Takuya stirred from his sleep, thinking he heard something. He opened his eyes. It was still dark out. He sat up and looked around. Everyone else was still sleeping soundly, even Kasi despite a slight snore coming from Avery.
Takuya couldn't help but smile as he let out a slight sigh. He always had a feeling that they would make a good couple since Avery had confided to him in confidence about his feelings for his cousin. That, and he felt the two were a good fit for each other. Kasi knew how to keep Avery on the right path, and Avery was highly loyal and protective of Kasi in return. He still needed to work on controlling his temper with others, though. Especially now that they had the powers of Entei, Suicine, and Raikou at their fingertips.
A noise in Takuya's ears then brought him back into focus. He could hear a rumbling noise nearby. It was now more prominent then it was before, as if several someones… or somethings was running in their direction at a fast pace.
Pikachu and Quilava woke up when they heard the noise as well, waking up Ash and Tyler when they jumped off the cots in protective stances.
"Pikachu… What's going on?" Ash asked groggily.
Tyler sat up and looked at the time on his Pokegear. "Quilava… It's three o'clock in the morning…"
Takuya then saw a dust cloud in the field, as if a stampede was heading in their direction! Then he heard the jet engines!
Takuya quickly unzipped his sleeping bag and stood up. "Guys, wake up!" Takuya shouted. "We have company!"
Avery and Kasi woke up instantly after hearing Takuya's warning. Kasi unzipped her sleeping bag and they both stood up. Ash and Tyler had already jumped off the cots, now fully alert holding onto a few of their Pokeballs in case it was more than Pikachu and Quilava could handle.
Dawn and Misty rushed outside in their Pajamas. "What's going on? I saw a large cloud of dust outside the window…" Dawn started.
Then the jet engines were in hearing range of everyone, even those without sensitive hearing.
"Misty!" Ash said. "Go get the Professors and call the police! Quick!"
Misty quickly ran back inside to wake Oak, Elm, and Rowen as she grabbed the lab's phone dialing nine-one-one.
The jetcraft were now visible, as they closed in around the entire lab, hovering in the air. Tyler had read about these new types of jets. They were designed with Vertical Takeoff and Landing capabilities. VTOL for short. Among other things, there were ten jeeps driving on the grass, stopping at a short distance from the lab. All the vehicles bore the Team Midnight insignia!
"Get ready!" Takuya said.
Ash released his Greninja for extra help, while Tyler called out his Magnaton. Dawn called out her Swinub and Aipom, just in case.
Emerging from one of the jets was a man in a mech suit! He landed in the field, a few meters away from the house.
"Well, well." The mech's pilot said in a smooth, buttery voice. The voice of a rich and high-class man. "Your abilities after the splicing procedure have exceeded almost all my expectations."
"Who are you?!" Avery snarled, bearing his tiger-like teeth.
"Not as important as what I will become…" The pilot spoke in riddles. "But I guess introductions are needed. I am Malak Denzel. The leader of Team Midnight."
Takuya stood tall, defiant. "Why did you do this to us?"
"To further humanity's dominance, of course." Denzel said smoothly. "I'm sure Tyler has told you what he found out after we caught him sneaking into our headquarters… I'm surprised he hasn't shown you his gifts…"
Everyone turned to Tyler, their eyes wide.
"Is that true?" Ash asked.
Tyler closed his eyes and nodded. "When they caught me, they did some sort of procedure on me… Altered the chemistry of my body and brain with Abra genetics. It gave me the ability to see into people's minds, along with some minor telekinetic abilities. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, it's not something I like talking about."
"Yes, indeed." Denzel spoke as the group turned back to him and his mech. "Tyler and the magician initiative showed promise at first. But eventually, it proved a big letdown, despite the research and funding we put into the project. Didn't really matter anyway, since your Pokemon pals managed to break you out. But this new direction with the Pokemon-human hybrids shows much more promise, and it can obviously reap even better results…"
Avery, Kasi, and Takuya all glared at the mech. "Is that all we are to you?" Avery growled as his body started to charge with electricity. "Just some experiment for your disgusting, ill-gotten gains?!"
Denzel chuckled. "I wouldn't call them ill-gotten and disgusting. You are humanity's next step in this brave new world, you should be proud."
"Well I'm not!" Avery jumped out into the open, facing the mech. He sent an electrical surge through the ground. Kasi and Takuya joined him shortly afterwards. "None of us are! We had lives of our own, dreams we wanted to fulfil… and you stole that all away!"
Kasi put on a brave face, her power causing the air temperature to drop around them. "If you think we're just going to go along with you willfully while joining hands and singing kumbaya, you've got another thing coming."
Denzel sighed. "I figured you would be resistant… Not surprised." The mech started to pop out weapons and capture devices.
"We're warning you!" Takuya shouted. "We've learned to control our newfound abilities and will use them against you! Now turn around and start walking."
Denzel let out a manic laugh. "If you have learned to harness your power, it will make this all the better… Now come at me!" The mech moved one of its claws tauntingly, challenging the trio to fight him.
Avery smiled a devious grin. "If that's the way you want to play it…"
"Avery, wait!" Tyler called out.
Too late. Avery then charged forward on all fours, using his speed to his advantage.
Denzel's mech then started to fire rubber bullets at Avery, along with a few taser bolas. Avery managed to dodge them as he got in close to the mech. He then jumped up at the mech's cockpit and started to punch and claw away at the glass while sending electricity crackling through the mech's frame.
Takuya and Kasi were already circling around the mech trying to flank it. Once they were in the mech's blind spots, Takuya shot a fireball from his mouth at one of the mech's joints while Kasi unleashed an ice beam at the mech's feet, freezing it in place!
Denzel was amused. "Impressive, but you will have to try harder."
One of the mech's clawed hands then reached up and grabbed Avery by the waist, throwing him off! The mech then broke free of the ice, then turned to face Takuya. It fired a volley of small rockets at Takuya, who managed to dodge them just in time as they exploded on impact. Looking back, Takuya saw the rockets were filled with fire retardant!
"That's not all…" Denzel said, noticing the look on Takuya's face. A flamethrower then popped out of one of the mech's arms and trained its sights on Kasi!
"Kasi, look out!" Avery cried out, tackling her out of the way just as the mech's weapon unleashed its blaze! They got up and started to run, as Takuya jumped in front of them. He sent a fire blast attack at the mech, hoping to stall it so they could regroup.
The mech wasn't fazed, nor was Denzel. "You show promise, but need to work on focusing your powers more…" The mech emerged from the blast, now loading up more missiles.
"Run!" Takuya yelled, then released a gigantic smokescreen. He then grabbed Kasi and Avery by the arms as they all made a break towards the lab.
Denzel was still one step ahead. He turned on the mech's infrared targeting systems, then readied one of its four snare cannons. He trained it sights on Avery.
"Game over." Denzel chuckled as he fired, the snare cannon shot out a claw attached to a long cable! It latched onto Avery's arm, tearing him out of Takuya's grip!
"Avery!" Takuya shouted.
"No!" Avery struggled, digging his claws into the ground leaving deep claw marks as the snare cannon started to slowly reel him in. Pikachu shot a thunderbolt at the cable, but it just absorbed it! Quilava even tried his flamethrower attack, but the cable appeared to be fireproof as well!
"Avery!" Takuya ran forward and grabbed Avery's free hand, trying to stop him from being reeled in.
"You're only making this harder on yourselves…" Denzel sighed.
The trainers were now angry. "Pick on someone your own size!" Ash shouted, then whistled for Charizard, who flew out from one of the trees and charged at the mech.
Denzel, seeing the attacker on his radar simply caught Charizard by the claws, and threw him back into another tree, though he had to release Avery to do so! He turned to face the trainers.
"Tut tut… Interference, not very sportsman like." Denzel smirked. "This calls for a game penalty!"
The mech then deployed hover drones, which went straight for Dawn snatching her up.
"DAWN!" Tyler yelled as Dawn was reeled up. Denzel then held one of the mech's cannons up to her face.
"No… You wouldn't!" Takuya shouted.
"Let her go!" Avery cried out. "She has nothing to do with this!"
Denzel sighed nonchalantly. "I don't know…You seem to be worried about this poor little girl. It would be a shame if my finger slipped on the trigger right now, wouldn't it?"
Avery started to charge an electrical attack, ready to strike the mech with full force. "If you hurt her…"
"You'll what?" Denzel taunted. "Your attacks hardly damaged my mech. Besides, once you let loose your electrical strike, the drones will have already moved her into the path of your attack. Think quickly…" Denzel held the mech's gun arm up to her at point blank range.
"WAIT!" Takuya yelled. Everyone froze on the spot. Time stood still.
Takuya knew Kasi and Avery weren't going to like this, but there was no other way. He closed his eyes, and reluctantly walked forward. He held his hands out from his body. "Don't hurt her… You don't need to keep her as a hostage… Please, take me instead. Just let everyone else be."
Kasi let out a shocked gasp as both she and Avery looked at Takuya with horror.
"Takuya, you can't!" Kasi cried out.
"Don't do it!" Dawn yelled.
"Takuya, no!" Avery growled. "That will just give him what he wants!"
"It's the only option…" Takuya said. "The only way to save her…"
"Really?" Denzel said. "You're offering to take her place? How do I know this isn't some farce?" He asked, a hit of mockery in his tone.
"She doesn't have any value to you. I do…" Takuya said glaring at Denzel. "I represent a lot of money and research for your scientists. The girl, however, doesn't have anything that could benefit you. That, and she's too young… She's barely started her journey in life. Spare her and take me instead."
Denzel gave an evil grin. "Deal!"
The drones dropped Dawn to the ground on the spot as Denzel's mech deployed all four of its snare cannons. Takuya shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for what was to come. Not wasting any time, Denzel fired the snares at all of Takuya's limbs, leaving him no opportunity of escape. Takuya stumbled as the snares impacted, then let out a yell as they sent a paralyzing current through his body.
"Takuya!" Avery yelled.
"I'm sorry, my friends…" Takuya said to Kasi and Avery as he lost consciousness, tears running from his eyes. "I made you a promise, and I won't break it…."
"Men! Fall back!" Denzel ordered. "We will take care of the other two later."
The mech rapidly reeled Takuya into its grasp, then powered up Its jets, starting to take off along with the VTOL Jets and the jeeps.
Avery wasn't about to let this stand. He charged forward, but the drones cut him off. Enraged and desperate, Avery started to slash his way through the drones with his claws, using them as jumping platforms to try and reach Takuya.
"No!" Avery yelled. "Stop! Let go of him… LET HIM GO!" He leapt up from the final drone, hand outstretched to try and grab Takuya to save him from this fate…
But Takuya was already out of reach. The only thing Avery succeeded in doing was grabbing Takuya's luck dog tags, the cheap chain snapping off his neck.
More drones then deployed from the jets, and charged at Avery, slamming him into the ground, pinning him.
"Patience, my electric tiger friend…" Denzel chuckled as Avery glared at him. "You will have your turn soon enough…" The mech took to the sky, and the goons dispersed.
Avery sent out a wave of electric thunder from his body, throwing the drones off him as he let out a yell. He looked up and saw that Team Midnight was now too far away to be caught. He looked down at Takuya's lucky dog tags, still sitting in his palm, breathing heavily as if he could not get enough air. He had failed… He couldn't stop them…
Avery fell to his hand and knees as the facts set in. Kasi started to slowly walk up to him, but stopped after Avery started yelling, starting to pound the ground with his fists. Electricity shot out from his body as he punched the ground a few more times, leaving cracks in the earth beneath him. Avery threw his head back in furious roarlike scream.
That's when Kasi saw it, along with everyone else. Tears were streaming down Avery's face as he screamed. The electrical sparks eventually subsided, as did the yelling, as Avery broke down into sobs.