It had all begun a week before. Jesse, James, and Meowth had left Team Rocket Headquarters and headed for Pallet Town. When they got there, they couldn't think of what to do. Meowth suggested trying to steal Mrs. Ketchum's Mr. Mime but they decided it was too ugly and annoying. While they were arguing about whether they would stay in Pallet or head for Viridian City, Meowth spied a female Meowth out of the corner of his eye. It had been a long time since he had seen another Meowth, so Jesse and James told him to go ahead and start a conversation with her while they ate lunch. The humans sat in a corner café spending the last of their money as Meowth stood on the sidewalk and tried his luck with the female. He was speaking to her in human talk and, unlike Meowzy, she actually seemed rather impressed.
For a while they spent their time making vicious fun of Meowth's romantic technique. Then Jesse whispered to James, "Look, that's Professor Oak standing near Meowth..."
James looked. "Yes, that's him, but I hope you're not going to suggest we pull something at his lab. It's not the Celadon Pokemon Center, it's got some real defenses."
Jesse shook her head. "No, it's not that, I'm just wondering why he's staring at Meowth."
James shrugged. "He's going to ruin Meowth's pickup lines if he sneaks up any closer, but I'd rather he didn't notice us."
Jesse and James grew increasingly nervous as they saw Professor Oak speak into a small cellphone. Suddenly they saw a van pull up next to Meowth and his new friend. Before they could react, Professor Oak had grabbed the female Meowth and pulled her into the van. Their own Meowth jumped in after her, screaming at Professor Oak, and the van drove away.
Jesse and James ran out into the street yelling. But the van was gone, and the bystanders didn't seem to understand their concern.
"Professor Oak?" one said. "He wouldn't steal a Pokemon. I'm sure there's some mistake, those Pokemon must belong to him.
"Well, you can report it to Officer Jenny if you want, kids," said another. But of course Jesse and James couldn't even consider that option.
James had never seen Jesse look quite so upset. "I thought you didn't even like Meowth," he said without thinking.
Jesse glared at him. "I don't like you either but if you were kidnapped I might not be too thrilled."
James decided to shut up. He was upset too, and finally he admitted it. "Look, we're going to have to do something. But if we try to break into that lab we're going to end up in jail."
"We need help," admitted Jesse.
They hung around the lab all that day and the next two days, trying to peek into windows and trying to think up a plan. They saw Professor Oak and his assistants enter and leave at all hours. A couple of times they were sure they heard Meowth's voice. But the lab didn't seem to receive any deliveries or strange visitors, which meant that trying to sneak in in disguise would not be a good option. They slept in a clearing and stole food from the supermarket.
On the third day Ash, Misty and Brock showed up in town. When Ash saw James and Jesse hanging around Professor Oak's lab, he was suspicious and decided to confront them.
"What are you doing here?"
James once again spoke without thinking. "The great Professor Oak has got Meowth in here someplace and we want him back."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," replied Ash.
"Yeah," seconded Brock. "Professor Oak wouldn't take someone else's Pokemon."
"Meowth's his own Pokemon," said Jesse, "and Oak has him."
Suddenly Pikachu interrupted. "Pika, Pikachu, Pika," he said to Ash. Pikachu looked upset.
"What are you trying to tell me," asked Ash.
Pikachu turned to Jesse and James and repeated what he had just said.
James crossed his arms and looked angry. "He's obviously trying to tell us something about that lab. That's where he used to live, right? But without Meowth here we can't know for sure."
"You two are crazy," said Brock. Ash nodded in agreement.
Pikachu went up to Misty, pointed to Jesse and James, and made a face like Meowth. "Pika, pika."
"This is weird," said Misty. "Maybe we need to at least ask Professor Oak what's going on." Pikachu shook its head and continued to look upset.
"Look, get out of here," said Ash finally. "You guys are upsetting Pikachu and I am not going to bother Professor Oak over you."
That evening Jesse wrote a note to Misty and paid a neighborhood child to deliver it to Ash's mother's house. She told Misty that they all knew something was wrong, and that if Pikachu would help maybe they would get to the bottom of this. Misty pretended to scoff at the note but she was deeply disturbed by Pikachu's behavior. She had always trusted Professor Oak as much as Ash had, but she didn't anymore. That night, while everyone else was asleep, she took Pikachu outside and asked him what he wanted. It was clear that he wanted to help Jesse and James, so she took him to the clearing.