The construction of the berry orchard was completed very quickly. With sufficient raw materials prepared in advance, the building process went smoothly and did not take long at all.
The overall structure was still rather simple and rustic.
A circle of wooden fencing surrounded the orchard, enclosing it neatly and making future management much more convenient. This area was meant for planting special berries, whose growing conditions differed from ordinary ones, so it was better to keep them separated.
Facing the main road stood a small house with ventilation at both the front and back.
The roof was covered with thick layers of dried hay, and the walls were smoothed over with clay mixed with tree resin, giving them a sturdy and tidy finish.
When Silas pushed open the door and stepped inside, he found the interior clean and well organized.
The space had been divided into several sections. Feeding troughs and water basins were stacked neatly in one corner, far away from the designated sleeping area.
The sleeping section was lined with small nests woven from dried hay.
Silas walked around once, examining everything carefully. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place.
There was only one thing that needed a slight adjustment.
It was unnecessary now since the weather was warm.
However, once winter arrived and the temperature dropped, doors would need to be installed at both the front and back of the house to retain warmth.
After confirming that there were no other issues, Silas went to the neighboring orchard to call Meganium and Tropius over.
"Hm? Where's Grovyle? Have you seen it?"
"Meganium~"
(Grovyle was called away by Cyclizar. They seemed to have gone toward the back mountain~)
"Alright."
Silas nodded and invited the two Pokémon to take a look at their new home and see whether they were satisfied.
Tropius stepped inside first, folding its large leaf wings neatly against its back.
Its gaze fell upon the feeding trough in the corner. Then it stepped onto the hay nest to test it out.
Compared to living in the wild, this environment was countless times better. It was extremely satisfied.
At the same time, it felt grateful that it had chosen to follow Silas to the ranch.
It let out a low and content "Tropius~"
Meganium, being more reserved, behaved with much more composure. It used its vines to gently inspect the structure before returning to Silas's side and lowering its head slightly toward him.
Silas reached out to stroke it, and Meganium leaned into his arms affectionately.
"I'm glad you like it. Take your time getting used to your new home. Later, I'll call Minccino over and have it introduce you to the other partners at the ranch."
Without disturbing them further, Silas left the orchard.
As he walked back into the fruit grove, two Butterfree flew toward him impatiently.
They had clearly been keeping an eye on him, waiting for him to come out.
Watching the two large butterflies circling around him, Silas looked puzzled. "What's wrong? Did Litten bully you again?"
The Butterfree shook their heads, then nodded, explaining something about Litten.
With that reminder, Silas finally realized what he had forgotten the night before.
Was it still possible to comfort Litten now?
When he found Litten in the orchard, the little white cat gave him a sideways glance. It held a freshly picked berry in its mouth and deliberately turned its head away, pretending to focus on eating instead of looking at him.
However, its twitching ears had already betrayed the fact that it was secretly paying close attention to his every movement.
The fact that it had not turned around and walked away meant that Litten was only throwing a small tantrum, not truly angry.
Silas waved for the two Butterfree to leave and told them to go find Minccino.
Now only one person and one cat remained in the orchard. Litten visibly relaxed.
Its tail lifted naturally, the tip curling slightly into a question mark shape, swaying gently.
This was a common sign of relaxation and anticipation among feline Pokémon.
With an apologetic smile, Silas stepped closer. The movement of Litten's tail became even more obvious, though its expression remained cool and aloof.
As everyone knows, a cat and its tail often seem like two separate entities.
Silas crouched down and lightly poked it.
"I'm sorry, Litten. I forgot about you yesterday."
"I promise it won't happen again. Can you forgive me?"
Litten let out a soft "meow," sounding like a faint huff.
Seeing this, Silas boldly reached out to pet it.
In the next moment, Litten opened its mouth and bit his wrist.
There was no pain, only a ticklish scraping sensation from the tiny barbs on its tongue.
Silas instinctively tried to withdraw his hand, but Litten wrapped its tail around his wrist and shot him a cold glare.
Alright, the punishment was not over yet.
But Silas was not someone who would simply endure passively. With his other hand, he gently began stroking Litten's back.
The moment his fingertips brushed against the fluffy white fur, the huffing sound in Litten's throat softened noticeably.
The so called punishment began to change. The ticklish sensation faded and was replaced by affectionate licking.
Silas continued petting it, clearly feeling the warmth of its small body as the tension in it gradually melted away.
Litten gently nudged his palm with its head, soft purring sounds flowing from its throat.
Seeing that its anger had completely dissipated, Silas picked it up into his arms.
"Have you forgiven me now?"
Litten rubbed lightly against him, its fluffy fur brushing against his wrist. Its tail curled dexterously around his fingers, and it turned slightly to expose its small belly.
This intimate gesture was more direct than any verbal answer.
Silas smiled and reached out to scratch its soft little tummy.
Litten's purring grew louder. It lightly placed a paw on the back of his hand, as if directing him to scratch just the right spot.
"Alright, alright." Silas lowered his head and gently rubbed his cheek against Litten's. "If I scratch you properly, you can't stay mad at me anymore."
Litten did not respond, simply continuing to enjoy the attention.
Carrying Litten out of the orchard, Silas happened to run into Minccino along with Meganium and Tropius.
"Min!"
(That's Silas and Litten!)
Meganium smiled warmly at Litten in greeting.
As for Litten, having its affectionate side witnessed triggered an instinctive reaction. It immediately jumped out of Silas's arms and hid.
Meganium tilted its head in confusion.
"It's not your fault," Silas explained with a smile. "Litten is just shy."
He then crouched down and patted Minccino. "Make sure you properly introduce Meganium and Tropius to everyone, alright?"
"Min Min!"
Minccino confidently patted its little chest, assuring him that he could leave it to them without worry.
After watching the three Pokémon leave, Silas waved toward the orchard.
Litten did not dare come out, instead asking Butterfree to pass along a message.
Silas chuckled softly. Litten's personality was truly interesting.
He then headed toward the cave.
As expected, the three Noivern were sparring again. Judging by the injuries on their bodies, they had been at it for quite some time.
It was still two against one, and this time the eldest Noivern was being ganged up on.
After watching for a while, Silas called over a Carbink and asked it to guide him down to the underground diamond kingdom.
Diancie and their new Diamond Domain had continued expanding. In just a few days, everything around them had changed.
The tunnels had become even more intricate and winding. Without a Carbink to guide the way, one could easily become lost inside forever, let alone hope to find Diancie.
Noticing Silas's arrival from the corner of her eye, Diancie brightened instantly.
"Silas, you're back!"
She skipped happily toward him and wrapped her arms around him.
Her affection and dependence were unmistakable, the joy in her eyes impossible to conceal.
Silas gently stroked the pink diamond atop her head and smiled.
"Sorry for making you worry. This time, I brought two new partners back with me. Minccino will bring them over shortly."
(End of Chapter)