"Let me guess," Alex said. "You're either calling because you think you're my next target, or because I've been driving up your operating costs. Shutting down your suppliers can't have done your profit margins any favors, and I doubt your customers appreciate the higher prices."
"The first concern is one we all share, given the pattern of your activities," the caller replied evenly. "The second has been raised by a number of our members as well. As for why we're requesting this meeting, our only objective is to resolve any potential hostilities before either side suffers unnecessary losses."
"That's fair," Alex said with a nod. "Alright, set up the meeting."
Immediately, several more faces joined the call, all of them familiar to Alex from their bounty profiles. Every single one was a wanted criminal with a bounty of no less than 100 million credits. They were black market bosses who had evaded the law all this time while simultaneously committing some of the most heinous crimes known to any government, tax evasion.
Included among them was Team Umbraline's regional head, which spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation. If even they were involved, Alex knew he had come dangerously close to crossing the line.
In hindsight, it made sense. Targeting the black markets was something of a taboo. After all, they served as a necessary part of the trainer ecosystem, allowing countless impoverished trainers to earn a living outside the constraints of the official, more expensive and exploitative system.
"Now that the meeting has been established, let's get straight to business," said the apparent spokesperson of the alliance. "I believe introductions are unnecessary. Everyone here should already know everyone else."
A round of subtle nods followed.
"Mr. Wattson, may we ascertain your intentions behind your recent activities over the past 2 days?"
"There are a number of reasons," Alex replied. "First of all, I'd like to pave the way for my bounty hunters in this region. As you all should know by now, it is next on the list for my global expansion. No doubt, there will be friction with the local Underworld, so a bit of a reputation is necessary for the business to thrive."
"A valid and necessary concern."
"Second, I'm broke," Alex said with a shrug. "My wife, Clarissa Blackthorn, has given me access to Lumiose City, and let's just say the prices there are extravagant, even if they're worth every credit."
"Understandable."
"Finally," Alex said, his gaze sharpening like that of a hunter, "I'm approaching the Master rank, and both my Pokémon and I need stronger opponents to keep improving. So I'm picking fights with powerful Master ranked trainers to push ourselves to our limits. You have to understand, I can't simply reach the Master rank without the necessary resources and motivation, both of which can be achieved through my activities over the past 2 days."
"Are you finished?" the spokesperson asked.
"Yep."
"We understand your concerns and, quite frankly, are already used to them. Champions are among the most volatile individuals in terms of both capability and necessity, so you certainly aren't the first to hunt those at the top of the bounty list. You aren't even the most successful because, as you can imagine, we've had our share of hostilities in the past."
"So, we hold meetings like these to ensure you do not cross any lines that would lead to an all-out war with the Underworld as a collective. You are approaching that boundary, Mr. Wattson, and you may consider this your warning from all of us. Cease your activities, or we will have no choice but to retaliate in full."
A heavy silence lingered. The faces on the screen remained expressionless, yet the threat was clearly conveyed by the unanimous backing of everyone present.
"That said, we also understand where you are coming from," the spokesperson said, breaking the silence. "The League's restrictions are unnecessarily kind, creating an insurmountable gap for the vast majority of trainers around the world. Surely there would be more Master ranked trainers if Champions were allowed into the Master ranked danger zones to earn that rank."
"I'll have to disagree with that," Alex interrupted. "If that were allowed, there would no longer be any danger zones, and the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon might collectively decide that humanity no longer deserves to exist because it doesn't know how to coexist."
"Perhaps, but I digress. Apart from serving as a warning, this call is also meant to avoid further hostilities. Regarding your concerns, we have a solution that should satisfy everyone."
A document suddenly appeared on Alex's screen. A quick scan revealed bounty profiles far more comprehensive than anything he had seen before. Each entry listed the target's home coordinates, affiliated organizations and their bases, defensive capabilities, estimated combat strength, and a recommended force for a successful assault. Some even included tactical plans with suggested routes of attack and Pokémon lineups tailored to exploit the target's weaknesses.
"What you have just received is our Black List, containing the segment of the Underworld that the Black Market Alliance has deemed cancerous to our collective interests. You may satisfy your needs by hunting them instead of picking a fight with us."
Alex continued reading the document and found that the listed individuals and organizations were exceptionally chaotic and destructive, even by Underworld standards. More importantly, they were isolated, lacking meaningful ties even to one another. That meant any retaliation would be far less severe than if he targeted the Black Market Alliance, as none of them had allies willing to come to their aid.
"This... is acceptable," Alex said as a feral smile spread across his face.
"We're pleased we could reach an understanding, Mr. Wattson. May we take that as your assurance that there will be no further hostilities against the Black Market Alliance?"
"Yes. This is more than enough to accomplish my goals."
"Excellent," the spokesperson replied as another document appeared on Alex's screen. "The second file contains information on our current market. While it cannot compare to Lumiose City, its lower prices should better support your objectives."
"Much appreciated," Alex replied, noticeably less interested.
"Does anyone else have anything to add?" the spokesperson asked.
No one spoke.
"Very well. This meeting is adjourned. Mr. Wattson, happy hunting."
The call disconnected, leaving Alex with two dossiers that warranted careful scrutiny. He immediately forwarded both to Nyx for cross-referencing and analysis. The sheer volume of intelligence demanded verification before he could place any real trust in it.
As for his plans to continue climbing the public bounty board, they suddenly seemed unnecessary. High-profile bounty targets came with the constant risk of retaliation from powerful allies and affiliated organizations. The names on the Black List, however, had already been isolated by the Black Market Alliance itself. Much like Team Dominion, they stood alone, leaving them with few, if any, allies capable of mounting a meaningful retaliation against him.
Even if they somehow came knocking on his door with an army, they were unlikely to be as dangerous as Team Dominion had been. And even if they were, Alex was more than prepared after years of strengthening his own forces and defenses. In fact, he almost hoped they would try. It would give him the perfect opportunity to test his new defenses.
Soon, a call came in from Nyx, her excitement palpable.
"Alex! Where did you get this? It's practically a gold mine!"
"A group calling themselves the Black Market Alliance handed it over to avoid a fight with me," Alex replied. "Can you verify that the information is legitimate?"
"I've already spot-checked several entries. Their activities line up with League reports and online forums. As for the addresses, I've verified the surface locations using our satellites, and they're all there. The layouts don't match perfectly, so the intelligence is probably a little dated, but not enough to make a meaningful difference."
"Excellent. Put together a new hunting list for me. Prioritize criminals and organizations operating in Kalos. Even if there are more profitable targets elsewhere, I still need to establish a reputation with the Underworld here."
"Sure thing. Do you mind if I pass this along to Lyra and Mika? They'd benefit from hunting some of these weaker targets."
"That shouldn't be a problem. They need to build a reputation as much as I do, and this should be a much safer alternative than going after the henchmen of established organizations."
"They're going to flip their shit when they see this. Alright, I'll get back to you in a few days. In the meantime, you could try hunting individual targets instead of entire organizations."
"Got it. Thanks, Nyx."
"No problem."
As Nyx ended the call, Alex turned his attention back to the Black List, carefully skimming through the hundreds of names and organizations cataloged within. Most were unfamiliar, little more than future targets to be dealt with in due time.
Then one name caught his eye.
Team Luminal.
His expression slowly darkened as memories long buried resurfaced. Team Luminal had been the organization behind Steelix's and Forretress's deaths. While the person directly responsible had long since paid the price, Alex had always wanted to pay the organization itself a visit. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to find their location.
Now, after decades, he finally had a list of addresses.
Alex couldn't help but look forward to the hunt.