Kanto Gets Loud
Chapter 96 Holy Matrimony!
The next day, just outside the Eastern Part of Fuchsia City,
With his sixth Gym Badge settled safely in his Badge Case, Lincoln and friends were once again pedaling off to their next destination; Chartreuse City, "So, Brock, how long will take us to get to Chartreuse City?" Lincoln asked, as both Pikachu and Eevee rode in his bike basket.
"From what I gathered from the map, it should take us about five days on bike, and taking the shortest possible route," Brock replied.
"Well, hopefully we can make it to a town before nightfall," Misty commented.
"Don't worry. As long as we don't get too sidetracked, we should be able to keep up a steady pace," Brock replied.
"And if we wind up getting lost somehow, we can always rely on some of our Flying Pokemon to help find our way," Lincoln added.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Misty replied. It was then that they noticed something on the side of the road. It was a wooden post with what looked to be a missing person's flyer on it.
"Hey, what's this?" Brock wondered.
"A missing person's flyer?" Lincoln questioned.
"Hey, doesn't the kid in this flyer look familiar?" Misty questioned. And she was right. The boy had droopy, blue hair and green eyes, but was wearing a fancy blue suit.
"Hey, you're right! That looks just like James!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"But it couldn't be the same James from the X-Rockets," Brock commented, just as a limousine pulled up beside them. From out of it stepped a well-dressed, elderly man, who, for some reason, pulled out a megaphone.
"Pardon me but have any of you young folks seen the boy in that poster?" he spoke through the megaphone.
"Well, we have if he's the same James from the X-Rockets," Lincoln replied.
Upon hearing this, the old man began weeping with joy, "JOLLY GOOD, EUREKA! Quickly, to the estate!" he said, as he grabbed the three trainers and their bikes and threw them into the limousine, before it drove off. From inside some bushes nearby, the X-Rockets were lurking, having seen everything. Jessie and Meowth were quick to go over to the flyer, while James slowly walked up, looking rather exasperated.
"Hmm, this kid looks an awful lot like you, James," Jessie commented.
Taking a look at the flyer, James looked back to his partner in denial, "Really? He looks just pathetic!" he stated.
"I think that's what she meant, Jimmy," Meowth replied.
"We should probably go and investigate!" Jessie declared.
"Yeah! There might be all kinds of valuables we can sell off for a high price!" Meowth replied, as he and Jessie ran ahead, while James chose to stick around by the missing poster. This prompted both of his partners to come back.
"James, what are you waiting for?!" Jessie demanded.
"Yeah! By the way that old geezer looked, he must be from somewhere with a ton of dough!" Meowth added.
"Mmm, I'm just not feeling it today. I'll stay behind," James replied, only to be lifted by Smoochum's Confusion.
"Oh no you won't! C'mon Smoochykins, lets go and see what's up ahead!" Jessie said, as they all went after the limousine.
Speaking of which, the limo just passed through a set of gates, "Begging your pardon, mister, but how much further is this place you're taking us?" Lincoln asked.
"We're almost at the end of the driveway, young man," the old man replied.
"Feels like we passed through the main gate about half an hour ago," Misty said, as she and her companions were drinking some tea, while Pikachu and Eevee were eating some Poffins.
"Daddy, where are we going?" Eevee asked Lincoln, causing him to nearly choke on his tea.
"You alright there, Lincoln?" Brock questioned, as Lincoln tried clearing his throat.
"Y-Yeah… *cough* *Cough, Eevee just said something that kind of took me by surprise," Lincoln replied.
"Oh? What did it say?" Misty asked, only to see a massive building coming into view, "Whoa, it's gigantic!"
"I've been to a lot of shopping malls, but this one is WAY bigger than anything I've ever seen!" Brock commented.
"You got that right! Even the mall back in Royal Woods is downright puny compared to this place," Lincoln added, just as the limousine came to a stop, allowing them to exit.
"I'd say there's probably 100 rooms inside there!" Misty estimated.
"Yeah… there are a lot of big mansions back home, but this one takes the cake!" Lincoln added.
"THAT IS NOT THE MANSION!" the old man yelled through the megaphone, causing the three trainers, and both Pokemon to cover their ears.
"Dude, we're standing right here! No need for the megaphone!" Lincoln yelled back.
"Apologies, but this tiny doghouse is for Growlie, the beloved Pokemon of the young master James," the old man clarified.
"Wait, THIS is a doghouse?!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Indeed. The building behind you is the main mansion," the old man replied, pointing to an even larger building behind them. The sight of this even larger mansion caused all five guests to trip and fall in anime fashion, "Please, follow me," the old man requested, as the five gathered their bearings, and followed him inside. From the nearby shrubbery, the X-Rockets popped their heads out.
"Whoa, we're in the lap of luxury!" Jessie exclaimed, looking around the mansion grounds.
"HEEHEEHEE! We've hit the jackpot!" Meowth happily exclaimed, though James was the only one who didn't seem too thrilled about the whole thing.
Inside the mansion, the old man led the three trainers inside, where they were met with a rather grim sight; A pair of coffins sitting in a bed of flowers, "C-C-Coffins?!" Misty shuddered.
"Was… there a funeral here?" Lincoln asked cautiously.
"You could put it that way," the old man replied, looking over to a portrait which had a well-dressed man and a beautiful woman, along with a young James holding a Growlithe, "You see, my master and mistress had only one child, a young boy named James. Regrettably, both of his parents passed away this morning. As per their wishes, this estate now belongs to him."
"Wait, what?! All of this is going to belong to James?!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"WHAT?!" Jessie and Meowth yelled from what appeared to be a crawlspace up above, as they peeked down on the four.
"James, are you really going to inherit this place?!" Jessie exclaimed.
"I-I suppose so," James quietly replied.
"Why so nervous, chum? Think about it! If you inherit this place, we can retire from a life of crime and live life in style!" Meowth stated.
"It's truly a tragedy of the highest order. After young Master James ran away, his parents barely had the strength to go on. One could even say that they truly did perish from broken hearts," the old man said, wiping some tears away, while Lincoln and company looked on in sympathy.
"That's so sad to hear," Misty commented.
"I really hope you find James as soon as you can," Lincoln added.
"'REALLY SOON' WON'T CUT IT!" the old man yelled through the megaphone, "HIS PARENT'S WILL CLEARLY STATES THAT MASTER JAMES MUST MARRY HIS FIANCE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THEIR PASSING! IF NOT, THEN THIS ENTIRE ESTATE WILL NO LONGER BELONG TO HIM, AND IT WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY! I MUST FIND HIM AT ONCE! AND IF YOU CAN BRING HIM HERE, I WILL SEE ABOUT REWARDING YOU HANDSOMELY!"
"Uh, right… well, finding James won't be as easy as you'd think, but we'll try," Lincoln said, as he and his friends stepped outside of the mansion, leaving the old man alone in front of the coffins.
"Lincoln, we're not really going to find James, are we? Especially after all the terrible things he's done?" Misty questioned.
"I know how you feel, Misty, but even criminals have a right to say one last goodbye to their parents at their death," Lincoln replied.
"Lincoln has a point. James won't get another chance to say goodbye to his parents. Denying him that privilege would be cruel, even for a criminal," Brock added.
"O-Oh, when you put it that way," Misty said, now feeling guilty for not wanting to get involved in this sort of drama.
"But the big question now is 'How do we find him?' After all, it's not like he'll just come falling from the sky," Pikachu stated.
"You have a point there, Pikachu," Lincoln replied, just as the five of them heard some sort of commotion on the roof.
"What's that, Daddy?" Lincoln once again flushed upon hearing Eevee calling him "Daddy," but it was short lived, as the X-Rockets came crashing down in front of them. They got back up, and both Jessie and Meowth began trying to wrestle a reluctant James into the mansion.
"NO, I WON'T GO! I WON'T GO!" James yelled.
"COME ON, JAMES! QUIT STRUGGLING!" Jessie snapped.
"Stop that! James' parents just passed away!" Brock yelled, trying to break up the fight.
"That's right! He's got to come to their funeral!" Lincoln added.
"NEVER!" James yelled, only to find both of his cohorts eyeing him with annoyance.
"We're becoming very annoyed, James!" Jessie warned.
"Don't you want to be the richest man in the world?" Meowth asked.
"I-I don't know…" James replied, before yelling out, swinging his head back, as if in agony, "AGH! I FEEL LIKE MY HEAD IS GOING TO SPLIT! I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!" he yelled.
"What's wrong with him?" Misty wondered.
"Maybe James hit his head at one point and got amnesia?" Brock theorized.
"Everything's all just one big blur! I remember flunking out of a private school I attended and joining a bicycle gang!" James yelled, before his demeanor softened, "I do have ONE vague memory," he said, going into a flash back.
Flashback, 20 or 30 years ago,
"It was a cold, and unforgiving snowy night. A boy was wandering far from home alongside his loyal Growlithe, Growlie," James narrated, as the scene showed a young James in tattered clothing, walking through the dark streets on a snowy winters night, alongside a Growlithe, who looked up at the young boy in concern, "They were both freezing, and hadn't eaten in days," he continued, just as the young James collapsed, prompting Growlie to come up to the boy, licking his face.
"G-Growlie, I don't think… I'm going to make it," the younger James shivered, as they both looked up to a bright light, coming from the building they were in front of, which happened to be some kind of church. The young James saw the stained-glass windows of angels. The young James could only smile sadly, "The angels have come for me. Farewell, my dear, Growlie… I leave this world for a better place. Remember me… dear…" the younger James couldn't finish his sentence as he lost consciousness. In sorrow, Growlie howled into the night.
Realtime,
"Poor Growlie, having lost his beloved human friend howled sadly into the night. The boy was found frozen solid," James lamented. His cohorts, along with Lincoln and company were all weeping from the tale.
"That's such a sad ending!" Jessie wept.
"That poor kid!" Meowth added.
"I can't believe James is gone!" Brock wept.
"I miss him!" Lincoln added, as he and Misty held each other for comfort.
"Or that's what we want to say… IF NOT FOR THE FACT THAT HE'S STANDING RIGHT HERE!" the five of them yelled at James.
"Oh yeah, that's right!" James commented, before noticing them all starring at him in annoyance, "AAH! I'M ALL MIXED UP!"
"Oh, who cares what you remember?! All the matters is the money!" Jessie stated.
"But James can't get one bit of his inheritance unless his marries some girl within the next 24 hours," Lincoln pointed out.
"A trivial matter. We can always just fake a wedding and run away with the money," Jessie dismissed.
"But that's completely ridiculous!" James argued.
"'Ridiculous'?! HA! This entire estate will be yours!" Jessie snapped.
"Yeah, Jimmy boy! Think of all the loot we can stash away!" Meowth added.
"Grr, no! I won't do it!" James snapped before he tried to make a run for it.
"He's weakening," Jessie stated.
"He'll see it our way," Meowth added, as they threw a pair of lassos, trapping James in his tracks.
"LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO DO IT!" James yelled, struggling to get away.
"Hang on! You can't make him get married!" Lincoln called out.
"That's right! James should be free to choose whoever he wants to get married!" Brock added.
"Butt out!" Jessie yelled.
"Keep your dumb opinions to yourself!" Meowth added, causing the three friends to look at one another.
"What are they talking about?" Eevee asked.
"I'll explain later," Pikachu replied.
Meanwhile, back at the Reynolds House,
The first day with Lincoln's most recent selection of Pokemon was truthfully an eventful one, to say the least. Upon seeing Pokemon like Tyson, Konoryu, Orion, Rapidash, Rampardos, Amaura and Milotic, the people of Royal Woods were astounded and awestruck. Lance and his family got their first experience with Pokemon, as did Katie and Taylor, who brought over their son, who was fascinated by the creatures before him, particularly the Pikachu and Raichu that were there. Now, the Reynolds Family were all asleep in their beds. And in her dreams, Lori found herself once again in the same void where she and Lynn encountered the remnants of their pride, "Oh boy, not this again," she muttered to herself, just as the phantasm materialized.
"Well Lori, you ought to be very ashamed of yourself," Pride Lori said with a sneer.
"What are you talking about? I ask as if I didn't know," Lori questioned.
"You DO know what I'm talking about, Lori! You allowed yourself to play a role in Lincoln's little ploy to convince you and Lynn that everything you put him through was the WRONG thing! What happened to your pride as a woman?! Have you forgotten that he's the one who ran out on you and the others?!"
"Lincoln didn't run out on us! WE were the ones who sent him away! Or have you forgotten what happened that day?"
"No, no, no, no, no! We are NOT going to remember it THAT way! We're going to remember it in a way that makes Lincoln out to be the bad guy!"
"Lincoln has been treated like the bad guy one too many times in his life already! Sure, most of the time is because of the stuff he does on a regular, but he never ONCE intends anything malicious by it!"
"Oh yeah, like when he offended Ronnie Anne and caused yours and Bobby's first break up? Or when he posted that compilation video of yours and your sister's embarrassing moments for a dumb contest? Or who can forget when he thought it was a GOOD idea, or even an idea period, to try and help resolve yours and Leni's fight over that dress? Face it Lori, Lincoln is a terrible person who needs to be put in his place!"
"No, he doesn't! We've put him through WAY more than someone like him should ever be forced to go through, and all because we just couldn't admit we were wrong!"
"That's because we WEREN'T wrong and can NEVER be wrong!"
"Seriously? After everything we've been through at the Sanitorium, you still think we CAN'T be wrong?"
"Well, obviously! We've grown up on our womanly pride! It's impossible for us to just up and ditch that mentality!"
"… You're right about at least that, to an extent. Giving up on a mentality that we've grown accustomed to for so many years is difficult, and maybe even impossible, but… maybe it's better to just keep trying."
"You're as delusional as everyone else! Mark my words, Lori… trying to take that little piece of shit brother of yours back will be the biggest mistake of your life!" and with that, Lori's pride vanished into the void, leaving Lori alone.
"Whether it's a mistake or not, I'm going to try whatever it takes to get my brother back," Lori said to herself.
Back on James' Family Estate,
"Heh! This is great!" Meowth proclaimed, as he and Jessie were wearing black, Japanese stagehand costumes, while holding a gagged James, who was wearing a nice, blue suit.
"These invisible costumes are perfect! Now, lets go and get the money!" Jessie said, as she made James knock on the door.
"Yes? Just a moment," the old man's voice called out. Nearby, Lincoln and friends were watching the whole scene play out.
"There's no feasible way that old butler would be fooled by that," Lincoln commented, just as the butler opened the door.
"Yes? May I help you?" he asked.
"It's me, James. I've come back," Jessie said, imitating James' voice.
"OH, WELCOME HOME, SIR!" the butler said via the megaphone. Lincoln and friends couldn't help but fall to the ground upon seeing how gullible he was.
"Your parents will be most pleased to see that you've returned. Do come in," the butler urged.
"Gladly, thank you," Jessie imitated. The three friends looked at one another with uncertainty.
"Somehow, I feel there might be more to this," Lincoln commented, as they went to get a closer look at what was happening inside.
"Everything is fine now, masters. Your little boy, James, has finally returned, just as you wished," the butler said, as they stood before the coffins.
"Oh Mumsy, Daddy, how utterly dreadful it was for me to hear of your passing. But I'm home now to get my money!" Jessie imitated.
"What?!" the butler questioned. Jessie, realizing her slip up, quickly corrected herself.
"Cool it, Jess, you're going to blow it!" Meowth quietly hissed, as they made James kneel before the coffins.
"Er, what I mean is… I'm here to get married, just as you wished in your will. And I would prefer cash, not a check!" Jessie imitated.
"What's that?!" the Butler questioned, holding his hand up to his ear.
"Er, what I mean is…" Jessie imitated, as the three friends watched from the doorway.
"Man, this is leading up to be the mother of all trainwrecks, maybe even the father too!" Misty groaned at the abysmal act the X-Rockets were putting on.
"Oh Mumsy, Daddy, how I wish I had come back sooner to share in your final moments!" Jessie imitated. It was then they all heard a man and a woman chuckling from somewhere.
"Eh… what's that? Where's that laughing coming from?" Meowth shivered, as the coffins swung open, revealing James' parents, alive and well.
"Prepare for trouble!" James' father exclaimed.
"And make it double!" James' mother added. This caused the X-Rockets to all fall back in shock.
"TH-THEY'RE…!" Jessie stammered.
"GHOSTS!" Meowth yelped.
"Wait, what?!" Lincoln exclaimed, baffled by what had just occurred.
"Oh, James, dear, we're so happy that you've finally come home!" his mother proclaimed.
"And you've dressed up for the occasion. Very good," his father added.
"Either they're alive," Jessie stated.
"Or they're really solid ghosts!" Meowth added. James tore off the gag over his mouth.
"They're not ghosts, you furry imbecile! This is just another one of their hairbrained stunts to get me to come back home!" James snapped. Jessie and Meowth then put two and two together.
"So does that mean that you…" Meowth began.
"Really don't have amnesia?" Jessie added. James, realizing his slip up, began clawing at his head.
"WHO AM I?! WHERE AM I?!" James yelled in a feeble attempt to get his act back in order.
"Why you're James, and you're about to be married," his father calmly stated.
"Preparations are almost complete. All we needed was you. Hopkins? Please go and see that James gets ready," his mother requested.
"At once, m'lady," the butler said, effortlessly picking up James and his cohorts, before running up the stairs with them.
"This is bad! I have to escape!" James lamented.
"Oh no, you're not! You're tying the knot!" Jessie snarled.
"Heh, she means 'tying the noose'," Meowth chuckled, as Hopkins took them into a room at the top of the stairs, followed by James' parents. All the while, the three friends watched the whole scene unfurl.
"So this whole thing was just a trap so that James would get married," Brock summarized.
"I can't help by sympathize with the guy," Lincoln commented.
"What?! What are you talking about?!" Misty exclaimed, as Lincoln looked at her with a deadpan expression, "Oh right, you hate arrange marriages!" she chuckled feebly.
In the upstairs room, James was thrown into a chair, as his parents and butler stood before him. Jessie and Meowth stood by his side, "I'm very proud of you, son. You've finally come to realize how important upholding the family tradition is!" his father stated.
"As our lone son and heir, you have certain obligations, such as marrying and continuing the family line," his mother added.
"And do any of my obligations involve being manipulated?!" James yelled, only to be silenced when Jessie and Meowth covered his mouth.
"We have no idea what you're talking about. After all, you wanted to marry the fiancé we had arranged for you back when you but a child," his father said, either truly oblivious to his son's discontent, or uncaring.
"That's right. After all, we only want what's best for us… er, I mean for you," his mother added, and Lincoln and the others peered in.
"A man who cannot settle down is much like a bumblebee without a nose! It won't be able to sniff out the daffodils of life!" his father stated.
"You'll learn to be a real man once you marry the right girl. And here she is!" his mother said, as James was whipped around. There, at the end of the room, sitting on a wicker chair, was a woman with the same shade of red hair as Jessie, but wearing a very fancy dress. Her face was covered by a fan, "As James' bride, it's your duty to change him into a worthless good for nothing into a respectable gentleman. And I know you can do that, my dear Jessabelle."
"As you wish, Mother Dear," the woman said in a southern accent.
"Yowza! That voice is like catnip to my ears! Now that's what I call a real girl's voice, not someone as mean, tough and nasty like Jessie!" Meowth gushed, enraptured by the woman's voice. This got him a large lump on the head from Jessie.
"I'll show you mean, tough and nasty!" she snarled.
"As you remember, my name's Jessabelle. It's my one and only wish to be your loving and devoted wife and companion, and also," Jessabelle said, folding up her fan, revealing her face, which was exactly identical to Jessie's, "To educate you on how to be a proper gentleman."
"WHAAAAA?!" Lincoln and company exclaimed in shock.
"She looks just like Jessie!" Meowth exclaimed.
"I thought I told you I didn't want anything to do with someone as selfish as you, Jessabelle!" James yelled.
"James, hush!" his mother scolded.
"We've already made the arrangements with her parents, and they're final!" his father added.
"But how do you expect me to have a good relationship with her after she showed just how selfish she is?! I won't go through with it!" James yelled.
"But you have to, James! Otherwise, how are we going to get your inheritance?!" Jessie hissed.
"That's right! If you won't get married for yourself or your family, then do it for your friends! We're all counting on you to make us all filthy, stinkin' rich!" Meowth added.
"Forget it! I won't go through with it!" James yelled.
"James dear, why ever do you keep talking to yourself like that? Is something the matter?" Jessabelle asked, her smiling face never once changing.
"'Talking to yourself'?!" Lincoln parroted from the doorway.
"Jessie and Meowth are right there in front of her in those crappy disguises! Maybe she's really that dense?" Misty theorized. Just then, Jessabelle clapped her hands.
"Say, I have a wonderful idea! Why don't we head down to the vault and count all the money you'll be inheriting?" she suggested, much to Jessie and Meowth's delight.
A little later, somewhere underneath the estate,
Armed with a candelabra, Jessabelle was leading the X-Rockets downstairs into what could be described as the cellar, "Your mother and father were so worried about you, James, as was I, after you ran away and all. But I held onto the hope that you'd come back for me someday," she said. James uttered some muffled protests that were silenced by Jessie's hand over her mouth.
"I'm sorry for having you all worried so badly. But everything will be fine now that I'm back here with my money," Jessie imitated.
"WHAT?!"
"Er… I mean with you!" Jessie corrected herself. All the while, the three friends watched from the stairwell.
"This is awfully suspicious," Lincoln commented.
"That'd be putting it mildly," Misty replied, as they followed them. Soon, they all arrived before a set of large, metal doors.
"Well, here we are! Your inheritance is right inside!" Jessabelle said, pressing a button, which opened the doors. As soon as they were open enough, the X-Rockets rushed in, oblivious to the devious look on Jessabelle's face. Upon entering, they saw all manner of equipment that looked like it could used for either exercise or torture or a mix of both.
"W-w-what is all this?!" Jessie exclaimed, sounding like she had been cheated.
"What kind of inheritance is this?! It all looks like a bunch of junk for working out!" Meowth commented. James finally broke off of them.
"Damn it, don't you fools get it?! Jessabelle tricked you into coming down here!" James yelled.
"Wait, what?!" Jessie exclaimed.
"But how'd she spot us?" Meowth asked, still convinced his and Jessie's disguised were still foolproof.
"YOU COMPLETE IMBECILES!" James snapped. Just then, both of James' parents appeared overhead, holding either a drum or a flute.
"James, that's quite enough! We're quite tired of waiting for you to grow up!" his father declared, striking his drum.
"It's high time you face the music!" his mother said, blowing into her flute. Just then, the sound of a whip cracking was heard. At the end of the room, Jessabelle, who was wearing a leather dominatrix outfit, stood on a stage.
"You can't just go doing whatever you want anymore, James. Now, you'll have to obey little ol' me!" Jessabelle cackled, "LET THE TAMING BEGIN!" she proclaimed. At the entrance of the room, Lincoln and company felt their faces flush upon seeing the scene before them.
"Hopefully none of us will ever have to do stuff like this," Lincoln commented.
"True," Misty replied.
"Agreed," Brock added.
"Y'know, I'm starting to like you more than her, Jess," Meowth commented, much to Jessie's annoyance.
"Thanks for the complement," she hissed, before she and Meowth started pulling on each other's faces. It was then that they were confronted by both of James' parents.
"They see us," Meowth shuddered.
"We were fine until you had to go and open that big mouth of yours!" Jessie growled.
"Don't be so naïve. What sort of fools do you take us for?" James' father asked.
"We only ignored you until you brought James down to the dungeon. And now that you have, you can stop the act with those ridiculous costumes!" James' mother stated.
"So our disguises weren't as foolproof as we thought?" Meowth asked.
"Don't be so naïve. No one in the right mind could be fooled by such pitiful disguises," James' father stated.
"Well, you might have been able to see us before, but no you won't!" Jessie yelled, throwing down a smoke bomb. James coughed as he tried to find his cohorts.
"Jessie! Meowth! Where are you?!" James called out, running forward, only to bump into someone, who, much to his horror, was Jessabelle, who looked absolutely lovestruck.
"At long last, we're together! I can't tell you how happy I am!" she said, only for James to scream and run away, "You can run, but you won't get away from me again!" she said, cracking her whip at him, smashing up several pieces of the equipment laying around the room.
"Ah, they were simply made for each other, just like we were, lamb," James' father said, enjoying a cup of tea with his wife.
"It's so nice seeing them get along so well," James' mother replied, equally oblivious to James' torment.
"IF YOU TWO WEREN'T SUCH LOUSY PARENTS, YOU'D STOP THIS MAD WOMAN!" James yelled, as he kept running from Jessabelle, who managed to trip him up by wrapping her whip around his ankle.
"Now we can get on with the serious taming! Go, Vileplume!" Jessabelle yelled, tossing a Pokeball, which released a flower like Pokemon with a blue body, and large, red petals above its head.
"Whoa, what kind of Pokemon is that?!" Lincoln questioned, as he scanned it.
"Vileplume, the Flower Pokemon, a Grass and Poison Type first discovered in the Kanto Region, and a fully evolved form of Oddish. The petals on its head are the largest in the world. The larger the petals, the more toxic pollen it contains. It scatters its extremely allergenic pollen with each step. However, larger petals are heavier, and make it hard for it to move," Dexter explained.
"Alright Vileplume, use Stun Spore to slow James down and keep him from escaping!" Jessabelle ordered.
"As you wish, mistress," Vileplume replied, spraying a large cloud of Stun Spore, which caused James' body to stiffen up.
"No! This is... just like… last… time!" James said, before collapsing. Unfortunately, Lincoln and friends were not so lucky to get away from the Stun Spore and fell victim to it as well.
"Man… is this… what Stun Spore… feels like?!" Lincoln questioned, before collapsing along with his friends. Meanwhile Jessabelle, who was wearing a gas mask, stood above James, chuckling wickedly.
"Heh, sleeping like a baby! James my sweet, I promise to make a proper gentleman out of you yet, even if it destroys us!" she chuckled, before remembering the others, "Oh Hopkins?"
"Yes, Miss Jessabelle?" Hopkins asked, holding Jessie and Meowth under his arm.
"Be a dear and throw out all this trash," Jessabelle requested.
"At once, ma'am," Hopkins replied. Within minutes, Hopkins had thrown all of them out of the manor, just as they shook off the Stun Spore.
"Guess the old saying it true; 'Every rose has its thorns,'" Brock commented.
"It women can be compared to plants, I'd say she's a mix of a barrel cactus and a bramble bush," Lincoln commented, feeling more sympathetic to James.
"And if James marries her, he gets his inheritance," Jessie added, as they heard Jessabelle and James grunting and hollering, no doubt from James trying to flee from her.
"That's only if she survives being married to her," Meowth pointed out.
"Master! Master is in trouble!" the group heard something growl from inside the doghouse, followed by something ramming the door.
"Wait a minute! Lincoln, we need to open the door to that doghouse!" Pikachu exclaimed.
"Really? Well, alright," Lincoln replied, as he went to open the door, only to find it was stuck, "Huh? It's stuck! I could use a little extra muscle here!" he called out.
"We're right behind you, Lincoln!" Misty said, as she, Brock, Jessie, Meowth and Pikachu lined up behind him, and helped him to pull open the door, just as another ram smashed against the door, forcing them open. Lincoln and Jessie felt something dash across their faces, leaving paw prints.
"Huh? What was that?" Lincoln asked.
Back in the dungeon, James found himself cornered by Jessabelle, who looked down on him like a vulture eying its prey, "Now then, James, shall we discuss our wedding?" she asked. With one last ounce of strength, James let out one last plea for help.
"GROWLIE!" he yelled, just as a Growlithe came rushing in, getting between him and Jessabelle, growling threateningly at her, "Growlie!" James exclaimed, happy to see his loyal Pokemon.
"Oh no, now who let you in here?!" Jessabelle questioned, displeased to see the Puppy Pokemon. She then turned to her Vileplume, "Vileplume, get rid of his horrid beast!"
"Run Growlie!" James urged, as Vileplume fired off another wave of Stun Spore. Growlie did so, carrying James along with it and escaping the dungeon.
"Now where are you going?!" Jessabelle exclaimed.
Growlie then burst through a window, heading towards the Doghouse, "Hurry! Get inside!" he called.
"Growlie's saying 'get inside, quick'!" translated Meowth. And they did so, just as Growlie rushed in with James, allowing them to shut the doors behind them. However, they were being watched from up atop of the manor by Jessabelle, still in her dominatrix attire, cackling wickedly.
"I'll follow you to the ends of the earth and the bottom of the sea, James dearest!" she proclaimed.
Inside of the doghouse, James slumped down on a sofa, with Growlie sitting next to him, "Thank you so much, Growlie, for saving me! You're a very good boy!" James praised.
"You're most welcome, Master! I like being a good boy!" Growlie barked, licking James.
"HEHEHEHE! That tickles, Growlie!" James laughed, as everyone sat around the room they were in.
"Man, this doghouse definitely could be mistaken for a mansion," Lincoln commented, taking in the interior of the doghouse.
"So, James, your fiancé is truly despicable," Jessie commented.
"She's even worse than Jessie, and that's putting it mildly!" Meowth added, only to get pounded by Jessie.
"I'd watch that big mouth of yours!" Jessie hissed.
"Oh… Jessabelle is the real reason I ran away from here," James said solemnly.
"What do you mean?" Brock asked.
"Well, it happened back when I was about the white-haired twerp's age, when I first met Jessabelle for the first time. It was love at first sight for the both of us," James explained.
"Wait, how can that be the reason you ran away?" Misty questioned.
"Well, sometime had passed after we first met at one of Papa's fancy soirees, when it was announced that we were to be wed. However, it was at that time that I found out just how selfish Jessabelle was. She agreed to marry me only if I gave up Growlie, my one and only really friend on this stuffy estate. Naturally, I was against it, but my parents were more than willing to have Growlie move into this doghouse just to keep him out of the main mansion. They never once considered what I wanted! And to make matters even worse, Jessabelle began following me everywhere, trying to change me into what she deemed a 'proper upper-class gentleman', never caring if I wanted to do things my own way. I couldn't even eat a plate of spaghetti without her critiquing me!" James ranted and raved.
"Whoa… I never knew how much of a hassle living in a lavish estate really was," Misty commented.
"I can sympathize with you, James," Lincoln stated, much to James' surprise.
"You can?"
"Yeah… see, I grew up in a small house with ten sisters, and they always felt they had to throw their own weight around, whether it be their opinions, harshly critiquing me on my superhero cosplay or how I read my comics or conning me into doing favors for them with getting nothing in return most of the time. It seemed, for the longest time, that everything I did was wrong in some way to them. Heck, one of them even tried to set me up with a girl of her choosing, much like how your parents did with Jessabelle, despite the two of us having absolutely no romantic feelings for one another," Lincoln explained.
"Oh, you truly do get me!" James tearfully exclaimed.
"Yeah… Granted, given some… odd circumstances since coming to Kanto, I have my own set of arranged engagements, but the one key difference between those fiancés of mine and yours is that my fiancés are willing to help make compromises, and don't view me for my faults," Lincoln added.
"Lucky you… Hopefully Jessabelle can take the hint and finally leave me alone… someday," James sighed.
"I never once thought that being rich could have to potential to be such a bummer," Meowth commented, just as something burst through the wall in an explosion, sending everyone flying into the far wall. There, standing in the hole where the wall was destroyed, was Jessabelle, standing proud along with her Vileplume.
"Dear James, you can't escape me! SO forget about this poor people's version of me and that mangey Meowth, and give in to your destiny!" Jessabelle demanded, cracking her whip.
"Leave me alone already, Jessabelle! Can't you take the hint that I don't like you?!" James yelled, as Growlie stood by his side.
"Oh James, don't you get it? You have no say in whether you love me or not! And if you continue to resist, I'll just have to force you to comply!" Jessabelle proclaimed, as both of James' parents appeared behind her.
"She's right, James. Whether you love her or not is of no importance. What matters is that you finally grow up and stop acting like a spoiled child!" his father stated.
"And besides, think about it for a moment; You'll never have to scrounge around for your next meal with these hoodlums, trying to be a bunch of petty criminals," his mother added.
"'Petty criminals', I heard from a snooty voice," Jessie began the X-Rocket Motto.
"Proper introductions are now, that is our choice!" James continued, throwing off his suit, going back into his normal clothes.
"Travelling the world, plundering it's resources!"
"All to enhance our own personal forces!"
"This crime duo shall NOT be stopped by the law!"
"We do what we want as always, while you stand in awe!"
"Jessie, the Elegant, Fiery Temptress of Villainy!"
"Technical Master James, that is I am and who I'll be!"
"We're an independent team of criminals, fighting for our rights!"
"And for our freedom from such burdens, we'll put up a real fight!"
"WE'RE THE X-ROCKETS, TRAVELLING NIGHT AND DAY!"
"And with Meowth, the hefty price, you'll surely pay!"
"You see now, Mom and Dad? This is the person I want to be! Someone who is unbound by rules of any sort of society, be it high class or low class!" James proclaimed.
"That might be what YOU may think you want, but what WE want for you is a proper life, like any good parent," his father argued.
"WHAT KIND OF PARENT WOULD WILLING ALLOW THEIR OWN CHILD TO BE CHASED BY A MADWOMAN WITH A WHIP?!" James yelled. His parents and Jessabelle didn't so much as flinch.
"Now James, that is no way to talk about the woman that you DO love!" his mother scolded.
"That's right. Your mother and I never had a choice when we were engaged by our parents, and just see the happy couple we've become as a result," his father added.
"HAS IT EVER ONCE OCCURRED TO YOU THAT NOT EVERYONE IS EXACTLY THE SAME?!" James snapped once again.
"Now that's enough, James! If you're so worried about being different than us, then I'll help you conform to our way of thinking personally! Vileplume, use Stun Spore!" Jessabelle ordered. Vileplume then fired off Stun Spore, when…
"Go, Lurantis!" Jessie called, sending out Lurantis, who blocks the Stun Spore.
"Whoa, how was Lurantis not affected?" Lincoln questioned.
"Grass Type Pokemon are unaffected by powder moves like Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, or Poison Powder," Brock explained.
"James, lets show them what a REAL team is about!" Jessie proclaimed.
"Alright! Now, Growlie, use Flamethrower!" James called out. Growlie then blasted Vileplume with Flamethrower, instantly sending it down to defeat, "YES!"
"No, Vileplume!" Jessabelle cried out, recalling the Flower Pokemon, before glaring at James, "Oh, looks like I'll be needing to teach you a little lesson in respect after our wedding!" she said, gearing up to swing her whip, when…
"Lurantis, use Leaf Blade!" before Jessabelle could even react, Lurantis swung a Leaf Blade, not only slicing Jessabelle's whip to pieces, but also her outfit, leaving her wearing nothing but her thigh-high boots. Upon realizing that her outfit was torn to bits, Jessabelle shrieked and squatted down, trying in vain to protect her modesty, as well as what little was left of her dignity.
"HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO ME, YOU CHEAP, DOPPELGANGER WANNABE! YOU JUST RUINED ONE OF MY FAVORITE OUTFITS!" Jessabelle seethed.
"Me? A doppelgänger? Puh-lease! You're not even good enough to be on MY level of beauty!" Jessie dismissed.
"Also, I'd say that outfit was ruined the moment it went on you," Meowth added.
"There's nothing even remotely beautiful about you! And that mangey little fleabag of a Meowth will hold its tongue!" James' mother spat.
"It's really YOU who isn't good enough to be Jessabelle's doppelganger, much less a poor attempt at being one!" James' father added, before turning to James, "Do you see the kind of trouble being with this ugly gutter trash can get you into, James? Your fiancé is here on the ground, embarrassed and in tears because both of you are being incredibly selfish!"
"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! This whole arrangement between me and her is a result of your selfishness! Even forcing Growlie out of the main mansion and into the doghouse was a result of you two giving in to Jessabelle's own brand of selfishness!" James argued.
"Why you insolent little…!" his father was about to come over and slap some sense into his son, when some men in suits barged in.
"Master, I'm sorry to intrude, but I bring terrible news!" one of the men exclaimed.
"As do we for you, m'lady," one of the men exclaimed, wrapping Jessabelle in a blanket.
"What sort of news is so important that its keeping me from disciplining my own son?" James' father asked, as the men handed him and Jessabelle some papers. Upon seeing what was written on them, their faces paled, as the father stumbled back, getting caught by his wife.
"Honey, what's wrong?" James' mother asked.
"It's… our most recent investment! It just took a massive plummet, and it's dealt a terrible blow to our finances! We've gone bankrupt!" James' father exclaimed.
"M-M-My family too!" Jessabelle shakily added.
"Wait, so does that mean that you're not going to be filthy, stinking rich anymore, James?" Meowth asked.
"It would seem so. But does that apply to ALL branches of the family or just ours?" James asked, as the image of a kindly old man and woman entered his mind.
"Not that it's of any concern to you, but it only means that THIS branch of the family is broke! Which unfortunately means that your engagement to Jessabelle is going to be on hold until we get this sorted out," his father stated.
"My parents will see to it that this whole mess is straightened out. And when they do, you can bet that I'll be back, my dear James!" Jessabelle said, as she turned to walk away with her servants, a breeze blowing up the blanket, giving them one last look at her surprisingly plump rear end, much to her embarrassment.
"And as for you, James, we're not giving up on this marriage! Someday, you WILL marry Jessabelle, and you WILL have a family with her!" James' mother proclaimed, as she and her husband walked away to go pack their things.
"So, what'll become of this estate?" Jessie asked.
"The whole place still does belong to my parents, but given that they're going to try and fix whatever caused this whole ordeal in the first place, it may end up just being abandoned until they do come back," James replied, before kneeling down to talk to Growlie, "Growlie, you've helped me out of one of my most perilous jams ever, and for that, I thank you, my dearest friend," he said, standing up, and going over to a cabinet, retrieving a Pokeball from inside, "Growlie, since we won't be returning here for the foreseeable future, would you like to come and travel with me?"
"Yes, Master!" Growlie replied, leaping up, tapping the Pokeball, getting recalled into it. James then put the Pokeball in his pocket for the time being.
"Seeing as how there's nothing more to do here, we should probably take our leave of this place," James suggested.
"Good call. Who knows how many more nutjobs there are?" Meowth asked rhetorically, as they all left. It was after Lincoln's group split off from the X-Rockets that they were approached by Hopkins.
"Please forgive my rudeness from earlier. I was merely following orders," he said.
"Think nothing of it. We understand," Lincoln replied.
"Even so, I feel like I should try to make it right. So, I'll do so, by informing you of a Cleverness Division Pokemon Contest being held in the small town just half a day's walk from here," Hopkins informed. Brock checked the Town Map.
"There is a town coming up, and it's not too far off course. Why not go and try for your third Ribbon, Lincoln?" he suggested.
"Sounds good to me. Thanks for letting us know, Hopkins," Lincoln said, as he and his friends exited the estate, and got back on their bikes, like they were before.
"So this Contest will judge how smart your Pokemon appear to others. Any ideas on who you'll go with?" Misty asked.
"Good question. I'll have to mull things over once we arrive at the Pokemon Center," Lincoln replied.
"Daddy, Mommy won't be like that scary lady, right?" Eevee asked innocently, nearly causing Lincoln to lose control.
"What's with you, Lincoln? That's the third time today that's happened to you," Misty asked.
"Well, Eevee's been calling me 'Daddy' ever since we were being brought to that estate. And just now, it referred to you as 'Mommy', Misty," Lincoln explained, almost causing his companions to fall off their bikes as well.
Boy howdy, was this one roller coaster of a chapter! Anyhow, next up will be Lincoln's attempt at a Cleverness Contest, but we won't get to see much of the training or his selection, since the next chapter will be an interlude showing Emily and the Glam Sister's first day at Royal Woods High School, and how they interact with humans outside of their host families.
Anyhow, after putting in some thought, I've decided that the 100th Chapter Special will be a series of Top 10 lists regarding this story. I was originally going to have it be a mix of both Top 10 lists and a Birthday Special for Lincoln's 13th Birthday, but then I thought the birthday special could be like the absolute final chapter of the story, where Lincoln spends time with the girls in his harem, as well as his family and friends.
Furthermore, I'll have a Poll set up to determine what Pokemon can be used for the Cleverness Contest in both the Appeals and Battle Rounds.