I really did sleep outside. I caught a Beedrill, which for some reason was flying around by itself. I tried to tell myself I didn't care at all whether it belonged to someone. I thought about keeping it but decided to send it to the Boss. It was hardly rare but maybe he'd be less angry about whatever we were costing him.
I finally went back to the room the next evening. Jesse was waiting alone in the room with a look of furious anger on her face. "Meowth tells me he saw my father, and my father told him something about you giving him money! Please tell me it isn't true. Even you aren't stupid enough to do that."
I shrugged. I didn't want to tell her that her own father had taken money to leave her alone. "Well, I've always been stupid."
"You'd better tell me what's going on!"
"Jesse, I gave your father the money because he said he would go away if I did, and he was upsetting you."
"You did it for me?" Her face seemed to soften. "It was still stupid," she said.
"I know."
Meowth came in the door then, with a package.
"For you," he said to me, and tossed it onto the dresser. He headed into the bathroom.
I stared at the box. It had only my first name on it, and our room number. The return address held only the name "George Smith."
When I opened it the first thing I saw was a letter.
To James:
I have had some small return on my investments already so I am sending you the enclosed $200.
Did anyone ever teach you the old Pokeball exchange trick? I suppose Team Rocket members are too good for that sort of thing. Well, no one ever taught that Brock kid either.
My regards to my daughter,
George Smith
Inside the box was a Pokeball, and I knew it had to be Jesse's Growlithe. I threw the letter at Jesse and she read it, then picked up the Pokeball.
"I can't believe I've got this back."
Meowth came out of the bathroom.
"Does this mean you're not mad at James anymore for the money and saying he loves you?"
I looked at Jesse. "You told him that?"
"No," said Meowth, "I was spying on you in the woods. I've been nervous ever since that you two were going to run off someplace and leave me to the mercy of the Boss."
"Shut up, Meowth!" I said.
"Well, fine," said Meowth. "But without you two I've got nowhere to go!"
"Shut up, Meowth," said Jesse. "Pokeball, go!"
The Growlithe came out and made happy Growlithe noises at Jesse.
"Fine," said Meowth. "I'm outta here, I don't talk to dogs."
Jesse was clearly overjoyed, but eventually she called the Growlithe back to its Pokeball. There would be no question of sending it to the Boss.
"Maybe your father isn't so bad after all, Jesse."
Jesse shook her head. "He's nice when it suits him. This doesn't mean he cares about me."
"Maybe he does care about you in his own way."
"Maybe."
I sighed. "I wanted to be the one to get that Growlithe back for you. I just couldn't think how."
Jesse looked at me. "Well, it's not like you've never done in anything for me, James."
"It's almost like that."
"Well, you love me, maybe that will have to be enough."
I looked up at her. "Enough for you to love me too?"
Jesse looked down at the floor. Finally, she said, "Yes."
I did walk across the room then, and I kissed her. It went surprisingly well, considering I was so nervous I could barely stand up. It didn't seem like the right moment to suggest sitting on the bed.
Finally I said, "Does this mean we're going to run off someplace and leave Meowth to the mercy of the Boss?"
Jesse laughed and said, "Would you believe I wasn't thinking about Meowth?"
"I wasn't either, until I remembered he has a key to this room."
"Well, I'm not looking for an excuse to ditch Meowth. But if that's you're way of asking me what I want..."
"No, I'm not that subtle," I said. "What do you want?"
"In general, I don't know. Right now, I want to keep kissing you until Meowth catches us at it."
Meowth's been looking at us cross-eyed ever since, but other than that her plan worked out quite well.