The manager spotted Alex stepping out of the office and imdiately hurried over, stopping in front of him.
"Hello, Boss. I didn't know you were in your office today."
He froze for half a second after speaking, clearly realizing he'd mixed languages and tone in his surprise. Clearing his throat, he straightened his posture.
"Sorry, Boss," he said again, this ti in a more professional tone. "I didn't realize you'd be in the building today."
Alex waved a hand casually."No problem. I didn't announce it either."
The manager visibly relaxed, though his gaze still flicked briefly toward Gardevoir before returning to Alex. He offered a small, respectful smile.
"Everything's running smoothly," he reported. "The art teams are ahead of schedule, and the balance group just finished reviewing another batch of cards."
As if on cue, a nearby developer glanced over, noticed Alex listening, and imdiately sat up straighter. Another hurriedly slid a half-eaten snack out of sight and pretended he'd been working the entire ti.
Alex noticed—but chose to ignore it.
"Good," he said simply. "Any major issues?"
The manager hesitated."Nothing urgent. There is so discussion about the spell cards you designed yesterday. Especially… those five."
He flipped through his tablet and stopped on a familiar set of images.
"Those five spell cards," he said carefully. "So of the team thinks they might be… a bit too strong for early decks."
In the early stages of the ga, cards like Change of Heart, Monster Reborn, Raigeki, Dark Hole, and Pot of Greed tended to Completely dominate.
Alex glanced at the screen and chuckled softly.
"That's intentional," he replied. "They're extrely powerful—but only under specific conditions. New players will love them. Experienced players will know when not to rely on them."
The manager blinked, then nodded slowly as understanding dawned on him.
"I see… risk versus reward."
"Exactly."
Each of those cards had been given a built-in drawback to prevent them from completely breaking the ga. On top of that, several tribute monsters were equipped with strong anti-destruction effects, ensuring aningful counterplay even against such overwhelming spells.
A few nearby staff mbers, pretending not to listen, suddenly found that conversation extrely interesting. They were very impressed by how much effort the new owner put into the new ga card.
Alex resud walking, and the manager naturally fell into step beside him. As they passed another table, a Sargle was carefully painting a dark, swirling background behind a monster illustration. When Alex stopped to observe, the Sargle stiffened nervously.
Alex leaned in slightly."That contrast is nice," he said. "It makes the monster feel dangerous."
The Sargle's ears perked up, and it let out a soft, pleased sound before returning to its work with renewed enthusiasm.
The manager watched quietly.
"…They really like you," he said after a mont.
Alex shrugged."I treat them like coworkers."
"That wasn't always the case," the manager admitted.
They reached a balcony overlooking the main production floor. From here, Alex could see the entire operation at once—humans debating card effects, Sargle artists adding final touches, and the steady, rhythmic thunder of the printing press that never seed to stop.
For a brief mont, Alex simply stood there.
This was working.
"By the way," the manager said, breaking the silence, "the broadcast numbers from today's show are already coming in."
Alex raised an eyebrow."Oh?"
"Theviewership spiked the mont you revealed the ga. Social dia engagent shot up too. People are already asking where they can buy the cards."
Even though the spike was very small, the manager took this opportunity to flatter Alex.
Alex smiled faintly."Good timing, then."
He turned back toward the floor."Tell marketing to prepare controlled previews. No full reveals yet. Let curiosity do the work."
"Understood."
The manager hesitated, then lowered his voice.
"There's one more thing. Yesterday, a couple of underlings from the Company of Toxin showed up. They… requested money. Protection fees."
Alex's expression didn't change.
"I wasn't sure how to respond," the manager continued. "So I delayed them. They'll probably co back today."
The Company of Toxin wasn't an organization Alex could afford to underestimate. Especially since he still didn't know the leader's na—or their true strength.
Based on what he knew, the leader had to possess at least one Champion-level Pokémon. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for them to command five late-Elite trainers.
There was a chance the leader was personally weak—but Alex considered that unlikely.
In this world, individual strength was the foundation of leadership. That was especially true for the head of a criminal organization.
Alex paused, then smiled faintly.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. "I'm currently in the spotlight of all Hoenn—and publicly known as a friend of Steven Stone. No matter how bold they are, they won't dare slap the Alliance in the face."
Privately, he added, And even in the worst case, I'm not defenseless.
He had a Champion-level Pokémon of his own. Even if Scizor could only reach that level temporarily through ga Evolution, a few minutes were more than enough—if used properly.
Still…
I'd better plan carefully, he thought. I really don't want to lose anything important again.
His good mood dipped slightly at that.
After a short pause, he spoke again.
"If they just ask for a small amount, give it to them. If they demand more—contact imdiately."
The words stung his pride a little. But without concrete information on the Company of Toxin's leader, caution was the safest option.
Even if there was a good chance he was stronger…Even if the odds of them targeting him directly were low…
Alex had learned the hard way that confidence alone wasn't a strategy.
He pushed the thoughts aside and turned back to the manager.
"Alright," Alex said calmly. "I'll co back tomorrow."
The two of them exchanged a few more words—brief updates, quiet confirmations—before Alex finally headed toward the exit.
Once outside the building, Alex took a small breath and glanced to his side.
Gardevoir, he thought, could you teleport to the front of Daniel's new ho?
Gardevoir responded at once, her presence warm and reassuring as psychic light gathered around them.
*******
if the story gets 100 powerstones in 24 hours, I will upload 1 bonus chapter tomorrow.
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If you want to see the next chapters (30 chapters) earlier or just want to support
s--/alex02373
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