Chapter 5

Painful Memories

(At night, Pallet Town)

(3rd-person narrative)

Hours after Brock and Sabrina had visited with their children before heading back to Pewter City, the sound of light, pattering rain came from the roof of the Ketchum residence in Pallet Town, as Delia lay restless in bed next to her husband, Chris. She found herself in a most terrible dream – or rather, a visual memory of the day that their long-time friend Giovanni left them. Her left hand was on top of Chris' hand which she held to her heart, as she waved about her right above her face, disturbed by the nightmare.

The very thought that Giovanni, a person whom she loved dearly as a friend in the days of their youth, could commit such a serious act of crime, felt altogether unreal for her. His choice in life to become the new leader of one of the world's most notorious crime syndicates was hard enough already for her to take; but the fact that the once-caring and loving friend she knew had committed an atrocious act of overseeing mass murder…it was far too much…

The dream was so surreal, and yet felt so inexplicably real simultaneously. It was nighttime, one week after the three of them had celebrated Delia's sixteenth birthday, when Giovanni – affectionately referred by her and Chris as simply 'Gio' – had gifted her with a bottle of fragrant perfume of rose aroma. Chris, meanwhile, presented her with a beautiful golden ring which he bought by spending a considerable portion of his earnings, upon which she threw her arms around him and gave him a passionate kiss. When she had drawn back from Chris to thank both of them, Chris responded with another of his special smiles which he joked that he 'kept reserved for her, and her only'. Gio, on the other hand, only smiled faintly before promptly going to sleep in his sleeping bag, turning his back to them as they looked at him with concern.

A week after that day, Delia was sitting alone by the campfire on a log in front of a tent, with her beloved Ninetales whom she nicknamed Lyra sitting beside her on the ground. Lyra was sitting in a fairly majestic manner on a patch of leaves which had been gathered – she even despised sitting on dirt or any unpleasant surface, for fear of dirtying her beautiful coat; only doing so in situations where it couldn't be helped. Chris had been gone for 20 minutes in search for some firewood, and Gio had gone off somewhere along with his Persian.

"Don't worry, Lyra, I'm sure that they'll both be back soon," Delia smiled, kissing her Ninetales on the forehead as it looked at her with concerned eyes. Then, Lyra's eyes jolted and her tail flew upwards as she heard the crack of twigs from behind them, rotating her body fully and glaring at the potent threat.

"Relax, Lyra, it's us," Gio said quietly. Lyra relaxed her body, sitting herself down once again at Delia's side. Gio then walked up to them and sat beside Delia, looking at her as she continued to look at the fire. "Are you alright, Delia? It's rather chilly tonight."

"I'm fine, Gio. But thanks a lot for caring about me," Delia gave him a warm smile.

"Come on, Del. Petalburg City's at least over two hours away by foot, and tonight's much colder than usual," he said, removing his jacket and putting it around her. "Here."

Smiling, Delia accepted the jacket. "Thanks, Gio. You've always been there for me," she said, making him smile before the grin on his face was immediately wiped away by her next words. "And Chris, as well."

"That's…" he said, trying not to sound disappointed, "…very heartening to hear that you appreciate us that much..."

"Oh, the fire's starting to die away because of the wind! Lyra, can you keep it alight for us?" Delia looked at Lyra, who then walked over to the fire and gave a small Ember, keeping it alive. "Thanks, Lyra," Delia kissed her again, making her wriggle her head about with pleasure.

"Umm…Delia?" Gio asked her.

"What is it, Gio?"

"There's…something which I've been meaning to tell you for a long time, now," he said rather shyly. Delia looked at him, signifying that she was listening intently. "You see, ever since the day I uh…learned of my past, my mind has been wracked with so much thought. Every day since then, I've always asked myself the same questions, over and over again: why was I ever abandoned in the first place? How did I come to be the person I am today, with such a past like mine? How do I live knowing what happened in the past? And most of all…why am I still travelling with the two of you, when I could have had everything a man's heart could desire – wealth, power, influence – had I stayed with my family's organization?"

Delia's mouth gaped slightly as she looked at him with undivided attention, her eyes beginning to show the sadness inside as she heard his words. "You…you want to…leave, now?"

"No!" Giovanni cried, holding her right hand with both of his. "I'd never leave you! I'd never think such thoughts, even for a second! I never want to leave, because I…I…" he drifted off into a murmur, looking away.

"What is it, Gio?" Delia said softly, bringing his face to meet hers with a gentle hand.

"…I love you, Delia Rose. I've loved you for the past six years, but never got to tell you," Gio admitted to a stunned Delia who withdrew slightly, breathing more heavily as she placed her hand over her beating heart and her pupils dilated.

"Look, Delia…if you don't feel the same way about me as I do for you," Giovanni continued, before Delia answered.

"I love you too, Gio," she admitted, bringing joy to his heart before taking it all away with another word. "…but…"

"…but what, Delia?" Gio couldn't believe it.

"I'm in love with Chris. Now that I think of it, I've always been in love with him, ever since that first day I met him and saw him lying in a hospital bed after he had saved my life on the road to Viridian City. I can't hope to make you fully understand what's in my heart and how I feel for him, but…I need you to try," she said, making his heart sink. "I love him more than anything in the world, and I don't think I'll meet anyone else in life whom I'll find perfect comfort with. I'd rather stay by his side in pouring rain and constant danger, than spend my life in bright, sunny meadows and safety with someone else, or alone by myself. I'd rather give up my life than to spend it without him."

Gio looked down in dejection, his eyes devoid of any flicker of happiness as Delia openly professed her love for Chris. "So I see…" he sighed, before standing up and beginning to walk away. "I'll leave you now, then."

"What? Gio, you can't mean that! Where are you going?" Delia pleaded, reaching for his arm but falling short as she scrambled to her feet.

"Back where I belong," Giovanni said flatly, as Delia froze in horror and disbelief. "Because I'm sure not needed here, anymore."

"You don't mean that, Gio! You can't leave!" Delia cried, tears beginning to fall as she followed him in vain, Lyra walking beside her.

"I'm going, Delia, and that's final," he growled brushing aside her arm and storming away.

"Gio, stop, please!" Delia fell to her knees, crying as she helplessly looked at Lyra, who began gritting her teeth in anger. Lyra then charged towards Giovanni in the hopes of knocking him back to his senses, but just as she was about to make contact, Persian burst from his Pokéball, driving Lyra away with a sharp claw which she only narrowly avoided. The two Pokémon then briefly fought with their claws, jumping away from each other after a brief melee which both their trainers watched; Giovanni with a blank expression, while Delia was broken down with tears as she held her hand over her mouth.

Just as Lyra was about to unleash a fiery Flamethrower on her former friend, Delia cried out to her. "Enough!" she sobbed, her head facing the ground and her eyes clenched shut in the vain hope of shedding no more tears. "…that's enough, Lyra…let them go…"

Giovanni then recalled Persian back into his Pokéball without saying a word, Persian continuing to glare at Lyra until he disappeared with a trace of red light. He continued to leave – his pace calming down to a slow walk this time – before Delia spoke to him again. "I'm begging you, Gio, and I'm only going to ask you one last time…won't you please stay with us?"

Giovanni stood still, not moving a muscle or uttering a word for what felt like an eternity for Delia, before he gave her his reply. "No."

"Gio…" Delia sobbed, her tears now falling freely like a waterfall again as she reopened her eyes to see him walking away.

"If you really must know, Delia, you are the reason why I rejected Team Rocket in the first place," he said, still looking forward as he continued off down the road. "I stayed with you because I loved you. I couldn't care less about Chris. And one last thing," he momentarily stopped and turned around, glaring at her. "My name…is Giovanni...I hope you get it right, next time…"

As Giovanni disappeared, Delia collapsed, gripping the sides of her arms with her hands as a new wave of coldness came over her. But this time, it wasn't any icy wind which caused her discomfort: it was the inner pain of losing a close friend, which created the blizzard that now surrounded her heart.

Then, realizing that she still had Giovanni's jacket around her, she moved her arms to remove it and rushed to get off her knees, before he shouted back at her. "And keep the jacket! I don't want it anymore! Or you, for that matter!"

Her heart shattered, Delia fell to the ground and wept, as rain started to fall; gently at first, before intensifying into a downpour. But Delia took no heed of it – she was far too affected from the loss of her dear friend of more than six years. Lyra sat beside her with total disregard for the mud which tarnished her royal fur, as she rubbed her warm, furry face against Delia's, trying to get her trainer to pull herself together – and off the muddy ground. She only succeeded, however, as Chris' voice could be heard off in the distance.

"Delia! Gio! Where are you?" he cried as he ran towards the now-extinguished fire. Delia could hear him hastily pulling aside the tent's fabric door, only to see that it was empty. But after Lyra gave a growl to Chris, he came running towards them, wiping Delia's soaked face with a cloth upon arriving by her side. "Delia, what's wrong? Why are you out here, in the rain? Wh…where's Gio?"

"…gone…" Delia uttered glumly. "Gio's gone."

Chris' firm hold around Delia went soft for a brief moment as he took awhile to come to terms with the prospect of what may happen to them in the future, if Giovanni had gone away to return to Team Rocket. Then, regaining his nerves, he tried to help her up but Delia was unable to move from the trauma. Scooping her up in his arms, he kissed her once on the cheek to comfort her, carrying her back into the tent to escape the pouring rain as Lyra followed.

Chris immediately put a warm blanket around his love and got Lyra to light a small lantern for them with the most delicate of Embers. After giving her five minutes of respite, he asked her again softly. "When did he leave, Delia? And why?"

"He left about a quarter of an hour ago. He told me that he was going back to Team Rocket. He left because…because…" she sobbed.

"Why did he leave, Delia?" Chris said softly, holding her hand. "You can tell me, sweetheart. We promised to always be honest with each other, didn't we?"

Delia nodded, swallowing slightly before she continued. "I was sitting by the campfire with Lyra, until Gio returned. He told me that…he…he loved me, and that it the whole reason behind his decision to leave Team Rocket behind."

Chris' eyes flashed slightly, as if he was surprised by that fact. He wasn't. "I…I knew about that, Delia," he replied, looking down at the lantern.

"Huh? You…you knew that he loved me?" Delia gasped.

"Yes. You see, about a week after he escaped with us from Team Rocket's headquarters, he woke me up in the night while you were still asleep," Chris explained. "We talked at the bank of the nearby lake, and he told me everything; why he freed us, why he rejected Team Rocket…even why he joined us in our journeys in the first place. He told me that it was all because he loved you, and that he would fight for you and sacrifice everything if it meant being by your side and winning your love."

"He…he said that?"

"Yes," Chris nodded sadly. "He told me that he only cares about you, and nothing about me, and even said that he wished he could have me out of the way by just leaving me to rot in Team Rocket's prison cells. But he said that had he done that, you would never have left without me, so he had no choice but to take me along."

"How…how could he be so…selfish?" Delia cried with mild outrage, biting her lower lip as she threw her arms around Chris. "The Gio who I once knew and loved as a friend…he's gone now, replaced by Giovanni, a heartless boy who's just like his mother…and yet…" she lifted her head slightly.

"Delia…it's alright…it's over, now," Chris whispered, kissing her on the head as he exhaled warm breaths onto her hair.

"I drove him away!" Delia shouted into his chest, beating it mildly in frustration at herself. "I should've just lied to him instead by telling him that I love him, and if I had done that, he'd never have left! How could I do such a thing to him?"

Chris felt helpless to say a word, instead hugging Delia more tightly and kissing her forehead as her tears drenched his shirt. Thunder began to roar in the skies above, but its terrible howls could never compare to the woeful cries of Delia, whose heart was now broken in two.

"Darling, wake up!" Chris cried, desperately shaking his wife who was tossing and turning next to him in bed, to wake her. A few seconds later, Delia awoke and began to pant heavily, quickly taking refuge in her husband's loving arms as she cried. "Were you having a nightmare, honey?"

"Yes," she looked into his eyes as she admitted. "It was about…about Gio…"

"Are you afraid of what he might try to do to Ash? To us?" he caressed her face.

"No," she said softly with the brave tone which Chris cherished and loved her for. "I'm not worried about him. I trust him to pull through and persevere through all this – it's in his blood. I just had a nightmare, that's all."

"Tell me, honey," Chris insisted, squeezing her hand under the quilt. "We promised to always be honest with each other, didn't we?"

"It was…such a long time ago when you last said that to me," Delia smiled. "Do you remember?"

Chris was lost for words, unable to think of exactly what moment his wife was referring to. Twenty-two years locked up in the dungeons of Julius' lair had taken close to everything away from him – everything, except his undying love and longing for her. "No, Delia…I'm afraid I don't…" he glumly said.

"The nightmare I just had…it was about the day that Gio left us all those years ago during that stormy night," Delia said, as Chris' hand twitched slightly as the memory came back to him. "It was the day I told you that Gio had left us to go back to Team Rocket, while we were traveling in the Hoenn region. It was exactly how I remembered – the way he left, the torrential rain, you carrying me back to our tent and comforting me…"

Chris hugged her closer and kissed her on the forehead to relieve her pain. "I remember that day clearly too, Delia. Even though it was more than two decades ago, the memory of Gio's departure and his current path in life still hurts me, as much as I know it hurts you. All we can hope and pray for now is that Ash eventually stops Gio's schemes with the help of his friends, and who knows – maybe after he's stopped once and for all, Gio will realize his mistakes, and…"

"…come back to us?" Delia looked up at him.

"Yes," Chris said as he kissed her again and they laid their foreheads against one another. "I just hope that it isn't too late for him to reject his old ways, and that maybe the old friend we knew might come back."

"I hope you're right, darling…I really hope you are…" Delia exhaled lightly.

"Get some sleep, my love. Everything will be fine in the morning," Chris assured her. Delia nodded as they kissed, finding peace in her husband's words and this time falling into a peaceful sleep.

(The next afternoon, in the vicinity of Team Rocket HQ)

As the trio approached the large steel building emblazoned with a red 'R' which they now loathed and detested, James and Meowth looked down, drawing deep breaths in and out in mental preparation for what was to come. Jessie, meanwhile, did nothing of the like; her thoughts drifted around her mother whom she dearly loved and missed, and who also was part of the cause of her family's connection to the infamous organization.

"Jess, is there something wrong?" James held her hand, bringing her mind back to the present as a fluster of nerves came over her.

"Oh, umm…yeah, I'm fine…" she replied unconvincingly.

"Come on, Jess. You can tell me," he fondled her hand, looking at her with the innocent eyes of a puppy which she just couldn't say no to.

"Or, you could tell Meowth!" their companion hopped up and about with a grin. "Meowth knows exactly what ta' say and what emoi'tional comfoit to give in 'dese kinda situatio-aah!" he optimistically proclaimed, before he started jumping up and down while clutching his nose which now looked as if it was stung by a Beedrill, after James bent his knee and kicked him with the back of his boot without looking.

Jessie chuckled and grinned slightly, before telling her husband and cheeky friend a story from her early childhood. "Well, alright, then. It's just that coming back to Team Rocket has caused me to remember things from when I was just a little girl. It was a long time ago, but I still remember things as if they were things that occurred just yesterday…"

(Start Flashback)

"Higher, daddy! Higher!" three year-old Jessie cried happily as her smiling father lifted her into the air, upon which she drew her arms out wide like an aeroplane. Her mother, Miyamoto, looked on with an equally joyful smile while she read a book in a nearby armchair. Jessie was both her mother and father's pride and joy, and nothing could replace her in either parent's lives. Both Miyamoto and her husband cherished every second of the time each of them could spend with their beloved child, as the nature of their occupations denied them the chance to see her on a regular basis: each could only spend approximately five days in a whole month with her.

Their life together was one of high comfort; they didn't exactly have a luxurious life befitting nobility, but lived in an expensive house with state-of-the-art features due to the two adults' status as Elite Officers of Team Rocket. But although their Rocket status might suggest that their acquisitions had come as a result of swindling and burglary, in fact, it was not. Instead, every piece of furniture, as well as the house itself, was bought as a result of genuine transactions – albeit they transactions which were made possible through occupations which of course inherently involved swindling and burglary. The household also had two maids who acted as housekeepers and as caretakers to Jessie while her parents were away on missions given to them by their Leader, Madame Boss.

However, their smiles didn't last for long: Jessie's father had been sent on a clandestine mission in the Hoenn region, and Miyamoto was now departing on a mission to capture the elusive Legendary Pokémon, Mew. Jessie still recalled the day when her mother left her, never to be seen again.

"When will you be back, mommy?" Jessie said with a tinge of disappointment as the two of them looked at each other in Madame Boss' large office, where the head of Team Rocket looked on at them from her desk. "Next week?"

"No…not next week, sweetheart…" her 26 year-old mother replied with a smile on her face, tears starting to fall from her eyes as she caressed her daughter's cheeks with her hands.

"Well, when will you be back, mommy?" Jessie rubbed her mother's hands with her own.

"I…I don't know, darling…" Miyamoto cried, her tears falling freely onto the carpet as she resolved to keep smiling for her treasure. "But you have to stay here, for the time being, until mommy and daddy come back. Ok?"

Jessie nodded to say that she understood, yet one thing baffled her. "Why do I have to stay here, mommy? I don't like it here, with all these metal walls and all the people dressed in black! Why can't I stay home?"

"Because…" Miyamoto struggled to go on. "…because you won't be safe staying home by yourself with only Roseline and Pauletta taking care of you, honey. There are…nasty people who might come looking for you if they find out about us…I don't know how long mommy and daddy will be gone, but it'll be for a long while. This place might seem uncomfortable to you today, but I promise that you'll be safe here," she insisted, squeezing Jessie's hand.

"But I love being withRoseline and Pauletta!" Jessie said. "Why can't they be here with me?"

"They're on…uhh…" Miyamoto stalled, trying to find the right term to make it easier for Jessie to understand. "They're on a holiday, Jessie. A long holiday, that's it. Mommy and daddy decided to give them a long holiday, to thank them for all they've done for us!" she smiled, stroking her daughter's hair. In truth, both housekeepers were relieved of their duties, although they were indeed remunerated greatly for their services.

"Okay," Jessie gave an understanding, optimistic smile. "I'll be missing you, mommy."

"I'll miss you too, my darling…I love you…" Miyamoto cried, her tears falling onto Jessie's back. Then, standing up, she gave Madame Boss a nod, before exiting the room to begin her mission.

After the door shut gently behind Miyamoto, Jessie looked on sadly for awhile, before deciding to go over to Madame Boss with an eager smile on her face. "Will you play with me, lady?" the young child beamed at the leader of the Rockets, who looked with slight disdain at her.

"I'm sorry, little girl," Madame Boss said flatly. "I was never one for children myself."

And she was right – she had even abandoned her own child Giovanni – with only a necklace with a name tag for identification – in the dark woods of Viridian Forest only a few weeks after he was born, due to her being sick of having to give him much attention which only distracted her from her work. The infant Giovanni had been very fortunate indeed, as he was stumbled upon by a young man who was returning to his home in Viridian City through the forest, and brought him home to raise him with his wife. But fate would have it that years later, Giovanni came to learn of his dark heritage and left to claim what was rightfully his.

Madame Boss didn't care in the slightest for her husband either; or, at least the man who was involved in her conceiving of Giovanni. The two were never even married, and the one and only time they met was when she decided to go to a bar one particular night when she was in a melancholy mood, got drunk, came across him at a table, and later conceived Giovanni in a night of drunken passion. A week later, infuriated at herself and fearful that she may have said something that night which could compromise her identity, she had sent two of her best assassins to deal with the man – and deal with him they did. She had even considered getting an abortion at one stage, but decided against it as Team Rocket needed an heir.

"Well…then who can I play with? And where?" young Jessie spoke innocently to Madame Boss, who didn't show the slightest of interest to her needs.

"You can go into that room, over there," Madame Boss pointed to a door to the left. "All your belongings including your toys are there in the bedroom prepared for you, and there is also an en-suite bathroom."

"…what's an en-suite?" Jessie asked, bewildered.

"…just go in…" the woman answered, clearly already fed up with her questions. Jessie's positive expressions faded as she entered the bedroom, upon which her mouth dropped in awe.

Inside was a whole collection of extravagant furniture – a mahogany dresser with gold lining, all her favorite toys gathered neatly against the wall, and a king-size double bed, just for her.

"Wow! Is everything in here just for me?" Jessie looked back at Madame Boss, her eyes twinkling as she smiled.

"Yes, of course," the lady answered, not looking at her as she was now occupied smoking a cigar. "Nothing but the best for my number one agent's daughter."

"Thank you so much!" Jessie waved at her, before she immersed herself in her toys.

The time of happiness during which Jessie came to love her new surroundings was to be short-lived: after only a week, Madame Boss was fed up with the young child she deemed to be nothing but a 'nuisance', and decided to put her into the care of a foster home. As much as she wanted to simply ditch Jessie in Viridian Forest (even at one point having the twisted idea of 'playing hide-and-seek' with her and making her count to a ridiculous 300 while she abandoned her), she couldn't just simply dump the child of her most favored agent and also the individual who was the only one who came closest to being someone whom she considered a 'friend'.

Madame Boss rolled her eyes as an enthusiastic Jessie stepped up onto her legs to take a view out the window of the limousine, as it rolled through the gate of the foster home. Upon their arrival, Madame Boss opened the door and picked up Jessie, placing her on the ground, where she almost sank into the thick snow. Rolling her eyes again, she picked the child back up again and carried her to the front entrance of the building, where an elderly lady was looking at them with a smile on her face.

"What is this place, Maddy?" Jessie called her by the nickname which she created – and Madame Boss secretly despised.

"This is a winter holiday resort, Jessie," she lied with a false laugh. "I promise that you'll like this place. Once you've spent one week here, you'll never want to come back!"

After signing a declaration paper, the handover was complete. Jessie was now an orphan who would spend the next few years of her life in desperate poverty and constant hunger, whilst always thinking and dreaming of her beloved parents. As she smiled and waved at the departing Madame Boss who didn't even look back, she didn't realize at all that her life had been taken away from her with a single signature mark.

(End Flashback)

"That story…" James sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve, "…no matter how many times I hear it, I always cry!"

"Me~owth, too!" Meowth sobbed, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Don't worry about it too much," Jessie smiled weakly as they continued walking. "It's in the past after all. I just hope that…I'll get to see my parents again, someday…"

Once the trio had stopped in front of the main entrance, a camera probe veered downwards at them, as a distorted voice came from the attached speaker. "Identify yourselves."

"Advanced troops Jessie, James and Meowth reporting in," Jessie replied in a professional tone.

"…you don't appear to be on any kind of records," the voice faltered, before snapping at them. "Leave at once!"

"What!" Jessie raged, pulling the camera until it was right in front of her face. "Now look here. I don't know what kind of game or trick you're trying to pull, but cut it out! Let us in, now!"

A hysterical laughter resounded from the speaker, continuing for a good fifteen seconds before the distortion was cut out and a clear, female voice took its place. "Why Jessie…it's been such a long time!"

"Grrr! You again!" Jessie clenched both of her fists and held them up vengefully at the camera. For the voice was none other than that of her arch-nemesis, Cassidy.

"Oh, but I have to tell you that the cleaners have just polished the floors barely an hour ago!" Cassidy continued her teasing. "We wouldn't want it all to get dirty again by letting you in, would we?"

"That's rich, coming from a walking bunny-haired trash compactor of useless junk!" Jessie snapped back, as Cassidy then retorted with an aggravated shout.

"What? I swear, if I ever get my hands on you, I'll-"

"Calm down, Cass. Yelling at garbage ain't gonna make it clean itself up now, is it?" Butch interrupted his partner as she gave a small 'hmph'. "What's the matter, Jimmy-boy? Ran out of shampoo and came crawling back?" he mocked.

"What was that?" James growled. "Why, you little bit-"

"The name's But- hey! That's just crossing the line!" Butch gnarled.

"Hmph! At least I've got hair to begin with, instead of some overgrown evergreen grass wig in its place!" James flicked his head sideways away from the camera with his eyes closed, and his arms folded. "Not to mention a voice which is actually considered to be attractive, instead of drawing flies every time your mouth opens, like yours!"

"Gah! Enough! Get your asses in, and go to the boss instead!" Butch grumbled in exasperation as the metal door slid upwards, then down again once the trio had entered.

"Wow. Talk about some welcome," Meowth sighed as they walked through several corridors and reached the main administrative center where Giovanni's secretary was working away on a computer.

"Jessie, James, Meowth," she said, turning her office chair in their direction to face them. "Welcome back. Butch and Cassidy informed me of your arrival a few minutes ago, and in turn, I have already notified Giovanni. We hadn't been expecting you, nor had he. We were beginning to think that you retired from the organization."

"Oh, no, no, no, it's nothing like that," James chuckled, waving his hands in front of him as he lied. The secretary looked on at them with slight suspicion, unconvinced by James' claim, before turning away to get back to her own business.

"Head to his office. He will meet you soon. But first you must wait for him – he is currently conversing with his son, Silver," she said as she typed on her keyboard, looking forward at her screen. The trio nodded, approached Giovanni's office and stood just a few feet away from the door.

"I'm afraid, Jess," James said to her. "What if he finds out about us?"

"He won't, James," Jessie assured her husband by holding his hand. "There shouldn't have been any way for him to track us at your parents' mansion. We'll just tell him that we, uhh…we lost communication with him?" she said, unsure now even for herself.

"Hey, I think I can hear da boss's voice!" Meowth noted as he carefully treaded towards the door, placing his ear onto it as Jessie and James did the same. Surely enough, they could hear Giovanni speaking to another individual, presumably Silver.

"This is a matter of the utmost importance, my son," Giovanni said. "If the remnants of Team Galactic discover this plot, everything we have worked for could crumble about our own ears."

"It's just a simple reconnaissance and spying mission," Silver scoffed. "And this is me you're speaking to. How hard could it be? I can keep those bumbling Galactic fools coiled around my own fingers, if I wish."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that you're up to the task. You have trained and developed your skills well. I will soon send Domino to watch and observe the actions of that…child…" Giovanni's voice sank to a low growl at the mention of Ash.

"Is that all, father?" Silver asked rather coldly.

"Yes…yes, that is all…Dismissed…" Giovanni replied in an equally frosty way. The trio then instinctively drew away from the door, standing in line moments before Silver opened it without creating as much as a sound on his way to it, or opening it. He was dressed in completely black attire with a coat which extended down to knee-level, and his hair was a shade of bloody red, exactly the way it was known to be by various team Rocket personnel. Soon after his eyes met theirs, Silver stood still as he gave them a condescending glare, before moving past them. None of them made a move to look back, only looking forward at Giovanni as he motioned them in.

"Jessie…James…and…" he was about to say their companion's name, but the low growls of Persian rendered it unnecessary as he smirked at the wincing Meowth. "It has been a long time. Two years, in fact. I trust that you've been well?"

The three of them stood still as rock, but were beginning to sweat nervously as they swallowed in fear. Giovanni smirked again, deciding to end their torment as he continued.

"Never mind that, then. As you are here and I happen to be in need of extra hands, I have a specific task for you: you will act as overseers in the communications department, where they are perpetually contacting our agents who are operating all over the globe, putting our new plans in motion."

"Plans? What are these 'plans' you're referring to, sir?" James asked.

"Never mind that. That is confidential knowledge, kept with me and the senior members of the board and our elite officers, only. As the three of you have been away for such a long time, I thought it best that you re-familiarize yourselves by conducting a simpler job…which I believe that you won't disappointment me in doing?" he leaned forward slightly, intimidating them with his gaze.

"O-o-of course not, sir! We'll get to it right away!" Jessie stammered in fear as the three of them immediately turned around to walk out of the office.

"Before you go," Giovanni stopped them. They instantly began to tremble in their hearts, but bravely did all they could to prevent themselves from shaking. "Might I ask you where you've been for the last two years?"

"We were, ahh…" James stuttered, before coming up with an excuse he deemed feasible. "We were scouting in an island archipelago due far off east of the Sinnoh region, sir!"

"…And why did you not report to me?" Giovanni joined the fingers of his two hands together, wriggling them slowly about.

"We could not establish a signal, sir," James replied, more quickly this time. What Giovanni said next sent all of their hearts plummeting.

"…you lie…one of my elite officers provided me with a full report barely six months ago in that very region you speak of. If she could do so, then I see no reason as to why it proved impossible for you. And if you were indeed there, she most certainly would have come into contact with you, and notified me so. Now…what is the true reason behind your failure to report in?"

Jessie, James and Meowth's mouths gaped slightly with dread and hopelessness, as Jessie and James unwittingly held hands behind their backs. Seeming to notice this, Giovanni relaxed his expression a little, before leaning back into his chair. "Aah…so I see…well, I must bid the two of you congratulations…"

The three of them looked at Giovanni in shock as Jessie spoke. "S…sir…what do you mean?"

"It is now obvious what you have been up to these past two years, now," he grinned. "I thought you had abandoned this organization fully, but now that I see it, your new relationship with each other will only drive you to perform more highly than before, individually and also in the organization as a whole. You may go now," he looked down at his desk to continue with his own business – or so he made it seem.

The trio bowed nervously before walking out of the office, shuddering lightly. As the door clicked behind James who closed it behind them, Giovanni put down his papers and looked back up. "The fools…they remain oblivious to the fact that every single personnel in this facility knows about our master plan, except for them. Keep an eye on them, and tell agents Butch and Cassidy to do the same. Report all of their activities to me, without fail," he said.

"As you wish, sir," Domino grinned as she revealed herself from between a large bookshelf and the curtains to the right of the room.

As Jessie, James and Meowth arrived at their workstation at the communications department, they each sank into a chair and let out a heavy sigh of relief. They were currently free from the view of everyone around them, as each workstation had several large computers and monitors arranged in a rounded arch. The computers each produced a low humming noise, with the sound of incessant typing on keyboards from all around. The surroundings were moderately lit (the vast majority of it only because of the blue light emanating from the computer monitors), and metallic things surrounded them everywhere they looked – including the steel floor.

"I thought we were done for back 'dere!" Meowth moaned.

"Me too, Meowth. I thought we'd surely be goners!" James chimed in.

"Oh, cut it out, you two!" Jessie snapped at them in a hushed voice after having a small breather of her own. "We have to help Ash and the others, now! We have to find out what they're planning to do!"

"But I'm scared, Jessie!" James squealed, biting onto his thumbs like a baby. "I'm not sure how long I can take this! The…the pressure is nerve-wracking!"

"Just be quiet for now, James!" Jessie berated him. "Right now, all we can wait for, is for the other agents the boss talked about before, to contact us here at headquart-"

She was cut off as a light beeping noise emanated from the monitor right in front of them, signifying that an agent was reporting in. They peered at it together, Jessie in the middle and James and Meowth to her left and right.

"Well, I guess we should open it up and see who it is," James said. "We have to start somewhere, if we're going to get some clues."

"Right," Jessie said rather weakly as she pressed a button on the console, upon which the monitor switched over to a live picture of the agent who was reporting in. The screen was mostly static with only fragments of the agent viewable throughout, and the audio received was similarly etched and unclear.

"This is Eli.. O..cer Mi…to repo…ing in from the Si..oh reg…..n." the voice incoherently said.

"Huh? What was that?" Meowth held his ear closer to the speaker, as did James. Jessie, however, didn't move a muscle, looking at the monitor with disbelief in her eyes. A series of whizzes and high-pitch beeps could be heard as the Elite Officer attempted to sharpen her transmission, succeeding after a few seconds. The sound of a voice which Jessie had dearly loved and cherished then filled her ears and mind, bringing small tears to form in her eyes.

"This is Elite Officer Miyamoto, reporting in from the Sinnoh region. Please excuse the weak signal. I have just left Mt. Coronet, and I'm still located in mountainous terrain," she said.

"Jessie…" James turned his face to look at his wife, whose tears were now falling down her face.

"Hello? Is someone still there?" Miyamoto asked as she tinkered with her transceiver again, this time the video static decreasing as well, to reveal more of her face. As she brought her gaze upwards from her tuning equipment and opened her mouth to speak, Miyamoto returned Jessie's stunned gaze with one of her own. "J…Jessie? Is that…really…you?"

"…m…mother…?"

(End of Chapter 5)

A/N: Chapter 6 will be uploaded in due time. After wondering about what to put into this chapter, I decided to use it basically as a flashback/remembrance chapter, as I didn't want things to be moving along too fast, just yet.

Although Bulbapedia says that Miyamoto gave Jessie up for adoption herself, I decided to add the section where Madame Boss sends her away because that's in character for her, and Miyamoto is quite close to her, therefore probably being able to entrust Jessie under her care.

Please leave your reviews for this chapter, and remember that you can keep up to date with how this story is coming along, by scrolling to the bottom of my profile to the *Notifications section regarding upcoming stories/chapters*section.