Tracing humanity's progress with firearms, it took roughly two centuries to go from early firearms to the automated weaponry present when Alex died. The same timeline roughly applied to the Pokémon world, except it never truly caught on. Why bother with weapons of mass destruction when a loyal Pokémon could achieve the same, or greater, effect?
Alex had never imagined Devon Corp was already at the artillery stage of weapons development. With the shell he had discovered, they were on the verge of creating weapons capable of wiping islands off the map from ranges impossible to detect.
Sure, such weapons weren't as threatening in the Pokémon world compared to Earth, since a Champion ranked Pokémon could easily defend against them. But it had only taken a few decades to reach this level of technology. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before they began experimenting with the equivalent of nuclear weapons, potentially capable of contending with even Legendary Pokémon.
That might not have been such a huge concern on its own, pissing off a Legendary already had similar effects, but terrorism in the Pokémon world was too widespread. Lines had been drawn decades ago, and Alex wasn't sure what introducing weapons of mass destruction would do to the delicate balance. Would it fizzle out, since they already had a working system, or would it lead to more cities disappearing in the blink of an eye?
Alex mulled over the rapid shift in the situation, particularly how it might affect him and his family, before renewing his resolve to reach Champion rank. As long as he achieved that level of power, he would be able to defend himself against random acts of terrorism.
He snapped out of his stupor and proceeded to take as many pictures as he could of Devon's new loadout. They might serve as inspiration for Rhea to improve their own technology.
The next day, the police arrived to take over, relieving Alex of his duties. He teleported away with as many of the spoils as he could reasonably take and picked up Sable from Pacifidlog City. From there, they teleported to Mossdeep City to complete the handoff.
Sable had come along because Alex planned to help her track down her missing Pokémon, and he didn't expect the drop-off to take the entire day.
Mossdeep City stretched along a narrow peninsula, dominated by the gleaming tower of the Space Center and a scattering of high-tech complexes. Sleek, modern buildings with reinforced glass and metal facades lined wide, orderly streets. Automated trams and hover platforms shuttled residents efficiently, while energy grids, communication arrays, and surveillance drones hummed quietly overhead.
The city was built to house the researchers and scientists working in its laboratories, observatories, and Pokémon training facilities. Living quarters, cafés, and other amenities were integrated seamlessly into the urban layout.
The docks, extending into calm waters, hosted research vessels alongside specialized transport for experimental equipment. Near the northern edge, a newly constructed weapons testing facility rose above the skyline, its reinforced structures and restricted zones marking it as off-limits to the public.
It also happened to be Alex's destination for the delivery.
He entered through the front door of the building, dropped it off at the front desk, and left without ceremony.
"That was disappointing," Alex muttered.
He hadn't expected much, but there had been the slightest hope of encountering Steven Stone, and maybe even receiving a special stone as a reward for a job well done. The Champion was known in the games to offer such rewards, though perhaps that only applied to children.
With the errand finished, Alex called Janet to confirm the delivery.
"We have received the package, Mr. Wattson. Your payment will be delivered with the rest of what you're owed," Janet said over the phone.
That was 3 million bullets in the bag, so all he needed were less than two million more to complete the purpose of his trip to Hoenn.
"I also have a minor request, if you'll indulge me," Alex added before she hung up.
"You've done well so far, so perhaps a small incentive wouldn't be a problem," Janet replied.
"I'd like to request that the bounty on Sable Mercer be rescinded. She was instrumental in infiltrating Captain Blackwake's base. Without her, I don't know if I would have been able to kill him or retrieve your goods."
"I'll ask my boss, but they will want guarantees that her operations in Hoenn stop immediately."
"You have my guarantee. I plan to bring her back with me to Kanto once I've completed enough bounties. Also, you can tell your boss it would be better to remove her bounty so she's no longer forced to flee to Team Dominion for protection. In the first place, she was just a temporary hire rather than a direct operative."
"Give me a minute."
A few minutes later, Janet returned with a reply. "Your request has been accepted. The bounty has been rescinded. Have a good day, Mr. Wattson."
Alex hung up the phone, turned to Sable beside him, and shared the good news.
"Looks like you're free," Alex said. "But you'll have to stop mining in Hoenn."
"Thank you, Alex," she said with a sigh of relief. "I didn't think you could actually pull it off, to be honest."
"Things tend to go my way once I've produced enough results. Shall we go find your Pokémon?"
"Yes, please."
The pair teleported to Meteor Falls, at the exact spot where Sable was in charge of mining. The tracker indicated a short-range signal being emitted deeper in the mountainous region.
"Raticate, Arcanine, be on the lookout for the Garchomp and Rhyperior we released somewhere around here," Alex commanded as they headed toward the source of the signals.
They wound through the tunnels, moving carefully as the path twisted and narrowed. At dead ends, Sable sent out Excadrill to dig new passages while using the tracker to keep them on course. Soon they entered wider chambers, where the distant roar of underground waterfalls echoed through the caverns.
Sharp stalactites jutted from the ceiling, dripping steadily into shallow pools. An underground river cut through the tunnels, churning its dark waters over jagged rocks. Shafts of faint light from cracks above barely reached the depths. Shadows cloaked most of the tunnels, making them a perfect place for a Pokémon to hide.
Alex's eyes pierced the darkness, and he felt a jolt of terror from what he was seeing. Dragons of every kind slept throughout the cavern, Tyrantrum, Garchomp, Salamence, Goodra, and Noivern, sprawling across the rocky floor or clinging to the walls.
Sable stood frozen as she felt the outline of what Alex was seeing. Her Ground type ability traced the outlines, and fear gripped her just as tightly. She was equally terrified by all the dragon-shaped outlines until she recognized one that was all too familiar.
"Garchomp!" she shouted.
Her voice echoed through the cavern, waking the sleeping dragons. Eyes opened and shone red through the darkness as they all turned to the source of the disturbance. All at once, they roared in alarm, signaling the presence of intruders. The adult dragons of Elite rank moved to stand between Alex and the nest, bracing their energy to engage.
Alex released his entire team before shouting, "Defensive formation!"
His Pokémon encircled him and Sable, activating buffs and Protect rotations in preparation for the coming battle.
The dragons took this as a provocation and unleashed Dragon Pulses in rapid succession. Others surged forward, trying to break through with brute force and drag the fight into close quarters. But Alex's Pokémon pushed back hard, holding their line and refusing to let the formation falter.
From deeper within the cavern, a flood of powerful auras surged forward, each one Champion rank. More than a dozen dragons stormed toward Alex and his team, their presence shaking the tunnels. Earthquakes split the ground, Dragon Pulses and Draco Meteors lit up the dark, and Outrage tore through the air. Yet Alex's team braced against the storm, their formation holding firm under the relentless assault.
All their Protects had Effect Up +1 at minimum, allowing them to defend against Champion ranked Pokémon. Even those that tried to use Dig to break their formation suffered when Gardevoir ordered a series of Earthquakes.
The cavern erupted into chaos as Pokémon attacks tore through every direction. The very walls threatened to collapse under the strain, but even the falling debris was consumed by the relentless tide of clashing energy.
Alex felt secure within his team's formation. He was confident that even if the entire mountain came crashing down, they would survive. Whatever fell on them could be blasted apart, and they could always dig their way back up.
Sable, however, was a nervous wreck. She was so close to her Pokémon, yet her own recklessness had pulled them further away by provoking this fight.
The dragons of the nest, on the other hand, bore the true cost of the battle. Unlike Alex's team, most didn't know Protect, leaving them exposed to the surging energy and the rain of falling debris.
Finally, just as Alex prepared to press his advantage and begin capturing this treasure trove of Pokémon, a massive Roar split the cavern. More Champion ranked dragons surged forward, but these were different, each one carrying a trainer on its back.
The Roar didn't scatter Alex's team. Instead, it silenced the rampaging dragons, driving them back to make way for the true leaders of the nest.
At their head flew a Salamence, larger than any Alex had ever seen, its presence radiating raw menace. A woman rode upon its back, long dark hair trailing behind her and sharp red eyes glinting in the faint light. She rode the dragon like a predator on the hunt, her lean frame wrapped in weather-beaten hides that told of battle and survival.
To Alex, this was no ordinary opponent. This was the equivalent of a woman holding a weapon of mass destruction.
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