Pokémon Farming Story

On the country road in the afternoon, an aging bus slowly made its way along the rural dirt path.

Occasionally, a few curious Poochyena poked their heads out from the surrounding fields, their twitching noses sensing unfamiliar scents in the air, continually drawn to the aging bus that had been traveling this road for who knows how long.

In the sky, Pidgeys spread their wings under the sunlight.

The villagers in the farmland were also intrigued by the behavior of the Poochyena, but upon seeing the aging bus, they quickly lost interest.

Perhaps it was a stranger arriving, but at that moment, he didn't have the attention to care about that.

It was the season of summer planting and autumn harvest, the time for reaping rewards.

If there were truly outsiders, news would soon spread throughout the town.

In this small town, nothing ever seemed new.

Inside the bus, a youth named Natsume quietly watched the scenery rolling by outside the window.

If all went as expected, he would be living here for many years to come.

A few months ago, Natsume suddenly learned that he had inherited a farm from an uncle he had only met a few times.

For Natsume, who had lived in this world for eighteen years, this was indeed a startling revelation.

Putting aside his previous life as a corporate worker, Natsume's background in this life could hardly be described as a happy family.

He might rightly be considered a lonely person.

His engineer father and breeder mother had passed away in an accident during their honeymoon.

After that, Natsume began his solitary life.

With this background, he could certainly be called a hardcore character in the Tōkyō Universe.

"We've arrived."

After passing a certain intersection, the aging bus, older than Natsume, let out a creaking noise before slowing down.

Once off the bus, Natsume stood at the corner, looking somewhat dazed.

At that moment, he was holding an incubator containing a Pokémon egg and had a crossbody bag slung over his shoulder.

He looked somewhat out of place amid the surrounding scenery.

Just as Natsume was pulling out his phone, an aging voice called out:

"You must be Natsume."

Turning around, he saw an elderly gentleman with gray hair but a lively demeanor standing at the corner.

"That's me. Who are you?"

Nodding slightly, Natsume curiously looked at the friendly old man who was accompanied by a Mr. Mime.

"I am the mayor of this town."

"Your farm is nearby. Let me take you there."

The mayor pulled out his phone and repeatedly compared it to a photo, confirming the young man's identity before smiling warmly and speaking.

Natsume quickly stepped forward and replied, "Thank you so much for your help."

"No problem at all," the mayor waved his hand, still wearing that approachable smile.

"I know a bit about your family situation."

"You've been through hardships, kid; it hasn't been easy. If there's anything you need, be sure to let me know."

"Although it has been neglected for a while, it should be fine to have someone living in the farm temporarily."

As the mayor walked ahead, he rambled on, with Mr. Mime occasionally chiming in with a response.

Perhaps older people have this habit: once they open up a topic, they become quite eager to express themselves.

It might be the experiences from their past that give them many stories to tell.

Or perhaps it is an instinct to care for younger generations.

In any case, the mayor talked to Natsume about many things along the way.

Much of it was very helpful for Natsume.

For instance, the farm he was going to inherit had been neglected for some time.

His uncle, whom Natsume hadn't seen much, had been in poor health.

In the years leading up to his death, the farm had become nearly abandoned, allowed to overgrow wild.

Now, it resembled the wilderness, with only minor differences.

If anything, the scenery of the wilderness could be considered more beautiful.

'Speaking of which, why do I feel like I'm heading towards a detective story?'

'But I've never heard of a little detective causing deaths around him.'

As he listened to the situation regarding his uncle, Natsume couldn't help but inwardly grumble.

However, he quickly shook off that thought and continued to listen attentively to the mayor's speech.

"By the way, Natsume, I can't believe you're willing to take over this farm."

"Nowadays, all the young people are eager to go out and make a name for themselves as powerful trainers, even those who have inherited properties."

"I considered becoming a trainer at first too, but in the end, I decided to take over the farm."

With a smile, Natsume didn't add much more on that topic.

It is important to emphasize one point.

Being a trainer is very expensive.

Extremely expensive.

The costs for Pokémon food, training, treatment, and a myriad of bills leave one feeling dizzy.

Although Natsume had some savings, if he truly wanted to pursue the path of a trainer in the long run, he would quickly run out of money.

And there is no guarantee of a return on investment.

Ultimately, to become stronger, a trainer not only needs to spend money but also needs to have sufficiently exceptional Pokémon.

While some people say that there are no useless Pokémon, only useless trainers, and that even Oak's Beedrill can be strong, the reality is that, under similar training circumstances and resources, Dragonite can easily overpower Beedrill.

In contrast, taking over a farm seems much more practical and reliable.

Aside from these reasons, there are aspects of Natsume's personality involved.

Once the farm begins to develop, he'll also be able to travel leisurely.

Thinking of it this way feels quite good.

As for why Natsume was confident he could develop the farm, he had his own reasons.

"We've arrived."

After walking along the country road for a while, the mayor stopped at an intersection.

Following the mayor's gaze, Natsume saw—

A desolate scene overgrown with weeds and dotted with strange rocks.

It felt like even the Rattata by the roadside wouldn't dare come to such a place.

Even though he had suspected that the situation here would not be optimistic, seeing it in person left Natsume momentarily stunned.

"While it looks very barren now, at least the original planning is still intact."

The mayor tried to comfort Natsume, while Mr. Mime danced beside him, seemingly wanting to say something, looking rather comical.

To be honest, he felt a bit embarrassed facing this scene.

For a young person, the sight before them could be quite a blow.

It felt akin to someone passionately confessing to a celebrity one day, only for her to announce her marriage the next day—it was heart-wrenching.

"It's alright, Mayor. I was mentally prepared before coming here."

Coming back to his senses, Natsume replied.

Though the situation was slightly unexpected, he still felt relatively confident.

"Come out, everyone."

He tapped the Poké Balls at his waist with his finger.

With a flash of white light, three figures emerged.