Bean-sized raindrops pattered down with loud pit-a-pat sounds, quickly moistening the once-dry ranch as the oppressive heat in the air was completely swept away.
After learning what was going on, the group of Pokémon all crowded by the windows to look outside, each one visibly delighted.
With the rain falling and the temperature dropping, Silas no longer had to worry about them suffering from heatstroke which means they could finally go out and play freely.
Thankfully, Silas had paved the paths early on, so there was no need to worry about the ranch turning into a muddy mess after a single rainfall.
Under the curtain of rain, Phione was overjoyed, waving its small hands as the rainfall itself changed with its mood—sometimes heavy, sometimes light. This level of precise control was something ordinary Pokémon needed long periods of training to achieve.
For Phione, however, it was effortless—so easy it was as natural as breathing.
As Phione danced gracefully beneath the rain, it never forgot Silas's instructions.
It skillfully guided the raindrops to avoid the most fragile tips of the hop sprouts, letting the water fall onto the soil and trellises on either side instead, allowing the rain to seep into the earth and nourish the crops.
"It can even adjust the intensity of the rain?"
Watching the rainfall fluctuate between strong and gentle, Silas couldn't help but marvel.
In a place Silas didn't notice, Popplio puffed out its cheeks in his arms.
Time passed second by second. The Rain Dance summoned by Phione lasted a full twenty minutes before finally ending. The little one let out a deep breath and enthusiastically dove straight into Silas's embrace.
Phione lifted its chin proudly, rubbing its cheek against Silas's palm and pointing at the irrigated farmland.
"Phion~"
(Silas, am I amazing?)
"Amazing, absolutely amazing!" Silas laughed as he rubbed the little head, sparing no praise at all.
"Since our little Phione is so incredible, would you be willing to teach Popplio too, so it can become just as amazing as you?"
"Phion!"
(Sure! Sure! I'll be the teacher!)
Still very much childlike at heart, Phione clapped its hands and agreed immediately.
"Then from now on, I'll have to leave the job of watering the ranch crops to you two little ones."
Reaching out, Silas smiled as he rubbed both of their heads. For him, the more Pokémon that could use Rain Dance, the better—ideally rotating shifts so every little one had time to rest.
"Lioo!"
Popplio finally agreed as well. For the sake of mastering a stronger Rain Dance… I'll endure it!
Once the two little ones reached an agreement, they gently bumped noses and held hands as they spun in circles, the earlier bit of unhappiness completely vanishing.
"Mhm, mhm! You have to get along well, okay!"
Seeing the Pokémon living together in harmony filled Silas, both trainer and caretaker, with deep satisfaction.
"I'll make some cooling jelly cakes for you later."
"Phio!"
"Lioo~"
Hearing there was something tasty coming, the two little ones grew even happier, holding hands as they ran off to play with Minccino and the other small Pokémon.
When Silas returned from the fields, he saw the little ones chattering excitedly and pointing up at the sky.
Following their gazes, he saw a faint rainbow hanging above the ranch house.
Curious, the Pokémon all ran outside, drawn in by the sight of the rainbow.
"That's a rainbow after the rain. It only appears once the rain has stopped."
As he explained, Silas walked closer and casually picked up Minccino so it could see more clearly.
The little one cried out "Min~," stretching its tiny paws toward the sky as if trying to grab the rainbow.
After several failed attempts, Minccino puffed out its cheeks in frustration, looking incredibly amusing.
Silas explained a bit more and then suggested, "You can't grab a rainbow, but you can draw it instead!"
"Min!"
(Silas is so smart!)
Minccino hugged Silas's neck, gave him a kiss on the cheek, then wriggled down and dashed toward the house to look for drawing paper and brushes.
Behind it, a whole crowd of adorable little Pokémon followed in a noisy wave.
Listening to their laughter made Silas's mood improve considerably.
Ignoring the playful chaos, Silas began preparing a must-have summer treat for them.
It was a perfect cooling delicacy for scorching summer days, suitable as afternoon tea or a post-meal dessert—and even better after being chilled in the refrigerator.
"160 grams of rice flour, 40 grams of glutinous rice flour, 200 grams of water."
After preparing the main ingredients for the jelly cakes and mixing them into a batter, he used a small spoon to stir continuously until no visible lumps remained—only then was it considered successful.
This step was time-consuming. Just as Silas was about to start, Dolliv nudged him from the side and raised its little hands.
"Doll~ Doll…"
The little one wanted to help too, to make the dish together with him.
Patting it gently, Silas smiled. "Alright, then I'll leave this task to you."
"Doll!"
Dolliv happily accepted the mission and began stirring the jelly mixture in the bowl.
"You need to keep stirring and stirring—once there are no more little clumps, that's good."
Silas reminded it, and Dolliv responded loudly.
"First, pour it in slowly, then stir in one direction. Once bubbles start forming, keep cooking it for another five minutes and it'll be done."
Silas directed from the side as Dolliv poured the mixture into the pot with great enthusiasm, lifting the large spoon and stirring with some effort.
Seeing this, Silas placed one hand over Dolliv's. "Let's do it together."
"Doll! Doll~!"
(Mm-hmm! Cooking together with Silas!)
Dolliv's eyes curved into crescent moons as one person and one Pokémon cooked and stirred side by side. Once the rice paste thickened into a smooth, delicate texture, it was ladled into small bowls and set aside to cool.
Dolliv watched curiously from the side—it already looked incredibly delicious.
More importantly, this was a dish it had made together with Silas, making it especially meaningful.
Once the jelly cooled to room temperature, Silas called Dolliv over and placed them into the refrigerator to chill and set.
During that time, Silas prepared the syrup they would use later.
Brown sugar and rock sugar were added to water and brought to a boil over medium heat, then simmered on low heat. Once large bubbles surfaced on the syrup, it was poured out.
"Dolliv, could you please call Kangaskhan, Minccino, and the others back?"
Dolliv trotted out of the house, running toward the small bridge on the ranch.
Meanwhile, before the Pokémon returned, Silas took the chilled jelly cakes out of the refrigerator and inverted them onto plates.
Their milky-white color was especially appealing, wobbling with a duang, duang as they landed in the bowls.
Drizzling a layer of brown sugar syrup over them marked complete success.
[Jelly Cake (C): A homemade snack and a summer essential—cooling and refreshing, loved by both the young and the old.
Dish Effect: Heat Dispersion Lv.1. Provides a strong cooling and heat-relief effect; after eating, the body feels noticeably cooler for 6 hours. When paired with other dishes, additional effects may be triggered.]
Just as Silas finished preparing the portions, the door was flung open with a loud bang. Cyclizar charged in at the front, followed closely by a stream of Pokémon pouring inside.
"Cyc?"
"Min~!"
"Morpe!"
"Meow~"
With good food involved, Morpeko naturally made it into the first wave.
Silas waved at them. "One bowl per Pokémon! Come and eat!"
As soon as he spoke, he was quickly surrounded by Pokémon big and small.
The delicious jelly cakes made them squint their eyes in happiness—Silas was just too good to them!
After arranging for Cyclizar to watch over the little ones, Silas picked up three portions and went to find the Mudsdale brothers. He still had deliveries to make later.
After a moment's thought, he grabbed five more portions as well.
Gario, Diggersby, the Belmond couple John and Penny needed to have some too.
(End of Chapter)