"Ron?"
Abigail wasn't too disappointed about missing the specialty food—she'd only stayed in line for Serena's sake. She gave her friend a reassuring smile and answered Ron's call.
"Morning! I'm in Lumiose—what's up?"
When Ron asked her to scout Evolution Stones at Kalosian markets, Abigail readily agreed—even though she had no idea what they were.
---
Meanwhile, back in Pelican Town…
After emailing Abigail his shopping list, Ron was about to hang up when he noticed the girl beside her.
Long chestnut hair tied back, red cap perched on her head—she stared at the ground, lost in thought.
"Who's that?"
"Serena. Met her in the forest." Abigail patted Serena's back. "Don't worry—we'll get some next time! Maybe Cyllage will sell it too?"
"What?"
"The local specialty—what's it called again?" Abigail squinted at a nearby poster and read aloud: "Drumsticks and Wing Meat."
Ron froze.
...
He'd planned to reimport farm goods as "Kalos specialties," but never imagined Abigail would be the first customer.
"You've got some in your bag," he said flatly. "Check."
"Huh?" Abigail blinked at Ron's pixelated face, then rummaged through her pack.
Ron had stuffed it so full of supplies she'd barely organized anything—just grabbed whatever she needed each day.
She dug deeper—and pulled out exact matches to the poster's products.
"2,000G each! On sale for 1,800G today!" She checked the packaging, then kept pulling more—ten of each item.
"I even had Gus develop recipes. Just sent them to you. Gotta go—the farm's busy."
Ron attached the recipe files and hung up.
He trusted Abigail. This wasn't some trade secret—besides, the instant meal venture might flop anyway.
Serena was speechless, watching Abigail produce items like a magician.
She hadn't peeked at Ron's face during the call—but she envied their dynamic. It felt like he'd dumped his best treasures into Abigail's hands without hesitation.
"We can keep going!" Abigail pocketed her phone. "I can't believe he packed these too!"
"He's really good to you," Serena said softly.
"Is he?" Abigail paused, then nodded. "Ron's always helping everyone."
She listed his deeds: fixing the Community Center for Joy, repairing the bus, gifting Poké Balls to Penny…
Serena listened quietly, feeling like she'd stumbled into a warm family tale—where neighbors lifted each other up without keeping score.
By the time Abigail finished, they'd reached Lumiose's market.
"That town sounds amazing," Serena said, already charmed by Pelican Valley's quirks. "After the Grand Festival… can I visit with you?"
"If you want to!" Abigail beamed. "You'll love it there!"
They began scanning stalls for Evolution Stones.
---
Back at the farm…
Penny sat inside, surrounded by Pokémon. Her natural patience with children extended to them—they adored her company.
After sampling Ron's cooking with the Rattata, she'd been roped into storytelling. Now, she recounted a tale of survival on a deserted island.
"Ratta, ratta—" Rattata leaned forward, chin in paws. When the protagonist rescued a mysterious castaway, it thumped the table excitedly.
Indeedee, eavesdropping on Penny's thoughts, couldn't resist spoiling the ending.
Rattata shot Indeedee a disapproving glare.
Ron chuckled from the doorway and stepped inside.
"You're back?" Penny stood, weaving through Rattata to greet him.
The storyteller's spell held—no one else acknowledged Ron's return.
"Just got done shopping," Ron said, calling Zubat outside. He didn't interrupt storytime, instead catching each Zubat individually in the rain.
To his surprise, though their levels were low, their stats were impressive.
Was it the farm work? The crow diet? Or the weight-loss training?
Either way, these lean Zubat were perfect for factory security. Still, leveling them up wouldn't hurt.
He assigned them to the mining crew. "Three days should boost their EXP plenty."
No eyes meant no need for Glow Rings. But no hands also meant no weapon-wielding like Gloom.
After releasing the Zubat, Ron reentered the cabin, hung his raincoat, and sank into a chair.
Penny's voice wove through the crackling fireplace and gentle rain: "And so, they lived on the island…"
Ron yawned, content.
Noticing his gaze, Penny's voice hitched. She touched her flushed cheeks—then locked eyes with Indeedee.
'Wait—didn't Robin say this Pokémon… reads minds?'
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