Part 2

The twerps (I couldn’t help calling them that) had been camped out in the woods the night before. We had shown up in the balloon with some embarrassing plan involving a high-pressure hose. The plan had seemed promising at first of course, but all that had happened was that everyone involved had gotten soaking wet, and Pikachu had used the water to electrocute us. They were probably still pretty angry. I could only hope that they would listen to me.

We found them camped out in the same place. Evidently we hadn’t even scared them away. For once I was glad.

I sent Meowth in to tell them I was coming and I didn’t want to steal anything. He came back a bit battered; evidently Pikachu had shocked him without asking questions first. But he had managed to explain, and now they were waiting for me.

Misty was the first one to speak. “Meowth told us some weird story about us providing an alibi for James? An alibi for what?”

“James’s parents have been killed,” I answered.

All three of them looked shocked.

Ash spoke up nervously, “Look, we’ve met James’s parents, and they’re a little, well…”

“Sick,” interrupted Misty. “I mean, they forced that bizarre fiancée on him.”

I shook my head in frustration. “I know, but James didn’t kill them. First of all, he’s not capable of cold-blooded murder. Don’t you see what I’m saying?”

They nodded.

“Second of all, at the same time that this happened, he was miles away from their house. Right here, and you saw him.”

Finally they all agreed that it was only right to tell Officer Jenny the truth. I went along with them; if the law had been after me for anything they’d have picked me up with James. But when we went to the station, Officer Jenny just shook her head.

“Kids, I can’t order the release of a suspected murderer on your testimony. When he gets a defense attorney I’m sure you’ll be asked to testify at the trial.”

“It’s not like we’re his best friends,” protested Ash. “We wouldn’t lie for him! He deserves to be in jail, just not for something like this!” I glared at him, but I hoped the officer would be impressed by his frankness. She wasn’t.

I asked Officer Jenny about visiting James, but she said he had been transferred to solitary confinement in prison and he would not be allowed visitors for a few days. That also put a damper on any plans I might have to help him break out.

I left the place totally despondent. James was one of the only people I had ever cared about and now he faced life in prison. Even the kids looked sad.

“Well,” I said, “there’s only one thing to be done now. I have to find out who really did this.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” said Brock. “I’m sure the police have already explored other possibilities.”

“Well, they can’t have explored enough, or they wouldn’t have arrested James! He doesn’t have anyone to defend him but me, so it’s up to me to do this.” I was practically crying, and I felt ridiculous showing weakness to those three. I walked away so they wouldn’t see me.

When I turned around I saw them still there, having some kind of big argument. I couldn’t hear them, but I could see angry gestures. Then gradually they all calmed down and came over to me.

“Maybe we could help,” said Misty. I looked at her in surprise.

“Why would you help me?” I asked.

“Well, none of us would really believe James did this even if we hadn’t seen him last night. And it’s not fair you should have to do it yourself,” said Misty.

“Yeah, it’s not like we’re helping you steal pokemon,” added Ash.

“Hey, what do you mean you’re going to help us?” said Meowth.

“Meowth, shut up!” I said. “We need all the help we can get.”

Meowth shook his head. “Fine, whatever, as long as I don’t get any more electric shocks.”

Pikachu giggled and Meowth glared at it.

“I think we should start with whoever gets the money from the will,” I said. “I know it isn’t James. I remember the butler saying it would go to charity, but maybe there’s a person somewhere who will get rich off this.”

“Maybe that freak fiancée gets rich,” said Ash.

“I want to check her out too,” I said.

“I think we need to ask the Boss,” said Meowth.

I glared at him, and dragged him off to one side. “What do you think you’re doing, talking about the Boss here?”

“Well, they don’t know who I mean, do they? But I think the Boss coulda done it. He’s capable of murder, and I bet he knew something about James’ parents, too. Maybe he thought he could get the money somehow!”

“We’ll never find out, then. He wouldn’t have done it himself, and he wouldn’t have told anyone who’ll speak to us… except…”

I began to look at Meowth. He backed away, looking nervous.

“Meowth, I want you to run a little errand for me and talk to Giovanni’s Persian.”

“Not the Persian! I hate that cat!”

“I know, but it goes almost everywhere with Giovanni, and I’ll bet Giovanni forgets to keep secrets around it too. And you’re the only one who could understand it and then talk easily to humans! So you have to talk to it.”

I was wondering whether to encourage Meowth to help save James or just hit him. Finally he shrugged and said he would give it a try.

I went back to the kids. “Meowth’s going to stay here and… um… explore another lead. We need to get over to James’s parents house and see if the butler or anybody is still there to tell us anything.”

Hopkins was indeed still there, preparing the house to be sold. He glared at us a bit, since he remembered all of us being chased out of the house, but he agreed to answer a few questions when I told him it was on behalf of James. “Yes, Master James… they never did manage to give that boy any sense. But kill them? No, no, he would never have done that.”

Police tape blocked off the living room. I almost expected to see coffins again, this time for real. Ash actually asked where they were, but Hopkins only sniffed and said that holding a viewing in the murder site would be “in poor taste.”

I began to wonder what exactly Hopkins himself had been doing the night of the murder. I asked if he had discovered the bodies.

“Yes, I did,” he answered. “It was my evening off, and I was eating in a restaurant in the next town. When I returned home I found the master and mistress both dead in the living room. They had been shot to death. I called the police immediately of course.”

“And did they suspect you?” Brock asked.

He sniffed again, angrily this time. “They could tell that the murder had taken place long before I returned, and I have many witnesses to vouch for my location that entire evening. Now, do you have any more impertinent questions?”

“Yes,” I said. “Do you know where the money from their will goes?”

“To a foundation for the care of abandoned pokemon. They will probably either sell the house or place pokemon in it.”

“And who administers this foundation?”

“Erika, the leader of the Saffron City gym.”