Fanfiction
New
FanFictioner144
TRio enthusiast
- Pronouns
- him/his/their
Summary
After enjoying a whole day with his nemesis, Meowth does all he can to keep his light bulb of happiness alive.Only problem was, he had to stand against his partners for life. His fate now rests on Pikachu’s paws, and the twerps’ hands.
Notes
My most recent story for the series of "Pokémon Rewrites from Team Rocket Episodes".One of my favorite episodes from the Orange Series. The original ending closed the episode quite well, while also leaving room for Meowth’s character development.
And here, that is exactly what I explore: a what-if, had Meowth chosen to act out of his thoughts. The pivotal impact remains Pikachu-Meowth wise.
“You were just part of the package, Meowth,” Jessie joked, slightly bending her body towards him.
What a hard blow Meowth took there. And to think that Jessie and James would ask if he’s okay, when he survived a whole day with his worst enemy… what a fool he was. Even Pikachu treated him nicer than those two!
Ah, Pikachu, after all the moments spent together with that pipsqueak — moments of painful zapping, but also moments of sharing… a part of Meowth wanted to do something about it and maybe prolongue their happiness. Shame it would mean going against his partners.
Meowth had been thinking for so long, he barely realized he was lying on the ground, dangerously close to Ash and his friends.
“Yay, Pikachu! You’re back!” Ash celebrated, hugging the Pokémon.
“Pika-pii!” Pikachu returned the hug with its small paws.
“Toge-prii!” From Misty’s lap, Togepi chirped.
As Meowth listened, a mumbled sigh escaped his mouth. “O’ course, he’s got pals who care, while I don’t got any,” he mumbled to himself.
A pair of hands suddenly gripped his arms, pulling him relentlessly. Meowth’s eyes quickly landed on James’s, the one holding him with such strength.
“Pikachu is ours!” James claimed.
“Yes! Pull it, pull it!” Jessie encouraged. “Don’t drop the fish!”
“Argh, get away from my Pikachu!” Ash yelled, pulling it back — yet losing ground against James’s strength.
Right away, Tracey rushed to wrap his arms around Ash’s chest, pulling him back. “I won’t let you down!” He supported.
“Piih..!” Pikachu groaned, sparks jolting from its cheeks.
At the other end of the rope, Meowth groaned even more, his limbs being stretched to their limits. Jessie and James didn’t seem to care; they kept pulling harder and harder, without ever checking if he was alright.
But, guess what!? He wasn’t!
Yelling, Meowth exposed his claws. “Get yer dirty hands off me!” He lashed out, scratching James’s arms.
“OW!” James dropped Meowth, who then bounced on the ground.
As a result, the whole ‘tug of war’ setup was pulled towards Ash’s side, with him, Pikachu and Tracey striving for balance. A few moments went like that.
Upon recovering, Ash spoke first, “I guess that works, too.”
“What was that for, Meowth?” Jessie snapped, folding her arms.
“Do you think it’s nice hurting your friends?” James stroked his scratched arm.
Meowth gasped. “Naw! Dontcha’ see? Pikachu was boutta’..-“
As he struggled with his excuses, an immediate sensation took over Meowth’s thoughts: that device binding him to Pikachu — so tight and itchy!
In an instant, Meowth stood up, lifting the rope tied to him. “Augh, I can’t take t’is anymore! Lemme outta this binder at once, youse morons!”
“Pii?” Pikachu coaxed its head.
“Get over yourself, Meowth; our operation’s far from over!” Jessie then glared at Ash and company, her hand moving towards her pocket. “Arbok, I choose you!”
The Poké Ball in her hand popped open, from which Arbok emerged on the ground. “Chaar-bok!” It hissed.
In reaction, Ash’s hand quickly went to his pocket. “Alright! Bulbasaur, I choose you!”
“Help us too, Staryu!” Misty called, holding her Poké Ball in front of her.
Within moments, Bulbasaur and Staryu spawned in, both grunting their respective battle cries.
“Victreebel, attack!” James was the last to summon his Pokémon.
Upon materializing, Victreebel screeched and lunged at its trainer.
James dodged by sidestepping. “No, not me, Victreebel! Don’t attack your trainer!” He complained under a shaky face.
Jessie simply did a facepalm.
Relatively close to the battlefield, Meowth watched the whole scene, a paw resting below the rope of the device. Sure, his teammates were sticking to the “capture Pikachu” program, but it was just getting ridiculous already! Weren’t these two taught about when to stop?
Ugh, wrong thought. All he could do was sit back and watch his partners perform a boring glare contest with the twerps.
“This is going too far! Let Pikachu go!” Misty demanded.
“I don’t think Meowth’s liking it, either,” Tracey commented.
“Ha! As if we’d just give up willy-nilly.” Jessie clenched her fist.
“Don’t say such things about Meowth!” James stepped forward. “He knows we’d never let him down. We’re a team!”
“Nobody asked,“ Jessie scolded him, quickly returning her look at the battlefield. “Arbok, Poison Sting attack!”
“Victreebel, use Razor Leaf!” James followed up.
The two Pokémon grunted and began readying up their respective attacks.
“Bulbasaur, dodge it!” Ash commanded.
“Staryu, you too!” Misty ordered.
As the battle dragged on, Meowth looked away, his eyes landing on Pikachu. The look quickly became reciprocal, with the electric Pokémon giving him a blink and a light head tilt. There was something in that face, Meowth pondered; perhaps it also wanted to — ugh, to even think of it — share some more happy moments with him.
But, even if Meowth acted on that desire, wouldn’t he just be ditching his partners?
Holding his breath, Meowth glanced back at the battle. Right then, Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip and Staryu’s Swift blasted Arbok and Victreebel backwards. Both Pokémon quickly stood up, albeit in shaky bodies.
Misty stepped forward, glaring at Jessie and James. “Why don’t you just give up and free them at once!?” She pointed at Pikachu and Meowth.
“We’ll find a way to help them, no matter how longer it takes!” Ash stated, further narrowing his eyes at Team Rocket.
“Stop wasting your breath, twerps,” Jessie retorted. “Only we can release the pack!”
“So you might as well sit back while we grab all the snacks!” James giggled.
All that talk made Meowth go rigid and clench his fists. The crumbling operation, that itchy device, plus the whim of leaving it aside to stay with Pikachu a little longer…
“..just part of the package, Meowth.” A muffled voice from Jessie echoed through his mind.
“..just part of the package…”
In a jump, Meowth landed closer to Ash and his friends. “TIME OUT! You’s gotta take this leash off me right now!”
“Okay, but how?” Ash inquired.
“Jess has the key! She’s put it in her pocket!” Meowth pointed at her.
“Way to go, you snitch!” Jessie growled.
“Got it,” Ash said, turning to face his Pokémon. “Bulbasaur, take the key away from her using your vines!”
Nodding, Bulbasaur uttered a “Saur,” before unleashing its vines, aiming straight at her pocket.
“Victreebel, stop them! Sleep Powder on them!” James ordered, body trembling.
“Don’t let that get through, Staryu! Use Rapid Spin!” Misty commanded.
Both Pokémon began winding up their attacks. However, while Staryu started spinning in just a few seconds, Victreebel’s spores barely even emerged. As a result, Staryu quickly bumped into Victreebel, launching it backwards and towards its trainer.
James had no time to dodge; the Pokémon crashed into him, both falling to the ground. Victreebel then released its spores, which James inhaled. He then started wiggling, only to then close his eyes. “Uungh, I feel so… sleepy…..” He began snoring with a thin smile.
“NOO! James, it’s Team Rocket time! Not nap time!” Jessie called, rushing to his side. “Arbok-“
Two vines struck her pockets, resulting in a scream from her. As she fell, a key was launched upwards, quickly getting out of her reach.
Bulbasaur immediately moved its vines to hold the key, retracting those towards its trainer.
“Nice catch, Bulbasaur!” Ash praised as he grabbed the key.
“Alright, Staryu! Finish with Water Gun!” Misty commanded, pointing at the disoriented Team Rocket.
Meanwhile, Ash squatted down to Pikachu and Meowth, inserting the key into the lock and rotating it. In no time, the device clanked, releasing the two Pokémon. “Ha! There you go.”
As soon as the device released, Pikachu jumped to Ash’s shoulder, happily nudging him. “Pii kachu!”
Ash laughed. “We did it, Pikachu!” He then looked at Meowth, keeping his grin. “Hey! Thanks a bunch, Meowth!”
“Piikaa pi!” Pikachu joyfully waved at Meowth.
Gasping, he stepped back, his tail twitching wildly. “Ahahaha, youse silly pants can’t just big-ups me that-“
A blast interrupted his words. Meowth and the others looked at the sky, where Jessie, James and their Pokémon were seen flying into the horizon. “Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off agaaain!” The duo cried out as they vanished.
Meowth froze; there were his partners, blasting off without him. He placed a paw below his chin, slowly rubbing it. “Hmph, why even mind it? So much for those two meanies who never listen to me,” he complained in a low voice. “Somehow even those twerps..-“
Meowth paused to glance at Ash and his friends, all giggling among each other in a circle. Of course, they were happy that Team Rocket was defeated — not a chitchat worth listening to.
On the other hand, he saw Pikachu looking back at him, its head cocking. “Pi?” It pondered, nudging its trainer’s shoulder.
“Huh? What’s the matter, Pikachu?” Ash turned to look at it, his eyes then landing on Meowth. His friends did the same, all their eyes ending up on the scratch Pokémon.
“Meowth?! Aren’t you gonna go with them?” Misty asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Uhh, let’s just say we had an unexpected change o’ plans,” Meowth dodged the question, taking a step backwards.
The young trainers glanced at each other. “Maybe Jessie and James have been treating him badly for too long,” Tracey suggested.
“Coming from Team Rocket, I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Misty added.
As they talked, Pikachu jumped away from Ash’s shoulder. “Pipi-ka pi,” it said, pacing towards Meowth.
“Pikachu?! Are you sure?” Ash doubted.
As the others looked at it, Pikachu stood right in front of Meowth. “Pi pika… pika chu. Chu pika, pika-pii chuuuu.” It held out its paw, a soft smile cracking from its mouth.
“Ya really t’ink I could get along wit’..- Nah, things just ain’t that simple, y’know.” Meowth paused to scratch the back of his head — a hesitant beat. “Yeah, maybe I could be better off taggin’ along with youse for a while, but I-“
“Hold on, Meowth,” Misty interjected. “Aren’t you tired of Team Rocket always treating you like nothing?”
“Yeah, you don’t have to go back to them. Stay with us!” Ash invited, his mouth opening in a large grin.
“Pi-ka!” Pikachu’s smile turned into a grin, moving its paw slightly closer to Meowth.
A chill ran down his spine; the weight of such a decision abruptly rested on his shoulders. The twerps couldn’t have picked a worse moment for that — Meowth’s tail started flickering way too wildly for his liking!
Anyhow, the realization: Jessie and James had been kicking him, mocking him, ditching him for way too many times. Going back to them would bring him back to the misery. But then, where else would he..-
Ugh, was that Meowth’s only way out? Appointing himself as a member of the Twerp Troop? His fists clenched at the idea, but more so at the lack of alternatives he had.
Sighing, Meowth raised his look at Ash and his friends. “Aight, ears up, twerps! Don’t go thinkin’ I’m one o’ youse just yet. Just need a place t’land for a bit, capisce?”
The others — including Pikachu — leaned forward. “Sure, take your time,” Ash replied with a chuckle.
“How fascinating!” Tracey commented, pulling out his notebook. “Even bad Pokémon like Meowth are capable of change, much like humans!”
“I wouldn’t say changing,” Misty interjected. “More like being incredibly stubborn.”
“Guess that’s just how Meowth is,” Ash added with a smile.
“Tooge-priii!” Togepi cheered from Misty’s arms.
“Pikachu!” Pikachu also cheered, bouncing in front of Meowth.
He stepped back. “Aw, geez! Don’t get near me wit’ these jumps, ya zesty furball!”
Pikachu simply chuckled, continuing to bounce a few more times.
Standing still, Meowth crossed his arms in a prolonged sigh. Leaving aside their conflicts left itches on his body, ones which he doubted would go away anytime soon.
But, that pipsqueak?! He wouldn’t stop jumping, like he didn’t mind a thing. Of course, he was happy for putting an end to that rivalry, but it still felt kinda weird…
A sudden voice pierced his ears, “C’mon, guys! I gotta get my last badge for the league!” It came from the twerp.
The redhead one nodded, “Yeah, we really should get.....”
As they talked, their voices became muffled inside Meowth’s mind, a giant void speedily consuming it — the result of too much thinking. His expression turned fully blank, along with his body going rigid like a...
…
..-
“Hey, Meowth! You’re falling behind!” A call.
“Piika!” Another one.
Gasping, Meowth broke from his stillness, turning to face the twerps and Pikachu — all looking at him.
“Are you joining us or not?” Misty asked.
“Who, me?!” Meowth glanced around, only to then jump and scurry towards the others. “I mean, o’ course I gotta to! Don’t youse twerps try takin’ me for a fool!”
“Awesome! Let’s go, Meowth!” Ash cheered, his grin ever so large.
“Ka-chaa!” Pikachu rejoiced, waving its paw.
Meowth gave Ash a glare. “Don’t tell me what I hafta’ do! Ya ain’t my boss or somethin’!”
Pikachu made a light step towards Meowth. “Pika pi-ka pi,” It said in a gentle voice.
Meowth laughed hysterically. “Uh, what I meant is, t’anks for bein’ nice, ahahah!”
With that, Ash and his friends — now along with Meowth — resumed their walk, a hopeful smile covering the young trainers’ faces.
On the other hand, another wave of thoughts struck Meowth. To think it all started with a Team Rocket scheme, one that forced him and Pikachu to live with each other for a day… and to think he was actually enjoying that pipsqueak. He had trouble recalling the last time when he enjoyed being with Jessie and James that much.
Well, nothing to worry about, now that he could set his own path to happiness… although Meowth wanted to somehow bring along his partners or tell how much he was missing them, but they probably weren’t worried about him; they might not even have noticed his absence yet.
Shrugging it off, he kept going with the others, a slight daydream rising — of him and Pikachu doing great things together. Who knew, that wasn’t too off from reality, so he might as well go for it.
•••
Close to a tree were two figures — Jessie and James —, observing from a perched position. Once the other group went out of sight, the duo jumped down the tree, jaws dropped.
“Meowth’s going with them?! B-But, after all we’ve done for..-” James stammered.
“What, he..- HE WHAT?!?!” Jessie stomped on the ground. “Did he lose it?! Team Rocket NEVER hangs around with the enemy!”
“He couldn’t have hung up on us. He’d never!” James began shivering. “Jessie, we have to do something before we lose him!”
“Who, that mangy furball?!” Jessie folded her arms. “If he wants to run off, fine! I’m certainly not dragging him back.”
James clenched his fist. “Jessie!! We can’t just give up. It’s part of us! Meowth’s part of-“
“Enough!” Jessie cut him off. “Whenever he gets himself in hot water, we’re the ones who burn up in his place!”
“But, Jessie-“
“Think of all the bottle caps we shelled out on him,” Jessie continued. “After we saved his life, he’s done nothing in return! No, we don’t need an ungrateful kitten trailing behind us.”
Shaking his head, James raised his voice, “It’s not true, Jessie, and you know it! Meowth’s gone through every rainbow, every storm with us. Even when he turns us down, he’s family. Deep down, he knows it!”
“Are you saying we should literally just kneel down to him and beg him to come back like morons?!” Jessie shot a glare at him.
“We have to!” James stated, his arms trembling a lot. “He left because of us! Because we didn’t listen to him when he was crying at us! I-I can’t choose to lose him like that!” From his eyes, a torrent of tears came out.
Jessie froze for a moment. “James…” She then looked away from him, into the distance, before returning her gaze back at him. “Alright, delay operation ‘capture Pikachu’. We’re gonna pull the team back together.”
Raising his head, James lifted a smile on his face. “Our team will be unstoppable once again!”
“Once we save that stray, we’ll make him regret choosing the twerps over us,” Jessie joked with a chuckle.
“Just wait for his smile when he sees us again,” James added.
And so, the Team Rocket duo set up their Meowth-shaped balloon, quickly igniting the burner and lifting off the ground. With their friendship under trial, they had no right to slow down, not before finding Meowth and apologizing to him.
Within his mind, Meowth could feel that, too.
What a hard blow Meowth took there. And to think that Jessie and James would ask if he’s okay, when he survived a whole day with his worst enemy… what a fool he was. Even Pikachu treated him nicer than those two!
Ah, Pikachu, after all the moments spent together with that pipsqueak — moments of painful zapping, but also moments of sharing… a part of Meowth wanted to do something about it and maybe prolongue their happiness. Shame it would mean going against his partners.
Meowth had been thinking for so long, he barely realized he was lying on the ground, dangerously close to Ash and his friends.
“Yay, Pikachu! You’re back!” Ash celebrated, hugging the Pokémon.
“Pika-pii!” Pikachu returned the hug with its small paws.
“Toge-prii!” From Misty’s lap, Togepi chirped.
As Meowth listened, a mumbled sigh escaped his mouth. “O’ course, he’s got pals who care, while I don’t got any,” he mumbled to himself.
A pair of hands suddenly gripped his arms, pulling him relentlessly. Meowth’s eyes quickly landed on James’s, the one holding him with such strength.
“Pikachu is ours!” James claimed.
“Yes! Pull it, pull it!” Jessie encouraged. “Don’t drop the fish!”
“Argh, get away from my Pikachu!” Ash yelled, pulling it back — yet losing ground against James’s strength.
Right away, Tracey rushed to wrap his arms around Ash’s chest, pulling him back. “I won’t let you down!” He supported.
“Piih..!” Pikachu groaned, sparks jolting from its cheeks.
At the other end of the rope, Meowth groaned even more, his limbs being stretched to their limits. Jessie and James didn’t seem to care; they kept pulling harder and harder, without ever checking if he was alright.
But, guess what!? He wasn’t!
Yelling, Meowth exposed his claws. “Get yer dirty hands off me!” He lashed out, scratching James’s arms.
“OW!” James dropped Meowth, who then bounced on the ground.
As a result, the whole ‘tug of war’ setup was pulled towards Ash’s side, with him, Pikachu and Tracey striving for balance. A few moments went like that.
Upon recovering, Ash spoke first, “I guess that works, too.”
“What was that for, Meowth?” Jessie snapped, folding her arms.
“Do you think it’s nice hurting your friends?” James stroked his scratched arm.
Meowth gasped. “Naw! Dontcha’ see? Pikachu was boutta’..-“
As he struggled with his excuses, an immediate sensation took over Meowth’s thoughts: that device binding him to Pikachu — so tight and itchy!
In an instant, Meowth stood up, lifting the rope tied to him. “Augh, I can’t take t’is anymore! Lemme outta this binder at once, youse morons!”
“Pii?” Pikachu coaxed its head.
“Get over yourself, Meowth; our operation’s far from over!” Jessie then glared at Ash and company, her hand moving towards her pocket. “Arbok, I choose you!”
The Poké Ball in her hand popped open, from which Arbok emerged on the ground. “Chaar-bok!” It hissed.
In reaction, Ash’s hand quickly went to his pocket. “Alright! Bulbasaur, I choose you!”
“Help us too, Staryu!” Misty called, holding her Poké Ball in front of her.
Within moments, Bulbasaur and Staryu spawned in, both grunting their respective battle cries.
“Victreebel, attack!” James was the last to summon his Pokémon.
Upon materializing, Victreebel screeched and lunged at its trainer.
James dodged by sidestepping. “No, not me, Victreebel! Don’t attack your trainer!” He complained under a shaky face.
Jessie simply did a facepalm.
Relatively close to the battlefield, Meowth watched the whole scene, a paw resting below the rope of the device. Sure, his teammates were sticking to the “capture Pikachu” program, but it was just getting ridiculous already! Weren’t these two taught about when to stop?
Ugh, wrong thought. All he could do was sit back and watch his partners perform a boring glare contest with the twerps.
“This is going too far! Let Pikachu go!” Misty demanded.
“I don’t think Meowth’s liking it, either,” Tracey commented.
“Ha! As if we’d just give up willy-nilly.” Jessie clenched her fist.
“Don’t say such things about Meowth!” James stepped forward. “He knows we’d never let him down. We’re a team!”
“Nobody asked,“ Jessie scolded him, quickly returning her look at the battlefield. “Arbok, Poison Sting attack!”
“Victreebel, use Razor Leaf!” James followed up.
The two Pokémon grunted and began readying up their respective attacks.
“Bulbasaur, dodge it!” Ash commanded.
“Staryu, you too!” Misty ordered.
As the battle dragged on, Meowth looked away, his eyes landing on Pikachu. The look quickly became reciprocal, with the electric Pokémon giving him a blink and a light head tilt. There was something in that face, Meowth pondered; perhaps it also wanted to — ugh, to even think of it — share some more happy moments with him.
But, even if Meowth acted on that desire, wouldn’t he just be ditching his partners?
Holding his breath, Meowth glanced back at the battle. Right then, Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip and Staryu’s Swift blasted Arbok and Victreebel backwards. Both Pokémon quickly stood up, albeit in shaky bodies.
Misty stepped forward, glaring at Jessie and James. “Why don’t you just give up and free them at once!?” She pointed at Pikachu and Meowth.
“We’ll find a way to help them, no matter how longer it takes!” Ash stated, further narrowing his eyes at Team Rocket.
“Stop wasting your breath, twerps,” Jessie retorted. “Only we can release the pack!”
“So you might as well sit back while we grab all the snacks!” James giggled.
All that talk made Meowth go rigid and clench his fists. The crumbling operation, that itchy device, plus the whim of leaving it aside to stay with Pikachu a little longer…
“..just part of the package, Meowth.” A muffled voice from Jessie echoed through his mind.
“..just part of the package…”
In a jump, Meowth landed closer to Ash and his friends. “TIME OUT! You’s gotta take this leash off me right now!”
“Okay, but how?” Ash inquired.
“Jess has the key! She’s put it in her pocket!” Meowth pointed at her.
“Way to go, you snitch!” Jessie growled.
“Got it,” Ash said, turning to face his Pokémon. “Bulbasaur, take the key away from her using your vines!”
Nodding, Bulbasaur uttered a “Saur,” before unleashing its vines, aiming straight at her pocket.
“Victreebel, stop them! Sleep Powder on them!” James ordered, body trembling.
“Don’t let that get through, Staryu! Use Rapid Spin!” Misty commanded.
Both Pokémon began winding up their attacks. However, while Staryu started spinning in just a few seconds, Victreebel’s spores barely even emerged. As a result, Staryu quickly bumped into Victreebel, launching it backwards and towards its trainer.
James had no time to dodge; the Pokémon crashed into him, both falling to the ground. Victreebel then released its spores, which James inhaled. He then started wiggling, only to then close his eyes. “Uungh, I feel so… sleepy…..” He began snoring with a thin smile.
“NOO! James, it’s Team Rocket time! Not nap time!” Jessie called, rushing to his side. “Arbok-“
Two vines struck her pockets, resulting in a scream from her. As she fell, a key was launched upwards, quickly getting out of her reach.
Bulbasaur immediately moved its vines to hold the key, retracting those towards its trainer.
“Nice catch, Bulbasaur!” Ash praised as he grabbed the key.
“Alright, Staryu! Finish with Water Gun!” Misty commanded, pointing at the disoriented Team Rocket.
Meanwhile, Ash squatted down to Pikachu and Meowth, inserting the key into the lock and rotating it. In no time, the device clanked, releasing the two Pokémon. “Ha! There you go.”
As soon as the device released, Pikachu jumped to Ash’s shoulder, happily nudging him. “Pii kachu!”
Ash laughed. “We did it, Pikachu!” He then looked at Meowth, keeping his grin. “Hey! Thanks a bunch, Meowth!”
“Piikaa pi!” Pikachu joyfully waved at Meowth.
Gasping, he stepped back, his tail twitching wildly. “Ahahaha, youse silly pants can’t just big-ups me that-“
A blast interrupted his words. Meowth and the others looked at the sky, where Jessie, James and their Pokémon were seen flying into the horizon. “Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off agaaain!” The duo cried out as they vanished.
Meowth froze; there were his partners, blasting off without him. He placed a paw below his chin, slowly rubbing it. “Hmph, why even mind it? So much for those two meanies who never listen to me,” he complained in a low voice. “Somehow even those twerps..-“
Meowth paused to glance at Ash and his friends, all giggling among each other in a circle. Of course, they were happy that Team Rocket was defeated — not a chitchat worth listening to.
On the other hand, he saw Pikachu looking back at him, its head cocking. “Pi?” It pondered, nudging its trainer’s shoulder.
“Huh? What’s the matter, Pikachu?” Ash turned to look at it, his eyes then landing on Meowth. His friends did the same, all their eyes ending up on the scratch Pokémon.
“Meowth?! Aren’t you gonna go with them?” Misty asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Uhh, let’s just say we had an unexpected change o’ plans,” Meowth dodged the question, taking a step backwards.
The young trainers glanced at each other. “Maybe Jessie and James have been treating him badly for too long,” Tracey suggested.
“Coming from Team Rocket, I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Misty added.
As they talked, Pikachu jumped away from Ash’s shoulder. “Pipi-ka pi,” it said, pacing towards Meowth.
“Pikachu?! Are you sure?” Ash doubted.
As the others looked at it, Pikachu stood right in front of Meowth. “Pi pika… pika chu. Chu pika, pika-pii chuuuu.” It held out its paw, a soft smile cracking from its mouth.
“Ya really t’ink I could get along wit’..- Nah, things just ain’t that simple, y’know.” Meowth paused to scratch the back of his head — a hesitant beat. “Yeah, maybe I could be better off taggin’ along with youse for a while, but I-“
“Hold on, Meowth,” Misty interjected. “Aren’t you tired of Team Rocket always treating you like nothing?”
“Yeah, you don’t have to go back to them. Stay with us!” Ash invited, his mouth opening in a large grin.
“Pi-ka!” Pikachu’s smile turned into a grin, moving its paw slightly closer to Meowth.
A chill ran down his spine; the weight of such a decision abruptly rested on his shoulders. The twerps couldn’t have picked a worse moment for that — Meowth’s tail started flickering way too wildly for his liking!
Anyhow, the realization: Jessie and James had been kicking him, mocking him, ditching him for way too many times. Going back to them would bring him back to the misery. But then, where else would he..-
Ugh, was that Meowth’s only way out? Appointing himself as a member of the Twerp Troop? His fists clenched at the idea, but more so at the lack of alternatives he had.
Sighing, Meowth raised his look at Ash and his friends. “Aight, ears up, twerps! Don’t go thinkin’ I’m one o’ youse just yet. Just need a place t’land for a bit, capisce?”
The others — including Pikachu — leaned forward. “Sure, take your time,” Ash replied with a chuckle.
“How fascinating!” Tracey commented, pulling out his notebook. “Even bad Pokémon like Meowth are capable of change, much like humans!”
“I wouldn’t say changing,” Misty interjected. “More like being incredibly stubborn.”
“Guess that’s just how Meowth is,” Ash added with a smile.
“Tooge-priii!” Togepi cheered from Misty’s arms.
“Pikachu!” Pikachu also cheered, bouncing in front of Meowth.
He stepped back. “Aw, geez! Don’t get near me wit’ these jumps, ya zesty furball!”
Pikachu simply chuckled, continuing to bounce a few more times.
Standing still, Meowth crossed his arms in a prolonged sigh. Leaving aside their conflicts left itches on his body, ones which he doubted would go away anytime soon.
But, that pipsqueak?! He wouldn’t stop jumping, like he didn’t mind a thing. Of course, he was happy for putting an end to that rivalry, but it still felt kinda weird…
A sudden voice pierced his ears, “C’mon, guys! I gotta get my last badge for the league!” It came from the twerp.
The redhead one nodded, “Yeah, we really should get.....”
As they talked, their voices became muffled inside Meowth’s mind, a giant void speedily consuming it — the result of too much thinking. His expression turned fully blank, along with his body going rigid like a...
…
..-
“Hey, Meowth! You’re falling behind!” A call.
“Piika!” Another one.
Gasping, Meowth broke from his stillness, turning to face the twerps and Pikachu — all looking at him.
“Are you joining us or not?” Misty asked.
“Who, me?!” Meowth glanced around, only to then jump and scurry towards the others. “I mean, o’ course I gotta to! Don’t youse twerps try takin’ me for a fool!”
“Awesome! Let’s go, Meowth!” Ash cheered, his grin ever so large.
“Ka-chaa!” Pikachu rejoiced, waving its paw.
Meowth gave Ash a glare. “Don’t tell me what I hafta’ do! Ya ain’t my boss or somethin’!”
Pikachu made a light step towards Meowth. “Pika pi-ka pi,” It said in a gentle voice.
Meowth laughed hysterically. “Uh, what I meant is, t’anks for bein’ nice, ahahah!”
With that, Ash and his friends — now along with Meowth — resumed their walk, a hopeful smile covering the young trainers’ faces.
On the other hand, another wave of thoughts struck Meowth. To think it all started with a Team Rocket scheme, one that forced him and Pikachu to live with each other for a day… and to think he was actually enjoying that pipsqueak. He had trouble recalling the last time when he enjoyed being with Jessie and James that much.
Well, nothing to worry about, now that he could set his own path to happiness… although Meowth wanted to somehow bring along his partners or tell how much he was missing them, but they probably weren’t worried about him; they might not even have noticed his absence yet.
Shrugging it off, he kept going with the others, a slight daydream rising — of him and Pikachu doing great things together. Who knew, that wasn’t too off from reality, so he might as well go for it.
•••
Close to a tree were two figures — Jessie and James —, observing from a perched position. Once the other group went out of sight, the duo jumped down the tree, jaws dropped.
“Meowth’s going with them?! B-But, after all we’ve done for..-” James stammered.
“What, he..- HE WHAT?!?!” Jessie stomped on the ground. “Did he lose it?! Team Rocket NEVER hangs around with the enemy!”
“He couldn’t have hung up on us. He’d never!” James began shivering. “Jessie, we have to do something before we lose him!”
“Who, that mangy furball?!” Jessie folded her arms. “If he wants to run off, fine! I’m certainly not dragging him back.”
James clenched his fist. “Jessie!! We can’t just give up. It’s part of us! Meowth’s part of-“
“Enough!” Jessie cut him off. “Whenever he gets himself in hot water, we’re the ones who burn up in his place!”
“But, Jessie-“
“Think of all the bottle caps we shelled out on him,” Jessie continued. “After we saved his life, he’s done nothing in return! No, we don’t need an ungrateful kitten trailing behind us.”
Shaking his head, James raised his voice, “It’s not true, Jessie, and you know it! Meowth’s gone through every rainbow, every storm with us. Even when he turns us down, he’s family. Deep down, he knows it!”
“Are you saying we should literally just kneel down to him and beg him to come back like morons?!” Jessie shot a glare at him.
“We have to!” James stated, his arms trembling a lot. “He left because of us! Because we didn’t listen to him when he was crying at us! I-I can’t choose to lose him like that!” From his eyes, a torrent of tears came out.
Jessie froze for a moment. “James…” She then looked away from him, into the distance, before returning her gaze back at him. “Alright, delay operation ‘capture Pikachu’. We’re gonna pull the team back together.”
Raising his head, James lifted a smile on his face. “Our team will be unstoppable once again!”
“Once we save that stray, we’ll make him regret choosing the twerps over us,” Jessie joked with a chuckle.
“Just wait for his smile when he sees us again,” James added.
And so, the Team Rocket duo set up their Meowth-shaped balloon, quickly igniting the burner and lifting off the ground. With their friendship under trial, they had no right to slow down, not before finding Meowth and apologizing to him.
Within his mind, Meowth could feel that, too.
Final Notes
I have chosen to keep the ending open, in accordance with the anime standards. Of course Jessie and James would likely bring Meowth back to the team (I mean, that is the point of the Status Quo), but I would rather leave that up to our interpretation.Best of the days!