Chapter Text
So the Rainbow Rocket Experiment was a failure. Who would have thought a bunch of alternate dimension versions of old men who’d previously been defeated by ten-year-olds would once again be defeated by ten-year-old? But you couldn’t blame Giovanni for trying. Taking over the Aether Foundation and its resources would have been hugely beneficial to him, perhaps enough to more formally bring him out of retirement. But it looked like that wouldn’t be happening yet.
Oh well, Giovanni thought, after all this wasn’t his first encounter with defeat. Sometimes you just have to accept when you’ve lost and move on.
So, now he was just out in Alola, just for a little bit longer, before he’d return to his home in Kanto. It was night, there were very few people out, mostly tourists. Giovanni stood on the beach overlooking the ocean. It was beautiful, the way the stars and moon reflected off the water, glittering. There was nothing quite like that in Kanto. Almost made the otherwise fruitless journey worth it. But then-
“You’re still here.” A monotone voice spoke, not was a question, just a statement. Giovanni turned to find a pale blue-haired man with sunken cheeks, pale skin, and eyes that held no emotion.
Cyrus.
“I could say the same to you.” Giovanni replied skeptically. “I thought Colress sent you back to your dimension.”
“Evidently, this is my dimension.” Cyrus retorted. “My original one at least. So no, I did not go that far.”
“Huh.” Giovanni thought briefly on the situation. When he had sought Cyrus out in that empty, confusing world, he hadn’t thought that he was the same Cyrus from his own dimension who he had read about banishing himself to land unknown. A lucky coincidence, he supposed.
“I won’t lie, I was hoping to find myself back in the Distortion World.” Cyrus admitted. “That’s actually why I was looking for you… You can still use portals, can you not?”
“Well, yes, but- why would you want to go back there?” Giovanni asked. What he had seen in that world was unpleasant. An endless world where nothing made sense.
“Well. For one thing, if I go back to Sinnoh I’ll be prosecuted.” Cyrus started. “It’s been ten years, but I don’t think there’s really a statute of limitations on that sort of thing… So I won’t exactly be welcomed back with open arms.” Well, that was true, Giovanni supposed. Not everyone had the lawyers and resources he did to avoid jail time, plus numerous fall guys willing to do anything to keep him out of persecution. Indeed, Cyrus would be in trouble if he just returned to his home continent. “For another, I’ve been in the Distortion world for ten years. It’s really not that bad, never being bothered by anyone…. No expectations… No disappointments… It’s nice.” That part, Giovanni understood less.
“Hmm…” Truthfully, Giovanni did not want to send Cyrus back to the Distortion World. Of all the other “pokemon villain leaders” he had heard of rising up over the years- Cyrus fascinated him the most. He seemed the most competent, his motivations the most complex, and his goal the least distracted. He seemed like an interesting person, who Giovanni wouldn’t have minded to get to know.
… Also he was quite handsome but that was hardly relevant.
“Are you certain you want to go back there?” Giovanni asked. Cyrus glared at him.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, since everyone else is likely under the impression that you’re no longer in this dimension, this could be a good time for you to, perhaps, slip off somewhere and start over?” Giovanni suggested. Cyrus’s expression didn’t change (though that wasn’t particularly odd for him)
“And why should I do that? What benefit would that have for me?” Cyrus questioned. Giovanni struggled to think of a reason that wasn’t at least slightly selfish on his part.
“Well… A change of scenery is good for the soul-“ Giovanni started.
“I have no soul.” Cyrus interrupted flatly. Giovanni paused.
“… Right. Well. You do have a head and it can also be good for the head.” He countered. Cyrus made a low humming noise in response.
“Yes. I suppose. But should I care about any of that?” He rebutted.
“Well, I think you should.” Giovanni said. “Could give you a new perspective on things… You said you’ve been gone for ten years, much has changed, there’s a lot around now that you haven’t seen before. New technology. New Media. Things you wouldn’t have in the Distortion World.”
“I suppose you’re right about that.” Cyrus admitted. “That doesn’t mean I’ll want to stay here forever though.”
“How about this…” Giovanni started. “I can take you back to Kanto with me, and you can stay with me and my son for a while- say- six months, and if after that you still want to return to a literal physical Hell- I won’t stop you. I’ll take you back.” He proposed.
“Is that the only way you’ll agree to take me back?” Cyrus asked.
“… Yes.” Giovanni answered. Cyrus groaned.
“Fine then. I’ll stay in this world again for six months. But by the end of that don’t be surprised when I still want to go back to the Distortion Realm.” Cyrus agreed. Secretly, Giovanni was overjoyed.
“Excellent! You won’t regret this, I promise.” Giovanni assured him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders in a friendly gesture.
“I already do.” Cyrus replied. Giovanni retracted his arm.
“Right… Well.” Giovanni activated the wormhole generator, and led Cyrus through it.
It took them through to Giovanni’s mansion in Kanto. Because of the difference in geographical location, it was early morning there, the sun slowly beginning to rise.
“Hmm. About as humble as I expected it to be.” Cyrus said, still with no inflections or indications of emotions.
“Is that sarcasm I detect?” Giovanni asked.
“Yes.” Cyrus replied. “Don’t get used to it.”
Giovanni unlocked the front door and let Cyrus in.
“I don’t know if my son is here but if he is he won’t be up for a few hours… But you’re probably jet-lagged so feel free to make yourself comfortable anywhere-“ Giovanni started.
“I’m not, and I won’t.” Cyrus interrupted. “I’ve never slept much.” Cyrus then began to seemingly show himself around the mansion.
“Right… Well… If you need anything just ask-“
“I won’t.” Cyrus replied. Giovanni sighed.
He really hoped that this would turn out to be worth it.