"Ratata!" The sound of Jamie's pokémon indicated that it had returned of yet an unsuccessful mission. Why wouldn't it learn to steal properly?

So far all it stole was useless junk from travelling trainers, nothing it stole was of any worth. No pokéballs or gym badges. No, just things she never would be able to sell in pawnshops to earn a quick buck.

Jamie sure hadn't easy, her parents split up and none of them wanted her around. Jamie guessed that both of them were only reminded of the other when seeing her. Jamie took out a picture and looked at it, a wedding picture of her parents, they looked so happy, no trace of the arguments that had risen five short years after that. Her mother took her in and tried to raise her alone and she was never allowed to even mention her father.

Things took a turn for the worse when her mother started drinking, she began to date men like wildfire and took them home to seek shelter from the pain in alcohol and sex. Jamie couldn't stand to see her mother like that and as soon as she had the opportunity, she fled from the house which was no longer her home.

Street life was tough, there were so many hazards and people to avoid. Sleeping in underground railways and abandoned houses was a normal procedure. There were many possibilities she could use to find salvation in from the loneliness and the cold. Options enough: drugs, alcohol, prostitution, you name it. It all came up to her trying to lure her in. So far she successfully dodged them but it also made it more clear to her that she couldn't go on like that.

A ray of sunshine came in when she met Ratata. Jamie could clearly remember that day, how could she possibly forget? It was at another of those dark and wet nights when she had sought shelter in an old wear house. And then she found it, a baby Ratata more dead than alive. Even though she narrowly had enough food to support herself, she gladly shared it with that poor creature. That Ratata became her very own pokémon but it was more than just that. Ratata also provided her with someone with whom she could share her misfortunes of everyday life.

She trained Ratata to steal from tourists and other trainers so they could support themselves. But for some reason Ratata refused to steal things that she could sell at pawnshops or on the black market.

Today was no exception to the rule, Ratata had stolen some food and some silly belongings. A teaspoon, a few pictures of a boy with blue hair and a can of turtle wax. Who knows to whom those items belonged?

Jamie petted Ratata and smiled, she didn't mind that Ratata refused to steal something valuable, sure it kept her broke but Ratata at least did provide both of them with food. She and Ratata were masters in thievery, she would send Ratata out to steal while waiting with a loot bag to collect what Ratata had brought back. Working that way they collected enough stuff to make their home comfortable. "Home" in this case was an abandoned bunker, which was a silent witness from the second world war. As with so many of it's kind, the bunker had been abandoned after the war had ended. It lay at the edge of the forest and the city was only a five minute walk away. But the best thing about the bunker was the fact that it had running water, a luxury she didn't have when leaving home.

The junkyard provided the furniture, seats from broken down cars, a rusty old bed and an old radio CD player were salvaged while Ratata distracted the Houndour guarding the place. Together with Ratata and a couple of Zubats she lived in poverty but happy nonetheless in that bunker.

Even though Jamie knew that this way of life was wrong, her motivation to continue was stronger. Wrong or not, she was free, free from her constantly bickering parents, free from the merciless kids at school who never showed any compassion for her situation and rather bullied her. As far as she was concerned she was better off than they were.

But still, she couldn't help but to yearn for something better. Ratata once brought in a CD called "Music of the Elder" by some American rockband called Kiss, it was the one thing she could have sold at a pawnshop but after listening to it she decided instead to keep it.

The songs were about this tiny insignificant person who was granted unbelievable power and had no idea what to do with it. The opening song "The oath" had a middle section where the person sees all those things he now is capable off and wonders if this is really him. Songs like that one made Jamie question that to herself, she knew what was out there but would she still be herself?

So much for life and even though it could be better, she was content with what she had.

Meanwhile were Ash, Misty and Brock nearing Azure city, Ash proudly looked at the badges he had earned so far while underway to the Johto league. This was the life, travelling and battling, he wouldn't want to trade it for anything in the world.

"So Misty, have you finally looked up what kind of pokémon you really are?" Ash asked the redhead walking next to him. "According to that fake book you were a Gyarados but what are you according to the real one?"

"Fortunately, the real book was a lot nicer." Misty began. "It said that I was a Marrill-type, smart, witty and lovable."

"AND Marrill-types are also big crybabies!" Brock laughed.

"Who are you calling a crybaby?" Misty roared while retrieving her mallet. "And besides, I as a Marrill-type, am still better off than you are!"

"Oh really, then what kind of type is Brock?" Ash asked while dragging Misty away from Brock. Misty then began to smile evilly.

"Mr. Crybaby here is a Grimer-type, mushy, boring, and slow." Misty laughed. "I also looked up your type Ash, you are a Bulbasaur type, strong, stubborn and dense but also faithful and loyal."

"We also looked up Gary's type and according to the book he's a Cubone-type, which makes him selfish, ego-centric and resentful." Brock smiled before sighing "I guess the one who wrote it did his homework because all the descriptions match perfectly."

"Yeah, now it makes me wonder what kind James really is, he went through the roof when he thought he was a Moltres-type." Ash laughed while thinking back to that day. "Given what a loser he is, he'll probably be a Magicarp or some other useless pokémon."

"Let's stop here for a while and have lunch." Brock suggested.

"No objections." Misty smiled "The book doesn't say anything about the gastronomical qualities or Grimer-types but we know from fact that you are an excellent cook."

But while our heroes sat down and opened up their stuff, two red eyes eyed their every move.

"Officer Jenny, oh can't you see, you can lock me up and never let me go. Nurse Joy, my diagnosis is bad when I see you I don't know who." Brock sang while getting out the ingredients he needed for preparing the meal he and his friends were going to devour.

"Okay, Misty and I will get the firewood you want." Ash spoke up when he and Misty let their bags down and walking off into the forest. But as soon as they were gone, four tiny feet rushed towards the bags and opened one of them and looked inside.

"Psy?" Psyduck didn't know what to make of this, all of a sudden he found himself facing a Ratata sniffling through his mistress' personal belongings. Curiosity finding the better of him Psyduck decided to keep an eye on the rodent.

The thief worked quickly and silently, never paying much attention to that big dumb Psyduck that just came out of it's pokéball. What would he take with him this time, there were many options. This human female was just about the size of his own mistress so maybe he would take some clothing with him. And what was this book about?

"Psy-ai-ai-aieee-Duck!" Psyduck quacked angrily to the Ratata when he saw it take off with some of Misty's belongings. Psyduck quietly followed the Ratata towards a bush.

"Well done Ratata." Psyduck heard somebody say, when moving in closer he saw a human female, roughly about the same age as his own mistress collecting the things that just had been stolen from Misty and putting them in a bag. The Ratata then went off again with Psyduck following silently.

The bag of the human male was a piece of cake to open and once again the options were great. What was this for example?

"Duck!" Psyduck growled when he saw the Ratata emerge from Ash's backpack, once again carrying various items that were not meant to be with him.

"Okay, well done Ratata." Psyduck heard the human female say, she was without a doubt collecting what the Ratata had taken from Ash and putting it in her own bag. "Two down one to go." He heard her say, probably referring to Brock. This was the last draw, enough was enough, no more Mr. nice Psyduck.

"PSY-DUCK!" Psyduck shouted while blocking the Ratata's way. No way he would allow that filthy thief to steal from his mistress' friends again.

"Ratata?" Ratata didn't expect to find a witness to the crimes he just committed, let alone a witness who was ready to battle with him. But if that stupid aquatic bird wanted to fight him this much then he would happily oblige.

Psyduck wasted no time, the anger had given him a major headache. When the Ratata jumped at him and was about to use it's hyper-fang attack Psyduck used a powerful counter attack which send Ratata to flying off. Psyduck looked at the Ratata's rapid departure, he had to think twice before attempting to steal from his friends again.

All good and well but there were still items stolen, how could he tell his Mistress and her friends about that?

"Ratata, are you alright?" Jamie rushed over to the spot where her Ratata had come down. Strange, she never heard a trainer call out to attack her pokémon and normally a domesticated pokémon would never attack from itself, so what happened back there?

Suddenly Jamie heard voices, the girl and the boy were returning to the campsite. Curiosity getting the better of her she moved a little closer. But there was another thing she didn't notice before, a pokémon, a Psyduck to be precise. Jamie knew about Psyducks, there lived a few wild ones by the lake to the south of the city, Psyducks usually were harmless and were never too bright but this Psyduck looked different, this Psyduck looked straight at her and it looked angry.

Fear filled Jamie's heart, no doubt about it this was the pokémon who had attacked her Ratata. But it did so without an order of its trainer, what kind of pokémon would do that?

"Say Ash could you give me the bread?" Brock asked Ash.

"Right up Brock." Came the reply when Ash walked over to his backpack.

"Come on Psyduck, its supper time." Misty said while walking towards her pokémon. Psyduck looked around and faced it's mistress, how could he tell her what happened?

"Say Misty, do you know where my Swiss army knife is?" Ash spoke up while rummaging through his backpack.

"I have no idea Ash, I don't go through your items." Misty replied while returning psyduck into his pokéball. "Please hurry with the bread, the supper is almost ready."

"Hey where's the bread?" Ash wondered aloud while turning his backpack inside out "I would swear that I had it here… Hey, where's that picture I always have with me?"

"What picture Ash?" Misty inquired.

"Oh errr nothing important." Ash blubbered, he would never admit to her that it was a picture of her at the maiden's peak festival, she looked so angelic in her kimono at that time. Ash had been travelling with her for almost three years now and his view on her had changed, Misty reminded him of his mother, always keeping him on his toes. Misty was the kind of woman he could envision to be married with someday.

Uh-oh, the people she had stolen from began to notice that their belongings were gone, this was the moment for Jamie to get lost. Silently but fast at the same time she made her way away from the campsite and headed back to her hide out.

When arriving there Jamie turned the loot bag over and looked at what Ratata had taken with him. Again according to the usual there was nothing worth any money. But that didn't mean that what was there wasn't without value, Bread so they had something to eat, a Swiss army knife always came in handy, a girl's bathing suit and underwear, finally some new clothing and a book she could read. Jamie petted her Ratata in gratitude

Jamie looked intrigued at the cover of the book. "Diary of Misty Waterflower" it read. This was no doubt from that Redhead. What would be in there?

Wait, there was something else in the bag. A picture, a picture of the redhead, taken no doubt at some summer festival, she actually looked cute in that kimono. The one who owned that picture surely had some really deep feelings towards her.

Jamie suddenly felt guilty, a diary and a picture, normally she would never think of the people she stole from but these items were very different, these items were very personal, the girl to whom this diary belonged probably had opened her soul and jotted down her deepest feelings.

And then the picture, that boy had a serious crush on the girl pictured, the fact that he treasured a mere picture of her showed clearly that he didn't have the courage to tell her. Jamie could almost feel the love vibrating from the picture, love from a boy towards a girl and the look on the pictured girl's eyes told her that that love was mutual. She knew that look, the picture of her parents, they looked the same way in that picture.

"Ratata, why are you doing this to me?" Jamie sighed while looking at her Ratata who was peacefully asleep on the couch. What was Ratata's motive for making her feel so guilty, why would he refuse to steal something she could make money on?

Jamie sighed and started up her CD player, choosing a song which matched her mood the best and opening up the diary.

When you don't know what you're after or if someone's after you, when you don't know why, you don't in a world without heroes."

Meanwhile several miles away from her little drama were the people whom Jamie stole from noticing that some of their items were gone.

"Where is my diary?" Misty muttered while turning her backpack inside out. A few pieces of her underwear and her bathing suit were also gone. Okay, she could understand that one can overlook an item like a book but underwear wouldn't vanish by itself. Would one of the guys have taken it from her?

Brock maybe? Nah, girl crazy as he was, he never showed any interest in her, probably because he saw that she had given her heart to Ash.

So would that make Ash the thief? God forbid, she wouldn't dare to think what she would do if that were true. No, it couldn't be true Ash never would have the indecency to do such a thing. Although it did made her feel quite naughty to think that Ash would fantasize about her while rummaging through her underwear.

"To-ge, to-ge-preeee." Togepi chirped while walking over to its surrogate mother. It clearly saw that something was bothering her.

"Come here Togepi." Misty spoke while lifting the egg pokémon up and cradling it. "Mommy is feeling a bit sad."

Ash turned around and looked at Misty, so there were some of her items gone too. God she looked so beautiful when cradling Togepi. It didn't take much to imagine her with a baby. Ash rummaged though his jacket and brought out a picture, a picture of his mother holding him when he was a baby. That caring look, Misty's eyes were full of love when she had her caring look on her face.

Ash had it bad for Misty but was it mutual? They surely argued a lot but none of their arguments was ever hurtful. So was it mutual, Ash thought back at the first time he met her, she pulled him and Pikachu from the river, talk about a silly way to meet someone. He then took her bicycle to get away from a huge flock of spearrow, she later turned up at the Pokémon center. First she was mad but when he told her what happened she began to look very different, the very first time that he saw that caring look in her eyes.

That caring look, she would go through hell and high water for him, she nursed him and Tracey back to health when they were poisoned by a Vileplume, she was the one who rescued him from the sea when Lugia crash landed. So was it mutual, yes he had all the reason to believe that it was. She had given him all kinds of signs to tell him, too bad that he was too chickened to give some back to her.

"Why should anything so easy ever be so hard to do?" Ash wondered while stroking Pikachu's head.

"Pi-kaaaah?"

But not too far away from their campsite were three pairs of eyes spying on them. Jessie, James and Meowth deserved an award for stubbornness, no matter how many times they were defeated or blasted off, they continued to keep on trying to steal Ash Ketchum's prized Pikachu. What was Ketchum's secret, how on earth did he manage to get his pikachu so powerful?

Not just Pikachu, all of Ketchum's pokémon were of amazing strength. Look at the Charmander that Ketchum took under his wing as it was abandoned by it's old trainer, that Charmander, at the time at the verge of dying evolved into one formidable Charizard. The three Team rocket members shivered at the memories of humiliation after humiliation brought onto them by Ketchum's Charizard. Luckily for them, that Charizard left Ketchum to stay with its fellow Charizards in the Charicific valley.

But did that event made it easier to steal from Ketchum and his two right hands? No way, because when they wouldn't get fried by Pikachu, they were whipped by his Bulbasaur, cut down to size by his Chicorita, bitten by his Totodile, pecked by his Noctowl, baked by his Cindaquil, slammed by his Heracross or run over by his Tauros.

"It's time we take a stand, dis can't go on like dis. Ah'm using up mah nine lives." The talking Meowth spoke to his two human teammates. "Any suggestions on something we haven't tried yet?"

"Meowth is right." The strawberry blonde young woman sighed. "We tried everything short of murder to steal that Pikachu but none of our plans have worked."

"Woh-buh-fet!" Wobbuffet agreed.

"Oh how I long to have my Lickytunge back." Jessie sighed. "Our pokémon are no match for theirs."

"Yes, when we say 'Prepare for trouble' the trouble we are talking about is the trouble we'll be in." The young man with the blue hair sadly agreed.

"One thing we haven't tried before is talking with them instead of fighting." Jessie mumbled "But it probably wouldn't work anyway."

"Yeah, just look at dem twoip, he doesn't undahstand pokémon language, but Ah do." Meowth sighed while peering at the yellow electric rodent. "Pikachu really loves her trainah and wouldn't stop at anything tah be by his side."

"Wait a minute, did you say 'her'? " James spoke when Meowth finished his sentence. "Is that Pikachu a female."

"Yeah, did ya nevah notice dat?" Meowth asked James.

"To be honest both of us didn't know." James spoke with Jessie nodding in agreement. "But now that you have told us what gender Pikachu is, we might have a chance." James smiled smugly while grabbing a pokéball. "Victreebell, I choose you!"

"Ayieeeeeeeee!" The Venus flytrap pokémon shrieked when it appeared from it's pokéball and snapping at its master.

Meanwhile in her hideout was Jamie losing herself in Misty's diary.

Boy, talk about leading an adventurous life, this Redhead was everything she was not. Maybe it was the right thing to return this book to her, to close up this chapter of her life and move on.

But how, how could she face the people she had stolen from, they would turn her in at the nearest police station. Could she really face justice for the crimes she committed? Worse so, could she face her parents again?

"Ratata?" Jamie's Ratata walked over when seeing her worried face.

"Ratata, I have made a decision, tomorrow we'll leave this life behind us." Jamie spoke while shutting the diary. "It will be tough but as tough as it will be, it won't be as tough as it has been." Jamie looked at her Ratata and smiled. "Think of it Ratata, we'll be travelling, doing battles and enjoy life instead of fighting for our lives as we do now."

As Jamie undressed and made herself ready for the night, she quietly thanked Misty, the girl she never actually met. The door was open for a new start all she had to do is walk through it. As Jamie slumbered off she never saw the content smile of Ratata.

"Pineco!" Brock's Pineco spoke while doing his morning routines with his master. Brock was a patient trainer and Pineco really liked him, the only problem was how to express that, since the only thing he could do is explode.

"Well…" Brock coughed while putting Pineco down. "I'm beginning to get used to this…"

"Strange, I wonder where our stuff has gone to." Ash muttered while packing his bags again. "It just can't vanish on its own, can it?"

"Yes, it must be stolen." Misty agreed "But who would have stolen it, certainly not Team Rocket since they would have automatically gone for our pokéballs or our valuables."

"And the strangest thing is that nothing is missing from my bags." Brock spoke while packing up his stuff. "It appears that the thief didn't have the time or the opportunity to steal from my bags. What do you two think, should we visit a police station to report this theft?"

Misty looked at Ash, should they report this to the police? Ash looked back at her as if to say "Reporting the vanishing of a picture, a diary, some underwear and a loaf of bread?" They both nodded at each other in agreement.

"No, why should we report the theft of such insignificant objects." Ash sighed. "Officer Jenny wouldn't take us seriously."

"Erm… Excuse me." A voice suddenly spoke, making our heroes turn their heads. There stood a girl, black hair, dark eyes and roughly Misty's age. A Ratata sitting on her shoulder.

"Oh no, excuse ME. Excuse me for not having introduced myself to you." Brock blabbered while walking over to her and grabbing her hands. "My name is Brock, Pewter City gym leader and aspirant pokémon breeder. Please tell me what is such a ray of sunshine doing in this dark forest?"

"Searching shelter from creeps like you might be the answer to that question." Misty grumbled while grabbing Brock by his ear and dragging him away from the girl. But as she turned away, there was some movement from her backpack.

"PSY-DUCK!" Psyduck growled while walking over to the girl.

Jamie froze in fear, that Psyduck came out of its pokéball on its own. Misty's dairy had mentioned Psyduck a couple of times. This was no pokémon to have an argument with.

"Psyduck what are you doing?" Misty asked her pokémon but Psyduck didn't listen. Instead he just charged the girl. And pulling her skirt down.

Jamie screamed, Ash looked away, Misty looked shocked, what did Psyduck just do and why?

"OOOOOOOOH, this is far more than I could ever ask for!" Brock blubbered. "Thank you God for letting me live to see this!"

"BROCK, GET A GRIP WILL YOU!" Misty shouted before returning her attention to Psyduck. "Psyduck, you have a lot of explaining to do."

"Psy!" Psyduck quacked angrily while pointing to the panties the girl was wearing. Misty's eyes went large, those panties, they were her own.

"Okay, who are you and why are you wearing my underwear?" Misty growled while taking the skirt from Psyduck and throwing it back to it's owner. Jamie looked at Misty's angry eyes and meekly nodded but before she could speak two other voices spoke up.

"Prepare for trouble."

"And make that double."

"To protect the world from third rate thieves."

"Who take their loot in a bag, brown as autumn leaves."

"To denounce the guilt of a girl with raven hair."

"Who we just happen to catch in her underwear."

Jessie stepped into view wearing a stereotypical thief outfit. "Jessie."

James joined her wearing similar attire. "James."

"Team Rocket is the real deal, when we steal we do it right."

"The law will never catch us when we take off in the night."

"Meowth, try as they might!" The Feline pokémon added. "Well look at dis, three twoips and a thief. Nevah undahestimate da intelligence of a pokémon, sweet cheeks." Meowth sneered at Jamie.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Ash asked while looking at that strange girl who apparently was the one responsible for the disappearance of the items.

"You really don't undahstand it, do you?" Meowth sneered. "Let me explain, dis goil robbed us a couple a' days ago. Me, Jess and Jim fought about who had searched through who's belongings. Aftah we came to da conclusion dat none of us did it we realized dat we had been robbed."

"So Meowth asked some local pokémon on what they saw." Jessie joined in. "And they told him about a human female using a Ratata to search through other peoples' bags."

"A Pidgeotto then told him that she was stealing from somebody else." James spoke up. "When we arrived at the spot we saw the Ratata searching through your bags. We even saw Psyduck battling the Ratata."

"And dat's why dat boid came out and charged hoir." Meowth finished. "Psyduck recognized hoir."

"Psy!" Psyduck quacked as if to say. "Indeed!"

"But dere's one thing even Ah don't undahstand, why doesn't your Ratata steal valuable things, it only steals crap." Meowth turned to the Ratata. "Well den, explain yahself, Ah will translate."

"Ratata!, rata, ratatata, rat-rat-ta-ta!" Ratata spoke up while looking angrily at Meowth. "Rat-ta-tat-a, ratatatatata-ta!"

"Ah, so you refused to steal anything yah mistress would make some cash on because you didn't want hoir to end up in prison. You knew dat she would eventually would go back tah society." Meowth snickered. "Very noble but why was she returning tah da scene of da crime?"

"Rat-ta-TA, Rat-tat-tat-tat-ta-ta, rata, rata, ratata!" Ratata replied.

Jamie looked at Ratata in admiration, so that's why it refused to steal something she could make money on. Misty looked at Jamie and suddenly she understood, when Jamie looked up she smiled and winked at her.

"Hey if hoir parents have abandoned hoir, it's not mah problem." Meowth sneered. "So what if she was about tah return the items she stole. Nobody steals from Team Rocket and gets away with it."

"Right, if it comes to stealing, there will be nobody but us who does it!" James spoke while grabbing a pokéball. "Victreebell, I choose you!"

"AYYIIIEEEEEE!" The Venus flytrap pokémon shrieked before lunging at its master.

"WILL YOU LET GO OF ME AND USE YOUR PHEROMONE SCENT ATTACK!" James shouted while freeing himself. "Meowth, could you ask Victreebell why he keeps on doing that?"

"Ah already know Jimmy-boy but ah ain't gonna tell you." Meowth snickered.

The mouth of the Victreebell opened and an eery mist of strange smelling damp began to spread.

"Oh no, don't let this be what I think it is." Brock noted worryingly.

"What do you think it is Brock?" Misty asked. "It's not stun spore isn't it?"

"No, it's not stun spore but I fear that it might be worse than that." Brock spoke while keeping a close eye on his pokéballs. "Ash, I have no time to explain but you have to run!"

"What for, what is going on?" Ash asked in full surprise but it was already too late, Pikachu turned its nose towards the scent. And leaped from Ash's shoulder.

"PI-KAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Pikachu shouted in joy while making it's way to the Victreebell.

"PIKACHU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ash called out but Pikachu didn't turn around. Ash wanted to run after Pikachu but a sudden motion on his belt stopped him.

POPS! "CHI-COOOOOO!"

"Chicorta?" Ash asked out loud while the leaf pokémon joined Pikachu at the foot of the Victreebell. Misty looked shocked, what was going on and then there was a motion coming from her backpack.

POPS! "GOLLLLDEEEEEEEEN! Goldeen, goldeen, goldeen." The goldfish pokémon jumped from the backpack and hopped towards the victreebell.

POPS! "HEYAH!" Staryu jumped to freedom and joined the goldeen.

"Goldeen, Staryu, no!" Misty shouted in shock. This was getting bizarre.

Brock sighed in dispair and grabbed the pokéball of his Vulpix and squeezing it tight but to no avail. POPS! And Vulpix joined the club at the Victreebell.

"Hooray, we did it!" Jessie shouted while hugging James and doing a little victory dance around the Victreebell and the sedated pokémon which were surrounding it. "Well thought out James, we finally did it! This plan had no flaws."

"Finally we did something right." James hollered while looking at the pokémon which were cradling and making satisfied moans at Victrebell's base.

POPS! "CHAAAARRRRRRRRRBOOOOOOK!" Jessie's Arbok came from its pokéball and cradled round the Victreebell.

"Whoops, Ah think dat you gonna have tah take dat back Jessie, it seems tah me dat Arbok isn't immune to it."

"Brock, tell us, what kind of weapon is this?" Ash shouted while shaking Brock.

"Yes and why aren't all our pokémon affected by this?" Misty added. "Come to think of it, why is Jessie's Arbok affected?"

"Listen, when I was working with you-know-who at Valencia Island, I learned about a special attack from a Victreebell called pheromone scent, victreebell mimics the mating scent of male Pokémon and in doing so it draws in female pokémon." Brock began. "You-know-who, told me that victreebells use this to both have an active line of defence and a live stock of food. The reason why it only works on females is to keep the birthrate at a reasonable level. This way, Victreebell gets his food and keeps several species of pokémon from overpopulation."

"Can't we recall them?" Misty asked while grabbing a pokéball.

"No chance Misty, as long as they are under influence of the scent, they'll see us as enimies." Brock clarified. "Battling them would also be a bad idea, they will work together to protect the Victreebell."

"Besides, Pikachu is my strongest pokémon, not even Bulbasaur would stand a chance." Ash shivered, what was he supposed to do?

Jamie stood up and faced Team Rocket, what could she do, she came to Ash, Misty and Brock to give back their belongings and start a new life but Team rocket blocked her, just like everybody else had blocked her before. What could she possibly do?

And then she knew it. She nodded to Ratata, one more theft was about to be made, for old times sakes.

"MY PIKACHU! GIVE ME BACK MY PIKACHU!" Ash yelled at Team rocket, who playfully stuck out their tongues to him in reply. Pikachu, was this really the end? Whenever Ash neared Pikachu, she would growl at him, no trace of recognition in her eyes. Jessie's Arbok raised herself up behind Pikachu and opened her mouth ready to shoot poison stings at him.

"ASH NO!" Misty shouted while leaping towards Ash and pushing him out of harms way. Both of them smacked hard against the ground and ended up on top of each other, blushing heavily when they got up again.

"Well what do yah know, da two of dem are lovahs aftah all." Meowth laughed while Brock ran to his friends to aid them.

"Come on, let's get the pokémon into the balloon and leave." Jessie laughed. "The boss won't believe his eyes when he sees this loot."

"Right you are, Victreebell make them enter the balloon." James ordered victoriously. "It feels so damn good to win after all those defeats."

"AYIEEEEE!" Victreebell shrieked and followed its master, the influenced pokémon meekly coming with it.

"Hey, where is da balloon?" Meowth asked while looking around. "We did leave it here didn't we?"

"Searching for something?" A voice called out from right above them, making Team Rocket and their Pokémon alike looking up. "Now the tables have turned, your balloon has been stolen by me, the third rate thief in her underwear."

"Oh no, you won't!" James shouted angrily at Jamie while tossing a pokéball. "Weezing, attack!"

"Ratata, hyper-fang!" Jamie ordered before Ratata leaped from her shoulder and charged the weezing.

"Weezing, sludge attack!" James shouted, Weezing shot out a piece of blubber but Ratata dodged it and unleashed its full fury on the Weezing, biting and scratching it as much as possible. Weezing, weakened by the blows and the wounds they caused lost consciousness and started to go down.

"AYIEEEEEEE!" Victreebell shouted seconds before Weezing crashed on top of it with a loud thud. Ratata proudly landed on its feet and looked at the pokémon it just defeated. And then it suddenly began to shine with a bright light.

"RATATA! RATATA, RATATAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Ratata shouted proudly when its body began to glow with energy.

"Ratata?" Jamie asked surprised at what was happening.

"Look at that, Ratata is evolving." Ash observed while he and Misty stood up.

"RATICAAAAAAATEEEEEEEEEE!" Jamie's freshly evolved Raticate shouted while charging Victreebell, knocking it out and in doing so breaking the influence it had on the pokémon.

"Well done Raticate, I'll take it from here!" Jamie shouted. "Hey there, recall your pokémon quick!"

"Got it!" Ash yelled back while he, Misty and Brock called back their pokémon. "Thanks!"

"Uh-oh, this is not good." Jessie shivered.

"I don't like this." James agreed.
"Neither do Ah." Meowth added.

"And now, fire the net." Jamie shouted while pushing a button from the basket of the balloon. A net shot out and closed around the Team Rocket members.

"Dis is no faih, we were so close tah winning." Meowth complained.

"I told you this plan stunk." Jessie grumbled.

"No victory for Victreebell and no victory for us." James sighed.

"Thank you for your help, err… what's your name?" Ash spoke to Jamie when she landed the balloon.

"Jamie, and you must be Ash." Jamie smiled nervously. "Here, I brought you your picture back." Jamie spoke while handing Ash an envelope. "I'm the one who stole your stuff and I am here to return it." She explained.

"Don't worry Jamie, we understand your position perfectly. And not just because of Meowth's translation, we know a boy who had trained his Farfedged to steal pokémon." Misty smiled. "Luckily your Ratata, I mean Raticate has a cleaner soul than his farfedged."

"The fact that you came back to return our items also shows that you aren't evil yourself." Ash added. "Now listen, from what I understand, your parents have erased you from their existence and you had to steal to live, is that right?" Jamie nodded sadly. "Stealing is a punishable offence so we'll have to take you to the police station." Jamie gasped while Misty and Brock looked at Ash in upper amazement.

"But how can you do this after she has helped us?" Misty blubbered, her heart shrinking.

"Don't worry Misty." Ash smiled. "I meant that thievery is punishable and who are the biggest thieves in the area?"

"Who… Might he be talking about us?" Jessie blubbered.

"Not good…" James muttered.

"Exactly and that's why we'll take Jamie to the police station so she can turn you guys in to claim the reward that's on your heads." Ash smiled at Jamie "I'm sure that will keep you alive and well for a while."

"Thank you Ash, I… I don't know what to say." Jamie blubbered, Raticate smiling broadly.

"Oh Ash, I was right about you from the moment we met. If I had the courage I would…" Misty began. But Ash silenced her by putting his finger on her lips.

"Why don't you summon the courage Misty?" Ash whispered, Misty had let her guard down. And now he offered the relieve she so desperately craved, relieve of the confusion and the doubts she had about how he felt about her.

"Alright then, get into my arms big boy!" Misty laughed while throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Ash answered the embrace with just as much fire as she did.

Jamie looked at the young love that had been growing for quite some time, if she would believe what Misty's dairy said, which had finally bloomed. So this was love, the love she never witnessed her parents sharing, the kind of love she had missed in her life.

"Thank you Raticate, for granting me this second chance." Jamie spoke while hugging Raticate.

"Hey, let go of me, we didn't steal anything. Well not today anyway." Jesse shouted while several police officers were shoving her in a cell. "I hate jail cells, they always have a serious lack of class."

"Oh well, at least it has a decent bed and we don't have to sleep out in the cold." James sighed.

"Glad tah see someone who sees da positive side of this mess." Meowth grumbled.

"Well done young lady, we have been trying to capture these two for quite a while." Officer Jenny spoke to Jamie when her fellow police officers were locking Team Rocket away. "Your reward will be taken care of right at the moment of speaking. You will get a little fortune for capturing these two, do you mind if I ask you what you plan to do with it?"

"Not at all officer, when we were making our way to the station, my friends told me about the Johto League and I'm planning to use it…" Jamie began but was interrupted when a hand was laid on her shoulder.

"Jamie, is that really you?" a female voice spoke, when Jamie turned around, she saw her mother standing there. "It is you, Velma told me that she saw you walking towards the police station. I missed you so much." Before Jamie could speak, her mother hugged her, but Jamie got wise, this was no hug of true love, this was a selfish hug.

"Mom, let me go."

"Oh Jamie, oh Jamie, I missed you so much, it has been so long!" Jamie's mother cried false tears Jamie knew.

"Mom let me go."

"You never know the hardship I have been through when you left, please come back with me." Jamie had heard enough, she inhaled deeply and let it all go.

"MOM, LET ME GO!" she screamed causing her mother to let her go and cowering. Officer Jenny stood up but Jamie made a signal at her to leave her. "Want to talk about hardship, okay then, how about this: I have been living on the street for several years because of your destructive lifestyle. What do you think it's like to come back from school and finding the whole house trashed when you once again had one of your alcohol fueled frenzies. Did you ever had to sleep in a bed which was wet by your lovers urine. I don't believe you had it as hard as I did. I was the one you whipped with a belt, I was the one who had to flee, I nearly starved a couple of time when I started living as a runnaway. The only one who supported me through all this and was there for me no matter what was my pokémon Raticate."

"Please listen to me I…" Jamie's mother pleaded but she might as well be talking to a brick wall.

"SILENCE!" Jamie roared. "As I was saying, you were the one who was happy living this way so don't give me that crap about 'I missed you" because you didn't. And don't EVER tell me that you love me, because you are not. I have witnessed true love, the love that binds people for life not the selfish kind of love you and dad had, it was all a lie. You didn't love dad, you don't love me, the only thing you DO love is alcohol." Jamie searched through her pocket and brought up a picture, the wedding picture of her parents. "Recognize this?"

Jamie's mother nodded.

"This is the item that I always cherished, a bitter reminder of how my life could have been." Jamie then started to tear it up. "I don't need it anymore. I am independent." Jamie huffed.

"Madam, I believe that we have something to talk about." Officer Jenny spoke coldly while walking over. As you might know, child neglect and child abuse are punishable offences. I'm afraid that you have to remain here until we know more about this.

"I'll be more than happy to testify against her." Jamie sneered while leaving the room, and breaking down as soon as she was out of sight.

"Jamie, are you okay?" Misty asked while catching up with her, when Jamie looked up she smiled at Misty.

In all those years on the street, Jamie never cried, never let things get to her and now she sobbed, releasing the tears that had been locked away for so long. But it was not just sadness for the loss of the life she never was allowed to live, it was more the water of cleansing, the water which washed away the dirt from her soul, the water of rebirth.

"I don't know if I'm alright." Jamie whispered. "It hurt so much to face her but it also freed me, I no longer have to live the way I did. And I am not yet comfortable with that concept."

"Give yourself some time, nobody said that you could do that overnight." Ash smiled.

"Let's get the reward and have dinner first." Brock suggested. "Take it from us that having a full stomach will help you decide on where to go next."

The next week found our heroes and Jamie just outside the city. Their ways about to part, Jamie looked very different when wearing new clothes and having a healthy blush on her face. After having cleaned up her bunker, Jamie sought contact with Professor Elm in Newbark town, arrangements were made and Jamie was about to embark on her own pokémon journey but much more, a journey to her new life.

"So I guess that this is goodbye." Jamie sadly smiled. "I wanted to thank you guys, for all you did for me, I still would be living in that bunker being forced to steal just to stay alive if I didn't meet you."

"You have to thank your Raticate." Ash smiled while petting Raticate. "He loves you so much that he granted you the chance to change your act."

"That's right Ash but it also was that picture of Misty he stole from you and Misty's diary which inspired me to make this move." Jamie smiled while hugging Raticate. "I returned both items to the both of you but be honest, do you still need them?"

Ash, Misty and Brock looked at Jamie in misunderstanding. Jamie giggled.

"You don't fool me, when the two of you hugged, there was this explosion of love, you don't need the diary and the picture anymore to direct your love at since the two of you have each other within reach." Ash and Misty began to blush. "Bye now, I have to go and I'm sure we'll meet up someday! Ash and Misty sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" Jamie teasingly sang while running off.

Ash, Misty and Brock waved at her while she ran off into the distance. Ash and Misty looked each other in the eyes and nodded, Jamie was right, they didn't need the diary and the picture to direct their love at, instead they would cherish them as a reminder of how they finally hooked up.

"Ah this is all good and well." Brock laughed "And I know for sure that it won't be long until I will have a young lady at my side."

"Oh and where do you base that theory on?" Misty asked suspiciously.

"Hey if someone as hopeless as Ash can succeed in doing so then so can I."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING HOPELESS?" Ash shouted while Brock laughed and ran away. "Come back here!"

Jamie looked around and saw her newly found friends playfully fight with each other. She owed them much but much more then that she had to thank herself, for being so ridged, for never giving in to temptations, for bringing up that baby Ratata. Yes, the person she had to thank most was herself. Jamie got out her newly bought CD walkman and started up the Kiss CD she had kept for all those years, playing the very last song.

Where would their path lead to, Jamie and Raticate didn't know but for now they didn't worry about it. They learned how to cope with it.