"S—Stardrop?" Lewis swallowed the words that had been about to slip out. He asked again in disbelief.
Realizing what Lewis was getting at, Marnie started laughing.
"There's no way Ron would do something like that," Marnie said, then remembered the brush Ron had given her yesterday. "By the way, thank you for the brush you sent over. When I was brushing the animals in the barn this morning, they were all so happy!"
"You're welcome."
Lewis, his face flushed red, apologized to Ron.
"A Stardrop," Leah asked. "Is that the one hanging on the sign at Gus's saloon? What does it taste like?"
"Absolutely exquisite," Gus chimed in immediately. "Otherwise I wouldn't use it as my sign... You're really generous."
Ron smiled but didn't reply.
Meanwhile, Indeedee had finally finished making a large batch of snacks. Using its psychic power to levitate the massive pile of pastries, it cheerfully walked out of the cabin.
It was the only one left on the farm right now. Just as it was about to leave, it noticed Magearna standing blankly in the middle of the farm.
——
"Indee?" (Aren't you going?)
"Magearna." Magearna shook its head. As a machine, it couldn't eat human food.
"In." Indeedee couldn't help but pat Magearna's shoulder with its paw. "Indeedee." (Just go and have fun, join the lively atmosphere.)
Saying this, Indeedee dragged Magearna along toward the beach without taking no for an answer.
The Luau had existed in the past too. Although back then, only the farm had Pokémon, he had still proposed to Lewis that they be allowed to participate, so everyone could have some fun together.
Lewis had adopted the proposal.
However, the Pokémon on the farm back then were all battle enthusiasts, and unlike the Rattata, they weren't as gluttonous. Occasionally, they would cause a ruckus on the beach, turning everything upside down.
Afterward, the farmer would be responsible for apologizing, while Magearna handled mediation and cleaning up the mess.
Later on, as some families gradually started getting their own Pokémon, the Luau slowly adapted and harmonized with the Pokémon, becoming what it was today.
It was just that things had changed.
"Indeedee, in~"
Sensing Magearna's slightly downcast mood, Indeedee tried to comfort it.
This kind of emotion was present to some extent in both Magearna and Shaymin. Indeedee could roughly understand what they were sad about.
But you always had to look forward. If you were always obsessed with the scenery of the past, you would forget the happiness right in front of you.
Thinking this, it patted Magearna again.
"Magearna."
Magearna thanked Indeedee.
They hadn't gone far when Evelyn pushed George out of their nearby house.
"I can do it myself!" George said, pushing the wheel heavily with his hands.
Evelyn smiled and was about to reassure him when she spotted Magearna standing there blankly.
Previously, it had been managed by the Adventurer's Guild, and it hadn't even attended the festivals. Since Evelyn and George had no reason to visit the farm, this was the first reunion between Magearna, Evelyn, and George in many years.
Evelyn froze for a moment, then quickly reacted, waving at Magearna. "Oh my, you're back, child?"
"Magearna~"
"Are you working at the farm again now?"
"Magearna!"
Evelyn looked at Magearna, feeling a complex mix of emotions for a moment. After a long while, she reached out and lovingly patted Magearna's head.
"It really has been a long time."
"Magearna."
Indeedee glanced at them, having no intention of interrupting their reunion, and continued carrying the snacks all the way to the beach.
"Is it not ready yet? How much longer? I'm starving," Robin groaned, leaning on Joy's shoulder.
The entire beach was filled with that enticing aroma, but it still wasn't done cooking. They could only drool and stare at the pot, unable to do anything.
"Indeedee!"
Hearing this, Indeedee made a flashy entrance, floating its snacks into view.
The snacks, which Indeedee had meticulously researched and crafted, scattered in front of everyone.
"Ah—" Robin reached out to take a snack, only to realize it was Indeedee who had brought them. "You're a lifesaver, Indeedee!"
"Indee~" Indeedee basked in everyone's applause, shyly scratching its head.
"Snorlax, no!!" On the other side, Gus was trying his hardest to hold back Snorlax, who was attempting to charge the pot to gorge itself. With Machop's help, they barely managed to prevent a disaster.
Meowth, Jessie, and James had just put their ingredients into the pot. Turning its head, Meowth spotted Paras standing by the pot.
"Paras~"
Paras lay by the edge of the pot, solemnly dropping the mushroom that had fallen off its back into the soup.
"This looks like a Poison Mushroom; is it really edible?" Marnie asked somewhat hesitantly.
Jodi, standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "Of course! And it's absolutely delicious! The kids fight over it!"
The only slight regret was that the yield was very low, only producing one or two occasionally. Paras had specifically saved these for this very day.
For Jodi, it felt like this child coming to their family was the right decision after all.
Even though it didn't have hands and couldn't help with chores, it was a sensible child. Plus, since Vincent and Sam had to go to school and work most of the time, Jodi actually spent more time with Paras. Over time, she ended up having the best relationship with it.
"Paras~"
Paras climbed down the ladder with a proud expression and was steadily scooped up by Jodi.
Having just arrived at the beach, Magearna, Evelyn, and George witnessed this scene.
"A lot has changed, hasn't it," Evelyn said. "But it's very lively."
"Magearna."
Magearna stared at the playing Rattata, looked at the chatting townsfolk, and gazed at the aging faces alongside the new ones it had never seen before. After a long while, it finally gave a soft response.
"When did you return to the farm?" Evelyn asked.
"Magearna." Magearna gestured, and Meowth, who was passing by, immediately translated.
"It was in spring, meow~ after the Desert Festival."
"That day." Evelyn paused, remembering that she hadn't seen it at the Flower Dance, and couldn't help but ask, "Have you been afraid to attend these events all this time?"
"Magearna." Magearna paused. Under Evelyn's gentle gaze, it finally nodded.
"It is different from back then," Evelyn continued. "But looking forward is what life is all about. Some people will always leave your life, and then new people will arrive, bringing new experiences."
Although the past was equally beautiful, a brand-new future wasn't bad either.
Magearna surveyed the surroundings, and after a long moment, finally nodded in agreement.
"Magearna~"
"It says it really is quite nice, meow."
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