And so, Giovanni was left to his own devices.
Aside from occasionally catching a Bellossom glaring at him with ill intent from the corner, Giovanni received virtually no attention on this farm. Right now happened to be the start of autumn, and the farm was bustling with activity. Pokémon were coming and going, busy planting seeds and transporting animal products.
While Giovanni was looking around, Ron was pondering, under Indeedee's watchful gaze, whether he should go celebrate Penny's birthday today.
It seemed like something had happened yesterday, but because an out-of-place person had "spawned" on the farm, plus he was drunk, he couldn't quite remember what exactly had or hadn't happened.
It's just a matter of giving a gift.
For the now-wealthy farm, let alone just giving Penny some of her favorite farm produce or gems, even if he made a list of all her absolute favorite things and gave them to her one by one, or even included the gifts she didn't get when she was a child, it wouldn't matter at all.
"Indeedee."
That would be great.
Indeedee let out an "Indeedee", so Ron turned to look at her.
"Indeedee."
Indeedee slipped away.
After thinking it over without coming to a conclusion, Ron rummaged through the warehouse anyway, found a few gifts, and stuffed them into his backpack. He ultimately decided to slip them into her mailbox later, and then pretend nothing had happened as he took Dawn and Giovanni back to Kalos.
With this in mind, carrying the gifts, Ron greeted the sneaking Giovanni.
"Ah—!" Giovanni was startled. After reacting, he said to Ron with an awkward face, "I just have nothing to do, wandering around the farm."
"Yeah, I'm leaving for Kalos tomorrow," Ron said. "Do you want to come along?"
"?"
Giovanni froze for a moment and asked, "I can stay here?"
"Either is fine," Ron added. "But if you stay, you have to work on the farm. Ginger Island happen to be short-handed, you can go there."
Giovanni thought about it. Thinking that he hadn't yet figured out the details of this place, he agreed on the spot.
So, Bellossom, dragging its sword, led Giovanni to the Teleport Totem pole.
***
Dawn was currently busy at the Saloon with Emily. The two unexpectedly hit it off and were already as close as family.
Piplup, wearing a gorgeous custom-made dress by Emily, was shaking the pompoms on its flippers, cheering the two on from the sidelines.
"This one should be a boy, right?" Gus was prepping ingredients for tonight on the Saloon counter. He looked at Piplup, which kept going "Piplup, pip," and turned his head to to confirm with the two.
"Piplup, pip!" Piplup patted its chest with a smack-smack, showing that it was indeed a real boy.
"For Pokémon, it doesn't matter, right?" Emily took a glance at the gorgeous dress and said with a smile, "Don't you think this looks really good?"
"Piplup?"
"Yeah, especially on you, it looks extra good!" Dawn added.
So Piplup puffed out its chest.
"Piplup!"
He knew it!
Emily and Dawn exchanged a glance, and the two then burst into laughter.
"Piplup, pip?"
Piplup frowned, feeling that things weren't that simple.
Gus chuckled, remembered something, and asked, "By the way, Ron will probably be going to Kalos in the next couple of days. Are you going with him?"
"Is it already that time?" Emily's eyes widened.
She felt like Dawn had just arrived.
"Is it okay if I don't go back?" Dawn asked.
She didn't have a League tournament to compete in anyway, and was already traveling. She felt that staying here for a while wouldn't be a problem. Plus, she hadn't had enough fun yet and really enjoyed spending time with Emily.
"Of course!" Emily said. "If you want, you can live at my house until—"
She was going to say until Haley came back, but after thinking about it, she changed her tune: "You can stay until I go find Robin to build a new room for you in my house!"
"—" Dawn paused, feeling this was a bit exaggerated. She thought about it and said, "Then I'd like to stay for a few more days. Um, a season here is only 28 days, right?"
Seeing the two nod, she said, "Then I'll stay until next spring!"
It sounded like she was going to stay here for a long time, but carefully calculating it, less than two months would have passed in Kalos.
Gus, of course, was welcoming. With Dawn joining, the work at the Saloon had become much easier.
After the group made their decision, Ron just happened to push open the door to the Saloon.
"So you're here, Dawn," Ron greeted. "I was just looking for—"
"She's not going back!" Emily said. "She's going back next spring."
"Next spring?" Ron froze for a moment, took out his Pokédex, and checked the time in Kalos. "Next spring... no problem."
Glancing at the time, Ron realized that next spring was exactly when the Kalos Grand Festival would be held, so he agreed.
Not expecting that neither of the two guests he brought wanted to go back, Ron turned and left the Saloon. While passing by Penny's house, he casually stuffed the gifts he had prepared into her mailbox.
He even looked around vigilantly, just like when preparing to raid a trash can in the game, and then left with a guilty conscience.
"That was Big Brother Ron!" Jas cheered, extending her hand to Vincent beside her. "I won the bet! Quick! Pay up!"
"—" Vincent reluctantly handed over his pocket money for the week. "Does sneaking it in count?"
"You don't understand. If he gave it openly and honestly, maybe he really wasn't thinking anything of it. But if he sneaks it—" Jas looked deeply meaningful, while Vincent next to her was covered in question marks.
"Then should we tell Miss Penny?" Leo asked from behind them.
"Is this hard to guess?" Jas turned her head to look at Leo. "When you give Miss Penny a gift, do you stuff it into the mailbox?"
At this, the few kids, holding the gifts they had made yesterday, ran together to Penny's front door.
Leo, being the tallest, pressed the doorbell.
"Coming." Penny opened the door and saw the three kids standing there. She was visibly disappointed for a moment, but then cheered up because the three kids had come to celebrate her birthday. "Why is it you guys? Come in quickly, I cut some melon, and there's cake."
"Happy birthday!"
The kids held up the gifts and presented them to Penny.
"We made these on the farm!"
The kids held up a few DIY accessories with their own personal characteristics and presented them to Penny. "Big Brother Ron said that the best gifts for you are the ones you make yourself!"
"Ron?" Penny glanced behind the kids a few times. "Is he here too?"
"Hmm—" Jas said somewhat mysteriously. "Guess, Miss Penny?"
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