Chương 36: Dramaturgy II

The last thing Domino was expecting, was to see Silver in Giovanni's office. She faltered the moment she saw the shock of red hair, that normally only belonged to Executive Ariana. He had a neutral expression, eyes locked onto something that she couldn't see quite yet. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were suits. One was a black suit, while the other was white. Both donned the proud symbol of Team Rocket, emblazoned on the chest area.

Next to the suits, was a modified arm strap, meant to hold Pokeballs.

"Your growth as a trainer has been noted and recognized. Though you will be further tested, I would be foolish to label you a grunt," Giovanni began, leaning back into his seat. As always, his expression was calm and collected but there was something distinctly… satisfied about him.

"Regardless, there are things that require your answers," the boss of Team Rocket said grimly. Silver inclined his head.

"Ask away then," he said coolly. Both Domino and Ariana flinched at that, baffled by the complete lack of fear in Silver's voice. He was speaking to Giovanni as if they were equals… instead of what their positions truly were. But to their surprise, Giovanni merely took it in stride.

"You've disrupted Team Rocket one too many times. Give me your reasoning." Silver stared at him, expression betraying nothing. It was in these moments, that Domino saw the Giovanni half inside of him. The way they both gazed at each other, faces a picture perfect mask of composed. It was impossible to tell what either Giovanni or Silver were thinking. Giovanni's cold and confident air... Silver's apathetic, unbothered aura. Silver raked a single hand through his red hair.

"Team Rocket disrupted me one too many times. That's all," he replied calmly. Giovanni raised a brow.

"While I admit the attack of S. S Anne, was more than a little disruptive to you, to bear a grudge long enough to attack Silph Corporation, is unnatural." Silver tilted his head, expression flat and Domino watched Ariana stiffen.

"You seem to be mistaken. The S. S Anne pissed me off... but considering you nearly killed me at Fuchsia again, I think I'm well within my rights to retaliate," he said bluntly. Giovanni paused at that.

"Fuchsia? You were attacked at Fuchsia?" he asked, slight confusion filling his tone. Silver actually snorted.

"Attacked... that's a nice way of putting it. A Gengar blew up the vehicle I was in, I broke my ribs, An Arbok almost ate me whole… A Swalot almost ate me whole and how can I forget, that I almost drowned again." Domino flinched back at his list, while Ariana's fist tightened. Giovanni said nothing.

"I was not aware that you were attacked at Fuchsia," he said gravely, eyes shifting over to Ariana. The woman stiffened at that.

"I take it this was the mission Petrel was a part of?" the man asked.

"He was certainly there unless he has a brother," Silver grunted.

"... I see," Giovanni said simply. Domino silently watched the exchange.

"With this new information… it would be more odd for you not to attack them. You are my son after all. We do not tolerate such things," Giovanni mused. Silver seemed to tilt his head, before losing interest in whatever it was he was about to say.

"Pick a suit. For now, you will be a special officer. Domino here also shares the role. You will have a probationary period that requires someone to be watching you at all times. That will be her." Giovanni beckoned for Silver to pick one, carefully watching his son's next move. Domino watched in anticipation as Silver's gaze roved over the two outfits, before the redhead scoffed and grabbed both, before leisurely picking up the arm strap as well.

Her eyes widened at the action and she almost instinctively reprimanded him, before Giovanni smiled in amusement.

"You have changed. While there are some parts I disagree with… most of it was for the best. I almost don't recognize you," Giovanni praised. Silver nodded stiffly.

"Where do I stay?" he asked bluntly.

"Domino will escort you to your room. Hers is right next to where you reside. Afterwards, you will put your talents to use. You two will both complete missions together. Sometimes alone, sometimes with other members."

"As long as they don't slow me down," Silver retorted. Domino saluted at his order and turned towards Silver… Only to see him already marching out of the office. He didn't even bother saluting or saying goodbye!

"Hey wait! You don't even know where my room is!" she shouted, chasing after him. Giovanni watched them go before turning towards Ariana.

"Bring me Petrel and Archer. It would appear my executives believe they know better than me," was all he said. Ariana nodded stiffly." I will accompany this Silver on missions," Mewtwo said suddenly, making the both of them pause.

"You?" Giovanni asked in genuine surprise." Indeed. I am the most effective at enforcing his probationary period." Giovanni looked mildly suspicious at that.

"That is not necessary."

"It is." That simple statement quieted the room. Giovanni's expression betrayed nothing but he eventually nodded.

"Very well then. If that is what you wish to do, so be it." Ariana had an uneasy look on her face. Mewtwo's interest in Silver was almost completely blatant… and there really wasn't anything anyone could do about it. This entire thing was a mess and it revolved around her son. Since when had it been like this? When did Silver become someone whose presence invoked such strong reactions from so many different people? He had never been like that… so what changed? Was it really just a journey?

Why did it suddenly feel like, his gravitational pull had expanded so much? Her mind brought her back to the sight of her crying sister and Ariana grit her teeth. It was all just becoming too messy. She had no idea what was going to happen next but she had a bad feeling about all of this.

"I told you it wouldn't end well for you," Domino said the moment they stepped into Silver's mostly barren room. Silver let out a noncommittal grunt. He merely inspected the room that looked more like a prison cell. Much to her frustration, it didn't even seem like this was enough to aggravate him. He didn't even bother speaking to her during the walk here!

"I mean what did you think was going to happen? I tried to warn you that nothing could stop them!" she scoffed, crossing her arms.

"You can get out now." Domino paused in outrage at his rude tone, before focusing on the Silver sitting on his bed. There was a bored expression on his face, eyes not betraying anything as they barely acknowledged her.

"What…?" she trailed, put off by his lack of reaction.

"Get out. Unless you want to see me naked." She jolted at the frosty voice and turned wide eyes towards the Silver grabbing the white suit. Much to her astonishment, the redhead actually began the process of removing his clothes while she was still in the room and Domino hastily turned away, face glowing in embarrassment at how shameless he was.

"What is wrong with you?!" she asked in disbelief. Nothing. She was completely ignored once again and Domino felt her patience running very thin. She just awkwardly stood there as Silver silently changed his attire. He was so quiet, she didn't even hear him finish… up until a hand shoved her through the door with more force than necessary. She yelped and whirled around, glaring at him with the promise of a painful beating... only for her to stop at the near listless look in his eyes.

"C'mon," Silver said gruffly, previous black coat gone and replaced by the crisp white suit. The arm strap was missing as well, so he must have put that on in the process. It was seeing him put on the outfit, that stirred something odd in Domino's gut. She pushed him back into the room and shut the door, poking an indignant finger on his chest in the process." So that's it? After talking so big about me staying warm and cozy and you being a huge dreamer, you're moving right next to me! Isn't that embarrassing?"

she asked in a hushed voice. Domino glared at him and scoffed.

"Was all that bravado just bullshit, Silver?! You looked like you had it all figured out but now what?!" He gazed at her boredly. Even after being ridiculed, he still refused to show anything and it was maddening. Domino felt herself growing frustrated for reasons she couldn't explain. It wasn't supposed to be so anticlimactic. After talking such a big game... it looked like he had gone down without even putting up a fight!

"That's so pathetic, Silver," she hissed. Finally, Silver sighed...

"You're really annoying."... And shoved past her. He opened the door that she closed and right before he shut it, a wide eyed Domino grabbed him. He glanced back and the two stared at one another, before Domino shakily released his arm.

"Let's go," he demanded quietly, turning away from her and walking off. Domino panted harshly, gazing at his back in a daze. She was rendered speechless, just standing frozen in her spot until he finally turned the corner. Maybe it had been a trick of the eye... but the sheer madness in his gaze for a split second... No, it was a trick. Silver's face still never changed. Not a smile, not a frown, just blank apathy. Just a trick... Domino nervously rubbed her arm, before trailing after Silver. Petrel was nervous.

Scratch that, Petrel was terrified. Leave it to him to not even get to enjoy a moment of satisfaction. He had been feeling pretty good. There had been an annoying brat that had bothered him sometime ago during Silph Co... so he dealt with them. Now, it seemed like he was about to be dealt with, if the snarling Nidoking meant anything. Its toxin dripped dangerously close to his head and he yelped in terror, as steam rose from where it landed.

Giovanni looked ever composed, even despite the fact it was his Nidoking that was inches away from mauling Petrel. He stared at the executive with mild amusement and said, "Think wisely of what you wish to say. Nidoking and I are very impatient." Both Archer and Ariana gazed away from him and Petrel hazarded a guess that they had already been dealt with. Considering they were both very much still alive, he was probably dead.

"I didn't know he was there!" Petrel said in a panic.

"I was following the mission orders to a T but I had no clue Silver would be traveling with the gym leaders daughter!"

"Yes, I'm aware. They informed me of this already," Giovanni noted, expression never shifting. Nidoking took this as cue to snarl loudly and Petrel felt his insides freeze, as a bead of acid landed on his perfectly clean suit. It burned a hole right through and the Executive hissed as it burned into his skin. Just that single drop alone, felt like his blood was on fire. He needed an antidote. He needed one as fast a possible!

"I prioritized the completion of the mission!" Petrel urged.

"You mean to say the daughter of Koga, was more important than my son?" Giovanni questioned, leaning back and raising a brow. Shit, shit, shit.

"I thought I could do both! Silver's growth and trickery caught me off guard! I still have the stab wound for making that mistake!" Petrel nearly shrieked.

"Oh? You were stabbed, by Silver?" Giovanni asked, amusement entering his voice once more.

"With no remorse! He was going to kill me!" Petrel pressed.

"And I should not?" The Executive stilled at the simple question. Beads of sweat poured down him in spades, the impending doom seeping into him with speeds that caused him to panic. Nidoking continued to snarl and Petrel realized he was whimpering in terror. Giovanni stared at him, before a small smirk of amusement appeared on his face.

"Very well, I will let you live. You are rather competent." At once, Nidoking released him, lumbering over to Giovanni's side once more. Petrel shakily stood up, relief slowly crawling its way through his body.

"T-Thank you, Boss Giovanni sir!"

"I am not finished. Archer, deal with his Swalot," Giovanni instructed. Archer nodded stiffly, even as Petrel's eyes widened in confusion.

"What...? Why?!" he asked. He froze at that piercing stare.

"Your Swalot nearly consumed Silver, even after knowing who he was. That is a slight on me and my command over you. You cannot control it to a level that I deem worthy, so you will replace it."

"B-But I already lost Gengar!" Petrel pleaded.

"Good. I would have dealt with the Gengar as well, if not for its elimination." The purple haired man nodded stiffly. There was no point arguing against it, else he would join Swalot.

"Good. You are dismissed. I'd suggest finding an antidote." With that out of the way, Giovanni turned towards the subdued Ariana.

"Go retrieve Silver. I would like to test him." Indigo Plateau was muted. Lance stared at his Elite 4. He gauged all their reactions with a frown. Agatha was as grumpy as ever, preferring to be anywhere but here. Despite being one of the most reliable figures of Indigo for years, even before Lance had been a trainer, you wouldn't be able to tell by how belligerent she was. Bruno was a stoic and quiet presence. It was welcomed by Lance.

Right now, he needed solid stability and the fighting master offered that in spades. Karen was wired and alert. She was torn between gazing to her left and staring at him. It was clear she wanted answers about why on earth Lorelei had bandages wrapped around her skull. As for Lorelei in question... she was sat right next to Karen. Her normal and calm quiet, was replaced by a stinging silence. While she normally stood to get the meetings started, the ice master made no move to even greet them.

Lance himself, had a sling around his arm. He was more than a little beat up but he'd recover in time.

"I'm sure you're all curious," he greeted simply, getting straight to business.

"That's one way to put it, infant champion. Explain how you let the only competent one here get reduced to this," Agatha scowled. It was no secret, Agatha had a soft spot for Lorelei. The ice master was quite possibly, the only person alive who got to hear something besides bite from her. Lance raked his good hand through his spikes.

"We were in an altercation with Team Rocket. We lost and they kidnapped a trainer."

"The both of you lost to Team Rocket?!" Karen asked loudly. Despite being the only one to ask, the confusion was universal. After all, what they heard should sound impossible. Team Rocket was not strong enough to threaten even one of Lance's pokemon, much less him and Lorelei's entire team.

"Yes," Lance said bluntly. His brows were furrowed as he thought back to the catastrophe.

"Team Rocket has a legendary pokemon. One strong enough to wipe out both Lorelei and I in a matter of seconds." The silence was deafening.

"A legendary?" Bruno repeated slowly.

"How the hell did those whelps manage to secure a legendary?" Agatha asked, eyes narrowed.

"I don't know, but it's stronger than anything I've ever seen," Lance replied bluntly, taking a slow seat and wincing at the soreness.

"How are you alive?" Karen asked curiously. Lorelei unintentionally let out a shaky rasp at that, causing eyes to turn towards her. Lance shut his eyes, a tired exhale escaping him.

"We were going to die... but our lives were saved by a boy by the name of Silver." Karen's eyes widened in realization.

"I recognize that name. You two talked about him before!" She had mentioned looking into him that time, but she never did do that. Considering he seemed to have saved Lance and Lorelei's life, clearly that was a mistake on her part. A screen flashed, showing the boy they were talking about. He was a scowling redhead, with a striking set of silver eyes. There were boxes around him that showcased his team, how many badges he had, and any general information about him.

"A first year brat?" Agatha muttered in confusion.

"I echo Agatha's general sentiment. How exactly did he save you two?" Bruno asked curiously.

"He was Team Rocket's target and willingly gave himself up by promising total obedience, in exchange for our lives." Lance's reply was stiff, not properly conveying how frustrated the entire ordeal made him.

"Hold on, hold on. We're skipping a few things," Karen interrupted, crossing her arms. She held up a finger.

"1. What type of kid is this, where he is able to negotiate the both of your lives for just his own? You're saying his total obedience, is worth more than the lives of a Champion and an Elite 4 member?" Karen put up a second finger.

"2. Who is the one running Team Rocket? Surely there had to be someone with that legendary." Finally, a third.

"3. Why is Lorelei looking at this Silver like that? Were those rumors about her having a child, actually true?" Lance sighed.

"The easiest one to answer, is your second question, so I'll answer that first."

"Gym Leader Giovanni, is the leader of Team Rocket. He was the one controlling that Legendary... and he's the one who nearly killed us." Bruno jumped up in surprise.

"Giovanni?! Impossible! Giovanni has been a well respected member of Kanto! He has put in one of the most earnest efforts in capturing Team Rocket! You mean to tell me, he is a part of them?" Agatha's expression pinched.

"That uppity little brat? I always knew there was something off about him."

"Believe me, I found it hard to believe too... but the facts are facts. Giovanni nearly killed us," Lance said truthfully.

"And this Silver stopped him?" Karen confirmed, gazing at his team. She genuinely could not see how he stopped it. While severely interested in the fact that he had a Zoroark of all pokemon... that wasn't enough to save their lives. His assortment of rare pokemon, would simply have been confiscated. So how did he negotiate? It had to be because the boy was from Viridian City.

"Silver is..." A thrum of surprise coursed through the air, as Lorelei finally spoke. Her eyes were locked onto the photo of the boy and the rest of the Elite 4 watched in shock, as her expression wavered right in front of them.

"... He is a priority target of Team Rocket," she eventually answered.

"They tampered with him. Enough to make him a massive deterrent to master level Psychics and Ghosts... and it only seems to be getting stronger."

"What?" Lance repeated, utterly aghast at her claim.

"Deterrent to psychics and ghosts?" Agatha mused, suddenly very interested in the conversation.

"That Legendary was a psychic. Don't tell me, they plan on having Silver control that thing," Lance muttered in horror.

"So a little kid, has some weird energy that scares psychics and ghosts? To the point where Giovanni would give up killing you two, just to secure his loyalty?" Karen asked slowly. There was more to it. There had to be more... but neither Lorelei or Lance seemed keen on sharing that information.

"Fine. Okay. That doesn't explain Lorelei's reaction to all this," Karen pointed out. Lorelei said nothing for a long while. She simply shut her eyes and trembled.

"Silver is... my nephew."...

"Oh." Karen awkwardly glanced away at that.

"A nephew? You?" Agatha muttered, turning her gaze towards the photo of Silver. The belligerent looking brat certainly shared some similarities to Lorelei, enough where she could see that they were related... but Lorelei scarcely even mentioned her family.

"This is the same Silver, who has participated in many of Team Rocket's thwartings, correct?" Bruno asked quietly, crossing his strong arms. Lance nodded, even as the observation made him feel worse.

"Yes... Silver was pivotal in it all, even more so than any of us." Bruno stared at the photo with a contemplative expression.

"Then, he has done this to give us more time to fight. His actions cannot go unnoticed. It is our duty, to ensure that what he has done, is not in vain." The fighting master stood up.

"The choice is obvious. This is clearly a way to give us more time so we must not squander it. We need to honor Silver's wishes and continue to battle." Karen nodded in agreement, shooting Lorelei a look.

"I'll look for him. You say he's a ghost and psychic deterrent right? If I'm right, dark types should latch onto him pretty easily," she decided.

"My ghosts have made mention of a powerful presence similar to that brat," Agatha grunted. Lance nodded.

"We'll figure this out. It may be hopeless, but we won't give up." Lorelei gazed at them with an unreadable expression, before nodding. Life entered her body once more and she felt determination welling.

"I will assist as well then—""No." She went silent at the unanimous disagreement.

"You've done enough, Lorelei. You're still injured so take a break until you're healed." Lance's order was kind but firm.

"You should be there for Green. She's holed herself in the room we gave her and won't speak to anyone. I'm sure you can talk to her... and you'll have some help show up soon." Lorelei's gaze softened. That was right. Green was suffering just as she was. The girl no doubt needed assistance. There were ways she could help even at Indigo. Green didn't shift, as the door to her temporary, and giant, room opened. She didn't blink as the lights flickered on. Her gaze shifted slowly to the source of disruption.

Vee was resting next to her, ears drooping at the low energy of his trainer.

"Green..." Lorelei greeted quietly, pulling the young girl into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, truly. I failed to protect you two like I promised myself... and I let them take Silver." Green trembled at the guilt in Lorelei's voice.

"He left me," she whispered.

"W-We're supposed to be best friends but he just left me!" Tears pricked Green's eyes and Lorelei stared sadly at the girl.

"Silver would rather give up all his freedom, than watch anything terrible happen to you," she said truthfully. Green sniffed and finally gazed up at her, prompting Lorelei to continue while she had the girls undivided attention.

"Silver... he's not good at expressing himself. I'm sure you're aware of it but even despite that, I can tell that without a shadow of a doubt, Silver loves you," Lorelei said firmly.

"And it is that love, that caused him to take these actions. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to us, so he took the necessary steps to keep us safe." Green's tears spilled.

"But why is he the one that has to make those decisions?! How is that fair to him?!" Lorelei shut her eyes, emotion threatening to overwhelm her.

"It's not... not at all. That is why we have to do what we can, to make sure Silver comes back to us." Green sniffed and nodded, before the door to her room slammed against the wall.

"It's not true, is it?!" Gold shouted, eyes blazing in fury and worry. Crystal and Jasmine were a step behind. Despite probably having met for the first time just now, Crystal was hugging the wailing Jasmine with a distraught expression.

"Where is he?! Where's my best friend?!" The Gym Leader asked, tears hitting the floor repeatedly. Lorelei gazed at all the children and realized exactly why Lance requested she stay here. The sheer distress radiating from all of them, was staggering. Silver was important to them, enough that they would drop everything they were doing, just to verify the news.

"Gold... they're probably not feeling any better about it. Don't force them to say it," Crystal said, releasing Jasmine and allowing the gym leader to tackle Green with a sharp sob.

"I'm sorry, Jas! I failed him!" Green cried.

"No! I shouldn't have left! If I stayed with you guys... if only I stayed!" Jasmine wept. Gold grit his teeth. His molten hues surged in his frustration and he clenched his fist tightly.

"There's no way we're letting those bastards get away with taking Silver! Not a chance in hell! We'll find him, right Crys?!" Crystal nodded in total agreement, allowing some of her wariness to show. She wiped the slight tears from her eyes and clenched her fist.

"Of course we will! There's no way we can do anything with one of our members missing!" Lorelei felt herself taken aback by the raw determination from Gold and Crystal. Silver... truly did have good friends. She turned to see Green and Jasmine consoling one another and felt her own resolve strengthen. She would help them bring Silver back. The future would be in good hands... and it would revolve around this group of children. But without their final member, they would not reach that potential.

The Color Gang was just that and even one member missing, would send them all into disarray. Lorelei would not let that happen. The world deserved to see all these children at their peak because they were the ones who would usher in the new era. Right now, this was the golden era of trainers, with the strongest assortment of champions they had ever seen... all around the same age. Lance, Steven, Cynthia, Diantha, Geeta and Leon were all freak talents born around the same time.

They were a generation of miracles, all wielding an unimaginable amount of power that were even a cut above what other champions had... But Lorelei believed that the Color Gang would surpass even them. She was certain of it... so she would make sure they could prosper. It would be a travesty otherwise. The world should bear witness to a generation even better than this Generation of Monsters.

"Have you... settled?"

"Yeah."

"I see. Good. You are not curious about why I was sent to retrieve you?"

"No." Ariana clenched a fist at the dry response. Trying to get more than one word out of Silver, was a tall task. He was almost completely unresponsive to them and Ariana found herself growing frustrated.

"I... apologize for the manner of your retrieval. It was not my decision," she said stiffly.

"Okay." That nearly set her off.

"I'm just trying to have a conversation with you! Am I not good enough for that?" she hissed. Silver paused and finally looked at her. His expression betrayed nothing, utterly relaxed in its neutrality.

"Fine. What do you want to talk about?" he asked finally. Ariana was at a loss for words. She wasn't expecting him to comply but now that he had done so, her mind drew blanks on what exactly she wanted to discuss with him. Silver patiently waited another 30 seconds, before turning on a heel and continuing his gait.

"Right. That's what I thought," he said calmly. Ariana clenched her fist and followed after him.

"You won't let me try?" she said bitterly.

"To do what?" Silver retorted quickly.

"To be a better mother. You are the one who reprimanded me... yet you won't give me a chance?" Silver didn't make a sound as he walked, a sharp contrast to Ariana's heels clacking off the floor. He shot her a side glance, expression still painfully blank...

"If you have to try so hard just to have a conversation with me, you shouldn't bother."... Then he continued his pace. Ariana stared at his back, a myriad of emotions coursing through her as she slowly began her own trek. The rest of the walk was silent.

"A battle between Giovanni and Silver?" Domino asked in surprise, taking the seat next to the neutral Ariana. She was ignored, not that she expected a response from her. Domino was honestly just surprised she had been invited to view this. The only other person, was Ariana after all.

"..." Ariana glanced down at the battlefield. She was in a foul mood after the conversation with Silver. It was impossible not to be, after seeing how he and Lorelei interacted. The Executive huffed and clenched her first. This was supposed to be a test. Giovanni wished to test Silver's team, against his 8 badge gym team. That was the initial plan, before Silver took ages to visit and battle them.... That was when Giovanni took matters into his own hand and sent her to retrieve him.

Despite not really wanting to capture him, orders were orders and they were from the boss himself. If Ariana denied, he would just send someone else. Best for it to be her, who didn't have as much lingering animosity as Petrel or Archer... Unfortunately, Lorelei showed up and things quickly spiraled out of control. Now, her son was unable to make a different face and hardly said a word to anyone.

Even now, in his crisp white suit (Ariana had picked this one), standing across from his father, Silver looked exceptionally unfazed. It wasn't even as if he looked like he wanted to be elsewhere... his face just conveyed nothing. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. How did Giovanni not find any issue with this? No, if anything, he seemed pleased. It had probably been his intention to turn Silver into this in the first place.

You're just too weak to protect him, Ariana. You've failed so I'll take it from here... because if I don't, who will? Ariana grit her teeth once more.

"A 6 on 6. Neither side is allowed to swap. Utilize your best, Silver," Giovanni instructed.

"Right." With those simple words, the battle was underway. Giovanni coolly threw out a Pokeball, revealing a Sandslash as his first. Silver stared at the ground type, before promptly releasing an Ursaring.

"This Ursaring battled Blaine. His name is Oberon and he has some control issues. He nearly killed Blaine's Simisear," Domino explained to her, watching the battle intently.

"Is that so?" Ariana muttered in interest, gazing ahead. The Ursaring looked furious, blood swiftly entering its eyes. The battle hadn't even officially begun, yet something had managed to irritate it.

"Giovanni doesn't like pokemon that are difficult to control. Silver should proceed carefully with it," she said blandly. Domino shook her head.

"That's a bad idea. Silver doesn't mess around with his team. You shouldn't touch any of them." Ariana said nothing, simply watching Silver's Ursaring charge forward.

"Sandstorm," Giovanni instructed simply. Sandslash followed the order swiftly. Winds of sand, dirt and rocks were brewed, as the Sandstorm immediately took affect. The mouse skittered about, practically vanishing in the dense sands and Oberon roared in annoyance, eyes darting around to try and find the Sandslash.

"Crush Claw," Giovanni said coolly. The ground type found its mark first. It burst out of the ground, claws glowing, before slashing at the far larger Ursaring. Oberon snarled, two scratch marks appearing on his hide but by the time he whirled around, the Sandslash utilized Dig once more and vanished into the ground.

"Again." Sandslash took advantage at the swift turn of the Ursaring, appearing in its blind spot once more. Those sharp claws carved once more into its opponent, before the mouse once again disappeared, utilizing Sand Veil to further increase its evasive skills.

"Sweet Scent, Oberon. Watch your back." Ariana's brows furrowed at the command. It was hard to tell through the Sandstorm, if Sweet Scent was working as intended and even if so, how would it help here? Sandslash burst out once more, claws glowing to deliver a third strike and slashed into Oberon... a second too slow. Oberon lashed out and grabbed its claws before it could retreat, causing the mouse to squeak in surprise. The Ursaring was utterly livid... malicious glee at catching its target.

Sandslash let out a horrified chitter as Oberon broke both of its claws with brute strength. It could not properly register the loss of its claws, before gravity shifted for it, courtesy of the Ursaring body slamming it on the ground. Oberon hoisted the mouse up like it were a stuffed toy, unforgiving grip still latched onto the wailing Sandslash, and repeatedly slammed it onto the ground with increasing force.

"Give it a taste of its own medicine. Slash," Silver said coldly. Sandslash squirmed in panic, at the utter delight in the Ursaring's eyes.

"Sand Attack," Giovanni countered, utterly unfazed by the command. In fact, the man looked quite proud. The ground mouse hastily followed instructions and threw more than a pocketful of sand in Oberon's eyes. The surprise maneuver, caused the bear to roar in surprise and overshoot his attack. What was going to be a proper goring through the midsection from the incredibly dangerous claws of an Ursaring, instead grazed the top of the Sandslash's head. It scrambled away, only to freeze as Oberon leered at it.

"Defense Curl," Giovanni instructed, right as Oberon charged. Sandslash curled into itself, moments before Oberon full body tackled it, body glowing with the dark energy of Payback. Curled into a ball, it was no surprise to see Sandslash bounce around the field from the force of the tackle.

"Again, Oberon. Send it flying," Silver pressed, unbothered by the defensive maneuver. Oberon snarled. The moment Sandslash's flight slowed, it was tackled once more.

"He is attempting to disorient you, Rapid Spin in the other direction." It was difficult to tell if Sandslash heard Giovanni's command, but eventually, the mouse began spinning in the opposite direction. It achieved its desired result, slowing to a halt as the two contrasting forces collided with one another. Sandslash halted to a stop and slowly unfurled from its curled position. Despite Giovanni identifying what Silver was going to do...

it had not stopped the mouse from the intense vertigo that it suffered from such a trip.

"Good, the Sandstorm is gone. Wrap this up with Play Rough." Oberon was already at Sandslash's position before the mouse could properly gather itself. Pink energy surrounded the Ursaring and those sharp claws, that could carve steel, gleamed dangerously. Oberon ruthlessly hoisted the miniscule Sandslash and rendered it airborne, before mercilessly carving into it. The Ursaring looked as if he wanted to do nothing more than continue... but a ball returned the Sandslash. Giovanni looked pleased.

He pocketed the pokeball somewhere in his black suit and regarded Silver and Oberon.

"Most impressive, Silver. You forced me to utilize the entirety of my Sandstorm on Sandslash as well." Silver said nothing. Oberon snarled murderously at him.

"The Ursaring wasn't listening to him at all before. It seems like they have a bit more synergy," Domino observed, surprised by the ease at which the Sandslash was dispatched with. Ariana also looked impressed. It hadn't been that long, since she saw him and his little babies in the hospital. His rate of growth was notable. Giovanni grabbed a new Pokeball after a moment of thinking, before he tossed it onto the field. Silver's eyes flickered over to the new pokemon.

"Oberon?" he questioned finally. Oberon turned towards his trainer and nodded slowly, a flicker of concern on his face. For the first time, Ariana saw Silver's expression shift. A ghost of a smile made its way to his face and he nodded once. While likely meant to be a gesture to show he was fine... it only seemed to further enrage the Ursaring. The aggressive bear let out a sound just short of an actual roar and turned to face his opponent.

It was a gray elephant with a thick, black band running down the length of its back and extending to the tip of its long trunk. A pair of white tusks, extended from the corner of its mouth and it had long elongated ears.

"A Donphan... how will Silver deal with this?" Domino muttered, leaning forward in anticipation. Ariana gazed at the girl in annoyance.

"You seem to be enjoying this," she observed. Domino didn't seem to notice the bite in her tone, just nodding rapidly.

"His battle against Blaine was entertaining!" she gushed. She knew. Ariana had watched it after all (along with all his other battles). She had especially taken interest in how the Zoroark seemed to enjoy defeating the Ninetales. Regardless, Silver was a talented boy. Perhaps Giovanni hadn't realized the depths of his talent... because his sudden desire to retrieve Silver, was out of the blue.

"Bulldoze," Giovanni tested. Donphan trumpeted, rearing backwards and stamping both feet onto the ground.

"Rock Tomb. One big rock." Oberon sneered and clawed the ground, before ripping out a boulder larger than he was. He promptly placed it in front of him and watched as it weathered the shock wave of ground energy.

"Earthquake," Giovanni said, seemingly upping the ante. Donphan once again, reared backwards and hoisted his forelegs into the air, before abruptly slamming them down.

"On the rock, Oberon!" Silver commanded, moments before the ground type stamped the ground. Oberon managed to climb the rock for only a moment, before it was shattered completely from the quaking ground. Despite avoiding the brunt of the damage, the Earthquake caused the bear to lose his balance. Giovanni decided to keep up the pressure.

"Continue; Defense Curl, Rollout." The clipped orders were followed to a T; Donphan curled into itself, looking akin to a car tire, before it began rolling in place. Dust began forming around it from the "revving", before the elephant rocketed off. Oberon barely managed to steady himself, before two hundred pounds of raw momentum crashed into his midsection. Donphan practically ran him over, before turning on a dime to continue.

The Ursaring roared in pain, as Donphan crashed into his back this time, sending him stumbling to the side. Donphan was practically unstoppable in its rollout, careening across the field at dreadful speeds.

"Oberon, you need to stop him before he reaches full momentum."

"What defensive move is he going to do to stop it?" Domino wondered, watching the Ursaring steadily pull itself up. Ariana was interested as well. Rollout was a move that if allowed to go out of control, would swiftly snowball into a defeat. That Ursaring was all brawn and no brain, how exactly would it act? As Donphan soared towards Oberon for a third round, Oberon roared furiously. Ariana watched as his muscles bulged and the bear lunged to meet it head on.

Her eyes widened, as the Ursaring caught the Donphan mid roll. His lunge was almost immediately met with pushback from the action, and Oberon skidded backwards.

"Good Oberon, now Rock Tomb underneath." Oberon howled in pain from the elephant still spinning in his grasp but he pushed forward with raw fury and determination. The ground underneath shifted as the Ursaring stomped, causing a spiked rock to shoot upward with tremendous force. It was clear that the Rock Tomb was not meant for damage, after seeing just how Silver and Oberon utilized it.

The stone left Donphan, still caught in the faltering Oberon's grip, slightly airborne and with no ground to push it forward, it steadily began to lose momentum.

"Insanity..." Domino trailed off, watching Oberon stop the Donphan with brute strength. Her eyes were wide and her mouth flapped uselessly.

"Seismic Toss. Wrestle it." The roar Oberon released, was spine chilling. It was the sound of an utterly irate Ursaring and that was something many people never wished to witness nor hear. Without any hesitation, Oberon flipped the airborne Donphan over his shoulder and directly onto the ground. The ground underneath it dented from the impact and Donphan attempted to whine, but only let out a panicked yell as its trunk was firmly grasped. Oberon was fully incensed now.

The bear hoisted Donphan off the ground by its trunk and brutally slammed it back down. Still grasping the long appendage, Oberon did a sharp turn and judo flipped the pokemon over his shoulder.

"Horn Attack," Giovanni tested, eyes narrowed slightly.

"He probably didn't expect Silver's first pokemon to prove a problem," Ariana thought, feeling a small well of satisfaction at that.

"Payback," Silver countered smoothly. Donphan flailed about and managed to stab Oberon's arm with it's incredibly sharp tusks... but that only served to infuriate the Ursaring even more. Oberon launched Donphan upward (much like it did with Sandslash), glowing with dark energy. Donphan's were not meant to be in the air and the Ursaring was well aware of that detail. The ground type attempted to right itself, before it's gaze lolled at the bulging fist crashing onto its tender midsection.

It was a weak spot of Donphan, the midsection. It was not covered in the black armor the rest of its body was and as a result, if you managed to reach it (it wasn't often someone would flip over a Donphan), you could cause serious damage. Like an Ursaring using the boosted Payback. It wasn't often, one would see a Donphan treated like a ragdoll, but Ariana supposed there was a first time for everything.

She watched with wide eyes, as the punch bent Donphan slightly, before the impact sent it soaring through the air like a missile. Oberon roared victoriously, eyes glinting with the lust of battle.

"It only recently evolved. How did it get so powerful?" Domino asked in disbelief.

"It's smarter too. Not as uncontrollable," Ariana commented.

"... You've watched Silver's battles?" Domino turned towards her, confusion clear. Ariana twitched.

"Is it so shocking that I have?!" she hissed. The special agent jolted and shook her head.

"N-No of course not, boss!" Ariana sneered and turned away, watching as Giovanni returned the Donphan to the ball with a contemplative expression. The Ursaring was littered in cuts and bruises, though that did not seem to be affecting it more than it should. It bristled, fur standing on end as it waited for the next pokemon to be sent out. Silver looked utterly collected.

There was not a hint of worry on his face, to the point where Ariana was sure he was aware that he could defeat Giovanni's 8 badge team with minimal issue. Giovanni tossed out his next Pokeball, revealing a Nidoqueen. The final evolution of the Nidoran Female line, let loose a low growl, gazing at Oberon with a savage gaze. Oberon snarled in return, nursing his heavy wounds. The adrenaline must have allowed him to ignore it, because the ursine pokemon didn't look the slightest bit tired.

"Keep your distance; Sludge Wave." Nidoqueen swiftly followed the command. Without hesitation, the poison type began secreting heavy amounts of poison, before she opened her mouth and fired a gigantic wave of sludge.

"Shield yourself." Oberon ripped another boulder out of the ground in order to guard himself and hissed as the Sludge Wave crashed into it. Bits of the viscous liquid spilled onto him, a byproduct of the impact, and the Ursaring snarled in fury as the area around him suffered from the effects.

"Toxic Spikes."

"Close the distance." Giovanni and Silver's commands came out at the same time. Both Pokemon reacted at similar speeds as well. Oberon charged forward with a snarl, ignoring the spikes littering the field. He met Nidoqueen just as she finished her move and the two clasped their hands with one another, beginning a power struggle. To Nidoqueen's astonishment, Oberon was very quickly gaining ground.

The bear was taller and physically stronger, but the injuries he had accumulated were numerous so they clearly did not expect it to be winning so handily. Almost like clockwork, Oberon made to hoist the ground type off the floor.

"Why does he keep doing that?" Domino asked.

"Take a ground type off the floor, remove basically all of its offensive ability. They aren't meant to be in the air after all," Ariana replied. It was something Silver had done to all of Giovanni's pokemon so far. By taking them off the ground, they were practically muting a majority of their connection to the earth. Ariana could appreciate his innovativeness. With just this Oberon, she was seeing new things. Unfortunately, Giovanni seemed to finally grow tired of his ground types going airborne.

"Toxic." Nidoqueen hissed, spikes straightening as she secreted a dreadful amount of poison. There was no way for her to properly aim it, suspended in the air like this, but the droplets of the toxin splashed all over the Ursaring. Oberon howled in surprise, dropping Nidoqueen and taking a step back.

"Superpower. Wrap this up." Nidoqueen roared in affirmation, glowing with orange energy. Without any hesitation, she crashed into the Ursaring into a full body tackle, connecting directly with him. Oberon was launched backwards from the force of the blow, before a red beam returned him. Silver stared neutrally at the Nidoqueen. Then, his gaze roved over to the spikes on the floor.

"Who will he send out next?" Domino mused.

"The Milotic?" Ariana guessed. It was still hard to believe that Silver had a Milotic. Ariana had never seen one in person before. She hadn't even seen Silvers yet. He didn't bother showing any of them his team until now.

"That Milotic is powerful. In terms of power, I think she is his strongest pokemon right now. Maybe he will save it for later," Domino guessed, crossing her arms in contemplation. True to her guess, Silver did not send out his Milotic. He tossed a Luxury Ball forward and out came a Metang.

"His Metang?"

"It has a type advantage but it also has a weakness," Ariana frowned. Judging by the smirk on his face, Giovanni seemed confident he would win this. Judging by the look on his face, Ariana still didn't have a clue what Silver was thinking. Metang's eyes flashed as it rumbled lowly.

"Trainer?" they asked.

"Metang," Silver replied coolly.

"What is the situation. We are aware of the general, but what are your orders?" Silver's expression didn't betray anything.

"Just follow me... and I'm sorry for dragging all of you into this mess. I'll fix this."

"Magnet Rise." Metang frowned internally and activated the technique. A yellow sheen surrounded them and raised the steel type further off the floor.

"Silver?" The psychic's confusion was clear, considering it was using their trainer's actual name. Silver said nothing and Metang sighed.

"Magnet Rise... that's strong," Domino muttered. Ariana found herself agreeing. Nidoqueen had been rendered almost completely useless with that move. Judging by the look on Giovanni's face, he was not expecting this turn of events.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" she thought with a scowl.

"Flamethrower."

"Agility," Silver countered coolly. Metang dodged the flames spat out by Nidoqueen. It streaked through the air, eyes flashing with information. A psychic sheen forcefully shut Nidoqueen's mouth, causing a puff of smoke to erupt in the poison types mouth. A bigger psychic sheen wrapped around the Nidoqueen and forcefully dragged it forward and caused it to stumble... Right into a Zen Headbutt. Metang collided directly with the poison types forehead, causing her to shout in surprise.

She stumbled backward and hissed in pain. She instinctively lashed out and grabbed Metang, before lunging with dark teeth.

"Excellent, Crunch it." Nidoqueen snarled and clamped around Metang. The bite itself did no damage but the dark energy did all the work, causing Metang to groan.

"Metal Claw. Aim for the face." Nidoqueen squealed, as Metang's dreadfully sharp claws raked her across the face and blinded her temporarily. She stepped back and hastily fired off a Flamethrower, that was cut off short as Metang forcefully shut its mouth again. A larger psychic sheen wrapped around the Nidoqueen and slammed it onto the ground with enough force to cave it underneath... and then Metang ruthlessly delivered a final Zen Headbutt on Nidoqueen's already injured dome.

By now, the smile had been wiped off Giovanni's face. He truly wasn't expecting Silver to be beating him so handily, regardless of whether this was his 8 badge team or not. Metang beating Nidoqueen, drove that home. Ariana hazarded a guess, that Silver winning this match, was not a part of Giovanni's plans. Why? She didn't know quite yet but depending on his next actions, she'd have an answer.

"You are performing well," Giovanni said slowly.

"Too well," Ariana finished.

"Clearly, this team does not suffice. As a result... I will use something adequate." Silver didn't seem all that surprised by it... not that she would be able to tell. He simply inclined his head and watched Giovanni toss the next ball. The sight of the insectoid dragon, made Ariana's jaw clench. Pleasant singing filled the air, yet she never felt the slightest bit pleased when Flygon was involved. She was aware that Silver hated the Flygon line and it was due to Giovanni's own.

The only line he hated more, was the Nidoking line... for obvious reasons. Yet even that wasn't enough to rattle him.

"Psychic," Silver said idly. Metang's eyes flashed and a psychic sheen wrapped around Flygon, only for the dragon to effortlessly break out of it. It leered at Metang, before whipping up a far stronger Sandstorm than the Sandslash earlier.

"Dragon Dance," Giovanni instructed, smirk back on his face.

"Bullet Punch," Silver said, eyes narrowed slightly so he could gaze easier into the dense sandstorm.

"A fruitless endeavor. Fire Blast."

"This doesn't feel like a battle anymore," Domino pointed out warily, not sure if she should be saying that around Ariana. Ariana watched Silver return Metang, a scowl on her face.

"Because it isn't. He didn't expect Silver to handily defeat his prepared team so he can't teach him the proper lesson," she muttered.

"Oh..." Domino trailed off, even as Silver released his Shelgon next, who grunted as the poison from Toxic Spikes immediately seeped into her. Ares gazed at his blank expression and frowned, before turning to face off with the dragon, a dark look in her eyes.

"Boss Ariana, does Silver have amnesia?" she asked suddenly, even as the battle continued. Much like Giovanni had expressed, it was fruitless. That wasn't a gym level Flygon... It was Giovanni's personal one. Ares, snarled at the dragon, protected from the Sandstorm by her tough shell. She opened her mouth and fired a picture perfect Dragon Pulse, that merely collided with Flygon's own. Much to the Shelgon's displeasure, her Dragon Pulse was mowed over and she hastily conjured a Protect that shielded her from it.

Ariana jolted at the sudden question.

"What?" she asked, eyes narrowed. Domino made to explain how Silver didn't recognize her during their first meeting, but shook her head.

"It's a silly thought... he just said some rude things to me back at Cinnabar," she said eventually. Ariana stared at her for a long while, before shaking her head.

"Stupid girl," she muttered under her breath. Domino laughed nervously.

"Dragon Claw."

"Dragon Rush." Flygon flitted through the air at tremendous speeds, turquoise surrounding its entire body. It did not give Ares the time to attack, crashing into the Shelgon with dreadful force. Despite likely still being capable of battle, Silver wasted no time returning his Shelgon. His gaze was trained on the Flygon and he seemed to be mulling something over. Finally, he seemed to come to his decision. The next to appear was his Zoroark, Loki. The pokemon that Ariana had gifted him... from her very own Zoroark.

His expression was just as blank as Silver, though he winced as the spikes immediately dug into him. Poison was instantly injected into his veins but he simply brushed it off.

"Ah your Zoroark. You've raised it well. I'm surprised at its progress," Giovanni said slowly.

"Thanks. Loki, Shadow Ball," Silver said blandly.

"Do not bother utilizing non offensive moves, Flygon. Destroy it with Crunch." Loki conjured a Shadow Ball in one of its palms, before launching it at the Flygon... who merely looked at the projectile like it were a splash of water. Dark energy surrounded its maw, before the Flygon snapped the ball out of the air. Not bothering to let the taste settle, the insectoid retorted with a Dragon Pulse that blazed through the air at meteoric speeds.

While Flygon looked annoyed, Giovanni didn't look surprised in the slightest to see the orb flash uselessly through the Zoroark's body.

"I'm well aware of these tricks. Flygon, Bug Buzz." Flygon's eyes glinted cruelly, before the singing of its wings flapping picked up in intensity. Waves of bug type energy wafted through the air in all directions, causing the shrouded Loki to let out a howl as the super effective attack connected. His illusion was forcefully cancelled and the moment the Zoroark appeared, the ground underneath him erupted. Loki barked in pain from the Earth Power but righted himself at Silver's orders.

"Fake Tears." Flygon hesitated for only half a second from the teary eyed Zoroark, before the airborne Loki erupted in a dome of crimson energy. The Night Daze banished all of its heistation and Flygon ruthlessly picked the Zoroark out of the air with a Dragon Breath... or at least it attempted to, but the attack missed its mark, allowing Loki to land deftly on his feet. For Flygon's critical miss, a Dark Wave of energy sniped it on the head, causing the pokemon to yowl in pain.

"That Zoroark is boosted with Nasty Plot and the Flygon's been weakened with the dark energy of Fake Tears. That's why that Dark Pulse hurt so much," Ariana observed, watching Loki press his advantage. The Zoroark snarled in annoyance and conjured two Shadow Balls, before lobbing them both at the Flygon.

"How did Flygon miss?" Domino wondered, watching as Flygon blearily snapped one out of air, only for the other to connect. Ariana was too invested in the battle, to purposefully ignore the girls question.

"Night Daze, Zoroark's signature move, darkens the vision of whoever is attacked by it. It causes them to miss more often." Flygon howled in annoyance, as it attempted to fire off a Dragon Pulse, only for its eyes to bulge, as a psychic sheen forcefully shut its mouth, causing it to erupt early. The super effective attack, now self inflicted, caused the Flygon's gaze to bulge in a moment of true rage...

"Earthquake."... Right before it collided with the ground. The force of the impact was utterly dreadful, causing quakes to even course through Ariana's body. She shut her eyes as the vertigo hit and by the time she opened it, Silver had replaced his Zoroark with a Meganium.

"A Meganium..." Giovanni pondered, a hint of displeasure in his tone. Silver didn't bother responding.

"Sweet Scent, Gaia." Gaia shot him a single glance, before nodding. The air filled with a strengthened version of a Meganium's natural aura, wafting through the air. Flygon hissed. Due to Loki's Taunt, it had not been able to keep the Sandstorm going, a mistake it was going to rectify right now by the looks of it... but before it could do so, it managed to sniff the aroma. Ariana watched in some surprise, as Flygon's wings visibly sagged.

It's gaze turned somewhat lethargic and the normally aggressive dragon, lost its temper. The Sweet Scent practically saturated the entire field, a pink haze covering the field.

"Stop breathing the aroma, there is poison in the air as well," Giovanni announced, eyes narrowed. Upon closer inspection, Ariana saw it. In the Sweet Scent, there seemed to be darker tinges of purple.

"Mixing Sweet Scent with Poison Powder... not only is his Meganium making Flygon lethargic, he's poisoned her as well," she muttered. That... was intelligent. When did Silver become such a threat? Would Ariana have been able to actually beat him and that Green girl? Unfortunately for Flygon, it had long breathed in the poisonous and calming air. Its senses had dulled tremendously, courtesy of the Meganium standing across from it.

"Leech Seed to whittle it down," Silver instructed, staring a hole into the Flygon. Gaia followed his order even before he finished speaking, seeds already flying through the air and latching onto the dragon. As a bonus, her own vines soared through the air, latching around the Flygon.

"Giga Drain. Make it struggle." Flygon yowled, eyes bulging with renewed energy, as it was steadily sapped. It began struggling harshly in the viney grip and shrieked loudly. Gaia wasn't able to withdraw her vines in time, before Flygon incinerated them with a Heat Wave that consumed the entire battlefield. She did manage to conjure a Light Screen that weathered the worst of it. The Heat Wave petered out, but the damage had been done...

Burn marks appeared on Gaia's body and she huffed, glowing in a telltale sign that she was using Synthesis. Slowly, the burn marks vanished and Gaia appeared healthy once more. This caused Flygon's eyes to practically pulse, anger causing it to have a slight resurgence, only for Gaia to fill the air with even more of her aroma.

"She's sapping it of its will to battle," Domino awed.

"A good strategy. Fighting someone without spirit, will make a match all the easier."

"Grass Pledge," Silver ordered. Gaia bellowed in her agreement and fired off the move. A heavy tornado of leaves shout from her position, rocketing towards Flygon with impeccable aim. Flygon hissed and lethargically flapped her wings to get away. The Sweet Scent was nothing like the Ursaring's, far stronger in nature and empowered by the biological makeup of a Meganium. As a result, Flygon barely flapped once, before the Grass Pledge connected.

She shrieked in agony as she was enveloped in the storm of leaves, body thrashing in pain. The Flygon was partially blinded from the Night Daze, poisoned from the powders, weakened from the combined efforts of Zoroark and Meganium...

"Fissure."... Yet it still had enough energy to continue fighting. Ariana clenched her jaw, as Giovanni commanded the attack without a smile on his face. Flygon huffed and stamped onto the ground, causing a crack to appear on the ground that raced towards Gaia. As it traveled, it steadily grew in size... before a massive tremor shook the field. An opening appeared directly underneath the shocked Gaia, but right before she could fall into the hole, where it would crush around her, a ball returned her.

"Aw, he was close," Domino frowned.

"Fissure huh?" Ariana huffed. That was a move that was incredibly difficult to do at lower levels. It required a tremendous amount of energy and focus, one that Flygon shouldn't have... so it probably needed a bit of luck for that too. Silver stared at the Flygon. Something told Ariana, that he was well aware why Giovanni resorted to using Fissure. Something also told Ariana, Silver was going to do everything in his power to at least faint Flygon.

"Freyja," he called calmly. Domino gasped in awe, pleased to be seeing the Milotic again in all its glory. Ariana was impressed as well. While not an expert on the pokemon, she could tell the Milotic was cared for quite deeply. It looked healthy and strong, red eyes glaring at the Flygon with unrestrained venom in them.

"A Milotic... most impressive, Silver," Giovanni said.

"Hmph, you've changed your tune from when she was a Feebas," Silver noted neutrally.

"But of course. One is near worthless, the other wields incredible power," Giovanni explained like it were night and day.

"But that incredible power isn't worth the investment," Silver observed.

"Not always. This was something you used to firmly believe as well... though, I suppose there are some benefits to your new views."

"... I see," Silver said.

"Freyja, Dragon Pulse." The Milotic crooned, pulsing with anger. She reared her head back, before firing a Dragon Pulse at Flygon. Despite the injuries accumulated, Flygon still seemed raring to go. Unfortunately, Gaia's Sweet Scented Poison had left its mark. She charged her own Dragon Pulse and fired it a beat slower, causing it to collided with the other... with her still in the vicinity. The explosion clouded her vision, long enough for a surprise Dragon Breath to connect with the half blinded Flygon.

The insectoid dragon shrieked and seethed from the beating. Her roars pierced the entire arena, before a ball of orange energy formed near her mouth and drowned it out. Ariana's eyes widened in horror at the maneuver. Much to her further terror, Giovanni made no move to stop it. Was his ego that high? He couldn't even fathom the idea of losing one of his main pokemon to his son? Flygon continued gathering energy, wincing at the intensely sapping move. But nothing mattered in this moment.

It's rage coursed too deeply and it reflected in the move it was preparing to fire.

"Hyper Beam? Very well," Giovanni allowed. With that simple instruction, the world went white. Flygon roared and fired the Hyper Beam. The dense beam of orange energy rushed through the air with enough force to crack the ground underneath it without once touching it. The noise was deafening. Ariana didn't even see it connect to the Milotic. Despite not being a fire type move, a wave of hot air brushed against her and she gazed down at the battlefield in disbelief.

As the dust slowly but surely settled, a silence that contrasted the howling noise from before, befell the battlefield...

"Ice Beam."... Until it was broken by the sound of her son. Ariana watched with wide eyes, as a thin beam of ice, crashed into the immobile Flygon. The dragon wailed in a moment of true agony, as the beam never let up... and eventually the screams were forcefully silenced, as it was consumed in a block of ice. The smoke settled, revealing Silver and his Milotic. There were injuries littered across her skin but the Milotic simply huffed, before glowing white.

"She didn't have Recover before," Domino muttered in shock. Her mouth was left agape, at seeing the Milotic standing from the Hyper Beam. Silver had a distinctly satisfied air surrounding him, even despite the fact that he was still an immovable wall.

"Marvel Scale. It activated because of the Toxic Spikes you set earlier," Silver deigned to explain. He stared at the frozen Flygon, a ghost of a smirk on his face as a red beam returned it. Giovanni was not smiling.

"You have grown powerful, Silver," he said, grabbing another pokeball. Ariana's blood went cold, as a large, brownish-gray pokemon appeared. It had two horns, a large one on its nose (that resembled a drill) and a smaller one above it. Orange rocky plates covered its head, shoulders, arms, waist and knees... looking very much similar to the item pivotal in evolving it. Red met red, as the Rhyperior made eye contact with the Milotic. Giovanni's Rhyperior. His Ace.

Why the hell was Giovanni using his strongest pokemon against Silver?! Rhyperiors were a pokemon with incredible strength. Evolution was so difficult to achieve for them that, much like Magmar, Electabuzz and Dusclops, they needed an item packed with a worrying amount of energy inside of it. If Silver noticed that he was going against Giovanni's most powerful pokemon (he had to have!), he made no mention of it. He simply waved his hand.

"Rain Dance."

"Earthquake. Not too powerful." As Freyja summoned a heavy amount of rain, Rhyperior raised a single foot and lightly tapped the ground. The results were catastrophic just from that tiny action. The entire area began to shake and Ariana gripped a rail for support, as Domino squealed in terror. Freyja let out a shout of surprise, as she was immediately jostled about by the Earthquake. Silver held onto his railing to keep upright but his focus was otherwise on the battle.

"Surf," he instructed quickly. The Milotic crooned in agreement, before summoning a giant wave of water. A Rhyperior would never have hopes of dodging a move, and one as large as Surf, was bound to connect... But the ground shifted as if it were made of water itself, summoning a rock dome that covered the Rhyperior. The Surf washed over it, battering the makeshift barrier but never piercing it. As Rhyperior allowed its cover to drop, it was immediately met with superheated water.

The Scald connected with the ground type, causing it to take a step back in surprise. It held up its rocky arm, groaning in annoyance as Freyja continued to spray him. Despite the output of water, and the fact it was raining, Rhyperior treated the Scald like it was a mere annoyance. It seemed more bothered by the burn on its arms, than the power behind the water move.

"Solid Rock," Silver said blandly, eyeing the Rhyperior. Eventually, the Rhyperior got tired of getting sprayed down and made its move. Freyja was forced to cut her attack short, as rocks formed underneath her and collided with her midsection. Rhyperior waved its burned arm and huffed in annoyance.

"Finish this battle quickly. Rock Wrecker." The ground type rumbled, before rocks began flowing out of the hole in its arms. They coalesced together, growing in size until a giant boulder was floating in front of the Rhyperior. Rhyperior palmed the boulder like it were a baseball, before tightening the muscles in its hand. It steadily gathering the necessary power, before reaching it worryingly quick. With enough force to punch a hole into a mountain, the evolution of Rhydon fired the Rock Wrecker...

And hit nothing. Silver easily returned his Milotic and pocketed her Luxury Ball.

"I lost. 6-4," he said flatly. Giovanni gazed at Silver with an inscrutable expression, before nodding. He easily returned his Rhyperior and pocketed it.

"You are strong, Silver but you still have room to grow." Silver let out a noncommittal grunt.

"That's the plan," was all he said. The leader of Team Rocket continued to gaze at his son, before he surprisingly placed a palm on his redhead.

"Well done. You will make me proud." With that, the leader of Team Rocket walked off.

"Escort him to have his team healed, Agent Domino. Then, you will prepare for missions." Silver stared at his father's back with an unreadable expression. He touched the top of his head before letting his hand fall limply to his side once more.

"And one more thing. I've noticed you still lack a ground type," Giovanni noted. Silver stared evenly at his back.

"None really catch my eye. Unless you have a Mudkip or Gible lying around, I'll pass," he said eventually, turning away.

"You do not need to lie. I'm well aware of your aversion to ground types. I understand why, but you should not let such a thing hinder you for so long. The ground type is one of the most powerful types. You are merely handicapping yourself by refusing to catch one." With that last bit of advice, Giovanni vanished around a corner. Silver said nothing, simply staring dully at the spot his father had been. He didn't spare either Ariana or Domino a glance, as they appeared next to him.

"It was a good battle; I can't believe you beat his Flygon!" Domino praised in awe.

"Right. Good battle," Silver said dryly. He just turned on a dime, not bothering to acknowledge them any further. Domino blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean? You didn't like it?"

"Who would like an obvious show of power?" he muttered. Ariana gazed at her son's unbothered visage.

"You could tell?"

"A toddler could tell that he was trying to teach me a lesson. He just didn't expect his 8 badge team to be so easy, which made him adjust." So he really could tell... Giovanni must have thought Silver was avoiding his 8 badge challenge because he lacked the strength to win. Except that wasn't the case at all. Silver just didn't want to visit Giovanni. He was more than capable of dealing with the 8 badge challenge. Hell, Ariana wasn't so confident she could have defeated both him and Green at the same time anymore.

"Hey, I have a question," Silver suddenly said. Ariana perked up in surprise.

"You do?" Her son gazed at her, half lidded silver eyes staring into her soul.

"Why do I hate Ground types? Dad made it seem like there was a reason for it." Ariana froze solid at that. Does Silver have amnesia?

"You... don't remember?" she asked carefully. He tilted his head.

"No I don't." Ariana took a deep breath at that. How was that possible? Silver didn't remember such an important event?

"You truly want to know?" Ariana asked slowly.

"That's why I'm asking."

"Was it his choice to forget? It was traumatic." Her son looked expectantly at her, a flat look on his face that she very much hated.

"You had... another pokemon," Ariana said slowly. Silver's eyes actually widened in surprise. He was unable to keep the bored look on his face from the revelation and he stared at her with blatant interest.

"What?" he said slowly. She nodded.

"It was... a Nidoran. Chosen by Giovanni himself. He wasn't satisfied that your first pokemon was from my Zoroark. He thought it should be the baby of a stronger pokemon... so he chose the child of his Nidoking." Domino and Silver both stared at her, utter focus in their gaze. Judging by the look on his face, Silver really didn't have a clue. That was very unsettling.

"Nidoran was stronger than Zorua. It was something Giovanni made sure of... but that Nidoran was a savage like its father and it tried to kill you," Ariana said bluntly. From what Ariana heard (she had been on mission), Nidoran's attack was inevitable. It's not as if Silver did anything wrong, the little poison type had been too unstable. Silver's lips pursed.

"It tried to kill me? How did it fail?" he asked, mostly unbothered by the revelation. Considering Team Rocket tried to kill him multiple times, Ariana couldn't say she was too surprised by his apathy at the revelation.

"Your Zorua. It was weaker than the Nidoran but Zorua loved you more than anything and refused to let you get hurt. In order to defend your life, he ended up fighting the Nidoran to the death." Ariana shuddered at the memory.

"It was horrible. I rushed over when I heard the news. By the time I arrived, there was so much blood. Nidoran was gone, Zorua was almost gone... and you were just standing there, covered in blood with a blank look in your eyes."

"..." Silver frowned.

"I haven't seen you smile since," she admitted, frowning at the thought.

"Why do I hate ground types? Nidoran is a poison type," he pointed out.

"Because you blamed Giovanni. You were satisfied with Zorua and he forced the Nidoran that almost murdered your first pokemon, onto you. It caused you to hate all ground types because of how much your father praises them. Coupled with the fact that you frequently saw his team, especially his Flygon... it was only natural you grew to despise the entire type."

"..." Silver said nothing to that. He just seemed to mull it over and nodded to himself, before continuing his pace to the medic.

"Silver... do you have amnesia?" Ariana asked slowly. Her son paused and gazed back at her.

"Yeah, I do." Ariana watched him continue to walk with a disturbed expression. Her insides squirmed in discomfort and she frowned harshly. How the hell did he possibly have amnesia? How was that possible?

"You suspected Silver having amnesia. Why?" she asked Domino. Domino jumped at the sudden question.

"Well... he didn't recognize me when we met. He had no idea who I was." No idea? These two had practically grown up together! He forgot her? But how... Ariana gazed at the back of her son with a perturbed look. Just what was going on with Silver?

"I don't like this," Gaia frowned. The Meganium was soothingly rubbing her vines against the shaking Oberon, who simply whimpered.

"I hate it here. I don't want to be here," Oberon said quietly. She released some of her aroma and was satisfied to see the Ursaring steadily calm down. Freyja sighed, a sad look on her face.

"I agree. This… doesn't feel right. I haven't seen Silver smile in so long."

"... His silence has been disturbing. Even I find myself missing his quips," Metang intoned.

"I-I really miss Green… when will we get to see her again?" Charcadet asked quietly.

"Soon, Charca. Don't worry," Freyja soothed, nuzzling the glum fire type. Ares scoffed.

"Have faith in my vassal. This is a minor obstruction in the grand scheme of things. Tell them, Loki." Loki regarded the entire team with a small smile.

"Things are bleak now but don't worry. Silver prioritizes us more than anything. He'll make sure we're safe and happy and I think he knows we aren't happy here." Gaia turned towards the longest member of the team.

"Do you have any idea what he's planning, Loki?" The Zoroark frowned.

"No, I don't," he admitted.

"What about you, Metang?" Freyja asked in concern.

"Neither do I," Metang replied. There was a brief silence at that, all members gazing at the sleeping body of Silver. He hadn't been very talkative lately... nor happy. It just made them despise Team Rocket all the more but so long as Silver dutifully followed them, they had no choice but to go along. There was a reason he was doing this. They trusted him. He never gave them a reason not to. Gaia exhaled, snaking a vine over and raking Silver's hair with it.

"Well, whatever the case… we just have to support him. He's still our trainer after all and we need to protect him at all costs, until this is all sorted." They all let out noises of agreement, even Oberon, before they decided to call it a night.

"Trickster," Metang said quietly. Loki's gaze shifted over to the steel type.

"Hm?"

"You are suffering from distress as well. Seek out Nature's Favorite Child, and speak to her." He gazed at the slumbering Gaia with a tilted head.

"Gaia is helping Oberon out. Don't worry about me. I'm just focusing on making sure the team is well." Metang stared, utterly unimpressed.

"How utterly repulsive. Do you truly think, that storing all your problematic matters in the dark recesses of your mind will help anyone? You are steadily becoming a liability, one that I am losing my patience with." Loki paused at that. Metang... had a point.

"I hate this more than anything," he finally admitted, a frown on his face.

"I wanted to protect Silver but we don't stand a chance yet. We have no choice but to go along with their demands... and Silver has to suffer for it." Metang saw the frustration on Loki's face and rumbled.

"Patience, Trickster. The catharsis once everything comes to fruition, will make the process worthwhile. You simply need trust our trainer," they advised. Loki gazed at Metang in surprise.

"Of course I trust him. I'll never doubt Silver," he huffed. Metang snorted.

"There is no need to explain yourself. I do not care," the psychic replied, moving over to isolate itself in a corner. Loki watched the steel type prepare to rest and sighed. That was right. They just needed to figure this out, then they would go back to being the happy family they were. This was just a roadblock... one that was bumpier than normal.

"Thanks Metang," he said softly.

"Quiet. I do not desire your thanks." Loki snorted softly.

"You and Silver really are too similar." Metang whirred dangerously.

"Are you paying attention, Silver? I will not have you jeopardize this mission," Archer scolded. Domino watched Silver lazily eye their superior.

"It's not a hard mission. I don't know why you're so hung up on me paying attention." Archer's eyes narrowed.

"Because you've already ruined quite enough missions." Despite the tension being thick enough to cut air, Silver leisurely sat in the vehicle provided to them for the mission.

"That sounds like a you issue," Silver remarked, raking a hand through his hair.

"If I was the one ruining your missions, that just means you aren't good at completing them. Why should I be listening to you?" he drawled.

"Silver!" Domino warned nervously. Archer's eye twitched.

"I am the one in charge, Silver. You and the other grunts will follow my orders." Silver nodded.

"Permission to speak, sir?" he asked suddenly. Archer looked taken aback.

"Permission granted?" he replied in some confusion.

"Your plan is awful."

"What?!" Archer hissed, Bisharp letting out a warning noise next to him. Silver ignored the balking Domino and incensed Archer.

"It's wasteful. You want to utilize your grunts to cause a ruckus in the city, allowing you easy access to the goods. That's too much effort. It draws too much attention," he drawled. Archer glared at him.

"And you suggest something better?" Silver rolled his eyes and opened the back door of the truck they were going to use to haul their cargo.

"Suggest? I've already done it." Archer blinked in confusion, before a thudding noise caught his attention. He watched in disbelief, as the Silver sitting in front of him, melted away and revealed a Zoroark of all things. At the same time, the real Silver appeared. It was as if he were being sketched into life, as the invisibility dropped around him, a large sack sitting idly by his feet.

"Mission accomplished," he said dryly, opening the bag and allowing all the jewels to spill out. The Executive stared in shock, as Silver leisurely took his seat, returning the Zoroark back to his ball.

"Distractions? Ruckus? You're just a bunch of thoughtless brutes. That's why you fail," Silver chastised, closing his eyes and leaning back.

"There's no need to do all that, when the goal is something so easy to grab. No one has to even know you're there." Domino gazed at him with wide eyes. When had he even gone off? Archer had been debriefing them for about 30 minutes, before noticing Silver's lack of interest.

"Announcing your plans to the entire world, is something the idiots do. That's why your missions fail."

"You aren't supposed to leave our sight, Silver! There should always be someone watching you," Archer practically hissed. Silver opened a single eye.

"Someone was watching me. That's the point of you sending an executive and a legendary on such a simple mission, right?" True to his words, Mewtwo was floating nearby. Seeing the legendary up close, was extremely nerve wracking for Domino. It was decked in that ominous armor, not having said a word to anyone there.

"One hell of a probation period," he muttered, loud enough for all of them to hear. Archer clenched his jaw.

"Mewtwo, were you perhaps aware that Silver had gone off earlier?"

"Indeed I was," Mewtwo confirmed.

"Would it... not have been ideal to speak up?" The psychic turned to him and Archer bit back the nervousness that wanted to come out, from being under the scrutiny of the psychic.

"I am merely here to watch the boy and that is what I have done. The ongoings of how you wish to accomplish your mission, mean nothing to me." Domino flinched and Silver scoffed quietly.

"There you go. Someone was watching me. Problem solved." Archer grit his teeth.

"Very well, onto the next location then."

"Don't forget to call those stupid grunts back..." Silver reminded. Archer grit his teeth even harder.

"He's disappeared... again," Archer said, gritting his teeth. Domino watched the executive lose his cool in real time. She had been keeping an eye on Silver the whole time, just to make sure he didn't up and vanish but her companion was entirely too slippery.

"Oh hey, you noticed before I showed up this time," Silver greeted, walking into the clearing like he owned the place. In his hands, there was a sack full of provisions.

"Mission complete. We can go now."

"..." Archer took a deep breath.

"I am your superior, Silver. Either you listen to me, or you face the consequences," he warned. Silver didn't even blink.

"Oh yeah?" he mused. The redhead waved him off.

"That was the last location. Our mission is over. Complain to the boss if you want to. Though, you're going to feel very stupid when you do," he warned. Archer wasn't used to his subordinates expressing anything but fear so he was understandably surprised, when Silver did just that. The agent was staring at him with a half lidded expression, no ounce of trepidation in him as he spoke to him like they had equal rankings.

"I-I'm sorry about him, Executive Archer!" Domino saluted, dragging Silver away from the visibly twitching Archer.

"Silver, stop that!" she hissed. He tilted his head.

"I won't limit myself just to satisfy someone's ego. If my plan is better, I'm doing my plan."

"That's not how that works! We're a rank below so we have to listen!" Domino pressed. Silver stared at her. His lip curled slightly, before it vanished as quick as it came.

"That's why you losers always fail your missions. I'm done here. Complain to the boss," he said loudly. The redhead looked at the stationary Mewtwo and tilted his head.

"You're supposed to be watching me right? My mission's done so take me back to base," he requested. Mewtwo looked surprised that Silver was speaking to him directly. Judging by how pale Archer and Domino currently were, they were clearly surprised too.

"Very well?" Mewtwo replied, mostly in confusion. Domino jumped at that and hasilty closed the distance between her and Silver before he could be teleported alone. It was her job to keep watch of him (something she was very clearly failing at) and she could not let him go back to base by himself. Archer watched the three vanish, annoyance visible on his face.

"With all due respect, Boss, Silver is a loose cannon!" That was not the first thing Ariana was expecting to hear, walking into Giovanni's office. She gazed in renewed interest at the outraged Archer standing in front of the collected Leader of their group.

"He disregards every single order I give him, goes off on his own, informs me that he completed the mission moments before I officially start them... Nothing I say, makes him act differently! He refuses all aspects of teamplay! It's impossible to work with him!" Archer explained, frustration clear on his face.

"I'm gonna have to agree with him on this one. The kid doesn't even pretend to listen to debriefs. There's an 80% chance him and that Zoroark of his are already gone," Petrel said warily. Giovanni mulled their words over, consideration clear on his face.

"Why do you two neglect to mention that Silver's methods yield results?" Giovanni asked them, raising a brow. The two paused at that, unsure of how to respond to his question. A sudden nervous air jolted"Mewtwo, as an unbiased source, what are your thoughts on this?" The former gym leader asked.

"There is no reason he should be under fire. He is efficient; there are no mistakes made, that would reveal the identity of who is behind all of his actions. He avoids casualties and evades vision."

"And as a result, his mission record is flawless. He does not even leave sign of a break in," Giovanni informed them.

"Silver is not one to play teams... and the reason for that is because if he believes someone incompetent is leading him, he will seek to figure out a solution on his own." Archer and Petrel went silent, as Giovanni fixed them with a pointed stare.

"If he is disregarding your orders, while achieving more ideal results, perhaps you should focus on improving what you lack, instead of taking offense. Dismissed." With that simple order, the two stiffly saluted and exited the room... walking right past Ariana and Silver. Ariana didn't even know when Silver arrived. She jumped a bit at seeing her son standing next to her but he was just gazing straight ahead.

"You called, boss?" he greeted dully, not bothering to spare Archer or Petrel, who he very likely heard complaining about him.

"You have been performing exceptionally well, but clearly others cannot keep up with you. For the most part, you will only have Domino and... Mewtwo with you," he instructed. Silver nodded.

"Right. And as for their complaints?" he asked.

"We are a criminal organization. Attitude does not matter, results do." Giovanni waved him off.

"Now, you have another mission to complete. It's perfectly suited for the both of you. Mewtwo will be on standby of course." Silver grunted.

"Understood. I'll set out immediately then." As quick as he arrived, Silver was gone again. He brushed past her without even sparing her a glance, simply adjusting his black suit and vanishing. Ariana watched him go. Eventually, she sighed and turned to Giovanni. She would attempt to talk to him after his mission. He was still a growing boy... there was time to fix this.