Not expecting to get any answer from Ron today, Leah had simply spoken her mind. She smiled at Ron, then left somewhat hastily.
She couldn't quite say whether she was afraid of getting an answer or what, but she walked away rather quickly. It wasn't until she had taken a few steps away from the farm that she turned her head to glance at the large tree stump nearby.
Seeing two raccoons carefully watering the flower pot, Leah couldn't tell whether she was envious or what. She stared blankly for a while before returning to her cabin.
Inside, Deerling was munching on a berry it had just found, crunching away happily. Seeing Leah come in, it bounded over to her and nuzzled her leg with its head.
"Deerling?" Deerling stared at Leah's face and called out in confusion.
"I'm fine." Leah patted Deerling's head and asked softly, "Have I been acting a bit strange lately?"
"Deerling? Deerling!" Deerling thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Really strange," Leah thought.
She had never been so preoccupied with anyone before. Even throughout the year, the amount of time she actually spent with Ron wasn't that long.
But affection had sprouted so unreasonably, even casting a hazy filter over her memories with Ron, making her cover her face whenever she thought of him, then inexplicably letting out a few silly giggles.
Really strange.
When did it start?
At the farm, Ron.
Ron sat quietly at the doorstep, watching everyone on the farm coming and going.
He couldn't say for sure whether Leah's words had served as a wake-up call, but Ron found himself pondering.
Many things seemed to have been accomplished as if carried along by the current, to the point that when he thought carefully about it, there wasn't a single thing he particularly wanted to do. Making money, raising Pokémon, even getting along with everyone——
As for what he truly wanted to do, Ron couldn't figure it out for the moment.
Not to mention, he had never had any particular pursuit of fame or fortune.
While Ron was mulling this over, Magearna was busy directing the Rattata in their work.
Meowth carried a large pile of ingredients harvested from Ginger Island and placed them in the chest next to Magearna.
"That should be about it, meow!" Meowth said, dusting off its paws. It then turned its head to glance at Ron, who seemed to be deep in thought, and pointed a paw at him. "What's he doing? He's been sitting there spacing out for a while."
"Magearna~"
"Pondering life, meow?" Meowth mused for a moment. "Seems like humans do this kind of thing when they're full."
"Meowth gets like this when full too!"
Especially when it occasionally succeeded in some mischievous deed. Meowth didn't know if this state of mind was the same as Ron's, but maybe it wasn't too far off.
Thinking this, Meowth remembered Giovanni, far away at Team Rocket headquarters.
It had been a very, very long time since it last dreamed of serving under Giovanni.
It was no longer fixated on competing with Giovanni's Persian for favor either.
Life was happy and ordinary. Maybe Cassidy and Butch, who had also left Team Rocket, felt the same way.
Thinking this, Meowth turned back to continue working.
Meanwhile, at Team Rocket headquarters.
The Team Rocket members silently stared at the empty spot, and at Giovanni, who sat there, heaven knows what he was thinking.
"B-Boss——"
"Speak."
"At the exact moment that man in purple appeared, one of the instruments captured a trace of an unknown power—possibly from some Pokémon!" A subordinate held up a laptop and brought it to Giovanni's side. "If we intensify our search based on the frequency of this power, we might be able to find that place called Pelican Town."
"An unknown Pokémon, huh."
Recalling everything the Wizard had done that day.
After a long moment, Giovanni waved his hand. "Find them. Spare no cost to track them down."
"Yes——"
The Wizard, sitting by the campfire, sneezed.
"Indee?"
Indeedee, huddled near the campfire, tilted its head looking at the Wizard.
It wasn't winter right now, so there was no reason to be cold. Besides, the Wizard was dressed exceptionally thickly. Indeedee sometimes even worried that the Wizard, wrapped up so tightly, might pass out from heatstroke on the road.
Even if this man looked incredibly powerful.
"I'm fine." The Wizard waved his hand. After a moment, seeing the meal pack in the pot start to bubble, he waved his staff, and three bowls materialized, ladling out the food from the pot.
"Gus's cooking, huh." The Wizard let out a soft sigh.
It had been a long time since he'd sat openly in the saloon to eat.
Everyone was afraid of him, and that was only natural.
Or maybe everyone wasn't actually that apprehensive of him; maybe the Wizard was just too concerned about everyone's opinions, to the point that he couldn't reintegrate himself into that town.
This was also his proof that he cared about everyone in Pelican Town. So the Wizard would rather keep his distance from everyone, maintaining this delicate balance.
"Indeedee." Indeedee patted the Wizard's back.
Maybe they don't think that way.
Indeedee thought.
But since the Wizard couldn't read everyone's minds like it could, it was normal for him to overthink things.
And once again, it was time for Indeedee to shine!
Indeedee thought, staring into the campfire, wondering how to get the Wizard to join everyone during the Moonlight Jellies festival.
"The taste is really good." The Wizard tried a little. "But it's changed quite a bit——"
"Indee?"
"Yeah, it must be the flavor of passing time," he said, affecting a somewhat artistic tone.
Or maybe it was that as he'd gotten older, he couldn't gauge the ratio of seasonings accurately anymore, so everything came out a little light.
Or perhaps the Wizard himself hadn't eaten proper cooking in so long that his perception of flavor had grown a bit dull.
"In." Indeedee called out, taking a sip of the soup in its bowl. "Indeedee, indee." (Tastes the same as usual.)
If anything, Indeedee felt this was the taste of melancholy, indirectly affecting the Wizard's sense of taste.
"Pii, pii——"
Caterpie, feasting heartily, had no interest in whatever sentimental musings they were chatting about.
This kind of gourmet food was one meal fewer with every bite!
Who knew what dark cuisine would poison it in the future!
Caterpie buried its face in its food, feeling as though it had found the ultimate truth of Pokémon life: cherish the present!
Just then, a light began to flicker from Caterpie's body.
"This is——" The Wizard froze for a moment.
"Indeedee!"
Evolution!
Caterpie's enthusiastic eating paused. Several flashes of light followed, making it slowly open its feeding mouth.
"Pii? Pii——"
No way, of all times, now?
It hadn't eaten enough yet!!!!!
Caterpie writhed in reluctance. The next instant, the light faded, and a Metapod lay flat on the ground.
"——Indeedee?"
Noodle-like, wide streams of tears flowed from Metapod's eyes.
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