Pokemon: Farm Story

"Done."

In the living room, Natsume straightened his back after setting down a pile of boxes on the floor, casually wiping away imaginary sweat from his forehead.

Behind him trailed Corviknight, who had its neck tucked low, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. It was still reeling from the thorough scolding it had just received for its earlier carelessness.

If it had been another Pokémon doing the scolding—say, even Persian—it might have tried to fight back, though such resistance would likely end in a comically tragic defeat.

But against Natsume?

Sorry, there's no chance.

Any attempt to rebel would only invite harsher punishment.

For instance, having its supply of Pokéblocks confiscated—a consequence Corviknight absolutely couldn't bear.

Anything else, though? It could manage.

"Go call everyone over. It's time to hand out gifts," Natsume said, glancing at the sulking bird.

With Corviknight, it was hard for Natsume to maintain his usual calm demeanor.

When it was younger and freshly caught, it had seemed like a normal, reliable Pokémon.

But somewhere along the way, it had started to grow crooked, walking further down the path of chaos with each passing day.

Sometimes Natsume wondered if, should Corviknight ever become famous, it would need a fitting title.

How about "Warhawk"?

It felt appropriate on multiple levels.

"Caw-caw!!"

The moment it received its orders, Corviknight transformed from its previous timid state, puffing out its chest and energetically flapping its wings before bolting out the door.

As it dashed outside, Corviknight began a running takeoff, flapping its wings with great effort. After several attempts, it finally managed to get airborne.

Its awkward, flapping gait before liftoff made it look more like a village goose than a majestic bird Pokémon.

If only its combat ability could match that of a feisty goose.

Or at least, it could work on fixing its personality.

With that thought, Natsume sighed deeply.

I'm starting to sound more and more like a nagging parent.

"Furrr!"

Not long after Corviknight's departure, a flash of pink bolted toward the house, stopping dramatically at the doorway with a quick tail flick before trotting inside on excited little steps.

"Furret!"

Without hesitation, the shiny Furret leapt into Natsume's arms, nuzzling and squirming as if to demand attention before its gaze shifted to the pile of boxes on the floor.

"Fur?"

Is there a gift for me in there?

Its sparkling eyes and the wagging of its fluffy tail made it almost impossible for anyone to refuse.

Even if there weren't a gift prepared, anyone on the receiving end of this kind of look would feel compelled to rush out and get one immediately.

"Of course there is."

"Here, this one's for you."

Natsume retrieved a small gift box from the pile and handed it to Furret, motioning for it to open it up.

Instead of unwrapping the gift himself, Natsume preferred to let his Pokémon experience the joy of opening their own presents.

Even though he personally found opening packages tedious, he had read online that many people found it oddly satisfying.

Maybe the farm's Pokémon would enjoy the experience, too.

Or maybe not. Who knew?

"Furret!"

Furret eagerly took the box in its little pink paws, rubbing against Natsume one last time before setting to work on the wrapping.

When the packaging came off, the gift inside was revealed: a peculiar item resembling a restraint device.

(Some enthusiasts with unique tastes might have been especially thrilled—crossed out, moving on.)

Next to the device was a small white card that read:

[Power Bracer]

A hard and heavy training tool. While it reduces speed, it significantly enhances growth during training.

This was the gift Furret had been yearning for.

Initially, it had wanted a green bodysuit as a tribute to its idol—the "Green Beast of the Konoha," a certain watermelon-haired ninja with dazzling white teeth.

That idea, however, had been vetoed by Natsume almost instantly.

After much deliberation, Furret had settled on a tool that could improve its training results, leading Natsume to select the Power Bracer after careful consideration.

Unlike ordinary weights, this special item offered noticeable results.

The exact mechanics behind it were beyond Natsume's understanding, but as he wasn't a researcher, he didn't feel the need to dig too deep.

Furret, however, was thrilled.

Not only would it help with training, but—it was green.

In a way, it still honored its idol.

Wearing the Power Bracer, Furret couldn't wait to start training.

"My youth will not allow me to slack off here!"

Radiating a fiery determination, the shiny Furret dashed outside, ready to embrace its rigorous training regimen.

After Furret left, other Pokémon from the farm began arriving one after another.

"Calm down, calm down—one at a time," Natsume said, trying to reassure the crowd while sifting through the pile of gifts.

"Everyone will get something."

He handed out each gift like a diligent deliveryman:

"Here you go, Persian—your catnip chew stick and silk scarf."

"Lopunny, here's your full grooming kit. It's highly rated online."

"Sandslash, this is for you.

Aside from the seeds you wanted, I also got you some Stardust. Hope you like it."

One by one, Natsume distributed the gifts. While not all of them were rare or extravagant, each one had been chosen with care to suit the recipient's preferences.

After all, most of these gifts had been decided upon after in-depth discussions with his Pokémon, like Lopunny's grooming kit.

It was something it had seen online recently and had been longing for, so Natsume made sure to get it.

The same went for Persian's silk scarf.

(The catnip chew stick, however, was Natsume's idea. He was curious to see how Persian would react to an item supposedly irresistible to cats.)

For now, Persian seemed indifferent, but who knew?

Perhaps it would secretly play with the chew stick in private, embracing its inner playful kitten.

After a while, nearly all the gifts had been handed out, but a few boxes remained.

"Hmm, still a few left..."

Natsume frowned, deep in thought.

Some of these were deliberately set aside for later use.

Others were for Pokémon who hadn't shown up to claim them yet.

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