Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I didn't feel like bothering with one earlier, but it has been weighing on my conscious that I should, so here it is, although I hate disclaimers. I do not and never will own anything having to do with Pokemon. Pokemon and all its relations belong to Satoshi Somebody, Nintendo, 4Kids, and a bunch of other rich people making money off of people's obsessions. Anyway......enjoy this next installment!

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"Shit! James, dis is not good, dis is not good at all! She can't pass out now! We could lose her! Damnit, James! How could we have been so stupid?! We should have known dat dere was poison in dose arrows! We should have known! We just have ta keep her wounds clean and try ta keep her breathing-," Meowth was raving on once he noticed that Jessie had passed out into James' arms. He then looked into James' swollen watery emerald eyes, which pleaded for the world to be perfect and for this all to be one big dream that he would wake up from soon. Meowth hated to be the one to break it to James, but he had to state the possibility of......of......... "James......James, she might not make it......," Meowth tried, observing James' features to check if he should continue. "We have to think of what could happen. Jess is in a fatal situation.......if she doesn't get the help she needs........if we can't help her...........," Meowth choked back his sobs, ".......she won't make it." Meowth finished and started crying to himself silently, he didn't want James to be more upset, and it was Meowth's turn to be the leader for a change.

"I know, Meowth." James replied to Meowth with a calm voice and then, after quickly wiping at his eyes, began tending to Jessie's wounds. He would check every few seconds to make sure that Jess was still breathing. He had reason to be paranoid.......he and Meowth had no idea what that poison would do or how it would affect her body. They also had no idea who had shot the arrow. Questions could be answered later, though, but Jessie needed help now, so James told Meowth to put some more logs on the dimming fire in the humble fireplace. He knew very well that Jessie could leave any second now, and it scared the hell out of him. He had never been alone since he met her all those so-far-away years at Pokemon Technical. The loud crackling of fire broke James out of his thoughts as Meowth added fuel to their source of light and heat. James could now see that it was dark outside and he could only see the last traces of light through the window of the cabin.

James turned his attention back to Jessie. He had her shoulder bandaged up as properly as could and had put her in a clean shirt that Meowth had found in the dresser of one bedroom.

"Meowth, take a look at the arrows. See if you can't find anything out from them." James ordered to Meowth in a flat tone. Now that his emotional outbreaks were under control for the most part, he had his mind set on one thing, and one thing only--helping Jessie and getting revenge. He had never wanted revenge before. But now he was wishing to taste it, to revel in its sweet bliss and torture, to cause it, be one with it. These new feelings were confusing him, for on one side, he felt only the deepest love for his partner, and on the other, he felt a burning hatred and need for revenge for whoever did this on the other. Brushing all horrid thoughts from his mind, temporarily, he looked to see Meowth sniffing the arrows and examining them.

"What did you find? Do you know anything more?" James queried.

"I can barely smell someting , almost.......familiar........I can't place my nose on it dough..........but I know I recognize da slight scent from somewhere.........," Meowth stated, before continuing. "And da venom, poison substance.......it ain't from any Pokemon, it was created by humans. Dat is all I know, James."

"Hhhmmmmm......," James tried to think of anything that would aid in finding clues about the arrows. He had no ideas. "Thank you anyway, Meowth." Meowth watched as James went back to stroking Jessie's cheek and making sure she was still breathing. Her breaths were deep and strained somewhat, but she was still breathing, and that was all James and Meowth could hope for at this point.

"James, why don't you go eat someting? Or at least use the restroom? You need to walk around. If you're up ta it, ya might as well get more firewood before it's completely dark," Meowth suggested. "You should get at least some sleep as well, also, James. It won't do any good ta Jessie if she needs ya, and ya are a wreck! I'll watch over her for a while. Don't worry, I'll wake come get ya or wake ya if da need arises," finished Meowth. James was tired and it showed on his face.

"But-," James tried to protest, but Meowth gave him a look that advised otherwise. Knowing that refusing Meowth's advise would be inevitable, he relieved himself, found a bit of stale cereal in a cupboard in the small kitchen, and then headed over to check on Jessie.

"She's doing the same, James. Go get some rest or some firewood if ya don't want ta sleep right now. I'll watch her. Go on," Meowth won the fight again. James sighed after kissing Jessie's pale forehead tenderly before stepping out into the darkness that matched his mood. James rubbed his hands over his arms in an attempt to stay warm. Tonight was a cold night.

It was pitch black by this time, and the stars shone brightly in contrast with the sky. The moon was a slender crescent and seemed to be suspended from a string at its top point. Night sounds were emitted from all around from insects and small critters of the night. Picking up the few pieces of wood around the cabin, James decided to venture into the woods a little farther, he could still carry a few more logs in his arms. As he walked a little deeper into the forest, he noticed that he could see his own breath in front of him. He hoped that Jessie and Meowth were warm inside the cabin. As he bent down to pick up the last piece of wood that would fit in his arms, his blood ran cold and adrenaline pumped through his brain with a fight or flight response. A branch had snapped a few feet behind him...........

TBC..............

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