Chapter 137. Undercurrents

In a high-rise in Cinnabar City, Gravik Drayne, Team Dominion's Regional Head for Kanto and a recently promoted Champion ranked trainer, received a report from his secretary regarding their faction's progress across the region. "What do you mean Selene has been captured?" he asked his nervous secretary furiously. She had been quite professional when she started years ago, but over time she learned how brutal Gravik's tantrums could become. It began with his own Pokémon, then the furniture around the room, and eventually escalated to the nearby staff, with her taking the worst of it. She had wanted to quit for a long time, but she was just a secretary with no one to turn to. Gravik was a Champion ranked trainer backed by Team Dominion, an organization even the League would not openly oppose. She could not turn to the League because of the spies they had in place. The League knew exactly where Gravik was, yet still did nothing to stop him. Who could she possibly turn to escape this maniac? "Misty was able to take down Selene and her entire operation overnight," she began to explain before receiving a slap that sent her to the floor. "That's impossible. Selene would have destroyed half the city if they fought," Gravik shouted, looming over her with growing fury. "She... she even collected their bounties," the secretary continued, quickly getting back up. Gravik would start kicking her otherwise, and internal bleeding took longer to recover from. The longer she stayed out of the office, the more brutal the beating once she returned from the medical wing. One time, he didn't even bother to wait. He found her in the medical wing and beat her right there in front of the nurses. "Bounties? Could it have been that bounty hunter?" "Reports say he has not been active for the past two years, not since he captured Jonathan Vexler." "Who?" "The assassin that was sent to kill him." "Fine. How about the other cities?" "The Underworld, specifically Team Umbraline, has ensured the cities we have lost cannot recover by taking over our operations. We would need more Elites to take them back, but—" she said before being interrupted with another slap that sent her to the floor again. "What cities are left?" "Pewter City has seen major success in gathering new sympathizers. Fuchsia and Lavender City are still unoccupied due to Koga and Agatha eliminating our Elites. Vermilion City is progressing slowly, but we have managed to get basic operations running. Cinnabar City is just as successful as Pewter City," she reported, carefully placing the bad news between the good. Small details, she had found based on experience, he responded to well. "We can't do much about Koga and Agatha. They are specialized for assassination. Put more resources in Pewter City. As for Team Umbraline, I could use a bit of exercise." "Yes, sir." ----- Early the next morning on Alex's farm, the girls were surprised when Lyra and Mika showed up to join them for breakfast. Lyra received a warm group hug that accidentally included Mika, who just enjoyed the moment. Rhea, feeling a bit like the odd one out, shrugged before joining the embrace as well. Once the greetings were over, they all enjoyed a large, hearty breakfast courtesy of Lina while Lyra shared stories of her adventure over the past two years. That was when Alex turned to Rhea and asked her to inspect the loot he had brought back from Celadon City. She happily sorted through the weapons stockpile, eagerly made plans for the studio equipment, readily accepted the training equipment modifications Alex proposed, and even promised to provide better Poké Balls than the latest Luxury Balls, all designed in the classic Poké Ball style. "You're a goddess, Rhea," Alex complimented. "Hehe, praise me more, country bumpkin. Caress me with your words. Undress me with your honesty. Tickle my ego. Shower me with your positive energy. Fuck me hard in the ass—whoops, that last one just slipped," she replied with her usual energy. "Set up a schedule with Nyx," Alex said with a sigh. "Mission accomplished," she said before darting out to find Nyx. After handing off the loot to Rhea, Alex went over to Nyx, who gave him a report on the current situation in the Underworld. In short, Team Umbraline was kicking the human supremacists' asses. They had taken over all the operations the supremacists cared about and turned them against them. They hired any potential henchmen, took control of orphanages, spread propaganda showing how adorable Pokémon were, enough to make even the League proud, and most importantly, drained the supremacists' finances by targeting their businesses. As for any potential bounties with payoffs similar to Selene's, there were none. Pewter City and Vermillion City had legitimate movements underway with no bounties to target, while the rest of the cities were clear of human supremacists. The only place left for Alex to target was Cinnabar City, where their regional head was believed to be located in one of the high-rises. Regular bounties were on the rise, but Alex had lost interest in them after the substantial immediate payoff he received when Lyra and Mika submitted the mission after breakfast. Together, the three split one million credits for taking down the notorious Hypno nest. It might seem small by his usual standards, but since credits are estimated to be worth ten times more than Pokedollars, it was a significant sum. Unfortunately, there were not many nests as notorious as the Hypno nest, so Alex would have to scrape the bottom of the barrel and slowly work his way toward his goal of two hundred million credits. Mika, meanwhile, was still bewildered by the sudden windfall over lunch. "I can't believe we made this much just from having you visit us," Mika exclaimed. "We even got laid," Lyra added with a massive grin. "It isn't much compared to what you can make as an Elite so get used to it," Alex replied. From the side, Rhea tilted her head, arms crossed as she studied the two girls. Her expression was thoughtful but serious. "Since you're both planning to keep up with Alex," she began, "we should talk about protection." "It was our safe day!" Mika and Lyra immediately replied in unison. "Not that kind of protection, silly billy," Rhea said with a dramatic pause.  "Guns! I'm talking about guns!" Rhea exclaimed, waving her arms in an exaggerated flourish. "Great idea, Rhea!" Alex said, standing from his seat to sit beside them. "Since you'll both be putting yourselves in danger, having weapons would give you some added security." "I even have combat gear in your sizes," Rhea added, "although your fashion might have to suffer." "They can just use it for raids instead of everyday wear," Alex replied. "Can you make smaller guns for the girls? They'll only need them for close-range use." "One for supporting their Pokémon and one for killing? Easy," Rhea said with a grin. "I can even add pocket holsters so they won't stick out. They'll be their little secret weapons. Hehehe." "You know me well. Hehehe." Rhea and Alex, the resident gun nuts, quickly spiraled into a heated discussion about calibers, recoil control, and loadouts, slipping into their own little world. Lyra and Mika exchanged uneasy glances, watching the two rattle off specifications and tactical jargon like it was another language. The rest of the girls, already familiar with this routine, paid them no mind. They simply let it play out, knowing there was no stopping the pair once they got started. "So, orgies?" Nyx suddenly asked from the side. "Why does that keep coming up?!" Lyra groaned. "I've had my fair share, but it was usually with high-paying clients," Nyx said with a shrug. "Was it better now that you're doing it freely? Still sore the next day, or does the extra control make it easier? Come on, I want details, girl!" With Lyra occupied, Mika awkwardly ate her lunch until Vera sat down beside her. "Not used to the crowd?" Vera asked gently. "It's nice here," Mika replied. "It feels better than constantly being wary of strangers." "I was like that too," Vera said with a soft smile. "I thought everyone was out to get me. I'd had so many clients that I started seeing every man as my next customer, always ready to give them my signature smile. I even acted that way around Alex at first. Sometimes, I still do when we're alone." "What was it like for you?" Mika asked quietly. "Lyra said it was okay, but I can't imagine it." "It really was okay," Vera said after a pause. "It was just sex, after all. What really gets to you is the lack of control. We couldn't even resist, couldn't think about ourselves. That changes you. You stop bracing for whatever life throws at you and simply accept it." Mika looked down. "Is that why you're all working for Alex? You simply accepted him as the best option?" "It started with the money," Vera admitted. "Alex pays more than any job we could find. But after that... it became about familiarity. Knowing how he thinks. Knowing he never initiates. Knowing he always accepts us. That became a comfort compared to the rest of the world." She smiled faintly, voice softening. "Now? It's just spiritual contentment. Nyx, Kaia, and Rhea are working their dream jobs and earning more than they ever could elsewhere. Lina and Mira are slowly healing by throwing themselves into what they love. And me... I'm starting to realize how fulfilling it is to care for Alex's Pokémon. It's both challenging and brings me peace." Vera let out a breath, eyes distant. "I've searched, but I haven't found anything that compares to this life. My only regret is not having children." "I'm sure he'll get around to it someday," Mika said with a small smile. "As a bounty hunter, I completely understand his concerns. But at the rate Alex is going, he'll reach champion rank before you know it." "Which is why I'm still here," Vera replied softly, her voice steady with quiet conviction. The group continued to enjoy their peaceful day, laughter and calm settling over them like a warm breeze. But beneath that fragile serenity, the currents of the Underworld had begun to stir, subtle, unseen, and inevitable. ----- Support me on Patreon patreon/babywrath