Pokemon: I'm a Farmer

Rex stood hesitantly at the classroom door, unsure if he should interrupt Professor Kukui's lesson.

"You must be Rex. Welcome to Alola!"

Just as he wavered, Kukui noticed him and greeted him with a smile.

"Yes, Professor Kukui. I hope I'm not interrupting your class?"

Rex stepped inside, apologetic.

"Haha, no worries at all. You're a Trainer from another region, after all. Talking with you will broaden my students' horizons—and let them see Pokémon they'd never normally encounter."

Waving a hand dismissively, Kukui reassured him.

"Tell you what, Rex. Why don't you take that empty seat there? We'll chat more after class."

He gestured to an open seat beside a well-dressed girl with an elegant air.

"Alright, Professor Kukui."

Rex nodded and headed toward the spot. On the way, he noticed someone familiar—Lana.

Lana hadn't expected to see him either, but she smiled and gave a small wave in greeting.

Rex nodded back in response.

Their subtle interaction didn't go unnoticed. The girl sitting next to Lana leaned in and whispered something with a sly grin, making Lana's face flush pink before she quickly composed herself.

Once seated, Rex turned his attention to the class. Kukui continued his lecture—basic information about Pokémon, nothing too complex.

Rex took the opportunity to observe the classroom. It was spacious, and besides himself, there were only five students.

Naturally, his arrival had disrupted their focus. All eyes were now on him, full of curiosity about this Trainer from another region.

Suddenly, Kukui's phone rang.

"Principal Oak? …Ah, got it, I'll head over now."

He hung up and turned to the class. "Self-study, everyone. I've got to step out for a bit."

"Yes!"

"Break time!"

Cheers erupted. The most excited was a chubby boy who had looked half-asleep earlier but now seemed full of energy.

"Hey, I'm Kiawe! Want to have a fiery Pokémon battle with me after class?"

A dark-skinned boy with a chiseled frame and no shirt strode over, his eyes blazing with enthusiasm.

"Aw, Kiawe, you're such a battle junkie. Give him a break—he just got here! Hi! I'm Mallow. I'm Lana's best friend, by the way~"

A tan girl with flower accessories in her hair beamed cheerfully.

"Mallow… that last part was unnecessary."

Lana deadpanned, then turned to Rex. "Nice to see you again. Didn't expect to run into you here."

"I came to see Professor Kukui, and he asked me to meet him at the school. Oh, right—my name's Rex. Nice to meet you all!"

Rex introduced himself with a smile.

"I'm Sophocles! My dream is to become an astronaut. Nice to meet you, Rex!"

The round-faced boy piped up enthusiastically.

"I-I'm Lillie… it's nice to meet you."

The refined girl next to him spoke softly, her tone delicate and reserved.

It didn't take long for the group to warm up. They were all around the same age, and with a shared love of Pokémon, conversation flowed easily.

"Hey, Rex—can I see Chimchar and Bagon again?"

Lana asked, clearly fond of the two Pokémon from their time together yesterday.

"Whoa, you've got a Bagon?! That's a super rare Pokémon!"

Mallow gasped in amazement.

Seeing everyone's eager expressions, Rex released all of his Pokémon. The classroom was spacious enough for them to stretch out comfortably.

Even Lillie looked stunned as the Pokémon appeared—especially when Swellow emerged, towering over everyone. Its imposing presence drew many gazes, though no one dared approach it.

Lana naturally gravitated toward Bagon and Chimchar, releasing her Popplio to let it play with them again.

As a lover of Fire-types, Kiawe was drawn to Combusken. Though Chimchar intrigued him, it was currently busy playing with Lana.

Combusken didn't mind Kiawe's attention—it sensed admiration, not aggression.

Mallow, meanwhile, joined her Steenee near Jumpluff, gently poking its fluffy body. Jumpluff didn't seem to mind; its mellow nature made it quite tolerant.

Sophocles brought his Togedemaru over to examine the shiny Flaaffy. As a die-hard fan of Electric-types, he recognized how special it was immediately.

Togedemaru excitedly rolled up to Flaaffy and rubbed against its wool, sending sparks flying. The static charge made Togedemaru purr with contentment—its own electricity production was weak, so it loved charging from others.

Flaaffy didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, it looked happy to share the static—it wasn't using its energy, after all, just passively generating it through friction.

Everyone was having fun playing with Rex's Pokémon—everyone except Lillie.

Sitting quietly next to Rex, Lillie looked more and more uneasy.

She longed to join in, to interact freely with Pokémon like the others. But ever since she was little, whenever she tried to touch one, her body froze. Her mind would go blank, and a deep, unexplainable fear would seize her.

That fear stemmed from a traumatic encounter with UB-01: Nihilego when she was a child. Since then, her body had developed an involuntary reaction—one she couldn't control.

Though she loved Pokémon deeply, she was unable to physically interact with them.

Rex was aware of this, at least in part. He knew that a few years from now, when Ash enrolled at the school, an Alolan Vulpix would help Lillie begin to overcome her fear.

(End of chapter)