The crime scene tape fluttered in the breeze. The clouds were hanging low, threatening a storm for later in the day. Jessie pulled the sides of her uniform closer together, frowning.
"Haley's dead," she said dully. James was sniffling into a handkerchief. His tears were understandable to Jessie--they, Haley, and Davis had all come from the same training group. Seleca stood off to the side quietly, holding Meowth. The Pokémon looked sadly at the tape.
"They're saying that Davis did it," Meowth said.
"He'd never hurt her!" James wailed. "He doesn't even like hurting our enemies!"
"Where's Davis?" Jessie wondered.
"They already took him to jail," Meowth said. A police officer wearing a black raincoat came up to them.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave here," he said.
"We were co-workers of the victim," James said, glad that they were out of uniform for once. The officer's expression loosened some.
"I'm sorry about what happened, ladies," the officer said.
"So are we," Jessie said. James sniffed into his hankie, ignoring the officer's slip. "Oh, officer, how did she die?" It hadn't been more than two hours since the murder--the ambulance was still parked in the parking lot of the local shopping mall.
"Terribly, I'm afraid," he said, shaking his head. "Three shots to the head."
James' eyes widened, "she was shot?" The officer nodded.
"Twice in the neck, once in the back of the head," he said evenly. James let out another sob, burying his face in the handkerchief. Meowth sighed softly. Jessie and Seleca frowned.
"How do they know who did it?" Seleca asked.
"Found the gun tossed into a fountain," the officer said, looking at his clipboard. "We ran a check on it, and found the owner of the gun."
"Who was…"
"Davis Montgomery," the officer said. "You recognize the name?"
"Another co-worker," Jessie said. The officer nodded.
"We found him at the other end of the shopping mall," he said. "Didn't put up much of a fight."
"Were there fingerprints on the gun?" James asked, nose still covered. Jessie patted him on the back.
"No," the officer said. "Mr. Montgomery was wearing gloves."
"Oh."
There was static on the officer's radio. He picked it up. Team Rocket listened carefully to his whispered words.
"Found… escapee? On my way."
"Escapee?" Jessie said. The officer looked at them.
"Someone broke out of our jail last night," he said. "You ladies will have to excuse me." They nodded and he ran off. James shook out his hankie. Meowth fidgeted in Seleca's arms, and she let him jump to the ground. The Pokemon went in the direction of the water fountain that the officer had pointed to earlier, trailing through the bushes that bordered it.
Meowth peered into the water. "Look at all that change…" He sighed dreamily.
"Davis couldn't have this, we all know that," James said. Seleca and Jessie nodded in agreement.
"We have to break him out," Jessie said.
"We have to find the real killer," Seleca added. Jessie and James nodded.
"Hey, you guys!" Meowth called.
"What is it?" James said. Meowth was standing, his head peeking out of one of the bushes that surrounded the fountain.
"I found something," Meowth said as they approached. He held up a small shiny triangle. Jessie took one look at it and paled.
"Oh no."
"Cassidy," Jessie hissed to herself. "Bitch."
"How do you know it's her?" Seleca asked, trying to keep up with the others.
Jessie held up the triangle-shaped earring. "She's the only person with bad enough fashion sense to wear these earrings."
"Oh. But why would she do it?"
"I don't know, Seleca," Jessie sighed.
"I knew I smelled a rat!" James said unhappily.
"More like a Raticate," Meowth said as they rounded a corner.
Butch, still sitting where he had been a few days before, looked up as they approached.
"Well if isn't the Slowbro Squad," he rasped. The Raticate lay asleep next to him.
"Raaaah ahhh ahhh-ticate," it snorted quietly. Meowth snorted at it in annoyance.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jessie snapped.
"Well I suppose you finally heard about poor Haley and Davis," Butch said. He clucked his tongue. "Quite a shame."
Jessie threw the earring down at Butch. "Why'd she do it, Butch?"
He picked up the earring and studied it carefully. He tossed it aside. "Do what?"
Jessie grabbed him by his grungy shirt collar and yanked him up off the ground. Butch let out a little yelp. "You idiot, we know she killed Haley."
"So what?" Butch said, fidgeting, "You can't prove it."
"Davis would never hurt a hair on Haley's head, and Cassidy blew a hole in it!" James shouted.
"James, keep it down!" Seleca hissed. Meowth picked the earring up.
Jessie gave Butch a shake, pressing him against the wall. Seleca and James stood behind her, glaring. "So why'd she do it?"
"You wanna strangle me or make me talk?" Butch gasped for air.
"What's the difference?"
Butch winced. "Cassidy broke out this morning."
"So we guessed," James said. Jessie let him go and he sat down on the ground next to the Raticate.
"She found me and told me her plans to get us back on our way to the top," Butch continued. "So I broke into their apartment and stole Davis' gun. Cassidy had her gloves on so naturally she left no fingerprints on it. We aren't stupid."
Jessie frowned, glancing back at James. "What were her plans? Why would they involve Haley and Davis?"
"They didn't do anything to you two," James agreed softly. Butch shrugged.
"Doesn't matter. Cassidy had heard about you three finishing off Haley and Davis' assignment. They'd been working on getting the equipment for the De-Evolution Project for almost a year. You three stole the final components for the job the other day. Cassidy figured that since they had nothing left to do that they'd be easy to move out of the way." Butch smirked. "And with them gone, the Boss would be able to notice me and Cassidy after she got released. We might even get promoted to the White Squadron. And since there'd be two new empty places…" He trailed off and looked up at them, somewhat smug.
"Augh," Jessie growled. "She always has disgusted me. You do too."
"I'll remember that when you three have lost Seleca and are back where you started," Butch snapped. "Once she gets her partner you'll go back to looking like the idiots that you always have been."
Seleca's hands balled at her sides. "That isn't true."
"Oh, so the newbie has a voice too," Butch said from where he sat. "How impressive."
"I can see why you don't like him," Seleca said to Jessie.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Butch said, pushing himself up to his feet. "I'm a better member of the team than all three of you combined."
"Then why aren't you on the White Squadron?" Seleca snapped.
"Certain problems…" Butch said, glaring at Jessie and James, "have been keeping Cassidy and I out from where we belong." He jerked a thumb at Seleca. "Look at you. You don't even have a real uniform, and you're a recruit."
Seleca colored, and Jessie moved aside. "I'm still probably a better Pokemon handler than you are, with that sad looking Raticate of yours."
"Is that so?" Butch said, kicking the Raticate awake. "We'll just see about that. Chose yourself a Pokemon."
"Oh great," Meowth said as he followed Jessie and James to the side. "There's murders going on, and Seleca sees a need to prove herself to that idiot." James shushed the cat.
"I'll use my Pidgey," Seleca said. Butch laughed.
"A Pidgey? Against a Raticate? This shouldn't take long." Seleca ignored the slam.
"Pidgey, Go!"
"Raticate, Go!"
"Pidgeee!"
"Rrrraticate!"
The two Pokemon leapt in front of each other of the street. Pidgey flapped up into the air. The Raticate gnashed its teeth.
"Pidgey, gust attack!" Seleca called.
"Raticate, hyper fang!"
Pidgey flapped its little wings and blew the Raticate into the wall. It quickly leapt to its feet and jumped up at Pidgey. The bird dodged, but on the Raticate's second jump it landed on Pidgey's back. It bit Pidgey on the wing.
"Pidgey--eeeoh!" the bird cried at it crashed to the ground, the Raticate still on its back.
Then Pidgey began to glow. In surprise Raticate leapt away and stared. Pidgey grew in size, and as the light faded Seleca's voice rang out.
"Pidgey evolved!"
"Pidge-oh!" the newly evolved Pidgeotto called loudly.
"Wow!" Jessie and James said in unison.
"Pidgeotto, Wing attack now!" Seleca shouted.
"Pidge-oh! Pidge-oooohh!" the bird called. It shot down out of the air, slashing at Raticate with both of its wings. "Raaaat!" The Raticate howled.
"Raticate, jump kick!" Butch said.
"Raticate!" it leapt, but Pidgeotto gave a hearty gust and blew the Raticate into its trainer. They both crashed into a wall. The Raticate's eyes spun, and Butch moaned. There was a pause.
"If the police don't find Cassidy, we will," Jessie promised in warning. Butch nodded weakly. Seleca called Pidgeotto back, and they quickly made the rest of the journey back to their apartment.
"It's okay," Jessie said. "You should be proud of your Pidgeotto."
"Oh, I am," Seleca smiled, patting the bird on the head.
"Chansey, Chansey!" Chansey said in agreement.
Meowth peered out of their window, down to the street below. Butch and the Raticate were still leaning against the wall.
"I wish you could feed that stupid Raticate to Arbok," Meowth said.
"Chaaaarbokah," Arbok glanced up from its bowl of food.
"Wheezing!" Wheezing whined as Victreebel smacked it over the head. They were fighting over food. Lickitung had already returned to its ball, having been the first to finish slurping up its meal.
"Chansey!" the pink Pokemon scolded the other two, pushing them away from each other. Jessie chuckled from the table, where she was inspecting a map.
"So how's the entrance plan looking?" James asked from the other side of the table. He had just finished pleading his case to the Boss, who had said that he would send them out help if they would wait for it to arrive.
"Waiting makes me nervous," Meowth said, leaning against the window.
"The plan…" Jessie shook her head. "The easiest way to get to where Davis is being held is through the front entrance."
"Which isn't a good idea," James said. "What the next easiest?"
"Well, if we had someone on the inside open this side door for us…" Jessie pointed to something on the map. "Then there'd be almost no troubles getting in to that side."
"But how…" They both looked at each other, and then to Seleca. The third paused in petting Pidgeotto.
"What?"
"Time to play decoy again," James said.
"Great, do I get a wig this time?" Seleca laughed.
"I wanna help!" Meowth said, hopping down from the window.
"Good," Jessie smiled, drumming her fingers on the map. "I think we can work something out."
"Perfect weather for a breakout," Jessie whispered. They were sitting up in a tree, watching the guards. The air was thick and humid, and they were just waiting for it to rain. Seleca and Meowth stood at the base of the tree. James looked at his watch.
"The guards will be changing in about three minutes. Go now."
"Right," Seleca said. "Come on Meowth!" She smoothed her coat and they started towards the entrance to the jail.
There were two guards, both who looked at Seleca suspiciously as she approached. Meowth, on a leash, carefully trotted in front of her. Seleca pulled the black veil away from her face. Meowth sat and looked up pitifully at the guards.
"Excuse me miss, but you'll have to tell us your reason for being here," the taller of the guards said.
"My name is Rose Arbor," Seleca said, pulling an ID card out of her small black purse. "I need to speak with one of your prisoners."
"Which one?" the second guard asked.
"A Mr. Davis Montgomery," Seleca said. The guard handed the ID back to her. "He killed my sister, Haley Arbor."
"Ah, the new one," the first guard said. "Okay, let her in. Have Jack escort her."
The second guard nodded. Seleca was lead inside, Meowth following quietly. So quiet, in fact, that no one noticed when he slipped off the leash and dashed down an empty hallway.
"This is his cell," Jack said.
Davis was leaning against the back wall of the small cell, still in the clothes he'd been wearing when he was arrested. He looked up at Seleca curiously.
"May I speak with him privately for a moment?" Seleca asked.
"You've got two minutes," Jack said, and started back down the hall. Davis stood and came to lean against the bars.
"Who are you?" he asked. Seleca recognized his voice.
"Seleca," she whispered.
"The recruit?"
She nodded. "So what happened?"
"They arrested me. Something about killing someone."
Seleca frowned. "You remember Cassidy?"
"Yeah, why?"
"She killed Haley, and made it look like you did it," Seleca said evenly.
"What?" he pressed against the bars. "I'd never hurt Haley!" His eyes brimmed with tears.
"Just like James said," Seleca whispered. Davis rubbed at his eyes.
"So what are you doing here?" he asked.
"We're here to bust you out," Seleca said.
"We?" he asked, but quieted as the guard returned.
"I'm finished," Seleca said. Davis went back to the corner of his cell as Seleca and the guard moved down the hall.
A shot rang out, and the guard staggered backwards. Seleca let out a shriek and turned.
"You must be Cassidy," she said, looking at the orange haired girl standing there.
"The one and only," Cassidy smirked. She was still partially in uniform, but with chains still clinging to her wrists. She held a gun that looked like it had been one of the guards'. Jack the guard wheezed from the floor. "You must be Seleca."
"Yeah," she nodded carefully. "We know what you're trying to do."
"Do you? You know, I thought that getting Davis locked away for a long time would be good enough," Cassidy said. "But it isn't."
"You're not going to kill him," Seleca said.
"And who's going to stop me?" Cassidy sneered. "You're not armed."
"I don't need to be," Seleca said. Cassidy rested her finger on the trigger and leveled the gun at Seleca.
"Is that so?"
"Cassidy, you don't have to shoot her," Davis called from his cell.
"Shut up, you're next!" Cassidy screamed. She looked back at Seleca. "I'll kill you and Davis, and then Butch and me will be back at Headquarters before anyone knows any different."
"Don't you think Jessie and James will notice?"
Cassidy waved a hand. "They're idiots. Probably won't notice the difference."
"We won't, will we?" Jessie's voice rang out haughtily from the far end of the hall.
"I swear, you two need to learn how to make a better entrance," Cassidy snapped. She lowered the gun for a moment. "You really think I'm going to waste a bullet on you, Jessie?"
"You spent three on Haley!" Jessie said loudly. Davis sniffed from where he leaned against the bars.
"Ah, but that was a totally different gun!" Cassidy smirked. "Isn't that so, Davis?" He didn't respond. Cassidy raised the gun again. "You two can't stop me."
"Don't count on it."
"YEOW!" Cassidy let out a yelp, kicking Meowth off of her leg. Blood streamed from the bite marks on her leg. "You stupid cat!"
Meowth hissed at her as he bounded down the hall. Cassidy shook her leg and rose the gun again. Meowth bolted for Jessie and James.
"We gotta run!" he cried. "I tripped the guards coming in on that side!"
James smacked himself on the forehead. "Can't you do anything right?!"
Shouting could be heard coming from the direction Meowth had come from. "You can yell at me later!" Meowth tugged at James and Jessie's pants. "Come on!" He couldn't understand why they weren't moving. At first, no one was. The sounds of the guards came closer.
Then Cassidy ran. She turned quickly, running in the direction that she knew the guards were coming from. Jessie and James started after her. Seleca remained behind with Meowth.
"Get the keys off the guard," Seleca said.
"Got'm!" Meowth said. He handed the keys to Seleca, wincing at the sound of gunfire from down the hall.
"Don't worry about them," Seleca said, trying to find the right key. Davis held onto the bars of his cell, trying to find out what was going on. Meowth went to the end of the hall.
"Hurry, a guard's coming!" he called.
"I'm trying!" Seleca called.
"Aaaii!" Meowth cried as the guard kicked him out of the way. "Seleca!"
"Got it!"
"Hold it right there!"
Seleca froze, her hand halfway to the lock on Davis' cell. The guard had his gun aimed straight at her. Meowth lay on the floor, looking uncomfortable with a big lump on his head.
"I… I'm not armed?" she squeaked. The guard snorted.
"I know what you're trying to do," he said. "Now drop the keys."
Seleca swallowed. Her hand shook, and she glanced at Davis. He sighed and nodded. Seleca let go of the keys. They clattered noisily on the floor, just as another gunshot sounded. The guard staggered backwards, nearly tripping over the first guard. Seleca turned to look and saw two men in Team Rocket uniforms coming down the hall. The taller of the two was holding a gun.
"Davis, you okay?" he called.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Davis said as Seleca picked up the keys.
"Where's Jessie and James?" the shorter of the two asked.
"They went that way, chasing Cassidy," Seleca pointed down the hall.
"Good, come on Thomas, the Boss doesn't want Cassidy getting away again," the shorter Team member said. Thomas nodded, and they started down the hall.
Seleca found the right key again and unlocked the door. She was pulling the door open when Davis cried out in alarm.
"Look out!"
"Huh-" Seleca began to turn, only to be stuck on the back of the head by the guard and his gun. Seleca hit the floor, letting out a moan as the guard collapsed. She grabbed at the back of her head. Two sets of hands grabbed her, one Davis' and the other belonging to someone who went unidentified as her vision blurred.
Seleca closed her eyes as she heard shouting and gunshots coming from down the hall again.
End Chapter 4