Black and White
A/N: Inspired by Pokemon X and Y and my extremely long rant to a friend about how awesome it is to finally see some Professor and Team interaction! Please note that this is a oneshot. I may revisit this AU once The Last Airbender is done, but don't count on many pieces in this AU just yet. Please note that I picked everyone's partner Pokemon with love and care and burnt scones on my mind!
Summary: "It's not always black and white, Jones, but your heart always knows what's right." Professor Alfred F. Jones hoped to never see his old travel buddy again, but fate just up and decided up and to smack him in the face that day. Poketalia
Warnings: Non-explicit sex
Pairings: USUK
The boy was in front of his door before the Dodrio crowed thrice that morning, just as the Pokemon Professor predicted. Before Alfred even had time to lay out the three Pokemon he was to give out that day, the eager ten-year-old was already rapping upon his door. Alfred F. Jones, the current leading expert on Pokemon, smiled as he approached his entryway, chuckling slightly as the rapping became louder, more insistent.
Jones was an older fellow, nearing his mid-thirties by now, but still held the air of the great trainer he once was. In spite of his age and the stress he went through every day, his hair still shone wheat-gold- albeit lacking in luster- and his form was still lean and tall. His bright smile still came just as easily to him as it did back when he was ten, and despite their size, his hands were still just as nimble and strong as ever. Most unchanging of all were his eyes- now framed in wire-rim spectacles and laugh lines- which still whispered a promise of an endless blue sky.
"Alright, alright, chill out!" Alfred laughed as he opened the door, staring down amusedly at the young boy on the other side.
He was shorter in stature than most, with sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He had a wide, boyish face, emphasized by the fact that he was wearing what looked to be some sort of sailor uniform. They were rather unusual for travel clothes, but Alfred mentally shrugged and told himself that it was better than starting his journey butt naked. The boy's most prominent feature, however, were his eyebrows; they were rather thick and covered nearly half his face. In fact, so prodigious were these eyebrows that Alfred couldn't help but compare them to-
No. There was no need to think of that. That was the past.
"Hey! What's up, dude?" Alfred asked, flashing a smile at the blonde before him. "Name's Professor Jones, and I'm the awesome Pokemon Professor of Pallet Town!"
The little face broke into a wide grin. "My name's Peter, sir. I just turned ten yesterday and am so ready to get my first Pokemon!"
"Well, Peter, you came to just the right place," Alfred said breezily as he took the boy by the shoulder and led him into the lab. "I've got three choices laid out for ya, but you can only pick one! Whichever one you pick will be your best pal for life and all of that. In fact, Hero still hangs out with me today. I'd show you him, except he's out hunting right now, and I almost lost a finger the last time I interrupted him during a hunt, so yeah."
Peter, who had been listening intently this entire time, grew impatient. This became quite obvious when he grabbed the Professor's hand and half-dragged him over to what Alfred knew to be the main part of the lab. Alfred snickered some more, remembering his own first day of his journey. He had arrived at the lab nearly four hours early, just so he could get the best Pokemon the Professor at the time had available. In fact, he already had his Pokemon by the time anyone else showed up...
He smacked himself in the face a few times. Luckily, Peter did not seem to notice. There was no need to trouble the boy, after all.
Alfred stopped Peter in front of a low white table, where he had placed three Pokeballs earlier. Peter eyed them eagerly, as if trying to guess what Pokemon each Pokeball held. Alfred walked over and pointed to the rightmost Pokeball, his grin widening when Peter nearly squealed in delight.
"This one's got a Charmander, the Fire-type Lizard Pokemon," Alfred said. "Takes a lot of patience to train, but totally worth it! He might have a bit of trouble going against the first couple of gyms, but once he really starts getting good, he should rip right through pretty much all of them!"
Peter's large brows furrowed as he considered Charmander's ball. From the look in his eye, Alfred was able to tell that he was, quite obviously gauging his chances against the first two Gym Leaders: Ludwig, the Rock-type battler, and Yao, the Water-type trainer. Charmander would have quite a lot of trouble against them, but if Peter trained him right, then there was a good chance of victory.
"This one," Alfred continued, pointing to the leftmost Pokeball. "Is Bulbasaur, the Grass-type Seed Pokemon. He's a lot easier to train than Charmander and will blow through the first couple of gyms, no problem. Bulbasaurs are also known to be highly reliable and loyal, as long as you treat them right. You won't ever find a cooler Pokemon, either. Once they evolve, they're fun as hell to ride on!"
Peter nodded, though he didn't seem at all interested in the prospect of an easy training period for his Pokemon. Alfred quirked an eyebrow, but remained silent, silently hoping that the boy wouldn't object to the last Pokemon of the day. Flashing yet another movie-star grin, Alfred pointed to the center Pokeball.
"This last one... well, it's in the middle of the two. Not too hard, but not too easy either. This is Squirtle, the Water-type Turtle Pokemon," Alfred said. "Great at working in teams and will never let you down." he looked up at Peter. "These are the only three I'm giving away today, so choose wisely. What Pokemon do you want?"
Peter pouted. "Can't you give me some other choice, Professor Jones? The ones here don't sound cool at all! I want to be the very best right away, so can't you give me... a Dragonite or a Salamence or something?"
Alfred chuckled. "I can... but what's the fun in that? If you go around with an ultra powerful Pokemon, winning everything in your path, how will you two bond? Where's the part with the training and the growing alongside each other? What about the friendship for life?"
"Can't I just build the friendship while crushing everything in my path?" Peter complained, earning yet another laugh from Alfred.
"Yeah, you can, but I was also talking about the friends you'll make along the way: fellow trainers. They won't like it too much if all you do is throw out some over-powered Pokemon and beat up everything. They'll enjoy fighting alongside you. And believe me when I say this... you'll learn to enjoy fighting alongside them," Alfred gently picked up Squirtle's ball and handed it to the boy. "Take Squirtle. Go out and train him to be the very best that no one ever was. Build your bond with him. Strengthen it. And sooner or later, you'll rise to the very top. I guarantee it."
Peter's small hand closed around the ball, gently nudging the sensitive button at its center. A bright light filled the room as the Pokeball opened, the light slowly molding and shaping itself into a small creature. When the light faded, a tiny blue turtle stood in front of the two, large red eyes bright and filled to the brim with curiosity. The small, curled tail twitched slightly as the turtle took in his surroundings, standing up on his hind legs to get a good look at his new environment. Alfred watched in silent pleasure as the little Water-type Pokemon turned around and met Peter for the first time.
There was always something downright magical about the first meeting with what would later be a trainer's partner for life. Eyes would meet, breaths would be held, and silent vows would be exchanged in the blink of an eye. Peter's eyes widened as he met the Squirtle's large eyes with his own blue ones, his prominent eyebrows raising in a mixture of shock and happiness. A wide grin graced the young trainer's features, threatening to split his face in half. Yes, this was the moment when the bond between trainer and Pokemon was forged. This was the moment when two lives became intertwined forever.
"Hello," Peter whispered, reaching out a hand. "I'm Peter."
The Pokemon smiled and grasped one of Peter's fingers with a tiny blue hand. "Squirtle."
The rest of the day was spent teaching Peter the bare basics of traveling: what to pack, how to catch Pokemon, what to eat, and of course, why it was important that Peter carried his Pokedex with him at all times. The boy was an eager pupil; though he had already spent his days in the Pokemon School and learned these already, he was willing to listen to Alfred's little hints and tips to refine his technique. All through this, Squirtle remained his eager partner, running back and forth to fix any mistakes that Peter made.
Eventually, the sun had worn its way across the horizon and the skies grew dark. Peter would set out the next day with his Pokemon, as his mother had requested one last night with him home. Alfred found himself at his lab's doorstep, waving as the young ten-year-old ran down the road. He felt a twinge of nostalgia as he watched Peter and Squirtle run. Peter's golden hair, quite mussed from the day's work, billowed around his face as he ran, showing off his eyebrows.
He knew a boy like that once, as well. A boy with messy golden hair, giant eyebrows, and a brand new Pokemon partner. He could still see those slim legs pounding in the dust as he ran, those beautiful green eyes sparkling with mirth and the eagerness for the adventure that awaited them...
"Hey, Peter!" Alfred called as the young boy and his new friend ran down the road. Peter skidded to a stop, turning nearly tripping Squirtle at his sudden halt. One large eyebrow raised in inquiry.
"I never got your last name, dude!"
The small face broke out into a wide grin. "Kirkland, Professor Jones! My name is Peter Kirkland!"
All was quiet in the lab, save for the steady beeping of machines. It was nightfall now, and Alfred couldn't help but wonder if it was really right for him to stay up this late. But no matter how much he told himself that it was time to go to bed, that he was going to have a busy day tomorrow, he just couldn't bring himself to move from his seat.
He sat back in his chair, hugging the old photograph to his chest. It had been years since he last allowed himself to see this photo. He had put this away in a box about a decade ago, hoping desperately to forget the tragedy that had befallen him not too long after this very photo was taken. But once Peter and Squirtle had left him, the Professor got up and retrieved the photo, sitting down to stare and reminisce.
He stood second to the left, in all of his fifteen-year-old glory. Hero was perched on his shoulder, showing off his many feathers and giving the camera the kind of stare that was both stoic and playful. Teenaged Alfred was proudly holding up his badge case, showing off the eight badges that he had acquired throughout his journey.
To Alfred's direct right stood an ebony-haired, oriental boy of sixteen, who held up a picture of a Gyarados with one hand. Wang Yao had begun his journey on the same day as Alfred, battling alongside him and cheering him on. He had chosen a Magikarp, a choice that led pretty much everyone in their group to make fun of him. That is, they teased him up until the day the Magikarp became a Gyarados. No one messed with Yao after that, especially when, only a couple years later, he became the Water-type Gym Leader of Cerulean City.
Yao's arm was lazily swung around the shoulders of a slimmer male, also with jet black hair, whose deep-colored eyes seemed to pierce right into the camera. A Ninetails lay curled up at his feet. Honda Kiku, Yao's "little brother", went on his own path for a long while, continually coming back time and time again to face off against Alfred as his rival. Kiku was a powerful trainer, but he had only been Pokemon League Champion for a few weeks before Alfred came to battle him. Though Alfred had long retired from battling in order to lead the life of a Pokemon Researcher, Kiku continued training until he landed where he was today: the Fire-type Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island.
Kiku stood in front of a tall blonde youth, whose icy blue eyes pierced directly into the camera. His hair was perfectly slicked back, not a curl out of place, and he held a picture of a Tyranitar. Ludwig Beilschmidt, hailing from Pewter City, had set out to follow his brother's footsteps the day he turned 10. He, Kiku, and a young man named Feliciano met Alfred while the latter was lost in Mount Moon. Ludwig's Larvitar was powerful back then, and when it evolved into a Tyranitar, it easily nailed him the spot as the Rock-type Gym Leader in his home in Pewter City.
Speaking of Feliciano, Alfred's gaze travelled to the smiling, shorter male with auburn hair and a single curl jutting out hanging onto Ludwig's arm. Next to him stood a young man who looked very much like him, save for darker hair and a scowl. Feliciano's eyes were closed in happiness; his brother, Lovino, was giving the camera a hazel-eyed glare. Behind Feliciano stood a beautiful Gardevoir; behind Lovino stood a strong looking Gallade. The Vargas twins had set out from Cerulean City, but had gotten separated no thanks to some meddling from Pokemon snatchers. While Lovino ran off to rescue his Ralts, Feliciano had wandered around until he ran into Ludwig and Kiku. Though their two personalities were different as sun and rain- Feliciano was eager and kind, whereas Lovino often cursed and was rude- the two eventually made their way up the ranks to become the Psychic-type Gym Leaders of Saffron City.
An olive-skinned youth had his arms wrapped around Lovino, green eyes shining and deep brown hair mussed slightly, possibly from too much time picking Tomato berries. This was Antonio Carriedo, a native of Celadon City, who met Lovino while the Vargas twin was chasing after the people who dared steal his Ralts. From what Alfred later learned, Antonio showed up with his Lotad- now a Ludicolo- and easily defeated the snatchers, rescuing Lovino's Ralts and numerous other Pokemon in the process. His heroism granted him a friendship with Lovino (who cursed him out like there was no tomorrow, but not nearly as terribly as he cursed others out) and eventually, a position as the Grass-type Gym Leader of Celadon City.
Next to Antonio stood a tall young man with long golden tresses and sapphire eyes pressing a rose to his nose. Though Francis Bonnefoy had initially deigned himself to be the perfect Grass-type trainer, the Fuschia City native eventually fell in love with the Poison-type after seeing Nidoran frolicking about. The young man, following his (rather creepy) obsession with "l'amour", got himself a Nidoking and Nidoqueen pair and became the Poison-type Gym Leader of Fuschia City. It was said that he tended to romance women trainers more than battled them, but even Alfred had to admit that the man knew how to upkeep a Safari Zone.
Splayed out directly in front of Francis and Antonio, with his pale arms opened wide, was Gilbert Beilschmidt, older brother of Ludwig. The young man was a sight to look at: silver hair, white skin, and blood red eyes. Always full of energy and obsessed with the word "awesome", Gilbert had left for his journey a couple years before his brother did, accompanied by an Emolga. After spending years with Francis and Antonio, traveling with them as a trio, he met up with Alfred's group as they were about to take on the Grass-type gym. Gilbert's surprising knowledge of Pokemon battling tactics proved valuable, and there was little objection raised when Gilbert was named Electric-type Gym Leader of Vermillion City. Alfred smiled and gently tapped a finger on the face of Gilbert's Emolga, who was perched on his master's shoulder with a grin that rivaled Gilbert's.
In the very back of the picture, towering over all of them, was Ivan Braginski, a native of Viridian City, whose violet eyes and silver hair simply radiated "creepy". He had traveled alone for most of his journey, only meeting up with Alfred and the rest after he had defeated the Gym Leader of Viridian City, who, according to him, "fell like a slab of ice into a snowdrift." The group had attempted to shake him off, but he had followed them all the way through Victory Road, paying especially close attention to Yao along the way. Then again, even Alfred had to admit that his Cubone, now a Marowak in this picture, was nearly unbeatable. No one raised objections when Ivan was named Gym Leader of Viridian City.
Alfred's gaze now moved over the front of the picture, this row nearly obscured by Gilbert's outstretched hands. Nevertheless, Alfred was able to make out a blonde male with violet eyes and a single curl sticking out the top of his head ducking under Gilbert's right arm. Matthew Williams had grown up alongside Alfred in Pallet Town and even set out on his journey the same day Alfred did. Unfortunately, due to his quiet nature, he was often ignored or forgotten, forced to talk to his Cubchoo- now a Beartic in the picture he held- when Alfred started squabbling with their traveling companions. No one really paid attention when Matthew battled either. Then again, was it really that much of a surprise when Matthew was named the Ice-type specialist of the Elite 4, the most powerful trainers in the region?
The second Elite 4 member, its Fighting-type specialist, came in the form of the only woman in the picture: Elizabeta Hedervary, who set out from Pewter City alongside Gilbert with her Mienfoo in tow. A beautiful young woman with wavy brown hair and light green eyes, Elizabeta fought alongside Gilbert as his rival and comrade for years before she was named the Fighting-type specialist of the Elite 4. Now and then, she would take her Mienshao and battle Gilbert, with the two of them sharing a mixed bag of wins and losses. Her beautiful laughter and smile still touched them all to this day. It was rumored that she was to be married soon, and Alfred could not have felt happier for his old friend.
Though the original third Elite 4 member was a Ghost-type specialist, Heracles Karpusi decided to revolutionize the Kanto region's long-standing tradition and instead brought in the Normal-type. A close friend of Kiku's, Alfred and his group ran into Heracles while the green-eyed brunette was sleeping on the side of the road, on top of his trusty Snorlax. A sleepy man who hailed from one of the Sevii Isles, he had set out on a quest to find the best places to take a nap. Though Alfred never did find out whether or not Heracles actually succeeded in said quest, he did know that, with his Snorlax's powerful moves, Herakles easily landed in Elite 4 position and even visited Kiku from time to time. He might be a Normal-type specialist, but that certainly did not make Heracles any less formidable. Even now, with Heracles sleeping at Kiku's feet, his hand barely holding up the picture of his Snorlax, Heracles still looked like a threat to be reckoned with.
The final Elite 4 member was their Dragon-type specialist: Roderich Edelstein, the last person anyone would expect to be a Dragon-type master. In fact, the violet-eyed brunette had been a rather weak trainer when he first started out, walking alongside Elizabeta and Gilbert, with nothing more than a Dratini at his side. But somehow, someplace, Roderich found a place to train and hone his abilities, slowly building up a deadly symphony of battle strategies. When he emerged from this training place, Dratini had long evolved into an all-powerful Dragonite and Roderich had transformed into a Dragon Master. When he wasn't battling, the fourth Elite 4 member was often found composing beautiful songs. In fact, he was composing one right there in the picture, not even paying attention to the camera. From the way Elizabeta leaned towards him, though, Alfred could tell that there seemed to be... something about his posture that told him a story that was certainly not of complete indifference.
There was only one person left in this picture now: the one standing to Alfred's direct left. The scientist felt a lump form in his throat as his sky blue eyes passed over the right side of the picture once more, taking in everyone's expressions and postures. By the time he reached the other side of the photo, tears had already begun to form at the corners of his eyes. Briefly, he took off his spectacles and wiped at his eyes before putting them back on, bracing himself for the sight he knew that he could not avoid.
To his left stood a young blonde, scowling into the camera with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was pale and slim, rivaling Kiku in size, and possessed the largest eyebrows the world had ever seen. His most prominent feature, however, were his eyes: they were emerald in color and seemed to hold boundless wisdom. Alfred's arm was wrapped around his thin shoulders, and- despite his expression- the young man leaned into his chest. A Misdreavus floated gently at his head.
Arthur Kirkland received his first Pokemon, Scones the Misdreavus, the day Alfred received Hero and Matthew received Cubchoo. Though he was quite aloof at first, the green-eyed male eventually warmed to the two and began traveling with them. He was there when they met Kiku, Ludwig, and Feliciano, when they found Heracles by the side of the road, when they ran into Gilbert and his group, when they found Lovino and Antonio, when they found Francis lamenting over lost love... he was there for it all. He was there all throughout their journey, and celebrated alongside the group when they reached the Pokemon League.
That entire time, Alfred grew closer and closer to him. At first, he believed that he simply saw Arthur as a close friend and comrade, nothing more. The two often trained together, ate together, ventured out into cities together, and shared tents. Whenever Alfred was upset or when Arthur was especially angry, they turned to each other for comfort. Alfred opened up to Arthur about his hopes and his dreams. Arthur often whispered to Alfred at night about his insecurities, his wishes, and his greatest secrets. They were closer to each other than to anyone else in the group and, for a long time, they were happy. They were so happy, in fact, that it wasn't until they reached the seventh gym that they realized that they considered each other more than just friends.
Alfred fell for Arthur and Arthur fell for Alfred. They both admitted it to each other through a secret, heated kiss beneath the moon. Their only witnesses were Hero and Scones; they would never tell another soul. Hand in hand, the two conquered the rest of the trainers that faced them, until they faced the Pokemon League at last.
The next chapter of their story brought fresh tears to Alfred's eyes. There, in the midst of their victory, whilst their friends whooped in joy, Arthur had approached Alfred. Alfred, not caring who saw, had taken Arthur into his arms and kissed him until their lips were red with passion and shame. As Alfred pulled away, staring into those jade eyes, he heard Arthur's proposition. The horror of it had been enough for Alfred to immediately shove the man he loved to the floor.
Arthur wanted to join Team Rocket.
The organization, said to have been disbanded long ago by a bright-eyed trainer, was rising again. They were behind the snatchers who took away Lovino's Ralts. Their goals were still the same: steal and sell valuable Pokemon to make a profit, research Pokemon experiments, and eventually create the ultimate Pokemon to take over the world with. Such goals were horrible to Alfred; they were the polar opposite of the definition of being a hero.
But that did not matter to Arthur. No, he had talked about joining them incessantly that day. The way his green eyes lit up, the way his face flushed pink at the prospect of becoming a high-ranking member... it had disgusted and tempted Alfred all at once. Arthur was surely speaking madness; how could he ever want to join an organization as evil as Team Rocket? No matter how hard Alfred pleaded, however, his dear lover would not listen. He simply rambled on and on about how he was going to rise through Team Rocket's ranks and revolutionize it, change it for the better. And would Alfred be there by his side? Would Alfred please help him rise and conquer to build a better world?
Their bond, their friendship, their love... all of it was cut that day. Alfred could no longer stand to associate with, to love, a person who so willingly gave their life to the evil that Team Rocket simply oozed. It had hurt him terribly, and it had hurt their friends as well, but Alfred refused to make his peace with Arthur. Alfred left the other boy's life that day and never looked back. After all, why regret leaving a villain?
Alfred put the picture off to the side and leaned forward, his elbows resting against his desk. His hand trailed through his golden locks, lightly brushing the single bit of hair that seemed to defy gravity. He missed Arthur's touch; the Misdreavus trainer always had a way to soothe Alfred. But he was dead now, his life in the hands of the villainous Team Rocket. Alfred had no wish to see him again.
A soft tapping woke Alfred from his thoughts. Looking up, the professor caught sight of a little Spearow perched on his windowsill. The Pokemon was rapping the glass with its sharp beak, sending Alfred expressions that simply begged for pity. Without a second thought, Alfred stood up and opened the window to allow the little Bird-type Pokemon in. After all, there was plenty of room in his lab and there was no harm in letting in a Pokemon in need, right?
He was proven wrong the moment a Shadow Ball slammed into his stomach, blasting him to the opposite wall. Winded, Alfred attempted to leap to his feet, only to be slammed down again and held there by Telekinesis. Growling, Alfred struggled to get back up, but it was of no use; whatever Pokemon was using Telekinesis was obviously extremely powerful.
Alfred watched in horror as a purple Pokemon with a wide sneer wearing what looked like a witch's hat appeared in front of him. He recognized the Pokemon immediately: it was a Mismagius, a Ghost-type Pokemon that evolved from Misdreavus when exposed to a Dusk Stone. But Mismagius were not native to Pallet Town, so Alfred had no idea how this one managed to travel so far from its native land. Alfred's eyebrows furrowed together in thought as the Mismagius floated there, seeming to smirk at Alfred for his ridiculous predicament.
Alfred received the answer to his question when a figure slipped through the window, black cloak standing out sharply against his pale skin. Blonde hair shone in the pale moonlight, matching the rather large eyebrows in shine and color. The sneer that greeted Alfred was wild; it told of adventure and mischief far beyond the tiny confines of his lab. Green eyes, the color of poison, glinted at him in glee.
"Alfred, love, it has been too long," a lilting voice purred, the slight accent barely slipping through perfect pink lips. "How have you been?"
Alfred scowled. "Arthur. Aren't you supposed to be dead or stealing shit or something? Or, even better, in jail?"
The sneer became a smirk. "You ought to know by now that it takes more than a few bumbling police officers and their Growlithe to catch me."
"How about a Pidgeot instead, asshole?" Alfred snarled. "HERO, BRAVE BIRD!"
A streak of brown and cream answered him, diving towards Arthur at lightning speed. A sharp beak gleamed menacingly in the dim light as the Pidgeot dived, aiming right for Arthur's throat. Relief washed through Alfred; Hero would save him, after all.
Meanwhile, much to Alfred's shock, Arthur remained calm as the flurry of feathers neared him, merely snapping his fingers and giving a knowing look to Mismagius. The Ghost-type Pokemon's smirk widened. Then, without so much of a warning, Mismagius suddenly lifted its telekinetic hold upon Alfred, choosing instead to launch a powerful blast of electricity at the oncoming Pidgeot. Hero had no time to dodge, no time to swerve away as he met the Zap Cannon head on.
Alfred heard himself scream. He watched in horror, sobbing, as his Pidgeot, his partner, fell. He was only knocked out, but it still hurt; after all, Hero had not been defeated in battle since the Pokemon League. It would take an especially powerful attack to fell him, and in one hit at that!
He wanted to crawl over to Hero, to make sure that the Flying-type Pokemon was okay. But right when that thought crossed Alfred's mind, Mismagius had resumed its telekinetic hold. He could only watch as Arthur stooped down, picked up the unconscious Pokemon, and placed it on a nearby table. When Arthur turned to look at him, his green eyes were filled with not triumph, but pity.
Alfred hated it.
He glared in silence as Arthur walked over to him, boots clacking against the hardwood floor. Underneath his cloak, Alfred caught the slightest glimpse of an olive green suit. Briefly, Alfred entertained the notion of ripping the cloak off to expose such attire, but he dismissed it. After all, with this stupid Mismagius holding him down, it was going to be difficult anyways.
"You're so beautiful, Alfred," Arthur whispered, reaching out to run cold, slim fingers down Alfred's cheek. "You're even more beautiful than I remember. How is it that you managed to keep yourself looking so young?"
Alfred hissed and yanked his face away from Arthur's touch. "Unlike you, I put my all into helping improve lives. I'm a hero, and you're just some stupid Team Rocket Grunt that should go jump off a-"
Arthur laughed, a high, cold sound. "Do you honestly think that, after all these years, I would still be some lowly Grunt? Come now, Alfred, you know me better than that." he leaned in, bracing his hands against the wall behind Alfred. The professor suddenly became aware of how close they were. Arthur's lips barely brushed his as he spoke. "I aim for the higher things. The greater things." the emerald gleam in the other's eye was maddening. "The things that will make your pathetic professor body squirm. I will make you regret ever denying my request, Jones!"
Alfred's eyes narrowed. He had to come up with a good comeback for this. He was a hero, after all. At the very least, he had to stall long enough for Hero to recover. Or for one of his other Pokemon to wake up. Then again, he wasn't all too sure how his other Pokemon would help, considering the fact that Hero was the best of his team.
"Well, at least my eyebrows are normal-sized!" Alfred retorted, slapping himself internally for how childish that insult was. He was one of the leading experts in Pokemon and considered to be one of the most brilliant minds of the century, for Arceus' sake! Surely he could come up with something better than that.
Arthur's brow furrowed, his poison green eyes filled with indignation. "G-Git! How dare you! I'll have you know that my eyebrows are perfectly fine! They're way better than Francis', anyways. Who the hell wants that much hair? He looks like a bloody woman! And don't get me started on your appearance habits. How many bloody poffins do you consume in a day anyways? It is certainly not healthy, and is giving you that idiotic stomach pouch that I warned you about back when we were fifteen, and-"
It was amazing, how one little comment changed everything. Suddenly, Arthur was no longer the fearsome Team Rocket member, out to recruit Alfred and generally make his life miserable. It was as if the two were ten years old again, ready to set out on their journey. Arthur had always been the hot-headed, stubborn, and sarcastic one of the group; Alfred had fallen for his sharp tongue and biting wit. And, if he wished to be honest with himself, he truly missed this Arthur, who would go into random rants on just about anything, who always fought with Francis over the latest trends, who could somehow ruin berries before they were made into poffins...
"Say, are you still Kanto's worse cook?" Alfred asked, interrupting Arthur mid-rant. The blonde's cheeks took on a new shade of red at this remark. This shade looked rather good on him, actually... no, stop it. Bad Alfred. No frolicking with evil people, no matter how smoking hot they've grown up to be...
"I'll have you know that my cooking was perfectly fine when we were younger, and still is perfectly fine!" Arthur sniffed. "Scones loves my poffins, don't you, Scones?" said Mismagius quickly looked away from its trainer.
Alfred smirked. "Yeah, sure. Look, even your Pokemon can't agree with you. So let's face it, you suck at cooking, and you always will suck at cooking. No wonder Francis-"
"Don't you dare bring that idiotic Froakie into this conversation," Arthur snapped, using an old nickname he had given Francis long ago. "And stop getting me off track, you idiot! I came here for a single purpose, and you've done nothing but distract me all night!"
Alfred huffed, rolling his sky blue eyes. "Alright, Cranky Brows. What do you want from me?" he wasn't really sure why he even bothered asking. After all, there was an extremely high chance that he correctly guessed Arthur's reason for coming to see him anyways.
Arthur took a deep breath and smiled. "Why, I want you to join Team Rocket, of course. We are in great need of brilliant minds such as yours, and I believe that with you assisting us, we will be able to fulfill our goals and bring terror to all idiotic Gym Leader Froakies everywhere."
Ten points for Professor Jones, everyone!
"Right... and what in Arceus' name makes you think that I'll go back on what I thought all those years ago?" Alfred asked. The hostility in his tone surprised him. By the looks of things, it seemed to surprise Arthur as well. He watched as the other male's expression changed from shock to anger to disappointment, to annoyed, to neutral, all in a couple of seconds.
Arthur huffed. "W-Well, it has been years. We were mere boys back then, I'll have you know. Your views could have changed since then..."
"Arthur," Alfred said quietly. "You should know me well enough by now. I'm completely against what Team Rocket stands for. I hate how you guys steal, I hate how you guys hurt other Pokemon, I hate it all! Pokemon aren't tools or cash or anything, Arthur! They're our friends! They're meant to be our partners! You can't just up and sell them, because it isn't right..."
"You don't understand, Al," Arthur said bitterly, adverting his eyes. "You don't understand at all..."
"Then what am I supposed to understand?" Alfred demanded. "That there's a good reason you're stealing and hurting Pokemon? That there's more to Team Rocket than 'RAWR! Conquer all!'? That you guys actually do something good for the world?"
Arthur bit his lip, his slim form trembling. "W-Well... I-I..."
Alfred's jaw dropped. No way. There was just no way anyone could ever consider Team Rocket to be doing any form of good. Hell, even Team Rocket Grunts and Admins admitted that they were doing bad things to the Pokemon they stole. What did those idiots do to Arthur that brainwashed him so?
"I-I'm an Admin., you know," Arthur said quickly. "I'm high-ranking enough and I do believe that I will become the next Boss. So once I become Boss, I'll be able to implement new reforms, and-"
"And what? Think up new ways to torture Pokemon? To ruin the dreams of prospective trainers?"
"Of course not!" Arthur said desperately. "Alfred, please understand! My goal is to reform Team Rocket into something greater! Rather than simply blindly experimenting, we will instead experiment for the greater good! We can improve lives, save some, and maybe even bring some back! Just imagine, Alfred! Just imagine what we can do if we just give Team Rocket a chance!"
"At what cost, Arthur?" Alfred snapped. "At what goddamn cost? You still need funds. And how the fuck are you guys going to get them, a bake sale? You can battle all you want, but we both know that 99% of your stupid team carry Ratatas and claim to be the best trainers ever."
"We can improve on that," Arthur said hesitantly. "A-And... we can-"
"And another thing; the experiments," Alfred said savagely. "What the hell are you going to do about those? Your team is made up of fucking sadists, Arthur! Pokemon have died because of your 'experiments'!"
"There are ways to make them more humane!" Arthur argued. "B-Besides, once we get ahold of Palkia and Dialga..." he clamped a hand over his mouth, green eyes wide in fear. Alfred stared at him in disbelief, too shocked to say anything else. For a moment, silence lapsed between the two, interrupted only by the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind.
"P-Palkia and Dialga...?" Alfred repeated. "Are you trying to say that you're going to try to steal the rulers of Time and Space!?"
Arthur looked away. "W-Well, their abilities are both immensely powerful. If we can only harness such power, then we will easily be able to fulfill our goals. Dialga's time manipulation will allow us to redo experiments, should they go wrong, and Palkia's space distortion will help us reshape places that ought to be reshaped."
"Again, Arthur... You're freaking planning on trying to stick Time and Space themselves under your control!" Alfred said angrily. "Do you have any idea how stupid of an idea that is!?"
"We can make it work!" Arthur insisted, wringing his hands. It was obvious that he was not going to give up a losing battle. "I know it can! According to our calculations-"
"According to my calculations, you're going to fail so badly, I'm going to have to invent a whole new word to describe how badly you'll fail! You can't play Arceus, Arthur, not matter how hard you try! You're going to completely destroy everything the people and Pokemon of this world have ever worked for, and for what? So you can do your stupid ass experiments?!"
"Alfred, please, you must see this my-"
"I'M DONE WITH YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME SEE THINGS YOUR WAY, BECAUSE YOUR WAY WILL FUCKING KILL OFF EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD, ESPECIALLY OUR GODDAMNED FRIENDS!"
Arthur took a step back, clutching his chest as if struck. Alfred immediately regretted his outburst, but kept his pride and held his tongue, panting in frustration. Arthur was trembling, opening his mouth mindlessly, trying to summon up the argument that Alfred knew would never come. His resolve was wavering; it was time to go in for the kill.
"I just don't get it, Arthur," Alfred whispered after a long silence. "Why join Team Rocket? Why go through all of this? Why try to change what can't be changed? Arthur, you and I both know that, at its very core, Team Rocket is here to steal and to hurt Pokemon. You might speak about creating a better world using Team Rocket's resources, but I can only see it ending in disaster. You wanna know who tried making a better world, but ended up failing because they tapped into something they shouldn't have? Archie and Maxie, leaders of Teams Aqua and Magma down in Hoenn. They tried controlling the forces of nature. And here you are, telling me that you want to control Time and Space. Don't you know what consequences it can bring? Don't you care?" he stared right into Arthur's eyes, his voice pleading. "Leave Team Rocket, Arthur... please, just leave Team Rocket. You don't belong there."
Arthur shook his head. "I've dedicated my life to Team Rocket, Alfred. I want to see it improve, for it to be something other than a bunch of... Pokemon pirates."
"But at what cost, Arthur? Space and Time are things that shouldn't ever be meddled with. You and I both know this. So why? Why try something that you know is impossible?"
Arthur's hands trembled. "I-I... it was not my idea. The other Admins. suggested it, and our Boss liked it. He liked the idea of us being able to control Time and Space. He... intends to misuse their powers. Time can be used as either a form of torture, or a way to fix our mistakes so that our future is assured... Space can also be used as torture, and can be used to shape the world in his image..."
"But why me?" Alfred asked. "You said you came to get me to join Team Rocket. Where do I fit into all of this?" Arthur's smile was bitter, almost cruel.
"You are one of the most brilliant minds to ever grace this region, Jones... on top of that, if you were to join Team Rocket, we would have been..." he hesitated. "... Partners. Partners in crime, you might say. You would calculate and invent a way to contain both Dialga and Palkia, as well as Giratina, if possible. Meanwhile, I would train my Pokemon and prepare for the day when I would battle and... capture them..."
"Artie..." Alfred tried getting to his feet, only to be cruelly reminded of Scones' telekinesis. "You know that your position is still open, right? Rod and I've been filling in for you all these years..."
Arthur's eyes widened. "M-My position!? Alfred, we both know that you were the one that won it fair and square, and-"
"We also both know that I turned it down, because I didn't want it, nor did I deserve it," Alfred said coldly. "Your Pokemon suffered for it, Artie. You were the one that trained and trained and trained just so you could become stronger. Yeah, sure, maybe for the eight gyms, I was trying for that title too, but I'm older now, Artie. I've learned so many new things, and I've finally figured out where I really belong. I turned down the position to become a Pokemon Professor... but it's still open for you to take..."
"You would have made a much better Champion than I...""
No. I could never ever have touched your battling ability," Alfred whispered. "Come back to us, Artie... We all miss you. Kiku misses you. Yao misses you. Mattie misses you. Gilbert, Ludwig, Antonio, Lovino, Feliciano, Ivan, Elizabeta, Roderich, Heracles... we all miss you..." his voice broke. "I miss you..."
Arthur bit his lip. From his body language, Alfred was able to tell that the Team Rocket Admin. was struggling with himself. He saw a whole variety of emotions cross Arthur's face, no doubt echoing his rapid thoughts as he weighed the pros and the cons of this decision. Meanwhile, all Alfred could do was watch with bated breath; he cared for the other male greatly- he probably even loved him- and wanted him to make the right choice. But if Arthur chose his duty to Team Rocket over his old friendship, then all of it would be for naught. Alfred would be forced to continue living, to continue knowing that he allowed his friend to run off with an organization that meant nothing but pain. It seemed to take hours, days, but eventually, Arthur came through. Alfred saw the decisive gleam in his eye, and the habitual lip-wetting that Arthur always did before he announced his decision. Alfred nearly felt his heart stop when he heard what came out of Arthur's mouth.
"It's not always black and white, Jones, but your heart always knows what's right."
Those words brought a new strength to Alfred's limbs. As if sensing what was going to happen, Mismagius lifted its powerful telekinesis, allowing the professor to run forward and embrace his oldest friend. He was sobbing, though he did not mean to, and the wetness on his shoulder told him that Arthur was sobbing as well. He felt Arthur's slim arms wrap around him, relished Arthur's hot breath as it ghosted across his neck, perfectly content to simply stand there, sobbing and hugging like tomorrow would never it wasn't enough for Alfred.
He craved the gentle touches, the passionate kisses of his youth. He thirsted for the feeling of Arthur's lips against his own, and as his hands began to roam, he found that he had long learned to crave something much greater than first thing he felt was Arthur's silky lips, perfectly curved to fit his own. It was a beautiful feeling, tingly and almost electric; it sent chills down Alfred's spine. When Arthur's tongue gently brushed his bottom lip, he opened his mouth, allowing access. More electricity coursed through him as Arthur explored every crevice of his mouth, memorizing every nook and cranny it could find. Arthur's hands, meanwhile, were roaming just as much as Alfred's were, if not more so. Alfred was only vaguely aware of when his own hands went lower on Arthur, ghosting over his chest, his stomach, his hips...
The next thing Alfred knew, his world was a whorl of heat and passion. He was blind to everything but the silvery light of the moon, the beautiful flash of golden hair, the gleam of emerald green eyes, and the rosy flush upon pale skin. He felt nothing but bliss as thin, deft fingers wound their way through his hair, as a slim, athletic body pressed against his, over and over, as perfect pink lips ghosted across his bare skin. He heard himself screaming, moaning, begging, too lost in the thralls of their passion to care. No longer was he the aged Professor Jones, who researched Pokemon night and day. He was beyond that now, a precious gem being worshiped by a zealous collector. He was revering and being revered, a happy sacrifice in the face of an unspoiled god.
By the time they finished, by the time sweet nothings were being whispered into his ear, he still had not recovered. Alfred clutched to his lover, nuzzling his neck, relishing the feel of his heartbeat. He was a child again, a boy with a Pidgey who desperately craved guidance and companionship. He was little Alfie running after older Artie, who very grudgingly, yet lovingly, took him under his wing and taught him everything there was to know about Pokemon.
What Arthur whispered into his ear made his world so much sweeter.
"Allow me to extend my congratulations," Arthur said with a regal nod as he called his unconscious Milotic back into its ball. "I, the Elite 4 Champion, admit defeat. You have proven to me that your resolve is strong and your bond with your Pokemon is stronger still." he smiled at the young man before him. "Peter, is it? Well done, Peter."
Alfred strode into the room to meet the young man, who was now 16 years old. The boy had grown taller in the couple of years that had past since he first met Squirtle, now Blastoise. His eyebrows hadn't diminished, but there was now a much more mature spark dancing in the middle of each blue eye. The handshake he gave Alfred was firm and sure of itself. But Alfred was able to see past it; he saw the barely contained excitement of the new Pokemon League Champion.
"Awesome job, Peter!" Alfred said, pulling the younger male into a tight hug. He heard Arthur chuckle in the distance. When he pulled away, he held Peter at arm's length and eyed him. "Damn, kid, you've grown!"
Peter laughed. "So did you, Professor Jones. Are those wrinkles and gray hairs I see?"
Alfred pouted. "No way! I'm still plenty young and stuff! Don't jinx it, man!" this time, Arthur joined Peter in the laughter, causing Alfred to huff some more. "Anyways, how's the Pokedex coming? You almost done?"
Peter grinned, pulling it out of his pocket. "I almost have everything caught. There seems to be just a few more spaces left, though, so..."
Alfred waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, keep it, then show it to me when you think it's done." then, all playfulness gone, he straightened. "Alright, Pe- new Champion! Follow me and Artie to the next room, please!" he turned on his heel and stepped onto the elevator platform in the center of the room with a sweep of his white lab coat.
"It's Arthur and I, idiot," Arthur mumbled as he followed the Pokemon professor onto the platform. Out of the corner of his eye, Alfred caught the shorter male playing with a gold band wound around his left finger. With a large smirk creasing his features, the taller blonde reached out and grabbed the hand with the ring, quickly pressing his lips to the cold metal before dropping it again. Arthur turned red and sputtered, but Peter didn't seem to notice; he was too engrossed in his own happiness and the fact that the platform was now rising upwards to care much for the other two.
They reached the room held above the Champion's Field and led Peter to a gently humming machine. Alfred stood off to one side, while Arthur stood on the other. The two turned to face Peter, whose eager young face with bright with bliss.
"This is the Hall of Fame, Peter," Arthur said. "Where Pokemon League Champions are immortalized forever."
"You and your Pokemon will be freaking worshiped and stuff!" Alfred said eagerly. "And you'll be considered one of the most powerful trainers to ever grace Kanto! Man, I hope your mom's proud!"
"Place your party in the indents," Arthur gestured to said indents.
"Just don't forget to remove your hands quickly. It hurts getting zapped by those light things."
Thus finished, the two stepped aside and allowed Peter to step forward. They watched in silence as the young teen pulled out his Pokeballs one by one and lovingly placed them in their proper place. Alfred silently went over their order in his head, having noticed that Peter had carefully labelled his Pokeballs to make sure that he never got his Pokemon mixed up: Blastoise, Gardevoir, Hydreigon, Volcanora, Aegislash, and Chesnaught. All six of them, nestled comfortably in each indent, began glowing as Peter's information was recorded.
Alfred, standing next to Arthur, reached out and took his hand. His grin widened as his fingers brushed against the golden band, his heart fluttering as he turned to gaze at the beautiful green eyes framed by sandy blonde locks. Arthur in turn smiled at him, a light flush coating his features as his emerald gaze trailed all over the taller male.
"It looks like you're finally retiring," Alfred said quietly, pressing Arthur's hand to his lips. "Happy now?"
Arthur chuckled. "Of course I am. You have no idea what it's like being cramped up in that room, no challengers coming to you, and those that do come are pathetic..."
Alfred leaned forward and nuzzled the other blonde's nose. "You're talking to the guy who stays cramped up in his lab all day, knowing that he never will get challenges." he looked Arthur in the eye, a childish spark flashing within him. "I think I win."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Shut up and kiss me, you idiot."
And Alfred did.