James x Reader | Pokemon | - | REWRITE |

TR | A Master Manipulator?

James was awakened by a knock on his door. He looked to his side to see if it had also caused Y/N to wake up. He was met with a small glimpse of a face hidden in blanket folds, and was relieved that they had not moved.

But another thought crossed his mind. Their sleep was most likely deeper than usual---the knock most likely would have woken them up in normal circumstances. But with their sickness, it had seemed to not rouse them in the slightest.

Another knock, slightly more aggressive, and James felt himself automatically walking to the door in a half-asleep state. He had done this many times before, having been used to Jessie interrupting his sleep, usually angrily.

Lo and behold was the illtempered Jessica herself, though James could tell she had been preparing to hide it through a strained smile.

"James," she said, "I've been thinking about your decision to keep the trainer and waste your time with their health."

Was this just going to be a rant about how James was wrong disguised as discussing strategy? It would not have been the first time, and James knew that he was never allowed to complain when that happened, because Jessie would take it as him being too self-centered to form a plan. And then came more complaining.

But no, James decided. Not this time. He would defend his decision no matter what she had to say.

Jessie smiled more, and it seemed less strained. A rare sight, when she wasn't talking about herself. "And I'm come to the conclusion that your decision was completely right."

What? Now James couldn't defend himself! How was he supposed to talk to Jessie about his concerns now if all of a sudden she was agreeing with him?

Jessie smirked at James' confused expression. "Something you don't hear so often, I know. But I believe you might have been one step ahead of me." She quieted her voice. "If you---or we, help them, it's most likely they'll feel that they owe us something in return. If we can trick them into working with us voluntarily, we'll eventually have them in a position where they wouldn't escape even if they were fully capable to! But I'm assuming you had already thought of that. I'm surprised."

James couldn't decide if this was more or less evil than Jessie's previous mindset. But he was sure it would keep him awake later---then he would decide, eventually.

But James found a good side to this little plan of hers. James' not-horribleness towards Y/N would be disguised as him complying with Jessie.

James knew there had to be a catch to that. But again, that would be for when he was trying to sleep again.

He and Jessie exchanged a few meaningless sentences of agreement before he was finally left alone.

He looked back to the bed. Well, not really alone. He would always feel like he was being watched when there was someone else in his bed. And of course he couldn't go back to sleep now. He would feel weird returning to the bed in the first place.

But he didn't want to leave his room. He didn't want to see Jessie any more than he had to.

So he did some idle nothings, sitting on the floor and shuffling things around disguised as cleaning his room as his mind became increasingly occupied by messy circling thoughts about the future.

And there was the catch! He wasn't disguising his actions as complying with Jessie, he was complying with Jessie. It seemed like his own decision, and in the beginning it was, but now if he gained any sort of connection with Y/N it would be to the advantage of Team Rocket! And if he used it to help them escape---in a time where they actually trusted him with that, he remembered his last failed attempt---then he would surely be no better than outcasted.

He had fallen into a situation where nothing he could do benefited him for the long term. But how was that any different from anything?