Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 72: Chief Inspector

From the night sky, the glimmering veins of highways cut through the sprawling suburbs of Phenac City. The airport was a lonely hub in the vast desert's blackness. Most of the milling aircraft were freight planes. One delayed Air Kalos plane began its descent.

The pilot, Jaxon Joyner, was Orrean. He was also Trip's uncle and one of three friends who was arrested for road racing with him in Driftveil City. Since he moved across the world when he left Air Orre for Air Kalos, where he now lived with his wife and kids, he missed the entire Cipher fiasco. He didn't believe Jamie was evil. Nor did his colleagues who remembered him being fascinated, but much better-behaved than Camden or Laila on their flights. He planned to visit the family in Agate Village once he slept off weeks of jet lag.

'By the way,' his co-pilot said, 'I was talking to Bede Garris on the way from HLX.'

HLX was Hammerlocke's international airport. He flew from there to Lumiose City as a regular passenger, before joining Jaxon to fly their plane to Phenac. Jaxon smirked.

'Bede actually spoke to a lowly pilot?'

'I picked up that issue of Modern Trainer with Jamie on it. Old Bede couldn't help himself. He is fuming, mate. And I agree with him – you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out what happened when Rose got wind of Leon's grandson.'

'...I hadn't thought of that. But was he still alive when Jamie joined Cipher?'

'Yeah. Bede said he died nine years ago. And it's 10 years since Jamie joined.'

'That's fucking disgusting! I think that Darnell's a total creep, too. I saw his Rotogram before he made it private. The way he talked about his own kids... ew. Just ew. I swear, if they lock Jamie up and throw away the key... I don't care if he acted of his own free will in the end. The poor kid was crushed into what he was. The people who crushed him have to take some responsibility.'

'Well, if you protest, Bede will join you. He's furious with Lovrina, too, obviously.'

Bede was one of several boys abused by Rose. When Alfie was first jailed, it was thought that he abused Lovrina, so Bede took her in to help her train to join Orre's Elite Four. He thought they were best friends, but it was a mere front to repair her reputation on her part. She actually mocked Bede to Ein. Of course, she never told her friend that she actually abused Alfie, let alone that she was partly responsible for kidnapping four week-old Chalcedony. Even so, Bede never expected her to sink as low as abusing a 14 year-old, or handing him over to her supposed best friend's abuser, Rose.

The plane rumbled smoothly onto the runway. At least the airport wasn't so crowded at night. Impatient passengers sprang up. Lockers clicked. The cabin crew tried to stop them, but it was no use. When the plane was safely stationary at the gate, the pilots greeted disembarking passengers with smiles so polite, it was impossible to know they were vehemently swearing – partly about the impatient passengers themselves – a few minutes ago. Jaxon's wife Cyrille waited with their three kids and luggage.

Further back, in business class, two more people waited patiently. One wore a green beret. The other had a mop of curly black hair. Jaxon and his co-pilot knew they had to be the International Police officers coming to interview Jamie, because they recognised Pierre, the hacker.

Heels clip-clopped amongst rattling wheels. With no luggage to weigh them down, the two officers walked briskly ahead of everyone who rushed off the plane. A brown trench coat swished behind the imposing woman who, going by her air of authority alone, must have been senior to Pierre. They joined the line at the flight staff desk. Light glinted on the gold crests on their burgundy passports. The immigration officer nodded.

'Welcome to Orre, Chief Inspector Baudelaire.'

Jaxon glanced at his friend. He was pale. Chief Inspector? Was that good or bad? A flight attendant nudged Jaxon.

'She's really nice. She was a crook once herself. He'll be fine.'

'Jeez. I hope so...'

A rental car waited for them outside. Behind sunglasses in the driving seat was Looker. The chief's Espurr leapt into his arms.

'Mimi! It has been far too long. And Emma!'

Before fastening her seatbelt, Emma reached to hug her old mentor and father figure, who took her in when she had no-one else. Since then, she made her way from crook to local detective to Chief Inspector of the International Police.

'This is your first visit to Orre, yes? You must try Barrera Burritos! But for now, I've brought you the ultimate local delicacy – gas station Poké Puffs! Yes, they are delicious, even if you are not a Pokémon!'

Emma smiled wearily. 'Oh, Mr. Looker. You never change.'

A few cars away, Jaxon and his family hugged his dad, Jamal. His oldest son Renaud tossed their luggage into the shiny car's trunk. Emma distantly watched them.

'I think the pilot who flew us here is related to Mr. Hawthorn Fayed Joyner-Massey...'

'Yes, indeed! He's a little younger than Trip, but he's his uncle. Oh, Pierre, I haven't even said "bonsoir" to you!'

'Hey, Looker. Don't worry. I'm about to fall asleep.'

'This is probably obvious, but...'

Emma stroked the Espurr she took from Looker's lap so he could drive. They were impressed he was capable of driving in a familiar city at 90, let alone all the way across Orre and back again.

'This one's close to my heart. I felt like I was looking in the mirror when I saw that "GoD costume." I hope... regardless of what awaits this boy... we can do our part to help him.'