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Cute would describe her if not for a dark scowl,this fifteen year old in the cutoffs, and short yellow tank-top, with her helmet of spiky strawberry blonde hair, and sea-green eyes. She'd rather not be cute, she'd much rather be stylish and sultry. She walks between two young men. Brock is at her left, and Ash at her right hand. She glances at Ash, that round-faced boy with the large eyes and small nose with a tousled mop of loose black hair pressed down firmly under a red and white cap. She feels like Cassandra before the Horse of Troy, she can see the future better than these two goofs about to open a jail cell and unleash evil onto the world. Ash! He'll probably come out of this a hero! Doesn't he always? She wishes vehemently that he could feel one moment of regret for a false move, "Steps in crap, smells like a rose!" she fumes to herself. He must have some sort of good luck charm that never leaves him in his hour of need. Not for the first time, the sickening thought that she might be that talisman washes over her. "you guys have had some pretty stupid ideas, but this one is the worst!" she says to air for all she knows.
"We've been over this Misty," Brock says trying to put an end to another long harangue. "James and Jessie can help us look for Mew. Jessie's looking for the mom she never knew. We can trust her."
"Would you look at who you're trusting! She doesn't just train a snake, she is a snake! Snakes never know their moms, they just hatch!"
"Aw c'mon Mist," says the ever confident Ash. "We've always handled those three before, we'll do it again."
"I'd just hate to have to say 'I told you so',"she says.
"No doubt you'd relish it," Ash says looking straight ahead.
"Here's the police station," says Brock.
They pass through the door, wave to the duty officer behind the main desk and head back to the desk next to the lockup. A tired and wan looking Jenny looks up a them appearing defeated. "Hi kids, what can I do for you?"
"I'm dropping charges against Jessie and James," Ash says.
Jenny's jaw slackens a bit, "All right..." she says very slowly. "Why the change of heart?"
"Jessie brought Pikachu back, and patched up Brock after battling him. No real harm, no foul," Ash states.
"Right..." she looks at Misty and Brock but finds little useful information. Brock is mouth breathing a bit too heavily and trying to look into her soul, and Misty looks, well, cross.
She reaches up for the keys again, feeling very weary. She really does not want to see HIM right now.
The three youngsters follow Jenny into the jail. She calls out to the prisoners, "Look lively Jessie and James, Mr. Ketchem has decided to drop charges against you. You are free to go." She then unlocks the door and swings it open.
"You must be kidding," James can't believe it.
"I do not kid Mr. Morgan," the policewoman says as evenly as she can, "Whatever I have said to you, I meant it sincerely," she continues catching his eye with what she hopes is a reproachful glance.
Jessie looks past Jenny's shoulder to Brock, and winks at him, "Does this mean we can retrieve Meowth?" she asks.
"That's up to Nurse Joy, from my perspective there's no proof you stole him from this Giovanni he claims as his trainer, but Joy's in charge of him now," Jenny offers.
"Don't get too choked up saying thanks," Ash interjects feeling forgotten.
"Um, thanks Ash," Jessie says wrinkling her nose slightly.
"We need to discuss our, er, expedition guys,"Brock points out uncharacteristically forgetting Officer Jenny's presence.
"What expedition?" Jenny is not deaf.
Jessie rolls her eyes and groans, "The first rule in a secret mission is to keep it secret!"
"I get the distinct impression I am being used people. I am not a tool! I should lock you all up!" a furious Jenny growls. "What gives her?"
Brock is flushed crimson, and stammering, "Uh, well..it's like this. Fighting Jessie's pokémon caused my injuries, she patched me up, and we spent the night in a cave. We got to talking. Somehow it came around to what she and James were doing in Bolivia. Seems there's this pokémon..."
"Mew," says Jenny, "Anybody who knows pokémon around here has heard that story."
"Has anybody not heard of it?" complains James, "And what's this talk of an expedition with these... these... twerps!"
"This is going very badly," Jessie says understating mightily.
"Look, I can take my dinner break now. There's an open air café around the corner. We can talk about this there," offers Jenny.
She leaves them to announce her break to the duty officer. The five eye each other warily. "A fine start to a cooperative venture," Misty observes hitting every syllable in 'cooperative' with emphasis. She looks sullenly at Jessie, who barely resists pulling down her eyelid and sticking outher tongue at the insolent teen.
Once ensconced at an isolated table on the back verandah of the café, Jenny kicks off the discussion. "So, Team Rocket is still interested in Mew?"
"Uh huh," says Jessie. "It is believed to be a psy pokémon with considerable power. Our Boss wants it. We blew our cover here in an attempt to capture Ash's Pikachu because well...we're obsessed with that little mission. That was mistake number one, number two was losing two members of the field team to arrest, number three was...my failure to follow through after injuring Brock here, I'm not much of an agent..."
"But you are ...a better person for it," Jenny offers touching Jessie's gloved hand.
Jessie flinches and pulls her hand away, nonetheless looks at Jenny with some gratitude and continues, "We hit upon a plan to enlist the twer..I mean the kids' aid in looking for Mew. I...agreed...with Brock that this should be a freelance operation for our team, if anyone should capture Mew it belongs to them alone."
James is momentarily speechless, then blurts out, "You're kidding!"
Jenny looks annoyed, "Can't you say anything else?"
"But if HQ found out about this...we might be terminated!" James has gone quite pale.
"I realize this is a terrible risk, but finding and capturing Mew might buy us some time. The boss will be more concerned with Mew than with any of us," Jessie says matter-of-factly. "There's one more detail, do you recall why I was so excited about this assignment James?"
"It had to do with Team Rocket's earlier attempt to find Mew. A highly regarded agent disappeared in the Andes 20 years ago."
"Yes," says Jenny, "The stories still circulate here about a handsome woman in a black uniform who went off to Pico del Muerte and never returned. She asked around about Mew all over town."
Jessie continues "This agent's name was Myiamoto Musashi, I share a name with her, she disappeared 20 years ago, my mother abandoned me to foster care at that time. I was also informed by a ...colleague, that this agent may be my mother," she stops, sighs and goes on, "I want to see if Ican learn something about this woman's fate and see if she really was my mom."
"So when do we start?" asks Officer Jenny.
"Whoa." interjects Brock, "Who said you were in on this?"
"My ability to stop you as an officer of the law," Jenny says quietly but firmly.
"You are an odd Jenny, aren't you?" James adds in consternation.
"I figure you need police protection. What you said about Team Rocket convinces me I need to ride shotgun on this trip," she notes.
"A likely excuse," says Jessie, "But I don't think we have much choice. I guess that makes eight of us counting Meowth and Pikachu."
Jessie looks around the table, Brock seems pleased, Ash looks pretty cocky, Jenny resolved, James a bit shell-shocked but ready to follow, and Misty looks distrustfully into her eyes, and seems...cross.
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"Shopping with the girls," Jessie observes sourly to herself. The uneasy alliance has set aside a couple of days for collecting supplies and food, the guys put themselves in charge of gadgetry and material supplies leaving the food to, guess who? And they are wrangling.
"No way! We're not taking any Spam!" protests Misty stridently.
"Look", Jenny is saying, "If we want meat protein we'll need something that can keep, and not lay us up in camp for days with latrine disorders."
"I don't like Spam! Besides who can trust meat that keeps, like forever? I personally think that stuff gives me 'latrine disorders'," Misty is adamant.
"Hey kid you don't have to eat it with the rest of us. I'll have your Spam and you can have the pineapple ring," Jessie is getting tired of the bickering.
"I'm not talking to you!" Misty snaps at Jessie, "Talk to me through her," she says pointing at the uncomfortable Officer Jenny.
Jessie speaks through clenched teeth, "Look carrot-top I know you hate my guts, but I'm going
to have to lug them around with the rest of me for the next few days on this little adventure. Would you please try to be civil, if not happy, we need to rely on each other a bit."
Misty opens her mouth, for some reason thinks better of it, and stares appraisingly at Jessie, finally she speaks, "I'd like you a lot better Rocket Red if you were a lot less like me. It's an unflattering reflection."
Jessie colours to the hair roots, "That definitely is not a compliment, but you have a point there," then she smirks, "but your hair covers it."
Suddenly they are all laughing. Shopping remains tense, but it gets done a little more smoothly.
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Ash, Brock and James are at the door of the La Paz Pokémon Centre. James looks at Brock and says what is on everyone's mind, "This will go a lot more
smoothly if you can rein in your libido around Joy. All we need to do is pick up Meowth and leave, OK?"
"I haven't spared a thought about Joy since I found out OJ is gonna come with us. No problem," notes Brock happily.
"Poor kid", thinks James. "If you only knew what 'OJ' wants you might spare a kind thought for Joy."
Ash pushes the door open and strides up to the front desk with James and Brock coming after him. "Hi Nurse Joy, I dropped charges against James and Jessie and Officer Jenny says it ought to be alright to let Meowth rejoin those two reprobates."
Joy looks uncertain, "This Meowth is an unusual, uh...case. But I think we have come to an understanding. He informs me he's not at liberty to connect his master to Jessie and James except to admit that he has this Giovanni's permission to work with them. He says Giovanni doesn't believe that Jessie and James are Team Rocket operatives. We've been on pretty friendly terms since I allowed him to order take out food. I suppose I have no business going against his master's wishes whatever my misgivings," she says finishing with a deep sigh.
She fishes in a drawer for a key card, having settled on one of an assortment she walks from behind the counter and goes to a door on the east side of the building. "This will only take a minute," she says over her shoulder.
A familiar voice comes from the open doorway, "Well, it's about time sister." The cat pokémon saunters out next to Joy with a swagger that implies who's in charge.
"Hey Jimmy, what's wit da strange bedfellows?" Meowth asks familiarly.
"A long story Meowth, we'll fill you in on the way back to the hotel," James says with a sardonic smile on his face.
Joy looks sad, "Well, I am sorry to see you go. I haven't laughed so much in months."
"Hey, it's been a slice Joy. I promise ta drop by sometime," Meowth purrs and winks.
"You do that."
"Sure t'ing."
With the goodbyes taken care of Meowth joins James, Ash and Brock, and heads for the door. "Seriously, what gives? How come youse guys are hanging?"
"Remember Mew?" James murmurs.
"Hey! Keep it down. Da walls have ears, an' so do dese two," Meowth cries.
"They know about the mission. Believe it or not it's Jessie's fault."
"Dames, can't trust 'em", Meowth grouses, "But I sure thought Jess was exception."
"I guess our acquaintance Brock here is more insinuating and charming than we give him credit for. He's the one she told," says James rather too jocularly for Brock it seems.
"Her guard was down, she had just decided to bring Pikachu back, had her eyes full of smoke, and it was cold," Brock offers trying to be chivalrous.
"There's one more thing," James says sighing, "This is not a Team Rocket operation anymore either."
"What?" Meowth stops dead in his tracks. "Are you suicidal?"
"Maybe," James is pale again.
"Perhaps you forget who my boss is," Meowth growls, "What do you think he's gonna do? or what my duty is here?"
"Who is your boss?" asks Ash, "All I saw at Viridian Gym was you and Double Trouble. I think I get it!"
"Crap! If you get it den..." Meowth blanches.
"You've got a big mouth too, don't you?" James observes. "Look we've burned so many bridges we'll never get back to Team Rocket in one piece, you might as well give in and join the party, such as it is."
Meowth closes his large eyes, "OK, OK, ya got me, whether ya want me or not! I'm in."
"I knew you'd see it our way," James says soothingly.
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Two days later the eight living souls, those not in pokéballs at any rate, on the mission for Mew pile out of a van that serves as a taxi service to
villages distant from La Paz. The six people and the two small pokémon unload the packs, bedrolls and tents from the back of the van as the driver leans against the side of the vehicle smoking an unfiltered cigarette. James settles with the driver, and walks back to his companions. "It's a bit shorter distance over the pass you two had your battle within from this spot," James observes to Jessie and Brock.
"Once we're through that pass, we need to cross a high valley, then we're at the foot of Pico del Muerte,' adds Jessie.
Jenny joins the conversation, "You know that mountain earned its name for good reason. A lot of climbers have died up there."
"Nothing we can't handle," puts in Ash.
"Yeah sure," Misty is sarcastic.
"Well, let's load up, and get going. We've got a long climb ahead of us," says Brock.
The hikers soon enter a solid rhythm, although the thin air forces many rest stops because none are really used to it. On such a stop Jessie decides out of the blue to rest her bones next to Misty. The girl is surprised, but doesn't shy, she just looks evenly and skeptically at the young woman.
"So kid, what the heck is it about me that reminds you of yourself? It's been bugging me for days,"Jessie looks sincerely puzzled.
"Well, your temper for one, you don't suffer the fools you work with gladly. Same thing for me and those fellows," Misty says inclining her head subtly in the direction of Brock and Ash. Before Jessie can comment Misty continues, "Second, we share sharp tongues, and we don't care who bleeds when we use them."
"I knew you weren't complimenting me," Jessie sighs, "What else?"
"How to say this? We're neither of us too humble. But for all our bravado we wish someone would confirm our opinions. So I think you're hiding insecurity, just like me."
"No way! You don't know what you're talking about!" Jessie parries.
"Then how come you blow up at me every time I call you old and ugly?"
Jessie goes beet red with fury in her eyes, then recovers what little of her cool remains, "Touché", she gasps.
"Ha! See? I told you," snickers the slender girl.
Jessie's eyes suddenly look deep and misted, "You know, I can remember what it was like to be 14 or 15. I wasn't so different from you. For instance I so wanted Princess Dolls and I never ever got them."
Misty sucks in air sharply, "Not ever huh? That's pretty awful."
"Well, at least you have yours kid," the older girl says companionably.
"Yeah, so I do," returns Misty thoughtfully.
"Let's get going again, I think I've got my wind back," Jessie offers and she's on her feet and off. Misty takes a few seconds to stare at her back, and sets off herself.
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The party stops for a midday repast at the meltwater pond below Jessie's cave. Brock makes a point of seating himself next to Officer Jenny. Jenny is not in uniform, she wears a green workshirt with a blue turtleneck under it, and blue jeans. "How're you doing? Is there anything I can do for you?" he asks a bit too earnestly. She looks at him rather like a fox might at a slightly incompetent young hound, with not much respect but some fear. "I'm fine, thank you," she says trying to sound demure.
"It seems like this gives us an opportunity to get to know each other," he offers.
She trys not to imply acceptance, "I don't know if I really want ..."
"Hi, may I join you two?" it's James, "Jessie and Misty are talking again, couldn't get them to say two words in town and now this..."
"I suppose you could sit here," Jenny says with some relief and a bit too much thankfulness in her eyes.
"Yeah sure," says a less thrilled Brock.
"So Brock how exactly did you get hurt here?" James queries.
"I told Onix to use sandstorm and Jessie parried by ordering Arbok to use strength. The boulder Arbok tossed hit that wall over there, and I got pinned under some of the rubble," Brock's heart is not in this retelling of his misadventure.
"Y'know," he says suddenly, "It's funny but when I came to I could have sworn I was looking at an angel or something, then I figured out it was Jessie. What a case of mistaken identity." But when he thinks of it again he isn't so sure as he looks at the strong redhead sitting on a rock next to Misty.
"Fancy that," Jenny says just to keep the conversation going in this direction, looking sidelong at James.
James colours slightly, "Jessie is complex Brock, I hope you understand that."
Brock looks James in the face, "Yes, I accept that."
James shakes his head slowly, and looks off into the distance over Brock's shoulder, "So Jenny," he says, "Have you ever trekked through the valley
ahead?"
"Yes, it's pretty rocky, but there's not much up and down, we'll have plenty of up once we get to Pico del Muerte."
"So, there's no much opposition until the climb," Brock sounds hopeful.
"I didn't say that, the wild pokémon around here can be aggressive, especially those rhyhorn that have evolved into rhydon," Jenny adds.
"Great," says James not looking at all enthusiastic.
Jenny smiles kindly at James, "It's not that bad, sometimes one never even sees a rhyhorn in the valley, maybe we'll only see a graveler or two."
"Heh, fun around every corner," says James, "Well, we'll cross that one when we get there. Shall we be off?"
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Meowth is regaling James about his lunchtime conversation with Ash, "den da kid sez whatta I do wit da meowth I caught last year? I sez 'kid, ya gotta learn it pay day'..."
Jenny can't shake Brock, she looks warily at him, "Brock, what is it about me you find so irresistable?"
This is unexpected, he has to think about it, "Funny, I never thought about it much. Let's see, you're a strong woman who can fend for yourself, you have kind eyes, you fill out your uniform well, you have a sweet smile, and you're forthright."
"How come you're the only one who says so?" she says doubtfully, "If I was really forthright I'd tell you exactly what I'm thinking."
"And what's that?" he says blushing.
"That I came along to be with James, not you," there, she said it.
Brock pales, but is surprisingly calm, "Guess I'm too much of kid, huh?"
"I don't know, I don't go for rugged and self-sufficient I guess, and yes, I find you...too, too enthusiastic, it makes you seem more like a kid looking at a pastry rack than a man trying to know a woman."
Brock falls back and finds himself walking next to Jessie. "That's great", he thinks sarcastically.
"Hello Brock," she says airily.
"I don't really want to talk," he grumbles.
"Jenny shoot you down?" she asks hitting the target.
"What do you care? You're set for life aren't you? It's either James or yourself, am I right?"
"I have a life sentence all right. I passed sentence on myself a long time ago," she says quietly.
Brock looks at the side of her face, he can sense the barrier she has raised, but he can also see some light through the chinks in her armour. She turns her head, looks quizzically at him, she reddens slightly about the cheeks, then quickly looks away.
"You want James as much as Jenny does, don't you?" he's feeling his way.
"I don't know, I suppose so. I understand him better than her. All she wants are his looks and his charm. I don't think she'd want the damaged, haunted young man she'd receive."
"Why am I never an option?" he complains.
She stops suddenly and lets the others pass, "Did I say you weren't an option you striving kid?" She grabs his shoulders, checks that no one is looking back, and kisses him hard on the lips.
"If James throws me over don't hesitate to come around," she says and leaves him, mouth agape wondering what just happened.
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