The night was cold, it always was, the only warmth found in the winter forest came from the fading sparks that were once a fire. Jessie had been awake for so long, Seviper wrapped itself around the team like a blanket, but even warmth didn't tire Jessie, she couldn't stop wondering about James, she wanted more than friendship, but she couldn't admit it, she had been rejected and abandoned so many times, she didn't want to risk it, she had to stay strong for the team.

James couldn't sleep, he stared at the stars, thinking about the future, he wanted to tell Jessie the truth, that he loved her, his mind was clouded with questions. What if she refused? What would happen to the team? He wished he could tell her, but he wasn't sure of what would happen if he did. When the team was faced with death, James could see the fear in Jessie's eyes, he wanted to be able to comfort her, to promise that everything would be okay, but somehow, he felt that all the bravery in the world wouldn't bring him even one step closer to admitting his feelings to Jessie. Meowth had known for a while, nobody needed to tell him, and nobody did, he could see the longing in Jessie's eyes, and the way James would lay awake at night, staring at Jessie.

James awoke as soon as the sun rose, he was determined to surprise Jessie and Meowth (mainly Jessie) by making breakfast for them, he and Mime Jr. went off to collect berries, within about 20 minutes, they had managed to collect an unusually large amount compared to the team's many other attempts at finding food. "Jessie will be so surprised!" James thought to himself happily. Suddenly, a net fell from a tree overhead and trapped James! Ash, Brock, and Dawn emerged from behind a bush, "Stop right there, Team Rocket!" Ash screamed, "What is it this time?!" James cried "I wanted to surprise Jessie by getting up early and making breakfast! You can ruin our plans, but don't intrude on our lives!". Brock and Dawn smiled knowingly, while Ash (obviously confused) cut James free from the rope, and all 3 of them apologized. James arrived back at the campsite with all the berries still unharmed, by the time Jessie and Meowth awoke, 11 plates of perfectly prepared food sat in front of the team. Jessie stared in shock, her eyes sparkling, "James…You did this for us?" "Of course," he replied. The food was wonderful, "Well, this IS the first time he cooked," Jessie thought, "So, I guess you can't assume that he doesn't know how." she smiled to herself. Brock and Dawn peeked their heads around a nearby tree and gave James a thumbs-up, which was returned with a grateful smile. "Wow, that turned out really good!" Ash tried to whisper, but it was louder than he expected. Jessie jumped in surprise while Ash was being hit in the head by Dawn, "Sorry," Ash managed to say before the trio left Team Rocket so they could have some privacy. "I thought I heard someone." Jessie said, "It must have just been your imagination," James laughed nervously. "Oh well," Meowth broke the silence, "I think I'll have a short nap after all that food," he announced lazily, Jessie and James shared a glance, knowing what Meowth meant by that, in other words- he would sleep all day and wake up the next day in the afternoon. "Should we just relax today?" Jessie asked, "Well, considering the fact that Meowth is asleep, we might as well take the day off too," James said.

Meanwhile, in a tent not far from Team Rocket, Brock and Dawn explained the recent events to Ash for the third time. "Ash, did you notice the way James seemed more determined than usual?" Dawn asked, "So?" Ash replied, Dawn sighed in frustration. "Here, Dawn. Let me explain, I am an expert on these types of things," Brock interrupted, Dawn laughed, "YOU?! You are not an expert on love!" she exclaimed. "Love?!" Ash blurted, "YES!" Brock and Dawn cried in unison, "DO YOU FINALLY GET IT?!" they asked, "No…" Ash said bluntly as he got whacked on the head. The day went by faster than normal, although unsuccessful, time wasn't wasted. The weather seemed unusually warm despite the winter season, but it was coming to an end anyways. Giovanni had called 5 times, and each time becoming increasingly irritated with the team's failures. One day, while the team sat in a circle, discussing their latest plans, a faint blue mist engulfed them, it was thicker than it seemed, and when it had faded away, James was missing, and in his place was a note, 'Dear Jessie and Meowth, I am very annoyed with you all, and you must be punished, as you may know- your teammate is missing, and I will only spare his life if you succeed in catching me a rare pokemon within the next 2 months. I'm tired of waiting. From, Giovanni.' Jessie broke down and began to cry. This was the start of a nightmare she wouldn't wake up from.

TO BE CONTINUED…