Chapter 5:
Jessie had developed into an early bird. She pulled the blankets away, trying to galvanize James. He turned to his friend, starring into two shining sapphire blue eyes. Jessie leaned down, kissing his front, grinning from ear to ear. James rememberd yesterday's occurrence, when they were sitting around a crackling bonfire and when he felt the desire to close up on Jessie. He stood up, his hair being tousled, but Jessie had already fetched a comb. She asked him to take a seat, James was more than astonished. Never had Jessie cared for him or payed him so much attention before. He wasn't sure if he could really relish her completely new behaviour or if he was at the limits of taking this circumstance.
„So, is this dating thing official?", he asked. He wasn't the man, who liked to commit himself. Too many gloomy events in the past had made him cautious and reserved, but Jessie seemed to be different. He didn't think that she had ulterior motives, she was happy in her little amnesic world and thought of him as the perfect gentleman and companion. Could he play along? Did he even have to mock feelings? No, he had been fond of his best friend for many years. It all started back in the shipwreck, where she promised him to address the challenge together. She didn't leave him, she didn't abandon him.
Jessie nodded in approval. „If you're okay with that", she had lost her fear of rejection.
His friend didn't waste a single thought on her gone by relationships with men of improper conduct. She wasn't afraid of being deserted, all because of a blow on the head.
James was plagued by his conscience, but he made a stab at seeing Jessie worriless and cheerful, and if she was pleased with this relationship, he would join in. He let her comb his hair, let her kiss and woo him. Maybe one day, he could leave his remorse behind and look to the future with confidence.
Suddenly, a fragrant smell reached his nostrils. He looked around, trying to track down the unknown source.
„What's that smell?", he marvelled.
„I made pancakes", Jessie ran into the kitchen, coming back with a tray covered with dozens of savory chicks.
„You can choose between chocolate, almond or marshmallow topping", she explained. James' and Meowth's mouths watered. They could hardly believe that Jessie was standing at the stove.
„She never cooked before", Meowth remarked.
„Well, she used to prepare instant noodles once in a blue moon", his friend said. „Woe betide anyone who didn't praise her or spoke highly of her", James added.
Jessie overheard nothing, she was busy putting a bouquet of flowers into a tiny vase she had found in the furthermost corner of the tent. She turned around.
„What do you think? Should we give our plan another try?", she suggested. Jessie wanted to impress her nouveau boyfriend, she grasped at some paper and a pen, willing to write down her lines for the motto. James agreed. They sat opposite each other.
„Are you ready?", he wanted to know. Jessie pulled out the pen.
„You start off with ‚Prepare for trouble'", he taught. Jessie took some notes, she was eager to learn it by heart, a first attempt at picking up her memory.
„And make it double. Let's read it together", he proposed.
„To protect the world from devastation."
„To unite all peoples within our nation."
„To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
„To extend our reach to the stars above!"
„Jessie!"
„And James."
„Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light."
„Surrender now, or prepare to fight."
„Meowth, dad's right", the cat Pokémon piped up. Jessie laughed, they ended up embracing each other.
„This is a really nice motto, it even rhymes", she assessed. „We should recite it on every occasion", she said. James dissolved into giggles.
„We've done that for the last couple of years", he rang a bell with her.
Jessie felt sulky. „There are no last couple of years, James", she replied in a determined voice.
„Stop wallowing in the past", she ordered. James recognized some of her former demeanor, this unique bossy and dogmatic manner of his best friend. Jessie noticed that she had gone too far.
„Excuse me, James. It's hard for me too. I need to get used to an entierly alien situation", tears flooded her eyes, but James was faster and wiped them away.
„Don't worry, we'll pass through this experience together", he comforted her.
„Thank you, but let's not dally away time, we have grand plans", she jumped up, reaching out her hand.
„Through thick and thin", she shouted. James clasped her hand and repeated her words.
It somehow reminded him of that event in his hot-air balloon. He had just escaped a world full of strict education and terror. Jessie and Meowth were on their way to nowhere, he caught up with them, pulling his best friend up. That short moment, that gazing into her eyes, was the first time he didn't dissemble his feelings for her.
„James, are you still with us?", Jessie asked. She begged Meowth to pack all required utensils. James showed himself ready to once again turn his plan into reality.
Team Rocket decided to leave the balloon at the fireplace and walk to the children's abode instead. Jessie insisted on holding hands and James obliged. By and by he started to feel at ease, he didn't have to hide his emotions anymore, but was able to act them out and Jessie wouldn't snarl at him.
All at once, she stopped.
„Did we forget something? Did you quench the fire?", he inquired. Jessie shook her head and gave him a smile.
„No, I just wanted you to stop, so I can hug you", she whispered. James got red in the face. Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck and he laid a hand on her back. He had to admit that he began to enjoy her open-minded style, she was in search of closeness, and he could slowly but surely forget about his pangs of conscience.
He eventually decided to let bygones be bygones and focus on his romance with Jessie.
„You can't imagine how cute you are", he said sheepishly.
„James, let's think of nicknames", she suggested. James wasn't kitschy and not the type of man who was greatly interested in stupid terms of endearment, but, as so often, he didn't want to deny her proposal.
„Mind if I call you sweetheart?", she requested. James shrug his shoulders.
„For all I care", he replied.
„Call me ‚my dear', okay?", she commanded. „Let's keep them up, I think they suit us", she claimed.
‚There's a lot to get used to, Jessie is acting out of character. She wants me to call her ‚my dear', how absurd is that? Where is the hate, where is the fury? No, let it be, James! You promised to accept her new temper', he scolded himself.
They could hear people talk behind the bushes. Team Rocket stole up on the twerps, observing them from behind the scrubs. Misty was playing with her water Pokémon in the nearby pond, Brock was busy cleaning his kitchen utensils and Ash trained his constant companion to bring it up to full speed. James snatchet at the stilts, he passed one pair of the auxiliary means on to Jessie. She was all set but noticed that one of the stilts offered an insecure hold. Nevertheless, she jumped up and follwed James.
„Prepare for trouble", she shouted, trying not to lose her balance. It was more difficult than thought. The stilts were shaky and threatened to break apart.
James lead the way without looking back. Jessie stumbled, but was able to hold on to a barren branch, the stilts lying on the floor.
„James, help me", she yelled. James rushed to her aid, Jessie was holding tight to the old tree. James shinnied up, trying to grasp at her hand. Misty and her friends watched him from a safe distance, they didn't want to intermeddle.
James was nearly there, just a few little steps separated him from his girlfriend. Jessie called for help, she diminished in power.
„I can't hold on any longer, James", she cried. James grabbed her fingers but they slipped through his sweaty hand.
„James!", Jessie fell upside down. She didn't move.
James was paralysed with terror. ‚Not agian, please', he prayed.
Brock kneeled down next to Jessie, he took her pulse, it was very weak, but it was there. James pressed his lady friend against his chest.
„Jessie, my dear, oh no", he cried, the tears running down his face.
„My dear, what have I done?", he complained.
Jessie blinked, she felt dizzy and tremulously.
„What happened, you idiot?", was the first thing she said.
‚Did she just call me an idiot?', James thought.
„Jessie, my love, you fell from the tree because your stilts were broken", he explained.
Jessie snorted derisively.
„Whose stupid idea was it to use broken stilts? I'm sure it was yours, you scapegrace", she insulted.
„But Jessie, love, what's wrong with you?", James was more than confused. He had just accepted this naive and warm-hearted young woman and now he was grasping a grumpy and bad-tempered Jessie in his arms.
„What do you call me?! I'm not you're love, James", she tried to stand up, but failed.
James assisted her, but she pushed him away with an incredible strength.
„What are we doing here anyways?", she wondered.
„We're trying to catch Ash's Pikachu, what else", Meowth said.
„We've been trying to steal that Pikachu for so many years and every time you screw things up!", she pointed at James, abusing her friend.
„Do you know who I am?", James wondered.
„Of course, I do! You're that miserable and pathetic guy, who's inclined to be utterly unsuccessul when it come to catch that yellow mouse!", she grumbled.
James didn't know whether he was coming or going. He tore his hair. The circumstances went completely mad. He had lost the charming and courteous Jessie, that he had acknowledged a few mintues ago. She was back, and she was even meaner.
He didn't know whether he should cry out of despair or joy.
„What are you waiting for? Let's attack them", she weaved around, not able to hold a net between her hands.
Ash got ready to fight. „Pikachu, use Electro Ball, get them out of my sight!", he ordered. Pikachu discharged and Team Rocket flew in a wide arch through the air.
„We're blasting off again", was the last thing the twerps heard.
„Could anyone tell me what happened?", Jessie asked.
James plucked up his courage and told Jessie the whole story, from the first to the last incident, told her about her character change, her affectionate manner, the dating, the kiss. Jessie listened attentively and was shocked at the end of his telling.
„We kissed?", she blushed.
„We even dated!", he answered. Jessie put her head in her hands.
„Well, that is nothing to be proud of, you're not my type", she declared.
„I hope you both enjoyed the peaceful time with the chivalrous and unaware Jessie, because that will stop immediately. I can't believe I cooked for you guys, you don't even deserve this, you failures", she berated.
„Kiss James! Haha! Don't make me laugh", her cocky kind was back, but all she wanted was to hide her true feelings towards her best friend.
‚My, oh, my, the amnesic Jessie was braver than I thought, but James shall not divine it', she told herself.
„Welcome back", was the only thing Meowth could produce.
James wasn't exactly unhappy with this new, respectively old situation. He had missed his loudmouth Jessie and was glad that her true nature reappeared. He had to admit that he couldn't have endured her being-everybody's-fool and almost dull personality for longer periods of time. A smile appeared on his face. Even if it meant to start from scratch concerning the dating and his emotions he was still overjoyed to deal with the feisty and erratic Jessie again, with the woman he originally fell in love.
THE END
