Once Alex, Lyra, Mika, and Sable arrived at the teleportation room in the Oreburgh City police station, Alex immediately had Gardevoir use Teleport to head outside and scout. She returned a minute later with new teleportation points before teleporting the group to a secluded alleyway in the city.
Then, Alex, Lyra, and Mika put on their helmets, covering their faces, and followed Sable as she made her way to a bar.
"Is all of this really necessary?" Sable asked.
"Yup," Alex replied. "Remember, you hired three Elite ranked bodyguards to protect you while you go digging in the Grand Underground."
Since Alex hadn't opened the door to the police station, there shouldn't be a record of his visit. Interpol had a separate system that would keep track, but the local police would remain uninformed. He also masked his presence with his Dark type energy, lowering his perceived threat level to Elite rather than Champion.
This way, not just anyone would take a shot at Sable while she was digging. It would have to be someone profitable enough to justify picking a fight with four Elite ranked trainers.
Once they had a proper view of the city, they found it surprisingly crowded with tourists. The streets were lined with cafés, souvenir stalls, and renovated stone buildings that blended the city's industrial past with a polished, modern charm.
Traffic moved steadily, a mix of locals on their daily routines and visitors drifting toward the more scenic parts to the south. Even from a distance, they could see clusters of people gathering along elevated walkways built to showcase Oreburgh's newer attractions.
Over the decades, the city had shifted away from its roots. Oreburgh eventually stopped mining the local pit to the south and converted it into a high-end attraction. The old mine shafts were sealed and cemented, the basin flooded, and a resort was built along the quarry walls. From above, it looked like a gleaming blue lake framed by concrete and glass, an unexpected oasis sitting right beside the city's busy streets.
The new Water type Gym Leader oversaw that entire district, turning it into one of Oreburgh's main draws, while Roark remained the city's official Gym Leader. Most of his focus was now directed northwest of the city, where the mining operation had relocated. That site was still thriving under his management, supplying the region while Oreburgh itself continued to grow, balancing its industrial backbone with its newer tourism and entertainment hubs.
Sable made her way to the seedier part of the entertainment district and soon found a local bar. It was still early in the day, but she hadn't come for a drink. The four of them entered and claimed a table, while Sable headed to the counter, where a young-looking man was tending it.
"What can I get for you, miss?" the bartender asked.
"Everything you've got on the Underground," Sable replied, taking a seat.
"That'll be 100 million Pokedollars for the full package."
"Why the hell is it that expensive!?" Sable exclaimed.
"You asked for everything," he said. "This package includes it all. You'll get invitations to all the marketplaces, enough Spheres to get started, unclaimed mining locations, a list of names to associate with or avoid, and even information on Pokémon hideaways."
"Don't you have any cheaper options?"
"We do, but I personally wouldn't recommend it. You'd get the same amount of information if you ran into any common merchant," he said, his expression becoming sly. "Although, I might be convinced to lower the price if you answer a few questions."
"Oh? Depends on the questions, but go ahead. Anything to avoid paying full price."
"How did Ms. Mercer get here without alerting any of our sentries?" he asked.
"I got a ride from my new sugar daddy. I don't think I need to elaborate."
"No, you certainly don't. We're intimately familiar with Mr. Wattson's operations. Next question, why are you here?"
"I've finished mining out Alex's new base. I need to reach Champion rank before taking on the local nests for deeper lodes, but he isn't that generous. So I thought I'd try my luck here before going back after I've hit Champion."
"What about them?" he asked, nodding toward the three heavily armed guards.
"Well, you already know about Alex's new business, right?"
"A bounty hunting organization named the Silver Network."
"Right. These three are bounty hunters who just reached Elite rank, and I met them there. They didn't know where to start with their newfound freedom and power, so I hired them as bodyguards. I might be close to Champion rank and can take care of myself, but I heard the Underground has special methods specifically for Ground specialists. Figured having some muscle around would be safer."
"A wise decision," he said, eyeing the three guards suspiciously before turning back to Sable. "This little excursion wouldn't have anything to do with Brutus Hardwell, would it?"
Sable didn't need to think before replying, "Alex asked me to relay any information I can dig up about him, but I'm here for my babies first and foremost. He would pay me if I found anything that led to a successful hunt, but I'm not planning on putting much effort into it."
"Good," he replied. "I wouldn't recommend poking into his business. He has some very informative friends."
"Sure. Now, how much is that package?"
"75 million."
"Isn't it 10 million per question? It should be 60."
"I gave some healthy advice in exchange. 70."
"Unwarranted advice. 65."
"Well, it was less of advice and more of a warning. 70."
"Fine, whatever," Sable said, paying with her phone.
'Alex is the one paying anyway,' she thought.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Mercer," the bartender said with a smile as he slid a small space bag toward her. "Happy digging."
Sable made her way to the group's table and opened the space bag. Inside were Spheres of Red, Blue, Green, Pale, and Prism in various shapes and sizes. There was also a phone-sized device that could read depth and detect whether a tunnel wall was already occupied. Finally, she found a data chip, which she plugged into her phone.
She shared the information package with the others. It contained everything that had been promised, along with a brief history lesson.
The Grand Underground wasn't created by humans randomly digging across the region. It was a natural cave system that had existed since the very beginning, long before the land was known as Sinnoh or Hisui.
The tunnels had been gradually shaped by Pokémon themselves, who collected Spheres and stored them in their burrows. Over time, these activities naturally carved out biomes, special areas where Pokémon tend to gather.
But how could life survive in such an inhospitable underground environment? The answer lay in the unique properties of the Grand Underground's currency, the Spheres, which had no official exchange rate with Pokedollars.
Spheres possess the uncanny ability to sustain life. They exude air, light, moisture, and other essential resources that surface dwellers often take for granted.
They also mimic the environmental conditions of the land above them, so biomes in the Grand Underground reflect the terrain of their corresponding surface regions. For example, areas beneath Oreburgh resemble rocky terrain, allowing Rock type Pokémon to thrive alongside plants adapted to rugged soil. This system of natural mimicry supports the growth of plants, which in turn sustains the Pokémon living there.
As for why such a valuable and life-sustaining resource doesn't have an official Pokedollar value, it's because Spheres only function in the Sinnoh region. Outside of it, they are merely decorative stones.
Scientists and historians theorize that Spheres are crystallized fragments of Arceus's energy from when it created the universe. Their life-supporting powers only activate near their source, Arceus, slumbering atop Spear Pillar at the center of the region.
This allows Pokémon and, since its discovery, people to build underground bases that rival the cities and towns above. All that is needed are enough Spheres to sustain a comparable amount of life, and they can thrive just as well below ground.
Understandably, the demand for completely concealed areas that prevent random access made the Grand Underground especially appealing to criminals and the Underworld. They dug in droves, carving out their own private hideouts.
The League has attempted to search for them, but as long as they remain within Sinnoh, criminals can dig as deep as needed to evade capture. Given the Underground's massive vertical and horizontal size, the League would have needed immense manpower to comb through the area. The task was so overwhelming that they eventually stopped trying to actively look for their bases. At best, they can only apprehend criminals when they surface in search of resources.
As for what could be mined, the Grand Underground offers more than just obvious mineral veins. Evolution Stones form naturally as a result of the Spheres radiating their power, creating pockets of valuable resources. Fossils buried long ago can also be uncovered, alongside treasures left behind by criminals who perished in cave-ins. Rare and exotic Pokémon that have adapted to underground life add further opportunity for profit, among other hidden valuables.
"I should have come here instead of working for Team Dominion," Sable commented. "Evolution Stones are cheap, but the pockets here come in tons. Fossils of certain kinds fetch a good price too."
"You would have been swarmed by criminals trying to use your ability for themselves."
"Like you're doing now?" she asked with a smirk.
"Exactly," Alex replied, unashamed.
"So, where do we start?" Lyra asked. "There's a market nearby where we can gather more information, a rocky hideaway, a few unmined locations, and what looks like obvious criminal bases. Should we just start kicking doors down?"
"No. We follow the plan," Alex said.
"Which is?" Mika asked.
"Whatever Sable would do to earn as much money as possible from her Ground type affinity," Alex replied.
All three turned to Sable, who wore a thoughtful expression.
"Then we should just start digging."
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