Alex stuck around to help Iono clean up the base. They finished rounding up the staff, guards, and scientists, collected everything that wasn't bolted down into space bags, and Alex even managed to score a few crates of weapons, armor, and ammunition. It was a paltry sum compared to his usual haul, but it was still worth the trip.
They waited in the base until the League sent more people to collect everything properly. This gave Alex enough time to copy the data they had on Pokémon fusion. He never knew when it would come in handy.
"If you're interested in this stuff, I'll give you special permission to have access to the research once our people have a looksee," Iono offered.
"Thanks," Alex replied. "It's not that I'm interested, but that it might come in handy for my girls."
"Sure, sure, Mr. Mad Scientist~ I can read you like an open book! You wanna fuse a Gardevoir and a Lopunny, huh? To, like, really crank a Pokémon's appeal to the max," she said, waggling her brows dramatically… until she remembered Alex's last statement. "Girls…?"
"Yeah," Alex replied. "None of them are geneticists, but they might suddenly have a change in occupation, so it's good to be prepared."
"How… how many girls exactly?"
"Nine."
"Niiiiiine!?" she exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah. Do they not have polygamy here?"
"W-we… do, but it's not very common! I-I think the most I've ever heard was… five! Usually it's like, two or three, but… nine?!"
Alex shrugged. He didn't know how to explain his sex drive, or how he'd ended up with nine willing women. It wasn't like he was actively hunting them down to add to the pile. They just sort of started hovering around him until, eventually, they joined in. Thinking about it now, it had all started when Vera introduced him to the others a long time ago. After that, they simply stuck around and became part of it.
Iono started spacing out as she counted on her fingers, her eyes widening with each one she unfurled. She nodded along at the second and third, understanding the need, then grew dubious at the fourth, finding it excessive. By the fifth, she started blushing madly at the possibilities, and by the time she reached nine, she wore a dazed, disbelieving expression.
Alex could immediately guess that she was multiplying the number of lovers she would have and how long she would be able to keep her orgasms going if she allowed nine men to run a train on her. It was a notion Alex understood well as a fellow Champion ranked trainer who had the physique to match.
"Nine!?" she exclaimed. "That's too much."
"They're all at Elite rank."
"That makes it even worse! How can you possibly survive that?"
"Maybe it's different for men and women?"
"No, no, no. That's still too much. I wouldn't be able to survive, and neither would the guys."
"If it means anything, I'm in top physical condition at Champion rank," Alex defended. "Unlike most trainers, I spend all my time working out and sparring."
"Oh… I guess that explains it then," she said, unsure. It wasn't like she worked out more than necessary to keep her adorable, slim figure.
Alex suddenly remembered Alvera. She was at that age when she would start getting role models in her life, and as a popular streamer, Iono might be one of them. So, to play his part as an attentive parent, he had to get something for Alvera while he had the chance.
"Hey, Iono," Alex called out.
"Yeah?"
"Mind if I get an autograph?"
Her neutral look slowly widened into a mischievous smile.
"Ohoho~ What's this, huh? Does the big, scary bounty hunter want lil' old me's autograph? Don't tell me you've been a secret fan this whole time and finally worked up the courage to ask all casual-like. You don't gotta be so sneaky, you know! If you'd just told me you were a die-hard fan, I would've totally hooked you up with some premium fan service. You've earned it after bagging all those bad guys!"
"It's for my daughter," Alex answered with a deadpan expression.
"Oh… yeah, okay, sure," she said, keeping that mischievous look, clearly not buying it as she pulled out a Poké Ball and signed it. "So what's her name, and how old is she?"
"Alvera Wattson, age nine."
"Nine? She should have Pokémon already, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then you can give her this," Iono said while handing Alex a signed Poké Ball.
He checked the mini interface and found a young Tadbulb inside. It was clearly very young, likely only recently hatched. It was already League-certified as well, complete with the standard training meant for children. Most likely the offspring of one of her own Pokémon, which meant it had the talent to go far.
"Thanks," Alex said. "She runs an Electric team just like you, so this is perfect."
"Really?" Iono said with bright eyes. "Hehe, I might be the perfect role model for her."
"I don't know," Alex said with a smirk. "Elesa is pretty inspirational too, you know, and she's an Electric Gym Leader and a famous model as well."
"Gasp! You did not just compare me with a supermodel. Also, streamers are way more popular. You don't want your daughter to be turned into some sex symbol, do you?"
Alex shrugged before laughing. "So long as she does so out of her own free will and doesn't break any laws, I don't particularly mind."
"Gasp! What kind of father are you?"
"The kind that understands that her years of innocence are less than 99% of her lifespan if I can help it. Also, her mother has a history, so it would be insulting to insist that she remain a perfect angel. Lastly, she's been exposed to that environment from a young age. It would be a bit late to suddenly insist she maintain her chastity."
"What about teen pregnancy, deadbeat husbands, and financial instability?"
"Are you kidding me?" Alex asked. "I'm a Champion ranked bounty hunter. I'll pay for everything, and I'll take care of the child in its father's stead if it comes to it."
Iono took on a thoughtful expression. What Alex said certainly made sense. He was beyond wealthy and powerful. None of these problems mattered so long as his daughter was not in an abusive relationship. He had the wealth and ability to take care of all problems, just like she did if her children ever got themselves into trouble.
"That's surprisingly enlightening. I'll hit you up if I ever have children. You're like a professional."
"Sure," Alex replied. He wasn't a professional. He just bent to the circumstances.
Soon, the Pokémon League's cleanup crew arrived and began taking inventory of the high-tech devices while systematically packing everything away for transport to a secure, undisclosed location.
Iono left the professionals to their work while Alex prepared to finally take off and head home. The visit to Paldea had been short, but surprisingly profitable, as he'd come away with two Paradox Pokémon, Terastal resources, Titan armory, and some of Argent Solution's latest tech.
Overall, it had far exceeded the purpose he'd originally had for the trip. More importantly, he had Grim back, which finally made him feel complete. And he even picked up something for Alvera, something worth far more than a simple autograph from Iono, huge parent points that would remind his daughter just how awesome her dad was.
"Here," Iono said, swiping at her phone and sending Alex her contact information. "My personal number if you ever need anything."
"Thanks," Alex said with a smile. "I'll see you around, Iono."
"Ohoho, ciao, adiós, sayonara, bye-bye!" she called after him, waving with exaggerated flair. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"
With that, Alex teleported out of the base and back to Levincia, then used Interpol's network to return home, just in time for breakfast with the girls to recount his 24-hour trip and, of course, give his gift to Alvera.
"Kyaaa!" Alvera squealed with delight, cradling the little Tadbulb in her arms. "Thank you, Dad! It's the best present ever! I can't believe you met and fought with Iono! Are you going to be on TV? What was she like?"
"She reminded me of Rhea," Alex said. "Small, hyperactive, and very expressive."
"And? And? And?" she pressed eagerly as Alex continued to give her more details.
Meanwhile, the girls watched from the sidelines with mixed feelings. Alex hadn't brought them anything, just more work, especially for Kaia and Rhea, who now had to set up a special farm for the Herba Mystica and oversee the Titan armor.
Sensing a disturbance in the natural balance of the world, Alex immediately realized something was off, and proposed an offering.
"How about we take a vacation?" he suggested, lighting up the girls' faces.
Immediately, they began suggesting destinations, while Alex quietly sighed in relief, he'd dodged that bullet. After some discussion, it was decided they would head to the Sevii Islands on a private cruise to relax and have some fun.
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