“Lalu~”
Retracting her tiny hand, Ralts wiped the sweat from her forehead.
For her current abilities, this was still a bit of a heavy workload.
But it was still within acceptable limits.
You got this!
Clenching her little fists, Ralts gave herself a silent pep talk before levitating over to i using psychic power.
i reached out and caught her with ease.
Maybe it was because they shared a few things in common, but Ralts and i got along surprisingly well.
What do they have in common, you ask?
Well, they both like Natsu, obviously.
Is there a single creature on this farm that doesn't like Natsu?
Anyone who doesn't has already been thrown out.
Even if Natsu doesn’t lift a finger, Boss Persian will personally deal with those kinds.
“You little punk. Eating the farm’s food, living on the farm’s land, and you still have complaints about the farm’s owner?”
Where do you get the nerve?
There’s no place here for freeloaders with attitude problems.
If Natsu steps in, it’s not so bad—he’s usually pretty tolerant of most Pokémon.
His attitude’s generally kind and gentle.
But if Boss Persian steps in?
Forget any “friendly negotiation.”
Natsu might feel awkward about beating you up, but Boss Persian sure doesn’t.
When Persian handles things, there’s no discussion—first cos the beatdown, then cos the “talk” once you’re obedient enough to listen.
“Negotiation”? Please.
“I’m here to deliver a ssage!”
“You worked hard.”
Cradling the drowsy little Ralts in her arms, i looked down at Ralts and couldn't resist rubbing her cheek against hers.
Such a precious little thing.
Cute girls are like Stand Users—they always attract each other.
“Lalu.”
After enduring the cheek rubs for a bit, Ralts gently pushed i’s face away with her tiny hand to say, “That’s enough.”
If this keeps up, my hair’s gonna get all ssed up!
Turning her head toward Natsu, Ralts looked up at him, asking if it was ti to head over to Tsareena’s side next.
Truth be told, Ralts hadn’t really seen much of Tsareena until now.
Unlike her fisherman older brother, her workaholic eldest sister, or her rough-and-tumble delinquent second sister, Ralts was more of a hobody.
She had zero interest in wandering around.
Making friends? Pass.
If she had the energy, she might take a stroll nearby. If not, she was perfectly content to lie at ho all day.
Why run around wasting stamina when you could be lying down?
She never really understood her second sister’s chaotic lifestyle.
Just like Kirlia couldn’t understand why Ralts was so lazy—she didn’t even want to walk a few steps.
But that was fine. Now, Ralts had sothing she genuinely wanted to do.
And Kirlia had nothing left to say about it.
Four siblings, and three of them were working for Natsu.
Only she was still loafing around.
Oh no—I’m the slacker of the family!
“Mm, I’m counting on you again, Ralts.”
Natsu bent down slightly, smiling at Ralts, whose face was all serious business.
Her tiny face paired with that dead-serious expression—
There was sothing inexplicably adorable about it.
Maybe it was the contrast?
Sure, Natsu could’ve handled all this by himself, but if one of the kids on the farm wanted to help, of course he wouldn’t say no.
When soone wants to help you, why reject their kindness?
It’s not like he was so dark and brooding antihero with a tragic backstory.
No need to play the whole “lone wolf against the world” card.
“Lalu!”
Leave it to !
Raising her delicate arm and waving it, Ralts tried to strike a strong pose.
But the utter lack of any visible muscle made her lower her arm in slight frustration.
Darn it—even that shiny Furret senpai is super cute but also super jacked!
Looks like Ralts might secretly prefer real muscles over psychic powers?
“Alright then—let’s head out!”
Maybe because Ralts looked so much like a child, Natsu raised his hand and shouted like he was playing with a kid.
“Ohh!”
“Lalu!”
i and Ralts imdiately raised their arms and echoed the call.
Only the sleepy Ralts in i’s arms looked around in confusion at the scene unfolding in front of her.
I just closed my eyes for a quick nap...
When did we switch from the agriculture channel to a parenting variety show?
If they’re the featured parent-child duo, then what am I?
The evil heiress from so fake-daughter drama?
Should I be saying sothing dramatic and in character right now?
Having read a few dramatic micro-novels lately, Ralts fell into deep thought.
--
In the Berry Forest, Tsareena was in the middle of scolding her tribe.
As the poor soul who’d been pushed into the role of chieftain, Tsareena had long been stressed about whether she could actually lead her kind.
She had zero experience or knowledge in this area!
But being a studious girl, the mont she realized her shortcomings, she imdiately went to Natsu for help.
Unfortunately, Natsu, who had almost no managent experience himself, could only offer to buy her so books online and gather whatever resources he could find.
Tsareena gladly accepted.
And after a period of study, she felt like things were finally clicking!
At least, in theory.
Excited, she rushed back to put her newfound knowledge into practice.
And then—
She realized theory and practice were two completely different beasts.
After a string of frustrating and chaotic attempts, Tsareena once again humbly returned to Natsu for help.
Through repeated trial and error, Tsareena finally ca to a key realization:
Her tribe wasn’t a human company.
There was no need for complicated corporate structure.
Just assign the work, keep everyone calm and happy—
And for the troublemakers, beat them into submission.
If they refused to listen? Toss ’em out.
Human companies need complex managent because humans aren’t strong, and their ultimate goal is profit.
But for a Pokémon tribe, there’s only one goal:
Survival.
Once she understood that, Tsareena’s managent style grew increasingly streamlined—
But oddly effective.
For most Pokémon, a good punch was more persuasive than any lecture.
“Chu-wa!”
Hands on her hips, Tsareena was giving a stern lecture to a few unruly Bounsweet.
Every group has a few problem children.
And the Bounsweet tribe was no exception.
In theory, Bounsweet were supposed to be low-key, cautious Pokémon.
They were weak and literally secreted a sweet, syrupy liquid.
To so Pokémon, that’s basically being born pre-marinated.
But maybe it was the overly peaceful environnt of the farm—
These freshly hatched Bounsweet were bolder than ever.
So even dared to ss around in the shiny Pidgeot’s territory.
Tsareena was done.
Seriously, do you all have a death wish?
Honestly, the farm’s peaceful atmosphere had saved their lives.
With brains like that, they’d never survive a single night in the wild.
“Good afternoon, Tsareena.”
From afar, Natsu called out to the lecturing Tsareena.
Hearing his voice, she paused mid-sentence and waved her hand, signaling the troublemakers to scram.
Don’t loiter in front of !
Annoying!
The Bounsweet, seeing a chance for escape, imdiately bolted.
Two of them were running so fast they crashed into each other and rolled into a heap.
“Chu-wa!”
Walking gracefully over, Tsareena arrived at Natsu’s side, gave i a quick curious glance, then paid her no mind.
She instinctively went in to rub up against Natsu—
Only to be stopped by his hand.
“?”
Tilting her head, Tsareena looked confused.
Following Natsu’s gaze, she noticed the little troublemakers still hadn’t left—they were hiding behind a tree, spying.
This made her angry again.
Those little punks. She was definitely going to teach them a lesson later.
“Alright, alright, don’t get mad.”
Natsu pulled his hand back, soothing Tsareena's mood.
Normally, he wouldn’t touch a tribe leader’s head in front of others.
Especially with other Pokémon around.
It’d damage their authority.
Just imagine—a usually stern leader suddenly does a backflip and slides on their knees in front of soone.
What would you think?
Other than “what the heck” and “that was hilarious,”
You’d probably lose all respect for them.
Once or twice is fine. But if it happens a lot, and more Pokémon see it—
That’s no good for a tribe leader’s image.
So Natsu tended to hold back in monts like these.
Of course, if no other Pokémon were around, he’d never stop Tsareena from showing affection.
Unlike Vespiquen, Tsareena had always been especially close with Natsu.
Even though she spent most of her ti in the Berry Forest because of her tribe, there was no doubt about her fondness for Natsu.
“Chuwa?”
Was Natsu here to collect Bounsweet’s sweat?
Withdrawing her gaze, Tsundere Tsareena turned to Natsu and asked.
Bounsweet is the kind of Pokémon that gives off a delicious, fruity aroma from its body.
In the wild, it often gets swallowed whole by Bombirdier, which is drawn to the scent.
When attacked, Bounsweet secretes a sweet-slling sweat.
Strictly speaking, this only happens when it's startled or stimulated.
But ironically, this sweat ends up attracting even more enemies.
One Pokédex entry even describes it like this: If a human were to eat it directly, it would be far too sweet.
However, if you dilute Bounsweet’s sweat with water, it becos a juice with just the right amount of sweetness.
You could say Bounsweet, as a Pokémon, is not unlike Farfetch’d.
Rather than for its combat prowess, it’s more famous for being… a food ingredient.
“Yes…”
Natsu nodded with a smile, but before he could finish his sentence, Tsundere Tsareena’s eyes lit up.
“Chuwa!”
Wait right here!
With a powerful stomp, she darted into the forest like a flash of lightning.
“Chu!”
The next mont, a chaotic commotion erupted from the forest—squawks, rustling leaves, and several Bounsweet crying out in distress.
Before long, Tsundere Tsareena returned, holding a few Bounsweet with miserable expressions written all over their faces.
These were the troublemakers of the group.
They were always giving her grief.
But since they were still kids, she never punished them too harshly.
After all, back when she was still a Bounsweet, she was a little rascal herself.
“Chuwa.”
Let’s start with these ones.
She took a step back and motioned for Natsu to begin.
But—how was he planning to do it this ti?
Tsundere Tsareena looked at Natsu curiously.
In the past, to better collect Bounsweet’s sweat, Natsu would usually bring along w or Persian. Occasionally, he’d bring Hisuian Zorua (before it evolved) or Misdreavus.
The purpose? Purely to scare the little ones.
This wasn’t Natsu’s strong suit—he had to rely on his Pokémon to help.
So, was this his assistant for the day?
Tsundere Tsareena glanced at the Ralts nestled obediently in i’s arms.
Just by appearances, Ralts seed just as easy to bully as the Bounsweet.
Might even get picked on by the troublemakers.
Of course, you should never judge a book by its cover.
So might look plain on the outside, but have sothing far nastier underneath.
“Ralts, I’ll be counting on you.”
With a set of small collection bottles and a custom-made scraper in hand, Natsu turned to the Ralts in i’s arms.
The scraper was specially designed—blunt-edged, perfect for safely gathering the liquid secreted when Bounsweet is startled.
To be honest, Natsu had always been curious about this.
Normally, when animals are threatened, don’t they secrete sothing foul to deter predators?
Why did Bounsweet secrete sothing sweet instead?
It really did seem like it was born to be food.
“Ral!”
Ralts nodded earnestly, levitating itself out of i’s arms with a soft glow of psychic power and gently floating down in front of the Bounsweet.
It reached out a hand toward one Bounsweet, whose expression said it couldn’t care less. A faint, invisible wave rippled from Ralts’ outstretched palm.
Beneath its bangs, the red eyes were laser-focused.
Ralts had never been particularly skilled with this move.
Though it had been practicing lately, it still wasn’t anywhere near the level of that Slowking senior.
Still, it should be enough for these guys.
The Bounsweet’s indifferent expression gradually turned blank. Its pupils filled with an eerie light.
Hypnosis.
The move’s description: puts the target to sleep.
But with just a slight tweak in application, Hypnosis could do much more.
For instance—induce a vivid illusion.
Whatever it was seeing, the Bounsweet began trembling ever so slightly.
Glistening sweat beaded on its surface, releasing a syrupy-sweet aroma that filled the air.
With a light tap of his finger, Natsu signaled Ralts to stop.
Cradling the Bounsweet gently, he began collecting the sweat.
He’d give them a little reward
afterward to make up for this.
Watching the now-frantic Bounsweet, Natsu made a note of it in his mind.
Elsewhere, with nothing much to do today, Ceruledge was dragging her little sister around on a lazy stroll.
By pure chance, they wandered into the territory that Chi-Yu had recently claid.
Gazing at the fiery basin before her, Ceruledge tilted her head.
When did this place co into existence?
Reviews
All reviews (0)