At the entrance of the cave, Natsume and Zorua watched as Ogerpoantly shuffled out of the dark depths step by step.

  Its unwillingness was written all over its face.

  "Am I that hard to deal with?"

  Sharing a gh Zorua, Natsume, who already uood the situation, feigned a hurt expression.

  Though he preteo be upset, the ers of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up slightly.

  “Mmmhm!”

  Hearing this, Ogerpon, who had been hanging its head low, immediately perked up and frantically tried to expin to Natsume.

  It wasn’t that it didn’t want to see him—absolutely not! It was something else entirely. It definitely wasn’t because it disliked Natsume.

  In its anxious state, Ogerpon didn’t notice the faint smile on Natsume’s lips or the mischievous glint in Zorua’s eyes.

  Seeing Ogerpon’s panicked look gave Natsume a slight pang of guilt—like teasing a curious child during the holidays by asking endless questions just to see their flustered reas.

  "Alright, alright, I know you don’t dislike me."

  Notig how close Ogerpon was to tears, Natsume quickly tried to fort it.

  Although Zorua had mentiohat Ogerpon wasn’t in a great mental state tely, Natsume hadn’t expected it to be this sensitive.

  A single sentenearly brought it to tears.

  Feeling the warmth of Natsume's hand on its head, Ogerpon sniffled and forced its emotions back down.

  Then, as if embarrassed by its behavior, it tilted its head away, refusing to meet Natsume’s eyes.

  It didn’t want anyone, especially someo cared about, to see such a vulnerable side of itself.

  After all, g in front of someone you hold dear feels deeply embarrassing, regardless of age, gender, or species.

  Ogerpon cared too.

  "Alright, don’t be mad now."

  “Here, I brought you a gift.”

  After calming Ogerpon down, Natsume reached into the small satchel he carried and pulled out a rge gift box.

  Inside was a gift he had prepared especially ferpon.

  Holding the box, which was almost bigger than itself, Ogerpoated, unsure of what to say.

  It g the box in its arms and then at Natsume.

  Suddenly, it felt its tears welling up again, barely under trol.

  For a child aced to being alohe smallest acts of care could uhem.

  They might normally be calm, even indifferent in the face of adversity, but when someoended genuine kindness, it was overwhelming.

  “Do you want to open it and take a look?”

  Notig how Ogerpohe gift box to hide its faatsume’s voistinctively softened.

  It was hard to be stern with su endearing Pokémon.

  If it were Corviknight, Natsume would’ve probably just given it a swift kiake it aal.

  (Corviknight: “Why am I always the target?!”)

  “Mmmhm!”

  Noddihusiastically, Ogerpohe gift box on the ground and quickly uned it.

  Ihe rge box were two separated partments. One taiwo stacked masks, and the other held an ornate inse burner.

  As Ogerpon examihe masks, Natsume expined:

  “These two masks are something I found online.

  “They’re not the ones you lost inally, but their designs are quite simir. I thought you might like them, so I bought them for you.”

  “And the other item is a Rose Inse. It not only enhances Grass-type moves but also smells great.”

  The masks had been an ued find when Natsume was shopping fifts.

  Of course, they weren’t the inal masks Ogerpon had lost.

  But in the age of the i, anything ossible.

  These masks were advertised as replicas of the ones Ogerpon had supposedly lost, and their designs were strikingly simir.

  As for the Rose Inse, it was exactly as Natsume said—pleasant and funal.

  Among the many items that boosted Grass-type moves, this oood out for its aesthetic appeal.

  After all, a gift should be presentable.

  It wouldn’t make seo say, “Here’s a gift,” and then pull out something unreizable from your pocket.

  That would be dht bizarre.

  “Do you like it?”

  Watg Ogerpon, who seemed lost in thought, Natsume asked nervously.

  The truth was, he wasn’t very experienced with gift-giving.

  Ba school, his cssmates often seemed to form inexplicably close bonds—suddenly staying over at each other’s houses, bei friends, and then just as suddenly drifting apart.

  Natsume had never really uood those dynamics.

  Birthday parties? Holiday gifts? Those weren’t part of his world.

  He didn’t even celebrate his own birthday.

  Humans were plicated. pared to them, iing with Pokémon was much simpler.

  “Mhhmmh!”

  Ogerpon hastily wiped at its face, grabbed one of the masks, and pced it over its own, hiding its current expression. Then it nodded firmly.

  It loved the gift.

  As long as it was from Natsume, it would love it.

  “That’s great.”

  Seeing Ogerpon’s face obscured by the mask, Natsume didn’t press further about why it hadn’t visited the farm tely.

  Instead, he started chatting about ret events on the farm.

  The ste shed where Ogerpoo py hide-and-seek with Shiny Furret had been renovated.

  Flowers had been pnted around the ke, though it wasn’t clear if they’d survive.

  Sandssh had bought a pack of giant pumpkin seeds online and was eager to pnt them.

  Togepi had gotten itself covered in mud yesterday, leaving footprints all over the house, and ended up being chased down by Mino.

  In the end, Mino had dragged Togepi into the bathroom for a real ing session—with a showerhead and a scrub brush.

  True bat bathing.

  As for why Ogerpon hadn’t visited, Zorua had already expi had been obsessing over creating the perfect gift for Natsume, only to end up stu an endless loop of self-doubt and frustration.

  Sitting on the ground with Natsume’s gift in its arms, Ogerpon quietly listeo his stories.

  It nodded vigorously a out little sounds of agreement, showing its plete support for everything Natsume said.

  No matter what Natsume said, Ogerpon wholeheartedly agreed.

  “So, Ogerpon.”

  “Would you like to be my partner?”

  Suddenly, Natsume extended his hand terpon and asked.

  “Mhhmm… mah?!”

  Ogerpon, who had been nodding absentmindedly, froze in shock.

  What was going on?

  It felt like a casual versation about dinner had suddenly veered into, “I want to bee a magical girl.”

  This was pletely ued!

  “Well? What do you say?”

  “Would you like to be my partner?”

  Natsume repeated the question, watg the stunned Ogerpon ily.

  Gcell