The aftermath of the battle left the parking lot in ruins, including all the vehicles within it. The warehouse, however, remained spotless, and many of the henchmen had managed to escape. Don, on the other hand, was tracked down by Jenny's Arcanine, whose sense of smell for tracking was leagues beyond Alex's Arcanine.
Many henchmen had escaped due to the initial Roar, which sent them fleeing in every direction. As a result, most of those left behind were Pokémon, while their trainers vanished into the night.
Still, the majority were captured, and those who managed to escape were caught on camera. They wouldn't be able to stay hidden for long—not with bounty hunters and the police on their trail.
The ones Alex personally captured hadn't been so lucky. They were all killed during his battle with Don. As for the Pokémon he recovered, their ownership officially transferred to him, though he had no intention of keeping them.
After a bit of research, Alex discovered they wouldn't sell for much. Older Pokémon with prior trainers were difficult to retrain, as they often took after their first trainer's personality—a major problem considering they had belonged to criminals.
In the end, Alex sold them to the butchers, which was the standard way police handled Pokémon from criminal trainers. He felt a pang of guilt—they were clearly intelligent—but they were also untrainable and ultimately more useful to society as food.
Instead of taking the money, Alex traded the live Pokémon for their equivalent in meat, which was mostly Expert-ranked, the tier of food his Pokémon currently consumed. The exchange saved him over a million Pokédollars worth of meat.
Back at the mansion, Alex and Jenny went over their next steps.
"So, what happens now? What happens to their assets? What about their bounties?" Alex asked.
"It's complicated," Jenny began. "First, they're punished for any crimes they committed at the time of capture—kidnapping, attempted murder, resisting arrest, and a long list of others. Then, they undergo a background check to identify any outstanding crimes they were already wanted for. After that, a total sentence is issued, which also includes updated wanted notices for those who escaped."
"Once all their crimes are accounted for, they're punished through a combination of asset seizures, jail time, or even execution. The assets go to the League to settle their outstanding grievances, which includes a hefty payout to us. If they had a bounty, I get 50%, you get 10%, and the rest goes to the police since I'm technically their employee."
"And if there are any assets left?"
"They keep them after serving their sentence. That includes their Pokémon, as criminals who survive their punishment are allowed to reclaim their partners. That's why Pokémon are the last thing to be decided if their trainers are still alive."
Alex frowned. "Is that really a good idea? To rearm them after they get out?"
"Yes," Jenny replied. "Because if we took their Pokémon instead of their land or money, it would guarantee repeat offenders. Imagine if you were arrested for stealing and lost all your Pokémon, but your money was untouched. Wouldn't you want to destroy the League?"
"Fair point," Alex admitted. "But this doesn't apply to the ones who died, right? What if they had a family?"
"Pokémon usually respect their trainers above all else. After that, it's a gamble whether they'll respect their trainer's family. They aren't considered part of an inheritance unless stated in a will. My Arcanine, for example, wouldn't want to be trained by you if I ever passed away—even if he respected you. He would much rather retire at a League owned territory to keep the local Pokemon in check."
"Makes sense. So, what are we waiting on now?"
"For the League to finalize how much we're owed between their assets and their bounties."
"How long will that take?"
"Around a month, given how many properties and businesses they found under Don's enterprise. He has outstanding bounties in Kanto, Sinnoh, and Unova, so there are a lot of people who want a piece of him."
"Alright then," Alex said with a yawn. "Just let me know what I can take from his assets when you find out."
"I will."
"Good night, Mom."
"Good night, Alex."
Thus ended a night of mother-son bonding.
The next day, Alex resumed his routine at the academy as if nothing had happened. He had a suspicion about his kidnapper's source of information, but he kept it to himself. After all, who better to send bounties his way than a snitch?
In fact, Alex would've thanked them—if doing so wouldn't tip them off and stop the steady stream of income. Most protagonists went out of their way to avoid making enemies, only to waste time and effort seeking revenge when conflict inevitably found them. Alex? He thought differently.
Why wouldn't he make enemies?
They paid the bills, after all.
The longer he let them stew, the bigger the payout in the end. It was just like an investment portfolio.
Then again, assassinations weren't exactly common here. Not when everyone and their mothers had Dark, Psychic, and Ghost-type Pokémon to counter them.
Poor Koga. Hope he's doing well.
Alex continued his days at the academy, finding the lessons growing more intriguing as time passed. They had moved beyond basic knowledge—things anyone could look up online—and into specialized, professional information. Now, they covered topics like the current state of the Underworld, who could and couldn't be arrested, and the legal requirements for making an arrest.
Just as the League had its Champions, like Lorelei and Lance, the Underworld had its own. These were trainers who had thrived within the system's shadows, rising to power until their strength became undeniable.
A battle between Champions could level a city, so direct conflict was rare. Instead, they avoided open war, drawing lines in the sand. Maintaining peace wasn't as simple as enforcing the law—because laws, in the end, bent to the will of the strong. If the balance was disturbed, the table would be flipped and those too weak to hold onto the table end up falling off.
The same applied to Pokémon. Some were untouchable, like the wild Legendary Pokémon that roamed free. The League protected them, and all trainers were legally bound to leave them alone—lest a Champion-ranked battle turn an entire region into collateral damage.
As for the Legendary Pokémon that had trainers? That information was still restricted. But Alex figured it all boiled down to strength. If a trainer was strong enough, they'd naturally come to know.
And who were the untouchables of the Underworld?
Their classic example was Don—a crime lord with a 30 million Pokédollar bounty spanning three regions, backed by three Elite-ranked Pokémon and an army of henchmen. A regular officer encountering him was expected to turn away, file a report, and forget they ever saw him.
Engaging a criminal of his caliber required at least five Elite-ranked Pokémon and the full support of law enforcement just to contain the destruction to a single city block.
Funnily enough, the teacher's damage assessment had been spot on.
They really had leveled a city block.
Had Alex and Jenny continued their chase, the devastation could have spread to a quarter of the city. Fortunately, Alex had taken down all three of Don's Elite Pokémon within a city block, preventing a drawn-out battle across the metropolis.
It was a good thing, too. The League wouldn't have compensated them nearly as much otherwise.
Alex looked around the class and noted the snitch's smug grin. Alex returned a smile filled with love. Such a nice scout. Such a hardworking employee. Alex would give him a raise if he could.
Classes continued until Alex reached the last hour of the day when their Pokémon could hone their senses. They implemented a three-month rotation to ensure as many of their senses were trained as possible.
Alex thought this was the most useful part of the academy. He had been having trouble with tracking and surveillance, considering his Pokémon, and they fixed the problem for him. By the time he graduated, Alex would have all his Pokémon ready to track down bounties left and right.
A month later, the compensation package finally arrived.
Jenny gets 20 million Pokédollars for the fulfilled bounties. She is also entitled to 3 million Pokédollars in assets, which isn't much. She looked over all the assets, didn't choose any of them, and simply chose cash.
Alex gets 4 million Pokédollars in bounties, as well as 10 million in assets, considering his role in baiting, containing, and ultimately beating Don.
The untouched warehouse contained all the latest information regarding Don's assets in all three regions, and they were quite happy with their acquisition. They decided to give Alex a taste of it, which is the reason for the large compensation.
Alex was also handed a list of assets he could acquire directly from Don and a curated list of resources from the League. Choosing the League's resources would most likely be cheaper for them as well.
Alex went over the list of Don's assets, and they were mostly buildings, mansions, empty land, businesses, luxuries—useless things.
Alex then checked the curated list given by the League, and it stunned him.
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