"Mr. Silas, each floor of the ranch villa is 600 square meters."
Six hundred square meters was slightly larger than a standard basketball court. Since Silas needed many rooms, anything smaller simply would not be enough.
Under Vinnie's guidance, the two of them passed through the entrance hall. On both sides were shoe racks and coat stands, and further ahead was a large living room that occupied about a quarter of the total space.
The overall layout was similar to the current living room, only much larger.
The only major difference was that the south side was no longer a wall, but a set of sliding doors that directly connected to the courtyard.
Vinnie walked to the right and pressed a button, and a massive screen descended, facing a small stage in the courtyard.
This had been Silas's request, so that everyone could watch together.
Mudsdale brothers, the sheep herd, Tropius-Meganium family, and the Carbink all liked watching television as well, but due to their size, they previously had to squeeze by the windows.
Now, with such a large screen, even the biggest Mudsdale could comfortably watch from the courtyard.
A smile appeared at the corner of Silas's lips as he imagined how lively the villa would be every evening once it was completed.
"The large screen uses our company's latest holographic projection technology, ensuring a clear image at any time."
"You have put in a lot of effort. I am very satisfied."
Next to the living room was an open dining area, separated by a low bar counter that could even serve as a temporary bar.
Inside the dining area was a custom long table, large enough for Silas and all his Pokémon to eat together. Each Pokémon had its own small seat.
The four corners and legs of the table were designed with rounded edges. With so many lively little ones in the ranch, Silas had to consider the risk of bumps and injuries.
Behind the dining area was the kitchen, which was twice as large as before, allowing frying, steaming, and cooking to be done simultaneously.
That covered the first floor. Oh, and there was also a dedicated room for Kangaskhan.
The holographic projection shifted, and the layouts of the second and third floors appeared in sequence before Silas.
The third floor contained the master bedroom and rooms for the Pokémon, including Cinccino, Jigglypuff, Toxtricity brothers, and the Indeedee siblings.
The second floor had several guest rooms, along with a study and a walk in closet that Diantha had later requested.
As for the smaller details within each room, Silas did not dwell on them and instead looked toward the first basement level.
There was a treasure room for the Meowth and a massive entertainment room for the Pokémon.
After going through everything, Silas removed the holographic glasses, unable to hide the smile on his face. "You have all worked hard. I am very satisfied with the overall design."
"This is what we should do. Quasartico Inc's mission is to provide better services for both humans and Pokémon."
After chatting with Vinnie for a while longer, Silas personally escorted them out. They still needed to produce more detailed blueprints.
Preferably the kind that even a layman could understand.
After seeing them off, Silas called Diantha and informed her of the situation.
"The first draft looks great. I have no objections. You can choose the furniture."
"Alright."
Being able to personally take part in designing their shared home made Diantha feel very happy.
As a couple deeply in love, they could not help but linger in affectionate conversation, only ending the call when Diantha's assistant came to urge her for the third time. She was currently on a film set.
After hanging up, Silas handed his watch to Jigglypuff and began playing with the regular Meowth while planning the next couple of days.
Professor Sycamore had requested his help to test the changes in Greninja after Mega Evolution.
Silas was also curious about the exact data, so he agreed.
There was another matter. He planned to send the two girls to attend the summer camp organized by Professor Oak.
With Serena, Korrina, and the small group of Pokémon constantly making noise at the ranch, he was already at his limit.
Sending the girls to Kanto to observe wild Pokémon ecology with the professor would be a good way to burn off their abundant energy, while also giving himself a few days of peace.
Now he was just waiting for a reply from Professor Oak. As soon as the timing was confirmed, Silas would send the girls over immediately.
Winter at the ranch was dull and uneventful, and Silas spent another entire day lounging around.
But early the next morning, when Silas pushed open the window, a cold winter wind greeted him along with soft, feather like snowflakes.
It was snowing!
The snow drifted down, landing on the grass, the rooftops, and the distant fences, wrapping the entire world in a white scarf.
"How did it suddenly start snowing?"
After his initial surprise, Silas quickly put on a down jacket, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and hurried outside.
He moved around the ranch, checking on the Pokémon. In the vast white landscape, a trail of footprints followed him.
Half an hour later, Silas returned to the house.
He casually grabbed Serena, who was trying to sneak outside, and pulled her back in. Her small hands were icy cold.
"Your hands are this cold and you still want to go out?" Silas picked her up and lightly smacked her. "Stay inside today. You are not going anywhere."
"No!" Serena squirmed, wrapping her arms around Silas's neck. "I want to have a snowball fight, build a snowman, go skiing. Korrina, Cinccino, and little Kangaskhan all want to play too."
Looking up, Silas was met with pairs of eager, pleading eyes. He rubbed his forehead helplessly. "Snowball fight, building a snowman… with this amount of snow, you can barely make a single snowball."
This was the first snowfall of the year, and it was very light, leaving only a thin layer.
"Alright…" Serena reluctantly climbed down, and Cinccino and the others let out disappointed cries.
For the entire morning, Serena and Korrina hardly left the window.
Standing on small stools, they leaned against the windowsill with their faces pressed to the glass, staring at the falling snow without blinking.
They hoped the snow would pile up quickly so that Silas would change his mind and let them go outside.
Cinccino watched them intently, then quietly squeezed over and pressed its little head against the glass, breathing out a puff of warm air.
It then used its tiny hands to draw two stick figures.
One smaller figure with two little buns on its head was clearly Serena, and the other, making a big eating motion, was Korrina.
The two girls burst into laughter and joined in drawing.
Before long, Jigglypuff, Brionne, and Alcremie were also attracted by the lively scene.
They spent the entire morning playing on the glass, their laughter never stopping.
In the end, the girls' hope of a snowball fight did not come true. The snow fell for half a day and then suddenly stopped as noon approached.
The clouds gradually dispersed, and the sun slowly emerged.
The already thin layer of snow melted under the warmth, turning into tiny droplets that seeped into the soil.
Only a thin layer of ice remained, making a creaking sound when stepped on, and it was easy to slip.
Silas picked up Serena after she fell onto her backside. Thankfully, she was wearing thick clothes and was unharmed.
"Feeling obedient now? Still want to shovel ice?"
"Yes!"
Although they could not have a snowball fight, there were still patches of snow in the corners where they could at least make small snowballs. Serena had no intention of staying indoors.
"There is still some snow behind the silo. You all better behave."
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of little figures rushed off in excitement.
(End of Chapter)