(This story is pretty much the same as James's version, except it's told by Jessie.)

Did you ever have one of those days where you feel that your soul mate is the only person that you feel closest to? Well, it happened to me about two weeks ago, when I thought that I would never see James again. I can remember that day well, as if it were yesterday.

It was a glorious spring day, and James, Meowth, and I were enjoying the beautiful rays of the sun. The boss hadn't bothered us in a while, so we thought that we'd take the day off and relax.

"What a beautiful day to just enjoy the sunshine," I said, stretching my arms out over my head. "It sure beats hanging around the headquarters doing nothing all day!"

"Yeah," said Meowth. "There's nothin' like takin' the day off!"

I then noticed that James wasn't joining in on our joyful mood. He didn't seem too happy, as if he lost his best friend. I didn't know whether it was because of the area we so happened to be in at the time, or whether it was the fact that he had a fever last night and he was still recovering from it. The fever was dangerously high, about 103.2, and it worried me. So, I decided to break the silence.

"James, are you okay? You're awfully quiet!"

"It's this area," said James finally. "I feel as if I've been here before! The hand of fate is pulling me in all directions, almost as if something bad is going to happen!"

I was about to answer him when we heard the faint sound of a car stopping. Meowth and I quickly took cover in the bushes. James followed more slowly. He was certain that there was trouble ahead, especially for us. I had never seen him this tense before. From where we were hiding, we saw an old man, in his late fifties, it seemed, yelling at the twerps through a megaphone. James recognized him as Hopkins, his family's butler. It was obvious that he didn't trust him, for it showed on his face. That's when I saw it, a sign posted alongside the road. It read: "Missing", and the photo of a young boy about nine or ten years old was posted underneath it.

"How terribly interesting," I said once the coast was clear and we crawled out from our hiding place. "A missing boy whose whereabouts have remained unknown for years! Do you suppose he was kidnapped?"

James said nothing. Little did I know that the boy in the picture was actually him. If he had been kidnapped, which he doubted was the reason why he was missing all that time, I was certain that he'd rather his kidnapper be a lovely Team Rocket agent with an equally lovely daughter with long, red hair. In other words, he wanted my mother to be his kidnapper, but that was impossible, because she died ten years ago.

I then over at James. "What's even more puzzling, this kid looks a lot like you, James!"

"You think so?" said James. "He looks pathetic!"

Meowth chuckled. "That's what she means, James!"

"What are we wasting time around here for?" I said. "We'd better go investigate! The parents of this kid might reward us handsomely for returning their son to them!"

As Meowth and I ran off, I noticed that James hadn't moved from where he was standing. It wasn't like him to not follow us. Usually, he tagged along right at my heels, but today, he just stayed where he was.

"James," I said. "What's wrong with you?"

"Yeah," said Meowth. "Whatcha waitin' for, a written invitation?"

"You two go ahead," said James. "I'll just stay here!"

"You'll do no such thing," I said. "Where we go, you go!"

We walked for what seemed like hours until we arrived at a magnificent estate. The scenery was so beautiful, I felt like Scarlett O'Hara all over. It always had been my dream to have loads of money and to live in a vast mansion with servants to wait on me hand and foot.

"We're in the lap of luxury," I said. "I've always dreamed of living in a place like this! Kind of makes you feel like you're in a novel about the Old South, doesn't it, James?"

I immediately noticed how silent James was and grew stern. "James, didn't you hear what I just said to you?"

"It's not safe for us here," said James. "We'd better leave this place! Unless you want to risk being seen, I suggest we make a run for it while we've still got the chance!"

"You're delusional, James," I said. "I don't know what you're talking about! We've come here for a reason and we're not leaving until do what we came here to do!"

James wanted to say something in protest, but he knew that it was useless to argue with me, so he kept whatever he wanted to say to himself. We climbed into the vents and saw Hopkins and the brats again. That's where we learned that we were hanging around with the heir to a vast fortune.

"This is unbelievable," said Meowth. "James is the boy we saw in the picture earlier!"

"And this estate is his!" James looked over at me and saw that my dazzling sapphire eyes were welling up with tears. Carefully, he hugged me close to him.

"Jessie," he said. "If it's any consolation, I won't marry my fiancee! I don't even love her! I never have loved her! The only one I've ever loved is you!"

"You have no choice, James," I said. "It's clearly stated in your parents' will that you have to marry her in order to get your inheritance!"

"Not a chance," said James. "There's no way that I, James Eric Rosewood, am going to let those fools force me into marrying some tramp that I don't even love! I'm not going through with it!"

Before I could stop him, James was headed toward the exit of the vent. Meowth and I followed him and we ended up falling flat on our faces outside the mansion.

"Look, James," I said. "We're becoming very annoyed with you! Why are you acting like a foolish little kid?"

"Yeah," said Meowth. "Don't you wanna become the richest guy in the world? You always said you wanted money and power! What's makin' you change your mind now?"

"I don't know," said James. "I don't know what I want anymore! My parents never tried to understand me! They didn't even care whether I lived or died! I'm not going to marry that madwoman! Do you hear me? I won't do it!"

James broke into a run, but he didn't get very far. Meowth and I caught him before he could make it across the driveway. We then dragged him to a nearby bush, where we stuffed him into a blue suit that he carried around with him. Once that was done, we gagged him and got into our "invisible" costumes.

"This is great," said Meowth. "No one will even notice us!"

"Those fools will never think to ask us who we are," I said. "These invisible costumes are perfect!"

We then led James up the front steps of the mansion. I took his hand and knocked on the double doors with it. Hopkins, being the loyal butler that he was, answered it.

"Yes?" he said. "May I help you, sir?"

"It's me, James," I said, trying my hardest to imitate James's voice, which was harder than the impression of an injured Kangaskhan I did in the Safari Zone or the impression of the boss I did after we captured the Ditto. "I've come back!"

"Welcome home, sir," said Hopkins. "Your parents shall be most pleased to see that you've returned! Please come in!"

I caught sight of the coffins. Even though I was eager to get the money, I could see that James was feeling a bit woozy. I could tell that he really didn't want to be there at all, which kind of threw me off. Despite that, I managed to hang in there.

"Oh, Mom and Dad," I said in my masculine voice. "I wish I'd come back sooner!"

Just then, I heard laughter coming from the coffins. James's parents, the notorious Edward and Annabel Rosewood, emerged from their so-called "resting place".

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Yes, dear, and make it double!"

I was literally scared out my skin, not to mention dumbfounded by the ditzy job they were doing at ripping our motto off. I guess they must've been Team Rocket agents in the past, or they were just plainclothes agents that worked outside the organization, which are rarely found.

"Oh, James dear," said Annabel. "We're so happy you've come back home!"

"Indeed," said Edward. "And you're wearing a suit!"

Did they really expect James to believe that they were happy to see him after all the abuse they put him through? Those of you who said no, you get a star.

Before we knew what was happening, Hopkins, after mentioning a woman named Miss Hockley, took us under his arm, and took us upstairs to a room that James recognized immediately.

"We're proud of you," said Edward. "You realize that you must uphold the Rosewood family tradition!"

Annabel agreed with him. "As our son and heir, you have certain obligations! The most important of these is to marry and continue the family line!"

I agreed with her using my masculine voice, but James had managed to get his mouth away from my hand. He had wanted to attempt to reason with his parents.

"Do I have a duty to be manipulated?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Edward. "This engagement was arranged so that it could benefit the future of this estate!"

"We only want what's best for us," said Annabel. "I mean, best for you!"

"A man who can't settle down is like a bumblebee without a nose," said Edward. "He'll never sniff the daffodils of life!"

"You'll learn to be a real gentleman once you marry the right girl!"

How DARE she say to him. Didn't they know that I was the right girl for their son? Or did they even care that we were madly in love with each other? The chair was then turned around to face a young woman whose face was hidden by a fan.

"As James's wife, it'll be your duty to change him from a worthless do-nothing into a respectable gentleman!"

"As you wish, Mother," said the girl in a sultry Southern accent. "I shall do my best to keep my end of the bargain!"

I became quite puzzled by this. What did she mean by that? Meowth got a little flirty with her. When he mentioned that she was a real lady and not a tough, mean, and nasty girl like me, I whacked him with my fist.

"Oh, yeah?" I whispered harshly. "I'll show YOU tough, mean, and nasty!"

"My name is Jessibell Roberta Hockley," said the girl. "My only wish is to be your devoted and loving wife and companion! And also, to educate you in your duties as a gentleman of property!"

I couldn't believe my eyes. Jessibell, the "Miss Hockley" that Hopkins mentioned earlier, looked exactly like me. And they were expecting James to marry someone like her? I don't THINK so. Meowth and I then got into argument about whether Jessibell was my twin or not. James tried to intervene and I told him that he couldn't get his inheritance if he didn't marry her.

"Say," said Jessibell. "Here's an idea! Let's go down to the vault and count all the money you'll inherit!"

Money? Did she say money? Well, maybe she won't be so bad after all. My greed didn't even let me give in to James's muffled pleas or the shaking of his head. Jessibell led us down to the basement, where we saw that the 'vault' was really a torture chamber. James told us that it was all a trap. When I didn't believe him, he yelled at us. Then, his parents showed up and told him that he couldn't escape his destiny and Jessibell, who had changed into a lion tamer's outfit, said that he had to obey her.

Then, if that's not enough for you, we were spotted by James's parents. Our little charade was over before it even started.

"Do you take us for fools?" (author's opinion: yes! ^_^)

"We just ignored you until you brought James down here to the dungeon!"

Meowth and I then used smoke bombs to make our getaway, little knowing that James wasn't behind us. Before I could do anything, I was knocked out by something big and black, as was Meowth. The culprit who knocked us out was Hopkins, that no good rotten butler.

We were thrown out of the mansion, along with the Brat Pack and Pikachu, who had been there the whole time and I didn't notice.

"I've got to get him out of there," I said. "I can't just leave him behind like this!"

"What's with the change of heart?" said Meowth. "James'll get his inheritance if he marries her!"

"Not if she kills him first," I said. "Meowth, I thought he was right behind me when we used those smoke bombs back there! It's my fault that he's trapped!"

Meowth could tell just how upset I was. It was almost as if he could read my face. "You really love him, don't you, Jess?"

"More than anything," I said. "That's why I must rescue him! I got him into this mess and it's up to me to get him out of it! But, how?"

The answer came to me when I heard a Growlithe barking. An idea hit me just then.

"That's it! That's the answer to our problem!"

"What is?"

"James's Growlithe, Growlie, will be able to rescue him," I said. "It's guaranteed to work! If he loves him as much as I do, he'll have no problem sneaking in and saving him from Jessibell!"

I then released Growlie from his doghouse. Knowing exactly what to do, he bolted into the mansion, raced down to the basement, avoided being stunned by Jessibell's Vileplume, and got James to the safety of the doghouse, where he sat down on the couch, grateful to be in one piece.

"You saved me, Growlie," he said. "Thank you! But, who sent you to rescue me?"

"I did," I said. "James, I couldn't let that woman hurt you!"

"You sent Growlie to save me?" said James. "But, you left me when I needed you!"

"I didn't mean to," I said. "I would never abandon you! If I did, I'd be breaking my promise to you when we were on the St. Anne a few months back! I promised that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you, and well, I wasn't about to go back on my word!"

I then asked James what Jessibell meant by keeping her end of the bargain. He told me that eight years ago, his parents invited her parents over to the mansion to discuss a business deal, which brought about the announcement of their engagement. I felt sorry for him after hearing such a sad story.

"No wonder you were so dead set against coming here," I said. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't think you'd believe me," said James. "I thought that you were too overcome by greed to even care about my engagement to that horrible woman!"

Just then, the walls of the doghouse cracked and Meowth and I were blown away into the sky. When we landed, we found ourselves in the rose garden just a few miles from the doghouse. When I didn't see James, I was scared.

"Oh, my God," I said. "He's gone!"

"We can't go back there, Jess," said Meowth. "Besides, who knows what could've happened to us if we stayed!"

"But, James is still over at the doghouse," I said. "We have to help him!"

"Don't be dumb, Jessie," said Meowth, Fury Swiping me across the face. "There's nothing we can do! We'll have to leave!"

Instead of getting angry at him like I always did whenever he scratched my beautiful face, I felt tears welling up in my eyes and I reluctantly but silently agreed with him. I got up and we walked away, down the path leading away from the mansion.

"Oh, well," I said. "Guess James chose to hang up his Team Rocket costume!"

"Yeah," said Meowth. "Maybe all that money and luxury was just too temptin' for James to give up!"

I sighed and hung my head. I knew when to accept defeat, and this was it. "I guess you're right!"

"Prepared for trouble?"

Meowth and I stopped dead in our tracks and looked up. There was James, in the basket of the Meowth balloon. I smiled when I saw him. The setting sun around him made him look like an angel, my blue-haired angel.

"Make it double!" I broke into a run and James pulled me into the basket with him. We had been reunited, even when it looked like the hand of fate was about to separate us for good.

"James," I said. "What made you come back?"

"I realized that I was better suited for this life," said James. "I wouldn't dream of abandoning you! You're more precious to me than anything else in this world!"

For the third time that day, I began to cry. James hugged me close to him and brushed away my tears gently with his finger. It was quiet until I spoke again.

"What was the real reason why you came back?"

"I came back because I love you," said James. "It was you all the time! And I want you to know that you're the only person in the world that really understands me!"

He then reached into his pouch and took out one of his red roses. "This rose reminds me of you, Jess! You may have your thorns, but your face is as soft and beautiful as the petals of a rose!"

Mindful of the thorns, James placed the rose in my hair and we shared a long and passionate kiss under the orange glow of the setting sun. I knew that James had cheated the hand of fate by escaping a destiny that seemed inescapable. The place that he truly belonged was in my arms, and nobody would ever steal from him.

THE END