“The townspeople are really weling,” Natsume muttered, stroking the Persian head resting on his p as he sat on a publich. A hint of unease lingered in his tone.

  Everyone knows that the au the vilge gates possess world-css intelligehering abilities.

  Although Natsume had only just arrived iown of Lianshan and had spent most of his days on the farm, it didn’t take long for his basiformation to spread among the older locals.

  What the uncles and aunties cared about, however, wasn’t his Pokémon or their strength, nor his aspirations for the future.

  What they really wao knohether he po settle in Lianshan long-term, whether he lived alone, and most importantly: did he have a girlfriend?

  That st question only became a hot topic after they had seen Natsume in person.

  Some of the elderly, possibly old acquaintances of his distaives, even grabbed Natsume’s hand and reted stories about people he didn’t know, finishing with heartfelt remarks:

  “You’ve had a hard life, child.”

  “You seem like such a sensible young man.”

  “If you ever need anything, just e to Auntie!”

  (Though that st line is best taken with a grain of salt.)

  While Natsume wasn’t oo pletely sever ties with retives, he found relying on himself to be far more reassuring when it came to unfamiliar people.

  Besides, most of the time, Pokémon were more reliable than humans anyway. Loyal and kind—who wouldn’t love adorable Pokémon with such virtues?

  Take Gardevoir, for instance, a long-time champion on the “Most Desirable Pokémon to Marry” list.

  Humanoid, beautiful, loyal, and protective of their trainers—how could a adore them?

  And not just Gardevoir. Even the regional variant, Hisuian Gardevoir, sistently ranks high on the list too.

  Who wouldn’t like a cute “little Southern dy”? (Ahem.)

  “Purr~”

  Persian, tentedly led on Natsume’s p, purred happily as he scratched behind its ears with practiced skill.

  It hadn’t uood a single word of what those humans were saying, but sisume didn’t seem to mind, it stayed put.

  As for Butterfree?

  It had entered a blissful daydream mid-versation.

  Perhaps, Butterfree wondered, it had uionally learhe move Calm Mind.

  Could this mean it actually had a hidden talent for psychic powers?

  Still lost in its spiraling thoughts, Butterfree fluttered aimlessly beside them.

  “Alright, time to find that tractor,” Natsume said, snapping out of his own musings.

  He pyfully pihe Persian's ears into various shapes befiving it a light tap on the head.

  “Get up, zybones.”

  Persian, unbothered by the gentle smack, stretched zily and climbed off Natsume’s p. It had growo this kind of teasing over the years.

  When it was just a little Meowth, back when Natsume was in his rebellious “brat phase,” the two of them had shared a chaotic but inseparable bond.

  Natsume, in his youth, wasly pleasant to be around, and the tih had often found itself at the mercy of his antics.

  But because Natsume was its trainer—and thus its source of food—it had learo tolerate being posed in all sorts of silly positions.

  Also, it couldn’t win in a fight back then.

  Young Natsume had once giveh an unfettable lesson in dominance, using a well-executed sleeper hold to prove who was the boss of the house.

  Ah, good times.

  ---

  After following his phone’s navigation, Natsume arrived at a shop beled “Machamp stru and Renovation Team (Material Wholesale)”. He triple-checked to make sure he had the right pce.

  The storefront looked as if it hadn’t been open for quite a while. Then again, so did most shops in town.

  These stores seemed to open daily despite appeariually out of business. It made Natsume wonder how they sustaihemselves. Were they simply hobbies to pass the time?

  “Mr. Natsume, wele!”

  Just as he was about to knock, the door swung open.

  Out came a young woman with a somewhat shrewd expression, though her face was not unpleasant to look at. Behind her followed a crew of Machamp and keldurr, all looking like seasoned stru workers.

  A perfect lineup for a stru pany.

  Machamp, known for their obsessive fitness habits, saw brick-ying as just another form of exercise.

  Meanwhile, the keldurr line specialized in stru, embodying their love for building and crafting.

  Anyone in stru usually ow least one of eaon.

  “Hello, I’m Natsume,” he said, shaking hands with the young woman and briefly expining his farm’s current state and his pns for it.

  Although they had already discussed the project over the phone, face-to-face versations often allowed for clearer unication.

  He also had a few new ideas he wao share.

  “No problem, boss! Leave it to me!” the woman decred, thumping her chest in a show of fidence.

  The sound, oddly remi of knog on wood, wasn’t quite as impactful as a Machamp’s thump might have been.

  But her enthusiasm was genuine.

  ---

  Upon reag the farm, the Machamp crew wasted no time unloading supplies aing to work.

  Watg the bustling stru se, Natsume decided to fete water for them.

  But as he approached the house, he noticed something ued by the door.

  “Wait, are you saying you caught this little one for me?”

  Natsume stared at the pink, adorable Pokémon standing beside Sandshreas puffed up with pride.

  So the meme about Pokémon taking the initiative to help trainers catch more Pokémon was real?

  “Shrew, shrew!”

  Nodding vigorously, Sandshrew dragged the pink Pokémon closer, as if urging it to introduce itself.

  The pink Pokémon nervously g Natsume, seemingly worried about whether it would be accepted.

  Gcell