53. Red Orb
I wasn't exactly unarmed. The old man and woman at the summit of Mt. Pyre entrusted me with the Red Orb, and even though I didn't know what it did, I felt as though it had some untold power within it.
"They should never be separated," the old couple warned me when Maxie ran off with the Blue Orb, but it was too late for that.
What was about to happen? Maybe this was getting a bit too out of control for an eighteen-year-old to handle.
I didn't have a choice anymore. I was the one with the Red Orb.
54. Wild Goose Chase
Sneaking into the Magma hideout wasn't nearly as difficult as it should have been, but Maxie had been the one to invite me, after all.
None of the grunts presented a challenge. They were weak, which I mentally attributed to their poor morals, even though there probably wasn't a correlation at all.
I had a feeling that this was no mistake, though. Everything about this place seemed deliberate, like I was being sent on a wild goose chase.
I didn't have the luxury to be too late… I had to make it in time…
But I wouldn't, and I didn't.
55. Loose Screw
The admins were certainly a step above the grunts, and Tabitha was no exception. But that didn't mean that he was any challenge, though he had promised not to toy with me—not that I would trust his word.
Courtney laughed at me, too, when she lost… There was a screw loose in these people, and as Tabitha exploded into giggles, I wondered if I should get out of here before something worse happened.
They planned on murdering us all, anyway.
"Too late," Tabitha hissed between giggles. "The boss is gone to the underwater cavern! You'll never find him now."
56. Panic
It seemed counterproductive to aim for another gym badge when Team Magma was onto the next step of their plan, but I couldn't use Dive without getting it—not that I had the HM, but that was another issue.
The longer I waited, the longer the Red and Blue Orbs were separated, and the sooner that doom could meet us all.
I sped towards Mossdeep, anxiety finally settling, and I gripped that stupid pocket on my bag like a stress ball.
Steven… Would he know what to do? How many more days would it be until I saw him again?
Author's Note: Oh, if only you knew, May. If only you knew…
I'm going to be posting the next update early tomorrow because I'm going to a concert tomorrow night. Just a heads up. But feel free to read and review both this one and the next even if the updates are close together. ;)