In the year 198 of the League Calendar, spring finally arrived in the Kalos region, and the climate gradually began to warm.
Wearing a straw hat, Silas stood dressed in a simple T-shirt, facing vast stretches of farmland that had been fully reclaimed and neatly cultivated. Unlike the berry orchard on one side, the farmland here covered a much larger area. Silas had divided it into a grid-like pattern, with each plot planted with a completely different type of crop.
This would become his primary source of income in the future—far more stable than fishing ever could be.
Once the seeds were planted, all that was left was daily watering, fertilizing, and weeding. Even if droughts or floods occurred, at least some crops would still manage to grow. Moreover, all the crops Silas had chosen were spring crops with extremely low difficulty, perfect for beginners.
For easier identification, Silas had even placed signboards beside each plot.
Mung beans, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes—four simple, beginner-friendly crops.
He raised his head to look at the sky. The sun was especially bright today. In early spring, sunlight felt pleasantly warm on the body, making it an ideal day for crop growth.
"Kangaskhan, do you still want to go patrol the fields?" Silas pressed down the brim of his hat and called out toward the distance.
A patch of grass rustled violently, and Kangaskhan and Minccino came running over.
Silas pointed at them with mild annoyance. "Look at you two, you're soaked through. If you catch a cold now, it won't clear up anytime soon."
"Kang!"
As soon as the words fell, Kangaskhan couldn't help sneezing.
"Forget it, play if you want to play." Silas smiled helplessly. "But one cup of dandelion tea every day is non-negotiable."
[Dandelion Tea (C): A specialty tea brewed by chopping dried dandelion roots and leaves and steeping them in hot water. Adding a bit of brown sugar might make it slightly easier to drink.
Culinary Effect: Prevents colds.]
"Ugh!"
Kangaskhan's face twisted immediately, shaking its head frantically. Bitter and astringent—hard to swallow. Kangaskhan did not like it.
Daily field patrol was simple yet monotonous—watering, fertilizing, pulling weeds, and the like. And it couldn't be skipped even for a single day, or it would affect crop growth. Thankfully, with Minccino and the others around, it didn't feel quite so boring. Still, this was an indispensable part of running a ranch.
…
"So tired! If only there were a reliable Pokémon to share the workload."
Sitting on the steps in front of the ranch house, Silas downed half a cup of dandelion tea in one go. Delegating tasks, now that was what a capitalist—no, a ranch owner—should be doing.
As Silas was thinking about finding Pokémon to help with the work, Kangaskhan sat beside him with a bitter expression.
Still can't overcome it, even after trying so hard?
This is a beneficial tea… you rascal.
Smack!
Silas suddenly stood up and slapped his thigh. "Decided! This afternoon, I'll take a trip to the back mountain and see if I can recruit—cough, persuade—a Pokémon to come work at the ranch."
With his current financial situation, raising one more Pokémon wouldn't be a problem. For wild Pokémon, their needs were simple. As long as they were provided with enough food and snacks, they would work tirelessly in return, practically turning into 24/7 labor machines.
Even so, this was far better than life in the wild—no need to worry about going hungry, no need to compete with other Pokémon for food. They'd even get a safe house to live in. For Pokémon, this was basically a dream deal falling from the sky.
Yes!!!
Beasts will never be slaves—unless food and lodging are included.
Applied to Pokémon, it fit perfectly.
It was precisely because of this symbiotic relationship between humans and Pokémon that the League had grown stronger step by step. The prosperity the League enjoyed today was the result of joint efforts by humans and Pokémon alike—neither could be missing.
With his mind made up, Silas began preparing for the afternoon's adventure. Using a few small tricks wasn't shameful.
After first reminding Kangaskhan and the others not to wander too far, and receiving their assurances, Silas went into the kitchen. His gaze swept over the shelves neatly lined with various dishes and ingredients. Half a jar of crystal-clear, pale golden honey caught his eye.
Got it.
He believed there wasn't a single Pokémon that could resist food made with honey.
White flour was combined with milk, honey, one rooster egg, and some butter, thoroughly mixed into a dough, then left to rest and ferment. While the dough was fermenting, Silas started preparing lunch.
Same old routine—burgers and fried fries, plus a plate of berry salad.
He prepared them halfway in advance so they could be quickly reheated when it was time to eat.
Silas then turned his attention back to the fully fermented honey dough. He preheated a frying pan over low heat, scooped a ladle of batter, and poured it into the pan. A dense crackling sound erupted instantly, like raindrops hitting the ground.
Silas kept the temperature firmly within a steady range. Gradually, dense little bubbles formed on the surface of the pancake. With a firm flick of the spatula from underneath, he flipped it cleanly to fry the other side. Once both sides were golden and crisp, with a light wheat aroma mingling with the sweetness of honey, Silas quickly took it out of the pan.
One complete—perfect final product.
As expected of me. (Hands on hips smugly.jpg)
Without pausing, he immediately started making the next one.
Unbeknownst to Silas, two sneaky heads were peeking in from the kitchen doorway. Kangaskhan sniffed the air, its face filled with bliss, while its stomach let out an involuntary growl. Just smelling it already felt delicious. Beside it, Minccino wore almost the same expression, drool even betraying it at the corner of its mouth.
The mouse was dying of craving!!!
Gulp gulp—the sound of swallowing echoed repeatedly.
The small commotion behind him was naturally heard clearly by Silas, but multitasking, he had no time to pay attention. He simply raised a hand and pointed toward the dining table. "I left some for you over there."
"Kang!"
"Min~!"
Silas's words were like an imperial decree. Minccino and Kangaskhan pounced over immediately. Kangaskhan grabbed a still-warm honey pancake and took a huge bite. Sweetness instantly flooded its taste buds, the floral honey aroma making it hum happily.
So delicious! Fragrant and crispy.
Compared to Kangaskhan, Minccino was far more refined. It took small bites, but its eyes grew brighter and brighter, eventually squinting shut in pure enjoyment.
In no time at all, each of them finished one pancake, still craving more. In perfect sync, they looked at Silas with pitiful, pleading expressions, even starting to act cute.
"Just a taste is enough. Lunch is almost ready," Silas said, making a shooing gesture as he transferred the freshly cooked Honey Pancakes (C) onto a plate.
Crunch, crunch—
Flaky crumbs fell as Silas took a bite himself, pausing thoughtfully as if recalling something. The taste of honey pancakes was very unique, and they seemed to have a mysterious attraction for Pokémon.
Looks like the trip to the back mountain this afternoon was a sure thing—absolutely guaranteed.
With pancakes in hand, no wild Pokémon would fail to come running.
Burgers with pancakes, fries paired with berry salad—Silas and his two Pokémon ate their fill. Afterward, they let out comfortable yawns and each lay down to take a short nap.
When the sun began to drift westward, Silas got dressed, lifted Minccino onto his shoulder, and called for Kangaskhan to follow.
Back mountain—here I come.
(End of Chapter)