Disclaimer - I stole some parts from the fic's inspiration - The Horse Whisperer

~~The Equicorn Whisperer~~ How it Began

                                When James awoke he remembered nothing. He didn't know whether he dreamt or not, or why he had been asleep. The room he was in was white and clinical with a few plants and cards dotted around to make it seem more homely. He was obviously in some sort of hospital. His first thoughts were of Jesse and Meowth. In that order. He sat upright, too quickly, and felt a searing pain through his right thigh. He winced and fell back onto the pillow. It was then that he became aware that he was not alone here. Glancing to the side, there was a man with dark blue hair gazing out of the window. James blinked. "Father?" James was amazed to see his mother too. She was sat on a rickety chair next to him. "James, dear!" His mother looked relieved and she took his hand in hers. "Doctor Procter said you were very lucky." Her Southern drawl was comforting to James and he remembered the last time she had been so affectionate. It was three days before he ran away. Jessebelle had been chasing him around the gardens and whilst trying to lose her, he skidded in some mud and hit his head on a water feature. His mother's first concern had been for the water feature! But when she'd seen how large the bruise on his head was, she'd softened and cradled him until he stopped crying. James had missed her and he couldn't stop himself from nuzzling against her arm and weeping silently. His father stayed by the window. "James, this job of yours is too dangerous. You are our only heir (granted: you are not a brilliant heir [!]). Plus you are our son. We would prefer you to be alive rather than dead." Mr Morgan wore a stern expression and James knew that he would not be shifted. But James was a grown man now. "You can't stop me! I'm going to keep working at Team Rocket." Mrs Morgan looked from her determined son, to her forceful husband. He nodded to her and walked out of the room. She held James' hand and said, "You have no other choice, darlin'." James blood ran cold; she truly meant it. Surely he had a choice? She then left as well. He watched her leave with curiosity and he sat up so he could see her walk down the corridor. The same pain ran up through the thigh and hip. He rubbed his sore leg. And then he knew. He didn't have a choice. He didn't have a job. He didn't have any money. Because he didn't have a leg.

                Doctor Procter had insisted that Meowth was not allowed in the hospital. He called him a 'scruffy, germ-ridden, common thief with no breeding'. Jesse had gone to see James now and again, but she felt uncomfortable around his parents. They seemed to blame her for the accident. But then, so did she. The doctor was the one who had brought them the good news that James was awake now and asking for both of them. Meowth could tell he disliked letting him into the hospital and he sauntered past the doctor with a cheeky, "Seeya!" Dr Procter grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. "You can only go in if you're off the ground." So poor Jesse carried Meowth up three flights of stairs (the lift / elevator wasn't working). But it was worth it. James was sat in bed, munching on the chocolates they'd bought for him five days ago. He offered the box to them. Jesse declined, but Meowth hopped onto the bed and ate as many of the caramels as he could find. "How're you feeling?" Jesse mumbled, unsure as to whether she should mention his leg, or lack thereof. "Ok." He slapped Meowth's paw away from his favourite chocolate. "But my leg really itches." An awkward silence passed then he added, "How long was I out?" Jesse explained that he'd slipped in and out of a coma for three weeks. At his request she handed over his report from the end of the bed. He didn't understand what the doctors had written. They have very bad handwriting. There was a knock at the door and a burly woman marched in and ordered Meowth and Jesse to leave. "Mr Morgan has to have his leg exercises." They had no time to protest so they said their goodbyes and left. Meowth still had some chocolates in his paws and he munched quietly in reflection. "Dat was weird." Jesse agreed. Only they were Team Rocket now. "James can't blast off with us anymore," she said sadly. 

                They had been on the trail of a rare Pokémon named Equicorn*. A beautiful ebony horse which had two horns on its head, six around its neck and one on the side of each foot and huge charcoal coloured wings. When they'd finally spotted it they fought a gruelling Pokémon battle. Wobbuffet and Victreebel proved that they were great battlers while their other Pokémon quit halfway through. Equicorn was soon worn out and Jesse threw a stolen MasterBall at it. Amazingly it dodged the MasterBall and ran towards James. "Jump on it!" Jesse told him, and he leapt on. As a child he took Ponyta riding lessons and felt at home on the charging beast. But this beast could fly and he was soon soaring through the air. It planned to dive towards the ground and turn upside down. This would dislodge its strange passenger. But James predicted this and before it could turn, he grabbed a PokéBall and tried to capture the frightened creature. But it lost its bearings and they scraped across the ground. They were dragged through bushes, heather, peat and they stopped only when they skipped, like a stone, into a wire fence. Equicorn had tried to stop itself and James from hurtling head first into it. Equicorn had twisted round but James' leg had embedded on the barbs and most of the nerves were severed. (Even if the leg had survived, there would've been no point in keeping it attached, the doctors told James later. He felt bitter. It was his decision, not theirs.) The PokéBall fell out of James hand and captured the unconscious Equicorn. It would be a few hours before Jesse and Meowth found them. Jesse knew it was her fault for telling James to jump onto such a dangerous Pokémon. Meowth had assured her that this was not so. He must have been lying, she now thought. She fondled the PokéBall with the Equicorn in. She'd achieved little comfort from capturing it. When James came out of hospital, would he want it? The Boss had demanded that she hand it over and she replied, bluntly, that James had caught it and James should choose to give it away. Giovanni had almost thrown his chair at her. Instead, he requested an audience with James in six months time. She hadn't told him yet. She was going to wait.

* Equicorn – 'equi' means many and 'corn from unicorn (uni meaning 'one') so lit. many-horned unicorn