After being away from home for a whole week, there were many things waiting for him to handle, so even today he couldn't afford to laze around and sleep in.
He got up early, had breakfast together with the Pokémon, then called Cyclizar over, picked up the gifts he had bought in Alola, and headed out.
His first stop was a visit to John and Penny. Silas's sudden appearance genuinely startled the couple.
Just as he was about to leave, something occurred to him, and he motioned for Cyclizar to stop first.
"John, do you know anyone nearby who can build a greenhouse?"
"A greenhouse? Gym Leader Ramos has one on his ranch. If you have time, you can go ask him."
"Thank you very much!"
After saying goodbye to them, Silas headed straight for Shalour City.
He delivered the gifts to Siebold and Gym Leader Gurkinn—naturally, he didn't forget Korrina either.
She received two gifts in total: one from Silas, and another from Serena.
Even while traveling, the two girls still remembered each other and brought gifts back for one another.
"Big Brother Silas, was Alola fun?"
"Are there lots of amazing Pokémon there?"
"When can Serena come over to play? Can we go to your ranch again?"
"..."
Korrina's nonstop barrage of questions rang in his ears, giving Silas a splitting headache.
After answering a few of them, he claimed he still had other people to visit, called Cyclizar over, and quickly made his escape.
Good grief—this girl was right at that age where she annoyed everyone and everything.
Silas spent the entire morning running around outside, and it wasn't until close to noon that he finally returned to the ranch.
The moment he appeared at the ranch entrance, Litten on top of the silo was the first to spot him.
It ran over to him and dropped what it had been holding in its mouth.
It was a Berry…
"Meow~"
Squatting down, Silas gently stroked Litten's back. "Thank you."
After the third stroke, Litten shook off his hand and, in a few swift movements, climbed back onto the roof.
Silas chuckled—another step closer, huh!
He lifted his head and looked toward the ranch.
A whole crowd of Pokémon came rushing toward him.
"Kang~"
"Min!"
"Smo…"
"Bebe~" ×5
"..."
They enthusiastically welcomed him back, surrounding him from all sides.
Minccino leaped straight into his arms, rubbing its little face against his chest and acting spoiled.
This scene made Kangaskhan jealous. It squeezed its large head in, wrapped its arms around Silas, and pulled him firmly into its embrace.
Phione, staying in Kangaskhan's pouch, also wanted cuddles. It tried to squeeze in, competing with Minccino for space, the two of them getting jealous of each other.
And of course, it wasn't just Minccino and Phione—there was an entire group of little cuties around him.
The Flabébé all landed neatly on top of his head, while the Meowth climbed onto Kangaskhan as well, squeezing their way inside.
Morpeko's short legs lagged behind, trotting over slowly at the very end.
Only after a long round of soothing did Kangaskhan finally agree to let him down.
Silas separated Minccino and Phione, who were glaring at each other, placing them on opposite shoulders so they wouldn't disturb one another. Then he headed toward the cabin, scooping Morpeko up along the way.
Behind him trailed a line of little tails from tallest to shortest—wherever Silas went, they followed.
Not only did the number not decrease, it actually grew longer after he made a stop by the sheep village and the lake.
He turned around first and said to Kangaskhan and the others, "I'm going to cook now. Go play on your own for a bit."
"Kang~"
Kangaskhan shook its head in refusal, clearly indicating that it only wanted to stay with Silas right now.
Minccino and the others felt the same way—Silas had gone out early in the morning and hadn't properly played with them at all.
Silas: "..."
Facing those pairs of eyes filled with grievance and clinginess, Silas had no way to resist.
"Let's eat first. After we're done, I'll watch a movie with you."
"Min~!"
(Yay! I want to sit on Silas's belly.)
"Phion…"
(Me too.)
"Morpe!"
(Me want cake!)
"..."
With Silas's promise secured, the Pokémon finally dispersed.
Led by Minccino, the smaller Pokémon rushed into the house first, turned on the TV, and began picking out which movie they would watch later.
"Everyone come inside, it's a bit hot outside."
Calling the Mareep herd inside to cool off, Silas walked into the kitchen and began preparing lunch.
After lunch, he also took the time to clean up.
He placed some snacks on the coffee table, and the Pokémon made space for him.
The moment he sat down, a crowd of Pokémon gathered around him.
They chirped and squabbled noisily, all fighting for the best spot, enough to give anyone a headache.
Silas tapped the table and said seriously, "Quiet now, it's time to watch the movie."
The midday summer heat was intense—curling up in an air-conditioned room to watch a movie was truly enjoyable.
Not to mention having a whole group of Pokémon by his side—it was pure bliss.
Silas's hands didn't stay idle either. From time to time, he massaged Minccino, making the little one let out adorable giggles.
Or he would tickle Morpeko's sides, causing the little round ball to roll all over him.
Sometimes he would just hug Phione, pressing his face against its cool little belly—it felt incredibly comfortable.
After being teased like this, Minccino and the others formed a united front, all pouncing on Silas at once—some pulling his hair, others tickling his sides.
He roughhoused with the Pokémon, laughing nonstop.
As the temperature outside gradually cooled down, Silas changed into casual clothes and picked up Smoliv from the windowsill, holding it in his arms.
As usual, he left Kangaskhan in charge of watching the house, called Cyclizar over, and prepared to visit Gym Leader Ramos.
Before he left, Minccino, Phione, and Popplio clung to him, acting spoiled and wanting to go along.
Silas sternly refused—he was heading out to handle proper business, not going sightseeing in Coumarine City.
Still, he promised them that he would definitely take them along next time.
…
In the blink of an eye, Silas and Cyclizar arrived in Coumarine City.
Smoliv, cradled in his arms, looked around curiously, fascinated by the bustling city.
"Smo~"
"That's a vending machine. You put in coins and it spits out drinks," Silas explained with a smile as he rubbed Smoliv gently.
At the same time, he pointed out the direction for Cyclizar, turning onto the uphill mountain road to the side. Following it all the way up would lead them to the Coumarine Gym.
After knocking on the gym's door, a staff member came to receive them.
Once Silas explained the purpose of his visit, Gym Leader Ramos soon emerged from the back.
"Young Silas is back!"
Gym Leader Ramos looked just the same as ever, his kindly smile making him feel especially approachable.
"Gym Leader," Silas stepped forward and lightly supported him, "I'm back—and I brought you a gift."
As he spoke, Silas took the gift out of his spatial shoulder bag.
"Good, good, good. You're very thoughtful."
Gym Leader Ramos patted Silas's hand. At his age, having someone still care about him made him feel deeply satisfied.
Following behind Gym Leader Ramos, the old man and the young man walked toward the ranch together.
Silas asked many questions about summer crop cultivation techniques and precautions, and Gym Leader Ramos didn't hold anything back, sharing plenty of practical planting knowledge with him.
"Baa~"
Gym Leader Ramos's Gogoat walked over and nudged him with its head.
"Old buddy! You're already this old, and you're still acting spoiled like a little Skiddo," Gym Leader Ramos laughed.
After making a round of the ranch, Silas spotted a building there.
Its glass walls ensured the internal temperature, and all kinds of flowers bloomed inside the greenhouse. Even from some distance away, he could smell the faint floral fragrance.
If his ranch had a greenhouse like this, the Flabébé wouldn't have to worry about flowers anymore.
Pointing toward it, Silas asked Gym Leader Ramos for advice. "Gym Leader, what requirements are there for building a greenhouse? I want to provide the Flabébé with a flower field that blooms all year round."
......
(End of Chapter)