Sean rubbed his leg, moving closer to Mark. Mark wrapped an arm around Sean's waist. Sean glanced down at his dirty and torn Team Rocket clothes, then winced. Looking up at Mark, he told him reluctantly. "Convincing the leaders that we are on their side is going to be hard... I mean, My Team Leader will want me arrested after everything that I've done. Destroying the shrine and escaping jail... I'm a traitor in her eyes." Nate pulled from Zoey and Chad's hugging to add coolly. "Ya... And Valor's leader is not going to listen to someone that kind of... crashed their ship into lava and smashed up their monitoring system..." The Shaman's eyes widened as she said in a slightly concerned voice. "You have to try. This fight isn't over." Sean shrugged, telling her honestly. "I just don't see how. The Leaders are stubborn and once they set their mind to something. They commit." Mark shuffled his feet a bit, before slipping in softly. "Not all of them." All eyes turned to Mark. Mark cleared his throat, then answered simply. "Spark."

Nate raised an eyebrow, asking curiously. "The Instinct leader? How can he help?" Mark inhaled deeply, mumbling out. "It is no secret that he doesn't like to fight. Spark always tries to think of nonviolent ways to defend himself before relenting to the inevitable to survive. His first thought is for the pokemon and protecting the pokemon eggs at the daycares in Thunder Town." Sean shrugged, asking Nate coolly. "We haven't done anything to piss him off, right?" Nate huffed, chuckling out. "I don't think so. But even if we did talk to him. How do we convince the others?" Mark looked to the Shaman as he stated aloud for everyone. "Spark is a local. The other leaders may not respect him... but he's never lied to them. We convince Spark to help us, and he can calm the other leaders down." Nate crossed his arms, asking a bit reluctantly. "Why do I feel a catch coming...?" Sean tried to read Mark's face, when Mark answered bluntly. "Spark hates Team Rocket... If he sees us dressed like this..." Nate rolled his eyes, mumbling out. "He'll skin us alive. Great..."

Lugia turned his head in the direction of growing gunfire and told them firmly. "Whatever you do. You must hurry." Nate shrugged, asking swiftly. "So, what do we do? Rob a clothing store? Beat up some Team Instinct and hope they are our size?" Mark scoffed his shoe in the sand, mumbling out. "It won't be that easy. I kind of... warned Spark stuff was going to happen... He'll have recalled them to Lightning island by now. Well... All but one." Sean pointed to Mark, but Mark shook his head and answered. "Lewis. We didn't free him from Fire Island..." The Shaman inhaled, then told him casually. "We need to do something fast or the whole island will be taken over by Valor. I can take Mew into the tunnel we came from to get back to the tree of life. But we won't be able to fight off Valor for long if they find us." Nate straightened up, telling them seriously. "We have the legendary birds, right? First, we help Shamouti. We chase Valor's forces back. Then we fly to Lightning island and... Mark?" Mark gawked at Nate without a clue what to do, until it just came to him and he answered confidently. "That might actually work."

Sean blinked, looking between them with confusion. Mark pointed at Nate, telling everyone excitedly. "We change the balance of power! We take it away from the teams!" Sean stood completely lost as he uttered out softly. "And how do we do that...?" Mark looked to the Shaman, asking hopefully. "You have any clothing that screams 'Chosen Ones?" The Shaman glanced behind her to her tribe, then said uncertain. "I'm sure we can throw something together quickly. Why? How will that help?" Nate blurted out for them. "It's a scare tactic. The Teams think they hold the power. That's why they covet the jewels. But if they think the power is in the hands of the locals-" The shaman cut off Nate to finish off in excitement. "They'll pull their forces back and try to band together against a possible common threat!" Sean grinned, finally understanding as he said. "That would certainly pull Blanche back if she thought Articuno was no longer defending Mystic." The Shaman turned to chat with her tribe, while Lugia turned to speak with the three Legendary birds that were resting on the beach by him.

The locals rushed them back up to the cave as the gunfire grew louder. Lugia encouraged the other birds to take flight to circle his shrine while they waited. In the cave, the locals separated them to work on their clothes as fast as they could. Some tore clothing off themselves to add the extra fabric needed to hold things in place. Sean blushed and winced as they removed his clothes and grabbed limbs to touch him as they worked. They painted lightning bolts down his bare arms and down under his eyes. They put a headdress on him that looked like Zapdos and it acted strangely like a helmet. Allowing him to pull down the beak to look through the protected eyes of the mask. They put bracelets on his wrists and ankles that crackled like static. They even smeared something yellow on his skin to help keep him from getting paralyzed by Zapdos's body. That part made Sean shake as he stammered out. "Wait... You mean we'll be riding THEM?!" The locals merely laughed at him and finished the touches on him. He felt naked and hated it. The only real clothing he had on was the headdress and a long loincloth that showed off way too much of his legs.

Looking to the others in the hopes that they were just as displeased, he blushed a deeper red behind his mask. Mark had a similar blue headdress with Articuno's head, but his exposed skin was painted in blue designs that looked like stars with white streaks between them. Mark's muscles stood out a lot as they wrapped blue hanging beads around his biceps and thighs. A single blue line was painted under Mark's eyes and over his nose, making his softer features shine through. While Nate's arm tattoos were covered in black paint. Across Nate's eyes was a large red band that was streaked in yellow. The make-up made Nate look dark and intimating. They didn't seem nearly distressed by being practically naked. Sean exhaled heavily and swore that he'd have to workout more. He looked so small and skinny compared to them. As the gunfire drew close enough that it made the locals nervous, the shaman yelled out to them. "GO! NOW!" Turning on their heels with their bags in hand, they ran from the cave. They ran out just as a group of Valor soldiers were moving toward the cave. The soldiers opened fire on them, but they kept running toward the cliff as fast as their legs could take them.

The pokemon from the cave did their best to throw up screens of protection to keep the bullets off them. From above, Lugia's voice bellowed out to them as they reached the edge. "JUMP!" Nate grunted and leapt off the cliff as he yelled out. "Here we go again!" Sean screamed as he leapt off the edge against his better judgement. Mark cheered into the air, then told them as they fell. "Hands out! Brace yourselves!" Sean mimicked Mark, putting his feet and hands out in front of him as he fell. From the side, the birds rushed down after them. Rushing down faster then them, the birds swooped up just enough for them to land on them, before heading back up into the air in unison. Sean landed on Zapdos, his bare feet landing on him in a crouch like they would be in if he was a Ranger. Grabbing Zapdos's wings, Sean yelped unsure how to hold on but being barefoot surprisingly helped to keep him balanced on him. Mark and Nate cheered loudly as the birds rose high into the air, then tilted slightly before freefalling back toward the shrine.

Mark and Nate pulled the becks of the headdresses down and Sean quickly followed suit. He had no idea what was coming. Zapdos let out a sharp cry, then unleashed a bolt of lightning across the ground to scare the soldiers from going to the cave. Flying in behind him, Nate yelled out. "FIRE!" Moltres followed the line of lightning, lining it in a wall of blazing fire! The soldiers screamed, rushing back down the shrine steps. Across the water, Lugia split from the group to circle the island, causing a wall of water to rise high enough to be seen from all over the island and fencing in the people that might try to escape by water. Behind Moltres, Articuno extinguished the fire left by Moltres. Flying over the landscape toward the sounds of gunfire, Nate yelled out to him. "Let's break them up!" Sean nodded, his adrenaline rising as Zapdos rushed in to fire warning shots into the crowd to break up the groups of fighting trainers. The trainers didn't expect it and where either blow back or ran away. With the warning shot splitting them up, Moltres swooped in to divide them more with a fear of getting burned by the sudden flames that flared up. The trainers yelled and screamed in both shock and awe.

Those that noticed the legendary birds were being ridden, started to yell out. "The locals are fighting back!" Mark swooped low, letting Articuno blast the treetops in thick snow that fell from the leaves to land on trainers. The trainers stumbled and started yelling out. "RETREAT!" The trainers yelled for pokemon to attack them, but the pokemon were either too scared or were refusing to obey those orders. Some trainers started to open fire on them, until wild pokemon started to rush in to fight them instead! Lugia's mournful cry was echoing over the island like a motivating call to arms. The pinned down locals that saw them, began to cheer and chant. Sean waved to a few of the locals, then held on as Zapdos drifted through the air to send out sparks of electricity through the trees. Splitting up a bit, they flew all over the island to scatter the trainers and forced them into a retreat. When the trooped were scattered enough that a panic was setting in, Lugia dropped the wall of water and let out a loud call that made the three reply with loud calls of their own.

The three birds turned to head across the water toward their islands. Circling the individual team islands to intimate them a little to show their displeasure. However, Zapdos didn't. Soaring over Lightning island, Zapdos landed on the highest tower in the center of the impressive futuristic looking town and unleashed a loud call as his body sparked. Below the baby pokemon turned wide eyes up at him, while the trainers rushed to collect the babies to take them to safety. Zapdos then leapt off to fly around the town and Sean marveled at the place. There were lush parks and fully automated devises that helped with maintaining the place. Zapdos flew through a large Ferris wheel and Sean waved to the people inside. He wanted to explore this town. It looked peaceful and fun. Zapdos finished flying around the town, before a strange call similar to Zapdos's came from the tower in the center of the town. Zapdos turned around, heading toward the call. Sean crouched low over Zapdos's back, feeling uneasy.

The massive glass dome opened and Zapdos quickly landed inside. Sean tensed as he looked around the large garden. Everywhere baby pokemon were trying to hide or peeking out from hiding places to see Zapdos. Zapdos folded his wings, acting relaxed and content. Even as a tall man crossed the garden toward them. Sean tried to hide on Zapdos's back as the six foot tall, short haired blonde man said in a casual voice. "Hello there. Do I know you?" Sean gulped, shaking his head as he told him nicely. "No... I came to... talk to you about something." The man gave him a shrug, taking a seat on a tree stump as he replied just as nicely. "As long as you aren't here to hurt anyone. I don't see a reason why we can't talk. I assume you know who I am?" Sean carefully slid off Zapdos, answering nervously. "You're Spark? No one told me you were so... tall." Spark chuckled, leaning down to pet a pokemon that was hiding behind the tree stump. Glancing at him though, Spark told him lightly. "I'm not as intimating as I look. What brings you?" Sean straightened up, telling him seriously. "I need your help to end this war before it gets worse."

Spark raised an eyebrow, curiously asking. "And how do I help with something like that?" Sean stepped up and told him softly. "Mark says you always put the pokemon first. You've seen what the Teams have done to the locals... This is your chance to side with us and end this. Help us end the Teams." Spark exhaled heavily, telling him grimly. "What you ask is impossible." Sean took a single step closer, quickly telling him. "Not if we can put the jewels back on the shrines and let Mew set things right. Mew can bring peace." Spark smirked, replying brutally honest. "Yes, I know the story. But Mew can only heal the heart of humans for a few years. When the effect ends... I'm afraid that people are people. They'll be back to fighting." Sean shrugged, telling him hopefully. "A few years of peace sounds better than war. By the time the effect wears off, hopefully we will have found a way to tolerate each other. I just found... I don't want to give up what I have. Do you?" Spark looked at all the pokemon in the garden before answering him honestly. "Of course, I don't."

Spark then stood up, causing Sean to back up into Zapdos. Smirking, Spark pointed off in the distance to the far mountains that surrounded the valley. Sean relaxed, listening to Spark tell him. "Follow the statues of Zapdos up to the cave. You'll find the shrine there. I'm sure Blanche and Candance will take my call now that your friends have... given them something else to think about." Sean bit his lip, asking Spark curiously. "Don't you want to put the jewel back?" Spark shook his head, giving him a warm smile as he said sweetly. "No. That is not the kind of power that I want to wield. And it doesn't belong to me. It's for Zapdos to decide who is worthy. He let you ride him here. That's enough for me to know that he trusts you. You can handle it, I'm sure." To Be Continued...