The Village Guardians Ch. 2-1

+The Village Guardians+

-Chapter #2: Joy and Shadows-

>Part # 1<

All is well in the peaceful mountain village of Gardev. Dr. Mack Foxx has gotten more used to his Gardevoir form over the last few years and for the first time in many years, Mack finally feels at peace, especially with his beautiful young mate, Aura, at his side. However, the dark shadows from Mack's distant past are now about to catch up with him...

Written by Dr. Mack Foxx and Aaraboga Jones

Ages 13+ Suggested

Original Story, Characters and all other Original Content are Copyright 1987-2008 Philip “Dr. Mack Foxx” Byard and Aaron “Aaraboga Jones” Byard

Poke’mon and all related content and characters are Copyright 1995-2008 to Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures and The Poke’mon Company

[The Village Guardians]
[Chapter #02: Joy and Shadows]
-26-
“Finished at last!” thought Warren as he slid his black and gold fountain pen back into his left suit pocket. The old mayor of Gardev had finally put his signature on the last piece of paperwork from what had been quite a monstrous pile of forms. He had been signing and reviewing papers for hours and hours this day and over the last few weeks.

“At least that’s the last of that paperwork for quite a while,” thought Warren with triumph as he stood up from his fine, wooden desk. He checked a nearby clock: the time was 7:30 in the evening. He stretched and let out a loud yawn as he turned off his desk lamp, slowly left the office and softly closed the door. He walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, wondering what kind of leftovers he might be able to snatch for a bedtime snack. As he walked down the hallway, the sound of soft music soon came into his ears.

“Hmmm…” thought Warren, “What have we here?” The old mayor took a left turn down another hallway. The music seemed to be coming from the ballroom on the other side of the mansion. He continued walking down the hallway and sure enough, the gentle music got louder and louder. Warren then remembered just what was going on as he rounded a corner and stopped, staring into the ballroom. The walls were covered with huge, colored tapestries and the large windows gave a wonderful view of the surrounding Gardev Mountains as well the star-filled night sky. There, he saw Mack and Aura, dancing on the dark oak floor as a waltz played loudly from a nearby stereo with large speakers.

“Ah,” thought Warren, “Of course.” He remembered how the Guardians of Gardev would dance for a few hours almost every evening before going to their bedroom for the night. Mack and Aura paid no attention to Warren as they danced. Nor did they notice the master chef, Agatha, as she leaned on another doorway about fifty feet across the room from where Warren stood. She was watching and admiring the winged Gardevoirs as they stepped and twirled about the ballroom to the music. For the Guardians, the evening and the night were the only times they had to themselves. Mack and Aura were often busy throughout the day helping the locals. Plus, Aura still had much to teach Mack about Gardevoir history and traditions. Nevertheless, they cherished every moment they got to spend with each other, which, in this case, was often the entire day. Mack had learned that married Gardevoirs and Gallades were almost constantly at each others’ sides throughout the day. Aura smiled and blushed, as did Mack, as they held onto each other, stared into each other’s eyes and kept dancing.

“Glacian will be thrilled with this,” thought Warren with a smile, “Mack and Aura are so deeply in love…” A loud scream of anger from behind Warren, down the hallway, startled the old Gardev mayor and Agatha. Warren knew very few people or Gardevoirs who would show such a display of anger.

“Whereas Anna and Simon are still fighting,” thought Warren. He glanced back at the Guardians: they kept dancing and probably had not heard a thing.

“Well, I‘m going to my room,” said Agatha with a loud yawn across the way, “I’m going to make crepes for breakfast and I need some sleep, no matter how wondrous the Guardians are.”

“Have a pleasant evening, Agatha,” said Warren as Agatha walked out of the ballroom and out of sight down the hallway. Warren turned around and started walking down the corridor, homing in on the epicenter of Anna’s tantrum.

“Now what’s going on?” grumbled Warren to himself. He stopped walking just as he came across one of the large game rooms in the mansion. This particular room was filled with all kinds of arcade machines from somewhat older videogames, to pinball tables and even a few Ski-Ball machines. Warren had collected these machines over the decades, mostly for visiting grandchildren. Oddly enough, Warren had impeccable aim and never lost a duel of Ski-Ball. Simon and Anna were standing in front of one of Warren’s favorite William’s Company pinball tables.

“Read ‘em and weep,” said Simon with a big grin on his face as he pointed at the LED score indicator, “567,345,000 and the number one slot on Funhouse! You didn’t even get in the Top 5!”

“I can’t beat you at anything!” said Anna with disgust.

“Don’t feel too bad;” said Simon with sympathy, “I’ve been playing these games since before you were born. It’s only natural that I have an edge.”

“I guess that means I’ve been knocked down to second place,” laughed Warren. The young Gardevoir and ancient Kabutops turned around to face the old mayor.

“Ah, good evening,” said Simon respectfully, bowing slightly.

“Hello, Warren,” said Anna with some embarrassment.

“You know Anna,” said Warren, “I heard you scream from clear on the other side of the mansion.”

“Was she off-key again?” asked Simon with a smirk. Anna looked down and scowled at the smug Kabutops.

“Anna, you really need to learn to control yourself,” said Warren as he tapped his right foot, “You lost your temper over a round of pinball? Anna, it is just a game. Quite frankly, I’m surprised anyone beat my top score on Funhouse. Jake has been trying to crack my record for years now.”

“I’m sorry, Warren,” said Anna as she bowed her head in remorse, “It won’t happen again.”

“Okay, Anna,” said Warren with a nod, “Maybe another game will cheer you up? Well, that or some of Agatha’s leftover cookies might do the trick.”

“No thank you,” said Anna politely.

“Very well, I’m off to bed,” said Warren, “You two don’t stay up all night, okay? Have a nice evening.”

“Goodnight, Warren!” said Anna happily as Warren left the room.

“See you in the morning, old friend,” said Simon. Anna glanced at a large Atari machine in the back corner of the dimly-lit room. This particular videogame was almost two decades old with a pair of plastic pistols plugged into it: one red and one blue. Anna figured that surely Simon would have a hard time with an intense first-person shooter.

“Simon, I challenge you to a game of Area 51!” declared Anna. Simon looked up at Anna with disbelief.

“You want to try that one? I’ve already beaten you at every machine in the entire mansion,” said Simon.

“Except that one,” said Anna with a grin, “And why don’t we make things interesting? Say, a bet?” Simon grinned at Anna, figuring that the young Gardevoir was about to step right into a trap: one that she had just set up herself.

“Alright,” said Simon, “If I win, you must spend the next year training under me. It will be brutal, it will be difficult, but maybe I might be able to whip you into shape.”

“Okay,” said Anna, “But if I win…”

“Here it comes…” thought Simon with dread.

“…You have to play dress-up with me!” said Anna with a grin.

“I accept!” declared Simon with determination.

“Same here!” said Anna forcefully as the two combatants marched towards the classic Atari arcade game.

“So, how will this challenge of yours work?” asked Simon.

“Simple,” said Anna as she picked up the blue, plastic pistol and held it in her hands, “The one with the highest score at the end of the game wins. Take as many continues as you need, Simon.” Anna smirked at the old Kabutops, thinking she would surely beat him this time.

“I only need one credit,” said Simon as he used his limited psychic abilities to lift the red, fake pistol out of its holster and into the air, “Good thing these games are all in Free Mode. You’d never have enough quarters to last through this game and even have a chance to best me.”

“We’ll see!” said Anna with great confidence, “I’ve been practicing for a long time.”

“Shame, shame, Anna,” said Simon with spite, “Playing a game you were far too young to play.”

“Shut up and get ready to lose!” said Anna as the game started.

“Indeed,” said Simon, “One turkey shoot coming right up…” For an hour, their duel continued vigorously and ferociously. The sound of digital gunshots and explosions filled the game room. Some time later, around 9:12 PM, Mack walked to the game room with Aura in his arms, drawn by the noise of Area 51 as well as Anna and Simon’s constant shouting.

“Oh, bother…” said Mack as he held Aura close.

“At least they’re getting along,” said Aura with a blissful smile, “Well…to some degree, anyway.”

“Ha! You’re 2,000 points behind me!” said Simon.

“You haven’t beaten me yet!” shouted Anna. Mack and Aura chuckled warmly. Aura blushed deeply as her gaze fell on her mate’s face.

“Let’s go to bed,” whispered Aura. Mack gazed at his and Aura’s gold wedding bands: he smiled and nodded.

“As you wish, my princess…” said Mack tenderly. Aura giggled as her blushing mate carried her down the hallway and towards their room. Anna and Simon continued to shout as their winner-take-all war continued on and on throughout the night. Back in Warren’s room, the old mayor was climbing into bed.

“Why did I get that Area 51 machine anyway?” said Warren to himself, deep in thought, “Oh, yes…I promised Jake I would get it if he got straight A’s in 9th grade.” Warren soon fell asleep, wondering whether Simon or Anna would emerge victorious.

-27-
It was well into the morning by the time things had started to wind down in the game room, deep in Warren’s mansion. The result of Anna and Simon’s alien-blasting duel was stunning and downright amazing.

“This is impossible…” grumbled Simon, “You beat me by a mere 100 points Anna, and that means…”

“Yes!” said Anna with triumph, “I get to play dress up with you!” Simon let out a heavy sigh.

“Oh, joy… Pure happiness…” muttered Simon with sarcasm, “So, how long will my humiliation and despair last?”

“Just one day,” said Anna, “And then you can train me.”

“Pardon?” asked Simon with surprise, “One day? I figured you would toy with me for at least the next week. Besides, why do you want my training, anyway?”

“Well, I figured six months of training from you is worth a trade of six days of you walking around in a dress and makeup,” said Anna.

“I ask again: why do you want me to train you?” asked a perplexed Simon. Anna bowed her head and frowned.

“Like you said before, Simon,” said Anna solemnly, “My temper is a big problem for me. I’m hoping your training will help me control it better. I want to be at my very best the day I marry Enrique and I need your help.” Simon nodded with understanding.

“Then it is settled,” said a determined Simon, “I’ll be happy to train you. I will remind you though, that the next six months are going to be very difficult and very tough on you. Are you sure this is what you want?” Anna nodded.

“Yes,” said Anna. Simon smiled.

“In all my years, I never thought you, of all Pokémon, would want my help,” said Simon with amazement.

“Yep!” said Anna as a big, evil grin spread upon her face, “Now then, let’s go pay a visit to Makoto. She has all kinds of fun and cute stuff in her attic.” Simon groaned.

“Well, one day of humiliation is worth getting Anna in shape,” thought Simon as he followed after the young Gardevoir, “I can only hope and pray this day moves by quickly.” Simon could only imagine the horrors that awaited him once he and Anna had arrived at their destination. Meanwhile, Mack and Aura were on their way to the dining room. As usual, Warren was waiting for them. He smiled as the Guardians entered the room hand in hand and then carefully took a seat at the table. As usual, William jumped up to the top of a stack of old phonebooks that were piled atop a chair.

“Good morning, my friends,” said Warren as he smiled, “Did you have a nice night?” Aura smiled and nodded.

“That’s always the case,” said Mack happily, “So, any news?”

“Not so much,” said Warren, “Except for the unusually dry weather we’ve been having this summer.”

“I know what you mean, Warren,” said Aura with some concern, “It hasn’t rained for over a month now.”

“Indeed,” said Warren, “That being the case, I may need the two of you to be on watch for forest fires until we get some decent rainfall around here.” Agatha walked into the dining room with her usual bright smile as she put down trays of fresh crepes, freshly-whipped butter and homemade blackberry jam.

“Thank you very much,” said a delighted Aura.

“Yes, thank you,” said a smiling Mack and Warren in unison.

“My pleasure,” said Agatha happily as she left the dining room and made her way back to the kitchen.

“I just wonder why it’s been so dry,” said Mack as he loaded up his plate. He was looking forward to this fancy breakfast, but the unusual weather was really starting to make him worry. He couldn’t imagine how he and Aura would be able to put out a fire, let alone contain one on their own.

“This does happen every four years or so,” said Warren, “We just need to be on guard in case a fire is spotted, especially if there’s one near the village.” William wasn’t concerned about fires: he was more worried about not getting any breakfast.

“Mack!” said William impatiently.

“What?” asked Mack as he looked down at his plate. He had not been paying attention and now had most of the crepes on his plate in one giant stack.

“Are you really that hungry, dear?” giggled Aura. Mack laughed nervously as he took most of the food off his plate, putting it back on the serving tray. Aura smiled as she used her power of telekinesis at float some of the luscious crepes onto William’s plate with a few blobs of fresh jam and butter on top as well.

“There you go, little cutie,” said Aura as she smiled at William. The Pikachu squeaked with delight as he dove right into his fabulous food face first. Meanwhile, to say the least, Simon was certainly having no picnic as Anna led him upstairs into Jake and Makoto’s attic.

“This is the place!” said Anna with delight. To say that Simon was uneasy was an understatement. All the trunks and boxes in the attic were sealed tight, so he had no clue what to expect. Anna giggled and smiled as she opened one of the trunks. The fluffy jungle of pink frills that erupted from the trunk was almost enough to give Simon a heart attack.

“Oh, no! Not that!!” pleaded Simon. Anna laughed sinisterly as she pulled a pink ball gown, covered with pink, lace frills out of the chest. The dress had long, puffed sleeves and a full skirt with layer upon layer of pink petticoats underneath.

“Remember our deal, Simon;” said Anna sadistically as she brought the dress towards Simon, cradling it in her arms, “You have to wear whatever I want for one day.”

“Well, it’ll have to be something else,” snorted Simon.

“Fine with me,” said Anna as she glanced about the room with an evil grin on her face, “I wonder if Makoto’s bathing suits are still up here?” Simon’s eyes opened wide.

“Okay,” said Simon, giving up all resistance, “I’ll wear it.”

“That’s a good boy,” said Anna as she unzipped the dress and set it on the floor. Simon reluctantly stepped into the soft, fluffy dress. He gazed at the ceiling as Anna stepped forward and pulled the dress up his body. However, Simon’s long claws and his short height turned out to be a major problem. The claws would never fit in the sleeves: the dress hung limply on his shoulders. He looked up at Anna with contempt as he stood in his pile of soft, pink fluff.

“This…” said Simon, “Will not do…” Anna nodded.

“Man, this isn’t going to be as much fun as I thought…” complained Anna, “I don’t think there’s anything up here that will fit you.”

“Indeed,” said Simon, “I can’t think of anyone who ever made clothes for a Kabutops.”

“I don’t believe this…” said Anna with a heavy sigh, “I was really looking forward to this…”

“It’s alright, Anna,” said Simon softly, “We couldn’t have predicted this.”

“I suppose,” said Anna with disappointment, “Well, you may as well get going.”

“Hmmm…?” said Simon: he was amazed that Anna was going to let him go so easily, “But what about our deal?”

“It just doesn’t seem fair,” said Anna, “You’ll get to have your fun with me, but I don’t get to make you pretty for even just one day.” Simon let out a heavy sigh. The old Kabutops knew he was going to regret this. Simon stared long and hard at Anna.

“What are you going?” asked Anna with a worried look on her face, “If you’ve fallen in love with me it’s too late. I’m already engaged to Enrique.”

“That’s not the case,” said a reluctant Simon, “I gave my word of honor. I’m not going to spoil your day of fun.”

“So, what are you going to do?” asked Anna with a huff.

“You’ll see,” said Simon with a wink as his body started to radiate a bright, white light. Anna covered her eyes. She heard soft rustling from the fluffy, pink dress as it was moved.

“Simon?” asked Anna with her hands over her eyes, “What are you doing now?” The bright light soon faded and Anna uncovered her eyes. She gasped as Simon stood before her as a male Gardevoir.

“Ah,” said Simon as he looked over his Gardevoir body, “Now I can actually use Transform when I want to.” Anna was absolutely flabbergasted. She looked him over closely with disbelief.

“So, whose dress is this anyway?” asked Simon, “It can’t be a human’s dress: it fits me too well for that. Well, except maybe for the chest. That part is a bit too loose.”

“It does fit you perfectly!” said Anna with delight, “Though, I don’t know who this dress belongs to. It’s definitely meant for a female Gardevoir…”

“Hello, Anna!” said a friendly, feminine voice from the stairs below. Simon blushed nervously as whomever it was started climbing up the stairs.

“Hello, Sakura!” said Anna with happiness as the now-winged Gardevoir stepped up into the attic, “Where’s Fredrick?”

“Oh, Fredrick’s back at home. He said I could spend the day out and about while he helps straighten up our home. It’s so nice to see you!” said a smiling Sakura, “How are things going?” Sakura glanced at the blushing male Gardevoir in a pink, fluffy dress.

“And who is this?” asked Sakura to Anna. Simon decided to just get it over with.

“I’m Simon,” said the male Gardevoir in a very familiar, gruff voice. Sakura tried to stifle her laughter, but to no avail.

“What happened?” asked Sakura, laughing loudly, “Surely Simon isn’t going to stay in the form of a male Gardevoir!”

“Simon and I had a bet,” said Anna with a grin, “And he lost. So, now he gets to play dress up with me for the day!”

“So I see,” said Sakura as she finally stopped laughing.

“However,” said Simon, “After this, she will be spending the next six months training under me. She said herself that she wants to learn to control her temper and wants to be at her very best when she marries Enrique.”

“Is this true?” asked Sakura. Anna nodded her head.

“Yes,” replied Anna, “In the meantime, I’m going to have some fun here with Simon.”

“Think I can join in on your little project?” asked Sakura with immense excitement.

“Yes, you may,” replied Anna with devious smile.

“Only if you don’t tell anyone about this!” pleaded Simon.

“Okay,” said Sakura, shrugging her shoulders.

“Perfect! Now, let’s get Simon dressed up and have him walk around Gardev for awhile,” said Anna.

“No! You can’t make me!” said Simon angrily.

“You gave your word,” said Sakura, “It would be very… dishonorable for you to go back on what you said.” As much as Simon hated to admit it, Sakura was right.

“Besides, once I get you all set up, no one will ever recognize you,” said Anna, “Then, if you use that crazy mind barrier of yours, no one will be able to read your mind.” Simon let out another heavy sigh. Anna was right though, and Simon figured he would be able to get away with this madness for the day.

“Okay,” said Simon, “So, what next: a feather boa, perhaps?” Anna and Sakura giggled at Simon.

“Of course not,” said Anna. Just then, Sakura took Anna aside and quietly whispered something to her. Simon glanced at the two young Gardevoirs, wondering what they were discussing.

“What do you think?” asked Sakura quietly. Anna nodded.

“I think it could work,” replied Anna as she faced Simon, “You can go ahead and take that dress off, Simon.”

“Am I free?” asked Simon eagerly.

“Nope!” said Anna.

“You’re going to wait right here while I head back to the Gardevoir city,” said Sakura, “I’m going to have a little surprise for you when I get back. See you two in a bit.”

“Be back soon,” said Anna with anticipation. With that, Sakura disappeared in a bright flash as she teleported away. Simon carefully took off his dress, glad to be free of his pink and fluffy prison, even if just for now. He was also very happy to find out that when he had transformed, he suddenly had the familiar white gown and pants of a Gardevoir. He could only imagine what horrible, girly fate awaited him now.

-28-
K-1, Mack and Aura’s faithful robotic companion, was hard at work, as usual, deep in the Guardians’ underground laboratory. For the last several days, the robot had been running maintenance on the complex systems of the hidden facility. All that remained was checking the status on some of the most crucial components of the laboratory.

“Central, please run diagnostics on fission/fusion generators 4 and 5,” asked K-1 as he stood in front of the giant supercomputer’s man control console.

“Compliance, K-1,” said Central as the sound of her electronic clicks and beeps filled the room, “Status: Generator #4 is at 55% efficiency. I will order the R-25’s to resume maintenance at once in a second repair attempt. Generator #5 is operating at 100% efficiency and requires no additional work. The repairs were successful.” The nuclear fission/fusion generators were one of Mack’s oldest inventions. They worked by splitting and fusing atoms together in an endless cycle. With another of Mack’s inventions, the Thermal Converter, the high heat, generated by the constant splitting and fusing of atoms, was converted directly into electricity. The constant conversion of heat also kept the generators at a temperature of roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The generators were encased in one of Mack’s extremely durable metal alloys, simply called mega-alloy. It easily transferred heat to the Heat Converters and provided perfect shielding from any dangerous radiation. The full properties of mega-alloy were still not understood, but this unusual, synthetic metal proved vital for many of Mack’s later inventions: for example, the complex and intricate circuitry in the S-100 Battle Armor. A close eye was kept on these nuclear generators, just in case there was an emergency. However, after several thousand years of operation, it was proven just how effective these wondrous devices were. Plus, because of how they worked, they required no fuel. They only needed to be started and the surprisingly small size of this device (Ranging in size from a golf ball to a soccer ball) made it easy to put them into virtually any machine from the Firefox to the S-100 Battle Armor. As the fourth generator was shut down, Central picked up some activity at the lab entrance through one of her cameras, hidden in a wall of Warren’s giant basement.

“K-1, Mack and Aura are at the front entrance with Glacian and Gloria,” reported Central happily.

“Ah! I wonder what Glacian wants,” said K-1. Up above, Glacian was talking with Mack and Aura while Gloria stayed at his side.

“I really think this is a perfect job for K-1,” said Glacian as he and the rest of the group stepped into the hidden elevator and were soon on their way down into the lab.

“I think so, too,” said Mack, “K-1 has helped me decipher codes and dead languages for many years now. In fact, code-breaking is one of the tasks he was programmed for in the first place. K-1 should be more than up to the challenge.” The elevator lurched slightly as it came to a gentle stop. The door soon opened with a hiss and the group of winged Gardevoirs were then on their way to Central’s main control room.

“There is so much we don’t know about the Gardevoir city and it’s past,” said Gloria.

“Indeed,” said Glacian, “The deepest area of the city archive has been sealed for centuries. No one remembers how to open the door and there is no way to break through the armored door or even the walls. Even the combined effort of hundreds of Gardevoirs was no match for the door. No one can even teleport into the room. If you try, you’re always sent back outside near the door.” Mack nodded his head appreciatively.

“Sounds like a psychic-proof safe,” said Mack, “Still, I wonder why it was sealed in the first place.”

“No one knows why,” said Gloria, “There is a combination lock on the door, and no one has been able to open it.”

“Apparently, my great-great grandfather, once a king of the city, ordered the room closed,” explained Glacian, “But there are no records of why this was done.”

“K-1 always did like mysteries, too,” said Mack.

“Indeed I do,” said K-1 as he stepped through the doorway to the main control room.

“I see you were listening in on us through Central’s cameras again,” said Mack.

“I prefer not to miss a thing,” said K-1 as he fixed his gaze on Glacian and Gloria, “So, when would you like me to begin?”

“As soon as possible,” said Glacian, “I’ve been meaning to do this for over 75 years: the ancient archive must be opened. I’m hoping there might be something in there that we can use to help track down and maybe even purify the black pendant.”

“We also want to know more about the city,” said Gloria, “When it was founded and even something as simple as the city’s name.”

“It would be my pleasure,” said K-1 with anticipation, “It has been a long time since I’ve had a real challenge!”

“Splendid!” said Glacian with delight, “Thank you, K-1!” Gloria held out a faded old map she had been carrying at her side.

“What’s this?” asked K-1 as his eyes quickly scanned the map.

“This is the only known map in the world that shows the location of the Gardevoir city,” explained Gloria. K-1 saw some weird writing on the bottom right corner of the map.

“Hmmm… what’s this writing?” asked K-1, “I have no records of it anywhere in my databanks.”

“Neither do I,” added Central, gazing at the map through one of her cameras, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“No one can read this writing anymore,” said Glacian with a sigh, “Maybe, if you can get into the archives, you will find a way to read this dead language.”

“Alright,” said K-1, “I’ll do my best.”

“We’re showing you this map so you know the exact location of the city,” said Glacian, “You have permission to teleport or fly to the city as you please. The Elite Guards have already been told of your potential arrival.”

“Alright,” said K-1, “Central, please teleport me to the Gardevoir city palace.”

“At once,” said Central happily, “Have a good time!” K-1 promptly disappeared in a bright flash.

“He’s on his way?” asked Glacian. Mack nodded.

“Alert,” said Central as an alarm sounded for a few seconds, “My infra-red scanners are detecting an anomaly from Mt. Terror. Smoke is also present on the long-range cameras.”

“A forest fire?” asked Glacian with disbelief, “There? But…how could that happen?!”

“Maybe Cipher left some old equipment there or something?” suggested Aura. Mack nodded.

“Could be the case,” said Mack.

“There is something else even more peculiar,” said Central, “According to the readings from my weather sensors, the winds are blowing over the top of Mt. Terror and are spreading the fire down the hillside. Most unusual…”

“I’ll say!” said a bewildered Mack, “Fires tend to travel up hillsides, not down!”

“Alert,” said Central, “According to my calculations, the fire will be on the outskirts of Gardev within 72.83 hours. It is spreading very quickly.”

“Any reports of thunderstorms in the area?” asked Mack.

“Negative,” replied Central, “All my Doppler Radars have shown no activity for the last month.”

“This is so strange…” remarked an astonished Glacian.

“Mack,” said Aura, “You know what we have to do.”

“I know,” said Mack as he faced Glacian, “Aura and I are heading out. We’ll try to stop the fire before it gets too close to the village.” Glacian nodded.

“Be careful out there, Guardians of Gardev, and God be with you,” said Glacian.

“Please take care of yourselves!” said Gloria as Mack and Aura ran out of the control room with great haste.

“Your highness, you are welcome to stay here with your queen, if you like,” said Central, “Mack has already approved Class-9 security clearance for both of you.”

“Please call me Glacian,” said Glacian, “No need for such formality, but I appreciate your respect.”

“‘Gloria’ will do just fine for me, please,” said Gloria with warm laughter.

“Understood,” said Central.

“Say, what is the highest security level here?” asked Glacian.

“Class-11,” answered Central, “Only Mack, Aura, K-1 and myself have that level of clearance. There are many things that Mack keeps secret from even his family and closest friends.”

“Like what?” asked Gloria.

“I’m afraid that information is classified,” said Central.

“Very well,” said Glacian.

“You have nothing to fear,” said Central, “I have observed Mack for millennia. He is kind, gentle, selfless and very honorable. Much of what he keeps hidden are secrets so dark and so terrible, he made K-1, Aura and me promise to never reveal any of that information, but I can say this. An evil shadow of my creator has followed us around through every dimension we have visited so far. We fear it is only a matter of time before he reveals himself again, in this world. If that happens, we may all very well be in grave danger…”

-29-
Sakura arrived back at Makoto’s house. Sure enough, Jake, Makoto and their daughter were glad to see her back so soon. After greeting her dear friends, Sakura climbed the stairs back into the attic. Simon shook nervously. The young, married Gardevoir was carrying a big, cardboard box in her arms.

“You got it?!” asked Anna with sheer joy.

“Yep!” replied Sakura as she set the box on the floor. Anna slowly opened the large box and giggled when she laid eyes on what Sakura had brought.

“Well?” demanded Simon the Gardevoir, “What is it?” Sakura smiled as she pulled a white, sparkling, shimmering wedding dress out of the box. It had long, puffed sleeves and white laces to close the bodice. The fabulous dress went all the way up to an ornate collar in the front and back, decorated with fine patterns. The full skirt had layer after layer of fluffy white petticoats to help it keep its shape.

“Yay!” said Anna with glee, “Simon is going to be so pretty!”

“Well, at least I’ll be an overdressed Gardevoir groom,” said Simon with some relief, “I can live with that.”

“Oh, no,” said Anna mischievously as she pulled out a pair of white slippers and a long, flowing lace veil, “You’re going to be the prettiest bride in town today. Only the bride ever gets puffed sleeves and few grooms ever get a sparkling dress.”

“Everything is here,” said Sakura with a smile, “Including the jewelry and garter.” Simon shuddered.

“How did you get all of this?” asked an amazed Anna.

“One of the seamstresses owed me a favor,” said Sakura with a wink, “I had to pull a lot of strings for her to be able to get in the small group of seamstresses who got to sow Simon’s suit at Mack and Aura’s wedding.”

“I suppose this… seamstress also knows who this dress is for?” asked Simon with a scowl.

“Nope!” replied a smiling Sakura.

“Very good,” said Anna with a smirk, “I don’t want anyone else to know about the day Simon was a pretty bride.”

“I don’t have to wear it outside, do I?” asked Simon. Much to his dismay, Anna nodded her head.

“Everyone will think you’re so pretty,” said Anna sadistically, “But they won’t recognize you, so no one will know.”

“No kidding,” said Sakura as she rolled her eyes, “If the seamstresses knew this dress was for Simon, they would be over here in droves in a heartbeat.”

“Still, why are you keeping this all a secret?” asked a very confused Simon. Anna smiled at the old Kabutops.

“Why not?” asked Anna, “I figure the less I embarrass you, the easier you’ll be on me during my training.”

“Hmmmm…” said Simon, “I’ll keep that in mind, then.” Anna stepped towards Simon with the dress in her hands.

“Now, it’s time to get ‘Dressed,’ Simon!” said Anna with glee.

“That’s not funny…” grumbled Simon as Anna stood before him and opened the back of the dress.

“Be careful with these, Simon,” cautioned Sakura, “The seamstress only let me borrow this attire. This dress and all the accessories are going to be used in a wedding next summer.”

“As you wish,” said Simon as Sakura turned around and pulled a pair of golden bracelets, earrings and anklets from the box, all covered with sparkling diamonds. A gold tiara with large alternating rubies and diamonds completed the set.

“Now, take off your gown, Simon,” said Anna.

“What?” asked Simon with surprise, “Are you serious?”

“Well, you can’t wear a wedding dress over your gown, silly,” giggled Anna. Simon groaned, but he quickly took off his white gown, throwing it to the floor out of frustration.

“Please, we’re letting you keep your pants on,” said Sakura.

“Besides, such a display of anger is not fit for a lovely bride to be,” giggled Sakura.

“You’re enjoying this too much,” muttered Simon. Anna held out the ornate wedding dress as Simon stepped into it. Next, Sakura helped Anna pull the soft dress up Simon’s body. Then Simon, reluctantly, slid his arms into the sleeves while staring at the ceiling and wishing he could vanish into thin air. Anna stepped behind Simon and started to lace up his dress, giggling the whole time. Simon stood still, mortified and Anna soon had laced up the wedding dress. He was trapped and sentenced to his prison of soft white satin and fluffy, white petticoats.

“Now, take off your pants, Simon,” said Anna. At least grateful that his body was completely covered, he sat down on a nearby stool, facing away from the giggling Gardevoirs as he lifted his skirt and pulled off his white pants. He tossed them on top of his Gardevoir gown. Then, without actually being asked, he slid the lace garter up his right leg and onto his thigh.

“Hmmm!” remarked an impressed Sakura, “He learns quickly!”

“It’s not like I have a choice,” muttered Simon as he stood up and walked back towards his tormentors. Sakura knelt down and reached under his skirt, tenderly clipping the anklets in place while Anna hastily clipped the earrings and bracelets on Simon.

“At least it’s… comfortable…” said Simon quietly to himself.

“Really?” asked Anna with a devious grin and a raised eyebrow. Simon blushed deeply, knowing that Anna and Sakura had clearly heard what he said.

“If the seamstresses knew Simon liked wearing a wedding dress, they would do anything to marry him,” giggled Sakura.

“Which is why no one will know!” said Anna forcefully. Simon was surprised at himself: he was grateful for Anna.

“Thank you very much, Anna,” said Simon.

“Hey, I’m not completely heartless,” said Anna with a smirk. Before long, Simon was in his dress, slippers, jewelry and all his other accessories. Anna slid the tiara and veil into Simon’s green hair to complete the ensemble.

“It’s like putting the star on a Christmas tree, isn’t it?” asked Sakura with a smile.

“Only more fun!” laughed Anna as she took a close look at Simon’s chest.

“The bust is a bit loose,” said Sakura.

“It will have to do,” said Anna with a shrug, “It’s not like we’re going to make him put on a bra and stuff it with tissues.” Simon let out a sigh of relief.

“So, what now?” asked Simon, “Gonna parade outside with me?” Anna shook her head back and forth.

“No, you need to be a bit more convincing first,” said Anna, “Do you think you change your voice to something more…feminine and gentle?” Simon nodded.

“Plus, our beautiful bride needs a name,” suggested Sakura. Simon coughed a few times.

“How about you call me…Alana?” asked Simon in a very striking, silvery and very convincing feminine voice.

“How did you do that?” asked a shocked Anna.

“When you’ve been around as long as I have, you learn a lot of interesting things,” said Simon in his usual, gruff voice, “Like learning to alter your vocal cords in just the right manner.”

“Then let’s be on our way!” said Anna with triumph, “Come along ‘Alana!’ Your public awaits you.”

“Okay,” said Simon with the gentle, feminine voice as he followed Anna downstairs, holding the front of his skirt with his left hand.

“Sheesh,” said Sakura, “Simon passes for a female Gardevoir so well, it’s quite… scary.”

“I know,” said Simon, still with the feminine voice, “We’re all going to have nightmares for months after this.” They all laughed as they stepped out of the attic and before long, they were out the door and walking on the streets of Gardev. Needless to say, Jake, Makoto and their daughter weren’t sure what to make of the Gardevoir bride who just suddenly walked out of the attic and through their home. They also wondered what had become of Simon: he seemed to have vanished into thin air. Jake had his suspicions, but they seemed downright ludicrous.

“Why would Simon want to dress up as a bride, anyway?” thought Jake as he shrugged his shoulders, staring out a window of his house as the three Gardevoirs walked down the street together.

-30-
Mack and Aura had been flying over the dense and dry forests for well over an hour now.

“We’re getting close!” said Aura, flying next to her mate.

“Indeed!” said Mack, “Looks like this is going to be rough.” Aura nodded. The flames were advancing quickly: the wrong way!

“I still don’t understand how this happened,” said Mack, “How did a wildfire start without lightning?”

“I can’t imagine a ranger would be careless enough to unknowingly start a fire,” remarked Aura.

“Plus this area is a wildlife sanctuary: off-limits to everyone but certified personnel,” added Mack, “Camping or even riding through this terrain is illegal. Still, how is this fire able to advance towards Gardev so quickly and downhill for that matter?” A sudden, strong gust of wind from down the mountain side answered his question.

“Why, the wind is blowing the fire towards the village!” said Aura with concern. Red hot embers blew in the wind, starting more spot fires that swiftly grew in the dry forest below. Mack and Aura quickly changed course to avoid the monstrous cloud of smoke and flew back towards Gardev. After the Guardians had gone a few miles, they came to a gentle stop in the forest. Other Pokémon were panicking and running or flying away from the approaching flames as Mack and Aura folded up their wings.

“Look’s like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” said Mack. Aura smiled nervously at him.

“So, how do we stop this thing?” asked Aura, “Any ideas?”

“We’ll have to make fire lines: clear out the tress and vegetation for say, a thirty yard swath. If we can deny the fire any more fuel, it will die at the bare fire lines,” explained Mack. Aura looked around the forest: the trees were still fairly green but the thick brush was tinder dry.

“Alright, Aura,” said Mack as he unfolded his wings, “Let’s move! I’ll take this side, you take the other!”

“Will do, honey!” said Aura happily. Mack ran over to Aura and embraced her, kissing her one last time before they would begin their fight against the growing wildfire. The Guardians smiled and blushed as they ended their kiss and promptly took to the air. Soon, Mack and Aura were flying just above the forest canopy. Mack, sighed, knowing that he and Aura would have to clear several miles of brush and trees, but there wasn’t any other way. It would take hours for helicopters or planes to arrive on the scene. Regardless, Mack wanted to stop the immense fire in its tracks and do it quickly. Mack concentrated, focusing his power as his sapphire pendant started to glow with a bright blue light. Down below, a small swath of trees and forest was torn from the ground. The sound of moving earth and breaking trees was deafening, even drowning out the approaching roar of the fire. With a yell, Mack tore out all the trees and dry plants in one fell swoop. He threw it off about 100 yards behind him. Mack looked down as he flapped his wings, hovering over the forest; he had cleared an area about 200 yards long and 30 yards thick. He heard Aura shout and turned his gaze to his mate. She had done the same thing.

“Perfect, Aura!” shouted Mack with happiness.

“You too, Mack!” yelled Aura with a bright smile. Mack returned to his work, seeing that there were several miles to go in either direction. For hours, the Guardians cleared the land, aided by the power of their pendants. By the early afternoon, the fire line was set. Now, all Mack and Aura could do was pray. The Guardians landed on the back edge of the cleared land, right where the middle of the fire would hopefully be stopped in its tracks. Aura panted as she folded up her wings.

“That sure took a lot out of me,” said Aura as she sat down on the soft ground, trying to catch her breath.

“You and me both,” huffed Mack as he sat next to his lovely mate. He put his right arm around her shoulders and they watched as the approaching flames got closer and closer.

“I hope this works,” said Aura as she leaned against Mack.

“So do I,” said Mack, “If that fire jumps the line, we’re going to have to set up another line and I don’t think I have enough energy left for that.”

“The power of the pendants is certainly not infinite,” said Aura as she started to breathe normally and relaxed again. The roaring flames continued their merciless assault towards the Guardians, destroying everything in their path. Mack gazed towards the incoming fire and let out a heavy sigh. Though the fire itself was over 100 yards away, wind-driven red hot embers were starting to rain down at the far edge of the fine line. Aura bowed her head with dismay.

“Now what do we do?” asked Aura with despair.

“We’ll have to make the line wider and fast!” shouted Mack as he jumped back on his feet. Aura didn’t move.

“What’s wrong, Aura?” asked Mack, “Have you given up already?” Aura smiled as she looked up at Mack. She seemed to know something her mate did not.

“Don’t you feel that?” asked Aura with happiness.

“Feel what?” asked a bewildered Mack.

“Just close your eyes and concentrate,” said Aura, “You’re going to like this.” Mack sat next to Aura and did as she said. Mack continued to focus, even as embers rained down ever closer to him and Aura. Mack smiled as he opened his eyes.

“You’re right!” exclaimed Mack with delight.

“Yep!” said Aura as she stood up and embraced Mack, “We don’t have to do anything more because…”

“…Because the wind is about to change,” said Mack softly. Sure enough, just as more hot embers dropped only a few feet from the Guardians and into the unspoiled, but dry forest, the wind promptly shifted. Mack and Aura watched as the fire started to change direction, heading back where it came from. Up above, the giant plume of dark smoke was being blown back towards the mountains as well. The Guardians just watched the show, holding each other close. As another hour passed, the once mighty fire had choked out as it ran out of dry trees and brush.

“Thank you, God!” shouted Mack as he and Aura happily danced about the clearing. Aura laughed with sheer delight. After several minutes, they stopped their victory dance. The fire was now smoldering as a few weak flames soon burned up what was left of the dry forest. There was a low rumble in the distance behind the Guardians. They quickly turned around to see a lone thunderstorm off in the distance, quickly approaching the village and dumping lots of much-needed rain in the valley.

“Well!” said Mack as he held Aura tightly, “I guess our job is done.” Aura nodded.

“The fire line was still a good idea, Mack,” said Aura sweetly as she stared into her mate’s eyes, “If we hadn’t cleared the land, the fire surely would have devoured even more of the forest before being quenched by the opposing wind and rain.” Mack glanced back at the approaching storm as a single, distant lightning bolt lit up the large, dark cloud.

“We still need to find out what started the blaze,” said Mack, “Let’s take flight and get out to where the fire began in the first place. It will be a lot easier to search for clues without the ground being all wet and muddy.”

“Good thinking, Mack,” said Aura with a smile. She and Mack hugged each other one last time before they spread their wings and took to the skies. Once in the air, Mack looked back at the advancing storm, figuring he and Aura had only an hour at most to search the burned-out epicenter of the suspicious wildfire.

-31-
Anna scowled as the sound of distant thunder echoed through the village, announcing the arrival of a lone thunderstorm.

“Oh, great…” muttered Anna, “Looks like we won’t be able to walk around Gardev much longer.”

“You really want everyone in town to see Simon like this, don’t you?” asked Sakura. The two Gardevoirs and one transformed Kabutops continued their walk down one of the village streets. Simon was just glad that no one recognized him. Between being transformed into a male Gardevoir, his bridal attire and his almost disturbing ability to alter his voice, no one had the slightest idea what was going on. Any passing residents just thought Simon was a beautiful young Gardevoir, trying on and proudly showing off her wedding attire.

“Does this mean you’re just about done with me?” asked Simon, hoping he would soon be free of his cross-dressing servitude.

“Certainly not!” laughed Anna, “We’ll just have to move our little party indoors. Warren’s mansion should be the perfect place, especially since I’ll be staying there for a few more days.” Simon groaned with despair.

“Well, at least you’re not making me carry a bouquet,” said Simon as he walked down the street with the two young Gardevoirs. Sakura giggled as she and Anna came to a stop. Simon soon realized that his comment came at a bad time for they had just been yards from the only florist shop in Gardev. Sakura ran into the flower shop while Anna kept a close eye on Simon. Simon glared into the flower shop, wishing he’d kept his big mouth closed. Moments later, Sakura emerged from the shop with a big bouquet of red and white roses.

“Here you go, ‘Alana,’” giggled Sakura, “And thank you for bringing that up! After all, no bride should be without her pretty bouquet.” Simon reluctantly reached out and held the flowers in his hands. Anna and Sakura looked Simon over as he stood still, seething with anger.

“Now he looks perfect!” laughed Anna.

“Are we going to Warren’s house now?” asked Sakura eagerly.

“Yes we are,” replied Anna with a grin as she faced Simon, “Let’s go, Alana. Warren would just love to meet you.” Simon grumbled as he followed Anna off towards the large mansion with Sakura right behind him.

-32-
K-1 had been hard at work in the accessible portion of the Gardevoir city archives. He’d spent the last several hours reading through thousands upon thousands of papers, but to no avail. The paper records only went back, at most, 542 years and only described ‘Recent’ history as well as information on births, weddings and deaths in the large city. Despite K-1’s progress, there were still several hundred shelves full of books and cabinets full of papers to go through. K-1 returned his gaze to the large door of the sealed archive room. It looked like the entrance to a large bank safe with a large combination dial in the very center of the door. K-1 had already tried unloading his mini plasma Vulcan cannons on the door, but all he succeeded in doing was putting several large, smoking holes in the floor and ceiling as his shots were deflected off the seemingly-invincible door. To make matters worse, so far, none of the papers or old books contained any information on the dead Pokémon language. It seemed that all the books and papers in the room were written in either English or Japanese. Various symbols of the unidentified dialect were all over and around the sealed entrance of the ancient archival room. K-1 was not sure what he was going to do for as he looked over the mysterious symbols on the door, he found hundreds of them.

“Certainly not a simple language,” thought K-1, “I hope it isn’t something like Chinese or Japanese for that matter, it could take years to decode this without some sort of Rosetta Stone.” K-1 thought back to the history as Mack’s world on how a stone with the same message, written in three different languages, had been used to provide the first successful translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. K-1 had asked around the city earlier in the day, hoping to find some clues, but not even the oldest living Gardevoirs had ever seen the language before.

“Most problematic,” thought K-1 as he switched on his long-range radio, “Central, do you hear me?”

“Affirmative, K-1,” said Central, “What have you found?”

“Nothing but bad news, I’m afraid,” said K-1 through his built-in radio, “The paper records I’ve analyzed here reveal nothing about this Pokémon language. I’m going to upload the few hundred symbols I have recorded.”

“I copy,” said Central, “Please proceed with the upload.”

“Roger that, Central,” said K-1 as he quickly sent pictures of the symbols from the sealed door. Within a matter of seconds, the transfer was complete.

“Data received,” reported Central, “Now analyzing…” K-1 waited patiently as Central put all of her processing power into the task. A few minutes later, K-1 heard from Central again.

“Figure anything out?” asked K-1 eagerly.

“Negative,” replied Central, “I cannot make any real sense of what you just sent me. We will need to track down the rest of the symbols. Only then will we be able to decode the language with any degree of accuracy.”

“Okay, Central,” said K-1, “K-1, out.” K-1 turned off his transceiver and returned his gaze to the armored entryway. K-1 started to leave the room.

“So far, all I’ve done is found more questions than answers about this strange language. Perhaps if I scour the city, I might find more clues to help me solve this mystery,” thought K-1 as he walked down one of the immense corridors of the palace and towards the surrounding city.

>To be continued...<