Dragonite glared at the Dark Riolu as he and the others chatted away with each other. It's been a five or six hours since they met Koda and he was warming up nicely to everyone. All, except Dragonite. He still felt strongly about the idea of him being a spy. He didn't have any real proof, other than the fact he was the same species as the things that tried to kill them!
Koda, however, didn't act that way at all. The gang was telling him about their adventures before they came to the forest. He was fascinated by what they referred to as gym battles and contests. He also loved hearing about Cilan and the vast amount of foods he has prepared during their travels. All he has ever eaten was their usual supply of berries.
He became fast friends with Pachirisu, who took a liking to him just as quickly. Their childlike behavior really blended with each other well. Even Quilava was becoming less nervous around him. Pignite, while still cautious, has lightened up to him to. Pansage was the one telling him about their journeys through Unova, which brought a smile to his face from how excited he looked.
"...Dawn lost the Grand Festival, but she's really improving with her combinations," Pachirisu said, finishing up his story about the Grand Festival.
Koda smiled. "That is SO cool! Man, the outside world must be awesome!"
He smiled back. "It is! Maybe we could show you around one day!"
The Dark Riolu frowned. "Lord Dark probably won't allow it." His smile returned. "Still, thanks for the offer."
Dragonite groaned and rubbed his head. "This is getting us nowhere. Take us to that building!"
"I told you, I can't walk in the sunlight. You just need to be patient."
"I've been nothing BUT patient!" He stood up and marched over to him. He gripped the fur on his chest and held him up to eye level. "You're taking us now!"
"B-But-"
Pansage slapped Dragonite over the head, forcing him to drop Koda. "Cool it, Dragonite!"
He pointed furiously as the Darkmon. "This…thing is a monster! We can't trust it!"
"That 'thing' has feelings!"
"Yeah! He feels like killing us!" Koda stood up and backed away, afraid to come any closer to the quarrelling.
"Look, just because our encounters with them have been less than spectacular, it doesn't mean we should start pointing fingers!"
"Oh, so now I'M the bad guy?!"
Pachirisu ran over and pushed Pansage away. "Both of you, calm down!"
"Yeah!" Koda added. "Lord Dark will-"
Dragonite growled at him. "I don't care what he'll do! I don't care how strong he is! We have a way to kill him and I intend to use it!"
"But you don't understand! His power is immense! It's impossible to beat him! No one can! Not even the Shadow!"
"Who the heck is 'the Shadow'?!"
Pansage butted in before things got worse. "Alright, that's enough! We've been a little cranky ever since we got here! There's no need to be yelling at each other! We're a team!"
"Team? TEAM?!" Dragonite snorted smoke from his nostrils. "There is no way I'm working with this…this…THING, as a teammate! He's just going to assist with getting us to this burned down building! Nothing more, nothing less!"
Koda raised his hands in a calming gesture. "I'm sensing some hostility in you…"
"Put a sock in it!" Koda flinched and moved away from him. "If you can see into the future, then how about you just tell us we're going to beat this guy!"
"Y-You don't understand! I can only see briefly into the future! Seeing farther into it happens by complete accident! Besides, a straight up fight with Lord Dark will only result in your inevitable demise!"
He glared down at the Darkmon. "Are you calling me weak?"
"Wha-NO! I'm only saying that Lord Dark's power is immense! You wouldn't last a minute on your own! All we need to do is get your friends and leave!"
Dragonite growled. "Just so your little friends can take over our world?"
"I do not wish to take over the world! I want the Darkmon to live in harmony with the Pokémon!" he pleaded. "I have no ill-will against your world. I only wish to live alongside you…"
Pansage looked at the others and nodded. He pushed Dragonite out of the way gently and looked at Koda. "Koda…are you…happy here?"
His eyes widened a bit, but he sighed. His eyes watered a bit, with a tear dripping off his face. The tear was acidic, burning the wooden floor a bit. "No…like I said…I'm only a defect. No one truly appreciates me. Only Lord Dark does, yet I know it's for his own evil purposes. I wish to not fight or kill. I wish…to see the sun for once…"
He narrowed his eyes in sympathy. He may not know personally what he was going through, but he a pretty good idea. He was trapped in this forest. It was the only place that would guarantee safety from the harmful light. Yet, his curious nature urged him to see for himself. Then there's living with a bunch of creatures that only see him as some weakness to their species. Ravenous monsters and one innocent soul living under the same forest.
Maybe there was a way he could help Koda. He didn't have the answers to how to survive the sunlight. But the building in question might. Their goal was to eradicate the Darkmon. But, in the few hours they got to know the innocent fella, he didn't want to destroy him along with them.
Then there's another question that bugged him. How many other Darkmon were out there, who were like Koda? He said there was about eight thousand lurking around. But were they all evil? If there were some that were good, they seemed to be doing a good job of hiding it. Koda seemed to be the only one who openly expressed his kindness and love of the outside world. He never believed anyone who was born into the world was truly evil. Only misled. There were those who, over time, feel they need to assert their power to set an example of sorts. While the Darkmon were normally composed of an evil nature, there were ones that might feel what they were doing was wrong.
They wish to turn the world into their own personal forest, but Koda wants to see the world for its natural beauty. It was kind of sad. He's living in a world where everyone and everything has a natural instinct to kill on sight. One wrong word and you'll be torn to shreds. This world was savage. It was unorderly. It was the true evil.
That brought the question of Lord Dark. Where does he fit into all of this? Was he evil? Why is he evil? Was there a reason? Or was there something more going on? Was Koda really a defect? Or was he proof that there's something more unnatural going on?
Whatever the case may be, they needed to help their friend.
He placed his hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I ensure you, Koda…I'll give you the chance to lead a new life."
His eyes widened a bit. He wiped his eyes of their tears. "R…Really?" He nodded. "But…your friends?"
"We're still going to look for them. But I feel we need to help you first. Maybe we could learn more about your past. And maybe learn more about your species' origin."
The Dark Riolu stared at him in amazement. He smiled and hugged him. "Thank you…"
He patted his back. "No prob-OW!" He jumped back and rubbed his shoulder. Some of Koda's tears burned his shoulder.
He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry…"
He waved it off. "It's fine." He looked at the others. "You guys willing to put off the search for a bit and help Koda."
Pachirisu smiled. "You bet!"
Quilava nodded. "I'm in too!"
"Me three!" Pignite cheered.
"Well, I'm not!" They glared at Dragonite, who was standing away from the crowd. "We agreed to come down here and find Pikachu. We can't spend the day helping this thing just because he's mopey."
Pansage sighed. "Dragonite, I know you're not the most social of us, but-"
"This has nothing to do with being social or not! We're literally talking about helping a member of the creatures that are trying to kill us!"
Pansage rolled his eyes and glared. "Listen Dragonite…"
As they bickered, Koda found his eyes wandering off. He really wish Dragonite didn't have to be so cruel to him. This was another problem being born as a Darkmon. If one does something wrong, all are blamed for their actions. Another reason other Pokémon ran from him in fear.
As his eyes wandered, they fell on an unusual sight. Something was stalking through the bushes. At first, he thought it was one of the missing Pokémon until he saw a familiar sight. The Darkmon's signature glowing red eyes. One of them was coming their way.
He panicked. Why was he here? He was guarding this sector of the forest! Unless…he checked the moss on the trees. While the others could tell basic time with it, Koda saw it differently. His eyes were sharper and could pick up on the different features glowing in the moss. It was how Darkmon could tell time.
Judging by the specific glow, he could tell it was one in the afternoon. In other words, his shift ended ten minutes ago. He gulped nervously and looked at the others, who were busy trying to separate the bickering teammates. Fortunately, the Darkmon hasn't spotted or heard them yet. Thank goodness they were arguing through whispers.
He turned and shushed them, earning their attention. "One of my kind is here!" he whispered loudly. "You need to hide, now!"
Dragonite glared. "Now hold on, I-"
The others grabbed his tail and started dragging him somewhere hidden from sight. Pansage looked back at Koda in concern, but he reassured him with a thumbs up. He smiled and nodded before joining the others.
Koda sighed and looked down at the ground. Here goes nothing. He jumped out of the treehouse and landed. He dusted himself off and saluted to the Darkmon in front of him. It was a Dark Gliscor, who had dark red skin and purple body. His wings were still black.
The Darkmon looked down at the defect. "Have you found any unusual activity in the area?"
"No sir!" Koda stated firmly. "I've search all over the area, but have found no signs of the intruders!"
Dark Gliscor sniffed the air, greatly worrying Koda. Darkmon have heightened senses and Gliscor were known for finding food with their sense of smell. He glared and looked down at Koda. "Then why do I smell their scent?"
"Why? Oh, very good question, sir. Um, how do I explain their scent being so noticeable?"
As he talked, the others caught on to the subtle hint. They were hiding in the bunched up leaves. Who knew their greatest defense against the sun was the perfect hiding spot? Still, there was the issue of their scent. They needed to cover themselves with something.
Pachirisu saw something and ran down, confusing them. He ran back up with a bunch of moss. Without question, he rubbed himself vigorously with it. Once he was done, he was stained purple, with barely any of his fur color showing. Just a few patches of white and blue fur. He handed the blanket of moss to them. They sighed, knowing they'll have to wash this stuff out later.
Koda continued with his elaborate tale. "…so, we fought for some time, giving them a few good shots in the face. But then, they overpowered me and knocked me unconscious. I awoke the moment you came here."
The Darkmon stared at him with a deadpan expression. Apparently, Koda fought five Pokémon at once and, because it was SO brutal, their scent was somehow left in their shelter. Koda cursed himself under his breath for that. Revealing the shelter meant it was completely useless at this point. Not that it would matter. Their scent was all over that shelter. It wouldn't take him too long to find it.
He sighed and rubbed his head. "If that's the truth, you wouldn't mind if I take a look for myself?"
He smiled nervously. "N-Not at all!"
Dark Gliscor scaled the trees and located the shelter. The fact they managed to build a shelter in the span of one day was impressive on its own. Too bad their little achievement with amount to nothing. He dipped down and sniffed the ground. He could smell a heavy amount of their scent in certain spots, most likely where they slept for the night. He even saw the damage from Koda's 'fight'. Guess his story wasn't as farfetched as he thought. Can't blame him for being suspicious. That defect was always up to something.
He continued his little search, while the Pokémon held their breath. Each of them were stained purple, only showing patches of their natural color. Quilava and Pachirisu chattered nervously. Dragonite wanted to rush out and beat the Darkmon into submission, but, after seeing a Darkmon's tears were painful, he didn't to risk fighting something that was equipped with a large stinger.
He finished his search, much to Koda's relief. They were able to mask their scent without a hitch. Dark Gliscor glided down and landed in front of him. "Okay, your story checks out."
He laughed, with a hint of nervousness. "Well, that's good. Well, I better get back to work!" He tried to walk off, but Dar Gliscor grabbed him.
"Not so fast, defect. Your shift is over. I'm watching over this sector."
He gulped and twiddled his fingers. "Okay, so…here's the thing. I…kind of want to keep guarding this area."
He glared at the defect. "You know the rules. Lord Dark only allows us one hour breaks a day. Now get some rest."
"But…I'm not tired!" He did some spins, a flip and landed on his knees. "See? Perfectly awake!"
Dark Gliscor glared deeper. "I don't care. Now get moving."
"Aww, please!"
"No!"
Koda sat on his knees and begged. "I'll be good, I promise! I'll skip my break! Just let me continue guarding this area!"
"You can guard another section of the forest later. Now leave!"
"But I want to guard this one!"
"Why?!"
"Uh…" That was a good question…too bad he couldn't answer. "Well…I'm making a garden and I don't want you to destroy it in case those Pokémon come back?"
Dark Gliscor stared at him like he grew a second head. "A garden? You're growing a garden…in a forest…that is full of foliage and living plants?"
"…yes…" Koda's poker face was top notch.
Dark Gliscor sighed and rubbed the side of his head. "Grr…fine, you can stay. Only because you're giving me a headache."
"Yay!" he cheered.
He walked past the defect and looked around. "Now, do you know where the Pokémon went?"
"No sir! I managed to scare them off before they knocked me out. They're LONG gone now. Could take forever."
"Yes, you're right…" He sniffed the ground some more, feeling he forgot something.
"Sssooo…what is Lord Dark up to? I haven't been filled in recently about the mission briefs."
He stood up and placed his pincers behind his back. "If you must know, Lord Dark has captured two refugees. A Meowth who is fluent in the English Language and an android who goes by the assigned title, L.A.U.R.A."
"Ooh! An android?" he asked excitedly.
The others weren't quite as thrilled as they overheard the conversation. Dragonite was still crossed over the fact Laura took him out of the sky without any trouble. He wanted to give her a few hits before smashing her into dust.
"Yes, an android. Quite an odd one, though. It possesses emotions."
"What's so odd about that?"
Dark Gliscor walked around him. "Tell me, scout. How do you program emotions into a machine? How do you program love? Sadness? Fear?" he finished darkly, sending a shiver up his spine. "Lord Dark has taken quite the interest to her. She's…different, as he implied.
"Still, it is most concerning. She passes it off as a glitch, but how does one develop emotions from a glitch? No, there's more to that robot than we perceive."
"What's the problem with that?" Koda asked. "So she has emotions, big deal! I can think of many other things the Darkmon have to worry about."
"That's not the concerning part. She and the Meowth work for an organization known as…" he leaned in and whispered, "Team Rocket."
Koda's eyes suddenly widened as he felt an immense headache hit him like a truck. Memories flashed through his mind, but they weren't his. They were vague, but he could see things in the background. Tubes filled with liquid and Pokémon floating inside them, screams of agony…and an evil smile, followed by black lightning. The memories ended just as quickly as they started.
Dark Gliscor walked around him some more. "According to the android, she has never heard of us before. Yet, we know about this organization digging around our home, spying on us. I'm not sure what they want, but they're planning something big. I can feel it. And Lord Dark is going to see to it that we get that information from the android and rid ourselves of Team Rocket. If they're planning to destroy our forest, they have another thing coming. They don't realize what they're getting themselves into. Soon, the world will be consumed in our darkness."
The more they listened in on the conversation, the more worried they got. For one, what did Team Rocket have to do with all of this? Why would they be suspicious of them? The Dark Gliscor even sounded like he didn't know anything about them. They keep hearing about Lord Dark. This brought back the question of what did he know.
But they saw something from Koda. He showed fear when he mentioned Team Rocket. He looked like his life flashed before his eyes. The ones who were most concern were Pachirisu and Pansage. Dragonite was too busy eyeing the second Darkmon, obviously preparing for an attack. Quilava and Pignite were in the middle.
Koda shook his head. "I…I still don't understand why the android is of concern."
"I wish I knew, too. But Lord Dark is very secretive. He knows secrets we, as underlings compared to his mighty power, do not have the privilege of learning. We must respect his word."
"Okay, so…here's the thing. What if…I wanted to know?"
He glared, making his shrink back. "Then, that would be consider defiance…a sign of treachery. You know the punishment for treachery…death…permanent death." The group, minus Dragonite, quietly gasped in shock. Though, Dragonite to raise a brow.
He smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, good thing I couldn't care less about my past!" He laughed…a little too loudly.
"Uh huh…" He turned his back to him and walked off. "I'll be searching around the perimeter. Keep your eyes and ears out for those intruders."
"Don't worry sir! I won't let you down!" He nodded and left. Once he was sure he was out of his sight and earshot, he frowned and fell on his back.
Pachirisu scampered down and poked his arm. "What's wrong?"
He sighed. "This is what I was telling you guys about. They see me as defect and threaten my life if I try to pry the truth out."
"But…you can regenerate. How could they kill you?"
He sat up. "A Darkmon can only be defeated if they're knocked out, the easier route, or completely destroyed, cell by cell. Darkmon, if completely destroyed, can be remade from the central bulb. But…Lord Dark has a way around that. If he removed the collected DNA of one specific Darkmon, that Darkmon can never be remade again. They'd be gone…forever."
Pansage climbed down. "Oh man…"
"They use that threat to keep us in line. Only five Darkmon in our history have ever faced such a punishment. Four for being disobedient and trying to overthrow Lord Dark…and the last for liking a Pokémon."
Pansage's eyes widened. "What?"
"We may be creatures of evil, but that doesn't mean we can't feel love. We are still living creatures…we were 'born' with those emotions. Lord Dark sees love as a weakness. He believe fear is the ultimate weapon. It's why he granted himself as…the Lord of Fear. Every living creature feels fear, even us. Darkmon can repress it…but under the gaze of Lord Dark, they cower like scared toddlers. He promises us freedom…safety…so we can prosper and live on. And yet…we must destroy others in order to succeed. I wish to tell Lord Dark that we should live alongside human and Pokémon, but I could never get the chance. I'm just a defect…who must live his life as a weakness…"
The group looked at each other. This forest was a prison to the goodhearted Darkmon...a living nightmare. A prison that had such an obvious escape that any prisoner can sneak out. But he's restricted by chains of light that do harm to him. Even if he escaped, those chains will always stay shackled to him. If he perished, he will wake up, back in the same, gloomy prison.
Pansage crouched down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm…sorry…"
He rubbed his eyes, not wanting to look like a crybaby in front of his friends. "It's fine…"
They stood there in silence before Pansage asked, "Koda…when you were talking to that Gliscor, why did you recoil from him? Do you…know who Team Rocket is?"
His eyes widened and he felt his head become tense. "N…No…I mean yes! No, wait, I mean no! But I do! BUT!" He clenched his head and fell to his side, clenching his teeth hard. "NO! STOP! NO MORE! NO! GET THEM AWAY FROM ME! GET THE NEEDLES AWAY FROM ME!"
Their eyes were wide with shock. Pansage and Pachirisu wrapped their around him to hopefully calm his down. "Koda, calm down!"
"NO! THEY'LL HURT ME! THEY'LL HURT EVERYONE!" His body glowed with a purple aura. In a flash, they were blasted away from him in a massive shockwave of aura, creating clouds of dust. He fell on his back again and panted rapidly. His eyes were darting everywhere, trying to recall where he was. "I'm…I'm still in the forest…" he mumbled with great relief.
The gang got up and rubbed their heads. That shockwave, while nothing serious, did a number on them. "Felt like I got hit by a car…" Pachirisu muttered.
Pansage sat himself up and walked over to Koda. "Koda…are you okay?"
His panting soon turned into light breathing. "Y-Yeah…I-I'm fine…" He sat up and held his head. "Ugh…I feel terrible…"
Pignite cautiously walked over. "What was that all about?"
"I…I don't know…I remembered something…something awful…but I don't remember ever experiencing it…"
"Experiencing what? Koda, what did you see?" Pansage asked.
He shook his head. "I…don't…"
Pachirisu rubbed his arm. "If you don't want to say anything, we understand."
He looked at his friend with surprised eyes. He then sighed and leaned against a tree. "I was in a lab…filled with strange equipments. Someone…was stabbing me with needles and scalpels, with a maniacal grin on his face."
Pansage tilted his head in confusion. "But you said you never left the forest."
"I never did. I remember every single detail of my life when I was created. But…these memories aren't mind."
Quilava said, "You said you take on the abilities of the Riolu you were cloned from. Does that include memories?"
He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Y…Yes, we do. It's how we are able to trick groups of Pokémon with ease. We use their memories against them." He rubbed his head. "But, when I was created, I couldn't remember anything. All I knew was that I must serve Lord Dark. I must…kill." He shook his head. "I was defected because, despite having those feelings of killing, they were greatly repressed. I feel no true hatred towards anything."
"Is it possible that your memories were also repressed?" They looked up at Dragonite, who had his arms crossed. He didn't trust Koda, not for a second. But his emotional breakdown left him a little uneasy. He just wanted to help Koda so he didn't blast them again. "If your killer instincts have been repressed, then maybe they also repressed your counterpart's memories."
"They?" Koda asked, confused.
He nodded. "When we were eavesdropping, that Gliscor creep said your master was secretive. Is it possible he had something to do with your missing memories?"
"N…No. I remember waking up after being created." He rubbed his chin. "H-However…I do remember feeling a searing pain in my head. Like something attacked me mentally."
"Psychically repressing memories," Pignite snorted with distaste. "Your master must have attacked your counterpart's memories and restrained you from something he didn't want you to remember."
"But…why me? What's so special about me?"
"Not you…but your counterpart." He looked and glared. "This Dark fella definitely knows something. Why he repressed your memories, I don't know. But that ruined building may hold the secrets, or hopefully some."
Koda stared at them for a moment before smiling. "Y-Yeah…" He stood up. "Okay, no more waiting! I'm taking you all to the building right now!"
"Oh, how sweet." They froze in shock and turned around. Dark Gliscor clapped his claws together with a sinister smirk. "And to think, we were talking about what happens when a Darkmon becomes rebellious. Such a shame, really. You had true potential in you. Too bad it's going to be wasted on helping Pokémon. That's just assuming you live after this."
Koda gasped and stepped back. "Uh, sir…you're just in time! These are some of the new recruits and-"
"Save your breath, you defect. I heard everything." He slowly walked up to them. "You poor, naïve scout…why do you insist on defying our lord?"
"Well…uh…"
Pachirisu stepped in and glared. "Isn't it obvious?! He wants to help you guys!"
Dark Gliscor chuckled. "Help us? What more could he do to help us? Our goal is to capture Pokemon and have them drained of their precious energy, so we can power the central bulb and cover this planet in darkness."
"Not that! He wants to help your kind live alongside Pokémon and humans! You won't have to be confined to this forest!"
He chuckled once more, as if the EleSquirrel was telling a cute, yet pathetic story. "What more is there than the darkness? We are superior being. We were created to be the perfect species. We instill fear into those who oppose us. The Darkmon were meant to eradicate all living life and become the dominant rulers of this planet."
"But why?"
"Because it is destiny, as stated by Lord Dark."
Dragonite growled and blasted Flamethrower at him, which he sidestepped. "Your 'destiny' is a one way trip to defeat! There is no way we'll let you takeover our world!"
Dark Gliscor smirked and held his pincers up, clicking them threateningly. "I admire your boldness, but you simply can't win. You're. Too. Weak," he emphasized tauntingly.
That was the final straw for him. His wings flared and he barreled into the Darkmon filled with rage. "I'm going to turn you into paste!" Not holding back, he threw all of his strength into each punch, connecting hard against him. He slammed him into the ground and started punching him at blinding speeds.
"Whoa!" Quilava exclaimed.
"Go Dragonite!" Pignite cheered. Koda, however, didn't join in the cheering. He stared at Dragonite in concern.
Dragonite used Thunder Punch to add more destructive force into his strikes. He knew the Electric-Typing won't work against him, but he can at least add more power into the punch. "You may be able to regenerate, but I'll wear you out until you collapse!"
While he certainly felt the force of the strikes wearing him down, Dark Gliscor had more than enough stamina to endure the hits. He clamped his pincers right down onto his arms, ending his barrage of attacks. "My turn." He struck his stinger right at his stomach.
Reacting quickly, he jumped just out of reach before it could stab him. He skidded back and clenched his fists. "So, you can take a punch?" He found himself smirking. He was no Dark Dragonite, but this was certainly entertaining for the aggressive dragon. "Things just got interesting." He charged at him.
Dark Gliscor used his tail to bounce himself into the air. The dragon could not follow due to his wing injury, but he can certainly bring him down. He fired Ice Beam at his wings. The Darkmon maneuvered around the attack and fired Dark Pulse from his pincers. Dragonite crossed his arms and endured the attacks raining down on him. Once they ended, he fired Ice Beam again. But the Darkmon was quick to avoid it again. He flew around the forest, his movements quick and silent.
Dragonite kept his eyes peeled as he glared deeply. "Where are you?" He was at a huge disadvantage. These things lived their whole life in the dark and have night vision. His vision has just properly adjusted and he still couldn't see well.
"Above you!" He looked up and jumped away at the same time as purple sludge blasted the spot he was standing on. Judging by the appearance, he could only assume it was Venoshock. And a completely altered one as it left a nasty scorch mark as well. Dark Gliscor swooped around in the trees, completely undetected. "I'm impressed. Not many of my prey are able to avoid my attacks."
The dragon snorted angrily. "I'm nobody's prey. If anything, I'm the true predator around here!" He roared and sent a stream of Flamethrower across the forest.
Koda led everyone away as the forest caught fire. They slowly snuffed out on their own, but it was everywhere. "Does he always handle things like this?!"
"We've only known him for a few weeks, don't ask us!" Pignite shouted.
Dragonite sent flames everywhere he fired, but they never once connected with Dark Gliscor. He swooped down behind him with his left pincer glowing a sickly purple. "Got you!"
He turned, but got jabbed by the attack. He skidded back until his back met with a tree. Dang! That was some Poison Jab! He rubbed his stomach. Lucky me, I'm not poisoned. He jumped out of the way as he narrowly dodged a second Poison Jab. But I will be soon if I get hit by those attacks again!
Dark Gliscor smirked wider and removed his pincer from the tree. "Aww…you're not poisoned. Too bad. I always liked it when my prey had that venomous taste to them." He licked his lips ravenously. "Oh yes, just the right flavor for dragon meat."
Pignite shivered. "These things are carnivores?!"
Koda smiled sheepishly. "Well, most of us are omnivores. Some are herbivores. But…yeah." The Pokémon gulped. They hoped they weren't on the menu too.
Dark Gliscor fired another Dark Pulse from both pincers. Dragonite sidestepped and fired Ice Beam, which he dodged. Dragonite knew this thing was severely weak to Ice-Type moves. The problem was actually landing the dang attack. He simply moved too swiftly to get a good shot.
He laughed. "You're not going to win, dragon. I have the clear advantage here. You can't burn down the forest. You can't see in the dark like I can. And you definitely can't survive my poison."
He clenched his fists. "I've been poisoned once before. No big deal."
The Dark Riolu shook his head frantically. "No, Dragonite!"
"Shut it, freak!" he snapped at him.
"But I'm trying to warn you-"
"I don't need any freakin' warning from a monster like you!" He looked back around, trying to locate his opponent. "I can find him myself."
Dark Gliscor laughed. "You should really heed the traitor's words, dragon." His eyes glowed through some leaves as he stared at him from behind. "They might save your life!" He glided out of the trees and straight at him with Poison Jab and his stinger aimed.
Dragonite felt a force hit him in the back, but it was a blunt force, not the stinging pain he expected. He looked and saw Koda took the hit for him, with the stinger jabbed right through his stomach. He pushed against the Poison Jab as it nearly hit the dragon.
Dark Gliscor scowled. "Out of the way, defect!"
Koda growled. "Not happening!" He placed his palm against his stomach. "I've put up with enough of your crap for one day!" He sent a pulse of aura that blasted the Fang Scorp Darkmon into the side of a tree. He held his stomach as it regenerated.
The others ran over. "Koda! Are you okay?" Quilava asked worriedly.
He panted, but was otherwise fine. "Y-Yeah…would have been much worse if it hit Dragonite."
The dragon stared at the jackal in surprise. "You…took that hit for me?" He nodded. He grunted and looked away. "Just because you did that doesn't mean I'm your friend."
Koda sighed. "Fine…"
That's when something sunk in. "Would have been worse?"
He nodded. "Darkmon can manipulate their typing. Water-Types, for example, can produce acid. Ground-Types have more enhanced control over the earth. Poison-Types…they can use deadlier toxins that none of your natural medicines or remedies can cure."
They gasped. "But you…" Pansage began, but Koda raised his hand to stop him.
"Darkmon can endure the poison like it was the common cold. I'll be fine." He grunted and held his stomach. "Though, doesn't mean we can't feel pain…"
"You sure you'll be alright?"
"I've been poisoned a couple of times before. I'll be fine."
"Don't count on it!" Koda was knocked back by a Dark Pulse and slammed hard against a tree. Dark Gliscor landed in front of the group and rubbed his head. "A pretty bold move for a defect."
The good Darkmon groaned as he sat up. "I'm gonna feel that in the morning…"
Dark Gliscor charged up Dark Pulse again when Dragonite suddenly threw a Thunder Punch into his face. Dark Gliscor skid back and chuckled. "A Thunder Punch? You're getting sloppy."
The dragon growled and fired Ice Beam. Of course, the Darkmon was able to swiftly avoid it. That was getting on Dragonite's nerves. Without his flight, he could take the more direct approach. He was stuck fighting from a distance until he got in close enough. His best chance at getting the advantage was taking out Dark Gliscor's wings. A task that was easier said than done.
He fired Flamethrower into the trees again, hoping to limit his movements. His plan did end up working, blocking off the branches Dark Gliscor could land on. He stopped as he neared a blazing tree, giving Dragonite the much needed opening he needed. He fired Ice Beam into his wings and knocked him out of the air.
He crashed into a bush and pushed himself up. "Ugh…" He rubbed his frost covered wing. It stung as it moved. He scowled at Dragonite. "So, you've limited my air maneuverability…you should be proud of yourself." He stood up and dusted himself off. "Not many Pokémon can say they've forced me into ground combat. You shall be remembered after death."
Dragonite spat on the ground and held his fists up. "Thanks for the honor, but I won't be dying here."
Dark Gliscor shook his head. "Such aggravating ignorance…do you not see your demise in inevitable? Why do you proceed to believe you have a chance at victory? Lord Dark's plans for global conquest are within our grasp. Just give up and surrender yourself."
He huffed and snorted smoke. "I surrender…to no one!" He fired a full power Flamethrower that burned right through him and the trees.
The Darkmon grunted and jumped out of the way. The frost on his wings was gone, but now they were singed and seething with pain. He cracked his neck and opened up his pincers to fire Dark Pulse. "Your tenacity is to be admired. But it can only get you so far." He fired the dark rings at him.
Dragonite rolled out of the way and fired Ice Beam. The Darkmon dodged, but was met with a punch to the face. He grabbed the flying scorpion's tail and slammed him into the ground repeatedly. He fired Flamethrower to roast his wings before stomping hard on his back. Dark Gliscor growled and fired Venoshock right in his face. Dragonite roared and released him as he held his face, giving the Darkmon the opening he needed. He aimed his tail. "Goodbye, dragon!"
He felt the wind get knocked right out of him as Koda jumped and dived leg first into stomach. "You're not hurting my friends!" He gripped his tail and stabbed the owner of it in the chest.
He screeched in pain. "You son of a-"
He didn't get to finish as Koda socked him in the jaw and sent him flying into the trees. He recovered almost instantly, removing his tail from his now regenerating chest. He fired Dark Pulse, but Koda saw them coming beforehand. He dodged each attack, maneuvering through them with precision and grace. His eyes glowed purple as he smirked.
Dark Gliscor jumped down and scowled. "That future vision of yours won't save you, defect."
Koda clenched his fists and got into a battle position. "I've been called a defect for too long and got no respect out of it. Now I'm going to show you what this 'defect' is really capable of!"
He charged with his hands pulsing with aura. Dark Gliscor dodged his strikes and tried to hit him, but Koda was masterfully blocking his attacks, even misdirecting his pincers. He tried using his tail to stab him, but Koda was quick to block it and slammed his palms into his chest.
The double palm strike hit him like a truck and smashed him right through a tree, toppling it over. He pushed himself up and held his chest. He could feel his shattered bones repairing themselves. He scowled and got to his feet. "For a defect, he sure can hit hard." He opened his pincers and fired Dark Pulse.
Koda sidestepped and dashed, throwing his palm at him. He dodged upwards, letting the strike nail the ground with a small crater. The Dark Riolu pushed himself into the air and landed a kick right his jaw. He grabbed his torso and locked his arms together before diving his head straight into the ground.
He released him and dusted his hands off. Then, he did a little dance. "Oh yeah! That was awesome! Who's the defect now?!" His eyes glowed purple. "Oh crud!"
Before he could jump away, his leg was grabbed and squeezed tightly. The evil Darkmon poked his head out with a smirk. "Still you." He fired Dark Pulse with his pincer closer and destroyed Koda's leg.
"YOW!" He hopped on one leg as black blood dripping out. The others looked like they were going to be sick. His leg regenerated as he glared. "Okay, not cool!"
He aimed another round of Dark Pulse. "Hey, no one said I was a nice guy." He fired the dark rings. Koda dodged the attacks, taking shelter in the trees. Dark Gliscor jumped after him.
Pansage assisted in getting the Venoshock out of Dragonite's eyes with some of the moss. Not the cleanest thing he could find, but it would do. "Almost out and…done!"
Dragonite opened his eyes hesitantly and rubbed them, trying to remove the irritation. "Where's that freak?"
"Do you mean Koda or the evil Gliscor?" Pachirisu asked. "Because they're fighting each other right now."
They could hear the sounds of them throwing punches and kicks at each other, along with leaves slowly falling off the branches.
The dragon snarled, mostly toward Dark Gliscor. Though, his mind did wander upon realizing something. That kid saved me twice…why? Isn't he trying to deceive us? He had a perfect opportunity to get rid of me. He looked at the others, who were trying to peer through the bunched up leaves. They trust him…they think he isn't like them. He shook his head. No, Hank said they would use any trick necessary to catch their prey off guard. I can't show weakness.
He rose onto his feet, albeit shakily. Pansage saw this and tried to force him down. "You took way too much damage in that fight. You need to rest."
Sadly, his small size didn't help in pushing the large brute down. "I'm fine! Besides, I have a score to settle with that thing! And no future seeing monster isn't going to upstage me!"
"Koda is not a monster!" Pachirisu shouted angrily. "He's trying to save us!"
"Or deceive us! He can't be trusted!"
"Then why would he risk his life to save us?!"
"Because he literally can't die!"
Quilava covered his ears to drown out their shouting. He looked up and saw Koda face-planting into the dirt, with his leg twitching. "Koda! Are you okay?!"
"No Mommy, I don't want to go to the park…" the childish Darkmon muttered dizzily.
Dark Gliscor swooped down and picked him up by his leg. "I'm going to find great pleasure in telling Lord Dark that you have betrayed us. Oh yes, I can see his face right now. He will flash that wicked grin of his, incinerate you into ash, and then remove your DNA from the central bulb. You'll never be able to regenerate again."
Getting his bearings together, he glared and placed his palms on his chest. "Not happening!" He sent a shockwave of aura that forced him to let go and blast him into a bush. He landed on his hands, then his feet before charging with aura infused palms.
Dark Gliscor flew out of the bush and fired Venoshock and Dark Pulse. Koda saw through each attack and dodged each one of them. He just saw the attacks before they even happened. He needed a way around his future vision. A way to neutralize or trick it.
He smirked as an idea formed in his head. "He can predict the future, huh? So he knows what I'm about to do next." He aimed at Pachirisu, Pansage, Quilava, and Pignite. He charged his Dark Pulse to its max power, shining in a dark light.
Koda's eyes glowed purple, seeing the attacks nail the group and leaving them in critical condition. With a worried expression, he ran over to them. Dark Gliscor fired the attacks off, shocking them. The good Darkmon tackled them out of the way and took the full force of the attack. He screamed in pain as they pushed him harshly against the ground, forming a crater under him.
The Darkmon smirked. "Got you."
The group watched their friend writhing in pain, trying to get out of the attack. But it was hitting him with too much force for him to sit up. They watched as his attacker laughed with glee. He was taking pleasure in his pain.
"This is the fate of all traitors!" he sneered evilly.
Pachirisu clenched his paw in anger. He jumped up the trees and bounced over to Dark Gliscor with Super Fang. He spun down like a buzz saw and bit down on him hard. He screeched in pain, feeling half his energy suddenly vanish. His barrage of attacks stop as he fell to the ground with the EleSquirrel.
Pansage ran over to Koda and helped him up. "Koda, are you alright?" He didn't respond. His eyes were clenched shut as he held his head. "Koda?" He flinched as Pachirisu was tossed overhead.
Dark Gliscor cracked his neck and clicked his pincers. "Oh, you are so dead."
Pignite slammed his fist on the ground and unleashed Fire Pledge, trapping him in an eruption of fire. Quilava used Flame Wheel and slammed into the Darkmon, grinding him against the ground. The fire pig joined in with a Flame Charge, ramming him and gaining speed. He proceeded to nicking away at his health while becoming faster and faster with each strike.
Dark Gliscor clenched his teeth in anger as he endured the hits. "Rotten brats!" He timed his attack before using Sky Uppercut on Pignite. The strike to his jaw nearly shattered it as he was thrown in the air. Quilava fired Swift, leading the Darkmon to fired Dark Pulse through them. After canceling the attacks up, he repeated the same attack he used on Pignite on him.
The two Fire-Types crashed near where Pachirisu was. Dragonite growled and charged at him. But due to his previous injuries, he couldn't endure the Sky Uppercut to his gut. He dropped his knees and fell to the ground, panting heavily.
The Darkmon smirked. "What did I tell you?" He clamped down on his throat and pulled him up to eye level. "You were destined to fail."
"Oh no…" Pansage muttered in concern. His attention went back to Koda, who was squirming. "Koda?"
The blow to his head involuntarily triggered his future vision. But this vision took place farther into the future. What he saw scared him. It frightened him. He felt sick, feeling something grow within him. Something dark. His killer instincts. He wanted to suppress them. He didn't want to hurt his friends. But maybe he could use them to beat Dark Gliscor. It was a hefty risk. One wrong thought and he might hurt them all. He needed to control himself. He couldn't lose control.
He pushed himself up and, with a strained tone, said, "Pansage…get away from me…"
"Wh…Why?"
"Darkmon…are born with killer instincts. Mine…have been buried deep within me. I can't…control them…need to…focus attention on…enemy…" He clenched his teeth and slowly got to his feet.
"But Koda-"
"I said GET AWAY!" he shouted as his eyes snapped open, glowing a sinister red. Pansage couldn't even see his pupils anymore. All he saw was a frightening red. He charged at Dark Gliscor, keeping his attention off of Dragonite to the best of his ability.
Pansage was at a loss for words. "Koda…"
The Fang Scorp Darkmon blinked and turned toward his oncoming attacker. Without even time to blink, he felt his palm smash into his face and blast him with a concentrated pulse of aura. He smashed through several trees, taking them all down.
Koda breathed heavily as he smirked evilly, scaring Pansage and the others. Dragonite stared in shock. "Come on, Dark Gliscor…come on out and play." He slowly walked toward him.
The Darkmon pushed himself up and glared at the taunting Dark Riolu. Once he was close enough, he fired Dark Pulse at blank point range. "Got you!" Koda was engulfed in smoke from the aftermath of the attack.
However, his hand reached out and grabbed the pincer. He snickered sinisterly. "That tickled!" He threw him over his shoulder and ran after him, punching him while he flew in midair. Before he could crash into a tree, he did a backflip and kicked him right in the face.
He skidded across the ground and groaned. "You defected-" He couldn't finish as he felt his head being held tightly.
Koda smirked widely. "Let's get that smug look off your face!" He smashed his face against the ground and kicked him, grinding his face against the dirt. He laughed, finding amusement in his misery.
The group couldn't believe what they were watching. Was this the same Dark Riolu they became friends with this morning? He was acting like a crazed lunatic out for blood.
"What's wrong with him?!" Pachirisu cried.
Pansage thought back to what Koda said before. He was a defect. He wasn't like the others. His instincts to kill were suppressed. "His instincts must have surfaced from all the damage he took…"
Koda swung the Darkmon around by his tail. "Around the world you go!" He smashed him back and forth against the ground. He kicked him in the back and slammed his elbow against his face.
Dark Gliscor fired Dark Pulse in his face, forcing him to let go. He stumbled back and panted. Yet, he was smirking. "Don't you see, scout? This is what a Darkmon is supposed to act like. Not some friendly wimp. A creature of evil and darkness. Don't you see the truth? Don't you want to destroy the ones you call friends?!"
Koda snickered as he flashed a toothy grin. "Sorry, Koda's not here right now! Please leave a message after this vicious beatdown!" He slammed his palms against his chest, shattering his chest. But he didn't stop there. He pushed him down to his back and threw a barrage of palm strikes down onto him. Even with regeneration, the pain from the strikes was becoming too much to handle. Koda has completely lost control. He was actually enjoying the pain he was spreading. The group could tell from his wicked grin.
Pansage ran over to him and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Koda, that's enough!"
"You want to be next?!" he shouted evilly as he slapped Pansage across the face. But that one motion snapped him out of his vicious state. Pansage flew across the field and landed on his back with a thud. Koda shook his head and his eyes went back to their normal red glow, allowing his pupils to be visible. "Oh my gosh, Pansage!" He ran over to check on him.
Dark Gliscor was flattened to a pulp. When he fully regenerated, he was seemingly unconscious.
Koda helped his injured friend up and hugged him tightly. "Pansage, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! Now you're dead!" He cried in shoulder as he hugged him tighter.
Far from the truth, Pansage was very much alive. Though, in a few minutes, he was going to be if Koda didn't loosen his grip. "K…Koda….need…air…"
His eyes widened and he loosened up, allowing the grass monkey to take in a large sum of air. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was thinking! I-I-I couldn't control myself!"
Pansage placed his hands on his shoulders before he started rambling more apologies. "Koda, I'm fine." He rubbed his cheek. "That was a pretty good backhand you did on me. Hurt pretty badly." He chuckled.
The Dark Riolu blinked in confusion. He…wasn't mad?
The others, except Dragonite, ran over to see if they were both alright. Dragonite was more focused on the other Darkmon. Or rather, lack thereof. He must have escaped when they were focused on Pansage. And after all the nonsense he was spouting earlier, he could almost bet he was going to his master to give away their current location.
"What was that back there?" He turned his attention to Quilava's voice, who was asking Koda about his rage state.
Koda sighed. "My instincts got the better of me. I tried to suppress them, but they just surfaced."
"How come?" Pignite asked.
He didn't want to tell them about the vision he had. His visions were never wrong. Which meant what he saw was going to happen. He didn't want to worry them. If he told them, they would break into a panic. He would have to wait and tell them once things calm down.
"It…triggered from all the attacks I took," he lied. "It doesn't always happen, but I was just so worried. I didn't want to lose you guys." It wasn't a complete lie. Part of his rage state did involve protecting his friends. But he didn't want Dragonite calling him out as a liar. Frankly, he has put up with enough nonsense for one day.
Quilava and Pachirisu helped him up while Pignite said, "We better get him inside so he can rest."
"Not a good idea," Dragonite stated. "The Darkmon's gone. Which means he's gonna come back with back up. We need to start moving towards that building before he comes back."
Koda nodded and stood up on his own. His friends protested against him walking, but he assured them he was alright. "I just need a quick bite to eat and I'll be okay." He grabbed a stick and threw it at the stem of a berry, knocking it off for him to catch. He nibbled on it, shivering from its taste. "Mmm, delicious!"
The others looked at each other in concern, but they decided to trust him. He led the way with them following close behind. He may have feigned an expression that said he was fine, but he felt horrible on the inside. The con of having future vision meant you might see something you'll regret. You know what will happen…and you would have to live with that knowledge until it comes to pass.
Still, he kept a brave face. He would have to tell them…but not now.