It was an absolutely terrible day. It was as if the weather itself were taking vengeance upon the sky for some kind of terrible crime she committed. The rain was heavy, and the fog was so thick it looked like thick plumes of white smoke. Every so often, a loud burst of thunder could be heard in the distance. The fog was so thick outside that it had seeped through the windows of the upper floors, making it hard for people to see indoors as well. It was a very creepy and unusual sight, indeed.
On the top floor of the foggy Lavender Town Tower sat a young brown-haired boy of about eleven years old. His blue eyes were so wet with tears that he could hardly see. Beside him knelt a slightly younger girl, about ten. She was also wiping tears from her green eyes.
"I can't believe Pikachu died," Roger said with a sigh.
"Yeah, Pikachu was one of the best Pokemon we ever had," Ruby said.
Roger wiped a small tear from his eye and spoke, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
"I remember when we caught it...in Viridian Forrest. It was so tiny and cute and yellow..."
"...and a great battler. It helped me win the Cerulean City badge. Misty didn't know what hit her!"
"...and at home, Pikachu was such a wonderful pet."
Roger wiped another tear from his eye and felt warm pressure on his shoulder.
Shadoes of two older figures, a man and woman, appeared in the fog.
"It's okay; we'll get you another one," Roger's dad said reassuringly.
"I..don't...know...if I even want another Pikachu!" Roger cried.
"Me, either! We weren't responsible enough with him. We let him die." Ruby agreed.
Ruby and Roger looked at their parents. Their mom and dad had them in a tight embrace. Tears were running down everyone's cheek.
Roger sniffed and wiped his eyes.
"Honey, why don't you go and get some fresh air before we go to see the memorial site?"
"I don't think Pikachu would have wanted you so sad."
"It was my fault that he...died, though."
"Stop blaming yourself. People die; Pokemon die; it's not your fault."
"It is our fault, though. You weren't there." Ruby volunteered.
"Ruby, go with your brother. Your dad and I will look for the guides who were supposed to lead us to the memorial stone."
***************************
"James, I can't believe you have us back in this spooky tower!" Jessie complained.
"Well, I figured if we were taking a break from chasing our usual twerps we could get a change of scenery."
"In a haunted house?" Jessie in an accusing tone.
"Tower, actually," James corrected.
"The last time we were in Lavender Town, we were almost made into ghosts! Why did I even let you talk me into this?"
"It's easier to steal pokeballs in the fog," James said.
"Indoor fog? Now, that's something you don't see every day," Jessie said.
Jessie walked a few more feet and felt a chill wash over her as the fog thickened.
"Ooh! Even without Meowth here we're making air-brained decisions!" Jessie huffed.
"I hope he's enjoying camp."
"Why did he decide to go to Pokemon camp, anyway?"
"I think he heard that Pikachu was going."
"You know, I never thought I would say this, but if we ever get transferred, I'm going to miss that little yellow rat," Jessie said.
****************************
Just then, Jessie and James were interrupted.
"What do you want?" Jessie demanded.
"Excuse me, but you are our guides. We can't see anything in this fog, and we were wondering where the tombstone of our children's beloved Pikachu is."
"Oh, of course, follow us," James volunteered cheerfully.
Jessie leaned over and whispered to James.
"Do you know where we are going?"
"I don't have a clue, but they don't know that. This is the plan, Jessie. We lead these poor Poke-fools in circles while picking off their Pokemon belts one-by-one."
"I like the way you think sometimes, James."
Jessie quickly started moving around the couple.
*********************************
Ruby's mother felt herself bump into another person while she was trying to navigate the fog.
"Oh! Clumsy me!" Jessie apologized while she carefully loosened Ruby's poke-belt.
As they continued walking, Roger's dad felt someone brush against him and knock him on his back.
"Oh! Oopsie. May I help you up?" James asked.
"Yes, but please watch where you are going next time!"
James smiled as he discretely placed the poke-belt into a bag.
"Oh, of course! Not to worry."
Once Jessie and James were finished collecting the pokebelts, they led the kids' parents to a clearing.
"And...here we...are," Jessie and James said in unison.
The fog cleared and the parents saw a tombstone in the distance.
'Oh, thank you," the parents said.
"Don't mention it,"
Just then, the parents looked around and noticed the empty void.
"Tom, I feel like something is missing."
"Where are our children?"
"Where are our guides?"
****************
Jessie was using an escape rope to leave the tower and make a clean get-a-way. James was somehow already on the ground.
James giggled as he heard the parents calling for the guides.
Jessie made it to the bottom of the tower and sighed.
"Should we go back and help them?" Jessie asked.
"No! Team Rocket are supposed to be bad guys, Jessie! We can't stop and help every poor passerby with their problems, can we? We've got what we want!"
"Right. Right."
James pressed a remote control which summoned a get-a-way van. The van stopped in front of James who effortlessly tossed the two bags into the back of the van.
Jessie and James got into the van and started driving away.
"I can't believe we got away with it this time!"
"Clean get away! Were you expecting anything less from the illustrious Team Rocket?" James said.
"Well, I mean, you know, usually we..."
"We usually what?"
"I hate to say it, but you know that we fail miserably," Jessie said.
"Jessie, please don't Jinx us."
***************
Suddenly, Team Rocket's get-a-way van came to a screeching halt.
"What's wrong?"
"A stupid Marowak's blocking the road!" Jessie said.
"Kill it." James said nonchalantly as he tossed Jessie a rocket launcher.
Jessie stood flabbergasted.
"Where did you? Are you out of your mind?"
"Hurry up, Jessie, I'm getting tired. I want to go back home."
"You really aren't acting like yourself today. You've been acting strange ever since we got to this spooky tower."
Ha! ha! ha! You have no idea how right your instincts are!
"James, did you...say something?"
"What's the matter, Jessie, where's your killer instinct?"
"I...don't kill Pokemon; it's against Team Rocket's code of conduct. I'm sure you would know that, James. You attended the same training I did! You were in my class!"
Team Rocket doesn't kill Pokemon? I guess you should have told that to the guys who slaughtered the Marowak, then?
"James, please stop doing that creepy voice!"
Scared, Jessie?
Suddenly, Jessie felt an icy chill run up her spine. This was beginning to feel like something straight out of a horror movie.
Don't turn around and look at James!
"Okay, I'm getting really tired of these game...."
Jessie turned around and immediately wished she hadn't.
"Ahhhgghh! James! James, what happened to you!"
Instead of turning to face her partner, Jessie turned to face what looked like an other-worldly mangled corpse with gray skin.
Jessie felt a mixture of fear, anger, and guilt.
"James! Speak to me!"
Just then, a spider crawled through the place were James' eyes were supposed to be.
"Boo!" The figure that looked like James shouted.
Jessie screamed and covered her eyes.
"Jessie, don't panic; it's just death."
Jessie felt a hand on her heart.
"Open your eyes."
She shuddered but forced herself to look. The sight made her feel sick. Standing before her was a transparent James, and his hand wasn't on her chest, it was IN her chest!
"Poor doll, don't want to give you a heart attack, do I?"
The figure smiled and Jessie felt pressure tighten around her chest.
While the figure spoke, Jessie noticed one of her Pokemon was out of its pokeball.
"Gorgheist..."
Without another word, the Pokemon used a special attack that caused the figure to disappear. Jessie hid behind her Pokemon.
The figure re-materialized in front of her.
"Hiding behind your Pokemon, so typical of a coward."
"What did you call me?" Jessie asked in a momentary burst of anger.
Jessie felt pressure pushing her toward a chair.
"Coward, c-o-w-a-r-d, and that word fits you to a T."
Jessie reached for another pokeball.
"Don't try to pick a fight, Jess, you'll lose, maybe more than the battle," the James doppleganger said in a dark tone.
The figure disappeared briefly.
"You're not James! What's going on?" Jessie shouted to an empty van.
The figure popped back up beside her.
"How perceptive of you! It only took your about three hours to figure this out! In that time, had I wanted to, I could have run this van off of the nearby cliff, drowned you in the frozen waters, or just let your drive yourself mad with fear."
"Gorgheist!"
Jessie spoke in stifled words as cold shivers of fear paralyzed her.
"Oh, you have every reason to be afraid, but imagine how the poor Cubone felt when it had to come back to the bloody and mangled corpse of its mother."
"What...is...this...about? Who are you?"
Jessie's inquiry was met by piercing self-righteous laughter.
"Oh, not who my dear, what?"
"Okay, what are you, then?"
Suddenly, Jessie felt the van shaking and moving. She looked out the window to see that it was several hundred feet in the air.
Just then, Mimikyu came out of its pokeball.
"Oh, you've decided to bring another ghost type to our party! I guess those are the only kinds a Rocket would be able to keep. Makes sense."
"Mimikyu!" Mimikyu shouted.
"Geist..." Jessie's Gorgheist let out a low growl. She had never seen it behave like this. It was like it was ready to maul the intruder impersonating James.
The figure let out a laugh.
"Mimikyu!"
"Gorgheist, gorg!"
"Oh, your Pokemon want to rescue you; how cute; I'm sure that's more than you would ever do for them," the figure said in a mocking tone.
The figure leaned over to Jessie and whispered menacingly.
"You know, they can't rescue you, but I will give them an "A" for effort. I tell you what, Rocket. Once I'm finished with you, I'll let your Pokemon go free."
Jessie moved to slam the figure into the ground, but her hand went right through him!
She stood up and growled.
"I don't know who or what you are, but you don't know who you're messing with. I'm a trained Team Rocket field agent."
The figure let out a menacing laugh.
"Is that a euphemism for murderer or coward? Trust me, you don't know what you're dealing with, either, but you will soon enough."
"Mimikyu, shadow ball attack!"
"Ghastly, dodge it!"
Jessie looked around with a confused look.
"You don't have any Pokemon out."
The figure laughed again.
"My dear, my dear...that's because, if you haven't figured it out already, I'm the Pokemon."
The room filled with a black haze.
"Don't blink, Jessica, dearest!"
Upon the suggestion, Jessie closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, the haze was clear and a large menacing looking Ghastly appeared.
"Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Ghastly, dodge it and use lick attack!"
"Mimikyu, dodge it!"
The words came out of Jessie's mouth just in time for her to see Mimikyu fallen to the ground with paralysis.
"Go, Gorgheist!"
"Use solar beam!"
"Ghastly, use Confusion!"
Before Jessie's Pokemon could attack, her Pokemon was hit with a blast of pink blinking light.
"Gorgheist..." Jessie started.
"Hit yourself repeatedly until you faint!" Ghastly yelled.
Jessie watched in horror as her disoriented Pokemon did just that.
Gorgheist fained and Jessie knelt on the ground to call it back.
"Got anything else?" the Pokemon challenged.
Jessie stayed knelt on the ground and didn't say a word.
"Didn't think so. Ghastly, use Curse on Jessie!"
"Wait! What? You can't..."
"I usually don't, but for a Rocket murderer such as yourself, I think I'll make an exception."
The Pokemon gave an eerie toothy grin.
"Well, I guess this is the end," Jessie said.
"Oh, don't be so down. I've heard the afterlife is a wonderful place...if you're not a murderer, that is. Any last words?"
"Yeah, go Arbok!"
"A poison type against a ghost type? Very poor choice. If you insist, then. I'm sorry I have to do this to you, poor snake. You are much more noble opponent than your master."
"Charbok...charbok, bok, charbok (I'm only fighting you because she's making me; please go easy on me, okay?)"
"As you wish."
"Arbok, poison sting!"
"Ghastly, fly, dodge it, counter with Nightshade!"
"Charbok, bok (hey! you don't have to tell us everything you are going to do!)
"Just trying to be sporting, snake."
"Arbok, leer attack!"
"Ghastly, lick attack!"
"Arbok, poison sting!"
"You know, you really should have chosen a better Pokemon. Poison types aren't that effective against ghost types, you know."
"Arbok, bok, charrrbok (you do realize that I'm the only Pokemon she has left, right?)"
"Ghastly, ghast, ghastly (yes, just predator teasing the prey, sorry if you were offended.) How unfortunate."
"Ghastly, finish it off with a Curse attack!"
"Wait!"
"Ghastly, time out."
"Yes?"
"Okay, since this is maybe the last day of my life and all, what exactly is a curse attack? You're honestly the first Pokemon I've seen use it."
The figure let out an eerie laugh.
"Ever the inquisitive one, aren't you?"
"Charbok, bok, bok (it's like a poison attack; it'll make me lose energy until I faint.)
"It's a potentially fatal attack, but I don't really think you care."
"Fatal...you mean my Pokemon could...that would be..."
"Yes, you understand the word fatal, don't you?"
"Charbok? (Why are you lying to her?)"
"Quiet!"
Jessie lowered the pokeball.
Arbok looked at it in shock.
"Bok? Chaarbok? (Jessie, what are you doing? I'm trying to save your skin here.)"
"Arbok, return."
Jessie recalled Arbok in a flicker of red light energy and fell to her knees in front of her attacker.
"You win. Just let my Pokemon go free, and you can do whatever you want with me."
Jessie sat on the floor shivering in front of the Pokemon. The tears she was crying started making a small puddle.
The figure let out another menacing evil laugh and a dark shadow engulfed her.
