After making a full round of inspection around the ranch and confirming that everyone had finished preparing for winter, Silas finally headed back toward the house.
In the living room, the two women were still chatting.
No, it was three now. Serena had joined in, and a whole group of Pokémon were gathered nearby, secretly eavesdropping.
To be precise, it was mostly his mother talking while the other two listened, and what she was talking about were all of Silas's embarrassing childhood stories.
"Sigh… my lifelong reputation has been ruined by my mom."
What could he even do?
All three women were extremely important to him, so he could only choose to pretend he saw nothing.
"Brother Indeedee~"
"Indee!" (Silas, I have everything ready, ginger and cola.)
Older brother Indeedee, who could anticipate his trainer's actions, had already prepared everything in advance.
A bunch of little gossip loving troublemakers. Thankfully, Litten was keeping him company.
But when he turned his head, Litten was lying on the coffee table with its ears perked up high, clearly listening just as intently.
Silas shook his head helplessly, tied on an apron, and went into the kitchen alone.
He washed the ginger and cut it into thin shreds, then took two bottles of 2.5 liter cola and poured them into a pot together. He heated it over medium low heat until the cola began to gently boil, then reduced it to low heat and simmered it for about five minutes.
During the process, he made sure to stir it a few times so the ginger aroma could fully blend into the cola.
At the very end, he turned off the heat and removed the ginger shreds. Just like that, a fresh batch of a warming drink that could drive away cold and relieve nasal congestion was ready, loved by both the young and the old.
This was also the only time drinking cola would not earn a scolding from adults.
In front of Silas, the cooking information for ginger cola appeared.
[Ginger Cola (C+): A hot drink for autumn and winter, combining the sweetness of cola with the spiciness of ginger. The taste is smooth with a distinct ginger aroma, making it a warming beverage.
Drink Effect: Dispels cold. After drinking, it quickly drives away cold from the body and lasts for three hours. Long term consumption reduces the likelihood of catching a cold in winter.]
A pretty decent winter drink.
After pouring the freshly brewed ginger cola into ceramic cups, the rising steam carried the fragrant scent of ginger throughout the kitchen.
Just as Silas was about to take a sip, his gaze shifted to the kitchen doorway, where a small mouse was staring at him eagerly.
Wherever there was food, there would always be the food loving little mouse, Morpeko.
He poured half a cup for it, and Morpeko immediately could not wait to drink.
"Do not rush. It just finished boiling, you might burn yourself."
He picked up the cup and gently shook it back and forth to cool it down. Once it was ready, he handed it back.
"Morpeko~ (Thank you, Silas.)"
Morpeko could not wait any longer. It held onto the rim of the cup with its tiny claws, sniffed it first, then took a big gulp.
The sweet taste carried a sharp spiciness, causing Morpeko to stick out its tongue after being slightly overwhelmed by the heat.
Silas chuckled and shook his head, then lifted Litten onto the counter and poured a shallow layer onto a plate.
"You should try it too. See if you like the taste."
"Meow~"
Litten cautiously licked a small amount. To its surprise, it quite liked the spicy flavor and lifted its head to let out a happy cry.
"Glad you like it. I will pour you a full bowl. Make sure to drink it while it is hot."
He gently scratched Litten's little belly and poured another portion for it to slowly enjoy in the kitchen. Then Silas carried a tray of ginger cola into the living room, calling over all the Pokémon to each have a cup to warm themselves.
"You should have a cup too."
Seeing Diantha finishing her call with his mother, Silas handed her a cup and sat down beside her, unable to resist asking curiously,
"What were you talking about just now? My mom did not make things difficult for you, right?"
"You are not allowed to say anything bad about Auntie."
Diantha accepted the cup, her cheeks still faintly flushed.
"She is very nice. She told me a lot about your childhood. I did not expect that when you were little…"
Silas's expression darkened slightly as he abruptly changed the subject.
"When does your studio start work again? Do you want to come to the Couriway Town music festival with me?"
If he remembered correctly, his mother still had an album full of his embarrassing childhood photos. It was basically a collection of life ruining dark history.
His mom really told her everything…
Diantha's eyes curved into a smile as she let the topic go.
"I will be back to work the day after tomorrow, otherwise a lot of work will pile up. As for the Couriway Town festival, I will check. If I can go, I will let you know in advance."
"More importantly, have you decided the time for your challenge for the Kalos Champion?"
Thinking about how her boyfriend would soon challenge the Champion, Diantha felt genuinely happy. Her man was truly outstanding.
"It is set for early November. They gave me one month to prepare."
The time was quite sufficient, enough for Silas and his Pokémon to adjust to their best condition.
"I will come to cheer for you in person."
"Now that you say that, I feel full of motivation."
Their eyes met, each reflecting the other. They leaned closer and closer, only to be interrupted by the commotion beside them.
Cinccino, Alcremie, and the others were noisily arguing over the last sip of ginger cola.
They might be fighting over it now, but after drinking it for a few days straight, they would not even want to smell it anymore.
Living together with Diantha at the ranch, the two of them enjoyed their carefree life as a couple. In the afternoon, they also took some time to visit Gym Leader Ramos.
By the third day of winter, Diantha returned to work, and the two of them temporarily parted.
As for Silas, his life could not be more relaxed. Winter was the easiest season for a ranch owner.
There was basically nothing to do. He either accompanied Jigglypuff and the others in practicing songs, went winter fishing at the lake with John and Gario, or simply lay on the sofa all day watching television and idling away the cold season.
The crops at the ranch had stopped growing, and the small amount of work in the greenhouse was not even enough for Perrserker alone.
After resting for three consecutive days, Silas felt like his body was about to rust. Sure enough, people could not stay idle for too long.
Then came a certain call, one that made all the ranch Pokémon recall the fear of being dominated by a certain little girl.
The moment the call connected, Serena pressed her face close to the screen and said excitedly,
"Big brother, big brother, I am on break now. I got an A on my final exam."
Silas scratched his ear to avoid going deaf. Just from the excitement in Serena's voice, he already knew how lively the ranch would soon become.
"That is amazing. As expected of my little sister."
"Hehe."
Serena smiled happily, her eyes full of anticipation.
"But…"
Nothing was more dangerous than that word.
Serena immediately interrupted him, unleashing the ultimate little sister move. She pouted and acted spoiled through the screen, her body swaying as she protested.
"No, no. Big brother, you promised me. I want to go play with Cinccino. I want to bake cakes with Alcremie. I want to…"
She stomped her foot hard and puffed her cheeks in anger.
"Big brother is a big liar!"
After saying that, she forcefully squeezed out two tears and turned around stubbornly.
No brother could withstand such a scene. Silas hurriedly surrendered.
"Hey, hey, do not cry. I was wrong, Serena. How about I come pick you up in a few days and bring you to the ranch?"
"Why a few days? I want to go to big brother's ranch today."
Serena wiped away the nonexistent tears and puffed her cheeks like a little dumpling as she questioned him.
"Because your brother has to go out tomorrow. When I come back, I can take you for a ride on Dragonite. And do not you need to say goodbye to your friends in town?"
Serena was persuaded. She extended her little finger.
"Big brother, pinky promise. If you lie, you will turn into a Nosepass."
(End of Chapter)