Chapter 9: Grievous Gluttony

"Tessa. Wake up, Tessa."

"Nnnggrrgghh..."

"Come on Tessa. You can wake up now. It's alright. Mom's here."

Tessa's eyes shot open and she sat up. She found herself on a cliff, looking out over a sprawling green field. A star-filled, twilight sky hung above her. And a full moon cast the cliffside in a soft, bright-blue light.

"M-Mom?" Tessa squeaked. She rubbed her eyes and blinked several times. A lithe Lucario stood in front of her. She had a single fang protruding from the top-left portion of her mouth and a white, diamond-shaped patch of fur in the center of her forehead. There was a lavender bandana around her neck, with a gold explorer's badge clipped to it. Tessa took in the sight for a few moments before her vision turned watery. She sprinted forward, watching the blob of tan, black, and blue steadily draw closer. Lucario knelt down, opening up her arms and wrapping her daughter in an embrace.

"I… I don't understand," Tessa sniffled. "Nobody knew where you were. How are you here?" Lucario clasped Tessa's chin and lifted it so their eyes met. She wore a frown on her face. Tessa's ears and aura feelers drooped.

"Y… you're not actually here, are you?" Tessa hiccupped. She brought a paw up toward her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tessa. You're dreaming right now," Lucario replied. "This was the only way I could safely reach out to you."

Tessa's heart sank. "Then… you're not coming home?"

"I can't, Tessa," Lucario said. "Not for a while. There's something important that I'm in the middle of. But, as you can see, I'm perfectly safe. You don't have to worry about me. I can look after myself."

"Does… does this all have to do with why you left?" Tessa asked.

Lucario nodded. "Tessa, words can't express how sorry I am that I lied to you about why I was leaving. I wanted nothing more than to tell you what was happening. But I had to make sure that everything was safe before I tried contacting you."

"But what are you doing, then? What's so big that you couldn't tell anyone in the guild about it?" Tessa asked. "Please, Mom. I need to know."

Lucario took a deep breath. "It's complicated, Tessa. To keep it simple, a certain Pokémon approached me to ask for my help. So, I'm working with a very special group to make sure this Pokémon stays safe."

"Oh," Tessa whispered. "Well… that's… um… something. How much longer do you think you need to be away for?"

"I can't really say, sweetie," Lucario replied. Tessa whimpered. Lucario brought up her paw and started rubbing her daughter's head. "But… I think I should be able to keep contacting you like this. So, at least we can stay in touch." She gave Tessa a reassuring smile, but Tessa couldn't return it. "I know it's not ideal, Tessa. But we'll make do." She sighed. "I can't say the same about Gallian, though. I tried to reach out to him the same way, but…"

"Mom… Gallian's gone."

Lucario's face blanched. "T-Tessa, what are you–?"

"He left, Mom," Tessa elaborated. "A couple of weeks after you did. He just walked out on the guild."

Lucario bit her lower lip. "I see." She brought her paw down to Tessa's shoulder. "And how are you holding up?"

"I'm, uh, doing okay, I suppose," Tessa mumbled. She grabbed her scarf and twisted it to show off her bronze explorer's badge. "I'm part of the guild now."

A smile crept across Lucario's muzzle. "Oh, Tessa, that's wonderful news!" She leaned over and nuzzled Tessa's neck. "I wish I could've been there to…" Her voice trailed off as her daughter looked down at the grass. "Tessa, is something wrong? Is someone giving you trouble?"

"N-No." Tessa shook her head. "Just… y'know… having a bit of trouble finding my footing, that's all. You and Dad… set the bar pretty high."

Lucario sighed. "That shouldn't matter, Tessa. Just try to be the best explorer you can be. So, are you flying solo or on a team?"

"A team."

"You've made yourself a friend, then?"

"Err… not exactly," Tessa muttered. "My partner and I just sort of… ran into each other." She fidgeted nervously with her scarf. "He's, uh, a Vulpix." To Tessa's surprise, Lucario's eyes widened. "Mom, is everything okay?"

Lucario's muzzle stiffened. "Tessa… where did you meet him?"

"Um, over at Azure Cape. Is… is that important?"

Lucario placed her other paw on Tessa's free shoulder. "I need you to listen to me. You need to distance yourself from Vulpix."

"But… he's my teammate."

"Then find another one," Lucario stated sternly.

"M-Mom, I can't just abandon him like that," Tessa said. "His situation's a bit… unusual."

"Then you need to keep your eye on him, understand? Do not trust him," Lucario declared.

Tessa's brow furrowed. "How do you know about my teammate, mom?"

"It's the Pokémon I'm helping protect," Lucario replied. "She told me that she sensed a Vulpix with an unnatural aura appear in Horizon. She believes that Pokémon will be a lightning rod for the kind of trouble we're trying to keep her safe from."

Tessa bit her lower lip. Was this really happening? Her mom knew about her partner. And she considered Vulpix a threat of some sort? "Mom, isn't there anything else you can tell me?"

Lucario shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

"Why not?"

Lucario sighed. "It's tough to explain. I don't want you knowing too much, sweetie. Because I'm trying to protect this Pokémon from something that's far more active in Horizon right now than it is where I'm hiding. And if whatever's causing problems back home catches you, it'll figure out what I'm doing and where I am. And that could put all of us in grave danger."

Tessa wasn't satisfied with that response. She opened her mouth to ask another question when her mom cut in, "I'm afraid our time's just about up."

"Already?" Tessa squeaked. "But… but I have so much to tell you!"

Lucario nuzzled Tessa's neck once more before standing back up. "Don't worry, Tessa. I'll reach out to you again soon. I promise." She stepped back toward the edge of the cliff.

"Mom!" Tessa cried, lunging forward. She skidded to a halt as a pair of dark-blue, golden-rimmed, crescent-shaped wings unfurled behind her mother.

A loud screech echoed across the clifftop, followed by a blinding flash of blue light.

~Aeon Observatory~

"Tessa? Hey, Tessa. Wake up!" Shane nudged Tessa with his snout. "C'mon, it's almost time for morning assembly."

Tessa's eyes opened and she pushed herself upright. "Morning already, huh?" she mumbled.

"You were really out, huh?" Shane said. "Must've been pretty tired."

"I guess so." Tessa yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Well, we'd better get moving if we want to make the assembly on time," Shane said. His tails wagged as he turned toward the door. "Wonder what they're gonna have us do today?"

Tessa frowned as she followed her partner out into the hall. 'That dream I had. It felt so real. Does that mean I was actually talking with mom? And, if so, what should I do about Vulpix? I mean… he has managed to get us both into a fair bit of trouble in such a short time. Maybe mom was telling the truth?'

"Hey, Riolu. I got us a spot over here!" Shane called with a friendly wave.

'I guess I should just do what Mom suggested and keep an eye on him,' Tessa concluded, approaching Shane. They both turned toward the Guildmaster's office as Braviary cleared his throat.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind y'all that tomorrow is the big expedition!" Braviary announced to the assembled guild members.

"Which is why you just announced it anyway, right?" Togedemaru heckled, drawing laughter.

"Har, har, very funny. But yer forgetting I've got the power to pull any of y'all off this expedition," Braviary said. That promptly shut everyone up, though Togedemaru jutted out her lower lip in her best pouting effort. "Now then, the last thing we're needing is some rations. Luckily, Steenee will be attending to that today. That means the dining area is off limits. So, y'all are on yer own fer meals. Maybe try out something new in Crabrawler's Café. Just don't come complaining to me." He spread his wings. "That'll be all. Now, get out there and show 'em what yer made of!"

"Hooo-rah!"

The assembly broke up and Shane turned to Tessa. "So, what do you think's on tap for today?"

As if the universe had heard him, Steenee approached the duo. "Ah, Team Radiance, right? Just the folks I wanted."

"Um, can we help you with something?" Shane asked.

"Why, yes. You've been assigned to work with me today. We'll be gathering food and supplies for tomorrow's expedition from the Kecleon Shop and Dewdrop Woods. And then, of course, preparing it for the trek," Steenee explained. "You guys should drop off your stuff at Dhelmise Depot. I'll bring everything we need and I wouldn't want you to accidentally lose any important inventory."

Shane's ears drooped. "Aww, Dewdrop Woods again? I hate that place," he groaned.

"Is that whining I'm hearing?" Steenee gasped. "You can't just expect to dart all around the Horizon Continent right from the get-go, y'know."

"It's not that," Shane complained.

"He's, uh, had a bit of a rough time in our past trips to Dewdrop," Tessa mused.

"Rough? I fell in a pond. I got an apple smashed on my face. Not to mention I ended up lathered in disgustinglysticky honey," Shane recalled. "I just got my fur all nice and fluffed, so–" His eyes widened. "–Oh god, I'm totally turning into girl!" He smacked his head against his shoulder. "Turn off, you stupid Vulpix brain!"

"Actually, I can understand. I believe coat pristineness is a source of personal pride for Vulpixes," Steenee said.

"Yeah, well I hate these dumb Vulpix instincts," Shane growled. He craned his neck upward and shouted, "You couldn't have made me something cool, like a Charmander or a Torchic or, better yet, a Riolu?"

"Um, but Vulpixes are cool," Tessa pointed out. "They're ice-types, after all."

A vein bulged out of Shane's forehead. Tessa recognized the look in her partner's eyes and ran out of the room laughing. Shane gave chase, barking, "YOU THINK I'M GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH A PUN LIKE THAT? YOU GET BACK HERE AND TAKE THIS POWDER SNOW LIKE A 'MON!"

Steenee blinked in shock.

"Yeah, they're a real winning team, alright."

~Dewdrop Woods~

"Aww, come on!"

Shane jumped back toward a nearby tree and started brushing his right flank against the bark.

"I told you guys to warn me before you start tossing berries all willy-nilly," he whined. Shane backed away from the tree and glanced at his side. Streaks of purple lined his snow-white fur. "This is getting ridiculous. Do the powers that be just have a cruel sense of humor or something?"

Tessa walked by cradling an armful of berries. "Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "You're not so special that the Original One just sits there thinking of ways to make you unhappy."

"I was being rhetorical," Shane groaned.

"Sorry about that," Steenee said. "I'd have held onto the forage bag myself but, well, you kind of don't have any hands and that makes it tough for you to pick berries."

Shane's left eye twitched.

"Psst… I wouldn't bring that up if I were you," Tessa whispered. "He's kinda sore about having four legs."

"First thing I'm doing when I return to being a human is kissing my opposable thumbs," Shane sighed. "Oh, the things I've taken for granted all my life."

Steenee picked up her forage bag and deposited her pile of berries into it. Tessa followed suit. "So, what do we have left to get?" she asked.

"Just some Perfect Apples for Braviary," Steenee replied.

"Hey, we actually know where the Perfect Apple tree is!" Tessa chirped. "Don't we, Vulpix?"

"Oh no." Shane shook his head. "I'm staying as faaaaaaaaaar away from that thing as possible. You two can deal with the Perfect Apples."

"Aww, but Shane, your Extrasensory is perfect for knocking them free of that super-tall tree," Tessa exclaimed. "Can't you just help us out a little bit?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

Shane turned his snout skyward. "No way. I can read the stars, and they're telling me I'm gonna end up buried under a pile of apples."

"Um, it's daytime," Steenee pointed out.

"Doesn't change a thing," Shane huffed.

"What if I buy you a mago berry sorbet when we're finished?" Tessa offered. Shane's muzzle stiffened. Tessa smirked. She appeared to have found a weak point.

"Nnnnggh… the answer's still no," Shane stammered, turning away to avoid Tessa's gaze. Tessa crossed her arms and started tapping a foot on the ground. Shane swallowed a mouthful of spit. He turned back to Tessa with a resolute gleam in his eyes. "Add in a razz berry twist or it's no deal."

"Hmm, you drive a hard bargain there, but I'll accept," Tessa giggled. "Okay, Apple Boy, let's get moving."

Shane rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure, you'll call me 'Apple Boy' but you won't call me Shane," he grumbled, turning to guide the two ladies back into the same area he had battled Trapinch and Yungoos in several day earlier. However, when the large Perfect Apple tree came into sight, Shane knew something was off. "Hey! There aren't nearly as many Perfect Apples as there were last time we were here," he gasped. "What gives?"

"Look." Tessa pointed a paw forward. "There's a pile of 'em next to the tree. Looks like you're off the hook."

Shane grinned broadly, only for that expression to immediately falter. "Wait, I still get the berry sorbet, don't I?"

Tessa shot him a smirk. "I never recall shaking on it."

"That's not fair!" Shane protested, chasing his partner down the hill toward the pile of apples. The two of them made it about halfway down the hill before a rush of frosty air shot out from the roots of the tree. Neither could get the proper traction to stop. They rolled down the hill, ending up in a pileup by the base of the tree.

"Well, well, well. See, Jangmo-o, what did I tell ya? These two are a couple of no-good crooks. Kweh heh heh!"

Shane poked his head up. "You've gotta be kidding me," he groaned. Shane spotted Sneasel sitting on the lowest branch of the tree, tossing a Perfect Apple in one hand. Jangmo-o sat beside him, eyeing the Perfect Apple pile intently.

"Yeah! Trying to steal the Perfect Apples we went through the trouble of picking," Jangmo-o huffed. "The nerve of it all."

"Team Fang!" Tessa growled, bolting to her feet. "Trying to make off with the forest's whole supply of Perfect Apples, are you?" She hiked up her scarf to hide the frown on her muzzle. 'You've got to be kidding me. Maybe Mom really is telling the truth here.'

"Hey now, we picked these things fair and square," Sneasel scoffed. "You're the ones who were about to make off with our hard work. We heard everything." He shook his head. "To think you'd stoop so low. Almost makes a guy think you have it out for him."

"Hey!" Steenee managed to catch up to Team Radiance. "The Perfect Apples here are for all Pokémon to share. You can't just make off with all of them."

"Kweh heh heh! Last I checked, there weren't no laws on the books saying how many Perfect Apples a guy could take," Sneasel cackled. "Besides, we're doing this for the good of all Pokémon. We've got, uh, this special grass-type friend, see? We're gonna plant these Perfect Apples and make a whole forest of Perfect Apple trees! Then everyone can enjoy Perfect Apples."

"But Sneasel, I thought we was gonna sell the apples for mad coin?" Jangmo-o interjected.

Sneasel's face went bright red and a vein bulged out of his forehead. "Jangmo-o, ix-nay on the oiling our plans-spay," he seethed.

"Huh? What d'ya mean?"

"It means keep your trap shut you Trubbish-for-brains!" Sneasel hissed, grabbing hold of Jangmo-o and shaking him. "Ignore my silly little friend here. He's fallen on his head a few too many times, y'see. Kweh… heh… heh…" He rubbed the back of his head, "You're, uh, not buying that, are you?"

"Not in the slightest," Shane sneered. A mouthful of frosty slush started gathering in his mouth.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Sneasel shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I was you, Snowy." He crept along the branch toward the Perfect Apple pile. "After all, if you try to attack us now, all these lush Perfect Apples will get caught. As will your precious Perfect Apple tree."

"Yeah! And if the tree gets frozen, there'll be no Perfect Apples for anyone," Jangmo-o laughed. "Good thinking, Sneasel."

"Didn't I just tell ya to shut your mouth?" Sneasel barked. "Or do I need to freeze it shut?" Jangmo-o lowered his head and shook it. "Now then." He turned back to Team Radiance. "My friend and I are going to grab some Perfect Apples and be on our way. And you three won't move so much as a muscle. Because if you do… you can kiss your tree and your precious pile of apples here goodb–"

BRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!

"… excuse you," Jangmo-o gasped.

"What? I didn't belch just then, you moron," Sneasel scoffed. "Stop trying to deflect blame. I knew I shouldn't have let you eat that weird-looking berry."

"It wasn't me, either!" Jangmo-o exclaimed. "And if it wasn't you, then–?" He glanced down at Steenee and Team Radiance. The trio shook their heads in unison. Jangmo-o's eyes widened. "Hey, Sneasel… I don't think we're alone here," he muttered. He looked down and saw the pile of Perfect Apples moving. Several apples spilled off the pile, rolling to a stop by Team Radiance.

"Aiiiiiiiyyyyyyeeeeeeee! The Perfect Apples are aliiiiiiiiiiiiiive!" Jangmo-o screeched.

Sneasel smacked Jangmo-o across the cheek. "Pull yourself together, you lout! Fruit ain't alive."

"Excuse me?" Steenee narrowed her eyes at Team Fang. As she did, the pile of Perfect Apples moved again, sending a few more rolling toward Team Radiance.

"Then again… maybe there's some creepy forest spirit?" Sneasel stammered.

"Groooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Okay, that definitely came from the apple pile," Tessa concluded, shuffling away from it.

"Hey, Sneasel?" Jangmo-o whispered. "Is it time to execute Plan R?"

"No way. We came here to get Perfect Apples. So, we ain't leaving without our Perfect Apples," Sneasel proclaimed.

Suddenly, a single bolt of electricity exploded out from the pile of apples, shattering the edge of the branch Team Fang stood on. They saw the apple pile start to fall apart. Team Radiance gave startled yelps and backpedaled from the tree, diving to the ground to avoid an apple avalanche.

"Never mind. These apples ain't worth this trouble," Sneasel panicked. "Time for Plan R!" He and Jangmo-o jumped down from the Perfect Apple tree.

"RUN AWAY!" they shouted in unison, sprinting for the cover of the forest.

"What's going on? Perfect Apples can't do things like that," Steenee gasped.

Shane rolled up to his feet and peered at where the Perfect Apple pile had once towered. He squinted. "Are those a pair of Munchlaxes?" He took a step forward, only for the Munchlaxes to lock eyes with him. Shane froze. A chill ran down his spine. "Wait... something's really wrong here!"

"I'll say! Those look nothing like Munchlaxes are supposed to!" Steenee gasped, watching as the two Munchalxes grabbed handfuls of Perfect Apples and shoved them not into their mouths, but the blue, void-like funnels sitting in the centers of their stomachs. "Did... did they just eat the apples with their bellies?!"

"Guys, I think we should get out of here!" Tessa cried, panic spreading across her face. The Munchlaxes turned their sights on Tessa, showing off the black crystals covering their faces in armor. Tessa caught sight of the extra pair of arms protruding from each Munchlax's stomach. The mouth-like pincers at the end of their extra arms snapped wildly at the air. "Steenee, we have an Escape Orb, right? Something's very wrong here!"

The Munclax duo gorged themselves on more Perfect Apples. They turned in unison and belched in the guild members' direction. "Ugggh! Peeyew!" Steenee waved a hand in front of her face. "That's noxious."

"Infect!"

Tessa's ears twitched. "Did you just say something, Shane?"

"N-No," Shane stammered. "It was them!" He pointed a forepaw forward, showing the Munchlaxes marching forward in unison.

"Infect!"

Both Munchlaxes raised their hands and their pincers. Their claws and pincers glowed simultaneously. They started to wave them back and forth.

"I know that move. That's Metronome," Shane gasped. "Anything can come of it!"

"INFECT!"

The Munchlaxes pointed their limbs forward. A stream of fire shot out from the right Munchlax. The left one extended a long, spectral tongue forward. "Look out!" Tessa cried. She tackled Shane to the ground, feeling the heat of the Flamethrower singe the fur on her back. Steenee gasped as the other Munchlax's ghostly tongue glided across her body. She immediately stiffened as electricity crackled around her.

"Steenee, quick. We need the Escape Orb!" Shane shouted.

"... paralyzed. Can't reach… bag," Steenee wheezed.

Shane and Tessa exchanged panicked expressions. "Okay, you go grab the forage bag from Steenee," Shane said. "While these two lugs are close together like this, I can hit 'em both with one Powder Snow and buy us time. Now, get moving!"

Tessa chose not to protest Shane's decision. She sprinted across the area while Shane turned and fired a wide blast of snowflakes at the Munchlaxes. However, much to his absolute shock, the duo easily skirted the attack. They split up and charged him down. 'That can't be!' Shane gasped. 'Munchlaxes are supposed to make molasses look like a turbo-powered jet by comparison!' He could see both Pokémon winding up to attack him and dove forward. He skidded across the dirt as both Chip Away punches sailed wide. Instead, the Munchlax socked themselves in their guts, right on top of their second mouths.

"Grrrraaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" they growled in unison.

Tessa squeaked frightfully. 'This is awful! Somehow, Vulpix managed to get us all in trouble again. And with more berserk Pokémon like that Meowth. I don't believe this. Mom was right!' Tessa turned away from the Munchlaxes and continued fumbling through Steenee's bag. "Aha!" She hefted the Escape Orb up in triumph. "Okay, we're outta here." But when she tapped the orb to activate its effects, nothing happened. "Uh, Steenee, is this thing broken?"

"GUYS!" Shane barked, ducking a gigantic burst of crimson energy with a look of utter terror on his face. "Can we pick up the pace a little bit, please?" He spun about and shrieked at the top of his lungs. His Roar hurtled the nearest Muchlax into its counterpart. The two slumped down in a dazed heap, giving Shane time to scramble to his partners. He scooped up and hastily downed part of a Perfect Apple, feeling some of his energy return to him in the process. "What's the hold up?"

"The Escape Orb's not working," Tessa declared. "Something's jamming it."

"How does that work?" Shane groaned. "Oh, it doesn't matter. We need Steenee on her feet. Does she have any paralysis-curing stuff on her?"

"Yeah. I've… got a… cheri berry," Steenee stammered. Tessa started rummaging through her forage bag again. But the Munchlaxes had come to. "Guuuuuuuuys… they're starting up another dual Metronome," Steenee panicked.

"Relax, they're due to have a screw-up soon," Shane scoffed. But then he spotted brilliant sheens of red and pink light gathering around the Munchlaxes' claws. "Never mind… MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" He shoved Tessa to the side and tried to grab Steenee by the forage bag and drag her away.

The Munchlaxes pointed their arms forward. A conical spiral of fire shot forward, with a dazzling pink light expanding the flames. The psionic energy caused the flames to spread out, showering Team Radiance. Shane howled in pain as wisps of fire peppered his back, leaving ugly black scorches across his fur. Likewise, Tessa yelped from flames searing her feet and sending her to the ground.

"Confusion boosted… Fire Spin?" Steenee gasped. "Something's not normal… with those Metronome attacks. They're too on-point. Like some force… is manipulating what attacks they're getting."

"I'd gladly take that over my usual bad luck shining through," Shane groaned. He noticed an oran berry had rolled out of Steenee's forage bag in the commotion and gobbled it down. He got to his feet, but quickly had to fire off a small, explosive wave of Extrasensory to damage one of the charging Munchlaxes. "Look alive, Tessa. One's coming for you!" he shouted.

His partner caught his warning. She spun around, her fist glowing bright blue. Then, she opened her palm and smacked the Munchlax's stomach-mouth. "Gnnnnaaaaaaargh!" Munchlax howled, body jiggling from the blow. He toppled onto his back, giving Tessa time to flee toward her partners.

"Thank goodness," she sighed. "After all these years, I finally got Force Palm working correctly!" Her fists glowed again as she ran down the Munchlax harassing Shane. But she didn't expect it to suddenly turn on her. It met her Force Palm with a swing of one of the black arms emerging from its gut. Its larger frame prevailed, and its Chip Away sent Tessa to the ground. It proved a short-lived victory, however, as a curtain of Powder Snow blanketed Munchlax's backside.

In fact, the rush of snowflakes quickly gave way to a fierce gust of ice-cold air. Munchlax snarled and a single, ethereal question-mark appeared over its head. The damaging effects of Shane's newly-discovered Icy Wind quickly faded. "Oh, great. Way to take the wind out of my awesome new move moment. Any more tricks you're keeping up your sleeve, big guy?" Shane groaned. He quickly ate his words, jumping to barely dodge a ghoulish tongue extending out from the Munchlax's second mouth. Meanwhile, its partner sprinted toward them, wagging its fingers as it readied a Metronome attack.

"Not this time!"

Shane and Tessa glanced over their shoulders and saw a shower of multicolored leaves batter the Munchlax, tripping it up and bringing it to the ground. Steenee landed in front of it, apparently having found her cheri berry. "You guys focus on that one," she said. "I'll try to keep this one separated from its partner." She bent down and spun the petals on her head around. A sparkling pink powder sprinkled over the Munchlax. Its ferocious gaze suddenly softened and its jaw slackened. Drool trickled out of its open mouth. "That ought to slow you down a bit," Steenee declared.

The other Munchlax would have none of this. It let out a roar and lashed out at Tessa with all four of its arms. She lacked the time to dodge and took the blow square in her chest. However, it proved too forceful for her to get her bearings straight and use Counter. Shane took a defensive stance in front of her and Roared the Munchlax away. It stumbled about in a daze, allowing Shane to run and scoop up the forage bag. He snatched up an oran berry in his mouth and tossed it to Tessa. "Here, catch!"

Tessa caught the berry in a trembling arm and scarfed it down. She rose up to her knees. "Why didn't you attack it?"

"It's used Amnesia. My attacks aren't going to do that much good," Shane reported.

"Well, my attacks aren't doing much good either," Tessa panted. "So, how do we deal with this guy?"

Shane had no time to answer as he glimpsed white light encircling the Munchlax. "Oh, crud. Not anotherMetronome!" he groaned. To his horror, he felt the ground starting to shake. A short distance away, the tremors hit Steenee, who dropped to her knees. The other Munchlax, took advantage of this to ready a Metronome of its own.

As Steenee fell to the ground, she sent a dozen razor-sharp leaves forward, pelting the Munchlax and making the Tri-Attack burst of ice, fire, and electricity that formed in its claws sail harmlessly off toward the woods. But the other Munchlax faced no resistance from Shane or Tessa. They were hurtled atop one another by the Earthquake. Shane gave a loud moan. His limbs trembled as he tried to force himself back to his feet. But he couldn't muster the energy to do so.

"Rrrggh… get off me… Vulpix!" Tessa grumbled. "We're sitting Duckletts like this."

"I'm too tired," Shane whimpered. "My legs feel like melted butter after that attack!" He looked up and saw a Munchlax bearing down on them. Shane roared it back again, buying him some time. He sucked in a deep breath and, with a pained wince, rolled onto his back. Tessa skirted free and charged down the Munchlax.

It narrowed its eyes at her and started gathering up energy for Metronome. But Tessa had no intention of letting things get that far. She flash-stepped forward with a burst of Quick Attack. Rather than striking Munchlax, however, she appeared by its side. Too focused on charging its attack, Munchlax had no countermeasures against the a Force Palm blow to its ribs. The impact sent Munchlax skidding back across the ground, directly into Steenee's line of fire. Both Munchlaxes' expressions blanched when a swarm of leaves raced forward, striking their bodies.

"Grooooooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggggh!" they roared in agony before collapsing onto their bellies.

"We… we got 'em." Steenee weakly raised a fist in victory. "How are… you two… holding up?"

She turned to see Tessa helping Shane struggle to his feet. Steenee winced at the streaks of burnt fur on Shane's back. "Goodness! We need to get back to the guild to see Comfey right away."

"I'll live," Shane grunted, leaning on Tessa for support. "I think we should bind those two Munchlaxes up and contact the guild. Guildmaster Metagross should have a look at this. Something not right with those guys."

A twinge of movement from one of the Munchlaxes made the trio jump. "No," it wheezed, "Must infect. M… Must inf–"

Its body seized up. The red moons on its ears faded and the crackling sound of shattered glass echoed through the clearing. "What's going on?" Tessa squeaked. Shane yipped from his partner squeezing his shoulder.

"Look at the Munchlaxes," Steenee gasped, pointing a hand forward. The trio watched in horror as the black crystals covering the Munchlaxes' ears faded into a thick black mist. It swirled around each of their bodies, spiraling down toward the dirt. As the mist sank into the earth, all of the color seemed to drain from the Munchlaxes' bodies.

"They're disintegrating," Shane hollered, his legs quivering. The irises and pupils on one of the Muchlax's faces dissolved off its body, following the black mist into the ground. When all of the mist faded, the two Munchlaxes lay unmoving next to one another. Their fur was nothing but different shades of gray and their eyes were now cold, hollow balls virtually indistinguishable from their gray faces.

Tessa threw her paws over her face and looked away. "S-Steenee? A-Are th-they–?"

Steenee crept forward. She gently nudged one of the Munchlax's bodies, but got no response. "I… I don't even hear any snoring. And Munchlaxes are very loud sleepers," she said.

Shane's jaw stiffened. "How could they go so suddenly from being super aggressive to… to…" He gulped. "To that?"

"Uhuu huu huu huu! What a silly question. They weren't strong enough hosts, of course."

Shane's tails stuck straight up and his fur bristled. "Wait, I recognize that voice!" He started looking about in a panic. A flash of lavender light caused Team Radiance to flinch, and then look toward the apple tree. At the base of the tree appeared the pink and black forms of Espy and Umbry, respectively. Tessa's aura feelers started to quiver.

'No. Not them again,' she thought. 'Is this what Mom meant when she said Vulpix is a lightning rod for trouble? If I stay with him… am I going to have to keep dealing with these two? I can't handle that!

Shane narrowed his eyes at Espy. "You're the jerk who tried to hurt Tessa in Aeon Town."

"Now, now." Espy shook her head. "Is that any way to talk to a lady? Hmph." She pointed her snout skyward. "I'll bet you're the kind of Pokémon who conveniently forgets his Poké when he's out on a date. Soooo not worthy of my attention."

Umbry picked up one of the Perfect Apples on the ground and stared at it disdainfully. "This was a wasted use of an Ultra Entercard, Espy. They've both got parts of that scarf on. We'd just be wasting our strength trying to infect them."

Espy pouted. "Aww, c'mon, I just wanted to play with those two a bit. What if we take Steenee home as a consolation prize?"

Steenee's cheeks puffed up at this. "Now wait just a darn second, here. I am not going anywhere with a couple of strangers." She turned to Team Radiance. "You mind explaining all of this to me?"

Tessa shot Steenee a worried look. "I… I really don't know. These two showed up out of the blue in Aeon Town a couple of nights ago and attacked me." She tried to shuffle over toward Steenee. "We… we need to see if that Escape Orb's working now."

Shane meanwhile, stared at the pair of aggressors with a look of abject horror. 'Entercards? No… that's impossible. This is just a sick coincidence. It can't be them. They were such nice characters in the games. They'd never attack innocent Pokémon like th–'

Espy's eyes glowed blue. Shane turned and saw Tessa and Steenee cry out in pain as a burst of psychic energy hammered them into the ground.

"Uhuu huu huu. Normally, I love it when 'mons get all fussy like this. But Umbry's mad at me for dragging him out here. So, either take off those scarves and surrender…" Espy narrowed her eyes at them. "… or you three are about to retire from exploring… permanently."

Shane tensed up. 'No, no, no, no! This doesn't make any sense. What kind of backwards universe did I end up in? I… I…' He threw caution into the wind and, despite his exhaustion, shot a swirling blast of Powder Snow at Espy and Umbry. He immediately booked it toward his partners. His attack fizzled out uselessly against a pair of sturdy, glimmering, pink barriers.

"Delightful! Here I was thinking you were just gonna roll over and take it, pupsicle." Espy licked her lips excitedly. "But now I get to have some real fun!"

Shane dove for Steenee's forage bag and pulled out the Escape Orb. To his delight, the item sparkled with a brilliant golden aura. "Thank heavens. Let's get out of here!" he bellowed.

Espy's eyes widened. "No! Our energy's supposed to block those things!" she hissed. "Don't just stand there, Umbry. GET THEM!" Umbry raced forward, but it was too late. A multicolored vortex surrounded Steenee and Team Radiance, sending them shooting into the sky. Umbry skidded to a halt in the dirt.

"… like I said. Wasted Ultra Entercard," he growled.

~Aeon Observatory~

"So, lemme get this straight. Y'all got attacked by a pair of rabid Munchlaxes?" Braviary asked. Shane, Steenee, and Tessa nodded in unison.

"Yeah, but when we beat them, all the color drained from their bodies in this creepy black mist," Shane exclaimed.

Tessa suppressed a shudder. "When the mist disappeared they…" She gulped. "Their bodies were just lifeless husks!"

"And that's when the two Pokémon who attacked you in Aeon Town showed up?" Braivary asked. Tessa nodded. "Hrrrrrmmmmm… and yer telling me that them Munchlaxes were like the critter who attacked the guild the other day?"

"Yes, sir. They both had red crescent-moons on their bodies, just like Meowth did," Shane reported. "And the two Pokémon who attacked Tessa had the same symbols as well."

Braviary rubbed his chin with a wing. "Which means they're definitely connected. In fact, they could even be related to the tide issues in Sunset Shoals."

"Really? Isn't that a bit of a stretch?" Steenee gasped.

"Not at all. Far back as we've been keeping records, Pokémon done lose their minds when our lands are thrown out of balance," Braviary pointed out. "And that means tomorrow's expedition is more important than we realized."

'Huh, I wouldn't have thought to make that connection. I guess that's what being a seasoned explorer's all about,' Shane thought. 'Either that, or this guy knows more than he's letting on and he's trying to play us. In which case, I'd better pay close attention to him.'

He extended a wing toward Tessa. "I want to thank y'all fer discovering this, even if it did put ya in danger. This could prove mighty helpful fer us." Tessa gave the bird a confused look but shook his wing. "Since ya done brought me this info, I'm-a go ahead and sign off on Team Radiance's guild maintenance training. Y'all are now free to go back to taking jobs."

Shane perked up a bit at this.

"I'll inform the Guildmaster of yer findings and see if he has any thoughts. Y'all are dismissed for the day," Braviary announced and walked off toward Metagross's chambers.

"Sorry about today, guys," Steenee sighed. "That really got out of hand."

"It's not your fault, Steenee," Tessa assured her. "The important thing is that we all made it back safely. Right, Vulpix?"

Shane continued to study Braviary as he entered the Guildmaster's office. "Huhwha–? Oh, yeah. Good work. Go team. All that jazz." He halfheartedly waved a forepaw around in the air.

"I don't think he actually heard me," Tessa sighed. Steenee had already left the assembly area, leaving the duo by themselves. Tessa brought her paws up to her shoulders, trying to put a stop to her shivering.

'What happened out there today. I can't really blame it on Vulpix, can I?' Tessa thought. 'I mean, it wasn't his choice to go to Dewdrop Woods. That was because of Steenee. But… if we'd gone there without him, would we have been safe?'

"Hey, Tessa, you doing okay?"

Tessa snapped to attention. "I told you not to call me that," she growled. "And… I'm fine." She crossed her arms and looked away. "I was just spacing out, that's all."

The sounds of claws scraping limestone drew the duo's attention. They looked up and noticed Null approaching them. His explorer's pouch was awkwardly slung across his helmet. "What can I do you for, Null?" Tessa asked, happy for the distraction.

Null shook his head and dropped the pouch in front of Tessa. "… my inventory," he mumbled. "I figured… we should pool resources…"

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

"… I overheard… your conversation…" Null muttered, looking down guiltily.

Tessa beamed. "… and you want to join up with our exploration team?"

"… no," Null replied bluntly. Tessa stumbled and Shane let out a sigh of relief. "… but… I think I may… go with you… for a few missions… here and there…"

Shane frowned and looked away. Tessa nodded her approval. "Well, that sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Welcome aboard." She extended a paw. "We're happy to work with you."

"Speak for yourself," Shane mumbled under his breath.

Null awkwardly extended a foreleg, allowing Tessa to realize his talons made pawshakes an impossibility. "Uh… lemme just…" Tessa wrapped her paw around Null's ankle and clumsily moved it up and down. "… there! Aha… ha…" She quickly retracted her paw. "We don't have a scarf to give you, Null. I hope that's okay," Tessa muttered.

Null craned his body to show his helmet covering up most of what would pass for his neck. "… I think… I'll manage…"

"Right. Sorry," Tessa muttered.

The trio fell into silence. Shane didn't need to be a psychic-type to tell that, even with most of the guild leaving tomorrow, Team Radiance would have plenty to talk about.

End of Episode 4

Guzzling Gluttons, Ultra Munchlax Duo
A dark force has taken these two's normally ravenous appetites and turned them positively monstrous! With the extra arms granted by the infusion of otherworldly life energy, their chaotic Metronome attacks have turned unnaturally aggressive. Hurry and stop them, Team Radiance, or they may eat every piece of food in the whole forest!

One of the biggest disappointments about Sun & Moon was the fact that Lusamine merged with a Nihilego... and a normal trainer battle followed. So, I thought it'd be fun to mix and match some Pokémon and Ultra Beasts! For this chapter, Ultra Munchlax (or Guzzlax, if your prefer). Needless to say, future battles may not follow your typical "X Pokémon uses Y move," pattern.

Next time: a blast from the past. No Dialgas or Celebis necessary!