The New Normal – 4-14 – Interlude – Giovanni
As he teleported away from John's house, Giovanni's mind was unable to focus on the politics that they discussed. John likely noticed that he had been fairly distracted during their talks on politics but was polite to not point it out, which Giovanni appreciated.
He settled down on his desk and poured himself another drink, just in time for Petrel to come into the room. Petrel saw the pensive expression on Giovanni's face and decided to ask a question.
"Is there something wrong, Boss? Did the lunch not go well?" Petrel inquired with a hint of concern, but Giovanni waved him off.
"…No, nothing to worry about. It's just that having lunch with John's family brought up some memories. Memories of family." He admitted after a short pause as he continued to swirl the whiskey in his glass. A hint of recognition flashed through Petrel's eyes.
"Oh." He said after a moment. "I understand, Boss…Would you like me to call Ariana?" He asked politely.
Did he? His relationship with Ariana was rocky at best, though she had certainly cheered up ever since she was sent to Hoenn. Her loyalty was unquestionable, but his decision to distance himself from her ever since he became responsible for a potential liability in Team Rocket had caused a strain in their personal relationship, and they kept themselves strictly professional since then.
It was one of Giovanni's regrets, but he knew he was making the best possible decision at the time. A necessary one to continue pursuing the greater good of Kanto.
But the situation was different now, wasn't it? He was no longer the newbie Gym Leader looking to make a mark on the world to save Kanto at any cost. He was now respected, loved, and had a great reputation within Indigo and Hoenn. He was a role-model for many, and he ran the most prestigious Gym in Kanto.
Most importantly, he had given up on his more overtly criminal actions. They were just no longer worth it when 'heroic' actions served him so well. So, what reason did he have to keep himself separated from Ariana anymore?
He took a sip of his drink to fortify his resolve, then went to dial Ariana's personal number before he second-guessed himself. Petrel left the room as he did so.
"Hello, this is Ariana. Something wrong, Boss?" Her voice filtered through the phone.
"No, nothing's wrong." He replied, and then hesitated slightly before deciding to just get it off his chest. "Listen, I'm going to visit the Petalburg research facility soon, just to show my face around there and congratulate a few scientists for your success at discovering Porygon2…While I'm there, would you like to grab a meal together?"
His question was met with a painful silence for a few moments, and Giovanni was about to withdraw his statement before Ariana spoke up again, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Yes, I heard about your visit...May I ask why you're offering?"
The lack of an instant acceptance hurt, but Giovanni could understand her wariness. They didn't end on good terms, after all. "Things have changed here in Indigo…and my position is less at risk than it was before. And I was just reminded of a few things. Things that I cared about." He replied carefully. "I thought that…perhaps…we could, rekindle somethings that we lost?"
A pause descended on the conversation once again, but Ariana eventually spoke up, "…Do you really think we could have what we had before?" Her voice came back with a mixture of hurt and hope.
"I don't know." He answered truthfully, "But I want to…to at least try." He said, exposing his vulnerabilities to her.
He was greeted with more silence, but eventually he heard her let out a big breath before she responded. "Do you want me to bring Silver along as well? Or are you afraid of a scandal?"
Ah, Giovanni winced at the reminder of his seven-year-old son. He admitted that he was not a good father figure, having spent most of life dedicated towards the improvement of Kanto. He simply didn't have time for handling a child and offloaded all those duties to Ariana.
He justified it by saying that his time could have been spent more efficiently to continue saving Kanto, as it was something that only he entrusted himself with. Even Ariana agreed, seemingly happy to take care of Silver so that Giovanni could focus on the more important tasks.
But seeing John's family spending time together so happily did bring up fond memories of his late mother, and how she devoted her entire being to ensure that he would have a future, despite the lack of a husband. He remembered wondering when he was a child how much better their lives would have been if his father hadn't died.
And now, with Silver, did his son have the same thoughts as he used to? Did he also want a father in his life?
"Hello, Giovanni, you still there?" Ariana asked, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Yes, I am. Sorry, I was just thinking about things." He admitted.
"…I see." She replied, likely guessing what he was thinking about. Giovanni let out a sigh, before finally deciding.
"Yes, you can bring Silver along. I'm not worried about a scandal at this point." He answered honestly, and he heard a sharp intake of breath from Ariana before she replied.
"…Then the two of us will meet you in Hoenn then. Book a nice restaurant, won't you Gio?" She said, using the nickname she had for him. And even through the phone he could tell she was noticeably more cheerful.
"Sure. I'll see you in a few days. Talk to you soon, Ari." He responded in kind, before hanging up the phone. Then he saw his reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall.
He was smiling.
A.N. Yes, probably a very strange chapter, but I hope that I've built up Giovanni's character enough that this scene is possible, and to show how he's changed. I wanted to humanize him a bit more, especially now that he's more or less turned over a new leaf. Hope you enjoyed this unusual take on his character.
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