Plead your case to Leon.

Exhaling slowly, you look up into the compassionate red eyes of Agent Blade. Or Leon, rather. It’s honestly hard to think of him as a Rocket Agent right now, considering how kind he seems to be. You can feel your heart resting in your throat as you start to speak, beyond nervous to share your story with someone for the first time.

“I’ve never had any family. None at all. Or friends. I was raised by an old man who referred to himself as my ‘Caretaker’, though raised may be too generous a word. We lived in a single-story house on the outskirts of Cherrygrove City, in the Johto region, and I spent most of my time in there. I was only allowed to leave to go to school. I couldn’t go out and play, or make friends, or have fun. So even when I was at school with other kids, I was… isolated. The weird girl who never left home, who lived with the old man on the edge of town, who didn’t have any social skills. The rest of the time, when I was at home with him, my Caretaker…” You hesitate, extremely unpleasant memories flooding through your head. Every memory of your childhood is unpleasant, really, so you do your best to shut them all out normally. There’s so much more you could tell Leon about your youngest years, but…

The ashy-blonde’s face softens as he interrupts your thoughts. “You don’t need to say anything that makes you uncomfortable, Silver. Just tell me what you can about the red-haired woman.”

You nod, grateful for his… understanding. “Well… Just before I turned 18, about seven months ago, the old man kicked the bucket. I was already planning to run away and become a trainer once my birthday came around, so it didn’t mean much to me. It did give me an opportunity though… An opportunity to look through his office, which I was always forbidden from entering.” You never even reported the bastard’s ****, but you’ll just keep that part to yourself. Someone probably noticed eventually.

“I see. And it was in his office that you found out about this woman with hair like yours?” The handsome man asks, speaking gently.

“Yes… On his computer, there were messages back and forth between him and someone called ‘Admin A.’ They would discuss ‘payment’ and ‘the burden’ most of the time.” You see Leon’s jaw clench at the word ‘burden’, knowing exactly what it referred to, who it referred to. “There wasn’t much else that I could find, just regular status reports about me and payments being made to the old man by this woman. But there was a picture of her, like a profile picture. That’s when I saw her, saw her cherry-red hair, and that’s when I knew…”

“How did you come to the conclusion that she was a member of Team Rocket though?” The red-eyed man inquires, raising an eyebrow.

“The picture wasn’t just her face, her upper-body was in it too. And there was a red R on her left breast pocket. I actually didn’t know about Team Rocket at the time, but after I saw that I looked up ‘red Rs’, and that led me to learning about them. I started looking into them as I journeyed around Johto, though I never really found much. Occasional hints of their - er, your - operations there, but no leads. The only stuff I know is from public knowledge and rumors. I haven’t stopped looking though. Because I can’t. I need to find her. So, please…?” You keep looking into the man’s eyes, doing your best to make it clear just how much this means to you through your own eyes. You aren’t good at expressing emotions, be it verbally or with your face, but hopefully the sheer intensity of your desire shows through.

Leon pinches the bridge of his nose, then groans. “Silver, please consider this for a moment; she left you with that man. With a ‘Caretaker’ who you seem none too fond of, who sounds as though he did things you would rather not remember and I would rather not imagine. She called you a burden, has never been part of your life, and is a high-ranking member of a criminal organization. Silver, I… I can tell you from personal experience that she is not a good woman. Are you sure you want to meet her? What is it you hope to achieve from doing so?”

His words catch you off-guard, and you stop to think about them. Why do you want to meet Admin A? You haven’t really thought about why, or what you want from her, you just knew you had to once you saw that picture. What else are you supposed to do? But, it’s not like anything the Agent is saying is wrong, either. It’s probably not the best decision. Still, though, you’re determined to get to the bottom of this! “I’m… not sure. But I need to. Maybe it will end badly for me, but I need to. I don’t think I can just… let this go. I mean, wouldn’t you do the same in my situation? If you had never had family, then found out about someone who is almost certainly related to you, could you just forget about it? Would you be able to just go on, with that in the back of your mind all the time?” You feel like you’ve spoken more in this one conversation than you have in most days your entire life, and it’s starting to feel a bit tiring. Especially because of how much more emotional you’re being than usual.

The blonde man sighs deeply. “No, I suppose I couldn’t. But…” His eyes harden, and his tone becomes harsh. “I can’t give you the information you seek either. I can’t let you go chasing after her, after Team Rocket. It’s too dangerous. I’m sorry, Silver.”

“Wait, hold on!” Your grip on his shoulders fails as he pulls out of your grasp, turning to leave.

“I know it may seem cruel, but this is for the best. I have heard what you had to say, and made my decision. You should not involve yourself with her… with our organization. It will not end well for you.” His deep voice becomes a growl, as if he’s trying to scare you off.

But that’s not going to work! “Please, isn’t there some way I can convince you? I’ll do anything!” Maybe offering that to a member of a massive crime syndicate known for doing awful things to women isn’t the brightest idea, but you have ****!

Leon pauses, and you can see a pained look on his handsome face. You can tell he feels bad for you, and that he wants to help you, but he just feels like he would be dooming you to a poor fate. He closes his eyes, silently contemplating this predicament for a little while. He opens his eyes again, now resolute with purpose. Pulling a phone from his pocket, he turns it on briefly to check the time. “I’ll be late if I do this…” He says, glancing down at the metal briefcase in his hand, then looking up at you seriously. “Very well then. If you’re truly so dedicated to learning the truth, then come with me.” Without another word, the ash-haired man continues walking down the alleyway, back the way you both came from.

You rush to follow, happy to have him leading the way so that you don’t get lost. Looking at him, the handsome man is staring straight ahead, not acknowledging you or making any attempt to speak. His pale red eyes seem… distant, like he’s looking far off into either the past or future. He walks quickly, leading you back out onto the busy walkways of Saffron City and immediately melding back into the crowd. Sticking close to him, you start to wonder about where it is he wants to take you. The Pokécenter, or a hotel, would make the most sense if he’s about to fuck you in exchange for the information - a deal you’d gladly accept. Though, considering his status as a Rocket, it may be more sinister than that. A back alley brothel, run by the organization he’s a part of? A place with a client of Team Rocket’s, who you’ll be expected to entertain? Maybe it’s something that you can’t even imagine, with as limited life experience as you have. Or maybe it’s nothing bad at all, since he seems like a decent enough man.

You wonder all of this in silence as you follow closely behind Leon, who simply marches onward, heading… a direction. It’s getting late, the orange glow of the sunset visible in the direction you’re walking… Oh, west! You’re walking west, towards… somewhere. The mass of people crowding the busy streets of Saffron only grows thicker as the sky grows darker, the vivid night life of the city starting to bloom. People walk into bars and nightclubs, ready to spend their nights in revelry and debauchery with one another. Some people haven’t even waited; two women are entangled with one another, sucking on each other’s tongues just outside of a closing coffee shop. One pushes the other’s shirt up and starts fondling the bare tits beneath…

Shit, where is Leon!? Bad Silver, no staring! You had only looked away for a few seconds, but your interest had caused you to slow down enough that the blonde man is farther ahead of you now. You haven’t quite lost him, but you’re not about to risk doing so by letting him get even farther ahead. You shove through the crowd, not apologizing to anyone you push past, and catch back up to the brown-coated man. No more distractions!

Now purely focused on the man you’re being led by, you walk just behind him as he continues through the city. It takes about half an hour, but the two of you eventually reach his apparent destination; the edge of town. Exiting city limits, Leon leads you out into the lightly wooded area just outside of Saffron City. He keeps walking until you are well within the trees, out of view of anyone who would be walking around the edge of town, and suddenly comes to a stop a small clearing.

“Here should do.” The deep-voiced man says, turning to face you.

“Okay. What are we doing out here?” You ask, uncertain as to what his goals are at the moment.

A smirk plays across the man’s lips. “Simple. I shall test your capabilities, to determine whether or not you have what it takes to protect yourself from Team Rocket, when it comes to that.”

You blink in surprise. “You want to battle me? …Okay, sounds good. So if I win, you’ll tell me what I want to know?” This works for you, battling is something you understand!

“Yes. We shall each use three Pokémon. Though to be perfectly honest, I doubt you have what it takes to withstand even one of my Pokémon.” Leon says, smile fading. You feel a twinge of annoyance at his words, but also a bit of concern. His tone sounds… confident. Not arrogant, but self-assured, as if his victory is merely a formality. His aura seems to shift, and you’re starting to get a sense for just how dangerous he really is.

Shaking off that worry, you reply. “I’ve just won my eleventh gym badge. I can hold my own, so don’t underestimate me.” He definitely has a different feel about him than any gym leader you’ve beaten though…

“Impressive. But gym leaders do not field their best teams during challenges, even for beyond your eighth badge. I fear that you will find my best a true challenge. I am considered one of the most powerful trainers Team Rocket has to offer, so I hope you are prepared, Silver.” The red-eyed man says, confidence overflowing from his every word.

“Then I guess you’re a good test, Blade.” You shoot back, grabbing one of your Pokéballs. If this is what you have to do, this is what you’ll do. You can’t afford to back down! You’ll win, get the information from him, and find that woman! Then… you’ll figure out the rest later.

Leon grips a Pokéball in his left hand, still holding the briefcase in his right. He closes his eyes for a moment, and you watch as his ashy hair and brown coat dance in the wind. He takes several deep breaths, as if steadying himself, and then the wind stops. His eyes shoot open, and he holds his Pokéball forward as he speaks. “My Pokémon and I shall test your mettle, Silver, so you best be prepared to feel the sting of our blades!”

Word from the author: Last chapter pushed us over 2000 likes on this branch! Thank you all so much! Hope you’re looking forward to seeing another Agent in action! :D