"Come on Ash," Angie said as she kept on running.

"I'm going as fast as I can," Ash replied whilst in pursuit, "but why won't you tell me where we're going?"

"It's a surprise," she explained.

"Well maybe if we slow down we'll enjoy the surprise more when we reach it," said Ash who was panting slightly.

"Just keep on running."

And so, Ash and Angie kept running through a forest towards the 'surprise' that Angie was so very keen to get to. It had now been quite a few days since Ash had arrived in Solaceon, which meant that he was now used to the cool breeze in the early daylight. As he ran, he felt the wind rush past him and he also noticed Angie's hair being blown about by the wind.

Suddenly, Ash's hat was blown off his head and fell onto the ground behind him.

"Wait a second Angie," Ash called, "my hat fell off."

"You and that silly hat," Angie sighed.

The two of them stopped and turned around so that Ash could get his hat. Unfortunately, as they turned around they got a rather unpleasant shock.

"Team Rocket," said Ash as he put his cap on his head

"Well if it isn't you two yet again, what are you doing all the way out here, together no less? You really should stop appearing together or people may start thinking that you're a married couple," Jessie stated innocently from their balloon.

Angie squeezed her eyes shut. 'Jessie, please just be quiet,' she thought. Her embarrassment was beyond measure, but to her surprise Ash just ignored Jessie altogether.

"Team Rocket, I'm guessing that you're up to no good again today," Ash said coldly.

"But we hadn't even thought of a plan for today yet," James protested.

"Yeah right," Angie shouted aggressively, "you crooks never do any good. You're just cold hearted people who go round stealing or doing bad things to good people. It's those like you that we could live without. If you didn't exist everyone would be happier and nobody would have to put up with you and your annoying motto."

"Well calm down miss fussy boots, we happen to take a lot of pride in our motto, tell her James, James?"

Jessie turned to see James staring blankly without movement.

"Well, were you planning anything today?" asked Ash.

"As a matter of a fact we were," Jessie remarked out of spite.

"Pikachu, let's end this before it begins, use thunderbolt,"

The thunderbolt scored a direct hit with the balloon. As always, Jessie Meowth, and a now silent James started flying into the sky.

"We're blasting off ag… hey James, why aren't you joining in?" said Jessie before ending up out of earshot.

Now that they were alone, Ash positioned his hat on his head and turned to Angie.

"Angie, you were kind of a little harsh on Team Rocket there," Ash told her.

"Well they, they deserved it, didn't they?"

"It seemed like you stunned James into silence with your speech."

"But James is part of Team Rocket, a heartless organisation," Angie argued.

"That's true, but there are some things you should know about James,"

Ash sat down on the ground next to a tree under the morning sun and invited Angie to sit down next to him. Once they were both sat down Ash started to explain James' story. He told of the riches that were left behind, of James' many summer houses that he owned and of Growlie, his best friend as a child. Finally, Ash talked to Angie about Jessiebelle, the evil arranged fiancé.

"Wow," Angie said quietly, "James has led quite a rough life."

"I know," agreed Ash, "that's why I'm sometimes not so sure that he's a bad person at all."

"I guess I was a bit mean to him back there," Angie admitted, "but it was just that today I was going to tell you… well I thought that I would…"

"Yes?"

"Actually, let's go home, I don't think the time's right anymore,"

"Sure, I've learned through battling that timing is crucial,"

'You really are oblivious Ash,' Angie thought, 'but I guess that spot by the lake will have to wait for another time.'

Therefore, the two of them got up and headed back towards her house. Although when they were halfway back home, Ash stopped for a second.

"Um, Angie, just hold still for a second, kay?"

Ash then took off his hat and placed it on Angie's head.

"There. You see I kinda saw your hair, and it was moving about, and, so, um, yeah," Ash explained sheepishly.

"Ash, thanks," Angie replied.

They continued walking along, but with Angie having a different perspective to the one she had had before. She had started the day with one goal in mind, but had achieved and learned so much more than she had aimed for. For that spot by the lake wasn't where they ended up, but fate had decided that they would get there another day and instead would have an altered experience today.

Jessie, James and Meowth landed with a crash in the middle of a forest. Jessie and Meowth go up and dusted themselves off, but James just lay on the ground.

"Humph, how rude of those two, not even letting us bring out our pokemon or say our motto," Jessie stated angrily.

"That girl twerp seemed awful touchy today too," Meowth added.

There was a silence where James would have normally commented.

"James?" Jessie looked down, "James! What's wrong with you? Snap out of it and stand up."

James just continued to stare vacantly at the clouds above, apparently deaf to his companion's words.

"Well you're gonna have to say something sometime," Meowth told him.

"Would the world really be better if I didn't exist?" James finally murmured.

"Finally you're speaking," Jessie sighed, "but don't listen to that girl, what does she know anyway?"

"But what if she was right about what she said? What if we are just cold-hearted criminals?"

"Look, you are who you choose to be, and nobody has the right to judge you, especially someone who hasn't even met you that many times," Jessie assured him.

"Even so, I don't want to be known as just 'one of the evil Team Rocket'," James replied.

"So whaddya want to do?" Meowth asked him.

James looked up as he thought of a plan.

Meanwhile, Ash and Angie had finished their journey back and were deciding what to do. The entire morning had passed and neither of them knew what to do that day. Fortunately, Ash soon came up with an idea.

"Angie, I know what we're gonna do today," Ash exclaimed happily.

"Really?" asked Angie.

"Well I thought that maybe we could just stay at your house and relax today, you know, to get our energy back from the last few days."

"That's sounds great."

Actually, it wasn't the relaxing part that Angie thought sounded great, but the fact that she would spend some time just being with Ash without him being distracted by anything.

"So Angie, let's head inside, shall we?"

It was then that there was a small rustle in the bushes behind them. Ash quickly turned around to see an all too familiar sight, Team Rocket.

"What do you want now?" Ash said sarcastically.

"Wait, please, we're not here for any trouble," James said sincerely, "look, I've been thinking, and maybe what you said about me was partly true."

"Actually, I want to say that I'm sorry for what I said to you before, I was just a bit hasty," Angie interrupted.

"Thank you, but it doesn't matter now, I've made up my mind. I've decided to help you out for the day, is that alright with you?"

"You know that you can't just be good for the day and be a better person, right?" questioned Ash.

"I'm aware of that," James said in return, "but I have my reasons."

Ash and Angie turned around and whispered to each other.

"Ash, do you really think this isn't a trap?"

"You may think I sound crazy right now, but I trust James, well, to a point at least."

They turned to face Team Rocket again to confirm their choice.

"We agree to this, but don't pull anything funny," Angie told them.

"You have my word as a gentleman."

"So, that's the full story of Jessiebelle huh?"

"Yes, and unfortunately it's all true," James admitted.

As James was walking down the streets with her, Angie began to realise that what Ash said couldn't have been truer. She now knew of the rich but rough childhood that he had had, and how he left all of it behind for his new life in Team Rocket. Also, James had been so helpful to them that Angie couldn't help but change her opinion.

"Well, it seems as if the day will end soon and it'll be back to Team Rocket for me," noted James.

"You don't have to go back," Angie reminded him, almost wishing that he wouldn't.

"But Team Rocket was what allowed me to be free, and gave me a place to belong."

"James, you can belong with us."

Angie's comment brought silence among the three of them. Although James had watched these trainers for such a long time, he had never thought of becoming one himself. The way of a noble trainer had always seemed out of reach to him. Now he was being offered a new journey, another chance to be on the 'good' side.

"I'll consider it," was James' answer.

The day that turned out to be completely different to how anyone had planned was now starting to end. The two groups had decided to meet where they first met that day, out in the forest. In a way, Angie and Ash were sad to have to become enemies yet again with the person they had just become friends with.

"So, I guess this is it," James said sadly.

"Just remember that our offer is always there, okay?" Ash told him.

"I will."

Then both teams parted ways and went back to where they were going to sleep. That day, everyone had learned that things will rarely go completely as planned, but that is not a bad thing. You have to trust that destiny will show you a new, maybe better path through the day. In fact, it was destiny that had brought everyone to this scene, and what was destined to happen in the future would rather surprise those that it involved.