Ash vs Team Rocket fan comic page 20.

Ash realizes that Infernape can no longer win and rushes in to intercept Cofagrigus' attack, not wanting his friend to suffer any more. As a reasonable man, James doesn't mind accepting this, after all they are going to want to use Infernape for their own needs after defeating Ash so they might as well get it in as good of a condition as they can.