Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 73: New Identity

Amber and Trip awoke to the comforting smell of fresh bread. Cooking made Leon feel useful. It at least put smiles on their faces when they found Naaji enthusiastically making a pot of mint tea. Jamie quietly served the olives, dates, jams, pancakes and traditional round bread that his grandparents prepared. His smile was faint, but it was there and it wasn't faint because he was secretly aware he was Grand Master of Cipher; it was faint because he knew he might not get the chance to enjoy breakfast with his family again for a long, long time.

Abbey and Leon knew it, too. They went all out with their most colourful tablecloth, cushions and decorative tea glasses.

Trip never got tired of Amber's family. He remembered the very first time they welcomed him to their home as if they'd known him all his life. It was the first time he ever experienced being part of a functional family. Since he was reunited with Lyndon, Alfie and even Jamal, they were as loving and welcoming as it was possible to be, but before then it was Leon and Abbey who first made him feel at home. He still sat in the same chair to Amber's left.

'Jaxon texted me.'

'Oh?'

Leon glanced up. 'Not lost his pilot's licence for road racing, I hope?'

Amber giggled. Trip groaned, but he didn't really mind.

'I wish that was all he had to tell me, to be honest. The International Police were on his flight. They've sent Emma Baudelaire. The Chief Inspector.'

'Oh! I came up against her in the World Championships, a few times. She's a lovely lady. She had a... er...'

'Stupid suit,' Jamie said for him, 'But that was different. She didn't know she was wearing it. Let alone attacking people and stealing Pokémon. I was very aware I was doing it.'

'But similar circumstances led to you both ending up in stupid suits - troubled kids targeted by master manipulators.'

'I have to own my actions, Grandpa.'

'Of course. I'm not suggesting you - or Emma, for that matter - were angels. But even villains like Ardos don't appear out of nowhere. They have reasons, some valid and some not, à la Cipher Admin Alfie.'

Alfie was with Lyndon and Kazuki, because he was distraught. Doctors couldn't save Walrein. Even Magnezone was still in critical condition.

'And Emma now uses that "stupid suit" for good. Just like Lyndon's used his talents against Cipher.'

'While cackling like a cartoon villain,' Tahirah added as she trudged in, 'But we love him for it.'

'Not everyone does, but we do. Think how many young Trainers he's inspired as our Mt. Battle Master. Even Wes was a villain once. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to come up against him when he was in Team Snagem, but Cipher would be ruling Orre if their enemy had been anyone else. Only someone with that very specific "evil" talent could do it.'

'But...'

Jamie stared into the bubbling tea that Naaji poured. 'I don't want to do any of the things I could do. That was another reason I never turned back... I didn't know what I wanted. I still don't. I've thought about going back to college, but... that's never gonna happen now.'

'I'm not dead yet,' Abbey replied, 'Seems like we're even friends with Jet again. There's Lumir, too. One of us will get a uni to take you. Only if it's what you want, obviously.'

'I don't really want to be accepted out of nepotism, though... I'd rather be accepted because someone's actually willing to take GoD.'

'Can they really refuse? You're a genius. Most importantly, Jamie...'