Which do you prefer? . . hamon (刃文) “blade pattern” is a visual effect created on the blade by the hardening process . . @japonalia . . #katana #kendo #kenjutsu #muramasa #masamune #japaneseart #japaneseculture #japanese #japan #japao #japon #bushido #musashi #ronin #bujinkan #koryu #kobudo #budo #japonalia #dojo . . by @katana_sword_reviews https://www.instagram.com/p/CIS1HoOJ026/?igshid=jwqy02cvovzk
“1. Accept everything just the way it is. 2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake. 3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling. 4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world. 5. Be detached from desire your whole life long. 6. Do not regret what you have done. 7. Never be jealous. 8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation. 9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others. 10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love. 11. In all things have no preferences. 12. Be indifferent to where you live. 13. Do not pursue the taste of good food. 14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need. 15. Do not act following customary beliefs. 16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful. 17. Do not fear death. 18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age. 19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help. 20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour. 21. Never stray from the Way.”
it’s been so long ago since I last updated my current fanfiction.
Let me tell you why: My mother spent 60 days in hospital and 30 days in rehabilitation. She suffers from a severe liver cirrhosis due to a hepatitis she had as a child.
I visited her every single day and sat at her bedside. The doctors in my hometwon gave her 2-3 more days before she would die and my father and I were able to get her to a better hospital just in time, where she slowly made progress. It was terrible to see how my mother was feeling bad and she could hardly do anything on her own anymore. But now she is feeling much better, she is walking again without aids and has regained some courage. Nevertheless, she is on the waiting list for a liver transplant and I am in the test phase to see if I am a suitable donor. That’s why I was hardly ever active online, but that should change now, because I still love Team Rocket, there were simply more important things in the last three months. I hope you understand. Thank you!
Now, enjoy the new chapter!
«What’s the story with Mew?” Ash spoke up. Jessie and James exchanged meaningful glances. They weren’t sure if they were allowed to talk about a top-secret project of Team Rocket. After all, they would pass on confidential data to third parties and thus risk their jobs. On the other hand, they had long since gambled away another pardon from their boss.
“Go ahead!” Jessie let James go first. He cleared his throat, still not sure if he would enter forbidden territory.
”Giovanni has been working for years on his so-called Mew project. The goal is to find clues and possible whereabouts of this legendary Pokémon. To do this, they interview dozens of people to find out more and get to the bottom of Mew. Anyone who is questioned in a lengthy interrogation is then arrested and shipped off, because they don’t want important information to leak out. Only a few know the exact whereabouts of the deportees and the rumors and stories circulating about them make your blood run cold.” Team Rocket felt in error. The disclosure of such important information would have an aftermath.
Misty could not believe that there was a faint hope of finding her parents alive. “Where are the deportees taken to?” she wanted to know. Jessie and James were humming and hawing, they didn’t want to get more involved. Slowly, Misty’s patience tore. “Come on, guys! You know exactly where my parents could be! So pull yourself together and do the right thing for once” she demanded.
James sighed. “To find them we would have to break into the main base on a pretty deserted island that is not easy to reach. It is surrounded by high fences with barbed wire. Surveillance cameras have been installed everywhere. They can control every single spot on the island, stop intruders and lock them away. It won’t be easy” he explained.
“Why would you break into the main base? You guys work for Giovanni. Don’t you have a member card or something?” Ash thought there something fishy about the whole story.
“Sure we would! But we’ve been suspended, because apparently, I screwed up!” Jessie threw an angry look at James. “Please, stop arguing now! There are more important things right now. For once, can you help us and bring us to this island? I’d be much obliged” Misty did not ask for much. She clung to the last straw of her almost extinguished hope.
Team Rocket turned their backs on them. “Brief review of the situation” Meowth whispered. “Should we help them or should we let them fidget?” Jessie and James considered their options. “The twerpette is looking for her mother, I can understand how it feels to be completely alone in the world, this loneliness can seriously drive you crazy. On the other hand, we have been suspended and another faux pas is out of question. We would have to be even more careful and rely entirely on our spying techniques. Do you think we could bring them in?” Jessie looked into the round. James nodded. “We have already mastered many hurdles. Just think of the Training Days many years ago. We were so inexperienced and green behind the ears, but we still passed with flying colors. Over the years we have acquired innumerable distractions, we can make ourselves practically invisible and nobody would notice that we are sneaking into the taboo area. Maybe we should risk it and should we finally loose our jobs, yes then you know my answer, then we will build up our own business.” He smiled gently but could not win Jessie over yet. They turned around. “We’re going to help you!”
“So is there a truce between us?” Ash asked. “For now,” Jessie shook his hand.
Team Rocket led the young students towards the harbor. There they would board a Rocket transport vehicle disguised as a cruise ship. They took two cabins and would only talk to each other under certain circumstances and when it was really necessary. They were not allowed to attract attention, but Jessie, James and Meowth had some costumes in their luggage that would help to hide their identity.
When Misty, Ash and Brock headed for the dining hall in the early evening, they were welcomed by a brightly lit room. The smell of delicious food wafted towards them, so that their mouths watered. They sat down at a round table a little aside and waited for the promised welcome drink. At the piano, the entertainer showed his talent and invited guests who had already dined to a slow waltz accompanied by violins. Nothing reminded of an undercover mission of Team Rocket. The guests chatted and enjoyed themselves, food was brought on silver trays. Men and women were treated to the most delicious meat and fish dishes they could find on the menu. “Are they serious?” Misty had to refrain from laughing when she discovered Jessie, James and Meowth in their seemingly unremarkable disguise. Jessie and James were dressed as if they came from a Puritan village. Meowth sucked on a pacifier and had a bib on. Ash rolled his eyes. “So much for not attracting attention!” They laughed.
For James the evening went on endlessly. No matter what Jessie was wearing, he could never take his eyes off her. She was a real beauty, even in rags and he was an absolute fool for having missed the chance. Jessie hardly paid any attention to him but stared at the dance floor and the many happy couples, who seemed so carefree. At some point, James could no longer stand the tense atmosphere and left the dining hall under the pretext that he needed some fresh air.
James reproached himself terribly. How could he deceive Jessie like that and put all the blame on her? He was pathetic and a real comrade pig. He had let her down several times before, but this time he had really screwed up. She was hurt and angry and wouldn’t forgive him so easily, even though he had saved her from the ghost Pokémon. It was up to him to smooth things over.
A fresh sea breeze blew through his lavender locks. From far away he could see the harbor of the forbidden island. Each time, it reminded him of the time in Maiden’s Peak, where Jessie had for the first time indirectly admitted that feelings were involved in her rescue operation. James had been obsessed with this deceased beauty and he and Brock almost fell victim to a joking Gastly. James enjoyed reminiscing about their time in Kanto. They were still young and wild and had their whole life as beginner criminals ahead of them. He and Jessie had spent so many nights together, talking, laughing, and sometimes even crying when the situation was simply overwhelming. He found comfort in her and was able to unload his whole burden of the past on her. She listened patiently and could understand only too well how a messed-up childhood made them both what they are today. They were so similar, they simply belonged together, and James wished with all his heart that this strong bond between them would be reborn.
“Am I disturbing you?” Brock had approached him. “There’s quite a lot of air between you and Jessie, right?” James nodded his head but remained silent. “I don’t want to interfere with you too much, just this much: you two are meant for each other. I understood that already as a teenager. You were an unbeatable team, you supported each other and even if you got into each other’s hair, the waves were soon smoothed out. You won’t believe how much I wanted such a relationship back then. You are one heart and soul, and nothing can separate you, not even a stupid argument over trivialities. Tell her how you feel, tell her that you’re sorry and tell her better too early than too late. Please, don’t loose her, you guys are a perfect match!” With these words Brock turned away and left James standing at the railing. “Thank you” the Team Rocket agent muttered and took new courage.
Just as he was about to turn around, Jessie came towards him. It was time to ask her for forgiveness. His breath stopped, he was so nervous. “Jessie, can we talk?” A gentle smile played around her lips, but she shook her head. “Not yet.”
Completely lost in thought, I sat at the bar and watched the singing Meowth on stage. Just like every night. Ever since I got kicked out of the college for future nurses. The talented cat-Pokémon who would work for peanuts held up a mirror of grief, depression and despair to me. « I feel sorry for you, Jessie » he would say while he struck up the next blues song. I cheered him and took a generous sip of the beer in front of me. I tried to let the malty taste of beer melt on my tongue and recover from the strains of the last days. What more could I do with my life? I was a loser, a good-for-nothing, not even capable of learning simplest medical terms and techniques. Why did I even waste another thought on a life in uniform, surrounded by illness and suffering? Because I wanted to help. Because I wanted to prove to the world out there that I had what it takes to make something of myself! I’m not just a hopeless orphan! I’m strong, beautiful and deserve a chance ! I want to decide freely about my life, but fate treated me unkindly. Used by the state, screwed over by men, my life story. I took another big sip, trying to avoid the prying eyes of a young man sitting next to me. He looked quite passable with his lavender locks and the piercing emerald green eyes, but my past has taught me to be careful. He could be just another guy who gives me a hard time, even though he looked anything but dangerous. In fact, he looked as devastated as me. A shy smile flitted across his face.
« Hey, do you need that bottle cap ? » he asked, pointing at the metal seal on the bar counter. I cocked an eyebrow. That was by far the lamest pick-up line I’ve every heard. Nevertheless, he had earned my attention with this question. «Help yourself » I replied. His eyes flashed for a brief moment as he examined the bottle cap. « A really rare find, thank you » he grinned and stowed his precious treasure in his pocket. How pathetic! How miserable must a person be when he feels joy for a bottle cap ? This man became more and more interesting. Judging by his looks, women hat to lie at his feet. Yet here he sits, all alone, collecting garbage.
«My name is James» he introduced himself. «Jessie» we shook hands. «Tell me, Jessie. What brings you to this dump so close to Christmas? Isn’t your family waiting for you? A loving family that appreciates you and cares for you ? Who gives you freedom to develop and takes your dreams seriously ? » I felt a deep sadness. What he told me only existed in fairy tales, a picture-book family is nothing more than a fraud. « Family’s overrated, James » I said, « besides, I really like that singing Meowth» we both laughed.
« Can I get you something to drink ? » James pulled out his wallet. A lot of green bills jumped out at me. ‘Great, a stuck-up aristocrat. A rich, spoiled mama’s boy. That’s all I needed’ I was about to get up and crawl into another corner of the bar, but he held me back. «Please, don’t go! It’s not what it looks like. I’m not a pompous schmuck! To be honest, I’m on the run from this, » he pointed at his money. « Who would voluntarily run away from so much money?» I sat back on my seat waiting for his answer. «Money isn’t everything, Jessie. Not if it means losing your dignity and your will to make free choices » he explained. Then suddenly I realized this man got into trouble and he was seriously trying to escape from it. «Money is all well and good, but if it determines your whole life, you learn to hate it». I couldn’t figure it out at the time.
For a few minutes we sat next to each other in silence while listening to the cat’s singing.£«Would you like to dance?» James reached for my hand an lead me to the dance floor. It was very busy in the bar, people were busting on the floor, so for better or worse we were forced to move closer. I inhaled his tart sent. Although we had known each other for a little over an hour, a certainty unknown to me emanated from him. He was the type of man you would share everything with and who you could trust. He was decent, he laid his hands very carefully on my hips, fearing that he might break me otherwise. «What do you do during the day, Jessie?» he asked. It was incredibly loud on the dance floor, I almost had to shout my answer. « I actually wanted to be a nurse. Unfortunately, that dream has been shattered» disappointed, I let my head down. James lifted my chin and smiled at me. «Don’t give up, Princess ! You’re going to be great, I’m sure of it » his words were so motivating, making the corners of my mouth twitch. It’s been a long time since anyone gave me hope. It was good to hear that encouragment from James. « As a girl, I always wanted to be famous, a real star » I whispered. James looked at me with the kindest eyes. « There she is!»
«What about you?» I wanted to know. He made me twirl around. I wrapped my arms around his neck. « No one has ever asked me that before. I want to be free and my biggest wish is to become a Pokéringer» I could see James was having a hard time answering that question. Could I dare? What did I have to lose? I had no family, no home, no job, no boyfriend. «Then let us explore freedom together! With your pocket money we can travel, discover the world, feast and fall in love», romantic nostalgia was flaring up inside of me. It was time for a fresh start, and with James, I would take it. It seemed to me that he was not completely averse to the idea, but then the slap in the face. «It’s not that simple, Jessie. My life is predetermined. I can’t make decisions of my own free will. Tomorrow I’m a prisoner again. I’ll be married by force, so my parents can maintain their image. Everything’s settled, everything’s in order. I’m so sorry » he sighed. How could I be so naive and dream of a happy life? Each time, I was denied it! «Then this is where we parted ways again, James. After all, you were honest with me from the beginning. Farewell!»
I didn’t turn around anymore, grabbed my coat, pushed the door open and ran out onto the snowy streets. Thickly wrapped, I strolled through the deserted alleys, only hearing the snow trickling softly. «It always comes down to just me», I rebuked myself for being so naive that I really would have given James a chance. I couldn’t get him out of my mind. So courteous and polite, if a little pathetic and shy. Would it had been funny ? Would we have supported each other? Would he have accompanied me on the road to fame ? Would I have cheered him on when he played for victory high up in the skies ? Questions upon questions, the answers to which I would never know.
« Jessie ! » I could hear a faint voice in the distance, probably fate laughing at me. « Jessie ! » There it was again. It approached with heavy steps. I turned around facing James. He was completely out of breath, his cheeks turning red from the cold. «Jessie» he grabbed my hands. «Forget the money, forget the weight on my shoulders. Ever since I spotted you in that bar today, I can’t think about anything else. You’re so different from the women I know. You’re determined, beautiful and talented. I know you’ve got big plans and I want to be with you every step of the way. We can both buy ourselves free from the shackles of society. We can do our own thing, become an unbeatable team. Jessie», he pulled me closer, so close I could feel his breath on my face. « Let’s be free. Let’s dream again, » he proposed. At first I was speechless and completely taken by surprise. We did not know if it would go wrong, but it was worth a try. I nodded. James smiled as if the heaviest burden had fallen off him. He cupped my face and pressed his lips on mine. I had never experienced such an intense kiss. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was a promise. Only the night was our witness. Our lips parted and we looked at each other in silence for a long time. «Yous two can count me in» a familiar voice broke the silence. Meowth tugged at my sleeve. We bent down to him and held each other in our arms. Our little free family.
When dawn broke, the ship entered the port. Jessie, James and Meowth felt nervous, knowing that they would soon break into monitored area. They could only guess at the consequences for this breach of taboo, but Giovanni would certainly give them the riot if their double deceit came to light.
“You can do this, Team Rocket!” Misty tried to encourage her long-time opponents, even if the words of support were used for her own profit. “Do you already have an idea on how you’re going to do it?” Brock intervened. He was curious about Team Rocket’ plan, since they had been fooling the kids with their distinctive costumes for years. Jessie and James gave each other a meaningful look. When it came to costumes and metamorphosis, nobody could hold a candle to them. A little smile flitted across James’ face, because Jessie hadn’t given him that intense look for a long time.
“Don’t worry about that! Here’s what we’ve been thinking about: As cleaners we get access to all rooms and halls, including the room where the files of all interviewed people are archived. As soon as we have the bunch of keys in our hands, we will pretend to do our job. A little wiping, a little dusting, and no one will be suspicious anymore” Meowth explained. His friends nodded in agreement.
“Be careful not to attract attention! This could end badly, for you, but also for me, because maybe we are already close to the solution” Misty expressed her concerns.
“Let the professionals do the work! We will hand you the files in no time, trust us!” James winked at the young woman.
The sirens were already sounding. The day had dawned, and the grunts gathered for roll call in the nearby main square of the island. Now Team Rocket had to hurry. Calculations showed that they had less than seven minutes to skilfully bypass the cameras and alarms without falling into the numerous surveillance traps. To do this, they had to get to the back entrance as quickly as possible, wait until someone accidentally opened the door for a short smoke break, then sneak into the main building and find the staff changing room where they would borrow their cleaning uniforms.
No sooner said than done. Jessie, James and Meowth were way ahead in terms of sneaking up on people. It didn’t take them long to avoid all the traps and, thanks to an inattentive employee, they were able to infiltrate the building unnoticed.
“Here, put this on, James!” Jessie handed him a pair of turquoise dungarees, a mop and a bucket. Fully masked and ready to put their plan into action, they grabbed the bunch of keys hanging unattended on the door frame and worked their way through all the rooms. Nobody seemed to be suspicious. Of course, they were sometimes given somewhat irritated looks and someone would claim to have recognized them, but with the right excuse and a big smile they could dismiss any suspicion of fraud.
So far so good. Their idea with the break-in seemed to bear fruit. They could snoop undisturbed in every room, open closets and drawers to search for the documents about Misty’s parents. Unfortunately, they didn’t find what they were looking for right away and the next danger was looming.
“Jessie! James! Let’s get out of here! Butch and Cassidy just turned the corner. They’ll expose us. Don’t lose any time!” Meowth was visibly excited. They had already spent too much time in this oversized library without finding what they were looking for. The files had to be hidden in another place and any further moment could cost them their heads. Jessie and James rummaged through all the files, threw piles of paper on the floor, searched in drawers for documents about the extraordinary interrogation of civilians. “Just give us a little more time! I think we’re in the right place. I recognize names of families from the Kanto region, they must include Misty’s parents. Stop Butch and Cassidy! Distract them, Meowth!”
Team Rocket worked in lightning speed. They were on the verge of a breakthrough, they were sure of it. There weren’t many stacks left and underneath them they would find answers to the disappearance of the Williams family. “James, I think I found something!” Jessie held up a red envelope marked top priority.
“What are you looking for?” Butch snarled at the cat. “The service personnel has no business being near the library. Get out of here or we’ll call the guards!” Meowth talked his head off, the Grunts were not allowed to discover his friends under any circumstances. “Oh, I just wanted to sort through the papers. Somebody made a real mess of things” Meowth stuttered. Butch pushed him aside and entered the library. “It’s all over”, the cat thought and reckoned the worst, but the room was empty.
Jessie and James just managed to hide in the broom closet. It was terribly cramped, they cowered body to body in a dark corner. Jessie could feel James’ breath on her skin. Just thinking that his lips were very close to hers made her feel a tingling deep inside. They tried not to make a sound, listened intently to whether the steps were moving away. “Sorry, Jess, it’s so tight in here. I almost crush you” James whispered. She had to grin. Knowing him so close, felt familiar and right. Their lips could touch at any moment and maybe that was what Jessie longed for. After all the hardships and misunderstandings, she was ready to forgive James one more time. After all, she hadn’t always been an angel and even now, at the greatest risk, James protected her.
As soon as the voices became quieter, until falling silent completely, Jessie and James squeezed themselves out of the lumber room. Meowth gave them a challenging look. “You’re both turkey red!” He cocked an eyebrow. “Got the document?” They both nodded.
They were able to disappear from the building unnoticed, even though James almost triggered the alarm because he tripped over a wire.
“Here’s the file, Misty! Trust me, it wasn’t fun.” Jessie exhaled theatrically. Misty already snatched the document from her and leafed through the notes for hints about her parents. “It says they were already arrested in 1998. That was shortly after the beginning of our first adventure, Ash. If I only hadn’t followed you because of a stupid bike! I could be with them right now. What else does it say: they are now located on Skull Island. Jessie, James does this ring a bell? Do you know where that island is?”
Team Rocket swallowed hard. “Skull Island is never a good sign. There are the, let’s call them normal prisoners, who are simply sent to jail and locked up in a cell. They are provided with the most necessary things, with water and food. They are pardoned at the end and released as soon as they are no longer a danger to Team Rocket and any information about Mew has been extracted from them. But there are people who receive ‘the wash’ after the interview and your parents are marked as such. We’re sorry…”
