Chapter 11 - "Nowhere Man"
"Major headache..."
He looked around. He was in a dark nowhere. He seemed to be sitting straight up, but there was no floor underneath him. Nor was there any ceiling above him. Everything was black.
"Hello! Is anybody out there?"
No answer.
He rose to his feet. Or, at least he thought he did. Nothing around him was like any place he'd ever seen before. He guessed this was what it was like to be dead.
Dead! James was dead! How? Oh, yes...Tack. So the little squirt did pack a big punch. He began to run through space. Being dead was nothing like he thought it would be. He had no emotions, no feelings. He felt no joy, yet no sadness.
He looked down at himself. He was dressed in his Team Rocket pants, boots, and black tee-shirt. No wounds. No scratches. He felt nothing.
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"James!" Jessie cried. She landed the balloon and ran to him. She clung to his lifeless body. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "No! Don't leave me. Not after we promised we would never leave each other."
Below, Tack laughed. Gary had grabbed him and pinned him down with his foot, but he still laughed. "You didn't think I could do it, did you Princess? But now James is with my sister." He laughed louder, like a maniac. "Mary will take good care of him for you!"
Jessie turned to him. "You damn bastard!" she yelled. "Screw you and your whole blasted family!" She turned back to James and continued yelling at Tack. "I hope you rot in Hell."
"I'd rather be in no other place!" Tack smirked.
"That's enough of you, Team Rocket!" Gary said to both of them. He whacked Tack over the head and knocked him out. Then he lay him down and helped Super Sailor Saturn and Super Sailor Neptune to their feet. "Alright!" he gasped. "What in the Sam Hill is going on here?"
Saturn looked up at him guiltily. "Mister Gary..."
"Who are you, Holly? Michelle?"
The two were about to answer when Jessie rose to her feet and interrupted them. "They are part of a group called the Sailor Scouts, beautiful Warriors who protect the earth. Their leader is Sailor Moon, my best friend."
Gary stood his ground in disbelief for a few moments. Then he began climbing the cavern to Jessie. "Friend?" he laughed as he scaled the cavern. "A Team Rocket lackey is friends with the famous Sailor Moon?"
"You've heard of her?" Neptune asked.
"Who hasn't?" the young Pokémon trainer said as he reached the top. "Not only is she in numerous video games, but she is the star of many television shows. Including a crappy dub done by DiC!" He walked over to Jessie and James. "What was his grudge?"
"It's a long story," Jessie replied sadly. She knelt by James again. "Tack's sister wanted James for herself, but she couldn't have him. I killed her and the rest of her brothers about four years ago. I thought I had killed Tack, but he just appeared out of nowhere." She cried and leaned on James.
Gary stood there sadly, nearly crying himself. "I'm sorry, although I know that doesn't help much."
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"Where are all the Angels?" James asked, wandering around. If this was Heaven, it should have been white and filled with music and Angels. At first, he thought he was in Hell, but there was no fire or Devil. So, he had to be in Heaven...Right?
Then a terrible thought crossed his mind. What if he was stuck in between? What if it was not decided on where he should go yet? He was in Limbo!
This was a puzzlement. He had been on Team Rocket all his life. That was his evil side. Yet, he was not like Bloody Mary-Evil. He had never killed anyone. He was also an item with Jessie, who was a Queen destined to help protect Crystal Tokyo with Neo Queen Serenity. That was his good side. "I'm a mixed-up case," he sighed.
Suddenly, he saw many people standing in a line waiting in front of a large gate. Curious, he walked up to it and stood in the back.
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"Let's write a song about death!"
"No way."
"Haven't we written one of those already?"
"No death?"
"Absolutely not! Our job is to make people happy."
"Damn!"
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"Is there a James Roquet here? Roquet?"
James ran to the front of a line that suddenly appeared in front of him out of nowhere. That seemed to be happening a lot. "Here! I'm present!"
A man at the front of the line was dressed in a sleek outfit, full of ruffles and buttons. He had a somewhat large nose and a big, bushy mustache that wiggled when he talked. In one hand he held a monocle. He placed it over his left eye and looked at the young man. "You, sir, are James Roquet?"
"Yes."
The man sniffed and handed James a card. "Sir, this is for you." James took the card and just stood there staring at the strange man. He sniffed again. "Yes, mister Roquet, you can run along now."
James moved to the side and read the card. "Inefficient..." he read aloud. "What does that mean?"
Suddenly, a bright golden Light appeared in front of him. "I shall answer that for you, Neo King James."
"What?" James gasped.
Chapter 12 - "Elenor Rigby"
Tack was strapped in the back seat of Gary's car snickering softly to himself. Holly and Michelle sat up front with Gary while Jessie remained in the back holding James, glaring at Tack all the while. Oh, when she got him back to Headquarters...
Most of the conversation on the way back to Team Rocket Headquarters was silent. Gary, out of the small kindness in his heart, offered to give Jessie a ride back home. It would be dangerous if she were to try and navigate the Meowth Balloon back home. She was certainly in no condition to do that. It would also have been terrible if Tack had gotten free in the balloon. He could do another crazy thing.
So much had happened to Gary today. His head was spinning with the numerous events and thoughts. By offering to help Holly and Michelle, he had mixed himself in a treacherous web. He couldn't possibly turn away from them now. Not only would that be cowardly (And Gary would never want to be portrayed as a coward), but it would be unjust. Helping Team Rocket was risky, but he felt as if it were his duty now.
The three in the front began to feel uncomfortable when they heard muffled sobs coming from the back seat. And, on top of it all, Tack laughed.
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"Hello, Neo King James."
James looked from the card that read 'inefficient' to the Light that spoke to him. "Queen Jessica? Mother...In-Law?"
The Light seemed to laugh. "No, my mother is not here." James' mouth dropped open. "Now, now, dear, it's not polite to gawk like that. It's not...Kingly."
The mouth clasped shut. The Light hovered closer to him and he could see a face. "Jessie?" he half-exclaimed, half-asked. "What are you doing here?"
The Light flickered and laughed again. "No! I'm not Jessie. I am her future self, however. My name is Neo Queen Jessica of the Star of the Moon Kingdom. I have come to show you the Future."
"The Future?" James winced. He'd had enough excitement for one day. "I don't know if I want to go. I'm trying to get used to being...Living Impaired." 'Dead' was too strong of a word.
"But you're not supposed to be dead," Jessie replied. "Didn't you read the card? Inefficient means it can't work'. Your death just won't do in the Future."
"What's all this Future bull?" James yelled angrilly. "That's all you seem to talk about. I'm dead, okay? I have no future!" He turned away from her and tried to cry, but then he remembered Angels could not cry, and he just stood there sadly. "I didn't want to die." He flung himself around again and shouted in Jessie's face. "I was murdered!"
"Yes..." Jessie said frowning. "Tack was not supposed to do that."
"Well, he did, didn't he?" James laughed. "Look at me!"
"Don't be angry."
"Oh, I'm not angry...I'm just f***ing furious!"
Neo Queen Jessie watched him and touched his shoulder. "Just come with me, James."
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"The world is full of lonely people, isn't it guys?"
"Yeah..." The four beetles sat around their house, a hole in the wall, sadly. One of them sat at a drumset softly hitting out a rythym.
"It's gonna be a lot lonelier for us if we don't think of an idea soon. They'll kick us out of the music society."
The one beetle who had tried many times to think of the perfect idea sang quietly to himself. "Ah, look at all the lonely people..."
Just then, the large doors to Team Rocket Head Quarters slammed. The insects all poked their antenea out of the hole to listen.
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"Tack, the Boss is going to kill you," Jessie whispered. "He does not tolerate murder." All the while, dragging Tack to the Boss, she cried. It was around one o'clock in the morning, and most of the members were asleep. Jessie bet Giovanni was as well, but she couldn't let this case get by her.
Tack yawned. "Aw, the Boss didn't care about you or James anyway. You guys have been flunkies since you were here." He was tied up well and being drug along the ground by Jessie. She ignored that last remark. The two were silent until they reached the Boss.
Jessie banged on his bedroom door. "Boss?" Silence. "Boss, please, open the door. It's an emergency!"
By this time, the banging of the hard, metal door had woken almost everyone on the first floor. They came out to see Jessie and the bound Tack.
Cassidy walked out in her pajamas rubbing her eyes. "Jessie? What's going on?"
Jessie whipped around to face the crowd. With fists clenched and fire in her eyes, she told them. "Tack murdered James!" The other Team Rocket members gasped. Tears streamed down Jessie's cheeks. "HE MURDERED MY PARTNER!"
"That's right!" Tack laughed. "I did, and I'm damn proud of it." The other members glared at him and he began to worry. "But," he announced rapidly. "Jessie murdered my sister and three brothers."
The members looked from Tack to Jessie. Cassidy walked up to Jessie with a surprised look on her face. "Jessie...Four years ago Bloody Mary died. That was you?"
Jessie could not meet her face. She was silent for a long moment. Everyone awaited her answer. "Yes." she whispered.
"What's going on out here?" Giovanni yelled as he slammed open his doors. Persian followed behind. He looked at all the members at his door. "What is the meaning of this?"
Butch ran to Giovanni and told him the story. "Four years ago, the death of Bloody Mary and her four brothers was caused by Jessie." Giovanni's eyes bulged. Butch continued hurriedly. "But, that's not all! Tonight, Tack murdered James."
The Boss looked at the sad Jessie and then to the ground at Tack. "Is this true?" The two nodded, both guilty as a child who has just stolen a cookie from the cookie jar atop the refrigerator and has to face his mother. However, this was far more serious. They were not dealing with cookies. "Jessie...Tack..."
Jessie fell to her knees at Giovanni's feet. "Please! Mary was killed for a good reason!" she sobbed. "She was truly nasty and would have done something terrible to James. Tack took out his revenge on me by killing James. He is following in his sister's footsteps."
"Do I really care about your childish stories?" Giovanni boomed. His voice echoed throughout Headquarters. At this point, the whole building was awake, including Meowth and his family. "Murder is a serious thing, Jessica, especially if it is going behind my back. Killing teammates is no good for Team Rocket."
Tack cringed. Jessie's face fell and she cried even harder. Meowth walked to the front of the crowd and joined Jessie. "What's wrong?"
She looked at him pathetically. She knew she had lost. "Tack killed James."
Meowth's large eyes narrowed and he drew his claws. "You slimy bastard!" he yelled, attacking Tack with his Fury Swipes. "How dare you!"
Giovanni grabbed Meowth by the scrap of fur on the back of his neck. "Stay out of this, Meowth!" Meowth curled up like a tiny ball as Giovanni nearly threw him to the ground. Tack's face was soaked and dripping with blood. "I shall continue," Giovanni announced, silencing the talkative crowd. "Jessie, Tack, you are both banished from Team Rocket forever!"
"No!" Meowthy screeched.
"Sir," Tack cried. "I was only doing what a member should do! Revenge is sweet, remember?"
"Silence, fool!" the Boss bellowed, knocking Tack into the wall. He pulled Jessie to her feet by her hair. "You have one hour to pack up your Pokémon and get out. After that, you're in my hands." He then threw Jessie to the opposite wall facing Tack. "GO!"
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The rest of Team Rocket split apart as Jessie sadly limped down the hallway. Meowth and Meowthy remained by her side to help her if she fell. She was a mess; Her lower lip was bleeding and she had gained a dark, purple circle over her right eye. She said nothing, and cried no longer. She just walked to her room where she had left James' body lying on her bed. Jessie knelt by her bed and took his hand, now cold. She rubbed it against her face. Meowth led Meowthy and the kittens out of her room, but little Jessie the Meowth remained watching Jessie the human. There was Jessie, the one who had brought her back to life. There was James, the one who had named her. Both were dead.
Chapter 13 - "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"
When James opened his eyes, he was again in a brand new place. He looked around him. As far as he could see, everything sparkled and shimmered with a golden glow. Behind him, off in the distance, was a great, white building of some sort. He was also dressed differently. He wore a grayish-blue suit with maroon boots. He was also decorated with medals and sashes. All in all, James looked regal. He looked from himself to the building.
"That is your palace."
"Mine?" James looked up at Neo Queen Jessica who floated beside him. "What do you mean 'mine'? I own nothing this fancy."
The Queen laughed. "This is yours in the Future."
"Again with the Future...?"
"I have brought you here to show you what happens." She took his hand and led him closer to the palace. There were two large doors in the front, each containing a bright, red 'R' carved on them. Near the top was a symbol much similar to Jessie's Star-in-a-Crescent-Moon sign. Pillars outlined the entire palace and garden. "You and Jessie live here in the Future together as King and Queen. Right now, Neo King James is away."
"King? ME?" James gasped. He looked down at his costume again. "I'm too clumsy to be a King, and I cannot imagine me off running royal errands."
"No," Neo Queen Jessica replied, taking his face in her hands. "You are Neo King James. You do not have Powers equivilant to her's, but you are her husband."
"HUSBAND?" So, he did marry her after all. He nodded slightly. "Okay..."
"I know this is hard for you to understand. It may take a while to sink in, but it all happens. The Future is inevitable."
James walked away from her. He watched the ground beneath his feet as he entered the palace gardens. There, he found a patch of green grass surrounded in red, white, and blue roses. He sat down and pulled up a few blades of grass, pondering everything that had just been said to him. Neo Queen Jessica joined him. "Hello," he said.
"I just saw you a few seconds ago," she laughed. "What are you thinking about?"
He pulled up more grass and did not meet Jessica's eyes. "Jessie."
"You miss her."
"Yes."
Jessica was silent for a moment and sat down beside him. "You will go back to her," she said, taking his hand and squeezing it. "It is good you care about her so much."
James smiled and then laughed a little. "It's kind of silly, when you think about it. I mean, you are Jessie!" Then he looked at her face. Yes, she was Jessie. He nearly cried while gazing at her. "May I kiss you?"
At first she was surprised, but the sadness in his eyes touched her in such a way that she could not refuse. He so much reminded her of her James who was away. She wrapped her arms around him gently and kissed him softly.
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"You're leaving?" Meowth saw Jessie standing at the entrance to Team Rocket Headquarters with a small suitcase of her belongings. "You were going to leave without saying goodbye to Meowth?"
Jessie's face was bright red from crying. She knelt down, dropped the suitcase, and held out her arms. Meowth ran to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't want you to be upset."
"Meowth would have been upset if you had left without saying goodbye first." He cried and nearly dug his claws into her gently. "We'll all miss you."
"Make sure James has a proper burial, okay?"
"Promise."
With that, Jessie stood up and picked up her suitcase. "Sayonara, Meowth-chan." She walked out the door.
She hadn't gone but ten steps when Meowth called to her. "But, where will you go?"
"I don't know," she replied, turning around and facing him. "Maybe I'll find Serena and she could hook me up with a job."
"Don't ever forget Meowth..."
She turned around and ran back to him, taking the little Pokémon in her arms. "I would never!" she sobbed. "You're my best friend." She put him down and looked at her watch. "But I really must go now." She began running from Headquarters. Meowth shouted something to her, but she did not make out what he said. She kept running and never looked back.
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Tack grabbed his Pokéballs and some clothes and bolted downstairs. He was about to run out the door when someone grabbed his shoulder. "Hold it!"
He turned around and saw a familiar face standing there. "Cassidy?"
She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him into the wall. "If you so much as lay a finger on Jessie out there and I find out, I swear I will kill you, pipsqueak!" He numbly nodded and tried to leave, but she stopped him again, this time throwing him harder onto the wall. "I'm serious, jackass! Don't touch her. Have I made myself clear?"
"C-crystal..."
Cassidy threw him out the door and slammed it in his face. "Kicking Jessie's ##### is my job, anyway," she whispered to herself.
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Gary Oak reached the town of Pallet early the next morning. He was tired, but too engrossed in the thoughts of everything that had happened yesterday. A replay of the events zipped through his mind over and over again. His head spun. After he had dropped Michelle and Holly off, he had prepared to go home and sleep. Now that he was home, he realized that he was not ready to go to bed. He parked his car in front of his grandfather's laboratory and went inside.
He walked into the empty lab and turned on the lights. It took them a few minutes to fully turn on. Gary went to the large row of file cabinets and looked under the 'T' section. There it was. Team Rocket. He pulled out a few files from that section and walked over to Professor Oak's desk. There he sat and began to read.
Heinous crimes. Dirty deeds. Terrible acts. Stealing. Plundering. Even murder. Yes, this was all Team Rocket. However, what he had seen showed a different side to the gangsters. It was a side no one had probably ever seen before. The side of their hearts.
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Jessie traveled from Headquarters alongside the freeway and began to wonder how to get to Serena's house. If she could make it to the next town by nightfall, she could look her or Endymion up and call them. She began to feel weary and dizzy, for she had been awake for almost twenty-four hours now. She needed to rest.
She sat by the side of the road to catch her breath. Jessie remembered she had packed some water. Thank goodness! She reached over to open it up, but it began to bounce and move away from her. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not dreaming. "Hey, suitcase!" Jessie shouted. "What are you doing?" It jumped up and down and continued to avoid her. Finally, she grabbed it and opened it. Two large eyes peeked out of a shirt sleeve. "What?"
"Jessie!"
Jessie grabbed the shirt and shook it. A tiny Pokémon fell out and purred. "Jessie-sama! Hello!"
"Jessie?" Jessie asked, taking the runt of Meowth and Meowthy into her arms. "What are you doing here?"
The kitten purred loudly. "I came to be with you."
"But what about your parents? They'll be awful worried when they find you gone."
"That doesn't matter! You're the important one right now, and I felt you needed some company."
"You're very foolish!" Jessie laughed. "But I'm so glad you are." She hugged the small Meowth close to her. Her only token of Team Rocket Heaquarters was enough for now.
Pic: Neoqueen Jessica and Neoking James
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