Before the sun, before the birds, before the grunts on janitor duty- whenever they had a job to do, Ravi was up before anyone else.
They trudged through the hallways, carrying their usual breakfast of coffee and a bag of marshmallows. Thank God for 24-hour corner shops. Ravi really had no natural affinity for the early morning, but they'd learned that it paid to get a headstart when you were hunting people.
Their office was underground, just above the cells. They settled themselves at their desk, tore the marshmallows open, and dunked one in the coffee, letting it soak before popping it in their mouth. Mm. A few of those and they'd perk up for sure.
The trill of their ringtone was all that stopped Ravi from devouring the whole bag. They took their phone from their pocket and glanced at the caller I.D. Excellent- it was the cop they had wrapped around their finger. Probably with some nice juicy news, given the hour.
"Yeah?" Ravi answered.
"Ah, you're awake, good- we've had a break with one of your suspects."
Ravi pumped their fist. "You got her?!"
"No, the girl's still missing. But someone reported a man defacing the station in Saffron last night, and he's a dead match on your guy. I'm sending the pics from the report, hold on."
The phone chimed as the pictures came through. Ravi enlarged the first one and sure enough, there was the same face from the file open on their desk. James Kojiro.
"Jerk looked right at the entrance camera. He dodged the ones round the side though, but we got the eyewitness saying he was spray painting."
Ravi enlarged the second picture. It was a slightly messy mural of a blue rose. They narrowed their eyes, sure they'd seen it somewhere else.
"We're not sure if he's still in the city or not, but I'll let you know as soon as there's any updates."
"Okay, thanks." Ravi hung up. They didn't want to get too excited, but it was tough with the caffeine starting to do its thing. This was good- no, this was great. James had gone from a question mark to a solid target. It was just the break they so sorely needed after the Cassidy fiasco.
They stared at the picture of the rose, and realised why it was so familiar just as there was a knock at the door.
"You're five minutes late," Ravi called.
The door swung open, and Mondo entered sheepishly, looking very tired and a bit dishevelled. "Sorry," he said.
"Relax, I'm just ribbing." Ravi threw a marshmallow at him; he fumbled to catch it. "Ready for a real day's work?"
Mondo nibbled the marshmallow. "I guess so," he mumbled. "I'm not sure- I'm happy to stay behind-"
"You can't be Tea Boy forever, Mondo!" Ravi exclaimed. "It's a waste of your promotion. C'mon, there won't even be any violence, probably- it's just an investigation right now. And you could really use the experience." They passed Mondo their phone. "Check that out. I don't wanna get your hopes up, but this could be a huge break for us, not gonna lie."
The air caught in Mondo's chest as he looked at the picture. He'd been hoping it would never come to this. To them.
He was snapped back to the present by a marshmallow hitting his face.
"Oh shit," Ravi laughed. "My bad, I thought you'd catch it." They knocked back the rest of their coffee, and stood up, grabbing their coat. "Ready for a road trip?"
Cassidy had been falling in and out of sleep for a while now. Still curled up on the sofa with Jessie, and no desire at all to move.
The curtains were thin enough that the sunlight bled through, painting the room a soft orange. The colour filled Cassidy up, followed her behind her eyes and into her soul. Jessie's heartbeat rocked her back to sleep whenever she stirred.
Warm. Safe. Perfect.
"Wwwwoooobbuffet!"
Both women startled awake to a familiar sight.
"Uhhhhgh," Jessie groaned, sitting up. "Haven't you heard of a lie-in, you big blue blob?!"
Wobbuffet saluted. "Wobbuffet."
Jessie gave him a pat on the head. "Good morning to you too."
"About time ya woke up," came Meowth's voice from across the room. "Youse left the candles burnin' all night!"
"Oh, sorry," Cassidy replied. "I was gonna blow them out, but- hey, what are you doing?!" she demanded, noticing that Meowth was sorting through the papers in her backpack. She jumped up from the couch and stomped over to him, snatching the bag away. "Get your paws off!"
"Well can ya blame me, what with how mysterious you're bein'? At least tell me what da million bits of paper are for."
Cassidy sighed. "Didn't I tell you the less you know the better?"
"... Actually I kind of want to know too," Jessie butted in.
Outnumbered, Cassidy threw her hands up in defeat. "I forgot how nosy you lot are- fine, if you really want to know, those papers are files from Team Rocket's database. I'm following one of their leads."
"Ya hacked into Team Rocket's database?!" Meowth asked, eyes lighting up. "I hacked into da police database!"
"You're both nerds," Jessie smirked. Pulling her hair up into a loose bun, she padded to the kitchenette. "You want pancakes, Cass?"
"I would love pancakes."
Meowth snapped his claws. "Speakin' of databases, I'd better check for an update," he said, and went to the coffee table to open his laptop.
Cassidy sat on the stool by the kitchen counter, watching Jessie ready the ingredients and prep the camping stove.
"Can't store dairy milk out here," Jessie said, "so I make it with soy. I think it's pretty good- you want berries mixed in? We've got a little patch out back, could go and pick some."
"Mmm, that sounds lush- yeah let's do it."
There was the clattering of Meowth at the keyboard- Cassidy wasn't sure how he managed to type so fast without hands- as Jessie went to the shoe rack and stepped into a pair of rain boots.
"I'm stealing your flip-flops," Cassidy announced. She couldn't be bothered with her trainers.
Jessie unlocked the front door, and they stepped outside. It was crisp enough that Cassidy shivered a little, though dressed only in her t-shirt and boxers, that was hardly shocking. She quite liked the cold in the morning. It made her feel alive.
"It's just around here," Jessie said, leading the way.
"You're wearing glasses," Cassidy noted as they crunched through the leaves.
"Oh yeah. I only really need them to read, but I figured I should get in the habit of wearing them. Helps with the disguise, too." She took her turn looking at Cassidy. "And your hair's almost the same colour as mine."
"Don't flatter yourself," Cassidy chuckled. "It was the first colour I grabbed off the shelf, that's all."
"Suits you. The cut, too."
"You don't dye yours?"
Jessie shook her head. "I rotate wigs when we're out in public." She stopped by a cluster of blackberry bushes. There weren't many berries left, but a few still clung on, refusing to give into the season just yet.
Wobbuffet had snuck up behind them, and rushed for the bushes.
"Don't eat those!" Jessie scolded. "You have treats!"
Wobbuffet shuffled guiltily back inside.
Cassidy took a moment to appreciate the layers of birdsong around them. "I forgot how peaceful it is out here," she remarked. "So different from the city."
"Funny," Jessie said, kneeling down to pick the fruit. "I kind of miss the noise."
"Nah, you're better off out here."
"Hm. Maybe." Soon enough Jessie had a big handful of blackberries, and stood back up. "All right, let's get these mixed"
They went back inside and began measuring out the ingredients. Cassidy was reminded of working at Big Yum Burger, and hoped Femi wasn't too worried about her.
Watching Jessie took her mind off it. She actually seemed to know what she was doing, a far cry from the old days when she couldn't butter bread without setting off a smoke alarm. Cassidy quite enjoyed being her sous chef, passing her whatever she needed next.
Soon the sweet scent of fresh-cooked pancakes filled the shack. Jessie served out three stacks with plenty of syrup.
Neither of them were polite enough to wait for Meowth to start eating.
"Mmmmthat'sgood," Cassidy said with her mouth full.
"Right?" Jessie replied. "So yummy."
"Um- guys?!"
They turned at Meowth's shout.
"What?" Jessie asked. "Did you find something?"
"Yeah, it's um, it's Jim," Meowth said, swivelling the laptop around so they could see the screen. "Dere's a new report sayin' he was sighted in Saffron- dat's definitely him, ain't it?"
Jessie left her pancakes half-eaten, moving closer to the screen. The closer she got the more certain it was. "Yeah," she said. "That's him."
"When's this from?" questioned Cassidy.
"Last night," Meowth said.
Jessie felt the hairs on her skin stand up. Last night. "That means he could still be in the city."
"Okay, hold on," Cassidy interjected. "It'd be a massive risk to go after him. We know Team Rocket are sniffing around there, and don't forget they have cops onside- they've probably seen this report too." She grimaced. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt."
"So I'll go," Meowth said. "Simple."
"You're included in 'anyone'!"
"Sure, but if Team Rocket is goin' after every stray Meowth dey're gonna have a budget issue," Meowth elaborated. "S'long as I don't walk or talk, I'm safe." He looked at Jessie. "No question, right? We gotta go after him."
Jessie still couldn't take her eyes off the picture. He looked different but the same. She hadn't seen him in so long.
"No question."
"You're listening to Kanto Radio 5. I'm Chip Ling, and I don't know about you but I think I hit my snooze button about three times this morning. It's always weird when the season changes and the days get shorter, isn't it? Anyway coming up we've got an exclusive interview with Professor Ivy, but first it's time for more listener requests, keep them coming on 0505…"
The drive from HQ was one Mondo usually enjoyed. It took them through the rocky wastelands and around Mt. Moon, which meant no traffic and a spectacular view. From the elevated road you could see across the lakes and towns below, especially on a clear day like this. The rising sun glowed along the horizon, sparkling on the water, but Mondo was too nervous to enjoy any of it. Even his favourite radio station couldn't ease his dread.
He'd always taken pride in his loyalty. If nothing else, he had that. But how was he supposed to hold onto it now? Loyalty one way meant betrayal the other.
He just couldn't stand the thought of James being the enemy…
Ravi noticed the way Mondo was bouncing his knee, and turned down the radio.
"Got the shakes?" they asked, one hand on the steering wheel.
Mondo nodded.
"Don't worry, I bet everyone feels a bit jittery on their first real mission. But it's just recon, and I'll do the heavy lifting. Really, you should be excited! You weren't going anywhere in deliveries, this'll be so much better for you."
"I don't know," Mondo mumbled. "I was good at deliveries. I'm just… I'm not sure I'm cut out for this."
Ravi grimaced sympathetically. "You know," they said, "when I got promoted to head of security, I wasn't sure I was cut out for it either. There was all this talk about how I was the youngest ever agent to get the job, and I just felt like there'd been some mistake. But you know what I've learned since? You've got to trust that you got the job because you've got what it takes." They leaned over to nudge Mondo with their elbow. "That goes for you too, Dodo! I hired you because I know you've got more potential than delivering people's lunches."
Mondo mustered a smile. He wished he could tell them it was more than just a confidence issue.
"There's so much more respect in this line of work," Ravi went on. "You'll see, once you get some credit to your name. And after a few pay rises the money gets gooood."
"Yeah," Mondo said, not convinced at all.
Withholding the full story from Ravi felt bad. They'd become something of a big sibling to him, a wing to shelter under. He didn't want to lie, but he knew the truth would drive an even bigger wedge between them.
He spent the rest of the drive doing his best to focus on the music, praying in the gaps between that whatever they found wouldn't be enough to act on.
By mid-morning they were on the highway, and not long after, Ravi took the turn into Celadon. They parked by the Game Corner, a Rocket valet tripping over herself to greet Ravi and take their keys.
For the sake of the casino's reputation, both of them were dressed in plainclothes rather than their usual black uniforms. Ravi wore a burgundy suit without the tie, while Mondo had opted for chinos and a blue knitted jumper.
"We'll have to go shopping sometime too," Ravi said, gesturing at Mondo's ratty sneakers. "Get you looking sharp."
They led the way around the side of the casino, to the stone wall behind it. Sprayed in the middle of the brickwork was a red rose, a few lines of paint dripping down from the petals. They'd noticed it before while visiting Celadon, but had thought nothing of it.
Ravi took out their phone, and compared it to the picture from the police report. No doubt- it was the same stencil.
"So he's painted at least two of these," Ravi mused aloud.
They knew from Jessie and James' files that roses were something of a signature for James- there were even wanted posters with him holding one. Combined with the fact that he was taking a big risk to paint them, Ravi was certain there was more going on than artistic expression.
Mondo hovered uncomfortably in the background while Ravi got closer to the painting.
There was something weird about the centre of the rose…
One of the advantages of being a pokémon was that the bus was always free. All Meowth had to do was follow a passenger on, and the driver would assume they were his trainer.
The annoying part was having to walk on all-fours and keep his yap shut, but he could handle that. Anything, if it meant getting closer to James.
He switched buses once he got to Saffron, and took the inner-city route to the train station. It was jarring, being back here. Before travelling to Kanto, he and Jessie had spent most of their time in hiding, out in the country. The streets he'd grown up in had seemed a lifetime away, but now he was back in the thick of it, dodging people's legs as he ran past them, resisting the instinct to swipe food from the food stands. The whole thing was dreamlike.
He slowed down as he approached the station's entrance, eyeing the camera that James hadn't seen. It made him uncomfortable to think that he was on video, even though he kept telling himself it didn't matter, since pokémon couldn't be tried for trespassing. Team Rocket still had eyes everywhere, and he could only hope they weren't looking now.
Meowth found the blue rose on the wall around the side. Unless James had gone all the way off the rails, there must have been a reason for the painting. A clue of some kind.
He scanned every inch of the rose, and settled on the centre.
The innermost petals weren't petals at all- they were letters.
Ravi traced their finger along the brushstrokes. D… I… G.
"Dig," they mouthed, then spun around to face Mondo. "There's a message- I think he buried something!" they told him, and jogged back to the truck. "Pop the boot," they ordered the valet, who rushed to do so.
Mondo gulped as Ravi retrieved a military-grade shovel.
"Wh-what if it's a trap?" he posited desperately. "Like a bomb or something- shouldn't we wait until-"
"It's not a bomb," Ravi dismissed, striding past him back to the rose. "He left this for his chickenshit friends. It's a message."
Before Mondo could think of another reason to hold off, Ravi plunged the shovel into the earth beneath the painting.
Meowth scrabbled through the flowerbed, pulling the dirt up into a pile behind him. He usually preferred using tools, but his paws did the job.
He stopped as his claw scratched something solid. He started digging around it, and saw the shine of metal between the dirt- he doubled his efforts to get the object out, dusting it off before lifting it up.
It was a little rectangular tin, the kind that might have stored tea once upon a time. Judging by the lack of rust, it had only been buried recently.
Meowth imagined James holding it, burying it. He had been here. A shiver went down his body.
He opened it.
Inside was a scrap of paper with a phone number written on it. James' handwriting, no doubt about it. Meowth didn't know anyone else who added so many frills to the number 7.
He put the phone number back in the tin and snapped it shut, then quickly filled the hole in. He carried the tin in his mouth with some distaste, and ran as fast as he could back to the bus stop.
Even if he'd had a phone, he couldn't call James without Jessie.
"This is it," Ravi grinned, kissing the slip of paper. "We got him!"
Mondo watched the whole thing in horror. He felt like he was in a particularly nasty nightmare.
Ravi ran to the truck and took the keys back from the valet. "Get a move on Mondo, we might still catch him!"
Mondo walked quickly to the passenger's side and climbed in. His mind was racing to find a way out of this, but it kept coming up empty.
"If we call him and he picks up, we might be able to triangulate his location," Ravi explained as they pulled away from the casino, speeding up as soon as they were on the road. "Since he was last seen in Saffron, we should go there first before we dial the number." They slapped the steering wheel. "Hell yes! This is good Mondo, this is really really good!"
"Mhm," Mondo whimpered.
"Aw come on, don't sound so scared- hold on actually, we'll need to get the techies on this." Ravi clicked on their earpiece. "Hello base? Commander Ravi speaking- I've got a lead, can I get a tech squad on call? And any local grunts on standby. Yeah. Perfect- thank you, out." They turned their attention back to Mondo. "I get it, you're not used to all this. Don't stress. You can wait in the car if you don't wanna get your hands dirty. But you'll have to sooner or later."
"Yeah," Mondo sighed. "I know."
James admired his reflection in the salon mirror. He'd had it dyed black and shaved to an undercut. He almost didn't recognise himself- some contacts and a change of clothes and he'd be a whole new person.
"All good?" the hairdresser asked.
"Perfect," James beamed. "Thank you."
He paid for the haircut, plus tip. He was starting to run out of money, but he still had some sunglasses to sell.
As he was exiting the salon, a ring came from his coat.
He stopped dead in his tracks, stunned. He'd never expected a call this soon, if ever.
James took the phone from his pocket and answered it with trembling hands.
He listened. Silence.
"Hello?" he said.
Still nothing. His heart had already started sinking, but his mind refused to give up so quickly. Perhaps it was a bad connection. He couldn't hang up when Jessie and Meowth might be on the other end.
Half a minute passed and his heart sank further and further. He started to walk, in case there was a better signal somewhere else.
He was nearing the end of the street when he heard a scuffing sound on the other end. Not silence after all. Someone was on the other end of the line, and he was pretty sure it wasn't his friends.
James hung up, and dumped the phone in the nearest bin. It broke his heart to wave all his work goodbye, but he didn't feel like he had a choice. Something wasn't right.
He kept going down the street, quickening his pace. He figured the sooner he got out of the city, the better.
A sharp sting at his neck. He reached up with his hand and felt the tail of a dart sticking out of his skin.
The world wobbled. James felt his face hit the pavement.
Between the rows of houses that he'd thought would keep him safe, James passed out as Ravi stood over him.
"Gotcha."
