Future of Team Rocket : James a Lawyer? And Jessie a Demimondaine?
a.k.a. I can't come up with a title
The minute hand of the clock rotated from nine-twenty-nine to nine-thirty. James sighed. He should be getting home. Twelve hours in the office was ridiculous, but all of the overtime was paying off. He had gotten a raise last week, and the boss was hinting at a promotion. Shuffling the papers around, he filed some into various boxes on his desk and stuck two or three into his briefcase. He slipped on his coat, put on his hat, flicked off the light, and carried his briefcase out the door. Walking to the Saffron City train station, he boarded the magnet train, arriving in Goldenrod City in less than five minutes. He slowly began the cross-city trudge to his apartment.
As James walked, he began to massage his forehead with the hand that was not holding the briefcase. He had *such* a headache. The pile of work still undone was tremendous. It was times like these when he wished he was still in Team Rocket, that it hadn't been disbanded. There, no true work was required. He and Jessie – his partner – just chased a preteen boy around for a few years, trying to catch his Pikachu. Though he had received unending abuse from both Jessie and the Pikachu, the stress-free work was worth it. At least he never had migraines like this. And at least he still had Jessie. He had really and truly loved her, despite her attitude problem. She was so… wonderful. In every way. But when Team Rocket had disbanded, they had both gone their separate ways. How could he have let her go?
James passed by an alleyway and a voice crooned out from the shadows. "Hey baby, need a stress reliever? Let me show you a good time – take those heavy thought away for a while."
James's head snapped up. That voice. It had to be – "Jessie?" he asked.
The voice in the shadows gasped. "James?" it squealed, "It can't be you!" She stepped out into the streetlight and pulled James close to her, hugging him tightly. The scent of heavy perfume filled his nostrils. "James, it's been so long!" She looked up into his eyes. "I've missed you."
But the eyes she looked up into were different from her precious memory. They seemed smaller – more closed to the world, more mature, definitely more tired. His whole face was different for that matter. She reached up and took off his hat, revealing close cut hair and no strand hanging playfully in front of his face. Jessie's face faltered. "James, what happened to you?" Then, she answered her own question, "You grew up."
"It happens to the best of us, Jess," he replied. Unwinding her arms from around him, he continued, "Well, look at you! I mean, it's not much of a change from your Team Rocket uniform, but still… you've been reduced to this?"
James looked Jessie up and down again. She wore boots identical to the old Rocket-issued ones, with black fishnet stockings underneath. Around her waist was a black leather skirt that might as well not have been there. This was topped by only a black corset. Her nails and lips were blood red, matching her hair, which was now shoulder-length and at the median of frizzy and crimpy. The layers of blue eye shadow went all the way up to her eyebrow, far surpassing the boundaries of her eyelid, and it appeared as if she had used a whole case of blush per cheek. Jessie looked down at herself and blushed, though you couldn't tell. "James," she protested, "There was no way I'd be able to get a regular job after Team Rocket. I was a failure. And what do I put for my credentials now? 'Oh, I was a member of Team Rocket, you know, that robber gang? Oh yeah, and then I was a prostitute for a couple years.'" She paused to roll her eyes. "Get real James. There's no way I can do anything."
"I did," James told her, "I'm a lawyer. I went to law school for two years, joined a firm, and now I'm almost the top guy!" Jessie looked at him skeptically. "Look, Jess. Take a couple law classes and I'll get you a job at the firm." He uncrossed her arms and took her hands. "What happened to the Jessie who could do anything she put her mind to… or at least tried to do everything?"
"James, after Team Rocket I… I was stronger in Team Rocket… invincible… fearless. I was a member of the infamous Team Rocket! I had no reason to be afraid. Now I'm… I have nothing to fall back on. I'm just… me." She hung her head.
"Oh Jessie," James sighed. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her head back up so she faced him again. He encouraged her, "You can be anything you want. Anything at all. As long as you try, anything's possible." Jessie rolled her eyes at the clichéd inspirational words. "Okay," James said, taking Jessie's hands again, "If you could be whatever you wanted, what would you be?"
"To tell you the truth, I've always wanted to be a Pokémon nurse – but I don't exactly fit the job description : 'Must be a member of the Joy family or a Chansey.'"
"Doctor Proctor isn't either of those," pointed out James.
Jessie thought for a moment. "True," she agreed, "So I guess I'd have some chance even minus a Chansey!"
"So you'll try?" pried James.
"Oh, what the hell," affirmed Jessie's yes.
James grinned and hugged her. "This is great, Jess! We'll both have formidable jobs and-"
Jessie cut him off. "But, since tonight will be my last night on this job," she began, looking seductively into his eyes, "You wanna be my last coustomer?"
"What?" questioned James.
"You know." Jessie started moving her finger in a circle around James's ear and said in a singsong voice, "Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" She motioned towards the back of the alley.
Even though he had never taken French, James knew exactly what Jessie was talking about. He barely had time to mumble a "Oui oui" in response before lunging at her.
