Pokemon: Farm Story-Chapter 174: The Jade of Calamity Emerges from the Flames

"The temperature here's off the charts—even from far away, I could already feel the heat. Now that we're closer, it's like standing in the middle of a volcano."

High above the scorched earth, several hundred meters up in the sky, Corviknight circled steadily like a patrol drone, giving Natsume a clear aerial view of the land below.

Even at this altitude, the searing waves of heat were unmistakable.

To be honest, for a fleeting moment, a rather inappropriate thought popped into Natsume's head:

With the way things looked, it kind of felt like they were being smoked like meat.

The burning "charcoal" below, and up here? Him and Corviknight—the ingredients.

If this were some xianxia novel, someone like him, brimming with life force and gifted with special abilities, would be top-tier material for alchemic medicine.

Letting his mind wander a little, Natsume quickly refocused.

"Gardevoir."

Behind him, Gardevoir looked on with concern.

Her left hand held up a psychic barrier, shielding Natsume from the high-altitude winds and filtering out a portion of the oppressive heat. Her other hand radiated cool air like a portable AC unit, sending a steady stream of relief toward him.

This—this was one of the reasons Natsume never left home without Gardevoir.

The Psychic Queen wasn't just a powerhouse—she was incredibly useful.

In the new era of Pokémon training, being able to fight wasn't the only virtue anymore.

The most popular partners weren't just those who could take a hit or dish one out, but ones like Gardevoir—who could help their Trainers in all sorts of ways.

Utility-focused Pokémon like Rotom, Porygon-Z, and the ones Natsume was planning to bring in—Arboliva and Garganacl—were all gaining popularity.

Simply being a brute-force battler just didn't cut it anymore.

Like those high-attack, no-effect vanilla monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh!—strong on paper, but obsolete in practice.

Well... unless they were really strong.

Like a certain someone who couldn't even fly.

"Gardevoir, do you sense anything?"

More out of curiosity than expectation, Natsume turned back and asked.

After all, Psychic-types could pick up on things humans couldn't.

"Garde..."

Gardevoir didn't respond right away. She closed her eyes for a moment, silently extending her psychic field outward from the forest's edge, inching toward the center.

She was being cautious—understandably so.

They were dealing with a Legendary Pokémon, and not just any kind, but one tied to negative emotions.

Just like when facing Ting-Lu, Gardevoir didn't dare probe recklessly.

These Pokémon born from the Treasures of Ruin each represented a darker facet of humanity.

Ting-Lu stood for fear.

And Chi-Yu—envy.

Those with weak wills could be influenced by Chi-Yu's mere presence.

Just like with Ting-Lu, even without lifting a finger, most Pokémon would lose their will to fight, swallowed up by fear and driven to flee in panic.

Well... except for that one headstrong little guy.

Yes, we're calling out that Absol who nearly got himself killed.

Sometimes, being a stubborn fool really does counter high-level threats.

Luckily, Chi-Yu hadn't fully broken free yet.

Otherwise, what lay before them wouldn't be just a scorched forest, but a full-blown massacre.

Envy twisted minds—made people and Pokémon alike compare themselves to others.

Then came resentment. Longing. Jealous hatred.

An endless cycle of envy brought only disaster.

Envying others' happier lives, their fuller plates, their advantages...

Until all of it boiled over into the most primitive, direct outlet: violence.

And once violence began, the only thing that could stop it was even greater violence.

With eyes shut tight, Gardevoir watched the scenes playing out in her mind's eye through psychic perception:

Charred trees, cracked riverbeds...

And Pokémon—those that had somehow survived.

Gardevoir ignored them. She had more pressing matters right now.

Honestly, if this forest was already in such a state and they were still sticking around, those Pokémon were either unbelievably stubborn or just plain dumb.

Trying to persuade them to leave probably wouldn't work anyway.

Still, she'd let Natsume know about them later.

She'd wanted to pretend they weren't there, but after a brief hesitation, Gardevoir decided it was better to bring it up.

Finally—when her probing psychic feelers reached the forest's center—something different stirred.

It was like someone had just forced open the door to a blazing inferno.

In an instant, the flames surged and roared to life, as if ready to consume everything in their path.

Within the fire, a streak of orange light zipped by.

It weaved through the blaze like a living thing, dancing joyfully in the flames.

Then, from within the fire, a pair of warm, lustrous jade pendants slowly emerged.

Though engulfed by the raging fire, they remained completely untouched.

In fact, nourished by the flames, their luster grew even more radiant.

Even someone with no knowledge of gemstones could tell—this was an exceptional set of priceless jade.

Then the flames around it began to waver and twist.

A Pokémon in the shape of a goldfish appeared.

It was Natsume's target for this expedition—Chi-Yu, a cursed relic symbolizing the calamity of envy.

Bathed in fire, Chi-Yu appeared crystal-clear, like a masterfully carved work of art.

The flames swirling around it didn't scorch it in the slightest. Instead, they made it look even more mysterious and alluring.

Its eyes, surrounded by magatama-shaped markings, seemed to conceal something unfathomable—inviting anyone who looked to delve deeper.

Some buried emotion stirred faintly in the heart, a subtle ripple across still waters.

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

Like a seed on the verge of sprouting—just one push past the thin layer of soil, and it would grow wildly, devouring every nutrient in the land to feed itself.

"Gardevoir?"

Natsume's voice suddenly rang out.

Gardevoir jolted, eyes snapping open, like someone waking from a nightmare.

There was a dazed look in her eyes, coupled with a lingering sense of panic and inexplicable relief.

Just now, that was...

She cautiously reached out with her psychic powers to probe the area again.

But all she found... was nothing.

Just a barely-standing, half-burnt structure crackling weakly in the flames.

"Gardevoir, are you okay?"

Seeing her in that state, Natsume reached out in concern.

A gentle green light glowed from his palm.

It wasn't cold, yet to Gardevoir it felt like the touch of an oasis to a wanderer lost in the desert.

A soothing chill ran through her entire body, and the strange restlessness in her heart vanished as if it had never been there at all.

"Garde."

With a telepathic link, she directly sent what she had just witnessed to Natsume.

It was too abstract, too bizarre for words—better to show than explain.

"I see."

Natsume nodded after receiving the mental image, as if something had clicked.

Though in reality... he didn't understand a damn thing. (crossed out)

He had no idea how to deal with this situation either.

After all, he was just an ordinary farmer—well, one who could fight a little.

When it came to things like sealed evil beasts about to break free, he was utterly out of his depth.

Sealing techniques? Yeah, those weren't part of his skillset.

Great. Yet another gaping hole in Natsume's knowledge just got exposed.

The vast wasteland of his ignorance had expanded once more.

"Let me think..."

He crossed his arms, fingers tapping thoughtfully.

Looking at the completely trashed forest below, an idea suddenly popped into Natsume's head.

"I'll make a call. Corviknight, fly up higher."

He patted Corviknight's neck and pulled out his phone.

It was a number he'd jotted down before setting off.

After all, Natsume was now technically a Gym Leader. Which meant he was technically on the official payroll—though he hadn't really looked into the details himself.

Might be worth asking about that later.

Anyway, the number belonged to someone from the ranger division—one of the higher-ups assigned to this operation, if he remembered correctly?

He didn't really remember. He had tried to pay attention at the briefing, but nothing had really stuck.

As everyone knows, the human brain is great at forgetting anything it doesn't understand.

Like your coworker's nonsense. Or your math teacher's alien language.

"Hello? This is Natsume speaking."

"Quick question: if things get out of hand in a bit and we accidentally level this forest... is that going to be a problem?"

"Just a hypothetical."

Sure, hypothetical—but really he was just giving them a heads-up.

The guy on the other end of the call understood right away.

Under normal circumstances, this might've been a bit of a headache.

After all, you're supposed to solve problems, not bulldoze through them and call it a win.

But this? This wasn't a normal situation.

Natsume wasn't a ranger. He wasn't even acting of his own accord—they were the ones who had contacted him first.

And looking at the state of the forest now...

Rebuilding from scratch was going to be way easier than trying to patch it up.

Everywhere you looked, the trees were either dead or dying.

Some spots were already on fire.

What was there to repair?

Level it. Replant. Get some Grass-type Pokémon to help, and the forest's framework would reappear in no time.

Call in a few Pokémon clans—those who can grow plants go wild, those who can't water and nurture the saplings.

Sure, it would still be a lot of work—but at least it was straightforward.

Trying to restore this mess, though? That'd be a nightmare.

You'd spend years just to see a sliver of progress.

With that in mind, the voice on the other end didn't hesitate:

"No problem at all, Gym Leader Natsume. No matter what happens to the forest, we fully support your actions."

Truth be told, unless there were some Legendary Pokémon involved, most of the rangers were already leaning toward rebuilding over repairs.

In the world of Pokémon, it's hard to say whether famous landscapes formed naturally or were just the aftermath of some overpowered Pokémon brawl.

Unless it's the territory of some top-tier Pokémon, most forests have been trashed by battling Pokémon at some point.

Rebuilds happen all the time.

That ancient-looking tree you saw? Might've been planted last night—right after a Venusaur and a Rillaboom beat the hell out of each other.

As long as there's no irreversible damage, rangers usually don't mind.

Because their main job isn't protecting trees—it's maintaining the Pokémon ecosystem.

A few trees getting wrecked? Meh.

After all, every time a rookie Trainer gets their starter, a tree or a rock somewhere gets clobbered.

And when stronger Pokémon break through... it's entire groves that pay the price.

The people who freak out over one tree getting smashed aren't rangers. They're from some overzealous environmental NGO—probably the kind that charges fees.

But right now? Forget preserving Pokémon habitats.

Survival was the priority.

"Got it," Natsume replied, nodding.

That was all he needed to hear.

With the call over, he ran a finger along his belt, stopping at an ancient-looking Poké Ball.

"Let's say hello, old friend—Ting-Lu."

He tossed the Poké Ball.

A massive shadow blotted out the sky as the towering form of Ting-Lu appeared in mid-air.

After a brief pause, gravity took over—and it crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact.

BOOM—!

The force of its landing sent out a visible shockwave, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.

Even the wildfires nearby were snuffed out by the blast.

Any stubborn flames were buried under the falling ash and earth, extinguished completely.

After what felt like an eternity scorched by heat, the forest was finally given a moment of cool relief.

Ting-Lu shook its massive head, still a little groggy.

But it knew what it needed to do.

After orienting itself, it started walking toward where Chi-Yu was sealed.

Question.

You have a sealed monster that's about to break loose.

What do you do?

Reinforce the seal?

Natsume's choice: let it out—and beat it senseless.

He couldn't seal it anyway.

So he might as well skip the formalities.

Those seals always get broken eventually.

"Manaphy, I need you to look for any survivors and get them to safety."

Once Ting-Lu began moving, Natsume released Manaphy.

Gardevoir had said earlier that she thought she saw a few survivors who hadn't escaped yet.

If it didn't interfere with the fight, Natsume figured he might as well try to help them.

"Mana."

Manaphy nodded. No problem.

Before they set off, Natsume had already made a deal with Manaphy.

Help out today, and there would be a grand feast waiting at the end.

Manaphy agreed without the slightest hesitation.

A good meal in exchange for a fight? What a sweet deal.

If all it took to earn one of Natsume's special feasts was to throw down in battle, Manaphy figured it might just consider moonlighting as a battle junkie.

As for possibly having to fight against Chi-Yu—Manaphy honestly didn't care.

A battle's a battle, no matter who it's against.

"You've seen how things are here. Any Pokémon still hanging around probably has its own reasons."

"But when the fighting starts, we won't be able to look after them."

"So..."

Natsume didn't finish the sentence, but Manaphy got the message.

It patted its little chest with a look of understanding, its small body rising slowly into the air before darting off in a flash.

Beneath a scorched crater, a soot-streaked Numel cautiously poked its head out.

What just happened?

Numel only remembered the ground shaking like crazy, and now... it felt cooler out?

Before it could wrap its head around what was going on, a stream of cool water silently coiled around its body.

In the next instant, the stream erupted into a whirlpool, wrapping around Numel completely.

There was no time to struggle. The swirling current swept Numel out of the crater and off toward the edge of the forest.

As it flailed, Numel noticed plenty of other Pokémon in the sky—just like itself, caught up in watery currents.

What the heck is going on?!

By the time Numel snapped out of it, it was already on the ground, a good distance away from the forest.

It sat there in a daze for a moment, then scrambled up, anxious to rush back in.

Its mom had told it to wait there until she came back.

So that's where it needed to be.

Many other Pokémon had similar thoughts. They got up one by one, determined to return to the land that, in truth, no longer existed.

But then a towering wall of surging water suddenly rose up, cutting off their path.

"Mana~"

No way through~

A small figure appeared within the flowing water—Manaphy, hovering before the group of Pokémon.

Maybe they all had their reasons for going back, but Manaphy didn't care.

In that ruined wasteland once called a forest, no life remained—save for Ting-Lu and Chi-Yu.

Natsume had asked it to evacuate the Pokémon.

So Manaphy would evacuate all of them.

No exceptions. No negotiations.

In its long life, Manaphy had heard too many stories. So many, in fact, that it had gone numb.

Yes, your story's touching. Your background's unique. Your situation's tragic.

But what does any of that have to do with a shut-in from the deep sea like me?

You want me to help solve your problems?

Manaphy didn't care, and didn't want to listen.

Because it knew that even if it did listen, it would still choose to stop them.

And that would hurt.

It would take a long time to even start putting those feelings back in order.

So Manaphy would rather not know. Rather not hear.

It silently shut out the pleas of those Pokémon and turned to look at Ting-Lu.

Even from this distance, that massive body was impossible to miss.

Boom!

As Ting-Lu stepped forward, the earth shook beneath its hooves.

It felt, for a moment, that maybe it had become what Natsume once called it—the "Defier of the Earth." It didn't really understand the phrase, but it seemed fitting enough.

And besides, it was a Ground-type, so the title kind of made sense?

Its gaze locked onto the small shrine before it, already collapsing under the heat and tremors.

Ting-Lu brought its foot down and crushed the rest of it to dust.

In the next instant, searing flames erupted from the cracks beneath its hooves.

The explosion was so forceful that even Ting-Lu was forced back a step.

Within the blaze, orange light shimmered like a stream.

From the flames of envy, the Beads of Ruin emerged.

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