The Pluto crew discover a planet whose population can change shape and give them whatever means to make them happy. However, a few of the dogs believe there is something off about them.
Back at the M-Bark, Captain Happy reports to the Council of Canines about a possible conspiracy between Garbage and Kira, but has to find evidence to back up his claim.
Stay contains examples of:
- And This Is for...:
- The Crumpulons, by Stella.
- Mr. Spaghetti, by Nomi.
- Bittersweet Ending: Happy is unable to find evidence that Garbage and Kira are conspiring against the M-Bark. However, Garbage is saddened by another failure and more so in believing that his human Chelsea is just using him. After their escape, he and Kira decide on a secret mission: to find a new world only for dogs.
- Blatant Lies: The Shmoops claimed their Crumpulon hosts left without a reason why. Later, Stella discovers that the bird creatures are still on their world, but slowly dying because the Shmoops have fed off them for too long.
- Did Not Think This Through: The fake Chelsea becomes too desperate and tries to keep Garbage captive when he is about to leave. Since they feed off happiness, they can't do that if their host is too scared.
- Go Out with a Smile: The Crumpulons are discovered to have been drained so much of their happiness, they are unable to move and are likely to die. Despite Stella trying to save them, they choose to stay instead, content with their fate.
- Hypocrite Has a Point: Fake Chelsea may technically be right about humans using the dogs to find a new world, but they are using and exploiting the dogs and Crumpulons' happiness as food to survive.
- Mind Hive: In the climax, the shapeshifters merge one massive entity in an attempt to capture the Pluto.
- Immune to Mind Control: Subverted. The shapeshifters cannot learn about Kira's old owner as those memories were pushed too far back.
- Imposter For Got One Detail: Garbage tries to convince the Shmoops to bring their humans to their world. When the aliens try to convince the dogs to stay with them, Garbage decides to drop his attempt because they can't replicate their smell.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: The Shmoops are shapeshifters that had a symbiotic relationship with a birdlike race called the Crumpulons. They provide everything the hosts could ever want, and the creatures can feed off of their happy energy. Unfortunately, Stella finds out that the birds are dying because of the shifters and rushes to gather the crew and escape before they suffer the same fate. Granted, the Shmoops need to do this in order to survive.
- Properly Paranoid: While everyone is well aware that the Shmoops are just mimicking their humans, Kira is the only one who doesn't just roll with it, believing they are hiding something sinister. What Stella finds later confirms her suspicions.
- Shout-Out: Shapeshifting creatures that feed on an emotion and leave others drained of it? Are we talking about the Shmoops or the Changelings?.
- Spot the Imposter: During their escape, the crew find two Garbages; the one still on the planet, and the one aboard the Pluto. Stella tries this by saying Captain Happy is in trouble, and the Garbage on the ship announces that they should help him. They know that the real Garbage and Happy aren't exactly best buds, and this seems to be enough evidence to reveal that this "Garbage" is a fake. They throw him overboard and rescue their captain.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: One of the Shmoops playing with Stella throws a frisbee too hard over the neighborhood hedge. Stella discovers the true fate of the Crumpulons and rushes back to help everyone escape.
- Villain Has a Point: The Shmoop posing as Chelsea may not know humans enough but, based on reading the dogs' minds, she is right that the humans may have a habit of taking more than they can give. Plus, in all technicality, the real Chelsea and the PRATS humans are using him and the other dogs to find a new world to call home, at least for a good cause.
- Whatever Happened to the Mouse?: The fate of the "Shmoopulons" is left up in the air when the Pluto escapes the planet. The Crumpulons are likely to die for having themselves too drained to do anything, and the Shmoops may die because they are unable to attract a fresh host to feed on.
