Munchlax's sudden lunge for the pancake stand sent the stall owner stumbling back in alarm.
"Hey! Whose Munchlax is this? Control your Pokémon!" the man shouted, voice tight with panic.
No one in the crowd stepped forward. People exchanged looks, half expecting someone else to intervene. But no one wanted to risk the wrath of a Pokémon this size.
With no challengers, Munchlax settled into the feast. A whole pancake vanished in one bite. He chewed slowly, eyes locking on Ethan Carter with smug satisfaction, as if daring him to stop him.
Ethan's voice cut cold through the warm air. "Charmeleon—restrain him."
"Rua!"
Charmeleon had been itching for this. Three seconds later, Munchlax was pinned under one claw, immobilized in front of the stand. He hadn't even tried to fight back—just finished his pancake, then gave a lazy burp in Ethan's direction, tail flame flickering with amusement.
The stall owner stormed up, face red. "This is your Munchlax, right? You owe me for the damage!"
Ethan glanced not at the man, but at Munchlax—whose eyes now danced with provocation and pride. Then he shook his head.
"You're mistaken," Ethan said smoothly. "This isn't my Munchlax. I'm just here to do the right thing."
The stall owner blinked. "Oh—sorry, sorry," he stammered, backing up.
Ethan didn't soften. "If you want real compensation, call the Pokémon Police. Have Officer Jenny arrest him. If he has a trainer, they'll pay. If not, Jenny will see he gets discipline."
The man hesitated. It wasn't a huge loss—just a dozen pancakes—and sending a Munchlax to the police over that seemed petty. But Ethan's tone was unyielding.
"This is necessary," Ethan pressed. "If you let him go, he'll just do it again."
Munchlax froze. This was not how he thought the day would go. Being handed over to the police for a few pancakes? Usually it took him a month of mischief before Jenny caught him.
Ethan even pulled out his phone. "If it's too much trouble, I can call Jenny for you."
The stall owner's courage wavered. "Uh… I'll… just pack up."
And just like that, he was gone—stall, customers, and all.
Munchlax stared up at Ethan, confusion replacing arrogance.
Karen approached. "You're really going to send him to the police?"
"Of course," Ethan said with a shrug. "Jenny teaches him a lesson, then sends him back to the Pokémon House. Without him, we can enjoy more food in other cities. I've heard the ice cream in Cerulean is incredible."
"Ka~!" Munchlax's whine cut him off. He shook his head frantically, eyes pleading.
Ethan narrowed his gaze. "Too late. Unless you can pay the stall owner back…"
Before he could finish, Munchlax reached into his fur and pulled out a shimmering, heart-shaped scale.
Ethan's breath caught. "A Heart Scale…"
Before he could recover, Munchlax produced a second item—a Fire Stone glowing from within.
Suppressing his excitement, Ethan asked, "Where did you get these?"
Munchlax pointed toward Charmeleon. Ethan gave a nod. "Let him go."
Released, Munchlax bolted into the park. Ethan signaled Charmeleon to follow.
Karen bent to examine the items. "What are these?"
"They're rare—and valuable," Ethan said. "I'll sell them later and split the profits with you."
Karen brightened. She handed them over without hesitation.
When Ethan turned back, the stall owner had vanished. He pocketed the items. "Saved some money there."
A few minutes later, Munchlax and Charmeleon returned. Munchlax dropped three more finds at Ethan's feet: a bottle of Repel, a piece of Charcoal to boost Fire-type moves, and an antidote.
"Ka~" He looked up, clearly asking if this covered the "debt."
Ethan chuckled, glancing at the system overlay noting Munchlax's Pickup ability. "Alright. That's enough to offset it. Since you're repentant, I won't send you to the police."
Munchlax collapsed onto the ground with exaggerated relief. "Ka~"—I thought I was done for.
Ethan smiled faintly. Then, an idea struck him—a way to start building trust.