Author's Notes: It's amazing how many people have added this to their Watch list or Favorited it. This is a bit of a darker story than what I'm "used to" writing, but it's the story that's in my heart and won't go away. I'm glad so many of you like it!

Yes, Blufair, Yamask's mask IS awesomely disturbing... it was actually what originally raised the rating to T. I figured, Pokemon shows all these ghost-type characters like Yamask, but it doesn't really go so far as to show what it's like to be, y'know, under that mask, see? And I figured, it's gotta be disgusting wearing some dead person's face over your own. Watching an anime or playing a video game, you probably wouldn't get that sensation, but I was able to go over-the-top with it in story form. And, yeah, Jessie swearing in rhyme... that, I figured, would be so HER. Naturally, I'm not printing what she said, but it was pretty vicious.

So, Surih, to answer YOUR question ("Is James in limbo?") – well, maybe he is and maybe he isn't. It's hard to tell, isn't it? In the next couple chapters, James' location and full situation should be cleared up, but he won't be out of the woods yet. (If you'll pardon the expression.)

Chapter Four

The shiny Rhyperior gave Luthor a cold and furious look. "What do you mean, we can't get the HeartGold off that stupid little Meowth?"

Meowth was good and ready to be offended in a "Dem's fightin' woids!" kind of way, but unfortunately he STILL couldn't move. Oddly enough, he couldn't even seem to breathe, yet obviously he was still alive and mentally functioning. What had that Jolteon DONE to him, anyway? This was even worse than being put on hold over Pokedex by Team Rocket's tech support. Which, incidentally, was one reason why their machines usually malfunctioned in the worst manner possible under the given circumstances.

"Oh, that's no mere Meowth, trust me," said Luthor the Luxray, pulling himself to a standing position on his hind legs and flexing his paws. "That's probably the most dangerous creature known to Pokemon-kind, although it doesn't even know it just yet. It's..." He paused dramatically. "...a Missingno."

There was a collective gasp from everyone else in the chamber. That is, there would have been, but Meowth was still unable to breathe, so there was just a collective gasp from ALMOST everyone else in the chamber.

James was just about ready to gasp for breath himself. Not just because there was still a somewhat stifling Yamask mask over his face (which was still the worst experience of his entire life, and that was saying something), but because Celebi had led him on what he could only describe as a wild Zangoose chase. And to make matters worse, he'd been completely blinded throughout the whole thing (Arceus, he hated that mask!), and if it hadn't been for Celebi's guidance, he'd have run into at least twice as more trees as he already had, and fallen into three times as many pools as he suspected he must have.

"Are you leading me this badly on purpose?" he had to ask.

Well, I DID offer to telekinetically move you through the air, said Celebi into his mind. Why didn't you accept?

"I get airsick sometimes, okay? Not that I haven't had plenty of time to get USED to rocketing through the air with zero control over my movement, but it never improves over time, so shut up!"

Why are you so crabby? asked Celebi. Even after all you've done to me, I'm only trying to help you.

He's having a bad day, Yamask cut in. What with being spirited away to who-knows-where, separated from our friends, getting nearly possessed, and then learning that he just might die in here if he doesn't trust you – AFTER you snared him with that rope trick – well, wouldn't you be crabby if all of that happened to you?

Actually, that kind of thing is the reason I only appear in peaceful times nowadays, Celebi responded. Things have been getting... tense in the Pandimensionality.

James was about to ask what that last big word meant, but suddenly a dark and terrible thought struck him. "Um, this may be a stupid question, but..." He tried to sound casual, even thought the thought he was about to voice was definitely NOT casual. "Please tell me I'm not actually... actually..."

"...dead"? Celebi asked, strangely amused. Oh, please, don't you humans ever use those big brains of yours? If you'd come here because you'd died, would you really still have Yamask on your Poke-belt?

James honestly hadn't thought of that.

Of course you hadn't thought of that. You wouldn't have even had your Poke-belt, because when you're dead, "you can't take it with you," as you humans say. Right, Yamask?

Exactly, said Yamask. I should know.

"Well, you should know that if I have to wear your DISGUSTING mask on my face one moment longer, it's going to make me airsick without the air!"

Yamask was horribly offended. That mask used to be my FACE, you know!

"If that was meant to make me feel less disgusted, it didn't work!"

Here we are, said Celebi, motioning to Yamask with one arm. Now, please, take your disgusting face of off James' disgusting face.

"I heard tha- ARRRRGHHHHHH!" James' comeback was interrupted by a feeling of revulsion and horror when he felt like his entire face was being pulled off at once. It wasn't his own face, of course – it was Yamask's mask – but it still seemed like he was losing a part of his body, and there was no way that could possibly be fun. "I am never going through that AGAIN!" he screamed, nearly threatening Yamask – but pulling back when Celebi flew between them and gave James a Mean Look. "U-u-unless you really want me to," he finished lamely. "I-I'm flexible."

Without the mask, he couldn't understand Celebi saying, Gosh, you're a coward. Maybe I shouldn't have... no, no, what am I saying? You'll learn with time...

hope.

James shook his head to get all the creepy out of his brain. Then he looked around at his surroundings... and stopped cold.

He'd expected to see something other than trees and pools, but THIS wasn't what he'd expected at all. What he saw was a colossal tree in a colossal pool, with a colossal knothole-like door grown into it, with colossally deep letters carved above it in some archaic, unknown font. The colossal letters seemed to have some colossal meaning to them, but he couldn't figure out what – but he was betting that he wouldn't like it. What he couldn't have possibly seen was the colossal trouble he could potentially get into if he stepped through that colossial knothole, but he certainly suspected it.

Then Celebi motioned for him to go inside.

After freeing Darkat, Jessie's next order of business was to get out of the miry pit she'd been somehow dragged into. (Actually, her first order of business was to chew Darkat out for being part of the circumstances that had led her into the pit in the first place, but Darkat gently informed her that, in fact, her Honchkrow ensemble was completely real, and that she had killed the Honchkrow herself, and that she would very much DISLIKE to have to do the same to Jessie, which Jessie still wasn't sure was an entirely accurate sentiment.) Darkat, despite being a slightly rough customer, was just as eager to get out as Jessie was, but her first idea of how to get out didn't exactly sit well with Jess.

It turned out that the pit was illuminated by a wall of blazing electricity blocking off the only ground-level exit. What with how damp it was down there, the very mud they were sitting in seemed to carry an electric tinge to it. (Jessie made a note that, when she next saw James, if she ever did, then she was going to KILL HIM for sneaking off on her. No exaggeration. Not that she thought that she ever WOULD see him again, that little sneak. Whatever happened to team loyalty? He and Yamask were probably out having a grand old time without her, she thought. And despite all that, part of her still missed him and Meowth like crazy. Another part of her was writing some expletive-ridden poetry to yell at them once she saw them again, but that was just the old Jessie attitude working again.)

"This area must be blocked off for a reason," said Darkat. "Naturally, being a Zebstrika rider, I have plenty of experience with enduring electric shocks, so getting through this should be a piece of cake. Then I can dig my way through the dirt wall and make a path for you to get through as well."

Jessie snorted. "Don't you think I'm dirty enough as it is? I'm up to my ears in darned-if-I-know-what, and I have to go crawling around in tunnels? I've got other plans." She reached for her Poke-belt. "Woobat! Come out here!"

Apparently whoever had chucked her in that pit had neglected to take away Woobat's Pokeball, because Woobat came right out as usual, chirping, "Woo! Woo!"

"All right!" Jessie shouted cheerfully. "Woobat can Fly us up to-"

Darkat put a cautionary forepaw on Jessie's leg. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned.

"Right. Quiet. Got it."

The Purrloin shook her head. "It's not that. Think about it. A Pokemorph from Team Rocket's experiments – or perhaps Team Galactic's, I'm not sure which – would most certainly know to check a captured Trainer for Pokeballs. And this setup is just a little too convenient for us to escape. Odds are, if our captors are smart, they've got something very nasty waiting for us up there."

Of course Darkat was right, but Jessie didn't want to admit it TOO quickly. "And suppose our captors aren't that smart?"

"Then they definitely won't be expecting us to get through a wall of solid electricity, if 'solid' even applies to energy. So, really, if YOU were able to pass through the electric force-field unscathed, then we'd have a perfect escape on our paws – er – hands. But I can't possibly expect that out of a pureblooded hum-"

Jessie, not listening past "perfect escape," took a running leap towards the electrical field, diving perfectly into... the shock of her life, as it seemed, since she got "blasted off again" and into the opposite wall. Apparently not even all her practice against Ash's Pikachu could make her capable of defying the laws of physics. And Darkat had honestly believed it was even possible.

"As I was SAYING," Darkat continued, only vaguely annoyed, "you shouldn't have done that." She groaned. "Great. Now all our tormentors are going to show up along the edge of this pit to see what's going on, and they'll see that I'm out of my fetters, and that you have a Woobat flying around in here, and they'll do everything in their power to stop our escape."

Darkat was half right. The freakish Exeggcute Pokemorph did show up, and he did bring along a few Pokemon and Pokemorph friends, some of which neither Jessie nor Darkat recognized the species of, but they didn't seem interested in halting any escape efforts. No, they just wanted to gather around and watch the show as Darkat tried to stop Jessie as the woman incessantly kept trying to force her way through the field, darkly muttering something about having endured a certain twerp and his Pikachu.

"You're not getting yourself any less filthy doing this, you know!" Darkat shouted.

But the events of the past days seemed to have taken their toll. To all appearances, Jessie had totally lost it.

Next Chapter: James runs like a scared Deerling! MAYBE. And hopefully we find out what Luthor is talking about, assuming he's even telling the truth... I love teasers.