"Yeah. He did. I was gonna tell you later, but I was scared, James. I tought dat maybe since da Boss had let you out of da office, he'd let you go easy."
"I don't believe you didn't tell me. If you really cared, I deserved to at least get a warning... a clue... something... !"
"I couldn't bring myself to tell you, James. I'm sorry."
"Now if you don't mind, I'd like you to hand over the pokeball," Cassidy replied.
"No! Not until I figure out what's really going on! If I can't even trust my friends, I'll have to do this on my own!" I dashed off, away from my so-called friends.
" James!" Raquel shouted.
"Wait!" Meowth yelled. Jessie just stared at me running away in shock. Then she too screamed after me.
"Come back here, James! You can't just leave! James!" she cried. But not even Jessie could stop me this time.
-
I couldn't believe they did this to me. I thought they were my friends. Now I was caught in the trap the Boss set. They knew this would happen... so why didn't they warn me? Maybe there would've been some way to stop it form happening. Now I was a fugitive and it was all their fault. I could never forgive them for this! Never!!!
I hurried inside Team Rocket Headquarters, my last resort. Maybe there I would find the answer I was looking for. The door to Giovanni's office flung open and I stood in the doorway.
"Boss! We need to talk!" I demanded.
Giovanni glared menacingly in my direction. "Er... if you're free of course."'
"Yes? What is it?" he growled.
"Look, I did what you asked so here's the pokeball."
I hurled the green pokeball in his direction. He caught it with ease and opened the lock. Instead of there being a pokemon, it was a microchip. Strange...
"Your usefulness has ended."
"Come again?"
"I have no further use of you. But I will be... fair and give you a chance to run while you can."
"What?"
"You didn't think I would actually get off that easily, James? All I needed you for was to get this microchip. And with it, I alone will rule." He pressed a button on the intercom and requested his henchmen to dipose of me.
"Y-you th-think you can catch m-me? Ha! Your members won't be f-fast enough!" I stuttered.
"Well, if my men don't get to you first the police will. Either way, James, you can't win."
"I... cant..." I gasped. I advanced toward the door tentatively, Giovanni grinning at me in triumph.
"Yes, James. Run. Run like the coward you are." After taking one last glance at him, I took off out the door to the outside all alone. My footsteps echoed down the hall along with my hard breathing. I could feel my heart beating almost as loudly as my footsteps.
Then I heard the beating of steps behind me, keeping up with my stride. They were following me! I picked up my pace in an attempt to escape my pursuers, but once I sped up they did as well.
. I darted farthest away from Team Rocket Headquarters only to bump into my former friends, Jessie and Meowth.
"Let go, Jess! Lemme go! They're coming for me! Just get off!" I shoved her aside. Instead of seeing what I expected-an angry glare-, I got a concerned look.
"What did you find out? That we were right?" Jessie asked.
"Why do you care?"
"Because I'm your friend."
"If you were my friend, you would've warned me! But I got nothing! Nothing at all, Jess! Do you know what it's like to be left hanging? Not knowing if you could even trust your allies?"
After a few moments of silence, she muttered silently, "Yes, James. Because you've done it to me"
I stood there in a stunned shock, unable to yell back.
"When you and Meowth ditched me for that little...that little..."
"Jess, I... I... I... I'm sorry"
"No, you're not!" she cried out, tears stinging her eyes. I had never seen her this... emotional before. At least not in front of me. I wished right then that I could recall those hurtful words I had flung at her just then, but there was no way to repair the damage now. "You have no idea the pain you put me through... the hurt... oh, what does it matter. It's over."
"Jess, please... our relationship has been hurt enough...I'm sorry."
"Look, there he is!" a Team Rocket member yelled, pointing in my direction.
"Meowth! We gotta get outta here before dey catch us!" Meowth suggested franticly.
"I have to leave! Now!" I shouted. Before I ran, I paused, peering back at them. "Jess, Meowth, I won't be able to do this on my own. I hope you can forgive me, but please. Just do this one last thing for me, Jessica." She remained silent, pondering her answer carefully. "Please."
"James, that used to work for me before, but now... I just don't want to get hurt again, James."
"But, Jess... I can't do this without you."
"You never could, James. And I think it's time you did. Besides, I have a job to do. Now whether you want to do that or not, I want to keep it for a few more years. I like Team Rocket and..."
"Meowth...? " I begged. Meowth backed away, shrugging his shoulders.
"James, I'm sorry, butâ... I like my job at Team Rocket... I don't really have anywhere else ta go and Jess needs me..."
"I need you, Meowth."
"But... I... I'm sorry, Jimmy." I forced myself to hide my sorrow and I nodded, backing apart from them. Without uttering even a single word, I disappeared among the bushes.
"James," Jessie shook her head sadly.
"We had to let him go, Jess. Dere was nothin' we could do," Meowth consoled.
"I guess."
I couldn't believe they would leave me like this. I thought we were friends, but I guess I had been mistaken all these years. Maybe it was best that we part…or was it? Well, there was no turning back now. It was over. Now I just had to worry about getting out of this predicament alive. And alone.
