Finding Pikachu

Chapter Nine: A Friendly Conversation

Meowth snuck away with the other two and went back to the camp site. They began their conversation there, in case Pikachu and Chikorita might've heard it.

"Ash couldn't have abandoned Pikachu. We were the ones who took him." James said.

"But that's what he said. Unless by abandoned he was talking about the fact that Ash didn't go after us," Meowth reasoned.

"I wonder where the twerps went," said Jessie. "I remember them leaving not too long ago."

"Yeah," said James. "There was a Chikorita, too. But they left after it."

"Why? Were they scared of it?" Meowth gave a chuckle.

Their conversation was interrupted by a snap of twigs and rustling of leaves. Out of the brush came Ash and Officer Jenny. "What are you doing here?" Jenny asked.

"You didn't abandon Pikachu, did you, Ash?" James asked, ignoring her question.

"Why would I do that?" said Ash, surprised.

"Well, Pikachu and I had a little chat, and he said that you did," said Meowth.

"What did you do to him?!" Ash said, furious.

"Nothing at all," said Meowth. "just a friendly conversation. He was clearly upset about you not going after us when we took him. That's probably what he meant by abandoned."

"No," Ash tried to block out what he thought were lies. "that never happened, you're lying."

"I wish I was," Meowth said sarcastically. "but it was as plain as day."

As Ash stood there, frowning, Jessie changed the subject and spoke to Officer Jenny. "When you escaped from us, you forgot to grab your things." She tossed over a bag containing Jenny's gun and other weapons.

Jenny checked all of them. "You took all of the bullets out, and the batteries from my Taser." she glared at Jessie.

"Of course," Jessie replied with a smug smile. "We wouldn't want to give you armed weapons with us around. But at least we gave them back to you at all."

"We really aren't bad people." James explained. "But it's the only job we can find. And, well,"

"It pays the bills," Jessie finished.

Ash spoke again, "You aren't bad people? Yeah, right. How come you kidnapped Pikachu then?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth all gave each other a concerned look. "Our boss gives us our orders," Meowth said. "He pays us well, and we don't want to lose our job by not following them."

"Why does your boss want Pikachu so badly? He could just go out in the forest and catch any Pikachu, right?" asked Jenny, confused.

"I'm afraid none of us know why he needs your Pikachu. But we have to get him, or else we don't get paid," said James sadly.

"Then I guess we have to get to him before you do..." said Ash quietly.

"Right," agreed Jessie.

Ash suddenly darted off in the forest, followed by James, then Jessie, then Jenny, leaving Meowth at the back. When they arrived at the stream shortly after, they all stopped with the same puzzled expression on all of their faces.

"Where did they go?" they all thought simultaneously.

Pikachu and Chikorita were nowhere to be found.