-Part III- Capture
"James, what is the matter with ya?! One minute you're fuming mad and the other, you're moping as if your heart was broke! I know dat you're worried but Jessie's a tough goil, she wouldn't have done DAT," Meowth was getting impatient with James.
"But what if she did, Meowth? It would have been MY fault. I pushed her to the edge, I was the straw that broke the Tauros' back. You would know how I feel if you were the one to blame," James turned away and drank his coffee, not even noticing how scalding hot it was. Meowth sweatdropped.
"Um…how bout we go an' get something to eats? Meowth is hungry," James threw the coffee cup at Meowth, missing him by an inch. Fragments flew everywhere as James stomped off into the bedroom again. As Meowth started sweeping up the pieces, he heard subdued crying from the room.
"He's cracked…" Meowth muttered to himself.
*******
"I am tired, Ash. Can't we set up camp here?" Misty groaned. Only Ash was still walking proudly and happily on the trail.
"Aww, darn it, Misty! We're almost at the next town!"
"But Ash, its at least eight miles away! We're tired!" Misty argued.
"But-" Ash started but saw a pair of red pointed ears in the bushes. A pair of blue eyes watched him.
"What's that?" Ash started to point his pokèdex at the animal.
"Forget it, Ash! It's a Flareon, and I am gonna catch it! Misty calls…Staryu!"
"No way! Its mine! Go, Vupix!"
"No fair! I saw it first! Squirtle, I choose you!"
All three pokèmon dived for the bush in search of the Flareon. Jessie leapt out of the bushes in time and the three had a head-on collision.
"Staryu! Water gun!" Misty commanded.
"You-AARE!" Jessie's eyes widened. Xavier's warning had been true. No matter how hard she tried as she dodged the attacks, she failed to speak in "human language".
"Was it just me or did it just TALK?" Ash scratched his head. "Sounded like Jessie."
"Probably your imagination again. Vulpix, quick attack!" Brock shouted.
"VUL!" Vulpix slammed into Jessie's side.
Jessie fell but quickly sprang up. If only she knew an attack! She had no time to think. Staryu slammed into her side and Jessie fell down again. Squirtle doused her with a water gun attack, making her curl in defense. It was agonizing pain. Out of the corner of her eye, Jessie spotted the Vulpix coming in for another attack.
"FLLLLAARE!" Jessie cried in pain and fear. Out from her mouth came a giant flame and it engulfed all three pokemon and made them a crispy brown. Jessie struggled to her feet, panting hard, trembling with pain, ready to take on any more attacks, willing to fight to the death before any twerp won her as a prize.
"All right! Its weak now!" Ash said.
"Pokèball go!" three red and white spheres shot from the trainers' hands, aiming for the rare pokèmon. Jessie swatted two away but one hit her smack on the forehead. Jessie felt herself de-materializing and collect in a red beam. She was sucked inside the pokèball and it slammed shut. She had no physical strength to fight her way out of the force and she gave up after a long struggle. Ash's eyes gleamed with joy as he picked up his pokèball now containing the blue-eyed treasure. He held it up to the light and started dancing around, celebrating his victory. Jessie was starting to feel sick within the pokèball.
"I caught a Flareon!" he chanted. Misty and Brock sweatdropped as Ash started running around in circles, holding the ball above his head.
"Ash! Stop gloating and help us set up camp!" Misty yelled. Ash continued to prance around as he collected the firewood. Misty and Brock sighed.
*********
Inside the pokèball, Jessie was fighting mentally to keep her own mind. Pokèmon who were successfully captured by a pokèball were subjected to the little known memory-altering mechanism inside. It depended on how strong the pokèmon was to how many badges you had earned. The more badges a trainer earned, the more powerful the mechanism was and the more likely the pokèmon would be yours to command. Since they couldn't remember who they were or where they came from after the mechanism had done its work, the pokèmon would usually do whatever its "master" commanded because they knew of nothing else. Wild Pokèmon liked being a fighter for a human as a human would be a slave under his or her own free will. Competing with the experience of eight badges, Jessie would have surly lost the battle. But Jessie was not a 100% pokèmon with a pokèmon mind. She was a human trapped in a pokèmon's body.
*********
Jessie's pokèball popped open. Ash had released her to check her out.
"Hey, Flareon!" Ash bent down and held out his hand as a gesture of friendship. Jessie looked at him puzzled.
Who was this? I know him, yet I don't… Jessie struggled to piece together the half-memories she had.
Jessie shook her head, trying to cling to the memories.
Another memory….
Jessie grew fearful as her mind focused on the sharp needle. But why?
She struggled to remember. Ash was growing concerned for his new pokèmon.
"Come on, Flare-" he reached down to pet her head.
This boy was bad. Jessie immediately bit his hand hard.
"YOOOWWW!!!"