"Cheers to Meowth!" the three of them raised their glasses of tea, above their bowls of ramen. They were eating at Jessie and James, compliments of their friend Christopher. None of them could afford to have a proper celebratory meal after their latest failed mission, but they were happy to be back together nonetheless. This was their first proper meal out since Meowth had come back. They had been laying low for a few weeks, but finally decided to take a chance and find a branch of their namesake ramen shop.
Jessie and James dug into their bowls of noodles, finishing before Meowth could even take a bite. Christopher came out of the kitchen. "I'm so happy to see you two again. How is everthing?"
"Can I have some more noodles? This soup is excellent." said James.
"Me too! It's so delicious I want some more, too!"
James raised an eyebrow. "Jessie, you must be hungry today, usually you don't order seconds." Jessie nodded. "Yea, I'm really hungry..." she reached for the little pot of garlic on the table. James tilted his head slightly to the side. Jessie didn't have a very defined palate, but she never liked the smell of garlic before either. He chose not to say anything and added a bit of soy sauce to his bowl.
Christopher chuckled. "So is the boss giving you trouble, Jessie? You seem a little more...stressed...than usual."
Jessie slurped her noodles with a certain fierceness.
Christopher looked at James with almost sympathetic eyes. "Why don't you two quit? I mean, this is just me, but I think I made a good choice opening up a ramen shop. James, haven't you ever thought about doing something else?"
James looked at Jessie again. (Maybe...a flower shop. With Jessie. But Jessie just wants to get to the top, she wants to make her mother proud, either by becoming an elite Team Rocket agent like her, or winning a contest...she would never settle for a simple, comfortable life with me.)
Christopher smiled. "James, did I say something wrong? I seem to have lost you."
James broke out of his thoughts. "Um, no, I-"
But another customer came in and Christopher was attending to him in an instant. Jessie was focused on finishing every last drop of her ramen. Meowth was just finishing his first bowl, because he had trouble eating hot things.
They thanked Christopher for his service, and then made their way back to their base in Unova. When they arrived, it was already nighttime, and Jessie promptly fell asleep on her half of the futon.
The next morning, James woke up before Jessie and started to make breakfast. He toasted bread, and made some eggs, and then changed into his uniform. He was just putting the food onto 3 plates when Meowth strolled lazily in.
"mornin'" he croaked.
"Good morning." James stopped, puzzled. "Is Jessie...awake yet?"
"No, she's still snorin' All she did yestaday was eat some noodles, you tink she built a house or sometin from da way shes sleepin!"
James looked serious. " I think I'll risk waking her up. The food's getting cold."
He went into her room and gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Jessie, wake up, breakfast's ready"
Jessie groaned and pulled the blankets over her head.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm just...tired...ok? just leave me alone."
"But..there's breakfast..."
"I'm not hungry, just leave me alone!"
James was concerned, but knew that listening to Jessie was always the most painless way to spend the day, and went back to the kitchen and quietly put some plastic-wrap on Jessie's portion and put it in the refrigerator.
They quietly spent the day inside. Jessie eventually woke up, and just ate toast. James asked her if she ever had a bad reaction to garlic, and Jessie said no, puzzled.
Over the next few weeks, Jessie's condition concerned James more and more. She either ate like she was starving, and ate things that she usually wouldn't eat, or she would complain that she just didn't feel hungry. She slept more, and she seemed more irritated and moody, even for Jessie. And she started to take even longer in the bathroom in the morning, but she always came out not having her makeup on yet, and looking sick. James spoke up.
"Jessie, I think something's wrong. You should see a doctor."
and then Jessie said something that surprised James.
"You're right."
James stepped back, and looked at her. "I am?"
Jessie nodded. "Let's go see Maria."
Maria was the head doctor and medical scientist at Team Rocket. She was well-versed in areas of sports medicine and mental health. She oversaw the operations of the HQ clinic and trained the staff in first aid and physical evaluation and therapy for Rocket agents-to-be in training, and had been since Jessie's mother was a Rocket. She was like their family physician, and administered all of the basic vaccines and immunization shots to Jessie when she was growing up. Since losing her mother, and being in foster homes, Maria and The Boss were the closest thing to a family for her. Even though she didn't like being soft, it was a little bit comforting to be in the company of Maria.
Jessie and James made the journey back to HQ to see her. The HQ had its own 'clinic' of sorts inside where they conducted all of the physicals for new agents, treated injuries, and next to it was the medical laboratory where they researched new kinds of Pokemon medicine. Jessie and James made their way to the front desk of the clinic and were greeted by a young agent-in-training.
"We're here to see Maria." started Jessie
"Do you have an appointment?" said the polite young girl.
Jessie and James looked at each other. "Um...no..." said James sheepishly.
"I thought I recognized that voice! Jessie, James, how are you two?" Maria walked into the front room. She was a slim woman who had aged very gracefully. Her eyes were a dark blue behind thick black rimmed glasses, and her long silver hair was tied in a simple ponytail down her back. She wore a white lab coat over a black collared shirt with an R on the chest pocket and black trousers, with modest black shoes.
James spoke first. "I'm fine, but I'm afraid Jessie isn't. That's why we came to see you."
Maria's expression turned serious. "What seems to be the problem, then, Jessie?"
Jessie looked into her dark blue eyes. There was something about Maria, that made her feel like she could tell her anything. "I've been feeling...strange."
James continued. "Sometimes she eats a lot, and sometimes she says she feels sick and doesn't want to eat, and sometimes she eats things she never liked before, and.."
"And I've been feeling really tired."
Maria couldn't help but be amused by the way they were taking turns telling the story. "And how long has this been happening?"
Jessie and James looked at each other.
"A few weeks?"
"Yea, a few weeks, I think."
Maria led Jessie to a chair. "James, I think you should step out. I have some more questions to ask Jessie, and...I may have to do a blood test." she said with a little laugh.
James pouted. "I don't faint at the sight of blood anymore."
"Ok, I believe you, but you still need to step outside."
James nodded and stepped out to wait with Meowth.