Chapter 19: Chapter 19:Morning News
Summer sunrises are always early.
At just past five in the morning, the sky was already painted with a fiery red dawn.
"Houndour~ Awooo~"
Boom!
A sudden call from the Houndour and a slight explosion resounded within the farm.
Natsume opened his eyes and got out of bed.
"What's happening?"
He pulled back the curtains and stepped out onto the large balcony.
In the fields,
the Houndour were guarding the land where Plump Beans were planted, attacking a Murkrow flying above.
Plump Beans are crops particularly loved by Flying-type and fish Pokémon.
Now, after a day's growth under the influence of the Time Accelerator, the Plump Beans plants had grown completely.
Lush with branches and leaves, and they had even begun to bloom.
Unable to land after trying, the Murkrow flew away.
"Good job, Houndour."
Natsume waved to the Houndour.
"Houndour~"
The Houndour lifted their heads and gave a responsive call to Natsume.
Houndour have the Early Bird ability.
This ability halves their usual sleep time compared to regular Pokémon.
Even moves that induce sleep can't keep them under for long; they wake up incredibly quickly.
Thus, even when they are sleeping, they remain acutely aware of their surroundings.
The breeze through the fields brushed away Natsume's remaining sleepiness.
"Rotom, help prepare breakfast, please."
"Understood, Rotom~"
There wasn't much work in the fields today, so Natsume planned to head to school after breakfast to pick up his graduation certificate.
Rotom had a strong learning ability, after all, it could learn various moves from the internet.
After getting ready, Natsume came down from the second floor.
At the entrance, Arcanine stretched its back and moved its body around a bit.
"Good morning, Arcanine."
Natsume greeted Arcanine, then sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV, tuning into the news channel.
The Morning News was just starting.
"Good morning, viewers!"
On the screen, a host named Miyu smiled at the camera: "First, let me introduce the main topics for today's program."
Beside her, the male host Masaki continued: "The Pokémon Education Department and the Pokémon Coordinators Association held their third meeting regarding the nationwide elementary and secondary school contest."
Miyu added, "The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that consuming large amounts of Occa Berries can enhance a Pokémon's resistance to Fire-type moves."
Natsume muttered to himself, "Occa Berries, huh? Looks like those are going to rise in price soon."
Masaki went on, "Shikoku has suddenly experienced a space-time distortion."
"Fortunately, the space-time distortion is located within a primeval forest, attracting many Trainers for treasure hunting."
Space-time distortions are a unique disaster in this world.
For many, they are also full of opportunities.
When a space-time distortion occurs, it alters the surrounding landscape, and Pokémon within that space become chaotic, attacking everything around them.
However, various treasures can easily be found within the space-time distortion, including extremely rare Pokémon.
Because of this, every time a space-time distortion appears, it draws in a large number of Trainers seeking treasure.
"Good morning, Rotom~"
Rotom flew over with breakfast.
Natsume reached out to take it: "Thanks for your hard work, Rotom~"
"Dratini~"
Dratini climbed in through the window.
Dratini really liked the bamboo grove behind the room where the stream flowed.
At night, it would sleep at the bottom of the stream.
"Good morning, Dratini."
"Dratini~"
Sandslash and the others gathered around the dining table to start eating.
Natsume looked at everyone and said, "Today, I'm going to school with Dratini and Arcanine."
"Rotom, Sandslash, after you finish eating, you can start clearing the wasteland around here."
Natsume assigned today's work.
"If you get tired, take a break."
"Chirp chirp~"
Sandslash nodded obediently.
Rotom asked, "How much land should we clear?"
Natsume thought for a moment and replied, "Let's aim for ten acres for now."
"Got it~ Rotom."
After finishing breakfast, Natsume and Rotom began to clean up the table.
Suddenly, a news report on the TV caught Natsume's attention.
"A strong earthquake struck the Aoi District in Hokkaido last night. Some claim it was caused by Tyranitar."
Miyu smiled at the camera: "The Aoi District has always been the largest Pokémon sanctuary in Hokkaido, with abundant Pokémon resources within."
"However, whether the earthquake last night was actually related to Tyranitar remains to be verified."
Natsume muttered to himself as he watched the content on the TV: "Aoi District, huh."
"Once Dratini evolves, I should find time to visit."
"Since the wild Pokémon resources there are so rich, I might encounter some Pokémon that would be great for helping on the farm."
Thinking this, Natsume walked over to the sink to wash his hands, then grabbed his backpack and headed outside with everyone.
He swung himself onto Arcanine and said to Sandslash and the others, "I'll be back soon, so keep an eye on the place."
"If anything happens, be sure to have Rotom contact me."
Natsume reminded Sandslash and the others like a parent leaving home for a trip.
Sandslash nodded to indicate that it understood.
Natsume's farm was relatively close to the human village, so the wild Pokémon around were mostly around level ten.
Sandslash's current level already classified it as a mini-boss in the wilderness.
With Houndour and the others around, there was actually no need to worry too much about safety on the farm.
"Chirp chirp~"
Sandslash assured Natsume that everything would be fine.
"Good kids, I'll bring back some treats for you."
After saying this, Natsume patted Arcanine's shoulder.
"Let's go, Arcanine."
"Awooo~"
Arcanine let out an excited call toward the sky and then raced swiftly toward the foot of the mountain with Natsume on its back.
Arcanine's speed was incredible, slicing through the fields like the wind.
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