The Village Guardians Chapter 3 The Lost Love Chapter 1: Section 1, a pokémon fanfic

The Village Guardians Anthology

Chapter #3- The Lost Love

All is peaceful in the small village of Gardev, as well as the hidden Gardevoir metropolis of Olympus. However, the peace does not last long when Mack and Aura, the Guardians of Gardev, are thrust into their next adventure as they have been asked to watch over a young, troubled Gardevoir.

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

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

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

With all that said and done, I hope you will enjoy this series of stories.

-Dr. Mack Foxx

[The Village Guardians]

[Chapter #03: The Lost Love]

-84-

Glacian, the old king of Olympus, surveyed the scene before him. The massive throne room of the white marble palace was eerily quiet. A few hundred Gardevoirs, Kirlias and Ralts had gathered in the throne room on this day to witness an event that no one, not even Glacian or Gloria, had ever conducted nor witnessed. The six advisors and their mates sat in wooden thrones of their own behind the king and queen while four Gallades stood at attention, completely motionless behind the group of 14 thrones. At the king's right hand sat the royal Gardevoir scribe Artos. Glacian slowly turned his gaze from one side of the immense, glistening room to the other.

"It looks like everyone whose presence we requested is here," remarked Gloria softly and somberly.

"Indeed," said Glacian with a heavy sigh, "Has everyone been briefed on what is going to happen?" Gloria closed her eyes as she slowly nodded her head in reply. At that moment, Wallace, the captain of the Olympus Elite Guard, stepped up towards Glacian and Gloria. He bowed politely toward the two monarchs.

"Your highness," said Wallace with great respect, "Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David have just arrived. Shall Arthur and I show them in now, my liege?"

"Yes," replied Glacian. Wallace nodded his head and stood up straight as he faced the huge main doors of the throne room.

"Arthur!" called Wallace, "Send them in at once!" The group of Gardevoirs and their young turned their attention to the throne room doors as they slowly creaked open: the sound of the heavy doors echoing in the otherwise silent chamber. The Gardevoirs, Kirlias and Ralts all let out a loud gasp when they laid their eyes on the group of ex-Cipher agents.

"Let's go now," said Arthur softly as he motioned the four Gardevoirs and one Mewtwo onward towards the king and queen with his arms. Eric and his companions were all wearing their best clothes: the shimmering, dark blue ball gowns they wore at every Friday night meeting of the ballroom club in Gardev.

"What do you suppose is going on?" whispered Andre nervously.

"I haven't the slightest idea," replied Cecil quietly.

"Please be silent, all of you," said Arthur with a gentle voice as he followed close behind David, "Prepare yourselves, for you are all finally going to receive the proper judgment for your deeds." Eric bowed his head out of despair as his comrades glanced fearfully at one another, wondering what was going to happen to them. After a few, horrible minutes of near silence and the almost unbearable sight of the king, queen and their guests glaring at the ex-Cipher agents, Eric and his friends stepped up towards Glacian and Gloria. The queen appeared to be sad while Glacian appeared somber and hesitant. For Eric and his friends, this was quickly turning into the worst day they had ever experience in years. All of this was made even worse when Eric glanced to his left. There, standing twenty feet away from Artos the scribe, stood the young female Gardevoirs Victoria, Jenifer, Ariel, Elizabeth and Sandra. They too, were in their lavish ball gowns but they were all deeply saddened as they gazed at their boyfriends with tears streaming down their faces. Victoria cried out in anguish as Glacian stood up and approached David and the four terrified Gardevoirs.

"On your knees, all of you," asked Glacian. With great hesitation, Eric held out his skirt and knelt down on the floor with his head bowed low. His friends quickly did the same.

"Are you certain there is no other way, your highness?" asked Arthur, his dread obvious in his voice, "All they have done is live peacefully in Olympus for the last few years. Why do you wait until now to pass judgment on them?"

"Don't question me, Arthur," said Glacian, sighing loudly, "This decision did not come easily. Besides, I have delayed this moment for far too long." Despite wearing a beautiful, jewel-encrusted and flowing white dress as well as a sparkling golden crown, Glacian's presence seemed to instill dread within everyone in the throne room. The Gardevoir king said nothing as he shifted the left side of his ornate white cape to reveal a relic that no one had seen in decades. Andre and Cecil shook with fear. Alvin tried his best not to faint as David stared on in complete shock. Somehow, Eric managed to keep his cool as his eyes fell on a decorated golden scabbard on a belt the king wore on his waist. The decorated and jewel-encrusted hilt of the long sword sparkled in the bright sunlight that brightly illuminated the throne room. Glacian grabbed the hilt of the sword with his right hand and slowly drew the glimmering blade.

"Please don't do it, your highness!" cried Victoria.

"I have no choice," Glacian said slowly, each word sounding about the silent chamber like a death knell, "The decision was unanimous among my advisors. They all agree that justice must be served." Eric had seen a picture of Glacian's sword before in a large portrait that hung in a seldom-visited corridor of the palace. According to Gardevoir scholars, the painting was of King Cyrus, who had ruled Olympus nearly 1,000 years ago. Cyrus was shown standing over a fallen Kabutops with very same sword in his hands that Glacian now wielded. Eric learned from K-1 that the painting had been done in celebration of the execution of the right-hand man of the greatly-feared Heavy Claw, the vile leader of the Blight. The ancient tomes spoke of a day when Cyrus had ordered some of the Elite Guards to hunt down and then bring Heavy Claw's murderous lieutenant back to Olympus to face punishment for his part in the slaughter of the Olympus royal family in the final battle of the great Pokémon wars. Only a few weeks had passed when the brave Gallades brought the evil Kabutops into the palace and before King Cyrus. Then, before hundreds of Gardevoirs, Cyrus pronounced a death sentence on the horrid Kabutops, drew his sword, and without another word, hewed the evil creature to pieces.

"It is now time for each of you to face the consequences of your actions. You all have turned your back on Cipher and worked quite hard to save my people from their evil clutches," said Glacian sternly as he stood in front of Eric, "However, there still are consequences that you must face." Eric also knew that Glacian's sword was a powerful old relic that had been made for the Kirlia king Magus for protection. The sword was incredibly powerful, capable of slicing through even the toughest metals with little effort and with but a single strike. Eric knew that whatever was going to happen to him, at least it would be quick.

"I am ready to receive judgment, your highness," said Eric as he closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"Very good," said Glacian as he turned his gaze upon Andre and David, "I am not quite sure why you, David and Andre, decided to stay in Olympus even though a cure has been available that would return you both to your human forms. Still, you are all wanted men and I can understand why you all decided to stay. Nonetheless, it is now time we got this over with: starting with you, Eric." The scared Gardevoir gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, bracing himself for his execution as Glacian held out the great sword, getting ready to deliver a devastating strike. The terrified Gardevoir heard the sword swish just above his head, followed by a light tap on his left shoulder. Eric looked up a Glacian, bewildered as the flat of the blade rested gently against his shoulder. Glacian smiled at Eric as the Gardevoir scientist's companions opened their eyes and looked on with disbelief at what was unfolding the before them.

"Did I miss something here?" asked a thoroughly confused Andre. Cecil glanced at Andre and shrugged his shoulders.

"I hope you will forgive me my macabre sense of humor today," said Glacian with warm chuckling, "I just couldn't resist! Besides, did you really think I was going to execute all of you? You are among my dearest friends and now, you are all about to become something much more."

"Joke's on you," said Wallace with a sinister smile, "Looks like everyone here knew of what was really going to happen here today but the lot of you: how utterly marvelous!" The other Gardevoirs and their young broke out into laughter while Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David, still on their knees, looked on with shock.

"My advisors were indeed unanimous in their decision, so what happens next is all up to each of you," said Glacian, gently resting the flat of the sword on Eric's shoulder, "Now, tell me Eric, my dear friend: What is required of a member of the royal family of Olympus?" Eric laughed to himself as he turned his gaze upon Glacian's face.

"A member of the royal family must always use his power and position to help others, never for personal gain," said Eric confidently, "To serve and help others is our calling as well as to help keep order in the great city of Olympus."

"Very good, Eric," said Glacian happily, "Now, there is one other matter that must be addressed."

"Yes," said Eric with delight, "Since the royal bloodline has become very sparse, all members of the royal family must seek mates to preserve the bloodline for generations to come."

"Exactly," said Glacian with joy as he turned to face each of the three other startled Gardevoirs and Mewtwo, "Do each of you accept the duties and responsibilities of being a part of my family?" To say the least, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David were all completely dumbfounded at this sudden turn of events.

"Say what…?" asked a thoroughly bewildered David.

"Don't you see?" asked Gloria softly and with a bright smile, "Glacian is offering all of you the chance to become a part of the royal family of Olympus."

"Yes," said Glacian happily, "Eric, Alvin, Cecil and David: this is how I desire to reward you for your heroic efforts. You each chose to turn away from the evil organization of Cipher and worked hard to rescue my people from their vile clutches. The choice is yours."

"But Glacian, we're not really part of the royal bloodline," said Andre nervously, "Surely you can't just accept anyone into your family, can you?"

"You are correct. I cannot allow just anyone to join my family" said Glacian as he chuckled warmly, "However, if you want to go at this from a technical perspective, you Andre, Cecil, Eric and Alvin were all transformed using Ramirez's DNA. Because of that, the four of you really are part of the royal bloodline."

"But what about me?" asked David with a somber tone of voice, "I'm obviously not a Gardevoir. Am I not a full-blooded Mewtwo?"

"That's what you think," laughed Glacian, "Alvin, perhaps you would like to explain to David how you were able to successfully transform him into a Mewtwo?" Alvin scowled as he looked up at the grinning Gardevoir king.

"Must you read my mind like that?" demanded Alvin with an angry scowl, "I was going to tell him what happened myself!"

"And when were you going to do that, my friend?" asked Glacian with more laughter, "The mere thought hadn't even begun to speculate about the slightest possibility of crossing your mind." David glanced at Alvin.

"So, what's the big secret you're keeping from me?" asked David.

"I'll just be blunt," replied Alvin as he let out a heavy sigh, "The only sample of Mewtwo DNA I managed to acquire had been severely damaged and was completely unusable in its current state. Fortunately, with some considerable research and a bit of dumb luck, I accidently found that some of the components of a Gardevoir's DNA could be spliced with the Mewtwo DNA to produce a serum that would turn a human into one of the most powerful Pokémon that has ever walked the earth."

"You have nothing to worry about, David," said Glacian reassuringly, "In a way; you are like a Mewtwo, but with the blood of a royal Gardevoir flowing through your veins."

"Is such a thing even possible?" asked Cecil with disbelief.

"It only looked impossible on paper, but as you can see, the results say otherwise," said Alvin as he pointed at David.

"That's not all," said Glacian with great joy, "Well, let's just say a crazy old Gardevoir looked into the future one day and saw that should a certain Mewtwo have offspring, they would all be Ralts." David closed his eyes, slowly shaking his head back and forth as he laughed to himself. Gloria stood up from her throne and slowly approached the kneeling Gardevoirs and Mewtwo.

"You all need to decide now…" said Gloria with excitement, "Do each of you accept the responsibilities and duties of being a part of the royal family of Olympus?"

"I do," replied Eric firmly.

"I accept," answered Alvin.

"I will not let his highness down," declared Cecil, "I would be honored to join the Olympus royal family."

"You can count me in!" said Andre with delight. David took another glance at his comrades, then at Gloria and Glacian.

"I never imagined something like this would happen to me," said David, relieved and delighted as he bowed his head, "I shall join as well, my friends."

"Wonderful!" said an elated Glacian as he gently tapped Eric's shoulder with his sword, "I now pronounce you Prince Eric. You may arise now, my friend." Eric smiled as he stood tall and proud before the Gardevoir king and queen. The other Gardevoirs, Gallades, Kirlias and Ralts watched closely and quietly as Glacian went down the line, pronouncing Alvin, Cecil, Andre and finally David as princes of the realm. Only a few minutes had passed when David and his friends were all standing tall in their shimmering dark blue ball gowns. They then turned around to face the cheering crowd of delighted Pokémon. Glacian smiled as he quickly slid his sword back in its sheath. Gloria could not be any happier for her friends.

"I now present to all of you Prince Eric, Prince Alvin, Prince Cecil, Prince Andre and Prince David of Olympus!" declared Glacian with great pride and joy. At that moment Victoria, Ariel, Jenifer, Elizabeth and Sandra all ran forward overcome with joy to embrace their boyfriends. Glacian smiled at this sight, knowing what the future was going to hold.

"Prince Andre… I could get used to that," giggled Victoria, "So, will his highness be so kind to join me for another night of dancing at the Ballroom Club this Friday?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Andre with a smile.

"Well! I see you two have gotten quite attached to each other in the last few weeks, haven't you?" remarked Glacian happily as he walked up to Eric and Victoria's side.

"Well… yeah. I'd say so," said Andre softly, blushing nervously as Victoria smiled at her handsome prince.

"That's great news," said Glacian.

"By the way," said Victoria with a bright smile as she turned her gaze upon the Gardevoir king, "Thank you so much for introducing me to Andre, your highness."

"You're very welcome, my dear," replied Glacian happily.

"Hey! That reminds me!" said Cecil, laughing loudly: his outburst drew the complete and undivided attention of everyone in the throne room, "Glacian! Is there any particular reason why you introduced my friends and I to these lovely Gardevoirs before you declared all of us as part of your family?" Glacian chuckled warmly as he turned his gaze upon Cecil.

"Well, there are two reasons I had Victoria and her friends meet you," replied Glacian with a smile, "Of course, I want each of you to find mates; however, I also wanted to save the lot of you from an incredibly unpleasant experience."

"Is that so?" asked Cecil with a raised eyebrow, "And just what kind of horrible thing were you trying to protect my comrades and me from, if I may ask?"

"I have no need to keep this from you any longer," answered Glacian, "You see, I wanted to make sure you, Cecil and your friends already had girlfriends for one very good reason. Maybe you all aren't familiar with how Gardevoirs chose mates, but there are a great many female Gardevoirs in Olympus alone who aggressively seek mates who are off color. They also have a strong desire to marry any single Gallade they can find. Lastly, female Gardevoirs also are exceedingly drawn to any unmarried male members of the royal family. If I had not hooked you up with these five young seamstresses you would not be able to set one foot outside of the palace without droves of eager, female Gardevoirs on your tail, wanting to marry you within the day."

"Maybe you could marry us all today, your highness?" asked Sandra as an evil grin spread across her face. Eric and his friends were not laughing.

"Certainly not," replied Gloria with a gentle voice, "Wedding season is nearly over in Olympus. Besides, Glacian and I are convinced that none of you are truly ready to take on such a burden. You will have to wait until next summer."

"Works for me," said Eric with a sigh of relief.

"I guess having the Elite Guards protect us from eager Gardevoirs at all times would be out of the question, huh?" said Alvin with a smirk. Glacian erupted with laughter.

"Yes, that would be quite impossible!" laughed Glacian as he turned to face the crowd of overjoyed Gardevoirs, Kirlias and Ralts with a smile of his face, "I hope you will all join us for a celebratory banquet in the main dinning hall. Everyone is welcome to attend." With that, Glacian and Gloria's guests were led out of the throne room by some of the Elite Guards. Eric and his friends followed the large crowd out of the immense room with Glacian and Gloria close behind. Wallace was walking directly behind the king and queen.

"I must say, your highness," chuckled Wallace, "That was one of the best pranks of yours I've ever had the honor of attending."

"I suppose so," said Glacian, laughing to himself as he walked with Gloria at his side. The two Gardevoir monarchs were quite a sight in their sparkling white dresses and bright-shining crowns. Glacian couldn't take his eyes off Gloria and all seemed well in the now-quiet throne room. However, the near silence was shattered when another Gallade came running into the throne room. Glacian and Gloria stopped in their tracks.

"What is wrong, my friend?" asked Glacian softly.

"Your highness!" said Vladimir with a polite bow towards the king and then towards the queen with respect, "My queen, I need both of you to come to the Elite Guards' training hall at once!" Glacian frowned: he had a pretty good idea why Vladimir had come to see him in such great haste.

"What has that young Gardevoir done this time?" demanded Glacian, "Did he hurt anyone? If he did I will have no choice but to finally banish him from Olympus!"

"No, sir," replied Vladimir, "He has not harmed anyone, but the instructors are pleading that you come immediately."

"Very well," said Glacian with a heavy sigh, "I guess lunch will have to wait, my dear." Glacian put his left arm around Gloria as Vladimir led the monarchs out of the throne room and down one of the huge corridors of the palace.

"Who is this young, male Gardevoir you speak of?" asked Gloria.

"A very troubled young man," replied Glacian quietly, "He's been consumed with rage ever since his bride-to-be was taken from him four years ago. I had hoped that spending a few years training with the Elite Guards would help him, but it looks like that is not the case after all. His story is a very long one, so I'll have to tell you about it later. Just stay close to me and the other Gallades." Gloria nodded as her mate led her down the silent, white marble corridor.

-85-

Simon cautiously glanced back and forth as he stood completely still. The hot, steamy and dense green jungle was completely silent and peaceful, but the old Kabutops knew better than to trust a quiet forest. The silence was a dead giveaway, emphasis on the "Dead". Somewhere in the thick vines and massive trees, something was hunting him. Simon stepped forward carefully, stealthily through the tropical forest. This place, rarely ever visited by humans felt just like home to the ancient Kabutops. Still, this was not the appropriate situation for reminiscing about adventures of times past.

"Where are you watching from?" thought Simon as his keen eyes surveyed the scenery, "I'll locate you sooner or later." Simon continued on through the hot jungle, parting the thick vines and brush with his massive claws, stepping stealthily between tree roots. Suddenly, Simon heard a branch snap somewhere from behind and above. He turned around quick, just in time to see another Kabutops diving at him from a nearby tree.

"Your stealth skills are terrible!" shouted Simon, suddenly jumping to the left, leaving the would-be assassin lunging at an empty patch of dirt. The attacker went swiftly from dive to flip, landing on its feet, balancing easily as it brought its claws up into an attack stance. Simon stood still a few yards away, beckoning with one claw for the other Kabutops to come and fight. Needing no further invitation, the assassin charged forward, one claw held up as if to impale Simon, the other claw swinging back, ready to follow-up the main impact. The strike fell true, but not on the intended target. At the last possible second, Simon sidestepped the forward claw, ducked the back-slash of the other, and gave his opponent a slight push, sending his attacker straight into a tree. From the harsh impact, the towering behemoth of foliage fell in a spectacular manner that would have brought tears to the eyes of lumberjacks and activists alike, but did little to improve the spirits of the mostly trapped Kabutops underneath it.

"And I thought you would be more of a challenge," said Simon, smiling down at the other Kabutops. The assassin roared with indignation and with a mighty heave, pulled himself out from under the tree. Dashing madly to close the distance between hunter and quarry, the enraged Kabutops slashed with both claws in a scissoring motion, hoping to remove his target's head and end this humiliation. Alas, all Simon had to do was take a single step back for the attack to miss entirely. Still incredibly angry, the assassin followed up with a series of fast slashes that would have turned a Nidoking into hasenpfeffer salad, but Simon, with one claw behind his back, used his other to deflect each and every frenzied blow his attacker sent at him. This too, did nothing to improve the attacker's disposition. Screaming with fury, the Kabutops struck two heavy blows that knocked Simon back a few steps.

"I think we're done with this now." Simon stated with an amused chuckle. With but a single strike, Simon cleaved straight through his hapless opponent's torso. Simon looked on disappointedly as his enemy seemed to disintegrate and soon vanished into thin air.

"That was far too easy, K-1!" said Simon, laughing, "That was hardly even a workout for me! And you said this holodeck of yours would present me with the most challenging opponents in the world!" At that moment, the jungle scenery slowly faded away, disappearing from sight as a huge room covered all around with nothing but metallic panels was revealed. From where Simon was standing, fifty yards away and at the very center of the far wall was a pair of metal sliding doors. Twenty feet above those doors was a large window, roughly twenty feet wide and ten feet tall. The gigantic room itself measured at 100 by 50 yards and 50 feet tall. On the other side of the window stood K-1, Enrique, and his young wife Anna.

"That was only a difficulty level of 5. I just wanted to give you something to warm up with first before we try anything particularly intense," said K-1 through a microphone as his voice echoed through the empty holodeck. Just then, the roar of several fans could be heard in the large room. Simon stood still as he felt the air moving about him, becoming much cooler and a lot drier. Moments later, the fans became silent after the temperature had dropped from 95 to 72 degrees in under a minute.

"It would appear that you can simulate and reproduce almost any kind of terrain and weather in this room," remarked Simon, "That is very impressive, K-1."

"It only took the better part of 200 years to get everything right," said K-1 happily, "Why, you wouldn't believe just how hard it was to try and figure out how to create solid holograms that can be touched and interacted with. Through this system and the use of Central's processing array, almost any weather condition, object or terrain can be recreated with the push of a button. Even complex textures and the toughness of objects and terrain can be simulated here."

"That is quite a feat," remarked Simon, "That would explain why I actually had to put some effort into clearing my way through the thick jungle brush. If it wasn't for the fact that you can't simulate smells, that jungle would have been almost a perfect match for the real thing."

"Simulating scents would indeed be wonderful. Believe me, I've already tried that," explained K-1, "But the idea of somehow filling the entire room with matching smells to go with the terrain and weather conditions is highly impractical." Simon nodded his head as he stared into the observation room on the other side of the large window.

"Well, that's enough of the technical jargon for now," said Simon calmly, "Now, how about another opponent?"

"Coming right up at a challenge level of 6," replied K-1.

"Up the ante and make it 7," ordered Simon.

"You got it!" said K-1 with glee as he feverishly typed on a keyboard, "Would you like terrain with that?"

"No thank you, just an opponent," said Simon. Moments later, another Kabutops faded into view, twenty yards away from Simon. With saying a word, Simon charged at the digital apparition and swung his claws with one swift and powerful strike after another. The Kabutops hologram responded by successfully blocking each and every one of Simon's blows, then, with a sudden move, the hologram leaped over behind Simon and made a quick slash. Simon turned around just in time to see the hologram's claw move painlessly through his body.

"Your health score has dropped from 100% to 97%," reported K-1 over the holodeck PA system.

"At least it landed a hit, but that won't happen again," said Simon as he narrowed his eyes at his enemy, "Not in this match!" K-1, Enrique and Anna watched as sparks rained down on the floor as Simon and the holographic Kabutops continued their fight.

"So, how come that other Kabutops didn't actually hurt Simon when it landed a blow on him?" asked a confused Anna.

"Ah!" said K-1 happily, "That is because the safety systems are all online. This is to prevent any actual injury to any life forms or robots that use this facility for training purposes. For example, that Kabutops hologram can become incorporeal in a split second when it lands a hit on Simon with one of its claws or even when it body-slams him."

"What the heck?" shouted a surprised Simon as the hologram slipped through his body head first, "What just happened here?"

"Simple," replied K-1 through the PA system, "The safety systems are enabled in order to prevent any real injury to you, Simon."

"Hrmph!" scoffed Simon with contempt, "It kind of takes away from the experience. Well, I've had enough of this thing!" Simon snarled as he charged towards his opponent, swiped with one of his claws and sent the other Kabutops rocketing to the other side of the holodeck from a powerful hit. The holographic Kabutops vanished right before it hit the metallic wall.

"Well done," said K-1 with an appreciative nod, extending a pair of hands from his chest compartment to clap a few times, "The harsh impact defeated your opponent. Your health score is 87%."

"Say, what is this 'Health Score' you keep talking about?" asked Simon with curiosity.

"In a nutshell, Central analyzed your body structure and toughness right before you entered the holodeck. With that, she was able to determine just how much punishment your body could take before you would fall into unconsciousness," answered K-1 cheerfully, "Should your health score fall to a negative 10%, it means you have been killed."

"That makes perfect sense. Now, how about another opponent?" asked a confident Simon, "I'm barely breaking a sweat in here."

"Very well, Simon," said K-1 as he again started typing feverishly on a keyboard in front of him at the main control console for the holodeck, "Let's see how you do against another Kabutops at a challenge level of 8."

"Forget that!" said Simon loudly and with growing impatience, "I want a REAL challenge! Besides, I want you to turn off those irritating 'Safety' systems as well. I want a real fight this time and I want the highest difficulty setting this thing can muster and I want it now!" K-1 seemed hesitant to comply.

"Please run that by me again," requested K-1 nervously, "You want all the safety systems turned off and you want the maximum challenge level, correct?"

"That is correct," said Simon gruffly, "Now get to it."

"As you wish," said K-1 hesitantly, "Have… fun, Simon…" Simon got into a battle stance with his feet spread out and his claws held out, ready to strike. Enrique and Anna were not sure what to expect and they wondered why K-1 had been so worried about meeting Simon's demands.

"Is there something we should know here, K-1?" asked a thoroughly bewildered Enrique. K-1 said nothing as Simon's Kabutops opponent faded into view.

"Well, this should be fun to watch," said Anna with a smile.

"You may very well get your wish," said K-1 with a frown. Before Simon could make a single move, the holographic Kabutops charged forward with unimaginable speed. Simon had no time to react as his digital opponent sent him flying into the back wall with incredible force. K-1 and the two Gardevoirs looked on with disbelief as Simon slammed into the back wall, his body making a perfectly-shaped imprint of his form in the thick and hard metal. Simon grunted and slipped down off the floor and landed on his feet, breathing heavily.

"I think…" said Simon, trying to catch his breath, "I think I may actually enjoy this!" Simon stood erect and raised his claws defiantly at his enemy. Though the harsh blow and impact had knocked him for a loop, Simon was far from finished.

"Now THIS is a battle!" exclaimed Simon with sheer delight, right before his opponent charged forward with surprising speed again and with a single blow, knocked Simon into the air, sending him careening towards the observation window. K-1 and the other two observers reflexively dropped to the floor as Simon slammed into the large and very thick window. Simon's left eye twitched and there was a horrible squeaking sound in the small room as the battered Kabutops slowly slid down the window.

"That had to hurt…" said a shocked Anna as she slowly stood back up. Enrique cautiously got back on his feet as well.

"Well, Simon got what he wanted," said K-1 with a heavy sigh.

"This holodeck is amazing, K-1!" said Anna with glee as Simon finally slid off the large window and out of sight, "You think you could simulate something like, say… an ice cream parlor?"

"Those particular objects are in the holographic system program, but I don't think you would enjoy visiting such a place unless you like 31 varieties of binary-flavored ice cream," said K-1 with a slight chuckle. Another loud slam from somewhere in the holodeck quickly grabbed the robot and Gardevoirs' attention. Simon staggered to his feet, breathing heavily from exhaustion after being sent sailing through the holodeck and once again into one of the hard walls.

"I'm far from finished!" declared Simon to his holographic opponent, "Can you do anything else besides play with me like some sort of stupid ball?" Simon immediately got his answer when the Kabutops charged at him yet again to attack. Simon had no time to react as the hard and unfeeling hologram effortlessly landed one devastating blow after another on its opponent with incredible strength and blinding speed.

"I think he's had enough for one day!" said K-1 fearfully as he quickly deactivated the combat programs, "His vital signs are starting to drop to an unsafe level!" Simon winced from a level of pain that he had not felt in literally centuries of combat as he leaned against a metal wall. The offending, digital Kabutops soon disappeared from sight, much to Simon's relief.

"That… would be the first time any opponent has given me this much trouble in many millennia," said Simon, "Still, I'm glad to know nothing that powerful, besides a few legendary Pokémon, actually exist in the real world."

"I think that goes for all of us," said a concerned K-1 as he opened the sliding doors to the holodeck, "Shall I have someone take you to the medical room, Simon?"

"No need," said Simon as he carefully sat down on the cold, metallic floor. K-1 and the two Gardevoirs looked on with wonder as Simon closed his eyes and as his body began to glow with a slight blue light. A few moments later, the faint light faded: Simon opened his eyes and stood up straight again. Amazingly, the Kabutops' injuries and pain had completely vanished.

"I see you learned the move Recover," remarked an impressed K-1.

"Indeed I did, though I have to really focus and must remain still when I use such a healing technique," explained Simon.

"So is that why you're able to get back on your feet so quickly, even if you've been defeated?" asked Anna with amazement.

"You are correct, Anna," replied Simon, "Now, how about you tell me what exactly just happened in here, K-1? There is no Kabutops on earth in the last several million years who could possibly be that powerful. I would know, I've looked. Also, what all happened when you set the system for maximum difficulty and then removed all the safety mechanisms?"

"I'll just be frank," said K-1, "First off, the safety systems make sure that any living or robotic being in the holodeck cannot actually be harmed by the holograms. Such things include anti-gravity buffers on the walls, floor and ceilings to catch you in case you fall or are thrown. Then, you already know about how the holograms can become solid or incorporeal with ease to all but eliminate combat injuries in the holodeck."

"So, I wouldn't have gotten almost beaten to a pulp if I had left the safety systems in place?" asked an irritated Simon.

"That is correct," said K-1 matter-of-factly.

"You do have to admit that was really funny to watch, though!" said Anna, grinning while giggling up a storm. Simon shot Anna a dirty look from thirty yards away, which only made Anna erupt with loud and uncontrollable laughter.

"As for the maximum difficulty setting, this mode takes Central's analysis of your body toughness and powers," explained K-1, "And then produces an opponent that is at least ten times stronger, faster, tougher and more powerful than you are. Essentially, you are given an enemy who is virtually impossible to defeat head-on."

"And Simon has learned all this the hard way!" laughed Anna.

"Perhaps you would like to fight it next?" asked Simon angrily. Anna immediately stopped laughing and became silent.

"K-1, if you don't mind me asking, why would Mack want a training simulation that was not only so difficult, but also potentially deadly?" asked Enrique.

"Ah, perhaps you have become aware of Mack's greatest nemesis, Shadow Mack?" asked K-1. Anna and Enrique nodded in reply.

"Ah, yes," said Simon, "Mack has yet to speak about him in great length though to anyone in this world, I suspect."

"Well, Shadow Mack is not just evil and will do literally anything to win, but he is also unbelievably powerful," said K-1, "Each time Mack, Central and I have visited another dimension since Shadows Mack's supposed defeat, we have been plagued by this enemy's vengeful and very potent spirit. Since Mack was almost killed by his dark foe in their most recent battle, Mack had Central and I create a battle program and a holographic simulation system to help him stay sharp. As for the highest level of difficulty, this mode forces Mack to go against a seemingly unbeatable opponent where there are mere seconds between being alive and being destroyed."

"I think I understand why," said Enrique, "Such an obstacle would force you to find other ways to defeat your foe other than brute force alone."

"Indeed," said K-1 with a nod, "Now, perhaps you would like to try again and maybe with the safety systems armed this time?"

"Not yet!" yelled a voice from somewhere in the holodeck, "I have to show Simon these pictures first!"

"Huh?" shouted K-1 through the microphone in the observation room, "Who's in there?"

"I know that voice!" shouted Simon with anger, "Gremlin! Show yourself!" At that very moment, a pair of glowing red eyes shaped like large gemstones, and a familiar, toothy grin materialized just inches from Simon's face.

"So, having a nice day, are we?" cackled Gremlin as his dark purple body soon faded into view.

"I suppose so," said K-1 with a raised, metallic eyebrow, "But how did you get in here?"

"I just asked Central nicely," replied the grinning Sableye, "It's true what they say: good manners can get you into places that money can't. For example: access to one of Central's printers." Simon muttered under his breath as Gremlin proudly revealed yet more embarrassing pictures of the ancient Kabutops.

"Confound you, Gremlin…" grumbled Simon angrily.

"Look on the bright side," cackled Gremlin as he smirked at the seething Kabutops, "At least I didn't order double-prints!"

"Can I see those pictures, too Gremlin? Please?" Anna asked, eyes pleading. Gremlin laughed at the Gardevoir princess.

"After I'm done with them!" snarled Simon as he quickly snatched away the small pile of photos. In mere seconds, Simon reduced the pictures into confetti with several swift slashes of his massive claws. Gremlin smiled again, which could only have meant that Simon's ordeal was far from over.

"Central? Do you still have those images recorded in your databanks?" asked Gremlin with an irritating tone of voice.

"Affirmative, Gremlin," replied Central, "I have your pictures archived for future use."

"And what kind of use do you have planned?" thundered Simon.

"Well, I was just going to have Lucca make some splendid portraits out of my pictures, but I suppose I could submit them to the Alakaz Gazette instead!" laughed Gremlin.

"If that is your plan, than I cannot allow you to jeopardize Simon's well-being," said Central, "Images deleted."

"What? Hey! Don't do that!" shouted Gremlin.

"I'm sorry, but it's against my programming to purposefully humiliate a good friend," said Central matter-of-factly.

"Aw, man! I had already wiped the camera's memory, too!" snarled Gremlin, "Well, guess I'll just have to go find someone else to have fun with." Before Simon could utter another word, the forlorn Sableye vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"Good riddance," coughed Simon as he turned his gaze back to the observation window, "I'm ready to leave the holodeck now."

"Very well, Simon," said K-1 with a nod as he pressed a few buttons on the control console in front of him. There was a loud hiss in the holodeck as the heavy blast doors slowly slid open. The ancient Kabutops left the massive, metallic room in a huff with his pride wounded while K-1 got a message as he started to power down the holodeck's control systems.

"K-1, we have some unexpected visitors," reported Central, "Glacian, Gloria and an unknown male Gardevoir are requesting entry into the lab. The king and queen need to see Mack and Aura at once." K-1 glanced at a nearby view screen: the king and queen of Olympus were unmistakable in their splendorous attire. However, something was very unusual for Glacian and Gloria had a look of urgency on their faces. As for the unidentified young Gardevoir, K-1 had never seen him before.

"I see. I don't think Mack would appreciate us giving unauthorized access to an unknown person," cautioned K-1, "Please have Glacian, Gloria and their guest wait in the mansion dining room. I'll get Mack and Aura up there on the double."

"Affirmative," was Central's reply as K-1 turned his gaze upon Anna and Enrique.

"You two should probably leave for now. I suspect that Glacian and Gloria have some sensitive matters to discuss with the Guardians," said K-1, trying to be polite.

"Not a problem," replied Enrique, "Shall we be off, Anna?" The young, female Gardevoir only replied with a blissful smile and a slight nod. Only a minute had passed when the Gardevoir lovers had left the holodeck control room and were on their way to the main elevator back to Warren's basement. K-1 sealed the control room and the holodeck entrance and slowly walked down the hallway towards the shooting range. Sure enough, the closer the feline robot got towards his goal, the louder and louder the sound of gunfire became.

"Good shooting, my dear," chuckled Mack as he stood directly behind his lovely mate, "You managed to get all 50 rounds in the middle of the target at 200 meters. That's quite a feet for any automatic rifle." Aura smiled while she lowered her weapon, a black P90 submachine gun, and removed the protective earmuffs from the sides of her head.

"Mack, I never did ask you, by why do you have so many weapons down here and why do you insist that you and I train regularly with them?" asked Aura with concern in her voice, "I mean, yesterday we were working with automatic shotguns, the day before that we were shooting at moving targets at a range of 500 meters. Don't even get me started on the day before that, either! M4 machineguns with 100-round clips and 40mm tactical grenades! Is all this really necessary, Mack? We're the Guardians of Gardev and ending life is something we only do as a last resort when everything else has failed or when someone's life is in jeopardy!" Mack nodded his head as he gently took the small submachine gun from Aura.

"I can understand how you feel," said Mack with a heavy sigh, "At first, I didn't like my father insisting that I train with firearms and even work to develop them when I was a teenager."

"I'm just wondering about your past, Mack," said a very uneasy Aura, "You've told me so little about what has happened to you over the last 28,000 years of your life. You aren't a murderer, are you? I don't mean to pry, but you're really starting to worry me with all these guns and weapons." Mack took a seat at a nearby table and set the P90 down. He kept his eyes on Aura.

"I won't deny that I've had to kill a lot of people and other creatures in my life," said Mack softly and with an unusual degree of seriousness, "It's not something I'm proud of. It's practically impossible to live as long as I have and still manage to keep your hands clean. Believe me Aura when I say that I have no desire to kill or harm people. But when you have to choose between the innocent and a hardened criminal and you can do something about it, you should never hesitate to do what's right and that may mean you will have to end a being's life. Believe me: it's not an easy decision. It never is."

"Then I don't want to have anything to with your guns and explosives anymore, Mack," said Aura, dropping the plastic earmuffs on the floor. Aura started to leave the room and Mack could tell all too easily that she was greatly distressed. Mack did not want to be harsh, but Aura had to know his reasoning: the male Guardian only wished he had told his mate sooner.

"Did I ever tell you about a fiancé of mine?" asked Mack sternly as he stared straight ahead. Aura immediately stopped in her tracks. She slowly turned her gaze towards her mate.

"You… you had a fiancé before you met me?" asked a surprised Aura. Mack nodded his head in reply.

"I can't remember her name anymore," said Mack, bowing his head and closing his eyes, "It happened over 27,000 years ago in another dimension. Would you believe I actually found another world with anthropomorphs as the main species? This was the fifth time the Firefox's Infinity Drive had overheated, resulting in K-1, Central and myself being transported and soon thereafter, crash-landing into another dimension. It was there, in an alternate version of the planet Earth; I found and eventually fell in love with a beautiful young vixen. I can still remember her smile, her gentle voice and her gorgeous snow-white fur. It was not long before she revealed how she felt about me. The Firefox was going to take the better part of a century to repair, so I asked her father for her hand in marriage. He was delighted and had said I would be the perfect husband for her daughter. I had planned to stay in that dimension for the next century."

"How come you didn't alter her DNA so she would live as long as you?" asked Aura.

"I was going to do just that on our wedding day," said Mack, smiling as tears started to stream down his face, "She was overjoyed with the prospect of being my wife until the end of time, something I also was looking forward to, but sadly, it was not to be." Mack took a deep breath.

"What happened to her?" asked Aura.

"Something that has haunted my dreams for millennia," said Mack, gathering his courage as he remembered what had unfolded that day, "I can still see her, slowly coming down the aisle at her father's side in a glorious shimmering and sparkling wedding dress. Why, her wedding ensemble was almost as wonderful as yours when we were married Aura. I was wearing my heavily-decorated military uniform from my own world. Anyway, we joined hands and exchanged our vows and golden rings. I had waited a long time for this moment: I was finally going to have a wife and was looking forward to introducing her to my family back home. We wrapped our arms around each other and kissed for the first time. I started into her eyes and I could tell she was looking forward to the upcoming night as much as I was. Just as the priest was about to present us as Mr. and Mrs. Foxx, another fox of my species came running up behind my wife from a door at the back of the chapel! He was waving a gun around and yelling obscenities as he charged towards my bride. Everyone in the church dropped to the floor in an instant." Aura's eyes opened wide. She knelt down at Mack's feet and held his hands tightly.

"You don't have to bring this up," said Aura softly.

"I have to tell you," said Mack, taking another deep breath.

"I'll just read your thoughts," said Aura, placing her hand against Mack's forehead.

"As you wish," said Mack, "I had no time to react as he ran forward and then pulled my lovely bride away. He held her tightly with his left arm with the gun pointed at her head." Mack closed his eyes, tormented as the old memories returned once again. Aura clearly saw everything that had taken place from Mack's and the wedding guests' perspectives.

"So! You thought you could take my love away from me, didn't you?" laughed the red fox in a long, black trench coat.

"Leave her alone!" thundered Mack, "And who are you?" The malevolent creature grinned at Mack.

"Ask your wife who I am," laughed the fox. Mack, stunned, looked deep into his wife's eyes.

"Do you know who this guy is?" asked Mack fearfully. The young vixen broke into tears as the malicious fox kept the barrel of his .357 Magnum against the left side of her head.

"This is James, a criminal!" cried as the young bride, "He was a friend of mine in high school, until he tried to take advantage of me during the prom! He's been nothing but trouble, in and out of jail for the last ten years!"

"And now I'm going to be your husband," said James softly, "Not this pompous alien!" James held the bride close and kissed her left cheek. With James distracted for only a moment, Mack quickly drew and powered up his sidearm, the FIW-59 Elemental Pistol. The bride's father and mother gasped, hoping and praying their daughter would be safe.

"Oh! So you have a gun as well, eh?" laughed James.

"Let her go," growled Mack with rage, "You take your hands off my bride, drop your weapon and you have my word as an officer that I will spare your life." Mack carefully pointed the barrel of his plasma pistol at James's forehead.

"You want her?" asked James vengefully, no longer laughing, "Come and get her."

"Let's me go James!" screamed the bride, "Mack! Help me!"

Mack gripped the trigger of his pistol tightly, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"I can't live without you, my dear," whispered James, "And I don't want you to live without me."

"I'll never be your wife!" shrieked the bride.

"True," said James softly as he squeezed the trigger on his powerful pistol, "Since you won't belong to me, you'll never belong to anyone." Mack hesitated: he didn't want to end James's life and he was afraid he might hit his bride.

"This is your final warning!" shouted Mack, "Release her and drop your weapon this instant!"

"She's all yours," said James as an evil smile spread across his face: he whispered into the bride's ear, "You don't deserve a quick death, just like this alien doesn't deserve you!" Suddenly, James swiftly pulled the pistol away from the bride's head and pressed it hard against her chest.

"Maaaaaack!" screamed the young vixen. Mack took aim, still hesitant to open fire.

"See you in hell, my love…" said James softly as he pulled the trigger. For Mack, the whole world slowed down to a standstill. The loud "BANG!" from the magnum echoing throughout the church as a bright flash lit up the area. The bride screamed out in pain and horror as she fell limply to the floor. Mack howled with rage and opened fire. James flew back and jerked in the air as one plasma bolt after another struck his body. Mack kept shooting at the vile murderer as he lifelessly hit the floor. Blinded by rage, Mack kept shooting James's body for another minute until the power cell of his pistol was completely drained. Mack breathed heavily: the silence in the church only made this moment the most horrifying he had ever experienced.

"My daughter!" screamed the mother of the bride.

"Victoria…" said Mack softly as he dropped his pistol to the floor and ran to his wife's side. He dropped to his knees: her wedding dress was stained with blood, but she was still breathing. Her father, mother and the other horrified guests came running to Mack and Victoria's side. The bride opened her eyes and was breathing, but with great difficulty.

"Someone get help!" thundered Victoria's father.

"Mack…" said Victoria weakly and very softly, "Please… please hold me…" Mack gently put his arms around Victoria and ever so gently held her up against his chest.

"Don't touch her!" shouted Victoria's mother. The bride's father, grief-stricken, held his wife close and quietly said something to her. Victoria's mother looked down with disbelief: her daughter's breathing was becoming more labored and everyone now knew she did not have much time.

"Oh… my daughter…" cried the bride's father as he and his wife knelt down to get close to their dying daughter.

"Mack…?" asked Victoria with growing weakness, "Are you here…?"

"I'm right here," said Mack tenderly, "I'm not going to leave you. I never, ever want to leave you."

"I don't… want to leave… you… either…" said Victoria. She smiled at Mack, wincing from the sharp pain in her chest.

"I'm so sorry, my love," said Mack with despair, "I could… I could have saved you!"

"It's okay, Mack…" said Victoria sweetly, "At least I got to be Mrs. Foxx, even if only for just a short while…"

"Don't talk like that," said Mack, "I'm taking you home with me as soon as you are well again. You can count on that." Victoria stared deep into Mack's eyes and smiled as her breathing slowed.

"One of these days…" said Victoria softly and weakly, "You're… you're going to make… some other vixen… the happiest creature… on… earth… I'd bet my… life… on… it…" Mack looked on helplessly as Victoria closed her eyes and stopped breathing.

"The ambulance is on its way!" shouted someone from the other side of the church, "It should be here in about ten minutes!"

"Ten… minutes…" said Mack as he held his lifeless wife close and tightly, not caring about his uniform getting stained.

"Quiet!" yelled Victoria's father, "Just please… be quiet." Aura, shocked, pulled her hand away from Mack's forehead. Her mate was crying and tears were streaming down his face.

"She died in my arms…" said Mack as he cried with anguish, "If only I had not hesitated, she would still be alive!" Aura stood up and wrapped her arms around Mack, gently stroking him, letting him know she was there for him. The main door of the shooting range opened, revealing K-1.

"Oh, my…" said K-1 quietly as his gaze fell upon Aura and her grieving husband. Mack continued to cry with bitter sadness as Aura put her soft wings around him.

"Please leave us, K-1," said Aura softly.

"As you wish," was K-1's quiet reply, "But I should mention that Glacian and Gloria wish to see you and Mack."

"We'll be there shortly," answered Aura with a gentle voice.

"Will do," said K-1 as he stepped back away from the door. The heavy, metallic blast door slid closed with a soft hiss.

"I never… no never want you to suffer the same fate…" said Mack, drying his eyes, "I don't want you to leave me…"

"I'm not going to leave you…" whispered Aura, "I'll keep up the weapons training, if it will put your mind at ease."

"That's not the only point," said Mack as he stopped crying and stared into Aura's beautiful eyes, "There may come a time when you and I may have to rely on more than just our own powers to survive another battle or to save Gardev from another disaster. Shadow Mack is still out there. Time and time again he has managed to kill anyone who wanted to marry me."

"You mean?" gasped Aura, "You mean James was possessed by Shadow Mack when he killed Victoria?"

"Yes," said Mack, "I managed to read James's mind for only a moment, for using my powers would always make me extremely weak if I used them for long, but James had willingly been taken by Shadow Mack since he also wanted to stop me from marrying Victoria, but he lacked the confidence to do so."

"So, Shadow Mack can only possess and give power to those who do his will?" asked Aura.

"Correct," replied a very worried Mack, "I fear that my old nemesis will try to kill you as well. I want you and our children to be ready to defend themselves using any means necessary. After all, it's only a matter of time until he strikes again."

"Okay. I'll keep learning to use these weapons for myself and for you, my prince," whispered Aura with a smile, "And for our children…" Mack leaned forward and kissed Aura on her lips.

"Less than 8 years to go until out tenth wedding anniversary," said Mack tenderly.

"Are you looking forward to being a father?" asked Aura sweetly.

"Oh, yes!" said Mack as he embraced Aura and kissed her with great passion. Aura broke the kiss and giggled.

"Victoria was right," said Aura, blushing deeply, "You would make your wife the happiest creature on earth." Mack blushed as he removed his arms from Aura and made his way towards a computer console on the other side of the shooting range.

"Central? Do you copy?" asked Mack with a smile on his face.

"I am here, Mack. How may I serve you?" asked Central cheerfully as Aura came up from behind Mack and then tightly embraced him.

"Please tell Glacian and Gloria to meet us in the mansion dining room in about an hour," said Mack, turning his head just enough to look at his beautiful wife's face, "Aura and I need to be alone for a while."

"Affirmative, Mack," replied Central as Mack and Aura again kissed with immense passion, "I'll let them know at once."

"Good," said Mack as he turned around and took Aura up in his arms, "See you later."

"Will do," said Central happily as Mack carried Aura out of the shooting range and down the hallway. Aura was smiling and blushing as she leaned her head against her mate's chest.

"I love you, my princess…" said Mack sweetly.

"I love you too, my prince," said Aura blissfully. They boarded the elevator to back to Warren's basement. The door slowly slid closed with a soft hiss, just as the Guardians of Gardev kissed. The pendants glowed brightly while their lips touched, almost displaying the immense passion between the two lovers as they were soon out of sight.