"But who would want roses, meow."
***
Meanwhile, Vincent, Jas, and Leo were currently planning in a corner of Pelican Town what birthday gift to give Penny tomorrow.
Fall 2nd was Penny's birthday.
The three kids gathered together, studying a friendship handbook borrowed from Lewis.
Although they didn't know who the author was, it clearly recorded the preferences of every town resident.
Except for Ron.
"They're all so expensive." Jas held her face in her hands, using the pen in her hand to carefully cross out the diamonds, gems, and similar things at the top. "Hmm—Melons and Poppy flowers—we don't have those either. Why didn't we prepare them in advance during summer?"
Jas asked the two of them, and also asked herself.
"—" Vincent propped his chin on his hands. "Can we really not give Miss Penny a big frog?"
Jas rolled her eyes. She pondered for a moment, then suggested, "Or maybe we can draw a greeting card?"
"Or make this Poi?" Leo pointed to the Poi below and asked. Because the recipe was carefully noted next to it, all the required ingredients could be found on Ginger Island. The only troublesome part was getting the ingredients but it shouldn't be a problem.
"Hmm, can you make it?" Jas turned to look at Leo. Seeing him shake his head, she looked at Vincent.
However, her gaze only focused on Vincent for a moment before she looked away in disappointment.
"Why don't you ask me?" Vincent was indignant.
"So can you?"
"No!"
Vincent replied with absolute confidence.
"I knew it." Jas held her cheeks, then suddenly stood up from the ground. "Then let's go ask Big Brother Ron!"
Saying is doing. Jas dragged the reluctant Vincent and the completely obedient Leo, marching majestically toward the farm.
When they arrived at the farm, it happened to be when Ron had just finished a day's work and decided to go out for a walk to clear his mind.
"Big Brother Ron!!" Jas greeted happily. She then put on a serious face and asked solemnly, "Do you know what day tomorrow is?"
"Tomorrow?" Ron thought for a moment.
Tomorrow was Fall 2nd.
If he had to say... it seemed— Ron reflexively turned his head to look at the calendar.
"That's cheating! You don't care about Miss Penny at all!" Vincent yelled.
"I'm just making sure." Ron then squatted down, looking directly at Jas. "So? Is there anything you need my help with?"
Obviously, the kids probably wanted to make some little surprise for Penny, but kids their age didn't have the financial resources to make the gifts Penny might like.
Jas looked at Ron's gentle expression and opened her mouth.
She originally thought that Ron might be able to provide them with some help, but after seeing Ron, she felt that maybe, for Miss Penny, the best gift wasn't something like gems.
Maybe there was something she wanted to see more than that.
Vincent pulled out the friendship guide and started reciting the list: "One diamond, the biggest one please, one emerald, the most transparent one, and a summer melon, the sweetest—" Jas covered Vincent's mouth, then said, "Tomorrow we want to give Miss Penny a day off. Can you spend her birthday with her?"
Saying this, as if she remembered something, she glanced at the farm and added, "We can come to the farm to help you work, as long as you have time to keep Miss Penny company."
"—" Ron fell silent for a moment.
Although he had a system, this wasn't a game after all. For one thing, it wouldn't show Penny's exact intimacy value, and for another, she wasn't a piece of code whose affection would automatically increase just by receiving gifts.
"Maybe Miss Penny would rather receive a thank-you letter from you guys?" Ron said. "Instead of coming to the farm to work, why not set aside some time to draw a greeting card for Miss Penny, and then think about making a gift for her? If you need raw materials, just tell Magearna."
Jas pursed her lips and asked in a low voice, "Don't you like Miss Penny?"
"It's not that, it's not like that." Ron said, "I just feel that if Penny knew I went to find her because you guys came to the farm to work for a day in exchange for me spending her birthday with her, she wouldn't be that happy."
"Really? But if—" Jas tried to give an example, "If Vincent came to find you and traded him to have Shane spend my birthday with me, I would be very happy."
"It's different," Ron said patiently.
"How is it different?"
"Because you guys are family." Ron thought for a moment, not knowing how to continue explaining, so he called Magearna over, and after thinking for a bit, also stopped Bellossom, who was dragging its longsword home.
"Just tell them what you need, and Bellossom can help with the processing part."
"How is it different?" Jas still hadn't wrapped her head around it, but seeing that Ron had given his instructions and left, she just followed Magearna all the way to the warehouse.
"Then we can only make a gift ourselves," Leo said. "What are you planning to make?"
"How about a bouquet?" Vincent rubbed his hands together. "Or a cake."
"How is it different?"
***
Ron left the farm. After thinking for a long time and having nowhere to go, he finally chose to go to the Saloon for a rare drink.
He couldn't even remember the last time he came to the Saloon to eat. Ron pushed open the door and found that there were quite a few people inside.
Perhaps because they were free again recently, or for some other reason, quite a few people who weren't usually at the Saloon were sitting here right now.
For example, Gunther over there, holding a notebook, seemed to be on high alert for something.
"Meowth won't be coming to tell stories today," Robin said. Feeling it wasn't rigorous enough, she added, "I'm guessing he was caught red-handed by Indeedee just now and fled in shame."
Gunther, who had originally thought he could learn about Pokémon habits or conduct deeper investigations through stories of Pokémon interactions, regretfully put his notebook away. "I'll have a beer then, Gus."
"Sure." Gus came out carrying a beer and was surprised to see Ron walk in. "Look who's here! Busy man Ron!"
He teased, then said, "Take a seat over there. What do you want to eat today? It's on me!"
"No discount for regular customers?" Clint shouted from the side, "How come you've never treated me?"
"Is that so?" Gus put the beer down and said to Clint, "Then allow me to solemnly introduce you, Clint."
"This is the owner of the largest farm in Pelican Town!"
"We only have one farm in Pelican Town!"
"And the largest food supplier for this establishment!"
"At half price!" Gus added.
The room then erupted into thunderous applause.
Ron, who had originally just come to relax, awkwardly found a chair to sit on. This spot was in the corner of the bar counter, so Emily sneaked over. "What's wrong? Why the long face?"
"Nothing," Ron looked at the menu. "A beer."
"Really?" Emily turned around, took a glass from the shelf, and said while pouring beer into the glass, "I thought you finally—"
"Finally what?"
Emily smiled and winked slyly at Ron. "Guess."
Ron took the beer from Emily and saw Piplup, wearing a waiter's uniform, walking back and forth on the bar counter, staring at a glass of beer.
"Piplup, pip."
"Thanks, Piplup."
The customer politely took the beer, and Piplup bowed quite like a gentleman.
"Piplup!"
"It's getting quite used to this," Emily rested her chin in her hands, looking at Piplup with admiration.
If her Squawkabilly wasn't unsuited for this kind of work, who wouldn't want to work with a little bird like this?
"I heard you went to Cindersap Forest with Leah today to pick mushrooms, and then you guys had a barbecue at Leah's door," Emily said. "That's so nice. This season is exactly for going out, enjoying the scenery, and eating and drinking."
Of course, she didn't mean that other seasons weren't suitable!
It's just that autumn is especially pleasant. The temperature is neither too cold nor too hot, the autumn breeze is refreshing, and since it's a season of abundance, you can easily pick mushrooms, hazelnuts, and such things. Throw them on the fire and roast them a bit, and they taste great.
"Then aren't you going?" Ron said, then remembered, "Right, I might be going to Kalos the day after tomorrow. Is there anything you want me to bring to Haley?"
"Her?" Emily snorted, "I'm not bringing anything! Let that girl who completely forgot about her sister fend for herself in Kalos!"
That being said, Emily was actually already thinking about what to prepare for Haley.
"I don't know what she's been busy with in Kalos lately. She hasn't called home these past few days."
Emily said, snorting again.
***
Meanwhile, in Kalos.
"—Tell me that man's whereabouts."
Giovanni stood in front of the four tied-up people, pacing back and forth.
"If you don't talk..." Giovanni dragged out his voice, and a few small knives were pressed against the necks of the four.
"The, the Wizard?" Abigail stared at the knife, struggling to exchange a glance with Serena beside her. After a long moment, she put on a helpless look and said to Giovanni, "It's right there, in my backpack. There's a totem inside—as long as you use that, you'll be able to see him."
Hearing this, Giovanni winked at his subordinates, and someone rummaged through Abigail's backpack and took out the Farm Totem.
"This?" Giovanni took it from his subordinate's hand, looked up at Abigail, and asked, "How do you use it?"
"Just close your eyes, and then think about wanting to go to Pelican Town," Abigail said.
Just as Giovanni was about to close his eyes, as if he thought of something, he signaled a Team Rocket member beside him to hand him a Poké Ball.
Holding the Poké Ball, he closed his eyes again. The next second, a flash of white light, and he was standing in front of a bizarre statue.
"This is it, can you cut it with your sword one more time?" Vincent pleaded, hugging a piece of ore. "Just like this, I want to make it into a leaf."
Looking at the emerald green ore, Bellossom swung its sword down. With a crunch, the ore was cleaved in two by the sharp blade.
"That's great!" Vincent excitedly hugged the ore and ran to his crafting shed.
Bellossom held its sword, waiting for the kids to make another request.
Just then, it faintly sensed a strange presence behind it. So, holding its sword, it turned around and saw an unfamiliar man in a suit.
"—Bellossom?" Bellossom tilted its head, staring closely at the man in front of it. It searched repeatedly in its mind but couldn't find any information related to this person, so Bellossom's gaze began to scrutinize him seriously.
Giovanni couldn't help but hold his breath.
Because he had specifically investigated Ron, he naturally knew of the existence of this incredibly powerful Bellossom.
It's just—
Giovanni gripped the Poké Ball in his hand, wondering if he should take a gamble.
The next second, just as he was about to press the button on the Poké Ball, a streak of green light flashed toward him.
Crunch!
The Poké Ball, which he hadn't even had time to open, fell to the ground in two pieces.
"Bellossom."
Doesn't look like a good person.
Bellossom used its sword to flick the Poké Ball far away, staring at Giovanni.
"Um—I, I'm just passing by," Giovanni was startled by Bellossom's speed.
Was this thing always this powerful?
He thought it was at most around level fifty, but just looking at its speed, he felt its level was far beyond that.
"Bellossom?"
Passing by and ending up at the farm?
"—" For the first time, Giovanni realized the importance of Meowth's presence in this team. He thought for a moment, then said, "I'm here to find my—subordinates."
"Bellossom?"
"It's Meowth, Jessie, and James." Under Bellossom's watchful gaze, Giovanni carefully took out his communication device from his pocket, quickly pulled up the files, and brought up photos of the three for Bellossom to see.
"It's them."
"Bellossom."
Seeing this, Bellossom let down its guard. It tilted its head and thought for a moment. "Bellossom."
"Uh—does that mean you want me to follow you?" Giovanni guessed.
"Bellossom."
So, Giovanni followed behind Bellossom, all the way to Ron's cabin.
Inside, Magearna was leading the kids in making crafts. She looked up and locked eyes with Giovanni.
"It's actually Magearna—" Giovanni was shocked. Immediately after, Shaymin darted past him and into the house.
"And Shaymin too." Giovanni looked up at this rustic cabin, his gaze landing on the various gems that had been smashed into tiny fragments by the kids.
Every single one looked so high-quality that they were priceless, especially a pile of diamonds sitting there as if they were raw materials.
"This size is still wrong!" Vincent hugged a diamond and ran up to Bellossom. "Bellossom, can you cut this one more time—just one last time!"
So, Bellossom swung its sword down, and this originally priceless diamond was cleaved in two by the sharp blade.
"..."
Giovanni looked at the diamond, then at the giant sword in Bellossom's hands. For a moment, he didn't know which one he should be more shocked by.
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