His return to base had been rather uneventful, and the news awaiting him upon arrival was not exactly what he had been expecting to hear--------- though, truthfully, he found he cared very little either way. Giovanni was a man who demanded much from his organization, but his vision was the correct vision for any truly ambitious man to possess, and Aries himself had long subscribed to the belief that Pokémon existed to be pushed beyond the limitations that weaker trainers so readily accepted. Most frustrating, however, was the fact that Mewtwo's whereabouts remained unknown, the creature continuing to elude even Team Rocket's considerable resources despite the passage of time. The hunt, naturally, remained ongoing. Team Rocket rarely allowed bygones to remain bygones, particularly where valuable assets were concerned, and eventually Mewtwo would be found, whether it wished to be or not. Until then, there were other pursuits worthy of his attention. Much of his focus lately had settled upon reports concerning Suicune, whose appearances throughout Johto had become difficult to ignore, and although the trail had cooled considerably in recent weeks, it had not yet gone cold. He intended to revisit those regions soon enough. Consequently, when several of his underlings hurried over to inform him, with an excitement they seemed unable to conceal, that they had finally apprehended the troublesome little infiltrator responsible for breaking into Rocket facilities and making a nuisance of himself for months, Aries found his thoughts remaining stubbornly elsewhere. How exactly they had convinced themselves that he would care about some reckless child was beyond him, though the hopeful anticipation lingering in their expressions suggested they expected praise for finally accomplishing a task that ought to have been completed long ago. The weak always seemed desperate for approval, forever searching for some indication that their efforts mattered, and Aries simply lacked both the time and the patience to indulge them.
Instead, he continued toward the private elevator and ascended to the uppermost level of the compound, where his penthouse sprawled across an entire floor----------- a privilege earned not merely through years of loyalty to Giovanni, but through the sort of competence that rendered one indispensable. Team Rocket possessed no shortage of ambitious individuals, but very few consistently produced results, and when Giovanni required something accomplished without excuses, delays, or embarrassing failures, Aries and his team of exceptionally powerful Pokémon were amongst the first resources called upon. He had built a reputation not through theatrics, but through reliability, and there was a certain terror in reliability that brute force alone could never replicate. It was therefore with little expectation that he stepped into the penthouse, only for his attention to snag, however briefly, upon the figure occupying the room. Apparently the grunts had decided it appropriate to leave their captive here of all places. An odd decision. His gaze passed over them once before returning almost immediately, his expression remaining largely unchanged despite the momentary hesitation that followed. For an instant he found himself uncertain whether he was looking at a young boy or a young girl, the stranger possessing features so unexpectedly delicate that the distinction seemed strangely difficult to determine at first glance. Long lashes, soft lines, and an almost unfair sort of beauty sat at odds with the image he had constructed from months of reports detailing break-ins, interference, and repeated acts of defiance against Team Rocket operations. It was only after a second look that he settled upon the former conclusion, though not without lingering briefly upon the realization that the captive was, quite frankly, distractingly pretty. A mildly inconvenient observation, and one he chose not to dwell upon.
Turning away, Aries continued toward his bedroom, shedding his long-sleeved shirt once inside and returning several minutes later with little regard for modesty. Broad brown shoulders, powerful musculature earned through years of training alongside his Pokémon, and the faint gleam of a silver chain resting against dark skin were left exposed under the subdued lighting that filled the penthouse, though he appeared entirely indifferent to the image he presented as he crossed the room and moved toward the bar. Crystal clinked softly against crystal as he poured himself a measure of whiskey, the amber liquid catching the warm light before settling into stillness within the glass. Only then did he finally acknowledge the captive's existence, lifting his gaze over the rim of the drink and allowing those striking blue eyes to move over them once more. There was perhaps the faintest trace of curiosity present now, though boredom was still the dominant emotion, accompanied by the slightly temptation to simply have the troublesome brat disposed of and be done with the matter altogether. "And you are?" he inquired at last, his voice deep and husky as the question drifted lazily between them, sounding less like a genuine request for information and more like a man deciding whether the individual standing before him was worthy of occupying another moment of his attention.