"Hmm...this is one of my newer ones...." he indicated. Jessie made a face. MO< "Really, James. I don't see what is so great about those bottle caps." said Jessie.

"I just like them, and they're something to collect when you get bored." he said.

"We should be collecting money; something we really need." said Jessie.

"It isn't that easy, Jess." James replied. "Money isn't usually something that's just there on the ground, waiting for someone to come and pick it up. Unless it's like a penny or something..."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." said Jessie.

"As long as something is shiny and round, it's always good enough for me." Said Meowth, shrugging.

Jessie and James only had one thing to be happy about:they had managed to catch a Murkrow for Giovanni.They knew it wasn't much, but he should be proud of their efforts.The only problem was that he was traveling somewhere,and they had no idea where he was.

"Well......where should we go today?" Meowth asked. "Well, the last time I heard, the twerp was going....."

"Well, well, well!!!! If it isn't our old friends, Jessie and James."

Jessie and James looked up, very suprised to see Butch and Cassidy standing over them.

"Whuu-whaa...what brings you two here?" Jessie asked.

"Oh, we were just......traveling around..." said Cassidy, waving her hand dissmissively. "So, Jessie...." what were you saying earlier......about that twerp? Where was he going?"

"Why would we tell YOU?!?!" Jessie snapped.

"Well! No need to get hasty!!" We were JUST asking!!"

"Don't even try that." James sneered. "We know you two always want to get there before us."

"And we do......." said Butch.

"Hmph." Jessie and James said, smirking and folding their arms.

"But.... we do want to ask you a small favor." said Cassidy.

"What?" Jessie and James said at the same time. "We haven't been able to really find any good Pokemon for the boss lately, and we assume you haven't either..... and we wanted to ask you to help us in a plan." Jessie and James looked at each other.

"Well...ok. I guess we could help out...." said James. Butch and Cassidy smiled.

"Well, come on, then. We have a hideout." Butch said. Jessie and James got up and began to follow them, with Meowth close behind. All of them walked for about an hour, until they came to a dense forest. Butch and Cassidy led Jessie and James to their pine tree-secluded Cabin, with a small but deep lake behind it. The five of them went inside, and Jessie and James became engulfed in the luxurious environment. "How....how did you guys......" James said.

"Oh, we just found this place out her one day, abandoned with no sign of life." said Butch. "It was easy to move in, too. We just had everything we needed here, food, water, and everything else in abundance." said Cassidy. "We couldn't find out why the place was abandoned....." said Butch.But as Jessie and James wondered around with their backs to them, Butch and Cassidy exchanged evil looks.

"We've....got something to show you...." said Butch.

"It's in this room." said Cassidy, leading Jessie and James to a somewhat secret room. Cassidy turned on the light, and the room was full of small cages. "This is our Pokemon room. When we catch or steal new Pokemon, we bring them here and save them for the boss.

Right now, the room was empty except for a caged Chansey in the corner. "Chaanssey...." it sobbed. Jessie and James looked at it and felt sorry for it, becuase they knew that Butch and Cassidy could be a lot meaner than them...even sometimes meaner than Giovanni. There was one big Cage in the middle of the room that looked like it could fit five people inside; sitting down of course. Jessie and James figured that they must be saving it for Raiko, Entei, or Suicune. Suddenly, Jessie, James and Meowth were pushed into the cage!!

"Ahhh!!!!!!!" they screamed. Butch and Cassidy locked the door and laughed menacingly at them. "Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Now you will tell us where that twerp with the Pikachu is and give us that Murkrow you caught.!!."

"Never!!" Jessie said.

"Alright, have it your way....we'll just set fire to the cabin and you'll have no way out!!!" Butch laughed.

"But...this is your hideout!!" said James.

"Yeah, and we have about five other ones." Cassidy shrugged.

Oh,Jessie and James were sure in a tough spot....They whimpered and hugged each other as Butch lit a match.

"Well,Jess....this looks like the end."

"James! What are you saying??" Jessie asked him, " We are not going to die....I have a plan."

James smiled slightly, but became sad again as Butch dropped the match and a fire started.

"We'll be on our way now..." Butch and Cassidy said together. "See you in the underworld!!" They said, running out of the room.

"Jessie, I'm scared!! What will we do?!" cried James, with tears in his eyes as he stared at Jessie. Jessie then took his hands."Don't worry, James. I promise nothing will happen to you while I'm around, because I love you and care about you." James smiled and kissed Jessie shortly but sweetly.

"Baaahh!!!"Meowth yelled as the fire got closer to the cage."

"Ah!Jessie, what's the plan?!" James asked frantically.

"Oh, right.." said Jessie. She pulled a hairpin out of her hair. "Now if I can just....ah, there!!" she said, opening the lock with it. They jumped out of the cage and on top of it to avoid the fire. The three of them suddenly looked in the corner and realized that Butch and Cassidy had forgotten the Chansey.

"Chaaaanssseeey!!!" It cried in fear. Jessie bent over and picked up it's cage, and then after letting it out, she handed it to James quickly."Seey....." it said looking up at James with tears in it's eyes.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." He told it sweetly. Jessie took the cage that had been holding Chansey and broke the window behind them with it..

"Let's go!!" she said. They all jumped out of the window and ran through the woods, and Jessie picked up Meowth so he wouldn’t have to run,all of them barely escaping the now massive fire. They found their hot-air balloon and jumped into it.

"Ohh....that was so close.." Jessie panted.

"I was so scared James!!" she said, hugging James and sobbing.

"Me too, but we're ok now, thanks to you." James said, kissing her.

"You...guys....are...tah....best..." Meowth panted, smiling. "Thanx for...carrying me Jess....." Meowth said to Jessie.

"No problem." Jessie said, smiling.:)

"Now.....if we could just reach the boss...." James said.But then they noticed their walkie-talkie in the hot air balloon that Giovanni had given them.

James picked it up. "Maybe we can with this." He said. "Boss, come in sir. Are you there?" James asked.

"Yes? What is it?" Giovanni answered. "Ah, sir. We have just escaped Butch and Cassidy, who were holding us hostage in a fire, and we've got some new Pokmon for you."

"Excellent.Bring then to me right away." said Giovanni. "I'm at Silph Co. in Saffron City." Giovanni said, smiling. "Ok, we'll be there soon." James said. "The boss sounds real proud of us." James said.

"Oh, I can't wait to get there! Maybe he'll even give us a raise!!" Jessie said, smiling brightly. ^_^

They arrived in Saffron City, carefully avoiding the Officer Jenny standing near the Pokemon Center. They crept through the bushes, making sure Chansey didn't make any noise. They approached Silph Co. and went inside, seeing Giovanni sitting in the window seat near the door.

"Hello, sir. We have your Pokemon we promised!" Jessie said. "A Murkrow and a Chansey." said James, giving Giovanni Murkrow's ball and Chansey."

Giovanni released the Murkrow. "Muuurkroowww!!" It said. "Chans..Chansey!!" Chansey squealed happily. "Excellent!! twenty dollars for each of you!" said Giovanni, paying them both the money.

"Thank you, sir!!" Jessie and James chimed.

"I'll give you twenty dollars every time you bring me a new Pokemon." he said. Jessie and James thanked Giovanni once again and walked away very happy.

"Well, Jess, we did pretty well for ourselves!!" James said, smiling at Jessie.

"Yep," said Jessie, giving James a kiss on the cheek. "And I bet we can do it again soon." ~THE END~