It was Valentine's Day and James was stuck with Jesse and Meowth trying once again in vain to capture Pikachu from Ash. "We'll get those little twerps this time!" Jesse said, but James had nothing but doubt in his mind.
"Jesse, what makes you think that this time it will work?" James whined. It had stopped raining a while before and Team Rocket was cold, wet, and muddy.
"Because, James, we've failed so many times that they won't expect us to try it again. We'll catch them off guard this time. Now keep digging!" James sighed and dug his shovel back into the muddy earth.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Meowth," James muttered to the cat pokemon digging next to him.
"Same ta you, Jimmy," Meowth said, just as tired of Jesse's antics as James was.
* * *
Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Togepi, and Brock had been wandering the forest for quite a while. It was getting dark, and they were tired, cold, and hungry, not to mention still damp from the rain earlier that day. Misty was about to yell at Ash again for getting them lost when a small cabin suddenly came into view.
"Well, Ash, looks like we're safe for now," Brock whispered, alluding to Misty's almost-tirade. Smoke curling from the chimney reminded them of warm food and bed, and it enticed them closer. Ash knocked on the door.
The door opened and there stood the most beautiful girl Brock had ever seen. Her blue eyes seemed to glow with the vitality of young life and her green hair fell in soft waves around her face, the back curling almost to her waste. She smiled at the three and asked, "Can I help you?" Ash, as well as Brock, was stunned by her beauty, so Misty spoke up.
"I'm Misty, and this is Ash and Brock. We're lost, and it's getting dark. We were wondering if we could spend the night here." The girl smiled again.
"Of course, come in. My name is Lily." She ushered them inside and closed the door. As Brock walked past her, he stopped, took her hand in his and stared at her with his trademark goofy love-struck look.
"Oh Miss, you are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever met! Please, I implore you, will you be my Valentine!?!?" Lily blushed slightly and giggled at his boyish behavior.
"I'm sorry, Brock," she apologized as Misty dragged him away by the ear. "I already have one," she said, pointing to the table. Brock looked and saw a wonderful bouquet of three dozen red roses. He read the attached note.
"To Lily, with all my love. P.S. Sorry I couldn't be with you today. It's not signed. How do you know who it's from?" Lily laughed again.
"There's only one person it could be from." She sat at the table then pointed to the mantle. On it was a wedding picture of Lily and…
"James!?" Ash exclaimed. Lily looked surprised.
"You know my James?"
"Know him!? We can't get rid of him!" Now Lily looked more confused.
"Rid of him? What do you…" Then she noticed Pikachu and Togepi on the table sniffing the roses happily. "Oh! You couldn't be…Ash…that was the name he mentioned."
"You know he's a member of Team Rocket?" Misty asked incredulously. She had never pictured James as the type to settle down like that.
"Yes, and when we met it was love at first sight. Whenever he had a free moment to spare from his job he would come to see me. Then one day he gave me a single white rose and asked me to marry him. I was n love; how could I say no? We had a small, quiet ceremony at a local temple. That was three years ago."
"Are you still in love with him?" Misty asked. Ash was still staring at the picture in shock, and Brock was staring at his feet, crest-fallen.
"Of course I am," Lily answered. "As much as I was when we first met, maybe more." She frowned. "Lately, though, he hasn't visited very often. He's been so tied up in his work, I'm afraid he may just stay away for good." Misty patted Lily's hand reassuringly, although she still was having trouble believing that James actually had a wife, let alone that he was even in love.
"He must still love you. Look at the beautiful flowers he sent. At least you know he hasn't forgotten about you."
"Yes, I suppose you're right, but it does make for a very lonely Valentine's Day." Ash finally looked away from the picture and thought about what they had been saying. Brock was still sulking in denial, wondering why such a pretty girl like Lily would marry anyone like James, let alone fall in love with him.
"Hey! I've got an idea!" Ash proclaimed. Lily, Misty, and even Brock looked to him questioningly. "Why doesn't Lily come with us tomorrow when we leave? We're bound to run into Team Rocket sooner or later. We haven't seen them for a while; it's about time they set a trap for us. Then Lily and James can see each other again!" Misty and Lily thought it over, then they both smiled.
"You'd do that for me?" Lily asked Ash.
"Of course!" he said, standing up and assuming a heroic pose, one arm pointed up in the air. "We can't let anything stand in the way of true love!" Misty face faulted, but Brock stood up and supported Ash.
"Yeah! I've been put down so many times, but I can't stand to see such a pretty girl be sad!" Lily smiled even wider.
"Thank you, all of you! Now we should get some sleep."
They situated themselves and slept. As dawn arrived, they woke, had a hot breakfast, and then left the cabin.
* * *
Meowth woke up before Jesse or James. As he stretched, he noticed something glinting around James' neck. He climbed up the tree where James was and yanked it from his neck. James woke and fell with a thud to the ground. Meowth jumped from the tree and walked over to Jesse.
"Hey Jesse, ol' Jimbo's been holdin' out on us," he called. Jesse sleepily looked over and rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Dangling from a gold chain was a solid gold ring. It sparkled as Meowth held it up in the morning sunlight.
"James, what is that?" Jesse asked.
"Give it back to me!" James whined. He lunged at Meowth and grabbed it back.
"Hey! Don't you know how much we could sell that for?" Meowth asked.
"You can't sell it for anything!" James yelled at him, frowning at the broken chain.
"But what is it? Why do you have it, James?" Jesse asked perplexed. James looked up at her and scowled. He pocketed the chain and placed the ring on his left ring finger.
"It's my wedding ring, you stupid woman!" Jesse was about to respond when they heard a crash from the road. Her and Meowth jumped up and ran over to the hole they had dug. James followed them sullenly.
Jesse stepped up to the edge of the hole. "Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double," James replied sadly.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation."
"Jesse!" Just then James looked into their trap.
"Lily!?" He jumped into the hole, ignoring Jesse, Meowth, and the kids, and hugged Lily. Ash laughed as he threw Pikachu up to the shocked Jesse and Meowth.
"Thunderbolt now, Pikachu!!"
"Pika…CHU!!!" Pikachu zapped the two members of Team Rocket and they flew up and twinkled as they reached the horizon.
After they all climbed out of the hole, Ash, Misty, and Brock moved away from the couple and started on their way. James turned to them, his eyes glistening with tears of joy.
"How can I thank you enough?"
"Don't mention it, James," Ash said. The three friends turned and left, feeling happy and content, like they accomplished something wonderful. James turned back to Lily and took her hands in his.
"Lily, as of this moment, I quit Team Rocket. I love you, Lily." Lily smiled and hugged James lovingly.
"I love you, too. Happy Valentine's Day, James."