Alex teleported to Interpol first thing in the morning and headed straight for their breeder site. He had hoped to simply receive a randomly assigned pair of Elite ranked Lucario, but their process proved far stricter than that of market breeders.
Interpol valued the Pokémon's side of the exchange just as much as the credits involved, which meant he would need to convince the Lucario to willingly join him in battle. That, at least, wouldn't be much of a problem given the benefits he routinely provided his Pokémon.
He rode the public maglev train all the way to the outskirts of the city, where wide stretches of land had been deliberately molded into different environments. In the distance, Alex could see rivers, lakes, forests, deserts, snow-capped mountains, and even active volcanoes, each serving as a habitat where Pokémon could roam and thrive.
Once he reached his station, he exited and made his way to the only building in the area, a five-story structure that looked like a standard office building. He entered and was immediately greeted by a Jenny wearing camouflage clothing from head to toe.
"Are you Alex?" she asked.
"Yes. I have an appointment to recruit a pair of Elite ranked, range-proficiency-trained Lucario," Alex replied.
"You're just in time. Follow me," she said, leading him through a hallway until they reached an open field at the back of the building, where over a dozen Lucario were training in formation.
"So, here's how this is going to work. You're going to convince them to join you, using any means at your disposal."
"Even lying and threatening?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure, why not. It's up to you how you do it, but understand that if they don't agree, we cannot complete this transaction, no matter how many credits you throw at us."
"Understood," Alex said with a nod.
Lucario are known to have the ability to read Aura, so sincerity was likely the key to earning their respect and convincing them to join. Most trainers had probably tried using tricks without even knowing this basic fact, which led to many being rejected. They were quite popular, after all.
Once Alex and Jenny reached the front of the formation, the Lucario all stood at attention in neat rows, like soldiers ready for command. Alex made his way to the front and addressed them in a powerful voice.
"My name is Alex, and I'm a bounty hunter," he began. "My work requires powerful Pokémon who can operate in strict formations to defend against numbers far beyond our own. We also regularly hunt trainers and Pokémon who are often stronger than we are. If you decide to join, you are expected to execute our formations perfectly, without a shred of fear, while trusting the Pokémon around you."
Alex took note of their reactions and was overall impressed. Every single one of them didn't back down from the challenge with some even having eyes that shined with excitement.
"If you do join and perform as expected, you will be provided with Elite ranked meat at a minimum, with the occasional Champion ranked meat depending on your performance in battle. As for your downtime, we have dedicated breeders and groomers to ensure you have a comfortable and relaxing rest. Those who work hard deserve nothing less than the best."
There were quite a few Lucario who, Alex noted, seemed drawn to this particular aspect of the lifestyle he was offering. It appeared that many preferred to relax rather than relish a challenge.
"If any of you want to join me, come forward," Alex said.
Immediately, five stepped forward, while the rest hesitated. Alex seemed a bit too intense for their liking. They probably preferred trainers who showed more heart, care, and affection than strict discipline. Understandable, given the types of trainers they had likely encountered before.
Of the five, Alex noticed two whose eyes burned with the intense fire of ambition, while the remaining three seemed more interested in downtime than in combat. He considered which ones would best suit the defense team and ultimately chose the lazier ones.
If he were recruiting for the attack team, he would have no doubt picked the ambitious ones, as they would likely perform on par with Kommo-o, who shared Alex's own lust for battle. Unfortunately, the defense team needed only to follow orders and execute instructions rather than take the initiative. In the end, he selected two of the more eager among the three lazy ones, much to the surprise of the two with ambition in their eyes.
"I'll take these two," Alex said to Jenny.
"Really?" she asked, mildly shocked. "The way you were speaking, I was sure you'd pick the other two."
"I plan for them to join a team that only needs to perform as instructed, rather than take the initiative. Having overly eager Pokémon would be detrimental."
"Alright, your call. You can go ahead and store them in your own Poké Balls."
Alex tossed two Poké Balls and caught them without resistance. He then stored the balls and completed the transaction with Jenny.
That was 40 million credits gone from the 300 million he had after submitting all the bounties. Now, he just needed to prepare 100 million credits and 100 thousand contribution points for the Paradox Pokémon.
"You can check their Pokedex entries right away," Jenny said. "We have them updated constantly so there's no need for you to personally check."
"Thanks," Alex said before scanning the Poke Balls and checking their entries.
Name: Lucario, Elite
Type: Fighting Steel, Male/Female
Ability: Justified
Moves:
Advanced:
(Effect Up +1): Nasty Plot, Bulk Up, Coaching, Scary Face, Roar, Agility, Iron Defense, Life Dew, Screech, Helping Hand, Detect, Work Up, Calm Mind, Metal Sound, Quick Guard, Swords Dance, Heal Pulse, Protect, Endure,
(Priority +1): Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sleep Talk, Metronome, Substitute, Psych Up, Copycat
Expert:
(+100% Range): Dark Pulse, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Earthquake, Swift, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Flash Cannon, Steel Beam, Water Pulse, Vacuum Wave, Final Gambit, Dragon Pulse, Bulldoze, Aura Sphere, Psychic, Rock Slide
(+100% Damage): Crunch, Thunder Punch, Low Kick, Low Sweep, Brick Break, Drain Punch, Focus Punch, Upper Hand, Aerial Ace, Shadow Claw, Trailblaze, Dig, Ice Punch, Take Down, Facade, Body Slam, Giga Impact, Poison Jab, Zen Headbutt, Stone Edge, Iron Tail, Rock Smash, Reversal, Quick Attack, Feint, Metal Claw, Counter, Force Palm, Bone Rush, Meteor Mash, Close Combat, Bullet Punch, Extreme Speed, Fling, Rock Tomb, Power-Up Punch
Description: Lucario, the Aura Pokémon. Known for its mastery of both physical combat and spiritual energy, Lucario can sense and manipulate the aura of other beings with remarkable precision. By focusing this energy through its paws, it can unleash devastating waves or strikes capable of overwhelming even the strongest opponents.
'Justified?' Alex thought before nodding. 'Makes sense, considering they were bred by Jennys. Since they're part of the defense team, I'll focus their diet on Special Attack and Speed. As for their move sets, they're very impressive. It won't take long for them to reach full expert proficiency with all their moves.'
"Very impressive move sets," Alex said.
"Thanks," Jenny replied with a smile. "It's hard getting them to take their training seriously."
"Really? They're Lucario. Wouldn't training their Aura be a priority?"
"You'd think so, but if they live here without anything challenging them, they tend to get lazy unless there are proper incentives."
"I see. In that case, you did an excellent job."
She laughed. "Oh, stop. Now you're just flirting."
With his first errand finished, it was finally time for Alex to look into the Paradox Pokémon offer.
"Do you know anything about the Paradox Pokémon recruitment listed on the site?" Alex asked.
"Oh, that? It's a third-party offer from a professor in Paldea. You'll need to follow the instructions after you've paid online."
"Thanks," Alex said as he headed back toward the station. "See you around."
"Bye," she replied with a wave.
Once Alex boarded the train heading back to the teleportation hall, he opened his phone and began the process of purchasing a slot for a Paradox Pokémon.
First, he converted 80 million credits into 80 thousand contribution points. He already had 30 thousand contribution points and needed credits to cover the remainder. He then paid for the service online, leaving him with 80 million credits and 10 thousand contribution points. More than enough to last him a decade, with emergency funds to spare.
Just as Jenny had said, he received instructions to head to the Paldea region to take his chance at recruitment. Specifically, he was to travel to Zero Gate on the northwest side of the Great Crater of Paldea. The instructions also advised him to bring a Flying type Pokémon and noted that the teleportation point at Medali would be the closest to the location.
"I knew this wouldn't be as simple as using some machine," Alex said with a sigh. "Good thing I let the girls know I might not be back within a day."
He got off the train at the main headquarters and made his way to the teleportation hall. Once there, he headed for the teleportation crystal bound for Medali, Paldea.
After a brief teleport, he attempted to open the door with his license, but the terminal suddenly flashed red, preventing him from leaving. He read the details, and it turned out to be a contract requiring Champions to abide by regional conduct regulations.
"Nothing new," Alex said as he accepted the contract.
The light turned green and the door opened. He made his way through the hall and arrived at the police station in Midali.
He made his way outside and was greeted by the sight of a beautiful modern city. Medali spread out beneath a clear Paldean sky, its clean streets lined with sleek white buildings accented by warm earth tones and bright signage. Wide avenues accommodated steady foot traffic alongside efficient public transport, while cafés and open-air markets filled the air with the hum of conversation and the scent of fresh food.
"What a beautiful place," Alex said, before making his way southeast toward the city's exit.
Like all the cities Alex had seen so far, Medali was enclosed by tall walls designed to defend against Pokémon floods. The severity of such floods seemed common across all regions.
Once he stepped beyond the city limits, Alex took in the surrounding landscape. To the east, the land gradually rose toward rocky hills, while to the south, it flattened into managed fields and wind-swept plains. In the distance, the silhouette of the Great Crater loomed faintly on the horizon, its presence unmistakable even from afar.
Suddenly, a terrifying roar echoed from the crater, its sound carrying across the plains despite the distance. Panic swept through the nearby people, and they rushed to take shelter within the city and its tall, robust walls, passing by Alex, who stood frozen in shock. He whispered under his breath,
"Impossible… that energy… it can't be…"
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