Chapter Five
All's Fair In Love, War and…Torture?
"Absolutely not."
Jesse winced again as James gently placed another cool cloth on her back; Giovanni had really laid into her with the whip this time. Her back looked like a crossed grid, with angry red welts raised up against her creamy skin. James's piercing green eyes narrowed in sympathy as Jesse stifled another gasp as the pain ripped down her back again. Giovanni hadn't had any proof that Jesse had helped Misty escape, but Butch's testament that he saw Jesse talking to er the night before had been enough to earn her the whip.
"C'mon Jess…" James soothed as he positioned the last cloth in place and smoothed her hair out of its bun.
"I said absolutely not!" Jesse snapped, uneasily sitting up and causing some of the cloths to slide.
"Jesse - do you really want dat girl's blood on your hands?" Meowth asked tentatively. Jesse faltered for a minute.
"It won't be. We helped her get out, now she's on her own. Don't get involved, unless you two want to end up like me." James and Meowth grimaced as Jesse flashed her raw streaked back at them.
"Jess, they're gonna kill her." James said quietly.
"Why should I care? They, they should have done it a long time ago." Meowth looked thoughtful.
"Ya know youse guys, I think dat she'll be fine, as long as she doesn't go to dat Ketchum kid - cos dat's where they're gonna go first."
"Don't be silly Meowth, the girl had a total memory wipe. How could she remember who she knew?" Jesse looked uncomfortable at James's words.
"I…I think she remembered me that night." James and Meowth stopped and stared at Jesse.
"Really?" Jesse nodded.
"Well not, 'remembered' exactly; more like 'recognised.' James stood up and pulled a red rose from his pocket. Jesse and Meowth stared at him quizzically as he headed for the door.
"James, where do you think you're going?" cried Jesse. James smiled and threw Jesse the rose, which she caught perfectly.
"Pallet."
"You must be crazy."
"Wonderful isn't it?"
"I'm not coming with you, you know…"
"Don't expect it. Are you coming Meowth?"
"Sure" Meowth sighed. "Why not?"
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
Ash sat on one of Brock's plastic patio chairs and watched Misty on the grass with the Pokémon. It seemed that everything she saw held another flashback for her; especially Pikachu, who had even let Professor Oak put it in a Pokéball so it could be transported to Pewter City's Pokémon Centre. When they had gone to collect it, Misty had stared at the Nurse Joy behind the counter for a very long time, then began grinning at Brock. She had surprised them all later over lunch by recalling Brock's crushes.
Ash and Brock talked to her all day, telling her the details of her life. Her flashbacks were abstract and infrequent, and seemed to be mainly focused around Ash, who spent the entire day doting on her. These were just memories, not her memory. Brock was telling her about the time the group had been in Dark City and reformed two Gyms; one with a Scyther, one with an Electabuzz, when he noticed that her face had gone blank, and waited quietly whilst the flashback finished.
[…=START FLASHBACK=…]
"Hold it!" Ash and Misty froze, as did the three Pokémon Trainers who had been abusing a Lapras. They all stared at the dark-green haired stranger. "I just need to make some quick observations." He whipped out a notebook, and concentrated on the three Trainer's Pokémon. "Hmmm, the colouring on this Beedrill is very poor…this Spearow could stand to lose a few pounds…and it's obvious this Hitmonchan isn't getting enough exercise." The stranger then turned to Ash and Misty. "But this Pikachu's absolutely perfect! Whose is it?" Nobody answered, so Misty elbowed Ash.
"Er, mine. Pikachu belongs to me."
"It's great! Do you mind if I measure Pikachu's electricity on this machine?"
"Errrr…be careful!" The stranger began hooking up the machine.
"Okay Pikachu, can you do me a Thunder Shock?" Just then, the other Trainer's Pokémon attacked, and Pikachu shocked them…and their Trainers…and the stranger. "That…was…pretty…good." The stranger coughed before falling over.
[…=END FLASHBACK=…]
Brock watched Misty as the flashback finished. It was like watching someone wake up from a coma. Suddenly, expression returned to her face, and she frantically looked around her. Brock knew she was afraid…afraid that one day she'd wake up and be back in Viridian Forest.
"Misty? You okay?" Misty jumped up from the couch.
"Tracey?"
"Er, no. Remember Misty? I'm Brock. B. R. O…"
"I know who you are Brock…but…why do I remember the name…Tracey?"
"Calm down Myst!" laughed Ash, suddenly coming into the room. "Tracey's an old friend of ours…chill out!" He pulled Misty to him, and held her in his arms as she mulled over her new memory. Almost as soon as she had digested this new bit of information, a new memory came to her. No big flashback this time…just six simple words that had been floating around in her subconscious. She had no idea what they meant, or how they fit in to any of her old memories…so she whispered them into Ash's neck.
"To protect the world from devastation." Ash heard her, and pulled away from her so he could see her face.
"Misty? You remember Team Rocket?"
"Whaa? Team Roc…no."
"You don't remember Jesse and James?" There was a noise, and Ash whirled around to see James standing in the doorway with Meowth.
"Actually, Jesse's not here, but I can be of some service!" he giggled. Ash advanced on him menacingly.
"What do you want?" he growled. James looked surprised.
"After all this time Twerp, and after Jesse getting beaten so that Miss Twerp could get out, this is how you greet old acquaintances?"
"What do you mean?"
"He means we're the ones who got your little friend out, so watch what you say to Me-owth!" Meowth grumbled.
"We went all the way to that stinking hole in the ground of a town you live in Twerp, but you weren't there. Good thing your mum told us where you were. She's not too crafty is she?" Ash growled again, and pulled Misty even closer to him. Brock stood up.
"So what do you want from us? Congratulations? Thanks for getting her out, and sorry about Jesse, but I think it's time for you two to leave." He said firmly.
"Then I'll make this quick," James murmured as he extended his hand to Misty. She took it. "Look, you might as well know that it was partially mine and Jesse's fault that your sisters were killed, and for what happened to you. I hope you can forgive us." Misty nodded, speechless. "Even though we got you out, you're still in danger from the other Rockets." Ash's face darkened.
"You mean Butch and Cassidy?"
"No," Meowth answered. "He means them all."
"Rudi wants you dead now Misty," James said gently. "And he's sent Diana and Ross to find you and bring you to him." Misty sank to the floor, and Ash put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Fortunately, Diana and Ross don't know you twerps as well as me and Jess, so you should be safe her for a while. Only me, Jesse and Meowth know you're here, and we won't tell anyone. We promise."
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
"Such a shame to see the light in those beautiful sapphire eyes go out!" Diana mocked. Ross stood beside her, staring banefully down at the red head dying at his feet.
"Such a fool; who needs priorities when you're a Rocket member?" he sneered as he moved his foot away from the crimson puddle spreading across the floor.
"Well Jesse dear," laughed Diana, as Jesse took her last breath. "I sure hope your little partner is as loyal to that bratty girl as you are…oh sorry, were!" she corrected herself as she saw that Jesse was no longer alive. "Come on Ross. There's always James. I bet he'll fold way before that bitch and tell us where the girl is." As they turned to go, Ross aimed a kick at Jesse's bruised and battered face for good measure, then followed his partner out into the corridor.
"That's my favourite thing about being a Rocket!" he laughed. "I love torturing people. It's always worth it, even if you don't get the information!"
"Especially if you don't like the person!" Diana finished off, as the two walked laughing down the hallway.
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
The first thing Meowth and James had seen upon their return from Pewter, was the molested body of Jesse. His partner. His best friend. His life. He had quietly buried her in the woods, knowing full well the less he made of this, the better. He stood silently in the clearing where she was, and paid his final respects. He had known her, loved her, admired her since they had been kids. It wasn't fair that she had been taken from him. He now knew how Ash must have felt when they had taken Misty. James remembered back to the days before they had joined Team Rocket; he could easily see the similarities between him and Jesse and Ash and Misty. He reached down and gently stroked Meowth's head, but the Pokémon was too upset to even purr. Suddenly, James could sense something behind him.
"Hiya Jamsie!" Diana chirped at him. James turned his head away to come face to face with Ross.
"Look, Jesse wouldn't tell you and I'm not going to tell you either okay?"
"A ha!" grinned Ross. "So you do know something!" James groaned inwardly. "So do share!" Ross laughed as he brought a metal bar down onto James's head, and laughed even more when he heard the sickening crack as it made contact with his skull. James fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Ross! You idiot!" Diana shrieked. "How the hell are we supposed to get answers out of someone who's not awake!" Suddenly, she saw that the Meowth who had been standing in the clearing to had run to James's side.
"James? Buddy? Are…are you…okay? Speak to Me-owth!" Meowth stopped talking as he noticed Diana and Ross looming over him, smiling sadistically.
"So…you can talk little cat!"
"Who me? Er, no?"
"Ross? Get ready to play doctors and nurses again - just like we did with Jesse…"
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
Misty opened her eyes. Confused, she looked around. She closed her eyes again, but when they opened it was the same scene.
"Nooooooooooooooooo!" she wailed in anguish, as she realised where she was.
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
"Brock! Get up! She's gone! Misty's gone!"
"Huh?" murmured Brock sleepily.
"Misty's disappeared" Ash repeated, his voice cracking. Brock sat up. Ash was sitting on his bed, tears pouring down his face. "I woke up, and the window was open and her side of the bed was all messed up and…she was gone" Ash sobbed. Brock immediately jumped out of his bed.
"Think carefully Ash, did you say anything to her that could have upset her?"
"No Brock, they took her again! They must have taken her…she wouldn't run away." Ash stood up. "Come on Brock, we're going to Viridian Forest."
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
"Mystic, Mystic, Mystic…"
"My name is Misty" Misty spat out.
"Oooh, I see we've gained a little attitude on our vacation have we? I like it." Rudi taunted. Misty lifted her tear stained face to beg him silently with her eyes, but he wasn't that kind of person.
"How did you find me Rudi?"
"Oh don't concern yourself with that my dear - it's not important."
"Yes it is."
"Well, you know. A little concussion here, a little murder there and walla!"
"You…you hurt Jesse and James?"
"Don't take it personally."
"And now you're going to kill me."
"Pretty much."
"If that's not bloody personal then what is?"
"Temper temper."
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
"Ash, it's no use! No matter hard you push, not matter how much I breathe in, not matter how many Slim-Fast shakes I can swallow…I'm not fitting in this damn air shaft!"
"But you have to Brock! I can't go on my own."
"But you'll have to. Good luck man."
@#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~@
Rudi fingered the gun by his side, and smirked at the cowering girl before him.
"You know Mystic, I'm not really a person who kills for the sake of it…"
"Yeah, that's why you get your goons to do the murders" Misty mumbled, but he ignored her.
"…in fact, that's why you're still alive today." He suddenly jumped from his chair and grabbed her by the neck. "Do you understand!? It's up to me whether you live or die, and right now…" Rudi moved the gun to her forehead. "…I think it's time for you to die."
"Stop it!" cried Ash, who had just come crashing through the air vent on the opposite wall. This gave Misty the distraction she needed, and she kicked Rudi right where it hurts, then ran straight into Ash's arms.
"What the fuck is this?" screeched Rudi. "This is like some awful made for TV movie! No, I'm sorry Mr Hero, but you can't just barge in and save the day! Not while I'm around!" Rudi moved the gun so it was aimed at Ash. Misty pulled away from Ash, and slowly walked towards Rudi.
"Come on Rudi - you can be better than all this. Put the gun down. Please. You don't need to go down this road. Put it down. You can do it Rudi." she said softly. Rudi lowered the gun, and then his head. "There we go!" said Misty, relieved. "You can do it Rudi."
Suddenly, Rudi's head jerked back, and he grinned pitifully at Misty as he repositioned the gun for her.
"I don't think so somehow."
And suddenly, the only think Ash could hear was the screaming of his heart and the sound of two bullets departing from the gun.