"Cher!" Clauncher agreed at once, its large red claw making crisp clack-clack sounds. It was clearly delighted to be of help to Silas.
After giving a rather awkward, oddly shaped salute, Clauncher leapt straight into the lake.
A powerful jet of water burst from its right claw to propel it forward. However, due to its poor balance, it wobbled crookedly underwater, leaving behind streaks of bright red afterimages.
Silas lifted Minccino onto his shoulder while he stood on the shore to give directions.
"A little more to the left."
Clauncher obediently shifted its position, stopping beneath a lotus pod. It raised its large claw, gripping the stem and angling it toward where Silas stood.
"Cher~" (Is this the one, Silas?)
"Min!" Minccino eagerly seized the role of commander, scrambling up onto Silas's head to point more emphatically.
With a sharp snip, Clauncher severed the stem. Holding the lotus pod in its claw, it swam back to shore and gently placed it at Silas's feet, its blue antennae swaying proudly.
Morpeko, who had been lingering nearby, immediately dashed forward to grab it, its little paws prying at the shell in an attempt to dig out the seeds inside.
Silas raised his hand and lightly bonked Morpeko on the head, shaking his head. "These are for tonight's porridge. I can't let you ruin them."
Resting his hand on Clauncher's bright red shell, Silas praised warmly, "Clauncher, you're amazing!"
"Cher!"
Its sapphire eyes narrowed happily, clearly pleased. It jumped back into the lake once more, eager to harvest more for Silas.
They gathered five lotus pods in total, each one packed with plump, round lotus seeds.
Before Clauncher could continue further, Silas called out to stop it and took out some snacks he carried with him to reward it.
"Remember to come to the cottage with Popplio tonight for dinner!"
"Cher!" Clauncher cheerfully waved its big claw, catching the snack Silas tossed over and crunching it happily.
After exchanging a friendly greeting with its good companion Minccino, Clauncher dove back beneath the lake's surface.
Picking up the lotus pods, Silas didn't linger any longer. He had only stood in the sun for a short while, yet sweat was already soaking through his clothes.
He first sent the two little ones back, then called Litten over from the orchard.
"You don't want to stay inside the house?"
"Meow!"
Litten cried out softly and extended its barbed tongue to lick the back of his hand, leaving behind a faint tingling sensation.
"Then be careful. Don't run around under the sun."
After repeatedly reminding it, Silas didn't force Litten to come inside.
Instead, he took something out of his pocket—a gift he had meant to give Litten long ago.
He had been too busy recently and had forgotten about it.
"This Flame Orb is for you."
"Meow?"
Tilting its head, Litten fixed its amber eyes on the Flame Orb resting in Silas's palm, the gem emitting a warm, gentle glow.
Its nose twitched slightly, as if sensing the Fire-type energy contained within.
Carefully, it extended a paw to touch the orb. A soft warmth flowed from the tip of its paw, spreading through its body. It was so comfortable that even the tip of its tail lifted upward.
To ordinary Pokémon, the orb's temperature might have been dangerously intense—but to Litten, it felt like basking in the gentle sunlight of a spring afternoon. Its control over Fire-type energy gradually improved, drawing a contented purr from the little cat.
"I'm glad you like it."
Naturally, Silas scooped Litten into his arms, scratching under its chin and rubbing its warm little belly.
After nearly a month of living together, he had slowly built up their bond, and Litten had gradually begun to accept him.
Now, in response to his affection, Litten offered its own feedback. It narrowed its eyes comfortably, tail swishing gently behind it, emitting a satisfied purring rumble.
It tilted its head slightly and rubbed its cheek against Silas's wrist, occasionally licking his fingertips with its barbed tongue, as if returning the intimacy.
"Hold still for a moment. I'll tie the Flame Orb around your neck."
Obediently, Litten placed the Flame Orb back into Silas's palm. He threaded a red cord through the orb and tied it around Litten's neck.
If he remembered correctly, Litten's evolved form, Torracat, also had a similar flame orb hanging around its neck.
Was this Litten cosplaying as Torracat? Unexpectedly, it looked quite good.
After calling Litten along to the ranch cottage, Silas gave it a serving of milkshake before letting it go play.
"Where are the Meowths? Don't tell me they're still in the fields."
As he handed a milkshake to the impatient Morpeko, he directed the question to Cyclizar.
"Cyc!" (The Meowths are in the greenhouse.)
"Come with me. Let's call them back for dinner."
Silas gave Cyclizar a light pat and smoothly mounted its back.
Trainer and Pokémon sped toward the greenhouse at full speed.
The moment they stepped inside, the Meowths were immediately visible. The three of them were crouched side by side beside the Silver Chalice Tulips.
"Stop staring and come back to eat."
At Silas's call, the Meowths finally snapped out of their daze and turned to grin at him.
For Meowths, who adored shiny coins, the Silver Chalice Tulips held a deadly allure.
After finishing their work, the three would often gather beside the flowers whenever they had nothing else to do.
Reaching out, Silas grabbed the ordinary Meowth's pancake-like cheeks and kneaded them into various shapes. The Meowth let out two muffled cries and raised the large silver coin in its paw, clearly attempting to bribe him.
"Freshly produced today? Keep them safe for me, alright?"
Silas smiled, entrusting the ancient silver coins to the Meowths for safekeeping. He wasn't short on money right now, and since they liked them so much, he was happy to let them keep the coins as long as they didn't lose them.
"Meow~"
The regular Meowth rubbed the silver coin against the gold coin on its forehead, polishing them both to a smooth shine.
One by one, Silas lifted the three Meowths onto Cyclizar's back. Before leaving, he waved at the fiveFlabébé, then brought everyone back to the house.
After having lunch with the Pokémon, he began preparing the ingredients in advance for making lotus seed porridge.
"Dolliv wants to help too?" he asked in surprise when the Pokémon suddenly appeared on the kitchen counter, edging closer to him.
"Of course. Come help me peel the lotus seeds. I'll make lotus seed porridge for you all tonight."
"Doll~"
Being able to cook alongside Silas made Dolliv sway its head happily. Mimicking his movements, it carefully pried the lotus seeds from the pods.
At the same time, it removed the bitter lotus seed cores as Minccino and Phione didn't like bitter flavors.
Silas raised his fist and gently bumped it against Dolliv's small hand, not forgetting to praise it.
The little one shyly lowered its head. Though it was a plant Pokémon, a faint blush seemed to bloom across its small face.
After processing the lotus seeds and preparing the rice for cooking, Silas set all the ingredients aside. Then he scooped the shy Dolliv into his arms and settled onto the living room sofa for a short nap.
Enjoying the warmth of Silas's embrace, Dolliv clutched at his clothes with its tiny hands. Before long, it closed its eyes and drifted into a deep sleep in his arms.
Gently patting Dolliv's back, feeling the steady rhythm of its breathing, Silas gradually closed his own eyes as well.
In the afternoon, once the temperature dropped a little, he rode Cyclizar to Shalour City to purchase some white mushroom.
After returning to the ranch, urged on by Minccino, Morpeko, and the other little ones, he stepped into the kitchen to begin cooking the lotus seed porridge.
First, he brought the pot to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduced it to low, simmering until the rice grains bloomed and the mixture became slightly thick.
Next, he added the lotus seeds and white mushroom, continuing to simmer gently for about twenty minutes—until the lotus seeds turned soft and tender, the mushroom released its gelatinous texture, and the porridge thickened to a rich consistency. Finally, he added rock sugar to taste.
And just like that, the white mushroom and lotus seed porridge was a great success.
At the same time, a familiar cooking information panel popped up before his eyes:
[White Mushroom Lotus Seed Porridge (B−): …]
(End of Chapter)