A month later, in the middle of the night, Alex was asleep with Kaia and Sable curled up beside him when he suddenly jolted awake. He sat up and immediately meditated to control the rampaging energy in his body.
After an hour or two, he finally managed to calm it down with a sigh of relief. He had almost attacked both girls in his sleep.
He opened his eyes and felt around his body. He had gotten stronger, but only by a bit. It was as if the shackles of the human body had been released. Most likely, working out would result in greater returns than before. He needed to go back to intensive training rather than just daily maintenance.
"Finally, Champion rank," he whispered.
Raticate, Arcanine, or Hydreigon must have ranked up in their sleep, which fed back to Alex in the middle of the night, causing his carefully controlled energy to start rampaging.
"I should be able to bond with more Pokémon now, right?"
He sank back into meditation and reached for the aura within his heart. It felt larger now, clearer and purer in a way that was difficult to describe. He could tell that his control over energy had grown stronger than ever.
As he circulated his aura through his body, he focused on the Dark type energy flowing within it. It felt lighter and calmer, easier to shape and command. He could now mobilize about 60% of it at once, a significant improvement from when he first started.
While moving his aura, he noticed his violent impulses fading. Not the constant aggression he kept buried in his mind, but the chaotic intent within his energy. It had not disappeared or lessened, but it now felt tamed and obedient. With this level of control, he could remain rational even while bonded to more Pokémon.
"I can probably handle a hundred now without a problem," he muttered. "I bet I can even control Roaring Moon's energy."
Excitement bubbled in his chest, but he quickly forced it down. It wasn't wise to make assumptions. He needed to be cautious when it came to bonding with Pokémon. The last thing he wanted was to slip back into that cold, calculating, psychopathic mindset that would let the world burn for the sake of a little gain.
He continued meditating until early morning before getting up and putting on some clothes. He walked through his luxurious penthouse suite and made his way to the balcony.
The master bedroom occupied the top corner of the building's highest floor, facing southwest. From the balcony, one could see the hydroponics farm to the right, the bounty hunter training grounds directly below, and farther south, the vast expanse of Clearstone Valley.
It was a breathtaking view, one that wouldn't last. Team Vortex and their partners had already begun building a city across the valley. Sooner or later, the pristine landscape would give way to concrete and steel.
He jumped off the balcony and landed heavily, cracking the cemented landing spot.
"I definitely need to get this reinforced," he mumbled before making his way to the back of the building facing north.
The north side of the first few floors of the building had openings for the Pokémon to enter. It was their designated sleeping, feeding, and grooming area where all the Pokémon were free to come and go as they pleased.
Their rooms were miniature habitats, each designed to mirror their natural environments and personal tastes. Every space was tailored to suit its occupant perfectly, with temperature, lighting, and décor adjusted to their comfort. Each room also carried individual touches that reflected their personalities, such as a small waterfall surrounded by greenery, soft sand warmed by heat lamps, or shelves filled with books and gentle music playing in the background.
He followed the Champion ranked aura, jumped to the second floor, and went deeper inside. He continued until he reached Raticate's sleeping area. It was a simple room with a feeder, large bed, and TV.
Raticate was the first to reach Champion rank for a simple reason. He was smaller and weaker than both Arcanine and Hydreigon. Because of that, he required far less time and energy to reach the same threshold of power they did. On top of that, he was always at the front lines whenever a Champion fell, which meant he shared in the spoils and experience before anyone else.
"Hey, buddy," Alex greeted the large rat lying lazily in bed. "Congratulations on reaching Champion rank."
"Raticate!"
"No, it isn't time for training yet. I just wanted to swing by and congratulate you."
"Raticate." he said with a smug look on his face.
Alex smiled with nostalgia at Raticate's confidence before taking a seat at the edge of the bed.
Raticate straightened up when he felt Alex being emotional for some reason which was completely out of character as far as he was concerned. It forced him to take their conversation seriously.
"I don't usually get all mushy like this but I just wanted to say, thanks for killing me that day."
"Rati!?"
"No, you definitely killed me the first time we fought. Which allowed me to come to this world."
"Raticate???"
"You don't have to get it. I'm just being selfish. Thanks for being there for me," Alex said while patting Raticate's fat tummy.
He mumbled a few complaints before giving in to the harsh treatment and slowly drifting back to sleep.
Alex was truly thankful from the bottom of his heart for being brought to this world. It allowed him to spread his wings and drown in the violence he was denied on Earth.
Being honest with himself, he would have preferred a different universe to reincarnate into, but beggars couldn't be choosers, so he was simply satisfied with his new lot in life.
He remained nostalgic for the rest of the early morning, wandering around the base until it was time for training. He pushed himself extra hard, even allowing Kommo-o to break a few bones before finishing by lunch.
Afterward, he stopped by the Psychic Gym in Saffron City to update his licenses. All he had to do was present his Champion ranked Raticate, and his file was immediately updated. Along with his new status came a flood of notifications, which he had Rotom sort through on the way back to the base.
He called a meeting and headed to the command center, bringing up the information packet to review with the girls. He needed their expertise to identify potential advantages, so he let them read along with him.
It began with the same restrictions as the Elite version, instructing him to avoid certain areas designated as Master ranked danger zones. At the same time, it provided limited information about Champion ranked zones that were now within his clearance level.
Examples of Master ranked danger zones in Kanto included the Cerulean Cave northwest of the city, a restricted section of Victory Road, the top floor of the Power Plant along the northeastern coast, the Ice Caverns of the Seafoam Islands, the northern cliffs of Mt. Moon, and the deepest regions of Mt. Silver, among several other locations.
Surrounding these zones were the Champion ranked areas, followed by the Elite ranked ones. The layout resembled a heat map, with the most dangerous zones concentrated at the center and the threat gradually decreasing the farther one moved from the core.
The most interesting part of the information packet, however, was what the League called a trainer's responsibility. It was essentially a special kind of tax exclusive to Champion ranked trainers and up.
This system worked on a point-based structure where any service or contribution to the League translated into contribution points. Every year, Champion ranked trainers were required to pay 1,000 points to the League. Failure to do so resulted in heavy fines and potential imprisonment.
Retirement was not an option. Trainers had to accumulate enough contribution points to buy their way out of service. Otherwise, the League would begin seizing their assets as compensation for unpaid contributions.
Contribution points could be earned by helping the League in any recognized capacity. For instance, earning a Gym Badge granted 1,000 points, while winning a League Conference awarded 10,000. Trainers employed by the League such as Gym Trainers, Rangers, police officers, scientists, professors, and even nurses also earned around 1,000 points or more each year through their work.
For those with the means, there was also a financial alternative. One contribution point could be purchased for 1,000 credits or 1 million Pokédollars. That meant paying 1 million credits or a billion Pokédollars annually just to meet the quota. It sounded like an enormous sum, but Champions had more than enough ways to earn that much. In truth, it was a pittance to them.
Alex admitted the system functioned remarkably well, but it still forced Champions to shoulder the burden of maintaining order. It was easy to see why some viewed the League as oppressive and turned to rebellion, which likely fueled the rise of the various criminal Teams across the regions.
He thought about it and concluded it was ultimately a good thing.
Elite ranked trainers and up had extraordinary lifespans and the power to change the world. The League wanted to make use of these powerful, long-lived individuals for the benefit of the people, who numbered less than one billion in total across the entire planet.
Vastly outnumbered by Pokémon at least a thousand to one, humanity needed these powerful individuals to contribute one way or another for its continued survival.
As for Alex himself, the system had little immediate effect. It activated the moment he signed his contract, obligating him to submit 1,000 contribution points by year's end. Fortunately, his bounty-hunting work counted as League service, allowing him to retain all points he had already accumulated.
In total, Alex possessed 25,472 contribution points, enough to last two and a half decades without lifting a finger. 4,000 came from his four Gym Badges, 10,000 from his deal with Steven Stone, another 4,000 from his deal with Clair, 1,000 from his deal with Misty, and the rest was earned through bounties.
Every 10 million credits in bounties collected translated to 1,000 contribution points, and with the amount he had recently earned from Hoenn, he was well set for the next two and a half decades.
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