Carrying the extra spicy hot pot, Silas walked straight toward the Fire-type Pokémon, Pyroar.
With it present, no one felt even the slightest bit of cold despite eating outdoors.
Before Silas could even speak, Pyroar's attention was completely drawn to the pot.
Its amber eyes locked onto the bubbling red oil, its nose twitching continuously. A deep instinct from within its very being made it unable to look away.
The small iron pot contained an overwhelming Fire-type energy that was irresistibly tempting to it.
"Pyroar, this is the extra spicy hot pot base I just made."
"Roar, roar!"
"Hold on, don't get too excited. Listen to me first."
With a glance, Silas signaled to Kangaskhan, who immediately stepped in front of him as a precaution.
"Kang!"
"Roar…"
After quite some time, Pyroar finally calmed down.
Silas stepped forward and explained, "This dish has strong side effects. If you can't handle the unstable Fire-type energy, you will fall into a long period of weakness."
"Of course, the improvement it brings is also huge."
There was no need to elaborate further. Pyroar could already sense it clearly. This was something that could push its long-stagnant strength forward by a significant step.
Hearing this, Pyroar glanced toward the female Pyroar that was taking care of the little cubs. Its gaze gradually became firm.
"Roar…"
"You've decided?"
Silas asked again.
Pyroar nodded seriously.
"Alright, I'll help you cook."
He was also curious to see just how powerful a "large permanent boost to all attributes" would be. Since Pyroar agreed, the dish would not go to waste.
If even a Totem Pyroar could not withstand it, then no other Pokémon would even have the chance to try.
And besides, in the ranch, even if something went wrong, Silas could ensure its safety and minimize any risks.
With the extra spicy base combined with beef bone broth, Silas brought the pot to a boil over high heat and prepared over a dozen portions of Pyroar's favorite ingredients.
"Let's start with some beef."
A large chunk of beef was swallowed by Pyroar.
In the next instant, the mane around its face burst into flames like blazing fire, and the surrounding temperature surged sharply.
After a short while, the temperature gradually returned to normal.
Pyroar had endured it.
It seemed the effect did not erupt all at once, but instead accumulated gradually depending on how much was consumed.
With that in mind, the two Charcadet and Torracat could probably try a small piece as well.
Silas placed a large portion of cooked meats in front of Pyroar, then called out behind him.
Torracat, who had been watching closely, was the first to run over, rubbing its head affectionately against him.
"You can only eat one piece."
Silas picked up a piece of meat and fed it to Torracat. The big cat swallowed it in a few bites.
Immediately, unstable Fire-type energy surged within its body, enveloping it from the inside out. Torracat let out a long "meow" as it experienced, for the first time, a burning sensation despite being a Fire-type Pokémon.
The sensation came quickly and disappeared just as fast. Torracat successfully absorbed it.
It could feel the increase in Fire-type energy within its body.
"Meow~"
"No, just one piece."
The two Charcadet received the same treatment. Silas fed each of them one piece and carefully observed their condition, which remained stable.
However, when he turned back to Pyroar, he immediately noticed something was wrong.
It had clearly entered the extreme volcano state.
A massive amount of unstable Fire-type energy surged within its body, igniting its mane completely.
Centered around Pyroar, the temperature rose rapidly. The air itself distorted into visible waves, as if a volcano was about to erupt at any moment.
The female Pyroar rushed over, nudging the male gently with her head.
Silas quickly held back the little cubs, as they could not withstand such intense heat.
Greninja suddenly appeared, placing its hands on the Water Shuriken at its legs.
"Nin!"
"Not yet. Trust it. Pyroar can handle this."
Fortunately, it did not disappoint him.
Gradually, Pyroar suppressed the raging energy and regained control over itself.
"ROAR!"
After a long moment, it let out a deep and satisfying roar.
Compared to before, it had made a tremendous leap in strength. The improvement filled it with joy.
The female Pyroar immediately moved closer, gently rubbing her face against his, letting out soft and affectionate calls.
The two became so absorbed in each other that it almost seemed like they would start a mating session on the spot, completely forgetting about their cubs.
After a while, once everyone had had their fill of this "public display," the male Pyroar nudged Silas with its massive head, expressing its gratitude in the most direct way.
"As long as you're fine. We're friends. Congratulations, Pyroar."
"Cyc!"
"Kang!"
On the surface, Pyroar showed no obvious changes. It simply seemed larger and more robust.
But anyone who provoked it would quickly realize just how terrifying a Totem Pokémon like Pyroar with massively enhanced attributes truly was.
"The extra spicy base is gone, but there's still medium spicy. That's enough for you to eat your fill."
Silas invited Pyroar pair to sit at the table with them.
The two girls' eyes lit up the moment they saw Pyroar.
"What a huge Pyroar! It's so cool, even cooler than Greninja!"
"Nin?"
Greninja glanced at Pyroar calmly, clearly unimpressed, as if it were merely a defeated opponent.
Korrina approached while holding Brionne, offering freshly cooked meat.
"Boss Pyroar, can I touch your mane?"
"Roar!"
"Really? Then I'll cook meat for you!"
"Me too, me too!"
And just like that, Pyroar gained two enthusiastic "servers" who cooked and fed it personally.
Of course, there was a price. Pyroar lowered its head and allowed the girls to pet it freely.
Eventually, the girls even climbed onto its back and rode it, a privilege even the cubs did not have.
Seeing this, the little cubs wanted to climb on as well.
The result was immediate. They were swatted away with a single paw.
They tried complaining to their mother, only to be handed over to Silas instead.
Clearly, the cubs were just accidents, while the couple were true love.
"Looks like your parents don't want you anymore."
Silas laughed as he gathered the three cubs onto his lap, scratching their chins gently.
At first they whimpered pitifully, but soon they relaxed, closing their eyes and purring comfortably.
After eating their fill and playing around, they quickly fell asleep.
Once they were asleep, Torracat seized the opportunity to slowly squeeze the cubs aside and curl up in Silas's arms, enjoying his petting and feeding.
"You little rascal."
Silas tapped it lightly with his chopsticks, shaking his head with a smile.
He signaled to younger sister Indeedee to move the cubs inside the house along with the sleeping Chikorita, so they would not be disturbed.
Looking around at everyone, Silas felt his heart filled with warmth.
This was the daily life of the ranch. Noisy, chaotic, yet incredibly warm.
The meal lasted until the sun had begun to set. The Pokémon helped clean up afterward.
Silas lifted the sleeping Serena and Korrina from Pyroar's back, carried them to bed, and tucked them in.
After waking the cubs and leading them outside, he looked around and asked Kangaskhan,
"Where did Pyroar go?"
"Kang!" (It had already left.)
Looking down at the cubs at his feet, Silas sighed lightly.
"In that case… you might as well go back to sleep."
(End of Chapter)