The young Sneasel screamed in horror and averted her eyes as blood sprayed across her face. Her mother held her close and tried to shield her from the horrible sight but it had forever been burned into her psyche. Laying on the ground not five feet from the young Sneasel and her mother was another Sneasel with it's throat slashed from ear to ear. Standing over it was a much larger Sneasel, it's claws dripping with blood. The larger one just stared at the body on the ground before turning to the female and her child.

"Your mate was weak, and for his weakness he paid the price, I hope that you are far stronger than he was." The large Sneasel turned to a group of his kind gathered around the clearing they were in. "I have defeated him fair and square, and now I Feng take over his role as leader of the pack, any who are opposed will answer to me." None of the Sneasel moved, all too afraid after seeing their pack leader so easily bested. Feng then turned back to the female and her child.

"And as the new leader of the pack I will take this female as my mate." He walked quickly over to her and tried to grab her arm but she pulled away and held her child closely. He growled and slapped her across the face, leaving two bloody lines on her cheek. "You will submit to me or-" He roughly grabbed her daughter out of her arms and held her up with his claws across her neck. The mother screamed in terror as did her child. "No, please, I'll do whatever you want, just please don't hurt her!"

He looked at her for a second and then back at the small Sneasel in his claws before dropping the child and walking off. "You remember those words Lila, or your daughter will meet the same fate as her father." With that the new pack leader turned on his heel and stormed off, furious that anyone would dare challenge him so quickly after his ascension.

The now widowed Lila quickly ran over and picked up her child, holding her close. Neither of them said anything, they just sat and cried together out of anguish, their peaceful lives turned into a horrific nightmare in a matter of hours.

                                                                               ...

It had been almost one year since her father had died and nothing had changed. The now fully grown daughter looked away as her mother was beaten for the second time that week by her abusive mate. She winced as Feng swiped his claw across her mother's back and added another scar as a reminder of what unfaithfulness brought. Feng finally finished with her mother and slowly turned towards her. She just stared past him at her nearly unconscious mother, trying to control her emotions and keep from crying or screaming at him.

After a second Feng strode over to her and pushed her chin up with his claws so she was looking right into his eyes. She shivered a little, there was just something about looking into his eyes, they were cold and devoid of any feeling or compassion. It was as if only anger, lust, and greed filled his soul and it was reflected in those dark spheres inset in his head.

Feng turned his head to the side for a second before speaking. "I hope that you are learning from your mother's mistakes, especially with you becoming and adult tomorrow and all, I would hate for you to be as disrespectful to your mate as your mother is." The daughter didn't know what to say so she just slowly nodded as Feng took his claw away from her throat and walked off. She just stood there watching him go before running over to check on her mother.

"Mom, are you alright!?" Her mother just nodded and slowly stood up with great difficulty. "I'm fine, what about you, he didn't hurt you did he?" Her daughter shook her head no and helped her mother back to their nest. Lila groaned as she laid down which caused her daughter to come to her side terribly concerned for her mother's well being. "Your not alright, just wait here I'll go and get someone to help." Lila's daughter turned to go but she was stopped as her mother lightly gripped her arm.

"No, I'll be fine, please just listen to me." Her daughter sighed and sat down in the nest, looking very worried. "What is it mom, can't this wait I mean your bleeding pretty badly." Lila shook her head no. "Look I know I haven't been the best mother and all to you, I should have gotten us both out of here after Feng killed your father, but I was too much of a coward." Her daughter was about to interrupt but she kept on going. "I may have failed but you still have a long life ahead of you that you can make your own, I have one thing to ask of you, run away get out of here while you still can, tomorrow is your third birthday, and you'll be an adult, and get a name, but…Feng intends to force you to take his son as your mate, I don't have to tell you what that means."

Lila's daughter nodded, Feng's son was a regular chip off the old block. But she would also receive a name tomorrow, she had forgotten all about that. When they reached adulthood all Sneasel that came of age were given a name of their choosing by the pack, from then on they would be known by that name for the rest of their lives. It was a big occasion, the most important event in a Sneasel's life by any measure. But was it worth becoming a slave to Feng's perverted son, no not by any means.

Lila saw that her daughter was thinking hard and decided to help her. "I understand that what I'm asking you to do isn't easy, and Feng will probably send the pack out to hunt you down, but I can distract them, don't worry about me, I'm too weak to leave and would just slow you down. I've taught you everything I know about surviving, you'll do fine, but please just go, I don't want you to suffer any more." Her daughter just looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Do, do you realize what your asking me to do, you want me to leave my whole life behind?!" Lila just nodded.

"I know it sounds hard but think about it, you don't have much of a life here to begin with, your afraid of having your life change, but that's understandable, but you have to be brave, if you stay you'll only be a slave to Feng's son, do you understand me?" Her daughter slowly nodded and started to cry. Lila moved closer and hugged her gently. "Shhh, it's going to be okay honey, I understand, shhh." She continued to hold her daughter for almost an hour, the sun was starting to set and it was the best, and last chance her daughter would have for escape.

Both of them were well aware of this but they just continued to cry and comfort each other, as they had done on that hellish day two years ago. Lila finally managed to get her daughter to let go and looked into her eyes reflected in the moonlight. "Now I want you to be brave, and go out and make a life for yourself, find a nice mate, raise a bunch of screaming little kids, I only wish I would be there to see what kind of Pokemon your going to grow into." Her daughter couldn't take the emotional strain and broke down again, hugging her mother tightly. "I don't want to leave you, what will I do, I can't leave you here, he'll kill you."

Lila took her daughter's face in her paws and brought her head up so they could see eye to eye. "Listen, don't worry about me, I deserve to stay for being too cowardly to get both of us out of here when I had the chance, now don't give up your one chance for a normal life. If you don't go you'll suffer the same as I have, do not force me to endure watching my daughter suffer that way, do not." Her daughter looked back at her and hugged her tightly. "I understand, but please, try and get away, if Feng killed you because I left, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Lila smiled and hugged her daughter back. "Don't worry I'll be fine, but before you go there's something I want to give you." Lila reached up to her longer ear and winced in pain as she removed the silver earring in it and handed it to her daughter. "Your father gave it to me when he took me as his mate, he told me it would forever be a reminder of our love, I hope it will remind you of me." Her daughter closed her claw around the earring and tried to keep herself from crying.

Finally her daughter looked up and then looked into the darkening woods. "Mom, I don't have a name." Lila nodded. "I know, so choose one, when you think it's right." Her daughter looked at her for a second before smiling. "Shadow, I've been thinking about this for months now and I want to be called Shadow." Lila smiled. "I approve, and I think your father would as well, now, be brave and don't look back, and remember, I'll always love you." Shadow tried hard to keep from crying and failed as she tightly hugged her mother for a second before turning and running into the woods, not looking back for fear she might change her mind.

                                                                                ...

Shadow never stopped running. For days on end she just continued to run for her life, stopping only for a few hours at a time to rest and then setting out again afraid that Feng and the rest of the pack were right behind her. However, after two weeks without any sign of pursuit she slowed down a little. After almost a month she finally stopped traveling and settled in, making a bit of a life for herself. She found a small cave and made a comfortable nest and began foraging and hunting for food.

But there was always that concern in the back of her mind, that Feng and the others would be out looking for her. And then the concern for her mother's well being. She knew that Feng would be furious about her leaving, especially with him wanting to make her take that perverted son of his as her mate. Every night for a month she would only venture far enough out to get food and return quickly before anyone saw her. Then she would hide in the cave for the entire day, only venturing out on a few occasions to stretch her legs or find more food.

She didn't know any of the Pokemon in the area, she tried to avoid them, afraid of what they would think of her. But after a month of living like a hermit an event forced her to come out and find other Pokemon who were willing to help her. She had held onto the earring her mother had given her and hadn't done anything with it until two months after her escape. She had decided to finally put it in her own ear but had forgotten to wash the blood from her latest kill off her claws before attempting it. Infection immediately set in and she became bedridden and unable to go out and find food. Finally a curious young Nidoran couple found her and nursed her back to health, something Shadow was more than grateful for.

From then on she was more willing to go out and coerce with other Pokemon and tell them of her troubles and perils that had beset her. She still was a little nervous about Feng and the others finding her but she was starting to get more social with the other Pokemon and had found she really liked living in the area. Her mother was always at the back of her mind though, having sacrificed herself so that she could make a clean escape. She knew that returning was suicide but it was always an idle thought she had.

For three months she lived in relative peace and comfort, until a lapse of caution sent her life plummeting back into a dark nightmare.

                                                                                 ...

Shadow hummed contentedly while she picked berries off of the bush. This was a good time of year for Oran berries which were Shadow's favorite and she knew the location of all the best patches. Shadow sighed happily at the smell of the fresh fruit, it was a beautiful Spring day and the cool grass felt wonderful under her paws. She had been walking all morning and decided to take a break, there was a small pond nearby that would be a nice spot to rest for the remainder of morning.

Shadow moved through the foliage like a wraith until she reached the pond and sat down under the shade of a large tree along the bank. There wasn't anyone around which was the way she preferred it, although she had made a few friends it was just easier when she was alone with her own thoughts. Shadow looked at the slowly moving water and idly picked up a berry and started to eat it while her thoughts drifted.

She couldn't help thinking about her mother, there had been a pond like this one near their old nest, her father had used to take her there when she was little and hold her up so she could reach the Oran berries she loved. Then her mother and father would sit on the shore while she swam, she remembered one time when a Remoraid had bitten her just to be playful, she hadn't gone swimming since then. A tear fell from her eye at the memory of her parents, one dead for certain, the other either dead or living in a nightmare.

Shadow just stared longingly at the Oran berry she was holding as tears continued to flow down her face. "Why, why did this have to happen?" She didn't say it to anyone in particular, she was just letting her emotions out. Without thinking she crushed the berry in her hand and angrily threw it into the pond before bursting into tears again, now angry at herself for her outburst. She just sat on the shore and cried for several minutes until a voice from behind her scared her half to death.

"Well well what do we have here?" Shadow gasped and spun around, not knowing what to expect. Standing right behind her half hidden in the foliage was a massive Nidoking. Shadow looked up into it's eyes and gulped, she had never seen a Pokemon this large before and it was quite an intimidating experience. But then again there was no indication that it meant her any harm, all it had done was ask her a question, although she wasn't sure how to respond. So forgoing her better judgment and just running away she decided to try and make conversation.

"Well you see, I come out here every once in a while, it's a lot like a pond where I used to spend time with my family and-" The Nidoking interrupted her. "Whoa way too much info honey, that was a rhetorical question anyways, what I meant was your really one nice piece of work, smoking hot baby." Shadow's face turned beat red in embarrassment, no one had ever talked to her like that before and she didn't know if she liked it or not. "I'm sorry but I-" The Nidoking interrupted her again, which was really starting to annoy Shadow.

"Oh you don't need to say anything baby, I know your type, I know of a nice quiet spot where we can be alone together, I can tell you like fast Pokemon like myself, how about it, want to have some fun?" Shadow cringed, her mother had taught her enough that she knew what this creep wanted, and he wasn't going to get it, for a couple reasons. One he was way too fast, two she didn't like him, and three it was nearly noon and she wanted to finish lunch. But she was still somewhat naïve and not wanting to hurt his feelings decided to let him off easy.

"Look big guy I'm kind of busy right now, I have some things to do after I finish lunch and frankly your not my type, but I wouldn't worry I'm sure you'll find a nice girl someday." That was what she said, what she thought was more along the lines of in your dreams slime ball. Shadow stood up to go but the Nidoking reached over and roughly grabbed her arm. "Now where do you think your going, come on it will only take a little while." Shadow was liking him less and less by the second, not to mention he was hurting her wrist. "Let me go, your hurting me." He just shook his head no and started to drag her off, Shadow had had enough, she was not going to be a victim.

She extended her claws to their full length and sliced deep into his arm, eliciting a scream and a spurt of blood. His grip loosened and she started to run but was suddenly hit from behind by a heavy blow. She turned and saw that she hadn't wounded him that badly and he had managed to throw a punch as she had run away. Shadow started to stand but winced in pain, he had hit her pretty hard. He got to his feet and slowly walked over to her, she pretended to be unconscious until he placed a claw on her back and she lashed out again, but he was ready this time.

He grabbed her wrist and viciously twisted it. Shadow heard a sharp crack and screamed in pain. "How do you like it you little bitch, yeah I was going to be nice earlier but now I think I'm really going to enjoy my time with you." Shadow whimpered in pain as he lifted her up by the scruff of her neck and was about to walk off with her when a voice stopped him. "Enough!" Shadow slowly looked up and saw a human standing there holding a red and white ball in his hand. He was dressed all in black with a large red R on the front of his shirt. The Nidoking growled and looked between the human and Shadow before dropping her to his side.

"Were done in this area, didn't find any sign of Suicune, so let's go." The Nidoking looked disappointed which his trainer was quick to notice. "Alright fine, you can take your new plaything with you, it might help to keep the other's occupied as well." It's face suddenly lit up which caused Shadow's heart to plummet and she started to struggle. The Nidoking growled and before Shadow could counter it he grabbed her around the neck and started to squeeze. Shadow gasped for air and wringed her claws but the Nidoking just continued to increase the pressure. Shadow tried to attack but her vision was so clouded she couldn't see anything. She managed to just scratch his arm before her world went black and she lost consciousness.

                                                                            ...

Shadow slowly came to and opened her eyes just enough to see where she was. The room was almost pitch black but that meant little to her. Her well adjusted eyes adjusted to her surroundings quickly and she determined that she was in a small room that was roughly square in shape. The room was completely empty except for the blanket that she was laying on and the chain going around her ankle and connected to the wall by a sturdy iron nail. She walked over and tried to pull it out but gasped in pain as her wrist felt like it had been dipped in molten metal.

She then remembered what the Nidoking had done, her wrist was probably broken. Shadow looked around her one more time before curling up into a ball and crying. Why had they taken her, it wasn't fair, and for that matter what were they going to do with her. She knew what the Nidoking wanted, but what about the others his trainer had referred to, had they taken her for only that reason? It was just too painful to think about, she had escaped Pokemon like them before, she could do it again.

Just as she was thinking that a wall of light appeared and she winced. It took her a moment to realize that a door had been opened, silhouetted in the door was what looked to be a Sneasel, a very tall Sneasel. For some reason something seemed familiar about it, something she couldn't quite place her claw on. Then a light was turned on in the room and she gasped, no, it couldn't be, those eyes, she had seen them enough to last more than one lifetime, Feng. Feng seemed to recognize her as well, most likely by the earring she was wearing, and immediately started to growl.

They just stared at each other for a second before Feng charged at her with his claws extended. Shadow screamed in terror but the blow never came, she kept her eyes closed for a few more seconds before she slowly opened them. The Nidoking from before was holding Feng back with his claw gripping Feng's ear. "We want her alive you might remember, control yourself, what's with you?" Feng glared at Shadow. "She was a member of my pack, she was going to be my son's mate, but she betrayed me and ran away, a coward, like her father." Feng's voice dripped with venom and Shadow felt rage burning inside of her at the way he talked to her.

Shadow immediately stood up and glared back at Feng. "Don't you dare talk about my father like that you bastard, he was twice the Pokemon you'll ever be, look at where you turned out, nothing but a slave to humans, my father never served them or you, so who's the weaker Pokemon!?" Feng's eyes got wide in rage and he tried to lunge at her but the Nidoking pulled him back so Feng yelled back at her. "Weak!? You want weak you should have seen your mother beg for her life when she told me you had run away, you should have heard her scream as I ravaged her, moaned like the whore that she was, and I see you turned out no different!"

Shadow roared in fury and tried to lunge at Feng but was stopped by the chain. The Nidoking had had enough of this constant bickering and put a stop to it quickly. "Alright enough, from both of you, Feng get a hold of your temper and chill man, she's our only form of entertainment in this gloomy place, and you, just keep your mouth shut and do what I tell you or I'll be sure to break more bones!" Feng hissed in anger but finally got control of himself and leaned against the wall to steady himself.

Shadow had already calmed down out of fear and had gone back to sitting on the floor massaging her ankle, the chain had broken the skin when she tried to lunge at Feng. The Nidoking looked between the two and then turned to Feng. "Well have fun, and try not to hurt her too much if you have to, I want to have some fun with her as well." And with that the Nidoking left the room and closed the door behind him. Feng continued to glare at Shadow with both anger and lust in his eyes. "Well I suppose I'll have to make the best of the situation then." Without warning Feng lunged at Shadow and pinned her to the ground.

Shadow whimpered as Feng brought his face down only inches away from hers. "Hmm, I think I'm really going to enjoy this, and I think in time you'll learn to enjoy me as well, just like your mother." Shadow screamed in rage again but this time no one stopped Feng as he slapped her face hard enough to leave two bloody lines on her cheek. "Don't you remember what I told you, you should be more respectful of your mate." Shadow yelped in pain as he applied pressure to her broken wrist. "Just as Shadow thought she would faint from the pain Feng stopped.

Feng stood up and kicked her in the side. "Get up." Shadow did as she was told, she stood on shaky legs and gently wiped the blood off of her face. Feng sighed and cracked his neck. "Well I suppose if I punish you anymore my friend waiting outside for his turn will be…disappointed." Before Shadow could react or comprehend what he was saying Feng had grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the wall. "Just relax, and enjoy yourself, your mother always did." Shadow's screams of anger soon turned into screams of agony as her world was once again transformed into a nightmarish hell.

                                                                         ...

Shadow lay on the ground whimpering in pain as the Mightyena who had just finished with her paced back and forth. It had been two months since she had been kidnapped and she couldn't think of a single day since then when she hadn't been either beaten, abused, raped, or all three on a bad day. She was suffering from malnourishment and her broken wrist didn't feel like it had healed properly. But none of that concerned her at all, no what truly concerned her was the two eggs she had had. They had taken them away as soon as she had them, and she didn't know what had happened to them but she assumed the worst.

The Mightyena stopped pacing and glared at her. "Just so you know if you have another egg that we have to deal with Feng says he'll personally neuter you, got it?" Shadow slowly nodded, she had learned early on that saying anything against them or even somewhat negative was a good way to get a beating. The Mightyena just grunted and walked out the door leaving Shadow to her thoughts. She slowly sat up off the floor and leaned against the wall, exhausted after her ordeal.

How could she have let this happen, why did she have to even try and start a conversation with that Nidoking, she should have just run as soon as she had seen him. But she hadn't, and now she was paying the price for her lapse of caution, caution that had kept her safe from Pokemon like him and Feng for a straight year. Shadow just placed her face in her paws and cried. Her children, all were most likely dead, her mother was dead, her father was dead, she was a slave to the creature responsible, what was the point of living anymore, what was the point of existing if the rest of her life was going to be nothing but death.

Shadow looked at her claws and slowly extended them, she had kept them razor sharp over the last few months, hoping to try an escape, but she hadn't been able to cut through the chain without them noticing. For that matter she was getting weaker by the day and she didn't think she'd be able to get very far before they ran her to ground. As far as she could tell there was only one way out of this, she had failed her mother, she hadn't been able to live up to her expectations, there was no other way.

Shadow turned her broken wrist over and bent it over until the veins were visible. She brought her claws close, barely able to hold them steady as she shook in fear, but she knew this was the only way out. She just touched the skin when she heard the door open. She looked up and gasped as she saw Feng standing there, staring back at her with a look of surprise on his face. Shadow knew she had to hurry and tried to drag her claws across her wrist but Feng was too fast. He jumped forward and slammed her into the ground pinning her arms to the ground on either side of her and pressed his leg down on her legs to keep her from moving.

She growled in anger and spit into his face, but that did nothing but make him even more angry. "Taking the cowards way out, like I said you are just like your father and mother." Shadow tried to get up but Feng was just too strong. "Were leaving this area tonight, unfortunately you're a little too much baggage to haul around, so I finally get to have my revenge, if you ask nicely I'll make your death nice and fast, unlike your mother." Feng laughed maniacally and Shadow screamed as Feng pressed his claws against her chest.

All of a sudden the wall behind Shadow exploded in a shower of razor sharp splinters. Feng yelled out in pain as one of the jagged spikes impaled him in the shoulder and nailed him to the far wall. Shadow wasn't hit since she was laying on the ground and looked behind her as a large red blur shot forward and attacked the Mightyena that had just run through the door. It had all happened in a split second and Shadow didn't have time to comprehend what was happening. A moment later Shadow heard a human yelling outside. "Damnit, Jake go and help him before he gets himself killed." Shadow heard a reply and a second later a large lizard like Pokemon ran through the destroyed wall.

The large Pokemon barely noticed Shadow and ran after whatever had broken through the wall in the first place. It suddenly occurred to Shadow that the chain around her leg was now broken since it had been connected to the now nonexistent wall. She started to stand up but someone pushed her back down. "Don't move Team Rocket scum or I'll personally gut you." Shadow whimpered in fear and looked up to see a large male Golduck standing over her. Suddenly the Golduck was pushed out of the way and replaced by what appeared to be a large bird.

"Tucker get out of the way you moron, can't you see she's not with them, she's obviously a prisoner, am I right?" Shadow was on the verge of hyperventilating and just barely managed to nod before falling back down. "Tucker go and get some help, she's in pretty rough shape." The Golduck ran off muttering something under his breath. Shadow felt a comforting wing placed against her side and looked up at her saviors. She didn't know what to think, they belonged to humans, who she had little trust or respect for, but then again they did save her from Feng.

Feng, it occurred to her she hadn't heard a peep from him since he had been impaled against the wall. She looked up just in time to see him rip the spike from his shoulder and charge at her from the dark. Shadow screamed as the Pidgeot looked up and swiped it's wing in a vicious arc that caught Feng in the stomach and sent him flying back into the wall where his head hit with a sickening crack. Shadow was breathing heavily and her vision was getting blurry. She heard humans talking, several of them, and Pokemon as well before she slipped into the warm embrace of unconsciousness.