[Pan-Seared Lobster Claw (B+): A gourmet dish made primarily from the shed claw of a Shiny Clauncher, prepared with top-grade olive oil produced by Dolliv and a selection of other seasonings. The shell is golden and crisp, while the shrimp meat inside is firm, springy, and layered in texture.
Dish Effect: Greatly restores stamina. After consumption, all crab- and shrimp-like Pokémon receive a permanent 5% all-around stat increase (Clauncher and Clawitzer receive double the effect. Each Pokémon can benefit only once per year).]
As everyone knows, the simpler the description, the stronger the effect tends to be.
A 5% all-around boost for crab- and shrimp-type Pokémon—after two years, that would be 10%. After ten years, it would be 50%.
And if, during that time, they trained diligently while also pairing it with other culinary effects, the results would only grow more outrageous.
Well then—what better nourishment than turning the original ingredient back into sustenance for its owner?
At the dining table, Silas carefully peeled open the outer shell of the claw and fed the tender white shrimp meat inside to Clauncher.
Clauncher knew full well that this had once been its own large claw, yet it felt no discomfort about it.
In the wild, it had seen members of its own species eat their shed claws before.
At this moment, it simply found the taste to be quite delicious.
The firm shrimp meat dipped lightly into garlic sauce made Clauncher narrow its eyes in pure enjoyment.
Beside them, Minccino puffed out her cheeks, tugging at Silas's sleeve and opening her mouth wide, waiting to be fed.
"Min!"
"Alright, alright, I'll feed you too."
And it wasn't just Minccino. Morpeko, Phione, and even Dolliv crowded over, all insisting that Silas personally feed them as well.
After dinner, with its belly full, Clauncher began to grow drowsy.
Silas asked Minccino to place Clauncher back into the aquarium tank. Clauncher curled up in a corner and quickly drifted into sleep.
Phione, also a Water-type Pokémon, seemed to sense something unusual. Pressing itself against the glass, it widened its eyes and stared at Clauncher.
The Water-type energy in the air was being drawn in, gathering around Clauncher and strengthening its body.
After thinking for a moment, little Phione reached into Kangaskhan's pouch and pulled out the gift Silas had given it, a Mystic Water droplet.
Tiptoeing carefully, it hung the Mystic Water around Clauncher's neck. The power radiating from the item was entirely absorbed by Clauncher.
At the site of its severed right claw, a faint white bud began to sprout. A new large claw was growing.
"Phion!"
Phione chirped in delight, then hurriedly covered its mouth, afraid of waking Clauncher.
It carefully called Minccino over. The two little ones observed for a while, then quietly stayed nearby, choosing not to disturb Clauncher's rest.
Morpeko looked left and right. Faced with the choice between watching the excitement and eating snacks, it chose eating.
If it didn't eat now, there might not be any left later.
Cyclizar glanced over from the back and relayed the situation to Silas.
Silas indicated that he already knew—this must be the dish's effect taking hold.
The all-around enhancement had increased Clauncher's recovery ability, shortening the regeneration time even further.
"Yaaawn~"
Unable to suppress a yawn, Silas fought off his sleepiness while finishing the weather forecast. The upcoming week would be entirely clear and sunny.
He switched off the television and prepared to head to bed.
Because of the time spent searching for Clauncher earlier, they had eaten dinner quite late; by the time they finished, it had been pitch black outside.
Leaving the final cleanup tasks to the Indeedee siblings, Silas led a group of yawning little Pokémon upstairs to sleep.
He exchanged goodnights with Meowth and Kangaskhan.
Rowlet lingered by the window for a while. With Silas's permission, it picked up the Lunar Feather and flew above the ranch beneath the night sky.
On the rooftop, Litten cast a glance at it without much interest, ears perked high as it curled up and pretended to sleep.
After finishing their duties, the Indeedee siblings patrolled the cabin once more before returning to their small room and lying down on their beds.
"Indee~"
(Silas treats us very well. Minccino and the others are adorable. I like it here.)
"Indee~"
(Let's sleep early.)
…
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
The Indeedee siblings had fully adapted to life on the ranch. Silas could now essentially entrust the ranch to their care.
Within that week, Clauncher's large claw had completely regrown—larger than the previous one by a noticeable margin.
With its new claw, Clauncher's strength had also improved.
During practice sessions with Litten, the accuracy of its Water Gun had increased dramatically.
The current Clauncher had undergone a complete transformation from the inside out. It had evolved in spirit and strength alike.
But that was later.
Today, the ranch had one—no, two—pieces of wonderful news.
The crops in the vegetable and fruit fields were ready for harvest, and the first batch of fruit wine Silas had brewed had finally completed fermentation.
Silas finished the last mouthful of porridge in his bowl and looked around at the gathered Pokémon.
"I've decided!"
"Cyc?"
"Min~?"
"Indee~?"
"Doll…"
"Morpe (chewing sounds)."
"…"
All the Pokémon turned their attention toward him, curious about what he had decided.
"Ahem!" Silas cleared his throat. "After we finish harvesting today, I plan to host a summer wine tasting at the ranch. What do you all think?"
"Morpe~"
(Does that mean there'll be lots of tasty food?)
"Of course. Not only freshly brewed fruit wine, but also newly harvested watermelon, sweet melons, and all kinds of delicious dishes."
Gulp—
Morpeko swallowed audibly and was the first to raise its tiny hand in agreement.
"Morpeko!"
(I support Silas's idea. I want to join!)
The other Pokémon had no objections either.
This idea hadn't appeared out of nowhere—Silas had been thinking about it for a week.
Wine needed people to taste it in order to know whether it was good.
Inviting friends over to the ranch for a lively gathering sounded wonderful.
He also planned to bid farewell to some close friends. Silas intended to take Phione home for a visit—to the sea and to find Manaphy.
But before that, he needed to send out invitations.
That meant Cyclizar would have to make a trip as the courier.
Only Cyclizar could handle the task; after all, it accompanied Silas everywhere and knew where all his friends lived.
Silas slung a small satchel filled with invitation letters diagonally across Cyclizar's body and gave it a pat.
"Be careful on the road. Deliver the letters and come straight back. Don't get into conflicts with other Pokémon."
"Cyc!"
Cyclizar puffed out its chest confidently, as if to say that this mission was absolutely no problem.
With a spirited cry, it shifted into its ride form and sprinted out of the ranch.
Watching Cyclizar disappear into the distance, Silas quickly changed into his blue work clothes and straw hat, then jogged toward the fruit and vegetable fields.
The Mudsdale and the Meowth had already completed their daily tasks and were waiting there for him.
To the west lay the melon field. Round, plump watermelons rested on the ground like rows of green sentinels.
Beside them were sweet melons, much smaller in comparison. Their pale green rinds were tinged with white. Some fully ripened melons had split open, revealing bright orange flesh inside—so tempting it made one swallow involuntarily.
On the other side, the vegetable beds were a riot of red and green. Chili peppers hung in abundance, vivid red and eye-catching, delightful just to behold.
The green beans had climbed high along their bamboo poles, their emerald pods dangling like strings of tiny firecrackers. The pods were plump and full—another bountiful harvest awaited.
"Clap, clap, clap!" Silas clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Before we begin harvesting, everyone come have a serving of chilled rice cake first. Don't get heatstroke, alright?"
(End of Chapter)