With three large baskets full of mushrooms, the Toedscool began sorting and packing them, setting aside enough for one meal at noon.
The rest were divided into bags, ready for Cyclizar to help deliver later.
Silas wiped his hands, smiling as he clapped toward the Toedscool. "The work is all done, come collect your reward."
The three Toedscool, who had long been waiting impatiently, immediately rushed toward Silas and surrounded him.
After receiving the dried fruit, they could not wait to taste a piece.
"Scoool~" (So good, the dried fruit Silas makes is the best.)
"Even if it is delicious, you cannot eat too much." Silas smiled as he gently rubbed the cap of the nearest Toedscool. "Dried fruit is high in sugar, eating too much is not good for your body."
The Toedscool nodded, each grabbing another piece before calling out to Silas in unison. In the blink of an eye, they ran toward the door.
"Do not finish it all in one day, got it?"
He could vaguely hear their response, though judging by their obsession with dried fruit, a box would last at most two days.
After cleaning and preparing the mushrooms needed for the soup, Silas took off his apron and stepped outside. It was still early before lunch.
He greeted Arboliva outside and asked where Dragonite and Cyclizar had gone.
After completing its final evolution, Arboliva had become extremely inactive, almost like a true plant.
Of course, it was not lonely, as Registeel always stayed by its side.
Walking along the ranch path, Silas arrived near the cave, where his Dragonite was teaching other Dragonite how to work.
"Dragonite."
Hearing his call, Dragonite turned around and gave Silas a big smile, completely different from before.
It immediately turned into a hugging dragon, wrapping its arms tightly around him while acting spoiled.
"Alright, alright, let go of me." Silas rolled his eyes and lightly tapped it. "I need your help. Go find Cyclizar and help me deliver the mushrooms we just picked to Gym Leader Gurkinn, Korrina, Gario, John, and the other ranch owners."
"Draaa!"
Dragonite indicated that there was no need to call Cyclizar, it could handle such a small task alone. That way, it could enjoy Silas's praise all by itself.
"That will not do." Silas shook his head. If Cyclizar was not told, it would definitely get jealous.
His Dragonite went off to find Cyclizar, while the other Dragonite at the scene began working.
The letters and packages were sorted, and the Dragonite lined up to receive assignments before taking off one by one from the temporary platform built at the cave entrance.
There was no need to ask further, the Dragonite postal service had already entered a stable phase.
With seven Dragonite currently operating, their transport capacity was more than sufficient to meet the needs of the two towns.
As for Dragon Island Town in the future, that could be dealt with later.
After all, Dragon Island had no shortage of flying Pokémon.
After taking a stroll around the ranch and chatting with the Pokémon, Silas returned and saw the Indeedee siblings walking back.
"Where are Serena and the others? I just walked around and did not see them."
"Indee, indee!" the younger sister said, gesturing with her small hands. (Serena and Cinccino said they were going to the back mountain to feed the Pokémon hatched by Fletchinder. Kangaskhan took them there.)
The older brother Indeedee nodded in agreement.
"Alright then, as long as they are not causing trouble for the Pokémon in the ranch."
Serena, Korrina, and Cinccino were the type who would play with anything. After only a few days at the ranch, Silas was already feeling overwhelmed.
He almost wanted to send Serena back immediately, but since his mother had not returned yet, he had to endure for a few more days.
"Today I picked a lot of mushrooms. At noon, I will teach you how to make a new dish."
"Indee~ that sounds great, let's hurry back."
"Indee!"
The younger Indeedee grabbed Silas's sleeve and ran energetically toward the ranch house, with the older brother following behind.
They were very happy to learn a new dish.
…
The best ingredients for mushroom three delicacies soup would normally be fresh shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, and white jade mushrooms, as their flavors were the most suitable for soup.
Unfortunately, the ranch currently only had shiitake mushrooms, so oyster mushrooms and enoki mushrooms had to be used as substitutes, making the flavor slightly less rich.
"Indeedee, slice the shiitake mushrooms into evenly sized pieces, and tear the oyster mushrooms into chunks after washing them."
"Indee~" (We understand.)
The Indeedee siblings divided the work, one handling the shiitake mushrooms and the other preparing the oyster mushrooms, while Silas worked on the enoki mushrooms.
The enoki mushrooms needed to be separated into small portions and soaked in salt water for a while.
Once the main ingredients were prepared, the other ingredients were also processed and set aside.
Soft tofu was cut into small cubes, eggs were beaten, and a bit of chopped green onion was prepared.
While they were cooking, two heads popped up at the window.
"Cyc!" (Silas, I finished delivering everything.)
"Draa~ (I also finished, and the old man even gave me a lot of food.)
Dragonite and Cyclizar had returned, holding up the food they received from John and the others.
Exchanging produce between ranch owners was a very common practice.
"Put everything down, it will be added to lunch."
Silas patted Cyclizar and Dragonite in turn. The two dragon Pokémon hummed in satisfaction, showing a rare cute side.
Of course, it only lasted for a moment. Soon, they started clamoring to help with cooking.
The two Pokémon treated it like a competition, turning properly picked vegetables into a mess. Silas angrily drove them away, not allowing them to step into the kitchen again.
One would have been fine, but two together triggered a competitive instinct unique to dragon Pokémon, causing them to be more of a hindrance than help.
Because of their interruption, more than half an hour was wasted. The water had already been boiling for a while, ready for the mushrooms.
Silas quickly added the sliced shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushroom chunks, and enoki mushrooms into the hot soup, then reduced the heat to medium and cooked for five to six minutes until a faint mushroom aroma began to emerge.
He waved his hand lightly in front of his nose, letting the scent drift toward him. It was a special fragrance, rich but not overwhelming, very pleasant to smell.
In terms of color, aroma, and taste, the aroma was already achieved.
The younger sister Indeedee leaned closer to the stove, imitating Silas's actions. After taking a deep breath, her eyes sparkled.
"Indee~ Indee?" (It smells so good. Right, brother?)
The older Indeedee maintained proper etiquette and gave a slight nod.
The flavor of mushroom soup was not overpowering, yet it was not disliked by Pokémon either. It was a taste that all Pokémon could accept.
Silas glanced at the Indeedee siblings, then noticed Dragonite and Cyclizar drooling at the window from the corner of his eye. He felt encouraged.
He lowered the heat and added the tofu cubes, letting them cook for another two to three minutes.
Holding the bowl of beaten eggs in one hand, Silas poured it slowly while gently stirring with chopsticks in the other, forming delicate egg ribbons.
Finally, he seasoned the soup, adjusting the amount of salt and white pepper according to taste.
With the seasoning complete, the mushroom three delicacies soup was finished.
By the time Silas finished cooking, more and more little heads had appeared at the kitchen door and window. Cinccino, Kangaskhan, and the others had returned at some point.
There was no noise, they simply crowded outside the kitchen, eagerly inhaling the aroma.
It was a rare moment where all the Pokémon were present while Silas was cooking.
"Big brother, can we eat now? Serena is starving."
"Right away." It was rare for Serena to take the initiative to ask for food, so Silas gestured for everyone to head to the table.
He added two drops of premium olive oil, sprinkled some chopped green onions on top, and then carried the soup to the dining table.
(End of Chapter)