Geppetto Accardi

Geppetto’s memories of his childhood are somewhat mixed. Much like himself, they are a juxtaposition between the mundane and the extraordinary…

From what he has been told, his start was rocky and rife with tragedy. Orphaned as a young pup, he would have perished alone- would have, had he not been found by one of the members of his fathers’ company of employment. Thanks to their swift actions, he was brought to the boss, who used his vast resources and connections to ensure the child received medical care and a comfortable upbringing. Part of this upbringing was being given to his parents to raise once the baby was stable.

It was no secret that Geppetto was adored by both of his fathers, who had met within the company several years ago and had been married for the last few. They had taken great interest in the fate of the baby, and had begged to be given the chance to adopt it. They were both strong, fiercely-driven men, who were well respected in their line of work. They were also kind, protective, and eager to teach and watch their pup grow. Whenever he awoke crying from nightmares he didn’t understand, they were there by his bedside. If he was ever being teased at school, they were swift to step in and end it. They came to all of his extracurricular events, they took him on vacations, spoiled him on holidays…

Geppetto loved his parents more than anything. They had good hearts, and they would do anything for him. They loved him wholeheartedly, as did several of their co-workers who had watched him grow up over the years.

However, the young pup wasn’t oblivious. He was well aware that not everymon saw his parents the way he did. He was aware that not everymon believed that their company had the region- no, the world’s best interest at heart.

Team Rocket was an organization of ambition, an expansive company with one goal: to reach beyond the stars- metaphorically speaking. Innovation, hard work, and garnering public favor… These things were all necessary to achieve their goals. To make the world a better place, to forge a future that not everyone had the ability to see… there were naysayers, of course. There were other crooked organizations, there were corrupt politicians, there were ordinary, ignorant citizens who would get in the way… but these would be dealt with in time. Peacefully, if possible. Socially. Economically. Only when nothing else worked to persuade, would physical force or destruction be utilized… but only when necessary. Sometimes to do something for the greater good, small acts of bad were unfortunately required… but the karma would balance out in the end.

Part of this effort towards greatness and helping others was to utilize the powers of extraordinary species of pokemon- ‘Legendaries’. Geppetto, as he’d been so fondly told over and over, was one of them. A god of water, a being of aurora and grace… Suicune, freshly reincarnated, as they did from time to time when one’s life ended. He had abilities unlike either of his fathers, unlike the boss’s, even.

These abilities did require specialized training, so Geppetto’s life was made up of two separate lives. The ordinary school boy who enjoyed carefree time with his parents, traveling, indulging in hobbies, made up one life. The other involved hours of hard training, physical and mental. It involved endless machines and tests and sparring matches, wearing strange equipment, speaking to scientists and psychologists in labs… Some days, these tests were so brutal that he would break down crying or curl up vomiting. He would be electrocuted, or beaten until he bled. He wondered sometimes what the point of it all was, why he had to suffer through it- but these thoughts would be swiftly banished when one of his fathers would come to collect him afterwards and take him out for ice cream, or when he’d get a smile and nod of approval from one of the higher-ups… Pain was temporary. Pain was necessary, if he was going to grow into the powerful god he was destined to become. But the smiles on the faces of those he cared about, the oblivious citizens they would pass in the ice cream parlors… those were permanent. Those were the goals he had to strive for, working hard to help Team Rocket ensure those mon would be protected from future calamities…

Life wasn’t easy. Despite the troubles in the labs and gyms, Geppetto often felt that his other life was actually more difficult. Whenever he was an ordinary citizen, he had to disguise himself. Makeup or hair dye, different clothes… he needed to pass as an ordinary riolu, and later, lucario. Even as a young pup, it had been drilled into him how vital this concealment was. Legendaries were not safe in public. There were countless other mon, single or in other organizations, who would do anything for a chance to take advantage of such a rare creature. He unfortunately found this out one day in the third grade, when he was the victim of an attempted kidnapping (Swiftly stopped by some of his fathers’ coworkers, thankfully).

It was hard to make friends when you could never truly be yourself. It was hard to make friends when you were never certain you could trust somemon. Geppetto was graceful, talented, charming enough on the surface when needed. But it was mostly for show. Truthfully, he was, and had always been, a rather anxious boy. Paranoia plagued him. Nerves ate away at him whenever he was in conversation, especially with those he was unfamiliar with. Despite his extraordinary abilities, he was frequently full of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, especially as he aged. Why was he a legendary when he couldn’t socialize without trembling? When he still woke up screaming or crying some nights? When unlike his physically-inclined fathers, he struggled to find any satisfaction in the brutality of combat? How could he ever measure up to the legends that made up his past lives?

Noticing the teen was beginning to withdraw into himself, slowly losing interest in his hobbies and staying holed up at home when he wasn’t busy with training, his parents approached the boss to ask for advice, and maybe an opportunity to bring up his confidence. They settled on giving the young legend some ‘jobs’ of his own to do, both to further test his powers and do some good for the community. He began to tag along on missions with one of his parents and their coworkers. Soaking up pollution from illegal dumping and factory runoff, setting up rain over drought-stricken land, or breaking down unnecessary dams to release the waters… These were missions that made a tangible difference. Geppetto was able to see that years of training, all those nights spent crying or nursing wounds, were worth something. He was growing into something useful. He could pay back the boss and all of the mon who had worked so hard to build his future, by helping them towards their own.

Thanks to his hard work behind the scenes, in the years following, the images of Team Rocket’s many companies and figureheads were improving. They owned the cleanest factories. They owned some of the most productive farmlands and the richest natural lakes. Their bottled spring water was selling by the truckload, and they had some excellent PR from sending donations to communities that had been stricken by sudden natural disasters or poverty.

Geppetto was doing well. However, despite his and his parents’ satisfaction, the boss had bigger plans for the boy. The suicune needed to continue challenging himself, honing his abilities, and it was possible that the stable environment and predictable routines of his daily life were threatening to allow him to plateau. So, one day, Geppetto and his parents were called in to discuss a new assignment. Geppetto’s first solo mission, and one of great importance.

One of the boss’s associates in the Kanto region had reported to him about an incredible opportunity: An academy that was garnering quite a reputation for housing extremely powerful and rare pokemon, and supposedly training them into forces to be reckoned with. The associate had reported all sorts of incidents, such as unusual typings for ordinary species, incredible battles, legendary fusions, and even pure legendaries attending.

Yes. For the first time in his life, the suicune would have a chance to meet those of equal status and power to himself. He would have other legendaries to train with and learn from.

More importantly, he would be able to rescue them. For though the academy seemed glittering and golden on the surface, the reports weren’t all positive. Intel from students there had reported injuries, some of which had nearly been life-threatening. There were tales of mon going mad, or legends being imprisoned in strange spherical devices. Yes, imprisoned. The boss could only shake his head in dismay. Such powerful creatures, mon that should be revered, treated with such indignity and brutality.

What did the academy want with all of these strange mon? How and why were these incidents occurring? Were they building up to something? Some sort of grand scheme?

The best option for finding out would be to enroll Geppetto, to find out first hand and report back with his findings. He would be able to gain the trust and admiration of his fellow legends, and any other victims who wanted to join him. And perhaps, he would be able to guide them along a better path. To give them the same opportunities he had been lucky enough to enjoy.

Geppetto was nervous, of course. The idea of leaving the large family and support network he’d come to know was upsetting. But everyone was counting on him. They had given him so much over the years… he had to give back. He had to succeed, and prove he was ready for this promotion that they were giving him! Legendaries of the past had put their lives on the line, gone to war… This was his own great battle, a long and stealthy one… He would be victorious.

Though Mystic might have been the obvious choice, after great deliberation, Geppetto was signed up for the Valor dorms. According to the boss’s associate, there were already a few legendary canines there, so with luck, it would be easier for the suicune to find his place in the pack.