Living in the Shadows: Bonus Features

Cut Story Line 7

*This is the complete unedited version of when Darkrai explains his past; taken from Part 8 Chapter 12.*

Darkrai buried his face in his hands as he began his story. "When I came into existence, the first thing I saw was Darkness. It told me I was its creation and its sole key to victory in its battle for supremacy. After that, it dropped me into this world and I never saw it again."

He was silent for a while before he continued.

"I spent many years wandering aimlessly, stopping only to feed on nightmares. Whenever I would try to make a friend I would get attacked instead. The few times I fought back I was defeated. And every time I lost a battle or failed to make a friend, I would hear Darkness laugh and its taunts at my failures.

"After I grew sick of constantly losing battles and being rejected, it told me to put everyone to sleep and feed on their nightmares."

When Darkrai didn't continue, Zorua asked; "Did you?"

He slowly nodded. "Those poor souls slept for years, never once waking."

"How did they eat if they never woke up?" Caleb asked.

"I had them all imprisoned within a nightmare barrier," Darkrai explained. "A minute in there is one month out here.

"The more I fed on those Pokemon's nightmares, the more my strength and powers grew. After ten years, I left the forest to test my new strengths. I challenged the strongest Pokemon I could find and one after another, I beat them. When they lost, I brought them back to my domain in the forest and placed them in my barrier. Feeding on their nightmares made me even more powerful."

"The Forest of Nightmares?" Captain Zoroark asked.

"Yes. . . . Though it was not as large as it is now."

"And all this time," Grovyle began, "I thought that was just an old ghost story." When the humans and kids looked at him in confusion he added spookily; "The Forest of Nightmares is the domain of the Shadow Monster. Anyone who falls asleep inside its territory, never wake up. Bwahaha."

"You need to work on your dramatic flair," Ben said after a minute of awkward silence.

"Is that what happened to those Pokemon?" Scout asked Darkrai.

"Yes and no. One hundred and sixty-eight years had passed before Pokemon started seeking me out to rescue the trapped ones. More often than not I defeated them in battle and they became imprisoned while some of their comrades ran away in fear."

Darkrai cringed and shook his head in disgust at his past actions. "With my numerous victories came arrogance and I believed myself to be invincible, especially with Darkness on my side praising my accomplishments. Until that day. . . ."

When he went off into a daze Cresselia asked; "What day?"

"The day my eyes were opened." He sighed before continuing. "Two hundred years had passed since I began trapping Pokemon in my never-ending nightmare. By then I had become so powerful that even Mythical and Legendary Pokemon were unable to defeat me."

"Which ones, if you don't mind my asking?" Guild Master Rotom beckoned.

"Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres. Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. Plus Deoxys and Celebi."

"You defeated that many?!" Mismagius exclaimed, both she and the others on Malamar's side stared at him in shock.

"With that knowledge, are you second-guessing your choice to side with him?" he replied coldly while gesturing to Malamar.