Love Thy Enemy

Getting to Know You

Getting To Know You

It had been a month since Ash started training for the next Indigo Plateau Conference. Right now, Ash was taking a break from training his Pokémon.

"Hey Ash, since you're now taking a break, why don't we go to Oak's ranch & hang out?" Delia said.

"Okay." Ash said

"We're coming too." Jessie said

"Hm? Are you sure about that?" Ash asked

"Yes, I think we're ready to confront your Pokémon now." James said

"Alright, if you insist." Ash said

When they got to Oak's Ranch

"Hello." Ash called out

All of Ash's Pokémon came & approached Ash

"Hey Everyone, I brought someone who wanted to come here." Ash said as he gestured to Jessie & James

"Hello, remember us?" Jessie greeted nervously

"We hope there are no feelings." James said nervously

Ash's Pokémon except Gastly, Slowking, Jigglypuff, Fearow, Arbok, Weezing, Victreebel, & Lickitung were a bit uneasy & a few of them had their guard up, but Ash assured them that everything will be fine. While Delia was talking to Professor Oak, Ash was sitting on a log with Jessie, James, Meowth, & Pikachu at a lake

"So...how's the training going?" Jessie asked

"Going good, how's school?." Ash replied

"It's great, I have your mom to thank for helping me enroll there." Jessie said

"What's been happening with you for the past month?" James asked

"Wait, didn't Mom or Meowth tell you?" Ash said

"They tried to at first, but we told them we wanted to hear it from you." James said

"Really, I mean I don't wanna bore you." Ash said feeling a bit hesitant

"It's okay, you can tell us." Jessie assured "So, tell us what happened, did you learn something exciting?"

"Oh definitely, I got a new Pokédex & I learned that there are 3 new Types." Ash said

"New Types?" James said with interest

"Yeah, there's Dark Type, Steel Type, & Fairy Type." Ash said "I learned that Magnemite is part Steel Type, Jigglypuff is part Fairy Type, Mr. Mime is part Fairy Type, & Clefairy is full Fairy Type."

"Is that all?" Jessie asked

"No, Professor Oak taught how to use the Pokédex properly for other things & I Iearned that there are moves my Pokémon are capable of learning." Ash said

"Like what?" James said

"Well, like Meowth can learn Water Gun, Bubble Beam, & Thunderbolt, Butterfree & Charizard can learn Solar Beam, & Weezing can learn Flamethrower & Thunderbolt." Ash said

"Wow, that's incredible." Jessie said amazingly

"Yeah, I can't believe I didn't know all that until a month ago." Ash said

"Ash, you know you can't keep depending on Brock to cook for you on journeys." James said "You need to start taking care of yourself."

"You're right." Ash said

"But me & your mother can teach you how to cook." James said

"I would like that." Ash said

"What are you gonna do with your 30 Tauros?" Jessie asked

"I don't know, I've never thought about what to do with them." Ash said

"Have you ever thought about trading them?" Jessie said

"Trading?" Ash said

"Yeah, you can trade 29 of your Tauros to other Trainers for their Pokémon." James said "You can also revisit the Safari Zone to catch more Pokémon."

"That's a great idea." Ash said "...Hey guys, I don't wanna be invasive, but why did you join Team Rocket?"

""Should we tell him?" Meowth asked

"I guess we should." James said "

"I'll go first, my mom was a member of Team Rocket. On her last mission she died in an avalanche in the Andes Mountains. When I was a teenager, I had a crush on this boy named Astin who I went to school with. When he was leaving to become a Pokémon Coordinator, he offered to go with him, but I refused because I was aiming to become an idol & that was a mistake I made. My friends passed their auditions but I failed. When I got older I was unable to go to a regular nursing school & went to the Pokémon Nurse School, which was intended for Chansey as you know. I failed to graduate there, but I made a good friend." Jessie said as she pulled out a half egg-shaped item.

"What's that?" Ash asked

"This is half of her pendant, she gave this to me as a sign of our friendship." Jessie said "James, your turn."

"Okay, my childhood wasn't really enjoyable, I was forced to endure formal society while growing up. I often had to take part in numerous lessons & activities I had no interest in, I eventually began to grow weary of the rules & standards that appeared to be ever-present within the upper-class. When I met Jessebelle, I thought I was in love & I wanted to marry her, but I changed my mind because She said once I marry her, I would have to release Growlie & replace him with a Skitty." James said "My parents chose to ignore that & they always do what they think is best for me."

"That's why you ran away from home?" Ash asked

"Yes." James said "You're up next Meowth."

"Right, When I was a baby, I was alone with no food, no parents, no nothing. No one did anything to help me. Then I saw a movie about a Meowth being treated well in Hollywood, so I decided to go there. I was taken in by a horde of Meowth & their leader who is a Persian, but even though I had enough to eat, I still felt empty. Then I fell in love with a female Meowth named Meowzie. I tried to flirt with her, but she turned me down because her owner was a rich lady. She called me a street Meowth & that I'll never be human. So I had to make myself human to get her to like me. I learned how to walk & run on two legs, I learned how to crawl, & I even how to talk. I tried to impress Meowzie, with my new ability to talk & walk like a human, but I failed & she called me a freak." Meowth said

"Wow, you guys really had it rough." Ash said. "Look, I don't know how much Mom told you, but I didn't have the best life in Pallet Town."

"You didn't?" Jessie said

"I didn't have many friends because they preferred Gary over me all because he was Professor Oak's grandson, I was considered a loser & many people doubted me & laughed at my dream." Ash said

The trio stared at Ash

"My mom raised me by herself since I was 5, back then my Dad just up & left us." Ash said sadly "I don't know why, but maybe he thought I was a failure & a lost cause."

"No, don't say that about yourself, none of that is true." Jessie said

"You are not a loser & you are neither a failure nor a lost cause." James said "We see great true potential in you."

"You think so?" Ash asked

"We know so." Meowth said "Don't listen to those people, they don't know what they're talking about & most of all, they don't know you."

"That's right, if they & your father really think that about you, then they're not worth it." James said

"You're an amazing kid with a great personality, Ash." Jessie said "If they don't see that in you, then that's their loss."

"...Thanks guys." Ash smiled

Jessie, James, & Meowth hugged Ash as he began to shed tears. Unbeknownst to them, Delia, Oak, & Ash's Pokémon were watching them as they became touched by the scene & The grudges against the trio Ash's Pokémon have been holding have disappeared