Alex and Rhea teleported to the police station with James and his Gengar and Hypno, and submitted the bounty on the Hobo Hunter's head. With no profile on the Hobo Hunter beyond his crimes, Alex had to wait for an official psychic evaluation to confirm that James really was the Hobo Hunter. By the time they left the station, it was almost morning.
The payout was understandably a pittance, not worth mentioning given the low threat level, but it still served as formal closure for the bounty. Separately, Grimefold confirmed the hunt's success by marking one of the five tasks complete toward Rhea's information on the owners of Argent Solution. Rhea joked that they may have overheard Alex's bravado, but he doubted that was the case.
The pair slept through the morning and teleported to Nimbasa City by the afternoon. It was a place that reminded Alex of Las Vegas, filled with luxurious hotels and buildings designed to stand out against the skyline. With an amusement park bustling in the heart of the city and a vibrant energy that justified its status as the most populous city in Unova, it felt like the region's true center of entertainment.
Among their larger attractions were the Pokémon Musical theater, where concert-style contests were held; the Gear Station, a train-based equivalent to the Battle Tower; the Big Stadium, used by professional baseball, soccer, and football players; the Small Court, where tennis and basketball players compete; the Battle Institute, which features unique battle rules; and the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel and amusement park, which offer fun for everyone.
The city is also protected by three Gyms, which support its entertainment industry and serve as its resident superstars. These include a Steel type Gym, a Flying type Gym, and, of course, Elesa's Electric type Gym, which has remained popular since it was first established.
Of course, where there was light, there was also darkness. The city's massive population and the money that flowed through its exorbitant spending made it a powerful draw for both the League and the Underworld. As a result, a shadow economy flourished alongside the legitimate one, an uneasy grey that concealed far deeper black beneath the surface.
In the southern corners of the city, where slums, factories, and warehouses were most prominent, lay gambling dens that wagered on life-and-death battles; prostitution rings where those who enjoyed being of service to others thrived while those who didn't suffered; and black markets that trafficked in illegal goods ranging from stolen property, drugs, and firearms to enhanced Pokémon and human organs.
As usual, the League could do little unless they were willing to start a war, one that would drown the city in Champion ranked battles and threaten the lives of the millions who lived there. As such, this city of black and white continued to thrive, offering entertainment with one hand while snuffing out lives with the other.
"This is such a great place!" Rhea exclaimed as she looked around outside the police station. "If only there weren't so many people."
The crowds between afternoon and midnight were the most packed, marking the start of the city's nightlife. Neon signs flickered overhead, advertising battle arenas, amusement rides, and attractions that pulled in crowds from every corner of Unova. Tourists clogged the sidewalks in loose clusters, stopping abruptly to take pictures or gawk at performers, forcing Alex and Rhea to weave and adjust their pace as they moved northeast.
"The people are the reason this is such a great place," Alex said, sidestepping a family as their child nearly collided with his leg. "Otherwise, you would have a ghost town with nobody in it. Instead, you follow the herd mentality and feel validated for enjoying life the same way others around you do, when in reality you would rather stay in your laboratory to work on a new project."
Rhea glanced around as they passed a street performer drawing cheers from a semicircle of onlookers, her eyes briefly following the exchange of laughter and flashing holo-cameras. "I guess that's why it's a good destination for a vacation rather than a place to live permanently."
"Exactly. You can only take so much manipulation before you revert to your preferred lifestyle."
They crossed an intersection under traffic lights, the crowd thickening as they approached a plaza lined with food stalls. The scent of fried dough and sweet berries hung in the air. Rhea slowed just enough to avoid a couple walking hand in hand, then matched Alex's stride again.
"Anyway, what's the plan?" Rhea asked. "I know you said we're gunning for Nightshade Productions' owner, but how exactly are we doing that? Are we running around again trying to track him down? Busting through the front door of his mansion? Or are we going full stealth mode on this bitch?"
They pushed through a denser knot of pedestrians, their attention drawn to the cleaner, quieter avenues ahead that marked the transition into the northeastern districts.
"We know where he lives and his schedule, thanks to Nyx, so we might as well go straight for him. That said, we'll need to go in quietly to minimize casualties, especially since he lives in a gated community."
The noise around them dipped slightly as the crowd began to thin, the atmosphere shifting from spectacle to affluence. Decorative planters replaced vendor carts, and the streets widened. Rhea frowned, kicking a discarded pamphlet out of her path as they walked.
"I don't get how taking down one person is supposed to stop Nightshade Productions. What's stopping the second-in-command from picking up where he left off?"
"Let me explain it with a simple question," Alex said. "As someone who regularly deals with the Underworld, which includes rapists, murderers, backstabbers, and rats, how do you think they ever trust their employees to keep an entire illegal operation secret?"
"Um…" Rhea hesitated, glancing at a group of rowdy teenagers before smirking slightly. "The bro code?"
Alex let out a quiet laugh as they stepped onto a side street, the hum of the city dulling behind them. "No. The bro code doesn't extend to enabling sexual assault. Try again. Think like a criminal."
"High pay? A strict hierarchy where any slip-up is a promise of death? No, wait. Leverage. They'd have leverage on every single employee!"
Alex nodded as the skyline ahead shifted to taller walls and gated properties. "There you go. All we need to do is get our hands on that leverage, and we can dismantle the operation completely. The police can't move in because they lack evidence strong enough to justify a region-wide raid, so we'll give them what they need. We'll send a copy to Grimefold as well, for good measure."
Nightshade Productions managed to stay out of legal trouble by burying themselves under layers of unverifiable disclaimers. They claimed all participants were willing adults, that everything was staged, and that the women demanded their privacy. Yet no one had ever seen these women in public. They had no known relatives, most were homeless, and were likely never allowed to leave or were outright killed after filming. This ensured no one could challenge the company beyond speculation that the police couldn't act on.
Only those operating on the darknet, and the affected party Grimefold, knew what was really happening to these girls, some of whom were likely their own agents.
Eventually, the pair arrived at a relatively modest mansion of about 7,000 square meters (1.73 acres). For a city property, it was considered quite large, given the limited space enclosed within the city's protective walls. The mansion itself reminded Alex of the one he and Jenny had moved into in Saffron City.
The walls were tall, with over a dozen guards patrolling the perimeter alongside their Pokémon. Security cameras, floodlights, and what appeared to be mounted machine guns on the balconies added to the defenses. It was a small fort, capable of fending off Expert rank trainers while giving the occupants enough time to escape from an Elite rank one. As a Champion, however, Alex considered it child's play.
"Are you coming with me?" Alex asked, wrapping himself in Dark type energy to conceal his form.
"Of course!" Rhea exclaimed, pressing a button on her vambrace.
Immediately, black panels slid out, enveloping her body. With a final click, Rhea was completely covered in matte black metal layered with the same fabric as Alex's Silent suit, capable of concealing smell, vibrations, sound, and even matching the temperature of the surroundings. It was an upgrade Alex might have wanted for himself if his control over his energy were less efficient, though now he barely needed it thanks to his mastery of Dark type energy.
"Okay… how are we going to do this?" Rhea asked excitedly. "We'll have to climb the walls, avoid the patrols, and move through the cameras' blind spots. Then—"
Alex smiled, activated Rhea's Silent Exosuit with a press of a button beside the helmet, grabbed her by the waist, and suddenly jumped, silently leaving cracks on the ground where they were standing.
Rhea screamed in the suit, which prevented any sound from leaking, as the pair sailed through the air before landing deftly on the balcony with a pair of guards standing behind mounted machine guns. They didn't know what hit them, as they were knocked out with a few quick punches, slumping to the floor quietly as Alex caught them and laid them gently on the ground.
Then Alex got a proper look inside the master bedroom, where he saw their target, the owner of Nightshade Productions, naked, bound, and gagged, receiving the ministrations of a dominatrix whose aura was unmistakably Champion rank.
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