Deception
(Part 5)
By James' Rose

Chapter 11: Risen from the dead?

It had been a year since the fire at Pokemon Tech and James, Jessie and Meowth had all joined up together in Team Rocket.

Earlier today, the twerps had come across a missing poster with a picture of James on it, so of course, Jessie had made James come and investigate with her and Meowth.

And now, James was standing by the front door of his parent’s mansion in a suit, while Jessie took control of his arm and knocked on the door.

The butler Hopkins opened the door and actually let them in. James couldn’t believe that Hopkins didn’t see past Jessie and Meowth’s supposed ‘invisible’ costumes. They led him over too where two coffins where. Hopkins went through a teary, but obviously fake speech on how his parents didn’t have the will to live on when he ran away. Well of course they didn’t live on, James had killed them in a fit of maniacal rage. So what was going on? Surely they can’t still be out here in coffins? Suddenly, they all heard a dark giggle coming from the coffins…that suddenly sprung open to reveal James’s parents.

James leapt out of his skin!!!!

They were alive!!??

But that was impossible, he had killed them. Then he thought that maybe they weren’t alive, maybe they were…Na that was impossible. But still, how did they survive?

After a lot more talking, Hopkins took them all to see his fiancé. Well, James knew it couldn’t be Jessiebelle, he took care of her a long time a go. He smirked as he remembered how he felt as he whipped her over and over. Anger flaring in his eyes. He felt so good afterwards, like a whole package had been taken off his chest.

Jessie and Meowth pulled him into a chair and waited again for his parents to stop talking and introduce them to James’s fiancé.

"My dear Jessiebelle." Said James’s mother, turning to a young woman wearing a pink dress sitting in a chair opposite James.

James froze.

Did she say…Jessiebelle?

‘No, no, it can’t’, he thought.

She was sitting there hiding her face behind a fan, so James couldn’t sure

"All I want to be is your devoted and loving wife, and also…"

She took her fan away from her face.

"To educate you in your duties as a gentleman of property."

If Jessie and Meowth weren’t holding James down, he would have either ran away as fast as he could, or run up to her and strangle her. How on earth is she alive as well?? This couldn’t be happening. This was the last thing he wanted happening, and if Jessie found out what he really was, she’d leave Team Rocket and Giovanni would become seriously angry. Every time he spoke to Giovanni, he made clear that this is very important mission. And although James didn't know why, he knew he wouldn’t surely be demoted if he did fail. Well, if Giovanni did have the nerve to demote him, James would make sure he would never demote anyone again. Giovanni may be his Boss, but James could easily do something to him that Giovanni would regret.

After Jessiebelle had tricked them in coming down to the dungeon, Jessie, Meowth and the twerps had been taken out of the mansion. Now it was just him, Jessiebelle, and his parents. After Jessiebelle had stopped running around cracking her whip at him, she stood beside James’s parents, looking at him. The door was locked and there were no windows, he was trapped

"I expect you’re wondering why we aren’t dead correct James?" asked his mother.

James didn’t say anything; he just stood there and glared at them. Jessiebelle stepped forward, whip in hand.

"Do you really think a puny eleven year old boy like you could kill three people with just one whip? She laughed.

James narrowed his eyes at her. He felt the blackness surrounding his heart again.

"We just pretended we were dead so you would stop, thinking you had won." His father said.

"But now you are back with us again," Jessiebelle continued, "It’s time for our revenge."

She cracked her whip at the ground as they all started to laugh slyly.

That was it.

"You’re right." James said slyly.

James’s voice made them stop laughing and stare at him.

"Of course I couldn’t have killed you, I was only eleven after all." He smirked.

He took one step closer to them

"But I’m not eleven any more." He said menacingly.

Jessiebelle’s eyes grew wide. She had forgotten that he was in Team Rocket, that he’d had training in self-defence.

James looked at his parents, then back to Jessiebelle.

"I think I’ve found a flaw in your plan."

Before anyone else could move, he quickly grabbed a knife off a nearby table and through it towards Jessiebelle. Jessiebelle may have a talent in torture, but she knew nothing of self-defence. It hit her in the shoulder, slicing through her flesh. She screamed in pain as blood began to pour, soaking her shirt. She collapsed to the ground clutching her shoulder in pain. James’s parents stood back in shock as James proceeded to walk towards them. He picked up Jessiebelle’s whip, which she had let go of, and walked towards his parents.

"James! What are you doing?" panicked his mother.

James said nothing, just smiled evilly at them. He raised the whip and cracked it on them. He whipped it over and over, over and over again. By the time he finished, both his parents were lying on the floor in a pool of blood. But they weren’t dead yet.

James knelt by his mother and pulled her up by her collar. Face to face, he looked straight into her pain filled eyes that had tears flowing from them.

"What kind of a mother do you think you were huh?" he asked

His mother said nothing. James shook her violently.

"HUH??!?!?!"

His mother looked up at him, eyes red and swollen. Even though she was in pain, she scowled at him.

"I, was a good mother." She stuttered.

James looked at her in shock.

"It was, you who was the, mistake."

James’s look of shock became one of anger and disgust.

"You could have had, anything you wanted, all you had to do, was act a gentleman."

James couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His hatred for his family grew even more them before, but somehow, a hint of guilt was trapped in his heart.

"We only whipped you, to try and get you, to do as your told for once."

"How can you blame this on me?" he said, with a hint of sadness in his voice, "You have no idea how hard I tried to please you." He swallowed back tears that were threatening to fall, "But everything I did you just didn’t find good enough. All those times you locked me in that tiny hole for hours on end. Don’t tell me you did that for my own good."

He couldn’t take this any more. He looked at his mother lying in his arms, blood on the floor, mixing with his fathers, who was lying on the floor watching him. Jessiebelle also lay there watching.

He looked back to his mother and the tears fell.

"I tried so hard. All I wanted was for you to say you were proud of me, that I had done something that made you feel like I was a good son."

Out of desperation of trying to get through his mother, he shook her again, out of anger yes, but also out of sadness.

"All I wanted is for you to say that you loved me!!" he shouted. He stopped shaking her and his tears fell on her face.

"But you never did." He said softly.

His voice caught in his throat. He couldn’t say anything else. The tears splashed on the floor as he laid his mother back on the ground. He got up and stepped away from them. He looked at them helpless on the floor, alive, but seriously wounded. The crow in his heart was telling him to finish the job, to kill them, but at that particular moment, the Nightingale sung its song as loud as it possibly could. The crow was fighting it, but at that moment, the Nightingale prevailed…

…James walked away.

Chapter 12: Re-united

"Oh well, I guess James decided to hang up his Team Rocket costume."

"Yeah." Said Meowth, a hint of sadness in his voice, "All that money and luxury must have been to tempting for James to give up."

Jessie and Meowth walked long a dusty road heading away from James’s estate mansion.

As Jessie walked along in silence, she reminisced back to all the time she had spent with James over the years. Although they had only known each other for 2 years now, Jessie had never felt do close to anyone before in her entire life. She loved James as friend, but now he’s gone, other feelings were surfacing. Knowing that she would probably never see James again, feelings were arising, saying that she should go back. Who cares about that Jessiebelle, she just wants to be with James. Even now, she didn’t know how she was going to live out the rest of her life without James. These feeling were ones she had never really experienced before, and she didn’t know what to make of them.

She hung her head and sighed. She wouldn’t go back. James obviously didn’t care about the Team, he just wants the money. If he didn’t want her, she wasn’t going to waste her time with him. But still, the tears were threatening to fall, but she wouldn’t cry in front of Meowth.

@~>~>~~

James peered through his binoculars down at the world below him. The Meowth Air Balloon floated along gently, letting James scan the ground for his friends. He was getting worried; he’d been looking for an hour now. Maybe he had missed them. As if to answer his question, he saw a glint of red coming through the trees. He peered through his binoculars down at it, and saw Jessie and Meowth emerging from the trees.

He smiled. He was genuinely glad to see them.

After spending 2 years with her now, James was learning things that his heart had since long forgotten, or never knew in the first place. He still had to put up an act of course; the crow was still stronger than the nightingale. But everyday, everyday they spent with each other, the Nightingale became that little bit stronger.

He made the balloon float down towards them. What was he going to say? He had to think of something. Then it came to him, what better way to become friends again then saying something they all know too well.

"Prepared for trouble?"

Meowth and Jessie shot our heads up to where we heard this very familiar voice.

"Hey it’s him," shouted Meowth with joy.

"James."

She couldn’t believe it. There was James, floating down in their Meowth Air Balloon.

With the sunset behind him, he looked like an angel.

Jessie’s Angel. Her guardian Angel, which had finally returned to her.

The feeling that was hovering around her before was brought to life at the sight of him. She now knew what that feeling was…love.

She started running as James brought the balloon further down. He stretched out his hand and she held it tight as he pulled her into the balloon. She laughed with joy, she was so pleased top see him.

"I guess we’re not going to get rich this time either." Jessie said, restraining the urge to just run up to him and hug him.

"Guess not, they wouldn’t give me the inheritance."

James put his hand behind his head, almost embarrassed. Jessie tried not so sound so pleased, but she couldn’t help it, she was so happy. Obviously James didn’t want the money after all, he cared more for her.

"Oh there’s always next time. We may not get a lot of money, but we sure have got our freedom."

"Yeah" James extended his hand towards her. "Double trouble time, right?"

Jessie nodded her head.

"Sounds great to me James."

Jessie took his hand and held it as though she would never let go. She looked at him, looking at her. At that moment, she knew something was happening, something inside, a feeling that I had never really mastered. Those emerald green eyes saw straight through her soul. He started at her so lovingly, as if to say he would never leave he again.

Just then, a thought came into her head that she otherwise would have pushed away in any other scenario. What if she just leaned forward, kiss him, and be down with it?

She looked back into those sparkling eyes, leaned forward and…

"Hey wait! You forgot Meowth!!"

Oh great, that little fur ball ruined this moment. Luckily, James didn’t realise what she was going to do, and just smiled at her.

James looked into her eyes. His heart suddenly fluttered, he knew something was happening. She looked so glad to see him, and he felt so guilty for leaving her like that. His mind knew in that instant, that Jessie had melted his soul. He knew that his feelings for her were beginning to show. He knew now that he loved her more than a friend; he was in love with her. But, although in his mind he knew this, his heart still didn’t accept it, and the blackness still controlled him.

James let go of her hand and looked down to the feline pokèmon running to catch up. He smiled at Meowth and lowered the balloon. Meowth leapt into the basket.

"So, youse decided to stay wid us then?"

"Yep, sure have."

He looked up at Jessie and gave her the sweetest smile.

"Shame," said Meowth, "I was hoping to get rid a ya."

James kicked him in a playful manner and they both smiled.

"Na, only kiddin’. Besides, who would I get to fury swipe all da time?"

Then they all laughed. Together, as friends re-united.

"But seriously," said Meowth, "Why did ya come back?"

James face turned one of happy, to one of a serious, yet somehow loving expression.

"Well," he began, "It doesn’t matter how much money you have, no matter how bigger the house is or how many servants you have..."

He looked up from Meowth to look at Jessie, and looked straight into her eyes

"…Unless you have someone to share it with, you’d be just as miserable with it, as without."

Jessie smiled softly at him. She knew that James would feel something like that. It was just like him to become all sentimental.

"If we do ever get rich," he continued, "We’ll get rich together."

From that day on, Jessie swore to herself she would be nicer to James. He gave up everything, all the money, the fine living, everything…for her.

But of course, she won’t make it too obvious she’d be trying to be nice to him; after she has a reputation to keep. Perhaps she’ll just hit him a few times less or something.

Anyway, right now all that matters is that she was with James, and James was with her.

Meowth clambered up on James’s shoulder and watched the sunset behind the hill and trees, as they made their way to their next adventure together, as a team, as best friends.

Jessie only knew half of what had really happened when he was younger. All she knew was that Jessiebelle and his parents tried to make him the proper gentleman. That was it. Nothing about what really happened. And that was something he would never tell her.

To be continued…