A/N: Sorry that the last chap was so short, but this one will be the longest one yet!!!!!
FOR Muses — 14
AGAINST Muses — 1
PLEASE VOTE!!!
Rage: So far we don't have to move out.
Harry: YAY!!
Giovanni: Don't celebrate yet, Harry, we still have two more days(Chapters) of voting to do.
Harry: (Depressed)
Wizard: *Smacks Giovanni upside the head* Meanie. (Cuddles Harry)
"People Talking"
"Pokémon Talking"
Thinking
PokeDex Talking
PokeGaze Talking
Chapter Fifty-Two
~*~
Harry smiled happily as he bounced in his seat. The limo was pulling into the parking lot of the park, where Harry's birthday, and battle, would take place. It was the only place big enough for everyone. There was a jungle gym, monkey bars, and a bright yellow slide, as well as swings and a basketball court, where the battle would take place.
"Stop bouncing, Harry," Sarah scolded half-heartedly, smiling slightly. "You'll strain something." Harry forced himself to stop, giving the woman he saw as a mother a sheepish smile.
"Sorry Sarah," he said; she pulled him into a gentle hug, kissing his head.
"It's understandable," she said simply; they shared a smile. Mark and Giovanni looked at each other from their seats, eyes holding a perfect clarity and understanding. They had much more in common now then they ever had before. Ric, Lyn, Heather, Charlie, and Mary chattered on, not noticing the look-exchanges.
"This is so exciting!" Heather gushed, grinning widely. "I get to see my Dad again!"
"What about your mom?" Harry asked, curious. Heather lifted a shoulder in a shrug and wouldn't meet his eyes.
"She has work and stuff," she said, then shook her head and grinned. "But Dad'll be there, and he'll bring you and me a present!" She grinned broadly, hazel eyes sparkling with happiness. Harry grinned right back, happy for her.
"Well, our mom and dad-"
"Will bring loads of presents-"
"For all of us!" Ric and Lyn chimed together; Harry laughed, grinning at the twins as well.
"Don't forget that Brock and his family will be there as well," Sarah told them; Mark nodded.
"And so will Professor Oak." Giovanni smirked at his soon-to-be-son.
"I've taken it upon myself to call in a few others that I'm sure you'll appreciate seeing again," he told Harry. The psychic beamed at them all, bright green eyes glittering like the emeralds they were often compared to.
He was so happy!
With Ginostashi…
The once proud businessman growled in annoyance, ignoring the irksome ache that never ceased in the stump of his missing finger, still wrapped heavily in gauze. His bank accounts had been emptied! The money he'd had in them, even the one he'd thought so cleverly hidden, had been redistributed throughout many of his old businesses, with surprisingly good investments, and all of it went to that damned brat! He'd show him, though; he'd show that ignorant child why no one messed with a Ginostashi.
Baring his teeth in what only a fool would call a smile, he pushed open the doors of the shady looking bar, and stalked across the room to the man he was meeting there. The man was wearing black, all black, with a silver belt and bracelets, all shaped like some snake-like Pokémon Ginostashi had never seen before. He had smooth, pale skin, brown hair, and a black and silver cowboy hat that was pulled down low, blocking his face. Ginostashi stood in front of him for a few seconds, then sat without invitation.
"You're the one who I've been told to meet?" Ginostashi demanded; the man tilted his head in a nod, still not showing his face. "Think you're up to what I need done, though?" The businessman challenged. The man finally lifted his face, and frigid silver eyes met Ginostashi's gray, standing out in the unknown mans unbelievably young face. Soft, pink lips curved slightly in a cold smirk.
"If it's alive and needs dead, then, for the right price, it'll get in a grave when I tell it," the man-no, boy, purred silkily, smirking confidently. "Nothing escapes Jimmy Silver, Pokémon Poacher. What did you have in mind?" Ginostashi grinned viciously.
He was going to show that brat. One bullet at a time…
With Harry…
"Brock!" Harry cheered, leaping from the Limo to fly into the Pewter Gym Leaders arms, making the taller man nearly drop the large gift-bag he was carrying. The Gym Leader laughed, hugging the boy gently. Harry didn't stay there long, though, he was soon back on the ground and diving into Brocks siblings, hugging everyone as if he hadn't seen them just the night before. The older ones laughed warmly, understanding the boys excitement, while the younger ones were just as caught up.
A whir of a helicopter cut off his high-speed babble about Pokémon with some of the older kids and the Tricksters. Turning curious green eyes in the direction of the sound, he was startled to find not one, not two, but three helicopters bearing the Team Rocket symbols on the side glide over the trees. As the helicopters set down in the baseball field, Harry watched as several people climbed out.
"Uncle James, Aunt Jessie, Uncle Meowth!" Harry cried, eyes huge with delight. "Koga, Erika, Sabrina, Surge, Blaine, Misty!" He was now gaping, startled. "You're all here?" He demanded, running over to glomp his Aunt and Uncles first. Then he all but tackled Koga, knocking the man down into the dirt. Koga yelped, then blinked as Harry was gone in a flash, getting a cuddling hug and a kiss on the head from Erika. He got his hair ruffled by Surge and Misty, an awkward hug from emotionless Sabrina (though Harry could swear that she was smiling slightly), and an over-enthusiastic hug from Blaine, which knocked the boy flat, the old man falling with him. They just laughed and tried to untangle each other from their clothes, grinning brightly.
"Enough hugs," Giovanni called. "Time for presents." Harry squealed and dove out from under the Cinnabar Islands Gym Leader's bony frame. He darted over to his soon-to-be-father and snatched up his hand unashamedly, pulling the smiling businessman towards the picnic tables, already piled high with presents except for the one that had food and a covered rectangle that Harry knew must have been a cake. His cake, he realized with a swell of warmth in his chest. He was having his first birthday party, with all his friends and family. It was nearly overwhelming, he decided as his eyes warmed and burned slightly with joyful tears. He hurriedly blinked them away, though. Today was a day for warmth and laughter, not tears. Even happy ones.
Smiling, he sat down and looked at his gifts, pulling Giovanni down to sit next to him.
"Which should I open first?" he asked, and grinned as all the kids shouted at once. "Okay, okay, hold on a second!" He cried, before reaching for his Pokeballs. "I want everyone to be here, okay?" His friends all nodded and soon their Pokemon were everywhere, some running around, some climbing trees, and some finding places to sit on shoulders and presents alike. Only Harry's Pokemon gathered around him, with Oridina and Harmony sitting on his shoulders. Lord Persian lay down behind him, with Prophesy and Havoc lying contentedly on his broad back, eyes watching intently. Shadow jumped up and perched on Lord Persians head, paws gripping the much larger Pokemon's temples, making Harry and several off his guests laugh at how cute the two looked.
With Jimmy…
Jimmy Silver shifted his body as he lay on the ground, hidden by trees and brush. His rifle was set, aimed straight and true at the cluster of Pokemon surrounding a small boy with bright green eyes. His objective was clear, his fee paid, and his job made easy by his prey.
And still, he hesitated.
Jimmy had yet to fail a job. He'd never had to give a refund. He'd never lost his nerve when it came to pulling the trigger and ending a life. Not once…
Until he'd seen how these Pokemon acted around their trainer, and how the boy acted around them. He wanted to call this to a stop, pull out is phone, dial Ginostashi's number, and tell the greedy bastard that the deal was off and there were no such thing as refunds. He wanted to put his gun away, pick up his bag, and leave. But he couldn't.
He had never backed down from a job, and he wasn't about to now.
Taking a deep breath, Jimmy focused his silver eyes through his scope, and took aim on the massive Persians head, aiming carefully. He held perfectly still, before slowly tightening his finger on the trigger, and—
Promptly blacking out when something slammed into the back of his skull.
As his body went limp, two forms emerged from the shadows behind him. They stepped into the light, taking on the shapes of a small girl and a Pokemon.
"Nice Bone Toss, Tombow!" Charna said; the small Cubone rubbed its neck in embarrassment. "Nobody points a gun at my hubby!" the girl told the unconscious boy on the ground, before she promptly began digging through his bag. Scowling at the lack of anything she could give to Harry as a gift, she turned to the boy, and something silver and shiny caught her eye.
Quickly, she pushed the boy onto his back and looked at his belt, eyes bright with delight as she touched the metal snake-like Pokemon. Before she could stop herself, Charna had the belt off him and folded carefully into a blue handkerchief. Then she snatched up the gun as well, pulling a large pink ribbon from her dress pocket before tying it around the gun in a big boy.
"Boys like guns, right?" she asked her Pokemon, who shrugged, fiddling with his tie. "Oh well," she said, shrugging, before taking her Pokemon's hand and skipping away towards the party, gun slung over her back. "Harry will like it anyway!"
Back in the tree's, Jimmy moaned, rolled over, and passed out again.
With Harry…
Harry looked around at all his friends before reaching out to snatch up another present. He'd already unwrapped seventeen presents, and was quite happy with his gifts so far. Four new necklaces From Jesse, James, and Meowth, Three new shirts from Sarah and Mark, a cellphone with a video screen so he could call home from Professor Oak (Who'd showed up minutes before with Archer), a bike from Brock, a Growlithe Pokedoll from Blaine, three books on Pokemon care from Koga and Misty, another of breeding from Surge, a belt and gun from his stalker-I mean, his avid fan, and an onyx ring with the Giovanni livery on it in gold from Giovanni.
He was on one of the final presents now, from Heathers dad George, a blue haired man with deep honey-brown eyes and a tired smile. Harry lifted the lid and grinned happily, pulling out yet another necklace, this one a wide black choker with bright green on it that was shaped like flames. It was just big enough to cover the scars on his neck.
"Heather called and told me what happened while you were in the hospital," George said in his soft, quiet voice. "I thought you might appreciate something to stave off the stares with." Harry nodded, put it on, and threw his arms around Georges waist in a hug, beaming.
"Thank you," he whispered, before hurrying back to his other gifts. H had two left, one from Ric and Lyn's mom and dad (Samantha and Jared, a pair of Detectives who had, indeed, brought presents for all the Tricksters, and who looked totally different then their children, Samantha with her red hair and Jared with his white.) The two had come in their own private helicopter, a garish, bright orange thing that made Ric and Lyn blush in mortification when it had landed next to the sleek Team Rocket 'copters.
"Oh wow!" Harry blurted as he opened the plain brown box. Inside sat three stones, one blue, one red, and one green. "Evolution Stones!" He quickly pulled them out, looking them over admiringly. Each had a small gold string wrapped around it, with a white card that held its label, properties, and what Pokemon it worked best on. Harry looked up and grinned.
"Thanks you guys!" The detectives grinned and nodded, arms wrapped around each other and their children. There were two presents left now, one small box wrapped in green and gold, and a long, thin box wrapped in red and blue. Curious, Harry reached forward and picked up the red and blue box, reading the small note aloud.
"'To Harry, My Genius Perfume Protégé, With Love, Erika.' Aw! Thanks Erika!" He said, beaming at the beautiful woman, who smiled softly back. Harry quickly opened the box and stopped short, staring at the rolled scroll tied with a neat red ribbon. Curious, Harry carefully slid the ribbon off and unfurled the scroll, eyes going wide. Shocked, he could only stare in stunned silence, so Giovanni leaned over and read out loud,
"The Institute of the Creation of Scents, Smells, and Glorious Perfumes does hereby name one Harry Morsinger a Perfume Master, Scent-Maker Extraordinaire, and Smell-Finder Supreme, and grant upon him the title of Head Professor of Lady Erika's School of Perfume Creation and Mastery, second to only the current Headmistress, Lady Erika of Celadon City. May your Perfumes Continue To Astound and Enrapture."
"I'm a Perfume Master," Harry whispered in shock; Erika smiled.
"And if you ever get tired of running around and catching Pokemon, you now have a spot at my school in a teaching position," she said, and was surprisingly prepared to find herself on the receiving end of his enthusiastic glomp, cheeks pinking slightly when Giovanni nodded to her, rolling the scroll and replacing the ribbon tie. Wiping joyful tears from his eyes, Harry turned to the last present, and picked up the small card. It said, simply: To Harry, From Sabrina. Smiling, Harry pulled it close and eagerly opened it.
Sitting inside on a green silk pillow was a black pokeball with a purple underbelly. Harry reached in and pulled it out curiously, pushing the button. Instantly, the ball opened, but instead of a red light, a blue light zapped out of it and wrapped around Harry's hands. Harry gasped softly as the blue light, which he recognized as Sabrina's own psychic power, slowly solidified into a pair of sapphire-blue gloves that, even as he watched, faded through his fingerless black gloves so that his fingertips were a beautiful blue only.
"Whoa," Lyn, Ric, and Heather all said, leaning in to examine the new gloves curiously.
"I did not know what to get you that would be useful," Sabrina said in her quiet way. "These gloves will help calm Pokemon, and will work most effectively on ghost and psychic Pokemon." Harry looked up at her and beamed, letting a bright green trickle of his own power reach out and circle here in a form of psychic hug before retracting it.
"Thank you, Sabrina," he said simply; the psychic Gym Leader smiled her half-smile and nodded.
"Now," Giovanni interrupted gently. "Before we have cake and ice cream, there is one more present to give and a battle to be had." Harry turned to him with a trusting smile as the billionaire pushed three neat sheets of paper towards the eleven-year-old.
"The adoption papers," he announced calmly. "You need to sign here, and here," he said, pointing to two blank dotted lines beneath Giovanni's own neat signatures. Harry, his hand shaking slightly, carefully signed his name. Giovanni set the sheet aside and pointed at the next sheet.
"Do you wish to change your name?" he asked; Harry hesitated, uncertain.
"I-" he hesitated. "I'd like to keep Morsinger for now," he said softly. "But maybe I could change it later?" He ended with a half-statement-half-question that made Giovanni smile slightly.
"Of course you can," he said simply; Harry smiled gratefully and signed his name on the required line. Finally Giovanni gestured to the third and final page.
"This one is your employment sheet for the Team Rocket Agency," he said calmly. "By signing this, you are fully entering yourself into my employment as my heir and the next in line should something happen that would force me into an early retirement." Harry met his blue eyes with knowing green, and signed his name. Giovanni silently set the papers aside, and turned back with a smile.
"Welcome to the family, son," he said; Harry grinned and threw his arms around the businessman's neck, squeezing firmly.
"It's great to be here, dad," he whispered back; and Giovanni hugged him fiercely, both burying their faces in the others necks, and just sat, enjoying the others presence and the warmth of their love.
They had both found that missing piece in their lives, and were determined to cling to it as they waited for another to be found.
With Jimmy…
Fuck, his head hurt. Groaning, he carefully sat up, rubbing the pulsating goose-egg growing on the back of his skull. Grimacing, he turned his silver eyes towards his intended targets, and saw that they were all gathered round the same table, watching as the green-eyed boy hugged the man he now recognized as the Head of the Rockets. Grimacing, Jimmy stood, glanced around…
And promptly cursed when he realized that he'd been stolen from. And those were his favorite gun and belt too! Scowling, he snatched up satchel and stalked down the hill to his motorcycle, rubbing his head with a scowl.
Ginostashi was sure as fuck going to have to give him Hazard-Pay if he wanted this job done. And more information as well, he thought, glancing towards the party again. Definitely had some questions to answer, Old Ginostashi did…
Giving a huff of annoyance, Jimmy hopped on his bike, pulled on a black-and-silver-flamed helmet, and took off in a cloud of dust down the road, away from his target, and the enthralling green-eyed boy who was connected to one of the richest men in the region…
A/N: WOO! My longest chapter yet! Remember, feed me reviews or I'll die of boredom-induced-starvation!! O_O Oh, and vote on my Muses Plz!!! R&R!!
