(How do I keep getting into these situations?) Nick had been guided by Ariana to the building where she was staying with her son, she had asked him to talk to him because he had been locked in his room most of the time since Giovanni's abandonment, clearly depressed, he was barely eating.

(I would tell her to find someone else, but…) Nick knew there was no one else, he could imagine that he had no friends, only his mother.

(Well, I can't put it worse) He wasn't a psychologist or anything, he just used the key Ariana gave him to get in and have a chat with the guy.

"Go away, you know I want to be alone." Silver was sitting on the bed with his back to him, he didn't even turn around to speak, reading a book about Pokémon battling.

“And because of that attitude, I am here”

Silver turned, not recognizing his mother's voice.

"You're one of my father's thugs, I thought everyone else was gone like him." It was easy for Nick to see how he clenched his fists.

“I think I classify as a friend of the family now, your mother is worried and she wants me to talk to you.” He wasn't beating around the bush, with the boy's behavior, he wouldn't get anywhere by dragging his feet.

"I'm not interested! Get out! I know no one cares about me!”

"I don't think your mother agrees"

"What do you know?! Ever since my father became a "major criminal" he didn't care about me! How can I know that my mother won't stop caring at some point?!" The red-haired boy got up and began to let out what he had accumulated.

"No, boy, frankly, I can't know, I never had parents, I don't know what that unconditional love is, I can only say that you should take advantage of it" Nick was not going to say something like: it's your mother will always love you; because first, that would sound empty coming from a person who has no mother and second, he had already lost his father, someone who must have always loved him too.

“You… don't have parents?” Silver may try to appear more mature for his age, but he just turned 9 years old.

“Child, you are not the only one who has a bad time in this life, we all have our stories, there must be people out there who have a worse time than you or me, the important thing is to live to find moments and people that are worthwhile”

This was one of the things he wishes someone had told him when he was a child and he wondered why he had to live on the streets, there being children who seemed to be happier than him.

“I…” Nick saw how unsure he looked.

"Let's not turn this into a pity contest, I'll leave it to you: your mom loves you and cares about you, the fact that I'm here shows it, anything else you want to say?"

Silver looked at the depth in Nick's eyes and continued talking more calmly.

"I just wanted dad to be with us... you know, deep down, I wanted him to fail, I thought if he's done being a criminal he'd come back to me and mom to be a family, like before." Tears streamed down Silver's face.

"At first I admired him, he was so strong and he always seemed to have everything under control, so I couldn't believe that he would just run away and leave us." His legs were beginning to shake.

“Look, Silver, I can't defend or criticize what your father did; he had a goal, he missed and couldn't stand it; but if I can tell you this: having you he should have asked you to accompany him ”For Nick this was Giovanni's biggest mistake, he guided the boy to sit down seeing that he was going to fall.

“What would you have done?” He wiped his face with a nearby cloth.

"I couldn't say, I didn't live through all his experiences, but seeing as the criminal side isn't getting anywhere... maybe looking for someone could become a champion." Giovanni couldn't participate in the league, and he wasn't crazy like Oak, being a great trainer  could look for a “disciple” to continue his dream.

"Listen, this must be difficult, I'm not asking you to go out and sing and smile every moment, just talk to your mother and look for that goal, person, Pokémon or whatever makes you happy" Nick patted her head and walked away.

"… What is your name?" he asked hurriedly seeing that he was leaving.

"Nick" When he left he saw Ariana standing at the side of the room, she couldn't hide that she had been crying.

"Thank you" she had a cluster of emotions in her chest.

“Haa, you're welcome, he's a tough guy, he would have gotten over it.” He had that feeling, however, whether it would have ended well is another story.

"Still, thanks, I know you didn't have to."

"His group treated me well" For Ariana that sounded like an excuse and she tried to get a smile

"Do you have a place to stay? I can get you an apartment"

"No need, thanks, I have a reservation at the Pewter City Pokémon Center" He had already paid for his stay until the league.

"I understand, good luck in the league" Ariana accompanied him to the door, she would never have thought to experience a situation like this with a recruit from her organization

"Thanks, good luck... in general" Nick left it was getting dark and he had to go back to Pewter City to rest and have a meeting with his team.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Some time after Nick's departure, Silver came out of his room.

"Silver" Ariana gave her son a hug, wanting to convey all her emotions, she wanted to tell him that she would never stop loving him, but she decided to show it with her actions.

"Mom... what are we going to do now?" He wouldn't solve his problems right away, he was still longing for his father, but he would take the first step by reciprocating his mother's hug.

"I'll leave my substitute position in the gym when the next league is over, then we could travel, what do you think?" They need a change of scenery and with the funds left over from the organization, despite leaving part of the remaining members, it would not be a problem.

The boy nodded, he also wanted to leave this region, and he asked the questions that were in his mind.

"Who is Nick?" He still didn't understand why a member of his father's criminal organization came to encourage him.

“He was an administrator for Team Rocket” Ariana seemed to want to avoid the subject

"No, I mean, why did he come?"

"I... I asked him, son, I thought you needed to talk to someone." It might sound a bit pathetic, but Silver wasn't the only one who didn't have anyone else in his life, with her parents dead and years of dedication to her partner and her organization, she was not left with many close relationships.

"Thank you" Silver could understand how her mother was trying to help him, she didn't even maintain her usual serious attitude

"That's what I'm here for." Ariana stroked his hair.

“I thought all the members had left”

“He decided to go his own way and came to challenge me to participate in the league”

"Is strong?" He had never seen him fight, but if his mother approved of him and he was his administrator, he must not be someone ordinary.

"Quite, he already managed to complete the tour of gyms"

"I want to ask you one thing" Silver would begin to pave his way to the future.