Denounce The Evils

by MadiYasha

With the loss of Team Rocket as an organization, Jessie, James, and Meowth set out to do something they never would have previously dreamed-backtracking across the regions, reuniting with old friend and foe alike, in an attempt to make up for their wrongs. Join the trio as they take off on a determined search to find their white tomorrow on the path of righteousness.

12. Lying Among the Trees

A/N: Hey all! We ended up doing a lot with this chapter, and I think it's kind of a mess! It's got... A LOT of flashbacks in it, because I feel like there isn't much I can do as a writer to put weight to the circumstances in the present. IT'S ALSO ALMOST 20K, FUCKING WHOOPS? Hope that's okay.

If you notice some discrepancies surrounding pokemon dialogue, it's intentional and I'll talk about it in my closing notes! Not here though, because spoilers. Also those below if you know your episodes well enough or looked at the character roster.

Per request, the episode alluded to in this chapter is:

-AG006 (A Poached Ego)

If you've seen it before, you should be good. If not, maybe give it a rewatch!

---

The blue of the sky had been gradually fading as the herd made their way north, and Arbok broke its slither to periscope higher. Narrowing its eyes, it let the open air hit its tongue, taking in the scent of the tropics around them. It'd attributed the darkening skies to the bits of ash that floated along the breeze the farther they'd gotten, but it quickly realized that was only half of it.

"Rain," it hissed to the halted herd behind it, and the ekans and koffing all muttered amongst themselves. In their hushed concerns, both Arbok and Weezing scanned the area for shelter.

Were this Kanto, things would have been a lot easier. For pokémon, they could easily boast that they were far more traveled than a lot of the others they knew. These lands, however, were new and unfamiliar, and they had no set path for this migration. More than anything, they found themselves just trudging on until they found somewhere comfortable and far, far away.

"Let's keep moving," Weezing said to Arbok, loud enough so that the others could hear it. If the rain was going to menace them, it would just be one more thing they would have to endure. Annoying, yes—but they had their lives and their freedom. Better free and soaking than dry behind bars.

As if looking out for them, the path they followed produced a cave at the base of a towering peak. The herd collectively sighed in relief, all of them darting toward it as fast as their lack of legs could. The koffing lagged behind only a little before the skies cracked open and unleashed a tropical downpour.

The cave was somehow much bigger than they'd envisioned, with a stone finish that seemed more golden than slate. Inside it, the walls glittered like starlight, and the area stayed bright despite no sun reaching it. There was water somewhere deeper, a sound more like a crashing waterfall than a quiet stream. It mixed with the rain, sinking into their forms, and the soreness of their muscles finally hit.

Arbok and Weezing took another look around the curious little home. There didn't seem to be anyone too territorial at the mouth of the cave—a couple zubat hanging in the distance, a strange orange pokémon ducking into the shadows, out of sight. If they stayed toward the entrance and didn't make too much noise, it was unlikely that anyone would take issue with their being there. Arbok slithered to the corner and coiled itself, resting its eyes. The others followed.

Weezing deflated itself enough to descend beside its longtime friend, the purple of their bodies melting into a noxious gradient. Fluidly, as if it were a dance practiced a thousand times over, Arbok unfurled itself to pull the pokémon into an embrace, tight enough for comfort and loose enough to breathe. They leaned into each other, trying to focus their hearts on the feeling of being together despite everything. Trying to steer themselves away from the racing thoughts that hadn't left them since everything changed.

The knot of ekans and bubble of koffing were quick to follow, huddling against the pair more out of need for contact than warmth. There was a chance they weren't going to be able to forage for food tonight, but that was okay. While the herd were all individual pokémon with different thoughts and feelings and motives, there was a collective respect and feeling of undying gratitude and loyalty toward the two pokémon who had given up everything to lead them to safety.

They'd never faltered, despite everything. Fearful nights, blistering winds, heavy rains—Arbok and Weezing kept onward. Even when it seemed they should have quit, they didn't. And for what? What was the point of this?

One ekans in particular, naive and what the others would describe as "lacking in manners" had finally gotten to a point where he'd found these questions maddening. As he opened his eyes and snaked across the tangle of poison pokémon, Arbok stirred at the sounds and took him in—gangly (even for an ekans) and bright-eyed, features soft with something untapped. Obviously young. The most distinct thing about him was the oddness of his pattern—where most ekans had a bright yellow stripe across their neck to match the gold of their rattle, he had nothing. His body was the same solid shade of purple all across, and his eyes were a shining red.

He slithered closer to his evolutionary counterpart, tilting his head curiously as he neared. The rest of the herd watched him, wondering what the strange pokémon was up to now, more than a few of them a little nervous. His voice was a little too loud when he spoke.

"Hey, big sib!" He hissed curiously, and more than one ekans in the knot dragged their tail across their face, humiliated.

"What?" Arbok replied, mirroring him with surprisingly equal interest, unperturbed by the strange manner of address.

"How come?" he said, not elaborating much.

"How come what?"

"How come you so nice!" he told it. "Didn't know us. Didn't want anything from us. So why? You had masters! Pokémon dream of having masters! And you leave yours. Why?"

Arbok looked to Weezing, a little unsure of how to answer. Neither of them wanted to leave. It was just what they had to do. The pokémon found itself lost deep in thought, picking words from its limited vocabulary carefully.

"Sometimes…" it began. "When you travel with Master… you learn thing you can't learn alone."

"That just more strange!" Ekans responded. "Why leave that?"

Arbok willed itself to sound wise, to impart its feelings onto the child.

"Masters were hurt on the inside," it said, voice shaking a little. "Other humans unkind to Masters. Even people that Masters thought friends. Masters did many bad thing because hearts hurt so much."

"Yeah!" Ekans agreed. "Don't trust humans. Humans put me and all my friends in cage. Even humans not trust other humans!"

It was Weezing's turn to pipe up a little, the quieter of the pair hoping its words would mix nicely with Arbok's.

"Sometime, though," it said. "Masters would do something they didn't want to. Always hurt other pokémon. Always wanted to be selfish. But sometimes they didn't."

"So?" the kid said. "What that have to do with anything? What you learn from human like that?"

"Still good in Master," Arbok said, simply. "Even when she do bad thing. Even when she want to take, sometime, she give."

"Wanted to stay with Master," Weezing added. "But Master taught me that sometime, not about what you want. Sometime, you have to be kind."

"Don't understand," Ekans pouted a little. "They good humans, or bad humans?"

Arbok shook its head. "Not that easy. That what you learn when you get Master."

"Pokémon always good," Weezing said. "Humans good and bad and everything in-between. Hard for humans to just be one. "

This wisdom seemed to enchant the ekans, and he ached to know what it was the pokémon meant. The question took a beat to come to him, and when he finally spoke, his voice seemed softer.

"Were they good masters?"

Arbok and Weezing shared a look, their eyes sparkling with something bittersweet. In unison, they answered.

"Yes."

Ekans peered into them, unblinking. The herds around them shuffled in the quiet of the cave. The sound of water persisted.

"Even bad human," Weezing started.

"...can be good master," Arbok finished.

The little ekans was unsure of so many of the sentiments they were sharing. He supposed they were right—a pokémon who had a master learned things that a pokémon who didn't never could. Humans were scary , but why else would so many pokémon spend their entire lives hoping for one to stroll by and befriend them?

Even if he hadn't believed a lick of it, the love and clarity in their voices would have convinced him in a heartbeat. Some kind of adoring aroma wafted off the word 'Master' whenever the pair said it, and it was warming unlike anything he'd known.

"We take care of you," Arbok said, willing its words to sound like her's, a flash of crimson hair and blazing blue eyes kindly inching it forward. "Because it what Masters would want. Still loyal to Master, even though we far apart. Love Master always."

"Masters always with us," Weezing corrected. "Only far in sense."

The rain began to peter out, outside. Ekans began to crane their necks, koffing rose up off the floor, eager to see its end. The trio continued to converse.

"What that mean?" The mono-coloured ekans asked, confused.

Arbok and Weezing looked out to the sun as it broke through the clouds, a literal light at the end of the tunnel. Neither of them felt the tears on their face as they continued to impart their feelings.

"We are who we are…"

"...because of Masters."

Their eyes smiled despite the mournful droplets framing them. Ekans watched as their bodies slowly became enveloped in the blinding light as it hit the puddles outside, and the herd advanced.

He tried not to fall behind as they all moved onward.

---

"We're not flying over it, Meowth, that idea is absolutely ludicrous!"

"Come on , da t'ings dormant! It'd save us some time! We'd be able ta hit da hotsprings and live like kings!"

Jessie crossed her arms, unmoving. James, Chimecho, and Wobbuffet elected to zone out in a corner while the pair argued again .

"All that volcanic ash can't be good for one's beauty," she said, not convinced. "And James is allergic to like, everything, he'll whine and pass out."

"I feel like you only remember that about me when you need to win an argument," James said, suddenly present.

She ignored him. "Are you going to do that to our dearest friend, Meowth? Are you going to put him through that?"

"Yer killin me wit' dis, Jess," Meowth rolled his eyes. "An' Jimmy's hardier dan ya give 'im credit for!"

"Thank you," James added, heading back to his corner.

"We are not flying over the volcano," Jessie said, remaining firm. "It's hot enough in Hoenn, and I don't need embers singing my beautiful face, and—"

Jessie suddenly stopped herself, something catching in her peripheral vision. Her team reacted accordingly, all of them following her line of sight to the forests below.

Hoenn was a region they were grateful to finally grace. Jessie had quite a bit of sentiment toward it already, memories of a particularly kind and supportive foster home flashing in her head. Face pressed up against the glass at Mauville's Game Corner, shaking hands pulling the cord on the hybrid busses from there to Verdanturf. Coming home to caretakers who were patient with her, watching the Coordinators in Lilycove perform with stars in her eyes. Beyond that, it was where she herself started contests, and she couldn't help but feel elated to be back. Her mood, as usual, had a tendency to bleed into her teammates, argument notwithstanding.

They were just south of Fallarbor, now, making their way across the region in a bit of an unorthodox zigzag. There were trees upon trees framing the mountains, and Jessie was the one who loudly announced that they'd be hitting Rustboro next. She'd claimed that perhaps the son of the president would be there at Devon's HQ, and perhaps they'd run into each other and bump hands reaching for the same pastry at the cafeteria, and perhaps he and his buckets of cash would fall madly in love with her and marry her on the spot. Perhaps.

Meowth, on the other hand, was set on taking the detour to Lavaridge for some relaxation, apathetic to her delusions of meet cute.

Wherever the debate was headed, it was lost to the wind, now, as they all peered over the edge of the basket, trying to make sense of what they saw below.

There was a near endless sea of green, but somewhere beyond it, a clearing amongst the trees. A massive, lush field untouched by the shade of the towering pines, almost intimidating in its extent. Were it empty, the loneliness of it would have been eerie. It was not empty.

The clearing was absolutely decorated with purple, like scattered pixels on a greenscreen. The dots of bright colour moved around below, indistinguishable but still with a liveliness seeming to radiate off of them and upwards. Chimecho seemed mystified, but there was something present in the others' eyes that it couldn't entirely detect.

Goosebumps upturned on their skin as they continued to stare transfixed at the breathing scene underfoot—both enraptured and terrified at what the moving colours meant. There was… no feasible way, right? There couldn't be.

The former Rockets shared a stricken look amongst each other, emotions a tangled web of conflict. A hope hung over them that was undeniable, uplifting, euphoric—and an ugly thought that came with it that said there was no chance life was this fair. Without words, they shared this understanding. And yet…

One last look between them. They nodded to each other.

James steadied his shaking hands as he worked the descent, electing to land the balloon a little ways away, where there was enough of a part in the treetops to managed it safely. They had to know. If it turned out the mass of purple was not what they suspected, the worst that could happen was debilitatingly dashed hopes. If they merely ignored it, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.

Even if it wasn't… that , it was a large group of probably pokémon that showed the telltale marks of being dangerously venomous. Jessie spoke, her voice quieter than normal, far less optimistic than her usual self.

"Get in front, James," she said.

"What?" He responded. "Why?"

"What was all that about being hardy? Well, you're practically immune to poison at this point," she noted. "If the situation turns hostile and one of us has to take a stinger to the face, I'd say you're the best candidate."

"You are standing," he said, incredulous. "Next to a wobbuffet."

"That is my darling you are talking about!" Jessie dove to hug her pokémon, nuzzling his face while he looked generally apathetic. "I can't put him in that kind of danger!"

James went to call her out on the dangers of babying her precious blue psychic friend, and Chimecho shot him an amused look that begged him to try it. He sighed as he moved himself forward, compliant, and his pokémon hurried to his side. It had been a long time, but hopefully his developed vitality against toxins would hold up if things went bad.

They hadn't landed far from the clearing, but the minutes passed agonizingly slow as they made their way down the path. The silence of the forest was equally maddening—with an eerie serenity and little room for the usual pleasantries of pokémon amongst the trees. James could practically feel the anxiety radiating off his team in waves, and he thanked his lucky stars that for once he wasn't the only one with sweating palms and airless lungs.

Jessie balled her fists. James took a deep inhale. The trees became fewer, and the clearing came into sight. Hearts tight, eyes burning, muscles ragged, they mechanically carried themselves forward, out of the dark shade and into the sunlight.

The gathering was even more bustling up close, and the group found themselves awestricken at the sight of it. Ekans and arbok and koffing and weezing as far as the eye could see, sharing meals and sparring with each other and excitedly emerging in and out of a collection of bases and dens. Chatter amongst the pokémon as they made idle conversation. It was a beautiful sight to take in—they were certain that to see this many pokémon in one place was a natural rarity, and the sight of it filled their hearts with curious wonder.

The joyous scene quickly faded, however, as the pokémon began to notice one by one that there were others in their territory. The ekans and arbok rose their heads ominously, the koffing and weezing floated higher and inflated themselves in defense. Their talk turned to murmuring, and their murmurs to silence. Meowth caught their shining eyes—hurt once, but never again.

Before much time could pass at all, the clearing was pulled into a petrifying hush. Not a single creature made a sound. One arbok ducked into a den. James shut his eyes, feeling sick to his stomach, anticipating the onslaught. Chimecho floated a little ways ahead of him, readying its type advantage.

The opposite groups stood there at a stalemate for what felt like forever. An arbok's hiss rang out from far into the hive, and with a few reluctant looks toward each other, the pokémon in the clearing began to shuffle apart.

It was a sight unparalleled, impossible to put words to—the lot of them moving so in sync and all at once. A ravenous crowd working as one living, breathing entity. They spread, creating a fine part cleanly down the middle, forming a break akin to an aisle of a chapel that Jessie and James were certain they'd never walk the halls of again. On every side of the former Rockets was an assortment of arbok and weezing. At the end of it was Arbok and Weezing.

The pokémon remained there, frozen to the spot, expressions pulled apart in shaken astonishment. Their former trainers mirrored them entirely, their hearts still connected despite everything.

The sunlight seemed to cast the opened path aglow, the only sound the whistling wind and Chimecho's bell up against it. The patrons of the clearing with their eyes warmly locked on the humans, like they'd been waiting forever for them to arrive. As if moving through a nigh impenetrable forcefield, James slowly, shakily let himself be carried down the aisle. From beside him, Jessie did not hesitate, and bolted to its end.

She ran. She ran faster than she knew she was capable of. She ran until her feet felt as though they weren't even touching the ground. Until she was practically flying. Arbok was far less quick, body halted in shock, moving by inch. Jessie blinked her tears out and they dissipated against the wild winds around her, sparkling like diamonds in the sun. She leapt off the forest floor as she neared the end and dove into Arbok's embrace.

It let out a startled 'char!' as the two of them made contact, the breath in its lungs being knocked somewhere else. They collapsed in a pile on the forest floor, Jessie's shaking fingertips gripping worn scales, Arbok's tail coiling itself around her body and squeezing with little care for her comfort. No pain it caused her was feasible to her mind in that moment. She felt nothing but untarnished rapture, and she wailed.

It was a sound not a soul in the universe had been privy to before, alien in a way that was uncannily breathtaking. Her team had never heard her cry so unprotected, nor had her pokémon, nor had her mother. No one but Jessie herself. She buried her face in Arbok's hood, stifling sobs into it, her whole body wrought with tremors. After a minute, she quieted herself, shakily bringing her palms to cup the pokémon's face, caressing it as if she'd suddenly been struck with the realization that maybe this was some beautiful dream. Arbok moved in closer, flicking her tears away with its tongue, and she collapsed onto it all over again, resuming her unrestrained bawling.

James was midway down the parted path, his legs halfway to buckling, Chimecho floating curiously beside him. It was the third reunion he'd been given in a fairly short time, but what made this one different was just how intangible it had always been in his mind. In his happy fantasies, he had pictured himself reuniting with people like Chimecho and Cacturne. Never Weezing. Getting the hope in his head was dangerous, a daydream that never could have been, and yet…

His pokémon was floating with equal disbelief, equal hesitation, both of them so unsure and so hung up on the blessing they were living through in that moment. While Jessie had torn a clear trail to her partner, waves of relief practically flying off of her, James could only shamble forward. When he was close enough, he ran a trembling hand against the thick, rough, rubbery texture of Weezing's larger head, moving his gaze from one pair of eyes to the other, all of them lost in tears.

James fell to his knees, losing himself. His pokémon floated to him, bumping itself against his torso, and he held it close. His throat burned with his head angled toward its spewing craters, but he found himself comfortable with the sensation despite it. James would take a thousand needles in his skin, a thousand fangs buried in his hair, a thousand drops of venom in his blood if it meant he could feel this happy forever.

The four of them sunk there on the dampened grass, their pant legs stained with what would soon become an important memory never to fade. As the last pair made contact, something incredible happened—the pokémon all around began to cheer.

It was deafening, beautiful, harmonious and discordant all at once. Hundreds upon hundreds of exuberant cries, blanketing the team and keeping them safe and warm. The hostility they had felt only moments before vanished and a deep sense of belonging had taken its place.

Meowth brought himself to James' side, silent sobs taking him, and placed a paw delicately on his friend's heaving shoulder. As he did, Chimecho hovered closer and wrapped its tail around James' other arm. From beside them, Wobbuffet stumbled over to Jessie, crying a fraction as loudly as she had been. As he neared her, he tripped and fell onto her and Arbok's cuddle pile, and the snake shot a few affectionate tongue flicks his way, happy to see him again.

The toxic crowds continued to sing victory around them, rattles and hisses like steady percussion, plumes of gas toward the sky like fireworks. In the center of the clearing, the former Rockets and their pokémon all drew in close to each other, tears unending, hearts lifted above all else.

---

Jessie turned to her side, arms cradling her torso in an undignified position, trying to quiet her racing thoughts. The shoddiness of the bedding wasn't helping her mood, and try as she might, comfort just wasn't going to find it's way to her. She shut her eyes and heaved a sigh, wondering why she was so bummed to begin with. It was the same as every other year. No reason this one should be any different.

The door to her dorm opened without a knock, and she stayed where she was, too deep in her own brood to really pay much mind to anything. Few things could get her so down that her usual optimism was untapable and this just happened to be one of them. At her silence, the other occupant spoke.

"Gonna be hard to blow out all those candles with your face down in the dumps like that, hun."

Jessie lazily dragged her gaze to Cassidy, standing at the side of their bunk with a small, wrapped box in her hand. When she caught the blonde's smile, her heart fluttered in a way that offset all the darkness pooling around it, blanketing its wicked tentacles in light. Feeling immediately less alone, Jessie was able to bring herself to a sit.

"Please tell me you actually brought cake," she said, voice low.

"'Fraid not, love," Cassidy responded. "You know I don't make enough green for the illegal sugar market the Grunts are running in the tunnels."

"Is…" Jessie said, curiously. "...are the tunnels real?"

"They're about as real as the swimming pool on the roof," her girlfriend laughed. "So, not at all. But god, could you imagine?"

Jessie found herself laughing along, catching herself in surprise when she realized just how quickly the woman had turned her mood around. It was a talent, really—one few people she'd ever met had come equipped with. She let herself keep the smile on. It felt a lot nicer on her than the permeating scowl she'd been wearing since midnight.

"So hey," Cassidy said when they'd stopped giggling. "I got you something."

Jessie peered into her, not comprehending. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?'" The blonde cocked an eyebrow. "It's your birthday, Jess."

"Eh… yes…"

"You're supposed to be spoiled silly on your birthday," she told her. "I mean, like I said, I don't make nearly enough green to accomplish that in this trash heap, but…"

Jessie found herself stumbling through the exchange, lost and a little flustered. She'd never been invited to birthdays. She'd never really celebrated one herself. She'd just known it was another year closer to her beauty fading and her appeal being lost, one year farther from ever being able to be someone's wife. There was a fuzzy memory in the back of her mind of a woman with loving, slate-grey eyes singing to her, and she shook it away soon as it hit.

"Anyways, here," Cassidy said, shoving the messily wrapped box in Jessie's arms. "Happy birthday, hun."

Jessie felt her face go red, only darkening when her fingertips brushed against her girlfriend's to take it. She was… unsure how to react at being given something for free. What was the catch? What did she have to sacrifice for this? Her eyes burned, and she swallowed hard. It was only in moments like this where it hit her that maybe her childhood wasn't as glamorous as she'd so badly wanted to believe.

The redhead peeled the colourful paper off the box, trying to ignore the way her hands hesitated a little at the folds. It was small, only a little bit bigger than her fist, and when she opened it, it was clear why—inside, covered in careful padding, was a plain red pokéball, unexpanded. Jessie pulled it out and set the empty container on her nightstand, staring curiously into the ball. She pressed the button, feeling it growing in her hand.

"I found it out on a mission the other day," Cassidy crossed her arms, grinning. "Go on."

A flickering anxiety rested in Jessie's lungs, and she hesitantly nodded. She'd… never had a pokémon before. Not one that belonged to her, certainly not one she'd been allowed to keep. Pokémon were a constant in most anyone's life, but to be able to hold on in her hands? She almost didn't want to throw the ball. She wanted to memorize the feel of it as it rested there, scared that if she let go, it would vanish.

Nevertheless, she brought it to a gentle toss, sheepish in her movements. When the pokémon inside sparkled to life, she felt as though she would collapse from pure, unbridled joy.

"Ekanssss!" It cried, in a hiss that sounded more like a squeak than anything. It was obviously young, only a good three feet or so, and its tiny eyes shone with youth. Jessie's own filled with tears as she saw it, and she dropped to her knees to meet its gaze. It was the most adorable thing she had ever seen in her life, and it was hers .

"Cassidy!" Jessie cried ecstatically, pointing at the ekans, unable to articulate herself.

"That's me," Cassidy said, an accomplished grin on her face.

"It's so cute!"

"Then you're a perfect pair," she said, and Jessie's heart fluttered. "It reminded me of you."

"I can't believe you remembered!" Jessie beamed.

"Pff, what, your birthday?" She said. "Of course I did, I wasn't raised in a barn."

"No, you…" Jessie wiped at her eyes. "You remembered that I love ekans."

"Oh!" Cassidy said. "Ha, that? It was a cute story, babe. Hard to forget something like that."

Jessie smiled up at her, lip quivering affectionately, overcome with emotion. She brought her line of sight back to Ekans, cautiously reaching out a hand, testing the waters.

"Ekans, is this okay?" She said, and Cassidy's heart couldn't handle the care in her voice. What on earth was Jessie doing in an organization that specialized in capturing and exploiting these creatures for cash? Here she was, looking more like a mother to one than anything.

Ekans tilted its head a little, but its expression didn't seem to carry hostility. Tenderly, Jessie brought her open palm to the side of its face, stroking it with as much endearment as she could muster. The pokémon leaned into the touch, shutting its eyes at the feeling of safety, hissing its name amorously.

Jessie had to stop herself from letting out an undignified squeak. This was a dream come true. This was the best birthday she'd ever had, and it was barely noon. She picked the pokémon up off the rough carpeting, and it seemed to lose its form in her arms, melting itself in an affectionate drape across them. Lovingly, it slithered up one and hung itself across her shoulders. This time, she couldn't help herself—she let the silent tears fall.

"Thank you so much, Cassidy!" She cried, smiling despite her sobs. She turned to Ekans. "You're so cute, Ekans! From now on we'll always be together!"

It rattled its tail a little, and whether it understood her meaning or not, there was a clear message that it was happy to be a part of her life. The sound of it washed over her—beautiful, bittersweet nostalgia

There was a part of Cassidy that almost resented the attention that Jessie spent the next few weeks giving to her pokémon rather than her love-starved girlfriend. There was a much louder part of her pushing forward a ridiculous notion that if everyone in Team Rocket were a little more like Jessie, her day-to-day would be far more pleasant.

The blonde smiled at the sight of Jessie planting quick, loving kisses onto soft scales. She realized, in that moment, that this might have been the first time Jessie ever leapt into the arms of a friend without the notion that they would someday abandon her.

Incredible girl, Cassidy pondered. If no one had ever hurt you, you would be unstoppable.

---

A contradictory aroma of silence and bustle hung around the clearing all at once. The tangle of pokémon muttered to themselves as they carried out their nights as normal, but neither the former Rockets nor their old friends had it in them to speak a word.

The fire was crackling, a solitary sound of universal calm, and the lot of them watched its gentle embers rise up and melt with the orange of the fading sun. Arbok was in the middle of Wobbuffet and Jessie, both of them leaning on it, eyes looking forward in an almost dazed manner. James and Chimecho were equally propped up against Weezing, James almost equally lost within himself. There was so much to say. There was nothing to say.

"I'll be honest with you, Arbok," Jessie began, and its name on her tongue almost made her tears come back. "I didn't plan on this, and my natural finesse for articulation seems to have failed me in its wake."

"Charbo," it said, in a voice that indicated a clear mirror in emotion.

James seemed to come out of his trance a little. "It's been so long… how do we even ask what your lives have been like? How do we even tell you what ours have been like?"

"I can summarize," Meowth said, voice sweet with snark. "We was bad, den we was good, we never gots dat pikachu, I had da brilliant idea ta fly over dat dere volcano, and now we's here like not'in ever changed."

Arbok and Weezing shared a look, eyes smiling a little, thoughts mingling— same old Meowth.

"Wait a second," Jessie interjected. "This only happened because I wisely decided not to fly over the volcano!"

"Pff, n'you t'ink we wouldn'ta ended up here anyways?" Meowth shot back. "If not'in else, dis journey shoulda taught you dat fate is real and loves contrivance like a cat loves coins!"

"Yes, that's absolutely the one thing we should have pulled from this," James said dryly. "None of that drivel about being a better person and atoning for your mistakes, heavens no. Just that life reads like an episodic drama novel sometimes."

From within the small gathering, Arbok and Weezing shared one more knowing look, before dissolving entirely into laughter. The sound, when it hit their former trainers' ears, was nigh indescribable, like instant morphine.

"And just what are you giggling at?" James grinned, shoving Weezing playfully. The pokémon pushed back with equal jest, both it and Arbok speaking surprisingly fluidly in their combination.

Sorry, it's just… James registered from one side.

...you haven't changed much, Jessie from the other.

Their pokémon seemed to have only grown closer over the years, their minds in a synchronicity that had only been a seed even deep into their journey. Now it was a towering sunflower, bright and wonderful and nurtured, and along their sense of pride was a deep longing to have been there to watch it happen.

We should have been there, Jessie found herself thinking, a bit solemnly. The more she re-memorized the feeling of her palms across Arbok's skin, the more angry she felt at the idea that she'd ever been forced to forget.

"We's always gonna be da same brand of lovely and charming we always was," Meowth boasted.

"But, hopefully," James added. "Some of the less pleasant aspects of our whole routine have changed."

"Weez?" His pokémon asked, confused at the meaning.

"Headquarters is kaput, you see," James answered it. "Team Rocket as we know it is gone."

The pair of poison types took a moment to register the comment, a grave statement said so casually and with such little care. Their expressions twisted slightly, and Arbok turned, a little insecure about what it was feeling and hoping that Weezing would mirror it.

Team Rocket was an awful, demented group of cruel and relentless humans who used pokémon for their personal gain and were no better than the hunter who had driven the colony into these mountain-hugged forests. Rare exceptions existed, but for the most part, Team Rocket was a stain on the world, and its downfall was welcomed and celebrated by human and pokémon alike.

On the other hand… there were memories at headquarters. Sentiments the pokémon couldn't ignore. A young girl's hands incredulously fiddling with an ekans' shed skin, a timid boy pretending to be tougher than he is as he clutches his koffing like his only lifeline. These memories would be worth forsaking if it meant that building would burn and never rise up once more. But when you spend a good chunk of your life missing someone dearly, your memories alongside them are often all you have.

Meowth seemed to sense the tension in their hearts, his selective empathy growing more precise in its radar, and he rose to his feet to reassure them before they could say a word.

"It makes sense dat ya would feel weird about it," he told them both. "Ya got special memories wit' Team Rocket, dontcha?"

They nodded, anguish hesitantly lining their expressions.

"Ya ain't alone dere," he said, closing his eyes and placing a balled paw on his chest. "I'll nevah forget how much my legs was shakin' when I went in ta meet da boss for da foihst time. Or how much my empty stomach hoiht when we was all alone trainin' out in da wilderness. Or how happy I was when Jessie 'n' James shared deys' food wit' me. It's hard rememberin' all dat and realizing dat if ya went back to where it all happened, t'ings would nevah be da same, huh?"

There was a tenderness in his voice that Jessie and James were almost amazed by, not having heard him speak so openly and softly in a long time. It was always such a strange and charming sight—Meowth's sharp voice doing what it could to quiet itself and transform into something nurturing and kind.

"But ya still got dose memories," he said, opening his eyes with a soft smile. "Dey ain't goin' anywhere. And ya always have chances to make new ones too. Ones dat are much better dan ever before."

The pair were genuinely comforted by this, and it wasn't until then that everything had really, truly hit them. This was real. They were sitting here alongside their friends who had changed them irreparably, their friends who had sacrificed everything for them, their friends who had shaped their concept of humanity more than anything or anyone they'd ever known. Their friends—the ones who they had accepted they would never see again, long, long ago.

Arbok pulled itself back into a smile, blinking away happy tears and prodding at Meowth with its tail. Weezing let out an affectionate puff of smoke at the scene. The cat felt pride swell his heart, and he tried to ride the high of it. It was so much nicer than the devious flower that bloomed when he was revelling in evil deeds—how did he become addicted to that instead?

"Something tells me you've already made some fond memories here," Jessie smiled, giving her pokémon a soft stroke on its hood. "We've given you the basics of where we're at, now it's your turn, mister!"

Arbok had a look on its face that said clear as day— I do not know where I'd start, and Weezing seemed equally lost at the question. There was no way to quietly summarize perilous migrations and the the passing of generations and the breath of new life. Instead, the pair rose up off the forest floor, electing to hopefully show them, instead.

The rest of the group seemed to catch their drift, curiously getting on their feet. Following behind, the former Rockets realized then that they really hadn't had the opportunity to take in the colony before—a cloud of nervousness hanging over them, obscuring their view. Now, though, even in the fading light of the sun, it was much more visible, and all the more beautiful. The rest of the pokémon were settling down, herding their young into the dens that lined the grassy floor, pushing foraged berries into a larger niche. To see so many pokémon living naturally and in such a structure was something few humans ever caught a glimpse of in passing, let alone up close. Getting to exist within one felt unreal, and that was putting it lightly.

As Arbok and Weezing lead them, chattering proudly and introducing the areas— this is the nursery, this is where we eat, this is where we spar —the group couldn't help but take note of how the other pokémon living there seemed to humble themselves in their presence. Not in fear, like the quiver that caught in the herd's eyes when they'd stumbled upon the clearing. Far more like respect, like love. Something conflicted settled in the pit of Jessie's stomach, and she desperately tried to blink it away.

They were at the back of the clearing, now, where a massive tree towered like a sentinel, hanging itself over the end of the field. Its base was hollowed out, absolutely colossal in its surface area, big enough to fit all of the former Rockets and their pokémon. The lot of them stood there marveling at its size, and Arbok and Weezing excitedly grinned as they beckoned their friends inside— and here's where we stay.

Within, the sunkissed orange of the sky filtered in weakly through holes in the trunk, illuminating the single nest that lay at the back of the den. Strangely enough, there was another arbok resting there, coiled around something unseen. It raised itself off of pine needles and yielding soil at the sound of footsteps, hissing something quietly to the others.

Their conversation seemed casual, though Jessie and James could only really make out what their own pokémon were saying. There was a softness to the poison types' voices that was strangely alien, something their humans had never remembered hearing before. Meowth's eyes widened a little as the trio spoke, but clearly wasn't intending on exposing why just yet.

The mystery arbok brought its loose coil to an even looser periscope, and that's when the former Rockets saw it—the pokémon's hood was completely bare. Where most arbok brandished a powerful, menacing pattern to ward off predators, this one had nothing but the shimmering purple of its scales. The sight of it filled the visitors with a deep sense of discomfort, in a way that was hard to put words to. The initial reaction was that it was… wrong , but the feelings that came after were far more empathetic. Jessie and James' minds both darted to similar places— were the others nice to it? How has it survived this long? Has it lived a comfortable life, is it okay?

Meowth swallowed something heavy. An arbok without a pattern shouldn't exist. Neither should a meowth on two legs. Yet fate had not only brought them both into existence, but allowed them to find each other. He didn't know this stranger, but he already felt ready to lay down his life for it, some beautiful devotion to the outcasted and mutant.

The lot of them were so distracted by the pokémon that they didn't even notice what it had been protecting like a precious treasure—in the nest, where it was previously resting, shone a deep indigo pokémon egg, a lively green flourishing at its crown. Immediately upon the blank arbok slithering out of the spot to make room, Arbok and Weezing brought themselves to the egg's side, tenderly bumping it to make sure it was in good shape. The care in their gestures was not unheard of, but rarely seen, and their former trainers felt their faces go red as the sight slowly rendered in their vision.

There is no way, the both of them thought, casting frantic looks at each other, then to their pokémon, then to the egg, then back to each other, thoughts and words both sputtering around their head as they tried to make sense of the picture.

"You didn't—you both—?!"

"That's not— i-is that—?!"

Oh god, Jessie's mind raced, bugs wriggling under her skin. Oh god, no, if I have to hear that thing about pokémon mimicking the personalities of their trainers from Meowth one more time I'm going to be sick, oh god—

Arbok and Weezing broke the embrace with the egg, quickly snapping their eyes open. Oh, whoops. They had forgotten that humans were insistent on applying romance to everything, for some reason. They broke apart, mirroring their former trainers with equal grasp on their articulation.

"Ch—char—!"

"W~eez!"

From beside the commotion, Meowth sighed into the void, secondhand embarrassment pushing his tolerance far off into the same metaphorical abyss. He waited for the context to slowly come to him, flicking his ear a little as he tried to zero in over the panicked shouts layered on top of each other.

"Everybody calm down ," he just short of yelled, silencing the chaos. When everyone had quieted and it looked as though Jessie was about to go off on him for ordering her around, he spoke.

"Foihst of all," Meowth started. "Last I checked, dese two can't be poppin' eggs out. Biologically speakin'."

The two pokémon blushed even deeper, turning away from each other with wide eyes.

"Second off," he followed. "Dey don't even know what's inside dis egg, am I gettin' dat right?"

With the question, he turned to the pair, inquiring. They both nodded a little timidly, explaining their circumstances. Their voices were soft, quiet, so Meowth continued to translate, just in case the message was lost somewhere or inaudible.

"Apparently some of da ot'er pokémon found dis egg out in da surroundin' forests one day while dey was scoutin' for food," he elaborated. "Dey looked around an' couldn't find its family anywhere, so dey brought it back here to try and take care of it demselves."

Arbok and Weezing nodded again, speaking a little louder this time.

"Charbok…" it hissed, a little downtrodden.

"Weez~ing," the other punctuated.

We're trying to give it a comfortable life, Arbok had said, and its companion finished— but we don't know what kind of pokémon it is, and we're not exactly suited to egg-warming…

Meowth caught Jessie and James' expressions softening in worry, and figured he didn't need to carry on. They definitely got the jist. Stepping, forward, James took a knee, placing a comforting hand on his friend.

"I'm sure this little tyke will turn out just fine," he smiled. "Hoenn's got the perfect climate for an egg, you know. I imagine the only thing that would need extra warmth is a fire type."

His pokémon seemed comforted by the words, but the obvious question lingered— but what if it is a fire type? This is their habitat, after all . James continued to stroke it affectionately, keeping his tone confident.

"It could be. But even in this climate, the Hoenn region isn't exactly known for its lush abundance of fire types," James chuckled. "Quite the contrary, in fact."

Both Arbok and Weezing seemed a touch more soothed at the information. They'd nearly forgotten over the years how comforting it could be to have a human perspective where they themselves lacked one. Pokémon were so often creatures of emotion and instinct, to have a steady balance of logic was something they hadn't realized they were missing.

"So ya raisin' dis kiddo as yer own, huh?" Meowth crossed his arms, nodding proudly. "Look at yous two. I can't believe how responsible ya've gotten!"

"Oh my god," Jessie said, voice rough from lack of use. "I'm a grandma."

She fell to her knees, emotionally overcome, and Arbok rushed to her side, desperate to offer its comfort. It spoke gentle reassurances at her, that she was still so young and that her beauty hadn't faded for an instant, whatever it could given what it remembered about her throughout their years together. She laughed, and put an arm around it.

"Oh, Arbok, it's fine," Jessie said. "I'm just so delighted for you both."

"Chaabok?" it inquired, voice small.

"You've made yourselves a home…" she told it. "Look at how the others treat you. You're revered as their leaders. You've even have a family here… you've come so far."

The pokémon dropped its gaze to the floor, happy with the praise but feeling… conflicted. It moved in closer to Jessie, bumping its head against her. When it spoke, there was something sorrowful hanging on the syllables of its name.

We had a home and a family before, too.

Jessie's heart lurched, and she cradled the snake's face in her arms, swallowing quiet tears. These worries were so unnecessary, these anxieties so unkind. Nothing had to be different. Not unless she made it that way.

Still, something uneasy rested there, even with her pokémon in her hands and flicking quiet kisses up against her chin. She could tell that James felt it too, both of them gazing past their pokémon, towards the egg, towards their stability here, towards a steady life they were never given when they were wandering the forests, starving and beaten down.

Jessie shut her eyes and begged. To who, she couldn't say.

Please, her aching heart whispered. I want to be happy, too.

---

James shuffled awkwardly into his uniform, trying and failing to maneuver his sleeves properly into the thin pleather of his gloves. All things considered, he was fond of the way it hung at his waist, but the white of it seemed better in theory than in practice—they were going to be spending more than a few nights in the wilderness, right? Did a light colour really lend itself to camping? And what about stealth? Sure, it looked nicer, more streamlined, but was it practical? He was starting to regret the drunken decision he'd made alongside his companions, full of sake and singing to the stars about white uniforms for a bright, glistening tomorrow.

We just had to be unique, he scolded himself. There were a million reasons this decision could quickly become tedious, and he was wonderful at coming up with even more of them, each one more irrational than the last.

The door to his dorm opened, without a knock, and he didn't have to look to know it was Jessie. She was the only one around who seemed to miss the memo that even criminals should have some manners here and there.

He'd finally managed to work around his finicky clothes by the time she addressed him, and he turned to see her looking slightly off. Jessie and him were… well, he didn't know what they were, really. They'd been friends for several long years, then she'd gotten upset with him and left, then some incredible twist of fate had lead them back into each other's arms after years apart. They'd spent the following weeks tense and putting on incredible facades to convince the other they were better off than they were, and then one night Jessie broke and shoved him into a closet with her hands in his hair and her lips hard on his. The embrace had lasted for a solid few minutes before the two of them dissolved into wheezy laughter in the darkness, whispering softly at the absurdity—

"Probably not," Jessie had said, her grin obscured in inky black.

"Definitely not," James agreed, and they shuffled out of it one by one, praying no one saw.

The exchange was something he probably couldn't easily explain to other people, but somehow both he and Jessie were on the same wavelength when it happened. Both of them were a twisted mess of conflicted emotions, both of them needed to know what they felt for one another. The kiss itself was heavy, and emotionally charged, but more than anything it was relief. They were two people who had spent years desperately missing each other, agonizing over what to say. They had elected, after much deliberation, to not say anything and instead use their bodies.

Effectively, her pulling him beneath those warm waters was not only a sentiment of "I missed you, and any gesture less than this can't possibly convey it," but a mute button on all the tension between them, the shaky touches and held gazes and fluttering hearts. The uncertainty of if this was love or two people who were grateful to know each other once again. The only kisses James had ever experienced in his life were ones where his wrists were held against expensive marble or numb and decorated in spores. To be so close with someone he'd always been so fond of made him understand why people sung so much praise of that kind of intimacy.

Since then, they'd been far more comfortable around each other. Changing in the same room, doing their make-up together, talking openly, practically same as they were before everything had fallen apart. A fear still lingered in James' heart, though, and he knew that Jessie could feel it, too—his words caught in his throat every time he tried to define them aloud. Despite everything, he felt that he wasn't worthy of calling her his friend.

Jessie was standing against the door, which she'd tapped shut with her heel. Her hands were behind her back and her expression was unsure, stiff, completely unlike her as of late. James was almost immediately struck with the wicked thought that he had done or said something wrong in the last few days that had turned them back to strangers. Silence was maddening against his anxious heart, and he cleared his throat a little, words falling out of him.

"Your uniform turned out far nicer than mine," he said, sounding way more nonchalant than he felt. "No complaining about being too cold, though."

"Please," Jessie rolled her eyes. "Have you ever known me to complain?"

He opened his mouth, a prepared list ready, and she spoke before he could. "Don't answer that."

James complied, grinning, happy to see her loosen up a bit. There was still a rigidness to her shoulders, but he had to start reminding himself that she would go at her own pace. No need to rush just because he was a nervous wreck—compromises were important.

"Hey," she said then, looking elsewhere. "Merry Christmas."

She tossed a pokéball in his direction, and he quickly stuttered his shaky hands forward to catch it, the object slipping and bouncing from hand to hand as if it were a hot coal. He marveled at the ball when he finally got a grip on it, unsure exactly of what was happening.

"Um," he choked out, and Jessie nervously tried to explain herself, voice sharp and flustered.

"We're agents now!" She said, volume a bit too high. "You need a pokémon. And I figure I owe you something, after…"

Her words caught. She didn't know how to do this. She'd never had to before, never met someone who deserved it. Guilt was so foreign to Jessie, she couldn't remember the last time she'd loved anyone worthy of making her feel it.

"...after I left you all alone when we were kids."

James' eyes immediately filled with tears, and he desperately tried to redirect them somewhere else. He could feel Jessie's emotions radiating off of her, loud and clear—she did not want to talk. She did not want to dwell. She wanted to say sorry without words, for her sentiment to be understood, and for them to never speak of it again. She had humbled herself to an apology, and James immediately felt poised before a violent goddess who had chosen to show him mercy. A giant electing not to crush an ant beneath it. He was wrought with gratitude, but simultaneously felt as though he wasn't deserving of seeing her so vulnerable like this. He blinked his tears away.

"I'm going to be honest with you," he said, diverting in an attempt to make her feel less exposed. "I forgot it was December."

"Ugh, right?" She said, a flash of deep appreciation in her smile. "Would it kill the higher-ups to put up a tree or something? Add some white stripes to all the 'R's on the walls? Where's the festivities?"

"I thought you hated Christmas," James noted.

"I do," his partner responded. "But I hate drab routine with little diversity even more. At least that ugly red and green ensemble offers a change of pace."

"Fair enough," he said.

"You're absolutely killing me," Jessie told him. "There is a pokémon inside that ball and they've been waiting very patiently to meet you. More importantly, I have been waiting very patiently!"

James snapped himself back to the sphere in his gloved hands. "Oh, right!"

He gave the ball a casual toss, options swimming in his head as he watched the lights swirl on the walls. He'd no idea what kind of pokémon Jessie would gift him… it wasn't something he had ever discussed with her, his favourites and whatnot. There was a deep, chilling fear settling in the pit of his stomach, suddenly—he prayed she hadn't picked a grass type. As of late, he'd started breaking into cold sweats around them, his legs twisting up and his breath refusing to leave his lungs properly.

Willing himself not to shut his eyes in fear at the thought, James stayed brave. The pokémon materialized in a gorgeous flash, letting out enthusiastic plumes of gas, an ecstatic grin permanently affixed to its face as it cheered its name.

James' eyes filled to the brim with stars. Poison types, it seemed, were still on the table despite everything. He tore forward, grabbing the pokémon out of the air and hugging it close to his face. Koffing accepted the embrace, just as excited to be close to him.

"Oh, Jessie!" He practically wept. "I love it! You're so good to me!"

"Ugh, shut up," she said, blushing. "I didn't know what kind of pokémon you liked, so I hope it's alright."

"My dad would hate that I have this," James grinned, trying to assuage her worries. "I absolutely love it. It's perfect, Jess."

Pride flared within Jessie, and she crossed her arms, satisfied. She noticed James was sitting there, baby-talking the pokémon as he rubbed their cheeks together, sniffling desperately with streaming eyes.

"Are you allergic to that thing?" Jessie raised an eyebrow.

"Absolutely!" He boasted, not a trace of regret in his itching voice.

Looking at James there, a contradictory gradient of misery and adoration, Jessie couldn't help but half-smile into her sigh. He was some kind of beautiful mess.

All things considered, they were perfect for each other.

---

Mid-way through cooking dinner on the group's second day in the clearing, James had offhandedly thrown out a comment that had reminded Weezing of something clearly of the utmost importance. The pokémon had started frantically and excitedly beckoning James to follow alongside it, and thus he was dragged away from the hearth and far back into the dens. Jessie shot him a look as he left her side, her eyes burning a clear sigil— so help me god, if you leave me alone to cook one more time, James…

Weezing was leading him back towards the tree, where the strange arbok was still dutifully looking after the egg, not paying them much mind. James' former pokémon was almost embarrassed, prattling on about I can't believe I forgot this and I waited YEARS to show you that, frantic speech made almost comical by the slow manner in which it so often spoke. James couldn't help but chuckle a little as he followed it past the nest—to say it was endearing was putting it lightly.

It had taken him to the very back of the den, where a single, large stone rested. Weezing kept its gaze affixed on it, eyes shimmering almost proudly.

"What's this?" James asked, curious.

"Wee~zing!" the pokémon boasted— my most precious treasure!

It was about to drop lower to the floor to nudge it, but James inquisitively reached out his arm, turning to his friend to ask, without words, if the action was okay. Weezing nodded both its heads at once, elated to see his interest in the matter. With a shove, James moved the rock aside, and his face lit up at what he saw inside.

"You…" he started to say, but his words turned to tears somewhere along the way. There was a shallow hole beneath the stone, filled to the brim with sparkling bottle caps in a variety of colours. James extended his arm again to run a trembling hand across them, relishing in the sound of metal brushing against metal. A sound that had always soothed him when the excess energy itched up through his shoulders and rested at his fingertips, his brimming heart demanding release.

He'd learned early on he couldn't move his hands about too much or he'd be struck. But this . He always had this.

His heart swelled as he took in the sight. Now, someone else was able to have it, too.

"How did you..." James started to say, then paused to rephrase. "This is quite the collection, old friend! How on earth did you amass riches like this all the way out here?"

Weezing made itself a little larger, eyes shut in confident satisfaction as it exclaimed its name. James grinned as the words registered, feeling more like a proud parent than he ever had in his life.

Would pick them up here and there when I'd wander into the city, the pokemon told him. Told the others to keep an eye out when they could, too.

"Fancy that," the man grabbed one he didn't recognize, meticulously analyzing its insignia. "You never seemed to have this much of an interest back when we traveled together!"

"Weez," it said, almost timidly, and James lost his focus on the metal in his hands.

Yeah, it had told him. But after we left, it was the closest thing I had to you.

Weezing was not one for such blunt statements. It was quiet, stoic, and tended to bottle up its feelings to a fault. The pokémon's emotions came on suddenly, usually all at once and as a result of it growing tired of keeping them all inside. It was never the most articulate thing, either—it still wasn't. There was a wiseness to its voice now, however, that James found himself grateful for—he meditated on the idea that it had learned to rely on others and open up over the years, let the thought keep him warm.

Without saying anything, he softly dropped the few bottle caps he'd been fiddling with back into the parting of soil. He allowed himself to be taken again by the soft clinking of it, washing over him like a sunbeam. Securing the stone back over the treasure trove, James shifted forward, wrapping his arms softly around Weezing, face pressed against it.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long," he whispered, and the pokémon felt its heart splintering apart at the way his breathing came out stuttered, the way his shoulders shook.

"Weezing," it uttered into his torso, and James only cried harder, with more feeling as the meaning hit him.

Don't apologize for being a hero.

"Oh, Weezing..." James pulled apart from it, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "I'm no hero. I'm a wicked man who never grew out his silly childhood habit of playing pretend."

The pokémon stayed quiet for a moment, words swirling around inside of it, the subtleties of its expressions a black curtain over what it was feeling. After a beat, it persisted, words slow like dripping tar.

"Weez~ing, weez," it told him.

The people you save don't stop being safe just because you bought your cape at the dollar store.

James swallowed more tears. He was so sick of still seeing the universe in black and white when he knew better. So sick of thinking there were only bad people and good people with no in between. Day and night lasted longest, that was true, but they were not all there was to time's slow crawl. Why could James love the sunset in its state of temporary transition, but not extend the same care to himself?

He ran his hand across Weezing's head, tracing his palms across protrusions and craters, the feeling of its familiarity suddenly hitting him. It was one of those moments where, despite having been living a strange reality for weeks, months, even years, you feel as though you've only just woken up. As if circumstances hadn't been apparent to the mind until right then and there.

His pokémon eased into his touch, feeling it had done something good for him, finally. It had no qualms about acknowledging that James had done terrible things. It had no qualms about the good things he had done, either.

"Thank you, Weezing," James told it, smiling through the red around his eyes. "I think that might be exactly what I needed to hear."

---

Jessie was exhausted.

She hadn't slept properly in a week, racing thoughts loudly pounding around her brain, amplifying everything. The ache in her heart, the bugs chirping in the thicket, the sound of her partner pokémon's absolutely incessant snoring. Beyond that, she'd been emotionally exhausted, constantly feeling like a volcano on the verge of eruption. The bubbling magma refused to quiet itself, dragging her farther down than she had been in a long while. Her eyes ached and burned as she'd cooked, betraying her.

The woman's natural vitality was wearing thin as of late, and that only caused her further stress and perpetuated the cycle. She was getting older. Jessie was long past the point of denying it to herself in the hopes that maybe, maybe it would go away. Here she was, feeling lightheaded after a mere week of no sleep, breath in her lungs lacking simply because she'd been on her feet cooking. It was annoying. A few years ago, she could have run a marathon without a single hour of rest under her belt.

Jessie closed her eyes as she allowed herself to fall back on the grass, the feeling of even a moment's repose a peace unlike any other. The quieting bustle of the colony was not grating, somehow—it almost lulled her straight to sleep. She felt safe, here. Complete.

Strange, Jessie pondered, thoughts blurring in and out of half-sleep. Didn't realize I was missing anything.

She was pulled out of the impending sopor by the cool feeling of scales as they brushed against her forehead. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and she registered the scene of Arbok standing over her, the end of its tail pressed like a whisper against her skin.

"Can I help you?" She laughed, a bit incredulously. Arbok's expression remained concerned, the scales around its eyes dented in worry.

"Chaah," it muttered softly, and Jessie immediately sat up, brushing it off.

"I'm fine," she said, succinctly. "Don't worry yourself."

"Charbok," Arbok said, more firmly this time.

"You're cold-blooded!" Jessie half-said, half-shouted, flustered and pink-cheeked. "Everything is running a temperature to you!"

The snake sighed, bringing its gaze to Wobbuffet, who had been silently lurking behind Jessie for the duration of the conversation. The blue pokemon crossed his arms, somehow communicating a clear vibe through squinted eyes— no winning this one.

"Charbo..." it said under its breath, and when Wobbuffet responded with his own name, Jessie nearly jumped, not having realized he was behind her.

"Are you two gossipping about me while I'm sitting right here?!" She said, unbelieving. "The nerve. The only sick I am is heartsick that my two darling sweetie-pies would betray me like this!"

Arbok rolled its eyes, saying nothing and electing to instead slither closer and cozy up to her. Wobbuffet followed suit. With them on either side of her, she felt what worries she had left dissolve, dandelion seeds against the spring winds. Her exhausted state only intensified at the contact, but not with the sore burn she was so used to. More pleasant, more comfy—asleep in a field of flowers, submerged in a warm bath.

"Chaa~charbok?"

"Wobbuffet!"

Jessie sighed. The energy to argue might have been in supply if it was anyone else. Instead, it was her pokemon.

Take care of yourself, okay?

You have to!

She held them closer. It was going to take a lot of practice to get the hang of not working herself to the bone, running on fumes just to prove to the universe that she could.

If it helped her friends worry less, though, it was more than worth it.

---

It had admittedly been a while since James had been in this position. There was a time when he was stronger, senses dulled to the pungent stink of rotting garbage, body unyielding and without recoil as he pilfered through sacks of trash. He'd grown spoiled since Team Rocket—never having to find his meals alongside the rattata as they rooted through the bins. Now, everything was different.

It'd only been a few months since they'd met the Twerp, but already, his presence had uprooted everything that they were as people, everything that they were as noble thieves. With their focus on his pikachu, they hadn't brought in much of anything deserving of a paycheck from the boss, and as of late they'd been stealing more meals and degrading themselves even further to sleep without hunger pangs at night.

This kind of life wasn't exactly new to James—there was a time when he revelled in it, in some sick sense. It was hard not to find comfort in the cold metal of a park bench when you associated high thread-count sheets with the feeling of shaking hands and stifled breaths. He longed for the mindset again, wondering how on earth he'd eased into it with such aplomb in his youth. Right now, all he really wanted was a warm meal.

James shifted his weight, and a loose bag in the dumpster came undone, its sloshing contents no doubt sullying his uniform and causing him one more chore that he was far too run-down to accomplish. He was really regretting the white uniforms. He was really regretting the sake.

Koffing was floating cheerfully around him, its face pulled into the ecstatic grin it wore better than anything. Every few minutes it would sing its name, letting off a few plumes of gas, shifting into a leisurely twirl. Despite everything, James couldn't help but chuckle at its enthusiasm as it fed off the repulsive stench coming off the trash heap. Even if it was just what the pokémon was biologically designed to do, the man admired its optimism in dire circumstance.

"I wish I could be more like you, Koffing," James let out a sigh, more affectionate than sad. "You never stop smiling."

"Koffing!" it cheered, and James almost doubled over laughing— I was born with my face like this!

"Fair enough," he said.

James' foot tapped against glass as he moved over slightly, and he curiously bended over to dig the offending object out of the masses of waste. Brow knitted in concentration, he tried not to become lost in the thought of what had become of his life, how far they'd fallen from grace. Those thoughts weren't productive right now. After a beat, he was able to grab a hold of it, relishing in the telltale shape of the item as he dug it out of the garbage.

He wasted no time in marveling at the bottle, a full set still in tact, and he turned to his pokémon excitedly, words tumbling out of him without much filter.

"Who does this?!" James had to keep his hands steady, his instinct to move them wildly in joy stifled by his fear that he'd lose his grip. "Who puts the bottle cap BACK on their drink afterwards? Who has that kind of time, that kind of right mind?"

"Koffing?" his pokémon inquired, unsure of if the emotion James was experiencing was one understandable to any living creature on the planet or if the man had transcended the spectrum entirely.

"It's got to be a sign, Koffing!" James' eyes sparkled, knowingly. "I was placed in this very trash receptacle for the sole purpose of finding this bottle cap. Look at the way it shines even in the cloudy moonlight! What are the odds?!"

"Koff~ing," it responded, which mostly conveyed the message I'm happy that you're happy, but I have no idea what you're trying to say.

"Even waist-deep in deep waste, there is treasure to be found," he closed his eyes, serene. "Even in the most dire of circumstances, there is a silver lining. It's romantic, don't you think?"

"Koffing!" the pokémon said, puffing out blackness in agreement.

"It won't always be like this, you know?" James said, surprised at how confident he was in the statement. "One day you and I will be kings again."

"Koffing~koff," his pokémon stated, a little teasingly.

"Alright, yes, I realize hanging around a dumpster is probably already the definition of living like a king to you," he chuckled. "In any case, it's all the more bearable with you by my side."

Koffing floated to its trainer, pressing itself adoringly against him. With one arm around it, James held the bottle cap he'd salvaged up to the sky, the treasure hanging there as if it were one with the stars as they faded in and out from behind the overcast. He knew this would not be the last time he was in this position, but there was something uncannily optimistic in him that insisted he'd be okay in the end.

"As long as we stick together, things won't ever be as bad as they could," he said. "Don't you agree... partner?"

"Koff~ing," the pokémon whispered, eyes angled up at the blurring skies, and James knew in that moment that there was nothing to fear.

---

Jessie practically fell back into camp, her civvies a mess and her hair in desperate need of serious grooming. Exhausted, but with all the feeling spite's power could give her, she tossed a bag or two of passable food next to the tree James and Meowth were dozing on, her eyes clouded over with irritation.

Meowth stretched as he stirred, fangs bared in a yawn. "Welcome back."

"Don't say a word to me," Jessie shot back, worn too thin to bother being nice.

"Yikes, awright," Meowth said, not heeding her advice. "What's got you?"

"I'm sick and tired of digging through the trash for my meals, you flea-infested ignoramus!"

James flinched a little at her tone, reflexes out of his control. She noticed this, and smothered her fire a little.

"Sorry," she spat. "You don't have fleas."

"'N' why does yous get da right to complain?!" Meowth prickled, not assuaged by her apology. "Ya never let anyone else go when we offer! If ya hate it so much, stop takin' on da workload by yaself!"

"I have my reasons for what I do and they're none of your business!"

"Whatevah," Meowth muttered, dropping back to a sit against the tree. "I t'ink ya just want a free pass to get all dat excess anger out."

Jessie seethed, predicting her teammate's remarks but still shaking with rage as they hit her. She wanted to dive forward and brawl the furball, emotions overflowing and near unbearable. She fought the impulse with all she had, instead, voice coming out low and dark and almost chilling, crescendoing into a shout.

"Yes, you're right," Jessie said. "I'm just an absolutely unrepentant wretch of a person with no human compassion, and when we got to the Hoenn region all those years ago I decided 'oh, you know what? I'm going to take whatever opportunity I can to make my friend's lives harder so that I can gain a few precious moments of release!'"

With that, she trudged off to her own corner, trying to ignore the strange urge to cry as her back turned to her friends.

Even when I try to be kind, Jessie thought. All people do is focus on my anger.

She grit her teeth. It wasn't fair.

What is the damned point of putting love into the world, then?

The pokéball in her pocket shuddered and unclasped itself, a quiet cyan lighting up the clearing. Jessie willed him not to make a scene, but Wobbuffet's presence easily carried a connotation when he materialized without an exuberant hello.

"We're going for another walk," she said, standing up, not looking at anyone. "Don't follow us."

As she disappeared into the forest, Wobbuffet turned back to the rest of camp, bowing a little, arm behind his head. It was a fairly common gesture for him, one they understood— It's okay! I'll take care of her.

James felt his heart shudder a little as he watched her go. The guilt-ridden part of him screamed that if he hadn't been such a baby, sullen-eyed and quiet-voiced the first time he'd been forced to dumpster dive without Weezing, he could have spared Jessie the pain of taking the burden on herself. If he had just hid his heartbreak easier, she would have been okay, not storming off into the dark woods to break down on her pokémon.

Beneath his blacker thoughts, though, there was a voice far more kind, reminding him how lucky he was to have her, how lucky anyone was to have her.

Some day, Jessie, James closed his eyes. Someday, I'll have the words to let you know how grateful I am for your love.

He only hoped that by the time he found them, she hadn't fallen somewhere unreachable.

---

Jessie pressed her face against Arbok's cool scales, melting into the soothing feeling of it. It was loosely coiled around her, head resting on hers, the both of them a tangled mess of love and bliss. This was the first time in years they'd been able to get a single moment alone with each other, and still, the woman found herself lost for words.

"I've missed you so much," she said, too tired to care how naked she felt with such a soul-baring statement. Her pokémon hissed affectionately in response, shutting down any doubts about the idea that it felt any differently.

"Can I tell you something that I don't know if I can tell anyone else, Arbok?"

"Cha?" it inquired.

"I think I'm still a bad person," she whispered. "I've been working so hard to undo all the wrong I've put into the world, but…"

She sighed, shifting a little, bringing her knees to her chest.

"...I've been so resentful lately. And the worst part is I don't want to be."

"Charbok~ka," her pokémon uttered, an indication to elaborate at her own pace.

"James and I have been…" she halted, trying to find the right words. "...we've been doing the same things. As a team. I don't feel like he's worked any harder than I have to undo our mistakes. But…

"Wherever we go, it seems he's reuniting with his pokémon left and right. The world is handing him rewards for his hard work. And I, I haven't… it's not that I'm taking this for granted, I'm so happy to be here, but…"

She swallowed. Open up, Jessie. Rely on your friends.

Easier said than done.

"...I'm angry that it took me this long to be beside you again," she managed to get out. "I don't know who I'm angry at. My greatest fear in all this is the idea that I might accidentally take it out on James, just by virtue of him continuing to get his life handed to him like this while I get almost nothing."

"Charbo~k," the snake said, comfortingly. It nuzzled closer to her, trying with all it was to let her know how grateful it was to have heard her worries so openly.

It's always been that way with you two, hasn't it? Arbok had said. Maybe the world's plans for you are so great that they're taking time to happen.

Jessie snickered a little, incredulous. "You're such a wonderful shadow of my past optimism. I aspire to gain it back some day soon."

"Char!" it told her— you will. That tenacity is what makes you you.

She ran her palm across its head, shutting her eyes. Something incredible was happening, she realized—she'd told her worries to someone who wasn't Wobbuffet and was met with understanding and nothing close to pity. Miraculously, she felt a little better. A silence came and passed.

"...did I ever tell you how entwined our destinies have always been, Arbok?"

It tilted its head. "Charbo?"

Did you ever have to? Of course we're meant to be.

"Aha, but it goes farther back than that, you know," Jessie told the pokémon, and it peered into her, curiously. How she'd gone so long without telling it this story was anyone's guess.

"You see…" she began. "Once upon a time, there was a young, vibrant, beautiful little girl…"

---

Jessie curled up inside, safe from the overcast, sapphire eyes affixed on the magazine in front of her as she memorized its layout. Johanna's newest outfit was in high quality on the page, and the girl so badly envied whoever got close enough to take such an astounding glamour shot. You could see every bead, every sequin, every stitch. The pokémon beside her were just as impressive—the shine in her glameow's fur a clear indication of just how well taken care of it was.

Some day it'll be me, Jessie repeated it in her head like a mantra. I'll make the cover, and everyone will love me more than they already do!

She thanked her lucky stars that money was still flowing into her account, even if she had little say in how much she got to spend, even if the way her caretakers stayed so tight-lipped about its sources pissed her right off. Money was money, and money bought all the Coordinator Illustrateds a girl could wish for.

Jessie pulled her eyes from the page only for a moment, trying not to cringe reflexively when she saw the clock and how much time had passed. She hadn't even touched her homework.

Oopsie… she thought to herself. Well, no point in starting it, now. It's not like I'm going to finish.

She laid back in her bunk, lazily grabbing her mini-donuts off the nightstand and shoving a couple in her mouth. Another day was halfway done, and she hadn't accomplished much of anything.

Jessie sat up again, staring out the window at the drab gray of another forgettable foster home's property. Scanning the uneventful horizon, she noticed some kind of commotion happening around the boundaries of the backyard. She squinted, willing her vision to focus.

She was able to recognize most of the boys—ugly wretches who had tried their hand at tormenting her, ignorant to her invincibility—they were picking rocks off the ground one by one, chucking them across the fences at… something. The gestures didn't sit right with her, knowing them—especially with how angled downward their throws were. She couldn't shake the idea that they were picking on some underdog who was down on its luck and unable to fight back. Jessie balled her fists, shoving her bag of treats into her coat pocket.

Might as well get something done today, she said to herself as she kicked the window-screen out and leapt through it.

Jessie was a blur of scarlet against the slate of the property, bolting to the scene with a fire in her heart, not a care in the world for how outnumbered she was. She'd taken on worse, worn the scrapes on her knees like badges of honour, proof that she'd endured. This was nothing.

When she neared the scene, the lot of them turned to her, and she caught sight of who it was they were tormenting. A knot of ekans stood their ground on the soil beyond the fence, bruised and beaten up on, hissing fiercely, tails rattling weakly.

"The hell are you ingrates doing?!" Jessie shouted, rhetorically.

"What's it to you?"

"You're attacking defenseless pokémon who didn't do anything to you!" she yelled.

"Cut it, twerp , they ain't defenseless," one of them rolled his eyes. "They're poisonous and can bite, if they wanted to fight they would."

"They're babies!" Jessie seethed. "An ekans that small doesn't even have a venomous bite! If you lot weren't so stupid you'd know that!"

Another one sighed. "What do you want, weirdo?"

"I want you to leave those pokémon alone and pick on someone your own size!" she stood her ground. "What kind of coward only attacks those smaller than them?!"

"That excludes you, then," the biggest one trudged up to her, breath on her nose. "Pint-sized brat."

"Not if I pummel you right here and now it doesn't," Jessie barked right back up at him.

She kneed him in the stomach, and he fell backwards almost instantly, reeling at the impact. Jessie stood unmoving, teeth bared and fists clenched tight, her silhouette making itself bigger against the setting sun.

"Why you—" the injured one coughed out, and as he lunged forward, his friend held him back.

"We should go, dude," she said. "Miyamoto's crazy, it's not worth it."

Jessie knit her brow furiously, trying to ignore how deep the comment cut her, how nonchalantly the other girl had said it—like a universal, understood truth.

Whatever, she told herself as she watched the group reluctantly exit the scene, spitting crudely on the ground in front of her. Better crazy than weak.

She refused to take her eyes off the group as she watched them go, ominously surprised at how little she had to fight to win that one. Jessie wasn't sure she necessarily preferring being feared over being loved, but it was definitely better than being nobody.

When they were out of sight, she sighed in relief, slowly and cautiously stepping over to the ekans. They hissed at her as she made her way near, frantically rattling their tails, and she threw her hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"It's okay," she said, caring voice a wild contrast to the conviction she'd spoken with only moments before. "I wanna help."

They seemed a little receptive to her, but only a little. She got down on her knees, crouched at eye level with the pokémon, holding out her hand.

"I can't believe those awful kids would hurt you like that," she told them, voice shaking with anger. "You don't deserve that."

They slithered a little closer to her, eyes fearful, but curious.

"Oh!" Jessie said, reaching into her pocket. The knot flinched a little when she moved her free arm, ready to flee. She noticed, taking care to make her movements as slow and non-threatening as possible. After an agonizing minute, she pulled out her donuts, carefully opening the bag and offering one through the openings in the fence.

"Here," she told them. "For you guys."

They shuffled closer, unsure. Jessie demonstrated for them, pulling a second out of the bag and eating it herself.

"See?" the girl said. "They're good, don't worry!"

Just barely convinced, a particularly brave ekans took the donut from her hand, dropping it to the floor and taking a small bite. When the flavour hit it, Jessie watched its eyes fill with stars, and it let out a hiss that was more jovial than anything she'd ever heard from a pokémon. She smiled, pulling out some donuts for the other few and dropping them on the other side of the fence.

"I don't blame you if you don't believe me," the girl said, then. "But not all humans are bad like that. Most of them will be nice as long as you are, I think."

They tilted their heads, unsure of what she meant entirely, but still thankful for her care, her presence. She reached her hand through the fence again, softly stroking one of the pokémon on its head before she rose to her feet and began to walk away.

"Take care, ekans!" Jessie waved to them. "I hope I see you again!"

They watched her transfixed as she left, puzzled at the duality of humankind and all they were. Jessie sighed a little as she looked at her former bag of sweets—she'd given her last one to the last little ekans, barely getting any herself.

Oh well! She said to herself, trying to remain cheerful. I'm sure some day it'll come back around.

---

"After that, the ekans would always stop by while I was out in the gardens studying," Jessie relayed. "And every time they saw me, they'd rattle their tails with the brightest little smiles."

Arbok made a small whine, moved tears in its eyes. Jessie petted its head as she kept talking.

"Ekans were the first pokémon I ever knew up close like that, so I guess that's why I ended up loving them so much," she laughed a little. "So when I saw you, I felt as though it really was worth it. I felt as though you were a reward for what little good I had put into the world. As though we were destined to be partners."

"Charbok…" it said, still crying quietly, and Jessie was surprised to find that she was in tears as well. They slipped out without her knowing, quiet and so much less explosive than she was used to. She was unsure at what they were there for, really—but she settled on a feeling of doubt. Everything seemed too good to be true, having been dealt such an unkind hand for so long in her life. There was no way something so romantic, poetic, something so beautiful had come around for someone like her. But here she was.

More than she was fearful, she was overjoyed. Blessed to be beside Arbok. Even if she did have to say goodbye to it in a few days time. Even if she never saw it again after this. The universe had given her something. That had to mean she was doing okay, right?

Arbok gave her a gentle headbutt, and she went back to leaning her head against its own. Her words shook as they left her, an unsure whisper, vulnerable and open-hearted and unheard of from someone of her ilk.

"Please," she said, barely audible. "Please stay."

There was no answer to the question. Instead, it stayed with its skin against hers, and the two of them dissolved into one under the sparkling stars.

---

Deep into the night, when all was dark across Hoenn save for the light of the brilliant, full moon, a gathering of pokémon slipped away.

Wobbuffet rolled out of Jessie's arms, Arbok quietly slithered out from around her, Weezing and Chimecho hovered themselves away from James. Exhausted to their very core, the humans stayed asleep. Chimecho cast a worried glance back at James before it left, debating whether or not it should stay—but elected to go regardless. Hopefully, its trainer could understand if it was absent one night every month or two. Greninja stirred in its pokéball at the sound of quiet footsteps, materializing with a ninja's noble bow. The group of pokémon got the message and nodded, inviting the addition along.

They meticulously trudged through the clearing, the sound of music luring them through the forests and out to a much smaller break in the trees, where the moon hung against Mt. Chimney, shining through the smoke that rose out of the proud volcano. Wobbuffet's eyes shifted from their usual squint and fluttered shut in a much more relaxed manner, and he smiled. This one was an oldie—not the oldest, but not new, either—one he'd always loved.

"Didya know?

That even wit' clouds hangin', coverin' dem stars in da night sky,

Dere's still one t'ing unobscured,

Stable ground beneat' ya feet, don'tcha cry."

There were people in the world who said Meowth's singing voice held no melody, grated on the ears. Those people were wrong. Sure, there were nicer tunes from both pokémon and human alike—but something about his, beneath the full moon, as he strummed his guitar, stayed inviting and wondrous. There was an inherent nostalgia in it, for Arbok and Weezing and Chimecho alike, and they melted into the bittersweet feeling of it as they neared him.

"Take a look down at the eart', memorize its lastin' touch,

Close ya eyes, and picture in ya head—

It's blue, so blue, da bluest, it's too much…"

Greninja peered into the scene, curious. This was a side of Meowth he had not seen, serene and swimming in moonlight, voice a sagely croon to the stars. The scratch cat didn't seem to be embarrassed as his friends appeared one by one and dropped to a sit beside him, they all stayed with their eyes affixed on the celestial painting above, closing their eyes and dissolving into the pokémon's tune. Feeling perhaps it was not its place, Greninja leapt into a tree, electing to keep watch on the crew from a distance.

"An' da planet goes around, people on it spin around, all of us go around, twirlin' aimlessly around, grinnin' as we move around,

Happy and sad, swirlin' 'round… hand-in-hand on dis journey, as we're all dancin' around."

Meowth's lyrics trailed off, and he became lost in the musical break, tranquil grin painted on his face as he mindlessly pawed the chords out. Long ago, his favourite song to sing was one about how unsure he was of the future—how alone he felt, knowing he would never meet another pokémon like himself, wondering to the shining moon if it held under it any soul even close to his. Years later—after an event he swore was significant, but could not will himself to remember—he'd grown tired of the pity party, writing himself a far kinder song about how differences didn't matter. In the end, we all shared the same planet, so what were earth's creatures, if not brethren by definition?

"Mirrored hearts, but I see it in ya eyes—

Heavy wit' sleep in da mornin', weak wit' stress

Brighten yer face, fake a smile,

I'll smile back, and in time, we'll hurt less.

Today is tomorrow, if yer talkin' ta yesterday's cast,

And dey matter just as much as yous an' I do,

Dey're glowin', we're glowin', more vibrant in the sun…"

He went back into the chorus, the words lilting off him and into the night air. This, this was what Meowth lived for. Nights like these, surrounded in friends, with the delectably round moon hanging in the sky… rounder than a ball of yarn, waiting to be batted at and lovingly hoarded in a pile somewhere. He was born with a love for the round and glittering, and no matter how far he diverted from his biological path, the pokémon always found a purr rising in his throat when he took in the gorgeous sight. It was simply too wonderful to him, the ultimate treasure.

"Yous guys showed up quicker dan I woulda expected," he grinned when the song was done, after they'd gotten comfortable.

"Was too excited," Arbok told him, a touch embarrassed.

"Been long time," Weezing punctuated.

"Guess dat's fair," Meowth said. "Can't tell ya how much I missed dis."

"We hang out!" Wobbuffet said, almost sounding offended. "Did you forget?"

"Yeah, an' I cried like a kit when ya ambushed us at HQ after we'd left Unova!" Meowth reminded him. "Havin' da noihve ta call me forgetful, ya dope…"

Wobbuffet muttered something into the darkness, defeated.

"Chimecho, what's good wit' you?"

"Can I be in your band?" it said, without much elaboration. "I'm real good at carrying a tune!"

"Sorry, bud, I'm a solo artist," he whispered nobly, eyes shut with purpose. "Tryin' ta t'ink of a good stage name, but all dat's comin' to mind is 'Nyarth Brooks'"

"It's good," Chimecho nodded. "But Nyarth Brooks and the Bellboy sounds nicer."

"I'll letcha know if I change my mind, kid," Meowth grinned.

He strummed a couple more chords, but didn't feel entirely committed to another song in the moment. There was still a bit of a cloud hanging over the group, wanting to catch up, unsure where to start. It was the first time they'd all been together like this in years. Chimecho hadn't even known these pokémon, merely felt how important they were through its trainer's feelings. So many questions lingered, so many unexplained answers, such minimal time before the sun rose.

"How's it feel, yous two?" Meowth elected to say, figuring the meaning would come across without anything more.

"Unreal," Weezing said, and if there were more words to the statement, they didn't come to it.

"They different," Arbok told him. "But somehow still exactly the same."

"Time has a way of workin' its magic on people like dat," Meowth smiled. "It chokes me up ta see ya all happy toget'ah again. Don't even know where ta begin catchin' ya up on what we's been t'rough since we last saw yas."

"Right?" Arbok said. "Like, when Master and Wobbuffet get so close? They inseparable now."

"She loves me most!" Wobbuffet cheered, and Arbok shoved him playfully with its tail. "I love her most!"

"Don't turn dis into a sibling rivalry, I'm beggin' ya," the cat pleaded.

"No rivalry!" Wobbuffet assured him. "I love anyone Jessie loves. Jessie loves Arbok a lot."

Arbok choked a little, turning to him incredulously. Wobbuffet was either on a level of closeness with their shared master that transcended norms, or he was the rudest pokémon ever, to address her so casually like that. Meowth shot the snake a look, as if he were waiting for that reaction. It was always hilarious to see pokémon react to it.

Wobbuffet saluted, blissfully, to absolutely no one.

"You two have more in common dan ya do apart," Meowth told Jessie's pokémon. "Not dat I gots t' tell ya dat. I mean, we're all already friends, huh?"

"I dunno, " Chimecho said, simply. "Are these two cool? They seem cool."

"Geez, dat's right," the cat uttered, suddenly. "Ya must be so confused about all dis."

"A little!" the psychic pokémon told him. "But it's important to Master, so I haven't really felt the need to ask y'all about it!"

"S'about da same as yer sitch, Chime," Meowth elaborated. "Jessie 'n' James had ta say goodbye ta dese two a buncha years ago. Only... dere was no guarantee dey'd evah see 'em again. It was a while before Jimmy 'n' you started travelin' taget'ah."

"We go far back," Weezing added.

"Very far," Arbok said.

"So yeah, dey's cool," Meowth said with a smile. "We known each ot'er longah dan my nine lives can recall."

Greninja shifted from its position atop the branches as it watched the group talk, punctuating their words by tenderly shuffling closer to each other. The silhouette of them there, up against the starlight, struck it in a way it was not expecting. They looked... no different from Ash's, from Serena's, from Clemont's, from Bonnie's team, pressed up against their friends and relaxing in their time off from life. They looked like any other family.

There were not bad pokémon in the world, that was just a truth of the universe. If pokémon did bad things, it was because the bonds tying pokémon to their partners transcends morality. This was an unspoken understanding between pokémon, one that they did not possess the desire to argue with each other. It was not a burden upon them—any pokémon who didn't like the way their partner treated them or the things they asked of them was free to walk away.

These pokémon had all universally stayed, though. Not only that, they had been elated to the point of tears to see their friends again. Greninja puzzled at how two humans who made their living by reveling in the pain of these creatures could simultaneously befriend some, and how all parties involved could accept that arrangement. It wondered how they picked and chose what was profit and what was family, wondered what went on inside their heads. The grey morality of some humans made its lawful mind swim in a way it wasn't fond of—it missed people like Ash, who at their worst, were still not ambiguous in the intentions of their hearts.

"Fate had ta have brought us all back taget'ah like dis, dontcha t'ink?"

"I do," Weezing said, matter-of-factly.

"Fate always been in mine and Master's favour," Arbok noted. "We friends long before we met."

"That's so romantic!" Chimecho chimed.

"An' far too perfect," Meowth told it. "I'm prahbly preachin t' da choir, but don't take dat fer granted, ya hear?"

"I hear," Arbok said. "Lucky. Lucky to have Master. Or to... have had her. She still Master in my heart."

The group was surprised to hear Greninja's voice emanate from the tree behind them, low and so easily lending itself to the quiet of the night.

"The bonds between pokémon and master truly do reach harmonious depths, " it croaked.

Meowth was inclined to nod, though he was unsettled by the idea of it being privy to such an intimate gathering of his friends. It wasn't an ideal moonlight jaunt, but redemption quest giveth and redemption quest taketh away.

"Never did ask," Weezing began. "Who's that pokémon?"

"One of Master's?" Arbok added.

"Dat's… a longer story dan I have the energy for, right about now," Meowth said. "One involvin' an even bigger slit'erin' beast dan you, buddy."

Weezing and Arbok were quiet for a while as they shared a look. After a beat, the former opened its mouth, words slow, and with feeling.

"Tell us eventually?"

Meowth sat unphased for a moment before the implications of the comment fully hit him. His features loosened, a touch of optimistic awe creeping into them.

"Yer mind's made up, den?"

The cat looked to them as he said it. They nodded, purpose burning within their eyes.

A breeze blew past, making the trees shiver, the whistle it produced sounding like a strange message of hope and perseverance. Meowth wished the sound was something he could bottle and sell, or at the very least, something he could turn to chords on the guitar at his feet. A moment he wanted to write a song about, but knew he would never forget, even if he didn't. He chuckled, bittersweet, something undetectable hiding under his joy.

"Must be nice," the cat whispered, and brought his gaze back up to the round, round moon.

"Bein' tet'ered to someone who loves ya."

---

They needed to stop running from the inevitability of the truth.

Soon enough, it was going to have to happen. They were going to have to pull themselves from this beautiful dream. They had more people to make amends with, more dastardly deeds to undo. The former Rockets simply could not stay in the clearing forever. There was no feasible way, no matter how much the temptation to live the rest of their days there clawed at their feet. The whole point of this journey was to rise above those selfish desires and be better, no matter how much it broke them apart in the process.

They'd never resented it more than they had in that moment. Jessie, especially, simmered like a burbling cauldron of anger, of loathing, of heartbreak. A part of her screamed at her to stop being so ungrateful when she'd finally gotten to see someone she loved again, a louder part of her beat it down and shouted I have the right to be ruined after everything. She was exhausted, listening to them bicker.

Reluctantly, throughout a long, slow day, they began to pack their things up. Wordlessly shoving camping equipment into bags, hefting it into the balloon, eyes on the floor, laughing it off when asked. This goodbye should have been easier, right? It was not fate forcing them apart, they were allowed to take their time, to pick their words, instead of being torn apart by the cruel clutches of fate. The difference was minimal, in the end—millimeters on a long, long yardstick.

Here they were now, uncomfortably shuffled into one end of the clearing, quivering lips and bright eyes, unable to even look at the friends they were parting with. Every poison type in the clearing was gathered there, not helping the situation, but eager to see them off—they were, after all, two people widely regarded as heroes, in one very small break in forest, hidden away somewhere in the Hoenn region.

Jessie dropped to her knees, her arms around Arbok, exhausted and run down and too tired to maintain the walls around her heart. Beside her, James was holding onto Weezing, his grip weak as his will, pathetically slung around the pokémon.

"I can't," Jessie said, tears muddying the words. "I can't pretend I know how to handle this."

"Chaa.." her pokémon near-whispered, as if desperately wishing to tell her something, but forced to hold the words back.

"There's still just… so much," James added, his voice low and worn. "So much I feel I have to say or I'll regret it."

Meowth and Chimecho were despondent, quiet shuffles and downcast eyes, trying to make themselves smaller. Wobbuffet was in tears, the limits of his supposedly boundless endurance being tested. To watch Jessie hurt and feel it not his place to comfort her was agonizing, especially after all she'd dealt with as of late. Something had been eating her up, something she hadn't even told him. Whatever it was, it was serious.

Finally, Meowth had enough of the routine. Regardless of if it wasn't the right moment, regardless of if there was a script to follow here, he stepped forward. None of that mattered in the wake of his friends' pain. This was the closest thing to a family he had, and he wasn't going to sit around and watch them lose hope in everything.

"Hey," the cat said, voice beckoning, but with a tone of seriousness to it. Jessie and James rose their heads from where they were buried in their pokémon, watching Meowth give a hard nod to aforementioned pokémon. From a small bag slung around his waist, he unearthed two pokéballs, holding them out without taking his eyes off the humans.

They didn't say anything, the thought of optimism in this situation alien to even them.

"C'mon," Meowth urged. "Dey's yours."

"Ours?" James echoed, voice tiny.

He reluctantly reached out to take one, and Jessie looked to him with equal hesitation before grabbing the other. Soon as the objects were in their hands, Arbok and Weezing were standing with their bodies contrasted against the bright red and crisp white, blurring purple silhouettes fading into focus.

Jessie was the first to register the circumstance, the words sounding like a joke as soon as they'd left her.

"You can't possibly —"

Before she could doubt it, Arbok dove forward and headbutted the ball, the force of its temple against it sending Jessie back on her feet a little, stumbling. Weezing followed suit, doing the same to James, turning from faded purple to translucent scarlet. Both trainers stood there, tripping and uneasy in their stances, staring down in awe at the confident shakes the balls produced. Once, twice, thrice—before a resounding, mechanical click put any doubts in their heads to rest, and their anxieties melted away from their hearts like the night's snowfall on a sunny mountaintop.

In unison, expressions completely dumbfounded at what had just happened, Jessie and James turned to each other in utter shock as their bodies went entirely slack, and the pokéballs in their hands tumbled uneventfully to the forest floor.

Meowth, Wobbuffet, and Chimecho smiled proudly, the former of the three crossing his arms in satisfaction. Soon as the spheres hit the ground, Arbok and Weezing re-emerged—same as ever, now with tangible proof of that fact. They cried to the open air, their first words as pokémon with trainers once again, thankful tears staining their eyes, falling onto the creases of their smiles. The ekans cheered, the arbok cheered, the koffing cheered, the weezing cheered. The clearing erupted into more celebration as they watched the facts become set in stone, as they saw the good fortune painted on their leaders' faces with destiny's fickle brushstrokes. Jessie and James could only remain frozen as quiet tears slipped down their cheeks. There was no way this was real.

"Sorry, yous twos, it's a done deal," Meowth said to his teammates. "We all talked it ovah last night."

"I—" James stuttered. "You—this can't—"

"An' hey, easy on da pokéballs!" The cat added. "Spent my own money on 'em, ran all da way ta Fallarbor! Coulda boughta can o' tuna wit' dat dough! I expect ya ta be kissin' my back paws for da next week, at least!"

Quizzically, Jessie put a hand on Arbok's face, touch tender and concerned. "Arbok, what about your life, here? You can't possibly want to…"

To the surprise of everyone who's name wasn't Wobbuffet, she quickly became unable to finish her sentence, overcome with emotion. The natural end to it was something she couldn't even comprehend well enough to materialize as words. It was not a truth she was well-acquainted with.

"You have a home here, you have friends, you're revered and loved and you have it made," James substituted, voice shaking with hesitance. "Why… why go back to living the low life alongside us?"

Weezing shook its heads, eyes sparkling up at him as it uttered its name.

I love it here. I love it here, and my home is beside you.

He crumpled, then, dissolving into the sentiment as his heart translated its message.

Where is the catch? James' mind raced. I don't understand, why? Why is this happening? When will it all come undone?

Arbok was coiled around Jessie, now, their faces touching, their tears mixing. The pokémon was crooning out hushed hisses to her, begging her to be kinder to herself, willing her to accept that this truth would not hurt her like everything else had. Predictably, she deflected this, the love in her heart overflowing, working its sick alchemy as the emotions passed through her.

"You're such an idiot!" She sobbed to Arbok, and it only drew itself closer to her. "Do you know that, you fool? You're making the worst mistake of your life."

Her words were sharp but her conviction lacked, hysterical in their execution. Wobbuffet watched on, the phrasing she chose resonating somewhere inside him. She'd said those words to him once, too, and relayed to him many times after saying them that the moment she uttered them was synonymous with the moment when she knew she would keep surviving despite what life threw at her. To see her able to say them to someone else warmed him beyond description, to know that she had met that kind of grateful joy not once, but twice.

Maybe, Arbok said to Jessie. But nothing's gonna stop me from making it.

"What about your egg?" Jessie said, the thought hitting her suddenly. "What about all the pokémon here who need you?"

"It's taken care of," Meowth said for them, and Arbok and Weezing turned to the crowds to beckon a particular arbok forward.

The patternless arbok swallowed nervously, tail shaking in its slither as he crawled upwards to where they were. He had been told this was what was going to happen, but living through it was another concept. Reluctantly, he brought his head up to meet the pokémon who had previously been his elders, waiting for them to address him.

"You gonna be okay?" Weezing said to him, and he looked to the side, unsure how to answer.

"Think so, but…" he muttered, the eyes of everyone he'd ever known hard on him, heart pounding into his throat.

"Why worry?" Weezing asked.

"What if…" the arbok said. "What if can't do it? Why me? Others never liked me."

Jessie's arbok shook its head. "You kin wrong when they left you alone all those years ago just because you different. You colonymates wrong when they resent you for becoming hard and loud because of it. You know why I take you in?"

The other arbok raised himself, meeting its eyes. "Pity?"

His former mentor shook its head.

"You remind me of Master," it said, lovingly. "And Master is a hero."

From behind them, only privy to half the conversation, Jessie's eyes filled back up with tears.

"Do you think…" the arbok said, picking his words. "Do you think some day, others respect me like they respect you? "

"Look around," Weezing chimed in, focusing its twin gaze on the pious crowds surrounding them. The blank arbok turned around to see them, sobs bubbling up in his throat when he watched them begin to bow in his presence, one by one.

"They already do," Arbok said.

There was not a trace of fear in the pair as they left their duties to this arbok. He had always had a kind heart despite his brash exterior, always been a leader by nature, despite everything. They had always had their heart set on leaving the colony to him, always trusted him to take care of their everything with his life. In their eyes, and in the eyes of the hundreds upon hundreds of pokémon prostrate before him, he felt something confident within him slowly begin to stir. Unsure, but there.

It was a long trudge back to the den to part ways with the egg, one that neither of them wanted to make. It had become theirs in the short time they'd known it, a thing the two of them so badly wanted to cultivate and grow together, no matter what kind of flower bloomed from its bud. There was something so right about leaving this place to be beside their friends once more, but such an inherent wrongness in this goodbye.

Arbok and Weezing had their faces regretfully pressed against the egg—as if they were trying to apologize through osmosis—when James finally cleared his throat and spoke up.

"You two, ah…" he said, a little timidly. "If I might be so bold, what's stopping you from bringing your egg with us?"

Almost immediately, they shot up from the floor to stare at him.

"Charbokkuh?!"

"Weez?!"

"Of course it's an option!" Jessie said, putting James' underlying worries about the suggestion to bed. "Our life isn't nearly as tumultuous as it was before, you know! I think we can handle caring for an egg."

"'N' I got lots of fur!" Meowth boasted, cutely. "Poihfect for warmin' all kindsa eggies!"

The poison pair's gazes sparkled—half from gratitude, half from tears—and they tackled their friends to the floor, peppering them in affection, cheering their names in thanks. They didn't have to say goodbye. They didn't have to say goodbye.

With business taken care of, the family all began their trek onward, Arbok and Weezing shooting tearful goodbyes and hugs and well wishes to everyone, one by one, individually. Giving personalized love— take care of yourself, tell the kids I'll miss them, battle hard so you can beat her, okay?— they took their time as they moved through the masses. Pride shimmered in their trainers' eyes, colours of the ocean aswirl with stars.

They were off the ground by sunset, sharp ears and whiskers cutting a jovial shape into the melting orange of the route's smoky dusk. Meowth rested his paws tenderly on the egg as he held it, stroking it with a gentleness that so rarely emerged from him. Carefully, the cat rested his head on it. There was something so comfortable about it, warm on his fur.

James pulled the lever once more and sent a blast of fire upward, ascending them closer to the stars as they flickered on. The eight of them said nothing, electing instead to dissolve wordlessly into the feeling. It was too picturesque, too beautiful, too romantic. There was just no way this was something beyond some kind of altruistic dream. Their luck did not work in these ways.

They realized, slowly at first, that Luck no longer ruled their lives. She had laid down her wings, let them onto the ground, where Karma had illuminated winding roads diverged and guided them to where and who they were right now.

This was it, then. There was no catch because their paid dues were starting to spill over. They had put enough kindness into the world that it was starting to return to them, an old friend's embrace both figuratively and literally.

Jessie let out a sigh, otherworldly in its tone, toeing the line between dreamlike and so, so heavy with reality. She was going to wake up tomorrow morning with Arbok's pokeball in her pocket, with it back in her life, filling a hole she hadn't even noticed the cruel presence of.

The sun dipped, and the group huddled closer together—not out of necessity, but because they tangibly could. With the wind at their backs, they let their feelings spill over into genuine smiles as the ascension peaked, spirits extending their reach to the stars above.

"Man," Meowth said, breaking the momentous silence. "Dis balloon sure is gettin crowded."

That was okay, the former Rockets decided without words between them. When you spend enough time mostly alone, you learn to love the feeling of people on every side of you.

Jessie exhaled again, leaning over the basket, Wobbuffet and Arbok at her side as though they were an extension of all she was. James stole a quiet glance at her, and the serenity on her face in that moment sent his heart further skyward, wading through the starlight as it drizzled down all around them.

A quiet breeze blew Jessie's wild hair forward, and she shut her eyes, smiling.

---

A/N: I WAS SLEEPING ON THIS ONE FOR SO LONG, Y'ALL. This was one of the first chapters of DTE that EVER fucking came to me, I wrote down the idea for it literally almost 2 years ago. I'm so happy. I'm so happy I got to share it with you finally, I hope you can forgive how tight-lipped I was about it!

We have two new characters! We have an egg now! So many things are happening! We have SO many plans!

So anyways, pokemon dialogue. Arbok and Weezing have a very particular manner of speaking (shown in EP017) that is basic and lacking in grammatical structure. I take that less as an individual thing and more of a species-based thing, so I let blank Ekans/Arbok adopt it too. But then when they "talk" to their trainers, their words are eloquent and with meaning. Why?

The way pokemon talk to each other is different from the way pokemon and people talk. When pokemon talk, their meanings are 100% clear and without obscurity. When pokemon talk to people they have bonded with, the dialogue is based more on feeling, on vibe, on body language. It's more of an intuitive thing, like a clearer way of reading someone's mood by their expression. The stronger the bond, the more clarity in the dialogue, but even then, there's gonna be some differences. So that's why Arbok and Weezing sound a little more grammatically sound to their trainers-they're getting the more flowery version of the pokemon's words, whereas someone like Meowth is getting the literal, exact thing they're saying. I hope I've made that clear enough.

Also, 'Master' says less about the relationship and is more a thing of respect. Pokemon and trainer stand on equal ground, but pokemon refer to their trainers as their masters to show their utmost love and devotion. If most trainers knew this, they would probably be Kind of Weirded Out by it. Ash's pokemon tend to stray from this because he's a magic protag, Wobbuffet also does because he's weird and loves his Mom.

The song Meowth sings is from the sub! It's called Nyasu no Ballad/Meowth's Ballad (not to be confused with Nyasu no Uta/Meowth's Song from OS) and it is my absolute fave. The lyrics are translated from their original meaning and given a lil flair/wiggle room, I def recommend listening to it if you haven't. It's very sweet and so is the ending that goes with it.

Looks like month-to-month updates are becoming the norm, sorry about that, hope it's alright. Work still really loves me. Next one might take even LONGER, because I'm gonna be real, Ven and I only have the loooooosest of ideas for what we wanna do with it. But hopefully not too long, because there are places I cannot wait for this story to go.

That's it, I think? Hope this one was okay, hope y'all enjoyed it. I really, really loved writing it, and I was so happy to finally make Jessie happy! Holding off on letting her be Okay was so painful, I'm so glad I got to give her this after everything. Also hope her childhood flashback wasn't too similar to the one in the Cacturne chapter, in all honesty I just really think Jessie got in a lot of Fights as a kid lmao.

Thanks as always for your guys' support, esp my friends for putting up with how workaholic-y I am about this fic esp! ilu all and will continue to do my best!