“Use water gun for the targets!” Toto was jaggedly zipping through the arena they had set up for them to practice in. Claire was told to run through it after him in imitation of an escape scene. They had been running drills for the whole week for certain protocols that could be enacted, such as running through various terrain and dodging pokémon attacks.

Claire doubts that she could dodge a real pokémon attack in real time. Watching how quickly Toto shoots different targets through the obstacle course proves that.

In fact, Hill's mareep races past Toto and jumps in the air above him. The wool statics and her tail light up, and Claire can hear the hum of her wool from here.

Fuck, Claire is not going to get anywhere close to the top today. Hill smacks the back of her head as she passes her, and Claire almost stumbles to the ground. It was part of the rules to slap the person you passed. However, Hill had been becoming a mean bitch, lately.

Apparently, Commander Fern's words had influenced her the most. She went from surrendering in battle in their first intense spar simulation to dominating all of them in sparring entirely. It was a bit horrifying.

Maru passed her next, with her zubat screeching above her like some banshee demon, and that slap sent her sprawling into the ground.

She hates these people, seriously.

…

“In Rocket, there are four designations for grunts of your level: pokémon retrieval squads, protection squads, scientists, and special-grade combatants. However, for that last one, I doubt any of you will get selected for it.” Professor Milkwood tapped the different names on the board as she went on. She then clicked on the first in the list and clicked her tongue.

Claire was getting so annoyed by that tongue click. It reminded her of that demon child from Hereditary.

“Pokémon retrieval squads are focused on receiving stolen pokémon from the League or helping trainers retrieve catch pokémon. The protection squads are the most multi-faceted part of this organization.”

Claire shifted in her seat. This is what unnerved her the most. An organization such as this one was also ‘good’. How truly similar to the games were Team Rocket?

It seemed to be almost useless information. If she hadn’t been kidnapped into this organization through pokémon thievery, and they weren’t being drilled like an unofficial militia, she would’ve thought this was something of a nonprofit.

A nonprofit with heavy propaganda.

"The Protection Unit is insured for the ‘protection’ of everything under the Indigo League’s designation and the wild areas around it. They specialize in many things; but mostly relief supply of goods in areas deemed underprivileged and those in need of services. These goods could be physical support in wildlife control or literally in food and medical supplies." Professor Milkwood drawled on and on.

Totodile was starting to eat at Claire's new pair of shoelaces. They had already replaced them two times this week. The dull guy had looked disappointed every time she held up the remnants for him.

“The reputation of Team Rocket went down when Leader Giovanni was falsely arrested two years ago. The Indigo League labeled Team Rocket as pokémon stealers and terrorists, which was easier than saying what Team Rocket actually was."

Even the ever-serious Ferris was playing a subtle game with his pidgey. These classes had been more ridiculous the longer Claire was forced to sit in them. Especially since she had no idea if anything was a lie or not.

“They have made Team Rocket the pariah of Kanto. With our oppression and exclusion from most parts of Kanto, they have labeled us as the enemy. Even though Team Rocket rebuilt 20 towns in Kanto and even though we held back wild pokémon attacks for years. We were almost pushed into extinction, despite our necessity, if not for Leader Arianna.”

The woman’s name sends shivers down Claire’s back. She remembers her red hair and cool face, saying that Claire could leave without Totodile.

“It was easier to say our organization was at fault for the corruption and disruption in Kanto than to admit their own mistakes. So, with that accusation and smothering of Rocket operations, the majority of Team Rocket was arrested in our branches in Kanto with the arrest of our previous leader, Giovanni.”

That caught Claire's attention from the dozing she was falling into. All the operatives around them avoided Giovanni's name like the plague. Even Commander Fern.

“So you must understand and have patience with these civilians who might hurl insults at you. They have been told that we are terrorists and monsters who steal pokémon in the dark. That is all they know. With Rocket operations rising in the past months, our reputation has increased to a more positive one. With our protection squads, we are being asked to help the people in Kanto and Johto to the best of our ability.”

Professor Milkwood turned around and smiled as her Arbok slithered in from the errand she sent him on. She patted his head as he gave her the book he carried in his massive tail.

Sally raised her hand and Milkwood nodded her head to her, the woman's long hair falling forward from its loose ponytail.

"Has that been since we have been here?" Sally said.

"Yes, the average training period for Rocket grunts takes three months. You have been in class for two and a half."

Professor Milkwood slid her slim hands down her arbok's spine and smiled at all of them.

"You all got to escape the initial rough patch. Be glad." Then, like that wasn't a bombshell to Claire, she carried on with her lesson.

“Team Rocket, as a whole, runs on donations. We use these funds to run the organization and to provide relief for people who desperately need it.”

After an agonizing thirty minutes more of Professor Milkwood's heavy teaching, Claire paced in her room with Totodile on the mattress on the floor.

Team Rocket had not, in fact, replaced her bed frame.

"Totodile, I have no idea what to do with a good terrorist organization." She whispered it, so quietly that her partner probably couldn't hear her.

"If this was a complete shithole, I could just run away and leave and the authorities would just be like, 'Oh you poor, poor child'. No, instead, Team Rocket is doing the whole 'do good to take over the world, kill them with kindness' type shit." Totodile nodded sagely, but he had no idea what she was saying. The pokémon had been catching on to her words more often, but it was hard to communicate everything. Just like she couldn't understand him fully.

"I don't like not understanding what's happening." She finally admits to Toto. "I already don't have a choice to be here. However, not knowing what's happening is somehow worse." Claire rubbed her arms under her sleeves. The uniform was just shy of too large on her no matter how small the size they gave her.

Toto yipped and she eyed him silently. He yipped again and made a grabbing motion with his tiny hands. Claire sighed and looked at the ceiling.

Then she gave in and knelt on the floor in front of Toto. He nuzzled his snout into her chest, almost knocking her over.

"I get it, I get it." She giggled and despite the doom looming over her she let Toto comfort her. The small pokémon had grown larger but he still fit into her arms.

Even though Toto was a water pokémon, he was warm. His skin was cool if dry. Claire had been wondering lately if he didn't get enough water.

"Heh, Toto." She looked mischievously at her pokémon .

He tilted his head, and then he barked at her face.

"Want to go play in the shower while we wait for the call for dinner?"

Later, the image of Toto smugly lying and stretching in a shower of water was worth the fact that she had gotten her uniform completely soaked in the process.

…

“So, where do you guys want to get assigned?” Maru asked, and someone groaned behind Claire where she couldn’t see. Claire didn’t find Maru annoying. If anything, she was way too cheerful after their training.

That was more of a worrying prospect than an annoying one.

For some reason, they had been assigned circle time again. Claire just went with it. She couldn’t help but notice, however, they were separated into three circles. The only pattern she noticed was that Ferris, Hill, Maru, and Samuel were in the same circle as she was. They were the best trainers there, however limited.

"Are we supposed to talk about that?" Samuel asked, leaning back and stretching.

“What, are we not supposed to be talking about this? Stop acting like a grandpa,” Maru said, slumping in her seat. Then she kept talking.

“I want to be assigned to the special units.”

Even though Claire disliked Ferris greatly, she met his incredulous look before he tilted his head back to Maru.

“None of us are getting into the Special Units. That’s for people with more than one pokémon , obviously. Such as people with teams that actually can be used for specialized focus. Not kids like us." Hill said bluntly. Claire winced at how hurt Maru looked at the words.

“Really?” Another one of her fellow trainees asked, but Claire had a hard time remembering his name.

"Obviously," Ferris interrupted. "Why do you think we are the cream of the crop? Do you have a brain injury we need to report to the dumbasses that report to Commander Fern?" The words were so blithely venomous that even Maru didn't answer him.

Claire scratched around Toto's red scales as the conversation was rapidly murdered at Ferris' words. The little guy was having the time of his life wiggling on the ground as she scratched his itchy spots.

Trust Ferris to end the small talk of circle time.

…

Their graduation was announced with a feast and a new uniform. This one had a better design on the 'r', Claire noticed. They were all sat at tables and gladly told to eat. It was a bit surreal to see Commander Fern smiling.

They were sat in a room as large as their dining hall. There were other recruits there as well but they were carefully excluded from one another.

“You have graduated from Team Rocket’s initiation and recruit training. From this day forward, you will all be part of something bigger, something greater." Commander Fern said, standing in front of them at a table of his own.

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“It was my pleasure to train you into recruits worthy of Team Rocket. I hope I never see any of you again.” Some of the trainees laughed, or well Claire should say grunts, at his words.

Claire just hoped that was true if anything. She still has plans to arrest that motherfucker for child abuse as soon as she could talk to a reasonable adult or take him down herself.

However naive and childish that thought was. She looked down at Toto, who was chewing on her new uniform pant legs. He had started chewing stuff a lot more. RIP her meager belongings.

Heh, at least she got a new uniform. Wherever Team Rocket sent her next, no matter what assignment she was forced on had to be better than this hellhole.

…

Claire got her assignment from Professor Milkwood herself. As all the other new grunts did. The woman smiled at her serenely, and Claire felt a distinct sense of doom when the woman didn't assign her an agent name and number.

Protection squad in Golden Rod City. She was glad that it wasn't a 'pokémon retrieval squad'. That was just stealing pokémon in a nice disguise.

"Ethan." A tired voice said from her left. Claire turned to see Dull Guy looking at her like he didn't want to be there. The guy's normal state of being.

However, she was eventually guided by the Dull Guy to once again follow him. Every time this happened, Claire would end up being fucked over in some fashion, so it didn't exactly instill excitement in her.

Claire hesitated before resignation took over her, and she followed. Part of these walls had become familiar to her in her months in their captivity. However, as the guy she had grown to loath led her through them, she quickly lost track of where she was.

Then Dull Guy led her to a room with a single occupant. To her surprise, the table was white this time. At the expanse of it lay a briefcase, with Leader Arianna sitting almost demurely. Claire knew it to be incredibly demeaning.

The person who led her to the room left without any sign from their Leader, and the closing of the door raised the hair on the back of Claire's neck.

The woman across from her was wearing a different outfit now, regaler and more delusionary. The woman evidently was looking at the small child in front of her like she was an interesting specimen.

"Why, it has been a long time, Ethan." The woman's voice was calm and welcoming. The only effect it had on Claire was to unnerve her more.

"Yes ma'am." Leader Arianna stood up, and Claire's back tensed before she could help it.

"Please sit. We have little to discuss, but it would be benign for you to stand up while doing so."

That was how she ended up sitting there looking into the eyes of a soft smiling beast of a woman, like her heart wasn't dropping into her stomach. Claire found it hard to keep eye contact, and she knew it made her look like a scared little kid. Their grand Leader just hummed in front of her.

"Bring your Toto out." Leader Arianna said, smiling cordially at her. The familiarity of such an intimate name leaving someone like this woman's mouth gave Claire hives.

Claire had been gripping her partner's pokéball with a clenched hand. She swallowed her nerves and released him into that room beside her. With a flash of light and happy yip, Toto looked around excitedly. The realization of where he was and who they were with quickly crossed over his lizard-like features.

Arianna walked around the table to get a closer look at him. She knelt and smiled at the pokémon, the slip of her lab coat exposing the dark pants she had on underneath them.

"Can I see him?" Hell no, Claire thought. However, when Toto looked at her for approval she nodded her head. The woman easily picked up Toto, who cheered at the motion. He loved being picked up, even by crazy Team Rocket ladies.

The woman inspected him with diligence. When he happily yipped when she lifted him higher, Claire got to see the leader of Team Rocket toss the pokémon in the air like he was a toddler. Toto was having the time of his life while Claire was shitting bricks from across from them.

"Oh, he is such a healthy weight. I worry that our training regimen is too harsh on baby pokémon. It's a credit to his breeding." She placed the happy guy on the table, and he hopped over to Claire.

Claire really needs to work with Toto on who to trust.

The woman walked over to the table again to open her briefcase. She allowed Toto to sniff and peer inside while she opened and set the equipment on the table.

Please, dear god, do not let Toto start chewing on anything in there. Not only would they probably be murdered, but Toto would embarrass them both.

When Arianna brought out a needle, Claire was suddenly more worried if they were to become some sort of test subjects.

"This is a tracker the scientist division has developed for safety and security reasons. For assets we want to protect, we insert a chip inside them that is contained in this needle." Arianna carefully showed it to her, and her tone was comforting.

The fantasy of running away from Team Rocket was becoming increasingly more complex.

She motioned Toto to come towards her, and Claire's best friend easily went to her when Claire nodded. Her body suddenly felt heavy.

"I asked your teacher if I could give you your name, and she allowed me to do so." Leader Arianna guided Toto to his stomach as the reptile looked confused. He followed the unsaid instructions, and then Claire watched Arianna prep the needle.

"This might hurt for a second Toto, but it is a small pain. You probably have felt worse in training. Ethan, I know this might be unpleasant for you, but it is one of the necessary safety precautions we need to take. Even with completing training and assigning you to a squad, you are young."

Despite Leader Arianna speaking to her, all she could really focus on was the needle as it went into the thick skin of Toto's back. Toto squirmed.

"That makes you a target, a symbol of weakness. With how rare your Toto is there needs to be measures put into place." After Arianna injected the needle into her best friend, the woman's thin hands rubbed the pokémon 's back in apology. She gently handed the pouting pokémon into his trainer's lap.

"He behaves well. It's a credit to you as a trainer."

Leader Arianna stood back and stared at her. For a moment Claire imagined her kind persona slipped, and the logical madwoman she was slipped through. The same woman that met with Claire when she had first woken up in this place. The woman who ran Team Rocket in a whole region.

"Your designation is now Agent Gold and your number is 4792. It will be given to you fully and input into the system after you have settled into your placement." The woman smiled again, and her presence was nothing but motherly.

"It's my pleasure to fully welcome you into Team Rocket."

Claire had no idea what just happened.

...

Trucks did, in fact, exist at this point in her world. The technological state of Johto was lost to her in the details but she was definitely situated and told to sit in a moving truck for her passage into her assignment.

Claire was seated with the other recommended grunts, and they all sat rather awkwardly in the back of a moving van with various supplies for the branch of Team Rocket in Golden Rod. This was surreal, she thought. Almost like I’m beginning Emerald or something.

She was stuck with the other top members of their training program. Which also meant she was stuck with some of the other newly graduated grunts she wanted nothing to do with. Ferris was intolerable most days and Samuel made her feel guilty for many reasons she tried not to think about. He was almost a symbol for all the pain Toto and her were forced to go through at this point. The catalyst to it all.

No one in that truck was a talker. They were kind of doomed to an awkward ride and awkward assigning. She doesn’t think any of them liked each other. Ferris was too much of a bitch, Hill was too reserved and bitter, and Samuel was just quiet already. Claire mourns her future social interactions with them. They were a terrible team already.

The longer the silence occupied the back of that supply truck, the more Claire was forced to think about the tracker and what Arianna had said. What had that woman meant? What had she been trying to prove? Claire would eat her fucking shoes if that lady truly acted like that. Claire wasn't sure if the woman had been trying to ease her or cause her to put her guard down. Every candidate in this blasted truck with her had more potential than what she showed, Toto or not. It worried her.

The fact that she had Arianna's attention at all was illogical. She had no idea what it entailed and that scared her.

...

Getting out of that truck was embarrassing. Claire had put Toto in his ball because she was worried he would get car sick. Her legs were asleep and Samuel had to help her down from the truck when she didn't get down fast enough. It made her want to swallow glass. However, the sight of the city quickly made up for that.

Golden Rod City was beyond her imagination. If Claire thought seeing people in a rural environment living alongside pokémon , the city was just as much. Especially now that Claire was appreciating every breath she took. She never realized how clean the air was in Johto.

There were so many different pokémon doing different things. So many different levels it made her head swim. They were walking slow enough that Claire could take it all in. She was in awe as she passed by an old woman dressed in a traditional purple kimono with a level 40 bellossom. The bellossom sparkled and glowed behind her trainer, singing and swirling in her miniature kimono. Claire was about to start freaking out. This was so cool.

Children were playing with caterpies and butterflies by the fountain in the middle of the courtyard they passed. Homesickness for Cherrygrove struck her at that. Who knew she would miss an orphanage? Despite everything that had happened to her in the past few weeks, being in such an environment brought her joy.

Claire was bumped by a man guiding multiple Tauros across the road. They were all carrying heavy bags hanging off them by ropes, and their large hooves sounded like a calm rampage. Their brown coats had various spots and the beasts were grand to her, massive and powerful. Their levels were mostly in their 30s. Hill put her hand on Claire’s back as she fell behind, and Claire was sheepish as she focused back on her campaigns.

“Stay focused.”

Claire was expected to keep walking, however excited she was, and she didn’t know if it was her child-like body influencing her or Ethan’s memories. She was so excited she could barely contain herself. She was looking around like a fascinated… child.

She noticed that people were giving them careful looks. However, they also seemed used to Team Rocket's presence.

“I’ve never been to the city before, it’s so busy…” Samuel said beside her. Claire was trying her hardest to not say anything at all to him. It was beyond awkward.

“Yeah…” She said in agreement, looking around at the quietly bustling streets. It wasn’t like New York City, but this is one of the busiest parts of the Johto region. The different people and pokémon prowling around proved that.

Ferris was beside them both on the right and his pidgey was chittering away. He gave them both a distasteful look. Hill was quiet, if not more so than Claire.

“We just got here and it’s too much for you wusses?” Ferris snapped. God, can this guy ever shut his mouth? Claire was momentarily distracted by a kid running with green ice cream with a senret chasing her happily. She had to quickly grab Toto who tried to run after them, excited as well.

She focused back on the group as Samuel turned to Ferris with irritation but didn’t say anything in return for the jab. Ferris snorted.

“We aren’t gonna be seeing the nice parts soon.” Ferris went on, petting his pidgey on his shoulder. The woman leading them all turned sharply with her light blue hair. She stared at them intently with her hands on her hips. She was their new captain.

“Stop being so gloomy, grunts, you just got assigned. Goddamn.” Captain Featherfrow said, stopping in front of them with an incredulous look on her face. Claire couldn’t help the giggle that left her mouth, covering her mouth when her fellow grunts looked at her in surprise. Has she giggled in front of them before?

“Nice to see one of you has a happy disposition.” Captain Featherfrow smiled warmly down at her and then turned around to stomp forward in front of them again. People stared at them more when they had stopped.

“Saying Gold has a happy disposition is so ironic,” Hill said, staring at her smoothly before facing forward again.

Well, Claire thought, you aren’t that sunny either. Samuel smiled at her words though and nudged Claire in amusement. Ferris rolled his eyes at their benign talking and started walking more in front of them.

They were eventually guided to Team Rocket's base. The building looked normal but she led them through it while other grunts saluted her. It was like walking through a postal building. They went out the back door and it led to a small field with multiple buildings surrounding it. Multiple grunts were training on the other side with various pokémon Claire couldn't see well enough to distinguish.

Holy shit, Claire thought, this place is built like a college. Captain Featherfrow guided them to the barracks, which was by far the largest building.

"Because you guys are a team I arranged to put you in a similar area. You share a common room with some other grunts here. They aren't the nicest, so don't piss them off."

Their common area was a couch, a table, and a radio. This was like visiting some man cave.

"Agent Gold, you are assigned a room with Agent Garnish. Agent Midnight will have a room of her own because there are no other females in this distinct part of our headquarters." Feathfrow said matter of factly.

Sharing a room with Samuel had to be worse than sharing a room with Ferris.

"What about me?" Ferris asked bluntly, looking around their common room like it was diseased.

"Well, you get to share it with another assigned grunt. I'll leave down the hall you to get settled. Agent Garnish and you, Agent Talon, will be assigned a mission in a few hours. It will not be a true mission, but I require you nonetheless. Tomorrow you will all report to me in the field area at 7 sharp, am I understood?"

All four of them waited for someone to verbally agree with the woman. It led to an awkward moment where none of them did.

"Yes ma'am." Hill eventually said. Their captain left after that with little prompting.

Claire and Samuel's room was so empty it was embarrassing. By the time they put their small pack of stuff up, it still was. Claire didn't have any personal belongings. Samuel had a picture of his grandparents he put on the dresser as the only decoration for their pathetic room.

They hadn't said a word to her. Every time Samuel's face twisted in thought she remembered him yelling at her to get Toto off his growlithe.

The two pokémon were avoiding each other. Garnish would sometimes turn her fluffy hair to glare and Toto and he would simply take it. Claire sat on her bed with Toto in silence so awkward she was about to start listing off some random things to just push it away.

Samuel eventually saved them the embarrassment by saying he was going to take a shower before his assignment with Featherfrow. Claire screamed into her pillow the moment he left for their shared bathroom.