Part 1
After we came back from the resort, things were different between us, but they still weren't settled. On the job, we were all business. (Well, all fashion, flash, and business as usual.) I somehow couldn't bring myself to really hit James anymore, but that was about the only change in our little missions. Whenever we could escape from Meowth we would spend most of the time kissing, but there was a delicate dance around any talk of commitment or the future. We were both wondering about those issues, just as we were both wondering what could happen between us if we ever got any real privacy, but we didn't talk about anything like that.
Meowth had surprised us together enough times to know what was going on, but he was as afraid to talk about it as we were. He didn't want us to have anything just between the two of us, and I didn't blame him. We were like his family, and all of us knew what it was like to have no family.
One morning we were sitting around the breakfast table eating toast. (That's what happens when it's my turn to make breakfast.) I was reading the newspaper when I saw a picture of my father. He was in jail again. I didn't speak to him anyway, but seeing that hit me hard. James even wondered out loud if I wanted to "do something about it."
"Do what? Get my butt put in jail trying to spring my worthless father? You've got to be kidding."
James shrugged.
"Anyway," I went on, "he's a con man. Even in jail he knows how to get what he needs. He'll be fine. And he'll be out soon, he has good lawyers."
James continued to look at me.
"You wouldn't see him trying to get me out of jail..." I started getting upset at that point, because it was true.
James held my hand. "And you wouldn't see me trying to get my father out of jail, or bothering to find out he was in there." he said. "So I'll shut up."
I let go of James's hand and stood up.
"Look, what's on the schedule for today, chase Pikachu, something else, what?" I asked.
"The Boss doesn't even want that Pikachu," said James.
"Yes, and it's not the same chasing the Twerps anymore, is it?" I answered. "They seem almost human these days."
Meowth interrupted. "You guys got a message from a woman named Sabrina."
"What did she look like?" asked James.
Meowth shrugged. "I dunno, dark hair, young."
"The only Sabrina I can think of is the leader of the Saffron Gym," I said.
James looked confused. "We didn't blow up that gym, did we?"
"No," I sighed, "I believe we spent our only visit to Saffron City bouncing off the asphalt." Remembering made me cringe.
James giggled. He's sort of cute when he does that, and seeing him laugh it off made the memory easier to take.
"Maybe she wants you guys to go earn a badge," said Meowth sarcastically.
That hurt. "Great," I said, giving him a nasty smile, "You come fight her psychic pokemon for us, O.K.?"
James looked up. "Well, we ought to at least call her back," he said. We all walked over to the vidphone.
"Back up, Meowth, she doesn't want to talk to a Pokemon!" I yelled.
"She didn't mind this morning," said Meowth.
"With Sabrina, who knows what she wants," said James. "Everything I've heard about her is just plain weird."
Finally we placed the call and watched as an elegant, dark-haired woman appeared on the screen. She spoke.
"Jesse, James, and Meowth. Very good. I need to you to come to Saffron City immediately to discuss urgent business."
"I don't think we work for you," I said. This woman was making me angry.
"I've made... arrangements with your employer. This will all be discussed when you get here. You'll find it a very worthwhile opportunity, but it can't be discussed over the phone, for security reasons. Please make travel arrangements today."
She sounded almost like a recording. She clearly didn't care what our answer was and knew she'd get her own way. And she was right; I was way too curious to pass this up and I was sure James would be too.
I told her we'd think about it and disconnected.
"Security reasons, hah, she wants to meet us face to face because she's psychic." I said.
"Probably," James said, "but I still vote we go."
Meowth shook his head. "I hate to mess with psychic pokemon."
"We could leave you at home, Meowth," I said.
"I think Sabrina wants all three of us," said James.
We looked at Meowth, who finally shrugged and agreed to go.
We had to take a bus to Saffron City, we couldn't afford to travel any faster or better. It took almost 20 hours. James fell asleep with his head on my shoulder and Meowth tried to curl up in my lap until I pushed him off. When we got there it was morning. We checked into a motel and changed clothes, then headed off to the gym.