A/N: This is the last chapter of Broken Promise I have written, so the next chapter won't come until I've finished writing it and posting it on SPPf. Until then, I will post the other fics I have posted on SPPf.

~~~~Alternative Point of View:~~~~
~~~Lightning~~~

The Fearow's Fury Attack hit me squarely, and I winced as the Beak Pokemon's sharp bill pummeled my body.

"Lightning!" I heard Falkner call from behind me. "Use Roost!"

I gladly obliged, landing on the ground. My body glowed as energy flowed into me, and when I took to the air again, I felt refreshed and ready to continue battling.

Katrina's Fearow dove towards me again, and I waited for a command from Falkner. But my trainer was busy commanding Mordecai to use Tri Attack to fight off K's Gyarados. In that moment of hesitation, the Fearow's Fury Attack landed.

I took the successive attacks and then, without Falkner's command, used Agility - I figured that a bit of extra speed would help me avoid attacks and confuse my opponent. I flew quickly from one point to another, and I smirked when I found out that my plan was working - Katrina's Fearow was looking around, confused. I saw Falkner look up at me and the Fearow, somewhat flustered by everything that was going on around him.

"Lightning, Quick Attack!" he called.

I readied the attack, agreeing wholeheartedly with my trainer - Quick Attack was the most logical course of action in this situation. I charged forward, only to reel in surprise as I heard Katrina call, "Pokemon, return!"

The Fearow turned into transparent red energy and disappeared. I looked around, confused, and found out that all of Katrina's Pokemon had been recalled. The edge of the clearing was charred and rumpled from the battle, but K's Pokemon were gone.

"Katrina," Falkner said as he walked towards his sister, "thank you for recalling your Pokemon. I knew you had the sense to settle this civilly."

I landed next to Falkner as he stood and faced his sister. Then I realized something. Thunder was gone… she was nowhere to be seen. A cold dread enveloped me.

"Wait a second," Janine said as she and her Pokemon stood next to Falkner. "Where did Thunder go?"

K smirked, but didn't say anything. We all waited in apprehension. I was getting a very, very bad feeling.

"My Adamant-natured Pidgeot is in an Ultra Ball in my PC," Katrina said coolly. "I caught it in an Ultra Ball, and now it is mine. My team is complete."

"NO!" Falkner, Janine, and I shouted in unison.

My heart felt like it had been crushed. It wasn't possible. Thunder, who was so strong and brave, was caught? But it made sense… K must have called her Gyarados, Fearow, and Charizard to distract Janine, Falkner, and me while she used her dirty tricks to battle and capture Thunder. Ultra Balls worked better than regular Poke Balls, and Thunder was not strong enough to break free of the capsule.

I sank to the ground in despair as I realized what this meant. Thunder now belonged to Katrina, and would have to follow the cold-hearted trainer's orders. Katrina would use Thunder as a tool to advance her selfish agenda, and unless she had a change of heart, I would never see her again…

"Wait," Falkner said, his voice shaking. "You could be lying. Prove it. Prove that Thunder is indeed yours."

"I gladly will," K said coolly. "Like I said, now that I finally own a Pidgeot that is better than yours, my team is complete. And because my team is complete, I can now battle you for my last badge and finally prove that I am better than you. And after I finally earn a Zephyr Badge, I will challenge the Pokemon League and be hailed as the most powerful Flying-type trainer of all time."

"You won't become respected unless you learn to treat your Pokemon well," Falkner said. I could see that he was struggling to keep his cool. "And besides, you never answered my question - where is Thunder? What did you do to her?"

"I can show you," Katrina said, "as long as you agree to battle me. Your six strongest Pokemon against my perfect team of six good-natured Flying-type Pokemon. Battle me, and if I win, you owe me a Zephyr Badge, and I will prove to you that my training methods are superior."

"And if you lose?" Falkner asked. "If you lose against me, you will change your cruel ways, right? And release Thunder so that she can pursue her goals?"

"I'll consider it," K said. "But don't worry; I won't lose." She ran a hand through her blue hair. "So. Violet Gym, tomorrow morning at ten? That should give the both of us time to heal our Pokemon and prepare for the battle."

"Falkner, you can't let your sister continue her ways," Janine said, grabbing Falkner's arm. "You can't risk losing this battle. Isn't there another way? Can't we report Katrina's actions to the police?"

Falkner shook his head. "She technically hasn't done anything wrong, so she can't be arrested," he said, throwing his hands up into the air. "There's no proof that she did anything unlawful - she's been treating her Pokemon as tools, sure, but there's no evidence of abuse so it's not against the law."

"Dang it," Janine sighed. She eyed Falkner steadily. "So you have to win this battle. That's our only hope of changing Katrina's ways, and letting Thunder continue on her quest to find Ash."

At the sound of Thunder's name, I sighed and let out a sad squawk. The love of my life was now under K's control, and unless the Nature Hunter had a change of heart, Thunder's quest to find Ash was over.

"Lightning," Falkner said sympathetically, crouching down and giving me a hug. "You've got to promise to give it your all in the battle against Katrina tomorrow. For me, and for Thunder. Winning the battle is our only chance of getting Thunder back."

I closed my eyes and got back onto my feet. I looked at my wonderful trainer, this person who was ready to give his all for the love of Flying-type Pokemon.

"I will," I said, nodding.

"That's great," Falkner said warmly, giving me another hug. He stood up tall and faced Katrina resolutely. "Tomorrow morning at ten in the Violet Gym," he said. "Let's battle."

~~~~Alternative Point of View:~~~~
~~~End~~~

I was in Poke Ball Mode - a semi-conscious slumber. Vaguely, I was aware that I was in some kind of box.

Warmth and comfort enveloped me as a voice spoke in my head. I had no idea of where the voice was coming from. It sounded a bit like Katrina's voice, but different enough to not exactly be the voice of the Nature Hunter.

You can have it all, the voice said. You are a good-natured Pidgeot, and you can have the thrill of victory and the glory of power if you just obeyed Nature Hunter K.

I listened. I could feel my energy returning to me. I wasn't sure how to communicate with the soothing, compelling voice, so I decided to just listen to what it had to say.

Obey, the hypnotic voice continued. Obey K's orders, and everything will be easier for you. You want to battle, right? Obey K's orders, and you will have good, thrilling battles for the rest of your life.

I could feel my self-awareness, my autonomy, slipping away. It made me feel scared and alarmed.

So this is what it feels like to be a Pokemon used for evil or selfishness, I thought. I didn't feel like this when Ash captured me. I always wondered how Pokemon could willingly follow their masters' evil orders. Now I know that it's not always willingly…

It would be easy, so easy, to give in to the voice, lose part of my soul, and follow Nature Hunter K's orders. But then I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and I knew why. Lightning, Falkner, Ash…

Then I remembered why I never wanted to be Nature Hunter K's POkemon, and my feelings of revulsion towards her came back.

No! I thought. I know what kind of person Nature Hunter K is, and I will not obey her!

What? the voice sounded. But… you're K's Pokemon. She caught you in an Ultra Ball. She's your trainer, and you will have to obey her. That is what Pokemon do - obey their trainers.

The voice was so compelling that I had to agree with it. That is what Pokemon do, I thought. And with that thought, I began to rapidly lose consciousness, more rapidly than before, With the loss of consciousness also came the loss of awareness and autonomy. I could feel myself slipping away, losing the mental battle. It was easy - so easy.

But it wasn't right. My heart ached for Lightning.

NO! I thought forcefully, wrenching control back from the hypnotic voice. Pokemon do not have to obey their trainers if they really don't want to! I know! Ash's Charizard doesn't obey his trainer! I breathed deeply. My head was getting clearer. And I will not obey Katrina.

Why? the hypnotic voice asked. Why wouldn't you-

Many reasons, I thought, not wanting the voice to get a word in edgewise for fear that I would lose consciousness again. Firstly, Katrina is a cruel trainer who does not treat her Pokemon well. Secondly, if I went with Katrina, I would never be able to see Falkner or Lightning again. And I need them both in my life. Thirdly, I am on a quest here, to find my trainer, Ash Ketchum.

Lightning or Ash, the voice sounded. Pick one. You can't have both.

This caught me off-guard. What? I thought.

Lightning is inseparable from Falkner, the voice explained. The two of them share a strong bond and have been together for a very long time. It was difficult for Falkner to battle and run the gym without him. Lightning belongs with Falkner. If you find Ash and become his Pokemon again, your chances of seeing Lightning regularly are very slim.

Those words hit me like a punch in the gut. I hadn't thought about that before. When I asked for Lightning's help on my quest to find Ash, I never expected our journey to take so long or to bind us together. Lightning now had such a special place in my heart, and I knew that I couldn't bear to lose him. I just couldn't.

Ash is a traveller, the voice continued. He is always intent on going to the next city, the next gym, the next region. You have no idea how long it will take you to find Ash - it may take years, and even if you did find him, you would still lose Lightning. Lightning's destiny is to be with Falkner. He won't be able to travel with you for much longer.

I'm Ash's Pokemon, I thought, confused. He promised that he'd come back… And then I realized that now I knew exactly why Ash never came back to the Viridian Forest to fetch me. It was because he was the kind of person to always look forward, not back. Once he got his shiny Noctowl, going back to the Viridian Forest to fetch me was probably the last thing on his mind, what with the excitement of the Johto league and beyond to keep him busy.

Lightning or Ash, the voice repeated. You can't have both. Of course, you can make everything easier for yourself if you just obeyed Nature Hunter K.

I will never obey her, I thought resolutely. No matter what.

You are indeed very adamant, the voice said. Your willpower is astounding. It seems that I can no longer get through to you or force you to obey Nature Hunter K.

Good, I thought.

There was silence. I felt tired, and though my eyes were closed, I wasn't asleep. I dared not to lose vigilance, however, for fear that Katrina's Ultra Ball would capitalize on my loss of consciousness and forcefully strip me of my autonomy.

Though I was still halfway between sleep and wakefulness, I was aware of my Ultra Ball moving. I quickly deduced that Katrina was retrieving me from her Pokemon Storage System. The movement outside continued, and I guessed that Katrina wanted to go to a quiet place to train me and see what I could do.

Only I won't obey you, Katrina, I thought triumphantly as my Ultra Ball bounced in Katrina's bag as she ran.

My surroundings were changing as Katrina made her way to her training ground. I guessed that she was going to test out my moves either at Ilex Forest or in the woods close to Violet City. The latter made more sense to me, considering that Katrina had probably challenged her younger brother to a gym battle at Violet Gym shortly after capturing me.

Minutes passed. Though I was still in Katrina's bag, I guessed that K had landed her blimp in Ilex Forest and was going to use it to fly to Violet City. If that was the case, it was going to take a while to get to the training area. It didn't matter - I wasn't going to obey Katrina anyways. Whether she let me out of this Ultra Ball now or a year later, I wasn't going to listen to K's orders. She would release me in frustration upon finding out that I was disobedient, and I could find Lightning and Falkner again.

Lightning and Falkner, I thought, remembering what the hypnotic voice had said. I could have Lightning and Falkner, or I could have Ash - I couldn't have both. I sighed. Why did life have to be so hard? If only I could be Ash's Pokemon, and still see Lightning and Falkner regularly. But I knew that that wasn't possible.

Lightning or Ash. You can't have both.

I would decide on that later. For now, there were more pressing matters to deal with: not obeying Katrina. Whether I went with Falkner or Ash, I knew that there was no way I was going to obey Nature Hunter K.

"Pidgeot!" Nature Hunter K exclaimed, throwing my Ultra Ball into the air.

My eyes opened as the Ultra Ball released me as a burst of white light. Finally, I was out of that Ultra Ball. I hovered in midair and looked around, finding out that it was afternoon. I was in a nice forest, and I could see Violet City - Sprout Tower, Gym and all - in the distance. Now I was in a medium-sized clearing that was surrounded by woods.

"Pidgeot," Katrina called, and I landed on the ground to face my new trainer. I eyed her steadily, hoping to convey an aura of confidence.

"Show me what you can do," K said. She pointed at a bush at the edge of the clearing. "Use Gust on that bush!"

She had given me a command. My instinct was to follow it - after all, that is what Pokemon do. I was about to take off when I remembered my resolution to not obey Nature Hunter K. So instead of following her order, I turned around, closed my eyes, and stuck my beak up into the air as a sign of disrespect.

"What?" Katrina gasped, obviously surprised that her Adamant-natured Pidgeot was not obeying her orders. "Pidgeot, I said, us Gust!"

I continued to stand where I stood, fighting the initial urge to obey.

"You've gotta be able to do something," Katrina said, panic rising in her voice. "I've seen you use Steel Wing before. Steel Wing attack, go!"

To this, I let myself flop onto the ground on my side and close my eyes as if to sleep. It was getting easier to ignore my instinct to follow orders. I turned, tucking my head under my wing.

"Steel Wing!" Katrina repeated. Once again, I did not respond.

"Pidgeot!" K yelled, obviously getting quite frustrated. "Listen to me! I commanded you to use an attack, and you should use that attack! Now, show me your Double-Edge!"

I continued to pretend that I was fast asleep and ignored the order.

"Sand-Attack?" Katrina said, her voice shrill. When I didn't respond, K stomped around the clearing, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Pidgeot," she growled, her gaze piercing me. "You are a perfect, Adamant-natured Pidgeot! You were the last thing I needed to be better than Falkner! If you don't obey me, I will never be better than Falkner!" She crouched down and glared into my eyes. "I'm not your friend, and you're not mine. But you'd better obey me, or you'll be sorry."

What will you do? I thought lazily, looking away from Katrina's piercing gaze. Abuse me and be cruel to me if I don't follow your orders? Then a cold dread enveloped me. Nature Hunter K was certainly not above cruelty, and I knew that she could certainly make my life miserable if I didn't follow her orders. I needed to get out of here, and fast.

"I need to be stronger than Falkner," K growled, standing up. "I need to be the strongest Flying-type trainer in the world! So you will obey me, Pidgeot! Use Double-Edge!"

I bolted upright and took off into the air, away from Katrina. I readied a Double-Edge attack, cloaking my body with white energy. Then I charged upwards into the sky. When the glow of the attack faded, however, I did not stop flying. I continued flying higher and higher, away from Katrina.

"Pidgeot, come back!" K called as I broke through the treetops. I ignored her and kept flying, towards Violet Gym.

Then red energy surrounded me. K was trying to recall me into her Ultra Ball! But I wasn't going to go back in there, where that hypnotic voice would return and try to get me to give up my autonomy.

I'm… not… going… in! I thought forcefully as I beat my wings harder. But I could feel myself dissolving into transparent red energy. The pull of the Ultra Ball was too strong. Grumbling to myself, I slipped into Poke Ball Mode again as I re-entered K's Ultra Ball.

This time, my time in Poke Ball Mode was brief. I had barely lost consciousness when the capsule was hurled forward again and I opened my eyes. This time, I immediately stretched my wings and began flying towards the canopy of the forest, only for the Ultra Ball to recall me again.

Once again, I barely spent any time in Poke Ball Mode, as Katrina called me out. But once again, I turned tail and fled. There was no way I was going to stay near Nature Hunter K if I could help it. Once again, however, K recalled me.

This cycle of recall, sending out, trying to escape, and recall again continued until one time, as K tried to recall me, I decided to try a Double-Edge attack. Cloaking myself with energy, I charged forward just as I was beginning to be turned into transparent red energy.

And this time, I did not enter Poke Ball Mode.

I cheered with delight and used Double-Edge several more times, flying towards Violet Gym as I continued avoiding the Ultra Ball's recall beam. Pretty soon, I couldn't pinpoint where Nature Hunter K was at all, and I was on full course to Violet Gym.

I flew as fast as I could, not daring to slow down for fear that K would capture me again. Pretty soon, I spotted Falkner, Janine, and Lightning standing together on the rooftop battlefield atop Violet Gym.

"Lightning!" I called with joy. "Falkner! Janine!"

"Thunder?!" Lightning exclaimed in disbelief.

"Thunder, is that you?" Falkner asked, disbelief also in his voice.

"Guys, it's me," I gasped as I landed next to Lightning and nuzzled against him. I could feel him blush, and I faced Falkner and Janine.

"K is after me, and she's really mad," I said quickly, not caring that Falkner and Janine could not understand me. "I need somewhere to hide for the night."

"Right," Lightning said quickly, guiding me to the elevator and pressing the button with his beak. "We'll get you to the indoor forest."

"Lightning," Falkner called, "Thunder needs somewhere to hide from Katrina, right?"

"Yeah," Lightning said, nodding.

"Let's all go down to the indoor forest, then," Janine suggested, glancing at Falkner, who nodded. Lightning and I nodded as well, and when the elevator doors opened, Janine, Falkner, Lightning, and I dashed in.

My heart rate began to slow down as the elevator descended down the tower. To Lightning I said, "Thanks for helping me. K is still trying to get me back, and I hope I'll be safe here."

"You will be, I promise," Lightning said warmly, running his beak through my plume.

I leaned against him, letting him groom me, as the elevator reached the floor with the indoor forest and opened up its doors. Seeing that forest felt like heaven after all I'd been through with Katrina and her Ultra Ball. With no reserve, I flew forward and plunged happily into the branches of the nearest artificial tree. I perched on the tree's largest limb, sighing contentedly.

"Hey," Lightning said as he landed next to me. "You look happy."

"I just broke free of Nature Hunter K's control," I said. "Of course I'm happy."

"Wow," Lightning said, impressed. "How did you do that?"

I laughed and sighed. "It's a long story," I said truthfully. "I'm completely beat now."

"Then you should rest," Lightning said, giving me some space.

"Thunder, Lightning," Falkner called, "I'd hate to break up your reunion, but I need Lightning here. We need to discuss our strategy for tomorrow. Thunder, you can stay where you are, since you're not my Pokemon, but if you want you can join in."

"Got it," Lightning said, and flew over to Falkner and Janine.

Tomorrow, I thought, suddenly feeling exhausted. I decided to take a rest for now and deal with everything tomorrow. I closed my eyes, knowing that I was safe. My battle with the Nature Hunter may have been over. But Falkner's battle with his sister had just begun.

As I drifted off to sleep, I wished him luck.

To be continued…