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Corrupt Authority: Chapter 48

by Pokemon Fanfiction Novels

Pokemon Fanfiction Novels
Another day had dawned at the Kuchinawa residence when Curtis's phone rang. He had already been jostled awake by the noise of old Kurt's hammer, but he had also resolved in his mind to sleep through it. So much for that plan. He groped for the phone, a hand over his mouth to stifle a yawn.



"Ugh . . . Kuchinawa residence, this is Curtis."



"Hey. It's me."



All drowsiness instantly left his limbs at the sound of Kenta's voice. Curtis sat up straight, gripping the phone tightly. "Woah! You're up early. Is everything still okay?"



"About as good as circumstances allow for," said Kenta, with an edge to his voice. "How are you?"



"Fine. Why?"



"Good, things sound normal with you." Kenta uttered a sigh of relief over the phone. "My mind's been so preoccupied that I've forgotten to check in with you recently. So nobody has been over to seize Kurt since I got him out of jail?"



Curtis glanced out into the hallway outside his room, where he could see old Kurt's shadow on the wall, the hammer still swinging up and down. "No. You know Azalea Town- we're as backwoods and out-of-the-way as it goes. I think the local police know about Kurt's Apricorn balls, but they're just choosing to look the other way. You could say Azalea is the Texas of Japan."



Kenta laughed from his end, and there was a joyful note to it. "I think I'd appreciate that reference more if I lived in America like you did. But you comfort me. If you were suddenly to be raided and arrested, well . . . I'd take it personally."



"Don't start that again," chided Curtis. "We knew what we were in for, and even if we get taken away now, our main task is done."



"That could still happen, even with the absence of the Master Balls," Kenta said urgently. "I called because the storm's about to hit. A powerful friend of mine signed up for the upcoming Master's Tournament, and that's where I'll be executing the final phase of my plan. You only have a couple of days to get back to America where it's safe."



At this, Curtis leaped out of bed and glared at his phone, pointing a finger at it. "Is that all you have to say? Here I thought you were about to let me in on the main event, and then you tell us to flee. I've got news for you, buster! Me 'n grandpa haven't been slaving away at making balls this whole time, just to miss out on the fruits of our labor!"



There was silence over the phone on Kenta's end for a few seconds. Gradually, he spoke again.



"Damn, dude. I never knew you had so much spirit."



"Yeah you did," said Curtis, still peeved, but also proud now. "That's why you keep urging me to work for Silhouette."



"True enough," Kenta said, laughing gently. "But they're no longer the military police we once looked up to. You need to understand that when they see a whole army of trainers throwing Apricorn Balls at them, they'll know it was you guys who made them. And if we fail, we're all probably going to be targeted for death together."



"We must all hang together, or we will hang separately," replied Curtis stubbornly. "I won't allow this revolution to be half-assed."



" . . . you really wanna help, huh?"



"Yeah!" Curtis's voice lowered. "To tell the truth . . . I'm rather ashamed. I wanted to do something about the G.R.I.P. situation long before this, but I never had the heart until you came and spoke to me. It kills me to think I might have lain down and just taken it."



Kenta was silent for a few more seconds. "Alright then," he said, as if coming out of deep thought, "here's what you can do. I'm sure that, by now, you've met more than your fill of pokémon trainers."



"Heh. I've probably seen half of Johto . . . okay, I'm exaggerating, but not much."



"Good. Get the word out to them." Kenta's voice was firm. "Tell them to assemble at the Indigo League Headquarters for the March 16 tournament, with or without tickets for seats. I was gonna do it myself, but my face is too recognizable now, and there's a target on my forehead. Hibiki and I will lay low from now until the moment is right."



Curtis nodded, even though Kenta wouldn't see it through the phone. "Grandpa will be annoyed when I'm not around to help, but he'll understand. Anything else?"



Kenta gave a snort of someone who was both impressed and skeptical. "'Anything else'? You're gonna have your hands plenty full. Hey, I gotta go."



"Okay. Like I said before, the rest of the Master Balls are waiting for you in . . . well, where you told us to leave them. Before you hang up, I was just wondering. How exactly do you plan on getting a hundred Master Balls past Indigo League security?"



"I'll have to get back to you on that," replied Kenta. "Good luck, Curtis."



"Thanks. You too."





***





As Kenta closed his phone, Hibiki turned away from the shelf of pokémon merchandise he'd been staring at. They were back in Mahogany Town, in the small shop just above the Rocket ninja hideout. Hibiki had been somewhat reluctant to return to this place, considering their would-be assassin had at least one contact in the midst of the other criminals. Kenta, however, had told him it was desperately necessary for them to check and see if any outlaw teams had been successful in capturing a legendary pokémon. Once the call to Curtis was made, they would go directly under into the base- in and out. Kenta gave the store clerk a nod, and he returned it, picked up a radio, and muttered into it.



"I missed these parts of the plan," said Hibiki, as a floor panel by a shelf shifted over. "Where exactly are the Master Balls? And how will we move them safely?"



"Azalea Forest, buried near the Shrine of its Protecting Spirit," whispered Kenta, as the white-haired head of Basho poked out from under the floor. "As for your second question, I'm hoping to resolve that in the next few minutes."



"What are you waiting for?" hissed the Rocket Executive from the floor. "Get down here, you idiots, before someone comes in the shop!"



As soon as they were safely below ground, Basho stood cross-armed in front of Kenta, looking him up and down. Hibiki noticed that he eyed the G/S cap with particular distaste. "I liked your Brendan disguise better," the Rocket murmured. "So . . . I take it you didn't come to remind me of the bad old times."



"No," said Kenta, and in a similarly irate tone, filled Basho in about the Tournament. Basho's cold gaze hardened as he finished.



"Imbecile," he snapped, "there's no way we'll have enough legendary pokémon in time to make it. Did you think hunting them would be a simple matter of throwing a Master Ball and arriving back in time for tea?"



"Maybe not for you."



All heads turned to see another man coming down the hallway of Persian statues to meet them. He was dressed predominantly in a white lab coat, and Hibiki recalled seeing him briefly during their first meeting down here, though he couldn't recall his name.



"But that's the difference between you and me, 006," he said, placing a hand under his chin as if thinking. "You never managed to secure your quarry in a pokeball. I did." He withdrew something from his pocket and held it up: the purple-and-white Master Ball that Kenta had given him just a couple of days ago.



Basho's face twisted in anger. "I thought I told you not to show that to anyone. Or have I been talking to myself for the last hour?"



"I am your ally by necessity. But never mistake me for your subordinate." The labcoat-man spoke in a neutral voice, giving Basho a sidelong glance. "This pokémon is in my keeping now, and I will reveal it to whomever I deem fit."



"Uh . . ." Hibiki spoke up, hoping to break the tension between the two of them. "Sorry, but who are you again?"



The labcoat-man looked at him keenly. "You're . . . ah, yes, the younger brother. I am Ein."



"Former member of the first Cipher," Kenta added.



"Indeed," said Ein, and Hibiki noticed a flash of an injured look cross his expression. "And former tamer of the legendary Raikou."



Hibiki glanced quickly back at Basho, whose face was livid. "Oh . . . so that's what he meant about securing his quarry."



"I don't have to stay here and listen to this!" Basho snarled, turning on his heel and storming away down the hall. "You're no different, Ein! You lost Raikou too!"



They watched him go until he was gone, and then Ein heaved a sigh of relief. "I figured we would get nowhere with him around, which is why I put up that facade," he said wearily. "Kenta . . . or should I say, Master Gold. I didn't find out until later that you were the one who thwarted Basho's capture of Raikou three years back. It would seem that Basho still holds you in contempt for that."



"The feeling's mutual," said Kenta darkly. "He kidnapped Marina and tried to kill me."



Ein shook his head. "That's a shame. I've long since made up with Wes." He looked at Kenta with sharp eyes. "Strange circumstances bring us together- the young man who freed Raikou, and the man who went on to catch him all over again. I don't suppose you grudge me for it, do you? After all the hard work and risk you went through?"



Kenta raised an eyebrow, looking at Ein with mild astonishment. "What is this? Are you asking me to judge you?"



"No. I have already been judged." Ein's stonelike face gave way suddenly, and Hibiki could hear the inner humanity coming through his voice. "Let's get down to business. You have come to see if anyone actually managed to capture their chosen legendary pokémon. I will show you. But I wanted to prepare you before I opened this ball."