[Spicy Burst: Different levels of spiciness bring about different degrees of enhancement.
Mildly Spicy: Slightly increases the activity of Fire-type energy within the body;
Medium Spicy: Moderately increases Fire-type energy and slightly enhances comprehension of Fire-type moves;
Extra Spicy: Greatly increases Fire-type energy, slightly improves comprehension of Fire-type moves, and grants bonus experience when defeating Fire-type Pokémon.
Additional Effect:
When fed to Groudon, it will slightly increase its favorability toward you. (Devil-Level Spicy Only)]
This was the longest cooking-effect description Silas had ever received since obtaining his cheat ability.
Different levels of spiciness produced different effects.
However, that last one—Devil-Level Spicy… increasing Groudon's favorability?
Speaking of Groudon, that was the legendary super-ancient Pokémon said to have created the continents.
It possessed the terrifying power to dispel rain clouds, evaporate the seas with intense light and extreme heat, and expand the landmasses of the world.
If Silas remembered correctly, this being should currently be slumbering deep within some volcano.
Waking Groudon was absolutely not a good thing. On the contrary, it would trigger a catastrophe capable of affecting the entire world.
As for gaining Groudon's favor… that was something to put on hold for now. A near-godlike existence such as that was not something one could casually provoke.
What if it had terrible morning grumpiness after waking up?
Silas shook his head, then shifted his gaze to the description of the other dish's effect.
[Soft and Fragrant: After a Pokémon eats this, its body becomes pleasantly fragrant, and its flexibility is greatly enhanced. Hugging it to sleep grants an additional "Good Dreams" buff.]
Oh right! There was still one more dish.
Silas took the vibrant green vegetable salad from Kangaskhan's hands.
[Vegetable Salad (C): A homestyle dish made from various vegetables, blending different vegetable flavors together. Excellent when eaten alongside grilled meat.
Cooking Effects: Refreshing Smoothness LV1, Grease Relief LV3.]
The three dishes were arranged one by one on the dining mat, and Silas tied small bibs around Kangaskhan and Minccino.
Smiling, he glanced at the two little ones who were already drooling.
"Wipe your drool, time to eat."
Kangaskhan immediately grabbed a wooden skewer and took a big bite of the grilled meat.
Fragrant and spicy—richly fragrant and spicy.
Paired with a mouthful of vegetable salad, it was so delicious it nearly made her swallow her tongue.
Beside her, Minccino held a piece of glutinous rice cake with her tiny paws, taking small, delicate bites.
In an instant, her big eyes narrowed in bliss.
She was completely conquered by the sweet, soft, and chewy rice cake.
Watching the Pokémon devour their food with such enthusiasm was the greatest compliment to him as both Trainer and chef.
After dinner, Silas gave himself a quick wash, then eagerly pulled Minccino into his arms.
The small Minccino was already soft and plush, and after eating the red date glutinous rice cake, her body emitted a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Silas stroked her like a cat, occasionally squeezing her ears or scratching her little paws.
If there were a TV right now, lying back and watching it would be pure enjoyment.
Stargazing in the open air wasn't bad either.
Before long, the Minccino in his arms let out a comfortable "purr~" sound. The little one was clearly enjoying Silas's gentle petting.
Minccino allowed herself to be handled however he liked, adorably compliant.
Sure enough, no one in the world could resist a Pokémon that was fluffy, fragrant, and soft.
Suddenly, the starlight was blocked as Kangaskhan leaned in, gazing over with longing eyes filled with envy.
"Kang!"
No explanation was needed—Silas instantly understood what Kangaskhan wanted.
Understanding immediately, he ruthlessly rejected her.
"Nope. The sleeping bag is only this big."
"Kang…"
Kangaskhan slumped down weakly, looking pitiful and aggrieved, completely dejected.
"..."
Thinking back, the last time he and Kangaskhan had slept together was when they had first met.
Seeing Kangaskhan like this, Silas's heart softened.
"Min~"
Minccino murmured softly from his arms.
"I've got it!" A light bulb seemed to flicker on beside Silas's head—he had an idea.
Five minutes later, by the crackling campfire—
Kangaskhan lay sprawled out on her back like a giant pancake, her face full of gentle affection.
On Kangaskhan's belly, Silas lay there holding Minccino. Even when the evening breeze blew straight toward them, he didn't feel the slightest bit cold.
Silas reached out and patted gently. "Sweet dreams, Kangaskhan, Minccino."
"Kang~"
"Min~"
...
The next day.
A corner of the ranch.
One berry tree sapling after another was planted into the soil by Silas, specks of fresh green dotting the land.
Kangaskhan and Minccino held Squirtle-style watering cans, watering the saplings to keep the soil moist.
Standing on the ridge of the field and watching this scene, Silas smiled from the heart.
At this rate, with normal fertilizing and watering, he would welcome his first big harvest in three months.
Silas had roughly calculated that the reclaimed land measured about one mu.
He had further divided it into three sections, planting Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, and Leppa Berries respectively.
"Big girl, once you're done watering, come back. Don't play outside for too long—I'll head back first to cook," Silas called out.
Hearing him, Minccino and Kangaskhan both looked up. Kangaskhan waved a hand to show she had heard.
Taking off his straw hat and hanging it on a wooden stake beside the campsite, Silas caught sight of the mountain-like pile of logs stacked beside the ranch house out of the corner of his eye.
This was the result of his and the Pokémon's combined efforts.
[LV0 Ranch House → LV1 Ranch House]
League Coins: 0 / 10,000
Wood: 500 / 450
The wood was enough—there were even 50 extra.
Now all he lacked was money. Once he had that, he could repair the ranch house and no longer need to camp outdoors.
Fortunately, it wasn't the rainy season in Kalos yet. Otherwise, camping outside would be quite risky.
Silas's hands continued kneading dough without pause, while his mind raced just as quickly, thinking about ways to earn money.
"Maybe I could go to the Pokémon Center and take on League missions, or challenge Gyms… rob kids of their pocket money on the road isn't completely impossible either."
"No, no—that's not right. I should change my way of thinking and earn a startup fund in the manner of a ranch owner."
His thoughts were in disarray, accompanied by the constant chorus of insects and birds.
Silas's gaze naturally drifted toward the back mountain. The mountains nurtured all kinds of precious ingredients.
Back when Silas was adventuring, he had once dug up black truffles. Even average-quality ones sold for five thousand League Coins per pound, while top-grade truffles were incredibly rare and could fetch as much as twenty thousand League Coins per pound.
He had been lucky enough to find some before and had even treated Kangaskhan to a lavish meal in Lumiose City.
There was more than just black truffles in the mountains.
Premium olive oil produced by Smoliv, salt from Garganacl, and shed crab legs from Klawf were all top-tier ingredients sought after by the rich.
His ranch was close to the sea, so there was a very high chance that Klawf lived nearby.
Just thinking about those delicious, meaty crab legs made Silas start drooling.
"Tomorrow then! I'll take the Pokémon and walk along the coastline to see if we can find any."
Silas wrapped the kneaded dough in plastic wrap and set it aside to ferment—this would be today's lunch staple.
It was his first time trying to make noodles.
Compared to rice, noodles tended to keep one full for longer.
Silas was already mentally prepared to sit by the seaside for an entire afternoon.
Hopefully, they would catch plenty of small miscellaneous fish.
After all, the fried fish he had promised Kangaskhan still lacked its main ingredient.
The dough fermenting nearby would be today's lunch staple.
It was his first attempt at making dough-based food.
(End of Chapter)