Pokémon Bloodstone | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 74: Cipher's Lair

As everyone excitedly prepared to watch the next round of battles, a Pelipper and Altaria landed at a desert resort south of Phenac City. Governor Gwin relaxed amongst prominent Sunset City stars and CEOs in the pool. Expensive cars with plates from all over the continent were carefully lined up in the parking lot. No-one saw Ein return his Pelipper or Theta stepping off Altaria with the woman whose car they supposedly stole.

'You did a good job, sweetie. Go relax now.'

The receptionist only smiled. Like everyone at the resort, she was employed by Cipher. Outside, a private jet rumbled onto the resort's runway. More stars stepped out. The resort opened only a week ago, but billions flooded in from celebrities seeking exclusive luxury in a region that was mostly poor. Marble steps twirled up to a sumptuous ballroom's engraved doors, where the resort's first wedding was taking place. Beyond the arched windows and patios decorated with cacti were the silver petals of a rose-shaped colosseum.

'Wow!' Theta exclaimed as she looked around, 'It really is so nice! I so wish mom was here to see it.'

'Soon, Theta, dear. Soon. But indeed. I never imagined this place would be so profitable. Nascour certainly served his purpose.'

Greevil poured his fortune into the Orre League and left any remnants to Eldes and his children. Though it took him years to accept Ardos would never change, he knew not to leave him any money, or it would just go back into Cipher. Evice, on the other hand, left his P1.5 trillion to Nascour. The resort was his idea. Nascour used just over half of his inheritance to build it. Once Rose joined them, he paid for the airstrip, colosseum and promotion that was responsible for its instant popularity. It was a shame to dispose of Nascour, because he was prepared to do anything to get at Wes, but his apparent overdose could convince police that Cipher were done or at least in hiding for now. He left his money to Cipher via Ein. At least he and Theta were about to get twice as rich.

An elevator's gold-plated doors opened. Light poured from a chandelier onto mahogany walls. All of Cipher's Admins had their own suites on the top floor, but that wasn't where Ein and Theta were going. The elevator descended so smoothly they barely felt it. The storeroom they stepped out to was fusty. Its stone walls were drab. Under a crowd of golden luggage trolleys was a trapdoor.

'Oh, I so hate that we have to disappear down here.'

'Think of it this way... we are making billions from those guests we must avoid.'

The trapdoor slammed shut under the weight of the luggage trolley that Ein pulled back over it. They could barely see in the murky tunnel. Theta switched on her P★DA's torch. A mess of footprints disturbed dirt. The torchlight glinted on more luggage trolleys and discarded mattresses. Ein released his Rhyperior to lift one. He opened another trapdoor. The mattress thumped back over it as Rhyperior was zapped back to its Poké Ball.

Water rushed. This appeared to be the resort's sewer. Theta's nose wrinkled. Ein had to check the map on his P★DA. It was his first visit. To avoid wading through the brown water to a ladder, they climbed back onto Pelipper and Altaria. Theta winced as her arms scraped the damp walls. Altaria, who diligently kept its cotton wings clean, was even more upset. Pelipper's beak struggled to fit through the small opening. In its panic, it dumped Ein face-down on the tiles, slushy with the footprints of colleagues who walked through the water. Theta couldn't help staining her shirt as she steadied herself.

'Ew, ew, ew!'

The room was filled with sewage equipment. It was Amber's documentary that gave them the idea to connect their lair to the resort via the sewer and, in turn, told them all they needed to know to hide the entrance in what appeared to be an innocent sewer maintenance room.