Fortune-ately For You
Written By: TRAnimeGal

As the wind rushs past my face, I see a pavillion of bricks below me, and I know it will be a hard landing. As usual.

After I smash into the rock and the smoke clears, I notice Meowth has something in his paws that certaintly wasn't there before.

"Meowth, where'd that book you're holding come from?"

"I picked it up before we got blasted. It's a book on Pokémon fortune telling."

This was the find of a lifetime! "Oh, a book on Pokémon fortune telling? I've heard all about these little books. I've been meaning to shoplift one."

I had always wanted to see what type I was compared to. Ever since I was little, I always looked at horoscopes and things like that to see how Fate would treat me that day. The shocking thing was that they were usually right on the nose, so I was a huge believer.

"What is Pokémon fortune telling?" I hear a voice beside me say.

Figures that he'd be out of the loop. Just another chance to show him how great I am. "It compares people to Pokémon and tells your fortune. Let's see, it'll probably say I'm an elegant Ninetales type." I flip to the page with my birthday on it. "Here we are... it says I'm an... ah ha! It says I'm an Eevee type!" I giggle at the thought. "Yep, that's me! A cuddly, adorable Eevee type!"

The guys mutter some comments next to me, but I'm still caught up in my finding. Meowth's voice cuts through my dream world. "Hey, Jess, look up what Pokémon personality type matches me!"

What a dunce. "You little furbrain, you *are* a Pokémon!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about dat..."

My mind drifts to my friend sitting next to me. It seems that a dense-type Pokémon would be along his lines... maybe a Slowpoke. Or a weaking, like a Caterpie. I'm now itching with curiousity. "Would you like me to look up your fortune for you, James?"

He shrugs. "Well, alright, but I don't believe in those silly things."

I thumb to his birthday. "Well, it should be right here..." Skimming the page, I can feel the tension in the air. Ah! "Here it is... You're a..."

I can feel the breath suck into my lungs, and all I can do is stare at the faded picture in the little box beside the words. "A Moltres?!?"

I read the description of a Moltres type out loud. Always prevail? Soars high above others? That's impossible! The only soaring that James ever does is when we're blasting off!

He chuckles a bit. "Now, isn't that ridiculous?"

I agree. "He he he... absolutely!"

I find his fortune for today and read it aloud. It says something about good luck with money, and finding something lost. James is never good with our finances, and he's so forgetful about things that I'm surprised he can remember how to dress himself sometimes... I'm slowly becoming a skeptic.

And of course, everything has to come true. As if finding an 1867 silver dollar and his long lost bottle cap isn't enough, he has to have trouble with water, just as predicted, even when the only water-related thing for thirty miles is a drinking fountain.

"Whaddaya say now?" Meowth demands as James wipes the drops off his face.

Silence is the only thing heard for a moment. I look over at him, and see a mysterious twinkle in the corner of his eye. He seems to be thinking about something... realizing something...

"It was right! That silly little fortune telling book was right! Let me see!"

He snatchs the book from my unsuspecting hands with a force I've never seen in him.

He reads the paragraph again in disbelief. I look at him, and, all of a sudden, his head springs up from his readings. "I knew it all along! Through all the pain, through all the humiliation, I've always felt that I was meant for something... greater!"

He has an odd glow in his gaze, and it's sort of scaring me. "James, are you...?"

He hands me the book and scampers up the nearest lightpost like an Aipom in a tree. "I, James, am the mighty Moltres!"

Now *this* is creeping me out. I've never seen James act so vivacious about anything. For once, my status in this small team seems to be shrinking...

"Our Moltres is certainty full of himself..." I comment out loud.

"Yeah, full of hot air," the cat beside me notices.

I get a big surprise when, not a minute later, James lands right in front of me. His voice echoes in my ear much louder than it usually does. "Here this! From this day forth you will be my subjects and I will be the mighty Moltres-like monarch whom you will obey and revere!"

All I can let out is a small, "What?"

He keeps explaining his plan, but my brain has clouded over. It seems that he's taken this a bit too seriously. Major boosts of confidence are OK, but it's quite a shocker when you go from behind-the-scenes helper to all-out first in command.

Especially when you take someone else's place at the top.

My mouth hangs open at his daring plan, and he starts running away. "James, wait!"

My legs start following him, but my mind is jammed in place.

* R *

We stop in front of a Pokémon day care center along the route to Goldenrod City. Meowth suggests our usual plan. "I guess we should sneak in the back way."

He shakes his head. I'm contradicting him mentally- no! what's wrong with you? of course we'll go the back way!- but my lips don't seem to move.

When he suggests just barging through the front door, I don't object. We've done that a few times before (it usually ends up badly) but... maybe if we obey him, he'll have had enough and let it all go back to normal. We march up to the front door, the glass parts for us like a crystal sea, and we strike our evil poses once inside the door. "So, the Moltres is here!" James proclaims.

"Pardon me?" the old lady questions.

He's a step ahead of me. Aren't I usually in that position? I try to seem nefarious, but I'm partially laughing at the irony, partially trying to figure this whole thing out, and...partially holding back tears.

James looks at the elderly couple standing there. "I said the Moltres is here. I am he and I have come to claim your Pokémon!"

The grandma there has a peculiar hint to her voice... almost like I've heard it before. James starts walking in the direction of the back rooms when, in an instant, the lady picks him up and starts swinging him! It takes me a few seconds to realize what's happening, and I rush over to him, but... I don't accomplish much when the man takes me by the shoulders of my uniform. James now lays against the wall where he was thrown. I can feel the pressure against my collarbone and then the impact of the wall along my back. What just happened here?

James seems unfazed by the incedent, obvously still in Moltres-mode. "How dare you treat James the Moltres this way! Where did you get the audacity, and where did you get the muscles?"

I, however, am frozen. I know that I look a bit distraught. I'm even more confused when the elderly couple pulls their faces off and end up being Butch and Cassidy. Figures that they'd show up at a time like this.

I don't bother interrupting them until they're done with their (cheap rip-off) motto. I scowl at them. "Cassidy!"

"And Botch, too."

Ahh... he'll always be thick. "The name is Butch! Can't you get anything right!?" the teal haired one shouts.

Cassidy smirks at us. "Now we'll have to make sure you don't get in our way."

"And how are you going to do that?" I spit out. It sounds a bit more placid than usual.

"Oh, I don't know," Butch snidly remarks in his frog-like voice. "Last time we met, we tried mental domination, so this time I think we're gonna use brute strength."

Cassidy runs around to James' back side, and grabs his arms so he can't move them. I see Butch rush past me, and soon my arms are paralyzed by his grip. I look at my partner being held hostage by the golden-haired enemy I hate, and soon I go into a fit. "Let me go!"

I yank my arms around behind me, but Butch's grip is stronger. I aim my heel for the top of his foot, but as soon as I jam it down, he steps aside and I end up with a pain in the bottom of my boot. Whimpering, I finally do as I've never done before... give up the fight.

James, still with a gleam in his eye, doesn't seem to be trying to get away. His trait of being a gentleman still shows through; he'd never even try to hurt a girl. It's obvious that Butch hasn't been raised by the same standards.

They drag us to a shed out in back and tie us together with a thick rope. We've been in this predicament many times before, but... I've never seemed so pessimistic about it. And James has never been so fearless.

Our wrists are pressed against each other's in the loop. I can feel the blood pumping through his veins. He must be on a real adrenaline high today...

Isn't it odd, though? I'm the one supposed to be determined. It's like we've switched places.

I want to be the leader again.

Even in the little space that is between us, I still manage to wrap my finger around the edge of his hand. We do that sometimes, when we're caught in this situation. One of us manages to find the other's hand, and we hold on to each other. We sometimes squeeze our fingers together, and we know that we're each a bit scared. James usually starts this.

I apply just a bit of pressure to his palm for a minute, and then release my grip. I wait for a few seconds, but... he doesn't respond. I try again, but it's the same outcome as before, nothing. "James...?"

"I am always here for my subservients! What can James the Moltres do to assist you?"

I choke on my words. Subservient? It now feels like an arrow has been shot through my heart. He's never thought of me as someone less than him. It stings my soul to hear his demanding voice now. I breath and I start my sentence. "Did you feel that? Why didn't you respond?"

I know that he'll have an answer that I don't want to hear, but I keep my ears open and force myself to listen. "James the Moltres doesn't have time for childish games. The Moltres must use his brillance to concoct a plan to get out of here."

I hang my head and demand myself to not tear up. He never said it was childish before today... My sadness soon turns to anger at my lack of determination and the fact that two of my most loathed enemies happened to defeat me again. I let out a small groan. "I can't stand that Cassidy."

The scratch-cat beside me wiggles around a bit. "I bet dey got some supa-smart scheme goin', though."

I brace myself to hear him speak. It's a voice I don't want to hear again. "Fear not! Don't forget that no matter what difficulties arises, the Moltres type will always prevail and triumph!"

This superhero speech is one I shrug off. Suddenly I feel the twine around me tensing, and then... The rope is snapped into a million shreds, and disinegrates around me. I gasp; we've never escaped from being tied up before. The events quickly click in my head, and I turn around to realize that James was the one that released us. He quickly walks over to the door and hurls himself against it. Where did he get all of this power? He's never shown it before he learned of his mighty counterpart. I see him throw himself at it a second time, and the door flies off of his hinges and goes clattering to the ground.

Now standing, I just stare in disbelief at his feats of strength. He looks at us with a powerful glare, a demanding gaze that I try not to wince at. "Moltres has broken your bonds. Come, we must fly!"

Four words come out of my mouth that may never come out again. "Whatever you say, James."

I hear Meowth speak up beside me, it's the same way. "You're da leader."

What have I put myself up to?

"Come this way!" James calls out to us as he waves us in the direction of the nearest machinery rental place. Meowth and I just tag along behind him, trying to figure out the whole scheme of things. "Meowth, isn't James sort of acting..."

"A bit too cocky for his own good?" the cat finishes up. "Yeah, I tink so. I mean, just cause he's suppose to be a legendary bird-type doesn't mean he hasta push us around."

I find myself contradicting my own thoughts out loud. "But it's sorta nice to see him actually standing up for something."

"I gotta admit, Jimmy's certaintly gotten braver." We both looked up at him, or rather, the back of his head. His chin is held high, and he's got perseverance in his step. "Well," Meowth admits, "it's partially a welcome change."

"Yeah, partially."

We continue to walk behind him. I start to notice certain things about him that I've never stopped to consider before. He's got broad shoulders, ones that are now being held straight and proud. I've never seen anyone with such shiny hair than my partner's, which is waving in the breeze. His figure, although a bit slim, is the perfect match to my somewhat curvy shape. And... well, if you're *behind* someone, you have to notice something else.

"Hey, Jess, why's your face red?" Meowth calls up to me.

"I'm just a bit hot today, Meowth," I reply. I giggle mentally.

James suddenly stops in front of me, and I bump into his back. "Why'd you stop, James?"

"James the Moltres has found a worthy piece of construction equipment to steal."

I look up to find a simple crane standing before me. "James, how are we going to move that thi..."

He silences me with a loud "Shush!". Walking up to it, he hops in and starts fiddling with the controls. "My degenerate rogues, we have come to heist this piece of machinery for our evil plan! I say, get in the gondola!"

Again Meowth and I obey.

"James the Moltres will now soar!"

Turning the ignition, he kicks it into high gear, and pulls a lever in front of us. The crane lurches forward and slowly rolls out of the yard. Behind us I hear a storeclerk running to catch up. "Hey, just what in the..."

James prompty stops crawling forward and turns the boom around. "The Moltres will not be stopped! Be gone, you vile charlatan!"

The clerk runs back into the store, screaming for his mommy. I applause a few times for a job well done.

"You!" I stop my congratulations. "You will be the one to operate the crane while James the Moltres carries out his plans! Be prepared not to mess up, or you will have the wrath of he!"

My eyes are now saucers as I stare at him. Did he just... just... threaten me? I can hear Meowth gasp beside me. He mutters something that I catch. "Jimmy's gonna be sleepin' outside the cabin tonight..."

And yet, that's the exact opposite of my wishes.

"We have one more stop before my genius is carried out! Onward to the costume shops!"

Oh, my gosh.

* R *

Meowth and I sit in the crane a few yards away from the entrance to the shop. James has been in there forever, and I don't know what could be taking him so long...

He struts proudly out of the front door, holding what appears to be a large white box in his hands. I just sigh as he climbs up and sits himself in the driver's seat. "Now James, the nefarious Moltres, will drive to the scene of the robbery!"

Now, you know when he starts tacking on evil adjectives, he's gone a bit too far. "James, don't you think that this is enough?"

He turns around and looks at me with a frightening glare. "I would suggest that you keep your comments to yourself while the Moltres is in control."

I look into his deep green eyes, and I search frantically, but I can't seem to find any sign of the James that there once was. The James I knew before. My friend James. I'm getting so much more worried now.

He turns back around. All I can do for a few seconds is stare at the back of his head, and then I tear my eyes away.

Why do I feel the tears building? No, you won't cry. You just won't. I bottle my emotions up like I always do, waiting for the day to release them. Taking a deep breath, I find the strength to look up again. Standing now, I walk over and place my hand on his shoulder, just for my own sake. To prove that he's still the same on the outside, at least. I just figure he's immune to it like he was before, and it turns out I'm right.

It's a long, slow drive before we reach the outside of the day care center. He parks the crane towards the back wall of the storage area behind the main room. He leaps out of the gondola and dashes to place the explosives against the brick blocking our path. Usually this is a two-person job, but today it seems that he can handle it himself. I don't even bother asking if he needs help. Once he's finished with the dynamite he comes back to Meowth and I, obviously to give us more orders.

"This is the plan thought up by the Mighty Moltres. You," he says, pointing, yes, pointing a finger at me. "are to control the boom of the crane while I carry out my ingenious. And you," he continues, pointing at Meowth, "are to assist her."

Yeowch. He's not even using my name now.

We just nod our heads and obey again. I wonder, is this what he really feels like when we execute schemes? We usually collaborate on ideas, but... I'm the one that gives the commands.

Meowth and I climb into the crane and sit down in the two seats next to each other. James calls up to us from the ground. "You will lower me once the explosion occurs! I must fly!"

With that, he ran off into the woods with the white box he had been carrying.

It was a few minutes before the same box was dropped onto the floor of the gondola, with James' Team Rocket uniform still inside. "What the hell...?" I mumble.

"Jimmy must be up above us gettin' hooked to da crane boom."

"But why would he do that?"

"Dere's a lot of tings I can't explain about him now, Jess."

I just sigh.

Suddenly a loud explosion rocks the ground underneath us. I figure the bombs must have gone off, so I wait until the smoke clears from view. Just my luck, Butch and Cassidy and the twerps are situated inside the back room.

I push the lever that lowers the rope down. I just about send James crashing to the ground when I see what he's dressed in, but I quickly gain control of my arm and let him down slowly.

He's dressed as a Moltres. A Moltres. In a yellow suit. A tight yellow spandex suit. With feathers. Red, long, wavy feathers fluttering from his arms. A Moltres! And a tail, just like the feathers. And a beak and a head with eyes and he's a Moltres. A Moltres!! My brain does not have the capacity at the moment to mix these thoughts coherently.

"Dat outfit..." Meowth says in awe, "where'd he get it?"

I think it was the underneath part of that tree that he portrayed so well. At this time, well, I don't even know. "I think that costume came right out of his closet."

He just keeps blabbering on about how the book changed his life, and his ultimate destiny to become the ruler of the world. "Meowth?"

"Yeah, one minute, Jess."

He pushes a lever and the boom swings nearer to our black-clothed enemies. Wait a second, wasn't I just... put on hold?! The nerve! I'm furious at Meowth, but I don't have the energy to show it. I decide to cool down and let this comment pass... for once.

"What is it, Jessie?"

"Meowth..." I begin again. "Do you... like what this book has done for James?"

"Well, I was tinking about dat earlier. It seems dat some things are improved, but I gotta say dat I want da old Jimmy back. Quickly."

"Yeah..."

We turn back to the heated battle at hand. James releases his Victreebel and, of course, it immediately goes for his head. But James reacts a bit differently this time. I see his foot swing towards the grass Pokémon, and he sends it flying a few feet backwards. "Listen, you!" he demands loudly. "You belong to James, the magnificent Moltres, future ruler of all Pokémon! Now shape up or ship out!"

It starts to carry out its master's orders this time, flawlessly. My eyes grow ever wider as it turns back to James for more attacks. He rewards it with a few words of thanks. "Excellent attacks! I'm very proud of you, Victreebel, you're performing like the Pokémon of a true Team Rocket leader!"

Even with the boost of confidence, he still has that tone of empowerment in his voice. "There's been a real change in James..."

"Even his Victreebel's behavin'!"

We listen as our Team Rocket counter-villains continue to badmouth our partner.

"How embarrassing is this lunatic?"

"I knew that he was a loony-bird, but this is ridiculous!"

Suddenly James "flies" up towards him a bit more. "Come on, Botch, you want a piece of me?"

"You better shut your beak!"

It now hits me that I've just seen a man in a yellow Moltres suit threaten a Black Rocket Member while hanging from a crane 10 feet in the air. I pinch myself. Twice.

"For your information," Cassidy smirks, "that Pokémon fortune telling book is a fake! We made the whole thing up!"

I can see James' jaw drop like a ton of rocks.

Butch goes on. "The whole thing's a big con. And you fell for it!"

James holds up the book. "You mean that... You mean that this entire book is a work of fiction?"

"That's right, it's all nonsense."

"Then the part about me being a Moltres type...?"

I see the small part of his upper feathers ripping from the rings on the rope. I jump down and climb over the brick rubble, but it's too late, so I decide to take my time. Meanwhile, James and Butch stare at each other for a moment, and then... "A lie."

The feathers snap, sending James plummeting to the ground. Talk about timing.

"The mighty Moltres... grounded."

I step up to face them. "I suppose this revelation makes it doubtful that I'm an Eevee."

My temper flares up as they talk about the Boss disappointed in us, and how we're all imcompetant. Even thought I really dislike my partners at the moment, no one, no one talks about our team like that unless they go through me. "Get them, Wobbuffet!"

I keep to myself that I realize we have no offense. Cassidy laughs in my face, angering me further. "What can that bumbling blue blob do? Raticate, tackle attack!"

The large rodent charges at Wobbuffet, but it immediately puts up a cerulean shield, and the rat gets blasted back a few feet.

"Ahahahaha!" It feels good to hear my dominating laugh once again. "My blue blob's not so bumbly!"

Behind me Meowth is trying to convince James to get up and help . "What are ya sittin' dere for? We gotta battle dese bums!"

"I am mighty... just like Moltres... I will prevail and triumph..."

It's obvious he's still in a bit of a shock. "Have it your way, birdboy," Meowth shrugs.

Butch points at us all of a sudden. "Primeape, thrash attack!"

My tongue gets caught and I command my Pokémon a bit too late for it to react. "Wobbuffet, counter it... Argh!"

I get hurtled backwards and land on my back again. I hear one last command of Cassidy's. "Raticate, use your skull bash attack!"

I feel myself being hit again, which sends us flying in the air along with the crane. I can't hear James and Meowth's last comments on account of the harsh wind rushing past my ears, so I just scream our usual line. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!..."

I look over at James in mid-flight. His chin is held high, his arms are spread out, and I can see the beads of tears being carried away with the breeze. I feel so bad for him at the moment. He's had his dream taken away from him, just like tempting a child and then taking the plate of candy away. I turn away, knowing if I look again my own river of sorrow will flow.

We land just a few miles away on the path into town. We get up and brush ourselves off, no longer impacted by our falls. I see him wipe his face with his sleeve of feathers, pick up the white box that fortunately escorted us in midair, and walk off the main road to change back into his uniform.

"Meowth? Did you see James while we were blasting off?" I whisper, making sure that it's not loud enough to hear from far away.

"No, I didn't, Jess. Why?"

"Oh, never mind."

Sitting at the base of a tree, I wait patiently for James to emerge from the bushes. When he does, I see him set the package down at the roots of a small cherry blossom tree and start walking towards town.

"James," I jump up, following him. "Don't you want...?"

"No," he states firmly. "I don't ever want to see it again."

I motion for Meowth to come along and we follow him in the same melancholy fashion. It's about an half-hour before we make it to a small market on the outskirts. It's also when James first speaks again. "It's devastating to think you have a Moltres type personality and then lose it."

Meowth speaks up. "Youse was better off without a personality..."

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a small maroon book covered with symbols. I know I've seen it somewhere before...

"Ah! Look! A Pokémon fortune telling book! This must be the real one!"

I rush over and grab it out of the bookstand. Gazing at its cover, I long for a look inside.

Then it's not there.

James shoots me a glare as he turns away and opens the book. Why did he just take it like that? Maybe there's still a little bit of that flame in his heart...

"Let's see... I bet this one says I'm a Moltres type... Here's my... birthday..." One look at the page sends him twitching. I gaze over his shoulder and gasp while he cries out in astonishment. "Oh, no! It can't be!..."

"What is it? Meowth wanna know!"

He peers over our shoulders to stare at the entry. Silence ensues for the next minute or two, while we try to comprehend the script on the page. I hear Meowth let out a little chuckle, and I immediately elbow him in the stomach. "Stop it!" I hiss.

"But..." he laughs, "it's so true!"

"No, it's not!"

I realize that my comment was in stereo. But the only other person that could have said it was...

"No, it's not true, Meowth!" James yells at him. "I'm stronger than that! I am!"

He throws the book down at his feet and runs towards the direction that we just came. I pick it up before I start running after him. "Come on, you alley cat!" I scream at the bewildered Pokémon behind me. I call out after him. "James, wait up!..."

I run at full speed trying to catch up with him, but with his head start and his ability to sprint long distances, I'm left in the dust. I watch until I can no longer see the back of his head, and then I stop to catch my breath. Meowth scurries up to me and stands by my side.

"Damn it, you know that was a rude thing to say!" I huff at him.

"If he's so strong, den he coulda taken it!" he shoots back.

"That's not the point," I mumble, looking in the direction James was running. "You didn't see him... see him..."

"Didn't see him what, Jess?"

"Oh, never mind. Let's just go find him."

*R*

We had been walking for about ten minutes when Meowth suddenly snapped his fingers. "I know where Jimmy must be!"

"He's at the cabin that's off the main path about five minutes from here," I state nonchalantly. I had known that from the start.

"Well, pardon me, I was only tryin' ta help out."

"You've already done enough to help," I spit out. "Now let's just keep walking."

By this time I don't want to talk with either of my teammates. My strength has been drained trying to catch up with James, and I'm in such a depressed mood from the day's events that all I want to do is get to the cabin and go to sleep. I can feel that even though a nap would do me the best, that this is going to be another sleepless night.

Today has really made me think a lot about our positions in this small team. It's so odd when you think you've set balanced places, and then one line from a phony prophecy throws it all out of whack. I make a mental note about this, and tuck in back into my memory.

"Look, Jess!" Meowth barges into my thought process once again. "Dere's da cabin!"

The familiar wooden house stares back at me from among the trees. There's one thing about it that doesn't seem to be right...

"Jessie, I didn't know we had windows dat opened."

"Neither did I."

Walking up to the door, I grab the knob and turn it hard. The door appears to be locked from the inside, but... I don't have a key to open it. "Meowth, do you have a key for this cabin?"

"I lost my set for dese cabins."

"Well, then, how...?"

It hits me. I dash over to the "open" window and peer inside. Shards of glass litter the floor inside the pane, scattered as far as a few feet away. The twisted wood that held it together is snapped into twigs, dispersed among the deadly ribbons. My eyes skim past this scene of horror to gaze upon James sitting on the old beat-up couch inside. A bandaged hand picks up a small mug from the table; he slowly sips it and sets it back down again.

"James?"

He turns his head towards me and stares with his poofy red eyes. He does not speak.

I decide this isn't the time to get harsh. "Please come unlock the door."

He gives me a small nod of understanding and walks over to the door. I meet him there as he holds it open long enough for Meowth and me to come inside. He locks it and sits back down on the sofa.

I spin around and look at the damage done to the window. Then I spin around and see the damage done to James' hand. I can feel it building up deep, deep within my heart, and then... and then...

"James! How could you do this?!" I shriek. "You've damaged the cabin, you've injured your hand, you've been acting like a complete ass all day! What has gotten into you?!"

He gets up from the couch and faces me. "I don't know, Jess, how could I have?" He's speaking in that deep angry voice again, which is getting louder with each word. "All that's happened today is that my dreams were shot down..." He's moving closer. "I've managed to be defeated once again..." It's ringing in my ears. Stop it... "And it turns out that the two people who I thought cared couldn't give a damn LESS about what happens to ME!"

My god... my god... just make him stop it...

I can feel his hot breath on my face and see the sweat sparkling on his brow. He blinks at me to hold back the tears that have come to his eyes. I try to speak again. "But..."

"But nothing!"

He walks into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Shock. Pure shock fills my whole body. I shrink down to the ground, clutch my knees, and try to tell myself it was all a dream. A terrible dream.

It seems like hours before Meowth suddenly taps my shoulder. I look up at him, noticing a piece of paper in his paws. He hands it to me.

It's pure chicken scratch I identify as James'. 'Taking the day off tomorrow. I don't care what you do.'

I snatch a pen off the table and write a reply. 'Fine. I'm not working if you're not.'

Handing it back to the small cat, I get up long enough to move to the couch and sit down. On the table is the book that I set there before the whole fiasco. Flipping open to James' fortune, I read it again.

"This type doesn't have much going for it. It's usually regarded as a worthless wanderer, often going against the grain and disobeying others. The only thing that might be said for it is its determination, but even that won't get it much farther. Needs a type that can deal with stupidity and/or uselessness."

What a horrible thing to say about someone, even if it is true. I don't think I'd ever be as mean as to say...

I would. I would say something worse. Like I just did.

My heart seems to be feeling something, undergoing a change of some sort. I promised! I promised myself I wouldn't cry! It takes the rest of my strength to hold the drops back.

I drag myself off of the couch and walk over to the single bedroom door. My knuckles rap softly against the hard wood as I try to speak. "James?..." I say gently. "Are you in there?"

I hear no reply.

"James?"

Still nothing.

I now worry. What if something else happened to his fist? Or what if he tried something more dangerous...? I quickly and quietly open the door, and find James asleep on the large bed in the corner. It's obvious that he's been crying.

I walk over to him and look at his crimson cheeks. And I did nothing... Lying down next to him, all I can do is just stare at his peaceful expression and sigh. Should I? I debate it in my head. It won't hurt anything... I lift his limp arm up and let it rest on my shoulder.

That's all it takes. His touch. Even if he doesn't know it. Hot tears fall down my cheeks and onto the bedspread. Almost as an impulse I wrap my arms around him and bury my head into his shoulder. He smells... like roses...

What happened to being strong? And saving my tears? I move closer to his warmth. I don't need strength now. I don't even want strength now. I just want... I just want him. And for it to be like how it was before. Before he was the leader. Before I was the leader. When we were on equal ground and we had nothing to worry about...

All I can hear is my sobbing, and I hold him tighter. I whisper into his chest. "Please, please don't be strong. We can help each other be... ourselves... not strong... not now..."

I can feel myself slipping off to sleep. I welcome it so much...

*R*

The light of the fading sun tempts me back into reality. I blink my eyes groggily and sit up in the bed. I am now alone in the room. I look down to see a blue blanket spread over my body, and a rose placed gently in my right hand.

Fingering the soft yellow petals, I notice a small piece of paper attached to the stem with James' signature red ribbon. The note is not in the illegible mess I read before, but in his normal loopy script. All is says is, 'We need to talk.'

I smile. "Leave it to James to be indirect."

I sit there for a few more minutes, trying to collect my thoughts. What exactly am I going to say? I can't tell him that I was actually frightened by him, even if it was for a millisecond. And he saw the state I was in when he woke up... I'm going to have to wait this whole thing out a bit longer, because I'm sure he'd think me vulnerable and just a little too helpless if I went to him now.

But am I supposed to just stay here? Sit here forever?

I decide I'll give him silence until he talks to me. At least until a while later when it's an OK time.

Laying the flower down on the small bedside table, I pick up the blanket, fold it, and set it down on top of the slightly rumpled sheets. Sighing in disbelief and hope, I turn the doorknob and walk outside to the main room.

Meowth and James are both sitting at the table, eating our usual rice and soy sauce dinner. I notice that there is no longer any glass or wood strewn about; he must have cleaned it up. He glances up at me with his pleading eyes and then quickly looks down into his dish, swirling the grains around in his bowl.

"Meowth, get me a dish," I commanded as I sit down across from my lavender-haired partner.

"Meowth, you don't have to get it," James quickly jumps in. "I'd be glad to."

He gives me a meek grin and walks over to the counter. I guess he really does want to make up for his bossiness.

But then what makes up for mine?

I push the thought aside. He puts my plate down in front of me and continues eating.

"So," Meowth blurts out, food flying from his mouth, "how'd ya tink taday's plan went?"

I say nothing. James looks a bit uneasy, but comments quietly, "More unexpected than they usually are."

"That's for sure," I agree.

"Jimmy, you dealing wit da fortune ting OK?"

I can see the grief form in his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be OK."

"Good ting, because we don't need any wimps in dis team."

I know it. That mangy little furbrain's going to...

"Cause we already got you!"

He lets out a huge laugh, falling off his chair in the process. James winces and clutches his chopsticks tighter. He looks up at me, searching for any sign that I'll pull out a mallet and send Meowth flying. I just give him a look that says ignore him, much like one two parents give after their children disrupt something. His eyes plead for a fan. I shake my head.

"Meowth, what the hell was that?" I say in a disgusted tone.

"I was just kiddin' around, Jess."

"Well," I state in a huff, "at least he HAS a fortune."

"Shaddup!"

"It's true." I daintly scoop some rice into my mouth. "Unlike some others here who have no future except supplying fleas for the circus."

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear dat."

We eat the rest of dinner in silence. I can't even bear to look at James. I don't know why, though. I think he's thinks I'm weak. That's the worst I've ever cried in front of anybody... even if he wasn't awake...

He takes his dish to the sink, washes it off, and leaves it sitting on the counter. "Jess?" he quietly says.

"Yes, James?" There's a hint of caring in my voice, a rarity, that I add just for him.

"I'm going to bed now. See you in the morning."

He retreats back to the bedroom. Should I follow him?

I'll talk to him later.

But he falls asleep really quickly...

Then I'll talk to him in the morning.

But it can't wait until tomorrow.

My mind is ripping apart at the opposing decisions, tearing the reason from my true feelings. My legs... my legs are already moving towards the door.

For the second time today I knock on the hard oak paneling. A echo from before comes from my mouth. "James?"

I hear a muffled reply. "Yes?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, ummm... sure."

He must be surprised that I'm asking, since my usual nature causes me to barge into rooms unannounced. I'm sort of surprised, too.

I enter and find James in his pajamas sitting on top of the bed crosslegged. He's staring at the fortune book and thumbing through the pages. I go over and sit by him. "What's up?" I ask with a mixture of gladness and gentleness in my words.

"Jessie..." He looks up at me, and tears are already set in the corners of his eyes. "Am I... am I really that weak?"

"Of course not!" He's staring at me with those large emerald orbs, and they're so full of sorrow, and pain... "You're very strong. Just look at what you did today. You saved us, and you stood up to Butch and Cassidy. That's strength."

"I guess so..." He pointed to the text on the page. "But it says here..."

"Don't believe everything you read, James. That's what got you in trouble before."

"Maybe it's right. I am useless. I never bring anything but bad luck."

"James, look at me."

His gaze meets mine. It's almost like looking in a mirror. I know how he feels. I've felt the same. I've been through the same thing, never knowing if you were good enough, or needed, or loved...

"Don't say that about yourself. You're not useless, and you don't bring bad luck, and I..." What am I saying? I quickly plug my affection until another time. "...and we need you so much and you'll never be worthless to us, James."

I can feel my hand wiping away the beads from his eyelashes, and I pull it back before he realizes that I'm actually caring for him. Because I have to be...

I have to be me now.

No one else.

Me.

I sit down next to him and run my fingers through his hair. I can see his face turning pink, then light red, then a deep shade of crimson. I laugh softly. He was never good with emotion. "Now," I state as I take the book from his lap, "we're going to look at this again and prove it wrong."

"Oh... OK."

"Now, the first thing it says is..." My fingers follow the lines down until... "Ahh. Here it is. 'Not much going for it.' Now, contradict that. What do you have?"

"Well, I have you... and Meowth... and a job... and food..."

"And you have your Pokémon."

"Yeah, and I have you..."

"Silly," I sling my arm around his shoulder. "You already said that."

"Oh, yeah, oops." His cheeks, if possible, turn redder.

"Let's see... now it says 'a worthless wanderer'."

"Well, I am a wanderer."

"But you're not worthless. What makes you not worthless, James?"

"I push the button for a lot of important plans," he states with pride.

"Try, you make up the important plans."

"I do some of that, too."

"See, you're not worthless."

All of this talking has cast a new light over James that I tend to ignore. He's a competent person. He's intellegent. He can do things his own way.

And now I feel awful inside. That I've been such a mean witch to him. I wish I could take a bit of it back.

"It says that determination won't get you far. What has determination got you?"

"It got me into Team Rocket."

"Anything else?"

"Ummm... it let me stay with you."

That part was true. He had whined and sobbed so much that the Boss let us be partners. Sometimes I'm glad he has that annoying side of him.

"Good. Now doesn't that make you feel better?"

He nods his head. Truthfully, it makes me feel a bit better, too. I can't stand when the people I love get hurt so deeply.

People I love? James? Falls into that category? Nah...

"Hey, Jessie." His smooth voice cuts into my thinking.

"What?"

"We haven't read your fortune yet."

"I guess we better, then."

I switch positions and lie down on my stomach next to him. He finds my birthday and, for no reason I know of, smiles softly. "What's the grin for? Is it that bad?"

"No, look." He points to the pink Pokémon at the top of the page. "You're a Chansey type, Jess."

"Ahh! That's almost as good as a Eevee type!"

"Here's the description. 'Although it doesn't look like it, this type cares for others, often more than they do for his or herself. Would go out of the way for anyone that they like and trust, but to others they appear unsympathetic and often apathetic. Has an unbelievable amount of inner strength, but when pushed to the limits, he or she might show a softer side.' "

What the hell?! It's right on the money! It seems as if Fate wrote the book itself... "That sounds pretty accurate."

"Pretty accurate? It's exactly you, Jessie."

I didn't know he thought that way. "And how would you know?"

"You just showed me that."

"Oh."

"Let's read more of yours... oh, look, the romance part."

This was always the part that was inaccurate. The chances of this being right were about a zillion to one.

"It says, 'This type will often go for the others who need help the most, the weaklings of the zodiac, such as Caterpie, Oddish, Igglybuff, and...' " He pauses a second.

My heart's leaping with anticipation. No way could it be... "What does it say?"

" 'And Magicarp types.' "

A silence overcomes us for a moment. And then... "That's your sign, James!"

Hello, mister obvious.

Could it be reciprocated? "Look up yours now."

"OK, calm down." I didn't seem that excited to read it... oops. Maybe I did. He flips rather nonchalantely to the Magicarp-type page. " 'Although it sometimes goes to another idiot Pokémon-type, like Slowpoke or maybe some other Magicarp, this type needs taken care of often, and goes better with type like Kangaskhan or... Chansey...' "

My heartbeat's echoing in my ears like a drum. But why? I've never felt quite like this before... it's sort of creepy... a perfect match? We didn't need a book for that... Where did that come from? All these thoughts and emotions and pictures and fantasies [What? I don't know how many of those...] are rushing through my head at the same time, and suddenly... suddenly I short-circuit and just stop thinking.

"Well, that's coincidental, isn't it?" he comments.

There it is. His cute clueless face. "That's indeed coincidental."

He lies down next to me. I feign tiredness, which isn't hard, since I'm completely wiped out mentally. "You tired, too?"

"Jessie, how can you be tired? You took a nap this afternoon."

A flashback to my breakdown occurs, and I blush a bit. I tell myself to stop, but it's no use. "I don't know. I just am."

"Why were you crying?"

I'm slowly changing back to my old cover-up. "I was crying because you were. You read the fortune."

"It was something more than that."

"No, it wasn't."

He nudges me with his shoulder. "Yes, it was."

"Fine, it was." I had let it out. The weight off my shoulders feels comforting. "So what?"

"You were frightened a bit, weren't you? I'm sorry I was so rash, and about the window and all of that."

His voice holds such compassion now. It seems to be melting the ice off my heart, and all I want... all I want is...

"Yeah, you sort of scared me a bit, but it wasn't that bad. And I was worried that you would stay like that, as nasty and mean as I usually am... sorry about that..."

"I forgive you," he jumps in. "Hey, if one of us wasn't bossy and dominering, we'd wouldn't get a single thing done."

"I guess you're right about that."

"Jessie?"

I look over at him, and he's still very pink in the cheeks. "Yes?"

"You looked very pretty today... I mean when I found you when I woke up..."

He lets out a huge breath. It's kinda obvious that he was more than a bit nervous when he told me. But how do I respond to that? Do I tell him that I worried? Ugh... just one more question after another.

"Umm... thanks."

"You looked so sad, Jess." He rests his head on the book. "I'm sorry I made you feel so terrible."

"That's OK. I need to feel a bit unworthy sometimes. Rocks me back into the real world, I guess." I flip over onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. "The world that I call real, anyway."

"But I shouldn't be making it worse than it already is."

I smile, close my eyes, and manage not to blush as I hear the words come out of my mouth. "As long as you're here, everything's OK."

James sighs. "Same for me."

"Oh, as long as you're here it's OK?" Can't resist a bit of wit.

"No, I mean that..."

"I know what you mean, James. I was kidding."

I open my eyelids, and a sea of shimmering green is staring down at me. I take in a small breath. What is he doing?

"I hope I'm not a joke all the time, Jessie."

I feel a drop hit my cheek, and it cascades down to the sheets. "Why are you crying again? I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

His arms wrap around me, and he squeezes me so tightly I swear I skip a breath. "I'm so lucky. I've got all I could ever want right here by my side." He lets go of me, and I sit up slowly. James follows right beside me. There's such tension in the air! I can see out of the corner of my eye his questioning glance.

Why did you do that?, he's asking. Am I really that threatening?

"James..."

He can only answer with the same gaze, the same emerald innocence of so many times before. "Yes, Jessie?"

I place my hands on his shoulders and lean forward ever so slightly. My lips touch the center of his forehead for just a minute before I pull backwards and smile. "Fortunately for you, it's written in the stars that way."

"It's meant to be."

"Always, and forever."

He embraces me, and I do the same. It's the second time I've shed tears today, but these are so much more different. These are tears of joy, and these are the best to cry. I hear him whisper into my ear just before he pulls me closer.

"Double trouble, Jessica?"

I nod. "Double trouble."

I swear silently I'll never look at another fortune telling book again. I've learned so much today. How life has so many ups and downs, twists and turns, and how it's hard to control. That there are so many sides to people that you thought were never there. Most importantly, that I can be who I want to be, myself, without the help of anything or anyone.

Except James, maybe. Because that's how it's meant to be.

Fortune-ately.