Galar Mine No. 2 was an old, abandoned mine that had gradually been converted into a passageway connecting the Motostoke Outskirts to Hulbury City. A paved road now ran through it, increasing traffic between the two locations while keeping wild Pokémon at bay, preventing them from hunting the travelers who passed through.
The bandits had hidden their base on the southern side of the mountain, at the same elevation as the passageway. A tunnel was dug deep into the rock, concealed behind false walls, allowing them to move in and out undetected. It gave them easy access to the paved road, letting them transport stolen goods quickly while keeping their crimes and tracks well hidden on the southern approach.
Alex, along with the bandits and victims, made their way through the secret tunnels, breaching the false walls with Raticate's help. They continued until they emerged at the southern end of the passageway. From there, he began escorting them north toward Hulbury City.
What would have taken over a week on foot was reduced to just half a day as Alex used his Pokémon as mounts, carrying the group swiftly through the passageway. By morning, they had safely reached the city, the ordeal already behind them as the rising sun brought a sense of relief and safety.
Understandably, their procession drew quite a bit of attention as they traveled along the road between the markets to the south and the pier to the north. Curious onlookers wondered why these poorly dressed trainers were traveling atop powerful Pokémon as they made their way to the Pokécenter.
Meanwhile, Alex's attention was drawn to another spectacle. From the sea to their northeast, a wave rolled in with an extremely attractive dark-skinned woman riding a surfboard, her eyes locked on him and his group.
Alex could immediately tell it was Nessa, the Gym Leader of Hulbury's Water Gym. Given the attention they were attracting, it was no surprise she had taken an interest in their arrival.
She surfed all the way to the pier, the waves settling as she arrived. Her dark skin glistened in the morning sun, her hair waving like the waves she had ridden. She hopped off the board and jogged toward Alex, moving quickly, a hint of concern on her face.
"Hey, wait! What's going on here?" she called. "Why are all these people moving together like this? Tell me."
"Bandits had them trapped in the Galar Mine tunnels, with plans to ransom or sell them. I got them out and escorted them to the nearest city. They're heading to the Pokécenter for care and to get their bearings," Alex answered.
Nessa's gaze softened as she looked over the group, hands on her hips. "Alright. I'll take it from here and make sure they're well taken care of."
Alex nodded. "Understood. I'll leave them in your care."
He started to move away, but Nessa called after him. "Wait, actually… I need your help with something."
Alex stopped and turned towards her. "Something? What do you need?"
"Not here," she said, glancing around at the curious onlookers. "Let's go somewhere private. I'll explain once I've finished setting these people up."
Alex shrugged, accepting whatever Nessa had planned, and let her lead the people toward the Pokécenter. There, they were identified, healed, and offered options. The bandits were arrested, while the victims chose to continue their journey, trusting the League to pay any compensation they were owed. Meanwhile, Alex watched from the sidelines as Nessa organized everything, taking her duties as a Gym Leader seriously.
An hour later, they were sitting in a quiet corner of a small seaside café while Alex recounted the specifics of the raid, beginning with Liora's information. Once he finished, Nessa typed out the details on her phone before taking on a serious expression.
She leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Uh… there's a Team Dominion base not too far from here. They've been moving quietly, trying to spread their influence. I can't act against them on my own without raising suspicion from the League. I've heard about some of the… things you've done in other regions, and honestly, I could really use your help. Of course, I'll make it worth your time, but you have to keep this completely quiet. I don't want anyone tracing the raid back to you, and I definitely don't want them finding out about me."
Alex studied her calmly. "The League here must be even more corrupt than in Unova if even a Gym Leader like you is walking on ice this thin."
She let out a heavy sigh, tension written across her face. "It's always been this way, with the League dominated by the rich nobility. And now… with them working with Team Dominion, it's only gotten worse. Kidnappings, assassinations, blatant favoritism… even control over who could become the next Champion is in their hands."
"I'd like to do something about it, but they have too much control over the region to strike openly without putting civilians at risk. So… we compromise where we can, trying to chip away at their influence quietly. It's… lucky, I suppose, that they haven't gone all out to turn Galar into their own backyard. They at least know that without powerful trainers, they'd be no better than Max Pokémon food."
Alex chuckled, understanding her plight better than she realized. Team Dominion was moving into their territory, slowly eroding the foundational pillar of trainers in the region and aiming to replace it with technology instead. It made sense that the nobility would have their restraints loosened, not to the point of getting rid of all trainers, but they were certainly heading in that direction.
"I'll take care of it," Alex said with a charming smile. "I happen to already know where their base is, since they have dealings with the bandits I captured. It shouldn't be much trouble getting rid of them while I'm here."
"Th… thank you so much," Nessa said, her relief carefully tempered. "I… is ten million credits enough? I know you probably—"
"More than enough," Alex interrupted. "Write it off as your personal thanks for getting rid of the bandits so you don't get into trouble."
"Alright."
As they rose to leave, Alex leaned in and gently lifted her chin, pressing his lips to hers. Nessa responded instinctively to his advance, pressing her lips to his. But as reality set in, she pulled back slightly, her cheeks flushed as she tried to regain her composure.
"Add that to the bill," Alex said smoothly. "You need a reason to have met with me, and a date is more than enough justification."
Nessa stammered, caught off guard, as Alex winked and made his way out of the café, leaving her flushed, half standing by the table.
"What was that…? I can't just let him do that and act like it's nothing. Focus, Nessa. He's here for the mission, not… this. Keep it together," she whispered to herself, taking in her surroundings, noting the people at the other tables, and the servers' knowing smiles, which made her blush even harder.
Meanwhile, Alex made his way toward the water, continuing with his plan. He had intended to take down the Hulbury base after leaving the rescued trainers at the Pokécenter, planning to do so in a flashy manner to draw attention. Nessa's request, however, meant he had to stay lowkey, leaving no evidence linking him. Hopefully, the Team Dominion leader would blame him anyway and move to contain him, or half the reason for this trip would be lost.
Once he made it to the water, he released his water team and had Ditto transform into his Deep Suit. Then, with a splash, they dived underwater and headed for the approximate location of the base, based on Team Umbraline's information.
They spent an hour searching until they finally found a natural underwater cavern a few miles offshore to the south. Since it wasn't a base that could be easily sunk, he had to infiltrate it the old-fashioned way, with Rotom taking the lead to disable their security systems.
As they made their way through the underwater tunnel, disabling one hidden camera after another, Rotom suddenly zipped back toward Alex and gave him the overall layout of the base. It was focused on Pokémon fusion experiments, so the interior was filled with caged Pokémon that had been experimented on, ready to rampage the second they got a chance.
It was the perfect way to bring down the base without arousing suspicion. All he had to do was have Rotom release them before cutting the security feed, perfectly explaining how the base would be destroyed without implicating himself or Nessa.
With his plan set, he had Rotom execute it while he and the water team continued toward the base, ready to intercept anyone who tried to escape.
Soon, explosions rippled across the surface of the water as Alex and the water team arrived at the submarine bay. Without wasting time, they disabled all the escape pods as well as the submarines in the water. It was unfortunate, but no survivors were allowed to escape this time to ensure that no blame could be placed on a human.
The chaotic rampage of multiple furious Pokémon continued as soldiers, workers, and scientists tried to flee. All the while, Alex and his Pokémon kept the only exit secured, eliminating anyone they encountered.
That was until Alex saw a Pokémon lumber toward him and his team, shaking the base with each step. It was Champion rank, about 6'7" (2 m) tall. It looked like a giant brown ape dressed in a blue clown outfit, wearing blue gloves, shoes, and a shirt, with a tail behind it, a mask with fangs jutting from its mouth, and rabbit ears on its head.
The Pokémon charged with fury and wild abandon, then suddenly pulled back its upper body, the silver glow of Mega Kick building as it aimed to kick out.
Alex didn't recognize the Pokémon, but judging by its features, it was familiar as to which fusions had been used to create it.
The question was what ability this monstrous Pokémon had inherited, Truant or Huge Power.
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