Alex glanced at Cresselia before turning back to his noodles. That quick look was enough to tell him the Legendary Pokémon was certainly powerful, but he could still take it in a brawl. It also told him that no one seemed surprised to see a Legendary being paraded around, meaning they were common enough here not to draw attention.
"How common are Legendaries being used by children?" Alex asked Jenny across the table.
"Not very common, but if you live here, you'd see them often enough. Especially at the training grounds," she replied, slurping up her noodles.
"I didn't notice them being offered at the shop, so how do trainers get them?" he asked, finishing the broth that was all that remained of his meal.
"I don't know," she replied, setting down her bowl. "But in her case, she probably got it from her parents or grandparents."
"And since I don't see them being offered, it's likely a Master ranked benefit," Alex said, finishing her thought.
"It's the only explanation."
Alex had initially expected that the method of obtaining Legendaries was simply to overpower them, as in the games, given that this world wasn't anything like the anime. They were seen often enough on League circuits, commanded by Elite ranked trainers on broadcast matches, so he assumed he'd have a chance to capture one in the wild. Meeting Celebi and witnessing Groudon's destruction firsthand proved him wrong.
Next, he thought that perhaps it was a benefit reserved for Champion ranked trainers. Seeing it missing from Interpol's shop meant that even within their headquarters, no such privileges existed, so it was something only those at the Master rank could acquire.
They, being as old and powerful as they were, likely had no need for weak, young Pokémon that would take a century to grow into their power. So instead, they simply passed them down to their children.
Alex and Jenny finished their meals before heading out to take a public train. There was no need to pay, and traffic was minimal.
They toured the area, visiting parks where children played and hung out, shops selling the latest trends, training grounds where Pokémon honed their move proficiencies, battlegrounds where they tested their mettle, and even the apartment complex where Jenny had grown up.
Throughout it all, Alex kept a watchful eye. The technology here was beyond anything he had seen before, surpassing even what Steven possessed in Mossdeep City. The shops were all top-of-the-line, suggesting contracts with top brands from around the world.
He noted plenty of Legendary Pokémon being trained by children, though their combat prowess was often lacking. Still, many seemed to own more than the standard six Pokémon.
He also took another look at the exclusive shop and found quite the selection of items. There were guns of all shapes and sizes from various manufacturers, along with body armor. There were also Mega Stones, Key Stones, Z-Rings, Z-Power Rings, Z-Crystals, Dynamax Bands, Wishing Stars, Max Soup, Tera Orbs, and Tera Shards. Naturally, their prices were just as impressive, but they offered those who had registered a clear path to greater power.
Alex wasn't particularly interested, as he wasn't a min-maxing trainer who fought in official battles. At most, they offered only a minimal increase in power. Even Gigantamax was restricted by region, so it didn't concern him unless he chose to visit.
There was, however, one particular toy that caught his interest, a belt capable of holding more Pokémon. It wasn't a Poké Ball that allowed him to catch them, but rather a storage device where multiple Pokémon could be kept at once. The final piece to Rhea's newest invention. Alex didn't hesitate to spend 10 million credits on the most expensive models, each capable of holding up to 20 Pokémon at a time.
Once Jenny finished their tour and her trip through nostalgia, they returned to Saffron City by evening and separated.
Alex teleported back to the base and immediately called a meeting. He informed all the girls under his command of everything he had learned, along with his plan to earn enough credits to buy a chance at obtaining a Paradox Pokémon.
"Can we come with you?" Lyra asked. "We're strong enough to take care of ourselves and we each have 20 Pokemon at Elite rank in our integrated teams."
"We've passed on the training responsibility to Lily and Emma so the base shouldn't miss us," Mika added.
"Sure," Alex replied. "I don't see why not. We'll split the bounties depending on who took down who."
"Have you decided on a target yet?" Nyx asked.
"Yeah," Alex replied as he pulled up the target he had picked from Interpol's bounty listing.
Target: Brutus "Ironjaw" Hardwell
Rank: Champion
Contract ID: #7712-OR
Payout: 20 million credits
Order: Wanted Dead or Alive
Known Pokémon Team: Excadrill, Steelix, Aggron, Rhyperior, Magnezone, Bastiodon
Brutus "Ironjaw" Hardwell is a heavily built male, approximately 1.90 meters tall, with gray hair, hazel eyes, and a weathered complexion. Commonly seen wearing a modified mining exosuit reinforced with salvaged steel plating and a respirator mask.
Former League-certified excavation foreman in Oreburgh City. License revoked following a tunnel collapse that resulted in multiple fatalities. Official inquiry determined negligence; subject fled before sentencing.
Currently active in the Grand Underground, Oreburgh City, Sinnoh Region. Engages in coordinated theft of evolutionary minerals, refined metals, and prototype excavation tools from League mining operations. Utilizes complex tunnel networks for movement and concealment.
Highly familiar with Oreburgh's subterranean structure and mining infrastructure. Known to use Pokémon for excavation, defense, and ambush operations. Considered armed, resourceful, and dangerous.
Alex wanted to start slow, so he picked one that was unaffiliated with any Teams. It could be argued that these types were more difficult, but at the same time, they didn't have backup to rely on.
Then he turned to Sable with a knowing look.
"I was hoping you'd come with us, Sable," Alex said. "We could really use your expertise in Sinnoh. The Grand Underground is almost entirely Underworld territory which is where all the juiciest bounties are hiding."
"I… I don't know if I want a repeat of Blackwake," she said looking away.
"We'll personally protect you," Lyra promised. "Alex will fight the main bad guy while we will handle the rabble."
"I'll split the bounty with you 10%," Alex added.
"Done!" Sable agreed.
Mining was her calling, but profits were beginning to wane, as the area immediately surrounding the base had already been picked clean. She would have to reach Champion rank before she could dig any deeper. If she could get in on this bounty hunting, maybe she could achieve that rank sooner.
"Do you have anything to add, Nyx?" Alex asked.
"Just that you should be careful," Nyx said. "This Brutus guy definitely has spies working for him, given how clean his operations are. He always pops up in blind spots at perfect timings and leaves before things get too hot. He invites other thieves during his raids so they act as bait, although quite a few have profited along with him, so no one is pointing any fingers."
"It seems he has quite the reputation in the area, so you'll have to avoid asking around to avoid suspicions. As for any leads, I don't have any. The Grand Underground is an entire ecosystem on its own and doesn't tap into the dark web much. I think that's how they manage to stay under the League's radar."
"What does Umbraline have to say?" Alex asked.
"One billion Pokedollars for the whole package but it doesn't include his base's location."
"The information is quite affordable, but if it doesn't even include their current location, then it's just icing without the cake. We'll go over and get familiar with the place first before tapping into any third-party sources."
Alex then turned to Rhea, who hadn't stopped tinkering with the belt he had bought.
"What do you think, Rhea? How soon can you finish it?"
"A week tops, and I'll have all of you outfitted to perfection," she said without looking up. "Oh, and bring me that exosuit or whatever, I could use it for inspiration."
"Got it."
A week later, as promised, Rhea outfitted the four of them.
Alex, Lyra, and Mika wore their usual bounty hunting attire, consisting of a bodysuit, armor, and a long coat. Sable wore her mining outfit, a reinforced vest over a durable shirt and sturdy pants tucked into steel-toed boots.
All of them had space pockets filled with guns, ammunition, potions, Pokéballs, supplies, camping gear, detection equipment, and, of course, Alex's usual loadout, though with some changes.
Stormline had been upgraded and was now called the Crystal Pulse System 6000 "Stormline v2.0," firing at an astonishing 6,000 rounds per minute. It launches a continuous stream of attacks drawn from moves like Feint, Phantom Force, Psychic, Fire Blast, Thunderbolt, Close Combat, Draco Meteor, and Energy Ball.
The healing setting had been removed, as it was no longer reliable, while firepower had been increased fourfold. The ammunition expenditure rose accordingly, but with this, Alex could single-handedly mow down an incoming flood.
Another upgrade was the new backpack on his back, capable of storing all his Pokémon. He no longer had to fumble with Pokéballs, he could release them in formation at the press of a button. Granted, Rotom had been able to do the same but it came with some additional features.
Alex hugged Alvera goodbye before turning to stand with Lyra, Mika, and Sable.
"Everyone ready?" he asked. They all nodded, so he turned to Gardevoir. "Take us to the Saffron City police station."
After the teleportation, they made their way to Interpol's teleportation room and headed straight to headquarters. From there, they moved to the crystal marked Oreburgh City, Sinnoh, before finally teleporting to their new hunting grounds.
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