Evening fell.
The diligent Meowth helped carry the bagged coffee beans onto the backs of the Mudsdale brothers. They then nimbly jumped up as well, acting as living handrails to prevent the cargo from being shaken loose once they started down the mountain paths.
With the three Meowth around, Silas was spared a great deal of trouble. Hiring them to join the ranch now seemed like an exceptionally wise decision.
"Kangaskhan, don't forget to change the nutrient solution for the Pokémon Egg later," Silas reminded her as he swung himself onto Cyclizar before leaving.
"Kang~"
Kangaskhan huffed in mild displeasure—she was extremely attentive when it came to the Pokémon Egg.
Cyclizar took the lead, with three Mudsdale following closely behind. After traversing the rugged mountain road, the small cargo truck waiting by the roadside soon came into view.
When they saw the group emerge from the far end of the road, Gario and Diggersby jumped down from the truck to greet them.
The Mudsdale obediently stopped by the roadside—there was no way they could be allowed onto the concrete road.
"Looks like you've had another big harvest this time, Silas!" Gario exclaimed. As he admired the stacks of coffee beans piled high on one the Mudsdale's backs, he also instructed Diggersby to help unload the cargo.
"Yeah! It's all thanks to the Meowths helping out," Silas replied with a smile, patting Cyclizar affectionately while praising them out loud.
The Diggersby Meowth's ears twitched, and they moved even more briskly. Even Cyclizar, who had been enjoying Silas's pats, immediately ran over to help with the hauling as well.
"Are these the Meowth gang that caused such a big stir a few days ago? They don't look like bad Pokémon at all," Gario remarked.
Silas explained the situation to him, then added, "They've already turned over a new leaf. They're now helpers officially hired by my ranch."
"I see."
While the two chatted, the Pokémon finished loading all the coffee beans onto the truck. These would be sent to a coffee powder processing factory, and the final products would eventually appear in metropolises like Lumiose City.
Coffee had an enormous daily consumption rate, so naturally its price was not low. This batch harvested by the ranch brought in a profit of 40,000 League Coins—another bountiful gain that made Silas's once-flat wallet noticeably plumper.
After completing the transaction, the two watched as the small cargo truck drove off into the distance.
Just as Silas was about to turn around and head back, a sharp, urgent honking sound rang out. The truck suddenly returned, pulling off a dramatic drift before stopping steadily. Gario leaned out from the passenger seat.
"Almost forgot something important," Gario said, catching his breath. "Rancher Hain asked me to let you know—the Mareep has been born."
After making sure Silas had heard him, Gario sped off again in a flurry. The truck drifted once more at the turn and quickly vanished at the end of the road.
"I didn't expect Diggersby to drive so wildly," Silas shook his head, then fixed his gaze on Cyclizar. "You absolutely must not learn from it."
"Cyc!"
Cyclizar straightened up proudly, puffing out its chest to declare that it was even more handsome than Diggersby!
"Improper driving leads to tears for loved ones."
"Cyclizar, you wouldn't want everyone crying at your grave while Morpeko sneaks over to steal your offerings, would you?"
"Cyc?"
Cyclizar froze, the mere thought sending a chill down its spine. Shaking its head vigorously, it reminded itself that it still had to investigate why Silas and everyone else disappeared in the future—dying young was absolutely not an option.
Immediately afterward, Cyclizar expressed its determination to drive properly and obey all traffic rules.
On the return trip, Cyclizar moved so slowly that even the Mudsdale ran ahead of it, clearly disdainful of its speed. It was only after Silas urged it repeatedly that Cyclizar reluctantly sped up, managing to return to the ranch before night fully fell.
...
The night passed quietly. The next morning, daylight broke bright and clear.
Climbing out of bed, Silas began another new day of his life. He reached out and poked Minccino and Morpeko under the covers, waking the two groggy little ones.
Smoothing down their fur—which had been puffed up and crackling with static electricity from restless sleep—he took a small comb and carefully separated the strands that had clumped together. He then pulled them into his arms one by one for a thorough cuddle, pressing his face gently against their soft bellies before finally letting them go.
Watching the two little ones happily run downstairs, Silas, now fully dressed, picked up Smoliv from the flowerpot on the windowsill and cradled it in his palm.
When they first met, Smoliv had been smaller than his palm, a tiny little thing. Now—
It took both of Silas's hands to hold it properly. The fruit atop its head, used for storing olive oil, was plump and round, while its small body below had darkened slightly from long hours spent basking in the sun.
Smoliv had accumulated a great deal of energy; it wouldn't be long before it completed its evolution. Once it evolved into Olinio, it would be able to produce a particularly fragrant olive oil. Silas looked forward eagerly to just how delicious dishes made with it would be.
"Smo~!"
Smoliv, waking groggily, rubbed itself against his palm to show affection. After gently soothing it, Silas added some growth fertilizer to the pot and placed Smoliv back inside. He then picked up the Squirtle-shaped watering can nearby and watered it.
Enjoying Silas's meticulous care, Smoliv adjusted its posture to better soak up the sunlight—it wanted to grow up quickly.
Walking to the nursery beside the master bedroom, Silas helped Kangaskhan replace the nutrient solution in the incubator, carefully checking the condition of the egg as he did so.
Kangaskhan excitedly shared an interesting incident from the previous night. "Kang~"
Smiling as he patted her, Silas said, "It must have been your imagination. The Phione inside the egg hasn't even formed yet!"
"Kang~" Kangaskhan lifted the incubator and placed it into her pouch, then turned away and ignored Silas. She had truly felt something last night—and had been so excited she hadn't slept a wink.
Poking his head out from behind her, Silas said, "Girl, you can talk to it more often. Maybe Phione will hatch a bit earlier."
"Kang!"
Clutching her pouch protectively, Kangaskhan stood up excitedly, looking at Silas with hopeful eyes.
"Really," Silas nodded. Prenatal education, similar to that for human babies, did have some effect.
With that reassurance, Kangaskhan sat in the corner and began softly chatting with the Pokémon Egg in her pouch, sharing stories of what had been happening on the ranch. No one noticed that the egg gave an almost imperceptible wobble, as if telling her that it was listening.
After reminding Kangaskhan to come down for breakfast later, Silas brushed his teeth while heading downstairs.
He ran into the Meowth playing around on the staircase, a ball of yarn rolling to his feet.
"Good morning, Meowth!"
"Meow~ (～￣▽￣)～"
"Meoww~ ヽ(?ω?)ゝ"
"Meeoow— ((?0?))"
The lazy greeting came from the regular Meowth, the cool, hands-in-pockets greeting from the Alolan Meowth, and the energetic, charged-up greeting from the Galarian Meowth.
Though they were the same species, their personalities were completely different.
Pushing open the ranch cottage door, the Flabébé and Mudsdale all gathered around to greet him, welcoming the arrival of a new day together.
Oh, right!
The three little Noibat were there too. Yawning sleepily, they had mastered new moves after several days of training. Their strength had grown even further.
So happy!!!
(End of Chapter)