"Please come with me!"
Naoki began to wander around the farm with Old Man Sato and the two Indeedee.
The over-fifty-year-old Old Man Sato casually glanced at the farm.
He saw neat fields, blooming flower beds, and meticulously trimmed lawns...
Next to the fields, a few Pokemon were helping out, including Gogoat, Dragonite, and a Psyduck wearing a straw hat, daydreaming on the grass.
Gogoat seemed to be using Grass Type energy to tend the crops, while Dragonite stood at the edge of the field, raising its arms in a cheer.
Suddenly, a dark cloud gathered, and a gentle drizzle began to fall, nourishing the farmland below.
When the rain stopped, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky above the fields under the sunlight.
Watching this scene, Old Man Sato nodded repeatedly.
From these things, it was clear that the owner of this farm was a very hardworking person.
Naoki, alongside him, watched this orderly scene, organizing his thoughts in his mind before slowly speaking:
"I moved to this farm in the spring. Before that, it had been abandoned."
Old Man Sato was slightly surprised: "In the spring?"
Naoki nodded and briefly introduced himself, "Yes, my parents and I moved to the Hoenn Region over a decade ago, and this farm had always been managed by my grandfather."
"Later, when he passed away, the farm gradually fell into neglect. Not long ago, I decided to return to my hometown to take a look, and on a whim, I started to restore and manage the farm again."
Old Man Sato showed an appreciative look: "Managing the farm to such a state all by yourself is truly impressive!"
Naoki smiled warmly, his gaze shifting to the Pokemon playing on the farm:
"It's not just me; they all help out. We put in a lot of effort to turn it into what you see now."
Heaven knows how tiring it was at first.
Fishing trip after trip, selling fish, until the arrival of Gogoat and Naclstack made things a bit easier.
Hearing this, Old Man Sato's gaze turned to the distant grass.
There, an Alcremie was riding on a Naclstack, followed by four other Naclstack, spinning in circles.
On the adjacent grass, a Dolliv was basking in the warm autumn sunshine.
Looking further in, one could see a Glaceon lying in front of a small yellow flower, leaning in to gently sniff its fragrance.
Its face was filled with a leisurely and cheerful expression, and perhaps having accidentally inhaled some pollen, the Glaceon sneezed several times in succession.
Just from the vibrant appearances of these Pokemon, it was evident they were well cared for.
"The owner of this farm really knows how to take care of Pokemon." Old Man Sato's second impression of this young man formed in his mind.
"Let's go see over there!"
The two continued forward, walking along the country path Naoki had cleared.
Naoki began introducing the various facilities of the farm to Old Man Sato:
"This is the flower bed I developed separately. I plant seasonal flowers here every season, and Beautifly and Combee frequently visit. The honey collected by Combee is made into honey used by the Pokemon on the farm."
Old Man Sato followed the direction of his hand and indeed saw three Combee and a Beautifly fluttering among the flowers.
He nodded, saying, "They look like they really enjoy it here."
"Indeed!" Naoki smiled, for there was nothing more joyous than having something he made be loved by Pokemon.
He continued introducing the remaining facilities:
"Those buildings over there are the small house where Miltank lives, the chicken coop, and the place where Naclstack stays. Although the house seems small, it actually has a passage leading to an underground cave where the Naclstack normally reside."
"Milk from cows and sheep, eggs, and rock salt—all these are the main sources of income for the farm and also provide the daily food for the Pokemon living here."
Things like Berry Milk, egg sandwiches, and in addition, eggs, milk, and flour can be made into bread and other pastries.
"Just as I imagined, it's full of a pastoral feel!" Old Man Sato laughed heartily.
His gaze moved to the orchard behind the buildings and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, those are fruit trees over there, right?"
"That's right." Naoki nodded. Over several months, the saplings had grown into lush small trees. "In just over a month, they will yield Berries."
The selling price of Berries was too low, so Naoki didn't plan to sell them. Instead, he intended to use them to make wine or as snacks for Pokemon.
Thinking of this, Naoki felt his farm was becoming increasingly prosperous, feeling confident he could support a hundred more Pokemon.
However, despite this confidence, he couldn't actually do it.
Because taking care of Pokemon requires a lot of energy.
After visiting the farm, Old Man Sato was very satisfied.
This young man is not only hard-working and diligent, but good at caring for Pokemon. From his interactions with the Pokemon, it was clear the farm's Pokemon enjoyed being around him.
Old Man Sato nodded repeatedly in admiration, though he showed no outward expression, instead turning his attention to the two Indeedee silently following them.
The sister Indeedee's eyes were sparkling.
Even though she hadn't joined the farm yet, she could already feel the lively atmosphere here.
She really liked it and wanted to be part of it.
The brother Indeedee's focus was on the group of Pokemon on the farm.
As they walked along the path, those Pokemon were secretly observing them too.
He keenly sensed the emotions in those gazes.
Curiosity, surprise, happiness, wariness...
Then, the brother Indeedee noticed the expectant expression on his sister's face.
He pursed his lips, and his already displeased little face looked even less happy.
Seeing this, Naoki was curious.
What did this little grown-up Indeedee want to say? Did he not like it here?
The brother Indeedee pouted, "Indeedee..." (Sister...)
The sister Indeedee blinked, seemingly guessing what he wanted to say, "Indeedee! Indeedee?" (Brother, I like it here! Don't you?)
The brother Indeedee replied earnestly, "Indeedee." (I like it too.)
Naoki: "..."
If you like it, why show such an unhappy expression? He couldn't help but think.
But perhaps it wasn't his fault, as male Indeedee naturally have downturned mouths, making their expressions seem less happy.
"So, what do you think?" Old Man Sato asked with a smile, seeing the pair of Pokemon finish their discussion, "Would you like to stay here and live with Naoki?"
Upon hearing this, the two Indeedee looked up at Naoki.
Naoki also looked at them, greeting them with a smile:
"It's been a long time, Indeedee. Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Naoki, the owner of this farm, and if you are willing, I warmly welcome you both."
The sister Indeedee was thrilled, "Indeedee~"
The brother Indeedee used a bit of Psychic Power from the horn on his head to sense the other's emotions.
No malice, no disdain, only pure welcome and joy.
Naoki noticed the brother Indeedee's action and turned to look at him.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
A moment later, the brother Indeedee nodded slightly, calmly saying, "Indeedee."
He agreed.