Hello! It is not any old 28th of the month today but it is the 28th July 2023 so that means that Shannon and I have been friends for 11 years now! We said it over on our texts this morning but we can't believe that it has been so long. 11 years of friendship and countless memories and of course, characters we have created together :D To wrap up this story, I wrote a chapter that has been planned since the beginning. It is Jorginho sharing his thoughts with Jessie, James and Meowth, telling them how little he wants them to quit the organisation. I hope you all enjoy :3
Jessie, James, and Meowth,
I can't sleep. You can probably tell as much from the music that I have blaring across the way from you guys. Sorry about that. But I just can't sleep.
I don't even know how to begin other than that. I don't even know what to say. All I wish is that you guys could understand. To be honest, I wish that I could understand. I wish that I could understand why I'm so hesitant to let go and yet so bundled up in walls like you wouldn't believe.
Most of all, I wish that you weren't leaving Team Rocket. But you are. And I don't think that there's anything that I can do to change your mind.
I wish I could take back the past few days. I especially wish that I could take back yesterday. God, I'll never forgive myself for behaving like such a tool. And I'll never forget the way that you looked at me, James, even less the words that you said. I don't want you to hate me. And it broke my heart the way that we added distance to each other and you pointed a finger at me and you told me that you didn't want to talk to me again. And you certainly didn't want me anywhere near your children.
I'm not a bad guy, I hope you know that I'm not. I was just confused. I was desperate. I want the three of you around. I've gotten so used to little Jazmyn and Justin traipsing behind the three of you or even me at times and I don't want to stop hearing the little pitter patter of their feet as they try and spook me.
I could get used to your new little one doing the same thing. But I know that your choice is made. I know that you are leaving. And there's nothing that I can do.
What is running around my mind the most at nearly three o'clock in the morning is that my actions are probably pushing you further out of the doors of headquarters than ever before. No, they definitely are. And I hate that too.
I wish that you all were staying. And it's not even for reasons that you would think. I know you've heard me run my mouth and tell you that life in Team Rocket is hard but life outside of it will be even tougher. You've heard me say that you are lucky to have the jobs that you have and no way would you find any job that you could do better out there, let alone more reasonable childcare.
You've also heard me say that you are all cowards. That the way of Team Rocket is loyalty and solidarity and you have brought shame to the organization. I don't mean that. You're not cowards. I just want you all to stay. But I know that you don't want to.
I know that you're scared about the future of your children. I know that they've been having increasing nightmares and have been growing restless in this place but they don't have to grow up like some of the people that we used to know. With the three of you protecting them, I do not doubt that they could grow up to turn things around in this place.
And despite what I pray that you do not think, I would never hurt them. Would never confuse them. If you stayed, I would protect them like my own. In some weird way, they do feel like my own. The three of you feel like my own.
My heart is now splintered at the thought of you leaving.
If things were different and I had behaved better then we could lie to ourselves, could lie to each other, and say that even if the three of you leave that that doesn't mean that we have to stop being so close. We don't have to stop being friends. But how could that be true?
When you leave this place, you will find jobs even though I said that you wouldn't. Long-forgotten dreams would ignite in your mind and you would turn them from ideas to as solid as you or I. You'll get a place of your own like you've always wanted. Maybe rent an apartment on the outskirts of the woods. If your dreams serve you well enough perhaps you would even buy a house surrounded by nothing but snow like Jessie always used to imagine.
The point is, you would forget about me. Even if I never forgot about you. And that's the thing that hurts the most.
I want you to stay. I'm selfish, I know, but I want the late-night movie marathons where Jessie falls asleep before my cheesy movies even get good, and Meowth needs a shit ton of catnip just to see it through. And I want James to listen to my trivia about each scene so intently that even I can't tell whether he's bored out of his mind or not.
I want to keep minding your children so you can have time to yourself. I love when Justin gets his grubby little fingers on my bounty collector helmet even if I tell him not to with a smirk, and I don't think I could be without the way that Jazmyn hugs onto my calf, resting her little cheek against my knee.
I want late-night movies. I want the babysitting. I could even take a pass on the smoking and the drinking and God knows what else. I just want you guys around. I just want to wake up knowing that you're across the hall. I just want to wake up knowing that you're there. I don't even want to think about what it'll be like when I have to watch someone move into where you used to be.
It'll always be your place. Even if it's not.
I don't speak to my family anymore. They weren't a real family. It was mostly all lies. But you guys, the three of you, you have always been the truth. My truth. My new family. My new real family.
They say that blood is thicker than water but the sturdiest thing of all is the thread that ties all of us. At least, it was.
Now I fear that it has stretched too far and too long that it has snapped altogether.
Deep down I know that it's my fault. That is why I'm telling you all this. Before it is too late. Before you really don't want to hear from me again. I have to tell you that I want you to stay. And if you do stay, you won't have to worry about anything. I'll see that you are treated right. That your kids will always be protected. You wouldn't want for anything.
But you want just nothing, do you? You want a life outside of this place. A life outside of chasing those kids and away from Butch and Cassidy and Atilla and Hun and even little Christopher, God rest his soul. You want a life outside of me. I'll always be on the periphery of you.
But I swear to God, the three of you, will always be the biggest part of me.
I love you guys more than you could know. I wouldn't be without any of you.
Jessie, how I adore how you keep me on my toes and you look at me like you could hit me when I know there's something in you that wants to look out for me. And Meowth, you're the bravest being I know. You always do the right thing. Even if you loathe to admit it yourself.
James, you are the heart of Team Rocket, let alone your little trio. The kindest damn person I ever met and I swear that I don't even care that I'll be missing out on your thoughtfulness. It hurts more that I won't see what you'll continue to do for everyone else.
If the three of you, however, can do one thing for me then it's this:
Please don't forget me if you do have to go. Please fight so hard that even if you do find yourself forgetting that something draws your memory back to me. Even if it's just once a year. I just want to be remembered by you at all.
Jazmyn and Justin and the new little one – be good for Jess and Jim and for yourselves. You're already better little people than anyone and I'll always keep an eye on the horizon and an attentive ear in the hopes that I'll know what you do with yourselves at my age.
Jess – you drive me crazy every single day. But now I know I'll be driven crazy by your absence and haunted by the memory of you barging down my door at least every other morning to borrow my hair brush.
Meowth – your dreams have always been worthy. You did the unthinkable when you became the person that you wanted so even if I am not around to see it, I hope that you'll never stop knowing that you can do anything. "Today is the first day of the rest of your life".
And James – damn.
James.
I can only wish—
There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :) So yeah, the reason that this one is a Letter That Changed Everything is because, as you can see, the ending is abrupt. The letter doesn't get finished, let alone sent. If it had been, then I wonder if it really would have changed all that much? I'm sure at the time, Jorginho tells himself that it wouldn't. But I think that it would have. Even if they ended up not being friends in the end, I think they would have at least had a couple more years together. I think I'm going to tackle this whole moment using Pikachu Tales one day. Even I'm curious; what makes Jorginho stop writing? Is he interrupted by someone? Do they snatch it away from him? I guess we will all see :P Thank you again for not only reading this chapter but this whole story in general! It's been a fun one. And while I think I ran away with lots of OC ideas when it was meant to be more characters from the anime, I think I still did what I wanted to do :D Commencing August 28th I will be starting a new series that will be uploaded on the same date every month and will be called Rocket Daze, I believe. I think it will contain some letters as this has been a format I've followed for a while! But I am excited to try some new formats too. And like the name suggests, it will be all the goings on in Team Rocket, whether it's the TRio or other characters :) I might see you then. I'm still on hiatus for Pikachu Tales but will be back uploading that one in September :3 See you when I see you!
Amy signing out :P
(P.S: Of course, thank for Shannon for 11 years of our madness and all the times we've shared. My writing wouldn't be anything without you and our conversations and our characters 3)
