The room was quieter than the past few weeks, save for the gentle hum of a ceiling fan overhead. A light breeze fluttered the curtains, letting slivers of morning light cut across the tiled floor.
The mansion was always this calm in the mornings.
You could hear the silence.
I blinked, groggy, then sat up in bed.
Kakuna was already up or rather, already still. He couldn't move at all and it's been quite a bit since his evolution.
The bug was propped up near the window, unmoving as always, its hard shell reflecting a golden hue in the sunlight. Something was comforting in that. No twitching, no scurrying. Just presence.
Back on earth, it was easier for me to sleep with noise. Maybe it was the way I grew up, but the weird snores of my father kept me at peace.
I climbed out of bed, ran my fingers through my hair, and went over to the small dresser. On top of it were a couple of Poké Balls, the ones I'd brought from the forest a week ago. I tapped one absentmindedly, then stared at my reflection in the polished wood.
It was like a fidget toy.
'No wonder people liked to idle while holding one.' I absentmindedly thought.
"Clara!" I called toward the door.
A few seconds later, the familiar sound of heeled boots on marble echoed from the hallway. Clara entered with a raised brow. Her hair was tied neatly back, as always, and her Haunter hovered just behind her like some loyal, shadowy guardian.
"Yes, Silver?"
"I want a personal computer."
She blinked, not shocked, just taking a second to compute it. "A bit young for that, aren't you. Also, how do you know about that?"
"The grunts are loud," I say shrugging.
Her mouth twitched into what might've been the hint of a deadly smile. "I'll put in the request. Should arrive by the end of the day. I'll make sure to shut them up..." She murmured the end which I couldn't hear.
As she turned to leave, I added, "Also... can I get some books? But not kiddie ones. Real ones."
She paused again. "Your father already had a few sent some for you. I'll bring them with the food."
My eye twitches realising she didn't tell me Giovanni had sent me some stuff.
Later that afternoon, Clara returned with a tray of food for me. She placed it on my desk with the usual grace, but this time, also dropped a few small containers next to it: special nutrient-packed Pokémon food, a grooming kit, and a flat box with a trio of black-bound books.
Unfortunately, Kakuna couldn't eat in his state right now.
"Your father had these prepared. It's better if you learn from the source," she said.
I opened the first book. It was titled: Principles of Combat: A Structured Guide to Adaptability. The author? Giovanni Sakaki. Of course.
Another book was there called Mysteries of the Earth.
Nice!
The pages were filled with notes, strategies, and case studies of Pokémon battles, written in a tone that was formal but not dry. Each chapter ended with hypothetical matchups. There were handwritten annotations in the margins, and I had no doubt they were his.
Clara leaned against the doorframe. "Apparently he wrote that back when he was still climbing the League ladder. Said it helped him plan his first gym defence."
I looked up from the book. "Was he really that good?"
"Better than good. Your father's the reason Kanto hasn't collapsed into chaos. With Johto gaining more momentum every year for the Indigo Plateau"
Pokemon Heart Gold was my first game.
I had quite a deep connection to both Kanto and Johto but still liked other regions a bit. With the third being Unova with my most hours played on White 2.
Wouldn't mind being champion...
Clara soon after left, leaving me alone with Kakuna, the books, and an unfamiliar feeling of expectation.
The computer arrived faster than expected.
High-spec, secure connection, and surprisingly user-friendly. I wasted no time. I didn't have a login, but Clara provided an encrypted ID. Probably pre-authorized by Giovanni.
My whole search history was most likely monitored.
But at this point who cares.
I'm not gonna search about Team Rocket unless it shows a pop-up about it.
It didn't take long before I was deep-diving through data, League records, training footage, and world news.
First thing Blue and Red didn't exist at all and a model called Delia Ketchum existed.
A prodigy from Pallet Town she actually had a decent trainer career.
Don't ask the search history to find that...
The other thing I noticed: Kanto was still in its Prime-First Era mindset thinking they were better than other regions. Obviously, they were sort of, being the headquarters of the league but it was something else.
Kanto had the lowest age out of all the regions to send out kids on their journey at 10.
Why?
Because the routes were the safest.
Of course, if a trainer actually went through them without getting lost.
It's no wonder Ash and Misty would go by themselves.
The Pokemon rangers and trainers hired to keep the routes safe were paid in premium. Not skimping in protecting the newbies. This is especially true when seeing how friendly normal people are to everyone.
Besides the safari zone guy...
Other than that.
The Saffron gym had two gyms. A fighting-type and a psychic-type one. Sabrina hadn't yet taken control. In fact, she was still a kid, which tracked with my memory.
There were plenty of restrictions. Starters, for instance. Unlike the future I remembered, where practically any kid could pick a Charmander or Mudkip and set off, here in this timeline starters were considered legacy privileges.
Only children of certified Ace Trainers or higher were granted access to official starters and only at the age of 10.
That made things easier.
Most of the books were theory-heavy. I skimmed through them in the mornings and spent the afternoons grooming Kakuna. Cleaning his shell, brushing away debris, and gently applying conditioning solution from the kit to maintain her protective layer.
Information about Beedrill and training them was abundant due to being an extremely common bug Pokemon.
Such as needing to train its wing strength. With a few videos showing stinger thrusts to improve stabbing. I'm sure my father has better methods though but I'll see how it goes.
It was helpful to know that brushing Kakuna's shell would later improve its health. And it was sort of a massage.
He didn't move much, but I could tell she appreciated it.
Every few days, Clara would bring more food and more books. The grunts around the mansion mostly respected me deeply. They were cold, and calculated. They weren't cruel to me, but there was a rawness in their interactions.
Team Rocket wasn't a charity. I would overhear their conversations with one another, and saying they were hostile was putting it lightly. To me of course they were as docile as a kitten.
They had powerful Pokémon too!
I saw one with a Weavile polishing its claws against the wall, and another with an Arbok coiled lazily near the fountain in the atrium.
But they always stepped aside when I passed. I want to introduce myself but for now, that wasn't a good look. Plus their Pokemon might accidentally attack me.
It was on the fifth day that the computer pinged.
A new encrypted message. No sender.
I opened it. It wasn't a message, just a video feed.
Giovanni.
He was standing in an office somewhere. Maybe Celadon. Dark mahogany walls behind him. He was talking to someone off-screen but then paused.
He turned to the camera. "Clara says you've been training."
Pause.
"Keep it up."
The feed cut.
Short. Blunt.
I exhaled. There was something in me that unfurled a little.
Approval. Not affection, but... intent.
The next day, I spent most of my time building a dream team file.
It was more for me than anyone else. A small document titled Project: Apex.
Just a roster, with six slots.
---[]---
Volcarona (Quiver Dance Set-Up Sweeper)
Hydreigon (Special Sweeper, Nuke)
... (Hazard Control & Win Condition Enabler)
... (Stallbreaker Pivot / Defensive Core / Toxic Stall)
... (Support Pivot / Paralysis Spreader / Cleric)
... (Special Tank & Weather Setter)
---[]---
No mention of Beedrill. No mention of my future starter, either. They were my trumps. My secrets.
I saved the file, I knew Giovanni would see it.
A week passed.
Giovanni returned.
No announcement. Just the soft click of expensive shoes on marble, the sound of grunts shifting to attention, and Clara quietly informing me: "Your father's in."
I found him in the study, flanked by two grunts and a secretary.
He was reading something on his iPad which seemed to take his attention. Soon after he put it down and his eyes rose to mine.
"Hydreigon?" he asked.
I nodded.
Hydreigon was a powerhouse I needed, with this being the real world. Each head could potentially use a different attack which was crucial. On top of his fairy weakness potentially being removed with the new Tera gimmick.
Typically Steel type.
"Expensive taste."
"Only the best for the strongest team in the world." I immediately respond keeping eye contact.
This seemed to please the Rocket Boss.
He stood and walked over. Towering my short height. Then, surprisingly, he reached out and rested a hand on my head.
"I do have to admit, it's a nice team..." He says trailing his words at the end, adding some pressure. "You'll need to earn it."
And just like that, he turned and walked past me, his coat fluttering faintly as he moved. There was a slight smile I could see on his face.
At least I know now that he saw me as family somewhat.
Not just some throw-away.
Later that night, I was brushing Kakuna again. His shell had grown slightly duller over the past few days, but she was close. I could feel it.
Evolution was on the horizon.
The moonlight spilled in, bathing the room in a soft glow. The mansion was quiet.
I leaned back against the bedframe, Kakuna next to me, and pulled out one of Giovanni's books again. This time, I read every word.
And when I fell asleep, it was with the book in my hands, Kakuna beside me, and the knowledge that the world out there had no idea what was coming.
Not yet.
But soon.
Hopefully, a trial I could take forward.