After a moment of silence, Jessie mutes their side of the call and whispers, "Do you think there's something they're not telling us?"

"Kind of . . . Do you think so? They've been so kind to us. They adopted you. They rescued me. They're so understanding to both of us. Plus, they helped Meowth too." James releases Meowth, Carnivine, and Mime Jr. Jessie does the same with her Pokemon.

"It's just . . . I feel strange. All of my Pokemon look and feel familiar, but I've never seen them before. I already trust Seviper. Why did it try to attack Ash?"

Seviper tries to hiss, but James says, "Maybe there are some things we don't know. That doesn't matter though. I'm sure you and I have secrets too."

Before Jessie can respond, Ash says from the video, "Uh, is something wrong? I can see you, but can't hear anything."

Jessie presses the microphone button again. "Sorry, it must have muted."

"Is Brock ba-" he pauses as James is knocked to the ground and the Pokedex flies out of his hand.

Luckily, Dawn catches it and she turns it around so Ash can see. James is smothered by Growlithe. Growlie licks James constantly before backing up quickly and cocking his head.

"What do you mean?" James asks.

"Growl. Growlithe! Growl. Gro, Growlithe." Growlie looks at Ash and Brock.

"I-I don't understand . . ."

"Growlithe." He snuggles up in James' lap as James starts to cry. Carnivine, Mime Jr., Seviper, Dustox, and Wobbuffet exchange glances. Meowth also looks really scared and surprised.

"Is it true?" James cries. "Am I really supposed to be a bad guy?"

"How did you know?" Dawn gasps.

"Growlie said I looked different. He explained that I'm really a grownup now and am in an evil team with Jessie and Meowth. He recognized Ash and Brock."

"Growlie said?" Ash says. "Does that mean you can understand Pokemon?"

"I thought everyone did. You seemed to with Pikachu. Although, there were a few times you misinterpreted what he said."

"How did you not know people couldn't understand Pokemon?"

"Well, I have been in solitude most of my life. I thought my parents just didn't care for Pokemon. They only feed the Magikarp when they want to entertain themselves, because they like to watch them fight over the best pellets. They even ignored Growlie whenever he was around. The only other Pokemon I saw were vain and formal Pokemon that never had an interest in talking to a boy who couldn't learn proper manners. My only friend was Growlie and any Pidgey that came to my window. Most of the Magikarp just wanted food, but one would have long conversations with me. He disappeared one day. The others told rumors of a salesman who stole the strongest one in the pond, who happened to be my friend, Splash. "

"So you can really talk to them?" Jessie asks.

"Yeah, but that's not important right now." He shakes his head, then turns to Ash and his friends. "Tell us, what happened?"

Brock sighs, then tells the whole story. How they first met, their journeys together, times of teamwork and times of fighting, leaving Pokemon and catching new ones, and, of course, the Sapphire Stone. Jessie, James, and Meowth show varied expressions through the encounters.

"So, it's true? We're evil?" James rubs his face in Growlie's fur.

"Why would you keep this from us?" Jessie yells, "Did you expect to just change us like that? You wanted us to be on your side, didn't you?"

James looks up and wipes away his tears. "Those are the wrong questions to ask. Why would they help us? We were real jerks, but they decided to help us anyway. They gave us a second chance. They gave us Pokemon, Pokedexes, and a family. They gave us hope for the future, something to look forward to. Did we have that before?"

Jessie stares at the ground. "I-I guess you're right. Even if they wanted to change us, they didn't hurt us instead. I'm sorry for doubting you." She glances up at Ash and his friends with tears in her eyes. "Will you still help us?"

"Of course." Ash pulls them in an embrace. "We don't care who you were before. It only matters who you choose to be now." Dawn and Brock also move in for a group hug, with Jessie, James, and Meowth in the center. The last tears fall, then the trio breath a sigh of relief.

So, James can understand Pokemon and the trio now know their past. This brings a whole new adventure!