JX Valentine
Your aquatic overlord
- 3,277
- Posts
- 20
- Years
- Harassing Bill
- Seen Aug 19, 2020
Author's Note: How this turned into a Rocketshippy fic, even I couldn't explain. It was originally meant to be a Gaiman-style take on what happens after, but.
Also a response to a prompt ("Where are we? How did I get here?") on the LiveJournal challenge community, 50 Passages.
Really, James never understood why it never happened before then. Although he wasn't the brightest chinchou in the sea (despite the fact that he often claimed otherwise), even he knew that by all arguments of logic, he should have been dead three years ago. Maybe even more. Every time he blasted off with his team, he should have died, either in the initial explosion or the landing.
Why he died then was a question he couldn't begin to answer.
When he awoke the next time, he found himself lying on his back and staring into the darkness. It took him several moments to realize that it actually wasn't dark wherever he was. Rather, something was on his eyes. His gloved fingers reached up to take the objects, and as they moved, he found himself nearly blinded by white light. Quickly, he flinched and turned his head as he slipped the metal disks into the palms of his hands. His vision resolved gradually, fading like a Polaroid into the image of a sky above him. Rather, it wasn't very much like sky. It moved oddly, rippling with iridescent waves that glittered with light from a source beyond it. He narrowed his green eyes at it, unable to make out what it actually was. Water never behaved like that – that is, it never stayed in the air in a river. Carefully, he sat up and looked around, but for miles, all his eyes could see was a white space colored only by the rainbow lights that filtered through the river overhead.
After a moment, he was abruptly aware that someone was beside him. Turning his head, he found a figure sitting next to him, as if she was there all along.
The figure, James realized, was a bit difficult to pin down. On the one hand, she appeared to be a girl with long, dark-gray hair. Her pale skin – paler than anything James had ever seen – was clothed in only a loose, black sundress. When she looked at James, her eyes (one blood red and the other milk white) sent odd shivers down James' spine. In her hands, she held a large, leather-bound book, which James realized was fastened to her left wrist by a long, silver chain. On the other hand, she also appeared to be a large, black creature, taller than James at his full height (and James was no dwarf), with golden markings across her body and a golden knob rising from her gray head. She had only one eye in this form, the blood-red one, but the book was still there, chained to the bulky, black wrist by the same silver tether. The two figures seemed superimposed over one another, so James' mind constantly switched from one to the other, flashing back and forth to create a hazy image of both at the same time.
"Hello," she said.
Her voice carried both the high-pitched tone of a young girl's and the heavy ring of a thick, bronze church bell. When James heard it, he trembled from the resonance but felt soothed by it at the same time.
At her greeting, James nodded as his lips parted slightly. Without another word, the girl opened the book, flipping its dusty pages until she came across one near the very end. Her fingers traced down the lines of glistening, black ink until she came across one entry, written in tiny print at the bottom of the page beneath expanses of weaving sigils and looping words in languages James could never understand.
"You're James," she told him as she read from the book. "Born to a wealthy family on the seventh of December, you lived surrounded by everything you ever wanted, but you ran away from it for the sake of freedom. Ironically, you search for exactly what you gave away. Fame, wealth, glory. You were a member of not only a bicycle gang but also a criminal organization, the latter of which you've devoted a number of years of your life before you died. While you did commit the sin of theft numbers of times – along with envy and pride – you also strangely have a gentle heart. You're a romantic and a strongly loyal companion, one who would gladly surrender all that he has for the sake of the people and pokémon he calls his friends. In other words—" She closed the book. "—you, James, are a heavy contradiction. That sounds about right."
A million different thoughts flashed through James' head, and he wanted to say all of them. Instead, because his mouth just couldn't fit all of those words at once, he found himself forcing one syllable off his tongue. "Ah."
The girl grinned – baring her golden teeth – and stood, although her other form merely floated. "Go on. You want to ask me something."
"Ah," James repeated. "Who are you? Where are we? How did I get here?"
Raising her mismatched eyes towards the river, the girl contemplated an answer. Then, she lifted a finger and pointed to the ground. "This is Limbo." She pointed to the river overhead. "That is Styx. Your body has died, and now, I'm to judge you and then ferry you across that river to your resting place based on the quality of your soul."
James knew he'd died, but he still felt his body go cold at the announcement of his mortal condition. He stared at his companion, unable to find exact words to reply. She waited for a few beats, not so much because she had assumed he would speak so much as it felt appropriate. When he said nothing, she smiled. James could swear she'd grown at that point.
"As for who I am," the girl said, "I am that which you meet at the end. I am the End, the Finality, the Omega, both the embodiment of the idea and the idea itself. Do you have the coins?"
The question caught him off-guard, but he found that he couldn't say a word to her. Instead, he merely stared, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, at the girl.
She sighed and held out a hand with strained patience. "The coins. Do you have the coins? I can't take you anywhere if you don't."
James felt his body go a little colder as he began to panic. He raised his hands to reach into his pockets in search of coins when he realized he was already holding something. Opening his palms, he found in the middle of each of them a small, shining disk. The girl's eyes flashed at the sight of them, and quickly, she snatched them out of his palms with one hand. (The other held the large book tightly. How she could lift it was beyond James' comprehension.)
"Very good," she said.
Her pale hand slipped the coins into a pocket on her sundress that James hadn't noticed before that moment. In her other form, the coins slipped into the jagged opening across her stomach.
"Right then."
She paused to open the book to its exact middle. The pages were blank there, and on one side rested a feather. With one hand under the book and the other outstretched, the girl leaned downward and pressed a hand against James' chest. James flinched, nearly wrenching himself away if he wasn't so startled by the girl's – and the creature's – intent expression. When she pulled away, James felt something tug painfully out of his chest. He tried to cry out, but even then, he couldn't find his voice. Instead, he kept his eyes steady on her as she straightened and held up the thing in the palm of her hand.
It was a glowing ball of light. Pink light. With its soft aura, it pulsated every few seconds, one side flaring out as the other contracted. Somehow, James knew exactly what it was, and for that, he felt even more horrified.
The girl placed James' heart on the other blank page, opposite the white feather. Holding up the book, she narrowed her eyes and watched the two objects bob on the pages like a pair of tentacool on the surface of a sea. Eventually, the movement stopped, and when it did, the objects were exactly level with one another, partly dipped into the pages of the book. The girl sighed and grabbed the pink object.
"Just as I thought," she said as she handed it back to James. "Neither completely good nor completely evil. You are, essentially, right in the middle."
James exhaled, conscious only now of the fact that he'd been holding his breath since she'd taken his heart. The heart flashed in his hands before disappearing suddenly. A warmth spread through his body as the heart crept back into his chest.
"What does that mean?" James asked, surprised at how quiet his voice was.
The girl closed the book. "It means we'll need to talk. You see, this is the problem I've had with you for awhile. It's impossible to decide where you need to go. You can't enter Heaven because you're certainly not good, but Hell isn't an option because you're not sufficiently sinful. I can't place you in the middle, either, because no one has gone in the middle for a very long time."
James shakily forced himself to stand. His legs felt numb, but somehow, they supported his weight.
"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice taking on the squeak he usually had when he was nervous.
She smiled lightly. "I'm saying I haven't ever taken your soul because I can't put it anywhere."
James stumbled backwards a few steps. Before he could fall flat on his rear, he managed to catch himself and stay on his feet. He kept his green eyes trained on the girl, who offered only a smile in return.
"So, I think I can give you a choice," she said. "Give me one reason why you should go to Heaven."
A silence lapsed between the two. James' eyes slowly began to glisten. Then, abruptly, he burst into tears. He lifted his arm, sobbing into his white sleeve.
"I don't want to go there!" he wailed. "I don't want to die! I want to go back! Take me back!"
The girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, James. No one goes back."
James sniffed loudly and hiccupped like a child. "Where's Jessie? And Meowth?"
The girl sighed. Her head tilted to the side, as if she was thinking carefully about the exact response. However, the answer came quicker than James expected.
"Their fates were clearer," she said. "Jessica, vain and wrathful, will be sent to Hell. Meowth, who was willing to sacrifice his identity – his entire being – for the sake of another being on numerous occasions, will be sent to Heaven."
Slowly, James let his arm lower to his mouth. His eyes were turning red from crying, and tears continued to roll down his cheeks.
"Jessie's going to Hell?" he asked with a pitiful whine.
"We all, in life, choose where we go by our actions," the girl replied carefully. "Whether we go to Heaven, to Hell, or to someplace altogether is our decision only, based on the ones we make in life. Jessie chose to go where she did. It's nothing to worry about."
"I want to go with her," James said abruptly as he threw his arms to his sides.
A silence descended between them. Even James himself was startled by his boldness. The girl glanced at him calmly.
"Are you certain, James?" she asked. "You're volunteering to go to Hell."
"I don't care!" James cried. "I don't want to leave Jessie!"
"Why?"
He sniffled again as tears ran down his cheeks. Memories played through his mind one after another. Images of their first meeting, their time in Pokémon Tech, the Bridge Bike Gang, Rocket training… All of them flashed through his head like an old movie on fast forward. He recalled their adventures, the pursuit of that pikachu, her beauty – everything about their lives together. Then, as he mentally lingered on her image, he saw an eternity without her by his side, with her in everlasting darkness and Meowth and him in white paradise.
"Why?" the girl repeated.
"She's my best friend," James said hoarsely.
His companion pursed her lips and nodded.
"And you can't stand the thought of letting her stay in Hell," she finished.
He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve and sobbed. Slowly, he nodded his head.
"Then you pass."
James looked at her strangely to find a serene smile playing across both the pale face and the dark gray body. He was about to open his mouth in a question when her pale and gray right hands slipped into her pockets and mouth. With a jingle, she pulled something from the void and held it at arm's length for James to take. In the palms of her hands, his two coins glittered in the rainbow light. Staring at them, his eyes widened, and with a trembling hand, he reached up to take them.
"I don't get it," he mumbled through numb lips.
"We wanted to see what you would do," the girl explained.
James wanted to ask who "we" entailed, but before he could, the girl continued briskly.
"You see, James, I was honest with you when I said we didn't know where to place you. You're neither good nor evil."
"This is a test?" James whispered.
She nodded. "Was, anyway. And you passed with the results I had hoped. The next time we meet, when it's your time – and believe me, that won't be for awhile – I know exactly where you should go."
Without saying another word in regards to his placement, she leaned towards James and caressed his cheek. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt her bitter-cold touch ease across his skin. Her chill penetrated his entire body, but he didn't dare protest.
"You're going to sleep now," she said. "When you wake up, you'll be next to your friends."
"Are they…?"
She shook her head. "No."
Tears began welling up in his eyes. "Thank you."
With one more smile, she nodded. Then, for a second time, he fell into absolute darkness.
"James? James!"
"Come on, Jimmy! Wake up!"
The first sensation James felt when he began to come to was the feeling of being shaken by the shoulders. The second was the sting of someone's hand crossing his cheek.
"Ohh," he moaned. "Five more minutes, Jessie…!"
"He's waking up!" Meowth cried.
"Oh, he's waking up all right," Jessie replied angrily. "I'll make sure of that!"
Another slap descended on James' cheek. His green eyes slowly opened, and he found himself staring to the side, at Meowth's white and brown hind paws nestled in the soft, green grass. He felt oddly comfortable, albeit incredibly cold, until a third slap jolted his head to the other side. His eyes caught a glimpse of Jessie, superimposed on the blue sky, as his head rolled by the force of her strike. Shortly after the third slap, he turned his head to look into Jessie's face. The noon sun shone directly behind her head, creating a yellow halo around her fire-red hair.
"Jessie," he muttered.
He realized at that point that her eyes were oddly red. Seemingly unaware of her appearance, Jessie glared steadily at him.
"It's about time!" she said. "We've spent two hours that we could've used chasing the twerp trying to wake you up!"
"Yeah, you were really out of it," Meowth added. "You okay, Jim? You really scared us there."
"I wasn't scared!" Jessie snapped.
Meowth was about to reply when James forced himself to sit up. He felt a little dazed, and the ache of the landing was beginning to edge into his body.
"I had the weirdest dream," he said after awhile. "There was this girl…"
Immediately, both Jessie and Meowth fell silent. Blank expressions crossed their faces for a few beats before they turned their heads to exchange uncomfortable glances.
Noticing their faces, James furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"
Closing her eyes, Jessie shook her head and stood. "Nothing. Come on. We're losing valuable time. At this rate, the twerp will be halfway across Sinnoh before we get going."
With a nod and grin, James rose to his feet. "Jessie?"
She turned a sharp, blue-eyed glare towards him. "What?!"
"I'm glad we're together."
There was a beat of silence as Jessie's expression softened slightly. Just as quickly as it happened, she caught herself, however, and her face distorted into a sharp frown.
"Stop wasting time and let's go!"
As Jessie turned and began stomping into the forest (followed soon after by Meowth), James brought up the rear in order to keep his eyes on the backs' of his partners. For that moment, he was content.
Also a response to a prompt ("Where are we? How did I get here?") on the LiveJournal challenge community, 50 Passages.
Really, James never understood why it never happened before then. Although he wasn't the brightest chinchou in the sea (despite the fact that he often claimed otherwise), even he knew that by all arguments of logic, he should have been dead three years ago. Maybe even more. Every time he blasted off with his team, he should have died, either in the initial explosion or the landing.
Why he died then was a question he couldn't begin to answer.
When he awoke the next time, he found himself lying on his back and staring into the darkness. It took him several moments to realize that it actually wasn't dark wherever he was. Rather, something was on his eyes. His gloved fingers reached up to take the objects, and as they moved, he found himself nearly blinded by white light. Quickly, he flinched and turned his head as he slipped the metal disks into the palms of his hands. His vision resolved gradually, fading like a Polaroid into the image of a sky above him. Rather, it wasn't very much like sky. It moved oddly, rippling with iridescent waves that glittered with light from a source beyond it. He narrowed his green eyes at it, unable to make out what it actually was. Water never behaved like that – that is, it never stayed in the air in a river. Carefully, he sat up and looked around, but for miles, all his eyes could see was a white space colored only by the rainbow lights that filtered through the river overhead.
After a moment, he was abruptly aware that someone was beside him. Turning his head, he found a figure sitting next to him, as if she was there all along.
The figure, James realized, was a bit difficult to pin down. On the one hand, she appeared to be a girl with long, dark-gray hair. Her pale skin – paler than anything James had ever seen – was clothed in only a loose, black sundress. When she looked at James, her eyes (one blood red and the other milk white) sent odd shivers down James' spine. In her hands, she held a large, leather-bound book, which James realized was fastened to her left wrist by a long, silver chain. On the other hand, she also appeared to be a large, black creature, taller than James at his full height (and James was no dwarf), with golden markings across her body and a golden knob rising from her gray head. She had only one eye in this form, the blood-red one, but the book was still there, chained to the bulky, black wrist by the same silver tether. The two figures seemed superimposed over one another, so James' mind constantly switched from one to the other, flashing back and forth to create a hazy image of both at the same time.
"Hello," she said.
Her voice carried both the high-pitched tone of a young girl's and the heavy ring of a thick, bronze church bell. When James heard it, he trembled from the resonance but felt soothed by it at the same time.
At her greeting, James nodded as his lips parted slightly. Without another word, the girl opened the book, flipping its dusty pages until she came across one near the very end. Her fingers traced down the lines of glistening, black ink until she came across one entry, written in tiny print at the bottom of the page beneath expanses of weaving sigils and looping words in languages James could never understand.
"You're James," she told him as she read from the book. "Born to a wealthy family on the seventh of December, you lived surrounded by everything you ever wanted, but you ran away from it for the sake of freedom. Ironically, you search for exactly what you gave away. Fame, wealth, glory. You were a member of not only a bicycle gang but also a criminal organization, the latter of which you've devoted a number of years of your life before you died. While you did commit the sin of theft numbers of times – along with envy and pride – you also strangely have a gentle heart. You're a romantic and a strongly loyal companion, one who would gladly surrender all that he has for the sake of the people and pokémon he calls his friends. In other words—" She closed the book. "—you, James, are a heavy contradiction. That sounds about right."
A million different thoughts flashed through James' head, and he wanted to say all of them. Instead, because his mouth just couldn't fit all of those words at once, he found himself forcing one syllable off his tongue. "Ah."
The girl grinned – baring her golden teeth – and stood, although her other form merely floated. "Go on. You want to ask me something."
"Ah," James repeated. "Who are you? Where are we? How did I get here?"
Raising her mismatched eyes towards the river, the girl contemplated an answer. Then, she lifted a finger and pointed to the ground. "This is Limbo." She pointed to the river overhead. "That is Styx. Your body has died, and now, I'm to judge you and then ferry you across that river to your resting place based on the quality of your soul."
James knew he'd died, but he still felt his body go cold at the announcement of his mortal condition. He stared at his companion, unable to find exact words to reply. She waited for a few beats, not so much because she had assumed he would speak so much as it felt appropriate. When he said nothing, she smiled. James could swear she'd grown at that point.
"As for who I am," the girl said, "I am that which you meet at the end. I am the End, the Finality, the Omega, both the embodiment of the idea and the idea itself. Do you have the coins?"
The question caught him off-guard, but he found that he couldn't say a word to her. Instead, he merely stared, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, at the girl.
She sighed and held out a hand with strained patience. "The coins. Do you have the coins? I can't take you anywhere if you don't."
James felt his body go a little colder as he began to panic. He raised his hands to reach into his pockets in search of coins when he realized he was already holding something. Opening his palms, he found in the middle of each of them a small, shining disk. The girl's eyes flashed at the sight of them, and quickly, she snatched them out of his palms with one hand. (The other held the large book tightly. How she could lift it was beyond James' comprehension.)
"Very good," she said.
Her pale hand slipped the coins into a pocket on her sundress that James hadn't noticed before that moment. In her other form, the coins slipped into the jagged opening across her stomach.
"Right then."
She paused to open the book to its exact middle. The pages were blank there, and on one side rested a feather. With one hand under the book and the other outstretched, the girl leaned downward and pressed a hand against James' chest. James flinched, nearly wrenching himself away if he wasn't so startled by the girl's – and the creature's – intent expression. When she pulled away, James felt something tug painfully out of his chest. He tried to cry out, but even then, he couldn't find his voice. Instead, he kept his eyes steady on her as she straightened and held up the thing in the palm of her hand.
It was a glowing ball of light. Pink light. With its soft aura, it pulsated every few seconds, one side flaring out as the other contracted. Somehow, James knew exactly what it was, and for that, he felt even more horrified.
The girl placed James' heart on the other blank page, opposite the white feather. Holding up the book, she narrowed her eyes and watched the two objects bob on the pages like a pair of tentacool on the surface of a sea. Eventually, the movement stopped, and when it did, the objects were exactly level with one another, partly dipped into the pages of the book. The girl sighed and grabbed the pink object.
"Just as I thought," she said as she handed it back to James. "Neither completely good nor completely evil. You are, essentially, right in the middle."
James exhaled, conscious only now of the fact that he'd been holding his breath since she'd taken his heart. The heart flashed in his hands before disappearing suddenly. A warmth spread through his body as the heart crept back into his chest.
"What does that mean?" James asked, surprised at how quiet his voice was.
The girl closed the book. "It means we'll need to talk. You see, this is the problem I've had with you for awhile. It's impossible to decide where you need to go. You can't enter Heaven because you're certainly not good, but Hell isn't an option because you're not sufficiently sinful. I can't place you in the middle, either, because no one has gone in the middle for a very long time."
James shakily forced himself to stand. His legs felt numb, but somehow, they supported his weight.
"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice taking on the squeak he usually had when he was nervous.
She smiled lightly. "I'm saying I haven't ever taken your soul because I can't put it anywhere."
James stumbled backwards a few steps. Before he could fall flat on his rear, he managed to catch himself and stay on his feet. He kept his green eyes trained on the girl, who offered only a smile in return.
"So, I think I can give you a choice," she said. "Give me one reason why you should go to Heaven."
A silence lapsed between the two. James' eyes slowly began to glisten. Then, abruptly, he burst into tears. He lifted his arm, sobbing into his white sleeve.
"I don't want to go there!" he wailed. "I don't want to die! I want to go back! Take me back!"
The girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, James. No one goes back."
James sniffed loudly and hiccupped like a child. "Where's Jessie? And Meowth?"
The girl sighed. Her head tilted to the side, as if she was thinking carefully about the exact response. However, the answer came quicker than James expected.
"Their fates were clearer," she said. "Jessica, vain and wrathful, will be sent to Hell. Meowth, who was willing to sacrifice his identity – his entire being – for the sake of another being on numerous occasions, will be sent to Heaven."
Slowly, James let his arm lower to his mouth. His eyes were turning red from crying, and tears continued to roll down his cheeks.
"Jessie's going to Hell?" he asked with a pitiful whine.
"We all, in life, choose where we go by our actions," the girl replied carefully. "Whether we go to Heaven, to Hell, or to someplace altogether is our decision only, based on the ones we make in life. Jessie chose to go where she did. It's nothing to worry about."
"I want to go with her," James said abruptly as he threw his arms to his sides.
A silence descended between them. Even James himself was startled by his boldness. The girl glanced at him calmly.
"Are you certain, James?" she asked. "You're volunteering to go to Hell."
"I don't care!" James cried. "I don't want to leave Jessie!"
"Why?"
He sniffled again as tears ran down his cheeks. Memories played through his mind one after another. Images of their first meeting, their time in Pokémon Tech, the Bridge Bike Gang, Rocket training… All of them flashed through his head like an old movie on fast forward. He recalled their adventures, the pursuit of that pikachu, her beauty – everything about their lives together. Then, as he mentally lingered on her image, he saw an eternity without her by his side, with her in everlasting darkness and Meowth and him in white paradise.
"Why?" the girl repeated.
"She's my best friend," James said hoarsely.
His companion pursed her lips and nodded.
"And you can't stand the thought of letting her stay in Hell," she finished.
He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve and sobbed. Slowly, he nodded his head.
"Then you pass."
James looked at her strangely to find a serene smile playing across both the pale face and the dark gray body. He was about to open his mouth in a question when her pale and gray right hands slipped into her pockets and mouth. With a jingle, she pulled something from the void and held it at arm's length for James to take. In the palms of her hands, his two coins glittered in the rainbow light. Staring at them, his eyes widened, and with a trembling hand, he reached up to take them.
"I don't get it," he mumbled through numb lips.
"We wanted to see what you would do," the girl explained.
James wanted to ask who "we" entailed, but before he could, the girl continued briskly.
"You see, James, I was honest with you when I said we didn't know where to place you. You're neither good nor evil."
"This is a test?" James whispered.
She nodded. "Was, anyway. And you passed with the results I had hoped. The next time we meet, when it's your time – and believe me, that won't be for awhile – I know exactly where you should go."
Without saying another word in regards to his placement, she leaned towards James and caressed his cheek. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt her bitter-cold touch ease across his skin. Her chill penetrated his entire body, but he didn't dare protest.
"You're going to sleep now," she said. "When you wake up, you'll be next to your friends."
"Are they…?"
She shook her head. "No."
Tears began welling up in his eyes. "Thank you."
With one more smile, she nodded. Then, for a second time, he fell into absolute darkness.
---
"James? James!"
"Come on, Jimmy! Wake up!"
The first sensation James felt when he began to come to was the feeling of being shaken by the shoulders. The second was the sting of someone's hand crossing his cheek.
"Ohh," he moaned. "Five more minutes, Jessie…!"
"He's waking up!" Meowth cried.
"Oh, he's waking up all right," Jessie replied angrily. "I'll make sure of that!"
Another slap descended on James' cheek. His green eyes slowly opened, and he found himself staring to the side, at Meowth's white and brown hind paws nestled in the soft, green grass. He felt oddly comfortable, albeit incredibly cold, until a third slap jolted his head to the other side. His eyes caught a glimpse of Jessie, superimposed on the blue sky, as his head rolled by the force of her strike. Shortly after the third slap, he turned his head to look into Jessie's face. The noon sun shone directly behind her head, creating a yellow halo around her fire-red hair.
"Jessie," he muttered.
He realized at that point that her eyes were oddly red. Seemingly unaware of her appearance, Jessie glared steadily at him.
"It's about time!" she said. "We've spent two hours that we could've used chasing the twerp trying to wake you up!"
"Yeah, you were really out of it," Meowth added. "You okay, Jim? You really scared us there."
"I wasn't scared!" Jessie snapped.
Meowth was about to reply when James forced himself to sit up. He felt a little dazed, and the ache of the landing was beginning to edge into his body.
"I had the weirdest dream," he said after awhile. "There was this girl…"
Immediately, both Jessie and Meowth fell silent. Blank expressions crossed their faces for a few beats before they turned their heads to exchange uncomfortable glances.
Noticing their faces, James furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"
Closing her eyes, Jessie shook her head and stood. "Nothing. Come on. We're losing valuable time. At this rate, the twerp will be halfway across Sinnoh before we get going."
With a nod and grin, James rose to his feet. "Jessie?"
She turned a sharp, blue-eyed glare towards him. "What?!"
"I'm glad we're together."
There was a beat of silence as Jessie's expression softened slightly. Just as quickly as it happened, she caught herself, however, and her face distorted into a sharp frown.
"Stop wasting time and let's go!"
As Jessie turned and began stomping into the forest (followed soon after by Meowth), James brought up the rear in order to keep his eyes on the backs' of his partners. For that moment, he was content.
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