rotomdex noting the ridiculousness of the type matchup hax, causing him to pretty much short circuit, is my favorite part. that and kukui actually laughing at ash’s plan. like “holy crap how does this kid keep fighting physics and winning”.
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.”
Hey my friends, I’m back…with a new chapter of my current fanfiction “Viridian Love Story”.
How’s everyone?
Please, enjoy!
Chapter 6: The necklace
«What’s wrong with her?» James couldn’t understand her reaction. They had been on a razor’s edge, were able to talk their heads off, so that Giovanni merely condemned them to a suspension, no reason for pessimism. Meowth shook his head, landing on James’ shoulder in one bound. «Yous put all the blame on her, she had to take the rap for the mess all three of us have made. Yous betrayed her trust. If I were her, I’d be miffed, too. Of course our Jessie can be moody, but this time I understand her completely. She’s bailed you out so many times. Saved you from love-struck spirits and spared no effort to accept you as you are, in your very wretched way. Good luck in your attempt to rebuild that trust.» Meowth jumped off James’ shoulder to leave him alone with his thoughts. James was thunderstruck. Only now did scales fall from his eyes. This woman had saved his life several times. She got him out of his personal prison. She taught him to laugh and feel joy again. She brought him out of the deepest and darkest holes without asking much in return. He had more than lost her trust. He had, so to speak, thrown her to the dogs and laid the burden of guilt on her. His remorse seemed to overwhelm him. James had to save their friendship or what was left of it.
Misty ran through the deserted corridors, desperately looking for Jessie. The Team Rocket member may have answers to her burning questions. Where did Jessie get that necklace? Did she know Misty’s mother? Were Misty’s parents still alive? Ash came towards her. He seemed to be completely agitated, as if he had spent the last few hours trying to sort out his feelings.
«There you are, Misty! I have something important to tell you. I think I’m in love with you. When I was a child I couldn’t imagine being your boyfriend, but now, soon grown up and more mature behind the ears, I would like to ask you to join me, this time as my girlfriend»
He blushed to the roots of his hair, but he had not expected this answer. «That’s all well and good, Ash. I’m glad you like me. But can we do this another time? I’m in a hurry,» she scurried off, without giving him another glance.
Jessie took a break at a small stream not far from the campus. She tried to swallow all her anger, she tried to hold back tears of disappointment. How could she have been so wrong about James? Through thick and thin from here to eternity? His promise sounded like a tasteless joke. He had betrayed her all along the line. Angrily, she wiped the hot tears from her face. She wanted to shout out her despair into the world, but humiliation stifled her voice. She listened to the quiet murmur of the stream, completely lost in thought and far from a brutal reality. «Jessie!» A faint voice caught her attention. It wasn’t James who called her. « Jessie ! Here you are» Jessie could make out the outlines of a young woman in the dark. «What do you want, twerp?» Misty approached the Team Rocket member, kneeled down next to her and let a gush of questions rain down on her. «Jessie! I need to know! Where did you get that necklace? Who gave it to you? What do you know about it ? » Jessie rolled her eyes in annoyance. Was a little privacy too much to ask for? «That’s none of your business, kid! Besides, since when is a frumpy girl like you interested in jewelry?» She grinned at Misty dismissively. «Jessie, it’s really important! Listen to me! This necklace belonged to my mother. I need to know where you found it, where you stole it ! » Slowly but surely, Misty got impatient. How could someone be so cold and not show any empathy? «Don’t you understand? I need to find my family and this necklace is the first clue in years, please, Jessie» Misty desperatley tried to squeeze some words out of Jessie, but she stubbornly resisted. «Family is overrated, kid» Jessie turned to leave, but Misty held her back. « Don’t you have someone you care about, Jessie? Someone you love and need in your life ? Someone you’d miss if they were gone?» There was a shred of feeling in every person, even in a lunatic woman like Jessie. The Team Rocket member paused and thought about Misty’s words. James had once been everything to her, the faithful man at her side, but this picture was more than shattered. «No, I don’t!» Jessie tore loose from Misty’s grip and ran further into the thicket of the forest. «Jessie, wait!» Misty followed her into the deep woods. They wandered around aimlessly, got lost in the pitch black night and didn’t realize that they had long since strayed off the marked path. The lurking ghost Pokémon were already looking forward to their new loot.
«I don’t know where she is, Meowth!» Hoping to settle the dispute, James had set out to find his friend. He and Meowth searched every corner of the university, looked in every single room, but found nothing. She dropped off the face of the earth, no trace of Jessie. Shortly thereafter, the Team Rocket agents could hear familiar voices calling through the night. Armed with flashlights, Ash and Brock searched the campus, until they ran into old acquaintances. «Team Rocket! What are you up to again? Where’s Misty? Tell us, right now!» Ash was beside himself with worry. Who else could be responsible for Misty’s disappearance than this thieving gang up to no good? «We could ask you the same thing! Have you seen Jessie ? » James took a step towards the young students, but before he could add anything, a shrill scream broke the silence. « Jessie ! » James exclaimed. « Misty ! » Ash ran for the exit. « We need to find them, they might be in danger!» James’ heart was beating out of his chest. He did not want to imagine that Jessie had put herself in danger because of his rotten behaviour. All four of them followed the blood curdling screams deep into the forest, stumbling over roots, sinking up to their knees into bog pools. But nothing and nobody could stop them, her friends were in trouble.«Help us!» Misty’s cry for help echoed throught the night. «Somebody, please!» Jessie’s voice broke. Only a short time later, Ash, Brock, James and Meowth reached a clearing at the end of the forest. The sight they saw made their blood freeze in their veins. There were Misty and Jessie, chained together by invisible forces, surrouned by a horde of Gastlys, Haunters and Gengars who danced around their victims in a trance-like state. « It’s all my fault,» James sank to the floor. «No time for self-pity, James!» Brock reached out his hand and helped James to his feet. The ghost Pokémon swayed up and down areound their prey, laughing in the face of their fear. «How can we get them out? Ghost Pokémon are almost invulnerable, we need a diversion» Ash said and looked around in the forest for a way to attract the attention of the spookables. The spirits screamed and mimicked the cries for help of their victims. Jessie tried to free herself from the bonds, but failed miserably. James could no longer watch this grotesque spectacle. He threw himself into the fray without thinking. « James, no ! » Brock wanted to hold him back, but too late. He waded through the sea of purple lights, struggled to make his way forward and was attacked by the ghost Pokémon. They tried to lick his face, they gave him shadow punches, they wanted to get rid of him by all means, but despite the immense pain James was in, he was completely focused on his goal. «He won’t survive» Ash and Brock could only stand by and watch James’ rescue attempt. James fought on, soon he would reach the center of the ectoplasm. All he had to do was reach out for Jessie, untie her, and carry her out. The gruesome Pokémon used Destiny Bond to make him faint, but James held out, ducked and dodged their attacks. Ash had to rush to his aid. He ordered Pikachu to send in a massive thunder shock, hoping to at least distract the spirits, if not paralize them. Only a few inches separated James from Misty, he could almost touch her fingers. The thunderclap had thrown the ghost Pokémon out of concentration, the bonds were loosened for a split second. James grabbed Misty and pulled her to him. Ash crawled to them and dragged her out of the crossfire. Jessie was still lying there, surrounded by the ghostly creatures who wanted to harm her, since she had entered their territory unauthorized and disturbed their peace. Gengar formed a big black spookball, ready to fire it at Jessie, but James got in his way. He covered Jessie’s body and intercepted the attack. Another thunderclap cut through the night. The ghost Pokémon felt threatened and slowly fled away. What was left behind were Jessie and James, huddled and staring in fear. James coughed and spluttered. «I’m fine» he whispered. Jessie took a deep breath. They had barely escapted their end. «What brought your here?» Brock wanted to know. Misty was shaking all over. «I wanted answers. The necklace that Jessie weares belonged to my mother. So where did you get it?» Jessie looked at James questioningly. «Tell them, James. You gave it to me years ago in Kalos . » You could tell that James was very uncomfortable talking about it. « Well, I got it from the treasure trove at Team Rocket Headquarters». Jessie snorted contemptuously. «Is that what I’m worth to you?» Misty interrupted them. «How did that necklace get into the treasure trove? Why do you keep civilian items in it ? « James shied away from an answer. « Well, all belongings and valuables are taken from people who might have information about Mew. Their belongings will be taken away before they’re sent for interrogation and subsequent deportation.» Misty’s eyes widened. «Does that mean my mother could still be alive?»
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…”
My dear friends, it took me so long to update my fanfictions, but you all know the reasons why. But, let’s not talk about the struggles that life gives you, let’s read about Jessie and James and how they get closer….
Chapter 3:
James went all out in his new role as a waiter. He served the few guests who presented themselves hungrily on the diner’s doorstep, mixed the most delicious milkshakes Jessie had ever tasted, and his talent for mental arithmetic left even Eddy speechless. Some of the visitors eyed the young man sceptically. They weren’t used to so much motivation and drive. Most of the time they looked through a veil of inertia and hopelessness, but James brought life to the place. He was extremely accommodating and friendly, had a smile ready for every guest and talked to the visitors as if they were old friends. Jessie couldn’t get out of her amazement. She hadn’t experienced such a relaxed atmosphere in months, not since Butch and Cassidy had been watching her warily, hoping only for financial disaster. Eddy was pleased whenever Jessie’s mood lightened. He knew her tragic story all too well to wish her all the happiness in the world. She didn’t have an easy childhood, got into trouble as a teenager and struggled as a grown woman. Constantly putting her foot in her mouth, constantly being taken advantage of and bullied from top to bottom, constantly being told how useless she was in this world. But now the tragedy seemed to take a turn, this guy James had taken a fancy to her. Eddy watched Jessie as she couldn’t take her eyes off the new waiter, she was almost magically drawn to his refined manner.
“I hate to interrupt your daydreaming, but I think we have a little problem,” Eddy’s gaze wandered to a small table in the corner of the restaurant. A rather upset woman was banging on the table with all her might, standing up angrily and slinging her purse around her shoulders.
“I’ve told you many times, Brock! Leave me alone with your pathetic hit ons. You’re not my type! You and me, it’s never going to happen! Let me through, please,” she snorted disdainfully and hurriedly left the diner. Brock was left behind, looking pretty miserable. He hung his head low, sobbed heartbreakingly to himself and dragged himself to his friend’s table.
James was visibly taken aback by this little incident, but when he looked towards Jessie, she merely rolled her eyes and tried to hide a smile. Were Brock’s rejections perhaps the order of the day? Was he a hopeless romantic in search of true love?
James approached the disappointed young man and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Someday you will find the right woman who accepts you as you are, with all your rough edges,” James wanted to encourage him, but Brock didn’t seem to be listening. He sobbed again and buried his face in his hands.
“It’s hopeless, no one loves me. I will die alone and completely isolated from society.”
Jessie couldn’t stand by and watch the drama any longer. She threw her cleaning rag on the counter, made her way through the guests, and without waring hopped onto the table right in front of Brock. This performance alone triggered long-forgotten feelings in James. He felt so attracted by Jessie’s though nature that he had to pull himself together no to weaken. What followed made his heart throb and almost break. Jessie spoke from his soul. She bent down to Brock and unconsciously opened up to each of the guests present her deepest desires that she had suppressed for so long. She cleared her throat.
“Let me tell you this, Brock! Ture love takes time. From childhood you will be involved in relationships that will tear you apart and make you despair. First, your parents abandon you, arguably the most important ratio a young thing like me would have needed. Suddenly you are on your own, struggling with the corrupt customs of society and still trying to fit in and please your social environment. Then one day you wake up and feel you were born to be a rebel. You have not been able to build up trust for a long time, your previous acquaintances have thoroughly spoiled your belief in the good in people. You become bitter, disappointed and have hatred for this world and its inhabitants. The word love becomes anathema for you, you would rather be alone than in bad company. This becomes your motto in life. You fight your way through, you are betrayed, robbed, exploited, and chased away, and yet every shitty day you adjust your crown and carry on. But then,” her gaze fell on James for a split second, “someone enters the door of your diner, metaphorically speaking, and with them comes that sense of comfort and well-being you’ve been missing for years. This person makes you think happy thoughts, ensnares you just by his presence, you feel attracted, you want to breath in this person, love and live him, you forget the infamies of the past and can start a new phase of life. This person helps you to gain self-esteem, he can put back together the shards of your broken heart, support you and give you the love you have never felt. Yes, such a person exists for everyone in this world, even though I’ve never met him. What I wanted to tell you with this monologue, don’t give up! Love finds its way! Even if it sounds corny. So stop banging all over my expensive furniture and act like a man!” She smiled at Brock before turning back to her mountain of dirty plates.
James was moved to tears. What would he have given to take Jessie in his arms now, to hug her until she could shake off all her terrible experiences? But there were other feelings at play. He felt aroused, so aroused that he would have loved to cup Jessie’s face and kiss her. He wanted to caress her mouth, taste her lips, let his tongue melt into hers.
“Get a grip, James,” he shushed himself. Somewhat ashamed of these lustful thoughts, he tried to hide is excitement as best he could and got back to work. Jessie’s words would haunt him for a long time.
Late in the evening, when all the guests had left the diner and Eddy was dismissed by Jessie with the words “I’ve found a new victim”, she and James were faced with an almost impregnable mountain of glasses, silverware, plates and leftover food.
“Let’s get to work! Do you mind if I listen to some music? It helps me recover from the stress of everyday life,” Jessie pointed to the old jukebox in the far corner of the diner.“Go ahead!” James nodded at her and stole a small smile from Jessie’s lips. He couldn’t guess her taste in music, but when the first notes of “Baby I don’t care” by Transvision Vamp sounded, he was all the more on fire for his supervisor.
There was eager cleaning, sweeping, boning, washing up and drying. It was necessary to scrub the floor, wipe down the tables, clean up the ketchup and mayo bottles that were scattered all over the place, but the time flew by. Jessie sang along to her favourite song, and to James’ amazement, she danced and lolloped in beat to the tune.
“Careful, James. Don’t let your eyes fall out of your head,” she grinned mischievously and threw a handful of wash-off foam at her coworker. James reacted with surprise at her perky behaviour, but promptly retaliated with a sponge fight until they were both soaked down to their underwear. They laughed and snorted when the other could no longer open his mouth full with foam. They kept each other from splashing the other wet, but soon James had to admit defeat. He had no chance against Jessie.
“I surrender, Jessie,” he laughed, “please, have mercy.” Jessie knelt over him and grinned widely. “Okay, whatever you say. I’ll get you some dry clothes,” she disappeared into the storage room for a brief moment, bringing James old jeans and a tattered shirt. Actually, she didn’t want to watch him change, but her eyes kept slipping to his naked torso. James was slim and was in good shape. She could not take her eyes off his strong arms – and his scars. Long, deep scars stood out on his skin. Some of them seemed to have been disfiguring his appearance for a long time, others looked fresh, as if he had escaped an ordeal by a hair’s breadth, which nevertheless left its mark. It was on the tip of her tongue, she wanted to ask him about the reason for these ugly marks, but she held back.
James felt her gaze on his body. It was extremely uncomfortable for him to show himself to her so hurtfully, so he dismissed everything with a broad smile.
“Would you like another milkshake before we close?” he offered her. Jessie nodded and James prepared her a creamy treat topped with fruits and a sweet ingredient she hadn’t guessed until now.
“Do you think we can put your ideas into practice and turn this dump into a respectable place?” she expressed her concerns. James reached for her hands.
“To be honest with you, there are masses of things to do here. The walls need a new coat of paint, the menu needs updating, we need a slogan and we need to drum up publicity. We need financial security, and we can’t have everyone writing in, but I also understand that you want to help people and I think that’s just wonderful, just like you helped me. I promise you that we will get this all done in no time, and I will stand energetically by your and Eddy’s side to get the store up and running. I can get the materials; we’ll do the work ourselves and in a week you can plan the reopening.”
His words were soaked in hope. Jessie could see perfectly well how she could make her place shine again. New curtains, peppy patterns, bright colors, just the way she liked it. James, who was a stranger just a few days ago, could make her dream of owning a noble restaurant come true. He really was a very special person. Quiet and introverted, but at the same time looking for adventure, courageous and creative. She had to admit that she felt a soft tingling deep in her stomach, that sometimes she was out of breath when she was near him, but maybe those were just misleading signs.
“You know, James. No one has ever given me such hope as you. The last men I met were self-centred, conceited bastards who demanded everything from me, and I do mean everything, just to cheat on me with the next best curb-crawler. You’re different, you’re almost a gentleman compared to those bullies. You are so respectful and decent, one could just fall in love with you,” she blushed, completely embarrassed of the words she just said.
James was also quite abashed. “Jessie, thank you. Thank you for being so open with me, I’m just a stranger in this world after all. I’m glad I met you and I’m looking forward to our project together. No matter what happened, sometimes you have to leave the past behind, even if it keeps knocking. Just lock the door and let’s change the lock. I’ll try to support you as best as I can.”
He glanced nervously at his watch. It was after midnight, he would reap blows again for this.“I have to go now, unfortunately, but I wanted to ask you one more thing. Do you want to…” he took a deep breath. “No, forget it, never mind.”
James turned on his heel, but Jessie held him back.
“Go on a date with you? I’d love to, James.” She smiled at him.
“Friday’s a day off. How about 8 pm at the pizza place at the end of the strip?”
it’s been a while since I last posted an entry. Let me tell you why and what, besides Covid-19, made me pause from publishing fanfictions over the last couple of months. Of course, Switzerland was very affected by the pandemic and still is today. We had numerous lock-downs or as Swiss people call it “slow downs”. My mother got very sick last year, I almost lost her. The doctors said she would only live two or three more days, but my mom is a fighter. She had to stay at the hospital for months, she endured countless medical examinations, had to take meds and slowly learned to live again. I’m so proud of my mother that she was strong and determined to get better. When she turned back home, I started to take care of her and I hate to leave her on her own, even if we’re talking about half an hour or less. Right now, she’s doing quite good, actually, we’re on vacation and she makes a great effort to participate in life in Italy. She’s my role-model! She will never be the same as before, but she won’t give up, she wakes up every morning to make progress. I prayed for her and her well-being, I prayed every single night she might get another chance and now we’re here at the beach and dining in fancy restaurants. It’s been a horrible year for everyone, a year full of sorrow, tears and desperation, a year where I was constantly afraid, the hospital would call me with some bad news, but she did it! She survived and she fights for her life! So proud!
Good news is: I passed my doctoral exams and I’m officially allowed to call myself Dr. phil. des. Melanie C. but that won’t ever stop me from loving Team Rocket so here it is - a brand new Rocketshipping-fanfiction for you guys.
LOVE YOU!
Night shift
Chapter 1:
It was past ten o’clock when that miserable looking guy entered the diner. He inconspicuously sat down in the farthest corner of the café and immediately hid his face behind the menu card. Nevertheless, Jessie the waitress could make out the pathetic expression on his face, how he was cowering like a whipped dog. She had seen quite a bit in this diner. Drunks, thugs, addicts and other needy people who asked for a sympathetic ear, compassion and understanding, but that guy was different. He suffered terribly, but did not dare to communicate, instead he hid from the world so as not to attract attention and quietly endure his fate. Jessie had to do something about it. Of course, she didn’t want to play the Good Samaritan. She knew the tricks of the men who entered this diner. Most of the time, they told the waitress tall tales, hoping to be comforted, whatever they meant by that. But this young man did not make a shady impressionHe was well dressed, looked well-groomed, and Jessie was especially struck by his bright emerald green eyes, the only thing in his face that had not yet been veiled by grief and sorrow. She decided to do something about his displeasure.
“Did you have a rough day?” she asked while disinfecting the table.
He looked briefly into her eyes and nodded. “That’s one way to put it,” he answered, the gaze immediately lowered again.
This would be a taciturn conversation, but Jessie didn’t give up easily, she was a natural at making even rocks talk.
“Listen! No matter what happened, I’ve seen or heard some things. If I can help you in any way, my name is Jessie and I’m in charge of this table today. Let me just get the gum out from under your seat and get you a cold drink. What would you like?” She pulled a spatula from her apron and rubbed away the remains of the spoiled brats that marred her diner.
‘Wow,’ the young man thought to himself. ‘A strong, self-confident woman who lends a hand herself and who’s not above cleaning up dirt.’ Their eyes met briefly, and he forced a wry smile.
“You know, kid. You can’t rely on anyone. If you want to get everything done, do it yourself and don’t trust anyone. This world doesn’t give you anything for granted!” She briefly wiped the back of his chair before disappearing behind the counter and pouring the young man an ice-cold Coke.
“I have rarely seen you so concerned about a customer. Normally you show yourself aloof and only take the order, so as not to get involved in embarrassing conversations. Must be a really great pike, this pathetic creature in the far corner. Could it be that you’ve got a tiny crush on this guy?”
For Eddy, teasing his best friend was the greatest pleasure. He didn’t know her like that. Jessie usually resisted any kind of small talk. This was due to her dark past, when she had repeatedly fallen for advances from men who were never looking for a steady relationship, but for a quick fix. Eddy had witnessed this bad time of his friend, how her heart was broken, how she was badly played with, and how she was simply dropped like a hot potato. Jack was the worst example of them all. While Jessie was already hearing the wedding bells ringing, he was making love to the women of the Strip and deceiving Jessie night after night with other broads. Jessie was devastated when she found out Jack was cheating on her. She was furious, not even at her lying boyfriend, but at herself for having been so stupid as to trust a man.
Jessie gave Eddy a light pat on the head. “Don’t be silly! That time is over. I can take care of myself, I don’t need male support for that. I’m a big girl, I make my own dough, and I keep my head above water pretty well. No, not a chance, I’ve sworn off flirting.” Nevertheless, she caught herself as her gaze wandered to the young man in the corner. “Oh yes, this time is definitely over,” Eddy smirked.
“Jessie, could you bring us a side of fries, please?” Misty’s order echoed throughout the hall. The twenty-year old waved her hands. She was used to speaking loudly, almost shouting, to attract guests to her daily water Pokémon show. Sometimes she walked up and down the streets of the Strip all day in the blazing hot sun, trying to win people for her underwater attraction. As an excellent student, she could have taught at any college, but she had decided early on to get into show business and make her living doing what she really loved, joined by Dewgong and Starmie. Her parents had not agreed with this decision at all, it was wasted talent, they had claimed, and had summarily turned Misty out the door. Since then, she had been struggling through life on her own, but could always count on Jess, the diner and her two best friends, Ash and Brock, young people who were also not favoured by fate.
“Temper your voice, twerp!” Jessie couldn’t help but grin. She spread the ketchup bottles around the table, hoping Ash wouldn’t spill on himself and the diner again. His constant companion Pikachu immediately hopped on his shoulder, grabbed a fry and popped it in his mouth. Ash and his Pokémon were carnies. He had trained his friend well and attracted many spectators with his performance. Most of them felt sorry for the guy and tipped generously. That’s why Ash was able to invite his friends to the diner every night, a place that gave them hope where they could experience security. They were convinced that nothing would ever disturb this idyll and that fate, for better or worse, had taken its course.
“Who’s that guy over there?” Brock wanted to know. He had barely sold chocolate and roses tonight. The others held back, but they were certain that their friend was just too pushy with women and that’s why he only collected rejections instead of green bills.
“I’ve never seen him here before. Must be from another area. I can’t tell you for the life of me why he’s wearing a suit at theses temperatures, he looks pretty pathetic to me anyways,” Jessie replied.
“Maybe his car has stalled,” Ash suggested, “and now he was forced to wander through the desert until the tasty aromas from your diner brought him back from his delirium.”
“Or,” Brock interfered, “he had to flee his own wedding because his wife is a real pain in the ass, unlike our sweet Misty,” Brock oohed at his friend. “Forget it, Brock! You and me, this will never happen!” She gave him a gentle poke.
“Enough now with your naïve speculations! Just let him enjoy his drink. We’re closing soon, so get going,” Jessie dismissed their absurd ideas with a wave of her hand, but at this point no one knew how right Brock was.
Dark thoughts hunted the young man. He knew what he would face at home if he was late. Beatings, torture, rebuke, harassment, were just a few words to describe his failed relationship. Unconsciously, he stroked his scarred arms.
“Can I get you something to eat?” Jessie pulled him out of the maelstrom of bad thoughts, of course she had noticed the wounds, but maybe he had gotten those injuries at work. The young man rummaged some coins out of his pants and let them jingle on the table. “Is that enough for a cheese sandwich?” Jessie hated small change, but she would make an exception for him. A friendly smile, a quick nod, and she passed on the order.
“Something’s wrong with this guy,” she whispered to Eddy. “He’s scarred, bruised and pays with penny coins. Possibly a vagrant.” Eddy couldn’t help but grin. “That guy’s been keeping you busy all night, Jess. What’s the matter with you? Are you getting weak?”
The young man could not overhear the conversation between the waiters, but he was sure they were talking about him. He sure made a rather frightening impression, but that was a private matter and not something you shared with a waitress in a diner.
His gaze drifted to the daily paper, which had two faces emblazoned on it: Butch and Cassidy. He had never heard of this odd couple, but according to the news, theses two were causing quite a stir and were terrifying the Strip.
“Oh, so you’ve already spotted them, those two knuckleheads! They keep the Strip in suspense, and heads roll when the taxes don’t add up,” Jessie served him the cheese sandwich and gave him a slight smile.
“Can I get you anything else?” He thanked her and took a hearty bite of his dinner.
The last half hour flew by and the remaining guests left the diner to spend the night on the Strip, as very few had a roof over their heads. Jessie set about cleaning up and Eddy checked the register.
The young man stood up and made his way towards the door. But before he left the diner, he glanced back at Jessie for a moment. A sigh escaped him. What if…?
Jessie returned his gaze and watched him go until the young man disappeared. She walked right up to his table and found a little note on the receipt.
“Thanks for treating me like a human being, James.”
Misty stared at them in disbelief. “What is the wash? Is it dangerous?” she wanted to know, even though she could already guess the answer. Jessie and James nodded in agreement, Jessie was the first to find words again and explain the facts.
“The wash is performed by Hypno. As the name suggests, he hypnotizes his victims and makes his way into their memory. All memories that could either be useful or pose a threat to Team Rocket are extracted and preserved, but the prisoners are left without any memory of their past and eke out an existence as lifeless shells, like ghosts”, she explained.
If there was still a small glimmer of hope in Misty, it had just been extinguished. She slumped down and sobbed. Ash carefully put an arm around his friend. This could not be her definite fate. Her family was perhaps still alive, but could no longer remember their own daughter?
“Is there any way to reverse the hypnosis so that the memory comes back?” Ash asked.
James fussed, not wanting to give them false hope, yet he had heard of some rumors. “There are reports of people who have been hypnotized but still have occasional lucid moments and can remember their past lives. At least that is what I heard when we once accidentally barged into a conference”, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Meowth, that’s right. I can confirm that, because it was all about a planned escape attempt by a prisoner who could suddenly remember everything. Unfortunately, they were able to catch him and he is now serving an even harder sentence in the maximum security section of the prison.”
Misty had to let all the information sink in. Her head was about to explode, there was so much they had to consider if they wanted to save her parents. But she was determined to give everything and, if necessary, to put her own life on the line.
“I’d say let’s got for it! Ash, Brock, are you with me?” The guys nodded their heads. Now Misty turned to Team Rocket.
“I know we haven’t always been best friends, we have our differences, we have our strengths and weaknesses, but now is the time for a truce because this is a matter of life and death. You bring the necessary know-how; I bring the longing for my family. Only together can we face this adventure. Even though we didn’t always get along, I ask you to help me out; and believe me, this is anything but easy for me”, a faint smile flitted across Misty’s face. James returned the smile and held out his hand to her.
“We’re in! But I warn you, it will be dangerous, very dangerous! We risk our heads if they catch us, but at least one of us deserves the security of a loving family,” thus the matter was decided and they started the journey.
After several hours of hiking, it was finally time to take a break and have some dinner. Brock, who continued to hone his cooking skills, offered to prepare a meal for his friends that they would never forget. But he needed everyone’s help and support to make it a real feast. James and Meowth had volunteered to gather firewood and had only recently set out into the dark woods. The cat Pokémon noticed days ago that James had woken up on the wrong side of the planet. The guilty conscience gnawed at his teammate and almost made him despair.
“You need to talk to her!” Meowth insisted that James would finally talk turkey, but the young man was not up to the challenge yet. James heaved a deep sigh.
“You know, Meowth, sometimes I wish Hypno would cast a spell on me too and erase all memories of my messed up childhood and adolescence. By that I mean the terrible time with my parents, the bad days and weeks with Jessiebelle, the beatings, the torture, the endless hours of piano lessons, the bullying, the desperate attempts of my environment to educate me to become a gentleman.”
It was hard for James to talk about these things, but Meowth knew the answer to his problem. He made his friend pause and put a paw on his shoulder.
“Jessie can help you with all your worries. She is your safe rock, and you can always rely on her. She has never let you down, even when you ignored her feelings or stepped on them. She likes you, James, everyone can see that. You must finally dare to talk to her”, Meowth wanted to be persuasive. ”You’re right, my friend. Tonight, I will face my fears.”
The adventurers enjoyed their festive meal. Brock had outdone himself, there were mashed potatoes, rice balls, steak and sausages, chocolate pudding with fresh strawberries and a cream cake garnished with cherries. Team Rocket’s stomachs growled; they hadn’t eaten something so delicious in years. A few hours passed, during which the new acquaintances talked about old times, about every botched trap Team Rocket had ever set for the twerps, about all the funny costumes they had used to fool Ash, Misty and Brock. There was a lot of laughter and some tears were shed too.
Ash yawned heartily. “I’m going to bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day”, he pulled Misty with him and they disappeared into their three-person-tent, which they shared with Brock. Their friend followed them shortly afterwards and Meowth made himself comfortable in the thicket of trees. Only Jessie and James were left.
No one dared to take the first step, but then James finally found words. “Jessie,” he began. She looked at him with her big sapphire blue eyes. “Yes?”
James cleared his throat. He reached for her hand and stroked it vey gently, running his fingers along her delicate hand. He was already fighting tears, he wanted to stay strong, but the emotions got the better of him.
“It’s okay, James,” Jessie caressed his face, but James shook his head.
“No! Nothing’s okay,” he sobbed. “I almost lost you once, I don’t want that to happen to me again. I felt what it means not to have you by my side anymore and it hurt inhumanly. It ate at me and I could no longer grasp a clear thought. Then you came back to me and the world was all right again. I had not lost you to that doctor. And what do I do? I take advantage of you and your feelings, I hurt you and put the blame on you. I’m so sorry for everything, Jess. You’re all I’ve got! You’re my guardian angel, you saved me from Jessiebelle and I can’t be grateful enough!” Tears ran down his cheeks, James’ eyes were red from all crying.
“Will you forgive me, Jess?” There was still the faintest hope in his request. Jessie smiled gently at him and nodded. Suddenly, all the weight that threatened to crush him was blown away. He felt so free and light-hearted. He would have loved to kiss his best friend, caress her and hold her tightly in his arms, but Jessie had already sunk into a deep sleep. So he interlaced his fingers with hers until he too began to dream.
Done a few hours ago to match the 1st April in Japan! It’s with great pleasure that I drew something to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Pokémon Animé!
I follow the show since it appeared for the first time in my country in October 1999 and it forever changed my life since then. In these latest 5 years it’s playing a very important role against my depression and anxiety. Thank you for providing me fun and happy weekly moments!
I don’t know many people who could discuss about the episodes and the movies but I would gladly chat with anyone who’s willing to! I watch weekly and have seen all the arcs from Kanto to the current one. I recently have been rewatching the Kanto arc in Japanese to refresh my memory in a few things.
Congratulations and onwards for more great adventures!!!
I see alot of people hate the new style for Misty and Brock in S&M but I think Misty looks adorable :0 It’s probably because I really like the new style as well as the old one though XD
Can’t wait for September now XD Although I hope Ash’s classmates will come along with him to Kanto.
