Rowlet, as a Pokémon modeled after an owl, has a very strong sense of vigilance. When it flies at night, it does so almost completely without making a sound, making it extremely difficult for other Pokémon to detect its presence.
Because of this, when Noibat and the others were training, Silas could confidently entrust the task of patrolling the ranch to Rowlet. As for the little Noibats, they were honestly unreliable in that regard—better to train them purely as battle Pokémon instead. They enjoyed fighting anyway, far more than staying on the ranch day after day doing monotonous work.
As for Popplio, it had far more uses. It could help with watering plants, perform juggling tricks, and even form a band together with Minccino. Not only did it know Disarming Voice, it had also mastered Perish Song, add a Kricketune as a speaker and they could practically debut as an idol group.
When it came to watering, however, Popplio didn't yet have many Water-type moves under its belt. In particular, Rain Dance was a move it absolutely had to learn. Once they got back, Silas planned to try making a few Water-type dishes for Popplio to eat, giving it a bit of reinforcement.
Of course, all of those reasons were secondary. The most important reason was simple: it was beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Popplio was one of those rare Pokémon whose entire three-stage evolutionary line didn't go off the rails. Both Brionne and Primarina were cute and elegant, completely unlike Rowlet.
Its base form was round and adorably chubby, but the moment it evolved, it immediately went wrong. The standard Decidueye form was at least passable, cool, at the very least. But the Hisuian form? Purely unbearable to look at. If Rowlet didn't want to evolve, Silas planned to buy it an Everstone to carry with it at all times.
Thinking a bit too far ahead, the two little newcomers were nonetheless warmly welcomed by the rest of the Pokémon. Just as Minccino was leading Mareep and Flabébé in welcoming Popplio and Rowlet, Lazy Mareep was sneaking around furtively and crept over to the Poké Puff box. In one go, it stuffed all the remaining Poké Puffs inside into its mouth, wolfing them down without even chewing.
By the time Silas noticed, Lazy Mareep was sitting there with a bulging belly, groaning softly—it had eaten far too much. Poké Puffs were all made from Berries, and even though each one was only palm-sized, the energy contained within was extremely high.
For small Pokémon like Minccino, a single one could last them quite a while. For large-bodied Pokémon like Kangaskhan and Mudsdale, a meal would usually be around three to five pieces. Although most of the Poké Puffs had already been distributed, there were still seven or eight left in the box. For Lazy Mareep's small body, eating all of them was far more than it could possibly burn off.
While scolding Lazy Mareep, Silas didn't forget to gently rub its belly with one hand, taking out some Mud Cookies to help with digestion. "Here, eat a bit of dirt and you'll feel better."
"Maa Maa!" Lazy Mareep shook its head vigorously. Mud Cookies tasted terrible.
"Be good. Just eat a little," Silas coaxed softly. "You don't want to turn into a big glutton with an oversized stomach—everyone would definitely laugh at you."
"Maa~" Imagining itself with a belly even bigger than its body, Lazy Mareep shook its head again. It didn't want to become like that. It would never dare to be greedy again. Wuwuwu! But Poké Puffs were just so delicious.
Crying as it went, Lazy Mareep swallowed the digestion-aiding Mud Cookies. Before long, its swollen belly gradually shrank back down. The energy was fully consumed and absorbed into Lazy Mareep's body.
Its goose-yellow fur was nourished, becoming thicker and denser, while faint crackling arcs of electricity flickered across its surface. Slowly climbing to its feet, Lazy Mareep hopped twice. Its body felt fine again, and it was in an especially good mood. Then it nudged Silas with its head, indicating that it was hungry again.
Silas: "..."
"You're not hungry!" He pushed Lazy Mareep over without mercy, refusing outright. Lazy Mareep wasn't hungry—it was just greedy.
"Maa~" With no food forthcoming, Lazy Mareep drooped listlessly and flopped down. Before long, soft snoring sounds rang out.
"..." Eat when full, sleep. Eat even when not full, still sleep. That was the Lazy Mareep's way.
Leaving Lazy Mareep alone, Silas took advantage of the fact that it wasn't completely dark yet to play with the Pokémon, properly making it up to them. They built sandcastles together and played beach volleyball together. They even buried Cyclizar completely in the sand, with Kangaskhan and Mudsdale enthusiastically joining in, while Cyclizar wore a face full of misery.
"Cyc~" Cyclizar suggested they could bury Mudsdale instead—it was big enough. But Kangaskhan and the others rejected the idea. Mudsdale was far too large; burying it would require digging an enormous pit. After thinking it over, Cyclizar was clearly the most suitable choice.
"Alright, alright!" Silas stepped forward and patted Cyclizar on the head. "When this is over, I'll reward you with a little red flower, how about that?"
"Cyc?" (Really?)
Silas nodded, giving a firm confirmation. Hearing that, Cyclizar was overjoyed. After the other Pokémon finished digging the pit, it eagerly jumped in itself. Counting the little red flower it was about to receive, plus the one it already had, it would have two in total now!
They played and fooled around until the sky turned dusky. Only when Mom and Serena returned did they finally stop. Cyclizar immediately jumped out of the sandpit and rushed over to Silas, pawing at him.
"I know, I know—don't rush. The little red flower is at the ranch. I'll give it to you once we get back."
Today, his Mom and Serena had gone sightseeing on two other islands in Alola and had even climbed a snow-covered mountain. Serena's cheerful chatter filled the air beside him.
"Big brother, big brother! I saw a fluffy white crab today!"
"Oh? Then do you know what it's called?" Silas asked with a smile, rubbing Serena's head.
"Um…" Twisting her little hands together, Serena whispered shyly, "I forgot, big brother."
"I'll give you a hint," Silas said. "It's a Pokémon originally from the sea, with the goal of reaching the summit. By chance, it ended up climbing a snowy mountain instead, and due to the change in environment, it developed a pair of large claws and a combative personality."
"Um..." Serena clutched her head with both hands, her little face scrunching up. Walking in front, Mom reminded her, "Serena, we even watched their boxing matches just now!"
"I know!" Serena suddenly realized. "It's called Crabominable, right, big brother? The one with the huge claws that looks kind of not very smart."
"That's right!" Silas placed a big hand on Serena's head, affirming her answer. Her comment wasn't wrong—Crabominable preferred fighting first over thinking things through. Whether it could win or not was another matter entirely. A textbook hard-headed personality.
The three of them went to the restaurant for a simple dinner, then each returned to their rooms to sleep. After a full day of playing, the moment they finally relaxed, exhaustion swept through their bodies all at once. Even Morpeko was no exception—Silas was still wiping it down when the little guy was already nodding off, its head bobbing like a pecking bird. It had worked hard accompanying Serena all day.
After a quick wash himself, Silas held the fragrant Minccino in his arms, and before long, he too drifted into dreamland.
In the dead of night, when everything was silent, a cat-like Pokémon sniffed the air in the hotel corridor. It placed the berries it had found in front of a certain room's door. Before the hotel security could notice it, the cat Pokémon dashed off in a blur, leaping onto the rooftop. Finding a comfortable spot, it lay down and began licking its pitch-black fur. The oily outer layer gradually came off, revealing its original coloration beneath. This cat Pokémon possessed a coat of beautiful white fur, with a vivid red king-shaped marking emblazoned on its forehead.
(End of Chapter)