The dishes were scrubbed, the kitchen was spotless, and the "Great Hunger of 2026" had finally been averted. I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead, feeling that weird, tickling sneeze-threat still lingering in the back of my nose.
I looked at my team. Floette was lazily floating in circles, looking like she'd just spent a week at a spa; Sylveon was back to guarding the Kalos Egg; and Growlithe was sitting on the rug, looking like he was trying to solve a very difficult math equation in his head.
"Alright, squad!" I clapped my hands, sparking a flurry of motion. "The belly-filling portion of the evening is over. Now, it's time for the most important part of being a new family: the official welcome ceremony!"
"Floe~ (Finally! I need to fix my petals!)" Floette chirped, her energy instantly returning.
Sylveon, knowing the drill, stood up and stretched her slender legs. She extended one of her translucent pink ribbons and wrapped it gently around Growlithe's front leg, giving it a playful tug.
"Woof? (Hey! What are you doing? This is an unauthorized use of force!)" Growlithe barked, his police training kicking in. He looked at the ribbon with a mix of confusion and "don't-touch-me" dignity.
"Fly-ah? Sylveon-fiyau~ (Don't be so stiff! It's the ritual! We have to mark the occasion!)" Sylveon blinked her big, soulful eyes at him, pulling him toward the door.
"Togepi-priii! (Mama likes taking pictures! She took a super cool one of me when I hatched!)" Togepi blurted out, bouncing excitedly next to Growlithe's paws.
Sylveon face-pawed with her free ribbon. "Fly-ah... (Oh, Togepi... you ruined the surprise. We were going to act like it was a secret mission.)"
I laughed, grabbing my trusty high-definition camera from my bag. I'd also changed into a fresh blue hoodie—the "mountain-dust" look wasn't exactly what I wanted for the family album. "It's okay, Togepi. Let's head to the terrace. The sky over Celestic Town is famous for a reason."
We headed out to the small, grassy lawn behind the hotel. The town was quiet, the ancient stone buildings reflecting the silver glow of the moon. Above us, the Milky Way was a brilliant, sprawling river of light.
"Perfect," I whispered. "Everyone, find your spots."
Floette closed her eyes, and a soft, purplish-pink shimmer enveloped her. With a flick of her mind, the camera rose from my hands, floating steadily in the air. I'd spent weeks teaching her Psychic for this exact reason. Tripods were a nightmare on uneven mountain terrain, but a Psychic-type "drone" was the ultimate photography tool.
"Fly-ah! (Come on, Grumpy-Paws, over here!)" Sylveon steered Growlithe, who was still groggily carrying Togepi on his back, to my right side.
I sat cross-legged on the cool grass, carefully cradling the Kalos Egg case in my arms. On my left, Sylveon settled down, her ribbons immediately snaking out to wrap around my forearm, anchoring us together. On my right, Growlithe hesitated. He looked at me, then at the camera, then at the "pervert-Mama" vibe he'd imagined earlier. But seeing the rest of the team so relaxed, he let out a huff and sat down, his thick fur brushing against my leg.
Togepi, perched on Growlithe's shoulders like a tiny king on a throne, raised his hands in the air with a joyful "Priii!"
Floette hovered right above my head, her blue flower casting a tiny shadow over my hair. "Leafeon! (Ready!)"
"Everyone look at the lens!" I called out. "Three... two... one... Cheese!"
CLICK.
The flash momentarily outshone the stars. In that single, frozen millisecond, the picture captured it all: a black-haired young man with a tired but radiant smile; a Sylveon looking elegant and regal; a Togepi cheering at the sky; a Growlithe with wide, slightly confused eyes but a wagging tail; and a Floette reigning over us all from above.
Back inside the room, the "high" of the photo shoot started to fade into a collective yawn.
"Alright, everyone. You've been roughing it on Mt. Coronet for a week. No training for the next two days," I announced, much to Floette's vocal approval. "We're going to stay in Celestic, adjust to the new altitude, and then we head for the Hearthome City Gym. Sylveon, Floette, Togepi—you guys are the veterans for this one. Growlithe, you'll be on the sidelines observing. I want you to see how we flow in battle before I put you in the hot seat."
I turned to Growlithe, who was watching me with those intense, observant eyes. "But just because we aren't battling doesn't mean we won't work together. I'd love to get to know your style. How about we do some light coordination work tomorrow? Just us?"
Growlithe tilted his head. He wants to learn my moves? Or is this another trick to get me into a petting trap? He looked at the bed where Sylveon was already fluffing a pillow. Then he looked at me. Well, he did make the wings... and he hasn't tried to put a dress on me yet. "Woof," Growlithe nodded. (Translation: Fine. I'll allow it. But I'm watching you, 'Mama.')
"Great!" I reached out instinctively to pat his head, my fingers just inches from that soft, orange tuft.
Voom. Growlithe recoiled so fast he almost did a backflip, his ears flat against his head.
My hand hung in the air for a second before I slowly lowered it. "Right. Still no. My bad, buddy. I keep forgetting."
[Internal Voice: So close! I almost felt the warmth! Patience, Julian. You can't rush the fluff.]
"Oh, wait! I almost forgot the last part of the welcome," I said, rummaging through one of the shopping bags. I pulled out a thick, circular object and spread it out on the floor.
It was a premium, extra-soft Pokémon bed, colored in a deep, vibrant orange that matched Growlithe's coat perfectly. In the center was a beautifully embroidered Fire-type symbol.
Growlithe walked over to it, sniffing the edge suspiciously. He pressed a paw into the center—it sank deep into the memory foam. He did a little circle, sniffing the fabric, and then slowly lowered himself onto it. It was warm, it was soft, and it smelled faintly of the cedarwood incense from the market.
"Woof!" he barked, resting his chin on his paws and looking at me with a slightly softened gaze. (Translation: This... is acceptable. I suppose I can reduce your hypothetical sentence by another six months for this.)
"Glad you like it," I smiled, feeling a genuine sense of relief. "Goodnight, everyone. We have a big day with the Champion tomorrow."
I crawled into bed, pulling the duvet up to my chin. As I reached for the lamp, I let out one last, loud sneeze. "A-achoo!"
"Seriously," I muttered into the darkness. "I hope this isn't a 24-hour bug. I can't be sneezing while Cynthia is trying to explain the birth of the universe."
Across the room, Growlithe watched me from his orange cushion, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. He wasn't sure about the "Mama" thing, and he wasn't sure about the "petting" thing, but as he drifted off to sleep, he had to admit—this was a lot better than the concrete floor of the K-9 barracks.