The Final Strike- Sequel to "Project Omega"

[Dr. Mack Foxx]

Mack and Aura are busy enjoying their honeymoon after a lavish wedding. Despite the massive losses in the Gardev region, the battle to annihilate Cipher rages on. The evil scientist, Dr. Namwen, has not given up on his quest to complete Project Omega. All he needed was a suitable test subject and Cecil was more than willing to volunteer. Cecil, still blinded by rage, wants nothing short of having vengeance on the Guardians of Gardev and to claim the legendary Gardevoir city for Cipher. Project Omega will allow Cecil to gain the powers of the Guardians, but he does not realize that he is about to fall into the demented scientist’s trap. Meanwhile, Cipher is starting to come apart at the seams in the Orre region and no one knows just what Dr. Namwen will do out of desperation to save Cipher, if not claim the world for himself.

If you have not read The Village Guardian or Project Omega, you may want to do so before reading this:
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/DrMackFoxx/1village_guardian_banner.jpg (http://www.theud.com/pokecommunity/showthread.php?t=71867)
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/DrMackFoxx/2project_omega_banner.jpg (http://www.theud.com/pokecommunity/showthread.php?t=71896)

Ages 13+ Suggested for Violence and Romance

Written by Philip “Dr. Mack Foxx” Byard and Aaron “Aaraboga Jones” Byard

The Sequel to “The Village Guardian” and “Project Omega” 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.

Original Story, Characters and all other Original Content are Copyright 1987, 1995, 1999 and 2006 Philip “Dr. Mack Foxx” Byard and Aaron “Aaraboga Jones” Byard

Poke’mon and all related content and characters are Copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2006 to Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures and The Poke’mon Company

With all that said and done, I hope you will enjoy the conclusion of my story. This is yet another large story, so take your time with it and enjoy.

-Dr. Mack Foxx

[Dr. Mack Foxx]

-1-
K-1 stood alone in front of Central’s main control terminal. The soft electronic clicks and beeps coming from the massive super computer were the only sound that could be heard in the room. K-1 had wanted some peace and quiet for a long time now. A chance to relax and unwind from the constant maintenance of the underground laboratory and the powerful star fighter, the Firefox, but with Mack gone, the lab was almost too quiet. He almost wished there would be a malfunction of some sort somewhere in the lab to break the monotony. Even having all the R-25 robots in the entire lab go berserk would be more fun than being alone in the large, hidden facility. Due to a series a freak teleportation accidents, Mack was now a Gardevoir, but that was only the beginning. Just a week ago, Mack had married Aura, a young Gardevoir, in the Gardev chapel. Now Mack would share the duties of protecting the small town and its people. Mack and Aura had left for the hidden Gardevoir city after their wedding night. K-1 knew they would be stuck in the world of Poke’mon until an antidote could be found to revert Mack back into his fox-like form. K-1 and Central also figured the antidote could be used to transform Aura into a vixen. Thus, Mack, K-1 and Central would all be able to return to their home world with Aura, without drawing too much suspicion from Mack’s friends and family. Either way, it would be one hundred years until the antidote would be ready. K-1 sighed, knowing how much time it would take to find a cure without any chance of side-effects or other various mishaps. Suddenly, Central’s voice broke the near-silence in the room.

"K-1, we have a visitor,” reported Central.

“I wonder who it could be this time,” replied K-1 with curiosity. K-1 hoped that maybe Eric and his group of Alakazams had come for a visit. After all, they were the only others besides Mack and Aura who could access the lab.

“I can’t get a visual on the surface,” said Central, “Not since that Pidgeot tried to roost on one of the cameras and buried its talons into it.”

“That poor bird got quite a shock when he…discovered the camera’s power systems,” said K-1 with nervous laughter, “Perhaps I camouflaged it too well.”

“Well, once the Pidgeot recovers, releasing it will be a synch,” said Central as the soft humming of an elevator filled the room. K-1 faced the entryway, wondering who would round the corner into the room. As the doors of the elevator hissed open from down the hallway, K-1 then heard some strange rustling and a soft voice. K-1 could soon distinctly hear Mack walking down the corridor, humming the wedding march.

“Huh? What’s Mack doing here?” asked K-1 to himself.

“We’re just here to check on a few things,” said Mack as he rounded the corner with Aura in his arms.

“A pleasure to see you again so soon, Mack,” said Central happily as she gazed at Mack and Aura through one of her cameras, “I must say, you and Aura do make a very cute couple.”

“I would hope so!” giggled Aura.

“Aren’t you two supposed to be on your honeymoon?” asked a confused K-1, “And why are you both still wearing your wedding dresses?”

“Its Gardevoir tradition,” replied Aura with a smile, “The bride and groom wear their wedding attire during their honeymoon while out in public as a sign of celebration.”

“Is this how all Gardevoir couples celebrate marriage?” asked Central with curiosity.

“No,” answered Aura, “Gardevoirs who don’t live in the hidden cities like to keep things simple. They find a mate; exchange vows before a few witnesses and off they go together for the rest of their lives.”

“Ah. I see,” said Central.

“We’ll also wear our wedding attire when one of our children gets married, on either Mack’s or my birthday, on certain holidays and, most importantly, on our wedding anniversary,” explained Aura as she stared at Mack. K-1 was busy gazing at Mack and Aura’s wedding attire.

“Sheesh, Mack, your mother and father would blow a gasket if they saw you now,” laughed K-1.

“Why would they?” asked Aura as she stroked Mack’s satin-covered shoulders, “He looks absolutely wonderful.”

“As do you, my love,” said Mack gently. Aura smiled and winked at him.

“Now then,” said Mack nervously as he faced K-1, “We came here to check on Ramirez. Is he doing any better?”

“I was just about to check on him,” said K-1, “Follow me.” Mack carried Aura as they followed K-1 to the medical room. There, sleeping in the cell-regenerator was Ramirez, Aura’s younger brother. Though eight days had passed, Ramirez’s skin and pendant were still jet-black.

“I see he’s still a shadow Poke’mon…” said Aura with despair.

“But there has been some progress,” said K-1 as he closely examined Ramirez from behind the class covering of the machine, “He moved and spoke while viewing your wedding.”

“After only a week, he did all that, eh?” asked Mack, “Well, that’s good news, despite the fact that Ramirez’s appearance hasn’t changed at all.”

“Does this mean he’ll be cured soon?” asked Aura.

“Maybe,” said K-1, “I still don’t know how long this will take.” K-1 closely gazed at the dark pendant on Ramirez’s neck and noticed something peculiar.

“Find something?” asked Mack.

“Perhaps…” answered K-1 as he strained to get a closer view of the pendant, “I’ll try a 400x zoom.” K-1 could examine things on a microscopic level, but still, he could not get a good look at a very tiny, discolored blotch on the pendant.

“Let’s try a 1600x zoom,” said K-1 as he gazed even closer at the pendant, “Eureka! I don’t believe it!”

“What do you see?” asked Aura with excitement.

“There’s a microscopic area of the emerald pendant that has reverted back to its normal color. You can’t see it with the naked eye, though. It’s barely 75 nanometers across,” explained K-1 as he walked away from the cell regenerator and reset his vision to normal.

“Glacian, Alexander and Aurora would love to hear of this,” said Mack happily, “The pendant is purging itself of the darkness.”

“I can’t wait until my brother is back with us,” said Aura softly.

“Is there anything else you needed?” asked K-1.

“Yes,” said Aura, “Have Fredrick and Anna been behaving well?”

“Of course,” answered K-1.

“I’m glad you could watch over them,” said Aura with a smile, “My father and mother still have to rest for awhile before they can watch over the family again.”

“They can rest as long as they need to,” said K-1 with determination, “I can watch over Fredrick and Anna in the meantime.”

“I see that you’re good with children,” said Aura with delight.

“I guess you could say that,” said K-1. Aura smiled and looked into Mack’s eyes.

“That could prove very useful in the near future…” said Aura tenderly as she closed her eyes.

“Indeed, Aura…Indeed…” said Mack gently as he closed his eyes and kissed Aura. The sapphire and ruby pendants once again glowed brightly as the lovers’ lips touched. K-1 went wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

“I think I’m gonna short-circuit!” howled K-1 with despair as he flopped onto the floor face first.

“Relax K-1!” laughed Aura.

“We aren’t going to be having children. Well…” said Mack as he gazed into Aura’s eyes, “Not for a while, anyway.” Aura giggled and faced K-1.

“Speaking of children, where are Fredrick and Anna right now?” asked Aura.

“Oh! Simon dropped by earlier and I let him take care of them for now,” reported K-1 as he got back on his feet.

“You left Anna with Simon?” asked Aura with uneasiness in her voice.

“Yeah,” replied K-1, “Is there something wrong with that?” A loud “BOOM!” from down the hallway confirmed Aura’s anxiety. Moments later, Simon rushed into the room with Anna right on his tail.

“AAAAAACK!” screamed Simon the Kabutops as the little Kirlia chased him around the room with surprising speed.

“Get the cockroach babysitter!” shouted Anna mischievously as she chased Simon around the room while her right arm blazed with electricity.

“And why did you teach her Thunder Punch?” demanded K-1.

“Well, I was trying to teach her and Fredrick a few new attacks, but I didn’t think she would try out her new moves on me!” yelled Simon as he ran back and forth. Anna stayed right behind him. Simon suddenly turned around and started moving his claws strangely, as if he was now behind a wall of glass.

“Huh?!” said Anna with surprise.

“Ha! Now I have a barrier up!” said Simon with triumph. He looked down and took a closer look as his claws: he was waving them back and forth rhythmically.

“Why is he telling me ‘No’ with both hands?” asked Anna as the electricity vanished from her arm.

“Oh, bother…” muttered Simon as his claws started glowing brighter and brighter with a strange, pale blue light.

“That’s Metronome, isn’t it?” asked K-1. Simon’s body soon started radiating a bright, yellow and red light.

“And now he’s about to unleash Explosion!” shouted Central. Mack quickly dove behind a large computer terminal while K-1 quickly extended a few arms, grabbed Anna and dove behind another computer with her. Mack held Aura tightly, bracing himself and getting ready to protect her from a powerful blast. Moments earlier, Central had unfolded several metal panels over her control panels, the other computer terminals and the main view screen.

“This is gonna be messy,” grumbled K-1.Seconds later, there was a loud “Poof!” as smoke filled the room. The smoke soon cleared, revealing another Kirlia.

“Oh, no…” groaned Simon with despair, “…Transform…”

“Yay!” yelled Anna with glee as she broke loose from K-1’s grip, ran towards Simon and then wrapped her arms around him, “Now I have another big brother!”

“I beg your pardon!” shouted Simon with shock as he tried to get free from Anna’s bear hug. Fredrick quickly ran into the room after hearing the commotion.

“Is something wrong?!” asked Fredrick frantically.

“Nothing’s wrong,” answered Mack as he got up and helped Aura get back on her feet.

“Are you back from your honeymoon early?” asked Fredrick with curiosity.

“No,” answered Aura with a smile.

“We just wanted to see how Ramirez and everyone else was doing,” said Mack as his
eyes fell on Simon, the struggling Kirlia, “And I’m glad we did, too.”

“Someone, please get her off me!” complained Simon.

“Simon? Is that you?” asked a surprised Fredrick.

“Yes,” grumbled Simon, “I tried to fool Anna into thinking I had a barrier up, instead, I used Metronome which lead to me using Transform! Now I’m stuck as a Kirlia!”

“But you make such an adorable Kirlia,” giggled Anna.

“Is there an easy way to make that transformation wear off?” asked Fredrick.

“Well, the fastest way is for someone to defeat me in combat. For some reason, I’ve never been able to revert to my original form on my own. Would someone be willing to take me on?” asked Simon as he glared at Anna, “You, my dear, will not be taking the challenge!”

“Couldn’t I just unload on you?” asked K-1 with a smirk as he retracted his hands and started to spin up his mini-plasma Vulcan cannons.

“It has to be a Poke’mon battle,” said Simon with a frown, “Heavy weapons will not do anything except blow me to steaming, black bits.”

“Now, you know I’m just joking,” said K-1 as his cannons spun down.

“How about me? I would like to try out those new moves you taught me,” said Fredrick, volunteering for the challenge.

“You’ve only trained with me for a few hours, but you’re already one of the best students I’ve ever had,” said Simon as he faced Anna, “Unlike some Poke’mon I know.”

“Hey!” shouted Anna with disgust.

“Look on the bright side;” said Simon sinisterly, “You’ll still get to watch me get beaten to a pulp by your older and smarter brother.”

“But I wanted to destroy you!” quipped Anna.

“Now, now,” said Aura as she grabbed Anna’s hand and lead her away from
Simon, “Just stand back and watch the fun.”

“Shall we begin?” asked Fredrick.

“Yes,” replied Simon as everyone else stood back.

“I would prefer that you would not engage in combat while in my main control chamber,” grumbled Central as she surveyed the combatants, “Then again, this could be amusing. Carry on.”

“Alright, Fredrick,” said Simon, “Come at me with all you’ve got and don’t hold back.” Before Simon could utter another word, Fredrick ran right at him as right his arm blazed with electricity. Simon tried to jump out of the way, but ended up slipping and falling to the floor. Simon was certainly not used to standing on his tip-toes like a real Kirlia. Before Simon could react, Fredrick landed his punch on target, hitting Simon squarely in the face. Simon coughed as Fredrick jumped back, ready to either defend himself or try another attack.

“Typical…” moaned Simon, “Even the younger members of the Guardian family are incredibly powerful…” Simon could hardly believe what had just happened: after a single hit, he could no longer stand up.

“I…won already?” asked Fredrick with disbelief.

“Ooh! It was that easy to beat him? I want to try next!” said Anna with excitement as she got ready to attack.

“No…” said Simon weakly as he transformed back into his Kabutops self, “I’ve had enough punishment and embarrassment for one day.” Suddenly, Fredrick started to glow with a bright, white light.

“Is he evolving already?” asked Aura with amazement as she shielded her eyes from the blinding light.

“Simon must be very hard to defeat indeed if that one battle was enough to make Fredrick evolve,” said Mack with astonishment. Moments later, the bright light faded, revealing a Gardevoir where Fredrick the Kirlia had been standing just a few moments ago.

“Wow!” said Anna with happiness, “If that one fight made Fredrick evolve, than I really want to kick Simon’s butt!”

“Not now you won’t,” said Aura with a smirk as her eyes glowed with a blue light. Anna lifted into the air.

“I think you can stay up there until you’ve cooled down a bit,” said Mack. Fredrick was awestruck. He gazed at his green hands and at his new, white gown.

“Wow!” said Fredrick with amazement, “I’m a Gardevoir now?”

“And I could be one too, if Aura would let me!” protested Anna as Simon finally got back on his feet.

“You had me at a serious disadvantage, Fredrick,” said Simon as he dusted himself off, “Nevertheless, you did well, Fredrick. Very few Poke’mon have ever caught me off guard. You’ll be a very good fighter indeed before long.”

“I…I wonder if Sakura will evolve soon too,” stammered Fredrick with hope.

“I’m sure she will,” said Aura softly as she walked alongside her younger brother, “I know for a fact that Sakura likes you a lot.”

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” said Simon as he started for the entrance of the room, “I’m going back to Gardev to get some rest and attempt to forget about what just happened here…”

“Do you want any help getting back there, Simon? We could give you a ride in the S-1,” suggested Mack.

“No,” replied Simon, “But you and Aura should come back to Gardev with Fredrick before long. I’m sure Alexander and Aurora would love to see their son now.” As Simon left the room, Mack returned his attention to his beautiful wife.

“Since we’re here, how about we pay a little visit to William? I would like to see just how well Sakura has been taking care of him,” suggested Mack.

“Yes, we should,” said Aura as she smiled at Mack, “Besides, I have a strange feeling that there is another pleasant surprise waiting for us back in Gardev.”

“Then let’s be off. Shall I carry you, my dear?” asked Mack with a polite bow as he smiled at Aura.

“If you insist, handsome,” said Aura with a grin as Mack came alongside her and took her up in his arms.

“I’ll watch over the lab,” said K-1 as Mack carried Aura out of the room, “See you two later.” Meanwhile, Ramirez stirred in the cell regenerator. He had overheard everything.

“…So…my little brother…evolved. That’s wonderful,” said Ramirez weakly, “…Simon…you may have failed, but…you still fought…as well as you could…” Central’s cameras and hidden microphones quickly picked up this activity.

“Impressive!” remarked K-1 as he walked into the medical room and faced Ramirez, “He must have overheard everything!”

“Please don’t let him…come back…for us…please…” wheezed Ramirez with fear as his pendant glowed strangely. Moments later, Ramirez lay still and silent again. K-1 took another close look at the pendant with his powerful eyes.

“Sheesh,” said K-1 with disbelief, “Now the green area is over 156 nanometers across.”

“But what did he mean? I wonder who Ramirez could be afraid of,” said Central.

“Obviously,” said K-1 grimly, “I think Ramirez can sense something coming. After all, Eric’s brother did manage to escape us. Considering what that madman has done so far, I can only imagine what he’s up to now.”

-2-
Dr. Namwen chuckled with glee. So far everything was going according his plans. Just days earlier, he had run several tests on Cecil; just to make sure everything would work properly. Dr. Namwen was especially ecstatic on how Cecil had agreed to do everything in secret. Now the vile scientist had the first test subject for Project Omega.

“Now then,” cackled Dr. Namwen, “I will remind you that this process is still potentially dangerous. Are you sure you’re willing to risk everything to become a Gardevoir and have the powers of the Guardians at your disposal?” Cecil was suspended in a large, glass capsule, floating above the metal floor.

“I’m ready!” shouted Cecil with impatience, “I can’t wait any longer. I will have vengeance on the Guardians and claim the Gardevoir city for Cipher!” Dr. Namwen decided he should give Cecil one last chance to think things over.

“I will remind you that I have not yet finished my research. I’m close to a conclusion, but I still have not discovered a way to change you back into a human. Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?” asked Dr. Namwen.

“Your concern is unwarranted and surprises even me,” said Cecil coldly, “After I’m a Gardevoir, why would I want to change back into a powerless, feeble human anyway?”

“I’m just making certain of your choice,” said Dr. Namwen as he walked over to a computer console, “The process should take only a matter of hours. When you awaken, you will be one of the most powerful Poke’mon in the world.”

“Yes,” said Cecil with determination, “The power of the Guardians is going to me mine.”

“Then brace yourself, my friend,” said Dr. Namwen with a fiendish smile, “And kiss your human frailties goodbye.” Dr. Namwen thrust his right hand forward and pressed a large, red button on the console. Moments later, light poured into the capsule and electricity lanced around a giant machine in the room as the mechanical humming got louder and louder.

“Yes,” thought Dr. Namwen as he closely monitored Cecil’s vital signs from the computer, “Kiss all your human problems goodbye…as well as your freedom, my friend…”

(More scenes in a few weeks.)

[Dr. Mack Foxx]

-3-
Simon, though thoroughly rattled from his brief battle with Fredrick, could still not believe how powerful his adversary had been. Only one other Poke’mon had ever defeated him so quickly.

“Fredrick was almost as strong as Glacian all those years ago. Seems to me that the Guardian bloodline has gotten much stronger over the years,” thought Simon as he walked down the streets of Gardev. Just as he was about to round a corner, he heard a scream and felt something smash into his forehead. Simon collapsed to the ground, disoriented from the unexpected blow.

“Oh, sorry about that, Simon,” said a familiar, feminine voice with embarrassment, “You really scared me.”

“Hmmm?” asked Simon as his blurry vision quickly returned to normal. He looked up and found himself face to face with Sakura, the Kirlia.

“These Kirlia are getting too powerful for my taste…” muttered Simon, “And this little one isn’t even from the Guardian family.”

“Is something wrong?” asked Sakura with concern as she helped Simon to his feet.

“No. Nothing is…” said Simon as he was interrupted by getting blinded from a bright, white light.

“Here we go again,” said Simon as he closed his eyes and turned away from the blinding light. Moments later, the light faded, revealing another Gardevoir.

“I’ve…already evolved?” asked Sakura with disbelief.

“Heh!” said an irritated Simon, “You evolved because you defeated me too! It was hardly a good fight: you just come out and snipe me with a quick punch and BOOM, you’re a Gardevoir.” Simon quickly forgot about his frustration and anger when he remembered what had happened to Fredrick just minutes ago.

“I’m so sorry,” said Sakura with grief, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Simon just smiled at the young Gardevoir.

“It’s okay. That was all just an honest mistake. You know, I think you and Fredrick should see each other again soon. In fact he’s coming back to Gardev later today,” said Simon.

“Oh, dear!” said Sakura nervously, “What’s he going to think of me now? He’s probably still a Kirlia.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” said Simon with a grin, “Now, how about you take me back to your house? I’d like to have a little chat with William.”

“Okay,” said Sakura with glee, “Just follow me.” Off in the distance, Warren, Jake and Glacian looked on.

“That was kind of funny, the way Sakura blind-sided Simon,” chuckled Jake.

“And now Sakura is a fully-grown Gardevoir,” said Glacian happily, “What I foresaw at Mack’s wedding is coming true.”

“Fredrick is going be in for quite a shock when he sees her,” said Warren.

“They both will be!” laughed Glacian, “This almost reminds me of the day I met Gloria.”

“Oh? What happened?” asked Warren with curiosity.

“Well, the time had come for me to choose a mate, so I was taken to the Gardevoir city by my father to find a suitable female Gardevoir,” explained Glacian, “My father had already passed the duties of Guardianship to me a few days before. Anyway, I had the ruby pendant in my right hand and was walking down Main Street in the city, when out of nowhere, another Gardevoir ran into me as I was crossing an alley. As our eyes met, we were absolutely shocked, not just at our unexpected meeting, but at the sight of each other.” Glacian closed his eyes and slumped against a nearby wall blissfully.

“Love at first sight, eh?” asked Warren.

“Indeed it was,” laughed Glacian, “I knew it was meant to be by looking into the future. So, my father watched in shock as I put the ruby pendant around my bride-to-be’s neck, without even knowing her name!”

“Gadzooks…” said Jake, “Like a blind date, only you’re cutting to the chase.”

“You could say that,” chuckled Glacian, “It was only minutes later that she finally calmed down. Believe me, being chosen as the mate of one of the Guardians within seconds of meeting would be a shock to anyone. After all, being a Guardian is one of the most honorable things to us Gardevoir. The only thing close to that is to be a companion to a human trainer: to guide people through their Poke’mon journey and protect them. Anyway, she managed to get a hold of herself, smiled at me and then told me her name: Gloria. We were married just a week after our rather unorthodox meeting.”

“Looks like Gardevoir love is pretty simple,” remarked Jake with a shrug.

“Not necessarily,” said Glacian as he watched Sakura guide Simon to her home, “It can take years for a Gardevoir to find a mate. Why, Aura had been looking for one for quite some time, until she came across Mack. At any rate, I can see what’s coming: Fredrick and Sakura have no idea that they both evolved today and they’re about to find this out very soon.” Sakura lead Simon into her home with Makoto and the little girl, Sakura.

“Makoto, I’m home!” said Sakura happily as she and Simon entered the living room. Makoto walked into the living and almost dropped her frying pan when she saw the young Gardevoir, standing in her living room.

“You’ve…evolved already?” asked a flabbergasted Makoto.

“Yes,” said Sakura happily, “I’m hoping Fredrick will come by here later to see me.”

“That’s good,” said Makoto with a smile, “Maybe the Gardevoir of your dreams will come soon, too.” Simon coughed.

“Ahem. We’re looking for a certain Pikachu. Is William here?” asked Simon impatiently.

“And who is this?” asked Makoto as she skeptically glanced at the old Kabutops.

“Oh! He accidentally scared me and I knocked him out for a spell,” said Sakura with embarrassment, “His name is Simon.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Makoto,” said Simon as he bowed politely, “Now, may you please tell me where William is? I need to speak with him.”

“William is upstairs in Sakura’s room. She went to play outside after tending to him,” said Makoto, “She really spoiled that Pikachu, if you ask me. Just go on up if you want to see him.” Makoto walked out of the living room and back into the kitchen to make lunch. Simon and Sakura walked up the stairs and towards the young girl’s room.

“How come both you and that little girl are named Sakura?” asked a confused Simon. Sakura laughed nervously.

“She named me after a character from one of her favorite cartoons. Just like Li, the Mawile. I wonder where he’s hiding this time. Maybe he’s snooping around the kitchen, waiting to snatch some cookies again,” said Sakura as she opened the door to the room. There, they found William, laying on a fluffy pillow with bowls of food and water all about him. William belched as Sakura and Simon walked towards him.

“I see she’s been treating you very well,” said Simon with a smirk.

“No kidding…” sighed William with delight, “She’s such a nice girl: she gets me anything I want and, most importantly, she keeps Anna away from me! I don’t ever want to leave here.” William finally opened his eyes and noticed an unfamiliar Gardevoir in the room.

“Do I know you?” asked William. The Gardevoir laughed, knelt down and gently stroked William.

“Of course, I’m Sakura,” said Sakura with a smile.

“A Gardevoir already, eh? How did that happen?” asked William inquisitively.

“She surprised me with a Thunder Punch and defeated me for the second time today,” grumbled Simon, “It wasn’t even a decent fight. I had already been weakened from a previous battle.”

“Ah. You must be quite powerful in order for a Poke’mon to evolve so quickly after beating ya,” remarked William, “Besides who was able to nail you earlier today?”

“I don’t want to discuss that right now. At any rate, I need to have a word with you,” said Simon sternly.

“Later,” yawned William as he snuggled deeper into his pillow, “Any moment now, that sweet little girl is going to come in here and brush my fur. She really knows how to pamper a Poke’mon.” Simon snarled and walked towards a window at the back of the room. He glanced out the room and soon he got an idea to quickly get William on his feet.

“What’s this?” said Simon, “I think Anna is coming up the driveway towards this house.”

“Big deal,” said William, not even fazed by the announcement, “The little girl won’t let her near me.”

“I see a makeup kit in her left hand,” said Simon and he stared out the window, “A big one at that.”

“Please…” scoffed William, “You know Anna and Sakura like to play dress-up and mess around with make-up.”

“That’s true,” said Sakura with a friendly smile, “I remember when we played dress-up on Halloween. You’ll never guess who Li and I were.”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” said Simon grimly, “She has a small, pink, frilly dress on her right shoulder.”

“And I should care because…?” asked William, getting more and more irritated by the minute.

“That little girl isn’t here to save you this time,” said Simon, trying not to laugh, “Besides, that dress appears to be your size…William.” William’s ears perked up immediately and his eyes opened wide. He jumped off the pillow, into Sakura’s arms and faced her with pleading eyes.

“Please! Don’t let her get me!” begged William as the door to the room slowly creaked open.

“It’s too late now…” said Simon in a spooky voice, “You can’t escape your pink, frilly, perfumed doom!” Simon laughed loud and sinisterly. William screamed as the door opened wide.

“And what is going on here?!” demanded Mack.

“Are you okay, William?” asked Aura with concern. William stopped trembling and opened his eyes. Anna had not come into the room, just two newlywed Gardevoirs in wedding dresses. Simon and Sakura laughed as William growled.

“You tricked me!” snarled William as he tried to get free from Sakura’s embrace, “You said Anna was coming here to play dress-up with me!”

“Are you disappointed?” asked Aura with a grin, “Just give me some time. I’m sure Aurora could help me find a nice, pretty dress, just for you. Then, Mack and I can play dress-up with you back at the lab.” William sighed with despair, slipped out of Sakura’s arms and flopped onto the floor.

“You’re all out to get me, aren’t you…?” groaned William with despair.

“Hardly,” said Aura as Mack set her back on her feet. Aura walked over to William and picked him up.

“Come here, you,” said Aura sweetly as she held and stroked William. Mack glared at Simon.

“What?” asked Simon, trying to act surprised, “All I wanted to do was get that yellow blob off the floor.”

“Come, come,” said Aura as she hugged William and twirled with the friendly Pikachu in her arms, “That’s no way to talk about our little friend.”

“Yeah!” snapped William as he stuck his tongue out at Simon, “That’s no way to talk about me!”

“That reminds me,” said Mack as he walked into the room and stood alongside Aura. Aura stopped twirling.

“We have a little surprise for you and Fredrick,” said Aura with a smile.

“A surprise?” asked Sakura with excitement, “Oh, goody!”

“Close your eyes,” said Mack, “You too, Fredrick.”

“Fredrick is here, too?” asked Sakura as she closed her eyes, “I can’t wait to see him!”

“Quiet now,” said Aura as she led her youngest brother into the room, “You’re both going to love this.” Before long, Fredrick and Sakura were face to face, but they still had not gazed at each other just yet.

“Okay,” said Mack as he smiled, “You can open your eyes now.” With that, Fredrick and Sakura opened their eyes and almost jumped when they saw each other for the first time as Gardevoirs.

“You evolved too?!” shouted Fredrick and Sakura in unison and with shock.

“Yes,” grumbled Simon as he bowed his head in shame, “You both managed to defeat me in one day.” Fredrick and Sakura just smiled at each other while Mack and Aura embraced. Mack glanced back and forth at Fredrick and Sakura as he held Aura.

“Love at first sight, isn’t it?” whispered Mack.

“Apparently, Alexander and Aurora also fell in love when they first laid eyes on each other,” said Aura quietly with joy.

“Wow…” said Fredrick with amazement, “You’re even more beautiful as a Gardevoir, Sakura.” Sakura blushed and smiled at her dear friend.

“And what do we have here?” asked Eric as he entered the room. Alexander, Aurora and Glacian were right behind him. They all stopped in their tracks when they laid eyes on Fredrick and Sakura for the first time as Gardevoirs.

“Hmmmmm,” said Glacian as he carefully gazed at Fredrick and Sakura, “What I foresaw is coming to pass.”

“Dear me…” stammered Aurora.

“Well, well!” said Alexander with delight, “You and Sakura sure grew up fast! How did this happen?”

“I grow tired of telling this story,” said Simon with a heavy sigh, “They both defeated me in combat today. That’s all you need to know.” Alexander put a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“I think we need to talk, Fredrick,” said Alexander as he led his son out of the room.

“Sakura?” asked Aurora, “Could you please come with me?” Sakura nodded and followed Aurora out of the room leaving behind Eric, Glacian, Simon, William, Mack and Aura.

“This day just keeps getting more and more exciting,” said Eric happily as he faced Mack and Aura, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you two.”

“Is there something you need?” asked Mack.

“I just wanted to tell you that there’s going to be a tournament in Alakaz tomorrow afternoon!” reported Eric.

“I think I’ve had enough bad luck with these so-called, tournaments,” said Mack with a frown. Aura nodded her head in agreement, recalling the false tournament that Cipher had used to try and trap her and Mack back in Alakaz.

“Mr. Allens came to Gardev a few days ago. He wanted to invite you, Aura and your friends. Since he couldn’t find you, he had me pass on his message,” explained Eric, “Mr. Allens not only wants you to come as his honored guests, but he also hopes you’ll join the tournament.”

“I think you and Aura should go,” said Glacian, “The tournament would be good exercise for the both of you.”

“Yeah! You and Aura would be unstoppable!” declared Anna as she ran into the room with Li and another Kirlia right behind her. Aura quickly noticed Anna’s friend.

“And who is this?” asked Aura with a smile.

“Oh!” replied Anna, “Where are my manners? This is my friend from school, Enrique. We’ve been dancing partners for a few years now.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said Enrique with a polite bow, “It’s especially an honor to meet you and Aura, Mack. I didn’t get much of a chance to introduce myself at your wedding.”

“If you please,” said Eric, interrupting Enrique, “There is only one thing we really need: all Poke’mon in the tournament have to have a trainer of some sort in order to enter.”

“Warren and Jake are busy taking care of our parents, Mack,” said Aura softly, “They still need to rest.”

“Of course, Makoto has to take care of Sakura and Paul has to mind his store. I can’t think of anyone else who could take us,” said Mack as he paced back and forth in the room.

“I won’t be able to help you on this one. I need to stay out of sight until Cipher is dealt with,” explained Eric.

“All we need is something that looks even remotely like a human trainer,” said Mack.

“How about you, Simon?” asked Aura, “You imitated a human quite well at that fake tournament.”

“As much as I would like to, I cannot. I have other matters that need taken care of,” replied Simon.

“There has to be someone…” said Mack. Enrique walked up to Mack and gently tugged on his skirt. Mack and Aura looked down at the young Kirlia.

“Do you have an idea?” asked Aura with curiosity. Enrique quietly whispered something to Mack and Aura. Mack then slowly turned around as his eyes fell on Anna and Li.

“Why are you staring at me?” asked Anna. Mack grinned.

“How would you and Li like to come with me and Aura to Alakaz?” asked Mack.

“Sure!” said Li with excitement.

“Okay, but why do you need us to come along?” asked a bewildered Anna.

“You and Li will be our trainer,” said Mack with a devious grin, “It won’t be hard to make a disguise for you two. All we need is a hooded trench coat, a pair of dark glasses and a suitable hat.”

“Can I come along too?” asked Enrique, “My parents said I could spend the weekend with Anna as long as there were some adults around.”

“Of course you can come!” said Mack happily.

“Especially since you solved our problem of needing a trainer,” said Aura with a smile.

“That should do, but it can’t be just two Poke’mon in all,” warned Eric, “This tournament is a 4 on 4 double-battle. You’ll need two more Poke’mon on your team.”

“I would not stake your hopes on William,” said Simon in a serious tone, “He’s been out of combat for far too long.”

“I hate to admit it, but he’s right,” grumbled William.

“Yes,” said Glacian as he looked William over, “William is strong, but his reflexes and concentration are sub-par at best at the moment.” Suddenly, Alexander, Aurora, Fredrick and Sakura the Gardevoir walked into the room.

“I don’t see why you can’t take my son with you,” said Alexander, “He’s a good fighter and he could use the experience. Besides, all the members of the Guardian family are some of the strongest Gardevoirs on Earth.”

“If you’ll let Fredrick go with you, then I want to come along, too,” said Sakura, “I’ve never been in a real Poke’mon battle before. It could be fun!”

“Two Gardevoir couples, eh?” said Mack as he glanced at Aura, “That should do just fine.”

“You’re not leaving without me!” said Xavier as he poked his head through an open window, “I wouldn’t miss this little event for the world!”

“Fair enough!” laughed Mack as he picked up William, “You can come too, if you want, William.”

“Count me in!” said William happily, “It will be a real joy to watch all of you pound the competition into the ground.” Alexander and Aurora soon turned their attention to Anna and her friend, Enrique.

“Do you want to go with Mack and Aura, too, Anna?” asked Alexander with a grin.

“Yes! We’re part of a secret plan,” said Anna as she jumped up and down with excitement.

“Okay,” replied Aurora, “Just make sure you two stay near an adult Poke’mon.”

“We will!” replied Anna and Enrique.

“While you’re all gone, I’ll be watching over Gardev and keeping and eye on Ramirez,” said Glacian.

“Well, since you’re all going to the tournament, you’d better leave right away. It will be twilight by the time you get to Alakaz,” said Eric.

“Then let’s be off,” said Mack as he held Aura’s hand and started to leave the house with William, Fredrick, Enrique, Anna and Sakura right behind them. Outside, Xavier flapped his wings and took to the skies.

“Bring back a trophy or two,” said Glacian with a smile. Before long, the small party was on its way back to the hidden, underground lab.

“We’ll take an S-5. It should be the fastest way to get all of us to Alakaz,” said Mack.

“Especially since it’s the only thing you have big enough for me!” said Xavier as he hovered over them. Aura turned her head and faced Sakura and her brother, Fredrick.

“Fredrick, what did Alexander and Aurora talk to you about?” asked Aura with curiosity.

“Ah. Dad was telling me what is expected of a Gardevoir and what is honorable,” replied Fredrick.

“That’s pretty much what Aurora told me, too,” said Sakura.

“Just like when I became a Gardevoir,” said Aura softly to herself. Before long, they were all onboard the S-5 and were on their way to Alakaz.

-4-
Cecil awoke. His vision was blurred and he could not tell where he was at the moment. As his vision cleared, he soon noticed he was still in the capsule in Dr. Namwen’s laboratory. He looked down at himself and gasped. His hands were now green and had only three fingers each. He now had a strange, red fin coming out of his chest and he was wearing the familiar, flowing white gown of a Gardevoir. He reached down and felt the soft fabric of his white skirt. He peered closer into the glass walls of the capsule and saw his reflection. The green hair and large, red eyes were unmistakable.

“That madman did it!” thought Cecil with delight, “I’m a Gardevoir at last!” He closed his eyes and tried to focus his newfound power, but for some reason, he could not call upon the destructive powers of the Guardians.

“I see you’ve finally woken up,” cackled Dr. Namwen, “How do you like your new body?”

“To be honest I haven’t felt this good in years!” said Cecil, “Now could you please let me out of here?”

“Sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t do that,” said Dr. Namwen with an evil grin, “You’re mine now, Cecil.”

“What?” asked Cecil, “What are you talking about?”

“I’ll just be blunt,” replied Dr. Namwen, “I’ve been watching you for years now and I, for one, am tired of how you’ve been running your division of Cipher. Most importantly, however, is how you’ve been treating your Poke’mon.”

“That’s a strange thing for you to say,” growled Cecil, “I can still hear the screams from your Alakazams as you had them turned back into Shadow Poke’mon.”

“That was merely punishment!” snapped Dr. Namwen, “Normally, the Poke’mon are asleep and don’t even notice what’s happening to them. Besides, my Alakazams were about to aid our enemies. I wanted to make absolutely certain that they would never even think of such a thing again. I don’t know about you, Cecil, but I can’t abide treachery.”

“You’ve made your point,” said Cecil, “Now let me out of here! I have some unfinished business with the Guardians! The Gardevoir city must be claimed by Cipher.”

“Indeed it will,” said Dr. Namwen, “But you won’t even be aware of it once I get through with you.” Dr. Namwen walked over to a control panel and started pressing buttons and flipping switches. Lights on machinery in the room lit up.

“What are you doing now?” demanded Cecil, “You let me out of here this instant or I’ll summon the guards! I’ll have you thrown out of Cipher if you don’t let me out of this stupid capsule right now!” Dr. Namwen didn’t seem to be paying any attention to Cecil’s threats.

“You’ll summon the guards? Oh, no! Whatever shall I do?!” laughed Dr. Namwen with sarcasm, “Please. The guards won’t care one bit. How about we find out, eh?” Dr. Namwen pressed a red button on the control panel and, minutes later, a Cipher guard ran into the room.

“Is there something you need, sir?” asked the guard.

“You’re on, my friend,” whispered Dr. Namwen with an evil grin. Cecil faced the guard.

“Hey! Arrest Dr. Namwen at once, corporal and get some technicians to get me out of this capsule!” commanded Cecil. The guard didn’t move. The guard just gazed at the Gardevoir with curiosity as it spoke to him.

“If you don’t mind me asking, sir, when did you get another Gardevoir?” asked the guard.

“Oh. I found this magnificent male Gardevoir not far from the base perimeter,” explained Dr. Namwen, “I just couldn’t pass it up. Besides, I will need a suitable fighter for an upcoming mission.” Cecil watched and listened in shock.

“Okay. Is there any reason you needed me in here?” asked the guard as he continued to stare at the Gardevoir.

“I merely pressed the wrong switch,” lied Dr. Namwen, “I was about to turn this Gardevoir into a Shadow Poke’mon.”

“I see,” said the guard, “By the way, sir, administration wants to know what has become of Admin Cecil, sir. He’s been missing for a week now.”

“I’m afraid Cecil is no longer with us,” said Dr. Namwen, “I heard he was annihilated by rogue Poke’mon south of Alakaz.”

“That’s so…unbelievable,” replied the shocked guard.

“I’m going to miss Cecil terribly. In fact, I named this beautiful Gardevoir Cecil, in my old friend’s honor. Cecil also left me in charge of his Onix,” said Dr. Namwen as he grinned at Cecil. Cecil glared at the mad scientist and then roared at him with great anger.

“Alright, sir,” said the guard with a salute, “If there is anything you need, please let me know.” With that, the guard was gone. Cecil glared at Dr. Namwen.

“What have you done to me?!” screamed Cecil with rage, “That guard didn’t understand me at all!” Just then, Dr. Namwen produced a tape recorder from his left jacket pocket and pressed the Play button. Cecil listened to the recording with disbelief.

“Gardev! Gardevoir! Voir! Gardevoir-gardev-voir!” said Cecil’s voice from the tape recorder.

“You wanted to be a Gardevoir and you got it my friend,” chuckled Dr. Namwen, “Everything that goes with it.”

“You mean…no one can understand me?” asked Cecil with fear.

“Yes,” replied Dr. Namwen, “Only other Poke’mon and a few certain humans, such as me, can make any sense of your gibberish. Why else do you think that guard looked at you the way he did? You’ve sealed your fate, Cecil.”

“You won’t get away with this!” growled Cecil.

“Unfortunately for you, I already have,” said Dr. Namwen with an evil smile as he walked to a large control console.

“You can’t abide treachery, huh? Than what in heck are you doing to me?!” shouted Cecil as his eyes started to glow red from his growing rage. Dr. Namwen didn’t seem to be paying attention to Cecil’s rants and threats.

“I remember the way you treated the fair Guardian of Gardev. What was her name? Aura?” said Dr. Namwen, “You let her slip right through your fingers and left her for dead. I will not be making the same mistake. You are about to become my greatest weapon, Cecil. Once I’m finished here, I will lead the attack on the Gardevoir city, recover XD002 and capture those newlywed Guardians with you as a new type of soldier.”

“I’m not going to be your slave!” snarled Cecil.

“You won’t even be aware of what’s going on soon,” said Dr. Namwen as the machinery in the room clicked and hummed louder and louder, “Thanks to you, I now have the perfect way to give other humans the powers of Poke’mon and they will even be able to turn back into their human forms with ease. You, on the other hand, will be a Poke’mon for the rest of your life.” Cecil pounded frantically on the capsule walls as black clouds started to fill the capsule.

“Aaaarrrrg!” screamed Cecil in pain as the dark power started to infuse him.

“Music to my ears,” said Dr. Namwen coldly. Cecil glanced back at the scientist as he fell to his knees. Suddenly Cecil saw something from the future. For once, he was actually amazed and had respect for the powers of a Gardevoir.

“This is far from over, you fiend…” wheezed Cecil, “The Guardians will come for me.” Dr. Namwen laughed.

“Why would the Guardians help you? You’ve put them through more trouble than all of Cipher combined!” said Dr. Namwen with cruel laughter, “No one will be helping you, that is for sure.”

“I can’t believe it’s taken this long for me to realize what I’ve been doing all these years,” said Cecil quietly, “All the energy I wasted on needless destruction, trying to get to the top ranks in Cipher. I’ll be coming for you one of these days, Dr. Namwen. Unlike you, I tend to keep my word.” Moments later, Cecil fell silent as his white skin turned jet-black.

(More scenes next week.)

[Dr. Mack Foxx]

-5-
Hours later, Mack and his friends arrived in Alakaz. As they walked down the streets, they noticed posters and flyers on fences and walls, advertising for the tournament.

“So, all the fun begins at 10:00 AM,” said Mack as he carried Aura down the street with William, Fredrick, Sakura, Anna, Enrique and Li walking closely behind while Xavier floated in the skies above the city.

“We have to be registered by 9:15 AM at the very latest,” said Aura. Anna seemed to be unusually optimistic.

“Do I really get to pretend to be a human, Mack?” asked Anna with excitement.

“Yes, otherwise, we won’t be able to enter,” answered Mack.

“Now for the next question: where are we going to sleep tonight?” asked William with a yawn.

“Obviously, the streets are a not a suitable place for a fine princess,” said Mack as he glanced at Aura as she smiled at him, “I know just the place.” Before long, they were at a nice hotel. As they entered through the front doors, Mr. Allens looked up from the front desk to see two Gardevoirs in wedding dresses with other Poke’mon following close behind them.

“Um…” said a confused Mr. Allens, “Can I help you?”

“We just need a room or two for the next few nights,” said Mack. Mr. Allens instantly recognized the voice. He took a closer look at the two Gardevoirs and finally noticed the sapphire and ruby pendants.

“Mack? Aura? What brings you two here? Did you just get married or something?” asked Mr. Allens nervously.

“Actually, we’re still on our honeymoon,” said Aura softly, “We’re going to enter the tournament tomorrow.”

“You’re going to enter the tournament after all, eh? Splendid! Well,” said Mr. Allens with a grin, “The only thing I can think of that would be suitable for you lovers would be the honeymoon suite!”

“That’s what I was thinking, but we’ll also need another suite for Sakura, Fredrick, William, Anna and Li here,” said Mack as he pointed at each one of his friends, “How much for two nights in your finest suites?”

“Nothing!” declared Mr. Allens, “You did so much for the people of Alakaz. I think you deserve some sort of reward for yours and Aura’s valiant efforts.”

“No. I can’t accept a reward,” said Mack politely.

“Than think of it as a belated wedding present from me,” said Mr. Allens, “I think you deserve the very best this city has to offer.”

“A wedding present, eh?” said Mack with a smile, “Then I accept. Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” said Aura with a friendly smile.

“Just go on up and have a nice night together. I’ll have a suite ready for your friends in a few minutes,” said Mr. Allens, “And congratulations, Mack and Aura. I knew you two would be perfect for each other.” Mack nodded, looked into Aura’s eyes and started up a nearby stairwell with her in his arms. As they rounded the corner and were out of site, Mack held Aura tightly as kissed her. The pendants still glowed brightly as their lips touched. Aura giggled and gently stroked Mack’s right shoulder. Mack took another look at Aura’s wedding dress and jewelry and sighed blissfully. Before long, the two lovers were at their room. Mack glanced at the door and it opened. While they entered the room, they stared into each other’s eyes. As they closed their eyes to kiss again, Aura waved her right arm at the door and it closed and locked itself. Meanwhile, Mr. Allens had just taken Fredrick and company to their room.

“Mack and Aura really look like they’re having a wonderful time,” said Sakura happily as she closed the door.

“Gardevoir are the embrace Poke’mon,” said William.

“They certainly have been doing a lot of that lately!” laughed Anna.

“We have a big day ahead of us, Sakura,” said Fredrick, “You and Anna can have the beds.” Before anyone could notice, William ran into the bedroom and snatched a pillow from one of the beds.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay on the couch?” asked Sakura.

“Of course,” replied Fredrick, “You need your rest more than I do.”

“I’ll take the recliner,” said Enrique as he leapt onto it.

“I don’t really need a bed,” said Anna as she danced across the floor and towards a nearby phone, “After all, with room service and enough sugar, sleepiness has no power over me!”

“Come on…” said Sakura as she reached out and grabbed Anna’s right arm, “The last thing we need is to be seen with is a sleepy trainer who can’t stop shaking.”

“Besides Anna, we can’t dance together if you’re bouncing off the walls,” yawned Enrique.

“Agreed,” said Li as he flopped onto the living room floor. Fredrick lay on the couch while Sakura dragged a griping Anna off to bed. William snuggled up next to Li. As the night wore on, Fredrick could not stop thinking about Sakura. He dreamed he was at a wedding, marrying Sakura with all his friends and family there. William awoke briefly and noticed Fredrick as he smiled while asleep. William had been observing Fredrick and Sakura for quite a few hours now and he came to a conclusion.

“I wonder if they’ll want me to be their ring-bearer, too…” yawned William as he quickly fell back asleep.

-6-
Hours and hours of work had finally paid off. It was 4:13 in the morning and Dr. Namwen’s latest technological triumph was complete. He had managed to develop a serum, that when injected, would cause human DNA to bind with a Poke’mon’s DNA of choice. This would result in a transformation into a Poke’mon. Now, Dr. Namwen had several serums ready to go from several promising species: Machamp, Electabuzz, Scyther, Golduck, Primeape, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, Gardevoir, Breloom, Alakazam, Kabutops, Blaziken, Hypno and Mr. Mime. Then, there was the crown jewel of the collection: a single dose of Mewtwo DNA that had been extracted from the ruins of the Gardev base, shortly before the base remnants were hauled away. News from the Orre region was good: agents had successfully abducted Dr. Krane. Hopefully, agents would be able to convince Dr. Krane to join their cause. After all, Dr. Krane and his associates had developed a way to heal Shadow Poke’mon. Granted, his method of purifying Shadow Poke’mon was less potent than the power of the Guardians, but the very thought was enough to send alarms through Cipher all the way to the leader himself, Master Greevil. Regardless of this success, Dr. Namwen was still on edge. By using telepathy and accessing his Alakazams’ powers of foresight, Dr. Namwen learned two things: the assault in the Orre region was doomed and if the Guardians took up arms against him, he would ultimately fail. Nevertheless, Dr. Namwen was about to throw fate a curveball or two.

“The volunteers have been assembled, sir,” said a Cipher agent as he saluted Dr. Namwen.

“Tell me, how many people want the powers of Poke’mon?” asked Dr. Namwen.

“I counted 49, sir,” replied the agent.

“Splendid,” replied Dr. Namwen with an evil grin, “Four squadrons and one field general.” Dr. Namwen walked out of his lab, took a glance at his new Shadow Poke’mon, Cecil and then walked into another room. The volunteering agents were sitting in folding chairs, anxiously awaiting their transformation. Dr. Namwen quickly glanced around the room, until his eyes fell on one particular agent.

“Captain David,” said Dr. Namwen.

“Yes, sir!” said Captain David with pride.

“You’ve proven your worth and your undying loyalty to Cipher time and again,” said Dr. Namwen, “Therefore, you will be the first to become an Omegaling. Not only will you become the most powerful soldier, but you will also be the leader of four entire squadrons in our attempt to take the Gardevoir city.”

“Isn’t the Gardevoir city just a myth? Maybe a legend?” asked one agent with skepticism.

“The Gardevoir city does in fact exist,” said Dr. Namwen as he pointed to the location of the city on a large map on the wall, “The city is located roughly 30 miles south of the town of Gardev. It will be up to all of you to complete our objectives. You are the only ones who have volunteered for this assignment.” Dr. Namwen looked up and faced the group of agents.

“I understand that much, but what about giving us… super powers?” asked another eager agent. Dr. Namwen grinned at the young recruit.

“Obviously, such an assault on a city filled with thousands of Gardevoirs would be certain death for a group of humans,” explained Dr. Namwen, “Therefore; you will all be turned into the Poke’mon of your choice. This will give you the extra power you’ll need to combat the Gardevoirs.” Dr. Namwen walked towards a table in the left corner of the room.

“You will also be outfitted with more technology, freshly harvested from the alien suit of armor,” said Dr. Namwen as he pointed out the new equipment, “Everything from durable body armor, personal shield generators, advanced firearms and even powerful scanners to allow you to find Poke’mon, now matter where they might be hiding.”

“Still, how are we going to capture so many Gardevoirs?” demanded another agent, “Even with the kind of firepower you’re talking about, there is still no way we could last long against battalion after battalion of angry Gardevoirs.”

“That’s where this comes in,” said Dr. Namwen as he produced a strange, shoulder-mountable cannon, “This is a Capture Cannon Mark II. As you may have heard, the first capture cannons self-destructed after a Gardevoir hacked into the systems back at what was once the Gardev facility. The old cannons could only carry so many Poke’mon, but these new models don’t have that problem.”

“Pardon me for asking, but how do these things work?” asked yet another agent.

“These are teleporter cannons, in a way. The beams they fire will not only defeat any possible Poke’mon-generated barriers, but the beams will also instantly teleport your target into a giant, fortified holding room in this facility. Your goal is simply to capture every Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir you find. Meanwhile, other agents will surround and occupy the town of Gardev to prevent anyone from calling for help. Those agents will also be responsible for the capture of the current Guardians of Gardev,” explained Dr. Namwen.

“Okay, we now know that much,” said another agent with anxiety, “But still, I’ve heard that Gardevoirs are fiercely protective of their mates and, most importantly, their offspring. How are we going to deal with several thousand protective parents?”

“Simply blast them with the new capture cannons before they can react; however, if you detect any hint of resistance, simply threaten their offspring with lethal force,” explained Dr. Namwen, “Then, they should cooperate.”

“In other words?” asked yet another agent.

“Just point your rifles at the little blighters!” shouted Dr. Namwen with great impatience, “But under no circumstances are you to kill or even injure any Ralts, Kirlia or Gardevoir. If other Poke’mon try to interfere, then you may annihilate them. The Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoirs are your goal.”

“Got it!” said an agent.

“This’ll be a piece of cake,” replied another agent.

“Just one more warning,” said Dr. Namwen with concern, “Do not, I repeat, do not engage the Guardians in combat! Even with your advanced weapons and defense systems, you will be no match for them. Plus, if you injure any of them and our captured Gardevoirs get word of it, we’ll be dealing with a monumental riot! The Guardians are almost like royalty to the rest of the Gardevoirs and are greatly honored and respected.”

“And how will we be able to tell them apart from the rest of the Gardevoirs?” asked yet another agent.

“Simple. The Guardians will be wearing ruby and sapphire pendants. Only in a worst-case scenario would you find the Guardians anyway. They tend to stay around the town of Gardev. Now then, are you all ready?” asked Dr. Namwen with excitement.

“Yes, sir!” replied the group of agents in unison.

“Then let’s begin,” replied Dr. Namwen, “You, Captain David, as I said before, will the first. Please come with me so we can get started.” Dr. Namwen figured everything would be ready in less than two days. Perhaps he would even be able to recover XD002 before the raid on the Gardevoir city.

-7-
Xavier awoke on the balcony outside of Mack and Aura’s room. He stretched out his wings and let out a loud yawn. The tournament was still a few hours away, but this didn’t matter to Xavier very much since he would not be fighting this time. Still, he figured Fredrick, Sakura and especially Mack and Aura would be able to outmuscle anyone in the competition. As Xavier waited for his drowsiness to wear off, Mack and Aura were getting ready for the day.

“Perhaps we should wear something else to the tournament,” suggested Mack as he put his right hand on the skirt of his wedding dress.

“And why would we want to do that? It’s still our honeymoon,” replied Aura, smiling as she carefully straightened her diamond tiara, “You know the tradition.”

“Still, aren’t these dresses going to get in the way? I really think our Gardevoir gowns would be a wiser choice,” said Mack. Aura turned around, stood up and walked towards Mack. Aura smiled at Mack and before he could utter another word, Aura jumped into the air. Mack watched with disbelief as Aura pulled off one acrobatic move after another: jumping off the walls, doing back-flips and all of this while wearing her wedding dress. Seconds later, Aura landed in front of Mack on one knee. Aura grinned at Mack as she gracefully bowed.

“How did you do that?” asked Mack with surprise. Aura’s tiara had not flown out of her hair, nor had any of her other jewelry even come loose.

“Even on our honeymoon, we still may have to defend ourselves,” said Aura as she stood back up, “Aurora likes to prepare for anything, even if her newlywed daughter had to be able to move quickly in her wedding attire. Yours also will not restrict your movement.”

“You’ve proven your point!” laughed Mack, still amazed at Aura’s acrobatic performance.

“Besides,” said Aura with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Mack, “I want to go to this tournament in style. I think everyone should get see my mate in all his beautiful splendor.” Mack hugged Aura and blushed, wondering how people in the stadium might react to his…clothing.

“The things I do to keep you happy…” said Mack sweetly as he kissed Aura. Before long, Mack and Aura’s friends had gathered in the hotel lobby. Oddly enough, the entire hotel seemed to be deserted. The time was now 8:15 AM and only Mr. Allens seemed to be out and about.

“Where is everyone?” asked Anna as Mr. Allens walked up to the group of Poke’mon, “There’s no one else in here.”

“They all went to the tournament,” replied Mr. Allens, “People like to get there early. Believe me, the stadium seating is sold very fast and the lines can get quite long. After all, this tournament is certainly one of the biggest in the entire Gardev region.”

“Huh?” said Sakura with confusion, “Why is this region named after a small village?”

“Simple, Gardev was known for some of the finest wines in the world,” explained Mr. Allens, “That’s why the village was founded nearly a thousand years ago. Plus, most people here know about the legends of the hidden Gardevoir city as well as the Guardians of Gardev. Of course, this region is also famous for the local, large population of Gardevoirs, Kirlia and Ralts.”

“Are we still going to get to watch the fights?” asked William with excitement.

“Of course!” laughed Mr. Allens, “You and all your friends will have box seats with me, near the field. There should even be enough room for Xavier.”

“That’s good,” said Xavier as he poked his head through the front doors of the lobby, “There’s no way I’m going to hover over the stadium for several hours.” Just then, Mack and Aura walked into the lobby, hand-in-hand.

“Ah!” said Mr. Allens as he faced the two Gardevoir lovers, “I trust the happy couple slept well?”

“Indeed,” said Mack happily as he glanced at Aura.

“We’re ready to go to the stadium now,” said William.

“Excellent. Did you get that black suitcase from the S-5, William?” asked Mack.

“You bet!” replied William as he dragged the suitcase across the floor to Mack. Mack let go of Aura’s hand, bent over, opened the suitcase and then threw a small pile of clothing onto a nearby bench.

“Now, just to be sure, who wants to be our trainer today?” asked Aura.

“I will!” said Anna with delight, “How about you, Enrique?”

“No thank you,” replied Enrique, “I’m too nervous to go out and be seen by thousands of people. If you don’t mind, I would just like to watch the tournament from the seats.”

“In that case, I’ll go with Anna,” said Li.

“Okay, then,” said Mack as he carried some of the clothing over to Li.

“I’ll ride on your shoulders, Li!” said Anna with happiness as she leapt onto Li’s shoulders.

“Good thing you’re so light,” said Li, “Otherwise, I don’t think I would be able to carry you for very long.” Mr. Allens and the other Poke’mon watched as Mack dressed the young Kirlia and Mawile in a black-hooded trench coat, a black fedora and a pair of round, dark sunglasses. Anna giggled as Mack gently pulled the hood over her head. Mack then stood back as everyone gazed at the new “Trainer.”

“Except for sticking out like sore thumb and being only four and a half feet tall, this should work out just fine,” chuckled William.

“I think we look cool!” giggled Anna.

“I think Li had better do the talking this time,” giggled Sakura, “Or people will REALLY be suspicious of you.”

“There shouldn’t be any problem,” said Mr. Allens, “The tournament officials know I’m bringing several guests of honor and they are well aware that one of my guests will be entering the tournament.”

“Do we have a battle plan of some sort?” asked Fredrick.

“Indeed we do,” said Mack as he faced Fredrick, “The plan is simple: you and Sakura will be the first ones out on the field. Anna and Li will be acting as your trainer, but you should both still use whatever moves you think are needed to defeat your opponents. If we think there is something you both can’t handle, like powerful Dark-Type Poke’mon, than Aura and I will step in.”

“So, me and Fredrick get to do most of the fighting?” asked Sakura with glee.

“That’s the idea,” answered Mack.

“You know each other very well, so teamwork should feel as natural to you as dancing,” said Aura.

“Hmmm…” said Fredrick with a smile as he held Sakura close, “We always were a great team when it came to dancing.”

“Good,” said Mr. Allens, “Everything seems to be set, but still: Mack, Aura, do you two really intend to do battle in those delicate wedding dresses?”

“Its Gardevoir tradition to wear our wedding attire during our honeymoon,” said Aura as she grinned at Mack, “Besides, my handsome mate looks his cutest in white, shimmering satin.” Mack laughed nervously as Aura held his hand.

“Can’t argue with tradition,” said Mack, “We’ll be fine.”

“Who am I to argue with my honored guests?” said Mr. Allens with a shrug, “Let’s be off then!” With that, Mr. Allens and the group of Poke’mon started on their way to the stadium. Xavier flew overhead, staying clear of the skyscrapers. Except for a few police officers patrolling the streets, Alakaz seemed to be utterly deserted. As Mack walked down the street, holding Aura’s hand, he wondered what Simon was up too.

“I wonder why Simon didn’t want to come with us?” asked Mack to Aura.

“I can only imagine,” replied Aura with a smile, “But no matter where he is, I’ll bet he’s out there either tracking down or battling the world’s strongest Poke’mon.”

(More next week.)

[Dr. Mack Foxx]

-8-
Dr. Namwen stood in his lab, staring at Cecil. His six dark Alakazams stood closely behind the madman.

“Isn’t it funny?” asked Dr. Namwen, “All these years I’ve had to put up with you, following all of your commands. Now, YOU will do everything I say without complaint and without mercy.” Cecil said nothing and did not respond in any way.

“Then again, why am I talking to you?!” laughed Dr. Namwen maniacally, “You don’t have even a microscopic clue about what’s going on around you!” Suddenly a Cipher trooper rushed into Dr. Namwen’s gigantic laboratory.

“Sir! I have some terrible news for you!” said the trooper, panting with exhaustion.

“Can’t this wait until later?” asked an irritated Dr. Namwen, “I’m busy gazing at my new prize.”

“It’s about XD003 and XD004!” said the trooper frantically. Dr. Namwen’s smile quickly vanished.

“What about them…?” growled Dr. Namwen.

“XD003, the Gyarados, went berserk and managed to escape our facility north of Alakaz a few hours ago. Our troops pursued it for several miles but lost track of it about fifteen minutes ago,” reported the trooper.

“And I suppose XD004 has also escaped, am I right?!” shouted Dr. Namwen with rage.

“Yes, sir…” replied the trooper with fear.

“That Poke’mon was Cecil’s Onix!” thundered Dr. Namwen, “That Onix was the most powerful one I’ve ever seen and now it’s lost! What happened?! Speak, you peon!”

“Well, they followed your orders to the letter,” said the trooper, trying not to shake from shear terror, “They evolved it into a Steelix and then hastily turned it into a Shadow Poke’mon. Your orders were for the science team to work as quickly as possible on XD003 and XD004. They don’t know what happened, but both of them went crazy and leveled the facility. So far, at least the recovery crews have not reported any injuries or fatalities, sir.”

“Looks like my theories and calculations on creating XD series Shadow Poke’mon in a few minutes were faulty after all,” grumbled Dr. Namwen.

“At least no lives were lost,” said the trooper, trying to reassure Dr. Namwen.

“That facility was the only place where we could create the XD series Shadow Poke’mon!!” screamed Dr. Namwen, “Now Cipher’s greatest weapons can no longer be produced and three of the four are missing!”

“I do have good news, sir,” said the trooper as he stepped back from Dr. Namwen, “The Omegalings have all awakened and are ready to begin training.” Dr. Namwen’s anger immediately disappeared. He faced the young trooper and grinned.

“Most excellent!” said Dr. Namwen with delight, “Have them outfitted and ready within the next 36 hours.”

“It will be done, sir!” said the trooper as he saluted Dr. Namwen and left the room. Soon the trooper spotted one of his friends as he stood guard over the main control room of the monstrous facility.

“Have you heard the latest?” asked the guard quietly.

“Heard what?” asked the trooper.

“Apparently, some kid managed to locate one of our bases in the Orre region,” whispered the guard, “And get this, the kid managed to defeat one of our top administrators. On top of that, he was able to snatch Dr. Krane away from us. From what Redsix told me, none of our peers were able to get any information from Dr. Krane concerning his latest invention.”

“You mean the chamber that can purify Shadow Poke’mon?” asked the trooper, “And isn’t Redsix one of those bumbling Hexagon Brothers?”

“Yes, but I trust his word,” said the guard with fear, “Besides, if the rest of our friends in the Orre region don’t get their heads on straight soon, we may be headed for a fall ourselves, just like Team Rocket!”

“Hard to believe a single kid could have taken them down so easily so many years ago,” said the trooper.

“Don’t forget that traitor who caused Cipher and Team Snagem to fall ten years ago,” said the guard quietly as the trooper returned to his post. The trooper was fearful of what might happen to Cipher in the coming days if the groups in the Orre region were unsuccessful.

-9-
The time was now 9:45 AM in Alakaz and soon, the tournament would begin. Against all odds, Anna and Li were able to pass themselves off as a great trainer and were able to enter Mack, Aura, Fredrick and Sakura as their Poke’mon at 9:30. Though the official was, at first, suspicious of Mack and Aura because of their wedding attire, the official let them in and wished them luck. Before long, they learned that they would be participating in the first battle of the tournament. Mack was sitting on a bench in a locker room with his arms wrapped around Aura as she sat on his lap.

“I still can’t believe that we fooled the officials!” said Anna with quiet giggling.

“That was just the first step,” said Li, “Now we have to try and battle our way to the top.”

“Remember, Fredrick, you and Sakura will be doing most of the fighting,” said Mack, “You two could use the experience the most and it would be unfair for me and Aura to level every opponent with one shot.”

“We already draw enough attention,” said Aura, noticing how other trainers kept staring at her and Mack, “No one has to know just how powerful we are unless you and Sakura come up against a Poke’mon that you can’t handle.”

“I understand,” said Fredrick with a smile, “Besides, I think this will be fun.”

“Just think,” said Sakura with excitement as she held Fredrick’s hand, “For the first time in our lives, we’re going to be doing something fun together besides dancing!”

“Granted, I sure do like to dance with you…” said Fredrick softly as Sakura giggled.

“I think my younger brother is going to be married before long,” whispered Aura to Mack.

“What ever could have given you that idea?” said Mack with a grin as he kissed Aura. Soon, another official approached Anna and Li, still under their disguise.

“Excuse me, Mr. Smith,” said the official politely, “But your first battle is going to begin soon.”

“Ah. Of course,” said Li from under the trench coat, “Let’s go, my friends. I know you won’t let me down.” As they started to leave, the official called out to them.

“Excuse me, but aren’t you going to call your Poke’mon back to their Poke’ Balls?” asked the official with curiosity.

“Please,” said Li, “These Gardevoirs are my dearest friends. None of them have ever seen the inside of a Poke’ Ball and they never will as long as they are in my care.”

“I can understand that,” said the official as he pointed at Mack and Aura, “But why are you going to have those two Gardevoir fight while wearing wedding dresses and fine jewelry?”

“Look,” said Li impatiently, “These two Gardevoirs have chosen each other as mates. I prefer treat my Poke’mon very well. They were married less than two weeks ago. Besides, they can both still fight very well despite their attire. Perhaps you will get to see my prize fighters in action. Now, would you please be so kind as to take us to the waiting area?”

“Of course, Mr. Smith,” said the official, “I do apologize for my questioning, but I have to make sure everyone follows the rules. Please follow me.” With that, the official led Anna, Li, Sakura, Fredrick, Mack and Aura to the field. Meanwhile, Xavier, Enrique and William were in the stands, accompanying Mr. Allens. As expected, Xavier was drawing a lot of attention from the people in the crowded stadium.

“Haven’t these people ever seen a Lugia before?” asked a bewildered Xavier.

“Lugia still are some of the rarest Poke’mon,” said Mr. Allens, “So few have ever been seen. Why, I can only recall two other sightings: in the orange islands several years ago and a week or so ago by the crew of the S. S. Libra.”

“S. S. Libra?” asked Xavier.

“It was a cargo ship, but it vanished more than a week ago. The crew described the entire event, saying the ship had been stolen, but officials still aren’t sure what to make of it all,” explained Mr. Allens.

“Enough of this!” said a thrilled William, “The first battle is going to begin in a few minutes!” Meanwhile, in another part of the stadium, the announcers were getting ready. These famous sportscasters had been reporting the events in the tournaments for decades.

“You all set, Bert?” asked the first announcer.

“Almost Ernie, but for some reason, I still can’t get a hold of those people at ONBS,” replied Bert, “I was talking to one of the executives, Net, when the line suddenly went silent.”

“No worries,” said Ernie, “They’ll be back up in no time.”

“Still, it’s quite a pity,” said Bert with disappointment, “This tournament has been broadcast on ONBS every year now since that Cipher incident, ten years ago. Nevertheless, I think this tournament is going to be one for the record books!” Suddenly, a tournament official in a blue-pinstriped suit approached Bert and Ernie from behind.

“It’s time to begin the broadcast,” said the official, “It’s almost ten o’clock.”

“Just keep your eyes open,” said Ernie with a chuckle, “This will be a tournament to remember.” They picked up their microphones as a technician switched on the power.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 103rd annual Alakaz Tournament!” said Ernie as he voice echoed throughout the stadium. The crowd screamed and cheered, knowing the battles would be staring anytime now.

“This is Bert and Ernie reporting and no jokes please,” said Bert sternly, “Well, we’ve been unable to contact ONBS in the Orre region; however, the tournament is still going to take place, of course.”

“That it will!” said Ernie with enthusiasm, “After all, this is still the largest open tournament in all the surrounding regions!”

“That’s right, Ernie! Unlike other regions, like Kanto and Johto, trainers need no badges to participate; however, because we always get such a large turnout, all contestants had to be chosen randomly,” explained Bert.

“And we’d like to take the time now to thank everyone who entered, but will not be part of the tournament. Thank you all very much and we hope you’ll still enjoy the show!” said Ernie energetically. Back near the field in a dugout, Mack, Aura, Fredrick, Sakura, Fredrick and Li were getting ready for the first battle.

“No one said anything about the trainers being chosen at random,” said a perplexed Fredrick.

“Then we should consider ourselves very fortunate to be fighting at all,” said Li from under the thick trench coat. Mack and Aura weren’t paying any attention to their friends.

“I can’t wait until everyone see’s us,” giggled Aura with delight as she and Mack embraced, “They’ll probably think we’re the most beautiful Poke’mon in the entire city today.”

“I’ll be glad when the tournament is over, anyway, my love,” said Mack quietly as he stroked Aura, “I’m just looking forward to another romantic evening with you.” Aura blushed deeply and kissed Mack. Meanwhile, back in the stadium news room, Bert and Ernie were getting prepared to broadcast the first match.

“Okay, everyone, it’s now time for the first match of the tournament!” said Ernie.

“Indeed it is, Ernie. The time is now 10:00 AM and we can now get things underway,” said Bert as he picked up a nearby clipboard, “Here we go! The first match will be: Mr. Smith versus Karl Anderson! Just to remind everyone, this will be a 4 on 4 double-battle with no time limit! Now, one thing most people don’t know about this tournament is the fast pace. Trainers must carefully pace their Poke’mon if they want to reach the final round in decent condition.”

“That’s true, Bert. All too often, we’ve had some promising hot-shot come in here, win the first few rounds with flying colors, but then he gets cut down early because his Poke’mon are just too tired to carry on. You could call this one of the most cutthroat if not the most challenging tournament in the region,” explained Ernie.

“I see the first trainers are moving out onto the field,” remarked Bert as Karl, a young man in his early 20’s stepped out onto the field. Li and Anna carefully shuffled onto the opposite end of the field.

“Ah. Karl won third place last year,” said Bert as he carefully read a printout of tournament records.

“But I’ve never heard of this…Mr. Smith before,” said Ernie with skepticism, “All I can tell is that this rather short bloke sticks out like a shark in a bathtub.” Anna and Li faced their opponent.

“Good luck to you!” said Karl from across the field, “You’re going to need all you can get.” With that, Karl threw two Poke’ Balls into the arena. They opened with a flash, revealing a Venusaur and a Raticate.

“Karl has made the first move and his first Poke’mon, a Venusaur named Buzz and a Raticate named Aldrin,” said Bert as he put a hand over the microphone as faced Ernie.

“I still don’t understand how Karl names his Poke’mon,” said Bert quietly. Ernie nodded his head in agreement and spoke into his microphone.

“We’re still waiting for Mr. Smith to reveal his first two Poke’mon,” said Bert. Anna moved her right arm and pointed at the center of the field.

“Show time,” said Fredrick as he walked onto the field hand-in-hand with Sakura. The crowd cheered as the two young Gardevoirs walked into the arena.

“Let’s see here,” said Ernie as he feverishly flipped through some more paperwork, “Mr. Smith has sent out a male and a male Gardevoir. Their names are Fredrick and Sakura.”

“Sakura? I think that’s a really cute name for a Gardevoir,” remarked Bert.

“No kidding,” said Fredrick quietly as he glanced at Sakura. Sakura smiled at him as they released hands and got ready for their first Poke’mon battle.

“Let the battle begin!” said Bert as the sound of a loud bell filled the arena.

“Buzz, Solar Beam!” commanded Karl, “Aldrin, keep them busy with Quick Attack!” With that, the massive Venusaur started drawing in sunlight while Aldrin the Raticate, rushed towards Sakura with blinding speed.

“Watch out, Sakura!” said Fredrick as he jumped to the right with his right arm, blazing with an aura of fire.

“Okay!” said Sakura as she quickly dodged out of the way, “I’ll take care of Buzz!” Fredrick thrust his fist forward and hit Aldrin square in the face with a Fire Punch. Aldrin immediately closed his eyes and fell to the arena floor.

“You’re…pretty tough…” remarked Aldrin weakly, “Maybe you’ll have a shot…at the finals…”

“Incredible!” shouted Bert with surprise, “Fredrick knocked out Aldrin with a single punch!”

“Gadzooks!” said an amazed Ernie, “I can only imagine what else that young Gardevoir has up his sleeves.” Karl grinned at Fredrick, not paying attention as Sakura thrust her right hand towards Buzz, sending the mighty Venusaur into the air.

“Karl! What are you doing?!” demanded Buzz, “Help me!”

“What the?!” shouted Karl with disbelief as Buzz slammed into the ground.

“What a shocker!” said Bert with excitement.

“Still, it’s too bad for Karl. He’s made that mistake before,” explained Ernie, “He forgot to keep track of his other Poke’mon. After all, losing Poke’mon early in this tournament is almost always a guarantee of losing later matches. This is why this tournament is considered so cutthroat: once a Poke’mon is knocked out it may not fight again for the rest of the tournament.”

“Yep, there have been a few years where the final two trainers had nothing left but a single, very tired Poke’mon,” said Bert, “Those matches tend to be won by the trainer who lands the first hit.”

“I’m impressed, Mr. Smith,” said Karl with a grin, “Your Gardevoirs are very good fighters.”

“Why, thank you!” said Anna as she tried to bow politely. Karl stared at Mr. Smith with a raised eyebrow at the sound of a very young and quite feminine voice.

“Quiet up there!” said Li quietly.

“Oops…” whispered an embarrassed Anna, “Sorry, Li, I won’t do it again.”

“Are you okay over there? Maybe you should just quit now,” said Karl. Mr. Smith let out several loud, dry coughs.

“I’m not ready to…HACK!…give up yet,” said Li, “How about you send out the rest of your friends?”

“I shall,” said Karl as he called back his fallen comrades and released his last two Poke’mon: a Blaziken and a Blastoise. Before Karl could give an order, Sakura giggled, smiled and waved at the Blaziken.

“What is Sakura doing now?” asked Ernie with curiosity.

“I believe she is using, Attract,” said Bert, “Some call it a cheap shot, simply because it can render Poke’mon of opposite gender useless in a fight.”

“Hi there!” said Sakura with a friendly smile. The young Gardevoir instantly got the attention of the Blaziken.

“Wow…” said the Blaziken with awe, “You sure are beautiful…” Karl looked on with disgust as his powerful Fire-Type walked right up to the female Gardevoir.

“Fine…” muttered Karl as he faced his Blastoise, “Kirk, drown the other Gardevoir with Hydropump.” Kirk nodded and fired a torrent of water at Fredrick, hitting him squarely and launching him to the back of the arena.

“Wow! What a shot!” commented Bert, “Even if Karl is not the most focused trainer in the world, his Poke’mon are still a force to be reckoned with.” The Blaziken was still thoroughly infatuated with Sakura as Fredrick got back on his feet.

“My name is Inferno,” said the Blaziken as he reached for Sakura’s right hand, “It is a pleasure to meet such a wonderful Gardevoir.” Inferno knelt and kissed Sakura’s hand politely.

“I don’t believe this…” said Bert with disgust, “Every time I’ve seen a Poke’mon use Attract, the offending Poke’mon typically just doesn’t fight back, instead, that powerful Blaziken has fallen completely in love with a Gardevoir.” Meanwhile, back on the field, Fredrick was standing up again, glaring at the Blastoise. He got another Thunder Punch ready as he charged at the oversized turtle. Karl just frowned as his last able Poke’mon dropped to the ground out cold.

“Come on!” shouted Karl to Inferno, “Attack her!”

“Please…” said Inferno to Sakura, “How could I attack such a delicate flower?”

“Delicate?” asked Sakura with a friendly smile, “Yes. I am a delicate, beautiful flower.”

“What are you doing?” asked Fredrick through telepathy.

“Just be patient,” replied Sakura, “I’m going to help you. Besides, if I’m going to marry any Poke’mon someday, I hope it will be you!” Fredrick blushed nervously as Sakura gently pulled her hand away from Inferno.

“I love you, Sakura…” said Fredrick through telepathy as he watched Sakura and Inferno.

“Would you like to watch me…dance?” asked Sakura.

“I would love to…” said Inferno blissfully. Sakura giggled and started to twirl and dance on her tip-toes.

“This match is a dance recital…” said Bert with disbelief.

“Well, you could say that, but I think that lovely Gardevoir still has a trick or two up her sleeves,” said Ernie. Inferno watched Sakura attentively. Soon, Sakura giggled and stared into Inferno’s eyes as her own eyes glowed with an eerie, blue light. Moments later, Inferno fell to the ground, almost in a deep asleep.

“Nothing personal, but I still have to defeat you,” said Sakura softly.

“Please do, if it will make you happy…” yawned Inferno.

“And for what it’s worth, I hope you will still find the mate of your dreams soon, like I have,” said Sakura as Inferno smiled at her and closed his eyes.

“Ah,” said Ernie, “She used Hypnosis on him. A cheap shot, but it worked.” Fredrick walked next to Sakura.

“Well?” asked Sakura, “The battle doesn’t end until Inferno runs out of energy. You do need to get your strength up after that nasty blow you took.”

“You really mean that you…” stuttered Fredrick, “Would want to marry me?”

“Not for awhile, but yes!” said Sakura with joy, “Now, you need to finish off Inferno here or we’ll never get to the next round.” Fredrick nodded and faced Inferno as his eyes changed color from red and white to a deep black.

“And that would be Dream Eater,” said Bert matter-of-factly. Fredrick felt his energy quickly return to him as Inferno completely blanked out.

“And that’s the end of the match!” said Ernie with happiness, “Mr. Smith and his two amazing Gardevoirs have won the match!”

“You’re telling me…” grumbled Bert, “That poor Blaziken went from a deep, blissful sleep to a complete coma! I hope we’ll get to see some more real action in the next fights.” Anna, Li, Sakura and Fredrick walked off the field back into the dugout to find Mack and Aura, embracing and kissing, as usual.

“Honey,” said Aura with delight, “They’re back…”

“Oh…?” said Mack softly, “Did they win?”

“I think so…” sighed Aura as she kissed Mack, “They’re both still conscious…” Mack and Aura grinned at each other and then faced their friends.

“I hope you two didn’t zone out the whole time, did you?!” asked Fredrick with shock. Mack and Aura faced each other and laughed.

“Of course we watched your match!” laughed Mack.

“I just had to kiss Mack after you and Sakura won. Especially when you both declared your love for each other,” said Aura with a smile as Fredrick and Sakura blushed deeply.

“Ew!” complained Anna as Mack and Aura kissed again, “No more mushy stuff! Please?” Meanwhile, Xavier, William and Enrique had watched the match with great interest.

“I told you they would win, hands down,” said Xavier.

“Come on!” said William, “You know Mack and Aura would have been a lot more stylish if they were out there!”

“Please…” said Mr. Allens as he wiped some sweat off his brow with a white handkerchief, “No more bickering. Besides, if the newlyweds had already gone out, I don’t think any trainer would want to continue the tournament after seeing their power.”

“I know what you mean,” said Enrique with laughter, “Still, I couldn’t help but laugh at the way Karl stared at Li and Anna when he heard Anna’s voice!”

“You think Fredrick and Anna are powerful, wait until you see me fight!” said William with pride, “I could have taken down each of those Poke’mon with my eyes closed!”

“Is William really that powerful?” asked Enrique as he marveled at the over-confident Pikachu.

“I do not believe so,” said Xavier, “In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, when we were all in Alakaz a few weeks ago, fighting off a horde of Cipher agents and their Poke’mon, William was trying to defeat an Ekans by throwing large books at it! Yep! That’s some incredible power you’ve got there.”

“Of course!” said William with a smirk, “Knowledge is power! Of course, since that entire facility was made out of metal, if I had used any of my powerful electric attacks in there, we would have all been fried!”

“Still, you could have at least tried something useful, like Swift or Quick Attack,” said Xavier, “Those moves would have been more effective than trying top chuck the Encyclopedia Britannica at that giant snake.” William blushed from embarrassment.

“I should have thought of that…” said William sheepishly, “Over the years, I’ve discovered that I tend to make stupid mistakes whenever I’m under a lot of pressure. Years ago, Mack and I almost lost a tournament in the Indigo League because I had panicked and was trying to gnaw on an Onix. If he had left Maria at home we surely would have been defeated.”

“Ah,” said Xavier with interest, “But, who is Maria?”

“That was the name of Mack’s female Gardevoir,” replied William, “You should ask him about her sometime. He knows a lot more about Maria than I do.”

-10-
Back in Gardev, Glacian was meditating on a rug in Warren’s office. He opened his eyes and looked up at Warren as he carefully read and signed papers.

“Fredrick and Sakura have won their first battle,” said Glacian. Warren almost let his pen fly out of his hand and through a nearby window.

“Well!” said Warren as he tried to regain his composure, “I’m sure Alexander and Aurora would love to hear that!”

“Indeed,” said Glacian, “But those two young Gardevoirs have won far more than a simple battle.”

“Oh?” said Warren with confusion, “And what else have they won? A new car, perhaps? I don’t know why I continue to put up with your constant vagueness and ambiguity.”

“If I just told you, you would probably not be as excited or surprised,” said Glacian with a grin, “Besides, old friend, you know I would never do anything or say anything to hurt you.”

“Okay,” said Warren as he put his pen back in its sheath, “Still, what else did those young Gardevoirs win?”

“Each other’s hearts,” said Glacian with a smile as Warren went slack-jawed, “Ah. Young love. It’s something I’ll never forget as long as I live.” Jake then walked into the office.

“Am I interrupting anything?” asked Jake.

“Of course not,” said Warren.

“We were just talking about you,” said Glacian. Jake seemed stunned and bewildered.

“If it’s about the shotgun shells in your woodstove I can explain!” said Jake in an uneasy tone.

“No need to,” said Warren, “How about you go on home and spend the day with your wife, Makoto and your little daughter, Sakura? It is a lovely day for a picnic.”

“Really?” said Jake with glee, “Okay! Thanks, Warren!” Jake ran out of the office: Warren and Glacian could hear him thundering down the hallway and out the door.

“Did he mention something about ammunition in my woodstove?” asked Warren with disbelief.

“Yes…” said Glacian, “For some reason, he thought that would be an ideal place to keep twelve gauge shells.”

“And to think I want to leave him in charge of Gardev when I pass on,” said Warren with a smile.

“He’s a lot like you were when you were young,” said Glacian with a chuckle, “Nevertheless, you’ve done a splendid job keeping my city safe from greedy humans.”

“Anyway, I wonder when we can expect another grand Gardevoir wedding,” said Warren.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” said Glacian with delight, “I can still remember the way Gloria looked at me as she walked down the aisle in all her wedding splendor…”

“Sometimes, I wish I could have met her,” said Warren.

“Yes,” said Glacian with happiness, “She would have taken quite a liking to you quicker than you can say ‘Hello’ just by looking at you.”

(More scenes next well.)

[Dr. Mack Foxx]

-11-
The tournament had continued on throughout the day. The fighting had been fast and fierce. Now, several hours later, the final round was about to begin. Mr. Allens had been watching the battles with excitement, not just because of the grand fights, but because Anna and Li’s team had advanced to the finals. Still, something was bothering Mr. Allens: another unknown trainer, going by the name of Dr. Jones had also climbed his way to the final round almost as methodically and quickly as Anna and Li’s friends. Also, just like Anna and Li, Dr. Jones still had not revealed his final two Poke’mon. To top that of, Dr. Jones also seemed to hide under a hooded trench coat, dark glasses and an old-fashioned hat.

“Can’t say I’ve ever seen a tournament quite like this,” said Mr. Allens, “Two trainers taking out the competition one round at a time without any loses, only to wind up in the final match. That’s never happened before.”

“I rather like his Sableye, Gremlin,” said William, “He’s kind of mischievous, like I am.”

“Or try to be,” laughed Xavier, “Anyway, Dr. Jones’ Umbreon, Nox, has proven to be a very worthy opponent. Still, I don’t know how Fredrick and Sakura are going to fair against two powerful Dark-Type Poke’mon.”

“I’d rather just watch Anna,” sighed Enrique, “Too bad she has to hide under that trench coat…”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you liked Anna quite a bit,” said William with a fiendish grin.

“Of course I do,” said Enrique blissfully, “We’re both actually quite old for Kirlia. I’m surprised neither of us has become a Gardevoir yet.”

“Is that so?” asked William, “Tell me, how long have you known each other?”

“Since we started school,” replied Enrique, “All the other Kirlia tended to stay away from Anna because of her short temper; however, I decided to try and get to know her better. She’s actually a very nice Kirlia. When she dances with me, it’s like poetry…absolutely perfect every time…”

“Enrique loves Anna! Enrique loves Anna!” taunted William.

“That’ll be quite enough…” grumbled Xavier as he snatched William’s bag of popcorn.

“Hey! Give that back!” snarled William.

“Only if you promise to quiet down this instant,” said Xavier, “The final match is about to begin and I don’t want to miss any of it.”

“You too, eh?” said Enrique. Meanwhile, Mack, Aura, Fredrick, Sakura, Anna and Li were discussing a new plan from the dugout.

“I don’t know what else this guy has up his sleeves,” said Mack, “But you, Fredrick and Sakura, should still go out onto the field first, like you both have so far. Perhaps Dr. Jones will release his other Poke’mon first.”

“You two may be very strong, but you still would have a very rough time against Dark-Types,” cautioned Aura.

“So, what should me and Li do?” asked Anna.

“You and Li will call Fredrick and Sakura back to the dugout if things get out of hand. At that point, Aura and I will make our entrance,” said Mack.

“I hope so,” said Aura with a smile as she stared at Mack, “I want everyone to see how pretty you are.” Mack groaned.

“You’re still going on about that?” asked Mack with despair.

“Of course,” giggled Aura as she kissed Mack, once again. Soon, another tournament official stood before Li and Anna.

“The next match is about to begin, Mr. Smith,” said the official, “Please take your position on the field.”

“Thank you, kind sir,” said Li as he and Sakura walked towards the field with Fredrick and Sakura right behind them. The mysterious trainer, Dr. Jones walked onto the field as well as the crowd roared and cheered loudly.

“And now, it all boils down to this,” said Bert as the trainers got onto the field positions.

“Yes, folks, it’s been quite a tournament,” said Ernie with glee, “It’s now 7:13 PM and the final match is going to begin shortly, but first, how about we reflect on all the fights so far?”

“Indeed, Ernie,” said Bert, “But first, I want to thank everyone who participated in this year’s tournament. Thank you for joining us and, of course, you can always try again next year.”

“If it’s any consolation,” said Ernie, “Former champions can never enter this tournament a second time. So next year, no one should have to deal with odd trainers and incredibly powerful Poke’mon like this again.” On the field, the two trainers said nothing.

“We now have Mr. Smith and his grand Gardevoirs versus Dr. Jones with his devious Dark-Types in the final round. Let the match begin!” shouted Bert as the sound of a loud bell once again filled the arena. Anna pointed to the field as Fredrick and Sakura walked into their positions, hand-in-hand. Dr. Jones nodded his head, and then he released his first two Poke’mon. Fredrick and Sakura sighed when they saw a familiar Sableye and Umbreon appear on the field in a flash of light.

“You may as well give up now,” said Nox.

“Yeah!” cackled Gremlin, “You two Psychic-Types are no match for us!”

“Withdraw,” said Dr. Jones to the young Gardevoir couple, “You aren’t the one’s I really want to fight anyway.”

“I don’t think we can take them,” said Sakura softly to Fredrick, “Our strongest attacks won’t even faze them.”

“Then its time we sent out our secret weapons,” said Fredrick. Anna quickly pointed to the dugout as Fredrick and Sakura walked off the field.

“Oh? Mr. Smith is changing Poke’mon already?” asked a bewildered Bert.

“That is still a wise move,” said Ernie, “Even a Gardevoir is at a significant disadvantage against a Dark-Type, even when armed with such powerful attacks.” As Fredrick and Sakura entered the dugout, the crowd quieted down with anticipation, wondering what Poke’mon would be set out by Mr. Smith.

“It’s time then,” said Mack as he held Aura’s hand tightly.

“Yes,” said Aura with soft laughter, “Time to make a spectacle of ourselves.” As they stared to leave the dugout, Bert and Ernie got some good news from the Orre region.

“Hey! This just in ladies and gentlemen!” said Ernie with relief, “We just reestablished contact with ONBS. They’re going to get to broadcast the final match.”

“According to what information we received, ONBS was stormed by mysterious bandits. We don’t know any other details, except that a young boy defeated them all single-handedly,” said Ernie as he saw a couple forms leaving the dugout, “Speaking of which, here comes Mr. Smith’s other Poke’mon and…GADZOOKS!!!” The crowd cheered even louder as two Gardevoirs, adorned in wedding dresses, entered onto the field.

“What do you make of that?!” shouted Bert.

“I don’t know!” replied Ernie as he hastily flipped through some pages on a nearby clipboard, “Here we go! The two Poke’mon are a male Gardevoir named Mack and a female Gardevoir named Aura.”

“Aura, huh?” said Bert, “That’s another pretty name for a Gardevoir.”

“On the other hand, Mack seems like an odd name for a Gardevoir,” said Ernie, “I just don’t understand why those two are dressed the way they are.”

“Perhaps Mack and Aura are Mr. Smith’s prized fighters?” suggested Bert, “Just look at them! Take a gander at those beautiful pendants! I’ve never seen such a fine red ruby or a deep blue sapphire of that size before!”

“That’s some of the finest gold I’ve ever seen myself,” said Ernie as he peered through some binoculars, “Just look at Aura’s jewelry: I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen so many diamonds in one place!” Bert scratched his head for awhile and then an idea finally dawned on him.

“Let’s check those records again, folks,” said Bert as he quickly flipped through the pages on the clipboard, “Here we go! The information provided by the trainer says that these two Gardevoirs were married about eight days ago.”

“Sheesh,” said Ernie, “Those beautiful white dresses should have been a dead giveaway. Look at the way their dresses shimmer.”

“Not to mention how Aura’s dress sparkles in the light as well as the bright luster of her diamond earrings, bracelets and tiara,” remarked Bert, “Her lace headdress flows enchantingly in the breeze. That Mr. Smith really knows how to treat his Poke’mon.” Back on the field, Mack gazed at Aura and smiled at her. The stadium lighting made Aura’s dress shimmer and sparkle brighter than on their wedding day. Her diamond jewelry shone with incredible luster. Mack wished it was all a dream and he would wake up in bed with her at his side at any moment.

“I really wish Bert and Ernie would say something enchanting about you that I don’t already know…” said Mack softly. Aura giggled and smiled at her loving mate.

“I can only imagine how much he spent on all that,” said Ernie, “Such fine dresses and jewelry would be worth more than what both of us made last year doing radio and television combined!”

"On the other hand, despite being very beautiful, I think such attire is going to be a serious handicap to the young Gardevoir couple,” said Bert. Mack faced the announcers’ booth and frowned.

“Thanks a lot, you killjoy…” muttered Mack.

“They have no idea what’s about to happen, Mack,” said Aura with gentle laughter, “I think Bert is going to eat his words in a matter of minutes, anyway.” Bert soon noticed the male Gardevoir as it frowned at him. Bert once again covered the microphone with his hand.

“You think I upset that Gardevoir?” asked a surprised Bert. Ernie shrugged, not sure how to answer his old friend. Bert quickly regained his composure and gazed skeptically at the pair of married Gardevoirs.

“Nevertheless, this still seems like a bad strategy,” said Bert ominously, “Those two Dark-Types still have a considerable advantage over the two Gardevoirs. Their only hope is that they are stronger than Dr. Jones active Poke’mon.” In the meantime, Xavier, William, Enrique and Mr. Allens closely watched Mack and Aura from their seats.

“Now the real fireworks are going to begin,” said Mr. Allens with excitement.

“I just hope they’ll be alright,” said Enrique.

“They’ll do just fine,” said Xavier, “Trust me.”

“I hope so,” replied Enrique, “It would be a shame for them to get beaten down while in their wedding attire.” Mack and Aura released their hands and got ready for the final match.

“Ah,” said Dr. Jones with an unseen smile, “At last I have both of you right where I want you.”

“Get ready, Aura,” said Mack quietly, “I’ll watch your back.”

“Why don’t we just let them have it?” asked Aura with a fiendish smile, “I think we’ve kept our power a secret for long enough.”

“Enough stalling,” said Dr. Jones impatiently, “Gremlin! Nox! Get them!” With the trainer’s command, the two dark Poke’mon charged at Mack and Aura.

“Here we go!” shouted Mack as he started running towards the offending Poke’mon with Aura at his side. Mack was amazed at just how quickly he could move in his wedding attire.

“Gremlin: use Confuse Ray!” ordered Dr. Jones. Gremlin responded by grinning at Aura and getting ready to unleash his attack, but before Gremlin could make another move, Mack quickly thrust his right hand forward and fired a beam of blinding light, directly at Gremlin.

“Ouch…” said Gremlin as he spun in circles from the attack. He stopped spinning and inadvertently unleashed Confuse Ray on Mr. Smith. Li tried as best as he could to keep him and Anna from toppling.

“Whoa…” said a dizzy Anna, “I feel funky…”

“Snap out of it, Anna!” shouted Li with fear, “If you keep teetering back and forth like this, we’ll both fall to the ground.” In all their years, Bert and Ernie had never seen anything quite like this: Mr. Smith wandering on the field in a daze while his Poke’mon continued their onslaught.

“I can’t say I’ve ever witnessed something like this,” said Ernie with surprise, “A trainer gets hit with a misfired attack move and his Poke’mon just keep on going.”

“He must really have faith in his Poke’mon,” said Bert as he watched the battle unfold through his binoculars, “But I’ve also never seen a Poke’mon use light as an attack.” Bert gazed at one of the Gardevoir as it was hit with a Faint Attack. Unbelievably, the Gardevoir kept going without flinching.

“These Gardevoirs are two of a kind and are unlike any I’ve ever seen in my entire life!” commented Ernie, “Dark-Type moves are completely useless against them!”

“Whereas the Gardevoirs’ attacks are like kryptonite to Dr. Jones Umbreon and Sableye,” quipped Bert as Gremlin was hit with another blast of light.

“How are you doing over there, Aura?” asked Mack as he rushed towards Nox with his arm glowing with white light.

“I can’t complain!” said Aura as she blasted Gremlin once again, “I was almost afraid we would stomp these guys without any real effort.” Mr. Allens and his Poke’mon guests were cheering on Mack and Aura while Fredrick and Sakura sat on the sidelines.

“That’s my sister!” laughed Fredrick as Aura blasted Nox with yet another beam of explosive light.

“Go get ‘em, you two lovebirds!” shouted Sakura with excitement as Mack slammed Nox with another Light Punch.

“I think they’ve just about had enough,” said Mack as Nox and Gremlin fell to the arena floor.

“Let’s finish them off, then!” said Aura while Nox and Gremlin struggled to get back on their feet.

“It’s Game Over for those two,” said William as he munched on some popcorn.

“It’s too early to celebrate now,” said Mr. Allens, “Mack and Aura will still need to defeat Dr. Jones’ last two Poke’mon and no one has seem them yet.”

“Hey! What are they doing now?” asked Xavier. Mack and Aura were standing side-by-side as they slowly started to lift off the ground. Mack’s and Aura’s skirts started to flutter from a strange breeze while Aura’s lace headdress seemed to flow from the wind. The crowd watched with awe as the two Gardevoir became covered with bubbles of light. Moments later, the light bubbles exploded outward, lighting up the entire arena with a blinding flash.

“Then again,” said Mr. Allens as he shielded his eyes, “Maybe I don’t have to worry about Mack and Aura after all!” The light quickly faded. Mack and Aura were back on the ground. Gremlin and Nox were not moving. They were lying on the ground, knocked out from the gigantic blast of light.

“It’s times like this…that make me wish I had gone for…that Fire Stone…instead…” grumbled Nox weakly.

“Gremlin, Nox, return,” said Dr. Jones as he called his fallen friends back to their Poke’ Balls, “You fought well. I’ll make sure your loss was not in vain.” Meanwhile, Anna had finally come to her senses and she and Li had managed to get back to the trainer’s box on the field.

“What else do you have up your sleeve, Dr. Jones?” asked Li from under his disguise, “Whatever it is, your next Poke’mon had better be more of a challenge than your Umbreon and Sableye.”

“Indeed, Mr. Smith,” said Dr. Jones, “My next Poke’mon are some of the most powerful on earth. I doubt the Guardians will have much of a chance against us.” Dr. Jones threw a lone Poke’ Ball onto the field. Moments later, a bright flash lit up the field. The light faded, revealing a Ho-oh.

“I could swear Dr. Jones had at least two Poke’mon left…” said Bert as he once again sifted through the records on the clipboard.

“Here it is,” said Ernie, “Dr. Jones also has a Kabutops named Simon.”

“Simon?!” shouted Xavier, William and Mr. Allens in unison.

“It can’t be,” said Xavier, “Simon said he had other business to attend to.”

“Maybe someone managed to catch him?” asked William. Back on the field, Mack finally figured out what was going on.

“Wait. You called us Guardians,” said Mack as he faced Dr. Jones, “Just who are you?”

“You’re not working with Cipher, are you?!” demanded Aura with anger.

“Please, my friends…” said Dr. Jones, “You know very well that I would never join those outlaws.”

“Then who are you?” demanded Mack. Dr. Jones responded by removing his trench coat, dark glass and his hat all at once. The people in the audience gasped.

“Simon?” asked Mack to the familiar Kabutops.

“Of course it’s me,” said Simon with a grin, “Now I have you and Aura right where I want you. I’ve wanted to challenge the Guardians of Gardev to a battle for a long time, so now’s as good a time as any to see who’s the strongest.”

“What a shocker!” said Bert, “But can a Poke’mon legally enter this tournament as a trainer? I don’t think so!”

“You’ve always been too hasty, Bert,” said Ernie as he quickly read through a league rulebook, “According to the official rules, the word ‘Trainer’ is not defined as a human; therefore, a Poke’mon could enter this tournament with a team of other Poke’mon at his side. Granted, this has never been witnessed before.”

“This is my dearest and most powerful friend, Phoenix,” said Simon as he pointed to the Ho-oh while it flapped its wings to stay off the ground, “Now; we will see who the most powerful Poke’mon at this tournament really are!” With that, Simon and Phoenix charged at Mack and Aura.

“Aura,” said Mack through telepathy, “Phoenix is faster than Simon, we need to take him out first!”

“Already on it,” thought Aura as she thrust both of her hands forward and fired a beam of psychic energy at Phoenix. Phoenix screeched and dove out of the way of the Psybeam. Before Aura could react, the mighty bird slammed into Aura’s torso head first, knocking her to the ground.

“Aura!” shouted Mack as his mate fell to the ground.

“I would be more worried about yourself at this point, Mack,” said Simon as he leapt forward and landed a crushing blow on Mack’s torso with the blunt edges of his claws.

“That Kabutops sure is brave,” said Ernie.

“They’re both quite powerful, too,” remarked Bert, “Mr. Smith had better think quickly or his well-adorned, prize fighters are going to fall very quickly.”

“Okay…” snarled Aura, “I’m through playing around.”

“Agreed!” growled Mack as they both jumped back onto their feet. Simon took a few steps back as the ruby and sapphire pendants started to glow brightly. Mack and Aura’s eyes were now radiating a bright, white light.

“Are they trying to make it so easy for me to hit them? Very well then,” said Phoenix as he dove at the Gardevoir lovers with supersonic speed.

“No!” shouted Simon, “Stay away from them and brace yourself for a powerful attack!” Phoenix didn’t hear Simon’s warning as he came screaming down upon Mack and Aura. Mack and Aura turned their gaze towards Phoenix as the giant Ho-oh became enshrouded with a mysterious blue and purple aura.

“Too late…” muttered Simon as Phoenix came to a screeching halt, just a matter of yards from his targets. Aura grinned at Phoenix, before she and Mack launched him into the air. Simon watched, dumbfounded as Phoenix was repeatedly sent flying high into the air and then crashing into the ground from the Guardians’ psychic attack.

“Now that is one powerful dose of Psychic!” said Ernie with triumph as Phoenix slammed into the ground once again.

“Still, will it be enough to fell such a powerful, rare Poke’mon?” asked Bert. Moments later, Bert got his answer as Phoenix flopped onto the field after Mack and Aura released him from their psychic grip. Mack quickly dusted himself off as Aura shook the dust off her dress.

“You’re still not finished with me,” said Simon as he readied himself for another attack.

“Bring it on!” shouted Aura as her right arm started to erupt with electricity. Mack followed suit and also got a Thunder Punch ready. Simon crossed his arms, unfazed as Mack and Aura came charging towards him from the other end of the field. Simon gazed at the approaching Guardians, trying to quickly single out a target. His eyes soon feel on Mack.

“You know I’m not going to just give up,” said Simon gruffly, “Let’s see how well you two handle me.” Simon charged forward towards Mack. Mack readied himself as he got ready to land a devastating punch on Simon. Mack thrust his fist forward, expecting to land a direct hit. Simon, reflexively, brought his claws forward and pinched Mac