Authors Note: For some reason, I was in a Monty Python mood last night. So, I put about a million references to it in the last chapter (hence Ash's copyright comment). Cookie to anyone who finds them all!

To my reviewers:

Koichi: Thanks! Yeah, I'm gonna have to do some research before I write that story, though. I actually haven't seen very much of the newer seasons. Haha! But I'll get on it as soon as I'm done with this one.

Woopa: Thanks! And thanks for reviewing.

Fang: Huzzah for sneakiness. Well, I try. Random is my specialty.

Strawberry: Thank you! I put a lot of effort into my work, so that's much appreciated.

Sydney: Indeed. That was actually inspired by the Youtube series "4kids hates riceballs." Because it's true! And hilarious.

Rezzelia: Hey, thanks for actually coming! I'm glad you like it.

Chapter ten: Conversation

"They must have gone this way!" Jessie insisted. She pointed east of the restaurant where she and Misty had been fighting only moments before.

"No, no, no!" Misty shook her head. "They went that way!" She pointed west.

"That's impossible twerp. And just how would you know, anyway? It's not like you saw them leave."

"You didn't see them leave either!" Misty shot back. "And besides, it's much more likely that they went this way. There's lots of buildings and lights to the west. They surely wanted something to do, so they would head into the city."

"That's where you're wrong." Jessie responded coolly. "They left because they were sick and tired of us and fighting and everything that was happening. It's obvious that they went east, away from the city and into the forest to relax."

"Ridiculous! They went west."

"East."

"WEST!"

"EAST!"

"Okay look." Misty took a deep breath to calm herself. "We can't keep fighting or we'll never accomplish anything."

Jessie reluctantly nodded in agreement. "How about we play rock, paper, scissors. Winner picks which way we go."

"All right! Sounds like a plan." Misty held out her fist, ready to play.

"On three." Jessie said.

"One, two THREE!"

Misty pulled rock and Jessie pulled God.

"Wait a minute, that's not fair!" Misty pouted.

"Oh of course, how silly of me. Not playing fair. Because I've never done that before." Jessie's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh all right, point taken." Misty sighed with defeat.

Proudly, Jessie marched forward, towards the forest where Ash and Meowth were headed, and away from the Pokemon center with James and Brock.

Meanwhile…

"Okay, I have a question." Brock turned to James.

James looked up to acknowledge Brock's comment.

The two of them had decided that the best course of action was to simply sit in the Pokemon Center for now and wait. They had abandoned the thought of fixing the situation, especially after Brock listened to a few of James' crackpot theories on what might help, and decided simply letting it work itself out was the best bet. Neither was in a particular rush to get back to the rest of their respective groups anyway, whatever they may be doing. So, they lounged on the couch drinking soda (from which James had eagerly taken the bottle caps) and talking about nothing in particular.

"So, what's the deal with the rose?"

James frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why do you always have one?"

"What are you talking about? I haven't carried a rose around since season one."

"Well, it still pops up from time to time. Regardless, why did you have it?"

"Well, I liked to leave them at crime scenes. It was kind of my way of, I dunno, mocking the police and whatnot." James confessed.

"Oh." Brock seemed interested. "Why'd you stop?"

"I didn't stop completely. When ever we go do some random bank heist or something, I always have one around. We're not always failures, you know."

"I never thought of that. But why not us?"

"Well, there's no need to expect any kind of crime scene around you guys anymore. It's pretty much guaranteed that we're going to lose."

"Well, that's not a very positive attitude."

"Why are you encouraging me? We're enemies, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Brock chuckled embarrassedly. "Sometimes it doesn't seem that way, huh."

James sat back and put his hands behind his head. "Nah, deep down, you know you like us."

Meanwhile…

"Great going twerp, you've gotten us lost!" Meowth lashed out at Ash.

Ash was busy studying a nearby tree. "I'm positive we've passed this tree before!" He declared to Meowth, who was now sweatdropping.

"ALL DA TREES LOOK DA SAME!" He cried. He jumped at Ash and launched a Fury Swipes, leaving him all scratched up.

"Ow, what was that for, you –" Ash cut his sentence short when he heard a rustling in the bushes near where he and the cat were standing.

Meowth heard it too. "What's that sound?"

Both of them stood, ready for whatever was going to pop out at them. But nothing quite prepared them for the sight that came parading out of the bushes in their direction; a very proud-looking Jessie and a very bored-looking Misty.

Ash and Meowth were crestfallen. "Aww, I thought we'd finally escaped from you guys." Ash said. He immediately wished he hadn't.

"And what's that supposed to mean!" The bitches shouted, their heads growing.

"Now ladies, ladies please. Let's all get along here." Meowth stepped in, attempting to bring peace.

"Meowth is right!" Misty said. "We need to go find James and Brock and talk this over."

"Well, there's a problem with your theory." Jessie countered. "None of us know where they are."