AN: This chapter was updated/revised on July 14, 2019.
Later that night everyone set up camp in a nearby trainer park. Most of the cabins were now empty since many of the coordinators who had come for the contest decided to leave now that it was over. Nurse Joy had politely asked them to leave the Pokémon Center so that other trainers could have a chance to stay there.
Delia requested to talk with Jessie before she returned to Pallet Town. They walked through the woods until there was no one else around.
"I think it would help if you knew some details about what was going on between Team Rocket and Team Firestar," said Delia.
"You think this because…?" Jessie asked.
"Because at least a hint of closure may be good for you."
"Then fire away."
"You should know that long before Team Firestar was conceived, the Morgan family funded many of Team Rocket's projects."
"James' family supported Team Rocket…I can't be too shocked, but it's highly hypocritical for them to disown James for joining."
"Being a donor is honorable, being a grunt is a disgrace in their eyes."
"Why did they fund TR at all and why did they stop?"
"They used to give Team Rocket money because they hold a tremendous amount of political power."
"They were lobbyists."
"Sort of. Team Rocket would receive large checks from the Morgan family so long as they did what they needed to be done. They stopped once James refused to marry Jessiebelle the second time, the time he was kidnapped. Jessiebelle's family was supporting Team Firestar. A marriage between the two would give her political power over Team Rocket since his family is basically in control of the entire organization. Therefore, the two households would be in control of not only Kanto, Johto, and the Orange Islands, but also Kalos, Sinnoh, Hoenn, Unova, Alola and Toka since Team Firestar has agents in all those places. They needed James to seal the deal, and when he didn't, they decided to defund Team Rocket and to attack it head on."
"How do you know all of this?"
"I talked to Giovanni. Team Rocket may have been funded by the Morgan Family, but the power officially belongs to Giovanni Roquetto and his family. Now the Morgans are supporting Team Firestar or at least they tried to before we stopped them. If we sue the Morgan family, we can shut down their entire organization. We need you to go to court and tell the judges what happened to you. You're the key."
"But I don't have any evidence. Why should they believe me?"
"You do have evidence: your medical documents."
"But…I don't know what or how to do…"
"That's why I will get you a lawyer. They will speak for you."
"Okay…"
"Giovanni's team discovered some security tapes from the mansion. I watched them…they are pretty telling. This tape will give us enough evidence to issue a warrant, and we can test all the people in that video and prove that one of them assaulted you."
"Will that work?"
"It should. Talk to James about it. I have one more thing, then I'm done."
"Alright…"
"How are you feeling?"
"About?"
"You're life."
"Good…I think. Hopeful. I just one two-thousand-dollar prize, I haven't thrown up in three days, and…kinda excited for my princess to be born…weirdly…terrified, but excited."
"I know that feeling well. I know being a single mother is challenging, so if you ever need anything—hand-me-downs, advice, a job…I can provide that."
"I need all that and more. And I'm not 'single'—James is in on this."
"It's good to know you're doing well. I have to go back to Pallet Town, but I can be where you are anytime—just call."
"I seriously never thought I'd say this…but you're a true friend. Really. Thank you."
XO
Later that evening, James entered the cabin with a bouquet of red roses.
"Roses for my rose," he said as he placed the oversized bouquet on the bed.
"Lovely," Jessie responded. "But if you keep buying me all these flowers, we're not going to have enough money for food."
"I picked these myself."
"Oh…you stole them?"
"They're wild."
"I'll accept this."
James jumped onto the bed next to her and urged her into a hug. Jessie told him about her conversation with Delia.
"I should've known! Why else would Giovanni give us all that money to buy equipment? It was never his money to begin with!" James exclaimed. "It was mine!"
"I knew there had to be a reason we didn't fire us sooner for wasting all his money," she added. "Ouch!"
"Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I think the baby just kicked me. It's nothing; I just wasn't expecting it."
Jessie cried out again. She bent over and clutched her side.
"Okay, that time it really hurt," she moaned.
"On a scale of one to ten?" James asked.
"At least an eight."
James searched around for his phone as Meowth and Lucy entered the cabin.
"What 'really hurt'?" asked Meowth.
"Nothing," Jessie snapped, forcing herself to hold back tears.
"It don't sound like nuthin."
James began typing into his phone. Jessie grabbed his arm.
"James, it's fine. We don't need to call her," she asserted.
"Liz said to call if anything felt wrong," he reminded her. "And this feels wrong."
"If it happens again, I'll let you know, and then we'll call."
"If you insist."
"I am insisting."
"When is the baby due?" asked Lucy.
"Due?" Meowth questioned.
"That's when it's coming out."
"Oh…"
"In about five months," Jessie replied.
"Are you sure about that?"
"No so much anymore..."
XO
Later that night, Clemont, Ash, and Max had cooked everyone a huge dinner in celebration of their success at the Oaktree Competition.
"It might not be as good as Brock's, Cilan's, or ex-Team Rocket's, but we did our best," Ash announced as everyone dug into the homemade ramen and sushi that he had helped to prepare.
"This isn't half bad," said Jessie as she helped herself to some ramen. "I expected much worse from Ashley Ketchum."
"Um...thanks?" said Ash.
"Ash has been practicing," said Misty.
"And my big brother has always been good at cooking," said Bonnie.
"I made that one," Max said as he pointed to the avocado roll that Bonnie was eating.
"You should be proud because this is the best avocado roll I ever tasted."
"Ash, did you make these noodles?" Misty asked as she held up her soup bowl.
"Well, Clemont gave me a lot of help, but yeah, sorta," he said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's some of the best ramen I've ever tasted."
"Thanks...that means a lot..."
Jessie, James, and Meowth observed this and found Ash's shyness hilarious.
"Misty, you have to give him more than just that," said James. "He learned to cook just for you. He put his heart into this meal!"
"De poor kid's been fawnin ova yous fer a while," said Meowth. "I'm startin ta feel sorry fer him."
"Misty isn't going to put up with your reluctant behavior much longer and then you'll have no one but Pikachu to hold at night," said Jessie.
"Stoppit," Ash and Misty muttered.
"I'll give yous each tirty bucks if yous kiss," said Meowth.
"No, we need that cash," said Jessie. "Besides, they probably already kissed and we just weren't around to see it."
Her lips curled into a smile. Twerp-teasing and Ash-bashing always helped to relieve her stress.
"If you don't stop, I'll have Pikachu shock you," said Ash.
"As if I'm afraid of a little thunder," she retorted.
"No, Ash, chill," said Misty.
"Whatever you do, don't shock anyone, especially her," said May.
"Pikachuu pi," Pikachu muttered, clearly disappointed in Ash.
"You're taking their side?" said Ash. "But—"
"Let's get dessert," Serena interrupted. "I have macarons!"
XO
Everyone in their traveling group sat around the bonfire, happily chowing down on Serena's macarons. Jessie and James sat in the farthest corner, whispering to one another.
"I think we should tell them tonight," said Jessie. "It's going to be a while until we are all together like this in one spot. I'd rather tell them all at once instead of having to repeat myself…Besides, I'm in a good mood, so I should take advantage."
"If that's what you want…I assumed you wanted to wait a bit longer…"
"Do you?"
"Not really."
"It's been weeks since our first sonogram…I have a feeling some of them already know."
"What makes you think that?"
"The May twerp gave me a bottle of multivitamins and keeps asking me if I'm okay and…sometimes you just feel someone's in on it."
"Hey, you two, come have some dessert!" Serena called over to them. "I made more than enough for everyone to have seconds and thirds!"
"Yeah, yeah, we're coming," Jessie said as she scooched closer to them. "But first…um…James has an announcement."
Jessie jumped behind James and pushed him forward. The group watched them expectantly. Most of the girls knew what was up but the boys were clueless.
"Tell them," Jessie whispered.
"Um...okay…" he mumbled. "So, everyone…I have...a riddle."
"Oh no," Meowth sighed.
"Seriously?" said Lucy.
"Um, yes…" James replied. "What's small, cute, loud, pale, cute, helpless, expensive, adorable, and cute?"
The campsite was quiet except for a few groans of disappointment and 'umms' of wonder.
"Oh! I know!" Ash exclaimed.
"Doubt it," said Dawn.
Ash stuck his tongue out at her and turned to Jessie and James. "You found a rare Pokémon!"
"You're so stupid," Dawn, Iris, and Misty sighed.
"Well, if you're so smart, then what is it?"
"It's a baby," said Lucy. "A human baby. Their human baby."
Ash and Max nearly choked on their third helping of macarons. Then everyone began talking at once:
"I knew it!" said Cilan.
"Yeah, he did…" Iris mumbled. "But I kept it a secret."
"See, I told you some of them knew," Jessie grumbled to James.
"I'm so happy that everyone knows now we can talk about it!" Bonnie squeaked.
"That's...crazy," said Ash.
Misty, Serena, May, Iris, and Dawn pretended to be surprised.
Jessie had no idea how to react to the rounds of 'congratulations' so she just followed James lead and smiled and thanked them. The whole announcement wasn't nearly as awkward as she thought it would be, even though it didn't go as they expected.
XO
After sitting and talking for a while, they decided to make it an early night. James, Jessie, Lucy, and Meowth rejoined in their designated cabin.
"Where are Acorn and Aliyah?" James asked.
Meowth reached into his little backpack and handed them each a Pokeball.
"I had to put dem away 'cuz dey were causin too much trouble," he explained.
"Trouble?" James asked.
"Playin pranks on de twerps usin deir invisibility abilities…dey kept blamin me fer everythin."
"Meowth is also pissed because they ate his stash of macarons," said Lucy.
Jessie and James had gotten into the habit of petting the Eevee twins until they fell asleep, but this time they wouldn't shut their eyes.
"Eeeeeve eee vee," said Acorn.
"Veeee," said Aliyah.
"Dere sayin dat dey wants to sleep with yous," Meowth explained.
"Look, we're in a cozy cabin with two twin beds," said Jessie. "I love you, but tonight is one of those nights that I would rather not share the bed with a bunch of Pokémon. If we had a full bed, or even an extra-large twin, then yes…but this mattress is barely bigger than a cot."
"Veeee! Eevee!" Acorn asserted as she pointed to Lucy.
"She don't want ta share yous and James with me and Lucy," said Meowth.
"Eevee eve veee Eevee."
"And dat when yous have de baby yer gonna be even more distant."
Those remarks crushed Jessie; she and James had to cave.
So, despite there being two beds, James, Jessie, Acorn, and Aliyah—and for personal reasons, Lucy—were all shoved into one.
Jessie groaned when she went to put her arm around James to find that the Purrloin was already there, fast asleep. James mouthed the words 'help me' to Jessie in the semi-darkness.
"Sleep over there!" Jessie demanded as she lifted the Purrloin.
Jessie threw Lucy across the room. Her body landed on the other bed, hitting Meowth in the face.
"Hey!" Meowth and Lucy exclaimed.
"I need breathing space!" Jessie hissed. "No more cats!"
Acorn and Aliyah looked at her with their large brown eyes.
"You two can stay here," she said, melting at the sight of their faces.
"If dose twos were disguised as Beedril insteada Eevee, Jessie wouldn't like dem half as much," Meowth complained.
"Just shut up and go to sleep," said Lucy. "Try not to kick me again, unless you want another Fury Swipe to the face."
"Stop talking!" Jessie called from across the room.
"Veeee!" the Eevee added before cuddling even closer to her.
'I feel like a mom already,' she thought before drifting off to sleep.