This is the first chapter of my second story. Read on, and tell me what you think. If you guys have Original Characters you'd like to submit, I'd happily accept them and give you credit. Just PM me and I'll ask you questions and things... READ ON!

I do not own Pokemon or anything of the like. Just my Platinum, Pearl and Pokemon X cartriges.

- - - Importance of Freedom: Chapter One: My Worst Nightmare - - -

My nightmare of a story starts on the south side of Mt. Coronet. I am known by my few friends as Darkstar. They say I'm arrogant and full of myself. I guess I am, but I never knew how true they were, until that stupid Pokeball stole my freedom.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She asks, peering off the little South-West facing snow-covered ledge.

"What? The view? Kinda got used to it. Been up here all my life." I respond, staring out at the view ahead. It was a clear day today, a rare treat it was to be able to see the horizon this high up the mountain. There's a large forest to my left, with a mine burrowing under it. A valley with a long, wide road directly to my right. In the center of my view was a human city. I believe the city's name is Jubilife, but I can't be sure. I don't pay much attention to what the humans do. Beyond that sits Lake Verity, a port town, and finally the sea.

"Yeah, but I still get a rush when I see how far up we really are." She says, awed by the sight I grew up seeing.

"You would be the one to say that, Shard." I reply. I never have been around others much, so I constantly say the wrong thing. Sometimes I wonder how Shard can put up with it, and still say she loves me.

"Why are you always so arrogant? Just enjoy life for once, Darkstar." Shard says with a hurt tone.

I drop my head in guilt. "I'm sorry, it's just the way I am. I'm not the type who lives with others. I'd rather live alone."

Shard brushes her head against mine in comfort. "It's OK, we all feel that way, for the most part. A few Absol prefer to be in groups, they say it makes them stronger."

I show no reaction, but appreciate the thought. "Yeah, but it makes them a bigger target in my opinion."

She looks at me. "It does, but they can support each other if a trainer tries to catch them. Fight one, fight all, right?"

I watch a small group of Absol pass at the bottom of the mountain by the human mine. "Yeah, I suppose."

Shard follows my gaze, and makes a suggestion I knew she'd make. "Should we tag along with them? Trainers have been coming up here a lot lately. It might do us good to join them."

I turn and face her. "You know I wouldn't be able to survive there. I'd just cause problems."

She sighs. "Darkstar, you have to put aside your ego and think of your options, otherwise you won't survive out here. You'll be caught, and we both know how well that would end. You'd be lucky to get away unscarred."

I hear something rustling in the bushes behind us. I look around and see not one, but two trainers walking along the path on the ledge above us. It's not far up, I could easily jump up there in a single bound. The problem is that they're blocking the only route off this ledge. If they saw us, we would never escape. I whisper to Shard to stay quiet and hide.

"Stay quiet, and don't move if they look our way. Hide your horn." I slowly creep forward in front of Shard and duck down in the snow and cover my horn and face, putting my tail in the snow. Relying on my white pelt to camouflage with the snow.

She nods and gracefully burrows under the snow, leaving her eyes peeking out and concealing herself a lot better than I did. She was always better at stealth then me.

Then, a stupid Snowver trips over my horn and plops into the snow with a screech. The trainers are instantly alerted.

"What was that?" A trainer asks with a deep voice.

"Sshhhhh." I tell the frightened Snowver, who nods.

"I don't see it. Sounded like a Snowver though." The other trainer states with a lighter, more cheery voice.

"Hmm. Go Luxray!" I hear the deep voice shout, a Pokeball pop open and a Luxray ask it's master what to do.

"Pathetic. Just pathetic." I whisper to Shard. She lightly nods her head.

"Use your X-Ray ability to find out what's in the snow down there." The deep voice orders. I stiffen in fear and look at Shard, who has a similar expression.

"Should we jump?" She asks. Glancing towards the shear drop off.

"I'm not sure we'd survive." I reply, closing my eyes.

"Three." The Luxray states with a happy tone. The humans don't seem to understand him, but acknowledge the presence of Pokemon.

The higher voice, who I'm thinking is a female human now, reveals our location. "There! I've never seen that one before!"

"S-Shard..." I'm frightened now, I think we're done.

"I know how you feel." She replies, voice quivering.

I'm guessing the other voice to be that of a male. "I think... that's an Absol. Wow! They're rare!"

I give up hope of cover now, and so does Shard. We both stand up and give the trainers a frightened stare. "Thanks a lot, Snowver." I say ruefully, glaring at it. If looks could kill...

"Oh wow! They're beautiful!" The female exclaims. I smile reluctantly and shake the snow out of my fur.

"Dark type. Weak to fighting, go Lucario!" The male says, and throws a Pokeball, out of which comes the dreaded Fighting-type.

"D-Darkstar... we need to run..." She stammers.

"Dark, eh? Go Mightyena!" The female throws her own Pokeball containing a Mightyena.

"Yeah... about that... we're stuck." I look behind us at the cliff below.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" The male commands. I barely dodge the Aura Sphere, though Shard wasn't so lucky and takes the hit dead-on, knocked sideways.

"Shard!" I jump in between her and the humans once more.

"Mightyena, Hyperbeam!"

I'm taken by surprize and find myself on the ground before I know it. "Argh!"

"Darkstar, no!" Shard whispers, and I barely register what she said. I watch her get up and run over to me, clearly worried.

"Lucario, use Bone Rush!" The male human commands. The Lucario follows orders and makes what I presume to be a Bone Rush, ready to charge.

"S-Shard... I can't... go on. Run, Shard. R... run." I tell her as I let my head fall onto the ground.

"Go for the one who's standing!" The trainer orders.

"No, Darkstar. I'm staying with you. We will go down together." She turns around and bravely faces the now charging Lucario. I do my best to get up, barely doing so, and push her aside, taking the blow from a long blue bone-shaped energy myself.

"Shaaarrrd!" I scream as I'm slammed into the ground.

"Nooooo!" Shard yells, and runs for the Lucario, who knocks her into the air and plants it's palm on her chest.

"Force Palm, Lucario!"

Shard is slammed by the Lucario. She flies backwards into the snow, unconcious.

"Please, spare me." I plead the Lucario, but to no avail. He just stands there, ears perked backwards for an order.

"Go Pokeball!" The female yells in excitment. I will myself to dodge it, but can't bring up enough energy to move.

"Nooooooooooooo!" I scream in terror as I feel myself shrinking. My vision comes back after being blinded, and I find myself in the one thing I feared the most. The Pokeball.

"I'm sorry, Shard. I've failed you, my love." Is the last thing I say before I fall unconcious, hearing a deafening click surround me. "I'm sorry..."

Well, that's that chapter finished. Review if you liked it, and review if you didn't. Tell me your opinion so that I may make this story better. This comes to my head as I write it, so posting times are unknown.

Maybe another one today, maybe in a week. I don't know. The amount of interest will determin my motivation for the story, as this was written on a whim.

- - Update Logue - -

10/8/2013: More descriptive content added, as well as minor grammar tweaks. Word count from 1,178 to 1,482

26/8/2013: Gammar fixed in multiple places. Word count from 1,482 to 1,518