"What kind of dish should I use to get closer to the Electric and Poison type Toxtricity?"
Resting his chin on one hand, Silas stared at the wide variety of ingredients inside the refrigerator, feeling conflicted.
Electric type ingredients were easy enough to handle since he had the legendary item, Zapdos feathers.
It was the Poison type ingredients that were difficult to find.
If he had known earlier that he would end up taking in Poison type Pokémon, he would have stored all the poisonous mushrooms he gathered with Chatot back in the spring.
Now he had no choice but to think of another way and look for other toxic ingredients.
"I got it!"
Closing the refrigerator, Silas quickly headed outside.
In just a few steps, he arrived by the ranch lake and called out to the Veluza that was training itself underwater.
"Could you help me find Clawitzer and catch two or three pufferfish? And if possible, bring back some Skrelp or Dragalge seaweed too."
"Velu!"
Veluza blew out a string of bubbles in agreement, flicked its tail like an arrow leaving a bow, and darted off through the waterway into the sea.
Silas stayed where he was, subconsciously stroking his chin as if he had a beard, falling into thought.
The Toxtricity had already agreed to Jigglypuff's invitation and officially joined its rock band.
That made them half family now, so it was only natural to prepare their daily meals.
Catching pufferfish from the sea could only be a temporary solution, not something suitable for regular consumption.
What he really needed were poisonous mushrooms. Not only were they abundant, but they also came in many varieties, each with its own distinct flavor.
Boletus mushrooms, fly agaric mushrooms with red caps and white spots, deadly white mushrooms… each one came with its own unique way of being fatal.
Aside from cultivating poisonous mushrooms, he could also grow other edible fungi.
Just imagining mushroom soup in winter was enough to make his mouth water.
Silas made up his mind. He would build two mushroom houses.
There was plenty of space in the ranch, but what he lacked were Pokémon to take care of them.
Parasect?
Silas immediately shook his head and rejected the idea. Parasect was simply too terrifying.
If the mushroom controlling Parasect learned that he was growing mushrooms for eating, who knew what it would think.
It was worth noting that what controlled Parasect was not the insect body beneath, but the mushroom on its back.
Amoonguss, Breloom, Shiinotic?
One by one, Silas ruled them out. Each had its own drawbacks when it came to cultivating mushrooms, and most importantly, none of them could accelerate fungal growth.
Without acceleration, it would be impossible to grow them during winter.
That left only one option.
A Pokémon that resembled Tentacool but ran through forests on two legs, the wood ear Pokémon, Toedscool.
They possessed a unique ability, Mycelium Might.
In battle, the ability might seem unremarkable, allowing status moves to bypass opposing abilities.
But according to Pokémon researchers, areas where Toedscool appeared were often accompanied by large scale fungal growth, most likely influenced by Mycelium Might.
Using them to cultivate mushrooms would undoubtedly be the best choice.
Having made up his mind, Silas planned to visit Camille's Pokémon Ranch shop after lunch. If they did not have any, he would take some time to travel to Paldea himself.
For Silas, solving the food problem for his Pokémon was worth any distance.
To him, every Pokémon in the ranch was like family. Ensuring they ate well, lived comfortably, and played happily was more important than anything else.
Besides, raising a few Toedscool could also expand the ranch's food supply. He had heard that the thin slices shed from their bodies were extremely delicious.
As a true food enthusiast, Silas had long wanted to try them.
Maybe he could even turn them into a dish.
Just as he was thinking, the sound of water rippling came from a nearby stream.
Veluza returned in front, with Clawitzer following behind. The two Pokémon had completed their task.
"Claw!" (Silas, Silas!)
Clawitzer raised its claw high and forcefully tossed three pufferfish onto the shore.
The moment they landed, their bellies puffed up into round balls, perfect for polishing shoes.
"Thanks. I will use them to make sashimi for the Toxtricity later. Do you want some?"
"Claw!" (Silas should not eat this. It is poisonous!)
Shaking its head, Clawitzer crawled onto the shore and gently placed its smaller claw on Silas's palm.
"Claw~" (I am about to replace my claw. I will share it with you.)
"Really? Thank you."
The Pokémon's willingness to share made Silas feel warm inside.
He held both the large and small claws and gently shook them. The larger claw already felt a bit loose.
It had grown again. Clawitzer's size had visibly increased.
"Wait… something is not right."
Shaking his head, Silas suddenly realized something.
"Clawitzer, stay still. Let me measure you."
A standard Clawitzer should be about 1.3 meters tall. His shiny Clawitzer had once been malnourished and had only recently recovered.
Taking out a measuring tape, Silas spread his arms and measured carefully.
Then he fell silent.
His Clawitzer had already exceeded the average, reaching 1.4 meters.
In just a few months, it had grown this much. Reaching the upper limit of its species was only a matter of time.
At this rate, it might even become an Alpha Pokémon.
A red and blue shiny Alpha Clawitzer … that sounded pretty amazing.
"Has your appetite increased lately?"
"Claw!"
Clawitzer nodded without hesitation. It trusted Silas completely.
Recently, it would wake up in the middle of the night feeling hungry and needed to eat another meal.
"That is fine. I will prepare half more food for you from now on. Eat more."
"Claw~"
Clawitzer nodded vigorously.
Setting that aside for the moment, Silas turned his attention to the seaweed that Veluza had brought back.
Amid the decaying smelling seaweed grew clusters of purple grape like fruits.
"What is this?"
"Velu!"
"You raided the Skrelp nest and found this there? Skrelp and Dragalge like eating it?"
The fish and the shrimp both nodded, guessing that Silas might need it, so they brought some back.
[Sea Grapes (Toxic Variant): Originally normal sea grapes, but due to environmental changes, they had been contaminated by the potent toxins of Dragalge. Non Poison type Pokémon should not consume them.]
"Good stuff."
Silas's eyes lit up. This would make a perfect dessert.
"Can you get a bit more…"
Before he could finish, Clawitzer eagerly prepared to leave, but Silas quickly stopped it.
"They are our neighbors. No need to be forceful."
He took out a few dragon scales shed by the Noivern.
"These should be useful to Skrelp and Dragalge. Take them and trade."
Even though they were just shed scales, they still contained traces of pure Dragon energy.
For Pokémon like Dragalge, which were pseudo dragon types, it was difficult to naturally produce large amounts of Dragon energy.
The Pokédex even stated that Dragalge relied on absorbing sunlight to convert energy, as it could not produce it on its own.
The two Pokémon set down their items, picked up the dragon scales, and quickly left.
While waiting for them to return, Silas carefully separated the toxic sea grapes, putting on gloves and a mask before handling them.
Just as he was collecting them, a small deer suddenly skimmed across the surface of the lake from the other side, as if walking on water.
In a flash, it rushed up to Silas and decomposed the toxic sea grapes.
After finishing, the little Pokémon raised its head proudly, as if to say there was no need to thank it.
Silas froze.
That had been close.
Just a little more, and he might have been poisoned.
(End of Chapter)