"You’re retiring?"
Under the gazebo at the farm’s entrance, Natsu looked at the elderly man in surprise. This was the very sa person who had provided him with significant help when he first started building the farm.
At the beginning, the old town mayor had only helped Natsu out of his personal ties with his uncle, whom Natsu barely knew. Later on, as the farm gradually flourished, the old mayor began to see potential in this young man and felt he was worth supporting.
Even if it wasn’t for his own sake, at the very least, it would make the town’s statistics and reports look better when submitted to higher-ups.
But who would’ve thought that this young man would suddenly accomplish sothing so major?
That had caught the old mayor off guard.
"It’s not exactly retirent, more like a reassignnt," the mayor chuckled. "From now on, I’ll just be coasting in a more relaxed position."
Originally, he had assud he would stay in this role until the very end.
Never did he expect that he would actually get a chance to enjoy so peace and quiet.
This job transfer—whether it technically counted as a promotion was debatable—but at the very least, his workload was going to be significantly reduced.
If he felt like working, he could head to the office, clock in, drink tea, and chat.
If he didn’t, he could simply go to the park and bask in the sun.
For the old mayor, shedding this position, which had drained his energy for over a decade, was truly a blessing.
For a man approaching retirent age, what more could he ask for?
If not for Natsu, he probably would’ve just kept working indefinitely.
But because of Natsu’s unique situation, a whole chain of adjustnts had been set in motion.
"I’ll still be living in town most of the ti," the old mayor continued.
"If you ever need anything, you can still co find ."
He took a small sip of the tea Natsu had offered before discreetly placing the cup back on the table.
One thing was certain—Natsu had no idea how to make a decent cup of tea.
The taste... let’s just say, if it cost more than five dollars per can, it wasn’t worth it.
After setting his cup down, the old mayor went on to give Natsu a few words of advice—so insights he had gained over the years.
Most young people would have no patience for this sort of thing.
But every ti the old mayor started talking, Natsu would always listen intently.
So, the old mayor never hesitated to share his experiences.
Whether they would be useful or not—that didn’t matter.
At worst, he was just talking to himself.
People tend to reminisce and get chatty as they age.
"Understood. If anything cos up, I’ll still co to you for advice," Natsu replied with a smile, remaining patient as he listened to the elderly man’s long-winded stories and life lessons.
Regardless of his original intentions, this man had shown genuine goodwill toward him and had helped him a great deal.
When Natsu first took over the farm, he quickly realized that, despite all the research he had done, he was still scrambling when it ca to practical matters.
Where to buy fruit tree saplings, which renovation companies wouldn’t scam him, how to handle the distribution channels for his harvested berries—there was so much to figure out.
The mayor’s guidance had saved him a lot of trouble.
For Natsu, it wasn’t about making more or less money, nor was he overly concerned about the cost of renovations.
What he truly hated was wasting ntal energy on trivial disputes over minor details.
If money alone could solve a problem, he was more than willing to spend it.
But in reality, you could throw down a fortune and still end up getting ripped off.
"Well then, I’ll be off."
Standing up, the old mayor waved goodbye.
At his side, his trusty Mr. Mi, who had been amusing itself by mimicking a walking Oddish at the doorway, imdiately got up to help support him.
After sending off the mayor, Natsu tidied up the table a little.
Then, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found a familiar na.
[AlarmRangStillEarly]: You there, my dear friend? Ti to wake up and get to work.
[AA Machamp Construction & Renovation]: On my way, boss! Be there soon!
In a three-story building in town, a certain familiar construction forewoman jolted awake like a startled Magikarp—
—Only to imdiately flop back down onto the bed.
Damn it, she had been eating too well lately.
Her abs were gone.
"Brothers! The boss has another job for us!"
Throwing open the window, the girl shouted down to the Machamp and the seasoned construction workers below.
Thanks to Natsu, her construction team, which had been on the brink of bankruptcy, not only made a miraculous coback but also earned quite a fortune.
Now, she could proudly call herself a young and wealthy woman.
Although she had no idea what Natsu was planning this ti, the Machamp girl imdiately rallied her team, preparing to head out for an on-site inspection at the farm.
Damn, when a VIP client makes a request, you don't sit around waiting for them to co to you—you move first!
What kind of business still expects the custor to show up in person to negotiate these days?
I’ll just head there straight away!
Clients as understanding as Natsu are rare these days—
He accepts high quotes, pays quickly, doesn’t micromanage, and doesn’t have a million weird requests.
That alone puts him ahead of 99% of people.
And more importantly… he pays well.
Because of that, every ti she took on one of his projects, she poured in 120% of her effort, using the best materials and craftsmanship, afraid of losing her only VIP client.
"Bring all the equipnt!"
"If anyone screws up, dinner is canceled tonight!"
At this mont, the gentle, literature-loving persona she carefully maintained on social dia was nowhere to be seen.
Right now, she looked like she could tear apart any Pokémon present—
As long as they underperford.
"Oh!!!"
A chorus of muscular, vein-popping Pokémon shouted in unison.
This was the client who had helped them upgrade their als and provided all sorts of high-quality training equipnt.
If soone ssed up, they wouldn’t even need the boss to step in—they’d just beat them up themselves.
Settling into the passenger seat of the truck, the girl patted the Machamp in the driver’s seat, who was already wearing a construction helt, signaling him to start driving.
This was their best and most experienced driver.
Yes, he had a license.
"By the way, doesn’t Natsu seem way more cheerful than before?"
She glanced at the chat interface, where Natsu had just sent a sticker of a tiny cat clenching its fist.
That got her thinking.
When it cos to major changes in a guy’s personality in a short period, there are only a few possibilities—
Family issues, getting chosen by the M87 Nebula’s light, acquiring a Kan Rider belt, becoming a Gundam pilot, being picked as a DigiDestined…
Or—
Falling in love?
Maybe won are just naturally sensitive to this kind of thing.
Once the idea popped into her head, she imdiately started looking for clues.
Hmm… first off, his Monts (social dia posts) were still locked.
But his profile background had changed—
It used to be a that said, "Comrade, I’ve noticed your faith is wavering."
Now it was a picture of a shiny Furret.
His stickers had also shifted from the old-fashioned ones to more cutesy ones over the past two months.
If soone just looked at the stickers, they’d probably assu he was an adorable girl.
But the most crucial part—
His profile picture and userna had changed.
His userna, once an impossibly long string of characters, was now sothing she couldn’t quite decipher.
And his profile picture?
A cartoon puppy getting sprayed with water.
Matching profile pictures confird.
Yep, definitely dating.
Case closed.
Mascular girl nodded in satisfaction.
So, everyone else is out there enjoying sweet, youthful love…
And I’m stuck here, covered in dust, surrounded by buff guys.
Closing her eyes, she felt her soul drifting away.
"Close your eyes, and you don’t know if you’re sleeping or just… gone."
---
anwhile, after sending the ssage, Natsu put away his phone.
Before the screen turned off, Zorua, who had been lying on his head, caught a glimpse of the pinned contact at the top of the chat list.
A small cartoon cat getting sprayed with a water gun.
The userna? "Turn Off the Alarm and You’ll Be Late."
It had to be i.
Using his tiny paw, Zorua stepped on Natsu’s head, trying to find a comfortable position to lie down.
He had just survived a brutal scolding from Blissey and genuinely thought he might not make it out alive.
Finally, he had escaped.
As for Manaphy?
Eh, whatever. It’s a big Pokémon.
It’s not like it’ll get lost.
No worries.
"Get off my head."
Natsu grabbed Zorua, exasperated.
After a mont’s thought, he placed him on his shoulder instead.
Fine, he’d let the little guy have his way.
"Suosuo."
Another house? You humans sure love building things.
Zorua lazily sprawled on Natsu’s shoulder.
Taking a deep breath of Natsu’s scent, his entire body relaxed.
Ah, Natsu's aura is getting more and more soothing.
At this rate, will he turn into so kind of legendary tonic?
"Yeah, we’re building a house for Cresselia," Natsu replied.
"And expanding the farm’s territory. Since the land has already been designated as part of the farm, we should put it to good use."
He patted Zorua’s head while thinking about what needed to be done next.
The farm mostly had minor tasks—
Trimming the wool of the Ampharos and Dubwool herds.
Placing an order for Miltanks, which he had been researching online.
And most importantly, helping Ogerpon find her masks.
Ah, first he needed to track down those three jerks—
The ones who stole all four of Ogerpon’s masks.
When she arrived, she didn’t even have the Teal Mask, let alone the Wellspring, Hearthfla, or Cornerstone Masks.
This needed serious preparation.
As for battle strength, though, he wasn’t worried.
Persian, Slowking, Corviknight, shiny Furret, Gardevoir, Gallade, and Ogerpon.
When the ti ca, they’d overwhelm the enemy one by one.
"Suosuo."
Got it.
Zorua still sounded completely uninterested.
"By the way, I wonder if Cresselia liked the Pokéblocks from last night."
After jotting down his plans in a notebook, Natsu suddenly rembered.
When he left last night, Cresselia had seed indifferent—
Like she didn’t really care for Pokéblocks.
But in reality…
"Woo…"
Cresselia stared solemnly at the empty box before her.
Uh-oh.
She accidentally ate everything.
Last night, she had dismissed Pokéblocks as all being the sa, so she hadn't thought much of them.
But after one bite—she was stunned.
"Is this really a Pokéblock?"
"Why does it taste completely different from what I’ve had before?!"
One bite led to another.
Then another.
And before she knew it, she had polished off the entire box.
Now she was left staring at an empty container, feeling a bit unsatisfied.
Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to go ask Natsu for more?
But… it was really delicious.
Cresselia fell into deep contemplation.
After so hesitation, she made up her mind.
She’d go find Natsu right before dinner.
Natsu did say she could co to him if she needed anything.
Yes, that sounded reasonable.
With that justification in place, she felt much more at ease.
---
"By the way, Zorua."
As he waited for the construction team at the farm’s entrance, Natsu suddenly turned to the Pokémon on his shoulder.
"Suosuo?"
What's up?
"That battle between the legendary Pokémon you ntioned earlier—what was that about?"
Natsu was still quite curious about it.
When Darkrai had been pinned under Zorua’s butt, it had brought up the topic.
Back then, Natsu had wanted to ask but didn’t think the situation was right, so he let it go.
"Suo."
It’s nothing much.
Zorua lazily jumped off Natsu’s shoulder and stretched.
"Suo."
Just that His plates got lost again.
And those guys started fighting over them.
Though so just got caught up in it by accident.
"...Oh, I see..."
Wait.
Hold on.
Sothing’s not right here.
"What do you an the plates got lost again?"
Zorua had just casually dropped a bombshell like it was no big deal.
Normally, Arceus’ plates wouldn’t go missing.
But considering His track record, it almost seed like a hobby.
Across multiple worlds, His plates kept sohow getting misplaced.
Rather than calling them "lost," it might be more accurate to say He just couldn’t be bothered to pick them up.
"This... doesn’t feel right."
Scratching his head, Natsu had a bad feeling about this.
Technically, this had nothing to do with him.
As long as he stayed on his farm, everything should be fine.
But things in life rarely go as planned.
Sohow, he had a strong hunch that he’d get dragged into this ss.
And before he knew it, he’d probably end up as the latest unpaid intern helping a certain fluffy deity gather His missing plates.
"Suosuo."
Relax, relax, it’s fine.
Zorua, now sprawled lazily on the small table, wagged its tail before flipping onto its back.
"Suosuo!"
Natsu! You promised a massage!
His train of thought interrupted, Natsu wasn’t even mad.
Zorua was right—this wasn’t sothing he needed to worry about right now.
For now, he should just focus on being a farm owner.
The world always had its chosen heroes to save it.
Unless a certain alpaca god showed up at his doorstep, it wasn’t his problem.
With that in mind, Natsu started massaging Zorua.
The technique he used was one he had picked up from a generic tutorial online.
Though everyone seed to enjoy it, he figured they were just being polite.
After all, he knew his own skills best.
He wasn’t exactly a professional—more like he was just randomly pressing around.
"Suo~"
So good~
Zorua squinted its eyes in satisfaction.
But sothing still didn’t feel quite right.
This posture...
A bright white light flashed.
Zorua’s form began to shift and transform.
Within the glowing light, a long-tailed pink kitten appeared.
Flipping over, it continued enjoying Natsu’s massage.
"Stay still and stop fidgeting."
Seeing "Zorua" in its new form, Natsu lightly flicked its forehead.
"w~"
Okay~
A childlike, crisp voice rang out directly in Natsu’s mind.
About ten minutes later—
Just as the Mascular girl’s truck pulled up to the farm’s entrance, she spotted Natsu waiting outside—
With a pink Pokémon curled up at his feet.
"Boss! We’re here!"
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