A White Tomorrow [A Team Rocket Fanfiction]

Chapter 20

It turned out that the advice Jessie had given Ash applied to herself more than she thought. Sure, she had her worries, but she didn't expect them to pile up as they did. It just gave her more the reason to push it all away so it wouldn't bother her.

They arrived in the next town a couple of days before the next contest. It had been two weeks since the last one; two weeks seemed like enough time to train and get to the next city, and with a little bit of downtime so they could relax before they started it all over again. Jessie felt like she was more than prepared. Even if it was exhausting, working with her pokemon and traveling was the best routine she could ask for. She wouldn't give it up for anything.

It was a little past noon when they got to the next Pokemon Center. Once they finally got into their room, Jessie slapped the card down onto a counter and plopped herself down onto a bed.

Meowth tauntingly hopped over her and tilted his head parallel to her face. "Tired, Jess?" He asked mockingly. "I know, walkin' is a real chore-" Jessie growled and shoved him off the bed. Meowth apparently didn't want to be pushed around today so he grabbed the pillow next to Jessie's head and threw it down on her. James kept his distance as they went on until the bed was completely disheveled.

"Well now I know I'm not sleeping on that bed," He joked humorlessly as he sat down on the one beside it.

"I thought you'd sleep in whichever bed I'd sleep in," Jessie said back as she threw both pillows back onto the bed. There was a faint smirk on her face.

Meowth was the one who had a comeback to that though, "Well now ya don't sound tired!" Jessie swiped at him again but Meowth dodged and decided to move somewhere else for his safety.

Jessie looked at James again, who amusedly shook his head at her and she walked over to sit across his lap. "Are you sure you're good?" He asked, making Jessie frown. "You look like you could use a little nap."

"Pssht, stop that. I'm fine. You don't know what it's like being up on that contest stage-" Jessie trailed off when James narrowed his eyes at her and only then did she remember how wrong she was. Jessie gritted her teeth, "That was circumstantial! If you did it professionally you'd be knocked out for two weeks!"

"Sure, honey, whatever you say," James surrendered to end a potential argument. Jessie didn't seem to want to push the topic either and she snickered at the endearing name.

James was right, though. She definitely needed a nap and as much as she wanted to stay up and nag Meowth, she felt herself dozing off against her will. James without a doubt noticed, but he didn't say anything this time and held onto her tighter to keep her from slipping off.

Jessie was out like a light when Meowth went back over to them. He eyed her sleeping form and gave a questioning look to James who just shrugged. "Hopefully she ain't slackin' off already. T'ink she's gonna win da next contest too?"

James glanced at her again, deeply processing the cat's question. As much as he wanted her to and say yes, he didn't want to get their hopes up too high and end up having her double disappointed. But if he said no Jessie would forever be offended. James presumed Meowth didn't care either way. Like the rest of them, it was the same old song and dance. "She deserves to," he eventually answered with, speaking from the heart and hoping it was a safe enough answer.

"What did Jessie ever do ta desoive contests?" Meowth joked back and James just rolled his eyes. He lifted Jessie off of him and put her onto the bed. The unfortunately small bed that was probably meant for loner trainers. Who weren't married.

James got a cup from a random drawer and filled it with water. "I don't know how to answer that. What did any of us ever do to deserve any of this in the first place?" He asked, leaning against the counter and took a small sip from his cup. Meowth averted his eyes. "Exactly."

Meowth considered James' words for a moment longer, which brought up another topic they hadn't discussed since the first few weeks they had traveled with the twerps. "Jimmy, how long are we gonna travel wit' da twoips anyways? It's been how long? Months. Are we just gonna do 'dis forevah?"

James set the cup of water down and pointed at Jessie. They had had a similar conversation before.. but things had changed since then. Jessie had something else to look forward to than just the two of them running around the Cerulean Gym. "I think it's her decision on that. She might wait to compete 'till the end of her days."

Meowth's next question was a surprise though. "But don't youse two wanna live your lives? Like a normal gooey couple? T'ings feel like 'dere different now... Travelin' was somet'ing we did 'cause da boss told us ta. Jess is de only one takin' advantage of 'dis, while us two are doin' not'ing. We can't do anyt'ing."

"I'm working more with my Pokémon and Jessie needs us to support her," James defended, even though deep down he knew Meowth was right. "Maybe... maybe one day something will drive us to leave. I know we can't follow the twerps forever. That would be too much on them... and..." James grinned a little and his face softened, which he tried to hide with another sip of his water. "I guess I am leaning towards setting down permanently. With you, Wobbufett, and Jessie. That... does sound nice." He glanced at Jessie one more time, but his smile quickly fell. Too many factors prevented that, and a silence fell over the room as both Meowth and James silently accepted it. James swallowed, refusing to admit how much it hurt now. "One day, maybe." Meowth gave him a sympathetic smile, something rare from him. Sometimes Meowth knew when to take him seriously.

From the other side of the room, Jessie rolled onto her side and draped an arm over the edge of the bed in her sleep. She faintly giggled. "Boysenberry ice cream... you didn't..."

James and Meowth snickered at her before a knock at the door averted their attention. Meowth took it upon himself to run and pounce on the door handle to open it. He stared at the hallway outside before looking back at James with an unamused look. "One of the kids is pranking us..." He hopped out of sight for a moment before throwing Ash's hat into the room. "Dis was at the door."

"Sometimes they really act their age, don't they?" James asked, grinning. He picked up the hat and stared at it for a second before pulling out a pokeball from his belt. Inkay appeared in front of him and James handed the little squid the hat before it could say anything. "Take this to the twerps' room, but be very quiet. Use a Tackle or a Foul Play if they notice you."

Inkay didn't question his trainer and grabbed the hat with its tentacles before James led him out the door. James shut it behind him and snickered with Meowth as they waited for the little pokemon to come back after completing its mission. The twerps may be childish, but at least they knew how to waste some time when there was nothing to do. James sat down on a separate bed and began to scroll on his phone, laughing at ridiculous things with Meowth and eventually Inkay when it successfully came back.

Contrary to what Meowth thought, Jessie in no way planned slacked off, at least intentionally. She ended up winning her next contest too, and the cheers of her pals were encouraging to her more than ever. It felt like it all went by in a blur- all she did was, well, do what she had always done and then suddenly she was the winner again. She started the first round and then she did everything from there absentmindedly. Had it always been that way? She told herself it was because she was truly getting better. She had still won, after all.

Jessie caught her breath, her heart still beating fast as she closed her fingers around her second ribbon and she managed to break a strained smile. She was making quite the reputation for herself, she presumed, with all the muffled voices that she was too exhausted to focus on. Maybe she had trained a little too hard for this- for the next contest she could ease up a little, but then would the victory really be that worth it afterward?

She tuned out the noise around her and she continued to until she got back into the Pokémon Center. She couldn't even talk to anyone as they walked back, not that anyone was talking much anyway. They hadn't hung around the contest hall much longer after she had gotten her ribbon. Maybe they knew she needed a little bit of silence for a while. James and Meowth were quiet as they watched her drag herself to her bed and drop her mask on the floor. Still in her dress and heels, she fell asleep right as her head hit the pillow.