Jessie stirred in her sleeping bag, opening her beautiful sapphires. "James?" she whispered, looking for her friend. "He... he left us. Meowth, why would he leave us like that?" she hung her head.
"I don't tink he left us willingly, Jess..." Meowth was anylizing something in the sticky, brown mud.
Jessie's head snapped up. "What? You think that he was taken by force?" she asked, crawling over to where Meowth sat. "...I know those are his footprints... but what about those other two pairs?"
Meowth thought for a bit. "Well, there were those two people who were stalking us, it might be them."
"Takuto and what-her-face... Jaja?" Jessie asked, eyeing the prints. "Hm... it seems pretty likely, Meowth. They do seem to have an interest in him..." she tapped her chin, thinking. "I'll go for a swim to clear my head. I'll be right back."
Meowth nodded, uncertain. After all, the same thing happened with his previous master.
His old master... She said she would only be a little while.
She never came back.
...
James nearly fell over, scared out of his wits. A muffled cry escaped his parched lips as the cloth came off. "What do you want with me? For the last time, I don't know where Kayana is!"
"Ah, but we do," Takuto grinned, pulling something out of his back pocket. "And you..." he smirked, leaning closer to his captive, "are just who we wanted to run into right now. Oh, what luck we've had!"
James gasped as he saw what Takuto held. There, dangling from a golden string, was a seashell locket all the colors of the rainbow (except instead of red, it's pink... Luchia.). "Tha- that's Kayana's locket!H-how did you get it?" he looked in horror at the necklace.
Takuto's twisted smile grew bigger, spreading across his pale face more with every word James said. "Oh, you'll see. And as for you, I have a little surprise for you!"
James eyes widened. "OOHH, IS IT CHOCOLATE??"
Takuto sweatdropped. "...What?" he shrugged. "No. I have for you... Sister Bat Jaja, third member of the Black Beauty Sisters!" he motioned over to his left... the empty air. He looked over and his eyes took on a "Oh for the love of..."sort of look. "Jaja, I don't have time for this..."
James heard a sigh from above. "Fine..." and down came a girl, doing a double somersault in the air and landing like a cat on the blue carpet (carpet? O.o).
"Why didn't you come down when I gave the signal?!" Takuto shouted.
"You can't rush true outer beauty. Now make it fast, I have a manicure in half an hour," Jaja crossed her arms, her eyes closed in attempt to look like she was the boss while Takuto fell down anime style. "Now," she smiled smugly, eyeing James with her coal orbs, "I hear you possess a special little 'talent'. A navy light, am I correct?" she asked, inching closer. "By the way... did you want something? Or are you just admiring me?"
"You wish," Jame murmured, only to get hit across the face.
"CARE TO REPEAT THAT LITTLE COMMENT??" Jaja shrieked, stomping on his toe as well.
"Owwww..." James whined, holding hischeek. "Now what is it you want of me?" he asked, scowling. This woman is just like Jessie... always hitting you, he thought, then he smiled. But not NEAR as pretty.
"Glad you asked, kid," Takuto pushed Jaja out of the way, swinging the locket in front of James' face like a clock those hipnosists use, the necklace going back and forth like a pendelum.
James' emerald eyes shifted left and right, never losing sight of the piece of jewelery. Finally, he caught on and grabbed for it.
Takuto pulled itaway in a flash, grinning cruelly. "Oh no you don't. You need to prove your stength first."
"P-prove m-my s-s-strength?" James stuttered, totally bewildered. "W-what do you m-mean?"
Jaja pushed Takuto away, inches away from James' face. "We mean," she growled menacingly, her voice low and intimidating, "that you must prove to us that you are strong enough. Little self-explanitory!" she yelled the last two words, raising her bare fist.
"...Meep. Alright, I see. But how do I do it, I don't even know why I HAVE that little light thingy..." James looked away, ignoring the fact that if he carried on not looking at her she'd probably knock him sensless.
"You don't know? Oh, you will soon see..." Jaja got back up (Um... James was sitting down so...), crossing her arms again, her black (not-so-modest; James used all his strength not to look) suit, "...Ankoku."
...
Jessie returned to their camp site, soaking wet.
"Jess? Why is your human form wet?" Meowth asked, very confuzzled indeed.
"THAT JACKASS STOLE MY LOCKET!!" Jessie was fuming now.
"WAT. How could he have done it? It would'a fell off da cliff..." Meowth glanced over to the eroding, craggy canyon.
Jessie shrugged. "That's the magic of fanfictions and anime... I dunno."
She sat down on the dewy grass, sighing. "Crap. How could I let this happen? James is kidnapped, -I wouldn't be surprised if Jessibelle took him- my locket's gone, my kingdom is gone, my race -except for Nialan- is completely wiped out, and Mizurio is probably dead..."
"Not all of dat's your fault, ya know."
Jessie shrugged again. "Most of it is, Meowth. And I feel horrible about it."
Dis girl is impossible... Meowth thought. Ah, whatever. At least she ain't hittin' me with no MALLETS right now. Then again... what if Mizurio is dead? Who knows what kinda havoc will go on now, with no Prince of the Sea defending us all? I mean, look at Kayana's kingdom! If he'd been dere...
Meowth rolled over on his side, pondering the whole situation. A million questions whirled around his head again and again, pushing Meowth to near insanity. Where was the prince? Was Jessibelle Imayimay? Or was his dear friend James the ultimate enemy? Would they be forced to kill them? Was James really Mizurio? Had they after all these years found him? Did their boss have anything to do with it? Who was Takuto anyway? And who was Jaja? Why did they just want James?
"Meowth, me meow?" (Translation: Meowth, what's wrong?) Luminia asked, suddenly appearing behind her troubled pokemon friend. (Does she want more than that? Huh, huh?)
"Uhhh... nothing, Lumie. Just feelin' guilty about the cassrole..." Meowth lied, laughing nervously.
"Me," (Translation: Liar.) Luminia smiled, curling up beside him.
"I don't want to talk about it," Meowth sighed.
Luminia nodded, and went back to sleep, purring in Meowth's black ear.
As a shadow loomed over the helpless trio.
