He likes Archie. The other man is the closest thing he has to a friend in this strange place but if Aqua reformed they'd have to be enemies. Team Rocket's goal has always been to capture strong Pokémon, but James has been tasked with another assignment as well: Flushing out and dispersing other groups.
He's thinking about this when he catches on to what Archie says and snorts.]
I'd rather have Maxie here, too!
Steven Hyper Beamed me in the face!
[Champions also have a tendency to be Righteous in the more irritating ways.
...Although he still can't help squeal with fanboy glee around Steven Stone. It's Steven Stone.]
The martini glass frosts over where it touches his fingers.]
It-it was that Ash twerp!
He told Steven I was no good and next thing I knew I was getting blasted out the side of a mountain!
Do you have any idea how much that stings!?
[So, okay, he'd been trying to steal Ash's Pikachu and hadn't been subtle about it but, still... That had been one of the more painful Blast Offs he can remember.]
[archie looks at james, then down to his empty stein. he gets up and disappears into the bar crowd for a few minutes. he comes back with a tray of strongly smelling shots. he's now graduated to grain alcohol.]
Tell me about them.
[he's gonna do a shot for each one, because he's put the tray in front of himself. james still has those martinis!]
[James's eyes grow distant. His partners have usually learned new attacks for him. Either he needed to be saved or he was weeping only and they wanted to cheer him up...
The one time he ever put honest effort into training one of his partners, he'd failed. He'd given Cacnea away to a Gym Leader in the end so it could reach its full potential.]
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He likes Archie. The other man is the closest thing he has to a friend in this strange place but if Aqua reformed they'd have to be enemies. Team Rocket's goal has always been to capture strong Pokémon, but James has been tasked with another assignment as well: Flushing out and dispersing other groups.
He's thinking about this when he catches on to what Archie says and snorts.]
I'd rather have Maxie here, too!
Steven Hyper Beamed me in the face!
[Champions also have a tendency to be Righteous in the more irritating ways.
...Although he still can't help squeal with fanboy glee around Steven Stone. It's Steven Stone.]
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[he huffs, feeling some strange emotion that makes the varnish on the wooden table they're sitting at crack and peel.]
Somtimes I think he's ready to Hyper Beam me, too. Guess that'd just be another thing we got in common.
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Why did he Hyper Beam you?!
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The martini glass frosts over where it touches his fingers.]
It-it was that Ash twerp!
He told Steven I was no good and next thing I knew I was getting blasted out the side of a mountain!
Do you have any idea how much that stings!?
[So, okay, he'd been trying to steal Ash's Pikachu and hadn't been subtle about it but, still... That had been one of the more painful Blast Offs he can remember.]
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How are you alive?!
[question of the decade]
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...What do you mean?
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[he stops for a moment, trying to figure out how it even--]
Hyper Beam can literally vaporise stuff!
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[He waves a dismissive hand through the air.]
I've been nailed by Hyper Beam let's see... At least a dozen times now.
[A thoughtful pause.]
Most of them came from the same Tyranitar, though....
[He's not quite latching on to Archie's point.]
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Tell me about them.
[he's gonna do a shot for each one, because he's put the tray in front of himself. james still has those martinis!]
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[He drums his fingers against his jawline, thinking.]
The Tyranitar belonged to a poacher. My chums and I tried to punch it out to give our Pokémon time to escape but it brutalized us pretty badly.
Fists aren't so effective...against...
[He looks at the line of shots, then looks at Archie.]
Hold on, are you turning my misfortune into a drinking game!?
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[he does one of the shots, shaking his head, then pushes the tray towards james.]
Why'd you keep meeting it?
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I only met this one once. It got a lot of hits in, that's all.
[With his spare hand he lifts three fingers.]
Took at least three Hyper Beams.
Drink up.
[He knocks back the one shot and puts the glass down with a grimace.]
...Woof.
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Worst I've taken is a Take Down.
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[He sips from the martini, suddenly unsure if he quite understands the unspoken rules of this game.]
Why'd you get hit by it?
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[he rubs his beard, then does another shot. just because he wants to, apparently.]
Mrgh-- ah! No, I have taken a Hydro Pump and a Waterfall, too. Teachin' new moves, an' being the unfortunate target of the practice, and all that.
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You've taught your partners new moves?
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Of course I have. I've had them for quite a while and it's poor strategy to keep the same moveset for too long. They get bored of it.
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[James's eyes grow distant. His partners have usually learned new attacks for him. Either he needed to be saved or he was weeping only and they wanted to cheer him up...
The one time he ever put honest effort into training one of his partners, he'd failed. He'd given Cacnea away to a Gym Leader in the end so it could reach its full potential.]
[James waves a dismissive hand.]
Sorry.
[Sigh of envy.]
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[he shakes his head.]
I can show you, if ya want. How to... moves.
[his eyes are getting glassy this grain alcohol is WRECKING HIM.]
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I don't know how you keep knocking those back.
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[whatever that means, he does not elaborate, because he does another shot. then just... lays his head down carefully on the table (thunks it down).]
...Need a break though. Shit.
[night, archie.]
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[James stands up and claps the other man on the shoulder.]
Thanks for the martinis.
[And with that he puts his cap back on and strolls out of the bar.]