AN: This chapter was updated/revised on July 4, 2019.
Jessie and James stumbled into the Team Rocket headquarters.
"We made it back safely," James breathed as he looked around. They were in their old dorm, which was almost entirely empty except for some furniture. "How do you feel?"
"I should be asking you…" Jessie mumbled. "I can't believe what I've done to you. I don't even know what to say."
"It's all over now. Let's shake on it."
"I'd rather kiss on it."
"Let's do both."
They shook hands and kissed, and a moment later, Jessie pulled away, wincing in pain.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I felt something," she replied. "And it hurt like hell."
"Jessie. I never got to tell you. I'm sure you already figured this out but, you—we—mostly you…"
"It became blatantly obvious to me over the past few days."
"How so?"
"Women's intuition."
"I'm so happy. And relieved. Listening to that voicemail made me feel so mixed up inside. Now everything is good."
"Listen, before we do anything else, there's something I need to do."
"Oh?"
"I think there might be something wrong."
"Why?"
"I was just kidnapped and hypnotized by a bunch of people who wanted to kill me, and I was surrounded by weapons and Pokémon that knew more attacks than I ever heard of in my entire life and—I'll get back to you. I need to make some phone calls."
She could tell he was torn up; James always made it obvious.
"I promise I will give you more info later," said Jessie. "Trust me?"
"Yeah," James replied. "I trust you."
XO
After getting everything they needed from the Morgan Mansion, Giovanni led everyone who helped in the mission to headquarters.
"What are you going to do with all the people you captured?" asked Ash as he and the others walked to the meeting room.
"I will put them in the Team Rocket prison," Giovanni said shortly.
"I knew it was real," Meowth muttered.
"Wow…I never realized that Team Rocket had its own prison," said Ash, attempting to sound impressed.
"That's pretty neat," said Max. "Who goes in there?"
"Anyone who gets on my bad side," Giovanni replied.
"Then how come you never sent Jessie, James, and Meowth there?" May asked.
"Cuz de Boss always loved us," Meowth boasted.
"That's not why," said Giovanni. "Despite them being incredibly irritating and mostly a waste of resources, they never betrayed me; they were always too cowardly to try and occasionally I was able to use them to get trivial tasks out of the way."
"Nya, whateva Boss." Meowth hugged his leg. "Yer a good man nonedeless."
"Get off me."
"Are you just going to leave them in there forever? Shouldn't there be a trial or something?" Serena asked.
"Enough questions," said Petrol. "You're too curious for your own good and it's none of your concern."
"There will be a trial," said Giovanni. "But not until this mess is sorted."
Everyone gathered in the meeting room. Misty looked around and noticed two important people missing.
"Where are Jessie and James?" several people asked Meowth.
"If I knew where dey were I woulda said somethin," he retorted. "But it's still a mystery ta me."
"But we still don't know if Jessie has snapped out of it," Misty said worriedly. "We know that the effects wear off naturally after a while but we don't know how long that takes or when Jessie was last hit."
"The Mew were there," said Ash. "Mew are some of the best Pokémon out there…so awesome. And they will protect anyone no matter what."
"Mew are called the Keepers of Aura and the Guardians of Life because of their relationship to the Tree of Beginning," said Brock. "They are the most empathetic and therapeutic Pokémon in existence."
"I know, I just can't get the possibility of another tragedy out of my head," Misty replied.
"I sent Jessie and James a message asking them to meet us here," said Giovanni. "Perhaps they will."
Giovanni got the attention of the group and started to discuss the fate of the mansion and their enemies when Jessie, James, Aliyah, and Acorn, came running in. Meowth jumped into their arms in a group hug. Mondo joined next.
"You're okay!" the teenager exclaimed. "Senpais, I was so worried for you."
"Yous two are de best!" Meowth told Aliyah and Acorn, who were back to their Eevee forms.
Giovanni glared at Jessie.
"I'm back to normal, and guilty as hell, so you can stop staring at me like that," she grumbled.
"I can tell she's Jessie," said James. "She's Jessie, I promise."
"Not ta normal but back ta Jessie," said Meowth.
"Precisely."
"Sit," said Giovanni. "We have business to discuss."
XO
"Team Rocket is an illegal organization too. How can they sue?" Serena asked when the meeting was over.
"Team Rocket controls everything in Kanto. They decide how and when laws are obeyed or enforced," said James.
"So, is this it? Is Team Firestar disbanded?"
"I think so."
"And just in time for the Sunkiss Competition in Cerulean," said Jessie.
"Perfect timing."
"Are two seriously thinking about that right now?" said Dawn. "Of everything that just happened—you're thinking about freakin contests?"
"Why not?" the duo responded.
"There are some things in this life worth living for and performances are one of them," said Jessie.
"After all I've been through lately, I need something to look forward too," said Serena. "Which means that as long as I'm no longer needed here, I will perform too."
"I would like to have a break from all this seriousness," said James. "This just isn't our nature."
"But doin what we want is our nature," said Meowth.
The Azuril in Misty's arms reminded Misty of an endeavor she had planned.
"I'll be in this competition too," she revealed. "Entry-level. I have a routine planned—didn't think I'd get to use it, but if you're doing it then so am I."
They talked about the contests for a while: who was going to compete, routine ideas, and so forth.
"I guess dis means dat everythin is back ta normal," said Meowth told Jessie and James privately. "Yer type of normal. Now, yous two can go back ta bein all love-love insteada tryin ta kill each other. But yer gonna wanna keep tings on de down low. Dose dorms at de Pokémon Center aren't soundproof."
"Meowth, stop being inappropriate," Jessie scolded as she hit him with her paper fan.
"Yuck," said Max.
"Double yuck," said Bonnie.
"Since when does anyone care what we do?" Jessie asked. "Never mind. Just shut up."
"It's kinda cute actually," said May.
"I dought so too are first but I very quickly changed my mind," said Meowth.
"Aw, dere like a little family!" Brock mocked. "How lucky."
"But if I had a kid, I wouldn't want it to be Meowth," May continued. "Wobbuffet, maybe."
"Wobbufffffet," the Pokémon said gratefully.
"Mind if I butt in?" Mondo asked as he joined the group.
"Please do," said Jessie and James.
"You'll be so happy. Growly, come on out!"
The puppy Pokémon leaped from his Pokeball and directly at James and Jessie, who awkwardly caught him together.
"You wanna be careful wit dem," Meowth told the dog. "Dere gettin old."
Jessie kicked Meowth, but he dodged it—saw it coming, obviously.
"We're not old, Growly's fifty pounds and hot," said James. "Mondo, thank you soooo much! "Growly, buddy, I was wondering where you were!"
"Grrrr grrr gro!" Growly barked as he licked each of his friends' hands.
"We found him tied up inside the doghouse," said Mondo explained. "He wasn't harmed at all and very excited to see us. I must get back to Giovanni. See you soon!"
"Thank you!" James called after him.
Growly gave extra rubs to Jessie, Meowth, Brock, and Misty.
"He must remember us," Brock said as he gave Growly one of his homemade treats.
"Grrrrow, grup!" he yipped.
"He says he likes yous," said Meowth. "Growly, welcome ta de family. Weeze gonna get along greatly as long as yous rememba who's de boss of dis trio: me, de Top Cat."
"Grrrrrrrow grow!"
"Take de back, yous lousy mutt!"
"Growly's my friend too and I will be devastated if you didn't at least try to act like friends," said James.
Growly whined an apology to both James and Meowth.
"K, I suppose weeze can get along," said Meowth. "Like brothas, or somethin."
"Maybe you two can do a contest together sometime, win cash for the family," said James.
"Dat's takin it too far."
The Rocket Gang, May, Misty, Brock, Serena, Dawn, Bonnie, Max, Sakura, Iris, Cilan, Richie, and Ash arrived at Cerulean City's largest Pokémon Center. They split into roommate groups of four. Most of the girls wanted to discuss the upcoming contest.
"What are these division two competitions like?" Sakura asked May.
"They are very similar to the original Kanto contests, but with a few spins," she replied. "It's sort of like a cross between Pokémon Performance and traditional Pokémon Contests. While traditional Pokémon contests focus on the abilities and technique of the Pokémon, trainers are supposed to perform by their Pokémon's side for this competition. Both the trainer and the Pokémon are judged."
"But unlike a Pokémon Performance, both men and women can perform, and there is a battling round too that is timed," Serena added.
"You should enter," said Misty told Sakura. "This will be my first time. We have nothing to lose."
"I'm completely unprepared and I think my monz are stressed out from everything that happened these last two weeks."
"I didn't think of that. I should talk to my team and make sure they still want to go on."
"Zuuuuu!" Azuril asserted. "Zu, zuu!"
"What's the matter? You don't want to perform?"
Azuril shook her head.
"Then you do?" Misty asked.
"Zuuu," she replied, nodding.
"Porrrrr," said Vaporeon, agree with her partner.
Misty other Pokémon, including the ones that were not even part of the routine, encouraged Misty to stick with her plan.
"Then I will," she told her friends and the Pokémon.
XO
Jessie and James were in the next room over. Jessie mocked the teens as they talked about their 'silly little amateur routines'.
"I dunno, Jess, they might be hard to beat," said James said capriciously. "Especially if Misty gets Psyduck involved."
"I dought it evolved," said Meowth.
Jessie and James jumped. Jessie drew her paper fan, prepared to strike.
"Since when were you here?" they asked. "We thought you were alone."
"Yous two tink dat a lot," he replied. "I'm leavin now. Good luck preparin for de contest—and good luck fittin in dat dress."
He pointed to the dress laid out on the bed. This time, Jessie hit him with the fan as he scurried away.
"This one won't need any altering," said Jessie.
They recalled the night of that dance competition in Kalos. Looking back, it was so obvious—the classic signs of early pregnancy. Not that anything would've changed if she knew it then—just a little less wine and more transparency between them.
This outfit was simple; a short-sleeved sapphire wrap dress, light sweater, a locket, and that TR bracelet she was more than ever determined to keep on her.
She took James' hands and pulled him into her.
"What do you think, notice anything yet?" she asked.
"Yes, of course," he responded.
She giggled. "Yeah, what?"
"It's been ages since you went for the wrap dress design."
"You're so dumb. I mean about me. Not my clothes!"
"Oh yes, of course."
"Now what?"
"I was thinking that it's getting colder outside and you should probably have a heavier sweater."
Jessie let it go.
"I think you have a sweater that's better," said James. He looked through the closet, then pulled out one of the many items Delia had given to them. "How about you take that one off and put this one on?"
Jessie huffed. "Fine, I will—but turn around."
"Um, why?"
"Don't ask questions, just turn around and let me change my sweater in privacy!"
"Okay, I won't look."
They left the PC a few minutes later and headed to the nearby nature preserve, where they planned to have a cheap date complete with food-stamp crackers and non-alcoholic wine.
And though James was never a particularly observant person, that had obviously changed since they got together, just slightly. Plus, they were both on high alert—there was no guarantee that yet another Team FS associate wouldn't ambush them despite Kanto's high security. The point was, without Jessie having to spell it out, she wasn't enjoying the date as much as he had hoped.
He didn't get an explanation until later that night.
He forgot about the whole 'don't look at me while I take off this sweater' command. He caught a glimpse of her forearms.
"Jessie, where did you get these?" he asked as he reached for her arm.
She withdrew her arm and turned away. "Nothing, drop it," she muttered.
"They don't look like 'nothing'. They look like burn marks from a hot pan. But I haven't seen you cook at all since you got back."
"There from a Pokémon, obviously. Growly accidentally got me. I didn't want you to get mad at him so I didn't tell you."
"I can tell that's not true, at least not all the way true. Please tell me what really happened."
"You don't want to hear it."
"I really, really, really want to hear it."
"Well, I really, really, really, don't want to talk about it."
He was about to let it go when a conversation he recently had with Giovanni came to mind:
"You wanted to see me?" James asked as he stepped into his office.
"Shut the door, sit, and keep your voice low," Giovanni instructed.
"Yes, Sir."
"How much time have you spent with Jessie since her return?"
"No much time at all."
"I want you to be cautious with her."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Team Firestar uses violence to accomplish their goals. They have been torturing Team Rocket agents and anyone in their gang who disobeys. These people have some sick motivations…few agents have recovered, and they have been left with serious psychosocial issues. Treat the situation with sensitivity but try to get her to talk. Ease her into it. They more she tells us the more we can hold against this organization in court. You know as well as I do that Jessie shies from the truth. She'd lie not only to save her own life but also her own sense of self-worth."
"I think you can give Jessie a little more credit than that…she's down plenty of lying in the past but rarely does she lie to me…."
"Do you understand what I want from you?"
"You want me to be sensitive, urge her to talk, so that it can benefit us in court."
"Yes."
"Something about that…hmmm…never mind."
"Say what's on your mind, James."
That was something he had never heard from the Boss before.
"I can't manipulate her into talking," James huffed. "And even if I could I wouldn't do it."
"That's not my suggestion," Giovanni replied. "What I want is for you to listen to her. That's something a partner should do anyway. If you were more perspective, you'd realize this without me pointing it out yet here we are."
"I understand, Sir. I appreciate your concern for Jessie and me. She and I will talk, soon—but I'm not going to push it."
Gio leaned back in his chair and studied James. James rarely came through for him as an agent but as Jessie's partner, he had been reliable. They were better off being incompetent dumbasses than what Jessie was the year she called him to bail her out of jail—James is to thank for that.
"But I'm not a professional," said James. "If she falls into this category of agents who are traumatized…I can't help her."
"Obviously," Giovanni responded. "That's why you will leave that part to me. If it comes to that leave it to me. Contact me directly in-person or through a private video chat when that occurs. You are dismissed."
James bowed and left the office. He hadn't spoken to Giovanni about anything since.
"Can I hug you?" he asked Jessie.
"Wha…why are you asking?" she replied.
"A, your arms look like they hurt, and B, perhaps you don't want a hug."
"We established a while ago that we don't have to ask before we hug, James."
He put his arms around her and closed his eyes.
"I would really like you to tell me what happened while you were there," he murmured. "You can tell me anything. I just want to help."
"I don't know…I just would rather avoid it and I don't even know where to begin," she sighed.
"Perhaps from the beginning."
"Where do you suppose that is?"
"As far back as you can remember."
As was true for Ash and the other affected, what happened was like a realistic dream. Sometimes it felt like it occurred, other times it seemed that it didn't. And the more time that passed, the deeper the meat of the matter became while the details blurred. Some things were 100% certain and wouldn't be leaving their heads anytime soon.
"I suppose, I'm just so sorry," said Jessie.
She was suddenly crying more intensely than he saw coming. He patted her back.
"There's nothing for you to be sorry about," said James. "If they had put me under their control, I would've done all the same things to you, maybe worse."
He gave her a few minutes, but she never responded, and every second felt like a minute and the minutes felt like hours. He didn't know if it was appropriate but he kept Giovanni's intentions in his mind. He decided to prompt her:
"They burnt you?" he asked.
"You probably think I'm so dumb," she sniffed. "And weak…getting all worked up over some burns and bruises—as if we haven't both experienced that before."
"You're not any dumber or weaker than me, and certainly not the bad kind of dumb or weak. It must have been the scariest experience in the world, and it's so recent…days ago this happened. We can still count the hours."
She didn't respond. The only indication that she was even breathing was the fact that she didn't collapse.
"I understand if it's really difficult to talk about," said James. "I know there's a lot that can happen to someone who isn't in control of their own body."
"…Why do you say it like that?" she asked after some hesitation.
"Like what?"
"They didn't just burn me. They made me believe I was someone else. One of them. I was in control…sort of. I was calling the shots; it just wasn't me. I knew in the back of my mind that the situation was wrong but I couldn't shake it. Those thoughts were discouraged, then I was threatened. And I didn't take all the threats seriously. I didn't know who I was entirely but I knew they were not being truthful with me. As much as I hate truth, I hate them more. Perhaps because of that defiance I had, mixed with the fact that they seemed to give me the most attention out of all the recruits—I was tormented, degraded, abused, raped—they left no room for pity. No matter what, I can never go back there; physically, mentally, and I never thought of myself as the kind of person who would let these things happen to me."
The news wasn't shocking, to him it was worse: the nightmare he hatefully suspected. The worst thing in the world had happened to the person he knew he'd do anything for. And it was his fault.
"Which one of them was it?" he asked tearfully. "Was the leader? An agent? We'll get them!"
"I don't know who," she replied. "I've been trying to distance myself and now I can hardly remember it. The marks are the evidence. I can't even trust my own mind."
"I trust your experiences. I can understand why you would doubt yourself now of all times…but you didn't invent this. I know you didn't—I resonate with this."
"You… 'resonate' with this? What the hell do you mean?!"
"I never explained. I assume you knew...I always thought it was obvious to others…"
"Knew what? What are we even talking about?"
"I can't compare our situations." His voice was abrupt. "What happened to you…no one is getting away with it. Ever. We'll take them on ourselves if we have to."
"We can't tell anyone about this. You can't tell anyone."
"We have to report this! If we don't, they'll win."
"They're already going to rot in prison. If I never have to look at them again, I'll be satisfied."
James understood that now was probably the worst time to start a debate. The chances are she would change her mind about this anyway.
"I'm not crazy or arrogant enough to try to take you in a battle," said James. "You don't tell anyone ever if you don't want to. And if you do, I won't be involved unless you want me to be."
He looked at her arms. They have both been burned before, but Pokémon fire was tolerable. It left marks but not scars the cut through the heart no matter where on the body they were forced.
"Have you been treating these?" he asked after a while. "I see you put makeup on over them…"
She took the makeup remover wipes off her dresser to reveal the full extent. It wasn't grisly, but still was something that looked like it shouldn't exist even on their worse enemies.
"I've been putting burn cream on them," she said drearily.
She handed the container to James. He nearly dropped it; it was the same brand Jessiebelle had once thrown at him after she had her extra-vile Vileplume use Stun Spore to render him paralyzed. He knew the cream worked.
"I stole this from the mansion," Jessie sighed. "Believe it or not, these cuts looked much worse and were extremely painful before I started using this fucking solution that we can't even afford."
"It's a priority purchase," he responded. "We'll ask Acorn and Aliyah to heal you; that will help, and we'll get more of that cream whether we have to steal it or buy or borrow it from a group of twerps."
They were silent together for a while. It was a comfortable silence. After so much emotion had flooded the room and their bodies, they needed to do at least the bare minimum to reset.
"Giovanni will get us the best lawyer in the world. He wants to support you," said James.
"How would you know?" she replied.
James recounted his most recent conversation with Giovanni.
"This might sound cringy to you, but Giovanni is the closest person I had to a father," said Jessie. "Though I didn't think he ever saw me as family until very, very recently. As much as I hated him at times, I still wanted him to be around. Other than you, he was the only significant man in my life who didn't cause me more pain than I could handle."
The news wasn't cringy to James, but depressing. Gio was not a man of morals; he had done a lot for personal gain. While many of his intentions were good, plenty of others were corrupt. As a defector from decadence and the victim/inheritor of a patriarchal household, he never believed someone 'needed' a positive male role model or protector, but it wasn't bad having one whenever possible.
"It's not in an awkward way, it's…like I said. Giovanni and I have a love-hate relationship that I love even after I complain about hating it," said Jessie.
"I don't think it's awkward," said James. "I think it is sweet. He has a heart in there. You knew it, Delia, knew it, and now I know it. On to more practical matters. Giovanni can help us find a doctor—not just the docent and medic that work for TR, but someone with a Ph.D. and a practice. And we should go as soon as possible."
"I suppose he was like that for me too, occasionally," said James.
"I already spoke to one and I have an appointment to see her." Jessie started to recover and her tears dried. "I know that doesn't sound like me but this isn't about me. I want to at least know when I'm going to have this baby and how many heads it'll have."
"Yes, that would be great information to have ahead of time."
"And while I'm going to make that appointment a priority, I want a little escape. I'm doing that contest no matter what."
"Even if we find out that the baby has two heads?"
"Yes."
