"It’s not fair!" James said. "We always lose- what’s wrong with us?"

"We don’t always lose," Jessie said softly. "I’m sure we’ve won before sometimes."

"I know, I know! But it’s not only the battles," James whined, "It’s also all of our plans are mucked up."

"Yeah, and always by da twerp!" Meowth said. "He’s always ruining everything- along wit dat rat of his- it’s just not fair!"

"Hmm-hmm!" James said. "James, it sounds like you have a plan!" Jessie said exitedly.

"I do! I think… maybe we should change our tactics!"

"You dolt! That’s what we always try!" Jessie shouted whacking James.

"Ow! No, I mean change our battle tactics."

"We’ve tried dat." Meowth said. "But I know whats causing all our problems."

"What?" Jessie asked.

"Team Rocket."

"Huh?" Jessie and James said at the same time.

"You mean Team Rocket is causing all our problems?"

"Yeah."

"But we still get paid!" James said. "Without that, we’ll have no money!"

"I don’t know. I’ll think about what we should do." Jessie said.

The trio walked along the path. Soon reaching a nearby town, James spotted something. He only had $1 on him and there was a poster for the lottery, advertising that it was only $1 a go.

"Hmm, I’m just going to get…our tea." James said, running in the shop.

"Don’t be too long!" Jessie shouted after him.

James picked up a lottery form.

"I’ll choose…3 because Weezing has 3 heads, and… 15, 38, 2, 19, and 40."

James paid and got the ticket. He ran out of the shop.

"Well…?" Jessie said. "There…wasn’t…anything left." James said thinking up a quick excuse.

"Ok then."

They decided to stay in a cabin they rented overnight. James switched on the TV.

"Meowth’s hungry!" Meowth said. "I’m not much of a cook, so I’ll make some toast for us."

As Jessie was cooking, James was glued in front of the TV.

"Now here is the lottery! Good luck!"

James was very anxious. Even though there was a very small chance of winning, James still felt lucky.

"The first number is… 19!"

"Yes!" James said with a shaky voice.

"Next… 38!"

James gulped, shaking the card.

"2!"

"Uh…..!"

"40!"

"3!"

"heeheeuurgh!"

"James whats the matter?" Jessie said.

"And finally…15!"

"Buh…buh…buh…," James gibbered.

He jumped up.

"I’ve won! I’ve WON! Yeeess! Weeeh!"

"Calm down James! What have you won?"

"Yeees! I’m a winnner! Woo-hoo!"

"Calm down!" Jessie said whacking James hard.

"Ooh! J…j…Jessie! I’ve won the l…l…l…lottery!"

"What? You have? Let me see!"

Jessie snatched the card from James, looking at it.

"You have! Oh, well done! I…I don’t know what to say…Just … let’s go and get the cash! Come on!"

Jessie dragged the still gibbering James out the door. Meowth Jumped after them. "Which shop did you buy the ticket?"

"I…I… don’t know!"

James said.

"WHAT!"

"Wait… it was…um… the shop outside the town!"

"Wait! What’s goin’ on?" Meowth said

"James won the lottery! We’re millionaires!"

"Wait. WHERE’S THE TICKET?" Jessie shouted.

"I haven’t got it…,"

James said

"I have it you two dummies!" Meowth said. "You dropped it as you went out the door!"

Jessie kissed Meowth. "Oh you’re a star!"

"Yee-uck! Yuck!"

Jessie, James and Meowth rushed in the shop.

"Gimme the cash- now!" Jessie said, handing over the ticket

"Well ok let me check it first," the shopkeeper said.

"But I want the cash now Jessie, I want it!" James moaned.

"Keep your hair on James!" Jessie snapped.

"Well, it is real and you’ll have to phone this number." The shopkeeper said pointing to a phone at the back of the shop.

"Ok!"

James dialed the number. "Hello, I have a winning lottery ticket!"

"Okay then, where are you?"

"In Cherry town corner shop."

"Okay, we'll be round shortly."

Half an hour later, a van arrived outside the shop. Two men came out with cameras. Another 3 vans pulled up. Someone came out with a big fake cheque.

"Who's the winner? I need to see your ticket." The man holding the cheque said.

"Um…here!" James said.

The man looked at it then smiled and gave the cheque to James. "Congratulations, you're a winner!"

Lots of cameras flashed. Jessie gave a bottle of champagne to James.

"Shake it then!" she said eagerly.

James shook it hard until the cork flew out with a POP and champagne shot out all over James and Jessie's face.

"My hair!" Jessie said. "Oh well I don't care!" She shook the bottle everywhere.

***

The next day, Jessie and James were deciding what to do with the money. "First thing, we'll get stronger Pokemon!"

They both ran to this shop where you could buy Pokemon. The only problem was the prices were sky-high. But now Jessie and James had loads of money they could afford anything.

"I'll think I'll take that level 100 Onix, and that Venusaur, and Ooh, that Muk looks tough!"

"I like that Pidgeot and that Lapras! And look at that Machamp!"

"Go, Arbok!" Jessie said. "Go Weezing!" James also said.

"Chaabok!"

"Weezzing!"

"Right now we've got stronger Pokemon, we won't need you anymore!" "Bye-bye!"

Jessie and James said. "We'll leave you here to be sold!"

"Shaa?"

"Weez?"

They both looked sadly at Jessie and James. "Yes we know. But We've got much stronger Pokemon and we don't need you any longer! And I'm sure you'll be happy here." Jessie said happilly. "Byee!"

Arbok and Weezing lowered their heads sadly. They tried to get out but the door slammed shut and the lock was put on the door.

"Hey wait up!" Meowth said.

"What are you doing here?" Jessie said. James picked him up and knocked on the door. The owner opened. "You too Meowth!" James said and threw Meowth in.

"But… stop! What are you doing?" Meowth pleaded. "Please come back! Take me with you! Please!"

The door slamming shut cut off his voice. Meowth was banging on the door with Arbok and Weezing but it was no use.

"Hee hee! We're definitely gonna beat that brat now!" James sniggered. "Let's find him then. But first let's quit Team Rocket!"

"Huh?" Jessie said.

"We don't need Team Rocket any longer. What's the point?"

"Good point James. Hmm… I think we should."

Jessie picked up a nearby phone and he phoned Giovanni.

"Hello, who is this?"

"It's us, Jessie and James. Were fed up of Team Rocket. We hate it in fact! We're quitting and going away as far as we can from Team Rocket forever!"

Jessie put down the phone. James jumped up. "Look! What a stroke of luck!"

There was Ash wandering along with Misty and Tracey.

They both jumped out from the phone box.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite… hey we're not part of Team Rocket remember?" James said.

"Oh yes. Who cares about the motto. We've just come to thrash you at battle."

"You again!" Ash said. "This'll be easy."

"Yeah right. Look James I'm the brat! Oooh I am the world's best Pokemon master! Ooh! Ooh!"

"Hey! That's it! Pikachu, thunder bolt!"

"Not so fast!" James said.

"Onix go!" He said.

"Machamp, go!" Jessie said.

"Uh… where'd Arbok Weezing and Meowth go?" Misty asked.

"That's none of your buisness, brat!" Jessie shouted.

"Onix, bind attack!"

Onix wrapped round Pikachu, squeezing him hard. "Chaaaaa!" Pikachu yelled.

Onix got off. "Machamp, low kick!" Jessie Ordered.

Machamp kicked Pikachu hard in the face. "Aaa!" Pikachu squeaked. "No! No!" Ash said. "Stop this!" He grabbed Pikachu. "Waaah! No! I lost! Waah-aaa-aaaa!"

He cried as he ran down the path.

Jessie and James were both laughing evilly.

Meanwhile, Meowth, Arbok and Weezing were all looking out the window, hoping for their masters to return.

They tried everything they could think of to escape, They tried to use dig, acid, sludge and slash to get them out but nothing worked.

"Come on you lot! Move it!" The grumpy owner said.

"So you don't want to move? Too bad." He got out a whip. "Move- NOW!" He pointed to a room. They started moving. "Faster!" He said, whipping them.

"I really miss Jessie and James," Meowth said. "But you guys are my only friends… hey!"

there was a small window up near the ceiling. "Maybe we can escape!" There was a ledge, almost blocking it from view.

"But how do we get up?" He said. "Hmm. I know!"

"Hey, Weezing, why don’t you take us up there?"

<Okay, but we might not able to fit on the ledge.>

"Well I can break the window so we can all get out!"

Weezing carried Meowth up to the ledge. "Let's see…,"

Meowth first tried yanking the metal bars out, but that didn't work. He Smashed the window as quietly as he could and he managed to twist and break the metal with his teeth.

"Hey I did it! Come on!"

Weezing carried Arbok out. Luckily, Arbok just about managed to fit through. <Where to now?> Arbok hissed.

"We saw Jessie and James heading over dat way." Meowth pointed over to one direction. "So let's go!" Meowth jumped off the window. Arbok and Weezing followed.

Meanwhile, twenty five victories later, Jessie and James were skipping along the road. "Finally! We're the Pokemon masters!" James said. "No more losses or failures!"

Jessie shouted. "Hmm, I think we should find a place to stay overnight." James said. "Ok then- a four star hotel!" Jessie agreed.

They went back to a hotel they saw earlier. "We'd like your best room!" Jessie said.

"Ok then Sir and Madam. The room is number 185, on the third floor. Thank you." Jessie handed over the money.

"Ooh look!" Jessie said. There was every kind of feature you could think of. A big cinema screen TV, speaker system, 2 bathrooms, 2 king size beds- they were living on the lap of luxury!

It was getting dark. "I'm tired, let's go to bed!" James yawned.

"Okay then." Jessie sat on the bed.

Suddenly, she felt something was missing. She looked around. Everything seemed normal…

She suddenly remembered Arbok. She thought of when he was a little Ekans, and Jessie was a little girl, the moment she opened up her present. Inside was Ekans. And every time she was lonely, hurt, or sad, Ekans would be there to comfort her. She pictured Arbok with another trainer, being treated badly.

She felt guilty as well as sad.

A tear rolled down from her eye. She sniffed and wiped it away. James spotted her.

"What's the matter, Jessie?"

"Nothing," She said quickly. "Well it's just… I miss…my Pokemon."

"Oh… me too I remember my little Koffing and how I used to play with him and Growly…,"

"Yes." Jessie looked at a tin of cat food. "This was Meowth's favourite. He used to beg us for this."

"Ohh! I can't take it! I want them back!" James suddenly shouted. "Now!"

"Okay, let's go!"

The stars shone brightly as the Pokemon travelled along the road. Meowth spotted something lying there.

"Hey, you guys! Look at this!"

It was a lipstick bottle on the edge of the path. Meowth looked inside, and there was a bit left.

"I think this is Jessie's colour! We're almost there… what the…?"

Two shadows were on the horizon. <Masters!> Arbok and Weezing said at once.

"Look, James!" Jessie said, pointing. Three figures in the distance.

James squinted his eyes. "It…it's them! Come on!"

Jessie and James jumped onto their Pokemon. They were so glad to see them! Meowth Jumped on Jessie.

"We missed you so much!" Jessie and James said. "And you, Meowth!"

"And we promise never to do that again!" James said.

"Now… I wonder if we can join Team Rocket again…?"

The next day, Jessie and James were standing outside Team Rocket HQ, with their Pokemon out of their Pokeballs. They went in to see Giovanni.

"So, looks like you came crawling back." Giovanni said.

"Yes Boss… we'd like our jobs back please!"

"Well OK then but on one condition- you give me part of your lottery winnings!"

"Yes!!" Jessie and James said.

So Jessie and James are back in Team Rocket again, fighting for what's wrong apart for one thing- they learnt a valuable lesson to treat their Pokemon with respect. But they try to keep it a secret from the other Rockets!

THE END!