AN: I've been looking for more fics to read so if anyone has any good Pokémon fics to recommend I'd greatly appreciate it.
Spot Inspection
Chapter 10
-Ash-
"For the last time, NO!" Ash snapped at the irritating man in the suit who kept pestering him to trade his Charmander for the Raticate that had lost to said fire type. The old man was pushy, annoying, and was just as much of a swindler as that guy trying to pawn of 'gold mine magicarp on people.
"But young man, be reasonable." The old man kept his 'kind and genial' smile as he kept trying to push the Raticate ball forward, "Trading is a way to strengthen the bonds of friendship between both people and Pokémon. They carry the friendship you started and go on to the next person, forming a beautiful new tapestry of-"
"You want to trade, go trade your Raticate to the people who lost to it." Ash cut him off as the old man's expression faltered for just a moment, "That's what I thought. You don't want to spread 'friendship', you just want to win more battles without having to do any work."
"I'd suggest that you apologize before I take you to court for such slanderous words." The old man decided to change tactics. Not that it did the coot any good as Jane finally got tired of this charade too and flashed her badge as the man went pale and scurried off before any more words could be said.
"Jane, I could kiss you right now." Ash slumped in relief as the old man finally left them alone.
"Then do so." Jane smirked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully at him, happily returning it as he pulled her into a kiss. So far, their date on the S.S. Anne cruise event had been fun. There was food, games, stalls, and battles.
"Hmmm, I knew I kept you around for a reason." Jane grinned as they broke the kiss, his girlfriend lacing her fingers with his own as they resumed walking. It was getting closer and closer to dinner, and he wanted to try and find another good battle or two. Had to keep ahead of his 'proof of ability' in case the next Gym decided to shatter the hopeful passing streak Surge started.
"HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" a cackling voice shouted from the stage as Ash and Jane turned, seeing a man in a sailor's uniform tear away the clothing to reveal a team rocket outfit beneath, illuminated by the setting sun from the window. "I'd like to thank you for coming to the S.S. Anne Team Rocket Cruise! We appreciate you joining us and the peaceful surrender of every Pokémon and valuable on your person. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt after all." As the man spoke, more and more employees of the ship revealed themselves to be rockets in disguise. Scowling, and ignoring the growing panic from the other guests and the employees who weren't reveling themselves to be rockets, Ash lashed out at the closest rocket with a hard punch.
As the shocked mobster went unconscious from the solid punch to the face Ash called out all five of his Pokémon "Don't just stand there you idiots! We outnumber them!" he shouted at the other guests cause, while yes there were several team rocket members, this was a ship filled to the brim with actual trainers who came onto this event to trade and battle. There were another two or three trainers for every one Rocket.
"…Oh dear." The leader gulped when he realized that he'd lost the element of fear.
"CHARGE!" Ash shouted as he, Jane, and their Pokémon started attacking every Rocket in sight. Thanks to the power of mob mentality, the other trainers soon started joining in as the Rocket Grunts soon realized that all they'd done with this plan was lock themselves in with an army of angry trainers and their even angrier Pokémon.
Well…he did say he wanted a good battle or two. Be careful what you wish for.
-Jane-
"So, how's the paperwork situation?" Jane asked nervously as she sat on a stool in the local beach bar. After the Rockets had been subdued the remaining crew of the S.S. Anne had brought the ship into the nearest safe harbor, that being Porta Vista, to allow Cops to start coming in to collect the mobsters.
"I…hate…you." Her older sister's tired frustrated tone made Jane wince; glad she'd at least thought to wear a regular shirt for this. Calling to ask about paperwork she'd dumped onto her sister while wearing a bikini and sipping a drink from a coconut probably would have only made things worse.
"That bad?" Jane grimaced, making a mental note to buy her sister lots of apology gifts when she and Ash got to Celadon.
"You and your boyfriend collectively have exposed the primary regional professor of numerous crimes, stopped a raid on the Viridian Pokémon Center, exposed two Major League Gym Leaders of serious fault, caught a woman who has a large body count from her traps, forced a potential law suit in the making to go back to trainer school, arrested an abusive trainer who abandoned Pokémon to die, and now stopped a massive mob raid on a cruise ship. Each and every fucking one of those things involves massive amounts of paperwork and you two have gotten to dodge all of it!"
"I'm sorry!" Jane bowed her head in frantic apology, as did her newly evolved Umbreon at her side. During the attack on the rockets while the sun had set, she and Ash's Eevees had evolved, hers into an Umbreon and Ash's into an Espeon.
"You'd better beeeee." Her sister hissed before forcing herself to calm down, "Where is your boyfriend anyway?"
"He said he felt like walking by the beach for a bit, look for some shells." Jane shrugged, having felt like relaxing inside instead, "Our ship back to the mainland won't be here till tomorrow anyway and I-" pausing she looked over and saw Ash walking in with an exhausted looking Horsea and an expression she recognized.
Damnit.
All the presents and a Spa Day, "I just want to apologize in advanced for what's about to happen and I promise I'll make it up to you."
"I hate you both."
AN: And next chapter we're off to see Erika in Celadon.