Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 3

By Windra

Three days had passed since the attack, and Jessie, James, Mondo, and Meowth had stayed at the cabin to recover from the shock. James' wounds had fully healed and now left light scars where the scratches once were. On the third day, the Rocket trio left to pursue the twerp and his friends, and Mondo had run off to Goldenrod City to meet them.

Now the two humans and cat were standing in front of Ash and co.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie yelled out.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" James chimed in.

"Enough with the motto...," Ash groaned, his Pikachu on his shoulder, staring oddly at James.

"HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT OUR MOTTO!!" Jessie and James shouted at once.

"Forget da motto!" Meowth growled in his Brooklyn accent, jumping in front of the two. "Let's jus' get dat pesky Pikachu!"

"You won't get Pikachu!"

"That's where you're wrong, twerpo!" Jessie said with a grin, turning to her partner and nodding. "Go for it!"

The blue-haired man grinned and pulled a rather large remote from nowhere, tapping a red button in the center. A long, robotic hand jumped out and grabbed the electric rodent off of the twerp's shoulder, pulling it back to James and dropping it in a steel cage that sat at his feet. James quickly kicked the lid of it shut and dropped the remote, picking up the cage with a grin on his face. The mouse glared at him, revving up for a Thundershock, bu the bolt never struck him.

Normally, Pikachu would have either drooped his ears in defeat or call for his owner, but the rodent did neither. It backed away from the Rocket as far as it could in a cage, ruffled its fur like a frightened cat, and hissed coldly. James rose a brow, and the mouse leapt towards one of his fingers that intruded the cage and bit down hard on it.

"OW!" James shouted, dropping the cage and rubbing his finger.

The lid of the cage popped open, and Pikachu crawled out, then stood still and growled at James, its ears pulled back.

In Misty's arms, Togepi whimpered as it glanced at the blue-haired Rocket, then momentarily his its face in its shell, shuddering. Misty looked down at it, raising a brow and looking at Brock.

"What the..."

Brock glanced at her, then shook his head. "That's odd...Pokémon usually don't do that unless they sense something very wrong..."

"Pikachu!" Ash screamed. "Are you okay? Come here!"

"Pi...ka...," the rodent growled, not paying any attention to its owner.

Even Meowth sensed something different in James, but he fought his Pokémon instincts and stood beside his friend.

Curiousity overwhelmed Jessie. She walked up to the Pikachu, but the creature ignored her. Taking the risk, she cautiously picked it up by the ruff of its neck. It didn't struggle, and, as she lifted it to her face, the rat looked at her blankly. She faced it towards James, and the rodent tried to snap at him, hissing again. She twisted it back towards her, but it did nothing.

Fear for her friend showed on her face as she walked up to Ash, giving the mouse to him.

"Take the rat, twerp," she said solemnly. "I don't need James...to get attacked again..."

Ash looked at her in confusion.

"Attacked...again...?" he whispered. "What hap-"

He stopped when he saw Jessie walk up to her two partners and usher them away. The minute James was out of sight, Pikachu relaxed and Togepi peeked out of its egg, chirping in relief. Ash, Misty, and Brock exchanged glances.

"What was wrong with Pikachu?" Ash asked quietly.

"I don't think it was Pikachu...," Brock whispered. "Pokémon don't act like that unless they sense something very, very wrong...and something was definitely up with James..."

"I heard Jessie say that James was attacked...," Misty said. "I saw scars on his cheek that weren't there the last time we met. But if he was attacked recently, it shouldn't heal that fast."

"Not to mention that the Ilex Beast hasn't been seen for a couple of days..."

"I wonder," Ash murmered under his breath. "James could've been attacked by the Ilex Beast, and it could've been hit by a truck later or killed by someone. Now, Pikachu and Togepi acted like James was a monster. D'you think..."

"What?" Misty whispered in concern.

"...Nothing...Nevermind..."

**********

Team Rocket wouldn't go back to the cabin in the Ilex Forest, as it was too far away. Besides, it would be a cold day in Hell before they went back there. So Team Rocket headed to Goldenrod City and found Mondo waiting for them in front of an empty motel room.

James was still confused of why Pikachu attacked him and only him. Togepi had his in its shell when it saw him, and even Meowth had a strange look on his face.

No sooner had they opened the door had James begun to get a wierd feeling in his mouth. He walked into the bathroom and peered into the mirror, grinning to see his teeth.

On each jaw were two...razor sharp fangs on either side of his canine teeth.

Not to mention that the hair along his scarred cheek that he had shaved off three days ago had grown back with twice the amount of fur.

He began to yell for Jessie but stopped. She was worried about him enough as it was. He didn't want to get her more nervous.

Promptly shutting his mouth and shaving off the fur for a second time, he walked out of the bathroom.

...Werewolf?...

He pushed the thought away, trying to convince himself that those were only legends. Surely they weren't real...right?

He shook his head, worry clearly showing on his face for a split second...

...and Meowth was the only one who noticed it.

Jimmy, what's happenin' to youse?