The New Order: Fading Light
Chapter 1: Into Thy Hands
Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once so listen carefully: I do NOT own Pokémon.
A/N: I finally came upon a good idea for a Pokémon story. I hope it will be well received. It does include some character deaths but please bare with me. I am fairly confident that if you give it a chance, you will like it. This story will include Pokéshipping, Cavaliershipping and maybe a few others, depending on my mood.
Character Ages: Misty = 21; Brock = 23; Dawn = 19; Gary = 20. Other relevant characters' ages will be given when they appear in a chapter.
"I wish we didn't have to be so secretive about all of this," Dawn whispered as she and Brock made their way through the forest.
"I do to," Brock replied, being careful not to disturb the sleeping bundle in his arms "But the world is a much different place these days."
Dawn sighed "I know, believe me, I know," the two of them continued to sneak through the forest, avoiding the more regularly used routes and paths that at one time were safe for all to travel. A few minutes later Dawn chose to break the silence once again "Are you sure we're doing the right thing?"
"What else can we do?" Brock countered "You heard what Professor Oak said. The power of Aura must be protected. The beings that possess the power of Aura must be protected. Especially now, especially after what happened…"
"I don't feel right about this," Dawn said quietly "What will Misty say when she finds out?"
"She can't find out," Brock told Dawn "We all swore we'd do whatever it took."
"I know," Dawn said, turning her eyes towards the ground "But this is someone's child we're talking about here. I don't think I can look Misty in the eyes and lie to her about this."
"You're going to have to," Brock told her "It's bigger than just us. We're talking about the fate of the whole world here Dawn; all the humans and all the Pokémon. This is about millions of mothers and children."
"I just wish things were different," Dawn sighed "If only Ash were here."
"Me too," Brock sighed heavily as they drew closer to their destination.
Another hour of walking and they had reached their destination. There, standing in the middle of a clearing was the person they had come to see, the one who they hoped could help them to conceal and protect the last hope for the future of their world.
"Good to see you," Gary Oak greeted "I was worried you wouldn't make it. The Rocket patrols are everywhere."
"We saw at least ten battalions on the main road," Dawn said as she took the sleeping child from Brock's arms "Lucky for us she slept the whole way."
Gary walked over to where Dawn was standing and peered down at the little girl. "So this is her," he marveled, reaching out and stroking the toddler's soft raven hair. At that moment the child's eyes opened and Gary found himself staring into deep blue pools of bewilderment.
"Aunie Dawwn…?" the still sleepy child questioned as she shoved one of her chubby hands into her mouth "Whew Momma…? Whew Piatu…?"
"Shhh," Dawn cooed "Your Momma is in the hospital, remember? And Pikachu is at home with Grandma."
"Wann Momma…" the child gurgled "Wann Piatu…"
The little girl was becoming distraught. Dawn looked up briefly at the sky, praying for guidance "It's alright," she whispered, rocking the eleven month old in her arms "Look, Piplup is here," she soothed as the small Pokémon made its presence known to the baby.
"We shouldn't stay here too long," Gary motioned to the group to follow him "Nothing like a crying baby to draw the Rockets like Mothim to a flame."
It wasn't long before the group was seated around a small table in an underground bunker. Dawn stared at her surroundings as she attempted once again to calm the little girl. This was the place that this child would have to grow up in? There had to be another way to keep her safe from Team Rocket. But after the events of the last week… she didn't know anymore.
"How is Misty doing?" Gary asked as he poured water for his guests.
"She should recover," Brock told him "But you know how it is these days, the Rockets will probably take her into custody as soon as she does." It was a far too common occurrence. Team Rocket had eyes and ears everywhere. That was one of the reasons that Misty couldn't know that Brock and Dawn had spirited her daughter away.
"I don't think that even if she manages to get out of the hospital without Team Rocket noticing, she'll never be the same again," Dawn remarked.
Gary nodded sadly "She's suffered so much already. Ever since Ash… and now this…" he trailed off as his eyes drifted to the baby in Dawn's arms "I can't imagine what's going through her mind right now, her only child, wanted by Team Rocket before she's even a year old."
The baby had finally cried herself to sleep in Dawn's arms "She'll never even know what's happened," Dawn said sorrowfully.
"Dawn," Brock began.
"Yes, I know that Aurora is the world's last hope, I know all about that," Dawn said defensively "It doesn't mean I have to like it. Losing Aurora will be like losing Ash all over again for Misty. It may be the world's only hope but it just isn't fair."
Gary reached out and took Aurora Ketchum from Dawn's arms before Dawn's agitation could awaken the baby "I know it isn't right and it isn't fair," Gary said calmly "But Aurora is the only known living human with the power of Aura and the only one with the power to defeat what Giovanni has become. We need to take care of her until she's old enough to be able to use her power. If everything goes well, Misty will see her daughter again."
"It still sucks," Dawn murmured.
"No argument here," Brock moaned.
"Have you heard anything from the resistance?" Gary asked as he stood up and walked the two steps to the crib that had been prepared for Aurora's arrival.
"Every day there are fewer members of the resistance to hear from," Brock remarked "Veilstone City fell to Team Rocket three days ago."
"One of the last strongholds in Sinnoh," Gary sighed heavily "How many dead?"
"Twenty trainers," Dawn said quietly "Including Max."
Gary hung his head. Max was just the latest in a long line of casualties that hit home. In the past eighteen months since Team Rocket had become the new super power in the world the list had grown with each passing day.
Erica, the Celadon City Gym Leader had been the first casualty of the war. Giovanni himself had ordered his Persian to slit her throat with its claws. After that Ash's friend Ritchie had been killed in the bombing of a Pokémon Center that had come under attack because of suspicion that they were harboring dangerous individuals. Of course, poor Ritchie had fallen into the category of what Team Rocket deemed "dangerous individuals" because he didn't share their ideals.
Misty's sisters had been mowed down shortly after that by gunfire because they refused to turn control of their gym over to Giovanni. Everyone in the regions began to lose hope until Ash stepped up. Ash had rallied the trainers around him. He and Misty had been able to gather a sizable resistance force. Gary was sure that the Pokémon League would have approved if Giovanni hadn't crushed the League the first chance he got.
Young and old, trainers and coordinators, breeders and stylists all banded together. Ash had made all of them believe in themselves again. With Ash leading them they truly believed that Team Rocket would fall before them. Gary had been a part of the resistance at that time too. He marveled at how Ash could inspire confidence in even the weakest looking kid whose best Pokémon was a newborn Caterpie.
The resistance had trained together, lived together, slept together, becoming stronger and more precise with every day. They had managed to keep the Rockets from taking over Veilstone City the first time and that time no one had died.
But as time went on, it became obvious to all those in the resistance, that Misty was pregnant and had been for some time. Ash had finally put his foot down, stating that it was too dangerous for his wife to continue on with the resistance. He had escorted her back to Pallet Town, leaving Pikachu with her to protect her and his mother. He never returned from his trip to Pallet. No one was sure what had happened to him but with every day that passed the hope that he was still alive faded further and further. The final spark of hope had been stomped out of existence when Angie, out on a scouting mission in the Viridian Forest, had come upon Ash's had washed up on the river bank.
Gary, May, Max, Brock and Dawn had snuck to Pallet for a private funeral service. Misty hadn't been able to stop crying as Gary handed her the hat. She had blamed herself; she probably still blamed herself Gary thought. Brock and Dawn had stayed with Misty and Mrs. Ketchum while Gary and the others rejoined the resistance. No one in the group ever quite managed to get past the loss of their leader.
"Gary," Dawn was speaking again.
Gary was snapped from his thoughts "Yeah?" he asked.
"Will you be staying here long?" Dawn asked him, looking around the bleak space once again.
"For now," Gary replied "It's not like there are many options. I think we all know how determined Team Rocket is to get their hands on Aurora."
Dawn nodded. It had been only a week ago that Team Rocket had laid siege to Pallet Town. Misty, Brock and Dawn had stood firm while Delia Ketchum along with Professor Oak and Pikachu had fled into the forest with Aurora. Misty had been injured by a particularly powerful Hyper Beam attack that had been aimed at the edge of the forest where her daughter had been taken to protect her. Brock and Dawn had been able to repel the attackers with help from Pikachu who had charged out of the forest after Misty had fallen. Professor Oak had taken Misty to the closest hospital, the one in Viridian City, and Delia had entrusted her granddaughter to Brock and Dawn. After sending a Pidgey to Gary, informing him of the situation, they had set out to meet him at his hidden research bunker.
During the conflict, the leader of the Rocket assault unit had demanded that they hand over "The Aura baby" saying that Giovanni wanted to insure that the child could never grow up to oppose him the way her father had. Misty, Dawn, Brock along with Professor Oak, Delia and Pikachu had known that the baby possessed the power of Aura from the day she was born but how Team Rocket had discovered this was a mystery.
"She's going to be safe here," Gary told Dawn "I won't let Ash and Misty down."
"Dawn," Brock put a hand on her arm "I know you don't like this idea, I don't either but… what else can we do?"
"Aunie Dawwn," a small voice called. Dawn turned to see that Aurora was standing up in the crib, having woken up once again. The little girl reached one arm out in Dawn's direction "Aunie Dawwwwn," the child plead "Ugie…"
Dawn nodded in understanding, standing up and moving to the crib's side. She reached down and pulled the little girl into a hug. "Hey there little one," she cooed.
"Stay…?" the child asked. Aurora was actually quite perceptive for her age. She seemed to know that she was going to stay there. The child looked up at Dawn "Aunie Dawwwwn, stay…?"
"What do you say Dawn?" Gary asked with a smile as he put a hand on her shoulder "Will you stay?"
"I wish I could," Dawn said, closing her eyes "But the resistance, they need me and…"
"You should stay," Brock told her "Misty would be at ease if she knew that you were looking after Aurora along with Gary. You've had almost as big a part in raising her as Misty did."
Dawn nodded, remembering the night that Aurora had come into the world. Brock and Mrs. Ketchum had been helping Professor Oak smuggle the Pokémon from the ranch into the forest and weren't going to be back for at least four days. Dawn had volunteered to stay with Misty.
On the first night Misty's water had broken. The group had been planning for this for a long time. It had been decided that Misty would have to give birth at home. She was too well known as an enemy of Team Rocket to risk taking her to the hospital and the identity of the baby's father was also too well known. Anonymity was impossible.
Misty's labor had lasted an agonizing fifteen hours. During those hours, Misty had screamed, cried and confided things to Dawn that she wouldn't have even ever dared tell her sisters. Dawn had held Misty's hand as contraction after contraction passed. She had held Misty as she had cried for Ash. She had wanted her husband to be there for the birth of their child. Misty had cried for her child who would never get a chance to know her father. Dawn had boiled tea for her, sat with her, talked to her and when the time had come for Misty to begin pushing; Dawn had delivered the baby girl.
The child had been breathing and pink upon her arrival but did not cry. It was an odd occurrence that frightened the two young women. Dawn had wrapped the infant in a blanket and placed her in Misty's arms. The child cooed up at her mother but did not cry. Misty had kissed her daughter's forehead and smiled.
But there was a problem. Misty was still bleeding, heavily. Dawn had been frantic as Misty seemed to fade in and out of consciousness. An overwhelming feeling of helplessness had overcome Dawn as she gathered every towel and blanket from the rooms of the house in hopes that she might be able to do something. She had returned to Misty's side to witness a miracle.
The baby girl had placed a tiny hand over her mother's heart. A blue light surrounded both of them. Dawn had immediately identified the light as Aura. As the light intensified, Misty began to regain consciousness. When she opened her eyes and saw what was happening she gasped. When the light finally faded mother and child were perfectly fine. Misty had named her daughter Aurora for the power she seemed to possess a definitive inheritance from her father.
Dawn opened her eyes and looked down at the child. She turned to look at Gary who was looking at her with hope in his eyes. His face was sincere and adorable. Dawn had always found him strangely endearing. Something in those sincerely hopeful eyes that made some of the fear and the icy coldness inside her that the war had caused fade away. She desperately wanted to stay. But the resistance needed all the trainers they could get. She couldn't stay. As much as she wanted to "I have to go Aurie," she said quietly, kissing the baby's forehead "Auntie Dawn loves you, very much."
She set the child back down in the crib "Take good care of her," she said softly to Gary, avoiding eye contact with him as she headed towards the bunker's exit.
"Piplupup…?" the Pokémon questioned, following its trainer. Piplup knew Dawn's feelings regarding Aurora and more importantly, her feelings regarding Gary. Her reaction was not the one the Pokémon had been expecting.
"Dawn, wait," Gary said, following her.
Dawn turned to look at him but didn't say anything at first.
"Come on Piplup," Brock said, picking up the water type "Let's go keep a look out," there was no other reason for him to suggest this other than to afford Dawn and Gary some privacy.
Gary shot Brock a grateful look as the older boy took Piplup outside. He turned to Dawn "The resistance has survived without you for over a year now. Can't you stay?" he begged. It wasn't nearly begging, it wasn't almost begging, it was honest to goodness begging.
Dawn still refused to look him in the eye "They've barely survived and we both know it," she said softly "I have to go back to them. They need me."
"I need you," Gary said, reaching out and cupping her face "I don't want to hear second hand from someone that you gave your life in some losing battle the way Max did."
In spite of his proximity to her and in spite of his touch, Dawn still would not bring her gaze to meet those eyes of his. She had made her choice and she knew if she caught that sincere hopeful look again that she would crumble. She had to walk away. It would be years before Aurora knew how to use her power properly and until then, someone needed to keep fighting. Aurora couldn't save the world if there was no world left to save.
"Gary… I-I can't… I wish… I wish I could but… it, it just can't be," tears were brimming in her eyes "Please don't make this harder than it already is?"
"You know how I feel," Gary told her.
"Yes, I do," Dawn replied "But I can't just turn my back on the resistance. We're fighting for our lives. Every day we lose another piece of who we are. I don't want to spend the rest of my life hiding away in a bunker."
Gary nodded. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in a bunker either. But it had been the place that his Grandfather and the other great minds of the regions had decided to send their research to protect it from Team Rocket and preserve it for the future. Gary had been chosen to be the steward of this knowledge. And as there was information in this collection that pertained to the use of Aura, including information about the ancient Aura Guardians, it had been the obvious choice for Aurora. Though initially, Misty hadn't planned on Aurora going to stay with Gary until her eighth or ninth birthday and had originally planned on accompanying her, circumstances had called for a change in plans.
"Please take care of yourself," Gary finally conceded. He couldn't stop her, he knew that.
"I will," Dawn promised. Her eyes drifted upward until they met his eyes "I have to go now," she whispered.
"I know," he said, leaning forward and placing a quick and gentle kiss on her lips "I…" the sentence died in his throat so he simply wrapped his arms around her.
"I'll visit if I can," she told him before turning away "To check on Aurie of course," she felt compelled to add.
"Of course," Gary nodded with a half smile.
"Goodbye," Dawn said as she stepped away.
"It's not goodbye," Gary told her emphatically.
"See you anon then," Dawn corrected with a slight smile.
"Anon it is," Gary chuckled.
Dawn exited the bunker to meet up with Brock and Piplup. Gary turned to survey the small room. Even with his new companion the space still felt empty. "Anon can't come soon enough," he whispered "Please take care of yourself Dawn. I love you…"
A/N: Well, that was the first chapter. Please let me know what you think. More to come soon. Extra credit to the reviewer who can correctly identify my source for the chapter title.