"…it was a brilliant plan," Boris said. "All
Team members would have the ability to change into a pokèmorph and back into a
human during missions. We found the
essential ingredients in a rather ridiculous idea of a place. We did not even
know if the place truly existed. Have you ever hear of Jusenkyo, Jessie?"
"It sounds familiar," Jessie
replied, thinking of the weird comic books she read as a child featuring a
teenager by the name of Ramna Saotome. "Isn't that the legendary cursed
training grounds full of cursed springs?"
"Yes, I am glad you know of the place I am
talking about; it saves a lot of time. As you know, it is located in the
mountains, in the Quing Hai Province in
China. As you have mentioned, falling
into one of its many cursed springs would turn you into whoever-or whatever-
drowned there last. Of course, the
transformation only happens when you are doused with cold water and then it is
reversed with hot water until the next time..."
"You mean to tell me that place
is real?" Jessie gasped. "Was
Ramna Saotome a true victim of the springs?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not. I have never heard of him. In any case, Team Rocket scouts found the
location of the springs and among the various springs for people and animals,
there were ones for drowned pokèmon. It
took months, perhaps years, but they eventually found the Spring of Drowned
Ditto, the amorphous blob-like pokèmon with the ability to shape-shift into any
form."
"I don't understand. If water from the Spring of Drowned Ditto
was used, wouldn't I still be half human? Would I need to take a hot bath to
change back? But that wouldn't work since Xavier-the assistant- told me they
couldn't figure out how to change people back," Jessie spouted out.
"Yes, it is true we used the
water from the cursed spring, but we also added Ditto DNA to the solution - to
cancel out the hot/cold water treatment, thus the subject is supposed to change
forms at their own will. Now, before
you ask why we simply didn't use the Ditto DNA by itself, it is because of the
rate of rejection the human body has towards it. It was just too high. However, the water of the cursed springs cannot be rejected."
"But were we required to drink
the solution or did they inject it into us? Or did they submerge us into it?"
Jessie asked again.
"I really can not say for
sure. Many methods have been tested and
it is quite random how a person responds to each method," Boris said. "In addition, the DNA of the intended member
was taken and mixed in with a non-reactive gel to insure stability. So in a way, you are a human Ditto who takes
on only the form of a pokèmon of the type you most represent and only that one.
"We don't know why, perhaps it
is just a fluke. Obviously, you are
most representative of the fire type, explaining why you are in the form of a
Flareon. I've heard your name often
enough in the Labs for years. You are a
stubborn, fiery young woman, aren't you? Flareon do tend to be hard to train
and are always fashionable, licking and combing their tufts of hair into
different, distinct styles. Of course,
you did not have a choice about it. It
all depended on your true nature how you would turn out, just as how people
turn out in the end." Boris pauses, seeing Jessie was becoming a bit impatient
and he decides to move on. "We found
out how to get people to transform; we just never found out how to unlock the
secrets of changing the subject back into a human."
Jessie's mind was full of
questions and it was hard to keep herself from asking them all at once. It was hard enough to comprehend most of the
incoming information as it was and the buzzing that had started a while before
did not make it any better. Without
warning, Jessie clutched her head and screamed with pain.
~
"Did Jezebelle get our message yet?" Sarah asked. David shook his head.
"The servants at the manor replied that she's on a trip in France; out of contact at the moment. She won't be back for some time," David replied.
"So…we just keep Jessie alive until then?"
"I guess. But who said we had to merely keep her alive? I want to see how far we can push the subject…seeing if she is able to change back on her own," David exclaimed. "We'd get quite a raise, don't you think?"
"Uh-huh…" Sarah said, a bit bored. "And you say this while she's building up her pokèmon powers. You do know that Jezebelle's team tried this before with one and the subject died under the strain."
"Well, it would be quite a breakthrough if my theories are correct. I've already given her some medication to help her bear it." David reached to the dial and turned up the power of the device. A sudden shattering of glass turned both scientists' attention to the indoor window behind them.
~
The endless buzzing in Jessie's
brain was becoming unbearable and it took all her mental strength to keep it
from driving her mad. All Natasha and
Boris could do was to watch their friend tumble into the depths of
despair. Without warning, Jessie cried
aloud, her choked sobs clawing their way into the empty void around her. Her body racked with sobs as she started to
feel the buzzing nudge its way into her mind and an immense, unexplainable,
bitter sadness choking her heart. The
pain in her heart was the worst to feel, as if her heart was going to rip apart
into thousands of fragments, unable to withstand the wretched emotions. Her very soul was dying within her. Death would be most preferable to this
torture, which was pushing her to the point of endurance. Tears cascaded down
her cheeks and floated off in the dark mass like glittering diamonds.
"Jessie!" a voice called out. The
voice gave her strength and she started fighting back again for her life though
not knowing why.
"Hang in there, Jessie…" Boris
whispered. Natasha squeezed Boris' arm tightly.
Then the buzzing stopped
altogether and Jessie slumped down, mentally exhausted and still
half-sobbing.
The buzzing did not return. She
then heard the seal at the top of her chamber open and felt a cool breeze as
air rushed in. Bubbles surrounded her
as she felt herself being lifted as if by a pair of invisible hands.
What is happening? Where am I
going? She thought.
"Jessie! Thank God you are still
alive!" the voice called again closer
this time.
"You are going to be in safe
hands now, Jessie. Good luck. Remember what we've told you," Boris
smiled.
Boris' last message echoed with
hope and courage. He and Natasha faded
from view. Jessie smiled weakly before
she was plunged into darkness yet again.
*********
"Is she alright? Jessie? Can you hear me?" James said in a panicky voice.
"Will ya shut up already?" Meowth asked, checking to see if Jessie and James' pokèmon were intact in their pokèballs (he had found them in the Labs). "Its gonna take a while before she wakes up, you know dat."
Xavier looked nervously behind him though no one was chasing after them. Escaping from the Labs wasn't easy but they had finally managed to escape using Xavier's Pidgeot and Mondo's Ditto and the fact that the scientists weren't able to get so close to them due to James' frenzied swinging of his hand-cuffed arm at them; not wanting to get hit. They sat in the depths of a small forest in the world of Kanto, hidden in the shadows of the foreboding figures of the trees.
Mondo had quietly prepared something for the party to eat and everyone ate in silence. Xavier had warned them that Jessie needed to wake up on her own to insure her own safety.
"James, can't you eat anything right?" Meowth groaned as he ate his own shaved ice flavored with a strawberry sauce. James had an odd expression on his face as he bit into his own ice treat for he had poured soy sauce onto his portion instead of the sweet juice-like sauce. His face turned a bright mauve color and he started coughing up the nasty-tasting ice.
"So what are you going to do now, Xavier?" Mondo asked as he handed James a bottle of water.
"I really don't know. All I know is that I have to go back to Team Rocket," Xavier sighed.
"I suppose that is true. They didn't see our faces…but…what if they suspect you?" Mondo replied.
"Then I'll figure something out. It might be for the best. As of now, I don't know you." Xavier got to his feet and called out his Pidgeot before mounting. "You might want to make your way towards Jezebelle's manor. It might be of use," he said.
"What? You've got to be kidding! How would that help? I spent my whole life trying to get away from her!" James yelped in fear and without thinking.
"She has her own team of scientists who help our Team with
this Project. There might be things of
use there. I must be going." And with that, Xavier took to the
skies. James and Mondo watched the
figures of him and his Pidgeot disappear into the distance.
Meowth handed James the four pokèballs as he heard a faint moan and turned around to see Jessie open her tired blue eyes.