BB prompt 1

weevil has loved bug-type pokemon his whole life. since he was wee he was watching documentaries on bug-types, trying to catch caterpies or weedles, and admiring bug-type specialists around the world-- especially guzma. unfortunately, without a starter pokemon of his own, actually catching one for himself proved all but impossible. maybe if he had more skill with a pokeball it wouldn't have been so tough, but his hand-eye coordination... pretty much the worst.

around saffron city, there were plenty of signs up recruiting for team rocket. weevil generally didn't pay them mind; they had a bad reputation, but he'd never personally seen them doing anything wrong, really, and even if they did steal sometimes, that's not exactly the end of the world. it's a tough world out there and sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! today, though, as he waited for the metro, a rocket advert caught his eye: "sign up today! free starter pokemon for new grunts!"

well, whaddya know, weevil thought. he'd flunked out of university and mostly made a living doing odd jobs and freelance work, but without a pokemon he was pretty bottom of the barrel for most job opportunities. if they were offering him work *and* a pokemon of his own, maybe this was the break he needed! he skipped the train and gave the number on the flier a call.

"team rocket HQ, this is robin, how can i help you?"

"yeah, i saw your flier, you give out free starter pokemon to anyone who joins?"

"if you don't already have a pokemon, then yes, a starter is provided on sign-up!"

"is it just, like, a random assignment, or do i get any say in what it is?"

"we will always do our best to cater to the needs of our hard workers!"

"...do you have any bug-types?"

"in fact, yes! a sewaddle fusion just came through last week. she's been quite eager to get out and see the world with a new trainer!"

weevil found the words had left his mouth before he'd even stopped to think: "when's the soonest i can join?"

"today! come by the celadon game corner and ask to see me, i'll be here until six."

"i'll be there!" he said, though he wondered about the cryptic location. deciding not to worry about it, flipped his phone shut and turned back out of the metro station: celadon was close enough that it'd be better to keep the fare for food later and just walk.

he pushed through the heavy doors and walked up to the reception counter. "i'm looking for a, um, person named robin?"

"ah, you must be the one who called earlier! i'm not sure i caught your name?"

"weevil."

"alright, weevil, right this way," the clerk said, and lead weevil through the rows of pachinko and slot machines. she pulled a corner of a poster back and pushed a small switch behind it, and a bit of floor in the corner shifted beneath weevil's feet! he jumped back onto solid ground and, under where the floor had been, a staircase now loomed.

"right through there," she gestured to the door at the bottom of the staircase. "you'll leave the same way you came in, though the switch is a lot more obvious on that side. careful not to get in anyone's way."

weevil stared at her flatly for a half-second, but not wanting to loose this opportunity to finally get a bug-type of his own (not to mention some steady employment), he followed her instructions.

before he'd even made it all the way down the stairs a team rocket employee showed up to meet him. he introduced herself as robin and brought weevil to a room with some large tables and a vending machine-- presumably, some kind of break room.

"so is sewaddle here?"

"patience, cadet. we have a bit of paperwork to go over first."

"alright, fair. employment is stable if my work's stable, right?"

"of course. just sign here, and here, and write down your size shirt and pants so we can get a uniform ordered for you, and initial here..." they went through a fairly sizable stack of papers that weevil barely read, though he didn't see anything particularly scary as he quickly scanned each document. it mostly seemed like pretty standard workplace stuff-- at least, as far as he could tell, never having had a real over-the-table job before. "okay! that should be everything!"

"phew! so... sewaddle...?"

"yes, sewaddle! stay here, i'll go get her for you."

weevil leaned back in his chair, his attitude not betraying the excitement he felt. he'd been pokemonless for 20 years, and that was finally all going to change today! it was like his tenth birthday all over again, but this time it was going to actually happen!

robin came back in the room with a tiny horse-like pokemon trailing eagerly behind her.

"what... is that?"

"the sewaddle fusion i told you about! she's half ponyta, too, from galar."

"she. doesn't look like a bug type."

"well, no, not exactly. she's part grass, and part psychic but she does have some sewaddle in her!"

"i specifically asked for a bug type! aren't they, like, super common? you should be swimming in them!"

"look, kid. this is a very rare pokemon, and obtaining her was no small task. i wouldn't complain if i were you."

"if she's so rare, why are you giving her to me! shouldn't you give me, idunno, a caterpie or something? those are everywhere!"

"i'm officially your boss now, kid. i want you to succeed here. i don't give my subordinates trash pokemon!"

"you think bug-types are... trash? are you kidding me with that?"

"bug-types are trash. they're like a plague. this is the closest i'm willing to touch. this is my gift to you: i will give you this pokemon despite your attitude, if you promise never to talk back to me like that again."

weevil looked at the pokemon again. it was much smaller than any ponyta he'd seen before, and now that robin mentioned it, she did have little sewaddle-like fangs and unusual leaves in her hair. her pastel colors and bright expression didn't match the gloomy surrounds in the least; she almost glowed against the dank cement flooring.

"not to mention, once you have one pokemon, you'll be able to catch or steal whatever other pokemon you want with ease."

"steal?!"

"ha! where did you think you were, kid?" robin put the pokeball in weevil's hand. "yep, welcome to the team. show up tomorrow morning 7 AM sharp, we should have your new uniform by then, and i'll give you a tour of the place."