"Suo?"
Watching Natsume step aside to make a phone call, Zorua tilted its head in confusion.
Do you think our Pokémon hearing is bad? At this distance, even if you step ten meters farther away, we can still hear every word loud and clear.
It wasn't just Zorua. The other Pokémon nearby also had their ears perked up, secretly eavesdropping on Natsume's conversation.
Leading the group of snooping Pokémon were Ogerpon and Corviknight.
Ogerpon, having just been captured and still very curious about Natsume, wanted to know more about him.
As for Corviknight... it was purely driven by gossip and curiosity.
This bird had an insatiable appetite for gossip and loved sharing rumors. Whenever it caught wind of juicy news, it couldn't resist spreading it around.
"No worries, no worries. It was just a minor setback," Natsume said. "You've already surpassed so many others."
Although the Pokémon couldn't hear the entire conversation, Zorua managed to piece together the gist:
It seemed like that girl, Mei, had lost a battle and called Natsume to vent her frustration.
Well, that was pretty normal. When people fail, they often need someone to talk to.
Expressing oneself is just one way of dealing with setbacks. When faced with frustration or failure, everyone has their own way of coping.
Some choose to vent, others opt for a trip, while a few might simply sleep it off.
For Zorua, its method was a bit unique.
Last week, it played chess with Togepi. Upon realizing it was on the verge of losing, it "accidentally" flipped the chessboard in a single swift move.
Not only did it avoid losing, but it also relieved its stress. Two birds with one stone!
Of course, Zorua explained the incident as a mere slip of the paw—not because it couldn't handle losing.
Me? A proud Pokémon—no, a proud fox! How could I possibly be a sore loser?
"Alright, alright, don't be upset."
"Get stronger, and then give them a good thrashing next time."
"The Gym isn't going anywhere."
Natsume clumsily tried to comfort Mei on the other end of the call.
He knew he wasn't great at consoling people.
Everyone has things they aren't good at, and for Natsume, comforting others was definitely one of them.
Whenever he had to cheer someone up, he felt like tying himself to a lamppost out of sheer embarrassment.
I mean, do I really give off the vibe of someone who's good at comforting people? Why does everyone come to me with their problems?!
Natsume just couldn't figure it out.
"Got it," Mei replied on the other end, nodding vigorously.
After wiping her nose, she made an effort to pull herself together.
Honestly, it wasn't just the loss that upset Mei so much.
As a Trainer, losing to someone stronger is par for the course. It's the same with Gym battles.
It's not like she was some invincible prodigy, guaranteed to win every match.
But still... losing stung.
"By the way, Natsume, I was hoping you could do me a favor," Mei hesitated, sounding a little embarrassed.
"I'd like Corviknight to help train my Pokémon, especially in terms of mental toughness and handling pressure."
Apparently, the trash talk during her battle had really gotten under her skin, leaving her feeling defeated and frustrated.
"No problem at all," Natsume agreed without hesitation, glancing at Corviknight, who was still busy eavesdropping.
He had been looking for something to keep this lazy bird, who spent all day binge-watching anime upstairs, occupied. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.
After all, there's nothing more exhausting than babysitting.
Mei's team lineup, Natsume recalled, consisted of several challenging personalities.
Servine was aloof and composed, so it wouldn't be much trouble.
But Tepig and Dewott were a different story. Tepig was overly energetic and loved to recklessly spit flames everywhere. Dewott, on the other hand, kept to itself, training silently and barely interacting with others.
The last member, Steenee, who had recently evolved from Bounsweet, seemed easygoing enough.
However, Natsume predicted that the moment Steenee arrived at the farm, it would rush to reunite with its old friends in the Steenee group.
Trying to enforce strict training under such circumstances would be tricky, especially in front of its "family." Even with the excuse of "it's for your own good," it wouldn't go over well.
"Caw?"
Corviknight's expression froze mid-eavesdrop.
Wait, what? How did this become my responsibility?!
I'm just here for the gossip!
But then it reconsidered. Mei had specifically asked for its help, which was a clear sign of trust and recognition.
Training Pokémon, trash-talking them, and keeping them on their toes? That was right up its alley!
Corviknight's mood flipped instantly, and a sly grin spread across its beak.
"Caw, caw, caw!"
Its mischievous laugh, however, wasn't exactly a crowd-pleaser.
"Alright then, see you next week," Natsume said before hanging up the phone.
Turning around, he noticed the Pokémon behind him awkwardly pretending not to have been eavesdropping.
When Natsume's gaze landed on them, Corviknight and the others quickly averted their eyes, avoiding eye contact.
Getting caught snooping was just a little too embarrassing.
Zorua, however, stared back at him boldly, its expression saying, Yeah, I listened. So what? What are you gonna do about it?
But because Zorua was perched on Gogoat's head, when Gogoat turned its head, Zorua was forced to turn away as well, breaking eye contact.
"Suo?"
Zorua spun back around to face Natsume, looking curious.
"So, what's the deal?"
"Mei will be staying at the farm next week for some special training," Natsume explained. "Not sure how long she'll stay, though. When we get back, let's make sure the guest room is cleaned up."
Smiling, Natsume didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he turned his attention to Ogerpon, who was happily gesturing with its mask up ahead.
Earlier, Ogerpon had mentioned that Ghost-type Pokémon like Phantump, Misdreavus, and Yamask tended to show up in this area at night.
Although Ogerpon didn't know their exact names, its descriptions matched these Pokémon closely.
Among them, Natsume was particularly interested in Misdreavus—for no other reason than its cuteness.
In this world, cuteness is justice. Adorable Pokémon always get preferential treatment.
He planned to return at night and see if he could catch some Ghost-types.
But for now, it was time to head home.
"Alright, everyone, let's go home."
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