The sun slowly dipped into the horizon, the splash of darkness washing over the sky, turning it from a radiant orange to pitch black. Night has finally arrived. Nothing but the sounds of the active Darkmon could be heard within the menacing forest. As the gentle night breeze washed over the leaves, chatter could be heard from the bottom.

Pansage looked up over the small patch in the forest that revealed the sky. Night has finally arrived. He sighed and looked towards his friends. With the expectance of Dragonite and Koda, they gang was tuckered out after a long day. He took the last watch of the day. He was feeling considerably better compared to this morning. After sleeping off his fatigue, he was much more active than before.

He clapped his hands, arousing the sleeping Pokémon from their slumber. "Guys, time to get up."

Pachirisu groaned and curled up into his tail. "Five more minutes…"

Quilava sat up and stretched with a huge yawn escaping his mouth. "Come on, Pachi, get up." He bent down and shook the squirrel.

He clenched his eyes tightly as he refrained from getting up, but the fire weasel was persistent. The Electric-Type sighed and sat up. "Fine, fine, I'm up." He matted down his bedhead, also scraping off dirt and leaves stuck to his fur.

Pignite snorted tiredly and picked himself up. "Ugh…sleeping on the ground was never this uncomfortable…"

"How do you think the rest of us feel?" the squirrel asked, picking out the last of the dirt in his fur. He plucked out a stick off his head and flicked it away with a disgusted expression.

Pansage sighed. "Alright, alright, I know we've been through a lot recently. But, we're well rested, not as cranky as we were this morning, and we're raring to go."

Pignite stood up and did some exercises to loosen up his tied limbs. He started off with some stretches. "Yeah, but…how do we know this place isn't going to be a bust? We've been pinning all our hopes on this place giving us some much needed answers. What if it doesn't have any?"

The grass monkey closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Then, we can move on knowing we tried."

Quilava deadpanned. "After the week we've been through, I'd rather bang my head against a tree if that happened." Pachirisu chuckled.

The fire pig switched off to doing squats. "Speaking of which, how are Dragonite and Koda doing? I haven't heard them speak to each other all day."

Pansage sighed and looked up at the tree they were sitting in. The dragon and dark jackal had their backs turned to each other with arms crossed and closed eyes. They were either having trouble trying to speak to each other or flat out refused. Could be both, for all he knew. Still, he was really hoping they would find some common ground to get along. They were so close to their goal and they still wouldn't work up the nerve to talk to each other.

He has only known the two for a short amount of time, so it was hard get a read on why they're acting like this. Granted, Koda probably just met his breaking point with the dragon, seeing as how he has had to deal with this constant negatively for a week. But Dragonite was just being stubborn. What was making him so frustrated?

The grass monkey finally answered Pignite's question. "Well…they haven't verbally or physically attacked each other, so that's a plus, I guess."

Pachirisu yawned and walked up to him. "Well, they're gonna have to try and cooperate later. Let's head topside already."

"Right." He faced up at the two. "Dragonite! Koda! We're heading up!"

Koda's ears flickered. He smiled down at him. "Okay!" Better than sitting in uncomfortable silence. He slid down the tree.

Dragonite rolled his eyes and scooted off, landing on his feet with a thud. "Finally. Though the sun would never go down."

They faced the wall of rock and began their journey up. Pansage, being the most acrobatic of the group, quickly made his ascent up. Pachirisu was moving quickly as well, moving from one protruding rock to the next. Pignite was having a bit of trouble, trying to get his footing right on the wall. Quilava was going a bit slow out of worry he might fall.

Koda climbed almost like Pansage, swinging and jumping up skillfully. Dragonite just took the easier route of digging his claws into the rock. His wing hasn't fully recovered yet, so he would have to climb instead.

The dark jackal stopped for a moment and looked down at the dragon as he climbed up. He narrowed his eyes, feeling he should say something since the whole day was spent in silence for them. What could he say? If anything, he was expecting a harsh comeback for saying something as trivial as 'hi'.

That was pretty much his reasoning for staying silent all day. The Dark Riolu can be a chatterbox when he wanted to. But he knew talking to Dragonite would only lead another shouting match and, if possible, a fight. There was no point in trying to reason with the dragon if he was just going to argue back with him.

It would be the same treatment he would receive from the other Darkmon. Annoyance, shouting, trying to discourage him, all of it. Lord Dark was the only one who treated him fairly and it was only because of his power. That's the only respect he got around here.

Then, out of the blue, he meets these group of Pokémon that were willing to trust him, only to meet their one member who doesn't hold him in the same regards. Immediate distrust and hatred, as usual. That was the only thing he expected from intruders. Not a friendly 'hello' or anything like that. Not that he could blame any Pokemon entering the forest, seeing as how they would normally run screaming from a previous Darkmon encounter and wouldn't have the heart to just stop and get to know him.

Maybe he was destined to destroy and kill, like all other Darkmon. Yet he's the only one willing to embrace his emotions, not his evil. He wasn't created like all other Darkmon. Just like the ones that rebelled, he was someone who wanted change. Not to kill or destroy, but to understand.

But what was the point if the world was only going to see him for the monster he is? He didn't like being evil. When he fought Fang last week, he went nuts, letting his need to kill get the better of him. He let his inner lust for death to take him over. It happened so suddenly that there was no way to properly counter it. There was no way to stop the beast within him from striking and to seal it back in its metaphorical cage.

It was a constant power struggle from this point on. Controlling anger, not letting hate and negatively get the better of him, and finding his inner peace. There was only so much he can endure before he snaps under the pressure. What if truly does become evil? What if he does give in to his Darkmon nature? What if he kills out of pleasure? What if…he loses himself?

DO NOT FIGHT IT!

Koda eyes widened in a panic, his breathing becoming sharper. What…what was that?!

EVIL! EVIL! YOU ARE EVIL! KILL! KILL! KILL!

"NO!"

The Darkmon clenched his fists tightly around the bulge he was hanging on. In one swift motion, he crushed it into rubble and lost his balance. He tried to get his footing back in line, but he ended slipping from his panic induced flailing. His eyes widened as he fell back and felt gravity take over, falling back to the earth below. He clenched his eyes shut tightly as he waited for the smashing impact of ground to his back.

A pair of claws wrapped around his ankle. He came to a sudden halt, hanging upside down in the air. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing he had only fallen a meter or so. He arms hung loosely as he stared with a dropped jaw, his eyes shrunken and shaky.

"You're much more trouble than you're worth, you know." Koda looked up at his savior, filling him with surprise and confusion. He met the gaze of an irritated Dragonite.

"You…saved me?" he muttered quietly.

He scoffed. "Don't get any ideas. I didn't want to waste any time waiting for you to climb back up."

Koda blinked slowly, trying to process his words. In his panic, the Darkmon briefly forgot he could easily survive a fall like that. Granted, pain was still a factor, so he would have laid there for quite some time. Still, even knowing that, Dragonite caught him.

"Stop staring and get climbing," he harshly ordered as he shoved him against the wall.

Koda gripped to it and aligned himself correctly. As Dragonite scaled up the wall, the dark jackal frowned and looked away. "Dragonite…thanks…"

The dragon stopped for a moment, obviously hearing his small bit of gratitude. "…just don't fall again." He continued his journey up.

The Darkmon blinked in response and smiled a bit before following him up.

The group reached the top of the cliff, taking a moment to catch their breath after climbing. Once they rested themselves, they made their way through the woods, which were significantly thinner than the forest they've been surviving in for a week. No more worries about dangerous plants that will try and eat them, either. They could finally relax.

They passed through the trees and parted some leaves, revealing the destroyed ruins of the mysterious building hanging over the forest. Crumbly building with scorch marks and large vines growing around it. Plants grew around the old building, due to this place being abandoned for years, save the wild Pokémon that most likely built homes into the abandon structure.

They kept an eye out for any Darkmon that could be prowling around, before dashing over to the destroyed building. Dragonite grabbed the doorknob and opened it. It fell off its hinges from erosion and slammed against the ground with a loud clang. They flinched and looked around for anyone who heard them. No Darkmon in sight still. They quietly snuck into the building.

It looked worse on the inside. Destroyed machines, slash marks across the walls, the unpleasant sight of dried blood splattered across the walls and floor; it was a nightmare. Even more scorch marks were inside the building. Something was on a major killing spree in here. That someone likely being Dark.

They traipsed through the withered structure, trying to find a room they can work with. Anything to tell them more about the Darkmon. Though, with the state of the building, finding anything on the computers seemed very unlikely. The one thing they were banking on were clues left behind in the madness.

Pachirisu leaped into trash bin and dug through burnt paper and cans. "My gosh, is there anything that WASN'T destroyed?"

"This wall looks fine," Quilava commented, giving it a light kick. He squeaked as it collapsed into rubble. "…never mind."

Koda narrowed his eyes at a light switch and flipped it. They looked up in surprise as the lights flickered for a brief moment before going out with a hiss. "The lights still work."

"That must mean the generator here is still working," Pansage concluded.

"I'll go check on it!" Pachirisu volunteered before bolting down the halls.

"Pachi, wait!" Pignite called out. He groaned and rubbed his forehead. "I'll follow him." He chased after the energetic squirrel.

Koda glanced around the halls, trying to recall if he knew anything about this building from his memories. Not much to work with, to have a detailed understanding of the layout. He crouched down and laid his palm against the ground. If he sent and aura pulse around the building, he might find something.

He emitted a pulse across the building. He sensed the outline of some machines and slabs. He caught a brief glance at Pachirisu and Pignite, who appeared to be near a room with a large machine. The generator, he presumed.

He saw another room on their level. He wasn't sure what it was but he could sense the equipment inside. He was no scientist, but big equipment probably meant something important was behind those walls.

"Follow me," he said quietly before dashing to the room. They followed him around in the darkness and stopped near the doors.

Koda fired a weak aura pulse and knocked the doors off. The first thing they saw was the glass container in the center of the room. It was cracked, bits and pieces shattered across the ground. Surrounding it was a bunch of computers. Unlike the machines they passed by when they came in, these seemed to be in better condition, save the one in the middle of the ring of computers. It was completely busted from what appeared to be a miniature explosion.

Dragonite stepped in first. "Okay…you recognize this?"

"Err…no. But, if I had to take a guess…this might be where the forest seed was first created."

"Seems like a safe bet," Pansage said as he walked in. "I think this is all monitoring equipment."

"So, this is a laboratory?" Quilava asked, getting a nod from the grass monkey. "Then whose lab is it?"

Pansage crouched down and dusted off a control console. He glared. "Team Rocket's…"

The gang walked over and saw the infamous 'R' emblem that adorned the Team Rocket branded equipment. It was chipped and faded of color.

"Team Rocket?" The fire weasel crouched down and shivered. "Ugh, why do we keep running into those guys wherever we go? It's like we're Team Rocket magnets or something!"

Dragonite looked down at Koda. "You familiar with them?"

He rubbed the side of his head. "I…think so. When Fang asked me about them, it triggered some memories of mine." He shook his head. "They were horrifying, to say the least…"

"So they're responsible for this whole debacle," Pansage muttered. It didn't come as much of a surprise, but it wasn't something he expected. He always figured Team Rocket was a criminal organization and nothing more. But now it seems they have other branches of their organization they weren't aware of. It was concerning, seeing that this organization that has been causing them trouble had dangerous secrets lying under their noses.

Koda pulled up a rolling chair and sat down, pressing what he assumed was the power button. He clicked it a few times, but nothing came up. "We need the power up."

"Pignite and Pachi said they would handle it," Quilava reminded.

Just then, the power came back on. It flickered a bit, but the place still managed to run after so long. They smiled in triumph before turning back to the screen. "Quilava, go find them and bring them here." He nodded and scampered off.

Koda clicked the power button once more and the screen brightened to life. "Okay…" He turned around in the chair. "Does anyone know how to use a computer?"

Dragonite and Pansage blinked before face-palming, having overlooked that miniscule, but critical detail. A human building was likely to have computers in it. None of them knew how to use one.

"Great, just great," Dragonite complained with a huffy tone. "How are we supposed to find any useful information on these guys when none of us know how to use a damn computer?!"

"Hey, watch the language," Pansage scolded lightly.

Koda sighed and faced the computer, cracking his knuckles. "I'm sure I can figure it out. I have a few brief memories of how these things work." He grabbed the mouse and moved it, showing it was functioning properly.

Pansage heard footsteps and glanced over his shoulder to see his friends. Pachirisu and Pignite were covered in smudge. "What happened to you both?"

Pachirisu chuckled. "Well, we were trying to start up the generator, which got a little messy with some of the oil everywhere."

Pignite rubbed his snout. "Nearly sneezed on it because of the dust."

The horrible thought of this building going up in flames crossed their minds. "Just…wash up later, 'kay?" Koda asked with a wide, nervous smile. He nodded with a sniff.

The dark jackal went back to clicking at random icons for something to pop up. Nothing useful, meaning a lot of the major info was purged from the system. Guess Team Rocket was in a hurry and wanted everything gone.

But they seemed to have missed something. Koda came across the last known email on the system. He clicked on it. "Hey, look at this."

They crowded around the chair and looked at the message. A selection of words stuck out: Shadow Agents, Giovanni, Team Rocket, Charmeleon, Ryder, and Wrath. They were mostly aware of Team Rocket and Giovanni, but they were at a loss about the other words…except Pachirisu, Quilava, and Koda.

"Hey, I recognize that name!" Pachirisu shouted. "That's Ryder from Sinnoh! Remember, Quilava?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He must have been messaging this guy."

Koda narrowed his eyes. Something about this made him uncomfortable. He was well familiar with Ryder and the Shadow Agents…but the name Wrath stuck out the most. Stuck out to where he feared it.

"Wrath…"

Sinister whispers filled his ears. Flashes shot through his head, made him groan loudly in pain. He clutched his head tightly as more needles filled his vision, stabbings and injections into his skin, and a sinister smirk coming into view.

'Do not worry, my naïve friend. You will become perfect. You will become an agent of the new world order once I'm done with you!'

Memories of his counterpart's past flooded his mind dramatically, as more and more needles pierced into his skin. "STOP! STOP, NO MORE! NO MORE!" He fell out of his seat and flailed on the ground. "STOP LAUGHING! STOP LAUGHING! STOP!"

The group surrounded him and pinned him down. "Koda, snap out of it!" Pignite yelled as he pinned down his right arm.

"What's wrong?!" Quilava pleaded, holding down his other arm.

Dragonite cringed as he watched the dark jackal flail wildly. He may not be on the best of terms with the little guy, but even he wouldn't wish for something this cruel.

"We need to wake him up!" Pansage shouted as he tried to figure out a way to stop Koda's flailing.

The dragon glared and reached down for the Darkmon. He grabbed him by his arm and lifted him to eye level. "WAKE UP!"

A stinging, powerful slap struck Koda in the cheek, with enough force to send him through the eroded walls. He landed on his head before flopping onto his back. His eyes spun dizzily while he groaned in pain.

"Was that necessary?!" he heard through the distorted coming in and out of his ears. A hand reached over the hole he flew through and kicked him up.

Dragonite pulled him out and laid him on the ground. "Yes, it was. He stopped screaming, didn't he?" It wasn't the first method they considered, but it was effective.

Koda regained awareness of his surroundings and sat up, blinking in confusion. "Wha…What…"

He felt a fist knock him on the head. He held it and looked up at the dragon with a comedic tear in his eyes. "What was that for?" he whined.

He snorted. "How about a thank you? You looked like you were going to tear yourself apart if you kept that screaming up."

He blinked and recalled the flood of memories he received. "Oh…t-t-thanks…"

Pachirisu helped him up. "What happened?"

He held his head, wobbling back and forth. "I had more visions…from my counterpart's past. They…I could feel the pain. I could hear the laughter. It looked so real, it was mentally hurting me."

Dragonite crossed his arms. "Anything else?"

"Just some guy in the shadows. I think…his name is Wrath."

Pansage glared suspiciously. "Something fishy is going on here…"

Pachirisu rested Koda against the wall and patted his head. "We'll handle the research for a bit. You get some rest."

"N-No…I want to…" He tried to continue, but Dragonite stopped him.

"You went through a mental trauma. You need some rest. We'll try everything we can to get more information."

Koda blinked up at the dragon wearily. He could feel the tension between them lightening. It was strange, but he wasn't in the position to complain. He needed his rest after that mess.

"R…Right, okay." He slowly bent down and rested on his side, closing his eyes and curling up. He hugged his legs and prepared to rest.

The dragon sighed. "Alright, let's keep examining that computer." He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked down at Pachirisu, who had his arms crossed and his lips stretched out into a smirk. The dragon's eyes fell into a deadpanned expression. "Not one word out of you."

"I didn't say anything," he assured. He wants to be friends! He wants to be friends!

Dragonite pinched between his eyes and shook his head, knowing he was going to have to endure the squirrel's smugness for a few hours. "Can we please focus?" He marched over to the computer and started messing with the controls, with the rest of the group shaking their heads with amused smiles.

Though, those smiles turned to ones of worry as they looked back at Koda, who was already sound asleep. What was running through that mind of his?

They turned back to searching the computer, unaware a pair of glowing red eyes were stalking them. They narrowed before vanishing into the darkness.

Laura tapped her foot against the throne arm rest as she waited for Dark to arrive. Her servants stood on both sides, eyes closed and hands behind their backs. She was just glad they weren't bugging her with dresses again. Although, if this…date…goes well, she was going to be bombarded by questions.

She placed her hands behind her head and looked up at the leafy view above her, the closest thing she had to a night sky. Her mind was racing throughout the day, constantly recalling her agreement to this date.

All her strange stuttering, random flashes of heat, and her bashful reactions to his flirting…one would blame her emotional glitch for that kind of behavior, seeing as how this isn't the first time she acted up from heightened emotional activity. But this was the first time she acted bashful without it being faked. And, if her knowledge on human and Pokémon behavior is accurate, then it can be concluded as to what she was feeling.

Love.

She had gone and fell in love with the lord of darkness. An android…feeling love for an artificial creature made from science. Her time here only continues to get stranger. But why was she feeling this way towards the Darkmon?

She barely knew the guy and ended up becoming betrothed to him in exchange for Meowth's life. He acted charismatic, strong-willed, and was incredibly powerful. Maybe her programming was telling her this was consider an attractive suitor. Her database does have info on how to manipulate emotions, including info on how to attract males. Guess it gave her a bit of knowledge on what females liked.

She narrowed her eyes. Still, why should she like Dark? One issue with having a crush on him is WHO his counterpart is. She was basically crushing on Ryder. The guy who BLEW HER UP. The guy she hated deeply. Had she gone mad or something?

Then again, it might explain why she feels so attracted to Dark. A complete opposite of her hated enemy. Whereas Ryder disposed of her without a second thought, Dark went EASY on her. He wanted to get to know her. He spared her and Meowth just so he could find the opportunity to 'pop the question'. He planned this whole scheme on purpose.

He scammed her…and she found that attractive about him. Her programming was reacting to the idea of being tricked and it wants to adapt to this new form of chicanery. This was turning into a feeling similar to love. An uncontrollable desire.

She rubbed her head, groaning. "So this is what Meowth meant when he said love is confusing."

She heard a hissing sound, the unmistakable sound of the shadow step. She sat up and looked down at her fiancé, who stood at the foot of the throne steps with a smirk. "Thank you for waiting, my dear."

She got up and walked down the steps. "It's no trouble. I had a lot on my mind, anyway."

He chuckled. "Yes, joining the Lord of the Darkmon on a quiet evening must be nerve-wracking."

Her cheeks bloomed with heat. "Hehe, yeah…"

He pulled something out from behind his back and presented it to her. A pink flower with purple wisp patterns on the petals. "For you, my dear."

She gasped a bit, then smiled. "Oh…Dark, it's lovely, thank you." She tried taking it, but he moved it up to her head and placed it on her ear.

"Though it would look cuter like that."

She blushed again, chuckling. "Thanks." She held her hand out, which he took in his. "So…where is this private location you had in mind?"

He rubbed his chin, as if he was considering the options, though the look on his face told her that he had everything planned out. "Hmm, tough call." He snapped his claws. "Perhaps this will work. But I'll need you to close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

She sighed and did as requested. She felt his arms wrap around her before feeling a great deal of cold overtake her, followed by a hissing. The ground under her felt different. It wasn't dirt anymore. It was wood. And it felt like a platform.

Something else was different. She could feel a breeze. Much stronger than the winds in the forest. Was she…outside it?

"Okay, my dear, you can open."

Her eyes slowly opened. Her mouth gaped, taking in the scenery around her. She was no longer in the darkness. She could see light. The light of the moon shining down on them. She looked up at the night sky, filled with stars and the elegant moon. The lights reflected off her eyes, making them look shimmery.

Under her was, as she thought, a wooden platform. A small one, too. Enough room to where they couldn't fall off, but not enough to have extra space. She doesn't need to analyze anything to know exactly what he had plan.

"Please, sit down, my dear," he whispered gently into her ear, sending involuntary shivers through her.

They carefully sat down, comfortably pressed up against each other. Laura looked down at her feet while Dark wrapped his arm around her. Her nerves were spiky off the charts. Steam was practically whistling out of her body.

"I figured you would enjoy this," he spoke, gaining her attention. "The only light you've received was from our phosphorus moss. I figure a little light from the moon would be fitting."

"I see…" She looked up at the moon, admiring the bright glow. "It certainly is beautiful. No offense, but looking at the moss gets kind of boring after a while," she joked.

He shook his head with a smile. "Yes, well…enjoy the glow for as long as you can. This will be the last time you see it."

She blinked, still staring up at the moon. This'll be the last time she'll see the moon. He wanted to share this sight with her, specifically the glow of a full moon. He knew she would miss a few things once the Darkmon take over, so he decided to show her these rare sights before that time comes.

"…you did this for me?"

"Of course." He held her chin and moved her to face him. "I wanted to share this moment with you and only you. I know how much you cared about your world, so I want to make sure you get to experience them before they disappear from your life."

"R…Really?"

He smiled…warmly at her. "I may be a creature of evil, but I want to prove to you that I am worthy of your affections."

"But…I thought Darkmon had to refrain from giving in to emotions."

"I have far better control over my abilities than all other Darkmon. I can dance merrily with a skip in my step and I'd still be the most powerful being on the planet." He moved his hand form her chin and caressed her cheek. "You are quite interesting, my dear. Never before had anyone like you caught my attention. I want you to be my queen. I want you to rule by my side for all of eternity."

Her eyes stared intently at him, unable to find the words. Eternity? Forever? "What…What about Meowth?" If she could truly rule by his side for all of eternity, would that mean she would have watch Meowth…Jessie and James…pass on from this world?

"Worry not, my dear. If it truly becomes an issue you can't stand, I'll make sure you will never lose your friend. We have our ways."

"What?"

"It'd be best if I not tell you yet, lest you back out from our marriage. Just note that I won't let your friend be taken from your side."

A way to have Meowth by her side. It was too good to be true. One thing did concern her and it wasn't this mysterious way to make the cat immortal. It was the issue with her other friends. "And…my human friends?"

This made him frown. "That, my dear, we can't do. We can make Meowth immortal, but not humans. Like how we can only replicate Pokémon, we can only use our ways on Pokémon."

"Oh…" She looked down, a saddened expression crossing her face.

Dark sighed. He was worried something like this would happen. He was the most powerful Darkmon in existence. He wanted to make all of Laura's wishes come true. But there are somethings that are out of his range of control. Honoring their memory was the only thing he could do.

He tipped her chin up. "I'm sorry…"

"It's…it's fine…" She kind of expected it to happen, even before she met the Darkmon. Being an android means she will live much longer than humans and Pokémon. She would have loss all three of them in due time. At least she had some closure that Meowth will still be in her life.

He smiled. "Just know that, no matter what, I'll never betray your trust. When I give my word to you, I mean it. We're two of a kind. We're both creations of science and choose our own paths. No one can control what we can do. No one will oppress us." He leaned forward. "No one will ever cause you harm again."

Harm…a word she was well familiar with. Dark refers to the humans who wish to destroy them. Laura, however, has one man in mind. The man who created her.

He intended to turn her into a valuable piece of technology that would benefit mankind. Instead, after some screw ups from her glitch, she's turned into the laughing stock of the lab. Over and over, they would chastise her with those dreaded electrical sticks. Hours of trying to repair herself, fixing her fried system.

There was no solace in that lab. There was only pain. That man…he didn't do anything about it. He just watched, taking notes on her as she squirmed in pain. Once he had the needed in he required, he sold her. He didn't care if it was to an evil organization or to a junkyard. He just wanted her out of his life.

If Dark can truly give her whatever she wants, she wants that man to pay for his torturous ways.

Thomas Waltz…I'll make sure you suffer.

"You really mean that, do you?" she asked, wanting to make sure.

He nodded. "The world will fear and respect you. You will no longer feel small in the face of the humans. You will become the most powerful being in their eyes. You will show them fear. That…is the Darkmon way."

Power and respect…that's all she ever wanted. She wanted to show the world she wasn't someone they can mess with. A smirk grew across her face. "Then…I'd be happy to become your queen."

He smirked back at her. "That's what I wanted to hear." He wrapped his arm around her.

Her smile lightened up. She leaned in towards him, but he stopped her, pressing his claw against her lips. "Huh?"

He wanted to kiss her earlier, and he still does, but he wanted to make it special and wait. "Not yet, my dear. You'll have to wait until the day of our marriage."

She pouted playfully. "You tried to kiss me earlier," she reminded, smirking teasingly.

"I was in the moment, my dear. Besides…I want to make you wait."

She scoffed playfully and turned away. "Very well. Guess I'll have to go through the torture of waiting."

He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek, bringing heat up to her face. She smiled and looked up at the moon, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Dark smiled down at her, then his eyes widened in alert when low, evil whispers echoed through his mind. He looked around to identify the source of the sounds. He narrowed his eyes. Those sounds were familiar…

His mind more focused on Laura than the sound, he didn't pick up on the aura hanging below them. It took off before it could be spotted.

Meowth snored, having fallen asleep after a long day. He tried to keep himself awake, but the lack of movement and sitting in place got the better of him. He likely snoozed off around noon, maybe earlier. Then again, it couldn't be helped. He was getting comfortable when he dozed off.

The newly named Dark Glameow, Chloe, slept against him, brushing her fur against his side. It was soft and smooth, soothing the cat to sleep. He didn't mind the close contact, but he was pretty nervous about sitting so close to her while she slept.

His ears twitched. He raised his arms and stretched, letting out a long yawn. His eyes fluttered open, then he rubbed the crud out of them. "Man…how long was I out?" He looked up at the moss, having gotten a better understanding of how time is told here.

The moss had lost its bright glow, indicating it was the middle of the night. That's going to mess his internal clock up later. Still, he got a good rest out of it. Not that sleeping at night would matter. It's eternally dark in the forest. It could be day time for twenty-four straight hours and he wouldn't know the difference.

He looked down at Chloe and smiled at her sleeping form. When she wasn't scowling or giving him her usual deadpanned expression, she looked peaceful. It was almost alien to him. He rarely sees any Darkmon show a look of content. It was a nice change. Heck, it even made her look cute.

…where did that thought come from?

He shook his head and stood up. Didn't matter, he needed breakfast…or dinner. He'll just call it a midnight snack.

He walked over to the freshly cooked berries acquired for him and poked one with his claws. In one bite, he ate the whole thing. The taste went from being unbearable to not terrible, the more he ate it. Whether that was a good thing or not was up to speculation. Regardless, he was glad he could eat these things without gagging.

He prepared to go for another when he heard shuffling behind him, coming from Chloe. She was probably beginning to wake up. "Morning, Chloe. Or…goodnight, I guess. I just getting breakfast…or a midnight snack. I've been sleeping all day, so I'm a little mixed up."

He waited for a reply. A snide remark. A playful tease. Even an annoyed groan. But none of that. The only sound he could hear from her was quiet grunting. She was still sleeping. Maybe she was dreaming.

"Chloe?" He walked over to her and crouched down. She twitched in her sleep, swiping lightly at the air. He laughed a bit. "Aww, you look so adorable." If she truly was awake, he was going to get smacked for that comment. Well worth the laugh, though.

But she didn't react to his comment. She just kept twitching in her sleep. "Must…Must…"

Now Meowth was growing concerned. Her tone sounded monotone, more so than usual. It was almost robotic. "Hey, Chloe?" He reached out and shook her. "Are you feeling alright? Are you sick?" Well, that was a stupid question. She obviously wasn't sick. But his racing heart and instincts told him something was wrong with this picture.

"Must…Must…"

"Must what?" Meowth asked. "What do you need to do?"

"Must…kill Meowth…"

His eyes widened. He yelped and fell onto his rear. "W-What?!"

"Must kill Meowth…" Her eyes snapped open into a glare. Meowth gasped, seeing they were completely enveloped in red, glowing sinisterly at him. "Must kill all Pokémon…must kill Meowth."

"Chloe? What's gotten into you?" he tried to ask calmly but his quivering tone gave away his frightened demeanor.

"The Darkmon must kill all Pokémon…" She stood up and stared mechanically at him. She raised her paw and extended her claws out. "Must kill Meowth…" She slowly walked towards him.

"Chloe, what are you doing?! It's me, your friend! Meowth!"

"Must kill Meowth…"

He backed away as quickly as he could, fear present in his eyes. "No…this isn't you! This isn't who you are!"

"All Darkmon must kill Pokémon…"

"You're not like the other Darkmon! We're friends!" His back pressed against the wall. There was only one exit and Chloe was in his path. "Please! Snap out of it!"

Her eyes narrowed, preparing to pounce. "…die." She lunged at him and threw her claws at him. Acting out of fear, he raised his arm. He screamed as the claws sank into his left arm.

Blood trickled down his arm. Tears ran down his face as he clenched his teeth tightly, trying to endure the stinging pain. "Chloe-AAAHHH!" She jabbed her other set of claws into his stomach. He hissed and dropped to his knees, crying his eyes out in pain. "Please…s-stop…"

"All Pokémon must die…" She forcefully removed her claws from him, blood trickling from the wounds. She raised them up, aiming for his head. "Must kill Meowth…"

He panted heavily and looked up at the claws aimed down at him. "Chloe…" She raised them higher and brought them down swiftly. "STOP!"

Silence flooded the tree hut. The sounds of leaves brushing against each from the wind was the only sound present. Within the hut, if anyone else were around, they would see the blood dripping down Meowth's head.

His eyes were dilated and his mouth gaping open, taking in quick and rapid breaths. Her claws stopped enough to where she didn't break or damage his skull. Drips of blood leaked out and slid down his face.

Chloe's red eyes reflected his horrorstricken face back at him. Meowth saw her paws shaking as she retracted her claws. Her expression fell from a mechanical murderer to a horrified expression of regret. Her eyes returned to normal, showing the normal red irises and purple sclera.

"Meowth…" She dropped down, her lips quivering. What did she do to him?!

He grunted and leaned against the wall, holding his arm and stomach wounds with a twisted expression. "It hurts…it hurts so much…" Tears streamed faster down his face.

Chloe, feeling the first true sign of panic in her life, quickly said, "Stay there and don't move!" She dashed out, hoping to find medical plants nearby.

Meowth clenched his eyes shut. He pressed against the wounds, trying to ease them. It became a numbing pain, feeling more like a burning sting.

Chloe rushed back into with some leaves and plants. "Okay, I'm back!" She set the stuff down and grabbed some leaves. "I'm gonna wrap these around your wounds." She inched forward, but stopped when he flinched from her advance. Whatever she did had him traumatized. It made the painful feeling in her heart come back, but it was much worse. "Meowth…please, I need to treat your wounds…"

He looked up at her sinister red eyes, his vision obscured by the tears glazed over his eyes. He couldn't help but feel small under her gaze, just like when they first met. He wanted to run and hide. He wanted to get as far away from her as possible.

But, from seeing the pain and regret in her eyes, it eased him up a bit. She wasn't acting like herself before. She's fine now. "O…O-Okay…"

The strain in his voice hurt the Dark Glameow. She swallowed her nerves and tried to hide the hurt in her face. "A-Alright…hold still." Her tone betrayed her, but she couldn't back out.

She got close, making him flinch again, but he didn't object. She twisted the leaf and let a drop of liquid touch his arm wound. He hissed and involuntarily kicked Chloe's side, making her grunt. His eyes widened. "C-Chloe, I-I-I am so-!" A paw pressed against his lips to shush him.

"It's fine…you are not at fault…" She took some leaves and sewed them together to make a makeshift bandage. She wrapped it around his arm and securely tied it. She went for his stomach next, receiving another kick when she applied the medicine. She wrapped a bandage around it. She cleaned off his head, seeing as her claws didn't dig in enough to cause possible infection, and placed a bandage over it.

As she dressed his wounds, Meowth found the time to calm down. His heart returned to a nice, even pace. He looked down at his fur, seeing the blood stains smeared across his fur. He would have to wash it later. The medicine he was given dulled the pain, but he still felt sore, physically and emotionally.

Chloe finished dressing his wounds and sat in front of him with a blank expression. "My…apologies for the attack, Meowth. I do not know why I acted out and broke through the parameters set before me. I will accept any punishment given to me." It took every ounce of her being not to break out into tears. She gave her word she would protect him and she broke it without a conscious memory of why.

Unfortunately, it was clear that Meowth saw through her guise. "Chloe…drop the act and talk to me normally…"

Her expression loosened, then she immediately frowned as an acidic tear dripped down her face. "I'm…sorry, Meowth. I…don't know what came over me. I gave my word to Lord Dark that I wouldn't harm you…" She shook her head. She must not show weakness. She had to accept what she did with dignity. She stood up. "I'm sorry this didn't work out…" She turned around.

Meowth's eyes widened slightly. "What are you doing?"

"I broke Lord Dark's orders. As instructed, I must be sentenced to death for my actions." She prepared to make her way out the door.

Meowth's eyes went fully wide. "Wait, WHAT?! Chloe, hang on!" He forced himself up, causing another wave of pain to wash over him. "Ow, ow, ow…"

She immediately turned around and caught him. "Don't strain yourself like that…" Her tone was emotionless. How hard was she taking this?

"Chloe…" he grunted. Once he was sat down, he continued, "Don't you think that's a little extreme? All you did was scratch me up a bit."

Her eyes narrowed. His wounds were deep. They were anything but scratches. "I was given an order not inflict physical harm onto you. It is clear that I did so and I must be punished for my assault."

"You weren't in control of your actions!" he shouted. "Were you given the order to kill me?"

"No-"

"Did you WANT to kill me?"

"…no…"

"Do you remember being awake before I yelled at you?"

"…no."

"Then you did nothing! None of that was your fault!"

"It was my body that started acting on its own!"

"But that wasn't your conscious choice!" He grabbed her paw and forced her to his side. "Sit down."

She stumbled a bit from the forceful pull, but did as ask. "What?"

He sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Chloe…let me tell you something. Before you attacked me, you were mumbling something in your sleep. Do you remember what it was?"

"N…No…"

"You were mumbling that you had to kill me, like you were given an order to. Why is that?"

She looked down, trying her hardest to remember what came over her. She was out like a light the whole day. She wasn't sure if she had a dream or not. "I…don't know." Meowth groaned and rubbed his face.

"Great…just great…"

"Wait!" He jumped at her sudden announcement. "I do remember one thing. Something was whispering to me. I can't remember what they were saying, but…it's possible someone ordered me to attack you."

"How is that possible? How could someone influence you like that? And with no memory?"

She gave an honest shrug. "I don't know. It's possible whatever was whispering to me spiked up my evil aura, which may explain why I instinctively attacked you."

Meowth scratched his head. "Hypnotic suggestions for Darkmon?" She was asleep when it happened. If hypnosis was true, then she would have been in a more suggestive state while she was asleep. Something influenced her killer instincts to kill him. But who has that kind of power over them?

…Dark?

"Did Dark do this?" he muttered to himself.

The Dark Glameow heard and shook her head. "Impossible. Lord Dark gave his word he would not harm you."

"No offense, but I barely trust the guy. Plus, he's the only one with that kind of influence. Are there any other Darkmon with that kind of position to influence you all?"

"Unless given direct permission from Lord Dark, no. We never got any telepathic notification to listen to someone else. Only he has the power to command us."

"I see…" More and more, it was starting to look like Dark had a hand in this attempted murder. But why have Chloe do it while she was asleep? He could have easily asked her to do it while she was awake. Or Dark Mightyena, who had a bigger hatred towards him. Something was off about this.

She glanced at his blood stained fur and frowned. "I'm…really sorry…"

He looked up from his thoughts and smiled lightly. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. I know you didn't do this on your own accord." He put his arm around her. "I trust you."

She blinked, then smiled back. "Thanks…" She sighed. "So, what do we do? What if I go crazy again?"

"At the very least, I'm more prepared to counter another attack. Maybe tomorrow we should run some tests."

"Tests?"

"Just to examine you and see just what came over you. Perhaps finding a clue as to what drove you nuts."

If it meant not involuntarily hurting Meowth again, she was on board. "Okay," she agreed with a nod. "Let's do it."

"Good. But for right now…" He leaned against the wall and held his arm. "I need some rest after that nightmare and I'm too awake to go to sleep."

She pressed up against his side, making him blush. "Well, if you need someone to talk to or lean against, I'll be right here."

He smiled. "That'd be nice."

They sat there, enjoying each other's company. They wanted to wait this night out, thinking over what they were going to do. Meowth, thinking about how he could help his friend. And Chloe, still feeling a bit of regret for her involuntary actions.

Spying on them from the darkness, a pair of red glowing eyes glaring down at them. It has been lurking around the forest, spying on the three groups all night. Once it was done observing them, it flew off into the darkness.