"Meoooow..." A white feline with blue tufts of fur yawned. Every day was the same... She'd wake up in the morning, get thoroughly and uncomfortably washed and cleaned (against her will), go through her morning speaking lessons (against her will), eat breakfast with utensils (against her will), practice walking "with dignity" (against her will), practice eating brunch and lunch like a noblewoman (against her will), get tutored in numerous human subjects like math and science (against her will), learn how and when to use the hundreds of utensils that rich people tend to set out for dinner (against her will), then finally go to sleep...only to wake up again the next day to repeat this boring cycle ad nauseum.
"Lady Meowstic, please, pay attention!" one of her servants - Erin - said, snapping Meowstic out of her thoughts and back into her boring reality. She was in the middle of another riveting brunch lesson, in which she practices the proper technique for sipping tea. Sighing, Meowstic used Psychic to lift the teacup to her mouth...only to be sprayed by the water bottle that her servants carried around for disciplining her.
"Hsss!" Meowstic hissed, losing focus and dropping the teacup on the ground. It promptly shattered, spilling tea all over their marble floor.
Erin sighed, signaling Wayne, another servant, to help clean up the mess.
"We've told you time and time again, no using attacks at the table!" Erin scolded. "And don't hiss or use Pokéspeak, either - use your words!"
"Meowsti-" the cat started, but she then noticed Erin raising the spray bottle again. "I mean, I sincerely apologize for my rudeness," she said in clear human-speak, as respectfully as possible, bowing a little. Her two servants looked pleased.
"Excellent! Now, let's move on to the proper way to pick up a fork," Erin started, before being distracted by a ruckus in the foyer. "Oooh, never mind, it seems Lord William and Lady Isabelle are home. And they've brought guests, by the looks of it."
"This is the perfect time to practice being a good host," her other servant, Wayne, added.
Meowstic sighed. Oh well, it can't be worse than utensil lessons... she thought.
"Welcome to my humble abode!" Lord William said, not-so-humbly.
"Wow! It's so big!" Serena gushed, looking around at the spacious room they were in.
The most prominent thing in the room was the solid gold fountain situated in the center, gushing water from five points. Flanking it were the bases of a grand double staircase, leading to the second level of this three-story (at minimum!) mansion. Hanging directly above the fountain was an exquisite looking chandelier. The shiny rays of light exuding from it shimmered and reflected off of the fountain's water, constantly emitting sparkles around the room as the water rippled smoothly.
"Everything's so pretty and shiny!" Bonnie added, eyes sparkling.
"Pika!" a familiar yellow mouse added, as well. The group gawked at how gaudy and fancy everything looked, much to the owners' pride.
"We're glad you kids are impressed by it," Lady Isabelle said. Just then, Meowstic, along with the two servants that were teaching her brunch etiquette earlier, entered the room.
"Ah, Erin! Wayne! Whip these fine young kids up a nice, warm meal!" William said. "They're our guests of honor today!"
"Yes, milord," the two servants answered, bowing.
"Study well - we'll quiz you on host etiquette later," Erin whispered to Meowstic before heading off to prepare lunch.
"Ah! And Lady Meowstic is here, too!" the lord said. "Lady Meowstic, I'd like you to meet Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont. They just saved me and the missus from some nasty criminals! Ah...what was their name again? Team Bop-it?"
"Team Rocket," Ash corrected. "And it was no big deal, we've dealt with them for years now..." he sighed.
"Nevertheless, thank you so much, young man," Isabelle said. "Without you, we would've lost quite a bit of our money back there."
The Lord and Lady went on to thank the young hero profusely. Meowstic simply drowned it out after a minute or so. She leaned against a wall, resting for a bit. If her servants or tutors or owners saw what she was doing, they'd probably flip out and spray her for "poor posture in the presence of guests" or something. But for now, with no servants around, and her owners busy chatting with their guests, she had a rare moment to herself. She just wanted to relax and enjoy her few minutes of slight freedom...
"Wow, your fur is so pretty and soft-looking!" an innocent young voice said. So much for enjoying her freedom peacefully... Meowstic felt like blasting the blonde toddler away from her so she could get some relaxing done, but that would definitely get noticed by her owners. Plus, Meowstic wasn't so cruel as to hurt a child for simply invading her space. So, she leaned her head forward in a proper petting position. The girl took the invitation, and promptly began petting her. Meowstic hated how the human child - who she learned was named 'Bonnie' - was petting her ears. Didn't she know not to pet her species on the ears? Still, Meowstic had enough poise contain her discomfort.
Soon, lunch was prepared. The kids gawked over seeing Meowstic at the table with them, and gasped in surprise when they saw she was able to use utensils like a human. Meowstic heard them ask her owners how she was able to eat like them, but she didn't pay them much mind after that. She was too busy enjoying her uninterrupted eating. Usually, her servants would scrutinize the way she ate, always seeming to find faults. But because there were guests present, they weren't allowed to give her lessons at the moment. It would be unfitting to have a servant lecturing a noble around when guests were present. So, for a few more minutes, she had a bit more freedom. Obviously she couldn't completely pig out like she really wanted to, giving in to her wild side and eating with her hands - in a case like that, they'd spray her, guests or no guests. But it was still a heck of a lot better than being micromanaged.
After lunch, Lord William invited Ash and friends to join him and Meowstic for a walk through his private stretch of forest. They agreed, and so, out they went. Now, one might think Meowstic would be ecstatic about going on a walk and getting exercise, but...
Click
"There you go, Lady Meowstic, all set for your walk!" Erin said, handing the other end of the leash to her master.
"Right-o, let's go!" Lord William said. The kids were very obviously discomforted by the sight of a Pokémon on a leash, but Meowstic's master wasn't very bright or self-aware and also rarely listened to anything that disagreed with how he viewed the world. The reason Meowstic had to be put on a leash was because of the numerous times she had tried to run away while on their walks... It apparently got to be too much of a hassle to always have to call the police department whenever she ran, so they decided to use a leash instead. In truth, she could easily break off from it, but she feared what the next stage of punishment would be. Probably a cage, or stocks... Shuddering at the thought of having to don stocks, Meowstic grudgingly but obediently allowed her master to yank her along on a leash.
Thirty minutes into their walk and the mansion, Meowstic's prison, was finally out of sight. Lord William's private forest was actually fairly large. As they walked, he talked about how he just recently acquired it.
"There were a few ah... complications that arose during the deal," the nobleman rather sketchily explained. For the slightest moment, a look of anger flashed on his face. The kids were looking ahead and didn't notice it, but Meowstic did. "It all worked out in the end, though, and both parties were satisfied with their end of the bargain," he finished.
Meowstic thought back to the day of the deal. She remembered it was an unusual morning - which was a rarity in her monotonous life. She was having her brunch lesson when several explosions erupted in the forest, sort of sounding like a large-scale Pokémon battle. She felt a little suspicious about her owner's actions that day... but quickly shook it off. She really just wanted to break off of the leash and roam freely through the woods without a care in the world. But if she did, her master would just have the forest sealed off by police and have a search party comb through the area until they found her, after which he'd think of some other, more creative way to keep her in line on their walks. So, she just put up with it for now.
Nearby, a familiar trio was watching their every move...
"Look, it's that rich snob again," Jessie said, peering through their high-tech binoculars. She handed them off to James so he could take a look, too.
"Oh, great, he's got his twerpish bodyguards with him..." the blue-haired Rocket added. He, in turn, handed the binoculars to Meowth.
"And also a Meowst-" Suddenly, Meowth's eyes lit up with hearts at the sight of the beautiful Pokémon he just laid eyes on. She was just his type - bipedal, feline, similar height, and the cutest expression on her face. It was love at first sight. Instantly, he fantasized about walking on the beach with her, hands intertwined, staring into each other's eyes, smiling... He even started to drool.
Jessie and James exchanged awkward glances.
"Uh, everything all right Meowth?" James asked. "What else do they have with them? A Meowst? Is that a new Pokémon?"
"Um, uh, no. I meant ta say a Meowstic. Here, see for yourself." Meowth handed the binoculars back to Jessie.
"Aww, it's adorable!" Jessie gushed. James snatched the binoculars for himself and took a look at what the fuss was all about.
"It's wearing...a leash?" James remarked. "Oh well, enough about that. What's the plan to catch Pikachu?"
"Forget Pikachu, I'm bagging that Meowstic for myself!" Jessie said. "A beauty like that is bound to be a hit with the crowd!"
"Oh, come on. Pikachu's the real catch here. Wouldn't you agree, Meowth?" James replied.
"Um, um, no," he stammered. "Jessie's right - dat cutie is bound to be a boon to her performances!"
"Yes! It's two to one. We're going for that Meowstic!" Jessie said, determined. Meowth silently cheered, while James just sighed.
"Okay, but when you're done with her, we're turning her over to the boss," James said.
"Deal!" Jessie responded.
"So then I say to my friend, 'Poker? I don't even know her!' And we all busted out laughing!" Lord William said with a guffaw, finishing another riveting tale of his golden years.
His audience - the twerps - just chuckled awkwardly, not finding the story very entertaining or funny. Meowstic rolled her eyes - after making sure no one was looking, of course.
"Well, this has been a fun walk. What's say we head home, hmm?" Lord William continued. The twerps were about to answer, but a mechanical arm shot out from above, grabbing Meowstic and pulling her into the sky...right into the basket of a Meowth-shaped hot air balloon. The owner of the extending mechanical arm had a cage to put her in.
"Team Rocket!" the twerps cried, instantly knowing who was responsible for this.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it dou-"
"You buffoons again?!" Lord William said, completely interrupting their motto and infuriating them in doing so.
"These 'buffoons' have your precious little Pokémon!" James taunted. "And when we deliver her to our boss, we'll get big promotions!"
"Not for long. Meowstic, blast out of there!"
Meowstic was about to comply, but was interrupted by the fiery red-head.
"Don't even bother, that cage is shock-proof!" Jessie said.
Meowstic stared at her in disbelief, giving a look that seemed to say 'Are you really this stupid?' All the while, their Meowth was staring at her with those stupid heart-shaped eyes. It nearly made her gag. She was about to use her Psychic to break the cage apart, levitate herself down, and then send the three stooges flying, but then she realized something. This could be her big chance to change her life. She didn't know where these crooks were taking her, but it had to be better than where she was currently. So instead, she feigned helplessness, giving her overbearing master a shrug.
"Meowstic, what are you doing? A shock-proof cage would do nothing against your psychic attacks!" Lord William said.
"Don't worry, we'll get Meowstic back. Talonflame, let's go!" Ash said, releasing a Pokeball.
"You too, Braixen!" Serena did the same, letting her beloved starter out.
"Talonflame, fly up there and grab that cage!" Ash ordered. His Pokémon nodded, making a beeline for the balloon.
"Not if we can help it," Jessie said with a smirk. "Gourgeist, use Leech Seed!" Her Pokémon complied shooting a mess of vines at the oncoming flyer.
"Dodge it!" Ash ordered. His Pokémon was just barely able to avoid getting ensnared, but had to give up his rescue. "Now sink their balloon with Peck!" Talonflame dove headfirst into the balloon, beak glowing white with energy, ready to poke holes all over it.
"Gourgeist, repel with Seed Bomb!" This time, Gourgeist landed a direct hit, sending Talonflame staggering back away from the sensitive balloon. The move not being very effective, Talonflame quickly recovered, ready for more.
"Our turn, Braixen! Use Flamethrower on Gourgeist!" Serena ordered. Her Pokémon quickly drew her wand and shot off a stream of fire directly at the villains.
"Inkay, Psybeam!" Inkay flipped upside down and loosed a colorful beam to meet Braixen's attack halfway. The two attacks connected, exploding into a cloud of smoke. "If that's the best you can manage, it seems Meowstic is ours!" he taunted.
"We'll see... Talonflame, use Flame Charge on their balloon!" Ash ordered. Talonflame shrouded itself in red-hot flames, then dove towards the balloon.
"Gourgeist, Leech Seed again!" Gourgeist shot out another web of vines. Meowstic facepalmed, seeing where this was going. The vines instantly turned to ash upon making contact with Talonflame's flaming form, failing to even faze him. "Uh oh..." The trio gulped.
While the three idiots merely watched the attack come in instead of ordering a counter, Meowstic had a snap decision to make. Should she let herself be saved, only to go back to her boring life? Or should she alter the outcome of this battle, seeing where this road leads? With barely a second to spare, she chose the latter option. Making sure no one was watching her, she used Psychic to veer Talonflame towards the ground instead of the balloon, confusing everyone. The bird, on fire and traveling too quickly, was not able to stop in time and crashed into the ground rather painfully.
"Wha? Inkay...did you learn Psychic?" James asked, looking proud. Inkay just gave him a confused look.
"Inkay...?"
"Inkay said he don't tink so," Meowth translated.
"Oh, whatever," Jessie said. "What's more important is..."
"WE GOT AWAY!" the trio said in unison. They started dancing around joyfully, rocking the balloon with their nonsense. Then, they joined in for a group hug.
Seeing the group's comedic antics, their teamwork, and especially the affection they showed their Pokémon... it made Meowstic smile. Something she hadn't done in a long, long, long while.
"TEAM ROCKET'S WINNING FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN!" the villains cried, disappearing with a twinkle, this time with their prize in hand.
"Talonflame! Are you okay?" Ash said worriedly, cradling his injured Pokémon in his arms.
"Tal..." it said weakly, nodding a bit. Ash, relieved, called it back into its Pokeball. Serena did the same with Braixen.
"We're so sorry we let Team Rocket escape," Ash apologized to the nobleman. "We'll help you look for them. We'll make sure they don't get away with this!" His friends nodded in determination and agreement.
"Thank you," Lord William said. "I'll go fetch my servants to help us out - could you start the search?"
"Of course! Noivern, Hawlucha!" Ash sent out his other two flyers. "Help us find Team Rocket." His Pokémon nodded and took to the skies to start searching. When they reached cruising altitude and looked around, they sweatdropped. There was a lot of forest, and they had no leads. Sighing, they started combing through the forest in the direction Team Rocket went.
A/N: HI! Pokémon Go got me obsessed with Pokémon again lol. And I've always been a huge, huge, HUGE fan of Team Rocket - James in particular. That plus the parallels between Meowstic's and James's lives should make it obvious which Rocket is gonna get a new Pokémon in this fic :p I also didn't like that James only had Inkay for the entire XY series... I mean, I love Inkay. I never thought much of the species when the game first came out, but seeing how cute he is with James made me greatly reconsider my opinion! I still wanted a second Pokémon for James to bond with in the series, though. Jessie got Wobbuffet back, so why couldn't James get Mime Jr. or catch a second Pokémon :( Hopefully he gets another awesome 'mon in the Alola Region, though!
Anyway, thanks for reading, and any reviews/thoughts/criticisms/comments/corrections would be much appreciated!