The Village Guardians Ch. 2-12

+The Village Guardians+

-Chapter #2: Joy and Shadows-

>Part # 12<

Continued from Part #11...

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

-71-
Mack and Aura had already gotten out of bed when Glacian started knocking on their door.

“Guardians?” called Glacian through the door, “Is it alright if we enter?”

“Go ahead,” said Mack with a loud yawn. With that, Glacian opened the door and walked into the bedroom with Gloria at his side. Alvin was following right behind the king and queen. Mack and Aura had barely gotten changed and were still in their wedding dresses. Aura smiled as she put her earrings into a drawer on her vanity, closed the drawer and then turned around to face her great-great grandparents. Mack spread his wings out in a stretch and yawned once again.

“I hope we aren’t intruding…” said Glacian hesitantly.

“You’re just fine,” said Mack as he folded his wings up behind his back, “So, what brings you here this morning?”

“Ah. I do believe Alvin here will be able to answer your question,” said Glacian while Alvin walked in front of him.

“Guardians of Gardev…” started Alvin.

“Hold on!” laughed Mack, “Alvin, we’re old friends, remember? You don’t have to be so formal with Aura and I.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Alvin with a friendly smile, “Anyway, I’ve come here this morning because I need to ask a favor of you and Aura.”

“Is that so?” asked Aura cheerfully, “What do you need our help with?” Alvin cleared his throat with a loud cough.

“Mack, Aura: I need you two to take me back to the ruins of my old Cipher facility,” replied Alvin. Mack and Aura glanced at each other.

“I’m just curious, but why do you need to go back there?” asked Mack with suspicion.

“To be honest, I had a particularly nasty nightmare last night and I want to survey the ruins,” answered Alvin, “I want to make sure that what remains of that old building has remained untouched. There were quite a few things that were left behind by Cipher: weapons, food and plenty of high-tech equipment.”

“Maybe we ought to make a salvage operation of this as well,” suggested Mack, “I’d feel better if we just clean the place out so none of that junk can be taken by criminals and the like.”

“So, you’ll help me?” asked Alvin with hope.

“I would be glad to help you check out that old facility,” said Mack with a smile, “Besides, whatever we bring back might be useful in my experiments and inventions.”

“Splendid!” exclaimed Alvin, “Thank you so much, Mack and Aura!”

“Always glad to help,” said Aura, “Now, how about you all leave for now so Mack and I can get out of our wedding attire?”

“Most certainly,” said Alvin, “Thank you.” With that, Glacian, Gloria and Alvin left the room. From what Aura could gather, Mack was very eager to get going, but also somewhat worried.

“Is something on your mind, honey?” asked Aura sweetly.

“I just wonder what will await us once we get to that place,” said Mack, “I certainly hope whatever’s there has been left alone.” Aura smiled as she walked up to her mate.

“We can always have Central, Xavier and K-1 come with us. I bet they would love to get out of the lab for a while,” said Aura happily as she offered the back of her dress to Mack, “Now, would my prince please help his princess with her dress?”

“But of course, my princess,” replied Mack softly as he reached out with his hands, unfastened the twin ruby collar buttons and tenderly unlaced Aura’s wedding dress.

“Thank you, my love,” giggled Aura with delight. Mack slowly pulled the laces out of their golden loops. Before long, Aura’s dress was unlaced.

“God, I love being married…” said Mack, blushing as he gently pulled the sides of the dress bodice open and ever so carefully helped Aura pull her wings out of the wing slits on her dress.

“You and me both, handsome,” said Aura with great delight. As Mack and Aura helped each other out of their wedding attire and quickly got dressed, K-1 was running diagnostics on the S-5 Heavy Cargo Carrier. The large vehicle had not been used in a long time and K-1 wanted to make sure the giant, flying transport did not need anything more than routine maintenance.

“The ship’s computer is not reporting any faults,” reported Central, “Looks like all that needs to be done is to clean the engines and repulsors.”

“Sounds logical to me,” said K-1, “There’s no telling how much dust has collected in there over the last few years.”

“That reminds me,” said Central, “I just got the diagnostics back for the Firefox. It would appear that the S-4 is now flight-ready, plus most systems are operational again.”

“That’s great news!” said K-1 with glee, “Mack and I have only been trying to get the Firefox flight-worthy for the last twenty years! He’ll be glad to hear that!”

“There is a 99.99999% chance if that being correct,” said Central matter-of-factly.

“How can you say there is a chance that Mack won’t be glad to hear the news?” demanded K-1.

“My calculation covers just today and I still estimate the almost unlikely scenario that Mack and Aura won’t even come down here today,” explained Central.

“Fat chance of that,” laughed K-1. While Central and K-1 continued their work, Mack and Aura were enjoying a simple breakfast of fruit and cereal. Oddly enough, Simon had decided to join them this morning. What was even stranger was that William was still sound asleep in Warren’s room and had not come down for breakfast. To top things off, the simple breakfast was because Agatha had taken the day off to relax and rest.

“I guess our little friend is exhausted after the wedding yesterday,” said a cheerful Aura.

“I think I’d be worn out too if I had to spend yesterday in his shoes,” chuckled Mack. Simon said nothing, vividly remembering the day Anna had forced him to dress up as a Gardevoir bride because he had lost a bet with her.

“He should have known better than to have trusted his fate to Anna,” said Simon bluntly.

“I almost feel guilty for not warning him,” said Aura as a grin spread across her face, “Almost.”

“Now then,” said Simon, “About your upcoming trek to Alvin’s old Cipher facility. May I have the pleasure of joining you on this little excursion?”

“The more, the better I suppose,” said Mack as he took a sip from his steaming coffee mug, “Xavier, K-1 and Central will be accompanying us. Eric, Andre, Alvin, Cecil and even David will be joining us, too. They said their knowledge of Cipher’s inner workings should be useful in exploring the ruins.”

“Sounds like a good choice,” remarked Simon, “My only other question is when we will be leaving.”

“After breakfast and after I issue out some weapons and equipment,” replied Mack, “Alvin insists that we come thoroughly prepared, though he won’t say why.”

“Glacian mentioned something to me about Alvin having a nightmare last night,” said Simon, “A Gardevoir’s powers of foresight are quite chaotic without rigorous training. I, for one, think we will go to the ruins and find nothing.”

“Either that, or whatever Alvin saw has already happened or will not happen for days, weeks, maybe even several years,” said Aura. Mack sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Considering that we’re going into a Cipher facility, we may as well be cautious,” warned Mack, “You may remember how most of the members of that criminal organization were never found. Either way, let’s get ready to go and be on our toes.” Half an hour passed before Mack, Aura and the others descended into the underground laboratory. K-1 had only just finished cleaning the engines on the massive S-5 and put the armored covers back in place when Mack and company arrived in the main control room.

“Welcome back, Dr. Foxx,” said Central warmly, “It has been a few weeks since you were last here. I suspect that you and mistress Aura have something very important to attend to.”

“That we do, Central,” said Mack as he stepped aside, “And we have a few guests who will be traveling with us as well.”

“Is Xavier sleeping in the aircraft bay?” asked Aura with a soft, cheerful tone of voice.

“Most certainly,” replied Central.

“Thank you,” said Aura happily, “Then the launch bay will be our first stop.” Mack nodded his head.

“Central, please keep an eye out for our guests. You’ll recognize them instantly,” said Mack.

“Affirmative, sir,” was Central’s reply as Mack and Aura left the main control room and leisurely walked down the long, well-lit metallic hallway. Little time had passed when they arrived at the proper doors. Mack quickly entered an access code on a small console. Immediately, the large, twin doors let out a loud “Hiss!” as they slid open, revealing the huge aircraft bay. Mack and Aura chuckled warmly: Xavier was indeed sleeping in the launch bay, snoring loudly with his head buried under his massive wings. As the Guardians quietly approached the sleeping Lugia, he stirred in his sleep. He pulled his head out from under his wings and letting out a loud yawn, he greeted Mack and Aura with a smile on his face.

“Good morning,” said Xavier happily, yet with tiredness in his voice, “Trying to sneak up on me again?”

“We’ve all but given up on that,” said Mack with a friendly smile. Xavier laughed to himself as he stood up.

“So, what brings you here?” asked Xavier.

“We wanted to ask if you wanted to join me, Mack, Central, K-1 and some guests on a little field trip,” answered Aura.

“Does this ‘Fieldtrip’ involve blowing things up or aerial observation?” asked Xavier jokingly.

“I do believe he already had our plan in mind,” giggled Aura.

“You’re not kidding, are you?” asked Xavier.

“Certainly not,” said Mack, “Are you still eager to get out of the lab for the day?”

“I can be ready in ten minutes,” said Xavier matter-of-factly.

“Great!” said Mack, “Though, you will have to ride in the S-5’s cargo bay for the trip down, alright?”

“Not a problem,” said Xavier, “I’ll be all set to go after I’ve had some breakfast.”

“Okay,” said Aura with a cheerful voice, “We’ll see you at the surface in a little while.” With that, Mack and Aura walked out of the hanger, hand-in-hand. They arrived back at the control room to find their guests had just arrived.

“Well,” said Central happily as one of her cameras gazed at the four Gardevoirs and one Mewtwo, “Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David. I haven’t seen any of you for years. I trust you are all doing very well and in good health?”

“Quite so,” replied Cecil, “It will be nice to get away from Olympus for the day.”

“That’s surprising,” remarked Andre, “What’s the matter, Cecil? Is your new job as a jeweler too boring for you?”

“Heh!” laughed Cecil, “Jewelry was my trade before I joined up with Cipher. I had joined up for fame and fortune and got just that, but make no mistake that I regret joining them. My brother, on the other hand…”

“You have a brother?” asked Mack with shock. Aura was equally surprised at Cecil’s remark.

“Yes. His name is Cyan. I can’t imagine what’s become of him, though,” answered Cecil, “The last time I saw him was a few weeks after we joined up with Cipher. Last I heard, he was promoted to admin within a few weeks. He always was a natural leader, but he was also very harsh.”

“Kind of like how you were,” said Eric.

“Yeah, don’t remind me…” grumbled Cecil. Alvin turned his gaze towards Mack and Aura.

“So, are we ready to go?” asked Alvin.

“No. We have much to do, but I think we can be ready to leave within the hour,” replied Mack as he face Central’s main view screen, “Central?” The computer’s gentle voice echoed throughout the large control room.

“What do you need, sir?” asked Central with eagerness.

“I want you and K-1 to be ready to move out in half an hour. I also want the S-5 prepped for launch and at the surface in twenty minutes,” commanded Mack, “I’ll hand out the weapons and other machinery.”

“Command acknowledged,” said Central firmly. In the large, underground hanger, the massive S-5 roared to life. Meanwhile, Lucca was hiding in one of the bushes in the backyard of Warren’s mansion. The Ralts with the black bow and ribbon was glad that Agatha had not ratted her out and not only let her stay in the mansion for the night, but gave her the best breakfast she’d had in years. Lucca jumped back when the ground suddenly shook. There was a loud “Whirr!” in the air: Lucca looked on with disbelief when two large sections of the backyard, fifty yards away, slowly moved straight up a few feet and then slid sideways in opposite directions. The metallic whine from the S-5’s engines and repulsors could be heard throughout Gardev and got progressively louder and louder. Soon, Lucca was staring wide-eyed at the massive S-5 as it slowly lifted out through the open launch bay doors. The giant vehicle then moved to the left, slowly, until it was clear of the hanger doors. The engines quieted down as the vehicle softly touched down on the ground and as the massive hanger doors slid closed and then settled back in place.

“What is that thing?!” thought Lucca with shock, “I’ve never seen anything like it!” The Ralts artist wasn’t sure what to expect next; however, she smiled the moment the back doors of the massive machine opened up, revealing the large cargo bay. Lucca ran across the grassy backyard, hoping no one was watching her as she climbed into the heavy cargo carrier. She was worried: where would she hide now that she was in the cargo bay? Several large, metal crates quickly provided an answer.

“This is going to be easier than I thought,” said Lucca to herself as she carefully and quietly climbed into one of the open crates. The container of her choice was filled with Styrofoam peanuts as well as several packages of what appeared to be food, sealed in plastic bags with cardboard backings.

“At least I won’t be hungry,” thought Lucca as her eyes started to glow with a faint blue light. Just outside the metal crate, the accompanying lid floated into the air and then slowly floated down onto Lucca’s hiding place, latching itself shut. Lucca reached into a blue satchel that she was wearing on her left shoulder. She pulled out a small flashlight and switched it on. All was quiet in the crate and she hoped no one would find her. She turned off the flashlight and sat quietly.

“Come heck or high water, I have got to see the Guardians of Gardev in action!” thought Lucca with great excitement. The artistic possibilities were endless and Lucca was hoping she would get to see Mack and Aura either in flight or in combat.

“Here goes,” thought an enthusiastic Lucca, “I’m going to get some of the best sketches I’ve ever made today.” Lucca froze when she heard several, heavy footsteps from outside. They got louder and louder: something very large and heavy was approaching the crate. The footsteps came to an abrupt stop seemingly just yards from the crate.

“I wonder what that was?” thought Lucca with concern. She shrugged her shoulders and waited patiently in the metal crate while Mack was passing out munitions and other various gadgets down below in the lab. He reached out and entered a long, secret code on a number pad on the wall. The control pad was next to a large door, seemingly made out of glass. Behind the glass wall were dozens of futuristic guns, rifles and other weapons.

“Mack, if you don’t mind me asking, how is a glass wall going to keep thieves out of your weapons should someone actually manage to break into the lab? It has been done before,” cautioned Alvin. Mack said nothing as he pulled his trusty FIW-59A Elemental Pistol of its hanger. He turned off the safety, pointed the weapon at the clear wall and fired several shots into the glass. The loud bangs echoed in the lab and the bright flashes from each shot lit up the surrounding area. Besides some smoke, nothing had happened to the glass, not even a scratch.

“How did you do that…?” asked a bewildered Eric.

“Simple,” replied Mack as he set the pistol on a nearby table and started removing other weapons from their shelves and hooks, “This glass is actually compressed diamond. I simply run some of my synthetic, flawless diamond through one of my inventions, called an atom press. It simply smashes atoms as close together as possible, reducing the size of the inserted object, but the object remains just as heavy and in many cases, stronger.”

“But the atom press only works on certain materials, such as flawless crystals and metal,” remarked K-1.

“That’s true,” said Mack as he handed Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David each a pistol and a rifle, “You each get an FIW-36 Combo Rifle and an FIW-12 auto pistol. You think you can handle these weapons, or do any of you want to squeeze off a few rounds in the shooting range?”

“I’m good. I’ve used weapons like this before,” replied David.

“I’m set, too,” said Andre confidently.

“Ditto,” said Cecil. No one else said a word, so Mack handed everyone extra power cells, belts and holsters for the pistols and power cells and straps for the rifles. In a matter of minutes, Mack, Aura and company were loaded and ready to go.

“Would someone please remind me why we’re taking all this hardware with us?” asked Eric with uneasiness in his voice.

“We can’t take any chances,” answered Alvin with determination, “If we actually find anyone at the ruins and we have to fight, at least we’re all properly prepared.”

“Not quite,” said Mack as he handed each Gardevoir and the Mewtwo a small back box, about the size of a deck of cards and with a metal clip on the back of each device, “Clip these on your belts as well. Those are personal shield generators. They should provide complete protection from explosions, bullets and our own weapons. The last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt or killed by enemies or friendly fire.” The psychic Pokémon obediently did as Mack asked.

“Are we ready to go now, honey?” asked Aura with a smile.

“Not quite,” said Mack as he grabbed another object off the top shelf of the weapons case. It looked like a decorated, shiny and silver flashlight. Mack clipped the strange weapon onto his own belt and slid the elemental pistol into a thigh-grip holster on his right.

“Will you be needing any other equipment, sir?” asked Central as she walked up behind the small army in her S-100F armor.

“No,” replied Mack, “Make sure you strap on your shoulder-mounted weapons and make sure K-1 is properly armed as well.”

“As you wish, sir,” said Central as she walked away. Lastly, Mack gave everyone in the group a black visor. There was a gray button on each side of the visors.

“Now these will provide us with night vision as well as infrared scanners,” said Mack, “The button on your left will turn on the night vision function as well as turn it off. The button on the right does the same for the infrared scanner. Got it?” The Gardevoirs and Mewtwo nodded their heads with understanding.

“Good. Let’s get to the surface and get going. Xavier’s waiting for us,” said Mack sternly. With that, the small army marched down the laboratory corridors with K-1 and Central following close behind. Meanwhile, Lucca was sitting quietly and was calmly relaxing in her hiding place. A few minutes passed slowly and then she heard the whine of the powerful engines getting progressively louder as the massive cargo bay doors creaked shut. She leaned back against one side of the crate, just as the entire vehicle suddenly lurched to one side. Now, she could feel herself moving up higher and higher. Only a few moments passed when she felt the large vehicle move forward and with surprising speed. Still, the takeoff had been very comfortable and the sudden movements, overall, had been gentle. She smiled in the darkness, reclining in the crate, figuring she would easily be able to get some great sketches of the Guardians of Gardev. Lucca’s smile was soon replaced with a frown when she felt her hair standing on end from an unwelcome presence: she wasn’t alone in the crate after all. Evil, maniacal laughter filled the darkness and seemed to come from every direction at once. Despite the unnerving sounds, Lucca was not at all fazed. She let out a sigh of disappointment, clenched her right hand into a fist and pulled back her arm. The laughter got louder and louder, but Lucca stood firm: she let her fist fly forward. The loud “Ouch!!” Lucca heard was the sweetest sound she had heard all morning as her fist collided with an unseen object with a powerful punch. There was a loud “Clang!” as whoever or whatever it was hit the opposite side of the crate. Lucca reached into her satchel for the flashlight and quickly turned it on.

“How come every time I tangle with a female Pokémon I always get hurt?” muttered Gremlin to himself as he sifted through the packets and small packages on the floor.

“Maybe it’s because you’re a blithering idiot,” said Lucca coldly, “Now what are you doing here?” She grinned at Gremlin, realizing she had managed knock one of the Sableye’s eyes clean out of its dark purple socket with a single blow.

“Need I answer?” grumbled Gremlin, “Now help me find my eye!” Lucca said nothing as Gremlin feverishly dug through the plastic packets, trying to find the gemstone eye that Lucca had knocked loose. Lucca shook her head back and forth and again she grinned. She reached down into the plastic packets on her right: sure enough, she found Gremlin’s missing eye.

“Looking for this?” asked Lucca with a devious smile on her face as she held out the cracked gemstone towards Gremlin. The Sableye turned around fast and gazed at his eye, now in the hands of the grinning Ralts.

“Ah! You found it!” said Gremlin with glee, “Now give it back!” Lucca pulled the gem away from the frustrated Sableye.

“Not until you apologize,” said Lucca with a loud yawn, “I can wait all day if I have to.” Gremlin snarled as Lucca sat down on the crate floor, leaning against the back wall.

“You’re going to have to wait until the end of time for that!” laughed Gremlin, “Ghost-Types never apologize and that goes double for Dark-Types, missy!”

“Is that so?” said Lucca with indifference as her gaze fell on the cracked, large gem, “Well, maybe I could make a pretty necklace with this.” Gremlin’s empty eye socket twitched.

“Don’t even think about it!” said Gremlin, a threatening tone entering his voice.

“Or, maybe I could take it to a gem cutter…” said Lucca sadistically as she tossed the gem into the air and caught it several times right in front of Gremlin’s face. Gremlin’s eye and empty eye socket opened wide. He dropped to the floor and stared at Lucca with a pleading eye.

“Okay!” whined Gremlin, “I’m sorry!”

“Sorry for what?” asked Lucca, still grinning at Gremlin. The scared Sableye quickly considered his options: he could just admit what he did was wrong or try to snatch back his eye. However, Gremlin was surprised that not only had Lucca found him in complete darkness, but the single punch she landed on him had been surprisingly strong and painful. He gulped loudly: he hated to admit it, but there was a chance he was no match for the sadistic, small Pokémon.

“Okay!” said Gremlin, finally giving up, “I’m sorry for my pathetic attempt at trying to scare you!”

“That’s a good boy,” said Lucca as she tossed the strange gem back to Gremlin. The Sableye quickly stuffed the gemstone eye back into its socket.

“Gah!” shouted Gremlin as he removed the gem and quickly rearranged it, “I hate it when I put it in upside-down…” Meanwhile, outside the crate, Xavier stirred in his sleep as he overheard the tussle between two small Pokémon in a nearby crate. He shook his head slowly, back and forth, wondering who would be dumb enough to try and stow away on one of Mack’s ships. He reached out with his head, latched his large beak onto the sides of the crate’s lid and quickly pulled the lid away, exposing the feuding Ralts and Sableye.

“Well, well! What have we here?” asked Xavier with a grin. Lucca and Sableye fell silent and looked up at the huge Lugia as it loomed over them. They were overcome with fear knowing their cover had been blown. Xavier smiled and laughed at the scared, tiny Pokémon.

“Well? Start talking,” said Xavier as he sat down on the metallic floor, “What are you two doing here? You’d better answer quickly or I’ll get Mack and Aura back here at once.” Lucca boldly stood up and looked Xavier right in the eye.

“I’ll just be blunt,” said Lucca as she crossed her arms, “I want to observe the Guardians of Gardev. Quite frankly, I think they are the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen and I would love to see them in action: be it combat, flight or whatever.”

“So, you just want to sketch them, huh?” asked Xavier.

“That’s the idea,” replied Lucca, “Besides; I can take care of myself.” Gremlin knew he needed an excuse and a very good one if he was going to get away with stowing aboard the S-5.

“Plus I can watch over her!” said Gremlin quickly.

“Very well,” said Xavier as he reached out with his long neck, grabbed the cover of the metal crate in his mouth and then tenderly placed the lid back in place, covering the two small Pokémon, “Just be careful and I’ll let you know when the coast is clear. However, if you get caught, we never spoke, got it?”

“Right,” said Lucca quietly.

“Very well,” replied Gremlin as he reclined against a side of the crate, “So, Lucca: how did you get so strong, anyway? Very few Pokémon have ever been able to knock my eye loose with a single strike like that.”

“Didn’t I tell you before?” said Lucca as a grin spread across her face once again; “My father is a member of the Olympus Elite Guards. Let’s just say he wanted to make sure his dear only daughter could hold her own in a fight if needed, even if I had to face off against Dark or Ghost Types.” Gremlin nodded his head and spoke not another word. The Sableye decided he should do whatever it took to stay off of Lucca’s bad side… for now.

-72-
William was absolutely infuriated. He was lying in one of the large, bay windows of the Gardev mansion. The angered Pikachu was sulking with the horrible memories of Enrique and Anna’s wedding day still fresh on his mind.

“And Anna promised she would give me some sort of treat for wearing that pink dress and making a complete fool out of myself!” thought William angrily. Warren peaked around the corner, getting a quick look at William.

“How long has William been lying there?” asked Warren to Agatha.

“For at least four hours,” said Agatha with a sigh, “He didn’t even touch his breakfast or lunch.”

“I wonder what’s on his mind?” said Warren as he peaked around the corner and addressed the angry Pikachu with a friendly smile and a gentle voice, “What’s wrong, little fellow?” The angry, loud squeaks from the mad rodent were all Warren needed to know that he should leave William alone and retreat out of the room.

“What was that all about?” asked Agatha with curiosity.

“Whatever it was he said, I don’t think I would want to repeat it,” answered Warren. Just then, he heard some soft rustling from behind. He turned around quickly and smiled as soon as he got a look at his guests.

“Oh! Hi there!” said Agatha with delight.

“It’s nice to see you, Enrique,” said Warren happily, “Especially you, Anna.” The young Gardevoir couple were still on their honeymoon, thus, they continued to wear their wedding attire in celebration of their marriage. Warren couldn’t help but stare at the lovers’ sparkling, white dresses. The pink gemstones on Anna’s dress and jewelry sparkled brightly from the mid-day sun.

“Nice to see you as well,” said Enrique with a smile as he held Anna’s left hand.

“Are you staying long?” asked Agatha, “I could get some coffee or tea for you.”

“No thank you,” replied Anna, smiling as she held Enrique’s hand, “We just stopped by to tend to some… unfinished business.”

“Oh?” said Warren, “What did you forget?”

“How about me?” asked William with a grumpy voice as he slowly walked into the nearby living room.

“There you are,” said Anna with a bright smile as she looked down at the irritated Pikachu, “I’m sorry, little cutie. I completely forgot about my promise to you.”

“Yeah, whatever,” replied William with a scowl on his face.

“I want to make it up to you,” said Anna, trying to reassure the grumpy rodent, “And I think I have just the thing.”

“It’s not another dress is it?” asked William with despair. Anna, Enrique, Warren and Agatha couldn’t help but laugh.

“Of course not!” said Anna, laughing up a storm.

“Anna and I talked it over for awhile,” said Enrique as he soon stopped laughing, “And we figured out the perfect reward for you.” William’s yellow and black-tipped ears perked up.

“Can I have it now?” asked William eagerly.

“Just hop on my shoulder, then my prince and I will take you to the church. Your little treat is being kept there,” said Anna, patting her right shoulder with her left hand. In an instant, William leapt onto the Gardevoir’s satin-covered shoulder: the Pikachu could only hope he had not fallen into another trap.

“Alright,” said Enrique, “Shall we be off then?”

“Yes, we shall,” said Anna, leaning against her husband. With that, Enrique and Anna left the mansion and started on their way to the large, Gardev church. As they walked down the street, they drew the attention of the few dozen people who still called Gardev home. They couldn’t help but admire the beautiful Gardevoirs in their dresses and jewelry.

“I was hoping I would get to see one last Gardevoir wedding,” said an old man to himself as he walked back into his store. Enrique and Anna didn’t have to look far to see that the few residents of the village were all quite old.

“I wonder why no one wants to live here anymore,” said Anna.

“I guess these people have been here all their lives and just can’t bear to leave,” said Enrique, “I can understand that with the dense, green forests, the wonderful mountain views and a very quiet atmosphere.” Anna just smiled at her mate as they soon arrived and then stepped into the empty, quiet church. William’s eyes opened wide and he chuckled with glee as Anna carried him towards the kitchen. Anna giggled as she gently took William up in her arms and carefully set him on the floor.

“Ready for your surprise?” asked Anna with a grin.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” said William with excitement. He licked his lips figuring that surely, his reward was going to be a fine meal at the very least. Nonetheless, nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. Enrique chuckled warmly to himself as he opened a tall refrigerator and carefully pulled out a large, silver platter. William almost fainted when he got a look at what he was about to dine on.

“I think it’s a good trade,” said Anna as Enrique carefully set what was left of hers and her mate’s wedding cake at William’s feet, “One day of having to wear a pretty dress and a bow for half a huge wedding cake.” William was speechless.

“I… can actually have… all of it?” asked a stunned William.

“Yep!” replied Anna with joy, “It’s all yours!”

“Let’s get going, my love,” said Enrique tenderly as he came alongside his wife and put his left arm around her, “Let’s leave William and the cake here alone.” Anna grinned at Enrique.

“I say we head back to the mansion, get a bite to eat for lunch and then…” said Anna, wrapping her arms around Enrique, “…Then, after another nice evening together, we can take a nice, long flight over the mountains before bed.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” said Enrique happily as he lead Anna out of the kitchen.

“Then we can spend tomorrow in the flower gardens of the palace,” said Anna blissfully, “Just you and me.” William looked over his shoulder, watching as Enrique and Anna kissed while the kitchen door slowly swung closed. The hungry Pikachu returned his gaze onto the monstrous remains of the wedding cake.

“This will be a day to remember,” thought William with sheer delight as an evil smile spread across his face, “Best of all, there’s no Mack or Aura here to order me around or get in my way…” As William approached the helpless, baked, half-eaten victim, Enrique and Anna were on their way out of the church when Enrique remembered something important.

“I almost forgot,” said Enrique, smiling at his lovely wife, “Didn’t Alexander and Aurora ask us to come by Warren’s mansion later this evening?”

“Yes, they did,” answered Anna happily, glancing at Enrique’s face, “That’s part of why we came here today. They said they had a little surprise for us after dinner.” Anna wondered what her parents were planning.

“You think our wedding portrait is done now?” suggested Anna.

“That would be nice,” said Enrique, “It would certainly look great over our fireplace.” Anna just smiled and leaned against Enrique as they walked down the main street of Gardev, wondering what would await her and her handsome mate later that day.

-73-
Mack could not have been more relieved. The Radar and infrared jammer was working properly plus the unusually cloudy mid-summer day made flying in the Gardev region perfect for someone who did not want to be seen. Now, Mack and Aura were guiding the huge, armored carrier through the skies as Central, K-1, Cecil, Andre, Eric, Alvin, Simon and David sat still, strapped into the large, soft chairs just outside the cockpit. Despite the powerful engines, the S-5 was so quiet that Cecil had fallen asleep over an hour ago. Alvin had wanted to rest too, but the memories of his recent nightmare were still all too fresh on his mind.

“Everything is running properly, Mack,” reported Aura from the copilot’s chair, “The power levels are holding and the internal engine temperatures are well under the limit.” Mack chuckled as he turned his gaze towards his wife.

“You don’t miss a thing, do you?” asked Mack with a smile. Aura grinned back at her husband.

“I only have the thousands of years of experience that you have piloting this carrier,” said Aura, “You think I could try flying the Firefox one of these days?”

“As soon as K-1 and I run a few more tests, I’ll let you be the lead pilot on the first test flight,” replied Mack, “It’s going to be odd sitting in the copilot’s chair.”

“What will be stranger is me not being at any of the controls of the Firefox at all,” said K-1 from behind the Guardians, “Nevertheless, Aura is more than capable of flying the S-4.”

“We should be approaching our destination soon,” said Central as she lowered her shoulder-mounted cannons, testing the servos and other systems on her S-100F armor.

“Thank you, Central,” said Aura, “Mack, shall we begin our descent?” Mack nodded his head.

“That we will,” replied Mack as he turned his head to face the passengers just outside the cockpit, “We’re almost there.”

“Very good,” said Alvin as he unbuckled his seatbelts and carefully walked into the large cockpit. There were two other chairs and control consoles behind Mack and Aura. They appeared to be for the navigator and the communications officer. He sat down behind Mack at the navigator’s station and switched on the console as the massive S-5 tilted forward ever so slightly and began to slowly descend out of the thick, white clouds. A topographic map appeared on the screen, displaying the nearby mountains, hills, highways and the city of Alakaz, 40 miles away. A red “X” on the electronic map marked his destination. Alvin remembered arming the self-destruct systems shortly before he and the thousands of Gardevoirs, Kirlias, Ralts and Gallades made their hasty escape back to the hidden city now known as Olympus. He had not even stuck around to watch the large facility get blown to smithereens. Hopefully, all that would greet Alvin and his companions would be a large crater, filled with scrap metal.

“Descending to 1,000 feet,” said Mack as the heavy cargo carrier finally broke through the thick clouds. The two Guardians gasped and Alvin sat still with his eyes wide open, stunned, as the twisted, metallic remains of his old, giant building came into view. Against all of Alvin’s hopes, the building was very much still intact. He removed his glasses and wiped his large eyes several times, making sure he was not imagining this horrible sight, but alas, the badly damaged building was indeed real.

“Just like in my dream…” thought Alvin with growing fear.

“Alvin, what do you make of this?” asked Mack with shock. Alvin let out a heavy sigh.

“To say the least, it appears the auto-destruct explosives were almost entirely ineffective,” answered Alvin grimly.

“Well, now what will we do?” asked a concerned Aura, “Should we proceed anyway, Alvin?” Alvin stood up from his chair and clenched his fists tightly.

“Now we have to explore the ruins!” declared Alvin, trying to sound confident, “As long as the ruins are undisturbed, then all I saw was just a foul dream and not a vision from the future.”

“Very well then,” said Mack as he faced his mate, “Let’s set down in the courtyard. That large, paved area should be able to withstand the weight of the S-5.” As the Guardians carefully guided the massive ship to its destination, Xavier was resting with his head under his large wings while Lucca and Gremlin sat quietly and patiently in the metal crate.

“You two better get ready to head out,” said Xavier, just loud enough for Lucca and Gremlin to hear him, “I’ll cover for you. Just be sure to stay out of trouble.”

“Will do,” replied Lucca as she put her satchel back on around her left shoulder. She rifled through the small pouch, making sure all her supplies were in order.

“Whatcha got in there?” asked Gremlin with curiosity.

“Pencils, pens, a few sketchpads and a flashlight,” replied Lucca with little emotion in her voice, “Just the basics.” Suddenly, the S-5 lurched slightly as the huge machine softly touched down on the paved ground.

“We’re here,” said Xavier while he pulled his head out from under his white wings and stood up, “Get ready to move.” Up in the cockpit, Mack and Aura quickly powered down the S-5. Soon, the loud whine from the powerful engines vanished. Back in the cargo bay, Xavier was stretching out his wings and letting out a loud yawn as Mack, Aura, K-1, Central, Simon and their guests walked down into the large, metallic room.

“Okay, now we need to decide who’s going down into the ruins with Aura, Alvin and me,” said Mack, “And who is going to stay here and guard the S-5.”

“Of course, I’m coming along,” said K-1.

“You know I couldn’t miss even the possibility of a good fight,” said Simon, “You can count me in for the exploratory party.”

“If you don’t mind, I would rather stay here,” said Andre.

“Same here,” said David.

“Very well,” said Mack as he faced the suit of battle armor, “Central, you’d best stay here as you’re the only other person who can operate the S-5. Plus, we’ll need you to be our spotter. The S-5’s scanners should be able to pick up just about anything, even in the deepest areas of the ruins.”

“Affirmative, Mack,” was Central’s cheerful reply. Oddly enough, despite the immensely powerful S-100F battle armor, Central was never eager for combat and always preferred a supporting role whenever there was going to be a battle or an expedition.

“So, that means, K-1, Cecil, Eric, Simon and Alvin will be coming with Aura and I…” said Mack, deep in thought, “Okay. I think we’re ready to go now.”

“How about I do some aerial surveillance?” suggested Xavier.

“Oh, yeah!” said Mack with some embarrassment, “I almost forgot about you, Xavier. Yes! That would be a great idea.” With that, Mack, Aura and the other Gardevoirs grabbed their weapons, utility belts and extra power cells. Central pressed a switch on a nearby console and the massive back doors of the S-5 slowly creaked open, revealing the sand-covered pavement outside. A light wind was blowing: the only sound that could be heard outside was the rustling of the sand as it was blown across the cracked cement. Mack glanced back at Central, Andre and David.

“If the scanners find anything down there report it at once,” commanded Mack, “Also, just in case the S-5 should fall under attack, just arm the deflector shields and use the heavy blaster turrets if you have to.”

“Hopefully, we will have no need for those destructive weapons,” said Central. Mack nodded his head in agreement.

“Alright,” said Mack, “Let’s move out.” Aura, K-1 and the other accompanying Gardevoirs cautiously left the confines of the S-5 and set foot on the degraded cement courtyard outside. The quiet, vast desolation of the desert and the foreboding remnants of the shredded, once-gleaming building were an eerie sight.

“This sure brings back a lot of memories, doesn’t it?” said Cecil with a frown. Eric slowly nodded his head in agreement, scowling at the former Cipher facility. Alvin sneered at the remains of the building he had used to call home. He vividly remembered the horrific experiments, all concocted by his black madness. Alvin shuddered, not wanting to think about what may have happened if he actually had succeeded in turning the Guardians of Gardev into agents of darkness and incredible power. Aura tenderly placed her right hand on Alvin’s left shoulder. The Gardevoir scientist looked up and met Aura’s gentle gaze and bright smile.

“I know what’s on your mind, as does Mack,” said Aura, trying to reassure Alvin, “You don’t have to face your fears and your past alone. We’re here for you, just like your former colleagues.” Alvin glanced at the people who were now his friends: his twin brother Eric, the former Cipher administrator Cecil, the former soldiers Andre and David were also supporting him. Even Simon, once Alvin’s most-hated enemy, was about to go into battle at his side. Alvin looked back up towards the towering, twisted building with a new sense of confidence. He cocked his rifle and glared at the torn front door of the damaged facility.

“Let’s get this over with,” said Alvin. With that, Mack, Aura and K-1 led the small army of Gardevoirs towards the ruins. Xavier kept a close eye on Mack, Aura and their friends as they disappeared into the dark shadows of the building. Central turned her gaze upon Andre and David.

“I will need you two on the bridge for this operation. Please follow me,” said Central, “As for you, Xavier, I’ve programmed the cargo bay doors to close once you depart. I can detect your telepathy so you can communicate with me in that manner.”

“Very well,” said Xavier. Central nodded her head and started walking up a set of stairs to the cockpit with Andre and David following close behind. As soon as the suit of armor, Gardevoir and Mewtwo were out of sight, Xavier quickly grabbed the lid of Lucca and Gremlin’s crate with his mouth, picked it up and then spat the piece of tempered steel to the other side of the immense cargo bay.

“I assume the coast is clear?” asked Lucca impatiently.

“Of course,” said Xavier quietly as Gremlin leapt out of the crate. Lucca climbed out and straightened her black bow and ribbon as soon as her feet were on the metallic floor.

“Thank you, Xavier,” said Lucca with a friendly smile.

“You’re welcome, just be careful in those ruins,” cautioned Xavier, “If you run into trouble, just look for Mack and his friends, alright?” Lucca and Gremlin nodded their heads and then ran out the cargo bay doors with great haste. Xavier was impressed: for a Ralts, Lucca was surprisingly quick on her feet despite her long, white gown. Even Gremlin was having trouble keeping up with her. Xavier laughed to himself as he leisurely stepped out the back of the S-5. As soon as he was fifty yards away from the Guardian’s gleaming airship, he spread his mighty wings and took to the skies almost effortlessly. He looked down at the ground with his powerful eyes, watching as Gremlin and Lucca disappeared into the eerie ruins. Though Xavier rarely would ever probe into another being’s mind, he had to know why Alvin was so fearful about even stepping into his old, ruined facility. The Lugia didn’t dare go too deep into Alvin’s mind, but he still had caught a glimpse of the Gardevoir’s nightmare.

“I really hope what he saw was indeed just a dream,” thought Xavier as he flew higher and higher, eventually disappearing into the thick, dark clouds above. Meanwhile, Mack, Aura and their friends had only just begun their expedition in the pitch-black ruins. Their flashlights provided the only illumination as they made their way deeper and deeper into the building. Mack looked back and forth at the walls as they continued their slow, cautious walk down an undamaged corridor.

“This is amazing,” said Mack as he pointed at several scratches dents and partially melted areas of the floor, ceiling and surrounding walls, “Looks like the scars of our battle against the Omegalings are still fresh as ever.”

“I’m not picking anything up on Radar or the motion sensors, Mack,” said Central over the radio. Mack and company all heard Central’s report through their headsets.

“That’s a big relief, Central,” said Alvin happily, “All the better if we don’t find anything down here.” His voice echoed down the long, dark corridor.

“Andre, David and I will continue to monitor your progress,” said Central, “However; I think I should mention some findings we just unearthed only moments ago.”

“Alright,” said Mack as he and Aura led the way down the massive hallway, “Lay it on me.”

“Well, according to the blueprints I have on hand and the readings I just received from the 3D Mapper, it would appear that the structure is 73% intact and still quite stable,” reported Central, “There is no danger of structural collapse in the corridors and any rooms and offices, so long as you stay away from sectors 4, 13 and 14.”

“Sector 13…” said Alvin to himself, “That was my main laboratory and the place where I…” Alvin suddenly stopped in his tracks and shivered uncontrollably. Eric came alongside his brother.

“What’s wrong?” asked Eric quietly. Alvin gulped loudly.

“Sector 13 is where I reverted my six Alakazams back into Shadow Pokémon while they were still conscious,” said Alvin with a shudder, “I can still hear their screams…”

“Isn’t that also where you built and used the machine that turned Eric, yourself and me into Gardevoirs, too?” asked Cecil. Alvin replied by nodding his head.

“Well, maybe things are better off that way then,” said Mack, “Such machines are best left out of existence.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Alvin. Overhearing the conversation, Andre’s voice was suddenly heard over the radios.

“Say, wasn’t Sector 4 where the MSCR was located? You know, the Master Security Control Room?” asked Andre.

“That is correct,” replied David.

“You’re both right,” remarked Alvin, “Plus, Sector 14 was right next to Sector 15, where the… Seismic Generator Mark II was located.” Eric quickly turned his gaze on his brother.

“You mean… you built another one of those contraptions?” asked Eric with disbelief, “Those machines are incredibly dangerous, especially in the wrong hands.”

“No kidding…” grumbled Cecil as he took a quick look down another long, dark corridor.

“You’re telling me,” said Alvin with fear, “Why, I used the Seismic Generator to cause a powerful earthquake right below the Gardevoir city of Olympus as a diversion so my Omegaling strike teams could easily capture all the Gardevoirs and their young.”

“Now, I bet you’re glad we put an end to your plans, aren’t you?” asked Aura with a gentle, reassuring voice. Alvin smiled at Aura and nodded his head.

“So, if Sector 15 is intact, maybe we should start our search there,” suggested Mack, “If anything, we have to destroy the Seismic Generator if enough of it is still intact.”

“Very much agreed, Mack. Such a machine would indeed need to be disassembled. Imagine if Team Galactic got their hands on that kind of technology. The world could literally be in the palms of their hands,” said Central over the radio. Mack was starting to get concerned for the radio signal was getting weaker and weaker the deeper he and his friends descended into the facility ruins.

“Maybe we should send them a welcoming committee one of these days,” said Mack with a grin.

“Ah, a welcoming committee armed to the teeth, right my prince?” asked Aura with warm laughter.

“You’re right as usual, my princess,” replied a smiling Mack.

“Mack, I hate to point this out, but I’m loosing your signal,” said Central. Though Central could still be heard clearly, static and interference was starting to build. To make matters worse, Mack, Aura and their accompanying friends had only gone a few hundred yards into the massive building.

“I’m getting that too, Central,” said Mack, “How about you run a high-level electromagnetic sweep before we proceed?”

“Affirmative,” was Central’s reply, “Please wait…”

“What’s Central doing, again?” asked Aura with curiosity.

“The high-level electromagnetic sweep is a powerful scan of a building or a machine’s electronic components. Usually, I use it to analyze unknown technology to find ways either around security systems or just to see how a given machine works,” answered Mack, “In this case, I want to see just how much of this building’s power-grid and other systems are still in working order.”

“That’s a good plan,” remarked K-1, “I can provide power to any computers and other such devices if need be as well.”

“I, for one, would like to check on the mainframe, myself,” said Alvin, “The main control console is not far from here.”

“I agree with Alvin,” said Central cheerfully, “And the scan is complete. It would appear that 57% of all power and data systems are in working order.”

“Perfect. Then let’s be on our way,” said Mack.

“Beware!” warned Central before Mack and his companions could take another step forward, “The 3D Mapper cannot scan very deep into the ruins. To make matters worse, the S-5’s sensors cannot detect anything whatsoever deeper into the facility. Once you step forward about thirty yards, I will no longer be able to spot for or even communicate with you. You and your friends will be on your own.”

“I see,” said Mack, “If you don’t hear from us in the next six hours, head back to Gardev and assemble a rescue party at once.”

“Affirmative, Mack,” said Central, “God be with all of you.” With that, Alvin led Mack, Aura, K-1, Eric and Cecil deeper into the silent, dark and ominous ruins.

>To be continued...<