jade-hearted-gymleader

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

“Oh fuck I can say it now! BOYFRIEND! BOYFRIEND I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!”

#ic

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Gary grins at his older brother. "You're stepping down? Would that mean you have time to go on a brother trip? Just the two of us. Oak boys back at it again."

Green thought for a moment and hummed to himself. "Yeah, I think we got enough time, if it's a short trip. I'm talking like, a week tops? I've got uh, some plans, but I can always make a little time for my baby bro." He laughed, and offered a good-natured grin.

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

"Huge fucking announcement- I've put a lot of thought into this one, a lot of time and effort into making sure it's gone smoothly, so know that what I'm about to announce isn't taken lightly or on a whim."

"I'm stepping down as gym leader. My replacement is already in training and will be working with me til the end of the month to take over, then I'm gone! It's been an honor and a great time, but it's time for me to move on."

"There's another half of this announcement, but it's gonna be coming from Red in a few weeks. Keep yourselves on your toes!'

#ic #mainverse #plot points

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

“Big fuckin’ news on the way, guys, I’m thinkin’ the start of March. I’m just waiting for everything to become official, but it’s. Kind of a big deal.”

#ic #ohohohohoh

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Letters to Family Oak to Grandson Letters to Family Giovanni to Son

Send “Letters to Home…+” To Force my Muse to Write a Letter to one of their Family Members! Oak to Grandson (specifically @jade-hearted-gymleader)

The letter is pristine.

Of course it is.

So much so that its artificiality is simply unignorable; of course, every paper, every innovation could be called artificial, but this envelope is such a blinding white that's clearly false, clearly unnatural; stark against a chaotic world, an attempt to defy the messy reality of life.

The paper inside is no different; certainly not the plain, everyday paper many people use; but rather a heavier weight.  It’s thicker; perhaps the type of paper important scientific formulae are written on; far too regal for such a casual letter, and still that same, blinding white.

Even the font seems distant; the formal sort of serifs that you see in business communication; neatly typed and aligned upon the page, each paragraph properly indented.

Dearest Grandson,

It’s been so long since you last stopped by!

I’m frightfully sorry that I haven’t had time to visit you in Viridian, but I have no doubt how proud you must be to be a Gym Leader now.  Ah, it seems as if just yesterday you were just a small boy, obsessing over your little eevee and bragging about how you’d be the champion one day. Who would have thought you’d ever achieve that dream?  Well--maybe it was just for a few minutes, but still, very few can even claim that much.  

Know this my boy--though I may not be able to visit you physically, my heart is with you thoroughly and I’ve ben watching your accomplishments from afar!

It’s such a shame that Viridian has such a terrible reputation after what the last gym leader has done.  It’s an uphill battle for sure, but you’ve always been a stubborn one.  No doubt you’ll power through this just as anything else.

Even so, I can’t help but worry; you being out alone in that city is no good for this old man’s heart.  I know that Team Rocket still has strong connections in that area, and whatever the truth may be, I know they’ll only see you as a young boy to be controlled.

They’re an insidious group; with absolutely no morals and no empathy for the world around them.  They are masters of manipulation, of propaganda, and they’ll tell you anything if it’ll further their objectives.  Turning a boy against his only family would be nothing but a fun joke to them.  

After all, I have sworn to defend my home from enemies, whoever that may be.  Whatever the cost may be.

Be careful, my boy.

Your beloved grandfather, Samuel Oak.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Giovanni to Son; generically, because I don’t write with any Silvers

The letter isn’t light.

But it’s not heavy, either; rather a very comfortable weight that sits in the hand; too luxurious to be any old piece of mail, but tasteful; off-white with faint earthen hues brushed across, such as watercolor left to lazily drift across the paper. 

There’s a certain texture to it; quite possibly a cotton based paper rather than the plain wood; lacking any sort of gleam to it.  But it’s almost soft; it almost feels like home.  

The letter itself is handwritten; the shine of the ink visible at certain angles; naturally fluctuating in intensity as the hand bobbled and wove over the paper.

And yet, there’s not a single mark out of place; not a single letter crossed out.  Just how many times did he have to rewrite it to get the perfect presentation?

Silvano,

I know we haven’t gotten along the best the last several years.  Some may even go as far as to say I’m a terrible father.  Whatever it is you believe, whatever opinion you may have of me, I will accept; it is not my place to argue or beg forgiveness.  I understand that I have not done the best; that many times, my attention was in other places when it should have been on you.  

I have chosen to walk a very dangerous path.  For better or for worse remains to be seen.  But it is the choice I have made and one I have no choice but to stick with.

Thus, this letter seeks to settle all the turmoil that may remain; to put to rest any questions you may have.  To act as a written record of my life, my will, my heart.  

I was born on the outskirts of Viridian City; my parents named Giacomo and Louane Marianelle.  The family estate still stands; the family still lives there.  If you need to go there for any reason, I know for certain they will accept you.  Personally, I burnt that bridge many years ago; I will not ask their forgiveness.   But they will not hold my sins against you.  They are good people.  

Though many people find it surprising, my childhood was remarkably dull.  My own parents were distant; which almost certainly influenced my methods of raising you, but I was well cared for and loved.  I learned a lot throughout a journey of my own--I too collected the Gym Badges just as the youth are prone to doing, and I too challenged the Elite Four.  Alas, I did not take the position of champion, but I left enough of an impression that Oak offered the next opening to me.

No doubt you already know too much about my relationship with this man, so I will summarize it briefly.

He was my champion, I was his elite.  I was prepared to die for him, to die for Kanto, but when I needed him, when we all needed him, he abandoned us.  

And that’s why I created Team Rocket.  It’s an origin not oft discussed, not anymore, but there were too many of us bittered by his betrayal, too many of us that weren’t done fighting when we were forced to surrender.  It was in Celadon, in the very Game Corner that acted as our base for many years, that the very first iteration of Team Rocket was born.

Not to do evil, not to do harm, but to save our home from an aggressive intruder.  

I was lost, I was angry, and I made many mistakes.  Some of those mistakes were advantageous in the end.  Some were not.  Regardless, I had created a team with a mission, and we were dedicated to our cause; to free Kanto from tyranny no matter the cost.  The cost was too large, in the end.

My cowardice, my sins--they are mine alone to bear.  Perhaps one day I will deserve forgiveness.  Perhaps not.  I suppose that will be for you to decide.

Of course this letter would not be complete without mentioning your mother.  I would like to think you are more confident than to think so, but I am well aware of the trends, so I will reiterate that our falling out had nothing to do with you.  Merely our relationship happened in a tumultuous time in our lives; we both had changed and marriage was no longer the best option for us.  We split on amicable terms.  I believe society should be more accepting of change.

It was never my love for you that was in question, merely the methods by which I displayed it.  

The fact that you’ve found the courage and will to pursue your own path in spite of the circumstances will never cease to make me proud.

Stand strong, stand proud, and never let the world tell you what you can and can’t be.

Farewell, Giovanni.  

#EXPLODES EXPLODES EXPLODES

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

╰┈➤ STARTER PROMPTS : SparkNotes on Twitter a set of starter prompts, all from posts on the SparkNotes Twitter account ! ** note that all of these are literary references, and as such may be oddly specific scenarios. sorry ?

❝ lately I've been dressing for revenge. ❞ ❝ to flee, or not to flee : that is the question. ❞ ❝ no more emails. if you want to reach me, travel to the Underworld and play the lyre for the god of the dead. ❞ ❝ when she says you’re the last man in the world she could ever be prevailed on to marry. ❞ ❝ there's a raven at my window. thinking i’ll let him in and see if he has anything to say about loss, isolation, and the nature of madness. ❞ ❝ i’m going to get a good grade in playing god, a thing that is both normal to want and possible to achieve. ❞ ❝ it was the best of times, it was the worst of times TO YOU. to me the times were average. ❞ ❝ if i were Victor Frankenstein, i would have simply said “ oh hey ” when the creature first turned his unspeakable visage upon me. ❞ ❝ i post for the people who still aren't over the fact that Odysseus’ dog waited 20 years for him to come home, recognized him instantly, wagged his tail, and died before Odysseus was able to greet him. ❞ ❝ hot girl summer is over. i’m ready for sinister housekeeper autumn. ❞ ❝ anyone else trapped in a wine cellar due to an unspecified personal grievance right now ? ❞ ❝ i’m living rent-free in your head and in my subterranean opera house lair. ❞ ❝ the skull of your childhood court jester is something that can actually be so personal. ❞ ❝ by age 30 you should have several henchmen, a sworn enemy, and a narrative foil. ❞ ❝ i’m about to “ you pierce my soul. i am half agony, half hope ” my way into a relationship. ❞ ❝ reading The Phantom of the Opera isn't enough, i need to drop a chandelier on someone. ❞

❝ reading Wuthering Heights isn't enough, i need to experience powerful emotions in Yorkshire when it's windy. ❞ ❝ never ask a woman her age, a man his salary, or the raven perched above your chamber door whether you'll ever again see your lost love lenore. ❞ ❝ she's a 10 but you're the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry. ❞ ❝ the Hamlet urge to wear all black and procrastinate. ❞ ❝ it's different this time, okay ? i’m serious, i think she’s the one. she's beautiful, she can sing . . . sure she lives on the rocky shoreline which poses something of a problem for my ship but those are just details. ❞ ❝ i’m going to the Underworld to get my dead wife back, does anyone want anything ? ❞ ❝ if i were the unnamed narrator in an Edgar Allan Poe story, i would simply introduce myself. ❞ ❝ am i attractive ? yes. am i a terrible person ? also yes. do i have a portrait in the attic that bears the marks of my corrupted soul, aging while i remain youthful ? what’s wrong with you, why would you ask me that, and no, i don't. obviously. just to be clear. ❞ ❝ you want me to soak up the sun ? the thing that killed Icarus ? ❞ ❝ The Phantom of the Opera is a cautionary tale of what happens when you date a musician. ❞

❝ no, i don't want to “ work in an office, ” i want to be the catcher in the rye. what's that, you ask ? well, you know how kids are always hanging out unsupervised near precarious cliffsides ? ❞ ❝ if you're a Shakespeare character your chances of getting mauled by a bear while a clown watches are low but never zero. ❞ ❝ i adhere to the Jane Austen style of writing. dropping a surprise engagement around chapter 46 and naming the hottest character after myself. ❞ ❝ a comedian's job is to continue making puns even after they've been mortally wounded by Tybalt. ❞ ❝ you think you're a Hamlet ? please. you're an Osric at best. ❞ ❝ you want me to make friends ? the thing that killed Julius Caesar ? ❞

❝ love this time of year. just running around New York City asking cab drivers where the ducks go. ❞ ❝ look, did i create a monster whose very existence spits in the face of the natural order ? yes. but did i take responsibility for him ? well, no. did i give him a companion ? also no. did i bother telling my loved ones he was running around murdering them ? ok see here’s the thing — ❞ ❝ if someone were burying me alive in the catacombs while i was wine drunk, dressed like a jester and chained to the wall, i would simply escape. it's not hard. ❞ ❝ hey sorry i didn't text you back, i was busy staring at the green light across the bay for nine hours. ❞

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

[ 📱 — sms ] i’m in trouble and need your help. (imgonnaketchumall)

The reply came back almost instantaneously.

[txt:] where are you? What do you need and what happened? I'll be right there.

#text convo

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

TEXT MESSAGES

a mix of platonic, fluff, angst, & nsfw

[ 📱 — sms ] can i call you?

[ 📱 — sms ] please answer me.

[ 📱 — sms ] i miss you.

[ 📱 — sms ] where are you?

[ 📱 — sms ] is everything okay?

[ 📱 — sms ] i love you.

[ 📱 — sms ] i feel so alone.

[ 📱 — sms ] i feel alone without you.

[ 📱 — sms ] do you want me to pick up food?

[ 📱 — sms ] do you need me to pick you up?

[ 📱 — sms ] can you pick me up?

[ 📱 — sms ] i miss your touch.

[ 📱 — sms ] i might have made a mistake.

[ 📱 — sms ] who is this?

[ 📱 — sms ] i think you have the wrong number.

[ 📱 — sms ] i can’t stop thinking about you.

[ 📱 — sms ] do you ever think about us?

[ 📱 — sms ] i’m in the hospital.

[ 📱 — sms ] i want you in my bed again.

[ 📱 — sms ] i woke up and you were gone.

[ 📱 — sms ] i want to kiss you in places you’ll never forget.

[ 📱 — sms ] i’m pregnant.

[ 📱 — sms ] did you just propose to me over text message?

[ 📱 — sms ] i touch myself when i think about you.

[ 📱 — sms ] i need you. now.

[ 📱 — sms ] i’m sorry for what i said.

[ 📱 — sms ] you’re my best friend.

[ 📱 — sms ] i need somewhere to crash.

[ 📱 — sms ] i thought you didn’t want to talk to me.

[ 📱 — sms ] was that pic meant for me?

[ 📱 — sms ] i’m in trouble and need your help.

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

come in my inbox pretending to be a reporter!

ask my muse about gossips, their relationships with other famous muses, bad rumors about them… go wild!

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

The mental image was incredible, the idea that many people were swinging swords around.... The closest he'd gotten was a baseball bat he swung at someone at a league party when he was sixteen and finally got fed up with their advances. Momentarily, he wished it was a sword. But those were worlds apart.

Surrender... Green didn't understand it. For him, everything was all or nothing. He shrugged off the comment completely and let Giovanni keep talking.

At the tone change though, he paused to consider what the man meant.

"I get that," he answered eventually. "Kinda, at least. Everyone's got regrets, shit they wished they had handled better, done differently. There's gonna be a forever of what ifs in everyone's futures. The way I find easiest to deal is to make now what I wished happened then. I wish I went and got Red down from that mountain sooner, so I'm here for him now. That's... Different, I think, than what you're getting at, but."

Another shrug. "You did what you could. You said it yourself, both sides had regrets, right? Don't turn em into ghosts if you can help it."

"If it means anything? I think you're doin' alright now. I mean it's not legal, but neither is weed. Who gives a shit."

It's the best the gym leader had, but it was genuine. His best way of trying to understand was to attempt to put it into his own framework, and he was trying. Maybe the advice was off-point, unwanted, or even obvious. But it was how he processed the information. And maybe an attempt at a thank you for the advice he'd given first.

"At the end of the day, what could you have done better that's digging at you so bad?"

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

Green burned so intensely, and so fucking painfully, all of the time. Everything he felt was huge, like he was nothing but a raw nerve defended only by his facade and the arms distance he tried to keep everyone at. He probably would have burned himself to ashes right there in Giovanni’s office, if he wasn’t completely thrown off again.

And the switch, again.

“A fucking sword?” He asked, incredulous. “I mean, you said he attacked first right? I think at that point a little sword-murder is probably fair. And kind of sick as hell.”

Green tried to picture it- a younger Giovanni, which just came out as the same man but slightly shorter in his minds eye, with a vague fairy tale style sword facing off against Lance’s Dragonite. Kind of incredible, even if he probably almost got himself killed.

There was that causal stance again from back in the training area, as Green thought over his next comment.

“I think that people might have stupid-ass ideas of what a bad guy really is.” He eventually answered. “And I think that once I turn the League inside out, maybe some actual progress can be made.”

There was a future to be had from all of this, he just knew it.

“There were a great many of us that used swords,” Giovanni confirmed, nodding to himself and redirecting his gaze to the ceiling.  “Ranged weapons are nice, too–but when something comes flying at you it’s nice to just be able to swing at it.

“…of course, had I just surrendered as well, I would have saved myself a lot of pain.”

In some ways?  He did regret it.  In others?  He made a statement and he was damn proud of himself for refusing to back down, even when he thought it would get himself killed.  He would not bow.  He did not bow.  

“…Really, I think that about covers the important details.  Johto did have the Legendary Beasts on their side, increasing the amount of pressure on their side.  Your grandfather retired, Agatha remained, Lance took over as champion, I created Team Rocket.”

A hell of a diverse crew that was.  

A pause.  His gaze drifted down the wall to reside at a nondescript point where the floor met the wall.

Truthfully? He didn’t believe there was any point in trying to dismantle the League. It was a personal mission of Proton’s, but if it gave the boy something to fixate on, then so be it.

Something somber hung in the air.

“I wish I could have done better,” he said finally; compressing a whirlwind of thoughts into seven words.

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Green burned so intensely, and so fucking painfully, all of the time. Everything he felt was huge, like he was nothing but a raw nerve defended only by his facade and the arms distance he tried to keep everyone at. He probably would have burned himself to ashes right there in Giovanni's office, if he wasn't completely thrown off again.

And the switch, again.

"A fucking sword?" He asked, incredulous. "I mean, you said he attacked first right? I think at that point a little sword-murder is probably fair. And kind of sick as hell."

Green tried to picture it- a younger Giovanni, which just came out as the same man but slightly shorter in his minds eye, with a vague fairy tale style sword facing off against Lance's Dragonite. Kind of incredible, even if he probably almost got himself killed.

There was that causal stance again from back in the training area, as Green thought over his next comment.

"I think that people might have stupid-ass ideas of what a bad guy really is." He eventually answered. "And I think that once I turn the League inside out, maybe some actual progress can be made."

There was a future to be had from all of this, he just knew it.

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

“That goddamn fucking snake-” Green grumbled, almost under his breath.

So his grandfather was a liar, then. He kept a forged license, which he didn’t use for anything but to keep up appearances, to continue the narrative he’d woven of everything being fine. The idea that everyone in the world looked up to him, the fact that Green bought it? For all these years? It burned. Green grit his teeth, and clenched his fists.

It’s like a switch went off.

“Yeah, everything was about his research.” Green spat with venom. “So, what, he gets to walk off the hero and be a beloved professor of bullshit, and pretend everything is fuckin’ hunky dory, and what? You get left in the dust? What kind of bullshit is that! I know Im not tellin’ you anything new, but arc-fucking-damnit! So, you get the short end of the stick and he starts talking shit, pretending this had nothing to do with him? Like none of this was his fault? Thats so fucking like him actually, yeah.”

On a roll, he added another offhand comment. “Lance is a shithead too, he keeps awful company and I hope he gets hit by a bus.”

Giovanni told him the other day he was entitled to his anger, and by God he was going to be angry. Not like he had a choice.

Giovanni observed the display.  Truthfully, it’d be a long time since he felt any sort of anger burning that brightly–

(Since he’d felt much of anything burning that brightly, in all honesty.)

Nowadays, his anger was a low simmer, an open flame that stuttered but never died.  

“I made the decision to be the bad guy when I created Team Rocket.  I’ve accepted it as what the public and the average individual will think of me.

“…And I also attempted to murder Lance’s Dragonite with a sword.  That probably played a part in how things had played out.”

A wry smile–yes, it was utterly idiotic, but, when you didn’t think about the consequences, it was also fucking hilarious.  

“Nonetheless… I made my choice, and I won’t blame anyone else for it.  The world will always try to tear you down when you try to stand up for yourself.”

And it didn’t seem like Green needed any convincing to hate his grandfather; so there was no reason to delve into his personal feelings for the man.

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

"That goddamn fucking snake-" Green grumbled, almost under his breath.

So his grandfather was a liar, then. He kept a forged license, which he didn't use for anything but to keep up appearances, to continue the narrative he'd woven of everything being fine. The idea that everyone in the world looked up to him, the fact that Green bought it? For all these years? It burned. Green grit his teeth, and clenched his fists.

It's like a switch went off.

"Yeah, everything was about his research." Green spat with venom. "So, what, he gets to walk off the hero and be a beloved professor of bullshit, and pretend everything is fuckin' hunky dory, and what? You get left in the dust? What kind of bullshit is that! I know Im not tellin' you anything new, but arc-fucking-damnit! So, you get the short end of the stick and he starts talking shit, pretending this had nothing to do with him? Like none of this was his fault? Thats so fucking like him actually, yeah."

On a roll, he added another offhand comment. "Lance is a shithead too, he keeps awful company and I hope he gets hit by a bus."

Giovanni told him the other day he was entitled to his anger, and by God he was going to be angry. Not like he had a choice.

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

Green didn’t say things he didn’t mean. Not unless he was actively trying to get something, or impulsively lying out of fear. But not condolences. Not in a setting like this. But he didn’t pick up on the fact that Giovanni ignored it. It wasn’t a comment that required a reply. He just continued to listen.

He picked up on the forced way that Giovanni spoke. There was more to it, or something in it’s proximity, he knew it. But something… Settled, clicking together in the back of his mind. Green shifted uneasily.

“I uhm.” He started, that careful practiced flow of skirting around issues until they came out on their own terms completely interrupted. This was dangerous. Dangerous because he knew that the topic was a sore one with Giovanni, dangerous because he knew how much his new boss hated the man. Dangerous because Green himself was afraid to confront the facts, and what they meant for his history and his future. He pressed on regardless. He was trying to decipher the world’s secrets from the pattern in the wall’s grain.

“Proton said something to me, when I first joined up,” he eventually managed. “And I didn’t believe him, cause it sounds dumb. To me, at least, cause like. It doesn’t make sense, to me. And maybe this is a stupid as hell question and feel free to tell me that or whatever but.”

Green swallowed.

“Was…. Was Gramps really the Champion, back then?”

Giovanni’s gaze remained fixed on Green through the fumbling.  How odd.  He much preferred the cocky and direct boy he was talking to yesterday.

Nonetheless, with nothing more than a slight cock of his head, he waited patiently until the question was fully formed.

“Yes.”

It was a simple answer–direct and to the point.

“From my understanding, he had always been interested more in research rather than Pokemon battling; it just so happened that the former loaned itself well to the latter.

“It was the three of us on Indigo Plateau– myself, him, and Agatha.  The other two elites had fallen in battle, and Lance decided to combat us himself.

“He accepted the surrender, but still stripped your grandfather and I of our licenses to battle.  Agatha he kept as an Elite.  Why?  I’m not entirely sure.  Maybe to separate them.  Or to have someone with experience.

“Since his reputation and legality as a battler was ruined, your grandfather retired to Pallet Town and focused his efforts on becoming a professor.  Or something of the sort, I haven’t talked to the man since the war.”

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Green didn't say things he didn't mean. Not unless he was actively trying to get something, or impulsively lying out of fear. But not condolences. Not in a setting like this. But he didn't pick up on the fact that Giovanni ignored it. It wasn't a comment that required a reply. He just continued to listen.

He picked up on the forced way that Giovanni spoke. There was more to it, or something in it's proximity, he knew it. But something... Settled, clicking together in the back of his mind. Green shifted uneasily.

"I uhm." He started, that careful practiced flow of skirting around issues until they came out on their own terms completely interrupted. This was dangerous. Dangerous because he knew that the topic was a sore one with Giovanni, dangerous because he knew how much his new boss hated the man. Dangerous because Green himself was afraid to confront the facts, and what they meant for his history and his future. He pressed on regardless. He was trying to decipher the world's secrets from the pattern in the wall's grain.

"Proton said something to me, when I first joined up," he eventually managed. "And I didn't believe him, cause it sounds dumb. To me, at least, cause like. It doesn't make sense, to me. And maybe this is a stupid as hell question and feel free to tell me that or whatever but."

Green swallowed.

"Was.... Was Gramps really the Champion, back then?"

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

Green had a lot of questions. A lot of them clearly loaded, heavy. He was surprised by the fact that Team Rocket was founded for the reasons it was. He’d always assume it rose up to fill a power vaccum, or grew from the seeds of malcontent that were sewn in poverty. And maybe that was at least a little bit true, at least on the small scale.

He started gently.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said, quiet. He was trying to put himself in Giovanni’s shoes mentally, to really empathize. The idea of losing his own sister made his stomach twist. Having to break that news to the only parental figure he could really remember, in Oak…. Forget about it. It struck him with a terror that he had to quickly put out of his mind to stay focused and navigate what he fully believed to be an emotional minefield.

While his parents weren’t taken directly by the war, things had a way of trickling down. Oppression, poverty, the trauma of war itself, it hung heavy in the air in a way Green was far too young to recall. People act out, and sometimes innocent parties are made to pay for things that were not their fault. Not that Green knew any of that- Oak kept it from him, intentionally or unintentionally. But things all connected together in the end.

A slow breath. Steady, like diffusing a bomb.

“Why did the Champ surrender…?”

To Green, it was a dangerous, risky question. Something that could trigger a sudden screaming fit in someone he knew so little about, or violence or getting just thrown out and shut down, any number of things. He could feel the tension, this was a landmine topic for certain.

But he needed to know. Why would someone give in like that, the way that they did? The pressure the person must have been under was likely immense, but if one of the Elite Four were not sold on throwing in the towel…. He couldn’t comprehend making that same choice. He needed more context.

Giovanni’s eyes were narrowed; not in malice or even concentration.  His gaze shifted around the room; he did not reply to the comment about his loss.  It was a canned comment; one that didn’t really have any meaning.

This wasn’t about him, anyways.

But his eyes flicked back onto Green with an intense focus as the question was posed; and his only reaction to it was the slow rise of his brow.

“Because it was hopeless.”  It was a blunt and succinct answer; one spoken in forced monotone.  

Perhaps it was a surprising response–Giovanni’s hatred of Samuel Oak was well-known throughout Team Rocket, but this?  This one wasn’t something he hated him for, not anymore.   

“People were dying.  Towns were destroyed.  The Elite Four was halved.  Gym Leaders were struggling to care for the wounded.  For as quickly as people call him a coward, it was the only logical choice to make.  Drawing it out further would have just brought more pain and suffering to the people.

“One of the hardest lessons in life is knowing when to put aside your pride and retreat.

“The champion made the right decision.”

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Green had a lot of questions. A lot of them clearly loaded, heavy. He was surprised by the fact that Team Rocket was founded for the reasons it was. He'd always assume it rose up to fill a power vaccum, or grew from the seeds of malcontent that were sewn in poverty. And maybe that was at least a little bit true, at least on the small scale.

He started gently.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said, quiet. He was trying to put himself in Giovanni's shoes mentally, to really empathize. The idea of losing his own sister made his stomach twist. Having to break that news to the only parental figure he could really remember, in Oak.... Forget about it. It struck him with a terror that he had to quickly put out of his mind to stay focused and navigate what he fully believed to be an emotional minefield.

While his parents weren't taken directly by the war, things had a way of trickling down. Oppression, poverty, the trauma of war itself, it hung heavy in the air in a way Green was far too young to recall. People act out, and sometimes innocent parties are made to pay for things that were not their fault. Not that Green knew any of that- Oak kept it from him, intentionally or unintentionally. But things all connected together in the end.

A slow breath. Steady, like diffusing a bomb.

"Why did the Champ surrender...?"

To Green, it was a dangerous, risky question. Something that could trigger a sudden screaming fit in someone he knew so little about, or violence or getting just thrown out and shut down, any number of things. He could feel the tension, this was a landmine topic for certain.

But he needed to know. Why would someone give in like that, the way that they did? The pressure the person must have been under was likely immense, but if one of the Elite Four were not sold on throwing in the towel.... He couldn't comprehend making that same choice. He needed more context.

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

Green listened with an almost somber, wrapt attention. He understood that past-you gaze he was getting, felt less seen than he probably actually was. That wasn’t the point though, the point was the information.

The idea of Kanto being bigoted and nationalistic… it seemed so strange to him now, but it made sense. He’d heard how some of the older generation talked about his friendship with Gold, that boy from Johto, how some didn’t accept that the boy had defeated Lance too, only three years after he and Red had done it, and younger than them to boot. He couldn’t imagine the tensions like that helped ease the tensions of war, either.

He was surprised that they started to die at all, after surrender.

“That makes sense,” he eventually stated, “Like background noise to your normalcy, right? Rain makes this road flood, the door squeaks when its cold out, one day there will be war… just kinda blurs together.”

He didn’t understand War. Green would never understand it, never having to experience it firsthand and he knew that. But he understood how a looming pressure, a promise of a threat, could fade into the background. The road floods when it rains, the door squeaks when it’s cold, Oak will never care about you the way you need him to. All blurring together into the inconvenient thrum of the background.

Until it breaks.

“Team Rocket was originally created to continue resisting after the war was formally over.”

It’s a sudden statement; he wasn’t sure if anyone had bothered to tell Green that fact; hell, he wasn’t sure how many of the current members of Team Rocket even remembered that fact.  

“There were so many of us that were upset; that refused to submit even if the champion did.  So we grouped together; we did everything we could to destabilize the power of the foreign aggressors.”

But that’s not relevant right now, so Giovanni bit his tongue, just shy of literally. 

“Truthfully, I don’t understand enough about their culture to explain why Johto attacked.  I do know historically, the regions swapped sides as the aggressor, neither one managing to gain ground over the other for long.  Simply put, they probably attacked because they didn’t like us, because their parents told them they didn’t like us, because their parents told them they didn’t like us.

“A lot went on during the war.  I’m sure both sides did things that they regret.  Terrible things happened, people died.”

Were Green’s parents killed in the war?  He couldn’t remember.

“My sister was among those killed.  Bringing that news to my mother was…unpleasant.”

Really, for once, there was no ulterior motive in the information being given.  Giovanni was simply jumping from topic to topic, and would continue to do so unless Green had specific questions.  

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Green listened with an almost somber, wrapt attention. He understood that past-you gaze he was getting, felt less seen than he probably actually was. That wasn’t the point though, the point was the information.

The idea of Kanto being bigoted and nationalistic... it seemed so strange to him now, but it made sense. He’d heard how some of the older generation talked about his friendship with Gold, that boy from Johto, how some didn’t accept that the boy had defeated Lance too, only three years after he and Red had done it, and younger than them to boot. He couldn’t imagine the tensions like that helped ease the tensions of war, either.

He was surprised that they started to die at all, after surrender.

“That makes sense,” he eventually stated, “Like background noise to your normalcy, right? Rain makes this road flood, the door squeaks when its cold out, one day there will be war... just kinda blurs together.”

He didn’t understand War. Green would never understand it, never having to experience it firsthand and he knew that. But he understood how a looming pressure, a promise of a threat, could fade into the background. The road floods when it rains, the door squeaks when it’s cold, Oak will never care about you the way you need him to. All blurring together into the inconvenient thrum of the background.

Until it breaks.

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

Green tried to match the gaze he was given in it’s intensity. Not challenging, like usual, just… present. Focused and intent. He doubted he could manage it, but he couldn’t risk seeming weak right now. Or like he was going to brush this off. The young man approached on command, taking a slow breath.

It was, admittedly, a relief when Giovanni turned to look at the ceiling instead. Easier to find his footing that way.

“Yeah,” Green confirmed, voice steady, but a bit quiet. “What the whole thing was like, uh, before.”

He’d spent the weeks trying to dig up old information, but it was few and far between. Most sources focused solely on the war itself, its logistics and strategy, leaving out public figures. He wondered if that was a mandated blackout, or if he was just looking in the wrong places. But this was as primary of a source as you could get.

Giovanni went silent; almost meditating in his chair, eyes closing.

It was a time he didn’t think about much.  That was true of most of the older generation, he thought.  He was different then, everyone was different then.

“It was worse.”  Perhaps an odd place to open, but it’s what he decided on nonetheless, reopening his eyes and looking back towards Green, but not quite at him.

“Many people have this idyllic view of Kanto before the war.  That there was something special that the war ruined.  There wasn’t.  It was a terrible place with terribly outdated laws, and frankly, the perpetual tension of a possible war was almost worse than losing the war.  But nationalism and bigotry ran rampant and getting two groups of people separated by something as arbitrary as the land they grew up on is virtually impossible.

“But the Elites… perhaps I’m biased, but, they were well-chosen, I think.  There was myself, Agatha, Renaldo, and…”  His expression furrowed.  He should remember this… “the fourth one.  We each had our strengths and weaknesses and our duties were decided with that in mind.

“It was a very odd period of time.  The idea that this war was a possibility was so constantly reenforced that you … somehow managed to forget about it altogether.  No one was ready.”

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Green tried to match the gaze he was given in it’s intensity. Not challenging, like usual, just... present. Focused and intent. He doubted he could manage it, but he couldn’t risk seeming weak right now. Or like he was going to brush this off. The young man approached on command, taking a slow breath.

It was, admittedly, a relief when Giovanni turned to look at the ceiling instead. Easier to find his footing that way.

“Yeah,” Green confirmed, voice steady, but a bit quiet. “What the whole thing was like, uh, before.”

He’d spent the weeks trying to dig up old information, but it was few and far between. Most sources focused solely on the war itself, its logistics and strategy, leaving out public figures. He wondered if that was a mandated blackout, or if he was just looking in the wrong places. But this was as primary of a source as you could get.

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

Green was good at reading the room in a split second. Without a doubt, Giovanni was a lot more busy than he’d expected, and when the man confirmed it he felt a wave of guilt. He tensed, getting ready to be waved off yet again, but seemed confused when that didn’t happen. He paused a minute to scan Giovanni’s expression, clearly thrown off-script. This wasn’t how his outline for these sorts of interactions went, so it took him a moment.

The older man seemed genuine, actually in a good mood like he’d hoped, even if he was busy…

“Can’t get a secretary to help you out from under this mountain?” Green opened, joking. Smooth the expression, lighten the mood. Hands in his pockets, closed off a bit. He didn’t meet the other man’s gaze, and instead worked on deciphering whatever the blueprint was about, but it was far beyond his pay grade.

“But seriously though, I uh.” Hesitation. This could still be a trap. He could upset Giovanni and really end up paying for it. But it would be more costly to bail now, so he followed through. “I wanted to take you up on that offer from the other day. Y’know?” He kept it vague. Green figured that Giovanni would understand what he meant.

“Certainly.”

As willing as Giovanni was to engage in that topic, he had some concerns with it–namely, the chance that Green simply wouldn’t believe him.  It was always a risk even with people genuinely loyal to him.

One hand lifted from his knee, gesturing Green to come closer with two fingers uncurling and curling.  

Giovanni’s gaze was unfaltering.  Intense, perhaps–all things he did could be described as intense–but not necessarily bad.

(It was a shame how attention starved some people were.)

“Of course, the topic in general is wide and vague; and I can hardly summarize years of conflict in a few sentences…”  He trailed off, releasing Green from that gaze as he peered at the ceiling in thought.

He wanted to get up and stretch, but Persian was asleep on his feet.

“What was the original question you asked?  You wanted to know about the Elite, yes?”

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

Green was good at reading the room in a split second. Without a doubt, Giovanni was a lot more busy than he’d expected, and when the man confirmed it he felt a wave of guilt. He tensed, getting ready to be waved off yet again, but seemed confused when that didn’t happen. He paused a minute to scan Giovanni’s expression, clearly thrown off-script. This wasn’t how his outline for these sorts of interactions went, so it took him a moment.

The older man seemed genuine, actually in a good mood like he’d hoped, even if he was busy...

“Can’t get a secretary to help you out from under this mountain?” Green opened, joking. Smooth the expression, lighten the mood. Hands in his pockets, closed off a bit. He didn’t meet the other man’s gaze, and instead worked on deciphering whatever the blueprint was about, but it was far beyond his pay grade.

“But seriously though, I uh.” Hesitation. This could still be a trap. He could upset Giovanni and really end up paying for it. But it would be more costly to bail now, so he followed through. “I wanted to take you up on that offer from the other day. Y’know?” He kept it vague. Green figured that Giovanni would understand what he meant.

jade-hearted-gymleader​:

<Starter for @badmusejail >

It had been a week or so since the offer was extended. Green wasn’t sure what was taking him so long to actually follow through.

Maybe it was the humiliation of not recognizing Giovanni to start with, the way he left. Maybe it was the very serious tone that he had walked away using when extending the offer, that shook him to his core. Maybe he thought it was a trap, a way to trick him into doing something he shouldn’t so he could be punished. It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened to him.

Maybe it was the fact that he was scared.

Whatever the reason though, it took Green a week to finally work up the courage to walk into the office. Giovanni was there, as promised. Green had timed it catefully- around 2pm, so there was plenty of time to talk, but also after lunch. Manipulating moods the best he could, he wanted to give himself the best chance.

“Hey uh,” he started, clearly a little antsy. “Are you uh, busy right now?”

Giovanni glanced up at the visitor, brow quirking, hand stilling from whatever he happened to be writing.

“I’m always busy,” he stated; but the words were airy and friendly, far more similar to how Giovanni had been thorough the beginning of their last conversation rather than the final chilling words.  Indeed, there was even a wry smile stretched across his face as he sat back into his chair, sitting his pen down and chiding himself for hunching forward.

Really, he thought people vastly underestimated the sheer amount of work that went into keeping this organization running; bargaining with utility providers, negotiating rates for Pokeballs, organizing the workload between various teams; keeping the local law enforcement pacified, working out the newest deal with Interpol; keeping the flow of Pokemon and supplies going in every direction; dealing with threats, signing this, calling about that, paying such and such off.

It never ended, and the state of his office reflected that.  Some sort of old book was sitting open on one side of the desk, about to slide off; it even appeared to be handwritten.  The other side had a variety of Pokeballs, and front and center had a truly staggering pile of folders and papers; mostly appearing to be spreadsheets, payroll information, and legal documents.

Behind him was a chalkboard with a variety of different monetary values written on it; some crossed off, some circled; it seems there are words written beside them, but a blueprint tossed haphazardly over it blocks sight of it.  

“But, that doesn’t mean I don’t have time for other endeavors.”  He crossed one leg over the other and folded his hands atop his knee–staring expectantly at Green.

It really was amusing to see that cockiness peel away like a split log, but he wasn’t going to tease about it.

Regardless, it’s best not to waste his time.