In the middle of the forest, under the cover of the rising shadows from the approaching dusk, a faint light suddenly grew brighter, before it suddenly erupted into a large hemisphere of light. It quickly faded to reveal Corrin, Evan, and everyone else accounted for in the transport.

"O-oh! W-we're back where we started…?" Sakura looked around, noticing the familiar forest surroundings that she and everyone else were in just yesterday.

Corrin turned towards her and nodded. "Right. The time between the Astral Planes and this world are completely different. It moves a lot faster over there than here."

"Right, Lord Corrin…although, a little more rest sounds rather nice…" Felicia sheepishly admitted, albeit her tone getting nervous.

Keith turned towards her. "Oh, did you wanna stay behind and accompany Chef DK?"

Felicia gasped, but shook her head. "Uh, n-no! Not at all! It's not like that, I swear! If Lord Corrin goes anywhere, then so shall I!"

Keith chuckled. "Well now, there's the dedicated spirit."

"Okay, so we be backs and all dat, but where'd we be going now?" Damon asked, a slight flux in tone to indicate impatience.

"I mean, if all possible, we should find a place that isn't local." Evan advised. "We already struck a fort, so I think we better head farther out so we cover more ground."

Gunter hummed, putting a hand to his chin. "Yes, a reasonable course. We can only go so far with our borders. It would be ideal to expand our influence to more remote fields."

"Well that, plus we also have the Pokémon out in those reaches, too." Evan pointed out. "There's gotta be way more out there than what we can find here, I'm sure about that much."

"I don't doubt you there, Evan." Corrin agreed without a second thought to his tactical companion. "Guess we should start looking out farther."

Amongst the group, Kaze stepped forward. "Lord Corrin, permission to speak?"

Corrin shot Kaze a glance. "Oh, right, Kaze. What is it?"

"I have knowledge of a known extension far out from here towards the south. I believe that there is a country there that may be suitable for just that search." He advised.

Hana blinked, before cocking a brow. "Huh? Wait, hold on. Are you suggesting…"

Kaze nodded. "Yes…I believe that we should head to Izumo for the time being."

Freya stepped up to give her two cents. "So, what exactly are we looking at here? Is this a place ruled by Hoshidans, or Nohr?"

Kaze turned towards her. "Ah, Miss Freya. Allow me to debrief you. You see, unlike Hoshido and Nohr, Izumo is sided with neither country. It's considered neutral territory located at the southern regions of Hoshido. It is renown for its wonders of healing and prosperity."

"Neutral territory, you say?" Keith chimed quizzically. "That is rather unusual, considering the circumstances that the two regions are in."

"I don't blame you, Sir Keith. But I assure you, Izumo has a long-standing reputation of being neutral in times of war between Hoshido and Nohr. Although, it's been said that the country is more friendly towards the former."

"But would they listen to us, that's the biggest issue we have." Nathan noted. "If they're neutral as you say, you think they'd participate in whatever we got going?"

"It's not impossible. I have reason to believe that they will at least be willing to hear out on how their lands have been teeming with wild Pokémon."

"Well, that's reason enough for me. I think it's worth a shot if we can at least get their support and the Pokémon to safety." Corrin prompted. He turned towards the others. "Alright, guess if everyone's in agreement, we should head towards Izumo."

Damon scoffed, sighing heavily. "Great, more walking." He smacked his lips. "Welp, guess dat be is what it is, I guess. Let's just go already!"

Azura nodded in agreement. "Yes, we should. Time is of the essence."

"Hold on, everyone. A minute." Keith prompted, getting everyone to turn towards him.

"Yeah? What's wrong, Keith?" Evan inquired.

"Fo', you better make it fast! I be losing my patience, cuz I just wanna get dis going! So spill it!" Damon sneered at the International Policeman.

Despite the threat, however, Keith remained completely calm. "I think you all were forgetting something else equally as vital. May I also remind everyone that we need to be searching for Doctor Poopenschmir's machine parts?"

"O-oh…right! I almost forgot!" Felicia gasped.

Corrin frowned, realizing the fact brought into light. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me. We'll have to keep a steady eye out all around."

"I actually propose an idea. I think it would do us good if we decide to have a fraction of our group part ways." Keith advised. "That way, we would not only cover more ground and zap any wild Pokémon we come across, but we can also find more allies, items, and the necessary parts we need to complete the Immersifier."

"I see…I understand." Azura soundly nodded. "If you believe that will help in our goal, that course of action should suffice."

"How many are we talking? Because if we get an ambush, we need numbers and support." Evan pointed out. Of course, he wasn't fully concerned about that due to him taking precautionary measures. But it would help him when thinking on a convenient basis.

"A group of just two people should do for now. You're all heading to Izumo, while I want to make sure a full sweep of the area is fulfilled. Of course, I'll also be needing the Astral Transporter."

Evan blinked, before cocking a brow in deadpanned wonder. "Uh…Keith? How are going to shoot exactly, when you can't even, uh…?"

"That's why I am advising someone accompanies me…and I'd like it if the person who was beside me was also experienced in handling the device, too." He couldn't hold back a knowing smirk. "Nathan?"

Nathan furrowed his brows, sighing. "Yeah, I gotcha." He grunted, holding up the Astral Transporter in his hands. He turned and looked back at everyone else. "Hey, you guys cool with this?"

Damon shrugged. "Yeah man, go ahead. I don't cares."

"Just be careful." Evan noted.

Nathan craned his neck, shrugging. "Gotcha." He cocked the handle to the ray in his hands, unlocking it. He shot a glance at Keith. "Make sure that you keep up, alright?"

Keith snickered, slyly smirking. "I'll try not to be a burden like before. I know you're capable."

Nathan didn't bother responding, instead focusing on the others. "You guys better get going. Like she said before, can't waste time here since the clock's ticking."

Corrin nodded. "Got it." He turned towards Kaze for directions. "Where's Izumo located?"

"If I remember well, it's within the southeastern part of the region. The most ideal shortcut would be through the Eternal Stairway. It will save time for everyone's sake."

"Looks like we're gonna be getting our steps in." Evan chimed. "Alright, well, let's move out everybody."

The group thus began their divided trek. Evan and Corrin's fraction of the team headed southeast, whereas Keith and Nathan went in a different direction to scout for any stragglers in the area. With the two-way mission blossoming, their productivity in the unfolding endeavor would surely bear fruit.

Meanwhile, safe within the realm of the Astral Planes, the mess hall was brimming with steam coming from a pot of boiling broth. Chef DK took his time stirring the contents inside the broth as he felt relaxed.

"Ah, peace and quiet." He muttered to himself. "No having to worry about arrows or knives pointed at my throat or anything like that." He sighed. "Just me and my cooking skills."

"(Ahem.)"

Chef DK turned towards the small quack that came from the counter beside him. Standing beside him with a hardy look was his Farfetch'd. "Oh, right. And my trusty Farfetch'd and Cutiefly for sure, can't forget that." He turned back towards the large metal pot, taking a large whiff. "Black bean and Cheri Berry soup. Ah, smells like a new masterpiece already!"

"(Yeah, probably in a human toilet…)" Farfetch'd grumbled to himself.

Chef DK turned his attention onto him. "Hey, uh, Farfetch'd mind passing me that cumin over there? Wanna give this pot a little sweet zing."

Farfetch'd turned towards the plastic packaging that had the word 'CUMIN' labeled in front of it. He nonchalantly used his leek and slid it over towards the chef in the making.

"Thank you." He grabbed the cumin. "Oh, what's this? What's this? Oh, hold on, I think I'm cumin! Oooohhh, yeah babe! Take all that cumin! Yeah~!" Chef DK moaned as he shook enough of the plastic container until a few tablespoons of the contents into the boiling broth. Once enough of it was poured in, he sat the container down beside him. "Phew, that's a real load off. Hehe, nah I'm just playing. Now to stir this in…" He picked up a ladle and began stirring in the broth and cumin mix until it all blended into a brownish, gray mess. Any normal person just looking at it would feel disturbed. Unfortunately for them, Chef DK wasn't any normal chef.

As soon as it was all mixed in, he looked into the pot, taking another strong whiff. To him, he felt his nostrils flaring from the mixture of Cheri Berries and cumin. "Man, if that don't clear you synesis, I don't know what will." He reached down and turned the knob to turn the stove's heat to really low. "There, let that simmer for a while. Now to check on those side dishes. Oh, Cutiefly~!"

Buzzing on through, Cutiefly floated besides her trainer. "(Yeah, you call me?)"

"Got anymore of the 'secret ingredient' on ya?" he whimsically chimed.

"(Huh? Secret ingredient? Did I miss something…oh! I think I know what you mean!)" She buzzed her way towards the counter, where a small jar of pure Honey appeared. "(You mean this?)"

"Yes! Thank you, Cutiefly." He took the spread and undid the lid. He then began pouring it onto a small side dish pan where a piece of buttered bread laid. "Sweet, buttered bread as a side dish! Man, I could just eat all this up right now. But, uh, I think we have some time to stock up." He made up his mind. "Alright then, let's so see what those berries be looking like!"

Farfetch'd and Cutiefly looked towards each other before they decided to tag along.

As soon as the doors to the mess hall went shut, they only opened a few seconds after…slowly. The doors gradually opened, and then shut. Very slowly, something sauntered across the mess hall towards the kitchen. As soon as it turned the corner, it was revealed to be none other than Munchlax, who ogled the mixture of smells that made his nonexistent nose flare up.

He sniffed the air, keeping track of the smell. "(Mmmm…food…)" He saw the pot and bread spread, both making his mouth water. As if by instinct, he salivated as he drew closer towards the meal…

Meanwhile, outside, Chef DK had a basket, filled with only a couple Oran Berries, Rawst Berries, Aspear Berries, and Pecha Berries. His Farfetch'd and Cutiefly were close by, with Farfetch'd burying fresh berries, while Cutiefly buzzed across the field with a small cup of water that she poured onto each individual berry planted.

"Thanks, you guys. Really appreciate the help as always." Chef DK turned towards the Tamato Berry tree. Out of the many berries that he had planted the other day. Though the other plants had gone through a few cycles of planting already, the Tamato Berry was taking its time rising. But already, he could make out the few blossoms that were starting to sprout.

"Geez, taking your sweet time, aren't you guys?" he mused to himself as he looked at the Tamato Berry tree. "Well, don't worry, you'll be fully grown and ripe soon enough. And once you are, it's gonna be extra spiciness to my cooking. Hehehe…"

As soon as he was finished with plucking out the weeds and applying water to the only plant barely grown as of yet, he scanned the berry fields and humbly nodded. He turned back towards the mess hall with his Pokémon in tow. The doors flung open as he swung on in.

"Alright, now let's see how that soup is looking…" When he turned the corner to reach the kitchen, however, he froze in place at something that made his jaw drop with a horrified gasp. "Uh…uuuuuhhhh!?"

His inward gasp was justified as he saw the soup that he had been working so hard on for many hours completely gone. It was only an empty pot that sat on its side on the ground next to a shattered plate. Just beside this mess was Munchlax, who licked his lips as he seemed content. "(Ahhh…a little hot down the gullet…but filled me good…)"

Chef DK gawked with nothing short of sheer disbelief. He looked like he was about to go into a breakdown, but managed to compose himself enough to where he just glared at the mess.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT HELL IS THIS FREAKING MESS DOING HERE?! AND MY SOUP, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" He turned towards the culprit, who let out a small belch. His eyes shot daggers of contempt. "You! I knew it was you! God, why did you do this to me?! That soup wasn't even for you now, c'mon!"

Munchlax turned towards Chef DK, slowly blinked. "(Huh…oh.)" he paused, as if registering what he said. "(Well…you have more?)"

Chef DK seethed as he shook his head. "Please tell me you're full. You have to be after that."

"(I'm more worried with him being alive after stomaching that.)" Farfetch'd commented.

Munchlax slowly walked closer towards Chef DK, pulling at his pant leg. "(You have more…?)"

"Wait, seriously?! How did that not fill you up?!"

Munchlax tugged again. "(Yummy chef…make more yummy food?)"

"Gnnngh…! Look, I don't have any food for you, okay?! Uh, uh…" He looked around for any solutions available. His eyes sauntered towards the jar of Honey that was still partially left. He quickly grabbed it and handed it towards Munchlax. "There, see? Take this and just go already!"

Munchlax held the Honey in his hands, smelling the contents inside the jar. His mouth salivated as a smile slowly became visible. "(Oooh…yummy Honey…)" Slowly, he stared walking around the chef and other Pokémon with a straight face, as if he didn't care about them.

As Munchlax sauntered away, Chef DK gnashed his teeth as he facepalmed. "God, I can't stand that…stupid little thing!" he groaned. "Now I have to clean up this whole damn mess…" he sighed. "Well…I guess the only upside is that I don't have to worry about leftovers…hopefully this doesn't keep happening. Otherwise, we're gonna need a lot more Honey to keep that walking tub away…"

A short silence passed by. He didn't seem at all thrilled with the shattered plate that he would have to clean up, or the dirty pan that smelled like beans. If anything it made him less enthused about doing the dishes overall.

"God, I hate my life…"

As soon as the mess was cleaned up, all that was left in remembrance of the massive mess was the few specs of china that made up the shattered plate. With a final sweep of the broom, Chef DK went over to the trash and poured the deposits into its radius. With the last of the mess cleaned up, the chef let out a sigh.

"Well that wasn't annoying." He groaned. "But what am I gonna do for dinner now…? Maybe I should go get some beans from the pantry, or-oh! I know! The Lottery Shop! They've always give out those meat and food stuff at a low price! Oh, hopefully I actually score low for once! Hehehe!"

With a skip in his step, the chef hurried over towards the small Lottery Shop. He scuttled inside and made his way towards the front desk, where it was as vacant as the rest of the dimension they rested in.

"Well, I might suck at lottery, but at least it ain't completely useless. Okay, DK. Score what you need, score what you need…"

He took a small breath in and spun the roulette. The wheel spun as the sounds of materials inside spun throughout the joyride. As soon as it began slowing down, the chef was anticipating another bronze ball, as per his usual luck.

As soon as it stopped, a silver ball plopped out of the outlet and landed on the platform.

"W-what the hell…?" Chef DK blinked, visibly confused. "Silver? Hold on, gotta see this…" He reached over and inspected the foreign sphere. He leered at it in suspicion to see if it was painted or forged incorrectly. But when he noticed how dense it was compared to the usual bronze, he was overcome with shock.

"O-oh my god…I actually got decent luck today! Oh, wonder what I get?"

In his rush of excitement, he went over and inserted the silver ball into the slot. He waited anxiously in hopes of getting something of high value. All his luck may finally be turning around if he scores well. Perhaps a special rare food item he could refrigerate and make brand new recipes with? Or maybe another special berry he could plant and make dishes out of?

As soon as he heard a loud shift in the cubbies beneath him, the drawer propped itself open, allowing him to view inside. "Okay, what did I get? Wait…what?"

In the drawer, there was a small disc that reminisced of a usual TM. However, it was mainly black like a record, and contained a hot pink inner circle.

"Hold on…this isn't food!" Groaning, he picked up the device, inspecting its design. "Okay, what do we have here? It says, 'TR 11: Psychic'." His eyes widened. "Wait…oh, I get it now. It's like that TM thing that Felicia won that other day…" Though surprised, he then remembered that he was hungry. "Well…I-I guess this isn't too bad. Kinda hoped for something like a…turkey or something gourmet, but I guess I'll save this."

He stashed the TR into the pockets of his chef outfit and walked out of the Lottery Shop. As soon as he stepped out, he looked up towards the darkening sky.

"Oh man, it's getting late already? Well, guess I can always try again tomorrow…" He started walking back towards the mess hall. "I'll just bring the doc some canned beans or whatever from the pantry before I close up for the night."

As he was sauntering towards the mess hall in the open, a certain Munchlax held an empty jar of Honey between his hands. As he watched Chef DK walk by, he subconsciously licked the side of his maw with a blank, hungry stare.

The next day soon came. Chef DK got up from his bed in the small home that he had to himself for the time being. With his roommate out in the real world, he just had to worry about himself and not have to share with anybody.

As soon as he was dressed, he let out a loud yawn and scratched his back. "Man, that was a good sleep. Well, guess I better see what I should try cooking today…oh! Right! Those Tamato Berries! They might be fully grown by now! I better go see this!"

As soon as he was aware, he swept himself out of the home and towards the Berry Field. When he saw the Tamato Berry tree, he looked astonished as he saw what had to be at least seven Tamato Berries out in the open. They were all ripe, with small spikes on their surface to indicate they were ready to be harvested.

"W-wow…wow…just look at you. There's a lot of you all ripe and ready today, huh?" He admired, scanning the single tree's perimeter for any strays out of sight. "Well it sure took you all long enough! Boy, I'm gonna be making me some spicy soup one of these nights! Hehehe!"

To say he was proud of himself would be an understatement. Even though he was stuck with no way of getting back to Kalos for the time being, he was feeling pretty accomplished with how well he was being self-sufficient. He even learned how to farm and take care of berries and pull weeds, something he never thought he'd dream of doing.

'This berry farming's actually kinda fun. Maybe this ain't a bad side gig after all.' His musings almost diluted him from his objective. "Oh yeah, guess I better harvest you guys. Wait right here."

He hurried towards the mess hall and went to unlock the front doors. They swung open and allowed him inside, where he went into the kitchen and went into the pantry to find the large basket on the racks above the large bags of berries on the floor.

"Alright, time to harvest and get to fixing~!" With that, he shimmied his way out the mess hall, but left in such a rush that he left the pantry door open.

As soon as the doors shut, there was a short silence before they reopened slowly. They creaked to a close as Munchlax sauntered back inside, his blank face and flaring nostrils indicating that he seemed hungry.

"(Human cooker…? Make yummy food yet…?)" Munchlax hummed aloud. When he got no answer, he looked around the kitchen, finding no sign of the familiar. His face fell. "(No here…hungry now…)"

That's when he noticed something peculiar that caught his eye. With no sign of the chef, or any sign of the small bug that carried around Honey that he was so attracted to, his nose caught up a variety of scents coming from the open door.

"(Hm? Food?)" He slowly sauntered closer to the open closet. He slowly peered inside, and to his amazement, there all sorts of strange materials that held packaged food that had yummy-looking labels on them. The sight alone was enough to make his mouth water.

"(Yummy food…)" He slowly approached nearest food obstacles nearby…which just so happened to be the bags of exposed berries laying around him.

Meanwhile, Chef DK hummed in a harmonic, merry tune as he was plucking away at the Tamato Berries on the branches. One by one, the Tamato Berries filled up the basket with their large size. It also mattered that they were all heavy little things, too. It was like holding full-grown tomatoes.

"And…there. All plucked up and ready for the pantry." Chef DK stepped back, seeing the Tamato Berry tree wither almost instantly after its last bits of crops were gone. All that was left was a soft dirt mound that was empty.

With the berries plucked, that left him to tend the rest of the field. Of course, Farfetch'd and Cutiefly helped out on their part. Farfetch'd helped cut down the weeds and pluck them out of the ground, whereas Cutiefly hovered with a small cup of water, pouring at the base of the berries to revitalize them.

As soon as the fields looked fully tended to, Chef DK and his Pokémon admired the handiwork. "Well, that's gonna be pretty to pick come tonight. Oh, but that reminds me…" He turned towards Farfetch'd. "Hey, Farfetch'd."

Farfetch'd glanced up at him. "(What is it now?)"

"Say, could you run into the mess hall and put these Tamato Berries with the rest? I'll keep one here and plant it, of course."

Farfetch'd shrugged. He wordlessly complied as he took his leek into his mouth and used his feet to clutch the basket handle. As soon as Chef DK took one, he flew back towards the mess hall and out of sight.

"Alright, now I may have gotten plenty of stock for now, but you can never have too much food…especially with the growing bunch we've got going. Better prepare in case they bring back something like…an actual army that needs fed, or whatever."

He thus went ahead and tended to the single spot left empty on the field, where the Tamato tree once was. He dug with a small handheld shovel and scooped out enough so the berry could be put into the ground. Once covered up and watered on by Cutiefly, the two pulled up and admired the handiwork.

"Thanks for the help, Cutiefly. Man, it's good to have extra help around here." Chef DK praised.

"(Oh, no problem. Just glad you're looking better already.)" Cutiefly buzzed.

Chef DK sighed. "Well, guess all we have to do now is get ready for another day of…" Just as he turned towards the mess hall, he froze when he noticed Farfetch'd standing there…a rather unnerved look on his brow. "Huh? Farfetch'd? What're you doing back?"

"(Hey, you good? You look like you've seen a Ghost-type.)" Cutiefly chimed.

Farfetch'd paused to clear his throat. He then turned towards Chef DK. "(Uh…there's something you're gonna want to see…)"

"What's with the small attitude there, buddy? Why the berries not in the pantry yet?" Chef DK asked.

Knowing well that it wouldn't do justice just quacking away, Farfetch'd eyerolled with a groan. He nudged his head as he flew back towards the mess hall, leaving Chef DK and Cutiefly behind.

"Wait, hold up!" Chef DK raced to catch up with his Pokémon's sudden flight path towards the establishment. He saw Farfetch'd land on the counter that bordered the kitchen, seeing him stare begrudgingly at something. "Farfetch'd what is the matter with…?"

He was unable to finish his sentence. The reason was very clear, and it was enough to make his eyes widen and his jaw hung open with almost all the color fading from his horrified expression.

"OH MY GOD~!"

His cry of sheer horror echoed through the entire mess hall. The kitchen wasn't a mess per se, but he stared at the pantry. There, laying around the pile of open cans and plastic wrapping, there was Munchlax. He was partially blanketed with deflated sacs that the chef immediately recognized were the berries that he had spent many weeks harvesting for dishes and medicinal means.

Cans were everywhere, stains of sauces piled up around the floor, their smells making it nearly unbearable...not to mention that the racks were all broken.

In short, it was a personal hell for the misfortunate chef.

"W-W-W-WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL JUST HAPPENED?! IT WAS LITERALLY JUST A MINUTE!" He wailed frantically, his panic making him jumpy. "O-Oh my god…oh my god…all the food that Lilith magically stockpiles every morning…almost all of it…!" He gasped. "Oh god now…THE BERRIES!"

He anxiously rushed over towards the bags that were covering Munchlax. When he went to lift one, he saw how deflated and empty it was when he picked it up and peered inside. Much to his sheer grief, almost all the berries inside were gone.

"Oh no…why…? WHY ME, MAN?! SERIOUSLY!" He shouted angrily. "ALL OF THEM?! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"

A low groan came from below. Chef DK and his Pokémon looked down, seeing Munchlax's eyes flutter open. "(Mmmm…yummy chef…?)" He hiccupped. "(Your food…yummy.)"

"You…you." Chef DK's astonishment turned to boiling anger. "This is your doing! What the hell is wrong with you, you little fat bastard!? AAAHHH!"

Munchlax's face scrunched up, but not because of the human's ire. "(Mmmm…tummy full…but never got sweet Honey…)"

"GET THE HELL OUT! NOW!" Chef DK yelled in his face, but Munchlax didn't budge. He just laid on the kitchen floor, looking out of it in a mixture of sedation and partial food coma.

If Chef DK wasn't annoyed before, he most certainly was now. He knew that the food would replenish itself come tomorrow; it was a special perk that came with Lilith being able to use her Dragon Veins. He wouldn't have to worry about going hungry tomorrow at least. But the problem was right now. To say he was broiling with anger would be a grave understatement.

With a spiteful frown, he looked down at the half-conscious Munchlax. "You…I've had it with you. Strike one, that was on me. Strike two, that one I could handle, but this…this was strike three! You're done, Munchlax! I swear to you, you're done!"

"(Mweeh…? But I can taste some a little still…)" Munchlax lulled, his conscience barely catching whims of what the angry chef was saying to him.

"I'm gonna make you wish that you never messed with me. This kitchen…it's closed to you, buddy. Especially after what I got in store for you." Chef DK's tone was hushed, if not more subtle. Like an eerie calm that went through the mess hall.

Cutiefly and Farfetch'd looked visibly concerned; even Cutiefly who was normally relaxed felt uneasy. Farfetch'd normally dismissed the Chef's rants, but this time, he could tell he was dead serious…and it unnerved him.

"(Uh…dude? You okay?)" Farfetch'd asked.

Chef DK wordlessly turned away and started for the exit. Farfetch'd and Cutiefly looked at each other before rushing off to see what he had planned.

Meanwhile, the lab's second floor was littered with crumbled graphing paper, paper plates, and an assortment of items ranging from tissues to plastic. In short, it was a Grimer's buffet if there was one around. This mess went all the way up to Poopenschmir's bed as he was hooting softly in his sleep. "Hoothoothoothoothoot…zzzzzz…hoothoothoothoot…zzzzzz…"

BANGBANGBANG!

The sounds of loud banging from downstairs were strong enough that they snorted the sleeping professor out of his bed. "H-huh?" He heard the banging again, along with shouting. "Er…h-hold on…just gimme a minute!"

He stumbled out of his bed, adjusting his glasses and blinked. He rushed for the first floor and turned towards his left, where the banging came from the entrance to his lab.

"Doctor! Open up! This is an emergency!" A familiar voice called from the other end.

Poopenschmir shuffled over towards the door and went to open it. When he did, he saw a very familiar face in a chef outfit…except that face looked angry.

"Oh…Chef DK…y-yes? What is the problem? Is breakfast delayed?" he asked.

"No, it's not delayed. It's cancelled!" he shouted. "All the food for the day was eaten up!"

Poopenschmir's eyes widened partially. "O-oh! I see…that isn't happy news. I-I can see why you are angry…"

"It was that stupid Munchlax! I swear, I'm gonna get rid of that tiny fat bastard, one way or another!" He leered at the scientist. "And I need your help doing it!"

Again, the estrange scientist found himself disturbed. "Er, I see…? Hmm…yes, I think that I understand the problem now. A Munchlax you say? I get it." He nodded. "Yes, they're notorious for their big eating of anything, that's for sure."

"Right, so can you, like, invent something to make it stop?"

Poopenschmir fiddled his fingers together and tilted his head down. "Hmmm…I think so?"

"You think so?"

"I mean, maybe?" He blinked, suddenly hatching an idea. "…okay, wait right here. Gimme like a half hour. And I guarantee that I will have a solution ready and waiting!" With that, he suddenly slammed the door shut.

"Well hurry up!" Chef DK shouted back before facepalming. "Geez, first a buffet monster and now this guy…god, I hate my life."

30 minutes later

A half hour came and went. Chef DK had nothing better to do with his time. With the food in the pantry almost entirely eaten, he didn't have anything to cook, and he already tended to the fields. The best that he could think of right now was simple – laying down in front of the lab, a blank, bored expression cascaded towards the sky.

Just as he was on the verge of dozing off, he heard the lab door open. He perked himself up and turned around to find the doctor standing before him once more.

"Oh, you are already here. Good! That saves me time then!" He chimed.

"So Doc, what did you figure out this time?" Chef DK asked, his tone genuinely curious.

Poopenschmir snickered as a roguish smirk formed beneath his frizzled white moustache. "Behold~!" He pulled out something that he had behind his back. It looked very similar to the Astral Transporter in terms of concept, but it was relatively much smaller and bright green, with yellow rims. On the side was a dial, with a gauge with yellow, orange, and red, all with labels reading 'EXPIRED', 'JUNKYARD DIRTY', and 'CONTAMINATED' in accordance to the coloring.

Chef DK's eyes widened at the new device the doctor made, gasping with surprise. "Oh wow, Doc. That actually looks cool."

"Yes! I call it, the Expirer!" He boldly declared. "With this, you can point it at any food source, and it will instantly accelerate its ripeness to where it becomes inedible."

"Man, that's so crazy…"

"Yes. Now, let me explain." He pointed at the gauge, starting with the yellow one. "This setting, when shot, will accelerate it precisely to the date when the food product expires. And the orange accelerates it further, like say, a few more weeks after. And the red one…well…just be prepared for some mold…and pray that you don't have to eat it."

He proceeded to hand it over to Chef DK, who eyed it with an eager smile. "Thanks, Doc." He gave it a sharp look. "Oh yeah, this'll teach that thing a lesson. Hehehe…" He darkly snickered as he rushed away.

Poopenschmir watched him off, blinking once as he just saw the chef off with the device. "…well, okay then."

Shortly after getting the device, Chef DK out his plan into motion. He placed several food items that were all refrigerated. A very small fraction of what remained of their stock for the day, including some form of jelly, milk, eggs, and fresh fruits such as apples.

"Okay, that should be enough." He huffed. "Better be worth it. Now, time to test out his bad boy."

With the device in hand, he set the setting on the device to 'EXPIRED'. As soon as he did, he heard a loud hum from inside the handheld gun and pointed it at the pile of food that sat in front of the mess hall's steps.

"Okay…here goes nothing!" He steadied himself and aimed carefully at the food products.

ZZZZAAPPP!

As soon as he hit the trigger, a lime green energy dart shot directly at the center of the clustered material. The moment it met the products, it brightly flashed and faded, revealing much of the fresh, refrigerated products having wrinkles and discoloring towards them. The apples looked partially withered with wrinkled skin, and the fruits seemed soft and partially mushy.

Chef DK approached the pile, looking shocked. "Oh wow…that actually worked!" He giggled with excitement, before he turned towards the milk. "Alright, let's see here, just to be sure…" He went ahead and leaned into the open compartment of the milk. As soon as he took a sniff of the white liquid, he cringed. "Oof! Yeah, smells sour! That'll definitely make that Munchlax hurt. And now comes the next part." He turned towards Cutiefly. "Oh Cutiefly, use Sweet Scent!"

"(Okay then!)" With a chilled buzz, the small bee fly fluttered a few meters higher. She rapidly flapped her wings, releasing a bright pink, sweet-smelling air that went throughout the area.

"Oh Munchlax~! Come and get it~!" Chef DK chimed loudly before rushing off with Cutiefly.

It didn't take long at all for the effects of Sweet Scent to kick in. Munchlax, who was conveniently close by, turned the corner of the mess hall as soon as the sweet, mouthwatering smell drew him in. His nose locked on, all that was left was him to saunter over.

Hiding behind a trash can, Chef DK observed discretely with a glare. "C'mon you junk eating pillow, make my day…"

Munchlax gradually closed in on the food pile that sat in front of the mess hall. With his gaze locked on, his mouth salivated as he saw the golden opportunity to devour more edible food. "(Food…!)"

He didn't waste a minute. As soon as he started wolfing it all down in massive bites, Chef DK looked like he was watching a thriller. He was waiting anxiously for when the Munchlax would get sick from eating such food. It was just desserts after all! Literally, too.

In no time, all the food was gone. Munchlax let out a loud belch as there was only an empty platter, and the milk carton that had sour milk inside, and even that was mostly gone.

With a sigh, Munchlax rubbed his full stomach and smiled brightly. "(Ah, yummy food in full belly…)" He gradually sauntered away, looking refreshed even after all the expired food he just consumed.

Chef DK emerged from his hiding position, looking flabbergasted, if not disturbed. He looked between the platter and the Munchlax, who essentially walked away with yet another free meal. To say he was pissed would be a grave understatement.

"Wait…is he seriously alright?! How the hell did he stomach all that?!" He turned towards the Expirer in his hand, furrowing his brow. "Guess I'm gonna have to crank it up a knotch."

Though he was determined, something caught his fancy. He noticed that there was still a little bit of milk left in the carton that Munchlax hadn't drank fully. He looked left and right, seeing if anything was around. With the coast clear, he slowly grabbed it.

"…is it really not that bad?" He pondered aloud. He shrugged, and decided to take a sip of the expired milk.

Almost immediately, his eyes widened as he pulled himself away, coughing and gagging.

"Bleck! Oh man, that's so sour!" he said between coughs. "Man, that's so disgusting! Why did I even do that?!"

As he was gagging, Farfetch'd eyerolled at his trainer. "(I ask myself that every day.)"

…

With Plan A failing, that left Plan B. Chef DK went ahead and prepared another platter of a small stock of the refrigerator. That included cheese, more fruit, orange juice, various fruits and vegetables even. With the platter all set, he readied his Expirer.

"Okay, well the first setting wasn't enough. Now to go a step further…" He turned the knob on the side, setting it to 'JUNKYARD DIRTY'. With the new setting, the machine revved even more than it did before. "Alright, let's do this!"

Once he was ready, he pointed the ray at the platter and pulled the trigger.

ZZZZZAAAAPPP!

Another lime green beam fired directly at the platter's center, erupting in a bright flash. Immediately, the results were painfully clear as day. The food that sat on it looked worse for wear, downright unsanitary some might say. The cheese had mold growing along its sides, with the milk looking a lot chunkier due to the liquid dried up. Already, it gave off an unpleasant smell that made Chef DK cringe.

"Aw yeah, now we're talking." He sniffed the air, immediately cringing and pulling away. "Phew! Man, even I wouldn't eat this stuff! And that's saying something!"

"(That makes two of us.)" Farfetch'd chimed.

"Alright, now for the next part." He turned towards Cutiefly. "Cutiefly~!"

"(Gotcha!)" With a merry buzz, Cutiefly buzzed her way above the others. Chef DK and Farfetch'd took cover behind the trash cans again as they watched her expel another round of Sweet Scent. The aromatic pink mist whiffed through the air, covering the entire area around the fortress.

Once again, no time was expended when Munchlax came sauntering out of nowhere with the same hungry look as before. Cutiefly buzzed herself away and joined the others to watch the spectacle unfold. They remained hushed as they watched Munchlax approach the food yet again, his face expression as blank as last time.

He looked down at the platter left out in the open. He seemed hesitant at first, but his stomach grumbled loudly, stopping his hesitation. He didn't waste a second going for the cheese first. Even when it was moldy, he seemed just fine as he smiled and opened wide.

Another round of gorging went underway. In no time, the expired, putrid food that was there before had been cleared. Munchlax took bite after bite without slowing down until the very end. It didn't take long until the plate was cleared – even the chunky milk was reduced to an empty carton!

With a loud burp, Munchlax patted his stomach with a joyful smile on his face. "(Mmm, yummy food…tasted funny…but still food…I like food.)" With that, he turned away and started sauntering off once more in a slow, snail race.

With him gone, Chef DK popped into sight. His eyes were wide as he looked even more disturbed than before. "You…you've gotta be kidding me…not even a throw up…? Not even passing out…? God! Just how tough is that thing's stomach! For real!"

Farfetch'd furrowed his thick brow. "(Don't tell me…)"

Chef DK sighed heavily. "Alright…I'm left with no choice now." He held up the Expirer. "This time, I'm putting an end to it."

…

For the third time, Chef DK prepared the very last bit of food in the refrigerator. By this point, not a single speck of food was left in the doors for the day. It was all essentially in Munchlax's stomach. As will be this final meal.

"Alright, no more games, DK! This is serious time!" He locked the Expirer onto the highest setting, marketed as 'CONTAMINATED'. The ray revved so highly that it was starting to get very warm in his hands. He aimed carefully and accurately. "Alright…here we go!"

"(Oh, this is gonna be gross…)" Farfetch'd turned away, not wanting to see what the product will become.

With a click, the trigger went off.

ZZZZZZZAAAAAAPPPPPPP!

The lime green ray struck the platter's center, engrossing it in a bright flash. When it faded, it revealed the remaining cheese slices, mushrooms, peppers, and smoked sausages all there, but they were all unrecognizable. The sausage's thick brown coating was all black, with withered bits of mold and soiled grime. The banana was completely black, and it was partially open to reveal the soiled, soggy mush that was inside of it. The cheese was stale and cracked, with mold covering the entire thing.

And the worst part was that it was running oily grime from their surfaces. A foul, adhesive smell that came off went through the area, causing Chef DK and his Pokémon to cringe and pull away.

"Oh…dear god! I-I don't think even a Sweet Scent can cure that smell!" Chef DK winced. "If anything, this'll keep him away for sure, yeah…"

Farfetch'd shook his head disapprovingly. "(I thought we were gonna make him stop eating our food, not kill him.)"

And yet, despite what he insisted, the Munchlax sauntered around the corner, brimming into view.

"Oh, here he comes! Here he comes!" Chef DK ushered the others to their spotting position and turned to see Munchlax approach what was supposed to be his food.

"(Hmmm…?)" Munchlax took a big sniff, getting the various foul, adhesive tastes the various expired foods had. It was enough to make any normal man want to puke, but he just stared at it like it was the last meal the planet had to offer.

"C'mon, take the bait, take the bait…" Chef DK muttered.

Tilting his head, Munchlax looked like he was debating once again. However, that debate soon came to an end when his stomach grumbled. He opened his maw wide and closed in on the contaminated meal.

Slowly, the gorging started. The soggy, cracked, moldy food that sat that was slowly being devoured. The sight and the sounds were so gruesome, it was enough to make Chef DK turn away in disgust. It took a lot of willpower from him not to throw up. Then again, he had nothing to spew to begin with.

"Aw man…that's so disgusting…this thing ain't got no limits does he?" Chef DK muttered through the crunching and soiled munching. "Ugh…well, that all ends today, hehe…"

In a matter of time, the munching sound ceased. Chef DK, Farfetch'd, and Cutiefly turned around and saw Munchlax standing in front of the platter while licking his lips. The platter itself was nothing but a few crumbs sitting in soggy grime.

"C'mon, c'mon…" Chef DK looked anxious, waiting for something to happen.

"(Ahhh~…)" Munchlax sighed aloud. "(Food was go…oh, oh…)" He felt something in his stomach churning. He could feel his insides rumble profusely at the irritable contents that were inside of him. The sight didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

"(Hey, look!)" Cutiefly hummed.

"(Yeah, I see…and it ain't gonna be a pretty picture.)" Farfetch'd harrumphed.

As Munchlax was curling over in visible distress, Chef DK popped out of hiding, laughing triumphantly. "Hahahaha! How do you like that one, Munchlax? Oh, what's wrong? You're looking a little sick. Could it be that you've eaten something bad~?"

Munchlax grunted, holding onto his stomach as it grumbled louder than before. He looked to be in so much pain that he seemed like he was about to fall over any second.

"Well ha! That's what you get! You want some more? I will gladly shoot every grain to make you stop, fa-!"

BBUUUUUURRRRP!

A loud, massive belch came from Munchlax as he opened his maw wide, aiming directly at Chef DK. The wind of the belch was so intense that it nearly blew his chef hat off. The belch was visible even, expelling an extremely corrosive, foul smell of the dead that blasted the poor chef head-on. When the belch ended, Munchlax let out a long sigh.

"(Aaaahh…much better.)" Munchlax sighed. "(Rough on my belly…but still full.)" He turned towards the stunned Chef DK, whose left eye was twitching. "(Thank you for food, chef.)"

As Munchlax sauntered away, Chef DK was left completely distraught. Not disgusted. Not grossed out. Distraught. The foul, putrid, hazardous food that was eaten before him came out in a heaping belch straight into his face. He was left alone to process it as Munchlax walk away free as a bird.

Gradually, Farfetch'd and Cutiefly moved closer to him, looking concerned. "(Um…i-is he okay?)" Cutiefly asked.

"(Honestly, I can't tell ya.)" Farfetch'd grimaced. "(I've seen him take shit from others before…but that…that was just straight-up nasty.)"

Finally, after processing what he was feeling, Chef DK's stomach churned. He lost strength and collapsed to the ground, lurching over to expectorate his stomach's contents out of pure disgust. Cutiefly and Farfetch'd cringed as they saw their trainer fall sick to just a smell alone.

From the corner of Farfetch'd Keen Eye, he saw Munchlax saunter off, his beak frowning. "(…I gotta say…that, is one tough gut.)"

"BLLEEEEEGH!" Chef DK continued spewing away, but had enough breath between bile expulsions to utter something. "I…HATE…THAT…MUNCHLA-EEEEEGH!"

As opposed to a certain chef's troubles, the real world was moving at a much slower rate. With the majority of the group having gone towards the Eternal Stairway for that supposed shortcut, that left Keith and Nathan as the alternatives handling the area for anything that was looked over.

For now, only ten minutes have passed since their initial separation, and already they were busy at work.

Nathan was hiding in some bushes, making sure to keep quiet so that he didn't scare the Oddish that had emerged from its slumber. He watched it pull itself out of the ground and emerge under the cover of night with an abundance of energy. The Oddish seemed completely unaware that it was in the scope's lock-on.

'Hold still…!' With a quick flick of the finger, he pulled the trigger to the Astral Transporter.

Another long, streaky beam fired away just as the Oddish turned around to start its wayward path somewhere. It didn't even get a few paces in before the ray struck its back, making it disappear to thin air.

With the Oddish gone, he relaxed and pulled himself up. "Okay, got it."

"Nice shot, Nathan. We should have this area cleared in no time." Keith chimed confidently. "Thanks to your handiwork."

'I'm pulling all the weight you sarcastic bastard.' Nathan thought to himself. "Yeah, probably. But there's still other Pokémon in the air and sky, not to mention they come out at certain times of days."

Keith frowned. "That's true. If we had more people to work with, we'd be able to cover those numbers with ease, wouldn't we?"

Nathan closed his eyes as cocked the ray once more. "Can't be helped. If the others are lucky, they'll bring back a massive horde with them. We'll just get them bit by bit."

Mightyena's nose suddenly twitched. When she picked up a smell from the trees above, she looked up and growled lowly.

"What is it, girl?" Keith asked. With him blind, he was unaware of the long thread that gradually lengthened down above him. At its end was a Spinarak that was gradually lowering itself towards the floor.

Nathan was fully aware. He didn't waste

"Huh? What was that?" Keith asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Not a big deal." Nathan cocked the weapon again. "C'mon, there's still plenty in the undergrowth we've gotta check." He started walking off without looking back, knowing well that Mightyena would help cover for the blinded man that Nathan was begrudgingly in charge of.

With only minutes passing in the real world, it was days in the Astral Planes. Many, grueling, agonizing days for Chef DK. To say he was being put through his paces would be putting it lightly, especially since he had to be responsible for the Berry Fields – the only berries that were left after Munchlax's raid, and trying to make foods everyday to sedate the ever-hungry little parasite.

And this day was no different.

Instead of being in the kitchen, Chef DK found himself slumped on the side of the mess hall's building facing the Berry Fields. With one of every berry planted beforehand, he was still able to salvage the various berries that would have otherwise been lost forever. To him, that was just a lucky blessing in his ever-growing spiteful life. But that was just an upside, with the downside being nothing more than tolerating the hungry and demanding.

With Cutiefly and Farfetch'd tending to the fields and minding themselves, Chef DK was left to sit back with a frown. Not only was he annoyed, angry, and deeply stressed…he was also tired. Dealing with Munchlax for several days in a row rendered him completely fatigued and out of ideas. Not to mention, having to sedate his hunger, he had to keep relying on Cutiefly to find Honey to feed the creature every time he showed up, so he wasn't able to start that Honey stock like he wanted.

He sharply inhaled through his nose, exhaling deeply. "It's coming…I just know it…it's coming alright…"

As he was muttering what would be the inevitable, Munchlax gradually sauntered over to him, coming to a halt. "(…yummy chef.)" He hummed.

Chef DK didn't bother turning towards him. Instead, he reached beside him and slid a jar of Honey closer o him, actually prepared. The Munchlax looked down at it, then back at him. Then, without thinking twice of the gesture, he seized the jar and started dipping his hand into the gooey, sticky substance.

Chef DK sighed. "You're welcome…" he dryly muttered.

"(Oh! Chef DK, the Pecha Berries look ready!)" Cutiefly buzzed from afar.

"Hm? Oh, yeah…sure." Slowly, Chef DK found himself levering upwards to walk closer towards the Berry Fields to tend to the berries.

Despite getting some Honey to sedate him for a little while, Munchlax looked on with genuine curiosity as he saw the chef going out towards the fields to do something. Normally, he'd see him having prepared food for him, but this was something that intrigued him. He looked down at the Honey jar, then back at the chef, and started for him slowly.

Chef DK closed in on where Cutiefly was at. "Okay, how many do we got here…?" He sauntered over towards the Pecha Berry tree, his expression remaining complacently stale as he only saw two. "Two…mhm. Yup, figured as much." He sounded anything but happy as he nodded.

He was about to get the basket, when he felt something heavy on the side of his leg. When he looked down, he saw Munchlax standing there, looking at the freshly harvested berries. "Huh? Oh…Munchlax…yeah, yeah. Gimme a little bit and Cutiefly should have a new Honey jar ready or whatever…"

Munchlax blinked at him, but slowly turned towards the tree with genuine wonder. "(Food…on trees?)"

"Huh?" Chef DK saw him glancing at the tree, putting two and two together. "Oh, sorry. You can't eat these. They're all off limits…not that it matters, because you'll just eat them anyway, so I might as well be talking to myself."

Munchlax blinked twice, his head tilting. "(So…can Munchlax eat sweet fruit?)"

Once again, Chef DK sighed heavily. "You really love eating, don't you?"

Munchlax dumbly nodded. "(Love eating so much. Makes Munchlax happy to have belly fully.)"

"Well, I can tell ya this much. Being a chef…it kinda makes me happy seeing somebody eat all my cooking for once. Normally I just get the cold shoulder cuz they always say that my cooking's the worst, that they'd rather eat out of the trash than take another bite of what I put on a stove."

Munchlax's eyes slightly widened in surprise. "(Hm? But Munchlax always likes food you make. Munchlax always feel full and happy.)"

Chef DK didn't understand, instead he kept monologuing aloud. "But I will say this at least…even though my cooking's…kinda sucky, I wanna say that I'm at least trying. I'm working with what I got, okay? But everybody's a critic, apparently." He turned towards Munchlax. "But you aren't. You actually know how to stomach my food. So…I guess I'm kinda grateful that my talents are good for something…I suppose." He turned towards the Berry Field, looking around at the many plants that were still growing. "But right now, I have to work with this, and it's very important to be and everybody else. If we don't have these berries…we're fucked. For real. We and a lot of other Pokémon are going to be depending on these to help us get through this whole mess till we find a way home. Gotta make sure there's enough to go around so nobody starves on my watch."

He started picking away at the only two Pecha Berries that were grown. As he did, Munchlax just watched him tentatively. He didn't say anything to disturb the chef trying to just do his job, but seeing him work, along with the many new potential food growing, it left his very one-track mind to breach a halt and think of something.

In the real world, Mightyena sniffed the air, letting out a low growl as her fur stood on end.

"What is it, girl?" Keith asked.

Knowing that he had to do more work, Nathan went ahead and darted in the direction Mightyena was glaring at. He remained quiet as he found a tree and quickly took cover behind it. He heard a loud hiss that sounded less than amicable. He furrowed his brow and remained quiet as he slowly peered over his shoulder towards what was past the tree.

There, crawling along the ground in a small tandem, there was a group of three identical Pokémon, looking as though they were all having a chat about something. They way all their antennae moved made it clear they were sensing their surroundings.

The three Pokémon were all insectoids that resembled large centipede, with profound, large humps on the upper portions of their bodies. Their coating was primarily magenta, and had dark rings on the sides of the hump; a familiar color shading the rings on the identical tail and antennae. Green segments aligned the middle of their bodies. Their dark yellow eyes were narrow and looking nasty, with dark sclera that only added to that prospect.

'I think I've heard of those Pokémon before.' Nathan thought. 'Those gotta be called Venipede…and they don't play around.'

As Nathan was observing, he was careful not to make a sound to alert the group of large invertebrates as they communicated with each other.

"(So what the hell are we gonna eat tonight, boys? Because if we don't find something like a bird or another rodent, I'm gonna get mad!)" The first Venipede hissed.

"(O-oh! I know, I know!)" The second Venipede held up a stubby limb energetically.

The first Venipede turned towards his companion. "(Yes, what is it?)"

"(I think that we should find one of those places that those humans eat at, yeah! Like that, uh, w-what are those places called again…?)"

"(Restaurants?)" The third Venipede chimed in.

"(Yeah! That! And maybe they cane give us something like uh…like a bird sandwich, with extra meat to keep us full!)"

Venipede One's antennae rattled, but not out of danger, but pure annoyance. "(…sure, okay. But, oh, where's the nearest restaurant? Because I sure don't see one. Do you?)"

Venipede Two looked around quizzically. "(Uh…no?)"

"(Right, SO WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT OF A FOOD JOINT THAT AIN'T MILES AROUND, YOU BUG-EYED MORON!?)" Venipede One harshly scolded, causing Venipede Two to cringe.

"(Sorry! I was just trying to help!)"

"(Yeah? Well help better!)" Venipede One shook his head. "(Good Arceus, we should never have had you eat from that trash can. Next thing you know you're gonna start wearing those things those humans do…er, what were they again?)"

"(Clothes?)" Venipede Three replied.

"(Yes! Thank you. You see? He's actually being useful, unlike you. You could try and learn a thing or two from this guy.)" Venipede One harrumphed, though Venipede Three made no remark.

As the three Venipede were having their little debate, Nathan made sure the Astral Transporter was revved and ready. They seemed so distracted that he could get a potentially good shot. He saw all three in the lock-on screen and pulled the trigger.

'Hold still you…!' The second his finger tapped the ray's trigger, another streaky ray fired through the dusk cover towards the arguing trio.

"(Then, how's about we find one of those birds that scare easily?)" Venipede Two suggested. "(Like, uh…er…?)"

"(Pidgey?)" Venipede Three chimed in.

"(Oh, yeah! That one!)"

Venipede One hummed to himself. "(Hmmm…well, guess that's-WAH!)" Before he could finish, a sudden flash from out of nowhere met him and the two others, vanishing them from view. In a second, the spot was left completely baren.

"Got'em." Nathan whispered. "Alright, let's see what else is around here…"

In a bright flash, the Venipede trio appeared a few inches above soft green, tranquil grass. They plopped on the grass that immediately tickled their feet.

"(Huh?! What the-?!)" Venipede One looked around, seemingly panicking at the surroundings changing. "(What the hell just happened?! Wasn't it just night a second ago? Why is it morning?!)"

"(I-I don't know! But…oh~, so pretty…)" Venipede Two found his attention adverted towards the open view that came into existence beside him. The grassy field they were in opened to several trees clustered to provide shade for many, while also having many spread out. The trees were all large as well. What's more, there was also a beautiful, clean lake that sat just at the base of the field slope the three looked over.

The air itself was surprisingly peaceful at that. There was only a faint breeze, but even to give them a sense of wonder and calm. A complete contrast to the grim forest they were in only moments beforehand.

"(Woah~, it's so pretty!)" Venipede Two gasped. "(Oh, oh! You think there's fresh fish in that water?!)"

Venipede One started stammering. "(I-I don't know! I don't even know where the hell we are, do you?)" He turned towards Venipede Three. "(Hey, where are we?)"

Venipede Three looked around, noticing a castle wall just meters away from them. "(Civilization?)"

The other two Venipede turned around to see what he was referring to. Much to even their shock, there was a castle wall, which looked smooth but also large. When they looked up, they saw the wall going so high that it looked like it could touch the sky.

"(Woah! Check it out, guys! Civilization! You know what that means! Food!)" Venipede Two cheered. "(I can't wait to try those leafy greens, a-and those meats on those buns, uh, what're they called?)"

"(Hamburgers?)" Venipede Three answered.

"(Yeah, that!)"

"(What's with you and that goddamn human crap! Arceus, we're not scavengers! C'mon!)" Venipede One exclaimed intensely.

"(Oh…right.)"

Suddenly, the three hungry insects picked up a faint smell. Their antennae were rattling with a very strong smell that wasn't too far away.

"(You guys smell that?)" Venipede One asked.

"(What's that smell? I know it, I know it…it's just at the tip of my probiscis…)" Venipede Two chimed.

"(Honey?)" Venipede Three answered.

"(Oh, yeah! That!)" Venipede One turned towards Venipede Two. "(See? Why can't you be more productive like this guy?!)"

"(Oh…)" Venipede Two drooped his antennae.

Venipede One turned his attention towards the wall, having a good hunch where the Honey would be hiding. His antennae rustled as he hissed aggressively. "(Heh…well what do you know about that. Guess we'll be dumpster diving after all.)"

Slowly, a new set of Aspear Berries began blooming right before Chef DK's eyes. The buds were all blossoming, looking to be a total of six. "Well, that's not too bad, I guess. Better than it was last time. Now, gotta pull out these damn weeds…"

He proceeded to pulling out the weeds bit by bit. As he did, Munchlax continued observing him while scooping up globs of Honey from the jar. As he saw the last weed being plucked, Chef DK got up to his feet.

"Okay, now that's done. Guess I'll throw the weeds away and get to cooking…something." With that, Chef DK started towards the mess hall again with his Pokémon in tow.

HISS!

Chef DK stopped in his tracks when he heard an unfamiliar sound from behind him. "Huh? What was that?" He turned towards Farfetch'd. "Farfetch'd, did you hear that?"

Farfetch'd careened his eyes in the direction where the hissing came from. He didn't seem too thrilled with what he saw. "(Yeah…but now it looks like we've got bigger problems than hearing problems.)"

"(Uh oh…)" Cutiefly buzzed.

HISS!

When Chef DK heard the unconventional noise a second time, he turned around, he looked at something that was foreign to him…and extremely aggressive. "What the hell…? OH GOD!"

Crawling steadily across the courtyard, the Venipede trio closed in on the Berry Fields and the small group added. They all looked surprised as they saw the antennae rattling with excitement upon seeing fresh prey.

"Venipede?! Where did they all come from?!" Chef DK panicked.

"(Eh?)" Venipede One scanned the area, noticing the various berries growing. "(Check it out, boys! It's a buffet!)"

"(All you can eat, yay!)" Venipede Two chirped happily, jumping off her front legs. "(I'm so hungry, I could eat just about anything!)"

Venipede One lifted his head, seeing several other figures amongst the strewn berries. "(Heh, well look have we have here…appetizers.)"

The three Venipede turned towards the smell of the sweet nectar. As soon as their eyes locked onto the Honey jar in Munchlax's hands, they knew they had found themselves a worthy appetizer.

"(Oh~, that yummy nectar…I want all of it!)" Venipede Two eagerly hissed, before scurrying after Munchlax.

"(Hey, save some for the rest of us!)" Venipede One retorted, following behind.

Venipede Three looked more patient as he stood there watching his companions charge in recklessly.

Munchlax saw the two Venipede charge for him, but he was much too slow – or rather too out of shape – to act fast. Even though his brain was a stark contrast towards his stomach, even he knew when it was dangerous situation. This was one of those times.

"Oh, that ain't gonna do! I ain't having a pest problem on my turf!" Chef DK roared. "Cutiefly, use your Stun Spore! And Farfetch'd use your Sand Attack!"

With having no choice but to defend themselves, Farfetch'd and Cutiefly spared a glance at each other before turning towards the rushing centipede duo. The former brought his leek back first, using it in a fashion similar to a broom and swept it across the plated ground. A wave of sand kicked up and rushed towards the closest Venipede's wake, hurling straight into his face.

"(What the-?!)" Venipede One stopped in his tracks, his face covered in sand that made him flinch. "(Gah! My eyes!)"

"(Huh?! Are you okay?!)" Venipede Two looked over, completely taken back by the sudden attack. He was so distracted that if it weren't for his antennae picking up light buzzing, he would have missed the Cutiefly that buzzed overhead. "(Huh? Oh, look! Another appetizer…seems kinda small though.)"

Cutiefly buzzed softly before flicking her body. Her wings expelled a yellowish-orange powder that sprinkled down onto Venipede Two. The powder connected and clung to his body, making yellow static flare around him with the paralyzing effects kicking in.

"Yeah, how do you like us now, huh?!" Chef DK chimed mockingly, pointing accusingly at the afflicted Venipede. "This mess hall's off limits to all invaders, including you!"

Munchlax blinked. He seemed genuinely perplexed with what just happened, but it was enough time for him to put his hand into the Honey jar, scoop a little out, and step back to get away from the skirmish.

"(Who did that?!)" Venipede One recovered from the sand hurled a moment ago and turned towards the two attackers and their chef. Even though they were partially blurry, he was clearly annoyed. "(You…you just got on my menu! Grah!)" Without thinking, he lunged at them with his pointed mouth glowing, via Bug Bite.

"(Hey, don't forget about me!)" Venipede Two scurried behind, his tail glowing bright purple with searing venom, via his Poison Tail.

"Oh no you don't! Not on my watch!" Chef DK pointed a finger at the attacking Venipede. "Farfetch'd, show them your stuff buddy! Uh…oh! Use your Cut!" He quickly followed up. "A-and Cutiefly, use your Stun Spore on the other one! Stop them in their tracks!"

Farfetch'd held up his leek as Cutiefly fluttered above, bracing themselves for the oncoming duo before them. Venipede One sprung first for Cutiefly, who was a small and easy target. His nonexistent jaws bit down onto the small fly, causing a huge buffer that shoved her away with a small but noticeable yelp. But that wasn't enough to deter her or reduce her HP by a lot. She countered by expelling another yellowish-orange powder from her body, scattering it across the ground below her. It quickly enveloped Venipede One just as he landed into the midst of the offensive pollen. Similar towards Venipede Two, he had bright static engulf his body, shutting off his nerves and making him cringe.

"(Gngh! What kind of stuff is this?!)" Venipede One hissed, his body feeling more sluggish than before.

Meanwhile, Farfetch'd and Venipede Two engaged with their own scuffle. Farfetch'd used his leek and made a strong slicing motion across, making a blazing white trail follow its wake to intercept the poisonous tail end of the attacker. The two parted briefly before they clashed again in a parry. Even though the Stun Spore slowed him down, it wasn't enough to completely deter Venipede Two's advances. Farfetch'd, however, got several good swings with concise blows that deflected the tail almost entirely. It didn't take too long for the invader to have to pull away and regroup.

"Yeah, just like that, you guys!" Chef DK cheered.

Suddenly, the Dusk and Dawn statues that sat on the other side of the castle were beginning to flow. Each one had a small but noticeable array of sparkles before a unison dark and white ring surrounded them. The two statues expelled the energy rings into transparent shockwaves that raced across the courtyard.

Venipede Three, who was behind his companions, turned towards the oncoming shockwaves. "(Uh, guys?)"

"(What?!)" Venipede One turned towards the peculiar shockwave rings heading their way, his eyes opening wide. Before he had time to exclaim his surprise, the dark shockwaves struck him and his pals, causing them all to buffer and nearly topple over.

Similarly, the white shockwaves went through Chef DK and his Pokémon as well. Cutiefly was the only one who really felt it as she felt a stark contrast to what she originally thought. The damage she took before started healing a little, making her feel relieved. "(Huh…that actually felt kinda nice.)"

Chef DK recovered from the shock, feeling nothing in particular wrong. "What the hell was that about…?" He saw the Venipede all looking to be staggered, looking to have been damaged. "Well, whatever the hell that was about, guess that's good for us! Let's keep up the attack then!" He pointed at the two Venipede from before. "Alright Farfetch'd, use your Peck! And Cutiefly, give 'em a Fairy Wind!"

Farfetch'd grunted before flying across the ground after Venipede One. As he dove closer by the second, his beak glowed bright white. Venipede One sneered as he raised his poisonous tail to intercept with Poison Tail, but he fell short when the static field around him crackled to where he got numb. He grunted painfully before Farfetch'd stabbed him with his beak directly in the face, causing intense shock via a critical hit.

Cutiefly fluttered her extremely tiny wings, unleashing a bright pink wind that brushed into Venipede Two. The attack brushed him relentlessly, but it wasn't enough to do much.

"(Take this!)" Venipede Two's antennae rattled profusely as he lifted his head. He let out a loud, earsplitting cry that emitted soundwaves towards Farfetch'd, via Screech. The loud, ear-splitting assault caused the Wild Duck Pokémon to cover his head and recoil as a dense blue aura enveloped him, sharply reducing his Defense.

Though not directly affected, Chef DK covered his ears as he cringed. "Aw, man! That's so loud! God!"

Once again, the two statues on the other end of the courtyard began emitting external light respective to their colors. A black and white shockwave of energy raced throughout the area, quickly fading through the buildings and area. The shockwaves did nothing to harm Chef DK nor his Pokémon, but it was enough of a deterrent to make the Venipede trio cringe again.

Venipede One in particular seemed really worn out from the damage he took. "(Why…?)" He breathed. "(Why am I so…ugh, tired?)"

"C'mon DK, c'mon…just a little further!" Chef DK thrust his arm out with another command. "C'mon, you guys! Finish them!"

Farfetch'd recovered his hearing enough to make out Chef DK's command. "(Heh, well okay then. Don't be specific this time.)" With free reign, Farfetch'd spread his wings, holding his leek in one as it glowed white. He suddenly glided across the ground in a swift blur towards Venipede Two with no hesitation.

"(Wait, no-!)" Venipede Two was completely open and exposed. He felt the glowing stick's end stab him directly in the face, square in the nostrils in face. The impact sent waves through his body as a sign of a critical hit. The force sent him flying into a hectic tumble until he landed on his side, swirls in his eyes.

"(No!)" Venipede One turned angrily towards Farfetch'd. "(You feathered bastard! I'm gonna make you regret that!)"

"(Slow your roll there! You have me to one-up, too!)" Cutiefly merrily chimed. Her wings suddenly glowed brightly, before she flapped them ferociously. An excess wind was picked up with silver sparkles in them and pinpointed Venipede One.

"(What the-GAAAAAH!)" Venipede One cried out in pain as he felt the shimmering silver in the win pelt his body. Add to it that he wasn't able to move well thanks to the paralysis, he had nowhere to go and was picked up by the breeze, sending him onto his back with a thud.

The two Venipede laid there, swirls in both eyes to indicate their inability to move at all.

"Holy crap…" Chef DK awed at what he just saw. "Did that seriously just happen? T-those looked like new moves, too!" He felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Well…at least we can relax a little now that that's over. Glad to see the berries are safe now." He turned towards Munchlax and his Honey jar. "Oh…and I guess you, too…sort of."

Munchlax stayed quiet. He stared back at Chef DK with an unfamiliar sense of awe. He looked back down at the Honey jar, then back at the chef.

"(That wasn't so bad.)" Cutiefly chimed.

Farfetch'd shrugged at her. "(Yeah, guess it was a nice workout…wait, weren't there three of them?)" He furrowed his brow, his Keen Eye being sharp as he looked in all directions. "(Where'd he…)"

"(Uh-oh…)"

Chef DK sighed loudly. "Alright, let's get these things out so we can-!"

HISS!

"Oh shi-!" Before he had enough time to react, Chef DK felt a sharp pain in his back that felt like an intense bite that he felt through his clothing. He was pushed down to the ground by Venipede Three from behind with a loud thud.

"(Crap! Knew one slipped past us!)" Farfetch'd grunted.

Once again, another shockwave of black and white went through the area. It struck Venipede Three, but he was still able-bodied and over the chef. Meanwhile, Chef DK felt an instant recovery from the bite and fall, but was still winded.

"Ugh…what just…?!" He looked up, his eyes widening upon seeing the last Venipede glaring at him. "SHIT! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF! AAAHHH!"

Farfetch'd eyerolled, but he didn't hesitate otherwise. He rushed in again as another harsh blur, leek first directly at Venipede Three.

Venipede Three, however, hissed aggressively. He brought up a translucent barrier just before the impact, which took the blow for him. Farfetch'd was stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening with surprise. "(What the-?!)"

Before he had time to react, the last Venipede swept his tail as it glowed purple with poison once more. The harsh sweep struck Farfetch'd right across his face, causing intense pain upon impact that sent him careening across the area.

"(I gotcha!)" Cutiefly buzzed her way over, but was gravely stopped when Farfetch'd larger body and weight outclassed her own. Both grunted as they fell to the ground with a painful thud; Farfetch'd especially had the worst of it due to his lowered Defense.

Once again, another round of black and white shockwaves traversed through the area. Venipede winced yet again, while Chef DK and his Pokémon were only partially recovering.

"Crap! Of all the days to have left my Fruit Knife in the mess hall for convenience!" Chef DK was in a panic. "HEY, DOCTOR! A LITTLE HELP PLEASE! DOCTOR?! DOCTOR!"

Meanwhile, within the early morning confines of his lab, all that could be heard were very small, muffled cries that were blended in with the few beeps that some equipment went off. Doctor Poopenschmir laid passed out at his desk as he seemed to be working on something that was unfinished.

"Snap! Can he not hear me in there?!" Chef DK felt a chill run up his spine. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder to see Venipede Three crawling closer towards his neck. "Uh…hey, buddy. Uh…m-mind getting off of me, hehe…?"

Venipede Three didn't listen. Instead, he lowly hissed as he readied to bite his exposed neck.

"GAAAAH! SOMEBODY HELP ME~!"

Venipede Three readied himself for a large, hardy meal. He was about to bite hard when suddenly he felt a vicious bite of its own sink onto his hump. He felt a gratifying pain flare as he was pushed off the chef and onto the ground, grunting in pain.

After a few moments, Chef DK realized that he didn't feel the weight on his back anymore. "W-w-wait…what just happened?" He saw Venipede Three trying to recover, and then looked over at who saved him. "Wait…you?!"

Standing before him was Munchlax, who didn't seem bothered at all. The Honey jar was cleaned out completely behind him as he blinked at him.

"Y-you helped me? Why?" Chef inquired, completely stunned by the act.

Munchlax turned towards the Venipede, taking slow steps to intercept the rowdy insect and the confused chef. "(Munchlax likes chef. He feeds Munchlax…Munchlax likes his food he feeds…wanna eat more.)" His eyes turned serious. "(Stay back from chef and growing food!)"

Venipede Three rattled his antennae angrily. He was tired from not just the shockwaves he kept taking, but that Bite he just took siphoned a big chunk of his HP. He needed to get them, now!

With an intense leap, the Venipede brought his glowing, purple tail around and slammed Munchlax, who stood there and took the attack. The impact was intense, creating visible shock through the face that indicated a critical hit. As he pulled away, Venipede Three watched as Munchlax remained standing and tried recovering from the blow.

"(That didn't taste good…!)" Suddenly, Munchlax felt his entire body cringe from a toxic layer enveloping him. Poisonous bubbles expelled from him as his face had a purplish hue. "(Or that…tastes foul…)"

Having enough time to process everything, Chef DK looked on with visible worry. "Not good. He's been poisoned. Gotta end this, fast. But how do I…?" He had to think about it…think about it a lot. 'Let's see. I don't have my Fruit Knife on me, but I do have…! Wait…OF COURSE! THAT'LL DO IT!'

As he was thinking, another shockwave went through the area, causing Venipede to wince. He hissed as he felt even more pain than before. A yellowish-green aura began engulfing him, activating his Swarm Ability.

Similarly, Munchlax felt the shockwaves heal him, along with a greenish wave from his body that restored even more of his energy. However, he cringed when the poison activated, taking away much of that health he just regained.

In haste, Chef DK reached for something in his pockets. "Where is it? Where is it…?" He scrounged around until he had felt something familiar. "Aha! There!" He yanked it out, revealing to be the TR that he had won several days ago. "Finally! Time to put this to use!" He looked up at Munchlax. "Yo, Munchlax!"

Without any hesitation, the chef chucked the small disc at Munchlax. Time slowed down for that moment to show the disc flipping gradually towards the turning creature. He slowly blinked as his eyes locked onto the falling disc that descended. In a moment's worth of impulse, he opened his mouth wide in an attempt to eat it as it came down, but it ended up hitting his forehead instead.

That moment, the TR made contact directly and shined brightly, briefly engulfing Munchlax. It caught Venipede Three by surprise to see his foe enveloped by the strange array of lights.

"(A new move by a disc?)" He hissed his own level of surprise, which was plentiful.

The light settled down, revealing Munchlax looking unfazed. Though he just realized that he didn't get to eat it, revealing him confused. "(No snack…?)" Though dismayed that he lost an opportunity for something that looked like a crunchy circle, he felt something entirely different running through his body. Something powerful. "(Munchlax doesn't feel full. But Munchlax feels…something else…)"

With him briefly distracted, Venipede Three blinked. This was a golden opportunity! He lifted his head as the tip glowed bright white with protruding fangs, which were far longer thanks to Swarm activating. He arose to his hindlegs and sprung into the air after Munchlax.

"(Eh?)" Munchlax looked towards the sky, seeing the falling red insect diving in his direction.

"Oh no you don't, were ending this thing right now!" Chef DK declared, pointing at the Venipede. "Alright Munchlax, use Psychic!"

As if by instinct, the power surfaced around Munchlax's eyes. They blinked and were engulfed in a bright purple light. He reached his arms up towards the falling Venipede as the psychokinetic energy he was starting to expel distorted the area in front of him in violet, hot pink, and purple. As Venipede was falling towards this energy field, he was starting to slow to a halt until he was frozen completely in midair. Unable to move around, all Venipede could do was squirm in place and feel completely uncomfortable by the Psychic-type move encompassing his proximity.

"(Uh oh…)"

"(Food. Isn't. YOURS!" Munchlax's eyes widened with a vengeance. He swung his arms around and directed the psychic powers he had unleashed off to the side. Venipede Three's entire body followed the course of the harsh pull and hurled in an arch in the direction of his fainted allies. He struck them with intense force, making all three airborne.

To add insult to injury, Munchlax's Psychic suddenly fluxed. He pushed at the air in front harshly, making a shockwave repulse the now fainted trio through the air across the courtyard far over the castle's walls. All that could be seen of them were three fading dots that fell into the plains beyond their reaches.

Chef DK looked on, looking visibly stunned at what he just witnessed. "W-woah…I guess that's one way of getting rid of pests." He turned towards Munchlax. "Nice going there! You actually saved us!"

Munchlax felt the Psychic's influence fade from his eyes. With a slow blink, he gradually turned towards Chef DK. "(Munchlax glad…but still hungry.)"

Suddenly, more toxic bubbles erupted from his body. The battle was over, but that didn't save him from the poisoned condition he still sustained.

"Oh, right. That." Chef DK realized what had to be done. Even though he personally didn't like it one bit, he knew it would come back to bite him later on if he didn't try to show his appreciation for the help Munchlax was. He breathed deeply through his nose and out through his mouth. "Well…guess it's alright."

As Munchlax was feeling the recoil – and growling tummy – he turned to see Chef DK approach him with something that smelled sweet in his hand. "(Hm? Sweet snack?)"

Chef DK held up a Pecha Berry, one of the only two that grew recently. He reached out towards Munchlax, who looked between him and the berry presented. "Here, just eat this."

"(But you said…)"

Chef DK sighed. "Look, you annoy me eating up everything, but at the end of the day, you still saved my bacon, and the crops too, so this is the least that I can do to repay ya."

Munchlax looked down at the berry; a very simple gesture that he didn't shy away from. He took the nutritional fruit and ate it in one big bite. A green healing wave expelled from his body that faded just as quickly, taking the poison with it.

Chef DK then pulled out the last Pecha Berry, looking at it longingly. "Well, guess it's fine. Better plant this to stock up."

Munchlax looked at the last Pecha Berry and paused. Before anything else, he snatched it out of Chef DK's hand and started walking away.

"Hey, wait! Munchlax! Stop! Don't eat…wait, what?"

Rather than watch him eat it on the spot, he saw him saunter over towards the Berry Field, over to where there was a hole available in the soil. Remembering how the chef had done it before, Munchlax simply dropped it into the open dirt. He bent forward and scooped dirt over it, effectively planting it in his stead.

To say Chef DK was stunned would be putting it lightly. He, Farfetch'd, and Cutiefly all watched as Munchlax returned to them, looking proud.

"You…you planted it for us?" Chef DK stuttered.

Munchlax nodded. "(Yup. Munchlax sorry…Munchlax likes food…don't want food to run out.)"

Chef DK started sniffling. "T-that's so nice, I don't even know what to say…t-thank you, I guess. But…I guess you aren't so bad after all." He made a decision. "So, um, d-do you wanna stick around then? I know I was trying to rid of you before, but now…I'm kinda used to you. I'm sure we can work something out."

Munchlax smiled wide. "(Love that sweet Honey. So very yummy.)"

"Alright, guess that's a yes in my books!" Chef Dk reached for his pockets, pulling out something else that he had saved recently. In his clutches was the Great Ball he had won at one of his low-tier lotteries. "Alright, go, Great Ball!"

With a vibrant toss, he threw it at Munchlax. As is subconscious, Munchlax made an attempt to bite it, but it ended up hitting his forehead and popped open. He was drawn inside the capsule. It closed shut as soon as he was engulfed inside of it and dropped to the ground.

One shake, two shakes, and then after the third one…the ball stopped rolling and made an audible click.

"YES! I actually did it, guys! I caught a Munchlax!" Chef DK trotted over and picked up the Great Ball. "And with that, the help's just gotten bigger, hehehe!"

"(Wow…I'm honestly surprised.)" Farfetch'd admitted.

"(Yeah, but it works out.)" Cutiefly lifted her tint limbs in a shrug.

"Alright Munchlax, come out!" Chef DK tossed the Great Ball back into the air, bringing out Munchlax before him once more.

"(Eh? Time to eat already?)" Munchlax nonchalantly asked his newly dubbed trainer.

"Welcome to the team, Munchlax. From now on, we're gonna work together to make the best dishes this world has to offer! But before that…" He turned and noticed how a fresh batch of Tamato Berries had just grown. There were about eight in total, much to his delight. He walked over and plucked one off and returned to Munchlax with it in hand. "I haven't had much time to make dishes with these, but let's commemorate this, shall we?"

"(Yummy snack!)" Munchlax cheered.

"Hehe, that's what I like to hear. Alright, down the hatch!"

The two opened their mouths wide and took bites out of the large berry. The moment they did, both froze in place with their eyes wide.

"(They okay?)" Cutiefly wondered.

Farfetch'd groaned, shaking his head. "(Here we go.)"

The two were frozen in registering shock. SO much in fact that what was left of the Tamato Berry fell out of Chef DK's hand. Slowly, their bodies started shaking as sweat dripped down their faces. In a frantic, searing heat in their mouths, they opened wide and screamed at the top of their lungs.

"GAAAAH! HOT!"

As the two cried out in distress, Rotom looked out the window from Poopenschmir's lab, cackling with a smile.

Party Data

Chef DK

-Farfetch'd (Male)

Lv: 20

Item: Leek

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Keen Eye

Moves: Fury Cutter, Cut, Sand Attack, Aerial Ace

-Cutiefly (Female)

Lv: 18

Item: Honey

Nature: Relaxed

Ability: Honey Gather

Moves: Silver Wind, Fairy Wind, Stun Spore, Sweet Scent

-Munchlax (Male)

Lv: 20

Item: Leftovers

Nature: Docile

Ability: Pickup

Moves: Psychic, Bite, Stockpile, Swallow

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I know it's a lot longer than what I intended, but I got into it and made the best of Chef DK and Munchlax by the end. As always, I appreciate your thoughts and feedback!