Pokemon: Farm Story

In a room on the second floor, Natsume and a group of Pokémon from the farm huddled around the incubator, watching nervously.

Ever since Zorua had brought this egg back, it had shown no reaction for a long time.

At one point, they even wondered if it was a dead egg.

However, the life energy pulsing from within indicated that it was growing steadily.

Not just Natsume—every other Pokémon was equally puzzled.

Did Togepi take this long to hatch back then?

"Toki?"

No way, it just popped out instantly.

Togepi, pacing around Natsume's feet, looked at its companions with confusion.

In its memory, its earliest moments were hazy.

It felt like it had only taken a short nap, and the next thing it knew, it was looking at Natsume.

It didn't feel like much time had passed at all.

Hmm… Not much of a reference point.

"Audino."

Audino pushed open the door, holding two bottles of warm milk.

Aside from the milk, it had also prepared a variety of items to care for the newborn Pokémon.

Clean towels, toys to catch attention, soothing incense to relax the atmosphere—

Anything that might be useful, Audino had prepared it.

It was a much more thorough setup than what Natsume had arranged when Togepi hatched.

"Hoo~"

Testing the temperature of the MooMoo Milk against the back of its hand, Audino conjured tiny flames on its fingertips.

These flickering flames hovered around the bottle, gently warming the milk.

As a Normal-type Pokémon, Audino had quite a versatile skill set.

If not for its widespread use in the medical field, it could have been a formidable support Pokémon in double battles.

"Audino."

After preparing the milk bottle, Audino turned to the gathered Pokémon watching the scene unfold.

Too many onlookers could put pressure on the newborn.

Its soft voice, like a feather brushing against the heart, made everyone feel slightly ticklish inside.

Despite their curiosity, under Persian's leadership, the Pokémon obediently left the room.

"Uumah!"

At the back of the group, Ogerpon made a cheering motion toward Natsume, as if encouraging him.

Natsume couldn't help but laugh.

Why does it feel like I'm the one giving birth?

Now, only Natsume, Audino, and Zorua—who was busy playing with a ball—remained in the room.

Truly playing with a ball.

Somehow, Zorua had found a Poké Ball and was rolling it around.

It looked similar to the one used to catch Ting-Lu earlier.

The difference was that this one was entirely water-blue—

Kind of like a Dive Ball.

"You little troublemaker, you brought it back and then completely ignored it."

"Suosuo!"

Who says I ignored it?! I played with it, okay?!

Zorua immediately protested.

Natsume, you can't slander me like this!

I used to cuddle with the egg whenever I had nothing to do!

How is that ignoring it?!

Zorua refused to take the blame for this.

"That's even worse than ignoring it."

Natsume ruffled Zorua's head before turning his attention back to the incubator.

The egg inside wobbled occasionally, as if eager to enter the world.

Natsume had considered taking it out, but Audino stopped him.

Audino explained that it wasn't quite time yet—this was just the Pokémon inside gathering strength and testing the moment.

The real hatching would begin when the shaking became much more intense.

That would be the right time to take it out.

Natsume had always been good at listening to advice.

He knew he wasn't an expert in every field, so he never stubbornly insisted on doing things his way.

Trying to argue against professionals with half-baked knowledge was just plain foolish.

Seeing Natsume accept its guidance, Audino felt a sense of relief.

Back when it was an intern at the Pokémon Center, it had encountered all sorts of frustrating cases—

People who didn't follow medical advice, those who used home remedies instead of proper treatment, those who stopped medicine without permission, and those who outright refused professional help.

Every day, those patients had given Audino endless headaches.

When it first arrived at the farm, it had seemed relaxed on the outside, but inside, it was anxious—

Worried that its new trainer might be one of those people who refused to listen.

That would have made life really difficult.

Luckily, Natsume was a good person.

Humming a light tune, Audino took some of Natsume's worn clothes and placed them around the room.

These clothes carried Natsume's scent, which would help the newborn Pokémon feel more comfortable with him.

A chaotic mix of unfamiliar scents could confuse or unsettle a newly hatched Pokémon.

This method wasn't guaranteed to work, but at the very least, it wouldn't hurt.

A lot of things labeled as "unnecessary" were, at their core, simply acts of goodwill.

"Audino."

After a brief observation, Audino told Natsume it was time to take the egg out.

By its estimation, in just a minute or two, new life would arrive.

Since newborn Pokémon tend to recognize the first creature they see as their closest companion, Audino gave Natsume a few simple instructions before leaving.

Before stepping out, it also scooped up Zorua and carried it out the door.

"Suosuo!"

Let me go! I wanna watch!

"Audino."

Alright, alright, we'll check later.

Like coaxing a child, Audino gently patted Zorua's back while walking outside.

Having interned at a hospital, Audino had mastered just the right amount of force to hold Zorua securely—

No matter how much Zorua struggled, it couldn't escape.

The first Pokémon on the farm, aside from Natsume, to successfully restrain Zorua had appeared.

Though, to be fair, Zorua hadn't been trying that hard to escape.

Still, it was a victory.

When Audino emerged carrying Zorua, the other Pokémon outside looked at it with wide eyes—

Awe-struck at the sight.

As expected of a Pokémon from the big city, it had effortlessly accomplished what none of them could.

Back inside the room, Natsume placed the egg on a cushion and sat down on the couch.

For some reason, he felt oddly nervous.

Unlike with Togepi, this time, the Pokémon about to hatch was definitely not ordinary.

Zorua had hinted at this multiple times before.

See? I brought you a huge surprise!

Shouldn't you reward me with an extra meal or something?

To which Natsume had firmly refused.

Your appetite is already as big as Corviknight's.

If you keep eating like this, won't you turn into a little piglet?

Natsume was highly skeptical.

Back in the room, the egg's movements grew more intense.

A blinding white light seeped through the shell.

At that moment, Natsume felt like he was sitting in front of a bomb about to explode.

Finally, a crisp cracking sound echoed through the room.

The glow of life burst forth in its brightest form.

"Nyaa!"

(A very anime-style cry—crossed out)

As the light faded, a small Pokémon appeared on the cushion.

Its water-blue body looked almost liquid.

It had a tiny frame and a large, round head adorned with flat flotation sacs and ribbon-like feelers.

Above its eyes were two blue circular markings, connected by a thin black line.

A red gem was embedded in its chest.

Even though he had already anticipated it, seeing this Pokémon in person still left Natsume deeply shaken.

"Hello, Phione."

Steadying his emotions, Natsume reached out and greeted it softly.

That's right—

The Pokémon that hatched from the egg was none other than the mythical Pokémon, Phione.

To be honest, Phione was a rather awkward Pokémon in many ways.

It carried the title of a mythical Pokémon,

But many people were reluctant to recognize it as one.

First of all, Phione is the child of Manaphy, the Prince of the Sea.

From a title standpoint, you could say this child is...

A commoner of the sea?

From a stat perspective, this little one is a classic jack-of-all-trades.

High EQ: Well-rounded, no weaknesses.

Low EQ: Nothing special, all weaknesses.

Phione's base stats are a perfectly balanced 80 across the board, totaling 480.

What does that mean in comparison?

Slowking: 490.

Corviknight: 495.

Gardevoir: 518.

Yeah… not great.

You could say it inherited Manaphy's balance, but not its strength.

Manaphy's stats are all 100, with a total of 600.

Of course, we know a Pokémon's strength isn't just about base stats.

Abilities and move pools matter too.

As for its ability, Hydration allows it to recover from status conditions when it rains.

Its move pool is decent, and it shares an exclusive move with Manaphy—Heart Swap, which heals status conditions while boosting Special Attack and Special Defense.

All in all, it's a fairly solid Pokémon.

But as a Mythical…

It could probably compete for the title of "Most Disappointing Mythical."

That aside, Phione is one of the rare Mythical that actually exists in large numbers.

The Pokédex describes them as living in warm seas, inflating the float sacs on their heads to drift on the ocean's surface. When the water temperature rises, you can see them floating near the coast.

Yes, them.

Phione isn't rare.

After all, Manaphy can breed with Ditto to produce Phione eggs.

(Someone should probably investigate Manaphy's private life—redacted.)

Also, the Pokédex has this to say:

"Its azure blue body blends in with the sea, allowing it to avoid predators."

Excuse me, what kind of Mythical has predators?!

A flood of thoughts flashed through Natsume's mind before he quickly adjusted his mood.

Regardless of whether Phione counts as a Mythical, it was born on the farm.

Maybe one day, it would follow Manaphy back to the ocean.

But for now, it was his responsibility to take care of this child.

"Phi?"

Sitting on the cushion, Phione blinked at Natsume in confusion, as if it hadn't quite figured out the situation.

This human's scent, the atmosphere around him… it all felt familiar.

Like it had sensed them back when it was still in the egg.

That made Phione feel at ease.

And this human had a warmth about him that was… comforting.

Sleep-inducing, even.

"Phi."

Under Natsume's astonished gaze, Phione wobbled forward a couple of steps before flopping right into his arms, eyes half-closed.

Like a sleepwalker, it reached out and hugged him, mumbling softly.

Natsume instinctively held Phione gently, pausing for a moment before realizing what had just happened.

Looking down at the tiny, sleeping Pokémon in his arms, he couldn't help but smile.

It was both the joy of witnessing new life and the realization of Phione's affectionate nature.

Finally, a well-behaved child on the farm.

It had been a long time since they'd had one like this—ever since Cinccino.

For some reason, the farm hadn't seen a gentle, clingy Pokémon in ages.

Hisuian Zorua? A socially withdrawn little girl.

Always lurking in dark corners, whispering to Ogerpon.

Togepi? A little troublemaker.

Spends all day scheming, only to get chased around by Cinccino.

Emolga? A little schemer.

By now, the number of fish it's been hoarding could probably field a full soccer team.

With substitutes. And a coaching staff.

Kirlia? A hardcore Corviknight fangirl.

Enough said.

Natsume just hoped the farm wouldn't end up with a delinquent Gardevoir. That would truly be a nightmare.

Gazing at the adorable Phione, Natsume picked up a bottle of Moomoo Milk, fitted with a pacifier, and offered it to the little Pokémon.

"Phi?"

Half-asleep, Phione caught the sweet scent in the air and struggled to open its eyes.

Not by much, but it was clearly trying.

Like a student desperately trying to stay awake in class.

Once it saw what was in front of it, Phione instinctively latched onto the bottle and started drinking.

This was the highest-quality Moomoo Milk available on the market.

Specially formulated for newborn Pokémon.

The price per bottle would be a financial gut punch to most families.

If Natsume had any expertise in dairy farming, he wouldn't be giving his money away like this.

Maybe I should get some Miltank in the future.

Watching Phione drink contentedly, Natsume mused.

He already had Ampharos and a herd of Wooloo—adding a Miltank herd wouldn't be a stretch.

Raising a few was raising a few. Raising a lot was still just raising a few.

Besides, with the Pokémon population on the farm growing, Natsume could already foresee the inevitable baby boom next spring.

Hormones would kick in, instincts would take over, and before long, Pokémon eggs would be everywhere.

There would be plenty of newborns to care for then.

"Audino?"

As Natsume was mulling over his plans for next year, a voice came from the doorway.

It was Audino.

Maybe it was an instinct etched into its very being.

Or maybe it was the training it received back at the Pokémon Center.

Either way, when it came to caring for newborn Pokémon, Audino had an unwavering sense of duty.

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