Truth or Dare

Six Months Later:

He hurt. Oh god, he hurt. Blood trickled down his back, sticking to his ruined shirt. He had never felt so alone, so utterly alone. There was no way Jessie or Meowth could find him. He couldn't even count on the Twerps getting lucky and stumbling on a clue that would lead them here. He gazed up at the ceiling, noting how the strong, sturdy chain swung a macabre dance, making his body sway painfully with it. He was helpless. No Growlithe to protect him. Nowhere to hide.

***

Alice stumbled. Painpainpain. Fear! Don't! Stay away! JESSIE! The sensations washed over her, images following. A woman with red hair, wielding a whip, no a blowgun, the dart whistling out, striking a dark-haired young man, who fell, unconscious to the ground. Other men, thugs really, scooping him up and into a van.

Other images, that of another red haired woman in a white uniform-like outfit, similar to the one the man was wearing, flickered in her mind. A strange, cat-like pokémon sniffed the air keenly, tugging at the worried woman's leg.

She saw a huge, dilapidated mansion block out her sight, before she fell to the ground, in the middle of the road, unconscious. Beside her, a small gray and black Pikachu licked her hand, trying to wake her. Nothing. He jerked up, his nose in the wind. Someone was coming. He stood in front of his trainer in a defensive posture, his eyes glowing with a weird light.

Jessie raced down the road leading out of the small village, following Meowth. She was worried. James was missing, he didn't meet her at their motel room. When she went looking for him, she had found a couple of people who said they saw a woman and some men pick him up and shove him in a van.

The description of the woman matched Jesibell. This was the woman who had been betrothed to him and who had abused him through much of his childhood, at least before he managed to run away. She shuddered, thinking of what he may be going through at her hands.

She paused, seeing a blond-haired young woman sprawled unconscious in the middle of the road with a black and gray Pikachu standing in front of her, preparing to shock the hell out of anyone who came near. Meowth stopped short as well, eyeing the strange pokémon.

"Meowth?" she asked.

"Um, I wouldn't get too close Jessie. Dat pokémon looks dangerous." Meowth replied.

"Pika PI!" the little pokémon shouted. /You stay away from MY HUMAN!\

"Listen sparky, We ain't interested in your trainer. We after somtin else." Meowth replied, still keeping a respectful distance from the pair.

The Pikachu paused, snarling. "Pi, chu. Pikaaa." /You're Team Rocket. You hurt my trainer! I know you did!\

"Hurt your trainer? We never met her before." Meowth replied, sounding utterly confused.

The woman in question moaned softly, holding her head as she got up. "Perrin, enough. They didn't do anything." Alice told the belligerent pokémon.

"Pi, PikaChu?" it asked her. /Are you alright?\

"Not really, but I'll live."

"This is all really rather interesting, but I need to leave," Jessie said impatiently. Trainers. Who can figure them out. This one seems odder than most.

Alice blinked, eyes focusing as the other pair got closer. She recognized the woman in her dream, vision? "Jessie?" she blurted.

The other woman paused and looked at her suspiciously. "How did you know my name?"

"Listen, that's not important. I think I can help you find your friend." Alice told her urgently.

"James? How? I mean, how do you know…"

Alice shrugged. "I'm psychic."

"Prove it," Jessie snarled. "I don't have the time…"

Alice's eyes glowed with the same weird light as her pokémon's. Meowth screeched as he found himself floating ten feet above the ground. As the light faded from her eyes, the rather startled feline drifted gracefully to the ground.

"Satisfied?" Alice asked sarcastically.

"Yeah. Alright. You want to help fine." Jessie replied. "But, if you do, you may get into a lot of trouble, trouble you probably can't afford to get into."

Alice shrugged. "I'm already in trouble. It doesn't matter. I can't let that guy get hurt, not if I can stop it."

Jessie nodded, extending her hand. Alice gripped it and was pulled to her feet. Alice motioned for Jessie, Meowth and Perrin to follow her.

"So, does your trainer do that often?" Meowth asked.

"Pika," Perrin replied tiredly. /With distressing regularity.\

***

 "So you're saying that you woke up out of a coma nearly six months ago and have been on the run ever since?" Jessie asked curiously. "From who?"

"Don't have a clue. Almost as soon as I was able to walk properly, the hospital was hit by terrorists. Perrin got me out and we've been one step ahead of them. So, like I said before, helping you won't change the amount of trouble I'm in."

"Well. You're willing to help us, that's all that matters I guess," Jessie shrugged. "Can you find James?"

"Easy," Alice assured her, taking her hand. "Now relax. Close your eyes, form a picture of James in your mind,"

As Jessie obeyed, Alice reached into the older woman's mind, surprised at the depth of feeling she had for the missing man. "Concentrate. Reach out, touch him." Alice commanded, her eyes beginning to glow with a strange light.

They found themselves in a basement. They heard a faint clanking noise. In the darkness, a chain swung slowly. Hanging from it was a young man with purple hair. His face was horribly bruised; his chest scored with dozens of welts and cuts. His back was a red ruin; his arms stained with crusted blood.

"James!" Jessie cried, running to him

The scene canted crazily, dipping and churning. They found themselves hovering over a house, a dilapidated mansion really, surrounded by familiar woods. Then they were violently thrown back into their bodies.

Jessie gasped, crying softly. Alice held her gently, her face a mask of worry. "Pikkaaa?" /What's wrong?\ Perrin asked softly.

"James is in bad, bad trouble Perrin. I think he's dying." Alice murmured.

"Chu!" Perrin stated, holding out its paws. /Take hold. I will take us to him!\

"Jessie, take hold of Perrin's paw, Meowth, take hold of mine and Perrin's." Alice told them softly. "We're going on a ride,"

"Oh man, I hate teleportin!" Meowth grumbled as he gripped Alice's and Perrin's hand.

With a small popping noise, the four adventurer's disappeared from the small clearing.