Canopy's Nuts

Kath watched as Big Bee was reunited with Rian. It was strange; they actually seemed happy to see each other. More to the point, the Grookey had evolved into a Thwackey. And it had evolved by itself. A sudden surge of concern rushed through Kath's body.

She didn't like change.

The rain pelted down on her face. She was drenched. Usually when this happened, Bulby would offer her a big leaf to take shelter under. Grookey would usually offer to sit on her head and attempt to parry the rain with his stick. The surge of concern was replaced with... guilt? What was this?

It wasn't that she was drenched, because that would happen anyway; those idiots never managed to actually stop her getting saturated, but it was the thoughts that counted! Only now, much to her dismay, Kath was alone with hers.

"Hey, morons!" She shouted at the golden temple. "Morons, please be okay."

"If you really wanted them to be okay," came a posh, articulate voice, "you wouldn't have left them behind."

Kath turned. "Who the fuck are you?"

Geodude floated a few meters away from her. He was typing on a laptop, which was strapped to his floating torso with leather straps and karabiners. He had heavy-rimmed dark reading glasses and he didn't look up when he spoke.

"Geodude. My friends call me dude, but," he adjusted his glasses, "you can call me Axion207."

"What?" Kath could barely hide her contempt. A nerd? Here? On her island?

"I have been watching you for some time, Kath Ulu , and let me tell you it has not been pretty," Geodude seemed completely nonchalant about how much danger he was in. "According to my calculations, it took you less than five seconds to make the decision to abandon your Bulbasaur to the encroaching Infernape hoard."

"His name's Bulby," Kath spat.

"Quite." Geodude hit backspace a few times. "And it took you all of, oh how sad, 0.1/8th of a second to trick your Grookey into throwing away his own life for yours."

Kath felt inside her something she hadn't felt in some time. A deep, burning urge to bully.

"Hey, man," came a familiar voice.

"Hey, baby!" Came another, equally familiar yet far more annoying voice.

Grookey and Bulby emerged from the Golden Temple. They were covered in blood - both theirs and from the many Infernapes they had to swipe, scratch, and whip through to make it out, but they were alive.

Her boys were back.

"I'm so sorry I abandoned you," she said without thinking. Her thoughts caught up: Damn, I hate being sorry!

"It's alright, man, stakes were high," Bulby said with egregious acceptance. "You feel this bad, maybe don't do it next time."

"I've already forgotten it!" Grookey added with a high-beam grin. Her jerked a thumb. "Who's this nerd?"

Kath smiled. A little part of her felt really fortunate to have these idiots in her life.

"Some Geodude," she said with a scoff, "getting all judgy at how I run my team."

"What?" Bulby said with derision. "Rude."

"Yeah, that's our team you're talking about, nerd!" Grookey held his stick threateningly.

"I don't see how threatening me is going to-" Geodude started, but was cut off pretty quickly.

"Save it, man!"

"Shut up, nerd!"

Kath laughed. Yeah, no one would possibly judge her for this team!

"Baby, what are you waiting for?"

"Huh?"

"Bag this Dude and let's go."

"Oh, right," Kath said, pulling out a pokeball.

Geodude put his hands up. "No, wait!"

Kath threw, and she threw well.