~Team Rocket's Success!
~Written by: Merlock101
~Disclaimer: Alas! How I wish Jesse, James, Meowth and Giovanni were my characters (b/c they would be the stars of their own t.v. show!) but, I do not. ;(
~My REALLY long note to the readers: This is just a little something I've been working at off and on for quite awhile in between a dozen other fics, a lot of tea, and a dog-eared dictionary and thesaurus. I've been currently working on a Flint the Time Detective fic called the Moonlight Effect (check out the segment from it in the FTTD if you're interested!) a Harry Potter, Utena, several SailorMoon, and some originals too. So, if it takes me awhile to get the rest of this up, don't be surprized. (sorry) So, read this little part and I'll post more as soon as possible. Warning, this is a bit different from the other Team Rocket fics I've seen, Jesse and James don't fall in love with each other, they don't, um. . . *blushes* they don't ^do-it^. I guess you can say that this is NOT a Jesse/James story. (sorry again) Please don't flame me.
Chapter 1
"Come on, James!" Jesse urged. "We've got to get up to the boss's office on time or he'll have our necks!"
"But, Jesse, I'm exhausted! We've been running since 12:00 in the afternoon to get here and I'm tired!" James complained.
"If you'd have gotten up when the alarm clock went off the first time, instead of pressing the sleep button 20 times- then we'd be there already!"
"But Jesse!"
"Come on!" Jesse grabbed James by the arm and drug him, kicking and complaining, all the way up the stairs.
"I wonda' what da' boss wants wit us?" Meowth thought out loud. "Maybe his prissy Persian got hit by a car and he wants me ta' be top cat again! That'd make me da' happiest Meowth in da' woild! Ahhhh..."
"Either that, or he wants to fire us for messing up so many times," James suggested.
"NOOOOO!" Meowth screeched. "He can't get ridda' us! We're the best members of Team Rocket! Fans all over da' planet love us!"
"Here we are!" Jesse exclaimed, as they approached the door leading to their Boss's, Giovanni's, office on the top floor of a 35 story building.
"Hasn't the boss heard of elevators?" James asked retorically.
"Yes, but he's the only one who's allowed to use it...Remember?" Jesse reminded him.
"Now, c'mon and straighten your hair...We' don't want the boss to now that we had to rush so much to get here!"
James pulled a comb from his pocket and started to run it through his lovely purple hair that went down to shoulders, while Jesse pulled out a compact and touched up her make-up. As soon as Meowth was done with cleaning his whiskers, Jesse knocked on the door to Giovanni's office.
"Come in!" Ordered a gruff, harsh voice. It was the voice of the powerful Giovanni. Jesse opened the door and her, James, and Meowth, walked in. The room they stepped into was a large one with red carpeted floors, a stone ceiling, a marble desk and an enormous leather chair. And in that chair stood the notorious Giovanni. The owner of the powerful Pokemon theives, Team Rocket. He glared at Jesse, James, and Meowth. Who quivered and shook under his stare.
Jesse breathed deeply and tried to make herself appear brave and confident.
"You wanted to see us, sir?" She inquired.
"Yes," Giovanni replied. "I've been looking over the records of your work here in Team Rocket and I've found that your progress has proved most unsatisfactory. I've devised a solution to this problem if you are willing to hear..."
"I knew it! He's gonna' throw us out of Team Rocket," James whispered to Jesse.
Giovanni cast James another angry glare, and James closed his mouth and tried to hide behind Jesse, who smacked him away.
Giovanni cleared his throat, "As I was saying...I have a solution to your lack of progress. I have another group of Team Rocket members who have proved excellent in progress. I feel that you should join with them..."
"Join with another group, sir? But, we don't need any help we can do fine on our own," Jesse interrupted.
"Well, you haven't shown it so far...So I feel that you should take my offer, or else you will be forced to leave Team Rocket...Do you want that?"
Jesse shook her head no, then looked at the floor sadly.
"I'd like you to meet your new accomplices..." Giovanni pushed a button on his desk, a wall opened to reveal two unidentifiable figures in a cloud of smoke.
"Prepare for trouble..." said a male voice.
"Make it double..." said a female voice.
"To strike fear in hearts across the nation..."
"To frighten those with our confrontation..."
"To announce our wickedness by scorning love..."
"To spread cruelty all the way to the planets above..."
"Calamity..."
"Jane..."
"Team Rocket shall never lose a fight..."
"By purging all that is good and right..."
Suddenly, a girl Meowth pops-up, "So, make way for our blight!"
The smoke cleared and there stood two teenagers, a boy and a girl, in the room. The boy was tall and buff looking, with spiky brown hair that stuck out in all directions. The girl had blond shoulder length hair, and blue eyes. The girl Meowth was pink in color with stunningly purple eyes. The two teenagers donned silver Team Rocket outfits- the clothes that only top rocket members could wear- with red 'R's on them. The girl- James noticed- was holding a single white rose. But, only when the girl looked up to face James did he recognize her.
"Jane?!!!!" He exclaimed.
The girl named Jane- gaped back. She gasped.
"James?!!!"
"Y-you're part of Team Rocket?" They both said at once.
"What're you doing here?" Jane demanded.
"What d'you mean 'what am I doing here?' What're you doing here?" James demanded.
"Uh...did we miss something?" Jesse said, cluelessly.
"I think we've missed da' entire thing," Meowth replied- also clueless.
"You're still supposed to be at Pokemon Tech!" James exclaimed.
"Well, I took a few summer classes and graduated early!" Jane explained.
"What about college, then?"
"Well, uh.."
"I take it you guys know each other," The spiky brown haired boy- whose name was Calamity- infered.
"No duh!" James and Jane shouted at him.
"Sheesh! Sor-ry! But, are two rivals or something?"
"Are you kidding? James and I were best friends since we went to Pokemon Tech!" Jane told him. "I used to help him study and do his homework. We even visited each other's houses on summer and Christmas breaks!"
"Jane was the one who inspired me to love roses so much!" James added, his eyes got really big and watery. Trickles of tears ran down his cheeks. "She taught me how to plant them, and prune them, and feed them..."
"Then, shouldn't you guys be happy to see each other?" Calamity suggested.
"Oh, we are we just have to yell at each other for not going on to being something besides theives for Rocket headquarters," Jane said to Calamity.
"And now that we've finished screaming at each other we start giving explanations. It's an organized routine!" James turned to Jane. "Shall we begin?"
"Yes. Okay, why are you working for Team Rocket?"
"I flunked out of Pokemon Tech, remember? I didn't want to go back home to face my parents- so I found a job here. What about you?"
"Well, that's a very long story...I'll explain another time."
James turned to Calamity and said: "Now, we'll be happy to see each other." He turned back to Jane, "Ready?"
"Ready."
James and Jane wrapped their arms around each other in a long hung and sunk down to the floor with huge gushes of tears flowing out like water hoses.
"I'm so happy to see you!" James sobbed.
"I thought that I'd never see you again!" Jane cried.
"We'll get to hang out as friends again!"
"We'll be able to have all our conversations, again!"
"I've missed you so much!!!!!!!!!!" The both sobbed.
Giovanni held his head as though it hurt.
"This is supposed to be the girl who was considered a genius at Pokemon Tech- one of the toughest schools in the world?"
Jesse, Meowth, the girl Meowth and Calamity all fell over- their legs stuck up and started to twitch.
"Now, we know why dey hung out togedda'," Meowth said.
"Does she act like this a lot?" Jesse asked Calamity.
Calamity shrugged. "Occasionally, but she's very deep and collected too."
"You still wear those thick glasses," James stated to Jane.
"No, these are a different pair, they just look exactly the same as my old pair. In fact, I've had another pair of the same resemblance since the last time I saw you," Jane replied, still wiping tears away. The pair stared at each other for a moment, then resumed crying.
Meanwhile, a vein started to pop out on Giovanni's head.
"STOP THIS INCESSANT WHINING AT ONCE!!!!!!!" He ordered angrily. Sweatdrops appeared on James' and Jane's foreheads as they quivered in fear. "Stand up straight, now, while I give orders." Jane and James did as they were told- and snapped to attention.
Once the room was settled, Giovanni cleared his throat, straightened his tie- that loud remark had gotten him a bit frazzled- and looked at each of the Rockets' faces that stared back at him blankly- but obediently- awaiting his answer. The powerful man smiled: *It was great to be in charge!*
"Your next assignment, will be quite an interesting one for all of you. Every year, at about this time- there's a Spring Festival in Atlantea City. They call it: the Festival of the sun. It's a 7 day celebration where people gather in the streets and praise the sun during a period which they believe that the sun is in the sky the longest. Many festivities occur in this time, people play games, shop, socialize have picnics. . ." Giovanni stopped and let his voice trail off, to see if they were still listening. Just enough time for it to sink in and get them excited, then went on. "And one of the more popular activities is: the Pokemon exhibition. Everyday, Pokemon are paraded through the streets- in stores, booths, and on stage for show, sell, trade, even as an invitation for others who may want to battle, and for some- to steal. Thousands of Pokemon- many rare and expensive- just right for the taking. People are too caught up in the excitement to notice if their pokemon sudeenly come up missing out of the clear blue. Too many sights. Too many smells. So little time to capture every one of them. It should prove quite a challenge, but I have faith that you- er. . . that is: Calamity and Jane- will have little, or no, problem with this task. But, you three-" Giovanni glared at Jesse, James and Meowth who shivered under his icy powerful stare. "You three, I expect to pay good attention and consider using these three"- he waved a hand in the direction of Calamity, Jane and the girl meowth. "-As very satisfactory role models as they are much more *adequate* than you have so shown me. I expect a big improvement on your part. You all may go, now, and complete the mission that I have so ^generously^ assigned to you," he leaned back in his chair, finger tips touching as though in contenmplation, the two groups bowed- Jane's group bowing graciously while James' did so more reluctantly. Then, made their way toward the door.
"I do hope that you will get along well," Giovanni added, with a very injurious grin. "For the consequences on Jesse's, James' and Meowth's part will prove exceedingly unfortunate."
Jess and James exchanged nervous glances, then exchanged those glances with Meowth- who also looked fearful. A chill ran up and down their spines. James nodded, Meowth and Jesse nodded back- relaying the message telepathically that said: The jig is up.
Chapter 2
The evening had unrolled it's thick blanket, dusting off the remants of the long sunny day, and sprinkling the sky with glittering stars. Squirrels scurried to their homes, and mother birds sang sweet *nevermind* lullabys to their chicks. Butterflies disappeared and were replaced with lightening bugs, crickets and frogs. All blending together to create the sights and rhythm of the night. A zephyr of wind came up to breathe on James' face with the sweet kiss that promised a beautiful summer yet to come.
But, this did little to help the pain and sadness welling up in his and Jesse's hearts. They'd just finished packing their stuff- what little they had- into three small satchels and placed them by their door along with their Team Rocket suits ready for the next day. Tomorrow, they would meet the others outside the Team Rocket HQ building. And there they would head out on another new adventure. To a new place! New sights! A thousand exciting things to do! However, they were not excited, as Giovanni's words kept ringing through their ears: 'Your progress has proved most unsatisfactory!' 'I expect you to pay good attention and consider using these three as very satisfactory role models.' 'I expect a big improvement on your part.' 'The consequences on Jesse's, James' and Meowth's part will prove exceedingly unfortunate. . .'
Jesse shivered again, she could never forget the mocking tone of his voice, the scathing grin upon those thin lips that had to kiss a thousand butts to get this far. And now it was everyone else that had to lean down and give his a big smooch- to which he provided the lipstick.
Silently, Jesse and James slipped into their sleeping bags rolled out on the floor of their tiny pup-tent. Jesse, dressed in her pink pajamas- tucked her red hair (twisted up in curlers) into a cap upon her head. James searched under the folds of the blanket to find his teddy bear. Once found, he placed it under his arm and though he was comfortable, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Trying to busy his hands, and keep his mind off the events of the day, he absentmindedly picked at fuzzy bit of lint on the shirt of his blue pajamas.
"Better hit the sack James, we've got a *long* day tommorrow," Jesse said with a yawn, sort of offhand, as though not a single thing bothered her.
'Jesse's like that,' James thought. 'She never let's anything get to her, and if she does get sad or depressed she hardly ever shows it. I wish I could be like that. . . Tough and strong. *sigh* But, I'm not, I'm too emotional and passionate. I guess it's because I'm a Virgo. . . Or is it an Aquarius? . . . Oh well, can't remember right now.'
"Now I remember that girl!" Jesse exclaimed out of the blue- interupting James' somewhat deep thoughts.
"Huh? Girl?"
"You know, that other Team Rocket girl. What's her name? Oh yes: Jane. She was that real brainy girl with the thick coke-bottle glasses who read too much, and talked too little. Straight A's. Perfect record. Ironed every article of clothing. (I even heard from one of her room mates that she ironed her underwear!)" Jesse whispered, half giggling, into James' ear. "She wore pocket protectors and read science magazines. . . I saw her once or twice. Didn't she want to become a scientist or something?"
"Once or twice? You guys were in almost every class together!" James corrected.
Jesse looked puzzled. "Oh. . . Oh of course! I-I just forgot. . .I mean it's been so long since we were there."
James turned over on his stomach and rested his head in his hands. He gazed out the window longingly. "It wasn't as long ago as you think. . . And it wasn't a scientist, it was a novelist. She wanted to write beautiful fiction stories. That's how I met her. . ."
{FLASHBACK}
Jane sat a small, lone table in the reference room of the library. Papers were piled out all over the table. Some of them were in neat little stacks: math, Pokemon history, physics, Pokemon Anatomy and Language Arts. But, there was a whole pile of papers that was a complete disorganized mess of drawings, scribbles (Jane's sloppy handwriting) and charts of all sorts. She didn't talk to anyone, she didn't even look up to see if there was anyone there. Infact, she just went into her own world, with no acknowledgement of anything else in the world but what was in front of her. Drifting into her own dream that was her only escape from the morass that she was living in.
Meanwhile, James was grumbling as he made his way to the reference room. Carrying an armload of books and papers under his arm. He really didn't want to have to write that term paper for his Pokemon Anatomy class. It seemed like such a waste of time to him. When was he going to use that anyway? Nevertheless, he pushed open the doors of the library and headed to his desired destination. He looked around, nobody here- wait there was someone here! It was Jane Promence, the brain-girl. Might as well be nobody here, as she never spoke to anyone, or anything but Pokemon. James looked around for a book on Victreebelle which he realized, after 10 minutes of searching to no avail, must be on the other side of the library, right behind Jane's table. He started toward there, but his clumsiness did not fail to hit him, because he lost his footing on the leg of a chair- and he stumbled head over feet into Jane- knocking all of her papers to the floor everywhere.
'Are you alright, James?' Jane asked him. Digging through the papers until she found the top of James' purple haired head. He hurried to sit up and face her.
'Yeah, I'm fine. . .thanks. Hey, how'd you know my name?' He asked, perplexed.
Jane took him by the arm and lifted him to his feet. 'You're one of the most popular guys in school remember? Who doesn't know your name?'
James blushed. "Oh, I just. . . Didn't think. . . Ah nevermind." He looked at the papers on the floor. 'Is ^all^ of this homework?'
'A lot of it is. Good thing I've numbered the pages.'
'Here, let me help you pick it up,' James offered. The pair bent down on their knees and set to picking it up. Since Jane's pages were numbered, the task was a lot easier than what it would've been normally. Within minutes, the papers were set in perfect stacks again and placed on the table.
'You sure have a lot of homework,' James said.
'Well, some of its extra credit. You know, finals coming up and all, I'm trying to get all the points I can in case I do bad on them.' James picked up the last pile. It was a big stack of scribbled writing, it caught his attention instantly.
'What's this? Is it an English piece?'
'Oh, no. I-it's just a manuscript. A story,' Jane said- but James was already reading it. 'I wish you wouldn't. No one's ever read it before. It's not ready for-"
'Shhh, I'm reading,' James said. 'It's okay, I'm just going to read it. I won't do anything mean.'
So Jane let him read it. It couldn't hurt. Besides, it would give her a chance to go over those math notes she'd taken. A little while later, James laid the manuscript down and said:
'Cliff-hanger,' Jane looked up, nervously, at James. 'It was really wonderful. It's tough to get me to read anything, but your story hooked me and pulled me into it's world. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait until you finish it. It's great.'
'You really think so?'
James nodded.
But, that was ages ago, James realized as the past faded back into the present. Now, he was laying in a small tent in the middle of the woods.
"I read many more of her stories after that," James continued. "She was so talented. I don't know why someone with her abilites is working for Team Rocket."
"Right now, I think we should be worrying about *us* at Team Rocket," Jesse said. "You heard what the boss told us, I think he means it this time."
James had been wondering when Jesse would bring that up. So, he rolled over to face her- being careful not to awaken the sleeping Meowth at the foot of his sleeping bag. At least somebody could rest easily. He didn't need to worry, he was a Pokemon. He could live in the wild if he had to. There would be someone to take him in if anything were to happen to Jesse and James, because he was a cute little *talking* Meowth. It was extremely rare to get a talking Pokemon, afterall. . .
So, the worrying was left to Jesse and James.
'We're still teenagers,' Jesse thought. ' We should be out having fun driving around in beat-up cars, hanging at the movies and going to high school to finish our senior year. . .Not worrying about saving our lives and sleeping in worn-out tents because we can't afford anything else.'
James squeezed his teddy bear. "Yeah, the boss was pretty mad."
"Understatement."
"Yeah, you're right."
Jesse sat up and hugged her knees. "We can't screw up this time you know. The boss is really counting on us, now. And since he's got *those* two to compare us with, he's gonna' be extra picky."
"So, we should try even harder than what we did before, and listen real hard to what they're saying."
"I really don't want to take orders from *them*."
"It's either that or face whatever torture Giovanni's got planned for us. Let's face it, if we don't obey their every word and act like they're the complete geniuses, we're-" James took his finger and ran across his neck as though slicing it.
"In other words: Suck up!"
"Yep, it's put up- or shut up FOREVER."
"I guess we have no other chioce do we?"
James shook his head, and clutched his teddy bear even tighter. "Oh Jesse, what's going to happen to us?"
Jesse shrugged. "I don't know James, I don't know."
~Written by: Merlock101
~Disclaimer: Alas! How I wish Jesse, James, Meowth and Giovanni were my characters (b/c they would be the stars of their own t.v. show!) but, I do not. ;(
~My REALLY long note to the readers: This is just a little something I've been working at off and on for quite awhile in between a dozen other fics, a lot of tea, and a dog-eared dictionary and thesaurus. I've been currently working on a Flint the Time Detective fic called the Moonlight Effect (check out the segment from it in the FTTD if you're interested!) a Harry Potter, Utena, several SailorMoon, and some originals too. So, if it takes me awhile to get the rest of this up, don't be surprized. (sorry) So, read this little part and I'll post more as soon as possible. Warning, this is a bit different from the other Team Rocket fics I've seen, Jesse and James don't fall in love with each other, they don't, um. . . *blushes* they don't ^do-it^. I guess you can say that this is NOT a Jesse/James story. (sorry again) Please don't flame me.
Chapter 1
"Come on, James!" Jesse urged. "We've got to get up to the boss's office on time or he'll have our necks!"
"But, Jesse, I'm exhausted! We've been running since 12:00 in the afternoon to get here and I'm tired!" James complained.
"If you'd have gotten up when the alarm clock went off the first time, instead of pressing the sleep button 20 times- then we'd be there already!"
"But Jesse!"
"Come on!" Jesse grabbed James by the arm and drug him, kicking and complaining, all the way up the stairs.
"I wonda' what da' boss wants wit us?" Meowth thought out loud. "Maybe his prissy Persian got hit by a car and he wants me ta' be top cat again! That'd make me da' happiest Meowth in da' woild! Ahhhh..."
"Either that, or he wants to fire us for messing up so many times," James suggested.
"NOOOOO!" Meowth screeched. "He can't get ridda' us! We're the best members of Team Rocket! Fans all over da' planet love us!"
"Here we are!" Jesse exclaimed, as they approached the door leading to their Boss's, Giovanni's, office on the top floor of a 35 story building.
"Hasn't the boss heard of elevators?" James asked retorically.
"Yes, but he's the only one who's allowed to use it...Remember?" Jesse reminded him.
"Now, c'mon and straighten your hair...We' don't want the boss to now that we had to rush so much to get here!"
James pulled a comb from his pocket and started to run it through his lovely purple hair that went down to shoulders, while Jesse pulled out a compact and touched up her make-up. As soon as Meowth was done with cleaning his whiskers, Jesse knocked on the door to Giovanni's office.
"Come in!" Ordered a gruff, harsh voice. It was the voice of the powerful Giovanni. Jesse opened the door and her, James, and Meowth, walked in. The room they stepped into was a large one with red carpeted floors, a stone ceiling, a marble desk and an enormous leather chair. And in that chair stood the notorious Giovanni. The owner of the powerful Pokemon theives, Team Rocket. He glared at Jesse, James, and Meowth. Who quivered and shook under his stare.
Jesse breathed deeply and tried to make herself appear brave and confident.
"You wanted to see us, sir?" She inquired.
"Yes," Giovanni replied. "I've been looking over the records of your work here in Team Rocket and I've found that your progress has proved most unsatisfactory. I've devised a solution to this problem if you are willing to hear..."
"I knew it! He's gonna' throw us out of Team Rocket," James whispered to Jesse.
Giovanni cast James another angry glare, and James closed his mouth and tried to hide behind Jesse, who smacked him away.
Giovanni cleared his throat, "As I was saying...I have a solution to your lack of progress. I have another group of Team Rocket members who have proved excellent in progress. I feel that you should join with them..."
"Join with another group, sir? But, we don't need any help we can do fine on our own," Jesse interrupted.
"Well, you haven't shown it so far...So I feel that you should take my offer, or else you will be forced to leave Team Rocket...Do you want that?"
Jesse shook her head no, then looked at the floor sadly.
"I'd like you to meet your new accomplices..." Giovanni pushed a button on his desk, a wall opened to reveal two unidentifiable figures in a cloud of smoke.
"Prepare for trouble..." said a male voice.
"Make it double..." said a female voice.
"To strike fear in hearts across the nation..."
"To frighten those with our confrontation..."
"To announce our wickedness by scorning love..."
"To spread cruelty all the way to the planets above..."
"Calamity..."
"Jane..."
"Team Rocket shall never lose a fight..."
"By purging all that is good and right..."
Suddenly, a girl Meowth pops-up, "So, make way for our blight!"
The smoke cleared and there stood two teenagers, a boy and a girl, in the room. The boy was tall and buff looking, with spiky brown hair that stuck out in all directions. The girl had blond shoulder length hair, and blue eyes. The girl Meowth was pink in color with stunningly purple eyes. The two teenagers donned silver Team Rocket outfits- the clothes that only top rocket members could wear- with red 'R's on them. The girl- James noticed- was holding a single white rose. But, only when the girl looked up to face James did he recognize her.
"Jane?!!!!" He exclaimed.
The girl named Jane- gaped back. She gasped.
"James?!!!"
"Y-you're part of Team Rocket?" They both said at once.
"What're you doing here?" Jane demanded.
"What d'you mean 'what am I doing here?' What're you doing here?" James demanded.
"Uh...did we miss something?" Jesse said, cluelessly.
"I think we've missed da' entire thing," Meowth replied- also clueless.
"You're still supposed to be at Pokemon Tech!" James exclaimed.
"Well, I took a few summer classes and graduated early!" Jane explained.
"What about college, then?"
"Well, uh.."
"I take it you guys know each other," The spiky brown haired boy- whose name was Calamity- infered.
"No duh!" James and Jane shouted at him.
"Sheesh! Sor-ry! But, are two rivals or something?"
"Are you kidding? James and I were best friends since we went to Pokemon Tech!" Jane told him. "I used to help him study and do his homework. We even visited each other's houses on summer and Christmas breaks!"
"Jane was the one who inspired me to love roses so much!" James added, his eyes got really big and watery. Trickles of tears ran down his cheeks. "She taught me how to plant them, and prune them, and feed them..."
"Then, shouldn't you guys be happy to see each other?" Calamity suggested.
"Oh, we are we just have to yell at each other for not going on to being something besides theives for Rocket headquarters," Jane said to Calamity.
"And now that we've finished screaming at each other we start giving explanations. It's an organized routine!" James turned to Jane. "Shall we begin?"
"Yes. Okay, why are you working for Team Rocket?"
"I flunked out of Pokemon Tech, remember? I didn't want to go back home to face my parents- so I found a job here. What about you?"
"Well, that's a very long story...I'll explain another time."
James turned to Calamity and said: "Now, we'll be happy to see each other." He turned back to Jane, "Ready?"
"Ready."
James and Jane wrapped their arms around each other in a long hung and sunk down to the floor with huge gushes of tears flowing out like water hoses.
"I'm so happy to see you!" James sobbed.
"I thought that I'd never see you again!" Jane cried.
"We'll get to hang out as friends again!"
"We'll be able to have all our conversations, again!"
"I've missed you so much!!!!!!!!!!" The both sobbed.
Giovanni held his head as though it hurt.
"This is supposed to be the girl who was considered a genius at Pokemon Tech- one of the toughest schools in the world?"
Jesse, Meowth, the girl Meowth and Calamity all fell over- their legs stuck up and started to twitch.
"Now, we know why dey hung out togedda'," Meowth said.
"Does she act like this a lot?" Jesse asked Calamity.
Calamity shrugged. "Occasionally, but she's very deep and collected too."
"You still wear those thick glasses," James stated to Jane.
"No, these are a different pair, they just look exactly the same as my old pair. In fact, I've had another pair of the same resemblance since the last time I saw you," Jane replied, still wiping tears away. The pair stared at each other for a moment, then resumed crying.
Meanwhile, a vein started to pop out on Giovanni's head.
"STOP THIS INCESSANT WHINING AT ONCE!!!!!!!" He ordered angrily. Sweatdrops appeared on James' and Jane's foreheads as they quivered in fear. "Stand up straight, now, while I give orders." Jane and James did as they were told- and snapped to attention.
Once the room was settled, Giovanni cleared his throat, straightened his tie- that loud remark had gotten him a bit frazzled- and looked at each of the Rockets' faces that stared back at him blankly- but obediently- awaiting his answer. The powerful man smiled: *It was great to be in charge!*
"Your next assignment, will be quite an interesting one for all of you. Every year, at about this time- there's a Spring Festival in Atlantea City. They call it: the Festival of the sun. It's a 7 day celebration where people gather in the streets and praise the sun during a period which they believe that the sun is in the sky the longest. Many festivities occur in this time, people play games, shop, socialize have picnics. . ." Giovanni stopped and let his voice trail off, to see if they were still listening. Just enough time for it to sink in and get them excited, then went on. "And one of the more popular activities is: the Pokemon exhibition. Everyday, Pokemon are paraded through the streets- in stores, booths, and on stage for show, sell, trade, even as an invitation for others who may want to battle, and for some- to steal. Thousands of Pokemon- many rare and expensive- just right for the taking. People are too caught up in the excitement to notice if their pokemon sudeenly come up missing out of the clear blue. Too many sights. Too many smells. So little time to capture every one of them. It should prove quite a challenge, but I have faith that you- er. . . that is: Calamity and Jane- will have little, or no, problem with this task. But, you three-" Giovanni glared at Jesse, James and Meowth who shivered under his icy powerful stare. "You three, I expect to pay good attention and consider using these three"- he waved a hand in the direction of Calamity, Jane and the girl meowth. "-As very satisfactory role models as they are much more *adequate* than you have so shown me. I expect a big improvement on your part. You all may go, now, and complete the mission that I have so ^generously^ assigned to you," he leaned back in his chair, finger tips touching as though in contenmplation, the two groups bowed- Jane's group bowing graciously while James' did so more reluctantly. Then, made their way toward the door.
"I do hope that you will get along well," Giovanni added, with a very injurious grin. "For the consequences on Jesse's, James' and Meowth's part will prove exceedingly unfortunate."
Jess and James exchanged nervous glances, then exchanged those glances with Meowth- who also looked fearful. A chill ran up and down their spines. James nodded, Meowth and Jesse nodded back- relaying the message telepathically that said: The jig is up.
Chapter 2
The evening had unrolled it's thick blanket, dusting off the remants of the long sunny day, and sprinkling the sky with glittering stars. Squirrels scurried to their homes, and mother birds sang sweet *nevermind* lullabys to their chicks. Butterflies disappeared and were replaced with lightening bugs, crickets and frogs. All blending together to create the sights and rhythm of the night. A zephyr of wind came up to breathe on James' face with the sweet kiss that promised a beautiful summer yet to come.
But, this did little to help the pain and sadness welling up in his and Jesse's hearts. They'd just finished packing their stuff- what little they had- into three small satchels and placed them by their door along with their Team Rocket suits ready for the next day. Tomorrow, they would meet the others outside the Team Rocket HQ building. And there they would head out on another new adventure. To a new place! New sights! A thousand exciting things to do! However, they were not excited, as Giovanni's words kept ringing through their ears: 'Your progress has proved most unsatisfactory!' 'I expect you to pay good attention and consider using these three as very satisfactory role models.' 'I expect a big improvement on your part.' 'The consequences on Jesse's, James' and Meowth's part will prove exceedingly unfortunate. . .'
Jesse shivered again, she could never forget the mocking tone of his voice, the scathing grin upon those thin lips that had to kiss a thousand butts to get this far. And now it was everyone else that had to lean down and give his a big smooch- to which he provided the lipstick.
Silently, Jesse and James slipped into their sleeping bags rolled out on the floor of their tiny pup-tent. Jesse, dressed in her pink pajamas- tucked her red hair (twisted up in curlers) into a cap upon her head. James searched under the folds of the blanket to find his teddy bear. Once found, he placed it under his arm and though he was comfortable, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Trying to busy his hands, and keep his mind off the events of the day, he absentmindedly picked at fuzzy bit of lint on the shirt of his blue pajamas.
"Better hit the sack James, we've got a *long* day tommorrow," Jesse said with a yawn, sort of offhand, as though not a single thing bothered her.
'Jesse's like that,' James thought. 'She never let's anything get to her, and if she does get sad or depressed she hardly ever shows it. I wish I could be like that. . . Tough and strong. *sigh* But, I'm not, I'm too emotional and passionate. I guess it's because I'm a Virgo. . . Or is it an Aquarius? . . . Oh well, can't remember right now.'
"Now I remember that girl!" Jesse exclaimed out of the blue- interupting James' somewhat deep thoughts.
"Huh? Girl?"
"You know, that other Team Rocket girl. What's her name? Oh yes: Jane. She was that real brainy girl with the thick coke-bottle glasses who read too much, and talked too little. Straight A's. Perfect record. Ironed every article of clothing. (I even heard from one of her room mates that she ironed her underwear!)" Jesse whispered, half giggling, into James' ear. "She wore pocket protectors and read science magazines. . . I saw her once or twice. Didn't she want to become a scientist or something?"
"Once or twice? You guys were in almost every class together!" James corrected.
Jesse looked puzzled. "Oh. . . Oh of course! I-I just forgot. . .I mean it's been so long since we were there."
James turned over on his stomach and rested his head in his hands. He gazed out the window longingly. "It wasn't as long ago as you think. . . And it wasn't a scientist, it was a novelist. She wanted to write beautiful fiction stories. That's how I met her. . ."
{FLASHBACK}
Jane sat a small, lone table in the reference room of the library. Papers were piled out all over the table. Some of them were in neat little stacks: math, Pokemon history, physics, Pokemon Anatomy and Language Arts. But, there was a whole pile of papers that was a complete disorganized mess of drawings, scribbles (Jane's sloppy handwriting) and charts of all sorts. She didn't talk to anyone, she didn't even look up to see if there was anyone there. Infact, she just went into her own world, with no acknowledgement of anything else in the world but what was in front of her. Drifting into her own dream that was her only escape from the morass that she was living in.
Meanwhile, James was grumbling as he made his way to the reference room. Carrying an armload of books and papers under his arm. He really didn't want to have to write that term paper for his Pokemon Anatomy class. It seemed like such a waste of time to him. When was he going to use that anyway? Nevertheless, he pushed open the doors of the library and headed to his desired destination. He looked around, nobody here- wait there was someone here! It was Jane Promence, the brain-girl. Might as well be nobody here, as she never spoke to anyone, or anything but Pokemon. James looked around for a book on Victreebelle which he realized, after 10 minutes of searching to no avail, must be on the other side of the library, right behind Jane's table. He started toward there, but his clumsiness did not fail to hit him, because he lost his footing on the leg of a chair- and he stumbled head over feet into Jane- knocking all of her papers to the floor everywhere.
'Are you alright, James?' Jane asked him. Digging through the papers until she found the top of James' purple haired head. He hurried to sit up and face her.
'Yeah, I'm fine. . .thanks. Hey, how'd you know my name?' He asked, perplexed.
Jane took him by the arm and lifted him to his feet. 'You're one of the most popular guys in school remember? Who doesn't know your name?'
James blushed. "Oh, I just. . . Didn't think. . . Ah nevermind." He looked at the papers on the floor. 'Is ^all^ of this homework?'
'A lot of it is. Good thing I've numbered the pages.'
'Here, let me help you pick it up,' James offered. The pair bent down on their knees and set to picking it up. Since Jane's pages were numbered, the task was a lot easier than what it would've been normally. Within minutes, the papers were set in perfect stacks again and placed on the table.
'You sure have a lot of homework,' James said.
'Well, some of its extra credit. You know, finals coming up and all, I'm trying to get all the points I can in case I do bad on them.' James picked up the last pile. It was a big stack of scribbled writing, it caught his attention instantly.
'What's this? Is it an English piece?'
'Oh, no. I-it's just a manuscript. A story,' Jane said- but James was already reading it. 'I wish you wouldn't. No one's ever read it before. It's not ready for-"
'Shhh, I'm reading,' James said. 'It's okay, I'm just going to read it. I won't do anything mean.'
So Jane let him read it. It couldn't hurt. Besides, it would give her a chance to go over those math notes she'd taken. A little while later, James laid the manuscript down and said:
'Cliff-hanger,' Jane looked up, nervously, at James. 'It was really wonderful. It's tough to get me to read anything, but your story hooked me and pulled me into it's world. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait until you finish it. It's great.'
'You really think so?'
James nodded.
But, that was ages ago, James realized as the past faded back into the present. Now, he was laying in a small tent in the middle of the woods.
"I read many more of her stories after that," James continued. "She was so talented. I don't know why someone with her abilites is working for Team Rocket."
"Right now, I think we should be worrying about *us* at Team Rocket," Jesse said. "You heard what the boss told us, I think he means it this time."
James had been wondering when Jesse would bring that up. So, he rolled over to face her- being careful not to awaken the sleeping Meowth at the foot of his sleeping bag. At least somebody could rest easily. He didn't need to worry, he was a Pokemon. He could live in the wild if he had to. There would be someone to take him in if anything were to happen to Jesse and James, because he was a cute little *talking* Meowth. It was extremely rare to get a talking Pokemon, afterall. . .
So, the worrying was left to Jesse and James.
'We're still teenagers,' Jesse thought. ' We should be out having fun driving around in beat-up cars, hanging at the movies and going to high school to finish our senior year. . .Not worrying about saving our lives and sleeping in worn-out tents because we can't afford anything else.'
James squeezed his teddy bear. "Yeah, the boss was pretty mad."
"Understatement."
"Yeah, you're right."
Jesse sat up and hugged her knees. "We can't screw up this time you know. The boss is really counting on us, now. And since he's got *those* two to compare us with, he's gonna' be extra picky."
"So, we should try even harder than what we did before, and listen real hard to what they're saying."
"I really don't want to take orders from *them*."
"It's either that or face whatever torture Giovanni's got planned for us. Let's face it, if we don't obey their every word and act like they're the complete geniuses, we're-" James took his finger and ran across his neck as though slicing it.
"In other words: Suck up!"
"Yep, it's put up- or shut up FOREVER."
"I guess we have no other chioce do we?"
James shook his head, and clutched his teddy bear even tighter. "Oh Jesse, what's going to happen to us?"
Jesse shrugged. "I don't know James, I don't know."