Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 7: Statement

'Kazuki!' Aiko screeched into her radio, 'Where are you?! Get here! Now!'

Holly grabbed her wrist. There was no time to wait for Kazuki. Laila was already on her way. They couldn't let her confront GoD alone. Wisteria climbed onto Holly's Noivern behind her. Altaria wouldn't fly fast enough. Aiko and several Team Magma Grunts followed on their Crobat.

On a fast Pokémon's back, with favourable winds, it took about 20 minutes to fly from Team Magma's lab to Phenac City. There was no breeze. Holly's Noivern whipped up Tailwind. They caught up to Laila.

'Where is the bank?!' Wisteria yelled, 'I don't even know!'

Aiko wandered the streets of Phenac with her notepad to write lyrics. She knew where every major building was. Crobat took the lead.

'Follow me!'

It'll be too late, Laila thought. If Jamie can see auras... like Reira probably could... what will they do to him?! He'll be gone by the time we get there. It's not even the police's fault if they can't handle the Shadow Pokémon. Most people under 25 have never seen one. Simulations can't completely prepare them for the real thing.

'Come on, Charizard! We can do it!'

Noivern refreshed Tailwind. The Trainers didn't don any of their usual protective gear in their rush. Wisteria was almost thrown off Noivern's back.

'Gosh! I hate heights!'

Sand-shaded suburbs met Phenac's network of canals that glittered in the afternoon sun. Crobat tipped to descend. Laila's stomach lurched. They didn't need directions to the bank. The billowing smoke told them exactly where it was... as did the rising shadows, like clouds that would suck them into a void, that both Laila and Wisteria saw.

GoD was yet to escape. A circle of police surrounded him, but he probably knew he could take them out. He still had to get through Jamie's last Pokémon, Samurott, before he could leave. He probably knew he could eventually do that, too. There were still two untouched Poké Balls on his utility belt.

He saw incoming Laila first. Charizard narrowly dodged a Shadow Bolt from his Jolteon. Noivern landed. Holly's boots hit the ground with a thud. She caught Wisteria before she fell. The Shadow Storm GoD's Espeon blasted at them was dissipated by Noivern's Hurricane. Laila had never seen her big brother so distressed. He frantically gestured to her to back off.

'All of you! Back off! He's insane!'

'Grunts!' Aiko yelled, 'Crobat! All of you! Use Toxic!'

A deluge of poison showered GoD. His visor was stained. The black paint immediately flaked. It didn't take long for the metal below to begin to corrode. That was the first time GoD's arrogance wavered.

'Grab him!' Laila screamed hoarsely to the cops, 'Grab him! Now!'

Most of the officers hesitated. Laila couldn't blame them. The Shadow Pokémon were terrifying. Two officers, however, fearlessly followed their galloping Camerupt and Mudsdale in. The latter almost reached GoD before both officers and their Pokémon were hurled back by Shadow Storm. Their flailing limbs whacked their colleagues as they landed in a rolling heap.

The ONBS journalists were equally fearless. Even when attacks shot their way, their live footage and commentary were never interrupted.

There were only three Peons and a burly Admin, all masked, with GoD. He was so cocky that he told them they could leave as soon as ONBS arrived. The Admin, however, turned back. HQ alerted him to the approach of more do-gooders.

'Go!' GoD snapped, 'I don't need your help! Nor do I want it!'

'But sir...'

'Go!'

Espeon was overpowered by Aiko's Mega Houndoom. Her Swampert slammed Jolteon to the floor. GoD sent out Marowak and Charizard. Samurott was weak. The jet of water it fired only splashed Marowak. Its bone clunked against Samurott's skull. Jamie reached for its Poké Ball to return it, but with palpable determination, it rose back up. GoD's Pokémon were swept up in a furious rush of water, momentarily flooding the street, from Laila's Seismitoad and Holly's Azumarill. Houndoom climbed onto Swampert's shoulders to avoid it.

Both Wisteria and Holly trained Cinderace. They gathered dust and stones together to make a giant fireball. Their combined strength booted it at Marowak. It fainted. The Trainers and their Pokémon high-fived.

A familiar cry screeched. Flames rained suddenly down from above. Another Charizard's shadow fell over them. Rocks tumbled from an Aerodactyl's flapping wings. One hit Holly's Cinderace in the temple, clunking brutally against its skull. Another caught Laila's Charizard. Both fainted.

Charizard landed in the middle of the chaos. Ardos stepped off its back. GoD slapped his extended hand away.

'I do not need your help!'

'Grand Master, the job is done! The statement has been made! We must go!'

Aerodactyl lunged at Holly. The rocks it hurled brutally whacked her leg. Charizard's Flamethrower caught Aiko's hair. Police and Team Magma Grunts who rushed in to grab Ardos, who seemed like an easier target at 95 years old, were thrown back like their colleagues. Charizard and Aerodactyl weren't Shadow Pokémon, but they were so terrified of their Trainer, they attacked people without question.

'Alright, alright!'

A strong Orrean accent cut through the uproar. 'I think you've had plenty of fun!'

Ardos' sweater was set alight by a stream of Flamethrower. It blasted through to hit GoD's helmet. The only thing that damaged the helmet before was the potent poison, but as soon as it was touched by those sweltering flames, it began to melt. Ardos released the Vaporeon that helped free him from Gatas. It put out the flames. Then he grabbed GoD's wrist.

The Grand Master hesitated. Jamie glanced back, almost frozen by distress and fear, at the new arrival. They both recognised Lyndon and his Mega Houndoom at the same time. Though no-one could see GoD's face under his cracking visor, its veins of light shut off, his limbs as suddenly frozen as Jamie's gave away his shock and fear. He clearly knew he could not beat Lyndon. He took Ardos' extended hand. They shot off, too fast for anyone to even react, on the backs of Charizard and Aerodactyl.

Holly was about to follow, but Lyndon pulled her off Noivern's back. He yelled to Aiko, who commanded her Grunts to lift everyone to safety. The police could, at least, help with that. They were only just in time. The chief screamed at everyone to get down, with hands over their heads, seconds before the bank exploded. Flaming debris flew in all directions. The neighbouring streets, of shops and apartments, had thankfully already been evacuated; but the distraught evacuees watched their businesses and homes crumble and burn on live television.

The canals overflowed. A series of explosions, following Aerodactyl and Charizard, blasted water up the Eclo River and into the canals that crossed it. Holly was ashen.

'And that,' Lyndon said, 'Is why I stopped you following them.'

'How did you know...?'

'Take it from my dad... or my grandpa, for that matter... Ardos loves to blow things up.'

Aiko shakily removed the hands from her head. 'What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Mt. Battle?'

'That's the last thing you need to worry about right now.'

Wisteria blinked. 'I... cannot believe... Ardos just showed his face in broad daylight. They robbed a bloody bank. And got away with it. In broad daylight.'

'They didn't rob the bank...'

The police chief, Carmine Hexagon, shook her head.

'They just... destroyed it. It wasn't a robbery. It was a statement.'