Chapter 84: Treasure Eatery

As the sun set, Andrew, accompanied by Diancie, Drizzile, Komala, and Munchlax, strolled down the path towards Medali Town, riding on Espathras.

The surroundings were filled with vibrant grass. Andrew noticed a Dudunsparce burrowing through the grass, a Pawmi with its head stuck in a hole, its rear end sticking out in a comical way, a Shroodle rolling around with another, and a Rellor swiftly rolling a mud ball… The scene was serene.

Before long, they reached the center of Medali Town.

Medali is renowned for its rich food culture. As Andrew walked along the street, he saw a variety of food shops and stalls.

Munchlax, always eager for food, couldn't resist and Andrew had to guide his Pokémons through a feast from start to finish.

As a chef himself, Andrew saw this as a great opportunity to learn.

Unaware of how much time had passed, they arrived at a building with the words "Treasure Eatery" written on the door.

'Is this the Treasure Eatery?' Andrew recalled that in the game, the Treasure Eatery was not only a place to dine but also the venue for the gym test in Medali. It was also where you could bring Tera Shards to change a Pokémon's Tera Type.

(Tera Types are fixed and usually correspond to one of the Pokémon's original types. To change it, you need to use Tera Shards at specific places, such as the Treasure Eatery, to alter the type.)

Andrew wondered if these functions were available in real life as well.

However, Andrew was here just to eat, so he didn't dwell on it.

"Let's head inside; this place is quite famous," Andrew said to the group.

"Munch~"

Munchlax eagerly pushed open the door.

The two Espathras, due to their size, had to wait outside for now.

"Welcome!" A waiter greeted them with a warm smile as they entered.

The Treasure Eatery was bustling with activity, almost every seat was filled. It was no wonder it was a well-known spot, with patrons chatting and even the occasional sound of Pokémon battles in the air.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but we're quite full right now. Would you mind sharing a table with someone else?" the waiter asked politely.

Andrew nodded, "That's fine."

The waiter's face brightened, "Thank you for your understanding."

The waiter then led Andrew and his group to a long table.

A guest was already seated at the table, dressed like a typical office worker, looking somewhat drained, as though the day's work had sapped all his energy.

This is…

Andrew instantly recognized him as Larry, the Gym Leader of Medali Gym and also one of the Elite Four.

In the game, Larry was known to frequent the Treasure Eatery.

What a coincidence! Andrew thought.

Larry was not a particularly talkative person, and neither was Andrew, so despite sitting across from each other, neither of them spoke.

Larry ate his rice ball slowly, taking small bites and sipping from the red bean soup beside him after every few bites.

Gulp~~

Munchlax watched Larry's rice ball with intense focus and swallowed loudly, the sound so noticeable that it made Andrew blush.

Dude, could you be a bit more discreet?

"Munchlax~~"

Munchlax scratched the back of its head and gave Andrew an embarrassed smile.

Andrew sighed and pinched its cheek, "You've already eaten so much, and you're still hungry?"

"Munch~" I can eat!

Munchlax proudly patted its belly.

Larry, who had been focused on his meal, couldn't help but glance over at Munchlax.

Looking at the menu, Andrew instructed the waiter, "Please bring us 10 wasabi rice balls, two bowls of red bean soup, and two grilled fish!"

These were all for Munchlax.

The waiter replied, "Certainly."

Andrew also ordered a bowl of clear soup soba and a fried egg for himself; the same for Drizzile; a grilled rice ball, an omelet, and a bitter melon stir-fry for Diancie; and meat patties, grilled fish, and an omelet for Komala.

Once the food arrived, Munchlax immediately began devouring it with gusto.

Seeing Munchlax eat so voraciously, Larry couldn't help but glance over frequently.

After finishing his meal, Larry watched Munchlax for a while before quietly signaling the waiter.

"Could I please have another bowl of clear soup soba?"

The waiter responded, "Of course, just a moment."

Watching Munchlax eat with such enthusiasm was quite appetizing. Soon, Andrew and his Pokémon were stuffed, and Larry found himself reclining on the tatami, patting his full belly.

Having another bowl of noodles was his limit.

Burp~~

It is the fullest I have ever felt! Larry thought.

After a short rest, Larry settled his bill and left.

Andrew rested a bit longer and then decided to pay and leave as well.

At this moment, the waiter approached and said, "Excuse me, we're holding an event today. If you win a Pokémon battle, you'll receive a 30% discount. Would you like to participate?"

A 30% discount? That's a substantial offer!

However, Andrew considered it and decided against it. He wasn't a trainer and didn't want to get involved.

Suddenly, Diancie tugged at his sleeve, "Let's participate!"

"Huh?" Andrew was surprised. "It's not necessary. The meal isn't that expensive."

"Participate! I want to join!" Diancie insisted, "Every little bit helps. Don't you remember when we didn't have any money?"

"Alright, alright, we'll participate! Okay?" Andrew said with a resigned smile. "Since when did you become so frugal?"

"Hmph! I've always been frugal!" Diancie retorted.

"Yes, you're frugal, and I'm the spendthrift!" Andrew agreed, then turned to the waiter. "Where do we sign up for the battle?"

"Please follow me."

The waiter guided Andrew to the area designated for battles in the Treasure Eatery and helped him with the registration.

Soon, Andrew heard his name being called in the arena.

"Diancie, let's go."

Andrew led Diancie to the arena, and the referee announced, "Next up, we have a battle between Andrew and Eric. Let's welcome them to the stage."

As the referee's voice faded, Diancie stepped into the arena, while Eric released his Pokémon—a Ceruledge.

The referee exclaimed, "Andrew's Pokémon isn't in the Pokédex! Does anyone know what Pokémon this is? As for Eric's Pokémon, it's the Fire Blade Pokémon—Ceruledge!"

Andrew admired Ceruledge, saying, "Ceruledge! What a cool Pokémon!"

He then used his Observation Eye to check Ceruledge's stats.

Ceruledge

- Type: Fire, Ghost

- Ability: Weak Armor

- Gender: Male

- Level: 51

- Moves: Leer, Ember, Astonish, Fire Spin, Will-O-Wisp, Night Shade, Flame Charge, Smog, Swords Dance, Revenge, Shadow Claw, X-Scissor, Phantom Force, Grudge.

[Individual Values]

- HP: 18

- Attack: 31

- Defense: 19

- Special Attack: 14

- Special Defense: 30

- Speed: 30

After reviewing the data, Andrew thought, "What a strong Ceruledge! Max Attack IVs, and just 1 point shy from maxing out Speed and Special Defense."

He then looked at his own Diancie.

Diancie

- Type: Rock, Fairy

- Ability: Clear Body

- Gender: None

- Level: 58

- Moves: Tackle, Harden, Diamond Storm, Guard Split, Knock Off, Flail, Ancient Power, Rock Polish, Light Screen, Rock Slide, Reflect, Dazzling Gleam, Power Gem, Play Rough.

[Individual Values]

- HP: 31

- Attack: 31

- Defense: 31

- Special Attack: 31

- Special Defense: 31

- Speed: 31

'Ahem…~ My Diancie's stats are even more impressive. Is this even fair?' Andrew wondered.

Before the battle began, Andrew reminded Diancie, "Diancie, the opponent's ability is Weak Armor, so try to avoid using physical moves."

(Weak Armor: When hit by a physical move, the Pokémon's Defense decreases slightly, and its Speed increases significantly.)

Diancie nodded and prepared for battle.

The referee announced, "Let the battle begin!"

Eric called out, "Ceruledge, use Phantom Force!"

As he spoke, a dark vortex appeared behind Ceruledge. It quickly leaped into the vortex and vanished.

"Diancie, be careful," Andrew warned.

Hearing this, the referee exclaimed, "So Andrew's Pokémon is called Diancie!"

Diancie extended its hands, creating a rotating barrier of transparent walls around itself. After one spin, the barrier vanished.

It was Reflect, a move that reduces physical damage taken.

Seeing this, Eric commanded, "Ceruledge!"

Ceruledge emerged behind Diancie and slashed at its back with its sword.

Diancie stumbled forward. The transparent Reflect barrier shimmered like glass, absorbing half the damage before disappearing.

Diancie quickly turned around and fired a yellow-green beam at Ceruledge, hitting it squarely before it could retreat.

It was Power Gem.

The Rock-type move was super effective against Ceruledge, sending it flying with a cry.

Thanks to Reflect and Diancie's high Defense, it had hardly taken any damage.

"Diancie, use Power Gem again!" Andrew ordered.

Eric quickly responded, "Ceruledge, use Phantom Force!"

A dark purple vortex appeared on the ground, and Ceruledge vanished into it, evading the Power Gem that struck the ground, leaving a deep crater.

Diancie scanned the surroundings, remaining cautious for any sign of Ceruledge.

Sure enough, Ceruledge reappeared behind Diancie. Just as it was about to strike, a massive diamond mirror rose behind Diancie.

Diancie created this mirror using its ability to produce diamonds.

Crack!

Ceruledge's sword struck the diamond, creating deep cracks.

While Ceruledge was still stunned, Diancie swiftly turned and fired Power Gem at the diamond. The yellow-green beam refracted off the diamond and struck Ceruledge again.

Ceruledge let out a pained scream and was sent flying.

This time, it didn't get up.

The referee declared, "Ceruledge is unable to battle! The winner is Andrew!"

The audience erupted in applause and cheers.

Andrew winked at Diancie and said, "Awesome! As expected of my Diancie."

Though Diancie had little battle experience, it managed to win despite being at a higher level than its opponent.

Moreover, Andrew hardly gave any instructions during the battle, leaving everything to Diancie.

Diancie playfully winked back at Andrew.

The audience began to chatter excitedly.

"That Pokémon called Diancie is amazing!"

"Not only is it strong, but it's also adorable!"

"I wonder where he caught it. I'd love to catch one too! Should we ask him?"

…

Records of Diancie in books and online were sparse. The curiosity of onlookers couldn't be satisfied, and by the time they thought of looking for Andrew, he had already left the town center of Medali Town with his Pokémon, riding an Espathra.

On their way back to the villa, Andrew and Diancie fed the Espathras rice balls, which Andrew had packed for them. They couldn't just come along without getting something in return!

The packed food wasn't eligible for discounts.

The two Espathras ate happily, looking especially pleased. Besides rice balls, their favorite was the Treasure Eatery's special jam sandwich.

When Andrew returned to the villa, Nasir and the professors were having dinner.

Nasir said, "Prince Andrew, would you like to join us?"

Andrew shook his head, "No, no, I'm stuffed from eating out."

Sada smiled and said, "You went to the Treasure Eatery,right? The food there is the best in Paldea!"

Turo agreed, "Absolutely!"

Andrew, still savoring the meal in his memory, said, "I went, and it was indeed delicious."

Noticing Raleigh looking at him with a face full of accusation, Andrew said, "I saw you were having fun with Lechonk and Oinkologne."

Over there, Munchlax and Arven happily hugged each other upon reuniting.

Feeling guilty, Andrew told Nasir and the others, "You all enjoy; I'm going to my room to rest." He quickly took his Pokémon and ran off.

Munchlax reluctantly said goodbye to Arven.

"Munch … Munchlax…" We'll play together next time.

"Goodbye, little Munchlax."

Arven waved goodbye to Andrew.

After returning to his room, Andrew played with his Pokémon for a while before sending Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile back home.

"Don't forget to train when you get home. I'll be checking on your progress when I return," Andrew reminded his two Pokémon.

"Munch~!"

"Drizzile~"

The two Pokémon nodded obediently. With Diancie as their strict coach, they knew the importance of training seriously.

After sending off the three Pokémon, Andrew chatted with the professors and Raleigh for a bit before heading back to his room to wash up and cuddle with Komala as he fell asleep.

In the morning, Andrew woke up to the sound of a Squawkabilly. He looked toward the source and saw that it was the same white Squawkabilly from the night before.

He went to the window and took out another carrot for it. After eating, Squawkabilly joyfully flapped its wings and flew away.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

The sound of Squawkabilly's gratitude echoed in the early morning air as Andrew prepared for the day ahead.

(End of Chapter)