Attention: Since English is not my mothertongue you might find some spelling mistakes or syntax errors. I apologize in advance. My mothertongue is Swiss-German so I normally imagine a sentence in German and try to translate it as well as possible into English, sometimes there is a lack of vocabulary or I don't find a match or the appropriate idiom but I want to improve my English and become a better writer. Another thing I want to make clear is that I use „..." to introduce direct speech! „ are not commas but the German quotation marks, just to avoid confusion.
I would like to dedicate this oneshot to thelovelyjessie (check out her tumblr-profile), for she gave me the idea to write an epilogue for „A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!. This is the result:
A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways! – An epilogue
Team Rocket was sitting around a crackling bonfire. The night had fallen on a stirring and confusing day. They had pitched a tent and were now waiting for Meowth roasting some marshmallows. The cat Pokémon passed thin branches to his companions. Jessie tried to open a can of pineapple slices but failed. James came to her aid.
„Thank you", she whispered.
James nodded silently and went back to his place. Even during dinner he didn't make a sound, he didn't engage in conversations nor did he joke around, like he used to do to cheer his friends up. There were no funny anecdotes, no pattering. Jessie noticed that something was wrong and she suspected the reason.
„James, can I talk to you for a sec?", Jessie asked, then she glanced over at Meowth.
„In private?", she added.
Meowth turned away. It got always excluded, it wasn't the first time they didn't want it to come along, but it knew that this was a serious matter and that both of his team mates had something on their mind.
„Go for it! I'll stand sentinel over our roost!", it replied.
James stood up and followed Jessie into the woods.
„Do you want to go for a walk?", she suggested. James sighed deeply, nodding in agreement.
They walked for a couple of minutes until they reached a cliff. Jessie sat down on the edge of the hill and James joined her. They stared into the moonlight and kept still.
„Did you like him?", he wanted to know.
Jessie looked at her friend.
„I was surprised by his attention and tenderness. He was very caring and tried to nurse me back to health. I was immediately impressed and started to imagine a future life with this man. My heart said it felt right and I saw Wobbuffet being overjoyed having found his equals. I was about to choose love over Team Rocket."
„Why did you turn back then? He could have offered you everything you dreamed of. A secured life, a roof over your head, no money worries...", James broached the subject again.
„There was another woman", Jessie interrupted her team mate.
„Was she the reason you left him?", James wondered.
„Part of. When I heard you telling the twerps that Meowth and the other Pokémon were in danger I considered briefly whether I should teach this hunter a lesson or leave you in the lurch. This girl was the deciding reason I packed up and began to search for you. After all, it was just a little sentimental enthusiasm and I recognized that I belong to this pathetic trio", she admitted, setting up a shy smile.
James reclined his head, gazing up into the sky at night. He observed the stars.
„This afternoon, I thought I had lost you forever", he confessed.
„It looked like it, yes", Jessie conceded.
„Even if we blast off on a daily basis, argue and exhaust each other, we're still a family, you, Meowth and me. We might not be heros or successful thieves, we're not wallowing in money or possess a house, but we belong together and nothing should tear us apart. I would have lost a big part of my life if you decided to stay with that doctor. Jessie, you mean a lot to me, we've been through thick and thin, we struggled to become agents, we protect and support each other either for contests or lieflong dreams, we bail each other out, sometimes we're fed up with the whole shebang but we can't whitstand being separated long-term. Remember when you expressed the wish to become a professional Pokémon-Coordinator? We split up but at the end of the day you turned back to Team Rocket, back to me", James was relieved to get this off his chest.
There was a moment of silence. Jessie was able to treat herself to these words. She, the irascible and feisty Jessie, the woman who liked to swipe, being aggressive and selfish at times, was the raison d'être of her boon companion.
„I cried", James mentioned casually.
„You did what?", Jessie was astounded by this statement.
„Yes, call me a whiner, but after learning about your conclusion and after thinking back to joint experiences I could no longer suppress my tears", he breathed a sigh of relief.
„You cried because of me?", Jessie was wide-eyed.
„No, because of Dr. White. Of course, because of you", James turned to his magenta-haired friend and grabbed her arms, like he did when she was devastated and in despair.
Jessie was moved to tears. „I didn't know how you feel about our friendship. I always thought that you see me as a simple co-worker, a partner in crime, no feelings involved. I thought you consider me as a terrible scratch brush, a wannabe beauty with airs and graces but there is more", she approached his friend.
„It's hard for me to express my feelings in public. When the twerps or anoyne else speak badly about you I'm too coward to defend you but I'm pent-up and boil with rage.
And no, I don't consider you an arrogant pain in the neck, you look glamorously in your outfits, you're a talented trainer and you deserve more than anyone else to win a competition. I will continue cheering you and assist your projects. I promise you that I will never let you down, I will always stand by your side for as long as I shall live.
I couldn't admit it publicly but from my side there is more than just an amicable relationship but perhaps we're not ready yet. Maybe one day you will be able to combine Team Rocket and love. I'm a patient fellow", he said.
James laid his right arm around her waist and Jessie placed her head on his shoulders.
They had finally put all the cards on the table. They would stay together to eternitiy and beyond. There was no need for a love story with an outsider, they had each other.
THE END – VERSION 1
„Hey Jess," James whispered.
„Yeah?", she replied.
„Wanna smooch?"
„James!"
THE END – VERSION 2