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Though it was now 9:00 at night, Gremlin and Crystal were still dead-set on exploring the caverns which the Sableye had accidentally discovered earlier that day. As expected, the newlyweds were still wearing their ornate wedding attire and shimmering red ballet instructor sashes, although Crystal wisely had traded out her tiara for a hardhat with a forward-facing headlamp. Gremlin was wearing the same kind of headgear, except he had a large blue flame atop his head instead of a lamp. They had a long chat about not making mythology jokes before they ventured forth and all three agreed that they watched far too many movies. As they forged through the clothing racks, Gremlin took hold of Crystal's right hand; the R-25's had done a thorough job straightening up the basement storage. The Kirlia and Sableye paused as they stared past the huge hole in the closet's back wall into the black abyss. In the distance, they could hear water dripping down from the cavern's ceiling. Other than listening to the relatively quiet underground ambiance, the area was completely silent. K-1 turned up the intensity of his blue eye lights, the bright illumination pierced into the deep darkness of the cavern.

"Let's make sure we stay together," cautioned K-1, "And I recommend you let me take the lead. My electronic eyes and sensors can detect far more than you both can relying on your own senses, Gremlin and Crystal."

"I would agree," said Gremlin, nodding head with affirmation. Crystal held her Sableye's hand tighter, gathering her courage.

"Let's be on our way," said Crystal with determination. K-1 nodded his head once and stepped in front on the newlywed Pokémon. With that, the Kirlia, Sableye and bipedal robot began a slow and cautious walk into the cavern. The relative silence in the cave was quite eerie and Crystal stayed close to Gremlin, afraid of the deep darkness. The Sableye tenderly put his left arm around Crystal's lower torso, hoping to comfort her. The beautiful Kirlia's smile was all Gremlin needed to know his mate was now more relaxed and confident. From what K-1 could gather, the caverns had been carved into the solid bedrock millennia ago. What was more surprising was how damp the cavern was, despite being under a vast desert. For what seemed like hours, Gremlin Crystal and K-1 continued their careful march through the many tunnels and chambers. K-1 was careful to map out as much of the immense caverns as he could. Since his X-ray scanners could see through several hundred feet of solid rock, this certainly helped the small group of explorers avoid any unwanted surprises in the rocky tunnels.

"I'm surprised we haven't seen any crystals down here. All I've seen so far are limestone stalagmites and stalactites," remarked Crystal, taking a good look around the immediate area.

"You may recall a failed mining venture that took place in this region several years ago," said K-1, pausing only for a moment to update his digital maps, "Despite years of searching for oil, coal, mineral ores, precious metals and gems, nothing was ever found here. In fact, the only reason the city of Alakaz survives to this day is because it is a major trading, entertainment and business hub. Many notable companies have their main offices located here, such as the Allens Corporation, a major producer of advanced machinery and electronics. Not to mention how Alakaz is the single largest city in the entire Gardev Region."

"Allens Corporation?" asked a very curious Crystal, "Does the mayor of Gardev have something to do with that company?"

"Negative," replied K-1, "For some reason, there is a huge rift in the Allens family. Warren has not given any specifics as to why this is, but from what I can gather, the good mayor is wary of anyone in his family who works for the Allens Corporation. I imagine he has considerable reason for this."

"Like a dark family secret or something?" asked Crystal.

"Could be," suggested K-1, "The Allens family does have a checkered past from what I can surmise. Still, it would be best not to assume anything. John, Warren and his grandson Jake and his family are all very good people. Alfred may have a few screws loose, if you get my drift, but he still means well." The group of three explorers continued on their way ever deeper into the caverns. Time seemed to pass unnoticeably for Gremlin, Crystal and K-1 even though the hours ticked by one after another. Despite how late it was in the night, the two Pokémon were still eager as ever to proceed. Being a machine, K-1 could practically continue on indefinitely without rest. The time was soon 4:35 in the morning when K-1 began to notice an odd feature on his map of the caverns: there seemed to be a huge chasm less than 175 feet from his and his companions' current position. In fact, the huge expanse was so wide; K-1 was unable to tell what could be on the other side. He kept this information to himself until he, Gremlin, and Crystal were near the edge of the chasm.

"What have we here?" asked Gremlin with amazement.

"I suspect we have discovered an underground canyon," replied K-1. Despite the bright light from K-1's eyes as well as the illumination provided by Gremlin and Crystal's hardhat-mounted lights, none of them could see to the other side of the rocky expanse. K-1 opened his chest plate and extended a robotic arm to pluck a small rock from the floor. He then tossed the rock into the subterranean canyon and listened carefully; waiting for the moment when he would hear the rock hit the chasm's floor. After a few minutes of silence, K-1's sensitive ears heard a distant and very faint splash from deep in the dark canyon.

"Is that canyon bottomless?" asked a slightly worried Crystal.

"No," answered K-1, "It appears to be at least over 3,000 feet deep. Quite impressive to find a river this deep underground: not to mention such a large canyon." Gremlin cautiously approached the edge of the chasm and peered down into its dark expanse. Despite the bright light coming from his headlamp, he could not see the bottom of the expanse. The Sableye could only imagine how deep the chasm truly was.

"My night-vision and infrared sensors are encountering some sort of interference," reported K-1, "I can't get a clear look at what lies on the other side of this chasm." Gremlin and Crystal stood still and silent for several minutes.

"Do you sense that?" asked Gremlin to his mate. The blue-haired Kirlia nodded her head.

"I feel like I'm being called onward. There has to be something on the other side of this canyon," replied Crystal.

"I doubt we're walking into a trap," said K-1 matter-of-factly, "It seems most illogical that you would both be unexplainably drawn down here to these ancient caves only to be led to your doom. Though such a thing is still quite possible…" Crystal held Gremlin tightly, shivering with fear.

"K-1, you're not helping my wife or me feel any better about this," said Gremlin with a scowl on his face.

"Well, I'll tell you what I'll do," said K-1, hoping he could reassure his friends, "I have ion engines built into the sides of my legs. I'll just fly across the canyon, take a look around and then I'll come back here and tell you what I saw. Does that sound agreeable to both of you?"

"I don't see why not," said Gremlin, shrugging his shoulders, "We're going to have to figure out what's over there sooner or later." Crystal nodded her head.

"Okay, but please be careful," said a worried Crystal.

"Just stay together and I'll return shortly," said K-1 as some slender panels on the sides of his legs opened up. There was a low, mechanical "Whrrr!" echoing in the cavern as a shiny and long cylindrical object slid out from each of the four panels. A soft "Click!" from the two engines and readouts from his internal systems confirmed that his ion thrusters were locked in place and ready for activation.

"Back in a few," said K-1 confidently as the bottom of each engine began to glow with a bright bluish light. Gremlin and Crystal watched, somewhat impressed as the bipedal robot slowly and quietly lifted off the ground. K-1 tilted his legs back about 20 degrees and began to fly across the huge, stony expanse and into the darkness, picking up speed as he went onward. Despite the bright light coming from the robot's ion engines, Gremlin and Crystal still managed to loose sight of K-1 as he flew deeper and deeper into the black void beyond.

"I hope he's going to be okay," said a scared Crystal.

"He knows what he's doing," said Gremlin, though he was also unsure of what would happen, "Probably…" Gremlin and Crystal sat down on the smooth, stone floor. They held each other close, making the most of being on their own in the vast and quiet cavern. The anxious Sableye and Kirlia didn't have to wait very long before K-1 emerged from the deep darkness in the distance, with his brightly-glowing ion engines lighting up the immediate area. K-1 landed gently back on his feet a few yards away from Gremlin and Crystal as the engines powered down and then folded back up inside his legs.

"I have some good news," said K-1 as the small panels on his metallic legs were closing, "There is a ledge on the other side about 1,000 feet away with a tunnel not more than 50 yards from the opposite edge of the canyon."

"Could you please fly both of us across?" asked Crystal politely, "I can't teleport that far on my own, especially since I can't see the other side of this chasm."

"I certainly have never been down here before," said Gremlin, "So using my ghost teleportation will be of no use."

"I planned on carrying you both," said K-1 with a friendly smile as his chest compartment opened once again. A dozen long robotic arms move out of K-1's body and gently wrapped around Gremlin and Crystal. The robot drew the two Pokémon towards him, holding the Kirlia snuggly against his left side and Gremlin on his right. Again, K-1's ion engines slid out from their compartments on his legs and flared to life.

"No need to be afraid, Crystal," said K-1 reassuringly, "I won't let you or Gremlin fall and the flight will be very gentle." Crystal nodded her head in reply with a smile. Nonetheless, she still closed her eyes, not wanting to watch as K-1 began to lift off the ground with her and Gremlin in tow.

"This should be fun!" said Gremlin excitedly as K-1 began to fly forward, picking up speed as he went. Though Crystal was confident in K-1's abilities to keep her and Gremlin from falling, she couldn't help but still be fearful during the three minute long flight across the canyon. The scared Kirlia only opened her eyes when she felt K-1 touch back down on the ground as his ion thrusters began to power down.

"We're here," said K-1 cheerfully, gently setting his friends back on his feet before retracting the engines back into his legs and his arms back into his chest. The metal plate on K-1's torso closed as Crystal took a deep breath, letting out a sigh of relief. Gremlin walked up alongside his mate and held onto his wife's left hand with a friendly smile on his face.

"We're safe now, my love," said Gremlin tenderly. Crystal smiled, nodding her head.

"Thank you very much for being so gentle and keeping us safe, K-1," said a very happy Crystal.

"You are quite welcome, madam," said a cheerful K-1, "Now, how about we proceed down this tunnel and resume our exploration?" Gremlin nodded his head and was about to proceed down the rocky corridor when something on up the right side of the tunnel entrance caught his eye. Without a word, Gremlin let go of his wife's hand, captivated as he walked over to what appeared to be a stone slab with strange writing carved on it.

"You found something Gremlin?" asked Crystal as she and K-1 quickly followed after the wide-eyed Sableye. Gremlin stopped in front of the 2 foot tall by 4 foot wide block of stone. He leaned forward, gently wiping off a thick layer of dust from the smooth, cold surface. Crystal was not sure what to make of what she saw and K-1 had his head half-cocked to his left.

"What have we here?" said an intrigued Gremlin, looking over the strange symbols that had been expertly etched into the stone, "I've seen writing like this before…"

"I certainly have not," said K-1, completely baffled as he quickly made a record of all the symbols in his vast databanks, "It doesn't look anything like Old Olympus. In fact, I have no record of this alphabet in my databanks."

"That's because it's a dead language," explained Gremlin, "This is the written form of the dialect of all ghost Pokémon. Though we Pokémon can easily understand each other's spoken language, some of the more advanced Pokémon civilizations created their own written languages to correspond to their spoken dialects. The Gardevoirs are certainly a good example of this."

"I don't suppose you can decode this mess, can you, Gremlin?" asked K-1 with a rare display of irritation and impatience, "I can't make heads or tails of these symbols." The Sableye laughed nervously to himself, glancing over his left shoulder at K-1.

"I wish I could," said Gremlin hesitantly, "But sadly, even my father had no idea how to read this language. He had me memorize all the symbols from several ancient tomes he owned that were written using this dead dialect, just in case I managed to find a way to translate this literary conundrum."

"Then, I suppose we have no choice but to proceed," said K-1 with disappointment, "Nonetheless, I'll keep a record of this stone tablet in my memory. Shall I lead the way, Gremlin?" Gremlin nodded his head in reply.

"Yes, please," replied the eager Sableye. So, Gremlin and Crystal followed closely behind K-1 down the nearby tunnel. Though they were all excited to see what might lie in the distance, they moved onward with great caution. They soon saw the other end of the rocky tunnel in the distance. Their enthusiasm renewed, the two newlywed Pokémon and excited robot dashed down the remainder of the tunnel, only to find another immense and dark expanse on the other side of the tunnel. K-1 and his companions were quite perplexed as they looked up into the black void, not even able to see the ceiling of the chamber.

"We've gone all that way just to find a huge and dark underground chamber?" asked Crystal with disbelief and disappointment abounding in her voice. Gremlin was equally baffled, but not just because there seemed to be nothing at the end of the long tunnel.

"How strange…" said Gremlin, "And yet, I still feel compelled to move onward… like what we are seeking is now very close." K-1 turned his eyes towards the floor and was shocked at what his optical processors were now registering.

"Gremlin! Crystal!" said an awestruck K-1, "Look at the floor!" The Kirlia and Sableye looked down at their feet and were soon struck with immense amazement as well. They were standing on expertly-carved white cobblestones.

"What is this?" asked Gremlin, "Some kind of street?" K-1 glanced left and right: the eerie darkness seemed to conceal everything. To make matters worse, some kind of unidentified force was overloading his night vision and infrared scanners. A single object soon stuck out of the inky expanse.

"Ah! Maybe this will help," said K-1 to himself as he walked up to what appeared to be a seven foot tall iron lamppost with a glass enclosure on top. There was no candle at the top of the lamppost, but there did seem to be a metallic flame emitter, although K-1 sincerely doubted the lamp was fueled by gas.

"Have you discovered something, K-1?" asked Gremlin as he and Crystal walked up to their robotic friend. K-1 wasted no time in tearing off a small access panel near the bottom of the lamppost. Inside, he saw what seemed like a single, highly-polished silvery metallic rod that ran up and down the entire length of the lamppost which led all the way up to the flame emitter in the small glass enclosure.

"Is that some kind of pipe?" asked Crystal.

"More like an arcane conductor of some sort," replied K-1, his chest compartment opening up so he could extend one of his arms towards the open panel. In K-1's hand was an arc-welder.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea, K-1?" asked Gremlin, worried while taking a few steps back away from the robot with Crystal following suit, "There's no telling what might happen if you give this lamppost an electric jolt."

"Which is why I'm only going to use a low level of voltage and current," replied K-1 confidently, "But, I would still recommend that you stand back."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" said Gremlin fearfully as he and Crystal stepped back hastily. Once the two Pokémon were several yards away, hopefully a safe distance, K-1 slowly brought his arc-welder towards the exposed metal rod.

"Here goes nothing," thought K-1 as he closed his eyes, hoping his thin metal eyelids would provide enough protection in case there was an explosion. The robot gently touched the welder against the metallic rod. There was a faint spark as K-1 applied a mere 10 volts at one amp into the lamppost. Instantly, the lamppost flared to life with a ghostly blue flame now lighting up the immediate area. Gremlin and Crystal was astonished when they could finally see more of their surroundings. All around them, the two Pokémon and robot could make out what appeared to be several ruined stone buildings going up and down the street into the thick darkness of the immense cavern.

"I think we may have discovered an underground city!" said K-1 with shock, "But how could this place have been built all the way down here and why are the nearby buildings lying in such a poor state?" While K-1 mapped out as much of the area as he could while standing still, Gremlin was glancing about the empty, silent street.

"That lamp… it reminds me of the torches you find all throughout Olympus," said Crystal with awe, "The flames require no fuel and they burn without any heat, so you can't get burned if you accidentally touch them. What kind of city is this?"

"This isn't just any city…" said a mesmerized Gremlin, "So… this place really did exist… It was more than just a legend… This has to be that place. It just has to be!"

"Gremlin? Dear?" asked Crystal, growing more worried by the minute, "Where exactly are we?" Gremlin turned around, facing Crystal with a friendly smile on his face.

"Crystal, my love…" said Gremlin with a slight bow towards his mate, "Welcome to Twilight: City of Eternal Dusk."

"Eternal dusk, you say?" said K-1 with a heavy sigh, "Certainly fitting for a city resting hundreds of feet underground."

"Well, Twilight wasn't always underground, you know," said Gremlin with a frown.

"I should have figured as such," said K-1 as he wandered over to the nearest unlit lamppost.

"Something terrible must have happened," said an uneasy Crystal.

"Sadly, that is exactly the case," said Gremlin with a sigh of despair, "Please, how about we sit down and I'll tell you a story of the ghost city of Twilight." Crystal nodded her head and sat down on the cobblestone street alongside her mate.

"Now… where to begin…?" said Gremlin, putting his left arm around Crystal, holding his lovely Kirlia close, "Ah, yes. The story of this once-grand city began ages ago…" Crystal closed her eyes, trying to imagine what Twilight may have looked like in its prime, so long ago.

"Twilight was founded by who was considered to be the most powerful ghost Pokémon in the world, second only to the legendary master of nightmares, Darkrai," said Gremlin, "He was known as Gengar the Great. He was several hundred millennia old and is credited with the creation of Ghost Forme, which he used to create a menagerie of enchanted objects. The torches in Olympus, as well as other Gardevoir settlements and the lampposts in this city were all created using the runic language and alchemical formulas of Ghost Forme. Are you paying attention to my story, K-1?"

"I can hear you just fine, Gremlin," said K-1 with a friendly tone of voice as he tore the small access panel off the darkened lamppost and quickly reignited it with a jolt from his arch-welder and then proceeded to the next deactivated lamppost, "Please continue while I get more of these lampposts relit. I imagine you will want to explore this area as much as I do."

"Very good, K-1," said Gremlin, returning his gaze to Crystal's face, "Anyway, Gengar the Great created this massive city as a safe haven for Ghost and Dark Type Pokémon to study Ghost Forme, but also just to live in peace without fear of the outside world. Of course, any peaceful creatures, with the exception of humans, were allowed to visit and dwell in Twilight."

"I guess he welcomed anyone in with open arms," remarked Crystal, "He must have been very nice."

"Well, unless you were allied with the Blight," said Gremlin, "Gengar the Great wasted no time in personally chasing out spies and ambassadors of the Blight. He absolutely detested them for their murderous and treacherous ways. For millennia, Twilight was a place of peace, refuge and learning with Gengar the Great to lead the way. However, that all changed one fateful day."

"What happened?" asked Crystal hesitantly. Gremlin cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Heavy Claw, the Kabutops leader of the Blight eventually managed to lay siege to Twilight," replied Gremlin somberly, "The Great Pokémon Wars were in full swing. The peaceful creatures of the world were bravely and valiantly facing off against the seemingly-unstoppable Blight. Gengar the Great knew he and his people were safe behind the massive walls of his great city and figured Twilight would easily outlast Heavy Claw's siege. Sadly, this would be his only, but ultimately fatal mistake. For on the only the 10th day of the siege, the Blight presented their champion, armed with a dark artifact, the likes of which no one had ever seen before." Crystal was shocked: she knew the very artifact which Gremlin spoke of.

"The Black Pendant!" exclaimed a wide-eyed Crystal.

"Yes…" said Gremlin despairingly, "The Mightyena which wore the Black Pendant easily tore through the city walls, even though they were walls of stone bricks built 100 feet tall and 50 feet thick. The massive Blight army poured into Twilight, slaughtering anyone in their path. Gengar quickly ordered his royal guards to gather as many of the city's inhabitants as possible and then lead them to safety. Gengar stayed behind, alone in his tower at the center of Twilight, watching his guards plow through the Blight's army. Many fell in their escape and Gengar the Great wept for the first time in his life, grieved that even he, with all his power could do nothing to stop the invasion and murder of his people. Thanks to Gengar's quick actions plus the loyalty and unshakable determination of the royal guards, many residents of Twilight managed to escape into the mountains. The Blight, oddly enough, did not pursue the survivors. Instead, they ransacked Twilight and tore many of the buildings to the ground. As for Gengar the Great, it is said that he fell in battle against the Black Pendant. He knew he would draw the undivided attention of the Blight, so he stayed behind, knowing he would have to give his life to save what remained of his people."

"Wow…" said Crystal with sadness in her voice, "He was very brave…" Gremlin nodded his head in agreement.

"Indeed he was," said Gremlin, "Though Gengar the Great was mortally wounded, he managed to cling to life long enough to finally meet his adversary: the murderous leader of the Blight. Heavy Claw himself is said to have smiled, watching Gengar pass away in his midst. However, instead of hearing Gengar the Great cry out with pain or beg for mercy, the dying ghost Pokémon merely laughed at Heavy Claw and the victorious Mightyena. Gengar said to heavy claw, 'You think you have defeated me and my people? You fools have merely sealed your own fates! Your doom is assured, Heavy Claw. One day, a member of your own family will be the architect of your demise! You shall die in the great palace of Olympus and the Order of Twining Shadows shall return in greater numbers than you can possibly imagine!' Gengar laughed one last time, closing his eyes. Then Heavy Claw became all the more enraged when his trophy, the body of Gengar the Great, suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving behind only his royal garments."

"Wait a minute," said a rather bewildered Crystal, "How could anyone have known what happened to Gengar the Great besides more members of the Blight?"

"That's a very good question and I have just the answer," replied Gremlin with a smile, "An ancestor of mine had stayed behind to defend Gengar the Great. Instead, Gengar commanded him to bear witness to what happened to him, hoping the story would compel others to join in the fight against the Blight."

"I see," said Crystal softly, nodding her head with understanding, "But what happened next?"

"Well, Heavy Claw was not satisfied with simply defeating Gengar the Great and taking over Twilight," explained Gremlin, "In fact, Heavy Claw was furious, because after several weeks of scouring the city, the Blight army was unable to locate any of the artifacts that Gengar and his followers had crafted throughout the ages. Enraged, Heavy Claw had his army combine their powers and they caused a great earthquake below Twilight, causing the once great city to sink underground, where it has lain abandoned and lonely ever since. As for my ancestor, he managed to escape alive and undetected from the city, bearing witness to its supposed destruction. Despite Twilight vanishing completely, there were many who believed the city was still intact underground. As you can see, those Pokémon were correct."

"Gremlin! Crystal! Come here quick! You have to see this!" called K-1 from down the street. The newlyweds looked down the street to see that several of the old lampposts had been relit, brightly illuminating the streets around them.

"We'll be right there!" answered Gremlin, lowering his voice before speaking to Crystal with a smile on his face, "I think we'd best go and see what our metallic friend discovered, don't you?" Crystal nodded her head, agreeing with her Sableye mate.

"I'll bet he found something neat," said Crystal, giggling with excitement. The Sableye and Kirlia in wedding dresses rose to their feet and walked quickly down the street towards an intact building about 100 yards from where they had just been sitting.

"Hold it right there," said K-1, "Now, I want you to step back and look down the nearest darkened street."

"Why?" asked Gremlin, "And what did you find in there?"

"I think I may have discovered some kind of arcane power conduit," replied K-1, "I'm going to give it a bit of a charge and see what happens. I am pretty sure this device is what controls all of the lampposts down here." Gremlin and Crystal did as they were asked and glanced down the nearest street which was shrouded in darkness.

"We're ready," said Gremlin.

"Okay!" said an enthusiastic K-1, "Here we go!" Crystal saw a spark from out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, the entire cavern became illuminated with bright lights. Gremlin and Crystal reflexively closed their eyes, shielding them with their hands. Once the newlyweds' eyes began to adjust to the lighting, they could soon see the full scope of the ruined city. They could easily make out hundreds of buildings in the distance, many of them five stories high or more and made from seemingly nothing but white bricks and mortar. Down the street, and at the very center of the sprawling, dilapidated metropolis was a single, but very large tower which dominated the landscape. The magnificent building was also made of white stone.

"This place is wonderful!" said an astounded Crystal, "I had no idea Twilight was such a big and beautiful city."

"Neither did I…" said Gremlin, awestruck at what his eyes beheld, "Just imagine what this place looked like before being ravaged by the Blight."

"It would appear the structures of Twilight were made from the same white and gray marble as Olympus," remarked K-1, whistling with amazement, "How fascinating."

"I wonder if Gengar the Great had dealings with any kings or queens from Olympus?" asked Crystal.

"One can only wonder," said K-1, walking up to get closer to his friends, "There is only one thing that puzzles me: why, Crystal, were you and Gremlin drawn to this place? Do you still feel like something is calling out to you?"

"There is," said Crystal softly, "But… now I feel like I'm just supposed to wait here for something."

"I feel the same, my love…" said a mystified Gremlin. K-1 suddenly turned his head to face the street which led to the massive tower at the center of Twilight.

"I hear something coming…" warned K-1, "Be ready for anything. This very well could be a trap…"

"You don't think the Blight led us here to kill us, do you Gremlin?" asked Crystal with fear.

"I… hope not…" was Gremlin's very hesitant reply. Off in the distance, the group of worried travelers could hear loud, thunderous footsteps coming from the city's center. K-1 squinted his eyes, forcing his electronic optics to peer ahead at their very limit: he could see a dark silhouette several blocks away. The quadruped figure seemed to be running towards him and his Pokémon companions on all fours with surprising speed, much like a large bear.

"What in the world is that?" shrieked Crystal, ducking behind Gremlin for protection. The Sableye sneered at the approaching figure as a dark aura began to surround his body.

"I sure hope we're not in for a fight…" growled Gremlin. K-1's mini plasma Vulcan cannons unfurled from his sides. The multi-barreled guns began to spin rapidly and K-1 was soon ready to fire at a moment's notice. The hulking figure continued its forward charge towards Gremlin and company. The ground was starting to shake as the strange figure came ever closer towards the leery Sableye, Kirlia and robot. Gremlin wasn't sure why, but felt an odd… calming sensation about his body. Crystal looked over at his mate, feeling the same way as her mate.

"Stand down K-1…" said Gremlin, now thoroughly confused, "I think… I think that… thing might be friendly." K-1 glanced at Gremlin, wondering if the Sableye had just lost his mind.

"Are you kidding me?" exclaimed K-1, but nonetheless, he allowed his mini-guns to spin down, "Okay, but you had better be right, for all our sakes!" The hulking creature… or machine slowed its charge as it approached the two Pokémon and K-1. Now, K-1 was more intrigued than worried when he got a good look at the approaching figure.

"What is that?" asked a puzzled K-1, "It looks like it's made of some kind of metal…" The hulking machine slowed down as it came closer, coming to a gentle stop just a few feet away from Gremlin. For K-1, the machine's body resembled a grizzly bear from his own world, but its front legs had hands with a thumb and three fingers each instead of razor-sharp claws. The round head of the machine was featureless, save for a single blue eye at the center of what K-1 figured was its face. The machine turned its glowing blue eye upon Crystal and then stared straight at Gremlin. The hulking automaton was covered with Ghost Forme symbols in decorative patterns, many of which Gremlin had never seen before. The machine's eye glowed with a yellow light as it looked Gremlin over. The machine's eye glowed brighter as it spoke in a surprisingly gentle, refined and most decidedly masculine voice.

"Welcome to Twilight, young ones," said the automaton, "I have been waiting for your arrival for over a thousand years." Of all the surprises Gremlin and his friends had encountered so far, this one was certainly the most bewildering.

"Excuse me?" asked a dumbfounded Gremlin, "What do you mean you've been expecting us?" The hulking golem paused for a moment: it seemed to be confused at Gremlin's statement.

"I have identified you as a descendant of a member of the Order of Twining Shadows, Gengar the Great's royal guards and the greatest practitioners of Ghost Forme," explained the automaton, towering over Gremlin as it stood up on its hind legs, "Are you not from the Order of Twining Shadows? I doubt it. I am never wrong. I can tell who you are quite clearly, although, I did not expect you to be in such attire. Well, I should have figured that out since this Kirlia is your wife."

"Who or what are you?" demanded K-1, folding his mini-guns back up into his sides. The automaton turned around, fixing its eye and upon K-1, gazing at him with curiosity.

"I have never seen a machine like you before, especially one that is not operated by the power of Ghost Forme," said the automaton, "I have been awaiting your arrival as well."

"I see…" said a confused K-1, "But you did not answer my question: who or what are you?"

"You may call me G6," replied the automaton, "That stands for Gengar the Great's Gargantuan Ghost Forme Guardian Golem."

"Incredible!" said Crystal with delight, "An intelligent machine that is completely powered by magic!"

"That is incorrect," said G6, turning his gaze upon Crystal, "I am powered by the runic language and alchemical powers of Ghost Forme. I was created by Gengar the Great to serve one purpose: to guide a Sableye, a Kirlia and a machine with a feline-like appearance that walks on two legs and has no visible arms."

"That would be me," said K-1, "You may call me K-1."

"Ah. That would be a lot easier and less wordy than addressing you as 'The Cat-like Golem' or 'Machine with a Feline Appearance'," admitted G6 with a nod of his head, "Now, we must be on our way. We have little time to waste."

"Where are you going to take us?" asked a hesitant Gremlin.

"I am required to take you to Gengar the Great's tomb," replied G6, "There is much he must say to you."

"Hold on!" shouted Gremlin, "Gengar the Great is dead! He was killed ages ago by Heavy Claw's minion!"

"The information is correct," said G6, "But at any rate, I must complete my mission. If you refuse, I am authorized to force you to the given location against your will. Believe me; I would rather not be required to resort to barbaric tactics. Now then, Gengar the Great has a message for all three of you. We must make haste for the tomb."

"Why the big rush?" asked Gremlin.

"It would be much easier to show you than sit here and try and explain every last detail with words for the next several hours or many days, wouldn't you agree?" asked G6.

"Agreed," said K-1 with a nod, "Shall we proceed now, my friends?" Gremlin and Crystal nodded their heads in unison.

"Lead the way, G6," commanded Gremlin.

"Affirmative," said G6 as he set his front limbs back down on the ground, "Please follow me and stay close. This city is vast and getting lost here is not recommended, unless you truly desire to see hundreds of skeletons lining the streets and ruined buildings… curse the Blight…" Crystal tightly held onto Gremlin's left hand. The trio of explorers followed after the metallic Golem down the long abandoned avenues. Crystal couldn't help but be afraid. Her mind was wandering and she couldn't stop herself from imagining the horrible things the Blight had done after overrunning the entire city.

"We'll be okay," whispered Gremlin to his mate, smiling in a loving manner, trying to comfort her.

"Thank you, Gremlin…" said Crystal softly. The long journey was quite unnerving in the dead-silent metropolis. Nonetheless, G6 and his followers soon arrived in a sprawling cemetery not far from Gengar the Great's former home.

"Oh, no!" said K-1 with shock, running past G6 to take a closer look at the soft earth of the cemetery. There were several sets of footprints all about the burial ground: all them definitely did not belong to any Pokémon.

"What's the matter K-1?" asked a worried Crystal.

"He has discovered one piece of a greater puzzle," replied G6. K-1 scanned the ground with his keen eyes, analyzing all the footprints. His programming quickly came up with a result.

"There were at least a dozen humans here not long ago," said K-1, "I believe they were all wearing some kind of combat boots, too." G6 nodded his head.

"Sadly, humans have desecrated this hallowed ground;" said G6, "Note the craters and burn marks in the ground near the grand tomb in the center of the cemetery? They attempted to break into Gengar the Great's tomb. No doubt, they were after his trove of treasures." A small stone building with a single, sealed door was indeed at the very middle of the cemetery. Atop the building was a statue of Gengar the Great himself: dressed in royal robes, wearing an ornate crown and cradling a scepter in his hands. For some reason, Gengar's statue did not have a grin on its face, but a much more benevolent and serious expression. The building was decorated with intricate designs and murals, featuring Gengar the Great, including a map with Gengar standing at various locations in the Gardev Region.

"Look at this," remarked Crystal, "This mural shows Gengar the Great, standing next to a Gardevoir king and queen in the Olympus throne room!"

"I don't recognize any of these other places," added K-1 as he pointed at a pair of murals on the opposite side of the tomb from Gremlin and Crystal, "But I recognize these locations as the Gardevoir city of Atlantis and the other from the ruins of Asgard. It would appear that Gengar the Great was friends with the ruling families of the Gardevoir settlements."

"Indeed," said G6, "As for the tomb itself, I am most grateful the humans were unable to breach it."

"I'll say," remarked K-1, seeing the burn marks and many small craters around the tomb, "Looks like they tried to use high explosives to break into the tomb, but the structure is completely unharmed." G6 seemed perplexed at K-1's observation.

"Explosives?" asked G6, "I have no information on that word. Please define it for me."

"Well, an explosive is a substance that contains a great amount of stored energy that can produce an explosion, a sudden expansion of the material after initiation, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure," explained K-1. G6 paused for a moment. From what K-1 and his companions could figure, G6 was trying his best to understand K-1's lengthy and rather wordy description.

"Understood," said G6, "I have recorded that information. I remember seeing lots of these 'Explosions' here yesterday when the humans tried to enter the tomb. I would have destroyed them, but Gengar commanded me not to harm anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. Since the tomb is indestructible, my intervention was not required."

"Which brings to question…" said Gremlin, narrowing his eyes on the tomb's sealed stone door, "How are we supposed to get inside." G6 turned his gaze upon the bewildered Sableye.

"I am required to instruct you," said G6 firmly, "All you have to do is approach the door and wait."

"That's all?" asked Gremlin.

"That, as you say, is all," answered G6, "Now please do as I requested. I cannot begin to explain how important it is that you all see Gengar the Great at once."

"I thought Gremlin already mentioned this: Gengar the Great passed away long ago," said K-1 matter-of-factly.

"Don't say that!" snarled G6, "He has a message for all of you and requests your presence at once."

"Enough arguing! All of you!" said Crystal impatiently, "I'm getting tired and hungry after all this exploration down here in these caverns! Let's please get this over with so we can get back to the surface already!"

"My thoughts exactly, milady," said G6 calmly. Gremlin shrugged his shoulders and stepped towards the tomb's decorated door. No sooner did the Sableye come within a few feet of the door when Gremlin and his friends heard a soft "Click!" from somewhere in the door. The stone slab slid to the left, revealing a passageway that led into the tomb.

"As I detected," said G6 with a nod of his head, "You are a descendant of a member of the Order of Twining Shadows, otherwise the door would have never opened for you. Now, Gengar the Great has been waiting for you to arrive here with your wife and robotic companion. Please proceed. I have been instructed never to enter the tomb unless absolutely necessary. After all, I am only its guardian."

"I understand," said Gremlin with a nod of affirmation, "K-1, Crystal: we should be on our way." Crystal walked up to her mate and held onto his left hand.

"Agreed: I'll follow you," said K-1. With that, the Sableye, Kirlia and K-1 slowly entered the tomb. The stone door slid closed behind the three companions. Torches with blue fire lined each side of the long, white marble hallway. A bright red carpet lined the floor all the way to a set of double doors at the opposite of the corridor. The two Pokémon and K-1 cautiously made their way slowly down the quiet hallway, wondering about what would await them up ahead.