Silver couldn't take his eyes off the cage.

Multiple Pokemon of a species he'd never seen before lay unconscious inside. A bunch of pink kittens. Cute. Silver wasn't sure if they were supposed to be this skinny. Probably not.

"Adorable, aren't they?" Proton cooed. "And useful, as I'll soon explain."

Now that Silver was seven years old, he was old enough to learn about his father's work first hand. He didn't want to, not really. Mars had warned him it wasn't pleasant.

She stood next to him now: her presence wasn't required, but it had been allowed. She squeezed his hand, sensing his apprehension. Don't show emotion, he replayed her advice in his head. Just let them talk. It'll be over soon enough.

That was what SIlver had been planning to do anyway. Mother was there too, and she didn't like it when her children were difficult.

"All Pokemon that we bring here are kept sedated", Proton explained. "Then, we sort them out and decide what to do with them. They serve various purposes. Some, like Slowpoke, have body parts that can be sold for food or some other utility. Any Pokemon that show fighting potential, we can break down and retrain to serve new masters. Us, or someone who's willing to pay. These babies…" He opened the cage and picked up one of the unconscious kittens by its scruff. "Skitties, they're called. Unimaginative, if you ask me, but whatever. They fetch great prices, especially with lonely rich ladies. They make popular pets. They're Hoennian, so they have the exotic factor that increases their value. Cute, aren't they?" He offered the Pokemon to Silver. "Do you want to pet it?"

Silver shook his head. He was used to Proton playing mind games with him. Today, he wasn't going to let it get to him.

"Come on", Proton urged, a sadistic smile creeping on his lips. "I thought you liked stupid, soft, cuddly things. Remember that time you threw a crying fit because a Butterfree was injured crashing on your father's car window? You wanted to take it home and nurse it to health."

Sounded like they wouldn't move on until Silver complied. To shut Proton up, Silver reached out and stroked the fur a bit. It was mangled and dirty.

Then he noticed.

On the edge of the cage, one of the Skitties had woken up and was trying to escape. It seemed very weak, walking slowly and shakily. It didn't really stand a chance. Yet Silver found himself rooting for it.

He looked away, but Proton had already followed his glance.

"For fuck's sake", he muttered. Silver watched him walk towards the cage, his hand unloading the taser at his side.

Then, Silver did something very stupid.

He didn't realize he'd done something very stupid until he felt a frantic heartbeat against his chest, audible against a background of total silence. Silver looked up. Proton was towering over him, eyebrow raised, taser halted mid-air. Silver was crouched on the floor, cradling the panicked Skitty to his chest. It was clutching onto him for dear life.

Then it was ripped off him, and Mother threw it back to the cage. Proton shut and locked the door. Mother, eyes bulging in anger, raised her hand to slap Silver; Mars got between them and took the blow for him, as she had many times before.

"He didn't mean to do it", Mars pleaded. "He just wasn't thinking."

Mother regarded her coolly. "Then we must teach him to think."

"I'm sorry", Silver said.

Father simply hummed. He stood facing away from Silver, hands clasped behind his back. Finally he turned around and took a seat across his son. When he spoke, his voice was soft and deep, like a river with a deceptively calm surface. Father never yelled, and rarely left visible scars.

"Silver, do you understand what Pokemon are?"

Identifying the question as rhetorical, Silver remained silent.

"Pokemon are beasts", Father said. "Monsters. All this crap the league tries to sell you about bonding with Pokemon… it's lies, all of it. Pokemon are meant to be servants and tools for humans, they're too weak-minded and vicious to be anything else. You must be strong enough to subdue and use them, or they will hurt you at the first chance they get."

He studied Silver's face.

"Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yes, Father", Silver said obediently. "Pokemon are monsters. They will hurt you at any chance they get."

"Hm. You repeat the words, but I'm not convinced you really understand them. Perhaps you need a more… practical demonstration."

He stood up.

"Come with me."

Silver got up and followed. Father led Silver away from his office and into a different room. There were lots of labeled shelves on the walls: they were filled with pokeballs. The room was almost empty otherwise.

Father went to a shelf, took up three pokeballs, and opened them.

Three Growlithes. Upon release, they bared their teeth and growled. But they made no attempt to leave, even though the door was still open.

"Researchers describe Growlithes as loyal and friendly", Father said. "They're put forth as a prime example of Pokemon capable of forming strong bonds. Faithful… protective… easily trainable. Lifelong, valued companions."

Silver's eyes were transfixed on the Growlithes. They looked at him as if they wanted nothing more than to tear him apart limb from limb.

"Most of that is nonsense", Father continued. "They're as bloodthirsty as any other Pokemon. Only one part of their reputation is true, and that is their capacity to be trained. They have a rudimentary intelligence that allows them to be taught, and they can be incentivized into obedience with the right… motivation. These ones have been through a suitable training regime and will now obey every command I give to the letter."

He looked at Silver. His eyes showed no emotion at all. When he spoke, his voice was as calm as ever.

"These Growlithes will help you learn. I will return when I think the point has been made, and afterwards you'll understand. You'll be ready to assist me. We have a new batch of Growlithes arriving soon: you will help me train them."

Father walked towards the door. He stood momentarily at the threshold to address the Pokemon. "Spare his face", he said softly. "And no fire."

Then he walked out, locking the door behind him.

"Does it still hurt?"

Silver looked apathetically at the bandage on his arm that Mars was changing. He shook his head. He hadn't spoken yet in the days that followed the lesson Father had taught him. It was like his voice had been taken from him.

He remembered Mars banging on the door as he lay on the floor, wishing fervently it would all just end. Mars kept banging and yelling his name until they had to let her in, and then she barged into the room and threw herself between her brother and his attackers. She didn't have a Pokemon of her own. Silver didn't think she'd had a plan, either. What was she going to do, fight the Growlithes off with her bare hands? But he was grateful. She was making such a ruckus the adults were forced to intervene, and Silver was brought to his room. He didn't know what had happened to Mars. If he knew his parents at all, she was dealt with harshly. But she didn't say anything about it to him. She was always shielding him like that.

"Look", she said, offering a plate to him. "I snuck your favorite."

Silver took the cake and nibbled on it to show his gratitude for her care. It didn't taste like anything.

Silver hated his own weakness, and he saw evidence of it everywhere. He was weak because he had rushed to the Skitty's rescue like a crybaby. He was weak because he had not been able to stop what had happened to him afterwards. He was weak because he'd needed Mars to rescue him. She was always protecting him and it wasn't fair to her at all, and it was his fault.

Silver hated himself.

Sighing, Mars sat closer to him and started stroking his hair. She always let him have his space, not pressuring him to talk. He liked that.

"I'm sorry you got in trouble for me." These were the first words he'd spoken after the incident.

Mars waved her hand dismissively. "Pfft. Trouble? Please. I laugh in the face of trouble. Are you gonna eat that cake or did I bring it here for nothing?"

He started nibbling again. Mars bit her lip, seemingly trying to find the right words.

"I don't like his work either", she finally said quietly. Silver didn't have to ask who he was. "One day we'll be out of here. And once we're out, we can do whatever we want. We don't have to be like him. But for now, we're just kids. So just… try to keep out of his way, okay? Lie low. Do as he says. It'll only be worse if you try to stand up to him."

It would be worse for her too: always having to shield him, to clean up his messes. "I'm sorry", he repeated.

It was an incongruent statement, but Mars immediately understood what he meant. "Don't be. It's not your fault." She kissed him on the forehead, and he let her hug him. "We have to take care of each other."

"Do you remember your lesson?" Father asked.

The Growlithes, muzzled and skinny, scrambled weakly inside the cage. Silver stood in front of them, taser in hand.

Lie low, Mars's advice echoed in his head. Do as he says. It'll only be worse if you try to stand up him.

Because I'm too weak to do so, Silver thought.

A grunt opened the cage, picked up a Growlithe, and set it in front of Silver. It looked fairly beaten down already.

"It's your first time", Father said. "So we did the prep for you."

The Pokemon growled. Its bloodshot eyes turned on Silver, hatefully, as if it wanted to rip him apart.

All this crap the league tries to sell you about bonding with Pokemon… it's lies, all of it.

"Look at it", Father commented. "It would burn us all alive if it could."

But it can't. It's weak, like me.

"Remember your lesson."

Silver took a step forward and raised his hand. The Growlithe cowered and whimpered. Helpless. Pathetic. Silver's anger at himself fought desperately in his chest, then lashed out, eagerly directing itself at a new target.

He pointed the taser towards the creature's ribs and fired.