News of Verzant's fate spread fast. Incriminating videos were usually removed from Cipher's intranet within seconds, but no-one bothered removing those of the guards dragging him from the main building to the filthy and stuffy cells. At the Pokémon HQ Lab, Pierre who hacked in after tracing Anabel to The Under, eagerly downloaded it; only to find himself more perplexed than he already was.
'It's just more infighting.'
'Well, that's good, innit?' Hop replied, 'Infighting's a real weakness.'
'Yeah, but I don't have a clue what that Lyndon guy actually wants. Verzant's easy to figure out. He wants to be Governer. Znider's on a power trip and Brynlee and Coren are psychopaths. They're probably all after some form of world domination. Lumir's on our side. But Lyndon? He obviously doesn't want what his Admins want... so what the hell is it?'
He sighed. 'And there's no Anabel or Looker to work it out.'
'But we will,' Jovi insisted, 'We have to. I mean, let's see... everyone fancies Verzant, right?'
She picked up various Galarian phrases from her husband. 'Not that I get why, but anyway. He's their motivational speaker. Probably the best person to resolve their current crisis. Locking him up won't make people like Lyndon. It'll made them actively dislike him. He must be trying to send them a message. A message that Cipher isn't the sunshine and roses they've been led to believe it is.'
'But they've gone to such great pains to pretend it is...'
'Yeah, but it's not like he can pretend otherwise at this point, is it? When practically every decent person in Orre's called them out on the telly and they haven't just kidnapped our shitty cops, but two International Police officers and some innocent citizens. So he must be embracing that. Telling his followers "OK, we're actually evil and you better be scared, because if this can happen to Verzant, I'll sure as hell do it to you." I don't know. It still doesn't really tell us what he wants.'
Michael, standing beside his brother in-law, shrugged. 'Maybe it is world domination. That was their original goal. Even when Alfie went all "save Orre," Ardos still openly wanted that.'
Hop frowned. 'I don't know... Pierre, have you managed to get a pic of him?'
'No need,' Michael said, 'His name's Lyndon Massey. I remember him – he made it through Victory Road right after me. Gave me a real run for my money when we battled it out. He's 31 now.'
'Oh!' Jovi exclaimed, 'That Lyndon! I remember him, too! He chose an Eevee. Oh, that's so weird. He seemed so nice. So enthusiastic about Pokémon... and the kid he was having. I guess that was Trip. What was his girlfriend's name?'
'Laila. Yes, that Laila. It is weird. They both voiced concerns about Cipher with Gym Leaders. But of course, the police did nothing.'
'Wait, wait, wait... he was worried about Cipher and he loved Laila, but Rosen killed her because she wouldn't join Cipher and then he went and became the Grand Master?! Whaaaat? That doesn't add up.'
'Maybe he got jaded. Maybe she threatened to kill him. Or Trip? I don't know.'
'Yeah, but how did he get from that to Grand Master?'
Pierre tapped away. Concentration wrinkled his face. His Metagross was equally absorbed. No-one understood what they were silently communicating about, but they knew it was part of the genius behind Pierre's hacking. Occasionally, he mumbled in Kalosian. Metagross nodded. Jovi saw videos downloading. The lab had the fastest internet connection in Orre. They were saved within minutes.
'I haven't got into their personal devices, yet... but I've got their latest announcement and recruitment videos.'
He played the announcement. 'The following orders are absolute from your Grand Master, Lyndon. Rosen Raco is no longer a member of Cipher, active immediately. Anyone aiding or communicating with her will be punished, including Admins. This shouldn't be difficult when not a fucking one of you actually likes that Zubatshit sociopath.'
'Oh, no,' Jovi said, 'Now I'm even more confused!'
Hop's eyes were on Lyndon himself. 'I wonder if there's any way to contact Trip. Maybe through Lumir?'
'He has to be careful,' Michael replied, 'If he's seen contacting Eldes, let alone one of us, he's toast.'
'I'm gonna give Lee a ring.'
'What? Hop!'
The door shut. Jovi called after him, but he didn't reply.
***
No-one in Cipher seemed to understand, either. They rarely saw or even heard of Lyndon, but they assumed he was close to the Admins; so much that he allowed them to act on his behalf. People wanted to help Verzant. They wanted to question how it happened. No-one was brave enough. They were, as Lyndon predicted, immobilised by fear, but it didn't stop them whispering amongst themselves. In a motel in Phenac City, Jazlyn stared at her idol's face on her P★DA wallpaper. She was quieter than usual.
'I don't... I don't get it.'
She looked up with teary eyes. 'Have we been doing all this hard work recruiting just for him to... do stuff like that?'
Duh! Trip wanted to snap. What did you think we were recruiting for? Cupcake sales?
'You just catching on now, Jaz?'
Wyatt said it for him. She pulled the sheet over her head and told him to leave her alone. Trip followed him outside.
'This is insane... I don't give a shit about Verzant... but what they've done to Rui Vincent and they're gonna do to that cop... and all those poor Pokémon... this isn't about saving Orre. It never was. I don't want to be complicit anymore. I'm sorry it's taken me this long, Trip... but will you help me? You don't want to be part of this, either. We have to get out. There has to be a way...'
'I guess there's a way to get everyone out.'
'By taking them down? But how? I don't know anyone else, other than Kamron who wants to die, who'd even admit to considering it. We'd need some way of communicating with the enemy.'
'I mean... I do know one person.'
'Your dad? Trip, I don't think he's–'
'No. Lumir.'
Wyatt blinked. '...Isn't he second-in-command?'
'Yeah, but he's just out for revenge on his dad.'
'He's up your dad's ass. How can we trust him?'
'Do we have any other choice?'
He was right. There was no other choice, but Wyatt still looked uneasy; perhaps because he knew that although Trip didn't say it, he was as blinkered by the buried hope his dad would somehow be on their side as Wyatt was by the Shadow Pokémon.
***
Verzant was tossed into a cell opposite Anabel and Looker. His expensive jacket was torn. For several minutes, he was too livid to do anything but seethe until the nails digging into his palms drew blood. He slowly composed himself. Anabel and Looker were whispering. He cocked his head to listen, but they promptly switched from Kalosian – which the guards didn't understand, but Verzant did – to a language he didn't recognise. It was almost-extinct Alolan learned from Hau and Olivia.
'I have to let them think they've got me,' Anabel hissed, 'There won't be a chance to escape before they try...'
'But Chief! They'll torture you! That's far more than even an officer of your calibre can be expected to endure!'
'It's the only way... and having them believe I'm on their side could be a massive help. In the meantime... you need to somehow communicate with our colleagues. If they do get me... you know how powerful I'll be... so if you have to...'
'Chief! No!'
'You have to kill me, Looker.'
'No! We must escape before they can try! Call Alakazam! That Admin over there has no Pokémon. The guards will be weak.'
'My team don't have the energy to take on the hundreds of Shadow Pokémon out there alone. It would be utter stupidity... like rushing into this with no backup was. Let's not make the same mistake twice... please.'
'You are worth far too much to the force, let alone to me and the countless people you've saved, to simply kill you, Chief. I must at least fight.'
'It's an order, Detective Inspector.'