Originally posted by Entropy
How did he lose Weezing anyway?
It was a very emotional episode near the beginning of AG. I may be off a bit on some details as I'm saying all this from memory of an episode guide. Jessie and James find a bunch of Ekans and Koffing in a trap in the forest. The Poison types are very sad and Arbok and Weezing get sad so Jessie and James and Meowth decide to free them. Meowth has no trouble with the electrified trap because his many shocks by Pikachu have given him a resistance to electricity.

However, the man who set the traps returns. He is a poacher who specializes in catching Poison types. Jessie and James battle him (he has a Fearow and Pupitar) and get blasted away. They decide to go back and try again, along the way James meets Cacnea (it helps them somehow) and gives it a bag of cookies to say thank you.

The rockets head into battle again and it looks like they may have a chance to win when suddenly Pupitar EVOLVES. The resulting Tyranitar is far too powerful for them to fight and Jessie and James know it. As it lets loose a barrage of Hyper Beams the two order Weezing and Arbok to take the Ekans and Koffing and escape into the forest, assuring them they'll be okay. Then in a surge of bravery Jessie, James and Meowth all attack Tyranitar with Fury Swipes. Arbok and Weezing are crying and don't want to leave their masters to possible death, but in the end they obey Jessie and Jame's orders and escape into the forest.

Tyranitar strikes the Rockets down hard, but its too late for the hunter to get his prize. He recalls his Pokemon then leaves the battered rockets lying on the ground. Later on Ash and the group along with Officer Jenny intercept the poacher. Pikachu defeats Fearow and Tyranitar is somehow not released, and the poacher is arrested. When asked about where the Pokemon he captured are Ash is surprised to hear that Team Rocket fought to free them.

Jessie and James are sad but know that Arbok and Weezing will be okay. James meets up with Cacnea again and finds it has become very fond of him so he catches it. It hugs him for the first time and thus begins a new running gag for the Rockets in Hoenn.