"Hey, Alex. What's up?" Clarissa answered Alex's call.
"Hey, Clarissa. I have a financial opportunity for you, if you're interested," Alex said, immediately getting straight to the point.
"Why do you sound like one of those businessmen that's always annoying my parents?" Clarissa asked.
"Likely because I am trying to make money off of you," Alex replied. "Anyway, are you interested?"
"Sure, I guess. I can at least trust you not to take advantage of me."
"Otherwise, your family would hunt me down?"
"Yup."
"Well, you're absolutely right. Your Aunt Clair terrifies the shit out of me."
Alex heard a chuckle on the other side before Clarissa listened to Alex's proposal.
"You want me to sit on that many credits?" Clarissa exclaimed.
The entire valley is roughly 10 kilometers long, and the area coverage available that would directly benefit is about 25 square kilometers, which is currently priced at 30 million credits for each lot, totaling 750 million credits for the entire valley, not including the two Alex now owns.
If Alex was successful in protecting the north, the valuation would increase to 40–60 million credits each, which promises a profit of roughly half to double the total investment within a decade. Whoever held onto it now, before Alex showed competence, would profit by a massive margin.
"I tried finding groups who would be interested in helping me out financially to fund the base I want to build, but all they see is an Elite ranked twenty-something trying to pull a fast one on them."
"Yeah, I bet. You are too much of an anomaly. If I didn't know you, I would have hung up already."
"Anyway, I don't have much of a deal to offer. Think of this as a heads-up to a possible opportunity, since I can't realistically ask for anything. I can, however, guilt you into giving me a share of your profits if you do manage to benefit from it."
"You're really laying it on thick."
"Just covering my bases. We're friends, right? Friends should share profits when they benefit each other."
"I'll talk to Mom about it."
"Sure thing. It's not like I'm changing plans now that I've bought the land. I'm locked in, so it's your turn to determine if you can make money off of it. Just remember to thank me someday, generously."
Alex heard a sigh before Clarissa cut the call.
Having friends in high places had its perks. If he could prove himself useful, surely the wealthy gods would look down upon him and reward him with leftovers from their table. At the very least, he was hoping Clarissa would be able to ensure those who refused his offer wouldn't profit off him.
Was it petty? Extremely. What did it cost him? Nothing. What would he gain? Breadcrumbs. Overall, it was worth it.
-----
On the other end of the call, Clarissa sighed, then hung up.
It had been nearly a year since her only friend last reached out, and when he finally did, he got straight to business. The last time they spoke, there was at least some catching up, now it was just transactions.
Not that she was any better. The last time she called him was over three years ago, and that too had been because she needed something. A long silence for a supposed friendship.
Still, there was something about their bond that endured. No matter how much time passed, it stayed platonic. He never tried to take advantage of her or their connection. Even now, the offer leaned in her favor.
Alex was a friend from a time when she was more naïve. She'd had other friends since then, but they either got intimidated when they learned her last name or tried to blatantly take advantage of her. This was mostly true for girls, but with boys, they always tried to date her, eager to use her status and wealth for themselves.
She liked that Alex didn't fall into either category. He was grounded in a way she knew she could never be. That stability drew her to him. But the walls she'd built from years of her parents' lectures and the constant reminder of her role as the daughter of Champions kept her guarded.
She shrugged off the melancholy and called her mom. She couldn't act on Alex's offer herself. Her allowance was in Pokédollars, and anything requiring credits was simply handled for her. If she wanted in, she'd need her mother's help.
"Hey, sweetie, did you need something?" Lorelei answered.
"Alex called, and he said he had a business opportunity."
"Your boy friend, Alex?"
"He's not my boyfriend," Clarissa corrected, defensively. "We haven't even talked in close to a year."
"Well, he is a boy and your friend, right? Doesn't that make him your boy friend?"
"That's not funny, Mom."
"Alright, I was just joking. What did he want?"
"What do you know about Clearstone Valley, east of Mt. Moon?"
"A lovely place with plenty of crystals and minerals for harvesting, but equally dangerous. It's constantly plagued by floods that funnel from the northern wilderness. It's very close to the hazard zone where only Master ranked trainers are allowed to explore. Why do you ask?"
"Alex bought the northern end of the valley and wants to give us a heads-up in case we want to profit off of him."
"Alex is only Elite ranked, right? He would need to be a very strong Champion to hold that property against the constant floods it experiences at least once a year. Anything less would result in mass casualties if any operations stay there long term."
"He's fended off a flood before, so I think he might have found the challenge acceptable."
"Hm… I don't think he'll be able to do it, sweetie, but if you want, I can hike the price up now and give you a percentage of the profit."
As the Champion of the region, she was allowed certain liberties when it came to almost everything. That included property prices that were worth credits. She could arbitrarily change them as she pleased and freely give benefits to her friends.
On the other hand, if she went overboard, she would be seen as a tyrant, which would negatively affect the League's publicity. That, in turn, would give the Underworld a chance to appeal to the public and possibly oust the League's current government.
For minor things like prices in Clearstone Valley, however, it was inconsequential, so she could do as she pleased.
"Thanks, Mom. And give a percentage of the profit to Alex when they come in. If he succeeds, it would be because of him, after all."
"Sure thing, sweetie. Now, apart from Alex, are there any other boys you've been hiding from me?"
"Mom!"
-----
Once Celise confirmed ownership of the six square kilometer tract of land north of Clearstone Valley, Alex immediately teleported to Cerulean City, then made his way west toward Mt. Moon via Route 4.
At Mt. Moon's entrance, he teleported home for the night, planning to continue the journey early the next morning. By dawn, he was moving again, northward through the rugged mountainous terrain circling Mt. Moon to the east. He spent the rest of the day pushing forward until he finally reached the southern entrance of Clearstone Valley.
So far, the trip had been quite violent, with plenty of Ground type Pokémon picking fights left and right. He even encountered quite a few Elites who were trying to defend their territory. He made sure to leave them alive, of course, as the local population was deemed protected by the Rangers. Alex could pass, but he was not allowed to kill or capture.
Once he arrived at the southern valley entrance, he found what could almost be described as a paradise. The land opened into a broad valley flanked by steep hills and dense woodland, stretching north into misty forested slopes. Wildflowers dotted the uneven terrain, and shallow streams cut winding paths through the undergrowth.
Pokémon roamed freely. Dodrio, Gogoat, and the occasional Donphan grazed or lounged under the sun, while bird Pokémon drifted overhead on the warm breeze. For a place so deep into wilderness, it was surprisingly serene. The calm only emphasized how wild and unclaimed the area really was.
Alex climbed up the western ridgeline as he continued north until he reached what was supposed to be his territory. His first impression of the location was danger. He could almost feel the threat to his life caress his skin as his instincts screamed to run.
There was no doubt that a Champion ranked Pokémon was sitting at the center of his territory, waiting for a challenge. The entirety of Clearstone Valley likely belonged to this Pokémon, which meant that Alex had to take it out and have his Pokémon declare the area as their territory henceforth.
Before that, however, Alex had to survey the area and take note of anything that would interfere in his fight. There was likely nothing else in the area that would do so, but it didn't hurt him to check.
For now, he teleported back to the farm and spent the night planning with his command team and made sure they had a solid plan of action just in case they somehow ticked the Champion off.
Early the next day, Alex teleported back to the valley and finally scouted the area in the bright morning sun, giving him a clear view of what the valley held for him.
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