Pokémon: Farm Story

In Mei’s arms, a tiny Pokémon, bearing a striking resemblance to Phione—roughly 70% similar—waved at Natsume, as if greeting him.

At the same time, it casually popped a few Pokéblocks into its mouth.

Munch, munch... this stuff... munch... is actually pretty tasty.

Manaphy—the mythical Water-type Pokémon known as the "Prince of the Sea."

It had two long, antenna-like appendages on its head, ending in small round spheres. Above its large, expressive eyes, two dark markings connected to a yellow dot, and a red gem was embedded in the center of its chest.

Its arms were longer than its body, while its legs were quite short.

According to legend, Manaphy's body was composed of 80% water, making it highly susceptible to environmental changes.

At first glance, Manaphy and Phione both appeared as small, adorable Pokémon. However, unlike Phione—who could arguably be nominated for the title of Weakest Mythical Pokémon—Manaphy was the real deal, a genuine Prince of the Sea.

With a perfectly balanced stat distribution of 100 across all six attributes, Manaphy was a textbook example of a well-rounded fighter.

Some Pokémon were called "balanced" because they lacked standout strengths.

Others were called "balanced" because they had no weaknesses.

Additionally, Manaphy possessed an innate, mysterious ability that allowed it to connect with any Pokémon on a deep, emotional level.

Legend had it that in ancient times, whenever the wrathful god of the sea was enraged, it was always Manaphy who managed to calm its fury.

Perhaps it was this very power that made Manaphy so special.

"Mana!"

Realizing that the Pokémon in her arms wasn’t actually one of the farm’s residents, Mei gently set Manaphy down on the ground.

Unbothered, Manaphy stretched out its tiny hand toward Natsume.

I’m adorable. Now, give me food.

Though it didn’t speak, its intentions were crystal clear.

"Here."

Natsume reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed bag of Pokéblocks, handing it to Manaphy while observing the mythical Pokémon with curiosity.

Some Pokémon ruled over life.

Some Pokémon governed time and space.

And this one? It might just be the god of freeloading. (Cross that out.)

"Mana!"

Accepting the Pokéblocks, Manaphy gave Natsume’s arm a friendly pat.

Kid, you’ve got potential.

It was acting like a seasoned elder.

Well, considering how long it had probably lived, that wasn’t too far from the truth.

"Suo." 

What are you eating? Give me some!

Just as Manaphy was happily snacking away, a fluffy little head suddenly pushed its way into the scene.

Manaphy nearly dropped its Pokéblocks in surprise.

Turning its head, it found itself face-to-face with Zorua.

Or rather—Zorua's true nature.

Plop.

Dazed, Manaphy let the Pokéblock in its hand fall to the ground.

It looked as if it had just seen something incredibly unexpected.

"Mana!"

"Suo suo."

"Mana?"

"Suo."

The two tiny Pokémon stared at each other with wide, mischievous grins, their eyes shining with excitement.

With a sly smile, Zorua leaned in close and began whispering something to Manaphy.

"Do they... know each other?"

Still recovering from the shock of identifying Manaphy with her Pokédex, Mei now found herself watching the two as they chatted like old friends.

They stuffed their faces with Pokéblocks.

They chugged juice made from freshly picked berries.

The scene was oddly surreal.

"I guess they do."

Natsume had suspected they might be acquainted, but he hadn’t expected them to be... drinking buddies?

Forgive him for using that phrase, but that’s exactly what they looked like right now.

Honestly, if someone told him these two had once roamed the streets together as a mischievous phantom thief duo, he’d probably believe it.

The energy was exactly like those classic anime duos who reunite after years apart.

"Suo suo."

After polishing off an entire bag of Pokéblocks, Zorua trotted over to Natsume, its tail wagging happily.

Following behind was Manaphy, staring at Natsume with a look of mild suspicion—almost as if it were evaluating him.

"Suo suo."

According to Zorua, Manaphy had simply left its Sea Temple to wander around out of boredom.

Coincidentally, it had been born around that time, so it had instinctively followed a familiar feeling all the way here.

No hidden motives or grand reasons—just a casual post-nap stroll.

It planned to hang around the farm for a while.

And, of course, it would pay for its room and board.

"Mana!"

Manaphy nodded firmly in agreement.

Though it still harbored some doubts about Zorua’s story, it was an old friend—so it chose to trust first, and question later.

"I see..."

Looking at Manaphy, Natsume found himself feeling a little dazed.

"What exactly did you just say to it?"

Nothing at all!

Zorua tilted its head, eyes filled with an innocent and blissfully ignorant look, as if saying, "I'm just a little fox, I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

Truth be told, Manaphy’s sudden arrival left Natsume feeling a bit at a loss.

After a moment of thought, he turned his gaze back to Zorua.

Now that it was confirmed Manaphy had no ill intentions, the solution was quite simple.

"Zorua, you're in charge of looking after Manaphy."

"Suo?!"

Me?

Are you serious, my friend?

Zorua's face was a perfect display of disbelief.

You want me, a baby who still needs help with meals, to take care of someone else?

You must be joking.

"Don’t worry, I believe in you, Zorua."

Natsume patted Zorua’s furry little head, signaling his confidence, before turning away to handle other matters.

That left Zorua and Manaphy standing there, staring at each other.

"Suo?"

How about I show you your kids?

Zorua tentatively suggested.

"Mana."

No thanks, what's so interesting about that?

Manaphy flatly refused.

It had far too many children—so many that it couldn't even keep count.

After all, this was the Pokémon responsible for turning Phione into an entire species.

Once again, someone really needs to investigate Manaphy’s personal life. (Redacted.)

So, technically speaking, despite its small and cute appearance, was Manaphy actually a... seasoned mother?

Cough cough. Best to skip that topic.

---

After preparing a nutrient-rich meal for the Ampharos and Flaaffy herds and promising to shear their wool in the evening, Natsume led Mei toward the farm’s entrance.

As for the group of Ghost-type Pokémon that Hisuian Zorua had mentioned earlier, Natsume figured it was worth checking out.

People often say that all Pokémon are inherently kind.

But when it comes to Ghost-types, that sentiment might not always apply.

Many Pokédex entries for Ghost-type Pokémon contain words like grudges, death, revenge, and other ominous terms.

The origins of most Ghost Pokémon weren’t exactly pleasant.

To be blunt, they were often downright tragic.

Legend has it that in the beginning, Ghost Pokémon were extremely rare.

Most of them were once powerful Pokémon who, upon death, became Ghost-types due to lingering regrets.

Because of their formidable strength in life, these reborn Ghost-types were equally powerful in death.

This is what we call Pokémon reincarnation.

But over time, ordinary Ghost Pokémon started appearing.

They weren’t as powerful as their ancient counterparts, but their fighting style was unpredictable and eerie.

Many inexperienced trainers found themselves tormented by them.

Even veteran trainers had to be on high alert when facing Ghost-types.

By the modern era, however, the overall power level of Ghost Pokémon had skyrocketed.

According to some researchers, this was due to modern humans carrying more resentment and negative emotions than any other era in history.

As a result, Ghost Pokémon no longer needed to scare people to grow stronger.

Just hanging around an office building was enough to make them level up.

This is the natural advantage of being a Ghost Pokémon.

"Absol, Mightyena, and Ogerpon."

"You three, come with me."

After searching the farm, Natsume realized that among the Pokémon with decent strength and relatively reliable personalities, the only real option was Mightyena—the older brother of the pack.

As for Absol?

Sure, its strength was solid.

But its personality was... questionable.

This guy was gradually turning into a full-fledged husky.

If Corviknight was the husky of the skies, then Absol was just a straight-up husky.

Most of the time, its frustrating antics were masked by its cool and aloof exterior.

It looked dignified and serious, but its brain?

A total mess.

"Absol!"

Leaping gracefully from the bushes, Absol shook off the leaves clinging to its fur and gazed at the fallen autumn leaves on the ground.

"Ah, autumn is here."

"Which means winter isn’t far behind."

Everyone knows that out of the four seasons, summer and winter feel the longest, while spring and autumn pass by in a blink.

For most wild Pokémon, winter was an incredibly tough season.

The cold was one problem.

The scarcity of food leading to intense territorial conflicts was another.

But now?

That has nothing to do with me anymore.

I’m a trainer’s Pokémon now!

And I secured this gig all on my own! (Proud face.)

"Woof!"

Following closely behind was Mightyena, a red scarf tied around its neck.

Unlike most Pokémon, it carried itself with a calm and steady demeanor.

Strange, considering its father had completely devolved into a brainless goofball who spent his days rolling around the farm and chasing butterflies.

Even Natsume found it baffling.

Mightyena’s mother? Utterly disappointed.

But the older brother?

Completely different.

It hadn’t inherited any of its dad’s dumb genes.

Perhaps this was what people meant by "filtering out the bad and keeping the good."

Looking at Mightyena’s commanding presence, Natsume couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic.

Originally, he had given Mightyena the red scarf just as a simple reward—a way to recognize the smartest and most obedient pup of the litter.

But after a while, he realized something.

This scarf-wearing Mightyena looked very familiar.

Then it hit him.

Back in the day, one of his favorite games featured a pet called "Guardian Hound."

It had the exact same look.

Damn, time flies.

One moment, you’re a kid playing games.

The next, you’re standing here reminiscing about it.

Finally, the last one to arrive—Ogerpon.

It hopped excitedly onto the scene, still wearing the mask Natsume had given it.

Over time, Natsume had bought many different masks for Ogerpon.

Partly as gifts.

Partly to satisfy his own shopping addiction.

Sometimes, Natsume just got an overwhelming urge to buy things.

Coins, quirky toys, fancy tea sets he’d never use, random desk decorations—

He wanted all of them.

But if it was for himself?

He’d find every excuse not to buy it.

And if he did buy something, it’d be the cheapest option possible.

But if it was for someone else?

Now that was a different story.

Like recently, when he bought Mei a ton of things.

Shoes, clothes—you name it.

Basically, anything he had seen before and thought "Mei might need this someday," he bought.

And Mei?

She did the same for him.

Lately, everything Natsume wore was something Mei had bought.

Shirt, jacket, pants, shoes—

His entire outfit today?

Mei-picked.

Neither of them minded this arrangement.

For both of them, it was the first time receiving thoughtful gifts from someone of the opposite gender.

It felt... kinda nice.

When Natsume first bought Mei a gift, there was an indescribable feeling in his chest.

Something stirring inside him.

But let’s not dwell on that.

Lifting Ogerpon up by its tiny armpits, like picking up a baby, Natsume grinned mischievously.

Sometimes, cute things just make you want to mess with them.

Especially when their little legs flailed helplessly in the air.

It was hilarious.

"Uhmah! Uhmah!"

Ogerpon flailed its stubby arms at Natsume in protest.

"Alright, alright. I’m counting on you today."

"Uhmah!"

Once set back on the ground, Ogerpon patted Natsume’s leg in reassurance.

Pfft. A bunch of Ghost Pokémon?

I’ll wreck them myself!

"Mei, do you want to come along and take a look?"

Natsume was a rather reserved person who often preferred quietly doing things on his own.

Meanwhile, whenever Mei saw him engrossed in something, she would simply stay by his side, quietly accompanying him.

She never asked too many questions, nor did she interfere or give unsolicited advice.

And whenever Natsume needed to vent or share his thoughts, she always listened with patience.

"Ah, I don’t have any issues with that," Mei resp

onded after thinking for a moment.

Her current team didn’t include any Pokémon particularly adept at dealing with Ghost-types, but if it came to a regular battle, she figured she’d be able to hold her own just fine.

"Alright then, let’s head out."

"I’m counting on you to keep me safe, smart, handsome, and incredibly strong Natsume!"

"But of course, my gentle, beautiful, and ever-so-understanding Mei.”