I did my best trying to write this following the anime mostly, so if mistakes are found, please let me know so I may fix them.
There will be several pairings, some onesided, others known, some probably leaving you guessing.
There will be some OCs mentioned, some minor, others having larger roles.
The fic will get more mature in later chapters, so if you're not a fan of things such as lemon scenes, lots of swearing, rape, yaoi (guyxguy), then I suggest you move onto something different.
Posting will range between Thursday and Friday, sorry for not mentioning it sooner. Been up all night working on this among others. So those thinking you'll get another chapter soon, you'll have to wait another week. I hope you'll understand.
Other than that, hope you enjoy.
Carrying an envelope under his arm, Professor Sebastian slowly walked through the halls, completely exhausted. To be precise, he was suffering jet lag, the long flight not helping at all.
He had been given a call from his boss about a slight change in his already busy work schedule. That usually meant he was being given even more work to do, something he honestly didn't need nor want right now.
He had been running himself ragged already on five projects already dropped in his lap. It was a mix of either incompetence of the others, a new idea the boss came up, or all his better scientists were busy on secret projects where they couldn't be spared.
Part of him wanted to yell at Giovanni to cut him some slack, but held his tongue, preferring to continue living than having his throat slit or bullet in the head.
He may be one of Giovanni's favorites, one of his more reliable researchers, that didn't mean he isn't irreplaceable.
There are others who could do his work or find someone new to take his place whenever he felt like it. He isn't the only scientist to specialize in evolution. It may not be an easy field, but it isn't impossible.
He's just as disposable as the grunts that work for the crime lord…
"I feel like I'm going to puke," he groaned, wishing the damn railway would finish he could stop flying.
He wasn't afraid of flying, oh no, he simply hated the whole thing by how chaotic and sickening it could become.
The airports and sometimes the planes themselves are crowded with dozens of noisy people and Pokémon, the former mostly.
There have been people who harassed him for a battle, not knowing he wasn't a trainer, just a scientist. Sometimes that ends up getting him caught in some random conversation, mostly ridiculous ones than anything meaningful.
If it isn't the people that make his mood sour, it's the plane itself, hating how stuffy it can get at times, having to listen to various noises. They could be someone eating loudly, children screaming because they're bored, scared, or cranky from lack of sleep. There could be some who are coughing and snorting, getting over colds or allergies, some getting airsick, the entire thing making him feel sick.
Probably a good thing he refuses alcohol, he doesn't need to end up like them or worse. Same with any of the food that's served here, knowing most are either close to expiring or simply not his taste.
But what may really piss him off, sometimes enough to actually snap back, whether the conversation included him or not, are people who are thoughtlessly rude.
So what if a there's a same sex couple and they have a child, doesn't give anyone the right to talk shit about them!
Sure, he's an asshole, but at least he has some class about it. He isn't going to act like some spoiled brat and demand things. If he doesn't like something, he'll either suck it up like a gentleman or politely ask to move to another spot.
It must make one wonder why he's willing to fly, to put up with all this, stressing himself out far more than he should.
He has two reasons for flying than finding some other means, although if the Magnet Train is ever completed, he'll tell Giovanni he's taking that from now on.
Fuck his free plane tickets, unless it was a life or death situation, he'll take a longer route to get to headquarters.
Hell, if he had the chance, he'd take a boat, even walk to Kanto.
As for his reason for flying, one is because of Giovanni, the man has a short temper, having seen it flare more than he would like. It could be subtle or become an inferno at the snap of a finger. If he wants you somewhere, you better be there or risk enduring his very likely, fatal, wrath.
It was also because of that temper that helped control his own, having at times been at the wrong end of it in his early days working in Team Rocket.
Doesn't mean he won't snap at someone if they screw up, making him look like an idiot, worse, making Giovanni look like an idiot.
At least being a more favorable scientist has its perks, he's made head of most researches, so people rarely argue with him. Any that do are either those of a higher rank than his own or they actually have something to contribute that could help.
Yes, he isn't so self-absorbed he'd ignore criticism, unlike others, he's willing to hear them out. He isn't perfect as others may assume him to be. He has flaws as does any other living creature with a brain. If it weren't for those flaws, mankind wouldn't have gotten as far as they have.
His other reason for flying is the chance to see his daughters…
Yes, he actually once had a family, been once married, had children with said wife, but she left him shortly after, deeming him useless and boring. And to add salt to the wound, she took his girls away, not telling him where, having them raised by her or some other to become agents.
That was another thing he could tolerate, children, he may get annoyed if a child is rude and they're old enough to know better.
But for the real little ones he'll let it slide. They don't know better and need to be shown the proper way to act than simply screaming at them nonstop. All it'll do is have them grow up thinking that's normal, hardly knowing how to be polite.
Another reason he likes being one of Giovanni's favorites is where he has a better chance picking where he wants to work.
He was completely ecstatic about working in Johto, working in one particular location to exact.
It was safely snugged in the middle of the wilderness, away from pesky people, trainer and civilian alike. It wasn't a nature reserve, so no worries of rangers and officers wandering through and discovering him.
And if he were to become too stressed and needed to step away from work, if the weather is favorable, he'll take a walk outside. He loves the fresh air, there's only so much chemicals and sterile equipment he can take before it drove him insane.
By walking, he can clear his head, relieve himself of any headaches present or threatening to come. It would give him time to think alone, giving his team a break as much as getting one from them.
It honestly helps, usually coming back with fresh ideas to continue or discover what the issue at hand is.
On the plus side, being so far out, practically owning the lab, he could make his own deadlines. He can calculate a rough estimate of how long it would take, then throw in an extra month or two as a precaution.
Gives himself and whatever team he gets plenty of time to get work done, or in this case, having multiple projects dropped in his lap nonstop.
Drawing himself out of his thoughts, he found himself a chair, laying claim to it before anyone else could.
Not entirely caring about posture, he attempted to relax, to fight the urge to get sick, ignoring any stares sent his way.
After a few minutes, he begrudgingly opened the file, mildly curious what it could be to have dragged him here in the first place.
"Wonderful…" he grumbled angrily, his already sour mood getting worse.
There was almost no information, most of it blacked out, just bits and pieces, namely who he needs to talk to. Regardless, it was enough to tell him it was a huge project with an already premade deadline.
He really hates premade deadlines; he prefers to make his own…
If something screws up, he'll get blamed for incompetence, even if it was out of his hands to begin with.
Whoever this guy is better know what he's doing or he'll have hell to pay.
He'll personally make sure of it…
A hand landing on his shoulder, Sebastian glanced up, seeing a friendly face, a far too friendly face to belong in a place like here.
"You okay?" he asked, concern showing.
"No…" the other admitted knowing that lying would only get worse.
Didn't help that he already began to take a few deep breaths to fight back the urge to throw up, the smell of coffee having hit his senses.
If he didn't feel like shit right now, he'd take after that idiot who just walked passed them and probably strangle him.
Oh how he wished he could give Giovanni a piece of his mind…
"Jet lag I presume?"
"How'd you guess?"
Taking a seat, the Johto scientist could only guess that this new face is also a scientist, though wore a normal button up shirt and slacks. He would have worn something more casual himself, but with how urgent the message was made, he had no time to change out of his lab wear.
When taking in his facial features, seeing he wore glasses, had white hair and beard, the scientist figured he had to be a few years older than him.
"I've had my fair share," he answered with a reassuring laugh. "That and I came here a few days ago and felt the same way. Probably plotting to murder that guy who walked by us just now?"
Sebastian let out a small groan, hanging his head between his knees, feeling a hand rub his back, the gesture comforting.
He hasn't had someone treat him like a human being in a long time.
They're either too afraid of his antisocial nature or find him not worth helping.
Hearing something crinkling, he slowly sat back up, seeing the man holding out a couple of crackers.
They looked like the cheap ones from the cafeteria…
"Should help settle your stomach. Had swiped a few when I was feeling ill at the cafeteria, so help yourself," he answered with a smile.
"Or keep a kid from getting sick," the younger man half laughed, now grateful for the small treat.
"You got one?"
"Sort of…" Sebastian replied softly, eating so he wouldn't have to talk.
"I used to have a daughter," the older man replied solemnly.
"What's her name?"
"Amber."
As if on cue, he fished through his pockets again, pulling out his wallet, removing an old photo showing a little girl with beautiful blue hair.
"She's really adorable," Sebastian answered, mildly jealous he had a photo while all he has are memories.
Just looking at the photo, he knew it was far older than it should be, making him probably more curious than he should be. Yet, it didn't stop him from asking the other, silently praying it won't backfire.
"What happened to her?"
Why is he sounding so concerned for this man, a man he just met?
Sure, he's willing to be polite since the other is, having in a sense offered help with his jet lag no matter how measly it is.
"She had been born with a very serious illness. My wife and I didn't know it until she collapsed one day."
"Oh gods…" the normally cold scientist gasped, feeling a twinge in his chest.
"We tried to save her. I even began using my cloning research to try and recreate her damaged organs, make them healthy and disease free. But it wasn't enough, in the end, we still lost her."
"I…I'm so sorry…"
"I should apologize; I shouldn't have dropped it on you like that," the man spoke, giving him a sad look that strangely pained the younger man.
"It's quite alright. Having to hold all that pain in. It must've been almost unbearable," Sebastian whispered, trying to reassure the other.
"It really is… You know, you're the first person here to actually show some sympathy when asking about my personal life."
"I can only imagine the pain you went through. I have a couple of daughters of my own, we're estranged from each other, but I still love them. I wouldn't know what I'd do if something like that happened to them."
"It's any parent's worst fear and it becomes their greatest nightmare."
He couldn't help but agree, feeling sick, but for a whole new reason as he stared at the tiled floor.
It was enough to make him stop munching on the crackers, knowing if he continued, he'd just get sick.
"What brought you here though? This isn't exactly a good place to work while mourning," Sebastian asked, hoping he didn't sound too harsh.
Why is he still showing concern for this man?
This isn't the first time he's heard a similar story, parents losing their child, learning who was a widow, orphaned, the list going on.
What makes this man so special?
"Shortly after Amber's passing, I found out what was wrong with her. If I had found it sooner, I could've cured her…"
Still unsure what he meant, the Johto scientist looked at him, completely focused, ignoring any and all who walked by them.
Right now, it felt as if they were the only living things in this cold hallway.
"I could bring her back, but my equipment wasn't enough. All I could do is preserve what little DNA I could salvage. I would've tried getting more, but at the time, in my wife and I's grief, we had her cremated. Any I have now, they were from old hairbrushes and baby teeth she began losing."
"Are…are you talking about cloning her?"
"Yes, I can do it, I know I can, but I needed money. All I had left was barely enough to support myself, my wife having left me. She thought I was mad and I couldn't bring myself to beg her to stay, to help me. She suffered enough as is, and I couldn't be angry at her for not having faith. If the roles were reversed, I probably would've left."
"So, Giovanni heard about you then?"
"More through a newspaper."
"Newspaper?"
Nodding, he gave the other a small smile, "I was in Sinnoh looking into new cloning options and attempt to get funding for research. While I was there, I heard about how a little boy lost his hearing, a madman using him in some sick study. I felt horrible for him, seeing how distraught his parents were when I visited. So I offered to clone his eardrums and have them surgically implanted."
"I'm surprised you didn't get funding."
"It wasn't entirely a new thing over there, but I foolishly did it out of my own pockets when seeing how bad off they were financially. This of course set me back quite a bit, barely making enough to return home."
"I see…"
"When I got back to Kanto to compare notes and such I gathered, Giovanni called and asked to see me. I invited him over and surprisingly enough, he actually swung by himself. You don't know how surprised I was to see a gym leader interested in my research, let alone want to fund it. So of course I jumped at the chance."
"That is rather surprising…"
"All he asked in return was to create clones for him while I worked on bringing my daughter back."
Recalling the folder, the Johto scientist gave it a wary glance before returning his gaze back at the man.
"By any chance, is your name Dr. Thomas Fuji?"
"Y-yes, how did you know?"
"Apparently we're partners now."
He showed him the folder, seeing how his eyes lit up.
It was then he saw that the smile he got before, it was fake, disappearing almost entirely when talking about his daughter and his struggles. But the second he uttered those words, showed that folder, this smile, it wasn't fake. It was filled with joy, filled with hope. And strangely enough, he was happy to see it, that he's the one to bring about such an emotion.
"Then you're Professor Shiranui Sebastian? What are the chances we'd meet like this?" the older man laughed, earning a small smirk from the other.
"I just arrived here. I guess if it wasn't for jet lag, we likely wouldn't have bumped into one another until called together."
"That may be true, but I'm glad to meet you. I actually know a bit about you."
"You do?"
"Yes, when I was made head for the cloning research, I knew if Giovanni wanted me to make clones or tinker with them, I'll need help. So I requested a list of all his best scientists that have dabbled in cloning, fossil revival, etc."
"I studied some, but I mostly specialize in evolution."
"I know, but out of all the others, I felt that you were the best, most reliable one. When I asked about you, Giovanni told me you're one of his best when it came to meeting deadlines and getting the job done."
"Has he told you what I did?" Sebastian asked almost nervously.
"No, I forgot to ask," the other laughed, a light blush forming across his face.
"Is he serious?" the younger man wondered before mentally shaking his head of the other's actions. "So, you wanted me to work with you on a cloning project?"
"Pretty much. Although we won't be working together directly I'm afraid."
"Hmm?"
"I guess I better start from the beginning," Fuji laughed nervously as the two got up, deciding to go someplace more private.
Finding an empty room, they sat down, bottles of water retrieved from a nearby vending machine, they began once more.
"Before I came here, I had been sent out with an exploration team into Guyana, to a shrine dedicated to Mew. But aside doing studies on it, there was something found that has led me here, the two of us here to be precise."
"What kind of find?"
"An eyelash of the very Pokémon the temple was built for."
"You're…you're joking."
"I'm not, but not only did we find an eyelash of a Mew, when the DNA was tested, we determined the sex had to have been male."
"But I thought all the males went extinct nearly a thousand years ago?"
"They have, the eyelash is badly corroded so it'll take much longer to extract enough to do what we need. Though we will have to make adjustments to fill in the gaps left behind due to the corrosion. It was a miracle it was as good as it was when it had been found."
"How are you sure though this is indeed Mew?"
"It has to be, the way the DNA signature is written, it's completely different from all other Pokémon that exist. Either we have ourselves a Mew or we're about to clone an entirely new species of Pokémon. Either way, I'm sure that Giovanni would be excited at the idea."
Still shocked at what he just learned, he looked at his trembling hands, the scientist unsure how to take it.
What this man before him is claiming to have found, is planning to revive, it felt so surreal, as if he was in a dream.
And the fact he was asked to work with him, he felt so honored…
"What is my job exactly?"
He needs to know what his purpose here is, to know what he'll do, if it's actually worth it or should back out now.
"The eyelash found ended up not being the only one discovered," Fuji grinned, excitement threatening to burst free. "We found other samples. They're exactly the same save for being female."
"I'm guessing you want me to work with the other samples?"
"That's correct; my hands are going to be full with the male as is. I'm pretty much the only one who can repair it, know how to alter it safely without destroying it."
"What condition are the female samples though?"
"Sadly about the same, so before I let you work bringing them back, I'll be working on repairing them as well."
"Make sense…"
He couldn't believe it; he was being given such a heavy task, possibly his greatest, which in turn made him scared.
If he screwed this up somehow, whether by his hand or an act of the gods, he was a dead man.
"Aside cloning more Mew, what exactly do you want me to do though? I know cloning in general is difficult, at the same time, it sounds rather simple for a man such as you," he nervously asked, swallowing a lump that began forming in his throat.
"I want to try something with the growth rate. With the male, I have to focus everything on its survival, so I can't risk doing anything new. If we had more than one, then I might've given it a shot. That's where you come in. Since we have several samples of female Mew, we have more to tinker with."
"It makes sense when you put it that way."
"As we both know, cloning is still relatively new when it comes to recreating certain cells, be it organs or tissue. Even the technology is used for fossil restoration so long as there is stable DNA inside it. But what of the DNA that's not as stable or it had been contaminated such as my daughter's had been riddled with disease?"
"I think I get what you're saying. You want me to examine the growth patterns, by slowing it down? Look for key patterns, any potential anomalies that could pose a risk to their development? That way if there are problems, we would be able to perfect it better for future cloning projects."
"That's exactly correct. From what I read and been told about you, you can spot things far better than most."
The younger man couldn't help but smirk, feeling a bit proud of his work taken so seriously, his dedication to perfection applauded.
"And your main study is perfect for another part of research that's been given."
"What is it?"
"You've heard of this unusual evolution in the Kalos region, correct?"
"A little, you want me to study it?"
"Yes, aside it being a given task, I'm rather curious about it."
"To be honest, I've been rather curious too, but it wasn't something I could simply request to work on. So if it's an order from Giovanni, then I'll take it."
Hearing the man speak, it was motivating, a huge boost to one's morale, he couldn't help but agree.
He knew the man only did this to bring his child back, to help parents everywhere who suffered such a loss. They could have the option to bring that child back, and in some ways, he was happy about the idea too.
But he thought about whom his boss is, what Giovanni was capable of.
He would abuse this man's creation, creating monstrous weapons from ancient creatures, having them manipulated to his needs.
He felt bad about it, but knew if he backed out, this man won't find another who would understand him as he does.
They're fathers, both childless in some ways, one through death, the other having no clue where his babies are.
The man is depressed, seeing past the smile he wears to ease others much like how he wears a cold mask to keep people away.
They were more alike than he would've thought.
Throughout the fic, you may have noticed some names that appeared in the anime, also different, namely those who had no known first name or unknown if its a first or last name.
Therefore, I thought to do that, giving Dr. Fuji a first name to go by as well as one for Professor Sebastian. Course in his case, I merely took his Japanese name since it sounded cool.
If you feel I should change the "names," I'm open to suggestions, same with the chapter/story in general.
As for the plane thing, got the idea mostly from my mom since she hates flying with a fiery passion. Sadly I never flew, so I'm only going based on what I hear or have seen in a show/movie.
Other than that, please read and review