Alex and the girls regrouped in the mansion and found themselves face to face with Brutus's maids. A quick memory scan revealed the two weren't accomplices but slaves who had been trapped here for a decade, forced to serve Brutus ever since.
They wanted to leave, but without Pokémon, they were helpless. Middle-aged and long past their prime, they were clearly just ordinary women caught in a situation they couldn't escape.
As for any treasures Brutus may have left behind, there were none based on the maids' knowledge. He had a habit of keeping everything he needed in a space bag that was always within sight of himself or his Pokémon.
With nothing left for them to do, the group took the maids with them and returned to the surface before handing them over to the police for questioning. Alex also took this opportunity to submit the corpses of all the bounties they had killed so far. It would take a while to clear, but it was one less problem to deal with.
Before they left, Alex gave the maids 2 million Pokédollars each to restart their lives. It wasn't much to him, but it meant everything to them. He figured they deserved it after all they had been through.
Afterwards, Alex and the girls decided to take a break and tour the city properly.
Eterna City sat where the forest opened into flatter ground, giving it a mix of tall trees and straightforward streets. Most buildings were older stone or reinforced wood, practical in design and a little worn from age. The old Team Galactic building had been renovated into a large megamall, and it pulled steady traffic into the city, becoming one of its main commercial anchors.
Commerce leaned toward what travelers and rangers needed. Shops sold tools, gear, and repair kits, while berry stalls and small herbal stores handled a steady flow of customers. People moved at a measured pace, focused on work rather than rushing. Maintenance crews kept paths clear, researchers came through to record wild Pokémon activity around the outskirts, and the statue of Arceus stood as a central landmark that everyone used for orientation.
Eterna hosted three gyms. The main one was the Grass type gym run by Gardenia, located near the center of the city. A Bug type gym operated near the western edge close to Eterna Forest, and a Ground type gym sat to the east near the base of Mt. Coronet. Each served a different group of trainers passing through, giving the city an unusual level of activity for its size.
"What now?" Lyra asked, sipping her matcha latte.
They were currently in a café, dressed in their usual bounty hunter attire with their helmets removed. They no longer had a reason to hide their identities after all.
"We wait for Cynthia's reply," Alex said, taking a sip of his black coffee. "I've already sent a message to arrange the sale of the Plate. Once that's settled, I'll take you girls back to Kanto. Our business in Sinnoh is officially done."
"It sucks that we didn't get to earn much," Mika commented, sipping her caramel frappuccino.
"What do you mean we didn't earn much?" Lyra asked, bewildered. "We've made more in the past six months than we usually do in a decade."
"Sorry, that was envy talking," Mika admitted, turning to Sable, who was happily sipping her cookies-and-cream milkshake.
Sable will undoubtedly be the one who comes out on top during this trip. She will earn 10% of Alex's bounties, totaling 8 million credits and 800 contribution points, as well as 50 million credits and 5,000 contribution points from the Plate once it is sold. Sure, she will earn less than Alex, but it will be the most money she has ever held in her life.
As for Alex, he will receive 80 million credits and 8,000 contribution points after the Plate is sold. It falls short of his target of 140 million credits and 100 thousand contribution points, but it will be just enough to get what he came for.
Suddenly, a beautiful woman with long, curly platinum blonde hair, sharp gray eyes, and a long, black fur-trimmed coat entered the café, exuding elegance and a commanding presence. She scanned the room with assured authority, making heads turn without a word. Even the seated trainers and busy staff seemed to pause, sensing the presence of someone extraordinary.
Once her eyes locked onto Alex and his group, she smiled excitedly before moving toward them.
"Alex Wattson?" she asked, containing her excitement.
Alex stared up at her, mesmerized. She was a beautiful woman, but it wasn't her beauty that caught him off guard. It was how closely she resembled his daughter, Alvera. The blonde hair was an exact match, while the eyes were duller compared to Alvera's deep black eyes that mirrored his own. Her facial features were uncannily similar, as if Alvera had aged into this woman.
He shook off his daze, stood, and finally answered, "That would be me."
"Great! I was so excited when I read your message about the Plate with engravings that I couldn't help myself and tracked you down as quickly as possible. Can I join your table?"
"Please," Alex said, gesturing to an empty seat.
She sat down, glancing at the pretty girls at the table who were staring at her with wide eyes.
"Oh, right. I'm Cynthia. Pleasure to meet you all. You must be Sable, Lyra, and Mika, right?"
"Y-yes," Mika stammered.
"Oh, don't be shy. I won't bite, I promise. Anyway," she said, turning to Alex, "can I see the Plate?"
"Sure," Alex said, placing it on the table and ignoring the curious onlookers. If she wanted to conduct this business in a crowded café, he had no problem with it.
"Wow… this really is a Plate. I can feel Arceus's energy deep inside. I believe this is the Legend Plate, said to allow Arceus to change its type at will. It's the last Plate I need to complete my collection," she said, turning to Alex with stars in her eyes. "100 million credits right?"
Cynthia took out her phone and with a single swipe, sent 100 million credits as if it were nothing.
Alex received confirmation of the deposit and checked that he also got the expected 10 thousand contribution points for benefiting the League directly. He would need to split this with the girls later.
"Got it!" Alex said, smiling. "It's a pleasure doing business with you."
"The pleasure is all mine. I've spent decades looking for this, and now I've finally completed my collection. Thank you so much."
A server came over nervously and stammered, "Wh-what would you like to order, Champion Cynthia?"
They usually took orders behind the counter, but exceptions could be made, especially for this one.
"Oh! Let me see," Cynthia said, taking the menu and scanning it with furrowed brows. "I can't decide between the strawberry cheesecake shake or the honey lavender."
"I can get you both," the server offered.
"No. I can't finish it all. Give me some time to decide."
While Cynthia deliberated the pros and cons of the two flavors, everyone in the café smiled. This was their Champion, someone notoriously indecisive when it came to anything ice cream related.
Meanwhile, Lyra elbowed Alex in the side.
"Love at first sight?" she teased with a knowing smile. "Took you a while to shake yourself out of it there."
"She looks like Alvera," Alex whispered back.
All the girls turned to Cynthia, examining her closely before widening their eyes in shock. She certainly looked like an adult Alvera.
"That's… uncanny. Do you think Vera is related to her?" Sable asked.
"No. Alver's hair isn't the right shade of blonde, and her eyes are green. I think I might be related to her."
"Interesting."
It was possible that the Wattson family had moved to Kanto from the Sinnoh region sometime in the past. Alex wouldn't know, however, since all of his parents' belongings had been sold when he entered the orphanage. Not that he was interested in finding out about his heritage.
Suddenly, Cynthia's phone buzzed as she continued her deliberation. She quickly checked it and sighed heavily.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to cancel my order," she said to the server.
"Oh, that's no trouble at all. You have a good day, Champion Cynthia," the server replied with a smile before retreating.
Cynthia turned to Alex before speaking. "I have to go, but thank you again for the Plate."
"You look troubled. Is there anything we can do to help?" Sable asked.
"Well…" Cynthia paused. "There's trouble in the Distortion World. A flood just started, and I need as many capable hands as possible. It's dangerous, so only Champion ranked trainers can assist. I can offer you a short-term recruitment contract until the flood ends. It won't follow the usual yearly terms, but I'm willing to pay up to 10 million credits as it is an emergency."
"How long will it last?" Alex asked.
"About a week, maybe a month at most."
"Can we come too?" Mika asked. "If it's just wild Champions, we can take care of ourselves."
"I guess you can come, but you have to stay with Alex at all times. I'll even offer an additional million for each of you. Consider it my gratitude for finding the Plate."
The girls all turned to Alex with excited faces. This was a chance to peek past the information block the League kept on Elites. If they could participate in this fight, it would look good on their records and possibly open up opportunities in the future.
Alex, meanwhile, considered it seriously. It would be dangerous to bring the girls along, but they were trained well enough to handle Champion ranked nests. Also, visiting the Distortion World was on his checklist when he chose to come to Sinnoh.
"Sure. Why not? What's the worst that could happen?"
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