This chapter was a bit hard to get to at first, and I apologize deeply for such the long wait. It literally took me a month to write this due to all of the work I had to do this and last month. =+="

I've started to pick up one of my old stories again, so I was working on two simultaneous chapters with limited time. This does NOT mean less updates for Farlo, and I will try to juggle both for as long as I can with frequent updates (I really doubt the frequent updates part, though, at least until the end of June)

Enjoy, anyway!

Chapter 25: Lights Out

He couldn't believe his stupidity.

As soon as Jet had seen Farlo disappear into the fray of humans and fire in the burning village, he had turned to Charlie with a grave expression.

"He's weak to fire." Jet murmured. Charlie nodded, understanding what he meant.

"I'll tell Maston where you went." Charlie replied. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder, looked out at the chaos in front of him, and then disappeared with a leap into the woods.

Jet had run into the fray, shooting jets of water at any fiery barrier in front of him, making his vision blur with hissing steam and smoke. He had reached a small courtyard where burning houses outlined the sky in a ring about him, and he had watched as a green figure bounded through a house of fire.

"Farlo!" Jet exclaimed, racing towards the spot where the Leafeon had disappeared, only to meet a barrage of smoke and fire.

Recoiling at the heat, Jet took a few steps backwards, only to fall into the claws of a Plusle and Minun. He whirled around to face them, noticing both were battle-scarred, their eyes distant and merciless. Jet fought their intense electric attacks to no avail, and he collapsed wearily, surrendering himself. He still remembered the burning rage and shame that had challenged even the fiery inferno around him as they threw him to the ground like a sack of dirt.

Even as he listened dully to his captor's banter, Jet managed to give a Flareon - in a similar state to himself - a disbelieving look when the Flareon mentioned a Glaceon named Snow. Of course, Jet had thought, it could be a coincidence; how many Glaceon named Snow were out there, anyway?

But some part of him had felt a connection with the Flareon's words, yet he hardly had the time or energy to ponder this as he shuffled blindly after his captors, hardly conscious and wondering weakly where Charlie was.

And now, as he pondered his fate in the bright sunlit stadium, Jet realized he probably wouldn't be seeing Charlie, Maston, or even Garrett for a long time - if ever again.

Jet shuffled weakly to his feet, blinking in the sudden darkness of the cellar they just entered. Upon arriving at the gates to the coliseum entrance, the two Absol he had learned to identify as Darkness and Moonlight ordered a Rhydon to lead Jet, the Flareon, and at least four other Pokemon down into the depths of a dirty cellar that stunk of spoiled fruit and hopelessness. Jet had long ago lost his will to resist the orders of these Pokemon; the whippings had taught him that days ago. His bloodshot eyes looked around the darkness of the cellar, picking out a long, straight hallway lined with torches. As they shuffled forward, chains clanking against the rock, Jet watched as small Charmander lit the torches from behind, illuminating their path but hardly doing anything to fill the dead silence of the prisoners.

This sight was a bitter reminder of Jet's past, as similar, medieval methods of creating light were used in his old fights camp. Bitter memories of the fights he won consumed him, but his exhaustion won over and his anger died quickly in his heart. He felt a terrible pain stab at his insides repeatedly at the thought of being separated from Garrett for so long; he also couldn't help wondering where Farlo was now, and if they had all reunited to find that Jet wouldn't be coming back.

Jet shut his eyes, a failed attempt to block out the memories of his past fighting experience with these terrible people; the awful Pokemon he had defeated to near death, the terrifying reality of fear and bloodshed that filled his worst nightmares. He swore once he escaped that he would never allow himself to return to this place; yet here he was now, shuffling with chains on his ankles and wrists, his head lowered in submission.

Pathetic.

The Pokemon ahead of him stopped, the clanking of chains ceasing and only the crackling of flames to drown out the deafening silence.

Then, the screams.

Faint at first, they sounded hardly over a whisper of a draft through the hallways. But as the Rhydon ahead of Jet opened a nearly invisible door, the screams of terror and agony echoed through the hallways like a haunting roar. The Luxio behind Jet shifted nervously on his feet, and Jet heard the Spinda in front of him take deep, ragged breaths to steady himself.

"Come on, keep it moving." The Rhydon barked gruffly at the prisoners, and Jet flinched as he heard the crack of a whip and a squeal of pain in front of him. Jet hardly lifted his head to look, not showing any sign he heard the screams in fear that he, too, would be whipped.

Slowly, painfully, the prisoners continued walking at a steady pace, the coffel walking through the doorway one by one. Jet entered the spacious room beyond the door warily, looking at the dark forms wailing around him.

The room was full of a mixture of cells made of steel and stone, some ranging from floor-to-ceiling size to contain their most colossal Pokemon to as small as a dog crate to accommodate to their smaller Pokemon. Jet's stomach twisted as their coffel stopped in front of a series of cells, where the Rhydon, Plusle, and Minun unlocked a Shuppet and Duskull from the line.

Both Pokemon were shoved roughly into an open cell, but Jet noticed that the cell had no visible doors to seal its prisoners inside; he shifted uncomfortably as the Pokemon attempted to get to their feet and out the doorway.

Before they could act, however, the Rhydon stood in front of the doorway, blocking their escape. He raised his arms to the ceiling, and as he brought them down, a tumble of rocks fell in a thunder of noise.

Jet squinted through the dust, coughing as it cleared. The rocks had sealed the Pokemon in from all sides, emanating a dark aura that sent chills down Jet's spine. He imagined the Pokemon in there living in complete darkness for what seemed like forever, and Jet clenched his fists to keep his anger from spilling over.

The Rhydon laughed as muffled cries for help sounded from the cell. "Don't even try to escape, runts. We specialize to every type here, making sure our Pokemon are the most comfortable with their type advantages against them." Jet saw the Rhydon's eyes flash demonically. "The ceiling is made of Ghost-proof, Dark-type-reinforced obsidian. By making a rockfall for a door from this same stone, it perpetually seals any type of Ghost Pokemon in their cell with ease." The Rhydon seemed smug, but the Luxio and Spinda behind Jet exchanged puzzled glances.

"But, what if they're a Ghost and Dark- type, sir?" The Spinda asked quietly, his tone snarky.

The Rhydon whirled around to face him, his face already turning red with anger and embarrassment. "Who asked you, huh?" Jet saw the Rhydon get out his whip, and he saw the Spinda's once empty eyes shrink in fear as the Rhydon stepped toward him.

"Stop!" Jet shouted; steeling his courage and thinking fast, he stood between the Spinda and the Rhydon, shielding the Spinda behind him with outstretched arms. Both Pokemon looked surprised to see him stepping up, but Jet was beyond caring about what happened to him.

"There's been enough suffering today." Jet growled, his paws clenched into fists and his eyes glaring up at the Rhydon above him. He tried not to flinch as the Rhydon snarled and raised his whip.

"You fool!" The Rhydon roared; Jet felt the whip sting across his face, and a hot fire seared right between his eyes. He shrieked in pain, tears and blood blurring his eyesight, but he stood his ground. He heard the Spinda behind him gasp with fear, and he heard the Luxio shouting down the line for help from the other Pokemon.

The Rhydon whipped him again, this time across his chest. Jet doubled over in agony, holding the wound striping down his stomach, watching his blood dripping onto the cold stone floor. He sank to his knees, cursing himself for being so foolish as to take a whipping that shouldn't have been his own; he should have remembered that nobility was looked down upon in this place.

After a few moments of silence, the iron collar tugged at Jet's neck, and he struggled to his feet; through his hazy vision, Jet could see the coffel moving again silently ahead of him, and he shuffled along in his usual spot, no one talking to or helping him in the slightest.

I've grown soft over my months with Maston and Garrett. Jet thought bitterly, wincing as every step sent a new flare of pain shooting up his spine. I've forgotten...what it's like to be alone...

The thought of Garrett's sickly expression made Jet want to sob with guilt. He let him down...he let Maston, Charlie, Luke, even Farlo and Snow down with being captured like this. The best thing he hoped for them was for them to be safe and together; none of them should suffer as Jet was doing now. He took a ragged breath and stifled his cries of anguish; he could save those for when he was alone in his cell.

One by one, the chain gang depleted itself of Pokemon as they were dropped off at various cells, each of them wailing in despair but only some of them receiving whippings for it. Finally, all that were left were Jet and the Flareon, Luxio, and Spinda trudging along around him.

The Rhydon stopped them and began walking up to Jet, who was covered in his now dried blood and panting heavily from exhaustion. Jet looked up to see the Rhydon glaring down at him, but before Jet could make his usual saucy remark the Rhydon knocked him on the side of his head, catching everyone by surprise.

Jet flew sideways, landing hard on his right shoulder, his cheek stinging. He struggled to stand, but the Rhydon held him down with one foot to his chest. The Rhydon leaned down to Jet's face, and Jet smelled the stink on the rhino's breath.

"You. Will. Learn. To. Fear. Your. Superiors." With each growl, the Rhydon ground Jet harder against the ground, until Jet was struggling for breath. His chest was on fire, and the Rhydon's foot was no help to the open wound on his stomach; it started to bleed again, and the scent of fresh blood filled the air.

After what seemed like a century, the Rhydon released Jet and watched as the Buizel coughed for breath. He picked Jet up and threw him over his shoulder like a sack, unlatching him from the chains of the row and throwing him in an open cell. Jet fell to the ground and lay there, too exhausted to move. The room itself felt cold and metallic, and Jet realized it was bigger than he anticipated it before. He heard the door close with a clang behind him, a sound that echoed in his soul, a distant and forbidden memory that was resurfacing to be relived in his future.

"Consider yourself dead." The Rhydon barked at Jet. He laughed heartily, as if the very thought of death amused him. Jet hardly had the energy to push himself to his knees and look out at the flickering light of the torch outside his cell, watching the shadows of the bars on the door dance along the cell walls. The Spinda, Luxio, and Flareon looked down on him in worry and fear, no doubt wondering what was in store for them along the road; Jet met their gazes one by one as they passed by his cell, his own eyes cloudy with pain and misery. Then, they were gone, and Jet was left in the near darkness.

Alone.

Jet awoke to the ever-flickering torchlight and the sound of a gong above him.

The pain was hazy at first, but increased in intensity as Jet slid towards one of the cell walls. He leaned against it, panting, as his head and stomach throbbed with pain; it forced him to remember the occurrences of the night before...or was it night right now? That was another thing Jet had forgotten; the eternal darkness of underground jail cells, with no sense of time. For all he knew, years could pass by without his knowing.

In a sudden fit of anger, Jet slammed his fist into the wall behind him, snarling at his stupidity. How could he let himself be so blinded? How could he think that he could escape this place without anyone noticing? His cries of anguish turned to sobs of guilt and anger at his situation, at the world itself. He covered his face in his paws, letting the tears flow no matter how much it stung the wounds on his body. He hated pitying himself, but it was all he could do to release the flood of emotions inside him.

After a few minutes, Jet sobs turned into whimpers as he got himself under control; he took long, deep breaths to steady himself, closing his eyes as his mind returned from his fit of hysteria.

"That's it." Jet breathed to himself. "No more crying. Ever." The pain in his heart was worse than on his body, but he found that his puffy eyes irritated him immensely. He hated to cry almost as much as he hated to laugh; they were pretty much the same thing in the end.

"I wouldn't count on it." At first, Jet thought he imagined the voice that spoke to him, until something moved in the depths of the cell. Jet's eyes widened and he scooted towards the cell door warily, staring into the shadows with scorn.

"Who are you?" Jet snarled, sniffing and wiping his nose quickly with a paw. "What d'you want from me?"

"Easy now, I won't bite." A large, bulky form emerged from the shadows. Its long, blue and yellow jaws showed rows of pointed teeth, its stocky legs scaly and clawed at the feet. It was crocodilian, with glowing yellow irises and red spikes along its back, tail and head. One of its eyes was closed shut with scars striping down his face - scars similar to Jet's own - and Jet realized with a jolt that the Pokemon was missing his right eye entirely.

"E-Easy for you to say!" Jet stammered, eyeing the Pokemon's sharp teeth that poked out of its mouth. The Pokemon laughed, but it was unlike the Rhydon's laugh; it felt somewhat warmer to Jet, and it made him relax slightly.

"You sure have a lot of nerve standing up to that pushy Rhydon out there." The Pokemon's gaze turned somewhat serious, but Jet thought he saw sympathy beneath his eye's glowing facade.

Jet turned away from the Pokemon, crossing his arms and looking at the ground in front of him. "Did the scars give away how much nerve I have? Or was it my sobbing that interested you?" Jet growled bitterly; now that the initial shock of meeting another Pokemon was gone, he wasn't in the mood for making friends.

After a pause, the Pokemon spoke again. "I'm Feraligatr-125, but you can call me Trevor." Jet didn't turn around, instead focusing on the crackling torch outside of the cell. Their hallway was quiet and somewhat separated from the large cavern of cells Jet had first entered, but Jet was somewhat grateful at this notion; he preferred peace and quiet as opposed to the constant wailing of other Pokemon to put him to sleep at night - or day, as far as he was concerned.

"Who're you?" Jet jumped at the sound of the Feraligatr's voice so close behind him, and he turned to look as Trevor gave him a toothy grin.

"What's it to you?" Jet snapped, trying to sound bitter.

"Well," Trevor said slowly, "I thought that if we're here for the rest of our short lives, we might as well know each other's names." He flashed another brief grin that looked odd on his ferocious face.

Jet blinked slowly at him indifferently. "Jet." He said flatly, returning his gaze to the torch. There were a few moments of silence before Trevor snorted.

"Not very interesting, are you? Pity; I was hoping for an exciting roommate." Jet heard Trevor grumble behind him, and he rolled his eyes.

Jet heard Trevor shuffle backward, then stop abruptly. "It truly is a pity I don't have a roomie who would want to listen to my philosophies, either. Oh, such a pity...Instead I get the one that cries and talks to himself..."

"Shut your bloody pie hole, you no good croc!" Jet whirled around to face the Feralitgatr, a new energy filling him that was fueled by insults. "I've been through a helluva lot, just so you know, and I need some time to adj - " Jet stopped abruptly as he realized Trevor was smiling deviously. He winked at Jet knowingly, who clenched his fists and crossed his arms in response, realizing the Feraligatr was trying to coax a reaction out of him all along.

"...What is it you want from me?" Jet grumbled, embarrassment making his cheeks swell red. Trevor chuckled, which infuriated Jet even more.

"I think it's what you're going to be wanting from me." Trevor said ominously. Jet looked at him, trying not to let confusion show on his face. Trevor stood, lumbering over to his dark corner where the light could not penetrate. Jet squinted in the darkness to make out his dim silhouette in the shadows, and he saw Trevor beckon for Jet to join him. Jet cautiously stepped into the deeper shadows of the cell, noticing that the roof and ceiling met in a sort of triangular point that ended at the very back wall.

Once Jet's eyes adjusted to the light, he realized that there was a wide but low crawlspace in the place of a few of the bricks that had previously been moved from the triangle's point, revealing a dark tunnel. Trevor disappeared inside it, surprisingly lithe and agile despite his bulk. After a minute or so, he called to Jet from the other side, his voice echoing strangely.

"Come on. This is the only safe place we can talk; they've got eyes everywhere but here." Jet was dubious; he wasn't a fan of small, tight spaces. It reminded him of the small cages he used to sleep in after the fights, with hardly any food and only a limited time to rest. Jet shook away the thoughts jamming his mind and wiggled into the crawlspace, sliding easily on his stomach and out the other side.

He was surprised to enter a relatively open space, filled with warm shafts of sunlight filtering in through the cracks in the rocky ceiling. He was also surprised to find the walls of the small cave smooth and brittle, with hardly any ruggedness to them besides the ivy creeping up toward the ceiling.

"How did you find this place?" Jet asked, trying to keep the wonder out of his voice; he still didn't fully trust this Pokemon, but he had no other options to take lest he wanted to get beaten.

Trevor shrugged. "Stumbled upon it a few years ago. Someone else had already carved it out before me; don't ask me who, or why."

Jet gaped at him. "Someone carved this out?" Trevor just nodded, taking a seat against a wall with his arms crossed. He gazed up at the light filtering in from the ceiling, his eyes sparkling as if he hadn't seen sunlight in ages. Jet wondered how often Trevor was able to sneak back here.

Just as Jet was about to ask, Trevor spoke. "I have a feeling you've been somewhere like this before." Though he didn't phrase it as a question, Jet noticed that he was again coaxing Jet to speak.

"Yes." Jet said stiffly. He leaned against the wall across from Trevor, relaxing as the coolness of the stone seeped into the hot, itchy sores on his back. "I escaped this same place about a year ago; I've never been so far underground, though."

Trevor shook his head in disbelief. "That explains how we haven't met before; you must've been a pretty good fighter, then." Jet looked away, ashamed.

There was a small pause before Trevor spoke, his voice a low growl. "Then you already know the rules around here." Jet nodded.

"Fight...or die." Jet said bitterly. "Slowly raise yourself up in ranks to get more food and better shelter. The more fights you win, the more money is bet on your head; if you fall once during your reign on top, then it's all downhill from there. I remember; Buizel-32." Jet fingered the spot where he was branded with the same inscription, hardly visible through the orange fur on his upper right arm. He still felt a ghost of pain there every now and then when he thought of his past.

Trevor chuckled drily. "You know your stuff, kid."

"Then what else do you have to share with me?" Jet kept his bitter tone, a low growl at the back of his throat; all of this reminiscing was making him angry.

Trevor continued to gaze upward through the roof as he answered. "I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but there was a breakout a few months ago, made by a Leafeon and Glaceon." Jet looked up from the ground in shock.

"I...I've heard." Jet said quietly, glad that Trevor couldn't see the recognition on his face.

"Well, they inspired me and a few others to begin plotting our own rebellion, within the camp itself." Trevor looked at Jet, and Jet saw that he had a hungry look in his eyes. "We heard that you bunch that just came in were rebels from the woods, who were terrorizing the town not a couple miles from here. We were hoping that, if everyone were to realize this rebellion, then they would be inspired to...join it, too." Even as he said it, Jet could tell Trevor wasn't certain of his plan.

"But...how do you know who to trust?" Jet asked, remembering the strong differences he noticed between Bone and Farlo; both raised in the same place, but one turned out crazy while the other ran away. Not a very normal mix of breeds they raised here.

Trevor looked down, somewhat crestfallen. "I know. The truth is, we don't. But...I was thinking that if some of us meet up with the real rebels, then they'll help us to sort between the good and the bad." Jet was skeptical at this, knowing that because he himself had escaped before didn't know if escaping with a whole group of Pokemon was a very smart idea.

"Well...you won't know yet until you actually talk to the rebels, now do you?" Jet said pointedly, trying to make his tone softer; he wasn't too great at boosting someone else's self-esteem.

Trevor nodded. "I guess you're right." He stood, brushing off dust from his knees and looking at the roof. "It's almost time to leave; they'll be calling us soon."

Jet nodded, standing and heading back toward the crawlspace, Trevor following behind him; he hated having to leave the sunlight for one moment in the eternal darkness of the cell, but he realized he'd probably get enough sunlight when he was fighting for his life. Wonderful.

Just as Trevor had closed the gap behind them with a large stone brick, Jet heard quick footsteps running down the halls. He heard angry voices shouting at what seemed to be random Pokemon from their cells, then the clanking of metal as the humans opened the cage doors.

Jet turned to look back at Trevor, who had disappeared into the shadows again. "How often do they call on Pokemon to the fights?" Since Jet hadn't been to a fight in over a year - and he worked so hard to forget everything about it - he couldn't remember specific details, like mealtimes, fight times, and break times. He sincerely doubted there had ever been a "break time" for any of them, considering how much they fought.

However, Jet only faintly saw Trevor put a finger to his lips as the footsteps stopped outside their door.

Jet looked out at the man outside; he was lean and tall, with greasy black hair and colorless gray eyes. Jet squinted to see his nametag in the dark; apparently, his captor's name was Daisuki Amano.

Daisuki lazily looked down his list, his eyes scanning the fire lit pages. "Let's see...cell block 183...Buizel!" Jet jumped as the man's murmur turned into a harsh shout as he said the name. Jet didn't answer, and tried vainly to hide in the shadows.

Sadly, his orange fur reflected the firelight from the torches outside, and Daisuki spotted him in less than a second. "Hey, you! Get over here." Though everything inside Jet protested, Jet shuffled toward the door, where the man waited with chain cuffs in his hands.

After clasping them firmly on Jet's wrists through the bars of the cell door, Daisuki opened the door and pulled Jet outside. As the door closed, Jet threw one last look into the shadows, where he saw Trevor's one eye glinting with no expression whatsoever.

Jet shuffled through the hallways, trying his best to memorize the path they took upward, but losing count after turning about ten corners. Now that he was moving again, the sores on his back shrieked in pain, threatening to open again but managing not to bleed. Daisuki wasn't necessarily helping them with his constant kicking of Jet's back to move him forward.

After what seemed like a century of walking through the maze, Jet saw light at the end of their hallway. Eager to get outside, Jet picked up his pace, only to be yanked back harshly by Daisuki' chain leash attached to his wrists.

They emerged into the sunlight, Jet taking deep lung of fresh air; after being imprisoned in a musty cell, this was paradise...even though it would become Hell in a millisecond.

Jet continued to be pushed on by Daisuki as they headed toward the back of the coliseum, where a large entrance led to the holding chambers where they waited for the fights. Jet had walked this road many times before, and it brought back too many unhappy memories. Ironically, it was during a battle outside of the fights that he got his scars; for all the time he spent in the fights group before he escaped, he never once got too serious of an injury.

You must've been a pretty good fighter, then. Trevor's words echoed in Jet's mind, but he pushed them aside.

Once inside the holding pen, Daisuki unlocked his chains and pushed Jet further inside before shutting the doors quickly. Jet's nose was overrun by the scents of grime and blood, and the pitch darkness didn't help him to get his mind off of it. He faintly heard the roar of a crowd and the cheerful voice of the announcer outside, but he knew the show wouldn't start for a while.

"Hey. Buizel." Jet turned around, looking for the source of the voice. In the dim light filtering in through the cracks in the stone walls, Jet saw the outline of a Weavile and Sneazel, both staring at him intently.

"What do you want?" Jet snapped; why is it that all of these Pokemon felt the urge to talk to him.

The Weavile blinked at him. "You're new around here, right?" His was the voice that spoke, but his voice sounded scratchy and hoarse.

"No. I've been here before." Jet said bitterly. He turned away from the pair, crossing over to sit against a wall.

There was a long pause in which Jet assumed the Pokemon gave up on him when the squeaky voice of the Sneazel spoke. "Watch your back...out there..." Jet looked up, and saw that the Sneazel's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

The gates opened, and they went outside. Tambourines and castanets exploded into song, the sound that often chased Jet in his worst nightmares. After a few minutes, the crowd burst into applause, and the gates opened once more, revealing Jet to the stadium.

As he stepped out, cheers and murmurs burst forth from the crowd, the bright sunlight illuminating the golden coliseum walls. Jet squinted up at the humans, not really sure what he was looking for until he spotted it.

A shimmering blue figure in one of the topmost boxes.

Snow.

And so this chapter comes to an end! I really hope and aspire to regulate my updates, but I'm not making any promises, as life REALLY got in my way this time. I tried to make this chapter longer to satisfy all of you, and I hope you enjoyed it enough to leave a comment!

Until next time! (HOPEFULLY SOON!)