Scrambling up the ladder, Nate got to the top just as another set of pokemon hands grabbed him to yank him out. Nate thrashed, grabbing the pokemon's thin wrists, but it flipped him over itself and slammed him to the ground so fast that Nate's ribs seized up on him. Snatching his wrists to hold onto them, the pokemon shoved him over and pinned him to the floor with his foot between his shoulder blades. The pokemon was an Infernape. It looked like a chimpanzee in white armor with golden fire symbols and blazing long hair of fire on its head. It wasn't native to this region, but someone clearly had one. As Mark climbed out, a Machoke reached down to grab him at the command of its trainer. The Machoke was the second evolution of Machamp with only two arms instead of four. The four trainers that were standing around were wearing the Rainbow Rocket symbol on their chests. The fourth member looked down the vent to make sure that was all of them, then kicked the grate shut.

Struggling to get his hands free, Nate snapped out. "You're making a BIG mistake!" The fourth trainer casually looked them over in turn, before telling the others. "These three fit the description. Take them to Maxie." Looking down at Nate, the trainer smiled wickedly below the rim of his hat, telling him coolly. "I wouldn't try anything... unless you want them to snap your friend's necks. Giovanni only wants YOU after all." Nate looked to Sean in Machamp's four long burly arms. One of his arms was holding Sean to him. While two other arms were holding his wrists, and the last one hand Sean by the throat. Looking to Mark who was on his knees before Machoke, he saw that his hands were behind his back and being held with one hand. While his other hand was at Mark's throat. The trainers rushed in to remove their pokemon belts and bags, causing Nate to curse. Yanking Mark and Nate up to their feet, the trainers tied up their wrists and led them out. Sean was the last one they tied up to take with them.

Separated from each other, the trainers and pokemon shoved them along the new tunnel. Nate listened and observed everything that he could. Behind him, the fourth trainer, spoke into his walkie to say calmly. "Tell Valor's leader, Candela, that we've captured the intruders. She can end the lockdown." Within another minute, the sirens shut off and the power kicked back in for the machines and equipment that led from level to level. The tunnel let out into a large open chamber with a massive rock pillar in the center that was radiating a massive amount of heat. It was the volcano's center. All around this level was fresh crops that were being grown in rich volcanic ash. The sprinklers bolted to the ceiling kept the plants watered and kept the place humid. It was their green house. Sean gasped at how big some of the vegetables were. Volcanic soil was so rich that many of the plants were much larger and luscious looking than ones from other places. Here there were smaller pokemon that dashed from crop to crop to harvest the food. The trainers stopped before the isle of vines and one of them cleared their throat loud enough to draw the attention of a man that stood listening to a woman in a lab coat. She was talk about the health of the recent crops, until the man raised a hand to stop her.

The man slowly turned to face them, waving the woman off nicely. Approaching them, he adjusted his dark framed glasses. Nate had never seen him before. The man was dressed entirely in red with thick black letters of the letter 'M' on it. His shoulder length red hair was slicked back and greasy looking. He slouched a lot, looking them over with beady brown eyes. The trainer by Nate, bowed then told him swiftly. "We've found him, Sir." The man shot a glare at the trainer, stating out in a sarcastic and smartass tone of voice. "Yes. I can see that. Thank you." The man let go of his glasses to fold his arms behind his slouched back, before saying mostly to himself. "So, you are this 'Nathan Sharp' that I've heard so much about. Kind of uninspiring in person." Nate gave the man a stony glare in return, growling out. "At least you've heard of me. I can't say the same for you." The man removed his glasses to clean them with a cloth that he pulled from his long red jacket, answering coolly. "My apologies. My name is Maxie. Maxie Matsubusa. The Leader of Team Magma from the Hoenn region many years from now. I'm working with the newly formed Team Rainbow Rocket. The largest collection of criminals from the future that you will ever see."

Nate shrugged, stating out bluntly. "Never heard of you." Maxie smirked, saying lightly. "I know. And that's a good thing. Because you don't know what I'm capable of." Maxie snapped his fingers, ordering the trainers sharply. "Their bags?" The trainers moved to line up by him, unzipping the bags to open them for him to peer inside. Maxie slipped on his glasses again, peering into the bags in turn without touching them. Nate shifted nervously, stating out in the hopes of distracting him. "Team Magma? What are they a knock-off brand of Team Valor?" Maxie gestured for the trainer to move things around in Mark's bag, upon answering distractedly. "Our roots came from Team Valor. You can say we are Valor's future organization. And if you think I can be riled into a fight with weak jabs like that, you are wrong. I'm the leader because I keep my wits." Nate tugged against the pokemon holding his bound wrists, asking defensively. "Hey?! What are you looking for?!" Maxie waved Mark's bag away, moving to the next one as he said calmly. "You'll know when I find it. Otherwise, it's not your fucking business."

Maxie's eyes suddenly widened as he said excitedly. "Oh! There they are." Flipping out his glasses cleaning cloth, he reached in and removed the lightning jewel carefully. Tugging harder against his captor, Nate snapped out. "Put that back! NOW!" Maxie smirked, bringing it closer to Nate as he teased out. "Shut up. Or I'll gag you." Nate twisted his wrists, sneering out. "You don't know what that will do! You could get us all killed!" Maxie looked over the jewel, smirking out. "It's not my first power orb... In fact... Thanks to Giovanni and his ability to travel in time. I managed to get my prize using a jewel very similar to these." Maxie casually removed a solid red pokemon ball off his belt that was radiating heat waves. Giving Nate a wink, he told him smugly. "I'd show you my Groudon... but he's as big as this Volcano base." Sean's jaw dropped, asking in horror. "You've caught the legendary Groudon? The pokemon that invented land?!" Maxie clipped the pokemon back to his belt, before replying out into Nate's face as he answered Sean. "Yes. And he's undefeated. Which makes me... a god among other trainers."

Nate stared into his eyes, numbly retorting. "You are messing with forces of nature... and it's going to get you killed." Maxie smirked, chuckling out. "I know. I saw the outcome of my original plan play out already. That's why I changed a few things. Just like Giovanni plans to change his outcome with you." Nate spit on Maxie's glasses as his reply to that. Maxie stepped aside, telling the nearest Trainer. "Gag them all. Time to take Nate up top. We have everything we need." Nate thrashed and kicked, but the Trainer was able to pin him and tap his mouth shut. Another Trainer, gestured to Mark and Sean, asking curiously. "And wait should we do with them?" Maxie stared only at Nate as he said wickedly. "There's plenty of lava in the forge... find a spot and shove them in it. They are of no use to us." Sean tensed, starting to scream out in a panic. "NO! You can't do that!" Mark thrashed as hard as he could. Their yells filled the chamber, causing small pokemon to stop their work with worried faces. Maxie laughed as they started to get dragged away.

Nate tried to kick Maxie, forcing him to jump just enough to the side that he got closer to Sean. Instantly, the jewel in Maxie's hand glowed from getting too close to Sean. Maxie's laughter died, his attention on the jewel. As Sean was dragged out of range, the jewel dimmed, prompting Maxie to yell out over their distressed wailing. "Wait!" The Trainers froze, letting Maxie catch up to them. Bring the orb closer to Sean again it began to shine. Nate hadn't intended to reveal that about Sean, he'd been trying to hurt Maxie. Maxie lowered the jewel, telling the Trainers firmly. "Change of plan. Take all three with us. We might need them after all." Maxie gestured to the others, telling the Trainers firmly. "Gag them and let's go." Nate relaxed, watching them get dragged back with the group. Maxie put the jewel back into the bag, and then started to lead them to another elevator. Maxie waited for them all to get into the elevator before stepping in to press the button. Nate looked to his left to see Sean was sweating rivers and looked completely terrified. He could see him shaking in the arms of the Machamp. Nate felt terrible for getting his friends into this. Sliding his foot closer to Sean's, he watched Sean turn fragile eyes in his direction.

Sean's foot pressed against his, giving him a nod before holding his head up higher. Nate nodded in return, then looked to Mark. Mark was standing more confidently and was looking around for ideas like himself. When Mark met his eyes, he inhaled and exhaled heavily like he didn't know what to do. Nate moved his foot to tap Mark's, only to have Mark suddenly tap his heel against his shoe in a strange pattern. Nate missed the first part, but realized Mark was using morse code. His morse code was rusty, but he got pieces of it. Giving Mark a nod, Nate tilted his head back and stepped forward into the Trainer in front of him to fake a violent sneeze. The disgusted Trainer shoved Nate away from him, snapping out. "FUCK! Don't sneeze on me!" Nate staggered to his knees from the shove, bringing his face right to Mark's legs. The Machoke holding Mark thought nothing of it as it stood proud. Nate put his shoulder to Mark's thigh like he was trying to get to his feet by pushing on Mark.

The Infernape holding Nate, kept his hold on Nate's wrist, but didn't seem to care what Nate was doing either. Nate tilted his head to bring his taped mouth to Mark's hand. Inhaling deeply to hold his breath, Nate closed his eyes as Mark grabbed the tape.  Allowing Nate to yank his head back to tear the tape off quickly. The second it was off, Nate shouted through the pain. "PHANTOM!" The group in the elevator jumped in fright at his sudden outcry, then started to panic as a thick purple fog began to leak out from Nate's bag where they'd put his belt. The pokemon in the elevator started to get nervous as Phantom's fear striking aura hit them. It was even affecting the humans. The thick purple fog filled the elevator and Nate kicked Mark and Sean into a corner as the pokemon abandoned their guard to look for an exit. Huddling over them, Nate told them sternly. "Whatever you do, don't look at him! Close your eyes! And don't trust anything you hear!" The power in the elevator cut off, sending the place into a pitch-black darkness. People and pokemon began to scream in terror as maniacal laughter filled the small space.

Nate braced his body and one of his legs behind Sean and Mark to keep them pinned into the corner. He didn't want Phantom to mistake them for any of the other people in here. Sean started to whine as different voices started coming from everywhere. Nate caught a stern male voice telling Sean in a commanding voice. "Look at me, Sean! Don't make me dislocate your shoulder again!" From Mark's side, another voice was bellowing out to him. "Look at what you've done to me! I LOVED YOU!" Nate felt them shake from the fear Phantom was pressuring them with and snapped out. "Phantom, stop it!" A human hand grabbed Nate by the throat, yanking him to look at him. Nate's body shook as the lights flickered and he found himself staring into a dark shadow of himself with bright red eyes. The shadow of himself smiled with teeth that glowed a striking white, showing off a set of sharp fangs. In a distorted voice that was similar to his own, Phantom purred out closer to his lips. "Make me." Nate couldn't bring himself to look away as he started to see images in Phantom's red eyes.

Images of his dying friends in the haunted house played out, and Nate could hear their screams all over again. As his breathing picked up, Nate heard Phantom whisper to him. "It's your fault... And now you're going to get them killed too." Nate shivered as the images changed to those of Mark and Sean. Phantom laughed, then growled in frustration as a hand covered Nate's eyes. Nate relaxed back into the person's arms. Mark had gotten his hands untied with Sean's help. Keeping a hand over Nate's eyes, Mark whispered over his shoulder. "He's wrong. We'll be ok if we stay together." The screaming in the elevator stopped seconds before the elevator dinged at its destination. The lights clicked back on and Nate risked pulling down Mark's hand to look at the result. Phantom was leaning over the unconscious people, draining their life in his original ghostly form. Nate was going to tell him to return to his ball, when a figure by the elevator door lifted something and jingled a little bell. Phantom flinched in response, letting out an aggressive hiss.

The figure rang the bell again and this time Phantom covered his long pointed ears and dashed back into the bag toward his pokeball. Nate sat up more, his eyes adjusting to the bright lights. The figure opened the gate door to the elevator, stating out in a familiar but deeper tone voice. "Hello, Nathan. I've missed you." To Be Continued...