Alex set aside the job offers for now and decided to handle them once the base was up and running. He needed to establish order in his organization once it was operational, and that required his presence to ensure no one had any bright ideas when he was gone.
Sure, Malamar would be there to ensure none of the new hires were a risk, but humans had a way of justifying the most horrible acts on the fly that even a full memory scan could not detect. It was their logic, after all, not their memories. A person's personality could not be determined with a memory scan.
"How is Maris doing, Celise?" Alex asked.
"Her business is thriving and has started encroaching on other cities. I believe she already has a headquarters in every city in Kanto, although competition is tough and their progress is significantly slower compared to Saffron City," Celise replied. "She's currently bleeding out money to keep them afloat."
"What's the problem?"
"Just the usual business maneuvering when dealing with competition. Mergers, undercutting, client poaching, and strategic buyouts, you name it. No one appreciates having their territory encroached, and Maris's delivery service in Saffron City is quite the threat to the competition."
"Has she asked Lyra and Mika for help?"
"She has, but that's the trouble with businesses. Their activities are legal, so pinning them with anything worse than harassment is difficult."
"Would you suggest a more violent approach?"
"I would not recommend that. The local businesses have the support of the gyms, so they can always run to them when they encounter illegal troubles."
"Hm… let's just keep the status quo, then. No need to push for rapid growth. Let's take it nice and slow. Make sure Maris gets all the Poké Dollars she needs and don't worry about the cost. It's easy to earn back anyway."
He had billions sitting unused in his bank account, so it truly wasn't an issue of money. Besides, the main point of Maris's delivery service was to support Alex's bounty hunters, not to be an actual delivery service. That was Maris's personal goal, and for Alex, a side benefit.
Also, the point of the bounty hunters wasn't just for the sake of protecting Maris's delivery service. That was a side benefit as well. Their primary objective was to act as Alex's army if and when he needed it to confront enemies with large organizations.
At least, that was the main point before he discovered the contribution system. Now, they would serve as his tax shelter as well.
"How are Lyra and Mika doing, Nyx?" Alex asked.
"They have over a hundred trainers in their group, the last time I checked. Most are victims of sexual assault, kidnapping, human experimentation, and mind control who've been rescued. They're also mostly orphans, with a few who lost loved ones to similar crimes. The majority are women, with a few men among them. They're currently spread across Kanto, hunting down criminals as they travel. In terms of their bounty-hunting results, they're roughly breaking even when Lyra and Mika's statistics are factored in."
"Why are they so weak? Haven't Lyra and Mika been training them?"
"They've built enough of a reputation for criminals to take them seriously. Those in the know either keep their distance or go straight for the kill. They've already lost quite a few groups."
"They need an upgrade then. Playing bait can only take them so far. Now that they've built a reputation, they're just average bounty hunters," Alex concluded before giving an order. "Tell Lyra and Mika to bring them all to the base."
"All of them?" Nyx asked as she sent Alex's request to Lyra and Mika before turning back to him. "They're spread all over Kanto, and some don't have teleporters or Flying types. It'll take a while to gather them."
"The base hasn't finished construction yet, so it's fine."
"What if they're early? I don't think we have the facilities ready for them just yet."
"Training can be done in any open space. They don't need fancy gadgets for it. As long as they have food, they'll manage."
"We're quite deep in the Elite ranked danger zone you know," Sable pointed out. "They would have to trek through quite a few Elite ranked nests. Ones that can be hunted and ones that can't."
"Heh," Nyx chuckled. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
"What makes you say that?" Alex asked.
"How do I put this," she said, turning to Alex with a serious look. "Anyone who chooses to become a bounty hunter after everything they've been through isn't some weak, defenseless, innocent child. That includes the children, no, especially the children."
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From a lone cottage in Viridian Forest came the sound of screams, steeped in anguish and desperation. Inside, a gaunt young woman with hollow eyes, brown hair, and pale skin worked a knife across the weathered skin of an old man.
She was careful and meticulous as she peeled him, layer by layer. First the skin, then the flesh, and finally, the muscles. Occasionally, she would pour a drop of potion to stop the bleeding. It seemed she wasn't a professional but an amateur learning the trade.
"ARGH!" the old man screamed. "Please, stop! I've told you everything I know. Just… kill me, please."
The torturer looked at another woman with short black hair and an empty expression.
"What do you think, Boss?"
Mika sighed. "I think he's telling the truth. He should have already broken by now. You can finish him off, Lily."
With a quick swipe of the knife in Lily's hand, the man's head fell to the ground with a thud.
"How are the captives doing, Emma?" Mika shouted down the hidden opening in the floor of the cottage.
"They're all feral," came the reply. "It's too late to save them."
Another sigh escaped Mika's lips before she ordered, "Put them out of their misery. Burn this entire place to the ground."
They left as a woman with short brown hair climbed out of the opening and released her Rapidash into the room before giving an order.
"Fire Blast down the hatch and burn the cottage to the ground."
Rapidash looked down the hatch, opened its maw, and shot a ball of fire. Heat answered her as an explosion of flames erupted from the opening. Then, Rapidash's hooves caught fire before she walked around the cottage, engulfing everything inside.
Three women emerged from the burning cottage, their expressions somber. They had failed to rescue any captives this time.
"Clean it up, Nidoking," Mika said to her Pokémon waiting outside.
Nidoking raised his foot and stomped, radiating Ground type energy as he unleashed Earthquake, collapsing the hidden underground laboratory and bringing the burning cottage down on top of it.
"Just got a message from Nyx," Lyra said, standing outside the cottage with several other women. "It's time."
"I thought the base wasn't supposed to be finished until five months?" Mika asked.
"Alex reached Champion Rank today and wants to start our training early."
"Good. I'll call an assembly."
"Try not to fight with Morgan again. You know she's just playing with you."
"Playing with me? I don't believe it for a second," Mika scoffed. "She's just mad that our group answers to a man when the two of us are supposed to be the leaders."
"Just don't let her get under your skin."
"No promises."
Mika opened her phone and began calling the leaders of each faction in their bounty-hunting group. A projection of four individuals hovered above the device before she spoke.
"I've sent a location to your phones. Be there as soon as possible."
"Oh? Is it finally time to meet the boyfriend?" Morgan, a woman with long black hair, teased. "I don't know if I should come. You know how the girls feel about men."
"Then don't," Mika snapped. "You're free to take your group elsewhere. Just don't come crying to me when you get ambushed again. And you can forget about getting any more benefits from the network or using any supply depots around Kanto."
Morgan pouted before falling silent. Her group wasn't as hostile toward Alex as she made it seem, though they did share a general aversion to men. Usually, that just meant seeking companionship with other women.
As for why she gave Mika such a hard time, she had a one-sided crush that could never be returned since Mika would never stop gushing about their boss, Alex.
"Will we be able to find a solution to our malformations?" Dale, a muscular man missing an arm and an eye, asked.
"I don't know, but you're free to ask," Mika replied. "They have a doctor, breeder, and engineer on their payroll, and they're hiring more. Maybe in a few years you'll find something to help with your problems."
Dale oversaw the rescued experimental subjects who wanted an outlet for their pain. Accepting Lyra's offer for support while taking down criminals seemed like a decent path for whatever remained of their lives.
"I noticed the location is quite deep into the danger zone. Is there any chance we can get an escort?" Robin, a wiry woman, asked.
"You can camp outside the east entrance of Mt. Moon until we get there," Mika said. "You can also ask someone else to escort you."
Robin handled logistics which included the recruits' initial training and outfitting with weapons and gear. She usually stayed in Saffron City to receive new bounty hunters, train them, equip them, and send them off. She also took charge of those who had the spirit to fight but not the body, as they were too debilitated to even set out on a journey. So, they focused on supporting those who could.
"I'll take care of it," Simone, an older woman with blonde hair said.
"Thank you," Robin replied with a smile.
Simone managed the more ordinary members of their group. They included fathers who had lost their daughters or wives, young men and women seeking strength, and children who had nowhere else to go and were terrified of orphanages.
"How you get there is up to you. Just make sure your group understands that this will be a long stay, maybe months, maybe years. The point of going there is training to become top-ranked bounty hunters, the kind that can defend themselves against Elite ranked trainers. Your stay will be fully funded, but once you leave, you will owe us. This means we get a cut of your profits while you use the network and our supply depots."
"So you're charging us now?" Morgan exclaimed. "I thought this was a charity that helps victims."
"Shut it, Morgan! I don't want to hear your bullshit. We've never been a charity, and you know it. None of us here are victims anymore. We're bounty hunters, so get that through your thick skull," Mika shouted. "Now, if no one else has any more questions, we'll see you all at the new bounty hunter headquarters."
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