Work Text:
It wasn’t often Grimsley spent time with the other members of the Unova League. He wasn’t close to any of them by any means–they were coworkers, simple as that. He couldn’t afford to get close to many people. He had been used and thrown aside enough times in the past, for his money, for his status… Sure, he had lost those things temporarily, but having become a well known and respected Elite Four member granted him back at least some of the status he had lost when his family fell all those years ago.
Grimsley didn’t let people get close to him easily. He didn’t go out to dinner with the rest of the Elite Four, he didn’t go on vacations with them, he didn’t do any of that. And after a while, they stopped inviting him, knowing he wouldn’t show up.
So when Alder proposed a dinner meeting with just the two of them, Grimsley was very, very tempted to outright say no. But this was his boss, and he didn’t fancy losing his job for not being friendly. It was the first time in a long time that he’d have a meeting like this with Alder, and it wouldn’t look good on Grimsley’s part if he ghosted or refused the man. He had decided that one formal meeting every so often with his boss would be fine. It wouldn’t be like his other coworkers, whose gatherings were casual through-and-through.
When the set date and time came around, Grimsley waited outside the fancy restaurant in Opelucid he had picked out, checking his phone every so often. Alder wasn’t known for being the most timely or formal, despite his status as manager of the league. He wasn’t champion anymore, of course, but with Iris being so young, it was only natural someone else had to take on the more grown-up duties.
Grimsley checked his phone routinely for about 10 minutes before Alder showed up, clad in his usual outfit–which was not at all suited for such a fancy restaurant, Grimsley realized with chagrin. Here he was dressed in one of his fancier suits, and Alder had decided to wear the same raggedy poncho and torn pants he always wore.
“Grimsley! I was half worried you’d run off on me.” Alder waved as he approached, a grin plastered on his face.
“I’m not going to ghost my employer,” Grimsley responded dryly, his arms folded. “We really should get inside. We still have time to get in before the reservation is canceled.”
“You took your sweet time, though, so we only have a few minutes.” Grimsley decided it would be best not to add.
Alder chuckled sheepishly. “Ah, right. Sorry about being late, Emmet and Ingo decided to make an abrupt visit and Drayden wanted me to stay for family dinner… It took some convincing, but he eventually decided to let me come!”
Ah, right. Alder had recently married the Opelucid gym leader, who was notably the father of the Battle Subway Bosses. Grimsley hadn’t formally met the Subway Bosses, and he wasn’t exactly in the know about them. Apparently they were the type to show up uninvited and nearly ruin their new stepfather’s preplanned arrangements. Did they know how expensive it was to cancel reservations last-minute?
Well, whatever. It wasn’t Grimsley’s problem, and things had worked out. Now all he had to do was entertain his boss for the evening and, once free, do whatever his heart desired–which likely involved alcohol and poker to some degree.
“Good to hear he let you come. Should we get going, then?” Grimsley asked. Alder nodded, and the two entered the restaurant.
They were escorted to their seats and handed menus before being left alone to decide what they wanted. Grimsley didn’t take long to decide–he’d get the entree he usually got alongside a glass of wine–but it seemed Alder was taking his sweet time deciding what he wanted. The silence was awkward, but Grimsley wasn’t entirely sure what to do to remedy that. He had no idea why Alder had even planned this outing, and the antagonistic part of his brain assured him it was nothing good, leading to him being apprehensive about bringing it up.
Grimsley didn’t have to figure out how to remedy the silence, because Alder decided to break it for them.
“So, how’s life been? I heard one of your nephews is a dark-type gym leader now. Taking after his uncle?”
“...Yes, he is.” Grimsley hadn’t expected mention of his family, but as long as Alder didn’t bring up anything sensitive, he didn’t see the harm in discussing it. “Nebula, Stella and I are very proud of him. Apparently Spikemuth’s not doing so great tourism-wise, so he’s hoping to bring some of the light back to the place.”
Alder set down the menu and chuckled a little. “Knowing who he’s related to, I’m sure he won’t have too hard a time with that. Your family’s full of skilled battlers!”
Grimsley was far too aware that his talent in the field of battle wasn’t special among his immediate family, but he was also far too old to get hung up on the fact his family members shared a talent with him. Nebula’s kids were skilled even without Dynamax, and Stella’s kid was a prodigy in his own right. By all means, he should be and was proud of his family.
“It sure is.” Grimsley nodded in agreement. He puffed his chest out slightly, glad that Alder was acknowledging his family’s prowess. Ever since their parents’ arrest more than a decade ago, it had taken Grimsley and his siblings struggling through hardship after hardship for them to get where they were now. It was only natural that they deserved praise for rising up past hardship and making names for themselves.
Silence washed over the duo once more, lasting several seconds before they were approached by a waiter and asked if they had decided what they wanted. After ordering his food, Grimsley decided to keep the conversation going.
“Speaking of family, your family’s pretty well-known in the battle scene as well, yes?” Grimsley asked, raising an eyebrow. “Drayden, Emmet, Ingo, Benga, Iris… Your family seems to be chock-full of talent.”
“Haha, Guess we’re all pretty good at what we do!” Alder’s laugh rumbled the table a bit. “Not all of us are battlers, though. My daughter opted to live a simpler, less intense life.”
Grimsley nodded in understanding. “Mhmm, right. Nebula’s the same, though they do battle on occasion. They prefer to do their own thing.” The dark-type user quickly thanked the waiter who brought his wine before continuing, “The life of a professional battler isn’t for everyone. It takes real skill and effort to get as far as we have.”
Alder nodded. “It does indeed.”
As the evening continued, Alder began sharing tidbits about his life, his family, his pokemon… Even well into their meals the man was continuing on, his tone warm and lighthearted.
After they finished their meals however, Alder’s expression became…forlorn, in a way. Grimsley picked up on this immediately and raised an eyebrow, though he said nothing. It wasn’t his business to pry. The ex-champion stayed silent for a moment more before speaking up.
“Grimsley.” Alder’s voice had taken on a notably more serious tone. “Are you serious about your job as an Elite Four? Do you still enjoy what you do?”
Grimsley blinked confusedly. “Pardon? Of course I do.”
“You’ve said that it takes effort and skill to get to where you are. That’s true… And there’s no doubt you have the skill and have put in the work.” Alder sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his head, seemingly struggling to put his thoughts into words. “But there’s more to just battling. You’re a public role model. Children and adults alike look up to you.”
Grimsley narrowed his eyes. “What are you implying?”
Another sigh. Arceus, would he just get on with it?
“Grimsley, I know something’s going on. You’ve frequently been coming to work hungover. Marshal told me he caught you so hungover the other day that you were vomiting behind the building. You’ve been extremely irritable lately, according to Shauntal.” Alder looked Grimsley in the eye. “You’ve also been asking for ‘loans’ from the other league members not even days after the last paycheck. You haven’t been able to pay them back.”
Grimsley scoffed. “What, so I can’t ask for financial assistance here and there? Unova’s not exactly the cheapest region to live in.”
“You and I both know asking for assistance isn’t the problem. We also both know that’s not why you’re asking for money.” Alder maintained his gaze on Grimsley, unwavering. The dark-haired man desperately wanted to look away, but he was too stubborn. “Grimsley, if you have a problem, it’s not too late to fix it. But if you keep going the way you’re going, you’re going to lose more than just your money…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Grimsley’s tone was venomous. Alder needed to back off. “I don’t ‘have a problem’ with anything. I’ve got enough money.”
As if on-cue, the waiter had approached their table with the check, and immediately Grimsley gave them his card.
“It’s on me. 30% tip.”
The waiter nodded and took the card, telling them they’d be back shortly with the receipt. Grimsley and Alder shared a tense and uncomfortable silence before the waiter returned.
“I’m sorry, sir, but your card was declined.”
Grimsley’s eyes widened. “What?? Did the tip put me over? Lower it to 20%, then.”
The waiter shook their head. “No, sir, you don’t have enough to pay even without a tip. You can barely afford the first entree.”
Something inside the dark-type user snapped, and he stood up in his seat, glaring at the waiter. “There must be something wrong with your register, then!”
“Grimsley.” Alder spoke up sternly. “Go wait outside. I’ll pay for it.”
Grimsley whipped his head toward Alder, about to say something before stopping himself. The stern glare from his boss combined with the stares from other guests in the restaurant made Grimsley feel incredibly small.
Without another word, the dark-type user exited the restaurant, trying his best to leave with grace as opposed to storming out childishly. Despite this, his outburst did not go unnoticed by guests, many of whom were murmuring among themselves while watching him pass.
“Is that Grimsley? Like the Elite Four member?”
“Did Grimsley really yell at that waiter?”
“He’s really gone downhill these past few years.”
Grimsley felt a lot of emotion bubbling up inside him, but he did what he did best and pushed it down, shoving his hands in his pockets and, upon making it outside, leaning against a streetlight while he waited for Alder. He felt like he had just been scolded for having a childish outburst by a parent–something he hadn’t felt in more than a decade. Something he hadn’t been eager to ever re-experience.
After a few minutes of waiting, presumably because Alder felt the need to apologize for Grimsley’s actions, the ex-champion exited the building and approached Grimsley, who refused to acknowledge him.
“That was uncalled for, Grimsley.”
Alder was right, but Grimsley didn’t want to give him that. So the dark-type user remained quiet.
An exasperated sigh came from next to him. A few moments of silence followed before Alder spoke up again.
“I know of a good rehab in Castelia. I’m willing to pay for you to go there, if you’d let me.” Silence, and then another word. “Please.”
Grimsley furrowed his eyebrows more than they already had been and scoffed. “I’m not going to some glorified mental hospital. I’m not that far gone.”
Alder’s expression turned slightly vexed–of course Grimsley was going to be stubborn–and he folded his arms.
“It’s gotten to the point it’s interfering with your work and social life. You need help… And I’m willing to see to it that you get that help.” Alder waved his hand in front of Grimsley to get the elite to look at him before continuing. “You have a choice, Grimsley. You can take temporary leave from the league and go to rehab, or you can lose your job and source of income along with it. I wish it hadn’t come to this, but I can’t keep you on as an Elite while things are like this…”
Those words hit Grimsley like a 10-ton truck, and the emotions he had been trying to keep under wraps bubbled over the top and exploded outwards. He spun around to face Alder, his fists balled–he was enraged. “Are you fucking serious? You can’t fire me over something like this! The league needs me! ”
Alder didn’t budge, even with Grimsley’s onset rage. “I’m sorry, Grimsley… but you have a chance. You can get the help you need. You don’t need to be kicked off the Elite Four.”
“I don’t need help! I don’t need your charity, and I certainly don’t need to lose my job!” Grimsley pointed directly at Alder. “You didn’t lose your job when you were depressed about losing your Volcarona, even though you abandoned your post doing Arceus-knows-what! I’m still doing a good job. I’m still coming to work, I’m still putting in the effort, I’m still raking in cash for the league. You don’t get to fire me!”
Alder winced a bit at the mention of his partner pokemon, but stood his ground anyway, his arms firmly folded together. His gaze bore into Grimsley in a way that was almost painful. “I’m not the only one who agrees with doing this. The other elites have agreed that, with how you’ve been lately, you aren’t suited for the job anymore… We all want you to get help, Grimsley. Believe it or not, the league sees each other as family… We only want what’s best for you.”
“No. No, you’re not my family, you’ve never been my family, you never will be my family!” The mention of family caused tears to prick at Grimsley’s eyes. Family, in its own twisted way, was what got him into this mess in the first place. Family wouldn’t get him out. “If you really were a part of my family, you’d have put more effort into helping us find Cygnus! But he’s still gone,” A crack in Grimsley’s voice. “He’s nowhere.”
Alder’s expression softened, and he reached out to touch Grimsley’s shoulder. The dark-type user wasn’t going to have any of it, and knocked Alder’s hand away before covering his ears with his hands and sitting down on the curb, his eyes screwed shut. He had to shut everything down, otherwise he wasn’t sure what was going to happen. What he would do.
Time seemed to come to a standstill as Grimsley desperately shut everything out. He had no way of knowing how long Alder had waited with him there, but when he finally opened his eyes, the man was gone. Next to Grimsley sat a business card.
Castelia Rehabilitation Services. The number to call was right there. He could get help. Or not. Grimsley’s eyes drifted from the business card to the trash can nearby.
Grimsley stood and walked over to the trash can, pausing for a moment before tossing the card in.
He didn’t need help. He didn’t need anybody.