"Pull the bandage firmly, but not too tight." Jessie murmured to herself as she bandaged an injured Tranquill.

"Very good" said Nanny. "Now, where did you learn that?"

"From Pokemon nursing school...and my friend taught me too...and I've had a lot of practice on James."

Nanny smiled. "You know, he would always get himself into trouble here."

Jessie laughed. "I believe it."

Nanny took out a medical kit. "Do you know how to give a Pokemon an IV drip?"

Jessie thought. "I learned once...but I forgot. Can you refresh me?"

Nanny nodded. "Come this way. I'll show you."

While Nanny and Jessie were tending to the sick Pokemon, James. Meowth and Pop-pop were outside tending to the vast vegetable garden. Jessie and James' other pokemon were in the Pokemon house, most of them playing and swimming and climbing except for Mime Jr., who insisted on being by James' side and imitating everything he was doing, and Growlie, who was sitting still and watching James. Meowth took a break from fury-swiping branches to cut off fruits to go to Growlie.

"Someting wrong?"

Growlie looked down, and spilled his heart to Meowth. Meowth sat there and listened to every variation of "Growlithe" that he had to say, and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're feelin lonely, Growlithe, but James is grown up now, and from what I gather when humans grow up they make more little humans. So soon we'll have little baby humans pullin our whiskas and trying to ride us, I tink."

Growlithe nodded, and kept watching James.

James and Pop-pop came inside, holding big baskets full of various fresh-picked vegetables and some fruits too. Pop-pop was beaming and James looked ragged, leaves and twigs in his hair and dirt on his face and arms. "You are very good at doing that digging and getting through the plants, James. You were a really big help today."

James nodded between breaths. "No..problem."

Pop-pop smiled. "Go wash up, I'll start lunch."

"Ok." James walked to their room, and took a change of clothes out. Jessie was in there, brushing her hair out and braiding it. Once it was out of her way, she put her apron back on. She turned around and saw James.

"What have you been doing today?"

"Helping Pop-pop." said James, a little embarrassed at being so dirty. "You?"

"Helping with the Pokemon." her eyes sparkled a bit. "I really feel like a nurse today."

James smiled. "Is it all you've ever dreamed of?"

Jessie shrugged. "I guess...It's kind of weird not having to steal things or trick people."

James' smile grew wider. "You'll get used to it."

Jessie's expression changed. "Maybe...but...we can't stay here forever."

James looked serious. "I know."

Jessie started to head back to help Nanny. James called after her.

"Pop-pop's starting to make lunch."

James took a quick shower and changed, and returned to the kitchen.

"Oh, I see you're ready to help again." Pop-pop motioned to the basket. "Could you wash and peel the potatoes?"

James nodded. He started to wash the fresh dirt off of the large potatoes. With his eyes on the work at hand he spoke to Pop-pop. "You know, Pop-pop, we will move out as soon as we can, I don't want to be a burden on you."

Pop-pop stopped slicing the carrots for a minute. "A burden?" he laughed, a booming laugh. James smiled slightly. That laugh must be in their DNA.

"James, we are happier than a Snorlax in a food fight to have you and Jessie with us. Now, I'm not saying I'm getting old or anything, but running the Pokemon House, tending to the garden...it gets tiring after a while. With you here, it's easy as pie. And..." Pop-pop stopped, like he was going to say something else. "Anyway, can you cut the onions next?"

"Yes, Pop-pop." James said, still concerned.

Every day James woke up early and helped Nanny and Pop-pop with breakfast while Jessie got a couple more hours for the twins. James would always help, but he would always hint that he would leave soon.

"Mother and Father have servants and cooks and gardeners to do the work. You could do that if it gets to be too much." said James.

Nanny and Pop-pop shook their heads in unison. "We believe that the best food and the best home is the one that you make on your own. You can't pay anyone any amount of money to do what we do. You and Jessie understand that and that's why we want you around."

"But if we are a burden..."

Nanny took out the plates. "Not being here would be a burden, James."

Jessie's stomach steadily grew as the weeks went by. Nanny would always ask Jessie how she was feeling, and keep track of her temperature, weight, everything in a notebook, and listen to the babies' heartbeats, and finally, without fail, rub her belly a bit and beam like she had just won the lottery. James would laugh whenever he saw this "ritual"

One morning, Nanny looked at her notebook, checking the dates, and clapped.

"Congratulations, Jessie! You are in the second trimester!"

James blinked. "What does that mean?" Pop-pop and Jessie all nodded in agreement with James.

"She's at her 21st week, about halfway through the pregnancy, and-" she took a breath"-you can find out what you're having!"

"Like if it's a boy or a girl?" asked James.

"Yes."

"Well, let's get a checkup!" said Pop-pop "I've been wanting to drive into town for a while anyway."

They all piled into the car, and drove for about 20 minutes to the nearest town that had a hospital, with Pop-pop talking to James the whole way about the kind of stores and restaurants they had in the town. "There's a nursery school, that's in summer vacation now but usually about once a month I go there and let the kids play with some of the pokemon from our place. They love it. Hey, you know what, they start up again next week, would you like to come along? You know, for practice."

James nodded hesitantly.

"Great, I'll make the phone call while you're in the clinic."

James nodded again and Meowth laughed at him. "You betta practice before the real thing comes! You're not nervous, are ya?"

They went to the clinic, which despite being in the middle of nowhere was clean and well-organized.

The procedure was the same as in Maria's. The ultrasound machine was turned on and another blurry black-and-white image filled the screen. James and Meowth looked at the screen like someone trying to watch a pay-per-view channel through static.

The doctor pointed to the screen and traced an outline. "So, this is one twin, and this is the other. You might notice that they are slightly smaller than most babies at this stage but this is common with twins." The doctor paused. "So, would you like to know their genders?"

Jessie and James looked at each other nervously. Jessie smacked James on the shoulder. "Of course!" she said.

The doctor pointed at the screen, which again just looked like grey blobs to James and Meowth. "So these are the heads, and hands, and feet. Their bodies are here...and it is clear to me that...they are twin boys."

James' eyes opened wide. "Boys?"

The doctor continued. "They share one placenta, which makes it likely that they are identical."

James was dazed. "Wow...identical twin boys..." he held Jessie's hand. "Eeee! We have to think of names!"

Jessie sighed. "No rhyming ones please."

Meowth raised a hand "I second dat."

James pouted. "But I had so many thought up already..."

Nanny was in the waiting room, and Pop-pop had just come back from the phone booth. Jessie, James, and Meowth walked out beaming.

"So, what did he say?" Nanny asked Jessie.

"He said-"

"Boys!" said James, excitement at its peak now. "Two boys! And they might be identical!"

"James, can you let me speak for once?"

"Sorry, Jessie...I'm just really excited.

Nanny and Pop-pop smiled. Nanny spoke. "I already paid the doctor, so shall we grab some lunch?" Pop-pop walked off to use the phone again.

James stopped. "Oh...you shouldn't have." He instantly got a guilty look on his face.

Nanny waved her hand. "Don't worry, with all the help you two have given us, it's the least we can do. And don't forget, these are our twin great-grandsons. It's an honor!"

They went out to a small country-style restaurant for some lunch, and Pop-pop caught up with them after he had finished his phone call. He looked a little bit stressed, which was very unusual for Pop-pop.

"Everything OK, dear?" Pop-pop nodded but still looked serious.

All through lunch and in the car ride back home, it was a constant battle. James would come up with a ridiculous "set" of matching names, and Jessie would say "No." and Meowth would make a snarky comment.

"Red and Blue?"

"No!"

"No way! Cuz den youse two would try to make enough for the rest of da rainbow!"

James stopped for a minute, puzzled.

"J-names then...Jack...and...John."

"Nooooo."

"Meowth doesn't start with J either."

"OK! I got it! You will love this one! Theodore and Fredrick."

"Oh, that actually doesn't sound that bad..." said Jessie, lighting up. Then she twitched. "...and for short...Teddy...and...Freddy." She bashed him on the head. "I said no rhyming!"

Meowth laughed. "Dat one almost got approved!"

Nanny and Pop-pop sighed. Their energy, nervousness, and excitement brought back memories of over 50 years ago.

They went back home, and James spent the day tending to the pokemon with Jessie, humming and beaming all the while.