A White Tomorrow [A Team Rocket Fanfiction]

Chapter 5

It was weird watching one of Ash's gym battles from the sidelines for mainly company and moral support. Especially with Misty and Brock sitting right next to them. As the battle went on, they could only wonder how they even put up a fight when they battled for Pikachu. Every time the yellow pokémon's opponent was hit with a thunderbolt, the trio could emphasize with its pain.

Nonetheless, aside from the brief embarrassment, Jessie's words from the night before were still fresh on his mind. His curiosity was getting the best of him, and he almost wanted to ask her about it. Jessie's confession felt so open-ended he didn't know what he was supposed to think, and it didn't help that she acted like she hadn't said anything since. But another feeling that he couldn't quite place, that was almost familiar and dreadful, prevented him from pressing on.

Deciding that it was better to focus on something else, he forced himself to pay closer attention to Ash's match.

Soon enough they were all walking out of the gym, following Ash who was proudly looking at his shiny new badge. "Five down, three to go!" He announced, facing the group behind him. "It was a piece of cake. I mean, no wonder, I already beat the gym a long time ago!"

"Ash, you clearly struggled about a quarter through the battle," Misty said, earning a glare from the boy.

"All professional trainers have their struggles," he argued back. Misty opened her mouth for another remark but decided it was wiser to cut off the about-to-be argument.

Once again, the trio behind them could only watch in confused silence as the kids in front of them talked. They hadn't a worry in the world. They had no problem going with the flow and facing the worrying possibilities of the future, which was... envying. Especially now that they were all walking around in a populated city, where anyone could take one look at them and end their gig. That almost became a problem... 

The trio was talking when a girl nearby caught sight of Meowth standing on two feet and gasped. She nudged her friend behind her and pointed to the bipedal cat. "Woah, that meowth can walk on its hind legs!"

Jessie and James gave the cat an alarmed look, but Meowth looked more frustrated than alarmed as his partners did. The twerps looked back at them as the two girls ran over.

"He's so cute! I want a cute little meowth that can stand on two feet!" One of them said. Jessie and James averted their eyes and faces out of instinct.

"Oh, yeah, he's a talented little kitty isn't he?" James laughed out, picking up Meowth and ignoring the way his fur bristled.

"How did you teach him to do that? Was it hard?" 

Meowth narrowed his eyes. Kitty? In that tone? That was new. Not a good kind of new either.

The girls continued babbling on about some random nonsense Jessie didn't care about. She and James could only stand there uncomfortably as they prayed Meowth wouldn't snap and open his mouth. 

After realizing that none of the trio knew how to safely get out of this, Brock gently pushed the two girls away. "Meowth doesn't like strangers, he might use his fury swipes if you try to pet him. Unless one of you has an older sister-" Ash and Misty shut that off in an instant.

That was followed by a blank stare and a now disinterested look. "I'd hate to have to redo my foundation.." One of them said to the other.