A Ponyta was sprinting through a field, heading for The Forest of Impunity.
She had heard of treasure there (although it was just a rumor that was floating around in the Pokemon village). Ponyta wondered
what kind of treasure it was. A chest full of Rare Candies? Every single Poffin you could ever want? Who knows, she
thought. Who knows.
A slightly overgrown path led into the forest. Ponyta followed the path,
which seemed to be miles long. At last, after following the path for three quarters of an hour, she came to a dead end, and
turned into the dark shadows of the trees. Ponyta searched, but she never found the treasure. Maybe it was just some
stupid rumor made up by that troublemaker, Carvanha. Or maybe.....
He flew down the moonlit path, wondering if she would notice him while
coming out of the forest. Would she know that he, Darkrai, was going to pop out from the shadows at any moment and scare her
out of her wits? Darkrai didn't want to scare Ponyta. Or did he? The small, nagging voice in his brain thought different.
Ponyta was getting discouraged. She had searched for almost two and a
half hours. Maybe I should just head back, she thought. She began to trot back down the path. Finally she was relatively close
to the edge of the forest when "BOOO!!!" "AAAHGGH!!!!" It was Darkrai. "You......aren't you friends with that filth Carvanha?"
Ponyta said angrily. "Maybe I am and maybe I'm not. Anyway, there's no treasure here. It was just something that yours truly
started." Ponyta was enraged. She sprinted out of The Forest Of Impunity without a word.
*********
A few days later, Darkrai was heading to his club's meeting. There were
three members. One was Darkrai, the leader, the other two were Gastly and Carvanha. The club was called The Dark. "Meeting
of The Dark shall come to order! Carvanha, second in command, shall review the missions...." Darkrai said. Carvanha cleared
his throat. "Mission Eleven: Operation Stealth Tail. Completed by Darkrai. Objective: Follow Ponyta. Mission Twelve: Operation
Block Theft. To be completed by Gastly. Objective: Steal as many Pokeblocks from the human Pokemon Center as you can." Gastly
nodded and flew away. A half hour later, Gastly came back with bags and bags of Pokeblocks. "Well done," Darkrai said.
Hours later, Ponyta was walking around in the village square. It was
very dark and there was no moonlight as this night was the night of the New Moon. This was her favorite time of the day (or
night) because she was alone and there was no one to distract her thinking. Suddenly, there was a sound coming from
a bunch of tall grass. Ponyta jerked her head toward it and saw the shape of a Pokemon. Walking slowly toward it, she wondered
exactly WHAT Pokemon it was. She thought, if it's Darkrai I'm gonna.... "BOOOO!" "Gaah!" It was Ponyta's best friend, Growlithe.
"Jeez," Rapidash said after her heartbeat slowed down again, "You didn't have to jump at me, Lith." (Growlithe liked to be
called Lith). "Hey, I just came to warn you," Lith said. "Darkrai and his gang are up to something. I reckon they're behind
the Pokeblock robbery. Anyway, I think their next target is you. I think they want you to join them." "Me? Join those
scumbags? Never!" Ponyta replied angrily. " I thought so. Well, 'night." said Lith as he walked toward his home, leaving Ponyta
confused and angry.
Darkrai was watching Lith and Ponyta from the trees. After Ponyta left,
he said darkly, "Mission Thirteen is to be carried out soon..."
Lith was very intelligent and he knew that Darkrai had been watching
them. He did not tell Ponyta but decided to confront Darkrai himself after Ponyta walked home (which she did). After Darkrai
got down from the trees, Lith ambushed him. Lith used Ember and Crunch, but Darkrai was very strong and would not be defeated.
He used Shadow Ball on Lith, who was propelled backward into a tree trunk. Lith yelped. Darkrai laughed softly as he floated
away.
Four
Weeks
Later
Ponyta was walking into a shop in the village square when something black
and soft wrapped around her eyes and blindfolded her. She thrashed and thrashed but the black thing wouldn't come off. Then,
something wrapped around her front legs, not making her immobilized, but still hindering her movement. Something started leading
her in a direction she did not know. When the black thing was taken off, she was sitting in The Dark clubhouse. "Mission Thirteen:
Recruit Ponyta. In progress. Objective: self-explanatory." Carvanha cackled. "That mission will never be carried out," said
Ponyta. "How? It already has been," Gastly said. Suddenly, everyone except Ponyta shut their eyes. A bright white light enveloped
Ponyta, and it was so bright that it was the equivalent of staring at the sun. When the light died down, Rapidash stood there,
and said darkly, "I'm not Ponyta."
A long battle followed. Lithe and his older brother were there too, so
it was a fair three-on-three. But Lithe knew he couldn't help Rapidash with Darkrai. That was her battle, and hers alone.
It is hard to say who won, for no one was KOed (even though they were
injured quite badly). The rivalry between Darkrai and Rapidash, though, could never be won. Someday, there would be a fight
to the death between them, and it would be a draw.
