‘When are we seeing him?’ asked Jesse. James shook his head and surveyed the waiting room with a despairing glance. The phone rang and as the secretary answered it, the trio leant forward to hear her conversation. ‘Alright, sir. I’ll send them in.’
The Persian yawned lazily and glared at Meowth as they entered the large, round office. ‘You wanted to see us, Boss?’
‘Yes, Jessica. I wish to discuss your recent failures.’ They gulped. ‘Do you have a good excuse for them?’ Giovanni knew that there was no answer for his question, he simply liked to see his victims squirm before the final blow. ‘I have a proposal for you.’
‘Really?’ James was puzzled.
‘I want you all to take a break…from each other!’
‘But sir –` Jesse began. She didn’t continue. Giovanni’s unyielding stare hushed her.
‘Meowth. You will join Butch and Cassidy.’
‘What!’ Meowth cried. ‘Ya gonna dump me wit’ dat Raticate!’
‘Shut up,’ he yelled. ‘Jesse and James. You will be paired with another two who I believe would work better apart too.’ The doors opened slowly and two people stepped in. The first, a man with short brown hair and deep eyes had, an immediate presence about him. The second was a pretty young girl with green hair and eyes and Jesse immediately recognised her. ‘Justina!’ she gasped.
‘Hello Jess and Jim,’ the girl spoke with a broad British accent, polite but not too posh.
‘Who?’ James hadn’t a clue who she was.
‘You always did have a memory like a sieve,’ giggled Justina. ‘I had a major crush on you in Pokémon Tech. I still do.’ She blushed.
‘I’m Nicholas.’ Jesse felt her knees weaken. ‘I love cat Pokémon!’ he said, patting Meowth. Giovanni grinned.
‘In that case, the Meowth may stay with you. You have ten minutes to say goodbye,’ he explained to Jesse, James and Meowth. ‘Then you will all leave. One group headed North, the other headed South.’ With these words he called over his Persian and left through another door.
‘Oh James, we’ll have so much fun together!’ Justina cried, throwing her arms around him. James grinned nervously. ‘I’ve followed your every move, that’s why I joined Team Rocket. To be like you in every…possible…way!’
Jesse felt her jealousy rising and spat, ‘Well you don’t have a talking Meowth do you?’ Justina smiled knowingly and produced a PokéBall from her bag.
‘I choose you, Meow?!’ A figure of a Meowth formed before them. She was the same as Meowth but she had no brown and black on her legs and ears. She also walked on ‘all fours’ unlike him. ‘Hey Justina, wassup?’ Jesse stared in disbelief.
‘Just like me,’ Meowth whispered.
‘Hey, who’s the cutie?’ Meow? chuckled, winking playfully. Meowth blushed. ‘It’s time we said goodbye,’ Nicholas sighed. Nicholas and Justina hugged and wished each other good luck whilst Jesse and James stood awkwardly apart. ‘Well, see ya Jimmy.’ Meowth patted him on the back of his leg, as this was as high has he could reach otherwise he would’ve cuffed him round the head. It was only in good fun.
‘Bye Jesse,’ said James
‘Bye James,’ said Jesse
*
When he was left to his thoughts, James could only think of his teammates. There was no denying that Justina was friendly, she worshipped the ground he schemed on! But it was a depressing contrast to Jesse and he began to miss the way she hit him all the time. Justina sensed his misery. ‘James, name your favourite thing to do, and we’ll do it!’ she said one day. He could only think of things that he did with them; Eat, lose, fly, scheme…try to capture Pikachu! He squealed,‘ I know! We’ll go capture Pikachu!’ Little did they know, that Nicholas and Jesse planned to do the same…
The two young twerps were alone for once and had decided to confess their love for each other. They looked so happy that Jesse could hardly wait to spoil their day! She stared gleefully through her binoculars at them. ‘OK Put on your disguise, Nick.’
‘Do you really expect me to wear women’s clothes just to capture some kid’s Pikachu?’
‘James would’ve,’ she murmured sadly to herself. Nick frowned at her remark.
‘James was a sap,’ he scowled.
‘Is a sap. Don’t talk like he’s dead!’ Jesse yelled. Nick was taken aback. He and Jesse were both so used to getting their own way that they never thought that anyone would ever argue against them.
-‘Prepare for trouble.’
-‘Make it double.’
‘Is that…who I think it is?’ said Meowth.
‘It’s James!’ Jesse cheered.
*
The twerps were confused when they saw the unknown girl with green hair take off her costume, even more so when they saw James take off his. ‘Jesse?’ Misty gasped.
‘Thankfully, no,’ Justina grinned.
‘Gee, where is she? James is never alone!’ Ash looked around for her.
‘You twerp, she’s gone. I’m here now, so get used to it!’ James was impressed with her new attitude. He began to enjoy himself again. ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘ With our new Pokémon you don’t stand a chance.’
‘James!’ They looked up to see Jesse sliding down a hill with Meowth bounding behind her. ‘Jesse?’ She skidded straight into him and they collapsed on the floor laughing. ‘ We were starting to miss you two,’ Ash jested. Jesse gave him a hug too!
‘You crazy kids,’ she simpered. Ash struggled out of her grasp and ran away in fright. ‘Ash! Wait for me!’ cried Misty. The five watched them flee with amusement. ‘ Well, Jesse. I guess you’ve come to collect your man?’ Jesse flushed bright red. ‘If I can’t have him then I want the best thing for him. And, Jess, it’s you.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Hold on.’ Nick had arrived at the scene! ‘The Boss said we all have to stay apart. We must obey Team Rocket’s rules.’
‘Fuck Team Rocket!’ Jesse screamed.
‘We need ta stay taggeda,’ said Meowth, ‘Udderwise we ain’t Team Rocket.’ James shook his head.
‘I think we do need a break. After all it’s character building.’
‘Thank you for agreeing with me, James,’ Nick sneered at Jesse. ‘You are too big for your leather boots, young lady.’
‘How dare you talk to me that way!’ She threw a punch at Nick but he dodged it easily. James stared at the ground unable to look at her. ‘James, you can’t mean it.’
‘Sorry,’ he muttered walking away. Justina and Meow? followed. Jesse stood helplessly with Meowth at her side. Nick was pleased that he got his own way. He always got his own way…
*
The truth was, James was helplessly in love with Jesse (absence makes the heart grow fonder I guess!). But he was beginning to harbour feelings for Justina too. She held him in high regard, and he was starting to quite like the praise now. Jesse however wasn’t getting on with Nick at all. They constantly fought and had several Pokémon battles over who was the best trainer. Jesse lost each time. She lay awake every night, counting the days that she and James had been apart. Meowth sympathised with her. ‘Ya miss tha big doofus, an’ dats undastandable. But ya gotta get on wit’ ya life, Jesse. He ain’t comin’ back for ya.’
‘What do you know?’ she growled.
‘Love is a dangerous ting,’ he said when she turned her back on him.
‘Who said I loved him?’
Meowth laughed. ‘You is so obvious!’ Jesse looked at Meowth angrily for a moment. Then she smiled, grabbed a paper fan, walked over to Nicholas and whacked him over the head. ‘Hey!’
‘Like I said before,’ Jesse yelled, taking off her silver top, ‘FUCK TEAM ROCKET!’
*
James, Justina and Meow? were watching the sunset together. James was thinking of Jesse, and that sunset where he first felt feelings for her (Holy Matrimony! episode). He sighed, smiling thoughtfully. ‘Did you here that?’ Meow?’s ears pricked up.
‘No,’ said Justina, ‘Did you, James?’
‘Huh? I wasn’t listening.’
There was definitely a noise. It was a rustling from the trees behind their tent. James squealed, ‘It’s a big scary Pokémon!’
‘No it’s Jesse!’ Meow? gasped.
‘Well, James was right when he said big and scary!’
‘Grrrr, who are you calling big and scary?’ Jesse yelled from the bushes.
‘I told you,’ Meow? grinned, ‘These ears don’t lie.’ Meowth jumped out into the clearing. Jesse followed shortly.
‘Jesse? Is it you?’ James asked.
‘Yes, you dope.’ Jesse cursed under her breath as she pulled twigs out of her dull brown hair. ‘Nick likes brunettes,’ she muttered sarcastically. ‘ He made me dye my beautiful red hair,’ she wailed.
‘Oh Jesse. I’m sorry,’ James sobbed and flung his arms around her. ‘I was scared of him.’
‘You’re scared of everything!’ said Justina. They all laughed and he cheered up a bit. That night Meowth and Meow? kept lookout in case Nick or, even worse, the Boss showed up.
In the morning they chose their new names and looked on the map for new places to live in so the Boss couldn’t find them. Meowth (Spike) decided to stay with Justina (Holly) and Meow? (Kitty) in Celadon City, so he could become ‘better aquainted’ with Meow?. Jesse (Jewel) and James (John) went to seek refuge in Pallet Town. They hoped Ash would forgive them and take them in. After an emotional goodbye, Jewel and John watched their pals disappear over the hill, and they realised that they were alone, for the first time in ages. He took her hand and whispered something into her ear. She smiled broadly and nodded her head as he slipped a ring onto her finger.
THE END
