After winning the battle, Silas was immediately surrounded by a large crowd of students, big and small alike. They chattered nonstop, asking all kinds of questions, their eyes filled with boundless yearning for the life of a Trainer. Especially after Silas had just defeated Professor Kukui in a one-on-one single battle, many of the students looked at him with pure admiration.
Among them, the most enthusiastic was the student named Ilima. Upon learning that Silas's strongest Pokémon was not Noivern but Kangaskhan, Ilima immediately declared that he too wanted to catch and train a Kangaskhan of his own.
Half an hour later, Silas finally managed to extricate himself from the overly enthusiastic crowd. Walking over to Kukui and Samson, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh. "Phew! These students are way too passionate."
"Yes," Kukui said with a smile, "they're all children with dreams."
After strolling around the Pokémon School with the two of them for another round, Silas checked the time and decided it was about right to take his leave. He still had to accompany his mom to watch the Masked Royal's match later—he absolutely couldn't be late. The Masked Royal was a battler who had only become active in Alola in the past two years, yet he was already showing signs of becoming the number one fighter.
Before leaving, Silas found the Alolan Meowth by the lake within the school grounds. When it saw him arrive, the Alolan Meowth walked over and stood by his side. Looking at Oricorio, Exeggutor, and the others, Silas said, "Have you all said your goodbyes? Who knows when we'll come back next time."
"Meow~"
The Alolan Meowth replied coolly, indicating that it had already finished saying goodbye and was ready to leave at any time.
"Then let's go," Silas said with a smile. He placed Minccino on his shoulder and headed straight toward the school gate. The Alolan Meowth followed behind, its steps noticeably slower. After only a few steps, Oricorio and the others ran up, hugging the Alolan Meowth one by one and giving it a final farewell.
"Meow? oo?"
With tears welling up in its eyes, the Alolan Meowth waved goodbye to its friends, then hurried after Silas.
Just like that, one person and two Pokémon left together. After renting a Ride Pokémon, they arrived at the commercial district not long after. The commercial district of Hau'oli City could be said to be the most prosperous place in all of Alola. From cutting-edge fashion trends to wildly popular desserts, everything gathered here. Along the streets, you could see many stylishly dressed men and women stopping from time to time to take photos, as well as tourists from all across the Pokémon League weaving between dessert shops and fashion boutiques.
Before long, even Silas couldn't keep walking. Minccino pressed itself against the glass of a dessert shop, staring longingly at the beautiful little cakes inside, drool almost dripping from its mouth. It turned back, pointed with its tiny hand, eyes brimming with tears.
"Min~"
(Silas, I want to eat it!)
"Buy, buy, buy!"
There was no way they were leaving without buying something. Silas could only pick Minccino up and walk inside to buy a small cake for it, while he and the Alolan Meowth each got an ice cream.
Every time they passed another shop, Minccino wanted to taste something new. When they entered a Poké Poffin shop in the city center, Silas ran into a familiar face.
"Guru~ Guru~"
The same counter, the same Oranguru. As soon as it saw customers, it immediately started piling on the pressure.
"Long time no see, Oranguru," Silas greeted it, taking a seat in an empty spot nearby. After walking for so long, it was a good time to rest for a bit. Later, he planned to head to the clothing street to see if he could find his mom, Serena, and the others. If that didn't work, he'd have no choice but to wait for them at the harbor.
"Don't keep pressuring me," Silas said, glancing at Oranguru. "Three cups of juice and two servings of Poké Poffins will be enough." This guy was way too enthusiastic about selling.
"Guru!"
Oranguru noted it down and went to inform the chef.
When the Alolan chef learned that a fellow chef—one who had once cooked seafood soup together with him had come to the shop, he instantly felt immense pressure. He focused with twelve points of attention, absolutely unwilling to allow himself to make even the slightest mistake. After only a dozen minutes or so, the desserts Silas ordered were personally brought out by the chef.
Poké Poffins were a special type of dessert made primarily from Berries. After being crafted into different flavors, they could not only provide Pokémon with a large amount of energy but also tasted exceptionally good. For example, Minccino hugged a pink, sweet Poké Poffin and took small bites, savoring it bit by bit.
The Alolan Meowth held a blue Poké Poffin that was slightly astringent yet sweet; with one bite, it narrowed its eyes in bliss. Seeing how much the two little cuties liked them, the Alolan chef finally let out a sigh of relief.
"The juice is great, and the Poké Poffins are a big hit with them," Silas said with a smile, offering his praise.
"Good, good, good~" The Alolan chef removed his chef's hat and scratched his head shyly. "As long as the Pokémon like it, that's what matters. Compared to your skills, Chef Silas, I still have a long way to go."
The Alolan chef knew his own abilities well. Among top chefs, he wasn't at the bottom—but compared to someone who could create extremely special soul-infused dishes, the gap was far too large. To receive personal praise from this god-tier chef today left him incredibly excited. He practically wanted to write letters immediately to other chefs and show off in front of them.
Riding that surge of enthusiasm, the Alolan chef insisted on dragging Silas into the back kitchen to tour his workspace. He was intimately familiar with every nook and cranny, every piece of equipment, and could locate anything with pinpoint accuracy.
"Teacher Silas, I feel like my cooking has hit a bottleneck today. I'd like to ask for your guidance."
"Huh?"
Silas blinked. He really was too naïve. The other party wasn't just showing him around—he wanted to seek advice on cooking. Since he was already here, it wouldn't be nice to leave outright. After thinking for a moment, Silas said, "Why don't you make a batch of Poké Poffins first? I'll take a look."
"No problem!"
Seeing Silas agree, the Alolan chef was full of fighting spirit and immediately began making Poké Poffins. Silas watched him work step by step, but after a long while, he couldn't spot any obvious issues. Soon, a fiery red, spicy Poké Poffin appeared in front of him. He broke off a piece and tasted it—it was intensely spicy, his throat feeling as though it were on fire. Fire-type Pokémon would definitely love it.
"Teacher Silas, how is it?"
The Alolan chef asked softly, like a student awaiting feedback.
"The flavor is spot on. Fire-type Pokémon would really enjoy this."
After cooking for so long, Silas's culinary skills were no longer what they once were. Simple evaluations like this were well within his ability.
"However, when I taste it, I always feel like something is missing. The flavor seems to lack a bit of depth."
"Teacher Silas, could you explain that more clearly?" the chef asked eagerly.
Silas smiled helplessly. "You know, I can't even make Poké Poffins myself. What exactly is missing is hard for an outsider like me to say."
Being able to tell that something was missing already meant Silas's culinary sense was impressive.
"So that's how it is!" The Alolan chef suddenly understood, his eyes lighting up as he grabbed Silas's hand. "Teacher Silas, you're here on vacation, right? Give me two days—I'll teach you how to make Poké Poffins. How about it?"
Silas: "..."
After thinking it over, it didn't seem like a bad idea. Poké Poffins were different from other dishes; they could be stored for a long time. He could make a large batch at once, and later, when he wasn't at the ranch, they could serve as staple food for his Pokémon.
"Alright then," Silas agreed. "How about we officially start tomorrow?"
"No problem. I'll be welcoming Teacher Silas anytime."
After reaching a verbal agreement, the two left the back kitchen one after the other. When Silas returned to the dining area, he saw Serena and Morpeko standing on the table, stuffing its face wildly, its cheeks puffed out on both sides like a tiny hamster.
(End of Chapter)