Sean reached back to grab a pokeball from his belt, but Mark grabbed his wrist to stop him. He glared at Mark. Mark shook his head with a serious expression. Sean looked at Pryce hoping to get him to help. Pryce was distracted with watching Giovanni though with a perplexed look. It was like he hadn't seen this before. Sean looked for himself, listening to Nate clear his throat before blushing out. "I thought we agreed to-" Giovanni tilted Nate's head back, bringing his lips to his as he cut him off to interject. "When my mother was in power, certainly. But under my reign... I can make things different. I don't care what people think. I have enough authority to make problems... go away." Nate swallowed, staring at Giovanni with vulnerable eyes. Giovanni brushed his knuckles across Nate's cheekbones, cooing to him in a buttery voice. "Help me do this, Nate." Nate opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked lost to indecision. Giovanni pulled him closer to the cave to be out of earshot of the others, causing Sean to duck lower in the bush.

Mark crept back into the cave more with Pryce, leaving Sean to watch with disgust as Giovanni discreetly kissed Nate. The kiss was brief but full of lusty passion. Sean knew manipulation when he saw it. It pissed him off that Nate was falling for his bullshite like a pokemon struck with Charm. Prying his lips off Nate, Giovanni whispered to him breathlessly. "Baby, we're so close. We pull this off and we'll change everything. We'll prove to everyone that we are more dangerous than they ever could imagine." Nate nodded, bowing his head a bit as he mumbled out. "And Ariana? Where is she in this great plan of yours...?" Without flinching, Giovanni promptly answered as he went in for another kiss. "She means nothing to me. She is a means to an end... You are the future. You always have been." Sean shook his head. He could almost see the lies dripping from Giovanni's mouth like venom. Nate's hands slid up Giovanni's chest, wrapping around his neck to accept his kiss. Sean's heart ached seeing the bliss between them.

Lowering his eyes to the dirt, Sean bit his tongue hard. He wasn't used to seeing guys kiss. Seeing them kiss was making him uneasy. His father's loud drunken words ringing in his ears with an aggression that made him cringe. Taking a shaky breath to calm himself and chase the memory off. He raised his eyes back to them. Giovanni broke the kiss, asking very softly over Nate's lips. "How soon can you be ready?" Nate licked his lips, staring deep into Giovanni's eyes as he said without hesitation. "Give me a day. Enough to heal my pokemon and plan the best route in." Giovanni's grin was devilish when he purred out excitedly. "Done. When you are ready. Meet me where we met. I have a few details to... attend to first. But I'll be there. I knew I could count on you, Baby." Giovanni kissed Nate's forehead, patted his cheek gently before walking away. Giovanni met up with the Ariana at the cart to look over the shipment of pokemon. Picking out the ones he wanted, he told Ariana swiftly. "Take them to my estate. I'll need them for the labs I plan to build."

Nate licked his lips, a blush burning his cheeks. He glanced at the bush with an anxious look as Zoey skipped over to him with a smug grin. Swatting her arm, Nate giggled shyly. Zoey fixed Nate's hair, when Giovanni called out to them with a warm smile. "Nate, get going to the Pokestop. Bill it all to me." Nate bowed to Giovanni, shooting a worried look at the bush again before tossing a pokeball to bring out his Rapidash. Swinging up onto the horse, Zoey hopped on behind him and they rode off through the woods. Just after he was gone, Ariana asked Giovanni curtly in a snarky tone. "Laying it on a little thick, don't you think?" Giovanni stuffed his hands into the pockets of his suit pants, stating aloud as he watched Nate vanish from view. "Relax, Ariana. He's a means to an end. I'll do whatever I have to. It's what separates me from my mother. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty." Ariana brushed her red hair off her shoulder, leaning close to Giovanni as she asked him curiously. "You aren't thinking of replacing me with him, are you? He's good, yes. But he's still so... sweet centered."

Giovanni grinned, turning his head to look at her as he said smoothly. "He's chocolate covered misery. And trust me when I say that there is nothing on this planet that tastes sweeter. But don't worry. You're the future, Ariana. He's like a chocolate left on a hotel bed. A secret indulgence that warms the heart and bed on those long nights." Ariana smirked only a little with clear distain on her face, causing him to lift her chin with his fingers before purring out. "I've respected your wishes, have I not? I never wanted this arranged marriage either... You're only in it for my money and the power that being my wife will give you. And I'm only in it for the companies your father gave me. So, until you want to bare my son... He stays. He's no threat to your position. After all, he can't bare me a son. But I'd be lying if I said he wasn't good in bed. So, in that regard... You'll have to up your game. Or I'll get bored with you." Giovanni dropped his hand from her, flashing her a smug smile before stepping around her.

Behind Sean, Mark whispered out discreetly. "What an asshole... Poor Nate. Should we tell him?" Sean huffed darkly, grumbling out. "As if he'd believe you. He's lovestruck." Mark swatted Sean in the back, asking a bit sourly. "Hey. What is your problem with him?" Sean glared at Mark over his shoulder but didn't answer him. Pryce touched both their arms, calmly whispering out. "Guys. Not now." Sean relented with a sigh, settling down to wait. While waiting, his mind drifted to his first relationship. Having been so desperate to stand out at home, he ended up in a relationship with an older man at sixteen that manipulated him. Lovestruck, he didn't see the man for the drunken abuser he was. He blamed it on having daddy issues... but in reality, he just hadn't seen the signs. His father's drunken antics had just blinded him to them. By the time he'd seen them, his secret was out, and his father chased him out. With nowhere to go, he joined into Team Mystic to escape and become someone he wanted to be.

Rubbing his collarbone with a shaky hand, he looked over at Giovanni. He couldn't look at him without thinking about it. Hearing Nate's struggle with men and seeing him act the same way with Giovanni... It was torturing him with memories that he'd buried deep enough to forget. Now it just refused to stay buried. No one in Mystic knew of his past. He'd spent his time trying to stand out in every way... except one. He kept his heart under tight guard to keep people from finding out that he liked guys. He wasn't going to fall into the same trap again. They waited until Giovanni and Team Valor left, before rushing out of the cave to head toward the road that would take them to the nearest town. After sitting in silence for so long though, Mark blurted out to them as they walked. "Alright, now let's address the legendary in the room... What's your problem?" Sean ignored Mark, continuing to walk without looking at him. Mark jogged ahead, stopping in front of him, saying firmly. "Look. Nate has his faults. But after everything you just heard and what he did for us... How can you still be so mad at him?" Sean tried to step around him, but Mark blocked his path, adding lightly. "He gave you your pokemon back. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Sean tensed, snapping at Mark sternly. "Get out of my way!" Mark locked eyes with him, crossing his arms as he retorted firmly. "Answer me and I will. You can't be that pissed at him for something he did to Mystic years ago. I admit that I was... but before we see him again. I think you need to get something off your chest." Sean shoved Mark away from him, snapping out sharply. "Who do you think you are? My therapist?!" Sean quickly rushed by him, only to have Mark grab his wrist and state out rashly. "You act like this is personal. Like you love him, and he betrayed you." Sean tensed, whirling around fast to deck Mark across the face. To his surprise, Mark blocked his blow and wrapped his arm around his to take full control over his arm. Pulling his arm across his chest, Mark applied pressure to his shoulder to bend him forward and Sean screamed out in a panic. "DON'T!" Tears fell from Sean's eyes as the flash of having his arm dislocated by his ex-boyfriend became all too real. Mark's hands loosened on his arm with sudden concern. Sean fell to his knees, pulling his arm away from Mark to hug it to his own chest.

Mark stepped back as Pryce slowly moved closer to ask him gently. "Sean? You ok?" Feeling broken and vulnerable, he could only nod. He didn't know what had happened. He always kept himself so strong and collected. Yet, with that one gesture... his body had reacted on its own to plead for mercy. His arms shook, but he forced his fear down again. Standing back up onto his feet, he looked at Mark's startled expression and said numbly. "I don't love him. I barely know the guy." Sean rubbed his shoulder, starting to walk on until Mark told him in a cool tone. "But you see yourself in him." Sean froze to the spot unable to move. Beside him, Mark gently said aloud. "Ya... I know that look. I had a stalker, remember?" Mark inched closer, sliding a hand over Sean's other shoulder comfortingly as he asked very lightly. "Yours?" Sean pulled the bill of his hat down over his eyes, mumbling out in a mousey voice. "An abusive drunk hidden behind a pretty face and kind words." Moving out from under Mark's hand, Sean looked back and informed him bluntly. "I don't hate him... I can't even bring myself to pity Nate... because he didn't learn from the first time."

Sighing heavily, Sean pushed the bill of his hat up to look Mark in the eyes before adding in a bit of a dark numb tone. "Love is a fool's emotion. It makes you fall victim to everyone around you. It blinds you from reality with pretty rainbows... all to hide the shite waiting for you at the end to bury you alive. I'll never fall in love again." Tearing his eyes away from Mark, Sean started to walk down the road at a brisk pace. Pryce let out a low whistle behind them, chuckling out to himself. "Great... Now I feel bad for having good relationships... For the most part. There were some bitches like that Ariana but really who keeps count of them, right?" Mark snorted, regaling nicely to Pryce. "True, but you never forget the really bad ones." Sean glanced back to see Pryce shrug and ask Mark curiously. "I guess, you're right. So, this stalker of yours...? How did that go?" Mark chuckled nervously, keeping an eye on his Raichu as it surfed around them and the Dragonites following behind everyone. After a minute or two, Mark forced out in a strained voice. "Chad. He was a friend of mine at school. Best friends. Then one day we're at a party... spin the bottle. We kiss. And suddenly... Chad gets very clingy and protective of me."

Sean slowed his pace to listen better as Mark continued on more uneasily. "He started telling me the people around me were a bad influence. He attacked girls that showed the slightest interest in me. He kept trying to get me to hang out with him. Made me feel bad for ignoring him... I eventually broke and tried to talk to him about what was going on. He saw us as being in a relationship after that kiss... I didn't. Went to his dorm for the first time and saw pictures and journals of info on me dating back to the day we met. He had been stalking me even before we became friends. He knew things about me that no one knew. Things I did privately when no one was around. He knew so much about me that he knew my passwords and where I hid things. I changed places and numbers... He kept finding a way to contact me." Pryce shivered, stating out anxiously. "Yikes. How did you manage to shake him off?" Mark's face fell, before he softly replied. "My dad died. He suddenly backed off. Stopped hearing from him... I don't know why. I was in too dark of a place to care. By the time I started bouncing back, I found the recruiter for Team Instinct and hopped on the first ship out."

Pryce patted Mark's shoulder, trying to bring up the mood as he asked. "And you still wanted to help others after that? I'd think you'd be terrified." Sean looked at Mark more directly, catching Mark's warm eyes as he replied sweetly. "No. I just kept thinking about what pushed Chad into thinking that love was something he had to take. I don't think he fully understood what love is." Sean winced, feeling those words like a needle to his heart. Picking up his pace, he kept his eyes on the road ahead. He ignored everything else Mark said to Pryce. He just wanted to focus on the bigger things. His biggest one was making sure that Nate didn't take Team Rocket to Ice Island. He couldn't let Giovanni get his hands on the lab equipment. After that... He'd worry about how to stop Shadow Lugia. The sun was just starting to set giving the sky an orange color, when Sean stopped to look at the wooden sign for Ice Town. Sean bit his lip, looking back at Mark's Instinct colors. It was going to be difficult to get to the Pokestop with Mark flaunting his colors.

Pryce and Mark shared a laugh, walking right past the sign like they didn't notice where they were going. Jogging after them, he asked them a bit surprised. "Guys?! What are you doing? This is Mystic's territory! You shouldn't be-" Pryce gestured to his large dirty black robes, uttering out dismissively. "They won't know me here. Right now, my young self is in Kanto. Probably watching cartoons." Sean shook his head, retorting. "That is not what I-" Mark cut him off to say lightly. "Don't worry about it. I'm not looking for a fight." Sean rolled his eyes, covering his face with a hand as he mumbled out. "Oh, but I'm sure it will find you... Idiots."  Had they forgotten that Instinct stole Milotic from Mystic?  To Be Continued...