Mochimon tries the insides too, but decides to go for the big leaves instead.

In this way the friends can pass a companionable dinner, until Hotshot and Nyaromon run out of seeds.

Maybe next he will go UP HIGH and get the UP HIGH FRUITS for the friends. But not right now. Right now they are having seeds. Also he is licking goop off of Nyaromon, also that.

Nyaromon is thoroughly licked! Under the earthy, grudge-heavy orange slime, Nyaromon has a fuzzy texture and a warm, sweet flavor like the steam of a fresh-baked blueberry pie. It is also vibrating with contentment.

FRIENDS are GOOD. You can LICK THEM and SNUGGLE THEM and TAKE THEM ON ADVENTURES and FEED THEM FRUIT GUTS. This is Hotshot's conclusion.

Eventually Nyaromon has eaten all the seeds that have fallen out, and all the seeds it can find by crawling up inside the shell and burrowing.  So after a second tongue bath, it hops over to a second, almost as large, orange fruit. It turns back to face Hotshot, bouncing eagerly.

He looks at Nyaromon. He looks at the pumpkin.

This is a problem he is equipped to solve!

CHOMP

The rind is chomped open! The sweet fruit spilleth forth!

Also, guess who's inside? 😉

Whoa! A surprise!

Chibimon sprawls forwards, arms and head across the spilled fruit, legs and tail covering the part still inside. With one hand it resumes tossing seeds into its mouth.

This makes it difficult to get at the seeds! Also how did Chibimon even get in there? Hotshot attempts to poke his face into the pumpkin to find out.

Leaning in across Chibimon, he can see a little hole in the back of the fruit. It would be a tough squeeze for Chibimon, but his smaller blob form could probably have fit through.

(On the other claw, how could Chibimon have made a hole like that? He doesn't have claws or big teeth like Hotshot's.)

Huh. Yup, that there is a really small hole. He prods it with a claw, and then prods Chibimon, verifying their relative sizes.

When prodded Chibimon startles, then after a moment sets to tickling the belly that Hotshot's investigation has conveniently left exposed to him.

Hotshot squeaks in startlement and jumps back.

And Chibimon returns to covering and munching his seeds.

...but... Hotshot wants those seeds. They're tasty.

He tries to sneak a claw around Chibimon to grab one. He is large and not good at sneaking, but he does his best.

Chibimon pushes aside the sneaky claw, and carries on munching if this push deters the raid.

(But while he's distracted, Nyaromon slurps up a seed.)

SUCCESS.

Well, partial success. Hotshot wants one too. He tries the sneaky claw again, for lack of a better idea.

Chicomon leans over and bites that seed in particular, perhaps by coincidence. In the process his teeth nip at Hotshot's claw, perhaps by accident. (But claws being claws, the nip does no real damage.)

(Nyaromon sneaks a couple more seeds during this maneuver. Mochimon has started watching, too.)

Wow, the sneaky claw is a supremely ineffective strategy, at least for getting any seeds for himself. It works so well for Nyaromon, though... he tries it again.

This time Nyaromon burrows face-first into the pile under Chibimon!

Taken off guard and off balance, Chibimon is too busy trying to get a grip on the now-slimy blob below him to address the problem of Hotshot peeling off a few seeds.