In the next instant, a new Froakie suddenly appeared in Ron's arms.
Ron blinked in surprise—then watched as the wide-eyed Froakie dashed toward the fields.
With Ditto's powerful mimicry now in play, all farm work wrapped up before 9 AM.
Ron plucked some Berries, packed wild fruit, bread, and jam into his backpack, and led his Pokémon crew toward the festival grounds.
---
Meanwhile, at the Community Center…
Joy sat before her mirror, meticulously tying back her hair. She took the hair clip Wigglytuff offered and fastened it in place.
She stared at her reflection and took a deep breath.
This was her first festival in Pelican Town—and she felt a flicker of nerves.
Though townsfolk were kind, many faces remained unfamiliar.
"Tuff~" Wigglytuff patted Joy's shoulder solemnly, then lifted a cup.
"Wait—no singing!" Joy quickly covered the rim. "If you put me to sleep, we'll miss the whole festival!"
Wigglytuff sighed and set the cup down.
"Tuff~!"
Joy stroked its head and tied a pretty floral bow around its neck.
Then they left the Community Center.
Walking the path to town, she spotted Gus placing bundles of food on the ground, stepping backward as he did.
Before she could ask why, a Snorlax burst through the saloon's narrow door like a furry hurricane—and began shoveling food into its mouth.
"Snorlax!" It chewed heartily, following Gus's trail toward Cindersap Forest.
"Bringing it along today?" Joy jogged over to ask.
"I usually don't," Gus said. "But since there's no dancing this year, I thought… why not let this kid see the sights?"
The Flower Dance was one of Pelican Town's treasures.
Gus had always feared Snorlax would cause trouble—but today, he wanted it to witness what the town cherished.
Others felt the same. Just ahead, a blonde girl emerged from a cottage, cradling a Sunkern.
Behind her, a blue-haired girl walked with a Squawkabilly perched on her shoulder.
Joy glanced around and took Wigglytuff's hand.
"Tuff~~" Wigglytuff chirped, gripping Joy's fingers tightly.
Thanks to the marked paths and barriers, she easily found the festival grounds.
A gentle spring breeze swept through, carrying a blizzard of petals.
Joy caught one and pressed it to her nose—its sweet fragrance blooming in the air.
Ahead, a cliffside was transformed into a floral paradise.
Townsfolk dotted the landscape, chatting with neighbors, their Pokémon at their sides, occasionally glancing up as petals drifted past.
"Tuff?"
"Nothing," Joy smiled. "I love it here. You too?"
"Tuff!" Wigglytuff beamed.
Just then, a greeting sounded behind her.
"Morning."
"Morning—" Joy turned—and froze mid-sentence.
Ron stood there, trailed by a sea of Pokémon:
– A flock of Fletchling fluttering overhead
– Rattata scurrying about, sniffing curiously
– Froakie perched stoically on his shoulder
– And cradled in his arms—a second Froakie with comically vacant eyes
"This is Ditto," Ron explained, lifting the imposter. "For some reason, it insists on being a Froakie."
The real Froakie looked deeply unimpressed.
"Froakie~"
Ditto mimicked the sound—earning an immediate whack on the head from Froakie.
Joy laughed and stepped forward, gently taking Froakie into her arms. "Jealous?" she teased, stroking its head.
Froakie swatted her hand away with clear disapproval.
Joy chuckled and surveyed the festival—then her gaze snagged on a stall swarmed by townsfolk. Her smile faltered.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Have you checked the Community Center's computer lately?" Joy murmured, fixated on the stall's sign.
She felt dizzy—either she hadn't fully woken up, or Pelican Town's currency worked differently. Maybe 10G here equals 1G in Kalos?
Otherwise, how could she be reading:
#FLOWER DANCE SPECIAL! POKE BALLS NOW 4,900G!#
"No, why?" Ron followed her stare to Pierre's stall, where the merchant grinned amid the crowd.
"Don't wait! Once a year! Yes—this is the LAST discount! Prices go up after today!" Pierre announced. "That's a full 100G off! Buy ten, and you save 1,000G!"
Pierre rarely ran sales—so townsfolk hesitated.
Some already had Pokémon but wanted another partner.
Others, who'd never caught one, now felt tempted seeing everyone else with companions.
"Actually… yesterday," Joy said slowly, tugging Ron's sleeve, "the Community Center's computer connected to Kalos's store. It says Poké Balls cost 490G there. Is that right?"
"4,900," Ron enunciated carefully. "So?"
"How much do people here earn daily?" she pressed.
"…" Ron hesitated. "Around 400–500G, I think."
"So… they have to save for months just to buy one Poké Ball?" Joy's voice tightened. "And even then, it might fail? So not everyone can have a Pokémon?"
Ron nodded.
Joy's face flushed. She marched straight into the crowd, took a deep breath, and called out:
"Hello, everyone! I'm Joy, the new nurse at the Pokémon Center! Starting tomorrow, we'll be opening a Pokémon Shop!"
All eyes turned to her.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)