Pokémon PrismGold

Chapter Thirty: "Avalanche"

Sean tensed as he watched Giovanni tilt his head up, revealing his handsome features beneath a sleek black fedora hat. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his black trench coat and his fine tailored suit stood out beneath that. For being about the same age as them, he didn't seem to be on their level. The man had a powerful presence about him. His look screamed rich and mysterious. Giovanni eyed Sean with dark eyes, asking Nate calmly. "Everything alright?" Nate nodded, answering uneasily. "Ya, I was just-" Giovanni removed a gloved hand from his pocket waving off Nate's answer to cut in. "Doesn't matter. Retrieve it and let's go. We are wasting time." Sean saw Nate's hand move back to the jewel, but Sean snatched his wrist. Nate tensed for a fight, but Sean pleaded with him desperately. "Nate, no! This is a set up! Please, believe me!" Nate stared at Sean a minute before his eyes drifted to Giovanni. Giovanni slowly turned around to face them, stating out coolly. "Nate, who is this man? Why are you hesitating?"

Nate swallowed, saying nervously. "He's no one." Sean pulled Nate's hand away from the jewel, holding his wrist lovingly as he told him in a hopeful voice. "Nate. You are who you choose to be. You are not a grunt!" Giovanni walked up to the edge of the lake now, drawing Nate's attention. Giovanni straightened himself up to his full height, telling him casually. "Why are you allowing this Mystic trash to talk? Dispatch him and let's go." Sean released Nate's wrist, facing Giovanni now as said aloud. "Leave! He's not your property!" Giovanni huffed, replying lightly. "I never said he was. This was HIS plan. Not mine." Sean felt his blood turn to ice, but tried to keep himself focused. Even if it was Nate's plan, Giovanni was the problem. Sean shook his head, shooting back to him seriously. "You want him to think that. You're here for Articuno! And I'm not letting you take him!" Giovanni rolled his eyes, casually replying. "If I wanted Articuno... I would have him already."

Sean was confused, until Nate uttered out softly beside him. "Mew..." Sean looked to Nate with concerned eyes, asking abruptly. "Mew? How would-?" Sean froze, jerking his head back to Giovanni as he blurted out. "Oh my god... The reanimator!" Giovanni reached into his trench coat, removing two rolled up blueprints as he flashed Sean a smug grin. Sean couldn't breathe as Giovanni told him in a cool tone. "I've got what I came for. I just need to cover our tracks with... a little experiment that my scientists have been working on." Sean whirled around to face Nate, rushing out. "Nate! I know Mystic treated you badly, but Giovanni-!" Sean was flung across the cave and hit the icy wall before he could finish. Landing in a pile of cold snow, Sean looked up to see Alakazam's eyes glowing a bright pink from using a Psychic attack. Zoey growled, then stopped when Giovanni looked at her. Looking back to Nate, Giovanni extended a hand out, saying in a loving voice. "Nate, let's put this place behind us. All the bad memories. All the pain. After today. It will all fade away."

Nate shuffled his feet looking between Sean and Giovanni. Giovanni took another step toward him, adding sweetly. "Nate. Baby. He's trying to get into your head. He only cares about his job. He doesn't care about you. He's like the rest of them. They'll say whatever they have to make you doubt yourself and your cause. They're afraid of change. But they force change on those that don't fit in. So, let's break their flawed system!" Sean shook his head, rising to all fours to shout something, but an invisible force tightened around his throat to stop him. Sean clawed at his throat, barely able to breathe. The Alakazam was still focused on him with intense eyes. Holding him prisoner to the spot. Even though he was unable to speak or move from his spot, he looked to Zoey and snapped his fingers. Zoey turned her attention away from the way Giovanni was moving closer to Nate, looking to Sean with her ears perked up. Sean pointed to Alakazam, then held his throat. Zoey's eyes moved to Alakazam, her eyes narrowing on him. Zoey looked to Nate for any commands, but Nate's eyes were on Giovanni.

Sean watched Nate back up from Giovanni, mumbling out. "If you got what you want, then let's just go. The other islands will take a hit and the damage will be done anyway." Giovanni lifted Nate's chin with a finger, telling him sweetly. "Oh, Nate... You're not going soft on me now, are you?" Nate shook his head, replying a little shaky. "No... I just..." Giovanni brought his lips closer to Nate's, whispering to him coolly. "I understand. This is a sensitive job for you. So, let's go home." Giovanni stepped aside, gesturing Nate away from the shrine. Relief eased into Sean as Nate moved away toward Zoey. Zoey pointed discreetly at Alakazam and whispered something in Nate's ear. Sean's eyes drifted back to Giovanni and he practically choked. Giovanni's other hand removed the jewel from the mouth of Articuno's statue and slipped it into his pocket. Nate whirled around to face Giovanni, snapping out. "Call off Alakazam!" Giovanni jogged up to Nate, telling him swiftly. "Certainly. Let's go, shall we?"