Pleasant Surprises
Spoiler Warning: Takes after the last 'real' chapter of Stand by You, before the epilogue. Makes references to the episode "Crossing Paths", in the DP anime. One shot.
Characters: Jessie, James, Annastasia, Rumika, Meowth and Lucy.
Everyone in the small house on the edge of Pallet town was gathered in the living room. Jessie was lying on the couch eating popcorn and flipping through the channels on their new TV while the two Eevee lay next to her. Wobbufet and Lucy were playing chess in the middle of the room, Meowth was shining his egg, and Rumika was painting her nails while James was changing Annastasia.
"All clean!" James announced, placing Annastasia on the ground.
The baby girl crawled over to her mother and tugged on her magenta hair. Acorn and Aliyah mewed in Jessie's ear.
"Ok, I got you", said Jessie as she put the popcorn bowl down on the ground and lifted Annastasia onto her lap.
"It is such a nice June day outside", said James. "Let's go camping".
"Urrrrgh", everyone in the living room groaned.
"Not dis again", Meowth complained.
"Come on! Please? After a rainy April and May, I would think some outdoor time is just what we need", James tried to convince his family to listen to him.
"We spent the last ten years of our lives sleeping outside", said Jessie. "Why on Earth would we want to go back out now that we have an actual house to live in?"
"Wobba?" Wobbufet asked James.
"Then can we at least have a picnic?" he pleaded. "I'm not going to leave you alone until we do".
James shut off the T.V.
"Hey!" everyone replied in unison.
"Eevee eve!" said the Eevee.
"Wobba!" said Wobbufet.
James continued to pout. Meowth and Jessie couldn't stand it when he got like this.
"If we go will you stop moping?" asked Lucy.
James nodded. Everyone sighed and stood up, except Rumika.
"Just let me finish this last coat", she said. "Ten minutes".
"You all are the best", James said, squeezing them in a group hug.
"Watch the egg!" Meowth grumbled as he clasped the egg protectively.
"Come on everyone!" James called out into the back yard. "We are going on a picnic!"
Amoongus, Carnivine, Cacturne, Raichu, Yamask, Growly, Inkay, Chimecho, and Mime Jr. came running in. He went upstairs and called to Jessie's Pokémon, who were sleeping on his and Jessie's bed. They all followed him to the kitchen.
"Help me pack us up some food", he told them all.
"Mime mime!" said Mime Jr. happily.
"Gourgeist, giest", said Gourgeist.
All the Pokémon helped James make sandwiches and riceballs. Wobbufet and Inkay even made some lemonade for them to bring. Ten minutes later everyone else had gathered in the kitchen. Jessie and Annastasia were wearing matching sundresses, sunhats, and sunglasses. Jessie handed a pair of sunglasses to each of the Pokémon and Rumika.
"Did you put sunblock on her?" James asked Jessie as he nodded toward the baby.
"All done", she said, handing him the bottle.
"Then let's go", he said excitedly.
The large group headed towards the car.
"Remy!" James exclaimed. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes sir, I got your message, but are you sure you want me to come? Don't you just want your family there?" the young butler replied.
"You are our family", said Rumika as she playfully elbowed him in the side. "Come on!"
"If you insist….." he responded.
The group left the neighborhood and headed to a nearby park. Meowth lay the egg down on the grass.
"I know yous can't really see anythin' yet, but dis here is a park", Meowth explained.
Lucy playfully wacked him on the head.
"Don't be a dummy", she told him.
The two cat-type Pokémon sat down and dug into their lunch. Jessie placed Annastasia in her little booster seat and put it on the ground. Then she lay out a blanket so that she could tan in her swimsuit. James, Rumika, and Remy did the same.
"Isn't this nicer than television?" James asked them.
"Yes", Jessie said as a smile came across her face.
"Uh, maybe", said Rumika.
"Jessie, Jessie is that you?!" they heard a voice call from a few yards away.
Everyone looked over to see a young man with brown hair and glasses standing alone with three Dustox. But two of those Dustox were awfully familiar.
"Austin!" Jessie called excitedly as she put on her cover-up. "Dustox, is that you?"
"Dustox dust", the Pokémon replied happily, flying up to her and then rubbing against her. She still had the yellow ribbons in her antennae.
"Austin?" Lucy, Rumika, and Remy repeated in unison. "Dustox?"
"Who are they?" asked Lucy.
James briefly explained how Jessie and Austin's Dustox fell in love and left them to start a family back when they were traveling through Sinnoh.
"How did you, is this, how?" Jessie stuttered.
"My Dustox found me on the road. I asked him if he and his family wanted to join my team. They agreed", he explained. "We were just coming to the park for some exercise when I saw you and your friends arrive. I thought you'd might want to see her again".
"I am so glad", said Jessie, hugging Dustox.
"This is their baby", said Austin, pointing the smallest Dustox.
"Hi there", Jessie said to the Dustox, petting it on the head. She turned back to her old Dustox. "A lot has changed since I last saw you. I have a baby now too".
"Dustox Dustox?" asked Dustox.
Meowth came up next to them.
"Dustox says dat she don't believe you", he translated.
"She's right there", said Jessie, pointing to Annastasia, who was being held by James. Jessie motioned for him to come over.
"Hi", James said shyly.
"Congratulations", said Austin, looking down at the infant. "What's her name?"
"Annastasia", Jessie said proudly.
"She's really adorable", he replied.
"Dust dust tox", said Dustox.
"Thank you", said Jessie. "How long have you been traveling with these three?"
"Not long", Austin responded. "I met up with them about two weeks ago".
"Would you like to stay for lunch?" asked Jessie. "We made extra lemonade, sandwiches and riceballs".
"I'd love to. I have some Pokepuffs that I can share with your Pokémon", he responded.
"Wobbbbbbaaa!" said Wobbufet happily.
"Nice", said Lucy and Meowth in unison.
Austin joined them as they sat and ate their lunch. Jessie told stories about all the contests that she and Dustox had won together and about how strong their bond was.
"It really broke my heart, letting her go", Jessie confessed. "But by letting her go with her soul mate, she gave me hope that someday I would find my own. So in the end, I didn't regret it".
Jessie smiled at James, who was still holding the little girl in his arms.
"I am glad for you", said Austin. "Really, I am".
"Thank you", Jessie replied.
"Dustox, if you want to stay with Austin, that is okay with me", Jessie told her Pokémon.
"Dustox?" asked Dustox.
"She wanna knows if yer sure", Meowth translated.
"I am. Just promise to visit me. You know where to find me", she replied.
"I swear to take good care of them", Austin promised.
"I know you will", Jessie responded.
After lunch they all said goodbye to Austin.
"Good luck finding your soul mate, Austin", Jessie said as she waved goodbye. "And take good care of my princess!"
"Thank you Jessie. I will, don't worry. You can count on me!" he called back.
The seven of them and their Pokémon piled back into the car and headed back to the house.
"Aren't you glad I made you get up off the couch?" James asked Jessie.
"I always am", she replied.
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