July 11, cloudy.
The autumn wind swept gently across the ranch.
The oak trees had shed all their leaves, leaving their branches bare and exposed. Early in the morning, Cinccino had already gathered the fallen leaves into neat piles. Seeing the clean yard, the little mouse Pokémon was in an exceptionally good mood.
Most of the sunlight was blocked by clouds, and the breeze carried a faint chill. Silas was currently busy working in the fields with the Meowths.
The beets, pumpkins, peanuts, and other seeds planted some time ago had all sprouted together. Large patches of green now spread across the ranch, adding vibrant color to the autumn season.
Most of the beets had grown their first leaves, and a smaller portion had already produced a second leaf. They had all entered a rapid growth stage.
"Meowths are not allowed to slack off." Silas nudged the regular Meowth with his elbow. The little one had learned how to dawdle.
"Meow!"
(I am not slacking!)
"When the beets are harvested, I will make sugar cubes for you to eat."
"Morpe!"
(I want them! I want them! I will help Silas work.)
The moment it heard there would be food, Morpeko jumped out from a corner, its eyes seeming to burn with two blazing flames.
As if to prove itself to Silas, Morpeko immediately began pulling weeds seriously, clearing every stray plant from the field.
The regular Meowth let out an indignant meow, rekindled its fighting spirit, and began working hard again.
Watching the cat and the little rodent compete, Silas could not help but shake his head with a smile.
"Alolan Meowth, I will leave the rest to you. I will go check on the other Pokémon's progress."
As always, Alolan Meowth was sensible and reliable. It lifted its chin slightly toward Silas to signal its agreement.
Rubbing the dirt off his hands in the roadside grass, Silas strolled toward the nearby pumpkin field.
As expected, the three Mudsdales were there. Ever since Silas planted pumpkins, aside from sleeping and playing in the mud, they spent almost all their time in this field.
Especially recently, after the pumpkin seedlings had sprouted, the Mudsdale brothers had guarded them every day, clearly afraid the fragile shoots might be damaged.
Silas stepped forward and patted each of them in turn. The Mudsdales affectionately nudged him in return.
"Alright, alright. Do not crowd around me. Let me see how the pumpkins are growing."
As soon as he finished speaking, the eldest Mudsdale lowered its head and gently pushed him toward the edge of the field, as if to emphasize that nothing must happen to the pumpkins.
Compared to the beetroot, the pumpkins were growing a bit more slowly.
At a glance, most of the seeds had only just sprouted, tiny pointed shoots poking out of the soil. Some leaves had not even unfolded yet.
It seemed that after the beets harvest, they would still have to wait several more days before the pumpkins reached a full bounty.
After walking around the field once, Silas met the inquisitive gazes of the Mudsdales.
"The growth is very good. You do not need to worry. When the harvest comes, how about I try making pumpkin pie for you? It will be just as delicious as pumpkin porridge."
"Mud!" ×3
The three Mudsdales leaned their large bodies softly against him. The eldest nudged his palm with its nose, the second used its head to prop up Silas's other hand.
As for the third, it looked left and right, realized there was no space left for it, then lowered its head and charged forward. Despite Silas waving his hands in protest, he was knocked onto the ground, and a big dirt scented tongue landed squarely on him.
After going to the stream to wash his face, the earthy smell on him lessened somewhat.
When he turned around, he saw the Mudsdales following closely behind him step by step. He waved at them irritably.
"Go play. Stop following me all the time."
"Mud?"
"I am not angry. I would not get angry over that."
After sending the Mudsdales off to play, Silas wiped the water from his face and prepared to continue inspecting the fields.
Just as he was about to leave, the surface of the stream began bubbling. A large claw emerged from the water.
"Claw!"
Clawitzer had come specifically to find Silas. Even if it had not shown up now, Silas would have sought it out after finishing his inspection.
Clawitzer lifted half of its head above the surface and quickly explained.
"Claw…"
(Silas, I want to move outside to live. The lake feels too crowded, and…")
As a Pokémon with a strong territorial instinct, Clawitzer found it difficult to accept sharing its territory with Veluza, Relicanth, and Popplio.
If this was not handled properly, there was a real possibility that Clawitzer might attack its companions.
Silas naturally understood this. When Clawitzer spoke up, he only pondered for a brief moment.
"How about the ranch coastline as your territory?"
After thinking it over, that seemed like the most suitable location.
Clawitzer would not be too far from the ranch. It would only take a few minutes to return.
Moreover, there were temporarily no other Pokémon there, so Clawitzer would not be bullied.
"Claw!"
Clawitzer raised its massive claw, indicating that it would follow Silas's decision.
"You listen to me." Silas placed his hand on Clawitzer's huge claw. "Then wait a bit. After I finish inspecting the fields, I will take you there."
With Clawitzer's issue addressed, Silas continued his field inspection.
The peanut field was being tended by Cyclizar and Kangaskhan.
There were also cranberries and yams. All the crops were growing well. It seemed certain that the ranch would enjoy a great autumn harvest.
After entrusting the remaining ranch tasks to the Pokémon, Silas returned to the cabin, drank some water, and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
Just as he was about to head out again, he noticed Dolliv sitting gloomily on the grass.
"What is wrong? Who made you upset?"
Silas smiled and sat down beside Dolliv, offering it a small snack.
"Doll."
Dolliv forced a smile and accepted the treat.
"Let me guess." Silas looked up at the sun hidden behind thick clouds. "Is it because you cannot bask in the sunlight?"
"Doll!"
Dolliv suddenly looked up at him, surprise filling its eyes. It had not expected Silas to guess correctly so quickly.
"Let me guess again. You want to sunbathe because you want to evolve, right?"
"Doll…"
Its little thoughts completely exposed, Dolliv smiled shyly.
Silas wrapped his large hand around Dolliv's small one and asked seriously, "Then why do you want to evolve?"
Dolliv did not hide anything. It gestured for Silas to lower his head and whispered the reason into his ear.
Silas finally understood.
So that was why.
Dolliv was worried that once giant Dragonite came to live at the ranch, the olive oil it produced each day would not be enough. That was why it was so eager to evolve, hoping to meet everyone's needs.
Understanding this, Silas gently rubbed Dolliv's head and offered a suggestion.
"You can ask the Mudsdale brothers for help. Have them use the move Rotottiler for you. It might speed up your energy accumulation."
"Doll?"
After receiving confirmation from him, Dolliv gave him a tight hug, then quickly ran off to find the Mudsdale.
Most Grass type Pokémon had gentle temperaments. Thanks to their growth methods, they could become stronger simply by basking in sunlight, without needing to compete with other Pokémon.
However, correspondingly, their energy accumulated very slowly. Evolution often took a long time, and some would never evolve at all.
The Rototiller move provided nutrients to Grass type Pokémon and could indeed accelerate their growth to a certain extent.
Walking along the path toward the lake, Silas greeted the Indeedee siblings.
They had finished their morning tasks and were heading back to prepare ingredients for lunch.
Ever since they came to the ranch, Silas had felt that cooking became much easier. The Indeedee siblings were truly capable helpers.
When he arrived at the lake, Clawitzer was already there waiting for him.
(End of Chapter)