On the mountain, Ash again shielded himself as the blast faded and particles from the shattered basket and the balloon began to rain down. He looked up, shaken and stunned. "James. . . ." He reached out, catching several green fragments of basket and several cream scraps of balloon. What if . . . what if James was also . . . oh, that was too horrible to think about. Team Rocket had survived so many electrocutions, so many fireballs and explosions. . . . But they had always been miraculously thrown clear. This time, James hadn't been. There was no sign of him in the sky, no yelp of "Team Rocket's blasting off again!" There was really only one explanation.
"He's gone," Ash whispered. He hadn't thought the death of any Team Rocket member would affect him so deeply, but under the circumstances this one definitely did. Blinking back tears, he turned back to the pedestal and set the gem in place.
Immediately a bright light shot out from the jewel, encapsulating everything in its path. Ash was thrown back, dangerously close to the edge.
"Ash!" Misty cried out from below.
The lightning and wind ceased. The ground no longer trembled. In the distance, the volcano was still. A gentle rain fell now, a healing, cleansing rain.
The Pyros were also at peace. One by one, they released the captured Pokemon and let them drift gently back to earth. Ash slid down the mountainside to the plateau, holding out his arms for Pikachu. "Pikachu!" he cried in joy.
"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed.
The other members of Ash's Pokemon team gradually floated down to the plateau as well. Ash and Pikachu hurried to each in turn with cries of, "Welcome back, guys!" and "Pi-Pikachu!" Already on the ground, Charizard emerged from his bubble and joined them with a roar.
Misty and Brock linked hands and twirled about in a happy dance while their Pokemon leaped down around them. Togepi happily trilled. Onix scooted over to them, happily growling.
Almost as soon as the celebration had started, however, it ground to a halt. Ash looked over at Jessie and Meowth, who were both simply staring over the edge of the plateau. Jessie's fists were clenched. Meowth scrambled up her side and clung to her shoulder, his ears and tail drooping. The other Team Rocket Pokemon went over to them, looking saddened as well.
"Jessie," Misty said slowly. "Meowth. . . ."
"Okay, so the world's been saved," Jessie brusquely snapped. "But at James' expense. I know this doesn't mean anything to you, so why don't you just leave us alone now?" She scrambled down the plateau to the bottom, still with Meowth riding on her shoulder. Arbok and the other Team Rocket Pokemon followed, slowly and sorrowfully.
The younger kids looked at each other in stricken sorrow and hurried after their enemies.
"Wait, Jessie!" Ash called. He stumbled as he slid down to the ground, but righted himself and chased after her. "It does mean something," he insisted as he caught up. "It means a whole lot."
"Pika," Pikachu said sadly.
"Oh, don't try to fool us," Jessie retorted. "It never meant anything to you when it looked like we were done for."
"Like when we sacrificed ourselves to save the world," Meowth added. "It's not like you twerps ever thought about us or tried to find us or anything. Just as long as the world was back to normal, that was enough for you and it didn't matter what happened to us."
"That's not true!" Ash cried. "When we thought you guys were dead, we did try to find you!"
"And when we couldn't, we had kind of a funeral for you," Misty said. "We threw some flowers in the water."
"But before we left, Slowking said he'd seen you and that you were alright," Ash said.
"Hmph," Jessie grunted.
"I wasn't there, but if they say that's what happened, it happened," Brock declared.
Meowth jumped down to the ground. "Well, maybe so," he said. "But we just got lucky that time. This time, James ain't coming back. There's nothing to even find!"
Misty stared out at the area. "What a horrible way to go," she said softly. "He must be everywhere. . . . He didn't deserve that. . . ."
Jessie tuned them all out. She stood at the water's edge, her fists clenched. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. Anger, definitely, both at James and at the Pyros that had killed him. Stupid bird. . . . So it couldn't take its precious gem being gone and it threw a temper tantrum? What right did it have to murder James, especially when the twerp had said that he wasn't its enemy? Why wouldn't it listen? And stupid James. . . . How dare he do something so foolish, so hopeless, and leave her and Meowth without him?
It wasn't hopeless, though. By buying Ash those precious seconds, he had saved them all.
Tears somehow slipped from her eyes and then wouldn't stop. She wouldn't be so angry if her heart wasn't broken. Just like that, James was gone. She could picture him in her mind, laughing and making that silly peace sign. His ridiculous fascination with cross-dressing. Him showing on so many occasions that he still had more conscience than she did. Him pleading with her not to try to steal the gem or the Pyros.
That last sad smile and farewell. . . .
Her knees grew weak and she collapsed on the island's shore, gazing helplessly into the water. It had been so violent only moments before, but now it had quieted down and was starting to bring in assorted debris with the tide. Green and cream pieces of the balloon were scattered across the surface like confetti. All that was left of her best friend.
"You know, it's kind of funny that there's all these scraps but nothin' of James." Meowth scrambled down from Jessie's shoulders and picked up several pieces of the balloon as they washed ashore.
"It's better that way," Jessie said morosely. "I don't even want to think about . . ."
Meowth really didn't either. But since he always had thought things out more than his friends, it was almost impossible not to envision it. He stared blankly at the scraps from the balloon before falling to his knees. No matter how much he had insisted he wasn't a crybaby, he didn't care if the tears flowed now.
As the guys on the team, he and James had shared a special bond, sometimes commiserating over Jessie's abuse. But then there had been times when James had acted out too, albeit not as much. Meowth had abused James far more often than the reverse. Now he looked down sadly at his claws. They had all been trying to improve, but with James gone, he couldn't help wishing they had improved far more than they had. Especially himself.
It's all over now, Buddy, he said silently. I'll take good care of Jessie, I'll promise you that. But we'll never be the same.
He sobbed, covering his eyes with his front paws.
Brock was silent, staring at the catastrophe with clenched fists.
Misty looked to him in surprised concern. "Brock?"
Brock's voice was thick when he answered. "It shouldn't be James out there. If it was going to be any of us, it should have been me."
Misty gasped. "Brock, what are you talking about?! Of course it shouldn't be you! Think about your family! Think about Ash! And your Pokemon! Even me!"
"Vulpix-Vul," Vulpix nodded in agreement.
"None of us would ever want you to sacrifice yourself!" Misty cried.
"I'm supposed to look out for you and Ash," Brock said. "And my family and Pokemon too. Instead, I was inefficient, completely helpless to do anything but just sprawl there and watch someone else sacrifice himself for someone he doesn't even like! Now he's dead and the ones who love him are devastated!"
"James sacrificed himself for his loved ones, just as you would have done," Misty said softly. "He wanted the world to be safe for Jessie and Meowth."
"I'm hardly ever home anyway," Brock said. "My siblings all have each other and their friends. You and Ash have each other and your Pokemon. And my Pokemon are friends with yours. Jessie and Meowth are all alone. No one else cares about them. They really loved James and now he's gone."
"Look, Brock," Misty suddenly snapped, her eyes flashing. "Whoever sacrificed himself would leave behind a lot of unfinished business and loose ends! What really should have happened was for nobody to have to do this. Those stupid birds wouldn't listen to reason! They made it necessary!"
"And if James hadn't been there . . . Ash would have died," Brock said. "While we all would have watched." He looked away. "I never wanted that to happen again."
The anger and frustration died away as Misty looked helplessly at her friend. "Oh Brock. . . ."
"I'll always be grateful to James," Brock said then. "But I'll also always feel like it should have been me."
Ash, who had been silent, finally spoke. "I think I understand. . . . I know how I'd feel if any of my Pokemon sacrificed themselves. . . . I'd rather it was me. I didn't want it to be James! But Brock, I wouldn't want it to be you either!"
"Pikachu," Pikachu said sadly.
"The only solution would have been for no one to have to do it," Ash said. "If I just could have made it up that mountain on my own, and without the Pyros trying to attack me. . . ."
"But you couldn't have, Ash," Misty said. "And James was the only one who was able to help you."
"Yeah." Ash looked down at the remnants of the Team Rocket balloon in the water. "I guess out of everyone in Team Rocket he was the one who always seemed to have the most conscience, but I still wasn't expecting him to sacrifice himself. I never expected it of the whole group in the past either. . . . But they all survived it then. And they've survived so many explosions when their plans have blown up. . . . Why couldn't James have survived this one, especially when he was trying to do the right thing? Why?" He blinked back the tears forming in his eyes.
"I don't know," Misty said softly. "He should have. But sometimes things don't go the way they should. I used to wonder why my parents died when I was so young. I'll probably never really know the answer. It was just one of those things. Death rarely makes sense."
"It sure doesn't." Ash stared at the slowly lapping shoreline. "It won't be the same without him around. . . . I . . . I'll actually miss him. And when he died like this, I . . . I'm not sure I'll get over it."
"I'm not sure any of us will," Misty said.
Brock strongly doubted it. And he knew Jessie and Meowth never would.
"H-Hey," Meowth suddenly gulped. "Some of this water's red. . . ." He stared as the crimson water hit the bank.
Jessie leaped to her feet. "Red?!"
"That's awful!" Misty exclaimed. "But . . ."
"Why is it red?" Ash blinked.
Brock was staring at the next wave of incoming tide. "That's why," he gasped.
Everyone stared.
"James. . . ." Jessie's voice was filled with mixed emotions. She stood near the water's edge as it brought in a battered and bleeding body, then ran ahead to the limp form. The clothes were in tatters, revealing painful cuts and burns, and the light blue hair was soaked through with the ocean's water. It was obvious he was dead.
Misty's eyes widened. "That's . . ."
"It's incredible he's still in one piece," Brock breathed. "But just barely."
Ash ran over, his heart pounding. "James saved me!" he cried. "He saved all of us! He's not . . ."
"Ash . . ." Brock caught up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "There's no way he could still be alive."
"But . . ." Ash just stared. "He wasn't blown up," he protested feebly. "He has to be alright. . . ."
As the rain slowed to a stop, Jessie dragged the limp form farther onto the grass and knelt down, frantically searching for breath or a pulse. Of course there was nothing, but she wasn't willing to give up. Instead she pushed on James' chest, desperate to get him to release whatever water he might have swallowed.
"Come on," she hissed, pushing back the next wave of tears that threatened to spill over. "Cough! Breathe! James, don't do this to me! Wake up! Wake up!"
But all of her efforts and pleas were in vain. There was no response, nor would there be. At last she slumped back, her eyes empty and numb. The last spark of hope had been ripped from her heart. "It looks like . . . Team Rocket's blasted off for good," she choked out.
"He's really gone," Meowth said in grief. When they had found the body after thinking there wasn't one, it had seemed like one more chance. To realize it was futile was a second blow after the first.
"No. . . ." Ash turned, looking up at the Pyros flying overhead. "Why did you do this?!" he screamed in anguish and pain. "He wasn't doing anything wrong! He didn't deserve this! He didn't . . ."
The one who had attacked paused and stared down, only now fully realizing what it had done. It wailed in sorrow, the sound echoing off every tree and mountain.
"Dead," Ash whispered. "He's really dead." The tears slipped from his eyes.
He only belatedly realized that Misty and even Brock were crying too. James had been their enemy, yet he had aided them more than once when they had sorely needed it.
He wouldn't anymore.
To Ash's surprise, Pikachu suddenly jumped down and ran over. "Pikachu!" he exclaimed as he leaped on James' chest.
Jessie rocked back. "What are you doing?!"
"I think I know," Brock exclaimed. "Pikachu doesn't want to accept that James is gone."
"Really?" Jessie looked skeptical. "After all the times we've tried to grab him, he should be overjoyed that James is dead."
"Pikachu," Pikachu retorted. He placed his front paws above James' heart.
"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash cried. "Thundershock! Not a big one, but enough to try to restart his heart!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. He pressed down as the electricity passed from him into James' body. There was a jerk and then stillness.
Meowth held a paw to James' neck. "Still nothin'," he said sadly. "It's a great effort, Pikachu, but I'm afraid it's hopeless."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu shot back.
"Try it again, Pikachu!" Ash pleaded.
Pikachu nodded and did so. Again James jerked and then was still.
This time Jessie reached to feel for a pulse. "He's not coming back," she said softly, sadly. "He was my best friend, but I treated him badly so much of the time. I was trying to change, but . . . how could I have hurt him so much? Oh James. . . ." She brushed the hair away from his closed eyes.
When she spoke again, her voice had lowered, clearly meant only for James. "I always used to wonder how we ended up friends. We met at Pokemon Tech and then went on to the bicycle gang . . . and we were always so different and arguing so much. When we left the gang and went our separate ways after another argument, I thought that was it. Then we met again in Team Rocket and it just went from there. . . . We never stopped arguing, but we ended up so close in spite of it. . . .
"Remember Latios and Latias, the brother and sister legendary Pokemon? They were always together. They were even red and blue." She smiled slightly, but quickly sobered. "But then Latios died and Latias had to go on alone. I don't know how I'm going to go on without you, James. I would rather have died with you than to live without you. Only I wouldn't want Meowth to be here alone either."
Of course there was no response. Jessie shut her eyes tightly and the tears slipped free. She had thought they were all spent, but she had been wrong.
"He knew you loved him, Jessie," Meowth said.
"Did he?" Jessie sounded far away now. "I remember when I saved him from the ghost at Maiden's Peak. He looked so awed when he thought I did it for him. But I denied it. The ghost did disgust me; that guy couldn't have been all that she thought he was or he would have come to her after he died. He wouldn't have let her wait for him for centuries! But what angered me the most was how she manipulated people and cast spells over them to selfishly make them want to be with her. James didn't want to go with her, but she was forcing him. And I got so mad I blasted her."
"You didn't fool James," Meowth said. "Or me. We knew you did it for him."
"We're not giving up yet!" Ash insisted. "Pikachu, try it one more time!"
"Pika-chuuu!" Pikachu put everything he had into the blast. When the electricity faded, he was exhausted. He flopped down on James' chest with a weak, "Chu . . ."
Ash sighed sadly. "Don't feel bad, Pikachu. You did your best." He reached out, gently stroking the rodent's head.
"Chu," Pikachu whispered. Come back, James. . . . Wake up. . . . Please. . . .
Misty brought her hands together as she said a quiet prayer under her breath. Brock did likewise.
So did Ash. I know he's been our enemy, but now he was a friend. We'd probably all be dead if he hadn't distracted that Pyros long enough for me to put the gem back. Please save him. Please let him live. . . .
Meowth looked up at them. "They're sayin' prayers for him. Maybe we should join in?"
"God never did me any favors," Jessie muttered. "Remember? I used to pray for Him to bring my mother back. He never did."
"Maybe she was beyond helping," Meowth said. "But maybe James isn't."
"After all this, you can say that?" Jessie retorted. Still, she couldn't deny the stirring in her heart. If there was one chance, just one chance . . . ! She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes.
Would You, God? Would You save a thief who was trying to make good? My best friend. . . . He's never really been bad, even though he's tried for the sake of his job. But even Team Rocket can't corrupt him. Deep down, his heart is still good.
I shouldn't be asking anything of You. I wouldn't, if it was for myself. But for James . . . will You save him? Please, God. . . .
She dared to open an eye. Even Meowth and Pikachu looked like they were praying. In the sky above, the Pyros were still flying, but much slower and quieter.
After a moment Pikachu sat up, still weakened. Nevertheless, he placed his paws on James' chest once more.
Ash looked at him worriedly. "Are you sure, Buddy?"
"Pika," Pikachu insisted.
"Alright," Ash said. "If you're sure it's not too much for you."
"Pika-chuuuuu!" Once more the electricity, usually so damaging but this time trying to return life. Pikachu held it as long as he could. Then he stopped, moaned, and slipped off of James' body into Ash's arms.
"Nobody could've tried harder," Ash told him. "You did good, Pikachu." He hugged his best friend close.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said softly.
James lay there, still so quiet, the breeze tenderly tousling his hair. In the right light, it almost looked like he wasn't as deathly pale anymore.
"James?" Jessie whispered. "You're not . . . back, are you?"
At first there was nothing. But then, slowly, unbelievably, a weak stirring. James' fingers curled on the grass as he struggled to open his eyes. "Jessie . . . ?"
Everyone froze. They had all longed for it and prayed for it, yet it had seemed too impossible, too out of their reach. Now it had come true and no one was sure how to react or if it was really real.
"James?" Her hand shaking, Jessie touched James' face. "You're alive?"
James reached up, laying a tattered gloved hand on hers. "Yes."
Meowth whooped. "He's alive! He's back with us!"
The other Team Rocket Pokemon cheered.
Ash beamed. "Alright!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed.
"He's alive!" Misty cheered.
"This is wonderful," Brock smiled. "But he still must be badly hurt. . . ."
James definitely was. He grimaced as he slowly tried to sit up. "I thought I was done for . . ."
"You almost was!" Meowth said. "But Pikachu just wouldn't give up!"
"Pikachu?" James blinked in disbelief.
"Yeah, he just kept shocking you and shocking you, trying to restart your heart!" Meowth said. "And it was only after . . ." He trailed off.
"Only after we were all praying that it actually worked," Jessie finished. She rocked back, somewhat shaken.
James wasn't sure what stunned him more. He looked to the little yellow rodent. "You really did that for me, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu," Pikachu nodded.
"God really . . ." James stared into the distance. "He really let that work? For me?"
"Pika," said Pikachu.
James came back to the present. "Thank you, Pikachu, for not giving up on me." And thank God, I suppose. . . . That's so much to take in, that He would do anything for me. . . .
A screech from the Pyros who had killed him brought all of their attention up. It was descending now, but without murder in its eyes. Instead it gently touched James' shoulder with its beak. To everyone's astonishment, the wounds began to glow and mend.
"What . . . why?" James whispered, turning his hands back and forth as even the smallest cuts mended. "How?"
"And why didn't it do this before?!" Jessie demanded.
The bird gave a long chirp.
"He says he can't bring people back from the dead, so he figured there was no hope," Meowth said. "But now that James is alive, he can heal up the other wounds he caused."
Ash laughed for sheer joy. "Alright!"
Bewildered, James looked up at it. "Thank you . . ."
"Why thank the creature that did that to you?" Jessie sniffed.
"It still didn't have to heal me," James said. "After Tyson dared to remove that gem in the first place, it must have hated all Team Rocket uniforms with a passion."
"Yeah, and the gem not being there was making all those guardian Pokemon go nuts," Meowth said. "They probably couldn't tell friend from foe, just like when . . . when Butch and Cassidy controlled me. . . ."
"Hmph. Maybe," Jessie grumped.
"In any case, I'm just glad I'm better," James said. "But I'm afraid the balloon is completely shot. . . ."
"So we'll get a new one," Jessie retorted. She hesitated, then pulled James into an embrace. "We couldn't get another you."
Meowth hugged James close too. "Did you . . . feel anything, Jim?" he asked softly. "Or hear anything? Go anywhere?"
"No . . . I don't think so," James said slowly, returning the hugs. "I don't remember going anywhere. I think I'd remember something like that. There was the explosion and I was falling. . . . I remember thinking that was the end and wondering why I wasn't dead yet. Then I hit the water and my heart must have stopped." He shuddered.
"Well, it's started again now," Jessie said, "and it had better not stop again!"
"I most thoroughly concur," James said emphatically.
"Hey, James. . . ." Ash came over and bent down. "You really came through for us . . . for all of us. I'm really sorry you had to get hurt, but thanks. A lot."
James definitely looked awkward, even somewhat embarrassed. "I didn't know what else to do," he said. "Everyone else was down. Making sure the gem was put in place seemed our last chance."
"You were right." Ash held out a hand.
Stunned, James accepted it and got to his feet. Jessie and Meowth rose with him.
"We actually made a pretty good team," Ash said. "Why do you guys stay with Team Rocket anyway? You can be good guys when you really try."
The trio exchanged looks. "We don't have anywhere else to go," Jessie admitted.
"If you really wanted to get started on an honest path, we'd help you," Misty said.
"That's right," Brock said.
"I don't know," Jessie said haltingly.
"We probably couldn't stick with it," Meowth said.
"We'll think about it," James said.
"Right now there's something else to think about," Misty realized. "How are we going to get back to the mainland?!"
That question was answered when the sound of a motorboat reached their ears. In a moment it arrived onshore and Father Joe jumped out. "What's going on?" he demanded. "I saw the explosion at the church!"
Everyone looked at each other and then back to Father Joe. "A lot went on," Ash said at last. "But we're all okay now."
Father Joe was barely listening. He had caught sight of James and was staring at him. "You should be dead," he gasped.
James rubbed the back of his neck. "I was dead," he admitted. "I was brought back."
Father Joe crossed himself and smiled. "Thank God."
Jessie bowed her head. "I can't deny it. God brought him back to me. And Pikachu."
"Pikachu," said Pikachu.
James smiled too.