Author's note: I do not own Pokemon or related trademarks.

Language and content warning:

Sabrina snuggled next to Frank's chest, his seed still fresh on her face after what felt like at least three hours of frenzied lovemaking. All the detective could do was stare up at the ceiling.

"Can I ask you a question?" she finally asked.

He sighed tiredly. "Sure."

"You were part of that sting operation that took down Team Rocket a couple of years ago, weren't you?"

"Well, 'sting operation' is putting it too mildly."

"But still-"

"Yes, I was."

"How did you even get close to some of them?"

"Oh, nothing much, just Texas Hold 'Em with Giovanni."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"That first game must have been intimidating for you."

"Well, actually…."

Frank could not recognize anyone other than Giovanni and the woman he called Katja as the dealer started passing the cards around. He waited for everyone else to make their decisions, then checked his own cards.

Eight-four mixed? Really? "Fold," he said, sending his cards back.

He watched the other players, feeling that he did the right thing. It was confirmed when the first three cards on the table came up two nines and a seven. So he spent his time that hand being observant.

A couple of years later, he could not remember who won that hand. He felt certain that it wasn't Giovanni.

Nevertheless, the game continued.

About an hour later, two people had busted out of the game. Both Frank and Giovanni had snagged their fair share of pots, but the detective noticed a man in a loud suit and a cowboy hat exactly two spots between him and the dealer. He had also won a couple of pots, but he didn't sustain his luck for very long. Nevertheless, he remained overly boisterous, trying to shrug off his misfortune.

I think I'm gonna try to knock him out.

He watched as Giovanni and another man made their bets from the small and big blind positions, then checked his own cards: Jack of spades and queen of hearts.

"Raise four," he said.

There was a snort. "Ha! I'll raise ya seven thousand!" yelled the cowboy hat-wearer.

Wait it out, wait it out….

Then the cards were dealt: six of clubs, jack of diamonds, three of clubs.

OK, on second thought I'll bluff him out of the hand. "Raise to nine thousand."

"Fourteen!" yelled the other man.

Overconfidence or does he really have something or is HE trying to out-bluff ME?

Seven of spades.

"Twenty." Where the fuck is my head right now? I'm playing into his hands doing this! This isn't a bluff, this is poker suicide!

"THIRTY!"

GODDAMNIT.

Trying not to visibly freak out, he waited for the woman dealing to place down the last card.

And that's when he had to REALLY control himself.

JACK OF CLUBS?!

Perhaps he has enough rope now…. "Sixty thousand," he said, pushing his chips to the middle.

He watched the man's eyes widen in joy. "ALL-IN!"

Giovanni, who had been leaning in intently, watching the action, suddenly fell back in shock.

This man has some serious problems, Frank thought.

Before he could show his cards, the man flipped his own. "Two pair, sixes and sevens!"

And he's hung himself.

Without the slightest hesitation, Frank showed his hand. "Three jacks. Thanks for coming."

It wasn't very classy on his part, but he did not care.

Giovanni began to slowly rise from his chair, but the man who had just gotten busted out of the game was on his feet first. "YOU CHEATIN' SON OF A BITCH!" he screamed at Frank as he lunged across his part of the table.

And then the boss of Team Rocket stood up and leveled a pistol at the man. "That will be quite enough," he said quietly.

"Are you going to tell me that you're going to let this cheatin' son of a bitch get away with-"

"I said that will be quite enough. Now, I suggest you leave before I give you another reason to leave."

The man's mouth opened and closed several times in rage, but he couldn't make a sound. Finally, he blurted, "I ain't gonna stand for this!" and stomped out of the establishment.

Giovanni sighed, put the gun on the table, and sat back down. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Mr. O'Leary. I usually try to avoid violent confrontation like that."

Somehow I doubt that very much, thought Frank.

"Anyway," continued the Rocket boss, "do you want to continue our game? I must say, I find you to be a very worthy adversary."

"Well, I prefer to not push my luck too much," the detective replied.

"Oh," Giovanni said, clearly disappointed. "I had really hoped you would stay a little longer. I should tell you," he continued, seemingly struck by a thought, "that I hold my private Texas Hold 'Em games here on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. So in two days, if you were to approach the person at the front counter and say that you desire a ten-pound Oran Berry with whipped cream, they would lead you here as they did earlier."

Frank smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"How much longer is this gonna take?" groaned LoMarco, the weariness present in his voice.

"As long as it has to, I guess," yawned Stuart.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Frank emerge from somewhere around the tables.

"He's out, guys," Stuart whispered.

"All right, everybody, show's over," ordered Hopfmar. "Let's move out."

Frank walked alone in the semi-darkness to his car. The lights on their poles and the lights from the more-or-less casino were the only things illuminating his path.

So I have an invite to his next game, he thought. It's a start.

Then he heard a click behind his head.

"YOU CHEATIN' SON OF A BITCH!"

Oh. FUCK.

Then he heard a thud.

He turned and saw a flash of red as the woman he had seen at the game, the one Giovanni had called "Katja," pulled the man from the pavement and began kneeing him in the gut. Then she threw him head first into the window of a nearby car. He was dazed, but the window did not break, and she grabbed him by his short hair and began slamming his head repeatedly into the glass. She let go and he started to try to slowly return to a fully erect posture, but then she rushed forward and kicked his head against the window.

He slumped to the ground as a shocked Frank watched on. Jessie looked up at him. "He'll live," she assured him. "He's just going to be knocked out for a while."

"Uh, thanks, I guess?" stammered Frank.

She straightened up and brushed herself off. "Hey, the boss has taken a real liking to you. He rarely does that with any of his own underlings or any of the other players. I think you're pretty good, myself. So calm-"

"Well, that hand that he-" He pointed at the downed man as he spoke. "-was busted on, I was freaking out pretty bad. Usually, though, like you said, I'm better than that."

She smiled. It was perhaps the most sincere smile he'd ever seen in his life, at least from a Rocket. "So…. You'll be here next time?"