~ These Creatures Are Friend-Shaped ~

"Alright, let's go," Jaskier said, slinging his lute case over his shoulder (the opposite shoulder from the one on which Chatot was perched) and starting off toward the road, with Kricketune trailing along behind him.

"Did you put some of your Pokemon away in their bottles, for once?" Geralt asked.

Usually Jaskier kept them out at all times unless they were injured from battles. The two pink blobs seemed to especially resent being recalled to their containers. (And, as Jaskier had once told him, Wigglytuff and Jigglypuff would be 'grumpier than ten Geralts put together' after being released from the bottles again.)

"Oh, no, they're still out," Jaskier said. "They just wander off sometimes. Don't worry about it. They'll be back soon, I'm sure."

Several days later, the Pokemon had still not shown up again, and worried was an understatement. Jaskier seemed on the edge of a nervous breakdown, rambling about all the horrible things that could have befallen his beloved companions.

"What if they were eaten by monsters? Not other Pokemon, but those other monsters?"

"Monsters don't eat Pokemon."

"What if people ate-"

"People don't eat Pokemon, Jaskier!"

"... oh, is that what you think? Is that what you've learned on your travels, great master witcher? Well, let me tell you, people definitely eat Pokemon. Slowpoke tails are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world!"

Geralt hadn't heard of anyone eating Pokemon before, but Jaskier certainly sounded confident about the Slowpoke tails, so now he wasn't sure what to believe. While having Pokemon with him could be useful at times, witchers were experts on the other kind of monsters, not Pokemon.

So he just went, "Hmm."

"Thanks, Geralt. That's very helpful."

Before Jaskier had time to say anything else, three pink blobs came strolling out of the woods, singing cheerfully.

The bard's attitude changed immediately upon seeing them.

"Oh, my babies! You're back! Where have you naughty creatures been? I've been worried sick about you!"

It was only after he'd knelt down to scoop them up into his arms that he finally noticed there was one more Pokemon than there should have been.

"Wait, what's this little one?"

"Ig," squeaked the tiny pink blob.

"It looks like they had a baby," Geralt commented.

"That ridiculous, Pokemon don't... have babies..."

"How do you think they reproduce?"

"Magically? I don't know... but Wigglytuff and Jigglypuff are both girls anyway, so-"

"Jigglypuffffffffffff."

Jigglypuff puffed up angrily.

"What? You're a boy?" Jaskier said.

Jigglypuff nodded.

"And... this is your baby?" he asked, pointing to the little one.

"Wiggly!" Wigglytuff said proudly.

"Oh... alright then. So, do Pokemon give live birth or did you lay an egg?"

"Tuff."

"You laid an egg?"

Wigglytuff nodded.

"Huh, interesting."

While Jaskier was busy having a serious discussion with his Pokemon, the baby wandered too close to Roach's hooves for Geralt's liking, and the witcher knelt and said, "Come here, you little booger."

The little pink blob happily toddled into Geralt's open arms, and snuggled against his armor-clad chest with a contented, "Iggly."

~oOo~

Pokemon team recap:

Geralt: Mudsdale (Roach), Honedge (Sword 3), Igglybuff (Booger)

Jaskier: Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff, Kricketune, Chatot