Author Notes:

Sergeant not Sargent

I just realized that I had made another mistake with the spelling of Drill Sergeant Viper. According to Google, it turns out there are a few ways to spell it. But that's not how the franchise has it spelled, so it's wrong. Since the word is used almost everywhere, I'm not going to comb through every chapter right now, but I will fix it in a future re-edit/reclean/update. (These updates tend to happen quietly.) So please bear with it for now.

Ashiyu-Foot bath

This is something that is popular in Japan. It's basically relaxation for your feet!

Public baths

Is another custom (semi-old) in Japan. Public bath houses were created because most houses weren't built with bathtubs back in the day. Today its more for the environment or just to have more space. (Some bathtubs in Japanese houses are super small.) Every public bath is different some are big and are more like a fitness center while others are more tradiitional. While it may appear that public baths and natural hot springs (onsens) are simular...in Japanese culture they are not. Onsens are the superiour form...in Pokemon terms an Onsen is Mewtwo while the Public bath is a Magikarp.

Meowth's past

Okay, so fair warning this is where fanfic land tends to grow more sporadic. (Although that ship may have already sailed long ago) Without giving too much away, I am following what the anime has already given us but added some headcanon/fan theories into the mix as fanfics tend to do. As of now the anime only showed us Hollywood and then the trio meeting in the chronicle series. Looking at it from only Meowth's storyline, in my headcanon, I believe there is a large gap between Hollywood and the training episode. Mainly due to how would a Pokémon know about an underground organization right after learning how to talk? (I know kids show.)

Another theory is that I don't think he was born in the Camp Pokéhearst. (The place with the movie and baseballs.) This is also where the show kind of contradicts itself. In this episode, he looks and acts like a newborn kitten with his eyes closed and meowing for attention, when other times Pokémon are shown to understand, are indpendent and are super active within the first few seconds of living. Meowth's first memory is being alone in a basket with some newspapers. His first memory can be looked at in different ways. Either Meowth was abandoned as an egg and hatched there with no one around. Or Meowth doesn't remember what happened before because babies don't remember much so the earliest thing he remembers is being alone in a basket. To me, it looked like someone abandoned him after he was born. And I think I will leave it at that for now;)

Chapter 17: No Longer a Trio

Meowth felt his heart beating fast as he tried to take slow, deep breaths. It felt like a clock was ticking for hours as Meowth paced back and forth. Today is the day that they all have been waiting for. The results were in, that promotion is now going to fall into their laps. Meowth wished Jessie and James luck about what felt like hours ago as he eagerly waits for them in the lounge room nearby the Executive Wing. When they come back, their smiles will be so vast that a Wailord could fit.

"Ugh," Meowth grumbled as it quickly stopped its pacing.

It spotted him walking into the lounge room to join it. The large room suddenly felt crowded. Meowth felt the fur on the back of its neck rise as cold chills went down its spine. The tall man who casually wore the standard grunt uniform held a nonchalant expression as he waved towards the scratch cat Pokémon. Meowth felt its anxiety over Jessie and James change its form, it was as if all the Butterfree in its stomach were burned and replaced by hot magma ready to burst.

It was quiet between them. Even the halls outside were lacking any white noise. The ticking clock felt as if it were purposely moving slower just to make Meowth fell more uncomfortable. Finally, the sound of clicking from doors being opened and closed was then heard. The sounds of their feet slowly shuffling their way echoed within the hallway. The hot magma in its stomach hardened as the Butterfree returned to tickle it from within. They did it! They are going to be elites! Meowth anxiously waited as it saw them sulking as they walked inside the lounge. Meowth's smile disappeared, confused by their gloomy expressions. Was this some kind of trick? Where are the big smiles? They both plopped themselves onto the couch as they maintained their forlorn frowns. Wobbuffet sprung out of its poke ball to join Meowth's side.

"Wobba." It moaned as Meowth jumped onto James's lap.

"We've been promoted," James said.

"But it's not the promotion," Jessie added. Meowth felt the tears filling his eyes as he laid his head against James's chest while Jessie pulled Wobbuffet in to encircle them all in a warm embrace.

"Do not fret." He told its friends. "I will have a word with Giovanni on the matter soon." They looked at him through teary eyes.

"You will?" James questioned.

"Yes, I would like nothing more. You two are ready for it, and I will be informing Giovanni that it is time for some changes to be made around here." He smiled softly as Meowth felt the stiffness in their bodies subside.

"But putting up with you didn't do anything," Meowth whined inwardly as it looked up at Jessie and James. Both were filled with blinded hope. Meowth couldn't help but feel that hope within itself too. Maybe the star of Team Rocket can fix this. Otherwise, what was the point in tolerating him?

"I must take my leave." He spoke coolly. "I believe you two can go home now. If I'm not mistaken, Sector 83 is taking a holiday." He sighed playfully.

"Sounds nice, I wish I had a break like that." He chuckled to himself as he tried to lighten the mood. He then leaned over as he placed one reassuring hand on Jessie's shoulder and the other on James's shoulder. His close proximity gave Meowth the unfortunate luck of having to breathe in his acrid scent mixed with leather and cologne.

"Rest assured that I will see you two through the end." He then backed away. His smile never faltered as he placed a hand over his heart.

"It is my promise to you. Count on me, and I can make your dreams come true." He does have a charming smile, Meowth observed. Meowth noticed Jessie and James were completely enamored by their idol. The star of Team Rocket titled his head slightly as he eyed Meowth directly. Adorned with cold brown eyes, he playfully winked at it, sending shivers down Meowth's back.

"Now then, I have some important matters to attend too. I won't be back for a while, but until then, don't lose faith in yourselves just yet." His smile remained implanted as he waved them goodbye.

"I can't see him." How can a smile feel so cold? Smiles are supposed to be warm and friendly. When he smiles it feels like he wants to attack.

"Ready to go home?' James asked through a disheartened grin.

It was a somber return. Meowth and Wobbuffet watched their human friends miserably walk around the tiny apartment. There was no skip in their steps as they shuffled their feet across the floors. They had bad news before but not like this. Tomorrow being a new day wasn't a happy thought to them this time around. Meowth hated the idea, but maybe Ryuu will be able to fix this predicament. Meowth felt their pain as they both continued to sulk. If only there was something that he could do for them. He hated seeing them like this, no color, no life in his vibrant friends. The only thing he saw was the warm light within them, while everything else was dark and grey. Meowth continued to observe their sorrowful eyes as they both went to bed earlier than usual. Meowth took a deep breath as it looked up at the night sky.

"Sounds...like water…" Meowth heard water gently splashing against something rough.

Meowth felt like it was resting on a bed of water as he visualized tiny droplets repeatedly falling, creating ripples that expanded away from his body. It feels so tranquil.

"So…so soothing." Meowth thought, as his eyes remained closed so he could sleep. But what about the water that was gently splashing, what was that? It was gentle yet somehow rough as it thrashed against rocky terrain.

"Waves?" Meowth thought, could these soft yet loud splashing sounds be waves? Back and forth, back and forth, he heard them go. Hitting the shores with its fresh seafoam and sometimes splashing roughly against the boulders of the rocky shores. Where are these waves coming from? Are they above him? Back and forth, the waves kept coming…it's what they do…it's what they always do. Back and forth, back and forth…

Meowth continued to listen. The waves continued their dance by splashing against the rocky shores over and over again. The smell of salt water filled his nose as he felt the sea breeze brush against his fur. Meowth remained still to continue to sleep. The tranquil sounds were starting to be drowned out while the waves got louder. The waves roared loudly as it heard a thunderous thrash against the shores. Meowth didn't want to see it, he kept his eyes closed as the waves silenced the tranquil rippling bed he was sleeping on.

"EEEKKK, Moooaaaan"

A beastly sound bellowed as he heard the thunderous waves and felt the cold water raining down upon him. Meowth didn't want to look. It will pass! The calm sea breezes changed their nature into violent winds pushing against him.

"Go away," Meowth whispered. The sounds of thunderous waves became louder as the wind became harsher.

"I said, Go Away!" Meowth shouted as he shined a bright flash. He opened his eyes to see the thunder clouds flash their lighting, and the dark waves pounding against the ground he was standing on.

"EEEKKK, Moooaaaan"

The beastly sound roared louder in response to his flash. The waves grew bigger as if something monstrous was swimming inside.

"You are not real! This is just a dream!" The waves crashed against his body. Meowth felt their full strength as the ice-cold water dragged him down. Water engulfed him, he couldn't breathe as he tried to swim up to the surface.

"EEEKKK, Moooaaaan"

He heard as he felt a current move underneath him. Suddenly he felt a giant push from behind as he was forced out of the depths of the ocean. Meowth coughed out the water in his lungs while feeling his fur dripping wet. Heaving for air as he laid on the ground, the grey clouds softened as a white light flew by. Meowth watched it fly fast. It looked like a shooting star, but it seemed more abundant. Is it a comet? Meowth watched it disappear in the distance and then saw a twinkle of light.

"Is that a tower?" Meowth questioned as the twinkling light hovered around something tall. He couldn't make it out. It looked like a tower, but he wasn't sure, the fog was too thick as the twinkling light then disappeared.

A snowflake appeared in the corner of his eyes. The ground he stood on started to feel cold. Meowth looked down to see the ground was covered in frost. He looked up as a few snowflakes began to fall. The dark clouds returned. Pitch black clouds hovered over him while the thunderous waves threatened to crash against him. Meowth cowered as he prepared for the worst. He held his breath, waiting for the water to through him off the land.

A few moments past and Meowth was still on the ground. Meowth was surprised. Surely he was in for another throttle. He looked up to see that the wave above him was frozen solid. The strong wave had crashed into the land next to him but was frozen in place, encasing him in an icy cage. Meowth looked for a way out but then started to realize he couldn't feel his legs. He looked down and saw thick ice growing around his legs and was moving up. His whole body started to go numb as he felt the warmth within his body fade away. The ice covered his body, then as he took his last breath, it covered his face. So cold…his body was immobile. He couldn't make out anything. It looked like those dark clouds were still above him. What is this place? There's nothing here. It's so cold and dark.

"I want out." He whimpered.

Suddenly Meowth felt a robust, warm light breaking through the ice. The ice around his body broke away as did all the ice around him. This new warmth felt strong and kind. The cold, isolating feeling melted away and was replaced by a warm, uplifting feeling. Meowth wanted to know who it was that save him. He turned around only to be blinded by the sun that was high in the clear blue sky. Meowth looked down to see that he was now standing on top of the water. The waves moved calmly around him. Meowth closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Can I sleep now?" He asked solemnly.

"SIT DOWN!" Viper's thunderous voice roared. "It is time that I introduce you all to one of the most basic fundamentals of being a good Rocket. That is to be a good teammate."

"Seriously?" Ash thought.

"In the field agent program, partners are assigned from the beginning. Having a good partner can make a great impact on your success in Team Rocket. Good partners do everything together. While you are still juniors and would rather fool around than take any of this seriously, juniors will now be assigned partners as well."

"Do we get to choose our partner?" Nicholas asked.

"Absolutely not! We will be choosing for you. Starting now, partners shall be sitting next to each other for the remainder of this program." The class groaned to the idea of changing sits.

"QUIET! Move when you're called.". He ordered. Viper cleared his throat and began.

So he has to change his seat too? Ash didn't like the sound of that. He didn't like the sound of any of it. What if he has to sit in the middle of the classroom? Does having a partner mean having time to himself is over?

"Ashwin!" Ash jumped out of his seat.

"Kenji" The dark-skinned boy stood up calmly and smiled towards Ash.

"Looks like you and I are partners." Ash felt a little relieved.

"Jeanne." Ash heard Viper call out.

"She's absent." Another student replied.

"Stay where you are." Kenji regained his attention.

"I will move over to you. I think window seats are better." He said as he picked up his stuff and moved closer. Feeling even more relived, Ash smiled in gratitude for having lady luck on his side.

"At least I'm not with him." He side glanced Nicholas from afar.

"I don't get it." Meowth groggily thought as he sat at the coffee table while James was reading the newspaper, and Jessie was on the computer. Meowth rested his head on the table with his arms crossed underneath as if he were a human. He eyed the newspaper that James was reading as one of the small articles caught his eye.

"Rod of Light?" He read to himself. "At the Pewter City Museum."

"BwaHaHaha!" Jessie busted out laughing.

"You're awfully cheerful today," Meowth noted out loud.

"That's because I just got news on Cassidy's results. She was promoted to Level 36!"

"How do you know that? Results are not publicly known until the first week of festivities."

"I got someone to spy for me." She answered. "We won!" The two high-fives each other.

"We should celebrate," Meowth suggested.

"That sounds like a fun idea," James said.

"I have the purr-fect idea too." Meowth cunningly smirked as he pointed to the article.

"This 'Rod of Light' sounds interesting. I bet if we steal it for the boss, it will make him happy. It could be his birthday present." James flipped the newspaper over and laid it on the table as Jessie scooted closer to him to read over his shoulder.

"On display at the Pewter City Museum. Second floor near the moonstones and solar system display." James read out loud.

"That sounds like a great idea," Jessie said.

"Just think, once we get this for the boss, then he will have to rethink our elite status," James excitedly added.

"And better yet, the goody tushu twerps will try to stop us. They'll have to believe me then." Meowth thought.

James looked at the controls while the rest hopped into the trolley.

"What are you guys in the mood for? We can do trivia or watch TV or," He rambled.

"I know what I want." Jessie eargly pushed him out of the way. She pressed all the necessary buttons. The screen then flashed "Spa treatment."

"Again?" Meowth thought to himself as James nodded happily. The two partners took off their socks and shoes. A place to keep them dry was provided. Fruity cocktail drinks and a chocolate milk box came out of the dashboard. Jessie smiled as she handed it to Meowth then briefly scratched him behind the ear. The tunnel became steamy as the bottom of the trolley became filled with water, reaching their ankles. It was a relaxing ride as Meowth enjoyed the sweet taste of his chocolate milk. Meowth looked up ahead of the barely lit tunnel. It was dark with only the lights from the trolley itself and a few dull emergency lights scattered throughout the tunnel.

"It's not a mystery." Meowth refrained itself from climbing onto the hood of the trolley.

"I know what's up ahead. It doesn't keep going, the trolley stops where we tell it too. We are going to Pewter City, that is the end."

Feeling refreshed, they watched their trolley disappear as a new one took its place. James then felt a gentle pat against his shoulder.

"Oh, Hi." He said to the plump man wearing round sunglasses with a white towel resting around his neck as James's friends waved quietly. The composed man greeted them by lifting his black beret, revealing his bald head as he bowed slightly. He then reached into his crimson sweater vest pocket for a few pieces of hard candy. He gave each one a piece of candy then walked into the trolley. They watched him adjust the trolley to his liking. The tunnel filled up with water as the cart changed its shape to a speed boat. The calm old man then waved them good-bye before speeding away.

"Have any of you ever heard that guy talk?" Meowth asked to which both Jessie and James shook their heads. That human is strange, but he gives them free candy. If only all humans were nice like that.

Sporting their clever disguises, Jessie and James looked the part of security guards while Meowth sat on top of Wobbuffet to play the role of a very tall and oddly shaped security guard. Dressed in blue and looking professionally dressed, they headed for the museum to spot their target for later in the night. As they got closer, they saw a large crowd of people surrounding the museum's entrance. Yellow tape was roped around the doorway, and there were cops everywhere.

"Good thing, we look the part," Jessie mumbled as the others nodded. James lifted the tape for them to walk underneath so they can join the other cops. They walked inside, and there were even more cops as well as Officer Jenny giving orders to her underlings.

"Tonight is going to be one heck of a challenge with this much fuzz around," Meowth said as they went up the stairs to the 2nd floor. They saw the solar system display and the moonstones on their way to an empty case.

"WHAT!?" They screamed.

"Maybe it's somewhere else," Meowth suggested.

"But it says here 'Rod of Light.'" James pointed to the label.

"What do you think you're doing!?" A stern voice spoke from behind. They all stiffened as they slowly turned to see a police officer eying them suspiciously. The man leaned in closer to examine each one of their faces.

"Do we have imposters here?" He arched his eyebrow meticulously, causing them to tremble.

"Officer Changeling, is there a problem?" Officer Jenny walked up to him from behind.

"I'm taking these three officers in for questioning. They say they have a lead."

"That's great news! I will help you escort them."

"That' won't be necessary, Ma'am. Allow me to take care of this. You are needed here more than back at the precinct." He smirked as he gave her a wink. She nodded as she smiled again then walked away to check on the other officers. The officer grabbed them all by their collars. He then strong-armed them away from the scene.

The officer looked around the area then surprised them as he changed his course. He took them behind the museum and then into a dark alley.

"What brings a couple of Rockets to a museum during this time of year?" He smirked as he lifted his blue hat and a brown hair wig to reveal his purple mohawk.

"PETREL!" They all screeched.

"Shush. Keep your voices down." He quickly hushed them up. Jessie walked up closer as she grabbed his rugged face.

"What are you doing?" He questioned while her friends nervously watch her pulling at the fabric and examining the man's arms and legs.

"Your disguise is incredible!" She exclaimed as her friends face palmed themselves.

"Ha, Ha, Ha." He laughed as he placed the wig and hat back on. "Lady, I'm not called the 'Master of Disguise' for nothing."

"What did you think of our disguise?" She enthusiastically asked.

"It's not bad to fool the Swinubs and Pidgeys, but it wasn't enough to fool me. You three are Team 251, correct?" They nodded excitedly.

"I thought so." He said as he leaned towards Meowth, who was still sitting on top of Wobbuffet.

"This little guy gave you away." He said as he patted Meowth's head as if it were a child caught trying to steal a cookie. Meowth stiffened to the man's rough handed touch. The scratch cat Pokémon did its best to respectfully push him away. Petrel eyed it briefly then shrugged his shoulders as he placed his hands over his hips while he grinned.

"If you three were thinking of stealing the 'Rod of Light', someone already beat you to it."

"Someone's stealing on our turf?" Meowth questioned angrily.

"Not just someone, it was Mavros Tara. He's been stealing items throughout Kanto and has started causing havoc in Johto. He's been giving the Tepigs a real hard time."

"Oh well, if that's the case, he should join Team Rocket," Meowth said.

"Ha, Ha, he does have an interesting style. He sort of reminds me of you back in your heyday." Petrel smirked as Meowth ignored the old familiar sensation that started to rise.

"I'll see you guys around. Try not to make too much trouble for me while I'm on duty." He waved them goodbye.

"The Petrel said our disguises were great. First beating Cassidy and then meeting the Petrel, this has got to be the best day ever!" Jessie squealed.

"Shall we go home?" James asked as Jessie nodded.

"What? No way!" Meowth quickly exclaimed. "There's other stuff we can steal. There is always the gym here. They have strong Pokémon just waiting for us to grab them."

"But we didn't bring anything that could help us steal from a Pokémon gym." James said.

"We don't have to do anything fancy. Every gym has a storage unit that stores their spare Pokémon. We can just fill up a bag then high tail it out of there." Jessie and James paused to mull it over.

"I'm honestly not in the mood," Jessie sighed. "Robbing a museum is one thing, but to steal Pokémon requires more work."

"But,"

"You haven't been doing endless all-nighters. I'm exhausted, and no amount of expresso is going to resolve it."

"But,"

"Besides stealing from gyms is glorified grunt work. If we want to be elite agents, we need to start acting like elite agents. Stealing from a gym would only prove to Dr. Zager and Pierce that we are where we belong."

"To have responsibilities similar to Unova would be great," James added. "Since we will be returning to Sinnoh, it will be our chance to prove it to them. We know the land and to face Team Rocket's greatest rivals will push us even further to the top."

"What's happening to us?" Meowth clenched his fists. "This is all his fault."

It was a sensible approach to move forward, but with each word, it felt like they were moving further away from their team...from him. The two started to walk away. They're really heading home? He watched them as they reached the edge of the dark alleyway.

"Meowth, aren't you coming?" Jessie hollered from afar. They stopped, they didn't leave him behind. They wouldn't leave him alone in the dark. They will walk out into the sunlight together. He felt guilty for even having a moment of doubt.

"I was just thinking about something." Meowth ran up to them.

"Petrel reminded me that everyone tends to refer to us as 'you three' or 'the trio', but that's wrong." Meowth turned to Wobbuffet, "Everyone seems to forget about Wobbuffet."

"That's a good point." Jessie patted Wobbuffet's head. "Unova was dull without you big blue blob."

"Wobba, Wobba, Wobbuffet."

"But, The Quadro doesn't have a nice ring to it like The Trio," James said.

"We will just have to come up with something better." Jessie declared. "If Pokémon can evolve, then so can we."

"How about Rocket Pals?" James suggested.

"Wobba."

"Lame." Jessie moaned.

"Uh..." Meowth regained their attention. "We don't have to go home right away. There is a great donut shop close by. Why don't we come up with a new name there?"

"I guess I can go for something sweet. After all those physicals, we've earned it."

"It is a nice day too. We can have a little picnic."James suggested.

"I rather sit at the cafe and enjoy a nice cup of coffee. All in favor of cafe, say I." Jessie demanded as she raised her hand. The decision was already made, but following basic group decision making was in order as her teammates raised their hands without any protest.

"I'll meet you guys there, "Meowth said as it turned away.

"But this was your idea," James said.

"There's something I want to check on. It will only be a few minutes."

"Alright, don't make us wait too long," Jessie warned. Meowth waited for them to disappear before heading towards the gym himself.

"I will prove it. They will see that I was right."

It's only been a few days, the twerp is a carefree human who moves slower than a Slowpoke. The plan has to be perfect. Meowth snuck into the back of the gym, undetected. Meowth looked around at his surroundings to come up with the ideal setup.

"My best option is out this window." He noted the window that he came in from. The room with the stored poke balls was across the hall if he remembered correctly. He carefully walked over to the room to check. He took a peek as he slowly opened the door, making sure no unwanted squeaks were heard just yet.

"First, I will fill up a bag, then I will need to make a large sound to get the twerps attention." It looked around the room with his designated escape route.

"These wood crates will do. I will slice them up. That should create enough commotion to get them running." Meowth's scheme was coming alive, as every detail sounded perfect.

"The big twerp will be like, 'Did you hear that?' Then the stupid twerp will say, 'Let's go check it out!' Pikachu will be on his shoulder cheerfully going wherever he goes like the laughable pet it is." Meowth thought as he imagined the twerps were sitting somewhere within the living courters of the gym. They are all probably talking about twerpy stuff right now.

"I will wait for them right here." Meowth looked to the window. "The stupid twerp will be like, 'Meowth! Give back those Pokémon! Pikachu use thunderbolt!'" Meowth cringed at the thought.

"I'm going to have to run fast. Not too fast, just fast enough so the twerps can keep up while I lead them to the cafe. Jessie and James will be sitting at one of the tables outside drinking their gross coffee while the twerps follow me in hot pursuit. Once I reach their side and the twerp is in their sights, I will shout, 'Look, Look, Look, the twerp has Pikachu! The twerp has Pikachu!'" Meowth paused as it felt a moment of relief. It didn't even happen yet, but Meowth already felt satisfied for a job well done. All of his problems will disappear.

"They will see that I was telling the truth. Jessie will be like 'Ryuu's plan failed?' and James will say, 'Meowth, you were right all along.' They'll cry, begging me to forgive them. 'We should have never doubted you. Will you ever forgive us?' They'll both be pleading for my mercy." Meowth couldn't contain his broad smile.

"This plan is foolproof! They will see for themselves that the twerp got Pikachu back." Meowth went pale as reality then struck. The thought of the inevitable pain from Pikachu's powerful thunderbolt attack will most certainly come afterward.

"The twerp is going to stop us again. I don't want that. I can go without the pain of another thunderbolt attack. However, this might be my only chance, but that thunderbolt attack." Meowth trembled at the thought as if he can already feel the electricity surging through his body.

"They will see for themselves. They will realize that their so-called unbeatable idol is full of it. They will take my word over his. It will just be us again." He quickly rationalized as the reward outweighed the inevitable pain.

"It will just be us again." He sighed as his smile returned.

Suddenly something cold and rubbery brushed against his back. Meowth jolted at the feeling as he turned around nervously.

"Oma, Oma, Omastar." (Long time no see softy.) The senile Omastar said. Meowth sighed out of relief, he wasn't caught just yet.

"Omastar, Oma, Oma, Omastar, Omastar, Star." (I really love this place. I get to stretch out my battle muscles, and it's not too far from the mountains. And the food is excellent too.)

Meowth listened to the rambling of the spiral Pokémon while also repeating his foolproof plan to himself.

"It can go and get the twerps." He thought happily as he slightly changed his plan.

"So," Meowth interrupted Omastar's rambling. "The twerp…I uh...mean the human with the Pikachu, how are they?" Meowth mentally patted itself on the back for pulling off the classic, friendly small talk routine.

"Oma." (They left.)

"WHAT!?" Meowth screamed as his plan broke into a million pieces.

"Oma, Omastar, Omastar, Omastar, Oma, Omastar, Star, Omastar, Star, Star, Oma." (That Pikachu was powerful and his human has a fantastic battle style. He sort of reminded me of one of my old human friends from way back when.) It continued to brag about the battle it shared with them.

"Omastar, Omastar, Star." (Come meet the others. I'm sure they'll love you.) It said gleefully as one of its tentacles latched itself onto one of Meowth's paws and started to drag him away from his perfect escape exit.

"I'm not here to make friends!" He snapped angrily as he slapped it off of him.

"Oooo, Omastar, Omastar, Oma." (Ooooh, you're here for a battle. That's great! You look like you carry some spunk in you.)

"I can't battle, nor do I want to."

"Ooom, Omastar, Star, Omas, Oma, Omastar, Omastar." (Oooh, you're here to have a little chat. That's nice. Hatchlings these days do need to take the time to stop and smell the earth. All they want to do is fight and make friends. It's tiresome.)

"Ugh" Meowth grumbled. "I'm not here for that either and don't call me a hatchling. I may be young compared to you, but I wasn't born yesterday. I have seen many moons and had plenty of life experience."

"Oma, Omastar, Omastar, Omastar, Oma." (I know. I can sense that your energy does not match your body. You are not very forthcoming, are you?) Meowth swallowed what he wanted to say as he averted his eyes.

"Oma, Omastar, Star, Omastar, Star, Star." (No matter. Everyone has their secrets, but for a Pokémon to say it can't battle is to say it's not a Pokémon at all. Are you a Pokémon?) Meowth felt a sharp increase in his aggravation.

"To stay in line." Meowth seethed. Is what Omastar is really trying to say. It's the same as all the others. To only train and fight every day, nothing more. To be as strong as you can be, never weak.

"Omastar, Omastar, Oma, Omastar." (Then again you are wild. The battles you face are different. Participating in a stylish battle for humans would be wasteful of your energy.)Meowth felt his rising temper cease. Not many acknowledge that let alone accept it. It must be because it has lived in the wild too.

"Omastar, Star." (That reminds me, I want to give you something.)

"Omastar, there you ar...eh Meowth?" Meowth froze in place as he heard the voice of a familiar human.

"Oh, no! This crazy shellfish was distracting me! This is bad! Really bad! Think! What to do!? What should I say!?" Meowth's train of thought was interrupted as he saw a rectangular flat rock being waved in front of him.

"Oh, you came to see your friend." Meowth heard as the human walked into his line of sight. Meowth felt his nerves relax a little as he saw that the familiar voice belonged to the mini version of the large twerp.

Forrest walked over to Omastar then bent down to stroke its shell. Omastar crawled away from him as it stretched out the tentacle that held the fossil towards Meowth.

"Oh, it wants to give it to you," Forrest observed. "Omastar must have been holding on to it for you. It wouldn't let any of us see it."

"Omastar, Oma, Oma, Omastar, Star, Omas, Omas, Omastar, Star, Omastar, Star."

The voices in the room were drowned out as a sea breeze scent entered its nose. The air in the room was going stale while the smell of fresh saltwater grew intoxicating. Meowth backed away slowly while the room was growing dark. The oddly shaped rock was coming closer, and the sea breeze scent was getting stronger. Wasn't there a window in the room? Meowth couldn't find it, the room was getting darker and feeling tighter.

"I…," it stuttered.

"Forrest, are you in here!?" Brock hollered from the hall.

"I'm leaving now!" He spoke loudly. He turned the corner to look in the back of the gym.

"NO!" Meowth yelled as it swatted the fossil out of Omastar's grasp.

"What the" Brock froze in his place. What was Meowth doing here? What's his brother doing with it? Many questions circulated as he heard the fossil hit the floor. He walked in further as his brother looked at him briefly then back at the scratch cat Pokémon, who breathed heavily.

Meowth felt his heart pounding hard as he caught his breath. Meowth swallowed the lump in his throat as he closed his eyes then deeply inhaled to let out a soothing sigh. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light that finally returned as he became aware of the large twerp who entered the room while Omastar casually crawled to pick up its treasured trinket. Meowth took another step back as he observed the large twerp's skeptical expression then found the window he came in through.

"This is bad." He thought as he started to grit his teeth. The twerps were closer to the window than he was.

"Why...why did I come here? This is not what I planned. They were supposed to see that I was telling the truth. Now the twerp could be anywhere." Meowth clenched his shaking paws.

"Would someone care to fill me in on what's going on here?" Brock asked as he crossed his arms, narrowing his focus onto the troublemaker.

"Omastar considers Meowth, a friend. They were just hanging out." Forrest explained.

"A friend?" Brock echoed as a hard chuckle escaped at the farfetched idea. Surely it could come up with something better than that.

Meowth saw through his questionable expression. The big twerp wasn't a fool as he arched an eyebrow at the notion. He held the look that Meowth has grown accustomed to. Never! To have friends…impossible! His opinion was set in stone. Meowth headed for the door, there was no need to stay any longer. Especially in a place where it isn't welcomed.

"Hold it!" The big twerp demanded. Meowth stopped in its tracks. To leave, unscathed was wishful thinking.

"Why are you here?" He asked sternly.

"Does it matter what I say?" Meowth countered nonchalantly as it looked back at him. "You already have your answer. Whatever I say would be redundant to you."

"Redundant? That's a pretty big word, impressive. Do you know what it means?" His stern expression softened.

"Of course I do, I'm not stupid. Maybe if you didn't hang out with idiots all the time, then maybe you would hear a wider range of human vocabulary." Meowth stated arrogantly.

"HA, HA, HA!" Brock broke into a fit of laughter, causing the Meowth in front of him to be caught off guard.

"You're probably right, you do seem to be more intelligent compared to some of the people I know. Ash told me about what happened in Kalos."

"I'm sure he did," Meowth responded coldly as it started to back away while Omastar tucked its trinket back into its shell.

"Are Jessie and James lurking somewhere?" Brock halted its actions.

"They didn't want to come. They now think robbing a gym is beneath them." It spoke honestly.

"What?" Forrest gasped.

Brock folded his arms again. He eyed his little brother, whose reaction was a normal one. He, on the other hand, has become numb to it. At least it was honest, he'll give it that. Brock walked towards one of the large wooden crates and sat down. His mind quickly analyzed Ash's story then looked to the scratch cat Pokémon who was standing in the doorway.

"I do appreciate your honesty, so I will be honest with you. I don't fully believe that you are telling me the truth. For me to take your word for it would be foolish of me. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

"I wouldn't believe me either if I were you," Brock smirked.

"You are too smart for your own good. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Once or twice." It shrugged it off as Omastar started to crawl towards it.

"Ash told me that,"

"I don't care what the twerp said!" Meowth snapped then turned around.

"Don't go just yet," Brock said. "You're the one who decided to trespass." He narrowed his eyes on to the thieving Pokémon.

"The least you can do is accept the consequences and indulge in a little small talk."

"You just want to talk?" Meowth arched its eyebrow. "Is this some sort of trick?"

"There's nothing up my sleeves," Brock calmly stated.

"Huh?" Meowth curiously titled its head. "But, your arms are in your sleeves." It started to move a little closer as its curiosity grew.

"Is this one of those human sayings that don't make any sense? Do you have to wear shirts to say it?" Brock observed its cold demeanor melt away as sparks of light dance within its sapphire eyes.

"What was that?" He looked to the window that had sunlight shining through. It must be the reflection of the sun. Its cream-colored fur is lighter because of it.

"We are getting off the subject," Brock stated calmly as he shrugged off the odd sensation that tickled the back of his neck.

"Let's talk about you and Kalos." He said as he witnessed Meowth's cold demeanor return instantly.

"I had my suspicions about you. Now I know that I was right about you being wild."

"So?" It responded arrogantly as it crossed its arms.

"So, no one orders you. You act on your own volition. What I don't understand is why a Pokémon would want to volunteer themselves for Team Rocket." Brock paused as he watched the scratch cat Pokémon lean away from him.

"I'm actually pretty familiar with Montes Jura due to the museum here. According to Ash, it sounds like they are much larger. That the mountain range is so vast that getting lost is inevitable. However, you knew your way around them quite well."

"What's your point?" Meowth snapped.

"Nothing. Just that it was noticeably obvious that you traveled through those mountains before."

"How do you want me to respond to that? Whatever I say won't make a difference. You said it yourself that you won't take my word for it. Do you want me to say, ' yes, you're right,'? What if I told you that I was never there before would you believe me? What if I said it was my pure instincts guiding me, would you buy that?" The malice in its voice didn't go unnoticed as Brock felt the wooden crate he was sitting on vibrating while crackling sounds erupted from within.

"Is this so-called small talk of yours done? Jessie and James will get suspicious of me if I keep them waiting any longer." Brock's interest spiked while the Pokémon in front of him remained bitter. It sounded sincere and tired as he studied its sullen eyes.

"Are they in town?" Forrest asked.

"They wanted to go home, but I convinced them to stay at the café with donuts." Meowth stepped closer to the window.

"I will take your word for it. Ash told me that you have been acting on your own recently."

"If the twerp told you so much about me, then continuing this small talk of yours is pointless. You already made up your mind."

"It's best not to assume." Brock calmly stated.

"But it's okay for you to assume things about me!?" It snapped uncontrollably.

"Let me guess, the twerp said I delayed his travels." Meowth then cupped its face with both paws as it titled its head.

"Boo-hoo, oh poor twerp, always being tricked by the bad Team Rocket. He had to postpone his gym battle. How awful." It mocked as it pretended to pout as it spoke in a high pitch tone while it swayed its body sideways. It then dropped its arms and its head looked down. Its playful expression was erased once it looked back up. Brock held his breath as he felt the wooden crate vibrate harder as strange sounds continued to pop. He watched its body shake, it clenched its fists so tight that they were turning red. The corners of its clenched jaw twitched as it barred some of its teeth. The rage dancing in its eyes was so toxic that Brock felt it from across the room.

"It must be swell being a human for that to be your only problem. To be able to live such easy lives, not having to work hard for anything. I'm guessing the twerp left out the part that I didn't want any of them there. I even tried ditching them in a train station! I didn't force them to do anything! It was their choice to follow. Honestly, if I were trying to trick them, don't you think that I would want to stay with them at all times?"

"They were worried about you," Forrest spoke softly.

"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" Meowth shouted. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH! It was we are good, and you are evil every single second of every day. They were never on my side! I was on my own fighting against them all, teams, and twerps alike. I didn't know where I was, and I didn't know what I was doing half of the time. I didn't know who I could trust or who was telling me the truth. Every day was a challenge with no end in sight. I GAINED NOTHING FROM IT!" It screamed venomously then paused as it quickly regained its composure.

"I forgot who I was talking to." It muttered. "It's not like any of you would care! You will never understand. You have it easy. No matter what you do, you will never have something to lose!" It yelled bitterely.

Brock quietly listened and studied the scratch cat Pokémon before him. It then adverted its eyes as if it were embarssed. It crossed its arms across its chest while taking slow deep breaths. The melancholy and pain were apparent in its sapphire eyes. The exhaustion in its features was also evident. Its posture was reduced and its eyes were half-closed.

"It sounds like you were really lost." He spoke in a hushed tone. "I won't keep you any longer." Meowth's hard features quickly softened as if a small weight was lifted off of its shoulders. It calmly looked at him as it straightened its posture while its crossed arms remained.

"I'm sorry if it felt like I was interrogating you." Meowth started to head for the window.

"You can take the front entrance." Brock suggested.

"Where's the fun in that?" Brock was taken back by its causl response.

"Fun? It really is like a child." Brock chuckled under his breath.

Meowth suddenly felt a cold tentacle wrap itself around his limb, pulling for his attention.

"Omastar, Omastar, Oma, Oma, Omastar, Star." (I can see that you are a very troubled Pokémon. I sense high energy within you much like that one Pokémon I met many moons ago.)

"What's it saying?" The mini large twerp asked as Omastar pulled out its trinket. Meowth felt his fur on the back of his neck rise as the smell of saltwater drifted into his nose.

"Omastar, Omastar, Oma, Oma, Omastar, Star, Omastar, Star, Omastar, Star, Star, Oma, Oma, Omastar, Star." (In many ways, I was once lost too. I thought I had experienced everything that life had to offer. I was fierce in battles, and I had traveled the world with many different humans and Pokémon. But like all things, life is also a cycle that keeps on moving with or without us. This is a great place to live, but it will never live up to where my true origins lie. My home was said to be a vast ocean many years ago. Now its a mountain with small streams. This relic was given to me long ago to remind me that my real home may change with time, but I will always remember how to find it. No matter how many times you watch the seasons go by, you can always restart anew. Take this old Pokémon's advice young one, if you feel lost retrace your steps. Let your instincts guide you home.)

"I'm not in the mood to translate," Meowth muttered as he jumped out the window.

Brock then turned to the popping noises that were coming from inside the crate he was sitting on. He lifted the lid to investigate. Cracked plastic bottles were floating in a pool of water. He went to look inside another crate and saw a similar result.

"Looks like I'm not leaving anytime soon." He mumbled. "Forrest, there's an empty jug in the next room. We need to salvage what we can if we want our Pokémon to have fresh water." His brother quickly left then returned with the large jug in hand.

"Thanks."

"Big brother, why didn't you say anything? It was wrong. We didn't have easy lives."

"That wouldn't have solved anything. To compare each other's struggles would only cause more pain."

"Hmm, what it said doesn't match with what Ash said."

"You noticed that too? It was troubling for both, it seems. Ash was trying to build a bridge while Meowth was trying to survive." Brock said as he placed the jug inside the crate to fill it up.

"That's odd." A strange smell started to drift out of the box while the water itself felt warmer than room temperature. One of the plastic bottles caught his eye. He picked it up to get a closer look.

"What does this look like to you?" He asked as Forrest zoomed in on the plastic bottle that was crinkled up in an odd way.

"Melted?" He unsurely replied. Brock eyed the bottle then the box.

"So much for salvaging." The big human said as Omastar watched the two by the window. It pulled out its precious relic, memories of the old days flooded back. It smiled gleefully to itself as it held its trinket close. It then placed it back where it belongs as it started to crawl towards the boy. Its human quickly reacted to its tentacles, latching onto his legs. The boy smiled as it climbed to the top of his head.

"Omastar, Omastar, Oma, Oma, Omastar, Star." (I'm looking forward to sharing my new journey with you.)

"What took you so long?" Jessie whined.

"I...got lost." Meowth bashfully giggled to itself.

"Well, you snooze you lose. We were done a while ago." Jessie complained.

"That's okay," Meowth said as its calm expression dumbfounded the two. Jessie leaned in and placed a hand over its forehead.

"You're not warm." She mumbled to herself as James looked over her shoulder.

"What to do? This was my only chance. There's got to be something to prove it to them." He watched them walk away.

"Wanna do the spa again?" James asked Jessie.

"Spa? That's it!". Meowth rushed in front of them.

"Wait, I have a better idea. Let's go to Lavender Town."

"Huh?"

"Instead of some foot bath, let's do the real thing. There's a hotel with natural hot springs in Lavender Town."

"That does sound nice, but we are low on cash right now," Jessie said.

"We can put it on a tab," Meowth suggested. "You said it yourselves you've been working endlessly due to all the physicals. Why not treat yourself to a real spa day?" The two looked at each other and paused while looking up at the clouds.

"What the heck, let's do it!" Jessie excitedly declared.

"Ashwin, I'm heading for the library," Kenji said. "Would you like to come? The Drill Sergeant did say that partners are to get to know each other better and that we should do more things together."

"I guess that would explain Jessie and James. They did seem to be really close." Ash thought.

"Sure. I'll go with you."

"Whoa, this is the library?" Ash was surprised by the number of bookshelves. There were rows upon rows of books accompanied by study areas and an empty classroom in the back.

"You've never been here before?" Ash shook his head. "It is impressive, but the one at Headquarters is much bigger. It even has wings dedicated to Madame Boss and Miyamoto."

"Who are they?"

"Madame Boss founded Team Rocket. She was the previous leader and was also Giovanni's mother. Miyamoto was a triple-A plus agent and was also Madame Boss's closest friend. Satoru said that they were like soul sisters. They were inseparable. Unfortunately, Miyamoto disappeared, and Madame Boss was never the same after that."

"What happened to her?"

"No one knows. The library has some of her most popular missions here. You can read them whenever you want. They are down this way." Kenji led the way to one of the shelves that were littered with interesting titles.

The Hive

Daring the Alpha

The Weeping Sun

A Rainbow Chariot

"These books are missions? Are missions published? Every mission?" Ash couldn't contain his questions as he took in the number of books surrounding him.

"Yeah, but not all of them are here. If you want to read everything there is about Miyamoto; you would have to go to Headquarters." Kenji leads him to a computer and sits down in front of it.

"With your ID card, you can search for more information about her missions. But it's better to know the agent's number. For example, 95 is Miyamoto's number." He typed it in, thousands of titles appeared along with their location on where to find a hard copy.

"Wow, so this is the same for all agents?"

"Yep! If you don't know the agent's number, then you can search via Pokémon. The Pokémon they have are registered under them." Kenji typed in Vulpix. A couple of different names appeared. He scrolled down a little until Miyamoto's name appeared then clicked on it. The information on this agent reappeared.

"What if I just typed in the person's name?" Ash asked.

"To avoid any headaches, I suggest you stick with the agent's number. You'll be surprised by how many Taro's there are."

"WHAAT!?" Meowth exclaimed at the closed sign on the steel gates.

"So much for that," Jessie mumbled.

"This can't be happening. Hotels don't close. Why is this happening? Milo would have told them everything. Why?" It grabbed the bars and started to shake the gate. "Why are you closed!?"

"Uh...can we go home now?" Jessie asked.

Meowth stopped as it lowered its head in defeat. "Okay." It mumbled.

"Meowth, do you ever think about going back to your old missions?" Jessie asked.

"Why this all of a sudden?"

"Petrel brought it up earlier. Now that Pikachu is captured and now that we have Ryuu on our side, you can move up too. Plus, a lot of time has passed. Before we went to Sinnoh, you were told that you were completely healed. That you can start retraining yourself." Jessie explained.

"I have no interest in going back. Besides, I like our dynamic team." Meowth said.

"We are more like a family than a team," Jessie spoke softly as a light blush appeared on her cheeks.

"You're right. Maybe we should start calling ourselves the Rocket family." James said.

"I like the sound of that. No more being called the trio." Jessie said.

"I like the sound of that too." Meowth thought happily. "My home is right here." Meowth sighed inwardly. Today was not how he planned it, but they were all together. That was good enough for him.

Entering the apartment building empty-handed was nothing new, but the feeling of failure this time felt unnecessarily more prominent.

"We're back!" "Wobba!" His friends spoke loudly as they opened the door. A typical custom of his strange family unit, but wasn't in the mood to participate this time.

"Welcome back." A masculine voice responded. Meowth froze in his place as he saw that man walk towards them.

"You guys were out late." Meowth eyed the stranger's shoes that were placed neatly on the shoe rack as he felt a cold chill crawl down his spine.

"We kind of went all over the place to get our minds off of the results," James said.

"Oh, where to?"

"It's not important. I'm going to go to the public bath. It's not a hot spring, but it will do." Jessie said.

"It kind of sounds like you guys didn't have an exciting day," Ryuu noted.

"You can say that. However, if the hotel with hot springs in Lavender Town weren't closed, it would have been a good day." Jessie said.

"Hm, Lavender Town?" He muttered as his emotionless brown eyes focused on Meowth.

"Why do I get the feeling that I should be running." Meowth nervously thought as he pushed back his instincts. The tall man that was wearing the black grunt uniform and a black trench coat over it rolled his shoulders.

"That is unfortunate, but I do have some good news. I have spoken with Giovanni and your supervisors about your current position. I was given the task to come up with a solution that will accommodate everyone, and I will be meeting Giovanni on the matter again shortly." He said as Meowth witnessed bright smiles blossoming on both of them.

"In the meantime, my only suggestion is that you take your current position seriously. You are field agents for the strongest and the most formidable Team Rocket. Be proud of that and your accomplishments. If you truly want to be elites, then my advice to you is to act like elites. Show everyone that you can offer more of your time to Team Rocket." He took another step closer.

"That means following the guidelines like any sensible agent would. Think like an elite agent, act like an elite agent. Stealing Pokémon from novice trainers is not something elite agents do. Elite agents steal worlds. We destroy enemies. We end wars before they even start. Can you see yourselves doing something like that?"

The two were in a daze as they latched onto every word. Meowth hated to admit it. In a way, he was right; for too long, they acted like high-class grunts chasing the twerp and his Pikachu around the world. Maybe it is time to let it go.

"No, no, no!" Meowth shook that thought out of its head. "He failed! He is not the perfect agent that they think he is. I will prove it! I will prove everything!"

"Well, its getting late." He spoke calmly. He bowed his head slightly as he gave Jessie a smirk that caused her cheeks to become rose in color.

"At least he's leaving now." Meowth sighed happily, but then Ryuu walked past him.

"What?" The front door is the other way. It watched him enter one of the bedrooms.

"What?"

Meowth didn't understand as it heard the door close. Is it seeing things? Jessie and James didn't seem surprised at all. Jessie grabbed her bag and left as James started to make a pot of tea. He is going to leave, right? Is this some sort of joke? Meowth wanted to voice its disapproval, but the words wouldn't come out. The back of its throat felt numb. All the questions, all the ideas wanted to come out at once. James was humming a happy tune as he poured himself some tea. He sat at the table while looking at their laptop. Meowth went outside onto their balcony for some fresh air. Meowth felt its knees buckle. It looked back inside to see James was acting like he always does.

About an hour had past when Jessie returned. She looked refreshed and sat next to James to look over his shoulder at the computer. Meowth felt his heart racing as he watched them from the balcony. It wasn't long until the two of them went to bed themselves. Meowth slowly walked back inside the dark apartment. The door to the occupied bedroom was still shut. Meowth moved closer to the door. It leaned against the door to listen in. It was mostly quiet on the other side, with only some movements of what sounded like bedsheets.

"What's happening?"

It's not making any sense, suddenly the walls in the hall felt tighter together. The floors felt like they were swaying as the hall was getting darker. His heart pounded hard as if it wanted to escape his chest. Each beat felt more laborious than the last while the air in his lungs grew heavier with each breath. This room, this apartment…it's so small in here. He has to get out of here. Meowth couldn't breathe anymore as he stumbled out of the apartment. He couldn't feel the ground he was walking on anymore; everything around him was dark. The stairwell felt even tighter as if the exit was spiraling away from him.

Meowth blinked several times to realize that he is somehow standing outside of the apartment building. Meowth collapsed to the ground as he lost feeling in his legs. He placed a paw over his fast-beating heart then swallowed the large lump in his throat. The cool breeze gently brushed against his whiskers, slowly erasing the numbness that tingled throughout his whole body. He pushed himself off the ground and started to wander the streets. He looked up at the night sky; it's a moonless night.

"Why are you always away when I need you the most?"

Author Notes:

Taro...a very popular boy's name in Japan.

In the games (maybe manga?)

I don't remember which one, but I remember learning that Petrel was considered a master of disguise and was also considered as one of the "nice guys." The main reason why I have characters like Petrel or Silver in this story is because, in the anime, Team Rocket was never disbanded. Like Silver, this Petrel is more like a counterpart to the manga and game series. Both characters were never in the main series, but if they were, hopefully, they don't come off OOC.

In the anime

From what I read, most evil teams seem to have been disbanded in the anime, but as a headcanon, I like to think that they are still around...Team Rocket needs rivals.

Mavros is Greek, and it means black. Tara is Punjabi, and it means star.