"…"
Ron crouched down and picked up a black feather.
He'd found similar ones in his fields before—but hadn't thought much of them.
Now, holding it, he finally remembered another key Stardew Valley mechanic: scarecrows.
Without scarecrows, crows would occasionally descend at dawn to devour seeds or mature crops.
Staring at the plump Zubat lounging like overstuffed sausages, Ron fell silent.
"No wonder…"
Actually, this was good news.
He wouldn't need to craft scarecrows—and the Zubat wouldn't starve. A perfect, self-sustaining system.
Not wanting to disturb their blissful, guardless naps, Ron quietly left the cave.
Froakie, peeking from under the raincoat, watched as Ron returned to the cabin.
Inside, Ron released the Rattata he'd caught in the mine.
Their battle-worn state wasn't great—so Ron pulled out leftover Potions. He sprayed one on the weakest Rattata's wounds.
The medicine stung—it clenched its teeth with a sharp click—but quickly healed visible injuries.
"Ra~tta," it sniffed the medicinal scent, nervously curling its tail around itself as it eyed Ron.
The others huddled together, none daring to approach.
Understandable—they'd just been beaten senseless.
Ron offered a handful of cranberries.
The lead Rattata sniffed cautiously, then—confirming it was food—gingerly took one.
To these cave-dwellers, who'd survived on slimy bug meat and moldy cave radishes, even tart berries were a luxury.
Seeing it eat, the others rushed forward, snatching berries from Ron's palm with lightning-fast paws.
Ron gave the last berry to Froakie on his shoulder.
Once their bellies were full and tension eased, Ron dropped the hammer:
"This farm is poor. Here, anything that breathes must work—even humans labor from 6 AM to midnight. To avoid starvation, you'll have jobs too."
The Rattata instantly tensed. One even tried regurgitating its berry!
Froakie narrowed its eyes, recognizing the familiar speech, and turned to stare at Ron.
"But your job's simple," Ron added. "Just escort working Pokémon to their sites—and if wild Pokémon attack, use your Run Away ability to flee back here."
Hearing "just run away," the lead Rattata relaxed, licking its paws shut.
"Froakie?" Froakie squinted suspiciously.
"You're on duty today," Ron told the healed Rattata. "Take Combee foraging—gather wild berries for dinner."
"To the rest of you—rest today." He held up their Poké Balls. "Stay inside or in your balls, your choice."
The Rattata exchanged glances—then each tapped their own Poké Ball buttons, vanishing inside.
"This is the map," Ron said, pulling up his Pokédex. He traced routes through town.
The Rattata scratched its head—but foraging and fleeing were its specialties.
It had once scouted food for its mine-dwelling leader; serving Ron was no different. It tilted its head, listening intently.
Once the map was memorized, it dashed toward the door—then turned back, chittering impatiently when Combee lagged behind.
"Go ahead, Combee."
"Ratta!"
Combee hesitated—then followed.
A red flash erupted.
"Not you—come back, Gengar." Ron paused. "Ah… Amber."
Gengar slunk back, sulking.
---
Meanwhile, that afternoon—2 Willow Lane
Today was Haley's birthday. But since Emily had to work, even with Gus letting her leave at 11 AM, Haley had to wait hours for celebration.
Sighing, she brushed her golden hair, changed into a sundress, hung a camera around her neck—and addressed the Sunkern disguised as a potted plant by the door.
"Come on, let's go for a walk."
The weather was gloomy, and her Sunkern was equally moody.
Haley grabbed a pretty umbrella, lifted Sunkern from its pot, and stepped outside.
Truthfully, she didn't know why she'd caught this Pokémon.
She'd found it abandoned roadside—it didn't match her style at all.
Though she liked its yellow-and-black colors, reminiscent of sunflowers.
When Emily researched Squawkabilly's name, she'd checked Sunkern too: "It'll evolve into a sunflower someday."
Haley couldn't picture this tiny seed becoming a radiant bloom—but it gave her one more reason to keep it.
Like crafting an excuse to stay in Pelican Town.
Umbrella raised, she pushed open the door—
"AAAAH—RATS!!" she shrieked, slamming the door shut.
She'd spotted a mouse rummaging through the trash can—holding a purple crystal in its mouth!
Beside it hovered… a giant bee?
Haley glanced at Sunkern in her arms—and considered another possibility.
"…Or are they Pokémon?"
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