Shadow watched as MunchMunch waddled over.

  Well, he would say he skipped, but nothing about the little guy was graceful enough to be called skipping. Still, the way he stuck his paws out for balance and lifted his feet as high as he could — slightly to the side mind, because his belly was too big to lift straight up —

  Yep. He was definitely her little MunchMunch.

  “Heya, Mama Gastly!” He giggled, tripping, falling, and rolling right back up again as if nothing had happened.

  Shadow sighed. “It’s — “

  “Right! Sorry!” MunchMunch stopped, looking horrified he had said her name wrong. “Mama Shadow!” he beamed.

  Shadow sighed and slumped, floating down to nudge his cheek. That will look so much better once I’m a Haunter, she mused.

  “Just Shadow, Sweetie,” she puffed at him, messing up his little tuft of fur that passed for hair.

  He looked at her with the biggest eyes. “Yep! Mama Shadow!” he repeated, giggling happily. “I still like Mama Gastly more — but I also like Mama Shadow because it’s your special name!” he babbled, looking at first one paw, then the other, as he stated her two names.

  As if they belonged to two different Pokémon.

  Shadow snorted. “I liked your cackle,” she whispered, settling comfortably into his shadow.

  MunchMunch gasped and straightened, furiously chewing his Leftovers — which let Shadow know he was very happy.

  Honestly. He was so easy to read.

  “I learned it from a friend!” MunchMunch positively screamed in excitement.

  “Indoor voice, MunchMunch,” Shadow chuckled as the various feline Pokémon around them flicked their ears in annoyance.

  On second thought, maybe she should let him shout some more?

  “Sorry!” he whispered, hardly much quieter. Gastly cackled softly from his shadow. “I wanted to practice it and surprise you, but I forgot!” he explained happily.

  Shadow nodded as she watched him. She was still intrigued how he managed to see her; to most Pokémon, she was all but invisible once she found a shadow she liked. MunchMunch seemed to know where she was. Even when she was trying to hide.

  It had become something of a game, her hiding and him finding her.

  Well, it was a game for her. MunchMunch wasn’t even aware he was playing. He just loved her so much, he wanted to know where she was at all times.

  “Did you have a question, dear?” Shadow smiled.

  “Oh! Right!” MunchMunch clenched his fists, munching seriously on his snack and standing tall — all two tiny feet of him.

  “Mama, how am I supposed to make friends when I always knock the other Pokémon out?”

  Gastly coughed.

  What? What did she know about friends?!

  “Well, you see,” she began, stalling for time.

  How was she supposed to answer this? She had never even thought about having friends. She had never cared about anyone until her team! She was still trying to figure out how to deal with how much she cared about MunchMunch.

  “Uh well.”

  If Gastly could sweat, she would be sweating.

  “It is because they are too weak,” she nodded sagely, accidentally floating out of the shadow in her agitation. “Yes, that is right, Sweetie. They are too weak, so you don’t need to worry about being friends with them!”

  She heard a cough, and glanced over to see a Persian glaring at her.

  She paused. Oh, that glare — that glare was wonderful.

  Gastly smiled deviously, ready to double down.

  “No, that can’t be right,” MunchMunch interrupted thoughtfully. “After all, you were friends with me before I was strong?”

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  It was the Persian’s turn to cackle.

  Gastly quickly sank back into the shadow to hide her blush.

  “That… that’s different,” she replied defensively.

  “How?” MunchMunch asked earnestly, looking like this was the most important thing in the world to him.

  “Hey you two,” Teddy called, walking over towards them.

  OH THANK GOODNESS! Shadow practically melted into the shadow she was in, entirely spent.

  MunchMunch abruptly turned, all thoughts of friends forgotten as he saw his Trainer. Gastly was happy to be carried along.

  “Muuuuunchmunchmunchmunchmunch!” He trilled, waddling over to hug their Trainer’s leg.

  Teddy chuckled, ruffling his head-fur. “You two up for another battle?”

  Gastly bolted to attention, rocketing out of MunchMunch’s shadow, all thoughts of exhaustion forgotten.

  MunchMunch looked at her questioningly.

  “Battle,” she cackled.

  MunchMunch turned to look back at their Teddy and let out the best impersonation of an absolutely terrifying Gengar-cackle she had heard to date.

  ____

  Talking with Gym Trainer Victoria had been brutal.

  Teddy hadn’t been able to stop himself from blushing. Furiously.

  The entire time.

  And she knew it too, fluttering her wonderfully long eyelashes for no reason.

  No reason except to tease him.

  Aaagh! He wanted to bury himself in a pile of sand and never come out. Maybe he could become a Sandslash.

  None of which was helped by his Pokémon.

  MunchMunch had been busy babbling on the top of his lungs; Gastly hardly better, her constant cackle just loud enough to seep through every word of their conversation.

  Much to the annoyance of the other Gym denizens.

  The discomfort of which Victoria had capitalized on, seeming intent on making him blush as furiously as possible.

  As if things couldn’t get worse, somehow she had a human version of Roll Call, magically summoning what seemed like every single Gym Trainer in the building away from their posts, just to swarm him.

  All of whom were obscenely gorgeous.

  What was with this Gym?!

  There was one trainer who was in overalls, coming over from where she had been working on planting new flowers.

  Covered in dirt with smudges on her face, she still looked like she belonged on the cover of Pokémon Weekly.

  All topped off when Victoria tittered, transferring his earnings to his Pokédex.

  More than he had earned from the entire Azalea Gym combined.

  The look on his face was apparently enough to make the rest of the trainers laugh at him. Which was probably the plan all along!

  Ok. So. Maybe abruptly turning around and walking — no, he did not flee — over to his Pokémon and asking them if they were ready for another battle was a social faux pas.

  He had been desperate.

  “Oh ho ho! A battle, is it?” The Beauty in overalls chuckled. This one looked younger than Victoria, but still a few years older than Teddy.

  Which meant they were all teasing him on purpose.

  Literally, for no reason.

  Then his MunchMunch let out the most devious cackle he had ever heard, causing the other Trainers to gasp, taken aback.

  “That’s my gremlin,” Teddy whispered beneath his smile.

  “Very well!” The Trainer called, eyeing Munchlax warily, “I choose — “

  “What’s goin’ on here?” A voice called from behind everyone. The Beauties parted to let a girl with shock pink hair in pigtails through.

  She looked… normal. Sweet, friendly, not ridiculously beautiful.

  Not intent on making him the color of a Cheri berry.

  Teddy exhaled. Finally. A regular Trainer.

  “Hi!” She called, her voice bubbly — like fresh air. She fit perfectly into the pastel chaos of the Gym.

  “Oh? Your Munchlax is really cute!” She exclaimed, squatting down to look at him. The smell of bubblegum and some flower Teddy didn’t recognize filled the air around her.

  Shadow flickered slightly.

  “And your Gastly, too!” She added with a smile.

  Teddy hid a grin as Shadow pretended not to care. Her slightly swelled size gave her away, though.

  “Mind if I battle you instead?” She asked, bouncing back up with exuberant enthusiasm.

  The other Trainers started talking at once, obviously perturbed the younger girl should take away their chance to bully him.

  “I don’t mind!” Teddy shouted, before they could bully her into backing down. He needed a regular fight after the social beating he had just received.

  “Awesome!” The girl beamed. “I have to warn you though, I won’t hold back!” She bounced excitedly, palming a Pokéball.

  Teddy grinned. “Neither will I.”

  The pink-haired trainer smirked. “Don’t cry when I crush you.”

  Teddy blinked. Why did she suddenly sound like she was going to flatten him with a Tauros?

  “Uh, Alright Munchlax — let’s do this.”

  His MunchMunch rolled head over heels onto the field, Gengar-cackling all the while.