"Floe~ flo-flo~ (Probably right around the time you two were busy reenacting a nature documentary with all that biting~)"
Floette didn't even look up from her flower, her voice dripping with the kind of casual sass that only a Pokémon who has seen her Trainer at his absolute worst can muster.
"Fly ah, syl-syl! (Honestly, Julian, for someone who claims to be a 'stealthy' enthusiast, you and Growlithe were making enough noise to alert a sleeping Snorlax three routes away~)" Sylveon added, her ribbons swaying rhythmically as if she were suppressing a giggle.
"Mishimishi? (Wait, so this is the big secret you guys said I'd understand when I was older?)" Carbink chimed in, her sapphire eyes blinking with innocent confusion as she looked at the tangled mess of human and hound on the bed.
"Togekiss jia-gei~ (I tried to go back to my pillow, I really did! But the 'Aura of Awkwardness' was so thick it woke everyone else up too~)" Togetic added, floating back into the center of the room with an unrepentant grin.
Julian sat there, frozen, his hand still being used as a teething ring by Growlithe. He looked at the four little spectators, then at the moonlit room, then back at his own compromised position.
"You guys... were you literally just sitting in the dark, eating popcorn and eavesdropping this whole time?!" Julian finally managed to squawk, his face a shade of red that rivaled a Cherubi. "And you brought the baby! Carbink is a blank slate, and you're filling her head with... with this!"
"Floe~-flo~ (With the way you two were wrestling and yelling about 'fur-merits,' there was zero need to eavesdrop. The hotel walls are thin, Julian. The guy in 302 probably thinks you're opening a petting zoo,)" Floette noted, buffing a leaf with an air of supreme boredom.
"Don't you start with me!" Julian barked, pointing a finger at her. "Keep talking like that and I'm cutting your honey-nectar rations by half. I mean it! I'm the one who buys the high-grade fertilizer around here!"
Floette immediately zipped her mouth shut, though her eyes remained dancing with mischief.
"And Sylveon!" Julian turned his frantic gaze to the Fairy-type. "I told you, Lucario was the one who initiated! It was a professional development session! He was just... exceptionally well-groomed... and his Aura was very persuasive... I couldn't just say no to a Gym Leader's partner!"
As he tried to justify his "infidelity," his voice progressively lost steam. Under the collective, judgmental stare of his entire team, Julian's "Professional Trainer" defense crumbled into a weak, pathetic mumble.
"Woof, woof-woof. (Now that I think about it, no wonder I kept smelling that distinct Aura-jackal scent on you for three days straight,)" Growlithe added, finally releasing Julian's hand. He gave Julian a knowing look. "(I thought you were just training hard. Turns out you were having a three-day spa retreat with a stranger behind our backs. You really enjoyed yourself, didn't you, Jing?)"
"Flo-flo~ (Oh, he definitely enjoyed it. Look at him, he's still blushing just thinking about it~)"
"Hey! Stop! It was for the sake of my mental health!" Julian shouted, waving his arms frantically as if he could swat away their teasing. "Lucario helped me resolve my inner conflict! It was a spiritual journey that just happened to involve high-quality fur!"
"Fly ah, syl-syl! (Pfft—he's so easy to rattle! Look at him go!)" Sylveon burst out laughing, her ribbons fluttering wildly.
Julian blinked. "Wait... what?"
"Woof~ (We're just messing with you, man,)" Growlithe barked, his tail finally starting to wag.
"Floe~-flo! (Togetic told us the SparkNotes version of what Lucario said. We're just glad you aren't acting like a robot anymore,)" Floette added, her voice softening just a fraction.
"Togekiss jia-gei~ (But seriously, next time you feel a 'spiritual journey' coming on that involves petting other Pokémon, you better give us the heads-up first. No more secret-society stuff~)"
"Woof-woof! (And if you're that desperate for a fix, I'm right here! My coat is seasonally appropriate!)"
"Syl-syl! (Me too! My ribbons are velvet-textured!)"
Julian looked at his team—the laughing Sylveon, the smug Floette, the proud Growlithe, the giggling Togetic, and the still-confused Carbink. A wave of relief, so powerful it almost brought tears to his eyes, washed over him. He wasn't the weirdo hiding in the closet anymore; he was just Julian, the guy with the world's most observant (and judgmental) family.
"Oh, you guys! You absolute terrors! You ganged up to give me a heart attack!"
With a joyful shout, Julian pounced. He dove into the middle of the group, grabbing whoever was closest. For the next hour, the hotel room was a whirlwind of play-wrestling, tickling, and chaotic affection. By the time the clock hit 3:00 AM, the exhaustion finally won.
When the sun finally reached its zenith the next morning, pouring hot gold through the curtains, the scene in the hotel room looked like the aftermath of a small explosion in a textile factory.
Julian was flat on his back, his limbs splayed out like a starfish. Growlithe's massive, bushy tail was draped directly across Julian's face like a heavy winter scarf, and one of the puppy's hind legs was braced firmly against Julian's left cheek.
Despite the fact that he was practically being suffocated by dog fur, Julian had a look of profound, blissful idiocy on his face. A happy, lop-sided smile was visible beneath the tail, and a small trail of drool was making its way toward his chin, occasionally being absorbed by Growlithe's fur.
Sylveon had her feelers wrapped snugly around Julian's left wrist like a pair of silk handcuffs, her head pillowed on his stomach. Floette was tucked into the crook of his elbow, her flower resting against his ribs.
On the other side, Julian's right hand was curled protectively around Carbink. The "Diamond Knight" was fast asleep, though her white beard was sticking out in three different directions from being used as a hand-warmer all night.
Togetic was nestled against Growlithe's soft underbelly. As she breathed, her body emitted a faint, rhythmic white glow, the red and blue triangles on her chest flickering like a heartbeat of pure contentment.
"Floe~? Floe~-flo! (Pfft—hahaha! Jing, look at your face!)"
Floette was the first to fully wake up, and the moment she saw the state of her Trainer, she nearly fell off the bed laughing.
"Mmm... five more minutes..." Julian groaned, his voice muffled by Growlithe's tail. He blinked his eyes open, squinting against the bright Sinnoh sun. "Floette? Why are you screaming? Is the hotel on fire?"
"Jia-gei! (Pfft—Jing, don't move! Hahaha!)" Togetic joined in, hovering over him and clutching her belly.
"Fly ah! (It's... it's a masterpiece! Absolute art!)" Sylveon giggled, her ribbons trembling.
"Mishimishi~ (Hahahahaha!)" Carbink chimed in, having no idea what was funny but happy to participate.
"Woof? (Pfft~)" Even Growlithe, seeing the result of his nocturnal gymnastics, let out a short, amused bark.
"What is wrong with you people?" Julian grumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He felt a strange, localized numbness on his forehead and cheek. "Seriously, I feel like I got hit by a stampeding Donphan."
"Floe~-flo! (You didn't get hit by a Donphan, but you definitely got branded. See for yourself!)"
Still cackling, Floette used Psychic to snatch a small vanity mirror from the dresser and floated it directly in front of Julian's face.
"Ah—thanks, wait... what in the—WHAT IS THIS?!"
Julian stared at his reflection. It was a disaster.
His forehead and left cheek were decorated with unmistakable, bright red three-toed paw prints. They were shaped like tiny flickering flames—the exact brand of a Growlithe who had spent eight hours using a human face as a footrest. The pressure had been so consistent that the marks looked like temporary tattoos.
To make matters worse, several strands of orange and white fur were plastered to the corner of his mouth by dried drool. His hair looked like it had been styled by a Primeape in a hurricane, with clumps of dog hair and bits of Carbink's fluff woven into the mess.
"Wait! Floette! Put that down! What are you doing with the camera?!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Julian saw his high-end digital camera floating in the air. Floette was hovering behind it, her tiny hands positioned over the shutter button with professional precision.
"No! No photos! I forbid it! This is a violation of my human rights!"
Click!
The shutter sound echoed in the room, followed by the soft whir of the digital save.
"AHHH! You little traitor! Give me that! Come back here!"
Julian scrambled out of bed, looking like a man who had lost a fight with a bag of flour. He lunged for the camera, but Floette—a natural-born flyer—easily zipped toward the ceiling.
"Floe~-flo! (Haha—no way! You always say we should document the 'authentic moments' of the journey. Well, this is as authentic as it gets, Boss!)" she teased, performing a loop-de-loop just out of his reach.
"This isn't an authentic moment, it's a crime scene!" Julian shouted, waving his arms as he hopped on the bed. "Delete it! Delete it right now or I'm replacing all your snacks with plain Oran berries!"
"Floe~! (I'm not the only one who likes it! Look at the 'audience'!)"
Floette pointed a tiny leaf toward the rest of the team. Sylveon was literally rolling on the floor in fits of laughter, and Togetic was doing somersaults in the air.
"You guys! Stop being spectators! Help me get the camera!" Julian pleaded, looking at Growlithe. "Growlithe, buddy, this is your fault! Use those long legs and grab her!"
"Woof~ (Pfft—if I jump now, I'll probably knock over the lamp and set the curtains on fire. Better to stay safe and enjoy the show~)"
"Fly ah! (My ribbons are currently... uh... busy being beautiful! I can't reach that high!)" Sylveon lied through her teeth, her ribbons doing a celebratory dance.
"Togekiss jia-gei~ (It's just a photo, Jing. You look 'distinguished' in a messy sort of way. Besides, it's good practice for the camera's autofocus~ Pfft!)"
"Mishimishi! (Yeah! It's funny! Don't stop!)"
"You bastards! All of you!" Julian huffed, leaning against the bedpost as he caught his breath. The paw prints on his face were starting to itch as his blood pressure rose. "And Carbink! Don't listen to them! This is a toxic work environment! Don't learn their wicked ways!"
He turned his focus back to Floette, his eyes narrowing. "Floette. One. Last. Warning. Give me the camera, or I am canceling the reservation for that 'All-You-Can-Eat' nectar buffet in Hearthome City. I'll do it. I have the app on my phone."
Floette's laughter came to a screeching halt. She looked at Julian, then at the camera, then back to Julian. The threat of a missed buffet was the only thing capable of piercing her mischief.
"Floe~... (Fine... geez. You have no sense of humor today.)"
Reluctantly, she let the camera drift down into Julian's outstretched hands.
"Hmph. Thank you. Finally, some respect," Julian muttered, cradling the camera like a precious gem. He shot one last glare at the room full of giggling Pokémon. "I'm going to go wash my face. If I come out and find any more 'art' on the walls, someone is sleeping in their Poké Ball tonight!"
He marched into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him with a dramatic Clang.
As soon as the latch clicked, the silence in the room lasted for exactly two seconds before the entire team collapsed into a heap of unbridled laughter.
"Fly ah syl-syl! (Did you see the look on his face?! The paw prints really brought out his eyes!)"
"Togekiss jia-gei~ (I'm dying! He actually thought he could win against Floette!)"
"Mishimishi! (Hahahaha! Is he always like this in the morning?)"
"Woof, woof-woof... (He's a mess,)" Growlithe barked, stretching his long limbs. "(But he's our mess. Although... do you think he was actually mad?)"
He looked toward the bathroom door with a tiny hint of concern. He didn't want to actually upset the guy who provided the belly-rubs.
"Togekiss jia-gei~ (Pfft—no way,)" Togetic replied, her voice warm and confident. "(I can still feel his Aura through the door. He's grumbling and scrubbing his face, but deep down? He's laughing just as hard as we are. He's happy we're having fun.)"