Battles and Old Friends
By Pikapuff

"NO! Don't, please!"

Screams echoed throughout the collapsing Team Rocket headquarters. Most 
people would survive, but Jessie would not let Giovanni destroy James, like 
he intended.

"Why must you hurt him? What do you have against him?"

"That is my business alone, Jessie."

Jessie cringed. Giovanni had heard her, so he knew she was still in the 
crumbling building. But, let's back up.
_________________________________________________________

Jessie and James wandered around, putting off their meeting with Giovanni. 
They knew if they were late, they might have to clean bathrooms for a week in 
Head Quarters. They also knew, though, that Giovanni had another meeting 
scheduled right after theirs, and he might have to shorten their meeting.

"Wonder what we did this time," James grimaced as he reluctantly opened the 
door to Giovanni's office. "Hope we don't get yelled at too bad."

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Giovanni boomed. "I've been waiting!"

"Did you need to talk to us, Boss?" Jessie asked loudly, defying her angry 
employer.

"I think," Giovanni began, "that you two are not doing your job. I find that 
since James is the part of your duo to be-well, frightened-easiest, he is the 
problem with not capturing that Pikachu."

Jessie could tell this was an excuse, and from the way James glared at the 
Boss, that was not the reason for Giovanni's anger at James. Jessie felt it 
better to keep her mouth shut.

"Now, how should I deal with you, James?" Giovanni asked menacingly, glaring 
at Jessie's now-frightened expression.

"Don't…Boss, don't hurt him…" she pleaded.

James looked at Jessie and said with a pleading look, "Help me, please, 
Jessie. He's gonna kill me."

"I will not let him kill you!" Jessie replied, so sure of what she said that 
James truly believed she would help him. But before anything else was said, 
Giovanni pushed a large, black button on the control panel by his arm.

"You two had better start running if you want to get out alive," Giovanni 
cackled.

"MEOWTH! He's destroying Head Quarters! He must be really mad at you!" Meowth 
yelled nervously.

Jessie grabbed James' arm and Meowth's tail and tried to escape from the 
falling building. But, just then, six guys working for Giovanni in trying to 
destroy James showed up. They carried James back to their Boss, Jessie 
clinging to his leg to pull him back.

Back to the story.
________________________________________________________________

Giovanni held a weird-looking gun to James' forehead.

"You won't feel a thing, James. This is one of those high-tech laser guns," 
Giovanni snarled. 

James cringed and looked at Jessie.

"I tried," she said softly.

"I know," James replied. He stared at Jessie. She was the world to him; a 
partner, a friend. But he wanted her to be more. Now, all his dreams were 
gone, his hopes, dashed. He had to tell her…but no. He couldn't. If he told 
her the truth, the way he really felt, she would probably finish him off 
before Giovanni even got to him.

"I'm sorry!" Jessie was near tears. James was startled. She had only cried in 
front of him once, for not winning those Princess Dolls.

Giovanni held the laser gun at James' forehead. "Don't cry, Jessie," James 
said softly, just before Giovanni pulled the trigger.

Brilliant blue beams of light tore across James' body, wracking him with 
pain. He tore his eyes away from Jessie's screaming form long enough to glare 
ferociously at his murderer. He caught a look from Jessie he had never seen 
before: she was worried about him. He smiled weakly as the laser hit his 
brain, then his heart. He collapsed in an unmoving heap on the cold, stone 
floor of what was left of Team Rocket Headquarters.

_____________________________________________________________

James looked at his surroundings. "Jess…ohhh…" he moaned, trying to find 
Jessie.

"Don't worry about her, she's much more…ah, well…alive than you are, James 
dear. Now, don't scream, you'll wake the angels, and look behind you."

James had no clue what the strangely soothing voice was talking about, but he 
looked behind him. He had to bite his lip to keep from yelling. "W-Wings?" he 
asked in awe. "I'm an angel?"

"Yes, you are, James. But not for long. You see, you haven't finished your 
job on Earth {PokéEarth, whatever} yet. Someone still needs you…someone who 
has never felt true love before."

James' eyes widened. "Jessie? How did you know…"

"I just knew. Follow me."

James followed the beautiful lady who was talking to him. She took him to a 
bustling cloud full of people begging to go back to Earth, and some begging 
to stay.

"Do you want to leave?" the lady asked. James nodded. "Then you will be sent 
back, two weeks after your…run-in with Giovanni." And with that, she 
vanished, leaving James saying "Two WEEKS?"

_____________________________________________________________

It was raining. The large drops of rain mixed easily with the tears running 
down Jessie's face. She dragged her friend out of the crumbling tower that 
served as their head quarters, softly pleading "Wake up, James. Wake up."

Meowth caught up to her. She had escaped the building, and was in the 
surrounding forest. She found a large tree with immense leaves, and stopped 
to rest there. She found the carvings of messages from many a Team Rocket duo 
who had stolen away to this very spot, in much happier days. She fingered a 
little heart carved in the trunk that said 'Butch and Cassidy Forever' and 
smiled to herself.

"Jessie, he ain't moving."

Meowth's voice shattered her happy thoughts of days when she and Cassidy were 
friends. She moved over to the lifeless form of her partner lying still under 
one of the large leaves on the tree. His eyes were tightly shut. His face was 
scarred from the laser blast. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, 
and a large red splotch was forming from his heart.

"No…James, don't leave me…I never told you…" Jessie broke down into sobs for 
her long-time friend.

Meowth tried to help, but he could never feel Jessie's pain. "He knew, Jess. 
If you never trust me about anything else, trust me on dis. He knew." Meowth 
cried with Jessie for a long time, until he fell asleep.

Jessie took the stiffened body of her partner in her arms. She mumbled sadly 
"Oh, James. Why? Why are you gone?" She held his still, cold form closer than 
she'd ever dare, had he been alive. She slowly accepted the fact that he was 
gone, never coming back to her, never there to tell him…She would've told 
him. She wanted to. She softly, gently, so as not to shatter his dead form 
any more, laid him back down in the wet grass. She brushed his hair out of 
his face, and wiped away the rain accumulating on his forehead. She bit her 
lip, unwilling to cry, yet unwilling to give him up.

"Oh, James, oh, James…" Her soft speaking never aroused Meowth. The rain 
slowed, and Jessie fell asleep leaned against the giant tree that symbolized 
the only love ever found in Team Rocket.
_______________________________________________________________

Once again, the forest is full of the annoying voices of Dummy Ash and his 
friends. {Hey, I'm a Team Rocket fan! Sorry to all you Ash fans, I had to get 
one 'Dummy Ash' in before I made him seem nice!}

"You only WON two badges so far, Mr. Pokémon Trainer!"

"At least I have badges, Miss Gym Leader!"

"Um, guys? Aren't we getting to Team Rocket headquarters? A little too close 
for comfort?"

"Piiikaaaa!"

Ash and Co. were exploring the same neck of the forest as Jessie was sleeping 
in, near her fallen companion. She would have slept longer, had Ash not woken 
her up.

"Well, we'll just fight 'em if we ha-AAAHHHH!" Ash yelled.

Jessie sprung up. "Who? Wha-? Oh, it's you."

"What happened to him?" Brock asked, pointing at James.

Jessie looked like she was going to retort with something like 'None of your 
business, brat!' but she instead burst into tears. She fell to her knees, 
sobbing and shaking with every breath.

"Jessie, what happened?" Misty asked, laying a comforting hand on Jessie's 
shoulder. Misty hoped maybe Jessie would take comfort in another girl to talk 
to.

"Last night," Jessie began with a shaky voice, "The Boss destroyed Head 
Quarters. He had some grudge against something James had done. He had this 
laser gun…he pointed it right at James' forehead. I didn't think he'd really 
do it, but…" Jessie sobbed again.

"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry," Misty said. Jessie shivered, stealing a glance at 
James. She whispered, "It's…okay…just let me get over it…"

Ash and Co. just stared. A million thoughts rushed through Misty's head. 
"What would I do if Ash or Brock was killed?" "Who's gonna say the motto 
now?" "Will Jessie quit Team Rocket?"

Jessie stood up and, with some effort, picked up James and carried his limp 
body to the nearest town, Lavender.
_______________________________________________________________

It had been two weeks. Jessie would wander aimlessly for hours, until finally 
realizing that was going to Lavender Town. She had to focus. Lavender Town. 
Right. 
She stopped to rest for the night, laying her heavy load on the ground. She 
had just about fallen asleep, when Meowth called out "He blinked! I saw it!" 
Jessie scrambled over to James.

To James, jumping from that cloud was almost a worse experience than being 
shot by that laser. He finally, after flying with his angel wings through a 
vast darkness, reached his destination: his old body. He softly floated back 
home, where he belonged.

When the feeling all came back, he noticed he was being shook vigorously, and 
he heard "James! JAMES! Wake up!" He opened his eyes.

Jessie screamed at the top of her lungs "JAMES! You're ALIVE!" She never 
thought she would be so happy to see his sparkling green eyes.

James sat up and looked directly into Jessie's eyes. "I…I missed you," he 
said, awaiting a mallet blow to his head. But what he got was so not what he 
expected.

"I missed you, too. I thought you were gone, and I'd never see you again." 

He looked at Jessie, She was blushing as pink as her hair. He took her hand 
in his and said solemnly "You are my life, Jessie."

Jessie's face blushed bright red, and she nodded her head, holding back 
joyful tears. "You…are the only person…who has ever cared anything for me. 
It's probably not much, but…"

"Jessie, I do care for you. More than I can tell you and not get whacked over 
the head."

Jessie smiled. She wanted to hear this so badly. She wanted him to tell her. 
She had to hear.

"Tell me, James. I won't hurt you, I promise."

"Jessie," James began, "I…I…I can't make myself say this!"

Jessie giggled and said, "Try again." She held both of his hands in both of 
hers, and Meowth left them alone. "I want to know."

"Jessie, I love you. With all my heart."

At this statement, Jessie's tears became like a river flowing down her face, 
and her only reply was a shaky "I love you, too."

James and Jessie sat there, holding each other, for a long time. Then James 
finished off the scenario. He leaned forward and kissed Jessie, right on the 
lips. Jessie pulled away, stunned.

"Don't you EVER tell Mondo that! He still has a crush on me!" Jessie said 
jokingly as they kissed again.
_________________________________________________________

Ash and Co. walked along. Misty wasn't her usual self, worried about Jessie. 
{As Ash said 'For some odd reason.'}

Suddenly, they hear "Prepare for trouble!" Misty sighed.

"And thankfully you can make that double!"

"James is back!" That was Jessie.

James said, "And we aren't here to catch Pikachu!"

"PIKAAAA!"

Pikachu was certainly happy to hear this news.

"Then why are you here?" Misty asked.

Jessie smiled and said, "We need your help. We want to quit Team 
Rocket, but The Boss might…attack us."

"Uh-uh! No way are we getting involved in a fight with your Boss!" Ash said 
defiantly. "We have enough troubles!"

Jessie hung her head. "Okay…we'll fight him ourselves."

"No, wait! Ash, don't be such a jerk!" Misty scolded. "We can help."


Our heroic five-some crept quietly along the ventalation system above the 
new Team Rocket head quarters. They could only hope they would not be seen as 
Jessie and James took deep breaths, attempting to get ready to confront their 
Boss. Suddenly, they heard the sound of someone else sneaking along the 
system.

"W-who's there?" Jessie asked in a frightened tone.

"It's me, Mondo!"

The group breathed a sigh of relief. "Mondo, I'm so glad it's you!" Jessie 
exclaimed.

Mondo blushed in the darkness. "So, you're quitting. Good luck," he 
whispered, motioning for Jessie and James to drop down into their Boss's 
office. They did.


"We quit."

"Very well. If you get out alive, you are free."

Jessie gave James a look of pure fright and said only one word. "Run."

Jessie and James bolted from the room, Giovanni's minions close behind with 
their different Pokémon.

"Go, Exeggutor!" "Go, Rhyhorn!"

The shouts of the Team Rocket members followed Jessie and James as they raced 
to get out of the way of their fellow members.

Mondo leapt from the vent system and landed roughly on the ground. He hoped 
more than anything that his friends had made it out safely. He had finally 
stopped worrying, when he saw the last thing he would have ever wanted: 
Jessie lay sprawled on the ground, a massive boulder on her legs. James was 
propped against a tree stump, beat up pretty badly.

"Oh, man…ASH! MISTY! BROCK!" Mondo ran way, yelling for help.
________________________________________________________________

James opened his eyes, only to find that he was in a hospital bed with Mondo 
sitting above him. 

"Wha- Where's Jessie?" he asked Mondo.

Mondo tried to bite his lip, to hold his breath, but nothing helped. He broke 
down in sobs and somehow managed to tell James that Jessie was in ICU, and 
she would probably never be able to walk again. Through it all, James just 
stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm going to see her," James announced as he left the room, Mondo close 
behind.
________________________________________________________________

"Wake up, Jess. Come on, wake up."

This was the first thing Jessie heard as she painfully opened her eyes. She 
waited for eyes to adjust to the view of James staring intently at her, then 
slowly started crying.

"I can't move my legs, James! What happened?" she wailed.

James explained the predicament to Jessie, who just seemed to take it in 
slowly.

"How did we survive?" she asked solemnly.

"Mondo…he saved us. Don't ask me how, he's so much younger than us…" James 
answered. 

Throughout Jessie's month in the hospital, she never fully let it sink in 
that she could never walk again.
________________________________________________________________ 

"Catch up, Ash!"

"You know I'll beat you, Misty!"

"Yeah, right!"

"I know I'm right!"

It was a sunny spring day, and Ash and all his friends were having races and 
swimming contests all day. Jessie sat on a rock, her stiff legs in front of 
her, her crutches at her side. She had to wear big metal braces on her legs 
and move around with crutches.

"Hey, Jess! Want some ice cream?" Mondo asked from behind her. Jessie nodded 
quietly, and Mondo handed her some pistachio ice cream, her favorite.

"Thanks, Mondo," she said with a sad tone. Mondo looked at her and shrugged, 
as if he couldn't figure out how to comfort her anymore.

Jessie knew that when Mondo gave up on her, it was time she started living 
again. But…that seemed so hard. James hardly had anything to do with her now, 
because she was so different. She couldn't do near as much as she used to: no 
Pokémon battles, no quiet walks through starry fields on winter evenings.

Jessie cringed as James walked by, not even waving. He then turned to her and 
smiled. "Hi, Jessie! I'm…I'm so sorry. I know I've been ignoring you lately, 
and that's not right. I should be more sensitive to your feelings."

Jessie smiled back, happy to have her love back. "Thank you, James," she 
whispered as he helped her walk to a coffee shop across the street.
________________________________________________________________

It was a starlit evening. {This is about five years later, BTW.} James was 
walking slowly, so Jessie could keep up with her crutches. They were walking 
through a quiet forest. James turned to Jessie.

"Jess…I want to ask you something, but first you must promise not to whack me 
with your mallet."

"Okay, James," Jessie nodded.

"Jessie…um…w-w-w-…" James stuttered. He couldn't get the words out, so he 
just handed her a beautiful ring and said, "Yea or neigh? Yes or no?"

Jessie cried happily and exclaimed "Yes! Yes!" 
TO BE CONTINUED…