The Village Guardians Ch. 4-11

+The Village Guardians Anthology+

-Chapter #4- Twilight Below-

Part #11

Written by Dr. Mack Foxx and Aaraboga Jones

Ages 13+ Suggested for Violence and Romance

Original Story, Characters and all other Original Content are Copyright 1987-2010 Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard and Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

Pokémon and all related content and characters are Copyright 1995-2010 to Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures and The Pokémon Company

[The Village Guardians Anthology]
[Chapter #4- Twilight Below]
-146-
G6 was startled when Gengar's tomb suddenly opened back up.

"Oh?" said G6, somewhat surprised to see Gremlin, Crystal and K-1 emerge from Gengar the Great's tomb sooner than he'd expected, "Have you actually finished your meeting with Gengar the Great already? I figured he would spend the next hour speaking with you, not a mere twenty minutes…"

"We have an important task to take care of," reported K-1, "We need to scour all of Twilight in order to recover several artifacts of power, which were hidden throughout the city."

"I see," said G6 with a nod of his smooth, spherical head, "I hope you know where to go as Gengar the Great never revealed such information to me."

"K-1 has a complete map of Twilight in his memory," said a determined Gremlin, "Care to join us on our search?"

"We would like your company," said Crystal with a smile.

"As you wish, milady," said G6. Thus, the two Pokémon, one robot and a single golem began their scavenger hunt across all of Twilight. Gremlin was very confident that, though humans had tried to break into the late ghost Pokémon ruler's tomb, the Ghost Forme artifacts would still lie undisturbed in their hiding places. However, hour after of hour of searching led to one disappointment after another. Despite a wide variety of strange and well-thought out hiding places, not one of the 42 artifacts could be found.

"Get a load of this," grumbled an annoyed K-1, kicking aside a marble brick, which had been torn out of a nearby wall and left in the street. The brick had once covered up a small, hollowed-out area in the white marble wall.

"We're getting nowhere!" shouted Gremlin out of frustration, "I don't know how long we've spent trying to recover those relics and so far, we have yet to find even one of them!"

"So far, we have spent the last 5 hours, 37 minutes and 49 seconds on our mission," said K-1 with a sigh, "At least we've visited each of the marked places on my map of Twilight."

"Nonetheless, this does not bode well," said a now greatly concerned G6, "This can only mean that all the artifacts have indeed fallen into human hands. The consequences of this turn of events could prove most disastrous."

"But how could humans have gotten down here?" asked Crystal, "I don't remember seeing a mine shaft or anything down here."

"I think that is because we have not yet explored the areas around the city walls," said K-1, turning his blue-eyed gaze upon G6, "How many entry points were there into Twilight?"

"Four in all," answered G6 matter-of-factly.

"That brings up another question," said Gremlin, turning about to face the hulking golem, "G6: how come you didn't try and stop the artifacts from being taken in the first place?"

"I was not aware any artifacts had been stolen," replied G6 somberly, "My orders were only to guard Gengar the Great's tomb and await your arrival. I was never told anything about relics being hidden throughout the city. Even if I did know about this, my only recourse would have been to attack the intruders. Needless to say, this would have probably only drawn more unwanted attention to the ruins of Twilight."

"With a city as big as this, it would indeed be quite easy to overlook something," said an understanding K-1.

"I can believe that," said Crystal with disappointment.

"Well, we now know the artifacts have all been taken and there were repeated attempts to break into his highness's tomb, so now we must figure out how the humans got down here in the first place. Perhaps we should check out the other entrances in the city walls?" suggested G6.

"There's an entryway not far from here," said K-1, accessing the map of Twilight from his databanks in an instant, "May as well start with the closest city gate, eh?" Gremlin, Crystal and G6 were in full agreement and followed after K-1, the feline-like robot leading the way. Up head, the small group of explorers saw the first city gate. The thick, wooden and massive doors had rotted away ages ago, leaving behind only their huge, rusted metal hinges. Just beyond the gate, K-1 detected a rather deep and freshly-excavated tunnel.

"What have we here?" asked G6 with curiosity, "This tunnel was not here the last time I patrolled this area."

"How long ago was that?" asked Crystal.

"It's been at least few centuries…" admitted G6 with no lack of embarrassment in his voice, "I figured no one would ever find a way into Twilight, with the exception of you and your companions, Crystal. I'm surprised I didn't notice any of this until I saw the humans on approach to Gengar the Great's tomb." K-1 had walked into the tunnel beyond the city gateway. The tunnel was supported with steel columns, spaced out at 3-foot intervals with a railroad, clearly meant for mine carts, leading onward into the darkness at the end of the long underground passageway. The shaft itself was twenty feet wide with a fifteen-foot expanse between the floor and ceiling. K-1 was utterly amazed at the excavation.

"Looks like whoever came down here took great care to avoid any collapses in this tunnel," remarked K-1. The robot soon caught sight of what appeared to be an electric generator further down the mine shaft. G6 called after K-1.

"Do you think this tunnel has been here long?" asked G6, shouting down the stony mine shaft.

"No," was K-1's blunt reply as he turned on the generator. In an instant, bright halogen lights, mounted on every single support column, illuminated the entire tunnel from one end all the way to the opposite side. Gremlin, Crystal and G6 was all stunned at just how far the tunnel went off into the distance. K-1 quickly got some data from his rangefinder.

"Total tunnel length: 897 meters," reported K-1, his metallic voice echoing down the mine shaft. Gremlin was clearly shaken.

"Someone knew…" said Gremlin with dread, "Someone must have known that Twilight was down here… but who…?"

"I see a freight elevator up ahead," said K-1, roughly 100 feet away from his companions, "I have no doubts: someone planned this excursion very well, indeed." K-1 continued walking down the long, brightly-lit tunnel with Gremlin, Crystal and G6 following close behind the robot after catching up with him. Once at the other end of the shaft, K-1 quickly analyzed the freight elevator. His finely-tuned instruments, sensors and powerful processors gave K-1 an analysis in less than a second.

"Total capacity: 50 tons," was K-1's report. The mine cart tracks led into the elevator and some were even permanently welded onto the elevator's steel floor.

"50 tons?" said an amazed Crystal, "That is some very powerful machinery. Still, why would humans need equipment like this?"

"I think the humans were planning on making off with not just the relics of Twilight, but they expected to find an immense treasure trove of other artifacts," suggested Gremlin.

"I suspect they found little down here besides the Ghost Forme objects of power," said G6, "I only saw a few small groups of humans down here. I managed to stay out of sight and observed them while they combed the city. One group of five carried the explosives which had been used to try and break in Gengar the Great's tomb. Ten other groups of five humans walked up and down the streets; pointing these strange objects at everything they walked by. They called those odd machines 'Scanners'."

"Is that so?" asked an intrigued K-1, "They must have been looking for specific energy signatures amongst the ruins. Am I correct in assuming that Ghost Forme objects give off a unique type of energy?"

"I… think so," said G6, not quite understanding K-1's statements, "I can't say for certain, though. My vision is only meant for operating in darkness and bright light. Even if those artifacts of power were giving off some kind of aura, I would not have been able to tell." K-1 pressed a red button on the right side of the elevator's doorway. The doors opened with a loud, metallic grinding sound as metal grated against metal.

"Ow! My ears!" exclaimed Crystal, covering the sides of her head with her hands. Even Gremlin had been momentarily stunned from the sudden and very loud noise from the elevator's doors.

"Sorry about that…" said an embarrassed K-1, "I didn't think the doors would be so loud…" K-1 stepped into the elevator and extended a robotic arm from his chest panel for a moment, motioning for his friends to enter the elevator.

"All aboard!" said K-1 with a slight bow towards his friends. With that, the Sableye, Kirlia and golem quickly climbed into the elevator. Gremlin and Crystal reflexively covered their ears as the doors again closed with an immense amount of noise.

"You sure this thing is safe, K-1?" asked a worried Gremlin.

"Solid as a rock," said K-1, pressing a few buttons on a control panel in front of him, "Please hold on." The elevator jerked up for but a moment and began to pick up speed as it ascended up its rocky shaft. After five minutes, the elevator began to slow in its progress and soon came to a complete stop. The steel doors opened once again with the sound of grinding metal. Much to Gremlin and Crystal's amazement, they were now back at the earth's surface. The sun was beginning to rise over the mountainous horizon towards the east. As for G6, he was absolutely mesmerized, having never seen the sun before. While Gremlin, Crystal and G6 were happy to be back above ground, K-1 was becoming more and more concerned. Except for the small building which contained the top of the elevator shaft, there were no other traces of any equipment or personnel. The only clues that anyone or anything had once been here were tracks in a thin layer of desert sand that had covered the rocky surface around the mining elevator for several yards in each direction. Several sets of what looked like tank treads and tire tracks led off into the towering sand dunes of the Gardev Desert, off towards the bustling city of Alakaz.

"I wonder if Gengar the Great will allow me to dwell up here. It sure has been lonely down there, spending the last several centuries down in Twilight," said G6, thinking out loud.

"A good question, but I believe we have other matters to attend to," said K-1 with a serious tone of voice.

"Agreed!" said Gremlin, "I think we better start getting Gengar's treasure trove and library packed up at once."

"Maybe we shouldn't be so hasty," suggested Crystal, "What if the humans come back here?"

"I imagine they could return at some point, but judging by the lack of any equipment or shelter in this area, I suspect they will not come back to this site anytime soon," said K-1 confidently, "Granted, I do find it odd that the freight elevator is still here and completely operational."

"K-1, how long will it take the S-5 to get here?" asked Gremlin.

"It will only take a matter of minutes to have the R-25's pack everything up at the dance hall and then meet us here," was K-1's quick reply, "Undetected, too."

"Please call them and have them get here at once," asked Gremlin, "It could take hours, even for a few dozen robots to load and secure everything in the heavy carrier."

"I just sent the message," said K-1, "They shall arrive shortly." G6 looked down upon Gremlin and Crystal.

"This may be much to ask of you," said G6 hesitantly and nervously, "But would it be too much trouble to take me with you if Gengar the Great gives me permission to leave? I would have nowhere else to go and I can't bear the idea of staying in Twilight on my own until the end of time."

"I don't think Gengar would force you to stay," said Crystal cheerfully, "What do you think, dear? Can G6 come with us if it's okay?" Gremlin smiled, turning his gaze upon his lovely wife and then fixed his eyes on the hulking golem.

"We'll be happy to take you with us," said Gremlin, smiling at G6 in a friendly manner.

"Oh, yes!" said an overjoyed G6, his eye glowing with an intense blue light, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret it! I promise you!" Crystal giggled happily.

"At any rate, I think we should return to Twilight and speak with Gengar," said K-1 sternly, "He must know what has happened to his city and about the artifacts." Again, Gremlin, Crystal and G6 were in agreement with K-1. They waited at the surface for the Titan to arrive. Soon, the Sableye, Kirlia, Golem, K-1 and 24 R-25 robots were in the freight elevator and on their way back into Twilight. Little time passed before Gremlin and his friends had arrived back at Gengar the Great's tomb. Crystal looked over her shoulder as she, Gremlin and K-1 started on their way into the elaborate memorial.

"Aren't you coming with us, G6?" asked Crystal softly.

"I don't know…" said G6 with fear and dread, "What if… what if Gengar orders me to stay here?"

"If he does, it will have to be for a good reason," said K-1, "I don't mean to be harsh, but you could draw unwanted attention to Gremlin and Crystal. Even in all my years, I have only seen a handful of golems like you, G6."

"I understand…" said G6 with sadness, bowing his head low.

"Nonetheless, you should at least ask him," said K-1, "You won't know for certain until you do." G6 nodded his head and followed closely behind his new friends with the small army of R-25s in tow. Gengar was smiling happily, watching the small army of human-like, metallic constructs as they carried away his treasures in a neat and orderly procession. Crystal only left Gremlin's side to put her tiara and flowing lace veil back on over her cloak. The ghost monarch returned his attention to Gremlin and his comrades.

"I hope you have good news for me," said Gengar the Great with a sigh, "Were you able to find my Ghost Forme artifacts?" K-1 hesitated at first, but quickly realized that Gengar would have to hear the truth.

"It would appear several humans managed to find your city. Not only that, but they managed to locate all the artifacts which you and your followers had painstakingly hidden throughout Twilight," said K-1 somberly. Gengar the Great frowned with a look of shock on his face. He bowed his head and wept bitterly.

"Then all is lost…" cried Gengar, "I can only assume dark forces are at work here…"

"There is good news, sire," said K-1, hoping he could renew Gengar's hope and determination, "I know where all the artifacts are located. They are currently on display at a few museums in the city of Alakaz, not far from here."

"I see," said Gengar, "What do you intend to do, then?"

"Obviously, we're going to have to break into those museums and retake the artifacts," said Gremlin with great resolve.

"Dear! Isn't that against the laws of the land?" said a surprised Crystal to her mate, "Grand theft? Breaking and entering? All members of my species are to abide by the laws of man, as ordered by our king!"

"Crystal, please…" said Gengar with a gentle, reassuring voice as his holographic figured drifted towards the vexed Kirlia, "I think you can agree you have a major exception here. If you do not recover those artifacts, which you may have to do by force, there is no telling what could happen if they fall into the wrong hands. Those relics were never intended to fall into the hands of man. You know as well as I that man is easily corrupted: humans could do unspeakable things with those Ghost Forme artifacts. My dear, be brave as you have no choice. My relics must be recovered at any cost!"

"I would agree," said K-1, "We really don't have a choice. But if we're careful, no one will know about our venture until it's too late and no one will have to get hurt."

"Most noble of you," said Gengar with an appreciative nod, "Yes. I would prefer that you undertake this task with the notion of doing it with great caution and care." Gengar looked over at G6, sensing that something was troubling his creation.

"And what about you, G6?" asked Gengar, "What do you intend to do?" G6 paused for several moments, gathering up his courage to speak to his creator.

"Gengar the Great," said G6 with utmost respect, "I have fulfilled your commands. I think there is little reason for me to dwell here in Twilight, therefore…"

"…I believe it would be best for you to accompany Gremlin and Crystal to Olympus. I know you will serve them well," interrupted Gengar with a friendly smile, "You have protected my tomb for thousands of years: just like what I expect of you concerning Gremlin and Crystal." G6 was absolutely stunned at what he heard. The golem, despite being built with perfect precision, still could not believe what Gengar the Great had just said to him.

"You… you mean it?" asked G6 with astonishment.

"I do," replied Gengar happily, "I wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your days down here in Twilight. This city's days are over and soon… so will mine… at long last…" Crystal looked over at K-1 and spoke to him.

"How much longer until the R-25s are finished?" asked the newlywed Kirlia with a gentle voice.

"At least another five hours," replied K-1, "There is a lot here and those robots can only carry so much at a time."

"That long, eh?" said Gengar, "Very well. I shall return to my crystal for now. Its arcane energy is almost spent." Gengar the Great looked upon Gremlin, Crystal, K-1 and G6 with a content and peaceful look on his face.

"Please wait here until you have loaded everything up in your… 'S-5'," said Gengar softly, "Then, I shall give you my final request." Gremlin and his friends nodded their heads with affirmation as Gengar's figure again vanished into thin air. The time seemed to pass slowly as the R-25s continued their work throughout the day. Gremlin was increasingly filled with dread, knowing the greatest ghost Pokémon ruler in all of history was soon going to pass on. It just didn't seem fair to him that such a selfless and wise creature was soon going to have to confront his mortality. The last minutes ticked away as K-1's group of robots carried away what remained of Gengar's treasure and library. Once emptied and the last R-25s had left the once-hidden treasure room, the heavy door slowly slid closed for the last time. K-1 once again activated the black crystal and Gengar the Great's hologram form faded into view.

"I trust everything is taken care of?" asked Gengar.

"All of your treasures and books are safe and secure in my vehicle at the surface," replied K-1 with utmost confidence and a nod of his metallic head. The Ghost Pokémon ruler smiled, letting out a sigh of relief and contentment.

"Then it is time for you all to leave Twilight," said Gengar, "Please take my crystal to my throne room. At is at the very top of the tower at the center of my city."

"As you wish…" said Gremlin, trying not to show his grief. Gengar's form again disappeared and before long, the Sableye and his three friends were on their way to what had once been Gengar the Great's palace. They continued their slow progression towards and into the white marble tower with silence and utmost respect. For the four companions, it was if they were on a funeral procession, preparing to lay Gengar the Great down in his final resting place. At the top room of the tower, K-1 pushed open a pair of large, ornate doors made of dark wood, accented with edges and patterns made of gold. The Ghost Forme torches in the throne room were lit brightly, fully illuminating the entire chamber. The throne room as much like the one in the grand palace of Olympus: a long and wide red carpet extended from the entrance all the way to a golden throne with red cushions, standing at the middle of raised platform of white marble. This time, the black crystal flickered to life on its own. Gengar was smiling as he looked around the throne room.

"I haven't seen this place in so long," said Gengar cheerfully and with a peaceful tone of voice, "This will be the perfect place for my last moments. K-1? Please set the crystal on my throne." K-1 nodded his head and stepped up to Gengar the Great's throne. The robot ever so tenderly laid the crystal on the plush red seat of the beautiful golden chair. No one spoke a word as Gengar's transparent form looked about the room, admiring all the details that had gone into his main chamber. Suddenly, Gremlin burst into tears and dropped to his knees, his head bowed low to the ground.

"Oh?" said Gengar, somewhat surprised at the Sableye's reaction, "What's troubling you, my friend?" Crystal knelt down and wrapped her arms around her grieving mate, trying to console him… letting him know she was there for him.

"Do you really have to leave?" sobbed Gremlin with bitter sadness, "Can't we… recharge your crystal or something? Surely there is a way we can save you…"

"Gremlin… Crystal… Please step up to my throne," said Gengar tenderly. Gremlin nodded his head as his wife gently helped her husband to his feet and towards Gengar's throne. The ghost monarch motioned for the Sableye and Kirlia to sit down at his feet. Gengar drew a deep breath and spoke to the saddened Sableye with a gentle voice.

"Gremlin, I knew for the longest time that I would one day pass on," said Gengar the Great softly, "I have no regrets: nothing to tie me to this world. Please don't cry, my friend. Instead, be happy in knowing how I lived a long and wonderful life, helped so many and that I am not going to die alone."

"I… I just can't bear it…" wept Gremlin.

"I'm leaving the restoration of the Order of Twining Shadows in the very capable hands of you and your wife, Crystal," said Gengar with a friendly smile, "I know you will do your best to protect each other and prepare for the final confrontation with the Blight and their vile master."

"I don't mean to interrupt," said K-1, trying his best to be polite, "But do you have any descendants who could take your place on the throne of Twilight?"

"I'm afraid not," said Gengar solemnly, "I guess I do have but one regret after all… I never married and got to experience the love of a female Pokémon. I have no heirs. After all, Twilight can never be brought back to the surface. With all the humans now living in this land, this city could never again return or survive without drawing their attention."

"I understand…" said K-1 with a nod of his head.

"Gremlin, Crystal, K-1 and G6…" said Gengar the Great with a triumphant voice, "I hereby order you to destroy the place where the humans came into my city. Seal it up as best as you can and hopefully this place will never be disturbed again."

"As you wish, Gengar the Great…" said Gremlin with immeasurable grief. The holographic form of Gengar drifted towards Gremlin, landing in front of the crying Sableye. Gengar knelt down and looked into Gremlin's gemstone eyes.

"Please don't grieve for me, my friend," said Gengar with a smile, "I am so happy to have met you and to know the future of the Order of Twining Shadows will be a great one. I am about to finally be at peace and free from this mortal coil."

"I wish you didn't have to leave… I really wish you could stay and guide me…" said a sobbing Gremlin.

"You will do fine," said Gengar with a wink at the despairing Sableye, "Now, please hear my final requests." Gremlin nodded his head, wiping tears from his face.

"Please recover my artifacts at once. You are going to need them in the days ahead," said Gengar in a cheerful manner, "Now… my crystal is almost out of power and I will have no choice but to return to it in eternal slumber. However, if you would please destroy the crystal with your sword, I can be free. Otherwise, I will have to wait literally until the end of time before I can go onward to my afterlife in paradise."

"If that is what you wish, I shall do it," said Gremlin with a nod of his head and great determination in his voice.

"Mind well what you have learned, my friend," said Gengar the Great as his form began to disappear for the final time, "Now… free me from this world…" Gremlin took a deep breath, watching as Gengar's smiling and content form vanished from sight. The Sableye stood up on his feet and approached Gengar's throne, eying the black crystal. K-1, G6 and Crystal stepped back and watched as the enchanted sword, Soul Cleaver, appeared in its scabbard on Gremlin's back. The Sableye reached behind with his right hand and drew the mighty blade from its holster. Gremlin paused for a moment while wrapping his hands around the grip of the sword. He held the blade up high, preparing to strike at the crystal with all his might. The Sableye drew a deep breath, desperately wishing there had been a way to save Gengar the Great. However, Gremlin did not desire for his great hero to have to spend untold years locked away in the small black crystal. Gremlin knew very well he had to go through with this.

"Kyaaaaa!!" howled a deeply grieved Gremlin as he brought the sword down upon the dark crystal with every ounce of his strength, shattering the large gem into thousands of pieces. The moment the crystal was broken, its black color began to fade away and soon, all that remained were many shards of clear, sparkling crystal. Gremlin let go of his blade, letting it fall to the floor. The Sableye fell to his knees, weeping loudly as all the Ghost Forme torches and lampposts throughout all of twilight suddenly went dark. Gremlin froze, tears streaming down his face when he felt a strong pair of hands fall gently on his shoulders. A tender voice whispered into his right ear.

"Farewell, Gremlin, my dear friend… Lord of the Order of Twining Shadows…" said the voice of Gengar the Great. Only the bright eye-lights from K-1 and G6 now lit up the darkened throne room and Gremlin wept bitterly for his departed hero and mentor. Crystal walked up to her mate and knelt and his left side. The Kirlia and Sableye wasted no time in wrapping their arms around each other as Gremlin cried out with anguish. Even K-1, a machine, shed a single tear as he unexpectedly lost control over the lubrication and cleaning systems for his electronic eyes for but a moment. It would be some time before the four companions would begin their long and slow trip back through the now darkened ruins of Twilight. Eventually, Gremlin and his friends boarded the S-5 heavy carrier, named the Titan. The sun was beginning to set as the mighty machine lifted off the ground with its cargo and crew of robots. As expected, K-1 was at the controls of the S-5. The expert robotic pilot flew a few hundred yards away from the small structure that house the freight elevator. K-1 powered up the S-5's massive, forward facing cannons. It took little time for the Titan's targeting computer to lock onto the small building. K-1 looked over his shoulder at Gremlin, who was still crying, and Crystal, lovingly staying at her mate's side to comfort him.

"Anyone want to say anything?" asked K-1 softly.

"I do," said G6, "Gengar the Great: you were my creator and my only friend until today. Thank you for giving me the chance to travel with Gremlin, Crystal and K-1. I shall do everything in my power to protect and help them."

"We will recover your relics. May God have you rest in peace," said Crystal somberly. Gremlin wiped his face with his left, satin sleeve and drew a deep breath. The Sableye gathered himself as best as he could.

"I only wish we didn't have to say goodbye so soon," said Gremlin, "You shall be avenged. The Blight will face justice for what they did to your city and to you, Gengar the Great."

"We shall honor your wishes and work hard to recover your missing relics. We shall not fail you. Farewell, Gengar the Great," said K-1 with utmost respect as he was about to press the firing buttons in the S-5's control wheel.

"No! Stop!" yelled a frantic Gremlin. K-1 jumped out of his seat with his flailing arms just missing the firing buttons.

"What's wrong, my love?" asked Crystal with concern. The Sableye got up from the navigator's seat and console, behind where the pilot, K-1, was currently sitting.

"May I please do this?" asked Gremlin. K-1 nodded his head and stepped aside from the control wheel. The Sableye took a deep breath, grasping the wheel in his hands. He rested his thumbs upon the red buttons which would fire the S-5's heavy plasma cannons. Gremlin took a deep breath.

"May no more cities and Pokémon suffer the same fate as Twilight," said Gremlin. The Sableye jammed his thumbs onto the firing buttons. In an instant, the Titan's large cannons roared to life, sending a flurry of red bolts of explosive energy towards the ground. A series of powerful explosions lit up around the freight elevator as the small building soon vanished behind clouds of black smoke. The elevator shaft collapsed into itself as rocks and sand began to fill the void it left behind. K-1 was watching the Titan's sensor displays closely. The mine shaft that led into the city, deep underground, was collapsing as well. Oddly enough, there did not seem to be any cave-ins about the city of Twilight itself.

"Looks like the city of eternal dusk shall be preserved for all time," marveled K-1. Gremlin released his hands from the control wheel as one last volley of energy bolts slammed into the desert below and into the distance. Crystal closed her eyes.

"Gremlin, my love," said Crystal softly, "Do you think you can help me cover up that crumbled entrance of Twilight? I really want to make sure that no one ever goes down there again."

"Not to mention the passageway underneath the dance hall. It should be easy to seal off those caverns," said K-1, "I can take care of that once we get back." Gremlin nodded his head as he walked over and then sat down next to his loving wife. The newlyweds held hands as they closed their eyes and concentrated deeply, focusing their power. K-1 quickly turned his attention to where the freight elevator once stood. He watched with amazement as several sand dunes shifted from their positions towards where the elevator once stood. In a matter of moments, the area was buried under hundreds of feet of yellow sand. As Gremlin and Crystal opened their eyes, the sun slipped below the horizon and night began to fall upon the land. Soon, the S-5 heavy carrier was sailing through the skies, back to the outskirts of Alakaz and to the old dance hall. Crystal held onto Gremlin all the way back to their temporary home. Though the Sableye was comforted by his wife's gentle embrace and loving presence, Gremlin still could not get over the fact that Gengar the Great had passed away. In addition, Gengar's metropolis, Twilight, the once beautiful city of eternal dusk, would now have to rest in silent darkness forever.

-147-
That night had been, by far, the worst Gremlin could ever remember. Worse then when he had to part ways with his friend Joe: more grievous still than when he had to leave behind the home of his father Asmodeus, his mother Cheryl and his brother Michael. Nonetheless, Gremlin took comfort in spending the night with his loving and devoted wife, Crystal. Her tender, reassuring words and gentle embrace were all it took to help Gremlin feel better and by morning, Gremlin was once again his happy-go-lucky self. During the night, K-1, G6 and the R-25s had labored considerably to seal the entrance of the caverns in the basement of the dance hall. Behind a new, wooden wall in the back of the closet that Gremlin had accidentally destroyed was now over 200 feet of solid rock with just a hint of sand. K-1 was delighted to see Gremlin and Crystal emerge from their bedroom that morning with big smiles on their faces. Once at the breakfast table, the Sableye, his Kirlia wife, K-1 and the golem, G6, started to discuss their plans for the coming night.

"I can't believe we're actually going to go through with this," said Crystal with utter disbelief.

"You're telling me, Crystal," said K-1 hesitantly, "Robbing museums is generally against my programming."

"But we have no choice," said Gremlin resolutely, "We have to get those artifacts back. The longer they stay in the museums, the greater the chance that something might happen to them."

"Agreed," said G6, "K-1 brought me up to speed on an organization of vile humans, known as Team Shadow. It would not surprise me if those people were to attempt to steal the artifacts for themselves." The hulking Golem had to hunch over in order to not bump his head into the ceiling, just nine feet above the floor of the apartment suite of the old dance hall.

"Well, to review the locations we must… 'Visit'," said K-1 with a heavy sigh, "We are going to have to launch raids on the Alakaz Museum of Natural History, the Alakaz Museum of Anthropology and lastly, the Grand Museum of Alakaz. The third target is by far the largest museum in all of the Gardev Region. That place is also where the vast majority of the artifacts have been taken and put on display for the time being."

"Okay…" said Gremlin, "If I remember correctly from what you said earlier K-1, there are 6 artifacts at the Museum of Natural History, 8 relics at the Museum of Anthropology and the other 28 are located in the Grand Museum of Alakaz."

"I did some additional research on those museums," said a concerned K-1, "Oddly enough, they are all owned and operated by the Allens Corporation. Since the current CEO of that company is Gregory Allens, an old man mired in accusations of corruption, I would not be surprised if the artifacts were to accidentally 'Disappear' under the company's 'Close' watch."

"We're going to have to come up with a suitable plan of attack," said G6 with a serious tone of voice, "If we rush into this we could easily fail in our mission."

"Agreed," said a rather worried K-1.

"Well, I think we can agree the best time to launch our little heists would be at night," suggested Crystal.

"Good thinking, my love," said the Kirlia's grinning Sableye, "My powers will be at their strongest in the dark." K-1's eyes glowed brightly with an intense blue light as a 3D wire-frame model of the interior and exterior of the Museum of Natural History appeared, floating over the dining room table.

"This first museum should be a cakewalk, being the smallest," said K-1 confidently, "There are no security guards there, only some considerable automated systems, like motion sensors, infrared trip-wires and pressure plates underneath many of the exhibits. I can easily hack into the security system and disable it long enough for us to get what we need and then make our exit to the next location."

"That would be the Museum of Anthropology," remarked Crystal as K-1 then project a perfect 3D model of the second museum above the table for all his friends to see.

"Correct," said K-1, "This establishment is much larger than the Museum of Natural History: large enough and with more valuable exhibits. This is more than enough to warrant armed guards as well as a much more elaborate security setup than our previous target. There are four guards on active duty each night. At least that is what my sources of information say. Still, I would be wary as most of my information on these museums came from the Internet. Central could easily pick out good information from false info, but we're too far away and don't have the time to try and meet with her."

"I suspect that all we have to do is disable the security system and then deal with the guards," stated Crystal.

"Correct: in that precise order," said K-1 to the beautifully-dressed Kirlia, "I possess nonlethal weapons while you and Gremlin can easily use your psychic and ghost-type attacks to either knock out or put the security personnel to sleep."

"Sounds easy enough," said G6, "But what is my part in all of this?" K-1 glanced over at the Ghost Forme golem.

"For the first two museums, your job will be to help carry back all the recovered artifacts," explained K-1 as the image of the second museum was quickly replaced with a 3D model of the Grand Museum of Alakaz, "The third museum will be the most difficult by far. There are over a dozen armed guards on duty at any time. Due to the wealth of the exhibits they protect, they are well armed and armored. In addition, there are unconfirmed reports of prototype defense robots of some kind. Apparently, several attack drones are being thoroughly tested by the Allens Corporation at this museum before putting these automated units into full production. The real problem is that the security system is segregated in multiple sections. There are five distinct zones in the defense system: though the security zones are operated by one control room, gaining access to that control room will not be possible."

"How about we cut power to the building?" suggested Crystal.

"That won't do any good," said K-1 with a sigh, "The back-up generators would automatically kick in. To make matters worse, each security zone has multiple generators in different locations. There is one place; however, where I could try and tap into the museum's security network. If I can get to that certain point in the museum, I can then shut down the entire defense grid. After that, we just have to deal with the guards."

"Besides cameras, guards, motion sensors and attack robots, what else does the Grand Alakaz Museum have that the others do not possess?" asked G6 with curiosity.

"The windows, doors and walls are all heavily reinforced," replied K-1, "Just getting into the museum unnoticed is going to be difficult. On top of that, in case of an emergency, blast doors can be deployed to cover all entryways, exits and windows. Only the museum curator has the override codes for when the system is on full alert. Once activated, he is the only one who can take the system off its alarm mode. If things get dicey, we may have to shoot our way out. G6, you will have to deal with any blast doors if they are actually deployed, in addition to carrying back any recovered artifacts."

"I'm assuming the S-5 is going to be our base of operations?" asked Gremlin, "Since the Titan can be cloaked, at least landing and taking off from the museums should be easy."

"And that would be the only easy part," said K-1, "Now; I recommend we come up with a precise plan to tackle the obstacles of each museum. I imagine we will only have one shot at this and we must hit all of the installations in one night." With K-1's companions in agreement, they spent the entire day and well into the evening discussing their plan of action. Working together, they eventually figured out who would play what part in each of the heists. For the rest of the evening, K-1 and Gremlin spent several hours gleaning through Gengar the Great's personal library. Gremlin was all too eager to learn more about Ghost Forme as well as the written form of his own language. By nightfall, they had a concrete plan and were more than ready to put it in action. As dusk fell upon the other-wise deserted outskirts of Alakaz, Gremlin and his companions were getting into the heavy carrier.

"K-1? Please remind me why we didn't pack up everything we brought with us to the dance hall?" asked a confused Crystal.

"I was wondering the same thing, myself," admitted Gremlin, "Like why we're leaving the R-25s behind, too."

"We're going to have to come back here, anyway," replied K-1, "I have some unfinished business here that needs my attention. Not to worry. We'll be able to make a clean getaway."

"Easy enough, especially when your vehicle, despite being so huge, can become invisible and run silently," said Crystal, shrugging her shoulders as she took a seat in the navigator's chair. Gremlin hopped into the co-pilot's chair. The Sableye couldn't help but glance over at his lovely wife.

"Isn't this romantic, my sweet?" said Gremlin, grinning at his mate, "We're going to rob some museums on our date!" Crystal laughed, feeling somewhat better at what was about to take place. As for G6, the golem remained silent and motionless, wanting to get this madness over with as quickly as possible.

"At least those stupid birds have finally stopped trying to get through the S-5," said K-1 as he climbed into the pilot's chair.

"Do you think they've learned their lesson?" suggested Crystal.

"Who knows…?" said Gremlin with dread, "I just don't want to have to sweep more of those avian boneheads off the roof."

"Here, here," said K-1, agreeing wholeheartedly with Gremlin. The Titan began to lift into the sky, completely undetectable to anyone who might have been watching. The R-25 robots had been ordered to stay out of sight by K-1, so the lot of them congregated down in the dance hall's sprawling basement to await the return of the bipedal, metallic feline and his compatriots.

-148-
Gregory Allens couldn't remember the last time had had felt so weak. Despite being possessed by the powerful spirit of Shadow Mack, he could not understand why he had become so frail. The great leader of Team Shadow was resting well in a hospital bed, somewhere deep in his headquarters. The room, with its white walls, ceiling and floor, was filled with all kinds of medical equipment and machinery. The old man looked up to see Lord Cyan Drake and his cohort, Grand Commander Argus, wearing their long dark cloaks and masks, standing at his bedside, overlooking their great leader.

"How long have I been out?" asked Gregory, reaching over to a nearby nightstand to grab his glasses.

"Please, take it easy, sire," said Cyan with concern, "You gave us all a good scare back in the throne room." Argus walked over and gently handed his leader his glasses. Gregory quickly slipped on his eyewear, now able to see clearly again.

"It's been a little less than a day since you had that heart attack, your highness," replied Argus respectfully.

"So it seems," said Gregory, "I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to hang on. Even with the Great Spirit in possession of my body, I am continuing to grow weak. Shadow Mack promised that I shall at least see my 115th birthday, but what kind of shape am I going to be in by that time?"

"If I recall correctly, your predecessor had the same problems," said Cyan with a heavy sigh, "He lived a very long time, dying at the age of 121, but he was incredibly weak and frail during the last 5 years of his life."

"I guess that's the price I pay," said Gregory, "No matter. Our plans must proceed on schedule."

"Sire, if you don't mind me asking, have you come to a decision yet for a successor?" asked Cyan with a bow towards Gregory.

"The daughter of Jake and Makoto Allens, Sakura Allens, would have been my first choice," replied Gregory with a sigh of despair, "She is plenty young enough, but Jake, his wife Makoto and my nephews Warren and John have kept her far from me since the day she was born."

"If only you could visit the Golden Room," said Argus, sadness abounding in his voice, "Then, you would be like us."

"That is simply out of the question," said Gregory angrily, "You both know going there could very well kill me!"

"Well… back to the matter of your successor, then?" suggested Argus with a fearful gulp.

"Ah, yes…" said Gregory, now deep in thought, "I think I have no choice but have the great-great grandson of Alfonso Allens be next in line for my throne and position as leader of Team Shadow. Gordon Allens should be a good choice, indeed…"

"He's still too young! Only a teenager!" said a shocked Argus.

"Silence!" thundered Gregory with hot anger, "I have made my choice and that is final! You dare question my authority, Grand Commander? I could snap you like a twig with a mere thought. Don't make me regret promoting you, Argus!"

"No, sir!" said Argus with a quick salute, "I will not second-guess your decisions and I shall obey your orders."

"Very good, then," said Gregory, turning his gaze upon Cyan, "Have the search teams begun their second round of searching that underground city for more artifacts? Surely there are more discoveries to be made down there." Cyan paused, hesitant to answer as he was not sure how his frail leader would react.

"I'm… I'm afraid… that…" stammered Cyan.

"Enough!" shouted Gregory, "Am I going to have to have another coronary before you answer me? What the devil happened over there?!" Cyan drew a deep breath and spoke with a calm voice.

"Someone destroyed the freight elevator," was Cyan's fearful reply, "On top of that; the entire site is now covered with hundreds of feet of sand. No one knows how, but some sand dunes changed place during the night and mowed over the entire digging site. To make matters worse, we believe the elevator shaft and mining tunnel have probably collapsed. We now have no way of accessing the subterranean ruins."

"Am I correct in assuming no one had success in breaking open that bizarre memorial near the middle of the city?" asked Gregory. Cyan nodded his head in reply.

"My scout team was completely unsuccessful in breaching that tomb, your highness," said a disappointed Argus, his tone of voice quickly changing to a more cheerful one, "But I do have good news. My other teams managed to recover every last artifact of power from the ruins. Our scientists are quite eager to study them. All that remains is removing them from the museums before anyone else tries to make off with them. Or before leading scientists start asking about where we found those relics."

"Do you have a plan to accomplish this?" queried Gregory.

"We're still hashing out all the details, sir," answered Argus, "But the plan is to stage a fake heist at all the museums in Alakaz that hold the artifacts in question. A simultaneous and very quick raid appears to be the best option. I should have all my teams in position and ready to begin the operation within the next 24 hours, my liege."

"That would be some very good news, then," said Gregory with glee and renewed hope, "Maybe there's something in that little collection that would enable me to live even longer, but also with a stronger body."

"Anything is possible, sire," said a determined Cyan. Gregory nodded his head in agreement.

"Indeed," said Gregory, "Now, I don't suppose any of you have heard from my doctor on how long I'll have to rest here?"

"Just a week at the most, your highness," replied Argus, "You are expected to make a full and quick recovery."

"More good news," said Gregory, "Seems like such a commodity is starting to become scarce. I still don't understand why Cipher fell in the first place. The Guardians of Gardev may have dealt a devastating blow to Cecil Drake and Dr. Namwen, possibly killing them, but how did a mere child defeat Master Greevil?"

"A true mystery, if you ask me, sire," said Argus with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well had better be ready in the days ahead," said Gregory, an evil grin spreading across his face, "No doubt my nephew Warren will try and submit yet another application for the removal of those 'Troublesome' Pokémon from his vineyards. I'm looking forward to stirring up that group of radical dimwits again, just so every senator in the region will have to agree with declining the good mayor of Gardev's request, unless they want to be the focal point of a good old-fashioned smear campaign!"

"If memory serves me correctly, he submits that application every year," remarked Argus.

"And every year he gets devastated when his request gets denied time and again!" laughed Gregory.

"Why are those vineyards so important, anyway?" asked a confused Argus, "Not like we're trying to push Warren out of the wine business. The Gardev wineries have been shut down for decades."

"Perhaps you've forgotten about the Guardians of Gardev?" asked Gregory, "They are the legal property of the mayor of Gardev. The male Guardian, who goes by the name of Dr. Mack Foxx, is actually our greatest threat. His defeat is the ultimate goal of the Great Spirit; however, such a goal will become far more difficult if Mack and his mate have offspring."

"A pity we can't go and simply destroy them now," grumbled Argus. Gregory glared at the Grand Commander.

"The Guardians are still far too powerful, even if all of our forces were to engage them, we would still fall," said Gregory with another heavy sigh of despair, "We will only stand a chance once the Golden Room is fully operational. In the meantime, I have a number of back-up plans in motion."

"Like the Gardev vineyards?" asked a curious Argus.

"Well, that is but one plot I have in effect," was Gregory's answer, "That Gardev Wine is like love potion to Kirlias, Gardevoirs and Gallades. Anything we can do to drive a wedge between Mack and his mate is worth doing. Then, I have a little surprise in store for… well… I can't speak of it to you. The details of my next big scheme are far too sensitive. Nonetheless, my bloodthirsty agent and his army are looking forward to landing a devastating blow to the hidden Gardevoir civilizations of the region, starting with the one near Gardev…" Cyan and Argus said not a word to anyone for the rest of the day. Nonetheless, they couldn't help but wonder why and how anyone would stand a chance against an entire Gardevoir city. Team Shadow knew full well of the existence of several Gardevoir settlements in the Gardev Region. As far as Cyan and Argus were concerned, the day was coming soon in which the hidden cities of the peace-loving psychic Pokémon would finally fall…

>To Be Continued...