+The Final Strike+ Part-4

Continued from Part-3

A Poke'mon fan-fiction written by Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard and Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

The Sequel to "The Village Guardian" and "Project Omega" written by Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard with some help from Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

This is a work of fan-fiction and may not be modified or sold under any circumstances.

Original Story, Characters and all other Original Content are Copyright 1987, 1995, 1999 and 2006 Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard and Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

Poke'mon and all related content and characters are Copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2006 to Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures and The Poke'mon Company

-13-
The next morning, Mack, Aura and their friends left Alakaz. Mack had landed the gigantic S-5 heavy cargo carrier back at his hidden lab. Shortly thereafter, the newlywed couple left William, Fredrick, Sakura, Anna, Li and Enrique in Gardev. After saying their goodbyes, Glacian happily teleported Mack and Aura back to the Gardevoir city. There they would spend the rest of their honeymoon. Simon had also left for the Gardevoir city, not telling anyone what he was up to. Now, Mack and Aura were walking through the monumental white marble palace, enjoying one of the many flower gardens. An hour later, Glacian approached the lovers as the continued to marvel at the gardens.

"Mack, the elders and I need to speak with Aura," said Glacian sternly, "There is much we need to discuss with her." Aura could sense Mack's uneasiness and restlessness.

"Why don't you explore the palace in the meantime?" suggested Aura with a friendly smile.

"We should be finished talking with Aura by dinner time. I can come for you then, if you'd like," said Glacian.

"Okay," replied Mack.

"I'll be waiting for you," said Aura with a smile.

"Come with me, Aura," said Glacian. Aura nodded her head and followed after Glacian, holding her skirt with one hand. Mack sighed and he decided to wander about the corridors of the palace. He'd had enough of flower gardens for now. He wandered through the cavernous corridors, holding his skirt with his right hand. He soon noticed other Gardevoir couples in wedding attire, wandering about the palace too. Mack walked up to one of the couples.

"Excuse me for bothering you, but why are there so many Gardevoir couples here in the palace?" asked Mack with curiosity. The male Gardevoir, embracing his mate, looked Mack over. He could sense that Mack knew little of the Gardevoir city or its traditions. His eyes went wide when he noticed the sapphire pendant around Mack's neck.

"Wow!" said the male Gardevoir with surprise, "Look, dear! It's the Guardian of Gardev!" The Gardevoir and his mate broke their embrace and faced Mack.

"I see!" said the female Gardevoir with delight.

"I've heard a lot about you," said the male Gardevoir as he eagerly shook Mack's hand, "My name is Henry and this is my lovely mate, Sabrina."

"We were married just a few days ago," giggled Sabrina with happiness as she wrapped an arm around Henry.

"My name is Mack," said Mack.

"You're new here from what I can gather," said Henry, "So, I'll gladly explain. This palace is filled with wonderful and relaxing gardens. Many Gardevoir couples in this city like to come and spend the day here either to celebrate their recent marriage or their wedding anniversary. Of course, all Gardevoir and their children are welcome to visit this palace, too."

"Is there anything else you need to know?" asked Sabrina.

"No, thank you," said Mack with a friendly smile, "That's all I wanted to know."

"Well, then we'll be on our way. Shall we be off, my dear?" asked Henry as he glanced at his wife. Sabrina nodded her head and the young Gardevoir couple walked away from Mack and down one of the gigantic corridors. As Mack continued to walk through the palace, he noticed how other Gardevoirs would stop and glance at him as he passed by. Before long, Mack figured he would be able to relax more by journeying deeper into the palace and away from the other Gardevoir lovers. As he walked down another corridor and rounded a corner, a strange sight caught his eye. There, guarding an entryway, were two Poke'mon that Mack had never seen before. They resembled the Gardevoir species, but had shorter white skirts, thicker legs and their forearms resembled blades. Mack tapped the side of his head a few times, hoping his implanted micro-computer would start working again. For some reason, the small device would not function after Mack had completely turned into a Gardevoir. Moments later, the familiar computer readouts filled Mack's vision as he glanced at the two Poke'mon from around the corner. Moments later, information trickled in from Central's databases…
----------------------------------------------------------------
Species=#475                            -No Call Data Available-
   Name=Erureido                         -No Picture on Record-
   Data=No Data Available…              -No Habitat Information-
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"Erureido?" thought Mack with amazement, "I've never seen anything like it before." Mack glanced around the corner. From what he could see, the two Erureidos were engaged in a heated match of 5 Card Draw Poker. Mack walked around the corner, eager to meet the new Poke'mon. As soon as the two guards spotted Mack, they dropped their cards in shock: they knew very well who this male Gardevoir in wedding attire was, especially when they noticed the unmistakable sapphire pendant. They instantly jumped to their feet and saluted Mack.

"Welcome, Guardian of Gardev!" said the two Erureidos in unison and with respect.

"Please. You don't have to greet me like that. My name is Mack," said Mack.

"Oh," said one of the Erureidos as they lowered their arms.

"It's just tradition," said the other Erureido, "Being a Guardian of Gardev is very honorable and that commands respect."

"There's no need for that kind of formality," said Mack, "I'm not exactly royalty."

"But to the people in this city, you are royalty," said the first Erureido, "Like a prince and a princess."

"Well, enough about me," said Mack with a friendly smile, "Now, how about you tell me more about yourselves? I've never met or even seen an Erureido before. What do you guys do here?"

"Okay," said the second Erureido, "My name is Wallace and this is my friend, Arthur."

"Pleased to meet, you Guardian of Gardev," said Arthur with a polite bow.

"Just call me Mack," said Mack with some embarrassment, "It's easier for me."

"As you wish, Mack," said Wallace as he regained his composure, "Me, Arthur and the other Erureidos in this city are the sworn protectors of the Gardevoir city."

"There's only about fifty of us," explained Arthur, "Our job is to help keep order in the city and, most importantly, guard the palace."

"Thankfully, the city and palace are very peaceful," said Wallace with happiness, "So being one of the city's elite guard is an easy, but also a very honorable job."

"What did you two evolve from?" asked Mack.

"Why, we were both Kirlia when we were younger," answered Wallace.

"How about I explain how we got our jobs," said Arthur, "Being one of the elite guards is very honorable indeed, but getting to be one is not at all easy."

"Training begins at a young age. We were both still Ralts when we began our training," said Wallace, "And only a male Ralts can undergo the training."

"But the training is very difficult and very few Ralts or Kirlia actually succeed," explained Arthur, "But when they do succeed, they are given a pendant. Set in the gold pendant, is an Awakening Stone. Apparently, a male Kirlia must be holding onto the stone when he evolves into his final form."

"But Awakening Stones are very rare," said Wallace, "That is part of why the elite guard training is so difficult and also why there are so few of us." Mack took a closer look at Wallace and Arthur: he soon noticed that both of the Erureidos had a gold ring on the middle finger of their left hands.

"I see you've noticed our wedding bands," chuckled Wallace.

"Speaking of which, today is my tenth wedding anniversary!" said Arthur with happiness, "I can't wait until I'm off duty and at home with my beautiful mate."

"Tenth anniversary already, eh?" said Wallace with a grin, "That's one of the big ones."

"How so?" asked Mack with curiosity. Wallace glanced at Mack, sensing that the new Guardian of Gardev knew almost nothing about tradition in the Gardevoir city.

"This is how things tend to work in the Gardevoir city," explained Wallace, "Every mid summer, unmarried Gardevoirs and Erureidos seek mates. Nearly all Gardevoir weddings happen at this time of year. Why, Sophia and I celebrated our 50th anniversary just last week."

"If only I could wear my wedding attire now," sighed Arthur, "Then again, I would look rather strange standing guard in it, wouldn't I?"

"Yes, you would!" laughed Wallace, "Not to mention, if you actually had to fend something off, you'd probably trip and fall flat on your face! Then I would have to save your hide!"

"At least Jasmine will be all dressed up for me by the time I get home," sighed Arthur blissfully, "She'll be there in the doorway with my wedding attire on hand."

"Anyway, a Gardevoir's 10th anniversary is most important, because, traditionally, a couple's first Ralts is born before their 11th wedding anniversary," explained Wallace, "At least that's the tradition in this city, anyway."

"I see," said Mack with understanding. The idea of having a Ralts with Aura was a very pleasant thought. After all, as the Guardians of Gardev, Mack and Aura would have to have offspring to preserve the Guardian bloodline.

"Now, I think I've prattled on long enough," said Wallace, "Tell me Mack, what brings you here? Have you come to see the treasure room? It's right through this doorway." Wallace pointed to the very same doorway that he and Arthur had been guarding.

"Am I really allowed to enter?" asked a bewildered Mack.

"Of course!" laughed Wallace, "After all, Gardevoirs and Erureidos alike don't feel greed. We all know that gems and precious metals are valuable, but none of us would ever want to come here and try to take all these treasures by force. The treasures of this city are here for any Gardevoir or Erureido who wants them."

"Come to think of it," said Arthur, "Most of the gold and jewels here end up as wedding jewelry for female Gardevoirs and, of course, as fine wedding bands."

"Well, I'll have to take a look inside, then," said Mack.

"Please do," said Wallace with a friendly smile, "I do hope you'll come back here with your mate, soon. Since the Guardians of Gardev almost always reside in the nearby village, very few Poke'mon in this city ever get to meet them."

"I guess it's for good reason, too," said Arthur nervously, "Can you remember how much the female Gardevoirs fought for your attention?"

"How could I forget?" chuckled Wallace, "Take it from me, Mack: when a Kirlia evolves into an Erureido, he doesn't stay single for long."

"Yeah, I had dozens of young Gardevoirs coming after me. It seems like once every two years an Erureido gets married. Since a Guardian is eligible for marriage only once every 25 years, I imagine that competition from potential mates would be no less than a riot," said Arthur.

"A riot, eh? At least it would give us something exciting to do for once," said Wallace with soft laughter.

"And being with our mates isn't exciting?" asked Arthur with a grin. Wallace erupted with laughter.

"Well, I'll be going now. It was nice to meet you," said Mack as he started for the doorway.

"It was an honor to meet you, Mack," said Wallace as Mack walked through the doorway.

"Please come back with your mate and chat with us again sometime, okay?" asked Arthur.

"Will do," said Mack as he walked onward, holding his skirt with one hand.

"Are you worried about that object we're supposed to guard?" asked Arthur.

"You still have a lot to learn, young friend," said Wallace, "There is now way that ANY Gardevoir or Erureido would have any interest in that…dark object." As the two guards continued to talk, Mack wandered about the treasure room. He looked around the giant room with amazement, marveling at the enormous piles of gold. He knelt down and picked up a piece of gold, studying it carefully. His onboard computer confirmed Mack's suspicions: it was some of the purest gold he had ever seen in all his years. He walked a bit further, knelt down and closely examined some nearby gems. The gems were all large and flawless. He then continued walking down a 5' wide marble-tiled causeway between the piles of gold and gems. The rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds shone with bright luster amongst the mountains of gold. The room was also very silent. The only sounds Mack heard were his soft footsteps and the rustling of the petticoats under the skirt his wedding dress. Minutes later, three glass cases with gold trim on their sides in the middle of the room caught Mack's eyes. Mack walked quickly down the causeway towards the mysterious objects.

"I wonder what would so important enough to be in the middle of the room?" thought Mack as he approached the glass cases. They two cases were right in the middle of a four-way intersection in the causeways. The first object to the far right didn't seem to be of much interest: just a golden pendant much like Mack's, but with what seemed to be a black opal inset in fine gold. Then Mack turned his head to the left and gazed at the other case. What he found there shocked him: in the case were two wedding dresses, more ornate than even his and Aura's. The first dress was obviously for the bride: the bodice sparkled brightly from thousands of fine cut, inlaid diamonds. Small blue diamonds gave the appearance of fine, ornate patterns on the bodice. The skirt shimmered even brighter than Aura's. A white bow was on the back of the waist, also inlaid with small diamonds. Mack gasped at this wondrous sight: the lace headdress had diamonds on its frame. Even the garter had a ring of diamonds around it. On a small shelf above the dress, Mack saw diamond bracelets and earrings, but for some reason, he could not locate the tiara. The other wedding dress was definitely for a Gardevoir groom. Thought not as flashy as the bride's it still put Mack's own wedding attire to shame.

"Sheesh…" thought Mack with surprise, "I wonder who the heck are these are for?!"

"To be precise, these were going to be yours and Aura's wedding attire," said Glacian as he walked alongside Mack, "However, you did notice that the tiara is missing. I could never have given you and Aura these outfits for your wedding since such an important piece is lost. After all, these pieces are over a century old."

"Where did they come from?" asked Mack with curiosity.

"These wonderful dresses were made by the finest Gardevoir craftsmen and seamstresses," explained Glacian, "They were made for me and Gloria for our wedding day." Glacian glanced at Mack, sensing his curiosity.

"I see you want to know more about the story," said Glacian, "I knew this after you had asked me why I was not dressed up for yours and Aura's wedding."

"You don't have to tell me if it's too painful for you," said Mack.

"I think you should know this," replied Glacian, "By hearing this story, perhaps you will be better prepared for the years ahead with Aura. Please have a seat." Mack carefully sat down while Glacian leaned against one of the glass cases.

"How to begin?" said Glacian, "Ah! One hundred years ago on the very same day you and Aura were married, me and my lovely mate, Gloria, shared in our own wedding. We had many happy years together and we even had a single male Ralts. Though the times were very good for us, I feared greatly for Gloria every time we had to take action against what would have been a disaster for the town of Gardev for she was the first of the Guardians who could not use the powers of her pendant."

"The pendants increase the power of the wearer," said Mack.

"Yes, they do make a Poke'mon more powerful," explained Glacian grimly, "But only a member of the Guardian bloodline can use them. That also includes a Gardevoir chosen as the Guardian's mate. At any rate, 75 years ago, a very brutal winter storm had set over the Gardev mountains. We had never seen anything like it. The snow was several feet deep, just in Gardev. Outside Gardev, the snow piled to epic proportions in the forests and on the mountain sides. I knew something terrible was going to happen, but I just didn't know when. Then, on the very night of our 25th wedding anniversary, after spending the entire day celebrating our own son's wedding, disaster struck. A gigantic avalanche broke out on the slopes above Gardev in the middle of the night. Our son had left for the Gardevoir city for his wedding night, so Gloria and I were the only ones who could stop this onslaught. We ran outside our home, still in our wedding attire, running towards the approaching waves of snow. I summoned all the power I could, as did Gloria. For a time, the rumbling of the avalanche grew quiet as the cascades of snow came to a stop. I dropped to the ground, exhausted for I had taken the brunt of the work. Gloria looked back towards the mountain: she seemed to sense that our work was far from over. She ran ahead in the darkness and I tried to follow her, but I couldn't keep up. I had been weakened greatly. Amidst the sound of wind blowing over the snow drifts, I could hear a distinct rumbling getting louder and louder. I frantically tried to search for Gloria as the avalanche continued towards Gardev with renewed speed. At that moment, I learned why the winter had been so harsh that year. 'I see Articuno!' shrieked Gloria, far away on one of the hillsides. I felt a great wind from above as the giant bird flew overhead. I couldn't see him, but I could still sense his presence. I then remembered something dreadful: Articuno only appeared to doomed people and Poke'mon in mountainous areas. Moments later, I saw a bright light up ahead, hundreds of yards ahead of me: Gloria was using all the energy she had to divert the avalanche away from Gardev and away from me. 'Gardev is safe,' said Gloria through telepathy, 'And so are you, my love. Thank you for all the wonderful years we've gotten to spend together. Never forget me and give my love to our beloved son. I love you, my dear Glacian.' Those were the last words I heard from my beloved mate as the titanic wave of snow and ice swallowed her, dousing out her brilliant light. Nevertheless, the avalanche split in two and continued on, past Gardev and away from me. I managed to get back to my room in the same house that now belongs to Warren. The mayor of that time helped me to my room and tried to console me before he left the room. As I sat on the bed, wearing my wedding attire, it hit me: my beautiful, beloved mate was gone forever. I quickly took off my wedding attire and threw it to the ground in frustration, wishing that I could have done more to save her. I then removed my wedding band, throwing it out a nearby window in rage, knowing that I would have to spend the rest of the night of my 25th wedding anniversary…alone."

"That's…just so sad…" said Mack with despair.

"A few weeks later, the unnatural winter had come to an end. My son and his mate even returned early to help console me. With their help, I was able to gather enough of my courage to venture to the very spot where Gloria had been taken from me. When we got there, I discovered something interesting. Locked in thick, blue ice, was almost all of Gloria's wedding attire. My son, his mate and I managed to get everything free from the ice in a matter of hours. Almost everything was intact, except that the tulle petticoats had vanished: the delicate underskirt had probably been destroyed. Also, her diamond and platinum tiara had disappeared without a trace. The garter had been stored in a closet in our room back in Gardev. My joy was short-lived, for after weeks of further searching, we still could not find Gloria's body. Sensing my loss and despair, my son and his mate gladly offered to take mine and Gloria's former place as the Guardians of Gardev. A day after I passed on the pendants to the new Guardians, Gloria's name was inscribed on the monument in the town square along with the details surrounding her death. She had given her very life to protect the few hundred people who dwelled in Gardev. The people could not express their thanks with words. After the funeral I came back here, to the Gardevoir city. One good thing did come of all this. Despite my great loss, I once again had a sense of joy for I had been chosen to be the next head elder in the Gardevoir city, even though I was the youngest Gardevoir appointed to this position in millennia. I then ordered for two glass and gold cases to be made and in those cases I placed mine and Gloria's wedding attire."

"Did you ever confront Articuno?" asked Mack, "Overall, he was responsible for Gloria's death."

"To be honest, I was very angry at Articuno at first. Not long after I became the next head elder, I went on a journey to the Orange Islands in search of Articuno. It took months before I finally was able to meet him face to face on his island," explained Glacian.

"And what did you do when you saw him?" asked Mack eagerly.

"Articuno simply asked why I had come to see him. I explained about the unnatural winter that had resulted from him residing in the Gardev Mountains and how his actions had caused the death of my mate, Gloria. I mentioned that we were the Guardians of Gardev at the time: at that point, Articuno's eyes opened wide. He was well aware of the legends surrounding the Guardians. After learning that his actions had killed one of the Guardians, he was begging for my forgiveness, promising that he would never again reside in the Gardev Mountains," said Glacian, telling his old story, "Of course; I forgave the ancient bird of ice. Destroying him would have solved nothing. Articuno and I have been close friends ever since then."

"What became of your son and his mate?" asked Mack.

"I'm afraid that the grief over my family had only really begun. Since Gloria's death, the next Guardian couples were doomed for they could also not use the powers of the pendants. I had to watch for decades as my son, his mate and their firstborn offspring perished from the natural disasters, passing the pendants on to the next, doomed generation. Maybe you have not noticed, Mack, but Alexander's parents are no longer with us. A monumental landslide claimed them after weeks of heavy rain had saturated the hillsides around Gardev. They also, selflessly, ended up giving their lives for the people of Gardev. After they had been killed, I promised myself that I would give mine and Gloria's wedding attire to a Guardian couple who would not bear the same fate as the previous Guardians. Alas, for Alexander and Aurora could not use their pendants either. I had feared for the worst when they disappeared a few years ago. I'm very thankful that you came into our lives, Mack. Now Alexander and Aurora are home, safe and sound. On top of that, you and Aura are capable of using the pendants. For that reason, I would have given you these magnificent outfits to you and Aura for your wedding, because I had sworn that no other female Gardevoir would perish in this fine wedding dress again."

"I think I would have been even more uncomfortable on my wedding day if I had to wear this!" said Mack with nervous laughter as he pointed at the groom's wedding dress. Glacian chuckled warmly at Mack's outburst.

"I guess things worked out for the better then," said a smiling Glacian, "Besides, I could not have given these to you and Aura without the tiara anyway. I hope someone will find it soon, because I would really like it if Alexander and Aurora's eldest son and his future mate got to wear these magnificent clothes and jewelry."

"I understand," said Mack, "But why did you tell me such a sad tale?"

"I want to make sure that you and Aura will stick together as much as possible and protect each other," said Glacian sternly, "I never want to see another Guardian fall in the line of duty again as long as I live!" Mack nodded his head in agreement. Even before hearing Glacian's tragic story, Mack had made up his mind to protect Aura as best as he could. Mack had known for quite some time that Gardevoirs would give their lives for their human companions whenever the need arose. After dwelling on these facts for a time, Mack turned his gaze towards the black and gold pendant.

"And what is this thing?" asked Mack, "Is it another pendant for the Guardians of Gardev?" Glacian stared at the black pendant and frowned.

"Do you want to hear another story?" asked Glacian, "For this tale will explain why the pendants are distributed the way they are."

"Sure," said Mack, "I may as well learn more about the traditions of the Guardians since I'm part of the family now."

"Okay," said Glacian with a smile, "You know how the male Guardian wears the sapphire pendant and the female Guardian wears the ruby pendant. I've told you that story before, but I have yet to tell you how the emerald and diamond pendants came to be."

"There's also a diamond pendant?" asked Mack with disbelief, "How many of these things are there?"

"Just the four pendants, now, if you'll excuse me," said Glacian as he thought back, "Now I remember. Twenty-four years after the first Guardians were married; there was a feast and a celebration, for their first-born son had finally evolved into a handsome Gardevoir. Amidst the joyous celebration; however, there was grief. The founder of Gardev had a younger brother and his brother was also seeking the legendary Gardevoir city. The Gardevoir elders soon learned that this man had hired a large army of mercenaries to storm and capture their city. This army also had a secret weapon which a group of scouting Erureidos discovered. The Gardev founder's brother had somehow managed to fashion another pendant. Unlike the other pendants, which could only be used for good, this black opal pendant could only be used for destruction. To make matters worse, the dark pendant was being worn by a powerful Houndoom. The elders were afraid of the scout's description for they learned how the Houndoom had used his pendant's destructive powers to destroy entire villages as they made their way to Gardev. Even if all the Gardevoir and their children tried to fight the Houndoom, they would fail. Even the two Guardians would not have enough power to defeat the new threat. The head elder of the time quickly journeyed back to Gardev to explain the situation to the village founder. Upon listening to my ancestor's story, the mayor produced two more pendants: a diamond and an emerald pendant. The mayor gave the pendants to the Guardians of Gardev. Knowing that only a member of their bloodline could use them, they gave the diamond pendant to their firstborn son and the male Guardian gave the emerald pendant to his younger brother. Within a matter of days, the Houndoom and the army of ruthless mercenaries were only a few miles from Gardev. The four Gardevoir went out to meet them. The mayor's wicked brother soon caught sight of the four Gardevoir and he sent his powerful Houndoom after them. The evil man thought he would defeat the Guardians and their kin without much of a fight, but with the added power of the four pendants, the Guardians triumphed. Shortly afterwards, the Guardians used their power to drive the mercenaries and their commander out of the Gardev mountains, never to return. After that, the first female Guardian, Aura, came alongside the fallen Houndoom and tried to remove the black pendant from its neck, but she could not touch it for the dark power was too great. In the end, it took the combined efforts of Aura and her mate to telekinetically lift the pendant off the Houndoom and then take it back to Gardev. There, the elders obtained the pendant and brought it back to the city. Upon closer examination, they discovered that they could not purify the pendant, or even touch it since the dark power is so great. Since no one could wield it, they placed the pendant in the palace treasure room, where it has remained hidden for centuries. Since Gardevoirs and their kin do not seek power, the pendant has lane here, undisturbed. Practically every resident of the city knows of this pendant and the location. Ever since the day the black pendant was captured, the tradition of the pendants has continued: the first-born Ralts of the Guardian couple wears the Diamond pendant. Also, the male Guardian chooses one of his brothers to wear the emerald pendant and serve as a relief Guardian, whose job is to watch over Gardev should the other Guardians need rest or if they will be gone for some time."

"I understand," said Mack.

"There is more to the diamond pendant," said Glacian, "The day Aura is found to be with Ralts, you Mack, will have the honor of placing the diamond pendant around Aura's neck. She will wear the pendant as a sign of celebration. When your first Ralts is born, Aura will place the diamond pendant around the child's neck, for the first-born of the Guardians carries the responsibility of continuing the bloodline. The pendant not only signifies that, but also will make the Ralts grow very strong."

"Does Ramirez even know of the black pendant's existence?" asked Mack.

"Yes, Ramirez knows of the black pendant," answered Glacian, "The history of this city and of Poke'mon is taught in the schools here."

"I would expect that dancing is the most popular course for young Kirlia," said Mack with laughter.

"Indeed," chuckled Glacian, "Now, I think I've told enough stories for one day. Aura is waiting for you as are a few of your friends." Mack nodded and followed Glacian as he left the treasure room. Before he left the room, he glanced back at the dark pendant, wondering if maybe he and Aura could one day purge the black pendant of its evil power.

-14-
Dr. Namwen stepped outside his helicopter, just miles away from Gardev. His landing site was where a Cipher base had stood just a month ago.

"Are all the teams in position?" asked Dr. Namwen to a Cipher commander.

"The Omega squadrons are in position and are awaiting orders, sir," said the commander.

"Is the recovery crew in place and armed?" asked Dr. Namwen with excitement.

"They are all set and ready to begin breaking into the alien's base," reported the commander, "Also, the occupation forces are ready to infiltrate Gardev."

"Good," said Dr. Namwen with glee, "Remember, all teams will begin their missions as soon as the distraction had been completed." Dr. Namwen produced a remote control from his left lab coat pocket and pressed a green button on the side of the controller. Moments later, a black Gardevoir, stepped out of the helicopter and walked to Dr. Namwen's side. The Gardevoir was covered with armor, resembling the type that had been used by Team Rocket to restrain Mewtwo.

"I hope you're ready for your first real mission, Cecil," cackled Dr. Namwen. The dark Gardevoir did not respond but stood still and silent.

"All teams are ready and waiting," said the commander as he listened through the helicopter's radio.

"Have all teams run a final weapons check," ordered Dr. Namwen, "We have only one shot at this and everything must go as planned. I'm sure you are well aware that the S.S. Libra has been found. It's only a matter of time before the authorities start an investigation in the Orre region and whatever they find will lead them here! The last thing we need now is for the Gardev and Orre regions to be crawling with federal agents!" A few minutes passed before the commander got more news from the front lines.

"The weapons check is complete. All teams say the invasion is a go," reported the commander.

"Splendid," said Dr. Namwen as a grin spread across his face, "The distraction will be initiated in three hours."

-15-
Mack followed Glacian up a stairwell. He stepped out of the stairwell into a large room. From what Mack could gather, he was now in the palace dinning room. Sitting at the far end of the table was Aura. Sitting close by, Mack saw Simon and Mewtwo.

"Greetings, Doctor," said Simon with a grin. Aura smiled at Mack as he walked towards and then sat down at the table next to her. Glacian sat at the head of the table. Simon and Mewtwo were on the opposite side as Mack and Aura. Mewtwo laughed with happiness as he gazed at Mack and Aura.

"Well, so you married the fair Guardian of Gardev after all, didn't you, Mack?" said Mewtwo, "Granted, I wish I had been able to come and be apart of your wedding, but I had quite a few things that needed to be taken care of."

"Its not a problem," said Mack with a smile as he held Aura's hand, "I'm just glad you were able to come at all." Mewtwo nodded his head in agreement. Soon, dinner was served for the newlyweds and company. As they dinned, Mack and Aura were having a quiet conversation while Simon and Mewtwo talked about some of the greatest fights they had ever been a part of. The sun was now setting.

"So, what did Glacian and the elders talk to you about?" asked Mack with curiosity. Aura held Mack's hand tighter and smiled at him.

"The elders just wanted me to reaffirm my duties," said Aura happily, "I hope you will fulfill all of them with me."

"Are you talking about…children?" asked Mack. Aura smiled and nodded her head.

"You do want a Ralts or two, don't you?" asked Aura with some hesitation.

"Someday, yes," said Mack as he stroked Aura's hand with his thumb, "I'll be looking forward to our 10th anniversary." Aura leaned against Mack and sighed blissfully.

"Who told you about the city tradition, my love?" asked Aura sweetly.

"Let's just say that a few Erureido guards were kind enough to tell me more about the city and the way of life here," said Mack softly, "Let's just enjoy being married to each other until then, fair enough?" Aura smiled as she wrapped her left arm around Mack's back and held him close. Glacian finished his meal and he faced the two lovers.

"I sense that you and Aura want to be alone for the night?" asked Glacian.

"Indeed," said Mack as he and Aura kissed. Glacian stood up from the table.

"Than feel free to take leave from us," said Glacian, "Mewtwo, you can stay here in the palace for the night. Simon, you can do the same."

"I hope you and your mate will spend more time together with me tomorrow, Mack," said Mewtwo as he stood up from the table, "There is much I want to discuss with you and your wife." Mewtwo left the room: Simon followed close behind. As Mack and Aura started to leave the room, Glacian placed a hand on Mack's shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"No matter what happens, keep Aura close to you, Mack. You and your mate are capable of so much together and soon, you will be able to do even more," said Glacian quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Mack, wondering if Glacian had foreseen something terrible.

"You and Aura are about to receive a great gift. I don't know what this gift is, but I do know that it will be a sign of the Guardian family for the rest of time," explained Glacian as he let go of Mack's shoulder and walked out another doorway.

"What did he want?" asked a bewildered Aura. Mack shrugged.

"Glacian told me to stay close to you and that we are going to receive some sort of great gift," said Mack as he held Aura close, "Then again, I can't imagine a greater gift than you." Aura blushed deeply as Mack embraced and kissed her with great passion. Before long, Mack was leading Aura up the stairwell to their room. Suddenly, Aura stopped in her tracks as the blissful smile on her face was replaced with anxiety. Mack could sense that something was amiss.

"Do you feel that?" asked Aura as she glanced up and down the stairwell.

"What on earth is happening?" thought Mack. Before he could make another move, the ground beneath his feet started to shake violently.

"What is going on?!" shouted Aura with fear as cracks started appearing in the white, marble walls.

"It's an earthquake!" shouted Mack as he struggled to keep his balance, "But this is impossible unless…unless there's another Seismic Generator!" Just then, the stairs under Mack's feet suddenly caved in. Mack gasped as he started to fall through the broken stairway.

"I've got you!" yelled Aura as she quickly reached out and grabbed Mack by the red fin in his back. The violent shaking quickly subsided.

"How embarrassing…" thought Mack as he dangled over the damaged stairwell. Aura carefully pulled Mack back onto the stable remains of the stairs.

"Is it over now?" asked Aura as she held Mack close. Mack wanted to say it was, but he soon heard screams and shouts from other Gardevoirs, Kirlia and Ralts out in the city. They seemed to be trying to find each other in the ruined marble city.

"We better get back to the elders' room and find Glacian," said Mack as two Erureidos came running down the stairwell, jumping over the missing steps.

"Mack! Aura! Are you alright?" asked a familiar voice.

"Arthur?" asked Mack, "Aura and I are okay."

"Me and Wallace were stationed outside your room when that quake struck," explained Arthur as Wallace helped Aura and Mack back on their feet.

"We need to get to the throne room and find Glacian," said Mack. The Erureidos nodded their heads in agreement.

"We're at your command," said Wallace as he and Arthur closely followed the Gardevoir couple down the stairway. As they got back to the ground floor they found, much to their despair, the ceiling had caved in, blocking the stairwell entrance behind several hundred tons of shattered marble.

"We'll handle this," said Wallace as he and Arthur stepped past Mack and Aura, "We'll have this place open again in no time!"

-16-
Back in Gardev, Warren and Jake were surrounded by a group of 50 armed Cipher agents and their Poke'mon. The Cipher agents had rounded up all the people of Gardev and their Poke'mon into the town square.

"Everyone, please stay calm," said one agent through a megaphone, "We will be leaving shortly."

"And what, may I ask, are the lot of you doing in my town?" demanded an angry Warren.

"You have nothing to fear from us," said the agent, trying to reassure Gardev's mayor, "Our orders are just to keep you and the townspeople here until our mission in the forests is complete."

"I don't suppose you could tell me what exactly your people are doing in the forests, can you?" asked Warren, trying not to loose his temper.

"I can't tell you that," warned the agent, "Our orders are to not harm anyone or any Poke'mon, unless you try and fight back. Then, well will have no choice but to attack with extreme prejudice."

"What about these Gardevoirs?" asked another agent as he pointed his rifle at Alexander and Aurora. Fredrick stood in front of Sakura, ready to protect her. Anna, on the other hand, was being held back by Enrique.

"Let me at them!" shouted Anna, trying to dash towards the nearest Cipher agent. Enrique held onto Anna's left hand tightly.

"Relax, Anna," said Enrique softly; trying to calm Anna down, "They won't hurt us unless we attack them." Li glared at another agent, wishing he could sink his teeth into one of their armored boots. William, on the other hand, hid behind Aurora.

"Those aren't the Guardians," replied the first agent, "Leave them and those Kirlia alone. We only need to occupy this town until all missions have been completed. If anyone finds the Guardians, bring them here."

"What have you been ordered to do to them?" snarled Warren. The agent pushed Warren away from his with the butt of his rifle.

"That is not your concern, now stay back," warned the agent. The second agent got closer to the first.

"Where do you think the Guardians went? Our orders were to detain them here," whispered the second agent.

"No worries," said the first agent quietly, "If we did find the Guardians, there would probably be a big fight. Just stand back and wait for the all-clear from command." Meanwhile, K-1 was having difficulties of his own. Just moments ago, Eric was at the ground surface, about to board the elevator, when masked men and women in white, armored uniforms ambushed the scientist. Eric didn't even enough time to send his Alakazams out to defend himself before he was dragged off camera. Now the agents had managed to bypass the security systems on the elevator and had descended into the lab. To make matters worse, they were using plasma torches to melt their way through the main entrance.

"That blast door isn't going to hold on much longer!" said K-1 with fear as he used Central's cameras to get a closer look at the invaders.

"Strange," said Central, "They seem to be carrying disruptor rifles and plasma torches. Whoever sent those troops here knew what they were doing."

"I picked a heck of a time to upgrade the security systems didn't I?" moped K-1, "Now the entire system is no longer functioning and those bandits will be able to break in and take whatever they want."

"Not to mention that you can be disabled from a single blast of their weapons," said Central.

"Better seal the medical bay," said K-1 as he closely watched the front door on the giant view screen.

"That will not be of much use. They would be able to breach the door within minutes. I suggest an emergency evacuation," said Central.

"And what about the ships and weapons we have down here?" asked an irritated K-1.

"Simple. I'll put them into electronic lockdown," replied Central calmly, "Even if they steal the equipment, it would still take over a week for one of their scientists to crack the pass code. This is, if the same person responsible for reverse-engineering the S-100I and its components is on the job."

"That'll do. I doubt it would take us more than a week to find their base and snatch 'em back," said K-1, feeling more reassured.

"In the meantime, we need to begin our retreat," said Central as the hidden compartment in the wall near the main terminal started to open. Moments later, the familiar S-100F emerged, only without its weapons.

"Shouldn't you equip at least the FIW-59C Elemental Cannons?" asked a flabbergasted K-1, "And what about Ramirez?"

"There's no time," said Central as the agents were about ready to breech the main entrance blast door, "To the hanger!" K-1 and Central ran into the hanger, quickly closing the doors behind them as the agents finally broke through the lab's front entrance. As they agents charged into the lab, metal panels slid out from the floor and walls to cover the super computer and all its consoles. As Central opened the main hanger door, K-1 quickly welded the entryway doors shut.

"That'll keep them out, even if only for a few minutes," said K-1 as the hanger doors were finally open.

"Let us make our escape," said Central as the armor's jet boots came to life. Central flew out of the hanger at full speed while K-1 used his thrusters to hastily get clear of the hanger. Up above, they could see several trucks and jeeps at the entrance of the lab.

"The ratios are not it our favor, K-1," said Central grimly.

"Looks like we had a small army knocking at our door," said K-1 with anger, "What do we do now?"

"Mack gave me instructions for us to head to Gardev in case the lab was breeched by intruders," explained Central.

"Then let's get moving!" shouted K-1 as he and Central flew off towards Gardev with great haste. Back in Gardev, Alexander was holding Aurora close, ready to protect her, when Aurora suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Keep her quiet!" snarled one of the troops at Warren. The old mayor shook his fist at the trooper defiantly as Alexander tried to console his mate.

"What's wrong, dear?" asked Alexander softly. Aurora was trembling.

"Can't you sense it?" asked Aurora quietly, shaking with fear, "Something terrible is about to happen in the Gardevoir city. I think Mack, Aura and Glacian are in grave danger." Alexander closed his eyes, trying to focus his power.

"I sense it too…" whispered Alexander, "We better go get our son."

"But we can't, Alexander…" sighed Aurora, "If we make the slightest move, these men will shoot us all." Minutes later, K-1 and Central managed to land in the forests outside of Gardev undetected. K-1 adjusted his vision modes again, trying to assess the danger and think up a strategy.

"Great…" muttered K-1 as he surveyed the scene.

"I see the same thing," said Central, "The Cipher agents are holding all the town's people and Poke'mon in the town square. Considering the weapons and Poke'mon they have at their disposal, an assault would be foolhardy and potentially lethal for the townspeople. A new strategy is required." K-1 carefully adjusted his audio sensors, trying to make them as sensitive as possible. He could clearly make out Alexander, Aurora, Warren, Jake, Anna, Li and Enrique in the small crowd of people and Poke'mon.

"At least no one appears to be hurt," said K-1 as he tried to listen in to the troopers' conversation.

"I still can't believe that we got stuck with a babysitting job," grumbled one trooper.

"All the other groups get to have all the fun. I almost hope these people and their Poke'mon do try something stupid. Blowing this place to smithereens would be better than just standing here, waiting for the word to pull out," complained another.

"You will be silent and man your post," snarled a Cipher commander, "There will be no more of that kind of talk. Our job is just top keep these villagers from interfering with our business at the alien's base and in the Gardevoir city." At that moment, K-1 heard the commander's radio beep.

"Commander? Are you there?" asked the voice.

"Commander Argus here, what is it?" asked the commander.

"XD002 has been recovered. What are our orders?" asked the trooper through the radio.

"Have XD002 sent to the front lines of the Gardevoir city at once. Dr. Namwen will be very pleased with this news," said the commander, "After that, take anything that we can use."

"We can do that, but we can't seem to do anything about the alien's super computer. These metal plates moved over and covered the entire machine. Not even our plasma torches can melt through. On top of that, we discovered that the remaining inhabitants of this base had fled upon our arrival. The good news is that we now have all of the alien's weapons and vehicles in our possession," reported the trooper.

"Leave the computer. Just take the weapons and vehicles. Leave anything behind that we can't use, understood?" ordered the commander, "And forget about the base inhabitants. That is not important, unless they were the Guardians."

"We can confirm that is was not the Guardians," reported the trooper over the occasional crackling of the radio.

"I wonder where the Guardians are hiding?" asked the commander to himself, "Surely they aren't in the Gardevoir city. The strike teams would be out of their league without the black darts…"

"We gave the order and XD002 is on his way to Dr. Namwen. The teleportation should have him on the front lines in a matter of seconds," said the trooper.

"Good," replied the commander, "Let me know if anything else comes up."

"Weren't we supposed to use the black darts on the Guardians if we found them?" asked a trooper near the commander.

"Quiet down," ordered the commander, "Remember private, the dark darts can turn any Poke'mon, even the Guardians, into an XD series Poke'mon. No one outside of Cipher must know of this. Now stand guard over the people until we get the signal to pull out, understood, private?"

"Yes, sir," said the trooper quietly and with respect, "No one else will know the secret."

"Too late…" snickered K-1 with a fiendish grin.

"Either way, all we can do is wait for those troops to move," said Central.

-17-
Mack and Aura waited patiently as Wallace and Arthur continued to clear the stairway entrance of the giant marble boulders.

"The entire room must have caved in over there," said Arthur as he slashed at the marble ruins with his forearms.

"Just keep going," said Wallace as he smashed one rock after another, trying to clear to the path.

"Do you need our help?" asked Mack.

"Please, leave this to us, Mack," replied Arthur.

"If there really is something nasty out there, we will need you and Aura to fight and we need you in top form. Wearing you out to clear these rocks could greatly reduce our chances of getting out of here alive," explained Wallace, "Besides, Arthur and I can't fight very well at a distance as Erureidos."

"Okay, then," said Mack.

"We'll be okay, Mack," said Aura softly and with hope. Meanwhile, Dr. Namwen was sitting in his helicopter, parked on a large glacier, when Ramirez suddenly teleported just outside the copter at Dr. Namwen's side.

"Ramirez?!" shouted Dr. Namwen with shock as a radio in the helicopter crackled to life.

"This is commander Argus reporting," said the commander over the radio, "The recovery team discovered XD002 in the alien's base and have sent him to you. Has XD002 arrived?" Dr. Namwen could not believe his eyes. Not only had Ramirez's colors reverted to normal, but the once-black emerald pendant had regained its bright, green luster. Dr. Namwen was very grateful that at least one of the most powerful Poke'mon on earth was still at his command.

"Yes," said Dr. Namwen with twisted delight, "To think I almost gave up on finding him. Good work commander. The strike teams shall begin their attack run shortly. Stand by for the order to pull out of Gardev. That is all." Dr. Namwen faced Ramirez and grinned.

"Now…" said Dr. Namwen with his quiet, raspy voice, "You know what I really seek in the Gardevoir city." Ramirez did not speak, but he started to radiate clouds of darkness about him.

"The head elder…" wheezed Dr. Namwen, "Bring him and the black pendant to me. You know where they are." Ramirez disappeared in a flash as Dr. Namwen faced another Cipher trooper.

"Tell Captain David to get his teams ready," commanded Dr. Namwen, "We will be moving in after XD002 has completed his mission."

-18A-
Glacian awoke in the middle of the throne room of the palace. He staggered to his feet, dizzy and disoriented. He reached for the top of his head and felt wetness. As he brought his hand towards his face, he saw crimson blood on his fingers. He looked towards the ceiling: a marble rock had fallen from above, injuring his head and knocking him out for a spell.

"At least I don't have a concussion," thought Glacian as he tried to regain his composure and surveyed the badly damaged room, "What happened? How could an earthquake have struck this city? There have never been earthquakes here. Not for millennia, unless…unless Cipher has something to do with this! I need to warn Mack, Aura, the elders and the Elite Guard!" Glacian staggered towards the throne room entryway as he surveyed the giant cracks in the walls. He stopped in his tracks, halfway across the massive room, when he heard the familiar quiet, rustling of a Gardevoir's gown, dragging ever so softly along the floor.

"Who's there?" asked Glacian. No one answered. Instead, Glacian stepped back as his great-great-grandson, Ramirez, entered the room.

"Ramirez? Are you okay?" asked Glacian with shock, "Mack must have purified you after all with his wondrous machines!" Ramirez did not answer. Glacian gazed more carefully at Ramirez and took a few steps back when he learned the horrible truth.

"Ramirez is still under Cipher's control," thought Glacian with immense fear.

"You will come with me, Glacian," said Ramirez coldly, "You can come quietly, or I can…" Ramirez suddenly stopped talking.

"Huh? What is it?" asked Glacian.

"Help me…" said Ramirez as he doubled over. Glacian noticed that the emerald pendant was now glowing brightly as Ramirez seemed to return to his senses.

"Ramirez! What do you need me to do?" asked Glacian, trying not to panic.

"Get…Mack and Aura…!" pleaded Ramirez as he fell on his knees, "Don't…let me get…the…black…pendant!" Glacian's eyes opened wide as Ramirez spoke.

"Those fiends are after the black pendant! Who knows what Cipher would do with such an evil relic?!" thought Glacian frantically as Ramirez stood back up: the pendant's bright glow had vanished.

"You will come with me and get the black pendant," said Ramirez in a monotone voice.

"Never!" shouted Glacian as he readied a psychic blast, "You tell that fiend, Dr. Alvin Newman, to leave my city and my people alone, or so help me, I'll have to destroy him!"

"Error detected," said Ramirez without emotion, "You called Master Namwen by the wrong name. That demands punishment." Before Glacian could react, Ramirez thrust both of his hands forward, firing a thick beam of pure darkness into Glacian. Mack and Aura were still waiting for Wallace and Arthur to clear the doorway when they heard Glacian scream.

"The head elder!" shouted Wallace.

"Glacian…?" asked Aura with great fear.

"Come on, double-time it!" commanded Wallace as he and Arthur continued to clear a path with renewed vigor.

"This should do it!" shouted Arthur as he smashed the last giant boulder of Marble into pea gravel. As the small group ran into the corridor, they noticed that the ceilings of the giant corridors had caved in more than they had expected.

"Great! Now what do we do?" asked Arthur impatiently. Mack looked around the area as his implanted mini-computer displayed a 3D map of the palace.

"We need to find a way to the throne room, now!" said Wallace frantically as he surveyed the crumbled walls. Mack pointed to another buried entryway.

"That's stairwell should take us the right way," said Mack as he carefully gazed at the map, "We'll head to the third floor, straight across the hallway, down the next stairwell, through the basement and then up through the left staircase into the throne room," said Mack.

"You heard him!" snapped Aura, "Now get cracking!"

"Yes, malady!" replied Arthur and Wallace as they started kicking and smashing the marble boulders. Minutes later, Simon staggered out of the rubble from one of the palace walls. He dusted himself off and noticed that Mewtwo was holding several, much larger chunks of marble in the air, keeping them from landing on Simon.

"Do you have any idea what is going on?" asked Simon as he quickly regained his composure.

"We just had an unnatural earthquake," said Mewtwo gruffly as he carefully set the marble boulders back on the ground, "I'm going to go summon the Elite Guard."

"Then I'll go door to door and make sure everyone is alright," said Simon.

"Be careful out there, my friend," warned Mewtwo, "I sense other Poke'mon out there, but for some reason, they are armed with strange weapons. Good luck to you." Mewtwo dashed across the palace grounds and out of sight as Simon ran out the remains of the front gate. In the distance he could hear hundreds of Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir, screaming in terror. Simon could barely make out small flashes of red light coming from further out in the city.

"Poke'mon with 'Strange' weapons is it?" thought Simon with delight and determination, "Bring them on! They'll give me the best workout I've had in centuries!" An unusual sound quickly caught Simon's attention. He looked skyward and saw a Gardevoir flying in the air: it was carrying another Gardevoir on its back and holding an object in its right hand. The mysterious object seemed to be radiating some of the blackest darkness Simon had ever seen in all his years of traveling and fighting.

"Whatever they're up to, I can't reach them now," thought Simon as he faced back towards the city's crumbled buildings.

To be continued...