[Baby Supplement · Litleo Cub Edition (C): Designed using colors favored by Litleo cubs, suitable for Pokémon in their juvenile stage.
Dish Effect: Growth Acceleration (moderately speeds up the growth of juvenile Pokémon and slightly enhances their potential).]
The fact that it could even improve a Pokémon's potential genuinely surprised Silas.
And this was only a C-rank dish—something he had casually made on a whim.
The baby Kangaskhan that hadn't even been born yet was truly blessed.
The small house was already barely able to accommodate one Kangaskhan, let alone a giant like Pyroar.
Silas had Kangaskhan help move the table to the open space in front of the house.
And just like that, a battle centered around food officially began.
Pyroar and Kangaskhan fought over the spicy boiled meat, neither Pokémon willing to give an inch, eating until sweat poured off their bodies.
The female Pyroar was much more refined by comparison—after all, she was a mother.
But after tasting the large meat skewers, even her expression froze for a moment. They were unexpectedly delicious.
Turning her gaze to the three Litleo cubs nearby, the female Pyroar revealed a gentle, loving smile.
The baby food made especially for them was devoured in an instant, perfectly matching their tastes.
After finishing their meal, the cubs ran straight over to Silas, surrounding him and acting spoiled without pause.
It was a perfect illustration of the saying: whoever feeds you is your mother.
Their fondness for Silas skyrocketed, and in their eyes, the human before them was someone who could conjure incredibly delicious food out of thin air.
To Silas's left, Minccino nibbled delicately on glutinous rice cakes, occasionally glancing at him and smiling sweetly, its eyes filled with nothing but Silas.
As for the three Mudbray, they quickly polished off their dinner in a few bites and, seeing that it wasn't bath-and-bedtime yet, hurried off to play in the mud.
On a patch of grass not far away, Chatot, returning from its meal—flapped its wings and led its now even larger flock across the ranch before disappearing into the forest.
It seemed that Chatot had conquered all the bird Pokémon of Route 12.
Becoming a true king of birds.
Drifting through wind and rain, wandering from place to place was the norm for Trainers. Yet days like this, simple, rustic, and spent with friends—made Silas completely immerse himself in the moment.
Perhaps this was why most Trainers, after several years of traveling, eventually chose to stop, settle down with their loved ones and Pokémon, and live a quiet life called "home."
…
Host and guests were all satisfied, and the Pyroar family left with full hearts.
Pyroar patted its swollen belly, returning to its usual lazy demeanor.
Who would have thought that this gluttonous and lazy Pokémon before them was actually the guardian of order on Route 12?
When trouble arose, it was exceptionally reliable.
The female Pyroar affectionately rubbed against her mate, bid farewell to Kangaskhan, and urged the cubs to follow.
The three Litleo cubs stood there forlornly, looking left and right, taking one step and glancing back three times before reluctantly following their parents.
Waaah!
Goodbye, delicious food—I'll definitely come back someday!
After seeing off the Pyroar family, Silas picked up Minccino and returned to the ranch.
It was already getting late. He wondered if the girl he and Pyroar had rescued had woken up yet.
Early tomorrow morning, he would go take a look at the Miltank Ranch.
In his view, since he had chosen to take responsibility, he ought to see it through—understand the full story and personally deliver her back to her family before he could truly feel at ease.
He even saw a bit of his younger self in her.
That year, he too had recklessly run into the wilderness.
In the end, he had been rescued by a traveling Trainer and sent back home.
Hmm! That person seemed to be a Trainer from the Unova region, accompanied by a Bouffalant.
Before going to sleep, Silas went to the Mudbray shed and thoroughly washed the Mudbray from head to toe, repeatedly reminding them not to go play in the mud again and to behave and sleep properly.
These three had prior offenses.
"Mud~"
The Mudbrays lowered their heads and returned to their respective nests.
"Sleep quickly! You can play again tomorrow."
After patting each of their heads, Silas closed the door to the Mudbray shed, yawning one after another.
Back in the ranch house, Silas picked up the soft, fragrant Minccino, called Kangaskhan over, and lay down on the bed.
Before long, Silas drifted into sleep, faint snores rising and falling throughout the room.
In the middle of the night, Kangaskhan woke up and, moving quietly, gently pulled the blanket over Silas.
…
The next day dawned bright and clear—rarely good weather.
Silas got up early and let the Mudbray out to run free.
He made breakfast, then called one Mudbray along and headed to the Miltank Ranch.
After an entire night, the girl they had rescued yesterday should have woken up by now.
Once he sent her home early, he could return and prepare for planting.
Today was not a day for rest.
Half an hour later, in the small medical room at the Miltank Ranch, the girl on the hospital bed weakly looked at Silas, her eyes moist.
"Name?"
"Korrina."
"Age?"
"Twelve."
"Twelve and already running into the wilderness? You've got some guts," Silas remarked, then thought that he himself hadn't been much better.
The first time he insisted on traveling was when he was ten.
That wasn't his fault—he blamed it entirely on Ash.
Only later did he learn that one could only become a League-registered novice Trainer after turning sixteen.
"Korrina, Silas was the one who brought you back from the wilderness yesterday," Penny explained from the side.
Korrina looked at Sister Penny, then studied Silas for a moment before timidly saying, "Thank you, big brother, for saving me."
"No need to thank me. It's one of my duties as a League Trainer," Silas waved it off, then asked with concern, "How are you feeling now? Any discomfort?"
Korrina shook her head. Aside from still looking a bit pale, her body felt fine.
"That's good." Silas continued in a casual tone, "Korrina, why did you run into the wilderness in the first place?"
Korrina suddenly remembered something and urgently grabbed Silas's hand. "Big brother, we need to notify Officer Jenny right away! Riolu and many other Pokémon were captured!"
"Huh?"
Large-scale capturing of wild Pokémon—such actions were known as poaching.
If he remembered correctly, those people skirting the edge of League law even had a loose organization: the Hunter's Union.
If his memory served him right, they were mainly active in the Sinnoh region.
He hadn't expected them to have come to Kalos now.
A trace of coldness flashed through Silas's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
"Korrina, do you still remember the general location of those poachers? Can you take me there?"
"What about you, big brother?"
In Korrina's understanding, the young man before her didn't look like a Trainer at all.
Naturally, she hesitated, not wanting to drag an ordinary person into danger.
"Hahaha~" Silas laughed and took out his Elite Trainer certification from his shoulder bag.
A special high-grade Poké Ball, inlaid with stars.
"As for this big brother—I used to be an Elite Trainer too!"
"That group of poachers won't stand a chance against me."
(End of Chapter)