No Way Out: Part 2
by Euterpe
OK, I've noticed that people aren't reviewing this; frankly at this point, I'm beginning not to care anymore. So if I don't get any reviews, I'll stop writing this, because frankly, it's not worth putting a lot of effort into and submitting something that no one is going to read.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Pokémon. *Pauses for a moment* Although I really wish I did. *The author imagines herself sitting on a throne, scepter in hand, surrounded by a pile of money* Oh yeah, that'd be real sweet…. mwahahahaha……
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At nine the next morning the two of them were in Giovanni's office, in uniform and standing in front of his desk. They were unsure what he planned to do with them-- what assignment did he have now? Had he heard their conversation the night before?
"Ah, Jessica and James, the two surviving members of Team Rocket Division 164. I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Persian offers his condolences as well," Giovanni laughed mockingly, stroking the pokémon. "I have reviewed your performance, and thought about reassigning you, but then I decided to let you proceed with the Pikachu assignment. I know it's something the two of you won't screw up too badly. You will continue as before with the mission, and as soon as possible you will be assigned a new pokémon to assist you. That is all."
Once they were outside of the office, Jessie and James sighed in relief. The boss didn't suspect them-- they were safe for now, and they were allowed to continue with their old mission. If he had chosen to reassign them, it would have possibly meant more dangerous work, or even worse, being separated and forced to work on different teams. Both returned to their rooms and packed their things. They would leave that night.
*******
Usually they found their life on the road, which involved having to move around constantly to follow Ash and his friends, difficult, and wound up spending most of their time complaining. But for once, Jessie and James were glad to be away from headquarters, and somewhere where they were sure that the boss wasn't watching them. They had set up their camp in the Viridian Forest, because luckily their target was nearby, visiting his mother in Pallet Town. It was a nice night, so they had decided not to set up their tent, and to just unroll their sleeping bags. They were seated on top of them with their campfire going, continuing their discussion from the night before.
"In answer to your question, James, yes, I have thought about leaving the team. I think about it every time we get blasted off. I think about it whenever the Boss humiliates us. And I thought about it when I saw what happened to Meowth. But what would we do if we left? We couldn't go back to our families, we have no money or education, and we have a criminal record. We have nowhere else to go."
James was more optimistic. "We don't have to think about all of that now. What matters most is getting out of Team Rocket. Once that's done, I'm sure we'll be okay, as long as we're together."
Jessie sighed. Cute, but totally oblivious to reality. "And how do you suggest we leave? We can't just go up to Giovanni and tell him we'd like to quit. That's not how it works. We know too many secrets for him to just let us go."
James thought a moment. "Well, maybe we could just do something to get ourselves fired."
"Giovanni doesn't fire people. Once you've joined Team Rocket, he has you for life. There's only one way to leave-- the way that Meowth did."
"Well, we can either try to leave now and risk getting killed, or wait and do nothing and wind up dead in some time in the future." James insisted. "The way I see it, we really don't have anything to lose."
Jessie suddenly got the look of someone who has come up with a brilliant idea. " James, that's it! I know what we can do. Giovanni won't come after us if he thinks we're dead already, right?"
"Yeah. So?" James was confused.
"So what if we fake our deaths? He'll leave us alone if we're dead."
"Jess, that's perfect!" he grinned.
She tossed her hair. "I /am/ the beauty and the brains of this team. Do you expect anything less than perfection from me?"
Beauty…perfection… James knew what he wanted his response to be, but held back, for fear of a whack from Jessie's menacing paper fan. Instead he said, "Why don't we start planning now?" He didn't want to spend a second more with Team Rocket than was necessary.
"Okay. First, about supplies…" she began. They continued plotting throughout the night.
********
Two weeks later, they were back at headquarters, with their plan fully formed. The boss had called them back to reassign them a new pokémon partner, a sandshrew with a bad attitude. But they took advantage of this return to gather the items they would need for their escape and the long journey that was to follow. James was in his room gathering together his things.
'Only bring the essentials,' Jessie had reminded him. James stuffed a change of "civvie" clothes into his backpack, along with a few cans of food, matches, and some extra money. His bottlecap collection would have to stay behind. He then walked over to his dresser and looked sadly at the photos of Jessie and him together. They would have to remain too. But what did they matter when he had the real thing there with him? Clipping Victreebell and Weezing's pokeballs to his belt, he opened the top drawer of the dresser, and pulled out the final item: a standard issue Team Rocket revolver, still in mint condition. It had never been used. Although he and Jessie were trained to be expert shots, they both abhorred the idea of actually using the guns, especially when their opponent was a ten-year-old boy. They had hidden the guns away and vowed not to use them except in extreme circumstances. They had concluded that this, however, qualified as extreme. Hands shaking, James dropped the gun inside and closed the bag. He didn't even want to look at it.
Jessie waited impatiently outside of James' door. She kept imagining that they would be caught at any second, would have liked to get outside as soon as possible. Finally James appeared. "Do you have everything?" she asked him. He nodded grimly. "Good. Then let's get the hell out of here."
********
That night they camped out in Viridian Forest once again. Putting their plan into action immediately would seem too suspicious; they would wait instead for the following day. At about midday they set up the equipment, inflating the Meowth balloon for the last time. Seeing their beloved friend's face again made the task more difficult. As James fixed the explosive device inside of it, Jessie was struck by an odd thought. The balloon would be a kind of funeral pyre for the pokemon, a final tribute he had never received. As they cut the ropes and watched the balloon ascend, she felt a sense of relief.
Together they watched the balloon drift southwards, toward Viridian City, where it would be easily visible. The idea was that the explosive device would go off in a few minutes, setting the balloon on fire. They had left a few extra pieces of clothing-- including their Team Rocket jackets and gloves, which they wouldn't be needing any longer-- to give the impression that they had been in the balloon at the time and had succumbed to a very unfortunate incident. Right on time, the explosive went off, and the helium-filled balloon ignited. It disintegrated and fell back to earth into a nearby lake. Jessie and James stood with their gazes fixed to the spectacle the entire time, watching their "deaths" before they turned away to run for their lives.
********
It had been two whole days since their escape. After changing into regular clothes and disposing of their Team Rocket uniforms, they had trekked northwards. They were now well beyond Pewter City, and were even outside of Indigo County, but their food supply was running low and they would have to stop soon. Neither of them had slept since they departed, and now about to collapse, they pushed forward.
"Jess, we can't keep going like this. We have to find a place to rest," James complained.
"Fine. Let's find a cave or something to hide in." Jessie was too tired to argue with him.
They searched for a while and finally found a small cave. They lit up the inside with a flashlights and found that it was empty- no zubats or geodudes in sight. Laying down their things, they began to contemplate how they could rest and keep guard at the same time.
"It seems like the safest thing to do would be to sleep in shifts," James concluded, settling down on the floor of the cave with his back to the wall.
"Are you volunteering to go first? That's fine with me. How about this: I'll sleep till 6:00, then you can wake me and I'll take over for you." Jessie sat next to him.
James sighed. He knew he wouldn't win this one; he assented to her. "But Jessie, where are you going to sleep?" They hadn't had enough room to bring their sleeping bags.
In response, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Placing her head on his shoulder, she mumbled, "Good night, James," before quickly sliding into peaceful sleep.
This unexpected gesture left James trembling nervously, too afraid to make the slightest movement and startle her. He could feel Jessie's relaxed heartbeat next to him, and his own pounding within his ribcage. What she had done truly shocked him. Sure, they had found themselves holding each other many times before, but it was usually out of fear, and half the time they weren't even aware of what they were doing. This time, though, Jessie had deliberately put herself into close contact with him. He wondered if it was only because of their lack of sleeping bags. With the faint glow of the flashlight, he could make out her features as she slept. Her tough exterior had dropped, and she was at peace. He must have spent hours looking at her, because when he checked his watch again, it was almost 6:00. But he couldn't bring himself to wake her, not just yet. She just looked too happy…
When Jessie finally awoke on her own, it was already after 9:00. She looked up at James. He looked ready to break down, physically and mentally at any moment. "James, why didn't you wake me earlier? You need to get some rest." She let go of him. "I'll take over for a while. Try to get some sleep. I'll wake you at 3:00."
He nodded numbly and got up, moving several feet away from her. He sat down again, and facing away from her, prepared to use his backpack as a pillow, afraid that if he got too close to her, she might interpret his actions the wrong way.
"What are you doing?" Jessie exclaimed. "What's the matter with you? Come over here-- I won't let you sleep on the floor." This surprised James, but then he recalled how much she had changed since the disaster, how much concern she had started to show toward him. Slowly, he got up and moved towards her. "Closer," she insisted. He obeyed, and soon was right next to her again. She took his shoulders and eased him down until his head was in her lap. James hoped that in the dim lighting, she wouldn't be able to see how flushed his face had become. "Now relax. I'm not going to hurt you." Finally, after a long time, James was able to calm down and drift off.
Jessie looked down at him and smiled. What made him so nervous and afraid of her? She had only let him rest his head there out of kindness...hadn't she? She was no longer exactly sure herself. Time seemed suspended as she sat there, gently stroking James' silky hair. Soon she detected a faint light coming from the mouth of the cave; it was well after 3:00 and the sun was already coming up. But she didn't have the heart to wake him, at least not yet. In waning glow of the flashlight, she could see his face. James had a look of childlike innocence even when he was awake, and it was even more obvious as he slept. She felt it was her duty to protect James and preserve that innocence. Throughout the time they had known each other, close to ten years, she had always been there to look out for him. She had always played the role of the strong one. But now she wondered how much longer she could go on…
TBC...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If you're reading this, I would really appreciate your reviews. I don't have much experience with Pokémon fics, so any advice you can give me would be a big help. Tell me what you like or don't like. Hate the fact that Meowth died? Don't like the shippyness? Let me know.
by Euterpe
OK, I've noticed that people aren't reviewing this; frankly at this point, I'm beginning not to care anymore. So if I don't get any reviews, I'll stop writing this, because frankly, it's not worth putting a lot of effort into and submitting something that no one is going to read.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Pokémon. *Pauses for a moment* Although I really wish I did. *The author imagines herself sitting on a throne, scepter in hand, surrounded by a pile of money* Oh yeah, that'd be real sweet…. mwahahahaha……
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At nine the next morning the two of them were in Giovanni's office, in uniform and standing in front of his desk. They were unsure what he planned to do with them-- what assignment did he have now? Had he heard their conversation the night before?
"Ah, Jessica and James, the two surviving members of Team Rocket Division 164. I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Persian offers his condolences as well," Giovanni laughed mockingly, stroking the pokémon. "I have reviewed your performance, and thought about reassigning you, but then I decided to let you proceed with the Pikachu assignment. I know it's something the two of you won't screw up too badly. You will continue as before with the mission, and as soon as possible you will be assigned a new pokémon to assist you. That is all."
Once they were outside of the office, Jessie and James sighed in relief. The boss didn't suspect them-- they were safe for now, and they were allowed to continue with their old mission. If he had chosen to reassign them, it would have possibly meant more dangerous work, or even worse, being separated and forced to work on different teams. Both returned to their rooms and packed their things. They would leave that night.
*******
Usually they found their life on the road, which involved having to move around constantly to follow Ash and his friends, difficult, and wound up spending most of their time complaining. But for once, Jessie and James were glad to be away from headquarters, and somewhere where they were sure that the boss wasn't watching them. They had set up their camp in the Viridian Forest, because luckily their target was nearby, visiting his mother in Pallet Town. It was a nice night, so they had decided not to set up their tent, and to just unroll their sleeping bags. They were seated on top of them with their campfire going, continuing their discussion from the night before.
"In answer to your question, James, yes, I have thought about leaving the team. I think about it every time we get blasted off. I think about it whenever the Boss humiliates us. And I thought about it when I saw what happened to Meowth. But what would we do if we left? We couldn't go back to our families, we have no money or education, and we have a criminal record. We have nowhere else to go."
James was more optimistic. "We don't have to think about all of that now. What matters most is getting out of Team Rocket. Once that's done, I'm sure we'll be okay, as long as we're together."
Jessie sighed. Cute, but totally oblivious to reality. "And how do you suggest we leave? We can't just go up to Giovanni and tell him we'd like to quit. That's not how it works. We know too many secrets for him to just let us go."
James thought a moment. "Well, maybe we could just do something to get ourselves fired."
"Giovanni doesn't fire people. Once you've joined Team Rocket, he has you for life. There's only one way to leave-- the way that Meowth did."
"Well, we can either try to leave now and risk getting killed, or wait and do nothing and wind up dead in some time in the future." James insisted. "The way I see it, we really don't have anything to lose."
Jessie suddenly got the look of someone who has come up with a brilliant idea. " James, that's it! I know what we can do. Giovanni won't come after us if he thinks we're dead already, right?"
"Yeah. So?" James was confused.
"So what if we fake our deaths? He'll leave us alone if we're dead."
"Jess, that's perfect!" he grinned.
She tossed her hair. "I /am/ the beauty and the brains of this team. Do you expect anything less than perfection from me?"
Beauty…perfection… James knew what he wanted his response to be, but held back, for fear of a whack from Jessie's menacing paper fan. Instead he said, "Why don't we start planning now?" He didn't want to spend a second more with Team Rocket than was necessary.
"Okay. First, about supplies…" she began. They continued plotting throughout the night.
********
Two weeks later, they were back at headquarters, with their plan fully formed. The boss had called them back to reassign them a new pokémon partner, a sandshrew with a bad attitude. But they took advantage of this return to gather the items they would need for their escape and the long journey that was to follow. James was in his room gathering together his things.
'Only bring the essentials,' Jessie had reminded him. James stuffed a change of "civvie" clothes into his backpack, along with a few cans of food, matches, and some extra money. His bottlecap collection would have to stay behind. He then walked over to his dresser and looked sadly at the photos of Jessie and him together. They would have to remain too. But what did they matter when he had the real thing there with him? Clipping Victreebell and Weezing's pokeballs to his belt, he opened the top drawer of the dresser, and pulled out the final item: a standard issue Team Rocket revolver, still in mint condition. It had never been used. Although he and Jessie were trained to be expert shots, they both abhorred the idea of actually using the guns, especially when their opponent was a ten-year-old boy. They had hidden the guns away and vowed not to use them except in extreme circumstances. They had concluded that this, however, qualified as extreme. Hands shaking, James dropped the gun inside and closed the bag. He didn't even want to look at it.
Jessie waited impatiently outside of James' door. She kept imagining that they would be caught at any second, would have liked to get outside as soon as possible. Finally James appeared. "Do you have everything?" she asked him. He nodded grimly. "Good. Then let's get the hell out of here."
********
That night they camped out in Viridian Forest once again. Putting their plan into action immediately would seem too suspicious; they would wait instead for the following day. At about midday they set up the equipment, inflating the Meowth balloon for the last time. Seeing their beloved friend's face again made the task more difficult. As James fixed the explosive device inside of it, Jessie was struck by an odd thought. The balloon would be a kind of funeral pyre for the pokemon, a final tribute he had never received. As they cut the ropes and watched the balloon ascend, she felt a sense of relief.
Together they watched the balloon drift southwards, toward Viridian City, where it would be easily visible. The idea was that the explosive device would go off in a few minutes, setting the balloon on fire. They had left a few extra pieces of clothing-- including their Team Rocket jackets and gloves, which they wouldn't be needing any longer-- to give the impression that they had been in the balloon at the time and had succumbed to a very unfortunate incident. Right on time, the explosive went off, and the helium-filled balloon ignited. It disintegrated and fell back to earth into a nearby lake. Jessie and James stood with their gazes fixed to the spectacle the entire time, watching their "deaths" before they turned away to run for their lives.
********
It had been two whole days since their escape. After changing into regular clothes and disposing of their Team Rocket uniforms, they had trekked northwards. They were now well beyond Pewter City, and were even outside of Indigo County, but their food supply was running low and they would have to stop soon. Neither of them had slept since they departed, and now about to collapse, they pushed forward.
"Jess, we can't keep going like this. We have to find a place to rest," James complained.
"Fine. Let's find a cave or something to hide in." Jessie was too tired to argue with him.
They searched for a while and finally found a small cave. They lit up the inside with a flashlights and found that it was empty- no zubats or geodudes in sight. Laying down their things, they began to contemplate how they could rest and keep guard at the same time.
"It seems like the safest thing to do would be to sleep in shifts," James concluded, settling down on the floor of the cave with his back to the wall.
"Are you volunteering to go first? That's fine with me. How about this: I'll sleep till 6:00, then you can wake me and I'll take over for you." Jessie sat next to him.
James sighed. He knew he wouldn't win this one; he assented to her. "But Jessie, where are you going to sleep?" They hadn't had enough room to bring their sleeping bags.
In response, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Placing her head on his shoulder, she mumbled, "Good night, James," before quickly sliding into peaceful sleep.
This unexpected gesture left James trembling nervously, too afraid to make the slightest movement and startle her. He could feel Jessie's relaxed heartbeat next to him, and his own pounding within his ribcage. What she had done truly shocked him. Sure, they had found themselves holding each other many times before, but it was usually out of fear, and half the time they weren't even aware of what they were doing. This time, though, Jessie had deliberately put herself into close contact with him. He wondered if it was only because of their lack of sleeping bags. With the faint glow of the flashlight, he could make out her features as she slept. Her tough exterior had dropped, and she was at peace. He must have spent hours looking at her, because when he checked his watch again, it was almost 6:00. But he couldn't bring himself to wake her, not just yet. She just looked too happy…
When Jessie finally awoke on her own, it was already after 9:00. She looked up at James. He looked ready to break down, physically and mentally at any moment. "James, why didn't you wake me earlier? You need to get some rest." She let go of him. "I'll take over for a while. Try to get some sleep. I'll wake you at 3:00."
He nodded numbly and got up, moving several feet away from her. He sat down again, and facing away from her, prepared to use his backpack as a pillow, afraid that if he got too close to her, she might interpret his actions the wrong way.
"What are you doing?" Jessie exclaimed. "What's the matter with you? Come over here-- I won't let you sleep on the floor." This surprised James, but then he recalled how much she had changed since the disaster, how much concern she had started to show toward him. Slowly, he got up and moved towards her. "Closer," she insisted. He obeyed, and soon was right next to her again. She took his shoulders and eased him down until his head was in her lap. James hoped that in the dim lighting, she wouldn't be able to see how flushed his face had become. "Now relax. I'm not going to hurt you." Finally, after a long time, James was able to calm down and drift off.
Jessie looked down at him and smiled. What made him so nervous and afraid of her? She had only let him rest his head there out of kindness...hadn't she? She was no longer exactly sure herself. Time seemed suspended as she sat there, gently stroking James' silky hair. Soon she detected a faint light coming from the mouth of the cave; it was well after 3:00 and the sun was already coming up. But she didn't have the heart to wake him, at least not yet. In waning glow of the flashlight, she could see his face. James had a look of childlike innocence even when he was awake, and it was even more obvious as he slept. She felt it was her duty to protect James and preserve that innocence. Throughout the time they had known each other, close to ten years, she had always been there to look out for him. She had always played the role of the strong one. But now she wondered how much longer she could go on…
TBC...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If you're reading this, I would really appreciate your reviews. I don't have much experience with Pokémon fics, so any advice you can give me would be a big help. Tell me what you like or don't like. Hate the fact that Meowth died? Don't like the shippyness? Let me know.