POV - Silver
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the bed.
It was soft.
Silken sheets, a heavy comforter, and a pillow that felt like clouds. I'd never slept in anything like it, not even in hotels. And the room... it wasn't a room. It was a goddamn suite! Golden trim lined the edges of tall bookshelves, heavy red curtains blocked out the morning sun, and a large wooden dresser sat against the far wall, polished to a shine.
The last twenty-four hours came flooding back slowly. The puddle, the reflection, the gut-clenching panic, and that not-quite-his face in the water.
It was all real and the excitement from last night came back.
Clenching my fists a smirk creeps up on my face.
Sitting up in bed, rubbing my eyes. My body still felt too light, too small.
It was honestly frustrating.
But I had other goals for today.
I still haven't seen a Pokemon yet!
Sliding out of bed, I walk across the room, feet barely making a sound against the soft carpet. A row of Poké Balls sat on his nightstand. Looking in glee, I pick one up feeling its smooth, cold surface in his tiny palm.
It was small but with a small click.
*Pop*
A mechanical pop made the device expand three times its original size.
They were real.
Heading to the large mirror near the door and stared. It was still jarring. Red hair, messy and spiked in every direction. Sharp, cold eyes. A scowl that sat on his face naturally, even when I wasn't trying.
"…Okay," I mutter. "Let's… figure things out."
I later found Clara waiting outside the room like she always had.
A woman in her mid-thirties, with a stern but tired face. Her dark violet hair was tied back into a bun, and her Team Rocket staff uniform was pressed and spotless. She wasn't intimidating, but she definitely wasn't the kind of woman you'd want to cross.
Even so, I didn't feel like acting like a child.
Couldn't be bothered honestly as she has told me that I was a smart child?
While I don't know how the previous Silver acted, it was probably like an edgy brat who was very withdrawn.
"Good morning, Master Silver," she said, giving a short nod. "You slept in today."
"…I feel weird," I respond honestly.
Clara arched an eyebrow. "Weird how?"
He paused, then just shook his head. "Never mind. Can I ask you something?"
"You may."
"…Can I see your Pokémon?"
That caught her off guard.
Clara didn't reply immediately. She studied him, trying to read if he was up to something. Silver wasn't usually this polite—or curious. But then again he did "lose" his memories.
Eventually, she answered, "You've never asked that before."
"I want to," I said simply. "Please."
Clara's expression softened ever so slightly. With a sigh, she reached into her coat and pulled out a Poké Ball.
"Alright then," she said. "But we do this outside. Come."
The courtyard behind the mansion was massive. Fountains, trimmed hedges, and a smooth cobblestone walking path made it feel like a palace garden. Clara stood in the centre with him, pressed the button on the Poké Ball, and released the Pokémon in a swirl of ghostly light.
"Hauuunter!"
The creature emerged, floating several feet off the ground. Purple, gaseous, and grinning like it stole candy from a spoilt child. Haunter's long tongue lolled out playfully as it rotated slowly in the air, eying Silver with curiosity.
Silver's breath caught in his throat.
Seeing a real Pokémon that was not on a screen, not in a dream but real… Tt hit harder than he expected.
"Haunter, say hello," Clara said simply.
The ghost floated closer, eyes narrowing slightly. Silver didn't flinch, even when it hovered inches from his face.
"Hey," I quietly say. "You're awesome."
Haunter gave a little chuckle and did a twirl in the air before returning to Clara's side. She watched the exchange, looking quietly.
"Still want to see more?" she asked.
"…Can I try catching one?" I suddenly ask.
Clara blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I have Poké Balls in my room. I want to go into the woods with you and see if I can catch something."
The silence that followed was long. Clara considered it, arms crossed.
"Only with me there," she said at last. "And we stay close to the property."
Silver's face lit up. "Thank you."
It seemed like it was either amusement, wanting me to have a companion knowing Silver's past tantrums or a mix of both. But she was surprisingly accepting of this which I wouldn't normally think for a situation like this.
No permission from my father?
The forest just beyond the mansion's perimeter was still and warm with early sunlight. Clara led the way, her Haunter floating quietly nearby, watching for trouble.
I followed three Poké Balls on his belt and a heart-pounding faster with every step.
"I thought you didn't like going outside," Clara commented, glancing over her shoulder.
"I never said that," I swiftly replied, brushing aside a leafy branch.
They didn't need to go far.
Near a tree stump ahead, nestled among tall grass and vines, a lone Weedle was munching away at a low-hanging leaf. Its stubby little horn glinted in the light, and it seemed perfectly content. In Clara's opinion, it was a newborn baby and smaller than the average Weedle.
I stopped.
"That one."
Clara raised a brow. "You want a puny Weedle?"
He nodded.
That little guy was perfect. After all, a mega Beedrill was always a threat in 1v1s.
Especially with this world primarily using 1v1 battles rather than back on earth with 2v2 being the main format due to allowing more exciting tactical matches.
Plus I'm young.
There are no battles to be had right now.
Why not train a Pokemon for years.
"I'll let you approach. Haunter and I will stay back."
Slowly stepping forward, arms relaxed, I make sure not to startle the Bug-type.
Weedle paused, blinking its round eyes at him.
"…Hey," Silver said, crouching. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
Weedle shifted, wary but not fleeing. Its nose twitched. Its little legs braced under it like it was deciding whether to sting or listen.
"I want to get strong," Silver said, "but not just me. I want a partner. Someone who can become strong with me."
Weedle tilted its head not really understanding much.
"Hmmm listen... Lots of food, nom nom nom!"
Clara, listening from the back, frowned in disgust.
The Weedle was quiet, staring at him. Then almost proudly, it lifted its head and gave a soft cry.
Hey, it worked?
Taking one of the Poké Balls from my pocket, I slowly let it go forward and tap the Weedle in the nose, as it didn't resist at all. The ball opened, red light sucking the Pokémon inside, then snapped shut.
One shake.
Two.
Click.
I picked it up slowly, holding it in both hands.
Clara walked over, glancing down at the ball. "Hmph. You didn't even need to battle it."
"It wanted to come with me," I say, voice low. My voice barely contained how giddy I felt.
She gave a small nod. "That's rare."
The weeks passed quietly, but steadily.
Silver trained every morning. Not real battling but just helping Weedle grow stronger, giving it small targets, teaching it discipline.
With a quick instruction, the highest quality of food was presented to the bug.
Which quickly gained the little guy's loyalty, Silver was now Weedle's whole world.
Using this opportunity the weeks were just spent spamming moves such as [Poison Sting], [Make Shift Tackle] and [String Shot] to swing around like Bugsy's Metapod or Spiderman.
The latter not being too successful...
"He's clever," Clara commented once. "I've seen plenty of Bug-types, but she listens like a Fighting-type."
I smiled at that.
The one thing that mainly went right was the endurance training, while having no battle experience I wasn't willing to drag the poor bug to battle at his level.
"One more [Tackle] Weedle!" I shout now in the training grounds. Weedle who looked beat up was not the same size as when first caught. Due to the fast-growing nature of such bugs with healthy food, he was already 1.7 times the size of his average species.
Right after this, a white glow took over the area.
He was evolving.
"Woah..." I mutter looking entranced.
...
Omniscient - POV
In a tall, dark office lined with monitors and files, Giovanni Sakaki flipped open a datapad.
It displayed a report. "Subject: Silver. Age: 6. Status: stable. Minor memory inconsistencies were observed. No medical concerns. Notes: caught a Weedle under maid Clara's supervision. Training daily."
Giovanni narrowed his eyes.
"…A Weedle?"
He tapped the screen again, loading a still image. His son crouched near a tree, holding the Poké Ball.
He didn't say anything for a long time.
"…Interesting," he muttered at last.
A faint smile, sharp, tugged at his lips.
"He's my son after all." He says in a contemplative way, a hint of pride showing in his eyes. Petting his elite four level Persian, his eyes land on a luxury ball on his belt.
His Ace.
The room fell silent again.
All the Rocket Members felt a shiver go down their spine as the uncharacteristic smile was finally seen by them.
"Send him some of my written books and some food given to my Beedrill." Giovani introduces his secretary.
The woman quickly nodding, left the dark office.
Back in Viridian Mansion, Silver set down a bowl of food for the newly evolved Kakuna and patted him gently.
"Like the food," he said with a wide grin. "When you evolve we will start some battles."
Kakuna chirped in response and eagerly dug in, eager to prove himself to his trainer.
Silver didn't know what would come next.
But he was ready.
Whatever this world had in store, he had already taken his first step.
And this time, he wouldn't waste it.
It already started with his first capture after all.
'I need a personal computer.' The kid thought realising that such stuff at his age wasn't spread out until later. Maybe asking for one would bear some fruit.