"Noi!"
The three little Noibat were stunned for a moment, then all turned to look at Silas with faces full of admiration, their eyes practically sparkling with stars.
Silas was just too amazing!
The Noibat trio scratched at Silas with the tiny claws at the tips of their wings, signaling that they wanted to try it right away—they wanted to become super, super strong. That way, when Silas wasn't around, they could protect the ranch themselves. And then they would earn Silas's praise—hehehe!
Silas reached out to soothe the three little ones, gently tapping their dark eye-rings. "No rush. Go back and get some sleep first. Only after you're well-rested will you be able to use it properly."
"Noi~"
The Noibat thought it over with their little heads and felt that Silas was right. The three of them waved goodbye to the Mudsdale before flying off toward the cave.
"Silas, are those newly caught Pokémon of yours?" Only after their conversation ended did his mom step forward to ask.
Silas nodded noncommittally and smiled. "Three very cute little guys."
As he spoke, Silas removed all the Poké Balls from his waist and tossed them forcefully into the air. "Everyone, come out!"
Five Flabébé, Smoliv, and Kangaskhan appeared on the grass. Once they realized they were back at the ranch, the little Pokémon all crowded around the Mudsdale together.
Not far away, Serena came running over at full speed. She wrapped her arms around Kangaskhan's leg, sat on the top of its foot, and looked up with her arms outstretched, clearly asking for a hug. After all, they were good sisters!
Silas reminded Kangaskhan not to take Serena anywhere dangerous and to just play around the tulip fields nearby.
He then accompanied his mom, introducing her to the ranch's current facilities and even showing her around the house. Cyclizar initially followed along as well, but before long it couldn't stand the boredom and dashed off in a flash. When Silas saw it again, there was a flock of chickens following behind it.
The chicken flock had grown in size. The first batch of chicks had successfully hatched two days ago—eight in one nest—and they were now all trailing after Cyclizar.
After taking his mom around for a full tour, it was clear that the ranch had been managed in perfect order. As he introduced everything, Silas's tone unconsciously carried a hint of pride—this was all the result of his and his Pokémon's hard work.
Grace took everything in along the way, the look of satisfaction in her eyes growing stronger and stronger. In the blink of an eye, the snot-nosed little boy from back then had grown up and become someone others could rely on. He had even personally built this ranch with his own hands. As a mother, she felt both happy and deeply gratified.
Still, there was a lingering doubt in her heart. "Silas, do you plan to settle down here in the future and stop being a Trainer?"
Hearing this, Silas shook his head and explained his thoughts. "I'm not planning to go traveling this year. Once Kangaskhan gives birth to a baby Kangaskhan, and after another year of development when the ranch is fully on track, I'll head out traveling again."
Who said that becoming a ranch owner meant giving up being a Trainer? He even wanted to take on a League public position someday!
"As long as you've got a plan," his mom nodded. It was rare for mother and son to talk this much. Usually, their communication was limited to letters, and with Silas having no fixed residence in the past, they hadn't had many chances to talk at length.
...
"Make way, make way, the last dish, steamed perch, coming through!"
Silas placed the steaming hot dish in the center of the table. "Hurry and try it."
Serena eagerly picked up a bite with her fork. The tender, fresh fish melted in her mouth, making her squint her eyes in enjoyment. "It's delicious! Big brother, your cooking is even better than Mom's!"
That was the highest praise Serena could give. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she'd said something wrong and nervously covered her little mouth.
"You heartless little brat," her mom scolded with a laugh, not really angry, as she also picked up a piece to taste. The flavor really was good—very delicious.
"Hehehe!" Seeing that her mom didn't pursue the matter, Serena grabbed another piece of fish. "Minccino, do you want some? It's really tasty!"
"Min~"
Minccino shook its head, its little paws holding a piece of glutinous rice cake, cheeks puffed out as it chewed.
After dinner, it was already getting late. The family gathered in the living room to watch TV, which inevitably led to a battle over the remote control. Smiling as he watched Serena argue with Minccino and the others, Silas sank into the soft sofa. This sofa had cost him twenty thousand League Coins just a few days ago, and it was incredibly comfortable to lounge on.
Taking out the Noivern Reverse Scale that Elite Drasna had given him, Silas began to ponder what kind of dish he could make with it. Simply letting Noibat carry it would be far too wasteful—it wouldn't bring out its maximum value. One idea after another was rejected, until his peripheral vision accidentally caught sight of Minccino taking out an ice jelly from the fridge.
Silas's eyes lit up—he had it.
He could make fish-scale jelly, a rather special delicacy. The only concern was whether a single Noivern Reverse Scale would be enough. It would be best to find some additional fish scales. Very quickly, Silas thought of a particular Pokémon, the Gyarados that had attacked the Lapras pod and was roaming the nearby seas. That Gyarados had plenty of dragon scales for Silas to choose from.
Today wouldn't work, but tomorrow he could ask Siebold to help capture the Gyarados.
With his plans for tomorrow settled, Silas stood up and checked the time. "It's getting late, Serena. You can watch more tomorrow."
"It's already nine o'clock?!" Serena exclaimed in surprise and proactively turned off the TV. "Big brother, I want to sleep together with Minccino tonight."
"Alright," Silas agreed, reaching out to rub her little bun hairstyle. "Take good care of Minccino for big brother."
Thankfully, Silas had upgraded the house in advance—otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough rooms to sleep in. Carrying Smoliv, which was already snoring softly, Silas headed upstairs, with Kangaskhan following behind.
Just as the ranch fell into silence, three sneaky figures approached from the outer perimeter.
"Meow~" (There's no movement anymore, meow.)
A gray cat lightly leapt up and stood on the fence, its sly eyes sweeping over the ranch before quickly locking onto the direction of food.
"Meow!" (You two wait here. I'll go inside and scout it out.)
With that, the gray Meowth jumped into the ranch. Thanks to the soft pads on its paws, it didn't make a single sound. It advanced little by little, taking only a few steps before lifting its head to survey the surroundings. It was precisely this caution that had allowed them to succeed repeatedly in the past, and tonight would be no exception.
The gray Meowth crept up to the chicken coop. Peering through the small window and seeing the chicks and eggs inside, it started to drool, its stomach growling traitorously. These past few days, they hadn't had any opportunities to strike—the ranch owners had become more vigilant, posting Pokémon guards. As a result, they had failed again and again, and had even been spotted. Afraid of exposure, the three Meowth had fled overnight to the other end of the area.
Sure enough, the humans here hadn't learned the news yet. Tonight, they could finally have a full meal. Slurping its drool back, the gray Meowth searched for a way in. After circling around, it discovered that the doors and windows were tightly locked. There was no way it could open them on its own—it would take the black cat (the Galarian Meowth) to do that. But if he acted, they would definitely be exposed.
After thinking it over, the gray Meowth decided not to alert the enemy just yet. It quietly moved toward the ranch cabin, knowing that humans had a rectangular box that stored large amounts of food.
The gray Meowth slipped through the small door in the main entrance. Just as it turned around, a dark shadow loomed over it.
"Meow—!"
Startled by the sudden appearance of a Pokémon, the gray Meowth instinctively used Hypnosis. Cyclizar felt its head go dizzy, but the sensation lasted less than a second.
"Cyc?"
The dark shape at the doorway was gone.
(End of Chapter)