Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Pokemon is owned by Nintendo & Co. as well as Ash and his friends. This is just a silly nerd's idea of fun.

Author's Note: This is my first time writing Pokemon fanfiction, so please be kind! If anybody seems out of character, I apologize, and please do let me know if there's anything else I can fix or make better! PS: In this story, for the sake of argument and plot, Pokemon are killed when their pokeballs are destroyed, like they are in the manga stories, rather than like in the show.

Also: I'm sorry but there will be feels. Be prepared for trouble and make it double.

Title is from the episode "Uncrushing Defeat"(12x8 of Indigo League), inspired by James's referencing of The Platters' classic song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" when he says "Smoke gets in your eyes" to which Meowth replies, "We'll say our goodbyes!"


"Now laughing friends deride

Tears I cannot hide

So I smile and say
When a lovely flame dies

Smoke gets in your eyes"

"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"~The Platters (1958, from album: "Remember When?")


Ash Ketcham stood with the rest of his friends by his side. He was looking up at the sky, Pikachu balanced carefully on his shoulder. "Thank goodness that's over!" he exclaimed with a huge sigh of relief, as the Malamar at last seemed to have disappeared altogether from view. He was expecting the others to join in with a round of excited "Heck yeah!" and "For sure!", but instead, strangely, he got nothing….not a single response was heard. "Uhhh…." Ash, completely confused at the silence, turned around. "...Guys..? Are you-?"

Much to his astonishment, he was nearly yanked off balance by Serena, who had grabbed hold of his arm, shushing him immediately with urgency. "Serena!"Ash gulped in disbelief, "why are you-WHAT THE-"

He froze in his tracks, the sight in front of him leaving Ash speechless. It took a lot to leave Ash speechless. There, where the Observatory had once been, now lay only rubble. Collapsed in front of it was Meowth, his fur a mess, his tail limp. Lying next to him was Jessie and James. All eyes were closed, and they were awfully still.

"Oh my gosh!" Ash cried out, running towards the disaster site, the others following quickly behind him. nearly tripped over Meowth's unconscious body as he arrived, completely out of breath. "TEAM ROCKET! But...! Are…" Ash felt all color drain from his face as he stared down at the unmoving trio. "Are they…." He sank to the ground next to Meowth with defeat. Upon instinct, his fingers reached hesitantly out towards the cat pokemon, but his fingers dropped ultimately with uncertainty. "They can't be…." He couldn't continue; he simply sat for a moment and tried to collect his thoughts. It was like he was in shock; he simply didn't know what to think. At the same time, he also didn't know why he even cared. This was Team Rocket. Their enemies. He shouldn't care. Yet he couldn't pull himself away.

Their bodies were badly bruised and bloodied, as if they'd been through a war, and several blocks of crushed cement lay strewn about in their wake. It seemed the building, when it had exploded as the Malamar escaped, had fallen on the three. Their Pokemon were nowhere to be found, though Ash had an idea where they could be; he just didn't want to think about it. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. After all these years of trying to take his Pikachu, Team Rocket was….they had….they were….

"What in the world just happened!?" exclaimed Clemont as he ran up towards Ash, his voice tinged with horror, "They were following us only a few seconds ago, and they were fine!"

"Are they….breathing?" Serena's voice, strangely subdued, had appeared at once next to Clemont. "Do they….do any of them….have a pulse?" When she didn't get a response, she added softly, "….Ash?"

Ash was busy. He quickly lay his head against James's chest. Nothing. He felt for a pulse on the man's wrist. Nothing. He repeated the motion wordlessly with Jessie, the others looking on worriedly: nothing. With each passing moment, their team leader's expression grew sadder and sadder.

How is this happening….Is this all our fault somehow? Had Malamar somehow put them back under its spell….?

"Uhhhhnnnn…"

He was about to move towards Meowth when the cat pokemon suddenly stirred, his eyes opening wide at the sight of Ash crouching over him. "Ahhhh….Ouchies! Ohhhh…..My tail…" Meowth moaned, holding his head as if to keep it from falling off his shoulders as he pushed himself upright to a precarious sitting position. "I think it's broken! What the…." Meowth stared down at himself as he saw how scruffy his fur looked, and suddenly felt very dizzy. "What the heck happened!?" he exclaimed with equal amounts confusion and annoyance.

Then he saw Ash, and the cat's eyes immediately narrowed. "Huh? What the heck kid?" Something about Ash's stare gave him pause. He was even more suspicious when he saw the others staring at well, and they all looked…..ridiculously sad?

"OK, dish," Meowth demanded hotly, sitting hard up on his haunches (which he immediately regretted due to the pain) "What's wrong with yous!? Why in the heck are you all looking at me like that?"

Nobody responded. Even Ash couldn't answer him. He couldn't even look at the cat without-in spite of himself-wanting to cry. Meowth had no idea that all of his team members were…..He couldn't even think the word, much less say it. It seemed the others felt the same; their faces drawn and blank as they looked down at the ground in silence.

The longer the silence the more irritated Meowth got. "C'mon yous guys are seriously wigging me out!" he squeaked with frustration, jumping up on his feet in spite of his aching tail, glowering vengefully at the group as they continued to avoid him. "Seriously!" he growled out, "What's the deal!? Cat got your tongue!?" He froze with embarrassment as he realized the irony of his statement, then glowered even more fiercely in self-defense.

"C'mon guys! We're outta here!" When nobody answered him, Meowth whirled around to face his teammates with indignance…..only to halt in his tracks and fall completely silent. "….Guys….?" came a broken whimper, but no other words followed, and the wild Pokemon collapsed to the ground.

"Meowth!" Ash gasped, and the others ran to his aide as he bent towards the fallen Pokemon. Meowth was half-lying, half-sitting, propping himself to an almost sitting position with two shaking arms. His eyes were wide as saucers as he stared at the bodies of his partners in crime: Jessie and James, who lay completely still, motionless.

He was trembling uncontrollably, a look of absolute shock and horror on his face that Ash and the others had never seen. Ash feared he might faint, but the Pokemon simply stared at his team members, who were no longer. "No," came a barely audible moan, and before anybody could react, Meowth collapsed into a heap on the ground: his eyes wide and unseeing

"Somebody get him some water!" Clemont, as if suddenly coming to, and the only one who seemed to know what to do, commanded.

"Pika Pika!" Even Pikachu, having forgotten Meowth was their enemy, was concerned.

Ash quickly took out his water bottle and placed the quivering Pokemon's head on his lap, as Meowth seemed completely unaware of what was going on around him; the Pokemon continued to shiver and shake as if from sudden fever.

Careful not to send the animal into further shock, he tilted Meowth's head slowly back, and let the water slide freely into his mouth. Startled by the sudden cold of the liquid, Meowth began to choke and sputter, his eyes gradually returning to focus as it slowly began to dawn on him where he was….."YOU!"

"Whaaa!" Ash nearly fell over with surprise.

"GET THE HELL OFFA ME!" the Pokemon shrieked with venom as he bounced off of Ash's lap with an unexpected resurge of energy. "Jessie…." Meowth's voice broke as he turned towards his fallen team. "James…..?" He starting to walk towards them, then halted, as though realizing it was a fruitless endeavor. Ash and the other stood frozen with shock as Meowth's frame tensed visibly and his hands balled themselves into fists.

At first it seemed as though the cat was sobbing, but when he turned around, all Ash and the others could see in his eyes was…..

….vengeance….and rage.

"YOU-" Meowth glowered at the group as they all stared back at him speechlessly, completely unprepared for this turn of events. Meowth looked as though he was about to explode, as he all but shook with fury. "YOU DID THIS!" was all he could say as he glowered dangerously and accusatorily at Ash. "My-my partners-they're GONE and-AND-" His eyes shimmered for a moment before quickly glossing over as anger returned. Meowth faced his foes, who were now, in his eyes, murderers. "YOU'RE THE ONES THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN. YOU KILLED THEM-and now," Meowth declared, "I'M gonna kill YOU!"

"WHAT?!" Ash gasped, horrified by the notion, "No-I couldn't-We could never-!"

"LIKE I COULD BELIEVE THAT FOR A SECOND!" Meowth hollered, beside himself with rage. "This-this was your plan ALL ALONG! PREPARE TO FIGHT," the Pokemon crowded with sudden delight in his eyes, "TO MAKE IT RIGHT!"

"Oh no!" Clemont cried out, "He's-he's delirious!"

"But this is crazy!" Bonnie cried desperately, "We didn't hurt them!"

"Stop!" Serena shouted, "it was an accident!"

But Meowth wasn't listening. He was already in battle stance and preparing to fight. "PREPARE FOR TROUBLE AND DON'T FORGET DOUBLE!" Without thinking the words came out quicker than he'd expected, but it didn't matter he couldn't say it all; he was going to defend Team Rocket against their avengers. "To protect the world from devastation!" He continued on in spite of his aching head, and the fact that the world continued to spin all around him. He was met with complete silence which only fueled his determination. "To unite all people within our nation!" Meowth rattled off the Team Rocket motto with an ease that surprised him (those had never been his lines).

Ash felt sick as he listened to the cat continue, and he bowed his head with shame. "Meowth, please don't-"

"To denounce the evil of truth and love-"

"I'm-" Ash struggled to speak in spite of the ever growing lump in his throat. "I'm not gonna fight you!" he declared, but Meowth either didn't hear him or didn't care.

"To extend our reach to the stars above," crowed the cat nearly cackling in his excitement. "Je-" As quickly as his energy returned, it immediately depleted. It was the mention of Jessie's name that got stuck in his throat; Meowth wobbled in place, suddenly feeling dizzy all over again, and the rest of the words died in his throat. "Te….Team….Rocket….blast….off….off…..to…" Suddenly Meowth looked very confused. "...to…." He couldn't remember the words. Why couldn't he remember the words? "...at…." Yet still his mind remained blank. The fur on his back arched with frustration. "AH SCREW IT!" He unleashed his claws. "YOU'RE ALL DEAD MEAT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, now near hysterical as well as beyond livid. "TIME FOR MY FURY SWIPE!"

"Okay, Pikachu…." Ash lowered his head.

"Pika?" Pikachu questioned with growing concern.

Ash couldn't look up. He felt sick with regret at the thought but knew it was the only way. "Use Thunderbolt," he commanded, voice low and hoarse.

"Pika," Pikachu complied with determination, before automatically propelling himself into the air, and gathering speed and spark, until he was enveloped in an electric ball of light, which he sent out flying in all directions-and before Meowth could even attack, the Pokemon was rendered limp and motionless on the ground.

Ash immediately ran to the fallen animal who lay in a withered heap to inspect the damage. "Oh, Meowth…." Ash crouched down beside the temporarily unconscious creature, lowering his head as tears formed in his eyes. "I'm...so sorry…..I didn't want to…."

He was startled when a hand was placed on his shoulder, and turned to find Clemont at his side. "You had to Ash," Clemont sighed. "What else could you do?"

"What are we going to do with him?" Ash wondered aloud. "We can't just leave him here." It pained him just to see the mangled display of matted fur and blood. "We….we have to take him to the nearest Pokemon hospital. He's hurt and his team is….is….."

"It's gonna be okay." Serena placed a comforting hand on his other shoulder. "Let's get him to the nearest Pokemon center he wakes up."