The moment those words were spoken, the three Toedscool froze stiff on the spot. Their round eyes filled with sheer terror as their small tentacles hurriedly crossed in front of their bodies in defense.
They… they would absolutely never sell their bodies. Absolutely not!
"Scool? Scool!"
Their cries trembled with panic, their aggrieved and resistant expressions making it seem as though they were shouting something like "No, please don't!"
Their small bodies quivered, clearly misunderstanding what Silas meant by "compensating with yourselves."
After all, going to work at a ranch could also be considered a kind of "physical compensation."
"What are you even thinking about?" Silas waved his hands as he laughed, taking quite a while before he finally stopped and explained, "What I meant is that you come work at my ranch to repay the debt. I will cover the compensation for you first."
"While you are working at the ranch, not only will you get paid, but food and lodging are also included."
Hearing this, the Toedscool visibly relaxed a little. Silas followed up with another question, "So, what do you think?"
The slightly larger one stepped forward as their representative and asked weakly, "Scool?"
"Your work?" Silas immediately understood and patiently explained, "Growing mushrooms. I plan to build two mushroom houses, one for poisonous mushrooms and one for ordinary ones."
He pointed at them and continued, "Your ability, Mycelium Might, helps fungi and mushroom plants grow better. That is why I chose you."
Pokémon possessed intelligence not inferior to humans, so the Toedscool did not agree immediately. They needed to discuss it among themselves.
They had already learned that Silas's ranch was on another region.
Once they agreed, there would be no turning back, so they had to think carefully.
Silas had no objections and readily agreed.
After all, this was their first meeting. Both sides needed time to adjust and build trust.
Silas, however, had his own secret method.
Besides the necessary Toedscool, he also had other goals in mind.
He wanted to satisfy a bit of his collector's instinct.
The evolutions of Charcadet, Armarouge and Ceruledge, were among the few Pokémon that combined both strength and appearance.
If he had not encountered them before, that would be one thing, but now that he had, there was no way he would let them go.
Of course, he would not just keep them as decorations. They could absolutely be trained as members of a second team.
Shifting his gaze away from the quietly discussing Toedscool, Silas looked toward the two Charcadet sleeping while leaning against each other.
"Let's not disturb them. Cyclizar and I will make lunch."
"Cyc!" (Alright! Alright!)
Cyclizar was eager to try, lowering its body and waiting for instructions.
The man and his Pokémon quickly set up a simple campsite and began preparing lunch.
Nearby, Paldean Wooper and Greedent watched curiously.
Since they were already in Paldea, they definitely had to try making the local specialty, the Paldea sandwich.
To make a sandwich, bread and a meat patty were essential base ingredients, paired with various fresh toppings and seasonings.
As a cook, Silas naturally carried all of these with him.
He laid out the ingredients, filling the entire picnic mat.
Cyclizar leaned in, tilting its big head as it stared at the wide variety of ingredients, letting out a hesitant call, "Cyc?"
"Don't rush. I will make one for you first to fill your stomach."
Silas gently patted Cyclizar, then turned to set up a small pot. He first fried the meat patty until it sizzled with aroma and toasted the bread until it was crispy on the outside and soft inside.
The next step was filling it with ingredients.
Since Cyclizar was a Normal and Dragon type Pokémon, soft tofu was a must. He placed it on the pan and lightly fried it.
He sliced a whole avocado and added a bit of spicy sauce.
Just like that, a Paldea style sandwich was complete.
"Cyc… Cyc!"
Cyclizar pointed at it, questioning why the sandwich only had half the bread and no top layer. Could that even be considered a sandwich?
"Do not doubt it. This is the Paldea style sandwich."
Trusting Silas, Cyclizar opened its mouth wide, ready to take a bite.
Just as it was about to bite down, Silas suddenly stopped it.
He hurriedly sliced a yellow pepper and quickly added the slices.
He had almost forgotten that Cyclizar's typing were changing. It was now a Normal, Dragon, and Electric type Pokémon.
Cyclizar sniffed it and, finding nothing strange, took a big bite.
The bread, meat patty, tofu, and yellow pepper combined into a flavor that was incredibly delicious for Cyclizar.
Instead of blending into one overwhelming taste, the flavors layered together in a unique way.
"Cyc!!"
One bite was enough to make Cyclizar fall in love with it. Its eyes widened in delight.
"How does it taste?"
Before Silas could finish asking, Cyclizar, afraid someone might take it away, quickly devoured the entire sandwich in just a few bites, then licked its lips with lingering satisfaction.
"Cyc!!!" (Super, super delicious!)
Cyclizar showed no restraint in expressing its love. It still looked unsatisfied, lifting its head and pawing at Silas with eager eyes, clearly wanting another one.
Silas lightly tapped its nose and nodded. "No problem. This time I will make something a little different."
The best thing about Paldea sandwiches was their high level of customization. Everyone had their own variation.
Using the same ingredients but changing the order, Silas made another sandwich. When he checked it with his special ability, the effect had changed slightly.
[Silas' Custom Sandwich (B): A freely assembled variation of the standard Paldea sandwich. Different ingredient choices lead to changes in effects.
Dish Effect: After consumption, the power of Normal, Dragon, and Electric type moves increases. At the same time, the Pokémon gains a large amount of Electric type insight, with a chance to learn a corresponding move.]
The description was almost identical to before, with only the last part slightly changed.
Silas guessed that the effect depended on the proportion and importance of specific ingredients, and this time, the yellow pepper was the main component.
Overall, the effect lived up to its B rank.
Without rare ingredients, B rank was already the upper limit for dishes made from ordinary ingredients.
Cyclizar shoved its big head forward and took a deep sniff, trying to satisfy its craving, then eagerly opened its mouth waiting to be fed.
Naturally, Silas did not disappoint. Smiling, he brought the custom sandwich to Cyclizar's mouth.
Cyclizar bit down once and ate half of it in a single bite, finishing the rest in just a few more bites before revealing a look of pure enjoyment.
The final effect did not trigger, and Cyclizar did not learn a new move, which was expected since the probability was very low.
After eating its fill, Cyclizar leaned against Silas's leg and dozed lightly.
With some free time now, Silas began making sandwiches suited to the Toedscool's typing.
After checking the effects, there were no major changes, which did not surprise him. As long as the Pokémon liked it, that was what mattered.
Suddenly, a low, deep barking sound came from the distance, carrying a hint of intimidation.
A large group of wild Pokémon scattered in fear. It was clearly a Pokémon with the Intimidate ability.
Along with a rustling sound, the bushes shook, and from within them emerged a new member of Paldea's native cat and dog Pokémon species, appearing right before everyone.
(End of Chapter)