In the dimly lit building, two small humanoid Pokémon cautiously peeked out from the shadows of a dark corner, their eyes filled with curiosity and wariness.
Earlier this morning, they had noticed a group of Machamp carrying strange-looking materials while chanting in unison as they marched toward this place.
Out of curiosity, the two Pokémon had decided to follow along.
After all, they had nowhere else to go. Wandering around a bit seemed like a good way to pass the time.
That was their initial thought.
But then, they saw that group of seemingly powerful Machamp start constructing a building using those materials.
They didn't understand why, but their curiosity compelled them to keep watching.
Maybe that was all there was to it—just simple curiosity.
After all, many Pokémon in their early stages of life possessed an abundant sense of curiosity.
Just like Phione from some time ago.
Not long after its birth, Phione had been given permission by Audino to move around freely. With that newfound freedom, it became fascinated by everything in the world.
Forget about just trying different kinds of Pokéblocks—when Natsume had recently brought back some nutrient-rich soil to plant flowers at home, he turned around for just a moment and caught Phione about to stuff a handful of dirt into its mouth.
Fortunately, Natsume had managed to stop it just in time.
"Char..."
Tilting its head, the smaller of the two Pokémon gazed curiously at the empty room before them.
Where did all those Machamp go?
Where did they disappear to in the blink of an eye?
Wait a second… had they accidentally wandered into human territory?
The tiny Pokémon suddenly realized the severity of the situation.
According to the elder Pokémon of the forest, humans were a fearsome species.
They would invade Pokémon homes, beat their families, steal their food and treasures, and even take away their parents, mates, and children. And before leaving, they would make sure their victims were awake—forcing them to watch helplessly as their loved ones were taken away.
They were truly terrifying beings.
If possible, one should avoid humans for an entire lifetime—absolutely avoid them.
That was the warning passed down by the elders.
The two Pokémon still vividly remembered the expression on that old Nidoking's face when he spoke of this. His features were filled with sorrow and pain, as if he were mourning his own failure to protect his child.
From that perspective, humans were indeed terrifying.
After whispering its thoughts to its companion, the other Pokémon also became aware of the danger.
This was bad!
The two tiny Pokémon began anxiously pacing in circles, completely flustered.
They wanted to leave immediately.
But the door to the room was closed.
"Char... Char."
After a brief huddled discussion, they decided to use teamwork.
One Pokémon crouched down and braced its hands firmly against the ground. The other stepped onto its back, carefully balancing on tiptoes as it reached for the doorknob.
After much effort, they finally managed to turn the handle and open the door.
"Char!"
The Pokémon that had jumped down let out a triumphant cheer.
But before it could pull its companion up, a human voice suddenly came from outside.
"Looks like some Pokémon accidentally wandered in."
Natsume's voice echoed through the hallway.
The two tiny Pokémon instantly froze.
That voice...
It was a human!
In a panic, the pair scrambled back into their hiding spot in the corner.
This room was intended to be Natsume's storage room.
It was cluttered with all sorts of miscellaneous items.
Perhaps because Natsume had grown up in a house where there was always a storage room—filled with things not frequently used, including his childhood toys—he had developed a strange attachment to the idea.
It didn't matter what kind of house it was. It had to have a storage room.
Every building on the farm had one.
"Char..."
Hiding in the shadows, the two Pokémon cautiously peeked out.
Through the crack in the open door, they saw a figure pass by.
Trailing behind him was a fearsome-looking black hound.
Its neck and back were adorned with gray, bone-like structures.
Its large, curved horns gave it the appearance of a demon that had descended from the underworld.
Even its mere footsteps radiated waves of heat.
Houndoom—a Dark- and Fire-type Pokémon.
In many films and TV shows, Houndoom often played the role of a villain's Pokémon.
It was strong in battle, and its appearance perfectly fit the part.
However, there were no Houndoom on Natsume's farm.
The only dog-like Pokémon here were Mightyena and Manectric.
Which meant...
This Houndoom must belong to someone else.
"Miu... woof?"
As it passed the doorway, the Houndoom seemed to notice something.
It instinctively let out a sound as it glanced into the room.
Strangely, its first sound was somewhat odd before it returned to a normal bark.
Tilting its head, the Houndoom scanned the room with its ominous, piercing gaze.
"What's wrong?"
The human's voice came again.
The Houndoom hesitated for a moment, then shook its head and followed after the human.
As they watched the Houndoom leave, the two tiny Pokémon let out a long sigh of relief.
That was close!
Holding its chest, one Pokémon protectively shielded its companion, lightly patting its own chest as it calmed down.
They had narrowly avoided disaster.
Now, they just had to wait for the human and the Houndoom to leave.
But… wasn't Houndoom a canine Pokémon?
How had it failed to notice them at such close range?
Was this fate...?
Puzzled, the tiny Pokémon slowly lifted its head—
And found itself staring into the massive face of a dog.
Its bloodshot eyes gleamed with a sinister red glow.
Drool dripped from its open jaws.
At that moment, its heart stopped.
To my parents—wherever you may be. And to my long-lost friends, if you are still alive.
My short and uneventful life might be ending today.
Please don't grieve for me. Please don't mourn me.
On the road to reincarnation, I won't be alone.
Because my little sister is probably coming with me.
At least... we won't be lonely.
Ah, what a short life.
Closing its eyes, the tiny Pokémon braced itself for the inevitable.
The one behind it curled up into a defensive position, instinctively trying to squeeze itself into a crack in the floor.
If only there was one.
"All right, Mew, stop scaring them."
"Does messing with little ones really make you that happy?"
The tiny Pokémon waited and waited… but death never came.
Instead, the human's voice rang out again.
Wait—what was he saying?
Scaring little ones...
Was he talking about them?
"Mew~"
"Mew!"
No way! I just thought they were really cute!
Don't you ever get the urge to snuggle adorable little kittens and puppies?!
"Well, sure, but not as much as you do."
"Mew!"
That's so mean! I'm just an innocent, kind-hearted soul!
Peeking through one eye, the tiny Pokémon saw a pink, feline Pokémon floating in the air.
It waved its little paws around in protest, looking utterly adorable.
A stark contrast to the menacing black dog from before.
Wait… where was that big dog?
The tiny Pokémon hesitantly looked toward Natsume and Mew, its eyes filled with confusion and worry.
Oh no.
They had been discovered by a human.
In just a few short breaths, the Pokémon had already imagined dozens of tragic fates.
The mere thought of them made the future seem bleak and hopeless.
"You step aside for now. Don't make this harder."
Natsume pressed a finger against Mew's forehead, gently pushing it away before turning his gaze to the two tiny Pokémon hiding behind a cardboard box.
"Hello there, Charcadet."
He crouched down, making sure his eyes were level with theirs.
Extending his hand, he spoke softly.
Yes, these two Pokémon were none other than Charcadet—the pre-evolutions of Armarouge and Ceruledge, two incredibly popular Pokémon from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Charcadet's body was primarily red and black, with its upper half being a vibrant shade of red.
A distinctive helmet adorned its head, featuring three small openings.
The flames burning fiercely at the back of their heads and around their necks looked like flowing helmet plumes and scarves.
Rather than "attendants," they seemed more like knights still in training.
Natsume had anticipated that some Pokémon might accidentally wander into the newly constructed Gym—after all, for convenience, it was built right on the farm's edge, at the opposite end from where Ting-Lu resided.
But he hadn't expected the intruders to be these two little ones.
If he remembered correctly, Charcadet was an exceptionally rare Pokémon.
There weren't many of them in Jadeleaf's territory.
The Jadeleaf League was home to a large number of Dragon-type Pokémon—one could find most Dragon-types in the world distributed somewhere within its borders, including pseudo-legendaries.
"Char?"
The bolder of the two Charcadet, the one who had been shielding its younger sister, cautiously spoke up.
As an older sister, she was certainly fulfilling her duty well.
Yes, both of them seemed to be female.
Natsume wasn't sure why they had ended up here, but since they had come, they might as well stay.
It had been a while since the farm had welcomed any new residents.
Okidogi and the others didn't count—those guys were more like spoils of war.
Cresselia had mentioned yesterday morning that she had sensed something and needed to head out for a bit.
After Natsume packed half a month's worth of Pokéblocks into a small bag for her, she left the farm.
Manaphy had also departed a couple of days prior—after all, as the Prince of the Sea, he couldn't keep skipping work.
He had responsibilities to attend to.
Of course, before leaving, he had pilfered a portion of Natsume's Pokéblock stock from the storage room.
This nearly led to a fight between him and Mew.
In the end, Manaphy had to hand over half of the Pokéblocks and some snacks as "protection fees" before being allowed to leave.
As for what happened to that "protection fee" afterward?
Don't ask.
When it comes to Legendary Pokémon, some things are better left unquestioned.
"Char?"
Um… hello?
After a brief hesitation, the older Charcadet tentatively greeted Natsume.
This human didn't seem that bad?
But the Nidoking elder had warned them—humans were incredibly good at deception.
What if he was just pretending?
Though… it did feel oddly comforting.
Different from other humans.
He gave off a presence that made Pokémon instinctively want to get closer.
As she watched Natsume extend his hand toward her, the older Charcadet reflexively reached out—only to suddenly realize what she was doing and pull back at the last second.
This guy!
Too dangerous!
Snapping back to her senses, the Charcadet stared at Natsume in horror.
This human was terrifying.
Without realizing it, he had already made her lower her guard.
That was even scarier than Psychic-type Pokémon.
"Huh?"
Natsume was confused by the sudden look of fear on her face.
What just happened?
"Mew~"
You seriously have no self-awareness, do you?
Mew, who had been shoved aside earlier, flew over with a look of utter disdain.
That ridiculous charm of yours—if you don't learn to control it, things like this will keep happening.
And yet, you remain completely oblivious.
Clearly, it was time for an intervention.
Shoving Natsume aside, Mew flicked his long tail, brushing it lightly against Natsume's face—like a playful act of "revenge" for being pushed away earlier.
Now he could get back at Natsume properly!
"Mew-mew~"
"Char?"
Mew swiftly put his social skills to work, draping his arms around the two Charcadet like old friends catching up.
Every now and then, he would glance back at Natsume, as if discussing something with them.
After a brief exchange—
"Char!"
Big bro Natsume!
With her little sister in tow, the elder Charcadet solemnly approached Natsume and bowed deeply.
It looked just like those old gangster initiation scenes from the last century.
"Wait, wait! Get up first!"
"Mew, what the hell did you tell them?!"
Flustered, Natsume quickly helped the two Charcadet to their feet, then turned to glare at Mew.
What kind of nonsense did you fill their heads with?!
At this rate, I'm going to end up looking like some crime syndicate boss!
I'm supposed to be a model citizen of the new era!
"Mew?"
What? Nothing special.
Tilting his head, Mew feigned innocence.
All he did was summarize how everyone on the farm viewed Natsume.
Nothing strange about that, right?
"You—"
Natsume opened his mouth to argue but ultimately sighed instead.
Looking over at the two nervous Charcadet sisters, he saw them flinch slightly under his gaze.
Letting out a barely audible sigh, he put on a gentle smile and said:
"Since Mew has already told you everything—"
"What's your decision?"
"Char!"
We want to join!
The elder Charcadet responded immediately, afraid Natsume would change his mind.
Beside her, the younger Charcadet nodded vigorously.
She seemed like a very introverted child—throughout the entire conversation, it had been her older sister speaking on their behalf.
"Alright, then come in."
Reaching behind him, Natsume pulled out two Poké Balls and held them in front of the Charcadet sisters.
After exchanging a glance, the two of them earnestly pressed the buttons on the Poké Balls.
"Pooff~"
The Poké Balls shook gently twice before falling still.
"Alright, Charcadet has been caught."
Picking up the Poké Balls, Natsume felt a strong urge to strike Ash Ketchum's signature pose.
But upon sensing Mew's judgmental stare from the side, he decided against it.
***************************
Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell