"How does it taste?"
Silas asked expectantly, looking toward the gathered Pokémon as he waited for their verdict.
"Morpeee!"
(It's hot, hot, hot~!)
Morpeko lifted its bowl and gulped down a large mouthful in one go. The porridge had just come off the stove, and the scalding heat made it stick out its little tongue and pant frantically.
Silas: "..."
This was exactly what happened when one was too greedy.
Children, take note—when eating hot food, you must go slowly. Don't imitate Morpeko.
He casually handed Morpeko a cup of water. The little one gulped it down in one breath before finally feeling better.
"Phion~"
(Silas, I want more.)
Little Phione raised both tiny hands and handed over its empty bowl.
"Morpe…?"
(Don't you think it's hot?)
Morpeko looked at it in surprise. Steam was still rising from the porridge in its own bowl.
"Hehe!" Phione covered its mouth and giggled mischievously. It pressed its little palm against the bowl, and strands of chilly mist seeped out from its hand.
"Morpe-ko~!"
(So amazing! Thank you, Sister Phione!)
Morpeko lifted its bowl again, opened its mouth wide, and poured the entire bowl of lotus seed porridge straight into its mouth in one dramatic motion.
"Cher!"
Clauncher spoke up from the side, expressing that Silas's lotus seed porridge was delicious.
"Lioo~!"
Popplio also voiced its agreement. It loved the taste and wanted another bowl as well.
Minccino and the others thought it was pretty good too, though they weren't nearly as exaggerated in their reactions as Popplio and Clauncher.
Silas understood the reason immediately. This particular dish, thanks to its culinary effect, was especially appealing to Water-type Pokémon.
[White Mushroom and Lotus Seed Porridge (B–): Made by slowly simmering fresh lotus seeds and natural white mushroom over low heat. The texture is soft and dense, and it helps clear heat and detoxify the body.
Dish Effect: After consumption, it relieves fatigue and slightly increases resistance to Poison-type moves for 120 minutes.
Special Effect (Water-type Exclusive): Water-type Pokémon gain additional affinity with Water-type energy after eating it.]
Compared to the white mushroom and lotus seed soup, the Water-type dishes Silas had previously made were nowhere near this level.
He had already decided—this dish would become one of the selectable options for the ranch's daily three meals, standing alongside the pan-seared meat steak.
After Silas and the Pokémon finished dinner, the sky outside had completely darkened.
Only scattered stars shimmered overhead, emitting faint, gentle light.
Holding Phione in his arms, Silas sat on the sofa, yawning repeatedly as he glanced at the Pokémon beside him.
"Aren't you all sleepy?"
"Min!"
"Morpe~"
"Phion…"
Minccino and the others shook their heads. Not sleepy at all.
After flipping through channels and failing to find anything she liked to watch, Minccino sighed helplessly, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Popplio singing enthusiastically nearby. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she hurried over to whisper something to it.
Just as Silas was beginning to doze off, the sofa shook vigorously. Minccino and Popplio pressed in close to him.
One chirped "Min Min" in explanation, while the other cried "Lioo!" and clapped enthusiastically.
"Yawn!" Silas rubbed his eyes and forced himself awake. "You want to put on a performance?"
"Min!"
(Yes, yes! We want to sing for you!)
Phione wriggled free from Silas's arms. The little one loved excitement and insisted on joining too.
"Alright then, give it a try. If your performance is good, I'll organize a concert for you at the ranch."
"Min?!"
(Really?! Silas, you're so good to us! We won't let you down!)
Minccino and Popplio exchanged determined looks. The two little ones wore fierce expressions—they absolutely would not disappoint Silas.
Immediately, they jumped onto the coffee table. Phione tried to climb up as well but was shooed back down, forced to sit at the side pouting as it watched.
Minccino planted her feet firmly, hands on hips, tail raised high like a conductor's baton.
Popplio took a deep breath beside her, its round little belly inflating like a balloon.
"Lioooo Lioooo~~!"
Popplio began first. Its clear, bright singing voice rang out like the tinkling of spring water, rippling gently through the living room.
The little one was genuinely talented in singing—this was clearly an area where it possessed natural aptitude.
That made sense. After all, Popplio's final evolution, Primarina, was known as the musician of the sea.
And each Primarina tribe had its own distinct style of song.
Soon after, Minccino joined in. Her voice carried the quality of Disarming Voice, though it was mixed with an adorable babyish tone, making it oddly charming and amusing.
The moment Minccino opened her mouth, Cyclizar clamped its hands tightly over its ears. But the magical sound still poured into its mind.
Left with no other option, it quietly slipped out of the house.
Silas had been leaning lazily on the sofa, but witnessing the lively scene before him instantly drove away his drowsiness.
Watching the two little performers earnestly singing atop the coffee table, he even nodded approvingly, as if evaluating a professional act.
But right then, as Minccino grew more enthusiastic, she swung her tail too forcefully and nearly knocked an empty bowl off the table.
At the same time, when Popplio reached a high note, it ran out of breath mid-phrase—its inflated belly suddenly deflated in a dramatic dip, causing Phione to burst into giggles.
Dolliv and Alcremie, their biggest fans, froze mid-clap, unsure what exactly had just happened.
Morpeko, chewing on roasted berry seeds, decided it wanted to join the fun too. With considerable effort, it climbed onto the coffee table and began humming indistinctly, its little paws clapping out an uneven rhythm, prompting everyone to laugh.
"Min!"
Minccino huffed indignantly and swiped Morpeko off the table with her tail.
"Alright, alright!" Silas scooped up the sulking Minccino and comforted her. "You sang very well. When I have time, I'll hold a small concert at the ranch and invite all the Pokémon to hear you perform."
Cyclizar, who had just walked back in, felt as though the future had turned pitch black upon hearing this.
For the foreseeable future, it would have to endure Minccino's enchanting—yet overwhelming—voice.
No, it couldn't suffer alone. Next time, it would drag the three Noivern and the others along to share the experience.
With Silas's promise secured, most of Minccino's anger faded. But soon she lowered her head gloomily and wrapped her little arms around Silas.
"Min~"
(On second thought, maybe not. We don't even have a song of our own.)
"Lioo…"
(Yeah… we were just singing randomly earlier.)
"That's nothing to worry about. I have a solution."
Silas smiled mysteriously and leaned down to whisper into their ears as they gazed at him expectantly.
"Min! Muah!"
(Silas, you're amazing! Kiss!)
"Lioo…"
(Can we go find Sister Diancie now?)
Silas's solution was simple—recruit Diancie into the group.
That little princess had been undergoing strict royal etiquette training these past few days. She had long been itching to come out and play.
Forming a band to explore and get to know the world would be the perfect excuse to convince both her and the Carbink Minister.
As for the lead vocalist, Diancie was undoubtedly an excellent choice. Her elegant royal bearing would absolutely ignite the entire audience.
Silas could already picture it—Diancie and the others performing on stage, while somewhere in the audience sat a certain wealthy young mining enthusiast who never missed a show, showering them with extravagant rewards every single time.
"No, not tonight. It's too late. As a princess, Diancie has already gone to bed early."
Silas shook his head, then added thoughtfully, "I heard Diancie say that going to bed early and waking up early is the best way to take care of one's singing voice."
(End of Chapter)