The forest was quiet and eerie, as usual. From what Laura thought, all the Darkmon were planning ahead for the invasion soon. According to the moss on the trees, light was vanishing from the sky. The sun was setting. By tomorrow, two days left. Two days to make up her mind.
Here she was, spending time up in the trees with her fiancé, who was unaware of the scheming thoughts racing through her mind. Thankfully, he can't read the mind of a machine, so she could think freely to herself. That still left a glaring issue in her plan, though: how do you convince a creature with absolute spite towards humans and Pokémon to completely change their outlook in a single day? She had two more days to contemplate, but not even two months would be enough to give a convincing argument.
Dark may be the ruler of the Darkmon, but, according to Meowth, he's being subtly controlled by the central bulb just as much as the other Darkmon, perhaps even more. This has been the Darkmon's philosophy since his creation. Chloe may have been around for a long time herself, but Meowth at least had the time to bond with her and show her a different side of reality.
Sure, she was betrothed to him, but she hasn't spent much quality time with Dark compared to those two. That being said, when she returns to inform of her progress, she is going to spend every little moment she had with Meowth to tease him until he's red with anger and embarrassment. She snickered quietly to herself, elated with her devious thoughts.
She set her mind back into focus and glanced at the Darkmon ruler. They were up high off the ground on a tree branch, perfect for some privacy. The thought raised heat in her face. She clenched her eyes and lightly growled, trying to dispel those thoughts from her head. She couldn't be thinking about him at a time like this. She was lucky Dark had his attention aimed up at the leaves, as if he's studying the changes in their movement.
She tilted her head, wondering what was going on inside his mind right now. He was always an oddity to her. Despite his devious nature, he still found the time to meditate. Must be one of the traits he picked up from Ryder. He did give off that unnerving calmness that infuriated her after their last encounter. What she wouldn't give to get some payback…
Back to her main problem, why would Dark even consider switching sides? Positives would be…well, if she can think of anything remotely positive, it would be an excellent reason to switch sides. Honestly, the only real benefit would be to keep the Darkmon from attacking humans and Pokémon. The idea would be beautiful and would end this secret war between the species, yet it would be impossible due to the Darkmon's naturally aggressive nature.
Chloe was in that small category of Darkmon with self-control, with the possibility of a select few who were decent enough to live alongside Pokémon. However, that small few is heavily outweighed by the remainder who were still bloodthirsty savages who get a kick out of hunting.
Dark is the only one who could keep them in line, but he doesn't have a reason to. He was created to see Pokémon as inferior lifeforms compared to him and his species, all because of this bulb's unhealthy influence over them.
The question still stands: what could she say to convince him otherwise?
She sighed in defeat, having not properly though through her questions. Maybe when she sees an opening to…implant the idea into his mind, she'll take it. Wanting to draw his attention, she scooted closer to him, touching his side against hers.
He blinked twice before looking at her with a smirk. "Need something, Sweet Cheeks?"
She blushed at the nickname. "Uh…no, not particularly. I just…wanted to move closer to you." She chuckled awkwardly.
He chuckled at her nervous behavior and wrapped his arm around her. "That all? Fine by me."
"Eep…" she muttered. Well, she couldn't deny it. Even with her body made of metal, leaning against him felt…comforting. She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "So…what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing, actually. I was sensing the aura in the trees."
"The aura?"
"Remember, this whole forest is an entire living network. Energy runs through it constantly" He looked up at the leaves again. "They're surging beautifully. We should have plenty of energy to begin our invasion in two days." He placed his claw under her chin. "And you know what that day also entails, correct?"
She formed a wry smile, her face heating up. "H-How can I forget? We made a deal, after all."
"I'm glad you're keeping your end of the bargain, my dear."
"As long as Meowth is safe…"
"And he will under my rule." He whispered hauntingly into her ear, "You can trust me…"
If she were a living, breathing creature, she would having the coldest of shivers. She may like him, yet she couldn't get over how disturbingly creepy he could be. It was hard to get a read on him. No psychiatrist in the world was qualified to unravel the sinful thoughts floating around in his mind. His aura gave off waves of discomfort to any creature that was within range of him, even for an android like her.
"Listen Dark, with all things considered, I do have one question. Hypothetical, of course."
He looked up at the leaves again, his demeanor switching to a much more relaxed expression. "Sure, knock yourself out."
"Well, for the sake of argument and…you know, just so you have a backup plan or something…" She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What would you do if…your invasion failed?"
He blinked. That was truly a question he didn't consider. Though, why would he? He's a force of nature that will obliterate all that stand in his way. There was no need to worry about the possibility of failure.
"Well, that's a silly question, my dear. Failure? I don't see how that's possible." He lifted his arm off of her and crossed both of them. "The humans are nothing to worry about. What's the worse they could do? Shoot me? I can not only deflect a bullet, but it won't even kill me. And there's no Pokémon on this planet strong enough to take me on."
She bit her lip. She knew he was arrogant, but this was an ego the size of a Wailord she had to break through. "Okay, but…what about Legendary Pokémon?"
"What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "I mean, let's go over the facts here. Two of them can manipulate time, one can manipulate space, two that can control land and sea…and then there's Arceus. You may be stronger than the average Pokémon…but these guys are at the top for a reason. Do you really think you can match what they can do?"
Dark believed in his own strength. He would never doubt how strong he was. And yet, she did bring up a decent point. He sighed. "Well…I suppose it would be challenging since I've never absorbed their energy." He scratched his head. "They would be challenging foes to match in battle."
"And that's my point! Those guys are the real threat. One Judgment from Arceus and your home with go up in flames, including the central bulb." She frowned deeply. "Without it, you wouldn't be able to do a full regeneration."
He narrowed his eyes at the leaves. She was putting a bit of a damper on his mood for invasion day. He sighed. "Alright, fine…let's say, for the sake of argument, I do end up losing in a fight against them…" To her surprise, he smirked. "Guess it's over for me."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Laura, not sure if you've noticed, but I have tortured thousands of Pokémon without remorse. Who in the right mind would forgive those actions?" He laughed. "Besides, what can I do? Repay my debt to the world and turn over a new leaf?"
He looked down at the ground, this time frowning. "Laura, look at me and tell me what you see. Be honest…"
"Uh…" She scratched her head, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Well, you look like someone I hate, who blew me up, and someone I want to use as a punching bag. You're evil, cunning, malicious, diabolical, funny, charming, handsome-" Her eyes widened, an internal record scratch playing in her head. Her face heated up. "Uh…ignore those last two…"
He smirked at her. "Heh, cute." Her face brightened more. He shook his head and resumed looking at the ground. "I'm a creature designed to surpass and eradicate Pokémon. That has always been my main purpose. It's not going to stop being my purpose until the end of time…or if I'm, somehow, slain permanently.
"I feel no sympathy for those I torture. No sympathy for my subjects. I don't care about anyone except myself. Even you, my betrothed."
Her ears drooped sadly, hurt by that comment. He's being brainwashed, he's being brainwashed, he's being brainwashed. She repeated this in her head, trying to retain hope in her power core that he did care about her. It had to be the reason. Darkmon, as far as she has seen, can act selfish. Even Chloe expresses pride in her abilities and still keeps to the emotionless side of herself. Dark was no different.
Still, did he have to say that right in her face? She tried to put on a smile to hide the sting of his words. "Oh…I see…"
He glanced at her briefly. "If it's any consolation, I do respect you over all my subjects combined." He snickered. "Even Fang doesn't hold a candle to your might."
That did raise her spirits a bit. She smiled. "Thanks…"
He adjusted his position and laid down on the tree branch. "What you're asking me is a question of what ifs and possibilities. If I am defeated, I am taken in for my crimes. If I try and change for the better, no one would ever forgive me or my people. We could never be accepted into their society."
He glared. "Besides, why should we? They oppose what we believe in and think they can get away with it."
Laura grinned sheepishly. "I mean, in their defense, you're trying to blot out the sun. They, uh, kind of need that to live."
He groaned. "I'm not talking about the sun, I'm referring to something different: the battle of light vs. darkness." He rested his arms behind his head. "The light is considered good, morally sound, correct?"
"Uh, yes," she answered, a little hesitant.
"The Darkmon, however, aren't part of that group. We are creatures of evil and darkness. What does that mean to the rest of the world?" He scoffed. "Frankly, it makes me sick how people can be so ignorant. The light can't exist without the darkness. They try to push my kind back and eradicate us simply because we are, what they consider, a problem to the balance of morality."
He smirked. "The light has had enough fun bathing this world in its comforting glow. A new change of pace is needed. A new atmosphere to compliment my rule." He stretched his hands up at the air. "All hail King Dark, Ruler of the Darkmon and Conquer of the Earth!"
Oh boy. Laura narrowed her eyes worriedly.
He sat up. "Then there's you, my dear. Queen Laura, ruling by my side with your demeanor. You fit the role of a leader perfectly. We can both show this world what happens when you oppress the other half of the equation." His eyes glowed red. "No one will ever be able to rid the darkness from existence. That is our goal in life. That is what we stand for: fighting against the forces that intend to drive us back until we are met with oblivion."
She rubbed her arm. The evil and anger displaying in his eyes said millions about his goals…that scared her. Was this even Dark's own thoughts? What has that bulb done to him? Is he too far gone to think for himself? Is that all he wants? To destroy and conquer for the Darkmon?
"Dark…I can't understand what drives you to do this…but, is there a chance your ideology is…misguided?"
He narrowed his eyes. "I don't follow."
"There's more to life than what you're proposing. Not all humans are like that."
"Laura, you've said it yourself, humans have wronged you of your own freedom. A Pokémon, my counterpart, mercilessly destroyed you without a shred of guilt. What is so hard to understand about our mission? This is what you wanted - to be respected by those monsters who tortured you. They didn't see pass the metal that surrounds you that there's a thinking, self-aware mind inside." He closed his eyes. "We aren't that different."
She clenched her fist. "Dark…" She sighed, letting her arm drop to the side. "I know what I said. I hate those scientists. I hate Ryder. I hate a lot of people in this world." He opened his eyes to look at her as she spoke. "But you've never met the humans I do trust. Jessie and James. They care about me. They always have. They aren't like the rest of the world. Meowth…he's like my big brother. The way we treat each other, poke fun at one another for our flaws, laugh…they're like my family.
"They're outcasts…like me."
Dark supported himself on his arms as he leaned back, trying to comprehend her words.
"Yes, they're a small number to consider for everyone else, but I know not everyone is like that." She looked up. "Isn't there anyway you might reconsidered killing everyone?"
He narrowed his eyes, thinking her question over for a moment. He felt a sharp pang in his chest, but he paid no mind to it. He straightened up and crossed his arms in thought.
He shook his head. "Laura…we both know you're younger than me. I've seen more of this world than you might think. You may be an advanced android, but you're still naïve to see what this world truly offers." He closed his eyes. "I don't need guards to protect me. I don't require assistance to carry out tasks on my own." He opened his eyes into a sharp glare. "These humans know that. They know I'm a threat to this world. They know I can, and will, take matters into my own hands if they try to wage war on me.
"There's no compromise for my survival. So I figure, just eliminate the source of my troubles."
Laura's ears drooped. She looked down at her feet. "So…you're definitely doing this invasion?"
"Without a second thought," he answered.
She tried…she could keep trying, but she didn't have to process statistical probabilities to determine what her success rate will be. As long as that bulb lived…
…her chances might as well be zero.
She absentmindedly opened her arm and checked her power supply. She was running on about fifteen percent. Meowth, having been focused on keeping Chloe from decaying of poison, didn't properly recharge her when she was being repaired. She should have recharged herself before she left.
"I'm gonna need to recharge soon."
Her face heated up as she felt Dark's hand wrap around hers. "I'll take you back to your hut for the night."
She narrowed her eyes. Suppressed emotions, yet he still acted chivalrous. Something was encouraging him to act this way, and it isn't the central bulb's doing, that's for sure. Her chances of changing his mind on the invasion may have been hopeless, but she could see some decency in this supposed monster.
Regardless, she gave a light nod. With a quick thought, wisps of shadows surrounded her field of vision. She felt herself falling from her sitting position, then immediately touching down on ground. The shadows vanished as she found herself back at her hut.
"Thank you for accompanying me tonight, my dear." Dark leaned down and kissed her hand. "I must be off."
Her face was becoming even brighter. "Err, uh…w-will I be see you tomorrow?"
"Afraid not. I'll be dreadfully busy with preparation for the next two days. I might not be able to visit you." He smirked. "Still, two days is when the ceremony begins, so I'm sure you can wait out for that long."
She smiled nervously. "Eh…y-yeah, sure." She looked down at his hand, as he was still holding hers. She slid it out from its gentle grasp and backed away. "Well, um…goodnight. And…thanks for listening to me."
He bowed. "My pleasure, Sweet Cheeks. May your night be filled with pleasant thoughts…or whatever you androids do while sleeping."
She chuckled a bit. "Heh, right. See ya…" She entered her hut, out of his sight.
He smiled as she retreated into her hut, then frowned. He floated off the ground with his arms crossed. What has gotten into her? Asking questions about if the invasion should fail…a strange bit of curiosity. Still, she did seem set on proving the humans weren't all bad.
He narrowed his eyes and grunted as he flew through the forest. No sense in wasting his time shadow stepping to his throne. He didn't need extra annoyance assaulting him while he's trying to clear his head.
What has a human ever done for me? They're pests. They'd rejoice in celebration for our deaths. Darkmon…we are the incarnations of evil. That's all we are. That's what we're meant to be. Nothing will ever change that…
As Dark rambled on with his thoughts, he wasn't aware of a Sight Orb keeping out of sight, spying on him from a distance. Back in the throne area of the forest was Fang, resting casually in his lord's throne.
He glared at the mumbling Darkmon lord. "He's still as stubborn as ever. At least we don't have to worry about him having second thoughts. That would ruin the plan."
He turned his head at the sound of a low screeching. The central bulb rose from the ground, wiggling its vines angrily.
He sighed, turning his attention back to the orb. "I see the root of your anger. You're worried that android will be a detriment to the invasion. That simply won't do at all." He sneered. "She and that scheming Meowth are proving to be trouble. I could just end them here and now…"
He snipped his pincers, the very same ones he used to cut down Darkmon 4-2-6-0 permanently. "However, he won't be pleased with my defiance." He sighed. "If he knew I was making missteps in his plan, he'll have my head."
He straightened himself up in the throne. "All he asked me to do was stir up as much terror to make the Darkmon name look worse. Make it so they become the most feared creatures in the world." He growled to himself. "I don't know what kind of mind games you're playing, freak, but this better work. We have two days left. I want to see the results of your madness.
"First things first, I need to break that android. Physically breaking her would only get me killed, which could destroy the plan, so emotionally weakening her is my only option." He snarled in annoyance. Yeah, real simple task. He couldn't lay a pincer on Meowth as long as Chloe has eyes on him, along with the maniacal Darkmon ruler constantly breathing down his neck. So there was no one in the forest he could destroy without risking the plan to fail…
However, his saving grace came in the form of a Sight Orb floating towards him. "What's this about?" He grabbed it and peered into it.
It was a Pokémon Center, the one close to the forest. The one that currently had vines running under it. The one…that housed two individuals that made the Fang Scorp Darkmon smirk.
"But you've never met the humans I do trust. Jessie and James. They care about me. They always have." The words Laura spoke echoed through his head, the ones she mentioned while he was secretly spying on them.
"You care deeply about those Rocket agents, don't you?" He snickered evilly. "I believe I found what I'm looking for. I need to break her so she'll give up on Dark, then everything will go as planned."
His smirk curled up upon seeing other humans, likely the trainers of the other intruders. Even better. Stir up more fear in these Pokémon while he was at it. Plus, it might give him a chance to eliminate that old geezer that was constantly monitoring their activity.
Might be a little earlier for the invasion, but not like he cared. He pointed at the bulb. "I have a job for you. Do it right and you'll be snacking on energy filled with depression and defeat."
The central bulb growled affirmatively, blooming out just a bit to show off its serrated teeth. It raised its vines and struck them through the ground, getting ready to unleash a nasty assault on the humans.
The Pokémon Center was quiet, as the residents of this center have turned in for the night. Ash, Dawn, Iris, and Cilan slept, for the most part, soundly in their beds. There was the occasional toss and turn as their subconscious constantly reminded them of their Pokémon still traversing the eerie forest of nightmares.
Ash grunted in his sleep as he shifted around. He couldn't stop thinking about them: Pikachu, Snivy, Oshawott, Pignite, Krookodile, and Scraggy, all gone and possibly lost for who knows how long. It made him increasingly uncomfortable, despite how welcoming the bed was after another long day of stressing. Dawn, Iris, and Cilan both had similar dreams, worried if their faithful Pokémon will ever return.
Over in the other room laid Jessie and James, who were sprawled out across their beds lazily. Despite both looking peaceful, even they couldn't escape the nightmarish thought of their friends being in danger. As if their minds were synched, they dreamed of a ravenous monster, black as the darkest of night skies, holding Meowth and Laura by the tips of its fingers, hanging over an open jaw, ready to devour them for its delight.
The only ones awake at this hour were Nurse Joy, her Audino assistant, Hank, and his Lucario and Azumarill. The humans and Audino were busy repairing some equipment in the back room. They were keeping the noise down as to not alert the sleeping trainers and Rocket Agents.
That just left Lucario and Azumarill. Considering they weren't needed in repairing the equipment or any other manual labor, they were free to go to sleep. However, Lucario chose to stay up due to Azumarill experiencing another case of insomnia. It shouldn't surprise him, since she has been known to go through this almost every week. At his old age, he should be getting rest himself. However, he couldn't let his friend stay up all night in boredom. Last time he let that happen, she was even more irritable and grouchy than usual. Best to avoid her violent moods when she's cranky.
They sat in the main lobby of the center, eating a late night snack of Poke pellets. Azumarill casted glares down the hallway, waiting for any movement to come from the Rocket agents' room.
Lucario noticed this and sighed. "You should really let it go. They aren't a threat."
She sneered. "Suuure they aren't," she muttered sarcastically. "After all, they were just breaking into a restricted area without a hesitant thought. They seem like REAL good people."
He sighed. "You don't need to project your anger onto everything you deem suspicious."
She growled. "I'm sorry, who's the one who nearly got killed by Darkmon again?"
He leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. "Both of us. I've dealt with these creatures, too, not just you. Don't think I don't know what you've been through."
"You went a few times just to aid in rescue missions. I have been in there for six months, undetected by those parasitic monsters. Forgive me if I can't trust anything that so much as looks at me funny." She looked away, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out.
Lucario groaned, pinching between his nose. Sometimes he wonders why he tries helping this temperamental rabbit. Though, he couldn't put too much blame on her attitude. She has been through enough suffering as it is. How long has it been? About a year, at best. It amazed him how she snuck around the forest for so long without being caught.
Then again, she had help along the way.
He shook his head and rested his arms on the table. "Azu, look at me." She didn't turn her head, only glancing at him. "Things…happen all the time. Sure, the forest is dangerous, but don't think this kind of stuff never happens around the world. A lot of people and Pokémon have developed trust issues simply because of…well, one bad day. You're no different.
"Look at Ryder for a moment. He has been at this far longer than you have. It has been hard for him to find happiness these days without his friends. Don't think you're the only one who hates the Darkmon or anyone evil."
She blinked through her narrowed eyes, then looked away. "I didn't hate…all of them."
He sighed. "I know…" He stood up from his seat so he could get into the one next to her. "We've been trying to get you to lighten up for two years now. All you do is shake off any attempt from us to make you smile, kid. It's not healthy to be this depressed."
She growled. "I'm not depressed…"
"Even so, you've slept in and barely ate anything when we first brought you in. You're getting better, yet you still shut yourself out…"
"…" She shifted around in her seat to look at him. "You know what will make me happy? Destroying that forest." She glared darkly. "I want them all dead…every last one of them."
Lucario didn't as much as flinch from her violent shift in behavior. "Azu, relax-"
"I'm not going to relax!" she sharply stated, trying to, at least, keep her tone down. Despite her cranky attitude, she didn't want to disturb the trainers while they slept. "They don't deserve to live! They're heartless monsters that have no right to exist! I want them all to burn in the sun!"
"Azu, you're speaking out of anger. Do you truly mean that?"
"Yes, I do…when has a Darkmon ever deserved to live? They're worthless, cruel, savage-!" She stopped mid-sentence as she felt a finger poke the side of her face, bringing down her anger with a relieving wave of calm aura.
Lucario retracted his finger. "Breathe…" She took a deep breath and exhaled, repeating the cycle a couple of times. "Good girl." He rested his hands in his lap. "You know as well as I do that isn't true. You know some of them can be good." He narrowed his eyes. "After all…the death of a Darkmon is what made you like this…"
She clenched her teeth together for a brief moment before exhaling a shaky sigh of frustration. "Don't remind me…"
"You've witnessed that, even in a field filled with the harshest of animosity, there are still those rare sparkling gems hidden underneath. The world isn't as black and white as you claim." He closed his eyes. "Hank taught me that nothing is pure good or pure evil."
Azumarill glared at the ground, wiping her eyes. "Are you saying the Darkmon are…?"
He shook his head before she could finish. "Even by that logic, we cannot allow their invasion to proceed, regardless of what your past has shown." He opened his eyes. "All I'm saying is that you shouldn't guide your emotions through hate. It'll lead you down a difficult and self-destructive path. Just try and play nice until they're gone."
She blinked through her tears, wiping away some more. "…fine…I'll try and behave myself. The second our truce is over, though, they're going to regret ever meeting me…"
Lucario sighed, a sweatdrop forming on his head. Well, better than blind hatred…
Their eyes widened as they felt a small rumble through the center. They held on to their chairs to keep themselves stable.
Azumarill glared to the side as a plant fell over. "Are we having an earthquake?"
The bipedal jackal crouched down onto his knee. "I'm not sure…" He placed his hand on the ground to feel for seismic waves. He narrowed his eyes into a surprised glare, feeling a surge of energy running under the floor. They took the shape of curving, purple lines. Two of them stopped and shot up, forcing him to rise.
"What's wrong?" the aqua rabbit asked.
"Get down!" He lunged and pushed her away as two massive black vines shot out of the ground. Debris scattered and rained down on the two Pokémon. They looked up in shock at the two vines as they pointed down at them. The ends opened up into a four hinged jaw with four rows of serrated teeth.
They shot two vines out of their mouths, most likely their tongues, each armed with a thorn on the end. The Pokémon rolled out of the way before they could get stabbed, getting the vines lodged into the ground.
Lucario rolled into a standing position and quickly fired off an Aura Sphere that knocked one of the vine monsters down. The other one retaliated with a glob of acid. The jackal used Psychic and redirected it over his head. Azumarill growled and launched Hydro Pump, forcing it down as well.
As expected, the ruckus had woken up the sleeping trainers. They rushed down the hallway, still in their sleepwear. "What's going on?!" Ash shouted. He, plus the other three, recoiled in shock as the two monsters rose up from the ground.
Jessie and James walked out of their rooms, acting a bit slower since they were still half asleep. Wearing a sleep mask over her eyes, Jessie shouted, "Will you twerps keep it down?! Some of us need our beauty sleep!"
James rubbed his eyes and looked up. His eyes bulged in horror as he staggered back. "J-J-Jessie!" he screeched like a girl.
One of the monsters shook itself and faced the two Rocket agents. Evil whispers echoed through its consciousness:
Kill Team Rocket. Kill them, then the rest.
Its jaws opened, releasing a horrifying screech. Everyone covered their ears in pain.
Jessie threw her mask off and gasped in horror. "What is that wretched thing?!"
The other monster rose up and assisted its fellow vine creature in shooting their tongues at the two. They were quick to expertly dodge the incoming threat. The tongues were retracted and the vines fired volleys of acid at them. They ducked for cover behind a couch, shocked at how fast their protective barrier melted.
They prepared for a second attack when Ash suddenly smashed a chair on top of one of them. "Hey, leave them alone!"
It shook its head and faced the trainer. The raven haired trainer gulped, dropping the two pieces of wood in his hands. The vine opened its mouth to fire acid into his face.
Iris quickly grabbed one of her Pokeballs, seeing as how she only had one usable Pokémon on hand. "Excadrill, use Drill Run!"
The Subterrene Pokémon emerged in a burst of light and, taking on its drill form, rammed into the plant monster before it could harm Ash. Plant mush splattered across the floor as he tore through its body, effectively decapitating the head.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Excadrill."
He landed on his feet and nodded. "(No problem!)" He gasped as the ground under him gave out and a third appeared, wrapping around the mole and constricting his movements.
"Excadrill!" Iris shouted.
Cilan took out one of his Pokeballs. "Stunfisk, dish out a Thunder Shock on this distasteful creature!"
Stunfisk appeared above the monster and fired down Thunder Shock, having no effect on Excadrill due to his typing. The vine screeched and loosened its grip on the mole. He quickly dashed away before it could grab him a second time.
Dawn pulled out a Pokeball. "Togekiss, Aura Sphere!" She threw it in the air.
The majestic Flying-Type spun around gracefully upon release before firing Aura Sphere at the plant monster, knocking it back even further. It shook its head and screeched loudly, shattering the windows around them.
Ash clenched his teeth. "What are those things?!"
Rushed footsteps echoed from behind. They turned and saw Hank, Nurse Joy, and Audino rushing towards them. "Kids, are you alright?!" Hank skidded to a halt. "What in the world?!"
The vine upchucked a glob of acid at him. He grabbed Nurse Joy and Audino and pulled them out of the way, letting the acid melt through the floor.
"Hank, what is that thing?!" Dawn cried, jumping away from a vine it whipped at her.
"It's the vines growing from the Forest of No Light!" He ducked behind the front desk as they tried to whip at him. "But why now?! Has their invasion started early?!"
They stopped their assault on the kids and adults and turned their attention back to Jessie and James, who stepped back in worry. The two vines reared their heads back and fired rapid, miniature shots of acid at them. They ran away from the stream of corrosive liquid as it followed them.
"Why are they fixated on us?!" James shouted.
Hank peeked over the desk, eyes narrowed. He's right. They stopped attacking and focused their attention onto them. How odd. "Lucario, Bone Rush!"
The jackal clenched his fists and slammed them against each other, extending an aura construct of a bone. He spun it around before rushing at the massive vines. Right before they got close to nearly singing James, he slammed the construct down on its head, sealing its mouth shut. He spun the weapon and senselessly beat the creature, giving it no opportunity to counterattack.
"Azumarill, use Belly Drum! Then follow it up with Aqua Jet!"
Azumarill pounded her stomach fiercely, a red aura surrounding her as she maximized her attack power. Then, a veil of water surrounded her, shooting her up in the air and aiming at the second plant monster before it could finish the job. The added strength to her attack tore apart the vine on contact.
Jessie and James collapsed onto their knees to take a breather. "Oh man…that was close…" Jessie heaved.
They, however, couldn't catch a break as the ground tore open again, revealing a wooden snake creature that stretched around the center, curling around like a serpent. Its wooden body was gray and lifeless. The top of its head protruded twisted horns that curved to look like hooks. Its eyes peered down at them. They were hollowed out with purple mist seeping from the inside.
They shrieked in fright and jumped back before it could smash its head down on them. Jessie flipped to her feet and threw a Pokeball. "Woobat, use Air Slash!"
The furry bat appeared and immediately fired energy blades at the snake, cutting through its wooden body. This appeared to work for only a moment, but their hopes were shattered as the snake simply regrew the sliced slabs of wood.
James pulled out his Pokeball and threw it up. "Yamask, use Haze!"
The ghost spun around upon release and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke in the room. The snake didn't appear affected by the smoke, but couldn't see through it, either. Eyes narrowed, it opened it mouth, inhaling all the smoke in one single breath.
Once the room was cleared, it looked around for its quarries. However, everyone seemed to have vanished from sight. It roared loudly and dug its way underground, intended on locating them all by any means necessary.
While the room was filled with smoke, everyone made a quick escape to hide. They doubted it will give up without a fight, so their best solution was to lay low and come up with a plan.
They hid in the back of the center, the safest place they could be for now. Nurse Joy panted heavily. "Oh my…that terrible thing is ruining the center."
Hank placed his ear against the door. "Well, at least there are no injured Pokémon here."
"Hank," Ash said, "you said that thing came from the forest? Why is it attacking us?"
He narrowed his eyes. He could hear the creature smashing up the center determinedly. It won't be long before it finds them all.
"I'm not sure, Ash. It could be that their invasion is starting, but that doesn't seem to be the case."
"What do you mean?"
"We have detection equipment scattered around the perimeter of the forest. If they invasion had started, they'd all be going off. And I know they're still in working condition." He glared. "After all, Dark wants us to know when he plans to invade, just to mess with us."
"That sounds crazy," Iris muttered.
"He's sadistic, but also clever." He closed his eyes. "Still, that doesn't explain why he would attack so early."
"Forget that!" Jessie shouted. "We have something more important to discuss!"
James slapped his hand over her mouth. "Jessie, calm down!" he cried in a hushed tone. "That thing is still out there!"
She peeled his hand off and glared. "Why are they attacking us? They stopped attacking you and the twerps and went straight for us."
"That, I do not know. What I do know is that we need to exterminate that creature before it wrecks the entire building…" He clenched his teeth. "…or gets to us first."
Ash narrowed his eyes worriedly as the creature kept shifting through the ground. "Any options?"
"Well, we can slow it down with Ice-Types. Burning it back is our best option for completely destroying it. The forest can naturally regenerate, but fire can destroy their cells. It's the best substitute we have to the sun." He glanced at them. "Do any of you have Fire-Types?"
Ash, Dawn, and Iris bowed their heads sheepishly. "Uh, we did have Pokémon who can use fire, but…" Iris trailed off, mumbling the last of her sentences.
Hank groaned and rubbed his face. "Of course…"
"Hold on," James spoke up, pointing to Yamask. "Yamask's Will-o-Wisp could do the trick."
The old man narrowed his eyes. "It's our best option." He pointed at Dawn, Iris, and Cilan. "You all still have some of your Pokémon. They might come in handy to tear that thing down."
"What about me?" Ash asked.
Ah yes, Ash. Unfortunately, since all of his team volunteered to search for Pikachu, he didn't have any Pokémon to assist him in battle. And they couldn't get to a machine to retrieve any of his other Pokemon in storage with that snake still slithering about. He was the most defenseless out of all of them.
Hank grabbed a Pokeball from around his waist and handed it to him. "Here, you can use one of mine. Think you can handle it?"
He gripped the Pokeball tightly and nodded. "I'll give it my all!"
He nodded, then looked at Nurse Joy. "Joy, it'd be best if you exited the building. I wish not for you to be put in harm's way."
She didn't have any complaints. "Alright, but please be careful."
"We will." He stood up and grabbed the doorknob. "Lucario and I will create a diversion to draw its fire. The moment I have it restrained, you all go at it with all your might."
"Right!" the trainers and Pokémon shouted in unison.
Hank nodded at Lucario before kicking the door open and rushing out. "Lucario, get its attention!"
The jackal created miniature Aura Spheres and fired them all over the hallway, exploding loudly.
As expected, the snake emerged from under them, screeching with anger. The two agents rolled away from the destructive entrance and dashed towards it. They channeled aura into their hands and punched both sides of its face, caving it in almost instantly.
The snake regenerated, reshaping its head back to normal, then glared at them in annoyance. Their attacks didn't so much as faze it. In retaliation, it showered needles from its body, covering the area around him.
Hank glanced at Lucario, who could sense what he had in mind. Nodding in response, he used Psychic to stop the needles in their place. Hank charged under them as they floated in midair and delivered a sharp uppercut to the snake's chin. The force of his punch shattered the wood into splinters.
It pushed against the punch as it regenerated and whacked him across the side with its tail. He braced himself, pushing against the strong slap.
Despite slowly getting worn out, he couldn't help himself but to smirk. "You're a strong fella, aren't you? Wish I could give you a good fight, but I'm not at a hundred percent at the moment. Serves me right for passing on sleep. But allow me to show you what I can still do."
He grabbed it by the tail and threw it over his shoulder, catching it off guard. He slammed it down hard. He crouched a bit as Lucario ran up, jumped off his back, and threw down a volley of Aura Spheres, destroying more and more of the wooden monster.
The snake lunged up and bashed its head against the jackal, sending him flying over Hank. The old agent wasn't pleased by this and charged, shoulder first, into the snake, pushing it across the ground and into the wall, which collapsed from the force.
Hank raised his hand up and chopped through the middle of the snake's torso with his aura infused hand. It tried to bite him, but he quickly threw a roundhouse kick into its face, smashing up even more of it.
He panted heavily and staggered back, placing a hand over his heart. "Keep it together, ticker. You're not giving out on me today." He may be a skilled fighter, but age came with some consequences. Shave a few years off and he might not be as worn down. If he were in better shape and properly suited, he wouldn't be feeling as weary.
The snake rose up and screeched once more, before shooting its pointed vine tongue at the old agent. He caught it just before it pierced his chest. With a mighty tug, he yanked the snake over to him and slammed his fist dead center in his face.
He smirked with a bit of pride, but suddenly cried out in pain when the snake's tail, which it reshaped to have a sharper point, slashed across his legs. Fortunately, it didn't aim for any arteries. This forced the old man to collapse to his knees.
Purple smoke shot from its eyes, reflecting its angered mood, before rearing its head back and slamming it into the man's gut, then sent him flying across the hallway. He smashed against a wall, groaning in irritation.
Lucario growled, then retaliated by using Bone Rush on the creature's head. It flinched from the blow, but recovered fast enough to wrap around the jackal, constricting him in a tight hold. It clenched its wooden body tightly, attempting to crush the Aura Pokémon's bones until they made that 'oh-so-satisfying' snapping sound.
"Yamask, Will-o-Wisp!"
The snake's attention was drawn to the flurry of spirit fire hailing down on its back. The once pale wood that made up its back started blackening until it fell apart into ashes. This did not please the wooden snake, as it turned its head around to confront the assailant and, lo and behold, stood two of the people it was sent to kill, along with the other trainers it will take the pleasure of torturing.
With a hiss from the smoke escaping its mouth, it flicked Lucario to the side roughly, to which he pushed himself up and ran to check on his master.
James gulped. His knees shook worriedly. They got its attention, now the next phase of their plan was to actually beat it. Oh boy… "Uuuhhh…surrender, you fowl…monster…"
Jessie groaned and pushed him to the side. "Listen up, you wooden serpent! It's bad enough you ruined my sleep! Trying to kill me, however, is going too far! You stand in the presence of the great and powerful Team Rocket! A lowly creature such as yourself will never-"
Having no interest in hearing her possibly lengthy and self-proclaimed superiority speech, the snake fired needles from its mouth. In response, Woobat used Gust to keep them from hitting his master. They stopped in midair and scattered away from the group.
The redheaded Rocket member was not pleased. "Oh, now you've done it! Woobat, use Air Slash!"
"Togekiss, you use Air Slash as well! Mamonswine, Ice Shard!"
"Stunfisk, Sludge Bomb! Crustle, Rock Wrecker!" Cilan commanded.
"Excadrill, Focus Blast!" Iris shouted.
"Yamask, Shadow Ball!" James joined in.
The four sets of attacks were fired into the face of the snake. It recoiled in pain as the attacks tore off large chunks of its face, plus blew up the middle of its torso. However, it didn't do much to keep it down. Both ends of the severed torso extended out to each other and reattached, repairing the damage as if it never happened. Plus, with the reattachment, it has now increased in length, stretching even higher above them.
They stepped back in worry. "Anyone got a plan B?" Iris asked with chattering teeth.
Ash looked at the Pokeball in his hand. He glared determinedly at the snake. "Hopefully, yes. Alright, come on out and help us!" he shouted as he threw the Pokeball in the air, releasing it in a burst of light.
Landing on the ground was a Heatmor, who swiped his claws furiously, ready for a battle.
"Whoa, a Heatmor!" Ash exclaimed. He clenched his fist with a determined smile. "Alright Heatmor, let's work together and take that thing out!"
Heatmor looked back at his substitute trainer. He got the low-down about their battle through what he could hear from inside the comforts of his Pokeball. He nodded. "(Gotcha, kid!)"
The snake roared and thrusted at the new opponent. Barely having time to react, Heatmor grappled its horns and pushed against it, digging his feet into the ground for leverage. He struggled to keep the wooden monster still as it attempted to throw the anteater against the walls.
Ash quickly pulled out his Pokedex to check for moves. "Alright, let me see…" He nodded at the list of moves. "Okay, got it!" He pocketed the device away. "Heatmor, use Flame Burst!"
Eyes widening in anticipation for battle, the anteater shoved the snake's head down and jumped over it. He spat flames from his mouth and compressed it into a spherical flame. He cupped it around his hand and threw it down, exploding over it in a fiery blast.
Lucario wrapped Hank's arm around his neck and helped him to his feet. The old man held his stomach, throbbing in pain. "I'm fine, Lucario. I just need a minute…" He peered up at the kids and Rocket agents as they fought the tree snake. If this is just the forest, I'm not looking forward to taking on an army of Darkmon.
The monster extended branches from its body like multiple, flexible tentacles and whipped them at the group. They jumped away from them.
Dawn stumbled back before pointing at Mamoswine. "Alright Mamoswine, Take Down!"
The Twin Tusk Pokémon roared up at the air before going into an unstoppable charge into the snake.
"Now freeze it with Ice Fang!"
His tusks glowed with icy energy before becoming fully coated in a thick layer of ice. He smashed his tusks against its sides. The snake hissed smoke as its body began to freeze over.
James smirked. "Nice going, twerp! Alright Yamask, weaken it with Night Shade!"
Yamask hovered over Mamoswine and wailed a haunting tone, echoing waves of ghostly energy down on the monster. It growled and moved back from the energy as more ice traveled up its body.
Jessie grinned in triumph. "Yes! We're winning!"
The monster's head filled with dark whispers. Don't let them push you around. Show them the true power of the Forest of No Light. Show them why the Darkmon…are not to be trifled with!
A red glowed peered from its vacant, hollow eyes. It stretched its head up and wailed loudly, surprising Mamoswine and Yamask. Wooden spikes extended from its body and pierced through the ice. It then used its branch vines to wrap around Mamoswine, lift him off his feet, and toss him into Yamask, slamming both Pokemon into the wall, which toppled under the force of the mammoth's size.
"Mamoswine!" Dawn cried.
"My poor Yamask!" James wailed.
Ash growled at the monster. "Heatmor, use Stockpile!" He nodded and took a deep breath. His form increased in size for a short period before deflating down. "Now use Focus Blast!"
The anteater ran towards the snake with the orb of focused energy shaping in his hand. The wooden creature whipped at him with its tentacles. However, because of the increase in defenses from Stockpile, they didn't hurt as badly. He managed to get in close and rammed the sphere into the snake's face, sending a shower of wooden splinters across the room.
"Now use Flame Burst before it regenerates!"
The anteater attempted to use the attack, but a vine wrapped around his ankle and lifted him upside down. He flailed wildly, trying to escape. He looked down and gasped. The head of the snake slowly regenerated, reshaping into a snake head with sharp, pointy teeth, designed to pierce through the Pokémon's flesh.
"Heatmor!" Ash shouted.
Azumarill glared angrily and ran forward, not about to let her teammate get skewered. She used Aqua Jet and rocketed through the snake's torso, distracting it for a moment.
Jessie glared. "Woobat, cut Heatmor free!"
Woobat flew towards Heatmor and used Air Slash on the vine. The anteater flipped and bounced off his captor's head. He gave the bat a fellow salute. "(Thanks for the save!)" He smiled proudly.
"Now Crustle," Cilan shouted, "use Shell Smash! Then use X-Scissor!"
Crustle jumped out of his shell as a white glow cascaded over his body. It shattered off like shell pieces, leaving him with a crimson glow. Then, the pieces wrapped around his claws as he dived down at the snake, increasing the power of his attack.
Azumarill dodged a tail slap from the snake, who was too occupied with the rabbit to dodge the X-Scissor slicing through its back.
"Excadrill, Drill Run!" Iris shouted.
As if it couldn't catch a break, the snake was further torn apart by the mole drilling into its body, sending wooden debris spinning through the air.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Heatmor, let's wrap this up! Use Stockpile twice!" He nodded, understanding his plan. He took a couple deep breaths, increasing his defenses.
A chunk of the snake's eye peered at the two. It widened in anger. Excadrill and Crustle found themselves shoved back as the snake regenerated at a rapid rate.
Much to their surprise, two more heads grew out of the body while the third finally regenerated. The three snake heads towered over their opponents, forcing them to step back. Three pairs of eyes glared down at the Pokémon before they rammed their heads into them, smashing them down into the floor.
"Stunfisk, Mud Bomb!" Cilan shouted.
Stunfisk fired at the snake to gain its attention. It glared and launched the third head at him, knocking him back to his trainer.
"Togekiss, Sky Attack!"
Togekiss maneuvered around the snake heads as they tried to snap their teeth down on her wings. Her body glowed in white energy, then she u-turned into then, slashing through two of their necks. She went around for the third, but was stopped when the third head spat its tongue at her.
It poked into her skin and, suddenly, she cried out in pain as her body erupted in purple energy, traveling down the vine and into the snake. The thin vapors seeping from its hollow eyes became thicker, expelling more energy from the inside.
Dawn gasped. "No, Togekiss!" She turned to Mamoswine, who was struggling to rise. "Mamonswine, please, get up!"
The mammoth would want nothing more than to rest, but seeing the pain twisting in his teammate's face gave him the strength to push himself up, ignoring the pain in his legs. He had one thing on his mind and that was saving Togekiss.
He snorted at Dawn, who smiled. "Thank you! Now, use Ice Fang!"
The ice coated around his tusks and he charged at the snake. Once he was in range, he swung his left tusk up and skewered the beast through the head. Ice formed around the creature's head, making it lose focus on its vine and ending its assault on Togekiss, who then proceeded to float weakly to the ground.
Dawn ran over and caught her. "Togekiss! Are you okay?!"
She looked up at her with a weak smile. "(I shall be fine…thank you for your concern…)"
The snake forced its jaw open, shattering the ice around its head. It hissed as its other three heads regrew to full form, each with an angered expression, aimed mostly at the two Rocket agents they were assigned to exterminate.
Jessie growled. "They won't stay down…"
Ash glared. "Then we'll just have to hit them harder! Heatmor, Flame Burst!"
The anteater threw the ball of fire at the snakes, exploding right in their faces. The flames licked their wooden body, setting them ablaze. They screeched, trying to smother them before it was too late.
However, a strong force came over them. Psychic energy wrapped around their body and held them in place. Since they didn't have actual eyes, they were able to look behind without turning their heads to spot Lucario forcing them down with his Psychic.
The jackal smirked at them. "(Not bad for an old timer, eh?)" However, because of his weaken state, he wasn't sure how long he could hold it still. He could see it struggling to break his mental grasp. He growled and looked at the trainers. "(Fire now before it breaks loose!)"
Ash nodded and looked at Heatmor. "Alright, let's wrap this up with Spit Up!"
He nodded and took in a deep breath, preparing to fire the powerful energy building up inside him.
The snake didn't look pleased by this intended finishing attack and struggled harder to break out of Lucario's hold. He cringed excruciatingly, trying not to lose concentration.
Suddenly, he saw Hank run pass him. Half his shirt was torn off, wrapped around his bleeding legs, which he did a bit of aura healing on to stop the bleeding. He couldn't do much for the throbbing pain, but he pushed through it.
He leaped across the hallway and grappled around the creature's neck, shocking the group and making Heatmor cancel his attack before he fired it. He clenched his right fist, while having his left arm hooked around the snake's neck, and proceeded to beat the living daylights out of it.
This irritated the snake. Its two other heads lunged at him, hoping to rip him in half. The old man smirked and backflipped off the snake, leaving the two heads to sink their sharpened teeth into…well, themselves.
"Ash, now! While it's distracted!" he shouted at him.
The raven haired trainer blinked before glaring forward. "Alright Heatmor, use Spit Up!"
Heatmor inhaled a sharp breath before exhaling a massive white beam of concentrated energy, a beam so wide that it tore through the walls, ceiling, and floor of the hallway.
The snake heads finally got themselves together, but the deed was done. They watched in horror as the beam overlapped them and ripped through their body like tissue paper. Hank and Lucario ducked behind a corner, covering their eyes from the blinding light and dusty debris created from such an attack.
The outside of the Pokémon Center exploded up as the beam pierced through it, traveling across the grass for quite some distance before dissipating after a certain point. The immense shock of the blast scared away any wild Pokémon that happened to be with earshot.
Once the beam dissipated, all that was left in its way was a long, charred trail across the grass and parts of the Pokémon Center caught in the beam's line of fire.
Smoke seeped out of the partially destroyed Pokémon Center. Thankfully, everyone was unharmed. The shock from the beam had knock them all down. They picked themselves up, groaning from the loud ringing in their ears.
Hank and Lucario stepped out from around the corner and ran over to them. "Is everyone alright?"
"Y-Yeah…" Iris muttered, rubbing her sore head. "For the most part, at least."
They helped them back to their feet. Hank turned to Heatmor with a disapproving stare. "Went a little overkill with the Spit Up, buster." The anteater sheepishly shrugged, having nothing to say for his actions. This made the old man sigh, pinching between his eyes. "Well…at least that's taken cared of…ugh…" He stumbled backwards, clutching his legs.
"Hank!" Everyone ran around him.
"Are you okay?" Cilan asked.
He cringed as he stared at his legs. "I'll…be fine…ugh, here I thought getting nailed by a…Rampardos was the worst injury I took…"
"Oh dear!" They looked up to see Nurse Joy and Audino at the front entrance…what was left of the front entrance. "Is everyone alright?!"
"We're fine, but Hank's injured!" Ash informed.
Hank smiled irritably. "Nothing more than a scratch, Nurse Joy. Nothing to worry about." Lucario deadpanned at his master and smacked him in the back of the head. "OW!" He rubbed his head, shooting a small glare at his partner. "Okay, a little more than a scratch…"
The nurse crouched down and examined the wound. "Oh my…we need to patch that up before you get an infection." She stood up and turned to Audino. "Audino, check to see if there are sterilizing equipment and bandages laying around."
She saluted. "(Yes ma'am!)" She ran off to locate said items.
"Bring Mr. Hayashi to the treatment room so we can help him. Once I'm done with him, I'll get started on treating your Pokémon."
"Right!" Nurse Joy ran to the treatment center to prep.
Cilan and James reached down, wrapped the man's arms around their shoulders, and helped him up. He grunted from the pressure on his legs. "Easy, sir," Cilan warned.
"Everyone keeps saying I'm a stubborn old timer…" He chuckled quietly. "Perhaps I overdid it a bit. Putting myself at risk like that may not have been the wisest move."
Dawn smiled. "Hey, at least we won!"
"Perhaps…" He glanced out the open hole in the front of the center. "But I fear the hours are ticking closer to the inevitable. What you all just witness may have been a small sample of their forces, nothing compared to what we'll have to face soon…"
Jessie folded her arms with a cocky smirk. "Well, we'll just have to show them what we're capable of." She clenched her fist. "If those monsters think they can get away with attacking me in the middle of the night, they got another thing coming!"
Hank sighed. He looked at the trainers. "Sorry I put you all through this mess."
Ash smiled. "It's alright. We're happy to help out. If it means protecting the world, then we're on board." His friends nodded in agreement.
The old agent smiled back. "That's good to hear…" He grunted, alerting Cilan and James to hold him up more, taking pressure off his legs. "We better hurry before I keel over. I still got some good years left in me…"
They nodded and started helping him to the treatment room. Everyone returned their Pokémon, thanking them for putting up a good fight. Lucario, Azumarill, and Heatmor followed behind.
Fang clenched his teeth. Damn humans…they're tougher than I gave them credit for. He smirked. No matter. They're on their hands and knees at this point. One more shove should do the trick…
He prepared to summon another wave when he felt a hand wrap around his neck. "Oh no-" He was thrown across the throne area and smashed against a tree. He looked up dizzily, the blurry, tripled sight of his lord, staring down at him with a disapproving gaze. "L-Lord Dark…you're back?!"
"I've been back for a while…" He psychically lifted him and shoved him against the tree. He slowly walked towards him. "What do you think you're doing?"
"M-My lord, please understand! Those humans were planning to revolt against us!"
"Tell me something I don't know."
Fang gulped, trying to fib his way out of this. If Dark caught wind of his treacherous deeds, this will all have been for nothing. "You must understand, the day of the invasion is soon and-"
"-and you decided to go behind my back and initiate such a foolish plan without proper planning?" Dark's eyes glowed red, with Fang's glowing as well. "The humans are none of our concern. Do you understand?"
It took a moment to answer with his mind filling with the deepest, darkest of dreads and horrors, curtesy of his lord's Fear Glance. "Of…Of course, Lord Dark!"
Satisfied, he released his hold on him, ending his mental assault. He floated to his throne. "They'll get what's coming to them in due time. Once the central bulb releases the dark smog into the sky, everything with go as plan." He sat himself in his throne. "I don't need you making hasty decisions without my consent."
Fang stood up, unsteadily, then bowed. "I understand, sir, but don't you think it's about time we put an end to these games and strike while we can?"
"We will upon doomsday. The bulb will need time to mature before it can release the smog. It'll be a big day for the entire world. I'm not bumping up my plans simply because you grow impatient." He leaned back, eyes shut. "You can wait two more days. Should be plenty of time to reconsider your place."
Something in the back of Fang's mind nearly snapped. Know my place, eh? Where? At the bottom of your foot? Regardless, he kept his meekly composure and bowed with a faux uneasy smile. "It won't happen again, sir. I look forward to the invasion."
Dark smirked. "Excellent." He opened his eyes, staring down at him. "Big things are coming, my loyal subject. Doomsday shall be a day that'll go down in Darkmon history."
"Of course, my lord." He bowed and made his leave, gliding out of sight.
Once he was out of range, his face twisted into a cold, angry stare. "Know my place…Know my place?! ARRRG!"
Involuntarily, his right pincer glowed and increased in size before effortlessly slashing through a tree, cleanly removing a large chunk of it. The top half of the tree crashed to the ground, rustling the nearby leaves off their branches.
He panted heavily, deactivating his attack. He clenched his pincers tightly with a vexed expression. "If you only knew what I'm fully capable of, Dark…you wouldn't feel as high and mighty…" He relaxed his pincer and sighed. "Stick to the plan…stick to the plan…"
He heard a ringing behind him. He reached behind his wings and pulled out his communication device. His eyes narrowed curiously. Why was he calling now? Perhaps an update on things.
He placed it in his ear and clicked it. "What?"
A low chuckle was the first thing he could hear. "Well, isn't that a rather harsh greeting."
Fang scoffed. "Don't toy with me. I'm about ready to cut off the closest living creature's throat to vent some frustration. I wouldn't care if it was you."
"That's what I like about you, Fang. You only care about yourself. You don't care who you have to kill, as long as it suits your desires." Fang could tell his boss was stretching a smirk out. "Anyway, I'm calling in to see if everything is prepared. Two days, correct?"
He nodded. "Yes, that's right. That's when it'll all go down." He glared. "How do you know things will go your way? You sound like you've seen the outcome of this battle." He raised a brow. "Can you see the future or something?"
The voice chuckled. "Far from it. I'm just very good at planning for any situation. It's a specialty of mine."
Fang sighed. "That intelligence of yours is plain freaky…"
"Regardless, I don't take chances in battle. Neither should you. Now, have you managed to stir up any hatred in these intruders?"
"Quite a lot. They're aimed at destroying this place once and for all."
A devious cackle came from his communicator. "A fine job, Fang. Your mission is done for now. Do try to stir up as much trouble as possible on doomsday, if you could. We need to make every little bit of it count."
Fang narrowed his eyes. "You still haven't told me what you gain out of this. You said, once everything is set, we'll join forces. To do what, though? What are you planning?"
"All in due time, Fang, all in due time. I mustn't dillydally. I have other calls to make and experiments to finish. My agents can be very finicky. Apparently, some just don't seem to like being strapped to an operation table. It takes me forever to put them under." He chuckled. "Well, can't do anything about it."
Fang grimaced, not even wanting to know what this man, or creature, does to his agents. All he does know is that he regularly experiments on them, which only adds more mystery to the torturous mayhem he puts them through.
"Of course, sir…"
"Just act casual until the big day, Fang. You'll get what you desire under my leadership. That…is a promise." He ended with an ominous chuckle, cutting the call in mid-laughter.
Fang pulled the communicator out and hid it back behind his wings. "That guy gives me the chills…" He smirked forward. "Still, with his help, this will all be worth it in the end." He stretched his wings out and flew off into the darkness.