writing, so please send me your opinions on this story. questions, comments, screaming obscenities on how I didn't get Jessie and James together? send them to Jayhawkfan13@aol.com and thanx for taking time to read it!!*

Part 1: The Trials

Jesse glanced nervously at the Boss' new Headquarters. James and Meowth lagged behind.

"What do you think he wants?" she asked uneasily.

"Whatever it is it can't be good," Meowth groaned.

"Don't be ridiculous. What's the worst that could happen?" Jesse reasoned.

"He could yell and scream and fire us all!!!" James cried despairingly.

Jesse finally got up enough courage to enter the building. James and Meowth reluctantly followed.

"Hello? Sorry we're late!" Jesse called down the hallway.

A voice over the intercom answered her, "Go to the end of the hall and into the last door. I'll be waiting." James gulped. It was Giovanni. Their black boots were unusually loud on the wooden floor of the hallway. When they reached the door, it was James of all people who put his hand on the knob.

"Might as well get it over with," he groaned.

The three entered a fairly small room with dark velvet carpet and couches on either wall. Giovanni was nowhere to be seen.

"I'll be with you shortly," the Boss' voice announced over the speaker, "Wait here."

Jesse made a quick scan of the room. Along one wall, Cassidy and Butch occupied a love seat.

Jesse instinctively smoother her hair down,

"Cassidy."

Cassidy nodded, "Jesse."

"Botch," James acknowledged.

Butch turned red, "It's Butch!!"

The three failures took a seat across from their Team rivals. Cassidy began painting her nails and Butch opened a magazine.

Jesse and James sat fidgeting for a moment, until a young boy walked out of another room. He glanced adoringly at his new white Rocket uniform, a common Black Rocket outfit flung over one shoulder.

Jesse's eyes widened. She began to think furiously. It hadn't been two years already, had it?

"Looks like the two-year trials are going well," Cassidy remarked.

James looked up. Meowth stiffened. The two-year trials!

Every couple years the members of Team Rocket were seen by their Boss Giovanni. He would look over their files and decide if they should get promoted, demoted, stay where they are, or- gulp- be fired.

"Cassidy, Butch, Jesse, James. Get in here," Giovanni ordered over the intercom.

The four, followed by Meowth and Raticate, entered Giovanni's office.

"Since you are my veteran members, you are the last four. I thought it would be quicker to call you all in at once," Giovanni explained.

"Excellent idea sir!" Jesse said, obviously sucking up.

"Cassidy, Butch" Giovanni called them forward.

"You have been at the head of many of my evil schemes. Though a few times you've been caught," Giovanni glared at Jesse and James, "For the most part you have been very successful. Here."

Cassidy and Butch were given red Rocket uniforms with black R's and white trimming.

"That's a Senior Rocket outfit," Giovanni told them, "You've been promoted two levels."

Cassidy and Butch had previously been Junior Rockets.

The two beamed with pride. Jesse and James sulked.

"Now get out of here and catch some rare and valuable Pokémon!" Giovanni directed.

As the two left, Cassidy whispered to Jesse, "Good luck Jess. You're gonna need it after the Boss fires you!"

Butch and Cassidy exited, disappearing down the long hallway.

Giovanni sat back in his leather armchair, Persian on his left.

Jesse and James came to military-like attention.

"You two," Giovanni almost chuckled, "What can I say? You've been chasing around a Pikachu for two years."

James nodded, "I think we'll catch it soon too, sir!"

Giovanni slammed his hand on the desk. Jesse and James instinctively hugged each other, "When I want your opinion I'll give it to you!! You two are a blemish on this Team's record! A nuisance I shouldn't bother with!"

All three had a sense of dread. This was the end.

Giovanni sighed, "But, you're persistent nuisances. You've never completed a mission- you've even managed to screw other members' missions up- but you've never stopped trying. That Pikachu is living proof."

The trio nodded vigorously.

"So I'm giving you two months. Two more, and if you haven't caught Pikachu by then, you're fired! You'll stay as middle-class members until then. Now get out of my sight!!" Giovanni roared.

The teammates dashed out of the Boss' office, letting the door slam shut behind them.

Part 2: The Cave

Jesse scanned the ocean with her Magikarp periscope, while James and Meowth peddled hard. "They must be on that island," Jesse concluded, seeing a grassy isle to the southeast.

"Now that you know where we're going help us pedal," James grunted.

Jesse smacked him with the large fan she always had at hand, "Whining won't get us there any faster. Besides, I have to tell you which direction to go."

Meowth sighed. It was no use arguing with Jesse when she was in one of her moods.

About an hour later they landed on the small island. Footprints covered the beach, indicating the twerps were here.

James and Meowth stretched out on the sand to relax.

*Smack!* "Come on! We've only got a month to get that Pikachu," Jesse said briskly, "Once we catch it I'm sure the Boss will give us our much-needed vacation."

"What makes her so sure we're gonna catch it at all?" Meowth grumbled. Luckily, Jesse didn't hear him.

Jesse, James and Meowth followed the brat's trail until they came to a cave.

James took a peek into the darkness, "They'd have to be crazy to go in there!"

Jesse nodded. Pulling out a flashlight, she headed towards the murky cave mouth, "Follow me."

"Eee!" James squeaked. It was obvious he had no intention of leaving the summer sun, "They have to come out eventua-oo!"

Jesse had grabbed him by the hair, "Start acting like a villain!"

"Ya know James does have a point.." Meowth began to say.

"You too?" Jesse hoisted Meowth up by the tail, "I guess I'll have to drag you both in."

"Hey! Lemme down!"

"Ooo! Jesse that hurts!"

The two began to protest loudly. Jesse dropped them in a heap on the floor, "Am I the only one who cares about keeping my job?!?"

Suddenly James and Meowth remembered the urgency of this mission. They scrambled to their feet, "Let's go."

The trio walked deeper into the cave.

"How far could those nerds have gone?" Meowth wondered.

A strange rumble farther down the tunnel was heard, followed by an eerie voice.

Jesse dropped the flashlight as James practically leapt into her arms.

"What was that!?!?" James screeched.

Jesse let him roll onto the ground, "It, uh, has to be the twerp. W-what else could it be?"

Jesse was in fact trying to keep her knees from shaking. The cave was spooky and a number of deadly Pokémon could call it home.

Regaining their composure, the three walked quietly on.

"What was that?" Meowth's ears pricked up.

"What was what?" Jesse asked.

"Meowth are you hearing things?" James questioned.

Meowth shrugged, "I coulda sworn-"

"Tracey! Help me set camp!" a loud voice complained.

"I'm trying to get a sketch of Bulbasaur. He's in a perfect pose," another explained.

Jesse and James would know those voices from anywhere! The brat and his friends!

Jesse nodded determinedly. She snapped off the flashlight and they crept forward.

"Okay Ash, I'm done," Tracey, who was now in plain sight, put away his sketch pad.

"Return Bulbasaur," Ash said between bites of food.

James' stomach grumbled. They hadn't eaten in several hours.

"There he is," Jesse pointed to Pikachu, "Now what?"

"Don't you have a plan?" James wondered.

"Do I have to do everything?" Jesse grumbled, "I got us here didn't I? I thought you'd do something."

James put his arms up in self-defense, "Plans have always been you or Meowth's job!"

Jesse glared at Meowth, "Well?"

"It was your turn," Meowth protested.

*wack! smack!* James and Meowth's eyes were spinning from Jesse's frying pan hits.

Ash jumped up, "Did you hear that?"

"Whadda we do?" Meowth asked nervously.

Jesse grinned, "What we always do."

"Make a flashy entrance and pray that we come up with something?" James wondered.

Jesse nodded, "Exactly. Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

The two set off smoke bombs, one red and one purple.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

They became visible.

"Jesse."

"James."

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meeeeeeowth! That's right!"

Misty looked up from her meal, "Oh hi."

Jesse and James' cocky smiles dropped.

"What are you doing here?" Tracey asked casually.

"We're playing cave explorers," Jesse said sarcastically, "What do we always do???"

"Go Victreebell, go Wheezing!"

"Go Arbok and Lickitung!"

The four Pokémon stood ready for action.

Ash yawned, "Pikachu, thunderbolt."

ZAAAAAAP!!

All the Pokémon fainted, except Wheezing who managed to dodge the electric jolt.

Jesse groaned, "Team Rocket's blasting off again."

She and Meowth started to go, only to find James hadn't moved. He stood the with a funny smirk on his face.

"James?"

"I've got a secret weapon I've been meaning to use," he snickered, "But I never had the chance."

All eyes turned to the for-once confident James.

"Wheezing, explosion attack!" James shouted triumphantly.

Meowth, Jesse, Ash, Misty and Tracey all looked shocked at this command.

"James! We're in a cave! What happens when there's an explosion in a cave?" Jesse growled.

James' smile fell.

It was too late to stop Wheezing. He turned a color similar to James' hair, then blew apart!

*Crrrrack! Rumble rumble!*

The cave ceiling began to fall apart.

"Run!" Ash shouted, picking up Pikachu.

Misty hoisted Togepi up from a rock and ran after Ash. Tracey brought up the rear.

Jesse and James began to race after the twerps.

"Hey! Wait for Meowth!" Meowth's foot had been caught by a rock. He struggled vigorously to free himself.

Jesse, followed by her partner, ran over to help Meowth. Once they worked his foot loose, James lifted Meowth up and they dashed to the exit.

Too late.

As they neared the afternoon sun, the ceiling of the cave in front of them collapsed, leaving the trio trapped in the murky shadows.

Part 3: Escape

"Team Rocket's still trapped!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Should we free them?" Misty wondered.

Ash was about to answer, when he noticed James and Jesse's stuff (which they'd left outside the cave) on the ground. Sticking out of James' bag was a piece of paper.

"Huh?" Ash pulled it out, revealing an address in big, sloppy letters. It read:

NEW HQ: 525 FOREST STREET, viridian city

Below was a very bad drawing of a giant head yelling at a trembling stick figure that looked like Jesse, a crying figure that resembled James, and a cat hiding behind Jesse.

Ash giggled, then said, "Guys! This is where the new Team Rocket Headquarters is!"

"We can see that," Misty rolled her eyes, "So?"

"We can get their leader arrested! That way we'll make a good name for ourselves, become famous, and get a reward!" Ash smiled.

Misty and Tracey liked the idea.

The three ran off to the coast, completely forgetting about Jesse, James, and Meowth.

Jesse peeked out the small hole of light that came through the rocks.

"They grabbed a piece of paper out of your bag," she reported, "They're leaving! Get back here you... *sigh* they can't hear me."

James slumped against the cave wall, "How're we going to get out of here?"

"Arbok could dig us out," Meowth suggested.

Jesse shook her head, "I got of that attack so he could learn glare. It seemed like good idea..."

James began to wail, "We're gonna die in a cave! I wanted a glamorous funeral!!"

Jesse smacked him, "Stop whining. We've got to think of a plan."

Two hours later...

"Any ideas yet?" Meowth sighed.

Jesse and James shook their heads.

James sniffed, "We're going to die in here!"

The two friends hugged tightly.

"I promise never to hit you again if we ever get out of here!" Jesse exclaimed.

"Oh Jesse!"

The two began to cry.

Meowth groaned. He wasn't into the whole touchy-feely thing. While pacing around the room, Meowth's foot hit a deep hole. He leaned down to investigate. As Meowth felt around he realized it wasn't a ditch but a Dugtrio tunnel, just big enough for he and his companions to fit through!

"Jesse! James! Get over here!"

The two immediately stood up, smoothed their hair, and walked over.

"What is it Meowth?" Jesse asked.

Meowth grinned, "While you two were moaning I was bein' useful. I found a way out."

"Don't just stand there show us!" Jesse and James demanded.

Meowth pointed to the tunnel, "Our escape route."

"I'm not going in there! My hair would be ruined!" Jesse back away in distaste.

"Your hair'll be ruined permanently if ya stay here," Meowth reasoned.

The chilling thought was enough to make anyone enter a tunnel.

As they crept along Jesse constantly bumped into James, and James into Meowth.

"I can't see my own hand in front of my face," James complained.

"Keep yapping and my foot'll be planted in your face," Meowth threatened.

Finally the tunnel widened enough so all three could crawl side by side.

"Shouldn't we be there by now?" Jesse grumbled.

"What if we're just heading deeper into the cave!?" James moaned.

The thought had occurred to their feline partner also, "Do you always have to think of the worst that could happen?!?"

Suddenly the tunnel ended, leaving a straight tube going upward into moonlight.

Jesse looked to the cat, "You got us this far Meowth. Now what?"

The pit had to be ten feet tall. None of the three could reach, unless...

"Jesse! Use Arbok! I bet he can reach the top," Meowth told her.

It was worth a try.

Sure enough, Arbok's eleven feet six inches reached the surface and then some.

Jesse went first, followed by James, then Meowth. Once at the top James fell happily on the grass.

"I'm never leaving the fresh air again!" he squealed, overjoyed.

Jesse, quick to break her promise, hit James (lightly) with a large paper fan.

"Where are we?" Meowth made a quick scan of their surroundings. To the left was a solid wall of crumbled rock. Two bags lay near the wall.

"That tunnel must've had a lot of twists," Jesse commented.

Once the trio had recovered their supplies, they tried to figure out where to go.

Jesse remembered something, "James, what was that note Ash pulled out of your bag?"

James blushed, "It must have been the new address to the Boss' Headquarters."

"What!?" Jesse and Meowth shouted, their heads growing to twice the size of their bodies.

"I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget it," James whimpered.

"That means-" began Jesse.

"Those kids know where to find our Boss!" Meowth finished.

The impact of this hit hard. They began to panic.

"What if they catch the Boss?"

"He'll go to jail!"

"The team'll be broken up!"

"We'll be thrown in jail!"

"So will Butch and Cassidy."

The last thought couldn't quite cancel out the others. Surprisingly, it was James who restored order.

"Our Magikarp sub is faster than a Pokémon," he explained, "We could get back and warn the Boss before the twerps arrive."

"But they got a three hour head start," Meowth stated drearily.

"Then we'd better hurry!" James said, determined. He ran towards their submarine.

Shocked by the temporary change in their teammate, Meowth and Jesse followed.

Part 4: The Battle

"The mainland!" Jesse exclaimed, "We're almost to the Pallet Town Port!"

James and Meowth began to peddle faster. Once they got to Pallet Town it was only half an hour to Viridian City.

The sub was going so fast that it plowed into the mud around the harbor.

"We'll plow it out later," Jesse said briskly, opening the hatch.

The three climbed up and into Pallet Town.

"How will we know if they've been here yet?" James asked nervously.

Jesse threw a news reporter outfit at James, "Get the camcorder and meet me at Ash's house."

The two parted, changed, and met at 277 4th Street.

*Knock knock*

Mrs. Ketchum answered the door, "Hello?"

"We're from the Pokémon News Network, and we're doing a story on up- and- coming trainers. Is your son at home?" Jesse asked sweetly.

"He headed off to Viridian City. Something about getting rich..." Mrs. Ketchum told them.

The two dashed off to the waiting Meowth, "Thank you!!"

Once out of hearing, Jesse and James pulled on their Rocket clothes.

"Hope you're in shape because we're sprinting to Viridian," Jesse commanded.

"I aint runnin' five miles!" Meowth protested.

"Have it your way," Jesse pulled out the never-used Pokéball and put Meowth in, "It'll be a lot quieter without him around anyway."

The two friends ran nearly the whole way, stopping only once or twice to catch their breath.

Soon they reached Viridian City.

"Come on out Meowth," Jesse popped open the Pokéball.

Meowth stood there, foot-tapping, "I've never been in a Pokéball before, and I'm never gonna be in one again."

"Fair enough," Jesse shrugged, "Let's move."

As they neared the new HQ, Jesse spotted Ash. Misty and Tracey going to the same place they were. The twerps were followed by Officer Jenny.

"Hurry!" Jesse pulled James and Meowth in just before Ash and his friends turned the corner.

The trio raced down the hallway, pulling the large door open.

"Giovanni!" Jesse blurted out.

She opened another door, only to find Giovanni talking to Butch and Cassidy.

The Boss looked up, ticked off and annoyed, "Giovanni is it? I suppose that means you don't belong to the Team anymore."

"Sorry Boss, "James apologized, "But this is an emergency!"

"Three kids and Officer Jenny are about to break in and arrest us all!" Jesse warned.

Giovanni didn't skip a beat. Pressing a button on his desk, a ladder came down from the ceiling. Giovanni then made a call on his phone, "This is the Boss. Pick me up on the roof."

"What's going on?" James asked.

"My helicopter is going to land on the roof in a moment," the sound of chopper blades interrupted his speech, "Ah, there it is now. Cassidy, Butch, follow me."

Giovanni pressed another button, then headed up a ladder. His Senior Members followed.

"Self-destruct in five minutes," a voice announced.

"Self-destruct!?!" James screeched.

"But what about us!?" Jesse questioned, panicky.

"Stall them, "Giovanni ordered briskly, pulling up the ladder and closing the hatch.

"This is the police!" Officer Jenny's voice rang down the hallway.

James cringed, "What can we do?"

Jesse straightened up, her jaw set, "Something we've never done before- our job."

She walked out of the office, James followed, and Meowth reluctantly came too.

"You're two minutes too late!" Jesse laughed.

"Our Boss is already gone," James told them.

"Taking his top two members with him, "Meowth added.

"In that case you're under arrest," Officer Jenny said. Then, to Ash, Misty, and Tracey, "Let's search the place for any stolen Pokémon."

"Wait!" Jesse halted them, "You wouldn't stick us in jail without one last Pokémon battle, would you?"

Dimly James heard the intercom announce, "Self-destruct in three minutes."

He caught on, "For old times sake."

A glimmer appeared in Ash's eye, "All right, I accept your challenge. I choose you Pikachu!"

James and Jesse huddled to discuss a battle plan.

"If we take out Pikachu, the battle will last longer, "Meowth whispered.

James nodded, "Wheezing, go! Explosion!"

Though it caused Wheezing to get knocked out, Pikachu was also out of battle.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out, "Go Squirtle!"

"Go Victreebell!" James directed, "Razor leaf!"

Maybe it was pure luck. Or maybe James really knew what he was doing. At any rate, razor leaf was super effective and Squirtle also fainted.

"Self-destruct in two minutes."

"Go Lapras! Ice beam!"

Victreebell clattered to the ground, frozen solid.

"Lickitung! Lick Lapras into paralysis!" Jesse commanded.

Lickitung ran up to Lapras. She stuck her long tongue out...

"Body slam Lapras!"

Lapras reared her bulk up, slamming down on Lickitung before she had a chance to finish her attack.

"One minute till self-destruct and counting."

The last announcement was heard very distinctly over all the speakers.

"The place is going to blow! We've got to get out of here!" Officer Jenny directed Ash and his friends.

They turned to leave.

James looked around for some way to stall the twerps for another 60 seconds. Pikachu, passed out, lay on the ground.

James scooped him up, "Forgetting something?"

Ash looked around to see the hurt Pikachu, helpless in James' hands.

"Sorry Pikachu," he whispered, "I don't have a choice. Pikachu, return!"

Ash pulled out a Pokéball inscribed "Pikachu" and put Pikachu back in it's Pokéball.

"15 seconds till self-destruct. 15... 14..."

There was nothing else Team Rocket could do. All seven rushed for the door. Ash and his group had a ten second head start.

As the twerps reached the door, a Pokéball fell off of Ash's belt. Upon it was a single word: Pikachu.

Ash, not knowing Pikachu had dropped, raced out the door along with Misty, Tracey and Jenny.

"3...2."

James dived for the Pokéball. His hand closed around it...

"1"

The building exploded, blasting Team Rocket into the air.

Part 5: Success!

James awoke, battered and bruised, among tree branches. He thought his left wrist might be broken. As he glanced down, James saw Jesse draped over another tree branch. To his relief, she was breathing. Meowth lay stretched out on a rock, eyes open, looking around.

James sat up to see if anything was seriously injured. Luckily, he seemed okay.

The past events came racing back to James. He looked down at his right hand. His fingers were wrapped around a red and white sphere. Words were scrawled upon it in a messy, doctor-like handwriting. It had only been used once before, but James would know it from anywhere.

Jesse stirred.

"Jesse! Meowth!" James held up the Pokčball triumphantly.

The two smiled, knowing exactly what it was.

They'd finally done it! Team Rocket had finally captured Pikachu!!