Pokémon: Farm Story

Riding on Shiny Pidgeot felt completely different from riding on Corviknight.

Flying with Corviknight was like taking a scenic tour—

The landscape stretched out in all directions, unobstructed.

The breathtaking view stirred emotions deep in one’s chest, making it hard not to wax poetic.

Unfortunately, Natsume wasn’t exactly the poetic type.

Composing verses? That was a bit too much to ask of him.

Sometimes, Natsume would sigh and think—yep, he was just an average, ordinary guy.

Totally unremarkable in every way.

(Alright, let’s all just pretend that’s true.)

Now, riding on Shiny Pidgeot?

Two words—

Pure adrenaline.

The chaotic turbulence made it impossible to keep his eyes open.

The wind roaring past his ears drowned out every other sound.

In that moment, the world blurred into nothing but streaks of color and the deafening howls of the wind.

Clutching tightly onto Shiny Pidgeot’s feathers, Natsume felt as if he were on a rollercoaster ride—

Only a hundred times wilder.

And Shiny Pidgeot? It was absolutely loving this.

A rare chance to fly at full speed, with an actual destination in mind—

It was nothing like those casual flights around the farm.

Now, it could truly feel it—

This was what it was born for.

This was its sky!

Flapping its wings with renewed vigor, Shiny Pidgeot accelerated once more.

A series of sonic booms burst behind it as it tore through the air.

"Alright, let’s land up ahead," Natsume called out, struggling to keep his eyes open.

But by the time he finished his sentence, they had almost overshot the spot he was pointing to.

“Pidgeot!”

Shiny Pidgeot quickly adjusted, pulling into a steep dive.

It plummeted like a bomber before stabilizing at the last second, landing smoothly on the ground.

For it, this was child’s play.

Flying? That was its expertise.

Some believed that Shiny Pokémon, aside from their unusual coloration, also possessed unique innate talents.

So far, Shiny Pidgeot hadn’t quite figured out what its own special gift was.

Maybe it was just this—

An absolute mastery of flight.

And that was fine by it.

One day, it would replace Corviknight as Natsume’s number one flying ride.

That was its goal.

"To be born as a mighty warrior!" (cue dramatic manga panel pose)

It was a long way from making that dream a reality—

But that didn’t stop it from daydreaming about its future.

It could already picture it—

The day when Natsume only called for it when traveling.

Corviknight?

Left to sulk in the shadows.

Ah, just imagining it felt so, so satisfying.

And then...

"Return."

A flash of red light.

And Shiny Pidgeot was sucked back into its Poké Ball.

Natsume adjusted his wind-ruffled clothes, tucked his Rotom Phone into his pocket, and stepped into the city.

Most cities had strict regulations against trainers flying in on Pokémon without the proper licenses.

Even small towns had rules to prevent people from just riding their Pokémon straight in.

Unless you wanted to spend some quality time in a holding cell, it was best to follow the rules.

“Pokémon really are incredible creatures…”

Taking in the distinct architecture around him, Natsume couldn’t help but marvel.

Even after all these years, this world still amazed him.

Originally, he had thought about taking the bullet train here.

But then he realized—

Shiny Pidgeot was way faster.

So, halfway through his journey, he just had it fly him the rest of the way.

That was the Super Hisui Human™ experience for you.

Sure, Shiny Pidgeot’s speed was absurdly fast.

But the height and velocity?

No normal human could withstand it.

Even trained fighter pilots would struggle.

Yet, Natsume?

It was just another slightly thrilling experience.

At most, he’d describe it as an “exciting ride.”

Nothing a Super Hisuian Human couldn’t handle.

Sweeping his gaze around, Natsume confirmed—

Yep, this was the place.

Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti—

These three weren’t widely known in folklore.

Even in the age of the internet, they remained obscure.

Kind of like those niche local deities—

Famous only within their tiny villages.

It had taken Rotom a while to narrow this location down.

But now, here he was.

"Let’s see..."

Ignoring the curious stares of passersby, Natsume pulled up the compiled information on his phone.

In the original game’s version of the story, those three Pokémon were celebrated as heroes of Kitakami Village—

Even worshipped by the locals.

The mask-maker had tried to tell them the truth—

That they were thieves, not heroes.

But instead of listening, the villagers branded him a heretic and persecuted him.

Yep.

Classic Kitakami Villagers behavior.

Sure, it was "understandable" from their perspective…

But also?

Screw that.

A “misunderstanding” didn’t change the fact that the guy had been hunted down and punished for simply telling the truth.

Just those words—"persecuted as a heretic"—were enough to paint a clear picture.

In the real world, the situation had played out somewhat similarly.

Ogrepon was labeled a fearsome demon—

While Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti were hailed as heroes.

The difference?

Unlike the game, those three Pokémon were still alive.

Which meant—

They were still holding on to the stolen masks.

"The Well Mask, the Hearth Mask, and the Cornerstone Mask should all be with them."

"But the Verdant Mask… its location is still unknown."

When Ogrepon fled, it had somehow lost its last remaining mask along the way.

It had no idea where it had dropped it.

Its mind had been in a complete haze—

Lost in grief and despair.

It didn’t even remember how it lost the mask.

Compared to that mystery, the other three masks were easy to retrieve.

It was just like a video game.

Find the boss.

Defeat the boss.

Collect the loot.

Rubbing his chin (which had zero facial hair), Natsume thought for a moment.

Step one—talk to the locals.

People who’d lived here long enough might know something about old village legends.

Unfortunately, his external brain wasn’t with him this time.

That would’ve made things way easier.

For now, he’d just have to make do.

If he ran into trouble, he could always call for backup.

Tapping a Poké Ball twice, Natsume released Gallade.

"Alright, you’re filling in as my external brain today."

Patting Gallade on the shoulder, he entrusted it with a very serious task.

Gallade let out a long sigh.

Buddy, my own brain barely works.

And now you want me to be yours too?

...Well, if that’s what the boss wanted.

As for Ogrepon?

Natsume decided not to release it just yet.

Returning to the place where everything had fallen apart…

That wasn’t something he wanted to spring on it immediately.

Not until he had beaten down those three thieves and set the record straight.

Once that was done—

Then he’d let Ogrepon step forward.