And so, as Silas praised each Flabébé in turn, every one of them began to evolve after receiving their little red flower.
Soon, five Floette surrounded him, clustering around him excitedly.
"You are all so beautiful."
He reached out a finger to tease the red flower Floette, lightly scratching its tiny belly. The little one burst into giggles, then hugged his mischievous finger tightly to stop him from moving it around.
After playing with the five little ones for a while, Silas suddenly thought of something.
"Come with me. I have a gift for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the five small figures each found a comfortable spot to perch on him, and Silas carried them back to the house.
He gave them milkshakes and asked them to wait for a moment, then headed into the storage room to search for something.
The storage room was piled high with the Meowths' so called treasures, so cluttered that there was barely any space to step. When he saw the Meowths later, he would have to tell them to tidy it up. They could not just throw their belongings around like this.
Fortunately, his own items were clearly marked. It did not take long before Silas emerged holding a small box.
"Come here."
He beckoned the Floette over and opened the wooden box.
Inside lay five bright white stones, each emitting a gentle, warm glow.
These were the Shiny Stone that Silas had exchanged from the League last time.
Flabébé had evolved into Floette. Now they could use the Shiny Stone to evolve further into Florges. Silas intended to give them the right to choose.
Seeing the slightly puzzled looks in their eyes, Silas smiled and explained patiently.
"This is a Shiny Stone, a type of evolution stone. It can help you evolve into Florges."
"Floe!"
The white flower Floette opened its little mouth in shock.
The other four, led by the red flower Floette as the eldest sister, also looked at the stones curiously.
"You already meet the conditions. As long as you touch the Shiny Stone, you can evolve into Florges."
Silas set the wooden box down and gestured toward it. "Now it is your choice. Do you want to evolve right away?"
"Flore!"
As the big sister, the red flower Floette thought very seriously. In the end, she looked up at Silas.
"Flore?"
(Do you really want us to evolve, Silas?)
"Of course not." Silas shook his head. "I actually hope you stay as Floette for now and choose to evolve when you are a little more grown and mature."
"But the most important thing is what you want. If you wish to evolve now, that is perfectly fine too."
"Flore!"
The white flower Floette shook its head vigorously, clearly indicating that it did not want to evolve yet.
The other Floette stared at the Shiny Stone, still conflicted. They had not prepared themselves mentally for such a step.
"Do not want to evolve?" Silas gently picked up the red flower Floette. "Then there is no need to rush. I will hang the Shiny Stone in the greenhouse. Whenever you feel ready, you can touch it and evolve."
"Flore…"
The Floette gathered around him in a cluster. The hesitation in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of reassurance.
The flower beds at the ranch were still small. As Floette, they were fully capable of taking care of them. There was no need to hurry. They had plenty of time to make their decision.
Back in the greenhouse, Silas hung the Shiny Stone from the dome ceiling.
When he stepped outside, he saw a large group of Pokémon approaching.
Minccino stood atop Meganium's head, chattering as it introduced the five former Flabébé to the newcomers.
When Minccino realized they had evolved, it circled them in surprise.
"Min?!"
(You have grown up?!)
"Flore hee hee."
(We evolved just now. We are Floette now. We can help take care of even more flowers and gather more nectar for the ranch.)
"Min!"
(That is amazing. These are the new companions of the ranch!)
Watching from the side, Silas saw that the Floette warmly accepted the new members of the ranch.
He then turned his gaze to the three Meowth.
"Remember to tidy up the junk in the storage room. If you do not clean it up by tomorrow, I will throw everything away."
"Meow!"
(That is not junk. They are our treasures!)
"Meow woo!"
(Yes, yes. You cannot throw them away!)
"Meow."
(We will go clean up right now. You cannot throw away a single one.)
At Silas's reminder, the Meowths instantly lost all interest in watching the fun.
As soon as the Alolan Meowth finished speaking, it dashed toward the storage room, afraid that even a moment's delay would result in their precious treasures being discarded. The regular Meowth and the Galarian Meowth followed closely. As the regular Meowth ran past Silas, it turned back and waved its paw twice in warning.
In truth, Silas had only been joking. Those treasures were more important to the Meowths than their own lives.
Calling over Dolliv and Alcremie, Silas began preparing dinner in the house.
Tonight, he planned to cook a grand feast to celebrate Meganium and Tropius officially joining the ranch.
The older brother Indeedee was already handling the ingredients. Silas made a quick trip to the storage room.
The three Meowths had gathered their belongings neatly into a corner, arranging them in tidy stacks.
Knocking lightly on the door, Silas smiled. "Is there anything you do not need? I can help throw it away."
The regular Meowth and the Galarian Meowth immediately spread themselves over their treasures in a star shape, insisting that not a single item could be discarded.
The Alolan Meowth, however, confidently displayed its treasures to Silas.
"Good. You two should learn from Alolan Meowth. Keep your things organized. You cannot turn the storage room into a mess again."
Seeing that Silas was no longer pursuing the matter, the regular Meowth finally relaxed and hugged Silas's leg, smiling ingratiatingly.
Pinching its round cheeks, Silas said casually, "I heard from Indeedee that you have not bathed for four or five days. After dinner, do not run off. I will give you a bath."
"Meow!"
(No, please!)
"Meow woo…!"
(We are not dirty at all. We do not need a bath…!)
The Galarian Meowth's voice trembled with near tears as it clung desperately to a wooden crate, its ears drooping into pitiful triangles.
The three feline Pokémon resisted with all their might. They hated baths. Normally, they only tolerated having their fur wiped with a damp towel.
"Objections denied. And do not even think about hiding outside."
Without giving them any room to bargain, Silas turned and left.
The older Indeedee had prepared all the ingredients. Silas rolled up his sleeves, tied on an apron, and began cooking the evening's feast.
Since Meganium and Tropius were both Grass type Pokémon, tonight's dishes were primarily fruit based.
[Frozen Strawberry (C): Iced Strawberries coated in syrup and frozen in the refrigerator, with a crunchy, icy texture and a refreshing taste.
Dish Effect: Stamina Restoration (Small)]
Besides the frozen strawberries, there are several other fruit dishes.
Honey fruit salad, berry pudding, fruit cream cake, pineapple jelly...
Tonight was a grand fruit banquet.
He asked Kangaskhan to move the dining table outside the house. Silas and the Indeedee siblings arranged dish after dish upon it.
The sound of swallowing filled the air. Tropius could not stop drooling.
What kind of life had it been living before?
Coming to the ranch had been the best decision imaginable.
From now on, the ranch would be its home.
(End of Chapter)