When Meowth and I went back to the room Jesse was sitting on one of the beds crying. I whispered to Meowth to go away and leave us alone but as usual he didn't listen. In fact he opened his big mouth right away.
"What's the deal, Jesse? I didn't even know you had a father!"
"Of course I have a father!" Jesse snapped. "I lived with my father quite a while after my mother left to find Mew! I don't remember him much, and I barely remember her at all, but I had a mother and a father like everybody else. Or maybe not exactly like everybody else. Most people's mothers aren't in Team Rocket, and most people's father's aren't... what he is."
I wanted to yell, "What is he?" but I knew I couldn't. I sat down, trying to decide what I could say. "Jesse, how do you know that man is your father? And what do you want to do?"
Jesse shrugged. "I don't know for certain. And if he is... well, if he doesn't recognize me, maybe it doesn't matter."
I sat down on the bed and put my arm around her. I gestured to Meowth that he should leave but he still didn't pay attention.
"So if your father left when you were so little, how do you know what he looks like now?" Meowth still wouldn't shut up either.
Jesse sighed. "Look, after my father left I was kicked around between various Team Rocket members. I spent a lot of time at Headquarters, the Woman Boss thought she owed my mom that and Giovanni must have thought so too. But various people knew who my father was and sometimes they'd send him news about me. And now and then they showed me his picture in the newspaper."
I couldn't stay quiet anymore. "What was his picture in the paper for?"
"Being arrested, mostly."
"He was a Team Rocket Member too?" I had always suspected that.
"I think at one point he wanted to be, but his talents didn't lie with stealing. He's more of a con man. He's very charismatic, and he took advantage of a lot of people. Even getting arrested and having his crimes publicized didn't stop him for long, I guess people just don't remember him from the paper and he starts all over again every time, under another name. And he never did seem to spend much time in prison." Jesse started crying again.
"So does 'da guy have a real name or what?" Meowth just wouldn't stop.
"His name is George, I think. And his last name, nobody knows. Or my last name, I guess." Jesse cried again. "Do you understand what I'm saying? I'm saying my father makes his living cheating people."
I was confused. "Like us?" I said.
"No! Like some kind of... low life... I was probably only born because he conned my mother. And he never speaks to his family..."
"Like me?" I still didn't get it.
"You're the son, not the father. You just don't understand, James." Jesse was sobbing now, and she pushed my arm away from her.
I didn't know what to say anymore. I wanted to leave her to herself but it was late and this was the only place I had to sleep. Meowth had already curled up in a corner and begun snoring. Finally I just got up and went into the bathroom to get undressed. I put on pajamas and got into my own bed, but I hear Jesse crying herself to sleep and I couldn't bear it. I got up and crouched down next to her bed.
"It's going to be O.K., Jesse. Whatever's going on with your dad, I won't let him hurt you, I promise." I wasn't sure why I was even saying that, I was probably too pathetic to protect her from anything, but I couldn't stand to hear her cry.
She didn't answer me, but she stopped crying and pretty soon she was asleep. I fell asleep and dreamed that Jesse was talking to her father but he wouldn't listen to her, and then my own father came and pulled me away.