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Chapter Text

It had been a long and active day of traveling through a large and mysterious forest, for both Ash and his friends and Team Rocket. Now, as night drew nigh, the younger kids ate dinner and prepared to settle down for a hopefully restful sleep. Misty, however, seemed jumpy.

"What was that?!" she exclaimed.

Ash turned from where he was unrolling his sleeping bag. "What was what?"

"I know I just saw something," Misty frowned. Her hands went to her hips. "It was some kind of movement over there." She pointed up the mountain to a large white dam.

"Probably just a nocturnal Pokemon," Brock said. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

"It looked like a human shadow," Misty retorted. "It could be Team Rocket."

Ash sighed. "Well, if it is, I'm sure we'll know all about it soon enough."

"Pika-Pika," Pikachu agreed.

"What if they try to do something really stupid, like break the dam to flood us out?" Misty worried.

"I don't think even Team Rocket would do something like that," Ash said.

Brock nodded. "That could destroy the entire forest and any Pokemon they might hope to catch." He sat down by the fire. "Still, maybe someone should stand guard for a while. I'll take the first watch."

Misty turned to look at him. "Are you sure, Brock?"

Brock was. "You and Ash get some sleep," he encouraged.

Ash yawned. "Okay. Night, Brock." He climbed into his sleeping bag.

Pikachu quickly followed suit.

Still concerned, but hoping her fears were unfounded, Misty finally got into her sleeping bag too. "Goodnight, Togepi," she said to the adventurous little Pokemon.

Togepi trilled and settled on Misty's sleeping bag to curl into an egg shape and go to sleep.

As it happened, Team Rocket was up the mountain at an abandoned cabin they had found. Their feelings were torn. On the one hand, they were grateful for the shelter. On the other, it was so old and uncared-for that it seemed ready to crumble down in a small breeze.

"I know I heard something creaking just now!" Jessie exclaimed.

"And that old mattress is probably filled with bedbugs," James whimpered. "I'm not getting on it."

"Will you two stop complainin'?!" Meowth said in frustration. "At least it's a place!"

"Yes, but what kind of place?" James objected.

"We might wake up with it falling down around us!" Jessie added.

"Then sleep on the floor or somethin'!" Meowth snapped.

James cringed. "But maybe rats will come out and run over us in our sleep! Or cockroaches!"

Jessie was just trying to adjust to the idea of sleeping on the floor instead of in the old bed. Those comments didn't help. She growled, debating over what sounded worse. "I'll take my chances in the bed," she said at last.

James finally decided to try an old chair. Meowth curled up on the bed with Jessie.

Their sleep was uneasy and uncomfortable. The bed was old and the springs poked through the mattress at various spots. The springs were also notoriously noisy. The slightest movement resulted in a chorus of rusty voices. And when James started slumping down farther in the chair, it broke and sent him to the floor with a yelp.

Jessie and Meowth leaped up in bed. "James!" Jessie cried in frustration. "Can't you even be quiet in your sleep?!"

"It's not my fault the chair broke!" James whined.

"Well, pick it up and go back to sleep!" Meowth snapped. "And do it quietly, so we can do the same!"

James scowled. There really wasn't any way to put the chair back together. So he just sighed in weariness and slowly got up, turning to look out the window as he did. That was when he saw what Misty had seen moments earlier.

"Hey," he said. "There's someone at that dam!"

"Who cares?!" Meowth retorted.

"Go back to sleep," Jessie added. "Not that we'll be able to do the same now."

James didn't bother saying anything more. But he stayed there, watching out the window. No one should be at the dam at this hour. What were they doing?

He gasped when the sound of a fierce Dynamic Punch rocked the mountain and water suddenly gushed out of a new, gaping hole.

"They broke the dam!" he cried. "They used a Pokemon to punch a hole in it!" He ran over to the bed and desperately shook his friends. "Get up! We're going to be flooded out any moment!"

Jessie tiredly tried to bat him away. "Oh James, stop dreaming. Who would want to break the dam?"

"I don't know, but they did it!" James screamed in utter panic. "Jessie, get up!" Not waiting for her any longer, he hauled her upright in bed.

That earned him a sharp punch of his own. "James . . . !" Jessie's eyes flamed. But then she heard the rushing water. "We really are being flooded!" she shrieked. "The water's coming this way!"

"What?!" Meowth leaped up in terror. "Let's get outta here!"

James was still smarting from the punch, but he pushed the pain aside and pulled Jessie out of bed, keeping an arm around her as they ran for the door. Meowth scrambled onto his back.

The gushing water reached the cabin before they could flee. Then the small abode was pulled free of its foundation, crumbling to splinters as it and the three terrified occupants were swept along by the furious river.

Jessie broke the surface first, coughing and gasping as she frantically clutched a floating log torn from the cabin. "James?!" she screamed. "Meowth?!"

Meowth popped up next, sputtering and flailing before climbing onto the log and digging in his claws for dear life. "I hate water!" he wailed. "Especially the kind you can drown in!"

"Where's James?!" Jessie demanded.

"Huh?" Meowth stared at her. "He didn't come up?!"

"No!" Jessie snapped. "And you were riding on his back! What happened?!"

"We got pulled apart in the current!" Meowth explained. "But . . . if he didn't come up . . ." He stared at the frantic waves.

"Don't say it!" Jessie snapped. "Don't even think it!"

Her heart was racing almost as fast as the water. If she could, she would let go of the log and dive under the surface to look for James. But with the speed of the current, that would be almost certain death. And she wouldn't be likely to find James anyway. She didn't want to die so pointlessly.

"What are we gonna do?!" Meowth wailed.

"Just hang on," Jessie with gritted teeth. "James will turn up."

"Are you sure?"

Meowth sounded both plaintive and doubtful. Jessie responded with fury and desperation. "Yes! . . . Because he has to," she whispered.

Ash and Misty were both startled awake by Brock frantically shaking their shoulders. "Wake up!" he called. "The dam's been broken open! The water's coming this way!"

They sprang awake in an instant. "Pika-Pika?!" Pikachu exclaimed in alarm.

"I knew I saw someone up there!" Misty wailed.

"I don't know what it was, but I saw a Pokemon deliberately punch the dam," Brock said grimly. "The water started gushing out instantaneously."

"Well, Team Rocket sure doesn't have any Pokemon that could do that," Ash said.

"Speaking of Team Rocket . . ." Brock stared as a log flew right at them. "Incoming!"

Jessie and Meowth shrieked in terror. So did the younger kids. Then the wave eclipsed the campsite and they were all clutching the log for dear life.

"Pikachu!" Ash called in fear.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu clutched at Ash's shoulder.

"Togepi?!" Misty looked around, frantic.

Brock heard a terrified trill and turned to look as Togepi floated past. He reached out with one arm while keeping the other wrapped around the log. ". . . I've got him!" he announced as he pulled the little Pokemon close to his heart.

"Oh, thank goodness," Misty breathed.

Meowth also looked relieved. "This ain't a good ride for a little guy like that."

Now Misty focused her attention on the two members of Team Rocket. "So it was you!" she cried. "You broke the dam and then fell into your own trap!"

"That isn't true!" Jessie snarled. "We were in the cabin this log belonged to, trying to get some sleep! James saw a Pokemon punch the dam open and tried to get us out of there before the water could reach us."

"But now he ain't here!" Meowth finished.

"That's right," Ash realized with a blink. "But then . . . where is he?"

Brock's expression was grim. "If he hasn't ever surfaced, by now he isn't likely to."

"Shut up, twerp," Jessie snapped. "He's going to come up. . . . He's alright. . . ."

But everyone could hear the helplessness in her voice, even over the violent waves.

The water flowing from the dam was sweeping over the entire area and carrying passengers and objects in many different directions. It was far to the left of the very occupied log that it spat out a limp body onto the new bank. For a moment the form lay still, facedown in the grass. Then without warning he knelt up and coughed and choked.

"Jessie?! Meowth?!"

Half-conscious and dizzy from repeatedly going under the water and being battered so roughly, James stumbled to his feet and grabbed onto the nearest tree trunk. He stood there, hugging the tree while he tried to get his bearings.

"Where are they?" he said in rising panic. "I don't see them anywhere!"

"Oh, such a pity, Honey," a dark feminine voice cooed from behind him. "You won't be seeing them ever again."

He spun around in shock and indignation. "What are you saying?!"

"They should be dead by now," the woman replied. She was standing among the trees, little more than a silhouette under the moon.

"And even if they're not, you're going to be," said a man as he came up next to her. "Just a sad casualty of a wild Pokemon freaking out and breaking a dam that it felt was damaging its territory."

"Wait a minute." James' gaze darted back and forth between the duo. "I know these voices. You're . . ."

"Bonnie, Sugar." A woman with curly blonde hair and a Team Rocket beret stepped into the moonlight.

"And Clyde," intoned a dark-haired man.

"What is this?!" James demanded. "We're all on the same side!"

"We're taking it upon ourselves to rid Team Rocket of all its unnecessary items," Bonnie purred.

"And we figure nothing could be more unnecessary than you, Jessie, and Meowth," Clyde added. "The boss always says how incompetent you all are."

"We're doing him a favor," Bonnie smirked. "And we'll get a big promotion for it."

"Well, we'll just see about that!" James snapped. "Go, Weezing! Go, Victreebel!" He reached for his Pokeballs and then went stiff. They were both gone, swept away in the current. "Oh no. . . ."

"Lights out, idiot." While James was distracted, Clyde had brought out what he had been carrying all along---a large tree branch. He cracked the boy on the head, sending him in a heap to the grass.

"That should've killed him all on its own," Bonnie drawled.

"But even if it didn't, we'll just throw him back in the water and he'll drown," Clyde said. He reached down to feel for a pulse.

James sprang to life, grabbing Clyde's wrist and giving it a painful twist. Then, shoving the other Team Rocket agent away from him, he took off running through the trees.

Bonnie was after him in an instant. "You're not getting away that easy!" she vowed.

She caught up to him at the edge of the trees. He turned as she grabbed for him and grabbed her first. Just as he managed to shove her away, Clyde caught up and swung the tree branch again. James ducked and stumbled to the side.

The ground suddenly crumbled underneath him. He fell with a cry of terror, hitting an outcropping of rock in the cliffside before slamming onto the beach below. This time he didn't get up.

Bonnie and Clyde stared down at him. "That fool," Clyde sneered. "He caused his own downfall."

"Do you think he's really dead this time?" Bonnie said in concern.

The sound of a helicopter somewhere nearby startled Clyde into looking to the sky. "He couldn't have survived that fall," he insisted. "But we'd better get out of here."

Bonnie nodded. "We can't have anyone tyin' us or our precious Machamp in to this flood, after all." She glanced down at James again. "Sweet everlasting dreams, Sugar Pie."

Clyde sneered as he tossed the branch into the trees and turned to run. "The boss is really going to give us some hefty promotions when he finds out we got rid of his most useless agents."

Bonnie laughed. "Now Team Rocket will only be efficient."

They disappeared into the shadows.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

The passenger-filled log was still rushing through the water while everyone on board clutched it in utter terror.

"We're getting closer to the bank now!" Brock called. "Maybe our Pokemon can help us get on the shore!"

Ash nodded. "Let's try it! Okay, go, Bulbasaur!" He reached to his belt and grabbed a Pokeball, flinging it towards the grass. "Use your Vine Whip to grab hold of the log and pull us to shore!"

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur nodded in agreement. He extended his powerful Vine Whip to wrap around the log, but the current was fierce. It was all he could do to dig in his feet and not let the water sweep him away too. At last he managed to pull the log close enough to shore that jumping over was possible.

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed. "Good job, Bulbasaur! Let's go, everyone!" He leaped over to the bank with Pikachu.

Misty and Brock soon followed. Meowth, reluctant to try, climbed Jessie instead, and she was so shaken by the whole experience that she didn't even scold him when his claws dug in. With fear in her eyes, she tried to pull herself better onto the log for the jump.

"Come on, Jessie!" Brock called. "I'll catch you!"

That wasn't exactly a pleasing prospect, but it was better than being swept away. Gritting her teeth, Jessie shakily stood on the log. It wobbled and she and Meowth both shrieked.

"It's alright!" Brock said. "Jump!"

Jessie finally just closed her eyes and took the leap. She didn't open them again until she felt strong arms encircling her. Brock pulled her and Meowth safely onto the bank. Bulbasaur retracted his vines and the log rushed past.

". . . Thank you," Jessie said, feeling both awkward and grateful.

Brock nodded.

"We made it," Misty sighed in relief.

Before anyone could comment, a helicopter flew overhead and Officer Jenny came down a rope ladder. "What happened here?!" she demanded.

"We're not sure," Misty said. "Brock saw a Pokemon punch a hole in the dam and then we all got caught in the flood."

"A Pokemon punched a hole in the dam?" Officer Jenny looked more than a little skeptical. "Why would any Pokemon do that?"

"I only know what I saw, Officer Jenny," Brock said.

Jenny turned to Jessie and Meowth with a frown. "Aren't you two troublemakers?"

"We didn't do this!" Jessie snapped. "We were victims this time!"

"That's right," Meowth nodded. He scrambled down from Jessie's shoulders. "You haven't found anybody else caught in the flood, have you?"

"No, I haven't," Jenny said. "Whoever caused this---if it wasn't you two---must have got away."

"It couldn't have been them, Officer Jenny," Brock said. "They don't have any Pokemon capable of doing this."

"Well . . ." Jenny closed one eye. "If you say so. . . ."

"But our friend is missing," Jessie said. "He was caught in the flood with us at first, but then he was gone. We never saw him surface."

Jenny's face fell. "The current is very strong. If it pulled him under and he never came back up . . ."

"He's not dead!" Jessie interrupted. "He's out there somewhere and we're not going to abandon him! We're going to find him!"

"There's nothing you can do tonight," Jenny said. "You'd better come with me to the evacuation shelter. It's going to take a lot of work to repair the dam, but something has to be done immediately or the city below this mountain will be flooded!"

"Oh no," Misty gasped.

"There's gotta be something we can do to help!" Ash exclaimed. "If we just had the right Pokemon . . ."

"I don't think any of us do," Brock said. "Onix would be big enough and strong enough, but he's weak against water."

Jenny looked to him. "If your Onix could hold back the water just long enough for the repair supplies to be brought in, he might save a lot of homes and lives."

Brock perked up. "Then count us in, Officer Jenny!" he exclaimed, taking her hands in his. "I promise we'll do whatever it takes!"

"Oh brother," Misty muttered. "Cut the mush and let's get going!"

They were all hurrying to climb the rope ladder and travel to the dam when a faint cry made Jessie and Meowth pause. "Wait," Jessie said. "I know that sound. . . ."

"Me too!" Meowth exclaimed. "That's . . ."

Weezing and Victreebel came into view. Weezing was floating high above the water, with Victreebel holding onto him tightly with her vine. There was no trace of James.

Jessie immediately ran over to them. "What's going on, you two?!" she demanded. "Where's James?!"

They both looked down sorrowfully. "Weezing-Wee . . ." said Weezing.

Victreebel shrieked.

"They said their Pokeballs just got torn off James' belt in the current," Meowth reported. "They popped out to escape the flood and get James out of there too . . . only they couldn't find him." He looked down in grief.

"So you just left him out there?!" Jessie cried.

"Weezing!" Weezing snapped.

An angry shriek from Victreebel.

"They said they looked all over and they did everything they could," Meowth said. "They're only comin' now 'cause Weezing couldn't hold Victreebel any longer. He's gonna go back out and look some more now by himself."

"We'll help too," Ash declared. "Pigeotto, help Weezing look for James!"

Pigeotto cooed as he emerged from his Pokeball and flew up near Weezing.

"Zubat, you can help too," said Brock as he also sent a Pokeball flying.

Zubat shrieked in agreement and flapped her wings up to the other Pokemon.

Jessie looked to Ash and Brock in surprise. "You're really going to help us?"

"Of course we are," Ash retorted. "Even Team Rocket doesn't deserve this. Especially if they didn't cause it in the first place!"

"Alright," Jenny said. "Let them look for James and we'll go try to plug up the dam with Onix!" She hurried up the ladder and into the helicopter.

Everyone else slowly followed.

It was the water slowly lapping against his hand and face that finally revived him. He groaned and started to roll away from it, but the headache stopped him. Grimacing in pain, he raised his other hand to the tender spot on his head.

"Ow . . ." he hissed. "Jessie . . . Meowth. . . ."

He paused, bewilderment spreading over his features. Who was Jessie? What Meowth? Why was he worried about them? And why did his head hurt so badly?

"What happened?"

For some reason, he couldn't remember. All that came to mind were shadows . . . a fight . . . pain . . . and a fall.

Absolutely all.

That brought him sharply upright, in spite of the pain. "Where am I? Who am I?!" His hands flew to his face. ". . . I don't remember anything," he exclaimed in horror. "I don't even remember what I look like!"

He leaned forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the moonlit water. Light blue hair . . . emerald green eyes. . . . He looked young, maybe 16.

It's an eerie feeling to look at your reflection and see a stranger looking back at you, he ruefully thought.

There was a bit of dried blood on his forehead. He frowned. That must be the source of the pain, but how had it happened?

He looked down at himself. A white shirt with an R, matching pants. . . . He was wearing one black glove while the other was missing. That brought nothing to mind. And he apparently didn't have any identification on him . . . or any money. His pockets were empty.

The hand that was bare was bleeding. He cringed. "I hope this isn't infected. . . ." After debating what to do, he took the remaining glove off and wrapped it around the wound. "At least it doesn't look too deep. . . ."

Slowly he pulled himself to his feet. "I have no idea where I am, but I have to try to find civilization somewhere," he mumbled. ". . . I wonder if I talk to myself a lot."

Somehow he didn't think so. He probably talked to Jessie and the Meowth. But where were they? He seemed to be alone.

"Hello?" he called, without much real hope. "Jessie? . . . Meowth?"

His voice echoed off the wall of the cliff and came back to him. The cold night wind blew through his damp hair. He was alone.

"One thing I know about myself," he muttered. "I don't like being alone. And I like it even less when I'm worried about loved ones I can't even remember."

He took a step forward and swayed, crashing into the cliff. "Ow!"

For a moment he leaned there, gathering what strength he had left. He was dizzy, his head hurt, and his leg had almost crumpled underneath him. Getting out of here was not going to be easy. But he couldn't stay here all night.

Maybe he could walk next to the cliff and it could support him for a while. It was worth a try, at least. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he took a cautious step forward, then another.

"Hey," he said to himself, "this might work after all."

Stars flashed in front of his eyes and he sank heavily against the cliff again. "If it's not too long a walk to civilization, of course. . . ."

Before he pushed away from the cliff, he prayed that Jessie and Meowth were safe . . . wherever they were.

Whoever they were.

The water was still gushing from the hole in the dam by the time the helicopter and its passengers arrived. Brock gripped his Pokeball as he held it above the dam. "Come on out, Onix!"

Onix emerged with a roar.

"We need you to plug the hole in the dam until repair supplies arrive," Brock explained. "Can you do that?"

Onix roared in the affirmative and leaped at the dam. While he stuck his tail in the hole, he bit into the railing above with his mouth to hold himself in place. The water slowed to a trickle that seeped out around him.

"I don't know if he'll be able to hold that pose very long," Brock said grimly. "It depends on how strong the water is."

"It's pretty strong," Officer Jenny said. "But the supplies are on their way right now." The helicopter landed on top of the dam. "We'll wait here."

Jessie looked out woefully through the open door. "And there's been no sign of Weezing or the twerps' Pokemon," she said. "Or James. . . ."

"They must still be lookin'," Meowth said.

"Oh! I should be out there with them!" Jessie snarled.

"It's better for you to let the Pokemon handle it," Jenny told her. "A person could easily got lost in this darkness. You'd probably only get yourself into more trouble and the Pokemon would have to spend time looking for you too."

Jessie scowled. ". . . But no one cares about James like I do," she muttered. "And the last thing I ever did to him was cruel and unkind." She turned away from the door and sat on the floor, drawing her knees up to her chest. "I was angry that he was waking me up and I . . . I punched him. . . ." She shut her eyes tightly. "And now if he's . . ."

Meowth skittered over to her and laid a paw on her shoulder. "He'd know you didn't mean it, Jessie. He always knows."

"I don't think so." Jessie's voice was muffled now. "He thought I hated him. He was so awed when he thought I really did care, and I was too prideful to even admit it, so I shot his feelings down again." Her shoulders shook as she silently cried.

"H-Hey," Meowth exclaimed. "I don't know how to deal with you when you get like this. But I know Jim never would've stayed if he really thought you hated him."

A shrug. "It's not like he had anywhere else to go."

Meowth hesitated, then hugged her from the side. "There was nowhere else he wanted to go," he corrected. "He wanted to be with us. He loves you, Jessie. And he knows you love him."

Jessie definitely took note of Meowth's usage of the present tense. Finally she looked up. "Well, in any case, you're right that we can't give up on him," she said, clenching her fist in determination. "He's still out there and we're going to find him!"

Pigeotto's cooing brought everyone to attention.

"They're back!" Jessie got to her feet. "Maybe they found James!"

Pigeotto flew up to the helicopter door, but he didn't look happy. Giving Jessie a sad look, he dropped something in her hands.

She stared at it. "It's . . . one of James' gloves," she said softly. "It's torn and there's blood all over it. . . ."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the helicopter's occupants.

"Well, hey," Meowth said then. "That don't mean nothin'!"

"It means he's hurt." Jessie looked to Pigeotto. "Where did you find this?"

Pigeotto cooed.

"He found it way over to the left of the dam, washed ashore," Meowth said. "Weezing and Zubat are still there lookin' around."

"Maybe one of them will find James," Jessie hoped.

They returned several minutes later, without James. Zubat, however, was carrying something in her feet.

"What's that?!" Jessie exclaimed.

Brock took it. "It's a tree branch," he frowned. "Also covered in blood."

Jessie stared at him. "That doesn't mean anything either," she objected. "That might not be James' blood."

"We can have the branch and the glove analyzed back at police headquarters," Jenny said. "We can determine the blood type, at least."

"I don't even know James' blood type!" Jessie cried in dismay.

"I do," Meowth said. "I saw you guys' files back when the boss actually liked me."

"Well, at least that's something," Jessie said.

"How would James get hurt on a tree branch?" Ash wondered.

"Maybe he grabbed for it with the hand that was already hurt!" Jessie shot back.

Zubat shook her head and shrieked.

"It wasn't anywheres near the water," Meowth translated. "But then I really don't get it."

"Maybe James was holding it for a while and then threw it away!" Jessie snapped. "He could have been somewhere nearby! You shouldn't have stopped looking for him."

"Weezing!" Weezing protested.

"They looked everywhere they could," Meowth said sadly. "Maybe they can look some more later, after the sun comes up."

"By then it might be too late!" Jessie retorted. "We don't know how badly he's hurt!"

"Or if he's alive," Ash said quietly.

Jessie spun around to glower at him. "He's alive!"

Ash shrank back. "Okay. . . ." But from his eyes, he really didn't believe it.

Chapter Text

James was still fighting to walk through the wilderness as night began to fade into the dawn. He had long ago slipped into mostly moving on autopilot; the dizziness had increased to the point that he wasn't even sure what he was seeing in front of him. Either he had a concussion or all the movement was simply too much for him right now. Or both.

He had long ago wandered away from the water. Now there were trees to his right, and they were filled with wild Pokemon. What sounded like a Primeape screeched somewhere nearby, but he didn't even try to turn and look. He was in a fog, his thoughts twisted and confused. He didn't know who he was. Jessie and a Meowth were important to him, but he didn't know who they were either. He didn't even know if they were alright. And the way he was feeling, he might not live long enough to know anything ever again.

There were other vague memories. . . . Something about a Weezing and a Victreebel. . . . His Pokemon? Were they alright? There was a sense of worry about them as well.

So many to worry about. . . .

What were the shadows he remembered fighting? Why had they been fighting him? Were they going to come after him again? Had they also gone after Jessie and the Meowth?

Maybe they were dead already. Maybe he didn't even have amnesia because of the head injury. Maybe it was the trauma of seeing his loved ones killed.

Were they his family? His friends? Both? Were they the only ones who cared about him? He couldn't remember, but trying to call any other loved ones to mind left him with a feeling of nothing. Then again, right now trying to call anything to mind left him with a feeling of nothing.

I have to find them, somehow. . . . Jessie and the Meowth. . . . And Weezing and Victreebel. . . . But I don't even know where to look. And they might already be dead. But . . . even if they are, I . . . have to know. . . . If I survive myself. . . .

The way he was feeling right then, survival sounded like a miracle.

Who was he, really? Was he a good person? A bad person?

Prepare for trouble and make it double. . . .

Was that something he said? It didn't sound much like something a good person would say. Unless . . . maybe a crime-fighter would say it to the crooks?

Could the R on his shirt be some kind of crime-fighter logo?

Somehow he didn't think he was that brave.

But the shadows he remembered fighting. . . . They could have been criminals he had been trying to apprehend. . . .

Betrayed. . . .

He stumbled and nearly fell. Now that the thought had leaped into his mind, it was growing in its urgency. It wasn't just an idle concern; it was the truth, locked away and trying to break free. He had been betrayed to his fall from the cliff. The ones who had done this to him had been his . . . allies? Friends?

He paused, gripping the cliff wall with a shaking hand. What if . . . what if Jessie and the Meowth weren't in danger? What if they had turned against him and done this to him?

The very thought filled him with an anguish so strong it eclipsed his memory loss and nearly sent him to his knees. "No," he whispered. "No. . . ."

They couldn't. They wouldn't. Even without remembering them, he was incapable of believing it of them. Someone else had done this to him. And Jessie and the Meowth and the other Pokemon might be in danger from the same people.

He fought to get up again. He would keep going until he found help. He couldn't let his body give out before then.

It certainly tried to regardless. The pull of unconsciousness increased the longer he struggled to walk. It was all he could do to force himself to stay aware, to somehow keep plodding along, to not give in and collapse next to the cliff wall. If he passed out in the middle of nowhere, he probably wouldn't wake up again. And he had to keep going, not just for himself but also for Jessie and the Meowth. That thought, that determination, kept him going yard after painful yard. Eventually it became a mantra, repeated over and over in his mind even after all other thoughts fell away.

Have to keep going . . . for Jessie . . . and the Meowth. . . . Have to . . .

By the time he staggered through a stand of trees and into a clearing with a Pokemon Center, he could barely remember even that. He swayed, fell, and desperately pulled himself up to stumble through the electronically opening doors.

The pink-haired woman at the desk inside looked up with a start. "Team Rocket!" she gasped.

He could only give her a blank look. "Who?"

She came out from around the desk. "What happened to you? You look terrible! Did you get blasted off again?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he mumbled as he swayed back and forth in the middle of the lobby. "I don't even know who I am. But I do know that I'm . . . about to pass out. . . ."

With that, darkness swept over him and he fell forward onto the floor in front of her.

Nurse Joy stood over him in utter shock. The boy James from Team Rocket, badly hurt and apparently with amnesia, had just collapsed in a Pokemon Center. This wasn't a human hospital, but there wasn't even one of those in this area. She would have to do for him what she could. She wasn't sure he would last on a trip to a human hospital.

"Chansey!" she called. "Take this boy to the emergency room, stat!"

"Chansey!" two Chanseys responded in unison. They hurried over with a stretcher and, with Nurse Joy's help, managed to lift James onto it.

Joy promptly bent over him, checking his vital signs. "Still alive," she said in relief. "His breathing and heartbeat are strong and steady, in spite of all he's been through. He's certainly tougher than he looks. His pupils aren't dilated, but I'm worried about this head injury." She looked up at her Pokemon. "I know he's part of Team Rocket, but that isn't important right now. We have to do everything we can to help him!"

"Chansey," one of the Chanseys nodded.

They all moved quickly to the emergency room.

The repair supplies had arrived for the dam, much to everyone's relief. Brock had recalled Onix and Officer Jenny had ordered the helicopter away from the dam while the work was going on. By now morning was spreading over the mountain and Jessie was desperate to look more for James.

"He has to have reached the shore!" she insisted as the helicopter flew back and forth over the left bank. "That tree branch wasn't wet! It wasn't in the water! He had it on shore!"

"We don't even know if that's his blood on it," Jenny reminded her. With a sigh the policewoman added, "But you're right that if it is, he must have been on shore. The branch couldn't have dried off in that amount of time."

"The water should start receding soon and we'll be able to see the extent of the damage from the flood," Brock said. "But even if James didn't survive, we might not find his body. Who knows how far he could have been carried."

"He's not dead," Jessie fumed. "Why does everyone keep believing the worst?! The evidence points to him being alive!"

"The evidence is pretty shaky, if you ask me," Ash said.

"Well, I didn't ask you!" Jessie shot back. "James isn't dead, so I'm not going to believe such nonsense that he is!"

Brock looked to Ash and slowly shook his head. In Jessie's state, she wouldn't listen to anything to the contrary. And he had to admit, there was at least a slight possibility that she was right.

Ash bit his lip and looked away. He could understand, really. If something happened to Pikachu and people kept insisting he was gone, Ash wouldn't believe it. Jessie and James were dear friends. Well, weird friends too, with all the abuse and arguing, but when the chips were down they always seemed to be there for each other. No one should have to lose someone they loved so much. Not even Team Rocket.

Jessie was still just as determined after the helicopter made several more sweeps without finding anything. "Some things can only be seen from the ground," she insisted. "It's light enough now. I'm going down to look up close. If anyone else wants to come, they can. Otherwise, I'm going alone."

"I'll be comin', Jessie," Meowth said. "And I know Weezing and Victreebel and Arbok and Lickitung will help too."

"We'll all go," Ash said. "None of us want James to be hurt or dead. If we can find him, we're going to!"

"That's right," Misty said.

Brock nodded, but though he didn't speak, he was afraid they wouldn't find anything.

Which they didn't. The search was long, grueling, agonizing, and completely fruitless. By the time they finally stopped to take a break, even Jessie's spirits seemed to be flagging.

"It's too soon to give up," she said to Meowth, "but we've been over this area more than once and he's just nowhere to be found!"

Meowth gave a sad sigh. "Maybe we'd better stop searchin' until the police come up with the lab results of that tree branch."

"I don't know why that should make a difference," Jessie muttered, even though she really did. If the blood on the tree branch wasn't the same blood type as on the glove, it would more strongly indicate that James hadn't been on shore and the glove had just washed onto the bank.

Meowth climbed onto Jessie's lap and curled up in sorrow. "I'm afraid we're really gonna havta accept that Jim's gone," he said softly.

"I won't," Jessie said, but she sounded more lost than angry.

"If I coulda just kept holdin' on to him . . ." Meowth shut his eyes tightly as the tears spilled over.

"You couldn't have pulled him up all by yourself, Meowth," Jessie objected, hesitantly laying a hand on the heartbroken Pokemon's head. "Then you would have only both drowned." She went stiff and grimaced, as though she had just said a dirty word. "There. I said it. James drowned. He's dead."

"We don't know that for sure," Meowth sniffled.

"Everyone's been saying it," Jessie countered. "It's probably true. I just haven't wanted to accept the truth. What could be more of an evil of truth than having to acknowledge that my best friend is . . . gone . . ."

"And what could be more of an evil of love than not bein' able to deal with it and get on with your life?!" Meowth sobbed.

Jessie hugged him close. "Oh Meowth, we're going to have to get by without him from now on!"

Meowth threw his arms around her neck. "But I don't wanna!"

Ash and the others awkwardly watched from a distance. "I really feel bad for them," Ash said.

"Pika-Pika," Pikachu said with drooping ears.

"I guess there really isn't much hope that James is still out there somewhere," Misty said.

"Not much," Brock said.

"Especially since the blood on the tree branch doesn't match the blood on the glove," Officer Jenny said as she suddenly appeared and walked up to them.

Everyone started. "It doesn't?" Ash frowned.

Jenny shook her head. "I'm sorry." She looked to Jessie and Meowth, who had paused in their mourning to stare at her.

"But . . . how?" Jessie whispered. She slowly got up with Meowth in her arms. "I really still thought it would be the same blood type. . . ."

"The blood on the tree branch isn't even human blood," Jenny said with genuine regret. "It's from a Pokemon."

"Oh." Jessie looked down.

Meowth looked at Jenny with wide and devastated blue eyes. "Then . . . Jim's really . . . gone?"

Jenny gave a sad nod. "I'm afraid so." She sighed. "I wish I had better news for you."

Jessie turned away. "You can't bring what isn't there."

Jenny looked to Ash, Misty, and Brock. "I'd advise not to let them stay out here any longer," she said quietly. "It will only be even more painful for them."

"I don't think they'd listen to us," Ash blinked.

Jessie walked over to them. "There's no sense in staying here longer," she said, her tone clipped. "I was fooling myself all along, just like everyone said. James is dead. Let's get out of here."

"Jessie . . ." Ash reached out a hand to her. "I'm sorry."

Jessie looked to him with a start. At first she looked ready to snap something like, "Sure you are!" But when she looked into his eyes, her expression softened. ". . . I think you really are," she said softly.

"We all are," Misty said, hugging Togepi.

Brock nodded. "We didn't want this to happen."

Meowth looked to them from where he was still clinging to Jessie's shoulders. "We're really gonna miss ol' Jim," he said sadly.

"Yeah," Ash said quietly. "Us too."

"One thing's for sure," Jessie muttered. "I don't want another partner. I'll see if the boss will let you be my partner, Meowth."

"You think he would?" Meowth blinked.

"Oh, probably," Jessie scowled. "He'd like to just forget about us, I'll bet. He wouldn't want to waste another, better agent on us. And there aren't any other screw-ups to put with us."

"Well, I guess that's a good thing," Meowth sniffled.

Unseen by all of them was a small device hovering in the air by a pair of synthetic wings. It turned, making its way back to where Bonnie and Clyde were hiding in the trees out of earshot.

"Well," Clyde sneered, "your policewoman impersonation and doctoring the blood test results fixed it so they stopped looking for that idiot."

"You shouldn't have tossed the branch where you did anyway," Bonnie drawled. "You should've put it in the water."

"How'd I know they'd look so hard they'd find it?" Clyde scowled.

"Now, we don't wanna start acting like the screw-ups we're trying to get rid of," Bonnie scolded, waving a finger at him. "The whole flood debacle was a waste anyway. Those two are still alive."

"And so's James," Clyde grumbled.

"It's a good thing that helicopter didn't keep staying where we were, so you were able to go down and find him," Bonnie said.

"Yeah, but he'd already woke up and staggered away," Clyde retorted. "But the interesting news is that he doesn't remember anything, not even his own name. I followed him long enough to pick up on that. And he was so out of it he thought I was a Pokemon. Of course, I stayed out of sight and imitated some Primeape sounds."

"Oh, that poor honey child," Bonnie mocked with a wave of her hands. "He sure took a bad fall."

"Who knows which crack on the head did it to him," Clyde said. "I like to think it was the blow I dealt to him directly. And I know where he is right now; he went to the Pokemon Center through the woods down there. We can go there tonight and finish the job on him before he does remember."

"Good." Bonnie's lips curled into a cruel smile. "But while we're at it, we're gonna havta off that nurse too. She could tell about him being there."

"We'll get them both and steal every Pokemon at the Center while we're at it," Clyde said. "That will earn us our promotions without a doubt."

Bonnie laughed. "I can hardly wait."

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

Consciousness returned slowly. For a moment everything was a blank fuzz. Then trickles of memories returned.

He was waking up for the second time that day. . . . Well, if it was still the same day.

He couldn't even remember his own name, but he remembered he knew someone named Jessie and a Meowth.

They might be in danger. . . .

Where was he?

He forced his eyes open. He was laying in a bed in a small room. The window to his right showed an overcast sky. Just to the side of the window, a pink-haired woman was writing on a clipboard. A nurse, from her cap with the cross on it. . . .

"You're awake, I see," she smiled at him.

"Who are you?" he mumbled.

"I'm Nurse Joy," she said. "Do you remember coming to see me at all?"

He tried to think. There was a very vague, patchy memory of seeing her and saying something to her right before darkness descended over him.

"I . . . think so," he said at last. "So . . . this is a Pokemon Center?"

"That's right," she nodded. "You're very lucky you made it here before you passed out. How long were you walking?"

"I don't know. . . . A long time." He sighed, trying to think. "I remember a cliff . . . the water . . . the woods. . . ."

"But the ocean is several miles from here!" Joy gasped. "You walked all that way?!"

"I guess so," he shrugged. He looked down, catching sight of a bandage around his left hand. He stared at it dumbly before raising it and turning it back and forth for a better look.

"Your hand was cut and scraped," Joy told him. "You don't remember how that happened? Or how you got that nasty wound on your forehead?"

"No," he moaned.

Joy paused. "When you came in, you said you didn't remember anything, even your name. Is that still true?"

He groaned and raised a hand to his head. ". . . Unfortunately, yes."

"Well, I think I can help you a little bit," Joy told him. "Your name is James."

"James," he repeated. "You know me?"

"In a manner of speaking," Joy said. She looked about to continue, but then changed her mind and said instead, "Does the name Team Rocket mean anything to you?"

He was about to say No, but he paused. "Is that what the R on my shirt stands for?"

"Yes," Joy nodded.

"Do I know someone named Jessie?" he asked. "And a Meowth?"

"Why, yes," Joy said in surprise. "You remember them?"

"No," James said. "Not really. Just their names. . . . And that they're special to me." He gave her a pleading look. "Do you know where they are now?"

"I'm afraid not," Joy said.

"They might be hurt," James worried.

". . . I guess that's possible," Joy conceded. "It's strange for you to be separated from them."

"I also remember a Weezing and a Victreebel," James said.

"Your Pokemon, maybe?" Joy mused. "You didn't have any with you. . . ."

"I know," James said. "I'm worried about them too. . . ."

"I'm sure they'll turn up," Joy said, not wanting to get him stressed.

"What is Team Rocket?" James suddenly asked. "It's not some kind of crime-fighting organization, is it?"

Joy flinched. "Um, no," she said slowly. "Actually, it's just the opposite, I'm sorry to say."

"I'm a criminal?" James stared at her and then covered his eyes with his good hand. "Why doesn't that surprise me? It sounds about like my kind of bad luck."

Joy sighed. "Well, you're not all bad, at least," she said, hoping to keep him calm. "I've seen that you genuinely care about Jessie and Meowth. And your Pokemon."

"That's something," James said. He hesitated. "Do we . . . get along with our fellow Team Rocket agents?"

Joy rocked back in surprise. "I really wouldn't know," she said.

"I do have at least one memory," James confided. "It's very vague, very shadowy, but I'm fighting with these people on the cliff. There's pain and I fall. And through it all, there's this sense that I've been betrayed."

Joy stared at him. "It wasn't an accident? Someone deliberately hurt you?!"

"If I'm remembering right," James said helplessly.

"This is bad," Joy said in concern. "We need to talk with Officer Jenny."

"The police?!" James shrieked, sitting up in bed. Then, groaning, he sank back into the pillows. "Oh please, no. . . . She probably wouldn't do anything about gang in-fighting anyway. . . ."

"The police always frown on murder, no matter who's being killed," Joy said with a frown of her own and her hands on her hips. "I'm going to call her right now!" She walked around to the other side of the bed and picked up the phone. Confusion spread over her features. "That's strange."

James stiffened. "What's strange?"

"There's no dial tone." Joy headed for the doorway. "Chansey? Is the phone out?"

The hallway was eerily quiet.

James started to tremble. "They're here," he said in horror. "They found out I'm alive and they're here to finish the job!"

"Now, we don't know that," Joy retorted. "There's probably a perfectly normal explanation about the phone, and Chansey's probably with a patient."

James leaped out of bed anyway. "I can't stay here!"

Joy spun around. "You get back in bed right now!" she ordered. "You're in no condition to get up!"

But James was panic-stricken and on an adrenaline rush. He tore past Joy, out of the room and across the hall to the nurses' station. As Joy watched in disbelief, James ducked behind the counter and then emerged dressed exactly like her.

"That's never going to work," Joy said as she recovered from the shock. "Our eyes are different. And you have that bandage on your forehead!"

"Easily solved." James pulled the curled bangs of the wig farther down to hide it. "And our eye colors aren't that different from a distance. Maybe no one will notice the different eye shapes!"

Joy scowled and folded her arms. "Wanna bet?"

"Hey, I'm a master of disguise," James retorted. "Watch a pro at work." Then he paused, blinking. "Wait, how do I know that?"

"I'll give you that you like disguises a lot," Joy said. "Okay. The only possible way this will work is if we split up. We don't even know there's any danger anyway!"

James was about to retort when the voices down the hall startled them both into silence.

"His room should be this way," a male voice said. "Probably the only human patient in the joint."

"If that nurse is with him, we can literally kill two birds with one stone," a female voice giggled. "No witnesses."

James blanched. "You see?!" he hissed. "And now they apparently want to kill you too!"

For the first time, fear flickered in Joy's eyes. "Then that means you disguising yourself as me won't make you any safer!" she exclaimed.

"Maybe it will confuse them if they see us both running off at once, in different directions," James desperately hoped.

Right then, it seemed the only chance they had. "Alright," Joy agreed. "Whoever gets out first will get the police."

James swallowed hard. "I'm sorry I got you mixed up in this," he quavered.

"Nevermind that now!" But then Joy's expression softened. "It's a nice sentiment, though. You weren't trying to involve me in anything. Be careful! And don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she added as she tore off to the left.

Still terrified, James ran to the right.

"Hey?! What the heck?!" the male voice yelped. "There's two Joys in this place?!"

"Two Joys . . . or one Joy and one cross-dressing male patient?" the female voice replied. The sneer in her tone was obvious. "Let's go!"

Footsteps pounded the floor behind James. "I know it's you, idiot," the man growled.

Another flash of memory. That same voice. . . .

"Lights out, idiot."

Something hard struck him in the head and he went down.

Somehow James resisted the urge to turn and yell at the man who had delivered his amnesia. Instead he kept going, fleeing down the hall until he spotted a medicine cart. He dived behind it and gripped it with both hands, then sent it flying towards his assailant. He didn't stay to watch the collision, but he heard it and couldn't refrain from a smirk when he heard the man yell in aggravation.

He ground to a horrified halt at the dead-end of a window in front of him. Not about to stop, he jumped through the glass.

"What the heck?!" the man yelled behind him. "It's the second floor!"

James had just discovered that. Now he was hanging from the tiny ledge under the window. Shaking in terror, he inched his way past the broken glass and looked down. He wasn't up for another fall, but he wouldn't put it past these people to follow him outside and try stepping on his hands. His left hand was already hurting from the extra strain on it. Maybe if he could just jump onto the roof of the ambulance right below him. . . .

He let go and shut his eyes tightly as he descended. When he hit the roof, he perked up and jumped down. The spare keys were in a pocket of his apron; he had discovered them while dressing. He pulled them out now and soon was inside the ambulance. As he started the engine, for good measure he turned on the siren. If that didn't scare those two agents out of the Center, at least it would attract attention. He couldn't leave the real Joy high and dry, especially when it was because of him that those people wanted her dead.

He grabbed for the CB radio and pitched his voice high in his best Nurse Joy impression. "Mayday! Mayday! Thieves at the Pokemon Center! They're trying to kill me!"

After a moment the radio crackled with a response. "Message received, Nurse Joy!" came a female officer's voice. "I'm on my way!"

A Growlithe barked in the background.

James paused, his hand still on the radio. "Growlie," he whispered.

An unhappy home life, but a beloved pet. . . . A Growlithe was waiting for him somewhere. . . .

"Nurse Joy?!" That voice again. "Are you still there?"

". . . Oh." James startled back to the present. "Yes, I'm here!" he called, again in the high voice.

He had to smirk as he saw the duo flee out a side door and disappear into the trees. The ambulance siren had scared them, alright.

"Good," said the police officer. "I'm almost there!"

James couldn't be there when she arrived. But he still wanted to know that Joy was safe. "Great," he said into the radio. Leaving the siren blaring, he got out of the ambulance and ran back to the Center.

To his relief, Nurse Joy was hurrying into the lobby to meet him. "That was quick thinking," she said. "But very dangerous! Now you have to get back into bed!"

But James shook his head. "I have to keep moving," he insisted. "I've endangered your life by being here. I have to go undercover, find a new disguise, take on a new identity. I can't come out until I remember who I am, or who they are, or until I find where Jessie and Meowth are!"

"But Officer Jenny could help you with that!" Joy pleaded. "You're still badly hurt. Please don't do this!"

"I have to," James retorted. "And I'm sorry, but I'll have to borrow the ambulance. I promise I'll leave it where it can be easily found again." Before she could protest, he ran back to the vehicle and leaped inside.

Joy groaned as she watched him peal out of the parking lot and down the street. "And he's still dressed like me too," she said to no one in particular. "Of course. Who would stop a Nurse Joy driving an ambulance?"

Far away from all the chaos, in a town towards the front of the mountain with the dam, Jessie and Meowth were sitting in a park and staring at a video telephone booth.

"We're gonna havta tell him, Jessie," Meowth said, looking up at her.

"I know." Jessie frowned. "But what if he won't just let us stay a team? What if he insists on bringing someone else in too?"

"Hey, like you said, he probably wants to just forget we even exist," Meowth retorted. "One idiot down, two to go."

"Meowth, that sounds awful!" Jessie scolded. She stood and walked to the booth. "Alright. Let's do this."

Meowth scrambled over and climbed onto her shoulder as she placed the call. In a moment, Giovanni appeared on the video screen. "I'm busy right now," he snarled. "It's not a good time to hear how you simpletons have failed me once again. And where's James?!"

Jessie gripped the phone tighter. "That's what we're calling to tell you, Sir," she said, her voice constricting in a new wave of pain and grief. "James is . . . he's . . ."

"He's bought the farm," Meowth said sadly.

Giovanni actually looked stunned. "What?!" he boomed. "How did this happen?!"

Jessie tried to compose herself enough for an answer. "We were caught in a flood, Sir," she choked out. "We were staying in an old cabin and a dam broke and took us all down the river. James fell trying to save us. He never surfaced again. . . ."

Meowth sniffled, his large ears drooping.

Giovanni leaned back, seeming to be processing this information. "Dams don't break easily," he said at last.

"James said he saw a Pokemon punch a hole in it," Jessie said slowly. "The authorities seem to feel it was a wild Pokemon angry at mankind interfering with their habitat."

"After all this time?" Giovanni retorted.

Meowth started to rise. "What're you sayin', Boss?"

"Just that it's unlikely a wild Pokemon would have become so incensed about the dam now," Giovanni said. "I know where you are. The community that was built because of the dam has been there for many years without interference from the wild Pokemon. It's far more likely that whatever Pokemon punched that dam was under orders to do so."

Jessie and Meowth both froze. "But . . . why?" Jessie gasped.

"I don't know." Giovanni sounded abrupt now. "I'm going to look into a few things. Meanwhile, keep yourselves safe if that's at all conceivably possible."

"Huh?" Meowth blinked. "You think we're in danger too?"

"It's not out of the question," Giovanni said, his tone gruff. "You were all directly in the path of the dam's water."

"And the dam was broken just to get rid of us?" Jessie cried.

"It's a possibility. I can see no other reason for destroying that particular dam. It certainly wouldn't help us acquire any new Pokemon. It would instead drown who knows how many!" Now Giovanni was angry. "Whoever concocted such a plan must be even more incompetent than you! And here I thought that wasn't even possible."

Jessie was swiftly growing angry too. "But Sir, who would hate us that much?!" she demanded. "If James was murdered, I have to know the truth!"

"I will do the investigating!" Giovanni snarled. "And I won't say anything until I'm sure. Just . . . be careful. And don't speak with any other agents of this." With that, he hung up.

Jessie stared blankly at the dark screen before finally hanging up the receiver. "Someone tried to kill us," she said. "The boss believes it. I never would have thought anyone would put that much stock in us. . . ."

"He also said we shouldn't do any investigatin'," Meowth said. "But if someone's out to get us, we've gotta know who! They might already know we're still alive and be fixin' to come after us at any time!"

"I know." Jessie turned away from the booth and marched back to the bench. "Let's think about this. The boss seems to think it's an inside job. There's Butch and Cassidy, but I can't see them coming up with a scheme that could kill thousands of Pokemon just to get rid of us."

"They don't think enough of us for that," Meowth said. "We're just annoyances."

"On the other hand, I really think they wanted us dead in the Orange Islands," Jessie frowned. She sat down and absently petted Meowth while she thought aloud. "You wouldn't remember, but they basically ordered . . . all of our Pokemon to kill us." She diplomatically didn't mention Meowth, even though he had been there.

Meowth looked down. "I kinda remember," he said softly. "And you know, the truth is . . . we had that order, but even under Drowsy's control, we must've still had some sense of what was goin' on and some ability to fight it off. None of us could actually kill you and Jim, even though we'd been ordered to."

Jessie smiled a bit. "I guess that's true," she realized. "We got beat up, but we were okay."

Meowth snuggled closer to her. "So Butch and Cassidy are still suspects then. What about The Black Tulip?"

"I don't think so," Jessie said. "Not unless she was under the boss's orders. And even though we're such screw-ups, I don't think he wants us dead. He looked genuinely shocked about James."

"Well, pretty much everybody in Team Rocket either hates our guts or just wants to pretend we don't exist," Meowth said. "Maybe we'd better let the boss check it out. He acted like he might have an idea of who's after us."

"He did, didn't he," Jessie mused. "Alright, we'll let him sort it out. Now we just need to figure out where we're going to sleep tonight." Her shoulders slumped. "I guess this bench is as good a place as any."

"As long as there ain't strict vagrancy laws in this town," Meowth said.

"Let's give it a try," Jessie said wearily. She laid down on the bench and Meowth curled up beside her. The cat really was nice and warm. But sleep didn't seem about to come. Instead, Jessie stared off into the distance.

Where was James tonight? Somewhere farther down the river? Washed up on a distance shore?

Wherever he was, he was dead. That was all she really needed to know.

A lone tear slipped down her cheek.

"It feels empty, don't it?" Meowth suddenly spoke.

". . . It's the first time James hasn't been here," Jessie whispered.

"We're gonna havta get used to it," Meowth said. He suddenly turned, hugging Jessie around the waist. "But I don't wanna! I don't wanna. . . ."

Jessie clutched the cat close. "I don't either," she choked out.

Several flashes lit up the night and then all of their Pokemon were standing there, both Jessie's and James'---who had been residing in spare Pokeballs Jessie had. They all cried their agreement of Jessie's and Meowth's statements as they crowded in closer.

Jessie looked up at them. "Oh . . . none of you can stand it without James either, can you?" she said.

"Weezing!"

"Charbok!"

"Tung!"

Victreebel screeched.

"Well . . ." Jessie's shoulders slumped. "We're just going to have to."

She sank back onto the bench and the other Pokemon crowded around her and Meowth. It was awkward, and sleep still didn't seem likely to come, but it was nice . . . knowing how much they all loved James and how they wanted to mourn and miss him together.

There would probably be many nights like this in the future.

Chapter Text

Jessie gave a sad sigh as she sat at an outdoor cafe with a soda. It had somehow been three days, but it felt more like three years. James was dead and none of them could accept it very well. They were even still in the same town, desperately hoping for some news, any news, good or bad. Of course, there wasn't any, either from Officer Jenny or Giovanni. James' body hadn't been found and there was no information on who had killed him, if indeed anyone had.

As long as they were staying there, she had adopted a disguise and was sitting at the table in a large, floppy hat and stylish dress. Her long hair was pulled into a tight bun. Hopefully if the killers were around, she would recognize them before they spotted her.

She hadn't seen anyone suspicious, but she had still seen the twerps in town as well. At first Ash had made some excuse about visiting the Gym there, but right before she had come to this cafe she had run into him and the others again and the conversation had gone much differently.

"Still here, huh? Haven't you beaten the Gym leader yet?"

Ash shifted and looked awkward, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well . . . the truth is . . . yeah, I did, but . . ."

"We're all kind of hanging around hoping for more news about James," Misty explained.

Jessie blinked at them in surprise and disbelief. "His death really means that much to you?"

"We never wanted anything to happen to him," Brock said.

"Pikachu," Pikachu nodded.

"Well, there's not going to be any news," Jessie said crisply. "We're all wasting our time here. We need to move on." And she turned away to walk past them.

"Maybe we need to," Misty called after her, "but it's not that simple. You know that better than any of us."

Jessie didn't reply.

Of course, her words were true. Misty's as well. She needed to move on, but how could she? She felt stuck, as though she had died too and now was only going through the motions of living. And Meowth and the other Pokemon were also sorrowing. Meowth was inside the cafe right now. He had claimed he was trying to decide what to eat, but Jessie had the feeling he just wanted to be alone for a few minutes. He was still heartbrokenly blaming himself, and he didn't want to put the burden of his anguish on her too much.

It was strange how the loss of one person could so drastically change another person's life. The loss of her mother had forced her into a foster home and severe poverty. She had grown up hardened as one by one her hopes and dreams had all been taken from her. With James she had started to be happy again . . . although it wasn't something she was in the habit of telling him or even herself. Now he was gone too and she never could tell him. She didn't know how losing him would affect her long-term, but she wasn't anxious to find out. Nothing good would come of it, she knew, just as nothing good had come from her mother's death.

Suddenly her head snapped up. Someone was staring at her. She found herself looking at a forlorn young man dressed as a busboy. His blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and mostly crammed under the hat. His thick glasses framed deep, sad brown eyes. There was no reason why she should give him so much as a second glance, but something about him was so familiar . . . so like James. . . . It was eerie.

“Have we met before?” she stammered at last, completely taken aback.

“I don’t know,” he replied in a soft voice, not unlike how James might sound if he dropped the upper-class accent. “I was trying to remember.”

“You remind me of someone,” Jessie said, feeling a bit silly. “He’s . . . gone now, and I . . . I miss him.”

“I’m sorry,” the young man said, laying a hand on hers. He looked around abruptly and gasped. “Oh no. I have to go!”

Before Jessie could reply, he had vanished. She looked around with a frown. What could have scared him so? She didn't see anything that should have scared a mere busboy. And why did he remind her so much of James? Obviously he wasn't James.

A loud yowl from the building shocked her out of her thoughts.

“What in the . . . Meowth!” she exclaimed. Almost in one movement she leaped up and rushed inside.

The feline Pokemon was laying on the floor, his fur streaked with blood. Weakly he clawed at the checkered tiles, as if they were his last link to consciousness. His large eyes were half-open and glassy.

Jessie was all at once outraged and bewildered. “What happened to you?!”

Meowth gave a weak laugh. "You should see the other guy. . . ."

"Meowth, you're badly hurt!" Jessie cried. "Look at all this blood!"

“. . . Yeah. I think the boss was right, Jessie,” Meowth rasped. “Someone’s tryin’ to . . . paste all of us. . . . Meow. . . . Oh. . . .” With that his eyes closed and he fell limp.

Jessie stared at him, trembling. "No. . . . Not you too, Meowth. . . . You can't . . . you can't die!" Her voice rose in her anguish and panic. With shaking hands she reached out and lifted the cat's small body into her arms. She could tell that he was too limp, too still. "Oh Meowth. . . ."

Something inside her broke. They really had been targets, just like Giovanni had speculated. How could she have been so stupid?! She never should have let Meowth out of her sight! Not that she could have saved him from this, but she would have scratched and clawed and fought with all her might to do so.

It was only then that she became aware of the crowd the scene had drawn. She looked up with a start, her eyes flashing with fire. “What happened here?!” she demanded of the patrons, who were all watching with goggle-eyed interest. A Pokemon had been injured to the death and they had all just stood there, like the ancient Romans delighting in gladiators! What was wrong with all of them?!

“This Machamp came in and started bullying the Meowth,” a seven-year-old boy volunteered. “The Meowth said that the Machamp was challenging him to a fight, so they started to battle. . . . Only before long, we all saw it was going to be a fight to the death! And it wasn't that they weren't evenly matched; the Machamp was really trying to kill the Meowth!"

"And no one tried to help him when it was obvious it wasn't just a friendly battle?!" Jessie snarled.

"No one wanted to get involved," the boy's father admitted. "None of us had anything strong enough to beat a Machamp."

"Well, at least it would have spread the injuries around a bit," Jessie snapped. "Instead of just focusing on Meowth so much that he couldn't . . ." She looked down at the motionless body and held him a little closer, as if to protect him from the people's unkindness.

"That Meowth was pretty pathetic anyway," another man called from a booth. "He couldn't even use Pay Day!"

"Yeah, lady," a rough man at the counter nodded. "What's it to you?"

Jessie got to her feet. The anger and hatred in her heart had just about boiled over by now. "Maybe this Meowth couldn't use Pay Day, but that doesn't mean he was worthless!" she roared. "He was one of my best friends!"

"Heh. I guess it figures," the guy sneered.

Jessie was about to snarl an angry retort when she caught something out of the corner of her eye. A bloodied paw had weakly moved. "Meowth?!" she gasped. "You're still alive?!"

Meowth didn't really respond, but Jessie took that sliver of hope and ran with it. She cradled Meowth carefully with one arm while trying to feel for a heartbeat with the other. The soft thump under her fingers nearly made her lightheaded with joy. "Oh, you're alive," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"Guess he's tougher than he looked when he got creamed," the rough man commented.

Jessie’s eyes narrowed angrily. “Someone tell me where the nearest Pokemon Center is!”

The small boy hurried forward. "I'll take you there," he volunteered. His eyes flashed with guilt. He, at least, wished he had tried to help.

"Then let's go!" Jessie cried. To wait any longer could be fatal for real. And she wasn't going to let that happen.

James was already several blocks away. He finally slowed to a stop, breathing heavily as he pressed himself against an alley wall.

The last three days had been an adventure and a half, one he would have rather not had. After abandoning the ambulance as promised, he had ducked into a costume shop and selected the disguise he now wore. Then he had fled, slipping into a bus bound for the nearest town to where he figured he must have started his confused and dazed journey. So far those Team Rocket agents hadn't recognized him again, but he was constantly afraid and tense, just waiting for them to find him out and launch another attempt on his life. At the same time, he was desperately trying to piece together the mystery of what had happened to him and where Jessie and the Meowth were.

To that end, he had determined to talk to anyone he found named Jessie. He had run across several on his journey, but none of them had appeared to know anything about someone named James or a Meowth. He was careful about what he said, just in case he ended up talking to the enemy, but all of the girls had seemed perfectly harmless.

Maybe it was foolish, but he felt that if he were to meet his friend, something in him would remember her. None of those girls had seemed familiar in the slightest. But he had to admit, he had sensed something special about the girl he had just been talking to. If he hadn't had to suddenly run upon catching sight of the male agent, he would have stayed to talk to her more.

But what if . . . what if that girl really had been Jessie and she was in danger now? He didn't think the agent had given her a second glance, but maybe he was wrong. What if he had just abandoned the girl he was seeking to horrible danger?

He looked back the way he had come. He was terrified, but he had to chance it and go back. He had to know she was safe. And if she was Jessie, then . . .

Before he had the chance to finish that thought, several strange shouts cut into his awareness.

"Pikachu?! Where're you going?!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Look out for that fruit stand!"

Crash.

Then the little yellow creature was running into view. To James' shock and horror, it leaped up on him and bowled him down. He cried out in terror as he fell backwards to the ground and his blond wig went flying in another direction.

A flash of memory. A Pikachu performing a Thundershock. Him being electrocuted.

Many memories of it happening again and again.

He screamed again, pushing on the little rodent. "Get off! Get off of me!"

Pikachu just sat where he was, half-hidden by the escaping wig. "Pikachu," he said stubbornly.

"Oh, and now my contacts are loose," James complained. He reached up to catch them as they slipped out.

A dark-haired boy ran into the alley. "Pikachu! . . . What the . . . James?!" He stopped short, his eyes wide and filled with disbelieving shock. "It can't be! You're supposed to be dead!"

James shakily peeled his wig off of Pikachu and jammed it back on his head to hide the light blue hair. "You must have me mixed up with someone else," he insisted. No way was he going to concede his identity to a boy who had a Pikachu that had kept shocking him!

The younger boy frowned, taking a step back. "You look just like James from Team Rocket," he protested.

"Pika," Pikachu said matter-of-factly. This is James from Team Rocket!

"Ash!" Now a girl and another boy were running over. "What's happening?!"

"Misty, Brock, look who Pikachu just found!" Ash exclaimed.

Misty looked, unimpressed. By now James had managed to get one of the contacts back in and he looked back, startled. "You found a blond guy with mismatched eyes," she proclaimed.

"It's James!" Ash insisted. "Look at Pikachu! He knows!"

"Pikachu," Pikachu nodded.

His hands shaking, James fumbled with the other contact. "Are you going to try to kill me too?!" he blurted.

Now all the younger kids were stunned.

"Why would we try to kill you?" Brock frowned.

"What are you talking about?!" Misty boomed. "We wouldn't kill anybody!"

"Maybe it's a new trick to catch Pikachu," Ash suggested.

"I don't think so," Brock said. "Look at him, Ash. Whoever he is, he's genuinely scared."

"Pika-chuuu!" said Pikachu.

James stared at the rodent. "Why would I be trying to catch this?! It seems like it's caught me anyway."

The utter confusion in James' voice and eyes gave Ash pause. "Hey . . ." He bent down, really looking into the older boy's eyes. "You really don't know what's going on, do you? You don't remember anything."

"You have amnesia," Brock deduced.

"What's that?" Ash blinked.

Misty mushroom-sighed. "Not remembering anything!"

"Oh. Well, I just said that," Ash frowned.

James was still scared. He didn't remember these kids or the Pikachu, aside from the terrifying memories of being electrocuted, and he wasn't about to open up to them or trust them under those circumstances. "Why would you think that?" he objected. He cautiously lifted the Pikachu and held him out to Ash. "I've just never seen any of you before and that's that."

"Hmm." Ash accepted Pikachu, who hopped back on his shoulder. "Well, if you're not James, then I guess you're right. Sorry for the confusion." He reached out a hand to help James up, but paused at the sight of the bandage around the left hand. "Hey, what's that?"

James followed his gaze. "Oh, I . . . cut myself shaving." He leaped to his feet. "Goodbye now!" And he fled out the opposite end of the alley, leaving the kids staring after him.

". . . That was weird," Ash proclaimed.

"You said it!" Misty declared.

"Ash, are you sure that guy looked like James?" Brock asked.

"Sure I'm sure!" Ash insisted. "When I caught up to him, I saw his blue hair and green eyes! Then he stuck the wig back on and started putting the contacts back in again! You saw at least one green eye, Brock!"

"James can't be the only person with blue hair and green eyes," Brock said. "But I'll admit that he sounded a little like James and acted a lot like James . . . except for his complete lack of interest in Pikachu."

"Pikachu," Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"James would've grabbed Pikachu," Ash said. "This guy actually acted scared of Pikachu."

"Unless . . ." Brock perked up. "That glove Pigeotto found. . . . That was for the left hand, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I think so," Ash blinked.

"So that probably was James, alright," Brock said, "and he really does have amnesia."

"Poor James," Misty frowned. "It would be awful not to even know who you are or who your friends are."

"Or your enemies," said Ash.

Togepi trilled.

"And what was he going on about?" Ash wondered. "He really thought we might be trying to kill him!"

"What if someone was trying to kill him?" Brock suggested. "And Jessie and Meowth too. I don't know, maybe it's just a wild thought, but it's been bothering me about that Pokemon punching the dam. I don't think it would have done that unless it was ordered to. Maybe Team Rocket had some enemies who knew they were in that cabin and that they'd be right in the water's path if the dam broke."

"Why would anyone break a dam just to kill the three of them?" Misty scoffed.

"I know it sounds weird, but to me it makes more sense than a wild Pokemon doing it," Brock said. "That dam's been there for years and the Pokemon haven't bothered it."

"So, even if it is true, what do we do?" Misty worried.

"Maybe we should tell Officer Jenny," Ash suggested.

"That's a good idea," Brock agreed. "Let's go find her."

"We'd also better find Jessie and Meowth and tell them what happened," Ash said.

"And warn them someone might be out to get them," Misty shuddered.

"Pikachu," Pikachu nodded.

"Right," Brock said.

They ran out of the alley.

Chapter Text

Jessie burst into the Pokemon Center with her long hair streaming free of the bun behind her and the critically wounded cat in her arms. "This Meowth needs help immediately!" she cried when she spotted Nurse Joy behind the front counter.

Joy gasped. "What did you do to your Meowth?!" She rushed out to accept the limp Pokemon. "Whatever battle it was in was obviously too much for it to handle!"

"I didn't do this to him, sister!" Jessie snarled. "He was ambushed by a bloodthirsty Machamp! And he can't die. Understand?!"

Joy nodded. "Chansey and I'll do our best." She hurried towards the emergency room. "Chansey!" she called. "We have an urgent case here!"

"Chansey!" a Chansey responded. She waddled after Joy into the emergency room.

Jessie stared after them. Part of her wanted to go with them, but she knew it wasn't allowed. And after her training to be a Pokemon Nurse, she also knew why.

She turned away from the door and glowered at the reception room. She would have tried to treat Meowth herself if there hadn't been a Center around, but she might not have had the proper equipment. Or the blood, if he had lost so much he would need a transfusion. . . . She really wasn't sure about that. But there had certainly been a lot, both on the floor of the cafe and now . . . on her. . . .

She stared down at herself, trembling slightly. She hadn't even thought about the blood getting everywhere. She had just picked Meowth up and ran as fast as she could, following the young boy's directions to the Pokemon Center. He had never stirred again, but she had made certain he was still breathing. Now that he was in the hands of the medical professionals, she knew she wasn't going to wait around for hours covered in his blood. That was too horrible, too haunting. She turned, running for the ladies' room.

Soap, water, and damp paper towels couldn't remove it all. But vigorous scrubbing got it off her skin, and even more took at least most of it out of her dress. The wastepaper basket next to the sink was soon filled with red and pinkish papers.

At last she slumped back against the wall, still shaking as she stared off at the opposite wall and ceiling. She had tried to keep her mind on the task at hand and not to let it wander, but that had been impossible. She kept seeing Meowth lying on the floor, or in her arms, or on the stretcher the Chansey had wheeled away. She thought of the feel of his small body. He was so much heavier when he was limp. . . . And when she tried to push those images away, she saw James rushing to wake her up, panic-stricken upon realizing the dam had burst. She had punched him out of exhausted frustration and aggravation and he had fallen back, hurt yet undaunted. He had only wanted to keep her and Meowth safe. . . . Then the water had swept them all away and he was just gone. That was it; she would never see him again.

A sob choked in her throat. She was all alone and didn't have to pretend to be strong any longer. Instead she covered her eyes with her hands and cried, for James, for Meowth . . . for her foolishness and stupidity. She had hurt James so much. Meowth too. Now James was gone and the last thing she had ever done to him was cruel. At least . . . if Meowth died too . . . his last memory of her wouldn't be unkind.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she managed to get hold of herself. Then she took a deep breath and reached for more paper towels to clean herself up. If anyone else walked into the Pokemon Center, she didn't want it obvious that she had been crying. James and Meowth could see her cry, but not strangers.

When she finally walked back into the lobby, the first thing she saw was that the hypodermic needle light above the emergency room was still lit. She sank into a chair. More than likely, it was still going to be a long wait.

New tears splashed onto her clenched fists in spite of her best efforts to hold them back. First James and now Meowth. . . . What would she do if that motormouth died too?

"Well, James, the team is falling apart," she said softly. "Maybe it would have been better if we'd all been taken out at once instead of dropping off one by one. Poor Meowth. . . . I can't understand who would want to do this to him. . . . Or who would have wanted to drown you. . . ."

She looked to the video telephones to the other side of the room. Maybe she should call Giovanni and let him know what had happened now.

She grimaced. On the other hand, he would probably just comment on how incompetent Meowth was, to have been beaten like that.

But what if the Pokemon used to hurt Meowth would give Giovanni an idea as to who had done this?

With that thought in mind, Jessie went over in determination and placed the call.

"What is it now, Jessie?" Giovanni growled when he appeared on the screen.

"Sir . . ." Jessie swallowed hard. "A Machamp nearly killed Meowth. . . ."

Giovanni leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. "A Machamp?"

"Yes," Jessie said sadly.

"Certainly a Pokemon capable of breaking a hole through a dam."

"I was thinking the same thing, Sir," Jessie said. "But don't you know yet who might be doing this to us?!"

"I believe so," Giovanni said. "And this information gives me the final puzzle piece. Bonnie and Clyde have a Machamp. Although they're not supposed to be in your area. But they're certainly close enough that they could easily go there."

"Bonnie and Clyde?" Jessie frowned. "I never did like them. . . ."

"I daresay they feel the same about you, James, and Meowth," Giovanni sneered. "They have often spoken ill of you in my presence. But if they are trying to kill the three of you, they are doing it without my permission. That will be dealt with harshly. Does it look like Meowth will survive?"

"I don't know yet, Sir," Jessie said.

"Let me know. I will try to track down Bonnie and Clyde. Oh, and Jessie . . ." Giovanni glowered at her. "Try to stay alive yourself."

Jessie stiffened. "Yes, Sir."

She hung up and turned to look at the emergency room door. The hypodermic needle was still lit. Meowth was still being treated.

"Not another death," she said under her breath. "Not another loved one taken away from me. . . ."

Again she turned away. Now she slumped back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. Unbidden to her thoughts came the strange boy from the cafe. He had reminded her so much of James, even though he wasn't James and couldn't have been James. He hadn't known her. But he had been so sad, so afraid, and she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Wait. . . .

“Have we met before?” she stammered at last, completely taken aback.

“I don’t know,” he replied in a soft voice, not unlike how James might sound if he dropped the upper-class accent. “I was trying to remember.”

She had noticed something in his eyes, a faint spark of recognition that had quickly disappeared, but after their conversation she hadn’t thought any more about it.

It sounded outlandish and yet it made sense. He was James! He had to be! He had been badly hurt and was apparently sick with amnesia, but he was alive and out there somewhere!

For a moment Jessie just sat there, frozen stiff, not sure she dared believe what her mind was telling her. James wasn't dead. . . . He was alive and she had even met him. But it really was her mind and not just her heart. It was logical. Putting all the pieces together, it was a very plausible conclusion. And now that the idea had come to her, she couldn't bring herself to believe otherwise.

She turned to look at the doors with wide eyes. "Oh James . . . if only I'd realized at the time," she whispered. She couldn't possibly go until she knew Meowth would live, but now her heart swelled with joy and hope. As long as their enemies didn't figure it out too, James should be safe until then. If Meowth would only be alright, they would all be together again soon.

As it turned out, Officer Jenny wasn't as receptive as Ash and company had hoped.

"I'm glad you came to me," she said when the group had finished their tale, "but I'm afraid your story is mostly circumstantial."

"What does that mean?" Ash blinked.

"It means it might not mean what it seems to mean," Jenny explained. "All you know is that this boy who resembles James adamantly denies any knowledge of any of you. And that he was cut on his left hand, where James would likely be injured if he was still alive."

"But . . . !" Misty protested.

"Yes, it's true it could be James with amnesia, but it could also just be a coincidence," Jenny firmly cut in. "You don't know his name, where he lives or works, or anything else that would help identify him or find him."

"We know someone's trying to kill him," Brock said.

"You know he thinks someone is trying to kill him," Jenny corrected. "He could be paranoid or otherwise incorrect."

"But what if he is correct?!" Misty stepped forward in desperation. "What if you don't do anything and then you find him laying dead in an alley or something?! I'm sure your superiors wouldn't be too happy that you ignored our report!"

"Hey, I was just thinking about something," Ash suddenly spoke. "He didn't give us a name. I mean, when we were all calling him James and he was insisting he didn't know us, you'd think he'd give us a fake name or something."

"Yeah," Misty mused. "Maybe he didn't because he knew he really was James. That might be the only thing he remembers."

Jenny sighed. "Well, all I can really do is start looking through the area and hope he'll come out again. I can't file a missing persons report. He hasn't been gone for 24 hours and he might not even be missing! He could be safely back at his job right now . . . whatever his job is."

"We'll help you look, Officer Jenny," Brock said.

She glowered at him. "Now, I don't want you kids getting into any danger! If someone really is trying to kill him, you could end up getting in the way and being hurt yourselves!"

"Well, we can't just stand around doing nothing," Ash objected.

"We won't get into any danger," Brock promised. "We'll just look."

At last Jenny relented. "Okay. But I'll hold you to that!"

"He might not even be in the same area," Misty said quietly. "What would we do then?"

"Spread out and keep looking," Jenny said.

"I hope it is James," Misty said. "And that we find him before he's hurt worse."

Everyone concurred.

James was highly shaken by his meeting with the strange kids and the Pikachu. He just didn't understand who they were or how they knew him. Maybe they were even working with the agents who were trying to kill him.

Still, as he slowly made his way back to the cafe from a roundabout direction, a much more likely explanation came to him. He was a criminal. Maybe the kids were the good guys and he was always being stopped by them.

Why had that Pikachu actually been glad to see him, though?

Well, maybe they were such goody-two-shoes that they really had been worried about him under the circumstances.

Was that possible?

Probably.

He sighed. He couldn't see himself wanting real harm to come to those kids either, even though he was supposed to be the bad guy.

Maybe he shouldn't have run off. Maybe he should go back and try to find them again. If they really knew who he was, maybe they could help him find Jessie and Meowth.

Oh, but they were likely long gone by now, and here was the cafe.

He stiffened. The female agent who was trying to kill him was parked outside the door. What did that mean? Had they figured out he had been working there and they were waiting for him to come back? Or did this have anything to do with that girl? She wasn't there now.

He hid around the side of the building. What was he going to do now?

Well, somehow he had to find out if they had taken the girl. Maybe he could try to get close enough to overhear the conversation when the male agent came back from wherever he was.

He paused when the conversation from inside wafted out through a half-open window.

"What a mess!" a man growled. "Blood and fur all over the floor. . . . Why didn't anyone stop that gladiator battle for the sake of the cafe if not for the sake of the Meowth?!"

James went stiff. A Meowth?! In a battle to the death?!

"Hey, why would any of us want to end up like the Meowth?" another man retorted. "That Machamp was unreal! It really wanted to kill the Meowth!"

"And it almost did!" a woman exclaimed. "I wonder if it will even stay alive long enough for that girl to get it to the Pokemon Center."

James turned away from the building and ran. That was obviously where he needed to go now. He had to find out if that was his friend Meowth . . . and if the girl was Jessie.

It seemed hours later when the hypodermic needle light at last switched off and the doors opened. Jessie ran over, her heart pounding. "Well?!"

Meowth was laying on the stretcher, still unconscious. Bandages were wrapped around the worst wounds. He looked so small and helpless, not like the vicious cat who could use Fury Swipes when incensed. Jessie always hated that attack, but for probably the only time in her life, she wished Meowth would get up and do it.

Nurse Joy smiled at her. "He's a fighter, that's for sure," she said. "We almost lost him a couple of times, but he scratched and clawed his way back. He really wants to live."

Jessie looked down at Meowth with a shaky smile of her own. "He sure does," she said softly. He still thought James was dead. He could have instead given up and decided he wanted to join James, especially when he blamed himself. But he wanted to live, for Jessie's sake and his own.

"You can stay with him in the recovery room," Joy said.

Jessie was torn. She definitely wanted to. But now she was worried about James and where he could possibly be. She doubted he had returned to the cafe. Looking for him could be a very long and possibly fruitless experience.

She looked back to Meowth. She didn't want to leave him to wake up all alone after what he'd been through. If James remembered, he would feel the same.

"I will," she said then.

Her place right now was with Meowth.

It was eerie to walk with them to the recovery room and not see her old friend talking a mile a minute or being obnoxious. Of course, of late he had mostly been subdued and heartbroken, as she was. But seeing him so still, so quiet, was so wrong.

They reached the room and Chansey wheeled Meowth to a bed over near the window. Joy carefully lifted him onto the soft mattress.

"How long before he wakes up?" Jessie asked.

"It's never a sure thing," Joy said sympathetically. "It could be a few minutes or a few hours."

Jessie sat down next to the bed. "I'll stay however long it takes."

Joy smiled. "He'll be okay. But I understand your need to stay and make sure of that."

Jessie nodded and didn't speak again until they were left alone. Then she slowly reached out, petting the soft cream fur. "James and I both know you like this, Meowth, but we hardly ever do it. I guess it's hard to think of you as an animal to be cuddled. Usually you seem more like a small person with fur." She smirked a bit, but it was shaky.

"Nurse Joy says you're going to be alright. She'd better be right! I'm not going to lose you. And you obviously don't want to die. You were always a fighter."

She hesitated. "I think James might be alive, Meowth. When you wake up, I'm going to go look for him. If it's true, we can all be together again. I hope. . . . Only he doesn't remember us anymore, if he's who I think he is. . . ."

The full force of that statement hit her like a vicious punch. It was so wonderful to think that James was really alive that she hadn't really focused on the new problem as much. But to picture him looking at her and Meowth without recognition was haunting, chilling, heartbreaking. What if he never remembered? He had seemed receptive to her at the cafe, but maybe things wouldn't continue in that vein. When he didn't remember, maybe he would decide to leave them and go his own way.

No, she couldn't think that. She would believe that James would still remember he loved them. And if he didn't, well . . . she wouldn't give up until he did.

Just like Meowth wouldn't give up fighting to live.

Chapter Text

Starting to wake up brought the pain back again. He groaned, turning slowly onto his side. The "fight," if it could be called that, had been more like a massacre. Oblivion had been a relief. Coming back hurt . . . so much. There was no sense wondering if he was in Cat Heaven or heck, even Cat Hell. The pain said he was still alive and kicking.

"Meowth?!"

He started, his eyes snapping open. "Jessie?!" He rolled onto his back again.

Jessie was sitting next to the bed, gently stroking his fur at points where bandages were not in the way. "How are you feeling, Meowth?" she quietly asked.

"A lot better with this goin' on." Meowth closed his eyes in contentment. "How long's it been?"

"Too long," Jessie said. "Meowth, do you know how bad off you've been?!"

"I know it really hurt," Meowth said.

Jessie stopped petting. "You almost died a couple of times! And I thought you were dead right after it first happened!" She sounded angry, but Meowth could pick out the pain in her voice---especially now, when he was feeling so much of it.

"Hey, I'm real sorry," he said quietly. "Right after we lost James and all. . . . That's the last thing either of us needed."

"It wasn't your fault. You've been fighting to live." Jessie paused. "But Meowth . . . I don't think we've lost James. At least, not to death."

"Huh?!" Meowth stared at her. "What the heck do you mean, Jessie?!"

Jessie gazed into the distance. "When you were fighting the Machamp, I met this boy outside. He reminded me of James, even though I told myself that was ridiculous. He didn't remember me, and yet . . . he acted like maybe he did deep down. I've been thinking about him and now I'm sure---he's James in disguise, hurt with amnesia."

Meowth was still staring. "Amnesia?! But . . . people usually don't get better from that!"

"Sometimes they do," Jessie insisted. "And if that was James, he still remembers me in his heart. Probably you as well. I need to find him. . . ."

"Then go, Jessie," Meowth encouraged. "We both want Jim back. Go get him."

From Jessie's eyes, she definitely wanted to, but she was reluctant to leave Meowth there alone. "You're sure?"

He reached out, taking her hand in his front paws. "Yeah."

She smiled. "Okay then. I'll put on a new disguise and go out looking. When I come back, I'll have James with me. You stay safe here, alright?"

"I'll be just fine," Meowth said.

Jessie finally nodded and got up, hurrying out of the room.

Meowth stared after her. "I hope you're right, Jessie," he said to himself. "Both about that guy being James and about him being able to remember us in his heart. And I hope he gets those memories back in his head too."

In a new disguise, Jessie left the Pokemon Center and headed in the direction of the cafe. That was where she had seen the boy working. If nothing else, she could inquire about him from the management. Maybe that would give her a lead.

She wasn't expecting a fierce Machamp to step into her path before she could go very far. "Machamp," it intoned.

She clenched her teeth. "Are you the one who tried to kill Meowth?!"

"Machamp." The cold response said everything she needed to know.

"Well, you won't have as much luck with me." She pulled out all her Pokeballs. "Arbok, Lickitung, Weezing, Victreebel! Attack together!"

Her and James' combined Pokemon called out in consent. While Weezing Smoke-Screened the area, Victreebel threw her Razor Leaves, Arbok used Poison Sting, and Lickitung lunged for a Lick attack. Jessie coughed from the smoke and stepped back. She didn't want anyone else to end up like Meowth, but she had to defend herself. If they all attacked together, maybe . . . maybe . . .

A circular restraining device flew out from nowhere, binding her arms to her sides. "What the . . . ?!" She struggled to turn around. This was a Team Rocket-issued device. The Machamp wasn't alone.

Clyde stepped out of the shadows, sneering at her. "I knew Machamp would be a good distraction."

As the Smoke-Screen cleared, Machamp was still there, momentarily dazed but quickly recovering. He assumed an attack position, all four arms ready to deal out devastating damage. Each arm sent one of the Pokemon flying.

"No," Jessie said in horror.

"Don't worry," Clyde drawled. "They won't end up like Meowth. We only wanted him, you, and James dead. The rest of your Pokemon will belong to Bonnie and me."

"That doesn't give me any comfort," Jessie said in disgust. "What's your problem anyway? Do you really think the boss is going to promote you when you're off doing things he didn't give you permission to do? Don't you realize your flood in the mountains could have killed thousands of wild Pokemon?!"

Clyde just laughed. "All common ones, not anything Team Rocket's interested in. Machamp, take her."

"Over my dead body!" Jessie snapped. She turned to run, but with her balance thrown off, she couldn't travel very far before she fell over. As Clyde's cruel laughter filled her ears, Machamp picked her up and held her above his head with just one arm.

"You're as light as a feather to Machamp," Clyde said.

Jessie wasn't about to go quietly. She continued to struggle and flail, kicking at the fighting Pokemon with both legs. "Put me down!" she screamed.

"Oh, he'll do that, alright," Clyde said. "See, you're gonna have a little accident in an old Pokeball factory we know about. It'll look like you were trying to rob the place and your last act was to bungle that job too."

Jessie stiffened. "What kind of accident?!" With a factory involved, her imagination could conjure up all manner of gruesome possibilities.

"Well, it'll have to be something really good," Clyde drawled. "Something we know you can't walk away from."

A horn honked and a large semi pulled up in front of them. "I've brought the truck," Bonnie announced, leaning out the window.

"Good. Machamp, throw her in the back," Clyde ordered.

"Machamp." As soon as Clyde opened the sliding door on the back of the rig, Machamp unceremoniously tossed Jessie inside and then climbed in to prevent her from so much as trying to get out.

"Good work, Machamp," Clyde sneered. He closed the back and went around to the cab.

In a moment the truck started to move again. Jessie struggled against her bonds, but they held fast. And the Machamp glowering down at her said loud and clear that she didn't have a prayer.

She slumped against the floor of the truck. "Oh James. . . . I hope that wherever you are, you won't get caught too," she whispered. "Please . . . stay safe. . . ."

James stumbled to a halt in the middle of a block, his eyes widening. "Jessie?!" he gasped in disbelief. "Jessie, are you here?!"

He looked around, but he was clearly alone.

"I know I heard her," he whispered. "But . . . that's impossible if she's not here. . . ."

He ran ahead. The trees parted and showed a clearing with the Pokemon Center standing tall and welcoming in their midst. And bizarrely, four Pokemon were lying sprawled on the sidewalk.

"What happened here?!" he gasped.

"Weezing!" Weezing suddenly leaped up. James had forgotten to disguise his voice. Weezing rushed him in utter joy. Even in his busboy disguise, James was recognizable to his beloved Pokemon.

Victreebel shrieked, joining the reunion. Jessie's Pokemon got into the act as well, scurrying over to him.

James toppled backwards to the ground, laughing as he hugged them. These had to be the Weezing and Victreebel he had remembered through the shroud over his memories. "I've been so worried about you!" he exclaimed. "But you're alright! Where's Meowth?"

Victreebel looked towards the Center.

"Is he alright?" James demanded.

Weezing nodded. "Weezing . . ."

James was relieved, but still worried. "What about Jessie?!" he asked next.

The Pokemons' demeanor fell again. "Weezing-Wee . . ." said Weezing. He and the others turned to look down the street.

"Hmm? Was Jessie taken away?" James demanded.

Victreebel screeched.

"Then we'll have to go after her!" James exclaimed. "Do you know where she's being taken?"

"Charbok!" Arbok declared.

"Alright!" James took off running. "Let's go!"

Three of the four Pokemon rushed after him. Lickitung hung back, concerned. Meowth deserved to know what was going on too. And if there was trouble, someone else needed to know where to go or to send help.

He hurried back to the Center.

Ash, Misty, and Brock were having a very strange time. James was proving very elusive, but finally they found several people who remembered seeing him running away from the direction of a small cafe. That seemed the most promising locale, so it became the new goal to work towards. When at last the building came into sight, the kids perked up.

"Do you think he really might have come back here?" Ash hoped.

"Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to check," Brock said.

Misty hurried ahead of them to the doors. "It's closed," she frowned. She stood on tiptoe to peer through the round window and gasped. "There's blood and fur all over the floor!"

"Huh?!" Ash ran over to look too. "What could have happened?!"

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"You mean you didn't hear?"

The group spun around. An elderly man was moving out slowly from around the side of the cafe, a cane gripped tightly in his hand.

"Hear what?" Misty blinked. "What happened in there?! It looks awful!"

"It was," the man nodded. "A Machamp challenged a Meowth to a battle in there, but it wasn't any friendly fight to test their skills. We all knew within a couple of minutes that the Machamp had murder on his mind."

Gasps echoed among the group. "What happened to the Meowth?" Brock asked.

"Got wounded nigh to death," the man replied. "Real funny Meowth too---didn't know Pay Day, but he was standing and talking like a person."

"Oh no," Misty whispered.

"Where is he now?!" Ash demanded.

"Some young lady said he was her friend and ran out with him to find the Pokemon Center," was the answer. "No one knows if he's going to pull through."

"Thank you, Sir," Brock said. "Where is the Pokemon Center?"

"On the main street, past the old stores," the man said. "You can't miss it."

The kids hurried off.

"Poor Meowth," Misty said.

Togepi gave a sad trill.

"I never thought I'd be worried about him, but that sounds awful," Ash said.

Brock nodded. "And a Machamp could easily punch a hole through a dam. It's probably the Pokemon who did that too. I hate to think what it did to Meowth."

"Me too," Ash said.

"And how Jessie will handle it if Meowth dies too," Misty said quietly. "We don't know for sure that boy was James. Maybe they're both gone."

"Let's hope not," Brock said.

They arrived at the Pokemon Center from another direction shortly after James departed and hurried inside.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash called, slamming his hands on the desk.

In a moment, a surprised Nurse Joy emerged from a side room. "What's going on?" she asked with a blink. "What's wrong?"

"Nurse Joy, we just heard about a Meowth being attacked," Ash said.

"We think we know him," Misty added.

"How is he?" Brock queried.

Although still surprised, Nurse Joy quickly recovered and smiled instead. "It was pretty touch-and-go for a while, but he's going to be alright."

Everyone relaxed.

"Oh, thank goodness," Misty said.

"Would you like to see him?" Joy asked.

"We sure would," Ash agreed.

"Just stay for a few minutes," Joy told them while leading them down the hall. "He needs his rest."

"Rest, schmest!" Meowth retorted as he overheard. "I've had plenty of that already!"

"Well, he sounds normal," Misty said.

Joy pushed open the door. "He's definitely regained a lot of his strength."

Meowth blinked in disbelief to see the arriving group. "You guys?"

"Yeah!" Ash ran in and over to the bed. "Meowth, what happened?!"

"This big brute Machamp decided it'd be fun to beat up on a Pokemon a lot smaller than him," Meowth growled.

"The people at the cafe were saying you were almost dead," Misty said softly.

"Well . . ." Meowth looked away, too prideful to admit to the full extent of the disaster. "I ain't, though. See?"

"We see," Brock nodded.

"But we don't see Jessie," Ash said. "Where is she?"

"She went out," Meowth said.

"Where?" Brock demanded.

"Just out." Meowth turned back to face them. "I dunno exactly where. Back to that cafe, maybe."

"Doesn't she know she's a walking target?!" Brock cried.

"She's in disguise," Meowth retorted.

"These people might see through it," Ash said.

Meowth hopped up. "If Jessie's in danger, I've gotta get out of here and try to help her! Oh. . . ." He lost his balance and fell back into the bed.

"Pikachu," Pikachu commented.

"Meowth, you're in no shape to go anywhere," Ash said.

"You're lucky to be alive," Misty said. "You need to stay here. We'll find Jessie."

Undaunted, Meowth looked pleadingly to Pikachu. "Pikachu, you understand, dontcha? If it was your best pal's life on the line, you wouldn't just lay around, would you? Even if you weren't quite up to par?"

Pikachu's ears drooped and he looked away in complete understanding. "Pikachu. . . ."

"Guys, come on," Meowth begged. "Take me with you. I'll lay down in someone's backpack or somethin'. I just . . . I need to be there."

The kids looked at each other.

"I know how he feels, but we really should leave him here," Brock said.

"I'll get up and go by myself after you leave," Meowth threatened.

"He would, too," Misty groaned.

Ash finally heaved a sigh. "Yeah, he would." He slipped his backpack off his shoulders. "Okay, Meowth, we'll take you with us. But you'll have to promise not to do anything dangerous."

"I promise!" Meowth exclaimed. Ash unzipped the backpack and Meowth scrambled inside to lay on the blanket folded on top.

Brock frowned as Ash zipped the backpack, leaving an opening for air, and replaced it on his back. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ash."

"I know we can't let him wander around by himself the way he is," Ash said. "What choice have we got?"

"I just hope Nurse Joy doesn't find out," Brock worried. "She'll never trust us again."

"Meowth knows his own mind," Ash said.

"Licki!" came a voice from the window.

Everyone jumped. "Lickitung?" Misty blinked.

Ash went over to the window. "What is it?" he asked.

"Tung-Tung-Tung!" Lickitung exclaimed.

Meowth sat up in the backpack. "He says Jessie's been taken to the old Pokeball factory and James and the other Pokemon went chasin' after her!" he gasped.

"Oh no!" Misty cried.

"Then that's where we're going too!" Ash determined. "Thanks, Lickitung."

"We'd better call Officer Jenny and let her know too," Brock said.

"Right," Misty nodded.

"You're not surprised that James is alive?" Meowth blinked. "That's why Jessie went out, to find him."

"We saw him earlier today," Ash explained. "Now get back down and let's get out of here!"

Meowth laid back on the blanket and pulled the zipper farther down again. "I just hope we're in time," he whispered.

Chapter Text

The old Pokeball factory looked like it was falling apart just from seeing it on the outside. When the truck stopped and the Machamp threw Jessie over his shoulder and carried her out, she stared at the building with a sinking heart. This time there would be so many ways to see to the death and have it actually work. She wasn't going to give up by any stretch of the imagination, but she could see it didn't look good.

"I wonder if we should film this," Bonnie giggled. "Show the boss that we've absolutely done it."

"I'm going to," Clyde sneered.

"Oh great," Jessie muttered. "My humiliating death will be on Team Rocket Camera."

They went through a side door and up a flight of stairs, emerging onto a metal balcony on the factory's upper level. "Here we go," Clyde said. "This should be the perfect place for you to have your swan song."

"You know," Bonnie drawled, "you look just like James did before Clyde bludgeoned him to death. That fear in your eyes, that defiance. . . . That crazy belief that you're somehow gonna make it out of this. . . ." She smirked. "That tree branch you found really did have James' blood on it. I snuck into the police department and altered the test results."

Jessie glowered at her. "Then James isn't dead," she retorted. "You would have only altered the results to make us think he hadn't made it to shore when he did!"

"He'll be dead soon, just like you're going to be," Bonnie countered.

Jessie snarled as the Machamp set her down with one set of arms and reached for a heavy hook with the other. He slipped it through the restraining ring and signaled to Clyde to pull its controlling lever on the wall and lift Jessie off the floor.

"You're not going to succeed with this!" Jessie insisted. "You're making the fatal mistake of underestimating me! Not to mention James!"

"There's nothing to underestimate." Clyde grabbed for the lever.

"Excuse me, but would you like to bet on that?"

Everyone looked up with a jerk. Standing in a window high above them, holding his trademark rose, was James. No disguises, no modified voices---just James, without a shadow of a doubt.

Jessie's heart filled with joy and relief and amazement all at once. "James," she whispered. Even though she had come to believe the boy in the cafe was her best friend, and even though Bonnie had just admitted he was alive, it wasn't like seeing him for real and knowing he really was alive.

James leaped onto another hook and swung down to the balcony. "You'll pay for what you tried to do!" he vowed. When he drew closer, he threw the rose and it scratched Clyde's hand.

Clyde growled. "Where did you learn a move like that?!"

"I saw it in some old Japanese anime," James shrugged. He unhooked Jessie from the other cable and popped the restraining hoop open.

Jessie gazed at him in awe, still trying to believe what was happening. There was no real time to reunite right now; they had to somehow defeat Bonnie, Clyde, and the Machamp. All she really had time for was the look of happiness in her eyes. When James passed her a Pokeball, she turned and smirked at their enemies.

"Alright, you clowns," she said. "Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double," James added, but Jessie didn't hear him as Arbok emerged from the Pokeball.

"This should be a snap," Bonnie grinned. "Both of you are right where we want you. Your Pokemon are no threat to our Machamp."

Jessie had to admit with a sinking heart that it was probably true. The Machamp had defeated four Pokemon right before she had been taken captive. Still, she said, "We'll see about that! Arbok, Wrap Attack!"

"Machamp, Dynamic Punch!" Bonnie countered.

Machamp lunged and punched the cobra before he could strike. Arbok flew over the balcony with a shriek and just barely caught hold of the railing with his tail.

"Alright, Weezing!" James called. "Smoke Screen! Victreebel, Razor Leaf!"

"I tried both of those and they didn't work," Jessie sighed as Weezing's Smoke Screen filled the warehouse.

"Well, it never hurts to try again," James said sheepishly.

Machamp snarled. Two of the Razor Leaves had hit their mark.

"What's happening?!" Clyde exclaimed.

"I'd say Machamp isn't invincible," Jessie smirked. "By the way, where's Lickitung?"

"I'm not sure," James admitted. "He didn't come with us. He may have gone to tell Meowth what was happening."

"And Meowth's here!" a familiar Brooklyn voice exclaimed.

"Oh no," Bonnie moaned. "I thought that fleabag was dead!"

"Machamp," Machamp frowned.

Jessie and James both peered over the railing in stunned shock. "Twerps?" James blinked.

"That's right!" Ash called, waving a fist. Meowth emerged from his backpack.

"Tung!" Lickitung announced, coming up next to Ash.

"Meowth, you're supposed to be in bed!" Jessie cried.

"I couldn't stay there when I found out what was happening!" Meowth retorted. Ash, Misty, and Brock ran up the metal stairs to the balcony, Lickitung chasing after them with all his might.

By now the Smoke Screen was mostly gone. Machamp turned to face the new threat, menacingly stepping forward with all four fists clenched.

"Get them, Machamp," Bonnie ordered.

"Staryu, Starmie, Water Gun!" Misty called.

The starfish leaped into action, blasting Machamp with their Water Guns. Meowth sprang forward while he was distracted. "Fury Swipes!" He smirked as he jumped down with claws bared. Machamp now bore the evidence of Meowth's handiwork.

"And of course, Pikachu," Ash grinned. "Thunderbolt!"

Clyde decided that with everyone distracted by the battle against the Machamp, it was a great time to get rid of Jessie, primitive as the method may be. He lunged without warning and attempted to throw her over the railing.

Jessie immediately snapped to and snatched Clyde, lifting him over her shoulder with a judo toss. Clyde screamed in terror, seizing the railing before he could fall.

Bonnie scowled. "Bulbasaur, get him up with a Vine Whip," she ordered.

"Bulbasaur," said her Bulbasaur.

As it moved to save Clyde, Bonnie grabbed for Jessie now. "You know, parting's such sweet sorrow," she drawled. "Except in a case like this."

"Get your hands off of me!" Jessie cried. She moved to throw Bonnie as she had Clyde, but before she could, Clyde leaped back on the balcony and took hold of her from the other side.

"Not this time," he said. "This is goodbye for you . . . ow!" Jessie had just bitten him, while James had pulled Bonnie away.

"Let her go!" James snapped. He flung Bonnie to the balcony floor and lunged at Clyde.

"Don't forget Meowth!" The cat sprang on Bonnie and delivered another Fury Swipes before she could get up and try again.

"Oh!" Bonnie screamed. "You horrible thing! Get away from me!" She took hold of Meowth's tail and flung him far while he yowled.

Jessie caught him.

"Whew, nice save," Meowth said in relief, looking up at her.

"We're a team, aren't we?" Jessie smiled at him.

A crash brought their attention to the balcony. James and Clyde were struggling to gain the upper hand, with Clyde determined to throw James over the railing and James just as determined not to go. With hatred flaming in his eyes, Clyde seized James' shoulders and viciously banged him against the railing. "Why won't you just die already?!" he shouted. "You must have nine lives just like your cat!"

James didn't answer. The old wound had struck the hard metal and was bleeding through the bandage on his forehead. Dazed and hurt, he started to slip to the balcony floor. Clyde sneered, moving to kick him through the opening to the floor below.

"No!" Jessie screamed. She and Meowth tackled Clyde at the same moment, with Meowth scratching his face and Jessie bringing him to the balcony floor. Not letting him up, she instead delivered a violent punch, then another. "You're not going to hurt us anymore!"

Farther along on the balcony, the Machamp was finally defeated too, from a combination of the younger kids' attacks. He growled now, sinking to his knees and then to the balcony floor.

"Alright!" Ash cheered. "Yeah!" He ran past the Machamp to get to Team Rocket.

Jessie was still pounding on Clyde, who had already fallen into unconsciousness. Meowth was over by James, who was laying in a stupor on the balcony floor.

"Jim?!" Meowth shook James on the shoulder. "Jim, hey! Come on, stay with me now!"

The cat's frantic voice finally got through to Jessie and she turned to take in the scene. "James?!" She leaped up, forgetting her vengeance and running to James' side. “James! James, can you hear me?” She pulled him gently into her arms.

James blinked and his eyes cleared for a brief moment. “You’re . . . the girl from the outdoor cafe,” he said softly.

Jessie’s eyes filled with tears at that pronouncement. “James . . . you don’t know me, do you?” During the fight, she had let herself believe otherwise, but it had just been one of her foolish dreams again. Meowth was right---amnesia victims rarely ever regained their memories. She would have to be thankful that James had helped her without even remembering her. It was the most she could have hoped for under the circumstances.

But James smiled, taking Jessie’s hand in his own. “Yes, I do. . . . I know you . . . Jessie.” With that his eyes closed again and he fell limp in her arms.

Jessie's heart dropped. “James! Speak to me, James!” she frantically wailed. “Say something!” Somewhere outside, the police sirens wailed as well, but Jessie paid them no heed. All of her energy was focused on pleading for James to awaken. With care she laid him back on the balcony floor.

"What happened?!" Ash gasped. He stood stock still, staring at the scene.

"It was Bonnie and Clyde all along," Jessie said weakly. "Clyde was trying to throw me over the balcony and James ran over to stop him. Then they started fighting. . . . I beat Clyde up, but James . . . I don't know what happened to James. . . . I think he hit his head again. . . ."

Misty swallowed hard. "Is he . . . ?"

Jessie didn't answer. Instead she reached for the red rose, which was lying on the floor near the lever. "James always loved roses," she whispered. Gently she pressed it into James' hand and brought James' hands onto his chest. "James . . . you came back to me once. Don't leave again already. Please . . . wake up. . . ."

For a moment there was silence. Then James stirred and weakly opened his eyes. "Jessie?"

Jessie gazed at him in awe. "James . . . you scared me so much. . . ." She bent down, hugging him close. "I'm sorry. . . . I'm so sorry. . . ."

Surprised, James returned the hug. "For what?"

"For hurting you when you were only trying to keep me and Meowth safe," Jessie replied. "I never should have punched you. . . ."

"It's alright, Jessie," James said quietly. "I forgave you back when it happened."

Jessie sobbed, clutching him close.

Misty sighed in relief. "Well, it's a happy ending after all," she said.

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu beamed.

"Yeah, except for these two," Brock said, looking at Bonnie and Clyde.

"The boss ain't gonna be happy they were actin' against his orders," Meowth said.

Misty looked thoughtful. "I wonder what restored James' memory, though?"

"Maybe it was like those cartoons when getting knocked on the head a second time does it," Ash suggested.

But Brock shook his head. "No. . . . I think he remembered before that. I think it was his love for Jessie and Meowth that brought him back."

Meowth tilted his head to the side. "Eh, it's kinda mushy, but hey, maybe you're right." He turned away, not wanting Brock to see how touched he really was by that idea. He beamed, limping over to his friends. "Welcome back, Jim," he said as he scrambled up and hugged James from the side.

James pulled Meowth into the hug too. "We're all safe and sound," he said. "Just as it should be."

"Just as it should be," Jessie repeated in awe.

"And we're all happy about it," Ash proclaimed.

James looked to him in surprise. "Thank you, for everything you did to help. . . ."

"Hey," Ash shrugged, "we might be enemies, but there's no reason why we can't call a truce when we need to. We didn't want you to be hurt or dead."

James slowly nodded. "Well, thank you anyway."

"James . . ." Jessie pulled back, regarding him curiously. "When did you remember?"

"Actually . . ." James rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not sure. I never forgot that you and Meowth were special to me, even though I couldn't remember for a while what you looked like. But then I started thinking you were . . . well, you when we met at the cafe earlier today."

"I knew that was you," Jessie said. "Well, not at the time, but later."

James smiled a bit before continuing. "And then when I heard you while I was running down the sidewalk, I remembered that was your voice. . . ."

"What?" Jessie stared at him. "When did you hear me while you were running down the sidewalk?"

"When I was trying to get to the Pokemon Center after finding out about Meowth being beaten up," James said. "I heard you say you hoped I hadn't been caught too. But I couldn't find you anywhere around. . . ."

Jessie didn't know what to make of this. "I did say that," she said. "But I was locked in Bonnie's truck and I wasn't speaking above a whisper. There's no way you could have heard me."

James looked weirded out too. "Then . . . how could I know what you said?"

Jessie shook her head. "I don't know. . . ."

"Everything started to trickle back after that point," James said. "By the time I reached the factory, I remembered it all."

"Well . . . however it happened, I'm just so glad you're back," Jessie said softly.

"So am I," James smiled.

Down below, the door burst open and Officer Jenny ran in. "What's going on in here?!"

"Wow, that sure took a long time," Ash blinked.

"Traffic was bad," Jenny explained as she climbed the metal stairs to the balcony. "And I got a strange email from my sister about something that happened three days ago. She's the Officer Jenny for a town around the side of the mountain."

James oddly stiffened.

Misty was confused. "Oh? What happened three days ago?"

"It seems that someone dressed up as the city's Nurse Joy and ran off in an ambulance." Jenny held up a printed copy of a newspaper article. "Vehicles were making way for her to pass and she eventually escaped, but she was captured on tape by one amateur cameraman."

Brock stared at the picture. "How could anyone believe that is Nurse Joy?!" he exclaimed. "This person has none of the charm of the real Nurse Joy!"

Ash blinked in bewilderment. "How can you tell that just from a picture? She looks like Nurse Joy to me."

"That's not even a she!" Brock retorted.

Misty raised an eyebrow. "She's hunched over the steering wheel. How can you tell that?!"

"Those eyes," Brock insisted. "They're not the beautiful, soft, caring, feminine eyes of a Nurse Joy. They're the wide and panicked eyes of a man running for his life!"

"Okay, so she looks scared," Misty consented. "I still don't get how you can tell it's a guy."

Jenny looked amused. "Well, he's right. That is a guy." She sobered as she continued, "My sister also told a story told to her by that town's Nurse Joy. She had a human patient who dressed up as her to escape two assassins that broke into the Pokemon Center to kill him."

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Oh really."

"Two assassins who match the descriptions of these two!" Jenny sharply looked to the dazed Bonnie and Clyde.

Now all eyes turned to James. It was the first time Jenny had really had a clear look at him since arriving. "You really are alive, like the kids said," she realized.

"Alive and kickin'!" Meowth grinned.

"I started to think as much after hearing my sister's story," Jenny said. "Nurse Joy was sure that her patient was James from Team Rocket, although he wasn't sure since he had amnesia."

Brock immediately looked to James in indignation. "You!" he exclaimed. "This is you!" He pointed at the printed picture. "I can't believe you thought you could get away with pretending to be Nurse Joy!"

James blinked in surprise, then smirked. "Well, I got away with it, since I didn't run into you. Actually, I thought I made a rather dashing Nurse Joy." He flipped his hair and winked.

"Well, you're back to normal," Jessie remarked.

"According to Nurse Joy, you didn't fool those assassins," Jenny said. "You finally had to escape by jumping through the window and taking the ambulance!"

"They were familiar with me," James said. "No one else seemed suspicious!"

"You broke a window?!" Brock cried. "I hope you're planning to fix that for Nurse Joy!"

James jumped. "With what money?!"

"The window's already been taken care of," Jenny said. "Under the circumstances, Nurse Joy isn't angry. She just wanted to make sure the person she helped was okay."

"Hmph," Misty said. "If you'd had this information sooner, maybe you would have listened to our story. Why didn't your sister tell you about it sooner?"

"The email got buried under other announcements," Jenny said. She sighed. "But I am sorry. I wish I'd seen it sooner too. My sister and that Nurse Joy thought he might possibly come to this town. They were right. And you kids were too."

Pikachu nodded. "Pikachu."

Bonnie started to stir. "Oh no. . . . The law's caught up with us," she moaned, catching sight of Officer Jenny.

Jessie looked over. "That's right!" She looked to Jenny with flashing eyes. "Charge them with attempted murder."

Jenny came closer with handcuffs for Bonnie and Clyde. "I'm going to. And I'll need everyone to give their statements, of course."

"Oh, we'd be happy to," Jessie said. "Later."

"Of course," Jenny said. "Just as long as you make sure to come in. You have to be there to press charges."

"I'm sure the boss has plans of his own in mind for them," Jessie said under her breath. She doubted they would be in jail for very long. She could see Giovanni bailing them out only to deliver a far harsher punishment of his own. But then again, they really didn't know him that well, nor did they know what became of anyone who deliberately acted without his orders. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Jenny looked to James as she handcuffed the dazed Bonnie. "And you'd better get that wound checked out," she warned. "It's bleeding again."

"Oh. Yes, I will," James nodded.

"You and Meowth should both be resting," Jessie grunted.

"We will," Meowth said.

"Well, you need to go back to the Pokemon Center," Misty said.

"It'll be strange stayin' there tonight," Meowth mused.

"She's right, though," Jessie said. "After what you and James have been through, we can't be sleeping on park benches or slides."

"I hope Nurse Joy won't be too upset about me flyin' the coop," Meowth said.

Ash cringed. "Ah, if she knows, she probably won't be too happy. . . ."

"But I wanna stay in the room with you and James," Meowth said to Jessie, "not all alone in that hospital bed kinda room!"

"We'll see," Jessie said. She tried to hold a gruff expression, but it melted into fondness as she looked from Meowth to James. They were all together again, just as they should be, and just as she had feared would never happen.

Officer Jenny hauled the crooks up, reading them their rights as they headed down the metal stairs. The Team Rocket trio and Ash's group followed after them, exiting the factory as friends . . . at least for the time being.