The naggling mental voice and her grumbling stomach won out as Gardenia sat in the center chair, setting her pokeball aside. Surprisingly enough, the food was solid, real, and well-cooked. And the dim, candlelit dining room was rather elegant once she was actually sitting down. Tentatively at first, yet soon eagerly digging in, she was enjoying herself immensely; too much to care that the dishes switched to a new course on their own whenever she finished her current one.
"Mmm, so yummy... Compliments to the chef!" she spoke towards the kitchen as she wolfed down the food.
Maybe she was wrong about the ghosts. The food was so great, she felt that she could continue eating all night! Wait, or was it day? What was she doing here again? Gardenia started to wonder...
Won't you try the spaghetti? a dull voice interrupted, accompanied by a new food-filled plate in front of her. The voice appeared directly in her mind, not through her ears. Normally, such a phenomenon would have freaked Gardenia out, causing her to panic, but the food, the atmosphere, the calm demeanor of the speaker, everything had made her calm, almost eerily so.
"Oh, well, *urp*," she replied, feeling very full at the moment, her belt and shorts starting to stifle. "I've eaten a lot already-"
It is no problem, Gardenia. Make yourself at home, we insist.
"Oh, well, if you're sure..." she shrugged. After all, when was she going to have another meal like this? And at no charge! She wanted, no, needed to make the most of this opportunity.
Taking a quick look to her sides she saw no one, though she was sure that the ghosts were still watching her, somehow. "Ah, to heck with it," she said, as she stood up, unbuckled her belt, and slid her shorts down off her legs, kicking them off as she sat back down.
Now wearing only a pair of green and black-striped panties and her hiking boots below her waist, Gardenia couldn't help but blush. What she was doing right now was unthinkable, as she was nowhere near home, but she was told to make herself comfortable, and that was just what she had done. Somehow, she felt that the ghosts wouldn't mind. After all, they were pokemon, what would they care about a little bare leg? With her belly no longer restricted, she felt free and ready for more and dug back in, blissfully unaware as her discarded clothes were pulled away into the darkness by an unseen force.
The meal continued for another three courses, which Gardenia steadily mowed through. Just one more bite, she kept telling herself. Or was she being encouraged? Regardless, she took her final bite, swallowed the last of the milk, and leaned back in her chair, content, full, and somewhat tired. "Delicious!" she sighed.
I'm very glad you appreciate our efforts, Gardenia. the mental voice returned.
"Your welcome, say..." Gardenia said, just as a notion, and a troubling one at that, occurred to her. "Why did you make all this for me?"
Well... the voice paused suddenly, then continued. As a sign of our hospitality, of course. We wanted to let you know that we wish only to keep to ourselves. I had hoped that our intent was clear. Was this not to your liking?
"Oh no, it was great, really great!" Gardenia said, wanting to assauge any unease in her spectral host. "I get it, I get it!" She could only see despair in her future if she somehow offended them at this point. If everything continued smoothly, then it sounded like the ghosts would keep to themselves and the swarms would die down on their own. No reason to jinx that now.
Wonderful! the voice intoned, elated. I'm so delighted that we have come to a mutual understanding. Well, I am sure that you must be on your way. But, before you leave, there was just one more thing we wished to ask of you first.
"Oh! Um, what would that be?" Gardenia asked, becoming slightly nervous once more.
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