Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 68: Defeat

Piruzi turned to run. Horace snatched the last Escape Rope from Carlos to sprint after her. She frantically revived Skarmory. Horace reached for his Shadow Charizard's Poké Ball, but of course, it was empty. Charizard fled when he entered the warp space. Skarmory disappeared over the horizon.

Jamie was motionless. Amber and Laila knelt beside him.

'My baby. My sweet little baby... and a fucking twat. But still, my sweet little baby.'

Holly and Kazuki took off on Carlos' Garchomp. Their Pokémon needed urgent medical attention. No-one knew what to do next. Handing Jamie over to the police without a word seemed wrong, but Theta and Leucosia needed to go before they somehow escaped.

'Hey, Hozzinator...'

Wisteria beckoned Horace. 'You helped us. You can hand this lot in. Get your money.'

'Nah.'

He shook his head. 'I know Jamie doesn't believe me, but I didn't come for that sweet P500 million reward. I came because... I care. And... and I came because... I'm sorry. As for him...'

He gestured to Carlos. 'He came because he cares about Wes. And Wes cares about me.'

Wisteria was going to say that if Horace really was a bounty hunter, he was best qualified to take them to the police station regardless, but she didn't. She saw that he wanted to be there when Jamie came around.

'I'll take them.'

The motorbike revved as Carlos turned the key. 'Horace. Strap them in the sidecar. Make sure they can't jump out.'

'Is that safe?' Wisteria nervously asked, 'Sorry, no offence, Carlos – I just don't want them taking advantage of a senior citizen.'

'Don't worry. Not all of my Pokémon are as old as I am. And trust me, Horace and me know how to tie crooks up.'

The bike zipped away. Amber pulled the feather from Jamie's hair.

'This... is one of Lugia's feathers.'

It wasn't alone. Two rainbow feathers lodged themselves firmly in Laila's hair. Amber blinked.

'Please don't tell me he's got Lugia and Ho-Oh?!'

'No, Mum, we... met them... in there. I thought they were an illusion, but...'

A shadow fell over them. Another Charizard landed. Boots slapped the floor, but Ardos didn't walk any further.

'This... this cannot be!'

'What can't?'

Laila scowled. 'You failed at world domination, yet again? Are you surprised?'

'Do you really fail to understand, child? That your beloved brother is Cipher incarnate? It was no mentally ill Commander who rescued me from the highest security cells at Gatas Prison. It was the Grand Master!'

Amber knew it was ludicrous to suggest that Jamie was 'Cipher incarnate.' In that moment, seeing Ardos' eyes glimmer with something more than dedication to Cipher, she feared that Jamie might come round not to take her hand, but the hand of his mentor and Admin. All of their Pokémon were injured. Did they even have the strength to fight Ardos off? Let alone Jamie, once he retrieved the five regular Pokémon and six Shadow Pokémon in his bag? If he sided with Cipher, maybe taking over Orre wasn't a delusion of grandeur...

'I know who rescued you. But I know Jamie and I know why he rescued you. He doesn't have a lot of room in his heart, but for the people he does keep in there – he really loves them. And you actually think he loves you, don't you? Well, you're wrong. You don't know him at all.'

'I have no time for your nonsense. Hand over the Grand Master. And take note – that is what he will be called. Grand Master. Not "Jamie." I cannot imagine who in the world defeated him, but–'

'No-one defeated me, you stupid old man...'

Jamie was never unconscious. He was in shock. Laila wasn't wrong. He didn't have much room for other people in his heart. The people he didn't care about annoyed him. Ardos was one of them.

As he shakily tried to stand, he found himself facing his broken helmet. His reflection stared back at him. He knew what he looked like when he entered the warp space, when he pulled off his helmet to ask his mother which son she was looking for. His wild eyes were manic. They were also the eyes of a boy who had never accepted defeat. Now, as mania faded to years of exhaustion finally catching up, he saw a man who knew that he had lost. He accepted he had lost, not to Laila or Camden or Wisteria, but to the most terrifying opponent he would ever face.

'I defeated myself.'

Fresh tears spilled down Amber's cheeks when he smiled. His eyes were still on the smashed helmet. For the first time in 11 years, if not his entire life, he saw himself. Not Camden's brother, Leon's grandson, an anonymous drunk or even GoD. The sight was nowhere near as ugly or frightening as he imagined.

'Grand Master!'

Ardos extended a hand. 'I've readied a helicopter for our escape. We must go now.'

'Jamie...'

Ardos cut Amber off. 'Call him the Grand Master!'

'Is this really what you want to go down fighting for, Jamie?'

'Grand Master, you've come too far to abandon your dreams now! Even if we fail, we must ensure our own survival! Cipher will live as long as we do! As long as you do!'

'What is this?' Laila snarled, 'Gale of Darkness movie rehearsals? Cipher is done! Get over it!'

'Silence!'

'Even if Jamie turns around and pledges allegiance, look at the state he's in!'

'Silence! Cipher will live forever!'

'You don't even know what you believe anymore, do you? Have you ever known? All you know to do is to repeat the same old shit you've been bleating for the last 70 years.'

'Grand Master, if we listen to these sentimental fools, we will live out the rest of our years in jail! You at least must flee! The helicopter is ready. Come!'

'You've lost!' Wisteria snapped, 'And you're, like, 100! Accept it, you overgrown baby! Are you gonna offer to blow up the entire Orre region because "such things can be replaced" next?'

'If that is what it takes, Grand Master... I am ready for you to give the order to blow up Obsidian City. As you have hypothesised, it will likely cause irreparable damage all over Orre. Cipher can be preserved in a faraway region. But we must hurry, before these fools call the police!'

Only the Grand Master could activate anything capable of such destruction. Ardos hesitated before picking up Jamie's helmet. He didn't know the passwords. Even with all the time in the world, he could never hack Jamie. All he could do was hand the helmet to his boss, so he could decide for himself, but he chose to remain stationary. Jamie didn't need any help.

'The police may be distracted by our forces, Grand Master, but we did not have enough time to surround everyone.'

Jamie continued to stare at the battered helmet. As he reached for it, he said something to no-one in particular.

'I'm... sorry.'

Ardos breathed out relief. Jamie didn't take the hand he offered, but he tried to help him to his feet regardless. He put his helmet back on.