“Mhmm.”

  After being captured by Natsume, Ogerpon immediately decided to move into the farm.

  This desote pce was too barren and b.

  When it first arrived here, it had chosen this location because it was safe—only a fool would willingly stay here otherwise.

  People ge over time.

  So do Pokémon.

  When Ogerpon had first arrived, this pce seemed perfe every way: safe, secluded, and undisturbed.

  Even if danger arose, it could always dart into the nearby forest to hide.

  But now, no matter how it looked at this pce, Ogerpon couldn’t stand it.

  Barree, with no other Pokémon to talk to.

  And, worst of all, it was far too far from Natsume’s farm!

  This was the biggest issue ferpon. The rest? Tolerable.

  But this ohing was absolutely uable.

  It didn’t matter anymore, though—because now it was moving into Natsume’s farm!

  But before that, there was o thing to do.

  Moving out.

  “Um-mah!”

  Watg Gardevoir use Psychic to carry out its “colle,” Ogerpon couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

  It was like having someone else see your browser history.

  No, wait—maybe not that bad.

  To be more precise, it was like being caught by a friend after sending yoddess an essay-length fession in the middle of the night, only to get a red excmation mark in response.

  Wait, isn’t that about the same?

  “Hmm Mhmm!”

  At Ogerpon’s insistence, Gardevoir pced its “treasures” off to the side, letting Ogerpon sort through them itself.

  Gardevoir was more than happy to ply.

  If it didn’t ahem, all the better.

  Holy, Gardevoir had no clue how to even begin categorizing those things.

  “I’ll help.”

  Natsume k beside Ogerpon, to help ahe items.

  Among Ogerpon’s colleost were things humans had discarded as trash.

  Yes, trash.

  To Ogerpon, though, these “discarded items” were treasures.

  Colorful but cheap-looking gss cups, shiny hairpins, a broken and non-funal Pokédex—these human “trash items” were the terpieces of Ogerpon’s colle.

  Having spent so long avoiding humans and other Pokémon, Ogerpon had no idea whether these things were valuable or even useful.

  To Ogerpon, they were shiny, iing, and, therefore, treasures.

  They were some of the only things it could find without having to get too close to humans.

  Like the gss bead it had taken from Natsume earlier.

  Back then, among all the items in that pile, there had been things of actual value.

  But Ogerpon had still chosen the gss bead that sparkled in the moonlight.

  At that time, in its eyes, that bead was the most precious treasure.

  However, after getting to know Natsume, Ogerpon began to uand more about the human world.

  Through Corviknight, it even got to use a smartphone. inally, it just wao learn some crafting teiques to make a gift for Natsume, but in the process, it actally stumbled upon the rid colorful world of the i.

  To be ho, the moment Ogerpon saw the i, its worldview was pletely shattered.

  It never imagihat the world wasn’t limited to forests, vilges, or crocodiles baring their teeth by the ke.

  The world could be so vibrant, so vast.

  It was then Ogerpon realized it had ruly uood the world—it didn’t even feel like it belonged.

  It was unfamiliar, firely so.

  Everything about it screamed of a world that Ogerpon didn’t know, a world it could ruly enter.

  It was like a child from the mountains stepping into a bustling city filled with neon lights for the first time.

  To see a world it could her belong to nor tread upon was overwhelming.

  The shock, coupled with the deep-seated sense of inferiority, could crush a person in an instant.

  Ogerpon’s ret slump likely stemmed from this realization: that the treasures it once held dear were nothing more than discarded garbage to others.

  “All done.”

  After helping Ogerpon tidy up its “treasures,” Natsume stood and dusted off his pants.

  Ogerpon, meanwhile, silently stared at the objects it had once cherished. Then, without much thought, it stuffed them all into the bag Natsume had brought.

  Perhaps it would use these items to decorate the room waiting for it at the farm.

  Or perhaps it would abandon them altogether.

  But that wasn’t for Natsume to meddle in.

  It was like raising a teehey had their own thoughts. As a parent, your role wasn’t to force them to act acc to your ideals, but to ehey didn’t stray off the right path while granting them the resped freedom they deserved.

  “ht. Zorua mentioned you prepared a gift for me.”

  “ I see it?”

  “Mhmm!”

  Ogerpon froze, its eyes darting wildly behind its mask.

  Ah, the gift.

  Right, there was that.

  But it was terrible! So bad that Ogerpon didn’t even want to show it!

  “Mhm Mhhmm!”

  Frantically waving its arms, Ogerpon tried to ge the subject, diverting Natsume’s attention from the utterly embarrassing gift.

  But no matter what it said, Natsume just smiled patiently and waited.

  Once Ogerpon finished rambling, Natsume simply added, “I see. So, where’s my gift?”

  “Um-mah!”

  Finally, Ogerpon gave up.

  Feigning anger, it lightly kicked Natsume’s shin before turning and diving into its den.

  After a brief rustling, it emerged with…

  A handmade poster?

  A piece of white paper rger than Ogerpon itself, with wobbly cartoon figures scrawled on it using colored markers.

  Judging by the colors and distorted outlines, it seemed to depiatsume and several Pokémon from the farm with whom Ogerpon was close.

  The poster was decorated with a variety of shiny tris. Judging from the creases and marks on the paper, Ogerpon had inally po make a pop-up book but had given up due to teical and material limitations.

  “Mhhm!”

  Avoiding Natsume’s gaze, Ogerpon raised the poster with a feigned nonce.

  See? This is yift.

  Not that it’s any good, though.

  “Thank you, Ogerpon. I love it.”

  But then, that familiar, f hand nded on Ogerpon’s head again.

  Peeking up, Ogerpon saw Natsume’s usual gentle smile—without a hint of displeasure.

  ht. Natsume had always been kind.

  Watg Natsume carefully tuck away the poster it had poured its heart into, Ogerpoated for a few seds before suddenly lunging into his arms.

  Resting its head against Natsume’s chest, it stayed there quietly for a few seds before quickly pulling away.

  “Mhmm.”

  So, what are we doi?

  Looking at the “nont” Ogerpon, Natsume couldn’t help but chuckle.

  How could a gift made with such care ever be disliked?

  Gcell