An orange-yellow sunset poured down from the horizon, as if draping the ranch in a layer of colorful clothing.
In front of the ranch cottage, Kangaskhan lay sprawled lazily at the doorway, her thick tail unconsciously swishing back and forth, thumping against the ground with dull thud thud sounds.
Kangaskhan was not in a very good mood. Pouting angrily, she thought to herself, 'Didn't even take me along again. I hate you, I hate you—I'm definitely not talking to you for a whole day.'
'…Isn't one whole day a bit too long?' Kangaskhan tilted her head and thought it over. That really did seem too long—she was afraid she wouldn't be able to hold back.
'Then… three—no, one hour.'
'That's right, I absolutely won't talk to Silas for one whole hour!'
Just as Kangaskhan was sulking in silence, Silas came riding back on Cyclizar, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
From afar, Silas waved at Kangaskhan. "Kangaskhan, we're back!"
"Kang!"
Kangaskhan jolted upright. Seeing that it was Silas, she immediately broke into a wide smile.
She spread her arms and dashed over on her stubby legs— as for what she had just been thinking…
Did she say anything earlier? Of course not. Nothing at all.
"Hahaha~" Silas hugged the big head that leaned toward him, rubbing it vigorously as he comforted her.
"Alright, alright, stop clinging to me. I'm making white cut chicken for you today. I bought all the ingredients already."
They'd been together for several years—how could Silas not understand Kangaskhan's little thoughts?
Don't be fooled by how big and tough she looked; she was actually extremely jealous.
Silas still remembered the time he'd spent a little while alone with Gardevoir—Kangaskhan had almost hammered the poor thing on the spot.
Kangaskhan helped carry all the ingredients into the house, then went to have Cyclizar call Mudbrays and the Noibats over.
Silas placed Minccino on the counter, washed his hands, tied on an apron, and began the first step of cooking: prepping the ingredients.
Making sablés was somewhat complicated and required quite a few ingredients.
TN: Sablés are like biscuit cookies. I think...
Butter, sugar, salt, egg yolks, low-gluten flour, and almond flour were all mixed together, kneaded into a dough, and set aside to ferment.
Silas then started working on the other ingredients—cutting various fruits into chunks, slicing berries, and pouring in delicious Combee-produced Honey along with MooMoo Milk, then setting everything aside to rest.
Noticing Minccino's little face peeking up eagerly, Silas picked up a piece of fruit drenched in syrup and placed it into its tiny paws.
The little cutie gasped in delight, holding the berry with both hands and nibbling at it like a hamster, its cheeks puffing out almost instantly.
If he remembered correctly, Minccino's real-world inspiration was the chinchilla—basically a very special kind of mouse.
Knock knock knock~
There was a knock at the door—Cyclizar and the others had arrived.
Wiping his hands, Silas quickly opened the door.
He let Cyclizar and the others inside. The fireplace had already been lit, filling the room with a warm, cozy atmosphere.
After letting the little ones find spots to lie down, Silas hurried back into the kitchen.
He took out the fully blanched and cooked chicken and brought over a basin of icy spring water.
Plunging the whole chicken into it would tighten the meat and improve its texture.
While waiting, Silas prepared the dipping sauce for the white cut chicken.
White cut chicken emphasized natural flavor, so the sauce was correspondingly simple.
Minced garlic, chopped scallions, sesame oil, and light soy sauce—mixed together, and that was it.
For those who liked spicy food, he added chili. Silas prepared both a spicy and a non-spicy version.
At this moment, the dough on the side had finished fermenting.
He cut it into small round discs, rolled each one in Honey, and sprinkled them with walnuts, almonds, and chocolate bits.
There was no oven at home, so Silas wrapped each piece in foil and placed them on top of the fireplace, slowly baking them. Maybe it would still work.
The ranch didn't have electricity yet—things were indeed a bit troublesome.
Once he made money at the beach festival the day after tomorrow, the first thing he'd buy would be a generator, followed by a refrigerator and an oven.
Without those, some dishes were simply too hard to make—they were essential.
After the chicken had cooled, Silas fished it out, pressed it onto the cutting board, and sliced it into neat pieces.
He then carefully arranged the slices back into the shape of a whole chicken and sprinkled crushed ice over it to keep it fresh.
As soon as this step was completed, information about the dish popped up.
[Secret Recipe White Cut Chicken (B): Made using simple cooking methods to preserve the chicken's most original flavor. The skin is smooth and springy, the meat tender and melts in the mouth—an unmissable delicacy.
Dish Effect: Stamina Recovery (Large), Primitive Wildness. After consumption, Pokémon have a chance to obtain wild power from ancient times. (Note: There is a chance to trigger a special hidden Easter egg.)]
Ancient power?
Silas felt utterly baffled.
Did that mean it could allow a Pokémon to learn the move Ancient Power?
That move wasn't even particularly strong—the probability of full stat boosts was far too low.
Even outside of battle, it wasn't very useful.
Shaking his head, Silas didn't dwell on it.
His gaze shifted to the side. After resting for a few minutes, the fruit platter had absorbed plenty of honey and milk.
[Deluxe Fruit Platter (B): A perfect combination of over a dozen fruits and berries, Honey, and MooMoo Milk, a dish deeply loved by Pokémon.
Dish Effect: Pokémon Friend MAX. After consumption, a Pokémon's affection toward you will gradually increase and can be stabilized through interaction.]
One dish permanently increased affection.
When a Pokémon's stomach was filled with delicious food, it would never stop loving you.
Both dishes had pretty good effects. Silas carried one in each hand and placed them on the dining table.
Having long since smelled the aroma, the Pokémon instinctively gathered around the table in a circle, impatient to start eating.
Silas laughed and scolded them teasingly—a bunch of gluttons.
He then took the sablés that had been baked on the fireplace and unwrapped the foil to take a look. Silas shook his head regretfully.
As expected, this kind of dish really needed an oven. Otherwise, it ended up like this—some parts raw, some cooked, all due to uneven temperature.
[Half-Raw Sablés (D–): A failed dish. If you break off the raw parts, some of it might still be edible.
Dish Effect: Energy Recovery (Small).]
"Just as I thought," Silas said with a sigh. He walked over to Minccino, looking apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Minccino. The sablés I promised you seem to have failed."
"Min!"
Minccino hugged Silas with its tiny arms, grabbed a small piece, took a bite, then held it up high for him to see.
As if saying, It's okay, Silas. As long as it's something you made, I like it.
What mattered was Silas—being together with Silas.
Pinching its ears and rubbing its head, Silas felt fortunate that he had made plenty of fruit platter—more than enough for the whole family.
Before starting the meal, Silas served a separate bowl of fruit platter for Chatot. That fellow had no idea where it had run off to again—coming home later and later each day.
When it came back next time, he'd have to give it a good scolding—always making the family worry.
He then went to the bedroom and carefully lifted Smoliv down from the windowsill.
The little one slowly woke up, still groggy and half-asleep, eyes bleary.
Silas also poured Smoliv a separate bowl of MooMoo Milk. The little one was still growing—more milk would help.
"Smo~"
Smoliv hugged Silas's finger and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, expressing its affection.
After settling these two special little ones, Silas finally sat down at the dining table. All the Pokémon looked at him in unison.
"What are you all staring at me for?" Silas laughed. "Time to eat!"
(End of Chapter)