Nurse Joy knew the Center inside and out. Hoping to sneak in without Jessie's knowledge, she led the group into the building through a back door and then up through the ventilation system while they sought for the correct room. As planned, once in the vents, they began to go in different directions, each hoping to find Jessie. But while they were supposed to travel in groups of two, Meowth accidentally became separated from James in the twisting series of passageways-much to their shared alarm.

"Jim?!" The cat looked around, his heart sinking as he really processed that he was alone. "Oh no! Jim must've gone down that other tunnel when we came to that fork!"

He started to turn with the intention of going back to find James. But when he heard cruel laughter from below, he stopped and ran back to look out through the nearest grate.

"Jessie," he whispered. She was below, pacing in the room and spreading her arms wide. She was still holding the staff.

Meowth swallowed hard. "Well, looks like I can't wait for Jim. Jessie might be gone by the time I find him and come back. So . . . here goes everything." Hopeful yet afraid, he undid the grate and jumped down in front of her. "Jessie!"

Jessie jumped too. "What do you want?" she snapped. "In fact, how did you get in?!"

"Aww, you knew we'd be comin', didn't you?" Meowth replied. "We can't leave you alone in this state!"

"And why not?" Jessie growled. "You don't want me to be happy! That's it, isn't it?!"

"Of course we want you to be happy, Jessie!" Meowth protested. "And that's the thing-you're not gonna be if you keep on with this mask bit!"

"Oh no?" Jessie countered. "Look at all the Pokemon I've captured! Even Pikachu at long last! I never enjoyed success like this at any other time in my life. Certainly not when I was with losers like you and James."

Meowth flinched. "You don't really mean that. I mean, deep down. You don't really . . ." He sniffled.

"Pathetic," Jessie mocked. "You're a little cry-kitty, aren't you."

Meowth looked up with a jerk, his eyes flashing. "Yeah, I am!" he spat. "And I'll tell you why. I want my friend back! My real friend. Okay, I know Jessie sure wasn't perfect, and yeah, sometimes she hit or slapped me or James. But I always knew she'd never seriously hurt us! She was just tough and hard and didn't always know how to let down her guard and act like a real person, but we both saw she loved us deep down. She'd never treat us like this! I don't know who you are, but you're sure not her. And I feel like just jumpin' up there and scratching and clawing that stupid mask off of you!"

"Oh, you're threatening me?" Jessie responded, ignoring all the rest of what he had said. "Then I can feel perfectly justified in what I'm about to do. Not that I didn't anyway. You see, I can't have you alerting everyone else to where I am. Not yet. Arbok, Lickitung! Weezing, Victreebel!"

Jessie's and James' Pokemon came around the corner and loomed over Meowth. All their eyes were red.

"H-Hey." Meowth stepped back. "You wouldn't really have them . . . attack me, would you, Jessie?"

"Watch me." Jessie walked around them. "Teach him a lesson about defying Queen Jessie."

Meowth shrieked as they lunged with one accord. "I don't wanna fight you guys! I know what it's like not to be able to control yourself!" He threw his front paws over his head, his claws bared in a desperate attempt to protect himself.

Victreebel screeched. With a slap of her vine, she forced one paw, then the other off of Meowth's head.

"I'm in trouble," Meowth whimpered. "Quadruple trouble."

His mind-controlled friends drew closer.

"I wish I could believe James that Jessie isn't lost to us," Meowth whispered. "I'm just not sure anymore."

xxxx

Jessie started off down the hall, clenching her teeth against the sounds of the fight in the room she had just vacated. Although her stomach was twisting, in her blinded mind she was trying to justify her cruelty.

He was holding me back. He was threatening me. He proved he really isn't my friend. I had every right to do this.

The mask was all too delighted to encourage her and continue permeating its will throughout her soul. "That's right," it whispered. "You've done well. You know exactly what you have to do to keep hold of your power, your true happiness. You can't let anyone try to take it from you. Just as you have already determined, they're obviously not really your friends if they try to."

". . . Yes," Jessie answered back. "Of course you're right. Meowth deserved to be attacked. Only . . ." She turned around, walking backwards now as she faced the room with the battle. "They won't . . . kill him, will they?"

"They will do whatever is necessary to keep him away from you." The mask was annoyed that some of Jessie's true self was still leaking through its corruption of her. It hadn't been as difficult to completely corrupt its previous victim. Somehow it would have to tighten its hold on Jessie. If Meowth survived, he wouldn't let this rest, and either way, neither would James. And the mask wasn't willing to give up its vessel. It had been so long, so very long, since it had seen the light of day. When Jessie longed for power and a better standing in life, she should be another perfect victim for its manipulation and devastating spells. Her very feelings gave the mask further power over her.

The only problem was that her love for her friends still burned as well as her love of power. No matter what arguments it used, some part of her still cared for them. That would be a hindrance if it couldn't find the way to quell or at least cover those feelings with its evil.

Jessie looked horrified by the mask's words. "But . . . I don't want him to die. . . ."

"It's all for the best. He doesn't love you. He loves your power. He wants it for himself."

"Can't I just have them beat him up and throw him out?"

"He'll keep coming back." The mask was becoming increasingly frustrated. What was it with this girl? She loved power; why couldn't she let her pathetic friends go and focus on that?

"I could make him part of my army!"

"This way is better." The mask glowed. There was no choice; it would have to act now and hope that Jessie's feelings of desiring power would lend enough strength for it to bury her true self deep in her soul. Then it could more directly assume control. If it didn't try now, she might fully fight her way to the surface and stop this battle.

Dark purple wisps floated out from all sides of the mask, seeping more of its evil through Jessie's skin and into her body. Her eyes, which had been flickering with light, grew dark and blank again.

"Yes," she consented then. "It's better." She gripped her staff, laughing cruelly as she continued down the corridor.

Although the mask could not move, it smiled to itself. Now it had her. The next person who tried to interfere would get worse than what Meowth had. And when she committed that act and fell completely to the darkness, her true self would finally be destroyed. Only the mask would remain.

It was just a matter of time now. A very short amount of time.

xxxx

Back at the dig site, Eve and Tierra were still puzzling over the mysterious parchment as they struggled to dissect its meaning. By now they had almost come to the bottom of the aged document, and what it seemed to be saying was anything but encouraging.

"I know what this seems to say, but am I right?" Tierra passed a paper to her colleague, her eyes shining with worry.

Eve took it, studied the translation, and looked at the faded parchment. "It certainly could be accurate," she said. "It fits with the rest of what we've deciphered."

Tierra looked sick. "But . . . if this is what it really says . . ."

Eve nodded. "Then there is going to be a devastating tragedy." She leaped up, running for one of the remaining Jeeps. "We have to get downtown and find them right now!"

Tierra scooped up the parchment to continue translating it on the way. "By the time we get there, it will probably be too late," she feared. "And we probably can't do anything to stop it anyway."

"At least we have to try," Eve insisted. She turned the ignition key and revved the engine.

Tierra barely managed to get aboard before Eve sped off.

xxxx

Nurse Joy finally leaped down from the ventilation system in an apparently empty room. When a grate opened at the other side of the room and James jumped out, they were both startled.

"Where's Meowth?!" Nurse Joy demanded.

"I don't know!" James wailed. "And you seem to be alone yourself."

"I was with Brock, but somehow we managed to get lost," Nurse Joy frowned.

"I'm here!" Brock cried as he flew out of the tunnel. "Nurse Joy, I'm so glad you're safe! I was getting worried."

"I don't think I'm in too much danger from that girl," Nurse Joy replied, her hands on her hips. "It's you kids who might be!"

Suddenly screams echoed from down the hall. Everyone jumped.

"That's Ash and Misty!" Brock burst out. He ran to the doorway and narrowly avoided being bowled over by his friends as they dashed into the room.

"It's Pikachu and Togepi!" Misty shrieked. "They were patrolling a hallway and now they're after us!"

"Pikachu, cut it out!" Ash begged.

"Chu!" The mind-controlled Pokemon tore in after his friend, his eyes red and merciless. When Togepi waddled in behind him, he didn't appear any more friendly. He raised his tiny hands to begin Metronome.

"Oh no!" James yelped. "You can't let Togepi complete Metronome! The whole place will probably blow up, with all of us in it!"

"But how can we stop him?!" Misty cried.

"Maybe I can!" Brock pulled out a Pokeball. "Go, Zubat!"

Zubat screeched as he emerged. He wavered, beginning to fall prey to Jessie's staff.

"Jessie's not even here!" Misty said in disbelief. "How is Zubat getting under her control?!"

"When she showed up, there were Pokemon following behind her Jeep," Nurse Joy said. "They must have all been within close enough range that the staff worked anyway!"

"But then Meowth should've fallen under its control too." Ash blinked.

"Maybe she told it to get every Pokemon except Meowth," James said.

"Nevermind that now!" Misty snapped, staring in horror at Togepi.

"Fight the control, Zubat!" Brock called. "Use your Supersonic to save Pikachu and Togepi!"

Zubat was doing his best. Jessie's staff was strong, but so was Zubat's Supersonic. The soundwaves went out through the room, shaking it hard. The humans fell back against the walls. Pikachu and Togepi wailed, not liking it one bit. But then they blinked, looking up in surprise. Their eyes were no longer red.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in relief. He held out his arms and Pikachu chirped for joy, leaping into his arms.

"Togepi!" Misty scooped Togepi up and held him close.

Brock relaxed. "Thanks, Zubat. Can you keep withstanding the mind-control and holding it away from Pikachu and Togepi?"

Zubat screeched. He would try.

"We've been all over the Center by now," Nurse Joy frowned. "Jessie didn't want to leave. But where would she go?"

"What if she's gone right back to the entrance?" Ash suggested.

Everyone stared at him.

"Well, it's the only place we haven't looked," he defended.

"It's worth a try," James relented. "I'll go out ahead and try to find her. Maybe if I see her alone, I can talk some sense into her." But he didn't sound very hopeful, and neither were the others. They watched him run off with sinking hearts.

"Let's hurry and follow him," Misty said.

Before they could, pained yowls tore through the ventilation grate nearest the door.

"Oh no! There's a Pokemon battle somewhere nearby!" Nurse Joy gasped. "And it doesn't sound like a friendly one!"

"It sounds like Meowth!" Ash ran out of the room and towards the sound. Misty, Brock, and Nurse Joy followed.

"Oh my gosh!" Misty shrieked when they ran through the doorway.

Meowth was lunging at Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung, and Victreebel, desperately using Fury Swipes to protect himself. But no matter how he scratched his former friends, they attacked him from every angle and with their strongest attacks.

"Jessie must have instructed them to do this," Brock said grimly. "Look at their eyes. They're glowing red!"

"That's horrible!" Misty cried. "We have to help Meowth! Maybe Zubat could break the control over Team Rocket's Pokemon too!"

Zubat didn't sound very hopeful.

"It's hard enough for him to hold off the mind-control waves for Pikachu and Togepi," Brock said. "He can't release four more Pokemon."

Ash nodded. "Then we'll have to work with what we've got! Pikachu, Thunderbolt Attack on Victreebel!"

"Chu!" Pikachu's attack sent Victreebel flying into the wall with a screech. When she didn't get up, he turned his attention to the remaining three.

Meowth stared, stunned by the help. "You guys are really helpin' me?"

"Nobody should be hurt by mind-controlled Pokemon," Ash said. "That's just wrong!"

"Yeah, I know, but I thought you'd be focusing on freeing Jessie," Meowth said, but the conversation was interrupted as the battle continued.

Togepi jumped down on Weezing after climbing up high on a cupboard. Shocked, Weezing crashed to the floor and Togepi kept jumping up and down like Weezing was a ball.

"Yes! Go, Togepi!" Misty cheered.

"Weezing," Weezing groaned.

Togepi trilled.

Arbok was relentless. He sank his teeth into Meowth's tail in a vicious Bite Attack. The cat screamed, tears of pain filling his eyes.

"Pikachu, Tackle Attack!" Ash called.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu slammed into Arbok, taking him far away from Meowth.

Lickitung still had another attack in mind. He lunged, delivering a fierce Lick attack. Meowth groaned and fell forward to the floor. Now he didn't get up.

"Pikachu, another Thunderbolt!" Ash instructed.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu sent Lickitung back to crash against the other dazed Pokemon.

The room shook from the force of the battle and Pikachu's attacks. As everyone stared in shock and horror, part of the ceiling came loose and crashed to the tiled floor.

"Out of the way!" Brock yelled, tackling Ash and Misty to safety. Nurse Joy also leaped away.

For a moment everyone lay stunned as the plaster dust settled. When all was quiet, it was Misty who first arose. "Togepi?" she called, coughing.

Togepi trilled, but he sounded frightened. He was standing near Meowth's fallen form, his eyes flashing dangerously. Nearby, Pikachu's eyes were also turning from brown to red.

"Oh no!" Misty cried. "The Pokemon are falling under the staff's control again!"

"Huh?!" Ash rose too. "But how?!"

Brock sprang up in an instant. "Zubat!"

The blue bat was nowhere to be seen.

"Zubat must be buried!" Brock ran forward, desperately digging at the fallen ceiling.

"You'll never find him in time!" Nurse Joy gasped.

"I have to!" Brock dug for a moment more and then paused, standing still and seeming to be concentrating.

"What're you doing, Brock?" Ash blinked.

"I'm listening for Zubat's Supersonic waves," Brock replied. "Shh!"

Ash looked to Misty in disbelief. "There's no way he's gonna be able to hear Zubat under all this!"

"I know it doesn't seem reasonable, Ash, but if anyone can do the impossible, Brock can," Misty said. She honestly believed it. And in any case, right now she would latch on to any hope she could. Togepi was losing the fight against the mind-control. He raised his hands to begin Metronome again.

"No, Togepi!" Misty cried.

Brock suddenly came to life and lunged at a particular area. "Zubat is here!" he called, throwing a chunk of ceiling aside.

Ash, Misty, and Nurse Joy all joined in, helping Brock fling pieces of ceiling and a florescent light away. Zubat was underneath. He shuddered but flew out, screeching in thanks to Brock and the rest.

"Zubat, are you alright?!" Brock demanded.

Zubat chirped in the affirmative and once again used Supersonic. Pikachu and Togepi snapped back to their normal selves.

"Oh, thank goodness," Misty breathed.

"Thanks, Zubat!" Ash called as he and Pikachu ran to each other.

With that crisis averted, Brock knelt beside Meowth, his expression grim. Nurse Joy did as well.

"What is it, Brock?" Misty asked in concern. "He's not . . ."

"He's alive," Brock assured her. "But he's hurt. That wasn't an ordinary Pokemon battle. Under Jessie's mind-control, the other Team Rocket Pokemon are much stronger and more violent." He stood, holding Meowth in his arms.

"I need to try to help him right now, but until we stop Jessie, I don't even know if it's safe," Nurse Joy said. "She could have sabotaged my equipment!"

"If Jessie's to the point where she would do this to her and James' Pokemon, and to Meowth, she's pretty far gone," Brock frowned.

"I don't know," Misty said. "Jessie's normally a pretty violent person."

"But she loves her Pokemon," Brock said. "She's seriously corrupted by power to turn against them and to make them turn against Meowth."

Ash's eyes widened. "And James is looking for her," he gasped.

"You don't really think she'd do something to him," Misty exclaimed.

"The way she's been acting, I wouldn't put it past her," Brock said grimly. "We'd better find them right now."

He took off running down the hall.

Worried now, Ash, Misty, and Nurse Joy ran after him.

xxxx

James was agonized as he ran towards the front entrance of the Pokemon Center. His world was falling apart around him. How was he going to get through to Jessie? With the mask having corrupted her so thoroughly, she didn't even realize she had fallen to the darkness and wasn't even herself. Every time she spoke, she wounded James deeper. Saving her seemed a monumental quest. But there had to be a way, somehow, somewhere! He wasn't about to give her up for lost. Jessie was his oldest and dearest friend, someone he had known from childhood. They had been through so much together before ever even joining Team Rocket. And after they had and had met Meowth, they had only grown closer as friends and as a team. A twisted mask wasn't going to change that!

Though it was certainly doing its best to try. James' heart dropped when he caught sight of Jessie, laughing and spreading her arms wide as she stood in the reception room in front of the desk.

"That should teach Meowth to defy me!" she cried. "He won't dare do that again, not after facing the fury of my Pokemon!"

James entered the lobby and just stood and stared at her in sickened horror. "Jessie, what did you do?" he gasped.

Jessie spun to face him. "Oh, I thought I made that clear," she sneered. "Right now he should be dealing with Arbok, Lickitung, Weezing, and Victreebel!"

"What?!" James' eyes flashed with anger. This was even worse than he had imagined. Meowth was somewhere in the building being hurt?! "Why not simply put him under your control too?!"

"That would have been too easy," Jessie answered. "I wanted a much crueler punishment for what he did."

"What did he do?" James demanded.

"To try to make me give up my mask and staff," Jessie said. "And using the tired old excuse that they're dangerous and he's my friend, so I should listen to him."

James stared. "And you had him beaten up for that?!"

"I give up my power for no one!" Jessie insisted. "If Meowth wants me to, he's no longer my friend! He's lying about his reasons! He just wants the power for himself!"

This was a nightmare the likes of which James had never thought he would have to handle. Jessie was buried even deeper by the mask's evil than he had imagined. Still, he tried to grasp for any minuscule thread of hope.

"You called him a 'tool' a while ago," he reminded her. "Now you're back to saying 'friend'?"

"He's no longer a worthy tool either," Jessie countered. "And neither are you!"

Something in James broke right then. "Jessie."

Jessie paused. Normally James was so quiet, so submissive. Now he wasn't either one. He was worried and determined and she could hear both in his voice.

"You need to stop this." He came closer, dangerously closer.

She gripped her precious staff. "What do you mean, James?" Her glazed eyes flashed. "I know you haven't approved of my using this mask ever since I put it on. You're jealous just like Meowth, aren't you? You wish you had the power for yourself!"

"No, that isn't it," James retorted. "Jessie, you don't even see what it's doing to you! Alright, so you were often rather . . . abusive to me and Meowth. You were doing better, thanks to your determination to change! Don't you remember?!"

A slight waver, a far-away voice. "I changed. . . ."

"Yes!" James cried. "But you've been growing steadily worse again ever since you put that thing on! I've seen from the start that while you have that mask, we've become tools for you to use. You don't care about us anymore."

The flickering in her eyes stopped. Now they were blank and glazed once more. "I never did," she snarled. "You're both pathetic losers dragging me down! You always have been! If I'd been on my own, I would have gone so much farther by now!"

"Would you?" James had tried to steel himself for this conversation, but the hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. "Don't you remember that we proved our worth by working together as a team?"

Jessie spun around, not wanting to face him. "That was in the past. It's time to move on now. I told you-if you're not willing to accept me as I am now, you're not welcome here any longer."

Instead of being crushed, James only became more emboldened. "No, I'm not willing to accept this!" he shouted. "And I won't be driven away either!" He ran around to face her again. "I want my friend back! And if I can't have her unless these blasted artifacts are destroyed, I'll break them apart with my bare hands!" He grabbed for her staff.

The sudden feeling of something slamming into his body jerked him back with a choked gurgle. He looked down, shocked and shaking. The bottom of the staff had impaled him.

Jessie was holding onto it, her knuckles white under her gloves. "I'll break you apart first," she hissed.

Somewhere nearby, a girl screamed. Misty had run in through another door, followed by Ash and Brock. Nurse Joy caught up to them and just stopped, horrified, both hands over her mouth.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing," Misty sobbed. "Don't look, Togepi!"

Togepi shrieked and curled into an egg shape. He had already seen too much.

"Oh!" Ash gasped. "Did Jessie really . . ."

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed in horror.

Brock was also badly shaken. He stood, stunned, his mouth hanging open. Then, snapping to, he went to his younger friends. "You shouldn't look either." He tried to pull them away.

Misty was hugging Togepi close, her eyes shut tightly as she turned away. "I can't look," she said. "This is too horrible, even though they're our enemies."

Ash couldn't look away. He was hugging Pikachu, but watching from over the top of Pikachu's head. "I can't believe Jessie really did that," he quavered.

James staggered now, both hands reaching to grip the unlikely weapon. The blood rose in his throat and he coughed and choked. "Jessie," he whispered. "I know . . . I know this isn't you." Then dizziness swept over him and he fell backwards, crashing to the floor while still clutching the staff. His eyes closed in death.

A chill swept over the room. No one dared speak; the only sound was Misty softly crying. Jessie stood stone-still over James' body, her hands loose at her sides, completely motionless.

Then Meowth screamed. He had regained consciousness just in time to see what Jessie had done, but had lain there in stricken shock until James had fallen. Anguished and desperate, he struggled to get out of Brock's arms. "Jim! Jim, please, no. You've gotta be okay! You've gotta . . ."

Brock held him firmly but not roughly. "Don't go over there! There's nothing you can do."

"I'm goin'!" Meowth snapped.

"Meowth, you're hurt," Misty said, daring to look up.

"Yeah, I know," Meowth retorted. "I tried to talk some sense into Jessie and she sicced her Pokemon on me. They didn't wanna do it, I could tell, but they didn't have any choice. . . . Meow. . . ." He cringed when he jarred a sore leg while trying to move. Still, he didn't let that stop him. He pushed against Brock and finally jumped down, running over to James on the floor. "Jim! Jim, please. . . . Open your eyes. . . . Speak to your old pal. . . ." But he knew it was a vain plea. Even if James said anything, it would be a dying declaration. Tears welled in Meowth's eyes and he curled up next to his fallen friend with a heartbroken sob.

Jessie still stood motionless, clenching her bloodied, gloved fists. She looked down, her gaze boring into James' body and yet somehow seeming to be looking right through him.

Ash watched her, shaken. "Why doesn't she do something?!" he exclaimed.

"Does she even know what she did?!" Misty wondered.

Brock's eyes narrowed. Does she even care? he bitterly thought to himself.

Suddenly Jessie's eyes flashed back from their glazed state. Something in her mind had snapped. "JAMES!" The scream echoed off every wall. The mask cracked in half and then in pieces, falling off her face to clatter on the floor. The staff remained where it was, buried in her best friend's body.

Meowth looked up in shock, the fur raising on his back. "Jessie?" he whispered.

Jessie fell to her knees, shaking, desperately pulling off her gloves to properly check for any possible signs of life. "Oh God, no," she sobbed as she brought a violently trembling hand to James' neck and tried to feel for a nonexistent pulse. "Please . . . don't tell me I did this. . . . I can't have done this . . ."

"Jessie . . ." Ash said softly.

Brock looked away. He had told James that James had the best chance of getting the mask and staff away from Jessie. James had been planning on it anyway, but Brock had to wonder if he was in any way responsible for this. They had been right, in some dark, ironic, twisted way-James' death had finally destroyed the mask and brought back the real Jessie when nothing else had worked.

Jessie grabbed for the staff now, frantic to pull it out of James' body. But it seemed to be stuck. No matter how she tugged, it didn't budge an inch. Horrified beyond belief, she still wouldn't give up. "Come on!" she yelled. "Come out!" Another fruitless tug.

Misty held a hand to her mouth. "What does it even matter now?" she said. "There's no way he's alive. . . ."

The doors burst open and Eve and Tierra ran inside. They stopped short, sickened, the color draining from their faces as they gazed at the sight.

"Oh no," Eve whispered.

"We're too late," Tierra sorrowed.

Brock looked over. "Girls . . ."

Tierra held up the parchment. "We've almost finished translating it," she said brokenly. "The priestess became so steeped in the mask's corruption that she . . . impaled her one true friend when her friend tried to reason with her."

Eve nodded. "That act sealed her fall into the darkness. It was what the mask was leading her towards all that time. And now . . ." She stared at the gory scene before them. "It's happened again."

"Not quite," Brock said quietly. "What the mask made Jessie do . . . broke its control over her." He nodded to the shattered pieces of the artifact on the floor, some of which had fallen into James' blood. "It underestimated how much she loved James. Realizing she'd killed him, even while under a spell, was too much for her to take. Not even the mask could hold her after that."

The archaeologists were shaken into silence. Brock was right. Unlike the priestess, who had genuinely come to love power more than her friend, Jessie's true self had not fallen to the darkness. But now that she was left with the horrifying consequences of what she had done under the mask's corruption, how would she ever live with herself?

Jessie was shaking, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "How could I have let this happen?" she whispered. "Having all that power was so fun at first. But it took over, corrupting me until it was in control. . . . And it was so subtle that I didn't even know what it was doing. If I had been in my right mind, I never would have stood for a hunk of bronze talking to me!" She rested her forehead on the staff. "Meowth saw it. James saw it. I wouldn't listen to either one of them. It took this to bring me back!"

She caught sight of the shattered mask out of the corner of her eye. Somehow that gave her renewed strength and she straightened and took hold of the staff once again. "The mask broke! Why didn't you break too?!" she screamed at it. "I don't want you or the mask! I want James back!"

Ash was chilled. "Jessie . . . he's . . . he's gone," he said softly.

Tierra shook her head, haunted. "And Jessie did it. . . ."

Misty looked away, not even trying to hide the tears slipping from her eyes. "It was like James said right before he . . ." She hugged Togepi close. "That wasn't Jessie. This is Jessie."

Meowth stared at Jessie, heartbroken, not knowing what to say at all. James was gone, and even though Jessie was free of the mask, she would never get over this. In his heart, Meowth knew that he had still lost both of his friends.

Jessie was still screaming at the staff, despite knowing it was useless. "I don't care about your power anymore! Not when it causes this to happen! I don't care if we fail for the rest of our lives. I just . . . I don't want to go through the rest of my life without James in it. I want him back. I just want him back." She leaned against the staff with both her hands gripping it at a point above her head. The tears slipped from her eyes, splashing into the wound.

Suddenly the staff glowed and moved. Jessie fell forward with a yelp and quickly straightened. As everyone watched in stunned shock, the staff split vertically down the middle and both pieces fell out of the hole in James' flesh. The wound mended, the blood fading and vanishing from view. Then James stirred, slowly opening his eyes in bewildered disbelief. Everyone gasped.

"Jim!" Meowth's eyes were huge. "You're alive!"

"James?!" Jessie cried. "Oh James, is this really possible?!" She bent over him, afraid it was a trick of the light . . . or her imagination.

James gazed up at her and started to smile. "Jessie! You're back!" He sat up, perfectly healed, and hugged her close.

"I'm back?!" Jessie retorted. "You were dead!"

James paused, looking both haunted and shaken. "Dead. . . ."

Meowth nodded, visibly troubled as well. "Stone cold."

"Because of me!" Jessie sobbed and clutched at James. "How can you even want anything to do with me after what I did?!"

Recognition and understanding flashed in equal parts in James' eyes. "The person who was corrupted with power and stabbed me was a stranger," he replied. "But you're Jessie. All I wanted was to have you back, and now I do."

Meowth leaped up, hugging them both. "And I've got both my best pals back!" he beamed.

"Meowth . . ." Jessie looked to him with stricken eyes. "I caused you to be hurt too. . . ."

"I know it was 'cause of that mask and staff," Meowth said. "Jim's right; it wasn't you!" He closed his eyes in bliss.

Jessie was overwhelmed. "You're both so forgiving. . . ."

"Because we know you, Jess," James said.

Still observing, Ash shook his head. "Wow," was all he could think to say.

Misty looked both happy and confused. "I'm so glad James is alright," she exclaimed. "But how is it possible?!"

"I think it was Jessie's love and grief that broke the staff," Brock said. "I know it sounds like something out of a fairytale, but I don't know how else to explain it."

Tierra nodded. "I've been struggling with the last line on the parchment. It's so faded we may never know for absolute certainty what it says. But what it looks like it says is that if the mask's vessel breaks through its spell and shows that they haven't been completely corrupted by power, there may still be hope of saving their victim."

"James may have been in a sort of enchanted death," Eve agreed, "and would have only died for real if the mask's vessel-in this case, Jessie-had not come back to herself and proved she still loved him more than power."

"And coming back to oneself is the only way to remove the mask," Tierra said, studying the parchment again. "Even if James had managed to touch the mask, he couldn't have pulled it off. Jessie had to choose to relinquish it."

"Which she did when she saw the tragedy it had brought about," Eve added.

"Wow," Ash blinked. "So history really repeated itself."

"At least for bad," Brock said. "But unlike history, this time things ultimately turned out good."

Misty smiled. "I'm so glad."

Togepi trilled happily.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu beamed.

xxxx

Night had fallen by the time everyone stepped outside the Pokemon Center. Jessie had been quiet most of the time, which wasn't surprising given what had transpired. When they emerged into the night, she separated herself from the group and went to sit on a low wall with her legs drawn up to her chest.

James only let her stay there a few minutes before he joined her. "Jessie?" He spoke quietly. "Are you alright?"

"I killed you," Jessie spat. An angry tear slipped from her eye and she didn't try to brush it away. "I'm never going to stop seeing that image in my mind. I plunged that rotten staff into you and you fell down dead! Still believing in me too."

"Because it wasn't you who stabbed me." James climbed onto the wall, looking at her in concern.

She slammed her hand on the cement surface. "But it was! Okay, so maybe the mask had taken over my mind, but it was my hands holding the staff, my hands forcing it into your body, my hands that left you laying dead! And all the things I said before that. . . . It was my mouth, my voice! I controlled our Pokemon. I made them beat Meowth up. If you hadn't somehow come back, I probably would have killed myself. Maybe somehow all of you will forgive me, but how can I forgive myself?!"

James hesitated. "Only you can answer that, Jess." He slowly reached out to hug her from behind. She stiffened, but allowed it. "It will take time. Maybe a very long time. I'm still haunted by what happened to me when that evil spirit possessed me."

"That's different," Jessie objected. "Okay, you said some hurtful things, but most of them were things that needed to be said. You couldn't go through with anything really horrible. The very thought of killing me or even the twerp was enough to make you strong enough to fight! And instead, with me . . . it took killing you to break the mask's spell over me. What does that say about me?"

"I think it says more about the strength of the evil in that mask," James shuddered. "It came on so quietly, so slowly, that you didn't even realize what was happening to you. Because of that, it was able to permeate through your mind and soul to the point that you thought Meowth and I were against you. Then it took you over completely."

"I thought my mind was clear, but it hadn't been clear from the moment I put the mask on. It only cleared when you died." Jessie shut her eyes tightly. "It was like I was watching a stranger impale you. Then I realized I'd done it. How many people could forgive their best friend for becoming their worst enemy?"

"Honestly, I think anyone who truly loves their best friend and never stops believing in them," James said softly. "I couldn't think you were too far gone, Jessie. I had to believe that something could still reach you. And in that, my death had a purpose."

Jessie finally turned to face him. "I used to think you were so weak," she choked out. "A spoiled, vain brat who knew nothing of hard living and always caved to whatever I or others wanted you to do. Instead, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met."

"So are you," James replied.

Jessie gave a weak smile. "I hope someday . . . I can believe that again."

"Someday you will," James promised.

Jessie hesitated. "Aren't you haunted . . . bothered at all by what I did?"

James paused, considering the question. "I'm bothered by what the mask made you do," he said at last. "And . . . yes, being stabbed was horrifying. It seemed like a nightmare, something unreal. But I know you didn't do it. Not the real you. I couldn't remember it that way if I tried."

Jessie finally turned and hugged him close. "I'll never do anything like that again," she choked out.

"I know," James said softly. "And no matter what you have to do to get through this-crying, screaming-I'll be there for you."

"And who will be there for you, James?" Jessie had to wonder. "I can't believe you're really taking this as calmly as you seem to be. When it really sinks in, you're going to struggle with getting over it too. No matter the circumstances, being run through by your best friend is not something anyone could easily deal with!"

James looked down. He knew she was right.

"We'll all deal with this together," he determined. "We all suffered; we'll all comfort each other and be there for each other until we've recovered."

"That's right!" Meowth scrambled up with them now. "Me too!"

Jessie and James started and looked to him. Then, smiling, they drew him close.

"Of course," James said.

"Our team could never be complete without you, Meowth," Jessie said. "And I know it could never begin to make up for what I did, but . . . I am so sorry for everything I said and did to both of you. You're the only ones who really love me and I discarded that for a mask and staff."

"And you would have given them up long ago if the mask hadn't poisoned you with its evil," James said.

Meowth nodded. "I'll admit I was afraid you was gone for good, Jessie. Especially when you had everybody gang up on me. But Jim still believed, and I sure as heck wanted to."

"I would have given up on me too," Jessie remarked.

"And when I woke up just in time to see what you did to James . . ." Meowth shut his eyes tightly and looked away. "That was when I lost all hope. But even as he . . . died, he still believed in you. I still wanted to too. And then you came back." He looked up again. "And even James came back. And now . . . now we've all got a chance to be together again." Awe filled his eyes and his voice.

"And we're going to be," Jessie vowed. "I don't know how you can want me back, but since you do, I'll be here."

"We'll all be here," James said. "Always."

They held each other close.

Ash, Misty, and Brock watched from a distance.

"Do you think they really will be okay?" Ash wondered.

"I think so," Brock said. "With time. And hopefully they've learned their lesson, at least about ancient artifacts."

"I'm pretty sure they won't try stealing any more masks and staffs any time soon," Ash said.

Misty nodded. "I'm sure. I don't think Eve and Tierra will want to dig any more up any time soon, either. At least not if there are similar legends floating around about other artifacts."

"I wonder what they're gonna do with the stuff from today," Ash said.

"The mask and staff are in pieces, but I don't think anyone wants to take a chance on something else going wrong," Brock said. "The girls are going to put the pieces in a strongbox and lock it up tight."

"I hope no one else digs them up several centuries from now and figures out how to put them back together." Misty shuddered.

"That would be really scary," Ash proclaimed.

"No kidding," Brock agreed.

Misty paused. "You know, I hope we'll be okay too. What happened today was horrible. I think it's going to take us some time to get over it even though we were just watching."

"I think you're right," Ash said. He had to admit, at least to himself, that he was probably going to have nightmares about what they'd seen.

"Pika," said Pikachu.

Togepi trilled.

"I'm glad things turned out beautiful in the end," Misty said, smiling down at him. "Jessie proved that she's stronger than that priestess was. And she saved James' life."

Brock nodded. "That should help a lot in aiding their recovery from this. Ours too."

"Pikachu," Pikachu agreed.

Zubat, perched on Brock's shoulder, chirped.

Brock smiled. "Thanks for all your help, Zubat," he said, petting the soft fur.

"That was really amazing how you heard Zubat under all the debris," Misty said. "I didn't think anyone could do that!"

"It takes a strong bond with your Pokemon to be able to," Brock said.

"And a whole lot of determination!" Ash said. Suddenly something occurred to him and he frowned. "Hey . . . do you think Team Rocket's other Pokemon will forgive Jessie for controlling them?"

Brock looked to where Weezing, Victreebel, Arbok, and Lickitung had joined their friends and were participating in the group hug as best as they could. "I think so," he said. "Especially since Jessie was really a victim too."

"I wonder if Jessie will ever be able to see it that way," Misty said quietly.

"Probably not for a long time," Brock said. "But maybe someday, with the help of her friends."

Ash smiled a bit. "I'm glad Jessie has real friends to help her through this."

"I guess in that way, Team Rocket is like us," Misty said. "I'm sure if anything like that happened to us, we would stay loyal through it."

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "But it'd sure better not happen to us!" He shuddered.

"It won't," Brock vowed, laying his hands on their shoulders. "I promise, that will never happen to any of us!"

Ash and Misty looked at him in surprise. While they partially weren't sure how Brock could fulfill such a promise, it was a comforting thought and one they wanted to cling to. They never wanted to act out a tragedy such as Team Rocket had been forced to play, even though that had miraculously turned out well.

They turned and went back inside.