Curry rice, crispy duck rolls, and egg yolk pies were all new dishes that Silas had never tried making before.
As the main staple, the curry rice was especially fragrant—large chunks of meat drenched in richly aromatic curry sauce poured over steaming white rice. Letting the rice soak up the curry's aroma, mixing it thoroughly with potatoes and generous pieces of meat, each bite was pure enjoyment, rich and deeply satisfying.
Minccino, Kangaskhan, and the others loved it immensely, eating mouthful after mouthful with great enthusiasm. On top of that came the fried duck rolls—golden and crispy on the outside, crackling with a crunch when bitten into, while the duck meat inside was tender and juicy. Cyclizar alone nearly monopolized an entire plate, clearly enamored with this particular dish.
"Min?" Minccino nibbled delicately on an egg yolk pie, tilting its head up to look at Silas as it asked a question. Even as it ate the pie in its hands, its thoughts were already drifting toward the banana pudding chilling in the refrigerator. Taking a bite of rice himself, Silas shook his head. "Not yet. You'll have to wait at least four more hours before it can be taken out."
"Min~"
Minccino began counting on its fingers, calculating the time, then lowered its head in disappointment—there was still such a long, long wait to go. Ignoring Minccino for the moment, Silas leaned forward to look at the five Mareep not far away.
"Mareep, are you getting used to these dishes?"
Happy replied, "Maa!"
(The food Silas made is very delicious. We all like it a lot.)
Lazy Mareep chimed in, "I've finished mine—are there any more?"
The little Mareep with the poop-like hairstyle trotted over with its small bowl in its mouth, rubbing its body affectionately against Silas's legs. In an instant, countless sparks of static electricity burst forth, crackling with a rapid series of pop-pop sounds.
Pinching Lazy Mareep's chubby little cheeks, Silas smiled. This little lamb was clearly the type who slept once it was full and ate once it woke up, lazy to the core. Lazy Mareep placed its forelegs on Silas's leg, practically trying to climb into his arms, its bleating never stopping.
"Maa~"
(Just give me one more bite—just one! I'll do anything!)
Feeling Lazy Mareep's round belly, Silas nodded lightly. "Just one last bowl. I don't want you growing a giant stomach."
"Maa!"
Lazy Mareep nodded vigorously, acting spoiled in Silas's arms. After dinner, Alolan Meowth and Minccino worked together to wash the dishes.
As usual, Silas picked up the berry milk platter prepared for the Noibat trio and headed toward the cave. At this hour, the Noibat had just woken up. Compared to before, the inside of the cave had changed slightly—there were many new claw marks on the cave walls left from the Noibat practicing their moves.
Every night, they trained diligently to grow stronger. Correspondingly, the young Noibat's appetite had doubled, and their bodies had grown larger and more robust through constant training. Unknowingly, they had begun to carry a faintly ferocious aura about them. It resembled the Intimidate ability, yet was clearly different—more like the natural pressure a higher-ranked Pokémon exerts over a lower one.
When Silas arrived at the cave, the three Noibat flew over excitedly to greet him, circling around him in midair.
"Have you gotten bigger again?"
Setting down their dinner, Silas picked one up and gestured with both hands—it really had grown. Their size was now nearly twice that of a standard Noibat, a transformation that had begun ever since they consumed Dragon Scale Jelly. The dish's effect of "battle-hardened evolution" seemed to have broken through their species' limits, allowing them to improve at an astonishing pace.
"Noi~"
The three Noibat lined up neatly and reported some good news—they had mastered another new move.
"What move is it? Can you show me?" Silas asked with curiosity. After all, just a few days ago they had learned Wing Attack. Hearing this, the Noibat nodded excitedly and flew to the open area outside the cave. Aiming at a small tree ahead, one Noibat flapped its wings with all its might, whipping up a violent gale that looked as if it might uproot the tree entirely.
"This is Whirlwind!"
A move that forcibly switches out the opponent's Pokémon. It was extremely useful in the wild, capable of forcing an unwanted battle to end. As for how it worked—by kicking up a storm of wind, sand, and debris to blind the opponent, then slipping away while they were disoriented.
In that moment, Silas couldn't help but recall the times he had been utterly dominated by someone's Skarmory. Disgusting! Annoying! Infuriating! Whirlwind, Spikes, Iron Defense, Body Press, and Roost—may that guy be forever surrounded by Amoonguss whenever he goes mining, no matter which direction he turns.
Regaining his composure, Silas smiled and praised the trio sincerely. "That's an amazing move!"
"Noi~"
A single word of praise from their Trainer was enough to make the young Noibat happy for a long time. The three big bats circled around Silas, their cheeks faintly tinged with red.
"Go eat your dinner now. I'll be counting on you to watch over the ranch tonight as well."
The obedient Noibat flew down, squatting neatly and calling out seriously to him.
"Noi~!"
(Leave it to us, Silas!)
After bidding farewell to the Noibat trio, Silas headed toward the stables. Through the window, he saw the Mudsdale brothers sleeping soundly inside, so he didn't disturb them and instead walked toward the nearby Sheep Village.
The other Pokémon on the ranch treated the Mareep flock kindly, and the ranch owner Silas was a very gentle human. Still, for the Mareep who had just arrived at a new ranch and left their parents for the first time, it was hard to fall asleep tonight. Well—except for Lazy Mareep, who was already snoring loudly. It slept so soundly that Silas didn't have the heart to wake it, drool continuously dripping from the corner of its mouth as it dreamed of unbelievably delicious food.
After checking on each one, Silas brought the remaining four Mareep to a grassy area near the riverbank and motioned for them to lie down together.
"Maa!" Warm Mareep walked over and lay down on the grass, gesturing for Silas to lean against it—it was very comfortable!
"Thanks!"
Grabbing a tuft of wool and shaping it into a simple pillow, Silas leaned back. The other three Mareep sat around him, with Burly Mareep naturally positioning itself closest to Beauty Mareep.
"Happy Mareep, you're the smartest, so you'll be responsible for taking care of the other Mareep, okay?"
As he spoke, Silas took a bell out of his pocket—a Soothe Bell. Gently shaking it, it produced a pleasant, soothing chime. Happy Mareep stood up and bleated seriously.
"Maa!"
"I hear you. This bell will be my first meeting gift to you. Whenever you have trouble sleeping, you can ring it."
Silas hadn't forgotten the others' gifts either, carefully helping each of them put theirs on. Watching Happy Mareep spin around happily with its bell, Silas felt especially pleased—this was a gift he had chosen with great care.
Burly Mareep received a blue armband that made it look especially strong, Warm Mareep got a silk scarf, and Beauty Mareep was given a pair of pink bows. Even Lazy Mareep wasn't forgotten—Silas asked Happy Mareep to pass it along later: an orange-yellow drool bib.
After giving the gifts and spending a little more time with the Mareep, Silas finally waved goodbye. The little Mareep flock returned to their cottages, and this time they quickly fell into a deep sleep. The Soothe Bell never even had the chance to show its effect—or rather, Silas's heartfelt comfort was more effective than any item could ever be. Standing in Sheep Village for a moment longer, Silas then turned to head back, yawning repeatedly along the way.
(End of Chapter)