As for the autumn seeds, Silas only selected four varieties, not counting the sugar beet seeds that John had given him yesterday.
The four autumn crops were yam seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanut seeds, and cranberry seeds.
Yams were excellent whether stewed or fried, and they could also be made into yam glutinous rice cakes as snacks for the little ones.
Pumpkins were even more versatile. Their seeds and flesh were both useful, and even the pumpkin shells could be crafted into decorations.
Peanuts were an economic crop for the ranch, while cranberries could serve as small winter snacks for the cats when they stayed indoors during the cold months. Their sweet and sour taste was very popular.
Silas poured out two or three seeds from each of the four small paper bags into his palm and examined them carefully. Every single seed was plump and round. There was nothing to criticize about the quality.
"John, you really have a good eye. It looks like my ranch will have another bumper harvest this autumn."
"Hahaha!"
John burst into hearty laughter, clearly in an unexpectedly good mood.
He explained to Silas the planting methods for the four autumn crop seeds as well as some precautions. Silas gained a great deal from the conversation.
After chatting with John for a while longer, Silas finally called over Cyclizar and hurried back before lunchtime.
If Penny returned from shopping, he would not be able to leave so easily. She would certainly insist that he stay for lunch.
Carrying the seeds with him, Silas quickly returned to the ranch.
The moment he arrived, the Galarian Meowth and Litten gave him a huge surprise.
In front of the ranch house were two baskets filled to the brim with fish.
A quick glance showed quite a variety.
There were tiger trout, big eyed fish, western herring, and a particularly ugly looking Monkfish.
The Monkfish had rows of fine sharp teeth inside its mouth. It was a carnivorous fish that usually lurked in coral reefs and other complex terrains, preying on smaller creatures.
Among fishing enthusiasts, this type of fish was known as the King of Fish. Its fierce temperament made it very difficult to catch with a fishing rod.
When Silas saw it, he quickly walked over to Litten.
He scooped Litten up and checked it over from head to toe. Litten was not injured.
He then had the Galarian Meowth turn around beside him. Seeing no wounds on its body, Silas finally felt relieved.
"You two are really bold. Getting bitten by that would hurt a lot."
Upon hearing this, the Galarian Meowth raised its paws and showed them to Silas.
It seemed to be saying that it had relied on these very claws to catch that ugly fellow.
"Meow."
Litten squeezed its way closer and rubbed against Silas's palm, as if insisting that it had contributed as well.
It had been a joint effort between the two cats to capture the ugly fish.
"Alright, alright. You two are amazing."
Silas felt a bit helpless. He had not expected Litten to get jealous.
"We'll eat this one first at noon. Do you want it braised in soy sauce, steamed, or made into soup?"
Monkfish liver was praised as the foie gras of the sea. It could be boiled, sliced, and dipped in sauce, or stewed together with fish meat and tofu for a delicious soup.
Galarian Meowth: "Meow~" (Braised)
Litten: "Meow!" (Soup)
The two cats each insisted on their own preference, glaring at each other.
"Alright, alright. Half braised, half made into soup."
Silas stepped in to stop their argument.
The Monkfish was large enough that even half would make a big pot.
The two cats accepted Silas's arrangement. The Galarian Meowth continued helping to clean the catch.
Litten affectionately rubbed against the back of Silas's hand, a gentle purring sound rumbling in its throat.
Silas reached out to scratch under its chin, telling the little cat to wait a moment.
Morpeko, who had been observing them with its small eyes from the side, suddenly ran over and held its belly with both hands.
"Hungry?"
Morpeko nodded vigorously, flashing a flattering smile.
It looked as if it were saying that its stomach was completely empty and it was starving.
"Let me feel."
Just as Silas reached out, Morpeko hurriedly dodged away, refusing to let him touch its belly.
Anyone at the ranch might go hungry, but Morpeko certainly would not.
Ignoring the little rascal, Silas went to help Indeedee brother and sister process the large basket of fish.
Today was different from last time. They had caught a lot of fish.
They might not finish it all in one day, so part of it needed to be stored in the refrigerator.
Silas focused mainly on handling the King of Fish, the Monkfish.
The teeth in its mouth had to be cut off with scissors. The fish was then cut open along the mouth. Apart from the liver, everything else could be eaten, and the process was not much different from handling an ordinary fish.
Lunch was a feast of fish. When Silas placed the final dish of Monkfish soup on the table, a panel popped up before his eyes.
[Full Fish Banquet (A-): Made with several different types of fish using various cooking methods. Because of the addition of the King of Fish, the dish's effect has changed.
Dish Effect: The Legendary Path of the Fishing Enthusiast. Fishing level plus three. For the next month, there is a high probability of catching the King of Fish.
Note: Because this King of Fish was not caught with a fishing rod, the effect is halved.]
Well then.
If the method of obtaining the ingredient was incorrect, the effect would be cut in half.
Still, a fishing level increase of three and a high probability of catching the King of Fish within the next month was an unexpected delight. In the future, the ranch might end up with more fish than they could possibly eat.
The only exception would be if they encountered that troublemaker, Inkay.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Silas called out to the Pokémon. "Let's eat."
"Morpe!"
The gluttonous Morpeko was the first to respond, grabbing a piece of fish with its bare hands and stuffing it into its mouth.
The heat made it hop in place, yet it refused to spit the food out.
After swallowing it hastily, it gulped down a large mouthful of fruit juice, then revealed an excited expression. It was incredibly delicious.
Silas served himself a bowl of rice, tasted the fish meat, then took a small sip of apple wine. He quickly finished a large bowl of rice.
The fish meat was extremely delicious and convenient to eat, truly worthy of the name King of Fish.
The braised portion was firm yet tender and springy, while the fish soup was rich and flavorful.
Most importantly, the fish had no small bones, only the main spine.
He and the Pokémon ate downstairs, while Kangaskhan and the little Phione were upstairs. Silas had not forgotten about them.
After lunch and a short rest, Silas planned to plant the four new types of seeds.
One field was planted with peanuts, another with cranberries.
The last field was divided into two halves, one for yams and one for pumpkins.
It took several hours of busy work before all the seeds were planted. Silas signaled to the Mudsdale that they could use Rototiller.
The Mudsdale even used Rototiller one extra time on the pumpkin field, since pumpkins were their favorite food.
At the same time, however, something significant was happening in the orchard.
After finishing lunch and returning, Litten began its usual patrol.
With a few agile leaps, it reached the treetops. It leaned close to a berry, sniffed it with its nose, then stretched out a paw to prod it.
A not yet ripe Pecha Berry dropped to the ground with a thud, rolling several times.
Litten approached cautiously and discovered a large hole gnawed into the berry.
The tender flesh inside had been completely eaten, leaving only the outer skin.
There was a thief.
Litten first suspected that the Butterfree had abused their position and stolen from what they were supposed to guard.
It quickly found them in a corner of the orchard and greeted them with a fireball.
After subduing the Butterfree, Litten was certain it was not them.
That meant there was another bug.
Litten flattened its ears, its amber eyes narrowing into thin slits. Its mouth opened slightly, revealing sharp fangs.
It hissed.
A bad bug had sneaked in while it was away and even dared to steal berries. That was unforgivable.
Calling over the two Butterfree, Litten began searching tree by tree. It had to find the naughty bug.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Damn, poor Butterfrees always blamed and beaten up.