MunchMunch liked Azalea.

  It was small and always kind of dim. He liked it, because it made him feel safe.

  But Goldenrod…

  “Munch!” He cried, Happy’s Egg under one arm, his other paw in his Trainer’s hand.

  Gastly drifted quietly in his shadow, where only he could see her.

  His Teddy looked down, smiled, and raised a foot.

  MunchMunch giggled and copied him.

  Then together, they took their first step into Goldenrod.

  And it was incredible! The street they were on was wider than a house in Azalea, and everything was bright and loud!

  There were people and Pokemon everywhere. He could see Rattata chasing each other behind trash cans, and humans just like the “Shopkeeper” lady were all over the place, their stalls filled with amazing things.

  And he could smell food no matter which way he pointed his nose! And the people, they were everywhere and they wore all sorts of different colors! In fact, there were so many people, he couldn’t see the buildings anymore!

  “Mama Shadow, I can’t see anything!” he shouted, clinging tightly to his Trainer’s hand. He only came up to most people’s knees. Even his ears barely reached the waists of the shorter humans!

  “Don’t be scared, MunchMunch,” Gastly whispered from his shadow. “Even though you are so tiny, you actually weigh more than most humans!”

  “See that big guy right there?” she whispered, and somehow MunchMunch knew just where she was looking. The guy was… really, really big. Like, almost two Teddy’s tall.

  “Yes?” he said back, holding Happy tightly.

  “Try standing still,” she cackled softly.

  MunchMunch didn’t understand why she wanted him to do that, but he trusted her. So, he dropped his Teddy’s hand and stood still, the big guy walking right at him.

  He was getting closer and closer, and he wasn’t slowing down.

  “Gastly!”

  “Just wait, I promise it’s ok!” She cackled.

  Then the guy walked right into MunchMunch, without even looking down! MunchMunch clenched his eyes but…

  He barely even felt the guy.

  When he peeked his eyes open again, the guy was flat on his face behind MunchMunch, and Gastly was cackling so hard she almost fell out of his shadow!

  “He should have watched where he was going!” She guffawed.

  “I barely even felt him!” MunchMunch shouted, cackling along with Gastly while Teddy ran over to try to help the guy up. The guy was shouting, and people were watching — some of them laughing and others looked bemused. His Trainer looked flustered, but MunchMunch was so proud!

  “*Shadow!*” He cried, “Did you see that! I’m strong enough to keep Happy safe!”

  Suddenly, his shadow felt warmer — like Gastly had just given him a hug.

  “Yes, yes you are!” She said, “And I am so proud of you!”

  MunchMunch… really liked that.

  A lot.

  He gasped.

  “Mama Shadow, do you think,” he began, turning to look at Gastly in his shadow — her eyes peeking out at him.

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  “If I were to use Tackle, do you think I could walk right through everyone? I could go exactly where I want to! I want to go to that food shop over there!”

  Gastly cackled. “You most certainly could!” She laughed, “But you shouldn’t.”

  That drew MunchMunch up short. “Why not?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

  “It’s an unspoken rule — Pokemon don’t use moves on humans,” she explained. “Even in the wild, they won’t attack unless they feel they have to.”

  “But, but… I wouldn’t be attacking! I would just be… moving them,” MunchMunch argued. The food smelled really good, and he wanted to get over there!

  “Just because you have strength, doesn’t mean you have to use it,” Shadow said, and MunchMunch listened because it was one of the few times she sounded completely serious.

  “I don’t understand, Mama,” he replied.

  Gastly thought for a moment, while the world and all its people continued on around them. Even Teddy had wandered off, but she knew he would be back — probably with a slice of Chocolate Cake for MunchMunch.

  “When you spoke with Celebi, how did you feel?” She asked eventually.

  “Safe. And Happy,” MunchMunch responded instantly. He would never forget what it felt like to be near Celebi.

  “Did you know he could probably flatten this whole city, and everyone in it, if he wanted to?” She continued.

  MunchMunch gasped, but found he wasn’t surprised. Lord Celebi felt really big.

  He nodded.

  “But you felt safe and happy?” She prompted.

  Again, MunchMunch nodded. “Somehow, I just knew he wouldn’t hurt me,” he whispered, but he knew Shadow would hear him even with the crowd.

  She nodded, her eyes blinking slowly in his shadow.

  “That is what it means to be strong,” she whispered. “To have so much power, but also know when and how to use it.”

  MunchMunch had wanted to be just like Mama Gastly. And he still did.

  But now he realized, he wanted to be like Celebi.

  He wanted everyone to feel safe when he was there.

  “Thanks, Mama Shadow,” he said, rubbing the Egg against his belly to keep it warm as he thought.

  He hadn’t realized why Celebi had felt the way he did. MunchMunch thought it was just because he was Celebi.

  But if what Mama Shadow said was true… and it was because of how he was, instead of who he was…

  Then did that mean he could make other people feel the same way? Could me make other people feel safe and happy, just by smiling? Just by being?

  That… seemed like something really special. It felt right, just like Body Slam and Chocolate Cake felt right.

  “Munchlax!”

  MunchMunch startled from his thoughts, peering through the crowd to find his Trainer.

  He saw him, winding through all the people with a plate lifted over his head.

  And on that plate was a perfect slice of Chocolate Cake.

  MunchMunch smiled very, very wide.

  ____

  Once MunchMunch finished his cake and came back to his senses, he gasped and turned to Gastly.

  “Shadow, that was Chocolate Cake!” He hyped, clenching his free paw.

  “Yes,” she responded, sounding bemused.

  “I just learned something, Mama Gastly!”

  “Shadow,” she responded.

  “Right, Mama Shadow!”

  She made that annoyed ghost puff sound.

  MunchMunch copied it, then giggled.

  Gastly watched him, frozen.

  “There are different types of Chocolate Cake!” He explained enthusiastically, MunchMunch-skipping to keep up with their Teddy.

  “It was definitely still Chocolate Cake, but it tasted different from the kind I had before!” He exclaimed.

  He was so excited he kept right on talking, even as Gastly cackled harder and harder!

  “So now, I just know I have to try Chocolate Cake from Every. Single. New. Place!” he cried. “I will remember this piece as the ‘Goldenrod Cake!’ And the other cake as ‘Azalea Cake!’”

  Gastly was cackling so hard here eyes were facing the wrong way again and it made MunchMunch super happy to see her so happy!

  “This is proof! This is proof it is worth exploring the world!” He laughed, skipping through the crowd, through people’s legs and around other Pokemon.

  “Munchlax!” His Trainer called.

  MunchMunch looked up and froze. In front of them was a place he knew well — it was a Pokemon Center!

  “Hey MunchMunch,” Gastly chuckled the last of her laughter from her voice, “Want to meet Goldenrod’s Nurse Chansey?”

  “OH! I wonder if her Soft-Boiled Egg tastes different, just like the Chocolate Cake!” he screeched, barreling forward.

  He laughed in joy as Shadow followed him, cackling all the while. He smiled in thanks (but didn’t slow down!) as their Teddy when he swung the door open.

  He was going to meet Goldenrod’s Nurse Chansey!