Alex and Clarissa immediately went into action when the alert went out. League law required all licensed trainers to assist whenever there was an imminent risk of mass casualties. This obligation weighed even more heavily on higher-ranked trainers, who were expected to serve as the primary line of defense and save the greatest number of lives.
Clarissa quickly changed into her trainer gear, a red bodysuit that completely covered her from the neck down, and bolted out of the Ember Spa. Alex, meanwhile, donned his own bounty hunter gear before teleporting the girls to the yacht. He left Nyx in command, instructing her to sail as far south as possible, before teleporting back to the northern stretch of Kindle Road with Rotom and all of his Pokémon.
When he arrived at the coordinates indicated on his phone, he was stunned to see a group of old men and women calmly watching Mt. Ember spew fire, ash, and molten rock as if it were a fireworks display. Clarissa stood among them, watching in awe, her Pokémon deployed in front of her alongside the other Champion ranked Pokémon belonging to the rest of the crowd.
Alex approached Clarissa from behind and asked, "What's happening?"
"Oh, Alex," Clarissa replied, "apparently the Champions are only required to prevent the southern section of One Island from being affected by the battle."
"The alert said to intervene in the battle and prevent Mt. Ember from erupting," Alex pointed out.
"That's just the general alert message. Once they actually arrive on site, the local Champions direct them here to 'watch the show.' Apparently, it's happened often enough that it's become a regular event for the locals."
Alex looked around and noted a handful of Champion ranked trainers in the crowd, along with over a dozen Elite ranked ones. They lounged about with no sense of urgency whatsoever. Some even had their families with them, many of them Adept ranked or below. Others had already begun setting up a campfire on the beach and arranging picnic tables laden with food. It seemed they truly weren't taking the emergency seriously.
"What do you think?" Alex asked, uncertain whether to join them or rush to Mt. Ember as instructed.
"I think we should do as the locals do," Clarissa said with a shrug. "They've been here longer and understand Mt. Ember better than we do. I'm sure everything will be fine as long as we're ready to intercept any debris if it erupts."
Alex considered it briefly and decided to go along with it. There was an old saying from Earth, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," and he was on One Island, where even the Champions didn't seem bothered by a potential ecological disaster, despite their homes and families being at risk. He decided he would start taking the situation seriously only when they did.
Still, he resolved to do the bare minimum to prepare for a potential battle and released all of his Pokémon. He had the water team patrol the waters north of the beach in case a Pokémon flood formed if the volcano erupted. He also had the flying team, Grim, Hydreigon, and Knight, along with Altaria, Frosmoth, and Alcremie, patrol the skies to intercept any debris that was blown their way. The rest of his Pokémon were instructed to be ready for "shooting practice" if it actually started raining molten rock.
"Your Pokémon are as numerous as ever," Clarissa commented, while the surrounding crowd marveled at Alex's teams. "How do you even feed them all? I've done the math, and there's no way I could feed my own team without my parents' money."
"Bounty hunting," Alex replied with a shrug. "As long as I land a few big targets, I eventually get enough meat and credits to feed them. They're not exactly dining on Champion ranked meat all the time, either."
"Besides," Alex continued, raising a brow at Clarissa, "do you even make any money? Other than that one time you fought in the Kanto League and won?"
Clarissa's cheeks reddened. "I haven't made any money during my journey, and my winnings weren't enough to cover how much my parents have spent on me and my Pokémon."
She sighed. "I tried getting a job hunting Champion ranked Pokémon to be more independent, but my parents told me to focus on reaching Master rank instead of wasting time fighting in the wild when they could afford to pay for my training."
"Makes sense," Alex said. "Your team is already far ahead of mine, which means you'll likely reach Master rank sooner than I would. That also puts you in a position to surpass our generation. You might not feel like you've earned it the same way others would, but you'll have the strength to outperform me and them in an official battle. That gives you a real shot at becoming the next Champion of the region."
"I guess," she said reluctantly.
"Don't you want to be a Champion, like your parents?"
"I do, but I don't know if I have the drive for it. It's not like it's all I've ever wanted to be."
"What do you want to be, then?"
"I don't know, and that's the problem. I've only ever been the perfect trainer. I don't know if I want to do anything else with my life."
"Sounds like you need a hobby," Alex said. "Try other things in your downtime and see if anything fits. We have a long life ahead of us, you should take your time and enjoy it."
Clarissa fell quiet, lost in thought as she pondered her options in life, while Alex finished setting up his defenses before teleporting back to the yacht. He had Rotom pilot the yacht back to the docks and explained the situation to the girls along the way.
Unsurprisingly, they all wanted to see Mt. Ember for themselves despite the danger. It took some convincing and a few well-placed puppy-dog eyes, but they eventually persuaded Alex to let them participate. They weren't Champions, but they were strong enough to defend themselves against falling debris.
In the end, Alex decided to go all out and make a day of it. He teleported the girls to the beach north of Kindle Road, set up a barbecue on a cleared area near the shore, and watched the show surrounded by his Pokémon. With precautions in place, they settled in and enjoyed the barbecue as Mt. Ember continued its display of chaotic flames.
Lina immediately got to work, cooking ribs, steak, and corn on the cob. The girls set up picnic tables and arranged refreshments, while Alvera released her Pokémon so they could all admire the violent spectacle of Mt. Ember together.
Soon, the smell of grilled meat and Lina's special barbecue sauce wafted across the beach, drawing quite a bit of attention. It didn't take long before one of the Champions, an old sailor, approached.
"Whatcha got there, little missy?" he asked Lina.
"Just some ribs and steaks. Want some?" she offered.
"I'll pay for it," the old man said.
"No need. We have more than enough," Lina replied.
"Well, don't mind if I do," he said with an appreciative smile.
Alex watched from the side as a crowd of hungry trainers began to gather. Neither he nor Gardevoir detected any malice, so he let them approach. As for paying for all the food Lina was giving away, he considered it good will toward the locals. It was always wise to project kindness whenever possible.
Suddenly, a brilliant burst of flame erupted from the summit of Mt. Ember. The blaze lit up the sky, its glow bouncing off the clouds and painting the early night in shades of molten orange. Seconds later, the fire faded, and a tiny speck of light, like a falling star, shot from the summit, arcing gracefully before diving back down.
"Wow!" the crowd erupted, eyes wide in awe.
The Champions, including Alex and Clarissa, watched with sharp, focused gazes. They might have appeared relaxed on the sidelines, but their attention never wavered. If anything, they were on high alert, ready to protect the crowd and the island from any stray debris.
In the end, none of it was necessary. The battle ended a few hours later, just before midnight, and Mt. Ember settled back into its peaceful calm. The locals returned to their homes, content with having witnessed yet another Legendary battle.
"That was a beautiful way to end our vacation," Vera said as she leaned against Alex while the others began cleaning up.
"We still have the return journey out at sea," Alex replied, turning to her with a sly grin.
"You know what I mean," Vera said, turning to face him and locking eyes with him.
Alex felt his world brighten as he met her gaze. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, and only when she seemed satisfied did she close her eyes.
Clarissa watched from afar, caught in a tangle of emotions. There was jealousy, envy, regret, and an unexpected spark of excitement. When she was younger, she had been far too naïve to ever think of Alex as a man. Back then, she had only seen him as a friend, a rival, or a benchmark to measure herself against. Now, she was older and more self-aware, and her perspective had shifted.
Suddenly, Alex's phone rang, and when he answered, Dale's rugged face appeared on the screen.
"Boss, we found them."
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