When Aziraphale emerged from his tent the next morning, he was delighted to find that Crowley's tent was still beside his own.
Crowley was already up. He was in the far corner of the flower meadow with his Pokémon, clearly attempting to catch something. He was throwing Poké Balls this way and that. His hair was tied back in a loose bun.
Aziraphale settled down to boil some water on the camping stove for his morning cup of tea.
It was a wind-swept morning, and bright flowers kept zipping past Aziraphale on the breeze. He let out a surprised gasp when he realised Pokémon were holding onto those flowers.
One of the Pokémon - clinging to the stem of a red flower - drifted close enough that Aziraphale was able to take a photo with his Pokédex.
'Floette, the Single Bloom Pokémon,' his Pokédex announced.
By the time Crowley returned, Aziraphale was drinking tea and eating buttered scones with raspberry jam.
"I caught a Floette in every colour!" Crowley said, a huge grin on his face. "Even the rare white one! And even rarer – a Shiny! In white! Incredible! They're gonna make a rich collector very happy one day. I hope someone buys them all as a group. I bet they'll end up living in the beautiful gardens of a mansion." Crowley gazed into the middle distance, a dreamy look in his eyes, loose strands of his red hair fluttering in the breeze.
Crowley was being awfully optimistic. It was wishful thinking, Aziraphale supposed. Whatever it took to stop Crowley from feeling guilty for handing over innocent Pokémon to a criminal organisation. Aziraphale really wanted to say something, wanted to reiterate that Crowley's plan was a bad idea, but he held his tongue for now. He needed to find the right words. Crowley hadn't listened to him the last time, so Aziraphale needed to figure out the best way to get through to him.
Aziraphale forced a smile. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
Crowley looked delighted. "Yes, please."
While Crowley drank his tea, his Floettes danced together in the windy weather. The two Sinistea, now reunited, danced along with them.
Char curled up amid the flowers beside Crowley and soon fell asleep. Crowley gazed down at him, a look of fondness on his face, and maybe, strangely, a hint of sorrow. A horrible thought occurred to Aziraphale. Crowley had said he was planning to give away all of his Shinies, but surely that didn't include his starter Pokémon, Char. They'd grown up together. Aziraphale couldn't imagine ever being apart from Oscar, and surely Crowley would feel the same way about Char.
Aziraphale had to ask, even if just to reassure himself that he was being silly. "You're not planning to give Char away to Team Rocket too, are you?"
A pained look crossed Crowley's face, but then he looked resolute. "It'll be tough, but it's for the best."
Aziraphale couldn't believe what he was hearing. "For the best? You can't possibly believe that."
"Of course I do. Char will be better off with someone who can look after him properly."
"I think you do look after him properly. You both clearly love each other very much, and I don't think he'll want to leave you."
Crowley swallowed.
Aziraphale soldiered on. "Just because someone is wealthy that doesn't mean they'll give Char or your other Shinies a better life. They might only see them as trophies. They might only let them out of their Poké Balls when they want to show them off to their friends or something."
Crowley looked horrified. Had it really never occurred to him? Was he really that deep in his denial? Crowley shook his head like he was trying to wish it away. "No…"
"Just because someone's rich that doesn't mean they're kind," Aziraphale went on. "Often it can be quite the opposite."
"You don't know anything about it!" Crowley snapped, and there was a fire in his eyes. "You don't know what it's like to be poor! To not know where your next meal is coming from! To have to choose between feeding yourself and feeding your Pokémon! Rich people like you couldn't possibly understand!"
"I- I'm not rich."
"Of course you are!" There were tears in Crowley's eyes now. "You're able to fund traveling for a whole month on your own! And you've got a great job waiting for you at the end of it. A home. A family. I don't have any of that!"
Aziraphale floundered for something positive to say. "Your Pokémon are your family."
"Exactly! And I have to do what's best for them. Even if it hurts."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean- Look, I just... I don't want you to have to give Char away. I don't want you to have to give any of them away. There has to be another way to-"
"Shut up!" Crowley yelled as he leapt to his feet.
Char jolted awake, a confused expression on his face as he looked up at Crowley.
"We need to get back on the road." Crowley said to Char before turning to face his other Pokémon, raising his voice to get their attention. "We're leaving. Everybody say goodbye."
"Crowley, I'm sorry," Aziraphale said. "Please don't go."
But Crowley had his back to him now, was returning his Pokémon to their Poké Balls. He pressed a button on his tent to fold it down small before shoving it into his bag. He marched off towards the trees, wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeve as he went.
Aziraphale watched him go, resisting the urge to run after him. He'd probably only make things worse if he tried. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He'd only wanted to help. Did Crowley hate him now? Aziraphale didn't have many friends, and he'd thought that maybe… But he should have known he'd ruin it. He always did.
Tears blurred Crowley's vision as he ran through the trees.
Aziraphale had no idea what his life had been like, the things he and his Pokémon had been through just to survive. Aziraphale had no right to say such horrible things. What if Char and the other shinies had heard? And yet Crowley knew it wasn't really Aziraphale he was angry with. It was himself. His outburst had been out of fear and horror. How had it not occurred to him before? Was he really that naïve? Or had he simply buried his head in the sand like a Espathra, refusing to look too closely at his plan, scared he'd see the obvious holes in it. His scheme had seemed so perfect. Steal cash and Poké Balls from people to subsidise his low wages, catch Shinies, and then, once the money was rolling in from handing over said Shinies, pour that money back into catching more Shinies until he never had to steal again.
He'd pictured a perfect life for those Shinies. He'd assumed they'd all go to good homes, and maybe they would, but maybe they wouldn't.
He thought of Oddish and Sinistea. He was already attached to both of them, despite trying not to be. He didn't want to hand either of them over. What if they ended up with horrible people, just like Aziraphale said? And then there were his new Floettes. Six new mouths to feed. He couldn't afford to keep all of the Pokémon he'd caught. He had to give some of them to Team Rocket, or he'd risk forcing them to forage for food when he couldn't provide. The alternative was to release them back into the wild, where they might be attacked, didn't have access to Pokémon Centres, and would end up going back to foraging anyway.
Then he thought of Char, and his stomach twisted when he realised what he'd been doing without even realising it. He hadn't been using Char in battles, he'd been keeping him on the side-lines, choosing Bentley and Ashtoreth instead. He'd been making sure Char didn't gain experience points and therefore wouldn't evolve. He'd promised to hand Char over when he became a Charizard, so, subconsciously, he'd been making sure that wouldn't happen. Char had shown no interest in joining in with battles either, even though he'd always enjoyed battles in the past, so perhaps Char had been doing the same thing.
What was Crowley supposed to do? He needed this Team Rocket gig to survive. He had to hand over the Pokémon he caught, or he'd get in trouble. He'd already promised Char to them once he evolved. He'd already received a month's pay in advance. He'd never be able to scrape together enough money to pay it back. Team Rocket provided his only income aside from what he stole.
He didn't want to be in Team Rocket anymore. Going back to being skint, to having nothing, would be better than this. Better than the shame of robbing people. Better than having to betray the Pokémon that trusted him, better than never seeing Char ever again and not even knowing if he was happy.
Crowley kept walking and walking, keeping his Pokémon in their Poké Balls to give himself time to think. He wouldn't be able to look them in the eye.
Crowley reached the edge of a large village brimming with thatched cottages and cobbled streets. A sign stood proudly beside the road, a colourful flowerbed beneath it. The sign read: 'The Village of Eden.'
Wandering aimlessly, Crowley found himself passing beneath a large open archway into the most beautiful garden he'd ever seen. He followed a curving path, taking comfort in the stunning flowerbeds, the ornamental trees, and the bushes sculpted into a wide variety of shapes.
Another sign, surrounded by white roses, read: 'The Garden of Eden.'
A hole-in-the-wall cafe was serving hot food and drinks. The smell of coffee made his mouth water, but he knew he wouldn't be able to afford a cup. He turned away and walked down another path, admiring the rhododendron bushes on either side of him.
Crowley felt at home amid all the flowers. It made him think back to all the times he'd spent gardening for his mother as a kid. He felt sure that his Floettes would love to dance among these blooms. He'd find a bench somewhere, have a drink from his water bottle - he didn't need their fancy coffee – and then he'd let all of his Pokémon out. He could admire the flowers while they played.
He was just about to sit down on a wooden bench when he noticed a sign beside it on a bulletin board. 'Help wanted – Full and Part Time Gardeners. Please apply at our cafe.'
Hope flared bright. That'd be his dream job, but he knew they'd almost certainly say no. He'd heard it all before. Too young, no references, no home address, no experience, you're not from around here, etc. But it was worth a try.
On his way to the cafe he spotted a gardener doing some weeding. He decided to say hi and ask what the job was like. Perhaps he could get some tips for if he was lucky enough to get an interview.
The gardener looked up as he approached, and Crowley smiled and gave a cheerful wave. "Hi. I just saw the 'Help Wanted' poster, and I was wondering- Ngk!"
It was Newt, the guy he'd robbed.
Newt's eyes went huge. "You're that Team Rocket guy!"
"Sorry! I'm so sorry. I'll just..." He backed away, his hands held up in surrender. He couldn't even try to make things right by paying him back. All he had was a bit of loose change. This was so awkward and humiliating. He hurried back towards the path, his face burning.
"Why are you looking for a job?" Newt called after him. "Are you quitting Team Rocket or something?"
Crowley stopped. He turned around and dropped his gaze to his feet. "I want to leave, yeah. It's not really my scene, you know? Robbing people. I thought if I could get a proper job, then I could leave for good."
"It didn't really feel like your heart was into being a highway robber, to be honest. It almost felt like a normal trainer battle - except for the crippling fear that you were gonna try to steal Turpin."
Crowley cringed. "Sorry."
"Thanks for fixing my Pokédex though. It's been working great ever since. I'm terrible with technology. At least in this job I don't need to use it very often." Turpin came over carrying a large bag of soil. Newt took a moment to help Turpin place it onto the grass, and then he smiled at Crowley. "How old are you?"
"Sixteen." Crowley said. He waited for the inevitable, 'You have to be at least eighteen to work here,' or an understandable, 'Fooled you! We don't hire criminals, you idiot!'
Newt nodded. "That's cool. You've just gotta be sixteen or over. And a hard worker. And, hey, if it gets you out of Team Rocket, I'm all for it. And maybe you could help me with my Pokédex the next time it goes wrong," he added with a grin.
Crowley nodded, all enthusiasm. "I'll help you whenever you want! I'm a very hard worker, and I'm good at gardening and stuff. I'll pay you back as soon as I have the money, I swear. All I've currently got is a few coins but it's all yours." He dug into his jeans pocket.
Newt shook his head and put his hands up. "Don't worry about that. You can pay me back if you get the job, okay? It's up to Shadwell who gets hired. He's over at the cafe. You should talk to him."
Crowley swallowed, nervous but excited. "Okay. Thank you."
"Good luck, and I hope you get it!"
When Crowley reached the café, he was pleased to see there wasn't a queue. He went up to the window and a lady smiled at him. On her badge it said, 'Eve,' and behind her, a man was slicing apples. Perhaps that was Shadwell.
"Hello. How can I help you?" Eve asked cheerfully.
"Er. I'd like to apply for a job, please? I was told to speak to Mr Shadwell?"
"Oh, that's great! Shadwell is just at that table over there. The guy in the brown coat."
Crowley followed her gaze. Shadwell was sat alone at a table with a giant mug of strong tea. On the table in front of him were soil covered gloves. He was wearing overalls.
"He's our head gardener," Eve said. "Oi! Shadwell! There's someone here for you to interview!"
Shadwell looked over in their direction. He gave Crowley a glance up and down, and when he spoke, his voice was gruff. "Ye want tae be a gardener, do ye, laddie?"
Crowley found himself standing to attention. "Yes, Sir."
"It's tough work. Are ye fit?"
Crowley nodded. "Yes, Sir. And I'm a hard worker."
"How old are ye?"
"Sixteen."
Shadwell nodded. "What's yer name, laddie?"
"Crowley. Anthony Jay Crowley. But I prefer just Crowley."
"Come sit doun then, Crowley."
Crowley scampered over, his heart racing. He took the seat opposite Shadwell.
"Eve, bring the laddie a drink, would ye," Shadwell shouted. "On the house."
"What would you like, Crowley?" Eve asked with a smile. "We've got lemonade, tea, coffee?"
Crowley's face lit up. "Coffee please."
And then the interview truly began. Crowley answered the questions as best he could, even though he had no idea what he was supposed to say. He'd never reached this stage in an interview process before. He felt anxious, his hands sweating, and yet he soon found himself in his element, enthusiastically talking about looking after his mother's garden, about the vegetable patch he'd been in charge of, the flower beds and the hedgerows. He spoke of his favourite plants.
While being penniless and living in his tent, the skills he'd learnt in that garden had been invaluable. He'd known what fruits and vegetables were edible and how to best cultivate them. He'd grown potatoes in the ground beside his tent and lived on them when there'd been little else to eat.
Eve brought over the promised coffee, as well as a slice of cake.
"Well, lad. Do ye want to do a trial run? Ye can start now if ye want."
For a moment Crowley was speechless, unable to believe that this was really happening, that he'd managed to get a job – and his dream job at that. "Yes, please! Thank you, Sir! Yes, I can start right away."
Crowley was soon weeding, pruning and watering, unable to keep the huge grin from his face. He enjoyed the work immensely. He liked feeling useful, and he definitely liked the cash in hand at the end of the day. He couldn't believe his luck when Shadwell promised him steady hours starting the very next day. Finally, Crowley had a job with an honest income. He only wished he'd come here before being sucked into Team Rocket, but there was no use regretting that now. He couldn't change his past, only his future.
The first thing Crowley did after receiving his wages was pay Newt back, which still left him with a decent amount left over, so he bought some delicious sandwich fillings at a local market. He went back to the flower fields, hoping to find Aziraphale, but no such luck. Aziraphale could be anywhere by now. Crowley felt terrible for snapping at him. Aziraphale had only been trying to help.
As the sun started to set, Crowley set up his table and started to make some sandwiches.
Crowley brought out Char first, wanting to talk, just the two of them.
Char had been asleep during Crowley's argument with Aziraphale, but he'd seen how upset Crowley had been afterwards and was now looking up at him with concern.
Tears welled in Crowley's eyes. How had he ever thought he'd be able to let Team Rocket take Char away?
Crowley knelt down in front of Char so that they were the same height. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I'm really sorry. I should never have listened to Team Rocket and their stupid promises. I don't want to give you away. I want you to stay with me. Do you want to stay with me?"
Char threw himself at Crowley and clung to him tightly, the flame on the end of his tale burning brighter than ever before. "Char! Charmeleon!"
Crowley squeezed him back. "I love you so much. I can't believe I ever thought I should- Please forgive me. I was stupid. I'm leaving Team Rocket. I'm quitting! I'm not giving them any of my Pokémon. It was Aziraphale who helped me see the truth. He made me realise that Team Rocket's promises can't be trusted. Just because someone's rich, that doesn't mean they're kind. That's what Aziraphale said, and he's right."
Char nodded in agreement.
Crowley swallowed the lump in his throat. "I- I yelled at Aziraphale. What if he hates me now? I have to find him. I have to tell him I'm sorry."
Char patted his back. "Char," he said soothingly.
"Yeah, you're right. It'll be okay. I'll find Aziraphale somehow. And guess what? I managed to get a proper job! Can you believe it? I'm a gardener now! I had my first day today and they paid me! Cash in hand at the end of the day!"
Char made a sound of amazement and then he jumped up and down.
"And you won't believe who one of the other gardeners turned out to be… Newt!"
A shocked sound escaped Char. He froze.
"It's okay. I paid him back. We're friends now."
Char looked relieved, and then he hugged Crowley again.
"Everything's going to be okay," Crowley said. "I can feel it."
Crowley called forth the rest of his Pokémon. He expected at least some of them to push back, especially those that hadn't properly bonded with him or the team yet. After all, he'd offered them luxury and now he was taking that away and offering to keep them fed and happy on minimum wage instead. He even offered to release anyone back into the wild that didn't want to stay. None of them wanted to leave him, and he found himself teary eyed with emotion. Aziraphale was right. His Pokémon really were his family.
That night, Crowley camped at the edge of town, near the Garden of Eden, and by 8am the next morning he was waiting eagerly at Eden's gates, ready and raring to go.
Oddish and the Floettes played in one of the flowerbeds, while Sinistea and Flapple napped on top of the café. Char and Ashtoreth helped dig holes for Crowley to plant seedlings into. Meanwhile, Bentley and Turpin happily worked together, transporting whatever Shadwell, Newt and Crowley needed. Shadwell's Pokémon - a Rotom - turned into its Mow form - a lawnmower - and zoomed around the large garden gleefully, keeping the lawns looking magnificent.
Crowley hadn't realised just how much he'd missed gardening, and part of him still couldn't believe he was getting paid for having so much fun.
Aziraphale admired the flowers on either side of the path as he headed towards the café, eager to indulge in a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
A group of Floettes danced merrily in a nearby flowerbed, and they made him think of Crowley. His chest ached with regret.
Yesterday afternoon, he'd set off from the flower fields and headed straight for his next destination, the Village of Eden. He'd spent several hours in the library there, and then he'd spent the night in a hotel. During lunch at the hotel, the staff had recommended that he visit the villages' prized gardens. The mention of there being a great café hidden within had been more than enough to tempt him.
A honking sound made Aziraphale jump. He spun around and saw a Varoom zooming excitedly towards him.
"Bentley?" he said, and the Pokémon wiggled happily where it floated in the air.
The Varoom – which had to be Bentley, Aziraphale was sure of it - raced off, but kept turning to make sure he was following, which of course he was.
Aziraphale's stomach was in knots. What if Crowley didn't want to see him? What if he was still angry and upset with him? Aziraphale didn't know what to say to make things right. He'd planned to let Crowley make the first move if they crossed paths again, rather than just barging on in on him like this. They rounded a corner and there was Crowley, bent over a flowerbed with a trowel.
Bentley made a loud honking noise.
Crowley turned, saw Aziraphale, and hurriedly got to his feet. He was shirtless. Aziraphale had only ever seen Crowley in long-sleeved clothes and had imagined a slender frame beneath. Crowley was indeed slim, but he was also surprisingly toned. There was soil dotted across his arms and chest, which shouldn't have been sexy and yet somehow was. His red hair was tied back in a dishevelled bun. Aziraphale felt his cheeks heat up.
"Er. Hello," said Aziraphale.
Crowley wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. There was a nervous smile on his face. "Hi. Er. Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm glad you said what you said. I needed to hear it - not just for me but for my Pokémon too. I want you to know that I've quit Team Rocket. I work here now. I was finally able to get a legit job!"
Aziraphale's heart soared. Not only had Crowley forgiven him, but he'd also listened to his advice. "Oh, that's wonderful news! Congratulations on your new job. I'm sorry I was so blunt with you yesterday."
Crowley shook his head. "Don't apologise. I needed to hear it."
Crowley's pink Sinistea flew towards them, making gleeful noises, before coming to a stop right in front of Aziraphale.
"Oh, hello, my dear. It's lovely to see you again," said Aziraphale.
The Sinistea made a desperate noise, bobbing impatiently up and down.
"What's the matter? Do you want to see my Sinistea?"
The Sinistea nodded, and Aziraphale released his own Sinistea from their Poké Ball. The two teacups danced circles around each other and then they went to sit together on a nearby rosebush. The roses on the bush were the exact same shade of pink as Crowley's Sinistea.
Crowley watched the two Pokémon with a smile on his face. "My Sinistea was very excited to find that rose bush. Their name is now Rose."
"Oh, what a lovely name. It suits them well."
"Yeah. And it matches the teatime theme all Sinistea have going. Makes me think of rose tea."
"Oh, yes. Good thinking." Aziraphale turned to his own Sinistea. "Would you like to be named after a type of tea?"
The Sinistea looked at him thoughtfully and then nodded.
"How about Peppermint?"
"Ooh, yeah," said Crowley. "That's a good one. It matches the minty colour of your teacup."
The Sinistea frowned and then shook from side to side.
"No? How about… Matcha?" said Aziraphale.
Another shake.
"Assam? Earl Grey?"
"Oolong?" Crowley joined in. "Darjeeling!"
Aziraphale's Sinistea didn't look impressed by any of their suggestions.
"Chai?" Aziraphale said hopefully.
"Typhoo? Tetley?"
"Chamomile?"
There came an excited wiggle and a cheer.
"Chamomile it is then," Aziraphale said happily. "Good choice."
Chamomile grinned.
Rose reached out a purple hand and plucked a pink rose, holding it tightly as they flew away. Chamomile raced behind them, and together they flew up to the top of the Café where Flapple was curled up, fast asleep.
Aziraphale returned his attention to Crowley. "I saw some Floettes earlier. Are they yours too?"
"Yep. My boss said the visitors really like them. He's more than happy for all of my Pokémon to be out and about."
"So you're definitely not giving them to Team Rocket?"
"Definitely not. And now I've got a real job, I can properly look after them. Give them the lifestyle they deserve."
Aziraphale smiled. "I was just on my way to the cafe. Would you like to join me? My treat."
"I've already had all of my breaks for today, but we could meet up after I've finished work for dinner. My treat."
"I look forward to it."
Several hours later, they were dining at a local restaurant. It was one of the fanciest places Aziraphale had ever been. There were waiters and even a man playing the piano.
Aziraphale set down his menu. He glanced around, and then leaned towards Crowley and lowered his voice. "So… how did Team Rocket take it when you quit?"
Crowley looked up at him, surprised. "Oh, I haven't told them yet."
"You've not spoken to them?"
"Nah," Crowley said. "I will though, obviously. Give me a chance. I only decided to quit yesterday."
"When you said you quit Team Rocket, I assumed you'd done so in an official capacity."
"I'm gonna tell them at the monthly meeting. It's in just over a weeks' time. I'll just say I'm not cut out for it, and I failed to steal any Pokémon - which is technically true."
"But they paid you in advance."
"And I'll pay it back. I'm gonna set money aside from my wages. I'm paid cash in hand at the end of every day, so I'll have more than enough saved up by the time I go to the meeting. The Team Rocket wages are really low, after all. Don't look so worried. I've got this."
"I'm just very aware that they're a criminal organisation."
"I'm friends with Bee, remember? She'll look out for me. And the other two I spoke to – Hastur and Ligur – they seemed really nice. The meeting will be with Hastur and Ligur, and I'm sure they'll understand. It's gonna be fine."
"If you say so. But please be careful. I can lend you the money if you need to pay it back any sooner."
"That's very kind of you, but I'm sure it won't be necessary."
A waiter came over with two glasses of sparkling grape juice on a tray, set them down, and then glided off again.
Crowley raised his glass. "Cheers. To the Pokémon."
"To the Pokémon," Aziraphale said, and they clinked their glasses together.