Pokémon Bloodstone | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 84: The Real Fake

The group led by Ardos leapt from the grates in the government building's inner courtyard. Most security was behind them. After the hours in the sewer and a painful, heart-stopping crawl through pipes to reach the grates, they smelled so bad that the security who did charge at them were reluctant to get close. Their Shadow Pokémon effortlessly disarmed them.

Ardos was already inside. Rose's right-hand man, Eric, sprinted after him up the stairs to Gwin's office. Their 12 Shadow Pokémon followed. The ace, Ardos' own Alakazam turned into a Shadow Pokémon, blasted security guards and their weak Pokémon off their feet. Eric tied them up. His Shadow Excadrill hurled them down the stairs to their colleagues. Their wriggling bodies piled up in the grates Cipher leapt from.

Once every last security guard was out of the way and the building was surrounded by Peons, they could begin to torture them into blaming 'Alfie's Cipher,' but it didn't really matter if they refused. Teslor was broken. The prominent figures at the resort, including Gwin, were already embarrassed to be seen there if it was a Cipher facility. Now they were being terrified into submission with threats that they would easily be accused of abetting Cipher, which would inevitably ruin their careers as it once ruined Alfie.

Courtney landed on the roof. She didn't need Zane's reminder to check the government offices. The Cipher Peons shouting about Alfie outside confirmed their next target. She couldn't use the main entrance. Ardos would recognise her even in the Commander's uniform.

There was no way in through the roof. Barbed wire at its edges threatened to tear anyone climbing down to shreds. Courtney released Blaziken. It climbed onto Charizard's back to kick a window open. Cipher had already disabled security. The alarms were dormant. Courtney switched places with Blaziken to climb through the smashed window. Gwin's office was on the floor below. Courtney hastily returned Charizard when she unexpectedly met another Commander there. He was sweaty and tired.

'Those stairs, man...'

'Oh, yes. I didn't realise you were coming, too.'

'Yeah. I'm gonna be the big bad guy, Alfie's right-hand man, who leaps out at Gwin and holds her at knifepoint. Who are you?'

'Can I tell you a secret?'

'Sure.'

'That insufferable Zane knocked my radio out of my hands on the way here. I only heard half of the plan.'

'Oh, shit! Well, don't worry. I won't tell the Grand Master. You know Fein's out, right? And he's gonna impersonate Alfie? Eric's gonna record him attacking Gwin. Then the Grand Master's gonna burst in and save her. I guess you're another "Alfie Clan Peon," huh?'

'Thanks.'

'Any time. That Grand Master sure can be scary...'

The Commander sighed. 'I'm gonna go to jail for this. He promised he'll get me out once he's Governor, but it'll be my third time and honestly? I think he's gonna forget about me...'

'Too bad...'

It took him a moment to notice his helmet was gone. Courtney recognised Gromlet. He was hiding in Cipher's ruined lab when she helped Abbey and Alfie get Leon's Charizard back from his stalker, April. Before Gromlet could register that his 'colleague' perhaps wasn't a colleague, he was whacked in the temple by the first object Courtney grabbed, a heatproof flask.

She pulled his yellow scarf off to gag him. There was no rope in any of the drawers she rummaged through. Tape would have to suffice. She used several rolls to bind Gromlet's bulky frame. Blaziken ripped the shelves out of a metal cabinet. Gromlet began to stir when it propped him up inside. The door slammed. Blaziken pressed its flaming wrists to the door's edges. It was soldered shut.