Pokémon: Farm Story

At the farm, standing atop a hastily built platform, Zorua was enthusiastically addressing the Pokémon gathered below.

Ah, this feeling was simply amazing.

Looking at the crowd of Pokémon gazing up at it with admiration, Zorua felt an immense sense of fulfillment.

Back in its old home, besides those dull, rock-like companions, it was either stuck with its own kind—who were even better at bragging than it was—or left to listen to the elders spin their tales.

As the youngest in the group, it was no match for those old-timers in terms of knowledge or storytelling.

Bragging with them? No fun at all.

But now, things were different.

It had a loyal audience!

In its story, Zorua emphasized how it had heroically saved Natsume and Mei from danger and how it had sealed away the great demon lord Darkrai with an incredibly stylish move.

Getting caught up in the excitement, Zorua even balanced on its hind legs, gesturing dramatically as it spoke.

Then, it was promptly lifted off the ground by the scruff of its neck.

"Suosuo!"

Let me go! Let me go!

I contributed to the farm!

Suspended in midair, Zorua wriggled like a piece of lively pork belly, vividly expressing its resistance to fate (or so it seemed).

"Calm down," Natsume said, giving Zorua a few firm shakes until it finally settled down.

Once Zorua stopped squirming, Natsume sighed and scolded,

"If they're your friends, then take care of them properly!"

"Throwing them off to babysit? What kind of host does that make you?!"

After returning to the farm, Natsume had barely finished arranging accommodations for Misdreavus and Duskull when he turned around to find that Zorua had dumped Manaphy with the baby Phione.

And then, instead of helping, it had climbed up onto a stage to start giving a grand speech.

If he hadn’t stopped it, Zorua would have probably started narrating from the dawn of the universe next.

"Suosuo!"

But it’s its own kid! What’s wrong with making it take care of it?!

Besides, I’m just a kid too! I want to go play!

Let me go! Let me play O!

"You, shut up."

Meanwhile, in a room on the second floor, Manaphy and its never-before-seen offspring were staring at each other.

Locking eyes with the well-cared-for Phione, Manaphy nodded in satisfaction.

The child seemed to be growing well.

As expected, Natsume was a trustworthy human.

Seeing the clarity in its child’s gaze, Manaphy cleared its throat, preparing to formally introduce itself.

But before it could speak, Phione beat it to the punch.

"Phi?"

Who are you?

Phione looked up at this stranger, who shared over seventy percent of its features, with a puzzled expression.

Phione’s clear eyes showed a hint of confusion.

Activating its nearly unused, nine-tenths-new brain, Phione quickly recalled what its teacher, Audino, had taught over the past few days.

A few seconds later, it had an epiphany.

You must be my long-lost younger sibling!

With that realization, Phione excitedly hugged Manaphy and shouted.

Manaphy, meanwhile, slowly typed out a mental question mark.

What on earth was this kid talking about?

Just as Manaphy was about to awaken this first-time-meeting child with a motherly fist of love—to ensure its childhood was complete and without regret—the door was pushed open from the outside.

Before Manaphy could react, a grayish-purple blur zoomed in at full speed.

Zorua tackled Manaphy from behind, sending both of them rolling into a tangled mess.

The once-quiet room instantly turned chaotic.

Manaphy and Zorua bickered, Phione laughed heartily as if it had known them forever, and it even added fuel to the fire.

"Lucky!"

Suddenly, with a loud thud, a round, pink figure walked in from outside.

Blissey entered, eyes blazing with fury as it looked down at the scuffling Zorua and Manaphy.

Its gaze lingered on Manaphy for a couple of extra seconds.

Hmm, an unfamiliar child—it must be a guest.

Having made that judgment, Blissey shifted its gaze to Zorua.

"Lucky."

I believe I mentioned that newborns need a quiet environment, didn’t I?

Its tone was calm, but there was an undeniable chill in the air.

"Suo?"

Uhh… maybe, probably?

Shrinking its neck, Zorua tentatively responded.

At the same time, it cast a pleading look toward Natsume.

"Ah, I have something to do. Gotta go."

Checking his phone, Natsume decisively took his leave.

He still needed to handle the Cresselia situation.

Oh, and the farm’s expansion—he had to start utilizing that land soon.

So much space just sitting idle? Unacceptable.

Ignoring Zorua’s desperate gaze behind him, Natsume gently closed the door.

Phione was a child, and Manaphy was a guest for the day.

Yes, this was a world where only Zorua would suffer.

He’d give Zorua an extra drumstick tonight as compensation.

That should be enough, right?

With that thought settled, Natsume made his way out.

Meanwhile, Cresselia was leisurely strolling around the farm.

Even it was a bit amazed at how much the place had changed.

It could still recall when it first noticed Natsume—back then, the farm had been desolate, full of untapped potential.

High EQ interpretation: This place had great potential for growth.

Low EQ interpretation: It was a barren wasteland with absolutely nothing.

And yet, in just a few short months, it had transformed into a thriving paradise.

The human world was truly fascinating.

Landing on a small hill, Cresselia gazed at the scenery below.

Among the lush berry trees, a group of Bounsweet followed a Tsareena in training.

A gleaming Pidgeotto soared through the sky.

On the ground, a pink Furret dashed across the open space, a group of Sentret and Furret trailing behind in what looked like an intense training session.

Mixed among them were a few different Pokémon—Dewott, Pignite, and Tingling.

What a wonderful place this farm was.

A gentle breeze blew past, and Cresselia closed its eyes slightly.

It had been a long time since it had felt such a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

Natsume’s farm almost seemed to have a certain magic to it.

Just breathing in the air here made it feel lighter—both physically and mentally.

"Chiru?"

A small figure peeked out from the bushes behind it.

Cresselia turned its head to see a Kirlia, holding a notebook tightly.

Its red eyes reflected Cresselia’s form, filled with awe and admiration.

As a Psychic-type, Kirlia possessed keen perception.

It could clearly sense the immense power radiating from Cresselia.

This had to be a Legendary Pokémon!

『Is there something you need?』

A gentle voice echoed in Kirlia’s mind, as warm and kind as an older sister from next door.

"Chiru…"

Um, um…

After hesitating for a moment, Kirlia suddenly bowed at a dramatic 120-degree angle and shouted:

"Chiru!"

I want to become stronger! Please teach me!

...

Staring at the little Kirlia, who was nearly burying its head in the dirt, Cresselia felt a hint of distress.

This was a bit outside of its expertise.

Wasn’t strength something that just… developed naturally over time?

As far as it could remember, it had never trained seriously.

It played happily as a child.

And then, one day, it just… became strong.

Pouting slightly, Cresselia was a little troubled.

Seeing how anxious Kirlia looked, though, it could only respond:

『My methods might not be very useful for you.』

"Chiru!"

That’s okay! Just let me follow you!

Straightening up, Kirlia declared firmly.

Corviknight-senpai’s anime had said that simply being around strong individuals was a great way to learn.

Kirlia wasn’t sure why that was, but if Corviknight-senpai believed it, then it had to be true!

Yes—this was the same Kirlia that had once tried to master Corviknight’s trash-talking techniques.

After some time practicing, Kirlia had realized its trash talk didn’t have the desired effect.

After some careful study, it reached a conclusion:

It wasn’t strong enough.

If a weakling talked trash, it just looked like they were throwing a tantrum.

Completely ineffective.

At best, it made people laugh.

But if someone who could utterly dominate an opponent talked trash?

The damage would multiply exponentially!

And so, Kirlia decided to temporarily set aside its trash-talk training and focus on real strength.

Which led it to Cresselia.

As for Gardevoir, its older sister?

She was beyond caring at this point.

As long as Kirlia didn’t go off learning actual bad things—like the true depths of trash talk—then it could do whatever it wanted.

She was too tired to stop it anymore.

And their actual big brother, Gallade?

Gardevoir didn’t even want to talk about him.

You couldn’t expect a hardcore fisherman to care about anything other than fishing.

『O-Okay…』

Seeing Kirlia’s unwavering determination, Cresselia could only agree.

Truthfully, it had always been a bit soft-hearted and not very good at turning others down.

The last time it had firmly rejected someone…

Darkrai: Can you leave me alone?

Cresselia: No.

Yes, on that matter, its stance was absolutely firm.

No room for negotiation.

"Chiru!"

Thank you so much!

Kirlia’s eyes sparkled.

It had braced itself for rejection, but it actually succeeded!

Its nervous heart finally settled a little.

What Kirlia didn’t know was that, at this very moment, Cresselia was feeling just as nervous.

Both the newly acquainted master and apprentice were feeling a bit nervous about their first lesson—one about teaching, the other about learning.

"Cresselia!"

From a distance, Natsume’s voice rang out.

Previously caught in an awkward silence, unsure of what to say, Cresselia sighed in relief.

Natsume! A true lifesaver!

In every possible sense of the word!

『What is it, Natsume?』

"I came to check if you need anything," Natsume said as he approached.

"That includes accommodations, meal preferences, and anything else you can think of. Just let me know, and I’ll do my best to provide it."

Setting down the large box he was carrying, Natsume looked up at Cresselia.

Even under the bright daylight, its feathers shimmered with a faint, ethereal glow.

Now, bathed in the golden hues of dusk, Cresselia looked like a mythical being draped in radiant silk.

Natsume thought that Cresselia had every right to compete for the title of the most beautiful Pokémon in the world.

At the very least, it was on par with the Milotic he had seen before.

As for Diancie—he hadn't encountered one yet, so he’d reserve judgment for now.

"Hmm..."

Requests? None for now.

Cresselia thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with anything it particularly needed.

Housing?

As long as it had a place to rest, that was fine.

Food?

Those pokéblocks… were just average.

Over the years, Cresselia had encountered many humans, some of whom had gifted it pokéblocks in gratitude for its help.

The taste? Completely forgettable.

Many pokéblocks prioritized nutrition and efficiency over flavor.

Not exactly bad, but about as exciting as chewing on wax.

"Alright then, I’ll just make some decisions on your behalf."

"I’ll contact the construction team that worked on the farm before. Tomorrow morning, they’ll start building you a proper home nearby."

"For food, Gardevoir’s family will prepare and deliver meals every day."

"And for now, this box should last you a while. If you have any requests later, just let me know."

Natsume patted the box reassuringly. He wasn’t trying to overwhelm Cresselia with hospitality—it had just arrived, after all.

Overeager enthusiasm could be off-putting.

People who acted overly familiar upon first meeting usually didn’t leave the best impression.

Still, some level of intervention was necessary.

It wouldn’t be right to let Cresselia sleep out in the open, exposed to the elements, surviving on random berries.

"Mm."

Alright then.

After a brief hesitation, Cresselia accepted Natsume’s offer.

If nothing unexpected happened, it would likely be staying here long-term.

Having a proper resting place wouldn’t be a bad thing.

---

Meanwhile, something significant was unfolding in town.

"Sigh… Time flies, doesn’t it?"

Inside the town mayor’s office, the elderly mayor rubbed his lower back.

He still remembered when he first arrived in this tiny, underdeveloped town as a fresh graduate.

Back then, he had been filled with resentment and frustration.

The thought of spending years stuck in a place like this had been unbearable.

He had spent a long time looking for a way out.

And yet, after all these years, he had ended up staying.

It was almost funny how things turned out.

Even now, a part of him still felt a tinge of regret.

But that regret was mostly about the dreams of his youth that had gone unfulfilled.

At this point, after all these years, it didn’t really matter anymore.

Beside him, Mr. Mime patted the old mayor’s back in a comforting gesture.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

The door opened, and the same man who had previously delivered Natsume’s commendation stepped inside.