Once they were released, the two Charcadet ran up to Natsume and bowed deeply, as if thanking him for taking them in.
For wild Pokémon, having someone willing to take them in—providing food and shelter—was nothing short of a dream.
No, scratch that. Even in their wildest dreams, they wouldn't have imagined such a thing happening.
After all, back in the wild, their seniors had repeatedly emphasized that if they ever encountered a human, their best course of action was to run as far away as possible.
They had also warned them about the dangers humans posed.
But now, looking at Natsume, he didn't seem scary at all.
At the very least, Boss Natsume wasn't frightening.
After bowing to Natsume, the two Charcadet turned one after the other and bowed to Mew as well, expressing their gratitude to Big Brother Mew for showing them the way.
Natsume was the boss.
Mew was the big bro.
Yep, that made perfect sense.
As the two Charcadet gazed up at him with admiration, Mew nodded in satisfaction.
Very well! From now on, you two are my direct subordinates!
On the farm, Mew was practically the designated skills tutor.
However, strictly speaking, Mew only had one true little brother—Hisui Zorua.
But ever since Hisui Zorua discovered that Mew had been hiding its true identity all along, it had been sulking and deliberately avoiding Mew.
It wasn't that it didn't want to see Mew. It was just waiting. As long as Mew came looking for it, Hisui Zorua would immediately forgive it.
You'll still be my big bro.
Unfortunately, Mew seemed completely unaware of Hisui Zorua's little tantrum.
For a long time after arriving at the farm, Mew had been too busy entertaining itself to pay attention to its little brother.
Feeling hurt, Hisui Zorua decided that it would never play with Mew again. It would become a child who never smiled.
Then it joined forces with Togepi to form a troublemaker duo.
As time went on, Hisui Zorua made new friends and didn't care about Mew anymore.
Don't ask. It once loved.
But that was all in the past.
By the time Mew realized it hadn't seen its little brother in ages, the little brother had already abandoned it.
Mew sulked about it for quite a while.
But that didn't matter anymore.
Now I have new little brothers.
Mew's eyes sparkled as it looked at the two Charcadet.
"Mew!"
Work hard! I'll train you well!
Clenching its tiny fists, Mew spoke with great determination.
As a Legendary Pokémon, Mew was quite confident in its ability to train others.
After all, every time it watched online videos of trainers training their Pokémon, it had only one thought:
"I could totally do that. And way better!"
The two Charcadet exchanged a glance.
"Char!"
Please take care of us, Big Bro Mew!
They seemed eager and full of energy.
"Mew!"
Call me Big Sis!
"Char!"
Big Sis Mew!
"Alright, enough messing around, you lot."
"Aren't you supposed to be touring the Gym, Mew?"
"What's with this sudden interest in raising minions?"
Natsume pinched the scruff of Mew's neck and lifted it up, tapping its head twice.
This little guy was just like a seven- or eight-year-old child—curious about everything, but also easily distracted by new things.
"Mew!"
Because this is way more fun! Who cares about a Gym?
Hanging from Natsume's grip, Mew declared its stance with confidence, staring at Natsume with wide, innocent eyes.
Not a trace of guilt. Not a hint of embarrassment.
"No excuses. You wanted to see the Gym, so now you're coming with me."
Giving the pink cat a light shake, Natsume motioned for the two Charcadet to follow, then walked out of the room—still holding Mew by the scruff.
Mew wiggled a couple of times before giving up.
If someone's willing to carry me, why should I fly myself?
Mew, being the genius it was, firmly believed that it should be carried.
Even if this position was slightly uncomfortable.
But that was fine.
Less effort was better.
The two Charcadet, following behind, blinked at the sight of their newly appointed "Big Sis" being casually carried off.
She… didn't seem all that intimidating.
Noticing that the two little ones had to practically jog to keep up, Natsume slowed his pace.
For their tiny legs, keeping up with him was no easy task.
"Char…"
Realizing that Natsume had adjusted his pace, the Charcadet sighed in relief.
They almost couldn't keep up.
Glancing at the blueprint on his phone, Natsume continued his Gym tour.
He still hadn't decided on a name for the Gym, the design of the badge, or the battle format.
But that didn't dampen his excitement.
Back when he first took over the farm, excitement had been mixed with deep anxiety.
That anxiety stemmed from his lack of confidence in his own strength—and his full awareness of his financial situation.
Because he knew his financial situation all too well, it made him anxious.
Now, though, Natsume was confident in both his strength and his wallet.
So he wasn't particularly worried about this Gym.
With enough strength to back it up, he wasn't afraid of any problems that might arise.
As long as no fragile trainers broke down after losing a match and died in the Gym, things should be fine.
It sounded ridiculous.
But reality was often even more absurd.
At the end of the day, novels needed logic. Real life didn't.
If someone compiled all the bizarre news stories from the internet, they'd probably create the longest comedy film in history.
"This will be the battle arena."
At the center of the Gym, a large open space was piled with construction materials.
The battlefields in Gyms weren't just simple dirt floors.
More well-funded Gyms built professional battle arenas—the kind that could automatically switch terrain types after a match, just like in the anime.
They looked impressive. And they cost a fortune.
Not just in construction, but in maintenance as well.
But Natsume figured that if he was going to build a Gym, he might as well do it properly.
He had no grand ambition of creating the world's best Gym.
But he also didn't want to be at the bottom.
Something solidly mid-tier. Maybe slightly above average.
That was his goal.
And to achieve it, some investment was necessary.
Beyond the battle arena, there were plenty of other expenses.
Even Natsume felt the pain of spending so much money.
Thankfully, once the Gym was up and running, things would stabilize.
Besides, Slowking handled the farm's finances.
Natsume only checked them occasionally.
Slowking, on the other hand, monitored them daily.
If anyone should be feeling the financial pain, it was definitely Slowking.
That thought alone made Natsume feel a lot better.
"Once the battle arena is finished, the Gym's construction will be more or less complete."
Aside from the arena, the rest of the Gym was just standard buildings.
Some of the reserved spaces might later be converted into training rooms.
But for now, there was no rush.
Trying to perfect everything before getting started often meant nothing got started at all.
"Mew."
Perched on Natsume's shoulder, Mew tilted its head in anticipation.
Being carried around had its own unique charm.
But it was a little embarrassing.
So Mew preferred sitting on Natsume's shoulder.
That way, it wasn't just convenient—it also made it look adorable.
Presentation mattered, okay?
"Mew."
Natsume, Natsume! Can they come to the Gym in the future too?
Tugging gently at Natsume's hair, Mew gestured toward its two little brothers.
Mew had great confidence in its training skills.
And in its new protégés.
After all, it was a Legendary Pokémon.
It could see a Pokémon's potential.
These two Charcadet—while not destined to be legendary figures—were at least solid by human trainer standards.
With Mew's guidance, they would become the Gym's star battlers.
The kind that takes down every challenger that walks through the door.
"That depends on what they want."
"What if they don't want to fight?"
Natsume had no objections to this.
His initial idea was to let the Pokémon on the farm occasionally step in as guest participants.
If these two Charcadet were willing to join in, he certainly had no problem with it.
But forcing them to fight?
That was out of the question.
"Char!"
Hearing Natsume and Mew's conversation, the older sister of the two Charcadet quickly spoke up, saying that she and her younger sister were willing to battle.
They had heard from the older Pokémon in the wild—
Humans captured Pokémon for the purpose of battling.
So if they were unlucky enough to get caught, they had to obey.
Though they didn't quite understand what a Gym was,
As the elder sister, she immediately agreed.
It's just battling, right?
We wild Pokémon are best at that.
No big deal.
Leave it to us.
Watching the older sister Charcadet pat her chest confidently while the younger sister hid behind her, cheering herself on,
Natsume couldn't help but find the situation amusing.
On one hand, their behavior was kind of cute.
On the other, he felt a little helpless.
This place isn't some exploitative sweatshop or a scam center.
There's no need to be this tense.
But he had gotten used to it.
Every time a new Pokémon arrived, it seemed to be the same story.
Wild Pokémon always had some kind of misconception about humans—
Either they idealized them too much, or they demonized them.
After all, they had never actually interacted with humans.
Everything they knew came from other Pokémon.
Those abandoned by humans would assume the worst about their every move.
While those who had returned to the wild after their Trainers passed away would nostalgically reminisce about their past lives, often painting an even rosier picture.
Even if there were some unpleasant memories, they would unconsciously gloss over them.
It was just the way things were.
"Alright, no need to be so nervous."
"No one here will ever force you to do something you don't want to do."
"If anyone does, just tell me."
"I'll cut off their Pokéblock supply for a month."
"And then call them up for a beating."
Squatting down, Natsume gently rubbed both Charcadet on their heads.
His words were clearly meant for a certain someone.
Sure enough, Mew, perched on his shoulder, immediately looked horrified.
Are you a demon, my friend?
Using its tiny paws to press against Natsume's face, Mew made it clear—please, for the sake of our friendship, never say such terrifying things again.
To this, Natsume replied that it would depend on the situation.
And withholding Pokéblocks? That wasn't just an empty threat.
But more importantly—
Mew's gaze subtly shifted to Natsume's hand.
Everyone knew that Charcadet had something like a fiery plume on their heads,
Which fluttered constantly even when there was no wind.
It looked quite nice.
But that thing was literally fire.
How was he petting them so casually?
Wasn't it hot?
Did this guy train in iron palm techniques or something?
Natsume's response—
You don't need to know the secrets of a Hisuian superhuman.
After ruffling the Charcadet's heads a little longer, Natsume reached into his pocket and pulled out several translucent, ruby-red Pokéblocks.
Inside each one, a tiny flame seemed to flicker.
Holding them in his hand, he could feel their warmth.
Natsume had been thinking—his farm had never really had a proper Fire-type Pokémon before.
Now, finally, that had changed.
To mark the occasion, he took out some specially prepared Fire-type Pokéblocks.
They were among the higher-quality ones, even for general-use Fire-type Pokéblocks.
Something he had made while practicing to keep his skills sharp.
But their quality was top-notch, no doubt about that.
"Char..."
Taking the Pokéblocks, the two Charcadet looked up at him, eyes brimming with emotion.
No one had ever been this nice to them before.
And he was even giving them food.
The Pokéblocks Natsume took out didn't have any strong scent.
They looked more like decorative rubber trinkets.
But as they held them in their hands, the Charcadet could feel the Fire-type energy within.
Normally, Fire-type energy was fierce and volatile.
But the energy in these Pokéblocks—
It was warm. Gentle.
Like the golden sunlight of an autumn afternoon, spreading a comfortable warmth through their bodies.
The sisters exchanged a glance.
Then, at the same time, they wolfed down the Pokéblocks.
As the Pokéblocks crumbled in their mouths, an explosion of flavors unlike anything they had ever tasted before surged forth,
Melting into a warmth that spread through their entire bodies.
Every single cell seemed to be cheering in joy.
Like parched travelers in a desert finally stumbling upon an oasis.
It was a joy beyond words.
"Char!"
The older sister's eyes lit up as she stared at Natsume expectantly.
Delicious! Love it! Want more!
She didn't say a word, but her gaze said it all.
"Not for now."
"You have to digest it first before you can eat more."
Seeing those eager eyes, Natsume rejected her request without hesitation.
"Char..."
A little disappointed, the older Charcadet quickly perked up again.
Being able to taste something so incredible was already more than she could have asked for.
She was just being greedy.
Adjusting her mindset, she glanced at her little sister.
Good. Her eyes were as clear and dumb as ever.
No issues there.
When it came to her sister, the older Charcadet knew her well.
High emotional intelligence: Always happy, never worries.
Low emotional intelligence: No brain, forgets things easily, can't pick up on sarcasm.
In some ways, that was a good thing.
At least she was always cheerful.
Sometimes, the older Charcadet even envied her for it.
"Alright, let's head back."
After a brief stroll, Natsume clapped his hands and said.
Before leaving, he called over the Ursaring family and asked them to keep an eye on things for him for the time being.
Since the Gym wasn't fully built yet, its security measures were basically nonexistent.
Or rather, they were about as useful as the ones in the Land of Light.
More symbolic than functional.
"Mew~"
I want something tasty when we get back.
Raising its tiny paw, Mew made its daily demand.
Lately, it had been saying this at least twice a day.
"No."
And just like that, Natsume shut it down.
Not until you finish eating the 'protection fees' you extorted from Manaphy.
To this, Mew responded with utter denial—
What protection fees? I don't know what you're talking about! Don't slander me!
The two Charcadet blinked their big, clueless eyes, watching their new boss and the legendary Pokémon bicker.
They had no idea what was going on, but it seemed really impressive.
After returning home, Natsume introduced the two Charcadet to his Pokémon.
Mew, puffing up with pride, declared that from now on, they were its underlings.
In response, everyone remained calm and unbothered.
Well, it was Mew, after all.
Even though it always liked to present itself as a wise and mature Pokémon,
Everyone knew the truth—
This guy was just a brat.
And not just any brat, but the ultimate kind.
Most troublemakers, no matter how unruly, would behave after getting smacked around a bit.
But Mew?
Not only did it love causing chaos—
If you tried to smack it,
You'd be looking at an instant game-over.
No alternatives. No second chances.
"Mew!"
Starting today, you'll train under me!
I'll lead you to the top of the world, to sights no one else has ever seen!
Somehow, Mew had fished out a pair of black-rimmed glasses, crossing its arms as it solemnly addressed the two Charcadet.
It had picked up this line from a Trainer's video online.
Specifically, it was something an uncrowned middle-aged Trainer had once said to his newly captured Mightyena.
How should one put it?
It was... quite aspirational.
And in a way, there was potential for a bright future... probably?
"Char!"
As ridiculous as it sounded, to the two Charcadet, it was surprisingly convincing.
Not only because they had little knowledge of the world,
But more importantly—
It was Mew saying it.
That alone sent the credibility of the statement skyrocketing.
And so, from that day onward, the two Charcadet began following Mew around for training.
At one point, Natsume asked about their progress.
But Mew, acting all mysterious, insisted that it would be a huge surprise when the time came.
In response, Natsume could only wait with mild anticipation.
A few days later, as he lazily scrolled through his phone while eating breakfast, a news notification suddenly popped up.
"The Pokédex has been updated?"
The news featured Sha Keisho, now dressed in full researcher attire, explaining the newly documented information on Pecharunt and the Loyal Three.
At the same time, he also officially clarified Pecharunt's classification.
Something Natsume had been following for a while now had finally come to a conclusion.
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