A White Tomorrow [A Team Rocket Fanfiction]

Chapter 10

The road to Cerulean was definitely an eventful one, but when you're traveling with Ash Ketchum, you'd be stupid to expect anything else. The boy always managed to throw himself off track by either meeting and helping another trainer, battling, or getting caught up in small activities that sometimes rewarded them with a free meal if they were lucky. You couldn't possibly complain about that.

They arrived in Cerulean City and Ash battled the Gym, earning a Cascade Badge for the second time. Misty's sisters also recognized the trio as the people who drained the water from the pool that one time. Luckily the three valley girls couldn't care less about that little run-in and gladly let them all stay at the gym after learning about the little situation they ran into.

It had been several weeks since they first arrived. Everybody settled in and got to business on their own little goals. Ash spent most of his time either in the gym or around the city to get as much training as possible done. Misty and Brock tagged along to help him in any way they could, partly because they felt bad about his holdback and then also because that was their job ever since they joined his journey.

They rarely talked about Viridian City, but soon they'd have to come up with a solution to the problem it created. If they waited too much longer, Ash wouldn't have enough time to get to the last city.

4 months since the escape from Team Rocket.
4 more until the Pokémon League.
7 Gym Badges.
1 more.

3 months since Jessie and James were swept off each other's feet, and it was only getting worse by the day. Sometimes Meowth ended up tagging along with the twerps because his two buddies were too much of a flirting mess to hang out with. Things were going along pretty well, and maybe... things would stay that way.

 

Jessie went to sleep one night after an exhausting day of doing nothing. The beds in the room they stayed in were so soft, so comfortable and warm... she hugged one pillow in her sleep while her head rested on two more and she was sure nothing else in the world could top this. She soon found out she was wrong.

She was rudely awoken by an annoying prodding on her shoulder. "Jess. Jess, are you awake?"

She ignored him for a while until she managed to lazily bat him away. "I am now," she groaned and turned her head towards him. "Thanks for waking me up, you ignoramus."

"Sorry," James whispered, "I didn't want to be the only one awake."

"Well good for you, then. Your wish has been granted," Jessie muttered sarcastically and sat up in the bed. She looked from Meowth, who was sprawled at the foot of the bed, to the door as the faint sound of pokemon splashing in the gym pool reached the room. "I can't believe you're still up this late. Why do I need to also, again?"

James' eyes widened a little as if he didn't expect the question and shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to talk, I guess. Waste some time. I couldn't fall back asleep."

Another splash. Jessie stood up, leaving him hanging as she opened the door to look at the dim blue lights illuminating the giant pool. It immediately took all of her attention.

"Let me guess. You're going to battle me, Misty?" Ash had asked once he challenged the gym the first day they arrived. If it wasn't for the fact Brock had battled him weeks prior, and the fact that Misty's sisters were for some reason sunbathing on the gym's empty bleachers without a care in the world, Ash would have probably guessed otherwise.