Alex awoke atop a ridiculously comfortable bed, surrounded by naked women who had clearly enjoyed themselves a little too much the day before. Among them were Vera, Kaia, Iris, Nyx, Rhea, Lina, Mira, Talia, and Marnie, who either had fewer responsibilities or could easily delegate them to others. The harder-working girls, Lyra, Mika, Sable, Maris, Celise, and Clarissa, hadn't been able to join them for this trip.
After all, Alex and the girls had returned to Obsidian Crown Island for the second phase of developing their new home. They had never really established a rigid plan for building the island. They simply didn't have enough money to complete everything at once, so they decided to keep expanding it as funds became available. With the substantial haul Alex had brought back from his latest dimensional expedition, they finally had enough money to move on to the second phase and further develop the island.
Alex slowly peeled arms, legs, and bodies off himself before shuffling down the bed in a rather undignified yet unavoidable manner. Once free, he stretched with his arms raised overhead and took a look around.
The room served as his personal Master suite, designed with a modern, minimalist aesthetic while still containing everything he could possibly need. One side housed a fully equipped kitchen, while a large dining table nearby could comfortably seat him and the girls. A spacious bathroom contained an extra-large bathtub and a rain shower, while a floor-to-ceiling, lavishly expensive fish tank occupied one wall, filled with exotic, ordinary fish. There was even a small office corner, though Alex already knew he would barely use it.
And, of course, dominating the bedroom was a ridiculously large and comfortable Master ranked bed. Considering what had happened the night before, he would definitely need to have the sheets changed by tonight.
He walked into the kitchen, where a fresh pot of coffee was already waiting for him. He grabbed a mug, poured himself a cup, and carried it toward the corner of the room where two massive glass walls met. His room occupied one of the corners on the 5th floor of the fortress-like building, giving him a sweeping view of the island.
Turning to his left, he was greeted by an endless expanse of blue ocean, its rolling waves glimmering beneath the gentle morning sunlight. The beach stretched along the shoreline, curving away into the distance until it disappeared from view. To his right, the lush canopy of the forest spread across the island, with a stone path cutting through the trees before disappearing deeper into the greenery.
He finished his coffee while enjoying the pleasant view before finally heading for the shower. After washing away the remnants of the previous day's activities, he dressed in nothing more than a pair of shorts and flip-flops. Once he was ready, he walked over to the glass wall overlooking the forest and waved a hand, causing the massive pane to slide open.
He might not have had a traditional balcony, but both glass walls at the corner of his room could be opened, thanks to Rotom's control over the building.
Alex hopped down onto the dirt below and began slowly touring the island, taking in the progress they had made and admiring the results of their construction efforts over the past few months.
He passed by the stone path leading through the forest before continuing along a dirt trail that stretched between the forest and the beach. The sound of waves breaking against the shore accompanied him as he continued until the trees finally gave way to a wide stretch of cleared land.
The field extended all the way from the beach to the base of the caldera, its dark soil divided into neat sections for different crops. They had deliberately chosen plants with short growing cycles and high yields, allowing the island to produce a steady supply of fresh food to supplement their diets. There was little reason to remain dependent on civilization for something as basic as food when they had an entire island at their disposal.
Around the fields, various Pokémon were hard at work tending to the earth. Some carefully picked out rocks, debris, insects, and weeds, while others used their strength to till and loosen the soil. After fertilizer had been spread across the fields, several Pokémon churned it into the earth, mixing the nutrients throughout the soil. Others used Rain Dance to soak the freshly prepared ground, ensuring it remained properly hydrated and fertile, while some used Sunny Day to provide the crops with as much sunlight as possible, helping them grow beyond their natural limits.
Along the mountainside bordering the fields were hundreds of caves that served as homes for Alex's and the girls' Pokémon. From the outside, they looked rather plain, with dark openings scattered across the rocky slopes like natural burrows. Their interiors, however, were anything but primitive.
Each cave had been furnished with everything its occupant needed, with comfortable beds being the bare minimum. The interiors could be customized to suit different species, and each one was equipped with environmental controls capable of adjusting the temperature, humidity, and general conditions. Fire types could enjoy scorching, dry environments, Water types could have humid spaces complete with pools and mist, while Grass types could have lush, temperate surroundings filled with greenery and artificial sunlight.
Some of the larger Pokémon even had considerably more elaborate living spaces tailored to their size and preferences. It had been the second most expensive part of the 12 billion credits they had spent so far, but considering how heavily they relied on these Pokémon, Alex thought the expense was well worth it.
He continued along the dirt path, leisurely nodding to the Pokémon that waved at him as he passed. Eventually, the natural scenery gave way to the sprawling industrial complex of Rhea's mechanized city, which stretched across the land ahead of him.
More than a hundred buildings occupied the area, arranged along a network of paved streets that led toward a large private dock along the coast, where several cargo ships were anchored. The buildings varied in size and design, ranging from compact workshops and storage facilities to large industrial structures with automated loading bays. Cranes moved along the waterfront while countless machines transported materials between buildings, yet there wasn't a single person in sight.
Instead, the entire city was populated by robots. They moved along predetermined routes, carrying materials, assembling components, transporting finished products, and maintaining the facilities. Some worked inside the factories while others moved between buildings with mechanical precision, creating a constant hum of activity throughout the city.
Rhea had always operated out of a single building back in Kanto, so having an entire city dedicated to her work represented a massive increase in her capabilities. Back then, she could only mass manufacture one type of device at a time before storing the finished products inside warehouses filled with space bags to conserve room.
Here, she could work on multiple projects simultaneously, manufacturing equipment for the Silver Network, constructing components for the island, developing new technology, and handling repairs without constantly having to halt one production line to make room for another. The sheer increase in workspace and automation had dramatically increased her productivity.
Alex strolled through the streets, occasionally disrupting the carefully calculated paths of the robots as they adjusted their routes to avoid him. Eventually, he reached the center of the city, where a massive telecommunications tower rose above everything around it. Constructed entirely from Master ranked materials, its dark metallic frame towered over the surrounding buildings like a colossal pillar at the heart of the mechanized city. Its surface was almost completely seamless, with only narrow bands of machinery and glowing indicators breaking up its imposing appearance.
The tower was also ridiculously durable. Even if a tidal wave swept over the island, a hurricane tore through the city, and an earthquake shattered the surrounding buildings, the mechanized city might be devastated, but this tower would remain standing without any serious damage. This was where most of the 12 billion credits had gone.
The tower rose higher than even the caldera, nearly reaching the upper limits of the energy shield that concealed the island. It had been constructed specifically to maintain a secure connection between Obsidian Crown Island and the Silver Network's bases around the world, working in tandem with their dozen privately owned satellites. With the tower serving as the central communications hub, the island could remain connected to the entire network without relying on outside infrastructure.
Alex entered the tower and climbed the internal maintenance stairs until he eventually reached the top. After opening a maintenance hatch, he stepped outside and looked around. From this height, the entire island spread out before him. The beach formed a pale ring around the coastline, the forests covered much of the interior, and the agricultural fields stretched between the beach and the mountain. The mechanized city below looked almost miniature from this distance, with its hundreds of buildings and countless robots moving between them.
Even the caldera at the center of the island was clearly visible, and deep within it, a massive battle was already underway. Several Pokémon clashed across the scorched training grounds, their attacks kicking up clouds of dust and sending shockwaves across the crater. The battlefield was still little more than a massive expanse of dirt and hardened earth for now, which made it easy to reshape after their training sessions.
They had to repair it practically every time they trained, but Alex couldn't help but smile at the sight. By the next phase, or at the very least after their next dimensional expedition, they should have enough money to finally build a proper arena down there, one big enough to survive even Master ranked battles.
"Necrozma, mind giving me a ride?" Alex called out in his normal voice despite the powerful winds buffeting him at the top of the tower.
Moments later, Ultra Necrozma emerged from the largest cave near the top of the mountain overlooking the fields. Its brilliant golden-white radiance illuminated the surrounding mountainside and bathed the fields below in a warm, golden glow as it soared toward Alex at incredible speed. As it approached the tower, Alex leapt from the top and landed effortlessly on its back.
The pair then flew around the island, following the outer rim of the coastline before eventually settling above the water in front of the fortress where they lived. Alex looked down at the clear, deep water below before giving Necrozma a quick pat.
"Thanks," he said before leaping from its back and diving headfirst into the ocean.
He plunged into the water from a height that would have been deadly for most people, disappearing beneath the surface with a loud splash. Rather than surfacing, however, Alex began swimming leisurely through the depths. It didn't take long for Gyarados, Milotic, and thousands of Wishiwashi to gather around him, happy to play with their trainer.
Alex dove even deeper, descending into the dark depths until the pressure and lack of air finally forced him to return. After several minutes underwater, he grabbed onto Gyarados and allowed him to carry him back toward the shore. He finally broke through the surface and took a long, satisfying breath before swimming the rest of the way in.
Looking from the water toward the beach, Alex spotted his girls already relaxing in their bikinis while enjoying a generous breakfast prepared by Lina. With the sun shining overhead, the ocean stretching peacefully before them, and his Pokémon enjoying the island alongside them, Alex couldn't help but smile.
It was another beautiful day in paradise.