Alex quelled his excitement and headed for the local watering hole before running off to search for hotspots in the Wild Area. More specifically, he was looking for information on Team Dominion's bases and activities that only locals would know.
With that in mind, he made his way to one of the many local businesses owned by Team Umbraline. He traveled from the upper tier of the city to the lower tier via one of the elevating platforms in the city's center, then headed south toward the commercial district. There, local businesses sprawled along the main streets, including the Battle Cafe, clothing stores, the Pokecenter, and his destination, a small noodle shop that looked like it had gone out of business.
Compared to the surrounding modern shops, the store, tucked awkwardly into an alley, stood out for all the wrong reasons. Its wood was partially rotting, its signage unkempt, and there was a clear lack of foot traffic. The one thing it did have was an incredibly delicious smell that occasionally drew in passersby, which was how Alex had found it in the first place.
He stepped into the dark, grimy alley and parted the cloth covering the entrance, finding himself among his kind. The place was occupied by trainers with a look in their eyes that suggested they had killed before, bounty hunters clad in heavy armor, and well-dressed businessmen who clearly didn't belong in a place like this. Wearing a bespoke suit, Alex passed easily as one of the latter and didn't stand out as he entered.
He made his way to the counter, ordered a beef noodle soup, and took a seat off to the side. A moment later, a young woman who looked barely out of high school brought his order to the table.
"Here is your beef noodle soup, sir. Is there anything else I can get you?" she asked.
"Yeah. I need information," Alex replied.
"Oh? What about?" she asked, a gleam in her eyes confirming he was in the right place.
"Everything you have on Team Dominion."
She leaned down with a faint smile and whispered into his ear. "Mr. Wattson, correct? We will contact you as soon as possible."
"Thank you," Alex said before digging in as she stepped away.
After finishing his meal, Alex left and headed toward the heavily guarded southern gates that led to the Wild Area, checking his phone as he walked. An email had already arrived. It contained the information he requested along with the bill, which amounted to billions of Pokédollars.
It was an absurd figure that also told him everything he needed to know. Team Umbraline had no issue with Team Dominion in this region. Otherwise, they would have supported his efforts instead of charging him for them.
He had to admit, it was the first time Team Umbraline had heavily charged him for their services. More often than not, they had him eliminate their competition, providing as much support as possible on their end. The only exception had been Sinnoh, where he was in disguise, so Sable had to pay for their services.
"This is good," Alex decided. "It means I'm on my own, so there's a high chance they'll sell my information to Team Dominion and give them a chance to ambush me. Let's hope that's the case, because I don't want to keep running around for too long."
Alex pored over the information and was surprised to find only a few bases. They seemed to have avoided developing the south, focusing their operations away from farmlands and the Wild Area while placing greater importance on heavily populated cities. In fact, the southernmost base they maintained was here in Motostoke City, with nothing established further south in the region.
As for their activities, it was the usual, but backed by a hidden hand that kept the League from finding fault. On the surface, they operated orphanages, homeless programs, training facilities, and studios that propagated hate against Pokémon. Beneath that, in the Underworld, they ran brothels, human trafficking rings, and a drug trade, all with the explicit purpose of gathering as many humans as possible to build their armies.
The difference in this region, however, was that they maintained a mutually beneficial relationship with the Underworld, choosing to trade with local organizations rather than pick fights and claim territory. It was an expensive approach, which explained why their expansion was comparatively slower. On the other hand, it was far more stable, with everyone getting a slice of the pie instead of just them. It was clear they had taken a more social approach here rather than a heavy-handed one.
If Alex's only goal had been to destroy all of Team Dominion in the region, he would have had his work cut out for him, to the point that he might have had to make enemies of the League. However, his actual goal was to get training tips from Mustard while taking a defensive stance that would draw in challenges from all sides.
It was a much easier objective, but it still carried the risk of attracting the League's attention. After all, he had no idea how they would react to losing so many professionals from Team Dominion's side. Assuming, of course, that Team Dominion even takes the bait in the first place.
Alex reached the gate of an intimidating wall over 50 meters tall that stretched across both sides of Motostoke City. It was a marvel of engineering, having managed to contain the threat of the Wild Area for centuries.
While wondering why they hadn't simply eliminated all the Pokémon in the Wild Area, Alex recalled what he had read about its history. They had apparently tried, but failed. The Dynamax energy would simply overflow, causing nearby Pokémon to grow suddenly and uncontrollably. All it would take was a passing Pokémon to accidentally destroy everything built on top of it.
Their solution was relatively hands-off. Instead of trying to suppress the Dynamax energy directly, they allowed local Pokémon to absorb it and enter a Dynamax state. Oftentimes, they would rampage for a while before consuming the energy and returning to normal.
To contain the risk, the League had cordoned off affected areas, preventing nearby communities from being caught in the fallout. At the same time, they encouraged trainers to enter the Wild Area and deal with these threats themselves, effectively turning it into a controlled, ongoing response system.
It was a pragmatic compromise, as establishing more Gyms to regulate the energy wasn't viable; the Wild Area simply had far too many hotspots to sustain financially. Instead, they adopted this middle-ground approach, accepting a steady drain on resources in exchange for broader coverage and manageable risk.
Once Alex passed through the heavy steel gates, he found himself at the top of a stone staircase that led down into a massive campsite. It seemed the Wild Area had an economy of its own.
He looked up and saw grasslands stretching as far as the eye could see, with Pokémon freely fighting and hunting in the open. The walls on the far sides were hidden by the horizon, making it clear that the Wild Area was so vast it would take years to fully explore.
He made his way down the stairs and took note of the sprawling market flanking the main road. Vendors were selling all manner of trainer resources and supplies, including Evolution Stones, Held Items, berries of every kind, camping gear, valuable Pokémon body parts, Pokémon meat, food supplies, Poké Balls, Potions, and everything a respectable trainer might need to survive in the wild.
Deciding to take a closer look, Alex spent an hour weaving through the stalls and found far more than he had initially thought. There were legitimate Pokémon stores selling Pokémon and their less legal counterparts, smoke shops that operated as drug dens, massage parlors that also functioned as brothels, gun shops selling all manner of firearms, armories offering protective gear, and even a drone store with combat drones.
Unfortunately, nothing here particularly intrigued Alex. He already had top-of-the-line equipment, so there was no reason to bargain at any of the stalls.
As he walked, he noticed he was being watched, which was fair game considering his professional-looking outfit. He looked like he was conducting an inspection, which seemed to alert several stall owners who immediately packed up when they saw him.
Some of the thugs hanging around tried to confront him, but a small flash of his thick Champion ranked aura scared them off, allowing him to stroll freely.
Once he was satisfied with his investigation, he left, riding atop Mantine to get a better view of the area. With enough elevation, his heightened senses allowed him to take in most of the southern Wild Area.
In the distance, different habitats catered to various nests, painting the picture of a Champion ranked danger zone. What set this place apart, however, were the towering Pokémon, ranging from 25 to 75 meters tall, roaming freely and unleashing powerful moves that devastated the landscape.
It was a terrifying sight or, in Alex's case, an exhilarating one. The sheer power of the creatures excited him endlessly, fueling his desire to take them on.
"Forward, Mantine. Find me the closest one. I can't wait to get my hands on them."
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