Chapter 7: This City is Dirty Saffron 1:21 PM/Saturday There's a funny story running around the smaller towns of Kanto. Small and remote places usually have strange rumors and ideas but this one, this rumor, in particular can seem oddly real if you pay Saffron City a little visit. They say, you see, that Saffron is controlled by Team Rocket. Chris had heard this rumor a little while ago. He couldn't remember where, probably heard it off-hand one day at a Pokemon Center, and he hadn't spared the thought any actual perspective until the day they actually entered Saffron itself. It was a beautiful metropolis. High buildings and high sights. If you wanted to, you could really see the beauty of this sprawling place. It was also a strangely longing place. It felt somehow haunted. Crooked buildings, filthy air, and streets that literally didn't go anywhere. Yes, Chris could definitely see two sides to this city. One sort of made you want to come back and the other just made you want to forget it as soon as you left. Walking back from a road which had been blocked by a huge building, Chris looked sideways at Karma and saw that she looked some what perturbed. There were people dressed in black walking all around this huge city. People that looked at the three companions strangely, as if trying to check something. Eventually, it was obvious that the same faces were walking past them. Faces, faces, faces. Faces that all looked hungry for something. In fact, it was all to easy for the human mind to see that Saffron was under siege by Team Rocket. Upon walking down the residential areas, Chris had seen people dressed in black simply blocking doorways. As if stopping anyone from getting in. Or getting out. Once, upon passing such a home, Chris had looked up at the second floor and seen a small girl's face. Tear marked and pressed against the dirty window. It was very spooky experience over all. Chris wanted to get to the Magnet Train and leave as soon as possible. Only problem was, they were lost. Chris gave a long sigh and looked up. He saw a huge building. A man. Dressed in metal- Chris dropped his head but snapped it back up instantly. The man was gone. If he had really ever been there. Chris considered it for a moment and finally decided that he had just imagined what he saw. "Have you noticed?" asked Karma in something a little higher than a whisper when they had reached another dead-end. "Yeah," replied Growlithe. "Em...what?" asked Chris, with a yawn. "We're being followed," said Karma simply, she turned around and walked right back down the street. Growlithe following her. Chris hesitated and followed as well. She didn't say anything after that, but Chris started paying more attention and in less than twenty minutes he could see she was right. Two men and one woman, dressed in black, were trailing them as a distance. Aside from them, it seemed that about fifteen people kept coming by them. As if circling. "Let's just make sure," said Karma. She stopped and went to a bench next to the road. "Follow my lead." Growlithe jumped up on the bench and Chris followed as well. The three stalkers stopped as soon as they did. A little hesitatingly for now they were in open view. Then after about five minutes they continued. Eventually they passed the bench where Chris, Karma, and Growlithe rested. They each looked side ways at them, with something much more than malice in their eyes (something like hunger Chris would say) but they didn't stop, they continued and eventually disappeared behind the next corner. "So what now? This place is crawling with Team Rocket...and by the looks of it, they're waiting for something," said Chris. "Probably an order. They're going to try and catch Growlithe," she said calmly. Chris looked at her and asked, "are they gone?" Karma looked at him, a small smirk spread across her eyes. "I'm pretty useful now huh?" and with that, (her eyes seemed to shine thought Chris) she looked at the corner curb and said, "no, they're loitering there. Probably waiting for us." "One things for sure, we can't stay in this town any longer. Were lost in their territory. The moment they decide to pounce, we'll have nowhere to go..." said Growlithe silently. "Yes. We have to leave. Quickly. Maybe head back to Cerulean and get a map or something of Saffron. Find exactly where that Magnet Train is," spoke Karma. "Why Cerulean? That place is a ways from here. We need someplace closer," said Growlithe. "Yeah but we're still lost," said Chris pensively. "Oh?" said Growlithe and motioned across the street, where is said boldly across a neat and somewhat out of place building "Saffron City West Exit-To Celadon City" Giovanni arrived about one hour after that. His helicopter touched done on the Silph Headquarters building. He sprung out, pushed aside the grunt who had dared to welcome him and approached Mewtwo, (he'd deal with that Grunt later) who was dressed in his metallic suit, standing near the edge of the building. "Where are they?" said Giovanni. 'Gone,' replied Mewtwo in it's usual psychic thought. "They have escaped?" fumed Giovanni. 'They exited Saffron and set out to-wards Celadon,' thought Mewtwo. 'We were ready to take them here, but we thought it would be best for you to be here when we did so.' "Why did they leave?" asked Giovanni. 'It would seem that they realized they were being followed. Logically, they saw they were surrounded and decided to leave this place immediately.' "So they're headed to-wards Celadon?" asked Giovanni. 'Yes,' mentally replied Mewtwo. "We have members in Celadon. Not nearly as many as we have here in Saffron, but we have a force there...this will be as far as they get...if we prepare correctly..." said Giovanni. 'First we must separate them. That will allow us to take one hostage. Then we may lure the rest," thought Mewtwo placidly. ' "Alright, head over Partner! Let's not make any more mistakes!" said Giovanni. Something like a strained smirk paced his face at 'partner', but it disappeared shortly after that. They looked at each other for a few seconds, man and pokemon, then Mewtwo looked up and suddenly disappeared. Teleported. Giovanni turned around and got back into the helicopter. The bumbling pilot asked him why he even bothered to use a helicopter when he could have Mewtwo teleport him with itself. Giovanni slapped him silly. "Fool! I refuse to depend on a pokemon, any pokemon, any more than I absolutely have to." Giovanni looked back at Saffron as they sped through the air. Giovanni liked Saffron, it was like a model that all locations were soon to follow. The grunt who had dared to speak to him and this idiot pilot, they would be 'educated' later. For now that would have to wait until they had this Growlithe in their possesion. Dimly, he recalled a talking Meowth and that image brought no warm feelings. A talking cat and a talking dog, perhaps there was a connection.