~~~
Last Blast Off: After Team Rocket, part 5
~@~@~@~
It wasn't long before Jessie knew that it would be impossible for her to keep a job unless she changed her attitude. And she wasn't about to do that.
Team Rocket had been the one and only job that had been perfect for her, and no matter how many times she tried to keep a job, either at a burger restaurant, cleaning floors in some shop, or scrubbing out toilets, Jessie knew it wouldn't work out for her. She couldn't make it on her own like this.
And it wasn't just about a job, it was how much Jessie missed her companions. She had been so hard on them, especially James...why had they parted so quickly? But then...long goodbyes are supposed to be harder, right?
Once again, Jessie found herself just lying on her bed, not able to cry but still lonely, and wishing that maybe she had let James come with her. At least they would be miserable together instead of being lonely and so far away.
***
"Come in...I'll take your bag, sir...wait here."
The butler had lead James into the huge main entrance room. Just being there, in the house, made James extremely uncomfortable. He stood on the checkered floor, watching the butler climb the stairs and vanish into the maze of doors in the upstairs hallway.
The room where James stood hadn't changed from last he had seen it. Fancy decorating and antiques adorned the large hall, with nicely-framed pictures covering the mantle of a large fireplace. The fancy staircase lead up to many other floors with countless rooms, most of which James had never entered before himself. In fact, there were many floors on which James had rarely even stood, as they were usually restricted. "James, dear, there's no use in wandering every floor of this house when you could be learning better manners," he remembered his mother saying once. Actually, as a child, he had had one floor all to himself where he kept his many possessions, but as far back as he could remember (which wasn't much since he had blocked off or forgotten much of his younger childhood days) the only thing that had ever made him happy was his Growlithe. James wondered where Growly was now.
Just then, James heard the sound of footsteps coming through the hallway and down the stairs. Looking up, he saw three people--the butler, with James' parents in front of him.
"Why, James, my dear, at last you've truly come to your senses, it seems, and chosen to return," his mother said as she reached the bottom of the stairs, her huge dress flowing about her.
James didn't feel much like speaking, and to be very honest, he had never felt very close to his parents. He didn't know what to tell them.
"Well, our son has decided to take some responsibility and be a man for once," James' father spoke up. Looking at his head, it was obvious from whom James had inherited his unique hair color.
"Father...mother..." James acted like he cared, faking it all, but knowing that he had to sound convincing, "I have realized that I belong here, and am changing my ways to become a better person. I know that I left a lot behind me when I ran away so long ago, but I want to find what I have lost..." James felt sick about himself. He already felt like running, but he remembered how Jessie had always just said to rough out a situation, no matter how badly you wanted out. Well, maybe she never *said* that, but she always seemed to expect him to live with things, handle them however he could. He had to try, anyway.
"Why, James, you really have grown up at last," his mother drawled on, "maybe you are a worthy heir, after all."
"Unless," his father cut in, "you have those other pitiful criminal Team Rocket members with you, and your being controlled by them." He and his wife laughed stiffly.
James sighed, almost wishing that were so. "No...they're gone. Don't worry, I returned of my own will."
"That's just wonderful to hear, son," his father said. "It is about time you realized you place. You're no delinquent--you belong in an upper-class house...with a dignified women as your wife."
James gulped.
"Oh, yes...Jessiebelle has been like the daughter we never had. Always so sweet and proper--she'll whip you right into shape like you should be," his mother said.
'Literally,' James thought. "Whe...where is she?" he said aloud, feeling nervous at the very thought of seeing her again.
"Oh, she's out in the garden. I'm sure that she'll be in soon--it's nearly time for dinner. I know you just can't wait to see her, can you?"
The butler cut in. "Well then, shall I show master James to his room?"
"Yes, indeed," said his mother, looking James over, "and get him a nice suit, won't you-- James just looks horrid in his current 'attire'."
The butler nodded, and lead James up the large staircase to his room.
***
Jessie walked into her apartment. She would have to pay rent eventually, and she still didn't have a cent to her name.
All Jessie could do was crash on her bed as usual, exhausted from looking for work. Her checkered past was hard to cover up, and she hated working at a job that she hated, for a person she couldn't stand.
Something was wrong. She had made some big mistake along the line...but why couldn't she just live life on her own, and earn some money? Surely she could...
She drifted off into sleep, her only release from her peril...dreams flooded her head...
~ /~ /~ There she was, Meowth by her side, as a scene from her past returned to her. They were walking, solemnly, down a trail somewhere, and she seemed as if she would break down crying, lonely and even a bit scared.
A meowth-shaped balloon floated behind them...a blue-haired person in it's basket. There were words... "Prepare for trouble..."
Jessie looked up, gasping, to see James in the balloon over her. "Make it double!" she cried happily, sheer joy flowing over her. Was that a tear sparkling in her eye?
James drifted down, smiling, sweeping Jessie off the ground and into his arms. She was smiling, too.
There they were, both in the balloon, together again after they were sure they'd lost each other. He had returned to her...he had come back. They looked into each other's faces, not even noticing the cat-Pokemon yelling at them at the top of his lungs from below...~ /~ /~
The next moment, Jessie found herself awake, all alone, on her bed, in her junky apartment...
Jessie remembered when she had almost lost James—when she had tried to make him get married to Jessiebelle just for the money. But he had come back to her...
"James..." she muttered aloud. She knew what she was missing now.
~~~
To be continued...
Last Blast Off: After Team Rocket, part 5
~@~@~@~
It wasn't long before Jessie knew that it would be impossible for her to keep a job unless she changed her attitude. And she wasn't about to do that.
Team Rocket had been the one and only job that had been perfect for her, and no matter how many times she tried to keep a job, either at a burger restaurant, cleaning floors in some shop, or scrubbing out toilets, Jessie knew it wouldn't work out for her. She couldn't make it on her own like this.
And it wasn't just about a job, it was how much Jessie missed her companions. She had been so hard on them, especially James...why had they parted so quickly? But then...long goodbyes are supposed to be harder, right?
Once again, Jessie found herself just lying on her bed, not able to cry but still lonely, and wishing that maybe she had let James come with her. At least they would be miserable together instead of being lonely and so far away.
***
"Come in...I'll take your bag, sir...wait here."
The butler had lead James into the huge main entrance room. Just being there, in the house, made James extremely uncomfortable. He stood on the checkered floor, watching the butler climb the stairs and vanish into the maze of doors in the upstairs hallway.
The room where James stood hadn't changed from last he had seen it. Fancy decorating and antiques adorned the large hall, with nicely-framed pictures covering the mantle of a large fireplace. The fancy staircase lead up to many other floors with countless rooms, most of which James had never entered before himself. In fact, there were many floors on which James had rarely even stood, as they were usually restricted. "James, dear, there's no use in wandering every floor of this house when you could be learning better manners," he remembered his mother saying once. Actually, as a child, he had had one floor all to himself where he kept his many possessions, but as far back as he could remember (which wasn't much since he had blocked off or forgotten much of his younger childhood days) the only thing that had ever made him happy was his Growlithe. James wondered where Growly was now.
Just then, James heard the sound of footsteps coming through the hallway and down the stairs. Looking up, he saw three people--the butler, with James' parents in front of him.
"Why, James, my dear, at last you've truly come to your senses, it seems, and chosen to return," his mother said as she reached the bottom of the stairs, her huge dress flowing about her.
James didn't feel much like speaking, and to be very honest, he had never felt very close to his parents. He didn't know what to tell them.
"Well, our son has decided to take some responsibility and be a man for once," James' father spoke up. Looking at his head, it was obvious from whom James had inherited his unique hair color.
"Father...mother..." James acted like he cared, faking it all, but knowing that he had to sound convincing, "I have realized that I belong here, and am changing my ways to become a better person. I know that I left a lot behind me when I ran away so long ago, but I want to find what I have lost..." James felt sick about himself. He already felt like running, but he remembered how Jessie had always just said to rough out a situation, no matter how badly you wanted out. Well, maybe she never *said* that, but she always seemed to expect him to live with things, handle them however he could. He had to try, anyway.
"Why, James, you really have grown up at last," his mother drawled on, "maybe you are a worthy heir, after all."
"Unless," his father cut in, "you have those other pitiful criminal Team Rocket members with you, and your being controlled by them." He and his wife laughed stiffly.
James sighed, almost wishing that were so. "No...they're gone. Don't worry, I returned of my own will."
"That's just wonderful to hear, son," his father said. "It is about time you realized you place. You're no delinquent--you belong in an upper-class house...with a dignified women as your wife."
James gulped.
"Oh, yes...Jessiebelle has been like the daughter we never had. Always so sweet and proper--she'll whip you right into shape like you should be," his mother said.
'Literally,' James thought. "Whe...where is she?" he said aloud, feeling nervous at the very thought of seeing her again.
"Oh, she's out in the garden. I'm sure that she'll be in soon--it's nearly time for dinner. I know you just can't wait to see her, can you?"
The butler cut in. "Well then, shall I show master James to his room?"
"Yes, indeed," said his mother, looking James over, "and get him a nice suit, won't you-- James just looks horrid in his current 'attire'."
The butler nodded, and lead James up the large staircase to his room.
***
Jessie walked into her apartment. She would have to pay rent eventually, and she still didn't have a cent to her name.
All Jessie could do was crash on her bed as usual, exhausted from looking for work. Her checkered past was hard to cover up, and she hated working at a job that she hated, for a person she couldn't stand.
Something was wrong. She had made some big mistake along the line...but why couldn't she just live life on her own, and earn some money? Surely she could...
She drifted off into sleep, her only release from her peril...dreams flooded her head...
~ /~ /~ There she was, Meowth by her side, as a scene from her past returned to her. They were walking, solemnly, down a trail somewhere, and she seemed as if she would break down crying, lonely and even a bit scared.
A meowth-shaped balloon floated behind them...a blue-haired person in it's basket. There were words... "Prepare for trouble..."
Jessie looked up, gasping, to see James in the balloon over her. "Make it double!" she cried happily, sheer joy flowing over her. Was that a tear sparkling in her eye?
James drifted down, smiling, sweeping Jessie off the ground and into his arms. She was smiling, too.
There they were, both in the balloon, together again after they were sure they'd lost each other. He had returned to her...he had come back. They looked into each other's faces, not even noticing the cat-Pokemon yelling at them at the top of his lungs from below...~ /~ /~
The next moment, Jessie found herself awake, all alone, on her bed, in her junky apartment...
Jessie remembered when she had almost lost James—when she had tried to make him get married to Jessiebelle just for the money. But he had come back to her...
"James..." she muttered aloud. She knew what she was missing now.
~~~
To be continued...