"So… Cyclizar, you'll become Miraidon in the future?"
"Cyc!"
Cyclizar nodded vigorously, full of confidence—its future self would be incredibly, incredibly powerful. This time, no matter what, it absolutely would not be separated from Silas.
Gently pushing Cyclizar over, Silas used both hands to squeeze and pat its body, giving it a thorough feel. The texture was exactly the same as before, no different from other Cyclizars at all.
So why would Cyclizar become Miraidon?
That massive question lingered in Silas's mind, but for now, he forcibly suppressed it.
To think that, without really knowing how, he had somehow captured the juvenile form of a Legendary Pokémon.
And not just any legendary—Miraidon, one that combined both overwhelming strength and sheer coolness.
He didn't even know whether he would live long enough to see Cyclizar complete its transformation into Miraidon.
In his previous life, in the Scarlet and Violet games, Miraidon and Koraidon came from different timelines—one from the future, one from the ancient past—arriving in the present through a time machine.
But his own Cyclizar was clearly different.
Based on what Cyclizar had just described, it took an extremely, extremely long time for it to finally become Miraidon. There was no guarantee he would be there to witness it.
"I wonder if I can use cooking to speed up Cyclizar's growth…"
His development of his cheat ability hadn't even reached one percent yet. He could try experimenting by making dishes with specific effects.
And right now, the ranch already had suitable ingredients.
Zapdos's crest feather—a unique legendary-grade ingredient.
After asking around and piecing together the details, Silas made up his mind. Once he fully recovered from his illness, he would take Kangaskhan along to pay Zapdos a visit.
At the very least, he needed to resolve the conflict between Chatot and Zapdos and see if reconciliation was possible.
If not… well, he wouldn't mind being a "legendary trainer" just this once.
…
The 6th arrived—the day Silas had agreed with Nurse Joy for an on-site checkup.
Having recovered the day before yesterday, Silas was already waiting at the ranch gate early in the morning. Before long, Nurse Joy and Chansey appeared at the end of the road and walked over together.
After confirming identities, they entered the ranch.
As they walked along the gravel path leading from the gate to the ranch house, Nurse Joy curiously observed everything around her—the three Mudbrays plowing the fields with Rototiller moves, five Flabébé flitting through the tulip fields, and Kangaskhan and Minccino running toward Silas.
"These are all Pokémon you caught yourself, Silas? They look very healthy," Nurse Joy said with a smile.
Picking up Minccino and gently rubbing its tiny ears, Silas replied, "Yes. I caught them after buying this ranch. Many of them were caught in the wild and never had a proper health check, so I invited you over."
"No problem at all. I brought all the equipment today," Nurse Joy said, gesturing to the medical case Chansey was carrying. Inside were portable tools—more than enough for comprehensive examinations.
Silas asked Kangaskhan to gather all the Pokémon and then went inside to bring out Smoliv as well. Since he had notified them beforehand, all the Pokémon obediently lined up, curiously watching this gentle, big-sister-like Nurse Joy.
Holding Minccino in her arms, Nurse Joy became more serious. "Let's start with Minccino."
"Min—"
Minccino blinked cutely, allowing itself to be examined without resistance. Chansey took out one tool after another, working in perfect coordination with Nurse Joy—one examined, the other recorded the results.
They began with the basics: height and weight.
"Pokémon: Minccino. Height: 0.45 meters. Weight: 6 kilograms. Fur glossy and shiny, energetic condition…"
Five minutes later, Minccino's full checkup was complete.
Nurse Joy took out a piece of candy. "Good child, this is your reward."
"Min—"
Minccino froze in surprise, then looked toward Silas. He nodded.
Only then did Minccino happily accept the candy and run back to Silas.
"I'm not eating it—you eat," Silas said, scratching under its chin to make his meaning clear.
Minccino finally put the sweet candy into its mouth. The other Pokémon immediately gathered around, eagerly asking how it felt.
The entire morning passed in this way. Every Pokémon on the ranch completed a full examination.
"Your Pokémon are all very healthy, Silas," Nurse Joy said, handing him the reports. "Just keep an eye on the three Mudbray. Their internal energy accumulation has reached its limit—they're likely to evolve within the next few days."
Glancing at the report and hearing her reminder, Silas sighed with emotion. "So they're finally about to evolve?"
Considering how long the Mudbray brothers had been on the ranch, the timing made sense. They ate mud biscuits, pumpkin porridge, and mud cakes every day—special dishes that pushed their energy reserves far beyond those of their peers. Evolution was only natural.
After thanking Nurse Joy, Silas tried to invite her to stay for lunch, but she declined, citing how busy the Pokémon Center was, and hurried off with Chansey.
"Cyc~"
"Min—"
"Bébé!"
The Pokémon surrounded Silas, asking about their health. He patiently answered them one by one.
Looking at one of the sturdy yet lazy-looking Mudbray, he asked, "Mudbray, have you felt any signs of evolving these past few days?"
"Mud?"
Mudbray No. 3 tilted its head in confusion while using its tongue to roll up a sprout of grass from the ground. Mudbray No. 1 bumped its foolish little brother—after evolving, they'd become taller and stronger and could help Silas manage even more farmland.
"Mud!" Then I need to evolve faster!
"Looks like nothing yet," Silas said with understanding. He patted them and let the Mudbray go play on their own.
He returned to the house and entered the kitchen. It was already late—it was time to prepare lunch.
In the corner of the kitchen, a pile of yellow feathers caught Silas's attention.
Zapdos's crest feathers… what kind of dish could these be made into?
Stir-frying, boiling, pan-frying, deep-frying—none of those seemed suitable.
Could they be ground into paste?
That thought reminded Silas of the golden potato Minccino had accidentally discovered during the last potato harvest. A special ingredient combined with a legendary ingredient—what kind of dish would that create?
After finishing lunch preparations, Silas took out the golden potato and placed it in a steamer to cook. Meanwhile, he picked up several crest feathers and began grinding them into powder.
Surprisingly, there was no lightning during the process. They behaved just like ordinary feathers, slowly turning into a bowl of golden-yellow powder in his hands. Finely ground, it looked almost like flour.
Once the golden potato was steamed, Silas easily peeled off the skin and mashed the rest with chopsticks. As he worked, he gradually mixed in the powdered Zapdos feathers, stirring thoroughly. He added a bit of butter for richness and some milk for texture.
When everything blended into a smooth, indistinguishable mash, he sprinkled chopped scallions on top for garnish. A serving of golden mashed potatoes was complete.
Minccino and the others were already waiting at the table. Silas placed the dish at the center.
Its rich golden color drew Minccino's curious gaze, while Cyclizar couldn't wait any longer—it scooped up a spoonful and tasted it carefully.
"Min!"
Minccino pointed at Cyclizar and cried out in surprise as all the other Pokémon turned to look.
Cyclizar's entire body was now tinted with a golden hue—one of the dish's effects: Golden Shine.
(End of Chapter)