Archived

     HE STIFFENS ALL THE MORE. Alarms fire off in his head ad nauseum, blaring and turning his blood hot with anxieties at the words. Suddenly, the ‘R’ branded on their suit made much more sense now. Oh, this is – oh no, no, no, he doesn’t want to be around people like this. Who would, he wonders. Surely no child could be easily persuaded into joining a group the likes of TEAM ROCKET, whose name was spoken with hostility, disgust and fear.

      “ I – ” His brain was a well full of all sorts of responses he could give, but his throat had suddenly become dry. Of course he wasn’t going to accept – but if he refused, would this man let him go peacefully? Or would he be forced to come along, snatched up out of fear that he’d peep about one of Team Rocket’s own wandering around these parts? If this man didn’t let him go silently, could Kubo FIGHT BACK, and not let it turn into the disaster that was his first encounter with his own aunts?       Are there others like them here? Stationed in the alleyways, waiting for a chance to strike? Are they spying on them? Do they know about him and his connections? Kubo is far from paranoid, but darn if he didn’t feel like it in this moment –       “ TH - THAT’S … a real funny joke, sir. ” NO, DON’T FREAK OUT. Don’t freak out, keep calm. Panic doesn’t help in the first place. Just play it off as a joke, because ARCEUS it better be. “ If you’ll excuse me now … I have someplace I have to be. ”       Does he … does he call the police?

❝  Joke?  No no,  this is real.  ❞   James replied,  with all the smug confidence of a newly seasoned executive.  It was their duty to bolster the ranks of the team.  Sniffing out new talent and fresh blood which to fuel the Boss’ dream.  Team Rocket had a simple goal:  world domination.  But it wasn’t so cut and dry.  Money made the world go around. It was money that talked.  Money that persuaded people to join a cause,  bought the police and so easily turned gym leaders to their side.  Money would make one turn their eyes away from a nasty truth.

It was money which allowed them to bend the boss’ ears and allow them to rise through the ranks to their current position.  A well executed plan that earned the respect.  Now,  they offered this same opportunity to hopeful dreamers with their little pokedexes in hand.   ❝  Would you really turn down the opportunity to shape the world as you like?  You can do that when you have the power and backing of team rocket.  Why not think about it?  ❞

A fair question.  There was no forcing someone to join.  Kidnapping and the like would not make a loyal grunt.  What they valued above all was loyalty.  Fear would only go so far...  Why force it,  when one could make the choice willingly and dedicate their life to it?  That’s what they did.  A willing choice to join Team Rocket and make a name for themselves.

The display was pretty pathetic. But then again, Ash had come to accept that when Team Rocket was involved.

He paused at hearing his companion’s incessant complaints, peered back at them with a surprising amount of pity overpowering what would’ve been annoyance otherwise. Because some part of him couldn’t even blame James for the hysterics; Ash himself wasn’t immune. If anything, he was just… better at hiding it, worse at giving up—especially when it meant finding his Pokémon and guaranteeing they were okay. Both as his responsibility and as his friends.

Ash knew the contrasting moping beside him was sparked by the same attachments. So could he really be mad—?

“Rethink your life choices some other time,” he said. Maybe he meant some other time when I’m not around, but the sentiment was never voiced. Rather, as the young trainer was about to shrug them off (it’s not like it was his problem if they chose not to follow), James finally rose to join him. And Ash looked them up and down with a firm nod: Good.

He took another few steps along the cliffside, quietly lamenting the same predicament the other chose to raise. Only at the mention of a phone did he offer his input. “Don’t you think if I had Rotom, the first thing I would’ve done is call someone—?” Ash quirked a brow over his shoulder. But the truth of the matter was that… no, he wouldn’t have thought that.

—since it took until now to realize said phone wasn’t with the rest of his things and actually…

Heat rode up his neck when his fingers brushed over the familiar device in his pocket. He tried not to tense his shoulders too much at the realization. “Yeah, that’s—not a bad idea.” In an attempt to divert attention, though, Ash dug Rotom out while volleying the question back: “I thought you had one of these too.”

Pathetic or not,  they were not about to parish here in the wilderness.  James hauled themselves to their feet and chose to follow the young trainer.  Like it or not,  they were stuck out here together and James was not about to die here.  Despite what they’d originally said,  the will to survive was greater than the depression which plagued their very existence.  Meaning,  they were actually going to be somewhat competent and try to assist the young trailer in bringing them both help and reuniting them with their respective pokemon.  The thought of Morpeko out there alone,  fending for itself was far too much to bare.  Same with their other pokemon.  They depended on their trainer to actually protect them.  So,  James roused themselves up.  The two of them together could surely make their way out of this mess.

❝  I can rethink my choices and walk at the same time.  ❞   They respond,  still trailing behind the trainer.   ❝  But,  maybe a career change is in order.  ❞   Of course,  they say that now,  but they both know James will still cling to the false dreams of a career criminal.  At least,  for the foreseeable future.  James was rather committed to the false dreams of riches and glory despite being born into a wealthy family.   ❝  Well,  about that rotom phone?  Also,  I did have one but it was company issued.  Pretty sure it fell out of my pocket in the blast off.  ❞

Who knows where it landed.  But,  they hoped it was safe with the rest of their belongings.  Speaking of,  they could sure use the familiar comfort of their bottle caps.  They longingly hoped those were safe as well.  That collection was precious to them  --  even if Ash didn’t want to be bequeathed it in the event of their untimely demise.  Though,  there was nothing stopping James from leaving said collection to the young pokemon master anyway...  They might just do that...

     ❝ The nobily heroic man of our times, master of darkness fighting against a tragic world. ❞

Ind. Priv. Selective KOJIRO/JAMES of Pokemon’s TEAM ROCKET. Loved by Frost.

mixed game and anime verse

          “  and i think you should stop giving advice to your superiors,  ”  the response is akin to that of a feral animal, spat back towards the other for daring to even suggest something like that.  still, there isn’t much punch behind the words,  not with the executive laying halfway across the couch, refusing to accept that the caffeine was no longer going to keep him going after a 40-hour shift.  “  like hell– i have work to do. i don’t have time to lay around.  ”

    This just wasn’t his day.     Either of their days, frankly.

    It would’ve been enough to get separated from Pikachu, but having lost both his partner and the bag carrying the rest of his team just— Rotten luck had followed him in the form of Team Rocket and was sticking with him now (though for whatever reason, Ash was actually pretty glad it was James and not Jessie or Meowth). An agitated Pokemon several times their size lurking nearby didn’t help matters, but at the very least… Well, the main culprit of its ire wasn’t here to amplify that particular problem.

    Which just left the problem of sucking it up for a night: accepting that there would be a tomorrow to actually figure things out—

    Or so one of them thought.

    While Ash squinted into the thickening darkness, he only paid half a mind to whatever else his companion was saying. But he caught the dramatics well enough. “You can keep your collection,” he said. “No one’s dying, okay? I know I’m not, so if we just stick together—” Stated like someone who had a plan. Only that he didn’t.

    He sidled around James, his own sigh listless as he ran a hand along the cliffside. “Maybe we could try just kinda… edging along the wall. Because even when it’s dark, we’d be able to feel it and know where we are.”

          The  twerp  had  solid  ideas,    they  had  to  admit.      However,      James  just  wasn’t  in  the  mood  to  try  and  think  about  the  predicament  and  actually  problem  solve.      Rather,      they  felt  hopeless  without  Jessie  and  Meowth  around.      Meaning,      they  were  fairly  down  in  the  dumps  and  well,      they  didn’t  want  to  move  from  the  spot  they  were  in.      Settling  into  the  dirt  and  crossing  their  legs.      They  felt  more  like  throwing  in  the  towel.      But,      this  wasn’t  a  first  for  them,      or  even  a  second  or  third.        They  had  a  habit  of  becoming  rather  melancholy  without  their  team.

          ❝      Don’t  you  get  it?      We’re  doomed.      ❞        If  there  were  rain  clouds,      they’d  be  hanging  just  above  the  rocket’s  head.      James  let  out  a  sigh,      gloved  hands  frantically  scrambling  at  their  head.        ❝        I  should  have  never  joined  Team  Rocket.      I  should’ve  stayed  at  home  and  ran  my  father’s  company.....        This  is  bad.        ❞          But,      doom  and  gloom  wouldn’t  get  either  of  them  anywhere  and  they  manage  to  muster  up  some  usefulness  and  energy.        ❝      I  suppose....        we  can  try  edging  along  the  cliff  in  the  hopes  we  see  something  recognizable....        ❞

        Neither  of  them  really  had  a  plan  and  James  knew  it.      But,      they  rise  to  their  feet  and  place  one  hand  along  the  cliff.        ❝      This  is  when  a  pokemon  like  Scorbunny  would  come  in  handy.        We  could  use  the  fire  it  provides  to  make  a  torch....        Oh  well.      Maybe  the  others  are  out  looking  for  us....        ❞          They  sure  hoped  so....