"Rotom, bring up a map of the Isle of Armor in the medieval world," Alex said, cutting through the girls' chatter.
A detailed 3D map of the island appeared on the holotable, displaying its geography, energy emissions, weather conditions, and other useful data. Alex and the girls immediately spotted a settlement occupying the western edge of the island. The rest was covered in deep red on the energy heat map, indicating a high concentration of giant Pokémon.
"What are you thinking, Alex?" Vera asked.
"What if we build a magic tower over there?"
"Who's going to run it?" Nyx asked.
"A local. Someone like Alfred."
"Ooohhh~ The old man's going to run it?" Rhea asked. "I don't think he has much time left."
"What if we give him a crash course in our world, let him take a few Pokémon, and have him work his way up to Champion? He should gain some vitality and live a lot longer, even if his appearance doesn't change."
"Does that actually work?" Talia asked. "I haven't seen any studies on people from other worlds gaining our powers."
"We managed to learn their techniques in their world, so I don't see why they can't do the same," Alex replied.
"Can we trust him, though?" Celise asked. "What if he's still loyal to the Hammerlocke Kingdom? Any discoveries he makes could end up in their hands. We won't be there to keep an eye on him all the time."
"Worst-case scenario, we give the old man a spanking and reset the board," Rhea said.
"You mean a massacre?"
"That, or we give up the farm."
"It's not like we can avoid conflict forever," Alex said. "Eventually, someone will discover the southern part of the continent and covet what we have. Establishing a power we can trust would give us a chance to negotiate instead of relying on our defenses to massacre anyone who approaches. At the very least, we should have someone who can explain why we're killing people who get too close."
"I'm all for it!" Rhea said. "He's already been a big help with magitech, and he's smart enough to understand our technology. If we bring him into the fold and give him an army of researchers, we could make much faster progress. Besides, if he ever betrays us, we can always replace him."
"Does anyone have any objections?" Alex asked, looking around the holotable.
No one spoke up.
"Alright, Rhea, go meet with the old man and see what he thinks. If he agrees, bring him here and let him choose a few Pokémon from the League Market. Make sure he gets a Water type and a Flying type so he can control the waters and airspace around the island. Also, start preparing to build a magic tower with him. I'll take care of clearing out the Isle of Armor in the meantime."
"Got it!"
The discussion continued with plans for the girls to join the magic towers of the Wyndon Kingdom. Since they all wanted to explore the medieval world, they agreed to spend a few years working within the organizations, contributing enough to earn access to their meditation techniques and spells before eventually leaving.
Their safety was hardly a concern. Every one of them had at least Elite rank physical strength and a full roster of powerful Pokémon, giving them more than enough means to escape if anyone tried to stop them from leaving. The satellite network would also keep watch and allow for immediate support if needed.
However, neither the girls nor the children would be leaving just yet. Their first priority was to finish Nyx's artificial intelligence, which would help determine the optimal meditation technique for each of them. Once that was ready, they would have their bodies scanned to identify the elemental magic tower best suited to their natural affinities. Only then would they set out to join their chosen towers.
Meanwhile, Alex returned to the medieval world and teleported to the location where Spikemuth City would eventually stand. Instead, he found a port town that regularly shipped goods north to Circhester and south to Hulbury. Using the same approach as before, he quickly located the Thieves' Guild and acquired all the information he needed about the Isle of Armor.
It was a pirate stronghold, serving as a base for raids along the eastern coast of the continent. Villages and settlements throughout the region were frequent targets, with the pirates plundering whatever they could get their hands on.
Even Spikemuth, the port town Alex had visited, had dealings with them. Rather than risk having their ships attacked, the town's merchants and officials paid the pirates for safe passage along the coast. In practice, it was little more than a form of taxation, with anyone who wanted to transport goods quickly by sea expected to pay for the privilege. Those who refused risked losing their cargo to the very pirates who claimed to offer them protection.
The Hammerlocke Kingdom had once attempted to eradicate the pirates by assembling a sizable armada and launching an expedition to the Isle of Armor. They knew exactly where the island was, so locating their target had never been a problem. The real danger lay in the waters surrounding it.
Before the armada could reach its destination, it encountered a school of Barraskewda. The swarm tore through the entire fleet, sinking every ship and leaving no survivors among the vessels. The disaster effectively ended Hammerlocke's ambitions at sea. Without a reliable way to defend against underwater magical creatures, the kingdom had little choice but to abandon its naval pursuits.
The pirates, however, had somehow overcome this obstacle. They possessed a route that bypassed the most dangerous waters, along with a means of sensing the movements of the magical creatures lurking beneath the surface. This knowledge allowed them to navigate waters that were effectively impassable to conventional fleets, securing their dominance over the eastern coast. As long as no one could replicate their methods, the pirates could continue raiding coastal settlements and collecting their so-called protection fees with little fear of retaliation.
"This is good," Alex muttered. "The sea gives us another layer of protection. No matter how powerful a Knight or Mage is, if they can't deal with the Pokémon underwater, they won't be able to reach the Isle of Armor or sail south around the continent to get past the Frozen Tundra."
At the very least, they would need steel ships and powerful defenders, and even then, sailing through those waters would remain a gamble. It was much the same in Alex's Pokémon world, where the seas were still considered dangerous territory. Despite their advanced technology, ships still occasionally sank when powerful Pokémon nests randomly attacked.
Having understood the situation on the mainland, Alex flew east towards the Isle of Armor.
A day later, he reached the Stepping-Stone Sea, where numerous small islands dotted the waters. Each had a settlement or outpost, and the largest even had a small castle. The arrangement made it clear that the pirates had established their stronghold here.
Alex continued further east until he reached Challenge Beach. Unlike the Stepping-Stone Sea, it remained completely untouched by human hands. The reason was the gigantic Galarian Slowking sprawled lazily across the beach, as though it owned the entire stretch of coast. Its presence alone was enough to keep people away.
Alex surveyed the island and spotted more than a dozen giant Pokémon scattered across its surface. None, however, came close to the Master ranked Galarian Slowking in strength. If he wanted to make full use of the island, he would eventually have to deal with it.
"Actually, this place would make a great training ground for the mage apprentices," Alex muttered. "They could also gather rare ingredients here when needed. It's not like they can spend all their time cooped up in a magic tower."
He needed to strike a balance between making the island suitable for habitation and preserving its dangerous wilds. If he cleared out every threat, the island could support a much larger population, which would bring more people than he wanted. Leaving some dangerous areas untouched would limit settlement to those capable of surviving the risks, favoring quality over quantity. Alex preferred this approach, as it would keep the population small and allow the magic tower to focus on research rather than accommodating a growing community.
"Besides, the fewer people there are, the lower the chance of someone leaving to join another kingdom. As long as they're happy here and don't feel too isolated, that should be enough."
Having settled on a plan, Alex flew towards the castle, where he expected to find the so-called Pirate King. The man had supposedly mastered the dangerous waters well enough to guarantee safe passage to the Isle of Armor.
Alex leapt off Mantine's back and crashed through the center of the castle's roof, smashing through several floors before landing in the main study. There, he sensed a powerful Champion ranked aura.
"What the fuck!" a middle-aged man shouted as he drew his sword and prepared to fight.
"We need to have a conversation," Alex said, his eyes turning into deep, bottomless pits of black as his Dark type energy spread throughout the castle, pressing down on everyone inside.