Chapter Five

It was her first test as an official Team Rocket member, to face Ash and try to steal his Pikachu. There were no mixed feelings towards doing the act, it seemed fairly simple to snatch the little pokemon, but Team Rocket was unable to do this for years. She felt sorry for it; for she spent many earlier years traveling with it and watching it grow. Though her feelings were numbed, she still felt anxious to see Ash, and her other friends who would no doubt think poorly of her for doing this.

She climbed into the balloon with Jessie and James and watched the sun begin to bleed into the horizon and the sky delve into night. The air was chilly, and Misty was confused as to how Jessie could appear so calm like the wind didn't affect her at all. She found it difficult to look at James after that confusing event. Nothing had happened, but it still unnerved her that she had been so forward, and he so willingly accepted it. What's happening to me? I can hardly think straight at times.

Misty could hardly concentrate on the plan Jessie was laying out for them, all she could focus on was the twinkling lights of the unknown city to which they were traveling too. They were traveling all day, and it didn't make Misty feel any better that her friends had gotten so far away, that means they didn't even attempt to find her.

She raised her chin, not allowing these feelings to come back inside of her. She was a part of Team Rocket now, and should better start acting like it so Jessie and James don't put her back in that cell. It felt as though the shadows from the cell entered into her body, for she could not seem to shake the darkness away from her. Everywhere she looked there were ominous silhouettes flickering, taunting her. Now that the twilight had set, it was worse. Everything was being plunged into darkness; when she'd much rather curl up next to a Charmander's tail.

She heard Jessie mention how close they were to where their target was, and Misty felt herself tense. She wasn't ready to do this, it was too soon. Her mind started racing, looking for potential opportunities to redirect Team Rocket so she didn't have to face them, or face the cell. She started to panic, eyes searching frantically for some escape, any idea to free her from this oncoming occurrence.

"James, lower the balloon," Jessie said, hands akimbo.

"Wait!" Misty shouted louder than she had intended, causing both of her new companions to flinch.

"I knew she wouldn't do this," Jessie muttered, and then said, "What is it?"

She had to think fast, she couldn't let them think she was just procrastinating so she wouldn't have to do it. What's valuable to them? That cold whisper came back to her and she shivered. They're after more than Pikachu, what else is there? Her eyes scanned the vista before her, and suddenly she knew what the answer was. Money. A large estate appeared above the trees, smoke billowing out of its chimney.

"There's an estate just up ahead. We should wait until the owners go to sleep. Just think of the wealth and pokemon they have there. With the money that you take, we would have a better chance at capturing Pikachu than merely showing up with this balloon and improvising from there," Misty said hurriedly.

Jessie and James glanced over towards each other, then to the estate. Misty could tell they were considering it and favoring the product of switching their plan. She almost released the sigh of relief that she escaped.

Finally, Jessie smirked and pointed in direction to the estate; James nodded and reset their destination. When they landed on the roof, the three of them hopped out of the basket and crouched low. Misty put her back against a large vent and sidled over towards the roof latch, following her teammates. When they reached it, Jessie put her finger to her lips and motioned for them to stay with the same motion. The door creaked open, and Misty cringed at the noise that seemed deafeningly loud in the night. Once Jessie slipped through, Misty relaxed.

"This was a good idea," James said, sitting beside her. "Low-key, and not our usual, but Jessie's had practice with this before."

"Well, all of you at Team Rocket have, right?"

James shook his head, looking off somewhere Misty couldn't spot. "It hasn't always been this way. Team Rocket just used to steal pokemon. Now there are reports of burglaries and murders coming in, and the boss is ordering some of them. Some members do it for the thrill, or because they feel they have no other option. I've never stolen money, I've never had to," he sighed.

"Why would you leave your life and join this band of crooks if you don't agree with anything their doing, then?"

"I used to be wealthy, my family owned many summer estates in various regions, I believe we have a couple in Sinnoh, though I can't remember. The life of an aristocrat isn't what I had had in mind. I was young and rebellious. Team Rocket offered me freedom from that cage. Jessie didn't have a privileged background like I did."

"Jessie. You act so normal around her, after what she's done to you? Regardless where she came from, she doesn't deserve it."

"Neither does Ash," James replied nonchalantly. Misty felt her heart clench. So he knew about her feelings for Ash, and their situation. She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers. Why was it still so hard hearing his name? He's moved on; he doesn't even care about her wellbeing anymore. "We expected him to come looking for you, and thought maybe we could trade you for his Pikachu, but he never showed. We made our tracks obvious."

Misty's numbness faded away temporarily and allowed her to feel the pain that his statement just caused. Her calm façade crumbled, but she worked to control it again. James's face seemed to have the same reaction, as if it pained him to give her this news.

Jessie's head popped out of the latch, startling Misty and James. There was something wrong; Misty could feel it wafting out of the estate. She crawled over to the latch and climbed into the house. There were crimson stains on the marble tiles. Blood. Nausea swarmed her stomach, and she felt as though she would lose consciousness. There was the crimson liquid on the bottom of Jessie's boot, and she trailed it through the house as she led them towards a particular room.

The darkness swallowed them as they proceeded through the house; even the faint candles in the high sconces didn't sooth her paranoia. The blood trail was thickening, and soon they came upon a puddle of it, and Misty released her stomach contents into a nearby plant. She couldn't tell what kind of pokemon it was, the mass was so mangled that it didn't even resemble anything. James looked slightly disturbed, but he held his composure somehow. Jessie was completely unfazed.

She was emptying a safe's contents into a burlap sack when Misty rejoined the group. She saw various heirlooms: Clamperl's pearls, aged documents, money. If it wasn't for Misty's weakness, that guard pokemon wouldn't have died. Tears welled up in her eyes, what had she gotten herself into?

"Jessie, we should go," James said, his eyes focusing on Misty. His fists were clenched at his side, resisting the urge to comfort her. He had tried to warn her on the roof, but she hardly seemed to listen to that. She was focusing on the Jessie aspect of it, of the lie that he told, that now filled his body with remorse. He didn't understand why he felt that way, or why his heart was beating faster and his body breaking out in sweat. He told lies before, but never had he seen such strength in a woman that has nothing left to be strong for. This woman was going to tear him down, what had he gotten himself into?