Chapter Seven

Starting to wake up brought the pain back again. He groaned, turning slowly onto his side. The "fight," if it could be called that, had been more like a massacre. Oblivion had been a relief. Coming back hurt . . . so much. There was no sense wondering if he was in Cat Heaven or heck, even Cat Hell. The pain said he was still alive and kicking.

"Meowth?!"

He started, his eyes snapping open. "Jessie?!" He rolled onto his back again.

Jessie was sitting next to the bed, gently stroking his fur at points where bandages were not in the way. "How are you feeling, Meowth?" she quietly asked.

"A lot better with this goin' on." Meowth closed his eyes in contentment. "How long's it been?"

"Too long," Jessie said. "Meowth, do you know how bad off you've been?!"

"I know it really hurt," Meowth said.

Jessie stopped petting. "You almost died a couple of times! And I thought you were dead right after it first happened!" She sounded angry, but Meowth could pick out the pain in her voice-especially now, when he was feeling so much of it.

"Hey, I'm real sorry," he said quietly. "Right after we lost James and all. . . . That's the last thing either of us needed."

"It wasn't your fault. You've been fighting to live." Jessie paused. "But Meowth . . . I don't think we've lost James. At least, not to death."

"Huh?!" Meowth stared at her. "What the heck do you mean, Jessie?!"

Jessie gazed into the distance. "When you were fighting the Machamp, I met this boy outside. He reminded me of James, even though I told myself that was ridiculous. He didn't remember me, and yet . . . he acted like maybe he did deep down. I've been thinking about him and now I'm sure-he's James in disguise, hurt with amnesia."

Meowth was still staring. "Amnesia?! But . . . people usually don't get better from that!"

"Sometimes they do," Jessie insisted. "And if that was James, he still remembers me in his heart. Probably you as well. I need to find him. . . ."

"Then go, Jessie," Meowth encouraged. "We both want Jim back. Go get him."

From Jessie's eyes, she definitely wanted to, but she was reluctant to leave Meowth there alone. "You're sure?"

He reached out, taking her hand in his front paws. "Yeah."

She smiled. "Okay then. I'll put on a new disguise and go out looking. When I come back, I'll have James with me. You stay safe here, alright?"

"I'll be just fine," Meowth said.

Jessie finally nodded and got up, hurrying out of the room.

Meowth stared after her. "I hope you're right, Jessie," he said to himself. "Both about that guy being James and about him being able to remember us in his heart. And I hope he gets those memories back in his head too."

xxxx

In a new disguise, Jessie left the Pokemon Center and headed in the direction of the cafe. That was where she had seen the boy working. If nothing else, she could inquire about him from the management. Maybe that would give her a lead.

She wasn't expecting a fierce Machamp to step into her path before she could go very far. "Machamp," it intoned.

She clenched her teeth. "Are you the one who tried to kill Meowth?!"

"Machamp." The cold response said everything she needed to know.

"Well, you won't have as much luck with me." She pulled out all her Pokeballs. "Arbok, Lickitung, Weezing, Victreebel! Attack together!"

Her and James' combined Pokemon called out in consent. While Weezing Smoke-Screened the area, Victreebel threw her Razor Leaves, Arbok used Poison Sting, and Lickitung lunged for a Lick attack. Jessie coughed from the smoke and stepped back. She didn't want anyone else to end up like Meowth, but she had to defend herself. If they all attacked together, maybe . . . maybe . . .

A circular restraining device flew out from nowhere, binding her arms to her sides. "What the . . . ?!" She struggled to turn around. This was a Team Rocket-issued device. The Machamp wasn't alone.

Clyde stepped out of the shadows, sneering at her. "I knew Machamp would be a good distraction."

As the Smoke-Screen cleared, Machamp was still there, momentarily dazed but quickly recovering. He assumed an attack position, all four arms ready to deal out devastating damage. Each arm sent one of the Pokemon flying.

"No," Jessie said in horror.

"Don't worry," Clyde drawled. "They won't end up like Meowth. We only wanted him, you, and James dead. The rest of your Pokemon will belong to Bonnie and me."

"That doesn't give me any comfort," Jessie said in disgust. "What's your problem anyway? Do you really think the boss is going to promote you when you're off doing things he didn't give you permission to do? Don't you realize your flood in the mountains could have killed thousands of wild Pokemon?!"

Clyde just laughed. "All common ones, not anything Team Rocket's interested in. Machamp, take her."

"Over my dead body!" Jessie snapped. She turned to run, but with her balance thrown off, she couldn't travel very far before she fell over. As Clyde's cruel laughter filled her ears, Machamp picked her up and held her above his head with just one arm.

"You're as light as a feather to Machamp," Clyde said.

Jessie wasn't about to go quietly. She continued to struggle and flail, kicking at the fighting Pokemon with both legs. "Put me down!" she screamed.

"Oh, he'll do that, alright," Clyde said. "See, you're gonna have a little accident in an old Pokeball factory we know about. It'll look like you were trying to rob the place and your last act was to bungle that job too."

Jessie stiffened. "What kind of accident?!" With a factory involved, her imagination could conjure up all manner of gruesome possibilities.

"Well, it'll have to be something really good," Clyde drawled. "Something we know you can't walk away from."

A horn honked and a large semi pulled up in front of them. "I've brought the truck," Bonnie announced, leaning out the window.

"Good. Machamp, throw her in the back," Clyde ordered.

"Machamp." As soon as Clyde opened the sliding door on the back of the rig, Machamp unceremoniously tossed Jessie inside and then climbed in to prevent her from so much as trying to get out.

"Good work, Machamp," Clyde sneered. He closed the back and went around to the cab.

In a moment the truck started to move again. Jessie struggled against her bonds, but they held fast. And the Machamp glowering down at her said loud and clear that she didn't have a prayer.

She slumped against the floor of the truck. "Oh James. . . . I hope that wherever you are, you won't get caught too," she whispered. "Please . . . stay safe. . . ."

xxxx

James stumbled to a halt in the middle of a block, his eyes widening. "Jessie?!" he gasped in disbelief. "Jessie, are you here?!"

He looked around, but he was clearly alone.

"I know I heard her," he whispered. "But . . . that's impossible if she's not here. . . ."

He ran ahead. The trees parted and showed a clearing with the Pokemon Center standing tall and welcoming in their midst. And bizarrely, four Pokemon were lying sprawled on the sidewalk.

"What happened here?!" he gasped.

"Weezing!" Weezing suddenly leaped up. James had forgotten to disguise his voice. Weezing rushed him in utter joy. Even in his busboy disguise, James was recognizable to his beloved Pokemon.

Victreebel shrieked, joining the reunion. Jessie's Pokemon got into the act as well, scurrying over to him.

James toppled backwards to the ground, laughing as he hugged them. These had to be the Weezing and Victreebel he had remembered through the shroud over his memories. "I've been so worried about you!" he exclaimed. "But you're alright! Where's Meowth?"

Victreebel looked towards the Center.

"Is he alright?" James demanded.

Weezing nodded. "Weezing . . ."

James was relieved, but still worried. "What about Jessie?!" he asked next.

The Pokemons' demeanor fell again. "Weezing-Wee . . ." said Weezing. He and the others turned to look down the street.

"Hmm? Was Jessie taken away?" James demanded.

Victreebel screeched.

"Then we'll have to go after her!" James exclaimed. "Do you know where she's being taken?"

"Charbok!" Arbok declared.

"Alright!" James took off running. "Let's go!"

Three of the four Pokemon rushed after him. Lickitung hung back, concerned. Meowth deserved to know what was going on too. And if there was trouble, someone else needed to know where to go or to send help.

He hurried back to the Center.

xxxx

Ash, Misty, and Brock were having a very strange time. James was proving very elusive, but finally they found several people who remembered seeing him running away from the direction of a small cafe. That seemed the most promising locale, so it became the new goal to work towards. When at last the building came into sight, the kids perked up.

"Do you think he really might have come back here?" Ash hoped.

"Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to check," Brock said.

Misty hurried ahead of them to the doors. "It's closed," she frowned. She stood on tiptoe to peer through the round window and gasped. "There's blood and fur all over the floor!"

"Huh?!" Ash ran over to look too. "What could have happened?!"

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"You mean you didn't hear?"

The group spun around. An elderly man was moving out slowly from around the side of the cafe, a cane gripped tightly in his hand.

"Hear what?" Misty blinked. "What happened in there?! It looks awful!"

"It was," the man nodded. "A Machamp challenged a Meowth to a battle in there, but it wasn't any friendly fight to test their skills. We all knew within a couple of minutes that the Machamp had murder on his mind."

Gasps echoed among the group. "What happened to the Meowth?" Brock asked.

"Got wounded nigh to death," the man replied. "Real funny Meowth too-didn't know Pay Day, but he was standing and talking like a person."

"Oh no," Misty whispered.

"Where is he now?!" Ash demanded.

"Some young lady said he was her friend and ran out with him to find the Pokemon Center," was the answer. "No one knows if he's going to pull through."

"Thank you, Sir," Brock said. "Where is the Pokemon Center?"

"On the main street, past the old stores," the man said. "You can't miss it."

The kids hurried off.

"Poor Meowth," Misty said.

Togepi gave a sad trill.

"I never thought I'd be worried about him, but that sounds awful," Ash said.

Brock nodded. "And a Machamp could easily punch a hole through a dam. It's probably the Pokemon who did that too. I hate to think what it did to Meowth."

"Me too," Ash said.

"And how Jessie will handle it if Meowth dies too," Misty said quietly. "We don't know for sure that boy was James. Maybe they're both gone."

"Let's hope not," Brock said.

They arrived at the Pokemon Center from another direction shortly after James departed and hurried inside.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash called, slamming his hands on the desk.

In a moment, a surprised Nurse Joy emerged from a side room. "What's going on?" she asked with a blink. "What's wrong?"

"Nurse Joy, we just heard about a Meowth being attacked," Ash said.

"We think we know him," Misty added.

"How is he?" Brock queried.

Although still surprised, Nurse Joy quickly recovered and smiled instead. "It was pretty touch-and-go for a while, but he's going to be alright."

Everyone relaxed.

"Oh, thank goodness," Misty said.

"Would you like to see him?" Joy asked.

"We sure would," Ash agreed.

"Just stay for a few minutes," Joy told them while leading them down the hall. "He needs his rest."

"Rest, schmest!" Meowth retorted as he overheard. "I've had plenty of that already!"

"Well, he sounds normal," Misty said.

Joy pushed open the door. "He's definitely regained a lot of his strength."

Meowth blinked in disbelief to see the arriving group. "You guys?"

"Yeah!" Ash ran in and over to the bed. "Meowth, what happened?!"

"This big brute Machamp decided it'd be fun to beat up on a Pokemon a lot smaller than him," Meowth growled.

"The people at the cafe were saying you were almost dead," Misty said softly.

"Well . . ." Meowth looked away, too prideful to admit to the full extent of the disaster. "I ain't, though. See?"

"We see," Brock nodded.

"But we don't see Jessie," Ash said. "Where is she?"

"She went out," Meowth said.

"Where?" Brock demanded.

"Just out." Meowth turned back to face them. "I dunno exactly where. Back to that cafe, maybe."

"Doesn't she know she's a walking target?!" Brock cried.

"She's in disguise," Meowth retorted.

"These people might see through it," Ash said.

Meowth hopped up. "If Jessie's in danger, I've gotta get out of here and try to help her! Oh. . . ." He lost his balance and fell back into the bed.

"Pikachu," Pikachu commented.

"Meowth, you're in no shape to go anywhere," Ash said.

"You're lucky to be alive," Misty said. "You need to stay here. We'll find Jessie."

Undaunted, Meowth looked pleadingly to Pikachu. "Pikachu, you understand, dontcha? If it was your best pal's life on the line, you wouldn't just lay around, would you? Even if you weren't quite up to par?"

Pikachu's ears drooped and he looked away in complete understanding. "Pikachu. . . ."

"Guys, come on," Meowth begged. "Take me with you. I'll lay down in someone's backpack or somethin'. I just . . . I need to be there."

The kids looked at each other.

"I know how he feels, but we really should leave him here," Brock said.

"I'll get up and go by myself after you leave," Meowth threatened.

"He would, too," Misty groaned.

Ash finally heaved a sigh. "Yeah, he would." He slipped his backpack off his shoulders. "Okay, Meowth, we'll take you with us. But you'll have to promise not to do anything dangerous."

"I promise!" Meowth exclaimed. Ash unzipped the backpack and Meowth scrambled inside to lay on the blanket folded on top.

Brock frowned as Ash zipped the backpack, leaving an opening for air, and replaced it on his back. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ash."

"I know we can't let him wander around by himself the way he is," Ash said. "What choice have we got?"

"I just hope Nurse Joy doesn't find out," Brock worried. "She'll never trust us again."

"Meowth knows his own mind," Ash said.

"Licki!" came a voice from the window.

Everyone jumped. "Lickitung?" Misty blinked.

Ash went over to the window. "What is it?" he asked.

"Tung-Tung-Tung!" Lickitung exclaimed.

Meowth sat up in the backpack. "He says Jessie's been taken to the old Pokeball factory and James and the other Pokemon went chasin' after her!" he gasped.

"Oh no!" Misty cried.

"Then that's where we're going too!" Ash determined. "Thanks, Lickitung."

"We'd better call Officer Jenny and let her know too," Brock said.

"Right," Misty nodded.

"You're not surprised that James is alive?" Meowth blinked. "That's why Jessie went out, to find him."

"We saw him earlier today," Ash explained. "Now get back down and let's get out of here!"

Meowth laid back on the blanket and pulled the zipper farther down again. "I just hope we're in time," he whispered.