The silence that fell between Mark and Pryce was deafening. Mark couldn't even bare to look at him. Leaning forward, Mark tried to think of a safe way to get to Fire island, but his mind was distracted. He felt bad about putting his friends in danger. While his head still hurt from dealing with the rush of visions and pain he had felt. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced at his wrist. The scars from wearing his old Ranger Styler just hadn't faded away like he thought they would. Sighing, he pressed his forehead to a large smooth cold blue crystal next to him. He wanted it to take his headache if nothing else. The heartache, he could live with. After a few hours, Pryce stood up and told Mark a bit gruffly. "I'm exhausted. Can I trust you enough to keep watch?" Mark turned his head, snapping back in a defensive tone. "What is your sudden problem with me?" Pryce adjusted his long white jacket, retorting icily. "I wouldn't expect you to understand." Mark slowly rose to his feet, facing Pryce as he replied firmly. "Try me. Just get it out."

Pryce looked between Zoey at the entrance and Raichu sitting up by the others sleeping forms, before nodding and blurting out. "Alright. I DISPISE Rangers. And I especially don't trust the ones that were 'kicked out' of their little group. In my personal opinion... The Rangers are worse than the damn Teams." Mark shrugged, asking seriously. "Why would you think that? The Rangers are-" Pryce pointed a finger at him in warning, interjecting darkly. "You quote that bullshit motto at me and I'll beat the shit out of you! You and I both know that motto is covered up bullshit! Because if people knew what you are... They'd see you for the hypocrites you are." Mark puffed himself up, trying to remain calm but his voice grew angry as he said. "I don't know what you've heard. But you are wrong." Pryce snorted with disgust, creeping closer to Mark as he sneered out. "Oh? Who's the one from the future? That's right. ME. You wanna know where the Rangers are in my time? You wanna know how 'good' their deeds are?"

Mark stood his ground as Pryce inched up to him, bitterly hissing into his face. "The Rangers are cowards. They helped start this war... and when it gets too bad. They'll all run back home. In my time, they are 'pokemon activists.' As if that will help them regain honor from abandoning thousands to DIE in the war that they could have helped prevent! They protest and bitch about the war being all the 'Trainers' fault. They claim your ways are better for everyone... but tell me. These 'bonds' you force upon the pokemon. Are they really better than the friendships you have made as a trainer?" Mark opened his mouth, but Pryce pointed at Sean and snapped out. "The Aerodactyl you gave him tried to kill him when the bond broke! I've seen the bite on Nate's shoulder! The same happened to him, didn't it?! The bonds you forge as a Ranger. They mean NOTHING! Your ways get people killed." Pryce's eyes misted over a little, when he added in a more distraught voice. "I wouldn't be here... if a Ranger hadn't gotten my pokemon KILLED! Rangers caused the avalanche in the hopes of destroying an Artic lab..."

Pryce took a shaky step back from him, continuing in a smaller voice full of pain. "How many other pokemon have you Rangers killed trying to do the 'right' thing. How many innocent people? So, when I ask you... What happened to your stalker. It's not because I care about YOU. It's because I wonder if you care about the people you hurt." Mark swallowed, then retorted darkly. "That's rich coming from a man that sided with Giovanni. How many pokemon and people have you hurt for him? Or did you not care?" Pryce stepped back in to shout at Mark sternly. "Giovanni never tried to hide who he was. He lived by a simple set of rules. He saw through people like YOU. Say what you want about him. He's got more followers than your precious fucking Rangers. People that are loyal and respect him because he doesn't fuck you over unless you prove you're unworthy. He seals off cities before making a scene. He doesn't just set off avalanches with people in the area!" Frustrated, Pryce shoved Mark away from him, sneering out darkly. "The Chosen One of Wisdom? Fuck you! You can lie to THEM but not to me. Now I know what you meant now by your 'mistakes."

Mark wanted to shove Pryce, but Pryce was an older man. He didn't want to kill him by shoving him too hard into a rock. So, he swallowed his pride and let Pryce storm off without saying a word to him. He doubted anything he said would change Pryce's mind. How could he argue a case that he hadn't lived through? He didn't know what the reasoning behind the future Rangers was. He only knew them in this time period. The only thing he knew for certain was that the line between Ranger and Trainer had clearly grown in the future. Pryce stormed off to sleep in the entrance to the far tunnel that he said the locals had left through. When Pryce was far out of earshot, Zoey leaned over the edge above him to say soft enough that her voice didn't echo off the walls. "Why didn't you say anything? Are you just going to let him do that?" Mark fixed the robe he was wearing from the locals and told her nicely. "There are enough wars being raged right now... There is no point in arguing about this. We've got bigger issues to deal with." Mark made his way over to the fire to keep it alive. Gently blowing on the embers, he put more sticks on to help it grow back up.

Upon sitting on the rock, Mark looked up to see Nate stiffly untangling himself from Sean. Nate winced and hugged his ribs, joining him at the little fire. Mark pointed back to Sean, saying a little numbly. "You should be resting." Nate scoffed, grumbling out groggily. "So should you... but your fighting with Pryce? What's going on?" Mark sighed heavily, clasping his hands together between his knees. Then looking up at Nate, Mark told him openly. "I owe you an apology. I should have told you how the Styler worked... but we were in a rush and I... I made a bad decision." Nate waved Mark's words away, saying seriously. "You don't owe me anything. The decision to after Giovanni was my own. Aerodactyl may have encouraged it... but in the end. I made the decision to go. If anything... I owe you for saving my ass back there." Mark couldn't even bring himself to smirk. Shaking his head, he asked Nate curiously. "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm not a Ranger?" Nate's eyes were carefree when he answered honestly. "I thought about it... but it's not really my business. After all... Everyone has skeletons in the closet. I'm no exception."

Mark looked to see that Pryce was still far away and sleeping, before telling Nate honestly. "You've taken a lot of risks for us. So, I wanna tell you something. Something not even my mother knows..." Nate shifted a little, slipping in. "Mark, you don't have too. Really. We're good. You got us out of there. You saved my ass. You've got nothing to prove." Mark bowed his head, exhaling out. "I need to say it. You both have been honest with me. We are going to need each other. So... the more honest we are... they stronger we'll be for it. Articuno told me so... So, here it goes." Mark looked up into Nate's eyes, telling him openly. "You know about Chad? My stalker?" Nate shook his head a little, letting Mark fill him in on his relationship before continuing. "When I told Pryce and Sean that Chad distanced himself from me after my dad died... That was a lie." Rubbing his fingers, Mark told him nervously. "See. My father was a Trainer. My mother is a Ranger. I wanted to be a Ranger. So, I joined this college for it. I met Chad there. My dad never liked him. Always said he had a sense about him. I never paid attention to it."

Mark rolled his eyes, grimly throwing in. "My parents were divorcing, and it was messing with my head. I just didn't see the signs, or I didn't care. I don't know anymore. The point is that when I kissed Chad. Everything changed. He got possessive and controlling. My emotional imbalance was making it hard for me to be Ranger... Not being able to control your emotions is dangerous. My mom called my dad to try and talk me into changing careers. To go to Kanto and learn to be a trainer instead. My dad came to get me and when he saw the mental state I was in... He talked me into dropping out. I was going to live with him in Kanto." Mark covered his mouth for a minute to get himself under control, before shakily informing him. "The day before I was to leave... Chad came to the house. He kidnapped me. See... he didn't want me to leave him. He feared that. It made him angry that my father got between us. My father found us... It was a trap. Chad knew my father would come from me. So, he picked an area with pokemon that he could use with the Styler to hurt him... I watched helplessly as Chad killed my father that night..."

Tears brimmed Mark's eyes as he forced himself to finish off. "When the drugs wore off. Chad actually thought I'd be happy... I played it off as an 'accident' for my mom's sake. Then when Chad was comfortable that we were happy... I took him out to a secluded beach. I took him out on a boat. I disarmed him of his Styler and used it to kill him. I watched a Dhelmise drain his life and take him far below the ocean to drown him. I enjoyed it... I felt how confused Dhelmise was... I made it a murderer. When our bond broke... it came for me." Mark pulled up his sleeve to show Nate the scars. Tracing his fingers over them, he told him reluctantly. "It grabbed my arm and yanked me right out of the boat. Tore the Styler from my wrist and tried to drag me down... I didn't fight it. I was in such a dark place that I didn't... I just wanted to be free." Nate raised an eyebrow, his voice neutral when he asked him gently. "How did you get away from it?"

Mark chuckled flatly, saying distantly. "Mimikyu. He popped out of the pokeball that my dad gave me. After my dad died, I started using his belt to carry him with me instead of leaving him at home with my mother. I don't know how he knew... but he saved me that day. It was after that, that I found the Recruiter and... I left to get away from the memories. The pain." Mark brushed his tears off his cheek, telling Nate grimly. "I don't understand what Mew sees in me... but Wisdom is not what I'd call it." Nate rubbed his ribs, then chuckled out lightly. "And you named Mimikyu after that asshole?" Mark snorted despite himself, smirking out reluctantly. "That was an accident... I blurted the name out in fright, and he liked it..." Nate chuckled, then stiffly scooted around the fire to sit beside Mark. Nudging him with his shoulder, Nate told him softly. "I'm not an expert... but having lived with 'bad guys' for as long as I have. I think your wisdom comes from knowing what you did was wrong... but it also gave you the wisdom you needed to save my stubborn ass."

Nate put a hand on Mark's knee, giving it a comforting squeeze. Then flashing him a warm smile, Nate told him affectionately. "We're all like glows sticks... We don't know how brightly we can shine... until we are broken and shaken up a bit." Mark chuckled, mumbling out in an amused tone. "That's an interesting way to look at it. Do you believe that?" Nate rolled his eyes, chuckling back honestly. "I can say lots of things like that... but it's much harder for me to believe it myself. I try not to believe in anything. I judge people by actions not their words. But I thought it might make you feel better. Did it?" Mark sniffled, wiping the last of his tears away as he said a bit surprised. "You know... It did. Thank you." Nate leaned his shoulder against him, informing him sweetly. "Keep making your mistakes, Mark. Life doesn't end at the finish line. There is always another race to run. No matter what place you come in. Just finish. Don't quit." Mark put his hands on Nate's hand squeezed it. He felt leagues better after years of carrying that secret.

Collecting himself, he told Nate seriously. "We can't stay here. We've got to go to Fire island and get that jewel... and Lewis." Nate squeezed his hand back, whispering over Mark's shoulder. "Team Rocket has connections with Valor. I can get you in. I know where the shrine is. Getting out though will be a risk..." Mark looked at Nate, asking confidently. "Why? How is the place built?" Nate huffed, releasing Mark's hand to bend over and grab a rock. Climbing to his feet, he went to the wall to draw a single mountain. Mark wasn't sure how that helped, until Nate began to draw rooms along the sides and a tube in the center. Pointing to it, Nate told him bluntly. "Fire island is an active volcano that they live in. Getting in is easy. But once we steal that jewel... They'll be no way out. Except one. We might be able to go up the volcanic tube before it erupts." Mark's jaw dropped, causing Nate to chuckle out. "Any ideas how we can pull that off safely?" Mark shrugged, starting to think it over. That's when Nate dropped the rock and noticed Crystal Onix for the first time.

Mark glanced briefly between Nate's startled look and the Crystal Onix, telling him sweetly. "Ya. I think he lives here. He hasn't moved from that spot since we got here. I've been afraid of spooking him. I didn't want him to alert the others to-" Nate took a step forward though, cutting him off to blurt out. "Oh my god... It's a Mew Tree." To Be Continued...