"Wow! It's so lively!"
Looking at the densely packed crowd in front of them, Korrina exclaimed exaggeratedly.
There were simply too many people. In the open space ahead, heads were bobbing everywhere, mixed together with all kinds of Pokémon.
"So how are we supposed to get in?"
They didn't have to wait long before Siebold emerged from the side.
He waved to the three of them and led them inside through a side passage.
Halfway along, Diantha was caught by her manager and had to part ways with them for the time being.
The two of them agreed that after the festival ended, they would get together again at Silas's ranch.
Following Siebold to the front area, they arrived before a gigantic soup cauldron, where all the invited chefs were already gathered.
At this moment, everyone was discussing what kind of soup to make.
Because they couldn't reach a consensus, the group was arguing nonstop.
After all, whether the soup that followed tasted good or not was directly related to whether this beach festival could end on a perfect note.
Many people had come precisely for this one-of-a-kind soup.
Silas listened quietly from the side for a while, then proposed a compromise solution.
All the chefs present came from coastal cities—everyone was familiar with cooking seafood.
Seafood soup, naturally, was no problem at all.
After Silas made his suggestion, Siebold supported it, and after giving it some thought, the other chefs also agreed.
With an agreement reached, everyone went their separate ways to prepare the ingredients they would add.
Siebold said a few more words as well before leaving.
At the same time, the festival reached its absolute peak.
Diantha's appearance together with Gardevoir ignited the entire venue. Having gone through countless trials, Diantha had already become the top rising star among the new generation of actresses.
Coupled with her upcoming movie release, her popularity was naturally sky-high.
On the other side, the chefs had finished choosing the ingredients they would add.
"Teacher, what ingredient did you prepare?"
Siebold leaned over, clearly curious.
"Some white truffles I picked in the back mountain not long ago. They pair perfectly with the seafood soup everyone is making today."
A collision between mountain delicacies and seafood?
Even Siebold, who had prepared countless dishes, couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
In truth, Silas had his own little plan as well—he wanted to take this opportunity to see whether he could create an A-grade or even S-grade quality dish.
Very soon, everyone added their ingredients into the cauldron one after another.
The Fire-type Pokémon below increased the heat.
Before long, a fragrance carrying a faint milky aroma mixed with the salty scent of seawater drifted out from the soup pot, stimulating people's taste buds and causing many to swallow unconsciously.
Silas only added the white truffles at the very end, performing the final seasoning.
Moments later, a change appeared before Silas's eyes.
Just as he had guessed, any dish he participated in making would receive feedback through his "cheat."
[Seafood Soup (A+): A top-tier dish jointly crafted by over a dozen master chefs. One of a kind in the entire world and extremely difficult to replicate.
Dish Effect: Hymn of the Sea.]
[Hymn of the Sea: An exceptionally unique dish. Upon completion, it will draw the attention of a Legendary Pokémon, causing it to linger nearby.]
Almost the moment Silas finished reading the panel description, a clear, melodious cry echoed across the entire venue from the distant horizon over the sea.
Under the gaze of everyone present, a massive silver-white bird rode the ocean currents and winds, flying over the skies of Shalour City, casting its gaze down upon the crowd.
That was the Legendary Pokémon Lugia—known as the Guardian of the Seas, the being that commands the ocean currents.
Lugia's appearance instantly detonated the scene, even though it was already nighttime.
Whether human or Pokémon, everyone flushed with excitement, faces red and necks thick.
That was a Legendary Pokémon!
A Pokémon like that appearing in Shalour City, and right before the end of the festival, brought an impact beyond imagination.
Even Silas was no exception—at this moment, he gazed toward the distant Lugia with excitement.
The only one not excited on the scene was probably Cyclizar.
The little guy curled his lips disdainfully—so what if it was Lugia? He had even fought a black Lugia before!
Cyclizar tugged at Silas jealously with its claws, as if saying, Look at me, look at me! I'm the Great Iron Serpent, the god of the future!
Placing his hand atop Cyclizar's head, Silas blinked, seemingly understanding what Cyclizar meant.
This little guy… don't tell him it wants to fly too.
If he remembered correctly, both Cyclizar's future form and ancient form could fly—just not in its current state.
"Cyclizar, you want to fly too?"
"Nope, that won't work—you don't have wings."
Lugia's appearance sent the festival into an uproar, and even late into the night the crowd showed no sign of dispersing.
Without waiting for the next day, news of Lugia appearing in Shalour City spread across the entire League overnight through the network.
For a time, stories about the seafood soup made by the chefs during the festival finale were exaggerated to near-mythical levels.
All kinds of strange effects were attributed to it, but in Silas's opinion—
Aside from tasting great, it had no other effects. Or rather, being able to attract Lugia's attention was already its greatest effect.
It wasn't until late into the night, after dealing with the festival's aftermath together with Siebold and the others, that Silas finally said his goodbyes and returned to the ranch with his Pokémon.
Along the way, Cyclizar was especially excited—almost hyper. They were going back to that joyful ranch, yay!
Yet once they got back, Cyclizar was the first to fall asleep. Silas looked at him speechlessly.
He picked up a small blanket and covered Cyclizar with it. They hadn't lit the fireplace today, and the weather was still a bit chilly.
Before going to bed, Silas recorded last night's gains.
League Calendar, Year 198, Spring, January 31
Income: 46249
Expenses: 5000 (purchasing various cooking ingredients)
Remaining Funds: 68049
In the span of a single night, his funds had more than doubled.
This made Silas imagine—if the festival lasted one more day, earning a hundred thousand League Coins wouldn't be a problem at all.
The goal would be achieved in one go.
"Decision made. Tomorrow I'll go buy a generator, an oven, and a refrigerator."
With money on hand, it was time to improve his living conditions. Living in a cabin without electricity was far too inconvenient.
Closing the notebook, he picked up the drowsy Minccino and Smoliv from the desk—placing one into a flowerpot and gently setting the other onto the bed.
After informing Kangaskhan, Silas glanced toward the Mudbray shed.
After a long night of work, the Mudbray three were cuddled together, fast asleep, snores echoing through the shed.
There was no need to check on the three Noibat—right now was guaranteed to be their active time.
Before he even got close, he could hear their cries from far away.
After reminding them not to fly too far at night, Silas looked up at the eaves.
Tonight, Chatot was unusually present.
Seeing Silas, Chatot greeted him tiredly, looking as though its body had been completely drained.
After a quick wash outside, Silas returned indoors. Cyclizar was sleeping soundly, drool soaking into the blanket at the corner of its mouth.
Who knew what kind of good dream this silly fellow was having!
Holding the sound-asleep Minccino, Silas gently rubbed it a couple of times, then gestured for Kangaskhan to blow out the candle.
After wishing each other good night, Silas breathed in the vanilla-like fragrance coming from Minccino's body and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Inside the room, waves of snores rose and fell—Silas himself was utterly exhausted as well.
If it weren't for the lure of a bit of money, he would have wanted to come back much earlier.
When he woke up tomorrow, his arms would definitely be completely numb.
(End of Chapter)