To be the Very Best (Pokémon X Male Reader)

Black & White Part 2 Chapter 6 - The Winning Side

The room was cold, the kind of cold that seeps into your bones and makes them ache. My wrists were bound to the arms of the chair, a crude but effective method of ensuring I stayed put. Zinzolin loomed over me, his icy glare trying to pierce through the smug expression I wore. I met his gaze evenly, the corner of my mouth twitching into a smirk. They could try all they wanted; I had nothing to hide.

"So," Zinzolin began, his voice dripping with condescension, "who exactly are you? And how did you come into possession of that shiny Zorua?"

I let out a slow breath, leaning back as far as my restraints would allow. "Who am I? I'm a traveller from the future, one where this world has fallen to the powers of MissingNo."

This only got a cackled laugh from him as he began walking around the chair I was held in. "Now that's a story, so crazy, so farfetched I might just believe it. So what, you came here to save the past? Change the future?"

"Ha!" I laugh, stomping my feet on the floor. "Hardly, like I could stop the forces of MissingNo and the draw of the Nightmare Anomoloies. I'm not going to go back in time to throw my life away, no thank you."

Zinzolin's lip curled. He didn't like the nonchalance in my tone. "And why, exactly, are you here in Johto?"

"I'm here for the Rainbow Feather," I said, locking eyes with him, daring him to make the next move. "Just like you, I suspect."

Zinzolin's eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, I added, "I have nothing to hide."

****

"I have nothing to hide," Gretel said, her voice steady as she looked up at the row of Team Rocket grunts surrounding her. The words were strong, but she could feel the tension knotting in her stomach. They might have bought her confidence for now, but she knew it wouldn't last. Not when he walked in.

The door opened, and the atmosphere shifted. Giovanni entered the room with a calm, deliberate stride, his presence commanding instant attention. Gretel's heart skipped a beat, her mouth going dry as memories she thought she'd buried came rushing back. His cold, calculating demeanour reminded her all too much of her father, Ghetsis.

Giovanni walked around the Pokémon Center where Team Rocket had set up their base, inspecting the machines used to heal Pokémon once; trainers would provide passing through. "Contrary to belief, I admire Pokémon Centers; they are useful tools for all trainers, even us; a place to heal Pokémon of all wounds, status effects and conditions isn't something just to scoff at. However, while they have my gratitude, they do not have my respect. Pokémon Centers are free; they could make millions monopolise a market left untamed. If you're not making money, what's the point?" He stood before her, towering over her with an aura of authority that made the grunts seem insignificant. Giovanni's gaze bore into her, his expression unreadable. He let the silence hang for a moment before speaking, his voice smooth yet laced with a dark edge. "Is your father Ghetsis?"

Gretel hesitated, the words catching in her throat. But she couldn't lie—there was no point. "Yes," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper. "My name is Gretel Harmonia."

Giovanni raised an eyebrow, his scepticism evident. "And why, exactly, are you here and not with your people?"

Gretel's gaze dropped to the floor, shame washing over her. She took a deep breath, the truth burning in her chest. "I wanted to kill him. To prove I'm better, stronger, and more worthy of ruling Team Plasma than my brother. But I failed. I lost sight of who I was... and I got someone close to me killed. A good person."

Giovanni's expression remained unchanged, his cold eyes analysing every word. "And what are you here for now?"

****