"That is the situation, Meowth. You must keep this a secret for me. You cannot let Kangaskhan find out in advance."
In a quiet corner of the room, Silas lowered his voice as he explained everything carefully.
Alolan Meowth understood at once and nodded seriously. "Meow!" It promised that it would keep the secret and would not tell a second soul.
"Good, then…"
Just as Silas was about to relax, a large head suddenly squeezed into their little hiding spot.
"Cyc!"
(I heard it too!)
Silas froze for a moment, then sighed. "All right, Cyclizar, then you cannot let a fourth person know."
He reached out and helplessly tugged at Cyclizar's ear as a warning. Cyclizar wore a cheeky grin, swearing firmly that he absolutely would not leak the secret.
Seeing that Silas was no longer pursuing the matter of eavesdropping, Cyclizar grinned and asked excitedly, "Cyc?"
(When do we start preparing? Right now?)
Silas shot him a sideways glance. Alolan Meowth was also eager to try. It seemed impossible not to let them help.
"Cyclizar, your task is to keep an eye on Kangaskhan. You must not let her notice anything." Silas patted his shoulder firmly. "This mission is difficult and very important. Only you can accomplish it."
"Cyc!"
(Mission guaranteed!)
After assigning Cyclizar his duty, Silas took Alolan Meowth into the kitchen.
For a birthday, many things could be omitted, but a birthday cake absolutely could not.
He had already bought part of the ingredients a few days ago. There was no rush. Kangaskhan's birthday was on the fifth, which meant he still had three days left.
Aside from the cake, there were special decorations to prepare as well. A birthday had to be lively and festive.
Since the typhoon forced them to celebrate indoors, the cabin needed to be decorated properly.
Silas pulled out a stack of red paper from beneath the counter. "Meowth, your task is to cut these red sheets into Kangaskhan shapes. It does not have to be too detailed. Just a clear outline is enough."
"Meow!"
Alolan Meowth accepted the assignment and got to work immediately.
Time passed minute by minute. When Cyclizar heard movement upstairs, he hurried over to report. Silas glanced at the clock. Everyone would be waking up soon.
He quickly told Alolan Meowth to stop and hide all the materials. He placed some of the prepared ingredients into the refrigerator for storage. Before leaving the kitchen, he glanced at Alcremie, who was sleeping inside a cabinet.
Little bubbles floated above Alcremie's head. Who knew what sweet dream it was having.
When he entered the living room, he saw the Indeedee siblings already awake.
"Good morning, little sister and big brother."
He greeted them cheerfully, though he noticed Cyclizar and Meowth slipping away from the corner of his eye.
"Indee~!"
The younger sister Indeedee hugged his arm energetically, her face bright with a radiant smile, wishing him a good morning and saying they would work hard again today.
Silas patted her head gently and did not forget to compliment the older brother. "Your tuxedo looks very handsome today."
"Indee."
The older brother accepted the praise calmly, though inwardly he felt delighted.
"Oh, right. With the typhoon these days, everyone will probably sleep in. You two do not need to get up so early next time."
As he spoke, Silas happened to yawn deeply, looking extremely sleepy.
The Indeedee siblings nodded and told him he could go back for another nap.
"All right, I will sleep a little longer. Please check on the Mudsdale and the herd later."
With another exaggerated yawn, he returned to his room.
On the bed, the little ones were still fast asleep. Only Litten stood on the windowsill, gazing outside through the glass.
When it saw Silas come back, Litten leapt into his arms and rubbed against his chest.
That tsundere attitude was unexpectedly adorable.
Holding Litten, Silas soon drifted back into a light sleep.
Meanwhile, far away in the Hoenn region.
"Chat?"
(Zapdos, are you sure this metal lump is alive?)
Chatot pecked at it, producing a dull metallic thudding sound.
At its feet lay a large gray iron sphere marked with black stripes and a face composed of seven red dots arranged in a hexagonal pattern.
Zapdos descended from the sky, circling the object once.
"Zap~"
(My instincts are not wrong. There is a living Pokémon inside.)
"Chatot?"
(Then what do we do? We cannot carry it away.)
Chatot had already tried gathering the flock to lift it together. No matter how much force they used, the iron sphere would not budge.
Zapdos admitted helplessly that it had no solution either. It had just summoned thunderclouds and struck it repeatedly with powerful lightning attacks. Yet even with Zapdos' strength, not a single scratch could be left on its metallic body. The material composing it seemed like some mysterious substance from beyond the heavens.
Suddenly, an imaginary light bulb seemed to flash above Chatot's head. It had an idea.
Flapping its wings excitedly, it landed beside Zapdos.
"Chatot!"
(Let us write to Silas. We can tell him the location and have him bring people to take it.)
Zapdos thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
It did not trust other humans, but it felt at ease entrusting the matter to Silas.
Having reached a decision, Chatot summoned a Honchkrow.
Learning from the previous incident at night, this Honchkrow was recently recruited and now served as the head of nighttime security for the flock. It was also one of the few bird Pokémon in the group capable of writing.
The letter was completed quickly. Chatot also drew a simple sketch of the surrounding terrain.
Humans lived inside hollowed trees. It rained almost every day. The grass was tall and thick.
Chatot felt that was sufficient.
Given the understanding between it and Silas, he would surely comprehend immediately upon reading it.
After sealing the letter, Chatot called another bird Pokémon to deliver it.
With that done, the flock needed to continue their journey. They had already lingered here too long.
Especially since a certain human nearby dressed like a bird and had been secretly observing them, which made the bird Pokémon quite uncomfortable.
…
Back at the ranch.
Silas was shaken awake by Minccino. Still groggy, he had no idea that Chatot had once again sent him a tremendous gift.
The gift was currently on its way.
"Min Min!"
(Silas, it is time to eat! Get up quickly!)
"Morpe!"
(You are the only one left. My little tummy is completely flat from hunger.)
The two Pokémon pulled him up from either side. As Silas became more alert, he reached out and touched Morpeko's belly.
It was round and full, clearly having eaten continuously, yet it was pretending to be starving.
Helpless, Silas pinched Morpeko's cheek. "Your stomach is round like a little ball and you still claim you are hungry."
Morpeko immediately turned its head away guiltily, scratching its ear with a tiny paw and chirping in self defense. It gestured with its paw to show it had only eaten a tiny bit.
On a typhoon day, there was basically nothing to do.
After breakfast, Silas lay on the sofa, idly watching television to pass the time.
Outside, wind and rain howled relentlessly. Inside, warmth and liveliness filled the space. The stark contrast between the two environments, separated by a single wall, was striking.
Before long, Silas's eyes drifted shut again.
Litten quietly curled up by his feet, leaning close to him as it dozed peacefully.
(End of Chapter)