Nate slowly walked closer to the fossilized tree, prompting Mark to ask him curiously. "A what?" Nate stopped short when the Crystal Onix lifted its head to stare at him with timid eyes. Pointing to the tree, Nate told Mark with a blush. "It was in this schoolbook that I... borrowed." Mark uttered out a small chuckle, letting Nate continue. "Giovanni's mother was obsessed with finding a Tree of Beginning. Or as the grunts called it, the Mew Tree. They are extremely rare. It's said that Mews only lived in Mew Trees. Creating a kind of paradise for the pokemon that lived there with Mew. As the Mews died... The trees died." Mark got up to get a better look at the tree, shrugging out. "Seems small and... not what I'd picture as a paradise..." Nate shrugged in return, saying softly. "Maybe the locals were trying to care for it? Keep it hidden and safe, until it grew bigger?" Mark glanced around at the crystals, adding in. "I guess that would explain why there is a Mew on the island." Nate blinked, slightly confused as he asked. "You've seen a Mew?" Now Mark looked confused, upon asking a bit stunned. "Ya. Haven't you?"

Nate thought about it but couldn't recall it. Taking his arm, Mark told him to sit down as he said excitedly. "Oh, you are going to love this. Take a seat and I'll fill you in." Sitting back around the fire, Mark told him about his interaction with a baby Lugia that turned out to be a Mew. After hearing him recall what Mew had told him, Nate mumbled out. "Huh... You know. I thought the Shaman's son told me that same thing, but I saw soon saw him elsewhere and the guy that I was talking to was gone. I thought it was a ghost trying to prank me..." Mark shared a chuckle with him, before Sean sat up. Sleepily Sean looked them over and yawned out. "You guys good?" Nate shrugged, asking nicely. "Why wouldn't we be?" Sean hugged his damp jacket tighter around himself, mumbling out groggily. "I thought you'd fight after... what happened with Giovanni?" Nate shared a look with Mark, before Mark told Sean coolly. "We talked it out. We're good. Are you ok?" Sean shook his head, mumbling out. "I'm cold... and I'm hungry. These rocks hurt to sleep on..." Mark's Raichu stretched beside Sean, looking just as tired.

Beckoning Sean over, Nate told him happily. "Come here. I can help." Sean reluctantly climbed to his feet, trudging over to him. Scooting down the rock he was sitting on, he patted the seat. Sean dropped down between them and Nate removed his pokeball. Tossing it up, the ball popped open to bring out Cyndakill. Cyndakill squealed happily, rushing to press himself against Nate's leg. Picking him up, Nate kissed his little narrow head and carefully handed him off to Sean. Cyndakill tensed, his whole body vibrating as he growled. Nate shushed him, telling him hopefully. "Be nice. He's cold and I just want him to hold you." Cyndakill relaxed a little, but his body still vibrated with a silent growl of mistrust. Sean cradled his warm little body to his chest, while Nate told him with a half-smile. "He'll warm up to you eventually." Mark recalled Raichu back into her pokeball, informing them gruffly. "I might be able to help with the food..." Nate gawked at him playfully, chuckling out. "You've been holding out on us?"

Sean perked up a little at the mention of food. Slowly Mark stood up and removed a pokeball. Lifting his wrist to look at his watch, he typed something in. After he set something, a light appeared out of the side of the watch to scan the pokeball. The pokeball in his hand vanished, before a new one replaced it. The new ball was an Ultra ball with an Alola sticker. Mark took a moment to look at the ball, softly uttering out under his breath to it. "It's been a while... Are you ready to come out and meet my new friends?" Giving the ball a kiss, Mark tossed it up high and called out. "Come on out, Barry." The ball flew up high, then popped open to release a large bulky pokemon that had what appeared to be two sets of wings. Catching the ball when it came back to him, Mark stepped up more to the hovering pokemon with a saddened look. Barry was a hefty looking long necked pokemon with what looked like a grass helmet and chest plate. Barry's wings where actually four long leaves that it flapped like wings. Hanging from the sides of its jaw were clusters of bananas. It was a Tropius. Mark raised a hand up toward it, casually asking it. "How have you been, buddy?"

Tropius snorted at him. It looked a little hurt emotionally, but slowly hovered to the floor. Folding its leafy wings behind it, Barry reluctantly moved its nose to bump Mark's palm. Mark let Barry come to him on his own, before pulling his head close to hug his long neck. Sean blinked, gawking as he noticed the same thing that Nate did. Barry had an Alolan saddle on his back. Nate gestured to it, asking Mark with a smirk. "He was your mount?" Mark smiled, patting Barry's shoulder as he replied with pride. "Ya. He was the first pokemon that I used my Styler on. We share a close bond... And when I was leaving... he wanted me to take him with me. I haven't had him in my party since Alola... I'm sure that has upset him." Barry snorted in Mark's face, making Mark cough and push his nose away. Sean sniffed the air, then blushed as his stomach rumbled. Nate and Mark chuckled. Sean slumped a bit, mumbling out. "It's not funny..." Nate watched Mark look to Barry, who lifted his chin for him.

Pulling the bundles of bananas off the sides of Barry's jaw, Barry shook his head like he was thrilled to be lighter. Taking the bundles over to them, he told them coolly. "It's not much, but it should give your stomach something to digest. Just be sure to eat the skins too. That's where all the real nutrition is." Nate and Sean took two bananas. Nate watched Mark put two bananas in Pryce's bag for him to enjoy later. He then divided up the remaining four to Zoey and Barry. Nate was surprised to see Mark eat the peel. He didn't know many people that ate the peel, but with food hard to find right now... Nate tried it. It was a different texture than he was used too, but not bad. The banana was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. It was so sweet and fresh tasting that he asked Mark if Tropius was on a special diet to make them that way. Mark rocked his hand a bit, honestly saying. "In a way. The plants of Alola are rich with sweetness and so it gives his bananas an extra kick." Pulling a piece off of his banana, Nate held it out for Cyndakill to try some. Cyndakill was a picky eater, but he usually ate whatever he did without complaint.

Cyndakill's little tongue licked it, then shivered like he didn't like it. However, when Nate tried to take it away, his little paw reached out to claw his arm back for him to give it another try. This time he ate it. Sean cautiously stroked Cyndakill's head, leaning his head on Nate's good shoulder as he chewed and closed his eyes. Mark nibbled on his banana, addressing them seriously. "Nate, you said that Fire Island is an active volcano... So, how do we get inside?" Nate swallowed, about to answer, when a ghostly hand tugged on his pant leg. Looking down, the ghostly hand pointed to his banana and held its palm out. Recognizing the shape of the hand, he tore a piece off and gave it to the hand, before telling Mark. "They have mining tunnels that they use, but they'll be heavily guarded. But I think that if we go in disguised as Team Rocket members... We'll be able to get in just fine." Sean finished his banana, sleepily asking Nate. "Their home is a volcano? Wouldn't it be too hot in there?" Shaking his head, he informed them both. "No. They have water pipes that filter sea water inside. They use the heat of the volcano to purify the water and then they use it to keep the rooms cool. While using air ducts like windows to cycle the air out. It's like being in a tropical cave. It's warm but bearable."

Mark looked a little impressed, scoffing his foot in the dirt as he said under his breath. "Smart... Using the volcano as a vital power source." Mark then snapped his fingers as the ghostly hand tugged on Nate's pant leg again, snapping out. "Chad! When did you get out?!" Nate pulled a piece of peel off to give to Chad, chuckling out. "Oh, don't be mad at him. He's a ghost. They are mischievous by nature. He just wants to be apart of the group." Mark narrowed his eyes on Nate, grumbling out. "Easy for you to say..." Nate rolled his eyes, shooting back flatly. "I have a Gengar. Trust me. Nothing Chad does will surprise me after all the pranks I endured." Chad scooted out from behind the rock to hug Nate's leg affectionately. Nate rubbed Chad's clothed head, changing the subject to tell Mark honestly. "We should give them some more time to rest and then head out as soon as possible." Mark looked to Sean who was slumped against Nate. Sean was fast asleep with Cyndakill snuggled up in his arms. Mark gestured to Nate's body, retorting coolly. "You should rest too-" Nate cut him off to firmly state back. "I'm fine. Just some bruises. I'm not going to let that slow us down."

Mark approached to carefully take Sean off Nate. Sitting in front of the fire, Mark draped Sean over his lap. Nate flexed his shoulder, thanking Mark for taking Sean. His arm had been uncomfortable under Sean's awkward weight, but he didn't want to move it and risk him waking. For a little bit they chatted in the silence, until Zoey creeped over to whisper over Nate's shoulder. "Nate... Keep an eye on the bags." Both Mark and Nate looked at her with perplexed looks. Without drawing more attention to herself, she whispered even softer. "For the last four minutes, Pryce as been eyeing those bags. Call me paranoid... but he's making me nervous." Nate tried to be discreet when he looked over, noticing that Pryce was up. He was eating a banana and every so often his eyes glanced at their pile of bags. Nate tensed a bit. He knew that look. It was the look every anxious and eager thief got when their prize was within reach. Mark noticed too, whispering to over his shoulder to them. "You don't think that he'd steal the jewels, do you?"

Nate shifted a little uncomfortable, bowing his head to hide his own words when he murmured out. "I don't trust anyone. And besides... How do we know anything he has said has been the truth? For all we know... Giovanni could have sent him back in time to steal them all." Mark stiffened at that with wide eyes. Nate patted Mark's shoulder, telling him without looking away from Pryce. "Where are the jewels now?" Zoey interjected wispily. "Sean's bag. I saw him slip them in earlier." Nate nodded, telling them confidently. "Until he makes a move. We just keep an eye on him." Zoey stroked her paw down Nate's arm, then crept back to her post. Pryce watched her go, then locked eyes with Nate. The guarded look that Pryce had on his face didn't ease Nate's suspicions. Something was up with Pryce and Nate didn't like what that usually meant. As the night came, Nate woke up Mark and Sean to whisper over them. "Time to go." They groaned and stiffly sat up, but Nate was already wide awake. He'd taken the time to dress himself in his Team Rocket clothing and had forced himself to stretch out his bruised muscles.

He was ready for any fight to come next. Nate returned Cyndakill and was chatting with Zoey about using her illusions to hide them from possible trouble, when she pointed across the cave. Mark and Sean were changing clothes and gathering up their stuff. While Pryce was gathering up his own bag and was fussing with Nate's. Walking out toward Pryce, Nate asked him loud and clear. "Can I help you find something?" Pryce lowered Nate's bag with a frustrated look. Mark and Sean glanced between them with concerned glances. Shrugging, Pryce casually told him. "I was collecting it for you. Did want you to leave it behind?" Nate reached out calmly for the bag, but Pryce hesitated to give it to him. Giving him the fakest smile Nate had ever seen, he informed Nate almost hopefully. "I know I'm old. But I can pull my own weight. I'd be happy to carry it for you, if you like?" Nate huffed lightly, stepping closer to grab the strap of his bag as he bluntly stated out. "Ya... I bet you would. But I don't need your help. I'm a thief, remember? I trust no one with my stuff."

Taking the bag from him as casually as he could, Nate turned to look at Mark. Mark shared his deep concern for this sudden turn of events. Walking back up to the entrance, Nate pushed the bag into Zoey's arms, discreetly whispering to her. "Check it. Make sure Celebi is still in there." Zoey took the bag, slinging it over her shoulder without giving away that Nate had said anything. He watched her slip through the illusion of the entrance and then turned to face Pryce. Now he knew exactly what he was after. To Be Continued...