Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Team Rocket's Secret ❯ Chapter 5

Once Jessie had finished telling the story, the other three leaned back, surprised that they had been listening so attentively. It was probably her natural ability at lying, but Jessie had a knack for storytelling.

"I guess they didn't follow the balloon," Ash said.

"But why do you want to get it back?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, wouldn't all of Team Rocket be looking for that?" Brock nodded. "I'd thought you'd wanna stay out of sight for awhile."

"We don't have the luxury of being able to lay low until the heat's off," Jessie sighed. "They won't ever stop looking for us."

"We've...gotta get out of here...someplace new...fast," James murmured, struggling to sit up. "Or else we'll all be back in that lab."

"James, go back to sleep," Jessie ordered him. "You need your rest."

"Actually, I think he needs a hospital," Misty timidly broke in. "I mean, who knows what kind of drugs they pumped him full of? And all those injuries he has need to be taken care of."

James shook his head dismally. "Can't. We're Team Rocket, remember?"

"We'd be arrested before we got through the door," Meowth said emphatically.

"Not anymore," Brock insisted. "If you were willing to give the police information, they'd probably give you legal immunity."

"It's not just that," Jessie said. "The boss has informants everywhere, he'd find out where we were and kidnap us."

"Well, this town has a pokemon center," Ash offered. "None of the Nurse Joys would do anything bad."
"Ash, James isn't a pokemon!" Misty yelled.

James blinked, then chuckled. "Actually, that...isn't a bad...idea."

"Hmm?" Jessie stared into his eyes, then felt his forehead. "Oh, James, you're burning up. Whatever we do, it has to be fast."

"The pokemon center," James nodded. "Tonight...when no one will see us."

"All right," Jessie agreed. "Tonight."

"Um, you could probably take him now," Brock interjected. "The town's pretty small, and the pokemon center is near the outskirts. I don't think anyone would notice."

"Do you think they could make it?" Ash asked. "I mean, she'd be carrying him in plain sight."

"I know just the trick," Jessie smiled. She lay James back down on the bed and started to wrap the blankets around him, covering his body up in a warm cocoon. "Now keep quiet."

"No problem..." he sighed, closing his eyes again. "Wake me...when we...get..." he fell asleep midsentence.

"My poor little James," she whispered inaudibly. With a heavy sigh, she eased him into her arms as if he was a small child. "All right, let's go and pray no one else is there right now."

~*~*~*~*~

They walked rather self-consciously down the street, sticking to the sidewalks and keeping their eyes down, except for Jessie who had her gaze glued to the center several blocks down. Every second was a step that brought her closer, and she couldn't afford to lose heart now.

"Excuse me, ma'am, what are you carrying?" someone asked to her left. She glanced to her side and looked directly into the face of an old man dressed in black.

"It's my caterpie," she said smoothly. "It's sick, so I'm taking it to the pokemon center for treatment."

"I though those things were carried in pokeballs, "he grumbled.

Jessie recognized that tone. She'd heard it from her father before he disappeared, in her only memories before it was just her mother. This man hated children and especially teenagers.

"Oh, but this one's really bad off, it would shock its system to go back in its ball. I'm carrying him so he won't get hurt anymore."

He obviously didn't believe her, and reached his hand out to pull the blanket back. She wanted to smack him away, but her arms were full and she couldn't back up fast enough.

"Don't do that!" Misty cried out, stepping between them. "That caterpie's really contagious, you could end up getting deathly ill!"

"Rotten kids," he grumbled, shrinking back. "Carrying something like that around. Don't you got any sense of propriety?"

Jessie turned her back and kept going, doing her best to ignore the insults he threw at her back. The other three caught up with her, and they easily outpaced the old man, who finally gave up and took off the way he came.

"Thanks, Misty," she grumbled out, still upset.

"No problem," Misty smiled. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, we're used to that," Meowth sighed, jumping onto Jessie's shoulder. "Everyone treats us like dirt."

"But why?" Ash asked. "Is it your hairstyles?"

Jessie gave him an amazed look, then started to laugh. Meowth started to giggle along.

"Ash, why do you keep asking those dumb questions?" Misty yelled.

"It is not dumb!" Ash yelled back.

Jessie slowly stopped laughing and looked back at him. "Not quite, but I guess that's part of it," she smiled. "You'll understand when you hit thirteen. Nobody likes teenagers, especially poor ones that run away from home and wander around."

"I know James ran away from home," Brock said softly, "but you did, too?"

Jessie nodded. "Mother never did have very much money, I was just a drain on her. So one night I took off on my own. I still send a little home, but I haven't seen her in a long time."

"That's so sad," Misty sighed.

"No, it's not like that. She helped me pack and gave me directions to the closest city."

"You're own mother helped you run away?!" Ash cried. "Wow!"

"It was best for all concerned," Jessie said firmly. "Besides, I met James on the road. That was a few years before we joined Team Rocket."

Now right outside the pokemon center, she looked up at the symbol of the pokeball and briefly wondered if this was going to work. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door.