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.
Finding Cosmog – running out the clock
Chapter 1: Loading
It was a sunny and sticky hot day in Alola. Jessie wore her new coralline swimsuit, was sitting on a deckchair and sipped her freshly made mango-maracuya cocktail. She observed her team mates fiddling about with their Mecha. James was covered in lubricating oil and Meowth issued instructions, reading the manual with great care. The robot reminded them of a giant Spinarak. His arms and legs were grippers and equipped with magnets and suction cups. Meowth was convinced of his acquisition. It appeared to be solide and resilient and would help them to facilitate their hunt.
„James, be a dear and move the parasol, the sun is blinding me, you know I sunbrun very easily", Jessie commanded in a sweet and innocent voice. She liked to dash around her best friend. He wouldn't turn down her request, because James was always trying hard to please Jessie and be an attentive traveling companion. His behaviour had changed over the last couple of weeks. In the past, he would have passed a rather mocking comment about her appearance and told her that the sunburn would probably match her magenta-colored hair, but now he anticipated her every wish without batting an eye. Jessie wondered what had been the crucial factor for his sudden change of heart, but she didn't dare to bring up this topic and enjoyed his daily efforts.
James had developed feelings for Jessie. He knew that relationships between Team Rocket members were highly frowned upon and forbidden, but it did nothing to alter the fact that he had fallen in love with his best friend and team mate. It all started two weeks ago at an extravaganza at the Headquarter. Their boss Giovanni had organised an exceptional party to thank his employees for their combative spirit and their masterly-achievement in terms of providing him with rare and valuable Pokémon. Even though the trio was known for messing missions up and coming back empty-handed, they had still been invited to celebrate the advancement of this evil and whimsical organisation.
-Flashback-
James was standing in the corner of the large hall, taking a sip from his coke from time to time. He watched his associates celebrating their accomplishments. The mood was wanton, many people enjoyed the sumptuous buffet, the wine and champagne, they were dancing and singing, everybody was going wild. He had to admit that parties weren't exactly his thing, too many soirées organised by his parents had put James off. He took another sip of his coke, when suddenly Jessie ran up to him, tugging at his sleeve.
„James, come on, dance with me", he noticed that his team mate was a bit drunk. She was babbling and hardly able to stand on her feet. James smiled at her but stopped her with a wave of his hand.
„Not today, Jess. Go and have fun", he pushed her gently towards the cheerful and tripped-out crowd, but Jessie kept a straight face and insisted on hitting the floor with her best friend.
„You always dance with me if we're on a mission, just swallow your pride and do me the honour", she stroked his arms up and down, goggling at him with her sapphire-blue eyes.
„How many drinks did you have?", he asked her facetiously. Jessie considered briefly the amount of beverages she had consumed until now.
„I think they can't be counted on the fingers of my hand", she had the hiccups.
„Let's go, just one dance", she begged him, showing him the number one with her finger.
James couldn't refuse her request. Jessie dragged him onto the dancefloor and wrapped her arms around his neck.
„Let's be fleet-footed dancers tonight, and ruthless thieves by tomorrow", she whispered into his ear, before placing a tender kiss on his cheek. That's when everything changed. James felt at home, he felt this strong and irresistible connection with Jessie. She had always been there for him, no matter how dangerous and desperate the situation had been. She seemed to like him, even though she wanted to launch him into outer space at times. He put his arms around her waist and they engaged in a tentative dance amid their staff members. Jessie clinged to him, pulling James towards her. To be honest, it wasn't a real dance, it was more the futile attempt of James keeping the young woman on her legs. Jessie was almost falling asleep in his arms, that's why James decided it would be best for her to take a rest and go to bed. She leaned on him and they walked together to Jessie's dorm.
„I'm so tired, can't you carry me?", she slurred.
„Only a few steps to go, Jess", he replied. They entered the dorm and he laid her carefully into her bed. James pulled the blankets over her body, she was still dressed in her party outfit, but he didn't dare to take off her shoes, because he didn't want to risk a kick.
„You're my best friend, James, I love you, I really do", she murmured dozily. He smiled at her and waited until she was overcome by tiredness, brought to a restful sleep by the sandman.
The next day, Jessie had vehemently denied that she had acted like a sottish little girl and James had decided that he wouldn't broach the subject again.
Flashback ends-
„James, are you still with us?", Jessie's voice brought him back to reality.
„The Mecha is ready, let's try it out on the twerps", Meowth had a triumphant smile on his face. He jumped into the opaque cabin and sat down on the vehicle's dashboard. Jessie and James took a seat next to their team mate.
„Are you sure you can handle this alone?", James wondered, his look wandering to the innumerable buttons and levers in front of Meowth.
„Trust me, I'm an expert", the cat-Pokémon replied. He launched the robot and they set out to seek the twerps out.
Ash and his new friends were splashing in the water. One of the boys brought a squirt gun and was aiming at his comrades with exceeding joy. The girls cried out and tried to hide behind Ash. The young boy fought off the jet of water. They laughed and enjoyed their school break. Their teacher was observing them from a save distance, he was lying in the shade provided by the parasol and delved into a book.
Suddenly, a giant robot appeared at the shore. It was outstanding and frightening. The kids stared at the machine with their eyes wide open. They couldn't make sense of it. Ash squinted, trying to spot the three figures behind the tinted glass.
„Team Rocket!", he yelled, running out of the water to take care of Pikachu before they did.
He could hear Jessie laughing hysterically. The Spinarak moved closer and a gripper arm dashed forward. It clasped Pikachu's waist and pulled it towards the body of the robot. A hatch opened and Meowth programmed the gripper that it would throw that yellow mouse into a hole in the lower part of their Mecha.
„Pikachu, no!", Ash cried. He ran up to the machine and tried to open the hole with his bare hands. Team Rocket gloated. „The twerp is an indefatigable fighter", James remarked. Ash attempted to pull apart the apparatus, his knuckle-bones turning white.
„Can't you just grab him with one of those gripper arms and throw him away?" Jessie got impatient. Meowth worked up a sweat.
„Ehm, I fear there's a malfunction. It seems that I can't control the machine anymore", his voice trembled. Ash managed it to open up the hatch and rescue his friend.
The robot began to smoke and shake vividly. Parts of the dashboard exploaded. James clinged to Jessie, they ended up in a tight embrace.
„You know what that means", James was losing his voice. Jessie nodded approvingly, hiding her face in his shirt. There was a loud bang and the whole machine flew in a high arc through the air.
„Team Rocket is blasting off again", was the last thing the kids would hear.
Giovanni buried his face in his hands, he let out a long sigh of dispair. He was sitting in his swivel chair, staring at the reports of his employees. The numbers of caught Pokémon by Jessie, James and Meowth spoke volumes. Everything he saw was an immense gaping emptiness. They couldn't contribute a single hunting success. It wasn't the first time that Giovanni thought of a possible dismissal. The trio wasn't useful for anything. His organisation had suffered innumerable losses because of their unwieldiness and failures. Joe, his personal assitant, waited for a command to be executed.
„Sir? Do you want me to fire the agents Jessie, James and Meowth?", he asked full of expectation. Joe had to admit that he wasn't best friends with the luckless trio. He had often been at loggerheads with Jessie, because of discrepancies and casual tantrums of the cocky magenta-haired woman. He thought of James as a preposterous wimp and Meowth reminded him of his tattling aunt. All in all he didn't care much about their future career path and would have been more than happy to throw them out of the Team Rocket Headquarter.
Giovanni thumped the table with his fist. He threw the files on his desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The chief of this aspiring evil organisation considered whether it was required to adopt much tougher measures.
„Do we have any running projects?", he wanted to know. Joe nodded his head approvingly.
„We do, Sir, but I doubt that the trio is ready to face those challenges", his employee replied.
„What are we talking about? Missions abroad?", his boss pressed Joe.
„Not exactly. We've been working on a new training programme. It's a virtual hunt for a legendary Pokémon spotted in Alola. We developed this software to prepare our agents for an emergency. The sense of the game is to confront our employees with dangers and hurdles they could encounter in real life", Joe explained.
„A game?", Giovanni broached the subject again. „Go on and elaborate your idea", the project had awakened his interest.
„Well, Sir, the game consists of ten levels. Each one is assigned to a certain amount of risks and obstacles. We talk about poisonous and pungent Pokémon that chase after our agents, but we also included perilous elements the subjects need to face and survive. It's still in an infancy stage, but I think we're ready for a test implementation", Joe laughed up his sleeve.
„Do you think it could end deadly?", Giovanni wondered.
„Some of the levels aren't completely worked out, but I doubt that they could cause serious damage. I guaratnee for nothing", Joe cocked an eyebrow. Was his boss really willing to send Jessie, James and Meowth into this virtually constructed illusory world?
„Call them into my office, we need to talk", his boss ordered.
Jessie was sitting with her back to James. She hung her head in shame. The last chase had been a complete disaster. Not only had they been defeated by Ash and company one more time, they almost lost their lives too. How low could they get? Jessie could hear James sob.
He looked at his singe on his right hand. „We're losers, hopeless and unsuccessful losers", James whimpered. Meowth and Jessie nodded in agreement.
„I fear there are going to be bad consequences this time", Meowth spoke under breath. They were waiting in the anteroom of Giovanni's office. Their clothes were ragged and dirty, they wouldn't make a good impression on their boss.
Joe opened the door to the office and made them understand to follow him inside. Jessie sent James ahead. They peered into the bright and plain room, Giovanni was sitting in his swivel chair, staring outside the glass windows. He overlooked a bustling street, cars stuck in congestion, people doing their shopping and young children whiling away time with their Pokémon.
„Do you know the difference between those kids and you?", he said in a deep and fearsome voice.
„No, Sir!", the trio answered in unison. Giovanni turned around. His eyes flashed at Jessie, James and Meowth.
„Unlike you, they would carry a high yield. They might just be little kids, but at least I wouldn't be in the red", he pointed at the trio's report.
„Excuse us, boss, we're unworthy", James bowed down, Jessie and Meowth followed suit.
„What am I going to do with you?", Giovanni asked. It was Jessie's fervent hope that he wouldn't fire them.
„I won't fire you, don't worry. That would be way too cost-intensive", he added as if he had read her thoughts.
„Is there any way that we could prove our talent and skills?", Jessie wondered.
„Indeed. I think, I'm going to give you one last chance. There is this new training programme my employees developed, but let Joe explain you the details", Joe reared up in front of the trio.
„As you may have heard, there are different legendary Pokémon in Alola. One of them is Cosmog. It's a psychic-type, with a gaseous body similar to a nebula. The two wisp-like extensions serve as its arms. Its front and back are black, it has yellow eyes and two blue cheeks, but enough about its appearance. The goal of that game, the new training programme, is to prepare our field agents for a real-life hunt. You have to withstand ten levels with different degrees of difficulty. The aim of each level is to collect evidence of that Pokémon that we hid somewhere in the various play areas. You will encounter Pokémon and other human beings during the game, it is your decision whether you're going to trust them or not. They might be of great help, but they could also be your worst enemies and opponents. Be prepared for whatever may happen. As soon as you found the required information you will be beamed to the next level. It is dangerous and risky, but with your experience in the field of close combat and running away like the biggest fools and scaredy-cats, I'm sure you'll be able to thrust your way. If you think that it's too precarious and that you're at your wit's end, you need to shout ‚Cosmog down' and we'll get you back to the Headquarter, where you can take a rest. Afterwards, we'll send you back into the game until you reached the last level. Be aware that you're only allowed to shout ‚Cosmog down' two times and then it's up to you to face the hurdles and dangers", Joe explained.
Jessie, James and Meowth's jaws dropped.
„Do you think we're able to master this challenge?", James asked. He was visibly insecure and that game didn't sound like a walk in the park. Jessie on the other hand was self-opinionated.
„We're Team Rocket-agents! We survived many a crisis, we almost passed the final test years ago, I think we should at least give it a try, besides, it is our last chance to prove the boss that we're not pointless parasites of his bonhomie", Jessie said.
„I might become his favourite Pokémon and he's eventually preferring me to his Persian.
Let's accept this challenge", Meowth added. The decision had been taken.
„Boss, we're willing to test this new training programme", James informed.
Giovanni leered. He had found the perfect victims.
„Just so you know, it's a running out the clock. You've got 48 hours to pass each level and collect the necessitated evidence", Joe explained.
„Those three", he pointed his finger at three Pokéballs in the middle of the room, „may be of great interest to you. They might help you during the training session."
Jessie and James walked up to the box and freed the Pokémon out of their balls.
„Arbok?", Jessie was left blinking with disbelief. This was her Pokémon from the Kanto-region. Her eyes filled with tears. She kneeled down to the cobra and wrapped her arms around his neck. James was busy hugging his greatly missed Weezing.
„Who does the third Pokéball belong to?", James wondered. He pressed the white button.
A Magikarp jumped out of the ball and paddled desperately with its fins. James felt like crying. It was the least expected and in his eyes most inconvenient Pokémon on this planet.
„Are you ready?", Joe asked. The trio nodded their heads.
„Please stand onto this platform."
Jessie, James and Meowth did as they were told and got ready to face their biggest and most dangerous challenge.
What do you think? Do you want me to continue this story? Let me know.