Love in the Time of Tenacity

Chapter 2: A Gathering

I'll be the first to admit the opening here isn't super action-packed...yet. But it will be. Also, some chapters will post a little earlier (hour-wise) than others. Whatever, Chapter 2 time!

Chapter 2

A Gathering

The waves sloshed and swished as the boat cut through the waters, aiming for its major destination; one where it had not been in a month. One to which it was returning at long last. The sun was rising over the water, turning the sea sparkling with its golden rays. Wingull flapped around, as though the events of a month ago had done little to stop nature from continuing onward just as it always had. That was likely for the best as, around the boat, the day was coming to life.

Serena breathed in, placing a hand behind her head as her blonde locks flowed out behind her. They had grown a little, with no time to do maintenance on her hair over the last month, now almost touching her shoulders, though she was perfectly fine with it. Her skin had grown a little more tanned, as well, and on her wrist still sat the glittering Z-Ring. It had been a long month; one of searching, physically and emotionally.

"Lillie, are you almost set?" Serena called down into the cabin of the ferry once she'd finished exhaling. She got no response and stepped around to look down into the space that was occupied by all of her companions, as eccentric and zany as they were. Her eyes flitted up to their driver, a man who'd said little over the last month, except for when they had arrived at a village on Poni Island and he'd visited his family. The man remained stoic even now, offering but a small shrug. "Lillie? Jessie? James?"

"Present and accounted for, twerpette. Stop shouting!" Jessie's voice snapped within the cabin. Serena stepped back as the magenta-haired woman finally emerged with a rather light scowl on her face. She was not an early riser, Serena had discovered, much to her amusement. Not that Serena had much room to complain, considering there had been some days she'd slept in as well.

"Maybe our bodies are here, but I'm pretty sure my brain is back dere..." Meowth lamented.

"You'll be fine," Serena remarked. Meowth, and Wobbuffet who trailed behind him, gave no comment. She rolled her eyes. They had spent a month together...well, roughly. There were a number of times that Team Rocket seemed to like running off, doing their own thing. One time it was a Ceremony for Jessie to earn her final Lei on Poni Island (no longer keeping her secret identity hidden from her rival), and another time they were trying to take a strange souvenir from some cave. The trio had been trapped inside there for days while Lillie and she looked for clues on the mountain pass. They were tired and silent for the next few days after that.

All in all, the month had done her relationship with Team Rocket some good...not that much had changed. They still vowed to capture Pikachu daily, and sometimes Meowth would try to swipe some of her pokeballs, only for Komala to slam the feline on the head. Really, it became a push and pull between them that essentially made their relationship exactly what it was when they'd left the Aether Foundation a month ago. The only difference, Serena noted as James lethargically joined his companions (complete with Crabrawler clamping on his head), was that Jessie was a little nicer to her. If one defined "nicer" as training with her and liberally insulting her technique in a condescending manner.

Serena could admit, however, that she had learned quite a bit from the older woman, promising to meet her in the finals of the Hope Leilani. Though, at times it felt like more than that. Training with Jessie, seeing her technique had made herself smile, reinforcing the view she'd come to accept. More than that, she had started to develop a new view of accomplishing her dream; though, with them constantly on the move, it was hard to prove, let alone accept.