"Ka~…"The sound was soft and drawn-out, a kind of lazy hum. On the long stretch of Route 8, aboard a white truck bound for Pewter City, a small Munchlax pulled back the canvas flap and gazed dreamily at the sky.
The wind ruffled his fur as he reached into his thick belly fluff and fished out a plump fruit, tossing it into his mouth with a satisfied chomp.
"Ka~… life is beautiful," he murmured to himself. "I wonder what delicious things I'll get to eat if I stick with this human."
A goofy smile spread across his face as his mind painted the possibilities—dishes from far-off towns, treats he'd never tasted in sleepy Lavender. The thought alone made his stomach growl.
Why he'd followed Ethan was simple: food.
Since Charmeleon had been adopted, the Fire-type had been eating better—special meals, snacks after training, rare treats now and then. Munchlax had tried to steal them more than once, but Charmeleon beat him back each time.
Yesterday, hidden behind the shelter's shed, Munchlax had overheard Ethan talking to Mr. Fuji: "…heading to Pewter City to challenge the Gym…"
That was it. His chance.
If he went along, he'd eat whatever Charmeleon ate. And if Ethan didn't feed him? Well… Munchlax knew exactly how to make trouble until he got his way. No one could resist his big, round face for long—not even Mr. Fuji.
"Ka~… I'm a genius," he muttered, sniffing the air.
Something smelled good.
Munchlax's eyes snapped open. He turned toward the truck's cab, pressing his face against the small rear window. Inside, the driver was munching cookies, crumbs dusting his lap. Beside him, Ethan dozed, head lolling against the seat.
"Ka~…"
The truck jolted as the brakes slammed. Ethan jerked awake.
"What's wrong?"
Karen—the driver—was coughing, thumping his chest with one hand and pointing behind him with the other.
Ethan twisted in his seat and froze. A huge, round face was squished against the glass, cheeks spread wide from the pressure.
"…Munchlax?"
A minute later, Ethan and the stowaway were squeezed together in the cab, sharing the last of Karen's cookie stash. Munchlax demolished the box in one bite, licking the crumbs from his paws.
Karen groaned. "What do we do? Send him back?"
Ethan shook his head. "Forget it. We're halfway to Pewter. I'll message Grandpa Fuji later."
Karen frowned. "And his diet? I can't afford to feed a Munchlax."
"I'll cover it. Fuji can reimburse me."
Karen sighed and turned back to the road.
Ethan eyed Munchlax, curiosity piqued. Why follow him here? He flicked open the system overlay.
Pokémon: Munchlax
Level: 17 (132 days to next level)
Qualification: Elite
Intimacy: -21
Ability: Pickup
Gender: Male
Moves: Tackle (20%), Metronome (18%), Defense Curl (15%), Amnesia (15%), Rest (32%)
Description: Once deceived by its trainer, who promised food as battle reward but failed to deliver. In anger, Snorlax attacked and was abandoned. Afterwards, it began stealing food, disrupting public order, and was eventually captured by Officer Jenny. Sent to the Pokémon House upon confirmation of abandonment.
Ethan's brow lifted. "So you really did follow me just for the food…"
No other motive made sense. And in Munchlax's world, food was bigger than the sky.
"Well… I did want to tame you eventually," Ethan said. "Guess we'll start on this trip."
An hour later, the truck rolled into Pewter City. The streets buzzed with life—the hum of conversation, the smell of fresh bread, the glitter of shopfronts catching the late sun.
They decided to stay the night before heading to the Gym.
"Come out, Charmeleon," Ethan said, releasing the Shiny in a flash of light. He wanted his partner close—partly for company, partly to keep an eye on Munchlax, whose attention was already snagged by the ice cream in a child's hands.
"Rua," Charmeleon growled, stepping subtly between Munchlax and the passing kid.
"Ka~."Munchlax tugged at Ethan's pants and pointed toward an ice cream stall.
"You want ice cream?" Ethan asked, surprised. He'd expected Munchlax to simply grab it and leave him to pay.
"Ka~," the Pokémon nodded, almost… politely.
Ethan raised an eyebrow but led them over. In under three minutes, Munchlax had cleaned out the vendor's stock. Then his gaze slid to Charmeleon's cone.
The Fire-type caught the look and narrowed his eyes. Munchlax looked away, pretending sudden interest in the cones held by Ethan and Karen.
"Ka~," he whined, paws on his cheeks in a practiced cute pose.
Karen took a huge bite of her ice cream without offering any. Munchlax's little frown was immediate. His gaze shifted to Ethan.
Ethan handed his over, curious to see if it would affect the system's intimacy reading.
Munchlax bowed in exaggerated gratitude before swallowing the cone whole. Ethan checked the overlay. No change.
"…You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. Polite act, zero actual bond growth.
Minutes later, Munchlax tugged again—this time toward a hamburger stall. Ethan humored him, buying the entire stand's stock. Once more, Snorlax tried for Charmeleon's and Karen's portions; both refused. Ethan gave his up.
Grateful face. No intimacy change.
The third time, it was a pancake vendor. But Ethan decided to test his theory.
"Munchlax, you've eaten enough for today. Let's head back and rest."
The change was instant. The cute facade dropped, small fangs bared. Munchlax's eyes hardened. Without warning, he bolted, snatching a pancake fresh off the griddle—midair—before the vendor could hand it to the customer.
Ethan stared, deadpan. "…This is absolutely a histrionic personality."
Charmeleon just shook his head, tail flame flicking in mild exasperation.