"With such an amazing catch, it's a pity the Harvest Festival has already passed. Otherwise, you definitely would have shocked everyone."
Gario spoke with a regretful tone, even shaking his head as he said it.
"Huh? The Harvest Festival already passed?"
Silas froze for a moment. He had even planned to bring his Pokémon to participate. It seemed he could only wait until next year.
"It was yesterday. John and I came to look for you, but we found out you were still out and hadn't come back yet."
Gario patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "It's fine. I'll let you know in advance next year."
"Oh right, Gario," Silas leaned in mysteriously and whispered, "I dug a lake in the back mountain for winter fishing. If you have nothing to do during winter, you can go fish there. I'll quietly tell you something, I put a small anglerfish in the lake."
"Really?!"
The chance to catch a seasonal fish king, even if it was just a juvenile, was enough for any fishing enthusiast to brag about for ages.
Gario could hardly wait to grab his fishing rod from his truck and rush over immediately.
"Help me pass the message to Hain and John. They're welcome to come fish anytime."
Among the ranchers Silas knew, all of them were self-proclaimed fishing masters.
As for their actual skills, it was better not to mention them.
No matter how many came, they would only end up feeding the fish.
After seeing Gario off, about ten minutes later, John came rushing over on his Gogoat, carrying a full set of fishing gear.
"John, your equipment is way too extravagant."
"Shh, don't let Penny know. I bought all of this with my private savings."
"I usually keep it in Gario's little truck. As soon as I heard you've got a place to catch fish kings, I brought everything over to go all out."
As everyone knew, the better the equipment, the worse the skills.
John was exactly that kind of person.
When he arrived at the winter fishing lake, just as he got there, there was a splash in the middle of the lake as the small fish king leapt out of the water.
"Fish king? It's an autumn fish king!"
John was instantly excited, rolling up his sleeves and preparing to give it his all.
"Silas, go do your thing. I'll fish by myself."
"Alright. John, don't leave tonight. Stay and eat fish king with us."
After saying that and handing Gogoat a poffin, Silas turned and headed back.
The Indeedee siblings had already prepared all the ingredients, just waiting for Silas to cook.
He waved away the group of Pokémon crowding the kitchen, tied on his apron, and began preparing fish ball soup.
Anglerfish had very few bones, only a few large ones, making it perfect for fish ball preparation.
Before making the fish balls, Silas first prepared a pot of clear broth.
Of course, bone broth or chicken broth could also be used, but clear broth helped highlight the natural flavor of the fish.
Soft tofu was cut into small cubes, greens were washed and chopped, mushrooms sliced, then everything was simmered with water, salt, a little sesame oil, and white pepper.
At the same time, Silas cut the fish meat into small pieces, then thin slices, and finally minced it into a paste until there was no noticeable graininess.
"Indeedee, I'll leave the next step to you."
"Indee!"
Younger sister Indeedee smiled happily, using her psychic power to transfer the fish paste into a bowl, adding egg whites, salt, and white pepper. She controlled the chopsticks to stir in one direction continuously until the paste became sticky.
"Indee~" (Silas, take a look, I'm done mixing.)
"Not bad." Silas pinched a bit and nodded. "Next is throwing the paste."
The Indeedee raised her small hands, lifting the fish paste into the air. Under Silas's guidance, it fell down from above.
As he directed, he explained, "Throwing the paste helps the protein form a network, increasing elasticity. The harder and more often you throw it, the firmer the fish balls will be, and the better the texture."
"Indee~!" (I understand, Silas!)
Being able to cook together with Silas made her very happy, and she carefully remembered everything.
That way, when Silas was away, she could also make delicious fish balls for everyone.
After tossing it repeatedly over a dozen times, starch was added, and the mixture was stirred again in one direction until smooth. The fish ball mixture was now ready.
However, it could not go directly into the clear soup yet. A separate pot of water needed to be heated until small bubbles appeared, then kept at low heat.
The temperature had to be controlled carefully. It must not boil, or the fish balls would fall apart when added.
"Watch closely when forming the fish balls. Look at my hands."
After wetting his hands to prevent sticking, Silas used a deep spoon. With a press and squeeze, a fish ball about the size of a ping pong ball was formed.
"If it feels too sticky, you can add a bit more starch."
"Indee!" (Got it!)
The formed fish balls were dropped into the pot. After about two minutes, they began to float one by one, gently bobbing with the ripples.
Younger sister Indeedee leaned by the pot, eyes shining brightly. Watching this, her face was full of admiration. Silas was amazing.
"Just like that, don't rush."
With Silas guiding her step by step, she quickly grasped the technique.
Batch after batch of fish balls were scooped out and transferred into the clear soup pot, where they were cooked with the vegetables over high heat.
A drop or two of sesame oil was added, along with a sprinkle of chopped green onions, and the dish was complete.
The unique aroma of fish balls drifted out of the kitchen. Morpeko, who had been waiting at the door, was the first to smell it. The snacks in its pouch instantly lost their appeal.
"Go call John back. I'll serve you a bowl first."
Silas grabbed a piping hot fish ball and handed it to Morpeko. Even though it was hot, Morpeko swallowed it immediately.
The delicious taste made its eyes light up. It cried out happily and dashed out of the house at full speed toward the winter fishing lake.
"Cyc!"
"Stand properly. Straighten your back."
Cyclizar was being punished, standing against the wall with a dejected look. When Silas spoke, it immediately straightened up, though its eyes kept drifting toward the kitchen, the aroma making it swallow repeatedly.
Ignoring Cyclizar, Silas walked outside.
The older brother Indeedee was grilling fish for the cats.
"The fish balls are ready. Go inside and let younger sister serve you a bowl. Eat while it's hot, it's good for you."
He pinched Litten's cheeks. Among all of them, fish balls had the greatest effect on it.
"Meow?"
"If you eat it, there's a chance you can evolve sooner."
"Meow!"
Upon hearing that, Litten instantly dashed forward like a rocket, taking the lead.
Shaking his head with a smile, Silas called over Dragonite, Kangaskhan, and the others to come eat.
Before Silas could even enter the house, Morpeko returned with John. Morpeko was still urging him to hurry.
There were plenty of fish balls, enough for every Pokémon to have a bowl.
Silas invited John inside and personally served him and Morpeko a full bowl.
"Go ahead and eat. John, you're experienced with food. Give me your opinion."
"I'll just have a taste."
John took a sniff, then eagerly picked up a fish ball and took a big bite.
A look of satisfaction and happiness immediately appeared on his face. "Delicious. Even better than Penny's cooking."
"But don't let her hear you say that."
"Hahaha!"
The two burst into laughter. Inside the house, the Pokémon ate mouthful after mouthful, except for one punished Pokémon, who could only watch longingly.
Silas took a bite with satisfaction and once again checked the fish balls' status panel.
(End of Chapter)