Pokémon: Farm Story

Deep in the forest, two groups of Pokémon were locked in a tense standoff.

Not far away, Natsume crouched with his Pokémon, observing the scene.

"Sand-sand."

As a native of the farm, Sandshrew explained the situation to Natsume.

In short, the forest's resources were relatively richer than other areas, which had led to an ongoing conflict over territorial rights between the two groups.

For wild Pokémon, this kind of dispute was perfectly natural. Whether it was for berries or shelter, strength determined ownership.

"I see," Natsume murmured, stroking Sandshrew's head as he studied the groups.

Calling them "groups" was a bit of a stretch—this was more like a family feud.

On the left were two Mightyena accompanied by three Poochyena, clearly a couple leading their pack.

On the right stood a single Ursaring with five Teddiursa. A single-parent household, it seemed.

As Natsume observed them, the Pokémon also noticed him.

For Mightyena and Ursaring, this distance might as well not exist.

"Rrrr!"

The leading Mightyena turned its head and growled at Natsume. Its low, guttural tone was full of hostility and aggression.

This is our territory! Leave at once!

To the Mightyena pack, this entire forest was theirs. Neither the Ursaring group nor the human had any business being here.

Ursaring, on the other hand, completely ignored Natsume, showing no interest in communication.

Neither seemed inclined to back down.

"Rrrr!"

The lead Mightyena growled again, urging Natsume to leave. The other Poochyena glared at him as well, their eyes full of menace.

Meanwhile, the Teddiursa began to grow restless. Known for their energetic and jittery nature, they were moments away from causing a scene.

If Natsume made a wrong move now, he could find himself the target of both groups' combined ire.

"That won't do," Natsume muttered, standing up. He didn't seem fazed by either side's aggression.

"Your territory? No, this is my land."

"Persian, you're up."

The moment Natsume spoke, his Persian, who had been itching for action, darted forward.

In some ways, Persian was no different from the Mightyena—it also considered this forest part of its domain. Or rather, it viewed the entire farm as its territory.

A white glow enveloped Persian's body—it was using Agility.

In a flash, Persian was like an arrow released from a bowstring, shooting between the two groups.

Its paw lifted, and razor-sharp claws extended, gleaming menacingly in the sunlight.

Fake Out!

As a priority move, it ensured Persian struck first.

"Thud!"

A dull sound echoed as Persian's paw slammed into the lead Mightyena's head.

In that instant, the Mightyena felt like the world had slowed to a crawl.

The scenery before its eyes warped and blurred. Its thoughts drifted away, and its mind emptied, as if it were back in its egg.

The next moment, the Mightyena was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. It collided with a tree, paused for a second, then slid limply to the ground, knocked out cold.

If there had been a slow-motion camera, it would have captured the moment the Mightyena's head contorted under the impact.

But no one was paying attention to the fallen Mightyena anymore.

Persian had become a blur of motion, weaving through the Mightyena and Ursaring groups like a streak of light.

With each pass, a Pokémon was sent flying.

The scene resembled a sequence from Stephen Chow's movie Kung Fu Hustle.

Some Pokémon tried to fight back, but most of their attacks missed. Those that landed barely fazed Persian, as it quickly incapacitated them in turn.

"Woolie,"

A blue psychic glow shimmered as Butterfree, standing guard beside Natsume, monitored the battle.

"Caw!"

The sight made the young Rookidee's blood boil. It flapped its wings furiously, itching to join the fray.

And indeed, it tried to.

But Natsume, knowing Rookidee's impulsive nature, had anticipated this. He swiftly reached out and grabbed it.

"You're not ready for this yet," he said, cradling the struggling bird in his arms and gently patting its head to calm it down.

Rookidee begrudgingly settled, though its frustration was plain.

I have to find a way to convince him to let me fight, it thought, already scheming.

In less than half a minute, the forest was silent once more.

Only Persian remained standing amidst the fallen Pokémon.

It licked its paw nonchalantly and strolled back to Natsume with the grace of a cat that had merely gone for a morning jog.

"Now, can we talk properly?" Natsume asked, crouching beside the downed Ursaring and Mightyena.

The two Pokémon exchanged looks. Talk? About what? How thoroughly we were beaten?

For now, they both chose to remain silent.

"I'm Natsume, the new owner of this farm," he began.

"Simply put, this entire area belongs to me."

The Mightyena and Ursaring exchanged glances again. Is he kicking us out?

"If you're willing to join the farm, you can stay," Natsume continued.

"But there are rules: no causing trouble, no fighting, no attacking passersby. You'll also need to help with farm duties. Can you agree to that?"

Natsume's explanation clarified things. He had no intention of driving out all the wild Pokémon.

After all, the farm was vast. Even with Persian, Butterfree, Rookidee, and the newly recruited Sandshrew, there was only so much they could manage.

Recruiting the "locals" would be far more practical.

As Natsume spoke, the other Pokémon who had been knocked out began to recover, including the Mightyena that Persian had smacked earlier.

After a group discussion, the two sides finally agreed to Natsume's terms.

"Great, then let's make it official."

Natsume pulled out a handful of Poké Balls from his bag.

"Trainers might pass through the farm in the future," he explained.

"If you're not officially part of the farm, you might be mistaken for ordinary wild Pokémon and get captured."

While the town was relatively remote and lacked convenient transportation, trainers were like anglers—they had a knack for showing up in the most unexpected places.

One group scours the world for untouched fishing spots.

The other searches for uncharted areas to catch Pokémon and unearth treasures.