The order had taken Jessie, James and Meowth deep into the recesses of the Team Rocket Headquarters, towards the widespread basement laboratory that was built there. It was the first time they recalled visiting one, considering most of their previous work had been outside, and above ground where one could absorb the sights and sounds of the rest of the world. Within this realm though, things were an entirely different story.
“This place gives me the creeps,” James murmured unenthusiastically as he listened to the echoes of his boots scatter about the bare walls.
“You’re not da only one, Jim” Meowth agreed. “Haven’t dese guys ever hoid of electric lighting?”
“Or air conditioning?”
“Stop your whining, you two!” Jessie muttered irritably. It was clear the stifling heat was affecting her also. “We have a job to do and we’re going to do it and get out as quickly as possible, alright?”
“Right Jess” James replied solemnly, while Meowth just shrugged in his typical flexible way.
“Whatever ya say, you’re da boss”
As the trio stood in the doorway, not sure of what to do with themselves, a middle-aged, stunted figure moved toward them. His feet hardly seemed to leave the ground so it was as if the man was slithering his way across the tiles.
“Ahhh, there you arrre…” the scientist drawled, a nasty smile curling up the corners of his mouth. “You’re late.”
“We’re s..sorry Mr. Nyoka sir…we’re really really…YOW!” James yelped as Jessie cuffed him across the face with her right hand, and fell silent.
“Don’t be such a suck-up! You’re making me look bad!”
“As if ya didn’t look bad enough already..” Meowth remarked, only to get a thump in the back of the head from the woman’s other hand. Nyoka stood there and raised an eyebrow at this physical confrontation.
“Latenesss is a sign of disssorganisation. But of course, the Boss would not have sssent me subjects with potential in other fieldsss. The ressearch team awaits usss.”
With a slimy chuckle Nyoka retreated into the laboratory. Jessie clenched her fists and glared at the back of him as he left.
“Who exactly does snake boy think he’s talking to? How dare he be so-”
“Jessie, calm down! We’ve got a job to do, you said it yourself.” James recited.
“Why I’d like to plant one right in the middle of that smarmy ugly little face of his.” Jessie growled, before pausing and heaving a slight sigh.
“Still, the opportunity of being part of a revolution is not one to be missed. Come on, let’s get this over with.”
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
“So…err…what’s dis ting do again?”
The anxiousness in Meowth’s voice was all too apparent as he gazed up in alarm at the unusual machine that towered above his and his human partners heads. Junior Assistants swarmed here and there, configuring the equipment and strapping bright yellow bands to their subjects’ arms while they sat in what looked like three dentist’s chairs under a distended white sphere that glowed and pulsated with an unknown energy.
“The Genetary Manipulator is designed to remove the precise information from your DNA and create an entirely separate life form,” a smart looking man with a clipboard informed them. “You should be very honoured to be a part of the pilot Project Rebirth.”
“Project what?” Jessie exclaimed, as the device behind her began its steady windup process.
“Project Rebirth” the man replied simply. “It is a journey to discover the very limits of genetic modification within Pokémon and human life forms. Our first task is to establish that the equipment functions correctly”
“You mean you don’t know whether this metal monstrosity even works yet?” James cried out in alarm.
“No, that will be your purpose in this project.”
“Oh great, Meowth gets ta be da crash test dummy fer some nutballs in white suits” the feline Pokémon muttered unenthusiastically. “Suddenly dis all seems like one big mistake.”
“I wanna go back to bed!” James wailed. Jessie shot him an angry scowl.
“No James! This is an excellent chance to prove our allegiance to Team Rocket. Once the Boss hears of our bravery we’ll be back on his good side for sure, maybe even for a promotion!”
“Dat’s if we ain’t blown inta thousand pieces by dis hunk a junk…” Meowth added mournfully.
“Ready for DNA extraction process!” a technician called from behind one of the screens. Nyoka flashed his nasty grin once more and backed away from the Intermediate trio.
“This won’t take long…”
“Eep” James paled as all around an ominous shield of energy began to form, encasing him and his companions inside a violet bubble. The humming of the Genetary Manipulator began to rise; Meowth looked about in anticipation, and as he did so something caught his eye.
Someone, in fact. Upon the laboratory mezzanine there stood a tall, slight female figure dressed in a lab coat. Her narrow face was framed with two strands of olive green hair, her watery violet tinted eyes boring into Meowth’s own; narrowed into an expression that seemed to convey a sense of anxious wistfulness.
His heart skipped a beat. It was a familiar feeling, but something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Deep in the back of his mind a comforting warmth had surfaced, causing Meowth to expel a breath of contentment. The watching figure seemed familiar, in a way he couldn’t quite grasp.
“5…”
The trio clasped hands defensively under the glow of the shield. This could all be the end of them should the experiment they were about to be subjected to fail disastrously.
“4…”
The woman continued to watch sadly as a mechanical voice from the computer droned out a countdown. It looked as if she was mouthing something to herself. Meowth squinted and tried to make out the woman’s words from a distance, but the intense luminescent glow was making this task very difficult.
“3…”
“Let’s hope we come out of this alive,” Jessie murmured with repressed fear, as James stared directly ahead of him and gibbered incomprehensibly.
“2…”
“Please…be…oh…kay?” Meowth relayed softly. His eyes grew wide as the woman lifted a hand to wipe the wetness from her face.
“She…she cares about me?”
“1…”
“She cares about me…
…me… …”