"Shay—min~"
Drawing out each syllable, Silas grabbed Shaymin, who was trying to sneak away on raised hooves, pinned it down, and began tickling its sides.
He had just painstakingly gathered a plate of highly toxic sea grapes, and Shaymin had gone and ruined all of them, purifying them into ordinary sea grapes.
"Shay…" (I did not mean it, Silas…)
Shaymin spoke weakly, sneaking a glance at him.
"Shay!" (I was just afraid you would get poisoned.)
"Do I look that stupid to you, you silly little deer?"
He raised his hand and gave it a firm knock on the head. Shaymin immediately clutched its head and whimpered, putting on an exaggerated expression of pain.
Silas rolled his eyes. This little one was even better at acting than Cinccino. It was a full blown drama queen, relying on its cuteness to do whatever it wanted.
Could cuteness really get away with anything?
Cinccino would tell you that yes, it absolutely could.
Against Silas, it was especially effective, leaving him completely defenseless.
After gathering all the remaining toxic sea grapes, he only managed to fill a small plate, barely enough to make up for what had been wasted earlier.
Before long, Clawitzer and Veluza returned again, this time bringing back even more sea grapes, already collected and cleaned, ready to eat after a quick rinse.
"You did not bully the Dragalge, right?"
"Claw!"
Clawitzer raised its large claw and shook its head. They had not forced anything. After seeing the dragon scales, the Dragalge had willingly offered the sea grapes.
They even said that if Silas needed more in the future, he could just trade with them again.
"That is good. Clawitzer, do not wander off later. Come meet your new companions."
Knocking lightly on its head, Silas picked up the toxic sea grapes and the three pufferfish, then called Shaymin to follow him back to the ranch house.
Before leaving, Shaymin used its special ability to absorb and purify any remaining toxins, then trotted after him.
After sending Shaymin off to watch cartoons in the living room, Silas quickly entered the kitchen to prepare Poison-type dishes for the Toxtricity brothers.
First was the pufferfish sashimi. With swift and precise movements, he sliced the fresh pufferfish into thin pieces and arranged them neatly on a plate.
He garnished it with ingredients favored by Poison-type Pokémon, with sliced green peppers being essential.
It was a pity that Toxtricity were not Fire and Poison types, otherwise fiery peppers could have been used as well.
After completing the final plating, the dish's information appeared before Silas.
[Pufferfish Sashimi (C Grade): A dangerous dish made from freshly sliced pufferfish, retaining its toxic parts. This dish is not suitable for most Pokémon.
Dish Effect: Toxic Enhancement. After consumption, Poison-type moves used by the Pokémon will be strengthened for a short period of time, lasting sixty minutes.]
Not bad. Barely presentable.
"Indeedee, help watch this carefully. Do not let Cinccino and the others eat it."
Handing the dish to the elder brother Indeedee beside him, Silas added a reminder.
"This is specially prepared for Toxtricity and Stunky. It is highly toxic."
"Indee!"
The male Indeedee responded seriously, using psychic power to suspend the three plates in front of him, keeping them out of reach of the others.
After cleaning up, Silas filled a jug of grape wine from the cellar and headed out to the grass in front of the house.
When the Pokémon saw him, they waved enthusiastically, holding up their favorite dishes and inviting him to join.
"You all eat well. Make sure your plates are empty today."
Smiling, Silas encouraged them before walking toward the center.
The two Toxtricity stood on either side of Jigglypuff, while Litleo and the others sat nearby, each with suitable food placed in front of them.
"This is a low alcohol grape wine for you. With the addition of toxic sea grapes, it becomes a poisonous drink. You should like it."
"Toxii!"
After swallowing a slice of pufferfish, the Toxtricity showed surprise. Taking a sip of the poisonous wine afterward, they were clearly enjoying themselves immensely.
They even felt as though their bodies had become stronger.
Delicious food was always a great way to build bonds. The Toxtricity were no longer as resistant toward Silas.
As expected, once you conquered a Pokémon's stomach, winning them over was easy.
After swallowing a piece of meat coated in chili powder, Litleo let out a satisfied cry while praising Silas's cooking.
"Roar!"
"If you like it, eat more. Do not be shy."
Just as Silas was speaking, Litten in his arms rubbed against his chest, purring softly to draw his attention.
"You little thing…"
Scratching Litten under the chin, Silas smiled helplessly.
A clingy kitten could be troublesome, but also impossible to resist.
…
Coumarine City, Camille Sisters' Shop.
"Rare guest, rare guest~"
Camille greeted him with a professional smile, warmly handing over a cup of hot tea.
"Are you looking to buy Pokémon or other services? Pokémon massage, toys… we have everything!"
She enthusiastically introduced the shop's offerings.
"Then I will take some toys."
This was not Silas's first visit, and every time he came, he ended up spending money impulsively.
He simply could not resist buying interesting and fun toys for his Pokémon.
Unfortunately, most of them would only stay interested for a day or two.
The storage room was already filled with toys and various treasures collected by the Pokémon.
"Alright!"
"Wait, wait, Camille. Hold on for a moment. I want to ask if you have Toedscool. I want to use them to grow mushrooms."
Camille turned around with an apologetic expression.
"Toedscool need to be pre ordered. Are you sure you want them?"
"How long would it take?"
Silas cared most about the timing.
"About a month. It depends on whether there are any already raised in Paldea."
"A month? Then forget it."
Watching Camille go to retrieve the newly arrived toys, Silas lowered his head in thought.
If it were just a week, he could wait, but a month was too long. He might as well make a trip to Paldea himself.
With Dragonite, a round trip would only take a day.
"Three hundred forty League coins, but I will charge you three hundred."
After paying, Silas handed the large bag of toys to Cyclizar to carry.
There were too many Pokémon at the ranch. If he did not buy enough, they would end up fighting over them again.
"Oh right, Miss Camille, I wanted to ask about Coumarine Festival…"
"I see. Understood."
After thanking her, Silas left the shop and took Cyclizar to find Gym Leader Gurkinn.
He explained his request.
Gurkinn listened with a warm and pleased smile, his aged face blooming like a flower.
To him, Silas was no different from a grandson.
With Gurkinn's help, Silas's confession plan would be flawless.
"Cyclizar, let us head home."
"Cyc!"
Cyclizar immediately shifted into riding mode, inviting Silas to hop on, its body swaying eagerly with excitement.
As soon as Silas returned home, he was surrounded by a crowd of Pokémon.
They had new toys to play with again.
They rushed off in excitement, though it was hard to say how long their interest would last.
Silas did not have time to worry about that now. His transceiver lit up, and Steven brought good news.
They had found a suitable Wailord.
With both Pokémon needed to awaken the Regi trio now ready, the two quickly reached an agreement to try it out the next day.
(End of Chapter)