In a nightclub called Midnight Ember, the bartender was suffering through a headache from the mind-numbing, repetitive techno music blaring on the floor. He hadn't been feeling well even at the start of his shift, but he had bills to pay, so he wasn't allowed to complain.
Overlooking the sea of adolescents drinking, jumping, sweating, and dancing to what passes as music these days, he started questioning whether continuing his journey had been the better idea.
He had started like any other bright-eyed trainer who had recently graduated and received his Pokémon through money his parents had worked hard to save up. And like many others, he underestimated the wilds and ended up getting his Nidorino killed, his best friend and training partner.
He received a reality check so severe that he became one of those very same adults working dead-end jobs without Pokémon he used to misunderstand. Now he knew why there were so many people in the city rather than out there on their journeys.
With a sigh, he finished a drink ordered by some cocky rich kid who threw away money like there was no tomorrow. He placed it on the bar and nodded to the man-child before returning to make another order.
Suddenly, he noticed a distortion behind the man he had just served. A dark mass, blending into the background, reached out and violently twisted the man's neck.
Too stunned to move, the bartender simply stared, wide-eyed in shock, as the mass stuffed the most likely dead body into the shadows before turning its attention to him. He couldn't tell if it was actually looking at him, but he could feel eyes boring into his soul.
The mass wavered slightly, reached out, and placed 100,000 Pokédollars on the counter, almost a year's salary.
"Life's too short," a distorted voice said over the loud music before the dark figure vanished into the crowd.
The bartender shook himself back to reality, grabbed the money, and stuffed it into his pockets.
'I don't get paid enough for this shit… but this certainly helps,' he thought. 'I'm definitely quitting. Life really is too short.'
With renewed resolve, he promised himself he'd become a trainer again. He might die, or he might succeed, but in the end, life was worth more than the way he'd been living it. If a talking dark mass could just kill someone in a nightclub, then safety had always been an illusion. He might as well return to chasing his dreams.
Meanwhile, Alex had just succeeded in killing Adrian Gale. It was easy enough to find the Midnight Ember and check if Adrian was here with the help of the Crobats. It was even easier to lock his Poke Balls, kill the man, and retrieve his corpse.
'That bartender was a bit pitiful though. Hope the money in Adrian's pockets helps,' Alex thought.
He quickly checked up on the list to continue his killing spree.
Target Profile: Viona Mott
Pokémon: Tangela, Lickitung, Tauros
Threat Level: Adept Rank
Contract Value: 1.4 million Pokédollars
Status: Kill on sight
Viona Mott, female, 34, 5'6" (1.68 m), slender build, pale complexion, black bob-cut hair. Employed as a senior librarian at the Saffron City Archives. Detached two-story house, northeast residential quadrant, Saffron City. No registered security system or surveillance. Pattern of irregular nighttime visitors noted. Maintains consistent daily routine. Typically departs for errands between 10:00–11:30 local time. Residence remains unguarded during this period.
"What the hell is this doing here?" Alex muttered.
From the profile alone, she appeared to be nothing more than a typical librarian who was into pokephilia. Nothing wrong with that in Alex's opinion.
"Then again, she does get irregular nighttime visitors," he added, narrowing his eyes.
He checked Nyx's notes and found a more troubling detail, she was a suspected serial killer. The bounty had been placed by several women who believed she had seduced and possibly murdered their husbands. No evidence had been found, but the contract stood regardless.
"Well, let's see how it goes first. If I find nothing, I can always walk away. Worst case scenario, I ask."
Alex teleported to her residence and, just as the file described, it was a plain, unguarded house.
He sneaked around and looked through the windows but found no occupants.
Sensing a red flag, Alex had Raticate open a window on the second floor before walking around inside. He found nothing suspicious until he made it to the first floor, where he started hearing moaning coming from the basement.
With silent steps, Alex opened the door and moved down the stairs to the sight of the most fucked up scene he had ever witnessed in both his lives.
The basement stank of rot and something far worse. Chains clinked faintly as the dim light revealed a grotesque tableau: a woman astride a bloodied bench, her body slick with fluids no sane person would ever confuse with sweat. She moaned in deranged delight, clutching the severed head of a man whose torso lay pinned beneath her.
A massive Tauros stood behind her, muscles tensed, its presence lending weight to the nightmare unfolding before him. The woman's cries echoed off the stone walls, mingling with the squelch of flesh and the obedient growls of Pokémon twisted by a deranged mind.
A Lickitung dragged its tongue through the mess on the floor with mindless diligence, while vines from a Tangela held both woman and corpse fast.
Alex froze, revulsion flooding his chest like cold lead. It took a moment for Alex to recover, but eventually he snapped back to reality, drew his killing guns, and opened fire on the unholy scene.
He shot Feint rounds at the Tauros, Lickitung, and the woman, while he fired Phantom Force rounds at the Tangela. Since they were all Adept ranked, it did not take more than a few shots each before all four of them died.
"I cannot believe I have video evidence of this ungodly scene," Alex said between labored breaths.
"I should really burn this place to the ground, but the League would be pissed," he continued as he holstered his guns. "Fine. I'll let the League deal with this shit."
Alex left without bothering to collect the corpse. There was no way in hell he was going to store that thing in his bag. He considered himself violent, heartless, cold, detached, and professional, but he had just found out he was less of all of those things than he thought.
Alex did not care what people did in their free time as long as he was not forced to witness it. Sure, he had it coming since he had trespassed. That did not make the scene any less revolting.
"Am I a saint now?" Alex wondered for a moment, before shaking off the thought.
He released Arcanine and moved on to his next target. He needed to kill something quickly. Maybe the violence would help scrub that nightmare from his mind.
Fortunately for Alex, the next target was just a normal child bully who had become a gang member.
Target Profile: Jace Harrow
Pokémon: Raticate, Golbat
Threat Level: Adept Rank
Contract Value: 1.3 million credits
Status: Kill on sight
Jace Harrow, male, 20, 5'9" (1.75 m), bulky build, tanned skin, short messy dark brown hair. Known orphan, with a reputation for relentless bullying and gang activity alongside two close friends. Currently operates out of an abandoned warehouse on the city's industrial outskirts. No formal security measures detected, but presence of armed associates confirmed. Often seen during late evenings coordinating activities.
Alex immediately recognized the name.
"Isn't this the kid who used to beat up the original Alex?" he exclaimed.
He quickly checked the next two targets and noted their names as well, Mark Lane and Eli Cross.
The three stooges had managed to climb out of the orphanage and obtain Pokémon with help from the League, thanks to Alex bringing down the director of the orphanage. They went on to become local gang members and now had contracts on their heads from some low level crime syndicate.
Apparently, when they fought together, they were not half bad.
The main reason for their expensive price tag, however, was another name Alex recognized: Dylan Pierce. Another unfortunate victim alongside Alex.
He remembered Dylan often being bullied alongside him. Dylan was just as small and malnourished because they kept having their food stolen and never fought back.
"He must have been targeted even more after I left the orphanage. Poor guy spent three million just to have these three killed."
Basically, Dylan had become wealthy enough to put a million on each of them.
"Not bad for a scrawny kid. Then again, I turned out pretty well myself."
Alex ultimately accepted the contract. It paid well, and it might even bring the former Alex's soul a bit of peace.
Finding them was easy. The abandoned warehouse was a predictable choice, especially in the dead of night. It was perfect for whatever shady business they were running.
"As expected, they are running drugs," Alex muttered as he slipped inside.
The trio was overseeing a drug distribution, handing out supplies to their gang before it hit the streets. All three were present, leading the operation.
Alex crept closer until he was just a few steps away. Then, without hesitation, he drew his guns and opened fire. In seconds, all three men and their six Pokémon were down. Guns alone were more than enough.
The gang members scattered in panic, vanishing into the night. Without their bosses, the muscle, they were nothing more than runners.
Alex glanced over the bodies, gave a short nod, then stored them away before walking off. Quick. Clean. Profitable.
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