Jello! I'm so excited -I might be able to witness my first (and probably only) white Christmas!! YAY! I've never had one before -what, living in Texas. But it's Wednesday right now, and already it's like... 30 -something. Yay!

I'm also really excited because I'm getting new games! I haven't had a new game in like… three months. And the last new game totaled my game collection (for PS2) to a whopping four. Yes. Four. And I got my PS2… in January… ::thinks:: Yeah. January! That's when I got it. One of the games I'm supposed to get is Kingdom Hearts! YAY!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the names, the personas, Shayla, Shayla's uncle, Kaiyou, and a spoonful of lent and old sugar. Woot.

Price for Freedom

Chapter 11

Caught

I awoke on my side with a throbbing headache. I began to sit up, but my neck hurt too much. I softly yelped and lay back down on the rocky ground. I gritted my teeth against the throbbing pain in my neck and, as I soon discovered, my limbs. What had happened…?

I opened my eyes at the memory of the human Kaiyou and the Team Magma member hitting me with a baseball bat. I frowned. How many times was that going to happen to me…?

I sighed and took a look around me -I was in a wide-open space in the cavern. There were stalactites pointing down at the floor, and stalagmites reaching up to the ceiling. Team Magma members were stationed about the room, no more than ten occupying said cavern. My comrades were scattered about, most unconscious. I saw Shoko stir, but that was it as for movement. I took my gaze away from the sight of my teammates when I heard my former trainer's voice echo throughout the cavern.

"Finally, finally our dream has come!" he proclaimed triumphantly. At his tone, I almost scoffed. Maybe if he weren't such a sadistic ass, he could be a preacher, I thought grimly. "You see the awesome sleeping form of the ancient pokemon Groudon before your eyes! Behold his magnificence! He alone is the one way we can achieve our goal of spreading the landmasses and conquering over water!!"

The few Team Magma members who were in the room cheered. I myself nearly retched. How could they think that a mighty legendary pokemon like Groudon would listen to them? Selfish, stupid, ignorant humans.

I heard Kaiyou's human voice speak softly, and in a slightly cynical tone. I could almost hear the bitter smile on his face. "You don't know what you're doing, human. Groudon won't obey you. He'd kill you and then go and find Kyogre and start another cataclysmic battle. The orbs are just to make sure there's harmony between the two. And if you tear them apart, then Groudon and Kyogre will battle again and the world will be blissfully rid of pompous, feeble humans like you."

My former trainer apparently did not take heed to this, because he kept on rambling on how Groudon was wonderful and magnificent and everything they needed to fulfill their life-long dreams of conquering over water and the oceans and Kyogre. I didn't pay attention, because it got old really quickly. I shifted my attention from my former trainer to the shackles around my feet. I frowned and used a light flamethrower on the metal.

After my shackles were off, I slowly moved my body into a position to where I could see what was going on. My wounds didn't hurt that much, but I still wanted to be careful, so I made sure I wasn't moving too fast or shifting into an uncomfortable position. Once I deemed it good, I settled on my stomach and looked straight ahead, where I saw the backs of my former trainer, Kaiyou, and Shayla, who was tied up and out into a corner where she was being guarded by a Team Magma member. I frowned and then shifted my attention back to the two looking over Groudon.

I saw Kaiyou shake his head. "Groudon is an important legendary with a sacred role," he said softly, as if he had been exhausted by the subject. "All he wants is a rematch with Kyogre, and that cannot happen. Not while the Earth still has enough resources to sustain life. Kyogre and Groudon are the planet's self-destruct system. Once it gets too barren and too polluted, then Groudon and Kyogre will destroy all life and give future generations another chance. To give the planet another chance to start over." He turned to my former trainer. "This is not the time!"

The leader of Team Magma turned to Kaiyou and snarled. "Stop with that meaningless nonsense! Groudon WILL obey whoever holds the Blue Orb, and I am that one! He will obey ME and do MY will! You cannot change that, Kyogre-lover!"

Kaiyou gave out a roar of frustration. "When will you humans get your heads out of your asses and listen to reason?!" he cried. "Groudon is not a puppet that will bend to anyone's will! He would sooner obey a plank of wood with a frowny face than a human child, much less YOU!"

"How dare you insult our leader, Clone filth!!" shouted a Magma member further back in the chamber. "Our leader knows exactly what he's doing-"

"Oh, shut up," Kaiyou retorted, turning back to face the Magma member. "Your leader doesn't know shit."

The Magma member fumed. "How… DARE you…!"

My former trainer held up his hand in a gesture of silence. "Stop bickering with him. You won't get us anywhere." He turned back to Kaiyou. "YOU owe your life to me, pokemon. You WILL obey me, or I shall find ways to persuade you."

Kaiyou cocked an eyebrow. "Obey you? Pah! I would sooner be the lap dog to Giovanni than obey YOUR orders. Besides, what are you going to do, beat me?"

My former trainer, to my despair, shook his head with a sadistic smile on his face, like the expression he always wore when torturing me. "No…" he said cruelly, eyeing Groudon. "No. Abusing you does nothing but waste energy. What I have in store will, in my belief, be much more effective."

Kaiyou glared. "What do you mean?"

My former trainer's sinister smile widened and he motioned to a Magma member off in the shadows, who had been standing beside a large cage, almost where Shayla was being held. The Magma member came into the light, holding something small, fuzzy and black in his arms. I took a sniff and then realized what it was. Kaiyou, from what I could tell, knew what it was too.

My former trainer gently took the baby poochyena from his subordinate's arms. The poochyena shifted uncomfortably in the Magma leader's grasp and calmly brought out a gun from his waist and held it up to the pup's head. Kaiyou and I simultaneously lurched forward, but then we stopped ourselves.

Kaiyou glared with so much animosity, I was scared of him. "Don't you dare…" My former trainer merely laughed off Kaiyou's warning.

"I thought this would get your attention," the Magma leader said with the sinister smile on his face. "I have learned many things over the years about pokemon and humans. One of them is, if they don't mind damage being done to themselves for a righteous cause, then their downfall is damage to others. And knowing full well that you are the Dark Legendary, then I thought it fitting that a baby poochyena would be the life on the line. Now, what is it going to be, Darkling? Groudon or this poochyena? Don't think I won't do it, either. I've stripped pieces off of my own pokemon before -a stranger won't make me lose sleep."

Kaiyou hardened his glare. "You sick bastard…"

My former trainer narrowed his eyes. "Choose. Or must I choose for you?"

The Dark Legendary didn't answer right away. "Say that I don't choose Groudon. You shoot the poochyena and then what? You'll kill everyone in here? And when you do, there'll be no one left but you and I, and I would have won by then. You have nothing to gain. All you have are empty threats."

But my former trainer's sinister expression didn't waver. "Oh, but that's where you're wrong. See, I would have to kill everyone in here, and I know you too well. You won't have that. You're not the kind of person who can save his own hide by letting a few others die for it. So, each baby poochyena or houndour or sneasel or absol or human I kill in here you will feel. You'll break down by the time I get through them all, and then you'll beg me to stop. Your plan would work if you weren't so soft-hearted, Darkling."

Since I was so engrossed in the conversation, I didn't notice Saji come up beside me, "The hell's going on?" he asked softly. I glanced at him; he was on his own stomach and performing an army crawl to get a little ahead of me to see better.

"They're trying to make Kaiyou awaken Groudon, but he won't do it. And now that sick freak of a human is about to shoot a baby poochyena if Kaiyou doesn't obey," I heard myself say in a soft, loathing tone. Saji's face contorted into one of pure hate.

Saji was about to say something, but my former trainer interrupted him. "Now, choose, Darkling!"

Kaiyou was silent for a long time. His golden eyes were locked on the baby poochyena, who in turn stared up at him with adoration. Kaiyou's eyes fell, and he turned away. "I won't do it. Groudon cannot be awoken. If I do, billions will die."

My former trainer's wicked face smiled even more. "Well, then you leave me no choice." He cocked the gun, and held it back up to the poochyena's head. And then he pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gun was ear splitting, and I had to flinch away and cover my ears to keep them from exploding themselves. The poochyena's weak yelp was smothered by the immense crack of the gunpowder, but I still heard it. When the sound began to echo throughout the cavern, I turned back to the scene in front of me. The dead poochyena now lay lifeless on the ground, its head concave and a pool of blood around it. Saji shuddered beside me, and I held back bile. My focus went from the dead pup to Kaiyou, who was kneeling on the ground, holding his head.

My former trainer, who's clothing was stained red, laughed. "I hadn't hoped for a twist like this!" he exclaimed happily while holding up his gun in the air. "It seems that this Legendary feels all damage done to one of his own element! Ha ha, you fool, do you really think you can survive all these pokemon and people dying when you feel and endure their pain?" To this, Kaiyou glared up at him.

The Magma leader smiled again and waved his gun, to which a Magma member opened the cage and brought out a baby houndour. And now that the houndour had seen what had happened to the poochyena, the little pup fought against the hand of the Magma member. Alas, his efforts were for naught, for he reached the hand of my former trainer. The gun was then pointed at his little head, and he began to whimper.

"Now, I shall give you another chance. Will you or will you not activate the Blue Orb and awaken Groudon?" he said confidently.

Kaiyou stood up shakily and was about to say something when Saji began to yell.

"How many pups have to die before you realize that that bastard isn't going to stop killing?!" he yelled. Kaiyou turned back and glared, but Saji kept going. "He's enjoying it, dammit! He isn't going to stop because it's wrong! He'll keep going until all of the pokemon in here are dead! Will you sacrifice us all like that!?"

Kaiyou continued glaring. "I have no choice. If I do activate the Blue Orb, then we'll all die anyway." His face went from furious to a bitter smile. "So, it seems I'm caught, huh? Damned if I do and damned if I don't." He turned back to face Groudon and then took a look at the baby houndour, who was still trying to wriggle out of my former trainer's grasp. I heard him heave a heavy sigh and then his body began to darken, and a black aura encircled him. He was going to his true form!

"NO!" I heard Shayla shout from her seat. "Kaiyou, you CAN'T!!"

"Quiet, girl!" my former trainer shouted. "He's finally realized that he can't disobey me! Don't encourage him to defy me, or I'll have your brains litter the floor like the poochyena!" Shayla stayed quiet.

When I looked back to the Dark Legendary again, he was fully transformed in his true form. His golden and ebony pelt glittered in the lava's light, and his huge, lithe body. I then noticed his many wounds littering his body, marring his shining pelt. He stepped forward, and my former trainer began to ramble triumphantly, and he dropped the houndour pup on the ground, who skittered to Shayla.

"Now, Dark Legendary, now!" he shouted. "Show us your power and activate the Blue Orb! Bring Groudon back into this world!!" He held out the Blue Orb towards Kaiyou. The Dark Legendary looked at it, and then paused.

Then, he growled. (Bastard human! I'll never lower myself to YOUR level!!) Then, with deadly speed and force, he opened his mouth and clamped my former trainer in his jaws, and then swung him around. The Blue Orb fell to the ground. A Magma member tried to retrieve it, but Kaiyou flung my former trainer into the other man, and picked up the Blue Orb gently in his jaws.

He looked to me, and yelled, (What are you waiting for?! GO! GET OUT OF HERE! GET EVERYONE OUT!!) I nodded quickly and tried to rouse my fainted comrades. Shoko, Saji and Amburna were awake, but the eevee brothers were out. Shoko and Saji carried them, while I cut Shayla loose.

Shayla rubbed her wrists and looked around. "There's no way out!" she shouted over the commotion that Team Magma and Kaiyou were making. "The way we came is blocked! And we have to get all of these baby pokemon out!" She then pointed to the cage in which the poochyena and the houndour came out of. I looked back behind me to try and see if there was another way out.

"KILL THE BASTARD!!" I heard my former trainer yell. "KILL HIM!! GET THE ORB BACK!" His body was now bloodied and broken -thanks to Kaiyou's jaws. I turned and saw Kaiyou trying to escape with the Blue Orb in his mouth. He was running along the edge of the lava pit, and was trying to avoid the many bullets that were being shot at him. From the blunt pain that I felt, he didn't avoid them all. And then, he disappeared into the shadows.

I knew then that I had to take everyone into the Void and out in order to escape in one piece, especially since Team Magma was distracted with Kaiyou. I began to run towards the wall, everyone following me. I opened a portal and made it last long enough to allow everyone through. In ran in the Void, and then jumped out into bright light and onto rocky ground.

As everyone came out behind me, I looked around and saw that were back on the ocean -apparently on a tiny little island. I narrowed my eyes. I could smell blood. I saw dark red drops on the ground and followed them. I then breached a little hill to see Kaiyou, his ebony and gold pelt stained with his own blood, struggling to climb over a particularly large boulder. In his tightly clamped jaws was the Blue Orb. I heard Shayla gasp behind me, and he whirled his great head towards us in alarm. He narrowed his eyes and then asked of us, (W-what is it? You need to get away from here. You're still too close to Team Magma. I may have crippled their leader, but that won't stop them for long. Now go, get out of here.)

Shayla didn't take heed to this. "You're… you're hurt…" She set the cage full of dark pups and took a step towards Kaiyou. He flinched away from her.

(Don't worry about me. I'll be able to heal on my own. Your pokemon need more attention than I do.) Shoko shook his head.

"You can't climb over a big rock. Heck, you have what, seven or so gunshot wounds, all near the vitals? You need serious attention, uh… sir," the charizard said awkwardly. Apparently, Shoko didn't really know how to address a legendary properly. Kaiyou didn't pay attention to this.

(I'm fine. Or at least I will be. Just get those pups out in a safe haven, alright, human?) Shayla frowned slightly, and then pulled out an ultra ball. Kaiyou flinched further away.

"I know you'll probably disagree to this, but I think I'll be able to help you more if you… get into the ultra ball. That way, I can carry you more easily and we can heal you faster. Please, you're hurt and so are my other pokemon. They need attention, but not as much as you. Please, let me help you."

Kaiyou glared and raised his bloodstained fur. (No way in Hell. You keep that thing away from me. I can't be captured. If I am, then he'll be pissed at me. I can't. No. You keep that ultra ball away from me.)

Shayla pursed her lips. "You stubborn fool! Can't you tell that you're dying?! Let me help you!"

(I'd rather die than be owned by a human!!) he cried, spitting the Blue Orb onto the ground so he could properly show off his bloody fangs. Of who's blood was on his teeth, I didn't know. He snarled and then added, (A Legendary? Accepting help from a HUMAN!? How ridiculous is that!? I'll NEVER go with you, girl!)

Shayla's lip went up slightly, as if mimicking Kaiyou's present expression. "Oh really? Well, whether you like it or not, you're going to. Amburna, paralyze him! Shoko, keep Demi down!!"

I knew instantly what she wanted to do. I was about to run to protect my legendary, but Shoko held me down. And since he had his feet planted in the ground, he was impervious to my thunderbolt. And I couldn't reach him for any of my other attacks. So all I could do was watch as Amburna used thunderbolt and paralyzed my Lord. Kaiyou's legs gave, and he fell to the ground.

Shayla threw the ultra ball, and in a shiny bright red light, he went in. The ball tipped and rolled for a little bit, but then a click sounded, and there wasn't anymore movement.

Shayla had captured Kaiyou…

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Whee!! Merry Christmas! I'll try and update as soon as I can!

I am now the proud owner of a Game Cube… or at least of Super Smash Bros. Melee. I'm getting the Game Cube later.

Ja