After leaving Suncam City, I suggested to Kat that we stop to get a bite to eat.

"Sure. I never say no to food," Kat joked, "What do you recommend? Since you know this region better than me, you must know some good places to eat."

I hummed in thought as I scrolled through my options.

"Well, there's a place in Grandisle City called the Battle Restaurant," I said, "You basically battle for your food."

Kat stared at me before bursting into laughter.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked, "Why make a place where you have to fight for your food?"

"It'll be fun, Kat. I've been there a couple of times with my grandmother," I said, "Once you get your food, you can sit back and watch the show."

Kat still looked uncertain.

"Oh, and did I mention that an aquarium surrounds it?" I asked.

Kat looked at me with wide eyes.

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

That got her...

"Yup." I said boldly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kat asked, "Let's go!"

She and Angel sprinted down the dirt road with wide grins on their faces.

She doesn't even know where she's going...

Libby and I glanced at one another and shook our heads fondly. We smiled and raced after the energetic duo. Libby and I soon caught up to Kat and Angel and guided them to Grandisle City.

Grandisle City is the third-largest city in the Eznoina region. I always wanted to be a city girl, but I grew up in the countryside. When I'm older, though, I wanna move to Gladiolus City, the largest city in Ezonia.

Upon our arrival, the smell of freshly cooked food filled the air.

"Mm, it smells so good!" Kat said.

"That's Grandisle City for you," I said, "All the food here is cooked to perfection with the help of Fire-type Pokémon."

Kat's eyes shimmered when she saw a stand selling roasted kabobs. The man next to the stand smiled with glee.

"Like what you see?" he asked.

Kat nodded vigorously. Luckily for her, I knew this man well. He's close friends with my grandmother.

"Good to see you again, Rich." I said, walking up to my drooling friend.

"Eragona! My, where has the time gone?" Rich asked, "You're all grown up. Out on your journey, I see."

I nodded with a kind smile.

"Sure am. I left home a few weeks ago. I ran into this one a week after." I said, wrapping an arm around Kat.

Angel let out a cry before shaking her trainer's arm. Kat snapped back to reality and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that," she said, "My hunger got the best of me."

Rich and I both let out hearty laughs.

"Please, take one," Rich said, handing Kat a kabob, "On the house."

Kat took the kabob and bowed her head.

"Thank you so much!" she said happily.

Kat took a bite of the food, and her eyes glittered like diamonds in the sun.

"Mm! It's so good!" Kat said as she bounced up and down.

Kat took a piece of a fried vegetable and gave it to Angel. Angel smiled and bounced up and down with happy cries. I laughed and took the kabob Rich offered me. I slid off a piece of meat before handing it to Libby. Libby let out a happy cry as she wagged her tail.

"If Pokémon like this, then that means it's really good," I said as I took a bite, "And it is!"

"Thank you, Eragona," Rich said, "Where are you two headed?"

"To the Battle Restaurant," Kat answered, "Era here keeps telling me that you have to fight for your food. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Rich chuckled and shook his head fondly.

"She's right, though." Rich said.

Kat stared at Rich with wide eyes.

"There's no way!" she said, "Why do I have to fight for food when I can just watch the different Water-type Pokémon swimming around me?"

I couldn't help but laugh at Kat's whining.

"Well, if you're headed there, just turn down the next corner, and it'll be right in front of you." Rich said.

"Thanks, Rich," I said as I walked away, "Good seeing you again!"

Kat, Angel, and Libby waved goodbye to Rich, and my old friend did the same. Following Rich's directions, we eventually made it to the Battle Restaurant. Kat and I smiled at one another before walking through the grand double doors. The smell of freshly cooked food and the sound of live music filled the air, creating a calm atmosphere.

"Hey, where's the aquarium?" Kat asked.

I only smiled at my friend. That's when the bronze platform below us started to descend. As we continued to go down, the aquarium became visible. Numerous Water-type Pokémon from every region could be seen: Luvdisc, Seadra, Corsola, Gorebyss, Huntail Lumineon, Lanturn, Basculin, Wailord, and so much more. Libby hopped off my shoulder and pawed at the glass to try and interact with the Water-type Pokémon; Angel did the same. Suddenly, a Mantine swam up to the glass and smiled at Angel and Libby. When Libby and Angel bounced happily, the Mantine did a flip with a smile. Kat and I couldn't help but laugh at the adorableness.

I'm glad they're enjoying themselves.

"Liking it so far, Kat?" I asked.

"Obviously!" she said, "It's so beautiful..."

I couldn't help but admire the underwater scenery myself, despite seeing it a thousand times. When the platform finally stopped, Kat and I could see more of the aquarium than before. The tables and chairs were pressed against the glass, and multiple battlefields in the center could be seen. A waiter soon came up to us and bowed.

"Follow me, ladies." he said.

Kat and I reluctantly followed the waiter with our partner Pokémon in tow. Once we arrived at our table, we thanked the waiter and sat down. Every table was perfectly placed for people and Pokémon to experience the battles and enjoy the aquarium. Angel and Libby bounced on top of the seats as they watched the Water-type Pokémon swim by.

"So, when do we start getting our food?" Kat asked, "Or do we have to fight for it first?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." I answered.

A waiter walked up to us with a polite smile and handed each of us a card with a number.

"I have number 9." I said.

"I got 4," Kat said, "What does that mean?"

I smiled and turned my head upwards to the screen above. The screen then started switching between a multitude of numbers. That's when they all came to a halt, and every number was paired with another.

"The numbers on the screen show who you will be battling to get your food, and in a specific order," I explained, "Looks like I'm facing up against someone who has number 12, and you're up against number 16."

"So that's how it works," Kat said, "So, who's up first?"

I looked at the screen above and saw that the first few battles were between 7 and 18, 11 and 21, and 10 and 3. Kat and I watched as the contestants got up and headed to the battlefields. A waiter and two waitresses soon positioned themselves in front of a battlefield and waited. That's when a large dome came up from the ground and encased the contestants and the three servers.

The dome is to protect the people and Pokémon that are watching from getting hurt.

"Begin!" the three servers cried.

At once, the contestants called out their Pokémon. There was a Nidoking, a Heracross, a Manectric, a Toxicroak, a Bisharp, and a Salazzle. Like clockwork, the battles commenced.

"You were right, Era. This is enjoyable." Kat said.

"Yup. And if you lose, you have another chance at winning," I said, "No matter what, you'll always get your food in the end."

Libby and Angel let out cheerful cries as they bounced on the seats. The Water-type Pokémon around us stopped swimming to watch the battles.

They must have a great time watching these battles every day.

When the battles ended, the Nidoking trainer, the Salazzle trainer, and the Manectric trainer reigned victoriously. The dome descended back into the ground the trainers returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs. Looking up at the screen, I saw I was in one of the following three battles. I grinned and stood up from my seat.

"Come on, Libbs." I said, holding out my arm.

Libby chirped out her cry and scampered up my arm and onto my shoulder. I stroked the brown fur as I made my way to the middle.

"Good luck, Eragona!" Kat cried.

Angel let out a loud cry with a wide grin on her face. I smiled back at my friends before turning back around to the center. Taking my position, I stared longingly at my opponent. He was thin with some muscle to him. His hair and eyes were indigo, and his skin fair.

"Best of luck to you, sir." I said.

"Right back at ya, lil' lady." he said with a bow.

When the three servers appeared, the dome ascended and closed over us.

"Begin!" the servers cried.

I held out my arm, and Libby leaped off it, landing gracefully on the ground. My opponent threw up a Pokéball and out came an Arcanine. I grinned and pulled out my Pokédex.

"Arcanine, the Legendary Pokémon. Overflowing with beauty and majesty, this strong Pokémon appears in ancient Eastern folklore. The fire burning inside its body serves as the energy to fuel it as it runs great distances."

It looks majestic, too.

"Arcanine, Flamethrower!" the man cried.

Arcanine barked and released a large ribbon of fire.

"Dodge by using Quick Attack! Then, use Shadow Ball!" I ordered.

Libby quickly dodged the attack and ran up to the large Pokémon. When she was close enough, she hurled a shadowy blob at the Arcanine.

"Dragon Pulse!" my opponent cried.

The Legendary Pokémon growled and released a multi-colored shock wave at the Shadow Ball, causing an explosion.

This scenario again...? Well, I'm not complaining...

"You know what to do, Libby!" I cried, "Leap up and use Swift!"

I watched as my partner leaped above the dust cloud and fired star-shaped rays down at the ground. Like many times before, the Arcanine stumbled backward.

"Hidden Power!" I cried.

"Wild Charge!" my opponent cried.

When Libby unleashed her attack, the Arcanine became engulfed in electricity and charged toward Libby; the Hidden Power bouncing off the large Pokémon. When Libby landed on the ground, the Arcanine was almost upon her.

"Libby, Quick Attack!" I cried.

Libby was able to dodge the Arcanine's attack just in time.

"Arcanine, use Bite!" the man cried.

The electricity around the large Pokémon subsided, and its teeth grew larger.

"Libby, Shadow Ball!" I cried.

Libby stopped to face the Arcanine and waited. When Arcanine opened its mouth, Libby hurled a large, shadowy blob at the Arcanine's mouth. The Arcanine bit down on the attack, causing another explosion. The Arcanine let out a shrill bark as it got blown back from the impact, soon landing unconscious in front of its trainer.

"Arcanine is unable to battle. The victor is contestant number 9." the waiter said.

"Alright, Libby!" I cried, "We did it!"

Libby let out a happy cry as she wagged her tail. The man smiled and returned his Arcanine to its Pokéball. When Libby hopped on my shoulder, I walked up to the man and handed him a Sitrus Berry.

"For your Arcanine." I said.

The man smiled and gladly took the berry.

"Thank you, and congratulations to you and your Eevee," he said, patting Libby's head, "She's certainly a strong one."

"Thank you." I said.

Libby smiled and let out a friendly cry. The two of us shook hands before going back to our tables. When I sat down, Kat threw her arms around me. Angel did the same with Libby.

"That was great, Era!" Kat said happily.

"Thanks, Kat." I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Kat released me and smiled. Looking behind me, the Water-type Pokémon began doing flips and tricks with wide grins on their faces.

"Looks like they enjoyed the battle as well." I said with a smile.

Kat nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, a waiter came out with a full-course meal prepared: tenderized steak, cooked vegetables, and a baked potato.

"Wow... That looks so good," Kat said, "I wish I could have some."

"I'm willing to share, but it looks like you're up next." I said, pointing up at the screen.

Kat looked up and sighed. Calling Angel's attention, the two of them walked toward the middle.

"Good luck, you two!" I cried.

Libby mimicked my words with her cry. Kat looked back with a thumbs-up. When the dome closed over them, the battles started. Kat and Angel were up against a Gengar.

Kat better be careful. A Poison-type like Gengar can do major damage against a Fairy-type like Angel... Come to think of it; I don't think I've ever seen Kat use Angel before, so this will be a treat for me.

I placed Libby on top of my head so she could get a better view of Kat and Angel's battle. Angel swiftly dodged the Gengar's attacks with such elegance and grace it looked as if she were dancing.

"Are you seeing this, Libby?" I asked.

Libby nodded, her little-big eyes glued to the battle. That's when Angel released a super-effective Shadow Ball and knocked out the Gengar. Libby and I couldn't help but cheer. When Kat walked back to the table, it was my turn to throw my arms around her.

"That was amazing! You and Angel were so in sync!" I said, pulling away from my friend, "I've never seen Angel battle. And the way Angel moved was like she was dancing."

"Thanks, Eragona," Kat said, sitting down, "Angel and I used to be Pokémon Performers back in Kalos. That's why it looks like she's dancing when she battles."

That explains a lot.

Libby hopped off my head and landed in Kat's lap with a friendly cry. Kat laughed and patted the small head.

"Aw, thanks, Libby!" Kat said.

Libby walked off Kat's lap and wagged her tail at Angel. Angel smiled and chirped out her cry. The Water-type Pokémon behind us let out incoherent cries with broad smiles on their faces. After a while, a waiter brought Kat her food. It was like mine, only this time she had Tomato Berry soup.

"Well, let's dig in." I said.

With that, Kat, Libby, Angel, and I started eating our food.

The food was cooked to perfection. Compliments to the chefs and Fire-type Pokémon!

When we were finished, we decided to stay for a while to watch the other battles.

This will always be my favorite spot to come and get some food. When you're hungry, the battling works up more of an appetite. When you win, the food is worth fighting for...