The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 5

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 5

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Jessie looks up in a fog. She and her preternaturally young mother are, not surprisingly, the centre of attention. Taking on her official function, Officer Jenny makes the first approach, "I'm from the La Paz Pokémon police ma'am, I assume this wraps up one of our oldest missing persons cases. Am I speaking to one Myiamoto Musashi?"

Myiamoto looks a little confused, but recovers, "Call me Mia if you like. Yes, that's my name. I am given to understand I've been away for a couple of decades."

"That is correct. I presume your, uh, well preserved condition is attributable to intervention by the pokémon Mew?" Jenny is curious.

"I guess so," Myiamoto can't really explain it.

Jessie offers the explanation, "Mew put mom into some kind of cryogenic trance after she was buried in an avalanche. It revived her after we arrived. It seems it was waiting for us, it appears to have the gift of prophecy as well."

"So she is your mom." Ash says wonderingly.

"Who is this charming young fellow?" responds Myiamoto to the open faced earnest Ash.

"He is Ash Ketchem, our small part of Team Rocket's bugbear. We've been trying to obtain his freakishly powerful Pikachu for three years. It's destroyed us." says a rueful James.

"Oh, you must be a skilled little fellow," Myiamoto says.

All of the others roll their eyes as Ash blushes, removes his cap, rubbing his disarrayed hair and says "Well, I guess that's true."

"And who might you be?" a blushing Myiamoto says addressing James.

James blushes too, recognizing yet another female admirer, "I'm your daughter's partner James P. Morgan, thief and professional ne'r do well at your service," he says bowing deeply.

Myiamoto's eyes fall on Jenny again, "Jennys haven't changed too much since I went away. Where's the blue cap, tunic and skirt?"

Jenny salutes smartly and says, "No point in wearing anything official in this peculiar crew. I'm just along to make sure things are according to Hoyle."

"I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I'm ready to whip up a celebratory dinner. We saw Mew, and Jessie has a real family!" announces Brock.

..........................................

Jessie takes James' hand and they walk away to a secluded place among the rocks. "I guess things have changed a lot all of a sudden," she says smiling sweetly at him.

"That's an understatement," James notes drolly.

"I've spent my whole life in a no quarter battle with the world, and it won most of the time, but I never asked for quarter so that was fine with me. Now, I feel as though the world finally cut me some slack big time. Against all odds the biggest loss of my whole life has been wiped out. So much hatred left me as soon as I put my arms around my very own mother. I've got to take another chance...James I do so love you," Jessie wipes away a tear at the corner of her

eye.

"I know what you mean Jess. I love you too, I've wondered for such a long time if the feeling was mutual," James says as he reaches out and squeezes Jessie's hand. He pulls her head toward his face, and they kiss for a long time.

She backs away slowly, with happy, sparkling eyes, "James I'm not old fashioned, you know that, but I have a mom to share this with...".

"I would expect nothing less," he says, "Let's go talk to Myiamoto."

They walk back into camp, and find Myiamoto chatting with Brock over dinner preparations. "Mama, there's something we want to talk to you about," Jessie says tentatively.

Myiamoto says, "That's a remarkable young fellow. He's a wonderful cook, and he's so responsible."

Jessie looks annoyed but says, "Yes, he is mature beyond his years, except when it comes to women, he's overanxious and too eager around the fair sex."

"Too bad, some girl will be lucky if she can see her way around it," Myiamoto observes, "So, I suppose you two want to discuss your relationship with me?"

Jessie blushes at her mother's forthrightness, "Well yesss. We do. James and I have been partners in crime for over five years, we've had a wonderful working relationship. Sure we've gotten on each other's nerves, but we know what the other is thinking, we complete each other."

"What say you James?" a mother's eyes fall upon the suitor.

"I don't know if I can add anything, but Jessie has always been by my side no matter what happened good or bad. Just when I thought I had finally made her so mad at me we'd never stick together she'd do something amazing and we'd be

laughing and scheming again. In spite of some pretty deep lows, we've stuck with

each other."

Myiamoto smiles, "I'm not going to argue with that. You two are lucky to have found each other."

Jessie suddenly looks quizzically at her mother. "Thank you mama. I have a

question I have to ask you now. What was my father like?"

"You have a right to ask Jessica. What brings it up now?"

"I guess now that I'm about to take the big step to have a full romantic

relationship, and... I have you to ask, I want to tie up another big loose end in my life."

"Fair enough," Myiamoto says evenly, "Your father was a married man, I was a starstruck young girl who had just signed up with Team Rocket, he was a wealthy, and attractive economic backer of the Team."

"Do we know him?" asks James

"Hard to say. He was so dashing. He had hair coloured very like yours James but it was wavier, he sported a cute handlebar mustache, his eyes were a steely blue."

"Um...what was his name?" James says haltingly. Jessie suddenly shoots an anxious look at him.

"Let's see. It was Palmer. Palmer Morgan."

James goes white as a sheet, "That would be... my father," he stammers.

They all stare at each other, Myiamoto shakes her head, a tear streaks her face. "Oh my, I am so sorry! It was so long ago...How could this happen?"

Jessie is in misery, "Even when something good happens it has a dark side! My life..my life is....Hell!," and the tears flow.

"Funny thing is, Jessica, you started the day with no kin, and now you have two parents and a half brother," offers James gamely, "I guess that's why we were in each other's heads so much, we share so much blood. I still love you Jess, I guess it's not the same but we'll always have each other sis." He hugs the crying girl tight in his arms, and allows a tear to run down his cheek as well.

.........................................

Jessie pushes her way out of James' arms, and runs sobbing past the campfire into the gathering darkness beyond its circle of light.

"What's gotten into her?" Brock asks.

James looks upon the younger man with hollow eyes and says, "We just found out that I'm her half brother. Her life is a ruin again."

"I'm going after her," Brock says, "I'm just simmering the stew here, just don't let it boil over," handing James a cooking spoon.

"You sure that's a good idea? You know how she is when things don't go her way, "James says trying to head off trouble.

"I suppose I do, but I have to see if I can turn her around a little."

"Good luck old man, be kind."

"Every bit as kind as you'd be James," smiles Brock.

Brock strides into the gloaming and finds Jessie sitting with her legs curled under her next to the rock where she kissed James. She is crying bitterly, occasionally hurling a rock far into the darkness with all her strength and fury.

"Hey," he says softly.

She looks up, and her face becomes contorted with a dark rage, "Go away you overeager child!"

He sighs, "Yeah I'm a twerp, that's true. But I am one twerp who has seen your true colours. Meowth says you've said no one could ever love you. It's not true, your mother loves you, your half brother loves you, and you know what? I love you."

"How could you? You're too young! There's not a girl who hasn't seen through your act. Get out of here you inconsequential insect!"

Brock frowns, but takes a deep breath, "I deserved that. Jessie....Jessica, you are the first woman who actually took me at all seriously. You know what I love about you? You are absolutely indomitable, when you go after something you won't let anything stand in your way, when you are down you get up, when you are up you are way up. Sure you're a beauty with a striking face and you have the body and grace of an athlete, but it's your fiery heart I've come to admire. Thank you for hearing me out, I'll be leaving now."

"Wait a minute Brock," she calls after him, "Do you really mean all that crap about me? Or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

"Of course I do Jessica, I meant every word of it. Did you mean what you said to me?"

"What was that?"

"That thing about me coming around if James...threw you over? Or were you just tugging my chain?" he's earnest.

She sighs deeply, and studies his inscrutable firm face, "I suppose I meant it," she says weakly, "But you're so young."

"Look Jessie, I've thought about it, I'm 18 you're 22, that's only four years. If you want to, we can hold off for a couple of years. I'd bet 20 and 24 would be OK."

"I think 22 and 18 isn't really all that bad, if you can stand an old lady who's really an old lady."

"It wouldn't matter if you were forty-two Jessie. You're one of a kind."

"How could this work? You're so responsible and, well, dull, and I'm so short-tempered, vain, and flashy," she says seeming to search for some way to sabotage her own happiness.

"Opposites attract. I believe that true partners act as ambassadors to the rest of the human race for their partner. What I lack in flash you provide, and what you lack in self-control I can offer. Look, I realized something else. You know how I lose it around pretty girls?"

"Yeah, it's your worst feature", she smiles a little thinking of Brock around a pretty girl.

"I never realized it but that giddiness was the opposite of what I thought it was. It was a warning that those girls weren't for me, they made me all nervous and thoughtless. You are the one Jessica, I finally was calm enough to look behind a woman's eyes and see her soul. And your soul has a brilliance, beauty and decency that overwhelmed me. If you'll have me, I'm yours forever."

"What about Team Rocket?" one last fly in the ointment.

"What indeed? Somehow I think they'll be glad to be shed of you. I bet a trainer like you would love to sink her teeth into becoming a member of the Elite Four, and since I'm gonna be the greatest pokémon breeder you'll have the pokémon to do it."

Jessie finally smiles broadly, "That's music to my ears Brock. Tell me more sweet somethings."

She rises and walks to him, she inclines her head downward slightly and he looks up into her half-closed eyes, then they kiss. Their arms involuntarily encircle each other. She leans her head back, freeing her lips, "Thanks for coming back to talk to me Brock. Now you've saved my life."

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"Oh! I left James in charge of the stew!" Brock awakens to responsibility again.

"Then I imagine he's stewing too," smirks Jessie, "Don't worry Brock, James knows his way around preparing food."

They walk back to the firelight with Brock's arm thrown companionably over

Jessie's shoulders.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Jessica. One youthful indiscretion has made so many people unhappy." says a downcast Myiamoto.

Jessie looks at her mother with sympathy, "Mom, sometimes I have wished I had never been born, but most of the time it's been one challenge to beat after

another. I wouldn't have missed it! I couldn't have chosen my parents if I had

I have lots of it left. I'm so glad you're here to help share it."

Misty sizes up the situation, "So Brock, have you tamed the savage beast with your beautiful music?" she says archly.

Brock shoots her a reproachful glance, "I wouldn't tame a wild heart like hers. I just hope I'm allowed to come along for the ride." He quickly changes the subject, "James, you want me to commandeer that cook spoon for you?"

"Sure Brock," says James handing Brock the spoon and pulling him aside near the pot, "How did you calm the storm? Her air castles had fallen to dust."

"I let her know that a select number of people love her a lot, and I couldn't help allowing that one of those is me. Lucky for me she listened to what I had to say."

"Does this mean I might have a sister and a brother?"

"I don't think there's a huge rush, Jessie has been through an awful lot. Whatever she wants." Brock says awed by his own changed circumstances.

"Hmmm, I have one more thing to resent my dad for, that man has meddled in my life at every turn."

Brock looks James in the eyes, "Look at it this way, without him there would be no Jessie or James. I have a strong feeling your life will soon take a turn for the better too."

"I hope so," James says wistfully.

Ash sits down next to Misty, "Um, Mist?"

"Yes?" she looks at him with an ironic smile.

"Did you,...um, uh, did you?"

"Point the 'dex at Mew? Of course I did silly!" she says removing his cap and tousling his hair familiarly.

"Thanks Misty!" he enthuses and suddenly kisses her softly on the cheek.

Misty blushes crimson, "Thanks yourself," she says shyly.

"Y'know Misty. I've been thinking...I've got enough money squirreled away. I thought it's about time we had bikes to get around on our pokémon journeys. What do you say?"

"Sure Ash, believe it or not, I almost forgot," and she hugs him around the neck.

"Hey! Hey! We're not getting married or anything!" Ash protests.

She lets go giggling, "Sure Ash, whatever you say. Best friends?" she says offering her crooked pinky finger.

"Yeah, best friends," Ash says hooking his own pinky with hers.

Jenny is staring at James, she sighs and looks away.

Myiamoto, Meowth and Jessie are talking about Team Rocket. Comparing experiences and old war stories.

"Soup's on!" cries Brock, and the celebration continues over a hearty stew.

........................................

The crew gets a late start the next morning, pulling up stakes, washing up and picking up the site. Those that have loads shoulder them, they look back at the massive horn shaped mountain and turn their faces toward civilization. The party strings out, Jessie sets the pace, with Brock close behind, Ash, Pikachu and Misty are next, James trails even farther back with the chatty Meowth and Myiamoto, and a surprisingly listless Officer Jenny brings up the rear.

Myiamoto looks back at the young woman slowly picking her way through the rock field, "I think I'll fall back and keep Jenny company," she says.

Coming up with Jenny, Myiamoto tries to strike up a conversation, "It feels good to use these legs again. Why so mopey, isn't it a beautiful day?"

Jenny looks up, seeming vaguely annoyed, she sighs, "Don't know. Guess it's going back to the old grind of watching over frontier pokémon law enforcement. This has been a welcome break."

"It's not every day someone missing for 20 years shows up not having aged a day,"Myiamoto offers airily.

Jenny smiles wanly, "Yeah, and it's not every day I find myself liking a bunch of Team Rocketeers."

A roaring cry interrupts this conversation, appearing without warning seeming to materialise from the rocks themselves is an enraged rhyhorn. "Duck for cover!" screams Jenny.

James turns to see the women dive behind a boulder, just as the beast hits it with a thundering crash. He instinctively reaches for the red and white ball on his belt, "Go Weezing, use smokescreen!" he shouts.

The air fills with smoke, diverting the angry beast and disorienting it. It wheels and emerges from the fog hurtling full tilt at James. The young man jumps aside like a matador and commands. "Toxic Weezing!" Foul poisonous sludge spews from Weezings mouths and covers the rhyhorn. It stops, circles around and looks stunned. "Hit him with your best shot Weezing! Tackle now!"

The two-headed stink bomb wallops the rhyhorn hard on the head. The poisoned behemoth starts another charge, suddenly pulls up, groans, and collapses not three metres from James.

James falls to his knees, holds up his pokéball and wearily says, "Weezing. Great work! Return."

Jenny is quickly at his shoulder breathing hard, "That was magnificent James!" she enthuses.

"Thanks. T'was nothing milady."

She looks into his eyes and says, "Thanks for everything James," and walks away.

He looks after her, as the others come back to see what happened, "Maybe we should talk," he thinks absently.

The rest of the knee-jarring descent takes place without serious incident. Brock offers to walk to the nearby village to call the cab service. Jessie volunteers to go with him. Misty and Ash are wrangling about bicycle specs. Myiamoto wanders off to sit on a rock and take in the view.

Meowth is at Jenny's side, as James leans cooly with his left hand on his hip and his right hand against a road cut. "So I guess dis is where we part ways, huh Jen?"

"Yep" she says regretfully, "It's been swell, you pussycat", touching his nose playfully."

"Aw, I betcha say dat to all da talkin' meowths," he drawls blushing as much as a cat can manage.

James comes to and saunters over, "Hey Meowth, do you mind if I have a few words with our cop friend here?"

"Sure t'ing Jimmy. Don't get in trouble."

"No more than I already am in Meowth," he looks significantly at the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead.

"Well, am I still Errol Flynn to your Olivia de Havilland? I can still sweep you onto my horse and ride into the sunset with you at my side."

She laughs, "James, I told you I'm a professional. How would it look for me to leave my work and run off with a crook like you?"

"You can say you're taking me into permanent custody. Someone's got to protect the world from me."

"And you think that's me?" she giggles.

Becoming more serious he says, "Look, maybe you can protect me from some things. I didn't tell you that I'm offcially engaged to be married, and my fianceé and parents refuse to break it."

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me. What's all the fuss? I'm sure she's a nice enough girl, just someone you don't hit it off with, am I right?"

"You couldn't be more wrong, she's an obsessive control freak who insists in forcefully altering my ways by any means necessary. To her, discipline is literally whipping me into shape," James tugs out his black shirt revealing the white of a scar on his lower back.

Jenny makes a sympathetic horrified hiss sucking air across her teeth, "My God! I had no way of knowing."

"It's OK, I just wanted you to know what I ran away from," he notes, "I also want you to know that I admire you a lot Jenny, and I believe this admiration is now genuine love. I haven't had a minute since we left camp you didn't enter my thoughts. You have a lot of Jessie's traits, you're strong, self reliant, funny, even a little tempermental. I've said many times since I met you, 'Now there's a fascinating Jenny'."

"You know James, I fear commitment and I see that in you too. We could work this mutual problem out as a team, I'd love to meet that challenge. I've been drawn to you from the first, this will be just the adventure that's been missing from my life!," she says seriously with her eyes full of warmth and caring, then in a more humourous tone, "I suppose I'll have to join Team Rocket, that would be a change of pace!"

"I hardly think that necessary," a mortified James replies.

"Aw, c'mon! At least you could teach me your motto, It looks like fun!"

"Well, we should get back-to-back, like this," he positions her and takes his station.

"You have to start it," he says. "How's it start?". "You don't know? Ok, you shout 'Prepare for trouble'." Jenny obliges. Ash, Misty and Meowth's heads snap around. "Now I say, 'And make it double!" Jenny smiles devilishly, "To protect the world from devastation!" she crows. James' eyes widen and he continues, "To unite all peoples within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" offers Jenny getting into it more. "To extend our reach to the stars above!" "Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now or prepare to fight!" "Meowth dat's right!" chimes in Meowth. They all break down in peals of joyous laughter.

"Welcome to da gang!" chortles Meowth.

"Now I'm one of the other ones!" Jenny smiles, rapturous tears streaming down her face.

She hugs James with all her strength, and he returns the embrace willingly. The kiss is soft, not too lingering, but passionate.

"I gotta be careful where I step in all dis mush!" says Meowth.

...........................................

About an half hour later Brock and Jessie appear in the back of a flatbed farm truck full of workers bound for La Paz. "This is cheaper than the cab, and a lot more democratic," Brock offers. Everyone piles in, the more the merrier, and the truck groans to life and creaks off down the narrow, winding mountain road.

Once back in La Paz there is much to be sorted out. Myiamoto checks in at the police station to remove herself from the missing. Jenny turns in her badge and receives a squealing hug from another policewoman on duty after she gives out her news. Ash and Misty go off to check out bikes. Meowth pays his respects to Joy, and announces that he'll stay in town awhile to help interpret for the various pokémon at the centre,"Den maybe I'll go visit Cassandra an' see how she's doin' wit dat Poishan," he says with a wink.

Brock and Jessie go off to a jewelry store, "Do you want to make this a heist, or should it be legit?" Brock asks the flushed beauty.

"Oh, let's make it legit for once," she says wrinkling her nose ever so slightly. "I've got just the thing for you, a fire opal pendant with small diamonds set around it. It suits your amazing mercurial personality."

"A pendant? I thought we were getting a ring?"

"I don't want to rush you," he says doubtfully.

"You said it yourself, when I see what I want I go after it. I want you Brock," she says decidedly.

"Well there's rings over here, diamond I suppose?"

"No, I like the thought of fire opal. Let's look for a big sparkly raninbow one."

..............................................

When they return to the hotel, Myiamoto is back from the police station with Jenny. She looks mistily out the window. Ash wanders in, "Misty had a great idea, why don't we see if one of you guys could work for Professor Oak for awhile? I think he'd like an assistant or two more that Tracey. How about you Brock?"

"I don't know Ash, I ought to check in at Pewter City more frequently. Why don't you put Myiamoto forward? She's a seasoned, world travelling pokémon trainer you know."

"Hey Myiamoto, what say we call Professor Oak and see if he could use you?' Ash calls over to the detached young woman.

"Oak?" she says absently, "I think I know that name. I guess I'm game."

The phone screen in the lobby flashes and the professor, a distinguished white-haired man with a rugged square face is seen puttering around with a teapot and teaball, "Professor!" interjects Ash.

The professor looks up distractedly, "Oh. Ash it's you," he says familiarly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine Professor. Guess what? I got Mew into the Pokédex."

"Good for you! That's a tough one. What can I do for you?" he clearly wants to get back to his tea.

"Well, we met someone we thought might be a great lab assistant for you. Her name's Myiamoto Musashi. I'll let you speak to her," Ash puts Myiamoto on.

He looks at her hard, is clearly astonished and states, "My! You look like a brilliant student I once taught at Pokémon Tech when I had an adjunct position there right after I completed my doctorate."

"What was her name?" asks a bemused smirking Myiamoto.

"By golly, it was the same! You wouldn't be her daughter would you? She'd be 46 by now, and you're clearly too young."

"I could be, let's just say I know who you're talking about," she smiles pleasantly.

"Well that's fine, why don't you come to Pallet for an interview. I'm pretty sure we could use you here."

"I have an, er, ...sister and her friend travelling with me. Do you think you could find lodging for them? They're a couple, the names are Brock Li and Jessica Musashi."

"Oh! Brock, of course. I'll ask around. Brock and I have a close mutual acquaintance, Delia Ketchem. She would surely let out a room or two for Brock, his friend and yourself. She lives alone, as a matter of fact your friend Ash there is her son. I'm sure you'll be welcome."

"Thank you, I'll book my flight as soon as possible."

"You're welcome, oh Muk get out of the tea setting, argghh! Well I have to run. Look at this mess! Oh my!" and the Professor's face fades out.

"Well that seems promising," a pleased Myiamoto says brightly.

............................................

She is sitting in a well-cared-for flower garden in Pallet Town. She's relaxed. She wears an elegant blue dress with cutoff sleeves, the skirt rises slightly above the knee, showing off calf length leather boots. There are two gym badges pinned to the left of her breast a Cascade Badge from Misty and the Boulder Badge from...Brock. They didn't roll over and hand them to her, but they were so very happy when she made it. Darn it! Why did Brock and Misty have to make the charmander Oak had started her with faint? Heh, Arbok got some payback and finally beat Onix though. She hopes Brock gets back from Pewter City soon. On her left ring finger is a fire opal ring set about with diamonds. Presently she is joined by two other women, both in their mid to late twenties. One has sweeping purple ponytails framing an angular well proportioned face set with luminous green eyes, the other has brown hair, a rounder face with friendly brown eyes full of kindness. "It's a gorgeous evening," she says warmly to her two companions.

"Yes it is lovely," says Delia Ketchem, "You know Mia and I think the colour scheme you chose for the wedding is perfect, the wine coloured dresses for the bridal party, and the beige suits for the groom's should be handsome and understated."

"Yes, I consulted with James on that, between us we have one mean fashion sense."

"Did James get back from his honeymoon yet?" asks Mia.

"Oh yes, he said the Orange Islands were a lot more fun with that energetic Jenny gal of his than when we chased the kids around them a couple of years ago. Now those two are trying to get settled in to Cerulean City with the Waterflower's help."

She looks at the hills surrounding Pallet Town and notes they are taking on purplish evening tones as the sun sinks lower. She reflects she never knew she could ever be at peace with herself, but somehow she made it. Her name is Jessie, and her life finally makes some sense to her.

FIN

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