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Drowsily, you awoke to your head pounding, the world spinning. Y/e/c eyes scanned your nauseating surroundings as your fingers dug into y/h/c locks, grabbing your pounding head. A groan escaped your pouted lips as y/e/c eyes closed once more in a cringe, before opening once more. When the surrounding room finally stabilized for you, you quickly realized you were lying upon the ceiling.
Hastily, you sat up, padding your palms to find something to grab onto. As you found nothing within reach, you quickly realized you were not falling. You were stationary, and no longer did you feel the ship's gentle movement across the sea.
Your heart dropped into your stomach as your mouth gaped, pushing yourself to your feet. With quick strides you made your way to the closest circular window, your lips falling quickly to a grimace at your realization. Heart pounding in a flutter of anxiety, you quickly slipped your bag from your shoulder, reaching to grab your cellular device.
"Who would have thought," you spoke to yourself in malice. "No signal at the bottom of the ocean." Angrily, you shoved your cell phone back into your bag, throwing your hands up into the air. "Way to go, Dad. Another sinking ship!" After the St. Anne debacle, you should have known better than to get on your father's ship, and yet, there you were.
You began pacing back and forth, anxiety simply rising in your stomach as you realized you had not even known the schematics of the ship. Y/h/c locks swayed with each stride as you dug your fingers into your bangs, cursing angrily as you realized just how screwed you really were. Off the coast of...you couldn't even remember...you were stranded and alone.
Reaching to your belt, you grabbed your first pokeball, calling out your Typhlosion. As you did, you moved to sit cross-legged, beckoning your pokemon over to your lap with your hand. Tears burned in your eyes, refusing to fall as you watched your Typhlosion crawl into your lap.
"I'm so sorry, buddy," you murmured out softly as your hand moved to stroke the pokemon softly, your oldest friend. "I should have known not to trust Dad's stupid plan." As your Typhlosion nuzzled into your hand, your lips curled upwards the slightest bit, a tear released from your y/e/c orbs. "I love you, you know." As your Typhlosion cried out, you smiled the slightest bit more, closing your y/e/c eyes as you allowed more tears to streak down your face.
Quietly, you sobbed with your Typhlosion in your arms, the larger fire pokemon nuzzled close in your lap. Y/e/c eyes remained closed as you relished in your pokemon's company, sure that you would not make it alone. The only solace you could take from your utter defeat had been the idea that just maybe your father would know not to kill anyone else this way.
"Jessie?" You could hear a man call out, his voice vaguely familiar to you.
Footsteps drew nearer to you and Typhlosion as you quickly rose your arm to wipe your face of your tears. "It sounds like we aren't alone after all," you whispered to your Typhlosion, the slightest hint of relief in your words. Placing a gentle kiss upon the head of your Typhlosion, you called your pokemon back, before standing to your feet once more. "Who's there?" You called out towards the approaching footsteps.
Y/e/c eyes landed upon emerald eyes, clearly frazzled. "Wait, Y/N?" The man questioned, emerald eyes eying you up and down as they widened. "You're here?"
You rolled your eyes, lips fallen to a frown as your arms crossed over your chest. Realization quickly hit you, though you had not remembered the handsome grunt's name. He had been a part of the group that was following a seemingly perfect pikachu, for, who knew how many years by this point. "No, I'm a ghost," you replied sarcastically, "here to guide you on your journey to the surface."
"Wait, what?" The man replied frantically, freaking out even more as his arms flailed. "Really?!" As he finally registered your sarcasm, his lips fell to a frown as he sighed, a hint of embarrassment across his face. "This isn't the time for jokes."
"No, it really isn't," you replied with a shrug. "Nor is it a time for stupid questions." You pursed your lips as you gazed upon the man. "So, is your partner stuck down here with us?"
His emerald eyed gaze fell as he bit his lip. "I think they left without me," he admitted sheepishly. His arm reached up, placing a hand behind his periwinkle locks as he sighed. "I got knocked out by the crew boarding the lifeboats."
"Great," you replied with an aggravated sigh, before shifting past the man as you glanced down towards the hallway. "Wait…" Your gaze shifted back to the man quickly, quirking a brow. "You were stuck on the St. Anne, weren't you?"
"Don't remind me," he spoke, his face paled at the memory.
You sighed, moving to pinch the bridge of your nose as you attempted to calm yourself. Though he seemed like he would be a pain, just like most of your father's goons, you knew you had little option but play along with the man. "Well, you should know how to get us out of here," you reasoned, a slight smirk pulling at the edge of your lips. The same hand that pinched the bridge of your nose fell, before lifting, pressing a finger against the man's chest as you continued. "If you get me off of this stupid ship alive, I will hype you to my father. Just think what the guy who saved the boss's daughter would get?"
For a moment, the man drifted into reverie, imagining exactly the type of reward that he could receive for saving your life. His lips curled upwards at the thought, his hand moving externally as if he was petting a Persian. After about a minute of his reverie, you quickly grew impatient.
"So, how about it, handsome?" You spoke as you grabbed the collar of his shirt, shaking him slightly to get him back to reality. "If you want your little fantasy there, you're going to use that knowledge from your last escape to get us the hell out of here."
His face quickly fell, realization quickly hitting him as he thought of the events that transpired in his last great escape. Though he had been lucky last time, surely the magikarp he had last time had to have helped the slightest bit with his escape. "I don't have a water pokemon on me…" he spoke sheepishly, his eyes wide as his gloved hands made their way to his face. "We're going to die."
You sighed once more, a hand moving to rub your temple as you shook your head. "No, we're not," you assured the panicking man as you placed a gentle hand upon your third pokeball. "Tell me the plan, and uh, your name, too."
"So, you tried to escape with a magikarp last time, huh?" You chuckled softly as you walked beside James. There had been a clear hint of teasing to your tone, your lips curled upwards in amusement. "If it had evolved sooner, surely it would have been a useful companion."
"I got completely bamboozled!" He reasoned, a sigh escaping his lips as his arms moved to emphasize his point. "The guy who sold me the magikarp made me think I'd be rich!"
You rolled your eyes, though the smile hadn't left your lips. "Sounds like a good salesman," you replied, "or you're, you know, pretty gullible."
"Hey!" He exclaimed in exasperation, his face heated in embarrassment.
Your lips formed more of a smirk as your y/e/c eyes caught his flustered face. "Well, I do know you're cute when you're embarrassed," you teased with a shrug, amusement clear in your tone. "So, you said the weakest point should be right up here?"
"Oh, yeah," he answered, attempting to hide the additional fluster upon his face with his gloved hands upon his cheeks for a moment. As he calmed, he set his one hand to it his side as the other motioned upwards. "If this ship is the same as the St. Anne, this should be the thinnest metal."
"And you have the rope?" You spoke, your y/e/c eyes shifting back to James as you watched him pull it from his pack. "Perfect." With a smirk, you called out your Typhlosion. "Use your flames to open a hole in the hull."
As Typhlosion worked on the hull, you called out Milotic, and began tying the ropes. Your fingers brushed James' gloved hands as you grabbed the rope from him, tying the rope tightly around his waist without words. Tying the rope around Milotic, you gave your pokemon a good pet, saying, "I need you to get us to the surface, sweetheart. You can do that for me?" With an excited exclamation from Milotic, you tied the rope around your waist, before calling Typhlosion back into its pokeball. Nodding to James, you called out for Milotic to dive.
While you were pulled through the ocean, you could feel James grab onto your arm for dear life. Holding your breath, you still managed to roll your eyes at the Team Rocket grunt. The pull to the surface had not taken nearly as long as expected, though it had been simply debris as far as the eye could see. You called Milotic back into its pokeball as you pulled James up onto one of the larger pieces of debris. Though your clothes had been soaked, dripping with ocean water, the warm rays of the midday warmed your skin.
"Well, at least we aren't going to plunge into a fault line anymore," you spoke softly, a sigh escaping your lips as your y/e/c eyes shifted across the seas, trying to see if there had been any sign at all of even an island. "I can't remember what shore we're off of, or tell if we're near anything, though."
"We're alive," James exclaimed, a grin against his lips as he pulled you into a hug. "Above water! I didn't almost drown this time!"
You rolled your eyes, mentally cursing yourself for melting into the handsome grunt's embrace. Quickly, you shrugged him off as your hands delved into your soaked bag, mentally crossing your fingers. If somehow you could have signal, you could go back to your life.
"Yes, yes," you dismissed with a chuckle. "We're alive, and I told you that you wouldn't drown. I'm just hoping I actually can catch a signal out here."
"Wait, you have a cellphone?" James questioned, hope clear in his tone.
You rolled your eyes once more, replying, "Mhm, but it doesn't help when we're in the middle of nowhere," as you glanced to the blinking 'no signal', your lips falling to a grimace as you shut the phone. "If I knew which way to row…" Slipping your bag off of your shoulder, you stood to your feet, trying to get a better look for some sort of land. As your y/e/c eyes only captured ocean as far as the eye could see, you huffed, sitting back down beside James. "No land, anywhere."
"I'm sure we'll float closer to something soon," he reassured you enthusiastically. "It would be crazy not to."
"That could take longer than you think," you spoke with a sigh, placing your head in your hands as you tried to calm your rising anxiety. "I must've whacked my head when we capsized, because I can't remember any of the details of what the plan was."
"At least we're safe," James replied, attempting to keep your spirits up.
You shifted to look at the handsome man beside you, before pursing your lips. "I suppose," you replied with a long sigh. "You're right. It's clear skies, waves are low, and we're no longer under the ocean. I've just never been stranded."
"Well, I've been stranded tons of times," James spoke with a laugh. "Normally it's with Jessie and Meowth, though."
You chuckled softly, placing a hand upon his shoulder as you smiled empathetically at him. "Well, you'll get your reward and your girlfriend when we find our way out of this," you reassured him.
"Girlfriend?" James questioned with furrowed brows, before his emerald eyes widened. Breaking out into a fit of laughter, his arms moved to emphasize his words. "No, no, Jessie's not my girlfriend! We've been paired together for so long that we're like brother and sister."
"Oh," you spoke, a soft chuckle as you glanced out to the ocean, smiling a bit. "I didn't mean to assume. That must be nice, regardless, though. I'm sure they're worried for you."
"Do you, uh, have anyone worried for you?" He questioned finally.
Though he managed to grab your attention, your gaze fixated upon the horizon. You pursed your lips as you shrugged. "Well, my father," you confirmed dismissively. "Surely without me, he wouldn't have a successor."
"Friends?" He pressed. "Lover?"
You chuckled softly as you shook your head. "Waste of time," you murmured absently. Y/e/c eyes shifted back to James as you continued. "My friends are in my pokeballs."
James frowned at your words. "Still," he spoke with a shrug, "that seems lonely. I only had Growlithe growing up, but then I joined Team Rocket. Saying I have only one human friend isn't much, but it's a lot more than I had."
"Agree to disagree," you replied with a shrug. "You seem to have some interesting adventures, though. How about you tell me some of your favorites while we're waiting to see land?"
"You're not going to tell your father about our failures, are you?" He replied with furrowed brows, eyeing you suspiciously.
You rolled your eyes, a half smile against your lips. "Failed missions make far more interesting stories," you said in amusement. "I'm not going to rat you out. I'd just like to forget we're floating in the middle of the ocean for a while."
You lied your head upon James's lap as you listened to him telling you another story. By the point you had moved to lie your head in his lap, you had lost track of how many stories he had told, the two of you often roaring with laughter over their escapades. More than once, the stories actually turned out with a complete twist, a seemingly well-thought plan disintegrating before their eyes.
"And by the end of it, the three of us realized we spent the entire time cheering on Pikachu instead of catching it," he spoke, a hint of embarrassment against his cheeks as he laughed. His emerald eyes shifted down to you for a moment, fondness in his gaze, before he gazed back at the horizon. "So, what about you? Do you have any stories?"
"Nothing that doesn't make me seem soft," you replied with a soft chuckle as you shifted your gaze from the handsome man to the horizon, comfortably using his now mostly dried pants as a pillow. "I used to be sent along with new recruits to teach them the way we do things. Needless to say, I learned a lot about medical proceedings. I've only been present for the larger captures over the last few years, though." Pausing, your lips curled upwards the slightest bit. "I've spent most of my time the last few years looking after the pokemon that are collected."
"That must mean you've met the Alolan Meowth we sent over," James spoke in intrigue, though he had a slight snicker to his tone. "The one that kept competing with Meowth."
"Oh, yes," you replied as you rolled your eyes. "I typically get along with the pokemon, but that one sticks around my father. Sneaky little thing." You paused in recollection. "You sent over a Marinie, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he spoke excitedly as his gaze quickly cut back down to you. "How's Marinie doing?"
"Wonderfully," you replied softly. "Truly is such a sweetheart. I keep my Toxapex at headquarters because she seems quite fond of him."
"I'm glad she's had someone so kind watching over her," he spoke, clearly relieved as his lips curled upwards more.
You rolled your y/e/c eyes at him, though your lips curled upwards as you met his gaze. "I don't think I'm supposed to come off as kind, James," you teased him, before your voice grew a little shy, your y/e/c eyes shifting away for a moment. "But, uh, thanks. Taking care of the pokemon is honestly the one thing I enjoy about the job."
"I thought it would have been getting stranded out here," James teased in reply.
Your y/e/c eyes narrowed upon him into a playful glare. "Not," you spoke, pausing, "funny." Your words had been heavily punctuated, and yet, you made sure that it was apparent you found the slightest amusement in the man's words.
"Well, we never really would have met," he countered with a hint of shyness to his tone, before he quickly added, "and you wouldn't have heard all my blunders."
"Well, that's true," you agreed with a soft chuckle. "I suppose circumstantially, this was the best outcome, as long as we find land before the weather changes."
"You mean like that land?" He exclaimed, a clear shock to his tone as his gaze shifted to the wayside of the horizon.
You maneuvered your head from his lap before you stood up to get a better look. Y/e/c eyes spotted a patch of land, a miniscule peninsula of an island that hadn't seemed too large. By the looks of the land, it hadn’t looked civilized, but it had looked far better than floating in the middle of the ocean.
Lips curled into a smile as you knelt down, grabbing your pokeball with Milotic, calling your pokemon out. You quickly turned to James with a smile. "Ready to get wet again?" You said excitedly, your bag already hoisted back upon your shoulder. Holding a hand out to the man, your gaze met his.
James took your hand faster than even he had anticipated, allowing you to lead him to tread water on the other side of Milotic. Though the two of you floated on opposing sides, your hands held together, your free hand holding onto Milotic to make sure the two of you were secured. Unlike last time, you wouldn't have a rope pull, but Milotic was tame and gentle.
"Let me know when you're secure," you spoke, directed clearly at James as you treaded the water below.
"I'm ready," he spoke as he clenched your hand tightly, his other hand securing himself on the side of Milotic.
"Perfect," you hummed out. Fondly, your y/e/c eyes trailed to your Milotic, the hand that held it giving it a soft pet. "Let's get to shore, sweetheart."
"I didn't know we were already on a pet name basis," he teased, a hint of blush in his cheeks and a slight waiver to his tone.
You rolled your eyes, y/e/c eyes shifting back over to him. "I was talking to Milotic," you chided him, though you couldn't help the heat that attempted to crawl up your own neck, a slight twitch upwards of your lips as you felt a little tightness in your heart.
"I knew that," he lied with a slight stutter, though his lips curled upwards as he watched your gentle gaze shift back to Milotic. For a moment, he had not even realized the three of you had been moving as he was entranced by the softness you held for your pokemon. The water around the two of you had been chilled, the sun already beginning to set on the horizon, and yet, it had still been comfortable with the promise to dry land soon. James did wonder, as the three of you drew closer to the shore, how much longer your interaction would be. After all, you had been the Boss's daughter. Though you were in your twenties, old enough to decide who you would spend your time around, he wondered how he would even be able.
You pinched the bridge of your nose as your y/e/c locks shifted to the screen of your phone once more, an aggravated sigh slipping past your lips. Watching the cell phone blink with no service once more, you grimaced, slipping the phone back into your bag. Y/e/c eyes shifted over to James, who had managed to make himself comfortable upon the beach, finally lying back on the solid ground as if it had been years since he had felt something truly solid underneath him.
"Well, I have good news and bad news," you spoke as you strode closer to the man. You stood above him, just about a foot away as you addressed him, though the thought did cross your mind to hug the ground in the same manner. For a moment, you paused as James shifted his attention back to you, your news clear upon your face before it even slipped past your lips. "Still no cell service, but…" Y/e/c gaze shifted back towards the scenery, towards the thicker woods. "...I think I recognize this island. I can't be completely sure, but I'm pretty sure we're on one of the islands my father owns."
James quirked a brow at you, visibly shocked, both at how nonchalant your words were as well as the fact that he owned so many islands that you were unsure if you truly recognized this one. "This island isn't going to have giant robot pokemon on it, is it?" He questioned, a clear hesitation in his tone. The way his nose scrunched as he questioned it, a momentary moment of insecurity, was nearly laughable.
You quickly shook your head, your lips curling upwards the slightest bit. "From what I know, he abandoned the giant pokemon franchise," you assured him half-heartedly. "This could be one of the reserves, though, so we should still be cautious. I'm unsure what pokemon are here."
"Well, that's a relief," he said with a chuckle, his guard falling once more as he felt the littlest bit safer. "It'd probably be best to wait until morning to look around."
You sighed as you glanced from the handsome male to the now starry sky, your lips pursed. In defeat, you replied, "I agree. The reserves are dangerous at night." You tried your best to keep your spirits light, knowing that there was nothing you could really do after dark. "So, after you're done hugging the ground, I'd suggest coming up off the beach to sleep, unless you want to risk drifting with the tide."
James's face paled for a moment at the thought, before he shifted, pushing himself to his feet. The two of you walked together, not much further upwards on the island itself, to a corner that had been away from the actual forest area. With the lower grass, it wouldn't be anything like a normal bed, but it would give less of a risk of wild pokemon.
You set your bag down beside him as he sat down, before kneeling as you reached into the confines of your bag. Fishing around in it, you pulled out an apple, before holding it out to him. "It's not much, but we've been out all day," you reasoned with a somewhat shy smile.
"You're just prepared for everything, aren't you?" He spoke with a soft laugh, though he quickly took the offered fruit.
You simply shrugged in reply, saying, "I'm used to things not going as planned, just not this awry."
As he held it in his hands, his gaze shifted to you, realizing that you had offered him the only food you had on you. "Here, you take the first bite," he offered. While he said it, he held it out next to your mouth.
You leaned forward without even a second thought, taking a bite from the apple, murmuring a, "Thank you," after you swallowed.
While he ate the apple, you set your bag further back, adjusting to get ready to sleep. Lying on the grass, you placed a hand behind your head, staring up at the stars. Once the crunch of the apple ceased, y/e/c eyes caught him moving to lie down himself.
The slight chill of the wind shivered down your spine, even if your clothes had already nearly dried in the sun prior. Sparkling stars glimmered in the darkness, a captivating sight that you had not been used to, headquarters something that resided in a more city type area. More to yourself than anything, you murmured, "It's beautiful."
"I haven't gotten the chance to look at the stars since Alola," he commented, a smile stretched across his lips.
You shivered once more, a little more noticeable as a wind bellowed through the two of you. Emerald eyes caught your noticeable shiver, a frown atop his lips. Biting his lip softly, he eyed you curiously, noticing that you were shivering often. There had been a softness to his emerald gaze, and a slight tint to his cheeks.
"Here, come here," he murmured, stifling his internal fluster as much as he could. "You're freezing." He opened himself up so that you could lay atop the man, your head resting upon his chest as his arms wrapped around your frame. Though he watched your own hesitation, the slightest hint of blush atop your cheeks, he was quick to pull you comfortably against him once you showed your willingness to do so.
The scent of James was something all of his own, the scent you noticed as you curled into the man's body, beneath the initial stench of sea water you both possessed. His body had been surprisingly warm, a sort of comfort engulfing you as his limbs tightened around you. Once you actually found yourself comfortable, you could already feel your drowsiness from the debacle the two of you had been through finally taking over you.
"Thank you, handsome," you murmured, a slight yawn to your tone as you took one last glance up to meet emerald eyes. Though you were often one who would cuddle with your pokemon, or even some of the pokemon at the reserves, you hated to admit that this was the first time you felt truly safe, truly comfortable, in another person's arms.
"This is where you went off to," your father spoke, a clear curiosity to his tone as his eyebrow raised.
Not even an hour prior, you had awoken in James's comfortable arms. You had not even needed to scour the island itself, one of the grunts assigned to the isle spotting you nearly immediately. Though you had been a little worse for wear, it was hard for any of the grunts to look over the Boss's daughter.
"Canoodling with your...boyfriend?" Your father continued, hardly even a pause between his words as he shot a disapproving gaze to the emerald eyed male you were sure you wouldn't have gotten to shore without.
Your lips sunk to a frown as your y/e/c eyes narrowed upon your father. "Not even two days ago, I was at the bottom of the sea, thanks to another ship sinking," you replied with a huff. "James happened to have been left on the ship as well, and he had knowledge from the St. Anne incident that got us back safely."
Giovanni's gaze shifted quickly, a widening of his brown eyes as he realized his own fopa. He pursed his lips at first, unsure of how to exactly talk himself out of such an oversight. When the grunt called him, he presumed that you had just ditched the mission entirely. As his gaze shifted for a moment, realizing the two of you were definitely devoid of any sort of transportation to the isle, the proof had been right in front of him.
"I see," he replied, furrowed brows as he attempted to keep a cool visage in front of his grunt. "I suppose I had adequate reason to be concerned with your absence."
Your eye twitched at his behavior, though you knew the act had to have been for James. Forcing your lips upwards, you grabbed James's arm as you pulled him into the conversation. "I can assure you, if it weren't for James, I wouldn't have found a way out," you pressed, trying to key in that the man at least deserved some sort of praise, let alone a metal of sheer bravery. Though he had proven through his stories that he had not had a great deal of bravery to him, he had pulled through, and gotten you to the surface safely. Even with your swirling feelings for the periwinkle locked male, you were not going to go back on your initial word.
"In that case, he'll be rewarded once we get back to headquarters," your father reassured, though a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes as his gaze shifted between the two of you. "And I'm sure the two of you have a great deal to talk about." The way your father's lips wryly curled upwards caused your eyes to widen the slightest bit.
Back at headquarters, James may have not been given the luxury that his head imagined, and yet, Giovanni had not lied when he said he would be rewarded. Despite the bonus the man received, he stood in front of Giovanni, watching him pet his Persian with a glint in his eyes. "I'm sure the rest of your reward will come from the soon to be new head of Team Rocket," he spoke, practically a riddle as his free hand motioned for him to head out the door to talk to you.
He pocketed his bonus, and yet, his head had been reeling ever since the two of you were found. Meeting you outside of his boss's, your father's, office had him sheepish, unknowing where everything had been going. It would have been a lie to say he had not grown an interest for you, and yet, he worried things would go back to the way they were.
"That was a little weird," he admitted with a soft, awkward chuckle after you led him a bit away from your father's office door. "He, uh, told me to come talk to you."
You pursed your lips, your cheeks heated the slightest bit at the thought. Unfortunately for you, you already understood why your father would say such a strange thing, and yet, you found yourself a touch bashful. James had just been a grunt for Team Rocket, and yet, the two of you connected so well.
"Well, I suppose he believes I'm fond of you," you replied with an eye roll, though your cheeks darkened in crimson easily played off your ambiguity. Biting your lip, your gaze shifted away, before shifting back. Allowing a sigh to escape your lips, your y/e/c gaze met emerald eyes as you realized you would not get the same opportunity as you had. "And for that, he would be correct. You saved both of our lives, and yet, being stranded with you was the happiest I've been in a long time."
James's cheeks darkened at your words, though his lips curled upwards, a sense of fondness and relief flashing in those emerald eyes. "I couldn't agree more," he replied sheepishly, "though I definitely would not have been able to get us out if it weren't for you."
You moved forward, bringing a hand to the man's cheek as you gazed deep into his emerald eyes. A soft chuckle escaped your lips at his words, and yet, it had not mattered who did what. The two of you had been alive, and bonded over your experience. Barely above a whisper, you murmured, "Would you stay with me, then?"
"Nothing would make me happier," he stuttered out fondly, moving to wrap you tightly in his arms. His movement was clearly excited, despite the deep blush still painted against his cheeks.
You took the opportunity to place a chaste kiss against the man's lips, reveling in the softness of his plush lips. Though the two of you had not known much about one another at the time, you could not help desiring to know it all. This had merely been a stepping stone, a strange circumstance, and yet, maybe one day you would have him running Team Rocket by your side.