League Calendar Year 198, March 26th, Clear.
After two consecutive days of rain, the skies finally cleared. A whole crowd of Pokémon burst out of the house in high spirits, scrambling over one another to be the first outside. Even though there was plenty of delicious food and fun things to do indoors, they still longed to run around freely outside.
Minccino called out to Morpeko, holding Smoliv in its arms, with five Flabébé following closely behind. Further back were five Mareep—Happy and Burly charging ahead at the front, while Lazy Mareep lagged far behind, moving sluggishly and clearly unwilling to exert itself at all.
How nice it was to stay inside—eat until full, sleep when full, and wake up just to eat again, without having to do anything at all. That was the life Lazy Mareep dreamed of. Unfortunately, that dream had come to an end.
The air after the rain was thick with lingering moisture, leaving everything feeling damp and sticky. Kangaskhan ran out carrying the Pokémon Egg and sat down on the grass to bask in the sunlight. The egg in her pouch had become unusually lively, trembling from time to time to make its presence known.
Grabbing Cyclizar, Silas called it along to the lake. After the heavy rain, the water level had risen quite a bit, but it hadn't caused any trouble for Relicanth or Veluza. These two were the easiest Pokémon to raise on the ranch—one lived on plankton, and the other could endure ascetic training without eating for an entire week. Truly the king of hunger resistance!!!
After confirming that both were fine, Silas asked Cyclizar to head to the chicken coop and bring the chickens out for some fresh air, while he himself walked toward the cave. Over there, the Noibat were already preparing to take off.
Today was the semifinals of the Baby Cup, and Noibat trio alone occupied three of the spots. This year's rookie Trainers in Shalour City had personally experienced the fear of being dominated by huge baby dragons. Any resistance they put up only made the three-headed dragons even more excited.
"Do you really not need me to come along even for the semifinals?" Silas asked, gently stroking one of the Noibat's large ears.
"Noi~"
Enjoying the touch, Noibat rubbed its face against his palm, telling him not to worry—they were fully capable of completing the battles on their own. Silas could wait for them back at the ranch, and they would bring the championship trophy home to him.
"All right then." Seeing how firm Noibat was, Silas didn't insist further.
He hung a small bag on Noibat and took out the items inside as he explained, "These are Oran Berries. If you get tired or hungry, eat one—it'll quickly restore your stamina." His finger moved away from the blue berry and pointed to a pink one beside it. "This is a Pecha Berry. After fighting Poison-type Pokémon, remember to eat one—it can cure most kinds of poisoning."
Several types of berries that could counter various negative status effects were all packed into the small backpack, just in case. The Noibat trio didn't think Silas was being naggy at all. They stared intently, carefully memorizing the color of each berry. Silas's love for them was unwavering—no matter when or where, he always thought of them first.
"Noi Noi~"
Moments later, the Noibat flapped their wings and rose into the sky together. They exchanged glances, the fire of battle burning fiercely in their eyes. They would never let Silas down. They would repay his care and concern with a championship victory.
Although he had agreed to let the Noibat act independently, that didn't mean Silas wouldn't secretly send a Pokémon to follow behind them. As usual, Cyclizar was the one, quietly trailing after them. Together, they entered Shalour City and arrived at the central battle stadium.
After watching the Noibat leave, Silas didn't idle around. He went to the stables and called over the Mudsdale brothers, telling them that they would be leaving the ranch shortly. Since there had been nothing urgent these past few days, this was the perfect chance to go out and look for stone materials to pave gravel paths around the ranch. He really didn't want to be trudging through mud again the next time it rained, ending up covered head to toe in filth after a single trip outside.
Laying roads required a large amount of stone. Ideally, he needed to find areas inhabited by Rock-type Pokémon—there would definitely be plenty of mineable stone there. It seemed he would have to ask the local Pokémon for information.
He planned to prepare several dishes and pay a visit to Pyroar, asking them to keep an eye on the ranch during the week he would be away next month, preventing other wild Pokémon from causing trouble and ruining the results of all the hard work he and his Pokémon had put in together.
As for dishes suitable for Fire-type Pokémon? Extra-spicy meat skewers were a must, and spicy boiled pork slices couldn't be left out either. Nutritional side dishes for the little Litleo were also indispensable. First conquer the Pyroar family's stomachs with food, and everything afterward would be much easier.
Over the past three months, Silas's cooking skills had improved by leaps and bounds. After packing the gifts prepared for the Pyroar family into insulated containers, he called over the three Mudsdale and led them out of the ranch. Riding Mudsdale meant there was no need to stick to main roads—one man and three Pokémon cut straight through the forest. The eldest Mudsdale led the way, forcibly carving a path through the forest with sheer horsepower.
Before long, they arrived at Pyroar's territory. The commotion caused by the Mudsdale was immediately noticed. From afar, three little Litleo came running over joyfully, looking delighted, with what seemed like drool hanging from the corners of their mouths.
"Pyroar, little Litleo, I've come to see you again."
"Roar~"
Pyroar responded calmly, but his lion eyes were completely locked onto the insulated container in Silas's hands. He had already caught the scent—an aroma so tempting it made his mouth water.
Led by Pyroar, they entered the cave, just in time to encounter the female Pyroar returning from a hunt.
"Pyroar, come quickly—I brought you some delicious food!" Silas called out to her, and under the urgent urging of the little Litleo, he lifted the lid.
A domineering, pungent aroma rushed out, making Silas sneeze repeatedly. The Mudsdale frowned and retreated behind the others, while the Pyroar family, completely against expectation, wore expressions of pure enjoyment.
This was the smell!
"Roaaar~"
The little Litleo rushed forward first, unable to wait any longer to take a bite. But before they could act, they were each grabbed by the scruff of the neck by the Pyroar couple and flung aside. This wasn't something children should eat—otherwise they'd be wide awake all night.
"Roaa~"
The little Litleo were unconvinced and tried to push forward again, only to have the male Pyroar press a paw down on their heads, stuffing their mouths full of dirt.
Silas stepped forward and patted the little Litleo, then placed another insulated container in front of them. "This one's for you. Go on, eat."
The little Litleo looked up at him gratefully and immediately buried their heads in the food.
Once the Pyroar family had finished all the dishes and lay sprawled comfortably atop the rocks, Silas stepped forward to discuss business.
"Pyroar, next month I'll be taking the ranch Pokémon away for a week. Could you help me watch over the place during that time?"
"Please! You only need to stop by the ranch once a day. When I get back, I'll make more dishes for you as a reward."
Silas clasped his hands together and looked at the female Pyroar with bright, earnest eyes. He knew very well who made the decisions in small matters.
After all, once you've eaten someone's food, it's hard to refuse their request. Pyroar found it difficult to say no.
"Roar roar~"
"No problem at all!"
It was nothing more than preparing an extra serving of baby food for the little Litleo—hardly an issue. With Pyroar's scent lingering around the ranch, no wild Pokémon would dare approach.
After settling on the timing, Silas called the Mudsdale and set off. Partway through, he suddenly doubled back—he had nearly forgotten something else.
"Pyroar, do you know if there's anywhere near Route 12 where Rock-type Pokémon live?"
(End of Chapter)