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A semi-conscious Meowth was held restrained by a black gloved muscular hand over half of his face and mouth making it impossible for him to scream or yell let alone breathe. One eye half opened Meowth tried to glance up to the figure holding him but then everything around him blurred together as he drifted off once more..his last memory hearing the stepping of army type boots hitting the ceramic tile floor.
Grinning with a dark chuckle that echoed through the dimly lit halls Butch headed down the hall past several steel doors until he reached his quarters where he slipped in silently closing the door behind him with a secure turn of the lock to assure he would not be disturbed.
Butch tossed Meowth roughly onto his bed as he crossed one arm over his chest while the other hand rested under his chin contemplating with a fiendish grin upon his face just what he should do with Meowth.
"Ughhhhhh...", murmured Meowth as he brought his paw to his eyes and rubbed them slightly as he breathed heavily. "Whera...Where am I...?", asked aloud to himself as his vision finally returned to normal and made out the image of the person standing across from him.
"Ahhh!!!!", screamed Meowth as he scurried backwards and into a corner keeping his eyes on Butch while cowering.
"Welcome home Meowth", grinned Butch through his teeth as he moved closer and kneeled right in front of the scared pokémon before him. His eyes sparkled with delight as his plans for Meowth floated around in his head as he scratched behind the cat pokémon's ears causing Meowth to purr in delight.
"Meooowth...."
"I'm not here to harm you Meowth..I was on my way out today to look for you, Jessie and James when I spotted you and snuck you in here before anyone could find out..Giovanni has a price on you guys...dead or alive..he is tired of your failures and has sent out some bounty hunters to bring them back here..you're lucky I came across you when I did", spoke Butch in an emotionless tone as he looked to the floor his face expressionless. Meowth stared blankly up to Butch confused and trying to take in everything that he had just said as he sighed deeply.
"I guess it was jus a matta of time before our time was up..but what i don get is why would you help me..or Jessie and James..it dosen't make sense ta me..", questioned Meowth as he stood to his feet and looked up towards Butch.Brushing his hair out from his eyes Butch kneeled down to the floor to look at the skeptical Meowth face to face.
"Normally I would be one of the bounty hunters out there looking for you guys..but due to my own recent failures..Giovanni has lost faith in my abilities so Ive been stuck here on security duty..where my talents as a Team Rocket member are going to waste.",he smugly announced. Tilting his head to the side Meowth looked at Butch as he spoke..
"So..what's in it for you..if you..help...", suddenly Meowth stopped mid sentence as he relaized what Butch had in mind and smiled at the realization. "You need me to help you find out where Jessie and James are so you can get in good with Giovanni again..", nodded Meowth thinking of how well that plan could work."Not bad Butch..but ya got one problem..las time I saw those two they were drifitng off in a balloon without me..Im not even sure how I even got here..",replied Meowth as he shook his head and clasped his eyes shut tightly trying to remember.
Anger and frustartion clouded Butch's face as he turned his back and clasped his fist around Meowth's neck neatly crushing his throat as he grinned evilly.
"Oh you'll find them for me alright..I'm the one holding all the cards here..I know where you are..and if Giovanni found out he'd surely have you killed to prove to Jessie and James just how serious he is..but me on the other hand..well Im willing to spare your pathetic life..if you help me find them first..How about it..?" asked Butch as he dropped Meowth to the floor and places his hands on his hips loking confident.
Coughing hoarsely and rubbing his throat Meowth glared up to Butch angrily. Before he could reply a persistent beep came through the intercom on the wall causing Butch to snap his head away from Meowth's sight and smirked.
"Duty calls..I will be back in a few hours..think about my proposal..and rememeber..your friend's fate lies in your hands..", snickered Butch as he turned the handle of the door and stepped out into the light of the hallway leaving Meowth alone with only his thoughts. Looking completely confused and in despair meowth sunk to his knees as his eyes teared up..
"No matta what I do..it's going to cost Jessie and James..and me..our lives..and even worse..our souls.", whispered Meowth to himself as he closed his eyes thinking deeply with sorrow and pain as the tears trailed through his fur.
"Um..Jess..I think I lost our map..", said James in a scratchy voice expecting to be whacked over the head any moment with her fan but opeend his eyes in amazement to find she was just smiling. Jessie giggled softly as she looked to meet James glance.
"It just so happens I came prepared this time", answered Jessie as she removed the crumpled up map and attempted to shake it out and in doing so ripped it in half. "Ooops..um..have any tape?", asked Jessie looking to James as he just fainted back for a moment before staggering to his feet once more.
"Let's stop for a minute and climb up one of these trees to get a better view of the area."
"Good idea James..now get climbing!", oredered Jessie as James turned to her.
"Me??? Why do I have to climb up there..I'm scared of heights..", whimpered James as he hugged Jessie like he had done so many times before when he pretended to be scared..but in reality only wanted to feel his body next to hers for a few moments.
Standing there for a minute Jessie smiled gently then as she opened her eyes remembered where they were and smacked him across his face a few times.
"James!! Quit wasting time and climb up there so at least we will be headed in the right direction for once.." He rubbed his face where the slaps had been moments before and without another word wrapped his arms around the tree and forced himself up as he pushed upwards with his boots and with a final step reached the top of the tree and went silent for a few minutes in shock at the sight before him..then grinned happily in delight as he laughed happily.
"Oooo..Jessie..you won't beieve what Ive seen!!,"yelled down James as he prepared to shift his footing to a more secure branch it suddenlly snapped under his weight as he came crashing down wihtout warning on top of Jessie who has moved closer to the base of the tree. With a loud thud and the sounds of a few snaps and cracks here James layed sideways over Jessie who was pinned on her stomach beneath him and pushing herself onto her hands as James rolled backwards and hit his head on the trunk.
"Owwww..Jessie..next time you could give me a little softer landing?", questioned James as he rubbed his head.
"Sorry..", whispered Jessie..more to herself than to James as he stood up once more.
"Did you say something Jessie?", asked James..not sure if the apology he heard was actually from him or only in his wishful thinking part of his mind.
"Oh..I..uh..I said..what did you see that is so important??" James reached down his hand to Jessie to help her up but she slapped his hand away stubbornly and stood to her feet on her own. Hiding his hurt expression through a grin he chcukled to her..
"Our luck has definitely changed for the better..Do you remember our old Pokémon Tech training center..that was loacted about 20 miles away from Pokémon Tech itself..and how it closed down when they expanded the school itself? Well..the old trianing center is still there..and it's totally abandoned with no one around..it's ours for the taking!!", smiled James brightly with satisfaction in his voice.
"Then what are we waiting for?? Let's get started..we can't afford to waste any time!", yelled Jessie as she ran off down the trail as James stood there alone for a moment.
"Hey Jessie..don't forget about me..Im the one who knows the way..wait up!!", screamed James as he furiosuly ran to cath up with Jessie the entire time his thoughts only on her and how he would soemhow have to indulge his true feelings for her..but when..and where and could be handle the rejection?
He tried to shake those negative thoughts for now as he tried to concentrate at the task at hand following Jessie closely he made a silent vow to himself to always protect and love Jessie no matter what happens.