At the endless edge of the ink painted horizon, an orange red sun waved farewell, its lingering glow dyeing the surface of the sea in a sheet of molten gold.
Flocks of Wingull and Pelipper circled overhead before settling upon the rocky reefs of the lonely island.
Some preened their feathers, some nestled close to one another, and others cast curious glances at the few extra figures that had suddenly appeared on the beach.
"Morpeko, Phione, come back. These little ingredients are enough for us to have a full meal."
The rolling seawater washed over his ankles, carrying a faint chill.
At his call, two small figures ahead quickly turned and ran toward him.
Morpeko excitedly held up its spoils of war, a large swimming crab with two pairs of sharp pincers waving about in defiance.
"Morpe!"
(A crab this big can be used to make soup.)
"Phiooon!"
A step behind, the little Phione hurried forward and raised its own seaside harvest high.
The creature it carried was cylindrical, twisting and squirming. Its body was purple and covered with a layer of fine tentacle like fuzz.
It was a massive sea cucumber, so large that when stood upright it was even taller than the small Phione itself.
Even Silas was surprised. He had not expected to find something like this in the shallow coastal waters.
"Very impressive, Phione. You are truly a master of beachcombing."
He pinched and rubbed its head, sparing no praise.
Phione could not withstand such direct compliments and became dizzy with happiness.
After tossing the two little ones' treasures into a plastic bucket, Silas picked them up and headed back toward the campsite beyond the shore.
He had chosen a spot high enough that even if the tide rose at night, the camp would not be flooded.
The little Phione ran off to find Kangaskhan, while Morpeko collapsed in exhaustion, now wanting nothing more than to rest.
Smiling knowingly, Silas began preparing dinner for the evening.
Early the next morning he planned to return. He would first head back to the nearest part of the Sinnoh mainland.
From there he would retrace his route to Snowpoint City and take a plane, striving to reach home before nightfall.
While thinking through the schedule, his hands never stopped moving.
Before long, dinner was ready.
Of course there were portions for Meganium and Tropius as well. They were already ranch Pokémon now.
Even though Grovyle had not joined the ranch, it still received a share.
After dinner, Silas lightly tapped Morpeko.
Morpeko twisted its body reluctantly and climbed onto the treadmill generator, beginning its daily routine of running.
The power level soon reached fifty percent again, so there was no need to worry about a sudden blackout in the middle of the night.
After completing one hundred push ups, one hundred sit ups, and one hundred squats, the little rodent collapsed completely.
It curled up together with Phione in Silas's arms, enjoying his warm embrace.
Even though it was too tired to move much, it did not affect its appetite in the slightest.
Its tiny mouth continued to crunch noisily as it tilted its head back to gaze at the star filled sky.
Tugging at Silas's clothes, Morpeko pointed in a certain direction.
"Morpeko?"
(Silas, Silas, what are those stars called when they are connected like that?)
"Take a guess. If you are right, there will be a reward."
Morpeko pondered seriously for quite some time before its eyes suddenly lit up.
"Morpeko!"
(They look like the soup ladle I use, so they must be called the Big Spoon Stars.)
Silas burst into laughter and poked its forehead lightly.
"You really do have nothing but food on your mind."
(Hehe~)
"That is the Big Dipper. Beside it are Ursa Major and Ursa Minor."
Silas pointed them out one by one for Morpeko. Kangaskhan and Noivern also lifted their heads to look.
Time slipped by second after second, and the night gradually deepened.
Silas could not help but yawn.
Suddenly, a streak of light flashed across the sky, dragging a silver blue tail flame as it tore through the dark curtain of night, leaving behind a brilliant arc that lingered for a long while.
"Was that a shooting star just now?"
"Or maybe not. It was probably a Minior whose shell became too heavy and fell from the ozone layer toward the ground."
Minior, the Meteor Pokémon.
A truly mysterious kind of Pokémon in this world, said to have been born from mutated nanoscopic particles.
They rarely interacted with the outside world, and the League's research on them was extremely limited.
It was not that the League did not want to study them. Rather, when Minior fell to the ground and revealed its core, that was precisely the moment it disappeared.
Although using a Poké Ball could prolong a Minior's survival to some extent, it could never be released again.
Minior were sometimes jokingly referred to as the stars on the ground.
Moreover, according to certain obscure records, Minior were said to be the food of a powerful Pokémon that dwelled within the ozone layer.
"A meteor shower, perhaps. If there is a chance, I can bring everyone to see one."
Silas decided that after returning he would ask around about when and where a large scale Minior descent might occur.
Once he found out, he could take his Pokémon to watch a meteor shower together.
But for now.
He let out another deep yawn. Morpeko, resting in his arms, nodded off repeatedly, its head dipping from time to time.
"Noivern, Kangaskhan, it is late. Let us go to sleep."
After calling out to them, Silas stepped outside the camp and took out the sleeping bags.
Kangaskhan sat nearby with one hand protectively covering its pouch as it went to sleep as well.
Noivern blinked its eyes, unable to fall asleep.
It did not dare to make much noise, so it glided quietly through the night breeze.
It saw Tropius and Meganium still pressed close together even in their sleep, and Grovyle standing alone on the darkened beach, playing a bamboo leaf into the night.
While Silas's side drifted into dreams, the Kalos region, separated by several time zones, was just finishing dinner.
Minccino and the others had only just eaten.
The Indeedee siblings had been busy harvesting at the ranch that day, so dinner had been prepared a bit later than usual.
Minccino was in low spirits, nibbling slowly at its Poffins.
Today was the third day since Silas had left. It missed him dearly.
Cyclizar, Meowth, Dolliv and the others felt much the same.
Without Silas there, even meals seemed tasteless.
The older brother Indeedee wore a stern expression, its mouth turned downward in a look that was not easy to negotiate with.
"Indee."
(Today, all of you must finish every bit of your food.)
The Pokémon wanted to protest, but when they met the older sibling's gaze, their confidence faltered.
The younger sister Indeedee spoke gently.
"Indee~"
(The first one to finish everything will earn one hour of control over the television~)
With Silas absent, the only thing that could draw Minccino and the others' attention was the television.
This condition was extremely tempting, especially for Cyclizar and Minccino.
Without hesitation, the two of them devoured the food before them like a fierce wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
Today's winner was Minccino. The little one eagerly called over Flabébé, Popplio, and even Diancie to watch television together.
Cyclizar pouted and glanced sideways at the childish cartoon for a moment before obediently lying down in its nest. It took out a small red flower hidden inside its pillow and held it carefully, playing with it in its hands.
An hour passed quickly. Minccino escorted Flabébé and Diancie back to their sleeping spots.
When it stepped outside the ranch cabin, a brilliant streak of light crossed the sky.
"Min!"
(It is a shooting star. Everyone make a wish!)
Minccino reminded them before closing its own eyes first and silently making a wish in its heart.
I want to see Silas tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)