Rating: PG-13, just because all my other stories seem to be rated this.

Other: Hmm... for once, I have nothing to say. Write me at Jayhawkfan13@aol.com and tell me what ya think.

Dedicated to Satoshi Tajiri, for giving us these wonderful characters to enjoy, or verbally abuse.

The twenty year old took a seat in front of his mother. She glared at him, eyes unblinking. Giovanni didn't look away.

"You're a tough young man Giovanni," she consented. It was the closest thing to praise he'd ever get. "An excellent contender for the title of Boss Rocket. But that isn't all you need. You'll need brains, wits, and more tricks than a fox if you ever want to rule this Team. That's what I'm here for."

Giovanni needed to only say one thing. "Teach me everything you know."

She leaned back in her chair, a half-smile on her lips. "I knew you'd say that."

~~

Giovanni tapped his fingers on the desk, looking out the window. He remembered that day well; the day he'd been first initiated as the Boss of Team Rocket. If on that day thirty years ago his mother had told him he would die of cancer, he never would have believed her. A gun wound, maybe, even a team member poisoning him, but nothing as simple a disease as cancer. Now time was running out; he could feel himself getting worse everyday. Giovanni ran a hand through his graying hair. His own health didn't matter anymore. What was important was that the team had a new boss, someone who knew everything he'd been taught, by the time he died.

Having no children of his own, Giovanni had to choose an heir from his list of team members. Already he was three-fourths of the way through the list, and there was no one he thought he could trust with the job.

As he skimmed the names, his eyes rested for a moment on Jessica Diane Smitt, Jessie to her friends. He started to check a "no" next to it, then stopped himself. Jessie was young, strong, ambitious and smart. Beauty couldn't hurt either. And as an added bonus, she and her partner were some of his most loyal members.

Giovanni groaned. Her partner, James Eric Rosewood. With one came the other. Could he really trust the team to that fool? He pondered it for a moment. James was a fairly intelligent young man, though he sometimes lost sight of what was important. Like Jessie, he was ambitious, and more or less determined. Plus, he was obviously in love with Jessie and would keep her safe from renegade Rockets who tried to take her life. Yes, the pair would do nicely.

Giovanni grabbed his cordless and dialed up Jessie's cell phone number.

~~

Neither James nor Jessie knew exactly why Giovanni had called them in - they hadn't been succeeding, but they hadn't been doing any worse either. James twisted his hands, Jessie played with her earrings nervously.

"Um, sir, you wanted to see us?" James asked.

He nodded. "I'm going to be very blunt with you: I'm dying. The doctor's diagnosed cancer, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it."

The two exchanged looks with their feline partner, Meowth.

"We're sorry to hear that, but what does that have do with us?" Jessie wondered.

Giovanni avoided the question for the moment. "I have no son of my own, no living relatives. The only way this team is to continue thriving is if I find an heir. That's where you come in."

Jessie's eyes lit up briefly with excitement. "Sir?"

"How would you like to be 'the boss', Jessie? To have this entire organization under your control?"

Jessie smiled. "I'd love it!"

"Money and power don't come without sacrifices, though. It's time-consuming, stressful work. Police confrontations, legal documents... this isn't an easy job, not in the least."

Jessie paused. "That hard huh?" she muttered.

"Of course, you wouldn't be alone. You'd have James and Meowth to help you, and me for a while. I plan to teach you everything I can for as long as I can, if you accept the responsibility."

Jessie leaned over next to James and Meowth. "Do you think this is some kind of trick?" she hissed.

"I don't tink so," Meowth whispered. "I've never known da boss ta do dis."

"Do you think you could do it Jess?" James asked quietly. "I know I couldn't."

"You'll help me, right?" Jessie wanted to know.

"We're with you all the way," James replied, smiling.

Meowth grinned. " Of course. You ain't gettin' rich widdout us."

Jessie turned back to Giovanni. "What do I need to know?"

He smiled, though in the back of his mind he still had his doubts. "Everything."

~~

Over the next two months Jessie and James spent nearly all day with their boss, learning what it took to be a Team Rocket leader. Over the time, Giovanni became something of a father-figure, rather than a menacing boss. He tried his hardest not to lose his temper, but at times it was next to impossible.

Giovanni lost a lot of weight during that time; even a blind man could see he was dying. Sometimes he was too sick to do lessons. Jessie, James, Meowth and Persian did what they could to make him comfortable, but it was getting hard. Their boss was nearing the end of his life.

One day in late April, Giovanni called them to his room.

"You wanted to see us Giovanni?" Jessie asked, poking her head around the door.

He beckoned for them to come in. "Yes, yes, it's very important. Have a seat."

The three did as they were told.

"It's come to my attention that certain team members have taken advantage of my present state, and are trying to take over this organization. They're holding meetings in the abandoned building outside of Viridian. I need to find out who their leaders are so we can ... take care of the problem," he explained. "Normally I wouldn't send you into these kinds of missions, but I don't know who I can trust. I'd go myself, but-"

"We'll do it," James interrupted hastily. "What do you need us to do?"

"Sneak in when the building's deserted and find some documents on who's with this group. Once you get them, get the hell out of there. I don't want to find out you were killed on a simple spying mission."

Jessie saluted smartly. "We won't let you down sir!"

Giovanni leaned back on his pillows. "I certainly hope not. Remember: I'm counting on you."

To Be Continued...