Early the next morning, Jessie was the first of the girls to wake up. Her whole being burned with excited energy, and she was rushing into the small adjacent bathroom to freshen up while the others were still just rousing. Small though the bathroom was, it was as elegant as everything else about the estate, all polished marble and gold fittings; after hesitating a moment, she decided to make use of the shower, washing and grooming herself before any of her fellow dancers could gunk up the facility with their own filth.
When she emerged, she barely noticed that the girls were speaking to each other in low, hushed voices, rather than chatting or laughing together like friends. As soon as she left, the brunette who'd spoken to her the previous night took her turn, and one by one, the girls all lined up to make use of the facilities. Jessie paced impatiently, eager to be called on for her first day of training. Everyone else just lined up by their beds after washing up, almost robotically, heads bowed, not speaking. Ignoring them, Jessie eventually went to open the door, only to remember that Donovan had locked it behind them the previous night.
"How long until we get started?" she snapped at the girls behind her.
"Not long," answered a blond one softly.
"Lacy should hurry up," remarked the brunette who'd spoken to Jessie the previous night, turning to glance at the bathroom door where the last girl was still busy. "We all have to be ready when the Indeedee come."
Vibrating with impatience, Jessie turned on the talkative girl. "What are we going to do first?" she asked. "Where does it start? Dancing? Singing? Fashion?"
"This morning we have ballet," the girl replied. "After lunch, modeling." She met Jessie's eyes. "Just do as he says and you'll be okay," she told her, and it almost sounded like she was begging.
Before Jessie could respond with an irritated barb, the lock at the door clicked, the deadbolt thunking, and the door opened to reveal a pair of Indeedee.
"Dee dee!" they chirped, beckoning for everyone to follow.
Jessie dashed forward eagerly, not noticing that the other girls hesitated, or that one of them quickly went to knock on the bathroom door and encourage the last remaining member to hurry in a hushed, fearful tone. The Indeedee refused to lead Jessie anywhere until everyone else assembled in the hallway, though, and she tapped her foot in frustration. Some backup dancers these girls would turn out to be - why couldn't they muster a little enthusiasm?!
Finally, the nine other students of Starstruck Academy were lined up in the hall, and the Indeedee flanked them, one in the lead, one bringing up the rear. After navigating the massive estate for a couple of minutes, Jessie's nose picked up the aroma of fine food, and soon, she was led into a dining hall, where a lace cloth covered a long table set with ten places. The other girls all sat down wordlessly, and Jessie took the spot no one else claimed.
"Where is he?" she inquired of the girl sitting next to her.
"Watching," the dark-skinned girl answered softly, her eyes closed.
"Hm?" Jessie looked around, but saw nothing but the Indeedee that came in, all bearing platters of breakfast food and setting down the loaded plates in front of each of the girls.
Everything was delicious, and Jessie scarfed it all down like a Greedent, eager to be done and move on. Once or twice, the other girls gently suggested she slow down, but she ignored them, her plate sparkling clean within minutes. Infuriatingly, though, everyone else insisted on eating at a painfully slow pace, barely eating tiny nibbles at a time, though they all clearly intended to finish their meals.
"You there, Indeedee!" Jessie finally snapped at one of their servers. "Where's Donovan? I'm eager to start working on my future!"
"Dee," the Pokémon said, dipping in a slight bow, and it trotted off.
"You shouldn't have done that," mumbled the girl sitting to her right.
"Would it kill any of you to hurry up?!" Jessie snapped in response. "None of us are getting any younger!"
"Hush, Jessica."
That smooth, musical voice washed over her as Donovan's magnificent figure sauntered into the dining room, his Serperior slithering by his side. Jessie felt all the air leave her lungs as she laid eyes on him, and she wondered if she'd ever be able to breathe properly in his presence.
"A proper woman doesn't eat too quickly," Donovan said, striding over to her gracefully. "I appreciate that you're eager, my dear, but if you're going to be a star, you need to learn patience and poise."
There was probably some part of Jessie's brain that noticed the way every girl he walked past cringed away from him slightly, but she ignored it. "I've never been accused of being patient," Jessie admitted.
"You'll learn," Donovan smirked, and there was a gleam in his eye as he spoke that Jessie recognized but couldn't quite place. "I'll make sure of it, darling." His mahogany eyes lit on her plate. "For now, you're going to have to sit still and wait while your fellow dancers finish their meal. Let that be your first lesson."
Someone at the table whimpered. "Fine," Jessie grumbled. "I just want to get started on becoming an idol."
"All things in due time, dear Jessica," Donovan purred, and he strolled away.
"Serrrr," hissed his Pokémon, and for the first time, Jessie actually met its crimson eyes. James's remark that something seemed off about the grass-type Pokémon surfaced in her mind, and she had to admit, Serperior did have an intimidating glare. Still, their Rotom had said that that was pretty much Serperior's defining trait, so once again, she ignored it.
It was almost torturous, waiting for the other girls to finish eating so painfully slowly; by the time breakfast was over and the Indeedee started ushering everyone to get up and head out to class, Jessie thought she might explode. Their next stop was a changing room, as it turned out, with thin screens separating the girls so they'd have their privacy.
Jessie examined the tutu and ballet shoes she was given, and couldn't help but think of the time she and James had dressed up in ballet costumes. He'd been the one to wear the tutu back then, and he'd pulled it off remarkably well, as he always did…With a sudden twinge of regret, Jessie realized that she would probably never get to dress up as a man again; swapping gender roles with her partner had always made for excellent disguises - and besides that, it was just fun, for both of them - but female idols had to be feminine at all times. Oh well, she thought, that was a small sacrifice to make for stardom, and with a sigh, she slipped into her outfit, already familiar with the various straps and fastenings of the garb. The toes were solid, unforgiving wooden blocks, she noticed…
"Jessica?"
A soft voice caught Jessie's attention, and she leapt up and spun around to see the brunette girl's heart-shaped face peeking around her screen.
"How dare you peek in on me while I'm changing?!" Jessie shrieked at the girl.
"I'm sorry," the girl mumbled. "I just wanted to know if you needed some help getting dressed."
"As you can see, I'm more than capable of dressing myself," Jessie huffed, waving her hands in a flourish to show off how perfectly she'd already donned the outfit.
"Oh." The girl blinked, her eyes widening. "That's…impressive."
"I told you I won't carry you out there," Jessie stated. "Worry about yourself."
"Okay…"
The tiny flushed face ducked back behind the screen, leaving Jessie alone. Scowling, Jessie took a moment practicing balancing on the wooden blocks of her flats. It wasn't nearly as difficult to stay on her toes as it had been during that one time she'd disguised herself as a Gardevoir, and when an Indeedee came to usher her out of the changing room, she strode forward with her head held high, eager to show Donovan just how capable she was.
The group emerged into an enclosed stone courtyard with a simple wooden stage set up at the far end. In the center of the space stood Donovan, proud and regal, his Serperior curled loosely around his feet.
"Girls," Donovan greeted, spreading his perfect hands. "So good to see you all on time." He raised one hand to toss his perfect hair. "I'm sure you're all prepared for the usual greeting for a new arrival. Line up on the stage and show Jessica what you've been learning."
"Yes, sir," the girls all mumbled, and they trotted forward. When Jessie moved to follow, Donovan held out a hand and stopped her.
"Just watch for now, dear," he murmured.
With a huff, Jessie crossed her arms, but she stood back and waited.
The girls all lined up on the wooden stage, posed identically. When Donovan clapped his hands once, they began to dance, pirouetting and pliéing and leaping with varying levels of grace. It was all fairly basic stuff, though the coordination was nothing to scoff at. When at last the girls all finished and bowed, Donovan clapped his hands together one more time, and they all leapt off the stage, lining up in front of him.
"Now, darling," he purred, turning to Jessie, his lips curled into a smirk. "Let's see what you can do. Try to imitate some of what you saw just now, and we'll work from there."
Several fearful murmurs tittered from the other girls as Jessie proudly marched forward and hopped up on the stage. Closing her eyes, she rose up on her toes and started dancing, jumping and twirling with a wild fervor that quickly consumed her, laughter bubbling up from her throat as she made a spectacle of herself. When she glanced at the other girls, she saw their eyes wide in amazement, and that just fueled her fire, she floated on their adoration as she performed with reckless abandon before finally coming to a graceful stop, posed in a half-bow, half-flourish.
For a moment, all was still.
"Remarkable," Donovan breathed at last, and Jessie looked up to see him gazing at her with a smile as he slowly walked up to join her on the stage. "I knew I saw something special in you, Jessica. You have grace, and a commanding presence that ensures you'll make a perfect leading lady."
Jessie grinned and straightened, pulse pounding at the praise as he approached her.
"However…"
Without warning, Donovan reached into his coat, pulled out a short rod, and whacked it across Jessie's stomach with a force that suggested the baton was made of an unnecessarily heavy metal.
"Your form needs a lot of work," he stated as she stumbled from the blow. "You're too brash, Jessica, your dancing borders on flailing." He struck her thighs in quick succession. "You bend your knees too much." He struck her shoulders. "Your pose is too assertive." With a flick, he turned his baton over to brandish a thinner switch that came out the other end and swiped it across her arms, leaving lines of fire just above her wrists. "And a proper idol doesn't clench her fists while she dances."
All seven blows throbbed and stung with varying levels of pain, but for a moment, Jessie was too shocked to react. "Did…" she choked, blinking as she stared into his dark brown eyes. "Did you just…hit me?"
"I find that pain makes for an excellent teacher," Donovan told her, smiling.
"You…" As she shock wore off, white-hot fury rose in Jessie's chest. "How dare you?!" she screamed at him. "What kind of gentleman would dream of laying a hand on a lady?!"
A horrified gasp rose up from the other girls as Donovan's smile dropped, his brown eyes going icy. "Do not raise your voice to me, Jessica," he said in a low, dangerous tone. "You belong to me now, and you'll do as I say."
Before Jessie could respond, he struck her again, this time across the face, and much harder, enough so that she stumbled and fell onto her side. When she looked up at him again, the coldness in his eyes was burning, and he gently kicked her onto her back with his steel-toed boot before planting his foot on her stomach. With his heel digging into her gut, he bent down on one knee, leaning close to her.
"You signed a contract agreeing to submit to my training methods," he hissed. "I promised I would make you a star, Jessica, but I will not tolerate lip from my starlets. So I suggest you curb your attitude while I'm feeling lenient."
"Get off of me," she growled in response.
Donovan heaved a heavy sigh and stood up, his boot pressing into her even harder. "It's still your first day," he said, "so I'll be light with your punishment. Indeedee!"
One of the few Indeedee who stood around the courtyard trotted up to him. "Dee?"
"Inform the kitchen staff that they're not to make any portions of lunch or dinner for our new recruit," he told the serving Pokémon. "Jessica won't have another bite to eat until breakfast tomorrow."
"Dee!" chirped the Indeedee, and it trotted back into the house.
At last, Donovan removed his boot from Jessie's stomach. "Now then," he said, "get up, and join your fellow students. All of you need to work on your form."
When he turned his back, Jessie, her vision still tinged with red, leapt to her feet and lunged for him. Before she could reach him, though, thick vines whipped out and struck her down again; when she hit the floor, she looked up and saw Serperior staring her down, its lips curled in a small smirk.
"Serrr," it hissed.
Slowly, all the fight drained out of Jessie as she realized that this Pokémon wouldn't hesitate to attack a human, and that she had no Pokémon of her own to defend her. Donovan gave her one smug look over his shoulder, then stepped down from the stage towards the other girls.
"Come along now, Jessica," he purred. "Girls, positions. Jessica will take her place at the far end."
Simmering with rage, but realizing she had no other viable options, Jessie forced herself to stand along with the others. For the rest of the morning, Donovan put them through poses and moves, his baton always at the ready. Some of the girls got hit more than others, and Jessie found herself being struck less than most, but it was clear that this was normal for Starstruck Academy.
Come lunch time, while the other girls ate, Serperior wrapped Jessie in its vines and didn't release her until all the food had already been eaten. The afternoon was spent changing into various outfits and posing in them, and though Jessie's posture invited more than one criticizing blow from Donovan's special teaching method, at least she didn't find herself getting beaten for taking too long in the changing room, as several loud thumps and cries suggested a number of the others did. Dinner found her wrapped up in vines while the other girls ate again, and at last, they were all led back to their room, where Donovan locked and bolted the door from the outside.
Not saying a word to her fellow students, Jessie strode over to her bed by the window and sat down. Her body ached from Donovan's beatings, but she wasn't about to show it. More than angry, she felt confused, unsure how to take all of this.
"Jessica?"
Jessie blinked and turned to see the brunette girl approaching her.
"I, uh…managed to sneak this out for you," the girl said, holding out a small chunk of bread. "I know it's not much, but…"
"Keep it," Jessie snapped. "I don't need your pity. And if he thinks a little hunger is going to break my spirit, he has no idea who he's dealing with - I've gone days without eating before."
"He went easy on you," the girl said softly. "He always goes easy on the new girls. It gets worse…so much worse. So please…don't test him again, okay? You don't want to see what happens when he gets really angry."
"Hmph." Jessie folded her arms and turned her head.
Undeterred, the girl sat down on the bed next to her. "You're really talented," she said. "No one's ever even been able to balance on those wooden blocks on their first try before, let alone dance like that. Most of us had it a lot rougher our first day." She hesitated, then added, "You're the only one who didn't cry the first time he hit them, too."
"I've dealt with worse pain," Jessie stated.
"I hope that stays true," the girl said, and she shivered hard enough for Jessie to feel it through the mattress. When she turned, she saw the girl curled in on herself. "He can hurt you a lot more if you make him too mad. Please, Jessica, don't try to fight him. You really are perfect to be our leading lady, and…well…just, do as he says, okay? He's going to get more demanding, but just go along with it."
"Why?" Jessie heard herself ask softly, overcome with morbid curiosity. "Why do you go along with it?"
"Because we don't have a choice anymore," the girl mumbled. "We all signed the contract, we're his now, for life. And he really is going to turn us into stars - like I said, most of us couldn't dance at all when he brought us here, his lessons really do work!" She gave Jessie a sad smile. "I know it's not what you thought you were getting into…He fooled all of us, too. But you're here now, and there's no way out, so…we might as well let him shape us into idols, like he promised."
Jessie stared at her for a long minute. "…What's your name?" she eventually asked.
"Rose," the brunette girl answered.
"Rose," Jessie repeated, and she couldn't help a small smile. "Nice name. I happen to have a special fondness for roses, you know. After all…" She smirked. "…every rose has its thorn."
"Not me," Rose mumbled. "Donovan clipped all my thorns months ago."
"Then grow some more," Jessie told her.
"It hurts too much to have them clipped," Rose responded. "Really, Jessica, it's not worth resisting him, he…Just, trust me, you don't want to know. When he hits you, just bite your tongue, bow your head, and do as he says. Please?"
"You should be more worried about yourself," Jessie told her. "I'll be fine."
"I hope so," Rose mumbled, and she got up and went over to her own bed. Even so, Jessie heard the rest of her words clearly: "It's going to get a lot worse from here on out."
And it did. Donovan was a lot more liberal with his beatings the next day, and two days after that, it wasn't just Jessie's performance during classes that he was criticizing anymore. When she didn't stop eating quickly, he beat her for her uncouth behavior - "A proper woman doesn't put more than a thimbleful of food or drink in her mouth at a time!" When she walked, he lashed her calves - "A proper woman doesn't bend her knees more than thirty degrees when she walks!" Eventually, her default demeanor wasn't good enough for him - "A proper woman doesn't lift her nose to be parallel to the ground or higher!" Every night, Jessie went to bed with more and more bruises, but she forced herself to bite her tongue, as Rose's constant warnings kept reminding her that things would get worse if she resisted.
Her only comfort was his promise. For all his abuse, he would make her a star, and surely, that would be worth it.
~R~
James sat in a tree in the wild area northeast of Motostoke, picking at the breakfast sandwich he'd brought.
It had been a week since Jessie had walked onto the Star estate and out of his life, yet his misgivings about the whole affair hadn't eased. This wasn't the first time Jessie had tried to walk out on Team Rocket, but she always came back so quickly; every moment of every day, he kept waiting for her to show up, but she never did. He hardly ate or slept anymore, unable to ignore the cold, sick feeling in his gut that refused to ebb, and it was difficult to think about serving Team Rocket when his partner's fate was so uncertain.
"Morpek?" asked his rodent companion; he looked over and saw the electric-type Pokémon holding out one of the toasted seeds it always kept on its person, offering it to him.
"No thanks, Morpeko," he told his partner, "you can keep it. You have more of an appetite than me."
"Ya gotta stop broodin', Jimmy," Meowth said from his other side. The cat Pokémon was holding high-tech binoculars up to its eyes, scouting the wild area for rare Pokémon to catch for the boss. "Jessie's gone, dere's nuttin' we can do 'bout dat now. Focus on da job."
"I know," James murmured. "And I want to move on, but…" He shook his head. "I just can't stop worrying about her. Something's wrong with this whole situation, I just know it."
"Ya didn't act like dis when Jess wanted ta stay wid' dat doc in Kalos," Meowth remarked.
"I thought she could be happy there," James said. "Here…I don't know." He took a deep breath and set down his barely-touched sandwich. "If there was some way I could be sure that Jessie's really getting what she wants, I'd be able to walk away, but-"
"Rookidee!" interrupted a shrill cry, and suddenly, a small blue-and-yellow shape darted down from the branches above, aiming straight for James's food.
"Hey!" James yelped, grabbing his sandwich at the same time the small, round bird Pokémon seized it in its beak. "Give that back, that's not yours!"
"Rook rook rook!" chirped the bird through its firm grip on the food, its tiny wings fluttering wildly as it tried to wrestle the morsel from James's grip. After a few moments, a chunk of bread tore free, and the Pokémon flew up onto a high branch with its prize.
"What is that?" James asked.
"Who's dat Pokémon, Rotom?" Meowth asked, taking out the team's Rotom Phone.
"Rookidee," their Rotom sighed, "the Tiny Bird Pokémon. You can figure out the rest yourselves."
"Prolly not worth catchin'," Meowth remarked, but James was staring at the little ball of feathers as it quickly devoured its chunk of his sandwich.
"Maybe," he mused, "but it might prove helpful in another way. Hey, Rookidee?" he called up to it.
"Rook?" The little bird's red eyes turned to him.
"There's a manor over that way," James said, pointing in the direction of Starstruck Academy. "Would you be willing to spy on it for me? You can have the rest of my sandwich if you do a good job."
The bird Pokémon chattered its name for a bit.
"Meowth, what's it saying?" James asked his companion.
"It's sayin' dere's a flock a' Rookidee dat fly ovah dat place all da time," Meowth answered. He listened a little while longer, then added, "It can prolly get in on da flock, but it'll hafta buy its way in."
"Payment up front, then?" James sighed, and he tore the rest of his sandwich in half. "Fine," he told the Rookidee, holding out one half. "All yours. Just look for a girl with long red hair and tell me how she's doing, okay?"
"Rookidee!" the bird chirped, and it swooped down and grabbed James's food before quickly darting away.
"If it tells ya dat Jessie's doin' fine, will youse start helpin' wit' da job again?" Meowth demanded grumpily.
James nodded. "As long as she's okay, I'll be able to let go," he said. "I just need to be sure."
~R~
Another day came that began with ballet - the schedule at Starstruck Academy was weekly, though the weekends offered no reprieve. Donovan had let go of any pretenses of supportiveness, meting out beatings to all his girls if they stepped out of line. Jessie tried to obey, carefully practicing the poses and moves he taught, and though she wasn't the worst, she did still get a few blows from his baton. She was bruised and sore, and her temper had been festering for days.
Then, as she twisted into a plié and hissed when a bruise stretched, Donovan finally pushed her past her limit.
"Jessica, a proper idol doesn't breathe audibly!" he barked, whacking her across the back of the head with his baton.
Red flashed in Jessie's vision, and she immediately straightened up to shove her face in his.
"Maybe I wouldn't have to breathe audibly if you'd stop hitting me!" she shrieked at him.
A gasp of horror rose through the courtyard, audible even over the sudden argument that had broken out among a cluster of Rookidee perched on one of the gold brick walls. For a long minute, Donovan stared at Jessie, his mahogany irises colder than a blizzard. Then, slowly, he closed his eyes, his lips quirking up into a tiny smirk.
"Serperior," he said.
"Ser," hissed his Pokémon.
The gorgeous man tossed his perfect hair and opened his eyes again, revealing a dangerous gleam. "Slam attack," he said calmly.
"Serp!" the grass-type Pokémon responded, and it proclaimed its name proudly as it lifted its tail and slammed it into Jessie with enough force to throw her across the courtyard. She screamed and fell hard, tumbling across the unforgiving stone before coming to a stop on her side.
"Girls," Donovan proclaimed, "you owe Jessica a debt of gratitude; you're all free from lessons until after lunch." Calmly, he walked over to where Jessie had landed, and before she could react, he reached down and grabbed her mane of scarlet hair. "She and I will be busy in the Cinder Room," he hissed.
All the girls whimpered in fear.
"I did tell you not to raise your voice to me, Jessica," he said softly, lifting her by her hair and dragging her towards the manor. "Now you'll see what happens when you disobey."
"Let go of me!" Jessie shouted at him, struggling against his iron grip. "You have no right to treat me this way!"
"On the contrary, darling," Donovan said calmly, not slowing his pace. "You signed a contract agreeing to submit to my training methods."
"And you promised to make me a star!" Jessie snapped. "You haven't taught me a single useful thing since I came here, all you've done is beat me up!"
"I haven't taught you anything useful, have I?" Donovan chuckled; by now, they were inside, and at least he was dragging her across soft carpet instead of rough stone. "Well then, allow me to rectify that."
He flung open a heavy, unlocked door, revealing a small stone chamber with a barred window plated with thick glass that let in enough sunlight to shine off a small metal cabinet on the wall; aside from that, the room was bare. With hardly a grunt of effort, Donovan lifted Jessie by her crimson mane and flung her inside, stepping across the threshold calmly after her, his Serperior by his side. While Jessie struggled to get her bearings, he turned and shut the door, which on this side turned out to be metal, fastening a massive deadbolt and locking it with a padlock fitted to a key he took out of his pocket.
"Subdue her for a minute, won't you?" Donovan asked of his partner Pokémon.
"Serrr," the serpentine Pokémon hissed, and vines snaked out from under its collar to whip at Jessie, striking her repeatedly until she couldn't breathe. Through the pain, though, she couldn't help but notice that the strikes were a little too precise, and the realization that dawned on her shouldn't have surprised her in the least: the Pokémon had done this before.
"Darling Jessica," Donovan sighed, opening the metal cabinet, and he pulled out a pair of crushed velvet gloves, tugging them on with perfect poise. "You really are gifted, you know? Your talent for the stage is undeniable. Such a shame that such a gift should also come packaged with such an attitude. Not too hard, Serperior," he added. "We wouldn't want to leave any permanent marks on her pretty skin."
"Serrrr," Serperior growled, but it finally stopped its assault, leaving Jessie gasping on the floor, helpless to move as Donovan stalked over to her.
"Hold still now, dear," he said, crouching down, and suddenly, he grabbed her and pinned her down on her stomach, his hands going for the ties of her tutu.
"What are you doing?!" she shrieked, panic inspiring her to struggle again. "Get your hands off me!"
"Stop resisting," Donovan murmured as Serperior's vines snaked over to help restrain her. "It'll make this a lot easier."
"W-What are you going to do?!" she squeaked as he pulled her costume off of her with quick and precise movements.
"I'm going to teach you to behave," he answered, tossing her ballet shoes aside.
Within another minute, she was stripped down to her bra and panties, pressed against the cold stone, still held in place by Serperior's vines. Donovan stood and turned away, striding back over to the cabinet with unhurried steps.
"You say I've taught you nothing of value," Donovan said, "but I think you're just a little too resistant to my usual instruction. Luckily, I have a special remedy for difficult students like you."
When he turned back around, he was holding a small glass vial of a vibrant purple liquid in one hand and a thin, sharp needle in the other. Jessie's eyes widened.
"This," he told her, brandishing the vial, "is venom from a Toxapex, imported from Alola and refined and concentrated to increase its potency a thousandfold. Oh, don't worry, it won't kill you, nor even do any permanent damage - I would hate to lose such a valuable starlet, dear, you needn't look so terrified. It'll just make you more receptive to my instruction, that's all."
As he opened the vial and dipped the needle into the purple fluid, his steps unhurried and measured as he approached, Jessie had to fight back the urge to whimper; she had never felt so helpless in her entire life. Desperately, she struggled against Serperior's binds, but what little progress she managed to make was immediately undone when Donovan planted his boot on the small of her back.
"Now then," he said, "let's reiterate your most difficult lessons, shall we?" Abruptly, he lifted his foot, and Serperior's vines flipped Jessie onto her back just in time for Donovan to place his heel on her stomach before bending down over her legs. "Firstly, a proper idol doesn't bend her knees more than thirty degrees while walking."
White-hot pain erupted on Jessie's left knee as the needle went in, then her right knee; as with Serperior's beatings, the speed and precision with which Donovan stuck her with the toxin made it clear he'd done this before.
"A proper idol doesn't clench her fists," he said, twisting around and grasping her wrist, and this time she watched the purple-stained needle go into the back of her hand as fire exploded under her skin; he quickly let go, dipped the needle in the vial again, and repeated the pattern on her other hand before she could even react. After dipping the needle in poison again, he roughly grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head down to her chest, his boot pressing even harder into her stomach. "A proper idol," he continued, "doesn't lift her nose to be parallel to the ground or higher." His gloved hand went around behind her, and mind-numbing agony slammed through the back of her neck.
He released her, and when her head fell back, searing fire ripped through her skull; she cried out and pressed her chin back to her chest, finding that that eased the pain somewhat.
"And most importantly of all," Donovan said, bending over her and looking her in the eye, "my starlets do not raise their voices to me."
This time, instead of dipping the needle in quickly, he set it inside the vial and pinched a small rubber bubble at the back of the sharp metal that Jessie hadn't seen before; when he released his fingers, the bubble was full of purple. Shaking with terror, Jessie watched as he brought the needle to the left side of her stomach, stuck the burning metal into her skin, and squeezed the little sac.
There was nothing she could do to withhold her scream as the venom was pushed into her flesh; it felt as though she was being gutted. By the time she could catch her breath, Serperior had released her, and Donovan was putting his tools back into the metal cabinet.
"That should help you learn," he said calmly, noticing that she was coherent again. "Stand up, darling."
Scowling, Jessie mustered every last ounce of her strength and managed to drag herself up the stone wall, favoring her hands and knees as much as she could, keeping her head bowed so the spot on the back of her neck wouldn't trigger.
"Now then," Donovan smirked, stepping closer to her. "Serperior, show Jessica what will happen to her if she ever raises her voice to me again."
"Serrr," hissed the green Pokémon, and its vine struck out at her, landing squarely on the spot he'd injected her in the side.
Pain was suddenly the only sensation Jessie was aware of: her blood was acid, her bones were red-hot coals, her muscles were ripped through with shards of glass. She threw her head back and fell to her knees, and both of these actions sent fresh waves of agony blasting through her body; her fists clenched, and that caused still more pain. Every reaction her body made only meant more torture, she couldn't breathe, couldn't stop the tears from flowing, her entire being was reduced to a helpless waif that desperately wanted nothing other than escape from the pain that kept slamming into her over and over with every movement she made in an attempt to be free.
When eventually the darkness lifted, the agony receding just enough that she could remember she was even a human being, she found herself flat on her stomach on the stone floor, having somehow worked her way into a position that didn't trigger any of the venom spots. She was shaking, choking for breath, her face drenched with tears and sweat; cracking her eyelids, she was met with the sight of Donovan Star's princely face, a smile twisting his perfect lips.
"Let me go," she choked. "I don't want this anymore."
"I'm afraid that's not an option," he purred, his smile only widening, and he reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper, at the bottom of which her name was inscribed in black ink. "You signed a contract with me, Jessica, and your contract is for life. You're not allowed to quit, darling; you are my property now, to do with as I see fit. And I know you know that, because I made sure you read this contract before you signed it."
"You lied to me," she hissed.
"Not at all," he responded, tucking her contract away. "I told you I would make you a star, and I will. You, in return, signed your life over to me. When did I ever lie? You signed of your own free will, my dear."
Pieces were already falling into place, as Jessie slowly realized how hopeless her situation was. The more she thought about it, the more she understood just how thoroughly trapped she had allowed herself to become, and how easily. James was right… "You're not making me into a star," she hissed. "You're making me into a puppet."
"And tell me, darling," he chuckled, "what could possibly be more perfectly suited to the stage than a perfect marionette, with a perfect puppeteer pulling her strings?"
Somehow, she had expected him to at least deny what he was doing, but not only was he freely admitting it, he seemed smug about it. Jessie's eyes widened with horror, her voice failing her.
After a long, heavy minute, Donovan gave another soft chuckle.
"Oh, darling Jessica," he smirked. "You aren't the first firecracker to be enrolled here, you know…and I do so hope you won't be the last."
Suddenly, through the lingering haze of pain, she realized where she'd seen that gleam in Donovan's eyes before: it was the same look she saw in her own eyes in the mirror at the thought of doing evil deeds. Between that and his words, a cold, horrible understanding dawned on her: He's enjoying this!
"But one way or another," he went on, "they all submit in the end."
"And if they don't?" she ground out.
"Did I stutter?" he asked with a cold snicker. "My dear Jessica…they all do."
"Not me," she snarled. "I'll never submit. You just made the biggest mistake of your life, Donovan Star; I will make you pay for this."
He laughed, that charming, elegant laugh that had once rendered her hopelessly smitten, and stood up, straightening as he tugged off the gloves he'd worn to administer the toxin. Before he'd even finished laughing, and without even a tiny hint of a change in his expression, he pulled back his leg and drove the steel toe of his boot into the injection site on her stomach with all his strength, and her world exploded in agony once more.
Aside from her captor and his Serperior, the only witness to Jessie's scream was a single Rookidee perched on the windowsill outside.
~R~
The sun was high as James and Meowth made their way back to camp for lunch, empty-handed as usual. James hardly noticed. He kept scanning the sky for his informant Rookidee, unable to think of anything else. Somehow, he just knew something was wrong, his blood was running cold and his gut was churning.
"Would youse quit lookin' around like a nervous Sentret?" Meowth finally demanded of him.
"I can't," James said, looking down at the cat Pokémon with irritation. "I need to know if Jessie's okay."
"Rookidee!"
The chirp made James's head snap up, and he saw, with as much apprehension as relief, a Rookidee darting through the sky towards them.
"Hello," he said to the tiny bird Pokémon as it landed on the branch of a nearby tree. "Are you my informant?"
"Rook rook!" the Rookidee chirped.
"Dat's da one," Meowth confirmed.
"Did you see Jessie?" James asked it.
"Rook," the bird nodded.
"How is she?" James demanded, trying not to sound too desperate. "Please, tell us everything."
The Rookidee looked at Meowth, apparently realizing that the cat Pokémon would be its translator, and started chattering its name quickly.
Meowth didn't respond right away, but any trace of a smile quickly vanished from his furred face.
"Meowth?" James whispered, his heart a lump of ice in his chest. "What's it saying?"
As the Rookidee kept talking, Meowth's expression grew graver and graver. Sometimes, the cat Pokémon actually gasped, clasping his paws to his mouth, eyes wide in horror, and once or twice, he even exclaimed out loud. Not being privy to the conversation, James felt his irritation rising.
"Meowth, what's going on?!" he shouted at the Pokémon.
Finally, the Rookidee stopped talking, and Meowth turned to look up at James.
"It's bad, James," he said gravely. "You were right. Jessie needs our help."
"Sparkling angel, I couldn't see your dark intentions, your feelings for me. Fallen angel, tell me why? What is the reason, the thorn in your eye?" - Angels, Within Temptation