The Starr Trainer - A Poke-Fan Fiction

Up, Up and Away!

Belle woke up with her back against the hotel door. A sigh escaped her. She couldn't go on like this. She showed weakness and allowed her enemies to see them as well. She had trained her Pokemon to be better than this. She stood up and checked out of the hotel. The city was busy. Not a single Team Rocket member seemed to be in sight. She knew it was time to act, but first, her Pokemon needed to be checked out.

Nurse Joy greeted her with a smile as Belle unloaded her pokeballs onto the counter. The pokeballs were placed onto a cart with Belle's name on them and taken back by a Chansey. "Nurse Joy," Belle spoke to get her attention. "If I am not back for my Pokemon by tomorrow please send them here, and please do not tell anyone you have them," Belle asked handing Nurse Joy a paper with her father's address.

"Are you in danger? Should I contact the authorities?"

"No," Belle shook her head. "I just have to travel somewhere without them, and want to make sure they are given attention if I do not make it back by tomorrow."

"Sure thing dear. We'll take good care of them tonight."

"Thank you," Belle replied leaving the center. She wondered if they already passed through here. She wanted to be sure Team Rocket wasn't a threat before continuing on her journey. Walking around the town she didn't notice anyone out of the ordinary, but they snuck up on her last time, and she knew that she needed to be on guard. The sound of her stomach rumbling prompted her to walk into the forest, and grab some berries for lunch.

"James, are you alright?"

Belle jumped up recognizing Jesse's voice. Creeping carefully towards the sound she peered at them behind a tree. James appeared frozen starting past both Jesse and Meowth not responding to their questions. His face was cut and bruised.

"Oh, what did the boss do to you, Jim-bo?" Meowth sighed.

"It's all that girl's fault. Belle that dumb twerp," Jesse stood up frustrated. "If only it wasn't so easy to lure her into a trap."

Belle stood up straight and turned around. She tried to scream for help, but the team rocket member who was behind her covered her mouth with a handkerchief. They tied her arms and grabbed her bag. She was thankful they didn't notice her missing pokeballs just yet. They pushed her toward Jesse and James causing her to fall to the ground before them.

"You really are smitten with James, aren't you?" Jesse taunted. "Well good news is the two of you will get to spend much more time together." They picked her up and threw her into the Team Rockets balloon. Jesse, Meowth, and James crawled in and the balloon began to fly up. Belle looked away not wanting to look any of them in the eyes.

"What's wrong?" Meowth asked. "Embarrassed being this close to James? It's alright you don't need to be. After what the boss did to him because of you I doubt he wants to look at you." Belle looked up at James, but he refused to look at her in return. The bruises were swollen around his eyes and cheeks. He had several cuts on his neck and one under his eye.

"It won't take us long," Jesse proclaimed. The boss has a station nearby. When we get there he'll have a place all nice and cozy for you." Jesse removed Belle's handkerchief and smirked.

"James is your friend," Belle whispered. "How could you let your boss do this to him?"

"We didn't do this, Belle, you did. The boss found James's helping you a betrayal. So us bringing you in will be the only thing he can do to get back on the boss's good side."

"What is going to happen to me?" Belle asked quietly.

"That all depends on how willing you are to cooperate," Jesse replied. "The harder you are to cooperate the worse things will be for you. Trust me you do not want to cross the boss. I mean look at his last victim."

"I'm so sorry." Belle's eyes watered. "You weren't supposed to get hurt, James, but I'm not afraid of your boss."

"You sure seemed afraid before," Meowth stated.

"I had time to think it over. Ash said he battles you many times before. Obviously, you do not have a strong success rate," Belle said.

"Why you little twerp!" Jesse proclaimed. "James, aren't you going to do something about her misbehavior?"

James turned his attention to Belle. Her heart raced at the eye contact. He turned to his bag and pulled out a Beedrill stinger. "What... What are you doing with that?" Belle asked trying to move away but unable to.

"Since I've met you, you've threatened everything that matters to me. I'm tired of hearing your excuses." James stuck the stinger in Belle's leg. She cried out feeling the poison enter her leg. He removed it and averted his gaze. She felt lightheaded and laid her head against the basket of the hot air balloon. Her breathing staggered.

"James we need her alive," Jesse said turning to him.

"She won't die before we get there," he answered. His voice sounded different. No longer did he have the compassion that he once had. Instead, it was filled with spite, and Belle knew that was reserved for her.