“Wow,” MunchMunch breathed, looking around in wonder, one paw held in his Trainers hand as he skipped along beside him.

  He felt super special.

  Once he had woken up from his nap caused by the magical item his Shadow called a brush, he had immediately given his Teddy a hug to thank him.

  Such a special thing must have been super rare, and his Teddy had gotten it for him!

  He reached down to feel his fur again.

  He didn’t know his fur could be that soft.

  Then his Teddy took them to get food!

  “Do you think Nurse Chansey will be there when we get back?” MunchMunch asked his Shadow, who was floating beside him.

  “I’m sure she will, Sweetie,” she smiled.

  “That’s great! Maybe I can try one of her Soft-boiled Eggs!” he enthused, already dreaming about its flavor.

  He loved chocolate. And cake. And cheese! And now, he had discovered he loved Mint Berries, too.

  Maybe it would taste like Mint cheese chocolate cake!

  Just the thought made him forget to walk as his mouth started watering. It sounded so good. And he still had to try the new Chocolate Cake here!

  Oh and what if —

  ____

  Teddy paused as MunchMunch’s paw slipped out of his hand.

  He turned back to see Togepi sleeping on his head enjoying the mid-morning sun.

  MunchMunch; however, was completely stopped.

  He stood frozen mid-stride; his paw still raised to hold his hand, drooling slightly.

  Teddy snorted, rummaging in his pack for some food while Shadow cackled.

  “Hey — is that a Munchlax?”

  Teddy looked up to see a trainer his age smiling at him, a Gastly floating by her side.

  “Oh uhh… yea,” Teddy responded, blushing slightly.

  “That’s so cool! Those are supposed to be super rare — I’ve only seen one on the Pokémon Channel!” she gushed, squatting down to look at him.

  “Oh my gosh — is that a Togepi sitting on his head?!”

  Teddy scratched his neck. “Yeah, she just hatched recently,” he said while Shadow drifted up beside him, nodding to the other Gastly.

  “Man, you have such a cool team! And your Gastly — she is beautiful!” the trainer said, standing back up.

  “And healthy too! You don’t often see such a vibrant midnight purple on a Gastly.”

  “Thanks?” Teddy answered.

  Did Gastly’s really come in different colors? Now that he looked at the other more closely, it was a bit bigger but mostly black, like ink.

  “Thanks, your Gastly is super cool too! What is her — “

  “His,” she corrected with a laugh. “And his name is GasGas, even though it annoys him,” she laughed, the Gastly exhaling with a smile beside her.

  “Uhm, I’m Teddy,” he said, offering his hand.

  “Lani, pleased to — “

  At that moment, MunchMunch started giggling beside them, his eyes still a million miles away.

  Lani blinked.

  “Is he ok?”

  “Yep,” Teddy laughed. “He is thinking of food. A snack will snap him out of it.”

  He resumed digging in his bag.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “That is so cool! Can I give him a treat?” she exclaimed.

  It was Teddy’s turn to blink.

  Cool? Sure, if only she knew just how much he could eat.

  “Sure!”

  “Is this ok?” she asked, unwrapping a half-eaten pasty.

  Teddy nodded.

  “I’ve never seen him say no to any food yet,” he laughed.

  She laughed and looked at MunchMunch, who was still standing there with his mouth open.

  “Uhm, do I just like… pop it in his mouth?” she asked uncertainly. Shadow started cackling beside him.

  Teddy smiled. He hadn’t realized just how much he had missed his team.

  “You can, but wave it in front of his nose,” Teddy chuckled.

  “Ok?”

  She squatted down and waved the treat in front of MunchMunch’s face, who was still giggling and drooling.

  “Munch?”

  MunchMunch blinked, his eyes slowly focusing.

  “Munch!” he shouted, zeroing in on the treat.

  “That is so cute!!” Lani shouted as MunchMunch grabbed the treat with both hands, stuffing it in his mouth with a grateful “Munch!”

  Happy blinked awake as MunchMunch jostled her.

  She blinked and chimed happily, reaching over to hug MunchMunch’s ear with her tiny arms.

  “Teddy! How did you get such a sweet team!” she enthused.

  Teddy blinked as a tiny Shuppet slipped out of her shadow.

  “You have two ghosts?!” he exclaimed. It was his turn to squat down and wave to the Shuppet, who regarded him silently.

  “Yep! Uppie just joined me last month!” she beamed. “We are training for the Gym! We probably won’t make it past the first trainer, but they are really nice to ghost specialists and offer lots of tips!”

  Teddy raised an eyebrow.

  “You raised your Gastly and Shuppet, GasGas and Uppie?”

  “What’s yours called?” she responded defensively.

  “Shadow.”

  Shadow grinned beside him.

  “Oh,” she deflated. “That is kind of a cool name. But GasGas and Uppie are super playful in private,” she smiled, looking at them.

  Teddy smiled.

  “My Gastly used to like hovering just over my face waiting for me to wake up so she could scare me,” Teddy laughed.

  “Yours too?!?! I’m thought it was just mine!”

  “So did I,” he laughed.

  “So, what brings you the Ecruteak?” she asked, falling into step beside him as they resumed wandering.

  “Honestly? I was hoping to learn about Ghosts from Morty. I don’t really know how to train Gastly to be the strongest she can be.”

  “And… you thought skipping straight to the Gym Leader was the best option?” she teased.

  Teddy blushed. He hadn’t thought about that.

  “I’m joking — Morty is cool about offering lessons, but don’t dismiss the other trainers. Some of them have been training for decades and decades — they know so much!”

  Teddy nodded. That sounded great.

  “Speaking of Morty, did you know the Gym is closed right now?”

  Teddy paused in his tracks. He had been heading in that general direction.

  “Really?” he deflated.

  “Yup,” she responded with a pop. “Apparently that crazy storm wasn’t just a storm. He is over in the Burned Tower. Supposedly it’s important,” she huffed.

  “Burned Tower?” he asked.

  Lani grinned a distinctly Gastly like grin. “Wanna go check it out?”

  “Uh well — “

  Lani pulled out another pastry, which she waved in front of MunchMunch.

  He immediately forgot about the butterfly he was playing with and followed her with single-minded intensity.

  Teddy laughed and followed.

  ____

  Shadow grinned and followed her Trainer.

  It was good for him to make friends.

  “Lani doesn’t usually talk to other humans,” Ash commented. Shadow thought the name GasGas was funnier, but he was insistent.

  “I’m glad we met,” he finished.

  Gastly nodded.

  “Mama! Look! The food in her hand is making me go super fast!” MunchMunch squealed as she slowly waddled along nose-first after the pastry.

  Shadow snorted.

  “That’s amazing, Sweetie,” she cackled.

  “Mama?” Ash commented, raising an eyebrow.

  “I gave up,” she sighed.

  “A ghost shouldn’t give up,” Shuppet interjected.

  Shadow smiled. She had been impetuous when she was still young as well.

  “Some fights are worth losing,” she laughed.

  Ash raised an eyebrow.

  “Lose the battle, win the war?”

  “Something like that,” Shadow acknowledged.

  Rather, love the MunchMunch and give in.

  But she wouldn’t ever say that to another ghost.

  “I’m so fast!” MunchMunch exclaimed, hands out in front of him.

  Shadow appreciated her Teddy and the other human walking slowly so he could keep up.

  “So, where are we going?” she asked.

  “No idea. Can’t understand a word she says,” Ash grunted. “Except for that atrocious nickname.”

  “It’s not so bad,” Shadow cackled.

  “Mama,” he said bluntly, looking her dead in the eye.

  Touché.

  “You’re not like any ghost I’ve met,” Shuppet commented. “But your coloring is really pretty.”

  Shadow paused. She had never noticed her coloring being different before. Did something change recently?

  Was it the Gift? She didn’t think so, but couldn’t be sure. If only she had paid more attention beforehand!

  “… still there?” Shuppet interrupted her musings.

  “Ah, yes. Well, being around my Trainer has taught me many things,” she acknowledged.

  Ash nodded in agreement.

  “How do you stand the Fairy? It stinks,” Shuppet huffed.

  Happy turned to glare at her.

  “Pii~” she chimed, before sniffing and turning around.

  Shadow raised an eyebrow. Ok then, a point for the baby fairy.

  “Intriguing,” Ash commented.

  Shadow grinned.

  ____

  MunchMunch liked this new human.

  She gave him treats and helped him train to be faster! Happy sat on his head and encouraged him excitedly.

  “Munch!” he giggled, lunging forward and taking the snack when they finally stopped.

  It smelled really good. He offered a bit to Happy before he —

  He blinked and looked down.

  Where did it go?

  Happy pulled on his ear and MunchMunch realized he had already eaten it.

  It tasted good too!

  He giggled and took off his backpack so he could get a berry for Happy. He still had one face-scrunch berry left.

  “Pii~,” Happy trilled when he pulled it out, all sadness over the vanishing pastry forgotten.

  MunchMunch reached up and handed it to her and took a moment to look around in interest.

  The trees here were special. They looked like the sun when it was going to sleep.

  “Shadow, where are we — “

  He paused.

  Before them stood a human building. Except it looked broken, like it was supposed to be bigger but wasn’t.

  Ahead of them, his Teddy and the new human were carefully approaching it.

  “Munch,” he whispered, adjusting his backpack and stepping forward, too.