Silver woke with a start; he couldn't breathe. He opened his eyes, lazily, to find himself staring at Proton. The pressure of the blade at his throat lessened.

'What?' He choked the word out, struggling to catch his breath.

'Get up, Archer wants to see you.'

'It's my fucking birthday,' Silver swore. Proton was taken aback – Silver never swore at him, at least not to his face.

'Yeah, big deal, you're eleven, get over it. Archer still wants to see you.'

'You could've woken me up like a normal person.'

'No fun in that.'

'I still hate you.'

'Feeling's mutual.'

'Good,' he said, dragging himself out of bed; Proton stared at him, not used to his threats being ignored. 'Hey, you,' Silver added. Sneasel's ears pricked at his trainer's voice and followed the boy out of his bedroom.

Progress had been made in the previous year, so much progress that none of the Executives could fully comprehend that they were finally able to begin the final stages of their mission to find Giovanni. As soon as the store had opened in Mahogany just after the previous Christmas, the profits had come rolling in. It had been the first step to their return, stronger than ever. The Grunts had been replaced, warehouses acquired. They had spies all over Johto working for them. Everything had fallen into place. With their workload as full as it was, even Proton had been kept busy; they had only had to deal with one incident where he had bludgeoned a child to death. Evidence had been disposed of, the body burnt. They were ready to swoop in on the Radio Tower when everything else was in place.

He stood in the doorway to the kitchen and propped himself against the frame. Sneasel settled himself on top of the fridge.

'Silver,' Archer said from the table. Ariana smiled at him.

'Executive,' he nodded in acknowledgement of Archer's greeting, but ignored his mother's. Her face fell.

'I've got your assignment here.'

'Really?'

'Take it, read it.'

'Sir,' Silver said, stepping forward to snatch the paper from Archer's hand. 'Is that all?'

'Yes. You have an hour to prepare.' Archer finally looked up from his paperwork then. 'Do not fail.'

'I won't.' He turned to leave then, Sneasel speeding out of the room after him. His bedroom door slammed when they were both inside. 'Let's see,' he muttered. He'd waited over a year for this; his first real assignment, unaccompanied by anyone else. He'd been involved in cons with Petrel, break-ins with Proton. He'd been a decoy for Archer's more important missions in recent months. But they had never sent him out on his own before and he didn't care what the job was; he was in. He was a Rocket, finally on his way up. He shared many of their ambitions but their ultimate goal of finding Giovanni? His motives were different. He didn't want to see his father return to his place as head of Team Rocket. He didn't mind, but that wasn't why he was searching for him. He wanted to see him, just once more in his life, so he could prove he was worth more attention than he had ever received from the man. He was better than that.

Silver flipped the paper over in his hands. The directions were simple, written in Archer's familiar scrawl. Elm Research Lab, New Bark Town. Get in, get out, take what you can. I want data.' It didn't take Silver an hour to prepare. He said goodbye to Archer, Petrel, and even to Proton on his way out, the front door slamming to indicate their youngest Grunt had left.

'How long until he realises there's really no point?' Ariana asked; Archer's leg pressed up against hers under the table.

'How long until we do?'

'They're coming back, Archer,' she said, making almost no effort to hide the fury in her voice. 'Both of them.'

Petrel walked in then, and sat down in the only empty chair. The four Executives sat together, quietly, waiting for the unknown.