章節 29: Chapter 29: The Well-Read Boss Cat
"Yaa~"
By the pond, Slowpoke lazily swiped at the water with its paw, rippling the surface gently. Its dull, fish-like eyes showed a faint hint of contentment.
Nearby, Mudkip crouched at the pond's edge, looking as if it were ready to leap in and playfully splash about. Beneath the crystal-clear water, the faint silhouettes of other Pokémon could be seen moving about.
The fin atop Mudkip's head twitched, sensing the humidity in the air. This environment suited it perfectly.
"Mud."
Taking a deep breath, Mudkip plunged its face into the water, enjoying the refreshing coolness as its eyes narrowed in delight.
"According to the Pokémon in the pond, this body of water is connected to an underground river," Natsume explained as he sat cross-legged nearby, feeling the breeze against his face. A small smile appeared.
"In the future, I'll probably have to expand this pond or even create a larger lake somewhere else. It's picturesque, but the size is limiting."
"Yaa~"
Slowpoke responded lazily, its tone as vague as its usual demeanor. It wasn't so much a genuine reply as an automatic response—like a friend absentmindedly agreeing with your long-winded conversation by muttering, "Mm-hmm, true."
High emotional intelligence: It provides great emotional support.
Low emotional intelligence: It didn't listen to a word you said.
"Well, I'll check on the other Pokémon now," Natsume said, standing up. "If anything comes up, let me know."
Waving without turning back, Slowpoke dramatically threw itself into the pond, letting its body slowly sink. Inspired, Mudkip eagerly followed suit, mimicking Slowpoke as it sank into the water with a blissful "Mud."
Closing its eyes, Mudkip reveled in the tranquil moment.
"This is so nice."
"By the way, I'll need you to keep an eye on the Bounsweet group," Natsume said, stroking Persian as it emerged from the shade of a tree.
Unlike Natsume, who seemed naturally adept at bonding with Pokémon, Persian had no particular interest in such activities. It was here solely to protect Natsume from potential harm caused by aggressive Pokémon—not that it doubted Natsume's ability to handle himself.
Still, as Natsume's self-proclaimed enforcer, Persian had to maintain appearances.
"Meow," Persian replied flatly.
Ah, more work, it thought.
When new Pokémon joined the farm, it was Persian's job to establish the rules and hierarchy. While Natsume preferred a gentle approach, Persian believed every group needed structure and someone to play the "bad cop."
It had learned this from one of the many management books on Natsume's shelf—books that Natsume himself had never touched. Titles like Microexpression Psychology and Behavioral Management lay gathering dust, read only by Persian during its leisure time.
Persian prided itself on being well-read. Not out of choice, but because Natsume's fleeting interest in unusual books always fizzled out as soon as they arrived.
"Woof, woof!"
A red-scarfed Poochyena dashed toward Natsume, barking excitedly.
"Oh, it's you. What's up?" Natsume crouched to meet the Pokémon.
Among the litter, this particular Poochyena was the cleverest, far outshining its siblings—and even its father, who had recently self-appointed himself as the "Head of Security."
The Poochyena glanced around warily to ensure no other Pokémon besides Natsume and Persian were nearby. Then it leaned in close to whisper in Natsume's ear.
"Woof, woof-woof."
"Oh, really?"
"Woof!"
"Your mom told you, huh?"
"Woof."
Natsume nodded, easily understanding the Poochyena's report. The mother Mightyena had noticed something odd about one of the Bounsweet in the group. Its scent seemed normal, but its behavior was subtly off, prompting her to send her smartest pup to inform Natsume.
"Good work."
Natsume ruffled the Poochyena's fur affectionately before slipping a few Pokéblocks into its mouth. The pup chewed tentatively, its eyes lighting up with delight at the taste.
So this was why its dad was always volunteering to run errands for Natsume.
Should I tell Mom about this? Poochyena wondered, deep in thought.
After considering his next steps, Natsume decided to send Persian home to fetch Butterfree and Corvisquire while he headed toward the Bounsweet group.
"Meow."
With a graceful leap, Persian shot off like an arrow, its speed rivaling even the farm's agile Furret.
---
Meanwhile, among the Bounsweet, the suspicious individual quietly nibbled on a berry, its expression emotionless.
When other Bounsweet approached to chat, it responded with cold indifference.
"Choo."
One particularly popular Bounsweet, surrounded by its peers, finally managed to break away and timidly approached the odd one.
Upon seeing it, the cold Bounsweet's expression transformed into a rare, happy smile.
"Suo!"
********************************************
Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my Patreon.
p@treon/GodDragcell
— 新章節待更 — 寫檢討
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票