Paul and Dawn: First Light

Chapter 57: Search

Chapter 57: Search 

After putting ten minutes in between us and possible pursuers, I found a cluster of trees and crouched behind them, lowering Bagon to the ground where he jumped out of my arms, refusing to turn towards me. 

"I know you want revenge," I said. 

Bagon looked up, eyes burning in anger. He looked like a true Dragon Pokemon with his rage. Researchers weren't exactly sure if Pokemon knew what was happening around them before they hatched, but I remembered the shattered eggshells and the sense of lifelessness that Meteor Falls had been haunted with. The chamber where Bagon was the only surviving egg. 

Those people had taken his family. I may not be sentimental, but I did know anger for losing someone that I cared for- stolen from me. 

I kept my own anger in check, focusing on the matter on hand. 

"Bagon, I honestly don't care how you feel about them right now. The only reason I would possibly care is if it will help us get my Pokemon, your friends, and Dawn back," I stated. "We will not rest until they're safe." 

He nodded, a curt bob of his head. 

I took a few seconds to check his condition- quick breathing, somewhat trembling limbs. Bagon's endurance was pathetic, but I couldn't dwell on that. He was all I had to save Dawn and our Pokemon. Complaining about it wouldn't do any good and I knew by criticizing Bagon I would only be criticizing my own abilities as a Trainer. 

Right now, Bagon couldn't battle experienced Pokemon without fainting immediately. I couldn't get caught by the people who had taken Dawn until I formed a strategy that involved sneaking around, which I disliked. Mauville City was still too far away for me to run to for help and I disliked asking for help in the first place. 

Yet Dawn's safety hung in the balance. 

They wouldn't hurt her, I told myself, wanting to believe it. They took her for a reason and left me. There was a reason they needed her, and usually people are needed alive. 

I didn't want to think of other possibilities. Dawn had to live. I couldn't go through losing someone I loved again. 

I kept myself from panicking by putting a hand on Bagon's head, pretending I was only doing it to calm him down and not myself. "Listen to me and we'll be alright." 

Bagon nodded again, slower this time, obviously assured that every word out of my mouth was absolutely true. 

If only I could believe it myself.

I decided it'd be best to attempt to find their base, assuming there were more members of this gang than there were at our campsite. I carried Bagon while we walked, desperate for him to save his energy. It was a bad sign that he didn't retort to me helping him. On a normal day, Bagon would be offended that I considered him too weak to walk by himself. He didn't have much energy left. 

During the walk, which was spent in absolutely silence, moving with precision and caution in case of being found, I realized why the uniforms seemed so familiar to me. I'd seen them in news reports years ago- Team Magma.  

They were one of the two main organizations in Hoenn that were destructive and, to put it bluntly, absolutely idiotic when it came to their goal. Yes, the world's land masses in proportion to the oceans were not ideal for humans, but this was the way the world was and upsetting the natural balance of earth and ocean was something that naïve humans such as themselves shouldn't disturb. Their plan to awaken Groudon, who Team Magma had hoped would expand the land, had failed and ever since Team Magma hadn't been in any major news as far as I was aware.