James and Camilla: Split by Family Ties

James, now a young man of twenty, stared at the afternoon sun on Kanto's Cerulean Cape. He leaned against a willow tree, adjusted his gray and green suit, then smiled. It'd been eight years since he met Camilla and Giovanni. Even though they went their separate ways after their time in Littleroot Town, the three still kept in touch and met up on occasion. James even watched his friends' league battles whenever he could, celebrating their wins or supporting their losses. As time went on, James felt the bond he had with Camilla was growing differently. Just like what he felt back then, he wanted to be more than friends with her. And he believed she felt the same as well.

Giovanni, wearing a red shirt and black pants, ran over and wiped his brow. "James, what are you doing if I'm the one doing all the work?"

The Galar native chuckled and turned to his best friend. "Gio, I completed my tasks already. Besides, you did arrive late, after all."

"But...you could've helped me!"

"Well, why didn't you ask?"

Giovanni groaned. "I don't believe this. Fine. Can you please help me?"

James smirked. "My pleasure, Gio."

The two walked down the hill where a large red and white checkered blanket was laid out on the grass. A brown wicker picnic basket anchored the blanket at the center, and camellias and roses adorned the edges. With the sun beginning its descent, the yellow-orange light made the scenery just right.

James stroked his chin. "Gio...did you really do anything?"

His best friend crossed his arms. "Of course I did! I picked up the flowers and spread them around the blanket. It was hard finding the ones you wanted…"

James looked at the flowers. Tri-color camellias and green-lavender roses… Perfect.

"You did an excellent job, Gio."

"No prob, James. But why these flowers specifically?" His eyes grew wide. "Wait a minute...you're not…"

His friend nodded as his cheeks flushed a dark crimson. "I'm going to ask Camilla to be my girlfriend. And...if all goes well...I'll ask her to marry me…"

"Wow, you're serious about this, aren't you?" Giovanni's frown turned into a grin. "I had a feeling you two would get together, James! You both care so much for each other, and you'll make a perfect pair."

"Thanks, Gio. Will our friendship be impacted because of this?"

"Of course not! I'm Team Jamilla after all!"

The two men laughed. Then James' Pokégear rang. Huh? Why is Camilla calling me? She isn't supposed to come for another half an hour.

He answered the phone, "Hello, Camilla. What is it?"

{Hi...James...}

The sadness in her voice caught his attention. "Is everything all right?"

{I… I'm sorry, James… I just… I just can't meet you today.}

He was shocked. "But…Camilla… You were so excited when you accepted my invitation."

She sniffled, then replied, {I'm so sorry… I...I CAN'T SEE YOU ANYMORE! GOODBYE, JAMES!} Then, she hung up.

James dropped his phone and fell to his knees.

Giovanni gasped. "James! What's wrong?"

Once he knelt down to comfort him, his friend whimpered in between tears, "Sh-She broke off our date… Sh-She...hates...me…"

"N-No… There must be some mistake, James…"

Nearby, a male teenager apologized to a girl around his age. "I'm sorry, Julia. I thought arranged everything perfectly for our first date, but I guess I screwed it all up…"

She smiled, touching his hand. "I know you did the best you could, Jerry. Besides, I didn't mind being chased by Beedrill when we were at the rose garden. It was kind of exciting."

The two laughed, reminding James of his adventures with Camilla.

"At least we can enjoy the sunset together. That's a good ending, right?"

The Galarian regained his composure the best he could and walked over to the pair. "Excuse me. I couldn't help but overhear what happened. I set up a picnic with someone, but it appears she won't be able to come. Would you like to enjoy it in my stead? You can keep everything there."

Jerry's eyes sparkled. "You really mean it, sir?"

"Of course."

The pair exchanged excited glances, and they nodded fervently.

"Thank you so much!" Julia said.

They then ran to the picnic spot and admired the setup. When Jerry handed Julia the flowers, James could no longer maintain his emotions and sadly walked back to Cerulean City.

Giovanni caught up with him and wrapped his arm over his crestfallen friend's shoulder. "You did a good thing for them, James. Come on, I'll treat you to some ramen. My treat."

James wiped his tears. "All right…"

At her parents' home at the outskirts of Goldenrod City, Camilla clutched her Pokégear, trying to hold back her tears. Did...Did I do the right thing…? He sounded really hurt… But I...I just can't let him get involved anymore with me. It's…It's for the best…

"Oh, Camilla!" her mother, Adeline, called from the backyard door. "You don't want to keep your fiancée waiting, don't you?"

Her daughter flinched. Fiancée… How could I marry someone I only met today?!

The eighteen-year-old woman obeyed her mother's demand, wiping her eyes. Inside the living room, a muscular, bald, twenty-year old man wearing a tight-fitting black and white suit offered her a bouquet of daffodils and yellow tulips.

"Now, now, Cami. Dry your tears. I got this, just for you."

She looked at the flowers with disdain. "Thanks, but I don't want your present, or that nickname."

"Camilla!" Adeline scolded. "You need to treat him with better manners. Craig Alaric is the heir to the Alaric battling family, the best choice for you. This is not the girl I raised."

"And do you even know what I want, Mom?! Where's Dad?! I want to talk to him."

Her father, Michael, entered the room. "Did someone call my name?"

"Dad!" Camilla ran to him. "Please, Dad. I don't want to marry Craig. You know that, don't you?"

He gently clasped her hand. "I'm sorry, dear. Your mom and I agree this union is best for you."

Camilla was shocked and freed herself from his grasp. "No… Dad...this isn't like you. You wanted me to marry someone I love, not for the lineage. Remember?"

Michael shook his head. "Camilla. I'm sorry I lied to you about that. I just wanted you to experience that feeling before your betrothal."

No… Everything that I learned about love and lineage all my life… Was everything...just a lie?! She clenched her teeth and begrudgingly accepted Craig's gift and forceful kiss on the cheek.

Craig and Adeline glanced at each other and smiled.

One month later…

James and Giovanni watched the news from the Pewter City Pokémon Center.

{In other news, the wedding between Craig Alaric and Camilla Leland will be happening tonight in Lilycove City of the Hoenn Region. This is a momentous occasion, since both are from two of the oldest and most powerful battling families. Although we cannot broadcast the wedding, we will release pictures tomorrow. Stay tuned for this exciting event!}

Giovanni looked at his friend. James was a wreck; he barely got any sleep since the failed picnic. He even almost lost his job at the Pewter City Museum if it wasn't for Professor Oak's interference. The man kindly let him be a temporary assistant to allow him time to recover.

"How...How could she marry him…" James murmured, his face buried in his hands.

Giovanni crossed his arms. "I agree. This doesn't make any sense. I know Michael Leland, and I know he wouldn't make this kind of decision for his only child." He stood up. "Come on, James. We're going to Lilycove City."

"Are you mental?" he exclaimed. "Even if we arrived there on time, the security guards will never let us in."

The Kantonian smirked. "Are you forgetting about something, James? We have our Pokémon."

James was reluctant. "I don't know… What if she really doesn't want to see me?"

"You won't know until you see her for yourself. Now come on! We don't have much time!"

A few hours later…

The two men, dressed in black suits, spied on the Lilycove Hotel from the Lilycove Shopping Center rooftop. The sun was setting, and the last guests were trickling in. In front of the doors were two large guards in white uniforms.

"Alaric bodyguards," Giovanni hissed. "I should've known. All right, here's the plan. I'll distract the guards so you can get in. Then, you'll sneak in and find Camilla."

"Are you sure about this, Gio?" James asked. "This plan seems...too simplistic."

"Hey! That's the best I've got while we flew over here! Anyway, you still have your Kecleon, right? You can use her to figure out where Camilla is."

"Using Zovipa, huh? That's actually not a bad idea since she can turn herself invisible."

"See? Now, once you see the opening, make a break for it! I'll wait for you by the beach when you're done."

James nodded. "All right. Good luck, my friend."

Giovanni smirked. "Good luck yourself."

The bold man ran forward, getting the guards' attention.

"Hey, what are you doing? This is a private gathering!"

Giovanni frantically waved his arms and yelled, "Craig Alaric is the worst Trainer ever! I'll prove it by challenging him to a battle!"

"Hey, man! Mr. Alaric's busy. Wait until tomorrow."

"No way! I got a hankering for a battle! Bring him over here to fight me!"

"Sir, this is your last chance. Leave or you will be removed from the premises!"

"Not if you can catch me, suckas!" Giovanni darted to the back of the building, forcing the men to give chase.

I can't believe that actually worked. James snuck into the hotel and let out his Kecleon. "Zovipa, can you help me find Camilla?"

The Color Swap Pokémon nodded, and her body disappeared except for the signature red stripe. James watched it bounce down the hallway before hiding himself in the restroom.

The wedding party celebrated the new couple's union with a round of vibrant dancing in the banquet hall. Despite the happiness around her, Camilla couldn't feel the same way. She may have looked pretty in her white wedding dress, but it was only a veil to her sadness.

Craig eyed his new bride, trying to make her smile. "Come on, Cami, let's dance."

She sighed. "Thanks, but I don't feel like it right now. And don't call me Cami."

"What? It's much better than Camilla. But all right. We still have plenty of time to do that."

"Come on, Craig!" his best man shouted from the dance floor. "Join us!"

He chuckled. "I can't ignore him at a time like this."

Camilla weakly smiled. "You go ahead. I need to go freshen up anyway."

"Of course. Go ahead, Cami."

She shuddered at the unwanted nickname and slowly made her way into the hallway. There, she leaned against the beige walls and wept.

I can't believe this is happening… Why was I born a Leland…? If I didn't have that last name, and if I was born a boy…maybe I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

Then, she felt someone tug on her dress. She looked in that direction and saw a Kecleon materialize.

She instantly recognized the Pokémon. "Zovipa? What are you doing here? Does that mean…"

Zovipa motioned her to follow, and she ran after the Normal type. She was excited to see his Trainer, but scared how he would react to all of this. A door was cracked open, and the Color Swap Pokémon ran inside. Camilla cautiously entered and saw James waiting for her.

Overcome with joy, she whispered, "James! Is that really you?" She ran over and hugged him, sobbing into his shoulder.

James was shocked by her reaction. He thought he would be angry with her, but as the warm water fell onto him, he felt her pain and caressed her. "Camilla… It's been too long…"

She sniffled. "Yes, it certainly has…"

When they separated, he wiped away her tears.

"How did you get in here, James?"

"It's a long story, but that's not important." He hesitated. "Camilla, I've been waiting to ask you this for quite some time. Do you…do you love Craig?"

"Of course not, but I didn't have a choice… My parents both agreed to the marriage. And...if I didn't stop talking to you, Craig's family would make sure you didn't. I-I'm so sorry, James. I hope you forgive me…"

James fixed the camellia pin in her hair. "Of course I do. I wish I could do something to aid you."

She held his left hand. "I wish that too, but I know it's hopeless. Craig has too much control over me. And...I can't let you get more involved in this…"

The two stared lovingly into each other's eyes. James remembered the forests they strolled through reflected in her eyes as Camilla reminisced about the gray clouds they stared at many a time reflected in his.

James felt the tears forming, but he held them in. "Camilla. If you had a choice, who would you marry?"

She giggled for the first time since the proposal. "Isn't it obvious? It's the man standing in front of me."

"That's...That's all I needed to hear." He looked at her eyes, then her lips. Should I…?

Camilla smiled. "Please take this as a sign of what I hope will be our future, James."

She leaned forward, and he followed suit. The two kissed for what felt like an eternity. James' heart was elated yet restrained by fate. When they separated, Zovipa motioned that someone was coming.

"I'll distract them, James," she hissed. "Please get out safe."

"You too, Camilla."

He and his Kecleon hid behind some furniture just as she greeted an Alaric guard.

"Mrs. Leland-Alaric, are you all right? We heard there was a wedding crasher around."

"Don't worry, sir. I'm fine; just needed to check on something here. Can you take me back to the banquet hall? I need to give Craig that dance."

"Of course, my lady."

She stepped outside and closed the door, hiding a smile. Her lips were still tingling, something she didn't feel when she sealed her union with Craig.

James listened to see if anyone else was coming, then the pair snuck outside and ran to the beach. In the moonlight, he could make out Giovanni, who was tending to some scratches.

"Are you all right, Gio? You look a little worse for wear."

"Nah. These are just flesh wounds." Giovanni rubbed his left arm. "So, how'd it go?"

"We talked, and I know she didn't want to marry him. But...she's doing this to protect not only her family, but me…"

"That's good, I guess?"

James touched his lips. "Yeah...I guess…" Camilla…no matter how long it takes, I'll make sure to see you smile again.