Munchlax and the Stolen Offerings

After asking around town, Mingyou arrived at Momozawa Shop, a small grocery store not far from the Community Center.

It was Verdant Town's only shop and had been there for decades. The owner had never changed, and everyone called her Grandma Momozawa.

Feels like a little corner store in a village...

That was Mingyou's first impression. Pokémon-shaped masks hung around the shop, while several boxes and shelves stood outside.

They held confetti poppers for festivals, Pokémon toys, and PTCG cards. A few children gathered around, chatting. They wanted to buy something but were afraid their parents would scold them.

Inside, a kindly old woman sat doing cross-stitch. A Vulpix lay resting beside her.

Hearing his footsteps, Grandma Momozawa pushed up her reading glasses, looked up, and smiled.

"Oh my... A new face. Looking for anything? If you can't find what you want, let me know. I can ask someone to bring it back from the city in a couple of days."

"Thanks. I'll have a look first."

"Of course."

Grandma Momozawa returned to her cross-stitch. The half-finished picture showed a Chimecho hanging beneath the eaves, swaying in the breeze.

Mingyou passed by her and searched the shelves for what he needed.

The stock was a jumble. Besides everyday necessities, she sold clothes, shoes, fresh ingredients... even Poké Balls and Potions.

Among the goods sat a dusty purple ornament. It seemed to have been there for ages. Shaped a little like a peach with ears, it suited the name Momozawa Shop.

Mingyou only glanced at it. He wasn't about to waste money on a figurine; he needed to buy the essentials first.

He soon reached the crop seeds. Tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots... all common vegetables.

Before long, he found the Jicama Seeds mixed in with them, and information appeared in his mind.

Jicama Seeds: Long growing cycle. Cannot withstand cold. Planting in March each year is recommended.

"Great. Six months at minimum. Isn't there anything that shortens the growing cycle? This is the Pokémon world, after all. There should be..."

As Mingyou examined a packet of Jicama Seeds, a bag of fertilizer labeled Speed-Gro on the shelf below caught his eye. He crouched to take a closer look.

Fertilizer was neither a Pokémon nor a crop, so no information appeared. But he only had to turn the bag over to read its description.

Absorbing the fertilizer's nutrients shortens a crop's growing cycle. Warning: Use no more than once per week on the same crop. Excessive fertilizer absorption may kill the crop.

"Now we're talking. What about this one?"

Holding back his excitement, he spotted several kinds of Speed-Gro. He picked up a more expensive bag in white packaging.

Absorbing the fertilizer's nutrients shortens the time before fruit trees bear fruit. Warning: Reapplying before a tree has fully absorbed the nutrients will have no effect and may cause illness.

The two types had different uses. The first was for vegetables and flowers and cost less. The second was for fruit trees and cost nearly twice as much, despite having the same net weight.

Mingyou checked the backs of the bags. Both came from Goldenrod City in the Johto Region. If his business took off, he might be able to buy directly from there and cut costs.

"I'll buy a few bags first and see what crops grow after I use the cards. No point buying a pile of fertilizer only to lose money."

He bought several bags of each type, along with two packets each of several common crop seeds, so he wouldn't have to make another trip if he got new cards.

He also picked up seasonings and other household supplies, plus a few Poké Balls and Potions, which weren't expensive. He had meant to skip the snacks... but in the end, he bought a few packets.

At the counter, Grandma Momozawa stood and came over to tally the bill on a calculator.

While he waited, the masks hanging from a nearby shelf caught Mingyou's attention. "Grandma, are those masks for sale?"

He had wanted to bring Ogerpon a gift. A mask would be perfect.

"Of course."

Grandma Momozawa smiled and nodded, then turned toward the shelf. "Masks are part of Kitakami's traditional culture. Lots of visitors buy one to take home. If you'd like, I'd recommend these three."

She took down three masks: a green dog, a blue monkey, and a pink bird. Each had a touch of purple.

"They're the Loyal Three, who protected Kitakami hundreds of years ago. Their masks are popular with tourists. Have a look."

"Hmm..."

Mingyou studied them. They looked a little silly to him, but he couldn't say that to Grandma Momozawa's face.

Then he noticed a green mask on the shelf, with bared fangs and the face of a demon. It looked frightening, but far cooler than the other three. He reached for it.

"I'll take this one."

"The Ogre Mask... Why do you young people from outside all like that one? Well, all right."

A little disappointed, Grandma Momozawa put the Loyal Three masks back, then packed his purchases into plastic bags.

"That comes to 1,875."

"Okay. Can I pay with LP?"

"LP? I've heard some young people who've returned to the village and some tourists mention it... but I'm too old to understand that sort of thing."

"No problem."

Mingyou took several large bills from his wallet and handed them over. As she opened the drawer to make change, he smiled. "You might want to set up LP payments for the shop. It'd be more convenient, and you wouldn't have to make change."

"Would it? I'll find time to ask the Administrator. Here's your change."

"Thanks."

He pocketed the change, picked up his bags, and left Momozawa Shop. There didn't seem to be anywhere else he needed to go, so he headed home.

Unfortunately, the Flying Taxi driver had just gone to pick someone up near Oni Mountain. Mingyou sat on a stone bench beneath a tree to wait.

That was when he noticed a picture of a Shiny Munchlax in the lower right corner of a noticeboard used to post information. Large black letters ran across it.

Munchlax is forbidden from entering the village. If spotted, notify the Administrator immediately.

"This Munchlax..."

Mingyou paused, then walked over.

A staff member happened to be changing some of the notices, so Mingyou asked him about Munchlax.

The man could tell Mingyou wasn't a local and took him for a tourist. He immediately warmed up and explained.

"That Munchlax has been a real headache. It followed some tourists into the village from the wild. Every day it slept under people's eaves or in their yards, and it kept begging visitors for food. Even the Administrator's Growlithe couldn't drive it off."

"A while ago, the village held an early-summer festival at Loyalty Plaza. We left lots of mochi at the altar honoring the Loyal Three. That very night, Munchlax ate every last offering."

"A villager found out early the next morning. The Administrator was furious and gathered a crowd to drive Munchlax out. It's not allowed back into Verdant Town."

"So that's what happened..."

Now Mingyou understood. Munchlax had been driven out for eating the offerings. It had wandered around afterward and, by sheer chance, ended up at his grandfather's Manor.

The staff member went on, "If you're a Trainer, you could catch it and take it away. I don't know where it ran off to, but it's probably still somewhere nearby."

"No Trainers have caught it?"

"No. Your average Trainer couldn't catch this one. It even eats Poké Balls, and it's fast. If it hadn't stuffed itself with mochi until it could barely move, we might not have managed to drive it out."

"I see..."

Mingyou nodded. The problem seemed bigger than he'd thought, but he didn't ask anything else.

The Flying Taxi had arrived. He would head home first, then talk to Munchlax.