Mark hugged his ribs, looking immediately for a place to sit. The room wasn't overly big, but in the corner was a small booth that could sit four people comfortably. Limping to it, he dropped down onto the grey cloth seat and jumped in surprise as Chad leapt up onto the table. Chad's costume head fell to the side awkwardly, prompting Mark to lean back against the booth. Chad scooted to the edge of the table and Mark uttered out gruffly. "Hello...?" Chad didn't move, he just stood there staring at him, making him feel uncomfortable. He hated when Chad just stared at him like that. It was creepy. Sean drew his attention away from creepy Chad, by bluntly stating out. "Nate, you aren't going to take that man to Ice Island, are you?!" Nate leaned back against the wall by the door, defensively uttering out. "Look, not that it is any of your business. But I could give a Raticate's ass about your petty Team's problems. You've been reviving pokemon for years now. What's one more?"

Mark rolled his eyes cutting in before Sean could yell something in response. "Not this again... Guys! Stop! For five fucking minutes, can we just... get along?" Sean whirled around to snap out at him. "We can't waste time sitting around! We have to do something! And most of our problem stems from HIM!" Nate rolled his eyes, groaning out loudly. "Oh, fuck you. It wasn't my Team that kicked your ass down there." Sean pointed a stern finger at Nate, shouting out. "This is all your fault! You're ruining my reputation! And now you plan to destroy everything I have for a man that only cares about fucking you as often as a free whore in Pokestop Hotel room!" Chad's costume head jerked upright like he understood that, seconds before Nate lunged at Sean. Tackling him to the ground, Nate started wailing on Sean with aggressive blows. Sean yelped as Nate forced Sean to cover his face from being beaten bloody. Mark tried to get up to separate them, but his ribs were against his movement. Gengar encouraged Nate, until Zoey growled at him. With a whimper, Gengar retreated into his pokeball, leaving Zoey to rush in and lift Nate off Sean.

Nate thrashed, yelling out. "Let me go! I'll kill him!" Zoey set Nate down, keeping him back from Sean with soft growls. Mark reached out to Sean to help him up, but Sean smacked his hand away and crawled across the floor to sit in a corner. Mark watched Sean press the sleeve of his jacket to his bleeding nose. Forcing himself to stand up, Mark grabbed the black square table for support, telling them both in a stern voice. "I said STOP! How is killing each other going to solve anything?!" Nate pointed over Zoey's shoulder, snapping out. "I didn't do anything! He started it! I could have let them take you in, Asshole!" Mark slammed his hand on the table, causing Chad to fall off the table to the floor with a soft thud in the silence that followed. Peeking over his shoulder, he saw Chad's flat costume rise like some ghostly undead creature. Mark shivered. Bringing his attention back to the others, he told them in a tired but hopeful voice. "Look... Let's try something." Mark winced, but took off his hat and Team Instinct jacket. Tossing them to the floor, he looked between them and added. "Take them off..."

Sean scoffed, turning his head to glare into the corner. Nate shrugged, grumbling out. "Why? It doesn't change anything." Mark stared directly at him, answering confidently. "Oh, I think it will. It's clear we can't see past the surface. No one can see us here. Let's just try. I'm only asking for five minutes." Nate backed up from Zoey, looking to her for advice. Zoey crossed her arms, turning slightly as she told Nate coolly. "I don't see the harm. It's just clothes." With a sigh, Nate removed his hat and sunglasses. Tossing them on the top bunk bed, Nate adjusted his black leather jacket and zipped it up to cover the bright red R. Giving Mark a shrug, he mumbled out. "Fine. Whatever. This good enough? Cause I don't have spare clothes." Mark nodded to him, then looked to Sean who was avoiding everything about them. Taking a seat again, Mark gestured for Nate to sit across from him. Sliding into the seat across from him, Nate crossed his arms over his chest. Realizing that he'd have to start, he asked Nate casually. "Did you get a room yet?"

Nate shook his head, grimly telling him. "No. I was waiting for a table at the Pokemon Café downstairs. Heard the commotion and... Went out to get you before they killed you." Mark leaned back, asking curiously with a smile. "Why would you do that? You weren't in my debt." Nate rolled his eyes, shifting in his seat a little before answering under his breath. "I don't know. I just... It wasn't a fair fight. I have issues with that... I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of that." Mark slid his hand across the table, telling Nate warmly. "Thank you." Nate just stared at his hand, mumbling out. "You're welcome." Mark pointed to the bunk beds and the master bed, informing him nicely. "You are welcome to stay with us if you want." From the corner, Sean growled out. "I bought the room and I don't want him here." Mark shifted in the seat, saying aloud. "You ever hear the phrase you catch more pokemon with honey than vinegar? If you don't want him to do something... You don't push him away." Nate slumped back in the booth seat, grumbling out. "Don't bother. I'll be staying in my own room for the night and then I'll be gone by morning."

Sean turned slightly like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't seem to find the words. Mark stiffly leaned on the table, gently replying. "Nate... When you left. We heard things. This guy... He's-" Nate cut him off to snap out. "Don't! I know who he is. You're not going to turn me against him. He was there for me when I needed him. Whatever you think you've heard... You misheard." Sean rose to his feet, saying darkly to Nate. "I've dated a man just like him, Nate. He doesn't love you." Nate refused to look at Sean, stating out defensively. "And I'm supposed to take your word for it? The word of a man who called me a whore?" Mark started to stand to keep Sean back. Sean removed his jacket, tossing it down over Mark's as he dryly snapped out in a cool tone. "You wanna know why you piss me off?" Nate inhaled deeply, grumbling out under his breath in a bored voice. "Oh, please tell me... I'm dying to know..." Sean removed his hat, tossing it to the ground as he stormed forward.

Mark put a hand to Sean's chest as Sean leaned on the table to blurt out to Nate. "Because Valor used you... Yet, here you are working in the shadow of another man who's using you AND Valor. You are so desperate for attention that you can't see what's right in front of you!" Nate finally looked at Sean, his expression stony. Starting to rise from the seat, Nate sneered back. "Go fuck yourself! What makes you think-?" Mark got up to put hands on both their chests as a weak attempt to keep them apart. While Sean cut Nate off to snap out. "BECAUSE I WAS YOU!" The room fell silent for a minute. Slowly, Sean backed up, tears brimming his eyes as he admitted in a broken voice. "My father was a drunk that barely knew I existed. I was so desperate to be seen that I fell in love with a man my father's age at sixteen! He promised me the world... even after he started hurting me. Funny thing about small towns. People talk. When word got to my father that I was sleeping with a man..."

Mark waited for Sean to continue, but Sean shook his head. Waving dismissively at them, Sean strained out through a broken voice. "You know what? Fuck it. I don't want to talk anymore. Do whatever the fuck you what. I don't care." Sean stormed past Zoey, heading straight for the large king-sized bed across from the bunk beds. Dropping over it, Sean faced the wall. Nate sat back down in his booth seat, saying in a light voice. "Damn... Guess we're all fucked up. I need a drink." Mark's hand dropped to Nate's arm; he was going to say something when a knock came at the door. Nate stiffened, rising to his feet uneasily as he whispered. "Shit, cops..." Mark stiffly got his feet, waving Nate back and telling him to calm down. Limping to the door, Mark opened it a bit. Just outside the door was a man dressed in a white and blue Pokestop uniform. Puffing up his chest, the man told him politely. "My apologies, Sir. A few people reported a disturbance coming from the room. Is everything alright?"

Mark glanced a bit farther out of the room to see a human looking pokemon standing by for orders. A Machoke. The Machoke was a bit bigger than the average ones he'd seen. It had the body of a weightlifter with muscles everywhere and grey skin with reptilian facial features. Around the Machoke's neck was a badge that clearly defined him as being the Pokestop's hotel security pokemon. The Machoke crossed its arms over his chest, sizing up Mark with narrowed reptilian red eyes. Mark huffed nervously, telling the man honestly. "We're alright. We just got a little heated in our disagreement." The man gestured inside, saying curtly. "May I come in and see for myself? It's protocol for me to hear from everyone." Mark opened the door more, answering lightly. "Sure." The man stepped in with Machoke at his heels. As the man looked him over in passing, he asked Mark curiously. "You look hurt. Did someone hit you?" Nate tensed, stepping behind the booth seat as his eyes locked on this new man.

Beside him, Zoey put her paw on Nate's shoulder to steady him. Mark shrugged, chuckling out. "Ah, you know. Boys will be boys. What starts as fun turns into a brawl and... We've gotten it out of our system though." The man looked over Nate closely, causing Nate to almost rise to the threat. Zoey covered for him though, huddling up to Nate's back and snuggling against him like she was skittish of the Machoke. Which made Nate look like he was getting tense for her sake over the Machoke being present. The man asked Nate if he was alright and Nate answered tensely. "I'm fine." The man looked Nate over again, then moved to ask Sean if he was alright. Sean looked up with tears running down his face but told the man in a collected voice. "Ya." The man looked from the cuts on Sean to the cuts on Mark, before his eyes trailed to Nate. Out of the three of them, Nate was fine. Nate seemed to almost read the man's mind, tensing up more. The man started to approach Nate, until the Machoke started to let out soft growls. Mark tensed watching Machoke kneel to talk to Chad.

Chad made strange noises in reply to Machoke, his ghostly long black arms pointing and gesturing to them all in turn. Mark dropped his face into his hand. He could only imagine what Chad was telling this pokemon. After a minute or two, the man asked the Machoke. "Well?" Machoke got to his feet, glancing around before giving the man a thumbs up. With a nod, the man led the Machoke out and gave them a warning. The fact that Zoey passed a poffin to Chad who in turn slipped it to the Machoke didn't go unnoticed by Mark. Closing the door, they all let out a sigh. Mark was thankful that Sean's jacket had covered his Instinct jacket and hat. Otherwise, it might have brought up questions about the fight outside. Limping back to the booth seat, Mark leaned over to turn on the flat screen TV mounted on the wall. He hoped that they would report who was arrested. Then he'd know if Pryce was one of them. Nate moved to the small kitchen counter, pulling down a round pokeball mug from a cabinet.

Nate put the mug under a nice coffee machine on the counter. The smell of fresh brewing coffee filling the small room. The strong smell was making Mark crave it as he listened to the report on the fight. The reporter woman on the screen announced neutrally. "Witnesses report the fight broke out when an Instinct member crossed into Mystic territory. Given Instincts recent theft against Mystic, it isn't too hard to place where the hostility is coming from. However, locals are concerned that this could be the start of a Team battle. Something that hasn't happened in many years. And if such a thing should happen again. Will the Teams fight the battle themselves here on Shamouti Island or force their mascots to fight? Stay tuned for our interview with the Team Leaders over this matter. We'll have more as this story develops." Mark rolled his eyes as the commercials started, stating out gruffly. "It's convenient how they left out the bits about Team Rocket being here." Nate carefully carried the coffee mug toward the bedroom, retorting casually over his shoulder. "Of course. I'm sure they were paid well to keep that quiet too."

Mark raised an eyebrow, watching Nate take the mug to Sean. Tapping Sean's leg cautiously, Nate waited for Sean to look up. Holding out the coffee to him, Nate told him a bit reluctantly. "Here. I'm sorry I hit you." Mark noticed Zoey smiling as she watched Nate. Had she told him to do this? Sean slowly sat up, eyeing Nate suspiciously. When he didn't take it, Nate sat down on the edge of the bed. Without looking at any of them, he told them openly. "Can we just agree that we've had a rough day. We're never going to agree... but maybe we can find a truce? The way I see it... The three of us started all this shit. But we should be able to work this out." Mark shrugged, asking him curiously. "You'd work against your Team?" Nate huffed, honestly answering. "No. I'll do whatever Giovanni wants. But I'm all about keeping my options open. It's how I stay ahead of the game. With your Teams turning on each other... You're going to need help. Help that I'm willing to offer... for a price."

Sean took the coffee mug from Nate, asking uneasily. "What do you mean?" A wicked smile crossed Nate's lips, before he said casually. "I know why Giovanni is here. What he is after. And I think it's in your best interests to give him what he wants... before he sees a much bigger prize. And trust me. Giovanni always gets what he wants." Mark narrowed his eyes on Nate. Was Nate implying that Giovanni would want something other than Mew? At first his mind drifted to Celebi. His eyes looking around for Nate's bag. Only to stiffen. Since arriving here, he hadn't seen Nate's bag that held Celebi. Zoey wasn't carrying it anymore. Had Nate done something else before they had arrived? Mark was going to ask, before the news drew their attention. The reporter was showing the outside and saying aloud over the sudden pouring rain. "Are you getting this?! We seem to be experiencing a sudden storm. The weatherman said that tonight would be clear... but dark clouds are moving in quickly. Bringing with them this heavy rain! Look at the ocean! Storm warnings are being issued in case this gets worse. Stay inside your homes. As this could easily develop into our first typhoon of the season."

Sean slid off the bed to get a better look at the TV with Nate right beside him. The ocean was rippling with rough waves that crashed against the docks, causing the large boats to rise and fall. Nate gestured to the screen, telling them both a bit smugly. "See? You can distract Giovanni by giving him what he wants... Or you can let him see the pokemon that we kind of pissed off. Your choice." To Be Continued...