Chapter 6

The entire band and their pokemon, minus Dani, Brian, Mightyena and Charizard, were assembled inside the rather cramped interior of their truck. In the truck's cabin a small screen glowed, showing the batteries were fully charged.
"Here's what we know," began Daron, looking around at his dispirited friends, "Dani and Brian are in a jail in town. There is a ship waiting at the harbour to get us the hell off this island. If anyone sees us they'll sound the alarm and we'll have to deal with the guards, whom I hope I don't have to remind you have weapons. The only way I can think of to get Dani and Brian back is to wait until tonight and then attack the jail. If we do that fast enough we should be able to rescue everyone and get to the ship before the guards can muster a proper counter-attack."
Kirsten nodded, looking through everything with her red eyes.
"What if they expect it?" asked Rei.
"She's right," agreed Rick, "They'll expect us to come."
"We can create a diversion," stated Daron, "A fire in another part of town."
Kirsten's hands curled into fists. Ninetails was the only fire pokemon with them so she would get to make the diversion, and get her payback for them capturing Dani. Daron saw noticed Kirsten tense up and it worried him that she might do something that could endanger her.
"You are only trying to make a distraction," Daron cautioned her, "Don't do anything rash while you're out there."
"I won't," she replied, her eyes not leaving the floor she'd been staring at since the commencement of the discussion.
Daron took a breath, then kept talking, "I want to do this tonight. Let's get some rest."
With that as his closing remark he flopped onto his bunk and closed his eyes.

Dani's eyes widened as Gobi shoved him into the room. In front of his eyes was the supreme legendary pokemon, Mew. He blinked and rubbed his eyes in shock before realising it was indeed a real mew, although slightly different to what he'd been told. As a kid Dani had heard many stories of Mew, but a kind mew, playful and gentle with soft pink fur. Just one glance at the mew in front of him however dispelled all that from his mind.
{Welcome human,} Mew greeted him, its psychic voice holding a mocking tone.
"Y-you're mew?" stammered out Dani.
{That's right,} confirmed Mew.
His long blue tail flicked lazily as he watched his two captives whilst reclining in his throne. He wore a playful grin on his muzzle but it was a dark, evil playfulness, one that struck fear into Dani's heart. Mew's eyes held an uncaring, cruel gaze that scoured every corner of the room.
{It's come to my attention that you've been spreading vile rumours about me through my island,} said Mew, his voice strangely cheerful.
The grinning pokemon watched Dani from its throne, a large black stone moulded into a bowl-like depression for Mew to recline in. On the floor before him were two oval stones set into the floor, both the same size as Mew and exuding a soft blue glow, acting like a spotlight on the tiny psychic and serving as the only source of light in the room.
Dani gulped, "That's not true!"
{Oh?} queried Mew, {One of your songs describe the death of a king did it not?}
"Ye-"
Mew cut him off immediately, {Leading, in fact, to a rebellion in one of my cities.}
"But we di-"
There was a sudden flash of blue light and Dani was hurled back against the wall. Gobi grabbed the chain linking Brian's handcuff and ankle shackles, as he tried to run to Dani, causing him to trip and fall on his face. Dani gasped for the breath that had been knocked out of his lungs on impact and Brian moaned in pain as blood trickled out of his nose.
{I dislike being interrupted,} clarified Mew.

The forest lay silent under the starry sky until suddenly there was a whirr as an electric motor started up. Immediately afterwards, the darkness was punctured by two beams of white light and The Howl From Beyond's truck began to move to the harbour city which had first welcomed it to hell.

"Keep the guards busy as long as possible," requested Daron as Kirsten and Ninetails jumped out of the vehicle.
The pair nodded determinedly.
"Don't worry about us," Kirsten reassured him, "We'll be fine. It's you who'll be in danger."
Daron smiled, "Not once we free Dani. Then they'll be up against almost our full force."
There was a short period of relative silence, only the hum of the truck's motor.
"Just be careful," warned Daron, then added more seriously, "If you're in trouble just leave. Espeon can track you down again if we need to. Heh, Dani'll kill me if I let something happen to you."
[You be careful too,] said Absol to Ninetails, [I'll be back soon.]
"Good luck," muttered Rei, focusing more on her mental planning with Espeon.
"We'll be back soon," called out Rick as Daron pulled off, leaving Kirsten and her Ninetails to do their part.

Dani struggled back to his feet, casting a concerned glance at Brian.
"You're not how I expected you to be," panted Dani, wishing he could free his arms.
{In what way?} asked Mew, levitating both Dani's and Brian's pokeballs from Gobi's paws and floating them to him, {As a pokemon? Or did you just not expect a pokemon to rule?}
Mew rolled the balls around a bit, seeming to be mesmerised by the gentle movements.
{Stupid creatures,} he finally commented.
"As a pokemon," replied Dani, "You're the opposite of all the legends. You're a pokemon yourself but you insult Mightyena. He's a champion! You're also a complete asshole and I'm not surprised you're having riots. Anyone who gets treated like you're treating people will riot. Hell! I don't even know why they listen to you at all."
{You're brave,} complemented Mew, {Or maybe just stupid.}
Brian tried to get to his feet but was kicked back down by Gobi and held there under his clawed foot paw. Mew ignored the two of them completely and kept his eyes locked with Dani, who knew better than to break contact with the tiny, blue pokemon.
{I can explain both to you,} stated Mew, {Would you like to hear?}
"Sure, I just love to listen to raving lunatics in my spare time."
Mew chuckled, {You're going to be a fun to play with. I can tell that already.}
Dani felt the floor under his feet shift and jumped back just before the surface he'd been standing on deformed and erupted into a sharp spike. It gained a faint aura and then morphed again into a smooth stone bar stool.
{Have a seat,} offered Mew, waving his paw at the new piece of furniture, {Unless you're too scared.}
Dani glared at the pokemon and sat down, "I was only scared that if someone of your calibre had built it that it would collapse."
{I guess you were wrong though,} smiled Mew, turning to Gobi and tossing the two balls back to him, {Have their pokemon put in the dungeons. They'll join them soon.}
Gobi nodded, [Yes, my Lord,] then, after grinding his foot paw into Brian's back walked out of the throne room.
{Now,} began Mew, sliding in his polished bowl of a chair until he was looking at Dani from upside down, {My story...}

Loud screams echoed throughout the abandoned night-time streets, waking everyone within earshot. As the residents in the same area of town woke up they could tell it was the middle of the night just by the feel of the earth, however there was another feeling running through the streets; fear. Instead of pitch blackness, the streets were bathed in orange light that flickered wildly, rose and fell as it clawed up the sides of the building and chewed through any combustible material it touched. People stood around in shock, half their faces black with shadow and night and the other half thrown into visibility by the growing flames.

"I can see the fire," announced Rick, calling down from his position on the roof of the truck.
"Wait a bit longer," cautioned Daron, "We want the guards to leave their posts and go there."
Rick jumped down, landing on the lifeless ground that surrounded the city. He glanced around then clambered into the truck, checking that his pokeball was securely attached to his belt.
"Let's go now. All the time we wait more guards are waking up," warned Rick.
"Damn it!" cursed Daron, throwing the truck in gear.
The electric engine whined as it was pressed to its limits before the electronics compensated and engaged the secondary motors, spreading the work amongst them.

"They should have woken up now," growled Kirsten, her fingers running through Ninetails' glimmering fur.
Ninetails snarled in agreement, the bright flames reflecting in her eyes as she watched the destruction. Kirsten rubbed her eyes, the familiar sting from the fire's heat and smoke making them itch.
"Two buildings to the left. Fire Blast through the second story!" commanded Kirsten.
Ninetails let out a sharp bark then shook with the recoil as a large red ball erupted from her jaws and formed into the distinguishing Fire Blast shape. The attack flew exactly as planned through a large window, designed to provide light to the lobby. At first the glass melted as the attack sheared through the panes but then the heat-shock caught up and the entire window exploded into a million fragments, each flashing brightly for the instant they existed, then the Fire Blast exploded. The shockwave blew out all the remaining windows and small objects and ignited almost the full interior of the reception.

{There is a mew like the one in your stories,} Mew reassured Dani, {He's my brother. A rather pitiful example of a legendary; all the power in the world, but no will to use it. No matter what I told him, he refused to join me.}
Mew snorted derisively.
{I told him we two were the most powerful pokemon ever. The potential to use any technique but he wasn't interested. Oh no, he preferred to hide in the shadows like a thief and play with his little bubbles.}
"And what did you plan to do? He's happy and not harming anyone. Why can't you be like him?" asked Dani.
{A failure?} snarled Mew, {That's what he is! Too scared to use what abilities he has. If something isn't used it has no value. We possess all this power yet he proposes to throw it away, pretend it's nothing and let humans rule. I won't degrade myself like that! Hehe, no... I took this island and made it my own. My play thing, my own bubble.}
"So you're just a power-hungry ego-maniac?"
{You could say that,} laughed Mew, {I see it differently though. I'm superior to all others so there is no reason why I shouldn't rule over them. People don't like that idea though. Even here, they thought they were too good to be ruled over by a ‘mere' pokemon. But look where they are now.}
"In a dead world. Sick and unhappy. I can't believe that this is how this island was before you came here."
{It's not,} agreed Mew, shaking his tail from side to side above his head, {Before I came here they lived in harmony with pokemon. Puh! They suffered crime, illness, wars and all those other things. Pokemon fought for their freedom and humans enslaved them. No one had control until I came here. I saw the potential this island had; large enough to have anything I wanted and small enough to keep safe and secret. So I erased everyone's memories and implanted my own designer memories into them and lo and behold had a kingdom of adoring worshipers.}
"And the pokemon?"
{I keep them in my dungeons mostly. They are useful as soldiers but lack many abilities you humans have that make you so useful to me. Unfortunately my mind modification is wearing off. That's why the riots have occurred. Soon I will have to alter everyone's minds again. Of course you won't be alive at that time. A happy thought.}
Dani opened his mouth to say something but it was cut out as a wave of psychic energy swept trough his mind and he fell backwards off the chair.

A woman, half-alight and a testament to Kirsten's rage ran across the street in front of the truck that Daron was driving. There was a loud thud and the woman was flung to the side.
"Are you crazy!" shouted Rick, "Watch where you're going!"
"It was better that way anyway," shot back Daron, "Let's just get Dani and Brian and get out of here. They're trying to kill us if you hadn't noticed!"

The truck continued its dangerous run through the city streets until they reached the jail, when Daron slammed on the breaks and skidded to a stop.
"Absol, Slash!"
A flash of red light resulted in Absol's release from its pokeball and was quickly followed by a red splash as Absol dispatched the lone guard outside the jail.
"Rick, you watch the truck!" ordered Daron as he leapt out the door, "Rei, you come with me!"

A dispatch of four guards huddled behind a pile of rubble, slotting fresh bolts into their crossbows.
"On three?" asked one of them.
The rest nodded grimly.
"One... two... three!"
They stood up quickly and took aim down the shafts before sending their shots streaking toward Kirsten and Ninetails.

Ninetails saw the guards pop up and dug her paws into the ground, jumping back and talking Kirsten flat on her back.
Kirsten grunted as the large fox landed on her chest and pushed her down. Not even a second afterward she heard the hiss of the bolts flying just over them and thudding deep into the ground a couple of metres away.
Once the danger was gone Ninetails leapt back up to her feet and off her trainer.
"Flamethrower! Retaliate!" shouted Kirsten's tumbling to her feet and brushing the soil off her clothes.
She was no longer wearing her red dress but had changed into a more sensible outfit of tight, red leather shorts and a red top.

The guards ducked back behind their barricade.
"Did we get her?" asked one.
"I'm sure," cheered another.
The other joined in but their celebration was cut short as a wave of searing, dry air flowed over them. The flamethrower attack struck their barrier and curled around it, forming instant blisters on their flesh and killing them soon after.

"We need monsters too!" snarled the city guard commander as he watched four of his archers burn to death, "Where are they?"
"They're coming," saluted a subordinate, "We've got word that the dissenter's truck has entered the city. They seem to be launching an attack, Sir."
"Damn it! Fall back and split into three groups. One must go back to assist our other forces. The other two will surround this one. We'll kill her then move on."
The soldier saluted again and ran off to carry out the orders. As he left another few guards ran up to the commander, each clutching a perfect, black, stone sphere.
"We have our own pokemon now, Sir," reported one.
"Then don't just stand there! Attack!"

Daron and Rei, accompanied by their loyal pokemon, ran through the guard's station. Luckily most of the guards had already left to battle the large fire that was now consuming the far end of the town. Those guards that remained weren't expecting an attack and were easily taken out by Absol or Espeon as they appeared.
"This way," called Daron, noticing a sign on the wall and heading to the holding cells in the basement.

"The hell!" exclaimed the prison guard in the cell room.
Daron was at the front and punched the man hard in the jaw. The guard spun around and fell unconscious as Daron swore loudly and grabbed his aching fist with his other hand.
"Ah, that hurt!" he winced.
Absol and Espeon quickly checked the few cells in the room. The search took little time as there were only five cells in the bare stone basement.
"They're not here!" exclaimed Rei in shock.
Daron looked up in pain, "What?"
"They're not here," she repeated.
Daron glanced down at the guard he'd punched. The man was slowly coming back to consciousness.
"Absol!" Daron called, nodding at the guard's direction.
The dark pokemon and his master moved over to the man and Absol placed his blade across the man's throat.
"Move and you die," Daron assured him, once the guard's eyes had focused, "You captured two of my friends. Where are they?"
The guard gulped at the sudden and unfriendly welcoming, "Th-they're gone."
"I know that! I'm not blind! Where have they gone too?"
"They were t-taken to see the k-king," stammered out the guard, his pants growing dark as he wet himself from fear.
Daron bit his lip in frustration, jerking up as the door to the basement slammed shut.
"More guards," Rei informed him.
Espeon had shut and locked the door to slow them down. Daron stood up, taking a hold of Absol's chain collar, almost identical to his own, and led him to Rei and Espeon.
"Then Rick's in trouble. Teleport us out of here. We need to help him and get Kirsten."

A fusillade of arrows and crossbow bolts rained down on Rick. There was a sharp crackling that echoed through the streets and soon the metal objects were suspended in a radius. Jolteon's fur was standing right on end.
"Send ‘em back," commanded Rick, watching with a sense of satisfaction as the projectiles were flung back along their trajectories, hitting those whose reactions were slower than average.
"Keep it up," commanded Rick, "I'm going to start the truck for a quick getaway. Protect the others when they get here!"
Jolteon barked out a response then turned his focus back on blocking the attacks with an induced magnetic field.
Nearby to the truck, and only just within Jolteon's invisible shield, the air shimmered and Rei, Daron, Absol and Espeon faded into view. The two humans immediately headed for the truck. Absol sent a wave of dark energy from his head blade. The attack shattered the bricks it hit and drove the guards back into hiding for a few precious moments.
[Let's go,] Absol called to Jolteon.
[What about Mightyena and Charizard?] asked Jolteon, a lightning bolt firing from his coat and electrocuting the first guard to reappear.
[They've been moved. And we need to move to.]
Jolteon grunted as he nodded but before he even needed to run he was sucked back into the safety of his pokeball by Rick. With Rick now behind the wheel the truck once again accelerated through the hostile town. Mew's mind slaves attempted to stop it but had no success as it moved out of their range.

"I can see her," shouted Rick, "She's in trouble!"
Glancing ahead of him through the windshield Rick could see Kirsten and Ninetails surrounded by another four pokemon and two groups of archers moving to surround them.
"Things are going to be close," warned Daron as he handed Rei and Brian and a pair of earplugs each.
"What are these for?" queried Rick, unable to put them in as he was driving, rather faster than would be considered safe.
"Put them and trust me," replied Daron, "I need to borrow Espeon."
Rei nodded and handed him Espeon's pokeball.
"Don't release anyone else!" he said finally as he disappeared to the back of the truck, putting is own earplugs in.
Rick growled under his breath as he carefully brought the truck to a controlled stop in front of Kirsten.

Kirsten held Ninetails' nape tightly as though she could hold her pokemon back. She could feel the gorgeous fox pant heavily; she was almost totally out of energy.
"Hold it a bit longer," whispered Kirsten, "We only get one shot for this."
The white, though now grey-with-ash, pokemon nodded slowly. A few shouts from some of the distant guards turned their attention to the side where they saw their truck heading toward them. Both of their hearts jumped up with new hope.
"We'll be fine now, girl," Kirsten assured Ninetails.
The pair watched the truck stop in front of them and heard the thud of arrows hitting the side, a last minute attempt to kill them.
Espeon teleported to their sides instantly and pushed them down, {Cover your ears!}

"Get them before they get away!" shouted the commander of the city's guards.
All the men and the few pokemon rushed The Howl From Beyond's truck. Before they reached it the side hissed and opened to reveal Daron standing alone on the stage.
"There's just one of them!" called the commander, "Finish them off!"
"Hehehe," chuckled Daron, picking his guitar up, "Power on."
A loud click echoed throughout the countryside. The guards raised their bows at the same time as Daron lifted his hand. Daron braced himself and struck the strings as hard as he could, following it up by madly strumming as fast as he could. The guitar sent a signal to the amplifier and from there out the speakers, all at the maximum volume. The initial burst of sound exploded out with an amazing amount of force, straight into the guards' unprotected ears. Eardrums and speakers were torn apart together from the onslaught before the whole system shorted out and silence fell again.
Espeon teleported back into the truck; her, Kirsten and Ninetails' ears aching even though they'd been warned and behind where the sound waves had been directed.
Daron activated the closing mechanism of the truck and ran to tell Rick to go. Once that was done he ran back to Kirsten and Ninetails to make sure they were alright.

One of the guard's pokemon, a houndour, lay trembling and whimpering as she watched the truck drive off. All around her everyone else was in about the same state but she couldn't hear it through the intense ringing in her head. She lay her head down, blood trickling out of her ears, and fell unconscious.