Alex took out his phone and started recording a video of the alleyway and the rooms in the building, careful to ensure only the camera was sticking out inconspicuously.
Raticate and Growlithe both gave him questioning looks, confused by his strange behavior.
Alex walked away and continued until he rounded the corner of the building, then began explaining the plan to his Pokémon, who simply nodded along. After storing Growlithe, Raticate started climbing the brick building, scaling all the way to the roof. Alex grabbed Raticate by the tail so he could climb along.
Once at the top, Raticate took a quick peek over the ledge. Seeing no one around, he climbed over and then pulled Alex up as well.
On the roof, Alex moved carefully and silently to a position within earshot of the alley. He took out his phone again, ensuring he recorded as much of the transaction below as possible.
Alex captured footage of the exchange while listening in on their conversation.
"The price has gone up. If you want your fix, you need to pay up," said the bouncer, his tight shirt barely containing the muscles rippling underneath.
"The price went up half a year ago, and it's still rising?" one of the druggies complained.
"Some of our guys got busted over a year ago. Operations have been slowing down."
"That's what you said last year. What's this year's excuse?"
"You think Drol is getting any easier to make without manpower? Get the fuck out and find your fix elsewhere."
That was all the evidence Alex needed to justify his actions.
"Look, man, how about just loaning me the rest?" the druggie negotiated.
The conversation continued until a deal was struck.
As Alex was busy recording, a man in a sleek black bodysuit came gliding down onto the roof, a Golbat perched on his back. He was the building's security professional, and he had noticed Alex the moment he stepped onto the roof. Now, he had come to check—and caught Alex in the act of collecting evidence of their operation.
Alex felt a tap from Raticate at his feet and discreetly tucked the Pokédex into his pocket, leaving the camera out and still recording.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Did I just catch a little rat scurrying on our rooftops?" the man said as he confidently walked closer.
"Needed justification," Alex replied simply, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh? For what?"
"Trespassing."
"Hahaha. You do know you're dying on this rooftop, right?"
"And that's for self-defense. Thank you."
Alex released Growlithe while simultaneously reaching into his backpack, pulling out the pair of guns he had gotten from Jenny. With a flick of his fingers, the trigger-locking pins were released.
In response, the man released four more Pokémon at once. This wasn't an official battle—there were no rules. A two-versus-five matchup was far more advantageous for him.
Sandslash, Pidgeotto, Gloom, and Grimer materialized after a flash of red light.
"Get them," the man ordered.
Three of the Pokémon spread out, encircling Alex and his team, while Golbat and Pidgeotto flew around to surround them. Clearly, this man was an experienced trainer—one who had fought in the wild before.
"Raticate, distract the fliers. Growlithe, Heat Wave," Alex commanded as he aimed and fired at Gloom and Grimer.
Raticate intercepted the diving Golbat with Quick Attack, while Growlithe unleashed a scorching Heat Wave. The blast of hot air engulfed Grimer, Sandslash, and Gloom. Grimer fired a Sludge Bomb in retaliation, but the intense heat vaporized the attack, leaving Grimer and Growlithe unharmed. Gloom released Stun Spore, but the burning wind incinerated the spores along with Gloom, dealing massive damage and knocking Gloom out instantly.
Sandslash dashed in with a Slash, its claws glowing with Normal-type energy, and landed a solid hit on Growlithe. Meanwhile, Pidgeotto swooped down at the airborne Raticate, just as Golbat clamped down with a Bite, taking advantage of Raticate's midair position.
The man was momentarily stunned by Alex's use of firearms in a battle between Pokémon. He wanted those weapons—and he became excited at the thought of claiming them.
"Sandslash, Swords Dance. Grimer, Sludge Wave. Golbat, use Leech Life and pin it down. Pidgeotto, target the boy. I want those weapons," the man commanded while retrieving his fainted Gloom.
Gloom had only been used for its Sweet Scent and Stun Spore anyway—it wasn't part of his main combat team.
"Growlithe, Temper Flare Grimer. Raticate, Quick Attack Sandslash," Alex ordered as he continued firing at Pidgeotto while strafing away from the battle.
Alex had to admit—the man was doing a great job keeping the fight going despite the power difference. Grimer and Golbat were distractions, Sandslash was the late-game insurance, and Pidgeotto was keeping Alex busy while also trying to take him down.
Grimer fell to Growlithe's Temper Flare, having avoided Heat Wave earlier. Raticate bolted toward Sandslash, knocking it back mid-Swords Dance with Quick Attack. The technique continued as Sandslash landed, but its momentum had been disrupted.
Alex dove to avoid Pidgeotto's talons and fired back, missing repeatedly. He wasn't exactly a crack shot, and hitting a speeding bird was no easy feat. Instead, he aimed at the man himself.
Realizing he was being targeted, the man dove behind a set of vents, quickly calling out his escape strategy.
"Sandslash, Earthquake! Pidgeotto, get me out of here!"
He didn't like his odds against the boy's stronger Pokémon—nor the weapons he was using. The Raticate, in particular, was proving to be a serious threat, keeping his fliers occupied and steadily wearing them down. It was only a matter of time before he lost everything. His instincts screamed at him to run.
"Raticate, Quick Attack Pidgeotto—don't let them escape!" Alex commanded as he recalled Growlithe and moved far away from the suicidal Sandslash.
They were on top of a building, which was why Sandslash hadn't used Ground-type moves until now.
Raticate obeyed, using Quick Attack on the airborne Pidgeotto while Golbat was still latched onto him. The annoying bat continued to heal small amounts with Leech Life, but Raticate was close to knocking it out.
A loud explosion followed as Sandslash's Earthquake wrecked the rooftop, causing the structure to collapse onto the floor below. The man quickly escaped down through the rubble, retrieving his Pokémon as he fled.
Alex recalled Raticate who was airborne and released both Growlithe and Raticate on the other side of the building, far from the site of the collapse.
His prey had escaped, and he was running out of time.
Alex quickly descended into the building, scouring room after room of the drug production facility until he found the office. Inside, the same man as before was frantically stuffing money from a safe into a bag.
Their eyes met. The man reached for his Poké Balls—but he was a fraction too slow. Alex entered the room with both guns drawn and immediately fired. One shot missed, but the other grazed the man's leg, causing him to collapse, paralyzed.
His Pokémon emerged from their Poké Balls, surrounding him protectively.
Alex raised his guns, slowly backed away, and gave Raticate a look.
Raticate understood. He calmly walked over to the half-filled money bag, grabbed it, and returned to Alex's side while the paralyzed man stared in shock.
Alex gave a slight nod toward the man's Pokémon and quickly left the room.
He made sure to angle his body such that the camera focused on the Pokémon rather than the bag Raticate had taken—or the man's stunned expression. There was no way he was going to fight in such a small room, nor was he about to ignore the cash just sitting there.
An unstoppable Earthquake would have killed everyone in the room.
Sure, the man would escape. But if he got caught, there was no way Alex would be able to keep the money.
Guaranteed profit versus a possibly generous reward.
Alex still remembered how much he had stolen from his killer versus how much the police had rewarded him for information that led to a significant drug bust that made them feel relevant again.
It was a stark difference and would have been a waste of opportunity had he simply followed the law.
While Alex was making his escape, Officer Jenny received a call about a building collapse and was sent to investigate. She had just been about to finish her shift, making the assignment especially inconvenient.
When she arrived, she was shocked to find Alex lingering near the scene, blending in with the gathered crowd.
"Alex, what are you doing here?" Jenny asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I may have been involved in that particular incident," Alex meekly admitted, handing over his phone.
Jenny took it and began watching the video. The footage documented everything—the sketchy alleyway, the plan to get more evidence, his climb onto the rooftop, the evidence of drug distribution, the intense battle that led to the building's collapse, his search inside, and ultimately, his narrow escape.
Jenny felt a roller coaster of emotions watching it unfold. Frustration. Worry. Exasperation. Pride—no, she couldn't encourage this!
"You are grounded, young man!" she declared without hesitation.
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