Pokémon Bloodstone | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 30: Final Appeal

Zileh went from the front of the line of challengers to the back. She sat on the grass with her friends. Everyone was admittedly curious about whatever Chalcedony experienced with the Relic Stone.

'I feel like it's a really famous song... and if I knew what it was, it'd tell me something.'

'A pop song?'

'I don't think so. It's not a rock song or a hip-hop song, either. And the busker wasn't playing a guitar. I didn't recognise the instrument.'

'One of those little guitars?' Dirk suggested, 'I don't know what they call 'em.'

'A ukulele? It didn't exactly sound like that, either.'

Zileh scrolled through Roto-Search results. 'A mandolin? Banjo? Biwa? Koto? Sitar? Çiftelia?'

'I don't even know what most of those are. If I had to guess... maybe a banjo?'

'Hmm. That'd imply you were here. Orreans love their banjos.'

'#85!'

Zileh nervously glanced up. Ivor emerged from the Relic Cave holding a Net Badge. The Gym Guide stood over her.

'You can't keep running away. Come on!'

While Zileh crept through the cave, the burning trailer appeared on the news. Nascour was spotted at an evacuated diner. There were too many frightened calls, all at once from too many different people, for the police to write it off as Verzant's madness. ONBS weren't afraid to call it a 'Cipher attack,' or to suggest Ardos and his cronies were after Verzant. They didn't, however, suspect that Verzant set the trailer alight. That was how Ardos operated. He burned down or blew up anything inconvenient. His laptop and P★DA were always with him, but Inspector Orvil Sawyer did recover six charred external hard drives. They all had Verzant's name scratched into them, of course, but now multiple people reported seeing Nascour alongside an act typical of Ardos, Orvil's superiors had to consider that Verzant was telling the truth all along.

'Wow!' Rustie exclaimed, 'I guess he escaped. Good for him. He seemed like a nice guy, really.'

'Y'all met him?' Dirk asked, 'I voted for him... before I knew he was in Cipher. Guess I'm gullible.'

Chalcedony nodded. 'I voted for him, too. I don't think we were exactly gullible. I think he really believed in all that stuff he was saying. He got carried away Cipher-ing, but he was kinda like Alfie. He somehow thought Cipher was working for a better Orre.'

'Cipher really messes people up...'

'You can say that again.'

Rustie nudged Chalcedony. 'She just thought he was hot.'

'Well, I don't anymore!'

'I hope he'll be safe, anyway. I know they're saying he will be because the whole region's waiting for Ardos to harm him, but at the same time, will anyone even notice if he does?'

Zileh's hair was full of leaves when she strode across the bridge. Her grin and the piece of Pineco stuck to her arm told them the result before she held up her new Net Badge.

'Nice!' Dirk cheered, before his enthusiasm faded, 'I guess I'm the only one who lost...'

'I had an idea, Dirk,' Rustie said, 'Why don't we go to Mt. Battle? Even if you end up a little over-levelled for Hebon, they say Cassia is really, really tough! So you'll need it. We might even meet some more awesome Pokémon out there! A Fire-type could help you beat Hebon.'

'Great idea!'

Dirk sprang to his feet. 'Mt. Battle is just the kind of challenge my tough guys need! Let's go!'