Alex woke up at the crack of dawn, got some exercise, and had a heavy breakfast before brushing and flossing his teeth. Once he was ready, he met up with his teleporter, and they continued their tour throughout Hoenn.
Their first stops were Mossdeep City, followed by Sootopolis City, Lilycove City, and then Fortree City. From there, they headed south to Route 119, detoured through Routes 123 and 122, then doubled back to Route 118 before continuing on to Mauville City. Next, they visited Lavaridge City, Fallarbor City, and finally Rustboro City.
Alex wasn't ready to end the trip, so they pressed on to Verdanturf City, then south to Slateport City. From there, they continued to Dewford City, Petalburg City, Oldale City, and Littleroot City. They completed their journey by passing through Pacifidlog City and finally the Battle Frontier, successfully finishing both their trip and their contract..
By the end of it, Alakazam was understandably tired, so the teleporter bid them farewell before deciding to find a place to sleep in the Battle Frontier.
Alex, meanwhile, had Arcanine teleport him back to Rustboro just in time for his scheduled meeting.
Throughout the trip, Alex noticed that the Hoenn region was significantly more scientifically advanced compared to Johto, with its traditional vibes, and Kanto, with its slower technological progress. Kanto's relative weakness in science and its inconvenient location likely explained why it had the smallest presence of human supremacists.
Hoenn, on the other hand, was different. It was a progressive region that took science and technology very seriously, and it showed. Every town Alex recognized from the games had grown into full-fledged cities, metropolises enclosed by tall, secure walls and packed with skyscrapers.
This also clarified for Alex why Steven Stone, as Champion, was restricted in his movements while human supremacists were active. A battle between Champions in one of those densely populated cities would be catastrophic. Elites posed a danger too, but at worst they might destroy a building or a few city blocks. It would still result in significant loss of life, but they wouldn't decimate the population.
It showed that, for all their power, Champion ranked trainers, or at least the good ones, were still beholden to the people, and Alex liked that about the current League. He could only imagine the shitshow it would become if Team Dominion or other "evil" teams won.
Once Alex arrived at Rustboro City, he immediately noticed its bustling energy, reminiscent of Goldenrod City. The city was alive with activity, with multiple gyms standing as centers of competition, a busy port handling goods flowing in and out, and the streets packed with a dense, constantly moving population.
Unlike Ever Grande City, which radiated power and prestige, Rustboro City felt defined by production, invention, and industry. It had the energy of efficiency that surpassed even Saffron City in both liveliness and work ethic. Looking around, Alex couldn't help but wonder how many therapists were needed to keep a population this industrious and driven balanced.
"I'm lucky I made it as a trainer," Alex muttered. "I don't think I could survive living here on a wage."
He made his way through the city until he reached the main headquarters of Devon Corporation. He walked through the lobby, where the receptionist directed him to a meeting room, and finally met the representative.
"Alex Wattson?" a mature lady with glasses asked, carrying a tablet.
"That would be me."
"Hi, I'm Janet, the liaison for the Jenny Clan who handles all communication between them and the company. I was informed that you would be able to solve certain problems we've been having with a particular faction of people?"
"Yes, but I will need more information. As it stands, I would have to go to Umbraline just to get started."
"That won't be necessary. We have all the information you will need," she says before swiping at her tablet.
A moment later, Alex received detailed information outlining several specific locations, each tied to the expressed objective of eliminating the leader. It seemed the plan was for him to neutralize the core threat while leaving the resulting chaos to the police or other forces.
The targets were scattered across a variety of sites, mining operations, warehouses, factories, and offices, but no centralized bases were mentioned.
"I noticed there aren't any specific bases mentioned in this file."
"Those are already being handled by other operatives. The locations you have were only recently identified and require immediate attention."
'Just like Umbraline all over again,' Alex thought.
It was likely they planned to raid the supply depot themselves rather than let Alex anywhere near it.
"What about the legalities?" he asked.
"Rest assured, you have full authorization from the League to act without any legal repercussions."
Alex nodded in approval. It was the first time he had been entrusted with a special mission directly from the League itself. Considering who had requested it, the leeway made perfect sense.
"Compensation?"
Since he wasn't going to receive any extra benefits beyond what his Pokémon could scavenge from the dead, Alex wanted to make sure his efforts were properly rewarded.
"We can pay in Pokédollars or League credits."
Music to Alex's ears. This was the difference between Umbraline and the League. The compensation was actually worthwhile.
"How about ammunition?"
"You want to be armed for this mission?" she asked, unsure what he meant.
"I would like to be compensated with ammunition," Alex replied.
"You could just purchase it with the League credits you'd receive," she suggested.
"At a significant discount," Alex insisted.
He hadn't forgotten his main goal for coming to Hoenn in the first place. He would get his Move crystals one way or another.
"I believe that can be arranged. I can personally guarantee a 10% discount under my authority, but I'll need to check with my manager for anything beyond that."
"Tell them I want the Move crystals at cost. I need ammunition. If you expect me to take on a minor, low-paying role, I'd be inclined to look elsewhere."
"I'll let them know, but I'll be more convincing if you can produce satisfactory results."
Alex reviewed the file again and pinpointed a warehouse in the city where an Elite ranked trainer was currently staying while training new recruits. He also identified three other locations with weaker targets, an office building, a dockyard, and a studio. Altogether, there were four locations he could realistically clear before bedtime.
"Of course," he replied.
"Very well. I'll inform them of your request for a change in compensation," she said, leaning in to whisper. "Between you and me, though, you'll need to complete at least one mission by tomorrow to impress them enough to earn a 20% discount."
"Thank you. I'll make sure to leave a proper impression by then."
Once they wrapped up the meeting with the minor details, Alex headed straight to his first target, the warehouse. Since they wanted to be impressed, he would make sure to increase his value in their eyes.
Alex made his way to the south side of the city and located the warehouse in question. It was heavily guarded, with sentries pacing the perimeter, each armed with what looked like automatic weapons.
"Well, shit. They've upgraded their arsenal," he muttered. "Rhea's going to have to up her game. At this rate, Team Dominion will be rolling out tanks within the decade."
Shrouding himself in Dark type energy, he vaulted through an open window on the top floor. Landing without a sound, he slipped into the room and crept toward the ceiling, positioning himself near a pair of floodlights that poured harsh beams across the warehouse floor.
Gunfire echoed across the range as nearly a hundred recruits drilled in formation. They trained with pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns, and sniper rifles, each weapon firing either Special Attacks or Physical Attack–enhanced Move Crystals.
Overlooking the indoor training field, Alex spotted his mark standing behind a glass window, quietly observing the recruits. He had found his target.
He crept along the gangway until he was positioned above the observatory. Without hesitation, he pulled out his Pokéballs and tossed them down onto the training floor. They burst open at once, releasing his entire team into the chaos.
Gardevoir immediately assumed command, scattering the squads to hunt down the humans. There were only a hundred of them, so it wouldn't take long to clear the field.
At Alex's telepathic cue, Gardevoir launched a Psychic blast at the man behind the glass. The projectile tore through the window, only to slam against a Protect barrier that flared to life just in time.
A shadow leapt through the broken window the moment the shield flickered. It closed in on the Elite ranked trainer, arm snaking around his neck. With a sharp, resounding crack, the man collapsed, lifeless.
The Pokéballs at his waist twitched as if to open, but a single swipe locked them shut, sealing away whatever backup he carried. The source of the Protect was pulled back into its Pokéball and sealed inside as well.
Alex withdrew his dark energy cloak and ordered, "Clean up once you're done. Take all the bullets and a bit of everything else."
Gardevoir nodded and relayed the command. They hardly needed reminding; scavenging after a fight had become second nature. Still, orders were orders.
When the last body hit the ground, they stripped the place clean.
Meanwhile, Alex scrolled through the target's phone after Rotom unlocked it, his eyes already fixed on the next mark.
"They want to be impressed?"
He smirked.
"I'll make sure their minds are blown."
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