Chapter 59: Rising 

We edged closer to the entrance and found Tom squatting down far enough away so that he was unseen by anyone coming near the mouth of the cavern. 

"Good, you're conscious." He smiled at Dawn. 

"Where are our Pokemon?" I asked sternly. 

"Commander Fuller has them with him. He's always carrying a satchel on his hip. His Houndoom is usually out of its Poke Ball, guarding it. Obviously, no one ever messes with the Commander because he's, well, ruthless." 

Tom held out his burnt arm, which was a shiny, blood red. Dawn gasped at the sight, her body leaning instinctively towards me. She looked away from his arm, trying not to shudder at what his arm now represented. That's what we'd get, if not worse, if we were caught.  

"Is my Piplup in his Poke Ball now?" Dawn asked worriedly. 

Tom hesitated. "I think so." 

It wasn't very convincing. I glared at him. 

"Hey, I just joined. I don't know the inner workings of this little rag tag team yet. Really, this isn't even Team Magma anymore. It's just psychotic people getting together to cause mayhem, run by Fuller who's the most twisted guy I've ever met." 

"Do you have any Pokemon?" I asked. 

"No. Roger gave them all to Commander Fuller as soon as he tied me up. And you better watch out- Fuller may be crazy, but he's raised some extremely powerful Pokemon and doesn't care if he's attacking a Pokemon or a human. You've seen that for yourself." He nodded to me. 

"The only Pokemon I have is my Bagon who's still extremely weak from when you kidnapped Dawn," I said, hoping to hear actual information that could help me form a plan. "When is your group going to go to sleep and how many people will be on watch?" 

"They're not going to sleep for at least another hour and by then someone would come to replace Roger and notice we're gone so we can't wait for that." Tom sighed. "Does your Bagon know any fire attacks?" 

"Yeah, Flamethrower. Why?"  

"If we start a fire, maybe we can get everyone to scatter. They don't own any Water Pokemon since they hate the ocean. When everyone's trying to run away, maybe we can grab Fuller's satchel, get our Pokemon back, and then we'd stand a chance against him." 

I considered the plan. The fire could get very out of hand if we didn't rescue Piplup in time to help put it out. The fire could kill us all and the Commander might flee, our Pokemon lost forever. 

Sighing internally at our lack of options, I stared at Dawn. "What do you think?" 

She frowned. "I don't like the plan, but I can't think of a better one." 

I grimaced. "Let the world burn, then."

We found Bagon once Dawn and I had all snuck back into the forest and walked far away enough so that the other Team Magma members wouldn't go looking. His body trembled and I frowned, wishing I had some Oran berries to give him some energy and stop his constant shaking. 

"Listen, Bagon. I'm going to need you to set the forest on fire. Just a small section to distract Team Magma. If you don't, we might never get the rest of our friends back," I said urgently. "I know you're tired, but we might have to fight. Are you ready?" 

Bagon nodded, but looked fearful. 

I put a hand on his head. "You're strong and you've come so far, Bagon. I'm really proud of you." 

Startled, his black eyes met mine before setting with determination.  

"Let's go." I stood up and we made our way through the underbrush, avoiding the guards. 

Bagon and I would start a fire far enough away that all of the grunts would take off and try to put it out. The Commander seemed like a man who would sit and do nothing even in a moment of crises at the main camp, so Tom decided that he'd provide yet another distraction by emerging from the cave once again.  

While the Commander's back was turned, Dawn, Bagon, and I would sneak up behind him and try to knock him out. Bagon would attempt to subdue his Houndoom, while Dawn would try to grab Fuller's bag. The plan was still extremely faulty and counted on a heaping amount of luck to actually work.  

"Dawn, stay here. I'll be back soon. You remember the signal to give to Tom?" 

"Yeah." She nodded, holding up a stone- she was supposed to throw it near the cave's entrance to get his attention. 

"Ok. Be careful. Remember your promise."

"You be careful too. For me," she whispered, pulling me into a fierce hug. 

I blinked in surprise, wrapping my arms around her, not really ever remembering when someone cared about my well-being. We stood, embraced, somehow finding sanctuary in our touch despite all the tension, the guilt, the danger that surrounded us. She brought me peace in the worst circumstances.  

We pulled away from each other. Dawn's eyes stared desperately into mine with that innocence I'd always associated with her. My mouth opened slightly and I leaned forward, bringing my lips gently to hers, my hand coming up to cup her cheek, my thumb wiping against the dirt on her soft skin. 

It was a soft kiss that I only let last a few seconds, one that I hoped contained at least a fraction of the apology she deserved for me being foolish enough to not know that I needed her. Dawn looked up at me, full of trust and hope despite how beaten up she appeared.  

Bagon growled, bringing me back to the present. "I'll be careful. See you." 

I stepped away from Dawn, finding it harder than I could imagine to leave her after just rescuing her despite only needing such a short time away from her. I picked Bagon up, not wanting him to waste his energy walking. My feet carried me automatically through the forest, my ears open for any unfamiliar noises. Once we found a place far enough north that the grunts would be too far away to see their campsite, I said, "Ok, Bagon. Light them up." 

As Bagon's Flamethrower quickly licked the bark and leaves, sending up smoke, I kept a watch for any sentries that might have been posted around here. So far, so good. 

After a couple trees were on fire, I said, "That will do." 

Bagon ceased fire and I picked up his tiny blue body again. I could hear him panting from exhaustion as I jogged, trying to get back to Dawn. 

After a couple minutes, I spotted her kneeling in a bush, looking out on the Commander who was barking orders at his grunts to go stop the fire from spreading and see if any Trainers were around. They all left in a hurry and Commander Fuller sat down, looking agitated. His Houndoom lied curled on his Trainer's right side, eyes closed. They were both facing towards the trees. Towards us. 

I took a minute to catch my breath before touching Dawn's shoulder. She jumped, startled, her fist clenched as if ready to punch me before relaxing when she realized who I was. 

"Ok, throw the stone." 

She waited until the Commander was looking in the opposite direction and let it loose. It flew into the cave, too far away for us to hear the clatter. We waited with held breath for Tom to come out. 

He moved slowly towards the entrance, hesitating before calling out to his old leader. Fuller turned abruptly, his eyes snapping to glare at Tom. The Houndoom stood up immediately, growling, fangs bared. 

Dawn, Bagon, and I crept from our hiding place, walking carefully forward, crouched slightly as if to make us invisible. 

"You can't kidnap that poor girl. I'm going to save her," Tom yelled. 

"Well, you were stupid to come out here and announce what you were doing." Fuller walked forward. Houndoom was on his heels, hackles raised. 

We were a couple feet away from Fuller. Bagon was next to me, prepared to attack. Dawn was behind me, ready to grab the bag. 

The Houndoom straightened up, his nose turning swiftly towards us. He snarled, showing his sharp teeth. Fuller turned around. 

"You, boy!" the Commander spat, his arm moving through the air so fast that I didn't have time to duck. Its force knocked me backward and I slammed into the ground, my breath leaving in a whoosh. I tried to sit up, but my brain lacked the oxygen it needed to process what was happening. Pain began burning my muscles. 

I blinked, looking up and gasping. Bagon ran in front of me and jumped onto the Commander's arm, biting down hard with a Crunch attack. He broke the skin and droplets of blood splattered on my face as Fuller screamed in pain and fury.  

It gave me enough time to get to my feet, though Bagon was thrown off by Fuller a second later. He landed on his stomach a couple feet away. Enraged, I ran at Fuller, tackling into him, forcing him to hit the ground, my elbow ramming into his gut. He grunted, teary eyed, before kicking me off. 

Right when I was about to punch him in the face, I heard Dawn scream. My head whipped up- the Houndoom was stalking her and she was backed against the canyon wall with Tom. He was standing protectively in front of Dawn despite the fear in his eyes, one of his arms still looking raw from the Flamethrower attack. 

I struggled to force myself to stay where I was. Bagon would help them. What we needed were our Pokemon and then we'd outnumber them. Without obtaining the satchel, we'd all be doomed.  

My hesitation was enough for Fuller to get the upper hand- he bucked me off, using the full force of his rippling muscles. The Commander stood up and I scrambled to my feet. I heard growling and figured Bagon was protecting Dawn and Tom from Houndoom. Fuller seemed to notice too. 

He snapped his fingers and barked, "Houndoom, come here." 

I looked over at Dawn. She seemed unhurt. Bagon, however, looked like he'd just been tackled by Houndoom before he'd trotted over to his Trainer. Bagon trembled and stood up. He looked ready to fall over again. 

The Commander laughed. "It looks like your tiny little Pokemon is about to keel over." 

The satchel was still on his hip, the straps tight against his body. His Houndoom growled and looked at me menacingly. 

Fuller continued, "You're not getting your Pokemon back. I really shouldn't have let any of you live. It's never too late to cut loose strings." He took out a Poke Ball. "Salamence, turn these meddlesome kids to ash." 

A blinding flash came from the ball, emitting a Salamence who let out a thunderous roar. It dropped to its four limbs, growling at us. Bagon shuddered, but stood up a bit straighter and walked in front of me. 

I studied Bagon again- he looked like a Magikarp could take him down right now and he was willing to battle a fully evolved Dragon. 

Fuller laughed. "If it isn't the little baby Pokemon. Got a death wish, do ya?" 

I spoke out of the corner of my lip, "Are you sure you want to do this, Bagon?" 

He nodded, breathing heavily. Exhausted. 

My hands curled into fists. "Climb onto its back and use Dragon Claw. Hold on tight." 

Before Fuller had stopped laughing, Bagon took off, jumping up Salamence's leg, avoiding the snapping jaws, and aimed a Dragon Claw at its wing joint. The Salamence roared furiously and began trying to shake Bagon off as he kept aiming Dragon Claws along its blood red wing. Salamence flapped its wings, buffeting Bagon to the ground. The bulky Dragon Pokemon sped into the sky, turning abruptly to use Fire Blast. 

Bagon countered with his own Flamethrower, somehow extinguishing the powerful Fire Blast. Bagon gasped and collapsed onto the ground from the effort. 

"Hyper Beam," Fuller commanded. 

"No!" I shouted, sprinting towards Bagon as the yellow beam shot from the Salamence's mouth. I dove, scooping Bagon against my chest and rolling before standing up and running again, ignoring the pain that heightened when my body hit the stone.  

The Salamence continued firing the Hyper Beam at me, which began cracking the rocky ground. I ran faster, but the earth underneath me crumbled and broke, sending me flying forward. I forced myself to land on my side to avoid hurting Bagon. My head slammed against the ground and my vision blacked out momentarily. I struggled to breathe and focused on the weight in my arms- Bagon. 

"You ok?" I asked, coughing. 

I shifted my arms to see Bagon, who was awake and staring at me with a new sense of trust. 

"Hyper Beam again!" Fuller roared. 

I heard the Hyper Beam charging up as I got to my feet. Bagon jumped out of my arms and stood in front of me protectively. 

What was he thinking? There was no way he could survive the blast! 

Right then, Bagon started glowing. His body turned a bright white and his form began shifting, growing bigger. 

He was evolving. 

The Salamence stopped preparing to attack as we all stared at Bagon's glowing form. 

Bagon's body bulged outward and became rounder, a foot taller. He was now on four stubby feet instead of two, exactly like a Shelgon.  

Right when I thought the evolution process was ending, the light increased, burning my eyes with the intensity, and Bagon's new form changed again- this time growing larger and expanding upward.  

I heard murmurs and cries erupt around me, but I was too in awe to pay attention to them. 

It was like watching a tree grow in the span of seconds- a long neck emerged from the body, an even longer tail. Wings flared from his back. His head was covered in lethal spikes, his jaw lined with vicious teeth.  

The light burst outward like a firework and my Bagon, now a mighty Salamence, stood in front of me, expanding his wings and opening his mouth to release a ferocious roar that shook the bones in my body. 

"How is that possible?" Fuller screamed, looking afraid for the first time. 

My Salamence turned to face me, his eyes lighting up. 

I didn't know how it was possible either. I'd never heard of a Pokemon evolving like that- twice in a row without stopping. As far as I knew, it'd never happened before and I would have scoffed at anyone who had even suggested it was possible until a minute ago.  

The world had stopped for me. I was the Trainer of a Salamence, previously a Bagon. A Bagon I had witnessed hatched, one I hadn't wanted because I'd considered him weak. And here he was, strong enough, brave enough, to be the very best he could be when I needed him most. 

When our eyes met, Pokemon and Trainer, I realized how strong our bond was and just how powerful that love could be. 

"Way to go, Salamence!" I heard Dawn cheer, bringing me back to the present moment where we were fighting for our lives. 

I gave a half smile. "Are you ready to show him what you're made of?" 

A low growl escaped through Salamence's shiny, lethal teeth. 

Fuller seemed to have come to grip with the situation and glared at the two of us. "So? You're not pathetic wimps after all." 

I studied him and his own Salamence who had landed and looked absolutely enraged by the presence of another fully evolved Dragon type. We stared back coolly and I calculated how this battle would go. When a Pokemon evolves, they gain their strength back. It's like an excess energy pool that is harnessed into their body. Nobody really understood as of yet why that happened, but my Salamence was fully charged and raring to go and I wasn't going to question it. 

I also knew my Salamence probably had learned a few new moves by evolving twice in a row.  

My smile turned into a smirk. This would be fun. 

"You're the one who was too cowardly to battle us on equal grounds. Instead you stole our Pokemon," I said coldly to Fuller. 

He held his arms up. "Well, it's fair and square now. Ready to dance?" 

My Salamence growled in response, a blue energy warping around his body. 

Dragon Dance. 

I smiled. 

I saw Fuller grind his teeth. "Hyper Beam." 

"Dodge it," I said lazily. 

My Salamence took off right as the Hyper Beam was released, speeding into the sky with help from the boost of speed from Dragon Dance. The attack missed. It was obvious Fuller's didn't know the move Dragon Dance considering he didn't attempt to boost his own attack and speed. That or Fuller's Salamence was even more experienced than I'd guessed to not need the stat boost. 

"Go after it!" the Commander yelled. 

"Let him catch up and use Dragon Claw." 

My Salamence was still not used to flying or aerial tactics. His Dragon Claw was aimed sloppily and dodged. The other Salamence emitted a Fire Blast after flaring his wings to slow down, which hit accurately. My Salamence roared in pain and fired his own Flamethrower back, hitting his opponent. 

"Gain altitude and use Dragon Dance again," I commanded. 

My Salamence beat his wings quickly, though Fuller's found an air current to help him ascend above my own Salamence. Before he could begin using Dragon Dance, Fuller's Salamence tucked his wings and dove on top of him, biting down on my Salamence's neck to keep him from attacking. 

I watched as they began falling. 

"Bite down harder and slam him into the ground!" Fuller ordered. 

"Use Dragon Dance, then roll. Do not allow him to pin you." 

Salamence obeyed, glowing blue for a few seconds while his attack and speed increased yet again. He roared in pain, flaring his wings, beating them to try to force Fuller's Salamence underneath him. They were only a couple hundred feet from smashing into the ground. 

"Use Dragon Claw." 

Salamence's claws extended and plowed into his opponent, causing him to break away. The two Dragon types righted themselves in the air. 

"Don't let him get away! Hyper Beam!" the Commander shouted. 

"Dodge it." 

My Salamence was now far faster with his stat boosts and flew with ease around the Hyper Beam, soaring through the sky with the grace and might of a true Dragon type. Still, both Salamence seemed equally worn down from the multiple attacks. 

"Double-edge," Fuller ordered. 

"Dodge it." 

The Dragon Dance speed boosts had really done their job- my Salamence was much faster and dodged the multiple Double-edge attacks quickly and efficiently, hitting Fuller's with a Dragon Claw on the last attempt, forcing it to drop thirty feet in the air. 

Fuller looked furious. "Come on, Salamence. Dragon Tail." 

"Meet it with Dragon Claw." 

His Salamence soared upward, his tail glowing, while my Salamence's forearms glowed and extended as he tucked in his wings and dove down. 

"Flamethrower," I yelled at the last second. 

Fuller's Salamence was overcome with the multiple attacks and bit down on my Salamence's neck yet again, forcing both of the Dragon Pokemon to plummet downward in a tangle of limbs. I saw both of them slashing at each other with their forelimbs, but my Salamence was unable to break free.  

"Roll this time!" I yelled, knowing they wouldn't break apart before impact. 

Jaws snapped loudly at each other, roars bellowed in anger and pain. I could hear the wind rushing as the two bulky Pokemon continued falling, getting closer and closer to the ground. Before they hit the ground my Salamence managed to roll his body, causing Fuller's Salamence to be underneath him. 

The both hit the ground, causing it to tremble and a cloud of smoke to erupt.  

"Get up, Salamence," I heard Fuller demand. 

I waited for the smoke to clear. Both Salamence were lying down, their wings covering their tired bodies like blankets, their eyes closed. 

My newly evolved Salamence stirred and shook his head before opening his eyes and getting up. Fuller's Salamence rose slower, panting. 

"End it," I said. 

I saw his chest glow orange as he extended his neck, his mouth facing skyward. My Salamence let loose a mighty roar as well as a huge orange orb, which flew fifty feet into the sky and burst into a dozen meteors which were all sent hurling towards our opponent, pounding into his back and causing another layer of dust to rise into the air, cloaking the field. 

Draco Meteor. 

When it cleared, Fuller's Salamence was lying unconscious on the ground. He had fainted. 

Fuller yelled, striving over to his Salamence and kicking his Pokemon's leg right before returning him to his Poke Ball. My Salamence roared furiously and lunged forward, grabbing Fuller's leg in his jaws. Fuller was thrust into the air, whiplashed as Salamence slammed him into the ground, crushing him with his fore claws, being careful not to hurt him too badly. 

Still, that didn't stop Fuller from screaming in pain. 

"How could you hurt a Pokemon like that?" Dawn said shrilly, walking over to me and glaring at Fuller. "You deserve to go to jail." 

"You all deserve to be wiped off the planet. You and your scum Water Pokemon," he spat. 

I knelt by Fuller's body. "Nice work, Salamence. Let's get all of our Pokemon back. If he runs, go ahead and burn him." 

Salamence snorted, baring his teeth at Fuller as he lifted his leg. I pulled the satchel off of Fuller's body while he glared at me. I stood up, counting the Poke Balls. It seemed like he'd stolen more than just our Pokemon and maybe even more than Tom's. Salamence guarded Fuller while Dawn and I sorted through the Poke Balls, figuring out which ones were ours. We then gave the bag to Tom, who began searching for his own.  

Dawn opened a Poke Ball, releasing Piplup who looked around, startled. She screamed in excitement and he began chirping and jumped into her outstretched arms. They hugged, embracing tightly. I was pretty sure tears were shed and looked away from their mushy exchange, laying a hand gently on Salamence's neck. 

"Nice work," I said under my breath. "You really are one amazing Dragon Pokemon." 

Salamence's eyes shined solemnly and he leaned down slowly, touching his snout to my forehead for a second before pulling away. 

It was a very sentimental moment and I felt my cheeks burn a little- or perhaps they were just warm from all the excitement and battles. 

Perhaps. 

"Wow. Thank you, Salamence." Dawn smiled. "If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd have made it. And now we have all of our Pokemon back." She went over and ran a hand over one of his new wings. 

He made some sort of humming noise in his throat, which I assumed was contentment. 

A squealing siren began making its way through the trees and we all tensed. Suddenly, a pack of motorcycles emerged being led by a couple of Growlithe and Arcanine. They howled when they approached us, forming a circle and barking when Dawn began moving. She clutched onto my arm, stunned. 

My other arm instinctively went to my Poke Balls and I heard Salamence shift restlessly, his wings expanding to prepare to take off. 

"Don't attack," I said quietly. 

The head Officer Jenny got off her bike and walked over to us, a hand on her hip. "What's going on here?" 

I let Dawn explain. Her innocence was hard to ignore and I'd never seen anyone unable to resist her charm and gentle tone. 

"And so we just stopped the Commander a minute ago which is when you showed up. We didn't have time to go after the other Team Magma members, though," Dawn said hesitantly. 

"We've already rounded up the other members. The reason we're out here is because people saw smoke from the fire. That's where we found the rest of Team Magma, though their methods of putting out a fire weren't exactly ideal." Her lip curled in disgust. "At least they were easy to capture. We've been looking for this renegade group for quite awhile. Thanks for helping capture them." 

"What's going to happen to Tom, though? He helped us and even got really hurt trying to protect me." Dawn looked worriedly over at Tom who was reuniting with his own Pokemon, hugging a Vibrava. 

"We'll make sure he gets medical attention and interrogate him over everything he knows. If he gives us enough information and his story checks out with yours, we'll let him go with a warning," Officer Jenny said. 

"Ok." Dawn nodded, still looking worried. 

One of the police officers hurried forward. "Are you in need of medical attention? We have a doctor with us." 

I glanced at Dawn. There was some dried blood caked onto her face and she looked really tired. My body ached and my right foot felt a bit off from catching Bagon as he'd fallen, but it was nothing time wouldn't cure. "I'm fine. Dawn, you should make sure you're ok." 

She gave me a worried look. 

"Don't worry, I'll be right here. I won't leave you," I said gently. 

Dawn's eyes softened and she nodded. She followed Officer Jenny over to a man who was wearing police gear holding a huge emergency kit. I leaned against Salamence's leg as I watched him shine a flashlight into her eyes, checking for a concussion.

After ten minutes of cleaning and bandaging her scrapes, the doctor nodded and gave her the ok to leave. She walked over to me, looking grateful that the whole ordeal was over. 

The feeling was mutual. 

"You ok?" I asked. 

"Yeah. I was worried about my wrist, but they said it was fine. Are you ok?" Dawn touched my hand gently for a fraction of a second, staring at me intensely. 

"Now that you're safe and we have our Pokemon back, yes. I'm fine." 

"Good." She looked away awkwardly. 

"Listen, Dawn," I began, not sure what to say.  

Before I could continue, she smiled and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. "We can talk about it tomorrow." 

I stared at her, taking in how at ease she seemed despite everything she'd been through. "Are you going to be alright?" 

"As long as you're with me, yes. I will be," Dawn said peacefully. 

I gave a light smile. "No more drama, then." 

"And you always said I was the dramatic one."

"It's been a rough twenty-four hours."

Dawn laughed, an exhausted fit of giggles that made her start crying. I'd never seen her like this before and Salamence lowered his head, concerned. She waved him away and leaned against my shoulder. I frowned in surprise as she gasped for breath and wiped away her tears with her fingers. 

"You scare me," I said quietly. It was true. She did scare me. 

She gave me a watery smile and sniffed. "You scare me too." 

I was about to ask her what she meant by that, but Officer Jenny came over. "Ok, you two are free to go. We're sorry for all the trouble you've been through. If you're ever in Mauville City, stop by the station and I'll make sure you're taken care of." 

"How far away are we from there?" I asked. 

"About ten miles east," Officer Jenny answered, distracted as other officers kept coming up to her, asking questions and giving reports. 

"Thanks." I looked at Salamence who seemed to read my thoughts and nodded, his eyes lighting up. 

"Dawn?" I smiled. 

"Yeah?" She looked at me warily. 

"Would you like to take a night flight?" 

Her mouth opened in surprise before she grinned. "That'd be great." 

For the first time in a long time, I felt a sense of peace roll over me. Dawn was safe, we were together, and Bagon had evolved. Twice. 

"Let's say goodbye to Tom first," I said. 

She blinked in surprise before smiling. "Since when are you so thoughtful?" 

"Your habits are leech-like." I shrugged, walking over to Tom who now had a Vibrava on his head, a Cacnea in his lap, and a Duskull hovering near his burnt arm. 

"Hi," I said. 

He looked up, blinking in surprise. "Hey." 

"Tom, thanks for helping us out." I paused, sensing Dawn's gaze on me. "I really don't know what I would've done if something happened to Dawn. I can never repay you for standing up for her like that." 

"No problem." Tom smiled. "I'm just glad it's all over with." 

He stood up, lowering his Cacnea onto the ground before grasping my hand. I shook it firmly. 

"Thanks, Tom." Dawn stepped forward and hugged him. "I hope everything works out with you." 

"I'm sure it will." He rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand. "Officer Jenny came over and talked to me and seemed really sympathetic. She even let me keep my Pokemon with me." 

"That's good news." Dawn seemed to relax. "Well, we're going to get going. Do you have a Pokégear number?" 

"No, but if you have one I'll give you a call sometime soon, ok?" Tom promised. 

Dawn took a piece of paper out of her bag, which had been returned to her, and copied her number down, handing it to him. 

"Bye, guys." Tom waved as we walked away. 

"Bye." Dawn waved back. 

We approached Salamence, who was staring at the starry sky with the same sense of peace I felt. Piplup was already sitting on his back, looking fast asleep. 

"Ready?" I asked them. 

Salamence growled, waking Piplup, and Dawn nodded. I climbed onto Salamence first, looking wryly at Piplup who smiled sheepishly at me and waved a flipper. I picked him up and put him in front of me, then held a hand towards Dawn to help her up. She grasped it and I felt the softness of her skin. I pulled her up and she sat behind me. 

I felt her arms wrap around my chest, her body against mine, and Salamence made that deep content noise again, reminding me of what I was feeling right now. Piplup cried shrilly, excited, as Salamence extended his wings. 

"Hold on tight," I whispered to Dawn. 

Everyone in the vicinity watched and waved to us as Salamence took off. The cold air pushed our hair out of our faces, chilling our skin. I felt Dawn hug herself against me tighter as we gained altitude. 

Salamence let out a happy roar as we glided among the stars. 

"You know," Dawn said thoughtfully, "I understand why you both dream of flying now. It's amazing." 

I smiled, closing my eyes, hoping to remember this moment forever.

Hey!

So, was that epic enough for you guys? I told you this chapter would be long and amazing. What do you think about Bagon evolving twice? I want to hear what you guys think! Make sure to comment!

Remember this isn't the last chapter of First Light, so there's more to look forward to. Thank you all for all the support you'e given to First Light thus far. It's been so inspirational and you've all inspired me to become a better writer. I can't believe how popular First Light seems and it's all because of you guys. Yet again, thank you!

Pokemon Question of the Day: What's your favorite way of evolving Pokemon? (I mean leveling them up, Mega stones, happiness, etc.) Or, if you want, do you have any ideas for new ways of evolving Pokemon? 

I hope you have an amazing day and remember that love is the key to everything- even intense Dragon type Pokemon battles. 

-Flips