Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Alex found himself staring up at a colossal tree, only slightly smaller than the Battle Tree in Alola. Its sprawling canopy shaded much of the city beneath it, giving the entire place a calm, storybook atmosphere. Around him stretched wide cobblestone walkways, flower-lined streets, and generous spaces between charming wooden homes.

Despite standing near the heart of the city, just outside the police station that housed Interpol's teleportation network, there was none of the frantic pace he had come to associate with major cities. Families strolled through the streets, children played beneath the tree's branches, and neighbors chatted on shaded porches. The air carried the scent of fresh flowers and baked bread, while the gentle rustling of leaves muffled the distant sounds of everyday life.

Here in Laverre City, in northern Kalos, Alex planned to hunt down Team Luminal's second regional base. He wanted another massive haul of supplies to sell to smooth out Maris's ongoing negotiations with the Black Market Alliance.

Making his way east toward the mountainous forests beyond the city walls, Alex took in his surroundings.

Like every major city in Kalos, Laverre had experienced explosive growth after Lumiose City's evacuation. Unlike the others, however, it had refused to abandon its identity.

Instead of replacing its rustic charm with rows of apartment blocks and towering skyscrapers, the city simply expanded outward while preserving its original aesthetic. Cozy homes with spacious yards, tree-lined streets, public gardens, and broad pedestrian paths gave every district an open, welcoming feel.

The careful urban planning naturally drove property prices well above the regional average, yet demand remained high. For those wealthy enough to afford it, Laverre offered something increasingly rare in modern Kalos, a peaceful city that still felt connected to nature.

Soon, the last houses disappeared behind him as he passed through the eastern gate, leaving Laverre's tranquil streets behind for the dense mountain forests beyond.

Mounting Arcanine, Alex raced east through the wilderness at full speed, weaving between towering trees and startled wild Pokémon before ascending into the rugged highlands. They maintained that pace for nearly two hours, eventually reaching Kalos's eastern frontier. There, along a descending slope, sat an unremarkable hill dotted with sparse shrubs and weathered boulders. It appeared completely ordinary, concealing a sprawling military base beneath an energy shield.

"This should be the location," Alex muttered before releasing his Pokémon.

Like before, the pair of Rhyperior burrowed underground before erupting into the middle of a concealed military installation. Alarms blared across the compound as trainers scrambled into position and Poké Balls burst open in every direction.

Alex's defensive team surged out of the tunnel first, immediately establishing a perimeter while counterbombarding the surroundings. Once the formation was secure, the attack teams charged forward, ripping through stationary defenses and overwhelming clusters of trainers. Once the Master ranked commander arrived, the attack team converged on them, overwhelming both the trainer and their Pokémon through superior numbers and coordination until they were finally brought down.

Only a few minutes later, the battle was over.

The cleanup proceeded with practiced efficiency as Alex's Pokémon swept through every warehouse and building, collecting anything of value. Just like the previous base, the compound held mountains of trainer supplies, support equipment, armor, firearms, ammunition, and countless other provisions.

Then a familiar teleportation signature flared to life. Except this time, it wasn't just one. Three separate energy signatures materialized almost simultaneously, each close enough to support the others.

"Just like we practiced, Gardevoir," Alex said.

Immediately, his Pokémon surrounded the incoming teleportation points before deploying more than 50 turrets. Rotom instantly assumed its Mauler body and seized control of every emplacement, their Gatling guns spinning to life and ready to fire. The rest of Alex's Pokémon formed a defensive formation on one side as they prepared to bombard the landing zone.

Unfortunately, setting up the turrets took too long, allowing the three groups of enemy trainers to materialize, release their Pokémon, and organize defensive formations before the ambush could begin. Even so, they had barely finished organizing when the battle erupted.

Stormline roared as Alex fired alongside his Pokémon and the turrets. The defenders immediately answered with a bombardment of their own, but they were quickly overwhelmed. Hundreds of thousands of Elite ranked Phantom Force and Feint bullets tore into the tightly packed formations every minute, creating overlapping fields of fire that left almost no avenue of escape. Combined with his Pokémon's relentless area bombardment, the defenders were buried beneath an unending storm of bullets and energy attacks, unable to mount any meaningful resistance.

Their defensive formation disintegrated within seconds, and what followed was nothing short of a massacre. When the initial bombardment finally ceased, only the Master ranked Pokémon and a handful of the toughest Champion ranked Pokémon remained standing.

"Finish it," Alex commanded as he stored Stormline.

The attack team surged out of formation and descended on the survivors, maintaining a three-to-one numerical advantage against every remaining opponent. They methodically overwhelmed each Pokémon, denying every avenue of escape while maintaining complete control of the battlefield. Within moments, the last of the enemy Pokémon fell unconscious.

“Clean up, then let's get out of here before they escalate the reinforcements,” Alex said.

The turrets were packed away while the fallen Pokémon were retrieved as corpses. The trainers received the same treatment. Team Luminal was simply too violent an organization to be left alive, and every confirmed member was subject to a kill-on-sight order with an accompanying bounty based on rank.

Once they finished cleaning up, Alex mounted Arcanine but didn't leave immediately. Instead, he lingered at the edge of the ruined compound, watching for any sign that Team Luminal would commit additional reinforcements after losing three response teams within minutes.

None came.

It seemed there was a limit to how much even Team Luminal was willing to sacrifice. Faced with such a decisive defeat, they chose to cut their losses rather than feed more trainers into an unwinnable battle.

Satisfied, Alex turned Arcanine west and teleported back to Laverre City.

In a quiet coffee shop with only a handful of patrons, Alex dialed the same number that had previously contacted him on behalf of the Black Market Alliance.

"Mr. Wattson, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" the voice on the other end answered.

"I'm sure my people have already contacted yours regarding a partnership between the Black Market Alliance and the Silver Network. I was told the negotiations have stalled. Care to explain, or direct me to someone who can?"

"I can answer that myself. The issue is that the Black Market Alliance isn't a single organization but a coalition of independent black markets. We establish common rules and settle disputes, but each member still operates independently. That makes signing one agreement on behalf of everyone impossible. To complicate matters further, Team Vortex claims your existing partnership grants them exclusive rights."

"I understand. First, Team Vortex's exclusivity only applies to our main base near a Champion ranked danger zone. These negotiations concern Hawke Delivery and our urban supply depots, so their agreement doesn't extend that far. As for the Alliance's structure, what do you suggest?"

"I see. It appears Team Vortex wasn't entirely forthcoming. In that case, here's a proposal. Each of your supply depots will source its inventory exclusively from the nearest affiliated black market. That ensures every member receives business while preventing disputes over territory. In return, the Alliance will discourage anyone who regularly trades with us from targeting your operations."

"I'm assuming that exclusivity doesn't apply to resources we acquire ourselves. Product quality is important to us."

"Naturally. The restriction only applies to supplies purchased through the Alliance. You're free to stock your depots however you wish with your own inventory. The nearest market simply has the first opportunity to fulfill your orders, unless it cannot provide the required goods."

"That works for me. Finish the details with my people as soon as possible. Also, as a gesture of goodwill, I have an entire Team Luminal base's worth of supplies that you might be interested in. How about taking it off my hands at a discount as a token of my appreciation for helping smooth out the negotiations?"

"That would be a wonderful gesture, Mr. Wattson. Once you provide a location, I'll immediately arrange for someone to collect it. And of course, you can leave the negotiations to me."

"Good. I'll leave it in your hands."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Wattson."

Once the call ended, Alex turned his attention to his next target. Hunting Team Luminal had earned him hundreds of millions of credits and hundreds of thousands of contribution points, but it still wasn't enough. The costs of living and training in Lumiose City were simply that absurd. If he wanted to continue taking advantage of the city's facilities while waiting for Clarissa to return from her dimensional expedition, he would need even more money.

With that in mind, he pulled up Nyx's updated Black List and settled on his next target, a Master ranked professional assassin who specialized in Ghost type Pokémon.