After the trio finished their lunch, Victor was about to lead them to the backyard.
Cynthia pushed open the kitchen door and spoke to Victor.
She had already arranged for someone to buy them new clothes.
Cynthia handed the clothes to them. Jessie and James looked at the expensive clothes in their hands, feeling the silky texture.
They were so moved, they burst into tears.
After they had changed, Victor led them to the backyard.
Cynthia was already sitting by the flower garden as usual, sipping the tea Gothita had made for her and reading a book.
She was very fond of this life.
Victor noticed that Gothita wasn't standing by his side like it did when it made tea for him, but had run off to play with Mime Jr.
Victor led them on a tour of the backyard.
"Your main jobs will be to help me wash the Pokémon boarded here, monitor their health, and report their status to me," Victor said, leading the way.
Jessie, James, and Meowth followed, looking at the wide variety of Pokémon in disbelief.
"If we caught all of these and gave them to the boss—"
"Shh!"
"Don't say that, meow!"
James and Meowth instantly clamped their hands over Jessie's mouth.
They then looked nervously at Victor, and at Cynthia, who was reading nearby.
James whispered something in Jessie's ear.
Jessie gave a sheepish laugh. "I was just kidding! Besides, the owner is so nice. He's our benefactor. We could never do that."
The Team Rocket trio still had their own moral code.
James nodded.
Ignoring the trio's antics, Victor continued to lead the way.
"You need to watch the vegetables, herbs, and berries in the planting area. Make sure they aren't destroyed by wild Pokémon. Even though our own Pokémon are on guard, you need to keep an eye out too."
"And the lake area. Although the Azumarill and Golduck families are watching, you also need to check that no Pokémon who can't swim accidentally fall in."
"You don't need to worry about the rock area for now. Only the Gliscor and Gligar are there. As for the forest area..."
"If you see the Combee, don't disturb them. And if you see a warning line, turn back. Of course, if you're not afraid to die, you can go in."
As he finished speaking, the Vespiquen flew past, its crimson eyes flashing at them.
The trio, terrified, huddled together again.
"This is the border between the Breeding House and the forest. If I or one of the Breeding House's Pokémon aren't with you, don't go in, to avoid any accidents."
Victor paused and turned to look at them, a glint in his eye.
"That's everything you need to do here. I know you're Team Rocket. But... if you get any funny ideas about the Pokémon here or in the forest, you know what will happen."
Gengar emerged from their shadows, along with Misdreavus.
"Gengar-geh-geh-geh-geh!"
"Misdrevus~"
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Their screams echoed through the backyard.
Cynthia looked up from her book and gazed into the distance, shaking her head helplessly.
After getting their assurances, Victor nodded in satisfaction.
He and Gengar exchanged a look, and both snickered.
He then sent the trio off to work under Dali's supervision.
Victor walked back with his hands behind his back, happily humming a little tune.
Gengar floated beside him, side-eyeing him.
It then copied him, trying to clasp its own little hands behind its back.
"Gen... Gengar?! ∑(°Д°;)"
I... I can't reach...
Victor would never pass up an opportunity to laugh at it.
Furious with embarrassment, Gengar launched itself at him, a full-body tackle.
"Pa-paralyzed—"
Nearby, Shana, who was flying on the back of Cynthia's Togekiss, was startled.
She quickly landed beside Victor and helped him recover from the paralysis.
After playing with Gengar and the others for a bit, Victor went back and sat down next to Cynthia.
The next second, a small black hand was holding a teapot, pouring him a cup of tea.
He picked it up and took a sip.
Gothita stood nearby, refilling his cup.
It also topped off Cynthia's cup.
Cynthia glanced at the tea in her cup, then at the tea in Victor's.
Suddenly, her own tea didn't seem as fragrant.
"You seem to like them?" Cynthia's voice suddenly came.
Victor paused, then thought for a moment and smiled.
"Of course. Their hearts aren't bad. And I can feel that they really do love Pokémon."
Cynthia thought back to the kitchen earlier, and the auras she had sensed from them. She nodded in agreement.
She didn't have a bad impression of them either.
"So you're just letting them stay here and... work for you?"
"Work? If I catch them, I'll definitely make them work."
Victor watched the trio, who were already getting the hang of their tasks.
"I have to say, they're really fast learners."
Hearing his words, Cynthia paused.
"You know them?"
Victor nodded, then shook his head.
"You have no idea how capable they are."
Cynthia, not understanding his cryptic words, frowned prettily.
She looked at the three working in the distance.
She still didn't get it.
She then looked back at Victor and huffed softly.
Fine, don't tell me.
She went back to her book.
Victor hadn't noticed Cynthia's reaction; he was still watching Jessie and the others.
Aside from catching Pikachu, they're practically omnipotent.
He pulled his gaze away, took a sip of tea, and then looked at Cynthia.
He found she was already engrossed in her book again.
He gave Gothita a signal.
Gothita ran back to the kitchen and came out with the prepared desserts.
Victor just sat there, watching Cynthia's profile, lost in thought.
Cynthia, sensing his gaze, looked up from her book. She saw the desserts Gothita had placed, and nodded with a smile in thanks.
She took a small spoonful.
She then looked at Victor and found him staring at her, spaced out.
This guy... he's zoning out again.
Cynthia shook her head helplessly but didn't call out to him. She just quietly ate her dessert and continued to read.
...
In another part of the yard, Jessie, James, and Meowth were picking vegetables in the garden under the supervision of Dali and the others.
Shana jumped down from the Togekiss's back and ran over to them with Mime Jr. and the others.
"Hello, big brother and big sister! And... little cat?"
Jessie and the others looked up and saw a little silver-haired girl in an exquisite princess dress, smiling at them.
"My name is Shana. Are you here to play at the Breeding House, too?" she asked in her clear, crisp voice.
James just stared at the Tinkerbell on her head and the Mime Jr. at her side, stunned.
"My name is Jessie."
"I'm Meowth, meow!"
Jessie's heart melted at the sight of this impossibly cute little girl. Her eyes turned into hearts as she spoke. Meowth was the same.
Finally, they both looked at James and nudged him.
James finally snapped out of it. "My name is James."
"Big Sister Jessie, Big Brother James, and Meowth, please have some snacks!"
Shana took a few candies from her princess dress pocket and held them out in her open palm.
The trio looked at the candies in her tiny hand, and at her adorable face. (Imagine her as a little platelet!)
"Uwaaaaah, what an adorable child!"
"You said it, meow!"
"I love you, Shana!"
Shana, confused, watched as the three of them hugged each other and burst into tears.
...
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