"At this point, I don't know what's scarier: having fellow Rockets die almost everyday, or knowing that they're only a small number compared to the death tolls around the world." ~Excerpt from a Rocket journal, 2000
Captain Willis barged into the lounge with the familiar air of authority and anger he always seemed to possess. "Okay troupe, line up, you know the drill! All fighting worthy armor up and load in, we've got another battle on the way!"
Cassidy groaned loudly, trotting along behind her three bunkmates to their barracks. "Can't they write out a schedule for these little fights? The air force and navy don't just hop out off the couch at a second's notice: they have shifts and things like that."
"Yeah, but don't you think it's more fun this way?" Butch teased.
"We talking or we heading for battle!?" Captain Willis poked his head into their tent to give the quick order. He was gone the next moment, off to reprimand anyone else.
The Rockets followed the drill they had become accustomed to, hopping into various vehicles and heading out to Fuschia City. James leaned back against the warn-out seat, trying to be as easygoing as his friends. "Think we can finish this one before midnight?"
"Hope so," Jessie agreed. "I can't wait to get back for one of those hero feasts. The food always tastes sweeter after breathing smoke for hours."
Cassidy remembed the schedule they had worked out. "Oh, by the way, I'm leader today. Stick close, and I'll try to get us out with minimal damage."
"Minimal damge?" Butch chuckled. "You make us sound like we're cars."
Louis, Cassidy's old friend, turned to raise an eyebrow at the four. "I don't know what you find so amusing. We could all go home dead, you know."
The cryptic thought caused the small bit of good spirit they had to evaporate quickly. The rest of the trip was silent as the troupe rode into Fuschia, hands to their guns and all sending prayers to get out alive.
Cassidy hopped out at the front of their "team," motioning for the others to follow her out. The Rockets had done this enough times to know what to do; all were more-or-less calm as they threw themselves into the melee.
Jessie, James, Butch and Cassidy fought like demons, working in a group rather than separate to save each other and themselves. An indefinable amount of time passed, seeming like days but at the same time like a few minutes. Nearly caught in a crossfire attack, the four slipped between a burning building and its neighbor.
Jessie covered her mouth with her shirt to block out the smoke. "We'd better get out of here before we're overcome by those fumes."
James nodded in agreement, moving towards the crossfire battle and awaiting their moment to escape. The two female Rockets leaned back against the unharmed building, taking a moment to catch their breath.
Butch turned to face the girls, the only one to see what was about to happen. His eyes widened as he witnessed the chunk of burning cement loose itself from the house. "Jess, Cass!" Moving with lightning-quick agility, Butch shoved the two girls. Cassidy managed to roll out of harm's way, but Jessie didn't get quite far enough. The last thing she saw was a surprised James and Cassidy, then everything blacked out.
~
Jessie was in the middle of a deep sleep when she dimly thought she heard someone calling her name. No, that wasn't quite right: it was several people, all familiar. Slowly the voices grew louder, until she could identify Meowth, Mondo and Laura. "Jess? Jess? C'mon Jess, wake up."
Her eyes fluttered open, looking up into three very relieved faces. Meowth actually chuckled softly. "Tank God. We tought maybe after dat concussion you slipped into a coma. I knew you was too tough ta let a little hit t'the head get ya down."
Jessie groaned softly, moving herself into a shaky sitting position. "What time is it? How'd I get here?"
"It's Wednesday evening. You've been knocked out since late Tuesday night," Laura explained. "As to how you got here, its all thanks to James."
"James?" Jessie asked weakly, looking around. "Where is-" she spotted him sitting on the bed to her left, gingerly touching a bandage on his right forearm. Cassidy was at the foot of his bed, weeping bitterly. She felt her heart sink deep in her chest, noticing Butch was nowhere to be seen. "What happened? Where's Butch?"
The bit of a smile that Mondo had disappeared at the mention of the older Rocket's name. "Oh, Jessie..."
"He's dead, Jess!" Cassidy cried out between sobs. "Oh, Butch, just yesterday he was alive and cracking jokes to make me feel better... and now... God, Jess, he did it for us, for me! I never even got a chance to say thank you, or anything... he'll never know..." James put a hand on Cassidy's knee, a small gesture to comfort her. To everyone's surprise the grief-stricken girl threw herself at James, still wailing out her misery. "But now he's gone forever... all because he had to be so damn noble..." she buried her head into James' shirt, letting the tears flow freely for her lost friend.
Jessie had to work hard to stay calm. "Could someone please explain what happened?"
Still doing his best to comfort the senior Rocket, James picked up the narrative. "Butch got you two out of the way in time, but he was hit by one of those cement blocks. He pretended he was okay, helped me get you out from underneath some of the rubble, and I carried you back to the cars, with Cassidy and Butch acting as rear and foreguard. Once we got there, the four of us were allowed to drive to camp since you were pretty beaten up. Cassidy was in the back taking care of you, and Butch was up front next to me." James paused, to gather all thoughts and control emotions. "I remember, he just sorta looked at me, muttered something about being tired and closed his eyes..."
"It was internal bleeding," Laura added, sniffing loudly. "The only thing that kept him alive long enough to get back to the car was sheer will power."
"He wanted to make sure we got back safe," Jessie finished, blinking back quickly forming tears. "I, I never thought he could be such a good friend..." she trailed off, staring at the bed covers numbly.
Silence and sadness enveloped the small infirmary room; the only thing to break through was the occasional sniffle or sobbing breath.
~
Butch was buried three days later, on a gorgeous June day. The bright summer sun did little to lift the spirits of the small group that appeared for Butch's meager funeral. Jessie leaned hard against her partner, still too shaky on her feet to be moving around. Cassidy, who hadn't completely stopped crying since Butch's death, was positioned on his other side, sobbing on his shoulder.
James found himself in an unusual position, supporting both girls and providing them with strength in different ways, whether it be moral or physical. Usually the duo were the tougher of the group. Meowth, Mondo and Laura stood close by, trying to remain composed as their close friend was put to rest.
Captain Willis was the final member of the party, finding it his duty to see all funerals carried out with no hitches. He couldn't help but be puzzled by this group, though; he'd seen many deaths in the past, but none who had had friends as devoted as these. He walked back into the camp, leaving the mourners to come in when they were ready.
Meowth turned from the unmarked grave, ready to leave the scene. He sniffed loudly, tail swishing to and fro. "I can't stand dis, it's too depressing. I'm goin' back ta camp."
"I know how you feel," Mondo agreed, turning with his feline companion.
Laura followed suit. "I can't believe one of ours is actually gone. I never even considered it." She shot a look over her shoulder at the three older Rockets, who hadn't moved yet. Under her breath, she asked Mondo. "They gonna be all right?"
"Yeah, I think so. Leave them here for a while," he assured her, putting a hand on the girl's back and leading her towards camp.
Once the younger members had left, Jessie let out a deep sigh. "It's over."
Cassidy wiped a hand across her eyes, though it did little good to staunch the tears. "I don't think I was quite ready to believe it. I knew he was dead, but until I actually saw the casket go down... Butch is really gone for good, isn't he?"
Jessie nodded. "Afraid so, Cass."
Cassidy shuddered violently, leaning her head against James' shoulder in utter despair. "Butch never did anything to deserve something like this. Can you imagine how much pain he must have been in? But he had to make sure we were safe. Oh, why couldn't it have been me?"
"You can't say things like that!" James hardly knew what he was doing, but he something told him he had to help Cassidy or she'd lose all hope completely. "Butch didn't die so you'd feel sorry for him. He did it so you could live the life he wasn't allowed."
"You don't understand. Butch, I, I think I loved him..."
"And he loved you too, believe me, Cass. Why else do you think he took the blow that was meant for you? There's no greater show of love than dying for someone; you should consider yourself lucky to have found a person like that." Cassidy blinked back tears, meeting James' eyes. "If you want to do something for Butch, then fulfill his last wish: keep living."
Cassidy was totally quiet for a long moment, then nodded decisively, letting go of James. "You're right. Butch must think I'm acting like an idiot, crying about him like this." She brushed away the final waterfall of tears, staring long and hard at the grave of her close friend. After a few minutes, Cassidy turned her back on it, heading to camp. Though she was far from being her former self, the senior Rocket held her head higher than she had since Butch's death, ready to begin the healing process.
Jessie looked closely at her partner. Ever since the fateful night, James had seemed to radiate a strength that was uncommon in the white Rocket. He was more responsible, more serious, and didn't always look to others to lead. Though Jessie wasn't completely sure what triggered it, she knew James was just doing what every boy eventually did: maturing, learning to stand on his own feet. Becoming a man.
Realizing how tired she was, Jessie snuggled into her partner's uniform. "Can we go back in now? I'm exhausted."
James blushed, surprised by Jessie's gesture of affection. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
As they started back to their bunk, Jessie using James as something of a human crutch, she remarked, "That was quite a speech you gave Cassidy back there. Something in it really got her out of her depression."
He shrugged, slinging his arm around Jessie so they could move faster. "Mostly I was just repeating a lot of things you lectured me on, that night after the first battle."
"But the way you said it was a lot more eloquent. You have a way with words, something I've always been terrible at," Jessie insisted. The female Rocket remembered something she'd been meaning to tell James for a while. "Oh, by the way, thanks for carrying me to safety the night I got knocked out. I owe you, Butch and Cassidy my life."
"Just say we're even for who knows how many times you've saved me," James told her, opening the tent flap and entering camp.
"Still, if I can pay you and Cass back at any time, I will." Jessie frowned, sighing once more. "I'll never be able to return the favor to Butch, poor guy. Oh, I wish he was still here."
James nodded, blinking back a few quick tears. "Me too, Jess. I couldn't agree more."
~
The camp was moved to Viridian City a week after the Fuschia battle. Glad to be back in what they considered a "home base," the Rockets took some off-time to visit favorite restaurants and bars. Cassidy, who had been treated kindly by even her most distant friends since Butch's death, was invited out to a eat with a few people. Jessie, James, and the rest of her closer companions encouraged her to try and have a good time, so Cassidy took the evening off and joined the Rockets for dinner.
Jessie and James were sitting in their own tent; Jessie flipped through a magazine and James dozed lightly. Both were trying to keep their eyes from the empty lower bunk, where their deceased friend used to sleep.
Cassidy walked in quietly. "Jessie, James. I have some interesting news."
Jessie glanced up; James' eyes opened slightly. Seeing Cassidy's look, which showed mixed feelings of excitement and urgency, all their attention turned to her immediately.
"What is it?" Jessie asked, swinging down from the top bunk to sit next to James.
Cassidy took her place on the opposite side of Jessie. "Tonight, while we were at the restaurant, a couple of real shady-looking guys sat behind us. Now, the five of us knew by the way they were dressed that they had to be renegades, but we weren't in our Rocket uniforms so they didn't have a clue who we were. While we were eating, I overheard the two talking about how they were gonna meet with a bunch of other terrorists in this warehouse on the outskirts of Viridian, to arrange their next attack plan or something."
James came wide awake with a start, realizing what Cassidy must have been thinking about. "You want to plan an ambush attack on those guys!?"
"There's no 'want' about it, I'm going to make sure we get in there and kill every one of them," Cassidy's eyes blazed with a hatred uncommon for the girl. "I already told Cap'n Willis about it; he said he'll arrange plans on the matter right away."
Jessie shook her head slowly. "That was a pretty stupid thing to do, Cass."
The senior Rocket's eyes widened. She looked at Jessie, surprised and angry by what she had said. "Stupid? How is it stupid?"
"For all we know, those two knew you were Rockets and planted false information. Even though we haven't really put a dent in their numbers, we are a thorn in their sides," Jessie explained. "It would be a quick way to kill off a lot of Rockets."
"Or, even if they don't know about us, they probably outnumber us by at least ten to one. What's the point in holding a mass slaughter if nothing good with come out of it?" James reasoned.
Cassidy's fist clenched. "I've been wondering why I couldn't seem to get past Butch's death, why I kept thinking about it no matter how hard I tried to put it in the past," her voice wavered with pent-up anger and grief. "Hearing those terrorists behind me made me realize what I've got to do. I have to take revenge on those bastards! It's the only way I'm ever going to be at peace with myself!"
"Cassidy, we all would like to avenge Butch's death, but diving into a suicide mission is hardly the way to go about it," Jessie said, putting a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "And after this, then what? Would you just keep killing every renegade you met until they were all dead, or you were?"
Cassidy shook off the hand, standing up and facing Jessie and James. "Shut up, Jessie! Don't try to reason with me; I'm way beyond logic. You have no idea what I've been going through, okay!? You're partner's still alive."
She stormed out of the room in a firy rage, frustrated at her helplessness and angry that her friends hadn't encouraged her. Jessie bit her lip. "It's no use trying to talk to her now. She'd lead the whole camp to death if she thought it'd bring him back."
"This isn't going to end well," James predicted drearily. "If Cap'n Willis decides to go ahead with the plan, there's only one thing that'll come out of it."
Jessie nodded in agreement. "Death."
~
The next day Willis entered the lounge room roaring orders, as was his custom. "Okay troupe, listen up and listen good. No, don't go running to your rooms for weapons, I've a different sort of assignment today." Jessie and James exchanged looks, having a pretty good idea what his commands would be. "I've been given some information pertaining to our enemies, the terrorists and renegades who've been giving you so much trouble. Turns out they're holding some sort of meeting in a warehouse in Viridian, and here's your chance to get back at the asses that've made the past months so hectic for you."
"Huh, and all this time I thought it was him an' the police who was forcin' us to do this," one particularly insolent Rocket muttered from the corner of the room.
Captain Willis stared in the direction of the speaker, but was unable to identify them. "I'll see about you later, sir. As I was saying, we're planning an ambush attack on the warehouse. Not all of you will be going, a bit too small an area for everyone, you understand, but I've hand-picked some of the more competent members to join me." Willis cleared his throat, apparently having the list memorized in his head. "Right, then. You, Louis or whatever your name is, and you, Amanda, I think that's what they call you, the blonde in the corner, Cassidy, isn't that right..."
He continued to rattle off a list of people, pointing out the Rockets and making guesses at their names. Jessie noted that, in spite of the fact that Willis pretended not to know who was who, he rarely ever got a name wrong.
James was listening to the names with rapt attention, hoping that neither he nor Jessie would get called. It was bad enough that Cassidy was going on this dangerous mission. Not only that, Jessie hadn't completely recovered from the concussion she'd endured a little over a week ago.
Willis was nearing the end of his call list. "...Let's see, er, Jessie, the redhead, and you, boy on the couch, Terrance, yes, that's your name." He paused for a moment. "That's all. Get your things together and be ready. I'll be heading this attack, to make sure everything goes according to plan. Dismissed."
James and Jessie stared at each other, shocked that one had been called and the other hadn't. They'd never been separated in any mission before. Jessie blinked rapidly. "Why didn't he call you?"
James didn't bother answering. He knew what the reason was. It was his problem with killing people, the way he couldn't handle taking a life. Willis couldn't rely on a person like that for something this important. He cursed what he considered a handicap, knowing there was next to nothing he could do about it.
Jessie saw James' look of frustration. She pasted on a fake smile. "Hey, don't worry about it, this way I can stick by Cass and make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble." Jessie started to stand, pausing to fight off the waves of dizziness she'd had to handle since the concussion incident.
James stood up, determination written in every aspect of the way he moved and spoke. "Captain Willis!" He called across the room, waving a hand to get the man's attention. "Could you come here for a moment?"
Willis picked his way through the Rockets moving to their rooms, looking James up and down. "Well, boy, speak your piece, we have a battle coming up and I don't have time to chat."
"Sir, Jessie's still recovering from a concussion she got a week ago. She shouldn't be risking her life in her condition. Please, let me go in her place," James offered.
Jessie gasped softly, surprised by James' bargain with Willis. He hated everything that battling stood for, but he was willing to do that for her? Jessie was momentarily touched, but couldn't allow it to happen. Before the captain had a chance to give his answer, Jessie broke in. "Cap'n, as much as I appreciate James' offer, there's really nothing wrong with me. True, I did suffer from some head trauma, but that was over a week ago-"
"It was a week and a few days," James interrupted, "and she's still unstable on her feet-"
"My partner's overreacting, Cap'n, I assure you I'm perfectly fine," Jessie cut into James' protest, digging her heel into his foot.
Captain Willis' eyes went from one to the other. Never in all his years in the military had he seen two people argue over which would go out to fight. Whether they were very crazy or very brave, all Willis knew was they must have a loyal friendship. He shook off all musings, knowing he had to make a decision. "Ah-hem, well, let's see here. Since you know yourself better than anyone else, Jessie, tell me truthfully: do you think you're up to this?"
There was no hesitation in her answer. "Yes."
"Very well, then, that settles it. Get yourself ready, we have a long night ahead of us." The captain turned swiftly on his heel, exiting the barracks to wait outside for the troupe.
Jessie took a deep breath, then launched herself upon James. "What the hell were you doing? Trying to get yourself thrown into one of the fights you hate!?"
"I didn't want you to-"
"Didn't want me!? Can't you stop worrying about other people for once and think about saving your own skin!?" Jessie was shocked by how angry she sounded; in reality, she was grateful that he'd been willing to do that. She forced herself to calm down, still continuing her reprimand. "Think about it. In a life-or-death battle, which of us is better off? The one who tries to injure, or the one who won't hesitate to kill if it'll save their life? Even if I'm not at one-hundred percent, I still have a better chance of surviving something like this, you know it as well as I do."
James knew. He also knew there was no talking Jessie out of a decision once she had made it, that this battle was going to turn out a lot of deaths, and that Jessie's chance of living was probably less than fifty percent. James wished he didn't know as much as he did.
James was as surprised as his partner when he grabbed Jessie in a fierce hug. "Be careful. If it turns out to be a trap, or things get dangerous, don't try to be a hero: get the hell out."
She pulled rather forcefully from James' hold. "I have to go, or Willis'll have my head."
James grabbed her arm, meeting her eyes pleadingly. "Promise me you'll come back alive, Jess." 'What kind of thing to ask a person is that?' Jessie thought to herself. 'How can I promise not to get killed, when even I don't know what my chances of survival are?'
Though her own thoughts warned against giving James what he wanted, she knew he flat-out wouldn't let her go without some assurance to her safety. Lying through her teeth, Jessie forced another smile. "I'll promise more than that. I promise when I get back I'll bring Cassidy along too, and force Mondo and Laura to hold the biggest damn party you can imagine." As an afterthought, Jessie pulled off the necklace she wore often- she considered it something of a lucky charm- and handed it to her partner. It was on a silver chain, with a red gem at the end that had an intricate carving of an Arbok in the jewel. "There. Now I have to come back, if I ever wanna see that again." She pulled herself from her friend's hold. "That good enough for you? I really need to go."
James seemed about to say something, like he had back in the jail cell so long ago. He thought better of it, nodding in agreement. "Good luck. Try not to have too much fun."
"Yeah. Fun. I'll do that." 'Now there's a promise,' Jessie thought dryly, moving to her bunk, 'that I know I can keep.'
~
James was awakened roughly from a restless sleep. Someone was shaking him, and two voices continued to call his name. The white Rocket opened one eye, to see Mondo and Laura's tear-stained faces in front of his. He groaned softly, still not completely awake. "What is it?"
"James, you have to come quickly," Mondo said, wiping a sleeve across his eyes. "It's Cassidy. I don't think she's got much time."
He came fully awake with a jolt, throwing on a pair of pants and his black undershirt. "They're back already? What's wrong with Cassidy? Where's Jessie?"
Laura tried to answer all his questions as best she could, leading the way to the infirmary. "They got back a little under thirty minutes ago, or, most of them did. Cassidy's half-delirious, saying that she has to talk to you."
"What happened? Was it an ambush? And where's Jessie?" James continued to pry.
"An ambush, I think," Mondo explained, careful not to mention the female white Rocket. "Everyone that made it back is asleep, and we couldn't get much sense out of Cass."
"Okay, but where is Jessie?" Mondo averted his eyes to the floor, no wanting to tell his friend the news. James grabbed his young partner by the shirt, stopping all movement right outside the infirmary door. "Dammit Mondo, where is she!?"
"I'm not sure," came the reply. "I'm sorry, but the only person who can answer that is someone who was there."
James let go of the younger boy, pulling back the tent flap. The white Rocket was momentarily taken aback; the only people in beds were Cassidy and a boy called Aaron.
"Most of the people who got out escaped unscathed," Laura said quietly on his right. "These were the only two who were hurt beyond minor burns."
The nurse, a kind woman named Catherine, looked up when the three came in. "Are you James?" He nodded. "Thank God." She gestured to Cassidy's bed. "She's been insisting that she see you, poor girl, I figured we should grant her last wish."
James slid into a seat next to Cassidy's bed. Having a chance to really look at her, James was surprised that he saw no apparent injury on his friend.
"She was the last one out. As the warehouse collapsed, part of the front fell on top of her," Catherine, as if reading his thoughts, explained. "The bed's the only thing holding her back together."
James nodded, understanding enough to know Cassidy was dying. He wasn't sure if she was aware he was there, so he decided to make his presence known. "Cass? It's me, James. What happened?"
Cassidy's eyes were already beginning to mist over, and her breathing came out ragged in her last moments. She explained the story in broken tones. "Oh, James! Horrible... ambush... building burning... lit from outside... Willis right behind me... he got hurt... we tried to help him... Jessie told me... keep going... Jess, oh, Jessie..." She began sobbing, attempting to move in her feverish state.
Catherine put a hand on the girl's shoulder, putting a glass of water to her lips and forcing her to drink. "It's okay, dear, keep going."
Having been sufficiently calmed, Cassidy continued with the narrative, re-living the events with emotional detail. "Almost out... whole thing on fire... ceiling falling down... at entrance... Jessie, Willis, right behind... just a little further... building collapsed... Jessie still inside... oh, God, no, Jessie... flames all around me... something hit my back... terrible pain... oh, Jessie, get out, please!"
James felt the icy claw of fear grip his chest. "What happened to Jessie? Is she dead?"
Cassidy had to be soothed by Catherine before she could continue, so violent was the girl's sorrow. She kept going, voice getting weaker as she spoke. "Not sure... James, don't know... whole thing fell on her... still burning... No one could survive..." her eyes closed, and it looked as if she'd spoken her last. The lids fluttered half open a moment later, much to everyone's relief. "Jessie did it for me... tried to save me... died in vain... she and Butch both..."
James knew he couldn't let Cassidy die with a troubled thought like that on her mind. "Of course they didn't. And stop talking like that. You're going to be fine, we'll see to it." The last part was a blatant lie; anyone could see the senior Rocket was on the threshold of death.
Her head shook slowly. "Nice to say that... know I'm done for... too bad... you're the only one left, now..." Using what little strength she had, Cassidy lifted herself shakily off the mattress, clasping James' hands in hers. "Before we parted... Jessie... she asked me... wanted me... if she didn't make it... to tell... tell you... that she's sorry... for more reasons... than you'll ever know... And I'm sorry... that I've got... to leave you too, James..." She collapsed back onto the infirmary bed, hands dropping limply to her sides. She smiled slightly; James was the only one close enough to here her whisper to the air. "That you, Butch? Oh, am I happy to see you..." Cassidy gave one final shuddering breath, then closed her eyes for the last time.
Catherine dabbed hurriedly at the swiftly forming tears. Mondo and Laura wept shamelessly, holding on to each other for comfort. James uttered a silent prayer for his departed friend, knowing she would enjoy eternity with the one she loved.
After a moment, he stood slowly, turning to face the other three mourners. "Do any of you know the way to the warehouse, and will you take me out now?"
Catherine blinked several times, surprised at his question. "Why do you want to go to that horrible place?"
"Because I don't believe that Jessie's dead," he explained, as if it was perfectly normal. "Now, do any you know the way out there?"
"Uh, they called Mondo and I out to help bring the wounded back," Laura spoke up tentatively. "We could show you out. Though what you expect to find I don't know."
"Is it very far away?"
"No, but-"
James strode past the duo, stopping at the door of the infirmary. "Then meet me outside this room in five minutes, we'll walk there and save some gas."
Before Laura had a chance to protest, James had taken off, back to his room. Mondo stopped Laura from following the older Rocket. "Don't bother, it's no use trying to reason with him. He refuses to believe that," Mondo paused to keep himself composed, "Jessie's really gone. If seeing the remains of that cursed building will help him, then so be it."
Catherine nodded in agreement. "He must be in denial, poor guy. It's common for people who have lost someone close to them to go through this. Do you think he will take the loss of this Jessie girl as best as can be expected?"
Laura didn't know James well enough to say, but Mondo had a bad feeling he wasn't going to handle it well. The young Rocket sighed deeply, eyes watching where his older partner had disappeared. "I hope so, Catherine, but I have a hunch things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better."
~
The trio met outside the infirmary tent just as dawn was raising. A little drizzle rained down over everything, proclaiming it to be a miserable day. Meowth, who had been in James' room when he got back, joined the procession, being filled in on what had happened. Despite his tough attitude, the cat really was a very sensitive animal. The fur below his eyes was matted from where the tears had openly flowed, and he continued to sniffle as they plodded their way through the wet grass.
After what seemed like hours, Mondo and Laura spotted what was left of the ambushed warehouse, but didn't say anything to their other travelling companions. Neither James nor Meowth suspected the pile of rubble on the outskirts of town to be the remnants of a warehouse.
Once they were within ten feet, Laura gestured forward to the cinders and cement blocks. "There it is."
James stood open-mouthed, not believing his eyes. "That's it? That's all that's left?"
"The entire thing collapsed on itself," Mondo reminded him, not wanting to look at Jessie's tomb. "Most of the wood burned in the fire; the only thing left is the foundation, some pillars and parts of the ceiling."
"And Jessie's in dere?" Meowth asked anxiously, fresh tears forming in his eyes. Seeing the sad nod both Mondo and Laura gave him, the cat averted his eyes from the destroyed building, shivering uncontrollably.
Panic overtook James completely. "No! She can't be dead! Jessie told me she'd come back! She's under there, still alive, I know she is!"
Ignoring his companion's cries to come back, James raced over to the rubble pile, digging frantically amid the bricks, cinders and scattered pieces of wood. He shoved aside anything that came in his way, desperate to find his partner.
Mondo, Laura and Meowth walked up quietly behind him. Mondo put a hand on James' shoulder, trying to reason with him. "James, nobody could live through that. Even if she didn't get crushed or the fire didn't do enough damage, she'll have suffocated under all that by now."
James threw off the comforting hand angrily, still pushing away all obstacles that came in the way of his objective. "Shut up! Jessie wouldn't die, she wouldn't leave me like that! Jessie'd never abandon me, you'll see!"
It didn't matter what tactic the trio tried, there was no talking James away from the destroyed warehouse. The distraught boy was way past logic- the only thing they could do was wait until he wore himself out or gave up. Meowth, ever the thinker, told Laura to go back and have someone bring a car, since the three could never hope to carry James off when his stamina failed him.
Finally, after nearly an hour of this, lack of sleep and sorrow overtook the older Rocket boy. He collapsed atop the cinders, wracked with heart-wrenching sobs. Laura and Catherine hopped out of the car, driving up next to the warehouse remains. Gently the four pulled James from his position, half carrying, half dragging him to the car. He fought feebly, but eventually gave up, crying himself into unconsciousness.
~
That evening, a heavy sheet of rain swept over the city of Viridian, weather matching the mood of the day perfectly. It beat down mercilessly upon the tents of the Rocket camp, oblivious to the saddening events that had taken place within the barracks that day. Half a mile away, the rain also soaked the fire-blackened cement blocks and charred wood pieces that was the tragic warehouse. So hard was the force of the droplets, it dripped through the top layers of the remains and down to the bodies of two humans.
Jessie stirred beneath Captain Willis and a thin layer of rubble, a good portion of it cleared away by her grief-stricken partner. She groaned softly, only half awake and unsure of where she was. She tried to take a breath, but found she was being nearly suffocated by an overwhelming weight on her back and a lack of oxygen. Overcome by a sixth sense of panic, Jessie shoved up with every reserve of strength she had, clawing away desperately for fresh air.
With one final shove she broke through, sliding the body of Rodney Willis to one side and heaving herself out of the small air pocket they'd been in. She sent a silent thank-you to the captain, who had saved her by taking the impact of the building and most of the fire by covering the Rocket girl.
Dumbly she rolled over, mouth open to let the rainwater wet her parched throat. Finding herself unable to swallow due to a swollen throat, Jessie spit out what bit of water she'd gotten into her mouth, rolling back onto her stomach. Completely worn out after just that little bit of movement, Jessie closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.
The rain continued to beat down on the pitiful, frail body of the solitary girl. It stung her various cuts and burns, but Jessie hardly felt it. Numb with feverish pain and exhaustion, she soon slipped into unconsciousness, blissfully unaware of the emotional distress her friends back in camp were undergoing.
~
James awoke that same evening around eleven, for a moment completely at peace with himself. Looking around at the deserted beds, everything that had happened came back to him; he realized with a painful sob that he was the only inhabitant of the bunk, now.
Meowth, who had been dozing at the foot of James' bed keeping watch over his friend, came fully awake when he heard James crying into his pillow. The cat sniffed sadly. Clambering to his feet and taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to James, Meowth patted the Rocket's knee. "You gonna be okay?"
"Jessie's dead," he said bitterly, "I'll never be okay."
Meowth sighed unhappily, unsure of what to say. "Listen, James, I feel da same way you do, trust me on dis. But dese tings happen, and you gotta move on eventually. I ain't sayin' ya gotta do it now, but sayin' you'll never be okay... dat's like condemnin' yaself already."
James looked up from the pillow. Meowth was shocked by how dull and dead his normally bright emerald eyes looked. "Maybe you can get over it, but I know I never will. You, Mondo and Laura should have left me at that warehouse. I would've been happier there."
"What, lyin' dere cryin' 'til ya died?" the cat argued.
Meowth was even more shocked by his reply. "That's exactly what I mean. I'd be better off dead." James covered his face with the pillow again, continuing to cry out his distress.
The feline didn't know what to say. Remembering the way James' eyes had looked, and how he talked now, he wondered if his friend really wasn't dead. Not physically, of course, but spiritually the James he knew was gone. "Listen, James..."
James stood up, throwing a few items into his backpack. "Reason with me all you want, it doesn't matter to me."
Meowth watched him shoulder the pack. "James, where do you tink yer goin'?" Meowth questioned.
James turned, a deep pain in his eyes. "I'm leaving. I can't stand fighting in this damned war any longer."
"You can't do dat! Dey'll come after you! An' you know what happens to deserters."
James knew perfectly well. Typically a bounty hunter would track down someone who tried to run away, and it always ended in death. Assassins were said to be expert trackers and cold-blooded killers. "I don't care," he said flatly. "I've seen more people die in the last two months then I've seen in my entire life. And, now Jessie's one of them..."
"Yer a dead man walkin' if ya leave here," the cat argued. "No one's evah escaped dis place an' come to a nice end. You know it as well as I do."
"It wouldn't be so bad, really," he thought aloud. "At least I wouldn't have to worry about it any longer. And, I'd see Jessie again."
Meowth shook his head sadly. "Yer lettin' yer heart get in da way of yer job. Dat's gonna get ya killed someday, Jim. Caring'll be da death of ya."
"Then let's hope it kills me quick," James said impassively. He stopped in the doorway, looking out at the rain-battered grass. Viridian Forest was only a few miles off; he'd reach it before midnight. "Bye, Meowth. Let's hope the war isn't as cruel to you as it was to the rest of us."
The feline stood in the doorway, watching James walk swiftly away from the Rocket camp. He called out a quiet farewell, pawing at his misted eyes. "Good luck, James. Maybe you'll find some kinda peace wit' yaself wherever youse is goin'."
Too far away to hear the Pokémon's heartfelt words, James travelled in a direct course for Viridian Forest. He paid little heed to the torrents of rain that saturated his cold body, mixing with the tears that flowed openly down his cheeks and falling as one to the muddy earth.
