The Farm.
The preparations for the tea seedlings were proceeding in full swing on the farm, just as always.
Ron wasn't slacking off either. Although he hadn't decided what to do with the fortune he made in Kalos, no one ever complained about having too much money anyway.
Besides, he might end up traveling around Kalos for a while later. As the saying goes, it's better to travel with plenty of money on hand—bringing a little extra never hurts.
Ron thought about this as he continued planting seeds, his mind drifting to the Moonlight Jellies dance festival tomorrow.
Having been so busy his feet barely touched the ground these past few days, Ron vaguely remembered that he seemed to have made plans with someone to watch the jellies together that day.
Whether there was any deeper meaning behind going to watch the jellies together was unknown.
The problem now was, Ron couldn't remember who it was.
Probably Penny? Or maybe Leah. It couldn't be Maru—
Or maybe he was just so busy he lost his mind and hallucinated an invitation to the Moonlight Jellies?
Ron frowned deeply, thinking for a long time without any clarity. He felt he really needed to fix his bad habit of agreeing to everything.
So, he had no choice but to wait and see how things played out.
Ron figured that as long as he kept his composure, if no one came to look for him tomorrow, it meant the invitation was just a figment of his imagination. If someone did, he would just go with the flow.
With that settled, Ron let out a long sigh of relief and turned his attention back to the farm work.
Aside from the tea seedlings and animal husbandry, the Pokémon breeding work was also progressing steadily. On top of that, Ron was recently considering whether to take on some Pokémon training jobs.
The farm was short on hands anyway, and since he wanted to expand the farm even further, it meant there would be a surplus of experience points to be gained.
And the Rattata he had on hand were already capable in both offense and defense, practically invincible.
As for the Rotom he was breeding for Clemont—for the sake of Clemont's life and the future of Lumiose City—Ron hadn't considered boosting their power by even a single bit.
After all, if these mischievous creatures were given high combat power on top of that, next time he went to Kalos, he might find the entire continent had changed hands.
With this in mind, Ron considered the type of labor the farm needed, mentally drafting a Pokémon daycare list while he kept his head down and worked.
***
Meanwhile, at Leah's.
Leah had successfully blended in with the raccoon family recently.
Although the little raccoon itself was reluctant, under Leah's "oppression," it unexpectedly accepted the values of "labor is the most glorious" and was currently busy working with Leah to prepare the necessary rations for the new members of the raccoon family.
"I really don't understand, what does a raccoon need pickles for?" Leah frowned as she and the little raccoon processed the vegetables, then packed them one by one into the fermentation keg.
"Squeak—"
None of your business.
The little raccoon continued, "Squeak squeak squeak!"
These are the rules passed down by our ancestors!
It wasn't even ready to start planning for its next litter yet, but when the next litter came, it would still need loot from the mines.
Speaking of this, the little raccoon got a little worried.
It could work hard for other things, that was fine.
But it couldn't be expected to wield a longsword and charge in and out of the mines three times like a hero, could it?
At this thought, the little raccoon wrinkled its nose. After using its paws to pack the pickles away, it immediately scurried to the riverside and began washing its paws without stopping.
Good hygiene was the survival instinct every little raccoon relied on to settle down and get on with life. It washed its paws diligently, listening to the sounds of Leah and Deerling bustling about behind it.
Fall was approaching, and Leah was actively preparing for it.
Autumn was the season of harvest. Aside from the mushrooms covering the mountains and plains, there were also hazelnuts, wild berries, and blackberries.
The dried fruit and jam made from these berries were practically Leah's only source of vitamins for the entire winter. If she didn't prepare in advance during autumn, she would end up spending a miserable winter.
Of course, with Ron around, it wouldn't be that bad. After all, the Pokémon Center was currently selling cheap, fresh produce from the farm.
Why did the topic always drift back to Ron?
Leah zoned out for a second, then mentally scolded herself.
But thoughts were hard to control. The more she begged her brain not to think of him, the more the little things he had done kept forcing their way into her mind.
Since most of them were amusingly good deeds, she would chuckle along whenever she remembered them.
But afterward, there was always a slight bitterness.
Leah couldn't put a definitive name to this unfamiliar emotion herself.
Maybe it was a desire to monopolize, but it was lighter than that. Or perhaps it was jealousy, but it didn't feel quite like that either.
It was probably like a bright moon hanging high in the sky—so when she thought of him, she was always happy, but the moonlight never rested on her body. As a result, a lonely, indescribable emotion was born from it.
But did she really have to tie Ron to her side?
She didn't want to. Putting herself in his shoes, if she took advantage of Ron being a good person and repeatedly restricted his freedom, what difference would there be between her and her annoying ex?
But perhaps that was just what love was like. Selfishness and selflessness were two sides of the same coin. Because of love, she couldn't help but be selfish; and because of love, she couldn't bring herself to be selfish.
"Deerling?" Deerling nuzzled Leah's chin. Leah snapped out of her daze and quickly retrieved the basket that had almost floated down the river.
She shook the clean basket to get rid of the water, then took it to a drying rack nearby to air out.
Clean baskets were key for autumn foraging. And to prevent the food from mixing smells, the baskets for berries and mushrooms were kept strictly separate.
She counted the baskets she had set out to dry, and patted Deerling's head.
"Tomorrow is the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies," Leah said, staring at the baskets swaying on the rack and the water drops falling from the bamboo rods onto the ground.
If she invited him, would he say yes?
Leah wondered.
He probably would.
After all, that was Ron—a gentle, yet—cruel person.
***
Ron sneezed.
However, the farm work was finally coming to a temporary pause.
Because of the seasonal change on the farm, the current season's crops would wither. So after harvesting today, there was no need to plant new ones. There wasn't much left unharvested on the farm right now, and tomorrow they would reach maturity. As long as he woke up early to harvest them, he could rest for the rest of the day.
This freed up just enough time for the festival. So, Ron issued a holiday notice for the farm to Magearna, who was standing nearby.
"Magear?"
A day off for everyone?
Magearna asked, a little unsure.
—
"Everyone except those tending to the animals," Ron thought for a moment and said. As for the crops in the field, he would just wake up early and harvest them. As for the animals, there wasn't any heavy labor involved—just the usual cleaning. The animals had automatic feeders and collectors. Shane and the Pokémon could probably finish it in half an hour and get ready to celebrate the festival.
The last day of summer.
Taking a deep breath, Ron stretched his body.
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