Alex's next lead brought him to what passed for a high-rise in Nacrene City. It was a warehouse larger than the rest, jutting over the city's skyline like a sore thumb. Apparently, it was where the drugs were processed and packaged from raw materials before being distributed to middlemen like the one Alex had just visited.
He made his way to the address and found a heavily secured compound, complete with armed guards, tall walls, barbed wire, patrolling Pokémon of all types, and floodlights. It looked less like a warehouse and more like a prison or military installation, one that didn't tolerate casual visitors. No doubt it operated under the protection of an Elite ranked trainer to exist so openly within the city, right under the League's nose.
This meant Alex had to be careful when taking down the facility, as he had to ensure minimal collateral damage. Otherwise, why would the Gym Leaders tolerate its existence if they could just recklessly destroy everything themselves? Then again, it was far more likely that there was a Champion ranked trainer supporting the Veins from the shadows; otherwise, the Gym Leaders wouldn't have tolerated their presence in the city so openly.
Hence, Alex made sure to take the stealthy approach when he infiltrated the warehouse, careful to avoid the patrolling Dark, Fighting, Fairy, and Bug type Pokémon that could detect him through his Dark type energy coating.
He read the aura in the warehouse and detected an Elite ranked presence radiating from a corner office. Then he took note of the patrolling Pokémon before timing his approach. Once the coast was clear, he jumped, sailing over the tall walls and crashing through the corner office window.
"What the fuck!" the Elite ranked trainer inside exclaimed before releasing his Pokémon and reaching for the gun under his desk, but Alex was faster.
He reached the man in a heartbeat and ignored the Elite ranked Machoke's Brick Break, tanking it with his shoulder before reaching for the man's Poké Balls. With practiced ease, he locked the Pokémon away before grabbing the man in a chokehold with one arm while the other held his hand back from aiming the gun at Alex.
"Gardevoir," Alex called out as Gardevoir emerged from her Poké Ball and began reading the man's memories.
Once she was finished, she knocked the man out with Hypnosis before sharing her findings with Alex. He sighed once he understood what was happening.
Apparently, the operations they had going on here were much more widespread than Alex had initially realized. There were three other such locations in the city, as well as the source of all the raw materials southwest of the city in Pinwheel Forest. With this much product being produced, packaged, and distributed, it was obvious that the organization was not only supplying Unova but other regions as well.
It turned out Alex had gone far beyond the scope of Grimefold's request by targeting the source of the drugs. The Veins were only a local gang of dealers who had taken the initiative to target homeless people to increase their clientele, whereas the warehouse he was in the process of raiding belonged to an actual drug lord with a global distribution network who called his organization Team Narcis.
"Oh, well. Since I've gotten this far, I might as well finish what I started," Alex muttered.
Predictably, the compound immediately went into high alert. Sirens blared, red lights flashed across the walls, and loudspeakers barked warnings of an attack. Armed guards scrambled from their posts, shouting over the chaos, while patrolling Pokémon leapt into action, scanning the area for intruders.
Alex, meanwhile, made his way into the warehouse while releasing Arcanine, Clawitzer, and Kommo-o, with Gardevoir following closely behind.
"Arcanine, use Heat Wave on the offices and storage units. Clawitzer, Sludge Wave the entire warehouse to get rid of the drugs. Kommo-o, prepare a massive Earthquake to bury everything afterward," Alex commanded.
Gardevoir nodded, understanding what Alex wanted done. She proceeded to instruct his Pokémon on where and how to execute their orders, coordinating them to streamline the process.
Arcanine immediately turned and began burning down the offices containing important documents and drug money. Then he ran to the storage rooms containing weapons, ammunition, and supplies and did the same.
Clawitzer blitzed toward the center of the warehouse via Aqua Jet and unleashed a powerful Sludge Wave that flooded the entire space, neutralizing and destroying all the drugs and raw materials inside.
Kommo-o followed suit, using Belly Drum before waiting for Clawitzer to finish, then unleashed Earthquake to completely destroy the warehouse, including all the sterilized equipment used to produce the drugs. The compound was reduced to rubble, burying everything underground, including its walls.
Gardevoir then teleported everyone to the next destination, completely ignoring the guards who tried to stop them. They were Champion ranked Pokémon, so there was no need to concern themselves with these insignificant insects, who would need an army to pose any real threat.
Alex then went around taking down the other three warehouses in exactly the same manner, making sure to read the memories of the person in charge before acting. In this way, he gained access to information about both those above and below the hierarchy. He now had all the names of the middlemen who gave orders within The Veins.
He spent the rest of the night running through the city, visiting every middleman like a grim reaper and reading their memories. All the while, Gardevoir compiled a list of all the criminals under them who called themselves The Veins. By morning, he had a complete roster of every gang member associated with them and proceeded to anonymously upload the information online for the police to handle.
With no backer, the gang would be easy for the authorities to take down without Alex lifting a finger. Of course, there was still one more target before the police could move with full confidence against the gang of drug dealers. He had to take down the leader of Team Narcis in Pinwheel Forest.
By morning, Alex arrived at the plantation on the western side of Pinwheel Forest, near the cliffs along the coast. He had to admit it was a nice spot. The slope down to the water was steep, but the air was clean, carrying the faint scent of salt from the sea.
The plantation itself was sprawling, with rows of lush plants stretching in neat lines across the cleared forest floor. Bright green leaves shimmered under the sun, and the occasional flowering bud hinted at the potency of the crops. Scattered among the rows were small wooden huts and storage sheds. Smoke rose from one of the chimneys, and the low hum of a generator came from somewhere near the center. Guards and their Pokémon walked predictable routes along the perimeter, their guns slung but attention mostly idle.
"It's a really nice place," Alex admitted. "It would be a shame if someone set it on fire."
Arcanine materialized beside him and unleashed Heat Wave without hesitation. A chunk of the plantation vanished under a wall of superheated air. Crops blackened instantly, wooden structures ignited, and the outer edges of the attack caught into spreading fires that raced through the rows.
Guards, workers, and Pokémon erupted into panic, shouting orders and scrambling for water. Arcanine didn't give them time to organize. He shot forward, cutting through the fields and hurling Heat Waves in controlled bursts, turning panic into chaos.
Then the temperature shifted.
Dark clouds rolled in with unnatural speed. Rain began to fall in heavy sheets, smothering the flames before they could swallow the entire estate. Steam rose from scorched earth as fire met the sudden downpour.
"Who the fuck is messing with me?" a powerful voice boomed, carrying from the mansion at the center of the grounds.
Alex responded by releasing the rest of his Pokémon. They formed around him in a disciplined defensive formation before advancing toward the mansion at a measured pace.
The doors burst open.
Water and Grass type Pokémon poured out in waves, dozens at a time, forming ranks across the courtyard. By the time they finished assembling, Alex found himself facing nearly a hundred Elite ranked Pokémon backed by three unmistakable Champion ranked presences standing at the rear.
"You! Are you the fucker who took down my production plants?" the man demanded, pointing a finger at Alex.
He was gaudily dressed, gold chains and jewelry draped over him, a half-buttoned dragon-print shirt hanging loose over tailored slacks. He fit Alex's mental image of a drug lord almost perfectly.
"I am," Alex said simply, releasing Rotom to scan for any cameras still transmitting a signal.
"You motherfucker!" the man shouted. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with?"
"Team Narcis."
"No, you idiot. That's just my drug operation. Do you know who my wife is? Who she works for?"
"Let me guess. Team Dominion?"
"That's right, fucker! You just messed with the wrong drug lord."
"Convenient," Alex said with a small nod. "Two for one. So where's your wife?"
"She's coming. And you'd better be ready."
"Good," Alex replied evenly. "Now I can take you down one after another."
He glanced at Gardevoir and gave a simple command.
"Begin."
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