"Come on, come on—this will be your home from now on. Are you satisfied with it?"
Silas's eyes were full of smiles as he led the Mudbrays forward, pushing open the door of the donkey shed. He stepped aside and gestured for them to go in and take a look.
The floor was clean and tidy, and inside were three separate stalls.
They were identical in size, and the facilities inside were fully equipped.
Donkey beds, water troughs, feeding troughs, and sloped manure channels were all in place, meeting every aspect of the Mudbrays' daily living needs.
"Mud~" (It's so pretty, I like it here.)
One Mudbray happily dashed inside, entering one of the stalls, sometimes stepping onto the donkey bed, sometimes poking its head around to look everywhere.
Such a comfortable environment was something they had never even dared to imagine before.
"Are you satisfied?"
"Mud~ (≧▽≦)"
The three Mudbrays answered in unison, their dirty little faces filled with happiness.
Silas stepped forward and gently stroked one of the Mudbrays, accepting and acknowledging it. The Mudbray naturally lay down, its eyes narrowing in enjoyment.
To be honest, Mudbrays didn't feel comfortable to the touch at all—the texture was quite rough, almost like rubbing grains of sand.
Mud could still be seen clinging between their fur; comfortable was the last word one could use.
Yet with Silas's rhythmic strokes, the Mudbray beneath his hand let out a contented yawn.
At the same time, basic information about Mudbray surfaced in Silas's mind.
This was a Pokémon that ate soil.
Yes—literally.
Aside from various kinds of green fodder, soil was an indispensable part of Mudbray's diet, and it consumed large quantities every day.
This was closely tied to its habits and physiology.
Though small in body, its strength was astonishing.
It could carry luggage weighing up to fifty times its own body weight.
Aside from Mudbray's extraordinary brute strength, there was also the clay covering its limbs.
No matter the terrain, Mudbrays would never slip and could always run swiftly and steadily.
Beyond eating soil, Mudbrays also needed to play in mud—it was a mandatory daily activity.
Playing in the mud wasn't just entertainment for them; it was also a way to release stress.
"Mudbrays, I'm planning to build a mud pool outside for you. What do you think?"
"Mud!" The Mudbrays that had gathered around Silas and rubbed against him widened their eyes in excitement, disbelief written all over them.
Was this heaven?
A safe and warm home, endless food, and the chance to play in the mud every single day.
The Mudbrays were so excited they were almost about to faint.
"Looks like you agree!" Taking in their expressions, Silas chuckled and patted them, but then his tone shifted.
"However, you'll also need to wash yourselves every day, okay? You can't stay this dirty all the time."
The Mudbrays looked at each other. Living in the wild, they spent every day in muddy ground—of course they were filthy.
"Mud! Bray! Mud! Bray!"
The Mudbrays nodded in unison, agreeing to Silas's condition.
"Alright then, that's settled. Get along well with each other. I'll come scrub you clean in a little while."
Silas left for the time being, allowing the Mudbrays to adapt to their unfamiliar environment on their own.
Thankfully, he had taken in three at once.
If it had been just a single one, adapting wouldn't have been so easy. But with three together, having companions by their side, the Mudbrays would surely adjust quickly.
After leaving the donkey shed, Pyroar stood outside, peering in.
Seeing that the Mudbrays had adapted quite well, the responsible guardian finally relaxed a little.
After letting out a low growl toward Silas, Pyroar broke into a swift run, vanishing into the mountains and forests in the blink of an eye.
For a Pokémon like it, the wilderness and grasslands were its true home.
Night had grown deep, and the glow from the fireplace inside the ranch house illuminated the room brightly.
Silas sat cross-legged on the floor, one hand writing in his notebook.
In his lap, Minccino craned its head curiously to peek at what he was writing. Upon seeing the dense lines of text, its head immediately began to ache.
Its small body slipped through Silas's arm and climbed into Kangaskhan's pouch.
Kangaskhan stayed quietly by Silas's side, not crying or making a fuss, as if that alone was enough.
"Are you getting sleepy?"
Silas looked up and asked.
"Kang~"
Kangaskhan shook its head, while Minccino let out a long, deep yawn.
"Then wait just a little longer for me, okay?"
Silas reached out and gently pinched Minccino, then looked back down at his records.
League Calendar Year 198, Spring, January 13
Income: 0
Expenses: 6000 League Coins
Remaining Funds: 12,467 League Coins
The major expenses were the construction of the ranch house and the donkey shed, with the remaining minor costs spent on daily necessities.
His ranch was still in its early stages, lacking all kinds of supplies—everything had to be purchased.
These days, Silas had only been spending without earning anything, and now he also had four Pokémon to support, further increasing his expenses.
Tomorrow would be another purchasing day.
Silas did some quick mental calculations, hoping that the first batch of crops would mature as soon as possible.
While thinking, some curious ideas began to sprout in his mind.
His eyes gradually lit up—yes, it really might work.
Since Mudbrays consumed soil as food, why not create a special dish using soil as the main ingredient?
It was worth a try. He would think about it after going shopping tomorrow.
Closing his notebook, Silas glanced at the drowsy Kangaskhan and Minccino.
Putting on a coat, he went to check on the donkey shed.
The three Mudbrays were huddled together, snoring softly. Seeing that they had adapted well, Silas finally felt at ease.
He then went under the eaves to check on Chatot.
Everyone was sleeping soundly.
Only then did Silas return indoors, gently lifting the groggy Minccino from Kangaskhan's pouch and lying down on the bed.
Before long, the room was filled with the steady rhythm of breathing.
At this very moment, as the Kalos Region slipped into deep night, in the depths of the distant Hoenn sea…
A small, cute blue Pokémon opened its eyes from slumber, having sensed a special scent.
Manaphy's eyelashes fluttered as its gaze turned toward a nearby Pokémon.
With a gentle point of its tiny hand, an egg dropped into that Pokémon's arms.
"Mana~"
Manaphy whispered into the Pokémon's ear, giving it encouraging pats on its rough, fish-like head.
Then it watched as the Pokémon left the deep sea, guided by some unseen calling, crossing the Hoenn Sea, passing island after island, until it finally reached Kalos.
Watching the messenger depart with the gift of the sea, Manaphy waited and waited on the ocean floor.
After one day, two days passed without the messenger's return, and Manaphy began to yawn.
It sank back into the depths once more and soon fell asleep again.
Manaphy thought that if it slept for a while, the delivery should be completed by then.
Silas, over in Kalos, had absolutely no idea that the "Gift of the Sea" mentioned by his golden finger would turn out to be Manaphy's egg.
If Silas were to see it, he would definitely be utterly shocked.
To Manaphy, the only thing worthy of being called a gift of the sea was its offspring—Phione. In truth, Manaphy had its own little ulterior motive. It didn't want to raise a child itself.
The Child of the Sea, Phione.
The only Mythical Pokémon capable of mass reproduction, its strength wasn't particularly high.
But that didn't diminish its status as a Mythical Pokémon in the slightest.
Even the weakest Mythical Pokémon was still a Mythical Pokémon—standing worlds apart from ordinary Pokémon.
(End of Chapter)