4:55pm... He'd been ticking down the time he'd been here, from the moment he'd stepped into the office, each second would not have gone unnoticed, not a minute missed. Then, he'd be able to get to hear her voice. 5 minutes left, 300 more agonizing till he'd be in the comfort of his home again...Laurence leaned into the back of his seat, his lids growing heavy as his head slowly filled with the ghostly sound of the voice of his world, he'd nap for those five minutes, to hear her voice once more--

Doctor.

He hadn't even been able to slip fully into his thoughts before someone disturbed him, that same repetitive honorific that would keep him at his job. Laurence swiveled in his chair, his tired eyes landing on the man who leaned against the doorway. A patient. Howard. Home...No, She, would have to wait a little longer. 5 minutes. She could wait that long, right?

"Come on, get onto the cot...Go ahead and tell me what's your issue and make it quick."

In a sluggish movement, Laurence got from his seat, grabbing the clipboard as he went towards the cabinet, trying to find the file for the man who would be taking up his time...And while Howard would be going to explain his situation, Laurence would hold little care but to speak his mind on such a matter that he felt. 

"You've got a lot of nerve coming on the last 5 minutes of a man's shift, you know?"

It wouldn't be long before he'd found the medical papers he'd need, putting them into his clipboard before he'd walk over, cold eyes glancing over the Rocket Admin to find any sort of "glaring" injuries that could have been so important to ruin his day. 

"Battle does not revolve around the time of your schedule. There was an incident with Kyurem and with the League." Howard grimaced as he trudged towards the cot. The man unbuttoned his shirt as he glared at the doctor. He had just fought a war with Kyurem and his friend was dying. Dealing with this man's quips was infuriating.

Yet he kept his mouth shut. Howard was not a man who inspired awe like Admin Cross, Beast Delarosa, or the three Underbosses. He was content to follow.

"You have a lot of nerve. Don't you know how many wounded we have from the battle with Kyurem?" His shirt fell against the floor as he practically fell into the cot. His breathing was raspy, and even now, his breath frosted. Frostbite glazed his body, and his arm was burned. Cold. Hot. Howard was freezing. Howard was burning. "We have more wounded than we know what to do with, and few doctors. I'm surprised this place isn't packed with people."

Howard knew that this man was a member of Rocket, but he seemed more of a civilian than a man of the League. It didn't surprise him. Many of Sootopolis's citizens had joined Rocket when the invasion began. It was either that, or be wiped out.

If faced with the choice, he would've bent the knee to Rocket. When faced with a group as bloodthirsty as them, the best thing to do was bow and stay out of the way.

Unfortunately, being noticed by a Rocket Admin wasn't the best way to remain unseen for long.

---

Laurence Whateley

But it did revolve around his schedule, if he’d have his way.

He’d have turned him away, left the man there with nothing but the frostbite to eat at his skin, but he knew that if he'd gone home, he'd show it. She'd see it, and Laurence wasn't prepared to answer questions about what had been troubling him, there were only so many times 'A lot of adult things are just going on for Papa.' would work on a curious girl like Sophia. She’d go prying for more, and Arceus knows how much digging she’d try to get into. That and the hassle that it’d cause would be more than he’d need for the moment. The bastard would get his help.

‘I know you all have enough to fill this room twice over…Before you take over a place, wouldn’t it be best to at least have enough to treat going against a beast of legend…’

But that would have extended things, he kept it to himself.

“More often than not, some come simply to get out of their tasks like the next person, but we’ll see what's the issue.”

As Howard dropped his shirt to reveal his wounds, the sight of the blackening frostbite would make itself quite evident. So, this was the handiwork of Kyurem…Laurence moved forward to get a closer glance, seeing where the frostbite began and where it ended. Depending on how far it’d have gotten and with this severity, it’d turn from a standard thirty-minute excursion to more than Laurence bargained for. His mind drifted off for a second, an image coming quickly of a young lady sitting at the table alone, only the TV on to keep her busy while she waited.

She’d be fine alone for too long, right? He’d put the leftovers in the fridge just in case something like this would ever happen…But just because he prepped for it, didn't mean he wanted the possibility to be coming to fruition.

“I’m going to go and do a quick blood draw to see how you’re going so far… then get you ready for an IV for a bit. I hope you have time, we’ll be here for a moment.”

Laurence scribbled something down on the clipboard he kept close and took a long sigh before he turned around towards the glass cabinets that had lined the infirmary. With a sure-fire grab, he’d grab a needle. Hopefully, he wasn’t squeamish, this’d only draw out more time.



“Howard Slayte, right? Go ahead and tell me your allergies...”


howard slayte

Time? He had nothing but time.

His time was borrowed. It should've been him lapsing in and out of consciousness instead of Shred . Instead, Shred was dying, and all Howard could do was sit around and watch. If he had the strength, he would've cursed the League under his breath. Instead, he cursed PENELOPE LIVY , the bitch, for redirecting his attack.

His silent cursing of her became a mantra in his mind. The thoughts of rage and anguish directed towards Chi-yu's Avatar kept him from screaming in pain. It became his silent prayer as he sat in the cot. Even if he couldn't hate Illeana, he could hate Penelope. That was fine. That was just.

"I'll wait. Try not to take too long, though. I doubt your malpractice can cover me kicking the bucket." Howard smiled wryly at Laurence. How abhorrent it must be to treat someone occupying your hometown. How easy it would be to slip an air bubble into a vein. Nobody would know where he was, besides Walsh. "I don't suppose I could get you to return to headquarters to help in the infirmary?"

How easy it would be for this doctor to kill Howard and curry favor with the League. Yet Howard made a silent bet that this man's pride as a doctor would not let him turn a patient away.

That was the pride of healing.

"No allergies. My blood type is..." Howard listed off a list of medically relevant things that Laurence would likely need. Blood types, pre-existing conditions, history of illnesses, and so on. His eye followed the needle, unblinking. "Ah..."

He sweated slightly, before turning away from the noodle. Clearly, it spooked him. It wouldn't stop him from taking the shot, though.

"I'm surprised. No nurses, no receptionist... Have they all gone home for the day, or do you have no employees?"

---

Laurence Whateley

His joke had little to bring Laurence to try to laugh. Surely, he knew that there was little to joke about when it came to this. Laurence knew that. 

"I'm sure there are plenty of doctors and those who are willing to help with you all. And unless you're able to give me more PTO and the weekends off, then I'll keep refusing the offer. Plus, I enjoy the city, the life here. It was a nice place to live in."

Another shot was fired in his comment. It had seemed as though the city had more and more issues since the group and taken root here...He'd been a doctor before, but to this, though he promised he'd heal, every Rocket member he'd met had left nothing but acid in his mouth. But moving was of little option, he and Sophia couldn't just leave, especially having had a life here entirely...Laurence tried to not think too much about it, long as she was fine, then he'd remain fine. Rocket could dwell in the city; they wouldn't dwell in his time with his daughter. 

As Howard listed off his record, Laurence had begun readying the needle. It'd take a moment to see if he were even ready for the IV, the way that the sides of him seemed charred black, he'd be surprised the admin's blood hadn't turned to slush. 

"Alright, I'm going to use the needle. Don't move."

That was the only warning Howard would get, his fear and even the slight breath he took in wouldn't' be acknowledged when Laurence pierced his skin. To distract himself, the admin tried asking questions, as the needle sank deeper. A childish tactic he'd his own child do when she showed her hesitation towards check-ups.

"I let them go early, if need be, many of them have much more to do outside of work as it is. Unfortunately, that means that when people do come in, I have to deal with them on my own."

The needle would be pulled out, its pipe filled with what crimson liquid it could find before Laurence flicked a finger at it. He'd been at least lucky enough to have some blood flow...That'd be good for him at least. He'd staved off amputation or worse. Many may not have been so lucky.

"Luckily for you, I was able to draw some blood out but, I'll be hooking you up to an IV for a moment."

Laurence went and deposited the blood sample away in a vial when he could before he moved over to grab an IV drop and IV stand. After a few moments of fixing it, he readied the second needle and hooked it to the man, however, as he did such, he brought himself to ask:

"Are there any others who happened to be hit with this bad of frostbite? God can only know how bad it had to be for others who may have been hit directly."

howard slayte

"As bad as me? Unlikely." His voice is as dry as a freezing winter's gust. Exposure to two Ice-type Pokemon as powerful as Kyurem was something only another might have suffered. Admin Cross and his Chien-pao were also Ice-type, but Howard suspected that Admin Cross wouldn't have been easily bested. He was likely fine.

That left Howard. The weakest Rocket Admin was carried solely by the power of the Pokémon given to him by Team Rocket. Once Regice had shattered, Howard had immediately retreated back to Sootopolis. He was not a strong trainer, but he was particularly good behind a desk. He understood the value of manpower.

And he saw potential. Doctors were valuable. They had many scientists within Rocket, each focused on their respective subjects and obsessions. What they lacked were experienced medical professionals.

Besides, from experience, Howard knew that every person had a price. The doctor here had just listed his. Howard did not know Laurence Whateley personally, but he knew that the man was a doctor. Doctors made vows to heal people, and Rocket consisted of 'people', even if Howard himself viewed many of them as monsters.

War made monsters out of everyone, and Rocket was at war.

"You don't like Sootopolis anymore?" Howard chuckled. He disliked it too, it was why he didn't have a house here. "I can arrange for the PTO and weekends, if you agree. It's not easy to expand your career in Sootopolis when all roads lead to Rocket."

All roads left to Rocket, not to us. Howard would never view himself as part of the collective.

"Doctors don't grow on trees."

He was still as the needle entered and left, leaving a small hole that hardly oozed blood. His blood was far too cold to flow particularly well. Forget slush, it was likely bordering on a solid. The Admin was likely teetering on consciousness, his body was so cold.

"Yet I can make it... very worth your while. You will want for little." Howard's eye fluttered as he eyed the IV with his single good eye. "My only caveat is that you remain on call for moments like this. War waits for nobody. Right, doctor...?"

A name. He needed a name.

---

Laurence Whateley

"I'll let you answer that question, Mr. Slayte."

Laurence ignored his chuckle, trying to focus on the IV bag and not on the decaying structure he'd had to adjust to. However, when Howard continued to ramble, introducing the idea of PTO and those coveted weekends he'd bargained for, he almost fumbled with the IV bag entirely, taking a quiet grave breath to make sure he'd heard that correctly. The admin was correct, though he didn't interact with many of the other doctors, he'd heard the rumors of hospitals being flooded with patients, and the number of hands dwindled by the day. Laurence put the needle in the admin's arm, letting the new liquid try to loosen the icy veins of Howard even if but a little. However, the bargain had been what stopped him from jumping on the offer immediately. No one knew the time of war.

"You drive a hard bargain...However, I have to ask since you're so quick to throw an offer. How long will this war last then? I don't want to agree to something that will be deemed an eternity. I have responsibilities outside of work too."

The question had been serious, enough to have him not get up and simply reject such a thing. 

"And the name is Laurence. Laurence Whateley, a former Sootopolis resident." 

howard slayte

Admin Fox raised an eyebrow as he regarded Laurence.

"Former?" His voice dripped with inquiry and bemusement. "We're still here, unless I'm mistaken. Did I take a wrong corner and turn into Mossdeep? You dislike our occupation?"

Those who knew Howard personally were aware of his true feelings. A man who loathed Rocket, but kept it buried out of fear of retribution. He was a cog in the machine, a cog that kept Rocket and Sootopolis supplied while raking in cash. He himself was destitute, but Rocket was unfathomably rich.

They could supply Laurence, just as they had supplied Howard. Another man, chained to Rocket.

"I don't know. It's greater than you know, but people will die. You can save lives. We have access to medicine your clinic will never have. You could be a pioneer." He thought of jayden cross as he said it.

Yet asking when this war would end was something nobody could answer. Not even the most devour of Rocket's followers. This battle would not end until Rocket stood at the pinnacle. Howard sighed as the IV drip did its job.

"I ask you again. Will you join?"

---

Laurence Whateley

"Again, I'll let you answer that."

Laurence's brows knit together as Howard gave his grand speech on how the war could go. He knew exactly those wars led to death, that was obvious, who didn't? But that wasn't what he wanted to know. He wanted to know when this thing end would. People dying, yet he was to bet his life onto a hand that already seemed to be losing. Sophia flickered in his mind, her smile being the one thing that made him confident he could keep her safe. But, with this fool asking him to strap into a war, that wouldn't be possible. He could feel himself deflate at the idea of not being there for her at all...

"Pioneers are for those who want to be one, and I can care less of being the "best" doctor there is, Slayte. I asked when this war would end. Chaining my soul for a plaque isn't worth it. I don't know about you, but I have more than a life than in this building."

His voice rose an octave, a wave of heat beginning to flood over him. The doctor had already conscripted himself to Rocket due to being here, treating the criminals because there was little, he could do to ensure else could bring in the money for him and her. It wasn't just a bet, but a damn sentence. Before he could say much more, he turned around, hoping that maybe turning from the man'd at least calm him down. Laurence had listened, but he wasn't caught on this idea fully. Silence fell onto the room, only pierced by the occasional cry of a monitor and the rhythmic drip of the IV bag. 

"Fine. I'll answer it." Howard's eye stared at Laurence, blinking slowly. "You will join Team Rocket as a doctor. You will do so because you must."

He took a deep, rasping breath. It was the breath of a man on the brink of death, only just staggering from the brink towards the great plain of life. It was a desperate, halting march from death towards life. There was no glory in surviving death, only pain. Cursed, miserable pain.

Pain was proof that Howard was still alive. He was alive. Laurence had pushed life into his veins, and Howard would persist. If Howard, a mediocre battler and academic would persist in this battle with the League, Laurence would to. Rationally, he wouldn't think this. Yet he was in pain, and rationality left him.

"This war will not end with you, and it won't end without you. Yet you can lighten the collective load of misery that we face. The League will raze Sootopolis to the ground." Howard let out a breathy chuckle. "They would drop Groudon on our city if it fulfilled their interests. They will kill your parents, your siblings, and your children. It would be a pyrrhic victory, but they would accept that if it let them wipe us out."

He stood on shaky legs, monitor beeping sporadically as he took a step towards Laurence.

"Everyone in this city will die if we lose it. Do you think they'll vet each and every citizen? No. They'll simply toss us all on a pile, douse us, and light a match."

It was brutally honest. Just. Fair.

---

Laurence Whateley

You will do so because you must.

Laurence had turned around to face the audacious patient, those brown eyes burning a hole in him momentarily. The information had been laid out before him, the idea that the league themselves would turn a city to rubble over something so small as a war dawning on him in the most grotesque of ways.

They will kill your parents, your siblings, and your children.

It was then that a noise escaped his throat, a strangled sound between a cry and a laugh. This...there had to have been some lie in it, somehow. They were a resident before this occupation, they’d fish them out somehow…right? The idea that both he and Sophia could be killed in something they had little to do with, couldn’t have been real.

Laurence took a moment of silence, his brain triaging the situation he had been given. Join, or die. There was little room for debate, and yet he could feel the acid rise in his throat. The sound comes back again, an echo of its previous cousin, only more pronounced. He hadn’t even noticed that Howard had gotten from his cot, the man hardly making it close enough before Laurence caught a spasm of his muscles twitching in reflex, forcing him to take a step back once more, closing the distance between them. He wouldn’t be touched by him, a man who’d chain him and his child to this potential massacre. He didn’t trust himself enough to react any more peacefully than had the admin truly done such.

“So you doom us and then tell me I have to join with no choice? You’d damn us, and tell us to find a way out?”

He’d take any silence as a yes, and any “no” as a lie, the question, however, was not Howard to answer, but rather for Rocket itself. Another silence fell onto the room once more, more oppressive than the last. No choice. There was no choice. And with how the city had been, moving hadn’t been an option before, but in the midst of this, there was never going to be a way out unless he tried to find a solution. And him not ending it be damned, he would find a solution. It’d take a moment for the man to speak again, his words before had been cold, but now they’d go frigid, exactly how Howard had walked in.

“Sit down. If you move I’ll leave you as the popsicle that you used to be.”

The anger was justified, something that could easily have boiled over into much worse than words, but Laurence had managed to keep it as just that. Anger. Hatred, if for better terms. But, he’d have to get over it, this was the hand he’d been dealt with, and the only hand he could play. Sophia peaked in his mind a final time before his eyes went to the clock on the wall, 6:32 pm. She’d be questioning at this point, he’d never been gone this long. It’d be a start, however. Laurence shook his head, trying to dismiss it as much as he could. Fine. This was the hand he’d been dealt. But it wouldn’t mean he was out of the game. In that same cold voice, Laurence gave his final negotiation.

“I want my child’s safety prioritized first. Get her out of the city, and I’ll join."


howard slayte  

Silence was another word for yes, and thus Howard said nothing. He was simply silent as he slumped back in his chair.

Rationality felt so far away. This wasn't him. He was a simple pencil pusher, not a recruiter. He didn't draft members into Rocket, that was the duty of the Rocket Beasts. The heat of battle had turned him into a vengeful ghoul, a monster incapable of understanding anything but violence.

This was not him. Yet he embraced this version all the same. He needed to, in order to brave through the pain of being frozen over twice.

"I didn't start this war. This war is being waged by spiteful creatures masquerading as people. Yet we're people, forced to dance at the whim of distant powers. I didn't ask for this, and neither did you."

He took a deep breath. He took another. He felt his lungs expand and contract as he tried to compose himself. He forced the pain and trauma from battle to the back of his mind so that he could focus. Focus. Focus! He opened his eye.

"Yet there's nothing we can but carry on. That's terrifying, but it's all we can do." He stared at Laurence, and nodded. "Very well."

He could understand the bond of blood. The child would be watched, naturally, but they would be safe. Howard would honor this agreement on his honor as an admin. He snickered for a moment, thinking about the 'honor' of his rank. Rocket had no honor. Howard had no honor. He was a craven.

Yet he'd honor this pact.

"Is that all?" He offered a hand for the doctor to shake.

---

Laurence Whateley

There was always someone else to blame...They occupied the city, but somehow it was the league's fault. They fought a dragon of legend but that too was for someone to blame, and now he was essentially put to death, but that too had seemed to be the league's fault. All excuses. 

"I want her to be not associated with me in this. The last thing I need is someone from League to hold her to my actions."

He tried to think of anything else, something that could give Sophia a leg up or keep her any better than she was now. Being here was hard on her anyway, with an eye on her and rocket, Laurence had hardly any moments to give her what she wanted. Going to parks became more stressful than he needed, his only saving grace was that she'd been under some other adult's supervision when at school and at home. At least with this, he'd have one less worry. 

"Rocket will keep her safe. That's what I want. Nothing more. "

In a short motion, Laurence took the man's hand, shaking it with a firm motion before letting go. 

"Just tell me what I need to do."

howard slayte