Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Over the course of the next month, Alex spent his time back at the base in Kanto relaxing while his Pokémon unwound. He had been gone for nearly half a year, so spending time with his girls and kids was long overdue.

During that time, he also brought the spoils from Team Luminal to Simone, allowing her to take all the supplies she needed and more. As the person responsible for managing the bounty hunters directly, including their loadouts, it was only natural that she had the final say. That was when Alex finally had a proper conversation with her.

“How would you like to take charge of the Silver Network base in Kalos?” Alex asked Simone.

“Are you trying to get rid of me already?” she asked with a playful smile, her older age doing nothing to diminish her charm.

“I just need someone I can trust at the helm.”

“I’m only Elite rank. I don’t think I can take full responsibility for an entire base.”

“Your rank isn't a problem. You can start working toward it now with my full support, and the position is more of a figurehead role riding on the reputation I'm building. Besides, you're already babysitting all the bounty hunters at the base. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to take charge.”

“Let me think about it,” she replied after a brief silence.

“That’s all I ask.”

Simone had joined the Silver Network alongside Morgan and Dale, making her one of its oldest and most trusted members. She was an empathetic leader who helped victims recover from their trauma and guided them toward becoming bounty hunters. Kalos, with its dense population and rampant criminal activity, had no shortage of people in need of that support. This was especially true compared to regions like Sinnoh, where many criminal organizations preferred to hide and consolidate their power within the Grand Underground rather than prey openly on civilians on the surface.

Over the years, Simone had also built a loyal following, with subordinates who would willingly lay down their lives for her. She also preferred diplomacy over force, a quality that made her well suited to managing such a volatile region where leadership and stability mattered more than raw strength. As far as Alex was concerned, she was the ideal candidate.

The fact that she would only be at Elite or Champion rank, making her a potential target for Kalos's more powerful criminals, didn't particularly worry Alex. His growing reputation would shield her from the strongest opponents, deterring all but the most reckless, while the base's defenses protected against those who were weaker.

Apart from sorting through his spoils, Alex also visited Rhea to ask about the Pokémon injectors. The technology was no different from the vambraces she had already developed, so he figured she only needed to assemble them.

“Oh, those? I finished them a long time ago. You just never asked for them,” Rhea said, presenting Alex with a handful of bracelets. “As long as a Pokémon wears one, it can automatically inject up to three doses of Full Restore. That's enough to let them fight until they've completely exhausted their stamina. Any more than that would just prolong the agony.”

“I don't suppose you can also add a spatial pocket so they can pull things out?” Alex asked.

“What for?”

“They might want to keep spoils of their own. They're more than smart enough to collect trophies if they want to.”

“Or they could deploy a turret that instantly creates a defensive barrier while raining bullets on their enemies!” Rhea exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as a dozen new ideas raced through her mind.

“Or that,” Alex chuckled. “Just make sure Ghost types can use them as well.”

“Got it. I’ll have them ready by the time you leave,” Rhea said before rushing back to her laboratory.

Alex also got an update from Nyx regarding the verified Black List. It wasn't that he distrusted the Black Market Alliance given their professionalism. He simply wanted to verify and supplement the information before moving forward with any plans.

“I looked it over, and everything is accurate,” Nyx said. “Even the coordinates of the remote bases have been confirmed via satellite.”

“How can you confirm them when Team Luminal had an energy shield hiding their location?” Alex asked.

“Energy scanners,” Nyx replied. “They're usually used to track Pokémon nests, but if an area has concentrated energy without any visible signs of Pokémon, then they're either underground, a battle recently took place, or they're using energy shields. From a satellite, a cluster of energy in the middle of nowhere, far from the nearest nest, stands out immediately. I can't use them to scan the entire planet for hidden bases, but they're perfect for verifying coordinates once we already have them.”

“Do you have any recommendations?”

“Yeah. Don't focus on any one industry, and prioritize hunting the loners. If you go after someone with too many connections, you're going to get a much more violent repeat of the Black Market Alliance's warning. It's better to come across as a passing typhoon than the start of a new world order. That way, you won't scare everyone else into banding together against you.”

“Good. Move your recommendations to the top of the list and set a cutoff point. I don't want to terrorize all of Kalos. I've already earned enough for a base and my training. After a few more hunts, I'll head back to Lumiose City and focus on getting stronger.”

Finally, Alex called a meeting with Celise and Maris to discuss establishing the base in Kalos. Even if Simone declined his offer, Lyra and Mika could oversee it temporarily while they searched for a suitable bounty hunter to take charge.

“What do you girls think?” Alex asked.

“No problems on my end,” Celise replied. “The influx of funds and supplies is more than enough to recruit the staff we need, finance construction of the base, and maintain the elevated Alert Level. We're also ready to expand our network into Kalos.”

“I've run into some problems on my end,” Maris said. “I haven't had enough time to establish the bounty hunter supply depot. Not only is the local competition fierce, but the criminal organizations in every major city are too powerful.”

“We'd better start with the base,” Alex said. “Without the manpower to protect it, the supply depots would be too vulnerable. Once the base is operational and we have enough bounty hunters, they can help you establish a foothold in every major city. Since I'll be staying in the region for a while, I can personally deal with anyone who causes trouble until everyone understands our relationship.”

“That would work, I guess,” Maris said, though she didn't sound convinced.

“What else is the problem?”

“It could lead to casualties,” she admitted, her expression falling. “I know it's unrealistic to expect otherwise, but... I want my employees to come home alive.”

“I'm sorry, Maris, but it can't be helped. Kalos is simply that volatile. I'll build an even bigger reputation so they'll have to deal with as little trouble as possible.”

“Okay,” she replied with a heavy sigh, unable to hide the worry in her eyes.

Alex hated putting her in this position. He still remembered Maris's trauma after losing her couriers when Hawke Delivery was just starting out. Ever since then, she had treated every employee as someone under her protection. Unfortunately, Kalos was simply too populated, leaving plenty of criminals to go around. It was unrealistic to expect everyone to make it through unscathed.

Even the reputation Alex was building had its limits. He was too high up the food chain for the smaller criminals to care. At best, his name would discourage them from crossing certain lines, but that wouldn't stop them from picking the low-hanging fruit.

Then an idea struck him.

“How about working with the Black Market Alliance?” Alex suggested. “They seem organized enough that the League's bounties against them are mostly symbolic. Their influence is practically tolerated. If we give them a cut of the profits, they'll have every reason to protect your couriers through association. Combined with our bounty hunters, that should make them a much less appealing target.”

Maris immediately perked up at the idea. It wouldn't stop every opportunist, but instead of relying solely on Alex's reputation, her couriers would also be protected by the Black Market Alliance's influence and the bounty hunters guarding the supply depots. It was as close to guaranteed safety as Kalos could offer.

“That’s a great idea!” Maris exclaimed.

She rushed over to Alex, climbed onto his lap, and showered him with affectionate kisses.

“I’ll get started right away. Forward me their contacts once you’ve set up a deal. No, wait. I’ll do it. I’ll go find Nyx.” Maris hopped off his lap and ran out of the command center.

With that, Alex finished his preparations for expanding into Kalos. The next step was another hunting spree, after which he would turn his full attention to training his Pokémon and making the most of Lumiose City's services.