Note: I don't know much about Giovanni, soo I portrayed him as acting a lot like the villain Pegasus from Yu-Gi-Oh! ^_~ I hope I didn't get him way out of character! ;)
The cold water lapped against him, finally rousing him from a long unconscious state. He tried to open his eyes but found them glued shut, so he tried to remember instead. Remember something, anything, but nothing was there. He started to panic as he realized he had no clue who he was or anything about where he was or why he was there.
"Jessie," he whispered, then stopped. Who was Jessie? Why had her name come to mind? Was she someone important to him?
Finally he managed to open his eyes. It was nighttime, and he was laying on a beach somewhere, all alone. No one was around at all, and that frightened him a bit. He didn't like the thought of being somewhere by himself with no idea who he was and no one around who could tell him.
Jessie . . . maybe she could tell him, if only he could find her!
He coughed, choking on the water he'd apparently swallowed while senseless and suddenly becoming aware of a stinging pain in his right arm. When he looked at it, he saw a long trail of blood coming from a wound near his wrist. Where had that come from? Was it infected?
He looked for something he could use to stop the bleeding. Next to him were several jagged strips of white cloth. "These will have to do," he said to himself. He idly wondered whether he talked to himself a lot as he wrapped the cloth around the cut.
He happened to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the now-calmed water. He had long bluish-lavender hair that came to a couple of inches above his shoulders, deep emerald eyes, and a generally youthful appearance. He couldn't say for sure, but he estimated that he was somewhere around sixteen years of age. It's an eerie feeling to look in the reflective waters and see a stranger staring back at you, he thought ruefully.
He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt with white pants, part of a uniform perhaps . . . but for what?
He wondered if anyone knew he was missing and would look for him. "Or maybe they think I'm dead," he muttered aloud.
He struggled to get up. "I have to find some kind of civilization somewhere," he decided. Judging from his isolated location, that could take a while.
****
Jessie left Giovanni's office in despair. She had dreaded the meeting with him that she had known would come, and it had been even stranger than she had ever imagined. She still wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.
"So, Jessie, I hear that James finally met his demise," he had said in that smooth voice of his, making Jessie even angrier by his emotionless tone.
"Yes, sir, he has," she had replied, trying to control her feelings and be strong.
"Well, he never was one of the best Team Rocket members."
Jessie fumed. Maybe James hadn't always been the most intelligent member, but he had always been good to her, and she didn't like anyone else to say he wasn't intelligent.
"We can do without imbeciles such as he was," Giovanni had continued. "Frankly, Jessie, he was never on the same level as you. I don't know why I ever put you two together as a team. You would have done much better with someone like Butch."
"I didn't want Butch, sir," Jessie had said.
"Yes, yes. Maybe you perhaps had some feelings for that imbecile James?" Giovanni had grinned in a knowing way.
"If you mean romantically, no sir, never," Jessie had replied, stunned at the question. "But sir . . ." she had rushed on, ". . . if you've called me here to talk about a new partner, would it be at all possible to . . . postpone that? Meowth and I could make a good team and . . ."
"Jessie, Jessie," Giovanni had interrupted. "There you go, jumping to conclusions. Actually, I just called you over to offer my condolences." His smooth, emotionless voice hadn't made Jessie feel at all better. "If someone was trying to purposely murder my Team Rocket agents, I can assure you that I will get to the bottom of this outrage."
Jessie had been able to tell Giovanni wasn't sincere. She had expected that, but his tone of voice had sent a chill up her spine. Was it possible . . . conceivable . . . that perhaps . . . Giovanni himself had been responsible? She would have to be on her guard.
"But since you brought it up, Jessie," Giovanni had continued, "you will need a new partner."
"Sir, I've worked with James for years," Jessie had replied, "and I really wouldn't feel comfortable with a new partner . . . especially now."
"True, you must still be in shock." Giovanni had clasped his hands together and leaned forward, his smile only making Jessie more uneasy. "Perhaps I should give you a couple of weeks off, hmm? I don't want to lose any more of my agents, after all."
"Thank you, sir," Jessie had said, surprised. Inwardly she knew that Giovanni must have a reason for this, something dark and sinister. But if he did, she wouldn't be able to let on that she suspected anything. "That would be appreciated."
"Consider it done," Giovanni had said smoothly. "Now, my dear, you are dismissed."
"So, how'd it go?"
Jessie was thrown back into the present as Meowth suddenly appeared in her line of vision.
"As well as could be expected." She looked around furtively and disappeared into a nearby cluster of trees, with Meowth following confused. "We have to be careful, Meowth."
"Why?" Meowth cocked his head. "Ya mean ya think someone might try to torch us again?"
Jessie sighed. Why did Meowth have to be so blunt? "Well, frankly, yes. I don't trust Giovanni."
"Who does?" Meowth shrugged.
"I'm starting to wonder if he was behind that fire," Jessie said grimly.
"Him? Why would he do that?" Meowth's eyes went even wider than usual.
"I don't know. Just . . . be very careful the next two weeks," Jessie warned.
****
The nameless young man stumbled through the brush and trees. He didn't know how long he'd been walking, but it seemed like ages. Was that a building he could see through the trees? Maybe he'd finally reached a city.
Without warning, a strange, monkey-like creature swung down in front of him, chattering. Startled, the boy shrieked and backed up.
The monkey creature looked started too, he realized. It acted almost as if it had seen him before, but he wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad thing.
"Pardon me," the boy said uncomfortably, walking around the creature and continuing on. He wondered if he talked to animals a lot.
He was getting very weak by the time he finally came into the clearing and saw the building. "A Pokemon hospital?" He read the letters over the door, confused. What was a Pokemon? Oh well . . . maybe someone in there could help him.
With his last ounces of strength, he pushed the door open and went in. Inside he saw a red-haired girl in a nurse's uniform, and her eyes went wide when she saw him.
"Team Rocket!" she gasped.
"Who?"
She took in his battered appearance. "What happened to you??! Did you get blasted off again?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied, trying to steady himself by grabbing the wall. "All I know is that I woke up on a beach with no idea how I got there, or who I am. . . ." The nurse could see his eyes were glassy. "And I do believe further explanations will have to wait until later, because I think I'm about to pass out!"
With that he collapsed on the floor.
The cold water lapped against him, finally rousing him from a long unconscious state. He tried to open his eyes but found them glued shut, so he tried to remember instead. Remember something, anything, but nothing was there. He started to panic as he realized he had no clue who he was or anything about where he was or why he was there.
"Jessie," he whispered, then stopped. Who was Jessie? Why had her name come to mind? Was she someone important to him?
Finally he managed to open his eyes. It was nighttime, and he was laying on a beach somewhere, all alone. No one was around at all, and that frightened him a bit. He didn't like the thought of being somewhere by himself with no idea who he was and no one around who could tell him.
Jessie . . . maybe she could tell him, if only he could find her!
He coughed, choking on the water he'd apparently swallowed while senseless and suddenly becoming aware of a stinging pain in his right arm. When he looked at it, he saw a long trail of blood coming from a wound near his wrist. Where had that come from? Was it infected?
He looked for something he could use to stop the bleeding. Next to him were several jagged strips of white cloth. "These will have to do," he said to himself. He idly wondered whether he talked to himself a lot as he wrapped the cloth around the cut.
He happened to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the now-calmed water. He had long bluish-lavender hair that came to a couple of inches above his shoulders, deep emerald eyes, and a generally youthful appearance. He couldn't say for sure, but he estimated that he was somewhere around sixteen years of age. It's an eerie feeling to look in the reflective waters and see a stranger staring back at you, he thought ruefully.
He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt with white pants, part of a uniform perhaps . . . but for what?
He wondered if anyone knew he was missing and would look for him. "Or maybe they think I'm dead," he muttered aloud.
He struggled to get up. "I have to find some kind of civilization somewhere," he decided. Judging from his isolated location, that could take a while.
****
Jessie left Giovanni's office in despair. She had dreaded the meeting with him that she had known would come, and it had been even stranger than she had ever imagined. She still wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.
"So, Jessie, I hear that James finally met his demise," he had said in that smooth voice of his, making Jessie even angrier by his emotionless tone.
"Yes, sir, he has," she had replied, trying to control her feelings and be strong.
"Well, he never was one of the best Team Rocket members."
Jessie fumed. Maybe James hadn't always been the most intelligent member, but he had always been good to her, and she didn't like anyone else to say he wasn't intelligent.
"We can do without imbeciles such as he was," Giovanni had continued. "Frankly, Jessie, he was never on the same level as you. I don't know why I ever put you two together as a team. You would have done much better with someone like Butch."
"I didn't want Butch, sir," Jessie had said.
"Yes, yes. Maybe you perhaps had some feelings for that imbecile James?" Giovanni had grinned in a knowing way.
"If you mean romantically, no sir, never," Jessie had replied, stunned at the question. "But sir . . ." she had rushed on, ". . . if you've called me here to talk about a new partner, would it be at all possible to . . . postpone that? Meowth and I could make a good team and . . ."
"Jessie, Jessie," Giovanni had interrupted. "There you go, jumping to conclusions. Actually, I just called you over to offer my condolences." His smooth, emotionless voice hadn't made Jessie feel at all better. "If someone was trying to purposely murder my Team Rocket agents, I can assure you that I will get to the bottom of this outrage."
Jessie had been able to tell Giovanni wasn't sincere. She had expected that, but his tone of voice had sent a chill up her spine. Was it possible . . . conceivable . . . that perhaps . . . Giovanni himself had been responsible? She would have to be on her guard.
"But since you brought it up, Jessie," Giovanni had continued, "you will need a new partner."
"Sir, I've worked with James for years," Jessie had replied, "and I really wouldn't feel comfortable with a new partner . . . especially now."
"True, you must still be in shock." Giovanni had clasped his hands together and leaned forward, his smile only making Jessie more uneasy. "Perhaps I should give you a couple of weeks off, hmm? I don't want to lose any more of my agents, after all."
"Thank you, sir," Jessie had said, surprised. Inwardly she knew that Giovanni must have a reason for this, something dark and sinister. But if he did, she wouldn't be able to let on that she suspected anything. "That would be appreciated."
"Consider it done," Giovanni had said smoothly. "Now, my dear, you are dismissed."
"So, how'd it go?"
Jessie was thrown back into the present as Meowth suddenly appeared in her line of vision.
"As well as could be expected." She looked around furtively and disappeared into a nearby cluster of trees, with Meowth following confused. "We have to be careful, Meowth."
"Why?" Meowth cocked his head. "Ya mean ya think someone might try to torch us again?"
Jessie sighed. Why did Meowth have to be so blunt? "Well, frankly, yes. I don't trust Giovanni."
"Who does?" Meowth shrugged.
"I'm starting to wonder if he was behind that fire," Jessie said grimly.
"Him? Why would he do that?" Meowth's eyes went even wider than usual.
"I don't know. Just . . . be very careful the next two weeks," Jessie warned.
****
The nameless young man stumbled through the brush and trees. He didn't know how long he'd been walking, but it seemed like ages. Was that a building he could see through the trees? Maybe he'd finally reached a city.
Without warning, a strange, monkey-like creature swung down in front of him, chattering. Startled, the boy shrieked and backed up.
The monkey creature looked started too, he realized. It acted almost as if it had seen him before, but he wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad thing.
"Pardon me," the boy said uncomfortably, walking around the creature and continuing on. He wondered if he talked to animals a lot.
He was getting very weak by the time he finally came into the clearing and saw the building. "A Pokemon hospital?" He read the letters over the door, confused. What was a Pokemon? Oh well . . . maybe someone in there could help him.
With his last ounces of strength, he pushed the door open and went in. Inside he saw a red-haired girl in a nurse's uniform, and her eyes went wide when she saw him.
"Team Rocket!" she gasped.
"Who?"
She took in his battered appearance. "What happened to you??! Did you get blasted off again?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied, trying to steady himself by grabbing the wall. "All I know is that I woke up on a beach with no idea how I got there, or who I am. . . ." The nurse could see his eyes were glassy. "And I do believe further explanations will have to wait until later, because I think I'm about to pass out!"
With that he collapsed on the floor.