First started on September 23rd, 2014.
Edited by a Beta Reader on October 5th, 2014.
Replaced on July 12th, 2016.

Shulk's canon trivia about his unhealthy diet comes from Xenoblade's Heart-to-Heart titled "A Gift for a Loved One."

Shulk yawned as he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. While he would normally stay in his room or go to the Trophy Vault in order to learn more about the other fighters, his growling stomach kept pestering him. He had his Monado strapped to his back just in case for a vision.

As he was about to enter the kitchen, he could hear someone preparing a meal. He initially thought that it would be someone like Kirby or Yoshi, as they tended to eat a lot of food. Instead, however, Shulk found the Goddess of Light cooking.

Heartbreaking - Declination

"Morning, Palutena," Shulk said as he observed what she was doing.

Palutena smiled back. "Oh, Shulk. You're up a bit early."

"I could say the same thing to you. I'm just really hungry right now." He heard his stomach rumbling again.

"Perfect! Usually, I would have Pit here, but you'll do just fine."

"What are you making today?"

"Vegetable Surprise!" Palutena dropped her smile when Shulk's face became paled. "Is something wrong, Shulk? Do you like vegetables?"

"Uh..." Shulk thought about it for a second. "Oh... Yes... Quite."

Four small hearts lowered

Palutena frowned. "You're not lying to me, are you, Shulk? This doesn't sound like you."

"N-no..." Shulk noticed Palutena closing her eyes, as if she was concentrating. "Palutena?"

She opened her eyes. "You're lying. You don't like vegetables."

Shulk stepped back. "What?! How'd you know?"

Palutena beamed with pride. "You can't fool my all-seeing Eye of Palutena. Or maybe your reaction was all I needed."

Shulk looked down, feeling ashamed. "Y-you're right. I don't like most vegetables and fruits. I just didn't want to disappoint you."

"It's okay, Shulk. You don't have to lie."

"I'm sorry."

"But one question still remains..."

Shulk looked at her. "What's that?"

"Would you at least try my Vegetable Surprise, even just a bit?" Palutena had a thought in mind. If he says yes, it's a point for me!

Once again, Shulk thought about it. "I'm sorry, Palutena. I must...humbly decline."

Four small hearts lowered

Palutena pouted. "Oh, fiddlesticks... All right. No need to force you."

"Force? That...actually reminds me of a memory in my adventure of a certain vegetable." Shulk's face cringed upon recalling a certain memory. Hopefully, Palutena would not use her all-seeing eye in order to find out what that memory was.

Palutena smirked. "Oh? Do tell."

"It was...an unpleasant memory. To make it short, my friends forced me to eat a Gold Burdock in Eryth Sea. Its sweetness was...too much for me."

Palutena giggled, then began to contemplate about Shulk's hunger until an idea popped up. "I got it! No need to worry, Shulk!"

"Huh?"

"I'll make something else just for you. Just name it and I'll cook it up. Leave cuisine to a goddess."

One big heart raised

Shulk smiled. "Yeah! That sounds great! Thanks, Palutena."

Net Loss/Gain – Piece of Cake

"Morning, Palutena," Shulk said as he observed what she was doing.

Palutena smiled back. "Oh, Shulk. You're up a bit early."

"I could say the same thing to you. I'm just really hungry right now." He heard his stomach rumbling again.

"Perfect! Usually, I would have Pit here, but you'll do just fine."

"What are you making today?"

"Vegetable Surprise!" Palutena dropped her smile when Shulk's face became paled. "Is something wrong, Shulk? Do you like vegetables?"

"Uh..." Shulk thought about it for a second. "Oh... Yes... Quite."

Four small hearts lowered

Palutena frowned. "You're not lying to me, are you, Shulk? This doesn't sound like you."

"N-no..." Shulk noticed Palutena closing her eyes, as if she was concentrating. "Palutena?"

She opened her eyes. "You're lying. You don't like vegetables."

Shulk stepped back. "What?! How'd you know?"

Palutena beamed with pride. "You can't fool my all-seeing Eye of Palutena. Or maybe your reaction was all I needed."

Shulk looked down, feeling ashamed. "Y-you're right. I don't like most vegetables and fruits. I just didn't want to disappoint you."

"It's okay, Shulk. You don't have to lie."

"I'm sorry."

"But one question still remains..."

Shulk looked at her. "What's that?"

"Would you at least try my Vegetable Surprise, even just a bit?" Palutena had a thought in mind. If he says yes, it's a point for me!

Once again, Shulk thought about it. "Okay, I'll give it a shot."

Four small hearts raised

Palutena grinned. "Yes! Palutena: 1! Shulk: 0!"

"Uh, sorry?"

"Oh, my bad." She laughed nervously. "I got carried away."

Shulk chuckled. "You're really are an interesting goddess. I can see why Pit is so loyal to you."

"Why, thank you. You're also a very interesting human. It's true Pit and I share a strong bond, but I do often tease him. Sometimes, he takes my jokes seriously, which is pretty amusing."

Shulk's lips curved upwards. "That is one interesting relationship. A little tease is not so bad."

"Now that I think about it, you don't like vegetables, and Pit usually groans when he has to eat them. Pit likes to eat things like cake." Palutena shook her head in mock annoyance.

Shulk smirked. "A piece of cake, huh?"

"I swear, you two are alike in some ways." The Goddess let out a chuckle.

"You think so?" Shulk scratched the back of his head. "The people here say that Robin and I are alike. I can attest to that." Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly again. "Oh, I almost forgot about my stomach. Palutena?"

One big heart raised

"One Vegetable Surprise coming right up! You won't regret this, Shulk!"

Net Gain/Loss – Shulk's Backstory

"Morning, Palutena," Shulk said as he observed what she was doing.

Palutena smiled back. "Oh, Shulk. You're up a bit early."

"I could say the same thing to you. I'm just really hungry right now." He heard his stomach rumbling again.

"Perfect! Usually, I would have Pit here, but you'll do just fine."

"What are you making today?"

"Vegetable Surprise!" Palutena dropped her smile when Shulk's face became paled. "Is something wrong, Shulk? Do you like vegetables?"

"Uh..." Shulk thought about it for a second. "I'll be honest... No."

Four small hearts raised

Palutena blinked her eyes. "Oh, is that so? At least you're honest." She closed her eyes.

"I didn't eat a lot of healthy foods during my childhood. "I was too focused with machinery in the lab."

"Sounds just like you." Palutena smirked, opening up her eyes. "But there's something else that's bothering me."

"Wait... Does this had to do with your all-seeing eye?"

Palutena began to smile, which Shulk gulped. "Yup!

"C-care to tell me...what's bothering you?"

The Goddess answered with a whisper. "The girl who cooks vegetables for you."

Four small hearts lowered

Shulk gasped. "What?! You looked into that of all things?"

"Well, there's another one, but I'm very interested in that girl first! Come on, Shulk!" She winked at him. "En'light'en up for me."

Shulk nervously laughed. "Yeah, about that girl... She likes to cook foods, especially for me. But she would usually put vegetables, and she would not leave me until she saw me eat the food she made."

"You didn't decline?" Palutena carefully observed Shulk's face.

Shulk looked down. "If it was someone else, I would decline...but when it comes to her...I...just can't refuse her. So I just eat her food without complaining to her. I'm too embarrassed to tell her I don't like vegetables."

A smirk formed on the Goddess of Light's face. "Oh, I see what's going on."

Shulk let out a quick gasp, blushing a bit. "P-please tell me you didn't use your all-seeing eye?"

"No, but it's pretty obvious by the look of your tomato face."

One big heart raised

Shulk decided to quickly change the topic before Palutena asked for more details. "Uh, can we actually eat now? Oh wow... I'm sounding like Reyn and Riki."

Heartwarming – Rejuvenator Potion

"Morning, Palutena," Shulk said as he observed what she was doing.

Palutena smiled back. "Oh, Shulk. You're up a bit early."

"I could say the same thing to you. I'm just really hungry right now." He heard his stomach rumbling again.

"Perfect! Usually, I would have Pit here, but you'll do just fine."

"What are you making today?"

"Vegetable Surprise!" Palutena dropped her smile when Shulk's face became paled. "Is something wrong, Shulk? Do you like vegetables?"

"Uh..." Shulk thought about it for a second. "I'll be honest... No."

Four small hearts raised

Palutena blinked her eyes. "Oh, is that so? At least you're honest." She closed her eyes.

"I didn't eat a lot of healthy foods during my childhood. "I was too focused with machinery in the lab."

"Sounds just like you." Palutena smirked, opening up her eyes. "But there's something else that's bothering me."

"Wait... Does this had to do with your all-seeing eye?"

Palutena began to smile, which Shulk gulped. "Yup!

"C-care to tell me...what's bothering you?"

"That big muscular man who eats vegetables. Who is he exactly?"

Four small heats raised

"Oh, that?" Shulk smiled, feeling relief. "That's my best friend: Reyn. He's kinda like Kirby and Yoshi; he eats a lot, especially vegetables. Why, I even remembered the time he ate an Energy Aubergine for the first time in his life. I've never seen him so happy when it comes to food."

"Is that so?" Palutena stifled a laugh. "But it does bring up my next point. You should eat vegetables like your friend."

"Hmm..." Shulk put his hand on his chin. "You know, you're right. Maybe this is a good time to start eating healthy. Let's...take it nice and easy, please?"

Palutena giggled. "Leave cuisine to a goddess! I've got a bowl full of vegetables that needs an extra zing."

"Extra zing?"

"My Rejuvenator Potion!" She showed Shulk her small black bottle. "This little potion can make foods like carrots fantastically flavorful. This will be great for you, Shulk."

"I can't wait." Shulk smiled, which quickly turned into an expression of shock when he suddenly had a vision of a group of carrots attacking both Palutena and him. When the vision ended, Shulk simply stared in space on what he saw. He had never seen anything like it before. He gasped to see Palutena about to pour a drop onto the bowl of vegetables. "Palutena, stop!"

"Wh-what?!" The Rejuvenator Potion slipped out of her fingers and spilled it all onto the bowl. The vegetables glowed brightly and started to twitch until each vegetable grew arms, legs, and an eye. Palutena and Shulk gasped to see animated vegetables jumping out of the bowl and staring fiercely at the two. "Oh no! Not again!"

"Again?! This happened before?"

"Y-yes! And I was so determined to become a better cook!" Palutena regained her composure and brought out her serious face. "Come on, Shulk! Time to put an end to this vegetable revolution!"

One big heart raised

Shulk smirked back. "Looks like we don't have a choice!" One thought crossed his mind. At least this will delay the vegetables...for a bit.

Credit to my Beta Reader, TheMysteriousGeek2345, for significant overall improvements.

Shulk [Blue Circle Affinity] Palutena
Trusts the cook?