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"... Police are still searching for the members of the Defier organization who have claimed responsibility for the last three robberies at Gen-U-Tech, NightStone, and STAR Technologies. While no suspects have been reported, Police are confident they will solve this case soon.
"In other news, Team Rocket has definitely fallen from the most wanted list. We go to Bob in Cerulean City with the story. Bob?"
"Thank you, Anita. I'm here at the site of yet another botched attempt by Team Rocket to commit a crime. If you look behind me, you can see the many holes dotting this forest path. Apparently, the once infamous, now hilarious, organization was hoping to catch unknowing travelers in these crude traps. Unfortunately for them, many of the traps were sprung ahead of time by the very Team Rocket members who dug them, according to witnesses. This reporter believes the police no longer need to have any worries about this organization. Back to you, Anita."
"Thank you, Bob. In our final story for this evening, a flying car was spotted by a number of witnesses yesterday, causing quite a stir among the general populace. Witnesses claim the car was driven by two young boys who were---" *click*
James dropped the remote control and wrapped his arms around Jessie. She smiled, snuggling against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. She sighed.
"Well," began James, "the boss should be pleased with that."
"Mmm-hmmm," murmured Jessie in agreement, her eyes half closed. Jessie and James had been working overtime, trying to botch as many plans as they could. Being incompetent was exhausting work!
"I guess we'll know for certain after Meowth gets back from his meeting."
"Mmm-hmmm."
"I wonder if we'll get another assignment."
"Mmmmm..."
"Oh and Jessie? I don't know how to tell you this, but Gengiess and I have declared out love for one another and have decided to run away together and join a religious sect to await the coming of our mystical God from the great heaven of Abwala, okay?"
"Mmm-hmm... what?" Jessie sat up suddenly, wide-awake and utterly confused. James smiled broadly and kissed her on the nose.
"Just checking to see if you were listening." Jessie replied by smacking him over the head.
"Reece!" Jessie exclaimed excitedly, backing out of the hug. "What are you doing here?"
"It seems we're working a mission together," the green-haired girl replied, "although it isn't a particularly happy one."
"Are they ever?" James asked with a wry grin, giving Reece a hug.
"I don't know," she returned. "This last mission you've been on seems like it's been pretty fun. I saw your work on the news last night. Don't you get tired of digging all those holes?"
"Helps me keep my fine figure," said James, posing a little. Jessie and Reece laughed.
"Oh!" Reece said suddenly, blushing. "I've been rude." She turned around and beckoned forward the young man who and entered with her. "Jessie, James, I would like you to meet Ryo Latener. He's new to Team Rocket and this is his first mission."
"It's nice to meet you," Ryo said, his voice soft, almost airy, yet it carried well into the room. Ryo was a handsome boy in his late teens. On top he had a head full of slightly shaggy, shimmering blond hair that seemed to be spun of gold. His features were relaxed and slightly feminine and Jessie couldn't help but notice his luminous blue-gray eyes - they were, without a doubt, his most prominent feature. His body was a little lanky, trapped as he was in that awkward stage from boyhood to manhood. He smiled a soft and gentle smile. Although Jessie couldn't place or even give a reasonable explanation for it, there seemed to be an aura of perpetual sadness around him, as though his smile wasn't quite bright enough and his eyes, though beautiful, seemed too dim. It was like he had lived and seen too much for his young face and what he had seen was far from pleasant.
Jessie shook her self out of her silent revelry and reached out her hand. "Welcome, aboard," she said, shaking Ryo's hand vigorously.
"Charmed," James said smoothly, shaking the boy's hand after Jessie. "Do either of you know why Meowth was in such a fowl mood when he came through here?" he asked, looking over his shoulder where the cat had disappeared. Reece and Ryo exchanged a glance, both trying very hard (and failing) to hide smiles.
"Well, we sort of got pulled over on the way to the cabin," Reece said finally.
"Oh?" Jessie asked. "For what?" The four of them walked through the living room and into the kitchen, where they sat down around the table. James started boiling some hot water for tea.
"It seems as though it's against the law now for 'unconfined pokémon' to ride in the front," Ryo said, picking up where Reece had left off. The computer whiz giggled.
"Yeah, especially when they're driving." Reece's body shook with silent laughter. Jessie just blinked.
"Meowth was driving?" she asked, confused. "I didn't know he could drive," she said, looking over at James, who shrugged.
"That would explain his bad mood though," he said, bringing over the four steaming cups of tea. "Meowth gets very pissy when people talk to him like he's a dumb animal."
"No kidding," Reece replied. "Ryo and I had to practically hold his mouth shut when the cop came around the front. She was referring to him as an 'it' and being rather rude. As much as I would have liked to see him tell her off, I think the fact that he's the only talking Meowth in existence would have given away who we are working for."
Jessie smiled and nodded. "Yes, he really needs to learn when to keep that big mouth of his shut." The four sat in comfortable silence, drinking the tea. Reece and Ryo were grateful for it - the weather had turned frigid outside and the hot tea pleasantly warmed them.
"So," James said after a moment, "why don't you tell us about yourself, Ryo?"
The boy put down his cup and smiled. "There isn't much to tell, I'm afraid. I'm an only child, my mother having passed away sometime ago. My father is Randy Latener and he lives on the western continent, across the ocean in a small village called Monarch Town."
"Wow," Reece interjected. "That really is the other side of the world."
"I was wondering about your accent," said Jessie. Ryo merely nodded.
"I grew up in Monarch Town," he continued, "but after a while I got tired of hanging around the same old haunts and decided to cross the pond, so to speak, and find my own way. I found out about Team Rocket and was intrigued. I approached Giovanni and was allowed to join. That wasn't very long ago, so this is sort of like field training for me."
"Amazing," James murmured. "It's not often a person approaches Team Rocket and gets in. Usually, it's the other way around. Team Rocket almost always approaches you." Ryo shrugged.
"I think they were keeping an eye on me the minute I stepped off the boat. Besides, I'm very familiar with the western continent. That's where our next mission is going to take place." James was about to ask what the mission was when Meowth stomped into the kitchen, holding a file folder. They all turned to watch him as he started raiding the refrigerator, dark clouds seeming to gather over him. Taking a large bite out of a leftover tuna fish sandwich, he took a deep breath and looked infinitely more calm. He turned to the group and sort of half smiled.
"I feel better now," Meowth stated easily. The four Team Rocket members just nodded. Satisfied, Meowth walked up to the table and sat down, folding his paws in front of him. "I guess it's time I got on with the mission briefing. I'm sorry to say, this one is not at all pleasant. It would seem we have a serial killer on the loose." Meowth dropped the file on the table. James groaned.
"That's full of really nasty, bloody pictures, isn't it?" James asked, his face slightly green. Meowth shrugged.
"We could look at it in the morning, if you prefer," he offered.
"I prefer," James replied in way of agreement.
Meowth pulled the folder back off the table and rested it on his lap. "Well, to describe this mission in a way that won't turn James' stomach, it's seems we either have a copy cat killer or The Red X has started slicing and dicing again." This time, both Jessie and James let out an audible groan. Reece blinked in confusion.
"The Red X?" she asked.
"Before your time," Jessie explained. "Before ours, too, but I remember Remear telling us about him. The Red X was one of the most infamous serial killers of all time. He murdered almost a hundred people."
James nodded in agreement. "He was given the name 'Red X' because of a bloody, x-shaped mark he would carve on the bodies of his victims."
"Ewww," Reece said with a face. "You were right. This isn't going to be a pleasant case. But what did you mean, 'before our time?' How long ago did this happen?"
"The last two people the Red X killed died twenty years ago," replied Meowth. "After that, the deaths just stopped. Nobody knows why. They never found the actual culprit."
"Twenty years is a long time," Reece said, her expression thoughtful. "Was there anything significant about the last two people he killed?"
"Nothing stands out. They were a mother and a son that lived on the western continent. That's why young Ryo here is going to be joining us." James blinked. He had almost forgotten Ryo was there, he was being so quiet.
"Well, this is fascinating and all, but why is the boss asking us to investigate? It's not as though we normally go around solving crimes," James began, confused. "I mean, it almost seems oxymoronic, in a sense."
"Under normal circumstances, we wouldn't bother," Meowth agreed. "But, this is special. The New Red X, or whatever, has been targeting Team Rocket operatives on the western continent. The boss is starting to get irritated. He wants this taken care of, quickly. The more the police investigate into the murders, the more likely they are to realize that the people being killed are from Team Rocket. As of now, the police have no clue that we even have people over there. Plus, it think the boss feels that this murderer has made it personal, killing his underlings." The Team Rocket members nodded slowly. It made sense. It was gruesome, but it made sense. Meowth stretched his paws above his head.
"Well, I'm going to get some sleep," the cat stated with a yawn. "I suggest all of youse do the same. We gotta get up really early tomorrow to catch the boat to the western continent." Meowth started to walk out of the kitchen but was halted by James' voice.
"Wait, Meowth. Did you ask The Boss about Butch and Cassidy?" Meowth let out a heavy sigh and started to walk back to the table.
"Butch and Cassidy?" Ryo asked.
"Renegade Team Rocket members," Reece explained. "But I thought you three got them thrown into the slammer for good."
"So did we," Jessie replied, her eyes dark. "We ran into them again while we were doing a mission in the Orange Islands. We were surprised to see them out of jail. When we asked them, they told us the Boss bailed them out!"
"What?" Reece asked, confused. "But that doesn't make any sense. He was the one that arraigned it so you and James could get them thrown into jail in the first place! Why would the Boss bail them out?"
"That's our other problem," Meowth said, worry drawn on his face. "The Boss didn't. At least, not our Boss."
"Well, who did?" Reece asked. "Not the Defiers. We took care of them. Are there any other gangs out there?"
"Sure," James replied with a shrug. "There are always other gangs. I suppose Butch and Cassidy could be working for anyone." His eyes narrowed darkly. "I don't like the fact that they're still wearing the Team Rocket uniform, though. With all the effort we've been putting in to make Team Rocket look bad, these two are screwing everything up and making us look good.... as bad people, I mean." James stopped and tilted his head for a moment, seeming to go back over that sentence in his head, seeing if I made sense. After a second, he just shook his head and let it drop.
"The Boss says if we come across them again, we need to take care of them," Meowth said, his expression shadowed. "Permanently." Jessie felt a shiver go down her spine when she heard Meowth's tone of voice. She exchanged a glance with James. This sucked. The cat pokémon walked out of the kitchen towards his room. James let out a sigh.
"Well, come on, you two," he said, gesturing towards Ryo and Reece, who stood up. "I'll show you where you can sleep. Luckily, the cabin has six furnished rooms." Jessie watch the three of them walk away, but stayed in the kitchen, toying with the tablecloth in front of her, her thoughts troubled.
James returned to the kitchen moments later and smiled sadly when he saw Jessie absently poking holes in the tablecloth with a knife, her mind wrapped up in dark thoughts and surging emotions. He and Jessie had grown rather complacent in the practice of their psionic powers. Now, that meant they probably weren't going to be able to blow up and science laboratories anytime soon, but the link between them was as strong as the day they had rescued Michael from the Defiers. If James didn't actively block what he was thinking and feeling from Jessie, she could pick up on all of it.
It worked the other way around, as well.
James walked up behind Jessie and wrapped his arms around her, calming the torrents of feeling in her mind with his own, soothing thoughts. It's all right, Jess, James thought gently, carefully pushing his words into Jessie's mind.
I don't know, James. I just don't know, Jessie replied in kind, a little calmer now. I hate Cassidy. I hate her, a lot. But James, I can't just... take care of her! I mean, we trained together! All four of us did....
Maybe it won't come to that, he thought, wrapping his arms around her even tighter. Jessie stood up and faced him, burying her face in his chest.
You can't lie to me James, especially not now. Not anymore.
James sighed and laughed a little. I was trying to be optimistic.
With a deep sigh that echoed his own, Jessie looked up at her partner and forced a smile. She got on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his. "Let's go to bed," she said out loud, effectively blocking her mind from his. "Meowth is right. We're going to need our sleep. If we run into Butch and Cassidy... well, we'll just have to burn that bridge once we cross it." James nodded and gathered her in one final fierce hug before they took each other's hands and walked towards their room.