AN- WHEW it's been a while! Been very busy with theatrey things (I've been acting in my friends' show and I also got to write a play? It was a lowkey thing in a small theatre but still a very cool experience!)

But I'm very happy to say Someday is officially not on hiatus anymore! I I finally have a break so I can get back into this story, I've not stopped thinking about it- this chapter turned out LONG, I couldn't really help it lol

Thanks for the patience, and I hope you enjoy! :)

Songs that inspired this chapter:
- Worlds, by Headstreams
- Blankets, by Early Internet
- Another One Waits, by Graveyard Club
- Green Lights, by Walden
- Snow, by Ricky Montgomery
- Stars And Moons, by Dizzy
- Enter, by The Birthday Massacre
- We Can Build A Fire, by Autoheart
- Might As Well Be Gold, by The Accidentals
- Leaving The Garden State, by Geographer
- Daydreams, by Walden

In the blinding white of a snowstorm, a little boy and his growlithe trudged forwards on short, tired legs.

They'd been lost for hours now. James knew enough to keep moving, that no matter what you didn't stop to rest in the cold, but he was getting hopelessly tired, dragging his legs one in front of the other. His feet were so numb in his shoes he couldn't even feel them any more.

"Come on Growlie," he murmured through blue lips, trying to sound encouraging even though he was sure they would die soon if they didn't find shelter. "Just a little further, you can do it."

Growlie gave an affirmative yip. The puppy was struggling to pick his paws up through the snow but persisted anyway, like he believed James, and it really was just a little bit further.

The boy's eyes started to close. The cold all over his body was becoming an odd warmth. It didn't feel so bad, all of a sudden. He told himself to keep walking, but his muscles weren't interested. They demanded rest. He felt dizzy just with the effort of standing.

He tried to return Growlie to his pokéball, but the dog just came right out again.

Then James was on the ground, curled up, not even shivering any more. He was just about aware of Growlie pawing at him, whimpering at first, then howling into the sky. But James was already passing out into the dark warmth of his body shutting down, and for a while there was nothing, nothing at all-

A gentle rain drummed on the walls of the tent. James watched the shadows of droplets rolling down around him, distracted from the conversation his companions were in the middle of.

He's gotten the sense there was something familiar about these woods when they'd pitched camp. The fuzzy shape of the hills on the horizon had sent a shudder right through his core. A memory that hadn't visited him in years.

Upon checking his battered atlas of Kanto to see where they were, he knew it wasn't just a feeling. He had been here before.

"So in Fuschia tomorrow," Jessie was saying, knelt over the map, "we'll collect the passports, order the plane tickets- oh, where to?!"

"Anywhere Team Rocket ain't," Meowth huffed.

"Maybe Galar?" offered Mondo, biting his nail. "Or Alola? Gosh, it's such a big decision, isn't it?"

"Well we don't have to decide right now," added Jessie, "and it's not like we have to stay there forever."

"It'd be nice ta settle somewhere," Meowth said dreamily. "Even if it's just for a while…"

"James?"

James heard Jessie say his name, and looked over, though his reaction was a little delayed. Jessie's eyes sparkled at him in the electric lantern's white light.

"Any thoughts?" she elaborated, then seemed to recognize that his mind had drifted somewhere else. It was an expression she'd seen enough times before. "What is it?" she softly asked, shuffling on her knees across the crinkly polyester floor so she could sit next to him. Meowth also stopped peering over the map, and gave his full attention.

James hadn't been sure if it was a good idea to share what he was thinking, but the bigger part of him realised he needed to. It really was now or never.

"My parents' estate isn't far from here," he said.

Jessie's next breath came in quick.

"And I was thinking I could go and collect Growlie," James finished. He sounded firmer than he felt, but his hands told the truth of how nervous he was, gripping into his legs.

Still, his heart was set on it.

His teammates' mouths were falling open to respond, but he beat them to it: "It's only a two hour hike from here. If I leave now, I could make it there and back before dawn."

Mondo didn't know enough about James' personal history to understand the situation, but he could tell by Jessie and Meowth's reactions that this was no casual proposal.

"You're really sure about this?" Jessie asked, biting her lip. "It could be risky, you know the kind of stunts your parents like to pull-"

"I know," James interrupted. He gave a short sigh. "Believe me, I've thought about it. But I've handled much worse than those two since we last crossed paths. They'll be asleep at this hour, anyway- even if they are awake, I know all their tricks. And who knows when we'll be in Kanto again, this could actually be my last chance…" He nodded. "Really. I can do this."

Jessie searched for the tremor in his voice, but didn't find it. He wore a courage she hadn't seen on him in years, determination ignited behind his eyes. Not an absence of fear, but a defiance of it.

The same look that had first drawn her to him, way back when they were kids.

"Well if you think you're going back there alone you can forget about it," she said, nudging him with her shoulder. "Let's pack what we need, I'm going too."

"An' youse better count in Meowth!" Meowth declared. He lifted a paw to flex out a long claw; "You'll need my lockpickin' skills if you're gonna get in an' out quick."

A smile came to James' mouth as tears welled in his eyes and spilled straight over. He'd always been a sentimental one, and the warmth of their camaraderie was just overwhelming, especially after so many years fighting every battle in cold solitude. He chuckled softly, catching the next tears with the back of his thumb.

How incredibly lucky he was, to be back with his chosen family.

He tilted his head back and blinked his lashes until they dried a little. "Well," he said, clearing his throat as his voice cracked halfway through the word, "we can't all go. We still need to guard the camp tonight."

"I can do that," Mondo offered. When the others looked back at him unsurely, he added: "I did a lot of solo night shifts for Team Rocket when I was a Junior Officer, and I was guarding way bigger sites than this one." He straightened his posture, getting more eager the more he spoke. "Honestly, this is right in my wheelhouse! Please, let me do this for you."

Jessie sucked her teeth. "I don't know… All on your own…"

"I'm trained for it- and I'll have the pokémon with me," Mondo persisted. He could read perfectly well between Jessie's lines. Her concern was only half for his safety- the other half was a matter of trust. So Mondo pushed past his normal nerves and looked Jessie right in the eye, hoping she could see somewhere in his expression that he wasn't just going to run off on them.

Jessie still looked uncertain, but she nodded. "Okay."

Ravi sped their truck through the night, threading shortcuts through alleyways like a true professional. Thanks to all their years of scouting around on missions, they knew the roads of Kanto better than most taxi drivers- and unlike most taxi drivers, Ravi was unconcerned with things like speed limits and red lights. All that mattered was getting to the pick-up point.

They'd long lost the cloying wail of police sirens at their back, but still kept one eye on the skies, not liking the nearby hum of a helicopter. Slim chance they could outdrive that if it locked eyes on them.

Making a sharp turn into a residential row, Ravi hopped two speed bumps, zoomed on until the houses started to thin, then swerved down a curling ramp. Alp and Beckerson were used to being jostled around at ridiculous speeds and barely reacted, but Curly made scared little noises all the way, braced white-knuckled in the passenger seat like they were going to crash at any moment. Only when the truck slowed to a stop under an underpass did he gradually begin to untense.

Ravi killed the engine and let out a big breath. "Right," they said, unclipping their seatbelt as they looked back over their headrest. "We're here- how's that bandage holding?"

They were almost considering giving Beckerson a bit of the human restore to heal her bite, but Ravi much preferred it not coming to that. Both Casimir and Ravi would be in serious shit if HQ found out they were leaking an experimental drug.

Beckerson gave a wonky thumbs-up. "'S'good," she slurred. She lifted her bandaged shin, struggling to examine it in the dark. "Ahhhh oww- yeah it's not bleeding through, don't think-"

"Don't poke it like that!" cringed Curly.

Beckerson scoffed at him. "Doesn't even hurt," she boasted.

"She lost quite a lot of blood," said Alp. He took out his pack from under his seat, and produced an energy drink from one of the pockets. "Sugar is good," he said, handing the bottle to Beckerson. "Drink."

"What flavour's it?" Beckerson demanded.

"Apple Delight."

Beckerson popped the cap and took a big swig. "Yumbo."

"Okay, all you lot out," ordered Ravi, satisfied Beckerson was leaning to the right side of consciousness. "I need to make a call to Madame Matori."

At the very mention of Matori's name, the others didn't waste a second getting out of the truck. Even Beckerson, who was acting drunk with blood loss, knew better than to intrude on a report to the higher-ups.

"Don't go far," Ravi said as their team clambered out. "And keep quiet."

The truck doors clunked closed again, leaving Ravi alone in the vehicle.

They took a black case from the front compartment and undid the latches to reveal a sleek little laptop, which they quickly booted up. Their heartbeat kicked up a few notches as they tapped in the relevant passwords to launch the communication software. There was good reason everyone else had been so keen to scarper- a call with Matori was always intimidating. But at least this time there was a success to report.

Punching in the number, Ravi held their breath, and hit 'call'. As an afterthought they fixed their hair in the overhead mirror while the connection loaded; a second later, Matori's face appeared on the screen. Ravi snapped to attention.

"Madame Matori," they began urgently. "The mark's dead, and he gave us a lead on Cassidy Yamato, to the Orange Islands- we're heading to pick-up point 4a, requesting permission to pursue. And backup."

Matori's expression barely budged, as unreadable as ever. "Permission granted. How strong do you believe this lead is?"

"I reckon Yamato's heading to the OA as we speak," Ravi answered. "We're hardly a step behind her- and Derby confirmed the exact island she's headed for." They felt themself getting excited. "If I can get an air squad in, we could have her totally surrounded."

"I've heard that one before," muttered Matori, "but very well, I will have that arranged immediately."

"How long we gotta wait for the backup?" Ravi asked, perhaps a little too brusquely but unable to help their impatience. This was their shot, and every minute counted.

"I have put in a request for the next available squad," Matori replied. "You can expect pick-up within a few hours."

"A few hours?! But that's-"

"That's as quick as possible at such short notice. Assuming you wish us to source you with stealth aircraft and an experienced team- if you prefer, I can send the nearest gaggle of grunts in a helicopter right now. But Yamato will hear you coming a mile away."

Ravi sighed, reluctantly accepting that Matori made a good point. "Fine," they said. "Thank you, Madame."

"I also need evidence that the mark is dead- I assume you took some?"

"Yeah, I got a photo." They took out their phone and plugged it into the laptop: "Sending the picture through now."

With a few taps, the image of Derby's bloodied corpse copied itself from the phone in Ravi's hand to the screen on the monitor. Ravi had taken and sent so many pictures of dead targets that they seldom thought twice about it.

The photo received, Matori's eyes tracked across the screen with desensitised disinterest. "Very well," she said after a few moments. "Do you have anything else to report?"

"Well…" Ravi scratched at the back of their neck, considering their words. "From what Derby admitted, he really did have a hand in killing Boss Giovanni- but he wasn't the one who ordered the hit. That's who Yamato was looking for, that's who he sent her to."

Matori knitted her hands, and actually smiled a fraction. "Then you have truly honoured Team Rocket with Derby's death. Well done, Commander Ravi. May you serve Yamato the same justice."

"Y-yeah," Ravi said, pleased by the praise but not sure Matori understood the point they were trying to make. "But I mean, that means Yamato's really trying to track down Giovanni's killer, innit? I just, I don't get it- why would an enemy of Team Rocket bother with summit like that?"

"Who knows why lunatics like her do anything. It doesn't matter."

"But-"

"Even if she is for whatever reason genuinely trying to avenge Giovanni," Matori butted in, "she still killed Carter. We simply cannot have her out there alive- don't lose sight of that."

Ravi shook their head. "No," they promised, "I'm not."

"Good." Matori smiled a little wider. "Quite amazing, how quickly your injuries seem to have healed."

Ravi held their breath, trying not to let any panic surface on their face.

"Don't worry. I'll leave that curiosity out of my report, since you're doing so well. So long as you keep it up."

"I will," Ravi exhaled, relieved. They swore Matori enjoyed toying with them like that. Would've bet good money on it.

"You get this right and there'll be great things in your future." Matori leaned back in her plush desk chair. "You have your new mark and orders. Do not let me down."

The screen went black just as Ravi was saluting.

They lowered their arm slowly, and closed the laptop.

It was going to be a long few hours.

James woke up in his room. He was so confused he thought it might have been a dream, until he blinked open his bleary eyes to see two doctors hovering over him.

"He's awake!" one of them called. "Pulse is steady- whoa, easy there kid," the woman warned as James tried to sit up, looking at the medical equipment surrounding him. "You stay under that nice warm blanket while we get you something to drink, eh?"

James peered around the room. "Where's Growlie?" he asked, scared of the answer. "My growlithe," he added weakly.

"Growlie is resting in the other house. He should be just fine," the other doctor soothed. "You've got yourself a very loyal dog there- it was his howling that alerted the traveller who saved you."

At that moment James' parents burst through the door. "My son!" his father exclaimed, rushing over to the bed with open arms. He hugged James too tight, hurting him. "Thank the heavens you're alive- you stupid boy!" He let him go suddenly. "What were you thinking, running off like that? Do you know how many people spent the night looking for you?!"

James flinched. He had planned on never seeing his parents again.

"Don't be too hard on him, sir," the first doctor advised. "He's been through an awful lot-"

"Don't you tell me how to speak to my own child!" James' father shouted, making the doctor jump. James was used to it, but his father's sudden temper tended to shock most people. "Now get out, give a family some privacy why don't you?!"

James gulped as the doctors left. They looked quite sorry for him, but so did a lot of adults who never actually did anything to help.

The door closed.

James looked past his father to his mother, who stood further away, just regarding him.

"Well I hope you're happy James," she said, no expression in her words or on her face. "You nearly got yourself killed. Nearly got that lil' growlithe killed too."

"And just after we built that doghouse!" his father lamented. "What a waste that would have been!"

James tried not to cry. "I want Growlie."

"Now dear, ya know very well he's not allowed in this house," his mother said. "It's for people, not pokémon."

"But-"

"Enough!" his father exploded, face dangerously red. James shrank further back into the pillows, expecting a smack, but it didn't come. "You're not to leave this room," his father seethed. "And we'll make sure of it this time."

No goodbye, no get-well-soon. Not even a glance backwards. They just left, his father stamping out first, his mother trailing after.

The door slammed, and locked.

James let himself cry for a while. Eventually, when he was sure no one was coming back, he composed himself enough to slip out of the bed, touching his feet gingerly to the floor. His skin wasn't numb anymore. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but he felt well enough to cross the room and change out of the pyjamas he'd woken up in.

Dressed, he went to his room's middle window and slid it open. His parents still hadn't caught onto this particular escape route- he guessed they thought he was too lily-livered to even attempt the descent down the drainpipe, but he'd long-ago mastered it. He'd done a lot he'd never known he was capable of, to get away from his so-called family.

He slid down the pipe like a proper little thief in the making. Whatever hour it was, it was dark enough for him to sneak across the grounds to the doghouse. The front doors were locked, but James had his own key.

Growlie was in his bed in the front room, warmed by the nearby fireplace. Someone had left him fresh food and water- probably one of the more caring servants.

James knelt by Growlie's side. The little dog was crashed asleep in the layered blankets, exhausted but alive. And as relieved as James was, he was heartbroken. Because of how close it had been, and because he knew he could never put Growlie in danger like that again.

The next time he ran away, it would be on his own.

He stroked Growlie's outstretched paw with the tip of his finger.

"Thank you for saving me," he whispered, eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good trainer. But I won't get you hurt ever again. You'll be safe here." He sniffled. "I promise, Growlie."

By the last leg of the journey, James didn't need a compass to tell where they needed to go. He knew the shape of these woods. It was here that he had played through his childhood, had his orienteering lessons, hidden in, escaped through with the moon bright in the sky just like it was now-

"Hey," Jessie whispered. She was crouched behind the same cluster of bushes James was, and laced her fingers through his. "You ready?"

She squeezed his hand. His fingers slowly relaxed at her touch.

"I am," James said, realising as he looked at Jessie that he meant it. As far as the rot of any bad memory could pull him, she had always pulled him back. He felt stronger at her side. Fierce, like they could do anything together.

The moon couldn't spook him, not when it was shining in her eyes.

Jessie registered James was gazing at her, then supposed she was gazing at him too. His eyes were a portal through every memory they'd shared. Those years apart had made him tougher, but in a way, he hadn't changed at all.

They both felt it. Sparkling like warm bubbles in their chests. Putting a soft glow around the edge of everything. Stopping time, for just a bit.

But they looked away before the feeling could draw them too deep.

The moment wasn't right. Too much was happening.

They let go of each other's hand, and looked up the hill towards the estate. Meowth's head poked out from a nearby shrub as he signalled he was also ready to go.

They'd already scaled the wall that bordered the ridiculously large plot of land, so from here it was a clear run up the driveway. The trio kept their steps light and their bodies low, sticking to the shadows.

James fell into a kind of trance as he crept up the flatly paved path, the huge wall of the mansion blocking out the night sky. The water fountain trickled louder and louder, a sound he had woken up and fallen asleep to almost every day of his childhood. Surreal, to hear it again. It felt like just another vivid flashback, but he knew this time it wasn't. He could reach out and feel the patterns in the fountain's cold stone; he could count the hedges along the path without losing track.

Almost nothing had changed.

They ignored the offensively-grand mansion ahead, instead turning right towards the doghouse- though 'doghouse' felt like an understatement for the books, since it was itself a mansion, just smaller. James remembered it being built, after he'd begged for a puppy when he was six. It had all seemed normal at the time, in the bubble of his family's wealth, but now he could see as plainly as Jessie and Meowth just how staggeringly excessive it was. Enough money to do some real good in the world, instead flaunted on a needless building for a child who didn't know what he was asking for.

They followed the wall to the side that couldn't be seen from the main house.

"Hear anyone?" Jessie mouthed to Meowth, who took a few beats to listen.

"Nah," he muttered back. "Nothin'."

James had admitted beforehand that he didn't know exactly what kind of security system would be in place. The doors would certainly have alarms attached, they always had. He was less sure about the windows, pretty sure if there was an alarm that you'd only set it off by forcing the lock.

Luckily they wouldn't have to. Meowth had carved his way through enough museum display cases to handle one little window.

With a quick boost up from Jessie, the feline stood on the windowsill and unsheathed his sharpest claw. A modified Fury Swipe sliced a circle in the glass.

No alarm. A collective breath of relief.

Meowth laid his paw flat on the circle, and carefully popped the shape out, pushing it through into the room; there was a soft thud as the glass hit what must have been carpet.

"Meowth! That could have broken!" Jessie hissed.

"Well we don't have dat suction cup glass-removin' thing we used ta use, do we?!" Meowth hissed back in defence. "Anyway, it worked, so shut ya yap."

Jessie was about to threaten that she'd shut his yap in a minute, but managed to control herself. Just.

Meowth slinked through the hole he'd made, and took a look at the latch on the other side. It was a bit stiff, but with some effort he managed to push it loose, then slid the window up and open.

The two humans squeezed through the square gap, James first, Jessie after. There was a heavy velvet curtain that was a challenge to push past, but then they were in, at the centre of an empty cube of a room. A staircase trailing up into shadow.

Creepy in the dark, no matter which way you looked at it.

They each clicked on a mini torch and made a huddle.

"So we take it floor by floor," James said, reaffirming their plan. He felt sick with tension. "I just really hope he's still here…" He took an anxious breath. If Growlie was gone, if he was too late-

"Oh he's here all right," Meowth replied, disgust wrinkling his face. "Dis whole place pongs a' mutt, oy."

James' heart lifted a little.

"No one stray too far," ordered Jessie. "We don't want to lose each other, this place is big enough… Meet back here at the stairs?"

They all nodded, and then fanned out.

James went left, through a narrow hall. He traced the length of the wall with the beam of his flashlight. Tasteless floral wallpaper. Dust in the air.

He had to remind himself to breathe.

There were no doors fitted to any of the frames inside. The outside architecture looked made for humans, but after all this was a doghouse, and as such the furniture was minimal. A settee here. A chew toy there. Scratched floorboards and torn-up rugs.

James made a soft whistle. "Growlie?" he called tentatively. He didn't think there would be any servants around at this hour, but he couldn't know for sure.

No response. He kept moving forwards, taking every left turn like he was navigating a maze, which he sort of was. He'd always found it easy to get turned around in here, and the lack of light didn't help.

He kept whistling, but didn't see Growlie anywhere down there. Just empty room after empty room and the memory of fear. But if there was one advantage to having grown up scared, it was his tolerance to the feeling. Fear was an old friend, and he knew how to walk with it. No longer could it stop him.

Eventually, he looped back to the hall he'd started in. Through the doorway he could see the strings of the others' lights pointing through the black; he picked up his pace to join them at the base of the stairs.

"Nothing?" he confirmed, voice hushed. The others shook their heads.

"Not yet," Jessie said.

Meowth's ears twitched. He furrowed his brow, looking up at the ceiling. "Somethin's movin' around up dere."

"Does it sound like a Growlithe?" asked Jessie.

"I dunno- it's got two pairs a' paws, what more d'ya want?!"

His hope renewed, James led the way up the curving staircase, Jessie and Meowth following close behind. The floorboards creaked on some of the steps, and though the sound was muffled by the thick carpet, even the tiniest noise felt loud in the dead of night. Against every instinct to stay quiet, to get out of here, James kept walking, whistling the same soft note as before. He felt untethered from reality, like he was floating a little way outside of himself.

He'd run up and down these steps so many times as a child. Here he was again, a tired ghost of that little boy chasing his puppy.

He reached the landing at the top of the stairs.

A skittering pounding noise, closing in- tha-thud tha-thud tha-THUD tha-THUD-

James whirled around as a large shadow sprang out of a nearby room and bowled him clean over- his back hit the ground before he could point his torch to see if it was a different pokémon, or if it was-

"Growlie?" he gasped. The paws pressing into his shoulders were much bigger than he remembered, but by his team mates' flashlights he could see the stripes of orange and black fur, and a pair of eyes he wouldn't mistake in a million years. "Growlie!"

"Arrrrruff!" Growlie barked back, his tongue flicking out to lick James on the nose. Tail thrashing with excitement, he made another celebratory yap, and pressed his snout to James' cheek.

James wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. "Shhh," he giggled with tears in his eyes. "I know, I know- but we have to be quiet, I'm not meant to be here."

Growlie seemed to understand. He lifted his paws from James' chest, letting the man sit up; James wrapped his arms around the arcanine's neck and closed his eyes against the fluffy cream mane. "I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "I shouldn't have left you like I did. I've- I've missed you." He pulled away so he could look Growlie in the eyes. That was where they understood each other, more than in words. "I thought you'd be happier living in luxury here than on the streets with me- but I should have asked you. So… I'm asking now."

He smoothed back the fur around Growlie's face, cupping his chin in his hands.

"You can stay here if you want. I know it's always been your home, and as long as you're with my parents you'll never want for food or shelter." James smiled sadly. "I can't promise the same if you come with us. Sometimes we go hungry, or get hurt- you have to understand that, Growlie. We don't have an easy life."

"Arf."

"He gets it," Meowth translated.

"And… We have to leave soon, leave the whole region," James continued. "Maybe forever. So I really do understand if you want to stay here, it might be best for you, and th-that's all I want, is the best for you." He nodded, just about holding back his tears. "So whatever you decide, it's really fine-"

Growlie licked his face again before he could say another word.

"Yuck," Meowth remarked, but it was a poor cover for how emotional he was. Jessie even caught him wiping his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

Then Growlie stood up, and walked towards the stairs. He looked expectantly back at the others, like he was asking if they were coming or not.

James blinked. "So…?"

"Ruff!"

"He wants to go wid ya," Meowth confirmed with a grin. "Ain't nothin' gonna stop him now."

James gave a shaky breath of elated surprise. The heartache of years of separation was in the background, but joy was the main event. It filled him to the brim and then some.

"Okay then," he breathed, following Growlie with a disbelieving smile. Such a weight on his shoulders for so long, and just like that it had been lifted.

There was a lot of missed time to catch up on. He couldn't wait.

But there was still the small matter of making it out of the estate uncaught.

Led by the arcanine (James was still getting used to the sheer size of his evolved form), the group descended the stairs, surrounded by the same spooky silence this place was full of. They reached the hall on the first floor again, and retraced their path to the room they'd come in through. Growlie split from them to grab his favourite psyduck chew toy, which James dutifully packed with their things. Then Growlie went through the front door's dogflap, then raced around to watch them climb back out of the window.

They switched their lights off. The moon was veiled in a thin layer of passing clouds, but still bright enough to see by.

James knew it was probably just his mind spinning every sound into a phantom, but through the swish of the trees in the wind, he kept hearing distant taps that sounded like heels on stone. His eyes widened as he heard it again- "Do you hear that?" he mouthed to Meowth.

"Yeahhh," Meowth agreed, dragging out the word pensively. "Somethin's walkin' around here- a human," he decided, eyes fixed towards the main house.

Heart sinking, James looked to Jessie.

"Wait it out?" she mumbled.

"I don't think we should stick around," replied James. He had the terrible sense he was being stalked- paranoia most probably, but he didn't want to find out he was right.

"Run for it then?"

James shook his head. "They'll see Growlie," he muttered, "and I don't have his pokéball- I have an empty one, but that won't work, not when he's registered to his old one…"

"So we'll have ta sneak 'im past, somehow," Meowth concluded. James understood his concern- Growlie was a truly majestic creature, quite large even for an arcanine, but if there was one drawback to that, it was that it made stealth difficult.

The click of those footsteps was getting less and less distant. James began to wonder if they'd been making too much noise- the dogflap had made quite a clatter…

Evidently Jessie heard the steps coming too, because she lowered her voice even further and formed a huddle with the others: "I'm gonna chuck something, distract them- James, get Growlie to run for the forest."

While Jessie hurried to dig a decent-sized stone from the path, James gave Growlie a pat on the head. "Do you understand? Run to the trees, we'll meet you there."

Jessie lined up her aim, and threw the rock high and far, clean over the roof. It hit the concrete on the other side with a resounding clack.

The footsteps slowed, and then retreated.

"Now!" James urged Growlie, pointing to the treeline.

Growlie hesitated. James didn't blame him- historically, he'd always ended up abandoning Growlie one way or another. But it was different this time, and on some level they both knew it.

Growlie ran, bounding across the clearing with amazing speed, and disappeared into the dark of the forest.

But now those human footsteps were returning.

James had been trying to drown out their rhythm, a rhythm he'd recognise anywhere.

His mother.

She was still some distance away, but there weren't very many places to hide. The sparse hedges and low stone fountain made poor cover. Still, they didn't have much choice but to scuttle onwards and hide behind what was there, however little space it gave them to manoeuvre.

Jessie tried throwing another rock the opposite direction, but the same trick didn't work a second time. The steps kept coming.

James held his breath. He looked around for things to hide behind- if he kept close to the house, he could use one of the pillars. He ran for it while the going was good, pressed his back to the ridged stone, panting-

Floodlights clicked on above him.

He froze like a buneary in the road. Those lights were definitely a security measure he'd never seen before- oh fuck-

Nothing to do but run.

He made it halfway across the driveway before he heard her voice.

"James?"

His legs slowed on their own, like they were caked in concrete.

He turned around. There she was.

Jessie and Meowth gave up their cover too, jumping out to run to James' side.

"Don't worry Jim," Meowth snarled, claws drawn. "We can take 'er."

As he studied his mother, still walking closer to him, James was inclined to agree. Not only did they outnumber her, but she was older than he remembered. Not elderly yet, not exactly, but there was a frailty to her gait that hadn't been there before.

"Say the word and I'll punch her lights out," Jessie spat.

James shook his head. "No- we're not here to hurt anyone," he said shakily. "I came here for Growlie. That's all."

His mother sighed at him. "Oh, James. I hardly recognise you." Her nightgown fluttered in the breeze. She was wearing the black kitten heels she always wore around the garden. Her purple hair pinned up.

She looked at him with such utter disappointment. "Your only appearance in years, an' all you're here to do is steal our precious Growlie."

"Oh please," James scoffed. "You never even liked him!"

"Well at least we took care of him all these years," she snapped. She quickly softened her expression. "An' besides, he's all I have left of you- my sweet, darlin' boy," she cooed, scrunching her face like she was trying to cry. The tears didn't come, though. "Oh James- I know you're caught up in some horrid… gangster mess- but if you'd only stay, we could protect you!"

James wasn't moved. "You've never protected me from anything. Neither of you ever really cared about me."

"That's not true!" his mother protested. Her voice was full of offence, but her eyes didn't quite match. Like she wasn't even sure she believed herself.

"I'm leaving," James told her. "And I'm not coming back."

"No, wait, please stay- at least come inside to say hello to your father, he hasn't seen you in years!" she pleaded. "Be reasonable!"

"I am being reasonable." James had fallen for enough of their sentimental trick- and even if his father really did just want to see him one last time, James didn't want to see him. And he owed the old man absolutely nothing.

He looked back at Jessie and Meowth and nodded. "Let's go."

His mother reached out to grab him- "James, wait, just hold on a minute-"

James backed out of her reach. "I'm sorry," he said, not sure what he meant.

He guessed he was sorry she had never been able to love him. He was pretty sure she had tried to, in a misguided, twisted way. He had some good memories of her. Just a lot more bad ones.

"Aruff!"

He turned around. Growlie was pelting back towards him- not very good at following instructions, James remembered with a fond smile. But loyal to the bone.

Growlie stopped next to the trio, and stooped down with his torso on the ground. It took James a moment to realise what Growlie meant.

"Are you sure we won't be too heavy?"

"Rrrr."

James' mother watched the others climb on at a time onto the arcanine's back. Her eyes were darting around, mind racing for something to say. "Ya know, Jessebelle's married now, so if that's what's worryin' you…" She threw her hands up in exasperation when her son ignored her. "I just don't want you throwin' your life away!"

"I'm not." Settled on Growlie's back, James took a deep breath, and looked straight at her, knowing it would be the last time in both their lives. "Bye," he managed.

Back at full height, Growlie turned them around, and took off sprinting down the driveway and across the lawn. It all blurred by. Clouds rolling over pockets of stars.

James didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He did a bit of both, leaning forwards to rest the side of his face on Growlie's neck. Holding on tight.

The estate shrank behind them. Once they reached the woods, it was gone.

Just a memory.

Mondo's nightwatch was uneventful, which was exactly the way he liked it. He took his time over a cup of tea and watched a couple of wild golbat flutter around, and every once in a while lapped the perimeter of the camp to make sure no unsavoury characters were creeping up on him.

There was no one- until Jessie, James and Meowth came crashing through the bushes on an arcanine, which gave Mondo quite the startle.

The others climbed down off of Growlie, stumbling Mondo's way.

"We did it!" Jessie beamed.

Mondo chuckled. "So I see!" He looked down, nervous. He still felt awkward saying anything to her. All he could think about was how a day ago he'd betrayed Cassidy, and by extension Jessie too.

He could only imagine how she must have felt.

Jessie raised her eyebrows at him. "You're still here," she observed.

Mondo blinked. "Of course."

"And no mysterious men came and raided our tent?"

"I um, I counted zero mysterious men," Mondo laughed.

Jessie grinned. "Well, that's good." She cleared her throat. "Nice job tonight, Mondo."

He smiled. "You can count on me," he promised.

She believed it.

Across from them, James was combing Growlie's fur. "I still can't believe you evolved!" he exclaimed. "I mean, I can believe it, it makes sense that you would have…" He saw the thin streaks of grey in the arcanine's coat. Not past his prime yet, but getting there.

It made James sad, not to have been there for it all. He vowed that he would make up for that lost time, as much as he could.

"We should really get some kip," Meowth yawned. "It'll be dawn soon, an' we got a big trip ahead."

It didn't take any more persuasion than that; everyone was pretty wiped out, and keen for sleep. They crawled into the tent, and just about made space for Growlie. They drifted off one by one, staving off the cold with each others' warmth.

James was the last still awake. He was still processing it all. He kept pinching himself, but Growlie was still right there next to him, undeniably real.

Whichever region they wound up in, James could finally leave this one without regret.

Their future beckoned.