This is a sad AU that I created while listening to sad songs and watching 'Training Daze.'

Jessie let a cruel smile pass over her lips as she watched her target run. Without a second to spare, she shot off of the tree and landed in front of the young boy, "It's not that hard, just hand over the Pikachu and no one will get hurt." Of course, the twerp didn't listen. He threw himself between her and the little, wide-eyed electric mouse.

"I won't give you Pikachu!"

Such an obvious comment. She narrowed her eyes, what an idiot. For a second, her mind wandered to James. Was he okay? Would he succeed in his mission with the young gym leader? And where was the girl Meowth was supposed to corner? "Ash!" The cry of a young female was the only warning she got before a powerful jet of cold water slammed her into a tree. "Are you okay? Idiot! Don't die before you can pay me back for my bike!" The shrill in her voice was enough to tell Jessie it was more than that.

She almost felt sorry for the kids. Almost. But she had a job to do and you can't just pity your targets. "Arbok." The pokemon materialized out of the ball, ready to attack at her command. "I'll give you one more chance. Hand over your pokemon." Neither obeyed, both glaring at her with fierce determination. She hesitated only a moment before dully saying, "Acid."

The screams of the two dying children had her closing her eyes and reaching past them to grab the pokeballs. Her mission had been simple, they had complicated it. How many times had she killed since she had become an agent? An arm wrapped around her and she heard his voice, soft and unhappy, trying to comfort her. The farther they were from the bodies, the more relaxed she became. He continued to comfort her as they found their way back to headquarters and soon, those deaths didn't matter.

They were promoted for their work. The Pikachu would be a good specimen as would the Togepi. They were the baddest, the best, they were working their way up to the greatest team in the Rocket organization. They were going to make it.

For three years, they worked to the top. Jessie noticed that Meowth was losing his cheerful gleam and whining, James was crying in his sleep, and she was the only one who had killed. They always found another way. Was she a monster? She pushed away the thoughts and quickly moved to the door. Before he could even knock, she let the commander in. He smiled at her and looked over at her sleeping companions, "You've lasted longer than Cassidy." Words that would've made her beam no longer brought on victory. Butch had died in a robbery attempt. "So, you want your next mission?"

James finally woke up and he only stared up at the commander before glaring at the wall. "We're ready." Her heart twisted, You're not. "Well, going to tell us?"

The man sighed, "Yeah. We've got a problem at Silph, another wanna-be hero. Thought you could deal with him quietly."

She was sure the commander didn't miss her partner's clenched fists. "No problem."

That was the first time James killed anyone. It broke him. And without his comforting words, his promises that she was simply doing her job, she broke, too. Meowth tried for as long as he lived to help them but he, too, wasn't in any condition to be cheerful. It was pathetic how they had sunk. Still continuing their missions but no longer feeling, they got promotion after promotion. Jessie wished she could've gone back, changed it all. They weren't who they used to be, they weren't the team they should've become.

But they were the best.