GoRocketShipping part four
(I keep generating ideas)
An idea regarding Giovanni/Arlo, with Arlo being ruthless about one of his researchers who incorrectly thinks he isn't loyal to Giovanni:
I was imagining somewhere down the line one of the researchers working under Arlo makes the fatal mistake of misinterpreting his tsun tsun brat bullshit as being not content in his position and privately goes to him with the suggestion of splitting off to form either a rival organisation or commercialising the shadow Pokémon technology.
Arlo is pretty ambitious, surely he can't be happy just leading one wing of Team Go Rocket after all. And he has to give the most powerful pokémon to Giovanni instead of keeping them, which he wouldn't have to do if he was in charge.
Unfortunately said researcher is like, several years too late. If it was near when Arlo joined, that might have worked, the guy is incredibly self-centred. But this Arlo is a collared pet and pretty pleased with his position (not that you'd be able to tell most of the time because his default expressions are sour or smirking) and contemplates the idea for all of about five seconds before saying he's not interested.
Then he notes the researcher's name and either deals with the researcher himself mafia style or rats the researcher out to Giovanni, who gets some grunts to do it. (That's kinda dark for pokémon, but it's the pokémafia.)
Arlo gets to be the goodest pet that month and is very smug. This is an evil but also well trained twink.
Previously I had considered having Giovanni not Do kisses because it's too much like emotional intimacy, but then decided Giovanni does actually kiss the admins but only rarely as a reward for good behaviour. This would be one of those occasions.
It's a rare and inconsistent reward so the dopamine hit is incredible.
