Chapter 5 – What the World Needs Now
Both Misty and Ash had remained quiet for a while after the…Incident. Every now and then, one would glance up at the other and then quickly turn away before the other could see. The glue on them seemed to shimmer like silk in the moonlight. Togepi quietly cooed, not wanting to fall asleep until Master did.
Ash was starting to doze off when he heard Misty sigh rather loudly. He looked over at her. "What's…Wrong?" he finally asked, relieved that the silence was broken for now.
Misty sat on the ground. "I can't get out! Ash, we've been trying to get out of this glue for hours. I'm exhausted."
The young Pokémon Trainer nodded. "Yeah. And what if Tracey got caught? And what about Pikachu?"
"I don't know," Misty said, beginning to cry. "It's not even likely we'll see either of them again."
"ARGH!" Ash growled, raising up both his fists. "Stupid Team Rocket! Why do they always have to ruin our lives?" He lowered his voice a little. "How could they win? They NEVER win! Why was this plan different from any other plan?"
Another long pause cut through the forest. Ash fell to his knees and looked at the ground and putty. He then grabbed some and began ripping at it. He yanked so hard that he was beginning to pull some skin off with it. However, he didn't cry or scream in pain. That did not matter now. He just needed to find Pikachu.
Misty watched him, almost trembling. "Ash! What are you doing? You're hurting yourself!"
"Who cares?" Ash spat back bitterly. "All that matters is I get out of here and get Pikachu! As a Pokémon Trainer, my job is to care for my Pokémon!"
"Ash," Misty said softly. He stopped and looked at her. "Listen…I know I've told you that a Trainer should care about his Pokémon more than anything, but right now, I think you need to worry about yourself a little more." She tried to scoot a little closer to him, but the putty held her steadfast. "You're hurting yourself, and you shouldn't! Think of how Pikachu…And your mother…Would feel if they saw you like this."
Ash gazed back at Misty as if she were the wisest being on the planet. He sat down cross-legged and looked at his hands. Then he saw the tears fall into them. "I'm so weak," he said, now doing the crying. "I try my best to help my friends, but I can't. I just wind up hurting everyone, 'cause I'm so stupid!"
"No, Ash!" Misty cried, her eyes wobbling. "Please! Pull yourself together! You are a great Pokémon Trainer!" She bit her lip immediately after saying so, knowing she'd never admitted as to how great she thought Ash was. "You still have a long way to go, but you'll get there. Pikachu knows this. Your other Pokémon know this. Professor Oak knows this. I know this!" She reached out her hand. "Ash, you have grown so much since we first met. Everyday you learn more and grow. You can't give up now, or anytime!"
"Misty…" Ash whispered, taking her hand. He then grinned so widely, his cheeks hurt. "Thanks! What you say means a lot. And I won't give up!"
Misty nodded proudly. She clutched his hand so tightly, her knuckles were turning white. "Go for the gold, Ash Ketchum!"
Jessie and James lay in each other's arms, James snoring softly while Jessie stroked his head. She felt at peace, probably the first time she ever had in her whole life. James was with her, and that made her feel happy. As friends and partners, they had shared secrets and lies and dreams that would never come true. Now…As they were…
James yawned and slowly blinked his eyes open. Jessie smiled at him. "Hi, Jess."
"Hello, James."
They were quiet for a few moments, each gazing dreamily at the other with a newfound emotion. Jessie snuggled closely to him just so that their noses touched lightly. James took Jessie's hand in his. "You okay?"
"Of course," Jessie sighed. "James, I have to talk to you."
"I'm right here!" James grinned, curling up even closer to her.
"James, I want to tell you about how I've felt. I know I should have told you ages ago…Before this…But, it was hard." She let go of his hand and brought hers up to touch his face. "I think it was almost two years ago when I realized how much I loved you. But I didn't know. I kept holding it in and it kept getting bigger and bigger and…Finally THIS happened!" James did not know what to say. Instead, he took Jessie in a hug. Jessie buried her face in his warm chest and sighed. "I'm really sorry. If I hadn't kept in my feelings, then maybe I wouldn't have been so…Eager to jump into bed…" She bit her lip and blushed. "Um, I mean…!"
"I know what you mean," James replied. Jessie heard his voice crack a little. Was he crying? "I'm okay, Jessie. I don't mind. I'm not mad at you at all. In fact, I'm glad you did what you did…'Cause I love you too."
Jessie jumped out of his arms and looked at his face. Yes, he was crying, but it was a happy cry for he was smiling as well. She also began to cry and took him into her arms, kissing him all over the face. "I'm glad, James. Really glad."
Meowth was not glad.
He was very unhappy, actually. If Jessie and James WERE in love, then what would happen to Meowth? He was always there to keep them together and get the job done. If they were more than just friends, would they leave him out in the cold? Would they quit Team Rocket and run away together?
NO!
Meowth could NOT let that happen! He needed his friends so much. He didn't want them to forget about him. He began to cry, wondering if he could stop their love and why it hurt him so much. Maybe he could drown his troubles in some catnip and find a little round ball to play with.
He headed for the cafeteria.
"I can't take this!" Stacey laughed. "My goal in life was to get it back to you!"
Tracey also laughed and kept pushing the notebook to her. "No, I have plenty. And I think my biggest fan should have it."
"I AM your biggest fan!" she cried, grabbing hold of the sketchbook finally. "You're too sweet."
"Naw! That's just what I think."
They laughed together for a long while and talked about art and Pokémon. Tracey had never felt so happy in his entire life! Here was someone who understood his passion completely.
Not to mention she was really pretty.
"Do you know how wonderful you are, Tracey Sketchit?" Stacey whispered, leaning closely to him from across the table.
Tracey blushed. "Um…Not really."
"Well, you are."
The two were quiet, each leaning closer and closer to each other.
Tracey was hot as his lips almost met hers…
"NOT AGAIN!!!"
Tracey jumped at the all-too-familiar voice.
"Meowth!" Stacey cried. "What are you doing in here?"
"Nevah mind dat!" growled the Pokémon. "Foist, Jessie and James. And now you, Stacey?" His eyes darted and met Tracey's. "YOU!"
Tracey stepped back behind Stacey. "Don't say anything, Meowth!" Stacey warned. "Don't you dare!"
"Are you jokin'?" Meowth hissed. "You belong to Team Rocket! You do not hang out wit ahtist twoips!" He jumped up on a table. "Hey, everyone!" he yelled and pointed to Tracey. "Dat boy is NOT a Team Rocket membah! GET HIM!"
The small crowd from the cafeteria rose to their feet, all glaring at Tracey with menacing looks. One member pressed a button that yowled out 'INTRUDER ALERT' while the mob moved in on the duo.
"Run, Tracey!" Stacey yelled.
"Not without you!"
Meowth jumped onto Stacey's head. "You're a traitor! How dare ya deceive da great Team Rocket! What are ya gonna do? Stay wit us, or get killed?"
Stacey's eyes grew large as she looked back at Tracey. Suddenly she shook her head and jumped away from him, joining the mob. "You're right, Meowth!" she laughed. "Why die when you can have it big?"
Tracey's face fell. "Stacey!" he cried.
"I will not stay with you and die, you loser! Ha! You can keep your stupid sketchbook!" She threw it at him, laughing along with the other Team Rocket members.
Tracey could not help but cry. He was grabbed by the members along with Stacey and dragged down to the dungeon. There, he wept bitterly, clutching his sketchbook tightly.
It had all been too good to be true.
End of Chapter 5