Pokémon: Farm Story

In the bathroom on the first floor, warm water flowed steadily as steam began to fill the space. Outside the door, a group of curious yet hesitant Pokémon gathered, none of them brave enough to be the first to go in.

The lineup included: the shiny Furret, Sandslash, two Zorua, Togepi, Persian, Butterfree, Mightyena's older brother, and even Corvisquire, who had been coaxed down from the second floor.

Initially, Corvisquire had been content to stay upstairs, reflecting on life. But upon hearing there was a challenger earlier in the day—one who even trashed-talked—it was utterly flabbergasted.

What? Someone dared to provoke us?

Why didn't anyone call me? This is my specialty!

Corvisquire, eager to prove itself, was frustrated to have missed its moment. A regret as bitter as missing out on KFC's Thursday deals.

"Mi?"

Minccino appeared, a towel draped over its shoulder and carrying its bathing supplies, looking puzzled at the gathering Pokémon outside the bathroom.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Slash." Sandslash raised its paw. "We're waiting for the first brave soul to step forward."

Sandslash had no intention of being first, especially since it was a Ground-type Pokémon. The thought of being bathed in front of everyone? Absolutely not.

The rest of the Pokémon nodded in agreement, sharing the same sense of embarrassment. After all, out in the wild, who cared about bathing, let alone queuing for it?

Originally, the rest of Mightyena's family and Pangoro's crew were supposed to join, but Natsume decided it was too much for one evening. Besides, those groups adamantly declared that wild Pokémon didn't concern themselves with such trivial matters.

As for Mightyena's older brother? He was simply there for the spectacle but got roped in by Natsume anyway.

Persian didn't mind. Having been with Natsume since it was young, it was used to this. Baths? It had even shared a tub with Natsume before. The typical feline fear of water simply didn't apply to it. In fact, Persian was already contemplating a nice soak later.

"Mi."

After hearing Sandslash's explanation, Minccino's expression turned disdainful.

A bunch of dirty Pokémon, refusing to bathe. Disgusting.

Without hesitation, it flicked its tail, turned, and walked into the bathroom. The unique warmth of the bath filled the air, prompting Minccino to take a deep breath.

Ah, this is the life.

"First one's you, huh, Minccino?" Natsume chuckled.

"Mi."

"Alright then, you go ahead. I'll deal with the others later."

Minccino climbed into a specially prepared basin, relaxing as the warm water soaked its fur. The soothing sensation of the water running down its body made it close its eyes in contentment.

"Here." Buneary, with its ears wrapped in a special head towel, handed Natsume a bottle of Pokémon shampoo. It had volunteered as Natsume's assistant for the night.

"Thanks, Buneary."

Natsume poured a bit of shampoo into his hand and gently worked it into Minccino's fur, creating soft white suds. Using massage techniques he had picked up, he earned a satisfied hum from Minccino. It seemed his efforts to learn were paying off.

After rinsing off the bubbles, Natsume was about to apply conditioner and fur softener when Minccino insisted it wanted to soak a little longer. With a smile, Natsume set the basin aside and called toward the door:

"Next!"

From outside came a commotion before the door creaked open, and Persian sauntered in with a casual, self-assured gait.

"Meow."

"They were all hesitant, so I decided to go first," it explained as it walked to the shower, its movements practiced and precise.

No one here had bathed as many times as Persian. If anything, it could lord its cleanliness over all the others. A true connoisseur.

The bath routine proceeded smoothly. No Pokémon dared to resist. Even the water-averse Sandslash obediently sat on a stool, enduring the process.

Togepi and the Zorua, however, proved to be mischievous. They splashed water at Natsume with their tiny paws, one of the Zorua even using Water Gun to drench him.

"You're quite the troublemaker, aren't you?" Natsume said, wiping his face and smiling. He retaliated by ruffling Zorua's head fur playfully.

"Ehehehe!" Zorua giggled, wagging its fluffy tail energetically.

Finally, when all the Pokémon were cleaned up, it was Buneary's turn.

"Bun."

"Alright, your turn, Buneary," Natsume said, rinsing the soap from his hands.

Buneary eagerly removed its head towel and perched on a small stool, patiently awaiting its bath. As Natsume's hands worked through its fur, Buneary began humming a tune—one it had heard from Natsume's phone.

Natsume seemed to like the song, so Buneary had memorized the melody. Though it couldn't sing, it could hum the notes perfectly, showcasing its musical talent.

"All done."

After rinsing the suds, applying conditioner and fur softener, and drying with a towel, Buneary looked at its reflection in the mirror. Its well-groomed appearance filled it with happiness.

It was then that a soft white light enveloped Buneary's body, overtaking the glow of the bathroom lights. The transformation was impossible to ignore.

The petite figure grew taller, its silhouette reshaping into something new.

When the light subsided, a different Pokémon stood before them.

"Congratulations, Lopunny," Natsume said with a smile.

The newly evolved Lopunny, now more elegant and humanoid, rubbed against Natsume affectionately.

"Lopunny~"

Please continue to take care of me, Natsume.

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