The New Order: Fading Light

Chapter 3: Sea of Hopelessness

A/N: Alright, I've got to warn you that things are going to get a lot worse before they start getting better. In addition to the Pokéshipping and the Cavaliershipping that I had previously mentioned in the summary I have decided to commit myself to Contestshipping (if the last chapter didn't give you a hint), Rocketshipping and Eldershipping. Of course most of the true romantic stuff will have to wait but there will be a little joy in the lives of these characters who I appear to be so intent on torturing at the moment. Please bear with me and I promise that your faith and patience will be rewarded. Many thanks to my readers and a special shout out to RainbowMunchies. I highly recommend that you look her stories up sometime. She's an awesome writer. Now on to the story.

"Jessie…?" James asked as he ducked inside the cave entrance, carrying two apples "Jessie, are you awake?"

"Yeah," Jessie replied from deep inside the cave "Yeah, I'm awake.

"I brought breakfast," James said, sitting down beside her and offering her one of the apples.

"Thanks," Jessie said flatly as she took the apple. She simply held it in her hands, not even looking at it. James wondered if she really even knew that it was there at all.

"It looks like the battalion that's been occupying the town is preparing to move on," James informed her "Maybe in a few days we can head down and get some real food."

"Maybe," Jessie sighed.

It hadn't taken long after Team Rocket had seized control in Kanto that Jessie, James and Meowth had been declared as unfit for duty. Giovanni had said that there was no room for mercy in his new Team Rocket and the trio had been scheduled to be executed. Meowth had managed to cause enough of a distraction that Jessie and James had been able to escape. But Meowth was dead. Jessie and James were on the run, without Pokémon or even a place to call home. Living in caves and eating fruit for every meal had become their life as they tried their hardest to avoid Team Rocket and stay alive.

"You know you should eat," James told her "You'll need the energy."

Jessie nodded but made no indication that she would heed his advice. She pressed her back further against the cave wall. Finally she spoke "How long do you think we can keep this up?" she asked. "They'll find us eventually; it's only a matter of time now."

James reached out and wrapped an arm around her "There's always hope," he attempted to assure her.

"I don't think so," Jessie said sadly, resting her head on James's shoulder. She was so tired of running, so tired of being hunted, she was just tired. Hope was a word that held little meaning anymore.

"Listen to me," James said seriously "I won't let anything happen to you."

Jessie smiled faintly "Thank you James but I think our number's up."

James pulled her closer "I'm not gonna give up just yet," he told her.

Jessie took a small bite of her apple and chewed it. They were done for; there was no other way around it. They had no means of defending themselves, no money and they had all but run out of options. All they could do for now was to hide in the cave until they were sure that the battalion of Rocket soldiers was indeed moving on.

XXX

"Saffron City, finally," Brock sighed with relief as the safe haven came into sight. Sabrina and her family along with their host of psychic Pokémon had done well at repelling Team Rocket from the city's boundaries. Giovanni knew better than to engage them.

Saffron City's connection to the resistance wasn't a secret or at least it wasn't as closely guarded of a secret as some of the resistance members would have liked it to be. Many families from surrounding cities and towns tried to make the move to Saffron in hopes that they would be safer there. The city was quickly becoming overcrowded. And this only made it easier for Giovanni to send spies in. Sabrina's family couldn't always locate the spies and things had become difficult lately. But still, the sight of the city filled both Brock and Dawn with a sense of relief.

Dawn had originally suggested that they bring Aurora with them to Saffron City but had decided against it when she remembered the latest news of how a Team Rocket spy had been caught in one of the resistance facilities with a bomb. With those spies everywhere it wouldn't even be safe to talk about Aurora within the city limits let alone bring her there.

"Looks like we've got trouble," Dawn murmured as she noticed a group of armed Rockets between them and the city.

"They must be trying to intercept resistance members," Brock commented as he dashed for the cover of a nearby hedge.

"I hope that's all," Dawn remarked as she sped after him.

Brock and Dawn crept on their hands and knees through the undergrowth. When they were within a few yards of the group of soldiers they stopped and listened. The conversation was unguarded, relaxed even in the tones of voice that were being used.

"Doesn't look like any rebs are gonna be showing up today," a man with slick black hair pulled into a ponytail remarked.

"You never know," a woman with long curly purple hair replied.

Dawn held out an arm to keep Brock from running to the woman and confessing his undying love for her but Brock swatted her arm away "What kind of idiot do you take me for?" he asked in a rough whisper "She's the enemy. I don't flirt with the enemy."

"Shut up," Dawn hissed as she tried to hear the conversation.

"I do feel sorry for that family of psychics though," a man with fire red spiky hair laughed "I always thought that they were bullet proof."

"Bullet proof," Dawn murmured, sincerely hoping that didn't mean what she thought it meant.

"Ha," Black ponytail smiled "Don't you know that's the only way to defeat a psychic. Good job by the way Rain," he high fived the purple haired woman.

"I didn't think I'd ever get the chance," Rain replied with a grin "I thought if I took one of them down there was no way I could be fast enough to shoot the others before they made my head explode or something."

The group laughed.

"Oh no," Dawn whispered.

"Not Sabrina," Brock muttered.

"The spy problem must have gotten even more out of hand than we thought," Dawn said as she began to put as much distance between herself and the Rockets as possible "I never thought that an assassin would be able to get so close to them."

"I wonder where the other resistance members went," Brock mused.

"I wonder if any of them were able to get away," Dawn said with a frown.

"Team Rocket couldn't have captured all of them," Brock stated hopefully.

"Oh, I wish we could trust the phone lines," Dawn growled "I'd love to be able to call Lance or Reggie or someone."

"I know how you feel," Brock pulled himself to his feet now that they were out of sight from the Rockets "I still have my messenger Pidgey," he tossed a Pokéball into the air and the flying type appeared "Who should we try to contact?"

"I have no idea," Dawn sighed heavily. She found herself wishing that she hadn't left her Pidgey with her mother over a year ago "We don't even know who's left."

As the two of them were standing there, watching Brock's messenger Pidgey flap its wings, another Pidgey dropped out of the sky and landed on the ground in front of Dawn.

"Do you suppose it's good news?" Brock asked a bit sarcastically as the Pidgey held its right leg out in Dawn's direction.

Dawn bent down and slid the folded piece of paper from under the brown band on the Pidgey's leg. "Thank you," she patted the Pidgey's head before unfolding the paper. Her eyes scanned the words. She read the message out loud "To any resistance member attempting to enter Saffron City, Team Rocket now has control of the city. Many of the survivors of the assault were taken into custody. We are…" Dawn trailed off and looked up at Brock "Disbanding…"

"Disbanding…?" Brock asked his jaw hanging agape.

Dawn nodded, turning back to the paper; she continued to read "Our foothold in the Kanto region is nonexistent. The cost of fighting has become too great. Those who have been lucky enough to survive thus far are free to go back to their old lives if they wish. As for me, I am sorry to abandon you but the fight in Sinnoh needs a strong leader. Thank you for your service, Lt. Surge." Dawn looked up again "How can he just right all of Kanto off as a lost cause?" she demanded of Brock.

"I guess he figures that too many people have died," Brock shrugged "He must think that there's a better chance of retaking Veilstone City and so he up and left."

"So now what do we do," Dawn asked, reattaching the noet to the Pidgey's leg for any other stragglers that happened by.

"You could always go back and stay with Gary," Brock suggested as he recalled his own messenger Pidgey and began walking.

Dawn watched as the other Pidgey took off into the air before following after Brock "Are you trying to get rid of me?" she asked.

"It's just that…" Brock started.

"Just that what...?" Dawn snapped "That I'm a coordinator and not as strong as a real trainer? Or is it because I'm a girl?"

"Neither," Brock said calmly "It's because you're my friend Dawn and I don't want to see you get hurt. You haven't done any serious training in over a year. While my Pokémon and I were out in the forest figuring out new strategies, you were with Misty, sorting through baby clothes. I don't know if you could handle being back in a battle situation again."

Dawn grew furious "My Pokémon and I are just as fine tuned as anyone," she had to be careful of the volume of her voice but from the tone it was clear to Brock that he was being reprimanded. "I did my own type of training," she informed him "I've always known that I was going to go back to the resistance and I haven't let myself lose sight of that."

Brock backed away from her "I didn't mean to…"

"Yes you did," Dawn told him "You did mean to challenge me. You are trying to convince me that I've lost my edge. What I don't understand is, why?"

"Because I don't want to see you get hurt," Brock said, repeating an earlier sentiment "Every day more people die. How do you know you won't end up like Max?"

"I don't know that," Dawn told him "But I'm not gonna let myself be afraid when I know I can make a difference."

"I can't keep losing friends," Brock told her "Go stay with Gary and Aurora. You'll be happy there and you'll be safe."

"But for how long?" Dawn countered "If there isn't a resistance to slow Giovanni down nothing will stop him from putting all of his resources into hunting Aurora down. I don't intend to let that happen."

Brock shook his head "Well, come on," he said finally "I hope you've been training yourself as well."

"Why? Where are we going?" Dawn asked.

"Well," Brock began "Team Rocket controls all means of travel so unless you have some brilliant scheme to stow away in plain sight, it's a long row to Sinnoh."

XXX

"Comfortable?" Domino sneered at Professor Oak as he writhed in agony in the chair "Do you feel like talking yet?"

Samuel shook his head "I'll die first," he said through his teeth.

Domino laughed "Oh, that stuff won't kill you. It'll just get more and more painful."

"Then," Samuel said slowly "It… stands to reason that… eventually, the pain, would become… so intense… that it… would… kill me…"

"You wish," Domino laughed "It's a favorite interrogation technique of ours these days. Eventually, you will talk and when you do, I'll give you the antidote."

"It's not as if I know… anything," Samuel rasped.

"Oh," Domino said as she relaxed in her chair "I'm sure that somewhere in the recesses of your mind there are a few precious little gems of thought that the Boss would find quite useful."

"I doubt it," Samuel grunted "I do have some very interesting stories to tell you about the life cycle of a Beedril if you're interested."

"Oh, I'm sure you've got more than that," Domino sneered, she was enjoying this "I'm sure you have some wonderful stories to tell about your grandson. You must be very proud of him. Tell me, what is dear Gary up to these days?"

"Nothing that would interest you," Samuel spat.

"You'd be surprised what interests me," Domino countered "Like for instance I know he was one of the top trainers in the resistance until a few months ago. Recently he's disappeared from the radar. Now what I can't figure," she adjusted herself in the chair and leaned forward "Is what could be more important to someone like your grandson than fighting for the freedom of the world?"

"It's… a... mystery…" Samuel ground out. The pain was growing more and more unbearable by the second. It was getting hard for him to breathe. He doubted that Domino had told him the truth when she had said that the injection wouldn't kill him.

"Not really," Domino told him "I bet the only thing that would make him quit the resistance would have to do with his other great love in life, Pokémon research. Seeing as how all of the Pokémon research in Kanto and the other regions is now mysteriously out of Team Rocket's reach, I have a sneaking suspicion that it might have something to do with that."

"You're… wrong…" Samuel saw spots at the edge of his vision. He had to remind himself to breathe now, the pain was so intense.

"Am I?" Domino asked him, leaning further forward "You're not looking so well Professor," she remarked "I can make the pain stop. All you have to do is answer this one little question for me. What is your grandson doing these days?"

Samuel was struggling. He felt like his ribcage would cave in at any moment. Tears were falling freely from his eyes now but it would have been hard to notice seeing as how sweat was pouring from everywhere else. He took a deep breath and lost the fight against the urge to vomit. As he wretched and wretched Domino simply laughed.

She pulled another syringe from her pocket "Just answer the question Professor," she said in a lilting sing song voice "Answer the question and I'll make the pain stop."

"The… research… he's… safeguarding……… it…" Samuel dry heaved and let out a pained wail the likes of which he had not made since he was in diapers.

"There," Domino smiled as she injected the contents of the syringe into Samuel's arm "Was that so hard?"

The relief the antidote brought was instantaneous. The sharp throbbing pain disappeared, leaving a dull numbness and the broken shell of a man in its place. Samuel doubled over in the chair and began to cry as Domino stood up.

"Get some rest Professor," she told him "Tomorrow, we'll discuss the whereabouts of your beloved grandson." The clang of the cell door closing behind her sounded so final to Samuel's ears as he sat there and cried. There really was no hope left. He didn't think he could take another one of these sessions. And there would be no end to the next one because he did not have the slightest idea where Gary was.