For the pass…hours or so, all Meowth and Laura were doing was talking. That's about it, really. Talking. Was that a problem? No. They enjoyed each other's company dearly, so it never got old. They mainly talked about their current predicament, as it was the only topic of interest now. They still wondered what they would be learning from their respective teachers. More importantly, what will they be learning about these nightmarish creatures?

Granted, they didn't say that out loud as they had four Darkmon, consisting of Dark Glameow, Dark Mightyena, and Laura's servants, near them, but they still thought it.

Though, Laura couldn't help but admit how, despite being captured the first day, surprisingly peaceful it was out here. Course, there were still the occasional growls from the passing Darkmon. Not surprising since they had a Pokémon among them and they were forced not to kill him. That, and they were aware of Laura's destructive potential when she got angry. Word about her curb stomping Fang got around pretty quickly.

Laura sighed. "Man, the locals here can be so rude."

Meowth chuckled. "Hey, look on the bright side. Once you become queen, you get to boss them around."

She rubbed her chin. "Hmm, good point."

Dark Mightyena growled after hearing the remark. "Grr, if I was given the opportunity, I would slice that voice box of hers to dust."

Dark Glameow rolled her eyes. She was taking a little nap to pass the time, all while thinking up what she had to teach Meowth later. She never expected to be teaching their ways to a Pokémon of all things. This is definitely a strange week. Still, orders are orders. That was her partner's problem. If he didn't agree with something, he would complain…a lot. It really annoyed her, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could slice his head off for a few moments of peace and quiet before it regrew, but that would just lead to more complaining. The things she had to put up with.

"Will you shut up, Dark Mightyena?" she asked crudely.

He snarled at her. "What are you going to do about it? Cut my head off again?"

She unsheathed one of her claws. "I'll gladly sew your mouth shut."

Meowth and Laura watched the two Darkmon bicker back and forth. They kept their mouths shut to avoid any unwanted comments. They didn't want one of them going off the wall and attacking them out of anger.

The android whispered, "Are they always like this?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Dark Glameow is usually the one taking charge. I'm guessing Dark Mightyena isn't too happy about that."

"Makes sense, I suppose. Kind of like how you, Jessie, and James argue."

He glared lightly at her. "You make it sound like you haven't joined in on those arguments."

She looked away with a playful smirk. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He could hear her tone and smirked back. "I think you do."

She snickered and shoved him. "Shut up."

A cold breeze of air surged up the cat's back and he jumped in fright, landing in Laura's arms. A wisps of shadows could be seen from the corner of their eyes.

The android sighed and turned around. "Hello, Dark."

The Dark Charmeleon bowed. "Greetings, my queen. How are you fairing?"

She dropped Meowth and stood up. "I'm doing fine."

"None of my servants have tried to harm you or Meowth, correct?"

She shook her head. "No, they've been keeping their distance."

"That's good, very good." He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Her face heated up. "I wouldn't want you to feel upset, my dear."

She smiled bashfully and looked away. "Oh, w-well…thanks…"

He looked at Meowth. "And how are you, Meowth?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, aside from your food making me flinch, I'm doing alright." He crossed his arms and looked into the darkness of the forest. "Though, I keep getting some unwanted glares from the Darkmon. It creeps me out."

"Understandable, of course. But, as I've assured, you will not be harmed under my protection."

Meowth looked away uneasily. "I get that, really, I do. Just…can't be too careful."

He gave a nod. "Right. Now, on to the current agenda." He wrapped his arms around Laura and lifted them both up in the air. "I must begin my tutoring for my future queen. Dark Glameow, you're in charge of him." With that, he began flying off, with Laura's servants following close behind.

Laura looked back and waved. "Later Meowth!"

He waved back as she vanished into the darkness. He sighed, then froze up as hot air ran down his back. "So, shall we begin with the first lesson?" Dark Mightyena snarled. "How about…" He flexed his claws in front of the cat's face. "Hunting?"

Dark Glameow knocked him out of the way. "Knock it off, bonehead." She peered the nervous cat in the eye. "So…you ready?"

He gulped. "Y-Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Good. Let's go." She wrapped her tail around his neck and dragged him on his back.

"AGH! You're…choking…me!" he wheezed as she led him to a private location. Dark Mightyena snickered and followed behind.

Dark flew a considerable distance before landing in a certain location. A hut made from moss, sticks, and leaves, tied together by some vines. The front entrance had a leave curtain for a door.

He set the android down and gestured to the hut. "Welcome to my private hut, my personal living quarters and a spot to relax when I need a moment to myself." He held his head. "Dealing with these nuisances can give anyone a serious headache."

Laura crossed her arms. "I've noticed."

"Being creatures of evil, they can be quite reckless. Whenever I have them go up to the surface at night to kidnap some Pokémon, they get caught rather easily." He sighed. "One of these days, those idiots need to learn to keep the cackling to a minimum…"

Laura chuckled. "Seriously?"

"You'd be surprised how often Darkmon let out an evil laugh." He smirked. "Though, you have a laugh that's both evil and adorable to listen to."

Laura blushed and looked away. "I thought we came here so you could teach me, not so you can flirt with me some more."

He snaked around her with a smirk. "Oh? Is that a problem?"

"Well, no, but-" Her face heated up more as she panicked. "W-W-Wait! I didn't mean to say that! I-I-I meant-" Dark shushed her by placing a claw against her lips.

"No need to get flustered, my dear." He shadow stepped over to the curtain and pushed it to the side. "After you, my dear."

She took a moment to calm herself down. Ugh, what is wrong with me? She shook her head and made her way inside. Her eyes widened in surprised.

The hut was neatly decorated with horrifying wooden masks, most likely carved from the bark of the trees. The floor was covered with moss, which was soft to the touch as Laura walked over it. And in the very center of the room was a large wooden basket big enough to fit a Blastoise in. The inside was with a soft solid substance that mimicked a mattress and some leaves scattered over it.

Laura walked up to it. "What's this?"

"My bed. I prefer to sleep comfortably when I need to. We Darkmon can stay up for a week before fatigue kicks in." He chuckled. "Ah, we haven't even begun yet and you've already learned something."

Laura smirked. "Haha…"

He gestured to the bed. "Please, make yourself comfortable so we can begin."

"Oh! Uh…o-okay." She slowly climbed in and sat down. She bounced a bit to get comfortable. It was surprisingly springy.

Dark sat in front of the bed and floated in the air in a meditative position. "Alright, let's begin. First question. What is a Darkmon?"

"Uh…" She scratched the side of her head. She's never been in a school before, but it sure was starting to feel like it. "Replications of Pokémon?"

He chuckled. "Perhaps. The argument you outsiders tend to side with is that we're merely clones. That simply isn't true." He closed his eyes. "While it's true we require a Pokémon's DNA to make a Darkmon, they aren't just regular old clones. We are living, breathing creatures who act on our own accord, wishing to bring anarchy and destruction to everything we see. We do it as a means to survive.

"The basics of a Darkmon is that we have regeneration, enhanced power compared to our counterparts, and we can manipulate our typing to perform larger feats."

"Manipulate your…typing?"

"Enhance it to something a regular Pokémon can't do. But, that's something we won't cover for right now. I should really discuss the various plant life you'll find out here." He snapped his claws and plants started rising up from the ground. He picked up the replication flower. "This one, you already know of. It takes a sample of the Pokemon's DNA, digs itself into the ground, and transfer that DNA to the central bulb before creating a Darkmon. Simple as that." He placed it to the side and picked another plant up. "And this…"

Meowth wasn't sure where he was being dragged off to. Partly because he had no idea what the layout of the forest was like and because he was more focused on trying to breathe.

"Seriously…you're…choking…me!" Dark Glameow rolled her eyes and, with a swish of her tail, flung him across the dirt. He landed face first. He picked himself up and wiped the dirt that got on his tongue off. "Ugh, gross!" He glared at the dark cat. "Was that necessary?!"

"Silence."

"Yes ma'am…" he meekly squeaked, feeling himself grow smaller under her gaze.

She sighed. "Look, if you truly wish to stay here, you're going to have to understand our culture. That means, no whining or complaining."

"Didn't mean you had to drag me by the neck…" he mumbled as he rubbed his sore neck.

"Lord Dark tasked me with teaching you about us. It is my responsibility to show you how to take care of yourself here. Your life is intertwined with mine as of now. If you are to die out here, I will be executed for poor management." She walked up to him. "I am not allowed to do any harm to you, but I do have a limit on my patience." She narrowed her eyes. "I need your full cooperation if you wish to live out here."

He looked into her blood red eyes with his blue ones. It was a bit odd. Normally when he looked at the menacing cat, he could only see malice and annoyance under her serious expression. Up close…well, it was still the same. Yet, he could see a soft gentleness in them. She truly wanted to help him, even if it was for selfish purposes. Still, she was putting in the effort.

He wanted to stay by Laura. Dark may be caring for her, but he couldn't leave her side out here. If that meant living in a world of madness, he was gonna have to put up with it. Who knows? He might come to like it out here and make peace with the Darkmon…yeah, that last one is pretty farfetched, but wishful thinking and all that.

He nodded in response. "Alright."

The faintest of smiles poked at the dark cat's lips. "Good." She glanced at Dark Mightyena. "Make sure we aren't disturbed."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever…" He walked out of sight.

Meowth looked around to get a better view of where he was. They were in a different part of the forest he was unfamiliar with. Though, one key feature that caught his attention was the scratch marks littered across the tree he was leaning against.

"This is my home," Dark Glameow said, answering the question popping up in his mind. "I figured studying around your home would be an unwise decision. This will allow for more privacy."

"Oh…that's good." He shifted to get comfortable and crossed his legs to get properly seated. "So, uh…"

"Let us begin." She sat down in front of him and sighed. "The best course of action for you is to learn about how we operate around here. There are the scouts, who do the patrolling and keep an eye out for intruders. They are usually the weakest of our people or sometimes that fastest. Once someone is found, they have the option to either capture or warn one of our hunters." She pointed in the direction Dark Mightyena left. "A portion of his species are in the hunting ranks."

The cat gulped. Oh great. My bodyguard is a trained hunter.

"Of course, Lord Dark doesn't encourage the scouts to hunt for Pokémon as they are our most inexperienced. That is a job for our hunters. Their job is self-explanatory. They're in charge of hunting down the Pokémon and having them brought to Lord Dark for energy draining."

"For that giant bulb, I presume?" he questioned.

"You catch on quick. Yes, the central bulb requires energy if it is to help us conquer this pitiful world." She looked up at the leaves. "A dark cloud stretching across the sky and blocking out that wretched sun…truly a glorious spectacle we'll get to witness."

"How exactly will the cloud spread your influence around the world? There's no way that bulb can produce a thick enough smog to cover the entire planet."

The dark cat shook her head. "You are correct. Alone, it won't get very far. However, the cloud will produce something else when it is released: seeds."

"Seeds?"

She nodded. "Just like the seed used to create our precious forest, more will rain down from the cloud and cover a vast majority of the darkness. They will create bulbs that shall spread their own seeds. And then the next…then the next…then the next…until the entire planet becomes one giant forest."

Meowth blinked in surprise. The image of a purple planet filled to the brim with vegetation passed through his mind. Nothing but Darkmon roaming the streets that once had people populating them. And in the center of the chaos was Dark and Laura on their thrones, observing it all with glee.

He wasn't sure how to feel from that thought. He held his head. "W-Wow…I…wow…"

"It may take some getting used to, seeing as how your planet will undergo forced evolution. But Lord Dark will make sure you have a place in our little world of madness when it is created."

He rubbed his arm with unease. "What…will happen to me once this new world is created?"

She looked to the side in thought. "Good question. I assume he would put you in a fairly high position to keep you safe. No doubt I would still be your caretaker until you pass on."

"That long, huh?"

"Our cells regenerate at a fast rate. We're practically immortal, especially when we have the central bulb to repair us in the event we're disintegrated."

Meowth sighed. Even if he somehow managed to get the upper hand over the Darkmon, they'll just get a new body and come after him again. And destroying the bulb…yeah, that was never going to happen. Once again, he was stuck with trying to put up with these creatures.

"You guys…are like the perfect army."

Dark Glameow raised a brow in mild surprise. "Uh…thank you?"

The cat chuckled and shook his head. "I'm serious. If Team Rocket had creatures like you by their side, we would have conquered the world overnight."

"Team Rocket…" she mumbled to herself before scratching her head.

Kill him!

Dark Glameow flinched and held her head as a sharp pain surged through it. "Ugh…"

Meowth blinked. "Is something wrong?"

"No…I'm fine." She sighed. "Anyway, back to our ranks…"

"…so never touch these things carelessly," Dark explained as he presented a glowing pink ball with made of a rubber like substance with rubbery spikes. "We typically use these as landmines. Darkmon have keen senses to detect them, so there's never any worry of them setting these things off. Course, some Pokémon can detect them with their senses. Though, every so often, a Pokémon trips up and steps on one." He chuckled. "Ooh, the aftermath is always a mess."

"Gross…" Laura muttered with a shiver.

He rolled his eyes. "Relax. With a Pokémon's natural defenses, a small explosion like this won't kill them. In fact, in our many years of creating Darkmon, we've never been able to kill a single Pokémon. We normally leave them in fatal states, but, every time, that pesky shadow flies in and takes them to that…Pokémon hospital…place."

"Pokémon Center."

"Yeah, that place." The Dark Charmeleon threw the pink ball out of the hut. A small explosion outside made the android jump in shock. "Anyway, those are the plants YOU need to look out for. The poisonous ones are the least of your worries."

Laura leaned back on the bed. "Okay. Can we talk about something more…interesting?"

He narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "Getting bored, I see."

She shrugged. "I like seeing the snake vines and the landmines and…everything else, but I really want to hear about this type manipulation you keep mentioning."

He smiled. "Very well." He crossed his arms. "Well, for starters, any Darkmon is capable of doing it. But all of them are masters of a particular type." He gestured to himself. "I'm the only exception as I possess the energy to control all types fluently. Everyone else…normally one or two."

"How come?"

"Let me use Fang as an example. He is a Ground and Flying-Type. What that means is that he has a control over the land and possesses an uncanny skill in flying. However, because he knows Venoshock and Poison Jab, he has a limited control over poison." He crossed his arms. "Someone like a Dark Drapion or Dark Trubbish can created deadlier poisons."

Laura tilted her head. "Huh…that would certainly be an issue for Pokémon."

"Oh, it is. Even the non-poisonous Darkmon would have trouble enduring it." He clasped his hands together and rest in chin on them. "Basically, most of the types allow us to control the elements."

"What about the ones that don't involve elements? Dragon, Dark, Psychic, Bug, Normal…" Dark shushed her.

"A very good question, my dear." He rubbed his chin. "Perhaps a live demonstration would interest you."

She smiled. "Sure, why not?"

"Excellent." He closed his eyes. "I'll contact one of my followers." He smirked. "I wonder if Fang is busy." Laura giggled in response. "Aww, he doesn't want to fight. What a shame. Guess I'll have to get someone else."

"…in short, Lord Dark is our leader and only very few Darkmon are allowed to move up in rank." She sighed. "The lesser Darkmon, such as myself, are mere underlings. The Darkmon you need to listen to around here are Fang, Savage, and, of course, Lord Dark."

"You guys seemed to have a tight leash around this place."

"Yes. Rarely do Darkmon disobey orders. The ones who do are punished…severely."

"Yikes…" Meowth was glad he was on Dark's good side so far. "Does that ever worry you? How you might get punished at any moment?"

She shrugged. "It's concerning, sure. But that's why I follow my master's orders without complaint. He refers to me as one of his most loyal Darkmon."

"Yeah, I can tell…" He scratched his head. "So, is there anything else about the Darkmon I need to know?"

"Their type manipulation is something of importance." She stood up and walked over to the tree. "We can potentially manipulate any type. It's your main type that decides your skill. For example, a Normal-Type like me…" She unsheathed her claws, "can do this!" She jumped upward and slashed at the tree furiously. Meowth could hardly keep up with the swift movements of her claws.

She reached the top and backflipped back to the ground. She sheathed her claws and bowed. Once she did, white slashes flashed across the tree before falling apart into slabs of wood. Meowth jumped back as a wooden slab rolled over to him. He shook in an odd combination of fear and amazement. "Oh…my…Arceus…"

Dark Glameow flexed her claws. "Normal-Typed Darkmon possess extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. What we lack in powers and elemental manipulation, we make up for in our overall physique. The Fighting, Normal, and Dragon-Typed Darkmon are the physically strongest Darkmon."

"Man, that…that was incredible!" he exclaimed with a smile.

She blinked and glanced at him. "Really?"

"Y-Yeah! Man, you can be vicious when you want to!"

She was slightly speechless. She shook her head and resumed her serious expression. That didn't stop the small smile on her face. "Well…thanks."

Kill him!

Her head pulsed, leading her to hold it again. She groaned lightly before shaking it off. "Anyway…each type determines your abilities. Let's try a Fighting-Type. What are they known for?"

Meowth practically had a list prepared. "Strength, martial arts, pain-"

"Pain?"

"You'd be surprised how often I've dealt with Fighting-Types. It…never goes well for me…or my friends." He chuckled nervously.

The dark cat shook her head. "Right…well, Darkmon are a little different. You see, each Fighting Pokémon possesses a knowledge in a certain martial art. Sawk with Karate, Throh with judo, Hariyama with sumo wrestling…you get the picture."

"Yeah…so?"

"A Fighting Darkmon possess an uncanny ability to mimic any martial art they see. Granted, they would need to practice the style, but they are capable of mimicking the movements. It's like you trying to do karate. You could copy the movements, but can't use the overall style. Difference is, a Darkmon will understand it almost instantly."

"I see…" Meowth rubbed his chin. "That would be a pretty useful ability to have." He stood up and threw a kick. "Imagine me doing some sweet kung fu!"

Dark Glameow wrapped her tail around his ankle and knocked him over. "Not with that lousy stance."

He picked himself up. "Oh, like you can do better."

She raised a brow. "You asking for a fight?"

He glanced at the sliced up log slabs. "Uh…never mind."

She sighed. "Anyway, the Fighting-Types around here are ones you want to avoid. That doesn't mean that can't be beaten."

He blinked. "Really?"

"Straight up brawling, for example. It has no particular rhythm or style, so they can't mimic it well enough to predict attacks. As for Normal-Types, it's essential to use their strength against them. How you do that is up to you."

Meowth narrowed his eyes. "Why would you tell me something like that?"

"You really think you could last in a fight against me?"

"…good point." He smiled. "Can I hear some more about the other types?"

She smirked. "Well, I have to teach you, so sure."

Dark cracked his knuckles as his opponent riled himself up: a Dark Slaking. His brown fur was deep purple and tan skin was light purple. The white fur on his body was red. His eyes glowed brightly as he prepared to battle.

Laura sat in a comfortable chair of sticks, moss, and leaves. Her servants stood by both her sides with their arms behind their backs. She rubbed her hands together. "Come on, Dark! Let's see some action!"

He chuckled. "Of course, my darling." He smirked at his opponent. "Don't go easy on me, you big lug!"

Dark Slaking narrowed his eyes and slammed his foot down, creating a small earthquake that shook the ground. Laura's servants stumbled a bit. "Yes, Lord Dark! I shall give it my all! One hundred percent!" He slammed his fists together and bent down into a charging position.

Laura leaned back. This Slaking is surprisingly energetic. I guess Dark's influence over these guys is stronger than I thought.

The dark gorilla snorted loudly and charged headfirst at his master. Dark glanced at Laura and winked. "Watch closely now. This is the power of a Fighting-Type."

Dark Slaking leaped forward and threw his fist at him. Dark caught it and, using the big ape's momentum, tossed him right over his shoulder. He slammed into a tree and toppled it to the ground. He held his head dizzily. "Good toss, Lord Dark…"

Laura clapped with a smirk. "Ooh, you threw him? You really are impressive."

Dark smirked back. "I'd appreciate if you keep the sarcasm to a minimum, my queen." He held his hand out and gestured the ape to get up and attack him.

Dark Slaking picked himself up and shook the pain off. "Alright Lord Dark, here I come!" He leaped forward, activating a devastating Mega Punch.

The Darkmon lord stood still with his hands behind his back. With a smirk, his body started to change. His skin became gray and metallic, like he was turning in metal. Laura narrowed her eyes and observed closely. He didn't look like he was turning into metal. He WAS turning into metal.

The Mega Punch made contact with his face, but he didn't budge an inch. Dark Slaking recoiled and held his hand in pain. "YOW!" He rubbed it comfortably.

Dark returned to normal. "Steel-Types can harden their bodies to the point of being indestructible. Even a Fighting-Type would have some trouble breaking through that kind of defense." He grinned. "Now…let's talk about Dark-Types." He looked at Dark Slaking, who was relieved of the pain on his hand. "Keep your guard up for this next attack."

He shook his head and cracked his knuckles. "Yes sir!"

The Darkmon lord slowly walked towards the dark ape, with a content smile across his face. Laura scratched her head, wondering what he was planning. She read his vitals and they started slowing down, almost to a complete stop. It was spooky.

Then he vanished.

Laura looked around quickly. Normally when he teleported, shadow wisps appeared in his place. But there were no wisps. Was this his natural speed then?

Dark Slaking looked around carefully. "Sir?" He couldn't sense any movement around him.

Then, suddenly, a swift chop nailed him in the back of the neck, knocking him over. Dark floated in the air with a smirk. Laura scanned him again. His vitals were returning to normal speed. What did he do?

One of her Dark Kirlia servants explained. "The Dark-Type Darkmon are capable of moving swiftly to the point of vanishing."

"Their movements become so silent that they're basically nonexistent," her other servant added.

Dark dusted himself off. "Meaning, I deceive my opponent to the fullest extent. It makes the Dark-Types great assassins. Another plus is the ability to hide their emotions. Become expert liars."

Laura smiled. "My type of style."

Dark smirked as Dark Slaking stood up. "Now then…let me show you the power of the Dragon-Type!" With a toothy grin, he pushed off the ground and rammed head on into the ape. The force of the tackle knocked the wind right out of the dark ape. He gasped for air as he stumbled back wearily.

"Whoa…" Laura mumbled.

Dark snickered. "Dragon-Types are the most ferocious. It combines instinct with brute force!" Dark Slaking got his breathing together and charged forward. "It makes them the powerhouses of the Darkmon." The ape threw his fist, but Dark infused some draconian energy into his and collided fists with him. The resulting impact shattered the ape's knuckles. "They can turn their attacks into straight up chaos!"

Dark Slaking held his shattered hand. "G…Good shot, sir…"

Dark narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps that's enough from you."

He shook his head. "No sir, I can keep going!" He held his hand up. They could see the bones realigning themselves back into place. "See? Perfectly fine."

The Darkmon lord sighed. "Alright…"

Laura tilted her head. He actually cares for his subjects' personal health? How odd…well, he did say the Darkmon were his people and he leads them, so…I guess it makes sense.

"Dang, I didn't know the Dragon-Types here were THAT powerful!" Meowth exclaimed.

Dark Glameow nodded. "Like I said, they are one of the most powerful of the Darkmon."

Meowth scratched his head. "So, what about Ghost-Types?"

She deadpanned. "Take a wild guess." The cat blinked and closed his eyes as he tried to think of something. She face-palmed in annoyance. "Ugh…think ghostly, moron."

He smirked. "Kidding, kidding. I believe it's more ghostly attributes, like intangibility and invisibility."

She smirked back. "Haha…very cute. But they also have mastery over the darkness. They can manipulate shadows to a greater length of what you usually see. Makes for excellent sneak attacks or overpowering your opponent."

"Nice. What about Bug-Types?"

"Ah, them…" She rubbed her chin, trying to remember what they were known for. "Well, a majority of them can create webs. They also possess heightened senses. Think of it like having compound eyes and seeing your opponent from behind."

"So sneaking up on them isn't a good idea?"

"Precisely."

Meowth chuckled. "Man, Darkmon are pretty interesting."

She shrugged. "I guess you can say that. The world still sees us as monsters though…once we takeover, we'll be the ones in charge."

"Still a bit uncomfortable with living with a bunch of Darkmon. They're always so…angry."

Dark Glameow nodded. "Some Darkmon tend to have short tempers. It makes living around them all the more frustrating. We have to fight for our food sometimes. And then there's the occasional battle just to prove who's dominant." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "It becomes a mess. Still, you live with it, I suppose."

"Do you all…hate each other?"

She opened one eye in response. It was an odd question. One the dark cat didn't expect. "Hate each other?" She rested her chin in her paw and thought the question over. "Well…I wouldn't say that. Like I said, we get frustrated with each other rather easily. When Darkmon are created, we tend to exhibit more negative traits above all else. Those traits clash with one another on a daily basis.

"Sure, there are some Darkmon who get along. But, more often than not, you will see two of them duking it out for superiority."

"Does that ever get…old?"

"I don't follow."

He shrugged. "I mean, living out here, with all these creatures that sometimes can't get along. Does that ever become too much?"

She considered the question thoroughly as she looked up her tree. "…" She never really did understand why she chose to stay here. Perhaps it's because it's her home. Or maybe a subconscious caution of the outside world. This forest kept them from being turned to ash. There could be come work arounds that particular problem, but she still chose to stay here.

Maybe it's because she remains loyal to Dark. He has commented before how she is one of his most loyal subjects. She followed his orders without hesitance, even if she sometimes didn't agree with them. Leaving would be a sign of treason. Those who betrayed Lord Dark would be killed. Just like what happened two years ago…

Meowth noticed the saddened look on her face. "…are you alright?"

She blinked and shook her head, putting on her usual expression. "…I'm fine."

"You looked…mournful for a moment."

She looked to the side. "I was just thinking about…something that happened a couple years ago."

"What?"

"I'd rather not say."

He narrowed his eyes. "Dark Glameow…if this is part of your Darkmon history, Dark said I needed to know about everything."

"It's just something I rather not remember…"

"Please?" She looked up at his eyes. They stared with sympathy. It made her stomach almost churn that she was getting sympathy from a Pokémon, her natural enemy. Yet, it felt…kind of sweet.

She sighed and rubbed her head. "Darkmon follow a basic set of rules. Never interact with Pokémon, this being the ultimate exception," she muttered the last bit under her breath, "never betray your people, never disobey orders…that kind of stuff. Two years ago…five Darkmon tried to overthrow Lord Dark. It ended badly for them, obviously. Lord Dark spared them with the threat of punishment. He normally threatens with execution if the crime is severe. He doesn't consider overthrowing him an issue because…well, because he's powerful."

"And has a large ego," Meowth added with a snicker.

Dark Glameow almost felt ashamed that she nearly laughed at that remark. "Yes, well…that wasn't the only thing going on. One of those Darkmon…was apparently in a relationship with a Pokémon."

His eyes widened. "What? I though you said we were natural enemies."

"We are. But…somehow, they managed to get along with each other. It was…weird. I never met a Darkmon that experienced love before. We normally suppress positive emotions to keep ourselves focused. Seeing one of our own actually be…genuinely happy was mind boggling."

"And you knew about this relationship?"

"For a time, yes. They've been seeing each other for months. He told the Pokémon about some secret paths in the forest so she could avoid detection, so no one knew about it for a long time. I just happened to be in the area when she showed up."

"Why didn't you tell Dark?"

She sighed. "Trust me, if it were anyone else, their relationship would have been destroyed much, much earlier. However, I was friends with this particular Darkmon. So, I didn't tell Lord Dark. If he ordered me to attack her…I probably would have done it."

"You were being a loyal friend?"

"Yeah." She closed her eyes. "Just seeing something like that with my own eyes…I didn't know what I was seeing. It went against nature. Our way of life. I've always figured Pokémon and Darkmon were incompatible. But I now see that they can get along…it was so weird."

"So what happened after the whole 'Try and overthrow Dark' failure?"

She opened her eyes back up, keeping them narrowed. "I honestly don't know. But I do know this: those five Darkmon…were murdered."

Meowth's eyes widened. "Murdered?! The creatures that could regenerate their entire body from cells…were murdered?!"

"I had a hard time believing it myself. A couple Darkmon saw the whole thing. A shadowy figure turning them into mush and destroying them with just his bare hands. The Pokémon managed to escape, as far as I know."

"Who attacked them?"

"Many believe it was the Shadow. He holds a strong grudge against us and is willing to do anything to put an end to our lives. At first, I believed it was him. It made sense for him to attack. He saw a Pokémon with five Darkmon and assumed the worse."

Meowth raised a brow. She had more information on the subject. "But…"

She sighed. "But…I started thinking. The only way to permanently put a Darkmon down was to remove their DNA from the central bulb. Two things contradict that. One, Lord Dark himself. He is constantly guarding that thing as it's the forest's life source.

"Second…it's the forest's life source. If he did somehow get it, he would have just destroyed it then and there. Take out everyone with a single blow."

Meowth rubbed his chin. She made a valid point. By that logic, they should have all been killed by this 'Shadow'. There was none reason to go through all that trouble of removing five DNA sample without just destroying the actual bulb. He barely knows anything about the Darkmon culture and even he knew that.

"Plus, there's something else I don't get." He looked up at her in curiosity. "He destroyed them without…burning them or anything. It was like he struck them and their limbs…vanished, like they disintegrated or something."

"Is he capable of doing something like that?"

She shook her head. "In the history we've had to deal with him…I have my doubts."

The cat crossed his arms. "I see." He glanced to the side for a moment before looking back at her. "I'm sorry about what happened to your friend."

"I don't need your sympathy," she rudely replied. Meowth's ears drooped. She looked away, facing the ground. "…but thanks."

He smiled a bit. "You're welcome." He rubbed his head. "So…should we continue with the lesson?"

"Perhaps that's enough for one day. We'll cover the rest over the week."

"Aww, but it was getting interesting," he jokingly whined.

She rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Don't worry, we'll be covering the wonderful excitement that is plants tomorrow."

"Ooh, exciting!" he sarcastically exclaimed. He began to stand up, but was pushed back down by Dark Glameow. "Huh?"

"Don't tell anyone I shared that with you. I want to keep my reputation up and refuse to look soft in front of the other Darkmon. Got it?" she pressured with a flash of her eyes.

"Sheesh, calm down! I won't!"

"Good." She helped him back.

He dusted the dirt off his shoulders. "Geez, who am I going to tell? You're my only Darkmon friend for miles." He scratched his chin. "I don't know, does Dark count too?"

She blinked. "…friend?"

"Huh?"

"You said…we're friends."

He blinked, then chuckled in embarrassment. "Oh…sorry. I just…figured that since we'll be spending a lot of time together, we should become friends." He didn't get any form of reaction out of her. She just stared, perplexed. "Uh…sorry, it was just a slip of the tongue."

"…right…let's just get you back home." She led him back into the darkness, picking up Dark Mightyena along the way.

He snarled at the cat. "So, ready for a hunting lesson? You can be the prey…and I'll be the predator."

Meowth smiled nervously as a sweatdrop formed on his head. "Heh…not interested…"

Dark Glameow whacked the mutt with her tail as she looked forward. That word kept ringing through her head. Friend…she hasn't heard someone call her that in ages. It felt…odd, to say the least. Why on earth did he call her his friend?

He was nervous being around them, she could see it. His eyes would fill with panic when he became the center of their attention. So it made no sense to her. Perhaps it was just a slip of the tongue.

She shook her head and continued forward. It was the least of her problems, anyway.

Dark Slaking panted heavily and collapsed to his knees. "I…can…still…go…sir…"

Dark rolled his eyes. "Yeeeeah-no. We're done for today."

He picked himself up and held his arm. "Yes…sir…" He limped off with grunts of pain.

The Darkmon lord shook his head. "Like I said, way too loyal." He smiled at his future queen. "I hope you enjoyed the demonstration, my dear."

She clapped lightly and walked over to him. "Oh yes, very educational." She laughed. "Makes me wish I could go a few rounds with the big lug."

"Maybe tomorrow, I can have some Darkmon spar with you."

She smiled and rubbed her hands together. "Thank you! So, what's next on the agenda?"

"Perhaps a tour of the major spots of the forest. We have much to plan for before world conquest…" He got behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "And, of course, our special day."

The android blushed with a small smile. "Hehe…can't wait…" If she had a heart, it would be beating erratically. The closest her core is doing is pulsing brighter. What is going on?

Dark continued to hold her when he suddenly sensed a new presence. He narrowed his eyes and turned around. "Fang…what is it?"

The Dark Gliscor walked over. "Hello, my lord." He sneered at Laura. "…my lady…" he muttered with distaste. She glared at him and opened up her arm cannon, but Dark pushed it to the side to keep any unnecessary quarrels starting. "I've come to report some…interesting bit of news."

"Can it wait? I was just about to show my queen around the forest."

"I'm serious, my lord. I had some Darkmon scouts patrol Section A."

Dark clapped sardonically. "Congrats, you are actually doing your job."

Fang gritted his teeth, but controlled his anger. "As I was saying…I sent them out three hours ago. They've never returned. I naturally went out to look for them and found them either unconscious or pinned to trees with wooden spears."

Now he had his lord's attention. "You don't say?" He crossed his arms. "What happened to them?"

"They apparently have no memory of what happened. All they could remember was seeing a Pokémon passed out on the ground, then they just went blank."

Dark scratched his chin. "Most peculiar…"

"If I may suggest, my lord, I fear these intruders are rebelling against us. We NEED to capture them immediately."

He folded his arms behind his head. "I told you, we'll leave them be."

"The time for games needs to come to an end, my lord. This is the longest we've gone without capturing a Pokémon intruder." He pointed at Laura. "Not to mention your fraternizing with one as we speak!"

The android slapped his pincer out of her face. "I'm an android, you ja-"

"Alright, enough, both of you," Dark intervened. He glared at Fang. "My method of handling things is none of your concern. If you don't like the way I run things around here, I'd gladly let you take over. Just beat me in a fight and you're the new Darkmon lord." He mock gasped. "Oh…that's right, I forgot. I'm the most powerful Darkmon of all."

The Dark Gliscor narrowed his eyes. "How amusing…" He poked his chest. "I'm your top advisor. I should be handling the decision making around here."

"And yet, you can't do a thing to protect this forest OR the central bulb when you got your rump kicked by a group of Pokémon, a Darkmon weaker than you, and an android."

Laura smirked and placed a hand on her hip as Fang grinded his teeth together. "He got you there."

The Dark Gliscor snarled at her and raised his pincer. Her eyes widened as purple energy coated it for a brief moment. He looked ready to strike her down with all his fury. He glared for about a minute before cancelling the attack and lowering his pincer.

"I know what I'm doing, my lord. Don't test my patients any further than you already have."

Dark leaned forward with a smirk. "I'm looking forward to the day you prove that to me." He then frowned, forming a glare. "However, since you're SO concerned about these weaklings causing trouble, I'll have you handle a small portion of our forces to track them down. If they cause any real trouble, I give you my permission to use force."

The Fang Scorp Darkmon glared. "…as you wish…my lord…" he finished with venom shooting from his words. He clicked his pincers before flying off.

Laura watched him fly off before turning to Dark. "He seemed…angry."

He waved it off. "Bah! Fang's full of hot air. All he does is nag and whine about how I, and I quote, 'Don't know what it takes to be a true leader' and stuff." He wrapped her arm around her. "Now then, where did we leave off?"

"Giving me a tour?"

"Right, of course!" He led her away from his home, with Laura's two servants following behind.

Fang hung out in the trees for a bit to watch them leave. He snarled as he watched his 'lord' leave the area. "If I have to put up with that fool any longer…" He clamped his pincer down on the tree to ease his frustration. He was slowly crushing the base. "You just have to wait until the day of conquest, Fang…don't push yourself…"

He took a few calming breaths before glaring. All of this was part of his partner's plan. He wasn't sure what exactly he did, but, as far as he knew, everything was set into motion. All he had to do was keep following orders. "Alright, next step…track down the intruders and break them."