Jessie was getting hungry and very agitated and the longer she stomped through the woods looking for her missing Team Rocket partner the more her ire rose. Meowth was finally deposited out of her arms and into a bush not too long ago for she was not only tired of carrying around the scratch-cat Pokemon, but she was also tired of his never ending banter about the feelings she was no doubt hiding for James.
Meowth, on the other hand, was just hungry. The doughnut Jessie shoved in his paws hours ago hardly sustained his appetite and now he found himself searching the trees they passed in hopes of one of them bearing some kind of fruit they could feast upon. He also paused every so often to scent the air for not only any food, but also hoping to catch James' scent, but so far he came up empty on both deals.
"This is ridiculous, "Jessie complained while wiping the sweat off her brow and pushing a strand of red hair out of her face. "This humidity is murder on my hair and complexion and I'm starting to even doubt that James came this way. What a total waste of time!"
Meowth just shrugged. "He coulda went in any direction, Jess. I don't t'ink Jimmy was countin' on us followin' him out here either."
Jessie just rolled her eyes. "Well, he couldn't be that stupid to think that we'd accept him leaving like that without searching for him! I know James is an idiot at times, but I doubt he'd leave without figuring we'd follow."
Meowth again shrugged wearily. "Jess, ya know, the way you yelled at him last night he prob'ly didn't even believe you'd be searching for him anyways. I mean if I was him and you yelled at me, I woulda t'ought ya didn't care where I went or what I did."
This comment slightly sobered Jessie's foul mood and she frowned a little. Meowth was certainly proving to her that he was very much aware of situations more than she herself would believe or admit to. It was almost as if Meowth knew exactly how she felt for James, but was too proud to admit to any of it to anyone especially herself.
James has been her partner in Team Rocket for years and that didn't even count the years before hand that they knew each other. Now he was missing and instead of saying forget it and leaving without him or even sitting in camp waiting for him to return, Jessie took it upon herself to go and find him and make sure he was all right. That, if nothing else, should have been solid proof to her that she cared more deeply about him than she would confess. However, she was very stubborn and something like this was going to be very difficult for her to say she was wrong in.
Leaning against a tree to catch her breath, Jessie motioned for Meowth to stop and take a break with her. "We walked long enough, let's get some rest and try to think of a better route before we keep moving."
Meowth nodded and stood next to her then began to scent the air again. This time his pointed ears perked up and he grinned broadly. "I t'ink I smell water near by, Jess!"
"Is that a fact now?" she grumbled, too tired and frustrated to even care.
He nodded vigorously and without giving Jessie a chance to react he jumped up and with a triumphant, "Meowth!" he bounded off in the direction he smelled the water.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Jessie yelled after him before she stepped away from the tree and followed through the bushes hoping not to lose sight of him. She then felt a mild rush of relief when she saw a small stream ahead and Meowth was kneeling at the edge, gleefully lapping up the cool water.
Jessie quickly copied his actions and was pleased that the water was so clean and refreshing. All though it wasn't food, it was still something that would help fill her and keep her going on her quest. She also splashed some on her face and on the back of her neck and slowly she felt her temper cooling off as well. This was definitely something that was very much needed for both she and the cat-like Pokemon.
"Very refreshing and wonderful, Meowth, good job!" she commented while sitting back on the grass after having her fill of the water. Earlier she had felt her strength slowly becoming sapped from the heat and the walking, but now Jessie could feel her energies starting to get that reboost. "Thanks, this was perfect!"
Meowth just gaped at her, not exactly used to her complimenting something he did for her. He was almost always in the same boat as James was when it came to good deeds and nothing he did ever seemed superior enough for the red-haired girl. Could it be that she was finally beginning to admit to herself that she didn't have to be right all of the time and people close to her always tried to do the right thing and she should be thankful for what she has?
He just shook his head and sighed. No. Jessie couldn't change that quickly and he knew it. The longer this search would drag on the more her temper was going to flare and he knew that if they found James, the blue-haired boy was no doubt in for a severe scolding and probably a few whacks with a mallet, or some other item Jessie seemed to always pull out of nowhere, for being so inconsiderate.
Just then, off to the side, the bushes began to rustle and stir as if something rather large was pushing its way through them. At first Jessie tensed in fear, but her mind instantly clicked to the possibility of it being James approaching. "Prepare for trouble!" she cried and jumped to her feet while striking a pose and holding her breath in anticipation hoping to receive the answer of the Team Rocket motto from her partner.
However, what emerged from the bush was nothing other than a lumbering Ivysaur who took no notice to the red-haired girl and the tan colored Meowth at her side. Instead, the creature slowly pushed its way passed the pair, paused to take a drink from the stream then continued on its casual way back into the woods.
Jessie's shoulders slumped and she just stared after the Pokemon almost disbelieving that it was not James that appeared through those bushes. For the first time she actually felt hope in this search, but now she felt her hope starting to disappear and the feeling she was wasting her time or going in the right direction for that matter was starting to overcome her.
After a few tense moments Jessie balled her fists and with a loud, annoyed exhale of breath she shoved Meowth with the toe of her boot. "Let's get going. The longer we hang around the farther James is getting and I'm all ready getting sick of looking for him and have a good mind to just say forget about him and go back to camp."
The scratch-cat Pokemon nodded and scampered after his partner who was all ready a good distance away from him. "Hey!" he called out. "Do ya think we should try another direction, Jess? I mean, we ain't seein' any signs of him walking through dis way."
She glared at him. "We haven't seen any signs of him period! I don't see what difference it makes where we go, but as long as we don't get lost I suppose we could try another direction for a while."
Jessie scanned her surroundings and noticed a clearing in the woods just up ahead. She strained her eyes to see if she could spot the stark white Team Rocket uniform James is wearing, but all she could make out were what looked like hundreds of Diglett holes far as the eye could see and a few grazing Bulbasaurs were off on the scant clumps of grass.
"Come on, let's see what's going on over this way," she grumbled and began to slowly trudge towards the clearing with Meowth trotting behind her, his curled tail held high as not to get tangled in the brush.
After a few minutes they finally reached the clearing and it was then Jessie noticed that the Diglett in the area were highly agitated about something. They kept poking their heads out of their holes, mumbled a bit and then dove down out of sight. Jessie was puzzled by this behavior and asked Meowth was it was they were complaining about.
Meowth, fluent in not only human, but Pokemon too, cocked his head and listened to the angry bantering. "Hmmm...dey say dat it's gonna take 'em days ta fix up all dese holes some crazy two legs caused them ta make. I don't get it, Jess. Ya think they're talkin' about Jimmy?"
"Who cares? They obviously know something's going on!" she growled at him and then turned her attention to the Digletts. "Hey you brown lumps! Did you see a lost looking blue-haired idiot come through here?"
Meowth wasn't sure if it was the harsh way Jessie addressed them or the mentioning of James that got the Diglett upset, but either way they all made a resounding, "DIGLEE DI!" and vanished underground obviously not wanting any confrontation with Jessie.
"Good goin, Jess," Meowth sarcastically commented with a smirk. "Prob'ly our only lead and you go and scare 'em off."
WHACK! Meowth found himself the victim of being hit in the head with one of Jessie's paper fans. "I don't care what you think, Meowth because if I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it! I must be crazy thinking a bunch of half-wit Pokemon that spend the day destroying stuff would have any brains in the first place. And as for you...AHHH!"
Jessie screamed as something quickly flew out of nowhere and collided head on with her causing her to fall over. "My face!" she shrieked. "Watch the face! Do what you want to me, but please don't ruin my lovely features!" she cried, trying to protectively put her hands over her face.
"Weezing!" her attacker joyously rasped.
Jessie blinked and cautiously peeked out between her fingers then sighed with relief seeing her attacker was only James' Weezing. "Oh, it's just you! How dare you scare me like that! What's your problem anyway you stupid wind-bag and where is James?"
However, the toxic Pokemon was so thrilled to have found Jessie as quickly as it did it hardly said anything comprehensible and Meowth had a difficult time trying to translate for Jessie. "All I can get outta him, Jess, is dat James is in trouble and needs you to come help."
The girl's blue eyes widened at the very mention of James' name and that he was stuck someplace. All though worried and anxious, she couldn't let either Pokemon know her true feelings, so she reached up with the paper fan she still clutched in her hand and smacked Weezing with it in order to calm him down. "What are you waiting for then you dolt? Let's get going! Take me to James!"
Meowth saw Jessie's enthusiasm hearing James was near by and needed her help and he couldn't resist saying something sarcastic to her even though he knew what the consequences would be. "Awww...yeah, dis is gonna be just like a family reunion."
Jessie growled at him, "How about a reunion with my foot?" and with that she kicked the scratch cat in the rump as if he were a football. "Now get moving!"
Meowth lay dazed and rubbed his head knowing he asked for it, but he didn't think Jessie's reaction would have been a kick in the rear. After the cobwebs cleared, Meowth stood and dusted himself off before trotting after Jessie who was all ready at a fast gait following Weezing across the field of Digletts.
"H-hey, wait up!" he whimpered. "Jimmy's my friend too!"
Jessie stopped for a brief moment and turned around with an agitated look on her face. "Would you hurry up then you dolt? I haven't got all day!" she snarled, crossing her arms in front of her chest and began to impatiently stamp her foot on the ground.
When Meowth was about ten feet away from her, Jessie continued her hurried pace after Weezing following him through a few more trees only pausing when she came to the edge of the small cliff James fell off earlier. She peered over the edge and paled hoping that wasn't where James ended up, but once Weezing started his babbling again and floating up and down over the gap as if to point that was the direction he needed her to go, Jessie's worst thoughts were confirmed.
"I can't exactly float down there like you can, genius!" she exclaimed and was about to give Weezing another whack with the paper fan when she felt something tugging on her skirt. She glared down and saw it was Meowth. "Now what do you want?"
"I t'ink we can head dat way, Jess. It looks like we can go down dat little hill dat should lead to da bottom."
Jessie regarded him for a moment and then looked where he was pointing and just stood still almost as if she were pondering if that was a good idea to head there or not. It would seem that she was in no hurry to find her partner. In actuality, however, she was just turning fearful about what condition she was going to find James in.
He must have been in some serious trouble if he sent his Weezing off to find her, or then again, maybe he just was being his usual stupid self and was lost. Either way, she wasn't going to be thrilled in the outcome and she almost hoped he was in trouble because if not he was going to really get the pounding of his life.
"Let's get this over with," she sighed after long last and followed Meowth and Weezing down the incline. It was tricky and she had to really concentrate on keeping her balance since the heels on her boots didn't exactly offer much traction on the steep and unstable ground. A few times she slipped, but a quick paw from Meowth helped aid her in keeping her balance and for which she was grateful.
When they finally reached the bottom, Jessie was exhausted and had to lean against a tree in order to catch her breath. After a few moments she scanned her surroundings to see if James was close by and if they'd still have to hike some more to get to him. However, a soft gasp escaped her when she spotted some bright white material lying in a heap about a hundred feet away from where she stood. Jessie clamped her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't cry out like she felt she was going to once she realized it was James laying face down on the ground.
Meowth's dark blue eyes widened when he followed Jessie's stare and spotted James. Weezing suddenly took off and hovered over his master while looking desperately back at his partners wishing they'd hurry up and help him. The scratch-cat looked up at Jessie who continued staring over towards James, her hand still over her mouth. "Jess, you ok?"
His words brought her back to reality and she gave him a blank expression. "Of course I'm ok. That dolt is so clumsy sometimes! Honestly you think that boy'd watch where he was going!" she growled, hiding her true emotions.
Jessie then shook her head and stomped off towards where James was laying and suddenly stopped, another gasp escaping her, but this time it was because she spotted the young Pikachu curled up on his back. Jessie stepped back a little and glanced up at Weezing who was looking more and more worried the longer it took for Jessie to help James.
"What is that thing?" Jessie demanded, pointing at the Pikachu who was slowly beginning to stir from its comforting position on James' back. "That couldn't be the twerp's rat could it?" she questioned, her voice alerting her presence making the Pokemon sleepily open its eyes.
Suddenly the Pikachu quickly jumped to its feet and arched its back. "Pika pika!" it warned, not exactly sure who this person was and the Meowth that was with her. Looking up it saw that Weezing returned and that calmed the electric mouse considerably for these intruders had to be the friends James sent him to find. It also noticed that Jessie had on the same outfit on James did so it now knew its hunch was right and its small body relaxed and it said a relieved "Pikachu!"
Meowth stepped over to it seeing Jessie was froze in her tracks and he asked the electric mouse what had happened here with James. The Pikachu then began a babble that was almost as fast and difficult to understand as Weezing's yammering was earlier. All Meowth could do was nod his head and listen hoping he could translate enough to Jessie for her to be aware of what went on with her fallen partner.
Jessie, on the other hand, wasn't renowned for her patience and she twacked Meowth on the head with her paper fan. "What's that thing babbling about, Meowth? What happened to James?" she demanded, her hands beginning to tremble.
"Well, dis here Pikachu says dat James caught her in a battle and he told her she was gonna be a gift for a friend of his." After he said that, Meowth paused to let it sink into Jessie's brain and once he saw it registered that this was pretty much her fault he continued.
"She says dat while James was helping her get da gunk offa her face from Weezing's sludge attack, James was suddenly surrounded by some wild Pokemon!" Meowth jumped up and posed, starting to get dramatic seeing that Jessie was now captivated by his every word.
"James was surrounded by Bulbasaurs and Oddish and before he could act on attacking dem dey pulls a fast one on him by hitting him with vine whips and leech seeds! It was all James could do was gasp for Weezing to go find you. Meanwhile dis Pikachu was getting angry and she warned da other Pokemon to leave, but once Oddish started with sleep powder and James got knocked out completely, da little Pikachu knew she had to help and belted them all with a powerful thundershock! She ended up chasing dem all away and warned if dey ever come back dey'd get more of da same!"
Jessie stood there in silent shocked disbelief over the tale of a young Pikachu actually defending James like it did. She moved a trembling hand up to her mouth and did all she could to keep the tears that were stinging her eyes from falling. She knew if she wasn't so mean to James the night before and wished him to get her a Pikachu in order to truly impress her none of this would have happened.
Still, Jessie wouldn't be Jessie without her immense mood swings and now was no different. "Well, that's just great!" she exclaimed and stomped towards her fallen partner and dropped to her knees next to him. "Get up you idiot!" she snarled and roughly yanked him up by the back of his jacket and turned him around.
The blue-haired boy hardly stirred and his head dropped forward onto his chest making Jessie more upset, but as always she tried to cover it. "Come on, James, you can't honestly make me believe that a little sleep powder was your downfall!" and with that she smacked him hard across the face a few times in order to try and rouse him from his slumber and when that didn't work she roughly began to shake him by his shoulders.
"Pika pikachu!" the electric mouse protested at this and began to tug at Jessie's sleeve. When the female member of Team Rocket stopped and looked down to glare at the Pikachu, Jessie's heart suddenly softened seeing her beady black eyes slowly filling with tears. The Pikachu's ears were drooped and she tugged once more on Jessie's sleeve, begging her to stop hitting James. "Kachu?"
Jessie's blue eyes locked with the Pikachu's and suddenly she felt a wave of sorrow and realization wash through her. What am I doing? She thought and bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. "Oh, James!" she sobbed and gathered him tightly in her arms, clutching him close to her. "James, I'm so sorry! Wake up, please!"
She then leaned back and started to pull the mass of tangled vines off of him as a result of all the leech seeds the Bulbasaurs attacked him with. When he was clean of the mess, Jessie pushed the stray wisp of blue hair out of his face and then ran her gloved fingers through the rest of his hair in a feeble attempt to smooth it out.
Meowth sighed and slowly walked to his Team Rocket partners and the little Pikachu. He then glanced up at Weezing who was still hovering above, highly worried about his master. "T'anks for finding us, pal," he whispered up to the toxic Pokemon who grimly smiled back, just thankful that he was able to locate Jessie and Meowth when he did. Now all he had to do was wait and hope that his master would wake up and be well soon.
To be continued...
