A/N: Hi readers! After Jessie said that she shouldn't stay friends with Holly after confessing to her dream, Holly didn't want to care. But she can't stop thinking about her friend, and while she travels around Kanto, and then Johto, she will try to find Jessie, and ask her to quit Team Rocket.

NOT femmeslash and a twist at the end!

I'm Holly. I'm 22 years old, and I started travelling around Kanto in the South Island 2 years ago. After travelling around the world, I decided to buy a caravan and live around here. My caravan is pretty luxurious. I have a TV, a DVD player, a Playstation, and all normal home comforts. I gave the decoration an underwater theme on the inside, (dark blue walls and green, blue and purple furniture) and on the outside, I painted it blue with sparkles, like the sea's surface. In my room, I have photos of all my best friends. My first photo is of Jade at 18, when we were in our last year at Kristian. It was on the last day, and she's holding up a signed summer Senior top. I took the photo. My second photo is of Isabella, when we were fifteen. She looks serious in this picture, but friendly at the same time. Then I have pictures of my roommates at university, Amber and Lisa. They're both grinning and they have nametags for some weird reason. My last photo is of Jessica. She and her work partner are smiling at the camera, and seem really happy. She sent me that picture when I was seventeen.

Jessica, who preferred the abbreviation of her name Jessie, was a girl I met in Year Ten. Jade, who was my best friend at that time, was on a three-month exchange trip. Jessie always blocked any conversations, and blanked me. A month after she came, I found a sketch of herself after it flew out of her bag, and that was the start of our friendship.

She left after Jade came back. When I first started travelling around Kanto, I heard Jessie was there too, so I thought I'd surprise her and meet up with her, but instead, I found out that she was in Team Rocket, and her job was to be dedicated to bringing down Tae Kwon Do novices and steal their new "fighter creatures". These fight for the novice if they cannot fight themselves.

After telling me, Jessie said we shouldn't be friends any more, and now I miss her, because she refuses to have any communication with me. Later, I talked to a group of kids who knew the Team Rocket Jessie, not the friendly Jessie. And now...I can't stop thinking about her. I wish my other friends in Auckland could help me.

But I'm on my own, so I've made a decision. If Jessie won't talk to me, I'll have to find her.

2 days later...

I've decided to pawn my caravan, as well as the TV, DVD player, and Playstation. I want to find the kids I met that Jessie's TR group had tracked. Well, actually, I ran into them yesterday. They were stopping to have lunch in a field, and I had parked my caravan there. They didn't look much different from last time I saw them, actually.

I went out of my caravan to say hi. "Hey!" I called.

They looked up and said "Hi."

"I remember you guys." I said. "Weren't you the ones that I asked about Jessie, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" the girl said. "Hey, what was your name? You didn't say."

"Oh, my name is Holly. What are your names?" I had heard their names before, but I had forgotten them.

"Ash."

"Misty."

"Brock."

1 week later...

I've been travelling with Ash, Brock and Misty for the last week now. We recently met a new friend called Snap, who has been travelling with us for the last few days. I've got to know them well by travelling with them for seven whole days. Ash, who's younger than the others, acts a bit dense at times, but he's pretty good-natured, and whole-hearted about his goal. Misty is really nice, and sensitive most of the time, but she's got a slightly unstable temperament, and when she's really mad, it's best to just get out of the way. She also has a lot of mini-arguments with Ash. Brock is older than the others, and works as the peacemaker when Ash's stubborness and Misty's temperament meet. He's really adult and easy-going. The only problem is that he's obsessed with getting a girlfriend, and he has no idea how to go about it. When he starts with a girl, Misty usually drags him off by the ear. That happens a lot, because it's nearly every girl, unless she's Misty's age or younger. But although apparently Team Rocket still annoys them, they haven't turned up since I joined the others, and I'm no closer to finding Jessie.

This is crazy. Today we heard of a Tae Kwon Do creature breeding centre. Misty decided to leave one of her creatures: a creature that fights best after swimming.

But then we went to an all-you-can-eat buffet, and it was free if you showed the owner his favourite Tae Kwon Do fighting creature. It was Misty's one, so we are now heading back to the breeding centre to get it back, and it's closed, so Misty insists we go around the back to find someone to help. The girl taking in the creatures was really nice, but I don't think she'd be so nice if she catches us sneaking around.

Even worse, we've just found out that the people running this are working for someone who wants the Tae Kwon Do creatures. They are not treating them well at all; they are cramming them into tiny cages and are going to send them to someone they call "The Boss". While Snap takes pictures for evidence and Misty tries to get her one out of the cage, I'm still eavesdropping. The girl is also working with a male partner. I can hear them talking on the screen/phone right now.

Wait, the girl just said something! "I don't know how you put up with that Jessie or her stupid partner James."

"They are completely unreliable." replied the voice of the "Boss". "Butch, Cassidy, you know I'm counting on you."

"Yes sir." said the two of them.

"We won't disappoint you." the girl added.

Is this girl part of Team Rocket? Is the Jessie she talked of my friend? I felt like going up to that girl and asking her those questions there and then, but I'm the oldest, so I can't. I have to keep control. That girl seems to have a calm temperament, and she's about my age. I don't want to seem like a little kid.

Then I heard someone breaking into the centre! My group hid.

"Be quiet as a mouse!" hissed a familiar voice. "This way."

"This is so...exciting!" whispered a vaguely familiar voice.

Misty and Ash rolled their eyes at each other, before Ash confronted the duo that had broken in. "Hey!" he snapped. The group freaked out and spun around. I kept in my hiding place, although the others came out. When they spun around, I recognized Jessie and her partner, James.

I was too shy to come out straight away, though. Then suddenly, the lights went on, and the two people running the breeding centre stood in the doorway.

"We're not afraid of creeps like you!" Ash cried, after the girl said that they would exterminate us.

"You don't know who you're dealing with." she answered now.

"But we'll be glad to show you." added her partner.

"Prepare for trouble and make it double!" they chorused.

"To infect the world with devastation!" the girl began.

"To blight all peoples in every nation." went on her partner.

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love."

"To extend our wrath to the stars above."

"Cassidy."

"Butch."

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night."

"Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight."

"That's right!" Cassidy proclaimed.

"Does this mean you belong to Team Rocket too?" James asked.

Cassidy didn't answer and turned to James' partner. "Jessie! It's been a while."

"Do you know that girl?" James asked.

"She used to hang around with me." Jessie muttered. "She was jealous because I'm so beautiful."

"You haven't changed a bit, unfortunately for you." Cassidy smirked.

"And you're still a selfish little brat!" Jessie retorted.

The conversation went on, Cassidy and Butch informing Jessie and James that they had broken into the breeding centre only to steal creatures for the Boss of Team Rocket. Cassidy was so malicious, I couldn't deal with it. "You others, try escaping." I whispered to the now friends I'd been travelling with.

As they began leaving, Cassidy didn't turn around as she called "Not so fast, children! Now that you know our little secret I'm afraid we can't let you leave!"

"We don't know anything about any secret!" Ash pleaded.

"We were just trying to get a free all-you-can-eat buffet!" Brock cried.

"You kids can't get away from me, I'm not a little pushover like Jessie." Cassidy said.

I stood up, revealing I was there for the first time, and glared across at Cassidy. "Jessie's right." I snapped. "You are a brat. You always try to create misery for others, don't you? Well, you're not going to this time."

"What makes you so sure?" Cassidy replied. "You aren't going to stop me."

"You may be good at your job, Cassidy, but you are going to fail this time. Because I happen to know how to get you into jail."

No one was running. Ash, Misty, Brock and Snap were staring as if I had turned into someone else. They thought I was quiet and easygoing until now. Jessie looked even more shocked to see me. James kept glancing at Jessie, and although he didn't look shocked, he seemed surprised that I was even there, and sticking up for Jessie.

"Well, see you then, bye-bye. See you in prison." I joked, still glaring at Cassidy. I directed a few glares at Butch, and then, everyone ran for it. Jessie and James went one way, and my group went the other way.

Misty ran the fastest. Ash followed, then me, Brock and Snap. Then suddenly, a cage slammed down from the ceiling behind Misty. It now had precisely four occupants, including me.

"We're trapped!" cried Ash.

"What do we do?" Misty asked.

"Misty, you better hide." Ash said.

"OK." Misty disappeared.

Cassidy and Butch walked toward us.

"Our rat trap worked." Cassidy said smugly.

"You crooks better let us out of here!" snapped Ash.

Butch noticed Snap's camera. "Hey, what's that?"

"It's mine!" cried Snap.

Butch took it anyway.

"You two are so juvenile, actually. We didn't do anything, and you attack us." I said. "I feel sorry for both of you."

"You should feel sorry for yourself." Cassidy retorted. "After all, you're the one that's being sent to jail."

Cassidy really did call the police and we got sent to jail for stealing that we didn't do. She also turned in Jessie and James, and we were all put in a fairly big cell. The minute we were left alone, Jessie turned to me.

"So why are you travelling with these kids? You're not training for Tae Kwon Do, I know it."

"No, that's true." I admitted. "You never answer my phone calls, Jessie." I said, trying to change the subject.

"I told you we shouldn't stay friends. So what do you do? Start looking for me. Holly, you are so clingy." Jessie snapped.

"Am not!" I answered. "You can't just turn off a friendship, in my opinion. Okay, so maybe I was looking for you. But now I'm here, maybe we can stay friends?"

"Whatever."

"Aren't you going to introduce me to him?" I gestured to James.

"Oh, okay. Holly, this is James. James, meet Holly, my friend in Year Ten."

"Hey." said James.

"Hi." I said. Jessie had already seen James on TV before they were partners in work. She had described him to me as cute, with intense emerald eyes, and a cool hairstyle. And that's exactly what he looked like. I learnt that he was a bit weird during our time in jail, but still really nice.

Misty visited us, and even promised to go to the "breeding centre" to get Snap's camera and the photos as evidence. I don't know how she managed to get past the duo without them realizing, but she did, and we got out of jail.

Once Cassidy and Butch were in the prison truck, I went to say goodbye to them. "Hey guys. I just wanna say thanks for not noticing what Misty did to save us. Cass, I don't really wanna be so mean to you, but you just drove me over the edge with your remarks about Jessie. If you would prefer to be friends too, here's my number. Call me. Butch, sorry about my comments and glares at you too. Taking Snap's camera didn't improve my thoughts towards you. Okay, see you, guys. Oh, and by the way, I'm Holly."

"Bye, Holly Thorns." Cassidy snarled as she and Butch were driven away.

I was in a dillema. Jessie and James were the enemies of Ash, Misty and Brock. Snap was going his own way, so I didn't have to worry about him, at least. I liked all of them. I liked Ash for his compassion and admired his stubborn ways. I liked Misty for her sensitivity and friendly smile and admired her stealth. I liked Brock because he was friendly and easy to live with and I admired his cooking skills he used for the rest of the group. Then I liked Jessie for her "this is me" nature and admired her boldness. I liked James for his kind shy nature and admired his way of adapting to anything.

So how was I ever going to choose between them?

I started by talking to Ash, Misty and Brock. "You know that I've been friends with Jessie for a long time, right guys?" I said. "But you are my friends too. I don't want to stop travelling with you. But I don't want to fight Jessie and James, and I'll have to if I stay with you. And if I travel with them, I'll have to fight you, and I don't want to do that either."

"I've got an obvious idea!" Misty spoke up. "You could try persuading Jessie and James to quit Team Rocket. Then we can all be friends, and you don't have to go against them."

"Well, I'll try." I promised. What was I thinking? Talk to Jessie? Get her to quit Team Rocket? Yeah, right!

But surprisingly enough, Jessie actually took the idea seriously.

"So, what do you think?" I asked. "If you quit, I would be able to stay friends with the others and still be friends with you."

"Well..." Jessie kept thinking. "The Boss actually doesn't let most Rockets quit straight away. But I'm bored of annoying the twerps. I think they would be pretty nice if we didn't keep trying to capture their Pikachu. What do you think, James?"

"Whatever you say, Jessie. I'm with that idea, anyway."

OK, so we'll start with going on a vacation. Then later, I'll try to quit, maybe. Keep in mind that this is for you, Holly."

"Okay, I know."

And we all spent two days travelling together, but there was one problem. The original status each of the two groups had caused friction. Ash found it hard to adjust to the fact that two of his worst enemies was supposed to be a friend now. Misty and Brock tried to deal with it, but they too found it hard. James kept his head down and was completely antisocial. And Jessie? She seemed to be trying to find fault with the "twerps" as she used to call them.

The atmostphere was pretty tense. Even I was finding it hard to exist. On the second day, I couldn't stand it any more. "Listen!" I said to everyone. "This isn't working, I can tell. You're all finding it hard, is that right?"

No one said anything. The silence was broken only when Jessie's cellphone rang.

She answered the call. "Hello? Oh? Yes sir. We will, I promise. Really? A year? Of course. Goodbye." She looked around at everyone. "That was the Boss. He's given us a new job. We have to open a Team Rocket branch in the Johto regions, but he doesn't want to hear about it for a year. If we haven't caught any new creatures by then, we'll be fired."

"So Jess, what does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that I steal or catch Tae Kwon Do creatures and give them to the Boss, or don't steal or catch any creatures and get fired. Well, James too."

"So that means if you decide to quit, you could do that in a year, and take a year-long break before?" I suggested. "You said you would try. Though this isn't working. Oh, I'm getting out of here for a few minutes. I'll be back in an hour." I walked away, feeling like I couldn't deal with this for now.

I went into a field, out of view of everyone else. It was only a few minutes later I heard someone else yelling, and Misty appeared.

"Hey." I said.

"Oh, hi." she replied.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The pressure is getting to me as well. I can see that the others are finding it hard, too. Have you noticed how protective Ash is of his Tae Kwon Do creatures? I'm not sure if I really want to give Jessie and James a chance."

"They are actually really nice if you give them a chance. It may be hard to get to Jessie's good points, but they are there, underlying her defensive angry outer shell. And it's easy enough to tell that if you weren't used to seeing James as the villain, he would be really likeable. Seriously, he might be a bit weird, but really nice."

"It's kind of hard for me. The first time those two ever noted me..."

Flashback from Misty:

"I'll take care of these clowns." I said, ready for battle with my swimmer fighters.

"That's pretty big talk coming from such a little lady." Jessie said coolly.

"At least you're right about the pretty part. Thanks for the compliment." I smiled, unfazed.

"The girl thinks she's pretty." observed James, smirking.

"I agree with her." Jessie said. "I think she's pretty too. Pretty pathetic."

I growled. "I'll show you!"

End Flashback

"And then Ash told me about the time they used him..." Misty went on.

Ash's Flashback:

"Are you two hanging out again?" I asked, seeing Team Rocket tied up and hanging from a tree.

"Please, can you help us get out of this tree?" James asked. Jessie attacked him for asking me, then she suddenly stopped, paused, and looked at me.

"Hey kid, bet they wouldn't let you in that gym today." she gloated.

They didn't because of the fact I had said something to offend the city, but I didn't want Team Rocket to know that. "That's none of your business!" I snapped.

"Even though you're a pest, I'll make a deal." Jessie continued. "Untie us and we'll show you how to get in that gym."

"Why should I trust you?" I wanted to know.

"Face the facts, boy." Jessie replied smoothly. "You can't get into the Tae Kwon Do Major League without winning more badges."

It was a hard decision, but I let them talk me into cross-dressing to get into the gym. Once I was revealed to be who I really was, I challenged the gym master, but just before I was about to lose, Team Rocket appeared again. It turned out they just used me as a distraction so they could do some stealing. As I watched the gym burn after TR blasted off, I stared at the ground. "I should never have listened to Team Rocket." I thought.

End Flashback

"...so it's harder than you might think." Misty finished.

"I do understand, a bit." I said. "But I've never seen Jessie like that. Or James."

"You know, Team Rocket's on an long-running TV show called We're Not Insensitive, But We Like Being Wrong! I actually have a DVD of one when it had our Team Rocket on it."

"WOW!" I shrieked. "I love love love that show! Can I see it? I have a laptop that it will play on."

"Okay." Misty slotted the DVD into my laptop, and it played.

Before my eyes, on a blimp, a cage slammed down, trapping Ash and Misty in a small space. Jessie and James smirked at them, throwing off very convincing disguises.

Ash, standing at the front of the cage, sighed "I give up."

Misty, in a seat in the middle of the cage looked angry and snapped "Why can't you clowns just leave us alone?"

"We'll leave you alone when-" Jessie began, and then said "Hey, where's the other twerp who hangs around with you two?"

I watched as Team Rocket was foiled, after taunting Ash and Misty, saying that they were in love. I had noticed that Misty sometimes blushed slightly after Ash complimented her. If she did have a crush on Ash, she mainly played it cool. If Ash had a crush on her, he never showed it. Of course, I didn't say this to Misty.

The host of the TV show appeared on the screen and said "Sometimes, teasing can stall your attack! Those two kids were mortified, but it didn't help this team to win!"

My cellphone beeped, signaling I had a text message. It said Thorn, I'm out. Watch it. Revenge is under way.

I knew who had sent this. I should never have given her my number. I didn't stop to think she would actually use it.

"Holly?" Misty noticed my expression.

"It's Cassidy." I said. "The girl at the fake breeding centre. She texted me."

"How could she text you? She doesn't have your number, does she?"

"Well...she does." I admitted. "I gave it to her, but I didn't think she would actually use it."

"How could you have done something so stupid? This Cassidy is serious. How do you even know it's her?"

"Because if you look at my text, it says "thorn" and before she and Butch went to jail she called me Holly Thorns."

The others came into the field. It seemed that they had last worked out what to do. We would all keep travelling together. Ash was planning to go to the Johto Regions and compete in the Tae Kwon Do League there. Jessie and James had decided not to steal any Tae Kwon Do creatures, but on finding any in the wild, to catch them, the same way Ash, Brock and Misty have got new Tae Kwon Do creatures. They hadn't decided on whether they would give the creatures they had caught to their boss yet. They were still officially part of Team Rocket, but who knew what would happen?

So that's what we did. I didn't show anyone else the text, hoping the threat was just to scare me.

But was it?

A few days later, one of Ash's Tae Kwon Do creatures had static electricity sparking from it. That meant there was a problem. And then we met this girl, about Misty's age, and before the creature got well, it absolutely destroyed her scooter with its electricity. This girl was also planning to compete in Tae Kwon Do contests, like Ash, so she decided to join us in Johto with her first creature, one that fights best after hanging around a fire. The girl was named May, and she has brown hair in cute little bunches with a red bandanna. She's more soft-spoken than Misty, and she has a more balanced temperament.

But a few days after meeting May, my biggest worry came to life. Something strange was happening, and Ash and Misty sent out their creatures to check it out, but they turned against us, and then, an explosion happened, and they were gone.

"What happened?" cried Ash.

"You expect us to know, kid?" snapped Jessie. I could sense she'd been getting annoyed for the last few days, because just about everyone wanted to talk to May, and she hated not being the centre of attention, unlike when she was at Kristian. I guess she grew a little bit more vain. But she ended up sending out one of the creatures she owned, too. It immediately bounded away, so we all ran after it. It ran down a tube. Jessie dived into the tube after it. James followed her.

"I'm going in, too." I said to the others.

"Well, we're coming too, then." Ash replied.

"No." I said quickly. "This seems dangerous. If we get in trouble, and you are with us, what will happen to all of us?"

Ash sighed, but his stubborness didn't get the better of him this time.

Before leaving, I told the four "If this goes wrong, I'll just say, keep going on with the journey. But it won't. Bye, Ash, Misty, May, Brock. See ya soon."

I carefully slid down the tube to find Jessie and James staring up at two figures.

"Cassidy!" squeaked Jessie.

James looked at the other figure. "And Barch."

"The name is Butch!" Butch corrected with anger.

I stood up. "You two. What a surprise-not."

Cassidy smirked. "Holly Thorn. What a coincedence. Are you slumming it with these two?"

"Shut up, Cass. If I wanted to slum it, I'd go to you first. And don't ever text me again, got it?" I snarled.

"Ooh, how sad." mocked Cassidy. "I thought you wanted to be friends. You really are a Holly bush's thorn with all that yelling."

"You've forgotten that I was the one that got you in jail last time."

"Oh, I thought it was that bratty little girl with the ponytail cut from a carrot." That was Butch.

Jessie was next to speak. "Step aside, Holly. Those two are mine. I thought you two were still in jail, anyway!"

"The Boss came down to the prison himself and bailed us out." Butch told them.

"He came...in person?" whispered James.

"The Boss never did anything like that for us." said Jessie, just as shocked.

"We're on the same team but in different leagues." Cassidy replied, seemingly subtly showing off about being in the top league.

Jessie's Tae Kwon Do creature seemed to like those two now. After we realized it, the most evil Team Rocket pair I'd ever come across revealed the other creatures that they had, including Ash and Misty's ones. Jessie and James immediately got out the other four creatures they had, but they too turned on us. Cassidy ordered them to attack us, and all three of us screamed as they closed in....

Four hours later...

I must have fallen unconsious, either to the creature's attack or to my fear. I opened my eyes, and slowly May and Ash came into focus above me. Jessie and James were on stretchers a few metres away from me. I realized I was on one too. Misty stood by James' stretcher and Brock by Jessie's. I sat up slowly. "What happened?"

"You three were found unconsious lying in the street." Ash told me.

The others were gradually coming to. I thought through what had happened before my world had gone black. "Tae Kwon Do fighter creatures...stolen by Cassidy and Butch...turned on us...and here I am." I mused out loud.

"Cassidy and Butch?" repeated May, as she had never met them.

"They're two vicious members of Team Rocket that want revenge on me because we got them in jail a few months back." I explained.

Misty glanced up from bandaging James' hand. "I told you you shouldn't have given Cassidy your phone number! But I guess it gave you some warning."

"Wait..." Brock said. "Holly, Misty, you knew something like this was going to happen?"

"No!" I replied quickly. "Cassidy just threatened me by text, and I hoped it would just be a threat to scare me. But it wasn't. You know that's why your fighters disappeared? Cassidy and Butch do something to make them turn against their trainers, and I think they're going to give them to Team Rocket's boss."

James gave a cry of pain from the bandaging. "Don't be so rough, will you?" he told Misty. She gave him a look, and he muttered "Never mind, I'll be quiet."

Misty went to angry to sunny, and said "Okay, you're all set."

We'll have to stop them!" Ash said.

Jessie looked thoughtful. "And I think I know how..."

It's hard to explain how we defeated C&B for the second time. To tell truth, it's all a blur to me how we did it. As they were driven away in a prison van, they chorused "Looks like we're carted off again."

I grinned around at my friends. Everyone seemed happy again.

After that last attack, everyone wanted some peace, so we had a picnic and just talked. Since I had had that talk with Misty, I felt like our friendship had grown deeper. So I decided to let the rest of the group in on what we had talked about.

After talking about the time Ash was tricked into creating a distraction for Team Rocket, Jessie didn't seem to care that it showed her as evil. "It was a good plan, seriously." she said, smiling. "If it hadn't only been extract of Gloom's scent, we would've gotten rich over it."

Ash shuddered. "To just think I dressed up like a little girl...it's scary."

"It was actually really funny." Misty grinned. "Erika was telling that story about Gloom, and I said 'I wish Ash could've heard that story' and you said 'I heard it' and then I looked at you and you said in your girl voice 'Please don't stare at me like that, I'm a very shy little girl', remember?"

Ash gave another shudder. May looked at him. "You know, I think I can see you dressed as a little girl with blonde hair and a dress that clashes." she said with a thoughtful smile.

"Exactly!" Jessie said. "Me and James chose that wig and that dress for maximum humiliation." James laughed. Ash at last started to smile.

"What about that scene on TV?" I asked.

"Yeah." said Misty. "You haven't actually seen it, you guys, have you?"

I again slotted it into my laptop, and it happened over again, but after that clip was shown, another clip of Jessie and James was shown.

Ash, Misty and Brock wore Team Rocket outfits with a girl about Misty's age. They had their backs to Team Rocket, but then Ash turned around. "Prepare for trouble!" he said.

"And make it double double." Brock added as he turned around.

The camera showed James. "Quit imitating us." he growled.

Misty turned around on screen. "To protect the world from devastation." she said.

The other girl turned around. "To ignite all peoples within our nation." she said.

"This is insulting." Jessie fumed on screen.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love." Ash went on.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" Misty winked on screen.

"Ash."

"Misty!"

"And Brock."

When it got to the other girl, she grinned "Duplica! That's right!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" Brock announced.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight all of us!" Duplica cried.

After that, as Jessie and James became even more furious, Misty on screen said "That was great to do the whole thing!"

"Now I know why they like saying all that dumb stuff so much." Ash agreed. "It's fun."

"Hey, I know, maybe we should all become actors!" laughed Duplica. The others laughed with her.

On screen, Jessie at last spoke. "Team Rocket is not something to be made fun of, but if you're going to imitate us, at least do it right!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation, not ignite!" snapped James.

As we watched the scene, everyone started to smile. It was just so humourous, the kids dressed in TR uniform. Ash and Brock wore long-sleeved white tops with a red R on it, and matching trousers with black boots and black gloves. Misty and Duplica wore white crop tops with a red R and white mini-skirts, with long glamourous black boots and elbow-long black gloves. Misty looked especially pretty in the uniform. She usually wears a boring singlet and short shorts that hide any beauty she has.

At last, Jessie began giggling. I got the giggles too. Then so did May. In the space of one minute, everyone was laughing at it.

"I remember how furious I was then!" said Jessie. "I suppose I should be glad, you know 'copying is the highest form of flattery' and all."

"So you used to actually say that motto?" I asked.

"Yes, of course I did. I am part of Team Rocket, you know. I can still say it that way, and better than you three!" she directed this comment at Ash, Brock, and Misty. "James, you with me?"

"What about a motto-off?" I suggested. "You and James, Ash, Brock and Misty, me and May-if you're okay with that."

Everyone wanted to try that. So Jessie and James would recite the motto first, than Ash, Brock and Misty would say it, inserting their names. After that, May and I would say it with our names.

Everyone was sure they could remember it, and May and I would go last, as we had heard the motto the least times.

Jessie and James were brilliant, of course, because they'd said the motto so many times, and even posed so well, I could practically see a red R spinning in the background. Ash, Brock and Misty did well too. Their motto went this way:

Ash: Prepare for trouble!
Misty: Make that triple!

Brock: To protect the world from devastation!
Ash and Misty: To unite all peoples within our nation!

Ash: To denounce the evils of truth and love!

Misty: To extend our reach to the stars above!

Ash: Ash!

Misty: Misty!
Brock: Brock. Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!

Misty: Surrender now or prepare to fight!

Ash: That's right!

They knew the motto perfectly, and announced the lines with the right emphasis, but they were mainly copying Jessie and James, so it wasn't quite as good, I thought, but then, May and I were copying too. I recited every first line, and May every second line. I think we pretty much got the lines right, and although May was a bit quiet on the lines, I think we got the right expression.

After the motto-off finished, everyone was in a good mood. The joking around had really done wonders to all of us. Before this, I had been tense, worrying that Cassidy would text me again. I know I said everyone was happy, but we weren't really. Jessie had been mad that her rival had nearly beaten her, and James had been kind of anxious, because when Jessie is mad, she sometimes takes it out on him. Ash had gotten the worst of the attacks, and seemed a bit dazed. Misty had been worrying that the attacks would leave some lasting damage. May had been left shell-shocked by the incident. Brock was the only one who seemed happy enough.

1 year later...

It's happened. Jessie and James have left Team Rocket by mutual agreement. I decided to stop travelling with the group last month, but I'm staying friends with all of them. And I decided to take a photo of all of them. Well, I already had my photo of Jessie and James, so I just took one each of Ash, Misty, Brock and May. I got my caravan back, and-this is really good- Jessie said she had missed me when she refused to have any connection with me, so she's going to get her own caravan, and hang out with me. We're gonna drive around together. And James didn't want to lose his best friend, so he came with her, and now we always go over to each other's caravans, and talk, and have fun, and I even asked Jessie if it was okay if she met my other friends, because I invited them all down for my twenty-fourth birthday, and she said okay. And when she and James came over to my caravan to meet the others, she was a little bit distant, but by the time nearly everyone had left, she was chatting away to Isabella. I would never have thought that would happen in a million years. Isabella's kind of quiet before you get to know her, and I only got to be friends with her because I was away one day on her first week at Kristian, and my only friend as school was Jade, so she hung out with Isabella, and it was natural for all of us to be friends.

I didn't just invite the girls my age. I invited Ash's group too. Ash himself had a very important gym battle he couldn't miss, but the others came. Brock, being the girl-crazy guy he is, immediately fell in love with Amber, who got the giggles immediately, but kept talking to him. Actually, I think they might have left together.

I never thought meeting Jessie would be so significant. Now I have at least eight friends.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Jessie and James seem like the perfect couple, but they have been friends for too long to go to that step. But after six months of travelling together, James and I, well, we got together. Ash and Misty teased us a bit, but we didn't care. We don't have a major commitment or anything., though Our relationship is just romantic-but not physical love. We are thinking about getting married now, but probably not before I'm twenty-five. Who knows?

The End