Tetsuya had already made up his mind. He definitely wanted to establish some kind of connection with James here. At the very least, he wanted James to acknowledge him as a friend. It would naturally bring big benefits in the future. At the very least, he would never have to worry about James betraying him.
That was the guarantee provided by James's character!
Jessebelle relentlessly pursued James while James fled in terror.
"Vileplume, hurry and catch James-sama[1]!¹"
After Jessebelle gave the order, Vileplume accelerated and charged forward. A Pokémon was still a Pokémon. It was about to catch up with James in no time!
Just as Tetsuya was about to step in, Cacturne suddenly dashed out, rushed to James's side, and sent Vileplume flying with a single Needle Arm.
"Hey! What are you supposed to be? How dare you ruin my plans! Get it, Vileplume! Use Stun Spore!" Jessebelle commanded Vileplume to attack. However, burdened by its enormous flower, Vileplume was nowhere near as fast as Cacturne. Before it could even make a move, it was kicked away by Cacturne's Feint Attack.
James clapped excitedly where he stood. "Whoaa! Amazing! You're absolutely amazing~!"
Seeing James so pleased only made Jessebelle even more furious. She was about to charge forward herself… but after taking only two steps, she was intimidated by Cacturne's "terrifying" appearance and immediately fled.
"James-samaaaaa…"
"…"
---◓---
"Thank you for saving me!"
James threw himself straight into Cacturne's embrace.
Tetsuya could not help taking a sharp breath. Cacturne's body was covered in sharp spikes, yet James actually dared to hug it directly.
"A-Ah…!"
Sure enough, the next thing they heard was James's scream. Even so, James did not let go of Cacturne. Enduring the intense pain, he still said to Cacturne, "Thank you…"
Only then did he let go of Cacturne.
At that moment, Tetsuya walked over and greeted James. He had been thinking about how to build a relationship with him. After all, James was a "rich kid". Sooner or later, he would inherit that enormous family fortune.
Unexpectedly, Cacturne immediately began gesturing toward Tetsuya, indicating that it wanted to follow James.
"You actually…"
Tetsuya could only smile helplessly. They said James had a special affinity with Grass-type Pokémon, and seeing it today, the reputation truly lived up to its name. Cacturne had only just met him, yet it already wanted James to become its Trainer. He had only just boasted moments ago, and now he was immediately being proven wrong.
Getting any money now was obviously out of the question. He could only use this opportunity to build a bond with James.
"James, right? I'm Tetsuya. I have a request. I wonder if you'd be willing to accept it…" Tetsuya said.
"Yes! Of course! I definitely will! Your Cacturne just saved me. Whatever you ask, I'll agree to it without hesitation!" James replied immediately.
"Mm. It's about this Cacturne. Its Trainer died not long ago, and I've only been taking care of it temporarily. I can see that this Cacturne really likes you. Would you be willing to take it and become its Trainer?"
As soon as Tetsuya finished speaking, James was overjoyed. For someone who already loved Pokémon so much, this was simply an unexpected blessing. He quickly asked, "Cacturne, would you be willing to become my Pokémon!?"
Cacturne nodded decisively. Tetsuya could not help feeling a little envious. James had managed to "catch" a Pokémon so easily.
"Thank you, Tetsuya! Let's be friends~" James said innocently.
"Un, from now on, we're friends!" Tetsuya replied with a faint smile. Then he handed Cacturne's Poké Ball to James.
"Tetsuya, did you come to Acapulco for a vacation?" James asked.
Tetsuya shook his head and said, "No, I'm just passing through. I'll be taking a ship to Vermilion City tomorrow."
James sighed and said, "What a shame… otherwise, we could have stayed here and had fun for a few more days."
"Yeah, what a pity. Did you come here for a vacation too?" Tetsuya asked.
"Eh… I suppose so. My family happens to own a mansion here, so I'm staying at home. Come to my house tonight and let me properly thank you," James said casually.
Without making a show of it, James had already revealed that he was wealthy. Owning a mansion in a place like this was something no ordinary person could achieve.
"Then I'll gladly accept your hospitality," Tetsuya said. He had been worrying about where he would spend the night, and now a luxurious room had practically been delivered to him.
---◓---
Following James, as soon as they entered the mansion, two security guards bowed to him and said in unison, ""Welcome home, James-sama.""
Even Tetsuya felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing it.
"James-sama? You're back!?"
The moment he heard Jessebelle's cheerful greeting, James immediately tried to run away. However, Tetsuya placed a hand on James's shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid. You still have me as your friend. And if that isn't enough, you also have your new partner, Cacturne."
James suddenly stopped. Recalling Cacturne's performance just now, his courage immediately grew.
"Come out, Cacturne!" After saying that, James threw out the Poké Ball, although his body still instinctively took a couple of steps backward. "I'm… I'm not afraid of you..."
The moment Jessebelle saw Cacturne, she immediately recalled how thoroughly it had defeated Vileplume earlier. There was no way she dared act rashly again. Vileplume simply wasn't on the same level as Cacturne.
"…Jamesy, you've secretly taken in such a terrifying Pokémon. I'm definitely going to tell oji-sama and oba-sama!" Left with no other choice, Jessebelle could only leave.
James let out a long sigh. "Uff… she's finally gone. Let's go inside!"
The mansion was practically a palace. It had every imaginable facility. After taking a tour of it with James, Tetsuya felt as though he had walked the distance of his usual morning training.
Thanks to James, Tetsuya also got to experience the lifestyle of high society. That evening, James kept asking Tetsuya to tell him about the "outside world" and his encounters with Pokémon.
Naturally, Tetsuya described everything in the most colorful way possible. James listened with eyes full of longing. Perhaps this would encourage James to leave home sooner. A wealthy heir like him longed for nothing more than a life of freedom.
It seemed everyone had their own hardships…
Tetsuya specifically told James to take advantage of his family's influence and apply for a Pokédex now. With his family's wealth, even applying to become a direct-affiliated Pokémon Trainer of the League would not be a problem.
However, there was no way his family would allow him to enter that Trainer profession, so obtaining a Pokédex was the most he could realistically do. On the one hand, it would make it easier for them to stay in contact. On the other, it would prevent James from being completely at a loss in the wilderness because of his lack of Pokémon knowledge.
---◓---
When they parted the next day, Tetsuya made a point of giving James his contact info. James also took Tetsuya's friendship to heart.
With James and Cacturne seeing him off, Tetsuya boarded the ship bound for Vermilion City.
•.
•.
¹. In the anime, Jessebelle calls James "James" or "Jamesy". In the original japanese version, she refers to him respectfully as "Kojirō-sama"
[1] In the anime, Jessebelle calls James "James" or "Jamesy". In the original japanese version, she refers to him respectfully as "Kojirō-sama"