The Team Rocket Chronicles
By Red Dragonfly (aka Rebecca Lang)
. . .
Chapter 34
To Extend Our Reach to the Stars Above
. . .
. . .
The shock splashed across their faces. Jesse turned pink. James turned white. Jared made a stuttering noise that sounded an awful lot like, "What?"
"You heard me," Jaquie said, quite unperturbed. "Jesse's right. I should have given her a chance to succeed. Well, here it is. She can defeat Kris."
"You're making fun of me," Jesse said uncertainly.
"No, I'm not," Jaquie said. "You wanted me to teach you. Well, this is how I teach. Go out and win the battle."
"I can't," she whispered, panic suddenly seizing her. "You know I can't win!"
"You can. You're my sister." Jaquie gripped her gently by the shoulders and forced eye contact. "Just forget everything I taught you at school. Study the situation. Rely on past experience. Figure out for yourself how to win."
"But..."
"Jaquie, as much as your sister probably appreciates the gesture, this isn't an ordinary battle," Gadara put in. "There are larger things at stake: the city, the citizens—"
"Good, then she won't lose."
"Well, I don't see how she can win," Gadara shot back hotly. "She hasn't participated in a single battle while here, and you wish to pit her against the experienced armies of Karen and Kris—"
"Yes. That way they won't bully her. But I agree," Jaquie said quickly before Gadara could object, "that Jesse's new at this, so I'll lend her my pokemon. She'll have James and Meowth as her co-generals—" They both started. "—and all the experience of your armies, Gadara. It's not that hard. All she needs to do is outline a basic strategy, coordinate the armies, set up a communication system, and plan alternate tactics for when things go wrong."
"All!" exclaimed James and Meowth.
"These are my citizens you are risking!" Gadara said, with real anger rising in her voice. "I might consider lending some of my armies to you, but not to her."
"So you trust the leader of Team Rocket more than your self-appointed diplomats."
"She can't win!"
Suddenly Jesse spoke up. "I can win." She looked at Jaquie with defiance in her eyes. "And I will."
Jaquie gave her sister an approving nod.
"Jaquie..." Gadara almost pleaded.
"You heard her," Jaquie said coolly. "She can lead your troops. She's going to have to, because I won't."
. . .
But Gadara didn't appoint Jesse immediately. After all, she still had leaders among her own people. Besides, it was pokemon, not humans, who ruled the island. So that night, in the comfort of her study, she sat in her overstuffed chair near the crackling logs in fireplace and toyed with the names of several outstanding fighters, Leah's among them, until the stars grew pale in the sky.
The next morning was dreary and overcast. In the gray dawn, a sleepy shift took place among the guards along the border. Fresh, fluttering Butterfrees exchanged places with weary Raticates and Golbats. One Raticate, however, already seemed to be sleeping. His brown body was a heavy lump, his little eyes squeezed shut. A Butterfree tapped him impatiently on the head.
Raticate's eyes opened and his legs sprang. White teeth caught the Butterfree's body and slammed her into the dirt. Butterfree gave a cry. Her friends looked up. Other Raticate guards—other traitors in disguise—began to attack. Chaos engulfed the jungle.
Butterfrees, Golbats, and loyal Raticates all huddled in a tight knot, just as they'd been taught, and concentrated a psychic attack at their enemy. The Raticate spies scattered. For a moment, Gadara's pokemon breathed a sigh of relief.
Fearows swooped down from the trees—three, only three, but their sky attacks were fierce. As the Butterfrees flinched, fire swept in. Kris' own Charmeleon blew bright red flamethrowers through the morning mist. The shock sent the Butterfrees scattering, yelling in panic. The Golbats followed in their wake. Loyal Raticates broke and ran.
News spread in the jungle. Traitors! Fire! Attack! Run!
A Pinser, a seasoned warrior and the champion of many arena battles, gathered a group of grass, bug, and flying pokemon together. Look for Charmeleon, he ordered the flying pokemon. When you see him, report back. We'll all work together to crush him. The fliers warbled their approval and took to the air.
Kris' troops tore through the jungle, howling like barbarians. Charmeleon urged them forward, his voice screaming in cacophonic rage. That's the leader, Pidgetto yelled. Pinser nodded. Bug pokemon pressed together in the grass like a living shield, while flying pokemon wove through leaves in the trees. Pinser gave the signal.
Now!
They fell upon the Charmeleon.
The fire pokemon spewed flame upon the grass, but the flying pokemon knocked him down and the bugs quickly overwhelmed him. The pokemon cheered, but Pinser knew something was wrong. They had caught Charmeleon, but where was the rest of Kris' pokemon?
Raticates burst from the ground. They grabbed the necks of the flying pokemon and tried to pull them into the holes. Bug pokemon responded with stun spore. Kris' Fearows appeared out of nowhere and blew whirlwinds into the group. Paralyzing powder got everywhere. The bug pokemon were utterly confused. And then the Raticates opened their mouth and fire came pouring out.
Now no one tried to resist. All pokemon scrambled for Mountaintop City in one mad dash. Attack! Kris! Help! Run! The towering invisible walls stood before them. Pokemon bashed their heads into the glass, trying to break it. They kicked and punched, they sent ice and electricity and hyper beams hurling at the walls. Not a crack appeared. Flying pokemon followed the glass up, up, up to the heavens, until ice froze their wings and they came plummeting down.
Alarms rang madly inside the city. Gadara desperately tried to rally her forces. "Psychic pokemon, keep the walls up. Teleport fighters outside and get the refugees in."
The psychic pokemon ran around in confusion. Did they teleport the fighters first or the refugees? Which ones? Where to put them?
Leah was thrown into the midst of the screaming crowd. Listen to me, she yelled. The walls aren't coming down. Turn around and— With sudden whiplash, she found herself back inside Mountaintop City.
Kris' scouting pokemon stood back and watched. They had orders to test Gadara's defenses and try to get into Mountaintop City, if they could. But seeing the refugees futilely clawing the glass, they realized their limitations. Those walls would not come down. They'd need more pokemon.
Charmeleon ordered the retreat, but not before a Fearow flew at the walls, scratching out a message with his beak.
DOWN WITH ALL TYRANTS!
One hundred and nineteen of Gadara's pokemon had been injured in the raid. Kris' scouts consisted of only fifteen pokemon.
. . .
"Gadara asked me to talk to Jaquie. Again." Jared slumped down on a bench. "She seems to think I can get her to change her mind."
A few hours after the attack, and things were finally settling down. After the hospital overflowed with patients, Jared was asked to set up a healing machine in the park. Zeroun helped the wounded recover, until the nurse Chanceys finally got everything under control.
Now, the solemn psychic pokemon joined Jared for a break.
You are the closest to her, Zeroun said. It makes sense that Gadara would ask you.
"I've known Jaquie for less than a month."
And yet you cracked open her deepest secrets.
"That was a lucky guess. And it's not the same thing as understanding her. I have no idea why Jaquie's refusing to defend the city." Jared looked at the injured pokemon lying on the grass. "I want to help. I really do. But I can only fix broken machines—not broken people."
You think Jaquie's broken?
"I don't know what she is."
Perhaps her loss has caused her some uncertainty. She may just need to regain her confidence. Perhaps if you are just there to support her...
"Like you support Gadara?" Jared turned his gaze to the psychic pokemon. "Zeroun, something is bothering me. You're an intelligent pokemon, smarter than even Gadara, I think. Yet you always do what she tells you. Why?"
She is my leader.
"So? Don't you have a mind of your own?"
Of course I do. Zeroun sat down on the bench beside Jared. But you have to understand that pokemon have a very different mentality than humans. We feel compelled to follow any strong personality. Here, on this island, we fight this urge more than normal pokemon, but it still remains, carried from generation to generation. Without that instinct, Jaquie would not have been able to train the pokemon she captured.
"And Karen and Kris wouldn't be able to control the other four city-states."
Zeroun sighed. That, too, is true.
"I guess what bothers me is that you were the one to do the mind search on Jaquie. Gadara couldn't do it, so she asked you. If you had just refused her, we wouldn't be in this mess."
It is hard to refuse when you are centered in a person's thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
I was scanning Gadara's mind, Zeroun explained. If you listen to a person's argument with your ears, you may relate to them in some faint way, but some part of you is still detached from the person and you can still form your own reasoning. But when you enter into another person's mind, you understand them completely. It's easy to forget yourself that way.
"So if you read a person's thoughts, you understand what they're going through and why they make certain decisions?"
Yes.
Jared lowered his voice. "What do you know about Jaquie's thoughts?"
. . .
Jaquie had taken refuge in a meadow green library with as many bowls of flowers as books. She had a headache. Not from the flowers. Jaquie plucked a book from one of the shelves, hoping it would take her mind off it. The dog-eared covered showed a gold etching of a Bulbasaur. It seemed promising enough. Jaquie reclined on a straw chair.
The door glided open, and Jared entered. He had a glum look on his face, and his shoulders hunched. He carried a steaming styrofoam cup carefully in front of him.
"I brought you some coffee," he said to Jaquie.
She put the book down. "How'd you find coffee? I've been asking all over the city for it, and they keep saying they don't have any."
Jared handed her the cup. "It wasn't easy. I had to lead an expedition to the headquarters in order to smuggle this back. Most of the weapons and useful stuff were gone—my guess is that Karen or Kris took them—but they left the coffee."
Jaquie drank in the strong, mellifluous aroma for a moment. She took an anticipated sip. The coffee was hot and strong—just how she liked it.
"Thank you, Jared." Jaquie smiled. "That was very considerate of you."
"Not really," he replied dourly. "I brought it as a peace offering."
"For what?"
"Zeroun gave me your memories from the mind search."
Jared didn't look her in the eye. He didn't expect a torrent of outrage. More like a sad, E tu, Brute? A placid, biting answer that would make him miserable. He already felt miserable.
Jaquie didn't speak. So many of her secrets, of her emotions had been drawn out of her like water from a well, and now she felt depleted. Empty. A hole inside her had been scraped deeper until her insides felt raw. Her throat tightened.
"Fine," she said at last. "So now you have my memories. Does it help you?"
Jared shook head. "Not really." He took an awkward step near her. "I just wanted to know what was going on in your head. To understand you better—and to convince you to lead Mountaintop City against Kris."
"So you've also fallen in love with this city," Jaquie said.
"Gadara hasn't given you a tour?"
"She's tried. I've refused. I am not going to be manipulated by her sentiment."
"It's a beautiful place."
"I don't care about that."
"Do you care about Team Rocket? What do you think Kris will do to it?"
"Nothing. I run Team Rocket. If he tries to take it from me, he'll only end up destroying it."
"And that was your plan all along?"
Jaquie stared into her coffee.
"When I was a kid," she said quietly, "I used to spend days building towns out of blocks. I'd make a tower in the center and imagine looking over the entire city to make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to. I'd build prisons to punish my enemy and walls to protect my friends and rocket ships, and I'd never let anyone touch it but me. I ruled over everything. But the best part was that anytime I wanted, I could destroy everything I built, level everything flat. And that's how it is with Team Rocket. I made it. I can dismantle it."
Jared nodded. "That's the reason Gadara trusts you, you know."
"Because I can destroy what I created?"
"Because you know good from evil."
"Because I knew what I was doing was evil, and I did it anyway. Because I knew the town I was creating was an evil totalitarian state replete with gallows and graveyards, and I continued to build it."
"Well...no, but it wasn't your fault."
"Yes, it was," Jaquie said simply, mercilessly.
"It was Giovanni who forced—"
"Everything is my fault." Jaquie squeezed the cup until the styrofoam cracked. "Or nothing is. I learned early on I could succumb to the chaos that is my life and be a helpless victim of circumstance. Or I could take control. I could control everything so nothing bad would ever happen to me or my family again." The black liquid spilled through her fingers and trembled to the floor in looping streams.
The image disturbed him. "Doesn't that burn you?" Jared asked.
"What?" Jaquie's eyes snapped to the leaking cup, and she cursed under her breath. "Get me something to clean this with. Is there a trash bin in here?"
"Left." Jared pointed at a small box made out of criss-crossed sticks.
Jaquie dumped the cup into the trash. She shook her hands, once, twice, brisk movements that sent the excess coffee spattering. Then she wiped her hands dry on her black jacket. Jared fished a rag from his pocket and wiped up the drippings. It was just enough of a lull for him to summon the courage to bring up the real topic he had in mind.
"Gadara wants to know if you changed your mind."
Jaquie's eyes went dark. "No."
"We can't do this without you."
"Says who?"
"This is too important for you to let Jesse handle. Kris has been mobilizing forces. He's already made a demonstration of his strength this morning and... well, it was impressive. We are outnumbered, outsmarted. What if Jesse panics or freezes up? What if she can't handle this assignment? We need to be certain. We need you."
"Stop it, Jared." Jaquie squeezed her hands into fists. "Can't you see I'm trying my best not to rush out there and make everything perfect for you?"
Jared remembered her thoughts—the constant hum of perfection, the drive to prove she could do better, long after she had been acknowledged as the best. Here she had yet another chance to prove that she was good, better, best. But she was refusing it, letting it go.
"I tried to control Nidorina," Jaquie said, "and she resisted. I tried to control Karen and Kris, and they rebelled. I tried to control Jesse's life, and she hates me. I used to my efforts faltered because I wasn't good enough, because I made too many mistakes. But now..." She let out her breath. "I'm just tired of being perfect. I could regulate block towns, even whole organizations, but I failed—" She bit down on that word. "—when I tried to control people."
"But do you really think Jesse is up to this?" Jared asked softly.
"Of course she is," she said, matter-of-factly. "Just because I don't want to lead, doesn't mean I've begun making rash decisions. Right now you and Gadara can't see past your assumption that Jesse will lose."
"What should we be seeing then?"
"Three things," Jaquie replied. "First, how Kris will react to Jesse. Second, how the pokemon will react to her leadership. And third, how Jesse will handle the responsibility of having to save the city she loves."
"I think Gadara would rather have a solid record of wins."
"Too bad for her. A record doesn't guarantee a future victory."
Jared sighed again. "You say there are three things to consider: how Kris will react, how the pokemon will react, and how Jesse will react. I can see how the first two might work in our favor, but I think you're mistaken if you expect Jesse will blossom into a leader overnight. Not everyone is as gifted as you. Even if she puts her all into it, it may not be enough."
Jaquie paused. "You're right. She may not be able to do this alone."
Jared let out his breath.
"Jared, I want you to help my sister through this."
"Me?" he said in surprise. "I've never been in a pokemon battle. Not on this scale anyway."
"I know. But you're good at seeing details and connecting them in interesting, insightful patterns. I'm not so sure Jesse can do that. If she's going to form a strategy, she'll need your help."
"But..." Jared said.
The thought of the future of the city, the island, and Team Rocket weighing on his shoulders overwhelmed him and momentarily struck him dumb.
"I can't—I don't want to be in charge!" He turned on her with sudden, savage anger. "Why can't you just act like you normally do? Why can't you lead the pokemon and save the city?"
He immediately looked down, ashamed of his childish tantrum.
"I'm not the hero," Jaquie said quietly. "You love this city so much. You want it to be saved? Then go out there and save it yourself."
. . .
"She won't do it," Jared said. "She wants her sister to lead."
Gadara gazed out the window. She could see her city: the buildings, the trees, the grass, the parks, the pokemon walking along the streets. It was such nice weather, the sky a tranquil blue and clear.
"Jaquie really seems to believe that Jesse is capable of this. She says that if you trust her—really trust her—you'll do as she requests."
The sunlight glinted across the barrier. The strength of the city, its safety: the invisible walls stretched high, grappling to reach the horizon.
"Gadara, I know you don't like to trust humans." Jared stepped in front of her, interrupting her view. "I know you're afraid that if you give Jesse this task you'll send your city into ruins. But Jaquie is willing to take this risk, and it's no easier for her than for you. You invaded her privacy. I think you owe her this much."
Gadara looked over him and said nothing. For a long she was silent. Jared shook his head and started for the door.
"The battle schools are ideal for recruiting soldiers," Gadara said. "Spies can relay news around the island. There's a planning room at South Point School of Battle Arts, where you can discuss strategies." Her eyes remained unblinkingly focused on the window. "Tell Jesse."
. . .
Jesse sat straight in her wooden chair in the planning room at the South Point Battle School. It had taken several recommendations from Jaquie just to get her in this position and that smarted. But she was here. She had a chance to prove herself.
The planning room was ugly. The walls had no color, the furniture was utilitarian, and there were no windows. But the doors had locks, the walls were soundproof, and a teleportation seal prevented pokemon from simply materializing in. So that was where they held their strategy meetings.
"The spies have reported that Karen and Kris went their separate ways," Meowth said. "Apparently, they had a fight. Kris is still training an army, but Karen is no longer with him."
"Great." Jared took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "So how does this help us?" He turned to Jesse and James. "What do you know about Karen and Kris?"
"Besides the fact that Kris is a bully—" James began.
"Karen and Kris are co-dependant an each other," Jesse said. "They have been for a while now. Kris is a strong attacker, but he can't defend and he never leaves a passage open for retreat. Those are Karen's jobs. If Karen was working with Kris, she'd be looking for escape routes, training legions for the sole purpose of defense, and keeping enough reserves for a possible retreat."
She endured their stares. Yes, she, Jesse, could make smart-sounding observations. But it was common knowledge that Karen and Kris worked that way, and right now Jesse wanted to get started on a plan that could actually take Kris down.
"What that means," Jared said slowly, "is that Kris will be gambling on a victory. If he loses, we'll have him and we won't have to worry about a third or fourth or fifth attack."
"But even if he's playing all-or-nothing, it only makes him that much stronger offensively," Jesse pointed out. "Because every pokemon he has will be concentrating on attack."
"We could just attack Kris," James mused. "Fight fire with fire."
"But Kris has more pokemon than us," Jesse said. "So, he's sure to win."
Jared sighed. "James, what do you have on video pertaining to the battles?"
James laid his video camera on the table. "I've scrounged for all the tapes I could find, but the only battles I have is the one with the Magmars and Machokes and the one with the Nidorinos and Nidorinas. Zeroun also says he can give us the memory of the last battle, with Jaquie versus Kris."
"We could figure out Jaquie's strategies and use them against Kris," Jared suggested.
"Kris has been in all three of those battles," Jesse said. "He knows those strategies."
"But can he fight against them?" Meowth wondered.
"Kris isn't stupid, for all his reckless charades. And he knows how to win battles a lot better than we do."
Jared sighed. "There goes that idea."
"Unless," James said. "Jared, didn't you see Jaquie train? Kris hasn't seen any of those strategies."
"Well, the strategies weren't complete," Jared said. "It was more like pieces. They were all good, but... I don't really remember them too well."
"You have to try," James said. "Mountaintop City depends on you."
"Zeroun can do a mind search on you," Meowth said. "Once you remember, we can take Jaquie's strategies and—"
"No," Jesse said.
The others looked at her.
"If Jaquie wanted to use her strategies, she'd have led the armies herself. She didn't. She chose me, and I am not going to be some lame, copycat version of Jaquie."
"Do you have a strategy in mind?" Jared asked.
"Uh, well, no. But I can think of one."
They waited.
Jesse glared at them. "I can't think with all of you watching me like that."
"Okay," Jared said. "We can come up with a plan together then. Jesse, James, Meowth, what did your learn from your experience at Team Rocket? Besides what Jaquie taught you, I mean."
There was along heavy silence.
"We learned," James said definitively, "that water conducts electricity."
"We learned that even when you're in the air the twerp can still send his Pikachu to zap you," Jesse added. "He just puts it on a flying pokemon."
"We learned how to dig holes," Meowth offered.
"And how to cover them up," James said.
"And how to keep from falling in them," Jesse finished.
"Great." Jared rubbing his forehead. He was beginning to see why Jaquie got headaches all the time. "Let's go back to the Jaquie thing. At least her strategies were useful."
"Not to us," Jesse said. "We can't execute her strategies because we don't know what we're doing. Kris will see a pathetic imitation of Jaquie, and he'll realize he can beat us. And even if we do somehow win—" Her eyes hardened. "—it will still be all about Jaquie. And it won't change anything."
"Come on, Jesse," James began.
"No, she brings up a valid point," Jared said. "Kris will be expecting Jaquie. He won't be expecting Jesse. The thing is, how can we use this against him?"
For a while no one spoke. Then, a slow smile spread across Jared's face. He laughed.
"I just had a crazy idea. I don't know if it will work, but if it does," Jared turned to Jesse, "then in the end, it won't be all about Jaquie."