Scene 12: Who's Got the Munchies?

Shelly is in the main room of the seaside villa sitting at the grand piano. She's now 8years old and Nick is 6. Shelly is getting better at playing the piano, though she's still got a lot to work on. Nick is in the yard practicing his close-up magic skills. Axel & Cleo are cleaning up from breakfast. Cleo walks over to tell Shelly that they're headed into the city for some shopping.

"Do you want to come with, Sweetie?" Shelly smiles, but says no. She wants to practice a bit more. Axel gives his wife a look. They both try not to laugh out loud- Shelly's never been much of a piano player. Just outside, Nick sees his parents and asks to join them. Shelly is now home all alone.

Shelly is playing for a long while before she hears something strange. Shelly stands up and walks around the villa. Perhaps she was just hearing things? Shelly returns to the piano bench. Just a few minutes pass and her family returns. Axel yelps as he enters the kitchen. Shelly hadn't checked in there. The others join him- food wrappings are everywhere and the whole place is in disarray. The others are shocked at the state of things.

"Shelly, Dear, if you were that hungry you could have just said something." Axel gives her a sad look. Nick walks in behind them, "Wow. What a mess." Cleo puts her hands on Shelly's shoulders, "It's all right, Sweetie, I understand. You are a growing young lady, after all..!"

"Huh!? Wait, no! It wasn't me!" She looks around at them all. Nick laughs at her and everyone gets to cleaning up. None of them believe her.

In the afternoon, the family leave to their private beach. With Shelly's help, Cleo packs up a beautiful picnic for the entire family. The children are running around in the water, playing, while Cleo sits sunbathing and Axel is reading a book. After a time, Axel gives a giant yawn. He stands and stretches, then runs out to the water. He starts playing with the kids, but eventually Shelly gets tired out. She's laughing as she joins her mother at the picnic. Cleo helps Shelly with some sunblock, then stands. Cleo has a bucket in her hand, "I think I'm going to look for some sea shells." She fixes her sunglasses upright and walks off. Shelly is alone again.

She stretches out on the towel and is just starting to get comfortable in the warm sun rays when she hears something strange. It takes a minute till her half-consciousness takes notice. She sits up, looking around. There's something in their picnic basket. Shelly sits up, "H-hey!" The wild Pokémon jumps and scurries off. Shelly is on her feet just as her family joins her.

"Oh my! What happened?" Cleo looks at the picnic mess. Nick laughs, "Wow..! Hungry, hey Sis?" Shelly looks back at them all, "W-what?" Axel sighs, "If you had the munchies that bad, you should have said something, Sweetie." He puts a hand on her shoulder.

"B-b-but! It wasn't me! It was that Pokémon!" They all stop and look in the direction Shelly is pointing. But there's nothing there. They get to work on cleaning up the mess, but again, no one believes her.

That night, while Shelly and Nick are being tucked in for bed, Shelly is pouting. Cleo sits on her bed as the boys are laughing. Nick, being egged on by his father, is making jokes at his sister. Cleo puts a comforting hand on Shelly's shoulder, "Don't worry about them, Sweetie. They just don't understand the hardships a beautiful butterfly must take in becoming a beautiful young lady." Shelly sighs, "That's not it, Momma." She turns around in her bed, ignoring the laughs. After a few minutes their parents leave.

Nick is deep in his sleep when Shelly hears it again. Shelly sits up quickly. Could it be the Pokémon from earlier? Shelly gets up from her bed and sneaks her way downstairs. Down in the kitchen, Shelly pokes her head around the doorway, taking notice to the backside of a small round Pokémon.

"It is the Poke'mon from the beach! It must have snuck inside the kitchen this morning, as well..!" Shelly slowly and quietly tip-toes her way closer and closer to the open fridge. Last minute, the wild Pokémon hears Shelly's footsteps. It turns, both staring at one another. Shelly jumps. The Pokémon is flailing around as Shelly holds on desperately. They crash into the cabinets, upsetting some of the dishes and counter decor. All the ruckus wakes the whole household.

After a moment, the light shines on the two of them. Cleo and Axel are shocked to see Shelly with the Pokémon. Nick appears at the doorway. "It's a Pokémon!" Shelly and the Pokémon finally stop, both exhausted from the struggle, "Yeah! The Pokémon I was telling you about!" And suddenly, they all believe what Shelly had told them before. Things settle down after Cleo makes a few sandwiches for the wild little Pokémon.

They sit around at the kitchen island together. After a quick online search, they discover the Pokémon is a Munchlax. Munchlax is happily content with its midnight snack. And after a bit of a conversation, they decide to keep the Munchlax as a friend. Nick and Axel apologize to Shelly for not believing her in the first place. Shelly turns to Munchlax, "So what do you say? Do you want to join our family? You can have all the food you want here!"

"As long as you clean up after yourself, that is." Axel laughs. And after that day, Shelly had a new friend and a new Pokémon to call her own.