(no subject)

[redheir]

[A Pokémon! Something that most people have to wait for, something that people prepare their whole lives for. Others kids are lucky enough to have one as a pet in their home, one that belongs to the parents or guardians.

But, like everyone that came to the island, this young red-head got his own choice of three Pokémon! And he picked one, very easily he picked one. A Nidoran♂!]

Dad's gonna be so surprised! I'll make you super strong and super fast!

[He's so excited, tugging on the Pokémon's ears. The Nidoran doesn't seem to mind!]

Comments

[bedroomtakeover]

Oh...

[Well, if Giovanni lets him do what he wants—]

I promise you, we'll only be talking about Team Rocket and the island. Archer won't make you do anything you don't want to. I just want you to come with me so you don't get lost.

...I'll let you practice with your pokémon on the way? [PARENTING, ADMIN. YOU ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT IT. But she really does need to go find Archer, and as tempting as it is to let the kid run off and do what he wants, she's not confident she'd be able to find him again in a place like this...]

[redheir]

Whatever... but you gotta boss Archer around if he tries to be a jerk!

[bedroomtakeover]

Okay! Okay, yes. Just so long as you stay with me.

[Relieved! Man oh man this was easier when we could pawn you off on the grunts, kiddo. Ariana will laugh nervously a bit and glance around.]

Archer won't be a jerk, you'll see. He's going to help us. Do you remember where you last saw him, Silver?

[redheir]

He was annoying me because I had a Pokémon.

[bedroomtakeover]

Did you find that when you got here? I got one too. It seems like a lot of people did, but I don't really know much about it.

[redheir]

What Pokémon did you get, mother?

[bedroomtakeover]

A Murkrow. I don't know if it's strong, but it was free, so I took it. I should have grabbed the others but they disappeared.

I wonder if they were valuable...

[redheir]

Just make that one cool.

[bedroomtakeover]

[Make it cool?] It's just a Murkrow.

[redheir]

Yeah but it's yours. I'm gonna make this Nidoran the best Nidoran ever! I'm gonna beat father's Nidoking someday!

[bedroomtakeover]

I'm sure if you work hard and put your faith in Team Rocket, you'll be a very powerful trainer someday like him. I never had much skill, but...your father is the strongest there is. That is why we follow him.

[redheir]

Yeah! But I don't need Team Rocket. Father didn't have Team Rocket helping him!

[bedroomtakeover]

[She stops dead in the middle of her walk and rounds on Silver, expression stricken.]

Don't need Team—Silver, how can you say that? Team Rocket is everything to your father! ...And to me! To all of us!

[redheir]

[Gosh he really doesn't get why the adults react that way, like it's such a bad thing to say.]

He didn't have it though! So I can do it like that too.

[bedroomtakeover]

[For a moment, Ariana stares at Silver as though she's never quite seen him before. Then, she simply shakes her head agitatedly, starting to walk again—perhaps a bit faster than strictly necessary, for his smaller legs to keep up.]

You're just saying that now, Silver. You'll understand someday. Team Rocket is everything, everything Giovanni worked for...we exist to serve. No matter what happens.

[Anything else is just a setback, a mistake. She has to make herself believe that.

No matter what some no-account kid from Pallet Town might have said or done back home.]

[redheir]

[He runs after her, grabbing at her shirt.]

Wait for me! Wait, no, pick me up! Carry me, mother!

[bedroomtakeover]

[She tenses for a moment, some sharp word at the tip of her tongue, but the instinctive flare of reproach dies as quickly as it came. Silver is her son, and she hasn't even seen him in—just how many months, was she away on the Sevii Islands with Archer? It makes her feel rather guilty in hindsight, that Silver had been the last thing on her mind for all that time.]

Of course, baby. [She scoops him up, cradling him close. She's not a touchy-feely person by nature but she'll make an exception for him.] Have you been here long? You were all alone...

[redheir]

[AWESOME he loves getting carried around everywhere. He seems immediately placated to be held, too.]

I wasn't alone, I had my best friend! I'm gonna call him Nido.

this cuteness is killing me omg

[bedroomtakeover]

Mm-hmm. That's nice. [If she were Archer or Giovanni, she'd probably harp Silver on the 'pokémon are tools not friends' bit, but quite honestly she's happy to go along with whatever the kid says if it keeps him nice and quiet. Being an attentive parent is hard enough without him making a fuss, and having Silver around gives Ariana a wake-up call that she really needs to figure out a plan of action for the island. She can't just wander around waiting for someone to help her out of this.] If we don't find Archer today, I guess...you and I will have to go find a hut or something to sleep in? I haven't heard much about the housing here, but apparently it's all free. You wouldn't know anything about it, would you, Silver? You're just a kid...

[redheir]

No, I know. You need money and power to have nice places to live.

But if we live in a hut, can we also live with father?

[bedroomtakeover]

I don't know if he's here. More than anything, I hope he is...if that's the case then of course we'll be living with him, at least until everything's settled out and we make our plans. But I'm not sure if we'll find him.

[redheir]

Everybody said we'll find him.

[bedroomtakeover]

Everybody?

[redheir]

Archer and that other guy named Silver.

[bedroomtakeover]

You met someone else named Silver? [And here she thought they were being unique.]