The first light of dawn filtered into the orchard, and Litten's upright triangular ears gave a faint twitch.
From the berry grove beside the orchard came small rustling sounds. The two Pokémon who had newly joined the ranch had already begun their work.
Perched high on a tree branch, Litten narrowed its amber eyes into thin slits as it gazed ahead.
The two Pokémon paced back and forth around the young seedlings. Their wings stirred up gentle gusts of wind that brushed across the tender green leaves, as if transmitting some kind of special energy.
"Meow~"
Litten let out a soft hum, the tip of its tail swaying lazily.
It did not quite believe that simply circling a few times could make the seedlings grow strong. But since Silas had personally invited them to the ranch, Litten only observed quietly and never stepped forward to disturb them.
When the two Pokémon paused to rest, Litten stretched its body and leaped lightly onto another branch. When it landed on the ground, it did not make the slightest sound.
Turning back toward the orchard, it called out once. Before long, two Butterfree hurried over, slender legs carrying bamboo baskets filled with freshly picked berries.
Morning dew still clung to their wings. They had clearly been harvesting since early dawn.
"Meow meow~ meow!"
Litten lifted its chin and flicked its tail toward the berry grove.
The Butterfree immediately understood. Flapping their wings, they carried the baskets over.
(TN: Litten's like a nepo baby)
After watching its two little underlings leave, Litten strolled beneath a tree, picked up a fully ripened berry in its mouth, and used it to pad its stomach.
Once finished, it searched for a branch of suitable thickness. Placing its forepaws against it, Litten gently scraped its claws along the bark. The sharp tips left behind several neat marks.
After completing this routine, it lay down on the grass and licked away the loose fur clinging to its side.
When the sky had fully brightened and it estimated that Silas had woken up, Litten began walking toward the cabin. Its steps gradually quickened, tail raised high and swaying slightly. It was obvious that its owner was in a very good mood.
With a light leap, Litten climbed onto the roof. Its soft paw pads touched the tiles without a sound, and it appeared silently on the windowsill of the master bedroom.
"Doll!"
(Good morning, Litten!)
Dolliv, who was basking in the sunlight and conducting photosynthesis, waved its tiny hand.
Litten tilted its head and glanced at the warm and cozy Dolliv on the windowsill. The tip of its tail curled lightly in response.
Just as it was about to lie down and wait, it heard the sound of Silas stretching accompanied by a sleepy murmur.
"Good morning, you two little ones."
Standing by the window, Silas greeted them while gazing into the distance.
Litten moved closer to his hand, rubbing its head against his palm as a purring rumble vibrated in its throat.
Its human understood it very well. The warm hand first stroked its head, then scratched under its chin, and finally moved in steady motions down its back along the direction of its fur.
Enjoying the attention so much that it narrowed its eyes, Litten leaned softly against Silas, its tail naturally wrapping around his wrist.
What displeased it slightly was that beside them, Dolliv received the same treatment.
Fortunately, Litten possessed one advantage that the other did not.
It lifted a paw and placed its pink paw pad into Silas's palm. Its sharp claws were carefully retracted, controlled so they would not scratch him.
Whenever it did this, the human would lift it up, squeeze its soft paw pads, and even press them against his face.
This was Litten's ultimate winning move. It cast a glance at Dolliv.
As always, Dolliv remained gentle and quiet, peacefully enjoying the morning sun. It never fought or competed.
It never seemed to envy Litten. It appeared content as long as it could spend a little time each day with the human.
Litten thought that getting along with Dolliv was actually quite pleasant.
The time spent alone with the human was short. Soon Silas had to go about his busy ranch work.
Litten followed behind for a while, occasionally helping out.
Today it had an important mission. But before setting out, it first had to finish the small snack his human had just given it.
It seemed that every time it ate that snack, its body felt especially cool, and it had not experienced any accidental self ignition under the sun ever since.
As expected of the human it had chosen at first glance. Truly impressive.
He had solved a problem that had troubled Litten for a very long time.
Hmph. Proud kitty face.
Litten ran over to the silo area and used the tree stump that Silas usually chopped wood on to sharpen its claws.
It was about to accomplish something important. Dull claws would absolutely not do.
Pressing its forepaws firmly against the stump, it alternated scraping motions. Amid the rustling friction, wood shavings fell in small flakes. Its claws became polished and gleaming, sharp and coldly bright.
Satisfied, Litten nodded before trotting back to circle around in front of Silas.
While Silas was working, Litten casually brushed against him as if by accident.
Then it returned to the orchard and called for the two Butterfree to follow.
The trio made their way upstream along the creek. Soon they arrived at a stretch where the current was relatively slow and rocks provided cover, a perfect gathering spot for fish.
Litten leaped lightly, landing on a stone with steady paws.
Its sharp gaze scanned the surface of the water, briefly passing over several dull looking red Magikarp.
The human had once said that those fish were mostly bones and not tasty.
Ignoring them, Litten quickly found a new target.
It was a Largemouth Bass with a large mouth and a hammer shaped body. With few bones and tender flesh, it was one of the best choices for making grilled fish.
The Bass swam leisurely among the rocks, completely unaware of the danger above the water.
Litten had already locked onto it. Its body lowered into a crouched arch. Sharp claws slid out from their pads, poised to strike.
The moment the fish turned sideways, Litten moved like lightning, a streak of white flashing forward.
Its paw struck with perfect accuracy, hooking the dorsal fin of the Bass.
Startled, the fish thrashed violently, its tail splashing water that soaked Litten's fur.
These were merely its final struggles.
The two Butterfree descended and scattered a light dusting of Stun Spore.
Once the fish was fully paralyzed, Litten used all its strength to fling it onto the shore.
It continued searching for other suitable targets.
One fish was not enough to feed the entire ranch family. This home would not function without Litten's contributions.
Thinking this way, it grew even more diligent in catching fish.
One fish after another, along with a few largemouth bass, were hauled ashore to become the ranch's lunch.
Only when the Butterfree reminded it did Litten reluctantly stop, still wanting more.
The Butterfree carried the catch back in their bamboo baskets while Litten strutted behind them with its tail raised high.
With so many fish, it was certain to surprise the human.
Just as it had predicted, Silas was startled at the sight of the pile of fish.
He even took the initiative to pick Litten up into his arms. As it listened to his praise, Litten wrapped its tail around his wrist and licked his palm with its barbed tongue.
It had personally delivered all the ingredients. The human must not forget the grilled fish.
Silas said, "For lunch today, not only will we have grilled fish, I'll also make fish head tofu soup with the Largemouth Bass."
Litten did not know what fish head tofu was, but since it was mentioned alongside grilled fish, it must be delicious as well.
Agreeing to the human's suggestion, Litten shooed the two Butterfree away and lay down on the windowsill, watching the busy figure inside.
Seeing him process the fish it had caught and turn them into delicious dishes made Litten very happy.
Especially when it caught the rich and savory aroma of the fish head tofu soup, it could not help swallowing.
Sure enough, the human it had chosen was the most amazing of all.
(End of Chapter)