Today was the big day. The day everyone has been training for. One last session of preparation, then their mission can begin.

Ryder stood in front of the group in front of him, all of which who were standing at attention, except Dragonite since he can't properly stand in the hideout, and Koda, who was still napping, sound asleep. The agent tried several times to wake him up, but he wouldn't rise from his deep slumber. Darkmon sleep until morning, so it boggled him how this one was oversleeping.

Still, he was far more capable than most of them, so it wasn't a major issue. Right now, he had to get these ten Pokémon before him into shape.

"Alright everyone, tonight's the night we've all be training for. How do you feel?"

"Nervous," Buneary replied meekly.

He smiled lightly. "Remember, all you need to do is escape. With any luck, you won't have to fight any Darkmon." He looked at Pansage, Pachirisu, and Quilava, who will be tagging along with her to ensure a safe trek. "Hopefully none of you do."

Pachirisu waved off his concern. "Oh, don't you worry about us!" He patted Buneary's back. "We got Super-Mom on our side! She'll beat those Darkmon into submission with a flick of the wrist!"

The rabbit laughed awkwardly with a sweatdrop dripping down her head. "W-Well, I much rather keep Scarlet out of danger." She looked at the infant, who was cuddled up in a little blanket on the floor. "Don't want her first childhood memories to be terrifying monsters."

Pikachu wrapped his arm around her. "Hey, I trust you to protect our baby. I don't doubt you."

She blushed sheepishly and looked away smiling. "You're just saying that."

He smiled and pulled her face towards him. "Am I?" He gave her a kiss, which she happily returned.

Dragonite rolled his eyes. "Get a room, you two."

Ryder chuckled. "Dragonite has a point. We need to make sure you're at your sharpest. So get up there and start training your hearts out!"

"Yeah!" The Pokémon rushed to the ladder and climbed out.

The Charmeleon stayed behind for a moment as he picked up Scarlet. He smiled lightly and tickled her nose, which wrinkled up and let out a tiny sneeze. The sight of holding the small child filled him with joy…and longing desire.

Ever since he started a relationship with Jade, he has had thoughts of raising a family. It wasn't on his mind all the time as he had his training to focus on. But now, seeing Pikachu and Buneary with their bundle of joy made him want a child of his own.

Unfortunately, he might never know if that desire will be fulfilled. His only hope was reuniting with her in the future. He knew he'll see her again, and his friends. He has waited for this long and he'll wait decades to see them.

He shook his head and got back on track, starting with the sleeping Darkmon. Trying once more, he kneeled down and shook his body, not bothering to be gentle. "Koda, time to get up," he stated in a firm tone.

The Darkmon didn't flinch from his demands. He slept soundly like the world was tuned out from around him. Ryder sighed in annoyance. He knew Darkmon sleep once a week to regain energy. However, they usually wake up around morning, which, according to the moss, it was.

He decided to pull off the kiddie gloves to force him awake. "Inferno!" A blast of blue fire nailed the Dark Riolu.

Almost immediately, survival instincts coded into the Darkmon's mind took effect. His eyes widened and he sprung to his feet snarling. "Alright, who did that?!" He whipped around to slam his palm into Ryder, but stopped upon seeing it wasn't an enemy and because he was holding a defenseless infant. He gulped and lowered his aura infused hands, which quickly dissipated.

"Morning to you too, Sunshine," Ryder responded dryly. "For a so called pacifist, you still stick to natural instinct."

Koda yawned. "It is instinct for a reason. I'm sure you have your own internal alarm if someone tried to…wait, WHAT?!" He looked around frantically. "It's already morning?!"

"SHH!" the Charmeleon hushed harshly, alerting him to the stirring infant. "Yes, it's morning. You overslept."

Koda scratched his head. "I did? But it only felt like a couple of hours."

"Perhaps the extra training is messing with your head," he suggested. He then muttered, "Arceus knows it has been with me…"

"Y-Yeah…I guess you're right." He shook his head and slapped his cheeks to invigorate himself for a day of training. "Right! I have to look sharp! Time to make peace with the Darkmon…hopefully!" He raced out of the hideout to the surface.

Ryder chuckled a bit, then frowned. They couldn't take any risks with tonight. Everything had to go exactly as planned. Destroy the bulb, then take on the whole Darkmon population for…six to seven…hours…it was going to be a rough night for everyone.

He clenched his teeth. "If it means the survival of our world, I'm willing to have every bone in my body broken." He ascended the ladder with Scarlet in hand.

Already, the sight of his students training brought hope to him. They have already begun sparring with each other, showing they have retained all that he has taught them. It was this sight alone that gave him confidence to believe in a successful future.

He only hoped nothing goes awry tonight.

Meowth sat up from his bed and yawned, scratching his backside. His eyes were still droopy as he spent a great deal of last night collecting necessary equipment for their surprise attack. Chloe must have put him to bed because he distinctively remembered falling on his face last night. That, and the taste of dirt around his lips wasn't hard to miss.

He draped his feet down the side of the bed and looked to Chloe, who was sorting out all their supplies. A bundle of jelly-like landmines, snare vines that instinctively wrap around anyone that inflict pain to them, canopy looking leaves that had protective shield qualities, some enhancer herbs for Meowth in the event he has to get an extra boost in power, and much more. They were pulling out every trick they had to destroy and escape the inevitable mob that'll chase them down and rip them to shreds. Well, more so Meowth and their new allies. Chloe…well, she just needs to avoid anything that can vaporize her and she should be good to go.

He stretched his limbs out. "Morning Chloe."

She looked over her shoulder for a moment before turning back to the supplies. "Morning Meowth. You seemed to sleep in a bit."

"Eh?"

"According to the moss, the sun rose some time ago."

He blinked, then rubbed his eyes, groaning. "Ugh…it's going to take forever to get back on my normal sleep schedule." He shook his head. "Whatever. I'm fully rested." He hopped out of bed and walked over to his friend's side. "This is everything we'll need, correct?"

"Yes, just about. I'll make sure to inform the captive Pokémon and give them a rubdown of our plan."

"Excellent." He looked at the landmine sac and picked it up. "Man, this thing is squishy." He gave it a light squeeze.

Chloe narrowed her eyes with a smirk. "You know doing that can set it off, right?" He shrieked and quickly, but gently, set it down. She chuckled lightly and looked back at the pile. "To think after tonight, I'd get my first taste of freedom."

Meowth smiled. "Yeah! You can see the world for yourself! It'd be great! You and me…and Laura, of course!" he added with a faint blush.

Chloe sighed. "There is the sun, though…"

He rubbed her back. "Hey, I'm a pretty smart guy. I'm sure I can come up with a way to let you walk around in the daytime." He scratched his head. "Granted, it would more than likely take a long time since I have to come up with a way to keep your cells stable…" He smiled reassuringly. "But I won't rest until I find a solution."

She smiled. "While I'm not onboard with the 'no rest' exaggeration, the gesture itself is sweet."

He chuckled. "I didn't mean it literally, but I do want you to live normally on the surface world." He glanced to the side worriedly. "At least…as normal as a creature of darkness and evil can get."

Chloe looked at the ground. "What…would I even do on the surface? There aren't many places I can go without being spotted. Even if the whole world doesn't know of our existence, there's still going to be those few who see me as a monster. That's something I can't change."

Meowth patted her back. "Well, you can at least change your appearance to look normal. I can't really blame you for wanting to stay hidden." He smiled. "But hey, at least you got me, right?"

She smirked. "I suppose."

His face shifted to one of suspicion and annoyance. "What does that mean?"

She looked away with a cheeky smile. "Oh, nothing at all."

"You think I'm a nuisance, don't you?!" he shouted, flailing his arms wildly.

She put her paw under her chin. "I wouldn't say nuisance, more like a…lovable pest."

He clenched his teeth tightly. "I am not a pest!"

"I said lovable, didn't I?"

He exhaled in annoyance. "Yeah, you did." He crossed his arms, facing away with a prideful expression. "You could have at least complimented me or something. I have helped you, after all."

"Oh, alright." She rubbed her chin. "Well…you're not as useless as you made yourself out to be."

"Hurtful…"

She proceeded to develop a small blush. "And you're…one of the kindest souls I've ever met. If I am to live on the surface, I want to do so by your side."

He looked over his shoulder with a blush and small smile. "Really?"

"Yeah…it'd be-UGH!" A pulse echoed through her chest as she placed her paw over her heart, cringing from the stinging pain.

"Chloe!" Meowth cried in concern.

She held her hand up. "I-I'm fine, don't worry…" She groaned. "Hopefully destroying the bulb does get rid of these infuriating chest pains."

"Couldn't agree more." He stood up and dusted his knees clean. "Let's get this stuff collected and get our allies situated." He scratched his chin. "Speaking of which, I wonder what Laura's up to."

Chloe grabbed a bag made of leaves and carefully placed their equipment inside. "If I had to guess, her servants are preparing her for tonight. I'll have to give her the information myself since Lord Dark will want to be monitoring you. This will be a gathering of all Darkmon in the forest. One wrong move and you're chow."

The cat gulped. "Yeah, let's NOT let that happen."

Chloe threw the bag on her back and motioned him to follow. They exited the hut and made their way to the prison section.

Not even the Lord of Fear was taking a lazy day, as tonight was a grand occasion for all Darkmon kind. Tonight, they'll bring down a plague of despair and agony to the humans and Pokémon and show them, once and for all, who the superior species is. No longer shall light tip the balance in their favor. After tonight, darkness will reign supreme.

Dark hovered in the air, supervising his servants as they were rearranging the throne area to accommodate their entire race. So…they were taking out a bunch of tree, carving them into seats, and arranging them so the entire forest can witness this spectacular moment. They had to tear down his throne to make room, but he didn't mind. After all, once the world was his, he'll need a new throne to show off his new status, alongside his queen.

Ah yes, dear Laura, the shifty android who will rule by his side for all of eternity. Truly a spectacular female to stand by his side as they have their legion of minions raze the many regions of the world and repopulate the desolate land into a new age of life. Everything was perfect.

And best of all…no one can stop him.

Call it arrogance or overconfidence, but the Darkmon Lord had nothing to worry about. Over eight thousand Darkmon or so will be gathered in a single area. Some will, obviously, attack the surface the first chance they get once the sky is covered in darkness, or get started on an early attack once the ceremony begins. Either way, even if many leave, he'd still have a sizable army to dispose of any intrusions.

He chuckled to himself. He wanted to see someone foolish enough to take him on. Might actually bring him some excitement for once. He never had to use the upper limits of his powers. Perhaps one day he'll have a challenge

Ryder was probably the closest he had to a true opponent, maybe even a rival, but that was back when the lord was in a significantly weaker state. Who knows? Time might have changed.

The dismantling of his throne caught his attention. The wood was taken apart as the Darkmon got to work on an alter for the ceremony. Dark knew very little about traditional weddings, as he only had Ryder's memories to reference off. Even so, he knew this was the proper way to conduct one…even though it'll be done his own way. No one to officiate the wedding, no big decorations, no traditional wedding food; just a ceremony to swear her allegiance to him and to accept her role as a destroyer of mankind.

It shall be a glorious night.

"Lord Dark!" The Dark Charmeleon looked down below and glared. It was Fang…smiling rather chipper. That was not a normal sight, he guaranteed it.

Dark, understandably, stared at the Dark Gliscor suspiciously. "What is it, Fang? Can't you see I'm busy supervising?"

"Supervising?" a Darkmon commented. "You're just staring off into spac-ACK!" The lower class subject felt a tight psychic grip around his neck.

"I didn't ask for your input," he replied sinisterly. "Now get back to work." He released his hold on him, leading the frightened minion to resume building the alter.

Fang smirked lightly, rather enjoying that his lord was taken some form of action to keep a tight hold over his subjects. Not that it'll matter in the end.

Dark looked back at his second in command. "Now, what is it?"

Resuming his relaxed expression, he said, "Well, I have organized security all around the perimeter. In the event we do have a couple of party crashers, we have our first line of defense prepared." He rubbed his pincers together. "We certainly wouldn't want you wasting your energy on measly mongrels such as them, would we?"

The lord sighed dismissively. "Honestly, your forethought for such meaningless intrusions irritates me." He leaned back, floating horizontally. "Still, I rather not waste my precious time dealing with pests. Just make sure the Pokémon are kept out of my way."

Fang chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my lord." He looked around. "Which reminds me, where's our future queen? Shouldn't she be here with you?"

"Why would I disrupt her day with observing the fascinating experience of watching a bunch of idiots constructing a simple alter?"

"Hey!" the gang of Darkmon shouted in offense. They gulped from his piercing glare and hastily went back to work.

Dark groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Besides, her servants are making preparations of their own. They giving her the lowdown on how this wedding intends to go while also getting her fancied up or whatever." He smirked. "Pretty sure she was close to choking one of them out, last I checked."

The Dark Gliscor sweatdropped with a deadpan expression. "Violent and unstable…I'm starting to get a better idea as to why you've grown an attraction to her."

Dark chuckled. "Attraction? While I do find her robotic form quite adorable, I don't possess any romantic interest in her. All I see is a perfect queen to rule by my side. Evil, rebellious, stubborn…she fits my standards perfectly."

Fang shook his head. "Keep telling yourself that, my lord. We both know you can't understand love any better than the rest of us." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I've come to accept this new line of leadership. She'll make an excellent ruler."

The lord floated down and patted his back. "Glad to see you're making sense, now." He flipped upside down and levitated around him. "So, what's the word on the humans?"

"Ah yes, them. We've received word they are expecting our arrival. They must know that are attack begins at midnight."

The Darkmon lord rubbed his chin. "They've studied us well." He laughed smugly. "Still, they're only human. Their bones snap like twigs in our grasp. Their Pokémon won't last a second against our numbers and strength."

Fang sighed. "Need I remind you of the Shadow Agent that is assisting them? He and his Lucario proved to be an issue for you last time."

Dark wagged his claw in disappointment. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, dear Fang. Need I remind YOU that I was much weaker back then?" He smirked evilly. "Let them bring tanks and fighter jets for all I care! It'll only delay their demise!"

Fang shrugged. "Can't argue with you there, my lord. You're simply too powerful for them."

"Oh, let's not talk about me," Dark said modestly…until he smirked again. "Oh, who am I kidding? Praise me some more!"

While the lord kept bragging about how he was the greatest, Fang looked to the side with an evil smirk. Dark had no idea what was planned for tonight. If everything went exactly as his employer planned, nothing will stand in his way of glory. All he had to do was grin and bear his lord's massive ego and incompetence for the rest of the day. He hasn't snapped yet, so he can put up with it a little longer.

"As much as I would love to shower you with admiration, I have other pressing matters to attend to. I'll return shortly before the ceremony." He took an elegant bow. "I'll see you tonight, my magnificent lord." Pincers behind his back, he walked away with a large grin. "I look forward to the new world."

Dark kept a careful eye on the Dark Gliscor as he disappeared into the trees. He seemed a little too happy. It might be from anxiousness for tonight, but he always viewed him as a crafty, yet temperamental individual.

However, it wasn't of any importance. All that mattered was the domination of the planet and the rise of the Darkmon.

Upon reaching the prison cells holding the Pokémon captive, Meowth held out the healing berries to give everyone their strength back. They took them with a collective 'Thanks' and each took a bite.

As expected, they had a negative reaction to the berries, their vile taste hitting them harder than a ton of bricks. Emolga spat on the ground, then wiped her mouth. "Ugh! You didn't have anything tasteless or something?!"

Chloe shrugged. "My apologies, but most of the fruits here are grown with a bitter taste, something we've grown accustomed to eating."

She groaned. "Of course…"

Meowth narrowed his eyes. "Look, it's either eat up or get curb stomped by the Darkmon."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, whatever." She pinched her nose before taking a second bite of the berry. It helped a little, but she could practically feel the taste dancing on her tongue.

Axew nibbled lightly on his berry, flinching every so often. "You sure these will give us our strength back?"

"Not only will they replenish your sapped energy, but they will invigorate you with the potential to fight on par with the Darkmon," Chloe explained. "Or, at the very least, match your counterparts."

Scraggy punched his palm with a snarl. "Great! I can finally give those spooky jerks a piece of my mind!"

Krookodile swallowed his berry and looked to the Shedding Pokémon. "Let's not act hasty, Scrags. Even if we match our counterparts, we're bound to face stronger opponents."

"That's why your jobs," Meowth reminded, "are to ambush the ceremony with the explosives and destroy the bulb." He pointed at the sand croc. "While we're handling that, you'll be carving us an escape route."

Emolga leaned against the walls, arms crossed. "What's are chances of getting out of this alive?"

"Even if everything goes well, it won't look good. So we can't get sidetracked." He looked to Chloe and nodded his head at the bars.

She nodded and grabbed the leaf sack of equipment. "This is everything you'll need." She carefully pressed it against the bars and gently shoved it through. It took some effort since she didn't want to risk setting of the jelly bombs. Fortunately, they barely managed to slip through.

Emolga opened the bag and pulled out some herbs and jelly bombs. "…your forest is freaky."

"I've been told," she muttered, rolling her eyes at Meowth. He smiled sheepishly.

"Still, if these things can get the job done, I'm game."

Axew reached in and pulled out some red spotted leaves. "What are these?"

"Leaves with acidic properties. Since I won't be here to release you, you'll have to melt the bars down and escape on your own." He nodded in understanding.

Krookodile stretched his arms and rose to his feet. "Guess that's everything we'll need. What about you two?"

Meowth waved off his concern. "Don't you worry about me, you big lug. I already have a full proof plan for escaping the crowd once chaos ensues."

Emolga smirked. "What? Pointing in a random direction and hoping they fall for a simple diversion?"

He glared. "Really funny, rodent." He smiled proudly. "Using some of the forest's plants to my advantage, I've constructed a makeshift battle suit that'll protect me in the event of escaping. It'll give me enough defensive power to charge my way through, while also using the power-up herbs I'll have on hand."

Scraggy tilted his head. "That doesn't sound foolproof if you ask me."

Meowth groaned. "Well excuse me, but it was either that or build a giant robot, which I can't do in these current circumstances."

Emolga shook her head. "Whatever. As long as we have what we need, we'll be prepared for tonight."

The cat narrowed his eyes. "You better be. Either way, we're at high risk. So don't miss your cues tonight. The moment you see Darkmon running this way in packs, you break out after the hordes lessen." They nodded.

Chloe looked at the moss. "We have eight hours left. Come on, Meowth. Dark will be waiting for you."

He nodded. "Okay." He looked back at the group. "Don't be late!" he shouted before following Chloe out of the prison area.

Krookodile cracked his knuckles. "Well, better get an early head start."

Emolga crossed her arms. "You sure you know where to dig?"

"Never said I did. But if I go one way long enough, I'm bound to find a suitable exit." He spun and swam down the dirt. "Make sure to cover the hole!" he shouted up.

Emolga tore of the leaves off the sack and covered the hole. "Guess we wait here until midnight."

Axew sat against the wall. "Anyone else a little worried we won't make it out alive?"

Scraggy chuckled. "Oh Axew, that's crazy! Sure, we've had some rough patches since we got here, but look how far we got. We survived hordes of Darkmon, you endured poison for about a week, and we're still alive now. I don't see how you can be so worried. It's not like we haven't face dangerous, powerful creatures before."

"Yeah, but these things aren't Pokémon," he reminded.

Scraggy shook his head. "Same difference. Point is, there isn't anything they can throw at us that we can't get up from. Besides," he presented the herbs, "we'll have these to give us some muscle."

Axew still looked unsure, so Emolga decided to step in and give the young dragon some words of encouragement. She wrapped her arm around him and said, "Listen Ax, it might seem scary, but we'll have each other's back. It's not like we have to fight them. We just need to destroy the bulb and get the heck out of there before anyone catches on to us."

"And if they do?"

She chuckled. "Well, we'll beat them, obviously. They only caught us off guard when we first came here. We know what to expect now." She gave him a cheerful smile. "And, if it helps, you can stay here with Krookodile and finish up with the tunnel while Scraggy and I take care of things."

The young dragon looked to the side. He didn't want the two of them going at it themselves while he stayed here helping with the escape route. He'd likely get in the sand croc's way.

He shook his head vigorously and stood up. "No…I want to help you guys. I'm not going to freak out or get scared. I may not be as strong as you guys, but I can still fight." He sighed. "You're my friends. I can't let you do all the heavy lifting."

Emolga looked at Scraggy, who flashed a happy expression with his arms crossed. She smiled before turning back to the dragon. "Well, if you're sure, then you can come."

He smiled. "Thanks…"

Emolga walked up to the bars and leaned against them. "It won't be long now…"

The moss glowed brightly, illuminating the sunless forest. As seen from the glowing plant, it was close to midnight.

The leaves shifted as gentle breezes passed through. The land was almost dead silent. Not a single sound was heard. No maniacal laughter, no rampaging, no screaming, etc. This was unnatural for the menacing forest, as it was a place where horror sounded at every inch of it.

Perhaps it was silent because the inhabitants were filled with awe and excitement, barely able to contain themselves. Or they were simply resting for a long of mayhem and death to spread across their new homeland. Both are very likely.

Eerie calmness for a whole hour.

Then chaos began.

It started out as a light rumble, gentle and undisturbed. Then it became louder, and louder, and louder. Pebbles laying across the land bounced from the intense vibrations moving through the dirt. The vibrations raced up the trees and shook the leaves.

Far off in the distant darkness, color peered through. Two red glowing dots that were nearly impossible to miss. The two more sets of dots appeared. Two more sets after that. The numbers grew as a wall of red appeared within the darkness, illuminating the path ahead. The terrifying part about them?

…they were getting closer.

Immediately, the silence was broken. A storm of Darkmon tore through the forest in a massive stampede. Dust uplifted from their running, flying through the air. Maniacal laughter filled the silent void. Cheers of death and blood sliced the wind with its screeching insanity.

Some of the bigger Darkmon, such as a Dark Mamoswine and Dark Donphan, toppled the trees in their way. The force of their charge not only kept them from losing speed, but also destroyed the base of the trunk upon impact.

Avian based Darkmon laughed as they spun around, soaring above the land restricted Darkmon. In celebration of tonight, they were performing tricks, some purposely knocking Darkmon who were using the trees to travel to the ground. A Dark Primeape flipped to his feet and flailed his fists angrily at the dark birds, who only laughed at him mockingly.

The chaos didn't go unnoticed by the team underground. The Darkmon, unknown of the hideout's location, stomped over it, shaking everyone below.

Ryder held his ground while everyone was lying down to keep themselves stable. Scarlet was frightened by the disorder and cried into her mother's chest. Buneary did her best to calm the baby's fears. Fortunately, with the walls muffling out their voices and the Darkmon being too wrapped up in their thoughts, the crying went unnoticed.

Oshawott's scalchop bounced off his body and skipped across the floor. He leaped over and grabbed it with an annoyed sigh. "How much longer of this?!"

"I'm not sure!" Ryder shouted. "I've never witness this many Darkmon meeting up at a single point!"

Pikachu held himself still to the best of his ability. "We're gonna have to fight ALL of them?"

"Unfortunately, yes." He sighed. "However, once the bulb is destroyed, it's only a matter of waiting for the sun to rise. Then we let nature take its course."

Koda gulped. "Oh great…the sun…"

Ryder rolled his eyes. "We'll make sure you're provided with protection before then. Just don't lose sight at our goal."

Despite wanting his brethren to see things from a new perspective, the Dark Riolu understood what was at stake. Changing an entire race's ideals in one day was asking for a miracle, one that was impossible to reach.

Still, he knew there had to be some Darkmon that were willing to give change a try. He just needed to seek these rare few out and hope for the best.

Koda nodded. "Don't worry…I won't falter."

The rumbling began to lessen in intensity. Less erratic stomps and maddening cackles. Eventually, silence had returned to the underground hideout.

The gang held their breaths for a moment to assure that the evil creatures were out of range. Ryder peeked out from the hatch and scanned the surrounding area. Uprooted grass, previously made dust clouds, toppled trees…but no Darkmon.

He dropped back down. "Alright, coast is clear." The gang let out a relieved sigh.

Buneary stood up and cradled the sobbing infant in her arms. "Shh, shh…it's okay, Scarlet. The bad noises are gone." She lowered her ear and swung it over her face.

Scarlet cried a little more before going to a soft whimper as she stared at the swinging fluff. She gave a curious gurgle, then released a cute giggle as it brushed pass her nose. She hugged her mother's ear and cuddled it.

Buneary giggled before turning to Ryder. "Okay, we should probably get going."

"Right." He turned to Pansage and handed him a pack containing smoke bombs, flash grenades, and other escape tools. "Use those only when necessary."

Pansage strapped the pack on. "Roger."

Ryder climbed up the ladder and opened the hatch. One by one, everyone filed out and stood in position. Dragonite was the last to exit and shut the hatch.

The Charmeleon extended his arm out and fired a minor wave of aura. Immediately, he could sense the collective mass of Darkmon piled into a single area. There were so many at once. It was almost overwhelming to him.

"I'm going to regret this," he muttered to himself. He turned to the others. "We have no time to waste. We need to be quick, but stealthy." He looked to Buneary, Pansage, Pachirisu, and Quilava. "You all just worry about getting out of here, understood?"

Pachirisu saluted, sticking his tongue out. "Don't you worry, captain! We'll be long gone faster than you can say 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'!"

Ryder had to take a brief pause to process the long word. "Err…okay." He walked up to Buneary and gave her a quick hug. "Promise me you'll stay safe."

She smiled and returned the gesture with one arm, as she was holding Scarlet with the other. "I'll be fine. Promise me YOU will stay safe."

He chuckled quietly. "Heh, I promise."

She pulled back. "Then so do I." She went over to Pikachu and hugged him. "Same goes for you, buster. I don't want to think you died twice."

He chuckled awkwardly before hugging back. "Don't worry, I'll be back." He leaned forward and kissed her, which sent happy shivers up the rabbit's body before she returned it. Pikachu pulled away, then gave a little kiss on Scarlet's forehead. "You be good to your mother, sweet pea," he said as he held his hand out to her.

Scarlet waved her tiny arms. "Chu!" She wrapped them around her father's hand and nuzzled it.

The parents laughed. Suddenly, Piplup popped up next to Buneary and hugged her. "Please stay safe!" he cried in a sobbing tone. "I don't know what I'd do with myself if anything bad happened to you!"

The rabbit was nearly knocked off balance by the surprise hug. She laughed and hugged him back. "I will, no need to worry."

He wiped his eyes and gave a teary smirk. "That's…when I worry the most." They laughed as they pulled each other closer.

Ryder looked away with a somewhat sad expression before shaking it off. "C-Come on…we have a long night ahead of us."

The group nodded and followed the agent, leaving behind Buneary, Scarlet, Pansage, Pachirisu, and Quilava. The larger group disappeared into the darkness. Buneary's group looked at each other before giving a confident nod and heading in the opposite direction.

"So, how do we get out of here?" Quilava asked. "We haven't been able to find our way out before."

Pansage rifled through the pack and found a map. He unfurled it, revealing a pathway out of the forest. "If we go this way, we should find the cliff we came down from. Just as long we don't let the trees confused us, we should be out of here in no time."

"Then let's get a move on!" Pachirisu cheered before dashing ahead.

"H-Hey!" Quilava shouted. "Don't leave us behind!" They made haste to catch the hyperactive squirrel.

As they ran, four sets of red eyes appeared from the trees, glaring menacingly at the fleeing group. Their smiles widened before vanishing from sight.