Pokémon: Farm Story

"You’re retiring?"

Under the gazebo at the farm’s entrance, Natsume looked at the elderly man in surprise. This was the very same person who had provided him with significant help when he first started building the farm.

At the beginning, the old town mayor had only helped Natsume out of his personal ties with his uncle, whom Natsume barely knew. Later on, as the farm gradually flourished, the old mayor began to see potential in this young man and felt he was worth supporting.

Even if it wasn’t for his own sake, at the very least, it would make the town’s statistics and reports look better when submitted to higher-ups.

But who would’ve thought that this young man would suddenly accomplish something so major?

That had caught the old mayor off guard.

"It’s not exactly retirement, more like a reassignment," the mayor chuckled. "From now on, I’ll just be coasting in a more relaxed position."

Originally, he had assumed he would stay in this role until the very end.

Never did he expect that he would actually get a chance to enjoy some peace and quiet.

This job transfer—whether it technically counted as a promotion was debatable—but at the very least, his workload was going to be significantly reduced.

If he felt like working, he could head to the office, clock in, drink tea, and chat.

If he didn’t, he could simply go to the park and bask in the sun.

For the old mayor, shedding this position, which had drained his energy for over a decade, was truly a blessing.

For a man approaching retirement age, what more could he ask for?

If not for Natsume, he probably would’ve just kept working indefinitely.

But because of Natsume’s unique situation, a whole chain of adjustments had been set in motion.

"I’ll still be living in town most of the time," the old mayor continued.

"If you ever need anything, you can still come find me."

He took a small sip of the tea Natsume had offered before discreetly placing the cup back on the table.

One thing was certain—Natsume had no idea how to make a decent cup of tea.

The taste... let’s just say, if it cost more than five dollars per can, it wasn’t worth it.

After setting his cup down, the old mayor went on to give Natsume a few words of advice—some insights he had gained over the years.

Most young people would have no patience for this sort of thing.

But every time the old mayor started talking, Natsume would always listen intently.

So, the old mayor never hesitated to share his experiences.

Whether they would be useful or not—that didn’t matter.

At worst, he was just talking to himself.

People tend to reminisce and get chatty as they age.

"Understood. If anything comes up, I’ll still come to you for advice," Natsume replied with a smile, remaining patient as he listened to the elderly man’s long-winded stories and life lessons.

Regardless of his original intentions, this man had shown genuine goodwill toward him and had helped him a great deal.

When Natsume first took over the farm, he quickly realized that, despite all the research he had done, he was still scrambling when it came to practical matters.

Where to buy fruit tree saplings, which renovation companies wouldn’t scam him, how to handle the distribution channels for his harvested berries—there was so much to figure out.

The mayor’s guidance had saved him a lot of trouble.

For Natsume, it wasn’t about making more or less money, nor was he overly concerned about the cost of renovations.

What he truly hated was wasting mental energy on trivial disputes over minor details.

If money alone could solve a problem, he was more than willing to spend it.

But in reality, you could throw down a fortune and still end up getting ripped off.

"Well then, I’ll be off."

Standing up, the old mayor waved goodbye.

At his side, his trusty Mr. Mime, who had been amusing itself by mimicking a walking Oddish at the doorway, immediately got up to help support him.

After sending off the mayor, Natsume tidied up the table a little.

Then, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found a familiar name.

[AlarmRangStillEarly]: You there, my dear friend? Time to wake up and get to work.

[AA Machamp Construction & Renovation]: On my way, boss! Be there soon!

In a three-story building in town, a certain familiar construction forewoman jolted awake like a startled Magikarp—

—Only to immediately flop back down onto the bed.

Damn it, she had been eating too well lately.

Her abs were gone.

"Brothers! The boss has another job for us!"

Throwing open the window, the girl shouted down to the Machamp and the seasoned construction workers below.

Thanks to Natsume, her construction team, which had been on the brink of bankruptcy, not only made a miraculous comeback but also earned quite a fortune.

Now, she could proudly call herself a young and wealthy woman.

Although she had no idea what Natsume was planning this time, the Machamp girl immediately rallied her team, preparing to head out for an on-site inspection at the farm.

Damn, when a VIP client makes a request, you don't sit around waiting for them to come to you—you move first!

What kind of business still expects the customer to show up in person to negotiate these days?

I’ll just head there straight away!

Clients as understanding as Natsume are rare these days—

He accepts high quotes, pays quickly, doesn’t micromanage, and doesn’t have a million weird requests.

That alone puts him ahead of 99% of people.

And more importantly… he pays well.

Because of that, every time she took on one of his projects, she poured in 120% of her effort, using the best materials and craftsmanship, afraid of losing her only VIP client.

"Bring all the equipment!"

"If anyone screws up, dinner is canceled tonight!"

At this moment, the gentle, literature-loving persona she carefully maintained on social media was nowhere to be seen.

Right now, she looked like she could tear apart any Pokémon present—

As long as they underperformed.

"Oh!!!"

A chorus of muscular, vein-popping Pokémon shouted in unison.

This was the client who had helped them upgrade their meals and provided all sorts of high-quality training equipment.

If someone messed up, they wouldn’t even need the boss to step in—they’d just beat them up themselves.

Settling into the passenger seat of the truck, the girl patted the Machamp in the driver’s seat, who was already wearing a construction helmet, signaling him to start driving.

This was their best and most experienced driver.

Yes, he had a license.

"By the way, doesn’t Natsume seem way more cheerful than before?"

She glanced at the chat interface, where Natsume had just sent a sticker of a tiny cat clenching its fist.

That got her thinking.

When it comes to major changes in a guy’s personality in a short period, there are only a few possibilities—

Family issues, getting chosen by the M87 Nebula’s light, acquiring a Kamen Rider belt, becoming a Gundam pilot, being picked as a DigiDestined…

Or—

Falling in love?

Maybe women are just naturally sensitive to this kind of thing.

Once the idea popped into her head, she immediately started looking for clues.

Hmm… first off, his Moments (social media posts) were still locked.

But his profile background had changed—

It used to be a meme that said, "Comrade, I’ve noticed your faith is wavering."

Now it was a picture of a shiny Furret.

His stickers had also shifted from the old-fashioned ones to more cutesy ones over the past two months.

If someone just looked at the stickers, they’d probably assume he was an adorable girl.

But the most crucial part—

His profile picture and username had changed.

His username, once an impossibly long string of characters, was now something she couldn’t quite decipher.

And his profile picture?

A cartoon puppy getting sprayed with water.

Matching profile pictures confirmed.

Yep, definitely dating.

Case closed.

Mascular girl nodded in satisfaction.

So, everyone else is out there enjoying sweet, youthful love…

And I’m stuck here, covered in dust, surrounded by buff guys.

Closing her eyes, she felt her soul drifting away.

"Close your eyes, and you don’t know if you’re sleeping or just… gone."

---

Meanwhile, after sending the message, Natsume put away his phone.

Before the screen turned off, Zorua, who had been lying on his head, caught a glimpse of the pinned contact at the top of the chat list.

A small cartoon cat getting sprayed with a water gun.

The username? "Turn Off the Alarm and You’ll Be Late."

It had to be Mei.

Using his tiny paw, Zorua stepped on Natsume’s head, trying to find a comfortable position to lie down.

He had just survived a brutal scolding from Blissey and genuinely thought he might not make it out alive.

Finally, he had escaped.

As for Manaphy?

Eh, whatever. It’s a big Pokémon.

It’s not like it’ll get lost.

No worries.

"Get off my head."

Natsume grabbed Zorua, exasperated.

After a moment’s thought, he placed him on his shoulder instead.

Fine, he’d let the little guy have his way.

"Suosuo."

Another house? You humans sure love building things.

Zorua lazily sprawled on Natsume’s shoulder.

Taking a deep breath of Natsume’s scent, his entire body relaxed.

Ah, Natsume's aura is getting more and more soothing.

At this rate, will he turn into some kind of legendary tonic?

"Yeah, we’re building a house for Cresselia," Natsume replied.

"And expanding the farm’s territory. Since the land has already been designated as part of the farm, we should put it to good use."

He patted Zorua’s head while thinking about what needed to be done next.

The farm mostly had minor tasks—

Trimming the wool of the Ampharos and Dubwool herds.

Placing an order for Miltanks, which he had been researching online.

And most importantly, helping Ogerpon find her masks.

Ah, first he needed to track down those three jerks—

The ones who stole all four of Ogerpon’s masks.

When she arrived, she didn’t even have the Teal Mask, let alone the Wellspring, Hearthflame, or Cornerstone Masks.

This needed serious preparation.

As for battle strength, though, he wasn’t worried.

Persian, Slowking, Corviknight, shiny Furret, Gardevoir, Gallade, and Ogerpon.

When the time came, they’d overwhelm the enemy one by one.

"Suosuo."

Got it.

Zorua still sounded completely uninterested.

"By the way, I wonder if Cresselia liked the Pokéblocks from last night."

After jotting down his plans in a notebook, Natsume suddenly remembered.

When he left last night, Cresselia had seemed indifferent—

Like she didn’t really care for Pokéblocks.

But in reality…

"Woo…"

Cresselia stared solemnly at the empty box before her.

Uh-oh.

She accidentally ate everything.

Last night, she had dismissed Pokéblocks as all being the same, so she hadn't thought much of them.

But after one bite—she was stunned.

"Is this really a Pokéblock?"

"Why does it taste completely different from what I’ve had before?!"

One bite led to another.

Then another.

And before she knew it, she had polished off the entire box.

Now she was left staring at an empty container, feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to go ask Natsume for more?

But… it was really delicious.

Cresselia fell into deep contemplation.

After some hesitation, she made up her mind.

She’d go find Natsume right before dinner.

Natsume did say she could come to him if she needed anything.

Yes, that sounded reasonable.

With that justification in place, she felt much more at ease.

---

"By the way, Zorua."

As he waited for the construction team at the farm’s entrance, Natsume suddenly turned to the Pokémon on his shoulder.

"Suosuo?"

What's up?

"That battle between the legendary Pokémon you mentioned earlier—what was that about?"

Natsume was still quite curious about it.

When Darkrai had been pinned under Zorua’s butt, it had brought up the topic.

Back then, Natsume had wanted to ask but didn’t think the situation was right, so he let it go.

"Suo."

It’s nothing much.

Zorua lazily jumped off Natsume’s shoulder and stretched.

"Suo."

Just that His plates got lost again.

And those guys started fighting over them.

Though some just got caught up in it by accident.

"...Oh, I see..."

Wait.

Hold on.

Something’s not right here.

"What do you mean the plates got lost again?"

Zorua had just casually dropped a bombshell like it was no big deal.

Normally, Arceus’ plates wouldn’t go missing.

But considering His track record, it almost seemed like a hobby.

Across multiple worlds, His plates kept somehow getting misplaced.

Rather than calling them "lost," it might be more accurate to say He just couldn’t be bothered to pick them up.

"This... doesn’t feel right."

Scratching his head, Natsume had a bad feeling about this.

Technically, this had nothing to do with him.

As long as he stayed on his farm, everything should be fine.

But things in life rarely go as planned.

Somehow, he had a strong hunch that he’d get dragged into this mess.

And before he knew it, he’d probably end up as the latest unpaid intern helping a certain fluffy deity gather His missing plates.

"Suosuo."

Relax, relax, it’s fine.

Zorua, now sprawled lazily on the small table, wagged its tail before flipping onto its back.

"Suosuo!"

Natsume! You promised me a massage!

His train of thought interrupted, Natsume wasn’t even mad.

Zorua was right—this wasn’t something he needed to worry about right now.

For now, he should just focus on being a farm owner.

The world always had its chosen heroes to save it.

Unless a certain alpaca god showed up at his doorstep, it wasn’t his problem.

With that in mind, Natsume started massaging Zorua.

The technique he used was one he had picked up from a generic tutorial online.

Though everyone seemed to enjoy it, he figured they were just being polite.

After all, he knew his own skills best.

He wasn’t exactly a professional—more like he was just randomly pressing around.

"Suo~"

So good~

Zorua squinted its eyes in satisfaction.

But something still didn’t feel quite right.

This posture...

A bright white light flashed.

Zorua’s form began to shift and transform.

Within the glowing light, a long-tailed pink kitten appeared.

Flipping over, it continued enjoying Natsume’s massage.

"Stay still and stop fidgeting."

Seeing "Zorua" in its new form, Natsume lightly flicked its forehead.

"Mew~"

Okay~

A childlike, crisp voice rang out directly in Natsume’s mind.

About ten minutes later—

Just as the Mascular girl’s truck pulled up to the farm’s entrance, she spotted Natsume waiting outside—

With a pink Pokémon curled up at his feet.

"Boss! We’re here!"