"You don't understand what I've been through! What other choices do I have? I can't keep living like this forever!"
After hearing Ash's words, James finally broke his silence.
James was right. Even if he had run away from home, the truth was more complicated. He was still the heir of the Sasaki family, and his parents would never simply let him go. If he kept drifting like this, it was only a matter of time before he was dragged back.
Jessie and Meowth were stunned by the exchange between Ash and James. Neither of them had ever imagined James's true identity would be so shocking—heir to one of the Eight Great Families!
"It sounds like you're not satisfied with your fiancée. And, when it comes down to it, you just want to escape the weight of your family's influence. I don't get it—why would your parents go so far as to choose such a grand match for you?"
Still frustrated after losing to Cynthia, Ash wasn't in the best mood. Perhaps that was why he chose to talk instead of fight. He even untied the ropes binding Team Rocket.
Jessie and Meowth, still reeling from James's confession, forgot to run and simply listened to the conversation unfold.
"Her name is Jessebelle," James explained, stretching his stiff body.
"She's from a small family that serves under the Sasaki clan. From what I understand, her father gave my dad something valuable. Whatever it was, my father was thrilled and quickly accepted the marriage proposal. I don't know exactly what it was, but if my parents agreed so easily, then it must've been incredibly valuable. They're not fools."
Like every great household, the Sasaki family maintained economic sidelines to support its power. Each of the Eight Great Families had its own industries.
For example, the Oak family relied heavily on research, as well as the income generated from Professor Oak's work—and even Ash's growing reputation and contributions in pharmaceuticals.
The Mugino family dominated the apparel industry. The Draconis family held political authority. The Ignatius family oversaw luxury hotels. The Sasaki family focused on real estate development. The Glacienne family thrived in entertainment. The Mushan family controlled jewelry. And the Blackstone family dealt in high-end interior design.
Though these might sound like ordinary businesses, the profits were immense—especially the entertainment industry, in a world this vast and populated. Entertainment was not just popular; it was essential.
Of course, the families did not act in isolation. They frequently partnered, divided, and reorganized their industries to share profits. Ash's small foothold in pharmaceuticals was just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
Only the Joy and Jenny families remained truly neutral. Their work as nurses and law enforcers gave them a unique role in society, and all other families respected their neutrality.
"So, what's your plan now? Stay with Team Rocket?" Ash asked, lighting a cigarette and handing another to James. "If your father finds out, fine—but what happens when your grandfather learns about it?"
"I don't know," James admitted, taking the cigarette.
"I left home with nothing, no money. Then I met Jessie and Meowth, and we joined Team Rocket. Life's been hard, sure—but I've been happy in my own way."
Ash exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
"Our grandfathers knew each other well. You can't keep wasting yourself like this. What do you say? Want to work with me?"
Ash wasn't being impulsive. He understood James's limitations as a trainer, but James knew a lot about Pokémon.
Jessie and Meowth also had impressive technical skills—they could build a functional robot from a pile of scrap. That kind of talent wasn't useless.
"Work with you?" James blinked in surprise.
"When you've set your mind on something, who could possibly stop you?"
"This whole plan was a spur of the moment idea.
Truth is, I know about plenty of valuable things hidden in different places.
But with my current identity, it's too easy to draw attention—I can't move around freely. How about this: if you help me, I'll split things seventy-thirty. Just these three opportunities alone would be enough to make your father and grandfather start taking you seriously."
Ash leaned forward, his tone sharp. "If you pull this off, maybe you can even shake off your fiancée. So—do you want to try it?"
He wasn't bluffing.
Thanks to Dragonite, who had roamed the world freely for centuries before Ash caught him, Ash knew about countless hidden treasures and abandoned fortunes scattered across the regions.
Dragonite had wandered everywhere, and naturally, he couldn't carry everything he came across.
"Alright. Let's do it. I don't even care about the split—as long as I can get rid of that woman, I'll be satisfied!"
James answered immediately, his voice firm. The biggest reason he had run away from home in the first place was to escape his arranged engagement to Jessebelle.
Ash turned to Jessie and Meowth.
"What about you two? If you stick with me, at least you won't have to worry about your next meal. Do you really want to keep scraping by, never knowing if you'll eat tomorrow?"
Jessie smirked, exchanging a glance with Meowth. "Since James is in, we're in too. After all, aren't we supposed to be the most powerful trio?"
Meowth nodded in agreement.
The truth was, as members of Team Rocket, the three of them were nothing but cannon fodder—low-level grunts with no real income.
Most of their survival came from odd jobs, living meal to meal, and never knowing what tomorrow would bring. Following Ash, at least, offered stability and a real chance at something better.
James's eyes softened as he looked at Jessie and Meowth. A flicker of gratitude passed through him. He had run away from home years ago, but thanks to these two, he had managed to keep going. Without them, he would have broken long ago.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)