"James, your porridge is ready!" His mother called up the stairs. Roused to wakefulness once more, he decided to actually get out of bed this time. Knocking the Pokéball on his headboard to the ground with one gloved hand, James called out his Pokémon. It materialized above his bed.
"Weezing, use 'Lift' attack."
James stumbled into the kitchen a minute after eight, with an arm and most of his weight on his Weezing. Through the large kitchen window, he could see the sky beginning to brighten as the sun crept over the forested hills.
"Oh James, when will you stop wearing your uniform? It's been a month since you quit."
He looked down at himself. True to his mother's word, he was wearing the Team Rocket uniform. The red 'R' was clean and bright as luck would have it, but the white was soiled and grimy. His black gloves were riddled with holes. But James couldn't sleep without wearing it. He had trouble living without wearing it...or even while he did wear it, nowadays.
"Mother, I'm going to the Indigo League," he said between bites of the chunky and delicious porridge. Mother never lost her home cooking talent, and she always knew what James was in the mood for.
Her stirring spoon clattered against the pot.
"James, are you still drunk? We really ought to get you started on that alcoholics program. If we went to Viridian-"
"No mother!" James nearly shouted. His bloodshot eyes were focused and sober. "I've decided. If that twerp started it all there, then maybe that's the place to go."
His mouth quirked upward toward his messy and uncombed blue hair.
"Maybe I'll even start at Pallet Town."
His mother's brow furrowed and her chin began to tremble.
"James...oh, James. You just can't stop thinking about the past."
The porridge was finished. James stood up shakily.
"Weezing," said his Pokémon. His only friend.
"And this time, I want to be the very best."