Before long, the bus stopped in the desert.
While thinking about the Pokémon Contest, Ron picked up the Rattata and headed toward the Oasis shop.
If he was going to take it to compete, it would be best to participate in the next round after the Pokémon League Tournament. On one hand, Haley and Serena were both participating in the current round; if it lost to them, the Rattata in his arms would be sad. On the other hand, it losing was almost an impossibility for Ron anyway.
But if it won... there was no need to use those cheats against his own people.
As Ron was calculating this, Sailor, who was also heading to the Oasis shop behind him, cried out in dissatisfaction.
"Rattata, Rattata!" What, you're actually treating us differently?!
"Rattata!!" This is unfair!!!
Ron paused in his steps, scooped up the grumbling Sailor who had bumped into his leg, and continued walking toward the Oasis.
"Rattata." That's more like it.
Sailor nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the other Rattata beside him, who was rapidly flipping through its booklet, deciding on the accessories it wanted.
Arriving at the Oasis entrance, Sandy opened the door and was surprised to see Ron, along with the two Rattata in his arms.
"Ah, Sailor, and... uh, by the way, does it have a name?" Sandy asked.
Although it was a frequent customer at the Oasis, Sandy couldn't understand Pokémon speech after all, so she had no way of asking its name. Therefore, seeing Ron here, she specifically asked him.
Pelican Town didn't really have a habit of naming Pokémon. On one hand, very few people owned multiple Pokémon; on the other hand, their species' original names were already considered unique enough to everyone, so there was no need to give them new ones.
"A name, huh." Ron, who was terrible at naming things, fell silent for a moment, then looked down at the Rattata in his arms. "What do you want to be called?"
A name? This was a big deal! Even a Rattata knew that if it won the Pokémon Contest, its name would be entered into the Hall of Fame alongside its Trainer's, and engraved on the trophy!
Thinking this, it began to ponder with a solemn expression.
"Come to think of it, is it female?" Sandy held it in her arms, comparing it to Sailor in Ron's arms. "Its whiskers seem a bit shorter than Sailor's."
"Yeah, that's right." Ron nodded. "Take your time thinking about a name. When you figure it out, just let me know."
It was obvious that it had high aspirations for this and suffered from severe choice paralysis, so Ron specifically added, "But it has to be before we go to Kalos."
"Rattata!"
Then, just as he had promised it earlier, Ron explained that all the accessories today would be fully reimbursed by the farm.
"Rattata, Rattata." The Rattata looked up, opened the booklet in its hands, and pointed at a few accessories on the page, chirping, "Rattata!"
"This one, and this one, and this one too." Ron finished, then confirmed, "Just these three?"
Surprisingly sensible. If it were Sailor, it would probably be demanding the moon right now.
"Rattata?" Sailor in Ron's arms looked up as if sensing the slight. "Rattata?"
"Rattata!" The other Rattata nodded. "Rattata!"
"For these, Clint will need to polish the gems first before I can make them for you," Sandy said.
"Rattata, Rattata!" It nodded vigorously.
Because it still needed gems and such, after Ron bought the Starfruit Seeds, this Rattata followed Ron back to Pelican Town.
Ron happened to have business with Clint anyway, so he dropped off the gems at the Blacksmith on the way for the Rattata.
The Rattata, meanwhile, was pondering its name, and specifically went to visit its best friend in Pelican Town.
Even a Rattata had its own social circle. For instance, because it was a frequent customer at the Hat Mouse's place, it was best friends with the stuttering Hat Mouse. Even though they didn't speak the same language!
"Rattata, Rattata, Rattata."
"Wha-t, are, you, saying." The Hat Mouse pushed out a piece of paper, signaling the Rattata to point out what it wanted to express on the page.
"A name... isn't Rattata, you-r, name?"
"Rattata!" It pointed passionately on the paper.
"It, will, be, engraved, on the tro-phy." The Hat Mouse's expression turned grave. "Then, it certain-ly, is a big deal. Wan-t me, to help, you pick?"
"Rattata?" The Rattata asked for its opinion.
"Then, how, about, Poke?" the Hat Mouse said.
It wrote this title in every letter to its esteemed customers. It was a term the Hat Mouse had found after scouring through books, representing the highest respect for its patrons.
It was just that humans didn't really buy into it. It had sent so many letters, yet not a single customer ever came.
"Rattata, Rattata." Its expression turned serious as it pondered. It didn't quite understand what this name meant, and because it didn't entirely trust the Hat Mouse's level of education, it was still a bit hesitant.
"Not, goo-d?" The Hat Mouse pondered. "Then, do you, wan-t to, go to, the humans', li-brary, and take a look?"
"Rattata?"
"It's, right, next to, the Black-smith!" the Hat Mouse said. "Inside, there's, lo-ts of knowledge, you can, pick a, good name."
"Rattata." Because it had previously found Clint's shop based on the Hat Mouse's advice, the Rattata recognized the word for Blacksmith. So, it nodded seriously to the Hat Mouse and scurried off in the direction of the library.
Arriving at the Blacksmith, Ron told Clint about his machine requirements and the Rattata's needs. Just as he was about to leave, Clint stopped him.
"Did you go to the Flower Dance that day?"
"I went," Ron replied.
Clint looked hesitant at the moment. He then asked in a low voice, "Do you know who Emily ended up dancing with?"
"——" Ron fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"I knew it!" Clint's expression instantly cleared up. He said mysteriously to Ron, "Actually, I invited Emily."
"She agreed?" Ron asked in surprise.
"No..."
"...?"
Clint continued mysteriously, "Even though she didn't agree to me, she didn't dance with anyone else either. After she rejected me, she just left the venue."
"So?" Ron thought of Emily's disguise and looked at Clint in confusion.
"Maybe she was waiting for me."
"?"
"I was wearing a mask! Maybe she didn't know it was me!" Clint said excitedly. "Maybe next year, if I invite her without a mask, she'll say yes!!"
"Probably." Ron didn't burst Clint's bubble. He patted Clint on the shoulder. "I'll leave my machine and the gems in your hands. I'll come pick them up when they're done."
"No problem." Immersed in his beautiful dream, Clint turned around and started working.
Ron stepped out the door and ran into the Rattata, who had just come out of the library.
The Rattata walked up to Ron and unfurled a strip of paper so long it looked like a carpet.
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