Chapter 531. The Prism Tower
It took Alex a year to fully prepare for his trip because his Master ranked physique had far greater potential than those of the lower ranks. Essentially, it took much longer and required significantly more effort to unlock that potential. Every time he set a new personal best, he found even more room for improvement a week later, leaving him no choice but to continue pushing his physique far longer than he had initially estimated.
Not that delaying his departure for as long as possible was much of a problem anyway, since the girls were more than happy to keep Alex grounded, especially given his significantly heightened sex drive. He was once again able to satisfy all of them without any trouble. Even Clarissa, who occasionally found time to visit, left thoroughly satisfied despite Alex no longer needing his handicap to survive.
Eventually, however, Alex decided that the diminishing returns were no longer worth it, so he finally departed nearly a year later. Upon returning to Lumiose City, he immediately registered at the Research Center for the next available dimensional expedition. As part of the process, he was required to attend a briefing.
During the briefing, he was given a general overview of the kinds of places he could expect to visit. Most destinations were asteroid fields, barren wastelands, or post-apocalyptic worlds. Occasionally, the timeline would be significantly skewed, causing him to arrive in worlds with few or even no humans.
As part of the briefing, he received recommendations regarding his outerwear, supplies, and overall conduct. The instructors made sure he understood there was a very real chance he could die before even arriving, die the moment he arrived because he materialized in lava, or die on the return trip due to local threats. He was also instructed to avoid interfering with the locals. While it was generally acceptable to take anything that wasn’t bolted down, their mission was to find a way to save their own world, not create enemies in other dimensions that could one day advance to the same technological level as theirs.
Once the briefing was complete, Alex waited for the next scheduled launch a few days later. Before long, he found himself standing outside the Prism Tower, which rose directly from the center of Lumiose City.
Before being converted into this device, the Prism Tower was known as the Lumiose City Gym. It was an Electric type Gym run by Clemont. During the Mega Evolution invasion, it became the location that radiated the most energy, allowing Pokémon within its vicinity to Mega Evolve and go berserk. Now, it has been transformed into a dimensional teleporter, using Hoopa’s abilities to open pathways to other worlds.
Standing at its base, Alex had to crane his neck until he was staring almost straight upward. The Prism Tower soared nearly 300 meters into the clouds like a colossal crystal spear, its polished surface seamlessly blending shimmering metal, translucent crystal, and countless geometric panels that refracted the afternoon sunlight into shifting rainbows.
Faint streams of Infinity Energy pulsed beneath its surface like glowing veins, converging toward the distant pinnacle where reality itself seemed to ripple. The entire structure emitted a deep, resonant hum that vibrated through the air and into his bones, as though an unimaginably powerful engine was constantly running in the center of the city.
Even from directly beneath it, Alex could sense the immense energy gathered within the tower, an amount powerful enough to tear open stable passages between dimensions and hurl Master ranked trainers into the unknown.
As Alex walked toward the entrance, he saw numerous equally powerful trainers gathering in the entrance hall, many of them taking a final moment to say goodbye to their families before stepping into the tower. Despite their strength and status, the atmosphere was surprisingly solemn, with even Master ranked trainers exchanging hugs, words of encouragement, and promises to return safely. Each of them was equipped with advanced exploration gear, wearing space suits purchased from the Commercial Center along with massive backpacks that supposedly had enough internal space to store several shipping containers worth of supplies.
Alex himself was wearing an upgraded Master ranked Deep Suit with even more capabilities, along with a massive backpack that could easily hold ten times more than Lifeline. It was filled with supplies, gadgets, and ammunition. The thing looked more like an army backpack, stretching from Alex’s waist to well over a foot above his head. It was also incredibly bulky, easily three times thicker than Lifeline.
It couldn’t be helped given the circumstances. Dimensional expeditions were unpredictable, and the more supplies he could bring back with him, the greater his potential profit. If he was going to risk his life exploring unknown worlds, Alex intended to make sure he had enough storage space to bring back anything valuable he discovered.
Once he stepped inside, Alex was greeted by a massive main hall that looked like the command center of a space station. Glowing crystals were embedded throughout the walls and ceiling, their light flowing through intricate conduits that connected to rows of advanced computers. Scientists moved between stations, monitoring displays and checking for any unusual fluctuations or dimensional anomalies.
Large screens lined the upper walls, displaying constantly updating charts, energy readings, and expedition data. The sheer volume of information being processed made it clear that every aspect of the operation was being carefully monitored. At the center of the hall stood two massive glass domes, each surrounded by layers of machinery and energy conduits that hummed with power as scientists prepared the dimensional transfer.
Roughly a dozen other Master ranked trainers accompanied Alex, all of them escorted toward the dome on the left and directed to stand on the designated circles marked across the floor. Once everyone was in position, the scientists provided each trainer with a large metal brace that attached to their arm before locking securely onto their suits. These were likely the return beacons, designed to allow them to return home while simultaneously recording valuable data from their expeditions.
With the preparations complete, the scientists stepped away as the glass dome slowly descended, sealing the trainers inside.
"Final checks complete," a scientist announced through the speakers. "All expedition members remain within your assigned circles."
The machines surrounding the dome activated, filling the hall with a deep humming sound as energy surged through the floor.
"Dimensional coordinates locked. Return beacon synchronized. Survival systems confirmed."
The portal above them began to form, twisting the air as waves of energy gathered.
"Dimensional pathway stabilized."
The scientist glanced at the readings before giving the final command.
"Transfer sequence beginning. Ten seconds."
The countdown appeared on the screens.
"Three... two... one."
The dome erupted with light.
"Dimensional transfer initiated."
There was a flash of blinding white light followed by streams of multicolored energy streaking past Alex. The pressure against his suit intensified almost immediately, causing the reinforced material to groan as if it were being crushed from every direction. Warning indicators flickered across his visor as the suit struggled to compensate for the immense forces acting upon it.
Alex felt his entire body tense as his blood rushed through his veins, his senses overwhelmed by the violent shift in reality around him. It felt as though his body was being dragged through an endless tunnel while countless layers of space folded and twisted around him. Even with a Master ranked physique, the sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
Then, less than a second later, the blinding lights vanished. The pressure disappeared, the warnings went silent, and the world abruptly stopped rushing past him. Alex found himself surrounded by total darkness, with not even the faintest trace of light reaching his visor.
Of course, he could see perfectly fine in the darkness, allowing him to examine his surroundings. All he found, however, was moist, barren ground covered in mushrooms, with the terrain uneven and difficult to traverse. There were no trees or shrubs of any kind, and the entire area carried a gloomy, lifeless atmosphere. If he couldn’t see the dark night sky above him, he would have assumed he was standing inside a cave.
"Rotom, give me an analysis of the surroundings," Alex called out.
His backpack, Lifeline 2.0, hummed to life as dozens of small drones materialized and flew out in every direction. They spread across the area, covering a wide range as they scanned the environment. Several drones descended to collect samples of the soil and mushrooms, quickly running tests while others continued mapping the surroundings.
Within minutes, they had surveyed a large perimeter stretching nearly a mile around Alex before Rotom finally returned with its analysis.
"Based on soil samples, current location identified as the Alola region, specifically Vast Poni Canyon. Analysis of mushroom samples indicates zero exposure to direct sunlight for a minimum of several years. Resulting environmental conditions have caused the extinction of light-dependent plant species and promoted the growth of moss and fungi."
"Probability of human presence within the immediate area is extremely low. Expected inhabitants are Pokémon adapted to low-light environments, including Dark type and Ghost type species. Threat assessment complete. Caution is unnecessary."
It seemed Alex had found himself in a world where the sun had been swallowed by Necrozma, and the Legendary Pokémon had never been defeated.