SLACKERS

EPISODE XXIII

SINS OF THE FATHER

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - UNDONE

33 years ago

Amanda couldn't tell if her nausea was the result of nearing the end of her pregnancy or of simply being around Giovanni.

She was due in only a week, and for the last few months, it seemed Team Rocket had begun to cloud out family in real life as much as it had in her dreams. Giovanni's obsession with making the team a family legacy had inspired him to increase his recruiting efforts tenfold. Even the old warehouse was gone after Giovanni had purchased the Viridian City Gym with funds she suspected might have come from illegitimate sources.

She couldn't bear the thought of her Gio stealing from anybody, but she couldn't convince herself that his newfound obsession with Team Rocket's growth hadn't inspired him to grow by any means necessary. There were even rumors of some of the newer recruits ambushing trainers and stealing their strongest Pokemon to add to Team Rocket's collection.

That's why she had asked him to go on a walk with her, through a city park in Viridian. They had walked here countless times two years ago, when their relationship was new and all they cared about was getting to know each other. When Giovanni would surprise her at her door with roses, when she would invite him over and cook for him, when they escaped to the Viridian Forest on a camping trip so he could become her first lover. Even the knowledge that she hadn't been his first was bothering her right now. Everything was bothering her.

She asked him to come with her, maybe to relive what had made her fall in love with him in the first place, maybe just to take a break from the constant hustle that was running the team, maybe to address everything that was bothering her.

So she tried talking.

"Gio?" she asked with her arms wrapped around his, walking in lockstep.

"Yes, dear?" he responded.

"I think I've decided what I want to name our son."

She had visited her gynecologist in Pewter City a while ago to learn the gender of their baby. Giovanni had been somewhat pushy about getting it done, but Amanda wanted to know just as badly as he did.

"I thought we had already discussed this," he said.

Amanda knew all too well that Giovanni had wanted to name their son after himself. After all, where would Team Rocket be without Giovanni Sakaki?

"I... I really love the name I picked, though..."

Amanda's grandfather, Mihalis Sakura, had passed away when she was thirteen years old. His death had been difficult for her, as he was the one person in her family she felt she could trust completely. Whenever she had a problem with her parents, she would call her Papa and let it all out. Every day she thought about him, about crying into her phone while he was there to listen, or feeling his warm, genuinely loving embrace whenever she would visit him as a little girl. Since then, she always felt that if she were to had a son, he'd inherit the name.

Giovanni loved Amanda, as he had originally gone along with her idea, and she loved him, but she suspected that he had begun loving Team Rocket more. His priorities must have changed if he was now trying to push the idea of continuing his legacy in every way possible.

She had even thought about repeating what she had done two years ago. Running away.

But running away from everything, twice, in such a short period of time. The thought made her sick.

A lot was making her sick. Being pregnant, for one. For another, she hated the idea of running away. She also hated the idea of sticking around Giovanni just because he wanted to use his family for the team's purposes. In her mind, there was no way out of this that involved being happy. No way, perhaps, except for one: summoning her courage to face her future husband and directly address her concerns. That's what she tried.

"Gio... I'm... I'm really worried."

"About what?" he asked.

"... about everything."

"Can you elaborate? What's bothering you?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. He took both of her hands and looked down at her with that old Gio smile that had once won her over. It made it a little easier for her to speak her mind.

"Don't you think everything's happening a little too fast?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the team. We're growing fast. You even bought that gym, and I still don't know where you got the money to do it."

"I've already told you, Amanda. I made some prudent investments for the sake of the team. We need room to grow."

"I know we do, but why do we have to grow so much, so quickly? Are you even planning on running that gym?"

"Of course I am, I've still got my original team of ground types. I'm already planning on reopening the gym eventually and becoming the world's strongest gym leader. I haven't forgotten that this whole operation is about training Pokemon, you know."

"I never said it wasn't, honey," said Amanda. "I think that's a great goal, I just think we need to slow down and do everything right."

He looked offended.

"What's wrong with the way I'm doing everything?"

She didn't fail to notice that he had increasingly been saying quite a few more "I's" than "we's" lately.

"You knew from the beginning that Team Rocket is my life. Its growth matches my own. You needn't worry about anything, love. Your concerns are nonsense."

"You know, there's other ways of telling me everything will be okay without dismissing my concerns as nonsense."

Giovanni brushed her off.

"Amanda, you've been my partner and my lover. I couldn't have made it this far without you, you should realize that."

"I know, but..."

"I still expect your trust and your loyalty. Team Rocket is nothing without you."

"Without me, or without the son I'm giving you?"

Giovanni broke his gaze and let her hands go. He looked disgusted with her.

She hated it.

"We're done talking about this, Amanda," he said. "I have to return to our base and do some reconnaissance. I'll plan on seeing you at home when I'm done."

He turned around and began walking back the way they came. Amanda stood in place, her hands on her heavily pregnant belly.

She fell to her knees and began sobbing. Then she looked down at Giovanni's "heir."

"I'm sorry, Mihalis..." she whispered, solidifying her baby name choice by using it directly for the first time. "We deserve better than this."

Present day

Mew finally conquered his fear of death long enough to take action.

He flew backwards briefly while being chased by Mewtwo, and waited for the right moment. Mewtwo used his energy to begin creating yet another shadow ball, the perfect time to strike. Mew summoned his own psychic powers to once again hold the vengeful Mewtwo in place.

"Release me!" he roared.

"Not until you calm down!" shouted Mew. "You need a serious dose of self-awareness. Just look at this place!"

"Shut up!" Mewtwo shouted.

"Look at everything around you first!"

Mewtwo would entertain the thought for only a fraction of a second, but that was all it took for him to realize he had wounded, possibly even killed, an innocent woman. He saw Mihalis protecting the lifeless Amanda, he saw the immense destruction he'd caused. He then looked at Mew and attempted to probe his thoughts.

He found no deception. Only concern and a strong desire to help.

Mewtwo took a deep breath while still in Mew's intangible hold. Then he lowered his limbs and sighed.

Mew instinctively knew that his work was done, and he released Mewtwo. The incredibly powerful beings began slowly lowering themselves to the ground. Giovanni, terrified of what Mewtwo would do to him, began to slowly back away, holding a hand out in front of him as if it would somehow protect him.

Mewtwo approached Mihalis and Amanda, with Mew following close behind. Mihalis glared at him, but said nothing.

"Mihalis Sakaki," said Mewtwo. Mihalis didn't bother correcting him.

He took another look around him and regained his composure. The calm, deep voice Mew had met in the cave had returned.

"Please try to remain calm and hold your mother still. I will set this right."

He obeyed, and Mewtwo closed his eyes. He stretched out his right hand, and Amanda began glowing.

Mew looked on in amazement. If this was the power to bring the dead back to life, then this was the biggest advantage his clone had over him. Even he had no such ability.

Mewtwo lowered his arm, and Amanda slowly opened her eyes. Mihalis gave the biggest smile Mew had ever seen.

"Mom? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Mhm," she said, weakly, as she nodded and looked into her son's eyes. "I'm starting to understand why Knuckles hates vacationing with you..."

Mihalis allowed himself to laugh as he smiled at her. To Amanda, the best parts of Giovanni had been inherited by Mihalis. It was like he had become the reincarnation of the good man she once knew, leaving behind only bitterness and a lust for power in the old man.

"Mihalis, Amanda... Mew... please..." said Mewtwo. "I apologize for what I have allowed to occur. My anger grew out of control, and I unleashed it on those not deserving it. I have made everything as it should be, but it will never excuse my behavior. I humbly ask for your forgiveness."

Mihalis looked at his smiling mother. Then he looked at his Mew with immense pride. Mew beamed.

"It's okay," Mihalis told Mewtwo. "I don't blame you for being so angry. You've been through so much torment, and you deserve to be peaceful and happy."

Mewtwo bowed his head.

Then Mihalis turned his attention to his father. He stood in place, then slowly approached him, his loud steps echoing the ones earlier taken by the grand perpetrator.

"Look at what Team Rocket really is," he said. "It only breeds chaos and destruction. Your actions caused a living, breathing creature untold suffering. You've cost thousands of trainers their beloved Pokemon. You've cost humans and Pokemon their lives. You've almost cost the entire world its way of life. All because no matter how much power you've had, it was never enough. You always needed more."

Giovanni actually looked remorseful. He looked at the ground and took a deep breath. Then he surveyed all the damage around him, and one might actually think he was briefly able to feel everyone's pain. Pain he had caused.

He faced his son.

He said, "You're right."

Mihalis tilted his head.

"Huh?"

"You were right. About all of it. About me, about my team, about Mewtwo. About us."

He took a look at the love of his life, slowly getting off the floor, then back at their son.

"I became so obsessed with power, it blinded me to everything important. I should have realized this thirty years ago. Maybe then I would still have a family. I could have been satisfied with my following, with my influence. Before it became synonymous with illegal affairs. Giovanni Sakaki isn't a great man, leading the world to a better future. He's nothing more than a petty criminal."

Mihalis sadly nodded his head.

"No more," said Giovanni. "I refuse to be that man anymore. As of right now, Team Rocket is disbanded."

You couldn't count the number of gasps and "but boss" comments coming from all over the room. Even Mew and Mewtwo looked surprised. Most of all, the two people who should have been Giovanni's family.

"Mihalis... my son..." he said heavily, tears beginning to well up. "I'm so sorry."

Then Giovanni looked at his watch, pressed a button, and warped away. He was gone.

Mew was the next to comment.

"Now that, I was not expecting."

Everyone stared at him.

"Sorry," he said with a shit-eating grin.

"I will take my leave as well," said Mewtwo. Everyone turned their attention to the powerful beast dominating the room.

"I will set everything here right. Anything here built with the intention of spreading Team Rocket's influence will disappear, and I will send you all back to your homes."

"What will you do?" asked Mew.

"Before I explain, I must apologize once more. I accused you of revealing my whereabouts to Giovanni. I see now that you had no intention of betraying me. Your spectacle might have given away my location, but I understand it was not your fault. Now, I will find a new dwelling. I've learned today that I am still not ready to make myself known. If I'm going to help this world, I must prepare myself to do so properly."

Mewtwo raised his arms straight out, pointing them at the group.

"Mew, I sincerely hope we meet again. I have much to learn from you, and I hope we can assist each other at becoming the best we can be, someday."

A bright light began to glow around Mew, Mihalis, and Amanda.

Mew began screaming in terror.

The screams only continued when the three found themselves on the balcony of Mihalis's penthouse.

"Mew? MEW!" shouted Mihalis, finally overpowering Mew enough to get him to shut his mouth.

Mew took several quick looks around his surroundings like a squirrel before he realized what had just happened.

"Huh," he said. "So that's what it's like to be warped against your will."

"He really must be stronger than you if he's able to teleport you like you do with everybody else," Mihalis said with his arms folded.

Mew awkwardly chuckled, realizing in a way how the others must have felt about all his antics.

"By the way, we've got a LOT of catching up to do. All your adventures around the galaxy? Spending time with Celebi? Learning your fucking origin?!"

Mew smiled and asked Mihalis "Wanna get a beer?"

His trainer certainly didn't need his arm twisted to answer that one.

And nor do I! Beer, here I come!