Part 1

Starting Over 

A/N: This is probably going to be the only disclaimer in the entire series, so there might be a bit of a spoiler in here. I own Imato and all the gyms/towns/landmarks in it! I own most of the people too. Penny, Dee, and Haley all own themselves and hopefully will be flattered that I used them in my fic (and hopefully don’t mind that I neglected to get permission first ^_^;). As far as I can tell, I own Viridian Department Store because it wasn’t in the games and I don’t think it was in the show. Plus I own the new Pokedex design, but not the old versions. Take THAT, Nintendo! But unfortunately, I don’t own Pokemon or Team Rocket. If I did, Ash would suffer a most painful fate…*snickers wickedly*

“You WHAT?” the Boss yelled in astonishment.

“We quit,” James repeated slowly so the Boss would be sure to understand.

“What? WHY?” he spluttered. “But…Project Pikachu…your assignment….”

“We don’t care about the assignment,” Jessie replied. “We’re going straight.”

“No more crime for us!” Meowth added.

“Fine,” the Boss said. He quickly wrote out some checks. “Here’s your severance pay…now go. Out of my sight.”

“Yes sir,” the trio saluted Giovanni for the last time, then headed out the door.

Jessie, James, and Meowth were walking to the Viridian City Pokemon Center when they heard a voice behind them. “Hey! Wait up!”

The three stopped dead in their tracks as a curly-haired blonde ran up to them.

“Do you mind if I go with you?” Domino asked. “I quit Team Rocket as soon as I heard about you guys. I’m going straight too. So can I come?”

Jessie looked shocked. “Why would you want to come with us?”

“I thought you thought we was losers,” added Meowth.

“Please!” begged Domino.

“Sure,” James said cheerfully.

“So where to?” asked Domino, falling into step next to them.

“We’re going to the Pokemon Center,” explained Jessie. “We need to make a phone call.”

The foursome walked into the Pokecenter and headed to the phone. Jessie dug some change out of her pocket and dialed the Oak Laboratory in Pallet Town

“Hello?” asked Professor Oak.

“Professor, we need some help.”

“Why should I help you?” he asked, recognizing Jessie and James.

“We quit Team Rocket,” explained James over the videophone. “We need you to tell us where there’s a league that we haven’t been to- one where we can start over. One where they don’t know our record. We’re becoming trainers.”

Professor Oak’s jaw dropped. “WHAT?”

“Yeah, that’s what our boss said when we quit,” said Jessie. “So will you help us?”

“Well, there is Imato. It’s north of Kanto. Go to Pewter City and take Route 58; it’s north of town. After a while, you’ll arrive in the first town of Imato- Opal Town. I’ll call Professor Birch and let him know you’ll be coming.” Prof. Oak looked at them skeptically. “And you’ll want to buy some new clothes, too.”

“Thanks, Professor,” said Domino.

“Goodbye,” he said.

“Bye!” the four chorused. Jessie and James had their Pokemon healed and they headed off to the department store. They bought healing items for their Pokemon, some Pokeballs, and clothes. An hour later, they emerged from the store. Jessie was wearing a green button-down shirt that matched her earrings, black stretch pants, and mid-calf black boots. Domino was wearing khaki jeans, sneakers, a red T-shirt, and her old hat. James was wearing a black turtleneck shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. The four of them set off for Pewter City and Route 58.

Three hours later…

“Jessie, I’m hungry!” whined James. She malleted him none too gently.

“James, we’re all hungry,” she said wearily. “But we’re almost there. We can eat when we get to Pewter.”

Domino read a nearby sign. “Half a mile to Pewter City!” she called out.

“You know, we remind me of the twerps,” James said. “There’s three of us and a Pokemon that refuses to get into a Pokeball. But it’s two girls and one boy instead of two boys and a girl.”

Meowth Fury Swiped him. “I do NOT want to heah dat comparison again!” he shouted.

“Yeah, we’re so much cooler than they’ll ever be!” added Domino. “We have looks, fashion sense, style, brains…” she glanced at James getting scratched by Meowth. “Well, maybe not quite so much brains…”

“We’re here!” Jessie sang out. “Welcome to Pewter City, boys and girls!” She led them through the town at top speed, chattering about what they’d do in Imato. “We’ll get every badge that place has to offer!”

Domino smiled. “Hey, why don’t you and James battle as a team? That’s how you work best anyway.”

“Hey, you’re right!” James said. “But you don’t mind battling alone?”

She laughed. “Course not. I’ll do fine once I get some Pokemon.”

Jessie dragged then to Route 58.

“Jessie, I thought we were going to get food!” wailed James. She pulled a granola bar out of her black backpack and threw it at him. “Here, enjoy. We don’t have time to stop.”

“But Jessie…” James whined, giving her puppy-dog eyes.

“NO.”

“Jessie…”

“NO!”

Domino burst out laughing.

Five miles of infantile whining and sore feet later, the gang had arrived at Prof. Birch’s lab in Opal Town. Jessie explained the situation over dinner, which the professor had kindly provided for them.

“So let me get this straight. You each need a Pokedex and trainers’ license, and Domino needs a Pokemon. No problem,” Prof. Birch said, standing up. “Domino, I have three starters you can choose from. There is Eevee, Dratini, and Houndour. All three have the potential to become extremely powerful Pokemon. What will it be?”

“I’ll take…” Domino hesitated. “The Eevee!” Professor Birch handed her Eevee’s Pokeball. She threw it, releasing a small Eevee.

“Eevee?” it asked. Domino instantly scooped it into her arms.

“Oh, you are so CUTE!” she exclaimed. Meowth picked up the empty Pokeball and started imitating Domino.

“Oh, you are so CUTE!” he screeched. Domino smacked him with a paper fan and recalled Eevee.

“Do you four need a place to stay for the night?” asked Birch. “You could stay at the lab and get started tomorrow.” They had finished dinner, so he took them to another room of the lab. Professor Birch handed them each a small red device that looked a lot like a Palm Pilot.

“This is the latest version of Pokedex,” he explained. “It’s your trainers’ license, identification, and it records data on all Pokemon you’ve seen or caught.”

“It’s a high-tech encyclopedia!” exclaimed James, mimicking Prof. Oak. He let out one of his insane giggles. Jessie whacked him across the face.

“Be serious!”

“I expect you want to know where your rooms are?” asked Birch. “Jessie and Domino have the first room to the left in the west hallway, and James will stay with Meowth across the hall.” He led them up to their rooms.

It was 10:00PM, and Jessie and Domino were having a good old sleepover-style girltalk session.

“You like James, don’t you?” Domino asked.

“No!” protested Jessie. “Okay…maybe a little…”

“I KNEW it!” she cried triumphantly. “I absolutely KNEW it!”

James knocked on the door. “Knew what?” he called through the wood. “I couldn’t help hearing you shouting.”

“Bet you could,” muttered Jessie. “Nothing!” she yelled loudly. “Just talking, it’s nothing.”

“Knew WHAT, Jess? Come on, tell me, please Jessie?” James begged. “Tell me!”

“He gossips like a schoolgirl,” whispered Domino.

“I know,” Jessie whispered back. “James, it’s nothing, now go to bed!”

“No!” he yelled back. “I’m not leaving until you tell me!”

“Think fast,” Domino hissed.

“Um, we knew that- that Oak would help us!” she called. “Yeah, that’s it.”

“I know you’re lying, Jessie,” he sang, “but I’ll let it slide because you’ll tell me soon enough.” The girls heard him walk away and slam the door.

“Don’t bet on it,” she mumbled, then pulled an exasperated face. “He’s always like that. He bugs you until he finds out what you’re hiding.”

“Ugh,” Domino replied. “How long have you known him again?”

“Seven years or so,” Jessie said. “Seems like forever.”

“How do you put up with it?”

Jessie shrugged. “I’m used to him.”

“AND you like him…” teased Domino.

The door swung open. “Caught you!” James yelled. “Now tell me what you knew!” Meowth followed him in.

“Hey, Jimmy, would ya keep it down?” asked Meowth. “I’m tryin’ ta sleep heah!”

“I won’t shut up until Jessie and Domino tell me what they knew,” he replied stubbornly. “I’m going to stay right here until one of them tells me.” He sat down on the floor and started to sing “Lucky Lucky.” “Kurabu de mitsuketa…” he began.

“Okay!” Jessie yelled. “That’s enough! I’ll tell!”

James smiled. “Yes?”

“The twerp lost at the Olivine Gym!”

He pouted. “Why wouldn’t you tell me? You KNEW I’d be happy to hear it!”

“I didn’t tell you because you’d get all excited and then you wouldn’t sleep all night and you’d be bouncing off the walls,” she lied. “I was going to tell you in the morning.”

He nodded. “I forgive you, Jess. See you in the morning.” He got up and walked out with Meowth, shutting the door behind him.

“I feel horrible about that,” she confessed.

“Why didn’t you just save time and tell him you like him?”

“Well, there are a couple reasons. First, Meowth was there and he can’t stand romance and emotional stuff. Second, you were there- no offense. Third, I don’t know if he feels the same way. And last, I have terminal RDS.”

“RDS?”

“It’s my Romance Defense System. Whenever I get into mushy situations, my RDS kicks in and I say something I shouldn’t and I completely ruin the moment. I’ve screwed up so many times that way!” Jessie moaned, pulling her pillow over her face. “AAGH!”

“We better get to bed,” Domino pointed out, pulling her blanket over her. “Night.”

Jessie rolled off her bed and pulled the covers down so she could get in. “Night,” she replied, switching off the light.

The next morning, the girls were awakened by someone pounding on their door. “Get up!” James yelled. “Come on, we have to get going!”

Jessie rolled over to check the clock. It was 7:30AM. “James, you KNOW I make a point not to get up before nine! Let me get my beauty sleep!”

He checked his watch. “Jessie, missing an hour and a half won’t kill you! Get up!”

“FINE!” she yelled. “I’m getting up!” She got out of bed and started fixing her hair. Domino did the same. Ten minutes later, they emerged looking like “their lovely charming selves.” The three of them dragged

Meowth out of his bed and went to breakfast.

Over breakfast with the Prof., they discussed the route they’d take.

“You take Route 59 out of town and follow it to Topaz City. That’s where the first gym is. The Gym Leader is Penny and she uses electric Pokemon.”

The ex-Rockets exchanged glances. “Electric Pokemon?” asked Meowth.

“Is there a problem with that?” asked the Professor.

All four of them laughed nervously. “Ehehehehe…it’s just that…” Jessie began.

“…We don’t have very good luck with electric-types,” James finished.

Prof. Birch nodded. “I see. Why not?”

“We just don’t get along with them,” Domino said.

“She wouldn’t happen to have a Pikachu, would she?” asked James.

“We have the worst luck with those,” added Jessie. “They tend to attack us.”

“Penny has an Elekid and a Jolteon, but that’s it. No Pikachu,” replied Birch.

All four of the ex-thieves looked relieved. “Good,” they all said.

“You better get going if you want to make it to Topaz by lunchtime,” said Prof. Birch. He walked them to the door.

“Tanks for everyting,” Meowth said.

“Yeah, we won’t forget this,” Jessie put in.

“Thanks for the Eevee!”

“And the food!” James said.

“Bye!” said the Professor. “And good luck!” He waved until they were out of sight.

The gang walked down Route 59 in high spirits. James began to sing “Lucky Lucky”, and the others couldn’t help joining in.

By the time they had reached Topaz City, they had gone through most of their repertoire, including “Double Trouble”, “Team Rocket Forever”, and “Maemuki Rocketto Dan”. Nurse Joy healed their Pokemon and served them lunch- to everyone’s dismay, she wasn’t much of a cook.

“Is this mystery meat?” James asked, poking his “Salisbury steak” with his fork.

“Did she follow the recipe?” asked Domino, looking at her plate with distaste.

“What makes ya tink dere WAS a recipe?” replied Meowth.

“Reminds me of the slop they served in the PokeTech cafeteria,” mumbled Jessie.

“I think I’ve lost my appetite,” whined James.

“Dat’s a foist, Jimmy-boy,” Meowth quipped.

They finished what they could stomach of their “food”, got their Pokemon back, and left for the Gym. The four ex-Rockets walked there in silence, worrying a little about the showdown.

“Here we are,” Domino said, stopping in front of a large building. “Jess, James, you wanna fight first?”

“Sure,” they said in unison. Domino pushed open the door and the four apprehensive trainers stepped into the Topaz City Gym.