Chapter 11 – the final chapter

„We need to stop the ghostly Pokémon," Ash grasped for the Pokéballs haning on his belt. He considered which moves would weaken the phantasmal creatures. „If only Haunter were still my companion," the young trainer whispered. It was almost impossible to beat the horde of ghosts, no attack was effective enough to incapacitate the imminent danger. Suddenly, the children spotted men and women cleaving out of their barricaded houses, ready to join them and fight against Emanuel's harmful army.

An elderly woman called Abra out of her Pokéball, for she knew that psychic moves had an actual impact on spectral Pokémon. A man emulated her deeds and released Drowzee out of his spherule. Ash was certain that he could count on the citizens, and observed how more and more residents armed fort he forthcoming combat.

Miyamoto sent for Jessie. Her daughter and James were ready to execute her order. Jessie's mother rummaged around and fished a small tape out of her bag. „Listen, Jessica, make sure that neither Emanuel nor his grunts come in possession of this cassette.
It's important that you keep it safe," she presented Jessie with the tape.
„Now, run into the forest!" Miyamoto commanded, but Jessie hesitated.

„What about you?" she asked her.

„Don't worry about me! Protect the world from devastation!"

The trio nodded, took to their heels and began to run as fast as their legs would carry them. Emanuel had already gotten wind of Miyamoto's intentions. He called for Carla and Trevor.

„Follow them into the woods! I want that tape, whatever the cost! Don't spare anyone!" he bid. His obsequious servants obeyed him without question and followed the trail. Carla loaded the pistols. „Ehm, Carla? What are you up to?" Trevor asked, slightly irritated by his team-mates' plan. „You heard him! Aren't you sick of being called a loser? Let's show our leader how menacing we really are," she pressed her head back into the nape of her neck and laughed hysterically.

The residents took great pains to defend Vermilion City and were successful in the fight against the countless Gengars, Haunters and Gastlys. They were able to rout the ghots after a nearly forlorn battle. Ash and his friends tried to support them, helping the people who received an injury. Nurse Joy was working at full speed, bandaging the scratches and bruises. About an hour later, the citizens and the twerps being completely drained, emaciated and at the end of their thether, they had put the phantasmal creatures to flight. The city was able to breath again. People cheered and jubilated, shook their hands and pat each other on the back. For a short period of time, calm returned to Vermilion City. The mayor scrambled from under the table and dared to take a glimpse at his partly destroyed town. Some of the shops and cafés had been reduced to ashes by the invaders, but all in all his inhabitants had escaped with no more than a fright. Misty grabbed Ash's arm.

„It's over, Ash! Come'on, let's go and leave this city! I don't want to stay here any longer," she begged him, but the aspiring Pokémon-master hit her hand away.
„No chance! I'm not leaving without Pikachu! We need to follow Team Rocket and shatter the golden Pokéball!"

The trio confronted Carla and her team-member Trevor. Both were armed to the teeth, but Team Rocket remained defiant. James called Weezing out of his Pokéball, Jessie followed suit and asked Arbok to carry out her orders. Their Pokémon weren't so well-trained like Team Crag's companions, but Jessie and James wouldn't draw in their horns so easily. They were used to defeats, but today they had an ace up their sleeves. „Before we forget... Pikachu! It's your turn," Jessie yelled, sending the electric mouse into battle.

Carla owned a Hypno as was supported by Trevor's Gastly. Their Pokémon vanquished Arbok and Weezing at a single blow. Team Rocket didn't even have the chance to think about moves and effective attack strategies. „That was fast," James wanted to backpedal, but they had promised their criminal organisation to fight to the bitter end. Meanwhile, Ash and his friends caught up on their long-standing rivals and waited for the suitable opportunity to regain Pikachu.

Gastly used Shadow Ball and wrapped Team Rocket into a thick dark cloud. Jessie, James and Meowth puffed and blew, the fog causing their eyes to burn like fire. James stumbled backwards, completely disoriented and cracked the golden Pokéball. He looked down at the mess, hoping that Jessie didn't notice his fauxpas, but the magenta-haired woman was already scuttling on the floor, trying to recollect the individual parts. „Look what you've done!" she took a piece of the golden spherule and threw it at James.

„The only time we were in possession of that yellow rat, the only chance we had to welcome Pikachu to our team, and you screw it up! Like always!" she was hopping mad, glaring at James for a second, before she grabbed him by the collar, shaking him vehemently.

Ash seized the opportunity and threw his Pokéball at Pikachu who made no move to get caught a second time by his best friend. They were finally reunited. The young trainer called his little companion out of the spherule and they ended up in a tight embrace. „Pikachu! I'm so sorry for what happened to you. I promise to never leave you again, you enjoy my fullest confidence! We're an unbeatable team, no one can tear us apart," Ash was over the moon, but the battle wasn't over yet.

Meanwhile, Giovanni was still fighting against Emanuel. His Alakazam was more powerful than he had expected. The psychic Pokémon was policing Giovanni's Persian who was unable to perform any move. Persian dangled in the air, transfixed with pain as the Confusion shot through his body. There was only one solution to this situation, Miyamoto had to play Mew's cry in order to decoy the legendary Pokémon and requesting assistance.

„Miyamoto! Help me," Giovanni yelled, observing how his Persian was knockabout. He crashed into a tree, collapsing at the foot of it. The boss of Team Rocket saw no alternative. „Play the cry!" he ordered, but Miyamoto strove against his instruction.

„No, Giovanni! You're not one whit better than Emanuel!" Jessie's mother exclaimed, turning the cassette between her fingers.

Giovanni ran towards his former agent and snatched the tape. „This is our last chance," he was out of breath, his hand was shaking out of excitement as he put the cassette into the tape deck. Shortly after pressing the playback mode, a high-pitched sound filled the air. Ash and his friends had to shut out the jarring and discordant cry from their ears. It was deafening, just as Miyamoto had told. Giovanni and Emanuel raised their eyes to the sky, waiting for the rose creature to appear in the dark clouds. They heard the rumbling of the approaching thunderstorm. „Seems that Mew has left you in the lurch," Emanuel said, a smirk on his lips.

Carla grabbed at the Hardballer, aimed for Jessie with the highest precisions and fired off a shot. „Jessie, watch out!" James got in her way and pushed his friend aside. The first shot hit him and he fell, slumped down and remained motionless on the floor. His Pokéballs rolled off his belt and Gulpin released himself, waddling towards the battlefield. James squalled in pain, his hand touching the open wound on his chest. „James! No!" Jessie bobbed up, crawling over to her partner. Misty was frightened by the grief-stricken face of the Team Rocket-member. „Oh my God, James...", her hand wandered up to her mouth, she was frozen in shock. Jessie diloricated her skirt, took a piece of fabric and tried to stop the heavy bleeding by pressing on the wound.

„Why did you do that?" she asked James, tears starting to flow out of her eyes.

She hugged him to herself. James gasped for breath. Meowth stepped up to his team-mates, worrying about James' well-being. „The wound is bleeding briskly, we need help, Meowth!" Jessie shouted without losing sight of her friend. James was delirious, he rolled his eyes, threatening to black out very soon.
„Stay with me, James, it's so hard to survive without you," Jessie supported his head. He began to murmur unintellegible stuff.

„Jessie," he whispered, the pain in his chest increasing by the minute. He reached for her hand. „Jessie, please, will you marry me?" he cawed.

His partner was taken by surprise. She couldn't take this question seriously. Jessie wiped off her tears. „You're talking nonsense, James," she attempted to smile. „You're just confused," Jessie chuckled, trying to get a grip on herself, the tears still running down her face. „Don't worry, help is near! They're going to dress that wound and you'll be fine," she caressed his cheek, but James stuck to his guns.

„Please, Jessie, give me one reason to fight...Argh," he writhed in pain, „there weren't many bright spots in my life. I ran away as a child, I got abused by a nutty battleaxe, let's be honest, my life had really gone to the dogs," he took a deep breath, the ache almost unbearable, „but then I met you," he sretched out his hand and carressed Jessie's cheek.

In just seconds, everything before his eyes went blank and he passed out. „James!" Jessie could hear the sirens from a distance. She tried to shake her partner up, but James didn't move. She felt his pulse, it was weak. The trained nurses jumped out of the car and laid James on a stretcher. Jessie and Meowth were only able to stand idly by and watch them driving their team-mate to the nearby clinic.

Jessie turned around, boling with rage. Carla could see the fury in her eyes as she called Arbok to aid her in battle. „You will count the cost, you horrid..." she launched the ball direction helicopter, releasing the cobra out of his spherule. The giant snake coiled, ready to obey his trainer's orders. „Arbok! Use Poison Sting, run her down!" Jessie entrusted her Pokémon to follow her commands. Arbok darted at the young woman, hitting her with the end of his long tail. Carla fell from her seat, flinching uncontrolledly.
Trevor came to her assistance, but the sting caused her to resign.

No one noticed a small floating creature cleaving its way through the thicket of the forest. „Mew?" its squeaky voice didn't attract attention. Team Rocket, Ash and his friends and Miyamoto were too busy fighting untiringly against Emanuel and his crew that they didn't understand the major consequences that recording caused. Mew flew over their heads, observing the happening at close range. It wasn't amused looking at the bloody battleground, the countless injured people and the wickedness of men. It thought back to the First Pokémon War where so many innocent Pokémon had lost their lives and it seemed to Mew that mankind had learned nothing from the terrifying disaster bare hands effected. Mew lost its temper, it wanted to put an end to this fruitless combat for life and death. The so thought ancestor of Pokémon created a giant pink bubble and loosed it off direction fighting event. It was like a bolt from the blue.
An earsplitting bang compelled the grunts to touch down. Misty went down on her knees, covering her face and hiding behind Ash. Brock strived to locate the source of this tremendous force. Surprised by the sudden push, Giovanni dropped the tape deck and the cassette fell out. A pressure wave swept them away. The battle grinded to a halt. It was as quiet as a mouse. Silence held sway over the arena of terror. No one dared to move, no one dared to breath. They were blinded by a harsh light, unable to recognize the trigger for this colossal interference. Suddenly, they could hear a faint and squeaky voice talking to the indefatigable combatants.

„This war has to be stopped immediately," the voice said. „That's Mew, I'm sure," Giovanni whispered, considering whether he should try to catch that legendary Pokémon, but his arms were heavy, he felt lethargic as if he had gone into a trance.

„Look around, look what you've done to your Pokémon, your loyal friends who are ready to give their lives for you. This world is ruled by ingratitude and greed. Mankind is shrewd, selfishly pursuing their own aims, literally walking over dead bodies to achieve power. It's time that someone judges over good and bad, over foolishness and egoism. You fight each other for no particular reason. You fight for a recording that would allegedly enable you to catch me, but you're wrong. I'm just a shell, inviolable, inscrutable and insuperable. I won't manifest in front of human beings, not worth to share in my invincible power. No man-made object will allow you to keep me in captivity! My existence is volatile, unreachable for you. I am now putting an end to this horror," Mew said.

Gulpin, whose unique stomach acid allowed it to digest almost everything, shambled towards the tape and swallowed the tiny artifact, before anyone was able to intervene and keep it from doing so. Mew wrapped itself in a massive cloud so that neither the grunts, Giovanni and Miyamoto nor the twerps were able to catch a glimpse of the legendary Pokémon. A thunderbolt struck only a few metres away and it started to rain heavily, just before Mew vanished into thin air. As soon as they were able to move again, Giovanni jumped up, grasping for Gulpin. He shook the green Pokémon up and down, juddering the creature agitatedly, but the cassette was already digested by now. There was no chance that Gulpin would return the tape. „No, no," the boss of Team Rocket banged his fists on the wet grass.

„I can't believe it just ate my precious artifact," he sobbed, hanging his head in desperation. Miyamoto bobbed up, crept over to her supervisor and pat him on the back. „It's okay, Giovanni. It didn't bring you any luck. The war is over, there is no reason to continue this destructive battle. Our Pokémon are completely exhausted. Reach an agreement with Emanuel," she suggested, but Giovanni was expressionless as she spoke.

Right then, Alakazam's Hyper Beam hit them both. They fell on the floor. Emanuel was floating on his platform right over their heads.
„I will never give up, Giovanni! Revenge is sweet. Even though, we're not scrambling for the cassette anymore, I still have a bone to pick with you," he laughed malevolently, but Giovanni was faster and ordered his Persian to use Fury Swipes and scratch Emanuel's face. The leader of Team Crag fought tooth and nail against the powerful move until he stumbled upon his own feet and swooped down to a depth of more than hundred meters.
A last cry was heard before the gorge swallowed Giovanni's evil nemesis.

„We're safe," Miyamoto whispered, this event taking a load off her mind. She joined the children, helping them to wipe off the dirt and adjusting Ash's cap. Everyone rejoiced, the clash between two hostile organisations had eventually come to an end and none of them would ever disturb Mew's eternal rest again.

Jessie was sitting on a rock, hiding her face in her hands. How could she possibly be pleased with the outcome? James was badly hurt and it wasn't certain that he would survive this serious attack. Miyamoto walked up to her, stroking her back. She could hear her daughter sob. „Everything's going to be fine," she attempted to calm Jessie down. „Are you sure?" Jessie snivelled, ashamed of crying in public, but finally able to open up towards her mother. „James is a strong man, even if you don't believe it. He won't leave you alone, he's a born fighter and he loves you," Miyamoto assured. Jessie nodded in agreement. „I don't want him to leave, mom," it was the first time she would call Miyamoto ‚mom' and it felt strange at first. „We promised to support and care for each other, until all eternity!"

Jessie was sitting next to the hospital bed. She observed James' cardiac frequency on the monitor. The slight continuous beep was the only audible sound in the room. James was still unconscious, lying motionless on the disused mattress of the nearby clinic. His partner was worried, she didn't know if he would ever regain his conciousness. He had been gravely injured. The wound was incessantly bleeding, it wasn't the first time Nurse Joy changed the dressing today. She noticed Jessie's sorrow and concern. „Don't worry, he will soon be up and about again," Joy slapped on a smile, but failed at cheering the Team Rocket-agent up. The magenta-haired woman kept a straight face, her fingers reaching for James' hand. He was ashen, a scar covering his right cheek. James had been willing to risk his life in order to save her. Never had Jessie expected him to be so strong and courageous. He always appeared to be rather fearful and coward, but he had convinced her of the contrary. A single tear ran down her face, she wiped it off, making sure that no one was keeping tabs on her. Shortly before passing out, he had asked her the question of questions and she didn't even have the opportunity to answer. Jessie squeezed his hand, caressing each of his fingers. She took a deep breath, a sob escaping her mouth. Would he ever recover from this onslaught?

Suddenly, she could feel a gentle squeeze in return. James' fingers twitched. He tried to open his eyes, winked and strained them immediately, the harsh light blinding him. Jessie leaped from her seat. „James! Can you hear me?" she asked him. Her hand wandered up to his face, pushing a strand of his hair behind his ear. James swallowed hard as a stabbing pain shot through his body. He attempted to sit up, but the ache forced him to lie still and avoid any quick movement. „Shhh, shh," Jessie calmed her friend, „everything's fine," she whispered. James looked around. He recalled yesterday's events. The tireless fight, his boss and fellow operatives on the brink of collapse and his body as target of two lunatic and submissive marionettes in a highly grotesque spectacle of folly. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Those weren't tears of desperation, but of joy. James had survived and the sight that was offered to him right now made him blissfully happy. He could see her porcelain face, the sapphire-blue eyes, her coquettish smile. Even tear-stained, covered with soot and cinder, Jessie looked breathtakingly pretty. She seemed a little bit distraught and intimidated, but telling from memories of the past she would soon turn back to her old and confident self. Setbacks and defeats couldn't harm her. She was a tumblr and he wanted to follow suit.

„Jessie," his voice was weak and hardly more than a cawing, „I'm glad you're alive and well, apart from the exertions of the last couple of days". He spotted the countless long and flexible tubes that were connected to bags filled with different liquids. The content dripped consistently down into a fixture that regulated the necessary dose. Jessie grasped his hands, kissing the tips of his fingers. „I was really concerned!" she confessed with an almost reproachful undertone, „after all, you collected a bullet. You could be dead by now, you silly simpleton!". „So, you do care about me?" he teased her, knowing that she would be too proud to admit her preoccupation. „You already cared about me at Maiden's Peak," he joked, doubling over in pain as blood gushed from the wound. „Don't upset yourself!" she comforted.

There was a moment of silence. James breathed heavily, the pang in his chest slowly declining. He turned around to his partner. She smiled to herself, lost in thought.
„What's up?" he wanted to know. Jessie looked at James and plucked up the courage to give him an appropriate answer. „James?" she gave him a faint smile. „Hmm?" he returned the gesture and moved closer in order to stroke her arm.
„Yes," she said.
„Yes to what?" he was slightly confused and not able to perceive what was going on. The medication made him tired and absent-minded.
„Yes! I do want to marry you! I mean, if you're ready to commit yourself to this relationship," she had finally dared to enunciate it. This had required a major effort, but Jessie was sure that it was the right decision. James had stood up for her. Not only yesterday, but many times before. She could definitely count on him, no matter how dangerous and inescapable the situation appeared. He would never hurt her on purpose, he would never leave her in the lurch to save his own life. He was sincere, honest and loyal. A faithful soul and congenial. Jessie placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

„Are you sure?" he asked her. Even though his right arm was sprained and bandaged, he reached for her cheek and caressed it softly. „I'm not a man of the world, I'm just an ordinary person, without money, without riches who roams all the time. I can't offer you a life in luxury but the same old daily routines with Team Rocket and a talkative cat-Pokémon," he replied.
„That's all I ever wanted," Jessie laughed and bent over to kiss his lips. „You know, I already said it, but there's always going to be next time. We may not make a lot of money and yes, we're probably as poor as a church mouse, but we've got our freedom and that's what really matters. Double trouble time?" this was a clear reference to his offer back in their hot-air balloon after James had run away from his parents and his dogmatic fiancée. Her lavender-haired friend chuckled. „Sounds great to me, Jessica," he sat up without worrying about his gunshot wound. James wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. They ended up in a passionate and sensual kiss, without waisting a thought that the nurses and other patients were probably observing them.

The war was over, Team Rocket had defended their reputation and two of their agents had finally dared to confess their feelings that had merely been a matter of time. Ash and Pikachu were reunited, ready to resume their journey and challenge Lt. Surge to battle. Jessie was willing to forgive her mother and venturing a new beginning. Ther were still a myriad of unanswered questions and Jessie had the urge to learn more about her father. Giovanni was left empty-handed and would tear his hair for not having saved the cassette with Mew's cry, but he would eventually turn back to his desk and make plans to hold sway over the world. Meowth and his female counterpart would spend the rest of his sojourn together and Miyamoto would have plenty of time to coddle her fosterlings. There were gains and losses, life and death, joy and disappointment, but in the end, everybody learned something new and valuable for the future. Friends and family are irreplaceable, love and truth is indispensable.

THE END

I hope you enjoyed my fanfiction "Until all eternity". If you'd like to read an epilogue, leave a review. Thanks for your support and encouraging words. It's always a pleasure to entertain my friends and followers. See you soon.