10

In the large room, James rooted around the scrap fabric until pulling out a white-colored garment. "Will this do?" he asked, holding it up and showing off the 'R' emblem. Jessie pulled it down immediately, and a flicker of hurt came across James's face. "I tried to make it just like the ones I've seen before," he said.

Jessie peered behind them and then to the sides and windows. "Be careful with this. I don't want to be found out so easily," she muttered. Taking a closer look at it, she found it definitely had the look of a genuine Team Rocket uniform. She'd made a few uniforms herself, and mostly for herself. This was fine. It was white, and most agents wore black, being easier to handle with a lot of the work they did, but it didn't really matter. She'd sported both colors in the past, and it worked. "It's not bad," she said. "It might be better if it matched mine."

"I made you one too, of course," James said, pulling out the discussed uniform in Jessie's size from the bottom of the box. "I don't know if it's the exact same style as what Mondo was trying to bring you, but I tried my best from memory."

Jessie could tell by looking at it that it would probably be fine. "Good. This will work. I could walk in without one, but you'd stand out."

"Are you worried they'd think I was an impersonator?" James asked.

Was he trying to be funny? "Well, maybe," Jessie said. "Should I just play along?"

"I'd appreciate it."

"Done. Well then, let's go."

"Without, well, telling them something first?" James looked around.

Was he really worried about informing his parents? How annoying. "I'm getting tired of being on a short chain. We'll just go now, and think of excuses later," Jessie said.

James's tension went away, the bothersome hesitation disappearing. He nodded with a smile. It was good to see some kind of spark in his expression. Jessie was starting to feel similarly. There was some kind of energy in the air, formerly stifled and now returning.

They exited from a top story window early in the morning, one that would best both give them a quick get away from the premises and minimal opportunity to be spotted. Then, once they'd gotten on the train and traveled a ways from the mansion, they found a place to change. "Oh," Jessie said as she saw James in his uniform, hair pulled back. He also raised his eyebrow looking at her.

"I'm not sure if it suits you," James said.

"Hey, that's my line," Jessie insisted. "Who could buy a proper guy like you being in this kind of getup?"

"You think I'm proper?" James said with a smirk. "Well, I'll have to disappoint. And I take it back."

"What exactly?" Jessie asked.

"The uniform. With it, and your hairstyle, it works. You just look like a different person, that's all. You look even better."

He was certainly laying on the praise thick. Even though she was worthy of it, Jessie still became embarrassed. "W-Well, it shouldn't take that long to get back to base," she said to distract from her own reaction. She wasn't going to let him try to manipulate her with his positive regard, so she walked off before he could say anything else.

When they finally reached the base, Jessie tried her best to be nonchalant as she walked in. James looked around at every detail and every person around him. They had to be attracting some kind of negative attention based on his behavior, even if they looked great in their uniforms. She walked up to Wendy, a known paperwork pusher. "Hey," Jessie greeted.

Wendy looked up at them from a folder with a raised eyebrow. "Jessie? I thought you'd quit."

"No," Jessie said dryly. "I've been fabulously successful, actually. I thought you would have heard." Even with Jessie's news, Wendy's expression didn't change at all. "Anyway, can you just register my partner here? He's brand new." Wendy said nothing, still just staring at them. "Hey, that's your job, isn't it?"

Wendy closed her eyes, straightening out the papers in the folder she'd been looking at before placing them back in. "Fine," she said. "I'll just need him to fill out a quick form and get the registration fee."

"Oh," James said, looking at the number on the form Wendy handed to him.

Of course, Jessie remembered, he couldn't pay. How ridiculous was it that a guy from such a rich family had zero actual cash on him? Plus, he was going to be doing work for them! Why should he need to pay? "I don't remember any fee," Jessie said.

"Of course, the boss often waves them, and the dues," Wendy explained. "But I don't remember him mentioning any promising new agents he wanted to do that for. So I'll need the fee."

Jessie had the amount, but it would leave her short of cash. "He can't pay it," she said. "Can't you lend it to us?"

Wendy chuckled. "No."

"You know we'll pay it back," Jessie said.

Wendy shook her head. "I guess your new partner will just have to leave. Drop the uniform by the door."

"Alright," James said, turning around.

"Wait! This isn't right!" Jessie said. As she turned around, she noticed the two who'd been watching.

"She giving you trouble?" Cassidy's partner said, speaking to Wendy, the source of any actual trouble, while nodding towards Jessie.

"I'm just asking for something simple," Jessie said.

Cassidy ignored her defence, and instead turned to the newcomer in the room. "So James, you're joining us?" she asked. Her partner's face scrunched up as the question was considered.

"Yes," James finally said.

"Well, I guess I'll have to lend you the money then," Cassidy said, dropping some cash on the table in front of Wendy.

"Oh... Thank you," James said. He turned right around and filled out the form.

Jessie didn't like the idea of owing Cassidy, though technically it was James who did. It also wasn't good that her rival had recognized her possible partner right away. Advertising James's background wasn't something she wanted to do, especially since Jessie was technically supposed to be 'on the job' by monitoring him and his family. Also annoying was that Cassidy and her partner didn't leave, just lurked around nearby the lobby. As James finished, Jessie noted the smile on his face, then saw Cassidy approach them as they tried to leave.

"You sure this guy should be here?" Cassidy's partner said, motioning to James as he spoke directly to Jessie.

"Maybe not," Jessie said. "I decided to give him a chance."

"You wanted to join?" Cassidy asked.

"Yes. Though it was just suggested to me recently, I'd wished I'd done so for a long time," James said.

"Sure you can handle it? No one here's gonna be wiping your ass for you," Cassidy's partner pointed out.

"Was that a problem for you?" James asked.

Cassidy's partner scowled. He paused before he spoke again, glancing at James over his shoulder as he spoke to Cassidy. "Hey, what do you think everyone will say about the rich guy pretending he's one of us?"

"Hey, we kind of wanted to keep that low key," Jessie said firmly.

"Why shouldn't everyone know?"

"Because they're not as nosy as you!"

Cassidy put her hand on her partner's shoulder, shaking her head as she interrupted the argument. "Don't worry, my partner here teases, but we're no gossips," she said, specifically to James as if Jessie wasn't even there.

"So, this was what you couldn't tell me about?" James asked.

"Yes. And you know why now, I'm assuming," Cassidy said.

James and Cassidy got into a conversation. What was up with this? It was better than running into trouble with them, but it was still annoying. Jessie began to get impatient. She went to the restroom, then came back and saw them still talking to each other. "How much could they have to say to each other?" she complained to herself, folding her arms as she thought about if she wanted to interrupt or not.

"You jealous?"

Jessie glanced to the side, seeing Cassidy's partner, Bobby or something, had been listening. He was probably the one who was jealous, projecting that feeling onto her, but the idea that she might be annoyed her. Jessie stomped on his foot to remind him of last time before deciding she was going to interrupt after all.

As she approached the duo, they were finally breaking off the conversation anyway. James waved good-bye to her before joining Jessie. "So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"With the increased cash flow, there might be some people ready to throw work at us now," Jessie said, sighing. She ought to get what was irritating her out into the open. "Hey, what was with you and Cassidy anyway? You sure were chummy. It's like she's an old friend instead of someone you just met once."

"Oh, yes, she is," James said. "I mean, well, she's my friend as well. From a while ago, when I ran away when I was younger."

"Oh really?" Jessie said. She could add that Cassidy wasn't really her friend and why, but didn't want to seem too petty. "Her and I are just teammates, really. We aren't 'friends' at all," Jessie decided to share that much.

"Oh, that makes sense," James said.

"Why's that? Did she say something about me?" Jessie got defensive.

"No, I mean, it's why she probably didn't say much about you when I asked. She just told me this was why she couldn't get into specifics with me before about what she'd been up to. She was also asking me to team up with her just now. She thought I'd complete a trio with her," James informed.

"What did you say to that?" Jessie was sure she couldn't really hide her irritation now. But if he wanted to jump into that kind of nonsense, so be it.

"I politely refused, of course. No need to insult a new teammate's gracious offer, but I'm here with you."

Oh. Jessie felt a little silly for getting so worked up about the topic. Though now that she thought about it, the arrangement might be better for James, from his point of view, to join up with that group instead. They weren't the ones trying to scam his family, or at least not personally like she was. They both knew his background and were willing to keep it under wraps, so it shouldn't be a problem from that angle either. So why didn't he just do it?

Cowardice, possibly. If James thought he was going to be able to lean on her and hide behind her, he was in for some disappointment. Jessie would happily let him painfully fall down. As she thought about this, James had already walked away from her, talking to a lab assistant. "Hey!" Jessie called, getting the attention of both James and who he'd been talking to.

"He was telling me about a mission," James said. "I think we should go."

"What's that?" Jessie asked, getting a good idea of what it might be.

"Jessie! It's actually thanks to you we're able to do this," the assistant explained.

"Oh?" James said.

"Yeah. This affluent old couple dumped a boatload of cash our way. I think it was Jessie that influenced them or something, that's what I heard."

Right, of course. Jessie tried not to be too obvious that she was looking for James's reaction. He frowned briefly before responding. "But now, you need something more than that, right?"

"Of course! We-"

"Hey," Jessie tugged James's sleeve. "I know you're new, so you should know now you want to avoid these types. They'll use you and your pokemon like a little lab dishes."

"Hey!" The assistant interrupted before James could say anything. "We're a team here. We're trying to make discoveries to help all of us."

"Really? Well, maybe show us later if you actually make any," Jessie said, waving her hand.

"You're too good to help? All we're asking for is some trainers to battle the real 'lab dishes'. Maybe you two aren't even trainers, so forget it."

"I am a trainer," James declared.

Ugh. Seeing her temporary partner's sharp expression, Jessie could tell that the other guy had caught James's ego, a part of his identity he was trying to develop. Jessie couldn't get his attention now despite her subtle hints. "I'm a trainer too, who cares," she said loudly, but James still didn't turn to get her body language then take the hint to just go.

"Good! And you have at least one pokemon?"

"Exactly one," Jessie informed.

"Same with me," James said.

"Good enough. We'll assign you more if needed. Be ready in an hour out front."

Jessie slumped over as she noted James's thrilled expression. Was he so desperate to be part of something that he'd get excited about something like this? "Okay, let's get out of here," she said.

"Mondo will help with supplies, right?" James said.

"You aren't really thinking about going along with this, are you?" Jessie said.

"Hm?" James finally turned his attention toward her, though he only seemed confused. "It's an assignment."

"No one will notice if we're missing. We'll figure something out," Jessie said.

"Hey, Jessie!"

Jessie turned toward the annoying voice of Cassidy's abrasive partner. He held out a bag in front of her. "Cassidy heard you were coming, so we got some supplies for you guys too."

"Oh, thank you," James said, taking it and then heading toward the door.

Jessie paused a moment, considering just leaving him there. She had been thinking of them doing something much more exciting, or at least glamorous, than this pathetic kind of grunt work. It could serve him right to have to deal with whatever they had in store for them without her. He'd learn to listen more.

Jessie affirmed this to herself all while walking toward the door. She enjoyed seeing him smile toward her as they met up again. "We'll get to take a helicopter!" he informed, his voice showing the excitement of a child. Jessie could have laughed, but instead remained silent by his side, awaiting instructions. Being without him might be more trouble than being with.