Pokémon: Farm Story

Gentle moonlight blanketed the earth, soft and serene. The small town gradually quieted, and most of the Pokémon on the farm had drifted into peaceful dreams.

Well, except for a few outliers.

For instance, the night owl Corvisquire, the vigilant Mightyena patrolling the grounds, Persian taking a post-dinner stroll, and a Lopunny clutching her pillow, unsure of what to do.

"Lop~pu..."

In Natsume's bedroom, Lopunny stood in front of the now-too-small beanbag chair, looking utterly lost.

Just last night, she could bury most of herself in the beanbag, snuggling cozily with her favorite pillow. She would wake up in the morning, lazily gazing at Natsume's face.

But within 24 hours, things had changed.

The average height for a Lopunny was about 1.2 meters, but the Lopunny in Natsume's care was thriving beyond the norm, standing nearly 1.4 meters tall.

"Lop~pu..."

Her earlier excitement over evolution was replaced by a sense of regret. Maybe evolving wasn't the best idea. Now, even her sleeping arrangements had to change.

She decided to move to the room next door.

"No need for that," Natsume's voice interrupted as he entered the room, dragging in an oversized, pumpkin-shaped beanbag chair.

The chair was so large that Natsume had to tilt it vertically to squeeze it through the doorframe.

"This beanbag arrived earlier this morning," he explained. "I left it in the downstairs storeroom and almost forgot about it."

Patting the giant pumpkin beanbag, Natsume grinned at Lopunny.

"This should be just the right size for you."

The beanbag had been intended for another part of the house, but repurposing it for Lopunny seemed fitting. The smaller chair would be moved elsewhere later.

"Lop~pu!"

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Lopunny turned and hugged Natsume tightly, rubbing her face against his chest.

"Alright, alright, time for bed," Natsume said, chuckling.

"lop~pu," she nodded, settling onto the new beanbag with her beloved pillow from her Buneary days. She even draped a small blanket over her belly.

After all, no creature—Pokémon or otherwise—could sleep soundly with their belly exposed.

---

On Natsume's bed, the shiny Furret was already nestled in, with part of its pink body poking out from under the covers. Its glowing eyes reflected in the dim light.

"Pa-pa-pa," Furret patted the bed with its tiny paws, urging Natsume to join.

Get on the bed already.

Hugging the fluffy, pink Furret, Natsume soon fell into a deep sleep.

This life was exactly what he'd longed for—a quiet existence free from rigid schedules and deadlines.

Here, he could pursue what he loved, surrounded by creatures who weren't human but could understand him. There were no exhausting social dynamics, no soul-crushing work stress, and no absurd pressures from idiots demanding the impossible. No bottled-up grievances, no fear of emotional breakdowns.

What more could he ask for?

As Natsume dreamed, the corners of his mouth curled into a soft smile.

Sometimes, pleasant dreams attracted special visitors.

A feather glowing with moonlit radiance drifted down from the sky, landing gently on the windowsill. Its luminous glow brushed against Natsume's cheek.

The smile on his face deepened ever so slightly.

Throughout the farm, the plants and Pokémon seemed to bask in their own serene dreams, adding to the harmonious atmosphere.

---

The next morning, the farm's youngest troublemaker, Togepi, woke from its plush, two-square-meter bed.

Rubbing its sleepy eyes, it took a moment to shake off the grogginess before hopping up with gusto.

Dragging its little blanket, Togepi hummed a tune it had learned from Lopunny—well, Lopunny was Lopunny now, no longer the petite Buneary.

Creeping to the door of Natsume's room, Togepi peeked inside to see him still fast asleep. Without disturbing him, Togepi turned and headed downstairs.

Under the morning sun, the little Pokémon stretched its stubby arms and began its morning workout.

"Suwo~"

A slightly unfamiliar voice came from nearby. Togepi turned to see two black-and-white foxes—Zorua and Hisuian Zorua.

These two had joined the farm just a few days ago.

So, if one's called Hisuian Zorua because of its color, does that mean Furret should be called Hisuian Furret too?

As a baby Pokémon, Togepi couldn't quite wrap its head around the concept of regional forms. It was like asking a three-year-old to understand time zones—not impossible, but unlikely.

"Toki!"

Togepi waved cheerfully at the Zorua pair before heading to the small lake for its daily training.

The pond, which had been recently expanded into a small lake, glistened under the sunlight. Natsume had hired a construction team to enlarge it to accommodate the growing number of Pokémon on the farm.

"Toki~ Tokii!"

Togepi greeted the Slowpoke basking by the shore and the Mudkip practicing its own morning drills.

Natsume seemed to have high hopes for these two. Mudkip, in particular, often visited the main house, likely destined to become one of Natsume's battle-ready Pokémon.

At least, that's what Furret had said. Togepi didn't entirely understand but enjoyed parroting the sentiment.

Standing by the sparkling water, Togepi took a deep breath and wiggled its fingers. A faint light glimmered at its fingertips.

"Tokii!"

Metronome!

This move stimulated the brain to randomly execute any skill. Theoretically, it could even summon moves like Precipice Blades, Spacial Rend, or Roar of Time—though their power wouldn't match the originals.

As Togepi trained, a barrage of seemingly mismatched moves erupted: Whirlpool, Earthquake, Flamethrower, and Hyper Beam.

"Tokki," it huffed, satisfied after its exertion.

Good job, me!

But the little Pokémon's impromptu fireworks had an unintended effect.

Deep beneath the lake, where it connected to an underground river, the bombardment caused a subtle shift in the water's flow.

A Pokémon egg, dislodged by the current, floated to the surface and gently came to rest on the lakebed.

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