"Your total comes to 1.4 billion credits, all in powdered Fortressite," the scientist informed Alex at the Research Center after he made it back safely. "I have to say, Mr. Wattson, you have an impeccable track record when it comes to bringing back resources. You're also not afraid of dimensional expeditions, so you hardly ever take a break. At this rate, you'll be one of the League's greatest earners in no time."
The total amount should have been higher, but Alex kept running into resources Rhea needed, so he ended up tossing away tons of Fortressite throughout his journey through the Ultra Dimension. Even so, it was more than enough to pay off his 700-million-credit debt, set aside another 600 million credits to cover the bases in the remaining three regions, and still pay his obligation for his one-year vacation.
"Is there a ranking or something?" Alex asked as he signed off on the sale. "Because that would be a pretty stupid thing to do to your top earners."
How easy would it be to rob these so-called top earners once the right people got their hands on a copy of that ranking list?
"Only an unofficial one among the top brass. Even I only know that it exists; I have no idea who's actually on it. I can tell you, though, that you're the most consistent trainer I've personally dealt with. You even have an Ultra Necrozma to guarantee a steady income from every trip."
"Based on your experience, what's the usual average?"
"It's highly dependent on luck. Some trainers can't find resources when and where they land, so they opt to capture rare or powerful Pokémon instead. Others end up stranded on barren, lifeless planets and return with nothing. And some…" The scientist hesitated. "Some die the moment they arrive, while others don't make it through the journey. Even Master ranked trainers can't guarantee their own survival on these expeditions, much less that they'll find anything valuable enough to bring home."
"As for the average," the scientist continued, "I'd estimate around 500 million credits per expedition. That usually comes from a combination of conventional resources and Pokémon. However, unlike you, most trainers don't fill their inventory space with massive quantities of Fortressite. They tend to reserve more of their limited carrying capacity for things they want to keep for themselves."
"Then I probably won't be any different eventually," Alex said. "For now, I'm only doing this because I have a loan to pay off and credits to stockpile. Once I'm wealthy enough, I'll probably become more selective and selfish about what I bring back."
After finishing up at the Research Center, Alex teleported home to his family, who were eagerly waiting for him.
"Alex! You're back!" Vera exclaimed as she pounced into his arms. "You've been gone for about 6 months this time."
"I was in there for about 5 months, so it feels about the same to me," Alex replied as he hugged Vera before greeting each of his other girls and children.
What followed was a month-long period of pampering for Alex, interspersed with work. In particular, he called a meeting to sort out their finances and future plans.
In the command center of the main hub, Alex sat at the head of the table with Larvitar clinging tightly to his hair. The little Pokémon was still anxious about his new surroundings and all the unfamiliar people, making him reluctant to leave Alex's side for more than a few moments. His combination of clinginess and shyness had made things rather difficult for Alex, especially when it came to his own needs.
Fortunately, he had found a simple way to cope. Nyx was more than willing to help, remaining hidden beneath the long table while Alex conducted the meeting.
"First off, the loan has been paid off, and the remaining bases now have the funding they need. We should start getting them up and running," Alex said.
"The Kalos base has been completed and is now under Simone's management," Celise reported. "We had some trouble with a few Elite ranked criminal groups poking around, but the base itself is secure enough that even a Champion would have difficulty causing any real damage. So far, there haven't been any particularly dangerous incidents."
"As for the Alola base, construction has already begun. In the end, Marlo and his family declined the responsibility, so we handed it over to Jonah Rooke instead. Team Bones has several members who have completed the Silver Network's training, so they were able to get everything organized without much difficulty. At this point, they're only waiting for the base itself and the necessary technology before they can officially begin operating as a Silver Network branch."
"How have their activities been?" Alex asked, glancing down at his crotch.
Nyx looked up before answering.
"They're clean. They've stopped expanding their businesses and seem content to focus on their own personal growth. They've also completely cleaned up their act and are beginning to show the same level of morality as most of our bounty hunters," Nyx replied before diving back down.
"That leaves Galar and Paldea."
"Lyra and Mika have taken on a new pair of Elite ranked disciples," Celise reported. "In a few years, they should be strong and knowledgeable enough to take over once they've completed their journeys through both regions."
"Good," Alex said. "Then that just leaves our future retirement home."
"Finally!" Rhea exclaimed excitedly. "We've left that island untouched for far too long."
It had been close to a decade since they took the island from Team Dominion's grasp. Since then, they had left it untouched after staking their claim with the League. That should have given nature more than enough time to recover from the devastation they had wrought, so Alex expected to find the island largely restored when they finally returned.
"What plans do you have for it?" Kaia asked. "I know you spread Grassy Terrain across the area and left it to recover on its own, but do you have anything specific in mind?"
"Nothing too elaborate," Alex said. "I want a combat arena in the crater for Master ranked battles, a cozy automated home by the coast where we can live permanently in isolation, and whatever facilities you girls personally want. The rest of the island can be turned into a Pokémon reserve."
"We'll need a construction company for all that," Maris pointed out.
"No." Alex shook his head. "I don't want any third parties setting foot on the island. As much as possible, I want us to be the only people who ever go there. Even the teleportation will be handled by Iris. I was hoping Rhea could build everything herself using only the Master ranked materials I bring back from my expeditions."
His reasoning was simple. Keeping the entire project in-house would ensure the island's secrecy while also allowing them to make full use of the highest-quality materials available. He couldn't guarantee either if they relied on an outside contractor, especially when he intended for the island to remain their completely private sanctuary.
"Hey! That's too much!" Rhea complained. "You want me to run an entire construction company on top of everything else you've already dumped on me?"
"We could always have a custom prefabricated home built here," Maris suggested. "We can transport it to the island in sections and assemble it ourselves."
"Hmm… I guess that could work," Rhea conceded. "I can handle the foundations, assembly, and structural reinforcement myself while leaving the rest to a third party. The most annoying part is all the finishing work inside each room anyway."
"It'll be expensive, though," Celise pointed out. "Especially if you want everything made from Master ranked materials."
"I'll dedicate all the resources I bring back from my expeditions to this project, so that's fine," Alex said. "Celise, work out the total cost and make a list of all the extra materials we'll need. We'll use as much of the resources from my expeditions as possible and handle the construction ourselves wherever we can."
"I'll take care of it," Celise replied.
"Oh, and I want the entire place to be completely hidden from the outside world," Alex added. "Preferably using the same technology as Team Luminal. How's that coming along, Rhea?"
"I've pretty much figured out how the technology works," she replied. "The problem is the sheer size of the island. I can't build a single device like the one Team Dominion used to conceal the whole thing because illusion crystals simply aren't manufactured at that scale. I'd need to use multiple smaller crystals and arrange them into a coordinated array instead."
"That's fine," Alex said.
"Not fine!" Rhea protested. "Those crystals aren't cheap or easy to obtain, even on the black market. Honestly, I have no idea where Team Luminal gets their supply."
"Then I'll bring down a few more of their bases," Alex said. "How many do you need?"
"A dozen more should be enough. That'll cover the entire island while also giving us a few spares for repairs and replacements."
"Good. I'll take care of it, then," Alex said.
With that settled, the conversation moved on to the other preparations for their future home.
The dozen illusion crystals had given Alex another reason to target Team Luminal, but he was unaware that they had already prepared a trap for him. Neither side realized just how devastating their next clash would be.