Meowths and Humans, Part 2

We got stuck with the kittens. Just our luck, we took them Nurse Joy and she said there were no homes for them and no room in the town’s Pokemon center.

“I suppose they’ll just have to go in Pokeballs for a few days until we can…”

Meowth, of course, pitched a fit at that.

“You can’t put these babies in Pokeballs…”

“Well, they are a bit young,” admitted Joy.

Inevitably, we wound up leaving the Pokemon center carrying two kittens each and feeling like complete fools. Well, I felt like one anyway.

“It could have been worse. Nurse Joy might have figured out who we were and taken them away anyway,” said James.

“How would that have been worse?” I asked. But of course James and Meowth were already too busy cooing at the kittens to answer.

I picked up one of the ones I was carrying and said to it, “So, what do you think?”

“That’s Annie,” Meowth said.

“What’s Annie?” I asked.

“That kitten.”

“You named them?”

“Sure,” said James. “That ones Annie, the boy you’re carrying is John, and the other ones are…”

“You can tell them apart?” I interrupted.

“Can’t you?” asked James.

“Errrr…. I never tried.” I confessed.

“I couldn’t either at first,” admitted James. “But after I helped Meowth name them, it was easy.”

“You helped Meowth name them? James, we are never going to get rid of these things.”

“Don’t talk that way in front of them!” yelled Meowth.

I picked up a kitten. “Sorry, Annie,” I said sarcastically.

“That’s John.”

“Shut up, James.”

We settled down in that town for a while since the twerps seemed to be hanging around there too. Meowth got so upset at the mention of finding homes for the kittens that I stopped talking to him about it. I still didn’t know what we were going to do with them, however.

I also wasn’t sure what I was going to do about James. He hadn’t said anything to me about the night he kissed me but every now and then he would give me a significant look and wink at me. But we weren’t even left alone at night anymore; the kittens would wake up and crawl into our beds.

Finally after a few days I told them they had to stop cooing over John, Annie, Fred and… whatever the other three were called. It was time to chase the twerps again.

This time I had come up with a foolproof plan. It would probably end up like all our foolproof plans, but if I took the time to think about that I’d never get up in the morning.

The whole plan would take place in the short alley next to our rented room. We would lure the twerps in. Then a gate would slam shut at the entrance to the alley, trapping them inside. We would throw a light metal net over them, which would send an electric shock through their bodies. This would stun everyone except, of course, Pikachu. But even Pikachu would be confused enough that we’d be able to grab him and stuff him in a bag.

Naturally we owed thanks to Mondo for all these engineering feats. But as usual, he wouldn’t be joining us. He was still feeling a bit ill after testing the net on himself so many times.

The twerps passed by our rooms several times a day in this small town, so we didn’t have long to wait to carry out our plan. Meowth stayed inside with the net ready. When James spotted them walking down the street, he and I ran out into the alley. I began calling for help in a disguised voice.

The twerps came running into the alley, the gate crashed down as planned and we began to recite the motto. It all started off so perfectly.

“To protect the world from devastation!” I yelled. Then I felt a tickle on the back of my neck.

“Not now, James!” I whispered.

James continued, “To unite all peoples within our nation.”

Then he whispered, “Not now, what, Jessie?”

“Stop tickling my neck!” I yelled out loud, interrupting the motto.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to say “To renounce the evils of truth and love?” asked Ash.

“It’s denounce,” I snapped.

Finally I reached around to the back of my neck and grabbed…. a Meowth kitten.

As I watched, the other five came running out of the side door of our room.

“Where’s the net, Meowth?” I yelled.

“I can’t throw it now, it’ll hurt the kittens!” he yelled back.

“I’m going to hurt you if you don’t do something about this!” I replied.

As I shoved the kitten into James hands I heard an electric crackle and a yowl. Meowth had got himself tangled up in the net.

I ran in through the side door, shut off the power and began to untangle him. The twerps came running in after me.

“Is he O.K.?” asked Misty.

“Serves him right,” said Ash.

“What are you idiots still doing here?” I asked.

“The gate is still blocking the alley out there,” said Brock.

“Well, go out through the front door then!” I yelled. “We’re done bothering you for today.”

They all shrugged. Ash pulled a kitten out of his jacket and handed it to me. “Better take him,” he muttered.

“Her,” Meowth said from the floor, where he was making a quick recovery. “That’s Annie.”

“Annie?” asked Misty. She pulled another kitten off her hair. “What’s this one named?”

“Don’t ask, just get out of here before I teach her an attack, O.K.?” I yelled.

Finally they left.

I collapsed on the couch. “I hate you, Meowth! I hate you, James! I hate everything!” I couldn’t take it anymore.

James grinned and dangled a kitten in front of my face. “But you couldn’t hate Karl, could you?”

I started to cry in frustration. “I’d hit you but I might hurt… Karl? What kind of idiot name is that for a kitten?”

Meowth crossed his arms. “Fine, next time you name them!”

“There isn’t going to be a next time! And we’re going to get rid of these things tomorrow! Tonight! Right, James?”

“Sure, Jessie, sure,” he said. But I knew he was lying.

He began patting me on the shoulder and I reached up to hold his hand. Finally I began to see the humor in the situation.

“I don’t think I ever interrupted the motto on my own before,” I said.

“Next time I’ll tickle your neck myself, I promise,” he replied.

“We’ll have to change the motto to something more… interesting then,” I murmured.

James leaned toward me for a moment, “I’d kiss you, but Meowth and the kittens are all staring right at us.”

“You think I want you to kiss me?” I asked.

James just winked. I winked back.