Pokémon: Farm Story

On the other end of the call, Fu Gakuji was visibly surprised.

The topic of establishing a gym had originally been a casual remark—he had merely mentioned to Natsume that if he was interested, the process could be expedited. Many complex procedures and assessments could be fast-tracked.

It might seem like the League was giving Natsume special treatment, but in reality, they were.

Looking at all the information collected so far, along with Natsume’s actions, the conclusion was obvious.

Natsume wasn’t necessarily a paragon of virtue.

But at the very least, he was a normal, well-adjusted person who had undergone nine years of compulsory education.

Strong, capable, and mentally stable—what was there to nitpick?

Some League Champions from smaller regions were nothing more than raw strength.

Their character? Utterly deplorable.

But since they had the power, the League had no choice but to tolerate them.

“Natsume, are you really considering opening a gym?”

Gakuji stood up, rummaged through a cabinet behind him, and pulled out a document regarding gym establishments.

He had printed this before his visit to the farm.

There were additional notes in the appendix—his own personal annotations.

Originally, his plan had been to hand this to Natsume if he managed to persuade him.

When he had visited Natsume’s farm, he had brought this document with him.

Fu Gakuji’s ambitions were straightforward.

Get results early. Move up the ranks quickly.

And Natsume could help him achieve that.

Whether it was renovating public infrastructure around Natsume’s farm or setting up a gym, it all aligned with his goals.

He wasn’t ashamed to admit he had personal motives.

But he also knew he wasn’t doing anything wrong—he was getting things done.

“For now, it’s just an idea.”

“I’m interested, but I also worry it might become a hassle.”

On the other end of the call, Natsume admitted openly that he might lose interest later.

After all, just maintaining the farm was already consuming a lot of his energy.

If it came down to a choice, he would always prioritize the farm over a gym.

At the end of the day, Natsume still saw himself as a farm owner first.

At least, for now.

“I see. Well, let me explain some key details about gym establishment.”

Flipping through the document, Gakuji didn’t bother with any bureaucratic posturing.

Instead, he straightforwardly laid out the key points—what to expect, what to be cautious of, and what benefits or perks came with running a gym.

He understood young people these days weren’t fond of empty rhetoric.

He wasn’t fond of it himself. He still considered himself young—after all, he had only graduated from university a few years ago.

Sometimes, he felt like adulthood was just a role-playing game.

Imitating how adults spoke and acted to blend in.

There were times when he saw his own reports being sent to various departments, and even he found it amusing.

But since the people around him all operated this way, he played along.

Being unique and standing out might seem cool and rebellious.

But in a system, such individuals often found themselves isolated.

However, Natsume wasn’t the type to play mind games, so there was no need for pretenses.

The call went by quickly.

After a brief explanation, Fu Gakuji sent Natsume the document.

Since it was a publicly available document, there wasn’t anything sensitive about it—just an extra appendix with his personal notes.

After hanging up, Gakuji stretched lazily.

Looking around his slightly outdated office, he sighed and returned to his work.

These days, who has time to slack off?

Sure, coasting through work was fun, but it only got you so far.

Getting results and moving up—that was the real game.

He wasn’t planning to spend his entire life stuck in this office.

Meanwhile, on the farm, Natsume had received the document and started reading through it.

As he read, his expression gradually became more serious.

“Slowking, I have an urgent task for you.”

Calling over Slowking, Natsume held up his phone.

“Help me go through this document.”

With Slowking’s intelligence, it should be easy to grasp the key points.

If he had such a convenient external brain, why not use it?

Slowking, hands clasped behind its back, silently observed Natsume.

Its already wise gaze now carried an additional hint of exasperation.

Kid, could you at least try to think for yourself?

After staring at Natsume’s thick head of black hair for a moment, Slowking began pondering whether it should brew him some brain-boosting supplements.

One idiot on the farm—Corviknight—was already enough. Another would be too much.

With a resigned sigh, Slowking began reviewing the public document.

The requirements were fairly standard.

At the very least, a gym leader needed strong abilities, a decent character, and financial stability.

After all, a gym leader couldn't be lacking in either skill or integrity.

To keep a gym running, you needed a decent amount of funds.

The League could reimburse certain expenses.

But for day-to-day costs, you'd have to cover them yourself.

After reading through the entire document, Slowking returned the phone to Natsume.

"Yadon."

Are you planning to open the gym now?

Hands folded behind its back, Slowking gave Natsume a questioning look.

It distinctly remembered Natsume mentioning that he had a lot on his plate.

Like finding Ogerpon’s mask.

"Of course not. I’ll consider it after I deal with other things first."

Waving a hand dismissively, Natsume had no intention of rushing into gym ownership.

Right now, his priority was helping Ogerpon recover its mask.

Truth be told, Natsume had considered this from the moment Ogerpon arrived.

But he had hesitated, not just because of concerns about his strength or managing the farm.

A major obstacle was that even Ogerpon itself had no idea—

Where exactly had it come from?

When it first set out, it had just picked a random direction and run.

Whenever it got tired, it would rest. Then it would wake up and continue aimlessly.

How many times had it changed directions? Even it wasn’t sure.

So for the past while, Natsume had been trying to pinpoint Ogerpon’s original home.

Fortunately, he had finally found a lead in recent days.

Although Ogerpon wasn’t entirely certain, it said the place sounded familiar.

And that was enough for Natsume to take a look.

"Yadon."

Slowking nodded, indicating its understanding.

Then, with the leisurely gait of an old man taking a stroll, it turned to leave.

Only to be stopped by Natsume pressing down on its shoulder.

"Hold on. Help me distribute today’s lunch pokéblocks first."

"Then, come with me to Queen Vespiquen’s hive to collect honey."

"Yadon..."

With a sigh, Slowking suddenly understood how Gallade felt.

So this was what it meant to be forced into overtime?

How terrifying. And to think, humans did this daily—without even getting paid?

Humans were truly fearsome creatures.

Slowking couldn't imagine living like that.

Trailing behind Natsume, Slowking headed for Gardevoir’s little "workshop."

Though it was called a "workshop," that was just a habit—

Long ago, Natsume had purchased a large batch of equipment and stored it in a nearby warehouse.

These machines were used to process and produce low-grade energy cubes.

They were primarily operated by Gardevoir and its sisters.

The cubes produced were used to supplement meals for Pokémon living on the farm.

Like Queen Vespiquen.

Though the Combee colony resided on the farm, they weren’t exactly close to Natsume.

Their interactions were mostly limited to honey collection.

Otherwise, they kept to themselves.

Sure, pokéblocks were provided, but not with the same priority as Natsume’s Pokémon.

After all, humans naturally played favorites.

Slowking understood this.

What it didn’t understand was—

Why did it have to carry everything?

With a bag of pokéblocks in one hand and glass jars for collecting honey in the other, Slowking felt like a grandpa coming home from grocery shopping.

The whole situation felt oddly... humiliating.

Like wearing pajamas in public while people whispered and pointed.

"Long time no see, Queen Vespiquen."

Standing before the massive hive, Natsume greeted the Queen with a smile.

At the same time, his gaze curiously observed the structure.

Although he had studied Combee colonies in textbooks, seeing one in reality was an entirely different experience.

Some things just hit differently in person.

Like a math test.

From within the hive, Queen Vespiquen emerged, flapping her wings to welcome Natsume.

Her feelings toward him?

Complete and utter goodwill.

Undoubtedly, Natsume was a kind and generous human.

He provided a home, exchanged delicious energy cubes for honey, and never overstepped.

To Combee, honey was invaluable—

But if there were alternative food sources, they weren’t completely reliant on it.

The pokéblocks Natsume provided weren’t just tasty—

They were also beneficial to the colony’s young.

Even Queen Vespiquen herself appreciated them.

After years of eating honey, it was nice to switch things up.

Given the choice, who would want to eat honey every single day?

Sure, it was sweet, but there was no texture, no bite to it.

Even in the wild, Queen Vespiquen occasionally gnawed on berries for variety.

Now, thanks to Natsume, there were even better options.

Shifting aside, she allowed Natsume a clear view of the hive.

She even summoned the Combee to assist in gathering honey.

"You don’t want to run out of pokéblocks, do you?" (Combee: nervous buzzing intensifies)

"Here, this is for you."

Taking the pokéblocks from Slowking, Natsume handed them to Queen Vespiquen while collecting honey.

Golden, viscous honey flowed into the glass jars.

Sunlight streamed through the hive’s entrance, illuminating the honey like liquid amber—

A shimmering essence, as if solidified sunlight had been captured within.

"Slowking, this one’s for you."

After filling a jar, Natsume handed it to Slowking.

Though it despised overtime, Slowking always accompanied Natsume when needed.

Partly because it was a request.

Partly because Natsume always offered something in return.

"Yadon."

Accepting the jar, Slowking carefully examined the famed Honey Syrup that had glowing reviews online.

Holding the glass container up to the sunlight, light refracted through the thick golden liquid—

Scattering into dazzling rays, making the jar resemble an enchanted crystal orb.

Bringing it closer, the aroma was unmistakable—

A rich, untainted sweetness, the purest gift from nature.

Slowking tilted its head, dipped a finger in, and tasted it.

The honey’s sweetness unfurled on its tongue—

Silky smooth, lingering and delicate, like velvet.

Slowking’s eyes slowly widened.

So this was why humans raved about this honey.

It was good.

Licking its fingers clean, it then smeared a bit onto Shellder’s mouth.

Then, ever so carefully, it resealed the jar and tucked it away.

It would savor this later.

Perhaps in the future, it could trade more items with Queen Vespiquen for honey.

After all, they weren’t eating much of it themselves these days.

"Yadon."

I’ll help too, Natsume.

"Alright, let’s do it together."

With Slowking assisting, they quickly filled an entire batch of honey jars.

Just looking at them was enough to make one’s heart feel warm and satisfied.

Was this the joy of a bountiful harvest?

Throughout the process, Queen Vespiquen remained utterly unbothered—

She simply nibbled on an pokéblock while chatting with Natsume.

Had this been in the wild, Natsume would have been swarmed by now.

But here, it was a normal exchange.

Natsume never took everything—

He always left enough honey for the colony.

What he took could be considered surplus.

Or perhaps, reserves.

As for concerns?

Queen Vespiquen didn’t have many.

She was quite content with farm life.

If she had to nitpick—

There weren’t enough flowers on the farm.

Sure, Berry Trees bloomed, but their flowering periods were short.

Her Combee had to travel far beyond the farm to gather nectar.

So, she hoped Natsume could plant more flowers around the farm.

That way, her children wouldn’t have to fly so far to collect nectar.

"No Problem—I'll Start the Garden Once the Sun Stone Arrives."

Queen Vespiquen’s request wasn’t difficult for Natsume to fulfill.

Since coming to the farm, he had learned many things.

But gardening?

Yeah... he definitely lacked talent in that area.

It was only after living independently that he truly realized—

He had quite a few shortcomings.

"Alright then, I’ll be heading back now."

"Yadon."

With a casual wave, Natsume bid farewell to Vespiquen.

Beside him, Slowking used Psychic to levitate an array of honey jars, floating alongside him.

Clutching the pokéblocks Natsume had gifted her, Vespiquen waved back.

Then—

"Bzzzt!"

What are you looking at? Get back to collecting nectar!

She barked at the Combee, who had been watching the exchange.

The more honey they gathered, the more pokéblocks she could trade for.

And the more she got to eat.

A simple equation formed in Vespiquen’s mind.

As for the Combee?

She’d let them taste just a little—enough to keep them working.

Lounging atop her throne of syrupy sweetness, Queen Vespiquen sighed contentedly.

At her command, the Combee buzzed off in all directions, continuing their tireless labor—

So that their beloved Queen could eat more energy cubes.

In some strange way, they truly adored her.

---

Back at the farm, Natsume and Slowking first delivered part of the honey to Gardevoir’s workshop.

The rest was carefully stored away.

"Hmm… aside from Fire-types, I should also get some Ice-types."

Placing the last jar into the fridge, Natsume realized—

His farm lacked certain elemental types.

Perhaps because Lianshan Town was just a small countryside village—

It had no particular regional specialties or rare Pokémon populations.

Most Pokémon in the area were the kind you could find anywhere.

Like Mightyena and Oddish.

You could see those species all over the world.

"Yadon."

I’ll be heading back now.

Seeing that Natsume had finished, Slowking announced its departure.

It planned to return to the lake.

Though a Water-type Pokémon, Slowking rarely lounged in the water.

It preferred the lakeshore.

The air was humid, the sunlight warm—

This was Slowking’s ideal environment.

"You worked hard today, Slowking."

Digging through his supplies, Natsume retrieved a bag of custom-made pokéblocks.

He handed them to Slowking, urging it to try them.

It was said that Champions and Elite Four members had specialized breeder teams—

Managing everything from training regimens to meal plans and relaxation therapy.

Each Pokémon had a professional team analyzing their training data and tailoring their nutrition accordingly.

So, Natsume had started making custom energy cubes for his Pokémon, too.

Of course, lacking the professional equipment, he couldn’t perform detailed analyses.

But he had confidence in his craftsmanship.

"Yadon."

Under Natsume’s encouragement, Slowking pinched one of the cubes.

Visually, it was already a work of art.

At the core was a deep rose-pink—

Not a light peach hue, but a rich, vivid shade of crimson.

Encircling this core was a deep, oceanic blue—

A color so rich it seemed to shift like flowing water, forming rippling patterns along the cube’s surface.

Embedded within the blue were flecks of starlight—

Tiny glowing specks, pulsing in and out like fireflies caught in an eternal dance.

It resembled a jewel, meticulously sculpted from the purest crystal.

A masterpiece so exquisite that if a human girl saw it, she might hesitate to eat it.

Slowking, however, was utterly unfazed.

Without hesitation, it popped the cube into its mouth.

It was pretty.

And probably tasted good, too.

At the very moment it touched Slowking’s tongue, the cube melted into a wave of pure, nourishing energy.

A soothing warmth coursed through its body—

Enveloping every cell, invigorating every fiber of its being.

Any lingering fatigue vanished, replaced by a deep, refreshing clarity.

Even its thoughts felt sharper.

Since Slowking was a Water/Psychic-type, Natsume had specially blended water- and psychic-based ingredients to create this cube.

He hadn’t named it yet.

For now, he’d call it Slowking No. 1.

Opening its eyes, Slowking gave Natsume a thumbs-up.

"Yadon."

This is incredible.

The best pokéblocks I’ve ever eaten.

The flavor was perfectly to its liking.

Slowking had never encountered an energy cube superior to this.

After all, it had been crafted specifically for it.

Not only in terms of ingredients—

Even the texture had been adjusted to match Slowking’s preferences.

Even if it wasn’t custom-made, it would still be classified as a top-tier product.

If sold, it would be priced per piece.

Even if buyers provided their own ingredients, they’d still have to pay a ridiculous processing fee.

A significant portion of the farm’s profits each month was funneled into pokéblocks production.

The Pokémon here had huge appetites.

Two of the biggest offenders?

A certain raven and a certain pink feline.

Corviknight and Mew were the farm’s top consumers.

Especially Mew—

That thing even transformed into a Snorlax just to binge-eat.

Then, after stuffing itself silly, it’d revert to its normal form and lie around all day, unable to move.

This had happened more than once.

At first, Natsume worried that eating too much as Snorlax might rupture Mew’s stomach upon transforming back.

But clearly, he had overthought it.

Legendary Pokémon defied common logic—

Even when it came to eating.

Right, Ting-Lu?

Despite its massive size, Ting-Lu hardly ate much.

Maybe it preferred feeding on fear instead.

Unfortunately, Natsume hadn’t yet figured out how to convert something abstract like fear into an pokéblock.

Just collecting and storing it was already a challenge.

Sure, Ting-Lu’s bronze cauldron could absorb and hold fear—

But taking that off its head to experiment?

Yeah… probably not a good idea.

"Here, take this batch with you. I’ll make more later."

"But I won’t be mass-producing these."

"They’re not meant to replace your regular meals—just an occasional supplement."

"If you start getting picky and skipping meals, that’s on you."

Natsume laid down the rules early, knowing some Pokémon cough Corviknight cough had a history of being problematic.

Corviknight was basically a walking cautionary tale.

"Yadon."

Hearing this, Slowking hesitated.

Ah… it really wanted to eat more.

The taste wasn’t the main draw—

It was the effects.

Long-term consumption would steadily improve its Psychic power.

Even boosting its Special Attack.

After some thought, Slowking devised a plan—

Whenever it ate these special pokéblocks, it would remove Shellder from its head first.

This way, it could enjoy the entire cube by itself.

What? It was a Pokémon.

Eating alone was perfectly normal.

Satisfied with its own brilliance, Slowking once again admired its own wisdom.

As expected of me.

I actually came up with such a brilliant idea.

Slowking left, fully satisfied with its specially crafted Slowking No.1 pokéblocks.

Before it left, Natsume specifically reminded Slowking to keep it a secret.

Although he had been researching customized pokéblocks for his close Pokémon, so far, only Slowking's and Persian's were completed.

The rest were still in the research phase.

Slowking's was finished first because Natsume happened to have the right materials on hand.

Plus, when he was making a Psychic-type pokéblocks tailored for Gardevoir and the others, he had already done some relevant studies.

As for Persian, it was simply because they had lived together since childhood.

It had long since had its own exclusive pokéblocks.

Usually, all Natsume had to do was tweak the formula every so often to better suit Persian’s current needs.

But for the other Pokémon, they would have to wait a bit longer.

Both the materials and the formula were still being refined.

Especially the ingredient ratios.

If Mew hadn’t brought back some local specialties last time, the research on Slowking's exclusive pokéblocks might not have progressed this quickly.

After sending Slowking off, Natsume returned to his room.

He was about to flop straight onto the bed, but then he remembered that he had been out all day.

So he took off his jacket first.

If he lay down like this, he might dirty the bedsheets that Lopunny had just changed this morning.

Natsume cared a lot about the efforts of his Pokémon.

He used to live like a stereotypical bachelor.

Dirty clothes piled up in a corner until he had time to wash them all at once.

Sometimes, he’d wear the same outfit for several days, just swapping between slightly cleaner clothes.

His home wasn’t exactly filthy, but it was definitely messy.

He had a habit of leaving things wherever he last used them—then promptly forgetting where he put them.

Like his phone.

Natsume often left his phone somewhere and then had to rummage through the entire house to find it again.

But that was the old Natsume.

Now, he was working on changing.

Since the household chores were usually handled by Cinccino.

Whether it was out of cleanliness or a sense of responsibility,

Cinccino was always tidying up.

Not just the house they lived in now,

Even the old house, which had been converted into a storage and pokéblock production room, was still regularly cleaned by Cinccino.

But sometimes, even it felt a bit overwhelmed.

So Cinccino had occasionally considered finding a helper.

Indeedee's younger sister did pitch in with the cleaning,

But she had her own tasks to handle as well.

So for the most part, Cinccino took care of the housework alone.

To lighten its load, Natsume made sure to keep things tidy himself.

He also set some ground rules for the little troublemakers in the house—

Like Togepi and Hisuian Zorua.

Pop quiz!

Who makes the best target for pranks?

The carefree jokester? The indifferent nihilist?

Wrong. It’s the serious, no-nonsense type.

For those two little rascals, Cinccino was the perfect target for their antics.

Though, of course, if it caught them, they’d get a proper beating.

But that was fine!

As long as they ran faster than Togepi (or Hisuian Zorua) next time, they’d be fine!

Natsume had already put his foot down on this matter.

They were absolutely forbidden from messing up the areas Cinccino had just cleaned.

If they dared, dinner would be canceled that night.

And they’d be assigned to housecleaning duty the next day.

Under Natsume’s strict orders, Togepi and Hisuian Zorua finally behaved a little better.

Raising Pokémon was a lot like raising children.

They needed encouragement, praise, and patience.

But they also needed discipline and consequences.

Especially when they misbehaved.

Spoiling them without limits would only turn them into brainless, unruly brats.

Sometimes, being strict was absolutely necessary.

Natsume took this responsibility seriously.

Though he wasn’t naturally good at being strict with childlike Pokémon,

He understood the importance of setting boundaries.

Persian used to be the enforcer, keeping the new Pokémon in check.

Now, Natsume was taking on that role himself.

After unlocking his phone, a few messages popped up on his screen.

[Mei: That tiny gym? Easy win~]

[Mei: Another fun and happy day!]

Below was a selfie of Mei holding up a Gym Badge.

In the background, the Gym’s entrance stood tall, with Serperior beside her, proudly raising its head.

Its expression was practically glowing with joy.

For Mei, what’s the first thing to do after getting stronger?

Revenge!

Sweet, sweet revenge!

Mei still remembered exactly why she had ended up at Natsume’s farm in the first place.

If it weren’t for that trash-talking Gym Leader crushing her and Serperior’s confidence,

She wouldn’t have needed to retreat and rebuild her mindset.

But now that she was strong?

Time to settle the score!

Mei never forgets a grudge!

The moment she left the farm, she booked the earliest high-speed train ticket and scheduled a Gym Battle online.

Enough time had passed since her last defeat, so her cooldown period was over.

Her appointment was accepted without issue.

When she stepped onto the battlefield, she didn’t waste time with trash talk.

She didn’t say, "This time, I’ll definitely win."

Actions speak louder than words.

Last time, she got crushed.

This time, she would be the one crushing.

It wasn’t just Mei—Serperior felt the same way.

According to Mei, this time, Serperior was going all out.

That trash-talking Toxicroak from last time?

Absolutely demolished.

And it didn’t stop there—Serperior unleashed a verbal onslaught too.

A full-on physical and psychological beatdown.

It felt amazing!!!

So this is the power of trash talk!

Serperior finally understood why Corviknight loved throwing jabs mid-battle.

The night before they left, Serperior secretly went to Corviknight.

It wanted a crash course in trash talk.

Nothing too complicated—just enough to handle the next battle.

And Corviknight didn’t disappoint.

It compiled a whole list of counterattacks specifically targeting that Toxicroak.

Now, Serperior could proudly say:

Its trash-talking skills were Corviknight-certified.

"Caw caw!"

Serperior, my friend, you’re ready for the internet now.

That was Corviknight’s official evaluation.

[AlarmClockRingsButStillTooEarly: Congrats, future Eastern Champion Mei!]

[Mei: Shhh, keep it lowkey. You knowing is enough.]

After Mei left, she had asked Natsume to update her contact name.

She did the same for him.

But while Natsume’s was just a simple name tag,

Mei’s note had a touch of playful mischief.

What was it?

She wouldn’t say.

She only told him that she had changed it—on purpose—just to make him guess.

Natsume, of course, had absolutely no clue.

If there was anything in the world he truly couldn’t understand,

It was mathematical equations, physics formulas, chemistry reactions…

And the minds of girls.

And so, his vast knowledge gap expanded once more.

The two chatted for a bit, sharing their recent experiences.

After her Gym victory, Mei’s luck seemed to skyrocket.

On her way back to the Pokémon Center, she ran into an adorable Solosis.

Just like the Purrloin she had caught before, it was a city-dwelling stray.

It was out looking for food when it locked eyes with Mei.

A brief exchange later, they clicked instantly.

Join me, and I’ll take care of food and shelter!

Though she hadn’t checked its full potential yet,

At a glance, Solosis seemed to have excellent talent.

During their video call, Mei couldn’t stop showing off her new partner.

Looking at the dazed expression on Solosis’s face, Natsume couldn’t help but feel like this little guy was quite similar to the Slowpoke from before.

Even now, when Slowking entered its zoning-out mode, it would wear the exact same look.

Maybe Slowking would take an interest in this kid.

Slowking’s taste was... peculiar.

It wasn’t fond of smart Pokémon.

It wasn’t impressed by powerful ones.

It looked down on fools and ignored the weak.

But when it came to the weird and inexplicable, it was oddly fascinated.

And this Solosis was just as clueless as Slowpoke had been back then.

Natsume had a feeling Slowking might find it interesting.

After chatting for a bit, Mei ended the video call.

Or rather, Serperior did.

From the other side of the call, Serperior was nagging Mei to go take a bath.

She had promised to shower early and go to bed.

But the moment she got back to her room, she flopped onto her bed and started chatting with Natsume instead.

Go shower already!

If you wait any longer, you’re gonna stink!

Clamping onto the back of Mei’s collar with its mouth, Serperior yanked her off the bed and tossed her straight into the bathroom.

Ugh, the stench of love is about to suffocate the whole room!

After forcing Mei into the bathroom, Serperior let out a long sigh.

It turned to the screen, gave Natsume a few quick calls, then used Vine Whip to end the call.

With a flick of its tail against its Poké Ball, it returned inside.

The Pokémon Center’s rooms were well-equipped,

But their size was just... average.

Small Pokémon had no problem.

But for Serperior, the space was a bit cramped.

Might as well rest inside its Poké Ball instead.

On the other end, after the call ended, Natsume casually tossed his phone onto the bedside table.

Lying quietly on the bed, he started thinking about tomorrow’s plans.

Earlier today, he had already gone over things with the Indeedee siblings and Chansey.

If he wasn’t at the farm, what needed to be done, how to keep things running smoothly—

He had laid it all out for them.

He even gave them each a phone.

That way, they could contact him anytime while he was away.

Even though he wouldn’t be gone for long, Natsume still wanted to be fully prepared.

Luckily, he had a game-breaking cheat on his side.

As long as Mew was around, Natsume didn’t have to worry about anything major happening.

Even if something did go wrong, Mew could just Teleport back in an instant.

Then, there was the question of which Pokémon to bring along.

Rolling over, Natsume began planning his lineup.

Yep, he was planning to leave either tomorrow or the day after.

Ogerpon, while already quite strong now,

Still wasn’t at its peak.

In the games, Ogerpon had at least retained one of its original masks—the Verdant Mask—despite losing the other three.

But the one at Natsume’s farm?

It didn’t even have that.

The masks it wore now were just ones Natsume had bought for it.

They looked nice, and Ogerpon liked them—

But they had no real effect.

Let alone altering its typing.

That kind of transformation wasn’t something an ordinary mask could achieve.

Only special items with unique properties could make it happen.

Speaking of special items, Natsume suddenly recalled an amusing debate he had seen online.

People often discussed items like Dragon Fang or Poison Barb—

Things that naturally existed in the world and had special properties.

It made sense for them to be categorized as held items.

But what about things like Black Glasses, Scope Lens, or Destiny Knot?

Those were clearly human-made!

Why did they count as special items too?

Many people couldn’t wrap their heads around it.

But to Natsume, the answer seemed pretty simple.

It was probably just Hisui’s Almighty Creator cutting corners.

"Come on, I’ve worked so hard creating all these worlds—can’t I take a little shortcut?"

Just as Natsume was lost in thought—

"Yimo."

The door creaked open slightly.

A little electric mouse slipped in through the gap.

Spotting Natsume lying on the bed, Emolga climbed up the sheets.

It found a cozy spot, fluffed up the blanket with its tiny paws, and snuggled in comfortably.

As for a certain green-tea cat?

Tied up and tossed into the litter box.

A mere little cat…

And you think you can compete with me?!

Thinking about its victory, Emolga drifted off to sleep, feeling immensely satisfied.

It would let that cat out tomorrow morning.

That was the plan.

However…

"Whoosh!"

The next second, Emolga felt itself being teleported somewhere unfamiliar.

Natsume’s scent was gone.

Blinking in confusion, Emolga looked up—

And saw a blue-and-white, bipedal feline.

Its body was mainly white, with blue limbs and tail.

Under the moonlight, the feline’s expression was ice-cold, its pupils glowing with an eerie blue light.

Like a reaper, here to claim its prey.

"Yimo!"

You’re that green-tea cat?!

Even though the form had changed, Emolga recognized it immediately.

Meowstic—Purrloin’s evolved form.

It wasn’t as cute as before.

But its power had definitely taken a leap.

And, more importantly—

This Meowstic was female.

The Pokédex had a very clear description.

Female Meowstic were more assertive, more dominant—

And if you pissed one off, it would not go easy on you.

And right now?

She was absolutely pissed.

Raising a paw, a surge of psychic energy erupted.

"YIMO——!"

That night, Emolga’s screams echoed far into the distance.

A while later, the newly evolved Meowstic strolled gracefully into Natsume’s room.

With a light leap, she landed on his bed.

Settling into the cozy little nest Emolga had made in the blankets, she stretched out comfortably.

Mmm, quite nice.

As for that scheming little rat?

It was now buried in the litter box.

With a psychic barrier ensuring it wouldn’t escape anytime soon.

Of course, Meowstic was thoughtful enough to leave its head exposed.

She was, after all, a kind and compassionate Pokémon.

At the foot of the bed, Persian lifted its head, glancing at Meowstic.

After confirming she wasn’t causing any further trouble, it lowered its head back down.

A bit of squabbling among the Pokémon was no big deal.

Pokémon weren’t exactly known for being peaceful creatures.

But if anyone dared to stir up chaos in the middle of the night…

That’s when Persian would step in.

And at that point, it’d be one paw per little troublemaker.

Let’s be real—Meowstic, Emolga, these kinds of Pokémon?

They wouldn’t last more than a single round against Persian.

Even evolved, they were no match.

One hit from Persian, and they’d be the ones owing it HP.

That’s the power of the farm’s undisputed No.2 (crossed out) second-in-command.

Kneading the blankets with its paws, Persian let out a yawn and drifted off to sleep.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

Even though Natsume hadn’t said it outright, Persian already knew—

When they set out to find that mask,

Natsume was definitely bringing it along.

So it had to be well-rested.

Because knowing Natsume, this trip wouldn’t just be about the mask.

He’d probably treat it like an excuse to experience the thrill of a Pokémon Trainer’s journey.

Buy a ticket, depart, find the mask, fight, retrieve the mask.

Then go home.

That was Natsume’s plan.

Persian could already see right through him.

After so many years together, it could practically read Natsume’s mind.

Right now, he was probably overthinking, debating whether to get up and check if he had forgotten anything.

If he didn’t check, he’d feel uneasy.

If he did check, he’d feel like he was being paranoid and overthinking things.

He was most likely stuck in that mental tug-of-war right now.

Persian lazily cracked one eye open and glanced at him.

Yep. Eyes open.

Called it.

With that, Persian shut its eyes again and went back to resting.

The Next Morning

Natsume got up early.

He had spent half the night agonizing over whether to get out of bed.

In the end, he didn’t.

But first thing in the morning, he decided he had to check.

"Okay, potions, first-aid kit, food, Pokéblocks, Poké Balls..."

He stuffed all sorts of things into his space backpack.

Since he had never been on a proper journey before, he wasn’t sure what was absolutely necessary.

So the solution?

Just bring everything.

Better safe than sorry.

Besides, it was a space backpack.

Even if it still had weight, his superhuman Hisuian physique could handle it, no problem.

A heavy backpack was just physical strain.

But forgetting something crucial?

That was mental torture.

If he didn’t pack enough supplies, no matter how far he got, he’d be stuck feeling uneasy.

Hell, he might even turn around after just a few steps out of the farm to grab something he forgot.

"Alright, that should be everything."

Placing the bag onto the couch,

Natsume clapped his hands in satisfaction.

Fully stocked up—now he could relax.

Now, the only question was who to bring along.

"Hmm, let me think..."

Ignoring the Mew floating around, trying to get his attention,

Natsume reached up and snatched the pink cat right out of the air, pulling it into a relentless cuddle session.

Then, with a casual toss, he flung Mew onto the couch.

Mew landed, utterly bewildered.

It felt like it had just gotten sucked into something.

But also... like it hadn’t?

Everything had happened too fast.

Its brain hadn’t even processed it yet.

"Persian, Gardevoir, Gallade, Shiny Furret, Absol, Corviknight."

After a moment of thought, Natsume listed off a few names.

The selected Pokémon lined up before him, standing at attention as they were recalled into their Poké Balls one by one.

"Muu-ma!"

The unselected Ogerpon pranced anxiously in front of Natsume, hopping up and down.

Why am I not going?!

I want in too!

"Relax, of course you’re coming."

Ruffling the top of Ogerpon's head, Natsume reassured it with a smile.

This whole trip was to help Ogerpon retrieve its masks.

There was no way he wouldn’t bring it.

He had just skipped mentioning it because...

"Mew, Ting-Lu—you’re coming too."

Grabbing the still-dazed Mew from the couch, Natsume called out to Ting-Lu, who had been watching from the doorway.

Technically, Manaphy and Cresselia were still at the farm too.

He could bring them along.

But in the end, he decided to take only Mew and Ting-Lu.

For one, his team’s combat strength was already overkill.

Way more than necessary.

He wasn’t sure if Ogerpon's masks were still in the hands of those three.

If they were, great—he’d beat them up to help Ogerpon let off some steam.

If they weren’t?

Didn’t matter.

He was determined to retrieve those masks, no matter what.

Even if they were in Giratina’s hands, he’d still go and try.

This is the confidence Mew has given me.

Just kidding.

Giratina deserved some respect.

That was not a Pokémon he was ready to mess with.

The other reason for leaving Manaphy and Cresselia behind was simple—

Technically, they were guests at the farm.

And you don’t make your guests run errands for you.

"Mew~"

Dangling from Natsume’s hand, Mew wriggled like a spinning top, trying to break free.

Too bad.

Its scruff had been grabbed.

Pink kitty protests!

Unlike the squirming Mew, Ting-Lu remained calm.

It was a former opponent, now a captured Pokémon.

Nothing to say about that.

And to be fair, Natsume had treated it well at the farm.

The food was good, the drinks were good—

Even though its personal Pokéblock recipe wasn’t finished yet,

At least it could see that Natsume was putting in the effort.

That was enough.

Whether due to combat prowess or other factors,

Ting-Lu was now more than happy to lend its strength to Natsume.

It wasn’t great at much.

But fighting?

That was the one thing it excelled at.

Alright, boss, who are we wrecking today? How many?

In the past, every battle it fought had been seen as a harbinger of disaster.

But now?

It was a Trainer’s Pokémon.

No matter who it fought, it was all perfectly justified.

During the last video shoot, Rotom had wanted to film a segment on it.

Too bad Natsume shut that down.

He didn’t want to attract that much attention—

Yet.

Rotom had promised to give it more screen time in the future, though.

Ting-Lu was looking forward to it.

After recalling Ting-Lu and Ogerpon, Natsume dangled Mew in front of him.

Taking the hint, Mew transformed into a Flabébé.

One without a flower.

Flabébé was one of the smallest Pokémon in the world.

Its average height was only ten centimeters.

And that was with a flower.

Without one, it was even tinier.

In its new form, Mew clung onto Natsume’s hair and sprawled across his head.

Ah, the view from up here is great.

"You..."

Natsume poked the tiny Flabébé-Mew but said nothing more.

Before heading out, he gave a final briefing to the Indeedee siblings and Slowking.

With those three in charge, he was confident the farm would be fine.

Between their strength and intelligence, everything was covered.

"Let’s go!"

"Bé-bé!"

Perched atop Natsume’s head, Mew let out a perfect Flabébé cry.

As the world’s oldest and most experienced cosplayer,

Mew understood that cosplay must be flawless.

From appearance to voice to behavior—

Everything had to be meticulously accurate.

Half-hearted cosplays? Absolutely unacceptable.

Riding atop Gogoat, Natsume soon reached the farm’s entrance.

Gazing down the now well-trodden dirt road, he stepped forward into the sunlight.

This journey would likely be filled with challenges.

But risk and opportunity always went hand in hand.

The path to success was paved with—

"Can you not narrate in my head?"

Natsume firmly flicked the Mew on his head.

This little gremlin was up to something again.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in Natsume’s mind—

Mental narration mode activated.

"Mew~"

Ehehe~

Tilting its head in a playful manner, Mew struck an innocent pose before obediently settling down atop Natsume’s head, ceasing its antics.

What? The road ahead looked a bit boring, so I thought I’d give you something to do.

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

Rolling his eyes, Natsume casually tossed a Poké Ball.

A burst of starlight scattered as golden feathers gleamed in the sunlight—

The majestic figure of a Shiny Pidgeot emerged.

"Piiiii—!"

Spreading its wings wide, the Shiny Pidgeot let out a triumphant cry.

This is it! My first official assignment from Boss Natsume!

Excitement surged through Pidgeot’s heart.

Sure, it was being used as a means of transport rather than a front-line fighter like Corviknight.

But this was still progress!

A huge step forward!

It had to seize this chance and continue proving itself!

Pidgeot clenched its beak in determination.

I’ll do my best!

Take me to this location.

Natsume patted his pocket, prompting his Rotom Phone to automatically float out and activate its navigation mode.

With a flicker of light, the screen displayed the designated coordinates.

"Pii!"

Glancing at the map, Pidgeot let out a sharp cry and flapped its wings powerfully.

In the blink of an eye, it shot into the sky like a golden streak, disappearing from the ground’s view, leaving only a distant speck in the horizon.

This was the culmination of its tireless training.

When it came to raw speed, Pidgeot was confident—

No Pokémon could surpass it.

Well…

At least not within the farm.