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Everybody enjoying another peaceful, carefree day in Ultern? Good, because there's a sparkle in the sky other than Ulternian sunshine and look, it's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it's...

"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAAAAA—huh? Hey, wait a minute...! Jessie? Meowth?! Where is everybody?!"

Before James can get an answer, he'll be crash-landing in Ohritori! Face full of sand on Stardust Beach? Embarrassingly suspended from a palm tree or even an Exeggutor? Or taking a miserably full-clothed dip in the sea? (Brrr!)

((Is this going to be a repeat of Mairin landing on various ships and needing to be rescued multiple times—perhaps, fortunately, both Mairin and James have terrible luck and certainly can wind up in fixes more times than they can count... maybe he's under the impression he can just launch himself back into the sky and find his friends, who knows?! But he just keeps landing here... oof.))

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"That sounds like a fascinating field to study! There's still a lot we don't know about how it works, right?"

Mime Jr. looked curious and asked to see her ability! Does it work on all Pokemon or just her evolutions? It explained that it can use others' moves too, using Mimic!

"Then, I'll have to come by again sometime..." James said happily, even if he didn't know when that might be.

"Yeah! I've already been learning so many things," Chloe said. "I wonder if someday we'll figure out why Eevee can't evolve."

Eevee would be happy to show it! She can copy a move from any Pokemon if they use it first.

"They'll be happy to serve you," Chloe said.

"Oh, your Eevee can't evolve?" James asked, frowning a bit.

Mime Jr. happily offered to show her Teeter Dance, although it warned that it'll make everyone dance too, so maybe they should do it after everyone finishes eating! It'll be a fun surprise!

James couldn't confirm whether he'd afford it or not, so he simply smiled in response.

"Yeah, she doesn't even evolve when stones are used," Chloe said. "We think it might be that she just can't decide what to be, but normally it seems like evolution can just happen anyway. It's really amazing to think a Pokemon might really be able to will it not to happen if they don't want it, even subconsciously."

Eevee thinks Teeter Dance sounds so very fun indeed! She can hardly wait!

"Oh!" James looked curious. "Yes, I think I've seen it happen before too, Pokemon resisting evolution... but even up against an evolutionary stone? That is something different, very powerful, indeed!"

James thought back to his own Weezing and smiled fondly. "A long, long time ago... my first Pokemon as a member of Team Rocket, Koffing, was a gift from—... well, it was an oseibo gift..."

He realized he probably shouldn't mention the Boss so casually to Chloe.

"We were... not the best battlers, back then. We were always losing. It seemed like our Pokemon would never, ever evolve, because they just couldn't get the necessary experience... but the idea of them changing into different Pokemon made us sad, we hugged Ekans and Koffing and cried, I admit it! But, then, the moment my tears touched Koffing, something amazing happened... it glowed with the light of evolution! I think the same happened with Jessie's Ekans, as they both simultaneously evolved for us. Can you believe it? Ekans and Koffing don't evolve by friendship, supposedly... but that's how ours evolved."

James had finished eating by that point. Mime Jr. was absolutely buzzing with excitement, giggling.

"I wonder what's gotten into Mime Jr.? Maybe it's the good food," James said in amusement, although he was still a bit distracted by memories of Koffing.

Edited 2024-03-25 00:46 (UTC)

“It sure is!” Chloe said, petting Eevee as they also finished eating.

She listened to the story in fascination. “Wow, that’s amazing! They must love you both so much.”

She looked to Eevee. “Eevee looks pretty excited too. Maybe they shared a joke?”

"I hope they still know we love them too, wherever they are..." James said wistfully, even tearing up a little, although his smile was very fond.

"Oh, really, you think so?" James seemed amused by the idea. "What's so funny, Mime Jr.?"

Mime Jr., seeing everyone had finished, climbed up on the counter with a mischievous little smile. Alright, Eevee, watch closely!

Mime Jr. began to dance, swaying its arms to one side, then the other.

James felt compelled to do the same. "Teeter Dance... why now?!"

"They're not still with you?" Chloe frowned sadly. That was true; she didn't remember seeing those Pokemon with them.

She stared as Eevee joined the Teeter Dance. It was very cute! But then she felt the urge to do it too.

"W-What is this?!" she exclaimed. "Why can't I stop myself from dancing?!"

"No... we released them, because they found something important they needed to do," James said, shaking his head.

Mime Jr. kept dancing and soon, of course, James was dancing too!

"Teeter Dance!" James said, half-whining. "We have to keep dancing while Mime Jr. is! I don't know why it started...!!"

Hopefully, the poor cook doesn't turn around and get roped up in this too!

"Oh. I'm so sorry," Chloe says. She hopes that will never happen with Eevee.

Eevee is sure it won't. Meanwhile, she's loving the dance!

"... I wonder if Eevee wanted to see it?!" Chloe suggests as she continues the uncontrollable dance.

"Oh! Maybe that's what they were talking and giggling about earlier..."

Mime Jr. finished dancing! Everyone was free to move as they pleased once more.

James caught his breath, before shaking his head and playfully poking Mime Jr. in the head. "Please don't surprise us like that..."

"It probably was!" Chloe groaned.

It was a relief to stop and she sighed, slumping forward.

"Eevee-vee-vee!" Eevee exclaimed in delight.

Chloe petted her and finally smiled in resignation. "Oh Eevee...."

"Oh, well, no harm done..." James returned Mime Jr.

"It's getting late, isn't it? I should keep looking... you and Eevee should probably head back, shouldn't you? Are you staying somewhere or are you traveling?"

"Yeah.... I guess it was kind of fun...."

She picked up Eevee. "We've been staying with a nice lady. What will you do if you don't find them tonight? You'll need somewhere to stay too...."

"It was!"

They could've made good friends, but this was only a temporary truce!

"If I don't...?" James asked, frowning.

He hesitated, looking truly upset by that thought, clutching his pokeball with both hands, turning it over nervously.

"... I guess... I'll figure something out! You know, I'm quite used to being on the road, after years!" James said, laughing confidently, although it sounded a bit forced.

Chloe looked worried to realize James truly believed he would find them here, and today. She wasn't sure that she should volunteer the lady's home as a possible place to stay, since Ash had been staying there too.

"There's a lot of nice people who have bed and breakfasts," she said instead. "You wouldn't have to travel."

"Thank you for all your help! You really are a very kind girl," James said, smiling. "Don't worry."

He doubted he could afford any of those... he'll just have to make do.

(Don't worry too much, Chloe! It's Ultern! Someone will probably see James attempting to sleep on a bench or slide or taking shelter under some rubbish and take pity on him and offer him a place to sleep for free!)

Chloe wasn't sure James could afford anything either, nor that it would be right not to mention where she'd been staying, since it was free.

"... If you can't find anything, you can come here." She wrote down a name and address.

"... this is...?"
James was hesitant to accept it, looking worried. She wasn't giving him her address, he hoped!

Chloe blushed awkwardly. "I've been staying there. She's really nice and there are other rooms available.... Ash has been staying there too, though...."

James turned red too and shook his head.
"It's alright, please don't worry about me! I don't need to know whwre you live. That's better, isn't it? Safer, right? ... this truce is only temporary, right? Take care!"

Not wanting Chloe to insist, James turned on his heel and took off as fast as he could, shedding tears, unable to restrain them. Her sweet sincerity and his pitiful predicament were all a little too much.

Chloe sighed. He was probably right that it would be better if he didn't know.... James was nice, but if he found Jessie and he had that address, she would likely insist on going there to steal Pokemon.

She hugged Eevee. "Well, we did our best ... I hope," she said.

"Eevee," said Eevee, and nuzzled her.

She smiled and petted the sweet Pokemon. "I hope he finds his friends ... even if that means trouble for us down the road," she sighed. It would be nice if they'd all turn over a new leaf.

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[I fell off the tagging truck, whoops--had two days in a row with emergencies, catching up on sleep]

Totally understandable! It sounds very hectic.

[it was, I only really wanted to sleep and rest for two days after, ffff]

[I can imagine!]

[aaaand now, they must dance!]

[LOL.]

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