Where it begins: Jessie's finally moving up in Team Rocket. But Giovanni has his mind on other things. How will James and Meowth handle being left behind? And will they all see what's really going on in time? Read on, in this first installment of my JAJRN, "I'll never Leave You Behind."
[Author's notes in brackets]
I'll Never Leave You Behind by Tap M.
Jessie and James, grunts of the infamous Team Rocket, were relaxing in a peaceful forest one day. They had just sat down to lunch. Jessie was enjoying a bowl of wonton soup. James was scarfing down a hoagie. Meowth, their loyal Pokemon companion, was drinking some spring water.
"What a great day," Jessie sighed. James nodded, his mouth full of cold cuts.
Voices could be heard from the road near the clearing where they were sitting. "Ash, I'm tired of walking," a female voice said. "We've been walking for two whole days, and we aren't any closer to Viridian City than we were before!"
"Oh, and you think you have all the answers," a familiar male voice shot back. "You couldn't navigate your way out of a paper bag."
"It's the brats," Jessie and James whispered in unison. It was their enemies, Ash Ketchum, Misty Waterflower and Brock Slate, three young Pokemon trainers who always managed to foil Team Rocket's diabolical plans. Ash had an exceptionally powerful Pikachu. Jessie and James wanted to hand it over to the boss, Giovanni. Then they wouldn't be failures anymore. "Come on, James," Jessie said, tossing her bowl aside. "We're gonna snag that Pikachu."
James remained on the grass. "But Jessie," he whined. "I'm not finished."
"We'll be finished if we don't get Pikachu," Jessie yelled.
"We've tried every trick we know to catch it," James pointed out. "How are we going to get it?"
"There's one we haven't tried," she said. "Brute force."
James looked puzzled. "Force?"
"Just watch." Jessie waited until Ash and his friends approached. She jumped out of the bushes and seized Ash's arms behind his head, making it unable for him to get free.
"Prepare for trouble," she said.
James' head popped up from behind a hedge. "And make it double."
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all people's within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light."
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right."
Chaos broke out. Misty and Brock ran at Jessie. "Let him go," Misty threatened.
"Or what, little girl," Jessie said. "Get any closer and I'll break his arms off."
"Owww," Ash cried.
"Pikapi," Pikachu said, scrambling away. [I don't speak Pikachu. You'll have to fill in what you think Pikachu is saying.]
James was armed with a garbage bag. He caught up with Pikachu and scooped it into the bag. "Gotcha."
Jessie's grip on Ash tightened. He screamed in pain. "I got it," James said, joining his partner.
Jessie laughed. "The boss is going to love this." Her hip started buzzing. She looked down. "Damn. James, could you see who's paging me," she asked, pointing her hip at James.
He carefully plucked her pager from her waistband. "It's the boss," he said, astonished.
"The boss?" Jessie's eyes widened. "What on earth could he want?"
James shrugged. "Why don't we call him and see?" He reached into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone. He dialed Giovanni's office number. He held the receiver to Jessie's ear.
"This is Giovanni," he said gruffly.
"Hello, boss," Jessie said tentatively. "You paged me?"
"Yes," he said. He sounded pleased. "Listen, I want you here in Viridian on the double. I'm looking forward to seeing you at HQ."
"But, we've just captured a Pikachu," James protested.
"I don't care about trivial garbage like that," Giovanni roared. "Just get here. That's an order!"
Click. The phone went dead.
[I know TR doesn't have pagers and cell phones and all, but it is the 21st century now, and everyone has them.]
"What do we do," James asked, trying to keep Pikachu from escaping.
"What do you mean, James," Jessie said. "We do what the boss told us to, dummy! Come on." She released Ash and made James deposit the garbage bag. She grabbed James' arm and dragged him to Viridian.
"Ash," Misty said, trying to help Ash up. "Are you okay?"
Ash stood up shakily. "Yea, but my right shoulder is killing me."
"Let's get you to a hospital," Brock said.
[Author's notes in brackets]
I'll Never Leave You Behind by Tap M.
Jessie and James, grunts of the infamous Team Rocket, were relaxing in a peaceful forest one day. They had just sat down to lunch. Jessie was enjoying a bowl of wonton soup. James was scarfing down a hoagie. Meowth, their loyal Pokemon companion, was drinking some spring water.
"What a great day," Jessie sighed. James nodded, his mouth full of cold cuts.
Voices could be heard from the road near the clearing where they were sitting. "Ash, I'm tired of walking," a female voice said. "We've been walking for two whole days, and we aren't any closer to Viridian City than we were before!"
"Oh, and you think you have all the answers," a familiar male voice shot back. "You couldn't navigate your way out of a paper bag."
"It's the brats," Jessie and James whispered in unison. It was their enemies, Ash Ketchum, Misty Waterflower and Brock Slate, three young Pokemon trainers who always managed to foil Team Rocket's diabolical plans. Ash had an exceptionally powerful Pikachu. Jessie and James wanted to hand it over to the boss, Giovanni. Then they wouldn't be failures anymore. "Come on, James," Jessie said, tossing her bowl aside. "We're gonna snag that Pikachu."
James remained on the grass. "But Jessie," he whined. "I'm not finished."
"We'll be finished if we don't get Pikachu," Jessie yelled.
"We've tried every trick we know to catch it," James pointed out. "How are we going to get it?"
"There's one we haven't tried," she said. "Brute force."
James looked puzzled. "Force?"
"Just watch." Jessie waited until Ash and his friends approached. She jumped out of the bushes and seized Ash's arms behind his head, making it unable for him to get free.
"Prepare for trouble," she said.
James' head popped up from behind a hedge. "And make it double."
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all people's within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light."
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right."
Chaos broke out. Misty and Brock ran at Jessie. "Let him go," Misty threatened.
"Or what, little girl," Jessie said. "Get any closer and I'll break his arms off."
"Owww," Ash cried.
"Pikapi," Pikachu said, scrambling away. [I don't speak Pikachu. You'll have to fill in what you think Pikachu is saying.]
James was armed with a garbage bag. He caught up with Pikachu and scooped it into the bag. "Gotcha."
Jessie's grip on Ash tightened. He screamed in pain. "I got it," James said, joining his partner.
Jessie laughed. "The boss is going to love this." Her hip started buzzing. She looked down. "Damn. James, could you see who's paging me," she asked, pointing her hip at James.
He carefully plucked her pager from her waistband. "It's the boss," he said, astonished.
"The boss?" Jessie's eyes widened. "What on earth could he want?"
James shrugged. "Why don't we call him and see?" He reached into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone. He dialed Giovanni's office number. He held the receiver to Jessie's ear.
"This is Giovanni," he said gruffly.
"Hello, boss," Jessie said tentatively. "You paged me?"
"Yes," he said. He sounded pleased. "Listen, I want you here in Viridian on the double. I'm looking forward to seeing you at HQ."
"But, we've just captured a Pikachu," James protested.
"I don't care about trivial garbage like that," Giovanni roared. "Just get here. That's an order!"
Click. The phone went dead.
[I know TR doesn't have pagers and cell phones and all, but it is the 21st century now, and everyone has them.]
"What do we do," James asked, trying to keep Pikachu from escaping.
"What do you mean, James," Jessie said. "We do what the boss told us to, dummy! Come on." She released Ash and made James deposit the garbage bag. She grabbed James' arm and dragged him to Viridian.
"Ash," Misty said, trying to help Ash up. "Are you okay?"
Ash stood up shakily. "Yea, but my right shoulder is killing me."
"Let's get you to a hospital," Brock said.