Munchlax and Combee

Swaying green and tan grass framed a clear blue sky. A coneflower waved in and out of his vision. A short distance away, a river babbled along on its way to the sea. He yawned. Being around noon, it was warm with a soft breeze. Was it worth waking up completely?

He was hungry.

That decided everything. He sat up and looked around. Only a couple months old, his pointed ears were all that showed over the tall grass. He had dull blue fur that blended into the area well. It would turn red when he was older and better able to handle other Pokemon. For now, he was just a Munchlax.

Sniffing around, he searched for some food that was nearby. If he had to, he'd travel for food. But he'd rather not. He'd rather get the closest food available so that he wasn't hungry for long. There were a variety of scents around. The clearest was the sweet call of honey.

Honey... that was the most perfect food he could think of. Sweet and thick, golden and sticky, there was nothing that came close. Licking his lips, Munchlax got up and toddled through the grass towards the alluring scent.

Annoyingly, it moved about the field. It would go, pause for a little while, go, pause for a little while... and not in a pattern that Munchlax could decipher. He turned to follow it, but the scent would take off again. He'd go in that direction and it would be headed another way. Feeling dizzy, he plopped into a sitting position and followed the scent visually.

In time, the scent came straight for him. A yellow Pokemon came buzzing through the grass. It stopped by a sunflower and spent some time gathering pollen. Munchlax looked at it. The honey scent was definitely with this one. "Excuse me."

"I'm busy," the Pokemon said. "Can't stop, must finish by day's end."

"What're you doing... um, Bug?"

"I'm a Combee. I'm harvesting pollen in order to make honey. I have to make enough honey, so I must keep working."

"Oh... you make honey? That's very impressive."

Combee seemed pleased at that, as he made a quick buzz. "Yes, that's what I do. We do, precisely, but I'm the awake one. I gather the pollen and place it in one of my triplet brothers. He transforms it into honey." He moved back from the sunflower and pointed up. "The right one has completed making honey, but the left one needs more pollen, then more time."

"Ah. What do you do with the honey?"

"I give it to Vespiquen. She needs a lot to feed the entire hive."

"Oh, so you make enough to feed the hive?"

"Well if I made just enough for my contribution, that would disappoint her. I do not want to disappoint Vespiquen. So I make as much as I can. When I go back to deposit what my right triplet has made, I will go to sleep and he will be the awake one doing the gathering. If we keep working like this, we'll make lots of honey and greatly please Vespiquen."

Munchlax's stomach grumbled. He patted it, trying to get it to quiet down. "Is it that important to please her?"

"Of course! She is the most powerful of our hive. She is our mother and protector. She needs a lot of honey for everyone, from the grubs to us workers, to her guards, and even herself."

"But you said you make more than you need to."

"Yes, just in case."

"Would you mind sharing some?"

Although he said that his other two selves were asleep, all three pairs of eyes glared at him. "No! Can't share! I must work hard to finish the day's work. If I share, it will take hours to catch back up."

Munchlax was disappointed. Perhaps... "What about tomorrow?"

"That is a new day. I will have to gather more pollen and make more honey."

"And the day after?"

"Make more honey."

"And then after that?"

"Make more honey."

"Do you ever take a break?" He scratched his head. "When do you relax and enjoy the world?"

"No breaks are allowed, under Vespiquen's rule," Combee insisted. "We follow her orders, for she knows what is best for everyone. I enjoy my work. I enjoy the flowers and the process of making honey. It gives sweet dreams and satisfaction. When do you work?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You look like you don't do any work unless you have to."

"I work," he said, thinking over the concept. "I go from place to place to find food. I sleep if there's nothing to be done. And I hit anybody that tries to hit me."

"That's not work. Work keeps you busy every day. Work gets things done and makes you satisfied with it."

"Food makes me satisfied. Honey would really make me satisfied."

Combee shook himself. "Why are you looking for food anyhow? You smell like berries."

"I do?"

"And other things." The Bug flew up to him and plucked out a Bluk berry. "You have this."

Munchlax took it; it was a little warm from sitting under his long fur. "Oh this? It must be one I picked yesterday." He ate it.

"So why didn't you eat it before?"

He thought carefully for a minute. "I... forgot."

"You forgot that you had a Bluk berry? Can't you smell it?"

"Um, not really."

Combee fluttered to his other side and nodded at something. "And what's that brown junk?"

He lifted his arm to see. "Oh... that's peanut butter. I think. I had it a couple of days ago."

"And then there's," he flew down towards Munchlax's belly, then flinched. "Now that's just gross. You need a bath, badly. Do you forget all the food you hide on you?"

"Mostly. It's a nice surprise when I find it."

"And you ate that berry?" Combee gagged. "Sorry, I'll stick with the honey my hive gathers."

"May I have some?"

"No!" The Bug flew off.

"How unneighborly." Munchlax stuck his claws in the peanut butter, sniffed it, then licked it. "Maybe a bath would be a good idea. Maybe there will be something to eat near the river." He lumbered off towards the sound of water.

…

Munchlax Pearl entry: It hides food under its long body hair. However, it forgets it has hidden the food.

Combee Platinum entry: The trio is together from birth. It constantly gathers honey from flowers to please Vespiquen.

Mmm, honey. I prefer my peanut butter kept in a jar, though.