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Last Blast Off: After Team Rocket, part 8
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It had been quite a long drive, but as the morning light grew brighter, Jessie realized how close she was.

Soon the car reached the mansion's driveway, turned into it, and began the half hour drive toward the actual house.

Jessie wasn't sure exactly what she was going to do or say quite yet, but somehow she just knew she had to be there.

The car neared the doghouse, then the actual mansion. As the car stopped, Jessie thanked the driver up and down, and got out of the car, suitcase in hand. The car drove away, and Jessie looked up at the huge mansion, terrible memories entering her mind...

And then, terrible thoughts in general.

What if James had already *married* Jessiebelle?! Maybe they were doing just fine—maybe James had forgotten Jessie. Jessie couldn't help but wonder as she stood there in the driveway, just feet from the front door. She felt nervous enough, but the thought that James may already be happy without her and that she could ruin it only made things far worse than they already were.


Maybe he didn't even need her.

Jessie stood there, a feet from the door, frozen...

...when the door flung open suddenly, a bluish blur rushing by Jessie...


***

James ran out into the front yard, heedless to all that was around him—

Except...the figure, just hear the front door...

James stopped, staring at the figure, the shape and colors catching up with him.

"Oh my. . . ."

James recognized it now...

"Jessie?!"

Jessie just stood there a moment, utterly surprised and honestly a bit confused.

"James?"

For a few moments, the two just stared. Was Jessie just a figment of James' imagination? Was his mind just showing him what he wanted to see the most?

Jessie wondered why James had been running out like that, so quickly, so desperately.

James walked over to Jessie, never moving his eyes from her gaze, and slowly, gently, reached over to touch her arms.

She _was_ real, then, wasn't she?

"Jessie!!" James flung his arms around the girl, at the brink of tears. "Jessie! Oh, thank God you came! It's really you! I would've died if I had to be with Jessiebelle another day...*please* take me with you! Please...get me outta here!"

Jessie felt an amazing feeling overcome her, and she found herself hugging him back as close to her as she could. He needed her still, very much, and she needed him, too.

"Yes...oh, James, I can't believe what a bitch I was to rush you away on your own. Please forgive me—I know I have to be with you, James. I learned that the hard way."


James nodded, looking up at Jessie with teary eyes. "Your forgiven." Jessie's eyes were wet, too, as she was obviously as glad to be with James as he was to be her. "I want to leave this place," he went on, "I want to get out of here now, Jessie...I can't stand it..."

Suddenly, the mansion door burst open and there, gasping, was Jessiebelle.

James gulped audibly, and Jessie held onto him more tightly.

"Why, James, what *is* the matter with you? Ah, and who is that repulsive thing your holding on to?" She spoke as if Jessie were some kind of disgusting insect.

With that, James became suddenly protective. "Excuse me?! Jessie is her name. And for your information, I'd much rather be with her than with you."

Jessiebelle looked insulted. "Well, I never--James, come here and let's finish our breakfast, dear...you don't seem to be quite yourself, but you should at least know that you don't have time for such an unrefined girl."

Jessie began to flare up, but James held out his arm to stop her from going at Jessiebelle's throught. "No, Jessiebelle, I'm not staying with you. I can't stay here."

With the commotion outside, James' parents and the butler appeared in the doorway, looking over the situation. Growly ran out of his house as well.

"What is this, James?" asked his father in an annoyed voice, "Who is this...this..."

"Father, I don't care what you say—I'm leaving with Jessie and you can't stop me. Butler, get my things."

The white-haired man hesitated. "Do it," James commanded again. The butler ran back into the house rather quickly.

Growly ran over to James, whining and putting his paws on his leg. "I'm sorry, Growly," James said to the dog, "I keep leaving you behind like this, I guess, but you'll do fine taking care of everyone, won't you? For me?"

Growly licked James' hand, and James scratched the Growlithe on the head lovingly. "Goodbye, old friend. I may not come back, but just remember that you are needed here, OK?"

The Growlithe got up and licked James' face, then walked off to where James' parents were standing.

Jessiebelle ran towards James, crying out. "James, you can't leave! There's so many things I need to teach you! You aren't totally proper yet!"

James moved closer to her. "Look—Jessiebelle, you'll do more than fine without me here. You've been fine all these years, and I know you don't need me. I'm just not good enough for you, because I just can't be as perfect as you want me to be." Jessiebelle looked surprised. "Go find someone that's good enough for you, Jessiebelle."

The butler returned, handing James his duffle bag.

"You'll all do better without me," James said, taking the bag. And with that, he put his arm around Jessie and began walking away, leaving the mansion and its dumbfounded residents behind.


***

Both in their own casual attire, Jessie and James walked down a city street, just happy to be together again.

"I almost had to marry her, you know," James was saying. "It was good timing that you just so happened to be there when I ran out."

"Yeah, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to go through with trying to see you. I was afraid you were already married or something."

"Not if I could help it," James said, smiling. "Not to Jessiebelle.

"Well, I guess this means there's a lesson learned from all this," Jessie said.

"What's that?" James asked curiously as he held onto her hand.

"That we're even more useless when we're separated than when we're together."

James smiled back. "Life will be more bearable now that I at least get to live it the way I choose."

"Your beginning to sound like an after-school special, James," Jessie giggled. She never giggled very much before, did she?

The two crossed the street.

"Maybe we're dirt poor now, but I'm sure we'll find a way to earn money. We always have," James spoke as they walked. "There's a million jobs we could get, together, and make it fun...eh, I guess it won't be the same as Team Rocket, but we'll get money somehow."

"Yeah, well...heh, maybe we'll be able to afford one of those suckers one day," Jessie commented, pointing to several big-screen T.V.'s in a store window.


They were starting to walk on, but something caught James off guard—something...familiar...

"Wait...look at that—"

"What?" asked Jessie, glancing around.

"At the T.V.! Look at that..."

Jessie looked.

"Wha...hey, that's--that's _Meowth_?!"

"Yeah! It has to be!!"

There was an image of a Meowth, dancing about on some advertisement.

"But it can't be Meowth..." Jessie said, unsure.

"But--oh, come here." James said, pulling her into the electronics store.

Countless T.V.'s of all sizes filled a wall of the store, and James walked Jessie over to them.

"...So, I eat Poke-Snax, 'teh new treat for yeh Pokemon. Raise yeh Pokemon's happiness right when 'ya feed 'em..."

Both Jessie and James were amazed, huge smiles on their faces.

"It really *is* him!" Jessie said as they watched the rest of the commercial. "That's our Meowth on T.V.! He's famous!!"

"Heh...we'll have to ask him to lone us some money then, won't we?" James joked.

Jessie giggled, and the two left the store still utterly shocked at the sight of Meowth on T.V.

"At least one of us was successful after Team Rocket," Jessie said as they walked away past the display window.

Jessie and James continued down the sidewalk, holding onto each other's hands, still not ultimately sure of where they would go or what they would do now. But they didn't mind—at least things were the way they belonged, and for Jessie and James, that was perfectly fine for now.



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Fin
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So...what did you think of this story? There may be more later...like another fic that continues it, but that will come later. I kinda left it open for that if I decide to do so.

Please tell me your comments on this or any of my stories either by reviewing them (I LOVE reviews, *hint hint*) or, better yet, e-mailing me your comments at star_glider@juno.com. Flames are welcome, but I prefer constructive criticism. Thanks!

~StarGlider
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