Krookodile peeked around the trees, searching for any nearby danger. Fortunately, there was nothing. He waved to the others and gestured them to follow. They stuck close to the sand croc, as he was their only line of defense at the moment. He was rested up fairly well while the others were exhausted. Emolga had the harder job. She was caring Axew in her arms. Krookodile offered to since he was bigger, but she wanted to keep him close by.

It has only been five hours since Axew was poisoned. While he was stable, he had a fever. They were trying their hardest to keep it down with the materials they had available. With their lack of knowledge of the forest, they didn't know the healing properties of any of these plants. They weren't sure if they even had healing properties.

There was another reason for Emolga carrying the sick dragon. She felt partially responsible for his suffering. She should have suspected Dark Oshawott wasn't the real one from the start. But she has been so exhausted that she couldn't immediately see anything wrong. If she didn't find him or suspected him sooner, not only would they still have a hideout, but they also wouldn't have to be traveling throughout the forest looking for a plant they've never seen before. If Axew died because of her foolishness…she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

She could feel tears threatening to drip down her face. Scraggy saw this and narrowed his eyes in concern. "Emolga?"

She gasped lightly, then wiped her eyes with her tail. "W-What? Did you find the plant?"

"No…are you feeling okay?"

"…" What could she say? None of them were in a particularly good mood. He may not look it, but Scraggy was upset. Axew is his best friend, after all. Then there's Krookodile. He's supposed to be the leader that watched out for them and he let something as avoidable as poisoned fruit slip past him. Things were not going well for any of them. "…no Scrags…I'm not okay."

Scraggy nodded in understanding. He looked at Axew. He was barely asleep. He cringed every so often from the poison coursing through his system. He was suffering. This angered the Shedding Pokémon. If he ever runs into another Darkmon, he'll make sure they pay for what they did to his friend. He might start with smashing their heads with Focus Blast, then breaking their jaw with Hi Jump Kick. He'll smashed his skull against theirs. It won't help Axew, but it will definitely make him feel better. Not by much, but enough to get his frustrations out.

Their search was slowly proving tedious. They were searching through a forest that changes appearance every so often and looking for a plant that they only got a vague and brief description of. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack; a needle that was a different shape and color from needles they usually see and in a large mass of hay. They could have passed the plant for all they know. Or Dark Oshawott had enough self-control to give them misinformation.

What really didn't help was what happened when they spoke with Dark. They felt overwhelmed by his immense gaze. Every bad thing they've ever done fired back at them in the most frightening way possible. They still had goosebumps from it. They knew this guy was trouble. He could be watching their every movement. Unsettled wasn't even close to how they felt.

Krookodile stopped, leading the others to ram into him. "I hear something." They gulped nervously. He carefully activated Dragon Claw and poked his head out from behind the tree.

He saw a Dark Gliscor dragging himself across the ground. He looked messed up. He hissed as he finally found the strength to push himself up. "That treacherous Darkmon will pay for his act of treason." He grabbed a berry off a plant and ate it, rejuvenating his stamina and energy. He rubbed his nose. "Stupid defect broke my nose…" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter…everything is going according to plan. I just need more time…but those Pokémon could prove to be a problem."

Krookodile's eyes widened. Pokémon? The others!

The Darkmon crossed his arms. "If they find anything at the ruins…there's no telling what they could do with what they find. I must get to Lord Dark at once!" He used his tail and launched himself off the ground, gliding into the darkness.

The gang was holding their breaths. Once he was out of earshot, they exhaled in relief. The sand croc tapped his claw against the tree. "That was weird…"

"He said he saw some Pokémon," Scraggy spoke up. "Could it be the others?"

"No doubt about it. And it looks like they did a number on that thing. He looked messed up."

"But he also mentioned a traitor, didn't he?"

He scratched his chin in thought. His experience so far with the Darkmon has proven to be less than pleasing. So he didn't know if he should believe there was a treacherous Darkmon on the loose. Still, the fact his friends were still alive was refreshing. But now they had more things to worry about. They were probably going to send as many scouts as possible to track this supposed traitor down. Meaning, a likelier chance of them being spotted.

"Krookodile?"

He shook his head and sighed. "We can worry about that later. But right now, we need a place to hide. It'll be getting late soon…or it is already late, I don't know."

Axew groaned, worrying Emolga. "We can't stop now! We need to find that plant!"

"Emolga, look at where we are," he stated as he gestured around them. "We're lost. We don't even know what we're looking for. We need a rest."

"But what if Axew gets worse?!" she shouted, panting heavily.

The sand croc groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unbelievable…look, I still have plenty of energy in me. Scraggy and I will continue looking nearby. But we can't stray too far."

Emolga looked down at the suffering dragon. So far, he looked alright. At least, as alright as he could be. She sighed. "Fine…"

They took the time to find a new shelter. They had the luck to find a hallowed out tree beforehand. They couldn't find any suitable shelters. Even if they did, they were either too small or too big and obvious. It almost seemed impossible for the longest time.

After a while of searching, Krookodile decided to take the initiative. He used Dig and dug under a tree. The others waited roughly ten minutes for him to dig out a living space for them. Once he was done, he gestured them to follow.

It was similar to their original space, just less tree roots. "Whoa…" Scraggy awed.

Krookodile rubbed his knuckles against his chest. "Yeah, it is pretty impressive. Scrags, go up top and grab some moss for Axew to lay on." He nodded and scampered back up.

A few moments later, he came down with the moss. He arranged it and padded it together to make a makeshift bed. Emolga walked over and laid him down. He shivered a bit, but that subsided when Scraggy placed a blanket over him.

Emolga sat down and rubbed his forehead. "Is there any way we can slow the poison?"

Krookodile rubbed his head. "Nothing I know…" He groaned. "I wish Snivy or Pansage were here…"

The flying squirrel sighed. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. If Snivy was here, she could have found a way to save Axew."

The sand croc narrowed his eyes sympathetically and kneeled down. "We still have a chance. You just stay here and make sure he stays stable. If he acts up, do whatever you can to help him." She looked up at him and smiled with teary eyes. He smiled back and stood up. "Come on, Scraggy. We need to get some help." They crawled out of the underground shelter, making sure to cover it as they left.

Alone with the sick dragon, Emolga hugged her legs and watched him closely. She planned to keep him in her sight at all times. He looked so weak and helpless. It ached at her heart. She wished she stopped him from eating that berry. She wished she saw through the ruse before any of this happened. They lost their hideout, Axew's poisoned, and now there's a traitor on the loose, meaning increased Darkmon surveillance. Could anything else go wrong?

She sighed and rested her chin on her knees. Life was much simpler back when she was wild. It was the usual routine of conning male Pokémon out of their food with her charms and manipulation, then escaping with a plentiful bounty before they got wise to her tricks. It was so easy and thrilling. It was what she was good at.

It was the life she had to choose. With no family or friends, she had to fend for herself. Living on her own in the wild put her in a position of surviving. But she couldn't do it on her own. Every time she was close to getting food, she got bested by someone else. She had to try different tactics every time. Stealing, flying faster, fighting, everything. But they didn't work.

After each failure, she grew closer to defeat. She was close to just giving up. That is, until she tried one last tactic. Rather than using brawn, she used her wits. She had a knack for swindling and conning others of their food that it was as natural as breathing. It was deceitful and underhanded, but she didn't mind. She loved it. She didn't care who she hurt or who she stole from. As long as she got what she needed to survive.

She has been accused of being greedy and gluttonous many times in the past. She can't blame them. She just loved food, especially apples. Delicious, mouthwatering apples. The mere thought made her sigh in content. It was a perfect life.

That was before she meant the gang.

It was just another normal day. She planned to steal some more food. The usual routine. She planned to steal an apple from Axew. Then she came up with the plan to befriend him, just so she can get the rest of the gang's apples. That completely backfired upon meeting Bianca. That girl didn't know anything about personal space. Next thing that happens, she gets into a battle and tries to avoid Oshawott's attention.

She could have just left and try to find another sucker to con, but she didn't. She let her greed guide her decisions. Axew seemingly liked her and she tried to use that to get more apples. But once again, Bianca tries to capture her. She tries to run away, but Axew was persistent. She could still remember them, plus Iris, getting chased by the Swoobat.

But what really stood out to her was how much fun she had with Axew. His actions were childish, but they kind of grew on her. Heck, she even grew to like Iris. And after they reunited with the group, she didn't want to leave that fun. Plus, free apples and food.

She'll admit that, when she became part of the team, she was difficult to deal with. She can't blame them. Constantly faking tears, manipulating others, using Attract, she did it all. It's no surprise why half the group doesn't trust her. Even Oshawott seemed to have lost interest. He was quick to getting her food with a few winks of encouragement. Nowadays, she has to get her own apples.

She sighed. She wasn't an idiot, though. She knew why. It was Snivy. The otter was close friends with her, it was only a matter of time before he started focusing his attention on her. Still, she wasn't use to doing work. She always had everything handed to her without question. She didn't have to lift a finger.

But now…she had to abandon those greedy feelings.

Axew was her closest friend. Her best friend. Aside from Pikachu, Axew was the only male Pokémon she didn't try to manipulate. Yes, she did it around the time she was settling in with the group, but at least she didn't use Attract on him. No, she didn't want to do that to him. She enjoyed hanging out with him. She laughed at his playfulness. And he never resented her for her actions. Granted, he never approved of them either, but he was still a true friend. And it hurt her seeing him in such pain.

A few tears dripped down her face. It was her fault…it was all her fault…

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. Her tears slid down her cheek, dripping onto the dragon's face.

The salty taste and warm splash made him twitch. His eyes slowly opened. Just enough to see the blurry image of Emolga. He couldn't see or hear well enough to tell she was crying. "Emolga?"

She gasped and wiped her eyes. "A-Axew?! You're awake…"

He groaned as he felt a twinge of pain run through him. "Where…are we? Where's Scraggy…and Krookodile?"

She finished wiping her eyes and sighed calmly. "We're underground. After that Dark Oshawott attacked, our location was exposed. Scrags and Krookodile are looking for the others. We think they might be nearby. Maybe they can help you."

He smiled a bit. "Oh…that's nice…but why are you here?"

She chuckled weakly. "Well…I can't just leave you here alone, especially like this." She felt his forehead. Still warm, but nothing serious. They needed to get him an ice pack or something soon. "How are you feeling?"

"Well…I'm a little dizzy…and warm…and dizzy…"

"You already said that."

"…and tired…"

She chuckled a bit. "Well, do you need anything?"

"I'm a little thirsty…"

She cringed and looked to the side. Great, a resource that they didn't have nearby. She knew these Darkmon needed food to survive, but she didn't know where they got water. There was that puddle near the front of forest, but she doubt that was their only source of water. Still, she couldn't leave him to go searching for something.

She rubbed her arm. "Sorry Axew…but we're kind of low on food and water."

"Oh…" He smiled weakly. "That's okay…" He yawned and turned onto his side. "I feel awful…"

She rubbed his head. "We'll help you, don't worry. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

He smiled a bit more. "I know…I trust you, after all…" His eyes slowly drooped before fully closing up. Fortunately, he was just asleep.

Emolga sat there smiling down at him. She could feel some heat rise up in her cheeks, but she didn't pay much notice to it. She laid down next to him. The temptation to sleep was immense, but she wouldn't until the others returned. Even if that meant risking her health.

Krookodile walked down the path that the Dark Gliscor was dragging himself from. He didn't know how long it would be before he comes back with reinforcements, so he needed to be quick with his search.

Scraggy sat on his head, keeping a vigilant eye out. "So, who do you think we'll find?"

"Hard to say. On the one hand, it could be Pansage's group. On the other, we might run into Buneary. Oshawott was with her, so maybe that Dark Oshawott wasn't too far behind."

"True…" He looked down. "Krookodile…what if we don't find the healing plant?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't talk like that. Of course we'll find it."

"How do you know?"

"After the trouble we've gotten into on our journey, plant hunting is pretty tame. Sure, we have murderous creatures tracking us with unknown intent, but we've been through worse."

Scraggy glared. "How can you be so calm and collect when our friend is on the verge of dying?!"

"Let me answer that with another question. How is worrying and panicking going to help?" Scraggy blinked with a surprised expression, then rubbed his head sheepishly. The sand croc chuckled. "Look, all I'm saying is that we just hope. Nothing more, nothing less. We need to be strong for the little guy. He'll be more worried about us than himself if he sees us panicking."

The Shedding Pokémon looked up. He had a point. Axew usually worried about others over himself. He sighed. "Fair enough…"

They came across a clearing and peeked from behind a tree. They were shocked by the wreckage that littered the area. It looked as if a fierce battle was fought not too long ago. Trees were knocked over, scorch marks glazed across the ground, and fresh embers were still present from the aftermath.

"Oh my gosh…" the sand croc muttered as he walked closer.

Scraggy jumped off his head. "What the heck happened here?!" Krookodile shushed him harshly. He spoke quieter. "Did a freakin' war take place when we weren't looking?"

"I don't know, but I do know one thing. They were here earlier." He walked over to some dirt where footprints were made.

Scraggy walked around, observing the damage closely. Patches of ground looked like they were melted with acid. He was careful not to get too close. "So, who was here?"

"Judging by the footprints, I can only assume it was Pansage's group," he explained as he dug his claws through them. "These are definitely Dragonite's. They're deep and match his foot shape. However…"

"What?"

He poked at another set of prints. "There's six sets of prints. And they don't match the Dark Gliscor's. These look like they belong to…ugh, what were they called again?" He tapped the side of his head before snapping his fingers. "A Riolu! That's it!"

Scraggy walked over and looked at them. "Are you sure?"

"Almost positive. Still, I didn't know there were any other Pokémon here."

The Shedding Pokémon scratched his chin. "Didn't that thing say he was after a traitor?"

Krookodile looked down at him. "You can't possibly be thinking…"

"It's just a hunch."

He sighed and stood up. "Whatever the case, we know they're not that far away. Maybe we can catch up to them."

"Are you sure? There's no telling how long that guy was dragging himself. Besides, we can't stray too far from the shelter. We'll get lost."

"Good point…" He glanced to the side. He couldn't believe what he found. It wasn't the plant, unfortunately. But it was something the needed. "Scrags, look!"

He looked to where he was pointing and gasped. There was ice coated on some of the trees. It was most likely from Dragonite's Ice Beam. They couldn't believe their luck.

"We can use that for drinking water!"

"And to help with Axew's fever!"

They ran over and started chipping away at it. Scraggy got a large leave to pack it up as a makeshift bag. They ended up getting three packs of ice. It wasn't much, but enough to survive for a while.

Krookodile chuckled. "Good thing Dragonite has poor aim," he joked lightly. He held two in his hand and flung it over his shoulder. "Okay, we better start heading back."

Scraggy nodded and they prepared to leave. But they froze. They could hear voices coming their way. They weren't friendly. And they sounded pretty angry. They could make out a few lines, such as 'worthless defect' and 'this was all his fault'. They knew one thing though…they needed to hide and fast!

Krookodile grabbed Scraggy by the head without warning and dug straight underground. He refilled the hole before they popped out of the bushes.

Two Dark Mightyena lowered their heads and sniffed the ground, trying to locate the scent of the Pokémon that were here earlier. Leading them was a Dark Marowak. His skull and bone club were black and his body was purple. Floating over his head was one of Dark's Sight Orbs, which he used to spy around in the forest.

"Report! Now!"

One of the Dark Mightyena sat at attention and saluted. "Sir, we are unable to locate the scent of the escapees!"

The other one mimicked his partner's posture. "They seemed to have cloaked themselves with the plants, sir! It would be next to impossible to find track their scent without losing it!"

He growled and slammed the bone into his palm. "Is that so?" He paced back and forth, muttering to himself. This terrified the Pokemon hiding underground. He was walking right over where Krookodile made their getaway hole. He didn't want to risk digging back to base if, by chance, they found the hole and followed them back. "Lord Dark will not be pleased." He pointed his bone at the left Dark Mightyena. "What about Darkmon 6-7-4-6? Did you manage to track his scent?"

He shook his head. "Afraid not, sir!"

He clenched his club tightly. "Most unfortunate…" He grabbed the orb over his head and waved his hand over it. "I need to report this to Lord Dark at once."

Dark laid in his throne, being handed trays of berries by his servants. He ate them lazily when he suddenly saw one of his Sight Orbs glowing. He psychically moved it into view and tapped on it. Dark Marowak's image appeared.

He smirked. "Well, this should be good." He crossed his legs and placed his hands behind his head. "So, why are you disturbing me?"

Laura, still ensnared in the giant vines, looked up at him. Being an android, she didn't require sleep. Unfortunately, the strain of keeping herself powered has given her the sensation of grogginess. Meowth was passed out. His fur lost some color to it, having been drained of his energy multiple times. He tried escaping, but it only resulted in failure. She worried that he wouldn't be able to last much longer.

Dark Marowak saluted. "Sir, we got report from your second in command that there is a traitor in our forces."

The Darkmon lord rolled his eyes. "Let me guess…the Dark Riolu?"

"That is correct, sir!"

He groaned. "And what of Fang? Why didn't he capture him?"

"Well sir, when he gave his report, he stated that he was…bested."

Dark smirked. "Wait a minute…are you telling me that Dark Riolu beat the snot out of him?" After getting a nod of confirmation, he fell out of his throne in hysteria. "Oh my gosh! I'm never letting him live this down!"

Laura raised a brow. For a ruler of an entire species, he was considerably harsh to his own people. He was the complete opposite of Ryder. Still, what really caught her attention was the mention of a traitor was among them. Didn't seem like he was concerned about it, though.

He laughed for a solid three minutes, earning awkward looks from Dark Marowak. He coughed into his fist. "Yes, uh…very funny, sir." He offered a small chuckle.

Dark finished his fits and shadow-stepped back into his throne. "Alright, I'm good. So, where is Fang, anyway?"

"He's currently resting. He will report back to you later tonight."

"Very good. And what of the Pokémon?"

"His report identified the traitor to be with a Dragonite, a Pansage, a Pachirisu, a Quilava, and a Pignite. Their current whereabouts are unknown. Our only lead is that they headed off west from our current location."

Dark scratched his chin. He had a pretty good idea where the Darkmon was leading them. Was he worried? Not really. They'll be captured eventually. And even if they do evade capture, they won't find anything of value that would threaten his life.

He leaned back. "Very well. Anything else?"

"We…weren't able to find the other groups, sir. The Shadow has, reportedly, saved the Buneary's group. And we lost track of the Krookodile's group."

The Lord of Fear smirked. Ah yes, them. He remembered messing with them earlier this morning. He could only imagine the panicked state they are in with their friend's life on the line. The suspense bit at him like he was watching a movie. He's never been to one, but it felt like it. He could make the journey even harder for them, searching for the healing plant. Or he could just get rid of it entirely. No, he can't do that. He wants them to try and succeed. Who knows? If they do make it that far in their current state, they might be worthy opponents. All of them are. Evading capture for one whole day was a new record. It took less than an hour to get Pokémon rounded up. They even had their fair share of run-ins with humans. They were easy pickings.

"If we find them, shall we neutralize them?"

He chuckled. "Yes, but don't knock them out when you immediately find them." This confused his minion. "Don't you see? This isn't a simple capture and drain situation. It has turned into a hunt." He laughed with a devilish smirk. "One group has protection. The other has a traitor with them. And the final group is on a timer, with no medical experts to slow their friend's condition. It's simply breathtaking. This is the ultimate hunt."

"But sir, we are close to our goal! Why would we put it off for this long just to-" He ceased speaking when his master raised a claw and wagged it disappointedly.

"Where is your sense of adventure? Excitement? All of that stuff? You are my leading commander, my huntsman. You should find this to be the ultimate challenge." He clasped his hands together. "I'll make you a deal. We'll give them two weeks. If you find them all and have them brought to me before time is up, you'll become one of my leading officers in my new world."

The dark huntsman's eyes widened. It was a challenge he simply couldn't refuse. He knew his lord was playing to his skills, basically taunting him. But he only smirked. If he completed his challenge, he will serve at the top alongside him. The greatest honor of any Darkmon to have.

"Alright sir, I accept your-"

But he wasn't finished. He raised a claw to hush him. "That is, if you complete it. If you DON'T find them in the next two weeks, your current status as general will be revoked. And I'll be the one hunting them."

He blinked in surprise. He didn't doubt his lord's abilities, not even for a second. He certainly had the power to track and capture them. But he rarely leads a search. These Pokémon must really be something if he's THIS interested.

With his title as general on the line, he bowed respectively. "My lord, I accept your challenge. And forgive my boasting, but I assure you that I will have them captured before the two weeks end."

"Good. Do not disappoint me." He waved his hand over the orb, dissolving the image. He looked down at Laura. "Well, it seems we will be getting some guests soon. Won't that be fun?"

She didn't respond. She only looked down at the dirt. The sound of Meowth's weak breathing kept her alert. He wasn't going to last much longer like this. She needed a way to help him. But how? Dark obviously wasn't too keen on Pokémon.

She needed to do something soon…and fast.

Once the communication ended, Dark Marowak pointed to his soldiers. "Alright you two, things are going to get interesting. We're still going to be hunting the Pokémon down for our lord. But now MY status as general is on the line. We'll be hunting them down for sport." The two Dark Mightyena grinned and snickered. "Excellent. Now, is the area cleared?"

"For the most part sir, yes."

Krookodile and Scraggy tried to stay calm. From being in the forest for so long, they've began to smell like it. But if they started to sweat, the salty liquid smell would be detected in no time. They held their breaths, only letting out and taking in a little at a time.

"Alright. Let's move out!" They dashed westward, in the direction of Pansage's group.

They waited for a few moments. They didn't want to risk being caught. Scraggy peeked out of the dirt a bit and searched the area. No predators in sight. He gave the all clear to Krookodile, who then jumped out of the dirt.

He gasped for air, getting his breathing in order. "Oh man, I thought they'd never leave."

"Me too…good thing they didn't find us. My heart is pounding."

The sand croc straightened himself up and looked in the direction they left. "You heard what they said, right?"

"Y-Yeah…what do we do?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Let's regroup with Emolga and figure this out." They grabbed the packs of ice and made their way back to shelter.

Fortunately, they found the shelter without trouble. They descended down the hole. "Hey Emolga. We found some ice for…" Scraggy stopped speaking. He and Krookodile's eyes widened when they saw Emolga fast asleep. Normally, this would make them mad since she was sleeping on the job, but she got a pass since they haven't gotten proper sleep last night. But it was HOW she was sleeping that caught their attention.

Emolga was asleep with her arm around Axew. She looked so content and at peace. Axew didn't seem to notice. Then again, he wasn't in good condition currently.

Scraggy looked up at Krookodile, who just shrugged. The Shedding Pokémon walked up to the flying squirrel and shook her. "Emolga?" She didn't respond. He glared and shook her harder. "Emolga!"

She shot up with a gasp. "I wasn't sleeping!" She blinked and rubbed her eyes. "I-I mean…heeey!" She smiled nervously as a sweatdrop formed on her head.

"Why…were you sleeping next to him like that?"

"O-Oh…uh, well…what if a Darkmon jumped us when we weren't looking? I had my arm around him to…protect him from harm!" Her face was a bright shade of red.

They narrowed their eyes briefly at her before getting back to business. "Anyway…we found some ice for Axew. If we can't get rid of the poison, we can reduce his fever now," Krookodile explained. He set the packs of ice down. "Let's place some on his head."

She nodded. They got a smaller leaf and placed some ice in it. After tying it together, she placed it on his head. He shivered a bit at the touch, but relaxed immediately after.

She smiled at him. "Hopefully that helps." She looked at the guys, then tilted her head in confusion. Now that she was getting a good look at them, they looked a little shaken up. "Are you two alright?"

Krookodile rubbed his arm. "Physically, yes…"

She narrowed her eyes in concern. "What happened?"

He gestured her to sit down. They sat in a circle so they were all facing each other. He sighed and rubbed his head. "Where do I begin?"

"How about we start with the hunter that's going to try and kill us?!" Scraggy shouted quietly.

"What?!" Emolga gasped.

Krookodile bonked the Shedding Pokémon on the head. "We were supposed to say it subtly."

He glared. "Well, I'm sorry, but it's true!"

The sand croc sighed and looked at Emolga, who still possessed a face of fear. "Look…we were getting ice from where the others apparently had some big battle. When we got it, we heard some of the Darkmon come by. We hid underground just to be safe."

"We overheard the head of the group talking to their leader and get this. There is a traitor among them. And we think it's with Pansage's group."

Emolga's eyes widened in surprise. "You can't be serious."

"Heard it, clear as day…uh, you know what I mean," he corrected himself upon remembering they haven't seen the sun for a while.

"Why is there a traitor?"

"We're not sure," Krookodile said. "I'm not sure if it's friend or foe. But we need to find the others before anything bad happens."

"Okay…but you mentioned something about a hunter."

Scraggy hugged himself. "Yeah…his leader requested him to find all of us in the next two weeks. That means we have two weeks to find everyone, get the healing plant to help Axew, and get out of this crazy forest."

"And if we don't…" Emolga didn't want to hear an answer.

The sand croc sighed. "If we don't…either the hunter captures us…or their leader comes after us in two weeks."

Her face paled. She could still remember the malicious glare he flashed at them. That was enough to make her knees shake and practically give up. If he hunts them down, they won't stand a chance. What can they do? They had a sick team member, they were all exhausted after just one day, and they just now got water. How long can they survive?

She didn't want to give up. She couldn't, for Axew's sake. But how are they going to get anywhere with the looming threat hanging over them? They've evaded all the Darkmon they've encountered so far. But now they're being tracked by their lead hunter. And if, by some miracle, they avoid him, there's Dark. For all they know, he knew their exact location this whole time. He knows this forest like the back of his hand. It would be insulting to think they can escape him.

She could see it in her friend's faces. They were scared. This wasn't like anything they've been through beforehand. They've dealt with Galvantula, fought in tournaments, dealt with the three genies, you name it! They thought they could handle anything that comes their way.

But no…they were wrong. Horribly wrong. This wasn't a battle for victory anymore. This was a battle for their lives. And they were scared.

"What…do we do?"