The Three figures walked down the twisted road of the dark forest. They were dirty, tired, and in relatively bad moods.
"Why did you have to open the cage?" growled Jesse. James shrugged sheepishly.
"I thought you had the bag ready," he muttered.
"Will the both of yas be quiet?" moaned Meowth, "My head's still poundin' from that beatin' got." The feline gently rubbed his sore head.
"I know. I can hear it." grumbled James. Everyone froze in the road. Not only were they amazed at James' stupidity, but they too heard pounding. It was the sound of a large, running beast, accompanies by the rattling of wooden boards. The trio turned around to see a huge object careening toward them. It was a jet black horse, pulling what looked like a small shack on wheels. The beast whinnied as the driver cracked his whip. Team Rocket screamed in terror as they jumped into the ditch. They landed with a splat in the foot-deep mud. The trio peaked out as the cart soared by, and watched as it disappeared down the road.
"What was that?" croaked James as he stood up. Jesse's face was white with rage.
"Who does that creep think he is?" she sputtered as she crawled out of the ditch.
"I dunno, I don't read minds." Meowth snickered at his own lame joke. His eyes suddenly lit up as he saw something shiny upon the ground. The muddy creature scampered to the middle of the road.
"Look at dis!" he said excitedly. He held up the object for his companions to see. They stared at it with equal interest. It was a golden coin.
"Let me see!" squealed Jesse as she grabbed for it. Meowth hissed and pulled it away.
"I found it!" he cried defensively. Seconds later, the team was in a frenzied brawl for the tiny piece of metal. When they had finally exhausted themselves, Jesse now held the coin and was giving it a thorough investigation. It was unlike any coin she had ever seen. It had the same image on both sides; an ugly, grinning face with cat-like eyes and sharp teeth.
"We get to eat tonight!" James cried joyously as he and Meowth danced in celebration. Jesse, on the other hand, was thinking.
"Would you two shut up?" she barked. James and Meowth froze.
"This must have come from that lunatic's cart," she said, her eyes focused on the metallic currency.
"So what?" said James, "It's ours now" Jesse grabbed him by the collar.
"So what?" cried Jesse, "If he had one, he probably has more!"
"I get where you're goin'," Meowth said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. James' face dawned with sudden realization. The trio snickered. The snicker rose into a giggle. The giggle rose into wicked laughter.
"Do you smell anything yet?" James asked. Meowth nodded.
"Smoke, maybe some sort of stew," said the feline. His whiskers twitched as he inhaled the scent. His ears suddenly perked up.
"I hear music." His companions stood still to listen. They too heard the noise. It was a lone violin playing in the distance.
"Who do you suppose he is?" James pondered as they crept closer to the noise.
"I don't know. I don't really care as long as he has money," answered Jesse.
"Well suppose he's doesn't take kindly to being robbed." James said, his voice a little more nervous than before.
"No one does, dimwit!" hissed Jesse.
"What I mean to say is, what if he's dangerous?" Jesse paused for a moment. She had never really considered the possibility of the stranger being armed. He was obviously crazy, as demonstrated by his mode of travel.
" Well yeah, he's probably nuts. I mean, he rides around in that stupid cart. Who does that anymore?"
"Well what if he's from a long time ago?" James whispered. Jesse shot him a look. She then realized what he meant. A smirk appeared on her face.
"You think he's a ghost." she said, crossing her arms.
"I didn't say that!" shot back James. Jesse wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh, it's okay James, I'll protect you from any nasty old spooks!" she said mockingly. James pushed her off.
"Will both of ya knock it off," snapped Meowth, "He's right over there!" He pointed his paw at a small clearing ahead. They slowly crept up to the camp, hiding in some dense undergrowth. The trio prepared for a spring attack, analyzing the situation. The Horse and cart stood not too far away. It was an old gypsy wagon, made of gray, sun beaten wood. Had they bothered to look, they would have noticed that the horse's hooves were cloven. They were instead focused on the figure that sat near the fire, tending to the copper kettle that was bubbling. He was a tall and thin, looking much like a scarecrow. His clothing was old and faded. He was dressed in a blue tunic, long brown trousers, leather boots and gloves, and a long, billowing red cape. He wore a large, broad-brimmed hat upon his head. It completely enveloped his face in shadow. Only his large, yellow eyes could be seen. He sat smoking a long, clay pipe. Wispy tendrils of gray smoke drifted from the bowl, blowing away into the breeze. The sweet, sickly smell of burning plant matter drifted into Jesse's nostrils. Before she could stop it, a small sneeze erupted from her nose. The stranger's head instantly swiveled in their direction. The moment his eyes locked on to their own, they lost all motivation to attack. Jesse noted the pupils were vertical, like a cat's eyes. The being seemed to know who they were, why they were there, and what they were going to do. And he didn't seem the least bit intimidated.
"It's alright little ones," he said. His voice was soft and raspy like the wind, and he spoke in an accent that was unidentifiable.
"I can hear your bellies rumbling from here. Come, I will share with you." Slowly, the trio emerged from the bushes. A grin appeared on the dark void that was the stranger's face. His mouth and teeth were huge, and seemed just as yellow as his eyes were.
"What are your names?" he asked.
"J-Jesse," she squeaked. James and Meowth did likewise. The Stranger's grin grew broader.
"It seems to me that your clothes are dirty. Are you farmers?" Jesse and James looked at their clothes. After pawning off their new black uniforms to pay for their latest scheme, they had to resort to wearing their old white ones. Jesse had been especially unhappy about this, because her old one didn't quite fit at first. And now they were covered in mud, which made her really upset. An involuntary whimper escaped her lips. The stranger filled three wooden bowls up with stew.
"Come. Eat your fill. Give old Nicholas Dullahan some company for a while." He didn't need to speak twice. Without saying a word of thanks, the trio attacked the food like a wolf tearing into its prey. Dullahan sat back and watched, not seeming at all offended. He observed them, taking in every detail.
"Tell me, where am I? I have been riding for hours and have not yet seen a single sign."
"Isshu city" Meowth answered as he shoveled stew into his mouth. Dullahan slipped away from the team and opened up the windows of his cart, revealing a small counter top. The inside of the wagon was filled with various trinkets and charms that rattled around as he stepped inside.
"My senses tell me that you are down on your luck. Might I interest you in a charm or two?" Curious, the trio walked over to the wagon. They eyed up the shining jewels and charms like a hawk eyeing up a tender rabbit. Jesse saw a beautiful ruby on a silver chain. It was flawless and flickered in the firelight as if it were its own flame. She had to have it. Dullahan noticed her infatuation with the gem.
"I see you've taken a liking to Ramses' Ruby of prosperity," purred the gypsy, "I am willing to sell it to you for a mere five gold pieces." Jesse's face fell. She had only one gold piece, and he was sure to recognize it as his own.
"I wish I had the money…" she muttered under her breath. She suddenly felt a weight in her pocket. She reached in and fished out five golden coins. Team Rocket stared at it in amazement. It was more money than they had ever seen in their entire career. Dullahan laughed.
"This is just a sample of what I can give you." He took the money from the stunned Jesse's hand, and replaced it with the necklace. James and Meowth looked at their companion enviously.
"Don't be jealous. I'll grant all of you as many wishes as you like in return for your company." Dullahan took out a large piece of parchment and a tattered quill. Team Rocket stared blankly at him for a moment.
"Excuse me," said James, "Will you give us a minute?"
"Take your time." Team Rocket huddled together.
"Let's wish for Pikachu." said Meowth.
"Screw that," hissed Jesse, "We have a chance to wish for anything. We could rule the world if we wanted to!"
"We're not smart enough for that," Meowth interjected.
"That's true." agreed James.
"I have more than enough brains for the three of us." grumbled Jesse. After several minutes of arguing, the team turned back to Dullahan.
"We wish for complete control of Isshu city," Jesse began, "As its absolute rulers."
"We wish for a mansion in the hills, and to be in control of Team Rocket." said James.
"We want money, and lots of it!" purred Meowth.
"Fame and fortune to come our way!" Jesse said ecstatically.
"A car, a swimming pool, and our own personal juice bar!" cried James.
"Loads of servants to tend to our every whim!" Meowth exclaimed.
"Eternal youth and immortality so that we may rule forever!" Jesse cried. Dullahan's grin seemed to glow as he finished writing the document.
"Alright then, our hopeful dreamers. I just need you to sign here." He handed the paper to the team. They signed it without a second thought, eagerly awaiting their wishes to come true. Moments later, a silver car appeared in the road.
"Your ride awaits you," the gypsy said as he gestured towards the car. Team Rocket stared at the machine in awe, and promptly ran over to the magnificent vehicle without so much as a thank you. They found it unlocked with the keys in the ignition. James scrambled into the driver's seat before his two companions could. He slowly turned the key, feeling the engine roar to life. Team Rocket screamed in delight as the care zoomed down the road, leaving Dullahan behind. The gypsy's horse whinnied and shook its head back and forth Dullahan laughed.
"Patience, Crom. Let them enjoy it for now. The real fun will begin later."