Under the setting sun, Angie, Diancie, Drizzile, Komala, and Munchlax rode the Esparthra along a quiet path leading to the center of Medali Town.
On either side of the road lay dry, yellowed grasslands. Angie spotted a Dunsparce burrowing in and out of the ground; a Pawmi poking its head into a hole with its rump sticking out, busy with something unseen; Shroodle rolling around together; and a Rellor pushing its mud ball at top speed. The tranquil scene filled the air with harmony.
Before long, they arrived at the town center of Medali Town.
Medali Town was renowned for its vibrant food culture. Walking along the streets, Angie saw a variety of food shops and street vendors selling mouthwatering treats.
Munchlax, the foodie of the group, couldn't resist the sight of food and refused to move further. Left with no choice, Angie indulged the Pokémon, taking them through a gastronomic journey from one end of the street to the other.
As a chef himself, Angie saw this as a great opportunity to gain inspiration.
Unknowingly, the group found themselves in front of a building with the words "Treasure Eatery" emblazoned above its entrance.
So, this is the famous "Treasure Eatery"?
Angie's mind drifted to the significance of the Treasure Eatery in the game—it wasn't just a place to eat but also where Medali Town's gym trials took place. Moreover, it was the go-to spot for altering a Pokémon's Tera Type using Tera Shards.
(In the Pokémon world, a Pokémon's Tera Type is fixed and singular, often matching one of its original types. Changing it requires using Tera Shards to craft a dish at specific locations, like the Treasure Eatery.)
Angie wondered if the same applied in reality.
But for now, he wasn't concerned with anything beyond a good meal.
"Let's head in. This place is really famous," Angie said to his Pokémon.
"Munchlax~"
Munchlax eagerly pushed the door open.
As for the two Esparthra, their towering height made it impossible for them to enter, so they had to wait outside for the time being.
"Welcome!" The server greeted them with a sweet smile as they entered.
The Treasure Eatery was lively and bustling, with nearly every seat filled. As expected of a renowned establishment, the customers were chatting, laughing, and even battling.
"Excuse me, but due to the crowd, would it be possible for you to share a table with another guest?" the server asked apologetically upon noticing Angie's group size.
Angie nodded. "No problem at all."
The server beamed. "Thank you for your understanding!"
She led Angie and his Pokémon to a long table.
At the table, a lone patron was already seated—a man dressed like an office worker, slouched with a drained expression, as if his energy had been completely depleted by a grueling workday.
This person…
Angie instantly recognized him—it was Larry, the Gym Leader of Medali Town, who also held the title of an Elite Four member in the Pokémon League.
In the game, Larry was indeed fond of visiting the Treasure Eatery.
What a coincidence! Angie thought to himself.
Larry wasn't much of a talker, and Angie wasn't exactly a social butterfly, so even though they were seated face-to-face, neither made any attempt to start a conversation.
Larry took small, deliberate bites of his rice ball, chewing slowly and savoring every morsel. After every three bites, he sipped from the bowl of red bean soup beside him.
Gulp.
Munchlax stared intently at the rice ball in Larry's hand, swallowing loudly with an audible sound that made Angie blush in embarrassment.
"Munchlax, could you be a little more restrained?"
"Munchlax~~"
Scratching the back of its head, Munchlax gave Angie an apologetic smile.
Angie sighed and pinched its cheek. "After all the food you've eaten, you're still not full?"
"Munchlax~"
I can eat!
Munchlax patted its belly proudly.
Larry, who had been fully engrossed in his meal, couldn't help but glance at Munchlax.
Looking over the menu, Angie said to the server, "We'll have ten wasabi rice balls, two bowls of red bean soup, and two grilled fish, please!"
Those were all for Munchlax.
"Got it," the server replied.
Then Angie ordered for the rest: a bowl of plain soba noodles with a fried egg for himself; the same for Drizzile; a grilled rice ball, a rolled omelet, and a plate of stir-fried bitter melon for Diancie; and a meat steak, grilled fish, and a rolled omelet for Komala.
Once the food arrived, Munchlax wasted no time diving into its meal with unrestrained enthusiasm.
The way Munchlax ate was so captivating that Larry who is sitting across from them, found himself stealing glances at it every now and then.
After finishing his own meal, Larry stared at Munchlax for a moment, then silently raised a hand to call the server.
"Another bowl of plain soba noodles, please," he said.
"Sure thing. One moment," the server replied.
There was no denying it—watching Munchlax eat was enough to make anyone hungry. Before long, not only Angie and his Pokémon but even Larry found themselves completely stuffed. Larry leaned back on the tatami mat, holding his stomach.
That extra bowl of noodles had pushed him to his limit.
Burp.
For the first time, Larry had eaten to the point of being full.
After resting for a short while, Larry settled his bill and left.
Angie, too, decided to pay and leave after a brief rest.
At that moment, the server approached and said, "Sir, we're hosting a special promotion today. If your Pokémon wins a battle, you'll receive a 70% discount on your meal. Would you like to participate?"
Seventy percent off? That's quite a deal!
However, Angie thought it over and decided to pass. He wasn't a Trainer, so there was no need to get involved.
Just then, Diancie tugged at his sleeve. "Join!"
"Huh?" Angie was taken aback. "Let's not. It's just one meal; it's not that expensive."
"Join! I want to join!" Diancie insisted. "Even a little savings adds up. Have you forgotten how broke we used to be?"
"Alright, alright, we'll join! Happy now?" Angie said, half-laughing, half-crying. "Since when did you become so thrifty?"
"Hmph! I've always been thrifty!" Diancie retorted indignantly.
"Fine, you're thrifty, and I'm the spendthrift," Angie replied helplessly. Then, turning to the server, he asked, "Where do we go to participate in the battle?"
"Please follow me," the server said.
The server led Angie to the designated battle area in the Treasure Eatery and helped him register for the match.
Before long, Angie heard his name being called.
"Diancie, let's go."
Angie and Diancie entered the arena, where the referee announced, "The next battle will be between Angie and Amethio! Please come to the stage!"
As the referee's voice echoed, Diancie stepped forward onto the field. Across from them, Amethio released his Pokémon from its Poké Ball—Ceruledge.
The moment Diancie appeared, the referee exclaimed, "There's no data on Angie's Pokémon in the Pokédex! Does anyone recognize this Pokémon? On the other side, Amethio's Pokémon is the Fire Blades Pokémon—Ceruledge!"
Looking at Ceruledge, Angie couldn't help but marvel, Ceruledge! What an incredible-looking Pokémon!
At the same time, Angie activated his Eye of Observation skill to analyze Ceruledge's data.
...
[ Ceruledge ]
Type: Fire, Ghost
Ability: Weak Armor
Gender: Male
Level: 51
Moves: Glare, Ember, Astonish, Fire Spin, Will-O-Wisp, Night Shade, Incinerate, Smokescreen, Swords Dance, Bitter Blade, Shadow Claw, X-Scissor, Phantom Force, Spite.
...
[ Individual Values (IVs) ]
HP: 18
Attack: 31
Defense: 19
Special Attack: 14
Special Defense: 30
Speed: 30
...
After reading through the information, Angie couldn't help but marvel, What a strong Ceruledge! Its Attack is maxed out, and both Speed and Special Defense are only one point less of being perfect.
Next, he checked on his Diancie.
...
[ Diancie ]
Type: Rock, Fairy
Ability: Clear Body
Gender: Genderless
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 (IVs) ]
HP: 31
Attack: 31
Defense: 31
Special Attack: 31
Special Defense: 31
Speed: 31
...
Wow, Angie mused, Such luxurious stats—this almost feels unfair.
Before the match began, Angie reminded Diancie, "Diancie, your opponent's ability is Weak Armor. Try to avoid using physical moves."
(Weak Armor: When hit by a physical move, the Pokémon's Defense decreases slightly, but its Speed increases significantly.)
Diancie nodded and replied, "Got it."
Angie's reminder drew a glance from his opponent, Amethio.
As the referee announced, "Battle start!" Amethio made the first move.
"Ceruledge, Phantom Force!"
As Amethio's voice fell, a black vortex appeared behind Ceruledge. It quickly leapt inside, vanishing from sight.
"Diancie, stay alert!"
At Angie's warning, the referee exclaimed, "It seems Angie's Pokémon is called Diancie!"
Diancie nodded and extended its hands. Transparent walls appeared spinning around it. After a brief rotation, the walls vanished.
This was Reflect, a move that reduces the physical damage the user receives.
Seeing this, Amethio called out, "Ceruledge!"
As he spoke, Ceruledge reappeared behind Diancie, slashing at its back with its sword.
Diancie let out a surprised cry, stumbling forward. The Reflect surrounding it shimmered like glass under sunlight, absorbing half of the damage before fading away.
Quickly regaining its footing, Diancie turned around and fired a yellow-green beam directly at Ceruledge before it could retreat.
It was Power Gem.
As a Rock-type move, Power Gem was highly effective against Ceruledge, sending it flying with a pained cry.
Thanks to Reflect and its natural defensive strength, Diancie had taken minimal damage from the previous attack.
"Diancie, another Power Gem!" Angie commanded.
Amethio reacted swiftly, shouting to his Pokémon, "Ceruledge, Phantom Force again!"
A purple-black vortex appeared on the ground, and Ceruledge quickly vanished into it once more. Diancie's Power Gem missed, blasting a deep crater into the ground.
Diancie anxiously scanned its surroundings, uncertain where Ceruledge would emerge next.
Although Diancie could clearly observe its left, right, and front, its only blind spot was behind it—something it was naturally wary of.
Sure enough, Ceruledge suddenly appeared behind it. Just as the sword was about to strike, a massive diamond mirror rose from behind Diancie.
This was a diamond created by Diancie's unique ability to create diamonds.
CRACK!
Ceruledge's sword struck the diamond, leaving it covered in deep fractures.
Seizing the moment while Ceruledge was still stunned, Diancie swiftly turned around and fired Power Gem at the diamond. The yellow-green beam refracted off the diamond, striking Ceruledge directly.
This time, Ceruledge let out another pained cry and was sent flying once more, unable to get back up.
The referee announced, "Ceruledge is unable to continue the battle! The winner is Angie!"
The audience erupted into applause and cheers.
Angie winked at Diancie, "Impressive! That's my Diancie for you."
Despite Diancie's higher level, it had little battle experience, so winning wasn't easy. Moreover, Angie had barely issued any commands during the battle—Diancie had handled everything on its own.
Diancie playfully winked back at Angie.
Meanwhile, the audience buzzed with chatter.
"That Diancie is amazing!"
"Not just amazing, it's adorable too!"
"I wonder where Angie caught it. I want one too! Should we ask?"
Angie walked over to Amethio with Diancie, saying, "Thank you for the match."
Amethio shook Angie's hand and replied expressionlessly, "A loss is a loss. No need for formalities."
Letting go of Angie's hand, Amethio left.
After settling the bill, Angie also departed with his Pokémon, leaving the Pokémon Restaurant.
Just as he left, someone exclaimed, "I found information on Diancie! It's actually... a legendary Pokémon! No wonder there's nothing in the Pokédex about it."
"Whoa, a legendary Pokémon? Really? Let me see!"
"Me too!"
Unfortunately, public records about Diancie were sparse. As their curiosity grew, Angie had already left the town center of Medali Town, riding his Espathra with his Pokémon.
On the way home, Angie and Diancie fed their Espathra rice balls, a treats that Angie had packed for them. After all, they deserved a reward for the trip.
By the time Angie returned to the villa, Nasir was having dinner with the professors.
"Angie, care to join us?" Nasir offered.
Angie shook his head vigorously. "No thanks, I'm stuffed from eating out."
Nasir asked, "Did you go to the town center?"
Angie nodded.
Professor Sada chuckled, "You had to visit the Pokémon Restaurant, right? Their cuisine is the best in Paldea!"
Professor Turo added, "Absolutely!"
Angie, still savoring the memory, replied, "I went. It was delicious."
Noticing Raleigh staring at him accusingly, Angie scratched his head awkwardly. "I didn't invite you because you seemed happy playing with Lechonk and Oinkologne."
Nearby, Munchlax and Arven were excitedly embracing each other.
Feeling guilty, Angie said to Nasir and the others, "You enjoy your meal. I'm going to rest."
He quickly ran off with his Pokémon, leaving a reluctant Munchlax to say goodbye to Arven.
Once back in his room, Angie played with his Pokémon for a while before preparing to send Diancie, Munchlax, and Drizzile back home.
"Don't slack off on your training. I'll check your progress when I return," Angie reminded them.
"Munchlax~!"
"Drizzile~!"
The two of them obediently nodded their heads. With Diancie as their strict coach, they wouldn't dare slack off.
After sending them off, Angie spent some time chatting with the professors and Raleigh before retiring for the night. He washed up, then snuggled up with Komala to sleep.
The next morning, Angie woke to the call of a white Squawkabilly. Looking toward the sound, he saw it perched by the window.
He grabbed a carrot and handed it to the bird, which happily ate it before flying away.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Its cheerful cry could be heard from afar.