[Coconut Crab Soup (B+): A marvelous fusion of sweetness and sweetness, different layers of sweet flavors blending together in one pot. Every sip is pure enjoyment. One of the cooking ingredients used to make Century Soup.
Dish effect: Century Soup – Sweet]
With one hand pressing down Morpeko, who was scratching at his pant leg, Silas opened the detailed description of the dish's effect.
[Century Soup – Sweet: A clearly layered sweetness. One of the dishes used to create Century Soup. After consumption, grants a short term Sweet Burst buff.]
After carefully reading the extended explanation, Silas roughly understood what the Sweet Burst buff did.
Through methods such as gentle stroking or singing, it could dispel negative emotions within a Pokémon and restore it to a normal communicative state.
Both humans and Pokémon could benefit from it.
This immediately reminded Silas of the out of control Mega Manectric from before. With this soup, perhaps there would be no need to fight in similar situations.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the final line in bold.
[Note: Additional effects when used on Shadow Pokémon.]
Overall, it was an excellent dish. It seemed necessary to keep some of the ingredients stocked for unexpected situations.
While Silas was thinking, Morpeko at his feet grew impatient.
Breaking free from Silas's hand, it scampered up onto his shoulder and imitated Minccino by tugging at his hair.
Thump.
Silas flicked it firmly on the head. Morpeko instantly clutched its head in pain. This was not how it had imagined things going.
It had clearly seen that whenever Minccino tugged Silas's hair, Silas would gently comfort it. Why was it getting knocked on the head instead?
Such a small head, yet filled with such a big question.
Silas did not think much of it. One mouse tugging at his hair was already enough to thin it out. If there were two, what would become of him? This behavior had to be stopped at the very beginning.
He had no intention of going bald at such a young age.
"Morpeko…"
Morpeko looked pitiful, tilting its head and sneaking glances at Silas.
Silas glanced back, then immediately filled a large bowl with soup and even scooped out extra crab sticks into it.
"This bowl is for Morpeko. Can you forgive me?"
"Morpe?"
(Really?)
Silas nodded.
Morpeko's tears vanished instantly. A huge grin spread across its face.
If there is delicious food, what else is there to say? Silas, you can knock me a few more times if you want.
As expected of you, Morpeko.
Holding the large, brimming bowl, Morpeko let out a silly, satisfied smile.
"Litten, would you like a bowl?"
Silas waved toward Litten, who was quietly lying by the window.
Litten sniffed the air. It did not like sweet food.
"Meow."
"Alright then. Help me keep an eye on Morpeko so it does not sneak extra sips."
Litten padded silently over to Morpeko's side, its amber eyes locking firmly onto it.
"Morpeko?"
With its cheeks puffed out, Morpeko looked up at Litten and gave it a flattering smile.
Silas served himself a bowl first. The flavor truly was excellent.
He carefully sensed his body, but there was no obvious change.
Perhaps it required a specific target to trigger.
He did not dwell on it and decided to call the others over so everyone could have a taste.
Even though the cooking effect only lasted for a limited time, who knew whether it might gradually improve their physical condition?
This had already been clearly demonstrated in Alolan Meowth and Litten.
They only carried out relatively basic daily training, yet their rate of improvement was several times faster than other Pokémon of the same kind.
That was entirely thanks to the food Silas personally prepared, which provided them with strong logistical support.
He first went to the lake. Only Relicanth, the living fossil, remained in the water.
A string of bubbles rose to the surface.
"Even Veluza was called away by Minccino and the others to help?" Silas nodded in understanding. "Looks like that Inkay is not easy to catch."
After all, that Inkay had tormented Silas many times, to the point that he no longer felt like fishing by the sea.
Sitting there all day only to reel in shells, stones, seaweed, or Magikarp would make anyone lose interest.
At first, Silas suspected he had chosen the wrong fishing spot.
Then one day, he accidentally reeled in Inkay along with a Magikarp.
Only then did he realize that the trouble had been caused by that mischievous squid all along.
He had wanted nothing more than to catch it and give its little backside a thorough spanking.
Relicanth slowly sank back to the bottom of the lake as Silas walked along the stream toward the beach.
Crossing the small bridge and reaching the estuary, he heard noisy commotion from a distance.
Inkay had been driven onto the sand and was being surrounded and intercepted by the little ones led by Minccino.
Why was it not fleeing into the sea?
Was it because it did not want to?
Obviously not.
It was because land was safer.
In the sea were Veluza, Clauncher, Popplio, and Phione, especially Veluza.
Even though Veluza was only helping casually, a random attack from it would be more than Inkay could endure.
Minccino and the others were not chasing blindly. They had a strategy.
They steadily compressed Inkay's movement space.
When the moment was right, Minccino shouted to the Floette.
The Floette understood at once. While blowing Fairy Wind, they extended their vine whips.
Fairy Wind, which had a type advantage, blew in from all directions. Inkay had nowhere to dodge and no space to escape.
After crying out in pain, its speed dropped noticeably.
The vine whips seized the opportunity and wrapped tightly around Inkay, bundling it up like a rice dumpling.
It could not move at all.
Minccino trotted forward and lightly patted Inkay as if saying, "Now you cannot run. Accept your punishment."
Jigglypuff stepped forward, still puffed up in anger, and used its marker microphone to draw a small turtle on Inkay.
Minccino and the others followed suit.
In no time, Inkay's body was covered in little turtle drawings.
"Wait for me. I want to vent my frustration too."
Silas squeezed in from behind and took the marker from Cyclizar.
Instead of drawing a turtle, he added a pair of dark circles around Inkay's eyes.
"Perfect."
Clapping his hands, Silas nodded in satisfaction.
"Let it go. But if you cause trouble again next time…"
Kangaskhan stepped beside Silas and gave Inkay a fierce look.
The usually troublesome Inkay was now incredibly obedient, shaking its head like a rattling drum and promising it would never do bad things again.
That promise was only worth listening to lightly.
With a signal from Silas, the Floette released it.
Inkay shot off like a fleeing alarm light.
After running a considerable distance, it still could not suppress its nature and stuck out its tongue at them.
Minccino raised its tiny fist, signaling that next time they met, it would teach Inkay another lesson.
"Alright, alright." Silas picked up Minccino and started walking back. "I made a very delicious dish this afternoon. Everyone come and have some."
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen Pokémon clustered around him and headed back together.
While they were drinking the soup, Silas informed Kangaskhan and the others of an important decision.
He was going to challenge the Shalour Gym again.
This time, he would take back everything that belonged to him.
(End of Chapter)