Pokémon: Farm Story

In the depths of the forest, a hulking humanoid figure charged forward like a wild beast, recklessly crashing through the underbrush toward Natsume.

Each step sent tremors rippling through the ground.

Its eyes gleamed with an eerie light, like two ghostly flames flickering in the dim forest.

Thick branches snapped effortlessly beneath its onslaught, leaves scattered in all directions, as if an unexpected storm had swept through the woods.

It was as though some ancient, primeval beast was about to emerge from the shadows at any moment.

Yet, faced with a scene that would have made most trainers nervous, Natsume merely cast a calm glance in its direction.

"Persian."

At the sound of Natsume's voice, the Persian standing protectively in front of him shot forward like a comet.

The shift from complete stillness to explosive motion took less than a heartbeat.

Its razor-sharp claws extended from between its paw pads, momentarily wreathed in a white gleam before the light was absorbed back into them.

To the untrained eye, it seemed as if nothing had changed.

But the faint glint of cold steel along its claws made its lethality unmistakable.

Just seconds after Persian dove into the thicket, a thunderous impact rang out.

"Boom—!"

The sound was like a giant drum being struck, or perhaps the toll of a massive bell.

Standing before Persian was a bipedal canine Pokémon.

Though described as a "canine," it looked more like a burly man covered in thick fur, with the head of a dog.

Its upper body was robust and powerful, while its lower half appeared slightly short and stocky.

"Grugh…"

Gouging out a trench in the earth as it tumbled back, the Okidogi clutched its head, disbelief flashing in its eyes.

It had intended to make a dramatic entrance, delivering a shocking first strike to these intruders who had suddenly appeared.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, that Persian’s slap had nearly sent its skull flying off its shoulders.

Slowly, Okidogi pulled itself upright, spreading its arms slightly and lowering its center of gravity into a defensive stance as it locked eyes with Persian.

A searing pain throbbed at its forehead.

Warm droplets of blood trickled out.

Yet Okidogi dared not lift a hand to wipe them away. Instead, it furrowed its brow, tensing its muscles to prevent the blood from running into its eyes.

There was no doubt about it—this opponent was dangerous.

If it let its guard down even for a moment, the battle could be over in an instant.

Persian, meanwhile, remained utterly calm as it gazed at the recovering Okidogi.

Natsume said this guy might be a Legendary Pokémon—a mythical beast.

So, not being able to take it down with a single slap was understandable.

But its strength… was so weak.

Recalling the sensation from earlier, Persian felt that this guy hardly lived up to the title of a Legendary Pokémon.

So far, this was the second weakest Legendary Persian had ever encountered, tied with that monkey from earlier.

The weakest? That would be the newborn Phione.

And Persian suspected that once the Phione on the farm grew up, it could probably smack this guy around too.

Paws stepping lightly over the tangled grass, Persian strolled leisurely around Okidogi, like taking a casual walk after a meal.

Its expression was utterly relaxed.

But for Okidogi, this was anything but a pleasant experience.

Right now, the pressure weighing down on it was immense.

For wild Pokémon, battles were never easy or fun.

Pokémon caught by trainers could fight until a certain point, then be taken back for rest and recovery.

But wild Pokémon?

Their battles were always a matter of life and death.

Even if they barely managed to win, heavily injured Pokémon wouldn’t survive long in the wild.

"Rrraaaahhh!!"

At a certain moment, Okidogi’s nerves finally snapped.

A barely audible snap echoed in its mind.

Then came the enormous roar.

Dark-type energy surged through its voice, forming a tangible shockwave as it blasted toward Persian.

Snarl.

An attack that also lowered the opponent’s Special Attack.

But against Persian, it meant nothing.

Special Attack? It barely used that stat anyway.

Lowering it was pointless.

Even without moves, it could still slap you into next week.

Use moves to fight you?

Who do you think you are, kid?

"Grah!"

Lowering its stance like a charging linebacker, Okidogi burst forward, energy surrounding it like a blazing comet.

Its momentum screamed confidence—unstoppable, dominant.

Okidogi knew its strengths well.

The opponent looked like a Normal-type.

If it could land a hit, there was a good chance of poisoning this guy.

Then, it could drag the fight out, relying on its durability to wear the opponent down.

In the end, victory would be certain.

That was the ideal scenario.

Facing this supposedly fearsome charge, Persian suddenly shifted from its relaxed state.

In an instant, an overwhelming burst of speed erupted.

Okidogi only saw a blur—then Persian vanished from sight.

At that moment, Okidogi instinctively tried to halt its charge.

That’s when it realized—

Against an opponent this much faster, attacking head-on was a mistake.

Especially when it had no means to restrict the opponent’s movement.

Damn.

That thought had just formed when—bam!

A massive force struck from behind.

Instead of stopping, its body accelerated—no, it was sent flying.

Mid-air, Okidogi barely managed to turn its head.

Just in time to see Persian casually retract its paw, landing lightly on the ground.

It even had time to leisurely lick its claws.

Persian lowered its front paw—then vanished again.

This time, it reappeared in front of Okidogi.

Same force.

Same angle.

Another clean hit.

Then Persian moved again.

Repeatedly, Okidogi was struck mid-air, bouncing back and forth like a pinball in a video game, unable to touch the ground.

And Persian?

By now, it had completely disappeared from sight.

Okidogi had never felt such agony.

If this were a game, its status screen would probably just say "Launched."

Finally—

Like a cat losing interest in its toy, Persian casually swiped one last time, sending Okidogi crashing into the ground.

A loud boom! followed.

Amidst the dust cloud, Okidogi twitched once, then went limp.

Its expression was neither peaceful nor relieved—

Only pain.

Pure, unfiltered pain.

Every single attack from Persian had been aimed squarely at its head.

If Persian had gone just a little harder, Okidogi’s skull might have flown off like a volleyball.

Just the head.

Even with restraint, it was too much for Okidogi to endure.

Wait… Did I just smack this guy into a coma?

Staring at the twitching Okidogi lying in a crater, Persian suddenly wondered if it had overdone it.

If this guy was brain-damaged, what then?

It was Natsume’s loot, after all.

Whether or not Natsume would catch it was one thing, but he still needed to interrogate it.

If it got knocked dumb, how was that supposed to work?

He couldn’t exactly ask, "Hey, do you know where the mask is?" while staring at a drooling idiot.

That would be... bizarre.

After a few moments of hesitation, Persian decided not to hit Okidogi again.

Some Pokémon just look like troublemakers at first glance.

Okidogi was definitely one of those.

Not ugly, per se. Definitely better-looking than the shifty-looking Munkidori.

But still far from handsome or cool.

That said, some people liked this "bad boy" aesthetic.

Some trainers preferred Pokémon that looked tough and intimidating.

They called it "presence."

Strictly speaking, that was true.

No matter how stern and imposing an old businessman looked—

The moment he tossed out a Sylveon, Alcremie, or Skitty—

His whole serious image would instantly collapse.

On the flip side, if a cute little girl sent out a Metagross, Aggron, or Hydreigon—

Nobody would treat her like just another kid.

Strength and battle style mattered.

So did resources.

Those three Pokémon? They were resource hogs.

Only the wealthiest trainers could afford to raise them properly.

Back to the present—

Just as Persian was lost in thought, a streak of pink light zipped toward it.

With a dramatic tail flick, the figure skidded to a stop in front of Persian.

Kicking up a bit of dirt right into Okidogi’s unconscious face.

"Furr!"

Natsume sent me to haul this guy back!

Standing up on its hind legs, the shiny Furret struck a heroic pose.

Cute, right?

Pink, fluffy, long like a body pillow.

But beneath that soft fur?

Pure muscle.

The kind that could punch through walls.

Natsume hadn’t hugged the shiny Furret in a long time—honestly, the texture was just too peculiar.

"Meow."

After glancing at the shiny Furret, Persian silently stepped aside, giving up its spot.

This idiot…

At some point, this guy had started heading straight down the path of a hot-blooded fool.

And Persian had always made sure to keep its distance.

Every single time they crossed paths, this overly enthusiastic idiot would eagerly invite Persian to join its special training sessions.

Damn it, do you not understand that cats need their sleep?!

You think everyone has the same endless energy as you?!

Internally grumbling, Persian simply watched as the shiny Furret hoisted Okidogi onto its shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

After hyping itself up with a motivational flex, it began dragging Okidogi toward Natsume’s direction.

Persian followed closely behind, keeping a sharp eye on Okidogi.

The moment that guy showed even the slightest sign of waking up—

Persian would slap it back into unconsciousness.

Physical sleep induction, kid.

"Furr!"

Natsume, Natsume! I'm back!

Without hesitation, the shiny Furret tossed Okidogi aside, then launched itself at Natsume with a headlong charge, ramming straight into his arms with a headbutt of love.

Once securely nestled against Natsume, it wasted no time rubbing against him, pushing its head under his hand to ensure it got head pats.

This was self-service petting.

Pokémon needed to learn to fight for what they wanted.

"Alright, alright. You worked hard, shiny Furret."

"And you too, Persian."

Natsume steadied himself from the impact, taking a step back as he chuckled and rubbed the shiny Furret’s ears.

Off to the side, Persian merely rolled its eyes.

All these years, and you still only say the same few lines?

How about something practical for once?

A special meal tonight would be much more useful.

Besides, I’ve been with you for over a decade.

Your weak, uninspired attempts at persuasion—who else even entertains them besides me?

Despite all these thoughts running through its head, Persian maintained its cool and dignified demeanor.

After all, in the hierarchy of the farm, it ranked just below Natsume.

The true second-in-command.

A proud cat had to keep its pride.

With an aloof tilt of its head, Persian strutted over and lay down beside Natsume, letting out a long yawn.

It remained completely unfazed by the shiny Furret’s affectionate antics.

The farm was always filled with Pokémon vying for Natsume’s attention.

Like that cat-and-mouse duo that had been fighting fiercely over his affection lately.

Pokémon that got to sleep beside Natsume changed all the time—

But Persian?

It had always been the one curled up at his feet.

That’s real status.

Even as it told itself to stay cool, the tip of its tail still flicked unconsciously.

Its gaze briefly swept over the unconscious Okidogi and the Munkidori, who was currently being used as a chair by Mew.

Yet, Persian felt no tension.

This was its second time facing a Legendary.

The first was against Ting-Lu—back then, it had actually felt some nerves.

Over the years, Persian had realized it was different from most Pokémon.

But exactly how strong it was? What its true limits were?

It had no idea.

After all, spending its days blasting fish out of ponds wasn’t exactly a real test of strength.

Back in its early days, Persian had climbed the ranks, taking down every opponent from kindergarten to high school.

Forget students—even the teachers’ Pokémon had been defeated.

But that never gave it a true sense of challenge.

Never let it see its own limits.

Only after fighting Ting-Lu did Persian feel like it had glimpsed something deeper.

The stagnation in its growth had finally started moving again.

And now—looking at these so-called Legendaries, who were shockingly weak—

Something inside Persian stirred.

So what if they’re Legends?

Titles don’t decide battles.

Power does.

Legends?

Hah. I almost smacked this one’s skull off with two slaps.

Even weaker than shiny Furret.

At that moment—Persian took a step forward in its growth.

That newfound clarity fueled its progression, pushing it to evolve.

Though still lying on the ground, its muscles instinctively adjusted, growing, shifting—

Evolving into a form even better suited for battle.

When its growth finally slowed again—

Its strength might just shock everyone.

--

"Alright, let’s see what our little thief has to say."

"Gallade, wake it up."

Natsume clapped his hands and looked toward Gallade.

Without hesitation, Gallade raised a hand—blue energy surged forth.

A Psychic Shock blasted straight into Okidogi’s mind.

It wasn’t even a move.

Just a small application of psychic force—

Like cramming an overwhelming flood of thoughts directly into its brain.

The throbbing pain jolted Okidogi awake.

"Woof!"

Clutching its head, Okidogi let out its first-ever actual dog-like bark.

That must’ve really hurt.

Overwhelmed by pain, it instinctively reached out, grasping at empty air—

Thud!

A foot slammed down on Okidogi’s head.

Gallade’s expression was utterly cold.

Its eyes flashed with a chilling light, arm blades gleaming menacingly.

From its perspective—Okidogi’s reaching hand was resistance.

Whether intentional or not—Gallade didn’t care.

The only thing that mattered?

Okidogi had reached close enough to touch Natsume.

Even setting aside emotions—Gallade wouldn’t let anyone harm Natsume.

Where else would they ever find a better trainer than him?

"Gallade, relax."

"I still have some questions for it."

At Natsume’s words, Gallade pulled its foot away, though its sharp gaze remained fixed on Okidogi.

Meanwhile, Okidogi lay on the ground, looking utterly miserable—

But Natsume didn’t seem concerned in the slightest.

He trusted his Pokémon.

And honestly—

Three-on-one, and they barely managed to steal something from a human?

Who exactly do you think you can fight, little guy?

If not for the surprise attack, and the fact that Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti had all rushed him at once—

Natsume was pretty sure that Hisuian trainer from the games could have taken them out one by one.

Three versus one, and you still couldn’t finish the job?

That’s just embarrassing.

"Guh…"

Holding its head, Okidogi shuddered, terror filling its eyes as it looked at Natsume.

For a moment—

It had almost seen the other side.

A river.

A small boat drifting along it.

And a Pokémon on the far shore, waving at it.

A chill ran down its spine.

Sitting up obediently, Okidogi waited for Natsume’s questions.

It didn’t think escape was possible—

Not after getting slapped half to death by Persian.

Then its eyes drifted toward Munkidori, who was still being sat on by a tiny Flabébé.

For a brief second, Okidogi looked…confused.

Bro…

How did you end up like this?

Getting completely overpowered by such a harmless-looking Pokémon?

Please never tell anyone we were on the same team.

…Wait, I got beat up by a cat?

…Never mind, we’re all equally disgraced.

"Were you acting under the orders of another Pokémon?"

Natsume cut straight to the point.

While Persian was beating the daylights out of Okidogi, Natsume had already interrogated Munkidori.

Between the relevant game knowledge and what Munkidori spilled, Natsume felt pretty confident he had the truth.

But this was the real world—

It never hurt to double-check.

The last thing he wanted was a dumb mistake caused by bias.

"…!"

Okidogi stiffened.

Its gaze darted nervously.

Clearly—it didn’t know how to answer.

Then, in that brief hesitation—

Its eyes met Munkidori's.

And in that instant—

It understood something.