@->->-
It's strange, really.
I've been in love with Jessie ever since the day I first saw her. What can I say? The beautiful little girl I met at Pokemon Tech stole my heart! As soon as I looked into those lovely sapphire-blue eyes, I knew that I'd found my soul-mate...the woman I was destined to spend the rest of my life with. I'll admit it wasn't love at first (what do children know of love and romance, after all?), but my relationship with her always went so much deeper...had so much more meaning than friendship ever could. Once I was a little older, however, I realized that the feelings I had for her were really were love.
But as much as I loved her, I was never really sure if the feelings were mutual. Jessie had been hurt in the past, and she always had a hard time opening her heart and trusting people. Not a day has gone by that I haven't yearned for her or found myself wondering if she would ever love me, too. I've spent almost half my life waiting for the day when I'd find the courage to tell her how I feel...and when I'd learn that she felt the same way.
But nothing could have prepared me for what happened to bring us together when that day finally did come....
@->->-
It was a warm, sunny spring afternoon, and everything was right with the world. You see, one of our pit-traps actually worked that morning, and we'd caught some Samurai and his Marowak. When they fell into the pit, the Samurai dropped a small bag. Picking up the bag and opening it, we soon discovered that it contained a priceless treasure -- gym badges! And gym badges could mean only one thing....
Pokemon League! It's something that Jessie and I have always dreamed of. Ever since the day we flunked out of Pokemon Tech together, we've been striving to attain that lofty goal. And now, we had the badges that we needed to enter the competition, which was only a few days away! Our dream was about to come true!
But oh, how quickly it fell apart.
@->->-
After making our getaway, we decided to celebrate with a picnic lunch. So, I went to town and picked up some submarine sandwiches from the deli. It was one of the best lunches I could ever remember -- for the first time in ages, we were eating real food instead of those God-awful field rations that I'm somehow supposed to transform into a gourmet meal. But more importantly, it was the three of us just sharing a moment together, enjoying each other's company. And to me, that's the best thing about this life -- friendship...being close to the ones you love!
Once we'd finished eating, I started to feel a little drowzy, so I decided to take a nap. I yawned and stretched myself out beneath a shady tree, and Meowth curled up next to me. Jessie, however, was still standing by the balloon. She looked tense.
"Hey, Jess! Why don't you relax...come take a nap with us?" I said, patting the ground at my side.
Jessie smiled and came over to me. "No, thanks," she replied, tousling my hair. "I'm not very sleepy. I think maybe I'll go and do a little shopping instead."
I returned her smile and yawned again. "Okay. Have fun."
She raised an eyebrow, and a light glinted in her blue eyes. "Oh, I will! Believe me, I will."
As I drifted off to sleep, I watched Jessie grab some stuff from the basket of the balloon and go skipping up the road. Seeing her in such a cheerful mood made me feel good. I love her so much.
@->->-
When Meowth and I awoke a couple of hours later, Jessie still hadn't returned, but I wasn't worried. After all, when Jess is out shopping, she's like a little kid in a toy store -- she never wants to leave! So, I figured she'd probably be another few hours.
Besides, the whereabouts of Jessie wasn't the first thing on my mind at the moment because I was still feeling really great about getting those badges!
And apparently, Meowth was, too.
"Can you believe he actually fell for that fruit?" I laughed, still amazed at how stupid that guy and his Marowak had been to take the bait for our trap. (Seriously! How often do you find food just lying in the middle of the road?!) "That was easier than slipping on a banana peel!"
"Heh!" Meowth chuckled. "If I knew stealin' badges was dis easy, I woulda just hung around here and ambushed trainers instead of runnin' around ta all dose gyms!"
Well, I thought going from gym to gym was actually kind of fun! Besides, ambush isn't really my style -- I prefer a fair fight, myself. But I guess you've just got to take what you can get sometimes. I wasn't about to argue the point, however -- I was feeling too good.
"Meowth," I said, leaning down and grinning, "let's take another look at all those beautiful badges!"
"Excellent idea, my dear James!" the cat replied. Now he was grinning, too.
Meowth jumped into the basket of the balloon and rummaged around for a few minutes. When he emerged, his smile was gone and there was a look of panic on his face. "AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! The badges are gone!!!" he cried.
"Gone?!" I said in disbelief.
Meowth shook his head. "I don't get it! Jessie and I hid 'em!" he said, more to himself than to me. Then, his eyes flashed. "Say, where IS Jessie, anyhow?"
"Well, she said she had some shopping to do," I told him. "Then, she took a square package out of the balloon and ran off...."
"GAH!!! JESSIE STOLE THE BADGES!!!!!" Meowth screamed, cutting me off.
"J-Jessie?!" I stammered. I couldn't believe it...I WOULDN'T believe it! The cat's ranting! Jess would NEVER betray us like that! She's our friend! I said to myself.
But what other explanation could there be?
"Dat package she ran off with! What'd it look like?!" he demanded.
I thought for a moment. "It was a little green box," I replied.
An angry light sparked in Meowth's eyes again. "Yep. Dose were the badges, all right," he said through clenched teeth. "C'mon, James! Let's go!"
I nodded and jumped into the balloon with him. "Right! We've got to find Jessie!"
"Yeah!" Meowth growled, unsheathing his claws. "When we catch up ta her, she's gonna get the Fury-Swipin' of a lifetime!"
"Now just calm down! She probably has a very good explanation for all of this!" I told him, still willing to give Jessie the benefit of the doubt.
Meowth frowned at me and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, she'd better!" he grumbled.
My heart sank as I fired up the balloon. Why would Jessie leave us behind? Why would Jessie leave ME behind? Didn't she know how much I cared about her?! Why didn't she want to be my friend anymore?!
Meowth started talking about the badges again, but I wasn't listening. All I could think about was Jessie and how much I missed her.
But just as I was about to break down and cry, I saw the twerps running up the road...and that Samurai and his Marowak were with them!
"Stop, thieves!" Ash shouted in that whiny voice of his.
(Yeah, right, kid! Since when does THAT line ever work?!)
Well, when we didn't stop like he asked us to, he threw a poke ball and released his Pidgeotto. The bird soared up and ripped a hole through the balloon, sending us crashing down into the bushes.
Meowth and I groaned in pain as we tried to get to our feet and make our escape before the Twerp Trio caught up to us. I needed to find Jessie, and every second I wasted with those brats, she was getting farther and farther away from me!
But we were too late -- when we looked up, we saw that they had us surrounded.
"Hah! Caught you!" Ash said smugly. "Now give back the badges you stole from Otoshi!"
"Hey! Youse guys ain't the only ones who been robbed!" Meowth told them.
"What do you mean?!" the Samurai demanded, pulling out a gigantic wooden stick and shaking it menacingly at us. "Return my badges at once!"
Well, now I was scared -- that guy was going to hit us if he didn't get his badges! If Jessie were here and he'd threatened her like that, she would have told him to shut the hell up and whacked him into next week with her mallet!
But Jessie wasn't here. Without her I felt so helpless...so alone! I couldn't fight that guy like she could! I had no choice but to surrender or get beaten to a bloody pulp.
"We don't have the badges!" I wailed as Meowth and I embraced in terror. (Hugging that cat wasn't nearly as comforting as hugging Jessie, either. Now I missed her more than ever!)
Ash gave us a dubious look. "You don't have the badges?"
(Isn't that what we just said? How thick is that kid's skull anyway?!)
"No! Jessie stole 'em from us, too!" Meowth explained.
"JESSIE?!" Ash snapped.
I sighed and nodded my head. "We don't have them anymore...."
Misty leaned down into my face and gave me an evil leer. "We'll just see about that!"
"Hey! We said we didn't have 'em! Leave us alone already!" Meowth said defensively.
Otoshi and his Marowak grinned and held their stick and bone club up to us again.
"And WE said we'll just see about that!" Misty sneered.
Once again, we had no choice but to comply. As we reluctantly brought all of our posessions out of the balloon to be searched, I found myself wishing for the billionth time that Jessie were still here.
@->->-
I'll tell you -- having those twerps go through our stuff had to be one of the most humiliating experiences of my life! I can't believe the nerve of that Ash, making fun of Meowth's can of charm polish! So the cat likes to keep his charm nice and shiny! So what?! (Honestly! Why does that kid have to criticize the three of us for taking pride in our appearance and making sure that we're always clean?! Does he have some kind of problem with personal hygeine?!)
And when the brats got to my stuff, it was even more embarrassing! Some of Jessie's things were mixed in with mine, and they gave me some pretty weird looks when they saw her red lipstick and nail polish next to my bottle-cap collection. I could only guess what they were thinking.
"Pictures of yourself?!" Brock suddenly said.
I looked and saw him holding up a handful of photographs. All of them were of me!
Where did those come from?! I certainly hadn't taken any pictures of myself! Could they have been Jessie's?! They must have been! I know they weren't Meowth's!
Wait a minute! Jessie collected pictures of me! Lots of pictures! Did that mean she had feelings for me?! Could it be possible that she loved me as much as I loved her?! Why else would she have them?!
My heart skipped a beat as I thought about the possibility of Jessie being in love with me! But when I looked up, I saw that Brock was still staring at me, demanding an explanation for the pictures. (Like it was any of his business!)
I felt my cheeks turning pink, and I became flustered as I tried to think of something to say. "Well...you see...I...like to look at myself in my spare time!" I told them.
Ash and Misty facefaulted, and if Brock had eyes, I'm sure he was rolling them.
(I'll admit it was a pretty lame excuse, but what was I going to do? Start bouncing around like an idiot and screaming about how Jessie might be in love with me?! I don't think so!)
The twerps ignored me and continued to go through my stuff, making fun of my roses, bottle-caps, pogs, and various other odds and ends. (I'm just glad they didn't read my personal journal, where I pour my heart out on every page about how I feel for Jessie...or look through my sketch-book that's filled with drawings I've done of her! Oh man, if Meowth or the twerps ever found out about that stuff, there'd be no end to the ridicule!)
"There's no badges here! It's just a bunch of junk!" Ash cried.
Well, this was too much! We already told them that we didn't have the damn badges, but they insisted on going through our personal belongings -- violating our privacy -- anyway, and then they had the nerve to criticize us?! I couldn't take it anymore!
"Hey! It may be junk, but it's got sentimental value!" I sobbed, throwing myself on top of my stuff, as if to shield it from their insults.
Before they could say anything more, however, the Marowak started freaking out. While Meowth translated and explained that he was turning on his trainer, I took the opportunity to gather all of our stuff and put it back into the balloon.
Suddenly, I found my eyes drifting back to Jessie's photographs of me. All of them were candid shots -- me doing little everyday things like cooking or taking care of our pokemon, me just being silly...and even some of me sleeping, all taken without my knowledge! It kind of reminded me of my sketch-book! When I was sure that nobody was looking, I opened it and flipped through the pages. All of the drawings that I'd done of Jessie were like the pictures she'd taken of me -- candid. I drew her while she was brushing her hair, I drew her while she was asleep...and I'd even done a few "fantasy" drawings of the two of us kissing!
I know that I drew all of those pictures because I like looking at her...because I'm in love with her. Could she have taken all those photographs of me for the same reason? She must have! She had to have feelings for me!
But if that were the case, then why did she run away?
I sighed and hung my head.
Oh, Jessie...why do I get the feeling that this never would have happened if I'd told you how I feel? I said to myself as a tear rolled down my cheek.
@->->-
Once the twerps were gone, Meowth and I wasted no time in patching up the balloon and resuming our search for Jessie. We had to find her...I had to find her!
"Come on!" Meowth said as the balloon took to the sky once again. "We gotta find Jessie before dose kids do!"
I scowled and nodded my head in agreement. Just thinking about the humiliation those brats had subjected us to really got me steamed! It was a rare occasion when I could truly say that I became angry, but if I saw them again today, I'd probably snap! The sooner we found Jessie, found out what was going on with her, and made our escape, the better!
After a few minutes, I looked down and scanned the landscape below. In the distance, I could see an Indian princess walking along the road. My heart fluttered at the sight of her -- even though she was covered from head to toe in veils, making it impossible to see what she looked like, I knew immediately who she was....
"Jessie!" I exclaimed.
"Huh?! Where?!" Meowth cried, looking around.
"There!" I said, pointing to the veiled figure.
Meowth gave me a dubious look and went to find his binoculars.
At this point, the woman was still a tiny speck on the horizon, but it was Jessie...I was sure of it! I felt drawn to her, somehow. Ever since Jessie had left earlier I'd felt empty...incomplete...as if I were missing the other half of my soul (for, indeed, I was!) But when I caught sight of that veiled woman, I was filled with a sense of wholeness once more! Nobody attracts me like Jessie...nobody makes me feel the way she does. Yes, it was definitely her.
"Are ya sure dat's Jessie?!" Meowth said as he looked through his binoculars at the woman.
I looked down at her again and confidently folded my arms across my chest. "I'm positive!" I told him.
The cat looked at me like I was insane. "How can ya tell?!" he demanded.
I closed my eyes and thought back on some of the disguises Jessie and I had worn over the years -- the hula girls, the trenchcoated cheerleaders, the general and the princess of Salon Roquet, the punk-rockers, the ballerinas...I could go on forever! But in the end, no matter what Jessie wore or how she looked, I could always tell who she was. There was just something about her.
"Jessie and I have worn a lot of disguises together, and we both share a certain sense of style," I explained. "Even under all those veils, I'd recognize that fashion flair anywhere!" But it's so much more than a sense of style that the two of us share! Jessie and I have a bond that goes deeper than the clothes we wear...a bond of the soul! I added silently.
Yes, even though she was swathed in veils, I still knew my soul-mate when I saw her!
The balloon drew closer, and I could see that Jessie was talking to another trainer. It...looked like she was trying to steal his badges, too! Could she have been stealing them for me?! So that we could still go to Pokemon League together?!
I felt my heart fluttering again as I watched my Jessie in action -- she was distracting that clueless trainer with the classic "What-in-the-world-could-that-be???!!!" technique!
Oh, Jess! You DO care about me! I knew you'd never really leave me behind! I said to myself as the trainer turned around and Jessie reached for the badges.
"Heh, heh, heh! Yer right, James -- dat IS her!" Meowth chuckled.
I smiled. Yes, I definitely knew my soul-mate when I saw her.
"Time ta teach her a lesson!" he said, pulling out a flash-bomb.
"Meowth, what are you doing?!" I cried.
The cat smirked. "Jess needs ta learn dat she can't leave us behind and get away with it!"
"But...." I protested.
"Think about it, James!" he said, cutting me off. "She wasn't gonna go outta her way ta get more badges for us -- she's just stealin' from dat guy cuz he's right dere! Why else would she have ditched us earlier?! If she really wanted ta get more badges for you, shed've stayed and helped us ambush more trainers! And why do ya think she's wearin' dat disguise? She wrapped herself up like dat cuz she didn't want us ta find her!"
I shook my head and felt tears welling up in my eyes when he said this. "You're wrong!" I snapped.
"Am I?" he said as he lit the fuse. "Why don't we just see for ourselves!"
With that, Meowth lobbed the bomb at Jessie. As it rolled between her feet and detonated, we got out of the balloon and rushed over to her.
"W-what's going on?!" I heard Jessie cry as she coughed and choked on the white cloud of smoke that the bomb had created.
"Prepare for trouble!" I exclaimed.
"P-p-prepare...for...trouble?" she stammered.
"Yes! And make it double!" I said, emerging from the smoke.
Jessie closed her beautiful sapphire eyes for a moment. Even though they were the only part of her face that was showing, I could tell that she was trying to hold herself back.
But to no avail.
"To protect the world from devastation!" she cried.
"To unite all peoples within our nation!" I answered, coming to her side.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!" When Jessie said this, she tore off her harem veils. She'd been discovered even before our motto began, but there was nothing she could do to hide from us now!
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! Dat's right!" the cat said, picking up the box that Jessie had dropped in the confusion and striking a pose with us.
The trainer looked at us for a moment, a large sweatdrop rolling down his face. Then, he turned tail and ran, screaming, "YAAAAAHHHHH!!! HELP!!! IT'S TEAM ROCKET!!!"
"Awwww! Why did you guys have to show up and ruin everything?! Now he got away!" Jessie groaned. "My moment in the spotlight is over already!"
Meowth was right -- Jessie WAS thinking only of herself! All she cared about was being a superstar. She really had been trying to leave us behind!
"Hmmmph! You can steal from stupid kids like him, but ya CAN'T steal from us!" Meowth snapped.
Jessie looked as if she were at a loss for words.
Well, I was still angry with those twerps, but now I was angry with Jessie, too! How could she do something like this to us?! I thought she was our friend...and for a moment, I even thought that she might be in love with me! I guess I was wrong.
"You have disgraced the disgraceful Team Rocket!" I shouted, levelling an accusing finger at her.
When I said this, Jessie looked at me like I'd just slapped her across the face. It wasn't often that I became angry enough to yell at her, but at that moment, I was furious! She'd abandoned me...left me behind so that she could become famous, like I was holding her back, or something! I'd made so many sacrifices just so I could be close to her...I'd even given her the benefit of the doubt in this moment of uncertainty, and this was the thanks I got?! I felt so betrayed! How did she expect me to react?!
After staring at me in disbelief for another second, Jessie's lip began to quiver. Then she fell to her knees and began to cry.
But I was unmoved by her display of emotion. After what she'd done, it just didn't seem very sincere.
Meowth, however, had become more forgiving. "Come on," he said, patting her on the shoulder. "We can always steal more badges, but we can be more rotten as a team den we can as individuals."
Jessie looked up at us again, another disbelieving expression on her face. Then, she smirked and got to her feet. "Fine. Just as long as I get to be the most rotten!" she said haughtily.
Her words knocked me over -- she'd just betrayed her teammates and broken my heart, and all she cared about was who got to be the most rotten?! What was wrong with her?! Didn't she care about us anymore?!
But before I could speak to her and find out what was going on, the twerps and that Samurai showed up again.
They had obviously come for the badges, but Jessie wasn't going to just hand them over. When Otoshi demanded them back, she challenged him to a winner-take-all battle, and naturally, he accepted.
Well, he certainly couldn't use his Marowak -- it had left him...betrayed him because it had been using him to get into Pokemon League. And now that the badges were gone, there was no more reason for it to stay. This made me start thinking of Jessie again. How long had she been using me? How much of our friendship had been a lie?
I watched as Jessie sent Arbok against the Samurai's Doduo. She looked so beautiful when she was battling...so fierce and strong, like an Amazon warrior. I still loved her, but I was still mad at her, too. I felt like such a moron for thinking that she could ever be more than just my friend, and now I even found myself wondering about that, too! When had she stopped liking me? How long had she been waiting to get rid of me?
Arbok defeated the Doduo easily, but she and Jessie didn't get to relish their victory -- the Marowak returned at the last minute and came to Otoshi's aid!
This didn't faze Jessie, however. She just commanded Arbok to attack the Marowak, too.
Now I noticed something -- the Marowak had returned to its trainer! It realized that Otoshi was its friend, and it had come back to him! Could it be the same with me and Jessie? Was it possible that she really did regret leaving me behind? Why else would she have been trying to steal from that other trainer?! I didn't give a damn what Meowth thought -- she HAD been trying to get a second set of badges! And who else would they be for but me?!
And why else would she be battling so fiercely for the badges now?! She was defending our honor...trying to redeem herself to me and Meowth! I could feel it!
"Oh, Jessie! You really have come back to me!" I whispered. "I'm sorry I doubted you!" Tears welled up in my eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy.
Suddenly, I heard a loud thump and saw that Arbok had been knocked out by Marowak's bone club. I wasn't worried, though -- Jessie may have lost the battle, but the team hadn't lost yet! Now it was my turn!
"I'll handle this! Weezing! Smog attack!" I said, stepping in front of Jessie and throwing my poke ball.
Before Weezing could initiate his attack, however, I heard the brat shout, "Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"
And then I heard the all-too-familiar cry of, "Piiiiii-kaaaaaa-chuuuuuuu!" as poor Arbok and Weezing were fried.
But that cheap-shot didn't matter now -- Weezing had distracted the pests long enough for Jessie, Meowth, and me to make a run for the balloon. By the time they figured out what was going on, we were already taking to the sky.
And then we got the bone. Literally.
Just as we began to gain altitude, the Samurai shouted something. Then, I saw Marowak hurl its bone club at us. The club struck our balloon and caused it to explode, the badges fell from our grasp and landed safely with the twerps....
....And Team Rocket went blasting off again.
"No! My chance at stardom...stolen from me!" Jessie cried as the three of us were launched into the clouds.
What?! What did she mean by that?! I thought she regretted trying to set out on her own, but now she was complaining about her chance at stardom again! I didn't know what to make of her anymore -- was she still my friend? Had she really been trying to leave me behind? I could honestly say that I didn't know. All I was sure of was that I was still mad at her.
"Please don't mention stealing again!" I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest and scowling at her.
Then, Meowth made some sort of snide remark about bananas, but I wasn't listening to him -- I still couldn't believe what Jessie had just said!
She was my best friend, the other half of my soul...the woman I loved! So, why didn't she seem to care how much she had hurt me?
@->->-
When we finally landed, it was starting to get dark. All of our posessions had fallen out of our backpacks during the blast-off, and they were scattered all over the forest.
I sighed as I wriggled free from the tangle of shrubs I'd landed in and went to gather my belongings. It was still a long way to the Indigo Plateau -- to Pokemon League -- but at that point, I didn't really care. All I could think about was Jessie...why she had turned on us, why she didn't want us to share this experience with her, and most importantly of all, her feelings for me. Did she resent me and want to abandon me, or was she still my friend? And what had those photographs of me been about? The thoughts in my brain were as scattered as my belongings, and I didn't know what to think anymore.
Behind me, I could hear Jessie and Meowth shouting at each other. I was still fuming, but I didn't feel like getting involved in the fight -- I was just too tired.
But then, I heard Meowth say something particularly harsh:
"Go on! Get lost, Miss Superstar! You can go to hell for all we care!"
I heard Jessie's footsteps as she approached me.
"James, is this true?" she asked sadly.
Well, I'll admit that remark was uncalled for, but I wasn't about to come to her defense after what she'd done to me. Meowth had been right earlier -- Jessie had to learn that she couldn't leave her friends behind and get away with it!
I didn't even turn to face her when I replied. I knew that if I looked into her eyes, I'd just want to hug her and tell her how much I cared about her, but I couldn't do that. Not now. "Come on, Meowth. Let's get going," I said coldly. "It's almost dark, and we've got a long walk ahead of us."
With that, I grabbed my backpack and started heading up the road. I heard Meowth snort at Jessie as he walked past her and followed me.
For several minutes, I didn't hear Jessie's footsteps behind us. I looked from the corner of my eye and saw her kneeling where we'd left her. Suddenly, I felt a twinge of panic and found myself wondering if she was going to leave us again. I was just walking away to make a point, but after what had happened today, it wouldn't surprise me if she thought we really did want to get rid of her.
I still didn't want to forgive her, but I still didn't want to talk to her, either. So, I just slowed my pace a little until I heard Jessie running to catch up to us. I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt her walking next to me.
"James, I...." she began.
My face started to turn red. I honestly didn't know what to say to her, but I did know that if I opened my mouth, I'd make a fool of myself. So, I just started walking faster in an attempt to avoid her. My brain was still too muddled for me to give her a decent reply.
Jessie tried several more times to speak to me as the three of us continued on our way. Her voice was contrite, but at the moment, I didn't know what to make of it. Was she really sorry for what she'd done, or was she just resigning herself to returning to us because she'd lost the badges? What did she really want?
Meowth could sense that I was getting distressed by this, so he Fury Swiped Jessie to get her away from me. She ignored him the first few times he scratched her, but when she realized that neither of us wanted to talk to her, she backed off.
A tear rolled down my face as we continued on our way. I couldn't help but wonder if this was all my fault -- if she'd left me because she needed something more from life...something that I couldn't give her.
@->->-
After a couple more hours of walking, it had grown too dark to go any further, so we made camp for the night among a small clearing of trees.
While I rifled through my backpack and tried to find some cans of food so that I could make dinner, I heard Jessie approaching me again.
"James...." she said softly.
"If you're still here, then why don't you make yourself useful, and get us some firewood?" I growled, still not looking at her...still not ready to talk.
Jessie gave no reply, just stood over me. There was no avoiding it now -- she wasn't going to budge until I said something, but I still didn't know what to say. I had to stall for time....
"You want to eat, don't you? Then go and get some firewood!" I snapped.
I heard a sob escape from Jessie's throat when I said this. I looked up at her, and the expression on her face made all of my anger disappear. There was genuine sorrow in her eyes -- she really was sorry for what she'd done! She still wanted to be our friend! Suddenly, I felt guilty for being so harsh with her.
But before I could take back what I'd just said, another sob escaped her throat. "Okay," she whispered. Then, she turned away from me and went to gather firewood.
"Jessie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it...." I whispered as I watched her limping off into the forest.
@->->-
Once she was gone, I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. God! Why did I have to snap at her like that?! I should've at least given her a chance to apologize...to explain herself!
As I began to cry again, I felt Meowth put his arms around me. I pulled the cat into my lap and hugged back.
"It's okay, James. I know exactly how ya feel," he said softly.
"Y-you do?" I whimpered.
He nodded. "It hurts when someone ya love betrays ya."
I felt my face turning red once more. Did he know that I was in love with Jessie?!
"It hurts a lot...when ya give everything for someone...and all dey can do is hurt ya in return...." he continued. When he said this, tears began to well up in his eyes, too. He was obviously thinking of Meowsie and how she left him for that Persian after he risked his life to save her.
But Jessie wasn't like Meowsie -- she really DID care about me! True, there was still a rift in our friendship, but now it was my fault rather than hers. She wanted to make things right again, and I had pushed her away.
After a few more minutes of crying, Meowth broke free from our embrace. "Scuse me," he said sadly. "I just wanna be alone for awhile."
I offered no protest as I watched him take his leave. He needed time to think, and so did I.
@->->-
After Meowth left, I was more determined than ever to set things right with Jessie. The first thing I had to do when she returned was apologize for yelling at her and let her know that I wasn't angry with her anymore. But there were still a lot of things the two of us had to discuss.
Digging through my backpack once more, I searched for my journal. Maybe writing my thoughts down would help me clear my mind. When I located the book, I pulled it out, and a folded piece of paper fell from between the pages. I picked it up and saw that it had my name written on it in a neat, curving script -- it was Jessie's handwriting!
I opened the journal and saw that every page was written in that same script -- I had accidentally picked up her journal after we blasted off! Quickly, I closed the book and set it down. Those were her private thoughts, and I had no business reading them.
But I was still holding that piece of paper, and it looked like it was a letter addressed to me. Maybe it held the answer to why she had run away earlier! I felt a hint of guilt for wanting to read something that wasn't yet intended for me, but I was compelled to. I needed to find out what she had to say to me! So, after a moment of hesitation, I unfolded the letter and began to read:
My Dearest James,
I don't know when, or if, the day will come when you ever read this letter, but I just had to write it. Even though I do my damndest to hide how I feel, I can't deny it to myself any longer...I'm in love with you.
My heart skipped a beat as I read that first paragraph. Jessie was in love with me! I looked at the date at the top of the paper and saw that it was written several months ago, shortly after I'd returned to her after escaping from Jessiebelle. Well, I certainly couldn't stop reading now -- how could I when she said that she loved me?!
I think I've always felt this way about you, James. What can I say? The adorable little boy I met at Pokemon Tech captured my heart! You were the first person I could truly call a friend, and with every passing day, I cherish you more and more. After all we've been through together, I honestly can't picture living my life without you.
And now? Now I know that it's more than just friendship. James, it feels like you're the other half of my soul! My life was so empty before I met you, and ever since you came into my life you've filled every day with happiness. I feel so helpless...so alone whenever we're apart. I tell you, those months of training when we barely got to see each other were some of the worst times ever! And don't even get me started on what happened just a few days ago! James, you have no idea how miserable I was when I thought you'd left me for Jessiebelle! The prospect of living the rest of my life without you, while another woman called herself your wife, broke my heart. And words can't describe how happy I was to see that you'd come back to me! Oh, God, James, I absolutely melted when I saw that look you gave me after we were reunited! It gave me hope that maybe you were in love with me, too!
But now I know that I was just dreaming. I'm not blind, James, I know that Jessiebelle looks exactly like me. And how could you ever truly love somebody who has the same face as the person you hate the most? I can't help but wonder if you see that evil woman every time you look at me.
James, I love you so much, but I'm afraid to tell you. I'm so afraid that you'll leave me if I do. Now that I know about your rich family, how will you ever believe me if I tell you how I feel? You'll probably think I'm just after your money, but it's not true! You could be as poor as I am, and I wouldn't care! Being close to you means more to me than all the money in the world! But even if you did know this, I still couldn't tell you. Everything I love leaves me...everything I love gets destroyed. And if being in love with you means losing you eventually, I won't do it. I'd rather keep you close as a friend than live my life without you.
"No! You're wrong, Jessie!" I whispered as I read those two paragraphs. "Jessiebelle is the LAST thing I think about when I'm with you! And I would never leave you...NEVER! Oh, Jess, if you only knew how much I care...."
But even if we are just friends, nothing can change the way I truly feel about you, James. I may yell at you and hit you, but it's just because I'm afraid to tell you that I love you with all my heart and soul. I love everything about you -- your beautiful emerald eyes, your silky hair, your sexy voice, your handsome face, your gorgeous body...I could go on forever! But more important than all of that, I love who you are. James, you're the sweetest, most gentle man I've ever met. You have such a sensitive, beautiful soul, and you make me feel like nobody ever has before! There's something about your closeness...and your touch. It's just so perfect...so right! Nothing makes me happier than being in your arms, feeling you by my side.
I hope to God that some day I find the courage to give you this letter...to tell you how much I love you. I know now that this is how I've always felt about you, James...and this is how I always will feel about you. Nothing will ever change that, and I hope some day you'll feel the same way about me, too. Just know that no matter how cruel or heartless I may act, you'll always be my beautiful rose, and I'll always love you.
Yours Forever,
Jessie
I'll tell you, I'm glad I was stitting down when I read that letter -- I felt like I was going to faint!
"Oh, my God!" I whispered, placing a hand to my forehead. "Oh...my...GOD!!!!!"
I looked at the letter again, to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Yes, I had definitely read it correctly -- Jessie was in love with me!
Now everything became clear...not just those photographs I'd found earlier, but the events over the last few months as well! I'd been right about that look she'd given me after I escaped from Jessiebelle -- she really did feel the same way I did! I could've kissed her right then and there and told her how much I loved her! I'd been right about her after we'd had that fight while locked in the basement of the Viridian Gym -- she really was trying to kiss me (and maybe it wasn't just a dream when she did kiss me and said she loved me after giving me that wonderful back massage that night!) I didn't have to wait until she was asleep to bare my soul to her! I'd been right about every hug, every glance, every touch! It wasn't just because she liked me...it was because she loved me!!!!!
"Oh, my God!" I cried. "Jessie loves me! JESSIE LOVES ME!!!!!"
I fell onto my back as tears of joy streamed down my face. I still couldn't believe it! Oh, Jessie! You never had to be afraid of telling me -- I love you, too! I just don't know why I never told you!
Well, it was time to change all of that. Now that I knew how Jessie felt, I had to tell her that I was in love with her, too. She had to know that our fight was over...that it was time for the two of us to overcome our fears and become more than friends.
But how was I going to do that?
I suddenly remembered how harshly I'd spoken to Jessie earlier, how cold and uncaring I'd been when she was trying to apologize to me. I couldn't just sweep her into my arms, kiss her on the lips and tell her how deeply I cared for her. After how I'd treated her just now, she wouldn't know what to make of something like that! And how was I going to tell her without letting on that I'd read her letter? This was going to take some planning.
It was then that Meowth returned. He looked as if he'd been crying, but he also looked like he felt a little better.
"Hey," he said, coming to my side.
"Hey," I echoed.
"Ya gonna be okay, James?"
I nodded. It was such a strange feeling -- I wanted to sing, and dance, and tell the whole world about me and Jessie, but I had to hold myself back. I couldn't tell Meowth about this. If he knew how I felt...how Jessie felt, there'd be no end to the laughter and the cat-calls! He already made cracks about us being a couple, so I could only imagine how unbearable he'd be if we really were!
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then, I looked down at him. "I have to talk to Jessie when she gets back," I said.
"No!"
Huh?
"What do you mean, no?" I demanded.
Meowth frowned. "I told ya dat we ain't gonna let Jessie think she can hurt us like dis and get away with it!" he replied. "She needs ta learn...."
"I think she already has," I retorted. "I don't want to punish her for this anymore, Meowth. I've already forgiven her -- it's time to patch things up and move on."
"Well dat's yer problem right dere!" he snapped.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Yer a pushover, Jimmy!" he cried. "Jess treats ya like garbage, and ya don't do a damn thing about it!"
"But...."
"No! You listen ta me, James!" Meowth interjected. "Shakin' off a mallet-whack or an insult is one thing, but out-and-out betrayal is another! Jessie had a choice today, and she chose personal gain over friendship! She ditched us so dat she could become famous on her own!"
"And she regrets it!" I shot back. "Meowth, you didn't see the look in her eyes! She's sorry about what she did, and I refuse to make an issue of it anymore! When she comes back, I'm going to talk to her."
"Wuss."
"What did you call me?!"
"I said yer a wuss!" he repeated. "James, is it any wonder she's always bein' mean to ya?! Yer too nice ta her! Ya gotta put yer foot down once and for all and let her know dat ya ain't gonna put up with crap like dis no more!"
I folded my arms across my chest and turned away from him.
"James, I swear!" he continued. "If you cave in and take her back now, I'm gonna lose all respect for ya!"
"That's funny. I didn't even know I had your respect!" I replied. "Guess I won't miss it if I never even knew about it to begin with!"
Well, Meowth didn't like that answer, so he jumped up and Fury Swiped me across the face. This only made me angry again, and I swatted the cat away.
"What the hell do you want me to do?!" I demanded. "Stay mad at her forever?! Leave her behind the way she left us?!"
"Dat's not what I meant...."
"Then what did you mean?!"
Meowth closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm just sayin' dat you got feelins too, and dat she needs ta learn ta quit hurtin' 'em all the time."
"So, I do this by hurting her feelings right back?" I said sarcastically.
"James, ya gotta admit dat what she did today was pretty low," he said more softly. "I ain't sayin' ya hafta be mad at Jessie forever, but even if ya have forgiven her, at least give her the silent treatment for a couple days."
"I can't do that, Meowth."
"Why not?"
"What if she gets the wrong idea?" I asked. "What if she thinks we really don't want her on the team anymore, and she leaves us again?"
The cat frowned. "Hmmm...I didn't think about dat."
"Well, maybe you should," I told him. "Meowth, I have to work things out with Jessie. I don't want to lose her again!"
"I still don't think forgivin' her so soon is right, though," he sighed. "It hurts so much ta be betrayed...."
And it hurts even more to be pushed away by someone that you love, I said to myself.
@->->-
After a moment of silence, I heard a rustling sound and saw Jessie coming back with an armload of firewood.
My heart started pounding, and I got a tight feeling in my throat when I saw her. Now that I knew about Jessie's true feelings for me, it was all I could do to keep from kissing her right then and there!
I felt my face turning red yet again, so I quickly looked away from her. I knew I had to tell her that I loved her, but I was losing my nerve...just like I always do.
Why? Why was I so afraid?! I wasn't going to be rejected if I told her, and if anything, she needed to know about my feelings for her! It looked like she'd been crying while she was gone, and my silence was going to hurt her even more.
But I was still scared.
I didn't look at her once while I was making dinner, or while we were eating. There was an uncomfortable silence between the three of us, but I didn't have the courage to break it. I knew that if I said something, it'd come out wrong, and I'd sound like an idiot.
And indeed, I did, because when I finally did speak, "It's been a long day. I'm going to bed," was all that I could say.
What kind of insensitive remark was that to make?! Now Jessie thought I was still mad at her...that I was trying to avoid her!
But before I could say anything more, Meowth cut me off. "I think I will, too," he said as he unrolled his yellow sleeping-bag next to my blue one.
After a moment of hesitation, Jessie came over to us and unrolled her red sleeping-bag next to mine. My heart started pounding again, and I blushed.
I heard Meowth clear his throat, and I looked down at him. He frowned at me and shook his head.
I raised my eyebrows and shrugged in response.
He shook his head again, this time more emphatically.
I sighed. I had no choice but to listen to Meowth and continue to give Jess the cold-shoulder. If I stayed where I was and had her lying right next to me, I'd probably explode trying to resist the urge to take her in my arms and kiss her all through the night. But I couldn't do that with Meowth there, so I just gave in to him and followed his lead as he rolled up his sleeping-bag and stomped away from her.
"Good night," Jessie said sadly as I relocated myself all the way on the other side of the camp.
"Hmmmmmph!" Meowth grumbled.
The sorrowful tone of her voice broke my heart. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle another sob.
But when I heard her whisper, "James...I just wanted to say I'm sorry...." I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.
I'm sorry, too, Jessie...I'm so sorry, I thought as I watched her in the distance, crying herself to sleep.
@->->-
Why the hell did I do that to her?! I wondered once I was able to stop crying. Jessie and Meowth had both fallen asleep, and now I was alone with my thoughts. She needs me...needs to know that I still care about her, but all I could do was push her away again....
Tearing my gaze away from Jessie, I rolled onto my back and looked up at the stars instead. I thought about that letter she'd written to me, how she'd said she was in love with me, but she was afraid to tell me because she didn't think I'd feel the same way.
I sighed and looked back at Jessie. She was never going to tell me now. Not after the way I'd treated her. She was probably convinced that I hated her.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
That was when I made my decision.
I couldn't let Meowth intimidate me anymore. He may have thought I was a pushover for wanting to forgive Jessie, but caving in to him wasn't any better. No, I realized that in order to find my true strength, I had to do things my way...I had to take action and not have to explain myself to anybody. That was why I ran away from home in the first place -- so that I could have the freedom to live my life on my terms.
And at the moment, that meant setting things right with Jessie.
It was too late to do anything about it tonight, but I vowed that first thing in the morning, I was going to show her that I'd forgiven her...and then I'd banish her fears forever by telling her how I felt.
Slowly, I got out of my sleeping-bag and went over to where Jessie was lying. Her crimson hair was hanging loose, and I brushed a strand of it from her face as I leaned down and kissed her tear-stained cheek.
"I love you, Jessie," I whispered. "And in the morning, I'm going to prove it once and for all."
I smiled as I returned to my own sleeping-bag and laid down again. Yes, my days of being a coward were definitely over. For years I'd dreamed about telling Jessie how much I loved her, and now the time had come. Nothing was going to stop me now!
@->->-
I was awake before dawn. I knew that it would take more than just words to convince Jessie that everything was okay now -- I needed a gesture...a peace-offering.
And what better way to do that than serving her breakfast in bed?
When I'd gone to town and bought lunch the day before, I'd also made a stop at the grocery store so that I could stock up on food. And I had all of the right ingredients on hand to make Jessie's favorite breakfast!
Quickly, I set to work, mixing the eggs, milk, and sugar together and making sure that every slice of bread got a nice coat of it. This was going to be the best batch of French toast ever!
Once it had cooked to a nice golden-brown, I flipped it onto a plate. But when I went to my backpack again, I realized something.
I was out of maple syrup!
Great! What was I supposed to do now?! How was I going to surprise Jessie with the perfect breakfast when I didn't even have maple syrup for the French toast?!
I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair. Maybe she wouldn't mind...maybe the fact that I'd made breakfast would be enough for her.
But it wasn't good enough for me. Now I needed something more...another gesture of my sincerity.
Reaching into the pocket of my backpack once again, I pulled out two roses -- a red one and a white one. I'd done this once before. After our ordeal on the St. Anne, I'd given Jessie a white rose to show her how much she meant to me. To show her that she was my best friend.
But a white rose wouldn't be enough this time.
I looked down at the red rose...the flower of love, passion, and romance. The flower that I love most because it reminds me of her. White roses were good for friendship, but the time for friendship was past. Now it was time to give her my red rose...it was time to give her my love.
Slowly, I made my way to Jessie. She was in a fitful sleep, as if she were having a bad dream. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was moaning, calling my name over and over again. She probably thought that I'd left her.
I knealt down next to Jessie and gently brushed her tears away with the petals of my rose. "Jessie...Jess, wake up," I said softly.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked up at me.
"Good morning, Jess."
The expression on her face was one of disbelief. She rubbed her eyes for a moment and looked more closely at me. "James?"
She must have thought this was just another dream! Well, I had to show her that it wasn't...that I really hadn't left her!
"Come here, Jess. I've got a surprise for you," I said, smiling and gently taking her hands in my own.
"James, what are you doing?" she asked. She sounded frightened, like I was going to hurt her or play a trick on her, or something.
"Shhh," I whispered, handing Jessie the rose and bringing her to her feet. "Just come with me."
I led Jessie over to the campfire, and I felt her tense.
I turned to face her once more and gave her hands an affectionate squeeze. "I made you some French toast, but we're out of maple syrup," I explained. "So we'll just have to eat it plain. I'm sorry...I wanted this breakfast to be perfect, but...."
Suddenly, Jessie's eyes were filled with tears, and she started to cry again.
"Jessie, it's only maple syrup!" I said jokingly, trying to cheer her up. "French toast is still good without it!"
But it didn't work.
When I said this, it only made her cry even more, and when I tried to comfort her and pull her into an embrace, she broke away from me, turned, and ran.
"Jessie, wait!" I called after her.
But I don't think she heard me. Her sobs drowned out my voice as she disappeared into the forest.
Great! I really did screw this up! I thought as I ran after her. I should've told her last night instead of waiting! God, what was I so afraid of?! Why didn't I tell her that I love her when I had the chance?! Now she's afraid of me...she doesn't trust me anymore....
@->->-
When I finally caught up to Jessie, I found her lying on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing her in such misery made me feel guilty again. How could I have let it come to this?!
"This isn't about maple syrup, is it?" I said softly.
Jessie didn't even look at me. She just shook her head and continued to cry.
Now that she couldn't run away from me anymore, I knealt by her side and took her in my arms. "Jess, what's wrong?!" I asked.
Jessie looked up at me, but when she tried to speak, the only sound she made was more sobbing.
"What do you mean, what's wrong?!" she whimpered after a few minutes. "James, I feel awful about what I did yesterday!"
Jessie kept crying, and I just held her. She didn't think I'd been wrong to ignore her last night! She still felt guilty about running away, and when I'd tried to make breakfast, it only made her feel more guilty -- she thought she still deserved to be punished!
But she didn't!
Gently, I placed my hand to her lips and silenced her. "That was yesterday," I whispered. "It's over now. It's not an issue anymore."
"How can you say that?!" she asked. "I deserted you...I threw away everything we've done together...everything we've shared. Meowth was right -- what I did was unforgivable. I know you probably hate me for that...."
So she really did think I hated her! Yes, I'd definitely overreacted yesterday. Setting things right was going to be harder than I thought. But then, nothing worthwhile is ever easy.
"No, Jessie, no," I said as I began to gently rock her back and forth. "Jessie, I don't hate you. I was mad at you, yes. But I could never hate you!"
Jessie gave no reply, just put her arms around me and buried her face in my shoulder. I held her as close as I possibly could, never wanting to let go.
"No! Please don't cry, sweetheart," I whispered, stroking her hair and holding her closer as the sobs wracked her body. "Please don't cry...."
I don't know if she heard me, but she calmed down after a few more minutes and just laid quietly in my arms. It was then that I felt how cold she was. The early morning air was chilly, and she was only half-dressed. Gently, I pulled her into my lap pressed my body against hers. I began to run my hands along her arms and shoulders...and then I caressed her back and her stomach. I loved touching her bare flesh, feeling how warm it became in my hands. And when I saw her lips curve into a tiny smile...heard her sigh in pleasure, I never wanted to stop! She really did enjoy being close to me!
"You're...you're just such a sweet person," she said in a broken voice. "You're a sweet, wonderful man, and nobody should ever hurt you...but that's all I ever seem to do! I'm so terrible to you, James...."
Her voice trailed off and gave way to crying again. I had to allay her guilt once more, so I cupped her chin in my hand and forced her to look up at me. As she gazed into my eyes, I smiled tenderly at her and brushed away her tears.
"Jess, we've been together for almost half our lives now," I told her. "And believe me, I've seen you at your worst. You have your moments, but you know what? I still think you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
This actually made her smile. "You mean that?" she asked as I began to run my fingers through her sea of red hair.
"Yes," I replied. "Jessica, you're the best thing in my life! You stand by me when nobody else will, you have faith in me when everybody else thinks I'm an idiot...and you've made sacrifices for me and saved my life more times than I can count! I couldn't ask for a better friend than you."
"And I couldn't ask for a better friend than you, James," she whispered into my ear as she hugged me once more.
I smiled. It looked like she finally understood just how much she meant to me. But that didn't change the fact that some pretty terrible things had been said and done yesterday, and I wouldn't feel better until I'd cleared that up, too.
"About what Meowth said yesterday...I hope you didn't take it to heart," I said tentatively. "I know he told you we were only trying to take back the badges, but that's not true. Well, maybe he wanted the badges, but I didn't give a damn about them -- I just wanted you! Jessie, I was so miserable without you, and the thought that you didn't want to be with me anymore...it broke my heart! I know I didn't act like it yesterday, but I really was happy when you came back."
"That's precisely why I have to say it, James," she replied. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. I'll never forgive myself for what I did to you yesterday."
But that's not what I wanted! It would break my heart if she spent the rest of her life feeling guilty about this!
"Jessie, it's no big deal!" I told her. "It's like...it's like making a batch of French toast and discovering that you've run out of maple syrup -- it seems like a disaster when it happens, but when you think about it and stop to take a look at the big picture, you realize that it's not so important after all. When things like that happen, you just have to get over them and move on."
She smiled when I said this. I hadn't planned on that little metaphor, but it seemed right -- what happened between us yesterday wasn't the end of our friendship...just a minor setback!
I pulled her into another embrace, and she laid her head on my shoulder. "Besides, you're not the only one who makes mistakes, Jess," I continued. "Remember when I stole your paycheck and blew it on that stupid Magikarp? Or how about the time we were fighting that camera kid, and I forgot to throw the blaster-ball at him, huh? That thing blew up right in our faces! And what about the Viridian Gym a couple of months ago? God, Jessie, it was all my fault you got electrocuted and lost that battle! But you still forgave me! Every time I screw things up...every time I do things wrong, you always forgive me. So, how could I do any less for you?"
I could hear Jessie crying again, but when I looked down at her, I saw that she was still smiling -- they were tears of joy!
"Jessie, whenever we screw up, it's like running out of maple syrup. Sometimes we do things that we regret, but it's not the end of the world...just a part of being human, that's all."
Her smile grew even wider, and she tightened her hold on me. And as I gazed into her sapphire eyes, I could see the love she felt for me shining in them. Maybe she was finally going to find the courage to tell me how she felt!
"James...." she began.
But I didn't want her to be the first one to say it! I already knew that she loved me, so she needed to know that I felt the same way! Still, there was something else I needed to tell her first....
I placed my hand to her lips and shushed her again. "You don't have to say a word. I know. You were miserable without me, too. That's why you were trying to steal those other badges. You really did want us to be together!"
Jessie smiled at me again. "Can't hide anything from you, can I?" she asked.
"Nope!" I said. "How do you think I found you so easily? You're a part of me, Jess. No disguise you wear can hide that! You and I...we're like two halves of the same soul -- each needing the other to be complete."
Jessie's eyes widened when I said this. We both knew that we were soul-mates...that we were meant to be together forever. She was overjoyed to hear me say that I felt the same way she did -- just as overjoyed as I'd been when I read her letter!
Gently, she caressed my face and began to play with my hair. "James, you're a lovely person, on the inside and the outside. I...."
Now it was time!
"I love you, Jessie," I whispered before she could say anything more.
Her smile grew wider than ever as fresh tears of joy fell from her eyes. "I love you, too, James!" she whispered back. "I love you so much!"
My heart started pounding again when I heard her say those words! I knew she loved me, but there was something especially wonderful about actually hearing her say it -- it was an affirmation.
"Jess, I fell in love with you on the day we met," I told her. "The moment I saw you, I knew we were meant to be! And ever since that day, you've been the only girl I've ever loved...my beautiful rose."
A light of pure happiness sparkled in her eyes at that moment. "Oh, James...." she whispered as her voice trailed off and gave way to more tears. Again, she was at a loss for words, but this time, it was because she was too overjoyed to speak!
Now it was time to do something else I'd always dreamed of, but never dared to try -- I took Jessie in my arms and pressed my lips against hers. After a moment, she responded, and as our kiss deepened, I could feel the two of us melting with passion...and bliss.
@->->-
Our first true-love kiss lasted for several minutes, but even when it ended, neither of us broke free from the embrace. We just laid together, keeping each other warm as we watched the sunrise. The world was covered in a soft, pink glow, and the Indigo Plateau was just a purple smudge in the north. But even though it may have been a long way off, our goal was still in sight.
"Too bad we lost those badges," Jessie said at length. "I really did want for us to compete in the Pokemon League...."
I couldn't help but smile as I looked at her. I was glad to see that she wasn't feeling guilty anymore...that she knew I really had forgiven her, and that I really loved her. The light of the rising sun made her look even more beautiful than usual, and I couldn't resist pushing her hair aside and kissing her gently on the neck.
"We will, Jess. I promise," I whispered into her ear. "We'll find a way."
Jessie turned to face me and ran her fingers through my hair. "You're right, James," she said happily. "We can do anything...as long as we do it together!"
And then, just like the day I left my inheritance behind for the second time and the two of us were reunited, Jessie and I gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. Only this time, there were no fears to stop us from sharing our true feelings, and our lips met in another passionate kiss as we held each other closer than ever before.
Words can't describe how happy I was as the two of us laid together in each other's arms, kissing and cuddling as the sun rose! I'd been in love with Jessie ever since the day I first saw her, and now that I knew she was in love with me too...now that I finally had her, I promised myself that I'd never let go again.
@->->-
I wanted to stay like that forever, but I knew that it had to end eventually -- we needed to get back to camp. After all, we still had to eat breakfast...and work things out with Meowth.
"Come on, Jess. Time to face the day," I sighed once we were finally able to release each other.
She smiled at me and took my hand as I helped her up, but when she got to her feet, I saw her face contort in a wince of pain.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"It...it's nothing," came her reply.
But I knew this wasn't true -- I remembered how she'd been limping yesterday, and when I looked, I saw that one of her ankles was swollen and purple. She must have sprained it after we blasted off...and running away from me earlier couldn't have been good for it!
Without saying a word, I swept Jessie off of her feet and lifted her into my arms.
"James, what are you...."
"You're not walking on that ankle," I told her. "I'm carrying you back."
"But...."
"Not another word," I said softly.
She smirked at me for a minute, but then she gazed into my eyes again and smiled as she put her arms around my neck.
We gazed adoringly at each other for several minutes as I carried her in my arms, but suddenly Jessie's face fell, and she became sad again.
"James," she said tentatively, "what if Meowth is still mad at me?"
"Don't worry about him," I told her. "It wasn't really you he was mad at -- he was just angry because he got to thinking about Meowsie again. He's still upset about how she betrayed him, and I guess he was taking it out on you."
Jessie frowned, and I could tell that she was starting to feel guilty once more.
"It's okay, sweetheart," I said. "Once Meowth sees that we've worked everything out, he'll forgive you, too...and if he gives you any more trouble about this, I'll straighten him out."
"Sweetheart," she whispered. "James, I didn't think I'd ever hear you call me that!"
I smiled at her. "Well you always have been," I replied. "And you always will be."
"I love you, James," she said again, pulling my face closer to hers.
"I love you, too, Jessie," I replied, leaning down and giving her another kiss.
As our lips met once more, I knew in my heart that things were only going to get better from here. Sure, Jessie and I almost lost each other yesterday, but what seemed like a catastrophy at the time actually turned out to be a blessing. Our estrangement made us realize that we couldn't hide our feelings for each other any longer. If Jess had never run away, I probably never would have found the courage to tell her that I love her...and she may not have been able to tell me either.
But now that we finally had told each other...now that we were going to be together forever, everything was right with the world again.
It was going to be a great day, and that French toast was going to be the best breakfast Jessie, Meowth, and I ever had.
Even if we were out of maple syrup.