Chapter 526. Possibilities
A month passed as Alex and Clarissa had relief sex again. This time, Alex barely survived through a combination of Nyx’s Master ranked anal plug, which stimulated Clarissa with vibrations and electrical pulses, medication that dulled his sensitivity, and a ridiculous number of Full Restores. But in the end, he managed to avoid a trip to the Pokémon Center while leaving Clarissa fully satisfied as she curled up comfortably on his chest like a purring Persian.
During their quieter moments, Clarissa would share stories about her time in the other world. These details gave Alex a far clearer understanding of what awaited anyone who ventured across dimensions. The reality was that anything was possible. A dimensional expedition could just as easily deposit someone into a timeline where the heroes had failed and the villains had won.
In Kanto, Giovanni might have established a new world order with Team Rocket replacing the League. In Johto, the three Legendary Beasts could have been unleashed to ravage the region unchecked. In Hoenn, the entire planet might be drowned beneath an endless sea or buried beneath overlapping continents.
In Sinnoh, Cyrus could have won, reshaping the world according to his vision of perfection and turning it into a cold, emotionless reality. In Unova, Ghetsis might reign as a god-emperor with N reduced to nothing more than his obedient puppet. In Kalos, Lysandre could have succeeded in his plan to eradicate all life on the planet, leaving only himself and his chosen followers behind in a twisted Noah’s Ark-style apocalypse.
Alola might be overrun by an endless tide of Ultra Beasts pouring through open Ultra Wormholes, eventually spreading across the rest of the world. In Galar, Chairman Rose’s recklessness could allow Eternatus to eternally shroud the world in the Darkest Day, with Dynamaxed Pokémon rampaging across the globe. In Paldea, Paradox Pokémon might spread across the world, reducing civilizations to ruins just as they had done in the distant past during Arceus’s arrival on the planet.
These alternate possibilities weren’t limited to the histories of the known regions either. Every past, present, and future connected to the Pokémon universe was a potential destination. Alien civilizations could invade. The futuristic Paradox Pokémon timeline might truly come to pass. Shadow Pokémon from Orre could spread across the world like a plague. Even ancient Hisui might diverge into a future where Giratina’s influence was never stopped, driving Pokémon everywhere into berserk frenzies.
Alex froze as the realization struck him. What if that was exactly what had happened here? It would certainly explain why Pokémon across this world were so unusually hostile.
Giratina was locked in an eternal battle against the mysterious black hole, desperately preventing the Distortion World from being consumed. However, the strain of that endless conflict and its growing rage could be leaking into reality, influencing Pokémon across the planet and driving them toward aggression. Meanwhile, Arceus appeared to be counteracting the corruption by strengthening the bond between humans and Pokémon, allowing them to connect through their energies in a way that helped maintain balance. It was only a theory, but the more pieces Alex put together, the more plausible it seemed.
"Mmm..." Clarissa stirred from her sleep and squirmed on top of Alex before looking up at him. "Good morning."
"Good evening," Alex replied. "It’s our last night in this room. We were supposed to leave this morning, but I extended our stay for another day."
"Ah, that’s fine," she said, lazily resting her head back on his chest and rubbing her cheek against his skin. "I’m going to head back to Kanto to see my parents."
"You know they’re going to be pissed, right? They think you’ve been here in Lumiose City training all year. The moment your mother sees you, she’s going to flip her shit."
"Ahaha. It’s fine. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’ll just show them White Kyurem, and they’ll relax. Nothing says Champion of the region quite like having a Legendary Pokémon."
"I’m not worried. I’m just letting you know what to expect."
"I’m not that little girl anymore who doesn’t understand the ways of the world, who only has a small, naive window through which to understand reality. I’d like to think that spending two decades alone in a brand-new world has allowed me to mature."
"You’ve always been mature, Clarissa," Alex murmured, running his fingers gently through her hair. "Naive, maybe, but definitely mature."
"It’s nice of you to say that."
"It’s true. You’ve never once thrown an outburst or had a tantrum, so at the very least, you weren’t acting like a child."
"I was thinking it, though."
"Which only shows your maturity even more."
"Aw... you’re sweet," Clarissa said as she reached up and kissed Alex intimately.
They shared a long make-out session before getting an early start to their day. Clarissa cleaned up her belongings from both rooms before leaving and teleporting back to Kanto to return home, leaving Alex to continue his training.
Half a year of training had drained the fortune Alex earned from hunting Master ranked criminal bounties, but it also allowed Celise to establish a new base in Kalos, enabling him to begin generating even more income to sustain his expenses. The operation was placed under Simone’s leadership, with her accepting Alex’s offer despite only being at the peak of Elite rank.
As for Maris, she had finalized the deal with the Black Market Alliance and spent the following months establishing a new network of supply depots and delivery services across the region. With Alex’s reputation, none of the major criminal organizations dared move against them, while the backing of the Black Market Alliance ensured that even smaller threats thought twice before targeting them. At worst, they only had to deal with local businesses that had no understanding of the scale of power protecting them.
Additionally, around three months ago, the Silver Network’s Alert Level was returned to normal after no retaliation ever came. This allowed them to resume normal operations and focus on generating profits. Overall, it had been a successful year for the Silver Network.
Moving forward, only Alola, Galar, and Paldea remained before all the major regions were covered. Alola was practically already within his grasp, given that he had either Jonas or Marlo ready to take charge, depending on whether Marlo accepted his offer. As for Galar and Paldea, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find two more dependable bounty hunters to take over those regions if they began training for the roles now.
"I wonder if Lila or Veran would be interested," Alex considered. "Lila is already in her mid-twenties as an Elite, so it shouldn’t take much for her to reach Champion rank. Veran would probably need another 15 years before he’s ready, though."
Of all his children, these two were the most violent. Lila was a bona fide bounty hunter with a perfect track record when it came to completing her assignments. She hadn’t inherited his affinities like Alvera, but she was still a powerhouse who preferred overwhelming charges led by her Tyrantrum.
Veran, on the other hand, favored Alex’s own style of combat. He relied on a highly tactical team to support him while personally leading the charge and fighting alongside his Pokémon with his guns and fists. Both of them had become terrifying bounty hunters in their own right, with their names already beginning to spread throughout the regions.
The rest of his children were doing well, pursuing their own professions with passion without ever having to worry about money holding them back. Although they mostly stayed at the base anyway, continuing to contribute to the business however they could.
Finally, there was Alvera, his little troublemaker who had been strangely quiet throughout all of this. It seemed that her career as a photographer had truly taken off, given the complete lack of trouble she had been getting herself into.
"Alright, show me your progress over the past month," Alex called out to his Pokémon in the Training Center’s training room.
He watched as his Pokémon demonstrated the lessons they had taken. Those who had focused on elemental training were far more adept at manipulating their energies, able to increase or reduce their power with greater precision. Those who had taken combat lessons had become much more aware of their bodies, learning to properly utilize every appendage rather than relying only on the ones associated with their moves.
Gardevoir, Gothitelle, and Espeon, however, demonstrated the greatest improvement. Their enhanced psychic abilities allowed them to better command Alex’s Pokémon, applying more advanced tactical considerations than what they had learned from gaming and formation training.
Alex felt a sense of pride as he watched them. He could see the possibilities of many of his Pokémon eventually reaching the Master rank once their bodies were able to catch up with their skills. However, it was also clear that these possibilities were more realistic for some than others.
Too many of his Pokémon lacked the ambition to push beyond their limits, content with simply following his orders. Hopefully, once enough of them reached the Master rank, their example would inspire the others to strive for something greater.
Unfortunately, that was still a distant possibility. Their progress, while impressive, wouldn’t be enough to help Alex reach the Master rank anytime soon. For now, all he could do was continue training and improving alongside them.
At least, that was how things were supposed to go.
Unnoticed by Alex, the Beast Ball attached to his Poké Ball belt gave a faint twitch.