Pokémon: Farm Story

According to some Pokémon in the forest, they had seen a similar mask at a small, somewhat dilapidated shrine on the outskirts of town.

It closely resembled the one Gardevoir had described.

Though they couldn’t be certain, Gardevoir figured it was at least a lead.

Even if the mask being worshipped wasn’t the real Verdant Mask, the people there must have seen it before.

After all, to the locals, the ones being worshipped at the shrine were Okidogi, Fezandipiti, and Munkidori.

In their eyes, the masks belonged to these three.

If they found a similar-looking mask, it wasn’t surprising they mistook it for a lost relic and placed it in the shrine.

As absurd as it sounded, the locals truly believed that offering tributes to these three would bring them blessings.

Worshiping Fezandipiti was said to bring good fortune and smooth success in all endeavors.

Worshiping Okidogi was believed to grant talent and financial prosperity.

And worshiping Munkidori… supposedly nurtured kindness and improved one’s relationships with others.

The first two were debatable.

But that last one?

Seriously?

Just look at that brute—built like a tank, all muscle, no grace.

What part of it screams kindness?

A short-tempered, impulsive Pokémon with terrible social skills, and you think worshiping it will help your relationships?

…Well.

Wishful thinking, I suppose.

But they’re praying to the wrong one.

If they really wanted a proper deity, they might as well put up a statue of Arceus.

At least that one, after patching things up, actually exudes divine authority.

That was my avatar getting wrecked—what’s it got to do with me, the real Arceus?

“Alright, let’s go take a look.”

Recalling the Pokémon following him, Natsume turned to Mega Gardevoir at his side.

Before leaving, he made sure to give a few words of encouragement to Corviknight and the Shiny Furret.

That reassured Corviknight quite a bit.

As expected, Natsume still values me.

He’d reward himself later with a short binge of light novels.

Lately, he’d been so hooked on them that he was slacking on his trash-talking training.

That wouldn’t do. He needed to stay diligent.

As Corviknight was recalled, he made a mental note: time to go lurk on the forums and refuel his vocabulary.

There was something undeniably satisfying about browsing flame wars.

At least, for those who enjoyed the spectacle.

As long as he wasn’t the one being flamed, every argument was just another source of entertainment.

“Gardevoir?”

“Garde.”

Still in its Mega Evolution form, Gardevoir gently placed a hand on Natsume’s shoulder.

Perhaps because Mega Evolution required perfect synchronization between Trainer and Pokémon, a deeper connection had formed between them.

Using Teleport while maintaining Mega Evolution barely drained any energy at all.

It felt almost no different from using Teleport alone.

Most Trainers wouldn’t keep their Pokémon in a Mega state for long—it was too exhausting, even for them.

But for Natsume?

Exhaustion? What exhaustion?

Who do you think you’re underestimating? I could Mega Evolve two more times!

With its heightened power and vastly increased psychic energy, Mega Gardevoir easily locked onto their destination.

In an instant, the scenery shifted before Natsume’s eyes.

A small, worn-down shrine, clearly still in use despite its age, appeared before him.

The shrine’s roof was covered in faded blue tiles, many of which were cracked or missing, exposing the rotting wooden beams beneath.

When the wind passed through, faint creaking sounds could be heard as the tiles shifted slightly.

Faint traces of murals remained on the walls, their colors long faded, leaving only barely discernible outlines of deities.

Perhaps, many years ago, this place had been a flourishing temple, its incense burning day and night.

But now, it had been left behind, a forgotten relic in the corner of the world.

Only a few nearby families might occasionally visit.

They would light incense, offering silent prayers, seeking the protection of some unknown deity.

Stepping inside, where one would normally expect to see a statue or sacred relic—

Instead, a vibrant green mask sat in quiet reverence.

Just from its appearance alone, it looked like a fearsome demon.

"Ah, found it."

Seeing the Verdant Mask enshrined before him, Natsume's expression lit up with satisfaction.

With this, all of Ogerpon's masks had finally been recovered.

Another promise fulfilled.

Back when Ogerpon first arrived at the farm, Natsume had promised to help it retrieve its lost masks.

"Uhma!"

Ogerpon leapt out of its Poké Ball, practically radiating excitement—today was undeniably its lucky day.

Not only had it reclaimed all its masks, but it had also acquired a trove of new treasures.

Yes, before leaving Pecharunt's hut, Ogerpon had, with a grand gesture—

Completely ignoring Pecharunt's wails—stuffed all of its collections into Natsume’s backpack.

From now on, they were Ogerpon’s treasures!

What a great day! Its collection had expanded once again.

"Uhma!"

Leaping forward, it eagerly pressed its face against the mask, rubbing against it like an affectionate reunion.

Back then, it had left in such a rush, its mood in shambles.

Somehow, in all the chaos, it had lost track of its mask.

Even Ogerpon itself had no idea where it had gone.

But now, it was finally home.

"Should we leave a replica or something?"

Looking at the now-empty altar, Natsume inspected the shrine.

It seemed that people did come to pay their respects here, albeit infrequently.

But still, taking the mask outright might lead to unnecessary trouble.

And Natsume wasn’t fond of trouble.

Would it be better to explain things, or just leave a replica behind?

"We’ll see how it goes."

With a clap of his hands, he prepared to leave the shrine with Ogerpon.

Only to find himself blocked at the door.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

A teenager in sportswear stood before him, eyeing him warily.

The town wasn’t exactly big, but it wasn’t so small that he knew everyone.

Still, this shrine was so remote that only a handful of people ever came here—

And he knew all of them.

Mostly elderly folks.

Certainly no one like Natsume.

Strictly speaking, he wouldn’t have come either—

If not for his grandmother constantly dragging him here.

Frankly, he couldn’t care less about all these myths and legends.

At the end of the day, they were just particularly strong Pokémon.

The younger generation’s attitude toward these stories was always complicated.

"I scoff at superstition, yet I kneel before the God of Wealth"—such was modern pragmatism.

"I’m just a passing Trainer," Natsume decided to explain, though he altered the story slightly.

"I came to retrieve the Verdant Mask from the shrine."

"That mask originally belonged to my Pokémon—it was just lost here by accident."

As he spoke, he released Okidogi, Fezandipiti, and Munkidori.

Then, after a brief pause, he released Pecharunt as well.

At a glance, it was obvious that these four Pokémon shared some kind of connection.

After all, in local folklore, the masks were said to belong to the "Loyal Three."

That belief was deeply ingrained in the community.

If he tried to explain that the masks actually belonged to Ogerpon, things would get messy.

And nearly impossible to clarify.

Like trying to explain to certain people that a festival or tradition they thought was theirs actually wasn’t—

You’d have to start with historical evidence, trace origins, and even then, they might still refuse to accept it.

It just wasn’t worth the effort.

A little deception made conversations go much smoother.

And strictly speaking, Natsume hadn’t lied.

He had only said the Verdant Mask belonged to his Pokémon.

He never specified which one.

The others were simply… enjoying some fresh air.

Okidogi and Fezandipiti, meanwhile, wore expressions like they had just eaten dirt.

This was miserable.

They had been living perfectly fine in the forest—

Only to get mercilessly beaten up, captured, and packed away by this human.

It was unacceptable.

But there was nothing they could do about it.

Because they simply couldn’t win.

Not against any of Natsume’s Pokémon.

Not even against Natsume himself.

Okidogi had tested that firsthand—

And its forehead had suffered three direct blows in a single day as a result.

If not for its naturally tough physique and the emergency healing afterward,

It might have already reincarnated into another world by now.

So even if they were unhappy, they dared not show it.

Otherwise, there would be consequences.

Even now, Okidogi could feel something watching it from behind.

Mega Gardevoir’s cold, unwavering stare.

(Mega Gardevoir’s gaze.)

Thus, the four Pokémon Natsume released all looked increasingly miserable.

Pecharunt, whose entire collection had been plundered.

Fezandipiti, whose once-pristine feathers were now singed black.

Okidogi, whose forehead had barely survived three near-shattering blows.

And Munkidori, who had been tossed around so violently it still felt like it was on a roller coaster.

But the teenager hadn’t noticed any of that.

His focus was on something else entirely—

The legends had come to life.

Right before his eyes.

Just moments ago, he had been skeptical, dismissing them as just strong Pokémon.

But now?

Seeing them in person, he couldn’t bring himself to say those words again.

Legends were legends, after all.

Even if their combat ability was… disappointing.

"Holy…"

"A-actually, um…"

Faced with the overwhelming reality of the moment, the teenager hesitated.

Then, after a few seconds of internal struggle, he asked timidly—

"Can I… take a picture with them?"

Natsume agreed without hesitation.

After the photo, he also asked the teen for a favor—

If anyone came to worship and found the mask missing, just tell them the "Loyal Three" had taken it back.

Otherwise, it would cause unnecessary trouble.

People who visited these shrines often tended to have a certain level of devotion—sometimes bordering on fanaticism.

With that settled, Natsume stretched lazily as he watched the boy leave.

"All done. Time to head back."

This whole affair had wrapped up neatly.

Not only had he recovered Ogerpon’s mask, but he’d also walked away with four "legendary" Pokémon.

Their battle power was… debatable.

But at the very least, they were usable.

As for their feelings?

They were tools. There was no need to consider that.

At least, for now.

"Come out, Pidgeot."

Throwing a Poké Ball, a dazzling, golden Shiny Pidgeot emerged into the clearing.

Stretching its wings, the Pidgeot’s gaze was tinged with disappointment.

It had hoped for a chance to fight.

So, in the end, it was just about being a mount.

Oh well, this was still a huge step forward.

Once upon a time, the Shiny Pidgeot’s goal in life was simply to be the boss of its flock, gather a harem, and enjoy its bird life to the fullest.

Then, it started thinking about getting more delicious food from Natsume.

But now, the Shiny Pidgeot felt like it might have more to strive for.

Like… fighting for Natsume, perhaps?

Not long ago, Slowking had privately held a small meeting with some of the Pokémon on the farm.

Given the way the farm was developing, there was a good chance many challengers would come knocking in the future.

After all, Natsume was already considering the idea of running a Gym.

That meant they needed more battle-ready Pokémon.

They couldn’t just send out Persian, Corviknight, or Gardevoir—Pokémon that were already beyond the normal level range—against every challenger, right?

Wouldn’t that be a bit too cruel for the visiting trainers?

Shiny Pidgeot wasn’t sure if the other Pokémon had really taken Slowking’s words to heart.

But it had.

And it was genuinely working toward that goal.

"Let's go."

After recalling the other Pokémon into their Poké Balls, Natsume stepped onto Shiny Pidgeot’s back.

Once he adjusted his posture, he patted its neck lightly.

The Rotom Phone, which had been tucked inside Natsume’s pocket, flew out on its own and switched to navigation mode to guide Shiny Pidgeot.

Okidogi had once assumed it stood no chance against any of Natsume’s Pokémon, but upon further thought, it realized that wasn’t quite true.

At the very least, it could probably take down the Rotom Phone.

Not that it really mattered.

Once Natsume was securely seated, Shiny Pidgeot flapped its wings.

In an instant, it shot into the sky, becoming a tiny black speck that was nearly invisible from the ground.

Mew, which had transformed back into a Flabébé, perched on Natsume’s head.

Feeling the strong gusts of wind, Mew stretched out a tiny paw and used Psychic to create a wind barrier around Natsume.

Inside the barrier, there wasn’t even the slightest breeze.

It felt as calm as if he were still standing on solid ground.

"Thanks, Mew."

Natsume gently tapped Mew on the head with a finger.

Then, he pulled out another phone from his pocket.

The phone inhabited by Rotom was one Natsume had specifically prepared for it.

His personal phone, of course, was off-limits to Rotom.

After all, in this day and age, a phone was a highly private possession.

Even close friends wouldn’t casually go through each other’s phones.

I mean, would you be okay with your Pokémon checking your search history?

Unless you always used incognito mode.

For Natsume, it was an absolute no-go.

"Mew~"

Noticing Natsume’s actions, Mew squinted slightly, its expression carrying a hint of amusement.

Just from that one move, it already knew what Natsume was about to do.

Yep, this was what love-struck humans were like.

Wait, had they even made their relationship official yet?

Natsume sure was slow.

A real man should be decisive! Charge forward and confess already!

Establish the relationship, fall head over heels in love!

Complete the transition from a boy to a man!

That was how a mature man should act!

As if trying to cheer Natsume on, Mew—still in its Flabébé form—started punching his head excitedly.

Then, Natsume grabbed it and stuffed it back into his pocket.

After all, from that angle, the contents of his phone screen would be completely visible.

Letting a Pokémon see his chat history… that was kind of embarrassing.

If Pokémon couldn’t understand human language, maybe it wouldn’t be such a big deal.

But the problem was that Natsume could communicate with Pokémon effortlessly.

No matter what they said, he could understand it perfectly.

It was just like talking to another human.

In fact, sometimes it was even easier than talking to actual people.

And because they could communicate, the embarrassment of having his messages exposed was amplified.

"Mew!"

Mew protested from inside the pocket.

But it was soon pacified with the promise of a feast.

When it came to Natsume’s cooking, Mew had complete faith.

Thinking happily about tomorrow’s meal, the Flabébé-formed Mew lay snugly in Natsume’s pocket.

This was the life.

Compared to this, staying inside a tree all day… what kind of existence was that?

Boring and uneventful.

Nothing to do at all.

The human world was way more fun.

Natsume sent a photo of Ogerpon hugging its masks to Mei.

Meanwhile, in her Pokémon Center room, Mei suddenly sat upright.

The abrupt movement sent Chimecho, which had been resting on her stomach, flying off.

"Chime?"

Chimecho stared at Mei in confusion.

What’s going on?

Why the sudden excitement?

But after seeing Mei’s expression, Chimecho understood.

It must be a message from Natsume.

Ah, this was the look of a woman in love.

Rubbing its head, Chimecho quietly floated off to rest elsewhere.

Today was a rest day.

Mei had planned to take it easy and give her Pokémon a break too.

She hadn’t expected Natsume to message her out of the blue.

And it was a photo of Ogerpon hugging its masks.

Mei knew what Natsume had gone out to do today.

That was why she hadn’t texted him—she didn’t want to disturb him while he was focused.

Mei didn’t like the idea of constantly messaging someone when they were busy.

It felt selfish.

Not only was it impolite, but it was also disrespectful.

Especially when the other person had already told you they were occupied.

[Mei: So, all of Ogerpon’s masks have been recovered?]

[Natsume: Yep. And I even caught a few of the culprits while I was at it.]

[Natsume: Originally, I was just going to send them straight off for reincarnation, but Ogerpon actually decided to let them go.]

[Mei: I see. Ogerpon really is such a kind-hearted kid.]

Mhm.

The same Ogerpon that planned to go beat up Pecharunt and its gang every week felt that it was, indeed, very kind-hearted.

At the very least, it had spared their lives.

As Natsume sat on Shiny Pidgeot’s back, he and Mei continued their casual conversation.

There was no specific topic.

They just talked about whatever came to mind.

It had started with the masks, but by the time Shiny Pidgeot reached the farm’s airspace, their conversation had drifted to ancient mythology.

"Pidg!"

After circling the sky once, Shiny Pidgeot began its descent.

As it lowered in altitude, its wingbeats became slower and more controlled, its movements more graceful.

It adjusted its posture, head tilting slightly forward, talons reaching out gently.

Gliding down, it made a smooth landing, its wings folding neatly at its sides.

The whole process looked elegant and effortless.

Under the sunlight, Shiny Pidgeot gleamed like a golden statue.

Hah, with landings this smooth, it was sure to win over a whole flock of admirers.

…Except no one was looking.

Not the humans.

Not the Pokémon.

After touching down, Natsume jumped off and waved his hand, releasing his Pokémon.

Aside from a few special ones, most of them were dismissed to go about their own business.

But Ogerpon, who had just reclaimed its masks, wasn’t ready to leave yet.

It wanted to stay by Natsume’s side a little longer.

To make things easier for Ogerpon, Natsume had even prepared a small storage bag so it could carry its masks around.

Right now, Ogerpon was wearing its Teal Mask, while the remaining masks were safely stored in the pouch at its waist.

After recalling the other Pokémon, Natsume tossed out the trio known as the Loyal Three, along with Pecharunt.

Speaking of which, the title Loyal Three felt somewhat ironic.

After all, the treasures weren’t theirs.

And to be honest, these three weren’t exactly strong.

Any group of Pokémon with “Three” in their name usually had some prestige behind it—

The Three Legendary Beasts, the Three Legendary Birds, the Lake Guardians, the Swords of Justice…

But these three? Not so much.

“Chit!”

The moment it was released, Munkidori dashed forward at lightning speed.

With a textbook-perfect slide, it skidded to a stop right in front of Natsume, rubbing its hands together like a scheming fly, its eyes filled with flattery.

It knew exactly who the boss was now.

Pecharunt?

That weakling?

Just a pushover from some far-off region where Natsume-sama didn’t reside.

But I, Munkidori, have found my new big boss!

And in a situation like this, the first one to pledge allegiance always gets rewarded!

Maybe, just maybe, I would be the one to lead Pecharunt and the others!

Munkidori was rather pleased with itself.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the type of Pokémon to just obey orders.

Smart creatures always had their own thoughts.

That applied to Pokémon too.

Plenty of intelligent Pokémon looked down on their Trainers, thinking they weren’t bright enough.

But Munkidori?

It had no right to look down on anyone. When it came down to it, a strong fist was far more useful than a sharp mind.

As long as Natsume could beat it into submission, Munkidori would remain his most loyal underling.

Not that Natsume cared.

Whether this thing was loyal or not was irrelevant.

Because he already had a place in mind for them.

“Ting-Lu, these guys are yours.”

With a casual tap on his Poké Ball, the sphere burst open, releasing a blinding white light.

A massive figure emerged on the open ground.

A heavy, ancient aura instantly filled the air.

“Grrrr…”

Ting-Lu’s crimson eyes swept over Pecharunt and the others, who were trembling in fear, practically huddled together.

Then, its gaze shifted to Natsume, nodding slightly.

For the first time, the fury that once constantly burned in its eyes was tinged with amusement.

Before, Ting-Lu had always felt like it was trapped in darkness.

Its rage and destructive impulses had grown unchecked, feeding on the endless stream of fear being absorbed into the massive vessel atop its head.

But after arriving at the farm, Ting-Lu felt… cleansed, somehow.

For the first time, its mind wasn’t entirely consumed by anger—there was space for other thoughts.

It didn’t quite understand why, but it knew this was a good thing.

And this change was brought about by Natsume.

Ting-Lu was certain of it.

Which was why it was more than willing to lend him its strength.

A flicker of warmth crossed its eyes, but only for a brief moment.

Then, it turned back to Pecharunt and the others, now trembling so hard they were about to collapse into a pile.

Warmth?

What warmth?

That didn’t exist.

Before them stood the mighty vessel of calamity—Ting-Lu, the embodiment of fear itself.

Whether in battle or sheer presence, it completely outclassed these fools.

As for whatever rebellious thoughts they still harbored…

Natsume had no interest in wasting time winning their trust or gradually training them.

A simple Poké Ball capture wasn’t enough—he wanted them to submit from the depths of their hearts, to fight for him willingly.

That took time and effort.

But frankly, Natsume wasn’t interested in going through all that trouble.

It was much easier to just leave them with Ting-Lu.

Got doubts?

Just beat them down.

Keep beating them until they get it.

Once they finally learn their place, then we’ll talk.

“Kwee—?!”

Munkidori let out a startled squawk, sounding more like a startled bird than a monkey.

H-Hold on a second, boss!

I am obedient!

Please spare me!

I swear I’ve already pledged my loyalty!

Boss!

Boss, listen to me—!

It instinctively reached out, wanting to plead its case.

But Ting-Lu had already stepped between Munkidori and Natsume.

Its crimson eyes bore down on the monkey, silent and unyielding.

Oh? You had something to say?

“Ch-chit…”

Under Ting-Lu’s merciless stare, Munkidori’s face froze.

Then, it forced an ingratiating grin.

Ahaha… H-Hello, Big Brother.

You can just call me Little Monkey!

Behind it, Fezandipiti, Okidogi, and Pecharunt all cast scornful glances its way.

No shame. No dignity.

But in this situation, none of them dared to voice their disapproval.

They could only follow obediently as Ting-Lu led the way.

Munkidori, reluctant to leave the more “approachable” Natsume, kept looking back every few steps.

It was practically radiating regret.

Until—

“GRAAAAH!”

A deafening roar blasted straight into its face.

Drenched in a full-on spit shower, Munkidori finally accepted its fate.

Forget everything else—survival came first.

With its assigned “subordinates” in tow, Ting-Lu marched toward its usual territory.

Ever since the farm had expanded, it had moved its dwelling to the farm’s outermost edge.

Even with its mind freed up a bit, Ting-Lu still didn’t like noisy, crowded places.

It preferred solitude.

All that warmth and camaraderie just… wasn’t for it.

On the way back, it passed by Cresselia and Manaphy, who were out for a stroll.

These two had originally said they’d just be staying on the farm for a little while.

But judging by the way things were going, they didn’t seem in any hurry to leave.

Especially Cresselia.

Was it just his imagination?

Ever since it arrived, that otherworldly, untouchable aura it once had was completely gone.

To put it bluntly, these days, Cresselia was gorging itself on Pokéblocks and Natsume’s homemade desserts every single meal.

If this kept up, Natsume was pretty sure Cresselia was going to get… noticeably rounder.

Watching Ting-Lu and its new “followers” disappear into the distance, Natsume chuckled.

Now, it was time to start planning his next move.

After thinking it over, he figured—

Opening a Gym didn’t sound like such a bad idea.