"One bill, two bills, three bills…"
Behind the shop, Silas was counting the money, tallying up the profits from this round of business.
His eyes grew brighter and brighter.
A moment later, facing a series of eager, expectant gazes, Silas announced loudly, "Everyone, we earned a total of 43,200 League Coins this time—what a huge harvest!!!"
"Min~"
"Kang!"
"..."
All the Pokémon cheered together, celebrating with one another.
This was the result of everyone's joint effort.
Not only had they earned back the money used to purchase the ranch Pokémon, they had even made an extra twenty thousand on top of that.
Letting his gaze sweep across the group of Pokémon, Silas said seriously, "To celebrate, I've decided to buy a refrigerator and an oven. After we go back, we'll hold a bonfire feast at the ranch."
"Min~"
Minccino was the first to voice its approval, saying that it wanted to eat sablé cookies.
It still clearly remembered that it hadn't gotten to eat any last time.
The three Mudbray, Noibat trio, and the others also began placing orders, saying they wanted mud cake and fruit salad.
As for Kangaskhan—
It looked left, then right, and suddenly pulled Silas into a big hug.
Hehe! Having Silas is enough for me!
After a while, Silas glanced at Cyclizar, who was still sleeping soundly. "Mudbrays, Cyclizar will be in your care."
The three Mudbray and the others didn't like overly lively environments, and since they would be staying at the stall, the task of looking after Cyclizar naturally fell to them.
As for the other Pokémon, all of them wanted to go together with Silas. They wanted to experience the festive atmosphere and wander around with him.
For a time, Silas was practically covered in Pokémon, frequently drawing the attention of other tourists.
Minccino sat obediently on Silas's shoulder, its round, pitch-black eyes blinking as it curiously observed all the novel sights around them.
From time to time, it would also discuss things with Smoliv, who was being held carefully in Minccino's paws.
Aside from those two little ones, three Noibat were hanging from Silas's back, clinging to his clothes.
They didn't move at all—if you weren't paying close attention, you might even think they were just patterns on his outfit!
And Kangaskhan?
Its body was simply too large, so it had to stay inside its Poké Ball, which Silas hung on his chest.
Chatter filled Silas's ears when Minccino tugged lightly on his ear and pointed off to the side with its little paw. "Min~"
"What is it, Minccino?" Silas followed the direction Minccino was pointing. There was a stall over there selling specialty snacks from the Alola region.
"Hungry?"
Minccino squirmed shyly for a moment before bashfully pointing at its own little belly.
"Min~"
Food from the Alola region, huh?
Silas led the Pokémon over. After lining up briefly, it was their turn.
Sitting at the stall was a purple-furred, ape-like Pokémon holding a feather fan, with an intelligent and wise expression—Oranguru.
It was said that some people had seen it imitate trainers, using Poké Balls to capture Pokémon and even commanding Pokémon in battle.
Their intelligence was extremely high, not inferior to humans. They were sages among Pokémon.
The other sage, of course, was Slowking.
"Guru~"
Oranguru warmly handed over a menu, signaling that they could place their order.
"Malasadas, Slowpoke Tail Appetizers, Wishiwashi Banquet, Tropius Fruit Platter…"
More than a dozen special dishes were listed, and for a moment, Silas found it hard to decide.
In the end, he looked toward Minccino.
Minccino held onto the edge of the menu with its paws. Two small heads poked out—one from each side of its arms.
The five little ones chattered among themselves for a bit before making their choice: two kinds of snacks.
"One Malasada, one Wishiwashi Banquet, and one Tropius Fruit Platter—one serving of each."
Oranguru noted it down, asked them to wait a moment, and went to inform the chefs.
Three dishes in total, costing 300 League Coins.
For Silas, who had made a lot of money today, this was a perfectly affordable expense—just a reward for the Pokémon's earlier help.
He even specifically ordered an extra fish banquet for Kangaskhan.
Malasadas were a specialty dessert from the Alola region. Depending on personal preference, different frost sugars and fillings could be added.
The golden-yellow bread was filled with nectar produced by Comfey, and its exterior was dusted with a layer of snow-like powdered sugar. With a single bite, floral fragrance and sweetness filled the mouth. Minccino, who loved sweet things, squinted its eyes in enjoyment.
So delicious!!!
"Min~"
Even while enjoying it, Minccino didn't forget to share. It lifted the Malasada high and brought it to Silas's mouth. Silas took a bite.
The taste really was excellent—no wonder it was so popular in Alola.
Judging by the method, it didn't seem too difficult to make. Maybe he could try making it himself sometime in the future.
The five little ones quickly finished the Malasadas.
Their bright eyes then locked onto the Tropius Fruit Platter.
From the outside, it didn't look much different from an ordinary fruit platter.
The only difference was the fruit selection—it used fruits that grew on Tropius itself.
Compared to other regions, Tropius fruits grown in Alola, where Tropius lived year-round, were even sweeter.
Silas opened it up and distributed pieces to Noibat, Smoliv, Minccino, and the others.
Noibat had already been unable to hold back, hugging the fruit and nibbling at it in small bites.
Its eyes immediately lit up—the fruit was exceptionally sweet.
Silas also tasted a piece, experiencing a unique and distinctive fruity flavor.
He then gave another piece to the five little ones, who were staring eagerly, saving the rest to take back.
There were still four little guys at the camp, after all!
As for the Wishiwashi Banquet, Minccino and the others didn't like fish, so Silas didn't open it.
This one was prepared for Kangaskhan.
After wandering around for another round, the group finally returned.
Mudbray quickly gathered around, and Silas took out the Tropius Fruit Platter to share with them.
Kangaskhan, unable to wait any longer, rushed out of its Poké Ball, staring at the Wishiwashi Banquet with drool practically dripping.
Wishiwashi, due to their enormous numbers, were the only Pokémon not protected under the League's Pokémon Protection Act.
There was no helping it—ninety percent of ocean life relied on Wishiwashi for sustenance.
A Wailord needed to eat a ton a day, and a Pelipper could swallow over thirty in a single gulp.
Of course, Wishiwashi weren't completely without a means of resistance.
Once a single Wishiwashi learned to act as part of a group, it could summon all Wishiwashi within a forty-kilometer radius, transforming into a sea monster so terrifying that even Gyarados would flee in fear.
After reminding Kangaskhan not to eat everything, Silas walked over to Cyclizar, who was still sleeping deeply.
A hint of worry appeared between his brows.
The little one had been asleep for far too long. Silas had called out beside it for quite a while, yet Cyclizar showed no sign of waking up.
If Cyclizar's breathing hadn't remained steady and its condition stable, Silas would have suspected it had been hit by Darkrai's Dark Void and fallen into a deep slumber.
"Cyclizar has been sleeping way too long this time!"
Feeling uneasy, Silas circled around Cyclizar.
The other Pokémon also gathered around, surrounding Cyclizar. Minccino even poked it gently with its paw.
Kangaskhan went so far as to pick up a strip of Wishiwashi and place it near Cyclizar's nose. Cyclizar's nostrils twitched, but there was still no sign of waking.
It was very abnormal, yet they couldn't find the source of the problem.
Just as Silas was hesitating over whether to go to the Pokémon Center and ask Nurse Joy to take a look—
An unexpected visitor arrived outside his shop, accompanied by a Gardevoir.
Kangaskhan almost instinctively turned back, instantly alert and vigilant.
(End of Chapter)