Nate sat up slowly, holding Cyndakill against his shoulder. Taking in his surrounding, he looked for Zoey. The cave was massive with a large clear lake and a waterfall that lined the back wall like a glistening curtain. At the waters edge was a group of flat rocks that the others were sitting on, while everywhere else seemed to be covered in soft black sand. The Dragonite's were laying by the edge of the shore like him. As the Dragonite's woke up, they inched toward the water to drink. Rubbing his broken leg, he looked at the water and locked eyes with Lugia. Lugia floated on the surface of the water, his big beautiful eyes staring practically into his soul. Turning away from the innocence he found in those eyes, he listened to Lugia say aloud. "Hello Nate. Settle your mind. You are safe here." Nate cleared his throat, grumbling out dismissively. "Ya... right." Mark shot a glare at Nate, snapping back with disappointment. "Nate! Be nice. Do you have any idea who this is?!"

Nate stiffly tried to get up onto his feet, but the sand wasn't giving him the leverage he needed to avoid hurting his broken leg. On his failed attempt, he dropped back to his sitting position and grumbled back a bit bitterly. "Look. No offense. But I don't fucking care who it is. I just want to get out of here." Nate bowed his head to hide his face from them as the pain in his heart swelled to the surface. He felt vulnerable after reliving a memory that he was trying to bury and forget. From the water, Lugia coolly told the others. "It's quite alright. I understand his reasons for shunning me." Nate turned a murderous glare on Lugia, growling out darkly. "Stay the hell out of my head!" Lugia's long neck lowered to bring his head to eye level with Nate. There was no hate or offense in his eyes, upon telling him in an almost loving voice. "I can't help it. My emotions flow like the water. It's in my nature to sooth the unrest in the waves. And even without being in your head, I can sense the icy burn of your frozen heart. It surrounds your aura like a winter's bitter wind. Like Articuno, you are tormented by your frozen memories and hard truths. Your burns have changed your heart to black ice... but the blue is still in your cracks, Mystic."

Nate clenched his jaw as his anger flared, snapping out. "SHUT UP! I'm NOT one of THEM!" Lugia tilted his head a little, unfazed by Nate's aggression as he gently added. "Of course not. No snowflake is the same as another... but you can't erase your past if you've built your new life on the frozen remains of it." Nate opened his mouth to say something fowl, until Zoey's voice cut in with a motherly love. "Nate. Stop. Please." Nate turned his head to look at her and she grinned so warmly. Limping over to him, she dropped down beside him to hug him in her damp but warm fur. He was so relieved to see that she was alright. Lugia backed his head away, telling them all in a light serious tone. "I've never approved of the divide between my brothers. This place is Harmony. It will stay that way." Zoey pulled away from Nate, starting to shake the sand from his dark hair. He smirked as she fussed over him like a mother grooming her unruly son. He raised a hand to stop her, when Sean uttered out softly in the silence. "What a minute...? He's a Mystic? That's impossible! Articuno freezes the traitors... No one has ever..." Sean's eyes lowered to Cyndakill.

Nate scooped Cyndakill into his arms as Sean stood up and said softly. "Oh... That's rich. That explains why the Team leaders removed the ban on only having pokemon from their single type... Let me guess. Did your boyfriend give him to you? Was it worth the lives that Moltres took trying to take the island!" Zoey helped Nate up to his feet as he snapped back sternly. "You don't know what you're talking about! I didn't do anything wrong!" Sean threw his wet jacket across the sand, yelling out. "WHAT?! You were supposed to be guarding the shrine to protect the jewel! Because of you we lost half our genetics labs and hundreds of rare pokemon were stolen! That's not counting the deaths of influential Team members that were butchered at the hands of Valor! You're lucky Blanche was able to get that jewel back before they reached Fire Island! If you ask me, you got off too easy!" Mark gawked at Nate, adding in disbelief. "That was because of you? That fight knocked out power in Shamouti. Our daycares were scrambling to keep eggs warm, because Zapdos was draining power grids to prepare for a fight! Took us months to calm him down!"

Nate hugged Cyndakill tighter as they started toward him with angry faces. Zoey stepped in front of him to protect him, but Lugia rushed to the shore and stuck out a wing to separate them. In a loud and thundering voice that crashed like the waves, Lugia bellowed aloud. "That is enough! You will not do this here! Understood?! This is a place of healing!" The cave fell silent, until the playful splashing and calls of the Dragonites drew everyone's attention. They were swimming around in the lake and splashing water at each other. The injured Dragonite looked completely restored and it was more active then ever. They were blissfully happy. Lugia lowered his wing, telling them in a tender voice now. "It does not do anyone any good to fight a war that was already settled. The only one that was there was Nate and... he has my sympathies." Nate turned defensive eyes on Lugia. He didn't want Lugia's sympathies. He survived this long on his own. Drifting his eyes over to Sean, Nate shot back. "So glad my demotion was your promotion... So please, tell me how fucking hard that spat was for you." Sean shook his head, snapping back sourly. "Fuck you! I earned my place by cleaning up YOUR mess!"

Nate huffed, then shot back in a voice that broke. "No, FUCK YOU! I made one mistake and it cost me EVERYTHING! When Blanche kicked me out, I had nowhere to go! My parents shunned me as traitor! I lived on the streets! I was chased, teased, and beaten by the Teams here because I couldn't afford to go home!" Tears fell down Nate's face as he pointed to Mark and yelled out. "AND YOU! For a Team claiming to be all about looking out for people and Pokemon... That's SHIT! You're no better than the rest of them! No one cares about you... There are millions more like you." Zoey turned to face him, saying uneasily as she tried to comfort him. "Nate..." Nate swatted her hand off, he didn't want to be touched. Wiping his cheeks with his wet gloved hand, he sniffled out in a numb voice. "You wanna know why I turned to Team Rocket? Because the people this world throws away... They have to go somewhere." Hefting Cyndakill in his arms, Nate limped to the far side of the cave to be away from everyone.

Sliding down a cold damp wall, Nate faced the corner and took deep breaths. Resting his temple against the wall, he breathlessly mumbled out to himself. "God damn it..." Zoey moved up behind him, crouching down to purr out gently. "Nate? Are you ok?" Nate looked down at Cyndakill's big worried eyes. Petting him until he snuggled against his chest, he told Zoey in a broken voice. "No... Is my flask in the bag?" Zoey shrugged off the bag, reluctantly digging around in it to find it. Removing a steel flask, she hesitated to give it to him as she told him coolly. "Nate... You're stronger than this. Come with me to the water. It will help you heal... This will... It will only bring you more pain." Nate took the flask carefully from her, inhaling deeply before exhaling out numbly. "No, Zoey. I'm not. I just want to forget." Bringing the flask to his lips, he hesitated to drink it. Zoey put a hand on his wrist, telling him hopefully. "You don't have to do it. There are other ways." Nate put a hand on Zoey's hand, considering it. Upon looking at the lake though, he overheard Sean ask Lugia in a semi-discreet voice. "You want me to understand? So, tell me. Why did he betray Mystic?"

Lugia turned to look at him and Nate tilted the flask to drink. He drank it down fast and on his empty stomach... by the time he lowered the flask the alcohol rushed to his head. He felt like he had dunked his head in ice water and before he realized it, he was falling back across the sand. Zoey caught him, laying him back more gently. The last thing he heard was her telling Cyndakill sweetly. "Help me get him some water." He was just done with feeling for the day. He groaned as Zoey turned him to his side and put his back to the wall. She even slipped the bag under him like a pillow. He felt her soft warm hands on his face and hand, before everything went completely black and he slipped into a void of nothing. He wanted it that way... but like any drug. It never quite did what you wanted. It reflected the weirdest emotions that lingered deep within. Pulling him into a memory that he desperately tried to stay away from, but it's pull was too strong. Dragging him to the secluded spot on the beach that had ruined his life.

Sitting on the beach, Nate had his bruised arms wrapped around his legs. His jeans had more holes than cloth, but he couldn't replace them. He was on a very tight budget. His plain sleeveless shirt was laid out and his pokemon were eating what remained of his money for the mining job he'd gotten. His stomach growled but he ignored it as tears ran down his sunburned cheeks. Cyndakill moved to sit beside him, squeaking to get his attention from the ocean. Looking down at him, Cyndakill moved his head until Nate lowered his hand to see what he had. Cyndakill dropped half of his sweet berry. Nate smirked, but told him seriously. "No, Cyndakill. It's yours. I'll be ok. You need to eat." Cyndakill didn't take it, he just moved closer to lay beside him. Nate swallowed the knot in his throat. He'd never sunk so low in his life. Leaning over his knees he started to cry, causing his pokemon to move closer to snuggle him. Gengar was the only one that worked hard to try and make him laugh. He tried but it was so forced.

Then behind him a beauty voice asked him curiously. "Are you hurt?" Nate jerked his head up, wiping his eyes as he rushed out. "I'm fine. I don't want any trouble... I'll go." Nate climbed to his feet, only to stop as a man around his age stepped from the woods. The man sipped a pink alcoholic drink in his hand, before waving a hand and saying dismissively. "Don't go. I don't mind the company. I didn't know anyone knew about this place." Nate tossed the sweet berry to his shirt, while his pokemon all took in the young man with interest. The man wore short blue jean shorts that were frayed at the ends. His skin was tanned and muscular with wild black hair that had never seen a comb. At his heels, a shy Meowth stayed close to him. The man moved closer to look over his Rapidash with amusement. Nate swallowed nervously, mumbling out. "What Team are you with?" The man chuckled to himself, reaching out to run a gentle hand down Rapidash's strong front leg, upon answering. "I'm not with any of them. My mother sent me here. This is my vacation time away from her and her fucking company. You've got an impressive Rapidash. Have you ever clocked him?"

Nate raised an eyebrow and the man told him with a charming grin. "His speed. Have you clocked his speed? My mother owns a track. She races them." Nate shook his head, admitting openly. "No. He only just healed from a broken leg." The man looked Dash over again, saying curtly. "Still looks impressive. Holds himself better than my mother's champion nag. Spoiled thing... This stud would give her a run, I'd bet." The man finally moved around Dash to extend a hand to him, saying proudly. "My apologies. My name is Giovanni Sakaki. You are?" Nate accepted his hand to shake nervously, answering still a little shaken up. "Nathan. Nathan Sharp. But people usually call me Nate." Giovanni nodded, his eyes looking over Nate's body. Feeling ashamed at how dirty and bruised he was, Nate covered his chest and rubbed his arm anxiously. Giovanni's eyes moved back up to his, telling him seriously. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. My family wasn't always wealthy. Struggle makes a man stronger."

Nate lowered his eyes to the sand, mumbling out. "Only if you survive it." Giovanni chuckled lightly, looking over his other pokemon as he said coolly. "True. But the strong survive as my mother says." Nate lifted his head, asking curiously. "Do you believe that?" Giovanni huffed, retorting bluntly. "No. I think everyone has something to give. There is power in numbers. They don't need to be the best of the best. You need people that can do both to get different jobs done." Giovanni stopped to inhale the sea breeze, before asking him curiously. "So? What Team kicked you?" Nate turned away, causing Giovanni to walk up next to him to tell him casually. "It's ok. I've been kicked from seven expensive academies and I was too... disinterested in the Teams to be accepted into them. Bunch of narrow-minded fools if you ask me. I've traveled all over the world... Everywhere is someone thinking they can stomp on the outcasts of their petty society. They want you stupid. Makes you easy to control." Giovanni handed him his drink, adding in with a devilish smile. "After all, if a Pyroar knows how strong it is... It makes it dangerous to have around."

Nate took the drink, holding it as Giovanni made his way to the water to dip his bare feet in. Giovanni bent over to scoop up the water in his hands, splashing his face and slicking back his wild hair away from his mysterious grey eyes. Nate was mesmerized by how handsome Giovanni was. Giovanni flicked water at his Meowth who hissed and dashed across the beach to shake the water off. Giovanni laughed, telling the cat playfully. "Come on, you scaredy cat. It's just a little water." The Meowth sprang toward the water to tap a wave with a paw, before racing away as the wave retreated and came back. Nate smiled for the first time in months watching Giovanni chase his cat across the beach. Picking up his cat, he waded into the water up to his hip, causing the cat to claw at him and meow loudly in distress. Nate watched him cuddle it though, whispering and petting it as he held it above the water. As the cat relaxed, Giovanni kissed its shoulder. He kept the cat out of the water, letting it bat at the waves on its own.

When Giovanni came back out to put the cat down, Nate took a seat in the sand and told him in a much calmer voice. "I was kicked from Mystic for loving a Valor... that used me..." Giovanni laid down across the sand beside him, warmly telling him. "And the asshole fed you to the Houndooms. How romantic... You get the person back?" Nate's stomach growled from smelling the watermelon in the drink. Wincing, he handed the drink back, mumbling out grimly. "No... How can I? Look at me... I'm as useless as a Magikarp..." Giovanni pushed the drink back, telling him sweetly. "Finish it for me. And you're wrong." Nate raised an eyebrow as Giovanni sat up and laughed out. "Have you seen a Gyarados? I've never met a more aggressive Pokemon in the sea." Nate shrugged, muttering out. "I'm no Gyarados." Giovanni tapped his shoulder, comfortingly saying. "Maybe not. But Magikarp have hard skin. As hard as iron. You get scales like that and nothing would hurt you." Nate rolled his eyes, tentatively taking a sip of the drink. It was smooth and sweet.

Giovanni leaned back on his arms, looking up at the blue sky as he told him happily. "You think love is hard for you. You should see my trail of wreckage. Only child and heir to a powerful empire. Everyone wants me for money that isn't even mine yet. The closet thing I've come to love in my life is that stray Meowth. My mother hates me. My dad is gone... and my friends are hired goons." Giovanni laid down on his back, pointing up toward the woods without looking. Nate looked and noticed at least four hulking men in Team Rocket uniforms. Nate's eyes widened as he asked Giovanni. "You're with Team Rocket?" Giovanni pulled a pair of dark sunglasses from his pocket, slipping them on as he chuckled out. "With them? No. My mother OWNS them... and I want nothing to do with them." Nate downed the drink, feeling both terrified and excited by the thought of being near someone as powerful as him. Giovanni grinned, pulling a black card from his pocket to give to Nate. Nate took it, listening to Giovanni tell him with a wicked smirk. "Interested? I'm sure we pay better."

Nate looked over the card, saying softly. "I'd be a criminal..." Giovanni turned to his side, saying a bit sarcastically. "Don't they already consider you one?" Nate bowed his head, asking humbly. "What do you get out of this? I mean, you just said you want nothing to do with them." Giovanni sat up enough to rest on his elbow as he told him bluntly. "I'm thinking ahead. I don't want Team Rocket... but I'm not going to let it fall into the incompetent hands of some stupid grunt either. So, when the time comes... I just want to make sure I have people that will support me." Nate licked his lips, saying almost inaudibly. "So, you do want something..." Giovanni leaned closer, whispering to him in a powerful sincere voice. "Everyone wants something. But I give as well as I get. What have you got to lose? Team Rocket pays enough to get you off the street. Keep you and your pokemon cared for and fed. All you have to do is pull your weight. With pokemon like yours, it's a waste to have you digging up fossils in some mine." Nate raised his eyes to meet Giovanni's, looking deep into his confident eyes.

Giovanni put a hand on his, telling him in a serious voice. "Let's eat and you can think about it. Or better yet... Let's eat and discuss the name of this person who you want to see brought lower than a Magikarp?" Nate blinked, saying uneasily. "You can do that?" Giovanni snapped his fingers and Team Rocket Grunts rushed out to bring out a small table loaded down with food and treats. Another Grunt lowered a few bottles for Giovanni to pick from, while Giovanni coolly told him. "Kid, I can do anything I fucking want. Name the asshole and I'll prove it." Nate wasn't sure he believed him, but his anger flared, and he said his name without flinching. Giovanni leaned his arms on the table, smirking wickedly as he asked him. "And what would you like me to do to him?" Nate straightened up, his body relaxing as a confidence filled him and he growled out. "I don't care as long as he's never seen again." Giovanni picked up his freshly poured glass, grinning devilishly as he cooed out. "I like you. I'll take care of it. Eat. You must be hungry." Nate gave in to his hunger and began to eat.

The hours on the beach passed of them talking like old friends about places in Kanto and their favorite things to do. Things Giovanni never told anyone. By the end of the night, Giovanni pulled him off the beach to escape his security goons. It was then in the woods as they shared a laugh that Giovanni beckoned him closer to whisper something to him. Nate moved closer not thinking about it, until Giovanni cupped his face and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Nate's broken heart pulsed to life as he returned the kiss. Giovanni broke the kiss a little while after, swallowing nervously as he told him very softly. "You tell my mother about this... and she'll destroy me. But I leave that in your hands." Nate wrapped his arm's around Giovanni's neck, kissing him again. Nate wanted to stay in that moment. To relieve the bliss, but his mind was pulled out as he awoke to a loud rumbling of rocks. Reluctantly sitting up, he jumped as he realized that his lower half was submerged in the water. Zoey held his shoulders as Lugia turned to look at the waterfall.

From behind the watery curtain. A bright rainbow hue was coming through with a large black shadow that looked exactly like Necrozma! To Be Continued...