Buneary yawned and rubbed her eyes. She smiled at her egg and hugged it closely. She also smiled at Pikachu, who was still sleeping soundly. She giggled and kissed his nose, making him shift around in his sleep. She could have sworn he grunted, but she shrugged it off as him having a dream. Most likely about a battle.

She sat up, then widened her eyes when she saw an Oran berry in front of her face. The hand holding it belonged to Ryder. "Morning, sleepyhead."

She smiled and took the berry. "Morning, Ryder." She nibbled on the berry quietly. "How'd you sleep?" she asked, since he accidentally passed out before they went to sleep.

He looked away, remembering Dark's haunting presence from last night. They were all at risk from Dark's mental torture. With him exhausting his aura just to block him out from their dreams, he'll end up being more deprived of sleep than usual. He looked right into Buneary's eyes, who was still waiting for an answer. The last thing he wanted was for her to start worrying.

"…I slept alright, I guess."

She frowned. He definitely sounded better compared to yesterday. But there was something in his eyes that told her something was bothering him. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Ryder…are you feeling alright?"

He shrugged her off and walked over to his compartments. "We leave as soon as everyone wakes up." She was kind of hurt he didn't answer her question. Something was definitely on his mind.

Eventually, everyone arose from their slumber, sore from the events that transpired yesterday. Ryder gave each of them a small supply of berries for breakfast. Piplup and Oshawott started scarfing them down like ravenous beasts while Snivy calmly ate hers. Pikachu, however, pushed his away in disgust.

Ryder narrowed his eyes. "Not hungry?"

Pikachu smiled. "Yeah, sorry. I've been eating nothing but berries yesterday. Needed to get my strength back up after all."

"I insist…eat them," he tempted as he moved them closer.

He pushed them back. "I said no," he replied with a tense tone.

Ryder narrowed his eyes a bit more. "Alright…"

Piplup licked his beak in satisfaction. "Ah, that hit the spot!"

Oshawott belched with a relaxed expressions. "Yeah, you said it." He reached over for Pikachu's stack as he obviously didn't want his and ate them.

"Hey, don't hog all of them!" He took a handful and swallowed them down.

Snivy shook her head. "Boys…" She looked at Ryder. "So, what's the plan for today?"

He stood up and went to a cabinet. "We'll be searching around the area to see if your friends are within range. They are most likely lost due to the forest constantly shifting. Every plant looking exact, tracks and trails disappearing, walking around in circles; the list goes on."

"So how are you able to navigate the forest so well?" she asked curiously.

"Only aura users can navigate through here without getting themselves lost. Only the plant life shifts, not the ground itself. The plants can get rid of tracks, but they can't make the ground move." He looked at Buneary. "Which is why I advise you leave your egg here."

She held the container close. "But…"

He smiled reassuringly. "I can promise you, your egg will be find. Only one creature can open that container up and it's you."

Pikachu raised his hand in protest. "Now hold on! You said these creatures are incredibly powerful! How can we guarantee that?" He grabbed Buneary's hands, making her blush. "Buneary, our egg will be safer if we bring it along with us, right? Wouldn't you be worried if we left it here unguarded?"

Buneary looked down with some doubt. "Well…it would be concerning…"

Ryder raised a brow in suspicion. "Pik, I can guarantee you that no one has ever founded this underground hideout. The egg is safer here than up there."

"Can you guarantee that?!"

"You seem eager to keep the egg close by. Any reason why?"

"It's my child! Why wouldn't I be worried?!" He looked at Buneary again. "BunBun, talk some sense into him."

She blushed and rubbed her hands nervously. "Uh…well…keeping it nearby would be better for me, but…"

"There, you see?" he exclaimed before she could finish. "She agrees!"

Ryder crossed his arms. Something was definitely wrong with Pikachu. He shrugged. "Fine, you can bring the egg along."

"Finally! Now let's get-"

"Hear me out though, Buneary," he continued, directing his attention to the rabbit. "Your blood, or any of your DNA, is the key to opening that container. If you go out there with the risk of them scratching you or punching you hard enough to get a spit sample, they can steal the container from you and take the egg. Simple as that. Happened once…who says it won't happen again?"

His silver tongue worked its magic as Buneary began to fill with worry. She clenched the container tightly as she recalled the confrontation with her counterpart. If it weren't for Ryder, her egg could have been turned into a meal for those monsters. He was confident that his bunker was well protected and hidden from the Darkmon.

With a gulp, she handed it to Ryder. "I trust you." He nodded and took the container.

Pikachu, however, wasn't pleased. "Are you kidding?! You trust him, but not your own mate?!"

"P-P-Pikachu, please calm down…" she pleaded.

"No! You're risking our child's safety by leaving it here!"

"B-B-But…"

"Don't you care about it?!"

"I do, but-"

"Enough!" They flinched and looked at Snivy. "What has gotten into you, Pikachu? You're acting uptight!"

He saw that he was getting stared at by everyone. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I-I'm sorry…I've been stressed since yesterday…" He grabbed Buneary's hands and stared at her lovingly. "Can you forgive me, sweetie?"

She blushed with a giggle. "Of course I do." She kissed him passionately on the lips.

Ryder, however, wasn't easily swayed by his reason. But he decided to keep it to himself…for now. He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a white rifle with orange plating and a rectangle shaped barrel. He checked to see if it was fully charged before stuffing it into his cloak. Oshawott briefly glanced at him placing it away. He also caught a glimpse of a blue light within the cabinet before he fully closed it.

He stood up. "Alright, that's enough drama for one day. Let's get started on searching."

They nodded and followed him out of the bunker. Pikachu secretly glared at Ryder before following them up.

Emolga trekked around the forest, searching for some food. Being the most elusive of the group, it only seemed fit for her to handle food searching. They were no apples, but those cooked berries weren't half bad. She made sure not to stray too far from the tree. Keeping watch last night showed her that the forest had a knack for changing form. It was almost disorienting.

She eventually came across a tree filled with berries. She started picking them off one by one. She brought along a makeshift bag to carry them. It'll make it difficult to glide back, but it was well worth it. She was hungry.

She tempted herself to take a bite, but knew they were likely to be poisoned if she was unlucky. She sighed and continued to collect berries.

A shuffle was heard within a bush. Her eyes widened and she activated Hidden Power, ready to fire. "Who are you? Show yourself!" The figure stepped out of the bushed. Once she identified it, she gasped. "Oshawott?!"

Oshawott smirked. "How you doing, hot stuff?"

She groaned at the comment, but she was glad to see him. "I'm so glad you're alright. Where are the others?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "We got separated after being attack by those Darkmon things. I've been trying to find them for hours."

"Oh man…I hope they're alright."

He shrugged. "Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about them. They can handle themselves. But more importantly, how's your party doing?"

"We're doing fine. Krookodile's a little banged up, but he'll be fine." She narrowed her eyes curiously as she examined him.

He smirked. "Find my body attractive?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Though, kind of odd that you don't have a scratch on you despite getting out of a fight."

"What can I say? I got out lucky."

The flying squirrel raised a brow suspiciously. Why and how did Oshawott separate from everyone? He would never leave his friends to fight a battle on their own. He would stay on their tails like a burr. "Weelll…since you're here, you can help me take these back to our shelter."

He rubbed his hands together. "Sure, no problem." She turned her back to get the rest. He dropped the goofy expression for a moment to give a glare so cold, it could freeze a volcano. His goofy expression returned when she handed him the berries. "Thank you." He followed her back to the shelter.

It didn't take too long before they reached their hideout. Emolga parted the moss curtain and let him in first. Axew and Scraggy were playing a game of catch with a smooth pebble. Krookodile was rubbing some smudge off his sunglasses.

They glanced at the flying squirrel, but gasped upon seeing Oshawott. He waved. "Sup guys."

"Oshawott!" Scraggy cheered happily. "Glad to see you're okay. Where is everyone?"

"They got separated from me. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll find them." He set the berries down and picked one up. "Anyway, let's dig in."

"Hold on, buddy," Krookodile warned. "Those berries could be poisoned for all we know." The otter rolled his eyes.

"Poisoned? You worry too much. They're fine." He took a huge, juicy bite out of the berry. "Perfectly fine." He picked up four and threw them to the others. "Dig in."

Scraggy was skeptical. "You sure? You never made good decisions before."

He waved it off. "Relax. Snivy taught me to identify poisonous berries. I haven't made a mistake yet, as I'm clearly still alive."

Axew seemed convinced. "Well, can't argue with logic like that." He took a bite, cringing a bit.

Emolga glared at Oshawott. "Come to think of it, Snivy also wouldn't let you get separated that easily. She has saved your hind before, she certainly can keep an eye on you in a scuffle."

He shrugged and took another bite. "Maybe she made a mistake."

"Maybe…but she wouldn't let something like that happen." She narrowed her eyes. "What attacked you?"

"How should I know? It's too dark to identify anything down here."

"And yet you found me with relative ease…" She narrowed her eyes into a glare.

"Uh…well, I needed to be sure. That's why I didn't pop out immediately to greet you."

"There's a Darkmon version of me running around somewhere. How did you know it was me and not my counterpart?"

"Well…I just knew, that's all!"

"You got out of a fight without a scratch, got separated from everyone too easily, and you managed to spot me in the dark…" Her cheeks crackled with electricity. "You're not Oshawott."

He stepped back with an appalled expression. "I am shocked and offended that you would think such a thing!"

"Prove it. Tell us something only Oshawott would know."

"How would that work? These things have our memories too."

Emolga smirked. "And how did you know that?"

Oshawott's eyes widened before face-palming himself. He glared as his fur changed to its dark form. "Looks like I developed that idiot's stupidity."

Krookodile growled and stood up, slightly unsteady. "A Dark Oshawott?! Where's the real one?!"

"Unfortunately, I don't know," Dark Oshawott sneered. "Before I could kill him, that shadow freak interfered with our attack."

"Shadow freak?" Emolga parroted in confusion.

Dark Oshawott removed his scalchop and extended that dark water blade from it. "Doesn't matter. I was sent to capture all of you. By any means necessary."

Scraggy stomped his foot on the ground, preparing to ram him with Headbutt. "You don't scare me!"

He shook his head. "I was trying to be civilized with your capture, but I guess one of you was foolish enough to fall for my tricks."

They heard a groan and saw Axew on the ground, holding his stomach in pain. Emolga's eyes widened in panic. "Axew!" She glared at the dark otter. "You poisoned him!"

He smirked. "Not my fault you fools fell for such an obvious trick. In due time, the dragon will be gone forever."

Emolga clenched her fist in anger. "You…you…RAWR!" She tackled him straight out of the tree and pinned him down. "Get rid of the poison, now!"

He laughed sinisterly. "Make me!" He sprayed Water Gun in her face, but this water made her face burn. He kicked her off and slammed her against the ground. "The Darkmon can manipulate their type for different effects. Water-Types specialize in turning their water attacks into acidic like fluids."

She glared. "Pokémon or not, you're still weak to electricity!" She unleashed a massive Discharge that, not only knocked him off, but burnt him to a crisp. She gathered up some dirt and rubbed her face with it, washing off the acid. Thankfully, it didn't scar her face. But a few patches of fur were gone.

Dark Oshawott rose up as his burnt body disappeared. "You're a feisty one." He fired another acidic Water Gun.

This time, she dodged it, firing a Hidden Power in the process. He took out his Razor Shell and sliced through it. He dashed and swung his blade, trying to slice her. She stepped back from each swipe. Her back eventually met with a tree. She ducked and let the blade accidentally get lodged in.

Dark Oshawott deactivated the move to release it, but left himself open for an uppercut to the jaw, followed by a Hidden Power at blank point range. He skidded back and held up his Razor Shell. "Nice try, but I won't let that happen again!"

"Focus Blast!" A blue orb of concentrated energy nailed him in the back and sent him flying at Emolga, who blasted him with another Hidden Power. Scraggy huffed in irritation. "That was for Axew!" He formed another Focus Blast. "And this is for just ticking me off!" He slammed it down on the Darkmon, creating a large crater under him. He picked him up and placed him in a hold, restricting his movement. "I got him!"

Emolga smiled, forming an idea in her head. "Scraggy, keep a hold of him! I want to try something, but you have to trust me!" Feeling he had no choice, he nodded.

Dark Oshawott slammed his elbow into Scraggy's ribs, making him cough painfully. "Let me go, you insolent child!"

I hope this works. "Oh boys!" They stared at Emolga as she placed on a flirty expression.

Scraggy gasped fearfully. "Oh no!" Dark Oshawott, using Oshawott's memories, recalled the expression and showed a similar look of fear.

Emolga winked and sent a flurry of hearts their way. They circled around them, slowly trapping them in. Finally, the ring of hearts closed down on them and ensnared them, placing them under her spell.

Scraggy and Dark Oshawott stared at her with hearts in their eyes. "Oh, she is so beautiful!" Scraggy commented lovingly.

"She's a hot one!" Dark Oshawott said with a goofy expression, contrasting his previous, cold expression.

Emolga couldn't help herself as she posed in front of them, soaking in the praise. "Why thank you. I know I am." She gestured Scraggy over, making him blush. He walked over and puckered his lips, expecting a kiss. "Alright Scrags, that's enough." She snapped her fingers.

The hearts disappeared, leaving him with a blank expression…which lasted five seconds before he flailed his arms angrily. "Never do that to me again!"

"Hey, at least it worked." She pointed to the lovestruck Darkmon. "With him under my spell, I can get him to tell us where the antidote is."

While the Shedding Pokemon still wasn't happy being used like that, he had to admit it was a brilliant idea. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Right." She strutted over to Dark Oshawott. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered into his ear, "Now my dear, can you please tell me how to cure my poisoned friend?"

"Of course, my love," he muttered lovingly. "There is some healing properties in the forest that can cure all matter of poison, including ours."

"Can you tell me where to find it?"

"Yes…there are white plants growing off of a tree. You can't miss them. I can guide you there myself."

"Aww, you're so sweet," she said as she tickled his chin, making him blush. "Anything else you like to tell me?"

"Yes. To defend yourself against the Darkmon, you must know they are weak to sunlight."

"Sunlight?" Scraggy repeated in confusion.

He nodded. "Our cells can regenerate rapidly from all matter of wounds, even fatal ones. But our cells do not possess the means of surviving in natural light sources."

"How intriguing…" Emolga rubbed her chin. "This could be useful to us."

Krookodile walked out with Axew in his arms. The little guy looked like he was running a fever. "We need to get Axew some help!"

"And we will," Emolga reassured. She walked over to Axew and rubbed his head. "You okay?"

He opened his eyes weakly and smiled. "Y-Yeah…I'm fine…" He coughed violently and held his stomach. "Ugh…"

Scraggy walked over. "Stay strong, buddy! We'll get you that antidote!"

Krookodile glanced briefly as the lovestruck Darkmon. "You sure your Attract will last long enough to find the antidote?"

Emolga crossed her arms. "I keep hitting him with a few extra doses. Though we need to find it soon. If he falls asleep or gets hit on the head, he'll be ready to attack us." As she talked to him, a vine slithered behind Dark Oshawott and climbed up his body. It stuck out a needle and stabbed itself into his neck.

"Still, we need to be careful. We saw what that thing can do. He can change his fur color to match his counterpart."

Scraggy rubbed his chin. "Wait…doesn't that mean one of us could be a Darkmon?"

Emolga waved it off. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Don't count your Torchic until the hatch, Emolga." Their eyes widened in shock. They turned toward Dark Oshawott but his voice was different. He seemed to have snapped out of the spell. His eyes were glowing a brighter red than before. He grinned evilly. "It's been a long night for all of you. One of you could have been swapped out for a Darkmon."

Scraggy huffed angrily. "Who are you?!"

He chuckled. "I am Dark, Lord of the Darkmon. You must understand, I don't want you saving your friend so easily. What's the fun in that?" He smirked. "No…I want you to earn his life. You made it this far without assistance. You can certainly find the healing plant on your own."

Emolga clenched her fist. "Our friend is dying!"

"Does it look like I care? I control every part of this forest. You can't win."

Scraggy laughed. "That's what you think! We know your weakness now!"

Dark shook 'his' head. "Congrats…you know how to destroy us." He chuckled. "But that won't stop us. As long as the central bulb of this forest lives…no Darkmon can die. Your DNA has been recorded into the bulb. If you destroy them, a new copy will just be made in an hour or so. My army is infinite!"

Krookodile, supporting Axew in one arm, grabbed the possessed Darkmon by the throat and held him up his face. "Listen, you paranormal creep. We're not scared of you. We will save Axew."

Dark laughed. "I applaud your boldness, Krookodile." He smirked wider. "But it's impossible to be brave around me." His eyes glowed red, as did theirs. They gasped, leading Krookodile to drop him, as they stepped back with chattering teeth. He snickered. "What's the matter? Scared?"

Emolga saw images of all the wild Pokémon she seduced and conned out of their food, ganging up on her and getting their revenge. "Wha…What are you?"

"Some call me a monster…others call me a Charmeleon fused with a Darkrai…" He shook his head. "But no…I'm just a creature who's trying to prove a point. You think everything is sunshine and lollypops in your world. I'm showing you the real terror you've kept dormant in you all these years."

They were all shivering as they saw some of their worst fears come to light. They were on the brink of tears. "Please…stop…" Emolga begged as she saw herself getting beat into submission.

Dark laughed as Dark Oshawott's body began to burn in purple flames. "Think about what I said, weaklings. Everything in this forest has evolved to kill all trespassers! All Darkmon are stronger than the original! We will never die! And best of all…" Dark Oshawott slowly turned to ash. "You haven't seen MY power yet…" Dark's laughter echoed from the remains of the Sea Otter Darkmon.

Their eyes returned to normal, removing the fearful images from their sight. They stood there, shivering with terror. They almost forgot they were on a time limit now, as Axew cough loudly.

Ryder guided everyone through the forest, keeping his eyes peeled for predators. A few stray Darkmon tried to ambush them, but he obliterated them before they had the chance to blink.

Buneary kept a tight grip on Pikachu's hand. Now that she wasn't focused on searching for him, her nerves started getting to her again. Still, being in his reach made it comforting. She nuzzled him lovingly. Pikachu, however, wasn't as accepting of the affection and shrugged it off, making her frown.

Snivy looked at Oshawott and whispered, "Pikachu's acting a bit like a jerk with Buneary."

"Yeah, I've noticed," he replied quietly.

Piplup, who was eavesdropping, said, "Well, maybe he's just grouchy from yesterday."

She glared. "I never took Pikachu for the kind of guy to shrug off his own mate. Taking care of Buneary while she was pregnant was stressful for him, yet he endured it because he loves her."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Pikachu is acting different. He's not being himself."

My thoughts exactly, Snivy. Ryder thought, who was eavesdropping on them. Now he knew for certain something was wrong with Pikachu. If his friends were this concern about his attitude, then his suspicions were correct.

Buneary was even getting worried of his behavior. "Pikachu…are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he said, almost annoyed.

"You sure? You seem stressed."

"I just want to find the others and get away from here as soon as possible."

Buneary stopped in front of him and grabbed his shoulders. "Pikachu, you know you can tell me if something's bugging you."

"I said I'm fine," he repeated with a strained tone. He glanced at Ryder briefly, who was giving him a glare. "Let's just keep moving."

The rabbit shook her head. "We're not moving until you tell me what's wrong with you!"

The mouse growled and grabbed her wrists. "What are you, deaf?! I said I'm fine! Now shut up, you stupid rabbit!"

Buneary gasped frightfully. She backed away as tears welled up in her eyes. "Pi…Pikachu…"

Pikachu glared at her, but that expression changed when Ryder's narrowed eyed expression turned into a cold, almost murderous glare. He shook his head and tried to plead for forgiveness. "B-Buneary, I'm sorry! I've just been so stressed lately and-"

As he took a step closer, Piplup and Oshawott shielded her. "Don't take another step, buster," Piplup threatened.

The mouse backed up. "G-Guys, I didn't mean it, I swear!"

"Pikachu, I've known you long enough to know that you would love Buneary with all your heart. You would never insult her," Oshawott reminded as if it was so obvious…which it was.

Pikachu tried to plead his case some more, but Snivy forced him back with her Vine Whip. "Care to explain what's got your knickers in a twist?"

Before he could speak, Ryder intervened. "Who's to say he even is Pikachu?" This surprised them greatly. Pikachu, however, looked away worriedly. "If he truly is who he says, he wouldn't mind answering some questions."

Snivy asked, "Wait, you're saying this might not be Pikachu?"

"Correct. He could be a Darkmon in disguise. Either that or he really has been stressed." He reached into his cloak. "You don't mind, though, right Pikachu?"

The mouse smiled nervously. "Hey man, if it'll show you I'm really who I am, then I'm up for it." He mentally smirked. I don't see what Lord Dark was so worried about. This fool knows I have access to all of Pikachu's memories. I can easily answer any question he throws at me.

"Alright, first question. Who's your trainer?"

"Ash Ketchum, of course!" he stated confidently.

He nodded. "Good. Favorite food?"

"Ketchup!" he shouted, licking his lips.

Oshawott whispered, "He likes ketchup?" Snivy and Piplup shrugged. Buneary nervously shook as she paid attention to the interrogation.

"Alright, let's get more difficult. What technique did you and Swellow use to defeat Tate and Liza's Solrock and Lunatone?" The others looked at each other in confusion.

"Easy! We used my Thunder to coat ourselves in what we called 'Thunder Armor'!"

Snivy scratched her chin. She whispered, "This guy knows a lot about Pikachu…"

"Yeah…it's almost scary," Piplup uttered.

"Fourth question. Where did you and I first officially meet?"

"The Lake of Destiny! That's also where Buneary and I confessed our love!" he added cockily.

Ryder smirked. "Correct again. Final question…" he slowly pulled his rifle out of his cloak. Buneary and the other gulped, but Pikachu didn't even notice. "What organization do I work for? As a bonus, what is the name of the task force I'm apart of?"

"Too easy! You work for the International Police, part of the Shadow Agent task force! There, I got all of them correct!" He faced Ryder, eyes widening when he saw the rifle's barrel in his face.

"Yes, you are correct…but I never told you about my personal life." He pulled the trigger, slowly charging up energy.

'Pikachu' deadpanned. "You son of a bi-" The rifle emitted a shockwave, causing the rodent's head to explode, spraying black blood across the trees and ground.

The gang screamed and jumped back. "Oh man! That is SO wrong!" Oshawott exclaimed.

"I'll never be able to forget that…" Piplup muttered.

"A little overkill, don't you think?!" Snivy shouted. "And what is that thing?!"

Ryder spun the rifle in his hand and holstered it. "My Shockwave Gun. It can emit a powerful sonic blast that can tear apart virtually anything. At blank point range, it packs a punch." He kicked the unmoving body to the side. "I figured he was a Darkmon, but I had to be sure. He was able to mimic Pikachu's mannerisms and aura so well, it was almost impossible to tell. However, since they take on opposite personalities of their target, they can get easily frustrated when they have to mimic the original."

"That's why he kept shrugging off Buneary's affection," Piplup muttered in realization. He glanced at her and saw she had a horrified expression. "Uh…Buneary, I know you technically just saw your mate get blown up, but at least we're fine."

She shook her head. "No…it's not that. I just realized I've been practically cheating on Pikachu! And kissing an imposter!" Her eyes widened upon hearing herself, leading her to start spitting on the ground and wiping her tongue in disgust.

Ryder shook his head, but glared when he saw the blood evaporate. Blood formed from the body and regrew a new head. The Darkmon stood up and rubbed his head. "Got a painful ringing in my ear now…"

The Charmeleon aimed his Shockwave Gun at him. "I'll make it worse if you don't tell us where the real Pikachu is."

Dark Pikachu laughed as his fur color changed. His yellow fur turned purple, his brown fur and ear tips turned red, and his cheek turned black. His red eyes gleamed evilly at the gang. "Well, I'm glad I don't have to keep the act up any longer. Do you know how annoying that stupid rabbit is? How my counterpart puts up with her, I'll never know."

Buneary growled. "You take that back!"

Ryder glared and pulled the trigger. Having anticipated it, Dark Pikachu sped out of the way, with a tree taking the force of the blast. Ryder darted his everywhere as he tracked his movements. He was moving faster than the eye could see. He could tell from everyone's confused expressions.

"Haha!" the Darkmon's laughed echoed around them. "You can't stop me! Lord Dark gave me a bit of his power to ensure your defeat!" He flew by and punched Ryder in the back, followed by the gut next. He swiped his Shockwave Gun and aimed it at his face. "Your turn!" He pulled the trigger.

"Fingerprint Signature Not Recognized!" the rifle beeped, emitted a small pulse that forced him to drop it.

"You really think I wouldn't put security measures on my equipment?" Ryder asked with an expressionless face. He raced over to his weapon, but Dark Pikachu swiped it and threw it deep into the forest.

"Doesn't matter now!" He activated Iron Tail and swung it. Ryder, pulling out his Bo Staff, blocked it. They traded blows with each other, metal against metal, sending sparks flying.

Dark Pikachu jumped back and unleashed a massive Thunderbolt. Ryder sidestepped and fired Inferno, only for the Darkmon to avoid it with Quick Attack. He ran up a tree and pulled back on a branch, using it to fling himself with enough force to send the agent crashing through several trees. But he was unfazed as he flipped back onto his feet and picked up a section of a trunk, tossing it at his opponent. The Darkmon fired Electro Ball into it, sending splintery wood flying. But this proved to be a mistake as Ryder came flying through and slammed his palm against his face, breaking his skull.

Dark Pikachu skidded against the ground and knocked his head into a tree. He pushed himself up and wiped some dirt off his lip as he felt his skull repair itself. "You got moves, but I got power." He sped towards Ryder and nicked at him bit by bit.

Ryder endured the scratches as he traced the Darkmon's quick paced movements. He was incredibly fast, he admitted. But not for long. He stared at the metal bracelets that adorned his wrists and ankles. It would take a minute to undo the locks on them; a minute he doesn't have time to spare.

After watching his movements, Ryder stuck his arm out and threw it into his throat, then threw him to the ground followed by a series of brutal punches.

"Yeah Ryder! Kick his butt!" Oshawott cheered.

Dark Pikachu glared and blasted him off with a concentrated Thunderbolt from his palms, searing the agent's chest. "I won't go down that easily!" He sprang up and charged at him with Iron Tail.

Ryder skidded back and used Slash. They traded blows once more, but Ryder wasn't fooling around this time. He sliced through the trees, toppling them down toward the Darkmon. He evaded them, but had a difficult time fending off Ryder and the trees at the same time.

The agent grabbed him and flipped him over his shoulder, followed by a kick to the gut. Dark Pikachu growled and grabbed his head, smashing his skull against his harshly. He staggered back, but was undeterred. He slammed his palm on the ground, cracking it, and dislodge a chunk of earth, smashing it down on the evil Pikachu. A Thunderbolt shot through the top and destroyed it. Dark Pikachu punched him between the eyes, followed by a kick to the knee, stepping on his tail, and slamming his face against the ground.

"I told you, Ryder, Lord Dark has made me strong enough to destroy you." Ryder growled. "Why not just use your aura?" He smirked. "Oh that's right, Lord Dark restricted your full potential. How could I forget?"

"Restricted?" Piplup repeated.

"Full potential?" Snivy also repeated. Buneary looked at Ryder with worried eyes.

Despite the taunt, Ryder smirked. "You think you're clever, huh?" He threw his fist straight into his chest, forcing the Darkmon to let go.

He jumped back and laughed as the hole closed up. "That all you got?" His eyes widened when he heard a beeping inside him. "Are you serious?!" His top half exploded, sending bits and pieces everywhere. As predicted, though, he began regenerating.

Ryder took this time to pull out his staff again. "Concentrate…" He narrowed his eyes as he tried to send a current of aura through it. "Grr, come on!"

Dark Pikachu finished regenerating and used Quick Attack. He rammed into Ryder and uppercutted him in the jaw. Before he could go flying off, he grabbed him by the tail and slammed him back down. He grabbed his staff and threw it to the side before grabbing him by the cloak.

He punched his face as he taunted him. "Not so tough now, are you? Why? Oh why did Lord Dark ever worry about you? You're nothing more than a pushover." He tossed him into a tree. "Guess he exaggerated the details." He smirked at the others, who were ready to fight back. "You're kidding, right?" He blasted them with Thunderbolt, except Buneary.

They dropped to the ground in pain. "No!" Buneary shouted. She growled and ran at him with Drain Punch. "You monster!"

He held his hand out and stopped the punch in its tracks. "I'm getting real annoyed with that word…'monster'." The Drain Punch vanished. He grabbed her by the throat and started choking her. "Do you know how long I've waited to do this? All of your constant cuddling and affection nearly made me vomit. But now, I get to watch the life drain slowly disappear."

"Pi…Pika…chu…" she tried to call out as she began to lose consciousness.

"Save your breath, he won't be able to help you."

Ryder pushed himself up and rubbed his head. Upon seeing Buneary being strangled, he pulled out a shuriken. That's when something came flying out of the trees.

"Get your hands off my mate!" Dark Pikachu looked up in time to see a fist smash into his face. The resulting forced formed a small crater under his feet. He lost his grip on Buneary and fell backwards. However, he never landed on his back as he was also given a swift kick to his broken face, sending his head into a tree.

Buneary coughed as she took in some air. She looked up and gasped. "Pikachu?"

It was most definitely her mate. But, he was different. For starters, he was cladded in makeshift armor made of tree bark. He wore a leaf mask and a giant canopy like leaf on his back like a cape. Am I unconscious and having that dream where Pikachu is a superhero rescuing me again? If so, she did not want to wake up yet.

Piplup had his beak dropped in awe. "It's…It's Pikachu! He's okay!"

"But is it really him?" Snivy questioned.

Pikachu picked Buneary up and hugged her tightly. "Oh Buneary, I was so worried about you! Is our egg okay?! Are you okay?!"

It's him. The three thought with relieved, yet humorous smiles.

"Pikachu, I'm fine!" She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, which he returned with all his passion. Oh yeah, this is him alright. She pulled back and smiled. "How did you find us?"

"More importantly, why are you dressed like a discount superhero?" Oshawott questioned, fully taking in his attire.

He pulled the leaf mask off. "I heard all the commotion and ran over here as quickly as possible. After a few twists and turns, I found Buneary getting strangled by my duplicate! As for the outfit, I needed some camouflage to hide myself. Plus, these trees have some really unique traits to my skills."

His mate snuggled him. "I'm just happy you're alive!"

He smiled and hugged her closely. That's when he realized something. "Buneary…where's our egg?"

Her eyes widened and she pulled back with a nervous grin. "Um…how to put this delicately? I brought it with me-"

"WHAT?!"

"-in a protective casing, of course! I'm the only one who can open it!"

"But where is it?!"

"At my hideout, you crazy Pikachu." Pikachu's eyes widened in shock. He turned around and gasped. Ryder smiled as he held his arm. "Sup Pik."

He smiled. "Ryder!" He ran over and hugged him, making him cringe. "How are you?"

"Well, for starters, my arm is in pain…hint, hint."

He let him go and smiled apologetically. "Sorry…but still, I can't believe you're here."

"I can't believe any of you are here." He mumbled under his breath, "Hank, you are going to get it later." He then noticed Pikachu's armor. "I see you took notice of the plants and tree's unique power?"

"Heh, yeah. I needed a sling for my arm…next thing I know, I'm making power armor."

"Well, that's good to know." They turned towards Dark Pikachu as he rubbed his face. "I'll just have to kill you first."

Ryder glared. "We're gonna have to catch up later, Pik."

Pikachu got into a battle stance. "You're the creep that dragged me out of that puddle!"

He smirked. "Ah, so you remember? I was hoping you would stay unconscious for a while longer. Oh well, I'll just have to drag you back to Lord Dark kicking and screaming."

His cheeks crackled with electricity. "That won't happen…"

Ryder held his hand out. "Hold on, Pikachu. Your counterpart is much faster than you. Dark gave him a power boost to ensure he'd outmatch my speed."

"So, what do we do?"

"You keep him busy…" He started messing with his bracelets. "I'm going to give myself a little boost of my own."

The mouse smirked. "Alright! Quick Attack!" He ran at his duplicate with extraordinary speed.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play, huh? Fine by me! Quick Attack!"

They rammed into each other, sending dirt and rocks flying. Dark Pikachu swung an Iron Tail, but Pikachu caught it and threw him over his shoulder. He fired Thunderbolt directly into his face. Dark Pikachu rolled on the ground before getting to his feet. He used Quick Attack with his natural speed, running circles around the mouse before striking him in the back. The armor took most of the hit, leading Pikachu to slam his elbow in his nose.

Dark Pikachu skidded back and wiped away the blood running from it. He kicked the ground, sending earth and rock down his path. He fired Electro Ball and stopped it in its tracks. Using the dirt as cover, he made his escape into the trees

Dark Pikachu got on all fours and looked around. "Where are you hiding?"

He got his answer through the electric rodent elbow dropping on him. "Right here!" He pulled him back up and spun around, throwing him into a hole in a tree.

"Grr…" He uprooted it from the inside and slammed it down on top of him.

Pikachu scurried out from under it and took a deep breath. "Ow, that hurt…" He clenched his fist and punched it off. He dusted himself off, but was interrupted by a punch to the cheek. He spat out some blood and rubbed his lips. "Okay, that hurt."

They soon entered a Thunderbolt power struggle as their electric attacks pushed against each other, trying to overpower the other. Pikachu amped his power up to its max, slowly pushing the purple Thunderbolt back.

Dark Pikachu smirked. "Think you've got the advantage over me? Well, you're sadly mistaken!" He charged his Thunderbolt to its max as well, pushing harder against Pikachu's.

He started to sweat, feeling the force taking its toll on him. He dug his toes into the dirt to keep himself balanced. The Thunderbolt inched closer and closer to him, threatening to touch him. As a last ditch effort, he canceled his attack and narrowly dodged the bolt.

This, however, ended badly as Dark Pikachu appeared in front of him and punched him in the gut. He then ripping off his armor, following it up with a barrage of punches to his torso. Pikachu couldn't find the strength to scream or breathe as the wind was being knocked right out of him.

"And…goodbye!" He punched him straight into the others.

"Pikachu!" Buneary shouted as she and Piplup got in front of him and caught him.

"Pikachu, buddy, are you okay?!" Piplup cried.

He winced as he held his bruised torso. "Never fought someone like that before…"

Dark Pikachu laughed. "You might as well give up! My knowledge of fighting greatly trumps your basic understanding of it. If Ryder can't take me, you have no chance at all."

The bracelets clicked, catching his attention. Ryder smirked as he took the one on his right wrist off. "You don't know what you just got yourself into." He dropped it, making an audible thump hitting the ground.

"Training weights?" Oshawott questioned.

Dark Pikachu laughed as Ryder took off the other one. "Oh please! Losing a few extra pounds of weight isn't going to give you the speed needed to catch me." He ran up a tree and back down with a berry in hand. He threw it in his mouth and swallowed. "See?"

He dropped the second weight before going to the ones on his ankles. "I was trained by the best during my time in the International Police. But my one, true teacher was my trainer. He taught me to exceed in my abilities. He taught me how to use aura. He taught me to use all my senses. He taught me to speak." The ankle bracelets clicked. "I may not have the strength to beat Dark yet, but I certainly have what it takes to defeat you." He took off the bracelets and stood up.

The Darkmon smirked. "Cute, but you still can't out speed me."

Ryder said nothing as he lightly tossed the leg weights to the side. The left one collided with a rock, smashing it into rubble. The right one smashed into a tree and toppled it to the ground.

He jumped back in shock. "What the?!"

The gang's eyes were wide in surprise. "He had that much weight holding him down?!"

Ryder smirked. "Try and keep up." He disappear like he faded into the shadows.

Dark Pikachu looked around. His heart was racing one hundred miles a minute. "Where are you?!" Ryder appeared to his side. "There you are!" He punched him, but hit an afterimage that faded from existence. Just as he did, Ryder appeared behind him. He threw another punch, but was met with another afterimage.

Ryder appeared everywhere, disappearing just as quickly as he reappeared. "The agency referred to me as the Shadow for a reason. Those weights were made for Pokémon like me. And now I'm putting them to good use."

The Darkmon clenched his teeth, unsure of which Ryder to hit. There was ten-No, twenty of them at once! It gave him a headache. "This is ridiculous!" Enraged, he unleashed a Thunderbolt that covered a large section around him, destroying trees, bushes, and anything else in the way.

Oshawott blocked a bolt with his scalchop to protect Snivy…and the others too, but got zapped in the process. He fell over with a blank, happy expression. "I smell waffles…"

Snivy pulled him up. "Be careful, Oshy." The nickname made him blush.

Dark Pikachu panted heavily as he looked around. No sign of Ryder anywhere. This made him laugh in triumph. "Yes! I have destroyed him!" He kicked off the ground and aimed towards the gang. "Now to destroy you!"

He stopped in midair, stunning him. He looked back and saw Ryder holding his tail. "Did you really think that would work?"

"Um…no…I mean…yes?"

He socked him in the stomach. "You thought wrong." He launched him in the air. He ran up a tree and spiked him back down. He jumped down and punched him. This resulted in a painful game of pinball for the Darkmon.

I can't catch a break today! he thought as he tried to stop the unrelenting assault, but his opponent was moving too fast. How much weight was he wearing to become this fast?!

Ryder picked his Shockwave Gun up and aimed it at his torso. "If you thought those attacks were painful, then you're not gonna like the Level 2 setting!"

"Wait, Level wha-" At blank point, he splattered across the ground, like a drizzle of rain.

Pikachu barely had his eyes open to witness it. "Well…that as disturbing, personally…"

The agent landed on his feet and holstered his rifle. He pulled out four shuriken as Dark Pikachu regenerated back to his full form. "Ugh, that was worse than the last one!" He prepared for another go when Ryder knocked him to his back and pinned him down with the shuriken. "OW! Watch it, you lunatic!"

Ryder ignored him as he aimed his Inferno upward. "Piplup, when I give the signal, fire your Ice Beam around the hole I'll be making." Confused by the plan, he nodded hesitantly.

Dark Pikachu growled. "What are you planning?"

"Another interrogation. This time with torture." He fired the attack and burned a hole through the leaves. "Now!" Piplup fired the Ice Beam and made an ice ring around the hole before it could regenerate.

The sunlight shined down on Dark Pikachu, who screamed in agony. "Make it stop, make it stop!"

Ryder stood over him, blocking the light with his cloak. "Talk. How long until Dark has enough power to fire the central bulb?"

"I'll never tell!"

"You'll regret that decision." He moved his cloak away, letting the light shine down on him again. As he screamed, Ryder said, "I've interrogated many, many people and Pokémon, whether it be through wits or torture. You will give me that info."

Dark Pikachu smirked, despite being in agonizing pain. "Empty threat, shadow. Even if you destroy me, the central bulb will just replicate another version of me. Face it, you can't get information out of me!"

Ryder narrowed his eyes. Then he smirked. "I also specialize in psychological torture." This confused him. "Buneary, how about you give our friend here a hug?" This made the Darkmon freeze up.

Buneary didn't look thrilled. "I just got over the fact I've been kissing him. No way!"

"Wait, what?" Pikachu asked, feeling he misheard.

"Ignore that!" she shouted with a nervous grin.

Ryder narrowed his eyes. "Buneary, I need information out of him."

The rabbit didn't want to. She felt filthy for just being in contact with him. However, recalling how he desperately wanted to bring the egg with them, she imagined he did so to hopefully destroy it. This caused her to form a glare. "Alright." She slowly walked over to him.

Dark Pikachu looked scared. "W-Wait a minute! Can we go back to the sunlight torture?! I prefer that!"

Buneary crouched down next to him and sighed. Pretend he's Pikachu, pretend he's Pikachu…well, he kind of is, but…oh, never mind! She took a deep breath and hugged him.

He felt every inch of his body tense up. "Let go of me, you stupid rabbit!" While it was only mildly discomforting, he overreacted beyond belief. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Piplup snickered. "What a wuss." Snivy rolled her eyes.

Ryder tapped his foot patiently. "This will end once you give me what I want."

Buneary nuzzled him, making him pant heavily. With one last growl, he shouted, "Fine, I'll talk! Just get her off!"

Buneary retracted and rubbed herself as if she was covered in the filthiest mud on the planet. Ryder stepped on his arm. "Talk!"

He sighed. "Lord Dark is reaching his goal soon. He calculated it would require half of all the stray Pokémon's energy combined. He has sent his Darkmon to track and capture them all. But it might be too late!" He laughed evilly.

Ryder glared as he moved his cloak a bit, catching his arm on fire. "Who has he captured?"

"Unfortunately, none of your worthless friends. But he has captured a metal Pikachu and a Meowth. I believe you know them quite well."

Laura, huh? She must have gotten a new body last I saw her. "What does he plan to do to them?"

"So far, he's only held them captive. He didn't sap enough energy to kill them. Why he hasn't, I am unsure. Now, release me!"

"Yeah…about that…" He pointed the Shockwave Gun at his face.

"Oh come on!" Ryder blasted his head off. It turned to black smoke while the body continued to burn.

He walked over to the gang. "Looks like I have two idiots to save as well."

Buneary punched her palm angrily. "I still have a score to settle with that no good robot! Blasting my mate into a dangerous forest is unacceptable!" Her anger died out when she heard Pikachu groan. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Ryder placed his hand on him and checked his vitals. "He's stable for now. We need to take him back to my place and get him patched up." They nodded. Oshawott and Piplup picked him up and carefully carried him as they followed Ryder.

Snivy walked up to Ryder. "So…you're a secret agent?"

He sighed and looked at everyone. They, too, wish to get some clarification on that little bit of information. He looked forward. "Once we help Pikachu…I'll tell you everything."