In the end, Jenny sent Alex home to await his punishment while she spent the night cleaning up the mess he had left behind.
The investigation took his video as evidence but did not grant him a reward since he had failed to alert the police before taking action. However, they also chose not to punish him for the collapse, as the investigators determined that Alex neither caused nor willfully allowed it to happen. The blame fell solely on the man who had tried to eliminate Alex to protect his illegal operation.
The authorities confirmed the video's contents, assessed the destruction, and managed to rescue the trapped workers before charging them with illegal drug manufacturing.
As for the man who escaped with the operation's remaining funds, he was never caught. The facility itself had belonged to one of the crime bosses arrested in the previous drug bust Alex had been involved with.
In the end, it was determined that the facility's manager had taken over after his boss's arrest, continuing the business for his own gain. Now, with his identity exposed, he was officially a wanted criminal by the League.
With the case closed, Jenny finally returned home in the early morning, fully prepared to lecture Alex. But when she stepped into the apartment and saw him waiting up for her instead of getting a full night's rest, her frustration wavered.
Her annoyance deflated entirely when Alex immediately apologized for his actions.
"Sigh. Just tell me when you encounter something similar next time. Promise?"
"I promise."
In the end, he wasn't grounded. The work he was doing at the dojo was good for him, and besides… he had only been trying to do the right thing, hadn't he?
Having gotten off scot-free, Alex returned to his room to assess the gains from the previous night. In the end, he had walked away with over 400,000 Pokédollars, bringing his total savings back up to the 900,000 he had started with.
With that kind of money, he could afford to expand his team. Last night made one thing painfully clear—the only reason the man escaped was because Alex didn't have enough Pokémon to properly handle criminals.
Sure, Raticate and Growlithe were strong, but they didn't give him an overwhelming advantage. He lacked a proper team.
Now came the question of which Pokémon to choose and how to acquire them.
His first attempt at a wishlist was quickly scrapped—it was filled with pseudo-legendaries, a pipe dream at his current level. He needed a realistic approach.
First off, Ninetales was a must. Arcanine thrived under Sunny Day, and a Drought Ninetales would be indispensable. Its speed would allow it to keep up with Arcanine while providing solid support. Pokémon should always work in pairs in the wild to ensure maximum efficiency.
Next, he needed a proper Sunny Day team. Since he already had the setup, he might as well go professional with it. At least one Chlorophyll sweeper was necessary—Venusaur would be perfect.
A more affordable option was Victreebel. They were powerful Sunny Day sweepers but also incredibly common. So common, in fact, that a Chlorophyll Bellsprout only cost 20,000 Pokédollars. He could go buy one right now if he wanted.
Then came the healer. He couldn't even consider going on a journey without a powerful healer on the team. If he had a Serene Grace Blissey, he'd be set. Unfortunately, he would have needed a Nurse Joy to adopt him instead of Officer Jenny for that.
Lastly, utility. Having a Gogoat or Miltank to provide nutrients in the wild would be ideal. He also needed a Pokémon that knew Teleport, Gravity, or Fly. Teleport or Fly would allow for fast travel, while Gravity would be great for training purposes.
The perfect Pokémon to fulfill the last two needs would be Gardevoir, but Ralts were as expensive as pseudo-legendaries—same as Abras. Their rarity, utility, and ability to ferry people across regions made them high in demand. Not to mention their extremely high Special Attack.
Besides, Gardevoir was out of the question for Alex. Ralts were highly sensitive to emotions and preferred happy, bubbly trainers who saw the world with optimism. Alex… was not that kind of person. He was a pessimist who expected the worst in people so he wouldn't be blindsided.
This was precisely why he respected all Jennys and Joys. His pessimistic outlook confirmed that they were the best people in the world.
Abra was a much more realistic choice. Even then, Abras needed to vibe with their trainer's personality. If there was too much of a personality gap, an Abra would eventually lose its mind and attack its trainer.
In the end, Alex dropped the matter. Vulpix were relatively cheap at 200,000 Pokédollars due to their popularity, but Drought Vulpix cost as much as Growlithe because of their value in Sunny Day teams. There was also a long waiting list at every breeder Alex checked.
Besides, he didn't have the spare change to blow all his savings on a single Pokémon, so the plan was scrapped.
Instead, he decided to head to the Fighting Dojo to see if fate had something in store for him. This way, he could say he put in the effort while keeping his options open. Hopefully, he'd find another drug den to target in the future so he could add himself to the waiting list for a Drought Ninetales.
Although he didn't get a new Pokémon, he did come up with a new training plan for Raticate.
Raticate had been amazing in last night's fight. Quick Attack being stronger meant it was faster and had more range. Normally, Quick Attack wouldn't allow a Pokémon to fly—the vertical distance and cooldown were just enough for them to land before using the move again.
But Raticate's Quick Attack had a longer distance, meaning he could maintain—or even increase—his altitude with practice. It was also faster, allowing him to strike airborne opponents.
Operation: Flying Rat was a distinct possibility.
If Raticate had a parachute, it would be perfect.
After storing his gains in his bag, Alex headed to the dojo as usual—except today, he didn't plan on training. He wanted to check out the dojo's Pokémon-in-training instead.
"Hey, Laura," Alex greeted the pretty, ponytailed receptionist.
"Hey, Alex. Here for another full-day session?"
"Actually, I came to check out your selection of wild Pokémon in training."
"Wow, you're in luck. We just got an entire batch from the League, and the training floor is bursting at the seams. I'll let the fourth floor know you're in the market."
"Thanks," Alex said as he made his way upstairs.
As he passed through the third floor, he finally got a look inside. It was just four battlegrounds lined up, each occupied by a pair of battling trainers.
At the far end, a middle aged man with black hair overlooked a match between a Hitmonchan and a Hitmonlee.
A few trainers glanced at Alex as he bowed slightly before continuing to the fourth floor. They knew he wasn't here for a match—if he had been, the receptionist would have informed them beforehand. Trainers couldn't just show up unannounced for an official gym battle. These matches were scheduled days, weeks, or even months in advance.
Still, they were curious about Alex.
A young boy who had trained a hit-and-run Raticate—one of the weakest Pokémon around? That alone was impressive.
And it wasn't like he lacked providence. He had a rare and powerful Growlithe, already on its way to becoming a near-indestructible tank. But instead of relying solely on Growlithe, he had chosen to keep his starter no matter how weak.
It was… inspiring. Honorable.
And the boy himself wasn't weak, either. He had managed to keep their troublesome Hitmonchan engaged for over a month. Sure, he was just a kid, and Hitmonchan had shown mercy, but the hits he took weren't light—yet he kept getting back up, only ever complaining about the cost of potions.
A true fighting spirit.
If he applied for a gym badge, he'd get one without question. He had already proven himself.
But tradition must be kept.
He had to ask—and he had to fight.
As Alex stepped onto the fourth floor of the Fighting Dojo, a heavy pressure settled over him—dense, suffocating, yet controlled. The source was unclear, but its purpose was obvious: suppression. The room stretched wide like a zoo, lined with reinforced steel cages, each housing a different Pokémon.
Inside, the cages weren't barren; each was carefully crafted to mimic the Pokémon's natural habitat. A rocky enclosure for a Machop, a sand-filled pen for a Mankey, a sturdy wooden platform for a Timburr. Despite the illusion of comfort, Alex could see the frustration simmering in their eyes.
Many Pokémon sat still, their movements sluggish under the room's unseen force. Others glared at him, instincts restrained by sheer pressure. The floor buzzed with quiet growls, shifting paws, and flicking tails.
These Pokémon weren't the cute, cuddly companions often seen in the anime. They were wild animals, raw and untamed, their instincts honed for survival and strength rather than companionship.
The only thing keeping them in check was the oppressive pressure filling the room.
These were not just Pokémon; they were predators, fighters, and warriors in the making.
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