"Well, yeah." Dave downed half of the glass and grimaced at the taste. "She's been beaten to hell and back before. You two go around fighting legends together for fun. I'm sure she's fine."
Rocky Road ~ House of Brisa, Dave, Koa, and Owen
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Starr's ears flattened. "Yeah, okay, well I kind of think there's a bit of a difference if it's a legend doing that or if it's me."
But that wasn't right either. They'd beaten the shit out of each other in the Colosseum too. And it wasn't like this was anything Brisa couldn't heal off just fine. Hell, she'd probably be stronger for it. And there weren't any hard feelings. So it shouldn't have felt so different this time.
Starr leaned against the wall, searching for some new inanimate object to glare at. "I get it. She's fine, so I should just get over it."
But that wasn't right either. They'd beaten the shit out of each other in the Colosseum too. And it wasn't like this was anything Brisa couldn't heal off just fine. Hell, she'd probably be stronger for it. And there weren't any hard feelings. So it shouldn't have felt so different this time.
Starr leaned against the wall, searching for some new inanimate object to glare at. "I get it. She's fine, so I should just get over it."
"I mean, when you first came in here worrying about Brisa I thought you meant because of something that'd happened afterwards. I was wondering if she'd finally asked you out or something. Why wouldn't she be fine?" He drank the rest of the glass and shuddered. Should he not be divulging that? Surely Starr had noticed, right?
He moved towards the living room and sank back down onto the couch. A bit of a difference. Yeah, it did make a difference who hit you and why. Dave'd hit her without even having any parasites in his brain, and she'd still been fine. Starr? Brisa'd made an entire fucking speech about their friendship while being beaten to a pulp.
"Look, I'm sure she'll be back soon. You can wait for her, clear up anything that needs to be cleared up. Help yourself to a drink if you want." He gestured vaguely towards the kitchen.
He moved towards the living room and sank back down onto the couch. A bit of a difference. Yeah, it did make a difference who hit you and why. Dave'd hit her without even having any parasites in his brain, and she'd still been fine. Starr? Brisa'd made an entire fucking speech about their friendship while being beaten to a pulp.
"Look, I'm sure she'll be back soon. You can wait for her, clear up anything that needs to be cleared up. Help yourself to a drink if you want." He gestured vaguely towards the kitchen.
Starr found herself letting out a snort without meaning to. "No, she hasn't fessed up yet. For the longest time I wasn't even sure if she knew." She had to by now, though, right?
Starr really wasn't sure if staying here was the best idea, but she didn't really want to go anywhere else. So... fine, she'd wait here. She nodded vaguely toward Dave and went to check the fridge--Brisa still kept a few cans of Starr's favorite stashed in there--before settling into an armchair that might've been the right size for Owen before he went and turned giant.
She popped the tab on her drink and took a swig. "Probably better to wait here. Don't have to deal with Nate or Silver over here." Not that either of them were the sort to get involved with anyone's business. They'd probably just ignore her. Still awkward though.
Starr really wasn't sure if staying here was the best idea, but she didn't really want to go anywhere else. So... fine, she'd wait here. She nodded vaguely toward Dave and went to check the fridge--Brisa still kept a few cans of Starr's favorite stashed in there--before settling into an armchair that might've been the right size for Owen before he went and turned giant.
She popped the tab on her drink and took a swig. "Probably better to wait here. Don't have to deal with Nate or Silver over here." Not that either of them were the sort to get involved with anyone's business. They'd probably just ignore her. Still awkward though.
Oh, good, she knew. Did Brisa know? What the fuck.
"Oh yeah, Silver moved into your... That's got to be a fucking time." Dave rubbed at his face. The headache probably wouldn't improve for a bit, would it. "I guess he's stopped acting like Giovanni?"
"Oh yeah, Silver moved into your... That's got to be a fucking time." Dave rubbed at his face. The headache probably wouldn't improve for a bit, would it. "I guess he's stopped acting like Giovanni?"
Starr leaned back in her chair, putting her feet on the table. "Haven't talked with him that much yet." He'd pretty much just... showed up one day, dragged there by Rocky, and both Starr and Nate had been equally confused about it. There'd been a full team of Pokemon to be distracted by, anyway. "Mostly just comes off like... well, like how Lunala used to act. I guess it really was a perfect swap."
She took another swig, pensive. That whole time he'd been doing that Giovanni shtick and he didn't even know that he was someone else. All the things he did, and it really wasn't him after all.
She took another swig, pensive. That whole time he'd been doing that Giovanni shtick and he didn't even know that he was someone else. All the things he did, and it really wasn't him after all.
Dave nodded, thinking. It had been a while since that time they'd interrogated "Giovanni", but she'd said some jarring stuff during and after that, hadn't she, and he'd never actually managed to probe her about any of it. "So, uh. You're Giovanni's daughter. Were you on his gang? Like, the... Team Rocket?"
Starr's tail twitched. Right, she had wound up telling him that after the interrogation. At this rate, half the team was gonna hear about it. And the half that didn't would whine about not getting to know sooner.
"Yeah, I was. For about five years," she replied, watching carefully for his reaction.
"Yeah, I was. For about five years," she replied, watching carefully for his reaction.
Five years, huh. And clearly she wasn't still on it; she radiated hatred for the guy. Dave exhaled through his nose.
"So what you're saying is your father recruited you into his fucking criminal gang at the age of what?"
"So what you're saying is your father recruited you into his fucking criminal gang at the age of what?"
Starr's brow furrowed. Goddammit, there was no way to say this that didn't sound totally fucking ridiculous. Part of her considered just leaving right there, but she'd already committed to waiting for Brisa, so...
"...Right before I turned thirteen," she answered, very deliberately avoiding his eye.
"...Right before I turned thirteen," she answered, very deliberately avoiding his eye.
What the fuck. That was even worse than he thought. "Jesus fucking Christ. Was it just you, or what, does he make a habit of enlisting fucking twelve-year-olds?" Did the one they were keeping at the holding cells have a history of recruiting child soldiers too? "...Was Silver enlisted as a twelve-year-old?"
Starr exhaled slowly through her nose. "Most recruits weren't that young, no." Memories of being younger than everyone with so much to prove, the drive to do things right, to prove that she could handle it, that she wasn't naive. Being praised and idolized constantly, but it never being enough.
"It wasn't unheard of, though," she went on. "Failed trainers, runaways, kids with shitty home lives looking to make a quick buck, that sort of thing." After all, that was only the reason why the rebel kids were able to join.
"Silver was..." She strained her memory to think back to that first conversation with Cosmog. Even if she hadn't actually been talking to Silver then, he'd been given Silver's memories, so... "I don't think he ever joined the Rockets, no. Seemed like he only remembered opposing them." Maybe she'd... ask him at some point? Wasn't like he was hard to find now.
"It wasn't unheard of, though," she went on. "Failed trainers, runaways, kids with shitty home lives looking to make a quick buck, that sort of thing." After all, that was only the reason why the rebel kids were able to join.
"Silver was..." She strained her memory to think back to that first conversation with Cosmog. Even if she hadn't actually been talking to Silver then, he'd been given Silver's memories, so... "I don't think he ever joined the Rockets, no. Seemed like he only remembered opposing them." Maybe she'd... ask him at some point? Wasn't like he was hard to find now.
"Jesus." Some of Jean's dumb books had twelve-year-olds fighting criminals, but usually the criminals weren't also fucking twelve. The Pokémorphs had gone off to that church in their naïve heroism; what if there'd been twelve-year-olds on the other side, handed guns and told God wants you to kill these kids?
Fuck. This was fucking depressing. He considered standing up to get another beer, but didn't have the willpower to drag himself off the couch again. His kingdom for getting turned into a Pokémon with telekinetic powers.
He was silent for a moment, staring at the bottles on the coffee table. "What'd they make you do?"
Fuck. This was fucking depressing. He considered standing up to get another beer, but didn't have the willpower to drag himself off the couch again. His kingdom for getting turned into a Pokémon with telekinetic powers.
He was silent for a moment, staring at the bottles on the coffee table. "What'd they make you do?"
Starr blinked at him. 'Make'? Part of her wanted to snap that they hadn't made her do anything when all the worst of it came after she'd reached executive, once she'd become the one giving the orders. But the orders had never really stopped, had they? They just came from higher up.
Part of her wanted to tell him 'None of your damn business,' but the other half was like... what was even the point. He already knew this much, not like it changed a damn thing to hold onto the rest.
"I mean. It was just normal jobs at first," Starr said, putting on a casual tone. (She'd called it 'normal.' Of course anyone else wouldn't call it that.) "Grunt work, petty thefts and smuggling and shit." (The kids would get caught more often than the other agents. 'How unfortunate,' the execs would say.) "The heavy shit wasn't until later. Not like they'd assign a kid to carry out a hit or anything like that," she added with a laugh. (Because sixteen was so much better.)
Part of her wanted to tell him 'None of your damn business,' but the other half was like... what was even the point. He already knew this much, not like it changed a damn thing to hold onto the rest.
"I mean. It was just normal jobs at first," Starr said, putting on a casual tone. (She'd called it 'normal.' Of course anyone else wouldn't call it that.) "Grunt work, petty thefts and smuggling and shit." (The kids would get caught more often than the other agents. 'How unfortunate,' the execs would say.) "The heavy shit wasn't until later. Not like they'd assign a kid to carry out a hit or anything like that," she added with a laugh. (Because sixteen was so much better.)
Not like they'd assign a kid to carry out a hit or anything like that. She'd said five years. Five years from the age of twelve.
His chest burned, but the fire was dampened by cold darkness, couldn't quite grow into the pure righteous rage he really could've used right now. He was so fucking tired. "You were a fucking kid," he growled. "Your own fucking father put you in that position? Twisted piece of shit." As if calling him names in another world meant anything, helped anyone. "And what, when you go back, what are you going back to? Is he still out there, preying on vulnerable kids? He still going after you?"
His chest burned, but the fire was dampened by cold darkness, couldn't quite grow into the pure righteous rage he really could've used right now. He was so fucking tired. "You were a fucking kid," he growled. "Your own fucking father put you in that position? Twisted piece of shit." As if calling him names in another world meant anything, helped anyone. "And what, when you go back, what are you going back to? Is he still out there, preying on vulnerable kids? He still going after you?"
Starr's fur bristled, and she turned away with a scoff. "Yeah, I guess you're old enough that even when I hit seventeen, I might as well have been just a kid, right?" How many times had she heard that one back when she was an executive? No one ever seemed to give a shit that you were a fucking adult if they could just invent new goalposts like needing to be 20 or 25 or however the hell old before they'd take you seriously.
But he wasn't... discounting her for it, like they always did. He was... acting like she needed sympathy. Or deserved it. And it was at least a little satisfying to hear him talk that way about the boss.
So she let herself relax, just a bit. "It's not him that's after us back home, it's the executives. I haven't even seen him since I left. But yeah, I guess we're on the run. Trust me, I'd be staying the hell away from anything Rocket if it weren't for my idiot friends with a death wish."
But he wasn't... discounting her for it, like they always did. He was... acting like she needed sympathy. Or deserved it. And it was at least a little satisfying to hear him talk that way about the boss.
So she let herself relax, just a bit. "It's not him that's after us back home, it's the executives. I haven't even seen him since I left. But yeah, I guess we're on the run. Trust me, I'd be staying the hell away from anything Rocket if it weren't for my idiot friends with a death wish."
Dave raised an eyebrow at the seventeen. No reason to think a country in a different fucking universe couldn't have a different legal age of majority, but still, a fucking seventeen-year-old was a goddamn kid. She couldn't be older than what, eighteen or nineteen now. And she'd strongly implied she'd been ordered to kill people. Fuck.
"Him, executives, whatever. He's running this operation. No fucking excuse for any of this. His own fucking kid. God." He shook his head, dug his claws into the couch. "Who are your friends? More Rocket recruits? Your age?"
"Him, executives, whatever. He's running this operation. No fucking excuse for any of this. His own fucking kid. God." He shook his head, dug his claws into the couch. "Who are your friends? More Rocket recruits? Your age?"
Starr's brow furrowed, like she was trying to find some way to protest but couldn't figure out how. He kept talking like it was all Giovanni, like she hadn't actually done any of it. Like none of it was her choice. He didn't get it at all. But... whatever, she wasn't in the mood to argue.
"They're not Rockets, no. They're fighting against the Rockets, like it's their job or whatever." It kind of was. Damn Legendaries. "And they're... a bit younger than me." Ajia was. Jade was more than a bit younger. And the other rebels were even younger than that. They were just kids. And her squad had...
"They're not Rockets, no. They're fighting against the Rockets, like it's their job or whatever." It kind of was. Damn Legendaries. "And they're... a bit younger than me." Ajia was. Jade was more than a bit younger. And the other rebels were even younger than that. They were just kids. And her squad had...
Younger. Of course they fucking were. Kids, just brimming with drive to go fight a bunch of armed lunatics. "Christ."
He clenched his jaw. Fuck it. He heaved himself off the couch to get a bottle out of the fridge. And what, you can't stop your actual child friends getting themselves killed? Who the fuck was he kidding. Not like he'd stopped them.
"Guessing you can't exactly manhandle them back home, huh." He cracked the bottle open, returned to the couch. "What, do they just think they're invincible because they're trainers? Got some Pokémon so everything'll be peachy?" So had the morphs, and it hadn't stopped the zealots from splattering Arcanine brains all over that church. "Where are their fucking parents in all this? Jesus."
He clenched his jaw. Fuck it. He heaved himself off the couch to get a bottle out of the fridge. And what, you can't stop your actual child friends getting themselves killed? Who the fuck was he kidding. Not like he'd stopped them.
"Guessing you can't exactly manhandle them back home, huh." He cracked the bottle open, returned to the couch. "What, do they just think they're invincible because they're trainers? Got some Pokémon so everything'll be peachy?" So had the morphs, and it hadn't stopped the zealots from splattering Arcanine brains all over that church. "Where are their fucking parents in all this? Jesus."
Starr shrugged. "Something like that. The annoying part is that their track record is pretty decent. Both of 'em gave me hell when I was running things." And whose fault was that? Fucking Sebastian.
She let out a sigh, finishing off the rest of her drink. At least someone agreed that it shouldn't have been their damn job.
"I figure their parents are back home. Neither of them live at home--trainer journey and all that--so it's not exactly hard to keep everything under wraps." She paused, thinking back. "And I guess Jade didn't want to risk getting her parents getting caught up in it."
She let out a sigh, finishing off the rest of her drink. At least someone agreed that it shouldn't have been their damn job.
"I figure their parents are back home. Neither of them live at home--trainer journey and all that--so it's not exactly hard to keep everything under wraps." She paused, thinking back. "And I guess Jade didn't want to risk getting her parents getting caught up in it."
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