Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 60: Chase

The attacked apartments were cordoned off. Amber and Trip weren't sure they ever wanted to go back. They would have been happy to keep only their most necessary possessions that Trip grabbed before they were barred from re-entering, so as not to disturb any evidence.

Trip was the only one who didn't need urgent medical attention. That didn't make him feel any better. He had never felt such an utter failure in his life. Not only did he fail to protect Camden, or even the rest of his kids from fame, but he couldn't stop Cipher kidnapping and probably killing Naaji.

The Under's main square was packed with journalists and hopeful helpers who meant well, but were really in the way. Jaylah and Ilirian held Laila down. She wanted to go after Naaji herself. It was too dangerous, even if the three of them went. Cipher would only capture and imprison them. Holly wanted to go, too. Her parents and Alfie stopped her. If Natalya was telling the truth about the city's 50,000 residents, all of them together would be outnumbered.

Some of the older people were like Holly and Laila, but even more were tired of fighting. They were tired of devoting their lives to a region that only ever stabbed them in the back.

Amber refused to remain in her hospital bed. Once concussed Tahirah woke up, she rushed to the ICU where Dragonite was. The beloved Pokémon she raised from a Dratini, that she spent hours fishing for while Trip sat patiently beside her, was dead.

Trip's injured Pokémon survived. That made him feel even worse. Amber didn't blame him. She was glad his Pokémon lived. It didn't help. In one of the suitcases he hastily packed, amongst Naaji's unfinished creations that seemed like all that was left of their son, was the family laptop. Amber frantically produced a 'missing' poster that, in desperation, offered a P75 million reward. The nurses didn't argue when she asked to use the hospital printers.

'He might not be dead. He might not be dead. He might not be dead...'

Camden's parents snapped at him to stay at home. The last thing they wanted was for Idir, or Camden himself, to join Naaji.

Journalists scattered. A snarling Charizard landed. Horace asked if there was anything he could do to help, because he knew the Phenac Desert like the back of his hand, but no-one was really listening. Laila, still in her pyjamas, stopped trying to wriggle free of Ilirian's grip when Jamie arrived and, for the first time in over 10 years, she saw him cry. She followed him to Tahirah's bedside, where their sister weakly smiled at Amber printing off enough missing posters to fill every supermarket and Pokémon Center in Orre.

'But are you OK, Mum?' Jamie asked, 'You've been stabbed in the neck...'

'Hardly. I'm fine.'

'Dragonite...'

'Yes. He's dead. But Naaji might not be. We have to find him. And Charizard. Cipher have Charizard.'

'Horace said,' Laila stammered, 'Horace said something about knowing the desert like the back of his hand...'

'Well, you can tell him that if he wants to look – be my guest. But I guess Naaji's in a cell in Obsidian City by now. What I hope is that someone in Cipher has enough of a heart to bring him back in exchange for a reward. And if Horace is GoD, I don't believe he's a psychopath. Maybe he'll bring him home.'

Laila jogged back out. She wondered if she could escape on the back of Horace's bike... but he wasn't on his bike. He arrived on a Charizard; a Charizard that Holly's eyes were glued to as Horace grilled witnesses for information. Laila knew exactly what she was staring at. She sensed Charizard's black aura.

He's GoD. Horace is GoD.

Horace is GoD.

And he knows. He must know we can see it. Does he want us to notice? It seems like he genuinely feels guilty... does he want us to hand him in, so he doesn't have to surrender himself? You stupid fuck, Horace.

Holly glanced at Laila. What did they do? Before they could decide, Charizard took off. Horace was gone. Was he really looking for Naaji? Or was he making a display of looking for Naaji, when in reality he was trying to distract them? Laila had no idea. Ilirian was still amongst the crowds. His Kommo-o onesie was impossible to miss. He wouldn't let Holly and Laila go. Maybe he was right. If Horace really was GoD, if he wasn't looking for Naaji, chasing him was a suicide mission.

There were still police patrolling. Officers from Pyrite arrived to replace those who chased Brynlee and Ryland. Holly told them. At least they took it seriously. 26 years ago, they might have laughed and told her to see a doctor. More of them took off. They requested backup from the International Police. Orvil and Scarlet joined them. Their sharp eyes scanned the sands as they soared over the desert, but there was no sign of Horace or a Charizard, let alone Naaji.

Radios woke Gym Trainers and sleeping officers all over Orre. They were summoned to look for Horace in their respective cities, towns and nearby regional parks.

Deep in Obsidian City, the acting students who successfully infiltrated Cipher desperately wanted to escape to relay information. They could not. Their Team Leaders watched them too closely.

A Charizard swooped over their heads. The same thought repeated itself, over and over, in GoD's head: I must... stop... feeling. If only those students had been able to escape, they could have confirmed his identity once and for all, though they hardly needed to. When one of Dirk's Gym Trainers saw a photo of Horace, she confirmed that he did indeed visit the Relic Stone at the time they suspected Celebi disappeared.

The students couldn't escape, but even as GoD yelled cold commands, one person slipped away. Once she was out of his sight, no-one glanced twice at her. They didn't have the authority to question Raidne.