Meowth weakly opened his eyes. Not by much, though. He could only get them halfway open. It didn't matter. His vision was blurry and, as usual, it was too dark to even see anything. He tried to lift his head, but he couldn't get it up an inch. He felt exhausted. If he ever got into a fight in this state, his opponent would only have to breathe and it'll knock him over. Such a pain.

He tried to move a bit in his vine prison, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Sadly, like his head, he was unable to move his body around. He sighed, leading to a coughing fit that sent a searing pain throughout his chest.

"Are you okay?!" His ears perked up a bit. Laura's voice.

He breathed heavily. "Y-Y-Yeah…I'm fine…"

"Fine?!" she shouted worriedly. "Look at yourself! You're as pale as a ghost!"

He coughed again, sending another sharp pain through him. "Laura, I'll be fine…"

"Meowth, I can read your vitals! You're not alright!"

He mentally sighed, wanting to avoid another coughing fit. He knew she could tell. He just wanted to avoid having her sobbing when he'll eventually…if he could, he would shake his head. He shouldn't be thinking like that right now. He needed to calm his friend down.

"Laura…please…don't worry about me. Worry about…yourself…I can only last for so long…like this…"

Laura would be crying right about now if she had tears. "No! I won't let you die on my watch!" She unsheathed her claws.

"Laura…please…"

She didn't listen as she shredded through the vines. More came in to restrain her, but she cut through them as well. Her power core was recharging her ever since she was captured, giving her the perfect opportunity to escape. Though, she couldn't help but be confused. The vines were supposed to drain her energy if she had enough to escape. Why didn't they do it beforehand?

Doesn't matter as she was done shredding apart the vines. She made her way to Meowth. "You're turn!"

She stopped when a slow clapping occurred behind her. She turned and looked up at Dark, who was sitting in his throne. She was so desperate to escape, she completely forgot he was there.

He laughed as he continued clapping. "Very nice, very nice. I wasn't sure how long it would take you to finally breakout."

Laura growled as she pulled her fake fur back like a sleeve and activated her arm cannon. "I'm going to turn you into a scorch mark!"

He leaned back in his throne with his hands clasped. "Laura, my darling, surely you aren't serious. Even after I purposely let you recharge, you still want to kill me?"

"You let me recharge?!" she shouted angrily.

"Of course. Did you actually think it was so easy to escape from me?"

Meowth grunted. "Leave…her…alone…you b-" He screamed as a vine connected to him and drained a bit more of his energy.

He rolled his eyes. "Watch your tongue, cat. It is unwise to speak so harshly to me."

Laura stared at Meowth in fear before turning her attention back to Dark in anger. "I'm going to kill you!" She fired an energy blast at him.

He caught it without issue and absorbed it. "You really care about this cat, don't you?" he asked with an intrigued tone.

"You're darn right, I do!" she shouted as she activated her second cannon. "Now release him or-" She got blasted to the side by a Dark Pulse, surprising Meowth and even Dark.

Dark Gliscor, also known as Fang, walked out of the bushes with his pincers behind his back. "You dare speak to our lord with such hostility? I shall personally sentence you to death."

Dark sighed and rested his cheek in his hand. "Fang…"

"Don't worry, my lord. I shall put an end to this android." He opened up his pincers and fired a second round of Dark Pulse.

Laura pushed herself out of the rubble and rubbed her head. She saw the attack incoming and dodged it. She fired an energy blast into his face before running up to him and throwing a punch into it, breaking his skull. But he regenerated the damage quickly and backhanded her. He fired Venoshock at her, with the purpose of melting her.

She flipped backwards as they trailed her closely. She jumped into the trees to find some cover.

Fang aimed his pincer at the tree she jumped into. "Do you honestly believe you can escape me?"

"Yeah!" He looked up and saw her spinning downward, smashing her fist down on his head. "Just who the heck do you think I am?!" She reared her foot back and kicked him right in the gut, sending him skidding across the ground.

Dark should be stopping this. He should be getting up and helping his second in command. He should be capturing Laura so she doesn't escape.

…but why would he? This was hilarious!

He laughed in his throne. "Come on Laura, give him a good whoppin'!"

Fang picked himself up. "My lord, whose side are you on?!"

"The winning side, duh!"

Laura threw an uppercut into his chin and sent him soaring. "I don't need your cheering!" She jumped, clasped her hands together, and slammed them down on the Dark Gliscor, burying him into the ground.

He pushed himself up with a growl. "Okay, that is getting on my nerves!" Laura came flying down. He stood up and jab her with his tail, stopping her in mid-attack. "Die, robot!" He smashed her down and fired a blank point Dark Pulse. A cloud of dust formed from the blast.

For a moment, he thought it was over. But he could hear her movements. She grabbed his face from the cloud. "I'm an android, you flying scorpion!" She reared her head back and headbutted him, multiple times.

"OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!" Fang yelled. If it weren't for his healing factor, this would have left a nasty bruise.

Laura stopped for a moment, to give him a moment to breathe…then slammed her head against him again. She snickered. "I like when my opponent is too weak to fight back. Makes for some fun torturing!"

Fang's eyes glowed brightly as he forced her grip off and clamped down on her. "Take this!" He fired Venoshock right in her face.

"AAHH!" She punched him off and ripped off the sleeve of fake fur on her left arm. She used it to soak up the acidic poison before tossing it to the side. She felt around her face. A few patches were gone, but nothing noticeable.

She sighed. She liked wearing fake fur because, in her own words, it made her look cute. Her metal face gave off a more 'I'm going to kill you' kind of look.

She clenched her fist and activated her left cannon. "You're gonna pay for that!"

Fang rubbed his jaw and sneered. "You dare threaten the power of the mighty Darkmon?! You are nothing more than an insignificant insect compared to our magnificent power!" He flew at her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Well guess what?" She sidestepped him and grabbed him by the tail. "I don't freakin' care!" She picked him up and slammed his spine down on her knee.

"AGH!" He fell to the ground, his spine repairing itself. He aimed his pincer at her, charging up another Dark Pulse. "You defiant little-"

"That's enough," Dark ordered. Fang stopped his attack in surprise. His lord walked down from his throne. "Stop while you're ahead, Fang. You've already proven to be an embarrassment today."

"But my lord, she was set on killing you!"

He smirked. "I know, right? I like her style!" He frowned with a serious glare. "Now, at ease or else."

Fang couldn't defy his master's orders. He sighed and bowed to him. "As you wish, my lord." He mumbled something under his breath. Dark didn't pay any attention to it as he walked down, but Laura could hear the tone in his voice. It sounded spiteful.

However, she didn't ponder it any further as Dark made his way over to her. "I must say, I do enjoy watching you fight. You're like us. You don't care what you do to win a fight."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm nothing like you filthy creatures. I may be a wanted thief, but I'm no murderer."

He chuckled. "And yet, without any knowledge of my regeneration, you blasted my head off." She looked down a bit. "My dear, face facts, you're an outcast like the rest of us."

She glared and grabbed his arm. "The only outcasts I would ever associate myself with is Jessie, James, and Meowth!"

He pulled her arm off. "Ah, those must be your human friends." He chuckled and walked around her. "Humans…such an amusing species. They think they can wipe us out. Their arrogance is much to be admired. No matter how many times we show off our mighty power, they keep coming back. I can't tell if that's incredibly brave or pitiably foolish."

He flicked her ears, making her droop them in annoyance. "I can't say I fear them. But I do envy them. Their weaknesses are obvious. Our weakness is troublesome. Their weaknesses can be protected, improved upon. Us? We can only fight during the night. In our forest, we are invincible. Without it, we would be defenseless for about twelve hours."

He sighed and placed his hands behind his back. "These days, the humans are getting stronger. They'll eventually have the technology needed to eliminate us. It's only a matter of time. Our numbers are vast, but we are severely limited compared to the human race and Pokémon that inhabit the world."

Laura narrowed her eyes. "Where are you going with this?"

He didn't answer her question exactly. "That's pretty much the point of my plan. I plan to cover this world in an everlasting darkness that will spread to the farthest regions of the world. The humans will soon learn the true meaning of fear."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

He smirked. "Have I ever told you about the central bulb that keeps our forest alive?" He snapped his claws.

Laura looked around in confusion, but gasped as the earth shook. Something big was moving underground and fast. The quakes knocked her off her feet. She looked up as cracks formed in the ground. A menacing purple glow seemed out of them. Vines slithered up and hissed at her, but didn't attack. They were a deep black with red thorns covering them.

More of the ground parted as a dark figure slowly ascended from the ground. Its deep purple coloring was both beautiful and frightening. The shape itself reminded her of the bulb that sat on the back of a Bulbasaur.

A red rose like plant grew from the top of the bulb. It seemed to coil up and expand outward rhythmically, like it was breathing. The sides of the bulb were spreading outward a bit, showing off the mangy, serrated teeth that lined on the inside.

Laura's eyes widened in shock. It was like a creature of nightmares. And the appearance itself reminded her more of an Ivysaur now. That meant one thing…

…it was close to blooming.

She heard Dark laugh. He patted the monstrous bulb. "Meet the central bulb. This beauty sustains the life force of the entire forest. And it's the key to our plans."

Its vines whipped the air wildly. It growled angrily. It was hungry. One of the vines sniffed the air and turned towards Meowth. The tip of the vine opened up, showing more of the jagged teeth.

The android gasped and got in front of Meowth. "Oh no! Don't even think about it!"

The bulb had no sense of reason. It acted on instinct. The vine struck like a bolt of lightning, forcing Laura to clench her eyes.

"Stop," Dark ordered.

Laura felt a small breeze hit her face. She was hesitant to open her eyes, but she needed to see what happened. She forced one open and saw that the vine was merely millimeters from her face. She chattered her teeth as it slowly retracted.

Dark rubbed his hands together and placed them on the bulb. "Here you go." He transferred the stolen energy he got from Laura and Meowth into it, quenching the beastly bulb's appetite.

It hissed a 'Thank You' before retreating back to the ground.

Laura finally loosened up and fell on her rear in relief. "Oh man…I thought it was going to destroy me…"

Dark chuckled. "It wasn't going to destroy you. Just be lucky it didn't attach to you. If it did, you would have lost all of your power in a matter of minutes." She gulped.

Fang narrowed his eyes. "My lord, why didn't you let it take her energy? It nearly has enough power to complete our plans. We need as much energy as possible."

He shook his head. "No, I don't want it to drain Laura. Or the Meowth."

"I beg your pardon?!" Dark glared at him. He quickly corrected himself. "I-I mean…my lord, wouldn't you want to get this over with as quickly as possible? And why spare the Meowth's life?"

He glared deeper. "Are you questioning me?"

Fang smiled nervously. "N-No, of course not, my lord." He bowed. "Terribly sorry, it has just been a long day for me."

"Hmph…" He looked back at Laura before walking over to her. "You should be thankful that I didn't take the Meowth's life yet."

She glared. "And why should I? You're the reason he's on the verge of death!"

He smiled. "Then allow me to make a deal with you."

"You think I'm just going to trust you?!"

Dark looked slightly hurt. "My dear, I can assure you, you can. I'm evil, not uncivilized." He grabbed her hand and helped her up.

She dusted herself off. Guess she had no choice. "Fine…what deal are you proposing?"

He chuckled. "Quite simple, really. If you accept my deal…I'll have Meowth restored to full health."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"

"Come again?!" Fang shouted.

He nodded. "Yes, and he'll be offered full protection 24/7. No Darkmon will be allowed to harm or kill him without dealing with me first."

Laura broke out into a wide smile. "Seriously?!" He nodded, ensuring he was dead serious. She hugged him. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He blushed a bit, a little surprised by the hug. Normally when someone made any form of contact with him, he would have them killed. Those reflexes didn't seem to kick in this time. Must be because his defenses were dropped. Not that he needed them up in the first place.

He pushed her back. "Well, I'm glad you like your side of the deal, but you haven't heard mine."

She smiled sheepishly. "Oh…right, of course." She got her thoughts together. She was just excited that Meowth will be alright. Now she just needed to fulfill his side of the deal. "So, what is it?"

He smirked. "Well Laura, once I cover the world in darkness, I won't exactly be a lord anymore. No, not the proper title for the ruler of the world." He chuckled. "I believe yesterday you thought I was a king. Well, that would be the appropriate title to go by, don't you think?"

She rubbed the back of her head. "Uh…I guess so."

"Yes. King Dark…doesn't roll off the tongue as well as Lord Dark, but I'm sure it will in due time." He sighed. "Though, ruling an entire race will get bothersome, especially when I'm the only ruler." He smirked. "Unless, of course, I had a queen by my side."

Laura's face heated up. She knew where this was going. And, in all honesty, she wasn't sure what to say. "You…me…wha…"

If Meowth wasn't so weak and exhausted, he would have probably shouted in protest. This was ridiculous. She couldn't accept this. "Laura…"

She blocked him out as she spoke, "You want me…to become your queen?"

"Of course, my dear. Why, just look at yourself." He placed his hand under her chin. "Who wouldn't want you as their queen?"

"You are aware I'm practically wearing a mask, right?" she reminded him of her fake fur.

"And I'm a purple freak of nature. Trust me Laura, I don't judge appearances."

She stepped back. "I-It's not that I'm not flattered by the offer or anything, but why me? You control an entire army of Darkmon. Aren't there any female ones that would be better than me?"

He sighed and shook his head. "It's true. Any of the female Darkmon would be willing to become my queen if I simply asked." He chuckled. "They're so loyal to me, they'd practically beat each other to death just to be with me." He then narrowed his eyes seriously. "And that's why."

"Huh?"

"The Darkmon are too loyal to me. There's no real gain to it. It just…wouldn't feel right." He smirked. "And that's where you come in, Laura. You're not loyal to me. In fact, you tried and failed to kill me. You fought my second in command without any fear of me interfering. You're feisty, destructive, and have an adorable evil laugh."

Her face heated up again. "Oh, uh…hehe, thanks." She's never been this nervous before. She was supposed to have mastery over hiding her emotions and tricking others with her charms and manipulative words. But now, she was seemingly in the same situation, only flipped.

He tapped the ground with his feet and formed a rose from the ground. He plucked it out and held it out to her. "So please, accept my deal and become my Queen of Darkness. Rule by my side for all of eternity."

She tapped her fingers together as she greatly considered the offer. "Well…" She looked at Meowth. He didn't look like he could last much longer. It's not like she had a choice in the matter. Save her friends life and become a ruler. It sounded like the deal of a lifetime, but…

He knew she was second guessing the offer. He smirked and walked around her. "Don't you want to show those pitiful humans who berated you that you aren't a pushover anymore? Just think about it. You'll have your chance at getting your revenge. This is your chance to show the whole world that you aren't useless scrap metal. Your chance to show them what you have become."

Her eyes narrowed. She remembered the scientists who would torture her when she did something wrong. She remembered all their faces…including her creator. How his face made her angry. She wanted to take that face and smash it repeatedly into the ground until it became unrecognizable. Yes…she wanted that very much. She wasn't junk…she wasn't scrap metal…she was a machine of destruction.

She sighed and looked directly at Dark. "…I accept…"

Meowth felt the vines restraining him loosen up and drop him. He was caught in a psychic hold and brought gently over to Dark. He flinched when he placed his hand on his arm, but didn't feel his energy being taken. Quite the opposite. He was regaining it.

Dark stopped feeding energy into him and set him down on his feet. He still felt weak-kneed, but he didn't have that sick feeling in his stomach anymore. Laura got him when he fell over. "You okay?" she asked.

He didn't answer her question. "Why did you take his deal?"

"I couldn't let you die. This was the only way I could ensure you'd survive."

"You didn't have to…"

"No…I wanted to. You're my friend, remember?" She hugged him closely. She pulled back a bit and scanned his body. He was still showing up as cold. "Dark…"

"His body will take some time to readjust. And he'll need his rest to recover." He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "I've called two of my servants. They'll be the ones watching over him."

"But-"

"He'll be fine."

The bushes parted and two Darkmon walked out. A Dark Mightyena and a Dark Glameow. The Dark Mightyena looked like the other ones, with the usual black fur and purple fur to replace the white fur. Dark Glameow possessed deep purple and red fur to replace the usual blue and white fur.

"How may we help you, my lord?" they asked with bowed heads.

He pointed at Meowth. "Dark Glameow, you're in charge of caring for the Meowth. Make sure all his needs are met. As for you, Dark Mightyena, you're in charge of guarding him."

Dark Mightyena growled. "A Pokémon?! What is the meaning of this, my lord?! They're the enemy!"

He glared. "Well, as of now, he is our first ever guest. And I expect you to do your job."

He growled again. "He can't be trusted!"

In contrast, however, Dark Glameow bowed her head respectively. "I shall complete the task without hesitance, my lord."

Her partner glared. "What are you doing?!"

"Trying not to get myself killed, like you," she fired back rudely.

He sneered angrily before bowing his head. "Very well, my lord. I shall not let anyone disturb or do harm to him."

He nodded at their compliance. "Very good." They walked over to Meowth. Laura placed her arm around him protectively, unsure if she could trust them. Dark decided he should give some insurance. "And just to be clear with you two…" They looked at him. "If my future queen happens to be unsatisfied with his care…" He finished by making a slicing motion on his neck. "Got it?"

They bowed, despite the warning. "Yes, my lord."

Thankfully, it reassured Laura a bit. But Meowth wasn't convince. "How do I know this isn't a trick to kill me in my sleep?!"

Dark smirked. "Meowth, if that was the case, you would have been killed by now." He wasn't wrong. He was in a vulnerable state all day. All he needed was a flashy sign over him that said 'Free Meal! Get While It's Still Kicking'.

With a sigh, he nodded in agreement. He still didn't trust them, but he couldn't really argue. All he could do was comply. "Excellent," Dark said. He nodded at his minions.

They nodded and guided Meowth into the forest. Laura watched him leave into the darkness with an unsure look. She hoped he would be alright.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she was grabbed from behind and found herself floating in the air. She was turned to face Dark. "I'm so glad you agreed to my terms." He held her bridal style. "You will officially become my queen on the day of conquest."

Her face heated up again. "Oh…how nice…"

"Yes. It'll be a glorious day in Darkmon history."

Before he could continue, Fang cleared his throat to get their attention. "Excuse me, my lord, but may I have a word with you? I feel the android should get settled in if she is to be staying here."

He sighed in annoyance. "Very well." He floated down and set Laura down. He snapped his claws and two Dark Kirlia walked out. Their bodies were red and their hair and head fins were black and purple respectively. "Ladies, take Laura to where she will be staying."

They bowed. "Yes, my lord."

Dark turned back to Laura and grabbed her hand, planting a small kiss on it. "I'll check in on you later, my dear."

"O-O-Okay…" She found herself being guided out of the area by the Dark Kirlia.

Dark glanced at Fang. "Okay, what do you want?"

Fang glared. "We need to talk."

Meowth's legs were killing him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could walk. But he had to suck it up. He didn't want to complain with the risk of these things turning on him in a snap.

They never made eye contact with each. They just looked straight ahead towards their destination. It was a little foreboding for the cat. He has zero knowledge of this place and he's being led to an unknown location. Escape was definitely out of the option, especially with the state he was in. Fighting them was another option, but he wasn't sure how strong they were. He didn't even know what they were capable of. Dark has already shown that Darkmon can manipulate their typing or the typing of a move. Plus, with their regeneration ability, doing any form of harmful damage to them wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Dark did say they can be harmed, but can't be killed by practical means. And Meowth was obviously not going to be doing a lot of damage to them, assuming he can even land a hit on them. Were all Darkmon capable of doing what Dark can do? Probably not, since they obviously fear his overwhelming power. He only saw him fight once and, even though Laura was being knocked around, he was only toying with her. He's never seen another Darkmon in combat before, if he doesn't count Fang's brief tussle with Laura.

He staggered a bit, but tried not to make it obvious. Unfortunately, Dark Mightyena noticed. "Keep walking, maggot!"

He flinched. "Sorry, I'm moving as fast as I can. My legs are hurt."

He growled. "What a weakling. When Darkmon are injured, we don't let it affect us in combat!"

Dark Glameow rolled her eyes. "Knock it off, you pathetic mutt."

"Don't give me orders!"

"I'm not, I'm reminding you of OUR orders. If Lord Dark's queen sees you harming him, he'll have us executed without a second thought."

He looked away with a grumble. "Stupid Pokémon…"

She rolled her eyes again and looked at Meowth. "If you're having trouble walking, you can ride on my back."

His eyes widened a bit. "Are you sure? I'm not going to be too heavy for you, right?"

She groaned. "I can carry a tree on my back without trouble. You tell me if you're too heavy."

He didn't answer. He silently got onto her back. She continued walking without any hindrance in her movement. Meowth sighed, relieved he could take a rest.

The walking continued on for a few more minutes before they came across a large tree. The base was twisted, like something being coiled up. A hole was carved into it, acting as a door. The area surrounding it was pretty vacant.

"This is where you'll be staying," Dark Glameow stated. She walked into the tree, followed by Dark Mightyena. "There aren't that many Darkmon around here, so you should be fine."

The inside of the tree was big. You could make a living room/kitchen/bedroom combo with this space alone. Attached to the walls was some moss, illuminating the room in blue light. They were dulling a bit, meaning night was slowly approaching.

Meowth got off the Darkmon's back and sat down against the walls. Dark Glameow bowed her head. "Are the accommodations to your likings?"

Normally when Meowth was being treated like royalty, he was quick to abuse the power. He would be asking for a feast of food and the people serving it would be generous enough to give. Those were good times.

But this wasn't the best place to do such a thing. They could kill him with one strike if he didn't play his cards right. No, he couldn't act greedy here. He needed to play it safe. Dark did say to make sure his needs were met, but he didn't want to push his luck.

"Uh, yeah, they're nice…" He twiddled his fingers together hesitantly.

"Is something troubling you?"

"W-Well…the ground is kind of hard…"

She bowed again. "I shall retrieve material needed for a bed."

"N-No, that isn't necessary…" But she was already gone.

He sighed and rubbed his temples. He felt hot breath down on him. He looked up at a set of bared teeth. The dark wolf growled. "Don't get any ideas that you're safe, buster."

"Trust me, I don't feel safe…" he muttered fearfully.

"Everything in this forest has the urge to kill you. The only reason you're not dead yet is because I can't disobey my lord's orders." He leaned close, making Meowth more and more uncomfortable. "But when I get my chance…I'll end your life. Got it?!" He nodded frightfully. "Good…" He slowly backed away from him and exited the tree, standing guard.

Dark Glameow reentered the tree with some moss and sticks. She apparently heard the conversation because she flicked Dark Mightyena with her tail when she entered. "Don't listen to him." She set the supplies down and started constructing a bed.

Meowth watched her work as he got his breathing together. She wasn't being friendly, but she wasn't being cruel either. At least he could feel partially safe around her. Still, that fact she apparently can support a tree on her back does show the amount of strength she possessed.

Feeling that the atmosphere was already getting uncomfortable, he decided to strike up a conversation. "So…you don't seem to act with the same amount of prejudice as him."

She struck some sticks into the ground, making a square shape. "Don't get any ideas. I don't trust outsiders. I am merely following my lord's orders without complaint or hesitance."

"I see…" Well, he lost most of that 'safety' feeling he had for her. "Do you…have a name? I mean, your leader's name is Dark. That Dark Gliscor's named Fang. You?"

She unsheathed one of her claws and started sewing a thin piece of string into the moss. "I am Darkmon 7-7-9. I do not possess a name. Only the higher ups of our species receive names. You will only refer to me as Dark Glameow."

"Ah…" Clearly making small talk wasn't going anywhere. He leaned back and looked up at the wooden ceiling. The blue light was losing its brightness with each passing minute. He sighed and looked to his right in boredom.

Dark Glameow finished constructing the makeshift bed. It was crude looking, but it kind of looked like an actual bed.

"Wow…that's impressive," Meowth complimented.

"Thank you. It's a talent I picked up from my counterpart." She stood up and bowed her head. "Will there be anything else?"

He was about to say no, but his stomach had other ideas. Right…he hasn't eaten all day yesterday. He held his stomach with an embarrassed look. "I could go for some dinner."

"At once," she responded before bringing her head up and leaving again.

He walked over to the makeshift bed and gently sat down on it. It was surprisingly stable, despite being made of branches and moss. Must be the special properties of the forest.

He glanced out the hole and looked at Dark Mightyena. Every so often, he would glance back at him with a hateful glare. He would immediately look away with a frightened expression. Note to self, never get on his bad side. It's like he said. If he's given any order that contradicts his previous orders, he'll end his life. The very thought made every part of his body tense. How was he going to get any form of sleep tonight when he knows that menacing glare will be looking down at him throughout the night? At any second, he could just easily stab his claws through his chest like butter and be done with it. Or maybe he could poison his food.

…oh Arceus, the food! How was he going to eat anything with these vile creatures handing it to him? How can he tell which is poisoned or not? They could probably secretly poison him with something that won't make it look like he's poisoned until it's too late! And what about the air?! What if that's toxic as well?! Was he already on his deathbed already?! How long does he have to live?!

A stinging pain struck his cheek. It hurt, but he gave a blank expression. Instead, he slowly looked at the source of the slap. It was his own hand…shaking.

He released a heavy sigh and massaged his head. He was losing it. It was like he was still under the effects of Dark's Fear Glance. He was overthinking every little thing that it was driving him mad. He was fine. Dark said that if Laura was unsatisfied with his care, he'll execute them. They couldn't possibly touch him as long as she's happy and he doesn't try and provoke them in anyway. He was fine. He will be fine. He just needed some hope.

"Your food, sir." He jumped a little, but relaxed as it was only Dark Glameow. She presented a leaf bowl of berries. "These are the finest of our berries. Enjoy."

"Oh, uh…thank you." He unsheathed one of his claws and punctured one, partly to pick it up and partly to make sure it wasn't secretly filled with acid. Luckily, it was safe…probably. He carefully brought it up to his face and smelled it. Then he gave it a lick to check for poison. Might not help since it could be tasteless.

As he checked the berry, Dark Glameow stared with annoyance. He looked like a complete idiot. She wanted to slash him to remove her frustration, but she was forbidden from doing any form of harm to him. Still, this was painful to watch.

"If you're done acting with your little inspection, I can safely assure you that it is poison free." His eyes widened in shock before laughing sheepishly. She clenched her teeth. "Just. Eat. The berry."

He nodded his head quickly and threw it into his mouth, munching swiftly. His eyes widened again. The berry was unbelievably sour. He could feel his face cringing as he fell over in his bed.

"I see your Pokémon taste buds can't handle the level of taste from our food," the dark cat commented.

He sat up and coughed harshly. "Oh man…that was ba-I mean, it was scrumptious!" He nervously picked up more and stuffed them in his mouth. Must not insult them! Must not insult them!

She gave a deadpan expression. "If you want, I could have them cooked for you to remove the strong flavor."

He blinked, considering the offer. He spat them back out into the bowl and chuckled nervously. "Please?"

She rolled her eyes. "Very well." She walked out briefly and came back with some sticks and stones. She arranged the stones to make a pit and threw the sticks into it. She rubbed her claws together and snapped them, creating a small spark that set the sticks ablaze.

"Whoa…"

She punctured the berries with sticks and hung them over the fire. "Will that be all?"

He nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

She bowed. "You are welcome." She walked out of the tree and pulled a moss curtain over the entrance.

Dark Mightyena growled. "I can't believe Lord Dark is making us babysit this puny weakling." He made sure to keep his voice low. If Meowth heard him, he would tell Laura. And if she tells Dark, they'd lose their heads…permanently. "We are Darkmon. Creatures of Darkness. We shouldn't be undermined in such a humiliating fashion."

She stood on the other side of the entrance. "And yet, here you are, whining like the proud warrior you are."

"I do not whine."

"Yes…you do."

He grumbled and looked away. "Why don't you strike fear into that pesky cat? We should show him that he shouldn't feel comfortable with us on watch for even a second."

She narrowed her eyes. "We'll get him in due time. For now, we remain patient. What can he do? Lord Dark toyed with him in their first encounter. He's easy pickings to be dealt with at a later date. And if Lord Dark does forbid us from killing him, that's just how it will be."

He snarled at her. "I can see why he had you tag along with me. He knows you'll stay in line."

She smirked. "And that's why, in the end, I won't be the one killed."

"You just can't go a minute without acting smug, can you?"

"Well, when you make it so easy to do so…"

As the two bickered back and forth, Meowth was listening closely to every word. They failed to realize his hearing was a lot sharper than they thought. Still, that didn't make the shivering cat any better than he was earlier. All he could do was cover himself in the moss and hide under it.

What do I do?

"Okay, what do you want?"

"We need to talk."

Dark placed his hands behind his head. "About what? How you're happy that your soon-to-be king is getting a queen out of all of this."

He glared. "No…but that is one thing I need to talk to you about…along with your position as our ruler."

He chuckled. "Oh no…am I in trouble?" he asked sarcastically.

Fang ignored him and paced back and forth. "Throughout the years of our creation, you have made poor, ill-advised decisions that have placed us in difficult positions. Our plans for world conquest are within our grasp, yet you've been delaying them on purpose."

Dark smirked. "Oh…you noticed that?"

"Yes, I have. As your second-in-command, I feel I should now put my own input in these decisions. Perhaps we could rationalize them and make compromises."

The Darkmon lord groaned and floated up to a tree. "Boring! It's easier just to make straightforward decisions. After all, I don't make mistakes."

His second-in-command growled. "See? It's that cocky attitude that has us on the edge of defeat. You will make one mistake in due time. You've already made one. Letting the Shadow live."

Dark chuckled. "So?"

"So? SO?!" The Darkmon roared in anger. "He happens to be our biggest threat! If he gets anywhere near the central bulb and destroys it, our forest will be destroyed! The only reason he hasn't is because of you! But once he finds an opening, all hope is lost!"

"Well, don't worry your pretty little head," he reassured with a mocking tone. "Ryder knows he can't beat me. He can't sneak up on me and he certainly can't destroy the bulb without dealing with me first."

"But how long can you keep this up?! Do you realize what your decisions have done recently?! We have three groups of Pokémon roaming our forest and you sent our only huntsman to capture them. We could easily capture them if we send all of our Darkmon. Or better yet, send YOU!"

"Now where's the fun in that?"

Fang grinded his teeth together. "Not everything is fun and games, my lord. If you want to lead a powerful empire against the humans and Pokémon, you must show better leadership."

Dark used his psychic power and brought a berry over to himself. "Look at who you're talking to. I have all the power I could ever dream of. I'm invincible. And Ryder certainly can't beat me." He tapped the left side of his face, near the eye. "Without that annoying aura of his, he has no chance at beating me."

"Your power can only restrain him for so long, my lord."

He scoffed and took a bite of his berry. "Please, what do you know?"

He narrowed his eyes. "My other concern is your sudden interest in the android."

"Ah yes…she's quite interesting."

"You are not developing feelings for her, are you?"

Dark chuckled. "Well, she is quite the catch."

"My lord, isn't you who said love was a weakness?"

"Even if I did love her, I have no issue with destroying her should she become too rebellious."

"Still, this is another one of your reckless decisions."

"I can easily defeat her if she tries anything. Besides, we made a deal. She'll be my queen and her friend will be protected." He munched again on his berry, chewing loudly. "Face it, no matter what you say, I'm not changing my mind. Five years I've been ruling over this place and not once have we had any problems."

"Except for the destruction of five of our people," Fang reminded.

Dark rubbed his chin. "Yes…I forgot about them." He looked up at the leaves. "Their deaths were very unusual. The bulb should have recreated them. Even if four of them tried to overthrow me, I had no desire to kill them."

"Either way, their destruction was necessary for the Darkmon to grow. We cannot have such behavior influencing our people. Which is why we cannot let that defect live any longer. If he persuades our people to rise up against you-"

"-they'll all be defeated," he finished smugly. "I can take on any one of my Darkmon without breaking a sweat. Send the whole army after me for all I care. It doesn't matter. If all of them turn against me, I can just create new ones. It's not that hard."

"Still, my lord-"

Dark floated down and looked him in the eye. "You're not questioning my leadership, are you Fang?"

"Of course not, my lord."

"Sounds an awful lot like it."

He stepped back and bowed. "I am merely looking out for you, sir. That is my only desire."

Dark nodded approvingly. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to check in on my future queen." He shadow stepped out of the area.

Fang kept bowing until he left. Once he did, he smirked. "You'll get yours soon in due time, my 'lord'." He flew out of the throne area and moved towards his tree.

He crawled inside and dug through the top of the ceiling, which was coated in a disgusting slime. He was looking for something in particular. Berries…twigs…bark…Aha, there it was.

He pulled out a communicator. It was small, perfect to hide from the other Darkmon. He pressed a button and placed it to his ear. "It's me, Fang."

A dark voice spoke back. "Fang…how nice of you to call. Is everything going according to plan?"

"Yes. We're close to expelling the dark cloud. It should take two weeks to activate."

"Excellent. And your little leader?"

He sneered. "Still making the same foolish mistakes like he always does."

"Well, once my plan sets into motion, you will soon be the new ruler of the Darkmon."

Fang smirked. "Good. And I, of course, remember your side of the deal. Once I become ruler, we will combine forces."

"In due time. I still have other matters to take care of before we come to that. Just continue to do as your master says until the two weeks are up."

"Of course."

"I must go now. I need to finish with my experiments. And remember…keep a close eye on that android."

"You still haven't told me why she is so important."

"I have my reasons. Just do your job and I'll do mine." The call ended.

Fang placed the communicator back in the pocket of slime and exited his home. He chuckled. "Your time will come soon, Lord Dark." He jumped off the tree and flew back to the throne area.