Alex left Area Zero once his business was finished and flew to Medali on Hydreigon. From there, he used Interpol's teleport network to reach Port Marinada, where the first of Team Dominion's three secret bases was located.
Apparently, only three bases had ever been fully completed. Several others were discovered mid-construction and shut down immediately for illegal development. Once their leaders were identified as Team Dominion collaborators, they were arrested on terrorism charges. Paldea, it seemed, did not tolerate Underworld elements it did not directly control.
Unlike other regions, Paldea maintained tight oversight of its criminal sphere and lacked the infrastructure needed for large-scale illicit operations. The region's relatively small size left few places to hide.
That was not to say crime was nonexistent. There was plenty of it, but it never had the chance to consolidate. Any serious attempt at organization was met with swift League intervention, with arrests coming long before real damage could be done.
Interestingly, this even applied to the Jenny and Joy clans, who were firmly rejected from working as police officers and nurses in the region. This was because they were too tight-knit as a group, and if they were ever to betray the region for their clan's interests, there would be little the government could do if they managed to corner so many critical aspects of governance. They simply did not like widespread groups having the ability to place the region in a stranglehold.
There were many reasons why this was possible. The primary one was the League system they had in place, which encouraged even weak trainers to take on the gym circuit, prove themselves, and receive the title of Champion despite only being at the Expert rank, fostering a sense of belonging to the League. There were not that many people in Paldea compared to other regions, so everyone was encouraged to train Pokémon to defend themselves and the region.
On top of that, the Paldea region had a reputation for being an Academy region, where the government was effectively made up of the most powerful individuals working for an academy that promoted strength and growth from a young age. The competitive scene was not even particularly competitive, as those at the top were simply too strong to ever be ousted from their positions, so they allowed smaller League competitions to placate the masses while still encouraging growth.
Once Alex exited the police station, he was met with the bustling market scene of Port Marinada. Stalls lined the waterfront in dense rows, canvas awnings snapping in the sea breeze as merchants shouted prices over the crash of waves and the creak of docked ships. The air was thick with the smell of salt, grilled seafood, and spices, while crowds of traders, tourists, and sailors flowed through the narrow lanes, making the port feel less like a city and more like a seaside market.
Alex made his way to the docks, releasing his water team and donning his Deep Suit, ready to dive to the underwater base a few miles offshore. Onlookers watched with interest, drawn by the display of powerful Pokémon and the odd, space-like suit he was wearing.
"Hunting for treasure or Pokémon?" a local fisherman asked as Alex adjusted his suit.
"Criminals, actually," Alex replied, flashing his bounty hunter license.
"Oh…" The man stepped back. "Well, I figured I should warn you that diving is restricted in the nearby waters. Fishing around these parts is highly regulated for miles, and you normally need a license. But since you're hunting a different kind of fish, you're probably good to go."
"Thanks for the warning," Alex said as he sealed his helmet, mounted Gyarados, and swam out to sea with his water team.
Once he left, the fisherman took out his phone and made a call.
"Hello, Kofu? Yeah, I think you might be interested to know there's a powerful bounty hunter here who's heading out to sea to hunt criminals. I don't know who he's after. His name is Alex Wattson. Yes, I'll send him your way when he comes back. Haha, I'll make sure to include some Basculin. All right, bye."
Meanwhile, Alex reached the approximate location of the base and dove underwater, sending his water team to scout the area while the Wishiwashi began calling to their kind to form their Schooling Forms.
A few minutes later, one of the Wishiwashi returned fully formed, signaling that they had located the base.
Alex followed the Wishiwashi and discovered an underwater cave guarded by Elite ranked Pokémon wearing Dominion Restraints around their necks. After a brief battle, he made his way into the cave and surfaced in a docking area that was lightly guarded.
He released all his Pokémon, giving them simple instructions.
"Only kill if necessary, and prioritize searching for their tech and supplies," Alex instructed, sending his Pokémon scattering throughout the base.
He made his way out of the docks into a familiar open space, surrounded by the sounds of battle and sparse gunfire, feeling a twinge of nostalgia.
"It's been a while since I last raided a Team Dominion base," Alex said, reminiscing. "I think the last time was in Johto, at the Lake of Rage, in Gravik Drayne's base."
Since then, the only bases he had raided were Captain Dorian Mistral's, which served more as a personal home than a standard Team Dominion facility, and the underwater base outside Rustboro City in Hoenn, which he hadn't bothered to enter.
He strode around randomly, knowing full well there weren't any threats in the base since the leaders had already been killed or captured in Area Zero. The only threats left were the guards, armed with weak guns, or mind-controlled Pokémon, which weren't threats at all to his teams.
As for any danger of the base exploding from some self-destruct button, Rotom had already infiltrated their systems before Alex had even left the waters of the docks. This also ensured they couldn't alert the other bases of their status or spook them into abandoning their bases and retreating from the region with everything they had.
In no time, the Pokémon began returning with crates filled with guns, bullets, supplies, and obscure technologies he didn't bother identifying. He stuffed everything into his space bags, effectively emptying the place without making any arrests. After all, these people weren't technically criminals and had no bounties on them.
Once he was finished, he left and made his way back to the shores of Port Marinada, where the fisherman who had spoken to him earlier approached.
"Find what you were looking for?" the fisherman asked.
"I did," Alex replied, removing the Deep Suit.
"Plan on reporting your findings to the police?"
"Yeah…" Alex said, his suspicions quietly building.
He was, in fact, planning to submit a full report of his findings to the local police, including all the videos he had recorded and the data from the base's servers. As for the items he had taken, he planned to include a report on them as well, with the help of Gardevoir, who kept stock of the inventory as it was being stored. If there were anything the police were interested in, he would surrender it upon request.
"Great!" the fisherman said, handing Alex a heavy cooler filled with ice. "You can make your report directly to Kofu, the Gym Leader of Cascarrafa, who has full jurisdiction over the area. Also, would you mind delivering this to him as well?"
Alex's eyes widened in surprise before he accepted the cooler.
"Sure… I guess," he said dubiously.
"Oh, you're wondering about Kofu? I'm one of his restaurant's suppliers, and as a side gig, I also report any suspicious activities in the area. You seemed pretty suspicious, so I reported you, and he said he wanted to meet you once you were done with your business to receive your report directly."
Alex's brows rose, impressed with the system Kofu had in place. It was a discreet way of keeping tabs on the region. It was also difficult to detect since the locals knew everything about the area without arousing suspicion.
'Is this how they manage to catch criminals so easily?' Alex thought. 'It probably wouldn't work in bigger regions, though, as there are simply too many people. It would require an entire social infrastructure to monitor everything.'
"Alright, I better go then," Alex said, pausing before remembering to ask, "Where can I find him?"
The fisherman looked up at the sky, noting the sun setting over the horizon. "He should be in his restaurant at this time of day rather than the gym. It's the busiest place in Cascarrafa, so you won't miss it."
"Thanks," Alex said before walking to the police station, where he teleported to Cascarrafa.
Cascarrafa, known as the City of Water, is a striking multi-tiered metropolis built around an intricate network of canals and waterways. Its layered design rises gracefully above the flowing waters, with sleek elevators and bridges connecting each level, allowing residents and visitors to move seamlessly between tiers. The cityscape blends modern architecture with aquatic charm, featuring waterfront promenades, cascading fountains, and bustling markets that line the canals, giving Cascarrafa a vibrant, lively atmosphere that reflects its close relationship with water.
Alex made his way to the Kofu Lounge restaurant, located on the second level of the eastern side of the city. It was a long walk from the police station, so he managed to reach it by evening.
He entered the restaurant and was immediately seated by a waiter without prompt, handing off the cooler along the way. It seemed even the staff knew he was coming.
Without taking his order, an assortment of seafood dishes was placed on the table, the most prominent being an Elite ranked steamed Basculin with the most delectable sauce Alex had ever smelled.
As he was considering whether to start eating, a large bald man with a white and blue beard, dressed in a chef's attire, took the seat opposite him.
"Gym Leader Kofu?" Alex asked.
"That's me," he said with a warm smile. "Go ahead, enjoy! Nothing tastes better than a meal shared with good company."
"May I ask what this meeting is about?" Alex asked, his tone serious.
"Ah, that would be about you, of course."
-----
Support me on Patreon
patreon/babywrath