few seconds later, delivered by the robotic servers.
"Are these robots controlled by Pokémon?" Alex asked.
"I don't know," Jenny replied. "But we've always had them. It was quite the culture shock when I arrived at Saffron City."
They talked as they enjoyed the delicious food, which was worthy of the Champion ranked ingredients. Naturally, the price matched its prestige, but it barely made a dent in Alex's budget.
"So, what should I pay attention to here?" Alex asked.
"There really isn't much," Jenny replied. "The battlegrounds and training grounds are for locals to hone their Pokémon. The academy is mostly for children or those who are inexperienced. The only things you might be interested in are our exclusive shops, though even I don't know exactly what they offer, I'm not Champion ranked yet. You can take a look though, you should have the requisite access on your phone."
Alex followed Jenny's advice and opened up Interpol's website, quickly finding their exclusive shop. They offered training, Pokémon, and rare resources like Champion ranked plants, minerals, or Pokémon body parts. Master ranked versions of these resources were also available, though in very limited quantities, and the prices soared into the tens or hundreds of millions of credits. These were exactly the kind of resources Vera, as a Chief Breeder, would appreciate.
Alex noted that there were some Lucario for sale, and they were highly trained, which meant they would do well with formation training, perfect for his defense team.
Unfortunately, he was planning on hunting for bounties immediately afterward, which meant he wouldn't have enough time to integrate them. They would just end up as liabilities if he forced them in without formation training, so he staved off purchasing them for now and reserved it for later.
A part of him felt that it was a waste he hadn't registered sooner. But at the same time, he would have been on the hook with Interpol for the past two years, which might have disrupted his training.
As Alex scrolled further, he discovered even more absurd services for sale. There were maps to unexplored underground caverns promising ancient Pokémon sites or unmined resources, Pokémon gigantification services, Paradox Pokémon lotteries, and even chances to capture Ultra Beasts.
The prices for these services reached hundreds of millions of credits, with some even requiring contribution points. At the same time, they came with very heavy warnings that there were no guarantees the buyer would benefit from these services, as success depended entirely on the trainer's capabilities.
Alex, however, felt excitement bubble up to the surface. This was his chance at reuniting with Grim, the Roaring Moon.
Unfortunately, the price for a single chance was 100 million credits and 100 thousand contribution points. The credits he could pay out now, with some reserves for emergencies, but the contribution points were absurd, equivalent to capturing a billion credits worth of bounties or paying another 100 million credits in exchange.
He didn't have that much money right now. Fortunately, he was about to go hunting, so the timing was certainly just right.
Suddenly, Alex spotted a 16-year-old walking into the shop, an Expert ranked Pokémon at her side. It was a graceful, swan-like creature with a luminous, crescent-adorned head, a pointed beak, and glowing pink crescent-shaped wings, floating elegantly beside her trainer.
It was a Legendary Cresselia.
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