Chapter 3: A meeting with the Boss
Authors note: This is now a week before the Prologue
"Here you go sir" Jesse said as she handed Giovanni the ultra ball.
"Are you sure this is a Dragonair?" The Rocket Boss asked in disbelief.
"Of course we're sure" Meowth added, "Yous can check if yous want to sir"
Giovanni sighed and scribbled out a cheque and handed it to Jesse. "Good work. It's a nice change to have you actually bringing me some pokemon for once"
"Thank yous sir" Meowth said, "Its good to have our wining streak back"
The cat smiled at his team-mates as he said this. Giovanni frowned deep in thought. He didn't understand it. Up until a few weeks ago Jesse, James and Meowth were the most hopeless team he had ever hired. They messed up even the simplest of missions and now were completing ones far beyond their capabilities. What had changed? Nothing that he was aware of except that they did not go round after the Ketchum boy's Pikachu any more. Giovanni had never thought for a minute, despite their insistence that it was so, that it was the Ketchum kids fault. Jesse and James had been failures long before they met that boy. Giovanni could still remember them in the team rocket training camp. He never remembered the new recruits but those too stuck out in his mind. At first he thought it was the fact that Jessica was the daughter of Miyamoto, his most loyal and successful agent in the Team Rocket Empire. But it was more than that. Giovanni didn't really pay much attention to them when he
visited the training camp. He just had to talk to the recruits for a few minutes. The training camp was tough and Giovanni's instructors felt it important that his future agents were terrified of him from the start. This was wise and stopped treachery when the agents were older. Looking back on this he remembered that Jessica and her partner were sitting at the back of the room. Most of the trainees looked nervous but Jessica's partner seemed terrified. He was nervously twirling a rose in one hand and did not make eye contact with Giovanni. Those two will never amount to any thing. The Boss recalled thinking to himself as he had left the camp. Especially the boy. He's too innocent for Team Rocket. I'll have to keep a watch on them. And Giovanni had been right up until now. Jesse and James were near useless. They had even got his favourite team put in jail three times. Jesse, when questioned about this, had claimed that it was all Cassidy's fault but they had told it
different. Giovanni had been wrong when he said that they had no talent. They did except it was an incredible talent for messing things up. But what had changed now? Nothing as far as Giovanni was concerned but still it worried him. He shouldn't really care as long as they were bringing him Pokemon but some thing inside Giovanni told him that he was missing out on their secret. Maybe they had a secret weapon that he could use for himself. "You look tired" he spoke again.
"We are a bit sir" Jesse admitted. All the while they had been in the office James had not spoke a word. Giovanni didn't find this unusual. James never spoke unless he had to. He just stood behind Jesse shaking in fear and let her do all the talking. But there was some thing different about him today. Giovanni couldn't quite put his finger on it. Oh well it was no matter. He turned his attention back to the others. "Well then I suggest you take a break" Giovanni said. "I have a small cabin set aside in the woods outside Violet City. You may go there and rest a few weeks"
"Thank you sir" they all said. Giovanni dismissed them with a wave of a hand. He waited a few minutes until their footsteps had died away as they walked further down the corridor before picking up the phone. "Dawn" he said when the secretary answered. "Get me Rocket team 12352 immediately"
Giovanni then sat back in his chair and petted the Persian on his lap. "Yes there is some thing" he said to it softly "And I will find out what it is"
"Our first paid vacation" Meowth said as they left the office "Life couldn't get much better da dis!"
"We can go to the beach and then go shopping" Jesse said excitedly.
"Oh no" Meowth argued "I am not going shopping with yous again Jess. Last time yous made me and James carry every thing. It was exhausting"
"We are going shopping"
"No we ain't"
"Yes we are"
James decided it was best to let the two of them fight it out. Jesse would win eventually. She always did. All he wanted to do was go to the cabin and sleep. He hadn't mentioned his tiredness to his friends. He was loath to tell them but James didn't really know why. There was some thing else bothering him through. Jesse and Meowth had changed. At first James thought it was the fact that they were happy with their missions actually succeeding and having the Boss on side for once. But as the month went by Jesse and Meowth asked James to do three or more viewings in a day. He was beginning to think that they only cared about his gift and not him any more. Of course this was crazy. Jesse and Meowth had always been his friends but there was a little part of James that was convinced they were using him for their own personal gain. He didn't mind using his gift for Team Rocket. Far from it. James was the one to suggest using it that way. It was just the fact that it was three or
more times a day. James wasn't sure how long he could keep it up like that. The Dragonair mission had been the toughest yet. I should just tell them James said to himself. They will understand. He waited until they had stopped fighting.
"Jesse I have to tell you some thing" James started but Meowth cut him off.
"Don't tell me ya wanna go and get some ting ta eat first? Ok since yous were da one who did da work for dis mission"
James wanted to say that it wasn't what they thought but then he realised that the small cafeteria might be the perfect place. Jesse couldn't be too angry if he told her in public because of the scene that it would cause. And after all his gift was meant to be a secret.
James was so nervous when they sat down that he didn't even know when to begin. Meowth had gone to get the food. "Jesse I have to talk to you" James said.
"Can't it wait?" Jesse had just spotted Butch and Cassidy come in and she and Cassidy were giving each other nasty looks across the room.
"No it can't" James answered determinedly.
Jesse seemed surprised at the urgent tone of his voice. Giving Cassidy one last evil she turned back to face James. "What is it then?"
"Its just that...I...um...I want to cut down on the viewings for a bit"
At that minute Meowth came back without realising it interrupting the important conversation. "What with da serious look Jimmy?" he asked. James could feel both his friends watching him with curiosity as he stared down at his food. He couldn't tell them he just couldn't.
"It doesn't matter" James said at last. "Lets just have lunch and get out of here"
"Are you sure?" Jesse asked allowing some concern into her voice. James met her gaze. He had suddenly lost his nerve. Jesse and Meowth were the happiest James had seen them in a long time. He couldn't ruin it all just because he was a little tired could he? No I can't James decided.
"I'm sure" he replied.
"I wonder what he wants this time?" Cassidy moaned as they made their way to Giovanni's office.
"Probably wants to yell at us again" Butch replied gloomily. Ever since their mess up with the fortune books a few weeks before Giovanni had been having a go at them every chance he got. Even more mortifying was the fact that he sent them out on missions that any white squad member could have done and replaced them as his number one team with Jesse and James. Butch couldn't understand it. Jesse and James? Of all the teams why them? He supposed Giovanni was only doing it to pay them back and would reinstate them when they did some thing right. And that would be a long time coming as they were on missions that did not require any skills or brainpower.
Butch knocked on the door. "Enter" Giovanni called.
Butch and Cassidy walked into the office. The Persian was sitting on Giovanni's lap and hissed at them as they approached. Butch resisted the urge to strangle the cat then and there. But doing that would not get them in Giovanni's good books. "Team 12352" Giovanni began nonchalantly "I see you managed to get here without messing that up"
Cassidy frowned at his sarcasm but didn't dare saying any thing.
"Dawn said it was urgent," Butch said in an effort to please the Boss. "We'd be glad to help you in any way possible. To make up for past mistakes that is"
"Good" Giovanni ran a hand through the Persian's fur as he spoke. "As you know Jesse and James are now my current favourites"
Cassidy did nothing to hide her disgust of this and it gave Giovanni cause to laugh softly. "Then this might please you. I have reason to believe that they have some thing assisting them on missions. Some thing they are keeping from me. I want you to find out what it is. Ask any one they have had contact with. Follow them every where. I have to know what they are up too understand?"
"Yes sir" Cassidy said unable to hide the smirk on her face. "We'd be glad to help"
"I knew I could count of you team 12352. Now I think they have headed to the cafeteria. Follow them there"
Butch and Cassidy took this as dismissal and left the office. Giovanni let them leave. He knew that Cassidy and Butch were totally capable of finding out what Jesse and James were up to. Their hatred for the white squad team was useful at times. That meant they would not hesitate to hand over the secret to him. But could he trust them with what he suspected to be the reason? No he thought they would have to be spoken to about it. Giovanni couldn't trust any one with this information. No one could know.
"This should be easy," Butch said to Cassidy.
"How do you work that out?" she demanded. "Jesse is too stubborn and too clever to let any thing on about their successes"
"So what?" Butch said grinning slyly "We'll have to ask James or the cat very nicely what is going"
Cassidy sighed "Butch the Boss didn't mean we go and beat the truth out of them. We have to keep watch"
Butch groaned he'd been afraid of that.
"Now come on. If they leave before we get to the cafeteria then we'll have to go back to the Boss and ask him where they're stationed. Do you really want to tell him that we're incapable of following them to the HQ cafeteria?" Cassidy snapped.
"No" Butch wanted to say some thing else to her. He was getting a little tired of Cassidy's constant complaining. "Well come on then" Cassidy said impatiently. "We can have a talk with those brats Jesse and James are always following too"
As Butch followed Cassidy back to the cafeteria he started to wonder what Giovanni would hope to gain by all of this. Jesse and James were probably coming up with better plans or some thing. If it were some thing major then surely Giovanni himself would have picked up on it. Oh well orders were orders as far as Butch was concerned. He just hoped that they wouldn't have to go back to Giovanni with no information by the end of the week.
Authors note: This is now a week before the Prologue
"Here you go sir" Jesse said as she handed Giovanni the ultra ball.
"Are you sure this is a Dragonair?" The Rocket Boss asked in disbelief.
"Of course we're sure" Meowth added, "Yous can check if yous want to sir"
Giovanni sighed and scribbled out a cheque and handed it to Jesse. "Good work. It's a nice change to have you actually bringing me some pokemon for once"
"Thank yous sir" Meowth said, "Its good to have our wining streak back"
The cat smiled at his team-mates as he said this. Giovanni frowned deep in thought. He didn't understand it. Up until a few weeks ago Jesse, James and Meowth were the most hopeless team he had ever hired. They messed up even the simplest of missions and now were completing ones far beyond their capabilities. What had changed? Nothing that he was aware of except that they did not go round after the Ketchum boy's Pikachu any more. Giovanni had never thought for a minute, despite their insistence that it was so, that it was the Ketchum kids fault. Jesse and James had been failures long before they met that boy. Giovanni could still remember them in the team rocket training camp. He never remembered the new recruits but those too stuck out in his mind. At first he thought it was the fact that Jessica was the daughter of Miyamoto, his most loyal and successful agent in the Team Rocket Empire. But it was more than that. Giovanni didn't really pay much attention to them when he
visited the training camp. He just had to talk to the recruits for a few minutes. The training camp was tough and Giovanni's instructors felt it important that his future agents were terrified of him from the start. This was wise and stopped treachery when the agents were older. Looking back on this he remembered that Jessica and her partner were sitting at the back of the room. Most of the trainees looked nervous but Jessica's partner seemed terrified. He was nervously twirling a rose in one hand and did not make eye contact with Giovanni. Those two will never amount to any thing. The Boss recalled thinking to himself as he had left the camp. Especially the boy. He's too innocent for Team Rocket. I'll have to keep a watch on them. And Giovanni had been right up until now. Jesse and James were near useless. They had even got his favourite team put in jail three times. Jesse, when questioned about this, had claimed that it was all Cassidy's fault but they had told it
different. Giovanni had been wrong when he said that they had no talent. They did except it was an incredible talent for messing things up. But what had changed now? Nothing as far as Giovanni was concerned but still it worried him. He shouldn't really care as long as they were bringing him Pokemon but some thing inside Giovanni told him that he was missing out on their secret. Maybe they had a secret weapon that he could use for himself. "You look tired" he spoke again.
"We are a bit sir" Jesse admitted. All the while they had been in the office James had not spoke a word. Giovanni didn't find this unusual. James never spoke unless he had to. He just stood behind Jesse shaking in fear and let her do all the talking. But there was some thing different about him today. Giovanni couldn't quite put his finger on it. Oh well it was no matter. He turned his attention back to the others. "Well then I suggest you take a break" Giovanni said. "I have a small cabin set aside in the woods outside Violet City. You may go there and rest a few weeks"
"Thank you sir" they all said. Giovanni dismissed them with a wave of a hand. He waited a few minutes until their footsteps had died away as they walked further down the corridor before picking up the phone. "Dawn" he said when the secretary answered. "Get me Rocket team 12352 immediately"
Giovanni then sat back in his chair and petted the Persian on his lap. "Yes there is some thing" he said to it softly "And I will find out what it is"
"Our first paid vacation" Meowth said as they left the office "Life couldn't get much better da dis!"
"We can go to the beach and then go shopping" Jesse said excitedly.
"Oh no" Meowth argued "I am not going shopping with yous again Jess. Last time yous made me and James carry every thing. It was exhausting"
"We are going shopping"
"No we ain't"
"Yes we are"
James decided it was best to let the two of them fight it out. Jesse would win eventually. She always did. All he wanted to do was go to the cabin and sleep. He hadn't mentioned his tiredness to his friends. He was loath to tell them but James didn't really know why. There was some thing else bothering him through. Jesse and Meowth had changed. At first James thought it was the fact that they were happy with their missions actually succeeding and having the Boss on side for once. But as the month went by Jesse and Meowth asked James to do three or more viewings in a day. He was beginning to think that they only cared about his gift and not him any more. Of course this was crazy. Jesse and Meowth had always been his friends but there was a little part of James that was convinced they were using him for their own personal gain. He didn't mind using his gift for Team Rocket. Far from it. James was the one to suggest using it that way. It was just the fact that it was three or
more times a day. James wasn't sure how long he could keep it up like that. The Dragonair mission had been the toughest yet. I should just tell them James said to himself. They will understand. He waited until they had stopped fighting.
"Jesse I have to tell you some thing" James started but Meowth cut him off.
"Don't tell me ya wanna go and get some ting ta eat first? Ok since yous were da one who did da work for dis mission"
James wanted to say that it wasn't what they thought but then he realised that the small cafeteria might be the perfect place. Jesse couldn't be too angry if he told her in public because of the scene that it would cause. And after all his gift was meant to be a secret.
James was so nervous when they sat down that he didn't even know when to begin. Meowth had gone to get the food. "Jesse I have to talk to you" James said.
"Can't it wait?" Jesse had just spotted Butch and Cassidy come in and she and Cassidy were giving each other nasty looks across the room.
"No it can't" James answered determinedly.
Jesse seemed surprised at the urgent tone of his voice. Giving Cassidy one last evil she turned back to face James. "What is it then?"
"Its just that...I...um...I want to cut down on the viewings for a bit"
At that minute Meowth came back without realising it interrupting the important conversation. "What with da serious look Jimmy?" he asked. James could feel both his friends watching him with curiosity as he stared down at his food. He couldn't tell them he just couldn't.
"It doesn't matter" James said at last. "Lets just have lunch and get out of here"
"Are you sure?" Jesse asked allowing some concern into her voice. James met her gaze. He had suddenly lost his nerve. Jesse and Meowth were the happiest James had seen them in a long time. He couldn't ruin it all just because he was a little tired could he? No I can't James decided.
"I'm sure" he replied.
"I wonder what he wants this time?" Cassidy moaned as they made their way to Giovanni's office.
"Probably wants to yell at us again" Butch replied gloomily. Ever since their mess up with the fortune books a few weeks before Giovanni had been having a go at them every chance he got. Even more mortifying was the fact that he sent them out on missions that any white squad member could have done and replaced them as his number one team with Jesse and James. Butch couldn't understand it. Jesse and James? Of all the teams why them? He supposed Giovanni was only doing it to pay them back and would reinstate them when they did some thing right. And that would be a long time coming as they were on missions that did not require any skills or brainpower.
Butch knocked on the door. "Enter" Giovanni called.
Butch and Cassidy walked into the office. The Persian was sitting on Giovanni's lap and hissed at them as they approached. Butch resisted the urge to strangle the cat then and there. But doing that would not get them in Giovanni's good books. "Team 12352" Giovanni began nonchalantly "I see you managed to get here without messing that up"
Cassidy frowned at his sarcasm but didn't dare saying any thing.
"Dawn said it was urgent," Butch said in an effort to please the Boss. "We'd be glad to help you in any way possible. To make up for past mistakes that is"
"Good" Giovanni ran a hand through the Persian's fur as he spoke. "As you know Jesse and James are now my current favourites"
Cassidy did nothing to hide her disgust of this and it gave Giovanni cause to laugh softly. "Then this might please you. I have reason to believe that they have some thing assisting them on missions. Some thing they are keeping from me. I want you to find out what it is. Ask any one they have had contact with. Follow them every where. I have to know what they are up too understand?"
"Yes sir" Cassidy said unable to hide the smirk on her face. "We'd be glad to help"
"I knew I could count of you team 12352. Now I think they have headed to the cafeteria. Follow them there"
Butch and Cassidy took this as dismissal and left the office. Giovanni let them leave. He knew that Cassidy and Butch were totally capable of finding out what Jesse and James were up to. Their hatred for the white squad team was useful at times. That meant they would not hesitate to hand over the secret to him. But could he trust them with what he suspected to be the reason? No he thought they would have to be spoken to about it. Giovanni couldn't trust any one with this information. No one could know.
"This should be easy," Butch said to Cassidy.
"How do you work that out?" she demanded. "Jesse is too stubborn and too clever to let any thing on about their successes"
"So what?" Butch said grinning slyly "We'll have to ask James or the cat very nicely what is going"
Cassidy sighed "Butch the Boss didn't mean we go and beat the truth out of them. We have to keep watch"
Butch groaned he'd been afraid of that.
"Now come on. If they leave before we get to the cafeteria then we'll have to go back to the Boss and ask him where they're stationed. Do you really want to tell him that we're incapable of following them to the HQ cafeteria?" Cassidy snapped.
"No" Butch wanted to say some thing else to her. He was getting a little tired of Cassidy's constant complaining. "Well come on then" Cassidy said impatiently. "We can have a talk with those brats Jesse and James are always following too"
As Butch followed Cassidy back to the cafeteria he started to wonder what Giovanni would hope to gain by all of this. Jesse and James were probably coming up with better plans or some thing. If it were some thing major then surely Giovanni himself would have picked up on it. Oh well orders were orders as far as Butch was concerned. He just hoped that they wouldn't have to go back to Giovanni with no information by the end of the week.