5
Fashion had always been plenty interesting, but the implications of a choice didn't weigh on Jessie that much until right then. She was there to impress the parents, wasn't she? So dressing in a manner that was considered 'improper' wouldn't please them, but damn it, she really did need to be dressed right for trudging around a forest catching pokemon. After considering her choices a while, Jessie ended up choosing the dress that seemed less likely to start dragging on the ground or catch on something.
"Hm?" James seemed confused as he saw her. "I thought you wanted to dress for the occasion." He was dressed in what this family probably considered casual slacks himself, though he still had on a button-up shirt.
"Of course I did, but, there was a problem."
"Oh, right," James said. "You lost your luggage. Well, I suppose I could make you something, since you're going to be helping me."
"Make me something?" Jessie repeated, then followed James down the hall. She stood in the door as she saw him getting something out from a box, then realized it was a sewing machine. "Do you want to spend all day on that?" she asked.
"I'll make something simple. It shouldn't take that long," James said. He motioned her in. Jessie tried not to think about it too much as he took her measurements. She watched as he began on the project. She had learned how to sew a bit herself out of necessity, who knew that rich people like him even bothered, much less moved this quickly. Couldn't they just buy the latest styles from talented, professional designers? In any case, he was right, it didn't take him all day. Well before noon, he had completed a plain and demure, yet still cute looking sundress.
As she put it on, Jessie realized it was really quite flattering. It wasn't something she could wear all the time in this persona, but it was something she'd feel comfortable with the heads of the house seeing. She could just say that they were going to their special spot in the woods again and she didn't want to ruin her dress like before. She might also say it was a gift from her 'darling James'. Anyone would understand why a sweetheart giving them a handmade gift would make it special.
Jessie shook her head. As much as she did like it, and this was the first gift made especially for her, even if she was another persona it was still her in person, she didn't want to let it get to her. He was still a messed up rich guy who thought she was someone completely different, somehow who happened to have done him wrong. There was nothing romantic about this, just him trying to make things convenient for her to do him a favor.
"Oh! You look good in that, don't you?" James said, smiling as she came out of the room and he caught sight of her.
"It does look nice," Jessie admitted. He wasn't looking at her that way, she was just admiring his own handiwork. No need to go over-the-top complimenting him beyond that, especially when he was complimenting himself. "Are you ready?"
"Yes!" James said, his pitch rising higher with his enthusiasm. What a kid, Jessie thought, though it was nice to see the smile on his face. It beat the gloomy look that seemed to be his default. So he wasn't permanently stuck that way after all.
"So, where should we go to buy the pokeball?" James's face fell as Jessie asked the question. "What is it?" she demanded, annoyed that he was switching his moods just with that.
"Well, I don't have any money to get one, of course," James said. "I didn't think of that before..."
Really? With all the money this family had to have, he didn't even get an allowance? "Just sell some of the stuff around here then. Not like they'll miss any of it." There had to be so much collected that it didn't matter what went out the door. Jessie noted James's dubious expression. "Just joking," she said. It probably wasn't even a good joke, with how James had accused her of being a thief before, and how 'she' apparently had been one. Jessie tried to move past it, while also dodging how she should probably have some money too. "Guess I can't help it," she said, going into her room. She opened the door, taking out an object from the previous day's shopping trip. "This can be yours then. I only have one."
James took the object, holding it up to study it. "It's weird... Is it a real pokeball?" he said.
"Yes. A limited edition I think. I happened to win it at a store's lottery. I was planning to use it myself, but you can have it so we don't waste time shopping for another."
"Thank you," James said, his brow still furrowing as he looked at the pink-colored object. "Will it still be effective?"
"It's supposed to be more effective. It's a love ball. It can more easily catch a pokemon that's in love with yours."
James chuckled. "Would that really work? It sounds like it's just a coat of paint." He pocketed the overly ornate tool. "Well, as long as it does its job as a pokeball. Let's go."
As they got closer to the door, James took her hand. The parents were sitting across the way, and just waved at her and James before they left. Jessie noted James dropped her hand as they got outside. They started to walk through the woods casually. As they got farther in, Jessie threw out her pokeball. "Go, Ekans!" she said. She leaned down. "Follow James's orders for now, okay?" she said, nodding to the man next to her.
"Ekans!" the pokemon agreed, getting tense as it stared ahead.
"Have you been battling a lot?" James asked.
"Ekans knows when to get tough to protect me," Jessie said delicately, realizing she'd been dropping her act when she was alone with this guy far too much. That wasn't good. She shouldn't get too comfortable. Even so, James seemed to shrug it off. Maybe it wasn't so bad for her to just act like herself alone around him.
"What moves does it know?" James asked.
"Bite, wrap..." Jessie paused, deciding not to tell him about the status reducing move, since it could work on humans too. "Oh, and I taught it dig."
"Should I really be the one to order it?" James asked.
"Of course, you want to catch the new pokemon, don't you?"
"Yes, but..." James muttered.
"Don't tell yourself you can't. If you're not confident enough, Ekans won't be able to have any faith in your orders," Jessie said.
"Right!" James agreed.
Jessie was momentarily taken back by his gusto before she nodded, folding her arms as they walked forward to find a pokemon to catch. Looking around, she couldn't see any. They were there when she wanted to avoid them, but kept out of sight now that it would be convenient for them to show up. Jessie sighed.
"Were you able to battle wild pokemon in Kalos?" James asked.
"Come on, you think I'd try to do something like that?" Jessie said, then saw James look down at the rebuff. "Well, it does happen. Ekans has experience in battles, don't worry."
"I see one!" James exclaimed.
"Where, where?" Jessie said. As she looked around, before James pointed forward at a caterpie curled up by a tree. "Really? Are you really going to bother with that one?" she said.
"Why wouldn't I?" James asked. "It's a pokemon."
"Maybe if you were a ten-year-old bug catcher, but you want something more classy, refined, and powerful, don't you?"
"Butterfree are nice," James pointed out.
"It looks like it just wants to be squished, you think it can really evolve?"
"Perhaps not," James said. "What pokemon should I catch then?"
"You'll know it's for you when you see it," Jessie said.
"I guess so," James said, smiling as he looked Jessie's way.
For just a little too long. Jessie had to blush as she found herself in his gaze. It couldn't be he was falling for the woman who'd apparently abused him, could it? No, she was just looking into things too much. Besides the other issues in getting involved with him, pretty boys like him weren't her type. James soon looked away and became involved with the landscape anyway, confirming her momentary suspicions were wrong.
If she hadn't already decided she wasn't into him, the next incident would have convinced her completely. James let out a shout as many caterpie fell from a nearby tree as he brushed against a branch. He grabbed her arm as he shrieked in the unflattering way, nearly falling back. "How are there so many?"
"It's just caterpie," Jessie said, then took a closer look at the many crawling around. "Never mind... Let's get away from them."
With that, Jessie pulled her acting fiancé away, running through the forest as more caterpie fell and crawled toward them with dubious intentions. "How are there even more?" James asked.
"As if I know," Jessie said. Hearing a rustling, the pair of them turned toward a corner. A nidoran came galloping toward them, almost hissing as it swung its horn forward. The caterpie scattered, clearing an area around them. "Good, let's go," Jessie muttered. As she pulled at James's hand, she noted him standing steadfast, staring at the nidoran with a pleasant, and decidedly confident smile.
"It's the one," he informed, dropping Jessie's hand.
Jessie brushed it off. For not wanting her to touch him, he happened to be touching her a lot. Since it was all innocent, she wouldn't mention it, especially now, as he seemed to have found a pokemon to connect with. She'd take some gratification herself if he were able to catch the pokemon he'd decided he wanted.
James's eyes glanced around, appearing to wait for the bug types to completely scatter. After a few moments they did, and he pointed forward. "Ekans! Wrap attack!" The pokemon let out a shout as Ekans wrapped itself around it. Glowing needles erupted from the nidoran's horn, shooting toward its captor. "No good," James informed, smiling with the confidence Jessie had asked him to have. "Ekans is also poison type."
"Was that a poison type move?" Jessie thought aloud.
"Yes," James said, raising an eyebrow.
"Right, of course. That stinging attack," Jessie said. She hadn't battled other poison types that often, but had seen that attack before.
Nidoran thrashed around scratching Ekans as it tried to escape. "Nidoran, I'd like the pleasure of training you. If you'd come with me."
"What are you doing? You need to knock it out, not talk to it!" Jessie said.
"I won't," James said, glancing toward Jessie as he gripped the heart-adorned pokeball tighter. "I know we'll have to fight if it refuses, but no pokemon's going to have any love for one that attacks it." James turned back toward Nidoran. "So, Nidoran! Are you going to fight for your freedom? Or will you come with me?"
The wild pokemon slowed its movements, closing its eyes before it looked up at James, who nodded. "Pokeball, go!" James shouted, then threw the item toward his desired prize. Ekans relaxed as its opponent went inside. The pokeball shook only a moment before it steadied, indicating the pokemon was now caught inside. James's face lit up. "I did it! I caught a pokemon!"
Jessie smiled, then pulled out her pokeball to return her own pokemon. As they walked out of the forest, James kept staring at his. "What is it?" Jessie asked. "If you want to see the pokemon, you could just take it out."
"That's right. I can, can't I?" James threw out the pokeball, releasing the pokemon. "Let's go, Nidoran," he said. The pokemon was calm as it appeared, looking up at its new human partner expectantly. "I'm glad to have you."
"Not a bad first catch, a nidoran. I think you caught the female," Jessie said.
"How can you tell?" James asked, peering closer at the pokemon, which looked up at him with a curious expression.
"For nidoran, there's a lot of difference. The male and female have different colors, the male is sharper, too."
"Is that right? Well, it doesn't matter," James said, then crouched on the ground. "I prefer a pokemon that's not too sharp. Let me carry you, Nidoran."
"Hey, wait," Jessie began as the cheerful man picked up the pokemon. "You know it's a poison type, right? And the kind you might get poisoned by touching." Not to mention it had to be at least a little heavy.
"Oh? Well, I don't think Nidoran would do that on purpose. I have plenty of antidotes, anyway." James looked the calm pokemon in the eyes as he spoke.
It seemed pleased, staring back at him as he spoke. "Nidoran," it eventually called, closing its eyes.
There were multiple things wrong with this picture. First of all, wasn't he traumatized by getting poisoned? Well, having an excess of antidotes might speak to that. But did he want the pokemon to be a battling companion, or just to spoil like a kid? "Well, aren't you the doting father? It's like your baby, huh?" Jessie mused as James spoke reassuringly to the nidoran.
He was suddenly silent. "Alright Nidoran, you can walk on your own now," James said, putting it on the ground. He walked forward silently. Was her comment really that weird?
Jessie suddenly realized the context of what she'd said. Despite wanting to get comfortable around him, James wasn't just any guy she could make this kind of comment to. As of now, she was the one who was expected to have a kid with him. And he'd implied he wasn't very enthused about that, to put it mildly.
"It's not," James eventually said as he came back to the house.
"Hm?" Jessie turned his way.
"A pokemon's a lot different from a human child. Just for starters, pokemon battle each other." James glanced toward Nidoran, who put its head high, apparently proud of that fact.
"Yeah. That's right," Jessie agreed, not wanting to stay on the topic for long.
"So there's no way Nidoran would be a substitute for my child," James continued, actually meeting her eyes as he spoke.
Her heart beat quicker, though she felt pretty stupid at the same time. How could she have let herself be comfy enough to get onto such a touchy topic with him? No, forget her own actions, he ought to take some responsibility as well. Didn't he not even want 'her' to touch him, let alone get that close? He ought to act like it then.
"Did you want a child?" James asked before she could get hold of herself.
"I don't know," Jessie blurted out without thinking, looking away from him as she clenched her fist. She took a breath before looking back at him, seeing his vaguely confused expression. Of course, this reaction wasn't one 'she' was supposed to have. 'She' wanted the outcome James inquired about, so Jessie ought to act that way herself, and quick. "I mean, of-of course I do," she managed to choke out.
James silently smiled, staring back at her with almost a dreamy expression. His reaction wasn't entirely undesirable, but her enjoyment of it was partially why she wished he'd go back to the over-the-top hate. "I see," was all he said, even though the question was probably something that ought to be discussed more with his fiancée. "Well, thanks for your help today," he added.
"You're welcome," Jessie said, the words seeming foreign. Luckily, James only returned Nidoran to the pink pokeball, then wandered off as they entered the mansion. Jessie sighed loudly as he was out of earshot. She ought not to let herself get too excited and worked up about this kind of thing. Just in general, but definitely not with a guy she was putting up an act in front of. He had plenty of appeal, but he wasn't really her type anyway. Trying to convince herself of this, Jessie closed the door to her room to rest.
