"If you don't want it, I could just—"
Before Joy could finish, Ron took the Poké Ball and thanked her.
"You're welcome!" Joy beamed. "As long as it helps you!"
She lifted Oddish into the air. "Congratulations! Ron will definitely help you become an amazing Pokémon."
Joy had briefly considered keeping Oddish herself—not because she expected Ron to refuse, but out of pity for the frail creature.
But then she realized: Oddish hadn't stayed in town because wild Pokémon rejected it.
It chose human settlements—desperate to find a Trainer who'd make it strong.
This little one was obsessed with power.
And stubbornly so.
When it realized Joy only offered care—not training—it even tried sneaking off with its Poké Ball once.
So Joy told it about Ron… and showed it Geodude.
Oddish's leaves fluttered with joy.
Meanwhile, Ron checked Oddish's stats on his Pokédex—and did a double-take.
Not because it was a hidden genius…
But because every single stat was 1.
Froakie's weakest Water Gun—barely more than spit—could knock it into critical condition.
"Something wrong?" Joy whispered.
"…Nothing," Ron said, shaking his head. Before she could press further, he added, "It's a prodigy."
Joy and Oddish cheered. Even Oddish's leafy head waggled like a happy puppy's tail.
Not exactly a lie—by some definitions, this was genius-level fragility.
Ron crouched down and assigned Oddish its first task.
Hearing its job was watering plants—not battle training—Oddish plopped onto the ground in disappointment.
"In this farm," Ron began his mantra, "anyone who breathes must work." He tailored his lesson: "Watering builds stamina. And you'll need stamina to battle other Pokémon someday."
Oddish scanned the farm's Pokémon.
Though they lacked "level vision," Pokémon sensed each other's strength through aura.
To Oddish—pathetically weak—even Froakie felt overwhelmingly powerful.
Yet it noticed something: Every Pokémon here radiated competence.
(Thanks to days of farm labor, all had earned Potential Points Ron carefully allocated.)
Oddish stood shakily and waddled toward the pond.
No hands meant using its leaf to scoop water.
But the full leaf weighed like boulders.
Wobbling under Joy's worried gaze, it finally dumped water at a Strawberry plant's roots.
"So amazing!!!" Joy clapped, genuinely thrilled.
She didn't understand training mechanics—but if every Pokémon thrived here, maybe Ron truly knew something special.
Oddish's leaf trembled. It turned to Ron and chirped happily.
"Alright, get to work," Ron said, clapping his hands. To Joy: "Wait here—I'll tidy the Nursery, then walk you to the Community Center."
He'd escort her—proper hospitality for a newcomer.
"Go ahead," Joy said, glancing around. "I'll explore the farm."
Once Ron left, Joy wandered toward the cabin.
She'd visited just ten days ago—remembered the original state clearly.
The wooden shack was now visibly expanded.
Trees dotted both corners: some Berries, some fruit.
(Fruit tasted good; Berries had effects—curing status, healing wounds, etc.)
Seeing the thriving Berry plants, Joy froze.
These weren't here before. Brought in recently—and already mature?
"Time really flows differently here," she murmured, awed.
Knowing and seeing were different. Her worldview felt upended.
A year with only 100+ days…
Soon, she spotted a small cave.
Red eyes gleamed inside.
Before she could focus, the Zubat panicked—tumbling over each other backward.
One particularly plump Zubat rolled out like a furry bowling ball.
"…"
Clearly unintentional.
Zubat avoided daylight unless forced.
But this one was too fat to maneuver.
As its swarm retreated deeper, someone accidentally kicked it—sending it rolling into the sun.
"…This one's so chubby," Joy cooed, poking its belly.
Her finger sank slightly. She laughed. "You need to diet!"
To a Pokémon Nurse, every Pokémon was a child.
She gently nudged it—and the Zubat rolled smoothly back into the shadows.
"Ready?" Ron called from outside.
"You should put them on a diet," Joy said.
"Who?"
"The Zubat! They're as round as Spheal!"
Inside the cave, the Zubat sighed in relief—then winced at Joy's words.
It wasn't greed!
Ron's strawberry fields attracted endless crows.
To protect his crops, they'd had to eat every last bird.
Tears welled in Zubat's eyes, dripping down its rotund body.
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