Chapter 134. Live Ammo, Dead Plans

The ship did not just contain a stockpile; it held multiple caches of guns, ammunition, and combat gear. Based on the Crobats' report, Alex estimated there were enough weapons to arm at least a thousand people with ease. Misty had certainly made the right call in bringing Selene down now rather than later. Delaying the operation would have been a costly mistake. A hundred people might form a mob at best, but a thousand could cause real destruction. Determined to keep everything for himself, Alex charged into the ship with guns blazing. Lacking his full team, he relied on the Crobats to serve as overwatch while he joined the battle directly. Hydreigon was too large to maneuver through the tighter corridors of the ship, so Alex left her at the docks to guard the entrance and ensure no one followed. Meanwhile, Tsareena and Espeon flanked him to guard against ambushes, while Ceruledge and Dusknoir led the way forward. The ship was crewed by about twenty armed individuals, all clearly prepared for a fight. Alex advanced cautiously, clearing the vessel one room at a time. Fortunately, none of the crew possessed strong Pokémon, making it easy for the ghosts to sweep through without resistance. Alex barely needed to lift a finger. There might have been twenty people with guns, but Ghost-types excelled at dealing with such opponents. They could slip into shadows and completely negate a gunner's greatest advantage, their range. Once Alex cleared the ship, he found himself in the cargo hold, surrounded by numerous space bags and containers neatly organized. Space bags were the backbone of a modern economy, especially in a world overrun by wild Pokémon. With them, traditional supply lines were no longer essential. A single person with a space bag could transport enough produce from a farm to a market to keep an entire town fed. That convenience was also why cars were considered a luxury rather than a necessity. Ships, on the other hand, were absolutely essential. Traveling between cities on the back of a Pokémon was relatively simple, but crossing treacherous waters for days or even weeks was an entirely different challenge. Ships were constructed with hulls capable of withstanding attacks from Elite-ranked Pokémon, meaning it would take an opponent of that level to pose a serious threat. While swarms of Expert-ranked Pokémon could also endanger a ship, there were plenty of Expert trainers to employ as guards. As long as ships avoided known nests, they could sail with relative safety. How were nests discovered? The hard way, of course. To mitigate risk, ships were equipped with an integrated navigation system mandated by the League. It regularly updated each vessel's status, and if a scheduled update was missed, the ship's last known location would be flagged. That area would then appear on the shared map as a potential danger zone, warning others to proceed with caution. A global shipping map was available online, featuring real-time updates on nest locations, storm warnings, and reported incidents. This allowed ships to navigate hazardous waters with greater safety. In case of trouble, crews were required to log incidents online before taking emergency action. This protocol helped identify hazards and prevented others from facing the same dangers. As for the contents of the space bags, they held far more than just guns, ammunition, and gear. There were also devices for repair, reloading, and recycling, everything a gun-running criminal organization would need to sustain its firepower. Rhea would no doubt enjoy having some new toys to play with. In addition, the bags contained all the supplies Selene would have needed to expand her operations. Office supplies, training equipment, high-end cameras, studio gear, and even basic necessities for orphans were all accounted for. There were clothes, food, school materials, art supplies, and a wide assortment of Poké Balls. Alex had always favored standard Poké Balls for their aesthetic. He liked how unassuming they appeared, allowing him to remain inconspicuous when necessary. Perhaps it was time to start using the better models and simply paint over them. He had an engineer on his payroll, after all, so it might not be a bad idea. He could even have custom Poké Balls built to suit his needs. Despite the seemingly successful raid, Alex now faced a major problem, how was he supposed to transport everything back? The ship was packed with valuable goods, but he alone would not be enough to move it all to the farm. 'Arcanine and Gardevoir are going to have to work overtime,' Alex thought. Teleportation was a viable means of transportation, but Pokémon who could learn Teleport were heavily regulated. This was why most people relied on space bags and ships for moving goods. Apparently, this also applied to criminal organizations. With the ship secured and a plan in place, Alex left Ceruledge and Dusknoir to guard it while he rode Hydreigon toward the warehouse district, where the final stockpile was located. Upon arrival, he was greeted by Gardevoir along with Altaria, Frosmoth, Alcremie, Kommo-o, and Togekiss, all stationed outside a warehouse. "Status?" 'All hostiles neutralized and all resources recovered,' Gardevoir reported through their psychic link. "Can you move everything to the farm?" Gardevoir nodded, then vanished with the supplies and returned a moment later. "Very good. We need to do the same at the other two locations. The docks, in particular, have far too much for me to carry alone." Alex recalled the Pokémon before teleporting to the studio, where Raticate and the others stood guard. "Status?" "Ra, Raticate Raticate. (A few ran, but we got everything unloaded back into the warehouse.)" Raticate reported. "Gardevoir, if you would." She vanished with the supplies and reappeared a moment later. Alex then recalled his Pokémon and flew back to the ship on Hydreigon. Back in the cargo hold, he had Arcanine and Gardevoir transport everything to the farm, except for the supplies meant for the orphanage and the art gallery. He figured Misty could use those to gain some public support and soften the backlash from taking down the so-called "peaceful" human supremacist faction. As for the inhumane training equipment, Alex could have Rhea modify them into something more humane. There were restraints designed to deliver electric shocks to Pokémon when their performance dropped below set thresholds. There were also shock collars with matching remotes for forced obedience, and basic weights that attached to body parts using spiked clamps instead of proper straps. Still, there was plenty of raw material to work with, and his team was due for an upgrade after wearing out their equipment over the past two years. Rhea would just have to get a little busy. Once everything was secured, Alex called Misty for an update. "Alex! You done?" came Misty's voice from the other end of the line. "I should be. Although, there's a ship here at the docks you might want to take for yourself. Selene was planning to expand her—" "I already know. The bitch was planning to turn my city into a secondary hub for their plans. Their first choice was Saffron City, given its prime location, but you came along and kicked them out before they could establish themselves properly. Their only remaining base is on Cinnabar Island." "You mean Cinnabar City?" "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, is ten million credits enough for your services?" "You're paying me?" "I'm not an asshole. I read through your file and made a rough estimate of what it'd take to make you move. Honestly, this barely counts, given your current capabilities." "I got plenty out of the deal, so you don't have to be so considerate." "I've got standards, and you delivered above expectations, so just take the damn money. Unless… you wanted my body all along?" she jokingly added. "No… Well, yes. Your body would be quite nice, but no. I was already well compensated for this job. I'll take it, though, if it makes you feel better." "Why does it sound like I'm the one grateful for paying you my own money as a bonus?" "It's just your imagination. Thank you for doing business with us. We hope you were satisfied with our services. Be sure to tell your friends. Like and subscribe-" "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just leave the ship where you found it, and I'll have someone retrieve the supplies." "Alright." After ending the call, Alex teleported back to the farm with a cool ten million credits added to his account.  He should also be receiving the bounties for those who were killed, assuming Misty filed them under his name. Then again, she might take the credit herself to send a message and scare away the human supremacists. Alex wouldn't mind. It was just 10 million Pokédollars.  After sleeping through the morning, Alex woke up around noon, planning to track down Nyx for more work. But when he checked, he found both Rhea and Nyx still fast asleep. 'They must have stayed up for over a day,' Alex thought. Not wanting to waste the day, he decided to do some digging on his own and quickly discovered an efficient way to earn League credits. Aside from contributing directly to the League, which Alex had already been doing as an unintended result of his bounty hunting, the most profitable method was eliminating Pokemon nests. Alex had already conducted plenty of research on Pokémon nests, but his knowledge remained purely academic. He lacked a practical understanding of how nests functioned in the real world. For instance, many people complained online about how difficult nests were to find, and Alex wanted secondhand insight into their actual behavior and patterns. He had already experienced a close encounter when he was attacked by over a hundred Gyarados alongside their Champion, but that had been an accident rather than something intentional. His personal experience was limited at best. So, he decided it would be best to call in a professional. Fortunately, he knew the perfect person, someone with extensive experience as a traditional trainer. ----- Support me on Patreon patreon/babywrath