Pokémon Farming Story

There's a saying that goes:

When you are small, even when you get angry, people find it adorable.

Such was the case with Minccino right now.

Although it looked like it was furious, its cute appearance only made it seem even more endearing, prompting people to want to hold it and give it a playful squeeze.

"Chirp?"

The sudden unexpected situation left Sandshrew feeling a bit flustered.

Just moments ago, it had been waving its paw at Natsume, and now it didn't know where to place it.

At the same time, the bushes behind Minccino began to shake.

A Buneary hopped out from within.

After darting over to Minccino's side, it nervously grabbed the other Pokémon's arm, leaning in to whisper continuously.

It seemed to be urging Minccino not to get involved.

Or perhaps it was telling Minccino to stay away from humans.

Over the years, due to the relentless efforts of various trainers, humans had become somewhat "well-known" among wild Pokémon.

In a negative sense, of course.

In a way, this does hold some truth.

The typical behaviors of trainers in the wild include, but are not limited to:

Suddenly intruding into a Pokémon's territory to attack innocent Pokémon.

"Stealing" treasures when Pokémon are away from home.

Forcibly taking away young Pokémon, leading to broken families.

Thinking about it, the role of trainers in Pokémon's eyes seemed akin to that of a demon king.

With Buneary's appearance, Minccino's excited emotions calmed down a bit.

But it still glared at Sandshrew with great dissatisfaction.

"Hello, Minccino, and Buneary."

"My name is Natsume, and Sandshrew is my partner."

"Did you stop me for something?"

Natsume stepped forward and crouched down in front of Buneary and Minccino, asking softly.

Upon seeing Minccino, Natsume had already guessed the other's intentions.

It was simply because Minccino saw Sandshrew, covered in dirt, and its cleanliness obsession flared up.

So, it couldn't help but rush out.

As for Buneary, it was probably there to persuade its friend.

"Mimi!"

After hearing Natsume's words, the previously calmed Minccino suddenly became agitated again.

It pointed at Sandshrew and started chattering about something.

Buneary's gaze moved back and forth between Minccino and Natsume.

It looked as though it was about to burst into tears at any moment.

Being well aware of her friend's personality, Buneary knew exactly how Minccino felt about dirt and grime.

If it weren't for Buneary, Minccino would likely have charged at Sandshrew immediately.

Though at this point, it seemed that even Buneary might not be able to hold her back.

"Alright, I understand."

Seeing Minccino's heightened emotions, Natsume quickly began to calm it down.

He also glanced at Sandshrew beside him.

Covered in dirt and whatever grass or roots it had encountered, it looked a bit messy.

A few minutes later...

"Mi~"

Minccino, with its fur slightly disheveled, wiped the sweat off its forehead with a satisfied expression, displaying a smile full of pride.

It was as if the pressure it had felt for a long time had been fully released.

It felt like wearing fresh underwear on the first day of the new year.

Behind Minccino, the now-clean Sandshrew stood happily.

Compared to its previous appearance, having just been dug from the ground (in a physical sense), Sandshrew now looked as if it had just come off the factory assembly line, with no dirt visible anywhere.

"Buneary."

After being cleaned up, Buneary, nibbling on a Pokéblock next to Natsume, quickly approached Minccino.

Yes, in just that short amount of time, Buneary had almost been "won over" by Natsume.

Partly due to Natsume's natural charm and partly because of the appeal of the Pokéblocks.

For Buneary, this was the first time it had tasted something so delicious.

Aside from these two points, there was one very important factor.

While chatting about girl talk with Minccino, Buneary discreetly turned its head to glance at Natsume.

Its gaze lingered on Natsume's face for a moment.

Although this face still bore the youthful innocence unique to young people, the contours were gradually revealing some defining features.

While it might not be devastatingly handsome, it was at least among the more outstanding types among his peers.

Even the current Natsume could be described as delicate and pleasant-looking.

When Natsume looked over with a hint of confusion in his gaze, Buneary quickly turned its head away as if startled, avoiding Natsume's eye contact.

A subtle blush appeared on its brown fur.

Yes, the main reason this Buneary was captivated was that it really liked Natsume's face.

Just seeing that face brought it joy.

Such beings are colloquially referred to as "face dogs."

Buneary was one of them.

Of course, the important thing was that Natsume was a good person, which is why she agreed to join him on the farm.

Buneary had convinced itself of this internally.

"Mi..."

Just as Buneary understood Minccino well, Minccino also knew Buneary's nature and was somewhat helplessly watching its 'traitorous' friend.

I know you really like this human's looks, but shouldn't you, as a girl, be a bit more reserved?

To this, Buneary would respond that if a girl sees something she likes, she should seize the opportunity!

"Come on, join me! You wouldn't want to miss seeing me in the future, would you?"

Hmm, the above was the storyline Natsume had pieced together based on the conversation between the two Pokémon.

Although some of it was originally translated, the general meaning was about the same.

"Mi!"

After taking a look at its friend beside it and then at Natsume, Minccino ultimately made a decision.

Since this was a human, then let's battle!

Defeat me, and I'll become your partner!

"Alright, it's a deal."

Seeing the determined Minccino, Natsume smiled in response.

He scanned the few Pokémon beside him.

Persian was immediately ruled out; the power gap was just too large.

Butterfree was also excluded; its move pool was somewhat unsuited for Minccino and could be considered unfriendly.

Sandshrew showed no interest in battling, as had been established when he captured it.

So that left only Rookidee.

"Go, Rookidee."

At the mention of its name, Rookidee, who had been putting on a show of disinterest in battling, brightened up.

Eagerly, it flew in front of Natsume, ready to fight.

As expected, I knew that if I acted indifferent, the boss would let me battle!

From now on, I will be a cool Pokémon, and that way, I'll have more opportunities to fight!

Though Rookidee's inner thoughts were quite rich, it maintained an aloof demeanor on the outside, staring fiercely at its opponent.

Starting today, I will be the cold and ruthless Pokémon. 

Rookidee firmly made this inner decision.