Extend Our Reach (Rocket-shipping Fan fiction)

19 ~ The Funeral

It was Friday - the day that James had been dreading for three days. Three treacherously long, horrendous days.

"Good morning, Meowth," James yawned, stretching as he got up out of bed.

"Meeeooowth!" Meowth yawned, "Mornin' Jimmy!"

"Oh my Arceus," James said, pausing mid-stretch, "It's Friday today, isn't it?"

"I tink so," Meowth sighed, understanding his human companion's anxiety.

"I don't know why, but somehow, I hoped that this day simply wouldn't come," James said sadly.

"I get cha, James. I do," Meowth replied solemnly.

James looked across the room at his suit; all black, except for the white shirt. A desolate sigh escaped his lips as he thought about what was to come that afternoon.

"I'm not ready for this, Meowth," James said, anxiety brimming in his voice.

"I don't tink I am either, Jimmy," Meowth replied uncertainly.

"I don't suppose we should feel ready - what friends would we be if we did?" James pondered aloud.

"Yeah...I don't tink we're meant to feel alright with it," Meowth said quietly.

James sat down heavily on his bed and rested his head in his hands with a sigh.

"Why Jessie?" He mumbled, his voice muffled by his hands, "Why not me?"

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

A few hours later, James and the rest of Team Rocket were congregated outside Headquarters, all dressed in black. It was strange, seeing all of his colleges in black, a sharp contrast to their red and white uniforms.

Giovanni called over James and said,

"James, I'd like you to carry the memorial monument; obviously, there's o coffin, but we wanted Jessie to have a proper funeral. It only seems right that you'd carry her memorial piece to the grave."

James stood blinking, and then nodded. He couldn't reply, for fear of choking up. He was met with a rare look of sympathy from Giovanni. His boss nodded, and beckoned for James to follow him. James did just that, keeping his head down. Giovanni gestured to a stone plaque; it shaped like a miniature coffin, and had words engraved on it.

"Jessie, a valued Rocketeer right until the very end. She will be greatly missed by all..." James read in a whisper. He gritted his teeth, forcing the lump in his throat back down.

"Come on. The procession is about to begin," Giovanni passed the monument to James and began leading him back.

James' face remained expressionless as he led the procession to Jessie's grave. The entire Team Rocket followed him, starting with Giovanni behind him. He would have felt truly excited and honoured to be walking front of the boss, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything but concealed sorrow and grief.

He lay the monument down in front of the tombstone and stepped away. His poker face broke, and his bottom lip trembled violently. His bit it harshly, but it was hopeless. It was all too real - tears spilled over his tear-ducts. He pressed his hand against his mouth, silencing a sob.

Giovanni then took over with a speech; the one he had made at every funeral of an agent,

"Friends, family, employees and colleges: we are gathered here today not to grieve the passing of, but to celebrate the life of Jessica..."

Giovanni's voice trailed into the background of James' thoughts. He had attended other agents' funerals before, and he'd felt sad. He'd even cried at a couple - but never like this. It had never hurt like this. 

James heard sniffles and sobbing around him of his colleges, also mourning Jessie. He gave up trying to stifle his sadness, and let himself cry. He sobbed into his hands, trembling with grief. 

'No. It was meant to be over now. The nightmare was meant to be over now - I was meant to wake up. This shouldn't be happening. I should have woken up!' James screamed silently. 

He hunched over, sobbing so hard it ached. He couldn't quieten himself, and his sobs became louder. Nobody stared; it was expected. 

After all, it was a funeral.

Jessie's funeral.

James howled, his fingers muffling his sobs to some degree. Tears clouded his vision, making the grave blurry. He sniffed and wiped his face periodically, trying relentlessly to compose himself towards the end of the funeral.

----------------------------- short amount of time passes -----------------------------------

Soon, James was stood by himself, knelt beside the grave. Tears streamed silently down his cheeks as he gazed solemnly at the photo of Jessie.

He wiped his eyes on the cuff on his sleeve and stood up - but he couldn't bring himself to walk away. Suddenly, James felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, startled, and then took a few consoling breaths. He turned around, and froze.

Standing before him was a young woman with sapphire blue eyes, ruby lips and magenta hair, hidden under a black veil. James screamed, but had his mouth clamped shut by the woman.

"Shh, James! Come with me, quickly!"

James obediently followed the woman, absolutely bewitched.

She led him through the trees and into the forest behind headquarters.

She took her hand off James' mouth and then removed the veil from her face. Smiling, she gazed lovingly into James' eyes.

"J-J-Jessie?" James stuttered, "Is that..?"

"Yes, James, I'm alive," Jessie laughed, "I faked my own death to get out of the mission," she cackled.

"But - but - Jessie, I missed you much!" James cried, grasping desperately at Jessie's shoulders.

"I know; I saw you at my funeral," Jessie smirked, "Such a crybaby," she teased.

"I thought that you were dead! Of course I cried!" James fumed, "You have no idea how - ARGH!"

James' head was spinning - and speaking of spinning, so was the forest.

"James, are you alright?" Jessie said, concerned.

"I'm feeling - a little dizzy," he muttered, sinking to the ground.

Jessie knelt down beside him and pressed a hand against his forehead; it was sweaty and warm.

"I've given you a terrible shock! I'm so sorry, James!"

"You don't say," he mumbled.

James lay unconscious against a tree; he'd fainted presumably from shock.

"James? James?!" Jessie cried, lightly slapping James' face.

A few moments later, his eyes cracked open again. He sat up and rubbed his head.

"What...where are we, Jessie?" James asked, dazed.

"In the forest, behind headquarters," Jessie answered, relieved.

"Oh, I remember now."

James stood up shakily. 

"I missed you so much," James confessed, grabbing Jessie's wrists, "I thought that I was never going to see you again. I thought that I was going to be alone for the rest of my life," he cried, his voice breaking with emotion.

"Oh, James," Jessie choked up, feeling guilty for what she put James through. He teared up as he kissed her.

"Don't ever leave me, Jessie," James whispered.

"I won't, I promise!" Jessie cried.

He pulled her into a hug , laying his head on hers.

"I love you."

The End