Love so Legendary (A Team Rocket Story)

Chapter six

After the call with Korrina, as much as they wanted to continue, Ash and the others knew that they would need to set up camp for the night. It would take two days at the very least to get to Snowbelle city to check on Jessie, and they would need all the energy they could get.

Ash could tell that James was even more worried about Jessie with this newfound information from Korrina. And he couldn't say that he blamed him. If he and Serena had been split up and he got news that she was unconscious in a Pokémon center, he would certainly be worried as well.

Sitting outside of his tent, Ash watched James, as he sat on the top of a hill, his back facing the rest of them. He had refused to set up camp with them, and chose to just sit outside a few feet away, looking at the stars, as if he was really thinking about something.

Hearing a rustling sound coming from the girls' tent, Ash turned his head to see Bonnie coming out, Dedenne on her shoulder. They looked around before seeing James, and then their expressions filled with sympathy.

"What're you two doing up so late?" Ash asked, and Bonnie jumped a bit at the sudden noise. When she saw that it was only Ash, however, she relaxed.

"Can't sleep." She replied, sitting down in front of the tent that she and Serena shared as Dedenne chattered its agreement. "I kept thinking about what happened to Ellie." She added, "I mean, it's terrible! Giovanni shouldn't be able to just...do that."

"I'm sure it's not what Jessie and James had in mind when they first signed up for Team Rocket." Ash answered. "But we're gonna find her. We're gonna go back to the Kanto region and get James his Pokémon, then we're gonna come back here and face Giovanni ourselves."

"Why do we have to go to the Kanto region to get a Pokémon for James?" Bonnie asked. "Why can't we just give him a few pokéballs to catch his own Pokémon with?"

"For one," Ash began, "usually to catch a Pokémon, especially a wild one, you have to have a Pokémon to battle it. For another, we need a Pokémon that we know will work well with James for this rescue. We can't just take a random Pokémon and hope that James will learn to get along with it and work well with it. Pokémon and trainers have to have a strong bond with each other, and you have to build that in order to work together, well. Kinda like you and Dedenne. You learned to be a sort of team gradually, remember?" Bonnie nodded. "James is from the Kanto region." Ash added. "He has a Growlithe back at his parents' house that he had before his team Rocket days. He's really close to it, and it's really powerful. Its name is Growlie. I know that it'll help us. Although we may have to worry about his parents and betrothed fiancée. That may not be as much of a problem, though, since he's already married."

"Ah, okay." Bonnie nodded, now understanding. She looked back at James. "I just can't imagine what's going through his head right now. I mean, can you imagine how awful it must feel to have your child taken from you, and know that there's nothing that you can do about it?" She looked like she was thinking. "Do you think we should get Zygarde and Greninja to help us?"

Ash shook his head. "As much as I think those two could help us, they need to stay in the Kalos region, and make sure that it's okay. They need to protect it and all the people and Pokémon that live in it."

"You two do know that it's rude to talk about someone behind their back, don't you?" Came James's voice. They looked back towards him to see that he was now looking at them over his shoulder.

"Er...sorry, we didn't know you..." Bonnie began, but her voice trailed off when she saw that James didn't look mad, rather...upset. "James?" She asked. "We're gonna get to Snowbelle. Jessie's gonna be okay. We'll save Ellie."

James sighed. "As much as I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, you shouldn't say stuff like that if you can't be sure." Bonnie couldn't object to that. She looked at her hands, thinking.

"I'm sure Meowth will protect her." James looked at Bonnie with intrigue.

"I'm sorry?"

"Korrina said that they found Jessie. I'm guessing that that means that meowth, wobbuffet, and gourgeist weren't with her." Bonnie explained. "If Giovanni has those Pokémon too, as well as your inkay and Ellie's teddiursa, I'm sure that Meowth, and all of your other Pokémon, will protect her until we get there."

James sat there for a moment, thinking, until weakly smiling at Bonnie. "I hope you're right." He replied, then looked back at the night sky. "I...I really hope so."