Chapter Text
"Still here, princess? I see. Very well!"
Meowth watched carefully as Alva waved his hand above the control panel.
"After 500 years, I know what my fortress' first prey shall be...the princess!"
Meowth's eyes wandered back to the giant screen in front of him.
And every single alarm bell in his head went off.
Dangling off the airship with nothing but a grappling hook, was Jessie and James.
And Alva was getting ready to fire a laser at them.
"James...and Jessie..."
Magearna...please don't do this...please please please don't fire that laser please no i need them I love them they're all I have please no-
"Now fire!"
"No!"
It was too late. The laser had already fired.
"please...no...don't leave me...please...no..”
It's one of those days again.
One of those days where he can't speak.
They're more common recently, and usually come with particularly bad nightmares.
Both humans pick up on it eventually, and the base falls into a somewhat comfortable silence.
Wobbuffet(bless his heart, he didn't understand any of this) stayed by his side more than the humans. Jessie was probably stabbing a photo of Alva she found in a newspaper clipping because obviously that bullshit made the news(“perfect. I can start a wall about this guy.” Jessie had said when she'd first seen it.
“...why, exactly?” Was James’ response as the two of them watched her cut out the photo.
“Because I hate him and once I have enough of these on a board, I'm gonna set it on fire.”)
Jessie was interesting when it came to people she hated.
He was more surprised at how Faba had been spared her wrath, seeing as James and he had bonded over the Masked Royale, who was really just the twerps Alolan guardian.
“Nightmares?”
Jessie honestly couldn't blame either one of her partners for having nightmares every so often.
Meowth more than James, but even those were starting to decrease.
Still, they happened on occasion, and when they did, they were bad.
Meowth's eyes were blank and glossy when he finally glanced up at her, fur rising in the wind. “he tried to kill you again…”
Jessie knew what he was talking about. She hated it.
She hated remembering that Alva once had a laser pointed at them and he forced Meowth to watch.
"No, it's not just nothing." Her rage at Alva completely boils over. "Meowth, he hurt you, for fucks sakes! He's hurt you and he's got you absolutely fucking terrified of ever letting go of us again and it actually hurts seeing you like this so no, it isn't just nothing when he's hurt you this badly-"
"HE ALMOST KILLED YOU, IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!" Meowth's scream catches her way off guard, sending the balloon into an eerie, three second silence before he starts ranting again.
"He had a goddamned laser pointed right at you both, and if Magearna hadn't chosen to fight back it would have fucking fired and it would've killed you both and I'm not ready to see you die right in front of me! He made me watch as he murdered Magearna without a second thought and refused to take no for an answer when she wouldn't fire the laser at her and then he killed her but that doesnt even matter because I almost lost you both and I'm not ready for that! I already thought you two weren't coming back to begin with, and watching you die would have just made it worse!"
The balloon is dead silent for another moment before Meowth's voice breaks. "maybe you should have just left me there...it would have been for the best, I only cause you both trouble anyways, and hey, maybe I deserved it. it shut me up, after all.”
Jessie brushed the fur atop his head. “He can't hurt you anymore. Half sure Bewear collapsed his damn ribs, if that makes you feel any better.”
The result was a small smile that almost immediately fell. “Gengar…those other two…”
"The other two probably went down with him, and…wait, he still had that thing?”
“I was fighting it!”
“...oh, so that's how you learned Night Slash.”
“No, I learned Night Slash because he called you two spineless brats incapable of showing me real love and I didn't like that.”
“...he knows we'd burn entire cities for you, right?”
“He's a master manipulator, what do you think?”
“You know what I think. I think he's every single slur under the sun I'm socially allowed to say.”
“Jess…”
“He nearly turned you completely against us, little nova, and believe me, I'd have gladly turned him into a football like Bewear did if I wasn't so panicky over him throwing you off the castle.”
“You would've sent Yanmega or something.”
“..yeah, I probably would've.”
A small giggle. Jessie internally shouted with excitement.
Oh, I'm awesome.
Meowth leaned against her, and her heart instantly warmed for the small creature beside her. “thanks, jess.”
She ruffled the fur atop Meowth's head, smiling softly. “We've got you, little nova. Always.”
Vermillion City was not Dexia's ideal spot to hide.
But while she waited for the heat in Kalos to die down, this was the best place to be.
Though for the record, the town was quite nice.
For night walks, at least.
The streets were deserted and peaceful around the motel she was staying in, her Persain walking beside her.
“I know, buddy, you don't like it here, but we don't have a choice. Until the heat dies down back home, we're stuck here.”
They were half contemplating calling Mother.
Though they didn't think she'd accept that it was them.
“I got him, daddy!”
Dexia flinched as the memory crept back up. Her nails dug into her palms, Persain rubbing against her, before he abruptly went still, piercing eyes staring up towards the sky.
“Hmmm? What's up?”
Their eyes went up to where Persain was looking, and then they noticed the familiarly shaped Pokémon floating above them.
It was eyeing her intently, and something about its eyes makes her freeze.
The kingdom burning.
Father using Mean Look on Meowth.
Mother standing idly.
“Why is Gengar all the way in Kanto?”