While Dillon and Sam bickered, Jesse Mitchell continued with his mission. His Alakazam teleported them to the Pokémon center in the middle of Viridian City. Jesse steadfastly ignored the Gym looming next door, and hurried down the cobblestone streets to catch a trolley. Despite being a country boy at heart, Jesse had come to appreciate these new machines for quickly moving across the ever expanding cities. There always seems to be a trolley around the corner if he waited a few minutes, and he could always get to the section of the city that he needed within the next half hour. Sure enough, Jesse soon found himself on the west end of the city, where the sturdy townhouses and corner industrial shops began to give way to farmland. One of these farms was a ranch that specialized in taking in Pokémon who had had abusive trainers, and Jesse had more than once relied upon old Mr. Sutter’s services.

The morning was still early enough, but the ranch was bustling with activity. A Rapidash was blazing merrily down the fence line with a Doduo and an Arcanine hot on its heels. A Chatot and a Chingling harmonized from the rooftop until a Loudred shouted them down. In the garden, shy Budew and Bellsprouts hid from a Donphan, who was trying to sniff out a miscreant Wormadam. Jesse didn’t see the Pokémon he dreaded though, and hoped that it meant Charmeleon was improving.

Jesse made no effort to hide his approach, knocked loudly on the open barn door to announce his presence. It wouldn’t do to startle any of the residents, and old Mr Sutter had been old when Jesse himself had been a boy.

“Come in! I’m not deaf, you know,” called old Mr. Sutter.

“It’s Jesse Mitchell,” Jesse called back, and stepped inside. He took note of the interior. Clean, fresh hay, clear water, food half eaten. Half the beds were clearly not in use, and Jesse hoped that meant old Mr. Sutter could take on all the newcomers.

“Why Jesse, so it is,” replied the old man. He leaned on his shovel. “Come to add to my workload, or take some off my hands?”

“Add to, I’m afraid. I’ve got twelve Pokémon here for you. Mostly Zubats and Ratatas, but four larger ones as well.”

Old Mr. Sutter grimaced. “Well, it’s a good thing I got my Zubat scaffolding cleaned out last week. How’d y’all end up with so many? The professor get an infestation again?”

Jesse shook his head. “You heard about the Young Trainer’s program?”

The old man nodded.

“Pokémon League Kanto is starting it this year. I volunteered to go ahead by a few days to make sure the route was clear. Not even a day out of Pallet Town and we ran into Team Rocket.”

Old Mr. Sutter’s face took on a dark turn. “Y’all took their Pokémon?”

Jesse recited his carefully rehearsed story. “They were camped out close to the Route, nine of them. I identified myself and told them to move. They refused, then threatened me and attacked me. I defended myself and sent them away. My son and his two friends are with me as part of the program, you see. The Rockets left their Pokémon at the scene, so I thought I should bring them to you.”

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The Pokémon Rancher nodded thoughtfully. “They must‘ve been pretty young if they didn’t back down when y’all identified yourself, eh?” He cackled. “Sure! I can take on the Pokémon. Are they awake or still fainted?”

Jesse peered inside one of the captured Pokeballs, and Nidorino glared back.

“Leave the Pokeballs on the table there, if you please,” said old Mr Sutter. “I’ll introduce them one at a time when Arcanine and Chatot are available.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sutter,” said Jesse. “I’ll have Professor Oak wire you the Pen.”

“Y’ll hurry back to your boys, now. On the run or no, it won’t do to have them unsupervised with any Team Rocket around.”

Jesse sighed. “I remember when I was a kid, we didn’t have to worry about things like Team Rocket.”

Old Mr. Sutter cackled again. “No, just whether or not y’all were going to eat that day! Or whether the next city was going to make y’all pay for the privilege of bringing an unknown Pokémon into town! Or how long you’d have to wait for your Pokémon to heal themselves! And when I was a boy, we didn’t know if the next wild Pokémon attack was going to be the end of the neighborhood! Arceus above, I’ll take the occasional dealing with Team Rocket any day.”

“Arceus above indeed,” muttered Jesse, and he turned to leave the barn.

Outside, Charmeleon was waiting for him. The orange Fire-type glared at Jesse through it’s one good eye, but only held a single claw to its mouth. Jesse recognized the gesture. Quietly, still glaring, Charmeleon beckoned Jesse to follow. It guided him to the back of the farmhouse, where it pointed to a box that was clearly designed for Zubats to roost in.

The scaffolding was filthy. Jesse looked puzzled.

With effort, Charmeleon scratched a single letter in to the dirt and glared at Jesse to make the connection.

The color drained from Jesse’s face. He quickly forced himself to take steady, even breaths to remain calm.

“How long,” he asked in a hush.

Charmeleon tapped the R three times.

“Why didn’t you do anything?”

Charmeleon glared again, accusingly.

Jesse bit his lip and stared down at the letter, trying to make sense of it. “Sutter gets paid by the Pokémon he takes in. Half the beds were empty, but the ranch is in as fine condition as ever.” He looked back up to the Fire Pokémon. “‘Dealings with Team Rocket.’ He’s going to sell them right back to Team Rocket, isn’t he?”

The fire on Charmeleon’s tail burned an angry red.

Jesse selected Alakazam’s Pokeball once again. “Thank you, Charmeleon, for alerting me. When I can, I’ll get you and the other Pokemon to a safer location. In the meantime , you keep your head. If you attack Sutter, or anyone else, I won’t be able to protect you.”

Charmeleon snarled, but to no avail. Jesse teleported back into the heart of Viridian City. This time, he turned toward the Gym.

“The Self-Proclaimed Strongest Trainer!” proclaimed the sign on the door. “Viridian City Gym!”

Jesse swept through the door and found himself face to face with a granite bust of the Gym Leader, Giovanni Lovett. Past the stony smirk was an entryway labeled “The Hall of Honor.”

Jesse gripped a Pokeball tightly. One of the few names in the hall read clearly, “Brian Devinoux.”

Anger surged in Jesse anew. Throwing caution to the wind he dashed down the hall and onto the bare earthen he floor of the Gym. He bellowed his challenge, “GIOVANNI!”

Giovanni had apparently been meditating. He was sitting, cross legged, in a white muscle shirt and black pant. At Jesse’s appearance he seemed to grab at the air. A column of earth erupted into Jesse. Golem was released from its Pokeball, and the Rock Pokémon shattered the incoming pillar with a blow.

Giovanni looked up with a cruel smile. “It seems our challenger has lost his manners. Let’s give him a moment to… catch his breath.”

Another column arose around Jesse, compressing him. Golem rolled out of the way, but Jesse was dragged down into the earth. Giovanni held up a patient hand. “Don’t make me lose count now, Golem. Thirty seconds.”

The Gym Leader stood up, as casually as if Jesse had all the time in the world. “One minute.”

Golem’s attention was torn from the ground in which Jesse had disappeared, to the other side of the Gym where Giovanni’s Rhydon was emerging from the ground. The two Pokemon roared challenges at each other.

“Two minutes.” Giovanni strutted into his office and returned with a bottle of water. He winked at Golem. “Gotta stay hydrated…”