PART IV

“This isn’t fair!” wailed Jessie. “I thought we were the only ones in Team Rocket with a record of being on a ‘Wanted’ poster!”

“Now they’ll get to the Boss before we do, and we’ll still be a step behind!” said James.

Slash! Claw met face.

“Will you two quit your sobbing? ‘Dis is serious! Listen. It’s gonna be a race to da headquarters. Only one group ‘o Team Rocket members will make it there first.” He paused and leaned toward them. “And ‘dat group had better be ‘da three ‘o us.”

Jessie and James nodded in agreement.

“Pikaaaa, Pikachu!” cried Pikachu from inside the sack he had been captured with.

“Will this thing ever give up?” asked Jessie, exasperated.

“Probably not,” replied Meowth. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and thought to himself. Suddenly, he looked up at the balloon’s fuel burner.

Jessie and James followed his gaze.

“I got it!” exclaimed Meowth. He pointed to the fuel burner. “Maybe if we travel at top speed, we’ll make it to ‘da Boss before ‘dose other two losers!”

“That’s a great idea!” agreed James.

“Wait a second,” said Jessie. “We’ve had problems with the fuel burner in the past. It might not be safe to travel at top speed.”

James and Meowth stared at her.

“Jessie,” James said. “When was the last time we actually did anything safe?”

“Good point.” Replied Jessie.

“All right, so it’s agreed.” Said Meowth. “We go top speed!”

Jessie turned the knob on the fuel burner.

“There.” She said, satisfied.

Later…

“Prepare for trouble!”

“Make it double!”

James, Jessie, and Meowth looked up.

Butch and Cassidy were seated in a helicopter, not too far from Jessie, James and Meowth. They were reciting their motto.

“To infect the world with devastation!”

“To blight all peoples within our nation!”

“To denounce the goodness of truth and love!”

“To extend our wrath to the stars above!”

“Cassidy!”

“Butch!”

Jessie, James, and Meowth’s faces were red with anger.

“Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!”

“Surrender to us now, or you will surely lose the fight!”

“That’s right!”

Jessie, James, and Meowth started booing.

“Hey!” yelled Cassidy. “That isn’t polite!”

“Oh, that isn’t polite, is it?” asked James. “What isn’t polite is how you jerks stole our motto!”

“Isn’t that nice?” Butch said to Cassidy. “He paid us a compliment.”

“Oh, and a word of insult to you,” Jessie snapped. “There is no such word as ‘goodness’. At least, in the way you used it, Cassidy. Of course, one would expect you to mess up.”

“Well,” replied Cassidy. “At least our motto doesn’t give the message that we want to help the world!”

“Dat’s it!” Meowth yelled at Butch and Cassidy. “We challenge you to a Pokemon battle!”

“Yeah!” Agreed Jessie and James.

“Suit yourself.” Said Butch.

The helicopter and hot air balloon landed next to each other.

“Two on three,” said Cassidy confidently. “We’ll win anyway.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Said James.

“All of our Pokemon versus all of your Pokemon.” Said Jessie.

“Yeah! And whoever wins gets ‘da other team’s gift for ‘da boss!” said Meowth.

“That’s fine with us.” Butch replied.

“Weezing, Victreebel, Nidorino, go!”

“Arbok, Lickitung, Nidorina, go!”

“Drowzee, go!”

“Raticate, go!”

Meowth was participating too, but he couldn’t command himself.

And the battle was on.