Feeling Down? A Little Food Will Help

Early that morning, in the backyard vegetable patch.

Mingyou and Ogerpon came with small shovels to dig up Marsh Jicama. Looking over the patch of green leaves, he knew those were edible too. They were nutritious, though they had no special effect.

"Let's dig them up first!"

"Wum!"

"Careful not to damage them."

The two of them followed the stems down and carefully dug up the Marsh Jicama one by one.

The tubers were fairly large, even a little bigger than ordinary jicama, and darker in color. Otherwise, Mingyou couldn't see any difference.

He examined the best one, and information appeared in his mind...

[Marsh Jicama (C-): Unlike ordinary jicama, it isn't crisp. It has the soft, sticky texture of mud. Due to its low quality, only Ground-type or Water-type Pokémon would enjoy eating it, unless someone happens to like eating dirt.]

[Additional effect: Eating it helps the consumer understand Acid Spray and master it faster.]

"The best one's only C-..."

Then again, the card had come from a passing Wooper whose affection had never risen above lv1. He owed even that C- to the Swinub tending the crop.

Of the ten Marsh Jicama, only two had additional effects—Acid Spray and Mud-Slap. Overall, it was a little disappointing.

He picked up one without an additional effect. At that size, a single tuber would probably fill a person up. He took out a Fruit Knife, deftly peeled it, then cut it into pieces.

"Give it a try."

"Wum~"

He handed Ogerpon a piece and put one in his own mouth. The first bite brought no pleasant surprise. His expression turned strange instead.

"Uh..."

The taste was hard to describe. It reminded him of playing pretend with friends as a child, when someone had molded a hamburger out of modeling clay and tricked him into eating it. That same chewy texture, that same weird taste.

"Wum..."

Even Ogerpon, who was never picky, found the texture strange, though it wasn't especially awful.

Munchlax came running out just then. They had food and hadn't called him? How could they!

He snatched the piece of Marsh Jicama from Mingyou's hand and bit into it. A moment later, his excitement faded into a blank stare. Fighting the urge to spit it out, he barely managed to swallow.

"Munch..."

Is this dirt? It tastes terrible!

Even Munchlax wouldn't eat it... Though living here had spoiled his palate. Back when he'd gone hungry in the wild, he would have eaten whatever he could find.

"This doesn't look like it'll sell."

Mingyou shook his head. What a way to start the day. The Ogerpon Citrus and Trumpet Bean Sprout had set his expectations too high.

But while they didn't want it, the Swinub loved it, so Mingyou gave them the whole lot. If they liked it, he could keep growing it. It wouldn't take much extra effort.

"Let's check the Orchard instead. There should be plenty of apples to harvest today."

"Wum~"

They reached the Orchard in front of the Villa. Just outside the gate stood a tree laden with red apples—well over two hundred by his estimate!

There wasn't a single Pokémon around it, though...

"Are these all ordinary apples? Where are my Snorlium Berries?"

Mingyou hurried over. He had no idea what a Snorlium Berry looked like and was ready to check every apple, but he didn't have to.

Among the red apples were a few blue fruits shaped a little like Snorlax's head. Those had to be the Snorlium Berries...

[Snorlium Berry (B+): Crisper and more refreshing than an ordinary apple, with moderate sweetness and a distinctive fruity aroma. It stimulates the appetite and can effectively ease loss of appetite and depression.]

[Additional effect: Eating it helps the consumer understand Belly Drum and master it faster.]

"Not bad. This one looks good to eat!"

"Munch~"

No sooner had Mingyou spoken than Munchlax swallowed the highest-quality Snorlium Berry in one bite. Almost instantly, he froze, feeling as though he'd learned something.

"Munch..."

"You learned Belly Drum? Makes sense. This isn't an ordinary Technical Machine."

Mingyou wasn't particularly surprised, nor did he scold Munchlax for eating a fruit he'd planned to sell. He picked two more Snorlium Berries and gave one to Ogerpon.

"Go ahead."

"Wum~"

Ogerpon took a bite. It was wonderfully crisp, and juice splashed out at once.

"How is it?"

"Wum~"

"Glad you like it."

Mingyou bit into his own Snorlium Berry. It tasted a little like an apple but was much more fragrant, and it really did whet his appetite. He could sell these to parents of children who refused to eat!

"Come on. The best part's still ahead!"

"Wum~"

"Munch~"

Ogerpon and Munchlax followed Mingyou deeper into the Orchard. After they left, Gible came out of the Villa, intending to sit on the steps again and ponder his life.

But when he saw the apple-laden tree ahead, his stomach betrayed him with a growl. Mingyou had been busy digging up jicama that morning and hadn't made breakfast, so Gible hadn't eaten a thing.

He tried to ignore it, but his stomach wouldn't let him. Finding no one around, he crept up and plucked a Snorlium Berry from among the apples. The blue fruit stood out.

He knew what apples were, but he'd never seen this kind of fruit. Still, it smelled so good...

"Gib..."

Meanwhile, deep in the Orchard.

Ten apple trees stood together, laden with bright red fruit and filling the air with a rich fragrance. It looked like the height of harvest season!

The Applin and Spinarak clung to the trees, happily munching on apples, while the Bellsprout and Weepinbell picked fruit with their vines.

Ekans climbed a trunk. Nuzleaf knocked apples down with Razor Leaf and shared them with Seedot and the Sandshrew, who couldn't climb the trees.

Wyrdeer was there too. He used Mental Power to pick several apples at once, saving everyone the trouble, then took one in his mouth.

Everyone shared the feast happily, with no fighting over the fruit. Mingyou watched from a short distance away with a smile, then walked over with Ogerpon and Munchlax.

He didn't disturb them. He simply caught a falling apple and checked its information.

[Syrupy Apple (B-): Its flesh is rich in syrup, making it ideal for candy apples. Applin also need it to evolve into Dipplin. Children tend to love it, but eating too many can cause cavities.]

[Additional effect: Eating it helps the consumer understand Energy Ball and master it faster.]

Besides Syrupy Apples, there were plenty of Sweet Apples and Tart Apples too.

By then, every Applin had found the apple it wanted. Several flashes of evolution lit up the Orchard at once.

When the light faded, the Applin were gone. In their place were several Flapple, Appletun, and Dipplin. Every one of them had evolved, and they bounced about in delight.

Mingyou smiled and looked away. The trees still had fruit on them, so he couldn't tell yet how the Applin's cards had changed after their evolutions.

But that didn't matter...

He bit into the Syrupy Apple in his hand, and the flavor of honey spread through his mouth. With so many apples, he was already looking forward to tonight's feast.

Then he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Gible stood beside a nearby apple tree, clutching his stomach as he watched the lively crowd from afar. He seemed afraid to come over.

The moment Gible realized he'd been seen, he ducked behind the tree...

Mingyou chuckled and held out his hand. Ogerpon understood at once and knocked a Syrupy Apple off the tree.

Mingyou caught it, walked over, and crouched beside the tree. Holding out the apple, he said, "Here. Take it if you're hungry."

"Gib..."

Gible peeked out from behind the tree. The smell of fruit had drawn him here. He'd eaten a fragrant blue apple a little while ago, and ever since, he'd been terribly hungry. He didn't know why.

But after being "betrayed" once, he no longer trusted humans. He didn't reach for the apple... and he had no idea what to do next, either.

He was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar Pokémon. They were all warm and caring, but he didn't know how to face them. He was scared.

Whenever they showed concern, he somehow heard, Your Trainer doesn't want you anymore. That was why he'd spent the whole day by the door.

He kept wondering why... Why had he been abandoned? It all felt unreal, as though he'd only had a very long dream.

"..."

Seeing Gible's expression, Mingyou smiled gently and placed the apple in his hands. "When you're feeling down, eat something. Other people might lie to you, but your stomach won't."

Grrrr~

Gible's stomach growled right on cue, leaving him a little embarrassed.

He looked at the apple in his hands. At last, he couldn't resist and took a huge bite. The next moment...

His eyes widened at the taste of honey. The sweet juice washed away the confusion in his mind, and suddenly none of his worries seemed quite so important.

Eating... That was what mattered most!

"Go on, eat your fill! Let all those worries out, then smile and forget them. Nothing matters more than being happy here!"

Mingyou patted his head encouragingly.

Gible gaped at him, stunned. Could he really eat as much as he wanted? He wasn't sure. He was afraid it might all be too good to be true...

"Munch~"

Munchlax appeared, scooped Gible up, and raised him overhead, as if to say, "Mealtimes should be happy times! (ˊωˋ*)"

Ogerpon came over too and offered him the apple in her hands. And she wasn't alone: the Pokémon who had tried to play with Gible earlier, only to be turned away, all approached carrying apples.

Gible stared at them, overwhelmed by their warmth.

Maybe... it was real. No one disliked him or would laugh at him for being abandoned. They just wanted to be his friends.

This wasn't a dream...

He thought he might... like it here.