Just as Wade's sigh hung in the air, a soft rustling came from the bushes bordering the farmland.
"Chu-rururu."
A Pokémon emerged, her silhouette instantly reminding Wade of the rabbits from his past life. She was enveloped in a coat of fluffy, cream-colored fur that glowed with a warm sheen in the afternoon sun. Large, round amber eyes held a gaze that was three parts curiosity and seven parts naïve charm.
But her most striking features were her ears—longer than her body, they swept back like a pair of delicate maple leaves curled by a gentle wind. The tips coiled into playful spirals, revealing a shy, blushing pink on their inner curves.
"A Lopunny?" Wade murmured, surprised. He hadn't expected such an elegant wild Pokémon to be residing on his land.
In the next moment, her data materialized before his eyes:
[Lopunny]
Type: Normal
Gender: Female
Level: 23
Ability: Cute Charm
Moves: Return, Healing Wish, Bounce, Till, Dig, Quick Attack, Jump Kick, Substitute, Agility
Egg Moves: Copycat, Power-Up Punch
Equipped Traits: None
The Lopunny seemed equally startled by the newly cleared field. Her gaze swept over the turned earth before settling on the handsome young man and the pale, elegant figure beside him.
"Chu rururu?" she ventured, her voice soft and sweet, like freshly steamed glutinous rice cakes, with a timid, questioning lilt at the end.
"Master," Gardevoir's clear psychic voice translated promptly in his mind, a hint of something unreadable coloring her tone. "She is asking why we have trespassed into her territory."
Wade nodded. It made sense. After his grandfather's passing, the untended farm must have become a haven for Pokémon drifting in from the surrounding woods.
"Actually," Wade began gently, shaking his head, "we are the rightful owners of this farm. If you came from the forest, you likely saw a line of fencing along the border. That was our claim to this territory."
In the Pokémon world, the relationship between humans and wild Pokémon was complex. While many formed deep bonds through travel and battle, wild Pokémon could be fiercely territorial, and news of conflicts was not uncommon. If words could prevent a fight, Wade preferred to use them.
"Chu… ruru?"
Is that so?
Contrary to her bunny-girl-like appearance, this Lopunny possessed a guileless heart. She nodded slowly, recollection dawning. She had seen those fallen, weathered fence posts. Realization made her ears droop. She wasn't a violent sort; understanding she was the intruder filled her first with shock, then a flush of guilt that painted her cheeks.
"Chu-ru…" I suppose I have to move again…
Just as she turned, disheartened, to leave, the young Trainer's voice stopped her.
"Wait. Would you be interested in joining our farm instead?"
"Chu?!"
Lopunny's amber eyes sparkled, and her long ears shot upright with an audible swoosh. Does that mean… you'll take me in?
"Of course. Room and board included," Wade said, his smile warm and encouraging. The little one was clearly tempted.
Beyond her undeniable charm, the data panel had set his heart racing. Her level was modest, but her movepool was exceptional—high-power Fighting-type attacks like Jump Kick, and critically, the field utility move Till. From any practical standpoint, she was a perfect addition to the farm.
Of course, through Gardevoir's eyes, the scene looked quite different.
"Gar—" she mentally huffed, her lips forming a subtle pout. Hmph. Master, you're just coveting her… agricultural utility, aren't you? You're not even pretending it's about the farmwork now, are you? You see a new plaything and your mind goes straight to the gutter. How utterly crude.
A flicker of jealousy warmed her chest. But Gardevoir, ever adept at rationalizing her Master's actions, quickly reframed the thought. Perhaps another helper wouldn't be so bad. After all, she had recently come to a surprising, if thrilling, realization…
Her Trainer's stamina was improving at a frankly alarming rate. Even with her considerable… experience, she often found herself struggling to keep up, frequently ending their sessions in a breathless, overwhelmed daze. Maybe sharing the… workload had its merits.
"Gar—"
But she truly adored the sensation of being filled. The phantom memory of her Trainer's recent, merciless ravaging sent a fresh, electric jolt through her core. Gardevoir's emerald eyes glazed over, shimmering with unshed tears of overstimulation. She caught her plump lower lip between pearly teeth, a full-body blush blooming across her skin.
Suddenly, her entire form went rigid, arching like a drawn bowstring. Her fair toes, usually poised just above the ground, curled and dug helplessly into the soft earth of the farmland.
Oh, no… not here… not now…
A shuddering breath escaped her, a silent, desperate fight for control as a treacherous warmth threatened to betray her state.
On the other side, Wade and Lopunny, locked in their charged gaze, remained oblivious to Gardevoir's silent crisis.
"Churu~"
After a moment of apparent deliberation, the alluring Lopunny finally dipped her head in acceptance. However, before fully submitting, her expression grew solemn. She murmured something soft but firm.
"You mean we have to battle first?" Wade translated, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Churu!" Lopunny nodded, her long ears bobbing with resolution.
"Of course. That's more than fair," Wade readily agreed. In this world, the choice wasn't solely the Trainer's. Discerning Pokémon evaluated their potential partners, testing their strength and spirit. He'd read Professor Juniper's rants in the League Times about Snivy abandoning unworthy trainers in droves.
"Gardevoir! Front and center!"
At his command, a bluish-white figure materialized with a graceful flash, landing lightly between him and Lopunny.
"Gar—"
Gardevoir brought her hands together before her chest, lifting her chin in a picture of cool, battle-ready elegance. Only the faint, telltale flush high on her cheeks and the slightly-too-shallow rise of her chest hinted at the secret struggle she was wrestling just beneath the surface.
"Churu!"
The previously timid Lopunny seemed to shed her naivety. A focused intensity sharpened her amber gaze as she began a slow, deliberate advance, her movements fluid and predatory.
"You have the first move," Wade offered, his voice calm.
In the space between a dying breeze and a falling leaf, Lopunny vanished. She became a blur of brown and cream, a bolt of living lightning aimed straight for Gardevoir's heart.
Quick Attack.
"Impressive speed," Wade conceded, a note of genuine admiration in his voice. Against a typical trainer, such blinding initiative would be a decisive advantage, leaving no time for shouted orders.
But her opponent was Gardevoir.
"Churu?!"
Lopunny skidded to an abrupt halt in a cloud of dust, her ears swiveling in confusion. She stared at the empty space where her target had been just a fraction of a second before.
The battlefield was silent. Gardevoir had simply… disappeared.