Pokemon: Farm Story-Chapter 166: Unusual Weather and the Awkward Hisuian Zoroark

Was it like this?

Something just didn't feel quite right.

Maybe the right leg?

That didn't seem right either.

And so, having reached this pivotal moment in its life, Hisuian Zoroark now faced a new dilemma:

It had no idea how to walk on two legs.

This was a completely unfamiliar domain.

So, it turned its gaze to the sidelines—toward Natsume.

Natsume, boss! I need backup!

It didn't speak, of course, but its eyes conveyed the message loud and clear.

It had never needed Natsume's help more than now.

Feeling the silent plea in Hisuian Zoroark's eyes, Natsume didn't expose its awkward predicament.

Instead, he casually walked halfway around the battlefield before coming to stand in front of it.

"How does it feel to evolve?"

"Wuuurgh..."

A low, gruff growl rumbled out of its throat.

To be honest, the first thing it felt after evolving wasn't power—but discomfort. It wasn't used to this new posture at all.

It shifted uneasily.

Hisuian Zoroark realized it would need quite a bit of time to get used to this new form.

Forget about battling for the next few days.

First, it needed to figure out how to walk properly.

"All right, you can come back now."

Natsume raised his hand and pressed the Poké Ball's button.

This time, Hisuian Zoroark didn't resist. It obediently returned to its ball.

It was a huge relief not to have to embarrass itself in front of all those human spectators—and the opponent it had just defeated—by showing off its stiff, clumsy walking.

Back inside the ball, Hisuian Zoroark quietly sighed in relief.

"Keep it up," Natsume said, offering a brief word of encouragement to the challenger who had just been swiftly demolished by Hisuian Zoroark.

With that, he cheerfully wrapped up his work for the day.

Ah, the joy of clocking out.

Natsume now felt that there were two moments in his day that brought him the most happiness.

One was those final few minutes before the end of the workday—

The other, lying in bed at night, scrolling on his phone in peaceful solitude.

Those few minutes before clocking out were full of promise and anticipation.

And that short time before bed? It was entirely his own.

No need to think about anyone else's opinions or needs.

All that mattered was managing his own emotions.

Short as it was, that little slice of time was his and his alone.

Well... that only applied if you weren't married.

Once you got married, the only personal time you had was that brief moment in the car after work.

Not at work, not at home.

Just sitting in your car, alone.

Even if it only lasted as long as one cigarette, at least it was your own little enclosed space.

"Thank you, Gym Leader Natsume! I'll keep working hard!"

The boy who had just been encouraged nodded enthusiastically.

He looked quite inspired.

To be honest, Natsume had no idea what exactly he had said that was so motivating.

And come to think of it, that guy looked like he might actually be older than him.

It was a bit ridiculous, really—a 19-year-old like him standing here encouraging Trainers who might be older, telling them to keep it up.

It gave him this absurd, vaguely comical feeling.

Like he was just pretending to be an adult at work.

Even though, technically, he was one.

Still, Natsume didn't really see himself that way. In his mind, he was still more of a student.

He didn't feel like a proper, dependable adult yet.

When he was a kid, all the adults seemed so mature and steady.

But now that it was his turn, he felt like his own mental state was shakier than a grade schooler's.

Honestly, wasn't it great to go a little unhinged now and then?

And yet, here he was—putting on a mature front, comforting the Trainers he'd just thoroughly crushed.

It left a strange, indescribable feeling in his heart.

Whatever. No need to dwell on it.

Shaking off those messy thoughts, Natsume brushed through a few pleasantries, then left the gym.

As usual, he did a quick check before leaving.

He'd come in empty-handed...

...and left holding a squirming pink cat.

"Mew!"

Put me down!

Mew flailed in protest as it dangled from Natsume's grip by the scruff of its neck.

I have my pride too, you know!

"Quiet down."

Natsume flicked Mew lightly on the forehead, then tossed it out like he was taking out the trash.

Somehow, this scene felt all too familiar.

Mew had a habit of getting interested in weird things at weird times.

This time, it had decided it wanted to stay overnight in the gym.

It was planning to spend the night redecorating the place.

What kind of style? It hadn't thought that far yet.

But it swore it would be "more explosive" than the current decor.

Yes, those were Mew's exact words.

It wanted a blow-your-mind kind of makeover.

Natsume had a strong suspicion Mew meant that literally.

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If he didn't stop it, there was a good chance he'd show up tomorrow morning to find the gym battlefield had been blasted into pieces.

So without hesitation, Natsume had dragged it out.

"Mew!"

Spinning midair, Mew righted itself gracefully and glared back at him.

Why did you throw me!?

"Okay, okay. I'll give you something tasty later tonight," Natsume said casually.

"But forget about the gym."

"No way I'm letting you mess around in there."

He could tell easily now when Mew was genuinely mad.

And this wasn't it.

This was just a little pout.

At this point, someone might ask, "Mr. Natsume, when does Mew actually get angry?"

Great question.

The last time Mew truly lost its temper was when Manaphy found and scarfed down its entire hidden snack stash—and left a note afterward.

Natsume hadn't seen Mew for days after that.

For a Legendary Pokémon of Mew's caliber...

Things like "legendary dignity" or "how others see it" were completely irrelevant.

But snacks? That was the line it wouldn't cross.

"Mew!"

Still pouting, Mew floated behind Natsume with a smug glint in its eye.

Hmph. Natsume, you're just a human.

You'll never fully grasp how we Psychic-types operate.

Lock the door? I'll just teleport!

We never use the front entrance anyway!

Meanwhile, Natsume was also thinking—

Maybe he could trade some leftover Pokéblocks with Manaphy tonight.

Have it keep an eye on Mew for the next few nights.

Make sure that super explosive renovation plan in its head didn't actually happen.

Honestly, when Mew had first pitched that absurd design, Natsume had wondered if it was really Mew or just some green imp in disguise.

It was just... weird.

On top of that, he also needed to check in on Slowking and the overly responsible butler brother.

Not to push them to work—

Actually, the opposite.

He wanted to make sure those two borderline workaholics didn't burn themselves out with some overnight productivity spree.

In many ways, Slowking and the butler had something in common—

An unshakable confidence in their own intelligence.

Which meant that when faced with difficult problems, they were prone to overthinking everything.

"Natsume, you're back! You're a bit early today, aren't you?"

A cheerful voice cut through his thoughts.

Standing at the doorway with a bright smile was Mei, waiting for his response.

Natsume paused for a second, then smiled back and said,

"Yeah, I'm back."

"Today's battles wrapped up pretty quickly."

Maybe it was from having lived alone for so long...

He didn't talk to people much on a daily basis.

So it took his brain a second to switch back into "social mode."

Simply put, it had been a while since Natsume had held a proper conversation.

So now, suddenly faced with social interaction, he found himself momentarily unsure how to respond.

Thankfully, Natsume wasn't some truly socially withdrawn shut-in.

It only took him a moment of thought to switch back into his usual self.

What? You're asking about the Pokémon?

Well, Pokémon weren't going to be dating Natsume anytime soon.

At least, not that Natsume had any such ideas.

Certain... more open-minded fellows might be exceptions, but Natsume was definitely not one of them.

Mei, now walking briskly up to his side, naturally clasped her hands behind her back and leaned close to press against his arm.

Their relationship had gradually become more defined over time.

They were basically just one step away from breaking through that final emotional barrier.

Natsume would worry whether Mei might face difficulties on her travels.

And whenever Mei sent him a photo or a casual little "status update," he'd feel a subtle warmth in his chest.

Mei, in turn, had started caring more about what Natsume was up to.

When she woke up and saw him in the news, she couldn't help but feel a vague sense of pride.

But then, she'd also feel a twinge of irritation seeing the flood of overly affectionate comments from guys and girls alike—or the occasional meme about "Walmart plastic bags."

"Natsume is mine!"

That thought had suddenly popped into Mei's mind at one point.

Though she'd quickly pushed it down, telling herself that she and Natsume were just friends.

Overly possessive friends were the kind that got pushed away, after all.

But deep down, Mei knew the truth.

Because, honestly, the word possessive wasn't something that should ever exist between just friends.

"Oh right—Zorua evolved during battle today."

"Come on out."

Chatting casually with Mei, Natsume released Hisuian Zoroark with a flick of his wrist.

White light flashed, and the newly evolved Hisuian Zoroark landed gracefully, lifting its chin slightly in a cool, aloof pose.

It was giving off that whole "stoic and prideful" vibe.

A bit like how Corvisquire had been right after evolving into Corviknight.

Too bad Corviknight had now fully embraced its role as a comedic sidekick.

Natsume sometimes thought it was a real loss to the comedy world that Corviknight hadn't reincarnated as a human.

Who knew what path Hisuian Zoroark would take from here?

Natsume wasn't quite sure.

Judging by its personality, Zoroark probably wouldn't become a comedian... right?

But then again, with the kind of weirdos hanging out with Mew, could anyone really stay normal?

Well, except for himself, of course.

He was just your average, totally unremarkable farm owner.

"Go get used to that new body of yours."

"And don't forget to come back for dinner tonight!"

Natsume waved and called out loudly to Hisuian Zoroark.

This guy had a habit of disappearing right at mealtime.

Every day, it found some new excuse to vanish during lunch or dinner—

Only to show up again during nap time, looking for food.

Natsume used to be pretty diligent about taking afternoon naps.

Wasn't that what study hall was really for, back in school?

Zoroark gave a small nod, indicating it understood.

Its top priority right now was to get comfortable in this new body.

"So cool..." Mei murmured, eyes wide with admiration as she stared at the silent Hisuian Zoroark.

There was no denying it—Zoroark's looks were top-tier.

Even if it was probably feeling a little anxious on the inside right now.

As the sound of footsteps grew distant, Hisuian Zoroark finally exhaled a quiet breath of relief.

They're gone. Thank Arceus.

It glanced back to make sure Natsume and Mei had gone inside and shut the door.

Then Zoroark took a deep breath—

And finally took its first step.

Its paw landed on the ground, and it adjusted its posture slightly.

Then came the second step... the third.

Soon enough, Hisuian Zoroark was striding along with long, confident strides.

Or... at least, it was trying to.

Unfortunately, possibly due to this being its first time walking upright, it looked—

A bit like a weasel sneaking into a farm to steal chickens.

Yeah, it was a weird comparison.

But unfortunately, it was the exact thought both Mew and Manaphy had as they peered down from the second-floor window.

"Mew."

What's this guy even doing?

Why does he look so sketchy?

Mew's eyes held a clear hint of disdain.

Next to it, Manaphy—the ever-loyal friend—was...

"Mana."

Pfft, is this your little protégé?

The vibe's unique, I'll give him that. Loads of potential.

Manaphy wasted no time delivering its signature sarcasm.

Did you think Manaphy would hold back just to protect Zoroark's pride?

Absolutely not.

Manaphy was a true connoisseur of chaos.

Its instinctive response was to laugh, mock, and mentally record this precious moment for future teasing.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Natsume and Mei had changed clothes and were getting ready to head into town to do some shopping.

Natsume wanted to stock up on snacks and such for the house.

Mei was planning to pick up a few changes of clothes to leave at the farmhouse.

"So hot..." Mei muttered, fanning herself beneath her wide-brimmed sun hat.

She glanced up at the sun, which was half-hidden by a thick layer of clouds.

It was already deep into autumn, and yet the temperature these past few days had spiked unexpectedly.

So much so that Mei was starting to feel like it was summer all over again.

This weather is seriously strange...

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