Truly Happy
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or anything related to Pokemon. It all belongs to Nintendo, and I am just borrowing it. Not borrow like Team Rocket borrows Pikachu. Just borrow like I enjoy it and want to use it for a while.
This is TOTAL Rocketshipping. Don't read it if you don't like Pokemon, Team Rocket, or love stories.
Also, I am a girl, and I really don't know how guys think. So shut up. I probably should have written from a girl's perspective, but James is just too cute NOT to write about :D
The day was beautiful. Sun shining, not too hot and not too cold, gentle breeze blowing across the rolling green hills. A single tree grew in a shallow valley beside a lazily twisting river. James sighed. He and his companions Jessie and Meowth had been dangling from the branches since early in the morning after being embarrassingly beaten by the twerps for the thousandth time. He wriggled a little to stop his belt from pressing into his spleen.
"We're never getting down, are we?" complained Jessie. "My hair is a mess and I can't even reach my hairspray!"
I think your hair is beautiful, James said to himself. Out loud he said, "Stop whining Jessie, we're all in the same situation here."
"Yeah, dere's no point in makin' tings woise," said Meowth. His claws slipped a little, and he scrambled back onto the branch, making the entire tree shake.
"Meowth, watch it!" cried James. "You'll make us--"
Suddenly the branch broke, and the three tumbled to the ground. James landed in the river, Meowth landed in a mud puddle, and Jessie landed on James.
No sooner had they hit the ground did Jessie exclaim, "Oh thank goodness! I can finally fix my hair!"
"Owwwww," said James. Jessie didn't bother to move off of him before she whipped out her mirror and hairspray and began to pluck the leaves and twigs from her hair. James sighed but said nothing.
"Wooooobbuffet!"
Meowth groaned as he realized that he was no longer the creamy beige he was used to. "How am I supposed to get all dis mud off me? I'm a Meowth. Meowths hate water!"
"Oh, here." Jessie kicked her foot and splashed water all over Meowth. He screamed. She giggled. James smiled inwardly. She might be a little cruel sometimes, but she was just so cute when she laughed. He lay back further in the water and waited for Jessie to finish with her hair.
After what seemed like an hour, Meowth had licked himself dry and clean, Jessie had perfected her hairstyle, and James had gotten completely soaked. Jessie stood up and reached down to help James up. "Why didn't you get up sooner? The water's pretty cold."
I know, but… you needed me to stay there. "I… uh… haven't taken a bath in a couple days. I wanted to get clean."
"Oh. Well, let's get going. Pikachu won't capture itself, you know!" Jessie climbed up the riverbank and started heading toward the road. "Come on, let's go!"
"Okay, okay, I'm comin'!" grumbled Meowth. "Can't get five minutes rest. Pshh!" He and James clambered after her.
That night they reached a small town. Just about the only things there were a few houses, a tiny market, and a Pokemon center. James approached the Pokemon center cautiously and peered in through the window. As long as the twerps weren't inside they were safe to go in and spend the night in warm beds, and maybe even get a cheap meal. Luckily, the only person inside was Nurse Joy. James nodded to the others and headed toward the door.
"Welcome to Whitehall Town! I'm Nurse Joy. Would you like me to heal your Pokemon for you?"
"Yes please!" they chorused, depositing their Pokeballs on the counter. "We'd also like to spend the night please," said James. "And a nice hot meal maybe?"
"Of course! Right this way!" smiled Joy. "Chansey, could you take care of their Pokemon please?"
"Chaaaansey!" the grinning assistant answered joyfully. She gathered the Pokeballs and took them into the back room.
James, Jessie, and Meowth followed Joy into the dormitory area. "You can each pick a bunk over here. You're the only ones staying here tonight." Meowth leaped onto the top bunk, Jessie sat primly on the bunk beneath, and James chose the bottom bunk across from Jessie.
"When Chansey is done with my Mime Jr, can you send it back here please? Mimie doesn't like sleeping alone," said James.
"No problem! It should be ready in about an hour, as long as Chansey doesn't find anything wrong with it."
"Thank you Joy!" grinned James. The truth was, Mime Jr didn't mind whether it slept alone or with James. It was James who liked to have someone to hold as he slept… if only it could be a person instead of a Pokemon… He shook his head violently to keep himself from thinking about that again. He busied himself watching Meowth bounce on his bunk.
"Wheeee!"
"Meowth, cut that out. I'm going to need my beauty sleep after all that walking we did today."
"And don't forget the flyin' and the fallin' and the explodin'!"
"Don't remind me…" Jessie took off her jacket and boots and lay down in bed. "I'm going to sleep now. Don't be too loud. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight Jessie," replied James. Sweet dreams. I hope they make you as happy as mine make me.
James stood at the top of a tall cliff overlooking the sea. Jessie was walking toward him, the image of perfection. "Wow… Jessie, you look beautiful." She was wearing a stunning, form-fitting sapphire blue gown, hair curled and gently cascading over her shoulders. Her eyes shone in the moonlight.
"Why thank you James. I'm so glad you asked me here." James took her hand and led her to the edge of the cliff.
"Jessie, there's something I have to tell you." She looked at him expectantly. "Jessie, I… I've been in love with you since the first day we met. You make me happier-"
"James…" she interrupted. "James, you really need to wake up."
"But… Jessie…"
"James, wake up."
"James, wake UP!" Jessie poked him hard in the side. He awoke with a start. "James, you were talking in your sleep again. And it's time to get up now. It's morning."
James blinked, trying to clear his head. The dream was so real… It was always so real… He turned over in bed, hoping to go back to sleep.
"James, WAKE UP!" Jessie hissed. "If we don't get out of here now, the twerps might come and tell Nurse Joy we're bad guys!"
"Oh fine, I'm getting up." He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, where's Meowth?"
"He's up front getting our Pokeballs. We're all ready to leave, so hurry up, will you?" Jessie stood up and went over to her bunk to gather her things.
James sighed and sat up. He wished he could stay asleep. Every night he dreamed of telling Jessie how he felt about her, and every night something woke him up before she could reply. He wondered if he would ever find out how it ended. If he could ever find the courage to tell her in reality. He sighed again and began putting his things away as well.
"We're all set! You guys ready?" Meowth came back into the room carrying their Pokeballs.
"Wooooooooooobbuffet!"
"Just about," muttered James. He shoved the last of his stuff back in his bag and stood up. "I'm ready."
"Okay then, let's go!" Jessie sang cheerfully and bounced out of the room. James sighed again and followed her. I wonder what she dreamed of last night. She seems really happy.
"Okay, so, what's the plan today?" They were now a decently safe distance from the Pokemon center, and Jessie was starting to prepare for the day's heist.
"Why don't we give the twerps a break?" suggested James. "I mean, we must do SOME damage when we're trying to steal Pikachu, right?"
"Okay then, so what do you suggest we do today? We have to steal something."
"Well… um… I saw an art museum on the map not too far away. We could steal something from there."
"Let's go check it out. But if there's nothing worth stealing, we're going up in the balloon to look for the twerps."
"Right."
"Right!" Meowth chimed in.
"Wooooobbuffet!"
As they headed for the museum, Jessie chatted about the day's beautiful weather, how her Seviper was getting stronger and would surely beat the twerp's Pokemon soon, and how James didn't train his Pokemon enough. Meowth told a humorous story about his stint as a waiter before he joined Team Rocket. James wracked his brain trying to think of something, anything, to talk about, but all he could think of was how perfect Jessie looked when she walked. She-
"James, what's with you today? You're quiet. Are you sick or something?" Jessie didn't usually speak to him with such concern. He must really be acting weird.
"Oh, nothing, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep much last night is all. Mimie kept kicking me in its sleep."
Jessie looked at him closely. "Okay, if you say so."
James grinned. "Let's just go steal something. I wanna buy a car or a bus so we can ditch the balloon!"
"Hey! We all agreed dat was da best ting that ever happened to us!" Meowth cried indignantly. "It's got my face on it!"
"What are you talking about? We never said that!" Jessie shot back angrily.
James smiled to himself. They would argue for hours. He could go back to his own thoughts without interruption.
The museum was much larger than James had expected. It loomed in front of them, looking almost like a castle.
"Hoenn Regional Art Museum," Meowth read out loud. "Dis is da place."
"Shall we?" said Jessie. She knelt down next to her bag and began rummaging for her break-in equipment: rope, a grapple hook, knives and cutting tools, bags, magnets, and of course, black disguises.
James caught sight of movement through a window. Was that…? No, it couldn't be them. He shook his head and knelt next to Jessie to get the equipment set up. Meowth went scouting out the rest of the museum while they put on their disguises.
"James, are you sure you're okay? You look… distracted or something." She seemed to show real concern, which surprised James. He took a deep breath. Now was as good as any time.
"Jessie, I-"
"I found da perfect spot! Let's get dis show on da road!" Meowth returned and picked up a coil of rope. "Follow me!"
The trio set up their equipment, blew up their getaway balloon, and prepared to break into the museum. James clenched his jaw and told himself to stop being silly. He had to concentrate on this. He didn't want to be the reason they failed. Not this time. He climbed up onto the roof after Jessie and Meowth.
"You guys ready?" said Jessie. "No motto today. We're just regular burglars, so no one recognizes us. Okay, one, two, three!" She shattered the glass of the window and dropped the rope, sliding down it to the floor. James went next, then Meowth. "Attention please!" she shouted. "We are robbing this museum, and all of its patrons! Please line up quietly and place your Pokemon in this bag! You two," she turned to James and Meowth, "start getting the best stuff."
James went over to a painting of a Charmeleon and its trainer. He noticed someone hiding behind a statue of a Zangoose. He couldn't see his face, but that arm looked familiar…
"Pikachu, we've gotta do something! They're gonna steal everyone's Pokemon!"
That voice was all too recognizable. It was the twerps! He had to warn Jessie! He grabbed the painting and shoved it in the bag, and then hurried back to Jessie, who was still collecting everyone's Pokemon. "Jessie, you'll never believe who's here…"
"Who?"
"It's the twe-"
"Ahhhh! It's Team Rocket!" Ash finally realized who they were.
"Ahhhh! It's the twerps! James! Why didn't you warn me?"
"Well-"
"Oooh! And it's Pikachu!" cried Meowth. "Guys, why don't we…?"
"But of course." She struck a pose. "Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To – Oh, forget it! There's no way we're losing today!" Jessie somehow found one of their ingenious electric-proof cages and thrust Pikachu inside. "Let's get out of here!"
"Right!" chorused James and Meowth. They shimmied back up the rope and out onto the roof.
"Pikaaaa!"
"Wooooobbuffet!"
"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" hollered Ash.
Jessie laughed in her evil way. "It's useless, twerp! Pikachu is ours! Smell ya later!"They hopped into the balloon and left.
"We finally did it!" Jessie was ecstatic.
"We finally got Pikachu!" James danced. Jessie tackled him in a hug. Meowth stood next to Pikachu and poked at it, grinning.
"Pikaaaaa…"
"I can't believe we pulled it off! And just look at all these Pokeballs!"
"And I got this painting! It must be worth thousands!"
"And look at dis old sculpture ting! It looks like it's a million years old!"
"Team Rocket! Give me back my Pikachu!"
James looked over the edge of the basket. Ash was running out of the museum after them. "Oh no…"
"Swellow! Go! Use Wing Attack!"
"Swelloooooow!"
Meowth whimpered. James sank to the floor. Jessie gripped James's hand. "We lost again, didn't we?" she whispered.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Woooobbuffet!"
"SWELL!" Swellow's wings collided with the balloon, ripping it in half. Pikachu's cage tumbled out as the balloon careened off into the sky, along with the bag of Pokeballs and all of the stolen art.
"We're blasting off again!"
As they shot away, James heard Ash tell Pikachu how happy he was to have it back. Pikachu chirped "Pi!" in response. James sighed. I wonder where we'll land this time.
The night was beautiful. Moon shining, not too warm and not too chilly, gentle breeze blowing across the rolling green hills. A single tree grew in a shallow valley beside a lazily twisting river. James sighed. He and his companions had been dangling from the branches since earlier in the afternoon after being embarrassingly beaten by the twerps for the thousand and first time. He wriggled a little to stop his belt from pressing into his spleen.
"When do you think we'll get down this time?" he asked.
"Dunno," said Meowth. "But I hate dis tree. I can't get a grip on it." He clawed his way back onto the branch, causing the entire tree to shake.
"Meowth, watch it!" cried Jessie. "You'll make us all fall!"
Meowth slipped, and scrambled back up. James knew what was coming, and braced himself. The branch broke, and the three went tumbling down. This time, they all landed safely in a patch of soft grass. James sighed with relief. "Are you okay?" he asked Jessie.
"I'm fine," replied Meowth. James shot him a dirty look and turned back to Jessie.
Jessie nodded.
"Good." He stood. "Shall we get going?"
"Let's just stay here tonight. It's late." Jessie spread a blanket on the grass and lay down. She didn't even bother to fix her hair. James thought she looked beautiful, hair mussed and face smudged. He lay down beside her and waited to start dreaming.
"Jessie, you look beautiful." The moonlight lit up her face with a soft glow.
'Thank you James. I'm so glad you asked me here."
"Jessie, there's something I want to tell you." He took her hand. She looked at him expectantly. "I… I've loved you since the day I met you. You're the most wonderful person I've ever known. I love you more than anything, Jessie."
"Oh James…" She looked away. "James, I…"
This wasn't what James had hoped for. "It's okay. I understand." He began to turn away.
"No… James, I love you too." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "I've always been too afraid to tell you."
James's heart leaped with joy. "Jessie!"
"James…" She wrapped her arms around him. "James, wake up."
Oh no. Not already. Not again.
"James, wake up." He opened his eyes. It was still dark. Strange, he was usually awakened after dawn. Jessie was leaning over him, features blurred in the dimness. "James, you were talking in your sleep again."
His heart froze. Did he…?
"You said… you said you love someone. Were you dreaming?"
"Yes…"
"Who were you dreaming about?"
"I…"
"Tell me. Please tell me." Her voice sounded softer than usual. Almost… sad.
"I… I was dreaming about you," he whispered finally.
"Really?"
"Yes…" His face burned. He couldn't look at her.
"Oh James… I… I mean…"
Meowth snored loudly. "Do ya… want… some noodles…?" He sighed and rolled over. James giggled and looked up at Jessie. She smiled back.
"James, do you really? Love me, that is?"
He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Yes. I do."
Her face broke into a relieved smile. "I'm glad."
James was a little confused. "You're glad?"
"Yes. I didn't know how to tell you this, but I love you too. I've loved you for a long time. I've dreamed about telling you, but I was too afraid. I didn't know how you felt about me."
"I've always loved you, Jessie. Always." He took her hand.
"Meeeeeowth…"
"Jessie…"
"Shh." She put a finger on his lips. "No more words." She leaned against him. "Let's just go back to sleep."
James put his arm around her. "Okay." Is this what it's like to be truly happy? he thought. If so, I don't want it to end. I don't want this dream to end.
THE END