The group of regular Team Rocket members straightened up as one asked the Rainbow Rocket woman nervously. "What does Nathan look like?" The Rainbow Rocket woman lowered her gun, snapping out in disbelief. "You don't know what Nathan looks like? The man fucking your boss?!" A man from the regular Team, snapped back in the woman's defense. "It's not as if Giovanni shows him off to everyone! Hell, we didn't even know about him until recently!" The Rainbow Rocket woman let out a groan, muttering out darkly. "Oh... That's right. He wasn't out yet... Fuck." Removing a picture from her pocket, she held it up and told them sternly. "He will look like a younger version of this." The Team Rocket group looked over the picture, before one snatched it and told her. "Ya. I've seen him. He was up by the Northern caves when we were loading Melton to take back to Fire Island." The Rainbow Rocket woman snatched the picture back, asking curiously. "Know where he might be now?" Sean stepped in to grab Nate's arm, pulling him back toward the wall. Mark stayed still trying to block their movement.

The man shook his head, replying honestly. "Not a clue. Ariana might know. She was pretty close with him." Nate gritted his teeth, mumbling out. "Like hell..." Sean shushed him, pressing himself up against Nate as he whispered to him. "Quick, put your arms around me." Nate raised an eyebrow, whispering back surprised. "Now? Really?" Sean swatted Nate's chest, growling out. "Just do it." Nate raised his hands and Sean quickly grabbed them to slip them inside the jacket to hide his tattooed arms. The Rainbow Rocket woman flicked off the group of Team Rocket, snapping out. "You're no help at all! Just close the damn dock! Or I'll be back with a bullet for each of you! Morons..." She started to storm off toward them, prompting Sean to flip the hood up on his jacket and press himself closer to Nate. Nate nestled his head in close to his neck to hide his face with the help of the large hood. Sean couldn't stop his heart from racing. He wasn't used to doing this kind of thing. He'd always been a good kid. Yet, he found it a bit thrilling. It also didn't help that Nate's breath warmed his neck, sending chills through him.

Beneath the jacket, Nate's hands slide up his spine to hold him closer, making Sean feel weak in the knees. His mind couldn't help thinking about how the rain had brought them together that night in the hotel. Despite being soaked from the rain, Nate felt warm. Having him so close filled his nose with his smell. The scent of leather with a heavy musk that was lightened by the sea air and fresh rain smell. Losing himself in Nate's embrace, he turned his head enough to press his lips to his neck in a timid kiss. Sean's hands shook on Nate's waist. He couldn't explain why he felt nervous. He hoped that Nate thought it was just the cold that made him shake. Nate's fingers stroked his back comfortingly, helping Sean relax against him. Behind him, the woman snapped out. "What are you three just standing around for?!" Mark's voice was bold and dark when he retorted. "We're not standing around. We're working. Or we were until you started opening fire on your own Team!" The woman huffed, heatedly stating out. "Really? And what are THEY doing? What exactly were you working on? Your sex drive?!"

Sean tensed, but Nate brushed his lips over his ear to help turn him to butter in his arms. Mark smacked the nearby crates, sharply answering. "We were loading these crates onto the ship! And not that it is any of your business, but 'THEY' are a thing. The little one saw this Nathan you're looking for. Got quite a scare." The woman's voice softened a bit, asking with peaked interest. "Really? Where? Was he at the caves?" Mark started to answer, but a gun clicked to silence him. Sean felt her hit his arm, snapping out. "Hey! Where did you see him?!" Nate quickly moved his head to the other side of Sean's neck, allowing Sean to peak around the hood to answer her uneasily. "He was at the caves..." The woman kept her gun trained on Mark to keep him back, her eyes glaring into Sean's when she asked sternly. "And...? Is he still there?!" Sean hesitated to answer, until Nate whispered against his ear. "Yes. The mine tunnel to the ocean. Gyarados." Sean licked his lips, then rushed out to her. "He was going down a tunnel and I heard him say something about using Gyarados..."

The woman lowered her gun and removed a walkie as she muttered out. "Son of a bitch is going to swim there... Fuck!" Lifting the walkie to her mouth, she rushed into it. "Aqua Team. Come in Aqua Team. He's fleeing to the sunken water mine! Look for his Red Gyarados!" Sean turned his face back to Nate's throat, biting his lip as Nate kissed his neck as a little reward. Sean blushed, when she suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him away from Nate as she yelled out. "You're coming with me! Show me where the tunnel is! We'll cut him... off." Sean yelped, nearly toppling to the ground. His whole body had been using Nate for support. So, his limbs felt like jelly. She stopped talking though as her eyes fell on Nate. For a second her eyes widened, then she raised the walkie. Nate acted fast. Swatting the walkie from her hand, he decked her with a strong right hook. Sean fell to the ground as she took him with her. Mark rushed in to grab Sean, hefting him back up to his feet.

Nate snatched the walkie and her gun, aiming it at her and cocking back the hammer. Slowly she sat up, glaring daggers at Nate as she spit blood and said coolly. "Hello, Nathan." Mark patted Sean to turn him toward the approaching Team Rocket members. Mark raised his hands in the hopes of calming them. Behind them, Nate growled out. "Who are you? Why are you after me?" The woman grinned, answering dryly. "I'm a grunt from Rainbow Rocket... We're here from the future... because Giovanni wants what belongs to him. You." Sean glanced back at her, blurting out. "That's a bit obsessive, don't you think?" The woman slowly rose to her feet, telling Nate coolly. "I don't care. All I want is the reward for bringing him to him ALIVE." The other Team Rocket members looked at each other, then removed their pokemon balls. Mark cursed, running up to them to attack them before they summoned their pokemon. Mark punched one, then elbowed another off the dock. A woman raised her hand, but Sean grabbed her arm to stop her from pressing the button on her pokeball. Twisting her arm, he pried the ball from her hand.

The woman clutched her arm, starting to cry and Sean hesitated to push her off the dock. Had he been too rough? He reached out and she suddenly kicked him in the balls. Bending over with a sharp whine, she punched him across the dock. She lifted a foot about to impale his side with her high heel, until Mark cold-clocked her in the jaw and she fell back into the water. Sean cupped his balls, groaning as he tried to roll to his knees. Panting, Mark pulled him up to his feet, calling out. "Nate, let's go!" Nate slowly backed up from the Rainbow Rocket woman to join them, while the woman started to follow him, menacingly telling him. "You won't pull that trigger. You don't have the heart for it. Give yourself up, Nathan. He knows where you are going." Mark put a hand on Nate's shoulder, telling him firmly. "Nate...?" Sean looked between her and Nate. Nate locked his jaw, stating out to Mark seriously. "Go. I'll catch up." Mark tried to pull Sean toward the ramp of the ship, but Sean yanked his arm away.

He didn't want to leave Nate behind. Nate glanced briefly over his shoulder, commanding out. "Sean, go!" Mark grabbed Sean's arms to force him away, commenting over Sean's shoulder. "Don't look." Sean tried to turn back around, until the loud 'BANG' rang out behind him. Sean exhaled in shock as Mark rushed him up the ramp and onto the boat. On the boat, two Valor men rushed out from the cabin to look out at the commotion. One told the other perplexed. "Another? How many is she going to kill? We should stop her." Mark yanked Sean down behind a crate. Sean held his breath watching Nate rush up the ramp to hide behind a crate across from them. Reluctantly, Sean looked for the woman's body... but it was gone. It was like her body just vanished. Nate cocked back the hammer of the gun, then nodded to Mark. Mark nodded back. Sean felt out of the loop as the two Valor men approached. Mark inched around Sean, then grabbed the nearest Valor man to him. Wrapping an arm around his neck, Mark squeezed until the man blacked out. The other Valor whirled to face Mark, then froze as Nate put the gun to the back of his head.

Mark dropped the Valor man before he killed him, letting Nate tell the other one. "You wanna live? Do EXACTLY as I say." The Valor man raised his hands slowly, calmly replying. "You're the one she was looking for..." Nate put a hand on the man's shoulder, keeping the gun on him as he ordered him in a numb voice. "Raise the ramp and take us to Fire Island. Refuse and you'll end up like your friend... if you're lucky." The man swallowed nervously, shaking a little as he told them. "Easy, guys. I'll do it." Nate released the man's shoulder, watching him as he moved to the ramp and pressed a button to raise it. Keeping his hands up, the man inched back to the cabin and Nate followed. Mark tapped Sean's shoulder, saying coolly. "Help me move him. We'll tie him up over there to that pipe." Helping him move the unconscious man, Sean panted out. "He killed her...?" Mark put a hand to Sean's cheek, looking into his eyes as he told him calmly. "He had too. She wasn't going to leave us alone and if she did... She'd tell someone about us." Sean shrugged, mumbling out. "The others we knocked out could tell..." Mark bowed his head a little, before telling him. "They'll tell the young Giovanni... But I'm afraid... The older one might be here. And HE is the one we have to watch for."

Sean helped Mark tie the man up with the cargo straps, stammering out. "You think that the older Giovanni came back for Nate? Why would he do that?" Mark finished tightening the straps, replying curtly. "Besides his deep love for him...? Nate has the jewels and Celebi." Sean followed Mark toward the cabin of the cargo ship, asking anxiously. "Mark? If the older Giovanni is from a distant future... and Pryce is from a closer future... but the reward is only for Nate..." Mark stopped, turning to look at him as he shrugged out. "What about it?" Sean shifted on his feet a little, answering a bit grimly. "You ever get the feeling that Pryce changed the timeline from the ones THEY know?" Mark blinked, mumbling out. "I don't want to think about that. It's complicated." Sean grabbed Mark before he could walk off to say more clearly. "Mark, listen. Pryce coming back brought US together, didn't it? HE brought us together. The older Giovanni is hunting the Nate HE remembers from HIS past." Mark jerked his head up, saying under his breath. "Oh shit. Then that means..." A small smile spread on Mark's face upon adding wickedly. "It means. That whatever the older Giovanni is planning... doesn't include US in it."

Mark clapped his hands, excitedly saying. "We can use that to our advantage! Smart thinking, Sean!" Mark dashed off to find Nate, leaving Sean to mumble out to himself a little put out. "I was actually going to say that their Nate killed us... but that works too." Dragging his feet a bit, Sean made his way to the cabin. Inside the Valor man was flipping switches to start the ship. Nate stood a little bit away with the gun still on him. The ship began to move out across the rough waves and Sean inhaled deeply. He felt a bit overwhelmed by all the life-threatening chaos. Backing up against the door, Sean slid down to sit for a bit. Mark moved up to the Valor man to remove his belt of pokeballs and yanked the CB radio cord out. Mark made sure the Valor man saw him put the belt into a bottom drawer of the deck, then kicked it shut. Nate looked nervously at Sean, asking him lightly. "Are you ok?" Sean nodded, but shakily told him. "Ya... Just... This is all new to me." Biting his lip, Nate passed the gun to Mark. Inching closer, Nate crouched and asked a little nervous. "Sean...? Are we... good?" Sean looked into Nate's eyes, then reached out to pull him into a hug.

Wrapping his arms tightly around his neck, Sean whispered against his shoulder. "Ya. We're good. I'm just trying to keep myself focused for what's coming." Nate rubbed Sean's back, whispering to him sweetly. "Just stay close. I'll get us through this. Whatever it takes." Sean nodded, wanting to snuggle into him more. Nate only held him a little while longer though, because the Valor man looked over his shoulder to inform them cautiously. "When we get close to the island... The station there is going to try contacting the ship. Do you have a plan for that?" Nate straightened up, saying aloud. "We can easily plug the CB back in... make him talk to them." Mark eyed the Valor man, before huffing out. "Not a chance. Valor has code phrases they use to alert each other. I don't trust him to say a damn word." The Valor man shrugged, almost smugly informing Mark. "That's too bad... because the station knows my voice. They'll be expecting to hear from me." Sean slowly rose to his feet, leaning back against the door as he tried to think of a solution.

Mark was ahead of everyone though. Removing a pokeball from his belt, Mark told the Valor man confidently. "Good. We'll take your voice." Sean's eyes widened at the thought of these two going crazy. Shooting someone was one thing, but cutting out their voice? Mark tossed his pokeball up. All eyes were on the pokeball, but nothing seemed to come out. Valor chuckled a little, starting to ask Mark sarcastically. "Wrong ball? What do you take me- AH!" Sean jumped as the man fell back on his ass away from the helm. Sitting on the dash behind the helm, Chad tilted his head. Without looking at Chad, Mark commanded seriously. "Chad, Mimic." The Valor man whirled on Mark, snapping out angrily. "What the fuck is THAT?!" Mark finally looked to Chad, asking curiously. "Get that?" Chad's ghostly hand went to the canvas mouth of his costume, clearing his throat that sounded like a mix of all kinds of dialects. Then it tilted its head and spoke in the Valor man's voice. "Got it."

Sean and the Valor man's jaw dropped. While Mark and Nate seemed completely unfazed by it. Nate smirked at his look, saying casually. "It's a ghost thing. Although... Gengar likes to mimic the voices of the dead. Not the living." Sean shivered, mumbling out to Nate a bit shaken. "Why would you want a pokemon that does that?" Nate cleared his throat, replying with a sudden reluctance. "I didn't... Back Kanto, before I came here... A few of my friends dared me to go into an abandoned house with them. Zoey was only a little Zorua then. We thought it was a Ghastly or a Haunter playing harmless tricks..." The Valor man moved back to the helm as Chad moved closer to Mark. Sean smirked at the thought of Zoey being tiny, but his smile faded when he asked curiously. "So...? What happened?" Nate's eyes locked on Sean's before he said in a numb voice. "Four of us went in. One managed to get out and go to a hospital." Sean felt a chill run down his back as he said weakly. "The same Gengar you pulled out on us when we first met?"

Nate nodded, his eyes going to Mark as he said distantly. "It's funny. They tell you stories about ghost pokemon. But they always leave out the part where Gengar doesn't show itself... until you're dead. It hides in your shadow. Draining your lifeforce away without you even knowing it." Nate pulled the pokeball off his belt, his eyes going to the Valor as he continued. "I heard my friends scream one after another. It had trapped us in the house to 'play' with us. I arrived just as Phantom leapt from the shadow of my last friend... laughing. Zoey wasn't strong enough then to fight him... I was a young trainer. I ignored the warnings about the place. Zoey is a dark type. I was confident." Nate tossed his ball in his hand, his eyes going back to Sean as he said numbly. "No one ever told me that Gengar can possess humans. I was possessed for four days before Gengar let me go. He wouldn't leave me alone... So, I captured him. I've been warned that Gengar is one of the few ghosts that can hex and kill his trainer. So, I've got that to look forward too."

Sean didn't know what to say to that. It sounded like a curse. The Valor man gawked at Nate, snapping out. "And you're fucking around with his ball?! Put it away before a rogue wave releases him on the ship! Are you insane?!" Nate rolled his eyes, putting the ball away before raising his hands up in surrender. Mark looked at Chad, who tilted his head and raised a ghostly fist like he wanted a fist bump. Mark cautiously touched his fist to Chad's, then everyone jumped as static came over the CB and a voice asked aloud. "This is Harbor Master to Harbor Hauler. Come back?" To Be Continued...