Thursday, March 29th 2001

      James woke up suddenly at half eight in the morning; despite his best efforts he failed to discover the source of his momentary alarm. Perhaps it was just tension upon learning of his former fiancée's death, but his lack of open emotions had scared him—he should release some of his ill feeling before it compressed his soul too much. He wanted more than anything to lament her death, yet for some reason he couldn't express the inner torment he was presently plagued with, and the last words he'd spoken to her was when he made his promise to return to her, but now he'd never see her again. He pitied her not only for having contracted HIV in the unfortunate incident, but he remembered what a shell of a human she'd appeared as she told him they'd beaten her so hard she was incapable of having any children of her own. He willed himself to cry, but his body still refused him the ability to express any methods of showing how he felt, a slow torturous punishment that hurt him beyond redemption. He desired to go for a walk but that wasn't an option obtainable to him since he lay beside the wall, as he'd require waking Jessie up in the process if wanted to get up for any reason. He lay on his back as he stared at the bunk above him, getting the feeling that something was different, but without his glasses he was unable to verify or refute the thought, which again involved waking Jessie up to retrieve them. His throat hurt almost as much as when he'd been electrocuted but this time it bothered him more, as it probably had to do with him having company this time, or that possibly he'd just decided he enjoyed talking to his fiancée after so long apart. He felt Jessie faintly moving beside him as her body realised her lovers' arm was no longer where it had been all night, yet she failed to awaken. He smirked half-heartedly to himself as he thought about the virgin scam he'd run with the nurse, and he began to wonder what would have happened if she'd entered in the night and caught them copulating.

      He woke up to the same sight he'd fallen asleep to, and the young male felt glad he'd been granted another opportunity to watch a naked woman opposite to him, even though it created a centralising heat to spread through his loins again. He just hoped his comrades wouldn't want to leave the bedroom for quite some time, and he prayed that the woman wouldn't change directions. He'd never seen her before but he knew that if he hadn't seen her in bed with another man he'd have made her an offer she hopefully couldn't refuse. Then again, she may be loose and would move to his bed anyway, he thought to himself, even though he knew there was a high probability of her refusing straight away and calling for help. Unfortunately for the hormonal youth, she turned around and nestled against her lover's torso, only half-awake as she did so. Still, the view of her from behind wasn't bad either.

      She sleepily kissed him at the base of his neck seeing it was the only place she could stretch high enough to reach, and she awoke properly when she felt him move back involuntarily. He apologised profusely, but yet again she felt insensitive at forgetting his immense dislike of anything touching where he'd nearly received death from a sinister contraption. She rubbed her eyes to remove her longing to return to slumber as they waited for the embarrassing moment to pass, and after what she felt like the correct time had passed she straddled his hips and kissed him properly. His heart wasn't fully in his motion, but it was fully understandable to her, and although he lacked full passion, there was strength like none she'd felt before as its replacement. He felt his desire growing so he moved Jessie back a bit whilst his eyes asked her permission to go through with it, then gratitude became visible in his expression as he received an affirmative answer. She would have done almost anything in the world to ensure his happiness at that time, yet the action he chose elated her own. They kept their noise levels down for fear of the nurse hearing them, completely unaware there were three people in the room with them, and they certainly didn't know that one of them was getting off on watching them. Afterwards, she returned to her former position and asked him how he was feeling that morning, knowing that the information would have been terribly hard for him to bear. He shrugged it off and quietly revealed his body seemed to still be in a state of shock, in addition to him not knowing how he was going to last if it didn't disappear. She didn't have a sufficient opportunity to offer her sympathy as she sat forwards abruptly and clutched her stomach, terrifying James in the process.

      "Are you okay, it's not the baby is it?"

      "I don't think so, it's probably just an atrociously sore cramp"

      "Do you think it had to do with us sleeping together? You were fine a few minutes ago"

      "I hope not, I love making love with you and I don't want to go another two months without it. It'll pass in a minute, if it's anything like the other day"

      He rubbed her back gently as she fought back the pain-inflicted tears breeding in her eyes, seeking comfort in his soothing touch, and she was only able to return to her former position a good few minutes after the cramps had begun. A feeling similar to warm needles repeatedly pressing in and out of her skin ensued, but in spite of all of this she was eternally glad her baby hadn't died. She ignored the sweat her body steadily released as the overwrought moment passed, feeling sick to her gullet she'd suffered from whatever it was in the first place. The bed had undoubtedly been far comfier than the last few they'd shared, but in spite of this they hadn't enjoyed it as much as they should have done due to Jessie Belle's untimely death. Jessie glanced in the general direction of the gossamer curtain covering the average-sized window but a slight movement out of the corner caught her attention, and when she turned around properly she sat up and clutched the sheet around her throat to hide her body from the person watching them. James was instantly on edge as he saw his lover acting like she was standing in the middle of a freeway at rush hour due to the panic flooding her body. He looked over in the direction she was glaring at in a futile manner given that he wasn't wearing his glasses, and he asked her to pass them to him. She remained frozen in that position so he took the small item himself, and instead of being nervous like Jessie was, anger rebounded inside him as he comprehended the invasion of privacy his girlfriend would consider the scenario, plus he hated the thought of anyone else seeing her naked bar him.

      "What the hell do you think you're doing you pervert?"

      "I…uh, I didn't see anything I swear!"

      "Like I believe you, that's my fiancée you're leering over, so you'd better explain yourself before I knock an explanation out of you"

      "You guys are getting married?"

      "Yeah, you got a problem with it?"

      "No, it's just I had no idea. I didn't mean to disrespect either of you honestly, you have my word on it"

      "Like we're going to believe you with that one, you could at least have the decency to look away now you know. If I catch you looking towards us again for even just a second you'll regret it, and I don't make idle threats, understood?"

      "Yessir"

      James heatedly glowered at Brock to make sure he'd kept his word before motioning to Jessie she should put some clothes on if they were to have any peace. She couldn't make her body move in shock at what she'd acted as a part of, so James exasperatedly leaned over her and picked up the clothes surrounding the side of the bed with great difficulty owing to the position required to do so. He almost had to physically dress her as she refused to move her hands nor cease the affixation her eyes currently held on the teenager who'd watched her having sex, maybe he'd even watched her asleep too for all she knew. She felt easier when James put a t-shirt on her as it covered half of her areas she desired to keep hidden from all people except the one she lay beside, so accordingly she used both verbal and physical methods to thank him. He suggested they went for a walk around the town to avoid comments from Brock's travelling companions that early in the morning. She instantly agreed to his logical point of view, and once they were clothed enough to do so they left the cosy centre with most of their distemper in the bedroom.

      They returned to the same bench they'd occupied the afternoon beforehand, and once they knew they were safe and alone together, they were comfortable in showing forms of affection to each other. There were a few shopkeepers scurrying around the town to sort out their merchandise before opening hours, which left the two undisturbed for quite a substantial amount of time. They both felt annoyance at spies invading their privacy as it triggered memories from the last time they'd met the twerps; nevertheless they were alone for the time being. The wind was far from gentle or kind to their tired bodies (and their souls too for that matter); in spite of this their yearning cancelled out any sense of misgivings that lay between them. James' mind was elsewhere as Jessie asked him something though she never said anything to him to make him pay attention, understanding he needed some time to speak to himself.

      Nurse Joy sat back in the chair at the reception desk with her feet carelessly stretched out, absorbing every ounce of glee in the atmosphere as she considered how easy it had been to drug the young woman the night before. A little of nebulous thyroproxine laced along the woman's lips had been all-too easy since she dealt with subtleness in her job, otherwise strong pokémon would wake up and vent their frustration out on her. Not even her fiancé had detected her presence and that was what she was most afraid of, even though she had a back-up plan regarding separating the two of them as they were supposedly innocent. She snorted to herself at the thought of them expecting her to fall for such a pathetic and completely implausible stratagem; after all, she wasn't as gentle or as brain-dead as some of her relations were. She'd given the woman just enough to threaten a miscarriage but not enough to cause one, as some of her specific orders had been. The more enjoyable part would be when they approached her later in the day for their pokémon, as they'd be shown an offer that not even they would be expected to decline. Every human has his or her weakness, and theirs were the same: each other. She arranged the pile of leaflets nicely beside the bell on the top of the desk, and she allowed herself a fluctuating giggle as she thought of what was waiting for them in the in close proximity to the present moment.

      Butch jolted forwards out of his slumber without any reason in particular provided as to why he'd done that, discomfort growing along his body as he remembered the ploy he'd completed for his employer the night before—this next idea seemed like a cruel joke to him. There was getting revenge on friends who ignored you at your time of need, and there was manipulating two lovers to act in a normal manner to their death, which was in no way acceptable in his russet eyes. He saw his employer curled up in a chair without a care in the world, and he felt anger bubbling through his heart, fully aware that Meowth was toying with him until he felt like allowing him to make contact with Cassidy. He'd be able to make her forgive him for all the times he'd disappointed her in their life as friends, and he'd make his vow of love he'd refrained from saying before now. He now had enough courage to bare every scrap of his soul to her if she so desired it, in addition to doing anything she wanted without any regard for his personal welfare. In other words, he'd do what he went through daily, only this time he'd do it gratefully for her without one word of complaint ever crossing his lips, if only for her to accept him a fraction of how he accepted her. He tried convincing himself that having her for unlimited times in his arms justified what he was a part of; yet he somehow knew deep within his heart a delusional, lovesick adolescent had created the lie.

      Giovanni awoke with a general ambience of discomfort, his sudden sense of ill boding more than a little unsettling for the man who usually had completely strong-mettle in all circumstances. He saw his secretary beside him again, causing his mind to whole-heartedly decide it was she that was unnerving him, yet he had no reason to believe something like that; she'd never posed any great threat to his life after her failed revolution attempt. He contemplated why he should wake up feeling scared like an amateur, would it be the simplest method to destroy her now? No, that's the coward's way out of matters, and that's the last rumour I need spread around about me, he thought to himself. He felt sickened at her cut wrist next to his face, even though he'd stared at people he'd killed before without so much of a pang of discomfort, so why should wound that wasn't even mortal affect him like this? He'd found her beautiful, but something about the way her golden wisps rested on his abdomen heightened his sense of unease, and the smile affecting the corners of her lips made her look sinister to the unsettled male, what was it about the woman that affected him so? He sought his head, heart and soul for an answer but did not get one. What should he do to remove her from the picture without ending her life or making him appear weak? Should he demote her to field work as punishment for allowing the system to be ravished by an ex-worker who shouldn't have been in the building in the first place? He got out of bed and slung her arm back to her own body, gaining no satisfaction in her grunt of pain or the movement in her face as her wrist landed in a painful position. Why, oh why did she deprive him of every incentive of pleasure in his day even when she was still asleep?

      By the time Jessie and James returned from their excursion, they noticed a crowd around the desk and decided to directly proceed to the cafeteria without disturbing the nurse needlessly. Even though he didn't want to ingest anything, he still purchased a coffee and drank it slowly as Jessie tucked into a proper meal, feeling hungry beyond belief, evidently a repercussion from being pregnant. Barely any words past their lips for the duration of their stay in the cafeteria as both of their minds were concentrated on what the old woman had threatened them with the day before. Brock spying on them faded into unimportance, as it was something that didn't really cause them to live in constant worry for the safety of their child. He rested his hand on her thigh as she ate, not conscious of doing it but she was, and as she swallowed each bite she remembered how frightened how afraid she'd been as she saw thick blood coming out of James' mouth. He remembered it too because he flinched at every sip of his coffee he swallowed, hoping he wasn't obvious to her, even though she noted his discomfort by instinct more than anything else. When she was finished she leaned against him, still in relative silence compared to how fervently they usually spoke when they were granted some time alone together without any disturbances. He snapped himself out of his profound thoughts and kissed her on her cheek, apologising for his distant behaviour that morning, even though she already knew why his thoughts were preoccupied without any excuse. He felt hungry but couldn't bring himself to eat (he hadn't even been able to make himself drink all of the coffee he'd ordered and consequently given it to her to finish) yet the touch of her fingers interlinked with his made him feel happier with the knowledge she was safe. They agreed they should move out of the pokémon centre if not the town that day, not because of they despised where they were, but mainly because they didn't want to risk being seen by anyone, and to change towns twice was reducing the possibility of being caught by someone tailing them by a long shot. Maybe this time they'd find a place where they would remain unnoticed from the villagers for the most part of their stay, unlike here where a mere boy had invaded their privacy throughout an intimate moment. Jessie felt the same power in his kiss as she had felt that morning; she wasn't sure if she liked it or not as it was more gratifying, yet she didn't like the source of its existence. They were interrupted by a nearby noise and this triggered an emotion in James that she did not easily recognise—was it anger, or perhaps a trace of fear as it reminded him of when they were frequently watched by people? Brock stood beside their table with a small box in his hand, looking thoroughly abashed as he became speechless, despite having memorised a speech to show his apologetic nature. James' voice was unusually harsh as he spoke, but more so because of the tone he used rather than the disability from which he suffered.

      "What is it?"

      "I…uh…what I mean is…"

      "Are you always this silver-tongued, or do you only think of excuses when you're taking advantage of a free porn show?"

      "It wasn't like that, I swear! I didn't intend to do it, it just happened"

      "Yeah, a woman was on view so you took advantage of the situation. It was an accident that your eyes stayed in the direction the whole time; do you know what I could do to you for that? She's not an ad hoc slut to be stared at you debauched moron"

      "I didn't say she was, I'm entirely in the wrong and I hope you accept this gift as a token of my regret for this morning. If I can help you in anything, just name it"

      "Why do you think we need your help?"

      "Calm down honey. Thank you, but you didn't need to get us anything, it wasn't done out of malice. We forgive you Brock"

      "Huh? How do you know my name? I don't remember telling you it"

      "We've known each other long enough so it's not too hard to remember it"

      "But I hadn't seen you before this morning, so what do you mean?"

      "You had, imperceptive cock-wit"

      "He doesn't mean that, but I'll aid you. We used to follow you and your comrades daily trying to steal your pokémon"

      "NO WAY! If you are who I think you are then…"

      "Happy reunion"

      "But you look so—different—for want of a better word, and your voice is…"

      "That's it, Jess I'll see you in the bedroom"

      Her protests for him not to leave her were ignored and he stalked out of the cafeteria with her looking after him, feeling upset that his anger seemed to be less under his control that morning, even though she sympathised with him whole-heartedly. Brock took the seat that James had been occupying but he wisely chose neither to not sit as close to her as her lover had, nor did he touch her. Jessie brought herself back into reality and engaged in genial conversation with the youth who'd stolen their privacy that morning.

      "Don't mind him, we've a lot on our plate at the moment and it's been hard to deal with, that's all"

      "Does it have to do with Weezing?"
      "Not directly, but we've gone through crap lately so it might be on his mind, I'm not sure"

      "Can I help you with anything?"

      "Thanks, but there's nothing you can do to help us, and if you don't mind I don't want to discuss it right now. How are you?"

      "That's fine by me, I don't wish to pry into your life or anything. I'm okay, Ash has nearly enough badges to enter another league now"

      "Really? He's been given more time to gather them now we're not bothering you anymore I guess"

      "Yeah, and why is that? Was it the way he tried arresting you on your birthday?"

      "Nope, neither of us work for Team Rocket anymore. The pay was too bad and we reached our breaking point"

      "That's not the real reason, is it?"

      "No. Neither of us resigned formally, we just never showed up at the building again. Nothing could attract us back at this stage in our lives"

      "I thought you couldn't live after you left—I heard a rumour about that once"

      "So did I, but we're still here so there mustn't have been too much truth to it. I think he wasn't too worried about our lives anyway, he treated us badly enough when we were there, so why should he pay people to locate the losers he hated?"

      "He hated you?"
      "He hated James, he lus…he had very different feelings towards me"

      "He wanted you?"

      "He always gets what he wants"

      "Well, you're an exception then!"

      "Wrong, he got exactly what he wanted from me"

      "You mean he…did he have…?"

      "He raped me, okay?"

      "I'm sorry for you to have gone through that, I really am. Have you seen him since it happened?"

      "No, not that it really matters. There have been others"

      "Does James know about you being…you know?"
      "The word is raped, Brock. It's hard to talk about it so at least get it right. We split up after it happened for almost six months; he knows very little about what happened to me in that time. I don't even know what went on in some of the times in question"

      "Six months? That's an awfully long time, was it because someone else slept with you?"

      "No; when I was raped, he was having sex with an old flame at the same time"

      "In the same room?"

      "No, and I found out though he didn't admit it. It's in the past, we're trying to forget the reasons why we didn't work out, his unfaithfulness included"

      "Did he forgive your unfaithfulness?"

      "I wasn't unfaithful, I wasn't even willing in the act but he was. He enjoyed every second of it I'll bet," she said bitterly, still hurt he'd slept with Tyra again in the last week.

      "I'd say you're just glad to have the three of you going around without any rules now though, right?"

      "How did you guess I was pregnant? It's not obvious is it?"
      "You're with child? Congratulations, I had no idea! I was merely referring to you, James and Meowth being able to live without Team Rocket's restraining system, surely you didn't enjoy tailing us for a couple of years"
      "It wasn't so bad as we had worse missions over the years, but just to let you know Meowth's dead too. It happened the day we split up"

      "Oh no, that's terrible, I feel like I'm really putting my foot in it, bringing up all of these bad memories for you. I'm sincerely sorry for your loss"

      "Thanks Brock, but you're only speaking what I think about daily. It wasn't the reason why we parted in case you were going to ask, and I miss the pokémon something rotten. He was our close friend for years and now we can't even speak to him."

      She began crying as she said the end of the sentence, and although he comforted her with his best efforts, there was nothing that can heal the void that grew in her heart every time she thought about what a terrible life both her and James had led.

      In the bedroom, James had finished packing their belongings and waited silently for his fiancée to return. He inwardly flinched every time he used the term fiancée, as it reminded him of his former girlfriend's death and he desperately wanted to be over it more than anything else at that time. Why did he have to ring her just before he got married? Because if I didn't, I'd feel guilty for eloping without her knowing it He knew a wedding was the last thing he felt like, but he knew within his heart that if he didn't marry Jessie before their daughter was born, chances were they wouldn't have it for a year or two afterwards. They mightn't even bother with it at all, which at that moment was a suitable option to him, but he could never go through with it, as it was something Jessie really wanted. He detected body heat beside him and he knew at once it wasn't the woman he wanted to have near him in spite of not gracing the person with so much as a courtesy glance.

      "James? It is you, isn't it? Talk to me please"

      "You must have me mistaken with some other guy"

      "Are you sure? You look an awfully lot like a person I mean. He used to work in T--"

      "I don't work in Team Rocket, okay? Now will you leave me alone and play with kids your own age"

      "It IS you, otherwise you wouldn't have known I was going to say Team Rocket! How about—"

      "Leave me alone before I do something you'll regret, and trust me on this: my patience is wearing extremely thin. Get away from me now"

      Misty left the bed with tears forming at her eyes faster than his dismissal had, she didn't know why he wouldn't even talk to her as they'd been friends the last time they'd met. It felt like a kick to her front teeth; she knew he loved Jessie but his rejection for any form of communication with her stung more than the time she'd lost her temper with Ash one too many times and he'd hit her. Hard. Part of her relief (and ecstasy) of seeing James had originated in her desire to speak to someone besides Brock as she consequently said very little to her other partner. How she ever fancied Ash in the first place was a complex thought unknown to her now. James felt no remorse at his harsh dismissal of the younger adolescent since she was the one to disturb his thoughts, not the other way around. He hadn't bothered looking at her as he harshly told her to leave, but it was only as he dwelt on this issue that he wondered whether or not he was treating Jessie fairly in their relationship if his attitude was an impregnable fortress. He took a crimson tablet out of his pocket and swallowed it without liquid, feeling revolted as the terrible taste of iron and vitamin c (to help ensure the iron is properly absorbed) entered his body. His mood was almost entirely different when he felt someone else join him on the bed, and without saying anything, he leant forward and kissed his fiancée on her lips, grateful his instinct had served him correctly. His abnormal power seemed to have crumbled away from him altogether for the time being, and when they were finished with their display of affection, he guided her out of the room with their belongings equally distributed between them.

      In the main lobby, they saw the crowd around the desk had dissipated and discovered the reason for the rush—there was a pokémon battle tournament entering a neighbouring city the next day where the winner's trophy would be presented by a famous movie star and everyone wanted to make sure their creatures were the most likely to win. James paid and collected their pokémon now they were finished their treatment, and he noticed the nurse was looking at them curiously, his instant thought being she'd heard something from the night before, or indeed from that morning for that matter. He casually asked her if he could assist her with anything, her smile revealing nothing for the few moments she remained silent; she inwardly wondered to what extent of naivety they felt she'd reached owing to their lies. She performed the mandatory transaction of taking cash in payment, and she waited until they'd nearly left the desk before calling them back and pointed out the leaflets beside the bell. Jessie took one up and her eyes scanned the page quickly, and felt euphoric when she saw what was being offered; any newly-wedded couple were allowed to stay in the honeymoon suite in the most expensive and renowned hotel in the county for one night free of charge when they presented the strictly limited coupon, one of which was in her hand. She passed it to James, patiently waiting for him to finish, as his eyesight was no longer as efficient as it once was, and when he'd finished they both bombarded the nurse with questions regarding how to redeem it.

      "It's simple, you turn up at the hotel and present this form, and then the offer is in play, provided you meet the demands required before the thirty-first of this month. Proof will need to be delivered of course"

      "Are you sure they won't ask for any fees? It's just we're saving our money and don't want to lose it needlessly"
      "It's straight-forward with no catches or fine print. There are only five of these coupons in this town, if I were you I'd take it and think about it, and if you don't want it just give it to someone who does"

      "Are you sure it's alright for us to just take one?"

      "Certainly, the competition's nearly over now anyway. Have a nice day!"

      She waited until they were clear of the lobby before adding 'Who's the naïve fool now?' as she scrunched up the other leaflets in case some other affianced couple saw them. That wouldn't do at all.

                                                                     **

      Team Rocket Headquarters, Giovanni's private offices, 12:32hours…

      Lindsey lay back on Giovanni's bed, wearing little more than what she'd woken up in, filing her nails meticulously as she felt her boss looking at her moves. Every so often she'd move her legs to see him flinch as he saw her exposed body, gaining understated pleasure each time she did. He was staring at her like a hawk from the expensive armchair she'd rested in the day before, fully clothed, and he was still uncertain why she affected him in this manner. He couldn't draw his eyes into another direction no matter how hard he tried, yet he did not wish to watch her body any more than he wanted to be in the room alone with her. He could leave at any stage as it was his property, but something in her eyes stopped him from moving even an inch away from his chair. It wasn't threatening yet he felt insecure and genuinely afraid for the first time in what could be the whole of his adulthood. She put the file down carelessly when she was finished with it, stretching to relieve her back of the terrible ache possessing it; for a man of his wealth, he should be capable of affording a decent bed. When she opened her eyes, he was on top of her, the look of a madman in his eyes as he held her tightly beneath him, telling her not to get any ideas and he could eliminate her at any time. She struggled slightly as his grip was tight and unforgiving, but instead of breaking free she got into a more comfortable position for him to have sex with her, figuring he just wanted to prove his dominance. When he saw her inclinations, he broke out in a cold sweat and left the room without looking back, fearing her with no apparent cause, which disquieted him further. Lindsey released a huge grin and brushed a few hairs off her face carefully as she realised she knew something that everyone else did not: she had full power over him and he couldn't hurt her, as much as he tried. She released a globule of her pleasure in a laugh as she gathered her clothes, feeling next to invincible as she thought to what extent the knowledge would lead.

      Jessie and James sat at the bus stop, discussing the possibilities of getting married just to avail of a special offer, and whether or not it was morally correct. Jessie really wanted to get married and James didn't; they wanted to save money and this would remove a gargantuan lump of their costs yet give them something to remember. They didn't know where they intended heading on the next bus, but they seemed almost certain they'd travel to the city where the offer would take place, and then when they were safely in it they could make their final decision regarding their marital status. James was acting distant again and Jessie came to the terrible conclusion that this was the first time she hadn't been jealous of Jessie Belle when he ignored her to think of her. She'd been highly conscious of touching his throat since her mistake that morning when they were in bed, now she was trying her hardest to show she loved him without annoying him in any way. A bus to the city they wanted to visit pulled up thirty-five minutes later and they boarded it as giddily as they could be in such a situation, and James accepted the tickets to Mallow City from the driver whilst Jessie headed for the back seats again. The bus was mainly empty with almost nobody near them nevertheless, they chose not to act as hormonally as they'd done when the kids on the bus had watched them kiss and fondle each other passionately. He kissed her with as much feeling he could muster, but he was haunted with the last time he'd kissed Jessie Belle every time he did, and he could lucidly remember the cuts and wounds spread over her body from her attackers' malice. Marrying Jessie at this time was almost the last thing he felt like doing, but letting her down was another thing that wasn't altogether appealing to the confused youth.

      Tyra wandered aimlessly around the village that afternoon, reflecting on hurtful memories that frequently stung her thoughts and dreams since the dates they'd happened. She kept her business to herself almost to the extent of walking into Jessie's clear line of vision when they were sitting at the bus shelter. James seemed fazed out and was staring at the ground (she wasn't certain but it looked like he wasn't listening to a word Jessie was saying), judging by the other woman's abrupt end of speech, it seemed exceedingly likely her theory was correct. She stopped and hurriedly turned around with her face at an angle that only those scrutinising her and found her very familiar would be able to recognise her. Hopefully Jessie was not inclined to be one of those people. Much to her relief, her prayer was answered and she remained unnoticed. She took a route behind some pretty trees and loitered at a particularly dense area before watching them without fear of being sighted by anyone, but it was in fact she that saw the crimson crosshairs pinpointed on the most penetrable area on Jessie's back. She knew at once that if the trigger were pulled the pregnant woman would die without being aware of it as the person targeting her was exact and the colour had failed to waver in the time she'd seen it. She shot a furtive glance in the direction the thin layer of ruby laser originated but horror flowed down her veins like an icy blast when she saw the woman's future mother-in-law was the one with the precise aim. The most modern rifle available (not even set to be on sale to the national defences for another seven years) rested in her hand and her arm was steady, which spooked Tyra as it meant the crosshairs' lack of movement had not been aided with the use of a tripod as most experts would use. I'm not involved, it's not my problem any more she said to herself as she walked away from the potentially disastrous situation, and without looking back she knew Jessie had not been killed as the bus pulled up, as there had not been any screams of panic from James at his lover's demise. She walked away to save her feelings, to save her life, feeling that her battle and life as an assassin truly over, and that was the last time she'd see them. She felt no remorse in the fact, the less she knew about them the safer she'd be, yet she didn't know she'd meet and speak with them one last time on unfriendly terms.

      Ash, Brock and Misty walked towards the city that held the upcoming tournament; the only person listening to Ash babbling on about how he was going to be the winner was Pikachu. Brock's mind kept returning to what Jessie had revealed to him in the cafeteria earlier, and no matter how often he thought about her, he felt she wasn't the same person he used to watch lustfully from a distance. It wasn't just her appearing physically different, nor was it the fact she was with child, it was more to do with her general disposition; she looked like she'd been to hell and back, admitted it, and the sparkle about her was almost completely gone. Jessie had never told him what was wrong with James for him to act like that, plus it would have been severely rude for him to ask her such a question bluntly. He'd been genuinely sad and surprised to hear her sexual life had gone to the doldrums in the worst circumstances imaginable, though he wished she hadn't suffered so much when she was on her own—it obviously propelled her misery and helplessness into the abyss. Misty ignored Ash as usual, clutching Togepi closely against her chest as she whispered to the chirping creature; the atmosphere was irreversibly reticent as it had been for months, and her heart was almost broken to smithereens when she pondered James' harsh rejection for her request for him to talk to her, as he was one male she felt she could trust like she had done in the past. Neither she nor Brock told Ash about their roommates' identities, feeling it would be for the best if he didn't launch an attack on a woman who'd broken his nose, especially due to her condition.

      Butch had also been watching the young couple leave the lethargic town, feeling jealousy and anticipation together in his heart; he would soon have his Cassidy resting in his arms, but until that point he'd suffer envy at the couple who openly knew they loved each other. When they left he also did, but he wasn't leaving the municipality; he was returning to his employer in the pokémon centre to verify to both him and the malevolent nurse they'd fallen for the bait. The only reason he did this job was owing to the knowledge he'd have Cassidy safely back in his life at the end of the week, if he complied fully with every demand set. Meowth was happily sitting on the top of the desk with his tail swinging off the end of the wood as he spoke freely with the young woman. Whenever the chansey emerged from the patients' rooms they took it in turns to shoot it the meanest glare available and told it what to do to itself until it left the lobby in tears. If Meowth were human, he'd probably want her as a girlfriend but he wasn't and his rebirth left him with a new set of thoughts telling him what was and was not important to him in his life. When Butch entered the quaint building, he heard a baleful demand for him to arrange their car to the city after his former friends, to which the frightened youth complied without question. Meowth politely told Joy it had been an utmost pleasure for him to work with her, which was strangely to an extent very sincere, and her reply was also shockingly heart-felt. He touched her hand with the pads of his paw before soundlessly leaving to see what form of transport Butch had stolen for them to use. His friends were going to regret leaving him to die in that hospital, he'd make sure of that if it was the last thing he completed in his ninth life.

      Mallow City, 18:28 hours…

      Jessie and James trudged up the steep hill in the conurbation to the hotel awaiting for them; it was the cheapest in the whole area and easily met their sanitary requirements, as it would be highly dangerous to put Jessie in to a room that was habitually neglected. James wasn't bothered about where they slept as long as it was better than the days when they resorted to sleeping on children's toys in a playground without anything to eat. The hotel itself was extremely welcoming and had an ambience that emanated no reminders of their previous ordeals. The middle-aged woman working at the desk was cheerful as she accepted their money for a double room for them to share for the night, and although they weren't married or in the honeymoon suite, the passion flickered between them at every step they took. When they got to their room, James put the key beside them on the bed as he pressed her body beneath his own, his desires fully exposed to her as she exposed something of her own to him. They couldn't compare that session to any other they'd ever shared; his power was still in his body but this time his love had been completely undiluted too unlike the night before, and the combination of the two created an unexplainable change in their love-making, for the better. Her energy was spent whereas his was not, and although she greatly enjoyed what he was doing to her to get her passion back to the level it had just been, she reluctantly pushed him away and told him he'd tired her out too much for the time being. He ceased his actions and kissed her deeply, explaining he'd get a shower whilst she recovered, leaving her feeling upset that she didn't have the strength to join him, especially when his melancholic attitude seemed to have disappeared. She requested he opened the window as he passed it as her body had to lose a lot of its present heat if he wanted her to ever get enough strength back, and he obliged her without complaint as he left for the en suite. She closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep (she hadn't been joking when she said she simply didn't have enough vigour or stamina for another chance to have sex with him). She felt uncomfortably clement in spite of it almost being April, so her temperature acted as an aid to allow her smooth, undisturbed sleep. She never noticed Meowth entering the room through the window she'd wanted opened for her, equipped with more than the razor sharp claws that were responsible for killing Cassidy and cutting Elora's throat…

                        ~*~*~*AN*~*~*~

      I've put relatively few author's notes at the end of the chapters in this story, but hey we all like exceptions! This one is dedicated specifically to the person known as Kayla who felt like flaming me on this chapter of this story, and you can contact her on Wiccan_Witch_1987@hotmail.com, should you wish to advise her on how to use words a little more eloquent than those she chose. There are three words that should never be used in a judgment if you wish to be taken seriously: good bad or stupid. The first two may be justified with reason, the latter cannot. But now, boys and girls, we get a fourth word to the list! Instead of pointing out my flaws as a writer, she merely produced a remark saying 'This story is gay'. The backing evidence to support her comment: 'VERY VERY GAY.' Her advise on how I should improve? 'You need to get a life. and a dildo.' Note the lack of a capital letter, and it's my story that's bad? She can't even write four sentences without spelling mistakes. Who says I have or have not the desire to vent sexual frustrations with a sex toy, and who says I'm heterosexual and/or wanton teenager? Obviously I have a life as I am typing this, unless, am I a ghost whose only purpose is to write extremely 'gay' prose? By your choice of words, are you a homophobe? Anyone who knows me personally can clearly tell you that I hold no interest with such attempts at caustic remarks and they do little more than give me an excuse to dedicate nice little passages to them. I've been almost dead twice, am I meant to curl up and die after reading that? Fat chance, I'm here to stay.