On the other side, Ron, still unaware that Abigail had taken it upon herself to go adventuring, saw that Indeedee and the girls weren't on the farm, and was currently sitting at the door pondering strategies for tomorrow.
Seeing Ron sitting there looking full of sorrow, James thought for a moment and then sat down beside him.
"What are you thinking about?" James asked.
"Thinking about tomorrow's Flower Dance."
Hearing Ron say this, James was actually a bit surprised. "You stress out over this kind of thing too?"
Seeing Ron look over, James smiled and said, "I thought I was the only one agonizing over who to invite to dance tomorrow."
Theoretically, of course, it would be Jessie. But it seemed Jessie was currently preparing to become this year's Flower Dance Queen. Whenever it came to showing off or competing, she would become exceptionally serious. Under these circumstances, it was best not to partner with Jessie; otherwise, if he made even a single misstep in the performance, what awaited him would be a violent thrashing from her.
But if no one invited Jessie, then he would just have to bite the bullet and do it, otherwise the outcome would be the exact same as making a performance mistake.
Ron let out a long sigh and patted James on the shoulder. "It's not easy for any of us."
"True that." James nodded in agreement.
Ron then stood up, found two glasses, poured some freshly brewed mead, and sat by the door drinking with James.
"So who are you planning to invite?" James asked. "I heard you have a pretty good reputation in Pelican Town. If you invite any girl, you probably wouldn't be rejected, right?"
Hearing this, Ron let out another long sigh.
"Like Penny, for example?" James recalled the gossip he'd heard. "Or Leah, or perhaps Emily—"
"Alright, stop talking." Ron clinked his glass against James's. "My head is already starting to spin."
James clinked glasses with Ron in confusion, then brought the drink to his lips, vaguely realizing something—wait, was the direction of Ron's worries completely different from his own?
Thinking this, he took another glance at Ron.
"Sigh..."
Ron was still frowning with worry.
"Maybe I should find a way to send Indeedee to the desert first... or Ginger Island? And just bring it back after the festival is over."
He had a vague feeling that everything happening right now was absolutely inseparable from Indeedee. It was even preparing to keep fanning the flames tomorrow. This wasn't right. This was very not right.
Meanwhile, in the mines, Indeedee sneezed.
"Did you catch a cold?" Serena looked at Indeedee, took an extra blanket from her backpack, and handed it over. "Wrapping up in this should make you feel a bit better."
"Indeed~" Indeedee gratefully accepted the blanket and wrapped itself up tightly.
"This whole area is pretty cold," Abigail introduced. She then turned her head and saw Bonnie squatting next to a blue slime that was clearly charging up, preparing to strike her, poking the slime with her finger. "So cute, this one is so cute too... what's in its tummy, a ring? Wow, really cute."
"——Amber!!!!" Abigail shrieked in panic.
The next instant, just as the slime was about to rear up and strike Bonnie, Amber flew over and shattered the slime with a Shadow Ball.
Abigail forcefully pulled Bonnie away from the scene.
——
"Ah... it died." Bonnie looked at the ring on the ground with some regret. "It's just like a video game, it even dropped loot..."
"——Don't make any more reckless moves!!!" Abigail screamed.
"Would it kill me?" Bonnie asked.
"One hit probably wouldn't," Abigail said.
"Then can I really not try to catch one?" Bonnie asked again.
"No."
"Really no?"
"——" Abigail hesitantly glanced at another slime approaching not far away. After a moment, she compromised, took out a Poké Ball, and then had Amber stand at the ready on the sidelines.
The next instant, the Poké Ball hit the slime on the head. A red light flashed, and immediately after, the slime vanished from the spot.
"It actually worked... are slimes a type of Pokémon too?"
Just as Abigail was thinking this, the Poké Ball burst open with a pop. Immediately after, the fully charged slime charged toward the three of them.
"Ah!"
"Indeedee!" In the heat of the moment, Indeedee suddenly stepped right in front of Abigail to shield her.
"Indeedee! Indeedee, how are you, are you okay?" Abigail hurriedly caught Indeedee as it fell against her. Seeing its eyes tightly shut, she couldn't help but panic.
Amber, standing nearby, swiftly finished the slime off, enjoying a rare battle where it could actually kill its opponent for once.
"Indeedee!" The three girls huddled around Indeedee, whose eyes were still tightly shut.
Just as Abigail was preparing to take Indeedee to see Joy, Indeedee slowly opened its eyes.
"Indeedee."
Indeedee paused, fully opened its eyes, and then touched its belly with its paw.
"Indeedee..." That didn't hurt at all...
"——" Meowth, the only one who could understand Indeedee, fell into a brief silence. Its gaze swept over the three girls' anxious faces, and ultimately, out of respect for Indeedee's dignity, it chose not to translate that sentence.
"Are you okay?"
"Indee." Indeedee shook its head and patted its chest.
"Thank goodness." Abigail hugged Indeedee tightly. "You scared me to death. I'm sorry, it's all my fault for being so reckless."
"Me too, I shouldn't have made Abigail try to catch that monster," Bonnie said as her tears finally fell, apologizing to Indeedee for her own willfulness.
"Indeedee."
Indeedee was just about to say something to comfort them, but then its eyes darted around, and it turned its head to look at Meowth beside it.
"Indeedee, in."
"It's fine as long as you guys are okay, that's what it said, meow," Meowth translated.
"Indeedee, indeedee." Seeing that everyone's hearts were currently overflowing with emotion, Indeedee paused, then continued: "Indee, indeedee."
"Actually, it has a favor it wants to ask you guys, meow," Meowth translated while giving Indeedee a disdainful look.
"What is it?" Abigail looked at Indeedee.
"Indeed."
"It's about Ron, meow."
"Ron? What could be his problem?"
"Indeed, indeed——"
"Tomorrow is the Flower Dance, meow," Meowth looked at Indeedee. "It seems Ron is still stressing over his dance partner for tomorrow, meow... Indeedee says he's too embarrassed to invite anyone to dance, meow, but standing on the sidelines would be really awkward for him, meow."
"Ron... is that shy?" Abigail asked, a bit puzzled. "Also... I thought he was quite popular in Pelican Town right now."
"Indeedee, In."
"It's all a facade, a social mask, meow," Meowth continued. "If you guys are willing, could you invite him to dance, meow?"
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