Some Angels Fall
Note: I don't own Pokemon. ^^; Or any of the songs in this fic. Also, if I mess up something, forgive me. ^^;; Thank you.
~*~
Team Rocket Headquarters was a deceptively white place; everyone there was more suited for black. It was a haven for the rejected, the scorned, the scorning... And also, the fallen angels.
The trio that had just been called to the Boss's office did not know that they would spend the next months wondering which category their new member fell into. They had no idea what angel had just fallen into their lair. They didn't really know much at all; they never had. If they did, everything would be much different...
Jessie, James, and Meowth hurried down the halls.
"What do you think he wants us for this time?" James asked.
"I hope it's not cleaning the toilets again..." Meowth sighed.
They fell silent as they walked into the boss's office.
"Ah, you three," Giovanni said.
"Sir!" They snapped to attention.
"Let's not mince words. I have a new recruit for you to train...I believe you've met... He shall be in your room. You are to teach him to be a good Rocket member--if that's possible with *you* as his teachers--and report to me on his loyalty."
"Loyalty, sir?" Jessie asked.
"This person was formerly against Team Rocket. We need to know if he's planning to spy against us."
"Yes, sir!" they said.
"You may leave now..." He waved his hand.
"Sir, yes sir!"
They left.
"So, who d'ya think da new kid is?" Meowth asked.
"I have no clue," said Jessie.
"I wonder what the boss meant about us knowing him..." James mused.
"I guess we'll find out," Jessie said as they stopped at their room.
She opened the door.
Small, brown eyes rose up to them. The black-haired young man to whom they belonged stood up from his seat on the bottom of one of the two bunk beds, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"Oh, you three," Ash Ketchum said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Figures. That bed free?"
~*~
Jessie, James and Meowth sat under the covers of the bed, flashlights to their faces in the creepy-campfire-story style, facing each other in a special midnight meeting.
Jessie summed it all up in her first sentence. "That's Ash Ketchum out there. ASH FREAKING KETCHUM!!"
"How did the TWERP get into Team Rocket?!" James asked.
"That ain't what's botherin' me," Meowth said.
"What _is_ bothering you?" asked Jessie.
"Where the hell's his Pikachu?"
Jessie and James froze, staring at each other in horror.
"The twerp without his Pikachu?!" James squealed. "Oh my god, the world's ended!!"
"Why do WE have to train him?!" Jessie asked suddenly. "Why why why?! The twerp without his Pikachu...It's like training a Mewtwo without its psychic power."
"I wonder what happened to it?" James said softly.
Jessie looked to the side, the blanket draped over her head like a hood, stealing a glance at their old enemy.
"I don't think we want to know," she whispered.
The meeting dissolved after that.
Ash turned over, bangs in his eyes, staring at the bed above him. His eyes went out of focus, and with tears starting to come, he whispered three words.
"No. You don't."
~*~
Three pairs of eyes were on him as he picked up his bread, and he knew it. With a dark, patient serenity, he buttered his toast, waiting for the questions.
Jessie, James, and Meowth fidgeted, a silent argument going on--Who's going to ask first?
Finally, Meowth spoke up. "Hey, twerp?"
"It's Ash," he said calmly, taking a bite of his toast.
"Er, Ash, um...I dunno how to say this, but...How did you get into Team Rocket?" Meowth asked.
"I filled out the application form," he said, and took another bite.
"Um," James picked up, "I think he wants to know _why_ you got into Team Rocket."
"I saw the application and it sounded like something I'd like. Also, I was hungry."
"Hungry?" James asked in disbelief.
Ash rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'd just returned from a desert island where I had to eat Pikachu to survive."
They stared at him in horror.
"It was a JOKE, you morons!" Ash said, exasperated.
They sighed in relief. Jessie saw an opportunity and grabbed it.
"Hey, since you brought it up--" Ash groaned, knowing what was coming next-- "What _did_ happen to your Pikachu, anyway?"
Ash sighed and opened his mouth to answer.
"Calling Ash Ketchum to the Boss's office, Ash Ketchum to the Boss's office," the intercom squealed.
He smiled sweetly. "Aw, damn, guess I'll have to go! Oh, phooey!"
Jessie scowled as Ash made his exit. "Come on."
"Huh?"
"That twerp is not going to get away that easily," she said, dragging James and Meowth up and pressing herself against the doorway. She waited until Ash was quite far along the way, then pulled her teammates behind her, trailing him.
"But Jessie--"
"Shut up, James."
~*~
His office was full of shadows. That was the way he liked it. It scared people, and it gave him a sense of dark power at his command.
He had potted trees around, for their own sakes. He knew how easily spying equipment could be hidden behind them, and carefully spread about word that he had an alarm system. More sane men would've had some fear of defeat, but that was not Giovanni's style...
He was mildly amused at the sight of the trio ducking in. Let the fools be, they were no threat at all--especially when compared to the potentialities in the young man before him.
"So, Mr. Ketchum," Giovanni said, "I understand you have had dealings with my organization before."
Brown eyes looked unconcernedly up at him. "Yes."
"So, I trust you can understand my...trepidation...in allowing you full access to the base."
"Oh, certainly, sir," Ash said, faking innocence.
"This Drowzee was found spying on the base," Giovanni said, throwing a Pokeball. "It refuses to join us, or to report on its master, or even say what it has seen. Therefore, we must assume that it knows a great deal."
Ash nodded.
"What's he planning?" James whispered.
"Shhh!" Jessie hissed.
"I believe you know the protocol for such a situation..."
Ash nodded again.
"Then, you know what I am asking you to do to prove your loyalty to me."
"Yes," Ash said.
The Pokemon looked up fearfully as Giovanni drew a gun from his drawer and tossed it to Ash. In one single, darkly graceful movement, Ash aimed the gun and shot it.
"Oh my--" James started to yell, but Jessie clapped her hand over his mouth. The trio watched in horror as the Drowzee fell.
"Quite good," Giovanni said. "Based on our earlier reports of you, it does seem that you are loyal to Team Rocket. Therefore, I am promoting you to active status. Your only task, for now, is to look after those three fools I have you assigned with, and see if they show any potential at all, according to the scale on page 291 of the handbook."
"Yes, sir!" Ash said, snapping a salute.
"I am very proud of you... You are dismissed."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir!" Ash left.
~*~
Jessie, James, and Meowth had spent the rest of the day completely dazed. They had gone back to their room after Giovanni left, to see Ash watching TV. On seeing them, he turned it off. At a glance, he seemed to have figured out everything, or at least enough of it.
"I'm gonna go bug the scientists, or maybe if one likes me see if I can get a Mewtwo," Ash then said. Don't wait up."
Now, it was the Secret Midnight Meeting, take two.
As before, Jessie summed it all up in her first sentence. "What the hell is going ON?!"
"Giovanni ordered ASH to KILL A POKEMON!" James said, panicky.
"And he DID IT!" Meowth said, almost hyperventilating. "Ash friggin' Ketchum killed a Pokemon!!!"
"We already established that, dangit!!" Jessie yelled.
"But does that mean, the boss is willing to stand by and let Pokemon get killed?!" James asked.
"No crap, Sherlock! How da' hell DO ya do it?!" Meowth yelled. "Da REAL question is, is that what he wants Team Rocket t'do!"
"But--if he DOES--why didn't we know about it?!" Jessie asked.
"Maybe because everyone else thinks we're losers," James speculated.
Jessie sweatdropped. "This can't be true. It must be just because Ash was always beating the crap outta us! Extenuating circumstances! Yeah!"
"I dunno..." Meowth said. "But either way, this means dat we don't know d'boss at all."
"Or Ash Ketchum, for that matter," James said softly.
Jessie sighed. "Damn twerp always WAS bringing us trouble..."
Meowth smiled and tilted his head. "How much ya wanna bet that on our first mission t'get'a, the twerp an' us meet with Butch'n'Cassidy, and then Ash beats the stew outta them, and we go and steal some Pokemon? And then we'd probably run inta the other twerps and... Aw man, I'm never gonna stop wondering what would happen now! Geeeh..."
James sweatdropped. "Meowth? You eaten any strange mushrooms lately?"
"WHY YOU!"
Chaos ensued.
The door opened, sending a rectangle of light onto the covers. Ash stared at the trio, fighting underneath the sheets they used as a tent. "I don't know. I don't want to know. Don't tell me."
They bolted upright and stared back at him. "Whaddaya mean?" asked Jessie. "We were just--"
"I wanna be the very best," Ash sang loudly, plugging his ears.
"Really, Ash, we were just holding a--"
"Like no one ever was," Ash continued.
"Twerp, it was just a--"
"To catch them is my real test--"
"ASH DAMMIT!"
"To train them is my cause..." He blinked slowly and stopped.
Jessie finally just sighed and leaned back. She had a thought of the old legends, of angels falling from the sky. -But no one can stay like that forever; you have to grow up, and time hurts some kids more than others. After all, we can't all be angels. I guess some have to fall...-
She broke out of her reverie. "Hey, you don't like that song anymore, do you? Does it remind you of old...memories?" she teased.
"No! I like the song fine! Better than hearing you tell me what you were doing!"
"Midnight," Jessie sang shrilly, "Not a sound on the pavement--"
"All right! All right!" Ash shouted. "I take it back! I know you were having a secret meeting! Nothing else! Not Gin Rummy, not Poker, not Old Maid! Just talking about me! Ok?!"
"K," James chirped.
Jessie and Meowth stared at Ash. "How did you...?"
He rolled his eyes. "You aren't that hard to figure out. It's abnormal psychology, but it's SIMPLE abnormal psychology. Also, you aren't good at hiding."
The trio sweatdropped. Ash took advantage of the momentary lull to slide into bed. He could almost hear the gears turning. -Wait a damn second... abnormal psychology..-
-Three, two, one,- he counted to himself.
"HEEEEYYY!!"
He smiled. "You guys are just too, too easy. G'night. Close the door on your way out."
~*~
"Nooo, our pay got cut _again_!" James moaned, looking at the check.
"Every single month!" Jessie wailed.
"...Have you ever thought that it might be because you don't do jack?" Ash asked.
"HEY!"
"Probably why I'm on a separate check..."
"What? How much do _you_ get?" James asked. The whole trio pounced on him, trying to catch a glimpse of the amount. Meowth saw it and groaned.
"I can't believe it! That's three _times_ what we're gettin'!"
"WHAT?!" Jessie yelled.
"Really?" Ash was honestly confused. "The scientists tell me that's the base amount."
Jessie, James, and Meowth moaned. "I can't believe it."
"Me either," Ash said. "I knew you were probably getting screwed, but not THAT screwed."
"I can't stand it," sighed Meowth, in a perfect (though unintentional) imitation of Charlie Brown.
"Well!" Jessie said, chipper, starting a new topic. "Today is the big day!"
"...What big day?" Asked Ash.
"Yeah, what big day?" James scratched his head. "We gonna try to rig the lottery again?"
Jessie whacked him with a paper fan. "No! It's time for Ashie-boy to steal his first Pokemon!"
Ash looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "Ashie-boy?"
"Yeah, Ashie-boy. You wanna make something of it?"
"No."
"Damn."
James glanced around. "Does this seem strange and hopelessly wrong to anyone else?"
"Whaddaya mean?" Meowth asked.
"Ash Ketchum," James said. "Stealing Pokemon. Think about it. We used to try to steal HIS Pokemon, and he used to kick our butts for it. And now..."
"I see your point," Meowth said.
They had forgotten that they were talking loudly and were startled when Ash stood up. "Well, times change," he said. "Come on. If we're gonna do this, we might as well get started."
Jessie, James, and Meowth followed him out, slightly disturbed by the fact that he was leading.
They went through Viridian Forest looking for a victim. Jessie and James suddenly realized that Ash was _humming_, even though it _was_ a dark song, and didn't know what to think anymore. Jessie actually looked up, expecting to see an army of angels in the sky at any moment, for surely this was close to Armageddon.
And soon enough, they were crouched behind bushes, looking at a sleeping girl.
"Young," Ash sighed. "No rare Pokemon... But she might have something. Maybe she came through Johto, she might have something good by then. We can hope."
Jessie raised her eyebrows. "You sound like a pro."
Ash shrugged. "Mmm, let's just say I have some experience at pickpocketing."
New theories flashed through the trio's minds--Maybe he'd had to _sell_ his Pikachu, maybe he was so poor he had no choice but to come into Team Rocket, or maybe he'd learned that sometime before. Suddenly, they saw that he wasn't in front of them any longer.
They simply stared as he took the Pokeballs from her backpack with a completely out-of-place air of expertise. Ash Ketchum, _criminal_?
Jessie summed it all up, as usual. "Oh my. The world's ended and we're stuck in an insane afterlife."
"Expect d'unexpected," Meowth commented.
"It's a little late for _that_," James snapped.
"He's done it!" Jessie whispered. Ash had six Pokeballs in his hands, and he was hidden in the brush.
"Yahoo!" James cried, and pulled out a little flag, embroidered with a picture of the trio superimposed over a red R, and with a caricature of Ash drawn in at the side with magic marker. He sneaked into the clearing and stuck it into the ground beside the girl's bag.
Ash, now back to their former position, stared at him. "What the?..."
"It's our symbol!" Jessie said proudly. "Team Rocket was HERE!"
The trio, happy that they would finally be allowed to share in a success, marched back towards the Team Rocket Base. Ash looked back at the flag. For reasons known only to him, he sighed.
"Damn."
~*~
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
"GAAAH!!" he screamed. "What the--what the--Oh, it's YOU. Wait a sec. What the-- WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SCREAMING AT THREE FRIKIN' AM?!?!"
"Aw, c'mon, Ketchum, get some holiday spirit!" Jessie said playfully.
"Yeah, Christmas is the happiest day of the year!" James said, beaming.
"Hey, don' look at me, they woke ME up too," Meowth said.
"Bloody hell..." Ash sighed. "Now, could you answer my question before I rip your throats out?"
"'Bloody hell'?"
"In five seconds, I am going to kill you, unless someone decides to tell me why I am awake at three frikin' AM. One...two...three..."
"It's snowing!" James said happily.
Ash moaned. "And?"
"You don't see snow much around here!" James said. "I looove snow, and on CHRISTMAS! It's a white Christmas!"
"Oh, joy," Ash sighed.
"C'mon!" James squealed, dragging him to the window.
Ash stared out at the snowflakes falling down, slowly, obviously the tail of a snowstorm because the ground was completely white--
--*The whole area was blanketed in snow. Everything looked perfect, serene. Children came out to play, dressed almost ridiculously heavily. A light drizzle of snow fell. Everyone was happily dancing around--except the man at the window. His mind was too filled with sudden memories...
*The snow was thick in Pallet Town, and the little boys and girls ran out to play. Snow was rare there; most of the children had never even seen it before.
The little Ash smiled in delight, seeing the new world, something to be explored and figured out--and he had figured out long before that he was happiest when exploring.
Suddenly, a snowball hit him on the back of the head.
"Duck!" Gary yelled, grinning like everything.
"Garrrry!" Ash yelled.
"Sorry, my snowballs go faster than the speed of sound!"
"Why, you--" Ash quickly grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it at him.
"Ooooh, what aim, I'm sooo scaaaarrreed," Gary teased as the ball missed him by yards.
"Grrr..." Ash tried it again, and again.
Gary had turned around, laughing, when the last ball hit him in the butt.
"Eeeee!"
"HA HA!!" Ash grinned. "Nyaah!"
Gary just shook his head and smiled--
--A snowball fight with Misty and Brock; they'd built a fort and he'd had to hide behind a tree. A mini-snowball hit him on the side of the face.
"Traitor!" Ash yelled playfully.
Pikachu laughed, then motioned him down.
"Where'd he go?" Brock wondered a minute later.
"Yaaaah!"
Misty and Brock screamed as a large volume of snow was dumped on them.
Misty spat out snow. "What the--"
Ash stood behind them triumphantly, holding a black tarp. "Ha ha."
They all burst out laughing--
--Snow blowing in through the broken window, settling in drifts on the carpet.
A vauge sight of something red staining the white in front of his face...
He started to slip away as the door slammed, and a voice yelled, "Hey, I got the pizzas! Sorry I'm late, the storm was hell--Oh my God..."*
Back in the present, the man tore away from the window. He opened the door and looked both ways down the hallway. Then he took off, vowing never to return there again--*
Ash shook his head violently, whirling around. "I _HATE_ snow," he whispered venomusly.
"Well anyway, it's Christmas!" James said cheerily. "I got you a present, Ash!"
Ash sighed. "All right... I guess we have some exchanging to do..."
There was a rapid exchange of gifts, and wrapping paper started to fly.
Ash shook his head as his fellow team members tore into their packages. "Was I _ever_ like that?" he murmured, as he took off the wrapping paper, careful not to tear it, and folded it into quarters.
"Ooooh!" James squealed. "My own miniature rosebush!! Thanks Jessie!!"
"New earrings!" Jessie gasped, pulling out the jade-green studs. "Oh, James, thank you!"
"Yarn!" Meowth said happily.
Ash moaned. "All right, who gave Mom my address?" he said, holding up the three pairs of Pikachu boxer shorts.
"Huh?" James asked. "I just thought you'd like them 'cos---"
"Shut up James!" Jessie hissed, clapping her hand over his mouth.
"I know, I know, because of Pikachu..." He rolled his eyes, then looked into another package. "What the hell?!"
Ash blinked furiously. "Who's this from... Oooooh boy. God, I hope this was a mistake. That would just be a *little* too freaky for me."
"What?" Meowth asked.
Ash pulled a skimpy bikini out of the bag.
"Eeeeewwww!" they screamed. "Who sent that to you?!"
"I mean," Jessie continued, "It wasn't me, and I don't *think* James and Meowth are that perverted..."
"Hey, I am NOT a perverted freak like anyone who'd give that t'him intentionally!" Meowth yelled indignantly.
"Well, I never thought I'd see the day," Ash said lightly. "Meowth just called the Boss a perverted freak..."
"WHAT?!"
"H-hello?" a girl asked nervously, pushing in the door. "I--I think I got the wrong present... My crazy teammate woke me up too early, and... I don't think this is for me... Agent Ketchum?"
"Yeah?" Ash said. "I knew there was something freaky about this thing. Er... I still don't wanna know why he's sending this..."
"Oh," she said, and blushed. "I'm agent Misa Ketcham, and I'm going to work undercover in a swimsuit competition next weekend..."
They breathed a sigh of relief. "Here," Ash said, holding out the bag. "We better switch."
"Thank you," she said, still blushing. "Um, Merry Christmas sir!"
She left as quickly as possible.
"Well, _that's_ a relief," Ash said, peeking into his new bag. He pulled out a strange, cheap plastic snowglobe.
"What the..." A red R stood in the middle. The background was black, and the red-dyed snow fell when you shook it.
" 'Merry Christmas to my most promising agent, in hopes that he shall indeed forget all of our old conflicts. Giovanni.' " Ash's eyes flashed. "That BASTARD!"
He threw the globe across the room. "That evil son-of-a--"
"KETCHUM!" Jessie screamed.
"-MAGIKARP, how the hell can he stand to be in a room with sunlight, or crosses, or garlic, if only it were that easy..."
He broke off as they stared at him. -Best to tell them as little as possible...-
"Stupid manufacturer!" he said, anti-climatically. "Can't even make a snowglobe right! Damn, man!"
They looked at him somewhat skeptically, then sighed. "Whatever, Ketchum..." Jessie said with a wave of her hand, tearing into her next gift.
James and Meowth and eventually even Ash followed her lead. The trio was quick to regain their holiday spirit.
-You gotta be careful, Ash,- he warned himself. -Keep them guessing; as long as they guess, they'll never know. Don't let them see; they don't deserve that. Be _chipper_...-
"Oooh, what's this...!... Good Lord, cat, you outta yo MIND?!" Ash tried--and failed--to think positively. "Yarn. Okay. I can make a sweater. Fine."
He took out a crochet hook.
"You're _serious_?" Jessie said.
"Yep." Ash started to crochet. A chain of yarn slowly grew form the end of his needle.
"You know how to KNIT?!"
"Crochet. Isn't life full of bloody surprises," he said, making a loop of the chain. "Blame Grandma."
"Alll riiiiggghhhtttt..." Jessie said. "MEOWTH! Catnip?!"
"Y'can always give it back t'me," he said hopefully.
"Fine." She tossed the package to him. "Hey Ketchum, what about _my_ gift? You haven't opened _that_ yet!"
"All right..." Ash said, opening his last package. "YES! Chocolate! Thanks Jessie, you're the best!" He hugged her quickly and went back to his crocheting.
"Hey, what'd you get from Ash?" James said, leaning over as Jessie stared at her new keychain. " 'Heaven doesn't want me, and Hell's afraid I'll take over'? Right on Ash!"
Meowth was too busy with his yarn and catnip to snicker.
A quick sweep of the frying pan dispatched the two men by now. Jessie dropped the keychain and grabbed another; her box from Ash was full of them.
"If you can read this, it's too late to duck," she read. "Not bad, twerp. 'Mess with the goddess and you get burned'. Heck, you might not be as crappy a giftgiver as I thought! Hey! CHOCOLATE!"
Ash sweatdropped. "Actually, I'm even worse..."
James opened his last gift. "A Pokemon?!"
"Mmm-hmmm..." Ash said.
"Hey, how come _I_ didn't get one?!" Jessie demanded.
"You want one?" Ash asked. He dug around in his bag. "I have this Spearow that's a real jerk, needs someone to show it who's the boss, then maybe it'll act sane..."
"Er... Ok," Jessie said. "What the hell."
"GROWLIE!" James yelled, distracting everyone.
James' Growlithe had him pinned to the ground, licking his face.
"I happened to stop by a mansion on my way to Viridian..." Ash said. "A couple of rich snobs and a crazy harlot were ganging up on this Pokemon, and you know me--can't leave a Pokemon behind..." He sighed.
"Thank you, Ash!" James squealed.
Jessie, however, was still focused on Ash. 'And you know me'...
-Yeah, sure,- she thought. -Ash Ketchum, we are about as far from knowing you as we can get...But I'll figure you out if it's the last thing I do...-
Everyone in the base was awake by now--whether willingly or not.
"Oooh, Ash!" James cried. "It's time for the annual all-day Rocket snowball fight!"
"Rocket snowball fight?!!" Ash said. "Are you _crazy_?! _Snowball fight_?!"
"Yep," Jessie said. "And this year we're gonna beat Butch and Cassidy good! And then, on our mission Tuesday, we'll finally succeed! Yes," she said, her eyes flaring, "This is the end of the loserdom!"
Ash sighed. "Okay..." -Face it, Ketchum, you're never gonna get over it; that's why you came here. Just ignore it. You have a snowball fight to go to, Ash... Have _fun_...-
-Good luck.-
~*~
It was late on Tuesday night.
Jessie held up a wineglass filled with soda. "Gentlemen, let me propose a toast!" she cried. "To this team's first successful mission in five years! And to our new team member, who helped somewhat!"
Ash sweatdropped. -More like did the whole thing,- he thought, holding up his glass.
"For the first time, we are being recognized as true Team Rocket members!!"
-And that's good? You morons,- he thought, in a way that showed he liked them dearly, -you have no idea what Team Rocket is. None.-
"We finally have the respect we deserve!"
-You don't _want_ respect from Team Rocket, don't you get it?-
"And we shall work hard, very _hard_, to uphold the code of TEAM ROCKET!"
-Puh-leaze.-
"To steal rare Pokemon!"
-And use them.-
"To spread chaos throughout the world, disrupting people from their foolish slumber!"
-But we were having such sweet dreams...-
"To get money!"
-Teach a Meowth Payday. 'Sa damn sight easier that way.-
"To protect the world from devastation!"
-WHAT world?! What damn world are they protecting?! THEIR world? Or Hell?-
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
-Yeah, our nation, the republic of HELL.-
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
-Hmm. I can almost see their point there. Truth and love ARE what caused all this, right? If there wasn't truth--if there wasn't love--then I...-
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
-The stars would die first.-
"To Team Rocket! We will blast off at the speed of light, and have full reign of this world!" Jessie cried, and her partners cheered patriotically--Team Rocket was, in a way, a nation, for it was a state of mind.
Ash's eyes darkened as he raised his glass fervently like all the others.
-Not if I can help it.-
~*~
The Secret Midnight Meeting, take three.
As always, Jessie summed it up in her first sentence. "Damn, Ash is GOOD at this!"
"We never could've done all this before!" James said.
"We robbed a BANK," Meowth said, still in awe. "We robbed a BANK!"
Suddenly, the door opened. "Agent Ketchum?"
Ash moaned, sitting up. "D'ya know what _time_ it is?"
"Yeah, get up," the messenger said. "You and your dummies are being reassigned. Come to the briefing room."
"Dummies?!" Jessie yelled.
"We ain't not dummies!" Meowth yelled.
"Yeah, what he said!" James cried.
The messenger shot them an are-you-for-REAL? glance, then turned his attention back on Ash. "Man, you're lucky you're in the position you're in, or being on this team would be Giovanni's way of putting you in hell."
"Funny," Ash said. "I suppose he'd be Satan? Then Screwtape and Wormwood would be my associates here... And Meowth as some other devil."
The messenger shook his head. "You better be careful, kid, you're gonna get your ass kicked if you go around talking like that."
"I figured Giovanni'd be flattered, being called Satan," Ash said.
"You realize who that'd make you?"
Ash sighed. "Not quite."
"Gossip is either a lieutenant or a son."
"No bull, Sherlock, I *knew* _that_," Ash snapped.
Jessie, James, and Meowth blinked, trying to figure out what had just been said.
The messenger sighed. "Look, just get to the auditorium, kay?"
"Fine."
The door closed, and the messenger left, leaving Jessie, James, and Meowth confused.
"C'mon you guys, get ready," Ash said, tapping his foot. "Trust me, we do NOT wanna be late."
"Twerp..." Jessie said slowly.
"Ash."
"Yeah, Ash...Did that loser say, that YOU'RE our _commanding officer_?"
Ash sighed. "Well technically, yeah, I am."
"What?!" Meowth yelled. "We've been in da team for WAY longer dan you! How da hell did THAT happen?!"
"Um..." Ash scratched his head and sweatdropped. "The truth is, I'm good, and you suck."
They stared at him a second, then moaned as one, dropping their heads.
"I can't believe it..." James said. "Ash Ketchum, our superior officer... We must have died at SOME point..."
"You guys planning to get ready anytime soon, or do you have a death wish? Or, I should say, a _demotion_ wish? Oh, I forgot; it's impossible to demote you any further; sorry."
Jessie snapped her head up. "Shut up, Ketchum. We're ready. Let's go."
"About time," Ash muttered, leading the way.
~*~
"Our agent in Mahogany Town has finally succeeded!" the Hitler cried, crowing to his troops. "The machine has been completed, and he has secured us a post!"
Everybody cheered.
"And you, some of my best officers--" Giovanni saw the trio at the back of the room and almost snorted-- "have been chosen to help fulfill this glorious plan! Soon, we shall have more Gyrados at our command than the world shall be able to face! Our power will be at its peak, and even Lance shall have no chance against us!"
Jessie, James, and Meowth cheered along with everyone else; no one noticed Ash only pretending to.
"And now, my soldiers, you shall fly to Mahogany Town, and fulfill our great imperative!" Giovanni cried. "Dismissed!"
Over the general muttering, Jessie said, "_Fly_ to Mahogany? How are we supposed to do that?"
Ash silently led them out and pulled a Pokeball from his backpack. "You all packed?"
"Well, yeah--"
Ash tossed the Pokeball, in what was not his usual style. He simply threw it forward, not even touching his hat...
A Fearow appeared, crowing its name, and cast a dark look at Ash.
--*The sky was dark and growing darker, the thunder crashed, and lightning arced down from somewhere in the clouds. The Fearow glared at him, crowing pure defiance, powering up for yet one more Wing Attack.
The deceptively cute pink Pokemon in front of the man responded to some command the thunder drowned out; Fearow strained to hear what was being said and instead heard a melody; it realized too late what was happening as it fell to the ground, its eyes closing.
He was dimly aware of the Pokeball coming at him and sighed inwardly: So, my old enemy, you are more powerful than you care to admit. So shall it be, then. You have defeated me. For after all, there may be honor among thieves--*
The Fearow grew, becoming large enough to hold all four of them. Ash was the first to clamber on, throwing an annoyed "Come on" at his three followers.
"Ah, so this is what he meant," James had just time to say before the Fearow lifted off...
~*~
They came down just before dawn, outside of an old store, with the other teams starting to land as well. Silently, the agent hustled them in, throwing a glance at the agent behind the counter, and led them down through a hidden passage.
"Cameras in the statues," he said proudly. "Anyone passes one, we'll know."
He pulled out a clipboard. "Agents Thomas, Samna, Johnson, Marla, Marino, your teams are being assigned to security duty. Someone passes the camera, you run out and get him."
Five people nodded.
"The security room is down the hall, to the left." The five and their teams left.
He led them through a door, around some boxes, and into a central room. "Agent Jones, Scientist Lila, you'll be stationed here. Jones, you're on guard duty. Lila, this computer is your station. A secret switch is in the computer; do NOT press it, and don't let anyone else press it either. That switch turns off the cameras."
He led them now back the way they had come and down the hall. "See those different-colored tiles on the floor? Once they're activated, you won't be able to walk over them without a Pokemon attacking you. Agent Smith, you guard the area in front of 'em."
He led them over the tiles and down the stairs. "This floor is home to our power source, six Voltorb. They are protected by a locked door. Agents Bob, Tom, Annika, you're on this floor."
He led them down more stairs. "Now, this floor holds the room where you, Madame Boss, and you, Moniseur Boss, shall be staying. Close the door when you get in. Two passwords are needed to close it; Agents Selena, Ketchum, you know them. Guard them well. Your teams are stationed on this level."
The two Executive Bosses, along with a Murkrow, went into the room and sealed the door. With a start, Jessie, James, and Meowth realized that was everyone.
The agent flipped a jaunty salute at them and vanished.
Ash wandered around the room they were in, looking at what the new recruits called the "Team Rocket Manifesto" on the wall. "Well, I guess all we have to do is wait."
"Wait for what?" James asked.
Ash snorted. "You really think we'll get away with this? People are gonna notice the Gyrados suddenly popping up. The Pokemon League's gonna hear about this... Lance'll be on our tails any minute, and--" he snorted-- "knowing the way fate works, probably some kid with some seriously good Pokemon. Trust me, we are gonna get our butts kicked."
Jessie blinked. "Gee, aren't you Mister Sunshine."
"Wait a sec," James asked, "What is this plan we're doing? I mean, I never heard of it..."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Giovanni's greaaat idea goes like this: that dude who showed us around has been working on building a radio. These radio waves can cause Pokemon to evolve. Nearby, there's a lake with a lot of Magikarp in it... And we all know what can happen when Magikarp evolve."
Jessie, James, and Meowth shivered. "Don't remind me," they all said.
"So, that's the big plan," Ash said. "We're all here, because of some stupid Gyrados. And he really thinks it will work..." He sighed. "In some ways, he's more naivé than you three."
"Who're you calling naive?!" Jessie yelled.
"You," he said. "But don't worry. That's good."
"It is?" James asked, confused.
"Yeah, trust me. It IS."
Jessie cocked her head for a second. There was some motivation in this conversation that was not shown. It was there, in the contempt toward Giovanni, in the disdain of the plan; and a different one, shown in the very slight, heavily veiled wistfulness when he talked about naiveté.
-When are we gonna figure this kid out?- she wondered silently.
~*~
He smiled arrogantly when he heard the alarm go off.
Then he waited. Sure enough, it was him. It was like looking in a mirror that reflected images from the past; the kid was so like him.
Ash ambled up to the kid, laughing in a country-moron voice. "Hyuck hyuck hyuck!" he said. "Hey kid, if you beat me, I'll give you one of the passwords!"
The kid smiled. "All right, you've got a battle! Meganium, go!"
The Pokemon came out, chirping happily.
Ash beat back a thought of Chikorita and tossed out a random Pokemon.
He used only three of the Pokemon he had in his bag, and made sure to get his butt kicked. The boy noticed with some confusion the slight smirk on his face when he had to recall a Pokemon, but shrugged it off.
Finally, the boy smiled arrogantly. "The password, please?"
"Um...I think it's 'Raticade Tail,'" Ash said, still using his gee-I'm-a-moron voice. Then he reluctantly adopted the Rocket "So you beat me without letting me get a single hit! You'll NEVER defeat the glorious might of Team Rocket!" attitude.
"I'll be seeing ya later, kid!" he said, winking.
Jessie, James, and Meowth came running up to him once the kid was out of sight. "Ketchum!" Jessie cried. "Lance and some kid are in the base and they're kicking our butts! What do we do?"
"Why, we fly back to Viridian and get our next orders," Ash said.
They rolled their eyes at his cocky attitude and followed him up through the stairs.
"You Rocket swine!" an old lady yelled, leaping at them. "Taking over my store--why I oughta--"
Ash shrugged. "You oughta kill us..." he said, almost sincerely.
While the old woman was trying to figure out why and how he'd said that, they left the store. She glared out at them, muttering angrily, but distractedly. For what on _earth_...
"Fearow!" Ash called, and the Pokemon came out, with a dark look at Ash.
Jessie, James, and Meowth blinked. "But I thought they beat you too!"
"Well..." Ash said. He decided not to answer and climbed onto Fearow's back.
The others sighed, deciding not to pursue the subject any further. They too climbed onto Fearow, who, at an order from Ash, turned east and flew back to their base.
~*~
As they closed in on the gym, they saw a Rocket waving glowsticks on the lawn.
"You're all being redirected!" he shouted. "The Boss has already heard of your abysmal failure, and decided to invoke plan thirty-one B sigma! If you've just cone from Mahogany, turn around! You know your orders!"
"Already?!" Ash yelled.
The guy shrugged. "Said something about trying to catch 'em off guard!"
"Oh, great," Ash sighed. "He already there?"
"Yes, and I suggest you get a move on! He said the sooner the better!"
"Ok, dude! Bye!" Ash called, turning Fearow. "Goldenrod, Fearow, and watch the air currents this time!"
Fearow growled at him with grudging respect. "Feeeaaaarrr!" it cried, turning.
"What's plan whatever-the-heck-it-was?" James asked.
Ash sighed. "We're in the big leagues, folks: We're gonna take over the radio tower."
"The _Radio Tower_?!" Jessie squeaked. "We're taking over a _whole tower_?"
"Yep!" Ash said. "We've had an operative in there for months, didn't you hear? He's been impersonating the director so we'll be able to take over easier."
"Anythin' else we should know?" Meowth asked dryly.
"We're keeping it a secret for a while, faking the broadcasts. Some poor sap'll have to be a DJ." He snorted.
"We're keeping it _secret_?!"
"Yeah, crazy, huh? I just don't envy the guy who has to go on the radio. I hate being on-the-air. Like that time we were--at the tower--before..."
He coughed, covering something up. "Anyway, I'm glad _I_ don't have a voice."
~*~
Ash squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to think about all the people out there who were probably listening to him. "H-hello, Johto, this is, DJ Angel, um, here subbing for Mary."
He coughed nervously. -Why me?! Why do _I_ have to do this? And why did he give me such a STUPID code name?! I hate you, Giovanni, I hate you even MORE for this!-
"Um, as you know, if you tune in much, this is... Tuesday, and we're starting the all-request hour right now! After that, we'll, eh, play some songs nobody asked for! But that doesn't mean they're bad, it just means nobody wants to hear 'em--er--not really!"
-God, why me?-
"Um... Please just call us quick before I have a stroke... My first time, on the air... They just hired me, I'm an intern, and of COURSE Mary'd have to get sick on _my_ watch..."
He sweatdropped. "Please call... The number is... Damn I don't know the number... Er..."
The phone rang.
"Oh! Yes! A CALLER!" Ash said eagerly. "Hello, who's this?"
"This is Jessie, twerp, from right here in the tower," Jessie said smoothly. "Our boss, the Director, wants me to tell you that the number is 555-RADIO TR, or 555-612-3576."
"Oh! Thanks!" Ash said. "555-Radio-TR; 555-612-3576. You have a request, Jessie?"
"Um--well--" Ash could almost see Jessie blush. "Um... 'Good Enough,' Sarah McGlauchlin, ask why and die a horrible death."
"Ooooohh, does somebody have a crushie-wushy on a member of the teamy-weamy?" Ash teased. "Maybe one who has a sadistic fiancee and whose parents don't give a flip?"
"Ket--Ash--Angel! You keep your nose outta my business!"
"And maybe someone's feeling kinda saaad for him lately and wants him to know that she doesn't care what his parents think of him and that she thinks they're morons?" Ash switched tracks slightly before Jessie blew up at him. "I'm sure there are several people in the audience who feel that way. Here's your song, Jessie. Have a nice evening."
She just sighed at him. "You're impossible."
Ash flipped the switches around like the agent had given him a crash course in, and surprisingly, it all worked. The 'On Air' light went off, and he could hear the song starting on the speakers.
He relaxed, with a small grin. -Hey, this is FUN!-
~*~
"Um, hello?"
Ash furrowed his eyebrows slightly. From the clock, it looked like this'd be his last call. It sounded like this was a young girl, slightly nervous. Well, he could identify with that.
"Hi! You're on the air!"
"Oh, um, really? I can't believe it! I've _never_ gotten on the show before!" she said, excited.
Ash smiled and took a sip from the mug he held in both hands. "That's cool, then, that you finally got to come on. What's your name?"
"Um, I'm Mina," she said.
"And what song would you like to hear?"
"Well..." she said. "I'm going to get my starter Pokemon tomorrow from Professor Ivy."
"Really?" Ash said. "I didn't know Professor Ivy gave out Pokemon."
"Well, I live in the Orange Islands now. And Professor Ivy comes around every year and gives a starter Pokemon and a license to kids on all the small islands."
"Mmmm..." Ash said. "I remember when I got my starter Pokemon..." He winced, then smiled fondly. "Which one are you hoping for?"
"Oh, I want a Tentacool!" she said. "I just love Tentacool! And Tentacruel, too! I think they're cute! Everyone else laughs at me, but I love Tentacruel anyway! I like all water Pokemon, too! Someday, I'm gonna be the best water Pokemon trainer ever!"
He willed himself to not think about it for just a second. "So, Mina, what song would you like to hear?"
"Um... Do you have that song, 'When I Think About Angels,' by Jamie O'Neal?"
He quickly checked, and pressed some buttons. "Yep, we sure do. Good luck, Mina!"
He put on the song and turned off the audio, but kept the phone line open. "Um, Mina? I just wanted to ask you something..."
"What?"
"...What do you think about bugs?"
"I don't like them much. Water Pokemon are MUCH cooler. Why?"
"Well..." he sighed. "I just knew someone once who loved Tentacruel like you do... And she always used to say that the three things she hated most-- besides me when I was bragging-- were carrots, peppers, and bugs."
"She sounds really cool!" Mina said. "I hope I'll meet her sometime!"
"I'm sure you will, eventually," he whispered.
"Well, thanks, mister! I gotta get some sleep now, I don't wanna be late!"
"Yeah, that's right," he said. "Goodbye."
"Bye!"
She hung up, and Ash was left staring at his coffee cup filled with root beer.
-Misty... Pikachu...Dammit, why did _I_ have to do this...-
He just sighed.
~*~
"Hey, twerp!" Jessie called brightly, ascending the stairs.
"The name's _Ash_," he told her for the thousandth time.
"Yeah, whatever. So, been DJing, eh? What're you gonna do now?"
"Play songs," he said. He flicked an eyebrow at James and Meowth, who had tagged behind her. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up. What're you doing here, anyway?"
James piped up. "Oh, we're just warning you that the Boss is gonna be here in about six seconds."
"What?!" Ash heard the song end and pushed some buttons. "Why?!"
"Ah, Mister Ketchum," Giovanni said, appearing in the doorframe. "You're doing quite well. Nobody outside would possibly be able to tell that Team Rocket has taken over."
"Why, thank you sir--" He heard the music and blanched. "And the machine's on random, I swear!"
Giovanni blinked, listening. "What on earth is that awful sound?"
"'Jaded', by Areosmith," Jessie said helpfully, leaning over to see the computer screen. "Darn, it _is_ on random. I was hoping to get you in trouble..."
"Cutting to the point... One more song, Ketchum. After that we're going public."
"Yes, sir," Ash said.
"And one last thing: burn that tape," he said. "It is intolerable."
He left.
"We're going _public_?" James squeaked.
"Yep, in about four minutes someone's gonna come in here and start talking about the glorious Team Rocket..." Ash rolled his eyes. "Please..."
"Isn't that, oh, inviting someone to come in and kick our butts?!" Jessie snapped.
"You got it," Ash said, tapping his head.
"Great," sighed Meowth.
"I know."
Ash turned to the equipment, selecting one last song to play. He scanned through the list, and found the entry for the one he wanted. One last farewell to Johto, Kanto, and the Orange Islands.
"C'mon, let's go," he said, scooting the chair back, a shadow falling over his face. "There's nothing else to do here."
Jessie and James followed Ash outside of the building, into the moonlit square. "Where're you going?"
"I'm stationed in the underground," Ash replied. "You guys are general radio-station duty. Figure out where to go. I've gotta move it before someone sees me and decides to tell Giovanni..."
Ash disappeared into his familiar shadows, leaving them behind.
"Hey, what's that noise?" Jessie asked.
"Huh?" James listened. "Must be the song the twerp put on."
"C'mon, let's listen!" Jessie said, pulling him to the center of the park.
"--He looks up, with a little smile at me and he says,
If I could be like that,
I would give anything
Just to live one day
In those shoes,
If I could be like that,
What would I do,
What would I do..." the speakers sang.
"Jessie, what are we listening for?" James asked.
"We've got to figure out what the hell happened to the twerp," Jessie explained. "Maybe this'll help."
"She spends her days up in the north part,
Watching the people as they pass..."
"Oooohhh..." Jessie sighed. "I forgot about this verse..."
"Is that too much to ask
Just a safe home,
And a warm bed,
On a quiet little street
All she wants is just that something to hold on to, now
That's all she needs..."
"..." James said, watching the shadows of the past come over Jessie. "Oh look! It's a Caterpie! I'll catch it for the boss!"
"JAMES YOU MORON!!" Jessie yelled, smacking him with a frying pan. "The Boss doesn't want a stupid _Caterpie_! Wait...There are no Pokemon around here..."
On the ground, James smiled slightly. "Owwwwww..."
"James, what did you do that for?!"
"Nothing, Jessie..."
"Well, I think there isn't much we can learn from the song. Basically, his life got screwed up, and we already _knew_ that. Who else is in Team Rocket?"
"Yep!" James smiled. "Team Reject, that's us!"
"Shut up, James!"
"At least I didn't say Team Loser... We really _are_ rejects, Jessie. I was kicked out of the upper class... And you were rejected by, well, everyone but me, and we're BOTH rejects in Team Rocket."
Jessie sighed. "James, you are one heck of a person."
"Really? That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!!" James squealed, throwing his arms around her.
"James, get off me! Please! The civilians will think we're an item!" Jessie said, blushing very slightly.
"Oh, ok," he said, stepping back and grinning.
"Heavens, James, you can be such a moron," she said, dragging him upstairs and not meaning a word of it.
He'd known her long enough to realize half of what she said was completely contradicted by her words, so he smiled. "Thanks."
~*~
Ash stood in the hallway and waited. It wouldn't be long now. He'd been standing there for quite some time, and any second now--
Someone appeared on the stairs. That boy again, of course.
A strange-looking kid came to fight him. Ash heard bits of the conversation and was amused-- it pretty much ran, "I wanna nuke Team Rocket!" "No, _I_ wanna nuke Team Rocket!" He almost wanted to run up to them and say, "No, _I'm_ gonna nuke Team Rocket and that's that!"
The boy beat the other, of course, no contest, even though the kid had a pretty good team. The strange kid left, and that left _him_ to come to Ash.
"Hyuck hyuck hyuck!" Ash laughed. "Remember me? I'm not gonna be so easy to beat this time!"
-Well, actually, I am.-
He made sure the kid creamed him completely.
The kid smiled, turned around, and walked past him--then turned back. "Why are you a part of Team Rocket? Who on earth would _join_ such a pathetic group of evil morons?"
"You'd be surprised," Ash said dryly.
"Well, I'd NEVER join Team Rocket!" he said.
"That's what I thought..." Ash sighed. -If I could be like that,- his mind sang out at him.
"Then why did you?"
"It's hard to explain, kid. I used to be a lot like you--arrogant, stupid..." -Innocent...-
"And what happened?" he said, gripping his Pokemon a little tighter.
-I would give anything...- "You really don't want to know, kid."
"Yeah I do!"
-Just to live one day...- "Well, I underestimated Team Rocket."
The kid snorted.
"Really! Kid, we aren't as pathetic as we seem! Team Rocket has some powerful Pokemon--"
"You just don't use 'em."
"Right!" Ash saw that he didn't believe him and drew out a Pokeball.
A Moltres emerged from it and flitted around, trying to figure out where it was.
As the boy stared, Ash recalled it. -In those shoes...- "And when someone says they have an assassination division on your tail...Listen to them."
"What?" the boy said. "What are you saying?"
"When you become a Pokemon Master... People threaten you. Do not blow them off. Do not! Or you might end up like me..."
-If I could be like that...-
"You might be completely lost..."
-What would I do, what would I do...-
The boy was silent, but Ash had gotten to him. He was holding his Pokemon close in a way that reminded Ash terribly of Pikachu. He whirled around. "Good luck," Ash said, and ran away.
The boy stared after for a moment, then regained his confidence and went to challenge the Rocket at the end of the hall.
~*~
Secret Midnight Meeting, Take Four.
"So, dis one little twerp kicked ALL our cans? TWICE?" Meowth asked.
"Yeah," Jessie said. "Hey, think about what 'one little twerp' did to _us_ for _four years_!!"
"I figyad we just sucked..." Meowth sighed.
"There's something about those strange little black-haired kids..." James mused. "How much you wanna bet we'll hear about that twerp in the Pokemon League?"
Jessie snorted. "No way am I betting against _that_. Some kids... Some kids just seem destined for that kind of thing. Meant for success."
"Unlike us, who are fated to be losers," James sighed.
"Hey, we aren't _all_ losers!" Jessie said.
"Yeah, there's Ash!"
Cue large paper fan.
"Owwwwww! Jessie, what'd I say?"
"Shut up James."
"So..." Meowth said. "Fact One: Dis team is f'losers. People whose lives 'ave been completely screwed up."
Jessie and James nodded ruefully.
"Fact Two: Dis kid looked pretty happy when we last saw 'im."
"Yeah..." Jessie and James sighed. As one last resort, they had captured Ash and held him hostage. His friends found out where he was being held and much butt-kicking ensued. The last sight they'd had before they blasted off was the twerp surrounded by his friends, family, and Pokemon, all of them laughing happily.
That vision had haunted their dreams ever since, a possibility--What if they could be like that? What if they hadn't been rejects, hadn't found their way to the Team Rocket recruiting booth? Could they have been legit Pokemon Trainers, with friends and happy Pokemon who always succeeded in the end? They had a suspicion of the answer, and that was why they had insisted on being taken off his case.
Meowth sighed as well. "Fact Three: That twerp ain't happy now."
The same vision that had led them to curse the happy twerp led them to silently curse the unhappy twerp as well: when his dreams fell, theirs had as well. He had been the dreamer all along, hadn't he? All the things that had happened to them, to the world... All because one little kid dreamed of being the World's Greatest Pokemon Master.
"What happened to him, anyway?" Jessie suddenly asked.
"I thought that's what we were trying to figure out," James said, confused.
"I mean, what happened to him _before_ whatever? Did he ever become a Pokemon Master? Was he the world's best? Or did he fail?"
"If he failed..." James said slowly. "That could explain everything..."
"But he wouldn't just ditch his Pikachu..."
"Y'can do strange stuff when y'fail at your dream...."
"But..."
They stared wide-eyed at each other.
"It couldn't be!" Jessie said.
"He would _not_ abandon his Pikachu," James said stubbornly.
"What if it _wanted_ t'leave?!" Meowth demanded. "We haven't thought about DAT yet! Maybe _it_ left _him_!!"
"The Pikachu, leave the _twerp_?! When hell freezes over!" Jessie yelled.
"Maybe it did!!"
"It _can't_, that's the _point_!" James said.
"It could happen! A cute Pikachu, and..." He waved his paw. "Dat's d'thing about love, it'll make y'do _anythin'_. Maybe even make d'Pikachu leave Ash."
"But that Pikachu loved Ash!" Jessie yelled. "Maybe not romantically, but you know what I mean! And the kid could've worked something out! He could take the other Pikachu too, or they could settle down somewhere and have Ash visit them, or SOMETHING! Ash Ketchum and that Pikachu would _not_ part ways willingly!!"
"You don't know that!"
"Meowth, come on, Jessie's right..."
"It really could happen!"
"Would you please shut UP already, dammit? I wanna get some sleep!" Ash snapped from his bunk bed.
"Hey, what's with you?" Jessie leaned towards him, the fight forgotten.
"Nothing."
"Mad that you lost today?"
"NO!"
Jessie leaned back. "Geeze, calm down, twerp!"
"It's ASH! A-S-H, ASH!"
"Whatever, Ketchum. Now spill the beans. We'll get it out of you eventually." Jessie grinned.
"I'm being reassigned, okay?!"
He turned back away from them in a huff, pulling the covers over his head.
"Reassigned?!" James yelled. "But they _can't_ do that!"
"They can do whatever the hell they want!" Ash yelled.
"But..."
Ash refused to say anything else. Jessie, James, and Meowth slowly split up and went to sleep.
~*~
"YOU IMBECILES!!!" Giovanni screamed. The shadows seemed to get a bit darker, which was fine with the man waiting for approval on his robbery plan in them.
The trio cowered. "Sir, we can explain--"
"It was the simplest assignment imaginable! All you had to do was steal a Pokeball! But you three even managed to screw _that_ up!"
"But sir, the GS ball was heavily guarded, and--"
"NO BUTS!" he yelled. "Three days in the prison!"
"No!" Ash yelped. He leapt out from his place in the shadows.
"Do you have a problem with me disciplining your former subordinates? Would you rather take their place?!"
"Yes!" Ash said.
It was not the answer he'd expected. "Fine!" he yelled. "Guards, take him away!"
They looked on in wonder as the guards dragged him off. Anger, dark humor, wonder, and serenity flickered on his face in a surprisingly short span of seconds. The boss narrowed his eyebrows and dismissed them, saying that they were lucky this time, but they shouldn't expect it again.
And then, Jessie, James and Meowth walked to their room.
"Why?" Jessie finally asked. "Why did he do that? He has a perfect record, I think, and then he gets himself locked up just for us..."
"I dunno..." Meowth said.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." They looked at James, then looked away.
There was a note on the door to their room. "Hey," Jessie read, "I wanted to get together with you guys, talk about the job and all. Meet me at Harmony Creek. I set up a picnic. Ash."
"Well, if he set up a picnic..." James said. "Seems a shame to waste good food..."
Meowth said nothing, but clearly agreed.
"Fine," Jessie said. "I guess we'll go without him."
~*~
They were eating submarine sandwiches when it happened.
A huge explosion rocked the forest, causing flocks of Spearow and Beedrill to rouse in alarm. Jessie, James, and Meowth were knocked to the ground, and quickly clapped their hands to their ears.
"What in the?!" Jessie screamed over the din.
"It sounded like--like it came from HQ!!" James yelled.
"Oh no," said Meowth. "We gotta get over there!!"
As soon as the world calmed down enough, they leapt up and ran back to Viridian City.
The smoke was visible as they came into town, great clouds of it, and the source was soon apparent.
"Oh, God," Jessie whispered, as she looked upon the ruins of the Viridian City Pokemon Gym.
"Everyone stay calm!!" Officer Jenny yelled. "Joy! Contact the other Jennies, and the Joys, and their Pokemon! And Sabrina, to get them all over here! We're gonna need help! And call Lance and Gary, we'll need them too! Tell them to FLY!"
"Got it!" Joy yelled, running back into the Pokemon Center.
"What in the?!" Jenny said. "Pokeballs? In the _street_?! There must be hundreds of them! And they're all untouched!"
"How did this happen?!" a woman wailed.
Jenny heard her, and surveyed the wreckage. "From what I've seen...and mind you, this is completely preliminary...I'd say a bomb."
"OH MY GOD!" James yelled.
"Den that means--the Gym blew up--and Ash knew--"
"Ash blew up the Viridian City Gym," Jessie said slowly. "He got all of the Pokemon to where they'd be safe, and he blew up the gym. And--oooooh boy. He went to jail so we wouldn't be there when it blew..."
"He meant to come with us," James said. "But he...he made sure we got out..."
"Oh my God," Meowth said, staring at the ruins.
There was a sound of flapping wings as a Pidgeot swooped down.
"Hey, everybody make way!" a voice yelled. "Pokemon Master coming in!"
Gary Oak jumped down from his Pidgeot, recalling it, and ran up to Jenny. "What happened?"
"Someone blew it up," she said, trying to beat down her panic.
"Who?!"
"Excuse me..." James said.
"James, what are you doing?!" Jessie hissed.
"Yeah? What is it?" Gary asked.
"I think we know who did it," James said.
"Who?!" he yelled.
Jessie took over. "Well... A teammate of ours used to really not like us... We should know, we chased him for four years..."
Gary snorted at the uniforms, but dismissed them. "Name, please!!"
"His name was Ash Ketchum."
Stunned, Gary fell, landing on his butt. "Ash Ketchum?! Then--Viridian City Gym was the frikin' Team Rocket HQ?!"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" James asked.
Gary said slowly, "Because the Ash Ketchum I knew would only blow up one building, ever...And that would be the Team Rocket Base."
"We found all these Pokeballs safely out of the blast radius," Jenny said.
"Of course...Ash wouldn't want to hurt the Pokemon..." He smiled softly. "It all makes sense..."
"Would you please explain it to us, then?" Jessie snapped.
A Drowzee suddenly appeared beside Gary's arm. "Drowww, drowzee drowww!"
"It says it was Ash's Pokemon!" Meowth said.
James looked at it more closely. "Hey, you're--you're the Drowzee we saw Ash kill!"
The Drowzee looked up, nodded, then began a long monologue.
"Ash," Meowth translated, "Trained it an' stopped it from evolvin' because he wanted it t'look weaker than it was. He was usin' it t'spy on Team Rocket. That day when we saw it, it used its psychic powers t'create the illusion a'it bein' shot an' dyin'. He didn't even know it was Ash Ketchum for a long time, he just knew 'im as the guy who was trainin' 'im.
"But one day, he saw 'im with a photograph, an' he saw Ash with 'is Pikachu in it, an' he knew. Then he understood why Ash was trainin' it to get into Team Rocket. He knew d'buildin' was gonna blow up--he teleported all the Pokemon out--but he didn't know Ash was in there, and if he did he coulda done somethin'..."
Gary nodded slowly.
"Well, I still don't get this at all!" Jessie stormed. "Why would the twerp go this far to destroy Team Rocket?!"
Gary shot his head up. "How can you say that?! Are you MORONS?!"
"Apparently," Meowth said.
"After the Indigo Incident--" Gary said.
"Huh?" James asked.
"You don't _know_?" Gary asked. "Everyone knows about _that_!"
"We don't get much news," Jessie snapped. "Spill it. What happened? And does it have anything to do with his Pikachu?"
"Ooooh," Gary said. "You really don't know... No wonder Ash didn't try to get you... You're just stupid..."
"Heeeyyyyyy!"
"Okay," Gary said. "Once upon a time, there was a boy named Ash Ketchum. He had a rival who thought he was a loser. One day, the loser kicked his rival's butt. The rival wouldn't have minded _quite_ as much if it hadn't been in the final round of the Pokemon League Championships."
He smiled sardonically. "But the rival was a Pokemon Master too, so he was happy. He decided that Ash wasn't as much of a loser as he'd thought, and they became friends again. Close enough friends to hear Ash talk about three losers who always tried to steal his Pikachu..."
Jessie, James, and Meowth sweatdropped, and Gary grinned. "Well, when Ash showed his rival some of the tamer letters he'd been getting, he was glad Ash had beaten him. Ash was making new policies, all for the good, but a few people got pissed off anyway... And some weren't all that nice about it..."
--* "Geeze, Ash, must be nice being the League Master," Gary commented. "Letters to read...Forms to fill out...Autographs to sign... MORE forms to fill out... Geeze, man, I think I'm LUCKY to have lost!"
"You think _that's_ bad?" Ash laughed. "You don't know the half of it...Ow!"
"Pikapi!!" Pikachu yelled, thundershocking the box he'd just opened.
Ash threw open a drawer and pulled out a bottle. He took the old-fashioned cork out and swallowed the liquid inside.
He made a face. "That stuff tastes _awful_..."
"Pika!!" Pikachu spat, holding up a stunned baby Ekans and a note. "Pikachu pika pikaaa!"
Ash grabbed a spare Pokeball and caught the Ekans. He pulled on some thick gloves and read the slightly charred note. " 'Ash Ketchum die die die you can't make selling Slowpoke Tails illegal it's my family's income'-- Get a _job_..." he sighed.
"Ash--you just--someone sent--you could've--" Gary stammered.
"I know," he sighed. "Comes with the job. I can't believe these people make their _living_ cutting the tails off of Pokemon and selling them..." He shuddered. "And of course, baby Ekans... You get them mad enough, and their poison...can..."
"Pika, Pikapi," Pikachu said. "Pika."
"No, Pikachu, I don't want him to start thinking--"
"Pika!" Pikachu said, tapping Umbreon on the shoulder. "Pika, pikachu?"
"Bre!" Umbreon agreed.
"Pika pikachu pika pi Pikapi pikachu pika chu pika, pikachu pika chaaaa! Pika chaaaaaa, ka pikachu pika chu, chu pika chaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Bre?!" Umbreon said, then translated for Gary.
"Did I hear that right?!" Gary said.
"Bre, breeooon?"
"I _heard_, that people send these kind of things to Ash every day, and he even had to go to the hospital seven times, when the Antidote wouldn't work," Gary said. "And he refuses to tell anyone because he doesn't think it's a big deal and he doesn't want these losers to win, and Pikachu hates it!"
"Bre," Umbreon said sadly.
Gary whirled. "Ash! People are trying to KILL you, and you won't tell anyone?!"
"Gary, it's not that bad--"
"Ash, you are NOT immortal," Gary said.
"I know, but I can't let these people stop me! I can't let innocent people and Pokemon get hurt just because I won't face these jerks!"
"Ash," Gary said, exasperated, "Have you ever thought about _screening your mail_?"
"I can't let OTHER people get poisoned--"
"And _we_ can't afford to lose _you_!" Gary yelled. "Please, Ash! You can't just brush this stuff off! Next thing you know, it could be something worse! You have to tell people this!"
"All right," Ash sighed, dropping his head to his hands.
"Gary, how did this happen? All I wanted was to be Pokemon Master, and now, people are trying to kill me... What did I do wrong?"
"NOTHING, Ash!" Gary yelled. "You're the best Pokemon Master we've ever had, dammit! These people are just morons!"
Ash smiled up at him through his tears. "You really mean that?"
"Yes, I mean that," Gary said. "As much as it pains me to say it--Ash Ketchum, you are not a loser, and never were. Now start screening your mail!"
Ash sniffed and grinned. "All right. Thanks." --*
"And then, something big happened," Gary said. "Two Team Rocket members got through security and into Ash's apartment. He and his friends, the two ex-Gym Leaders, were talking."
He sighed. "The way I have it figured, they shot Misty and Brock first. They probably made a threat, like stop trying to bring us to justice _now_, and give us your Pokemon too. Ash refused, and they shot him, then grabbed his Pikachu and made sure he was watching, then shot it too..."
Gary closed his eyes. "I...found them. I was bringing some pizzas, we were going to have a big party; talk about old times, when they were walking around with Ash, who was a loser, and gripe about me, the arrogant jerk..."
He smiled bitterly. "The ambulance came and all, but they only managed to save Ash. The bastards had looted the house and stole the rest of the Pokemon, and left a note saying basically 'Ha ha'..."
He sniffed. "Ash woke up and asked where they were... We had to tell him they were dead. I cried with him a bit, and then I left him to try to deal... The next day he was gone. He just disappeared. And I became the Master..."
"Oh God," Jessie breathed. "Team Rocket..."
"About that time..." James said softly. "Didn't Butch and Cassidy get a promotion?"
They sat in stunned horror.
Finally, Jessie, as always, summed it all up in her first sentence. "No way in hell I am EVER wearing this damned uniform again."
Gary smiled. "Yeah, no wonder... So tell me again, what happened to him? Was he in there?"
"We were goin' t'go to the prison," Meowth said. "But he went instead..."
Gary slowly absorbed the news, eyes going vague. He rose to his feet.
"Ash...Good God, why the hell did you have to be so damn _nice_..." He choked up, but kept talking to the air. "Why did we have to lose you?..."
Jenny startled them all by talking; they'd all forgotten she was there. "We'll rebuild the Gym and make a statue."
"Yes..." Gary said.
"And what do we do?" James asked Jessie.
"Yeah, what?" Meowth echoed.
Jessie bit her lip. "There's gonna be a lot of room left over, taking out the Rocket Complex..." she said slowly. "Maybe we could open up a shop..."
"A restaurant!" James squealed. "How about a restaurant?"
"Yes!" Jessie said. "We can open a restaurant! Of course, we'll have to learn to cook..."
They sweatdropped.
"We can learn," Meowth said.
"Then it's settled," Jessie said. "We see if we can not be losers in the restaurant business!"
"Yeah!" they chorused.
Gary shook his head. "You people are nuts... But since you'll be next to my new Gym, I'll just have to get used to you..."
They looked at him quizzically.
"Ah, let Lance be master," he said. "It sucks."
"All right!" they said.
Gary stood, still looking at the wreckage. The wind blew his bangs across his face, and he bowed his head, letting a tear fall to the ground.
And eventually, night came. By then, the story was spreading fast throughout the world. The residents of Viridian City, especially the four new ones, found their beds and slowly started to catch up on the crying for Ash Ketchum, the angel who never fell...
~*~
*Epilogue*
"I can't believe I actually did it!" the young boy cried happily.
Gary, seated across from him at the J-J-M Restaurant, smiled. "All sixteen badges, eh?"
He nodded happily. "And the Elite Four, and Lance, and even Red!"
"Red?" Gary asked, raising his eyebrows. "Who's that?"
"He's this really good trainer my rival told me about!" the boy chirped. "He was really tough!"
Jessie leaned over the table, delivering their plates.
"The funny thing, though, was that he didn't say anything," the boy said. "And he looked kinda like this guy I met in the Goldenrod City Underground, but that guy was a Rocket. He told me that if I ever became Pokemon Master, I should watch out for threats, and take things seriously. He said he was like me once... It really scared me."
"Where was this guy?!" Gary demanded.
"In the Plateau, it's past one of those guards..." the boy said. "Hey, wait! Where're you going?"
Gary had grabbed his coat and run out of the restaurant.
"Can I have your fries?..." he called futily after him.
Gary's Pidgeot flew him to just outside the building. He ran in, pushing the guards and doorkeepers away.
It took him a minute to find him, the super-trainer the boy had talked about. A strange-looking boy stormed off in a huff, obviously just defeated.
Gary stared at him for a second. "Ash?" he whispered.
He turned around and grinned at him. His Pikachu jumped on his shoulder, and he was finally again the man Gary had known forever.
"See ya later, Gary," he said softly, and disappeared.
Gary stood there for a second, then smirked. "Just can't stop training, can you Ash? Loser."
He turned, ready to truly live again, and walked away--_smiling_.
~*~