Diancie and Minccino also stepped forward to comfort the other Pokémon. Before long, the crying gradually stopped.
At Silas's signal, Popplio waddled up and offered an apology.
"Lioo…"
(I am sorry. I should not have scared you just now…)
The Pokémon curled up in Kangaskhan's arms slowly revealed a pair of small, pointed catlike ears.
"Puff puff."
It shook its head shyly, indicating that it was actually her own fault.
With the small misunderstanding eased, Popplio warmly invited the other to come play and even shared some of its snacks.
Soon, the two Pokémon walked hand in hand to Silas's side, and only then did Silas clearly see the newcomer's full appearance.
It was a Jigglypuff.
More precisely, a Jigglypuff with its little tuft of hair standing upright.
Jigglypuff was a round, pink, balloonlike Pokémon. It had a pair of catlike ears and large sparkling eyes. Its skin looked extremely soft and elastic, its arms were short and stubby, and its feet were comparatively larger.
Jigglypuff possessed remarkable lung capacity. It could keep humming until its opponent fell asleep. If it encountered someone who refused to sleep, it would continue singing without even pausing for breath.
It was said, or at least rumored, that anyone who could listen to Jigglypuff's singing without falling asleep would receive a special reward from it.
Studying the somewhat unique Jigglypuff in front of him, Silas shook his head thoughtfully.
Jigglypuff had a vocal range of over twelve semitones, but most of their songs leaned toward lullabies and gentle melodies. They had nothing to do with electronic music.
So the electronic tune he had heard earlier must have belonged to some other Pokémon.
Reaching out, Silas lightly squeezed Jigglypuff's soft, springy body. The texture was excellent. Smiling, he said to the three little ones, "Jigglypuff is one of the best singing Pokémon out there. You can learn a lot from her."
"Min!"
"Lioo!"
"Waaah!"
The three little ones' eyes lit up instantly, locking onto Jigglypuff with eager intensity.
"Jiggly."
Sensing danger, Jigglypuff quickly shook her head in refusal.
She did not want her singing voice to cause her idols to dislike her. She tightly closed her mouth, no matter how Diancie and the others tried to persuade her.
"All right, all right." Silas crouched down and gently picked Jigglypuff up. "Do not bully her."
He gently kneaded her cheeks with both hands. The feel was absolutely wonderful.
"Little Jigglypuff, where is your trainer?"
"Jigglypuff." She shook her head, indicating that she did not have a trainer. She had only noticed how lively it was here and had asked a Pidgeotto to bring her in to join the fun.
"Good… wait, no." Silas quickly stopped himself from finishing that thought.
No trainer was good. No trainer was very good.
Such a cute Jigglypuff would be perfect to help out at the ranch.
"Then do not wander off later, or Growlithe might carry you away and toss you out."
"Jiggly…"
Jigglypuff shrank slightly and nodded very seriously.
She had seen Growlithe before.
It was extremely fierce, able to stand toe to toe with Seviper and Zangoose. Dealing with her would probably take just one bite.
Taking in her reaction, Silas could only silently apologize to Growlithe in his heart.
"You can stay with us for now. There will be a very special fireworks show later. I guarantee it will be your first time seeing something like it."
Silas spoke with complete confidence, and Jigglypuff's curiosity was immediately piqued.
Beside them, Minccino and Popplio chimed in, assuring her that Silas was not lying. There really would be a beautiful fireworks performance.
At Silas's signal, Diancie took out some snacks and shared them with Jigglypuff. Before long, the three little ones and Jigglypuff were chatting and laughing together like old friends.
"Kang~"
Kangaskhan stepped up behind Silas and spoke softly.
"As expected of you, you understand me best," Silas said as he gave her a light pat. Then he made a quiet shushing gesture and replied in a low voice, "We cannot let Jigglypuff know just yet."
Kangaskhan rolled her eyes at him. He had used this same approach on Morpeko, on Minccino, and even on her.
Still, meeting Silas that day had been the luckiest moment of her life.
Her expression softened into a warm smile. Suddenly, she scooped Silas up in a big hug and rubbed her cheek against his, expressing her affection.
Silas lightly patted her in return. Together, they watched the three little ones chatting with Jigglypuff as the final program of the evening came to an end.
Only one last segment remained. The audience would vote for the best performance of the night.
"Min…"
(So nervous…)
"Jigglypuff Jigglypuff!"
Now it was Jigglypuff's turn to comfort the three little ones. She told them that their singing was so beautiful that everyone would surely love it.
To her, that was truly the case. There was even a hint of envy in her voice.
In the very front row of the audience, Cyclizar's ears were assaulted by a rapid series of clicking sounds.
Steven and Phione were repeatedly pressing the voting buttons in their hands, hoping to add more votes for the ranch band.
Unfortunately, it was pointless. Each button could only register one vote. Pressing it repeatedly only produced meaningless beeping sounds.
Cyclizar covered his ears irritably and let out a sigh.
"Cyc…"
Is earning one little red flower really that hard?
The button pressing only stopped when the host stepped onto the stage to announce the three most popular performances.
Holding the microphone, the host declared loudly, "In third place, Mr. Mime's mime performance. In second place, Cacnea. And in first place, the ranch band trio."
The moment the words fell, cheers exploded from the audience.
Steven lifted his camera and snapped photos enthusiastically. Phione broke free from Cyclizar's grasp and leapt straight into the frame.
In that instant, Cyclizar felt as if the sky had collapsed.
The mission was not completed, and the little red flower was gone.
On stage, the three little ones accepted the applause and praise from the audience. They even allowed little Phione to join them in taking photos.
Backstage, Jigglypuff watched with deep envy. If only her singing could be loved like that.
"Jigglypuff."
Silas waved a hand in front of her eyes. The little one looked lost in thought.
"Jiggly?"
"Would you like to come to the ranch later? You seem to really like Diancie and the others."
Silas extended a sincere invitation, a genuine smile on his face.
"Jigglypuff?"
Jigglypuff pointed at herself, asking if it was really possible.
"Of course. You would even get to hear Diancie and the others' new songs first."
The temptation was too great. Jigglypuff could not refuse.
"You can think about it," Silas said with a smile as he lifted her into his arms. "Now we are going to watch the fireworks show."
Many people and Pokémon stood on stage, while the audience turned in unison to face the sky behind them.
Whoosh. Boom.
The first firework shot up into the night sky and burst into a golden blossom. Countless shimmering fragments fell like meteors.
Everyone, human and Pokémon alike, lifted their heads to watch.
That first explosion was like a signal. Immediately afterward, countless fireworks bloomed across the sky.
Red like blazing flames, pink like glowing clouds, blue like the deep ocean, and fireworks dusted with silver and golden sparkles. When they burst, they resembled stars scattering across the heavens, illuminating the entire night as bright as day.
Some fireworks even formed the shapes of Pokémon. Snorlax, Charizard, and finally, the three little ones themselves, Minccino, Popplio, and Diancie, appeared in brilliant light across the sky.
Minccino grabbed Silas's hair excitedly, forcing him to tilt his head up to look.
Silas sighed inwardly. At this rate, he would go bald from Minccino's enthusiastic tugging sooner or later.
Diancie wrapped her arms around Silas's arm and lifted her little finger toward him. A faint blush colored her gemstone face, making her look exceptionally beautiful.
Popplio excitedly shared the sight with Silas and then eagerly with Jigglypuff, chattering endlessly.
Such a scene only strengthened Jigglypuff's desire to go to the ranch even more.
(End of Chapter)