Rating: PG (I'm not sure if it really even deserves a PG, but it's there mainly for the romance, which actually doesn't even happen much until the end.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. I'm just borrowing the wonderful characters to write a story with.
No, they weren't failing, they were digging a hole.
The sound of maniacal laughter drifted up from the bottom. "This is going to be our best trap ever!" Jessie announced proudly, throwing another shovelful of dirt up.
"Ummm... Jessie? We've tried these traps before," James reminded.
"Shut up!" she yelled, pointing her shovel at him threateningly. "You know what I meant! This is going to be our best HOLE ever!"
"Right, right," James said hastily, eyeing the shovel. "This one's sure to catch that Pikachu, and then we can leave those brats in the hole to rot!" The pair then engaged in another round of maniacal laughter.
"Will you two just shut up and DIG?" Meowth growled at them. For once they didn't offer any resistance, and just did what he said.
Several minutes later, James looked up, a thought coming into his head. "Jessie?" he asked, tugging her sleeve.
"What, James, what is it?" she replied impatiently, still digging.
"Don't you think we've dug it deep enough yet?"
Jessie looked up. It WAS getting awfully deep. "Alright then," she exlaimed. "Let's get out and finish it up!"
"Umm... Je... Jessie?" James asked again.
"What NOW?" she demanded, lifting her shovel, causing him to nervously back up a few steps.
"I... umm... that is to say... well... I..." Jessie swung the shovel back as if to hit him with it, then he blurted out in a rush, "I FORGOT THE ROPE!", throwing his arms over his head to defend himself.
"You... did... WHAT?" she shrieked.
*WHACK*
James fell to the ground, no doubt with a concussion. "Oh great! The genius forgot the rope!" Meowth grumbled. James bounced back to his feet with a red shovel-shaped imprint on his face.
"Well, why didn't YOU remember the rope?" he yelled.
"Because YOU were the one in charge of remembering it!" Meowth yelled back.
"Alright, alright, that's enough," Jessie said loudly to get their attention. "Since someone..." she began, glancing at James, who was shuffling his feet and looking embarrassed, "...forgot the rope, we'll have to think of some other way to get out of here." They all stared at the ground, deep in thought.
"We can't climb out... Meowth?" Jessie asked. "Maybe you could use your claws to..."
"No way, I ain't doin' dat!" he insisted. "It's... dangerous to my health," he added smugly.
"Well then, we'll just have to see how high we can throw you!" Jessie said, heading toward him.
"No! I can climb up! See?" Meowth extended his claws, gripping into the dirt as he climbed up the side of the hole. Once at the top, he turned to look down at the two humans. "I'll be back as soon as I find somethin' to get you outta there!" he exlaimed, hurrying off. And then it was quiet.
Jessie flopped down on the ground, the wall of the hole at her back. She looked at James, who was still standing and looking at the ground as if embarrassed.
"So what's wrong with you?" she asked him. "You're being too quiet."
He jumped as though he hadn't been paying any attention, then sat down across from her. "Nothing," was all he said.
"Oh, but there is," she persisted. "And you'd better tell me what it is right now before I lose my patience." She felt a bit bad for having to treat him like this, but she figured it was the only way to get through to him.
"I'm..." he began slowly. "I'm sorry about the rope, Jessie." He looked at her with such a forlorn expression that she almost lost her careful composure and smiled. But she could never do that, let James know that she thought he was cute, that is.
So she just looked at him and said, "Well, everyone makes mistakes. You more than most actually. So get over it already."
His eyes widened, then he looked down and sighed, a hurt expression coming over his face. Jessie sighed too.
"Oh James, you know I didn't mean that. It's really alright that you forgot it."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure?"
"I SAID yes, didn't I?"
"Okay."
James sat back, looking relieved. The pair sat in silence for a while. Finally James said, "I wonder how long it will take Meowth to get back here..."
Jessie shrugged. She had been wondering the same thing herself...
It must've been two hours later. It was somewhere around noon anyway, the sun was directly overhead. And Meowth hadn't come back yet.
"If you whine... ONE more time... about how you're bored, hot, OR hungry... I'll REALLY give you something to whine about!"
Jessie's face had turned red by the time she'd finished yelling all this at James, who she was standing over as he continued sit, looking up at her.
"Umm... Jessie? he began timidly. "I really have to go to the--"
*WHACK*
"Oooww... never mind."
Jessie sat back down, folding her arms and muttering. James rubbed the lump on his head and looked pained. They both sat in silence again.
"Jessie?" James looked at her to see if she'd acknowledge him, but she didn't move. "Jessie, aren't you bored?" No response. "Do you want to... talk or something? Jessie?" She finally lifted her head and pinned him with a glare. He wilted considerably.
"James... I think we should be quiet now. Why don't you just... think about something? But stop bothering me!"
"Think about something...?" he wondered aloud.
"Well, I know it's hard for you," Jessie retorted sarcastically. "But try anyway."
"It is NOT," he said indignantly, scowling at her.
"Then just do it and leave me alone!"
His face fell back into his hurt look, and Jessie shook her head. There just wasn't any way to win.
James sat back, closing his eyes and trying to think of what to think about. He was feeling a little upset over Jessie being so cruel lately, he wondered if she really was mad about the whole situation after all. He opened one eye to look at her; she had her eyes closed. He sighed. Trying to think of why she wouldn't even talk to him wasn't going to work. It was too depressing. So he just let his mind wander...
