From: Maria Rocket <mobius101@aol.compactpika> Subject: [PW!] A Christmas Card Date: Friday, December 17, 1999 6:28 PM >"Where >are we?" > >James gestured to the outpost. "As close to Azure Heights as we're >ever likely to get. We're just outside their detection range; be glad. >If that mew were to follow us here, he would trigger their alarms, with >more raw power than all of us put together. But even that mew would >have a tough time surviving *their* defenses." > >"Azure Heights...I've heard of it. Home of the Pokemon League's elite, >right?" > >James ran a hand through his hair. "It's said that if anyone were to >defect from Team Rocket, Azure Heights would be one of the few places on >Earth where they'd be safe. And speaking of safe...thank you again, >Mimic. That's another life we owe you." > >Mimic waved a pseudopod. "Is nothing. Mimic no keep count after two >each." > >Maria blinked. "You've saved each others' lives before?" > >"Jessie, James take Mimic on 'training' mission. Like Maria, unlike >other Rockets, no treat Mimic harshly. Most pokemon only can be >affected by one poke ball at time, so Mimic entrust active ball for >Mimic to James, keep any other Rocket from gain control." > >James regarded the poke ball. "I was actually glad when I'd heard you >escaped. When Maria told me she had you...Maria, you should know, if >Mimic said you were treating him like the others did, I might have >killed you to keep Mimic safe. No one should have to go through what he >did." > >"He means that much to you?" > >"He is a friend, Maria. Our lives may keep us apart, but we will help >each other when circumstances put us together." > >Maria looked at James, then at Mimic, then turned her gaze towards >Azure. She needed time to think about what she had learned. > >Meanwhile, with the balloon's altitude stable, Jessie kept a watchful >eye on Meowth and Slasher. The last thing they needed was a cat fight >in these close quarters. "You never did explain how you came across him," James prompted. "Oh...well, I didn't really." Maria watched James sort though a collection of bottle caps inside a shoebox. "He found me." "Hmm... So now where are you going with him?" James rolled a red bottle cap between his fingers. It had the white silhouette of an ocean liner on the top, beneath small lettering that read 'SS Anne.' "Do you ever know where you're going?" James gave the bottle cap a flip before letting it fall back into the box. "Yes. ...But I get your point." He frowned. "And I've heard rumors that you've turned to ATR." "What!?" Maria cried in shock. "That's..." Then something in her mind clicked on. Oh yes, she was an ATR. "That's...silly." "Maybe," Jessie said crisply from the other side of the balloon, "But I've heard from a very reliable source." "The Saffron City Rocket Salon is *not* what I'd call a 'very reliable source', Jess," Meowth rolled his eyes skyward. "Oh yeah?" Jessie crossed her arms. "They were pretty accurate about that 50 bucks you took to buy PokeNip!" "Hey, I told you, I'm on the wagon!" Meowth snapped. Then he jumped up to the top of the basket in one huff, and disappeared over the top of the balloon in one last leap. Slasher snickered to himself and curled up in Meowth's kitty beanbag. "Also," Jessie raised an eyebrow at Maria, "I hear Giovanni's got you under some sort of watch. He's even confiscated all your medical records just about everywhere. Sounds like he's onto you...probably just a matter of time until he has you." Maria slumped down where she sat. "No...I don't think it has anything to do with ATR." She gave Mimic a worried glance. "I think he knows." "Knows what? That you're pregnant?" Jessie blinked. "Why would he go through all that trouble over that? Children are born into Team Rocket all the time. I know." James' eyes grew wide and looked over at Maria. "Y-You're pregnant!? Since when!?" "Oh, you mean I didn't tell you, James?" Jessie sweatdropped. "Must have slipped my mind..." "Well, yeah... About six months now, I think." Jessie stared. And stared. "You've gotta be kidding." "No..." Jessie frowned and lifted Maria's trenchcoat to get a better look. "Because you certainly don't look it. Well....kinda looks like you've let yourself go a bit, but definitely not six months of pregnancy here." Maria sweatdropped, turned red, and pushed her trenchcoat down and Jessie away. "Well, I am, okay!?" "Mimic think....pregnancy not be exactly normal." "Hmm, maybe you should see a doctor," James nodded. "Mimic no mean in that way... Dit!?" Mimic suddenly found himself being tugged away by Slasher. Within seconds, the Meowth had secured him beneath his curled up form. Satisfied that his Ditto charge, which seemed to have grown larger than he remembered, was where he could keep an eye on him, Slasher settled down with his tail around his nose. He was afraid he'd almost lost another Ditto again. Mimic sighed. James shook his head at the Meowth and Ditto. "So...who's the father then?" Mimic shifted a bit beneath Slasher, trying to make himself appear smaller. "I...don't know." Maria drew her legs against herself. Jessie and James exchanged a glance that communicated on a level just beyond telepathy. James looked back with a frown, and was about to speak, when Jessie gave him a frown. She put up her hand briefly and sat back. Combing through her hair, Jessie knew that some things were best left unsaid. She momentarily rested her head in her hand. Whether he liked it or not, she was going to have to give James' hair some of that herbal gel. She didn't care if he thought it smelled like dead Gloom, it was for his own good. After all, he had eventually grown to love the Oddish hairspray she'd had to force upon him at first. Almost as if he could read her thoughts, James gave her a grimace and stood to look over the side of the balloon. Jessie looked over at Maria, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. She *really* could use a makeover. ....But they were landing soon, and the sooner they sent her on her way the better. Jessie played the brush over her hair again. James didn't seem afraid of her anymore, and he was acting strangely. Not that anything James did really mattered to her, she thought, but she didn't want to have to deal with any sudden changes in him. She glanced up briefly. James belonged to *her*. And she wanted him *her* way. She blinked momentarily and forced such feelings away. The balloon would be landing soon... *** The Meowth balloon set down in grassy field just beyond Azure Heights. Gathering up Slasher on her shoulder, and Mimic in her arms, Maria awkwardly thanked Jessie and James for the ride. She watched the Meowth balloon float away into the bright afternoon sky. Then she hugged the Ditto tighter and walked away towards the large lake in the distance. It had been years, but she still recognized it. This lake lay along the path to Indigo Plateau. To the Pokemon League. As she hiked along, her Psyduck popped out of her coat in a flash of light. He waddled quickly to keep up. "Psyduck Psy," James the Psyduck quacked. "We'll get something to eat at Pokemon Village," Maria told him. "It's not very far." "Psy?" "Meowth Meow..." Slasher whipped his tail back and forth. "Maria been to Indigo Plateau before?" Mimic's black eyes glittered up at her. "Once," Maria nodded with a sad expression. "Years ago. Slasher's worried someone will recognize me, but I doubt anyone would remember." "Meowth." "Eat Pikachu?" Mimic cringed. "Mimic hope Slasher no want to eat Ditto." "I don't think that's what he meant," Maria frowned over at Slasher. "And he'd better not eat you." "Meooow..." Slasher yowled. "Psyduck." James looked at Mimic. "Psy." "James want know when we reach Pokemon Village," Mimic stretched slightly to get a better look around. "Soon..." Maria smiled. "Psyduck." Mimic sweatdropped. "James ask....'are we there yet?'" "You'll see when we get there," Maria sighed. "Have patience O Psyduck." "Psy." Maria just shook her head and stroked Mimic on the head. "Just can't please him sometimes..." "HAH! What are you doing here!?" A not so friendly laugh came from behind the trees. Maria turned and took a few bewildered steps back as her sister emerged from them. "Hopefully something illegal I can tell the Jennys about," Maggie sneered. Maria glared. "You wouldn't dare....and what are *you* doing here? I never thought I'd ever see you out of Terracotta Town." Maggie shook a finger at Maria. "Oh, I would dare. I would. And I told you I was leaving...I'm running a little business offa the League games going on right now." "The League games are going on right now?" Maria ignored Maggie's Growlithe, Flamer, who was barking at an annoyed Slasher. "Yeah, and I need to get back there before someone like you steals my Geodude that's watching the stand for me." She pulled a crumbled envelope from her pocket and tossed it at Maria. She jumped slightly when Mimic caught the envelope in his mouth. "Umm...that's just something the Old Man wanted me to give you if I happened across ya. Now stay out of my way." Then Maggie called Flamer and ran off down the path. "Mmph." Mimic released the letter to Maria. He hopped out of her arms so she could better open and read it. Inside was a small card with a blue snowflake on the front. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Joy to the Pokeworld. It was a card from Old Man. Maria wondered why he bothered trying to be cheerful. Yet feeling a vague guilt, she tucked it away. It wasn't like he was her real father, but still... She looked up into the face of 'Maggie', who was smiling in an uncharacteristically genuine way. "Mimic! Pleease, I'd rather not see anymore of her than I have to." "Mimic be Growlithe?" And he was. "Well, that's better," Maria said, trying to calm Slasher. "Maybe..." Mimic transformed again. "This work better?" Maria picked up the Ditto. "Well, if this is the closest we can get to you right now..." Mimic blinked. "This not Mimic's form." "But.." Maria looked at the Ditto, who looked every bit as a Ditto should. "Mimic is in Doppler form." "...." Maria facefaulted, and Mimic landed on her head chuckling. "True. Could march among Doppler followers and tell them to dance ballet all night long to disco music and followers do so. Mimic wish have camera for that..." "Meow..." Mimic transformed again, with seemingly no real change to anyone but a pokemon. "Yes, is danger...transform into Doppler, could *become* Doppler. There different levels of transformation. Most Ditto transform only at physical level. Even some young Ditto no like transforming face, even at only physical level, afraid to become so much something else. Those must learn...hard for trainers. "Also can transform at deeper level, absorb print of mind, become what transform. Take something away even when transform again. Can make Ditto crazy, not like do at all. Why most Ditto never do, even think no can do. Mimic...forced many times before..." He shuddered. "Was how taught to remember what Mimic transform into. Where Mimic retain psychic ability from. Oak help, Mimic adjust, learn to keep control...but then Oak gone. Was forced to be things Mimic not like..." His voice lowered. "Mimic gain much, but also lose. Mimic no remember what Mimic first form was. Can be other Ditto, but never can be *Mimic* again. Thankful...no lose much more...think maybe more just repressed. No can be sure, Mimic still confused much. Mimic don't remember well, and some things Mimic forget on purpose. Probably what save Mimic. Doppler though..." He shook again. "Doppler not so ducky." Maria hugged Mimic. "I'm sorry. ...And you learned to talk from transforming into a human, right?" "Oak...Mimic seem to remember being Oak. Oak talk fast, Oak smart. Mimic learn fast. Mimic know some of Oak's little secrets," His face brightened a bit into a mischievious smirk. "Mimic blackmail non-nutritional poketreat sometimes then." Maria sweatdropped with a grin. "Naughty Ditto... But...then why do you talk like that?" "Mimic talk what?" "Like *that*," Maria noticed a sign for Pokemon Village as they walked along. "I've heard you talk properly before. So why don't you talk that way all the time?" The Ditto shrugged. "Is Mimic?" Then he pointed towards the large League stadium now in view. "Look!" "Wow....I forgot how big it was." Maria whistled. They were soon in front of it. She looked at Mimic and her pokemon. "Wanna take a look inside before we head off towards the village?" TBC? ~Maria R "Psy yie yie..." --- http://purplestudio.webjump.com --- "R is for Rrrah...Rrrah...Rocket!" - Meowth --- Rocketshipper Forever! --- TEOTWAWKI