“Here it is guys…my house!”       

            Kim spread her arms dramatically as he strode through the large opening doors. The group behind her looked up in unison as they followed, taking in a deep breath upon sight of the massive hallway with equally high ceiling that loomed over them. Yes, they'd been in many a fancy place in their travels. But somehow this one seemed so much more exciting than the others. Where one could have easily expected aged oak decor and ornate furnishings there was pristine white walls, elaborate architecture and beautiful laminate floor tiles spread with delicately hand-made rugs.

            Modern, but far from minimalist. There was a chorusing of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from Kim's companions. Even James was suitably impressed, despite having grown up in such large circumstances.

            "It's so stylish... I can't tell where one room ends and another begins!" Misty cooed.

            “Great, isn't it? Dad designed it himself” Kim replied, adding a little skip to her step. "And now all you guys can share it with me while he's gone!"

            “Gone?” Brock repeated, with more than a hint of worry to his voice. He was hoping this type of 'gone' wasn't permanent; after all there were far more pressing matters on his mind than becoming an unwilling playmate for some young girl. Kim was quick to allay his fears.

            “Yeah, he's out on a work trip for the weekend. He’ll be back in a couple of days…in the mean time…” Kim’s eyes took on that expression of happiness once more as Nico jiggled about in her arms. “…I got all the company I could want!”

            Another dissatisfied noise was uttered from the two oldest male members of the group. But Misty seemed all too entranced with the house to take notice.

            "So when can I have a tour?" she exclaimed. Kim smirked at this.

            "Where do you want to start?"

            "The kitchen?" Ash looked up hopefully. At least if he wasn't going to be able to win his next badge yet then at least he could get some nourishment out of this arrangement. Misty narrowed her eyes in the trainer's direction, but Kim simply gave a shrug.

            "I'm not allowed in the kitchen" she explained. "Besides, there's nothing interesting in there really. Tell you what's loads more interesting. My room!

            C'mon!"

            Brock couldn't help but chuckle at Ash's bedraggled expression as Kim ran off exuberantly down the hallway, dragging Misty along in the process. Apparently the girl didn't know a hint when she heard one.

            "No wonder this kid has no friends" Ash moaned, while Pikachu flopped melodramatically over his shoulder. "She probably starved them all to death"

            "Good things come to those who wait," Brock pointed out wisely, reminding himself of the loveliness that awaited him outside the mansion walls. He turned to stare forebodingly at Jessie and James who had been standing there watching the entire spectacle; the latter with a particularly pained visage. "And right now our job is to make sure these two don't try anything funny"

            "Hah!" Jessie exclaimed, laying the drama on even thicker than Pikachu. "The only thing we'll to be trying is to find the first aid kit. I don't find slowly losing one's life fluids all that amusing, do you?"

            Brock looked somewhat guilty at his assumption, despite the exaggeration.

            "She's right" he murmured awkwardly, ushering Jessie's companion after Misty and Kim. "James needs attention to those grazes right away"

            The aforementioned figure looked back at Jessie anxiously as Ash casually brought up the rear to this procession of misfits. Jessie continued to stand her ground, giving her partner a casual wave with a smirk that dictated she was perfectly certain she knew what she was doing.

            "Eh... what d'ya t'ink you're doin'?" Meowth inquired, once the other figures were out of earshot. Jessie turned around slowly; the serious expression now present upon her youthful features caused the Pokemon to twitch somewhat. "Why do I suddenly get da feelin' dat dis crazy plot youse got involves me?"

            "You're most perceptive, my smart-mouth companion" Jessie replied smoothly. "Now you're going to go outside and keep a careful watch for those two glory hogs, Butch and Cassidy. While you're at it, see what you can find out about antidotes to that spring water"

            "An' why would I want to miss out on a free meal jus' ta go pacin' around in da hot sun lookin' fer answers to your mistakes?" Meowth inquired, as he folded his arms. Jessie glowered at him acidically.

            "You'd want to, because otherwise you'd be having your tail fed to the next sharp-toothed snapping Pokemon I come across"

            Meowth tried to repress a gulp at this point, but his undeterred manner wasn't very convincing.

            "Well since youse put it dat way..." he remarked in shaky tones. "I believe I shall get out on patrol"

            "Good," Jessie replied, a more palatable expression emerging upon her face as Meowth slid open the nearby window, hopped gracefully through the gap and leant upon the sill. "And if you see either of them making any attempt to enter this place inform us immediately. This is going to be our raid, fair and square."

            "Since when do you play fair?" Meowth snorted, promptly letting out a strangled yell as Jessie moodily grabbed hold of the window and slammed it shut, right upon his paws.

            "Just do it, you mangy furball."

From the other side of the wall Meowth sat, blowing on his paws and cursing to himself.

“No respect" he grumbled. "Dere's no respect fer me. Why if I weren't goin' ta look fer dat antidote dey'd be stuck as kids foreva"

He shuddered at that last sentence before crossing the grass toward the high boundary wall that separated the mansion grounds from the outside world. Being permanently lumped with child-sized versions of Jessie and James was an unthinkable concept; they were dependant upon his smarts enough as adults. With that in mind he firmly decided he'd much rather be out searching for a way to reverse the situation than being forced to play plush toy for some young girl. If only the heat was not so blisteringly intense. The Pokemon groaned and flopped down in the shade of a tall tree, then he slowly lifted his head to look into the thickly interwoven branches.

"I guess my route outta here lies up dere" he concluded. "But its so hot, I really don't t'inks I got da energy ta be climbin' all dat way"

 His aside was interrupted by a low growling not too far above him. Swinging his gaze round, Meowth’s mouth dropped open in terror as his eyes came directly into contact with those of a large Douumaped that had recently been patrolling the perimeter of the grounds.

It was more than enough to send the Pokemon scuttling up the tree trunk to safety.

Jessie managed to find her way back to the others using her sense of smell. The intermingled pungency of Brock's cheap cologne and Ash's body odour wasn't exactly hard to lose track of, even with the lengthy array of corridors that had drawn the visitors apart. Stepping through the door into Kim's room. Jessie’s youthful eyes became as as round as saucers as she gazed upward at the gigantic display cabinet containing at least two hundred differently shaped Pokémon dolls. It was shaped like a house and easily dwarfed all those who stood before it.

From the dumbfounded expressions upon the faces of Kim’s female guests it was clear they had never seen anything quite like it in their lives. Even their counterparts were considerably amazed.

“So…what do you think?” Kim turned around to look back at them, grinning proudly.

            “That’s so much more than I have…” Misty murmured with considerable distance in her voice. Jessie lowered her head and tried to sniff back her growing sadness; she sorely did not want to cry and show herself up but for some reason she was having difficulty holding her emotion in. Kim paused, a puzzled expression on her face, as those behind her reflected similar confusion. Eventually, Jessie could no longer keep her feelings in. The tears began to roll down her cheeks.

            “I’ve so…so…I’ve always wanted some of those” she sobbed. James' mouth opened slightly in realisation as his memory took him back to that very day in Beaufort City. He never realised just how much those Princess Dolls had meant to Jessie; then again the only toys she had ever owned were all made by hand from old yogurt pots and lollipop sticks. For him, not having one toy hadn't ever been a big deal. But then again, he had always had so many things bought for him to play with.

“You mean you don’t have any?” Kim gasped. She was truly shocked, as if she thought every girl owned at least one Princess Doll. Jessie shook her head silently. Not only was she upset at her losses but she was also angry with herself at just bursting into tears like that. Especially in front of the twerps, despite the fact they had been surprisingly unresponsive about it. Why hadn’t she been able to control it like she usually did? Kim, on the other hand, hadn’t found any problem with her friend’s outburst.

“Aww…don’t be sad, Jessie…” she smiled. "You can have some of mine! I have doubles stored up in the basement that need a good home"

Ash and Brock exchanged surprised looks at the magenta-haired girl's overcome visage. They still couldn't see quite how one could be so happy over a few pointless decorative trinkets, especially someone like Jessie, who always seemed to be searching for higher and more complicated ideals. James let out another of his typical whines as he looked down at his reddened stomach and chest, causing everyone to turn around and glance back at him.

"Oh!" Kim gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, in my excitement I forgot to get that booboo cleaned up! DIAAAAAANE!"

The sudden yell caused everyone around Kim to wince and clasp their hands over their ears. It was followed shortly by a pattering of tiny feet and a cheerful cry from down the hall. James began to look rather worried as the large, pink egg-shaped Pokémon waddled into the room.

"Chansey!"

"My friend James fell over and grazed himself bad" Kim explained to Diane. "Can you help make it better please?"

"Chansey chan!" Diane smiled enthusiastically, shuffling back out of the door and motioning for James to follow. He did so, with visible reluctance. A tentative silence followed, but it was soon cast aside as another loud utterance was flung into the air.

It was the unmistakable sound of Ash's gut complaining. Brock uttered a chuckle as Misty put on an expression which dictated she'd been expecting to hear that sound sooner or later.

"You look mighty hungry" Kim remarked, tilting her head to the side.

"I'd say that was an understatement" Ash groaned, while Jessie looked on wistfully.

"Must admit I could sure do with a bite to eat" Brock remarked, while Misty nodded in agreement.

"Okay then!" Kim grinned widely. "Lunchtime it is!"