"To be blunt about it, my mom kind of only cared about having a daughter and would ditch a guy when she had a boy..."

"I don't even know what mine looks like. Just that he likely has green hair."

"I'm so glad he's too young for people to assume he's my dad..."

"Uh...I'm sure none of the executives heard that..."

"I don't have the full story on mine...but I do know he never even tried talk to me. It's just as much my mom's fault but...all I know is I look like him."

"...Fuck deadbeat dads..."

He actually laughed at that.

"I should be saying that to you. I owe you a favor, after all."

"He's been hiding as a kid more but he's doing better. Talking to more people. Has his snark back. Still can't thank you enough for the help with that."

"You've made some really cool stuff and flinch at it. You need to realize you got this! You helped me save Garnett."

"You're surprised any of your gadgets work after that draining bug worked. ...Leo, you ever consider your issue is self-confidence?"

"Yes. You helped me with the collar... You're lucky you didn't hit an executive."

Haruto kept coughing as his Pokémon cleared the smoke.

"You really....need to be more careful..."

Haruto jumped, trying not to fall back.

"Leo! What th-ack! Murkrow!"

He quickly through out his bird Pokémon blindly.

"Clear this smoke!"

"...Thank you."

"We're trying to get out... They're all too stupid to even realize I got the collar off him."

"...Good for you. No one has my back. I'm meant to protect Garnett. ...I want to. But no one is looking out for me. And I'm...I'm fine with that. I want to prove I can do it..."

"I'd rather try and make them fear and respect me up front. Not see a kid or...or anything besides the man I..."

Damn it, he couldn't even say it. All the messed up things said to him today made it hard...

"Why would you want to hide them? Let people know they should take you seriously."

"It's kind of hard when you look like the embodiment of everything I hate dressed like that..."

"Why would I? I'm still trying to keep up with all this multiverse stuff. I'm only aware there is one because of you and Garnett. If I work for you why are you so nasty to me!?"

"I...don't understand..."

"...Contract?"

"Yeah. You mean of those damn kimonos, don't you?!"

He made an assumption from that.

"There's no universe where I wouldn't stand up to her!"

JAMES: I'll rise so high on the Team Rocket ladder of success, you'll need a telescope to see me!

"You already piss me off enough by willingly looking like one of them! Reeking of that legendary! You don't need to rub salt in the wound!"

He couldn't help clutching his dagger for a moment, forcing himself to let it go. That HURT. His own hateful insecurities echoing in his mind.

"I'm...don't call me that..."

"So his little brother is also back..."

Haruto was left shaking, trying not to curl in on himself.

"...You don't know what I lived through..."

Haruto was shaking, still clutching the dagger like it would offer some safety.

"STOP IT!"