Morning sunlight streamed through the window as Natsume groggily climbed out of bed. Since the farm had gotten on the right track, he'd found himself slacking off a bit lately.
After all, with a group of highly capable partners around, it was hard not to get a little lazy.
Flopping back down, he stretched out on the bed, basking in the warm sunlight. He knew he should get up, but the comfort of his bed was just too enticing.
The brave "Hero Natsume" had lost yet another battle against the "Blanket Demon King," remaining sealed in his bed fortress.
'Furret must already be out training,' he thought, running his hand over the cool, empty sheets beside him.
Recently, the shiny Furret had developed a burning passion for training, bursting out of the house each morning, raring to go.
He'd even started yelling phrases like "My youth will never fade!"—reminding Natsume of a certain green, bowl-cut hero.
Now, Furret was the self-proclaimed boss of the farm. From Sandslash to Cottonee, every Pokémon had tasted his wrath. Even the occasional Poochyena passing by wouldn't escape a slap before scurrying off with its tail between its legs.
As for Persian? Furret had tried. Once. He was promptly smacked flat to the ground with a single paw.
Incidentally, Furret had also taken charge of a few Sentret from the surrounding area. Now, his inflated size and presence suggested he was growing into a formidable alpha Pokémon.
"If this keeps up, I might actually get my dream of sleeping on Furret like a giant pillow," Natsume mused with a grin.
The shiny Furret's enthusiasm had clearly rubbed off on others. Many of the farm's Pokémon—like Mudkip, Steenee, Yamper, and Zigzagoon—had joined the morning training sessions.
Though, to Natsume, Yamper and Zigzagoon seemed more like they were just there for fun.
Yamper, initially determined to become an excellent herding dog, had quickly been swayed by Zigzagoon's carefree antics. Soon, he was racing around the farm aimlessly, simply enjoying himself.
"Why run?" Zigzagoon had taught him. "Because it's fun!"
By the sink, Natsume splashed water on his face and lazily wiped it off with the towel Lopunny handed him.
"Thanks, Lopunny," he said.
"Lop!" she replied happily, rubbing against him affectionately before heading off to tidy his room.
Normally, cleaning was Minccino's responsibility, but Lopunny often helped out. The two were inseparable—best friends since their early days.
Now, Lopunny could easily scoop Minccino up like a doll and play with her.
At breakfast, Natsume scrolled through his phone, typing furiously.
He had been negotiating with the owner of a struggling farm that specialized in wool production. The farm raised Wooloo, Mareep, and Skiddo, but poor management and issues with inheritance had led to declining profits.
To keep the farm afloat, they'd resorted to selling Pokémon offspring, much to the discontent of the Pokémon there. The leaders, Ampharos and Gogoat, frequently voiced their protests.
Because most Pokémon were as intelligent as seven or eight-year-old children—and fully evolved Pokémon were comparable to adults—there were strict regulations in place for farm management.
If Pokémon reported mistreatment, authorities would step in, offering two options: fix the problems or sell the farm.
Natsume had been chosen as a suitable buyer: young, capable, with a track record of reviving an abandoned farm. His reputation as a "model youth" made him the ideal candidate.
"Am I... actually becoming an outstanding young man?" Natsume chuckled to himself.
Currently, he was working with the farm owner to finalize the transfer. They were going over details like dietary preferences and daily routines for the Pokémon groups.
Natsume carefully recorded everything in a new memo.
"Soon, we'll have a lot of new residents on the farm," Natsume said, looking at Lopunny with a smile. "I'll need your help when they arrive."
"Lop!" she replied enthusiastically.
Leave it to me, Natsume!
Her determined expression made Natsume chuckle. It seemed Lopunny was just as ready as he was for the new arrivals.
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