Pokemon: Farm Story

On the farm, those Pokémon close to Natsume were well aware that his interest in participating in competitions had always been minimal.

Becoming a professional trainer to gain fame and fortune? That idea held zero appeal for Natsume.

After all, he had already achieved financial independence. He could wake up whenever he wanted, sleep whenever he pleased, and live life exactly as he liked.

Becoming a professional trainer? That sounded neither interesting nor meaningful to him.

For this reason, Natsume had never been particularly inclined toward competitions.

And, well...

If you lot can't even beat me, what makes you think you'd fare better in a competition? (crossed out in his mind).

Comparing ordinary Pokémon to a Hisuian superhuman like Natsume felt a bit unfair.

"Why do you look so surprised?"

"You're acting as if I've said something unthinkable."

Looking at the incredulous expressions on Lopunny and Corviknight's faces, Natsume chuckled softly.

"I've actually thought about this quite seriously."

It probably started when his shiny Furret began its rigorous training. Natsume had realized that many of the Pokémon on his farm had a strong desire for battle.

There were peaceful Pokémon, but there were also those who craved combat.

Taking them out occasionally to participate in some matches wouldn't be a bad idea.

It would serve as a change of pace for both him and the Pokémon on the farm.

That said, Natsume had no intention of entering highly competitive formal tournaments.

Such competitions required not just the Pokémon's and trainer's on-the-spot performance but also meticulous preparation beforehand—researching opponents, devising strategies, deciding the battle order, and analyzing attributes and movesets.

And if things didn't go according to plan, you'd need contingency strategies.

All of it sounded like way too much effort.

Instead, Natsume preferred the straightforward overpowering force approach.

However, he wasn't yet at the level where he could crush all trainers with ease.

Since he lacked the power to dominate effortlessly, there was no point in aiming for world champion titles or the like.

Natsume disliked the feeling of failure.

If he attempted something, he wanted to succeed. The idea of failing and just brushing it off with a "better luck next time" didn't sit well with him.

Perhaps it was a bit of cowardice or double standards, but Natsume was perfectly fine with that.

The frustration and reflection that came with failure? Totally unnecessary, in his opinion.

"Loo."

After listening to Natsume's reasoning, Lopunny nodded in understanding.

It shared his distaste for failure.

For wild Pokémon, failure often meant death—failing to find food meant starvation; failing to hide meant being hunted; failing to escape meant death.

Even after living on the farm for a long time, that instinct to avoid failure was ingrained in its very being.

By not attempting risky endeavors, you eliminate the chance of failure entirely.

Lopunny wholeheartedly agreed with Natsume's philosophy.

"Caw!"

From the rooftop, Corviknight also voiced its approval.

After hearing Natsume's plan, it picked up on two key words: easy wins.

Say no more—this was right up its alley!

Corviknight was a master at defeating weaker opponents. With its simple yet effective strategy of combining Iron Defense and Brave Bird, it was a nightmare for Pokémon less powerful than itself.

Opponents couldn't break through its defense, while its retaliatory strike could strip them of their dignity.

"Lopunny, are you going?"

"Loo."

Lopunny shook its head, expressing no interest in battles. It was perfectly content with a peaceful life on the farm, occasionally entertaining itself with a smartphone.

Yes, Natsume had bought phones for many of his Pokémon.

Pokémon like Lopunny and Zorua were particularly fond of them.

Corviknight, on the other hand, was a full-blown internet addict.

If not for its physical structure being ill-suited for esports, it would've considered going pro. After all, it believed it was far superior to the incompetent players it saw online, whose absurdly bad gameplay made them seem almost inhuman.

Back to the matter at hand.

"Though I'm thinking about entering competitions, it's not happening anytime soon."

Natsume chuckled as he patted Lopunny on the head.

For now, it was just an idea.

Of course, he did intend to participate eventually.

First, he needed to decide which Pokémon to bring along, and second, he had to select an appropriate competition.

His plan was to start with a small-town or county-level tournament—essentially, starting in a small pond to build confidence.

Once he gained some momentum, he could consider bigger competitions.

"Loo."

Lopunny nodded before hopping off to handle some chores.

Usually, Minccino was in charge of cleaning. It enjoyed housekeeping and initially took on the role because it couldn't stand Natsume's habit of stuffing clothes haphazardly into his wardrobe.

After kicking him in disapproval, it began tidying things itself.

In short, Natsume had been deemed unworthy.

As a single guy living alone, he couldn't be expected to meet high standards. In his mind, he was already doing his best.

But nowadays, Lopunny had taken over many of the household chores.

For some reason, seeing Lopunny "stealing" Minccino's job made Natsume think of certain fantasy novel concepts.

For instance, how a divine being of fertility might carve out a fragment of authority from another deity's domain.

Perhaps Lopunny had "claimed" a portion of Minccino's housekeeping authority?

The sudden shift in tone felt oddly jarring, almost surreal.

"Oh, right. Make sure Minccino tidies up the living room."

"The gifts for everyone will arrive soon."

"When they do, I'll need everyone's help to sort them out. Corviknight, don't think you can slack off."

As if remembering something, Natsume called out to Lopunny as it headed out.

"Loo loo."

Lopunny nodded and hopped away.

Hearing the word gifts, Corviknight's eyes lit up.

A present!

When it arrived, it would make sure to stand out and leave everyone in awe!

Its usually stoic bird face was now filled with uncharacteristic anticipation and delight.

For a creature with such a majestic appearance, its demeanor often felt like a waste of its good looks.

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