PARAGON

  Unknown Enemy Arc [7]

  Chapter 93 : Counterattack

  Fog and froth rolled across the coast in the silent haze, carried by sharp winds across a shallow bed of dark sand. The sea lapped up and down the beach with a somber rhythm, as if out of respect for its mourning denizens.

  Ash stared out at the pastel expanse, its glimmer dampened by a sheet of dark clouds.

  “Have you given it any thought?”

  Ash tilted his head and Pikachu readjusted accordingly on his shoulder. “Given what thought?”

  Anabel sighed. “Cynthia’s final message to you. About leading Paragon.”

  Ash snorted. “She said that was a misunderstanding on Sylvester’s part.”

  “C’mon, Ash. She wouldn’t have even brought it up if there wasn’t any truth to it.” Anabel leaned forward and gave a wan smile. “Is dense Ash back?”

  When Ash didn’t react, Anabel’s smile faded and she leaned back. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

  “What about you?” Ash eventually said. “You used to work for the International Police. At least you have some experience with that sort of thing.”

  Anabel shook her head. “She didn’t ask me. She asked you.”

  “Isn’t that a bit insulting to the rest of you? That she asked me even though I joined last?”

  “Not at all. I can’t speak for the others but Sylvester isn’t the only one who noticed what Cynthia was doing. I happen to think you’d do well at it too.”

  Ash cracked a thin smile. “Maybe Cynthia was right about that heart of yours.”

  Anabel shrugged.

  It’d been about twenty-four hours since they’d listened to Cynthia’s final words. The Ditto that had impersonated her had not appeared again, nor had its master, yet Paragon remained in hiding. No longer just for an abundance of caution, but for the advent of grief, after Cynthia had confirmed her fate.

  Ash’s Samurott, ever brooding, patrolled the beach in front of them, wading through the shallows, but even he turned a concerned eye on his trainer after a prolonged silence.

  “I guess I’ll let you get away from answering that for now,” Anabel said. “But you know we’ll all still be here no matter what you decide.”

  Ash scratched the back of his head. “Thanks. But I’m staying for the same reason as the rest of you.”

  Anabel nodded. Then she pawed the sand with her foot. “Sorry, by the way.”

  “Hm? For what?”

  “That thing with Sabrina yesterday… I got a bit emotional.” She bit her lip in embarrassment.

  “Oh. No need to apologize about that. I don’t think I should’ve done it either. I know you care about her.”

  Anabel raised a brow. “More than you?”

  Ash exhaled noisily. “I should’ve known this was coming. Is now the best time for this?”

  “We can’t mope around forever. Why don’t you put a smile on my face and tell me something heart-pounding.” Anabel grinned.

  At that, Ash smiled, his face warming. “I need to know what Sabrina’s already told you.”

  “Oh, you know how she is. It was like pulling teeth.”

  Ash sighed, but his posture was far more relaxed. “Didn’t you already get all the info you wanted after interrogating us that night?”

  Anabel shook her head furiously. “I want to hear what you have to say without her sitting next to you.”

  Ash groaned. “What else is there to say?”

  “What do you like about her?”

  “I don’t know, I think she’s pretty.”

  Anabel giggled. “You sound like a little kid. Anything else? I heard you promised her a date.”

  “She told you about that, huh?”

  “She told me you postponed it.”

  “I mean…understandably, right?”

  Anabel waggled her finger. “Tsk, tsk, Ash Ketchum. The sky could be falling and the world could be ending, but if you’ve promised a girl a date, you need to take her out on a date.”

  “I’ll…try and get her in the mood for a date.”

  Anabel clapped him on the shoulder. “There you go. I know we’re down in the dumps now, but maybe a little getaway is what she needs to lift her spirits. And yours.”

  “I’ll give it some thought… But until we find that Ditto, we’re probably gonna have to keep moving around. I don’t know how I’m supposed to plan—“

  “Bah! Excuses!” Anabel’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t actually asked her out yet, right? You gonna make it official before or after the date?”

  Ash turned a deep shade of crimson and choked on his saliva. “I—“

  Get back here immediately.

  Sabrina’s voice flashed through Ash’s mind, and he rounded on Anabel. Judging by her face, she’d gotten the same message.

  “Trouble?” Anabel muttered.

  “Hope not.”

  Ash recalled Samurott and turned back toward their cave hideout. “Can’t you teleport us back?” he said a bit too loudly.

  In a flash of violet light, Sabrina appeared before them, causing both of them to recoil in surprise.

  Seeing her so suddenly, a blush smoldered on Ash’s cheeks.

  “I can take Anabel back, but not you,” Sabrina said. “You’re too heavy with all those Plates.”

  “‘Heavy,’” Anabel snickered.

  Sabrina grasped Anabel’s hand and her gauntlet began to whir, then she frowned. “What were you two talking about?”

  “This and that,” Anabel said instantly. “Things to do in the near future, you know?”

  Anabel turned a wily smirk at Ash, earning her a scarlet scowl, just before she vanished with Sabrina.

  “C’mon, Pikachu,” Ash muttered, and the mouse leaped off his shoulder and broke across the beach in a sprint, oblivious to his master’s worries. Ash gave chase, hoping he’d be able to compose himself before he rejoined the others.

  When he returned, he found the members of Paragon sitting in a circle around a portable radio Riley had picked up on one of his supply runs, a droning voice crackling from its cheap speakers.

  As he sat down, Riley leaned over.

  “You seem in better spirits.”

  Ash raised a brow. “You think so.”

  “Yeah.” Riley glanced at Anabel then leaned closer. “You still like Sabrina, right?”

  Ash wrinkled his nose and smacked Riley’s arm.

  “The International Police is about to make an emergency report about a “high-level member of the Pokémon League,” N explained.

  Anabel frowned. “Cynthia?”

  N gave a grave look as he turned the volume up.

  “…is expected to give his address any moment now,” the radio droned.

  Ash turned an inquisitive look at N.

  “Interpol’s director is holding a press conference at their headquarters in Hoenn. Given that most of the press they’ve given over the past few months has been related to the Rota Incident, this is either about to be more of the same or something out of left field. Either way, I figured you’d want to hear a report straight from the source.”

  “The ‘Rota Incident?’” Riley muttered. “Is that what they’re calling it?”

  “How often have they been holding these press conferences?” Ash asked.

  “Once or twice a month,” Anabel answered. “So far, it hasn’t been all that interesting. Mostly PR. ‘We just nabbed twenty of AZ’s men in northern Kalos,’ or ‘Queen Ilene thanks you for all your generous donations and says they’ve been able to secure temporary lodging for the Guardians.’”

  “Pretty sure we just had one like a week ago,” Zinnia murmured, tossing a stone up and down. “A day or two before you guys got back. Not sure what could’ve happened so soon.”

  “Interpol has been focusing most of their time on the Rota Incident lately but it’s not all they’ve been doing,” Anabel said. “If they’re calling it an emergency broadcast related to a League member then it could be completely unrelated.” She rubbed her amputated stump. “Or maybe I’m lucky and one of the Champions turned in Lord Vandrick.”

  Ash had never encountered the man but he wasn’t about to underestimate AZ’s right hand man, especially after he’d defeated Anabel and slipped through Cynthia’s fingers. There was no telling what he planned to do now that his master was gone.

  “Good day, thank you for arriving on such short notice.”

  A crisp, low voice hummed from the radio and everyone in Paragon quieted to listen.

  “I am Willium Rhys, director of the International Police.”

  Ash saw Anabel and Zinnia both look up and frown. Clearly, this was not standard protocol.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Our investigation into the events that transpired in the kingdom of Rota is still ongoing, and I’d like to thank our personnel for their tireless work, and the general public for your continued cooperation.”

  “Recent details about the Rota Incident uncovered by our team necessitated this unannounced broadcast. As previously noted, a high-ranking member of the World Pokémon League has been implicated in this investigation, and we request the public’s assistance on this matter.”

  A barely audible sigh drifted through the radio’s speakers.

  “Sinnoh Champion Cynthia Shirona has been arrested and is currently in International Police custody for her connection to the terroristic activities that took place in Rota on the day of that tragedy.”

  A staticky chorus of shouting erupted from the radio.

  “What?!” Zinnia blurted.

  “Shhhh!” Anabel snapped.

  Ash scowled, his blood hardening like lead in his veins. They think Cynthia was working for AZ…?

  “A subsequent investigation in Cynthia Shirona’s activities going back at least three years reveal a consistent itinerary of international subversion and subterfuge,” the director continued, his voice raised. “The Champion misused her position in the Pokémon League to finance and direct the terrorist group responsible for the destruction of Rota.”

  “This is bullshit!” Zinnia spat, standing up. “You said this guy’s in Hoenn?”

  “Wait, Zinnia,” N said sharply, earning himself a vicious scowl that he ignored.

  “On the day of the attack, Cynthia was sighted flying into Rota on her signature Garchomp and assisting the terrorists in their assault on Cameran Palace, the Tree of Beginning, and the borderlands of Rota.”

  “Director, World Champion Aaron Albrecht fell in battle in defense of Rota,” another voice cut in. “Are you saying Champion Cynthia had a hand in his murder?”

  “No interruptions, please,” Rhys continued, a voice laced with annoyance. “The circumstances surrounding the World Champion’s death are still unclear, and we will not speculate on matters we are not certain of. Her direct involvement cannot be confirmed, but her indirect involvement through her connection to the terrorists who ended Aaron Albrecht’s life cannot be denied.”

  The crowd erupted again, though they were so loud, the sound cracked and sputtered.

  “They’re blaming Cynthia for King Aaron’s death…?” Riley said incredulously. “How could they have come to this conclusion? It was her own Paragon Organization who fought with us on that day! If not for you all—“

  “Something isn’t right here,” Ash intoned, and Pikachu moaned sorrowfully on his shoulder. “Let’s listen till the end of the broadcast.”

  Before he looked away, he caught Sabrina’s eye at the other side of the cavern.

  Worry, anger, indignation, and bewilderment glittered in her metallic eyes.

  That this is coming out now isn’t a coincidence. Did it really take them months to “determine” that Cynthia was in league with AZ? Or…?

  Something pungent coiled at the bottom of Ash’s stomach.

  “Although Cynthia has been taken into custody, her strongest lieutenants are still at large. Please turn your attention to the screen.”

  Another ripple of voices passed across the crowd. Ash glanced up to gauge his friends’ reactions. N, Zinnia, and Riley’s brows were furrowed, but Anabel and Sabrina looked like they shared Ash’s unease. Both looked unusually pale.

  “This revelation was just as alarming to us as I’m sure it is to you, but please rest assured that the International Police is moving quickly to apprehend the remaining terrorists. Please ask that if you happen to see any of the faces shown on screen, do not approach. Instead, please leave the area and immediately notify local law enforcement.”

  Rhys cleared his throat. “First, we have the former World Champion Ash Ketchum.”

  Ice lanced through Ash’s veins and he felt all eyes in the cave turn on him.

  “He, like the others shown here, are members of a new terrorist group called the Paragon Organization. Their goals are currently unknown, but their role in Rota’s destruction is undeniable. His involvement, in addition to the involvement of the former gym leader of Saffron City in Kanto, Sabrina Natsume, not to mention Cynthia herself, have forced the International Police to extend our investigation into the halls of the Pokémon League. We want to restore public trust in our institutions and request the Pokémon League’s full cooperation with this matter.”

  “This is insane…” Zinnia muttered.

  Ash swallowed. Even if they were only listening through a radio, it was clear what faces Director Rhys was currently showing on screen.

  “We’re being framed,” Sabrina said.

  “Lord Vandrick’s doing, perhaps?” N questioned. “Or…?”

  “Zelda Leora’s,” Riley stated.

  Anabel’s brows knit tight. “She killed Cynthia, but the League is reporting that they have her in custody. Surely she can’t be alive… That would be too…”

  “I doubt it,” Ash said quietly, his eyes trained on the ground. “They’re probably just saying that to draw us in.”

  “Next is Sylvester Shirona, Cynthia’s cousin by blood. They grew up in northern Sinnoh together…”

  “So this Zelda is involved with the International Police, then?” Riley said. “It almost seems like she controls it from the top down considering how blatant this framing is. They couldn’t possibly have enough evidence to seriously draw the conclusion that you all were responsible. Which means it was either completely fabricated or she circumvented the investigation entirely and ordered this report.”

  “That would make sense, given how close Cynthia was to Interpol,” Anabel said. “And if Zelda was the true mastermind behind Paragon, then why not the International Police too?”

  “Normally I’d contest that, but with as many Plates as she apparently has, it’s certainly possible…” N said.

  Ash clenched his fist. “This is what Cynthia was fighting for. What she died for. This is what she meant when she talked about the truth of our world.”

  “Corruption, control, malicious influence,” Sabrina murmured. “With the Plates, it just becomes…easy.”

  “…used her connections to orchestrate the freeing of this man, and has been in her employ ever since.”

  N grimaced upon hearing the details of his dossier.

  “We have no further details to share at this moment, so that will conclude this press conference. To reiterate, if you see any of the figures of interest noted here, please do not approach. Remove yourself from the area and call local law enforcement. If you have any information regarding their whereabouts, please call the number on-screen or leave a tip on our website. We will not be taking further questions at this time to protect the integrity of our investigation, but a follow up is scheduled within the next seven days. Thank you.”

  The audience cried out again, but N leaned forward and turned the volume down.

  After a long silence, eventually Riley spoke. “It’s possible we were seen when we went into town.”

  Zinnia’s boots scraped noisily against the floor of the cave as she spread her legs. “What the fuck is this? What the hell is going on?!”

  “They’re framing the Paragon Organization for Rota’s destruction,” Anabel muttered in disbelief, almost to herself. “Zelda Leora must be trying to take us all out along with Cynthia.”

  “It’s imperative we learn just who this Zelda Leora is,” N said sternly. “She clearly exercises an inordinate level of influence over the International Police. It’s like Interpol is her own private army.” His eyes crinkled with sorrow. “It reminds me of the way my father weaponized Team Plasma for his own aims.”

  “Ditto bricked our phones so not only can we not communicate with anyone else, we also can’t do any research on her from here,” Ash noted. “Though even if we could, they’d find us in an instant.”

  Riley lowered his phone, the only one of theirs that still worked, with a deflated frown.

  “I say bring it on,” Zinnia snorted. “I’m not afraid of Interpol. We’re Paragon, are we not? They can’t mess with us.”

  “That would only turn the public more against us,” Anabel said. “I’d like to think a sizable fraction of the people out there aren’t taking Interpol’s word at face value. Especially about Ash. He was beloved in a way the rest of us weren’t.”

  Ash’s brows twitched. “I don’t like the idea of relying on sentiment. We are innocent. We need to find a way to clear our names to everyone. I don’t think fighting is the best way to do that.”

  “And Zelda Leora will certainly know this,” Riley commented. “I’m sure she fully intended on tying your hands in that way.”

  Anabel bit her nail. “Interpol had ongoing projects when I left to enhance their operatives’ capabilities in battle. Mechanical augmentations, strength-enhancing drugs, that sort of thing. I’m not sure what stage those projects are in now but it’s possible they’ve already been deployed.”

  “So what?” Zinnia squawked.

  “I’m just saying they may be stronger than we expect.”

  “With the Plate, anything is possible,” Sabrina noted. “I agree that we should learn as much as we can about Zelda Leora as soon as possible. I can teleport and steal some phones or something for us if you think that’s a good idea?” Her eyes surveyed the others.

  “It’s as Ash said. They’ll find us instantly if we so much as search her name.” N sighed. “This scheme was well thought out. We’re boxed in.”

  “We can’t stay here forever,” Riley said, standing. “I suspect their search began on Paragon Island and spread outward from there, probably to the Sinnoh mainland first, but if they’ve made an announcement to the public, then we have to assume they’re global by now. Eventually, we’ll be caught.”

  Sabrina raised her hand. “Decidueye has been watching the island and since he hasn’t come back to us yet, I think he’s following them. I can commune with him from a reasonable distance, so if they’re approaching us, we’ll know.”

  “Even still…” Riley rubbed his wrists.

  “We need help,” Ash said. “She’s trying to isolate us. We can’t let that happen or she’ll win the protracted battle.”

  “Help from who?” Zinnia scoffed. “The entire world now thinks we’re terrorists.”

  Anabel shifted uncomfortably. “I have a few contacts in Interpol, but I’m not sure what they’ll think of me after this. Not to mention, I don’t want to endanger them…”

  “We may not have a choice,” Ash said, scowling. “I have friends I can ask to do a bit of research for us. The only issue is how we’d communicate with them. The only possible way I see is doing it in person.”

  “There’s also Sylvester to consider still,” N said. “He was included with us on the wanted list. That means he is also safe, for now.”

  Ash nodded, factoring that into his thinking. “We should split up. I can find out about Zelda Leora. We’ll need someone else to get Sylvester, and someone else to look into Interpol.”

  “We should also consider what Cynthia-Ditto was going to have us do if we didn’t find her out,” Anabel said. “She blamed the League for exploiting the Rota Incident and assigned us to take senior roles within it. Maybe the League is also worth investigating?”

  Ash nodded in agreement. “It almost sounds like the League is on our side in this case, but I don’t think it’s that simple. The enemy of an enemy isn’t always a friend.”

  “If we split up, how will we communicate with one another?” N questioned. “We can’t use phones or anything similar, as we’ve said.”

  Sabrina’s gauntlet lurched and she clutched her wrist. “I…actually, I…”

  As all eyes turned on her, she only got more flustered. Her gaze was trained down, but her expression hardened.

  “I actually…put…a psychic needle…in all of you…so…I’ll know where you are…”

  “What? When’d you do that?” Zinnia asked, pawing at her chest.

  Sabrina’s face flushed a shameful shade of crimson. “A few years ago.”

  Zinnia’s jaw dropped open.

  Silence billowed through the cavern. Sabrina looked away, her gauntlet flashing as it whizzed around her arm.

  “Sabrina, did Cynthia have one too?” Anabel asked. “Is that why she tapped her head in her message?”

  Sabrina gave one nod.

  Zinnia raised a hand to her head. “What the hell…?” she hissed.

  “Enough.” N stood. “We don’t have time for this. Let’s divide up the roles, yes? I can take Spiritomb’s shard and pursue Sylvester. I have his remaining pokémon as well.”

  Anabel blinked several times before refocusing on N. “You’ll be the one delivering the news then.”

  “Yes. That’s fine.”

  Ash handed Spiritomb’s shard to N. “Sabrina and I will pursue information on Zelda Leora,” he said, trying to brush past the awkwardness as soon as possible. “Anabel, you’ll be contacting your friends in Interpol, right?”

  Anabel nodded. “I can go alone.”

  “Good.” Ash turned to Zinnia. “That leaves Zinnia and Riley to investigate the League.”

  “That was our original assignment from the imposter Cynthia,” Riley said. “Perhaps the best way to fool the enemy is to do exactly as commanded.”

  Ash nodded. “Let’s plan to reunite a month from now. No contact unless absolutely necessary. We don’t want our enemy to be able to get to the rest of us if one of us gets caught.”

  N, Anabel, and Riley gave a nod, but Zinnia still looked listless.

  “Let’s meet at the top of Mount Coronet. Spear Pillar. That should keep us away from prying eyes.”

  “Sounds good,” Riley said.

  Zinnia moved to the mouth of the cave first, but as she grasped its entrance, she turned. “How do we communicate, if we have to? Just because Sabrina knows where we are at all times doesn’t mean we can talk to each other.”

  Sabrina’s face twitched. “The needle doesn’t just tell me your location… They…connect us all. So if you speak to me, I’ll know.”

  Zinnia stared at her for several long seconds before turning away and heading outside.

  “I…have one too, then?” Riley asked.

  Sabrina nodded.

  The Guardian exhaled. “Right, then. Good luck, all.” He followed Zinnia outside.

  Anabel turned an unreadable expression at Ash and Sabrina before exiting behind them.

  “Good luck,” Ash said as N left.

  N paused for a moment. “Don’t take Zinnia personally. She’s just…still processing.”

  Once he was gone, Ash turned to Sabrina, who clutched her legs in a ball and stared aimlessly at the wall.

  “Ready to go?” he asked softly.

  Sabrina nodded and stood. “Where are we going?”

  Ash’s expression darkened and he raised his hand. A vortex of void spiraled into his palm, and the radio and other supplies they’d left behind vanished within, leaving no trace that they’d ever been here.

  “Alola.”

  Next — Chapter 94 : The Queenpin