Chapter 2: Nursing

Jesse slouched in her booth. She wore her usual white halter top with the red Team Rocket R in the center, black gloves and a short white mini skirt. The official outfit of a known crime syndicate.

Across from her was a woman dressed in a black trench coat, sun glasses, and a fedora. Wearing this outfit on a sunny day attracted far more attention than Jesse’s attire. She attracted so many suspicious glances that the usually shameless Jesse was becoming self conscious.

Of course this didn’t stop her from pigging out on practically every item of the diners menu. It was rare for her to be treated to lunch. For the last month Jesse had been living on rice crackers and stolen tap water. She often cried poverty, though in reality most of her money went into the team’s giant mecha fund.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself Jesse darling,” said the woman. “Of course I’m sure you can’t afford to eat like this very often.”

“Yes. I rather am enjoying this. Of course too many meals like this would make it impossible to stay thin,” she added with fake disinterest. “Oh but here I am gushing over one meal when you must eat like this all the time.”

When Jesse was sufficiently gorged her companion felt it was time to talk business.

“Butch was captured two nights ago at Professor Rowan’s lab,” said the woman.

“Oh my,” said Jesse with mock concern. “This must be quite distressing dear. After all, what happens to your team-mates reflects on the whole team.”

Cassidy sneered.

“Anyway, before he got caught he sent what he was stealing to me via Pelliper express. But the package never arrived.”

“My, oh my,” chided Jesse. “A Pelliper getting lost is unheard of. Why if I were the boss, I might be inclined to think you were holding out on me.”

BLAM

Cassidy slammed her coffee mug on the table. She then suppressed a growl and forced herself to calm down.

“Anyway, the boss wants all team rocket members to be on the lookout for a Pelliper with an egg. You and James are the only other team rocket members in Sinnou.”

“Really he’s going to all this trouble for one egg. It must be a rare egg to say the least. I bet there’s a big reward in store for whoever finds in.”

Cassidy bit her lip and pretended to act Sybille until the bill came, by which time Jesse was long gone.

Annoying Cassidy was fun, but Jesse really had no idea how to find that egg. She would have to talk it over with James and Meowth.

Across town, Pelliper awoke. The down of her feathers felt warm. She lifted her wings and tried to stretch them out. They were stiff, but not sore. The drowsy pokemon recognized this feeling. It felt like human medicines to help relax her strained muscles. Pelliper knew from experience that she would not be able to fly until the medicines wear off. That seemed okay. She was still so tired anyway. She laid her head down, purred, moving her tongue around the edges of her bill. Then she noticed the egg was gone.

Immediately Pelliper leapt upward and forced its wings to flap. Its flying was unsteady and she slammed repeatedly against the glass walls of the small sterile room.

Hearing the commotion a Bellsprout and Nurse Joy rushed into the room.

In Pelliper's desperation to carry out its mission it seemed she was likely to hurt herself. For the pokemons own sake, and with no concern for her own safety, Nurse Joy Grabbed Pelliper in mid flight, and held it close to Bellsprout. Bellsprout fired its sleep powder at the agitated pokemon.

Pelliper struggled for a few seconds more before loosing consciousness.

Nurse Joy placed the pokemon gently on a bed and breathed a sigh of relief.

With the greatest of care she rubbed her fingers along the wings of the Pelliper. The wing was not broken but badly bruised. It seemed she couldn’t release the pokemon as early as she predicted. Joy briefly wondered if the kids who dropped off Pelliper would be willing to wait. They had said that none of them were the bird pokemons trainer. She was probably worried for nothing. Pelliper seemed to be eager to go somewhere, and Pellipers have excellent homing instincts. Nurse Joy just hoped she wouldn’t need to keep the pokemon sedated until it is entirely healed.

At that moment, Ash, Brock, and Hikari were passing by the local pokemart department store. Hikari seemed determined to waste money on diapers and formula.

Brock was eyeing a poster for pokemon egg ultrasounds. It looked expensive but Brock had a strong urge to convince Hikari and Ash that humans don’t hatch from eggs.

“Hey Ash,” Hikari chimed, “I’m going to need to pick up some new bras.”

“Why would you need those?” Ash asked.

She shot Ash an angry glare.

“Can’t you tell? My boobs are getting bigger.”

Ash couldn’t tell at all, but he claimed he could. Ash Ketchum briefly remembered once telling a certain Misty Waterflower she was flat as a brick. The trauma which followed that seemingly harmless comment still made him shudder. Hikari actually did have a fair sized bosom for her age, but they didn’t seem any larger than normal.

Hikari crossed her arms and turned up her nose with pride. “My breasts are filling up with milk. Soon I’ll be ready to feed our baby.”

Brock turned his head to join the conversation. “You know about breast feeding.”

“What do you think I am, a child?”

As they moved onward Hikari began to feel insecure. She had felt fairly confident when boasting to the boys. Now she wondered if her breasts really were growing, and more importantly would they grow enough. Her mother was quite large. Hikari likely had a great deal of growth left in her. Still that would take years. Her baby could hatch any time now. She had to be ready.

As they passed through pharmaceuticals a product caught her eye. She took it down from the shelf and read the directions.

Always protective of others, Brock snatched the product from her hand and told her she was too young to use pregnancy aids. Brock neglected to mention that she wasn’t pregnant. He was getting sick of repeating that argument.

“I was just reading the box.”

He put it back on the shelf and they moved on.

Hikari paused, stifling her tears “Brock,” she said with genuine fear in her voice. “What if I can’t feed the baby?”

Brock tried to assure her that it wasn’t a problem but she was unconvinced.

Ash reached out to her, but he was totally clueless of what to say.

Brock looked at her like a dear caught in the headlights, then he thought for a moment.

He led Ash and Hikari to the Grocery department and found a small section containing unpasturized Miltank milk.

Pasturized miltank milk was quite common. It was the number one source of dairy in most people’s diets. Ash had it on his cereal every morning. However unpasturized Miltank milk is only used by pregnant mothers. It even has a warning on the carton. Brock hesitated for a moment but then reasoned that at least this was perfectly healthy and wouldn’t do any permanent damage. It would probably just make her chest swell a little.

He showed Hikari the directions on the carton. She beamed with excitement, feeling that a severe problem had been solved.

Brock knew he was going to regret this.

Watching this exchange made Ash feel helpless. He realized that he knew next to nothing about being a Dad.

Soon after he excused himself and went off to make a phone call. Ash decided he needed some fatherly advice. Brock thought this was a good idea. It would be embarrassing for Ash, but at least he would finally be set straight about where babies come from.

He went into the video-phone booth and dialled the number.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

Far away at the secret base of the nefarious team rocket, Giovanni sat behind his mahogany desk. In one hand was a fine cigar; in the other was a pen. While furiously doing paperwork he also answered calls over a headset attached to his ear.

“You heard me. Pay Butches bail in full. …Yes I know he failed but I need him to search for that egg. We have very few resources in Sinnou. Hold on I have a call on another line.”

“Hello. … Oh it’s you. … Really, your stupidity astounds me. … I don’t care about some twerps Pikachu. Find the egg. … Really, are you serious? … You spotted the twerps taking a Pelliper to a pokemon center, and now there is an egg in there possession. … James, get that egg. Do this and you will be redeemed for your many past failures. … Hold on I have another call.”

“Hello. … No I don’t want to change long distance carriers.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mean-while in Pallet town.

Professor Oak pushed a giant muck off of his person, and answered his phone.

“Hello Ash. Good to hear from you my boy.”

“Hi professor.”

Oak was surprised by the seriousness of Ash’s expression, and it was odd of him to call on a weekend. He asked “Is something the matter.”

Ash hesitated. He felt that telling the professor meant there was no going back. He reminded himself that his responsibilities existed whether he talked or didn’t.

“Professor, this is really big, and important.”

“Okay, well remember I’m always there to help you Ash. Please.”

CLICK

There was a sudden click on the line and the picture went static for a moment. They were still connected so Oak and Ash both shrugged it off.

Ash decided to just come out with it. He took a big breath and spoke: “Last night I was in a cave and a Pelliper brought us an egg for Hikari and me.”

Samuel Oak practically leapt off his feet in surprise. His brilliant mind rushed with concerns. He immediately thought of the robbery at professor Rowans’ lab. It was all over the news and the professor had contacted him personally that very morning. Oak knew that the perpetrator was captured but a Pelliper got away with the egg. Celedon, where Ash was calling from, was only two towns away from the lab. Having that egg meant Team Rocket would target Ash. The click on the line… Was the phone being tapped? Ash is in great danger. Poor kid, somehow he’s always at the center in matters of great peril concerning pokemon. I should tell him to go to the police. No, the line is tapped, it’s too dangerous. I can’t involve Ash any further, but he is already involved. Should I tell him to discard the egg? No, it’s a baby pokemon. I can’t do it. Forgive me Ash it seems your in trouble yet again.

“Ash, I can’t say much over the video-phone. Please protect that egg. Team Rocket is after it. I’m coming to Sinnou.”

The professor abruptly ended the call. Ash was shocked. Stealing newborn babies seemed low even for Team Rocket. He rushed back to his friends, knowing they were all safer together.

Ash was relieved to find that his friends were just as he had left them.

Hikari was cradling their egg while downing her third carton of Miltank milk.

Brock asked how the call went and Ash told him Professor Oak would come personally to help with the birth of his child.

At this point Brock started bashing his head against the wall.

Author Notes:

I’ve always wondered about Ash’s parentage. Normally I wouldn’t care. Teens in anime hardly ever seem to have parents around anyway. I remember hearing that in the 2000 Pokemon Live musical, Giovanni turned out to be Ash’s Father. That just can’t be true. In Mewtwo Returns Giovanni didn’t recognize Ash even after they confronted each other in the musical. Also in Episode 2 Deliah says that Ash is the apple of his father’s eye. This indicates that his mom and dad are on speaking terms. I figure there are 3 real possibilities:

Professor Oak is Ash’s father. He was married to another woman when Ash was born. As a famous pokemon poet the scandal would have created an unhealthy environment for baby Ash if he went public. He secretly provides child support to Deliah which is why she doesn’t seem to need a job. Also his regret is the reason he seems more interested in Ash than his grandson Gary.

Ash was an experiment Deliah Ketchum stole from Team Rocket. He has Pikachu DNA. When Ash went to get his starter pokemon in episode 1, Professor Oak wasn’t really out of the regular starter pokemon; he just wanted to see how Ash would get along with his biological brother. One day Ash will learn to do electric attacks without a pokemon.

It’s a character we’ve never met.

As you can see I’ve thought about this way too much.

I didn’t mean to make fun of Hikari too much, but this chapter seemed a little light on comedy compared to the previous.