Professor Juniper's Pokemon Pregnancy

Chapter 14 – Labor Part 2

James stood outside of Juniper's home. He had spent the evening thinking about the events of the day, and he had gathered his courage and made a decision. He was going to meet up with Juniper again. He thought about calling her, but he had instead decided on meeting her in person. It felt like it was the right thing to do, considering his intentions.

He had looked up Juniper's address through a phone book, using her name and number to help track it down. And then, after a short drive over from the hotel he had been staying in, he had arrived. And he now stood at her front door.

Gathering his resolve once more, he knocked on the front door. He then waited patiently for someone to answer it.

A minute passed. No one arrived. He knocked again.

"Professor Juniper?" he called. "It's James, from earlier. I was hoping I could talk to you."

For a second, he wondered if maybe she wasn't home, but he soon paused. Through the door, he thought he heard a woman scream. He almost wondered if he had imagined it before he heard it again.

"Professor Juniper?" he called out. "Is that you?"

No one answered. There were just more screams. Now James was starting to get a little concerned. Unwilling to wait any longer, James went to open the door. To his surprise, it was unlocked and opened without trouble. He quickly looked into the home. The lights were on, but no one was around. "Er, I'm coming in," he said, closing the door behind him.

Another scream was his only response. He could hear it quite clearly now. It was coming from upstairs, and it was definitely the voice of Juniper.

A bad feeling started welling up inside of James. "Professor? Are you okay?" he tried calling out. It was to no avail. The constant screaming drowned him out. Starting to wonder if something was seriously wrong, James decided to follow the sound of the noise. He walked up the stairs, and soon started down a hallway. It wasn't long before he arrived at a door that was slightly ajar.

Feeling both brave and worried, he opened the door. "Professor Juniper?"

Juniper was in the middle of yet another contraction. The folds of her womanhood felt like they were on fire as they continued to stretch open little by little. In order to compensate, she had been screaming her lungs out for the last few minutes.

Which is why it wasn't until the last second that she realized that someone was opening her bedroom door.

"Professor Juniper?" an unexpected voice called out.

Juniper froze, and ceased her yelling. With wide eyes, she looked up, past her rounded stomach, past her green skirt, and past her spread open legs to see James standing in the doorway. He looked just as surprised as she did.

"James!?" Juniper yelled. She didn't mean to sound so loud, but she was still working through a tough contraction.

He looked completely stunned. "Professor Juniper? What is going on…" He looked directly at her, and then, by mere proximity, ended up looking right between her legs and down her skirt.

Both his face and Juniper's immediately turned red.

"Oh my gosh!" Juniper screamed in absolute embarrassment. In that moment, she desperately wished to cross her legs, but her contraction wouldn't let her. It was forcing her to keep an open stance. Nevertheless, Juniper quickly reacted by grabbing one of her nearby pillows and forcing it in between her legs in order to block his view.

James was quick to look away, and to apologize. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, uh…"

Juniper could barely understand what was happening. It was all so sudden. "James, what are you doing h-AHHH!" She couldn't even finish her question as the intensity of the contraction overtook her. She squirmed around a bit in discomfort.

James seemed incredibly unsettled by her screams. "Professor Juniper?" he said, taking a step forward.

It was then that Nurse Joy cut him off by stepping in front of him. She had been watching the whole thing from off to the side. She frowned before pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Stop. Who are you? And what are you doing in this house?"

James seemed startled by her appearance. "Nurse Joy?" he asked, confused. He soon looked past her and back at the screaming professor. "Wh-What's going on? Is she okay?"

Joy seemed taken aback by that. "Is she okay?" Joy repeated. "Of course not, look at her." She then gestured to Juniper. "She's in labor."

"Labor?" James repeated.

"Ohhh," Juniper moaned loudly, her contraction unwilling to relent. She had forced her eyes shut, and her breathing had become more like quick gasps. Nevertheless, she was trying to listen to James' and Joy's conversation.

"Her baby is coming," said Joy flatly.

"Oh," said James, not sure quite sure what to say. "Well that's, um, great…I think…"

"You didn't answer my question," said Joy, still frowning at him. "Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry," said James, holding his hands up in defense. "My name is James. I know Professor Juniper."

Joy seemed a bit skeptical. She definitely didn't seem to trust him very much. "Juniper, is this true?" she eventually asked.

Juniper was breathing heavily. Her last contraction had taken a huge toll on her, and she was still recovering. "Yes…I know him…He came…to my lab…earlier today."

"Hmm…" Joy put her hands on her hips before turning back to James. "So what brings you here?"

James kept his hands up in a defensive fashion while he explained. "I was kind of hoping I could talk to Juniper about something. Something that we didn't cover when we met earlier."

Joy was silent for a moment, only raising an eyebrow at him. Eventually, she gave a sigh. "Well, look James, I'm sorry to tell you this but this really isn't a good time. As you can see, Juniper is quite busy."

"Oh, of course," said James. He wasn't trying to argue against that. "Clearly whatever I need can wait until later."

"Good," said Joy, nodding. "Then I suppose you should be on your way."

"Wait, hold on," said James, a little slowly. "Is…there anything I can do to help?"

Joy looked completely surprised to hear him say that. It was so unexpected. "You want to help?" Juniper was listening intently from the bed, and she too blinked in surprise.

James nodded, a little awkwardly. "Y-Yes. If there's anything I can do to help, I'd be glad to do so. Just say the word."

Joy frowned at him, but soon sighed again. "Look, I don't think that's a good idea. Juniper is going through a really difficult process, so I don't think she wants you invading her privacy and distracting her during this crucial time."

James's eyes widened. "Oh no, that wasn't my intention at all!"

"Intention or not, it's still for the best if you just leave."

"Wait," Juniper suddenly called from the bed. The both of them turned to her, a little surprised. Juniper then let out a deep breath as she brushed some of her hair out of her face. "Joy, you can let him stay…It's okay."

Both of them seemed incredibly surprised to hear this. Joy in particular was quick to argue. "Juniper, what are you saying? You really want him to stay here and assist with the birth?"

Juniper simply nodded. "I am."

"Why?" asked Joy. "Won't it just cause you unnecessary distraction and stress?"

"I don't think it will hurt to have him here," said Juniper softly. "In fact, I think it might be reassuring, to have someone stay by my side."

Joy stared her right in the eye. "You're serious?"

Juniper nodded. "Yes. Let him stay."

Joy soon walked over, and leaned in close to whisper to Juniper. "You do realize that if he is here for the birth, he's going to see a Pokemon egg come out of you."

Juniper frowned, but didn't lose her confidence. "I'll explain it to him beforehand."

"You'll be revealing your big secret," said Joy, still uneasy. "I hope you can trust him."

"It's my secret to reveal," Juniper said firmly. "It will be fine."

Joy continued to stare at her for a while, but soon relented. "Very well. James, you are free to stay and help out if you wish."

"I-I'd be happy to!" James stuttered. "What can I do?"

Juniper gave him a warm smile. "Would you be kind enough to stay by my side, and keep me company while I go through this difficult process?"

"Yes, of course," said James, returning her smile.

Joy crossed her arms, but soon started giving instructions. "James, go ahead and stand by Juniper's side. And here, take this watch." She tossed it to him. "You'll be timing her contractions from now on." Joy then proceeded to give him strict instructions on what to look out for and what to time. He listened diligently and nodded before eventually moving to the side of the bed.

"Oh, and James," said Juniper quietly. "There's one condition I have, if you're going to stay."

He looked at her. "Yes, what is it?"

Juniper awkwardly smiled with embarrassment. "Please, please, please, do not look in between my legs again. I really don't want you seeing what's going on down there."

James's face quickly turned red. "Right, of course! Th-That was merely an accident earlier. I didn't mean to see a-anything…"

"I know," said Juniper. "Just…accident or not, please don't do it again."

"You heard her," said Joy, almost in a warning tone. The nurse then proceeded to remove the pillow from between Juniper's legs, and returned it to her side. "Stay on the side where you won't see anything you're not supposed to."

"Understood," said James, gulping a little.

Juniper pointed to the door. "There's a chair you can use in the room down the hall. You can go ahead and bring it in here."

"Got it," said James. He soon left the room, being careful to look away from Juniper as he passed.

Joy turned to Juniper once he was gone. "You're absolutely sure you want him here?"

Juniper smiled a bit. "Yeah. I'm not sure why, but I…I just have a good feeling about this."

Joy was quiet for a few seconds before shrugging and walking off. "I'm going to get back to work." She soon grabbed a clipboard and began writing something down. Juniper just let her be.

It wasn't long before James returned, holding a simple wooden chair. "I've got it," he announced.

Juniper patted the right side of her bed. "Go ahead and set it down here, and then take a seat."

"Yes mam," he said. He proceeded to do as he was told, now sitting by her side with his watch in hand.

The two of them were incredibly silent for a time. Neither one quite knew what to say.

Eventually, Juniper spoke up. "Um…Thanks for being willing to do this. I'll admit I was having a hard time alone."

"Of course!" said James. "I'm happy to help. I didn't want to leave once I knew the situation. Not if there was anything I could do to help."

Juniper smiled. "That's very sweet of you."

James returned her smile. His eyes then wandered to her pregnant stomach. "So, um…is it painful?"

Juniper just gave him a blank stare. She then took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as another contraction threatened to overtake her, but soon faded away. "Yes…It's painful."

James immediately looked apologetic. "Right, of course it's painful. I knew that. I didn't mean to make it sound like it wasn't. I was just trying to, um, make some…conversation…" His words trailed off awkwardly. He didn't know what to say in this moment.

"James," said Juniper, a bit stern in her tone. "Can I ask you something?"

He looked at her. "Yes, of course."

"Why did you come here tonight?"

James immediately looked away.

"You said you wanted to see me, right?" Juniper pressed him. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

James slowly nodded. "Yes." He went silent after that, refusing to elaborate.

Juniper slowly rubbed her stomach with both hands. "Did you have more questions about the inspection earlier?" she asked. "You mentioned you might have further questions…Well, I'm in the middle of something right now, but I suppose I can still answer your questions to the best of my ability." She gave a small laugh.

James kept looking away. It was like he didn't want to look at her. "No."

Juniper frowned a bit. "No?"

"No, that's not it," said James, his voice wavering a bit. "To be honest, Juniper, I…don't have any further questions about the inspection. I was just hoping…that I could stay in contact with you."

Juniper couldn't help but smirk. We're finally getting somewhere… "And why is that?"

James was slow to get the words out. Juniper could tell he was embarrassed. "When we were spending time together today, I couldn't help but…sort of…find you attractive."

Halfway through his words, Juniper's smirk faded. She looked away, down to her stomach. Her hands grasped her round belly tightly. Oh no she thought. Not now…

"I wanted to see you again," James continued, "so I could ask you a question in person."

Juniper tried to listen. Tried to focus. But it was to no avail. She could feel a new wave of pain crashing over her. She closed her eyes.

"Juniper…would you like to go out with me?"

"AHHHH!" Juniper gasped. It was the worst possible timing. A contraction was working its way through her.

James quickly went from embarrassed to alarmed. "Juniper? What is-"

"It's a contraction," Joy announced from across the room. "Make sure to time them."

"Oh right," said James, clicking the stopwatch.

Juniper just tuned them out. She was too busy trying to endure her contraction, while also juggling James's words inside of her head. She wanted to give him an answer. She wanted to desperately. But it was impossible. The pain wracking her from the torso down was just too intense. She grunted, moaned, and breathed her way through it. James just watched with wide eyes, not sure what he could do to help.

Eventually, the contraction began to subside, and Juniper's breathing became quick, short gasps for air.

James noticed the change. "Is it over?" he asked.

Juniper was silent, save for her breathing, but she soon looked at him. "Yes."

"Got it," he said, clicking the stopwatch again.

Juniper reached out a hand and grabbed his arm. "No, not that," she said. "My answer…to your question…is yes. I…would be…happy to…go out with you."

James just stared at her in disbelief. "S-Seriously?"

Juniper nodded. "Yes, it sounds…lovely." She then looked to her pregnant stomach. "The only thing is…I don't know when I'm going to be available. I may need some time…to recover."

James continued to stare, before nodding. "Right, of course! Take all the time you need, there's no rush! I'm just happy to hear your answer!"

Juniper rubbed his arm a bit and smiled. "And I'm happy you asked. Thank you."

"You're welcome." James paused and began rubbing the back of his neck. "Although, I suppose I could have chosen a better time and place." He gave a nervous laugh.

Juniper smiled warmly. "Nonsense. For a woman, being asked out in a situation like this can actually be considered quite the compliment."

James laughed a bit. "You're too optimistic."

"At times like this, I have to be," said Juniper, rubbing her stomach. Juniper then stared at her rounded figure for a moment before taking a deep breath. "James, if you're going to stick around, then there's something I need to tell you."

He looked at her. "Yes? What is it?"

Juniper paused, wanting to choose her words carefully. "This may sound unbelievable, but I swear this is all true. My pregnancy…is not a normal pregnancy. I am not carrying a human baby within me. I am actually carrying…a Pokemon egg."

James stared at her, partially in disbelief, partially dumbstruck. "Excuse me?" he said. "A…A Pokemon egg? Is this…some kind of joke?" he asked awkwardly, unsure if he was supposed to laugh.

Juniper shook her head and looked him in the eye. "No, I'm being completely serious. I'm pregnant with a Pokemon egg."

His dumbstruck expression faded into a frown. "You're serious?" he asked, still in disbelief. Juniper nodded. "But how…You didn't…experiment in your lab, did you…?"

"Oh no!" said Juniper, quickly trying to clarify. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea. This isn't something that I caused. It's not something that was brought about through my research. Definitely no."

James just stared at her. "Then…how…?"

Juniper smiled. "Here, let me explain…" She then proceeded to give a brief summary of her encounter with Arceus, the task he had asked of her, and Juniper's decision. She also detailed a bit of her nine month journey leading up to this moment, including her meeting with Joy and explaining why she had been chosen as her midwife. She even showed him a photo of her ultrasound, revealing the image of the egg within her womb.

When she finished, James was in awe. "So it's all true?"

"It's all true," she replied.

His eyes fell on her stomach. "So you're really carrying a Pokemon egg. That's amazing…" He paused. "Could I…um, feel it?"

"Of course," said Juniper. She soon lifted her shirt up so her rounded stomach was exposed. "If you feel closely, you can actually feel the rounded form of the egg."

James stood up and tenderly reached a hand forward. Like Juniper, he was also very interested in Pokemon research. This was an unbelievable opportunity for him. He placed a hand on her stomach, barely feeling it.

Juniper could see his hesitation and smiled. "Here," she said, taking both of his hands with her own. She guided them to both sides of where she felt the egg resting inside of her, and had him push down, and slowly rub her sides. She watched as the realization hit his face.

"I…I can feel it! There's really an egg in there!"

"Told you," said Juniper, letting go of his hands, and letting him continue to explore on his own.

"This is amazing…An egg born of a woman. You're like a mother for nature, in a way."

Juniper soon closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could feel another contraction coming.

James simply continued to express his awe and wonder. "It's something I never even thought was possible. It's honestly incredible!"

Juniper frowned as she slowly exhaled. "I'm glad it's so interesting for you."

James quickly noticed her expression and tone. He quickly retreated back to his chair. "Oh, no, I'm sorry, Juniper. I don't mean to be rude."

"You're fine," Juniper told him. "It's just, ooooooohhhh…"

James watched her closely. "Is this a contraction?"

"Yeah," Juniper slowly gasped. "It…really hurts."

James clicked his stopwatch before turning his attention back to her. "Is there anything I can do?"

Juniper stared at him as she felt her body start to tighten up once more. "Can I…hold your hand?" she asked quietly.

James soon smiled and nodded. He extended his free hand to her, which she grasped in her own. "Squeeze as hard as you like. I'll be here for you."

"Thank you," said Juniper, shutting her eyes and focusing on holding his hand in her grip. It was nice and warm. And above all else, it was comforting. It let Juniper know that she wasn't alone. There was someone by her side who cared for her, and wouldn't let her deal with the pain by herself. Juniper softly moaned through the contraction, and before she knew it, it was over. It felt like it had come and gone in no time at all.

"How long was that?" she asked once it had passed. She then realized that her bare belly was still exposed, so she pulled her shirt back down.

James looked at the watch. "It lasted 45 seconds. They're four minutes apart."

Juniper softly sighed. Still have a long way to go… She took a moment to brush her hair out of her eyes before looking at James. "Listen James, the truth of this pregnancy is something that you can't tell anyone. The egg must be kept secret. If people knew that I gave birth to a Pokemon egg, they'd probably jump to some bad conclusions, and I'd be in danger of losing my job, along with many other things."

He stared at her with a serious look. "Of course. I understand, Juniper. I promise I won't tell a soul."

Juniper stared back at him before resting a hand on her stomach. "I'm glad I can trust you."

"I'm glad too," he replied.

The next half hour passed by uneventfully. Well, uneventfully for everyone except for Juniper. Every few minutes, she had to endure another contraction tearing through her body, and they didn't seem to be getting any easier to deal with. Thankfully, whenever one struck, she was able to clamp down on James's hand as much as she liked, using his hand as a crutch to support her through the pain. She felt like she was crushing his hand very hard, but he never complained, or tried to let go. He held her hand steady, being there for her when she needed someone.

Eventually, Joy came over to check on Juniper's progress. She once again asked the professor to spread her legs so she could look up her skirt. Juniper complied, feeling herself open wider than normal as she did. It served as proof that she was making progress.

Joy stuck her hands inside, and did some poking around. Juniper could feel the nurse prodding and stroking her womanhood, checking its progress. Before long, she withdrew her hands, and looked up at Juniper. "Good news, you've dilated six centimeters."

Only six? Juniper thought, letting her head fall back on the pillows in exhaustion. She let out a long puff of air as the news sunk in.

Joy soon stood up straight. "Don't be discouraged. You're making good progress. At this rate, I can definitely see the baby being born in the next few hours."

"That's good at least," Juniper mumbled, not sounding optimistic at all.

James reached over and lightly rubbed her arm. "Hang in there, Juniper. I know you can do this."

Juniper sighed, but nodded. She appreciated his confidence in her.

"I think it would be a good idea to switch things up for a while," Joy said suddenly. "Juniper, it will help if you get on your feet and walk around a bit. You should also do some stretching and light exercise. It will help you progress faster."

Juniper frowned. The last thing she felt like doing right now was getting up from her bed and exercising, but if it would help move things along… "Fine," she agreed.

"And James," said Joy, turning to the man. "This is something you can help with."

"I can?" asked James.

"Yes, you can help her move around as she needs, and support her too. I'll give you instructions as we go along."

"Okay, sounds good," said James, nodding in agreement.

Joy turned to Juniper again. "Go ahead and start moving around. I'll be right back." Joy then turned and left the room, likely going off to fetch something.

Juniper took a deep breath and slowly attempted to lift herself up into a sitting position. Never had her belly felt so heavy before, it felt like it was almost pushing against her, forcing her back onto the bed. After a bit of squirming, she managed to sit up, and then she started to inch her way to the edge of the bed. She was barely making any progress at all. She eventually turned to James, a little embarrassed. "Er, can I get some help, please?"

James softly smiled. "Happy to." He soon walked over and grabbed both of her arms, and slowly lifted her up. Juniper's feet reached the floor, and she then aided in the slow process of rising from the bed.

After what felt like an eternity, Juniper was on her feet. But she wasn't standing up straight at all. Instead, she was kind of hunched over, grabbing her stomach uncomfortably with one hand and using her other to support her back. And her womanhood just felt tired and sore.

Heaving a sigh, Juniper started to move. "Time to go," she said quietly, slowly waddling off. Juniper did some walking around the room, at a slow but steady pace. She stopped whenever she had a contraction, waiting for the pain to ebb before she continued. She also did some light stretches, trying to get her body to limber up a bit more. James stayed by her side, offering his hand to her when she needed it, and timing her contractions diligently.

To her surprise, Juniper actually felt like the exercises were helping. She wasn't sure, but she felt like she was opening up wider, and she definitely knew that her contractions were becoming more frequent.

Joy kept an eye on the professor, and offered suggestions when necessary. "Let's try this," the nurse said at one point. "James, you get behind Juniper."

"Sure," he said, standing behind the professor.

"Good, now hold out your arms in front of you, and allow Juniper to lean back into you. Juniper, you're going to squat like you're sitting in a chair."

Juniper slowly nodded. "Got it." She turned to James, who also nodded and extended his arms. Taking a deep breath, Juniper leaned back into him, and then lowered herself down into his embrace. He firmly grabbed her arms, and held her steady.

"A bit lower, Juniper," Joy instructed.

Juniper did as she was told and sunk lower. James lowered his arms down with her in order to support her. Juniper eventually settled in a position in which her thighs were parallel to the ground. She was in a full-on squat.

"Good," said Joy. "Now, hold that position until the next contraction finishes."

Juniper blew some of the hair out of her face. "Okay…"

Juniper and James waited patiently, but it didn't take long. Her contractions were getting closer and closer together. And one inevitably descended upon her, squeezing her body tight. As the contraction wracked her body, Juniper started to moan.

"Ohhhh, wow, mmmm…" She started to squirm a bit in James's embrace. This feeling of this contraction was different. She soon spread her legs open some more, and swayed her hips a bit. She could physically feel her opening getting wider. A lot wider. And strangely enough, it wasn't too painful either. If anything, it almost felt good to open up some more. It felt like a sign that her body was satisfied with its progress. That it was able to breathe a bit easier.

"Oh yes," Juniper breathed, feeling a bit satisfied herself.

"Doing okay?" Joy asked.

Juniper nodded. "I felt like I just made a lot of progress all at once."

"That's good, it means the exercises did their job," said Joy. "I think that's good enough for now. Let's get you back to the bed and check your progress."

Juniper nodded. "James, could you help…?"

"Of course," said James, quickly lifting her back up to her feet, and steadying her.

"Thank you," she told him. She then started waddling back towards the bed. On the way, Juniper was surprised at how much breezier it had become between her legs. Apparently, her wider opening had managed to increase the airflow. It felt good.

Juniper soon made it back to the bed, where she slowly laid back down. She then had to spend a minute squirming around in order to get back to her old position near her pillows. Once she was finally settled in, Joy was back at the end of her bed.

"Let's check your progress," the nurse said. "Open your legs."

Juniper did as she was told, and propped her legs up so they were spread open wide enough for her to see. Joy reached into her skirt and started poking around a bit. It wasn't long before she smiled.

"Congrats, Juniper. You're made it to 10 centimeters."

Juniper released a deep breath that ended with a smile. "We're close."

Meanwhile, James stared at the two women, a bit confused. "10 centimeters?" he repeated. "Um, isn't that when the mother starts pushing? The baby should be coming out any minute now…"

"Not quite," Juniper told him. "Remember, this isn't a human baby. It's a Pokemon egg, so things are going to-Ahhhhhh!" Juniper's words were cut off as another contraction hit her. The professor shifted her legs around a bit as the pressure in her crotch intensified.

James clicked his stopwatch. "Your contractions are really close now, Juniper. Just over a minute apart."

"We are close," Joy agreed. "But we're not quite there yet. As Juniper was just saying, she's delivering a Pokemon egg, which tends to run a bit larger than a human child. So even though she's reached the 10 centimeter mark, it's not yet time to deliver."

James still looked a bit lost. "So…what needs to happen, then?"

Joy crossed her arms. "It's simple. Juniper will need to keep dilating until her opening is big enough to deliver the egg. We did some research, and our estimates say that she might have to dilate up to 12 centimeters, maybe even 13."

James just looked dumbfounded. And his cheeks were a bit red. "Is that even possible?"

"It's possible," said Juniper, catching her breath as her contraction ended. She thought back to what Arceus had told her so long ago. "I can do this. I know I can."

"It shouldn't be too much of an issue," said Joy. "As long as her contractions keep coming, she'll keep dilating. And of course it will be painful, but it won't be much worse than delivering a human baby."

"That's crazy," said James, still in disbelief. "But…" he turned towards Juniper, "it's very brave too."

"Brave and stupid," said Juniper with a small laugh. She soon turned her gaze to her stomach, and thought of the egg inside. With her contractions coming as quick as they were, it really wouldn't be long now.

We'll finally be able to meet she thought. Just wait. I promise I'll bring you safely into the world…

She took a moment to take a deep breath, and steel herself a bit. Indeed, she was feeling quite brave. She soon turned to the man at her side. "James?"

"Yes, Juniper?"

"If you don't mind, I think I'd like for you to leave now," she said as politely as she could. "It…won't be long before the baby is here, and I think I'd like to be on my own when I meet them for the first time."

He looked a bit surprised, but soon smiled and nodded. "Of course, I understand."

Juniper reached out and grabbed his hand once more. "Thank you for everything. I truly am grateful you were willing to stay by my side and help out. You helped me feel like I wasn't alone, and you helped me feel brave. And now, I think I feel brave enough to finish this thing on my own."

James smiled some more. "It was my pleasure. Just knowing that I could be of use makes me feel happy."

"You really are so kind," said Juniper. She then paused as another powerful contraction hit her. She clenched his hand one last time as she winced in pain. "Ugh, they really are coming fast now."

"I guess I should be going then," said James. "Before it's too late and the baby is here before you know it."

"No, wait," Juniper gasped, not letting go. "At least…keep holding my hand…until this contraction ends…"

James nodded slowly. "I will."

Juniper stared at him, trying to take her mind off of the pain, even if only for a moment. "You still have my number, right?"

"I do."

"Be sure to call me…so we can schedule that date."

"I would be happy to."

Juniper felt herself stretching some more. "Grah!" she suddenly gasped. She soon tried to compose herself once more. "Let's keep in touch…okay?"

James smiled. "I will. And Juniper?"

"Phew…Yes?"

"Would it be all right if I saw your Pokemon egg sometime after you deliver?" he asked tentatively. "An egg born of a woman is certainly a rare phenomenon, and I'd love to observe it if possible…"

"You're welcome to come any time," said Juniper, smiling herself. "It really is nice to find someone who shares my interest in Pokemon."

James nodded. "Agreed."

And with that, Juniper's contraction ended, and James clicked the stopwatch. "Your contractions are lasting for about a minute now too. Which is another sign that it's time for me to go."

Juniper nodded as she released his hand. "Thank you, James. For all your help."

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity." He soon turned to Nurse Joy, and handed her the watch. "Please make sure that she stays safe and healthy. And the baby too of course."

"You don't have to tell me that," said Joy with a smile. "But I'll keep it in mind."

James gave a thankful nod before walking to the door. He gave one last wave goodbye. "Best of luck, Juniper!"

She waved back. "See you later."

And with that, he was gone. Juniper heard him descend the stairs before exiting the front door of her home. Now it was just her and Joy, and the egg waiting to enter the world.

A longer chapter this time. I thought about cutting it shorter but decided it was better to keep it as is. Hope you enjoyed it.

I brought James into this chapter as I thought it would add a bit more drama (and romance) into the birthing situation. It would be a bit boring if it was just Juniper sitting there experiencing contractions over and over again with nothing else going on, you know? Well, Juniper and James have now grown closer together. Perhaps the professor will finally be able to find love…but I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

Until next time.