After deducting the three million spent on building the large villa, only a little over one hundred thousand League coins remained on the books.
For the time being, he could not buy toys for the Pokémon. The monthly sales at the Pokémon Toy shop in Coumarine City were bound to drop significantly.
Placing the account book and the design blueprints on a low stool nearby, Silas was just about to lie down while holding Chikorita.
The lounge chair suddenly shook. When he looked down, he saw Torracat and Cyclizar refusing to give way to each other, the two Pokémon squeezing and jostling one another.
"Meow." (This is my spot.)
"Cyc!" (Obviously it is mine!)
They bumped into each other again and again. Just as Silas was about to speak, Cyclizar gathered its strength and charged forward, while Torracat cleverly leaped back to dodge.
As a result, Cyclizar slammed straight into the lounge chair, and both the chair and Silas toppled over. Cyclizar ended up pressing down on Silas's chest.
"Meow!"
Torracat walked forward with graceful feline steps and lowered its head as if asking about his condition.
"You two really are…"
Silas sat up and gave each of them a light smack. Even just watching the commotion had gotten him dragged into it.
Fortunately, Chikorita was fine. When he fell, Silas had instinctively protected it in his arms.
Chikorita looked at him with concern, the tender green leaf on its head brushing against his cheek, releasing a faint fragrance along with a soft, soothing aura.
"I am not hurt. You are the most well behaved one."
He hugged the little one and gave it a kiss, then stood up and dusted off his clothes. Silas instructed, "You two take these things back. I will go take a look around the ranch."
"Cyc!"
"Meow meow."
Having just caused trouble, the two Pokémon were extremely obedient.
Cyclizar gathered up the lounge chair and the low stool and ran toward the cabin, while Torracat held the account book and blueprints in its mouth and followed behind.
"Little one, come walk with me."
"Chiko."
Near the earlier area, little Aerodactyl seemed to have endless energy. Combined with its stubborn, headstrong nature, it had been battling Perrserker, Clawitzer, and Charcadet ever since finishing its midday meal.
Judging from its condition, it would still take some time before it was completely exhausted.
After greeting Greninja, Silas took a walk around the ranch. Everything was in order, and eventually he arrived at fishing lake.
Along the lakeside sat a row of fishing enthusiasts. The atmosphere was silent, and everyone stared unblinkingly at their floats.
There was no need to guess. Not a single person had caught a fish today.
Moving lightly past them, Silas walked to the opposite bank, where several Slowpoke were lying on a small wooden bridge.
Their tails were dipped in the water. Even when Silas approached, they merely let out a slow, vacant "Slow…" sound.
Because of their natural disposition, Slowpoke were extremely slow to react. To them, fear simply did not exist. It was precisely for this reason that Silas could observe them up close.
"Slow?"
"Slooow."
"Slo…ow."
The Slowpoke lay back down again, occasionally letting out lazy calls.
After watching them for a while, Silas began to consider whether he should catch a few Shellder to try evolving these Slowpoke.
Without realizing it, an hour passed until Cinccino came running over.
Several small Pokémon surrounded Silas, and Cinccino jumped onto his shoulder to report.
"Cin cin."
After more than two hours of training, little Aerodactyl had been completely drained and had finally collapsed.
"Got it. I will head back soon."
After saying that, Cinccino ran toward the Slowpoke and patted their heads with its tiny paws.
"Cin~"
"Slow!"
"Slow…"
No one knew what the little ones said, but the Slowpoke lifted their tails out of the water and extended them in front of Cinccino. Then, the pinkish white gradient tips at the ends suddenly broke off.
"Cin?!!"
Cinccino was startled and immediately threw the Slowpoke tail away, then dashed into Silas's arms in a panic.
"It is fine, it is fine. Slowpoke tails often fall off. They can regenerate."
Silas patted Cinccino's back and explained.
With Chikorita's help, he used Vine Whip to retrieve the detached tail.
Just as his fingers touched it, the system panel unexpectedly popped up.
[Slowpoke Tail: A gift that Slowpoke give to their friends. It tastes sweet, and biting into it brings a feeling of happiness]
After hearing Silas's explanation, Cinccino calmed down, poked its head out, and ran back to the Slowpoke. With its hands on its hips, it scolded them with the serious expression of an older sister.
"Go find Indeedee and get some berries for the Slowpoke to replenish their nutrition. Their tails will grow back soon."
"Cin Cin!"
Cinccino nodded vigorously. As it turned to leave, it even waved its little paw at the Slowpoke, signaling them to stay put and not go anywhere.
Silas's attention shifted to the Slowpoke tail in front of him. This was his first time seeing a freshly detached one.
As for how it felt…
Cool to the touch, soft and bouncy in his hand, almost like a piece of jelly candy.
Silas brought it to his mouth and took a small bite. The unique flavor of Slowpoke tail spread through his mouth, three to four times better than what he had tasted in restaurants.
He pinched off a tiny piece and placed it on his palm, feeding it to Chikorita. "Little one, give it a try too."
Chikorita did not hesitate. Its moist little tongue curled around the piece, and the moment it swallowed, it let out an excited sound.
The difference between fresh and preserved was like night and day. If he remembered correctly, Cloyster, the evolved form of Shellder, particularly loved Slowpoke tails and would sometimes even come onto land in search of them.
In that case, why could he not use Slowpoke tail together with Moltres feathers to create a dish?
No, using ordinary Slowpoke tails would not work.
Regular Slowpoke tails were sweet, which did not pair well with fire type ingredients. The best choice would be the Galarian form of Slowpoke, whose tails had a spicy flavor that matched perfectly with fire.
His train of thought suddenly opened up. If Slowpoke did not work…
He still had another option. He could try Exeggutor.
If neither option worked, he would have to change his approach and keep experimenting.
For the sake of his three form cat, it seemed necessary to make a trip to the Galar region.
However, that would have to wait until November, after his Champion Challenge.
Over the next ten or so days, he had no time to waste.
He needed to conduct an intensive training session with his Pokémon, bringing them to their best condition to face the Champion Challenge.
Celebrating too early would be a mistake. Today counted as the final day of rest.
He carefully stored the Slowpoke tail. When Cinccino returned with a few berries and fed them to the Slowpoke, Silas informed Gario and the others that he would be staying in seclusion at the ranch for a period of time.
"Good luck!"
"We will be cheering for you in front of the TV."
"… "
Everyone offered their encouragement one after another. Silas accepted it gladly, waved goodbye, and left ahead of them.
After returning to the ranch, he began processing the Slowpoke tail.
Simply blanching it, slicing it, and pairing it with a light dipping sauce already made for a delicious dish.
At first, Cinccino refused to eat it, but after Silas fed it a piece, it immediately changed its mind and found it irresistible.
So much so that when only a few slices remained, it hugged them tightly and refused to let Morpeko, Brionne, and the others have any.
"Alright, alright. If you want to eat more, remember to feed the Slowpoke every day. They will grow new tails."
Silas distributed one slice to each Pokémon, and gave the extra two slices to Cinccino.
"Cin Cin~" (Silas, you eat with me.)
Cinccino held out a slice with its small hands. Silas opened his mouth and accepted the feeding. This piece tasted especially sweet.
Leisure time was short. Early the next morning, Silas gathered all of his Pokémon together.
(End of Chapter)