“I did so enjoy your spectacular failure in Azalea!”

  Proton sighed for the umpteenth time.

  “The goal was to remove Slowpoke tails and outsource them for funding. We have enough to fund all plans in the foreseeable future. Explain the failure.” Proton rolled his eyes as he cut another slice from his steak. It was delicious, but he cared little for the flavor.

  What was important was the message.

  He had to eat better than his grunts.

  That way, they would know he was better… and they would obey.

  Tedious, but what could one do when one was destined to lead lesser men?

  “But you lost to a kid!” Petrel goaded. “A Gastly and a baby Munchlax.”

  Petrel broke into laughter.

  Proton’s hand shook, causing the knife to scrape the plate.

  He clenched his jaw. Not because of the knife.

  Because he had accidentally let show his annoyance.

  And the clown would hammer relentlessly on any weak point he found.

  “How does it feel? The great and powerful Proton falling before a child,” Petrel gasped theatrically.

  Proton rolled his eyes again. Normally, he would not deign to answer.

  Except they had a guest. A guest who might carry tales of this meeting to others.

  And so, he was forced into a performance of his own.

  “As I have said before, maintaining the illusion of Rocket’s weakness was more important than crushing a child.”

  “Oh, is that how you justify your failure to Archer?” Petrel needled, waggling his brows.

  “There was. No. FAILURE!” Proton exploded, slamming down his utensils.

  “Ah excuse me,” he immediately apologized to their guest, his voice dropping back to pleasant tones. “My associate loves to joke,” he finished with a tight lipped smile.

  Petrel laughed again. “Oh yes, I love to joke. Now, be a good little grunt and be sure to spread Proton’s ‘fearsome’ reputation, ok?” Petrel smiled at their guest.

  The grunt nodded in terror.

  “Wonderful, wonderful,” Petrel exclaimed, standing to excuse himself. “Please do have some food before you go, and remember — if you don’t do your job well, you get a one way ticket to Proton’s ‘special’ room.,” he grinned in the soft light.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard the stories. And the screams. Ta-ta!.”

  Petrel leaned down to Proton’s ear.

  “Don’t worry, dearest Proton. At least I won’t fail my performance.”

  Petrel flourished and made his exit.

  Proton stared at the grunt across from him and exhaled.

  “Get out.”

  The grunt fled and Proton motioned for the lights to be brightened. His audience was gone, now he needed to work.

  He grit his teeth.

  Never again would a child humiliate him.

  He clicked the hologram and waited as the call connected.

  Before, he would have said a child was unimportant. But, rarely, some children raised teams into monsters in less than a season. It would not do to overlook anything.

  Not when they were so close.

  Proton schooled a professional smile onto his face as the call connected.

  “Archer, let’s talk business.”

  ____

  Shadow watched as Teddy brought yet another Chocolate Cake to their MunchMunch, where it was promptly deposited into his mouth and swallowed whole.

  “MunchMunch, that was your third cake,” Shadow laughed in bemusement.

  “Yep!” he giggled, “Now I’m positive I love Chocolate Cake just as much as I did!”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Shadow smiled, then sighed — her gasses drifting outward.

  Why.

  Why did it have to be Chocolate Cake the move took?

  The little monster had Thick-fat, Defense Curl, Amnesia and Leftovers.

  Amnesia was such a huge leap in power.

  And they would never use it again.

  Both she and Teddy knew it, even without speaking of it.

  In fact, Teddy was hardly speaking at all.

  A concern she would need to address shortly.

  Shadow surprised herself by admitting it. She had changed even more than she realized.

  She was willing to give up power so her MunchMunch would never forget he loved Chocolate Cake.

  Her.

  Preposterous.

  Still, she turned to watch over her little food gremlin.

  ____

  MunchMunch was very happy.

  And very sad.

  He wasn’t a baby anymore. He was growing up big and strong.

  So he was pretending to be happy. Well, the Chocolate Cake made him happy.

  MunchMunch grunted as his tummy grew cold and tightened.

  He clenched his foot-paws.

  He knew that feeling now.

  Now that he was growing up.

  The feeling was fear.

  MunchMunch was afraid of that move.

  He wasn’t afraid he had forgotten Chocolate Cake.

  He was afraid he was even able to forget it in the first place.

  What if he forgot it forever next time?

  What if he forgot Mama Gastly?

  …What if he forgot his Teddy?

  MunchMunch smiled so his Teddy and Mama Gastly wouldn’t know he was scared and took a bite of his Leftovers.

  ____

  Teddy sat back in the corner of the National Park entrance after giving his MunchMunch some more cake and watched.

  He had been excited to come here.

  Now, he could barely bring himself to move.

  Their Journey had been going so well.

  But the last couple of weeks in Goldenrod?

  Mistake after mistake.

  He thought they were finally back on track. That leaving was the right decision.

  They had barely left the gate before he made the biggest mistake yet.

  He didn’t know exactly what Amnesia had done to his MunchMunch, but he knew it wasn’t normal.

  And he knew it scared him.

  I really wish I could speak with my team… like, really talk to them.

  The gravity hadn’t settled in until Shadow took the field.

  Teddy thought he had seen her angry.

  He had been wrong.

  During the fight with the Magmar… he’d ended up having to forcefully recall her to her Poké Ball, lest she inflict permanent injuries.

  He… he had barely recognized her.

  His Shadow was normally wispy black with a hint of purple. During that battle? She had been ink black. And he had never seen her Curse look so sinister.

  The opposing Magmar had *screamed* in pain.

  It was the first time the other trainer’s stoic mask cracked.

  Teddy watched his two Pokemon chat while MunchMunch inhaled his cake.

  He smiled sadly. He had almost lost not one, but both of his Pokémon today.

  And it was all his fault.

  He wanted to stay in his corner, alone and ignored.

  But he was the Trainer. He had to be strong.

  “MunchMunch, Shadow!” he called softly.

  Watching both of them instantly turn and then come to him brought a slight smile to his lips.

  “Shadow, can you translate for MunchMunch?” he asked when they were both settled in front of him.

  She nodded and rolled her eyes, just so he knew it was ridiculous he even asked.

  “Thanks,” he smiled.

  Her smiling back meant more than he thought it would.

  “So… Shadow? MunchMunch? I’ve… made a lot of mistakes recently,” he began.

  MunchMunch grunted in disagreement while Shadow glared, but he waved them both down.

  “I have… but the truth is… I love both of you. Very much.”

  He blinked. Now was not the time for tears.

  Shadow blinked rapidly and MunchMunch tried to eat his paws around his smile.

  “I want to go on this Journey with you both. But, I’m afraid there will be a lot of mistakes,” he exhaled.

  “I think that is part of what a Journey is — mistakes.”

  He took another deep breath.

  “I can’t promise I’ll never make mistakes… but I can promise I will always try my hardest. For both of you. And if I make a mistake? I will do everything I can to fix it.”

  He turned to his baby Munchlax, who was still busy eating his paws while still managing to watch him with perfectly round eyes.

  “MunchMunch, I promise I will never use that move again.”

  He watched as Shadow beamed in pride.

  He waited while she translated for MunchMunch.

  He watched as MunchMunch dropped both paws and stood up, throwing himself at Teddy with the most heartfelt “Munch!” he had ever heard.

  “I love you too, Buddy,” he whispered, pulling in Shadow as well.

  A sound echoed in the stillness.

  Crack.

  The three of them looked up, confused.

  MunchMunch gasped and pointed to the Egg.

  Crack. CRACK.