Laura sat in her hut as her two servants were hard at work, prepping her for tomorrow night's ceremony. They wanted everything to be perfect for their lord and their future queen. Despite the android having no need to wear clothes, they insisted on her wearing something for the occasion. Her only guess was these two Dark Kirlia retained the memories of their counterparts and had something to do with fashion. That's the only way she could explain their obsession with clothes.

Of course, the dresses they were showing off were made from the dark plants in the forest. She had to admit, though, they were expertly made and beautiful. Yes, she said the same thing about the previous dresses, but they were clearly pulling out all the stops on this one. They used the different types of plants in combination with the moss to give them some character.

She appreciated what they were doing, but her mind would always wander back a glaring problem with this wedding: she was planning on helping Meowth with a revolution. With her failure to convince Dark to give up his evil intentions, she was now stuck thinking about destroying him. The thought of doing it made her circuits twist in knots.

She knew Dark was evil, possibly too evil for her tastes, but she couldn't just destroy him. Even if his intentions are to create a new world for his subjects, it still meant having to destroy the planet and all other life on it. She may work for Team Rocket, but she never had the intention of destroying the planet…at least, when she wasn't blindly saying she'll join Dark in her stupors. She promised to help Meowth, but…

Could she really bring herself to killing Dark?

One of the Dark Kirlia presented a black dress with a spider web styled skirt. "Now, don't you think this will look attractive for when you're escorted to your beloved?"

Laura blinked and shook herself wake. She offered a sideways grin of awkwardness. "Uh…well…"

The other Dark Kirlia bumped her to the side. "Oh please, she doesn't need that." She presented a silky dress with a flora head piece, made up of black roses. "Now this seems like the dress for you."

The first servant tackled her. "She likes mine better!"

"No, she prefers mine!"

Laura groaned as her servants fought each other in a dust cloud. I know one thing, though. I'm certainly not going to miss these two morons.

She heard movement from outside, despite the loud fight in front of her. She stood up and poked her head out the entrance. She smiled at the return of her dear friend, Meowth. "Oh thank goodness!" She dashed out and hugged him tightly.

He wheezed out air, something that nearly brought a chuckle out of Chloe. "H-Hey, Laura…"

She dropped him. "I'm so glad you're here!" She glared at her hut. "My idiot servants are driving me nuts in there!" She clenched her head and groaned. "I'm a freakin' android! I don't need any dang clothes, certainly not a dress!"

Chloe shrugged. "If you ask me, a simple accessory would do. Not like Lord Dark is fancying himself up."

"Finally!" she shouted in relief. "Someone who gets what I'm saying!" She sighed and face-palmed. "If I do become queen, my first royal order is to execute those two."

Meowth dusted himself off and stretched his limbs. "Well, there isn't going to be a royal wedding after we're done."

Laura scratched the back of her head with a saddened expression. "Yeah…hooray…"

The cat blinked at her change in mood. Almost immediately, the source of her discomfort clicked in his head. "I take it you couldn't talk Dark out of his plans?"

She shook her head. "Not once…"

He expected this. Anyone that dead set on destroying the world without a shadow of a doubt, no regretful coincidence, or anything, wouldn't sacrifice all they've worked for just to make one creature happy. Dark says he cares for Laura…but he clearly cares more about himself.

Feeling it was the best move, he reached out and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, Laura."

She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to rid herself of these negative emotions. She wanted to store all these hurt thoughts into a file and bury them under hundreds more just so they can never be opened again.

She shrugged his hand off. "N-No…it's fine. This is much more important than my feelings…"

Somewhere deep in the pit of his stomach, Meowth felt a twinge of guilt for indirectly being the cause of her sadness. He only wanted her to gain some closure to her confused, warring emotions.

She slapped her cheeks to regain focus and stared directly at the cat. She shouldn't be thinking about Dark. This was far more important. "So, what's the plan?"

He blinked back into reality. "Huh? Oh, right!" He cleared his throat, then folded his arms behind his back. "While you were gone, Chloe and I took the liberty of gaining new forces for our rebellion."

"You actually managed to get some Darkmon to go along with your plan?" Laura questioned with a raised brow. She had to hand it to him, that would be an excellent step in the right direction.

"Actually, no."

…well, she did say would be.

"Then, who did you get?"

He scratched behind his ear. "Well, we didn't have many options, so I had to resort to the only source of help I had easy access to." He gestured to Chloe. "Our dear friend here managed to lock away four of the twerps' Pokémon so they'd stay out of the grasps of the Darkmon."

The android blinked twice, then pinched between her eyes. "You…seriously recruited them?"

"Yep!" he stated proudly.

She deadpanned and offered a slow clap. "Greeeat…they're sure to be a big help. After all, it's not like they've been captured or anything."

He glared. "Oh, haha…"

"In all seriousness," Chloe intervened, "they did evade our scouts for quite some time, and trapped most of them to get information for their sick friend. At least we know they'll be able to pull off a successful ambush."

Laura rolled her eyes. "Fair enough, but even four Pokémon aren't going to be enough. Our best chances are Chloe and me, and that's just taking into account fighting the lower class Darkmon."

"She is right. We would still have to worry about Savage, Fang-" She, plus Meowth, were caught off guard when Laura suddenly broke down in laughter, actually falling onto her back and holding her sides.

"O…Oh no!" she shouted through her laughter. "N-Not Fang, the wimpy second-in-command! Oh the h-h-humanit-AHAHAHA!"

Chloe blinked, then glanced at Meowth. "So…when will she stop?"

"Since she doesn't need to breathe air, she could literally keep this up until she loses power," he responded with a deadpan stare.

Fortunately, it didn't come to that as the android calmed herself down and sat up. "Phew…haha, I'm sorry, but how is Fang a threat? Slap the fool a couple of times and instant victory."

"Fang's experience in battle isn't one to be impressed with, but he is Lord Dark's second in command for a reason. He keeps him in line and makes sure our scouts stay on task when our lord is unavailable."

She waved it off. "Even so, I can beat the idiot's skull in and be done with him."

Chloe sighed, then turned to Meowth. "Even so, there is still Savage. He's an excellent hunter and very powerful. It may be best that you leave him to me."

The cat nodded in agreement. "Good idea."

"So, what about the bulb? We still need to destroy it AND escape once the Darkmon see our betrayal," Laura reminded.

Meowth chuckled and rubbed his knuckles against his chest. "Right you are, my friend. Fortunately, I've concocted a foolproof plan that will surely grant us victory: using the forest against itself."

"Huh?" Laura questioned with a head tilt.

Chloe explained, "The explosive plants found in the forest would serve as excellent incendiary bombs to annihilate the bulb. Enough firepower will reduce it to ash in mere moments."

"Our plan is to have the twerp Pokémon set them off after dropping them from a vantage point. During the ceremony, Krookodile will be tunneling an escape route for all of us and seal it off once we get to the surface."

The android crossed her arms. "And your plan for if and when the Darkmon follow us down there?"

"It's a small space, Laura. We can easily collapse the tunnel behind us to cut them off. Simple solution."

The plan sounded a little risky, as it relied on perfect timing and, at its core, luck. Still, it was simple enough to pull off with the muscle they were packing.

Getting pass Fang shouldn't be a problem, but Savage may be a tricky one to evade. And, in the end, it all led up to escaping…Dark. She didn't want to be there when he realizes he has been duped. No Pokémon or Darkmon would dare stick around to see that horror show.

Laura clenched her fist tightly, trying to keep her thoughts on the Lord of Fear away. She released a shaky sigh and said, "Sounds good, I guess…"

Meowth frowned. "Laura, you know we have no choice in this…"

"I know…I'll…" She rubbed her arm. "I'll…try and get over it once we're done…"

He surprised her with a hug. "Just remember, I'll be here for you to help you through those complicated emotions of yours…"

She blinked, then laughed weakly as she hugged him back. "Y-You…helping me with love problems? The id…idea is to cheer me up, not depress me with another one of your romantic failures."

He clenched his teeth into an angry smile. "Don't kill the mood…"

She shook her head with a tiny chuckle. "Sorry…" She glanced at Chloe, who was looking away out of curtesy. She smirked a bit. Though, you might find a girl soon enough.

The cat pulled away, but kept his hands on her shoulders. "Chloe and I need to prepare for tomorrow. You just hold out and stay inconspicuous. Make sure you're combat ready for tomorrow."

She looked at the wooden features that were holding her limbs in place. "I'll…have to make some adjustments to your…'repairs', but I think I can get something up and running before tomorrow night."

"Excellent." He looked pass his friend as he saw the dust cloud of madness rolling out of her hut. He sweatdropped. "Err…best we leave so you can separate those two."

Laura groaned. "Right…" She looked at the ground, shuffling her feet. "I'll…see you two at the ceremony tomorrow night."

He gave a friendly salute. "Take care, Laura." He turned around and began his leave. He saw that Chloe wasn't following his. "Uh…Chloe?"

"Just a minute, Meowth." She turned to the android. "Lady Laura, before I go, perhaps I can offer you some advice about what you're going through."

She looked away from the Darkmon. "I'm fine, don't worry about me…I'll get over it…"

"I insist. I may not be truly knowledgeable about matters of the heart, but I can see the pain in your body language. You truly care for my lord, do you not?" She gave an inaudible mumble. "There isn't much I can do to help. All I will say is that…try and…stay positive. Think about what truly matters to you. You may have been swooned by Lord Dark, but consider the safety of your friends, your family. It…might help you through this ordeal."

Thinking of Jessie, James, and Meowth…they're truly a part of her life now. Family was something she valued highly over anything else, all because of them. Perhaps thinking about them would lessen the blow to her 'heart'.

She released a shaky chuckle. "If you say so…"

The Darkmon nodded and joined Meowth on their trek back to his hut. He leaned over to her and whispered, "Where did that come from? Never thought I'd hear being encouraging like that."

She shrugged. "Guess I've picked up a lot more about kindness than I realized. Must be your influence."

The cat felt himself blush, along with a sense of pride swelling up in him. "Well, I am pretty great when it comes to giving encouraging speeches."

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "Don't get a big head over it."

Fog swirled around the throne area, as the Lord of Fear himself was busy conducting some testing on his prized plant. He floated over the snarling bulb as it lashed its vines out in random directions, desperate for the taste of fresh energy. This wasn't a sign of starvation, however. It was a lust for power.

Dark grinned maliciously at the bulb, rubbing the sides soothingly. "Shh…there, there. Only one more day until you reign over this pitiful land. All the Pokémon and human energy to feast on. And soon, new minions to take over the population of this world." He floated upside-down, arms crossed. "This planet will soon be ours."

He saw the bulb's sides were stretching out. It was close to blooming.

He rubbed his hands together with a cruel smirk. Tomorrow, everything will change. He'll have a queen to rule by his side and he'll become a god among all life.

"Lord Dark?" He turned around to see his loyal huntsman, Savage, enter his throne area with his two minions by his side. He waved his hand around in the fog with a look of confusion. "Why is there fog here?"

The Darkmon Lord shrugged with an innocent grin. "It's for the atmosphere. Can't a guy plot in the darkness with some ambiance to back it up?"

The Dark Marowak scratched his head. Never question the lord's unusual mindset. "Anyway, I am here to report that I have not located the remaining Pokémon yet."

Dark floated up to his throne and rested in it. "Really? Aww, such a shame. And with only one day left before…"

Savage sighed. His lord had no need to finish that statement. "I'm well aware, sir. I staked my pride as your hunter for your challenge and now I must pay for it."

"You act as if you lost the challenge. You still have one day left."

"I wouldn't be able to find them in that time." He bowed to one knee. "I am ready to have my title as huntsman revoked."

Dark glanced down at the hunter. He closed his eyes and smirked, shaking his head in pity. "So foolish…" he said as he readjusted himself to lay in his throne. "You call yourself a hunter and you stand before me acting like a weakling. Perhaps having your title as huntsman removed would teach you to grow a spine in the face of your superior."

Savage felt ashamed to show such cowardice in front of his lord, giving up so easy when he could still make a difference. However, despite capturing one group, his chances of locating the others were well out of his reach. Not to mention their 'Shadow' problem, which would prove to be a challenge in of itself for the hunter.

"I am ready to accept my punishment."

He expected to be struck down with flames, frozen over in a wave of ice, or, in a more barbaric matter, get clonked on the head hard enough to bury him into the earth, thirty or fifty feet perhaps. He wasn't expecting, however, for his lord to laugh. It was his usual menacing laugh, but it didn't carry a tone that screamed 'murder'.

"Relax yourself, Savage. Punishment is not necessary." He sat properly in his throne. "True, you failed to capture ALL the intruders, but you still managed to capture one group." He snickered. "Not like I expected you to capture the other group with how long you've taken."

Savage blinked in confusion. "My…My lord, with all due respect, I still lost the bet."

"I said you'd lose your rights as my general, not my huntsman. You're a skilled tracker, Savage. I can't possibly remove my best hunter from his current standing." He smirked. "I can always mold one of the more experienced Darkmon into a stronger general, trained by you for all I care."

"You…mean it, sir?"

"I'd do it, but I'm too lazy. So, yes, I mean it."

He bowed his head in respect. "I'll do as you wish, my lord!" He blinked in thought, then looked back up. "But, didn't you say after the challenge, you'd hunt down the remaining intruders."

He gazed at his claws, flexing them. "Eh, I can do that tomorrow night."

"But sir, that's when the ceremony commences. When we begin doomsday."

He chuckled. "Don't worry your pretty little head. I'm quite the multitasker. Tomorrow is a special day for everyone. Me, my future queen, and my loyal subjects." He reached towards the leaves above. "If you think I can't handle some measly pests, then I might as well destroy the central bulb myself and sacrifice myself to the mighty ball of death hanging over the day."

The huntsman still looked unsure. "I don't know, Lord Dark. Your power is overwhelming, but these Pokémon have been giving us the slip far longer than any creature we've encountered. Plus, with the Shadow knowing our weaknesses, we would be at a disadvantage."

Dark glared down at the Dark Marowak. "Need I remind you who I am? I've ran those paltry weaklings ragged." He smirked widely. "Who's stupid enough to take me on in a fight and expect to win?"

"I suppose you're right, sir." He bowed. "I shall have the scouts keep a close eye out for suspicious activity."

"Good." He rested his elbow on his armrest, pressing his cheek against his fist. "See to it things go as planned." He chuckled. "No one is ruining the festivities tomorrow." With that, Savage left with his two minions.

"Your arrogance meets no bounds, my lord."

Dark groaned, feeling the presence of his second in command. "You act as if they're a threat. Also, you have a serious sneaking problem. Ever tried entering normally?"

Fang ignored his comment and walked from around his throne. "The bulb may be near ready to fire, but it'll be in a vulnerable state as it disperses the smog."

"I can easily swat the Pokémon away with a mere thought," he boasted in a bored tone. "Don't come to me acting like I'm weak."

"I didn't say that, my lord. I'm just recommending we take the necessary precautions for your big day." He smirked evilly. "After all, imagine the possibility. You, leader of the Darkmon, lost to a ragtag team of Pokémon all because you were too sure of yourself. The bulb is destroyed and you're found baking in the sun's deadly rays with anger welling up inside you."

He walked around him and whispered tauntingly, "An all-powerful, self-proclaimed god beaten by lesser lifeforms. You'd have nothing. No subjects, no home. Just the dreaded thoughts of defeat looming over your mind. Hatred so deep you'd…do anything to get revenge on this accursed world."

Dark glared suspiciously at him and stood up. "What are you getting on about?"

He shrugged innocently. "Forgive me, my lord, but it's the truth. You may give off the appearance of laidback and soaking with pride, but deep down, you just want to watch the world burn in a fiery inferno made from your hatred towards all that is good." He chuckled. "Imagine how your queen would feel if she saw how vile you could be."

The Darkmon Lord scoffed and walked down his throne. "Now I'm certain you've lost it. I have perfect control over my emotions." He glanced back. "And those Pokémon will never surpass me." He glared deathly at the Fang Scorp Darkmon. "Nothing on this planet will."

The Darkmon furrowed a brow with a smug smirk. "How much are you willing to bet on that?"

Dark jabbed his claw against his chest roughly. "Don't test my patients, Fang. I won't hesitate to spread your remains across this ground."

He gently swatted the opposing claw off his person. "And I know you can. It's just…well, you've grown softer over these couple of weeks. You're…not as harsh as I remember."

He levitated a berry over to him and chomped on it. "I haven't changed at all."

"Oh really now?" He folded his arms behind his back. "You've been sparing most of our scouts and excusing their failures without proper punishment. Such a demeanor would lead our subjects to believe you wouldn't hurt a thing."

He scoffed. "I fail to see your point. I've spared plenty of Darkmon beforehand."

"Yes, AFTER reprimanding. Nowadays, you just ignore all blunders of our units and let them go free like scared children after the threat of a good scolding from a parental figure."

Dark chuckled. "Strange analogy coming from you."

"Focus, you twit!"

The Darkmon Lord flicked his forehead, making him wince. "There you go, punishment for acting out. See? I'm perfectly focused."

He rubbed the throbbing sore spot and growled. "If I can carry on, there's also your romantic advances towards that android." He glared. "Tell me, what are your exact feelings towards her?"

He shrugged. "I see her as a useful pawn in my scheme, while serving as a powerful ally I could use. Having her by my side would be an excellent advancement to dealing with the humans." He finished the last of his berry and tossed it to the side. "She would know how to properly dispose of any weaponry they might send out on us."

"So, that's it? Nothing other than that?" Dark nodded. "I see…" Not a shock. Even he wouldn't be able to understand the deeper roots of emotions. "Still, you've been focusing all of your time on her…ugh, happiness, that it's interfering with business. I've been handling most of the preparations without you. And now I'm planning a stupid wedding for you!"

"I still fail to grasp your point."

He groaned. "Because of her, you've been more preoccupied with her over our plans. YOU let a Pokémon JOIN our forces because SHE didn't want him killed! Are you going to do this for every single Pokémon she's close to?!"

The thought never crossed his mind, now leading him to say, "Huh…you might have a point. I mean, I can't possibly keep track of all her friends with my forces running amok-"

"THAT'S your main concern?!"

He waved his frustration off. "Oh relax, she doesn't have many friends outside of those two humans she keeps referring to and Meowth."

Fang grumbled in annoyance, before sighing and presenting a sinister smile. "Well…not that it will matter…" he muttered to himself.

Dark glanced at him. "Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing, my lord." He bowed. "If you refuse to set up a tighter security for the sake of our plans, then I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

He walked away from his second in command, giving a passive wave. "Sure, whatever, knock yourself out…"

He glared. "And just where are you going?"

"I'm going to meditate for a few hours. Don't disturb me unless it's important." With that, he vanished in a burst of shadows.

Fang shook his head with a growing smirk. "By all means…take your time." He walked near the throne and tapped his foot three times. The bulb rose out of the ground once more, screeching with its vines whipping the air. "Easy, easy. Tomorrow will be here sooner than you think. For now, I need a little something out of you."

He floated up and reached down into the soon-to-bloom bud and searched around for a particular object, psychically trying to locate it. He clamped his claws down on it and pulled it out.

A teal orb. A Darkmon's soul, which allowed them to complete a full regeneration.

He chuckled as he squeezed the squishy life force. He had no means to destroy it yet. He was saving it for a certain individual he needed to settle a score with. This time, they won't know what'll hit them.

He hid it under his wings and smirked at the monstrous bulb. "While I have you here, I need you to do a couple of…favors for me." The bulb made unintelligible noises, though he translated it as a confused grunt. "Questions aren't necessary. Just know it'll…benefit our race."

The Dark Gliscor has promised it untold power time and time again, something Dark never truly cared offered it. Only he wanted the power for himself. This atrocity of nature desired that wealth and will trust whatever its intelligent creation said.

"Good. Now then, I need you to…perform some of your mental influence on our kind…while also manipulating a certain plant in our forest…"

After a long day of training, the gang was beginning to retire for the night. The aftermath of training left the newest additions to their group exhausted, excluding Koda. Meanwhile, the other five were in great shape, barely effected from the exhausting, brutal sessions.

Ryder wished he could offer the newcomers similar training, but strapping weights onto them this early would only be a detriment to their performance in the coming battle. For now, all he could hope for is that they try their best and stay near the more experienced fighters.

Pikachu stretched his limbs, loosening them after enduring the results of a tiring day. "I say today was productive."

"It better have," Ryder said as he was putting the finishing touches on his Electro Gauntlet. It was only a prototype and he was working from spare parts given to him by Hank. The results…well, they're weren't going to be pretty, that much he's sure of. It'll be his trump card, either way. "We have one last day of practice and review of what you've learned before we face an entire forest of inhabitants."

Buneary sighed. "I'm sort of glad I'm not participating in that skirmish…" She smiled awkwardly at Pikachu. "Guess I'm leaving you with the dirty work."

He smirked confidently. "Hey, I'm a pretty good battler. With my training, I'll be blitzing through Darkmon." His expression relaxed into a gentle smile. "Besides, the way I see it, you have the most important task of all." He darted his eyes to the side.

She followed them to their daughter, who was gleefully hugging Koda's tail as he ran around the hideout. He seemed to be flipping out a bit.

"Help! She keeps drooling on my tail!" he shouted with a panicked expression that was amusing to the viewing audience around him.

The rabbit held her hand up to her mouth, stifling a laugh that was close to escaping. "I see no arguments against that."

Koda ran over to her and presented the clinging Pichu with a weary expression, as tears streamed down his face humorously. "Can you please remove her? This is so unsanitary…"

She rolled her eyes with a smirk and pulled the giggling baby off. "That's just her way of showing she likes you. Isn't that right, Scarlet?"

She waved her tiny arms. "Chu!"

"Did she have to slobber on my tail, though?" He raised it, showing that it was partially wet. "Gross…"

Buneary giggled. "W-Well, at least you kept her entertained."

Dragonite smirked and raised a claw. "All of us were entertained." He, plus the others, laughed alongside the mother.

Koda deadpanned. "…glad I could provide a show."

Pansage calmed himself. "Lighten up, we're only teasing."

Piplup patted the dark jackal on the back. "Yeah, it's all in good-spirit."

The Darkmon smiled at the penguin. "Kind of like how we kept pointing out your blunders with the windmill shuriken-?"

"DON'T…bring that up!" he warned. "I am amazing with my weapon! One glance at it and all the Darkmon will flee in terror!"

"…and us if we're not cautious," Pignite whispered to the group, earning playful snickers.

Ryder rolled his eyes. "Well, at least we still have the element of surprise should stealth be thrown out the window," he quipped, finishing the last of the wiring. He held the gauntlet up to give it one final check. "However, that's enough for tonight. You've all worked hard and deserve rest. Roughly twenty-four hours from now…war will breakout."

The group looked at each other with unsure looks for a split second, before molding into expressions of confidence. "We'll show them we're stronger than they believe," Pikachu said with a determined fist raised.

Ryder nodded. "Good." He rubbed his eyes. He needed some shut eye himself. He was on the verge of becoming an insomniac if he keeps these sleepless routines up. "Be ready…*yawn*…in the morning." He set the gauntlet down and sat in a meditation position, closing his eyes.

The group yawned as well and laid across the floor. Pikachu and Buneary cuddled together with Scarlet laid between them, wrapping her arms around her mother's. The others huddled together for warmth while Dragonite kept himself secluded on the far end of the hideout.

Right before he could succumb to the temptation of sleep, a certain otter stopped himself from laying down. He wanted to go to sleep, but a particular matter was keeping him committing to the nightly tradition of rest. He internally sighed. He had one last thing to do before tomorrow.

With an inaudible gulp, he fully rose to his feet and quietly tiptoed to Snivy, who was curled up. He knew her well enough to know it took a bit for her to vanish into dreamland, so she was, hopefully, still awake.

He reached out to shake her awake, but the gripping dread of rejection kept biting at his mind. He has been rejected countless other times, but this was about someone he truly liked. Could he really go through with this?

He wanted to stop, but he forced himself to see it through. She was his friend. No admission of his feelings towards her was going to ruin their friendship. He didn't want to believe it…no, it'll never happen. He's sure of it.

With a shaky sigh, he lightly tapped her shoulder. She didn't respond, so he gave her a light shove to jolt her awake. "Snivy? Snivy?"

This got her to react, her eyes fluttering open tiredly. She was close to falling asleep when her friend suddenly decided to disrupt that process. With a gentle yawn, she sat up and rubbed her face, slightly in annoyance. "Oshawott, what do you want? I was trying to sleep…"

"I know, but…" He sheepishly rubbed his nape. "I didn't mean to and all, but…I really need to talk to you."

She yawned quietly, as she didn't want to disturb the others. "Can't it wait until the morning? We have to get our rest."

"I really need to talk to you, now. It's something I have to say in private…with you."

This caught her attention, waking her up a bit more from her drowsy state. She could see the otter was feeling awkward about something. And, from how he's keeping eye contact off of her, this was obviously a personal matter between the two.

It was quite frank he wasn't going to sleep until he got whatever was on his chest off, so she might as well go along with it.

She stood up and stretched her limbs. "This won't take long, right?" she politely asked.

He shook his head. "No. I just need to discuss something with you and you can go right back to sleep."

She sighed and waved her arm as she walked pass him. "Let's head above ground so we don't wake the others."

Agreeing to the smart choice, he followed her up the ladder and climbed out into the bleak, dim forest. He quietly shut the hatch while Snivy found a spot for them to sit at. She dusted the ground lightly before resting comfortably against a tree. Oshawott soon joined her side.

She stretched her arms out, then folded them in her lap. "Alright Oshy, what's on your mind?"

"Um, well…" He twiddled his hands nervously. He wished he planned for this ahead of time. Now he had to say things off the top of his head. He'll have to take it slow so he doesn't say something stupid. "We're…friends, right?" Stupid question is stupid.

She glanced at him curiously. "Did you wake me up just for that?"

"N…N-No?"

She sighed and looked forward. "Of course we're friends. You're one of my best friends. Why would you think any differently?"

"I…don't. It's just…" He fiddled with his scalchop, hoping it'll grant him some courage. Or, at least calm his nerves by staring at it. "…do you remember when we first met?"

"I feel like we've had this conversation not too long ago," she brought up with a raised brow. Still, she complied and answered with, "But yes, I do remember. You wanted to battle me on your own to prove yourself to Ash and I immobilized you with my Attract."

He lowered his eyelids. "…well…when you became a part of the group, I wanted to get to know you more, but…I was acting strange around you."

She rubbed her chin. "Yeah…I think I remember that."

"I thought it was because your Attract had some lingering effect on me that made me act skittish near you." He shook his head. "I nearly went tongue tied trying to get a simple greeting out."

She chuckled. "It was pretty funny."

He offered a weak chuckle back. "Heh, yeah…" He glanced down at his scalchop with distant eyes. "…I was glad to meet you. You're one of the few Pokémon to openly accept me upon first meeting." He sighed. "Anyone else I've ever met just called me useless and…stupid. I guess it was nice that you didn't think me with ill will."

She lowered her eyelids caringly. "Living at the lab must have been miserable."

He shrugged. "It…wasn't so bad. Professor Juniper was one of my real human friends before I met Ash. She took care of me, always checked up on me to see if I'm happy…she never thought of me as useless. She knew I'd find someone who'd take me in as their partner Pokémon." He smiled lightly. "Well, not as a starter, but I did get great friends from following Ash." He directed his smile at the grass snake. "Especially you."

She smiled back embarrassingly. "Aww…"

He sighed. "I mean it. You just…I don't know what I would have done without you. It's like you…balance out my goofy side with your calm demeanor, bringing me back down to reality." He rubbed his head. "With you, I act totally normal, whereas I'm caught stealing out of Pignite's food bowl or something."

She shook her head. "You don't give yourself enough credit. I may look moody, but you do bring a certain charm whenever you're in the spotlight. It's rather refreshing to see someone with your type of positivity."

He smiled bashfully. "Well, I don't mean to brag, but someone needs to keep the mood cheery." He still kept his eyes off her as he stared at the ground. "…I was never great at keeping focus. Guess that's why no one thought I was a great battler. Ash…really helped get me on the right track. Though, to be honest…you kind of inspired me to train harder."

She blinked in surprise. "I did?"

"You're always helping out when something goes awry and…well, you've always been there to save the gang and me. I…get jealous of those who are stronger than me. First it was Pikachu…then there was you." He smiled sadly. "I wanted to prove I wasn't a weak Oshawott no one could take seriously. I wanted to show my team, my friends, that I can take care of myself.

"You've helped me mature since you joined. You've been a good influence on me."

Snivy smiled. "That's really sweet of you to say."

He sighed. "Yeah…" She could see the nervous frown plaguing his expression.

"What's wrong?"

His eyes darted to the right. "…remember when I asked you if you ever been in love? How there was someone I care about? That I…deeply like?"

The grass snake narrowed her eyes. "Yeah…right before Ryder went berserk." She sighed. "Oshawott, I know I said be honest with your feelings, but I just don't think Emolga is a good match for you. She's manipulative to a fault and egotistical. I don't think you'd be happy in that kind of relationship." She looked to the side. "I wouldn't be particularly happy with it myself. I don't like seeing you unhappy."

His heart skipped at her considerate worry. "I…appreciate your concern dearly, but…" He sighed. "I wasn't talking about Emolga."

A sharp silence sat between them. Snivy had to shake her head to make sure she heard that right. She honestly thought she misheard him. However, his words were as plain as day.

"You're…You're serious?"

"Yeah…I'm serious. It's not her I like. Or any of the other girls in our group." He swallowed hard before looking directly at her.

"…It's you."

Snivy's eyes slightly widened as a tint of red appeared in her cheeks. "M-Me?"

She could see his body fidgeting uncomfortably. "I…have had a crush on you for the longest time, maybe even from the beginning of our journey together." He held his face, his face flushing in embarrassment. "I'm not sure if it was because of your Attract or love at first sight or…whatever, but I just loved spending time with you. I appreciate your friendship and our time together dearly, but I was afraid how you would react if I said anything.

"You're so distant from everyone that I thought you wouldn't want to pursue a relationship. I thought you wouldn't like me the same way and it would ruin our friendship." He crossed his arms and hugged himself tightly. "I just tried to push my feelings for you away and tried to find someone else to fond over." He sighed. "Never worked out for me, obviously.

"The more I hung out with you, the less I stopped thinking about other girls. I just kept trying and trying to get them out of my mind, but it wouldn't stop. I think my breaking point was when we met Dawn and her Pokémon, because I practically gave up denying my feelings after that awkward moment with Buneary and Pikachu."

Snivy narrowed her eyes in consideration. He has stopped flirting with Emolga recently.

"I've been trying to tell you how I felt before we ended up in this whole debacle. I never had the chance to properly speak with you after all we've had to endure." He sighed. "I still don't know how you feel about me. And now I'm worried to hear your reaction to this." He covered his face, his eyes watering. The dam that held his tears back was a crack away from breaking. "Go ahead. Just get it over with…"

The grass snake has never seen the sea otter so broken. Not as bad as when he lost his scalchop, but he definitely looked scared. She looked to the side with a questionable stare. How did she feel about the otter? It was a question she doesn't ask herself, but…

She reached out and touched his shoulder. "Oshy…" He looked up from his hands. She tried to ignore the tears brimming in his eyes. "It was…very brave of you to come clean with this. It…must have been hard for you."

She didn't sound disgusted. That was a good sign. He wiped his eyes with a hopeful gleam in them. "Th…Thanks…"

She smiled lightly and looked down. "And…in a way…I kind of knew you liked me…"

He blinked in confusion. "Wha…What?"

She smirked. "I'm not an idiot, you know." She sighed, lightening her expression. "It wasn't obvious at first, but I did notice a pattern with your flirting. You flirted with Emolga on multiple accounts, tried to woo several Pokémon we've met along the way, and even flirted with a male Purrloin by accident. Heck, you went as far as to flirt with a Vanilluxe."

He wiped his tears and grinned sheepishly. "She was…kind of cute…"

"You flirted with so many girls that I realized you never made any advances towards me. It's…odd, actually. I always expected you to flatter me with romantic gestures, but you've always acted pretty normal near me. I wasn't completely sure, but was a thought that lingered in my mind whenever we hung out."

He looked down meekly. "So…you don't hate me?"

She tipped his head up so they'd make eye contact. "I'd never hate you. I care about you, too."

He smiled. "Thanks…" He then frowned. "But…how do you feel about me?"

She sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm…not sure. I don't feel the same way towards you. Like I said, I never felt the need to pursue a relationship. Sorry…"

He frown in disappointment, but he was just relieved their friendship wasn't shatter. Perhaps slightly awkward, but not shattered. "It's okay…"

"However…" His ears perked up in interest. "The other night, I did feel…odd when you were speaking with me. I guess I was caught off guard from your questions that it made me tense, but…I was a bit annoyed when I thought you were referring to Emolga." She shrugged. "I don't know if it was out of jealousy or a need to protect you, but I…didn't want you to be dejected.

"Maybe there is something there, it just hasn't developed yet. I would need time to think this over…"

Oshawott could feel the tiniest bit of hope welling up in him. He smiled softly. "I'm willing to wait…"

"Even if I don't feel the same way down the road, you're still my best friend, no matter what."

He nodded. "And I'll respect you opinion. I don't want to lose our friendship. I don't want to lose you."

They reached out and embraced each other. She could feel the sea otter exhale a deep sigh of relief. She could feel his tears dripping on her, but she knew they weren't filled with anguish. They were filled with joy.

"Thanks for telling me."

"Thanks for understanding."

They held each other for a while longer before separating. "We should get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

Oshawott nodded. "R-Right…"

They returned to the hideout and got comfortable for a night of leisure. The sea otter glanced briefly at the grass snake as she rested her head. Her eyes were nearly closed when she saw him staring at her. She gave a small smile before going to sleep.

He smiled back and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. A great weight was lifted off his shoulders, heavier than the weights he had to endure since the start of his training. On the stress and worry that plagued his mind…vanished almost instantly. There was still the big question of how Snivy felt. He wanted them to be together, but he was willing to stay friends if she wished. Hopefully things work out for both of them down the road.

Until then, he needed to sleep. Admitting one's feelings was mentally exhausting.

Okay, before any hardcore shippers raise their pitchforks, some of you probably thought I was going to get these two together. I was…originally. With everything I've written so far, having Oshawott and Snivy get together like this would have been…empty. I made it out that Snivy doesn't reciprocate Oshawott's feelings because I didn't put as much focus on her as I planned. Having them get together without mutual build up wouldn't have been satisfying for me.

Instead, I'm going to put more focus onto her feelings in a later installment of this series. I feel it'd be interesting and give some development to Snivy as a character.

That's all. Thanks for reading. :)