Pokémon: Farm Story

Morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft glow on Mei’s face and bringing a hint of brightness to the dimly lit room.

“Mm…”

Feeling the warmth on her skin, Mei groggily opened her eyes, still somewhat dazed.

These past few days on the farm had given her a rare taste of a relaxed daily life. The barbecue party a few nights ago had been especially enjoyable.

Since becoming a Trainer, she hadn't experienced such leisure for a long time.

Every morning upon waking, she had to consider a whole list of things—her Pokémon’s training progress, the day's training plan, remaining funds, supplies needed before heading to the next city, and various other tasks.

Trainers were supposed to train while traveling.

But in this fiercely competitive world, "training while traveling"?

That was just a polite way of saying "intensive training, just in different locations."

Every day was spent in a state of high tension, keeping herself in peak condition, engaging in battles, and even providing psychological support for her Pokémon.

Yes, that was another essential skill for a Trainer.

Which was why most Trainers were incredibly good at talking.

Not necessarily with people—but definitely with Pokémon.

“Life here is nice…”

Mei rolled over, wrapping her arms around Serperior, who was curled up beside her, and buried her face in its soft, warm belly.

Unlike typical snake-like Pokémon, Serperior’s body wasn’t cold or slimy.

Instead, it carried a fresh, plant-like warmth—probably because it was a Grass-type Pokémon.

Feeling the smoothness of Serperior’s scales, Mei suddenly understood why Natsume liked to sleep while hugging his shiny Furret.

Because it was just too comfortable!

That being said, Natsume had recently mentioned that he wasn’t doing that as much anymore.

Which was strange.

Even in the summer heat, when the air conditioning was on full blast, he still hugged Furret while sleeping.

Yet now, with autumn setting in and the nights growing cooler, he had stopped.

Really weird.

She’d have to ask him about it later.

As she was mulling over this, a soft hissing sound came from beside her.

“Sssah?”

Serperior opened its eyes and glanced at Mei, sensing her movements.

Not waking up early again today?

These past few days, Mei had been sleeping in quite a bit.

“Just a little longer… Just a little bit…”

Her voice was muffled as she pressed her face against Serperior’s belly.

Ever since she became a Trainer, truly relaxed days like these had been rare.

All of her classmates, as well as the Trainers she had encountered, were relentlessly pushing themselves, as if something was constantly chasing them.

This made Mei instinctively tense up, pushing herself to grow stronger.

Traveling, special training, encountering new companions, growing stronger, and challenging Gyms.

After battles, reviewing strategies, replenishing supplies, traveling, training, fighting, growing stronger.

Day after day of training could make one lose themselves.

At some point, she even forgot why she had set foot on this path in the first place. The passion and excitement that once fueled her seemed to be wearing down bit by bit.

Mei had shown signs of this before.

Sometimes, she didn’t even understand why she was working so hard.

Maybe it was just because everyone else was doing it, and she was unconsciously swept along.

But now, she felt much more at ease.

"Mmm."

Having spent the second half of the night sleeping against the wall, Dewott stretched its stiff body.

It stole a glance at Mei, and upon seeing that she hadn’t noticed, it carefully, ever so quietly, lay down on the floor, pretending it had been in that position all along.

Dewott thought sleeping against the wall looked really cool—super cool.

But Mei never liked it when it slept that way.

So, during the first half of the night, Dewott would sleep properly, lying down like it was supposed to. Then, in the second half, it would secretly get up and switch to leaning against the wall.

Muscle soreness?

That was just another part of training!

As long as Mei didn’t catch on, it was fine.

Just a few more minutes of rest, then it would head out for training.

That was Dewott’s plan.

Lately, though, it had been considering whether it should just sleep normally.

Waking up sore every morning and then pushing through a full day of training... That was practically torture.

"Pupu!"

"Chuu!"

Compared to their two seniors, Pignite and Steenee were brimming with energy.

Yes, in the past couple of days, Tepig had evolved into Pignite.

Unlike its previous small, Holland pig-like form, Pignite now had a more imposing presence.

It had grown in many ways, even showing a slight change in willpower after evolving.

Though it still had a lazy streak, at least it no longer collapsed in despair after just a few minutes of training.

Now, it actually completed its training sessions properly. And, following Slowking’s advice, it even focused on strengthening its weaknesses.

"Pupu!"

Glancing at the still-sleeping Mei, Pignite and Steenee, now quite used to this, quietly left the room, carefully shutting the door behind them.

It was rare to see Mei so relaxed. Letting her sleep in a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

They could handle their morning training on their own.

About half an hour later, Mei finally summoned enough willpower to free herself from the clutches of her blanket.

Sun-dried blankets had an almost magical grip.

No matter who lay on them, they’d find themselves tightly bound.

And since Cinccino was a cleaning enthusiast, it always made sure to air out the blankets on sunny days.

"Morning, Natsume."

Still a little groggy, Mei came down the stairs in her pink pajamas. But upon spotting Natsume, she immediately woke up.

Not because of her own pajamas. No, strictly speaking, not because of what she was wearing.

After staying here for several days, she had gradually relaxed, no longer as self-conscious as she had been at first.

Sometimes, she even wandered around in her pajamas without a second thought.

Besides, her pajamas were quite modest—long-sleeved and full-length.

Wearing them at home wasn’t a big deal.

What woke her up was Natsume’s pajamas.

"Natsume..."

"What is it, Mei?"

"You actually look... kinda cute right now."

Mei covered her mouth, giggling as she looked at Natsume in his shark-patterned pajamas.

Two nights ago, Natsume had mentioned wanting to buy some pajamas.

So, with the guidance of the modern, fashion-conscious Mei, he ended up getting this.

Well, to be fair, Natsume did have a soft spot for quirky pajamas.

When he showed Mei his top picks, they included a dinosaur onesie, a green frog pajama set, and... a sleeping bag.

Why was a sleeping bag among the pajama options?

Simple—because Natsume liked it.

That’s just how guys are.

When buying things, they either prioritize practicality or pure amusement.

And in this case, Natsume had clearly gone with amusement.

As long as it was wearable, that was good enough.

"Really? I actually like this pajama set."

Pulling at the hem of his pajamas and adjusting his apron, Natsume’s tone carried a hint of something hard to describe.

This was the first time he had dressed like this in front of a girl.

It felt... weird.

But seeing that Mei didn’t seem to find it strange, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

In truth, he really did like this ridiculous little shark pajama set.

"It actually looks pretty nice."

"Natsume, you look really cute like this."

Mei grinned, quickly sitting down at the table.

It was quite a sight.

Guys liked looking at pretty girls.

But girls also enjoyed looking at handsome guys.

Natsume simply smiled at Mei’s comment, not offering any particular response.

There’s an old saying: If a girl says you’re handsome, she might just be being polite. But if guys say you’re handsome—bro, you really are.

"Alright, alright, enough flattery."

"Hurry up and eat, our beautiful, kind, gentle, elegant, generous, and considerate Mei."

"Oh my god, stop! That’s so embarrassing!"

This time, it was Mei’s turn to feel shy.

For some reason, she felt a mix of embarrassment and an inexplicable urge—an urge to smack Natsume.

And so, she did.

Her hand, no longer as delicate after all the training and traveling, lightly patted Natsume’s arm.

Not in anger—more like a playful gesture between close friends.

But the moment her hand withdrew, she suddenly realized that, given their current relationship, that might not have been entirely appropriate.

She quickly withdrew her hand and sat quietly at the table.

Fortunately, Natsume remained as oblivious as ever, seemingly unfazed by her actions.

Mei let out a long sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

If Natsume had reacted with surprise, she might’ve had to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"Weird. I don’t usually act like this."

Mei lightly patted her own cheeks, confused by her emotions.

Something felt off about herself today.

Her actions, her feelings—none of it seemed like how she normally behaved.

If this had happened any other day, she probably wouldn’t have reacted at all.

She also wouldn’t have any physical contact with a guy.

After all, Mei was a completely inexperienced, hopeless romantic.

Just a few months ago, she was still a lively, innocent high school girl.

Wait... that phrasing sounded a little weird.

"My face feels kinda hot."

"Did I catch a cold last night?"

Pressing the back of her hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth, Mei silently pondered.

For modern people, whenever they feel unwell—whether it’s a headache, stomachache, sore feet, aching waist, or even just general discomfort—the default explanation is always:

"Must’ve caught a chill from not covering up properly last night."

Of course, going to the hospital was still necessary.

Pain has a way of humbling even the most stubborn people.

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing Mei acting strangely, Natsume found it odd.

What’s up with this kid?

“It’s nothing, nothing.”

Mei waved her hands repeatedly, working hard to control her emotions before quickly changing the topic to brush past it.

Good, Natsume didn’t notice anything unusual.

Watching him clear the dining table, Mei let out a sigh of relief again.

It was really great that he hadn’t noticed anything.

But what Mei didn’t realize was that Natsume’s gaze had been sweeping over her, lingering on her cheek for two full seconds before he thoughtfully nodded, as if something had just clicked in his mind.

It had been mentioned before—Natsume was a pure-hearted boy whose single status had lasted as long as his lifespan.

No dating experience, no galgame experience.

The only unrelated female he had the most contact with was his teacher.

Whether his mind was pure was debatable, but his body certainly was.

However, that didn’t mean he was the typical dense protagonist.

Many anime leads have a special kind of obliviousness, especially when it comes to romance—they hesitate and remain frustratingly unaware.

Unfortunately, Natsume wasn’t like that.

He was the type who gave love-strategy advice to his dormmates, the tactical mastermind behind their relationships.

Even though this was his first time being so close to a girl himself,

Basic analysis was still within his skillset.

Romance required brainpower—this much, Natsume understood.

About half an hour later, both Natsume and Mei were ready to go, having changed into their outfits for the day.

“The special training will last for another two or three days.”

“After that, we’ll need to report to the competition venue.”

Dressed in his usual style, Natsume looked at Mei, who was sitting obediently on the sofa.

Though calling it his "usual style" wasn’t entirely accurate—it was more like his recent usual style.

In the past, he had been too lazy to bother coordinating his outfits.

As a result, his wardrobe had been a chaotic mix—either all black or a random combination of cargo pants and sports T-shirts.

But lately, there had been some changes.

Under Mei’s suggestions, Natsume had started experimenting with different styles.

Today, he wore a white mandarin-collar shirt layered with a beige wool cardigan, paired with pure black suit pants.

The overall look was relaxed and casual.

Mei approved of his top,

But as for the pants, she thought a matching color scheme might be better.

Unfortunately, Natsume still preferred black pants.

Maybe a pair of gold-rimmed glasses would complete the look?

Mei had actually suggested he try a more trendy style before,

But Natsume had firmly refused.

When it came to clothing, he had his own principles.

Flashy outfits were absolutely unacceptable.

Natsume preferred solid-colored clothes.

At least for now.

Back in his chuunibyou phase, he had loved shirts with cat motifs on the back.

And jackets with mismatched colors on both sides.

Mei had no particular comment on that.

Sometimes, saying nothing was already saying a lot.

“Mm-hmm.”

“When the time comes, we’ll be rivals.”

Mei nodded firmly, eyes burning with determination.

A flame called fighting spirit.

She had said before that she couldn’t imagine winning against Natsume.

Even if she sent out all her Pokémon at once, they’d be wiped out together—she had witnessed that scene many times recently.

But!@@novelbin@@

A true Trainer never gives up so easily.

If she didn’t even dare to challenge him, then victory would never be possible.

Besides, her Serperior and the others had been training incredibly hard.

Even if she doubted herself, she had to trust in them.

Last night, Mei had held Serperior close, chatting with her partners for a long time.

They talked about their hopes for the future, about the upcoming battle.

Compared to her own uncertainty, her Pokémon were brimming with confidence.

Whether they could win was uncertain, but they were eager to test the fruits of their training.

Just training alone wasn’t enough to satisfy Pokémon who had already tasted victory.

Though it might not sound nice to say—

That moment when an opponent falls, when their dreams and goals are shattered—

The exhilaration and fulfillment from that moment are unparalleled.

Once you’ve experienced it, you can’t help but crave more.

Call it crushing someone else’s dreams, or whatever else.

It didn’t matter.

At the end of the day, battle is a cruel thing. No matter how many dreamers step forward, there will only ever be one champion.

The rest will become stepping stones beneath the victor’s feet.

Thus, the hunger for victory was completely justified.

There was nothing shameful about it.

Every Trainer knew and believed in this truth.

After a long talk with her Pokémon, Mei fell asleep feeling content.

She knew the chances of winning were slim—probably impossible.

But that was something to worry about after the fight.

“Let’s go see how their training is going.”

Natsume and Mei each mounted a Gogoat and headed toward the training grounds.

Sure, teleporting there instantly with Gardevoir or Slowking would have been more convenient.

But life isn’t all about efficiency, is it?

If sightseeing was just about the view, you could just look it up on your phone.

Yet people still choose to travel in person.

Seeing a beautiful sight is the goal, but the journey itself is just as important.

“They’re probably already going at it full force.”

Mei could already picture Serperior and the others training with burning intensity.

Aside from the more playful trash-talk endurance training,

There was plenty of serious practice too—

Physical conditioning, move proficiency, new battle techniques, move combinations, simulated emergency responses in battle.

They were training diligently in all aspects.

Not just Mei’s Pokémon, but also the ones at Natsume’s farm.

Take that shiny Furret, for example.

Rather than helping Serperior and the others with special training,

It was more like it had simply included them in its own daily routine.

Whether they could keep up was another matter entirely.

Upon arriving at the training grounds, they were met with an unsurprising scene of intense action.

Serperior was working hard to adjust to its evolved body.

With the change in size, its fighting style had naturally shifted as well.

Its improved stats and new moves from evolution had opened up a range of new combat possibilities.

Pignite was going through the same process.

As their Trainer, Mei had spent the past few days refining battle strategies for them.

She had considered their evolved battle styles before,

But those were just general guidelines taken from online research.

Every Pokémon was unique—no two fought exactly the same way.

Personality, habits, physique, battle preferences—these all played a role.

So, the battle plans had to be adjusted accordingly, tailored to their natural growth and available moves.

Mei had been completely swamped with all this.

Normally, Slowking was very considerate and helped with everything,

But in this case, he showed no intention of interfering.

“I’m just a regular old Pokémon, man. Not my job to do a Trainer’s work.”

That was Slowking’s official stance in Coach Mode.

In reality, he just didn’t want to get involved in such a hassle.

At the end of the day, he wasn’t even Mei’s Pokémon.

Jumping into another Trainer’s battle planning seemed inappropriate,

And it would probably lead to all kinds of future complications.

After all, devising strategies for one’s own Pokémon was a deeply personal task.

It required revealing all their strengths, weaknesses, and growth plans.

Asking someone else to do it was essentially handing over all your battle data.

Stepping into that space uninvited? Yeah… probably not a great idea.

Although there had been some subtle signs, Slowking still preferred not to get involved.

Not just signs—so what if they actually got married?

Marriage was never the end, but rather a new beginning.

The days ahead were long.

Who knew what would happen?

"Absol?"

Just as Mei and Natsume were discussing the upcoming tournament, Absol suddenly appeared before them, its face filled with unease and urgency.

"Absol?"

Natsume was a little surprised.

In truth, ever since being captured, Absol had never been particularly close to him.

It wasn’t that it disliked Natsume—it simply preferred being alone.

Much like some people who don’t necessarily dislike their classmates and can get along just fine with them, but when it comes to gatherings, they'd rather skip and enjoy a quiet meal alone.

Most of the time, Absol roamed the farm on its own, wandering around in deserted areas and putting on an aloof demeanor as it pondered life.

It only showed up when Natsume specifically sought it out.

Even during mealtimes, it preferred to find its own berries to eat.

Taking into account the eating habits of certain Pokémon, Natsume had set aside a section of the berry grove as a self-service dining area for the Pokémon on the farm.

The rest of the berries were sold outside—this portion would simply be for internal consumption.

That was the plan at the time.

"Did something happen?"

Crouching down, Natsume gazed at Absol seriously.

Even if this Pokémon had some personality quirks, it was still an Absol.

And Absols never joked about things like this.

"Absol," it murmured.

Something is coming from the north.

That presence… it feels familiar.

It’s the Pokémon that destroyed the forest.

Lowering its head, Absol spoke in a hushed voice.

No matter how much it might despise that creature, there was no denying its power.

Right now, Absol was deeply unsettled.