"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"
The usual. Our plan had failed. We were sent flying. Normal. It was the same as always so why, oh WHY did it have to end so differently?
Meowth and I landed in some trees. But James fell in the nearby river and went straight over a waterfall.
Even though it wasn't like me, I screamed for him, jumped out of the tree, and ran to help. Too late. I was too late! He had already been pierced by the sharp rocks. He cried in pain as life left him. I pulled him onto the bank. "James?" No answer came. I put my head to his chest. There was no heartbeat. Nor was there a pulse in his wrist. "No!!!" I whispered. Then I screamed it. "No!!" I began to shake his body like crazy. "Get up! Get up!"
But there was nothing I could do. My poor James had left me. He was dead...
Two weeks later, I sat in my room at the Team Rocket cabin, staring out the window. You know that saying, "You never know how much you love someone until they're gone"? I had never really believed that. I always thought that I would just be like, "Well, see ya later! There are plenty of fish in the sea!" Which I stated when we were at Maiden's Peak.
But I was wrong. I was terribly wrong. I missed James more than I ever thought I would; or could. I guess I loved him. I must have. Why else would I be so miserable?
I turned my attention from the moon, out the window, to Meowth, who had just curled up in a chair to sleep. This reminded me of James' funeral. I had spent every last penny I owned so as give him a nice one. But even then, the most I could afford was outside, in the graveyard that he was to be buried. It really was quite lovely, though. A huge oak tree hung overhead that dropped red and yellow leaves occasionally. I picked a few of these up and tore them to pieces. Why did this have to happen to me? It just wasn't right.
Only a few people attended the funeral. Aside from Meowth and I, there was Butch and Cassidy, James' parents (who really didn't seem all that sad), and the twerp trio. I hadn't known who else to ask to come, so that was it.
The minister said a little speech, but I wasn't really listening. All I could think about was James. His voice, his look, his touch. Everything else was tuned out.
The following morning, I awoke to find Meowth missing. Some how I just -knew- where he was. I got dressed and went to James' grave. There was the little pokemon, all cuddled up to the gravestone.
Normally, I would have hit him with my mallet to wake him up, and yell at him to get going. But things weren't normal anymore.
I gently shook Meowth. His eyes, which had bags under them, fluttered open. I could see he had probably been crying. This surprised me so much, that all I could do was stare at him, frozen in place, one hand still on his shoulder.
No words were needed. We each saw that for the very first time, we shared a deep feeling. We were each grieving the loss of a friend. Then I did something completely out of character for me. I don't know what made me do it, but, still in a kneeling position, I pulled Meowth close to me in a hug. The strangest part was, he didn't scratch me like he usually would have if I tried something stupid like that. He hugged me back.
"It ain't fair Jesse," he said, his voice slightly shaking. "It just ain't fair!"
"No, it's not," I agreed with him. "But unfortunately, life never is. James isn't the first person close to me that I've lost. My mother died when I was very young. That's when I learned that life's not fair. By then I had already found James and he was there to comfort me..." I didn't want to continue.
Meowth pulled out and looked up at me. "Now ya got me!" He was attempting to cheer us both up. Now if you know Meowth, then you know that usually, he would NEVER say something as sweet as that to me. But like I said, things weren't normal.
I laughed a little as I put him down and stood up. "Yeah, I guess I do." We took one last look at James' grave, and walked back to our cabin.
I came out of my flashback. Back to the dark room, back to loneliness. I walked over and stroked Meowth on the back as he slept. I never ever thought that I would grow to be such good friends with that cat. But some how I did.
I yawned and walked over and sat on my bed. Letting out a long sigh, I said aloud, "Oh, James.... If one of us had to die, why did it have to be you?" And I fell asleep.
I woke up in the middle of the night around 2:30 a.m. I don't know why, but I looked to the end of my bed. And what I saw shocked me beyond words. It was my James! He was glowing with a yellowish-gold outline. He lit up the entire room with his radiant light. He was wearing his Team Rocket uniform except that instead of a big "r", there was a brown cross with a crimson heart in the middle of it. The biggest and most noticeable new features were his pair of wings. I mean, WINGS! Feathers and all.
I knew all these things could only mean one thing. "James..." I whispered, "you're a... a..." I couldn't say it.
"I'm an angel." he finished simply. It was his voice alright. Only without that whiney hint, and it echoed.
I was not afraid. I couldn't be. There was such a sense of peace and security that flowed from.
"Oh, James..." I started as if to apologize for my being alive and him not.
"Don't be sad, Jesse. When I was dying I remembered something that my parents had taught me. A faith. And I made it! I made it in the beautiful pearly gates. I'm so happy there! The reason I came back down to this dirty Earth is to visit you."
I crawled to the end of my bed and threw my arms around his neck. Wow!! I can't describe the amazing feeling I got just by toughing James! An angel.
"I just want to be happy with you!" I cried. Where had that come from? I think it was one of those things that sat at the back of my mind and somehow found it's way to my mouth. I never really listened to those stupid thoughts. Not until they came bursting out.
He put his arms around me. "Well, I want you to be happy, too. But it would be terribly wrong to cheat yourself out of the gift of life. Don't get any wild ideas."
"But I don't want to live without you!" There was another one of those thoughts! Did I really feel that way? I didn't think so.
"Shhh..." James comforted me, running hid glowing fingers through my hair. "Don't say that Jess. You're going to be just fine. Believe me. I know. Come on now, there's something I'm only allowed to do this once and I'm going to do it. He used one arm to carry my legs, and the other to support my back. He carried me out the window and we began to fly, my Heavenly host flapping his great wings. Now, I told you what it was like being touched by an angel. So can you imagine being carried by one? THAT'S a taste of heaven. And I mean that quite literally.
We flew high into the clouds, among the stars. "I was allowed one joy-ride with you," James explained. He let go of my legs and held me under my arms and around the waist. Then it felt like I was flying. ME! Myself!
I laughed out loud. "This is a lot better than the hot air balloon!"
James chuckled. "Yeah, that's what I said the first time I went flying. But it's even better with you!"
So we flew. We soared on wings of the night. Through the stars and around the moon. He even tossed me up and caught me a few times. I never wanted it to end, but unfortunately, it had to.
James took me back to the cabin. I begged him not to leave me again. He gently stroked the side of my face with the back of his hand. "I never really did, Jesse. And I never will. I'm here. Watching over you. Always."
All of a sudden the first few rays of dawn came pouring in the window. And he was gone. Just. Like. That.
How did he do it? I don't know. And I guess I never will.
Sitting down on my bed I had to wonder whether or not all of that had really happened. Had it just been a wonderful dream?
That's when I noticed the necklace around my neck. I pulled the main part up and looked at it. It was a silver heart-shaped locket with one word written across the front.
Always
Inside, there was a bible verse on one side and a cartoon-ish picture of an angel on the other. I smiled and clutched the gift from my angel close to me. It had really happened!
"Yes James." I whispered, knowing he would hear, "Always."