[LV0 Ranch House → LV1 Ranch House]
League Coins: 30,000 / 10,000
Wood: 500 / 450
[Conditions met. Do you wish to spend 10,000 League Coins and 450 logs to build the ranch house?]
"Yes!"
[Countdown begins—nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen…]
"You two, no peeking, okay!"
"If you see the magic, it won't work anymore. You two aren't allowed to secretly open your eyes."
"Min~"
Minccino curled its large ears downward just enough to cover its eyes, and even thoughtfully used its tail to block Kangaskhan's line of sight, afraid that Kangaskhan might sneak a peek and cause Silas's magic to fail.
[Five, four, three, two, one… Ranch House renovation complete. Please choose the decorations. (Note: Once selected, they cannot be changed.)]
"I can choose the decorations myself?"
While still surprised, Silas had already tapped the translucent screen in front of him. Just as he had guessed, the available decorative options were pitifully few. Then again, this was only a level-one ranch house, built with very limited resources—being able to finish it at all was already proof of how overpowered the so-called "cheat" was.
After a quick glance, Silas made his decision. He was already impatient to see the looks of surprise and delight on Kangaskhan and the others' faces.
"Min~"
Minccino's big ears twitched slightly as it asked if it could open its eyes yet.
Hearing the sound, Silas finally pulled his gaze away from the brand-new, beautiful ranch house before him.
"You can open them now!"
Whoosh—
Almost at the same time, Minccino and Kangaskhan eagerly opened their eyes. The next moment, Kangaskhan's eyes widened in shock, standing there at a loss.
Where did my big, broken, old house go?!
In its place stood a warm, fully equipped, brand-new house.
"Hahaha, impressive, right?" Silas laughed proudly.
"Min!"
Minccino hopped onto Silas's shoulder, nodding its little head vigorously, already itching to rush inside and have a look. To Minccino, Silas was omnipotent—he could cook delicious food and even perform magic. The only small downside was that sometimes, when sleeping at night, he hugged a bit too tightly, making it hard to breathe… but his arms were very warm.
"Come on, let's go see our new home together," Silas said as he stepped forward, filled with anticipation himself.
After more than a week of effort, with the help of his "cheat," he had finally built a new home on this abandoned ranch. From this moment on, his ranch life had officially entered the right track.
Pushing open the door, they were greeted by a spacious and empty living room. At present, there wasn't a single piece of furniture. The wooden floorboards and walls were a bright, warm yellow, giving off a cozy feeling.
"Oh, right!" Silas said with a smile as he looked at the two Pokémon. "I also prepared gifts for you two inside the house."
"Kang~!
"Min~!"
Gifts!!!
Upon hearing this, Kangaskhan and Minccino immediately stopped crowding around Silas and began searching eagerly inside the house.
A level-one ranch house consisted of only three rooms plus a bathroom. The central area was the living room, and according to Silas's preferences, a fireplace had been installed along the wall on the right side near the bedroom. This newly renovated house was meant to last him for a long time, so proper heating for winter was essential. As for the space beside the fireplace, Silas already had plans—he intended to place a sofa there, and ideally add a television as well. On cold autumn evenings, he could hold Minccino in his arms while snacking on nuts harvested during the season. That would truly be living the life.
The kitchen was on the left side. When Silas walked over, he saw Minccino joyfully using its tail to swing a feather duster, diligently cleaning imaginary dust from high places.
Stepping forward, Silas scooped Minccino into his arms and rubbed his cheek against it. "Do you like it?"
"Min!"
Minccino's little face flushed slightly as it replied enthusiastically. With this duster, it could finally clean dust and grime in high places—something incredibly important to a cleanliness-obsessed Minccino.
"As long as you like it." Silas pinched its ears affectionately before letting it go. Then he naturally assigned its role. "From now on, the house's cleanliness will be in your hands, Minccino."
Thump, thump—
Minccino patted its little paws against its chest, lifted its chin, and wore a serious expression, as if saying, Leave it to me, Silas.
Taking quick strides, Silas headed to the leftmost bedroom. Inside the spacious room, there was only a single bed placed in the western corner, flush against the wall—a large double bed. Calling it a bed wasn't entirely accurate, though. It was actually a stone bed specially requested by Silas, perfect for heating in winter. Only this kind of bed could support Kangaskhan's weight without collapsing midway through sleep.
Just like now—Kangaskhan stared at the bed and cautiously tested it, slowly easing its weight onto it. The stone bed didn't budge in the slightest, easily supporting Kangaskhan's mass. Instantly, Kangaskhan's face lit up with joy. From now on, it could sleep together with Silas every night.
Silas noticed Kangaskhan's movements and expressions but didn't say anything. Instead, he handed over a book placed by the bedside. Six large characters were printed clearly on the cover:
Parenting Guide (Kangaskhan Edition).
This was Silas's true gift for Kangaskhan. With a child about to be born, Kangaskhan's prenatal anxiety needed to be addressed—otherwise, it could affect both itself and the baby. The best way to ease anxiety was to understand it, to dispel fear born of the unknown. And this parenting guide was the perfect remedy.
"Kang…"
Kangaskhan nodded repeatedly, deeply moved. Silas had thought of everything. This worry had been weighing on its mind for a long time, and now, with Silas's help, it finally had a solution. It could sleep peacefully again.
Opening its arms, Kangaskhan gave Silas a massive bear hug, lifting him straight off the ground.
"Alright, alright, put me down," Silas laughed. "Today's a moving-in day. We still need to bring all the camp stuff inside."
He was genuinely happy for Kangaskhan. Helping Pokémon resolve their worries—wasn't that the true meaning of being a Trainer? Between Trainers and Pokémon, they could be comrades, friends, or partners. But more importantly, they were family—family meant to live together, close and inseparable.
While Minccino was busy cleaning, Silas and Kangaskhan went out to the campsite in front of the house. After spending a whole week living outdoors, finally being able to move into a house hadn't been easy.
"Kangaskhan, come give me a hand," Silas called as he rolled up his sleeves. "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can eat the house-warming feast."
"Kang! Kang!"
With an excited shout, Kangaskhan scooped up an entire shelf in its arms and followed behind Silas. Back and forth they went more than a dozen times, until the campsite was completely cleared and everything had been moved into the ranch house. The house was no longer empty—it now felt lively and lived-in.
That evening was the house-warming banquet, and it certainly couldn't be lacking. Silas had bought ingredients the day before. Using the brand-new stove, he tied on his apron and unconsciously hummed a tune. This kind of leisurely life wasn't bad at all.
On the dining table were: one plate of braised sea bass (C), one plate of stir-fried chicken (C+), one plate of green beans with scrambled eggs (C-), one bowl of spicy clams (C+), and the finale dish—shrimp and napa cabbage (B).
The combination of five dishes once again produced a special culinary effect.
[Culinary Effect: House-Warming Joy, Five dishes symbolizing special meanings, eaten on a special day, slightly increase luck.]
(End of Chapter)