Chapter 14: Meowth's Dilemma
Meowth stared at the trap door in silence for hours. Part of him wanted to go down there and find James but there was another part of him telling him to wait. If Meowth went down there now without any back up he might make the situation worse. Yet the cat longed to see if James was ok. Who knew what those men were doing to him? Meowth walked away from the shrine telling himself that it would be foolish to go down into the Darkness's base without Jesse, Cally and Cassidy. Thinking of them made Meowth start to wonder about Cally. Where the hell had she got a gun? Cally had acted so fast and had changed so quickly. Meowth couldn't imagine his friend holding a gun let alone firing one. Now he thought about it Cally did remind Meowth of someone but he was not sure whom. It was getting dark now. Meowth shivered and looked round the forest nervously. He wasn't sure he could find his way out in the dark. His thought turned again to James. He must be frightened too. Meowth then made the decision. If he went and got Jesse now and James was hurt or worse they had killed him then Meowth would have brought her here and it would destroy her. Meowth bite his lip knowing that if James were dead then he would rather tell Jesse than bring her here to see the body. Meowth opened up the trap door and climbed down the steps and into the base. It became a little lighter with the oil lamps along the walls but Meowth still felt uneasy. It was so quiet down here and the only sound that could be heard was his breathing. The corridor he was now walking down might just have well have gone on forever. This place must stretch right underneath the Ilex Forest Meowth said to himself. There were doors on either side of the corridor but each one was locked. There's no one about because they think no one will discover them Meowth realised recalling that even in Team Rocket Giovanni had night patrols in the HQ. Meowth could also smell other Pokemon. After a few more minutes he found a door that was unlocked. Meowth pushed it open and crept inside. The room was set out like a Pokemon centre with a small treatment room at the back of it. But unlike a Pokemon centre there were some cages in one corner. Meowth crept closer and saw that in one of those cages was Victreebell. The plant screamed happily when it saw Meowth. "Be quiet!" Meowth hissed in panic. He was glad to see Victreebell too but they couldn't be caught. When no one came Meowth attempted to pick the lock on the cage. After a few minutes (and a few broken claws) Meowth gave up and asked Victreebell where James was. The plant didn't know but said that this girl fed it and was going to take it to the Pokemon Centre tomorrow. This was not what Meowth wanted to hear. What if they had hurt James? Meowth asked Victreebell if it was being treated ok. It replied yes and this decided for Meowth what he was going to do. "Let dem take yous to da Pokemon centre" Meowth instructed "I am going ta find Jimmy"
Victreebell was not happy about being left but Meowth knew he had to find James and get him out of here. The cat promised that no matter what he would get Jesse to collect Victreebell from the Pokemon centre the same day and with that he left the room. Meowth felt bad leaving his friend but Victreebell did not seem to be in any danger and James and Butch were. Meowth paused realising that this was the first time he had thought about Butch at all. What did they want him for? Meowth recalled what Officer Jenny had told them. They were killing anyone without a TM in them! Now Meowth had a terrible dilemma. Both James and Butch were in danger but who should he look for first? His heart was telling him to look for James, as James was his friend. But Meowth's head was telling him that Butch was in more danger. I don't care what happens to Butch, Meowth told himself recalling what they did to him but he knew this was not true. How could he go after James when they could be killing Butch? But what if he went after Butch and James died because of it? Or should he do nothing and go and call Jesse? Meowth chose the fourth option. He was going to look all round this HQ and not look for either of them. If James and Butch were alive then he would find them.
Whilst Meowth was in the HQ Jesse, Cally and Cassidy had reached New Bark Town. It was dark now and Cally wanted to find a place to stay for the night. "If we keep going we can get to Violet City," she was saying as Cassidy parked the car and got out. "There is nothing here, not even a Pokemon Centre"
"Exactly" Jesse said reaching into her backpack and locating her torch. "This is the perfect place for a criminal gang to hide out".
Cally sighed "Jesse I think we should find a place to stay"
"What so you can call you're police friends?" Jesse snapped her eyes blazing in anger. "Never"
"Jesse I am not going to call anyone" Cally shot back meeting her gaze. "I do care about you and Jim if I didn't then I would not have come so willingly"
"No you don't" Jesse shouted. "We only care for each other. I knew all along we shouldn't trust you and I was right". This was a lie but Jesse was hurting. She was terrified that she would never see James and Meowth again and the fact that Cally had lied to her was an added blow. Jesse's world was falling down around her and she was desperately trying to keep it all together again. This was one battle that she could not win. She fought back the tears that were starting to fall, turning away so Cassidy and Cally wouldn't see her cry. "Jesse" Cally put a hand on her shoulder "We will find them".
"No we won't" Jesse sniffed at last giving into the tears. "I don't even know where to look. James could be dead already and when they find Meowth they'll kill him too."
"We will find them," Cally repeated.
"This is not Team Rocket!" Jesse shouted. "When it was Giovanni I knew where to look. I didn't know if I would reach James in time but I knew where he would be if he was alive! They could be anywhere in Johto. How the hell do we know where to look?"
"We don't" Cassidy said softly. "But we have an advantage that normal people would not have. We were in a criminal gang. We can think like one. Now Cally is right that New Bark Town is too small to have a HQ and you are right by saying it would be the perfect place because no one would suspect it. But Jess can you honestly think of a place where a gang could hide out here?"
"No" Jesse admitted.
"Then we should head on for Violet City and check into a hotel for the night" Cassidy said. "Then in the morning we can check out Violet City then if we find nothing go onto Azalea Town". Jesse wanted to protest but supposing Cassidy and Cally were right? They would waste time here but if they were wrong.but her outburst had drained the fight in Jesse and she meekly agreed and got back into the car. Cassidy let Cally drive and sat in the back this time with Jesse. Cassidy closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She was hurting just as much as Jesse was at the thought of loosing the one she loved but Cassidy's thoughts were darker than Jesse's. The Darkness wanted Butch for something too and she was sure it had to do with his sickness lately. What if there was something seriously wrong with Butch? The Darkness was cruel and would never get the help he needed. Cassidy kept her eyes tightly shut so neither Jesse or Cally would see her tears.
Jesse was woke when her mobile phone started ringing. They had booked into a hotel in Violet City as Cassidy had suggested. Jesse was amazed that she had got any sleep at all. On the bed next to her Cally was still sleeping soundly. Cassidy was in the next room so Jesse had no idea if she was awake or asleep. As Jesse rolled over and reached for her phone she looked down at the photo of James had set on her pillow and looked at as she drifted off to sleep last night. It had been taken the day he got out of hospital. Jesse had still been concerned for him but James had assured her that he was fine. They hadn't even had a place to live back then and ended up at the local Pokemon Centre whilst Officer Jenny sorted something out. They had taken each other's photo as a reminder that this was their fresh start. Some fresh start Jesse thought bitterly. Their fresh start had been built on lies. And now look what had happened. "Damn you why couldn't you have been honest?" Jesse whispered looking tenderly at the photo. This felt so familiar. It was the same as before. Her James was gone and she had to rescue him. Again he was in danger of being used for Future Sight and there wasn't a thing Jesse could do to help him! A single tear slid down her cheek as she tore her gaze from the photo and picked up her phone. Jesse just wanted to hold him again. That was all she wanted. She had never felt so helpless before. The ringing of the phone was starting to annoy her now. "Yes" she answered it rather irritably.
"Jess where have ya been?"
"Meowth!" Jesse cried then quietening her voice so not to wake Cally. "Where have you been?" she hissed throwing on a jumper and going out into the corridor to speak.
"I know where da Darkness's HQ is," Meowth said. "I was dare an hour ago. I had a look for Jim but I couldn't find him"
"Then where is he?" Jesse cried.
"Dat doesn't mean he isn't dare" Meowth explained that half of the doors in HQ were locked and calling out would have attracted attention.
"I tink we should tell da police" Meowth was saying now. "Let dem take it from here Jess. A rescue mission would make tings worse"
"No" Jesse said thinking again of Cally's betrayal not that she was going to tell Meowth just yet. "If the police try to help then they could make matters worse. Where are you?"
Meowth was silent for a few minutes. "I can't tell yous dat Jess. Look I love yous and Jimmy more dan anything in da world but.It would hurt to loose James but if I lost ya both. I'm not gonna put yous in danger again Jesse. We tell da police. I can't tell yous where da HQ is. I'm sorry" Jesse felt her blood boil at this. Meowth knew how much James meant to her and how risky and messy getting police help was. Then again she and James would have been dead if the police hadn't have helped before. "Ok" she said at length. "But I need to know where the HQ is in order to tell the police."
"Azalea Town" Meowth said. "I'll be in da Pokemon Centre. I found James' Victreebell dare. Nurse Joy says some girl brought it in. I'll give da police da actual location"
"You don't trust me"
"Nope" Meowth said sadly. "Yous don't hate Meowth do yous?"
"Never" Jesse replied as the phone went dead. She got dressed hurriedly and went to Cassidy's room and told her what Meowth said. Cassidy agreed with Jesse. Police involvement was not an option.
"We'll talk to the gang leader or something" Jesse said determinedly "Maybe we can make a deal with them." Jesse didn't honestly believe any leader would want to trade but she had to have hope. Leaving Cally sleeping in the room they left for Azalea Town.
Meowth paced round the Pokemon Centre wondering what to do. He should never have told Jesse even what town he was in. He wouldn't be surprised if she turned up with Cally and Cassidy with some crazy plan to storm the HQ and get James and Butch themselves. Part of Meowth did want this to be what happened. If he was honest he wanted a fight. Meowth smiled at the thought of them working together and bring down another dangerous criminal gang. But that would be gambling with the lives of his friends and that was one thing Meowth never wanted to do again.
Meowth stared at the trap door in silence for hours. Part of him wanted to go down there and find James but there was another part of him telling him to wait. If Meowth went down there now without any back up he might make the situation worse. Yet the cat longed to see if James was ok. Who knew what those men were doing to him? Meowth walked away from the shrine telling himself that it would be foolish to go down into the Darkness's base without Jesse, Cally and Cassidy. Thinking of them made Meowth start to wonder about Cally. Where the hell had she got a gun? Cally had acted so fast and had changed so quickly. Meowth couldn't imagine his friend holding a gun let alone firing one. Now he thought about it Cally did remind Meowth of someone but he was not sure whom. It was getting dark now. Meowth shivered and looked round the forest nervously. He wasn't sure he could find his way out in the dark. His thought turned again to James. He must be frightened too. Meowth then made the decision. If he went and got Jesse now and James was hurt or worse they had killed him then Meowth would have brought her here and it would destroy her. Meowth bite his lip knowing that if James were dead then he would rather tell Jesse than bring her here to see the body. Meowth opened up the trap door and climbed down the steps and into the base. It became a little lighter with the oil lamps along the walls but Meowth still felt uneasy. It was so quiet down here and the only sound that could be heard was his breathing. The corridor he was now walking down might just have well have gone on forever. This place must stretch right underneath the Ilex Forest Meowth said to himself. There were doors on either side of the corridor but each one was locked. There's no one about because they think no one will discover them Meowth realised recalling that even in Team Rocket Giovanni had night patrols in the HQ. Meowth could also smell other Pokemon. After a few more minutes he found a door that was unlocked. Meowth pushed it open and crept inside. The room was set out like a Pokemon centre with a small treatment room at the back of it. But unlike a Pokemon centre there were some cages in one corner. Meowth crept closer and saw that in one of those cages was Victreebell. The plant screamed happily when it saw Meowth. "Be quiet!" Meowth hissed in panic. He was glad to see Victreebell too but they couldn't be caught. When no one came Meowth attempted to pick the lock on the cage. After a few minutes (and a few broken claws) Meowth gave up and asked Victreebell where James was. The plant didn't know but said that this girl fed it and was going to take it to the Pokemon Centre tomorrow. This was not what Meowth wanted to hear. What if they had hurt James? Meowth asked Victreebell if it was being treated ok. It replied yes and this decided for Meowth what he was going to do. "Let dem take yous to da Pokemon centre" Meowth instructed "I am going ta find Jimmy"
Victreebell was not happy about being left but Meowth knew he had to find James and get him out of here. The cat promised that no matter what he would get Jesse to collect Victreebell from the Pokemon centre the same day and with that he left the room. Meowth felt bad leaving his friend but Victreebell did not seem to be in any danger and James and Butch were. Meowth paused realising that this was the first time he had thought about Butch at all. What did they want him for? Meowth recalled what Officer Jenny had told them. They were killing anyone without a TM in them! Now Meowth had a terrible dilemma. Both James and Butch were in danger but who should he look for first? His heart was telling him to look for James, as James was his friend. But Meowth's head was telling him that Butch was in more danger. I don't care what happens to Butch, Meowth told himself recalling what they did to him but he knew this was not true. How could he go after James when they could be killing Butch? But what if he went after Butch and James died because of it? Or should he do nothing and go and call Jesse? Meowth chose the fourth option. He was going to look all round this HQ and not look for either of them. If James and Butch were alive then he would find them.
Whilst Meowth was in the HQ Jesse, Cally and Cassidy had reached New Bark Town. It was dark now and Cally wanted to find a place to stay for the night. "If we keep going we can get to Violet City," she was saying as Cassidy parked the car and got out. "There is nothing here, not even a Pokemon Centre"
"Exactly" Jesse said reaching into her backpack and locating her torch. "This is the perfect place for a criminal gang to hide out".
Cally sighed "Jesse I think we should find a place to stay"
"What so you can call you're police friends?" Jesse snapped her eyes blazing in anger. "Never"
"Jesse I am not going to call anyone" Cally shot back meeting her gaze. "I do care about you and Jim if I didn't then I would not have come so willingly"
"No you don't" Jesse shouted. "We only care for each other. I knew all along we shouldn't trust you and I was right". This was a lie but Jesse was hurting. She was terrified that she would never see James and Meowth again and the fact that Cally had lied to her was an added blow. Jesse's world was falling down around her and she was desperately trying to keep it all together again. This was one battle that she could not win. She fought back the tears that were starting to fall, turning away so Cassidy and Cally wouldn't see her cry. "Jesse" Cally put a hand on her shoulder "We will find them".
"No we won't" Jesse sniffed at last giving into the tears. "I don't even know where to look. James could be dead already and when they find Meowth they'll kill him too."
"We will find them," Cally repeated.
"This is not Team Rocket!" Jesse shouted. "When it was Giovanni I knew where to look. I didn't know if I would reach James in time but I knew where he would be if he was alive! They could be anywhere in Johto. How the hell do we know where to look?"
"We don't" Cassidy said softly. "But we have an advantage that normal people would not have. We were in a criminal gang. We can think like one. Now Cally is right that New Bark Town is too small to have a HQ and you are right by saying it would be the perfect place because no one would suspect it. But Jess can you honestly think of a place where a gang could hide out here?"
"No" Jesse admitted.
"Then we should head on for Violet City and check into a hotel for the night" Cassidy said. "Then in the morning we can check out Violet City then if we find nothing go onto Azalea Town". Jesse wanted to protest but supposing Cassidy and Cally were right? They would waste time here but if they were wrong.but her outburst had drained the fight in Jesse and she meekly agreed and got back into the car. Cassidy let Cally drive and sat in the back this time with Jesse. Cassidy closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She was hurting just as much as Jesse was at the thought of loosing the one she loved but Cassidy's thoughts were darker than Jesse's. The Darkness wanted Butch for something too and she was sure it had to do with his sickness lately. What if there was something seriously wrong with Butch? The Darkness was cruel and would never get the help he needed. Cassidy kept her eyes tightly shut so neither Jesse or Cally would see her tears.
Jesse was woke when her mobile phone started ringing. They had booked into a hotel in Violet City as Cassidy had suggested. Jesse was amazed that she had got any sleep at all. On the bed next to her Cally was still sleeping soundly. Cassidy was in the next room so Jesse had no idea if she was awake or asleep. As Jesse rolled over and reached for her phone she looked down at the photo of James had set on her pillow and looked at as she drifted off to sleep last night. It had been taken the day he got out of hospital. Jesse had still been concerned for him but James had assured her that he was fine. They hadn't even had a place to live back then and ended up at the local Pokemon Centre whilst Officer Jenny sorted something out. They had taken each other's photo as a reminder that this was their fresh start. Some fresh start Jesse thought bitterly. Their fresh start had been built on lies. And now look what had happened. "Damn you why couldn't you have been honest?" Jesse whispered looking tenderly at the photo. This felt so familiar. It was the same as before. Her James was gone and she had to rescue him. Again he was in danger of being used for Future Sight and there wasn't a thing Jesse could do to help him! A single tear slid down her cheek as she tore her gaze from the photo and picked up her phone. Jesse just wanted to hold him again. That was all she wanted. She had never felt so helpless before. The ringing of the phone was starting to annoy her now. "Yes" she answered it rather irritably.
"Jess where have ya been?"
"Meowth!" Jesse cried then quietening her voice so not to wake Cally. "Where have you been?" she hissed throwing on a jumper and going out into the corridor to speak.
"I know where da Darkness's HQ is," Meowth said. "I was dare an hour ago. I had a look for Jim but I couldn't find him"
"Then where is he?" Jesse cried.
"Dat doesn't mean he isn't dare" Meowth explained that half of the doors in HQ were locked and calling out would have attracted attention.
"I tink we should tell da police" Meowth was saying now. "Let dem take it from here Jess. A rescue mission would make tings worse"
"No" Jesse said thinking again of Cally's betrayal not that she was going to tell Meowth just yet. "If the police try to help then they could make matters worse. Where are you?"
Meowth was silent for a few minutes. "I can't tell yous dat Jess. Look I love yous and Jimmy more dan anything in da world but.It would hurt to loose James but if I lost ya both. I'm not gonna put yous in danger again Jesse. We tell da police. I can't tell yous where da HQ is. I'm sorry" Jesse felt her blood boil at this. Meowth knew how much James meant to her and how risky and messy getting police help was. Then again she and James would have been dead if the police hadn't have helped before. "Ok" she said at length. "But I need to know where the HQ is in order to tell the police."
"Azalea Town" Meowth said. "I'll be in da Pokemon Centre. I found James' Victreebell dare. Nurse Joy says some girl brought it in. I'll give da police da actual location"
"You don't trust me"
"Nope" Meowth said sadly. "Yous don't hate Meowth do yous?"
"Never" Jesse replied as the phone went dead. She got dressed hurriedly and went to Cassidy's room and told her what Meowth said. Cassidy agreed with Jesse. Police involvement was not an option.
"We'll talk to the gang leader or something" Jesse said determinedly "Maybe we can make a deal with them." Jesse didn't honestly believe any leader would want to trade but she had to have hope. Leaving Cally sleeping in the room they left for Azalea Town.
Meowth paced round the Pokemon Centre wondering what to do. He should never have told Jesse even what town he was in. He wouldn't be surprised if she turned up with Cally and Cassidy with some crazy plan to storm the HQ and get James and Butch themselves. Part of Meowth did want this to be what happened. If he was honest he wanted a fight. Meowth smiled at the thought of them working together and bring down another dangerous criminal gang. But that would be gambling with the lives of his friends and that was one thing Meowth never wanted to do again.