The Thrill of Defeat, Part Two
"Jessie, that's not true! How can you say that?!" I interjected. "You've come so
far...especially in the past year! You started at the bottom...you started out
with nothing, but look at you now! You've got an Arbok and a Lickitung that love
you more than anything,
Tom: Lickitungs’ tend t’ be known fer havin’ thought processes consistin’ of “Food taste good. Trainer taste good. Enemy go squish. Enemy taste good? Oh, Brussel sprouts, recalled to Pokéball again. Pokéball taste good?” If yer Lickitung likes y’ more’n food, y’ should really be checkin’ whether y’ are “food”.
Jerry: No, those are Victreebells you’re thinking of.
Tom: *shrugs* Them too?
you're a terrific trainer, and...."
"Yeah, right," she snorted. "A trainer who flunked out of school and doesn't
have any badges. Real terrific. Real goddamned
Guardian’s Song: Yes, yes, children’s TV show, but I think that if Team Rocket’s vocabulary included expletives, they would have used them long before this. I mean, really, the strongest word they have for the meddling kids who keep foiling their plans is “twerps”. Shouldn’t that indicate something?
terrific...."
"You are!" I insisted. "That twerp may always beat us,
Tom: (James) - but I look so much better in a dress!
and he thinks he's hot
stuff, but you know what?
Tom: (James) I don’t even know how many seasons this show has been going now, but he still hasn’t conquered any League! And by now, he ought to have racked up enough Experience Points that he could beat the entire League with a Magikarp!
(Magikarp) Magikarp, karp karp.
Guardian’s Song: *depressed* Don’t remind me. (Seriously, he’s made it to the final few matches several times with the Pokémon he had at the time - if he only kept using the same Pokémon, he could probably go back to an earlier League and beat the tar out of the Kanto-quality competitors. But no, he has to throw away all his old friends at the start of each new region so he can get the new, shiiiiny [metaphorically] Pokémon for this region… Sorry… sore point…)
Compared to you, he's a bunch of shit!"
Guardian’s Song: You know, in this case, expletives actually limit creativity. Why not “Rhyhorn dung” or something more evocative?
Jessie raised an eyebrow.
"Think about it," I continued. "When have those twerps ever beaten us in a fair
fight? Never, that I can recall.
Tom: Y’ offered them a fair fight? Y’ call yerselves Rocket members?
They don't win because they have better pokemon
Jerry: Er, what about that Pikachu?
or because they're better trainers -- it's always because they're either ganging
up on us
Jerry: Three against two isn’t really “ganging up”, especially when those two have several (jury-rigged, I admit) gadgets at their disposal, sometimes have traps set up, and should have the advantage of surprise. *sighs* Although compulsively reciting the Rocket motto to announce their presence didn’t help…
or having some stroke of dumb luck.
Tom: An’ if dumb luck keeps happening, maybe y’ better reconsider its cause?
There's not a doubt in my mind that
if they had to play fair,
Guardian’s Song: (James) - and only used Smogon-approved movesets!
we'd mop the floor with them!"
Jerry: …*sigh* Because, of course, they’re passive woobies battered by fate, unable to defend themselves against the utterly unprovoked attacks of Ash Ketchum, and unwilling and unable to do anything to level the playing field. They’re not at all capable of planning, forethought, and taking action to attempt to bring about their goals, they are unable to control their lives in the slightest, and when bad things happen to them, they just curl up in a ball and cry.
I thought this “Cori Falls” was a fan of theirs? This borders on character-assassination!
This made her smile ever so slightly.
I cupped her chin in my hand and wiped her tears away with my thumb. "If we made
it to Pokemon League, I bet we could go all the way with just Arbok, Weezing,
Lickitung,
Tom: (Announcer) We’re sorry, but the beginning of this match will be delayed while security personnel attempt to extract the stadium hot-dog vendor from the challenger’s Pokémon.
and Victreebel...."
Jerry: (Announcer) We’re sorry, but the beginning of this match will be delayed while security personnel attempt to extract the challenger from the challenger’s Pokémon.
"That's the problem!" she interjected as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.
"We're never going to make it, James!"
"What makes you say that?!" I demanded.
"Because...."
"Because why?!"
"Because we need badges to compete, and there's no way we'll ever be able to get
them!" she cried. "We can't earn them -- all of the gym leaders hate us! They'd
never accept a challenge from us because we're Team Rocket!
Jerry: And why can’t you just get into one of your many disguises? Badges are physical, not registered to your name, so you can win them while under an alias. Didn’t Ash Ketchum get most of the way through the Celadon City Gym battle without his disguise slipping? Would it be so hard - if you’re really such good trainers - to run in, win the badge, and run out before an Officer Jenny starts asking around about three suspicious characters in hokey disguises?
And we failed
miserably when we tried to take the Pokemon League entrance exam and earn an
equivalency badge! Hell!
Guardian’s Song: Swearing Count: |||
We can't even steal badges from other trainers without
making a mess of it!"
Tom: Y’ can ambush Ketchum every episode an’ never succeed, but y’ can’t bother t’ try stealin’ badges more’n once before y’ give up on it? What th’ Muk is this?
When she said this, she blushed and turned away from me.
"God, I still feel like shit
Guardian’s Song: Swearing Count: ||||
about that. I...I did such a terrible thing to you,
James.
Guardian’s Song: *confused* Was this in another fic? I don’t remember that…
I've done so many terrible things -- sometimes I wonder how you can still
be my friend...or how you can love me...."
I placed a hand on her shoulder.
Jerry: (James) Um, Jessie, I was doing those terrible things too. Right beside you, as a matter of fact.
(Jessie) …*rubs head, looking perplexed* Maybe I bumped my head harder than I thought when we crash-landed this time.
"You're too hard on yourself, sweetheart," I
said.
She looked back at me.
"Jessie, you know that I left home because I'm not the kind of person who puts
up with abuse," I told her.
Guardian’s Song: *facepalm* And NOW she remembers that James had a bit more of a problem at home than ‘Nobody loved me as a child’?
"I wouldn't have followed you all this way
Tom: (Misty) - if you had ever repaid me for my bike!
(Brock) - if I could ever get a date!
(Pikachu) - pika, ka PIKA!
*pause*
(Meowth) Not sure you really want that translated…
or fallen
in love with you if you were really as terrible as you think you are."
More tears spilled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and exhaled in a
ragged breath.
"When I look at you, I don't see evil -
Tom: (Jessie) Really? Drat, I’ll have to work harder.
I see a woman filled with more kindness
and love than she gives herself credit for," I continued, giving her shoulder an
affectionate squeeze. "You're not a bad person, Jess.
Tom: (Jessie) I REALLY have to work harder.
You're a good person who's
had to make some bad choices.
Jerry: …I’m sure that’s what everyone says about themselves.
Neither one of us is perfect, but we accept that
about each other, and we forgive each other for the mistakes we make. That's why
I'm still here. I love you, Jessie. I love you with all my heart and soul. Don't
you ever, ever doubt that! Not even for a second!"
"I know...I know you do," Jessie whispered as she opened her eyes again. "But
that's what scares me so much...."
"Jessie...."
Guardian’s Song: *checks watch* Where’s Meowth? He ought to be making a comedic interruption around now.
She cast another forlorn gaze at the night sky. "Ever since I was a little girl,
everything I love has always been taken away from me. I love you so much, James,
but every time I think about it, a little part of me can't help but wonder if
you'll be taken from me, too!
Jerry: *facepalm* If she was really this angst-prone and pessimistic, don’t you think she would have given up on trying to grab that Pikachu after the first dozen failures?
And that scares the living hell
Guardian’s Song: Swearing Count: ||||
out of me! When I
lost my doll, I dealt with it. When I lost my momma, I managed to survive and
get on with my life. But I don't think I could do it again. Not if I lost you,
James. That's something I'd never be able to deal with...."
Jerry: (Meowth) Meanwhile, I’m Snorlax fodder?
"It's also something that you'll never have to worry about," I said, wrapping my
arms around her waist and pulling her into me.
Jerry: I wasn’t aware death ever gave you a choice.
Jessie rested her hands on top of mine, as if to ensure that I wouldn't release
my hold on her. I responded by pulling her closer.
"Jess, with all the arguments we've had...all the hardships we've faced, don't
you think I'd be long gone by now if we weren't meant to be?" I asked.
Guardian’s Song: *acquires sudden facial tic* That logic could as easily be used to justify an abusive relationship. “I haven’t left him after he bashed my face in - we’re soulmates!” Enduring through discord and suffering does NOT make a relationship great. I may not have gone on any dates, but I know that I’m loyal to my friends because they’re awesome people, NOT because I’ve watched them suffer! What is with this fetish people have for suffering, anyway? Pain does not make one great!
*sigh* *rolls eyes* Well, Aberforth was willing to still take care of Ariana after all the suffering the family had gone through and all the rages she’d had, AND after she killed their mother (accidentally, but still) - clearly, by this logic, they are ~meant to be~! Whoo-hoo, Dumbledorecest!
…Please insert a rant about how you can love someone without being in romantic love here; I don’t have the energy for it right now. Myself, I think a meant-to-be couple should enjoy each other’s company, get along very well, share common interests, and be stronger for their love - if for some reason the entire world should turn against them, together, they will be prepared to stand fast against whatever it can hurl at them. But I don’t believe the entire world does have to turn against them in order for them to Prove Their Love. The proof of their love is how much happier they are with each other than without each other, and the extent to which they’re devoted to each other, not how much they suffer.
If you’d like to argue that suffering is the only way they can prove their devotion - yes, if you believe in utterly reactive protagonists. If you don’t, they can actively choose to go out of their way for each other’s sakes, and I don’t just mean getting each other gifts. For instance, in a Ron/Hermione story, Ron could take a serious interest in S.P.E.W. and contribute his skills to the cause. That’s just one example - I’m sure anyone reading this can think up plenty of examples for their favorite pairing. The point is that… brain not worky late at night, sorry if I’m rambling… I’m sick of this obsession with suffering and angst where people think they automatically make characters deep, relationships iron-forged, and stories complex. Back to your usual sporking.
She sniffled.
"Everything bad that happens to us only ends up bringing us closer together and
making me love you more," I whispered into her ear.
Guardian’s Song: Suffering is great, people! Hooray for suffering! Fight it? Try to avoid it? Try to reduce the extent of it, at least? HA! No, we’ll passively accept it, because it will only make us love each other more anyway!
"You may have lost a lot of
people and things that you love, but you're never going to lose me, sweetheart
Tom: (James) - so long as you put this Silph Co. tracking device on me and whip out your Itemfinder whenever you’re not sure where I am -
-- I'm in it for the long haul!"
Jessie turned and put her arms around me. I could feel her warm breath tickling
my neck as she laid her head on my shoulder and whispered, "Promise?"
I held her as close as I possibly could and began to stroke her hair. "Nothing
will ever make me leave you," I told her. "I'm yours forever."
Tom: (James) The only thing that would disorient the long-time fans more than us no longer being a team is if Ash and Pikachu split up.
(Jessie) What you just said is acutely disturbing from a shipping perspective.
(James) …Jessie, never have I been more glad that, in canon, we’re nothing more than long-time friends and teammates.
"You are, aren't you?" she muttered.
Jerry: …“Muttered” makes it sound as if she’s not happy about it. I mean, just look:
“I’ll never be rid of you, will I?” she muttered.
“Our love will persist eternally, won’t it?” she muttered.
Which of those two goes better with “muttered”? “Murmured” or “mumbled” would have been better…
I nodded and kissed her forehead. "Jessie's James. I always have been...and I
always will be."
{snip paragraph of cuddling}
She hadn't said a word, but it was the greatest compliment she could possibly
have given me -- she trusted me enough to let me into her
Tom: - stash of Swinub food.
heart. She had enough
faith in me that she could let me be her hero.
Guardian’s Song: ...I’m not infuriated that Cori Falls is writing this to sound like a stereotypical angsty-and-tearful!heroine/strong-and-manly-but-sensitive!hero and stampeding over canon characterizations in the process, I’m infuriated that she is screwing up the team dynamics. The three Team Rocket members are roughly equal, save that Jessie and James have Pokémon and Meowth doesn’t. Making Jessie submissive to James just wrecks that, and I’d be saying the same about the fic if it was James being all tearful and angsty in the strong and powerful Jessie’s arms.
The realization that I was
exactly what she needed filled me with pride -- I could protect her and make her
feel better when she needed comfort!
Guardian’s Song: …But in canon, all three of the Rocket trio are capable of doing that for each other…
It made me feel like a real man [INSERT YOUR OWN RANT ABOUT THE TERM “REAL MAN”/“REAL WOMAN”/ETC. HERE]...like
somebody worthwhile.
"You're right, James -- my life can't be a total waste," she said at length.
"Because I
Tom: (Jessie) - just switched my car insurance to Keckleon [SPELLCHECK] Co.!
ended up with you!"
I looked down at Jessie. All of her tears were gone, and the sparkle had
returned to her beautiful sapphire eyes. Her lips had curved into a smile again,
but this time it was genuine. I smiled back.
"How do you do it, James?" she asked. "How do you always manage to make me
happy, even when I feel rotten?"
"Because
Guardian’s Song: - they’re teammates and best friends (or close to it), etc. etc. etc. Is that so hard?
happiness is contagious...and you make me happy, Jess," I replied. "I'm
the happiest man in the world because of you."
Jessie's smile grew even wider when I said this. "I love you, James," she
whispered. "More than anything else in this world."
Tom: (James) So, if someone offered you a few million dollars -
(Jessie) I’d have to think about it… Wait, in our world, a million units of currency only buys a bicycle!
(James) Darn. You had to mention that.
"I love you too, Jessie," I echoed.
Jessie rested her forehead against mine and gazed into my eyes. Then, she slid
off her gloves, and I felt her hands slowly creeping up my back.
Jerry: (Jessie) James? …Those aren’t my hands.
(James) Then what - *screams and leaps into the air, a very confused Caterpie falling out of the back of his shirt as he does so*
My heart
skipped a beat turn as she had used Headbutt, an’ it flinched caressed the back of my neck and began to run her fingers
through my hair. Following suit, I took off my own gloves so that I could have
the pleasure of feeling her smooth skin and silky hair with my bare hands.
I leaned a little closer to Jessie and felt the tips of our noses brushing
together and her warm, sweet breath tickling my lips. After a moment, I placed
my hands on her cheeks and drew her closer yet, touching my lips to hers. When
she offered no resistance, I opened my mouth and gently began to caress her lips
with my tongue.
Jerry: (James) Jessie, that isn’t MY tongue.
(Jessie) *opens her eyes* Then what - *SCREAMS*
(Lickitung) Licki licki! [That pizza you had for breakfast tastes good!]
She responded by opening her own mouth, inviting me inside, and
I accepted the invitation.
As our tongues mingled and played together, caressing the inside of each other's
mouths,
Jerry: (Jessie) *screaming while trying to hold Lickitung’s tongue off* Get this thing off me!
I suddenly became aware of the desire stirring inside of me. It started
as a tingling feeling on my lips as a random Oddish used Stun Spore and intensified to a fluttery feeling in my
stomach...and a raging fire in my loins.
Tom: (James) *weeping with pain* *through gritted teeth* W-which one of you p-put the - the - the Moltres-Strength Hot Chili Powder in my b-boxers?
For years I've had this desire,
Guardian’s Song: Well, you’re apparently seventeen, so yes, I’m glad to hear that you hit puberty a few years ago.
but
I've always kept it in check, waiting for the right moment and the right person.
And now that I had both, I knew that it was finally time to give in.
Tom: (James) So you will go yodeling naked across the rooftops with me?
(Jessie) I will what?
Jerry: *covers eyes* Tom used Hideous Mental Image… Jerry’s accuracy fell…
Just
holding Jessie in my arms and kissing her wasn't going to be enough for me --
tonight, I wanted more.
Tom: (James) And while I’m at it, I want a Ponyta!
…Not that way, y’ sickos.
But as urgent as my need was, I knew that I couldn't go t’ th’ bathroom any further until I had
her permission.
Slowly, I drew my mouth away from hers and took a deep breath. "Jessie...I...."
Jessie silenced me by placing a finger to my lips. "Shhh. You don't have to say
a word, James," she whispered. "I know what you want."
Jerry: (James) Pepperoni, green peppers, and extra cheese on my pizza?
Tom: (James) A portable rosebush? You have no idea how much time I’d save if I didn’t have to scrounge about for one before every time we do our motto sequence… Maybe I would have time to design a twerpproof plan, for once…