Part 8

Meowth burst into Giovanni's office. "How could you!" he snarled.

Giovanni looked down at him, slightly startled, but choosing not to show it. "How could I what, Meowth?" he asked calmly.

"You betrayed them!" Meowth hissed. "Jessie and James trusted you, and you led them like Tauros to the slaughter, you monster!"

The boss shrugged. "Oh, that," he replied. "It was for the best. They were an obstacle in our path to glory."

"They're my friends!" retorted the Pokémon. He glared venomously at Giovanni. "They treated me better then you ever did," he added softly.

The true leader of Team Rocket sighed. His cat was starting to get on his nerves. "Listen to me, Meowth," he said softly. "The Jennies were closing in on me. Cassidy had told them where HQ was. I had to set someone else up to take the fall. Jessie and James are incompetent fools. They are no loss to us, and it gives us time to regroup. Now do you understand?" He stared at Meowth intently, wondering what the Pokémon's answer would be.

The cat paced back and forth, then looked up at Giovanni, determination in his eyes. "I'll never understand," he said coldly. "I resign from the team as of now. I'm outta here." With that, Meowth moved towards the door.

Giovanni shook his head. "I don't think so." He picked up Meowth's Pokéball and tossed it at him.

"Meowth, ret-" he began, but was cut off as the ball was caught by Meowth and crushed under his hind paws. The Pokémon grinned up at him.

"Ooops," he said sarcastically.

Giovanni glared at the cat. "If you leave, don't expect to live to see tomorrow, furball," he said dangerously. "No one leaves Team Rocket alive. No one."

"We'll see about that," said Meowth. He moved to the doorway and paused, giving one last look at the office. Then he was gone, almost knocking Persian over as she came running in. She jumped onto his lap and meowed, demanding in her own way to know what had happened.

Giovanni smiled and petted her. "Don't worry," he whispered in her perked up ear. "You just lost your only challenger as top cat." Ignoring Persian's sudden tenseness, he dialed up his secretary on his cell phone. "Hello? This is the boss. Tell the operatives to keep a low profile. And if they see Meowth, Jessie, James, or Cassidy…

"…Eliminate them."

* * *

Persian stared blankly after Meowth as her master ordered the cat's death. You idiot! she cursed silently at him. You really do have a death wish, don't you? The fancy cat sighed. Stupid, foolhardy, obnoxious, brave, adorable-aaah! What the hell am I thinking?

The Pokémon sighed. She had fallen for the mongrel. Hard.

If you go and get yourself killed, Meowth, she thought darkly, I'll go out there and throttle you myself! She realized with disgust how much like a crappy soap opera heroine she sounded like and curled up in a ball, trying to escape her unhappy musings through sleep that wouldn't come.

* * *

Jessie sat on her cot and sighed. It had been three weeks since Cassidy had turned James and herself in. The trial had gone quickly, what with numerous Jennies and Joys talking about their criminal activities, the stupid twerp Ash whining about his Pikachu, his stupid girlfriend moaning about how James had tried to eat the egg thing, all the idiotic hordes of friends Team Twerp had made complaining about the two trying to steal their worthless Pokémon, and Cassidy's blatant lies (Butch had chosen to remain silent,) the trial had ended in about three days. The jury didn't even deliberate a full hour before returning with a unanimous guilty verdict. Now she and James were stuck in this goddamn hellhole.

Poor James. So far, this had been much harder on him then her. When she had seen him at breakfast that morning, she had hardly recognized him. His cheeks were pale and hollow, and his normally beautiful hair fell limply down around his face. How she wished there was something she could do for him. But she was as helpless as he was.

Outside her room, she could hear someone turning the lock on the door. Probably one of the guards for a surprise inspection, she thought. She lay down, trying to stay out of the way.

"Jess!" a voice hissed at her. She started at the noise. Don't I know that voice…?

"Jessie! It's me! Meowth!" Jessie practically jumped in the air and turned to look at the familiar cat Pokémon.

"Meowth!" she laughed, hugging her friend. "I missed you, furball. How the hell did you get in here?"

He shrugged. "I snuck in. Look, Jess, I'm so sorry about what happened. It's my fault."

"Oh, don't say that. How could you possibly have known-"

"I should have!" he interrupted. "Listen Jessie, this is what happened." He then told her what had happened to him, including what Persian had said about the cursed wishes.

When he finished, Jessie hugged him again. "It's not your fault," she said firmly. "And the thing now is for us to get out of here. Especially James. Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, I caught a glimpse of him," Meowth agreed. "He looks awful!"

The bishoujo squeezed the cat closer, absentmindedly placing a hand on his forehead. A tear fell from her eye. "Oh, Meowth," she moaned. "I just wish that James was out of here!"

The charm flashed.

Startled, Jessie pulled her hand back. Then she realized what had happened.

"Meowth," the Rocket whispered. "About the wishes…"

The Pokémon shook his head. "I still don't want to use them," he answered.

Jessie's beautiful blue eyes met Meowth's large brown ones. Horror dawned on both their faces. Finally, Meowth summed it up in one word.

"Fuck."

To be continued…