Sometimes Redemption isn't Easy

It was two years after the events with the ultra-beasts and rainbow rocket and Faba had slowly managed to climb a little back up in Aether foundation. Cause even after everything that had happened; Lusamine and the new branch chief Wicke couldn't deny the fact that despite all of his whining about having to do grunt tasks, Faba was still one of their more competent workers of the foundation and he might indeed be wasting his talent on dragging boxes around the Aether foundation day and night. Cause however he was a bit of an asshole to the employees of Aether before, he was still one of the most renowned scientists in all of Alola.

He was now content with having gained a spot as the Assistant Branch chief since that position was still open after Wicke had taken his place. And although he had gained this spot by working his ass off day and night, the other employees thought that he had just gotten it cause Lusamine favoured him even after everything that had happened and couldn't care to act the least bit friendly towards him. Faba didn't really care about how his co-workers acted towards him. He didn't expect them to be friendly towards him now that he wasn't branch chief anymore. He never expected him to be friendly towards him at all.

"Faba!" he heard the voice of Wicke call out his name and turned around to meet her "Is there something you need?" he asked and she told him "I've assigned you to train one of the new recruits. We were one man short and I thought it would be ideal for you to show how far you've come since 'all that'. Are you okay with that?" she asked him and however he looked bothered since he wasn't used to doing stuff like this, he wanted to show his best side so Wicke would see he had indeed changed and nodded as he said "Sure, I'll show them the ropes as good as I can!"
Wicke smiled as she said "That's great Faba, can you be at the docks tomorrow morning at 7 sharp? That's when the recruits arrive."
"I'll be there," he told her as he started walking towards his office again to do some more work.

The next morning at 7 sharp, Faba was standing at the docks waiting for the new recruits to arrive. Wicke had told him to try and make a good impression on the new recruit he would be training since they desperately needed these new recruits after so many employees had stopped working for Aether after the ultra-beast events. He had huffed and said that of course he, Assistant Branch chief Faba, would make a good impression on the new recruit. Wicke had sighed and laughed as she patted him on the shoulder and wished him good luck.
Finally, the boat with the new recruits arrived and as Faba was standing in line with the other employees while Wicke explained the most part of the foundation to the newly arrived grunts, he couldn't help but hear the whispers of some employees further down the line "Poor thing that will be paired with Faba." "I'd quit immediately if I had someone like that train me" "Aren't we supposed to get more employees instead of scaring them away?" "Who even chose him to be a trainer?"
He felt a little bit hurt upon hearing this. Sure he wasn't loved and didn't expect to be; but he couldn't help but be a little hurt when everyone in the foundation hated him like this

When Wicke was done explaining, the trainees could start looking for their trainer and start training right away. As Faba noticed a small trainee looking a little lost, he realised he wasn't wearing his nametag and quickly fixed that. The next time she looked up, she noticed the name tag on his lab coat and internally scolded herself for not having seen it the first time she looked around. She hesitantly walked towards him and asked "A-Are you Mister Faba?"
"That's assistant Branch Chief Faba for you. But yes, I am indeed." He told her with a stern look on his face. She bowed down her head in an apology as she muttered a silent sorry but as Faba felt Wicke's eyes burning in his back his told her "Just Faba will be fine too..."

He took her with him deeper into the docks as he explained "As I suppose everyone will be trying to start with the preservation area, I'll show your around the other parts of Aether Paradise first. It will be calmer that way and we'll save the best part for the last."