Author's Note:
Here it is, the final capture for one of our hero's and we're three-quarts done with this arc. This is gonna be a May-focused chapter, hmm, I wonder who'll end up catching a Pokémon. If you've seen the title, you should know the Pokémon based on the episode this is based on. It's actually also partly based on the episode 'Mean with Envy' and a sprinkle of my own things. We'll also see some of the aftermath for the previous arc, like I said, I want it to have lasting consequences. We also get a look in for what happened to Hitmontop during his battle. Originally, I planned on him having a chapter around his arcs climax but after looking into it, and researching real life examples, I realised it was better stretched out, sprinkled in multiple chapters to build time (a common theme is time, from the examples I saw in my research). I did use the scene involving him as reference to a show covering this sort of thing and I'll be very impressed if anyone can guess which, and the specific episode. As with most (if not all) of his storyline, it covers homophobia so consider this your trigger warning for the above theme & strong language. I did ask in a previous chapter's author's note if you minded and the overwhelming response was to use it for the impact. Wonder how he's gonna react in the aftermath. One final note, this is the day that Scarlett and Violet comes out. It's hard to believe we're on gen nine already. This is the most I've been excited for a new gen since Black & White. Be sure I'll be on the lookout through my Paldea adventure for inspiration to introduce into this series going forward. I'm not sure yet whether I'll be adding a new book based on the new region to our series, we'll just need to wait and see. Not much else to say, just remember to vote on the poll and with that, let's begin
Chapter Seventy-Five: Berry, Berry Interesting
May stretched under the warm Hoenn sun. She glanced back to the docks of Pacifidlog where the large ship which brought them here remained docked. Almost instantly, they started loading up the boat with boxes of different berries to help support the mainland.
"Aww man, the way mega Sceptile detached his tail to force Gardevoir to block and leave her open to leaf blade was awesome!" Her brother's voice echoed.
She turned back to take in her friend group, Ash was walking alongside Max, who was geeking out over his battle with the Drake. While he was happily talking to her little brother, she noticed his eyes kept darting over to Serena. Rows of wrinkles scrunched his forehead as concern washed down his face.
Looking over to the honey-blonde girl, her arms wrapped around her stomach as she faced away. Keeping herself at arm's length from themselves.
Brock, on the other hand, was seemingly in a deep mental conversation with his Chimecho. If she were to guess, it would be about berries and medical stuff.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air. The image in her head morphed into the smiling Manaphy. While letting him go was hard, at least he's now back in the water and out of harm's way. She would've loved to keep the little guy but after the events with Hunter J on the boat, she knew she couldn't keep him safe, and they'd always be looking over their shoulders. A soft smile rested upon her lips as she thought about the little guy.
A slight ruckus sounded to the side and her head snapped in that direction. Opening her eyes, she noticed some bushes wiggling which were covered in a selection of pink-sort-of-heart-shaped pecha berries. Pinching her lips togethers, she turned to investigate. Lifting her hands up to make a square in her face.
"And we're back with another instalment of May's expeditions." She announced in a hushed voice. "We're live from Pacifidlog to investigate the mystery of-"
A blue blur shot out of bush and knocked her over. Letting out a loud grunt, she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the massive weight strike her. Landing on the ground, she glanced up to see who or what ended up knocking her down. A short semi-humanoid teal Pokémon with a cream spot on the chest stood just past her. The round head was the same teal colour in the top half with a cream bottom half. Two big round eyes and large pointed ears accompanied the large mouth, which chomped down on some sort of berry. Swallowing in one gulp, a large tongue licked the lips as she noticed two pointed teeth sticking out of even when closed. Each hand had five-fingers which was the same teal shade, while the round padded feet were cream with three clawed toes. She couldn't help but think the fur around the bottom resembled a sort of dress.
"Munch."
"And just who might you be?" she wondered aloud, reaching for her Pokédex in her pocket.
"There's that Munchlax!" "You're in big trouble now!" "It never stops eating! Even after stealing all our berries!" "Get back here!"
Before she could scan the wild Pokémon, she looked to the sound of raised voices. A mob of angry teens running towards them with Pokéballs in hand. She gasped and lept to the side before getting crushed by the crowd. She covered her eyes from the cloud of dust created.
As the dust settled, the group of five trainers ended up stood where Munchlax previously was. The normal type, however, was no-where to be seen. Standing up, she put her Pokédex back into her pocket and walked over the clearly angry group.
"What's going on?!" May raised her voice, dusting herself off. "And why are you all chasing that Munchlax?!"
"That Munchlax is a thief!" One of the lads from the group exclaimed. "We've been collecting berries to ship out to Hoenn!"
"The people of Hoenn need them either for medical supplies or just to feed those effected by the hurricane and earthquakes!" A girl added. "We're going to teach it a lesson about stealing! Especially from those who really need it!"
"Hey! Did any of you actually see it eat those berries?!" She raised her voice, crossing her arms in defiance.
"Yes!" They yelled back.
Her eyes widened and her stance dropped with her head hanging low. "Oh," she muttered.
The crowd turned and charged off once more. She barely got to watch them disappear as a dust cloud surrounded their group. Letting out a low sigh, she noticed her male friends standing in front of her. Serena was still off to the side.
"How did a Munchlax get here anyway?" Max asked. "Do you think a trainer released it or brought here on purpose?"
"Munchlax is the prevolved form of Snorlax," Ash muttered, putting his own device away, "so it could've swam here."
"I was being serious." Max deadpanned.
"So was I," he replied, "Snorlax can swim. It's how I met mine. So why not Munchlax too?"
"Regardless of how it got here, we can't let them hurt Munchlax!" May declared. "Thief or not! There's no telling what they'll do when they find it!"
"Then I say we go to the Pokémon centre," Brock added, "Nurse Joy might be able to better explain the situation and we'll have a place to plan. If your serious about helping Munchlax then it's bound to be better than just searching over this entire island."
"Right!" She nodded with a determined glare. Marching forward she lead the way down the dirt path through the numerous berry trees and bushes.
She smiled as she entered the Pokémon centre. This one being far more primitive rather than the more modern buildings, with a more homely feeling and wooden-made furniture scattered around the location. Despite the more traditional setting, the size was surprising, with many people walking around.
Brock took up the task of booking the rooms and walked up to the front desk where Nurse Joy stood. She followed him up, as the couple stood off to the side, Ash offering Serena a comforting hug. She turned to the Pokémon nurse with a smile.
"Welcome to the Pacifidlog Pokémon centre." She smiled. "How can I help you today?"
"We'd like to book some rooms for a stay," Brock explained, "three to be precise. Two one-bed rooms and one two-bed room please."
"I'm sorry but due to the recent events we're running short on rooms," she explained, "the best I can offer is one four bedroom."
"We'll take it." He smiled.
"Is that why there's so many people already here?" she asked, gesturing to the numerous people in the building.
"While Pacifidlog has a main island, it's mostly used for agricultural purposes. Supplying most of the berries using in the Hoenn region," she explained, "so the residences build houses on water rafts surrounding the island. Unfortunately, the combination of the earthquakes and hurricane sunk most of them under the waters so those lucky enough to escape are taking refuge here."
"It must be tough." Brock nodded. "If there's anything we can do to help, let us know."
"Currently our main issues seems to be caused by a lone Munchlax," she sighed. "We're not sure how, maybe they were released by a trainer, but the normal type showed up on our island and has been eating our supplies. Obviously, we need to send as much as we can to those in need in the mainland-"
"So having such a bigger mouth to feed is really hurting the operations, hmm-" Brock mused. "I might have something to help."
"We're willing to try anything right now," Nurse Joy continued, "several trainers on the island are trying to catch it."
"Yeah... we met 'em," she mumbled, "what're you thinking Brock?"
"Professor Oak developed a special sort of food to help with feeding Ash's Snorlax back in Pallet. It expands upon being eaten to quicker fill him," he explained, "so I'm gonna give him a call. If we could make that to feed Munchlax, then it would limit how much is ate."
"That would be wonderful," Nurse Joy clasped her hands together.
"But we still need to find Munchlax first," he added.
"Leave that to me." She declared.
"You sure?" he asked.
"Yeah... after everything that's happened, I kinda want to get back out there," she nodded. "And you saw that crowd. They'll just keep scaring Munchlax away and from how they were talking, I doubt any of them will treat Munchlax right. Probably just take her somewhere else to release again."
"I'll help you, May," Max interjected.
She stared at her little brother before a small smile landed on her lips. Regardless of how the previous events ended, she couldn't forget how much he helped during the rescue portion of saving Manaphy. She gave him a small nod and they bid goodbye to the Pokémon breeder, walking out of the centre.
Taking a deep breath of the sea-salt air, she felt her entire body refreshed. Relaxing she glanced to her little brother, and they started walking down the path into the berry farms. Her eyes skimmed over the area, trying to find some sort of sign of the pure normal type.
"So, what're you thinking, Max?" she asked.
"Firstly, Combusken would be the best option to battle Munchlax. Being a fighting type." He noted. "But we need to lure them in. The other trainers have proven Munchlax won't appear if threatened so if we set a trap in a quiet area, we can-"
Stopping in her tracks, her eyes shot across to a small picnic area spread out on a grassy field. None other than her old boyfriend, Drew, sat with a girl around her own age with medium length brown hair, an orange head band visible at the top of her forehead, with sparkling blue eyes.
"You okay, May?" he asked.
That seemed to get Drew's attention as he turned to face them with a smirk. Turning on a heel, she started marching down the path, away from the green-haired boy and his new side attraction. After everything she's been through, the last thing she needs right now is a reminder of her Lilycove heart-break.
"May!" She stopped and turned to see her little brother running after her. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her face into a more neutral expression.
"How are we going to find and catch this Munchlax?" she asked.
"Don't you wanna talk about-"
"I just want to catch Munchlax right now." She cut him off. "So, I hope you've got a plan."
Giving her a nod, he took out his three Pokéballs and released his entire team. Geico, Ozone and Shade all materialised in front of them. She gripped her own Pokéball, running it through her fingers in a comforting manner. Her eyes drifted down to her brother, quirking an eyebrow up for his explanation.
"I'd say add in Beautifly and Bulbasaur," he explained.
"Alright." She shrugged. Unclipping the two Pokéball's for her two Pokémon to join the squad. "But I thought you said Combusken would be the best option."
"For battling yes, but given his quick temper, I'd save him until Munchlax is in the trap." He gestured to the five Pokémon. "You guys need to start collecting berries. Create a decent pile in the middle of this field then hid in the trees or shrubbery."
Giving a nod, they each took off. Ozone and Shade floated up to the branches with ease, as Geice lept across the tree-tops, knocking down a lot of the food as he went. A combination of string shot and vine whip from her own team helped collect the berries Max's starter released.
"So, what's the plan?" she asked.
"We're gonna hide too and we'll have both Beautifly and Bulbasaur use sweet scent," he explained, "this should attract Munchlax, and the berries lure him into the trap. Then we'll be surrounding the area, so he'll be forced to battle with you."
"Pretty smart," she nodded. "But surely Skitty or Altaria could-"
"I didn't want to make the group too big or noisy. You saw how the other crowd scared Munchlax away." He cut her off. "Just her size would make it difficult for Altaria to hide and Skitty's endless energy would have her create too much noise... plus there's no water source here for Huntail to help with."
She nodded and turned to watch as the collection of berries got much bigger. Once a decent sized, she moved over and took up a hiding position behind one of the trees. Unclipping her starter's Pokéball, she watched the others take up a hiding spot surrounding the open field area. Bulbasaur's bulb glew and a faint pink powder expanded out. Her first caught bug flying type, helped by flapping her wings, sending the sweet scent further out in all directions.
An eerie silence fell over the area as her eyes kept darting around. Her hand trembled as she almost dropped Combusken's Pokéball from the nervousness.
She continued to wait with bated breath, and her eyes skimmed over Max's hiding area. His Shuppet seemed to float over to him, and his hand raised up, giving a small thumbs up. Gulping in anticipation, she watched the large Pokémon walk out into the open field. Their head was turned back, watching the sky with closed eyes. The nostrils continued to expand, as if letting the smell guide them. Sitting right in front of the berry pile, Munchlax sighed happily.
In the blink of an eye, the normal type began scoffing down the food. Swiping two or three berries in each hand and swallowing them whole. A content smile spread over his face as the berry supply got lower and lower by every second. Charging forward, she threw her Pokéball into the air.
"Take the stage, Combusken!" She shouted. Her fire fighting type materialised on the floor right beside the big eater Pokémon.
Her starter landed on the ground and stood behind the normal type. Extending both claws out to the side, he seemed to have a glint in his eye.
Charging forward, his claws glew and extended out. Rushing past he slashed the back and knocked the berry out of Munchlax's hand.
"Munch?" He blinked. Taking a deep breath, a loud screech echoed out his mouth. She covered her eyes from the blood-curdling sound.
Wincing through the attack, she noticed her young fowl Pokémon stumble back. A blue blur crashed into his body, trapping him on the ground.
Sat on his chest, Munchlax started jumping around. A cloud of dust covered both Pokémon as her starter cried out. She checked out the move on her dex:
Stomping tantrum: a ground type move which increases in power, the angrier the user is
"You know, May, I'm starting to see you even more in Munchlax." Her little brother smirked. "Big on food and throwing a tantrum when not getting their way!"
While part of her wanted to retort to his comment, she knew by his tone it was meant as a joke. She narrowed her eyes and refocused on the duel.
A stream of flames shot up, knocking the normal type off of Combusken. Landing with a thud, a tornado of flames erupted around him.
Jumping back to his feet, her starter charging forward with glowing feet. Leaping, his double kick knocked the wild Munchlax out of the fire spin.
Curled up into a ball, the normal type started rolling. Wobbling slightly upon landing, the wild Pokémon started speeding across the ground.
"Defence curl helps build the power of rollout!" Max warned.
"Quick attack to dodge!" She shouted. With Combusken running off after the normal type. "And focus energy!"
The two ended up on a set cause for each other but her fire fighting type lept before impact. Dodging the rollout, he landed on one knee with a mystic glow.
Munchlax continued rolling forward, taking a wide berth to turn back as he continued to pick up momentum. A streak of flames covered his trail behind.
Tightening his stance, he swung his leg around and dug it straight into the ground. Kicking up a chunk of earth right in front of himself as he ducked.
The rolling Pokémon ended up changing off the slab, turning it into a ramp. Sending the normal type soaring overhead. He uncurled during the flight.
Jumping up from the crouching position, his beak extended out. Stabbing the big eater Pokémon in the gut and causing him to cripple over.
Grabbing his arms, her starter tossed him back down to the floor. With a mighty cry, he rained down a barrage of embers with the normal type Pokémon.
Landing with a heavy thud, his body created an indent on the floor. A mystic light seemed to cover his body as small flames burnt the grass around him. With a loud grunt, he struggled back up to his feet, ending up facing up to her starter as he stood overhead.
"Careful May! He just used stockpile!" Max warned. "Which really helps boost the users defensive capabilities!"
Combusken seemed to hear it and stuck his claws down into the ground. Flicking them up, he launched a heap of sand into his eyes.
Stamping his feet, a cloud of dust covered his body. Charging out whilst covered in flames, he crashed into Munchlax, zooming past.
Turning on a heel, he shot back. The dust and flames made it difficult for her to make out the finer details of the match.
After a couple minutes, her starter stopped, and his flame charge died down. Panting heavily with sweat covering his face. Clawed hands leaning on his legs.
Glancing behind, she found Munchlax lying flat on his stomach... moving closer, she saw his eyes closed and light snoozing as a mystic glow covered his body.
"If you don't act fast then he'll completely heal!" Max shouted.
Her fire fighting type grunted and lept up once more. Spreading his arms out, he dived down onto the normal type. Crashing into the big eater Pokémon.
"Ember the remaining berries!" She shouted.
Opening his beak, he launched out a swift spew of fire balls. Striking the small berry pile, a roasted smell radiated off the cooking fruit.
Stirring on the ground, Munchlax's nose inflated as the smoke travelled overhead. Wobbling around, he ended up back on his feet.
Spinning around, her young fowl's leg stuck out. Striking the normal type's lower half, his foot bounced off, unable to topple him again.
Grabbing his leg, the wild Pokémon stuck out his tongue. Licking her starter's leg, Combusken shivered as their opponent dropped and walked away.
"Maybe Combusken just isn't good enough to beat Munchlax," Max muttered.
She frowned and turned back to see the battle. While the young fowl was on the verge of collapsing, his eyes seemed to burst open at the comment. Spinning around, he faced the big eater Pokémon. Munchlax's back was to him, as he leaned over the cooked berry pile, finishing his meal.
Letting out a loud cry, his claws stuck into the ground and glew. An orange-tint coloured them as he charged forward, leaving a trail in the ground.
Reaching the normal type, his claw hooked his stomach. Leaping up, both Pokémon went flying up as May pulled out her Pokédex:
Sky Uppercut: A powerful fighting type move which helps the user reach flying targets by getting close up
Reaching the apex of their flight, Combusken's feet glew once more. With a swift double kick, he sent the big eater Pokémon back down.
Flying backwards, the normal type crashed into her bother, sending him flying. She gasped and ran to his side, noticing some sort of case having flew out of his backpack. Combusken ran it his aid too, ignoring their opponent as they reached his side. Reaching down, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.
"No!" He cried out as he turned to the sight of Munchlax. The wild Pokémon picked out some sort of pale-grey round stone. Chomping it down in one go.
Her starter acting fast, charging into the normal type, his foot swiped underneath. Knocking the large Pokémon onto his back, he picked up the case and shut it. Running it a little bit away before stopping, creating distance between the two of them. Seeing her moment, she took out a Pokémon and tossed it.
Striking Munchlax on the head, a red light sucked them into the device. Landing on the grass it shook back and forth. She squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers. After what felt like forever a dinging sound echoed. Peeking out, she saw the device motionless on the ground. Slowly she pulled out her Pokédex:
Munchlax, The Big Eater Pokémon. The baby pre-evolution of Snorlax. Its robust stomach allows it to nonchalantly devour even rotted matter. It pays frequent visits to villages, seeking out food scraps intended for compost
Type: Normal
Ability: Pick up
Hidden Ability: Gluttony (Note: This hidden ability is currently unlocked)
Gender: Male
Nature: Lax (Note: This could change when this Pokémon evolves)
Move(s): Lick, Tackle, Defence Curl, Recycle, Covert, Bite, Stockpile, Swallow, Screech, Body Slam, Rollout, Rest, Stomping Tantrum
Held Item: Ever stone
May's Pokédex switched screens to a list of her current on hand team, although the only silhouettes were Huntail, Skitty, Altaria and Munchlax, "please select which Pokémon you wish to send back."
Glancing over the options, she had already been considering it. Not needing two normal types and not planning on using her in the contest anyway, she hit the image of her Skitty. Feeling the device teleport off her belt, she walked forward and picked up her new Pokéball. Smiling at the sight, she turned to Max.
"How are you?" she asked.
"I've been better." he dusted himself off. Picking up his collection of evolutionary stones from the trick masters competition, he frowned. "Aww man."
"I'm sorry Munchlax ate your stone... which one was it?" she asked.
"The ever stone," he sighed, closing it up before sliding it into his backpack.
"What sort of Pokémon does that evolve?" she asked.
"It doesn't... the opposite actually," he chuckled, "it absorbs evolutionary energy, preventing the holder from evolving."
"Wh-what effect will it have on Munchlax?" she asked, glancing to her Pokéball.
"I dunno..." Max shrugged. "Not let him evolve."
"I'm serious, Max, will having ate it have any sort of other effect?" she asked.
"I really don't know..." He replied, "but if your that worried, maybe we should get Nurse Joy to check him over."
Nodding in agreement, they quickly recalled the rest of their Pokémon and took off back towards the centre. As she ran ahead, she couldn't help but smile.
This is the first real thing they've done together on this journey. Of course, they did group activities and watched both of the couple compete, but she never went out with just her brother for an adventure. He might be a know-it-all, but he really helped her catch this Pokémon and didn't even try to undermine her during the battle. He's always been her annoying little brother but maybe she's been too harsh on him, all this time.
Serena walked through the berry-fields. Glancing around to the other people scattered with their Pokémon, she frowned and turned her head downwards, watching her feet move over the dirt ground. A familiar sound caused her to look up. She smiled at the sight of her boyfriend training with his team. He was shirtless and off by himself, using a sturdy tree branch to perform pull ups. Her cheeks flushed as she forced her eyes away and over to the Pokémon.
Lapras sat on the land with Snorunt on her head. The small ice type seemed to be practising ice beam, aiming it towards one of the trees. He was getting a good start with a ball of ice forming in front of his face, but the beam barely made it a foot out before dispersing into thin air.
Hopping down off her head, the transport Pokémon turned her head up. In seconds she formed and fired an ice beam straight into the air.
Swellow and Gardevoir were clearly involved in some sort of battle... if she guessed, it was to test out the new evolved form.
Numerous balls of ESP formed around the psychic fairy type, launching into the sky. Swellow skilfully evaded each of the psyshock blasts, leaving fire-work like effects in the air as her wings shimmered in metal. Diving straight down, Gardevoir rolled to the side to avoid the counterattack.
Seviper and Grovyle were over behind some of the trees. By the way Seviper seemed to be moving whilst speaking to the wood gecko, she guessed their training focused on stealth lessons for the pure grass type. Given the shielded area, it made sense.
Shaking her head, she continued on her path away from the training ground. She took in the aroma of fresh berries and the corners of her lips curled up as she remembered the cooking lessons Brock gave her back in the day. Shaking her head, she soon realised no-one else was around her. Letting out a low sigh, her facade finally faded. She slouched in her stance and let her mind wonder back to the previous day, specifically the events in mount chimney.
Her arms wrapped around her stomach and rubbed herself in a comforting manner. An icy cold core seemed to spread over her entire body.
Leaning against a tree, she felt the strong Hoenn sun beat down on her skin. The memories of the previous day chaotic drought as she and Brock battled through to mount chimney filled her mind. Shaking her head to clear the images, she squeezed her eyes tighter.
Pulling a Pokéball off her belt, she held it out and released her pure fighting type. He walked forward, slumping his feet, kicking a loose pebble away.
"Hitmontop?" she asked. He forcefully turned to the side and started walking away. Taking a small breath, she followed him, and he only stopped once her shadow appeared over. Unmoving, he remained in place. Stepping closer, she noticed his body trembling. "How are you feeling?"
No words came from the fighting type. Closing her eyes, she tried to connect their minds, but she couldn't... at least not without forcing entry. She let her powers relax and opened her eyes to stare at the back of her handstand Pokémon. She frowned as she replayed the battle against Courtney.
"It must be tough," she continued, hoping for some sort of response... but none came. She sighed. "Please Hitmontop. Let me in. I want to help you."
His head lightly shook side-to-side. Turning to the side, he walked over to a tree trunk. Resting one hand against it as his head dropped.
"What do you mean no?" she asked. "I know it's confusing... after the attract thing and-"
Her words died in her mouth as he started punching the bark. Splinters shot off, but she noticed no form or stance in his attack pattern. Grabbing the tree with both hands, he proceeded to smash his head forward. Bashing it straight into the wooden trunk with thuds echoing from each blow.
"Whoa! Hitmontop stop!" She ran to his side, grabbing one hand to pull him. She couldn't help but gawk at the dent left where he headbutted.
Pulling his hand back, she stumbled slight as her eyes focused on his red-flushed face. Tears welled in his eyes, and a small trail of blood leaked out of his nose. His entire body seemed to be trembling, specifically his bottom lip which chattered with the rest of his mouth.
Closing her eyes, she sent out a pulse of ESP. Entering his mind once more, she noticed the defence from before had faded.
A small Tyrogue stood in front of her. The world morphed into a mountainous forest which she recognized from the place she originally met the handstand Pokémon. Turning around, the fighting type took off and she followed, making their way towards a lake.
She smiled at the sight of him playing with a Marill. They were in the water, splashing each other. Laughing without a care in the world.
The sky skimmed overhead turning it tonight. Looking back, both Pokémon were lying on the grass, looking up to the starry sky
"Will we be friends forever?" Marill asked.
"Of course." Tyrogue smiled, the two holding each other's hands. A small blush coloured the fighting types cheeks.
Another flash and they're in a wooded area. Tyrogue and Marill seem to be having a fun battle, each laughing as they traded attacks. The fighting type seemed to get the better end, pinning the water fairy type down to the ground. His cheeks heating up once more as he stared down at his opponent.
A bright light engulfed Marill, and he evolved into an Azumarill. The battle continued with it turning more in the aqua rabbits Pokémon's favour.
This eventually lead to Tyrogue's own evolution. Just as she expected, he was none-other than her own Hitmontop but much younger.
Everything flashed by and she found herself back in the mountainous forest. A Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee were beating up Azumarill. It wasn't a normal battle either. Blood stained the ground. Each taking turns in landing painful blows. For his own part... Azumarill didn't even seem conscious at this point.
"S-stop." Hitmontop squeaked from behind them, tears filling his eyes. "H-he's my fr-friend."
"Heh, runt. Glad you made it." the Hitmonchan smirked, picking up one of the bloody water fairy type. "I would offer you a punch, but you was too slow."
"But this is a good time to continue your training." Hitmonlee, swung his foot and kicked the other Azumarill out of sight. "Namely you need to remember that whenever you find these or ones like them-"
"Wh-why?" he asked. "Azumarill is-"
"A fucking fairy fagot!" Hitmonchan cut him off.
"They're the scum off the earth," Hitmonlee added, "what they're doing is vile and filthy. It's wrong and you can't let them get away with it."
"B-but he's never h-hurt you-u," he stuttered.
"Their sort hurts us by existing!" Hitmonchan stomped his foot down. Leering down on the pure fighting type. "Why are you defending this bastard?"
Unable to watch his memory any further, she ran forward. Extending out her powers to push them away. The entire overworld seemed to disappear, leaving just herself and Hitmontop. His expression and demeanour matched that in the real-world, with tears streaming out of his puffy-red eyes.
"Hitmontop... listen to me." She kneeled down to his level, cupping his cheek with one hand. "I just want to talk with you. Hitmontop."
"W-what do you want?" he asked.
"I just need to talk with you... without your brothers, okay," she explained, "I need to speak with you."
"I-I'm not strong enough," he stuttered, "wh-why do you keep me? Y-you would be-e"
"Keep calm." She purposely took a deep breath and release just to help visualise it for him. "I need to speak with you."
"I-I can't. I'm-I. I caan't-"
"Yes, you can." She spoke louder over his trembling voice.
"N-no I can't! No! I-I can't!" Drops of spit hit her body as she conversed with his meant being. Tears streamed out of his bloodshot eyes and down his red-flushed cheeks. "Why do you want me?! I'm stupid! Disgusting! Filthy! I-I'm-"
"Hitmontop!" She tried to drown out his self-hatred ranting. "Listen to me!"
"I'm vile! Sinful! Broken!"
"Nothing is wrong with you!" His bottom lip trembled, and eyes widened as he stared back. Shuffling forward, she pulled him into a hug. Wrapping her arms around his back, she rubbed him in a comforting manner and whispered, "nothing."
Blinking. Lights flashed. She found herself back in the real world and her fighting type was nuzzling his head into her stomach. Sobs bellowed out as she felt the tears against her midriff. Her heart ponded harder against her chest as tears of her own filled her eyes.
"It's okay... let it out," she encouraged, patting his back. "Just let it out."
Comforting the handstand Pokémon, she let her own thoughts wonder. For a while she considered finding some nice island or location and letting the fighting type go. Maybe even returning to the mountain in Johto, after the trouble he caused for herself and her Pokémon but after losing Courtney to the battle of mental torment, she couldn't turn her back. He might have a warped view for the world but considering his brothers... she can't leave him now.
May ran as she passed through the doors into the Pokémon centre. Upon reaching the desk where Nurse Joy stood, she put the two devices down, "can you help us? I caught Munchlax but Combusken got hurt and Munchlax ate an ever stone."
"Certainly," she nodded. Taking Combusken's device, she handed it off to a Chansey, who took it off into the backstage.
Picking up the other Pokéball, she followed the pinked haired nurse into the backstage. Being lead into a room with some sort of machine and a bed, she followed Joy's instructions and released the normal type onto the bed... only to find him fast asleep.
"I-I'm sorry, Nurse Joy, I didn't know he had-" she gasped, her cheeks burning bright red.
"Hehe, it's okay dear." Nurse Joy chuckled. "After a tough battle, it's only natural for the Pokémon to recover in their own, natural ways."
She rubbed some sort of gel over the big eater Pokémon's stomach before pulling out some sort of scanning device which had a wire connected to a computer monitor. Turning the hand-held item on, she pressed it against the normal type's stomach. She watched with bated breath as some sort of image which she couldn't really describe. Maybe the best comparison would be the fuzzy screen of a television when unable to find a satellite connection.
"What is that thing?" she asked.
"It's a super-sonic-scanner," she explained, "based on echolocation used by several Pokémon, most notably the Zubat family. It allows me to look into his stomach with ease. It's also the machine we use when looking at unborn babies or eggs in Pokémon cases. Now let's see what we've got here."
"What does that image mean?" she asked.
"It shows me that the ever stone has passed safely down to his stomach and his stomach acid will safely dissolve the item," she explained. "It'll take time, months at a minimum but since it's safely passed. He's no longer at risk of his internal organs being damaged."
"That's good." She sighed, relaxing in her stance.
"But it does lead us to the next concerns," she replied, putting the device down. "Obviously an ever stone absorbs evolutionary energy and being inside, even once dissolved by his stomach acids, he'll still experience the effects and will likely never evolve as a result. We could surgically remove the item but given the current situation, all none-emergency procedures have been put on hold. Going through the surgy could also lead to their own complications."
"What if we don't operate?" she asked.
"Munchlax should live a full life but will never evolve," she replied, "this isn't a choice you should make lightly and while we've got time, once it's been exposed for long enough, even removing the stone won't return his ability to evolve... let me leave you alone to weigh up your options."
She watched as the nurse stepped out of the room and she took a seat in one of the open chairs. Relaxing back down, she turned to see her normal type asleep on the bed. Letting out a long breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. Where should she even start with this? She doesn't even know much about Munchlax other than he likes food. Is evolution something he's been dreaming and striving towards or-
A patter of footsteps caused her to open her eyes. She looked around to see Munchlax stood next to the door, struggling to jump up and grab the handle. He stopped and turned to look at her. He plastered a cheesy smile over his face and gave a small wave.
"Munchlax." She moved closer and kneeled beside the normal type. "You remember that rock you ate before?"
He tapped his finger on his chin for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Stopping and giving an enthusiastic nod to answer her. "Lax!"
"Well, that happened to be something called an ever stone. It works by ciphening off evolutionary energy and preventing the process from completing," she explained, "whilst it's in your stomach, you won't be able to evolve. Which is where why we're here. Either you have it removed with an operation or you don't, we already checked and it's no danger outside of the prevented evolution, but the operation would come with its own risks."
"Munch?" He tilted his head to the side.
"I may be your trainer, Munchlax, but this will end up affecting you way more." She closed her eyes and sighed. "So, the choice is yours. We've got a little time, but we need to answer before the stone is destroyed by your stomach acid. Whatever you pick, I'll support-"
"Munch-lax, munch-lax, munch-lax-"
She opened her eyes to see the big eater slumped against the door. A snooze bubble sticking out of his nose.
Her mouth dropped and she froze in place, her eyes stung with tears as she watched her newest team member... this is serious, and he just fell asleep?!
"Munchlax!" She cried, causing him to snap back. Hitting the door, he woke up. "How could you just fall asleep after that?"
He shrugged with a dismissive tone. "Lax."
"Don't you care that you might never evolve?!" she asked.
His lips pinched together, and chin raised slightly. Shaking his head to emphasis his answer. His stomach growled and he turned to hold his stomach.
She relaxed back into the seat let out a long breath. Wiping her face with her hand, she peaked over to watch the normal type. She isn't mad about his decision. Having an operation is a big commitment and she can totally understand not wanting to go through it. It's just his none-chalant reply, like deciding on what to eat is a far more important decision. Shaking her head, she stood up and opened the door. Stepping out, she found Nurse Joy just down a bit.
"Have you both had time to think it over?" she asked, walking back to them, "remember we have a little time if you need more."
"I don't think we do," she replied, "since I only just met Munchlax, I let him make the decision. And he doesn't want to go through it."
"Very well, some Pokémon just aren't too bothered about evolving and it's possible that things end up much worst for him." She nodded, turning to walk down the corridor. "Let me lead you back to the lobby in that case. I would say you've got a couple months to change your mind before the point of no return."
"Thanks Nurse Joy, we'll keep our minds on it." She smiled, walking in silence for a couple moments. "Do you know anything about the Pacifidlog contest?"
"It's taking place in three week's time," she explained, "we're hopeful the whole Hoenn will be in a better place by then, but most gyms and other competition locations are on a similar hiatus. As for the grand festival, actually all major competitions are under rescheduling, so we don't know when they announce it."
Continuing down the corridor, she felt a small hand reach up into her hand. She turned to see Munchlax and offered him a small smile. He can actually be quite sweet. Turning back to face ahead, she figured they'd just spend the weeks waiting here since Hoenn is kinda on hold now. Upon walking back into the lobby, she found her brother in one of the waiting chairs, but he shot up and ran towards her in a blink of an eye.
"So how is Munchlax?" Max asked as she walked back out with her newest team member.
"He's alright but he won't be evolving," she replied, "the surgery would come with risks and given the disasters we don't know when we'll actually get to it. I also checked with this one and he doesn't seem fussed about evolving anyway so we just decided if it's not harming him, not to worry."
"Snorlax are really strong Pokémon." He shrugged. "But I bet Munchlax would work better for contests anyway. So, let's get going."
"Where are we going?" she asked, taking off after her little brother.
Instead of getting an answer, he just laughed, and she was forced to follow. Walking down one of the corridors of the centre, they found their way into a kitchen area with a couple familiar faces. Namely Brock and his Vibrava, who wore one of the white puffy chef's hats.
"Hey guys," the doctor-in-training smiled. Walking around the counter, he kneeled beside Munchlax and scratched the top of his head. "It's nice to meet you too, Munchlax."
"Munch!" He beamed, with a dazed smile on his face.
"I bet your excited to see what your smelling, huh?" he asked with a knowing look. Standing back up, he turned to see Vibrava holding a bowl of little pink block items within. He took it and thanked his dragon ground type. Taking one out, he held it down to the normal type. Accepting the item, he popped it into his mouth and swallowed in one bite. Seconds later, his stomach expanded, and he let out a relaxed sigh. "So what'cha think?"
"Munch-Lax."
"What was that, Brock?" May asked.
"It's a sweet treat called Pokéblock." He handed herself and Max a piece each. "Try it."
"Isn't it Pokémon food?" she asked.
"It's suitable for both humans and Pokémon," he replied. Shrugging, she tried the pink block and smiled at the sweet flavour exploding in her mouth. She swallowed the food and moments later, her stomach felt bloated. Placing a hand on her belly, she smiled.
"That's sweet," she replied, "but-"
"Your full?" he asked.
"Yeah." She nodded.
"While the flavour comes from berries, the actual structure came from Professor Oak," he explained, "you see, he designed it to help fill up Ash's and Drake's Snorlax's without breaking the bank. He's worked with a chef from Kalos to get it just right without harming the Pokémon. It works by expanding upon being hit with water. Of course, it doesn't have full nutritional value so regular meals are still needed for a proper diet."
"This will certainly make feeding Munchlax much easier." She smiled, kneeling down to pat her new Pokémon on the head.
"And I bet Pokéblock will make a good motivation for training," Max added.
"What'cha mean?" she asked.
"You saw in your battle, remember," he replied, "Munchlax was really motivated by the food. Snorlax are known for being difficult Pokémon for trainer's to handle and getting them proper training is a big part of that. But with the right motivation, they can become some of the strongest Pokémon alive!"
"You know a lot about them," she mumbled.
"Of course." He beamed. "You remember dad's Slaking. He was always talking about how they're more difficult then Snorlax remember!"
"Right." She rolled her eyes, silently remembering the times she ignored her dad when he went on about Pokémon. A smile formed on her lips as she refocused on her little brother. "So, Max! What do you say to helping me train?"
"You want me to help you?" he asked.
"It's mostly thanks to you that I caught Munchlax, and I bet having your knowledge will really help with getting him ready," she smiled. "And even though we've got three weeks until the contest. Why should we wait. I'm not entire sure who I'll use yet, but I can start training everyone."
"That's very mature of you, May, asking for help is nothing to be ashamed off." Brock commented. "And with three weeks of straight training, I bet all your team will be ready for the contest by the day it arrives."
"Let's do this then!" Max cheered.
Taking off out of the kitchen, she smiled and bid Brock goodbye. Taking a small bag of Pokéblock with her in case the big eater Pokémon got hungry again, she followed him with the normal type by her side. It didn't take them long to make it outside towards the battlefields behind the centre, next to the ocean where her brother stood with his team of three already out. Smiling at the sight, she took a moment to send out the rest of her team except Combusken who was resting with Nurse Joy after his previous battle.
Huntail went into the water to practise her battling ability. With Ozone floating over to be her battle-partner.
Beautifly and Altaria took off into the sky, working on aerial combat. Flying a little bit away to prevent their moves from interrupting the others.
"Okay Bulbasaur, I want you to keep practising the performance we were trying before," she told her grass poison type. Nodding in understanding, she took off towards a secluded portion of the field. While she'd like to give her pointers, they have already choreographed it, so the best thing is to give her time to master the plan. Only once she has it down can they add the finishing touches. Smiling at the seed Pokémon, she turned back to the others. "Alright Max, you're the expert with the species so what have you got?"
"Firstly, you need to remember that Munchlax's style won't be like any of your Pokémon," he explained, "most of your battling Pokémon are head on attackers like Combusken, Mightyena or even Altaria but as we saw earlier, Munchlax is far more defensive."
"How does that help us?" she asked.
"Just because it's different doesn't mean its worst. I would start any battle by setting up stockpile," he continued, "as you saw, it really helped him take most of Combusken's hits and then some. Being able to outlast his opponents should give him a real edge and help you gain control over the pace."
"And this'll work in a contest how?" she asked.
"That's your job to figure out," he replied, "I never claimed to be a coordinating expert or anything. This is just regular battle tactics. Now why don't we get this practise underway. Best way to figure out a winning strategy is through battling. I'll switch between Geico and Shade while you figure it out."
"This hardly seems fair," she mumbled before sighing, shaking her head and smiling back in a matter of seconds. It wouldn't be fair for her brother to figure it all out when Munchlax is her Pokémon. His advice is general since he knows as much about this specific Pokémon as herself so he couldn't be more detailed.
"And don't forget about his already built-in combinations," Max added, moving back to create a makeshift battlefield, "like defence curl and rollout!"
Smiling at the sight, she watched as the two Pokémon took turns to attack Munchlax. At first, she watched him respond, with using minimum effort to either avoid or count the blows. Even just taking the bullet seed into the stomach and scratching himself from the blow.
Before she could instruct a counter the duo, a slow clap echoed. All five of them of them stopped and turned to see Drew approaching with a cocky smirk on his face.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
"Just checking in." He shrugged, sticking his hands into his pockets. "I've missed you since the abrupt ending in Lilycove."
"Abrupt?" she asked with a raised voice. Her hand tightened and turned white. "You cheated on me a-and it didn't look like you was missing anything earlier!"
"You mean Erica?" he asked, turning to the side. "That was just some fun. It didn't mean anything."
"H-how could you be so heartless?!" She yelled with tears stinging her eyes.
"Everyone see's multiple people. No biggie." He turned and kneeled down to Munchlax's level. "I see you got a new Pokémon. Do you plan on using him in the contest?"
"I-I don't know." She stuttered.
"It would be a great way for you to prove yourself before the grand festival," he replied, "just think. Any true top coordinator could make any Pokémon a winner in that time. What better way to gain entry and win your fifth ribbon?"
Pinching her lips together, her eyes glanced down to the normal type. He already proved he was tough against Combusken but hardly a stylish battler... but she couldn't deny the satisfaction she'd feel with a victory like that. As her thoughts continued, Drew stood up and walked away.
"Munch Munchlax!" Her newest team member waved him off. If nothing else, he was certainly friendly.
"Okay Max!" She turned towards her brother. "Change of plan! We need to get Munchlax ready for the contest!"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked. "I think Drew is just trying to trick you into a mistake. Remember Harley?"
"Of course, I remember Harley and I don't trust Drew either," she replied, "but I don't need to decide who I'll use now. And who knows, Munchlax might surprise us. I just want to see if I could at least get him ready for the battle round and I'll need your help to do it!"
"Let's do this!" He cheered, throwing a fist into the air. "I'd like to wipe that smug look off his face myself, but this is the next best thing!"
"Great!" She gave a small skip. "So, what're you thinking?"
"Let's start with teaching Munchlax a new move," he replied, "it should be long ranged since he's pretty much stuck to close up fighting right now... and due to normal types versatility, we should pick an element he doesn't currently have... hmm."
"What move are you thinking off?" she asked.
"Come on, let's go to Ozone and Huntail." He smiled, walking towards the duo. "I think I might know just the move."
Thanks for reading... Please Favourite, Follow and Review. Also, feel free to ask any questions through PM, I will answer them all, although don't expect too big of spoilers. Don't forget to vote in the polls. I really appreciate the support. Thank you and see ya next time...