The fallen Hariyama stared blankly at the ceiling.
Ah… what a nightmare of a battle.
At this moment, the battlefield was in complete disarray.
Its entire body was covered in a mixture of sticky fluids, and the ground beneath it was soaked in an unidentifiable viscous substance.
All courtesy of Munkidori's relentless attacks.
It couldn't land a hit, nor could it escape.
That was the truest feeling Hariyama had.
If it tried to get close, it would be smacked in the face with a flurry of attacks before being pushed away.
If it tried to back off, that guy would just stalk it from behind like walking a dog, sneaking in ambushes.
Every attempt to power up was interrupted.
Every move it tried to land ended in failure.
Throughout the entire battle, it hadn't even managed to touch Munkidori once.
Even Kangaskhan had done better—at least it had managed a single hit.
Meanwhile, Hariyama was just getting tormented for sport.
Silently closing its eyes, Hariyama had never wanted to leave this miserable world more than it did now.
It had once thought that, as its Trainer grew stronger, they Pokémon would follow along and step into a bright new world.
Well, they did step into a "new world."
A world of getting beaten up.
Who knew how strong these Gym Leader candidates were?
But one thing was certain—they were all ridiculously tough.
Each one had their own unique fighting style.
Whether or not it could win was uncertain, but one thing was for sure: it was never going to be an easy time.
For these poor Pokémon, getting beaten up had just become routine.
At this point, it was almost second nature.
"Return, Hariyama."
Hearing its Trainer's voice, Hariyama made a silent resolution.
To make up for this psychological trauma…
When they got back, it was going to eat its heart out.
Eight meals a day.
And each meal would be big enough for three.
Its Trainer got travel stipends anyway—no need to feel bad for him.
Having made up its mind, Hariyama was already pondering what to eat first.
"Since the examiner's Pokémon have all been defeated, the victory goes to Natsume."
The young girl at the sidelines waved her small flag, officially declaring the battle's end.
Meanwhile, the Rotom Phone dutifully recorded everything.
It only stopped once the battle concluded.
After saving the footage under the title "Battle Assessment," it immediately began a new recording.
These would all be valuable archives in the future.
"The assessment is more or less over."
"There are a few things that still need to be explained to Mr. Natsume."
The examiner, stepping off the battlefield, quickly adjusted his mood.
What came next were some key matters to keep in mind.
For example, Natsume needed to prepare one or two specialized teams specifically for handling challenger battles.
Starting off every match with Pecharunt?
Yeah, that would be a bit much for most Trainers.
They needed to consider balance—movesets, synergy, and overall strength.
As a Gym Leader, Natsume didn't necessarily have to battle personally, but someone needed to be present to ensure battles proceeded normally.
As long as the Gym functioned properly, even letting Pokémon command Pokémon was technically acceptable.
After all, plenty of Psychic-type Pokémon were more intelligent than humans.
Then there was the matter of badge distribution.
Aside from those who won through sheer strength, Gym Leaders could, in theory, also award badges to Trainers they personally recognized as worthy.
But that was a tricky area.
If two challengers both lost, yet only one of them received a badge…
Why him and not me?
What made him more deserving?
It was the kind of decision that could easily spark public controversy, which was why most Gym Leaders only awarded badges to those who won outright.
The girl responsible for documentation read aloud the regulations while taking notes.
The examiner occasionally chimed in with additional details—mostly unspoken rules or common practices among Gym Leaders.
Compared to the formality at the beginning, the atmosphere had now relaxed significantly.
"Alright, that wraps up the assessment."
"Natsume, you'll need to set up the necessary facilities and personnel as soon as possible. If you can't find suitable candidates quickly, you can submit a request for the League to send temporary staff."
"Though accommodations and other arrangements will be up to you, Gym Leader Natsume."
Closing her notebook, the girl took out a handbook from her bag and handed it to Natsume.
At this point, she had stopped calling him "Mr. Natsume" and had switched to "Gym Leader Natsume."
"This contains important notes for new Gym Leaders. You might find it useful."
"But make sure not to let this leak out."
"I'll be counting on you."
Taking the booklet, Natsume flipped through it briefly.
There was indeed a lot of useful information inside, but he would still need to study it carefully when he got back.
This was one of those tricky things.
Many so-called manuals or instruction guides could only be understood once you had already grasped the content within.
Otherwise, these so-called manuals—or rather, textbooks—were truly incomprehensible.
This was where the ever-reliable Slowking came in handy.
Having a smart Pokémon was really great.
It saved him a lot of brainpower.
But with that in mind, there weren't quite enough hands to go around.
A normal Pokémon farm would usually hire some workers to help out.
But Natsume's farm was mostly a solo operation.
Many of the tasks were handled directly by the Pokémon on the farm.
For example, Gardevoir and Butterfree helped make Pokéblocks.
The older Indeedee brother managed day-to-day operations.
The younger Indeedee sister and Lopunny took care of various domestic matters.
And Slowking... went wherever he was needed.
The farm had plenty of strong Pokémon.
But when it came to sharing the workload, there was still a shortage.
If only Slowking knew how to clone himself...
Natsume couldn't help but sigh.
A highly capable employee, who demanded no salary, only food and shelter...
Ah, he had to stop thinking about it.
If he kept going down this road, he was going to end up hanging from a streetlamp.
He was still young—he didn't want to become a human ornament just yet.
"Yadon?"
Squatting on a rock, Slowking, who had been deep in thought about how to turn five Pokédollars into a billion, suddenly shivered.
Something was off. Why did it feel like someone was scheming against him?
Rubbing his chin, Slowking began to ponder.
Slowking started compiling a suspect list.
Slowking initiated a target search.
Slowking... had no leads.
Slowking abandoned the thought process.
Quietly removing the Shellder from his head, Slowking once again entered idle mode.
Wisdom dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
Slowking stared up at the sky in silence.
Ah, those clouds sure were cloud-like.
With his mind empty, life suddenly seemed free of worries.
Staying like this forever... didn't seem like such a bad idea.
"Take care on the way."
Clutching the autograph she had just gotten from Natsume, the girl boarded the car, turning back longingly every few steps.
Such a shame—I really wanted to chat with that smart-looking Slowking.
I wonder what he's doing right now.
"Alright, get in."
Maybe it was because the assessment was over and the job was successfully completed, but the once-serious examiner had now relaxed a little.
After all, they were colleagues. There might come a time when they'd need each other's help.
No one wanted to be pointlessly standoffish and end up making random enemies.
Well, except for the occasional fool lacking in social awareness.
Some people existed solely to remind you of the vast diversity of life.
Especially after entering the workforce.
You really would encounter all sorts of inexplicable creatures.
Natsume considered himself lucky.
He had yet to meet such people.
Partly because he lived in a semi-reclusive state.
Most of his interactions were with Pokémon.
The other reason? His strength.
When he encountered such people, he had plenty of ways to make them shut up.
Like physics.
Physics.
And more physics.
If a problem couldn't be solved, then solving the person who raised it was always the quickest method.
After seeing off the assessment team, Natsume returned to the now-empty gym.
At the moment, only Natsume, Slowking, and Mew were allowed inside.
All other Pokémon were currently banned from entering.
Like a certain Corviknight.
There were plenty of reasons—just imagine what would happen if a large, Husky-like bird got loose on a construction site.
Either it would get itself trapped in some bizarre way, or it would turn the place into a disaster zone.
The sheer chaos would be physically and emotionally overwhelming.
"Mew~"
A small, pink feline suddenly darted out from Natsume's pocket.
Don't ask how it managed to fit in there.
Some things about Pokémon were best left unexamined.
"Mew!"
Looking at the now spotlessly clean battle arena, Mew's eyes narrowed with delight.
With this, soon enough, I'll be the Gym Leader!
This was a first for Mew.
It was kind of exciting.
"Well then, I'll be counting on you, Gym Leader Mew."
Seeing Mew's excitement, Natsume chuckled and patted its small head.
Mew's head was incredibly smooth to the touch.
Smoother than any silk Natsume had ever felt.
Mew, long accustomed to being petted by Natsume, even rubbed against his hand affectionately.
"Mew!"
Leave it to me!
Puffing out its tiny chest, Mew declared with confidence.
"Then go ahead and pick out the team that will handle challengers at the gym."
"Let me know when you've made your choice."
Right now, Natsume resembled a certain kind of supervisor—the kind that delegated work to subordinates.
Here's an important task. You handle it. When it's done, report back to me.
But since Mew had never experienced the human workplace, it didn't find anything odd about this arrangement.
Receiving its assignment, Mew gave a comically serious salute before darting off to recruit its very own Mew Guard.
In Mew's eyes, as the acting Gym Leader, those challengers were basically invaders.
If they wanted to fight Mew, then those battling for Mew were its personal guard.
If other Legendary Pokémon had elite squads, why shouldn't Mew?
And they had to be cool!
Brimming with anticipation, Mew zipped out through the window.
It already had a few candidates in mind.
"Toki?"
Just as Mew flew out the window, Togepi, who had just entered the gym, tilted its head in confusion.
What was Mew up to, looking so excited?
Togepi wasn't happy.
Back in the day, the Mischief Squad ruled the farm.
It, Zorua, and Hisuian Zorua were the undisputed troublemakers.
Even passing Mightyena wouldn't escape their pranks.
But over time, everyone got busy with their own things.
The so-called squad naturally fell apart.
Now, Togepi was the only one still committed to mischief.
Maybe this was what growing up meant—people quietly slipping out of your life.
Maybe every farewell was the last time you'd see someone.
Everyone had their own circles, their own lives. They were doing well, just... no longer meeting.
This was normal for adults.
But for the still-young Togepi, it was a little sad and hard to understand.
Watching Mew disappear without looking back, Togepi pouted, looking dejected.
The usually cheerful little face showed no sign of its usual joy.
"What's wrong, Togepi?"
Noticing its gloom, Natsume scooped Togepi up from the ground.
Like soothing a child, he gently cradled it in his arms, murmuring softly.
"Toki..."
The Togepi in Natsume's embrace looked utterly dejected, muttering in a low voice as it complained to him about the mischief of Mew and the Hisuian Zorua.
To a child, this was nothing short of betrayal.
But at the same time, for Mew and Hisuian Zorua, who still had the temperament of children, they probably didn't understand why Togepi was upset.
They hadn't done anything wrong, had they?
Gently rubbing the tiny spike on Togepi's head, Natsume pondered how to console it.
This, too, was part of a trainer's responsibility.
For Pokémon, their lives changed completely after being captured by a human trainer.
Their entire existence became tied to that trainer.
And a trainer's duty wasn't just about commanding Pokémon in battle.
Daily interactions, emotional support—these were all things a trainer had to consider.
In some ways, it was a bit like being a parent.
Many children of powerful trainers grew up to be outstanding individuals.
Was it because of genetics?
Maybe. But Natsume believed it was more because they were naturally experienced in "raising kids."
You get better at it with practice.
And if you've raised so many Pokémon, well...
"Alright, alright, don't be sad."
"To Mew and the others, you're still their good friend."
"It's just that lately, everyone has been busy with their own things."
"Hisuian Zorua is working hard to get stronger."
"Mew has been eagerly anticipating the new Gym."
"Now that the Gym is finally completed, of course, it's going to be on Mew's mind. It wasn't ignoring you on purpose."
"Toki Toki!"
"Mm... This is actually pretty normal."
"A lot of childhood friends drift apart as they grow up, sometimes not seeing each other for a long, long time. But that doesn't mean their friendship disappears."
"It's like how a Kangaskhan baby eventually leaves its mother's pouch."
"It's something unavoidable—separation and reunion are always happening."
Natsume believed that when comforting a child, just offering reassurance wasn't enough.
Children wouldn't really listen.
The only way was to throw some grand, profound truth at them—something vague and lofty enough to impress them. That way, their attention would shift to something else.
"Toki..."
Sure enough, after hearing Natsume's words, Togepi lowered its head in thought.
Children weren't stupid. They just didn't have a deep or comprehensive understanding of the world yet.
After a moment of contemplation, Togepi lifted its head to look at Natsume.
"Toki?"
Will I have to part ways with you too?
Togepi's big eyes stared up at Natsume.
"Ah, well..."
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Natsume hesitated, unsure of how to respond.
That's how it was when talking to children.
Sometimes, they'd come up with a question that was incredibly difficult to answer.
Seeing Togepi's curious gaze, Natsume didn't answer directly.
"Do you want to be separated from me?"
"Toki."
No.
To Togepi, the first thing it saw upon hatching was Natsume.
The Pokémon on the farm were its friends.
And since it had never left the farm, to Togepi, this farm was its entire world.
It believed that everyone would always be here, that they would always play together like this.
But... maybe that wasn't the case.
A child's heart is sensitive and perceptive.
They often notice things that adults overlook.
Maybe it's because adults become numb to these things, or maybe it's just that children have an endless curiosity about the world.
"Then we won't be separated."
Smiling, Natsume gently patted Togepi's head.
Honestly, the little spikes made it feel a bit ticklish.
Togepi tilted its head, as if contemplating Natsume's words.
It glanced up at him, then over at the window.
As if suddenly realizing something, it threw itself into Natsume's arms and rubbed against him excitedly.
"Toki Toki!"
Like a cat being affectionate, Togepi burrowed against him.
"That tickles, Togepi."
Natsume pretended to struggle against it.
Kids—sometimes you just had to play along.
But just as he spoke, a sudden white light enveloped Togepi.
Within the glow, its small body gradually stretched and grew.
"Wait, is it evolving?"
Holding Togepi in his hands, Natsume was momentarily stunned.
That was... a bit sudden.
But on second thought, Togepi didn't require any special items to evolve.
All it needed was enough friendship and affection.
And from the moment it hatched, it had been with Natsume.
They were always together.
So its friendship level must have been maxed out long ago.
Evolving now wasn't strange at all.
Some Pokémon could evolve but delayed doing so—not because they lacked strength or conditions, but simply because there was something in their heart they hadn't figured out yet.
Togepi had loved its current life—running around with its friends every day, playing without a care.
It had seemed like things would always stay the same.
That nothing would change, and that it didn't want them to change.
But watching its friends, one by one, find their own paths...
The little mischief squad was down to just one member.
Togepi realized that life wasn't static.
Things changed—whether it was friends, or something else.
Even Natsume would go out to take care of his own affairs.
"Toki..."
Inside the glow, Togepi could feel its heart pounding wildly.
Its once soft, childlike voice became clear and melodious.
Like the difference between a child and a young girl.
When the light faded, the one standing there was no longer Togepi.
It was now Togetic.
Gone was the tiny yellow figure wrapped in an eggshell.
Togetic's body was now white, adorned with red and blue triangular markings.
Its neck and legs were longer, and a pair of small wings had sprouted from its back.
Those wings seemed more decorative than functional.
They were just too small—it was hard to imagine them supporting Togetic in flight.
But in reality, Togetic could float effortlessly without even flapping them.
It was said that Togetic brought happiness, traveling the world in search of kindhearted souls to bless.
"Toki!"
Its first call as a Togetic rang out joyfully—
As if announcing its arrival to the world.
And the first thing it did after evolving was throw its tiny arms around Natsume and start rubbing against him again.
Despite evolving, Togetic hadn't changed all that much.
At least, not in personality.
"Congratulations on evolving, Togetic."
Feeling the affectionate nuzzling, Natsume couldn't help but smile.
No matter how many times he saw it, evolution was always exciting.
As if remembering something, Togetic stopped rubbing against him and started rummaging through its feathers.
Then, it pulled out a pristine, gleaming white feather and offered it to Natsume.
"This is for me?"
Surprised, Natsume took the feather.
A lot of Pokémon seemed to have a habit of giving trainers something from their own bodies as a gift.
Like Togetic.
According to what he remembered, Togetic would scatter shimmering "Happiness Dust" over those with pure hearts and gentle souls.
Togetic nodded enthusiastically, then promptly dove back into Natsume's arms, rubbing against him all over again.
"Alright, alright."
Looking at the shimmering feather in his hand, Natsume couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
He'd had this question for a long time.
For a Pokémon like Togetic, which had a habit of plucking its own feathers, it was fine if it only met one or two kindhearted people.
But if it met too many… wouldn't it end up bald?
Natsume was genuinely curious about this.
His gaze shifted to the Togetic in his arms, whose expression was teetering on the edge of losing control—almost like a cat high on catnip.
Natsume silently reached under its arms, lifted it up, and set it down on the ground.
"Toki?"
Togetic tilted its head in confusion.
Why wasn't Natsume cuddling with it?
Did the feather only buy it a limited amount of cuddle time?
Feeling like it had figured things out, Togetic turned its head and was about to pluck a few more feathers from itself.
It couldn't be helped—Natsume was just too comfortable.
Before evolving, it never really noticed, but ever since evolving, being near Natsume felt as soothing as soaking in a hot spring.
Maybe it was because evolution had enhanced its ability to perceive things it couldn't sense before.
Either way, Togetic had become extremely clingy toward Natsume.
"Hey, no, no, no—stop that, Togetic."
"You already gave me one."
Natsume hurriedly stopped Togetic, who was in the middle of selecting a suitable feather.
This kid's thought process was… a little strange, wasn't it?
Why was it acting just like Mei?
"Toki?"
Stopped mid-action, Togetic obediently froze, staring at Natsume with pure, expectant eyes.
It looked like it was waiting for something.
Under Togetic's hopeful gaze, Natsume finally gave in with a sigh.
"Alright, fine."
Spreading his arms open, he signaled, Go ahead.
Togetic's eyes lit up instantly, and without hesitation, it dove headfirst into Natsume's arms, initiating its grand "Absorb-Natsume" operation.
If things got any more intense, this scene might not even be suitable for broadcast.
After some tussling, Togetic finally calmed down.
It now floated quietly beside Natsume.
At times like this, it still looked adorable.
Probably.
Natsume suddenly recalled that just a few minutes ago, he had been thinking—
Even though Togetic had evolved, its personality hadn't changed much.
Now, looking at it… he might've been wrong.
"Alright, let's head home first."
"Then later, we'll prepare dinner."
"Toki."
"You want to help too? Sure, but don't cause trouble, okay?"
"Toki Toki!!"
"Yes, yes, our Togetic is a big kid now, it won't make a mess."
"Toki~"
Floating beside Natsume, Togetic lifted its head proudly.
It looked absolutely delighted.
Seeing Togetic's adorable expression, Natsume couldn't resist reaching out and ruffling its head.
You were the one clinging to me earlier, now it's my turn!
With playful banter, the trainer and Pokémon made their way home.
—
Elsewhere, Slowking, who had been spacing out, slowly turned its gaze toward the small booklet nestled in the dip of its "crown."
A minute ago, Mew had zipped through the air at high speed, dropping a booklet into Slowking's "bowl" before disappearing without a trace.
It had only left behind one message—Natsume said to have you look this over.
Slowking, deeply unsettled, took a full minute to process the situation before reacting.
Silently, it picked up the booklet and placed its crown back onto its head.
Feeling its intelligence return to normal levels, Slowking took a deep breath and opened the booklet.
After flipping through a few pages, it snapped the so-called Beginner Gym Leader Guidelines shut with a loud smack.
Its face was filled with pain.
I seriously can't handle this kind of stuff.
I'm just an ordinary Pokémon. This is way too cruel for me.
I need to report this—this is Pokémon abuse!!
Holding its face in its hands, Slowking was seriously contemplating what it would need to prepare if it decided to run away.
If worst came to worst, maybe it should just go back to being a wild Pokémon.
At least then, it wouldn't have to deal with all these human-written manuals.
There was once a time when Slowking had been supremely confident in its intelligence—maybe not the world's smartest, but certainly not too far off.
But ever since Natsume started throwing stacks of documents and booklets at it, Slowking had begun to question whether it was actually an idiot.
It was painful.
It was pure suffering.
With a long sigh, Slowking flipped open the booklet and began reading it properly.
As it did, it reached into Shellder and pulled out a pencil, preparing to take notes.
Meanwhile, Mew had already started assembling its Mew Guard Squad.
Without much hesitation, it turned to its little buddy—Hisuian Zorua.
"Suo?"
Hisuian Zorua, who had been in the middle of training, looked utterly confused.
Huh?
Go guard the gym?
Me?
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Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
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