After saying goodbye, Emily closed the door—and turned to find Haley peeking from her room.
"Oh~" Haley teased. "What's that? A midnight surprise?"
Emily flinched, quickly hiding the amethyst behind her back.
Haley watched silently until Emily ducked into her room—then laughed.
"Still need me to celebrate your birthday with you?" she called through the door.
"It's just a gift!" Emily shouted back. "Of course I do!"
Haley chuckled and retreated to her room.
---
Morning…
Ron was busy as usual—preparing food for his Pokémon and planning for tomorrow.
Spring 28 was coming.
He'd harvest the final Strawberry crop, send the last batch of Fletchling to Kalos, retrieve Orthworm from Santalune City, and check the market for Summer seeds.
Notably, all of Joy's Kalos seeds were ready for harvest today.
Only Cucumbers had yielded multiple harvests—perfect for testing if Kalos crops could survive until summer.
If they could, Ron would scale up planting. These veggies were far cheaper than Pierre's overpriced seeds.
As Ron plucked cucumbers, footsteps sounded at the gate. Gus strode in.
"Morning," Ron greeted, handing him some fresh produce.
"Ah—morning! I came to…" Gus eyed the vegetables. "Deliver recipes! But thanks—these are from Kalos too?"
Ron nodded. Gus examined the Cucumber, Asparagus, and Celery bundle, then accepted them.
"These are what I've been experimenting with," he said, passing over recipe notes. "Everyone tried them—they loved the taste."
"Thanks," Ron said, taking the recipes.
Staring at the veggies, Ron remembered his earlier offer: half-price farm produce for Gus.
Pierre's seeds made that unsustainable—but Kalos seeds cost only 10G each. Selling at 30G would profit both of them.
"How about this," Ron proposed. "All Kalos crops go to you at 30G per unit."
Gus, mid-sniff of celery, paused. "Really? Isn't that too cheap?"
At Pierre's, even poor parsnips cost 35G.
"Kalos seeds are cheap," Ron explained.
Gus didn't take this generosity for granted. He sincerely thanked Ron. "Deal! I'll buy your harvests first."
He added, "In return—if you need Pokémon food, I'll stock your fridge."
Ron glanced at the line of Pokémon waiting by the door for breakfast.
Gus laughed, took the veggies, and—with Ron's permission—picked some Berries before heading to the kitchen.
The Rattata instantly followed him inside.
"…" Ron sighed, then turned to Geodude waiting patiently nearby. He dumped a pile of stones from a chest, grabbed more Berries, and headed to the Nursery.
After cleaning, feeding the Fletchling, and sending them off with Rattata to forage, Ron checked on the coop.
"I really need help," he muttered, filling feed troughs. "Someone who can actually lend a hand."
He remembered the bulletin board Lewis mentioned—hiring townsfolk for farm work.
Earlier, funds were too tight. Now? He couldn't manage alone.
Tasks piled up:
– Build Sprinklers before summer
– Water crops, process Foraged goods
– Care for animals and Pokémon
– Maintain two cabins
– Cook meals…
After feeding the chickens and cleaning the coop, Ron stepped outside.
Gus was wiping his hands by the door, watching Pokémon devour their meals.
Rattata crammed their faces into bowls of specially prepared food.
"I made extra," Gus said. "It's in the fridge—just reheat it."
"Thanks."
"No trouble! I made your breakfast too." Gus smiled. "But you've got so many Pokémon… must be exhausting to care for them all."
Not as much as Snorlax, but still significant for a new farm.
Gus left with his gifted produce, glancing at the Strawberry fields and blooming Cucumber vines.
After seeing him off, Ron ate his breakfast in the cabin.
Gus's skill was unmatched. The fresh cucumber salad—tossed with Cheri and Pomeg Berries—had a bright, fruity tang unlike vinegar-based versions.
Once finished, Ron watched his Pokémon march out in orderly teams under Rattata's lead.
Taking a deep breath, he headed to Lewis's house to post a hiring notice.
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