Extend Our Reach (Rocket-shipping Fan fiction)

14 ~ Something Has To Give

It had been nearly a week since Jessie had boarded the Team Rocket Helicopter back at Headquarters, alongside Cassidy and Butch. The freezing temperatures at the top of the mountain were almost enough to make Jessie want to quit - but it wasn't the temperature that held her worse off. No; she missed James. She missed him so much that it physically hurt her.

It was very early morning, and the moon was still high in the purple sky. She lay beneath the flimsy yellow sheets of her tent roof, the thick snowy ground terrifyingly cold beneath her tent bottom; all she could feel was cold. Butch, Cassidy and her had shared a tent to conserve both Team Rocket's resources and  body heat. Jessie begrudgingly lay beside her ginger haired team-mate who she so passionately loathed. At her feet, Butch was sleeping, curled up like an infant. Shivers ran up her spine as she slowly tossed and turned restlessly. She just couldn't get comfortable.

Giving up, Jessie carefully clambered out of her sleeping bag and crept out into the winter wonderland. She tip-toed across the snowy terrain and sat uncomfortably on a mossy rock, leering dangerously close to the jagged edge of the mountain. 

"Oh, James," Jessie whispered into the black and white nothingness, "Why did I do this?"

She looked back at her team mates' sleeping place: a flimsy yellow tent with no insulation whatsoever. They would likely freeze to death if they weren't all sleeping together.

"Giovanni doesn't care at all!" Jessie snapped bitterly, "All he cares about is money!"

She lay her head in her hands and felt utter helplessness wash over her; what was she going to do?!

"James was right. Giovanni was manipulating me to come...Not because he cared about my mother, but because he cared about my skill and expertise," she sighed into her knees.

Desolate and defeated, she returned to her tent.

------------------------------------------ time passes ------------------------------------------

Jessie, Cassidy and Butch climbed out of their tents, ready to begin their seventh day searching for the legendary Pokemon, MewTwo.

"This is useless," Cassidy snapped, "We're never going to find that wretched MewTwo!"

"Yeah! We're gonna die up here!" Butch complained.

"We're as dead as Jessie's mother!" Cassidy sniggered cruelly. Jessie narrowed her eyes hatefully at Cassidy and replied,

"You'll be as dead as my mother in a minute, you little swine!"

"Hostile much?" Cassidy chuckled.

Jessie shrugged off Cassidy's resentful remarks with a deep sigh; now was not the time to get angry. She had to figure out how to capture MewTwo. She had to find a way to escape this mountain, and to get back to James.

"What do we know about MewTwo so far?" Jessie asked, though more of a demand.

"Ah, well, we know its hanging around this mountain somewhere, and it's mega powerful," Butch said.

"Other than the obvious, you twit!" Jessie snapped impatiently.

"If you know so much, why don't you tell us, Jessie?" Cassidy asked with a false-sweet tone.

"As far as I know, MewTwo is located in  a cave somewhere near the centre of the mountain, north west of the base camp here," Jessie began, gesturing to their tent behind them, "And that none of our Pokemon are powerful enough to tackle such a Pokemon!"

"Well, what are we going to do?" Cassidy sighed.

"I don't know..." Jessie mumbled with frustration.

"Well, we're stuck here until we find that Goddamn thing, or get put in enough danger to be rescued!" Butch chipped in, "And which do you guys think is most likely?"

"So you're suggesting we risk our lives just so we can quit?" Jessie asked with utter disbelief at Butch's stupidity.

"You got a better idea, pink-head?" Cassidy laughed harshly.

"No!" Jessie retorted, "But that's just plain stupid!"

"You should like it then, Jessie," Cassidy smiled a condensing smile.

"Fine. Whatever. I suppose we don't have much choice," Jessie grumbled.

---------------------------------------- time passes --------------------------------------------

The three had been crouched outside the cave for hours, but had seen no signs of MewTwo.

"This is ridiculous," Jessie hissed, "The Pokemon isn't here!"

"Well, DUH, Captian Obvious," Butch replied, rolling his eyes.

"Nice going, Jessie! You dragged us all up here for nothing!" Cassidy sighed irritably.

"Me?! This was all Butch's idiotic plan!" Jessie snapped.

She remembered fondly, herself calling James an idiot. Time and time again she had name called and belittled him...And now she wished he was here beside her. Anyone but these two insufferable imbeciles!

Suddenly, the mountain beneath them began to shake, and they were levitating.

The three shrieked and they were tossed against the cave wall, and came face to face with the monster - MewTwo.

"It's MewTwo!" Jessie gasped in horror and fright.

"MewTwo!" Butch whispered with delight, "GO POKE-BALL!"

"Butch, no!" Cassidy cried. 

But it was already too late; a puny red and white Poke-ball was already sailing across the cave and making contact with the beastly MewTwo. For a few seconds, MewTwo was inside the Poke-ball as it rolled around violently. But then, with a great burst of energy, MewTwo exploded back before them again, now more enraged than before.

"Alert Headquarters that we're in danger!" Jessie cried, dragging Cassidy and Butch off the ground, "And run!"

The terrified trio raced away from the Pokemon, heading up the mountain. The monstrous MewTwo was not giving up on the chase, and so flew after them. The ground shook and quaked, causing snow to begin tumbling towards them.

Just as MewTwo was about to shoot them with an Energy-ball, the Team Rocket helicopter showed up. Cassidy and Butch raced towards the ladder and grabbed a hold. Jessie raced after them, but it was too late. Cassidy felt her gloved fingers brush against Jessie's before she went tumbling down the mountain. 

Jessie screamed as MewTwo's energy ball hit the ground beneath her, sending her cascading down the mountain side. Snow buried her. There wasn't anything. No up - no down.

Just white.

This had happened to her mother. 

"I have to do something...I can't go back to the Team Rocket Headquarters! I have to be back with James!" Jessie cried.

Suddenly, an ingenious idea came to mind. One so amazing that Jessie had to stiffle her laughter. The sharp shock of frozen snow brought her back to reality. She had o get out alive first!

Something had to give. Something had to slide, and it was going to be her.

And the journey continues...