Lumiose City.
In a high rise building located in the very heart of the city, Diantha stood at the entrance in her casual attire, her black hair flowing loosely over her shoulders as she waved toward them.
Silas lightly patted Cyclizar, urging it to speed up as they approached.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. We were delayed a bit when we set out."
"It's fine." Diantha took Minccino that was lying on his shoulder and gently squeezed its ears. "Minccino is really adorable!"
"Min~"
After the two of them shared an affectionate moment, Diantha looked at Silas again.
"Would you like to come upstairs for a glass of water first?"
"No need. We still have time after buying what we need. You have to show us around properly."
He picked up Minccino, who was reaching out for a hug, and placed it back on his shoulder. Then he opened another Poké Ball at his waist.
Out came Dolliv, the little one, who settled on his other shoulder.
Compared to the bold and curious Minccino, who kept looking up and down and left and right, Dolliv was far more reserved. It held onto Silas's hair with its small hands, observing everything quietly from the corner of its eye.
"Sure! I remember there's a restaurant in the city that's really delicious. After we're done, we can go there together."
Instead of going upstairs, the two of them headed toward the street outside, with Cyclizar following behind.
This time, Silas had come to purchase special berry seeds.
Shalour City and Coumarine City had them, but the quantity was limited and the prices were high, so he had chosen to come to Lumiose City instead.
As a large metropolis, one could find specialties from various regions here.
The berry seeds were significantly cheaper by comparison.
Before long, they arrived at a department store. Following Diantha, they went to the section dedicated to selling berries.
"Do you two need any assistance?" a staff member asked.
Silas stepped forward and explained his requirements.
Based on the conditions he provided, the staff member analyzed them and made recommendations.
"Mr. Silas, since you have some experience planting berry trees, and considering that your ranch has been operating for less than a year, the initial workload is still heavy. Under those circumstances, I wouldn't recommend choosing berries that require extensive care and attention."
As he spoke, he took three small transparent sealed bags from the shelf and placed them in front of Silas one by one.
"This bag contains Nanab Berry seeds. There are ten seeds in a bag. It requires about twice the growing conditions of common berries but has no additional special requirements. The berry it produces is pink and tastes sweet."
"The one in the middle is Wepear Berry. The berry is green and tastes bitter."
"The last one is Pinap Berry. The berry is yellow and tastes sour."
The recommendations were very appropriate. These three special berries were considered entry level varieties and were also among the best berries for making Poffins.
Silas quickly made his decision and spent a total of 10,000 League coins to purchase three bags of seeds.
As long as even one seed successfully grew, the economic value it would bring would far exceed 10,000 League coins.
After paying, Silas also asked for the company's contact information. If he encountered problems during the planting process, he could request their staff to come on site for inspection and correction.
After sales service was included, which made Silas quite satisfied.
Once Silas finished buying what he needed, it was Diantha's turn.
She had been busy filming for days and had not gone shopping in a long time. Now that she had the time, she was determined to enjoy it thoroughly.
One person and one squirrel excitedly rushed into a clothing store that not only sold women's clothing but also outfits suitable for Pokémon of all shapes and sizes.
When Silas and Cyclizar arrived carrying large and small shopping bags and sat down on nearby seats to rest, they saw that Minccino had already finished changing outfits.
The little one wore a sailor hat adorned with a badge, along with a sailor uniform featuring a blue and white striped collar and a red bow tie.
Holding a small bucket in one hand and a broom in the other, it looked as if it was determined to permanently claim the title of "Cleaning Expert."
Its rosy cheeks could barely conceal its excitement. It ran up to Silas, spun in a circle in front of him, and looked at him expectantly.
"It has a nautical style without losing its cuteness. Only you, Minccino, can pull off this outfit."
Silas did not hold back his praise, and the outfit truly was adorable.
Especially when it closed one eye and winked coquettishly, the sheer cuteness was almost overwhelming.
Diantha, now dressed in a blue evening gown, crouched down and gently pinched Minccino's cheeks, her eyes sparkling.
"Minccino's cuteness is about to explode. Come here, little one, let me take a few more photos."
"Min~"
Flattered and delighted, Minccino obediently posed in various positions under Diantha's direction, radiating cuteness from every possible angle.
Meanwhile, Dolliv, who had been quietly resting on Silas's shoulder, gazed enviously at Minccino being surrounded and admired by everyone. It wanted new clothes too.
From the corner of his eye, Silas noticed the change in Dolliv's expression. He extended his palm for it to step onto.
"Dolliv, what color would you like for your new clothes? You can pick one."
"Dolliv!?"
(Really?!)
"Of course you can. Whatever Minccino has, you have too. And not just you, Cyclizar will get something as well."
Dolliv's eyes lit up, and they walked to a corner of the store.
Soon, Dolliv's gaze was captured by a particular outfit. It was a light green little dress with small embroidered leaf patterns along the hem. Dolliv fell in love with it at first sight.
After changing into the dress, the little one stood in front of the mirror, gently touching the hem with its small hands. Its cheeks flushed slightly as it softly let out a "wu li," clearly very fond of the dress.
"As long as you like it. Dolliv looks beautiful too."
Silas praised it in agreement, causing the little one to lower its head shyly.
Afterward, Silas also chose an outfit for Cyclizar, a blue and black small suit.
Diantha even bought two sets of clothes for Silas himself, saying he would need them for the upcoming World Expo in a few days.
The truth was that his previous clothes were indeed unsuitable. They were either work overalls for ranch labor or the standard trainer uniform issued by the League.
He wore the same two outfits all year round. Not only were the styles identical, even the colors were exactly the same.
By the time they finished browsing that floor, it was already late, so they headed to a restaurant for a meal.
Diantha ordered a full table of signature dishes, both meat and vegetables.
During the meal, Cyclizar completely abandoned its usual ravenous eating style.
It sat upright like a proper gentleman, occasionally glancing down at itself. It did not want to stain the brand new clothes it had just bought.
Minccino and Dolliv were no different. They both wanted to show their new outfits to everyone back home, so they were careful not to dirty them.
After lunch, they went to sit for a while at Diantha's studio.
Seeing that the time was about right, Silas stood up to say goodbye.
"Thank you for today, Diantha."
Diantha waved her hand and handed him the invitation to the World Expo.
"Don't say that. I haven't enjoyed shopping this happily in a long time either. Keep the invitation safe, and don't be late."
"I won't."
He carefully put it away in his pocket, then mounted Cyclizar.
The lizard had already changed out of its suit, planning to wear it again at home to show everyone.
Minccino and Dolliv, perched on Silas's shoulders, happily waved goodbye to Diantha. They had truly had a wonderful day.
Only after Silas and his companions completely disappeared into the sea of people did Diantha turn and return to her studio.
The brief break was over. She had to throw herself back into work once again.
On the other side, Silas returned to the ranch and was greeted by a crowd of Pokémon.
Among them were Meganium and Tropius.
(End of Chapter)