"Hey, adventurer," a teenage girl teased Alvera. "Ready for your big adventure to finally start?"
"Shut up, Margaret," Alvera shot back. "I was 8 and had just watched some anime about adventurers exploring another world. I actually have a plan this time, okay?"
"You call running through the danger zone between here and Mt. Moon a plan?" Margaret exclaimed. "That's basically suicide. Only certified bounty hunters from the Silver Network could pull that off."
"I'm strong enough," Alvera said with full confidence.
She was already 16 and had been training intensively since she was 14. Her Pokémon were all Elite rank, so how hard could surviving in a danger zone of the same rank really be? She was sure she could easily take care of herself.
A pair of girls walked over with mean looks and joined the conversation.
"Of course she's strong enough," one of them sneered. "Her daddy owns this whole organization. She wouldn't struggle like the rest of us commoners."
The other snorted. "Don't forget your bikini armor and sword. You wouldn't want to fight monsters with your bare hands, would you?"
Alvera shook her head and sighed. These two had been picking on her ever since she had beaten them in sparring, shooting practice, and Pokémon battles two years ago. They hated the advantage she was born with as the daughter of the Silver Network's Champion.
Her father had trained her in hand-to-hand combat personally since she was 14. He never let her win, and their sessions often felt borderline abuse. Because of that, she became the strongest in her class even when sparring with teachers and bounty hunters of the same rank.
He also funded her shooting practice, allowing her to train three times more than anyone else. She could match professional bounty hunters in accuracy, speed, and handling.
Her Pokémon were all Elite rank. Ampharos was her ace, Boltund her muscle, Bellibolt a gift from Iono herself, and Aegislash her ever-watchful guardian. With the intense training she and her Pokémon went through and the Elite ranked meat they ate daily, it was no surprise she outperformed everyone else.
Being the Champion's daughter had its perks, but it also came with expectations. Everyone assumed she would follow in his footsteps and become a cold-blooded bounty hunter, but she had other plans.
She still wanted to be an adventurer, even if the world called it being a trainer. However, the usual trainer path didn't interest her. She had no desire to run the gym circuit, earn the League's trust, or take on higher-paying missions. Money wasn't a concern for her, given the absurd amount her father had already set aside for her to spend freely.
She did her research, searched her soul, and found her answer in photography. She wanted to see the world with her own eyes, capture it on her own terms, and share it with others. She wanted to be a photographer.
The idea came from her father. Ever since she was little, he had shown her photos from his own adventures. They always amazed her, and she had carried the images in her head for years. Now she wanted her own pictures and her own perspective to share with others, just like her father had given her.
After the graduation ceremony today, she planned to start her journey by backpacking through the Elite ranked danger zone south of the base toward Mt. Moon. From her room on the top floor of the main hub, she could see the mountainside of Mt. Moon in the distance, and she wanted a photo of her home from that location to begin her adventure.
Her friends had different plans. Most wanted to become certified bounty hunters, a program the Silver Network had started two years ago after receiving official recognition from the League. The certification gave anyone who passed full authority as bounty hunters under the organization, almost as if they had graduated from the police academy itself.
Others wanted to be trainers and would be teleported to any Kanto city they chose to start their journey, supported by the Silver Network and given their first Pokémon for free. Some planned to continue their parents' work in the organization, which still remained the most profitable job around. Either way, they had no reason to complain, considering the strong start they had after graduation compared to the rest of the public.
"Al… Alvera," a teenage boy stammered as he inserted himself into their conversation. "Can… can we talk?"
Alvera turned to him and recognized him as one of her admirers. She was a beautiful teenage girl with long, flowing blond hair like her mother, deep black eyes like her father, a sexy figure built through hard training and constant exercise, and she had a massive rack. It was nothing new that she was one of the most asked-out girls in the school. Still, she never let it get to her head and always politely declined any advances. She didn't have time for boys anyway, not with her intense schedule and plans to travel the world.
"Sure," she said, already knowing what this was about. "I'll see you girls later at the ceremony."
"Don't kick him in the balls this time," Margaret called out as Alvera stood and left the classroom.
"He had it coming," Alvera shouted back with a laugh.
Although she always made sure to put her admirers down gently, there were always boys who were a little too confident in their physiques from gym class, and they sometimes needed a reminder that she was just as powerful.
"Alvera…" the boy said once they were in a secluded part of the hall. "I-I've always liked you."
"Sorry, Dean, but I'm not interested in a relationship right now. And you have to admit, I don't know you well enough for this to work out. So I'll have to say no to whatever you had planned."
He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping.
"I know. It's just that… we're graduating, and I'll probably never see you again. I wanted to take my chance before it's too late."
"I understand. We can still be friends, though."
"Yeah, I'd like that."
They shook hands before Alvera left to go back to her room to change for the ceremony, leaving Dean quietly weeping in the hall.
She rode the elevator up to the top floor and stepped into the family's living room, where her mothers were taking care of her younger half-brothers and half-sister, who were all about to turn 7 this year. There was Kai, Kaia's son; Lila, Lyra's daughter; and Micah, Mika's son.
Apparently, they were conceived because Kaia was ready to have kids, while Lyra and Mika wanted to settle down after nearly losing her father during their trip to the Distortion World. Since then, they had taken permanent positions at the base, giving up their lives as bounty hunters to take care of the children. They did say, however, that they planned to get back out there once the kids were old enough.
"Alvera," Vera called out. "Are you ready for graduation?"
"Yeah, I just need to get changed before I go."
"All right, well hurry up. You don't want to be late."
Alvera swooped down on the three children and planted a kiss on each of their foreheads amid their cries of protest before rushing to her room. She loved her siblings, but they didn't like having their heads touched. Still, as the oldest, it was her responsibility to annoy them.
Once in her room, she took a careful look around, knowing she wouldn't be returning any time soon. She loved how big and comfortable it felt, with the soft carpet under her feet and her bed piled high with stuffed Pokémon she had collected over the years. Her desk was a mess of notebooks, camera parts, and half-finished sketches, but she didn't care; it was her space.
Her favorite photos from her father's travels were framed on the walls, reminding her of the stories he'd told about the mountains, forests, and cities he had visited. Posters of Iono, Elesa, and Perrin, her idols and favorite photographer, gave it a touch of inspiration, and scattered trinkets and shelves of books made it feel completely hers. She was going to miss this place.
She packed only the essentials in the space bag Rhea had given her, which was already filled with her camping gear and supplies. She knew her belongings weren't going anywhere, since the room was hers no matter where she went, a home she could always return to.
She then quickly changed into her traveling clothes, a fitted white crop top that showed off her midriff, a high-waisted black mini skirt, charcoal thigh-high socks, a cropped slate-gray jacket, and sleek black running shoes with subtle silver accents. She also wore her Exosuit vambrace, which had received some upgrades over the years, and finally, her belt that held her Poké Balls.
Once she was done, she tossed on the graduation gown, adjusted the hat and tassel, and took one last long look at her room before changing the opacity of its fully glass walls to transparent.
Then she headed out to attend the ceremony, which was little more than a paper certificate handed out in front of all the parents, including her very intimidating family. By late afternoon, it was over, and she said goodbye to her friends before meeting her family one last time outside the main hall of the building.
She hugged and bid farewell to each of her mothers, who had taken care of her over the years and were part of her father's harem, until she finally reached her mother and father.
"Are you sure you don't want to leave first thing tomorrow morning?" Vera asked. "We can have a big graduation dinner before you leave."
"I'm sure, Mom," Alvera said. "I want to camp out on my first day of the journey."
"Take care of yourself," Alex said. "Don't be afraid of trouble and remember to always call when you can't handle an emergency."
"I know, Dad," she said with a smile. "I can take care of myself now."
"Say that to me when you reach my rank," he said with a smirk.
Alvera shook her head at her father, hugged both her parents tightly, and then waved goodbye as she rushed toward the public access gate on the wall southeast of the property.
She passed through easily enough and made her way through the new city, Clearstone City, which had been built in Clearstone Valley. Her father had secured the northern side of the city, which now acted as a barrier protecting it from the yearly Pokémon floods.
The city felt massive and carefully ordered, made up of private compounds belonging to Elite ranked trainers, towering skyscrapers that housed most of the workers and trainers, and long stretches of warehouses and factories. Those industrial blocks handled everything the surrounding danger zones produced, Pokémon corpses, rare plants, and valuable minerals, all processed and packaged before being shipped out. It wasn't a pretty place, but it was efficient and brought in enough trainers that the center of the city felt alive with activity as they rushed around.
Alvera jogged through the city with an easy pace, drawing attention due to her striking appearance and sparse clothing. She made her way to her favorite Bubble Berry Café, where she ordered her usual Iced Pecha Berry Milk Tea before continuing south along the main road, taking sips as she went.
Once she passed through the main gates of the city and its tall, sturdy walls, she continued jogging until she reached the forest, where Elite ranked Pokémon began appearing. She released Boltund to act as her main defender, leaving her other Pokémon in their Poké Balls. Bellibolt didn't like running much, and Ampharos didn't want to get her coat dirty if she could help it.
She continued running until dusk, finally deciding to rest for the night. She reached into her bag and pulled out a metal cabin rated for Elite rank. Inside, it had a large, comfy bed, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a study. It was about the size of her own room, which most would consider a luxurious studio apartment.
She released her Pokémon and ate with them, then took a long, refreshing shower to wash the sweat and grime from her skin before calling home for a quick video chat and finally falling asleep for the night. The next morning, she donned the same outfit as before and set out once more.
She ran through the forest, her Boltund's Elite rank aura keeping nearby Pokémon at bay. Those who picked fights were incapacitated with a quick Thunder Wave before she continued on her way, while opponents who persisted were knocked out by her Pokémon. Ground types that underestimated her Electric types were handled by Bellibolt, who used Soak before delivering a standard Thunderbolt.
For any threat serious enough to require more force, such as groups of Elite ranked enemies, she would toss out Ampharos and use the Keystone on her vambrace to activate Mega Evolution. Then she would equip her Exosuit, aim the automatic rifles attached to her arms and shoulders, and open fire. Needless to say, there was a reason she was very confident in her survival.
After several days of steady travel, she finally reached the base of Mt. Moon. She began the climb, scaling cliffs, leaping across gaps, and pushing herself physically as she always had.
At last, she reached the exact spot she had photographed so many times since she was young. She pulled out her professional camera and aimed it north, past Clearstone City, straight at the top of the main hub.
Through her camera, she could see her father holding Iris on the balcony as they made out, their hands roaming each other's bodies. She laughed and snapped a picture to send to the pair, then shifted her focus to her own room.
She waited until dusk, when the light hit the room perfectly and revealed every detail of the room she had lived in for years, then took the photo. Immediately, she posted it on her blog, titled it "Leaving the Nest," and wrote about how much she loved and would miss her family.
As the sun set behind the mountains, Alvera packed away her camera and gazed at her home before turning south toward the path ahead. This was no longer the world she had grown up in, where she had been protected and trained. From now on, every step, every photograph, and every challenge would belong to her alone.
Her journey was finally beginning.
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