Jessie woke up in the ill lit bedroom to the sound of her beeper going
off. She sighed how many times that had happened so far in one month. She
looked over at James who was still sleeping peacefully, at least it hadn’t woken him up.
The same couldn’t be said for Meowth who screeched
“What da hell is dat!”
Jerking Jessie fully awake and James as well. She sighed and sat up
picking up the beeper as she did so.
“What is it now?” James asked blearily watching Jessie through half closed eyes.
Jessie reached over and turned on the small lamp that sat on the their nightstand. She held the beeper
under the light so that the message would be visible when it was she gasped.
“What’s wrong? Does da boss want ta see us?” Meowth wondered.
Jessie shook her head “It’s a 629”
James and Meowth both felt their blood freeze. Any
experienced Rocket knows that a 629 means that your fired which is basically a death sentence because no one leaves the team alive.
“What do ya mean a 629? Are ya sure?” Meowth inquired.
Jessie nodded “Positive.” She said her face pale.
“Why would the boss be sending us that? We haven’t done anything we even stole that damn Pikachu,” James said.
Jessie stood up yanking the blankets off
“I’m calling him to see why he sent us that” She said pulling her hair out of her face.
“Maybe it was a mistake,” James said innocently even though he knew it wasn’t.
Meowth laughed “You don’t get it do you?”
He said harshly “Neither of you do. Da boss doesn’t have ta have a reason to kill ya. He’ll do it as soon as ya bore him I know I’ve seen it before. Again and again da people asking why and begging for anotha chance.” He laughed “But it never happens he shoots dem in cold blood for no reason at all and throws dem out inta da trash. Da boss owns you like you own Pokemon. He gives ya a home, supplies your needs an as soon as he tires of ya he throws ya out. Dis was no mistake we gotta leave now or we’ll be da ones dumped onta da garbage heap.”
Jessie and James stared at him, deep down they knew he was right even though they had never witnessed one of the killings.
They just didn’t want to believe it was true not after all they had done; not after all they had been through.
“I’m still calling.” Jessie said defiantly, “Even if it was on purpose then at least I’ll get to tell him what I think.”
Meowth shook his head and muttered something. He opened his mouth to tell Jessie but she sent him a venomous glare that sent him scurrying behind James. She stalked over to the videophone and swiftly dialed a number. A few moments later Giovanni appeared on the screen.
“Ahh” He said rubbing Persain, “I see you got my message. Report to Head Quarters immediately.”
Jessie laughed at him “You think we’re that dumb. We come to HQ so you can kill us. I don’t think so. Baka Giovanni.” She snapped spitefully.
Giovanni stared at her thoughtfully “You always had the spirit to be a top member, but your weaknesses outnumbered your strengths. And in the end that will be your downfall.”
Jessie glared at him “I have more strengths now then you will ever have and I doubt that they’ll be my demise”.
Giovanni stared at her. When he spoke the hatred in his voice sent waves of unspeakable horror through the three ex-members.
“You are still under my orders if you do not report to head quarters I’ll send someone after you. Is that understood?”
Jessie smiled “We were under your orders but that changed the minute you sentenced us to death. You have no right to tell us what to do anymore and you never did! Do you understand that?” With that she hung the phone up muttering obscenities.
“Let’s go,” She said to James and Meowth who were staring at her.
“Ya know” Meowth said as he quickly packed a small bag of things “Dat was da bravest thing I’ve ever seen a Rocket do before. Your one of a kind Jess”
Jessie ignored the comment as she packed her small backpack.
“Everyone ready?” She asked looking at James who nodded. “Well let’s
go.”
Five minutes after the trio slipped silently into the night a group of
Rockets burst into the hotel room finding nothing. Deep into the woods
three indistinguishable figures moved silently through the undergrowth and up the side of the mountain. Upon closer inspection the three turned out to be Jessie, James, and Meowth in their Rocket uniforms. After two or three miles James could take no more
“Jessie can we stop please? We’ve been running for hours” He whined.
“We’re almost there James. Quit complaining.”
Meowth looked from one to the other “Where are we going again?” He asked.
Jessie turned to stare at him “We’re going to Mondo’s place. It’s just up the mountain.”
“What makes ya think dat he won’t turn us in? Sure he’s been our friend for a long time but still he is part a da team”
Jessie shook her head “That’s where you’re wrong Meowth. He’s also hiding out from Team Rocket so we’ll be safe I know it”.
“Meowth! I hope your right” Meowth said.
James nodded as they continued the long trek up the mountain. Just as the sun was threatening to come up and give life to the forest Mondo’s small cabin came into view. All three members sighed; here was their refuge in the form of a house, a fifteen year old boy, and his ditto. Meowth was the first one to the door and when he got there, he wasted no time but immediately started knocking. Jessie and James arrived a second later. A few moments after they showed up the door opened and there stood Mondo; his brown hair slightly messed up and his outfit slightly crumpled.
“What are you three doing here?” He asked.
He then noticed that they were exhausted and scratched from the long hike
“And what happened?”
“We’ll tell you later right now we just need some where to rest” Jessie said.
Mondo nodded and escorted them in “Sorry it’s kinda messy around here” He apologized as the three sat down and sighed with relief.
“So what happened?” He asked as he gave them all drinks and doughnuts.
“Well” Jessie said “Giovanni beeps us at freaking two in the morning and gives us a 629 and orders us to report to head quarters immediately so he can shoot us and throw our sorry carcasses into the dumpster. Of course we refuse and make a break for it and here we are”
Mondo stared at them amazed; he’d never heard of anyone running from the boss especially not because of a 629 not even he was hiding because of that.
“Well you’re going to have to keep going you’re definitely not safe here. I’ll give you some supplies and money but you have to be gone by tomorrow. Okay?”
He sounded a little hurt by the fact that they were probably going to die
“Why don’t ya come wit us? You’d be helpful and appreciated,” Meowth asked.
Mondo shook his head “I’m fine here they aren’t after me anymore since I’m not really a valuable part of the team. Well you guys have to get some rest so you’ll able to go tomorrow while you’re asleep I’ll fix your bags.”
The three older rockets nodded and went to the bedroom, which had a bed and a chair.
“Ooo! Meowth gets da chair!” Meowth cheered running over and curling up on it. Jessie and James both sighed. James was already lying on the bed when Jessie walked over to him
“Get out or move over” She said.
James thought about it for a moment and moved over grinning to himself.
Jessie laid down beside him and was soon asleep. James couldn’t sleep though memories of all the people who had been killed by the boss and what the boss would do to them when he caught them were enough to make anyone not sleep.
Then his thoughts turned to Jessie, like his rose she was beautiful but she could be painful too. So he eventually drifted off into sleep.
The next morning the three rockets set out on their journey waving goodbye to their friend and promising to call when they could. They had just started out when smoke began to fill the trail they were on.
“Oh crap.” Jessie said.
A voice rang out from the smoke. “Well if it isn’t runaway Jess” it was a mocking voice that was painfully familiar.
Another extremely raspy voice answered.
“The boss is looking for you”.
The smoke cleared revealing Cassidy and Butch along with their Raticate.
"Oh no not them!” James said.
“It’s da copycats!” Meowth screeched.
“Actually there are no originals now” Cassidy said,
“The boss has a high price of 500 yen placed on your heads. And he’ll take you dead or alive” She and Butch laughed.
“I knew if we were gone you two wouldn’t be far behind. So Cassidy what has your corrupt little mind thought of this time?” Jessie said tersely.
Cassidy’s glared at Jessie “I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you. You’re like the walking dead and I just can’t wait to see you get your insignificant brains blown out,” She snapped.
Jessie stared at her “Don’t even start I don’t have the time or patience to listen to you big ass mouth” Jessie snarled back.
“Come on Cass” Butch said suddenly “Let’s go we already accomplished what we were supposed to do”
Cassidy smiled cruelly. Then she threw something to the ground and they vanished into a cloud of smoke leaving the former Rockets bewildered on the trail.
“I wonder what dey meant be dat?” Meowth asked.
Jessie shook her head “I don’t even want to know what she meant. Let’s get going whatever it was it can’t be good for us,” Jessie muttered.
Just as they started to walk down the trail Jessie felt something slam down on her head she maintained consciousness for long enough to hear what sounded like a struggle and then every thing went black.
When Jessie awoke she felt tight rope digging into her wrists. Suddenly she felt a pain across her face. Her eyes focused and she saw a woman standing over her ready to slap her again Jessie realized that there was something familiar about her. She had long amber hair that was tied back.
When she woke up the second time she was chained to a wall and she hurt all over. Even though she had just woke up she could still figure out what this meant they had knocked her out then beat her and chained her to the wall. She sighed now what was going to happen.
Meanwhile James and Meowth were at the other end of the building in a similar predicament only they weren’t chained up. Meowth was in a cage but James was free.
“Glad to see you’re finally awake,” She said in an icy tone.
“Who are you!?” Jessie demanded annoyed.
The woman laughed “Don’t you recognize me Jess” She taunted.
Jessie realized who it was almost immediately. The woman laughed seeing the surprised look on her face she reached up and pulled off the wig revealing strawberry blonde hair styled into two pigtails with spiky ends.
“Cassidy you bitch. Where are James and Meowth?” Jessie demanded.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she taunted. “But I can’t promise that they’re having fun”. She laughed again “And soon neither will you”.
She yelled after her Cassidy just laughed and slammed the door. ‘Oh great’ Jessie thought ‘Now I’ve lost everything’ then she noticed that they had left a small knife lying on the table near where she was tied. ‘If I can just reach that knife I can get out of here’. Just when she had reached it, something hit her from behind she turned her head as far as she could to see the Raticate behind her ready to scratch her again. She could feel the blood oozing down her back and the thought of it made her nauseous. She stared at the rat and then an idea came to her.
“Nice rat” She said gently “Come over here where I can see you”
The Raticate was obviously surprised that it was being spoken to so gently and Jessie could tell it as the it moved around in front of her nervously.
“Hey I’ll make a deal with you” Jessie said in the same gentle voice, “If you untie me I’ll make sure nothing bad ever happens to you again I promise”
The rat looked like it was about to agree when it shook it’s head “Raticate rat, rat” It said.
Surprisingly Jessie understood it; the rat was being loyal to Cassidy and Butch even though they did treat it awfully.
She sighed “Well we’ll just have to do this the hard way”
She said swinging one of her legs and hitting the rat upside the head “Now
listen to me you bloated fuzz ball untie me now!”
The raticate nodded frightened and bit her ropes through. She stood up and glared at the rat cowering beneath her remarkably she couldn’t bring herself to strike it; it just looked so helpless.
“What in the hell have they done to you?” She asked mournfully.
Slowly Jessie walked to the door and cracked it opened. It creaked on its hinges making her tense. ‘Everyone must have heard that’ She thought. She waited for a few moments before going out into the hall. No one had come and she breathed a sigh of relief. She slid noiselessly out of the room and backed into the shadows and moved along the wall. It wasn’t long before she heard someone, no doubt who, coming down the hall. She ducked into a corner and waited for them to pass. When they got close enough she realized that is was Butch and Cassidy together, they quickly passed without even noticing her. She backed out of the corner and made her way quickly down the hall until she came to a door. Trying the knob she realized the door was locked she reached into her pocket and pulled out a lock pick and began picking the lock. A second later there was a clicking sound as the door opened. Jessie carefully pushed it open and crept in. Over in the corner she could see something but she couldn’t tell what after a few seconds she realized it was breathing.
“James.” She whispered coming a little closer.
Suddenly the door slammed shut behind her
“Wrong”
She turned around to see Cassidy behind her.
“Cassidy what have you done to…” She was cut short by a hand being clamped over her mouth rolling her eyes she could see Butch behind her.
“Nice try” He said and then he hit her over the head knocking her unconscious.
“Come on ya gotta get Meowth outta here,” Meowth said as James picked the lock of the cage.
“I’m trying now be quiet before they hear you” James whispered.
The door swung open and Meowth jumped out and began running his paws over his body like he was trying to get something off.
“So…dirty… Tainted.. ” He said, “Eww I got Copy Cat cooties.”
James couldn’t help but smile then he remembered that they didn’t know where Jessie was and he felt like he was going to cry. Meowth sensing what he was thinking put a paw on his knee
“Don’t worry James. We’ll find her and if dey’ve done anything to her tink bout da beatin’ we’ll give em’ right?”
James managed a weak smile “Guess you’re right. Besides I think we’d have heard them if they had tried anything”
Meowth snickered “Exactly. If they was even near her we’d hear cause Cassidy and her can’t stop cat-fightin’. True?”
James had to laugh slightly because he knew that Jessie couldn’t go a day with out getting into a catfight. A clicking sound was heard as the door opened Meowth hopped back into the cage and held the door shut.
It was Butch he was cleaning something on a rag.
“What da ya want?” Meowth demanded.
“Nothin’” Butch said “I just came to make sure you were here.”
After that he left.
Meowth hopped back out of the cage “Man dat guy is a push over. Ain’t he?…. Hello James!” James snapped out of the reverie that he had been in.
“He had a knife” He said quietly Meowth shuddered
“An I don’t even want ta know what he was doin’ wid it. So lets get goin’. Okay?”
James nodded “Wait don’t we need to know where to go first Meowth?”
Meowth shrugged “Anywhere but here is fine by me and we’ll be extra careful in case we do have ta make a run fer it kay’. Come on James yer freakin’ Meowth out why don’t ya start whinin’ like ya usually do huh? Come on do it fer Meowth”
James just shook his head “You don’t understand Meowth they’ve probably killed her by now and I’ll never see her again”
Meowth sighed, “Well I know dey ain’t killed her yet. Ya know how I know cause’ dey’re da kinda people who’ll kill her in front of ya just ta mess ya up so let's go find her before dat happens. Cuz Meowth don’t want her ta die neither”
He quickly turned around to avoid James’ stare and marched toward the door.
