Daniel quickly ran toward Venomoth, a Hyper Potion already in his hand.
Alex did the same, praising Larvitar as he moved.
"Larvitar, great performance. You executed the plan exactly as we agreed," Alex said calmly. "But what impressed me most was that you managed to strike Venomoth's weak point precisely with a move as difficult to aim as Stone Edge."
Stone Edge had a naturally high critical-hit chance due to its shotgun-like spread. Still, even with that advantage, consistently hitting a weak point with most of the projectiles was extremely difficult.
Only at Master rank—and at such a short distance—did the odds become reliable enough for Alex to build a tactic around it.
Larvitar puffed out his chest, clearly proud after hearing Alex's praise.
"Lar-v-itar! La!"
Through their telepathic connection, Alex understood him perfectly.
Ha, only you would be impressed by something so small. For me, that was an easy fight.
Alex smiled inwardly, but his expression remained serious as he replied aloud,"Larvitar, even though you won, you shouldn't look down on your opponent. Venomoth is a strong Pokémon with a capable trainer. This was a close fight—one we could easily have lost."
As a trainer, Alex knew that repeated victories could lead to arrogance. Confidence was essential for growth, but crossing the line into overconfidence was dangerous.
Larvitar, still a relatively young Pokémon, grew thoughtful.
A few weeks ago, he would have ignored Alex's words entirely. Now, he listened to every word with care.
Seeing that, Alex said nothing more. Pushing the lesson further would only do harm.
After healing Venomoth and returning her to her Poké Ball, Daniel approached Alex. There was clear admiration in his expression.
"Leader," Daniel said, "your battle experience and tactical use are truly impressive. Even with such a big advantage, I still lost. I have a lot to learn."
Alex shook his head slightly."Don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't make any major mistakes in this fight. If anything, your biggest issue was not finding the right timing to use Protect—but that's only because I built my entire strategy around denying you that opportunity."
The difference in preparation time between an Expert-rank move and a Master-rank move was small, but it existed.
Alex had exploited that gap, along with the fact that his Pokémon didn't need to wait for verbal commands, to execute the plan.
Daniel frowned slightly, then nodded."Now that you mention it… yeah. You really didn't give me enough time to use Protect properly."
They spoke for a few more minutes before Alex shifted the topic.
"So," he said, "how's the development of the Sky Merchant Guild website going?"
The Sky Merchant Guild website—focused primarily on trainer services—was under Daniel's management.
Trainer's Services was a branch of the Sky Merchant Guild and functioned as the mission hub for all non-Alliance tasks. Private individuals and companies could place requests, which would then be reviewed and assigned to qualified trainers.
Daniel was responsible for overseeing Trainer's Services.
Maria was manage Skyreach Orphanage, a building that had cost Alex nearly 4.6 million Poké Dollars to build.
Elise, in the future, would manage Elite Entertainment, once Alex had grown bored of it.
Naturally, Alex had entrusted the most important role to Maria.
He didn't trust Daniel or Elise enough to allow them influence over the future members of Skyreach Orphanage. only Maria and himself are allowed to manage this building.
Still, Trainer's Services and Elite Entertainment were far from insignificant. Both positions will In the future come with considerable money and influence, leaving no reason for dissatisfaction.
Daniel straightened, his expression turning serious. "There were no issues. The website is ready."
"Do we have enough missions for new members who want to sign up?" Alex asked.
With Steven's assistance, Alex had secured missions from many members of Hoenn's business elite, so mission availability wasn't his main concern.
Daniel thought for a moment before replying. "Gold, Silver, and Master-rank missions won't be a problem. However, we only received a small number of Bronze missions."
Trainer's Services divided missions into four ranks. Higher ranks paid more but were also far more dangerous, meaning only members who met strict requirements could accept them.
----
Minimum level for missions:
Bronze mission: 1 Pokémon at level 20 (recommended: level 25)
Silver mission: 1 Pokémon at level 30 (recommended: 3 Pokémon at level 35)
Gold mission: 3 Pokémon at level 40 (recommended: 6 Pokémon at level 50)
Master mission: 1 Pokémon at level 60 (recommended: 2 Pokémon at level 60)
Membership registration or upgrade requirements:
Bronze-rank Members: Alliance Member, 1 Pokémon of at least level 20
Silver-rank Members: Option 1: Alliance Member, completion of 10 Bronze missions, 1 Pokémon at least level 30 Option 2: Alliance Member, 3 Pokémon at least level 35
Gold-rank Members: Option 1: Alliance Member, completion of 20 Silver missions, 3 Pokémon at least level 40 Option 2: Alliance Member, 6 Pokémon at least level 50
Master-rank Members: Alliance Member, completion of 10 Gold missions, 1 Pokémon at least level 60
----
Alex raised an eyebrow slightly."We already have Master-rank missions?"
Daniel nodded."Only a few, but they come with long time limits. I accepted them—it shouldn't be an issue."
Alex nodded in approval."Good. As for the Bronze missions, there's nothing we can do. If some new members can't reach Silver rank immediately, they can use that as motivation to get stronger."
Daniel hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. "Leader, there's one more thing I wanted to report."
Alex stopped walking and looked at him. "Go on."
Daniel took a breath. "I've already prepared an advertising plan for Trainer's Services."
Alex's expression didn't change, but he nodded. "Explain."
Daniel straightened slightly, his tone turning professional."We won't advertise openly. No posters, no public broadcasts, and no flashy promotions. That would attract too much attention—and the wrong kind of people."
Alex's eyes narrowed faintly. "Reasonable."
"Instead," Daniel continued, "we'll rely on three channels."
He raised one finger."First: controlled word-of-mouth. We'll leak information only through Alliance trainers and verified intermediaries. People who alreadystrong tend to trust recommendations more than advertisements."
A second finger."Second: selective demonstration. A small number of Gold- and Master-rank missions will be completed with visible results. Not public credit—just rumors."
Alex gave a short nod. "Results speak."
Daniel raised his third finger."And third: exclusivity. Registration won't be easy. Requirements stay high, response times are professional, and pricing won't be negotiable. People value what they can't easily access."
He paused, then added, "In short, we don't sell services. We let people come looking for us."
Alex was silent for a few seconds. Then he said, "What about low-level trainers?"
Daniel answered immediately."They won't be targeted directly. If they're ambitious, they'll hear about us eventually. If not, they're not worth onboarding."
Alex exhaled slowly. "Efficient. Minimal exposure. Controlled growth."
Daniel watched him carefully. "If you approve, we can start within the week."
Alex nodded. "Do it. And monitor the response closely. If attention spikes too fast, we pull back."
Daniel allowed himself a small, confident smile. "Understood."
As they continued walking, Alex thought that assigning Trainer's Services to Daniel might have been the right decision after all.
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