In a laboratory buried deep beneath the sea, a scientist by the name of Dr. Halvern was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack.
Earlier that day, his superiors had put their plan into motion. The distraction they had waited months for had finally arrived. One of the Paradox Pokémon attempted to escape, drawing away most of the stronger guards. With Area Zero weakened, they launched their attack, intending to retrieve samples of Paradox Pokémon for his work.
None of them had returned.
Worse, the Porto Marinada underwater training facility had gone completely silent, and the Titan armor development facility on Glaseado Mountain had just transmitted an emergency distress signal.
There was only one possible conclusion. The operation had collapsed, and the League would be coming for him next.
He rushed through the lab, grabbing whatever he could carry, but it was futile. There were too many critical systems and too many irreplaceable machines. Each one was a vital component of Argent Solutions' top-tier fusion pipeline, purpose-built to dissect, rewrite, and stabilize Pokémon genetics at every stage of the process.
With the Paldea operation in ruins, he would be lucky if he were merely demoted to an assistant, an outcome that would smother his research into Pokémon fusion.
Escape meant making an impossible choice. He had to choose between his life, his research data that would take hours to download, and the technology itself, which would require multiple space bags to transport. He needed all three, and there was no way to save them all.
"What the hell am I supposed to do?" he muttered, his hands shaking. "I can't go to prison. I can't have my mind torn apart by Psychic Pokémon. I can't leave my life's work behind and start from nothing."
He worked while he thought, initiating the download process and stowing machines one by one. Time dragged on until the realization finally set in. There was one last option.
He needed to delay the authorities long enough to escape, and among the many failures of his research, one result stood apart from the rest.
"It's the only way," he whispered, staring at the cage of failed experiments as they writhed in pain from their unstable fusions, his finger trembling as it hovered over the release button.
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Meanwhile, Alex surveyed the empty training grounds with satisfaction. His Pokémon had finished the cleanup, restrained the remaining guards and employees, and secured all the supplies, including the weapons they had developed and the foundry that produced them. The only thing left untouched were the servers he had copied for Rhea, left deliberately for the League to have.
This time, he took note of the inventory and immediately noticed the absence of bullets and conventional weapons. It seemed the base was dedicated solely to producing weapons and armor for Titan Pokémon. There were no heavy caches of ammunition, guns, or armor to loot, aside from a few crates meant for personal self-defense rather than training. Still, the stockpiles of raw materials were substantial, making the base overall as profitable a find as the one in Porto Marinada.
"Excellent work everyone," Alex called out. "We have one last location to attack and we'll be home in no time."
He started storing his Pokemon and was about to make his way outside when he felt a presence stare at him from the shadows. It didn't seem hostile, just curious, so he nonchalantly turned in that direction.
"How can I help you?" Alex asked, resting his hands casually on his holstered guns.
"Yo, chill, dog, no need for hostility, I just came through to peep the facility." came the reply as a woman stepped out of the shadows, a Golurk standing silently behind her.
The woman, Ryme, was dark-skinned and middle-aged, with white hair braided into a skeletal hand at the front and a ribbon at the back, and green eyes with gold-painted eyelids and lower lips. She stepped out confidently, her movements carrying a natural rhythm as if she were walking to a beat. Judging from her aura, there was no doubt she was Champion rank, with an army of Ghost type Pokémon lurking in her shadow. She was a terrifying woman to provoke.
"Did you need anything from what I took?" Alex asked. "Looks like you've been watching for a while."
"Nah, I ain't playin' with these toys, just checkin' if you can handle the boys. Been searchin' for this base since Kofu dropped the map, couldn't find it till you smashed their wall and made a loud clap. Good job, by the way, you workin' clean and tight, just the way I like, everything lookin' right."
"Right… well… I still have one more base to take care of if you'll excuse me…"
"Fo-sho, fo-sho, don't let me delay, I'll clean up this mess and lock 'em away."
Alex shook his head as he walked out of the base. Were all Gym Leaders in Paldea this strange? Kofu peppered everything with cooking metaphors, while Ryme… well, she rhymed. It must be exhausting, having to come up with those on the fly and work them into everyday conversation.
Once he exited the base, Alex released Hydreigon and took to the skies, flying back to Montenevera before teleporting to his final stop for the night, Levincia City.
Levincia had once been a humble port town, shipping ore from the nearby mines, but over time it had grown into a bustling business hub. The city thrummed with energy, both literal and figurative. With the Electric type specialization of its Gym, many residents strolled the streets accompanied by Electric type Pokémon.
Modernity pulsed through Levincia's architecture and culture, a reflection of Gym Leader Iono, a famous streamer whose influence had transformed the city into one of the most technologically advanced and trend-conscious places in Paldea.
To Alex, Levincia looked like any other modern city in the regions he had visited. Towering skyscrapers blazed with neon signs, casting a colorful glow over the streets even in the dead of night. Along the waterfront, the old port had been converted into five oddly shaped buildings, their unusual architecture standing out against the cityscape. Electric type Pokémon zipped through the streets and around the waterfront, their sparks adding to the city's constant buzz, while a few late-night pedestrians wandered past, giving Levincia a quiet sense of life despite the hour.
Alex was headed toward the waterfront when he suddenly noticed an energetic young girl pointing at him from a distance. Her light blue and pink hair was styled into a bow shape at the front. She wore a yellow sweater over a halter top that exposed her shoulders. Magnemite acted as hairpins that mimicked her expressions. She had sharp, pointed teeth, a necklace, and metallic grey boots fastened with screws. Her right leg was covered by a grey legging, while a black strap was tied around her left.
It was unmistakably Iono, and she was running straight toward him.
"There you are! Heeeyyy!" she called, bouncing a little on her feet. "I've been sittin' here for, like, forever waitin' for you to pop up!"
"Hello, Gym Leader Iono," Alex said. "How can I help you?"
"Aw, c'mon now! Don't be all stiff and formal, friendo! Just talk normal and flash that smile for the camera, nyahaha!" She waved at a Rotom hovering nearby, recording their every move. "Anywhooo, I know you're lookin' to take down that base Kofu sent the coordinates for, but I figured… why not make a suuuper rad video outta it if you're cool with it? Theme's gonna be 'Me doin' my best as Gym Leader!' Heehee!"
"Sure, but is it okay to show death, destruction, and possibly some gruesome scenes with blood, flesh, and exposed bones? I'm not exactly going there for a friendly Pokémon battle."
"Ohhh, no worries! Nothin' live-streamed here, so I'll have my editors polish it all up to look nice and clean for the peeps, nyahaha!"
Alex shrugged. He had no problem being recorded while working. He didn't like the attention, but now that he was powerful enough, it didn't make much of a difference. He could also feel the Champion ranked aura rolling off her, so there was no need to actively protect her when she could likely take down this base by herself.
"Fine, but it's an underwater base, so you might want to slip into something more functional. I don't think that big jacket of yours would help you float."
"Hahaha! No problemo! Got a swimsuit all ready as a special treat for my viewers! Nyohoho!"
Together, they made their way to the waterfront behind the business district and released their Pokémon. Alex released his water team and wore his Deep Suit, while Iono released a dozen Lanturn who rotated around her in formation, lighting the deep night waters. She also took off her jacket, revealing a one-piece swimsuit that matched her pink and cyan hair. She then stored the Magnemite, knowing they probably wouldn't fare well underwater.
"Tada! Heeheehee… whatcha think, Mister Bounty Hunter? Don't I look sexy and appealing? Nyohoho! My feminine charms awakenin' your wild side, hmm? You wanna… ohhh, go on… ravish me? Heehee?" she teased, playful and loud.
"You look cute," Alex said with a smile, causing her to blush.
"W-well… nuh-uh, you can't have me! I'm a livestreamer, friendo!" she squeaked shyly, hand to her cheek.
Alex shook his head. She was definitely cute, reminding him a bit of Rhea and her smaller stature.
They dove into the waters and made their way toward the coordinates, Lanturns lighting their path like a glowing parade in the deep, dark night.
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