Gio laughed and ran through the yellowed grasses, his Meowth by his side. The six-year-old had chased all thoughts from his head, eyes sparkling as he romped through the field after butterflies. The Meowth mewled and jumped along beside him.
"Gio!" a voice called. Gio froze. It was his mother. "Giovanni! Get in here!" Gio didn't really want to go inside; too many frightening things happened in the big old house. But then again, worse things happened if he didn't listen...
"GIOVANNI!" Gio took off, skidding to a stop barely in front of the door. He shuffled in hesitantly. It was dark inside, but that was nothing new; it was always dark inside.
His mother was seated in shadow at the high table, as usual. Huge dark shadowed shapes sat around her, as they always had as long as Gio could remember. Gio hoped she didn't want him to do anything bad.
"So," said one of the imposing shapes gruffly, "this is the successor." He looked Gio over carefully. Gio didn't like it, but he knew better than to run from his mother. You couldn't hide from her.
"Yes," his mother said. "One day, Giovanni will be the Boss." She chuckled dryly. "If he lives that long." Meowth hissed.
"Does he know what he will do?" asked another figure.
Gio's mother sighed heavily. "He knows what I do. He knows about Team Rocket. That is all he needs to know for now."
Gio did know what his mother did; she was the Boss of Team Rocket. He didn't really know what Team Rocket did, but he thought it must be important.
"It is time he knew more," disagreed the first shape. "He must understand how the world works."
Gio's mother nodded slowly. "All right, then. Perhaps he'll even survive." The shapes rose and ushered Gio out to another section of the big building.
Gio was afraid. He wasn't allowed in this part of the building, and he didn't know what he might find. His mother seemed at ease, though, so he followed mutely along.
He followed them to a pair of large grey double doors. Noise drifted through it and he could smell food. Curious, Gio pushed open the doors a crack.
Hundreds of people sat, stood, or walked through the enormous room beyond. Their uniforms, though predominantly black and white, were every color Gio had ever seen. But they all had a huge R across the chest.
"That, Giovanni, is Team Rocket," said his mother as he stared in awe. "One day, they will obey you and only you." Gio could only watch the hundreds of men and women as they moved in a colorful dance.
Then he began to notice things. Many of them were singed or bruised, and most of them looked mean. As he watched, a man backhanded his partner with a snarl, and turned back to his sandwich, ignoring her. A shout went up across the room, and he could see two young women in white and gold uniforms fighting viciously while the other members cheered them on.
"What's wrong with them?" Gio asked before he thought. He cringed, but his mother answered anyway.
"The bruises? They were injured by other people when they were... at work." His mother loomed behind him.
"Why would people want to do that?" Gio asked innoecntly. In the cafeteria, a green-uniformed woman rattled off a list of angry words that made Gio's mouth drop open.
"They don't want them to do their job," his mother answered.
Gio watched a man down an entire beer in one swallow. "But why don't they want them to do their job?" Gio asked, eyes still glued to the doors.
"Giovanni," his mother said. He turned to look at her. "Team Rocket is not as you think." Gio started to get scared.
She towered over him. "Team Rocket are the most notorious Pokemon thieves in the world. Nothing can rival our glory and power, and one day soon we will rule the world!"
Gio shrank back. "Th-thieves...?"
His mother nodded. "And liars and sneaks, most of them. Even a few murderers. A proper rogue's gallery, don't you think?"
"No!" Gio scrambled away from the doors, his dark eyes wide. "That's--that's wrong! You can't do that!"
Gio's mother sighed long-sufferingly. "I can do it, and I am doing it. And soemday you will, too. Of course it's wrong. But we have power. Remember that."
Gio turned and ran in tears. His mother watched him go.
"That's our future leader?" one of the shapes said derisively. She turned and stared at the offender coldly.
Her steely eyes betrayed no trace of emotion as she said, "Yes."
"He will learn."
************************************************************************
Giovanni, Boss of Team Rocket, stared into the shadows as he stroked his Persian absently. Around him, ill-gotten gain and hallmarks of mischief glimmered dully. The Persian purred.
Power. He had learned.
"Gio!" a voice called. Gio froze. It was his mother. "Giovanni! Get in here!" Gio didn't really want to go inside; too many frightening things happened in the big old house. But then again, worse things happened if he didn't listen...
"GIOVANNI!" Gio took off, skidding to a stop barely in front of the door. He shuffled in hesitantly. It was dark inside, but that was nothing new; it was always dark inside.
His mother was seated in shadow at the high table, as usual. Huge dark shadowed shapes sat around her, as they always had as long as Gio could remember. Gio hoped she didn't want him to do anything bad.
"So," said one of the imposing shapes gruffly, "this is the successor." He looked Gio over carefully. Gio didn't like it, but he knew better than to run from his mother. You couldn't hide from her.
"Yes," his mother said. "One day, Giovanni will be the Boss." She chuckled dryly. "If he lives that long." Meowth hissed.
"Does he know what he will do?" asked another figure.
Gio's mother sighed heavily. "He knows what I do. He knows about Team Rocket. That is all he needs to know for now."
Gio did know what his mother did; she was the Boss of Team Rocket. He didn't really know what Team Rocket did, but he thought it must be important.
"It is time he knew more," disagreed the first shape. "He must understand how the world works."
Gio's mother nodded slowly. "All right, then. Perhaps he'll even survive." The shapes rose and ushered Gio out to another section of the big building.
Gio was afraid. He wasn't allowed in this part of the building, and he didn't know what he might find. His mother seemed at ease, though, so he followed mutely along.
He followed them to a pair of large grey double doors. Noise drifted through it and he could smell food. Curious, Gio pushed open the doors a crack.
Hundreds of people sat, stood, or walked through the enormous room beyond. Their uniforms, though predominantly black and white, were every color Gio had ever seen. But they all had a huge R across the chest.
"That, Giovanni, is Team Rocket," said his mother as he stared in awe. "One day, they will obey you and only you." Gio could only watch the hundreds of men and women as they moved in a colorful dance.
Then he began to notice things. Many of them were singed or bruised, and most of them looked mean. As he watched, a man backhanded his partner with a snarl, and turned back to his sandwich, ignoring her. A shout went up across the room, and he could see two young women in white and gold uniforms fighting viciously while the other members cheered them on.
"What's wrong with them?" Gio asked before he thought. He cringed, but his mother answered anyway.
"The bruises? They were injured by other people when they were... at work." His mother loomed behind him.
"Why would people want to do that?" Gio asked innoecntly. In the cafeteria, a green-uniformed woman rattled off a list of angry words that made Gio's mouth drop open.
"They don't want them to do their job," his mother answered.
Gio watched a man down an entire beer in one swallow. "But why don't they want them to do their job?" Gio asked, eyes still glued to the doors.
"Giovanni," his mother said. He turned to look at her. "Team Rocket is not as you think." Gio started to get scared.
She towered over him. "Team Rocket are the most notorious Pokemon thieves in the world. Nothing can rival our glory and power, and one day soon we will rule the world!"
Gio shrank back. "Th-thieves...?"
His mother nodded. "And liars and sneaks, most of them. Even a few murderers. A proper rogue's gallery, don't you think?"
"No!" Gio scrambled away from the doors, his dark eyes wide. "That's--that's wrong! You can't do that!"
Gio's mother sighed long-sufferingly. "I can do it, and I am doing it. And soemday you will, too. Of course it's wrong. But we have power. Remember that."
Gio turned and ran in tears. His mother watched him go.
"That's our future leader?" one of the shapes said derisively. She turned and stared at the offender coldly.
Her steely eyes betrayed no trace of emotion as she said, "Yes."
"He will learn."
************************************************************************
Giovanni, Boss of Team Rocket, stared into the shadows as he stroked his Persian absently. Around him, ill-gotten gain and hallmarks of mischief glimmered dully. The Persian purred.
Power. He had learned.