Pokémon PrismGold

Chapter Twelve: "Catch Me"

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!"