My breath catching in my chest and determination coursing through my veins, I forced myself clumsily to my feet. I was still reeling from the effects of the attack and the paralysis, but I tried to ignore the tingling pain and heavy feeling weighing down my limbs. Indigo bayed softly next to me, sounding concerned as I staggered and stumbled, still a little uneasy. I wanted to reassure her but I didn't get the chance as it was at this point that the argument between Nathan and Helene reached a sudden violent climax. I heard a vicious smack and looked up to see an angry Nathan suddenly bellow ruthlessly at Helene, his hand raised and Helene cowering slightly, her hands clutching at her face. My heart leapt to my mouth. He had hit her! I automatically wanted to protest, but the second I moved, Nathan turned around sharply and he looked directly at me. Even from almost fifteen feet away, I saw his face instantly change as soon as he laid eyes on me. His mouth swung open in astonishment, then his face twisted into sheer unbridled anger and then his hand flew, lightning fast, to Pokeballs at his waist. "Helene! The girl!"

Helene, who had been cowering away from Nathan only seconds ago, quickly whipped her head up the second he spoke. I swore repeatedly as Helene and Nathan's hands closed around Pokeballs, but all of a sudden, a strange, tranquil peace suddenly descend on me. Despite the panic and the fear, I felt calm and serene aside from a burst of excitement that hit me as soon as I realised what was going on.

"The Future Sight!" I thought in sheer glee.

Helene and Nathan didn't even see the attack coming. The massive, glowing and pulsating ball of energy emerged from seemingly nowhere, beaming towards Nathan and Helene at a scarily fast speed. Both yelled out in shock as the energy ball collided with them from behind, kicking up a huge explosion that sent them flying forwards and landing heavily onto the ground. They were winded and seeing them groan in pain, unable to move or reach the Pokeballs at their waists gave me a burst of hope.

"Indigo, get on them, now!" My voice sounded high and screechy and adrenaline was coming in violent tidal waves, electrifying me from within. "Psychic! Hold them in place!"

Indigo bayed obediently, springing forward on her strong legs and firing the strong shock of telekinetic energy at the still grounded Nathan and Helene. Both of them yelled in protest as they were suddenly bound in place by Indigo's impressive Psychic attack. My breath came in ragged gasps and my panic started to grow again despite the fact I had Nathan and Helene bound and currently not a threat. I knew they couldn't remain that way for long. I couldn't rely on just Indigo, I knew that. She wasn't the strongest of Pokemon, nor did she have the most stamina… If she dropped the attack or it wore off, I risked Helene and Nathan getting free and then stopping me. I had hit a massive stroke of luck already since neither of them had had their Pokemon out with them when I first mounted my attack, which had meant I didn't have countless enemy Pokemon to face with just my limited team. I knew that luck couldn't keep holding out. I knew in my heart that Indigo couldn't hold Nathan and Helene forever, as much as I wanted her to… I had to find some way to stop this before Indigo would eventually get too weak to carry on. I had to find the device…

But where could it be?

I thought of Helene first. No sooner had her name popped into my head, I broke off at a run, halting right in front of a struggling Helene and Nathan. "Helene! Where's the device?!" I demanded of her.

Literally the only part of her body Helene seemed to be able to move were her eyes and her mouth and she looked up at me, her eyes burning with fury. "I'd sooner die than tell you!" she spat.

"Do you have it?!" I barked at her, before kneeling down onto the floor and ripping open her white overcoat, checking in every pocket and fold for anything that looked remotely like a piece of scientific equipment. I blatantly ignored Helene's screams, Nathan's yells and every one the horrid insults and threats they flung my way as I searched her. But I found nothing. "Dammit!" I cursed, getting to my feet and looking around hopelessly. "Indigo! Keep holding them, okay?"

While Indigo whinnied determinedly and obediently, I forced myself to think calmly and rationally. "Helene's not got the device on her. It makes sense because she even said herself that it had a short range. I… I don't think it would have even worked when she had me downstairs… And it's not affecting any other Pokemon in the area. That's a very short range. It… it must be in this room somewhere… It has to be!"

I started to run around, going to every wall and every piece of furniture in the room, tearing it apart, looking for anything, any nook or cranny that could be used as a hiding place. I heard Helene screaming "You'll never find it! You'll never find it!", her screeching voice taunting and shrill, but I ignored her, continuing to rip apart everything I could get my hands on. Bookshelves, chairs, sofas, anything. Helene's cackling laugh and taunts ringing in the background only served to fuel my fervent desire and I vowed to myself I wouldn't give up till I held that device in my hands. But no matter what I pulled apart, no matter where I checked, I still found nothing. Panic gripped me in an icy hold as I looked around, my eyes constantly darting back at Helene and Nathan to make sure they were still incapacitated. With no clue what else to do, I darted over to the figures of my unconscious friends and family. Nikki, Jasmine, Scott and Bailey were all out cold. Elliot was also lying flat on his front, his fists clenched. He didn't even stir when I called his name. However, my father… He was awake.

"Dad!" I cried, getting to my knees and shaking him. He was weak and limp, looking like he was paralysed. "Dad, please! Where… where could have Helene hidden the device?! Please, Dad!"

His eyes were shut, but he was able to acknowledge me. "The..." he wheezed, his breath ragged. "Try… try the floorboards…"

"The floorboards?!" I repeated in astonishment.

"The floorboards!" He cried. "I saw Nathan… when he was here… last time… go to the floorboards once… I didn't… think about it… at the time, but… he could have… put it here then…"

"Where in the floorboards, Dad?! Where?" I demanded, cursing how groggy and out of it he was, wishing I could shake the answer out of him.

He coughed violently, before weakly pointing out the leftmost corner of the room. "Over there… loose floorboard… Hurry…"

"I'm on it, Dad!" I cried, immediately getting to my feet and turning around.

But no sooner had I turned around, I noticed there was a problem. It had only been a few minutes but Indigo was already looking weakened, her head bowed weakly and it looked almost like her legs were buckling under the strain of keeping Nathan and Helene in place. "Oh God… Oh God, Indigo!" I cried, running to her side. "Are you alright, girl?"

She bayed weakly at me, her eyes slightly lidded and glossy, and as I looked back at Nathan and Helene, they were beginning to struggle, evidently starting to break free of their binds. My heart leapt to my mouth and I started to panic, repeatedly swearing out loud and looking around blindly, desperate for something I could use to help myself. I vaguely entertained the idea of grabbing some kind of heavy blunt object and hitting both Nathan and Helene over the head with it, but I could see nothing that I could use. Realising I had so little options as it stood, I forced myself to think, try and come up with a solution with what little I did know.

"Psychic Pokemon. Pokemon with thick skulls. Pokemon with similar brain patterns to theirs. And Pokemon that undergo sudden brain structure changes. I… I can't rely on Indigo. Not just Indigo against all of Nathan and Helene's Pokemon… But I don't have any more Pokemon that fit those criteria… I… I don't know what to do…"

Indigo let out a tortured groan, suddenly sinking downwards onto her knees. I cried out in fright, suddenly terrified she would give in under the pressure and the pain and exhaustion, but my brave little Indigo was still holding on, still somehow keeping Helene and Nathan from moving. I still had time. I had to do something. My thoughts went to my friends' Pokemon. I knew Scott for a fact had Pokemon with thick skulls, thinking particularly of his Quagsire and Rhyhorn, but there were two distinct problems there. I didn't know where Scott kept those Pokemon and I risked pulling out any kind of Pokemon if I just opened Pokeballs randomly, and besides, I couldn't be sure Scott's Pokemon would even listen to me! This was exactly the same for my father. No, I couldn't rely on anyone else's Pokemon. I had to have a Pokemon that fit those criteria…

"Maybe Cairo? He's a Ground type; I know those ones have pretty thick skulls… Oh, but Cairo's got a pretty small head… Well, if not Cairo, who else have I got? Meloi, no… Aurora…? No, I doubt it… She's big, but in her body, not her head… Monty… no… All there is left is Kiba… And he definitely does not have a big head…"

But it was then, at the moment I thought of the name Kiba, that I realised something. As two separate pieces of the puzzle suddenly slotted together, a trembling wave of apprehension swept over me. Pokemon that had sudden changes in brain structure wouldn't be affected by Helene's device. But what could suddenly change a brain structure? The only way a brain structure could be changed would be if the rest of the Pokemon changed too. And there was only one way a Pokemon could be changed…

Evolution.

My shaky hand reached for the zip of the messenger bag I always carried slung around my body. I groped around until I found what I was looking for. I had wrapped it up in a small handkerchief to keep it protected, stashed it carefully in the inside pocket of the bag and long forgotten about it. I eventually unearthed the small, glowing, crimson red stone that had been given to me as a gift from Nikki's boyfriend, Christian. I ran my fingers along its contours, a strange warmth clinging to my fingers even when I moved them away. I looked at it in awe, a warm, glimmering glow like the burning embers of a fire seeming to emanate from somewhere deep within the stone's depths.

"Kiba…" I whispered, closing my palm around the Fire Stone.

My head was overwhelmed with emotion as I stared at my closed palm and the conceale. Was it right to force Kiba to evolve? Was he even ready to evolve? Even if I did evolve him, would that be enough of a change in his brain structure to stop him from being affected by that electrical impulse? I didn't know… But as Indigo suddenly cried out weakly, looking like she was about to faint at any moment, I made a decision. I seized Kiba's Pokeball and threw it. My heart hammered as Kiba emerged. He let out a pained yelp the second he was released, dropped to the floor and covered his head with his paws, his ears flat and his tail between his legs. I glanced upwards to see Helene and Nathan began to struggle more violently and I swore. I darted forwards, got straight down on my knees and grabbed Kiba by the scruff of his neck to stop him from moving.

"I'm so sorry, Kiba!" I cried out, before pressing the Fire Stone to his body.

The effect was instantaneous. The entire of Kiba's body immediately became engulfed in such a bright white light I had to immediately bring my hands up to my eyes to shield them. Kiba yelped in surprise as the stone began to take effect and I backed away as my tiny Growlithe suddenly began to grow! Before I knew it, my little baby Growlithe now stood taller than me and so wide and strong I could probably climb onto his back and ride him like a Rapidash. As the bright light wore off, revealing the striking vibrant orange and flashes of black on his fur, he barked loudly, the sound ricocheting off every available surface. I cried out in surprise at the sheer noise and power he demonstrated before he shook his great, shaggy head and looked down his long snout at me.

"Arrrrf!"

"Kiba!" I breathed out in shock.

"Arrrf! Arrrf!"

"Are you okay, boy?!" I dared to approach him and reach my hands out towards him.

He barked at me again as my hands came close and I squeaked, the noise of his booming, powerful voice practically deafening. I looked down at his huge paws, easily three or four times the size of the ones my little Growlithe had once padded about on. Instead of being able to look down at him, he now towered above me, his head almost a full foot above mine. His tiny little body that I could once scoop up into my arms like a little baby looked now like it was at least twice the weight of me. If my over-affectionate, fun-loving, licking monster Kiba knocked me to the ground now, he'd probably squash me. Or kill me. And those eyes… I looked deep into Kiba's eyes and saw they shone with determination and strength, not that childlike exuberance I had grown to love over the years I had been with him. It was like his wonderful childishness, his very essence, had just vanished, just like that and I didn't know the Pokemon that was standing in front of me. Where was my playful, cheery little soul…? Had I… had I lost him forever?

But as I was thinking this, already mourning the loss of my little Growlithe and wondering what the hell I had done, the giant dog Pokemon suddenly lunged at me! I screamed, expecting him to attack me, maul me with one of his giant, heavy paws or torch me with the blazing hot fire I knew he had under his command. I knew if he hit me with anything like that, I'd be a goner. But instead, his sandpaper tongue suddenly slid out of his mouth and then raked its way sloppily across my cheek. I squealed in disgust as he covered me in wet, sticky slobbers but at the same time, I giggled ecstatically, burying my face into his surprisingly soft fur. "K…Kiba!"

I cuddled my Pokemon tight, but then after a few moments, reality kicked in and it was with suddenness that I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. "D…dammit!" I cried, cursing myself, pushing myself away from Kiba and looking towards Nathan and Helene. Indigo was visibly struggling now, looking fatigued and I quickly pulled some spray on medicine from my bag. I motioned to Kiba to follow and darted up to Indigo, spraying her all over with the medicine in some vague hope to keep her strong and healthy enough to keep going. "Hang in there, girl," I pleaded. "You're doing so well! Please keep them down! Please!"

"You'll never get away with this!" Nathan rasped, straining his head to look up at me. "That stupid weakling Girafarig can't keep us down!"

"You just watch her!" I snapped, noticing that the medicine did seem to be working and Indigo was regaining a little bit of strength and control back, meaning Helene and Nathan weren't able to move as much now. "Kiba! I need you to stay here with Indigo! If… if she drops her attack, you have to stop these two from getting to their Pok—"

But before I could even finish the word 'Pokeballs', I was struck with a brilliant idea. Nathan and Helene couldn't get at their Pokeballs if I got rid of them! Immediately, I knelt straight down towards them, moving Helene's white overcoat aside until I found her belt with her Pokeballs at it. With a lot of tugging and some angered, violent negotiating, I eventually stripped the belt off her, collected the Pokeballs and ran straight towards the dojo window at the wall opposite to me. I wrenched the window open and threw all six of the Pokeballs outside as far as I could. I was about to turn around and go back for Nathan's, when something caught my eye.

I glanced towards the leftmost corner of the room and saw something didn't look right. Dad always kept his dojo spotless, right down to the smallest detail, and although I knew the room had practically been serving as a battleground the past little while, there was something still off about the way that just that tiny section of carpet looked scuffed and ripped, like someone had tried to tear it up. Remembering what Dad had said earlier, I automatically darted towards it, grabbing the scuffed carpet and pulling at it viciously. It came away surprisingly easy, revealing an uneven floorboard. I gasped and scrabbled at it desperately, the splintered wood puncturing my fingers like I was being stabbed with tiny needles. I pulled the first uneven floorboard away; it breaking into two clean pieces in my hands and immediately shoved my hand into the exposed floor. I felt around gingerly, stretching my arm into the gap as far as it could go, wincing as the broken edges of the sharp wood dug into the crook of my arm like shards of broken glass. I ignored it and continued groping around until the tips of my fingers finally brushed against something. I lunged for it, my heart banging into my chest but try as I might, I couldn't reach it.

All of a sudden, I heard frenzied barking. Gasping in shock, I quickly whipped my head backwards to see Kiba growling, snarling and snapping at Helene and Nathan. Panicked thoughts ricocheted through my head. I was seriously running out of time! I desperately lunged for whatever it was, finally grabbing it. It almost slipped out of my grasp as I yanked my arm out of the hole in the floor. I came away with a small rectangular device, no bigger than the average smart phone and blinking with a few ominous red lights. It felt compacted and heavy and I could feel a strange buzz emanating from the device which tingled at my fingers, like the static from a television you'd just turned off.

"That's the electricity..." I whispered to myself.

I turned the device up and down over in my hands, wondering what the hell to do with it. All I knew was that I had to destroy it, but I had absolutely no clue how to break something that looked that solid and well built. I gripped the weighted device tightly and threw it with all my might against the floor. But the device bounced harmlessly off the floor and I had to chase it halfway across the room to retrieve it. Swearing viciously, I tried again, and then resorted to jumping on top of the inanely blinking device in an attempt to break it when hitting it off stuff didn't work. But I didn't even seem to put so much as a scratch in it, let alone a dent. I looked up, my mouth opening to call on Kiba and hoping to try and use his flames just to burn the thing, when I stopped in abject terror.

Nathan was getting up.

"Kiba, stop him!" I screamed.

Kiba, mercifully, was on top of Nathan like a shot even before he could stagger to his feet. Growling and snarling, he sounded like a whole pack of rabid Mightyena rather than just one Arcanine. Helene was still bound, but it didn't look like she'd be staying that way for long and Indigo was in no condition to keep her busy much longer. I'd either have to break the device now or find another Pokemon to keep Helene at bay until I figured some way to destroy the device. But how could I destroy a device that almost seemed like it was made out of reinforced steel? I groaned in frustration, helplessly staring at the device as if waiting for an answer to just conveniently present itself to me.

"What am I gonna do?!"

A pained yelp suddenly startled me and I looked up to see Nathan somehow wrestle Kiba from him, his hand flying towards a Pokeball at his waist. I cried out in shock, but thankfully Kiba recovered quickly, tackling Nathan to the ground again.

"Dammit, Sienna!" Panic was rising in me like a boiling kettle, threatening to bubble over any second. This situation was getting way too close for comfort! "Think, woman! You've got an electrical device you have to destroy and two crazed bad guys running riot that you need to keep at bay! How can you short out an electrical...?"

And with that, the answer came to me.

Electricity.

Electricity was the answer.

I wanted to kick myself for not seeing it sooner. It had been so obvious and I cursed the stupidity that meant I hadn't even seen it practically singing and dancing in front of my eyes. Electricity! Helene's device depended on electricity! The only reason it could stimulate the brain was because it used an electrical impulse! That's why Ground Pokemon weren't affected! And I had a Ground Pokemon! I'd thought that because Cairo didn't seem to have a thick skull that he'd continue to be affected, but I'd stupidly forgotten one massive detail. Cairo was a Ground type! Ground types were totally immune to electricity! My hand automatically reached for Cairo's Pokeball and I threw it with as much strength as I could. I was ecstatic to see that just as I had expected, Cairo didn't seem to be affected by the electrical impulse, but before I could instruct my Pokemon to do anything, I suddenly noticed something that sent a shock of fear through my heart.

Kiba had started whining and whimpering, his entire body trembling. He suddenly dropped to the floor, his paws over his head and started to growl. "No!" I cried out in protest as I realised Kiba had once again come under the spell of Helene's electrical device! "K-Kiba! How?!"

I looked to Helene, who was cackling wickedly as she got to her feet. "Just because your silly little Growlithe evolved doesn't mean the device isn't going to affect him!"

"Wh…what?!"

"Your Growlithe's brain patterns changed when he evolved, yes! You were clever enough to figure that out, but the electrical impulse still affects it! It just takes a little while to adjust to the new brain waves and work again!"

"Oh God, oh God…" I cried out in fear. "Cairo, quickly! G-get in and stop Nathan!"

I wasn't too worried about Helene; I had thrown her Pokeballs outside and it would likely take her some time to retrieve them. But I was still running out of time! As Cairo swept past and bodily tackled Nathan to the ground again, stopping him from pulling out a Pokeball only just in the nick of time, I saw Helene break into a run, heading for the nearest door to get outside. Panicking, I looked up at Kiba who was now growling and snarling at nothing in particular, baring his teeth and his claws scratching viciously at the ground. He was in the grips of the aggressive behaviour and there was nothing he could do to help me now. Indigo was lying on the floor, totally spent and exhausted, looking like she was barely even managing to stay conscious. The electrical device burned in my hands and I gripped it like I was trying to break it apart right there, but I couldn't…

"Come on, Sienna… Think! Think!"

Cairo had Nathan pinned to the floor now, keeping him down quite easily, but Nathan was screaming and yelling, cursing obscenities and threats that sent icy chills of fear down my spine. If Nathan got loose, I would be in severe trouble. Somewhere, I heard a door slam and my heart sunk. Helene had made it outside and it was only a matter of time until she found and retrieved her Pokeballs. If she got her Pokeballs, I was through. No questions asked, if she got to her Pokeballs or Nathan escaped Cairo's grasp, I was done.

"I… I don't know what to do…" I thought, helplessly looking at the electrical device in my hands, feeling tears prick at my eyes. I then winced in pain as static from the device clung to my fingers, making me curse under my breath. "Stupid static…!"

And then my eyes widened, the proverbial lightbulb moment finally hitting me. "S…static! Oh God, why didn't I see this before?! This electrical device… if I can somehow hit it with some kind of electricity, I could… I could potentially overload it! But… but where could I get electricity…?!"

At the moment, all the pieces fell into place. I knew instantly what I had to do. My trembling hand reached for the first Pokeball at my belt and I squeezed it tightly, my heart banging painfully in my chest. Common sense screamed at me not to do this, but for all I cared, it could scream until it was blue in the face and its throat was red raw, but I didn't care. This was the only way I could see to make things right and if I had to get hurt in the process to make it happen, then it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. Perhaps… perhaps this was what Arceus had meant when he said there was a price to pay…

"Meloi! Come out, girl!" I cried, throwing the Pokeball as hard as I could.

And as the figure of my Ampharos emerged from the blindingly bright light of the Pokeball, the entire of that tiny room exploded with crackling bolts of electricity.

Author's Note

Well, this is it, guys! We're building up to the climax and the end of Free Spirits is nigh :)

There isn't too much to say for this chapter; it pretty much speaks for itself, but expect some rather explosive battles and the final showdown with Nathan and Helene in the next few chapters.

Thanks so much to my wonderful regular reviewers WildCroconaw, Shadow Serenity 57, Shadow Wolf Hikaru, MasterFreezeman and TwewyReaperGirl.

Thank you everyone! And let's bring Free Spirits to a close!

Until next time!