"Big Dragonite, let me tell you something," Silas said as he placed Dragonair on his lap and scratched under its chin with his large hand. "You little rascal."
Dragonair wrapped itself around Silas affectionately. It was quite the little glutton as well.
He took out some rich and fragrant Poffins from his shoulder bag and distributed them to the eager Dragonair and Dratini, who were staring at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Draa!"
Instead, Giant Dragonite seemed dissatisfied and urged Silas to continue his story.
Its eyes sparkled brightly, filled with curiosity about the ranch Silas was describing.
"There is also a large group of Pokémon living underground at the ranch. Diancie and the Carbink stay there."
"Sometimes other Pokémon that live underground come by to visit too. Everyone gets along very well, and the Carbink even entertain the guests."
A trace of envy appeared in Dragonite's eyes. Silas's ranch sounded wonderful.
"Draaa!"
It let out a low rumbling cry.
Cyclizar translated at the side, and Silas nodded to show he understood.
Even though Giant Dragonite had lived for thousands upon thousands of years, its mind was surprisingly pure, retaining a childlike innocence.
"If Big Dragonite wants to go…" Silas looked over its enormous body. In its current form, if it approached the Kalos region, it would likely cause widespread panic among humans and Pokémon alike.
He felt somewhat troubled, but when he noticed Giant Dragonite's mood gradually sinking, Silas made a promise.
"Big Dragonite, everyone at the ranch and I would love for you to come visit. You are always welcome to stay there too."
"It is just that your current size is too large. You would frighten the nearby humans and Pokémon."
He felt it was better to explain clearly from the start. He believed Giant Dragonite would understand.
Its eyes dimmed for a moment, but they quickly regained their brightness. It called out to Silas with a soft cry.
Through gestures and Cyclizar's help, it expressed that Silas could bring the other Pokémon from the ranch to Dragonite Island instead, so everyone could meet and get to know each other.
"Alright. Next time I will bring Kangaskhan and Minccino along."
Placing his hand on the massive Dragonite, Silas made a solemn promise. "When I find something that can help you shrink your size, I will take you to the ranch immediately."
Upon hearing this, Giant Dragonite broke into a huge smile. Then it spoke again in earnest tones.
It made a promise to Cyclizar that whenever Silas needed it, he could have Cyclizar transform to Miraidon and call it, and it would rush over as quickly as possible.
Seeing its serious little expression warmed Silas's heart. He firmly patted its claw.
Now there was only one final step left before he could truly bring Giant Dragonite home. Everything depended on whether his special system would come through.
It would be best if he could create a dish that allowed Giant Dragonite to freely control its size. That would require patient experimentation after returning home.
This trip to Dragonite Island had been incredibly worthwhile. Meeting Giant Dragonite was the greatest reward of all.
After washing and putting away the cooking utensils with the Indeedee siblings, Silas called back Dolliv, who had been surrounded by Dratini.
He planned to leave and return to the ranch before nightfall.
On the way back, Dragonite once again provided transportation, and they arrived at the ranch in no time.
After Silas and the others departed, Giant Dragonite informed the Dragonite that it would be resting. It slowly dove beneath Dragonite Island, intending to take a light sleep.
It had stayed awake for a very long time during this awakening.
Its massive body gradually sank into the depths of the sea. Resting its head on its own tail, Giant Dragonite found that its mind was no longer empty as it drifted off. Instead, it was filled with many interesting and precious memories.
Even in sleep, a sweet smile lingered at the corners of its mouth. This time, its slumber would likely not last too long.
Meanwhile, Silas returned to the ranch under the glow of the setting sun.
He waved goodbye to the two Dragonite, watching as they disappeared beyond the horizon.
He released Cyclizar, the Indeedee siblings, and Tropius, while carrying the exhausted Dolliv in his arms as they walked toward the ranch house together.
Little Dolliv had truly been squeezed dry today. The oil it had stored up for so long had been completely used up.
This left the little one feeling a sense of urgency. It wanted to evolve again so it could produce even more oil for Silas.
Unaware of Dolliv's thoughts, Silas waved to the group of Heliolisk and Helioptile playing on the beach.
Walking along the river, he saw Clauncher training against the current.
In front of it was Veluza, using its psychic powers to make the river water heavy and press down onto Clauncher's body, tempering its physique.
Clauncher's evolved form possessed a massive claw even larger than its body. Without sufficient physical strength, it would struggle not only to fire powerful shots but even to lift its own claw.
A strong body was essential for a true sniper.
"Cher~!"
"Vel~~"
"Keep going. Do your best."
Silas nodded to them and continued walking deeper into the ranch, where he could already hear clear and melodious singing.
Minccino, Popplio, and Diancie were practicing together, rehearsing a new song.
When they saw Silas return, Minccino and Diancie rushed toward him, expressing their affection in their own ways.
"Where is little Kangaskhan? Why do I not see it?"
Holding Dolliv with one arm and resting his other hand on Diancie's forehead, Silas looked around curiously.
"Min Min~"
Baby Kangaskhan had played until it was exhausted and was now sleeping.
Minccino hugged Silas tightly around the neck, rubbing against him and lightly scratching him with its tiny paws.
"Yes, yes, I know. Go call Meowth and the others back first. I will tell you all the story together."
The little ones had been extremely curious about his journey, especially about the enormous Dragonite.
Since they could not witness it in person, they wanted Silas to tell them all about it.
That evening, everyone gathered around the dining table, enjoying dinner while listening to Silas recount his adventure.
When the Pokémon learned that the Big Dragonite could not visit the ranch due to its size, each of them showed small expressions of regret.
Minccino even clasped its hands together earnestly, closed its eyes, and began to pray silently.
"Minccino, what are you doing?"
"Min Min!"
It explained that it was praying for Silas, hoping he would find a solution soon so Big Dragonite could visit the ranch.
Considering that Minccino was said to bring good luck, Silas did not say anything. Perhaps it really would help.
After dinner, while they were digesting their meal, Silas was helping regular Meowth rewrap a ball of yarn when he saw Minccino gather all the ranch Pokémon together.
They formed a large circle and collectively began praying for Silas.
Silas was speechless.
"You certainly have a lot of clever ideas," he said after it was over. He stepped forward, picked up Minccino, and lightly flicked her forehead with his finger. "All done? If you are finished, come back and sleep."
"Min Min~"
Minccino hugged Silas tightly and planted a kiss on his cheek, revealing a sweet smile.
Then she grabbed Dolliv and ran swiftly toward the house, flopping onto the sofa to watch television.
Shaking his head with an amused smile, Silas called the Indeedee siblings over and helped escort the ranch Pokémon back to their respective little houses.
He then brought the five Floette back to the greenhouse, as he habitually made a round of inspection.
The Gracidea flowers were reproducing rapidly and had already formed a small flowerbed.
This was all thanks to the careful attention of the white flower Floette.
At the little one's enthusiastic invitation, Silas stepped forward to take a closer look.
A faint floral fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a string of tiny heart shaped footprints among the blossoms.
(End of Chapter)