The Trainer pointed at the Lairon as he shouted, “Blazey, use Fire Blast!”

The Lairon closed its eyes tight in pain as the fire licked over his hard metal plates.

Why is it getting dark? It thought, though its mind seemed foggy and far away.

It was just daytime a few minutes ago…..

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a little red-and-white object flying at him.

Lairon woke up somewhere that he did not know. It was dark and cramped in this area, and Lairon didn’t like it. He decided that the best thing to do was to fall asleep, because he was still hurt from the Rapidash’s Fire Blast. It didn’t take long for him to spiral into a world of dreams.

                                                       * * * * * * *

Derek walked on down the route, silently congratulating himself on the catch. He knew a Lairon would be very powerful when it evolved. After daydreaming about himself being the League Champion for a bit, he found that he was entering a town.

The boy walked into the Pokémon Center and shoved all six of his Poke Balls onto the counter. The nurse caught them before they rolled over the edge and placed them into the healing mechanism. After a short chime sounded, she removed them and handed them back to Derek without a word. He stalked out of the Center and left the town. Then he found a clearing and decided to survey his team.

First he threw his starter’s ball onto the ground, and a Monferno leaped out of the ball. It cried, “Monferrrno!!!”, then sat obediently at the trainer’s feet.

The Trainer chucked the second ball off of his belt. There was a flash of red light, then a Butterfree materialized and hovered in the air.

Third came the Rapidash. He reared and neighed loudly, then trotted over next to Monferno and stood.

The fourth Poké Ball held a Staraptor. The Staraptor beat her wings at the air, blasting the other Pokémon with a cool breeze. She opened her beak and let out a cry. “Starrraptor!”

Derek threw out his fifth ball. The clearing was enveloped in a bright flash of purple light as the Master Ball opened. In its place was a huge Dragon/Water type. It was Palkia. Palkia stomped on the ground as it lumbered over to Derek’s Pokémon, shaking the earth with its mighty feet.

And, of course, Lairon was in the final Poké Ball. It didn’t cry out, or rear up in triumph, or do anything in particular as it came out. It just lurched over to Derek and sat down.

Within an hour Derek had given Lairon a name. Lairon despised the name. It just sounded so human. Ironclaw. Or(even more degrading) Lord Ironclaw. How pathetic this name was! How unnatural, how industrial and man-made! Lairon didn’t like his name, but he knew that Derek’s other Pokémon were much worse off. The Monferno’s name was Firetail. And the Butterfree had been bequeathed as Flutterblast. Staraptor was Wingmist(Lairon winced at the thought of it). The Rapidash, (oh how I pity him, thought Lairon) was Blazey. And Palkia, oh, Palkia, Derek had named him Doomwing. Doomwing! I mean, come ON, how disgraceful is that! Especially for a LEGENDARY! Lairon thought.

Lairon cringed at the thought of such human, childish, and stupid names. He was worried about what would happen to he and the other Pokémon that belonged to Derek. Derek was a cruel master, who punished his Pokémon for losing instead of worrying about their health and rushing them to a Pokémon Center.

The miserable Steel creature shifted in its Ultra Ball, and soon fell asleep.

Over time Lairon gained experience from the Pokémon he had bested. It had only been a few days after the catch when Lairon hardened his mind and finally put effort into his battles. It was a few months after Derek had caught him when he evolved.

Derek’s team was sitting on the grass and relaxing(Monferno had evolved also, a few weeks prior to this). Lairon was laying down when he smelled something sweet hidden in the dirt. Using his iron-strong claws, he dug into the soil quickly and grabbed a strange blue object out of the earth. Without hesitating he shoved it down his gullet and swallowed.

The other five Pokémon clamped their eyes shut as a light like the sun burst outwards from Lairon. It burned for about a minute, then darkened and vanished entirely.

Aggron blinked.

Then he realized what had happened, and laughed maniacally. He was finally strong enough to pull it off.

It was getting dark. Derek had put so much trust in Aggron since he had caught him that he decided to let him sleep outside of his Poké Ball for once. After all, Aggron had not disobeyed, never lost a wild Pokémon battle, and was the strongest of the six. It was all a ploy, however, just to gain the Trainer’s confidence.

Aggron pretended to snooze immediately, and Derek did the same. Aggron waited about and hour and a half, then reached over for the five Poké Balls at Derek’s belt.

Thank Mew I have thumbs, he thought to himself as he gently plucked the balls off of the belt and hit them on the ground, opening them. He explained in a whisper what his plan was, and the other Pokémon agreed, nodding their heads vigorously. They were tired of Derek’s abuse(for Aggron was the only one he treated right).

Aggron approached Derek loudly and woke him up by roaring. The boy jolted up and saw all six of his team glaring at him. Is this a dream? he thought warily. If it isn’t, then my Po-

Then they pounced. Butterfree used Stun Powder to immobilize the boy. Rapidash reared, looking more incredible then he ever had, then began to rain kicks on Derek.

His mind was blazing now. IF IT ISN’T, THEN OH GOSH, MY POKéMON ARE GOING TO BUST ME UP!

Infernape used Flare Blitz, and the intense heat blasted into the abusive Trainer’s face, singing the skin. Derek screamed, as the burns hurt horribly.

There was a loud cry. A gray meteor plummeted out of the night sky and began to bat Derek lightly with her wings. It wasn’t a terrible injury, but it would bruise slightly.

Palkia came and roared, louder than Aggron’s roar, louder than a lion’s roar, louder than the roar of the ocean and earthquakes combined. Then Spacial Rend came into effect, and Derek felt as if his body was being stretched into a broom and squeezed into a pop can at the same time. The Legendary Dragon/Water Pokémon flapped its mighty wings and snarled loudly.

Aggron approached Derek as the other five Pokémon were still surrounding him(but they had all stopped attacking after their first one, for they didn’t want to waste PP on such a jerk person). The cruel Trainer screamed again, this time in fear. Aggron leaned down close to him and pinned him to the ground. He pulled back his lips and growled viciously before he turned to the others. “Get away.” he said to them. They retreated and left the two alone.

The Steel Pokémon extended his claws to their full lengths. Derek’s eyes became round as he realized what his fate was. I’ve been a beast to my Pokémon, and now I will pay the price. I never should have hit them or shouted at them when they lost battles. Well, I’m doomed now. I deserve it, I suppose.

When Aggron returned to the other Pokémon they all smelled blood on him. They saw the red on his claws, gleaming in the moonlight.

The five knew what Aggron had done, and accepted it. After a few minutes of silence and comtemplating, the Pokémon all regrouped. Then they ran off into the darkness of the night, being Pokémon that were truly free.