It was Diantha.
The two of them had never stopped keeping in touch.
Just as Silas had expected, the first thing she asked was whether the Kangaskhan egg finally hatched.
At this hour, that could only be the reason for her call.
Silas gave her an affirmative answer.
"By the way, Silas, Roxie will be holding a concert in Lumiose City in a few days. Remember to bring Jigglypuff and the others. I will introduce you."
"Oh, right. Okay."
If Diantha had not mentioned it, he might have forgotten.
He had been busy at the ranch for the past half month. Only today, with the birth of the little Kangaskhan, had things become a little more relaxed.
On the screen, Diantha cast him a sideways glance before bringing up another matter that truly startled him.
"What? You mean Siebold has submitted an application to challenge the Elite Four?"
"That is right. Silas, you need to work hard too."
Half a month ago, Siebold had still been missing one final special Gym Badge. Now not only had he completed it, he had also gone through a series of procedures and was about to challenge the Elite Four.
If he succeeded, Siebold would become one of Kalos new Elite Four member.
"Alright, I admit I have been a bit lazy," Silas said honestly. Then he suggested, "When we go to watch Miss Roxie's concert in a few days, I will challenge the Lumiose Gym while I am there."
He felt rather pleased with himself. One trip, two tasks accomplished.
On the other end, Diantha's fist clenched slightly. She had originally wanted to suggest that he accompany her to an amusement park during his free time.
Through the screen, she shot him a glare. Silas scratched his head, feeling completely innocent.
Why is she angry again? What did I do?
Suppressing the urge to bite that oblivious man through the screen, Diantha shifted the topic to the meteor shower at the end of the month.
"I was thinking of bringing the ranch Pokémon along. None of them have ever seen a meteor shower before."
"That is fine."
"But now that I think about it, that might not be realistic. I may only bring a few."
"Diantha, do you think I should invite Serena too? Maybe Korrina as well. The two girls could keep each other company. What do you think?"
What do I think?
Diantha absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair by her forehead, a trace of irritation in her expression. "Serena and Korrina probably have school. They might not be able to come."
Silas seemed to sense the reluctance in her tone and suddenly thought of his mother. "You are right. Better not bring the two girls. If they come along, they might drive me crazy."
Seeing him give up on the idea, Diantha's lips curved into a beautiful smile, her eyes bending slightly. "So that means it will just be the two of us then?"
"Most likely."
Silas nodded in confirmation.
The two continued discussing the details and decided to arrive a few days early so they could visit the nearby Kingdom of Azoth for sightseeing.
Meanwhile, outside the house.
Cyclizar and the others had stopped on the grassy field. They had just taken a full tour of the ranch, introducing the little Kangaskhan to every Pokémon there.
Everyone had offered their blessings. At this moment, little Kangaskhan was still holding Jigglypuff's microphone.
"Kang Kang Kang~~"
It hopped down from Kangaskhan's pouch, grabbed a paintbrush, and ran to Cyclizar's side.
Using Cyclizar's body as a canvas, it began to scribble crooked drawings.
First it drew a round circle for a head, then added two triangular ears, and finally a big smiling face.
Although the lines were crooked and messy, it was obvious at a glance that it was meant to be Cyclizar.
The drawing was so abstract that Cyclizar almost could not recognize itself and instinctively raised a hand to rub it off.
But just as it lifted its paw, little Kangaskhan slapped it lightly and puffed out its cheeks, calling out in protest and refusing to let the drawing be erased.
Fortunately, Cyclizar was not the only victim. Morpeko, Popplio, the three Meowth, and even Jigglypuff itself had not escaped the artistic treatment.
If converted to human years, little Kangaskhan was clearly in the stage of exploring the world, filled with curiosity about everything.
When Jigglypuff announced it would sing, the baby clapped excitedly, its entire expression radiating anticipation.
Cyclizar, now decorated like a painted cat, let out an urgent cry. It definitely did not want to fall asleep right now.
The little Kangaskhan, however, completely failed to understand Cyclizar's anxiety. Instead, it held up the microphone toward Jigglypuff, nodding its little head eagerly, fully prepared for the upcoming performance.
The surrounding Pokémon suddenly realized what was about to happen and panicked.
In a flash of inspiration, Cyclizar came up with a bold idea.
Moving as swiftly as the wind, it scooped up the little Kangaskhan and dashed toward the ranch house, fleeing as far away from Jigglypuff as possible.
"Kang?"
Suddenly lifted into the air, the baby blinked in confusion, waving its tiny paws without understanding why they were running.
The other Pokémon quickly caught on and scrambled back as well.
Jigglypuff cried out in dissatisfaction, picked up its fallen microphone, and chased after them.
Inside the house, Silas had just ended his call with Diantha when he heard a burst of noise outside.
Before he could even open the door, Cyclizar rushed in anxiously, followed by the other Pokémon in a stream. Jigglypuff entered last.
Jigglypuff began to sing. This time, it was the new rock song it had learned, perfectly suited to its unique electronic toned voice.
The moment Silas tried to protest, his eyelids began to grow heavy. Sleepiness surged over him like a tide.
Compared to the lullabies Jigglypuff had sung before, its rock songs combined lyrics and voice in a way that fully unleashed its species' natural ability.
No wonder Cyclizar and the others had fled indoors. If they were going to fall asleep anyway, it was far more comfortable inside.
With the last bit of his consciousness, Silas lay down on the sofa, pulled a small blanket over himself, and within moments began to snore softly.
The Pokémon inside the house were completely wiped out.
Cyclizar lay on the floor, clutching its head, forelegs covering its ears as it succumbed to sleep.
Minccino, little Kangaskhan, and Phione curled up together inside Kangaskhan's pouch, Minccino's fluffy tail draped over the baby's belly.
Morpeko still had food in its mouth, drool hanging from the corner of its lips.
The Meowth were piled together in a heap, the one on top resting its tail across the face of the one beneath it, their snores rising and falling in chorus.
Popplio had rolled onto its back, sprawled out on the floor with all four flippers in the air.
Thanks to Jigglypuff's sudden attack, not a single Pokémon inside the house was spared. Even the three outside on the lawn had begun snoring.
Fortunately, the ranch had not been entirely defeated. Basic safety remained intact. The Carbink emerged from their cave under the direction of their elder to stand guard.
Jigglypuff sang with great enthusiasm, swaying its body from side to side in rhythm.
When it finished the song, it finally noticed that everyone had once again been lulled to sleep.
Its cheeks puffed up angrily as it considered whether to doodle on them as punishment.
After thinking for a moment, it hopped into Silas's arms and decided to nap alongside him. It let out several yawns.
In the end, not only had it put the audience to sleep, it had also put itself to sleep.
The reason was simple. It had heard the echo of its own singing and accidentally lulled itself to sleep as well.
Its thunderous snoring soon filled the room.
And that was what finally woke Silas and all the Pokémon.
(End of Chapter)