Robin washed vegetables beside Ron, glancing at him skillfully preparing dinner and the circle of Rattata waiting eagerly. A soft smile touched her lips.
"By the way," she asked while rinsing tomatoes, "today's Abigail's birthday right?"
"Mm." Ron nodded.
"No wonder I saw Caroline at the farm this morning." Robin tilted her head. "So you went all the way to Kalos just to deliver her gift?"
"Not exactly." Ron paused. "I checked on the factory while I was there. Brought back some Kalos specialties too."
Robin hummed thoughtfully.
"Oh—" Ron suddenly turned to her. "If I needed you to build a structure… say, two or three times larger than the barn… how many days?"
Robin blinked, calculating. "A house, plus two extensions? Four days."
"What if I added Geodude or Machop to help? Or even Kalos workers?"
"That'd cut it down," she said. "Maybe two or three days. Planning to send me to Kalos?"
Ron weighed it silently. Robin's speed and cost-efficiency far surpassed the local crew. With pigs and sheep needing longer maturation cycles, winter would be the perfect time to shift them to Kalos—where summer bloomed while Pelican Town froze. Even with Shaymin and Gloom's Grassy Terrain, pasture couldn't survive winter. Hay stockpiles would only stretch so far. Relocating livestock would ease the strain.
"Maybe later," Ron murmured. "Around winter."
"Winter?" Robin's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Kalos is so far. I'm not going."
Ron glanced at her.
Their eyes met. Robin burst into laughter, handing him the washed tomatoes. "Just kidding. I'll help whenever you need it. Honestly… I've been wanting to visit Kalos." 'And maybe see Joy's mother,' she added silently.
Soon, the rich scent of tomato-stewed beef filled the cabin. Rattata drooled in unison as Ron portioned the tender meat over rice for himself and spaghetti for Robin. The tomatoes had melted into the broth, weaving Gus's signature spice blend through every bite.
Robin's eyes widened. "Any girl who marries you later is incredibly lucky." She gave a thumbs-up. "Tastes just like Gus's!"
"It is his recipe," Ron chuckled.
Then Robin leaned in, voice light but probing: "So… any girl in town catch your eye?"
Ron choked.
Robin watched him with playful warmth, stood as if in her own kitchen, poured him a glass of ice water, and set it before him. "Don't panic. It's only your first year here. No rush." She propped her chin on her hand. "But really… not one?"
Each girl held her own light—Abigail's courage, Emily's warmth, Haley's radiance, Penny's quiet grace. To Ron, none outshone the others. He fell silent.
"You can't like all of them," Robin teased, turning to Indeedee. "What do you think?"
"Indeedee! Indee! Indeedee!" Indeedee gestured wildly, translating Ron's flustered thoughts.
Robin, utterly unable to decipher the chirps, simply watched Ron's ears turn pink. She laughed softly and let it go.
After dinner, she helped tidy up, then left with a wave.
"Indeedee! Indeedee!" Indeedee called after Ron as he saw her out.
"I didn't mean it like that," Ron sighed, gently placing a hand on Indeedee's head. "'No favorite' doesn't mean 'all of them.'"
"Indeedee!"
Ron pulled out a Poké Ball. Click.
He turned to the wide-eyed Rattata. With another sigh, he recalled them one by one. The balls wobbled indignantly on the table. "Later," he promised.
Froakie and Shaymin, wisely uninvolved, remained on the bed.
"Froakie?" Froakie sprawled beside him. Shaymin nuzzled Ron's arm.
Thankfully, his mind-reading ability had faded. He chose not to wonder what they were saying.
Leaning back, he exhaled slowly.
"Shaymin~"
Ron stroked Shaymin's head, then turned to Froakie. "Go on. Let them out."
Froakie sprang up, tapped each button with practiced paws. Click. Click. Click.
Rattata reappeared, exchanged glances, and quietly filed out to wash up.
Only Indeedee stayed stubbornly put.
To doubt my heart-reading? An insult to my entire lineage!
"Indeedee!"
"Alright, Indeedee." Ron met its gaze, voice gentle. "A person's heart isn't a map. Sometimes even they don't know what they feel. It can't be pinned down in words."
"…Indeedee."
Indeedee climbed onto its tiny bed.
"Goodnight."
"Indeedee~"
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