Good Enough to Eat

 

After dropping off all the pokémon at the Pokémon Center, the sisters had decided to join them for breakfast, which ended up with Giovanni treating all three females. Ash sat next to him, eating her omelet with a gusto that was typical of the girl, especially when it came to food. Giovanni just had a cup of plain black coffee and the sisters decided to split a country fried steak breakfast between themselves.

 

“Is that all you’re going to have?” Ash furrowed her eyebrows, surprisingly directing that question at Giovanni. He’d rather thought she’d ask the sisters that, and tell them to order whatever they wanted because he was paying.

 

“Yes,” he said dryly. “I always have a cup of black coffee in the morning.”

 

“But that’s it?” she continued incredulously.

 

“Yes,” he gave her a bland look.

 

She huffed, turning back to her food and cutting up a piece. “You don’t even have sugar or creamer in there! No wonder you’re so sour and grumpy all the time.” She stabbed the piece of omelet with her fork, but took Giovanni aback when she shoved it in his direction. “Eat!”

 

He and the two sisters shared the disbelieving reaction, eyebrows rising at the determined girl. Ah well. It didn’t seem like he was going to get out of it, so he resigned himself to be spoon fed an omelet breakfast, shared with his new partner in crime. He didn’t even say anything when she hailed over the waitress and began questioning them on the kind of creamers they had, settling on French Vanilla for him to try.

 

“I forgot to ask earlier, especially with all the…excitement going on,” Alexa started, understating Ash’s whole odd ragequit and behavior, “but how do you know each other?”

 

“Ah, I forgot to introduce you guys!” Ash exclaimed before she put another piece of the omelet to Giovanni’s lips. He rolled his eyes, but ate it. “Alexa, Viola, meet Giovanni Rocketto. Giovanni, meet Alexa and Viola!”

 

Both sisters’ eyes widened, because even in Kalos Giovanni was well-known. His business did more than well there, and he’d been an infamous battler and gym leader.

 

“He’s my husband,” Ash said cheerily and then ate another piece of her omelet.

 

Giovanni sweatdropped, and then observed the women’s reactions to that statement, seeing their eyes bulge out and then them gaping at the ‘couple.’ He also had to mentally shake his head at Ash and her casual admittance to that, especially given how just last night she’d vehemently been refusing the role.

 

“W-wow, husband, huh?” Viola seemed dazed. “That’s…amazing. I knew you two already had some kind of odd chemistry, but…” she muttered under her breath that last bit.

 

Alexa interrupted. “I had no idea! Last time I saw you, I thought you were single.”

 

Giovanni started getting nervous, knowing that they should’ve talked out their story beforehand. However, Ash started talking before he could interrupt and try to save face, only to be godsmacked by her.

 

“Yeah, I didn’t mention it,” she shrugged, feeding him again. He quietly went along with it, while also listening in closely, waiting if there was a time he needed to jump in. Otherwise, he let her go on, impressed by how easily she was weaving their story. “That’s why I got sidetracked and left you so suddenly back in Lumiose. Giovanni was there and we were getting ready and stuff, ‘cause you know –we’re on our honeymoon.”

 

He had to mask his surprise, and nodded like he knew what she was talking about.

 

Ash waved her fork about. “We got married in Unova; I think a little before I met you, Alexa. I didn’t have a ring then, because I have such small fingers and all and I had to get it resized,” she wiggled the fingers of her free hand at them, and therefore flashing her brand new ring. And if Giovanni was right, amazing as it was, Ash had timed that and did that purposely.

 

Both sisters gasped and leaned over the table, both of them grabbing Ash’s hand and admiring her wedding ring.

 

“He’d told me he’d bring my ring over to here when it was done, and he picked it up not too long after. He had business to finish up in Unova, so you didn’t meet him then, Alexa, but he promised me he’d finish up and that we could travel Kalos together for our honeymoon. That’s why we’re together right now, and we’re planning on driving through the region and sightseeing. It makes up for him leaving after the wedding for business, and leaving me to go through the rest of Unova alone with my friends.”

 

Giovanni cleared his throat, after Ash tossed him a look.

 

“Yes, I’m sorry to miss meeting you, Alexa. But I had urgent business and had to leave quickly. Fortunately, my…wife is an independent woman, capable on her own. I’m still upset I had to leave so suddenly and leave her by herself though.”

 

“Isn’t he a good husband?” Ash beamed at them. “Earlier, he told me he was on the phone because he was conversing with my mother and Professor Oak, who’s like a father to me. They were harassing him the entire time, but he patiently dealt with them.”

 

Giovanni stopped himself from gaping at this minx of a girl. Damn, she’d managed to mix in that truth in there, to fit in with their story. That was…remarkable. He was finding out more and more about this crazy girl, and he was continuously enjoying himself on this crazy ride.

 

 

And for the rest of the meal, Ash and the two sisters talked about the marriage and his and Ash’s relationship, while she continued to show off her ring to the two sisters. He stayed quiet in the background, sipping at his coffee (he decided he might like the different flavor), and letting Ash take the reins on this one.

 

He’d managed to take note of important details she’d come up with for their story, finding it a good idea to keep consistent and tell the same ‘facts’ to everyone they’d come across. He’d listened on in amazement at the back story Ash came up with for them, and remembered how easily and quickly she had done so as well.

 

“That was…very impressive back there,” he admitted to her later in their room, and she grinned at him from her spot at the room’s desk. “How’d you come up with a story so quickly? And it seemed to come easily.”

 

“Practice. Lots and lots of practice,” she said dryly, and he assumed that it had a lot to do with the antics she and her group tended to go through.

 

He started to grin as well, and leaned over her as he placed his hands on the desk in front of her. She tilted her head back to look up at him.

 

“You know, it’s our honeymoon. Whatever happened to our wedding night? I was looking forward to seeing you in negligee –”

 

She grabbed his tie and pulled him down closer to her face, and she smiled sweetly, in an insincere way.

 

“Careful, I got you closer now that I can head butt you and not miss this time.”

 

He chuckled and was about to move away, when he caught sight of what sketch she’d been working on for the past fifteen minutes. And he blinked. And blinked again.

 

“What the…”

 

Her face turned red when she noticed him looking, and she tried to grab her sketchpad when he snatched it quickly and held it out of her way as he looked at the sketch further.

 

“I-it’s a joke!” she stammered, but he was too busy deciding whether he wanted to burst out in laughter or hand it to her and pretend he never saw it, while turning a bright red.

 

“…Well, it’s…sort of accurate,” he tapped her head with the sketchpad. “On the first one…my typical day starts out remembering who I slept with last night, huh? Like a boss,” he couldn’t help grinning at the paper, keeping her away with one hand. “I do like you drew me half-naked in bed. I had no idea you fantasize about me enough to –”

 

He was cut off when she tackled him and he landed on his bed with a short gasp, but he quickly turned it around on her by turning them over and making her lie on the bed as he kept her still, still looking at the sketch amusingly.

 

“I do suppose I read the paper like a boss…give some orders like a boss…break for recess like a boss –What the hell am I doing on a slide? And playing with those pokémon?” he looked at her strangely and she turned red again.

 

“S-shut up!” she pouted to the side.

 

“Grill a burger like a boss…I do make a mean burger, but why are my grunts happy in here? And why am I waving my hands around like a lunatic? Or grinning like a lunatic?”

 

“I don’t know,” she pouted even more. “I was just sketching!” Then she remembered that panel. “Wait, so you do have a shirt like that? You didn’t say anything about that shirt.”

 

He coughed. “I…have one Hawaiian shirt. And it was a gift. I rarely go outside of my suits, so I wear whatever casual clothes I have.”

 

“I like your suits, outside of that strange orange ensemble you used to wear frequently,” she piped up.

 

Giovanni twitched. “I was fond of that orange suit, you brat,” he muttered.

 

“So…do you eat your burger like a boss?” she asked mischievously.

 

“Damn straight,” he replied arrogantly. “And according to your next two panels, I hit the beach and work my tan like a boss.”

 

She face palmed in embarrassment. What was she thinking, drawing that stupid thing?

 

“I do need to comment on that you drew my waist a little too thin in those panels. Would you like me to strip for you, and give you a better model?” he couldn’t resist that quip, and he thoroughly enjoyed the red flush her cheeks took on.

 

“I’m going to murder you, take your Persian, and take over Team Rocket,” she deadpanned.

 

“But you seem to enjoy drawing me half-naked, since I’m also in Speedos in here. I’m just trying to help,” he leered at her. “Which, might I add, why am I in Speedos anyway? Why not swim trunks?”

 

“…”

 

“I am also naturally tan,” he smirked at her. “So I don’t really need to work on my tan. Though if you’d like proof, I can pull down my –”

 

“You!” Ash was about to tear her hair out. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you such a perv? Were you still like this when you were older?”

 

He ignored her and focused on the next panel. “I like bowling. I guess I’d bowl like a boss too.”

 

“Stop making fun of me!”

 

“Start a mariachi band and work my groove thing like a boss…why a mariachi band?” he raised an eyebrow at that panel.

 

She paused and then shrugged as much as she could from underneath him. “Er, I actually don’t know.”

 

“Why am I working my ‘groove thing’ in spandex then?” he waved the sketchpad around. “You must really like my muscles,” he grinned at that, and went back to leering at her.

 

When he focused on the next one, he furrowed his eyebrows though. “…Cuddle Phione like a boss? That’s totally random. As is the next one –why would I sell snow cones like a boss? Oh, I like this next one –fight Chansey like a boss. I would, wouldn’t I?” he said in a bragging tone. “And that’s more like my figure. Good job! I’ll still strip and model for you, if you want though.”

 

Ash managed to free a hand and tried to grab the sketchpad from him. She missed and he laughed at her, holding it away.

 

“And I’m going to fly to space like a boss, apparently on Deoxys…where are you coming up with this?” he snickered. “And having an orgy like a boss –I could and would, but why am I surrounded by pokémon and not women?”

 

She started fuming and glaring at him, and then pointedly looked away in aggravation. He suddenly let up on her and she sat up in surprise, watching him warily. But he held up his hands, his lips twitching upwards fondly.

 

“Jealous?” he teased her, ruining what could’ve been a nice moment from him. She growled and threw herself at him, intending to smack some sense into him, but he easily caught her and held her against him. And she was surprised again, and uneasy, when he just held her to him in a gesture that was a little too sweet. “I don’t need orgies anyway. Not if I can have you all the time~”

 

Oh, she could feel her face burning hot now. This was all her fault. Why’d she draw all that anyway?

 

“And then I go to bed and get ready to do it all over again like a boss. I have such amazing days, don’t you think? Especially since I fight Chansey and go to space every day, apparently.”

 

“I told you it was just a joke,” she muttered mulishly, crossing her arms across her chest.

 

“If I was supposed to be the butt of it, it didn’t turn out that way,” he finally let her go, and she stomped over to her bed. “And that is right. I am the boss.”

 

“The enormity of your ego is astounding,” she tossed him a peeved look. “It needs to deflate.”

 

“Good luck with that,” he said sarcastically, but the wheels in his head started turning as he watched her angrily pout on her bed.

 

 

Maybe he should be more serious and active pursuing this girl, if she was going to take him seriously. It was fun teasing her and everything, but he did say he was going to get the girl…

 

“W-what?” she blurted out defensively, since he was staring intensely at her an hour later, after they had lunch.

 

“Nothing,” he dismissed her worrying. “I’m going to go to the gym,” he declared, standing up.

 

She gaped at him as he started gathering his stuff so he could go. “Now? What, why?”

 

He gave a half-shrug. “I was behind the desk usually all day before. I worked out to relieve stress and maintain my figure. I shouldn’t stop now, just because I’m on the road.”

 

It made sense, but something told her he was up to something. She frowned and let it go for now, and he left soon after. She busied herself with sketching again, reluctantly drawing yet another one of Giovanni with a cigar (it fit him somehow) in his mouth and being dressed by servants. Time went by and she didn’t even notice when the door opened and Giovanni walked in.

 

“Drawing me again?”

 

“N-no!” she huffed, looking up. Her mouth went dry and she didn’t even notice she’d started staring with her mouth opening slightly.

 

The bastard didn’t have any shirt on, sweat pouring down his torso as he held up his drink and was patting down the side of his head with his other hand, using the red towel around his neck. She wouldn’t admit this to anyone, especially to him, but post-workout Giovanni was very, very hot.

 

For a second, she just admired his figure, watching greedily as his muscles flexed with every movement he made, how his broad shoulders contracted as he cracked his neck, how sweat glistened on his smooth pectorals, and oh Arceus that’s what six-pack abs look like –

 

“Is there something wrong?” his voice cut into her chaotic thoughts, and she looked up at his face. He raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“Wrong? No,” she heard herself say faintly. “Everything’s just…fine.”

 

She stood up abruptly. “I have to go to the bathroom!” she said in a rush, and then hurried to the bathroom, only to be in too much of a hurry and ran into the door, knocking herself out.

 

“Well, that went a little too well,” he winced.

 

He toweled himself down, knowing she probably wouldn’t appreciate his sweat all over her, and dropped the towel and water bottle off to the side. He headed over to her side and picked her up, bringing her to her bed and adjusting her so she would be more comfortable. Then he set off to take a shower, and grinned as he thought of maybe getting out of the shower with only a towel and appearing in front of her.

 

 

He grinned even more, thinking about her reaction to him right now. So far: success.

 

When Ash woke up, she realized she was on her bed. She blinked rapidly and tried to remember what had happened, only to remember and regret remembering. Not only was it embarrassing what she did, but remembering how Giovanni looked caused a strange reaction in her belly that made her uncomfortable.

 

Shaking her head, Ash sat up and froze when she saw Giovanni at the desk (fully clothed, thank Arceus), but eating a peach and watching her.

 

“Are you alright now, or should I contact Nurse Joy to take a look at you?” he asked, and she flinched.

 

“No, I’m good,” she muttered.

 

“Are you sure?” he took a bite out of his peach, and juice leaked from the corner of his mouth and moved down, before his tongue slid out and slowly licked it clean.

 

She watched the action closely, unblinkingly, and watched as his tongue then licked his lips. Her eyes moved up warily to look at him, only to see he was still watching her closely. Was he doing this on purpose? That bastard…

 

Ash turned away from him and lay on her front, folding her arms and laying her chin on them. She was just going to ignore him. He was messing with her, and she wasn’t going to play his game.

 

“Did I ever tell you that you smell like peaches?” he purred, and he sounded right beside her suddenly. She hadn’t even heard him move!

 

Alarmed, she was about to get up and onto her knees, when one of his hands lay heavily on her back and pushed her back down.

 

“You seem tense,” he murmured, and both of his hands moved to her shoulders. Her eyes widened and she tensed up even more. “Let me help you with that.”

 

It was like magic, because he knew just exactly how and when to move his hands, expertly kneading her shoulders and her upper back. The tension quickly eased out of her, and she couldn’t help letting out a sigh. If nothing else, she could enjoy his shoulder massages and not have to ask, since he was offering so freely. She was stubborn enough to admit she liked it, but wouldn’t say it to him…

 

“Do you want me to stop?” she could barely hear the amusement in his tone.

 

She pressed her lips together firmly, refusing to answer him. However, he started to stop and made to remove his hands, so she made a discontented sound, stopping him.

 

“I…I wouldn’t mind if you continued,” she forced out, but it was worth it because he was back to massaging, and somehow it was even better than before.

 

However, what pleased her more was that he didn’t sneak a grope or try anything else perverted on her, and hadn’t taken advantage of the situation at all. He simply just gave her a neck and shoulder massage, which was a little too intimate for her in the first place anyhow, and didn’t tease her at all through it.

 

“We’ll have to pick up our pokémon soon,” she barely heard him murmur, eyes closed in bliss. “We can have dinner first. Trust me; they’ll be okay in the Center for a bit. They won’t even miss us.”

 

“Mmm,” because his hands were doing wonders and she really couldn’t question or care to think about anything else.

 

It had to be magic. Dark magic at that, considering who this was…

 

“I’m surprised you’re not going crazy over the mention of food,” he lightly snarked.

 

“Ngh, just a few more minutes,” because who cared about food and dark magic? She was in heaven.

 

So he thankfully stayed quiet for awhile, until he insisted it was getting late and they had to eat, though he seemed reluctant as well.

 

Well, she was his fake wife… “I’m going to take advantage of that as much as I can,” she muttered, unknowingly to her heard by him, though he didn’t know what she meant.

 

“Let’s head to a tavern a block away,” he suggested. “I heard they have a fantastic chicken potpie.”

 

“Okay,” though she wouldn’t have minded forgoing dinner altogether and just staying there, getting a massage from her criminal fake husband. And that was saying, considering how much Ash loved food.

 

And so she reluctantly followed after him, heading to where he had found out where this tavern was, and was led inside and seated quickly. After they ordered, they only waited for a little bit until their food was ready and they were eating quickly. However, Giovanni got a call near the end of it, and he frowned at his phone.

 

“They’re not supposed to call me unless it’s an emergency or information on Team Flare,” he explained apologetically, and she could get used to this side of him. “I have to take this. Arceus knows what the hell those idiots are doing, especially since I’m not there to make sure everything’s alright. I swear, if Archer and Ariana are just messing around and being lazy…” he muttered at the end.

 

Ash was curious and wanted to know who Archer and Ariana were. She mused on that, while Giovanni had to step out and find a quiet and private place to take the call, and she finished up her food in the meantime.

 

“Hey, Honey!” someone called out to her, and she saw a group of guys, all rowdy and drinking heavily. One of them waved and winked at her, and she smiled slightly back in confusion. “Why don’t you come hang over here and not be so lonesome? We got drinks!”

 

Ash couldn’t deny how curious she was about alcohol, as would anyone her age. And it wasn’t like she was leaving with them or anything, and Giovanni would be back soon. Really, she could just nip over for a bit, try some, and then probably just head back to her table to wait for Giovanni if he wasn’t back already.

 

Honestly, she couldn’t understand why she hadn’t thought that things would go wrong, since it always tended to do so when it came to her.

 

 

It didn’t take Ash long until she was drunk, after trying all the different drinks they all had.

 

Giovanni entered the main part of the tavern again, searching out his and Ash’s table, and scrunching his eyebrows when he saw that it was empty. Looking around, it didn’t take him long to find the wayward girl, who had traveled to a group of men and was roughhousing with them. All of them were loud and rowdy, and Ash had taken to acting extremely boisterous. Her hands and arms were moving about rapidly, but oddly rather jerky at times, and her face was slightly red.

 

Damn it, she was drunk.

 

Of all the…How in the world had she gotten drunk? But then the answer hit him, and he realized it was this group’s fault for supplying her with some alcohol and getting her drunk. He restrained himself and walked over calmly, putting on a cool smile as he approached the group.

 

“Can we help you?” one of the men eyed Giovanni unhappily, frowning at him.

 

“I’m sorry, has my wife been bothering you?” he asked frigidly, still smiling coolly at this pathetic group of men.

 

“Wife?” the man’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Er, no. We were, uh, just having some drinks, getting to know each other.”

 

“I see,” Giovanni murmured vaguely, heading over to Ash’s side, and pulling her closer to him. “Well then, I still apologize. And as an apology, the next round is on me.”

 

Everyone in that group cheered, even Ash (though he had no intention of letting her have anymore), and an order was sent out and then everyone was drinking, even Giovanni (minus Ash though). Giovanni watched everyone carefully over his glass of whiskey, a step up from the low-class beer they’d been drinking, and suddenly smiled.

 

They’d been planning on taking advantage of his ‘wife’, huh? Well, that was just unacceptable.

 

Giovanni sat there with a pouting Ash, finishing off his whiskey and waiting for the effects of the drug he’d gotten the bartender to slip into their drinks to work. Apparently, the bartender was rather sick of this group being so disruptive, and their usual antics, so it wasn’t too hard getting him to do as Giovanni had asked.

 

When the whole group began to moan and complain about it being too hot, Giovanni stood and tugged at Ash.

 

“Come along now. We’ve got to pick up the poké́mon –well, maybe tomorrow morning –, get some rest, and then head out tomorrow morning for the next base. They gave me a call with details,” he informed her of what his call had been about.

 

Ash’s lips turned downward as she watched the others. “What…”
 

Giovanni tugged her again, succeeding in getting her to stand by his side.

 

“Like I say, only one person is allowed to take advantage of you, and that’s me.”

 

And he swept her off her feet and carried her off in his arms, heading back to the Pokémon Center slowly and making sure not to jar her too much in his arms. Along the way, she’d fallen asleep and when he reached inside, Nurse Joy giggled quietly to herself as she watched them head to their room.

 

“How cute…”

 

Not that Giovanni would agree to being called anything resembling cuteness, so it was a good thing he hadn’t heard. Instead, he was focused on bringing the passed out girl into their shared room, and contemplated dumping her onto her bed unceremoniously. That probably wouldn’t go over too well with her, despite her deserving it for going off to some random guys and getting drunk…

 

However, he got an idea instead, and decided it was much better to leave her alone and not wake her.

 

Grinning to himself, sure she’d probably kill him in the morning, he gently laid her down and sat down carefully on the bed next to her, moving so that he was hovering over her and putting all of his weight on his hands and arms to support him, while making sure his hands weren’t too close to her head as he’d moved them to be on either side of her.

 

He pulled down the collar of her shirt and bent down, pressing his lips to the juncture that connected her neck to her shoulders. Without further preamble, he began to suck lightly and then harder.

 

If she woke up with a bunch of hickeys in the morning, without any idea from who, well that was her fault for getting drunk.

 

He chuckled quietly to himself, and moved his lips to the curve of her neck and started again there, before moving a little higher up. He opened his mouth and sucked a little harder, determined to make this one last the longest. He knew for a fact that she didn’t have any shirts with high collars (or scarves for that matter) and this would be completely visible for all to see. So he unrepentantly marked her there as his, and looked forward to her reaction in the morning.

 

Curious, he slid his tongue forward and gave a tiny lick. Even better, that got a reaction out of her, causing her to arch upwards into him and sigh quietly. Pleased with the reaction, but wary of waking her up, he debated with himself before deciding to hell with it. He might as well get as much ‘bang for his buck’ as he could, before she woke up and dealt him a blow (probably to the head too).

 

Leaving that mark, he left more tiny love bites around the lower part of her neck, and around her collarbone area. Luckily, she slept like deadweight and he probably could’ve gotten away with a little more. But he’d rather she was awake and responsive anyway, so he kept his hands firmly where they were, while eagerly licking, biting, and sucking at her skin.

 

 

In a way, he was more or less “getting away with murder,” considering just exactly who it was he was doing this to.

 

“Chu~”

 

Pikachu sighed happily, wrapped up in his own little fluffy bathrobe, and a towel around his head. Now this was the life! He couldn’t believe Giovanni’s pokémon got pampered like this regularly. If he had it his way, he’d somehow get Ash to stay with Giovanni indefinitely. Forever preferably.

 

After all, if this was the treatment he got while being in Giovanni’s pokémon and his company, then he wouldn’t mind living it up like this all the time.

 

Now if only he could get Ash to see things their way…