To my readers,
I made a change on title system for this fic, the names Oak or Giovanni, in the title tell who the main perspective is, it's not meant to be a part of the name, it's just to tell you who's narrating.
Post script, All review responses will be on the bottom of the chapters for this fic.
Kasan Soulblade
The guilty and the innocent,
Chapter three
Grudging acceptance -Oak
"I was lucky." Oak smiled, he had his leg nicely propped up in a chair, ice packs were wrapped in towels to keep the water from dripping into the cast. They wound around his upper leg where a number of small bites had been stitched shut. At least it was some relief from the Hellish pain that the Arbok had inflicted on him, though the pain relief pinned him in his chair for the time being.
"That you survived your own lapse of intelligence?" Leo was sprawled in a chair, his Persian resting in his lap. The Normal type was taking after its master, sprawling in the confines of the lap. He spared the pokemon glance and gently scratched the animal's head. Bad move, claws that could shear through a Golems thick hide that could leave scars on a diamond hard Onyx, slid out and kneaded his leg. Hissing pain Giovanni tried to push the Persian down but the claws only dug in deeper.
"Don't Leo, you know how persistent he is and all you will do is hurt yourself."
"Persian, stop, these pants cost two hundred dollars!"
"Just how much money do you have in your wallet?" Oak asked, the question was so shocking to him that Giovanni answered honestly.
"Four hundred in large bills, and about a hundred in smaller bills, why?"
"And why would two hundred concern you?"
Giovanni snorted. "It's not the money Sam, it's the image. If he has his way I'll be naked from the waist down."
"You'll be invited to more parties that way." Oak said lazily, a humored smile curling his lips.
"If you weren't hurt that comment would have you in a match with me in a heartbeat."
Oak laughed, his steel hued eyes glittering with warmth, had anyone else said that hurt or no they'd either be in a battle or in the hospital with more hurts. Probably both, if he had a weakness it was for two things, wealth and pride.
Giovanni looked around the room. It was softer though the floors were still wood all the equipment had been taken out, and that had softened the room significantly. There was a hardness to a room filled with bits of steel and machinery, now that it was all gone the room was now a mix of a study and library. Once it was the room in which Oak had led him to get his first pokemon, but after the previous attack preceding the one where his Gary and Ash had been involved –that attack had given him about a twenty years span of peace- the bulk of the facility and his house had gotten flattened. Most of the house/research center had been smashed to bits that which remained had been kept as it was. Those few rooms were the final home to Leonado Giovanni though he would never admit it to any, probably not even to himself.
The elderly professor smiled slightly, Leo accused his Persian of being stubborn, Arcanine calling Magmar fire type if he ever heard it.
X
"Now then, I'm afraid I don't have anything exotic like your father would want you to get." The boy flinched and Oak gently patted his head. "I know his type, I've seen it before, plus you can hear anything going on at the waiting room if you listen at the door."
"I'm sorry."
"For what, he's a petty tyrannical… erm… I didn't say that."
The boy smiled a playful grin.
"You didn't say anything." He chuckled. "I didn't hear a thing."
Chilling, just a mite chilling, that this child was so glib with lying; still if the child's father was a business man then that might explain the acceptance of a trait that most found repugnant.
"All the Pokemon I have are local specimen just caught, they have all their shots and I gave them all a complete check up."
"Are you a Pokemon doctor then? D- Raphael said you were a scientist."
"I'm both actually. To be able to research Pokemon I felt I had to know the ins and outs of them, so while I am a certified poke-nurse I decided I didn't want to do that my whole life so I doubled up and became a researcher."
"Wow!" The boy's eyes went wide. "No wonder you have so many books!"
"Actually…" Oak blushed. "Not all of those are research related…."
"Huh?"
"You'll understand when you're older. Now then why don't we take a look and see what I've got. I have four pokeballs, and what we'll do is I'll let you pick three, then I'll shuffle them about and you can pick the one you want from that."
"I thought I got to pick the Pokemon I wanted!"
"Well you see… that would be hard considering I have no idea what I brought back..."
The young boy's eyes went wide in shock, a frown took his face and he crossed his arms in front of him. Had he not been so short the gesture would have been somewhat… intimidating.
"I can't believe Da- er Raphael said scientists were smart!"
"I set up traps to catch them since my Pokemon are at the local Center getting their yearly check up. And well when I brought them in I dropped and mixed them all up…"
"You forgot!" The boy gasped.
"N... no!" Oak felt himself going red, "I did not forget! I've just been very busy conducting research on Metapods."
"Worms…"
"Metapods," Oak corrected. "Are not worms they are in a unique hybrid stage of physical development, evolution going on in place in a shell of hardened thread."
The boy's eyes were glazing."
"They are interesting to scientists, special."
"Oh, because they're worth a lot of money?"
"No, money isn't everything."
If at all possible the boy looked even more confused.
"If your father asks you could just say… I had a bunch of pikachu's."
"What if I get a pikachu?"
And there was a sticking point, he'd wanted this to be a surprise as much for himself as for the child, but it wasn't going to work out that way...
"We could, open them all." The boy said weakly, tentative to offer a suggestion to an adult.
"I guess we could do that." Oak agreed, and the boy blinked at him, and he had a sinking feeling in his gut that the this was as close to the child ever being told that he'd done good in quite a while.
X
"Really Sam, you aren't a spring Pidgy anymore, you should take better care of yourself." Leo scolded as Oak summed up the story of the rockets attacking the facility.
"Poliwag calling Squirtle a water type if you catch my meaning."
"Hugely funny," Giovanni growled, he held Persian by the scruff, extracted the claws and with a grim smile dumped the annoyed Normal type on the ground. "I said stop, I mean stop."
"Merrr…." The glare was flat and promised vengeance.
"Go attack a Ratatta and you'll feel better."
"Those Ratatta's are all research subjects Persian." Oak warned the cat. "A number of them have been given TM's like Blizzard and Thunder, there is however a pile of papers on my office under the red paper weight that need shredding..."
"Fttt!"
"I may be no Pokemon psychic, but I believe that means use the paper shredder." Giovanni rubbed his legs, which were bleeding under the fabric.
Oak chuckled, recalling when Giovanni had to have him firmly extract Persian the first time he'd met him, or rather met Meowth.
X
"Eek!" The boy ducked, and a bolt of electricity smashed into the air where his head would have been.
"In now!" Oak barked, the pikachu went into it's ball, the last thing they both saw was… well that all depended where you stood. On Oak's end the tail swished back and forth as the butt wiggled and on Leonardo's end the tongue was stuck out and twin fore-paws wiggled under those large ears.
"Pika pika pikaaaa!"
Then it was gone.
"Little bast-"
Oak gave a scolding look and the boy gulped and feared him more then the electric type.
"This one will be staying in its nice secure pokeball in suspended animation until a much later date."
Oak put the small ball in his vest pocket, knowing that if he left it out the young Giovanni would probably find a hammer and messily tend to the discipline problem.
"Don't open it, please…" The boy squeaked. "First the Pidgy pecked me, then the Pikachu shocked me, it keeps getting worse!"
"Don't worry." Oak patted the boy's shoulder. "It'll be alright."
"But…"
"No buts." Oak said firmly, mentally crossing his fingers in hopes that it would be alright. "Now then, you do the honors this time."
"Me?"
Oak handed the red and white orb to the startled boy.
"Do you see anyone else here?"
"Alright…" Face scrunched up in concentration the boy tossed the pokeball.
There was a flash of light that solidified into a very small, ragged looking Meowth. Wide eyed, hungry, Oak mentally kicked himself, this was the one he hadn't meant to show anyone until he'd treated the poor creature for starvation and checked to see if it was suitable to be given to a Trainer. He cursed himself for being so careless as to mix it up with the others.
"Merrr…" It gave them all a flat glare, the claws were out and the small needle teeth bared in what was not a smile.
"Call him back Leo." Oak said softly, not wanting to be on the receiving end of claws for attracting the creature's attention. "Line up the ball with him and order him back in."
Shivering it stood, fur had been stripped from its side, scars of bright red hue ran across the things back. Hissing, it swerved its head looked to him and then to the youngest of the Giovanni's. Seeing the pokeball in the child's hand it's claws scratched across the floor, the boy was going to be pounced, his face ripped to shreds if Oak didn't do something.
"Hey," Oak picked up a book from the nearby shelf. "Hey you, over here!" He threw the book, making a point of missing, the Meowth turned on him, eyes glittering in rage.
"Merowr hisss!" On silent paws murmuring soft noises in its throat the Pokemon walked towards him.
"Stop!" The boy barked sounding years older then he was.
"Heeehsss!"
Leo was again reflected in those glittered orbs of crystal hue.
"I'm not scared of you." The red and white orb was pointed at the Meowth. "I'm not scared of anyone."
That was a challenge, one that the Meowth would, no could, not turn down. It ignored the other thrown book and sat, almost obedient at Leonardo's feet, glaring up at him. There eyes met…
Never had Oak seen a Pokemon and a person wear the exact same expression, there was a near audible click like two pieces of a puzzle coming together.
The guarded hostility in both expressions melted away, and something else came grudgingly to the surface.
Mutual respect.
"Meowth." The furry head cocked to the side then almost grudgingly the four legged animal stood and rubbed against the boy's legs.
"I take it…" Oak whipped the sweat off of his face with his sleeve. "You'll be partnered with Meowth then?"
"I… could I sit down here… on the floor?" The boy whispered, face pale, he was almost shaking.
"Here." Oak fetched him a chair. "I haven't swept in an age but it's not dusty enough to be fluffy yet."
The boy in the adult's business suit smiled at him, let his legs buckle, and leaned weakly back into his chair.
The Meowth considered it, then decided to hop up and make himself acquainted with the child's lap.
"Ouch! He's hurting me!"
"He's just kneading your lap." Oak explained. "All wild Persian's nurse their young, the gesture of kneading is a Meowths way of showing a form of familial affection."
"I'm not this thing's Mommy!" The boy flared looking mortally insulted.
"Think of it on terms of brotherhood then." Oak offered, adverting his face so not to hurt the boy's pride with his smile. "He's just being friendly."
"Ouch… ow… ow… Can't you be mean again? It hurts less…"
"Purrr…"
Oak let it go on long enough, decided to save the boy, and reached up and grabbed the Meowth by the scruff of the neck. Bad move, it turned and slashed him across the face.
"Ow! Dang it, you half Ratatta offspring!" He rubbed the red line across his face.
He dropped the Meowth, who hopped up and bit him in the butt.
X
"Was something I said amusing? I'm not one for telling jokes."
"No… not that." Samuel chuckled. "Do you remember that Pikachu?"
"That Pikachu, the one that nearly killed me? After meeting it I take a perverse pleasure with Pikachu trainers in my Gym. Most of them find their beloved mice buried under a number of Earthquakes or Hyperbeams." Leonardo snorted. "How the Hell can I forget that rat from…"
Oak gave Giovanni a long look and the younger man bit his tongue.
"You'll be pleased to know that he was sent off with a trainer three years ago."
"Really?" Giovanni chuckled. "You must aging into a semblance of cruelty to set that rat with anyone."
Recalling Ash's stubborn determination and insistence that he could take the burden of an electric type Oak laughed.
"Let's say he asked for it. Literally. You might also say it was a rather shocking experience for them both. I've never seen someone take a hit from a Thunder-shock five times in one day without taking some hurt. I don't know who was more surprised, me or the Pikachu. As a matter of fact they had a bit of a rough start, but after Ash rammed his stubborn loyalty down that yellow throat, minding the teeth of course, they have become a very tight nit team."
"Hmmm…" Leo looked doubtful. "That creature had to be the most violent homicidal pokemon I met, baring none."
"Barring one," Oak corrected. "That Me- erm Persian of yours is absolutely vicious sometimes, I don't think it's above murder if you didn't keep such a tight rein on it."
"He has a temper…" Giovanni began, sounding a touch defensive.
"Merow!" Ears slicked back, tail poof-ed out, the Persian ran to Giovanni and jumped onto the startled man's shoulders. "Merow, meeeeow!"
"What the… what's wrong with y-"
"Look!" Oak pointed to the hall, one of the side doors had been opened by scrambling paws and chattering up a storm was a Ratatta.
"I can't believe you; you've taken on Onyx's without flinching what's…?"
"Ratta!" The creature reared up on its hind legs, crackles of electricity flashed along its small form.
"It's one of the test subjects!" Oak gasped. "He's going to use Thunder, no one's seen a Ratatta use Thun-"
"And we aren't going to stand here and experience it first hand… Golem!"
With the massive rock creature blocking the entrance when the electric attack went off Oak could not see it. Not even wincing, the Golem took the hit and growled low in its throat, awaiting orders to attack.
"Earthquake!"
"Not in my house you aren't using that attack! I'll lose all the flooring" Oak barked and the Golem… well it coughed and shifted uncomfortably.
"Fine," Leo snapped. "Hyper-"
"And if that hit's the foundation beams?"
"What do you suggest then?" Giovanni hissed, his temper was starting to erode under the fact that someone else was ordering his Pokemon about.
"If you must attack use tackle."
"You are implying that I should not answer the insult?"
"Your Persian started it." Oak pointed out, feeling suddenly like he was dealing with the hot headed adolescent that he'd become a very hesitant mentor to.
"Did…" Giovanni realized what he was saying and chuckled at himself. "My God, a few nights without good sleep and I turn into a bratty whiny thirteen year old again."
Samuel chuckled, and Leonardo smiled slightly.
"Some other time we'll get a decent battle in Golem."
The Ratatta stared at where the Golem had been, seeing the hated Persian on Giovanni's shoulders it hissed, eyes narrowed.
No mere Pokemon (Not even one using Scary Face) however could beat Giovanni at the hostile looks game.
"I have four words for you, power plant electricity generator, if you dare attack that's exactly what you'll wind up as."
"Ratta?"
"I've seen him do worse." Oak warned the small creature. "Don't ask what happened to the Horsea that spat ink all over him one day."
Wisely the creature ran off.
"I have been meaning to ask, what did you do to that Horsea?"
"Shish-ka-bob." Leo answered easily, a wicked glimmer to his eyes.
"You didn't!" Samuel gasped in horror.
"You don't know me well enough to tell for certain if I did or didn't do you?" Giovanni dropped the toothy grin and shrugged as much as he could. "Really Sam, you know I hate sea food." He looked up at his still shaking Persian. "You can come down now."
"Perr…" The paws went to flexing and out came the claws.
"If you are going to do that," Giovanni took his seat. "That's what my lap is for."
"Perrrr!" Persian hopped off of the shoulders and into the lap, went back to maiming the pants.
Oak chuckled. "Some things never change."
"Yesss…" Giovanni winced. "Some things don't change… ouch…. There is a scratching post in the next room you know."
Persian did not seem to hear, dug his claws in harder and fluffed up the lap as best he could, then with a satisfied noise dropped all his dignity and plopped onto it's side. Three paws were sprawled in the air the one remaining paw hovered about Giovanni's calf, warning that if there was so much as a twitch on the trainer's part the claws were more then capable of going back to work.
Giovanni sat very still, the master of bargains and cut throat deals, the ruthless emotionless entrepreneur, one of the most powerful and influential men was held hostage by four claws. Oak did his best not to laugh out loud at the pained look on Leo's face, but it was hard.
Review Responses:
Facia: Thank you for your praise on my dialogue and character building. I too have seen the trend of the two types of Giovanni, I wasn't even shooting for accuracy when I started (which is why it's a slightly AU fic) just humanization and the explanation of the "evil" side of him. Not having seen too much of him in the show I only have the game to go on for most of his character, which truth be told doesn't offer too much.