Gardevoir immediately initiated a coordinated assault, leading with the defensive team at the front. They opened with Protect, blocking the enemy's initial volley before smoothly retreating to create an opening for the offensive team to advance.
Dusknoir and Ceruledge took point, slipping through the chaos with Phantom Force to shatter the enemy's Protect barriers. The moment the shields broke, the rest of the team surged in, quickly isolating six Pokémon from the main formation. Meanwhile, the defensive team repositioned to encircle the trainers, firing precise special attacks meant to keep them under pressure.
Dusknoir and Ceruledge didn't let up, breaking another pair of Protect barriers before cutting off the remaining Pokémon. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the enemy team crumbled. They fought individually as best they could, but it didn't amount to much.
The battle ended decisively, with Gardevoir and Espeon striking last, subduing the two unguarded trainers before they could react.
Gardevoir took the initiative and used Dream Eater to finish them off, gaining a clear understanding of the enemy's plans. It was highly illegal, yet considered a gray area. A Pokémon had used a killing move, it just happened to be one that read minds, so there was some wiggle room that might get Alex in trouble, or might not matter at all, depending on who was judging.
Alex looked down at the remaining trainer before disarming him. He hadn't decided what to do with him yet. It all depended on the information Gardevoir managed to gather.
Soon, information began flooding into Alex's mind. The picture that formed was simple enough, a group of Elite ranked trainers had met online and banded together with the goal of founding a city deep in the wilds. Their vision was to build a haven for Elites, a place that offered both direct access to the wilderness and the luxuries of urban living.
The business model was straightforward. Prices would be exorbitant, as expected for an exclusive settlement catering to top-ranked trainers, allowing the founders to profit through regular operations. The plan also included a raw materials hub that would buy collected resources at competitive rates, saving trainers the trouble of hauling their loot back to major cities.
As profits grew, the founders would reinvest in expansion, steadily pushing back the wilderness and opening more land for development.
It was a well-thought-out plan, one that even caught Alex's interest. If he could secure a share in their settlement, he could turn the budding city into a base of operations for his bounty hunters.
Unfortunately, things had already taken a turn. A single Elite had swooped in and purchased the lion's share of ownership, 30%, making himself, along with those under his command, the de facto leaders of the project.
The plan remained largely the same, though a few details had changed. The collection hub now exclusively belonged to Team Vortex, whose ultimate goal was to corner the market on rare resources. They weren't doing a particularly good job since the League still held the monopoly, as expected, but they were trying their best.
They had several mining operations scattered near danger zones and were making a tidy profit by muscling out competitors, at least until the League stepped in and stabilized the market.
They were largely tolerated because the League often profited once it took over the bases Team Vortex had developed and established. This created a symbiotic relationship where both sides benefited. Team Vortex in the short term, and the League in the long term. Forgotten in the process were the small business owners who were pushed aside until the League eventually stepped in to balance the market.
They weren't exactly in the same league as Team Dominion or Team Umbraline, but they were ruthless enough that most people chose not to mess with them. Even Alex wouldn't dare pick a fight with them openly, which meant he was officially on the defensive until the League rolled around and started establishing order.
What this meant for Alex was that he now had to play tower defense against a greedy corporation and make them understand that he was too expensive to mess with.
"I guess I don't need you anymore," Alex said as he tossed the unconscious man to Gardevoir.
Based on the memories she had gathered, the three who were sent were lackeys belonging to Team Vortex, cheap, Elite ranked combatants whose Pokémon were on the weaker side. They had been sponsored since reaching Expert rank and were now paying their debt back to the organization by following whatever orders they were given.
There were more of them out there, an almost inexhaustible supply. As for the founders whose plans he had just ruined, Alex decided on a wait and see approach while reinforcing the base's defenses.
He would leave the away team and Gardevoir to handle management while taking only Arcanine with him for teleportation runs. The farm was safe enough, so the lack of defenders wasn't an issue. Additionally, the training grounds at the base were far better suited for his Pokémon's development.
"Gardevoir!" she protested.
"I know, girl, but it can't be helped. It's the only way to make sure we don't lose any Pokémon here or waste credits on construction. Think of this as a chance to improve your tower defense capabilities."
"Gar!" she said, her expression clearly unconvinced.
Alex smiled at her complaints. She wasn't as easy to fool as Metagross when it came to staying in one place. Although, he did have a unique angle to attack with.
"Think about it. If you catch any more trainers who belong to Team Vortex, I don't think I or anyone else can say anything if they die from having bad dreams while in my territory."
Gardevoir tilted her head before accepting the responsibility. She would indeed get the chance to eat more humans while she stayed, although it pissed her off to be forced to remain at the base, away from Alex.
Once his coaxing succeeded, Alex called up Nyx to gather information.
"Alex? How's the base?" she asked over their call.
"It's fine. Just some dumbasses who didn't know any better. I need some information on this Elite ranked trainer group that has their eye on Clearstone Valley."
"Okay. It'll take a while, though."
"I want you to focus your search on Rylan Kade."
-----
In a high-rise at the heart of Celadon City, Rylan Kade sat behind his sleek desk on the top floor, eyes fixed on the glowing screens that tracked the organization's operations. A knock at the door drew his attention.
"Enter," he called without looking up.
A junior operative stepped in, looking unusually tense. "Sir… we have a problem. Three of our Elite trainers have not reported back after being sent to harass Clearstone Valley."
Rylan finally lifted his gaze, eyes narrowing. "Clearstone Valley?" His voice was calm, but the undercurrent of anger was unmistakable. "Explain everything, and make it quick."
"They were sent to harass the Elite who controlled the northern end of the valley, the one who managed to defend it alone against a flood with only a disposable wall. They haven't returned, which means they were probably imprisoned or killed."
"What information do we have on this Elite?"
"Alex Wattson, bounty hunter, 28 years old, four badges, owns a distribution company based in Saffron City and a farm just outside to the northeast. He is the adopted son of a Jenny in the same city and has been the owner of the Clearstone Valley northern end for the past few years now."
"That's it? That's all the information you needed before you picked a fight with some random kid and lost three of my operatives?"
"We thought he was just an average trainer, sir. We didn't think he could win a 3-on-1," the junior stammered, shifting nervously under his gaze.
"Get the fuck out of my office," Rylan ordered with a long, controlled sigh.
Once the junior departed, Rylan leaned back in his chair and tapped a few commands on his desk terminal. The holographic interface flickered, dialing up his contact at Team Umbraline.
"Rylan, to what do we at Team Umbraline owe the pleasure of your call?" The voice came through the speaker in a playful, almost mocking tone.
"I need information on Alex Wattson," Rylan said, his tone flat, betraying none of the irritation roiling beneath the surface.
"It'll cost you," the other replied, immediately serious.
"That high up?" Rylan asked, a flicker of surprise passing over his composed features. "How much?"
"100 million for the full package. 10 million for what you already know."
"That's too much for some random Elite."
"I wasn't the one that called."
"Fine. Give me enough information to be wary of him."
"70 million."
"That's fine."
His computer buzzed as a file arrived, opening to display the information he had just purchased. He read through it, his face growing paler by the second.
The data read like any ordinary bounty hunter's profile, but there was a crucial difference. It looked like the typical profile of a Champion ranked bounty hunter, the kind that actually hunts rather than just gathers information.
They had challenged someone whose accomplishments already matched that of a Champion, even though he was officially ranked as an Elite. To make matters worse, he was close to reaching Champion rank. It was clear they had badly underestimated someone who, on the surface, seemed like just another unassuming trainer.
"Shit!"
-----
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