Inner Peace

By Mandy Owston

Meowth followed the echoing voices through the winding halls of the Society building, finally stopping at a set of huge wooden double doors. The small cat placed his ear next to the right-hand door, listening to the sounds of chanting from within. From the volume of the chanting, Meowth guessed that there had to be at least several hundred people inside, and the heavy floral smell was almost overpowering. Opening the door a crack, Meowth peered inside. Pungent fumes rushed out of the room, sending the cat reeling backwards. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Meowth stepped up to the door again, trying to get a closer look at the interior of the spacious room before him.

The large amphitheatre was filled to capacity with robed figures, chanting in bizarre harmonies as their Vileplume wreaths released a steady stream of Stun Spore fumes. At the far end of the room there was a tall podium, completely covered with garlands of vivid tropical flowers. Two flaming torches burned on either side of the podium, producing thick clouds of gray smoke that added to the room's dream-like atmosphere.

A faint bell rang once, and immediately the chanting stopped. The young man in the dark brown robe regally walked through the middle of the crowd and stood behind the podium. His mannerisms reminded Meowth of the Bounty Ceremony leader on the Island of the Great Meowth he had visited not long ago.

"Welcome, Brothers and Sisters, to our Greeting Ceremony," he proclaimed, his strong voice echoing through the chamber. "Our revered Mother has deemed that two of our newest visitors are now ready to embrace inner peace by joining our sacred Society. I, Brother Darren, will begin the Ceremony by lighting this candle."

Meowth watched as Darren produced a tall pink candle from his robes. The Ceremony leader held it aloft for a few moments before continuing. "This candle, as you know, represents the inner peace we must have within ourselves. The candle relies on nothing but the light of the Mother to burn its brightest." He carefully lit the candle from one of the burning torches and placed it into a holder on the podium.

"And now," he said, looking back at the crowds, "here are our two newest initiates!" He gestured, and two figures in pale green robes stood up on the right side of the room and slowly walked to the podium. Meowth gasped as he got a closer look at the two initiates. Even at this distance, the cat instantly recognized Jessie and James, his only two friends in the world.

Brother Darren continued, a broad smile on his face. "These two have come from a great distance to embrace the inner peace our Mother promises. As you can see, they have turned from the error of their ways and are now about to join our blessed Society!"

At this, the assembled Society members resumed their chanting from before, slightly swaying from side to side, eyes half-closed and blissful smiles on their faces.

Suddenly, one of the sisters screamed as a small yellowish cat flung itself through the massive crowd. Members scattered in panic as the cat lashed out with sharp claws at anyone who stood in his way. Utter chaos reigned in the once-peaceful amphitheatre as Society members blindly pushed to the sides of the room, desperately trying to escape the flailing claws.

Brother Darren ran from the podium and stood directly in front of Meowth, holding out his hands to stop the cat's progress. "Desist and leave this place... or you'll regret it," the Ceremony leader ordered in a menacing voice.

Meowth frowned. He didn't appreciate being threatened.

Brother Darren shrieked like a girl as the full force of Meowth's Fury Swipes struck him across the face. The Ceremony leader fled to the back of the room, eager to escape the snarling, scratching whirl of angry fur.

Biting and clawing, Meowth finally made his way to the front of the chamber where his two closest friends stood, ready to be initiated into the evil Society.

Gasping for breath, Meowth leaped in front of Jessie and James, a triumphant smile on his feline face.

"Jessie! James! I told you I'd save you!" he joyfully yelled. "Let's get outta here while they're still panicked!"

But Jessie and James gave no sign that they recognized their friend. Instead they both stared vacantly into space, the Vileplume wreaths around their necks still emitting the soothing fragrance of Stun Spore. Frustrated, Meowth leaped onto James's shoulders, lightly smacking James's face with his paws.

"Hey, Jimmy, snap out of it, will ya?"

Getting no response, Meowth then scratched his face. James never even turned his head. Finally, Meowth climbed onto the podium, blew out the candle, and began urgently speaking to the former Rockets, trying to spark recognition of some memory from their past.

"Jessie, doncha remember all those times we tried to capture that twerp's Pikachu?"

Jessie retained her vacant look. "Pi... ka... chu?" she asked dreamily, as if hearing the word for the first time.

Meowth didn't give up. "James, what about the time we was imitating the Black Arachnid, and you acted like your bottlecaps were my Pay Day attack?"

James gave no sign of comprehension.

Meowth was getting desperate. "What about that time I came back to save youse two from all them Beedrill in the forest, even though you traded me to dat Mondo kid? Or when you saved me from dat gang of street Meowths in Hollywood?"

Jessie and James stared blankly off into space.

"Ya don't even remember the time when youse two used up all your spare change to save me from dat bunch of Meowth-worshipping lunatics?"

Neither of his friends responded at all.

By this time, the panic in the hall was beginning to subside. One of the more daring brothers reached forward, grabbed Meowth by the scruff of the neck, and pulled the cat off the podium.

"Please," said the brother in a dangerously calm voice, "desist at once."

"We don't want any trouble around here," added one of the sisters in a psychotically peaceful voice.

"No trouble at all," added another.

Trouble... trouble... Something about that word was nagging at Jessie's dulled consciousness. Why did that word seem so familiar? She shook her head and concentrated, as if she was trying to remember a scene from a faded dream. There was something about "trouble". Have to be ready... have to... to...

"Pre... prepare... prepare for... trouble?" she said dazedly, her mind slowly beginning to clear.

Beside her, James also started to recall his memories from the past. He had totally forgotten about his life before the Society until the sister had said "trouble". Now, hearing Jessie begin to say the once-familiar lines, he too began to remember.

"Make... and make..." he stammered, concentrating. "Make it... d-d-d...double..."

Jessie smiled slowly as the cobwebs in her mind began to dissolve. Finally her life was coming back to her. "To protect... protect the world... from... from devastation..." she began haltingly.

James looked around the room as the lines came back to him. How long had he been here? He felt like he was in a fog, still struggling to regain his full consciousness. "To... to unite... something." He paused. "To unite all... all peoples, all peoples within... our nation!"

Reaching up to her neck, Jessie grabbed the intoxicating wreath. "To denounce... the evils of... of truth and love!" With one mighty rip, she tore the wreath and flung the poisonous flowers away from her. She deeply breathed in the fresh air as her head cleared.

James grabbed his wreath as well. "To extend... our reach... to the stars above!" He flung the flowers into the crowd.

"J-J-J-Jessie!" She paused. "I remember now! My name's Jessie!" she cried happily.

"And I'm... I'm... I'm James!" her partner joyfully cried.

Jessie hesitated for a moment, racking her brain to remember the final lines of her once-familiar motto. We used to belong to something, she thought. Some kind of organization... the stars above... we were some kind of group... a team... yes!

She smiled triumphantly, thrusting her hand high into the air as she spoke. "Team Rocket, blast off at the... the speed of light!"

James looked confused for a moment, as if still not certain of his lines, but then he also smiled and posed next to Jessie.

"Surrender now, you weirdos," he said, staring at the brothers and sisters, "or... or prepare to fight!"

Meowth struggled out of the brother's grasp. "Meowth! All right!"

Jessie and James looked at each other for a moment before they fell into each other's arms, exhausted. The Society members gasped.

"Inner peace does not require close interaction with others," proclaimed one of the brothers.

"To truly serve the Mother, we must not concern ourselves with each other, but with her approval alone," added another member, advancing toward the podium.

"Yes, only the Mother is important, and we shall do whatever she demands," continued another, moving forward.

James produced a Poke ball from his robe and hurled it into the air. "Weezing, Smokescreen attack NOW!"

"Weeeeez!" moaned the two-headed purple blob as it floated above the crowd, spewing out thick clouds of black smoke. As the smoke settled on the crowd, the poisonous gases reacted with the Stun Spore being emitted from the Society members' wreaths, producing a very powerful chemical. Society members choked as they breathed in the foul-smelling mixture. Taking full advantage of the chaos, Jessie, James, and Meowth threaded their way across the huge chamber, heading for the distant exit.

"Call the... Mother," hacked Brother Darren, covering his mouth in a futile attempt to prevent inhaling the fumes. "Elders! Use... the ceremonial... handbells..."

At his order, a group of gray-haired Society members reached into the folds of their robes and pulled out large, brass handbells, which they began clanging furiously. The cacophony was deafening. Jessie, James, and Meowth collapsed to the floor, jamming their hands over their ears and screaming in pain as the awful din pounded through their heads. Meanwhile, most of the other Society members had passed out from the strong fumes of Smokescreen and Stun Spore, and their inert forms covered the chamber floor.

Suddenly Professor "Mother" Ivy rushed into the room, dressed in a flowing purple velvet robe elaborately embroidered with white doves and pink flowers. A huge wreath of pink blossoms crowned her head. She looked exceedingly annoyed by the noise.

"What is all this commotion?" cried Ivy. At the sound of her voice, the Elders silenced their bells. Ivy paced the room, a look of barely-concealed anger clouding her face as she stared at the Society members collapsed on the floor. She spun around to stare at the Elders, who sheepishly avoided her gaze.

"Handbells clanging, my Children passed out on the floor..." She sighed deeply, looking disapprovingly at the Elders. "Everything in nature requires a delicate balance," she scolded. "Once someone upsets this balance, utter chaos can result, which is hardly acceptable in any environment. I would just like to know... who's responsible for upsetting my delicate balance of tranquil harmony?"

"Here's yer tranquil harmony, you new-age freak!" yelled Meowth, hurling a discarded Vileplume wreath at Ivy.

"Ah, a Pokemon..." said Ivy with a sinister smile. "I've got just the thing for you, disobedient kitty." From her pocket, the Professor produced a small syringe filled with a vile-looking greenish liquid. "Now this shouldn't hurt... much..."

Meowth gulped as Ivy loomed over him, an evil glint in her eyes.

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