The beautiful garden of Florges had now become the liveliest place in the entire ranch.
The ever-blooming flowers were deeply loved by the Pokémon, to the point that many wild Pokémon were drawn in by their fragrance.
As soon as Silas arrived, he witnessed a rather amusing scene.
The yellow-flowered Florges was angrily controlling two vine whips, lashing at a certain Pokémon. That Pokémon had a plump, light blue body, and at its feet lay a pot of flowers that had been crushed to pieces. Clearly, it had angered Florges by damaging the garden.
However...
Silas stared at Quagsire with a strange expression.
It was clearly enjoying it.
Quagsire looked like it was calmly accepting punishment, not dodging at all. Instead, it narrowed its tadpole-like eyes in comfort, its cheeks flushed with a shy blush, completely indulging in the sensation.
Unable to stand how much Quagsire was enjoying this, Silas stepped forward and said, "Florges, use Solar Beam and blast it away."
"Flor!" Florges obediently nodded, retracting its vines. Under Quagsire's reluctant gaze, it gathered radiant solar energy into a golden beam and fired it straight at Quagsire.
For a Pokémon that was four times weak to Grass, vine whips might feel like a massage, but Solar Beam was a completely different story.
With a loud explosion, Quagsire was blasted away like Team Rocket, disappearing into the sky while still shouting that it would definitely come back.
"Flor!"
"It is fine. Next time you encounter a shameless Pokémon like that, just hit it as hard as you can."
Patting the yellow Florges, Silas walked with it toward the deeper part of the garden.
At the center, the Gracidea flowers had multiplied beautifully, covering the entire flowerbed.
Not only did Shaymin live here, but Butterfree from the berry forest often came to help, along with many Bug-type Pokémon attracted by the fragrance.
Vivillon of various wing patterns fluttered about, Combee that had traveled from afar gathered nectar, and Illumise and Volbeat with their glowing tails lived here in harmony.
There was no Pokémon that did not love such a beautiful garden. Even Cinccino and the others often came here to play.
"Min!"
A soft sound came from below. Silas felt something tugging at his pant leg.
Looking down, he saw Shaymin in its Land Form, round and fluffy, rubbing its little head against him.
"So this is where you were. No wonder I could not find you."
Squatting down, Silas teased Shaymin, then suddenly pushed it with his finger when it was not paying attention.
Like a little ball of fluff, Shaymin rolled over with a soft sound and landed on the grass upside down, exposing its white belly.
"Hahaha!"
Silas could not help but laugh, which made Shaymin puff up in annoyance.
However, Shaymin had clearly grown experienced. It curled itself into a ball and rolled a few times before successfully landing back on its feet.
Although its head felt a little dizzy, and it swayed slightly as it walked.
Ever since it could remember, it had often been used as a bowling ball by Silas and even called a little turtle afterward.
Raising its head proudly, Shaymin felt that it was no longer a fool. That trick would not work on it anymore.
After righting itself, Shaymin ran over and poked Silas with the spikes on its back. Silas cooperated by letting out a couple of exaggerated cries, and Shaymin was naturally satisfied.
It ran off quickly, its little legs moving fast.
After a while, it came back again, holding a pink flower in its mouth.
Shaymin placed it at Silas's feet and softly said, "Min!"
"This is for me?"
Shaymin nodded eagerly. It had carefully chosen this flower, the best one in the entire field.
"Thank you, Shaymin."
Silas picked it up, scratching its neck and gently squeezing its little white paws.
Shaymin melted in enjoyment, especially when Silas touched its right hind leg. Its whole body trembled slightly since that was its most sensitive spot.
"Min~" it protested softly.
After playing for a while, Silas gathered all the Pokémon in the garden and checked each of their conditions, recording everything carefully.
Just as he was about to leave, two Psyduck appeared right on cue and blocked his path.
"Psy~" (This road is ours.)
"Psy!" (This tree was planted by us!)
"…and then?" Silas asked.
"Who taught you that? Trying to rob me like bandits?" Silas took out an Oran Berry. "Tell me and I will give you another one."
For the sake of the berry, the Psyduck activated their brains to the limit.
Their eyes glowed with psychic power.
"Psy! Psy!" (It was Cinccino!)
The moment they said it, they clutched their heads in pain, tears streaming down their faces.
Silas tossed them two Oran Berries, and they finally calmed down.
Unlike normal Psyduck whose headaches ease after using psychic power, these two only felt worse, and only Oran Berries could relieve them.
Strange things always seemed to happen to these Psyduck, and Silas was not surprised at all.
Seeing that they were fine, Silas quickly left before they could ask for more.
Arriving at the berry forest, Silas saw regular Charcadet defeated once again, while the victorious Litten licked its paw in satisfaction.
The strategy Silas had taught it was clearly effective.
It would use Fake Out to immobilize the opponent, then follow up with Taunt, and just like that, it had already secured the win.
After that, whether it used Scratch, Bite, or Heat Wave, it could choose whatever worked best.
This method might not work on everyone, but it was extremely effective against Charcadet.
Having defeated Charcadet twice in a row, Litten felt incredibly proud.
While basking in victory, it noticed Silas from the corner of its eye.
It quickly struck a cool pose, glancing sideways, waiting for praise.
However, Silas was busy comforting Charcadet.
"It is fine. You have only lost twice. Think about Greninja…"
Hearing this, Charcadet felt much better.
Silas placed a hand on its head and said seriously, "Losing is not scary. We can always train harder. What is truly scary is losing the courage to challenge."
"Look at Greninja. It lost three times in a row and is still doing fine. You can win next time."
Charcadet clenched its fists, the flames in its eyes burning brighter as its fighting spirit reignited. It shouted loudly, declaring that it would defeat Litten next time.
"Very good, full of spirit." Silas nodded in satisfaction. "In a few days, I will give you a little boost."
"Charcaa!!!"
When Charcadet looked toward Litten, their eyes met briefly before Litten turned its head away.
The little cat was jealous.
Silas sent the two Charcadet off to play with Chikorita, then slowly approached Litten.
"Litten."
Hearing its name, Litten turned its head shyly.
"Meow~"
"You were amazing," Silas said, giving a thumbs up. "Not only did you defeat Charcadet, but you also used the moves I taught you perfectly."
"Meow…"
Even though it was still a bit jealous, Litten could not hide its pride. It raised its head arrogantly, its white tail swaying slightly.
Silas took advantage of the moment, gently stroking its back while continuing to praise it.
Litten grew more and more pleased, feeling like it was truly incredible.
"Meow!"
Silas paused for a moment, then extended his hand.
"Of course. From now on, you have to protect me, alright?"
"Meow!"
A brilliant white light began to envelop Litten.
The long-awaited evolution had finally begun.
(End of Chapter)