I'm having writer's block with Utopia, and I thought I'd return to these characters to hopefully kick-start my rhythm again. It's just a silly rambling, but it's always been in my head, so I may as well get it out of my system. This is why I think Morty was so nervous about asking Rose, when there was really no need for him to be.

Ax

Fernando sighed as his eyes roved over his personal rooms at the Pokémon League headquarters. Aside from the fact that his favourite fire was still burning in the grate, there was nothing to suggest that it had been he who had occupied this space for the best part of eleven years. The walls were bare, the books had been packed away, and all of his mahogany furniture removed. He had only returned to check the space one last time, to ensure he had left nothing behind, but he found himself reflecting over the last decade of his life, which he was always wont to do when he came close to a burning fire. Fires soothed him, and had done even when he had felt at his bleakest. But the former Champion gave a small smile. Perhaps now, finally, he would no longer have to brood. He had Hope back, and Rose –

Well, strictly speaking he did not have his daughter back at all, but these things required time - and time they had plenty of. He abandoned the fire to gaze out of the window one final time before he left this place for good. The December skies were an oppressive, pearly grey, threatening snow; the trees were black and bare, and even Mt Silver looked more wintry than usual; the majority of the mountain was now covered in snow rather than just the peak. Fernando's smile grew wider. Since November, when there had been the possibility that they, and the earth itself, would all perish at the hands of Chaos, he had found great beauty and contentment in nature. It was strange how it seemed to be so true, that you could only truly appreciate something once you thought you may have lost it forever…his mind wandered back to his daughter. He would try his hardest to win her over – he could not stand the thought of not knowing her, the thought that he would always be estranged from her: nothing but her biological father.

Fernando started as he heard a tentative knock at his study door. It was almost six o'clock – a most unusual time for him to be disturbed. His brown, cat-shaped eyes widened in surprise as he opened the door, and saw who was standing behind it.

Morty looked incredibly cold, his dark blond hair windswept, but he gave a nervous smile as he saw the older man.

"Phew! I'm glad you're here – nobody was entirely sure where to find you – and I really don't fancy going back outside," he gave a rueful grin.

"Come in," Fernando told him automatically, "I've no furniture, but there's a fire – come and warm yourself up."

"Thanks," Morty said gratefully – his fingers were so cold from gripping onto Drifblim that they hurt.

Fernando began to feel distinctly awkward as Morty removed his jacket. It had just occurred to him that this Gym Leader was in a…relationship with his daughter. Fernando had liked Morty very much when he had first met him, when he had no idea that Morty knew his daughter. But now…

"I thought you were in Sesame," the older man said abruptly, "with Rose."

"I was…I just came back to Johto because…well, I'd like to talk to you."

Fernando raised his strong, black eyebrows and surveyed the younger man, his arms crossed.

"What about?"

Morty couldn't help but notice the chill that the atmosphere had taken, despite the roaring fire in the grate.

"About Rose actually."

Fernando continued to stare blankly at Morty, but made no move to say anything further.

God he's rude.

"I want to ask her to marry me."

There were a few seconds of heavy silence before Fernando replied coldly: "Rose is seventeen."

This was preposterous. Fernando's lip curled slightly as he surveyed the Ecrutetian; he was far too old for Rose for a start. And his stupid get-up was beginning to irritate the older man; leather jacket? Long hair? Combat boots? An earring for God's sake?!

"I know how old she is," Morty replied, his voice calm. His heart, however, was thundering in his chest. Why was her father so callous? Morty had the distinct impression that the former Champion was attempting to make him feel as small as possible. It was working – but Morty refused to show any outward sign of being intimidated.

"Well my answer is no."

The silence grew oppressive once more, before Morty forced himself to break it.

"May I at least ask why?" he continued politely. His indignation and rage were causing his hands to shake, and he clenched them into fists by his sides.

Rage too flashed in the brown eyes of older man, and Morty was suddenly struck by Rose's resemblance to him.

"You want to know why?" Fernando snapped, "because I do not want my seventeen year old daughter 'engaged' just so that you can get her to sleep with you!" he stormed.

Morty's violet eyes widened, and he had to try very hard to fight the urge to laugh, for, despite Fernando's obvious outrage, the situation was hilariously ludicrous. He thought that he wanted to marry her so she'd sleep with him?! Who did that?! Also, the fact that Rose's father clearly had no idea as to the…'nature' of their relationship was very amusing to him.

"Right," Morty choked, somehow managing to prevent his lips from twitching, "well does it make any difference to you that I think she might want to get married?"

"She's seventeen," Fernando spat, "she doesn't know who or what she wants."

"I don't suppose you have any idea what she wants either."

Morty raised his eyebrows coolly, and Fernando flushed uncomfortably. It was true, and he could not deny it – he had no idea what Rose might or might not want, because he did not know her at all.

"Listen, Morty," he said, attempting to calm himself and be reasonable – for he doubted that by making an enemy of Rose's boyfriend that she would be any more likely to speak to him, "you're a fine young man…really you are. I mean…with what happened last month…"

Morty swallowed. He didn't want to think about what had happened at Dill Rook right now.

"But I just don't think now is the time, for either of you. You're both too young to know what you want. So...my answer is no."

Morty made himself inhale and exhale slowly before he dared reply.

"Okay, thank you," he finally said levelly, as he bent down to pick up his jacket from the floor.

Fernando blinked – astounded that the younger man was backing down so easily. Maybe he would be good at this parenting business after all…

"Thank you, Morty," he now said with a genuine smile, "it means a lot to me that you respect my decision."

"Your decision?"

Fernando frowned – had he missed something?

"…My decision regarding you asking Rose to marry you."

Morty gave a strange, closed smile as he surveyed the dark-haired man.

"But it isn't your decision…it's Rose's."

"I beg your pardon?"

Morty smiled his crooked smile, and Fernando could detect something new in those violet eyes. Was it pity?

"I understand that, having been absent so long, you wish to have a part in your daughter's life…but it's Rose's decision whether or not she marries me…and I only wanted your blessing. I'm not asking anyone's permission."

Morty looked into Fernando's eyes defiantly. He was deadly serious, and Fernando felt the blood drain from his face.

"She won't say yes," he croaked, panic setting in.

"We'll soon see," Morty said calmly. He hadn't felt so furious in a very long time despite the fact that, outwardly, he was the epitome of calm. Shrugging into his jacket he made to leave the room, but turned back once more to the white-faced Fernando. He shouldn't say it – he really shouldn't – but the former Champion needed some comeuppance for the patronising and insensitive way he had treated him:

"And just so you don't get the wrong impression of my motives – I'm going to ask her because I want to be married to her – if it was only to do with sex…well, then I wouldn't need to bother with marriage."

Letting his words sink in, Morty left the room with a final false smile.