Pokémon PrismGold

Chapter Twenty-Nine: "Articuno's Shrine"

Sean closed his eyes, biting his lip as Mark's hand slid off his chest. Collecting himself with a deep silent inhale, he turned to face Mark. Mark was taking in the view now with wide eyes. Sean smirked to himself. The view never got old. It was one of the things he loved about Mystic. The biggest reason that he refused to leave. Mark put his hands on his hips, chuckling aloud. "Damn... I see why you don't leave. Does it look like this all year round?" Sean stepped up beside him, saying with a warm smile. "Ya. It's always winter here. Articuno likes it that way. It's our own winter wonderland." Mark shook his head in disbelief, saying under his breath. "Wow. Cozy." Sean blushed a little, tapping his arm as he told him softly. "Come on. This way." Sean carefully made his way over the snow covered road toward the grey stone bridge. Mark stopped on the bridge to lean over the side. Below on the lake, a few small pokemon were having fun sliding across the ice or pushing their friends along it.

Mark looked up at the heavy curtain of snow that was falling, saying perplexed. "They aren't afraid of what Articuno is doing?" Sean shrugged, listening as Articuno let out a distant cry. Glancing around, Sean told him honestly. "Articuno has always kept them safe. Why would they be afraid?" Sean headed toward the frosted over stone stairs that lead up to the first village square, saying over his shoulder. "Keep up. You look like a tourist." Mark chuckled, retorting smugly. "I am a tourist. I've never seen anything like this..." Sean rolled his eyes, then straightened up. In the center of the village square was a large firepit with a protective dome cage over it. Around the crackling fire, a group of Mystic scientists with clipboards and equipment were studying the unusual weather as they stayed warm. Turning to face Mark, Sean told him seriously. "Just... Be mindful where you are. If they realize who you are-" Mark touched Sean's cheek, causing him to fall silent, before smugly telling him. "Relax. I know."

Sean stepped back from his touch, glancing around to see if anyone had seen him do that. Most of the scientists or members wondering around were too distracted with other things. When Sean looked back to Mark... he was gone. Sean's heart fell into the pit of his stomach. Whirling around, he saw Mark strolling up to the firepit. Sean let out a groan, storming after him. Mark reached the firepit before he got to him. Leaning on the stone ledge around the standing circular firepit, Mark asked them over the soft whistling wind. "Hey, how are you doing?" The scientists stopped their chatter over the readings on their devices to look at him with curious eyes. Sean took a quick breath to intervene, but Mark asked them just as casually. "Have either of you seen two men come through here? One walking with a tall black looking fox and the other in a business suit?" Some of the scientists just gave him a dismissive shrug, choosing to ignore him. One woman answered Mark nicely though. "Ya. They went to the village square up there. Said something about splitting up to get more done."

Mark thanked her, then began to jog across the square toward another set of wider stone steps leading up to another village square. While they rushed up the stone steps, Mark panted out to Sean. "Should we split up too?" Sean shook his head, panting out as they reached the top. "No. You don't know this place as well as I do. You could get lost or worse..." Mark raised an eyebrow at him, prompting him to add lightly. "You could get trapped in an avalanche or something." Mark huffed, but didn't question it. Instead, he raced off to stop a woman that was trying to hurry out of the blistering cold. Grabbing her arm, he asked her. "Have you seen two men come through here? One in a suit and one with a black fox?" The woman tightened her fluffy white coat around her neck, shaking her head before replying quickly. "A man in a suit was escorted away to Blanche's office... but there was no man with a black fox." Mark let her go and she quickly rushed into a long building with brightly lit archways. A small train station.

Mark panted, looking around this brightly lit village square as he asked. "If they escorted Giovanni away... How did Nate get away? Was that part of their plan?" Sean thought about it, then replied swiftly. "Giovanni is a distraction. Zoey is taking Nate up to the shrine! We've got to move!" Mark gestured to the train station, asking curiously. "Does that go up to the shrine?" Sean grabbed Mark's arm, dragging him into a run as he told him seriously. "No. It only stops at all the villages on the way up and when it comes down. It's left already and I'll bet anything Nate was on it!" Sean skidded to a stop at the steps of another rise, watching a black train vanish into the mountain side tunnel along the outskirts of the villages. Mark shook his head, grimly saying. "We'll never catch it..." Sean reached under his jacket to remove two pokemon from his belt, telling him hopefully. "Not on foot we won't." Mark rolled his eyes, retorting seriously. "I can't ride any of mine..." Sean tossed his pokeballs into the air, smugly replying. "I got you covered. Siochain! Suzie!"