The heavy, humid air of the morning had been replaced by the bright, bustling energy of a Solaceon Town afternoon. It had been exactly three hours since Julian's world-shattering confession, and the young man felt like he had been born again. His face was rosy, his spirit was light, and his clothes were absolutely covered in orange, white, and pink fur.
Julian stood in the center of the hotel room, looking at his four partners. He let out a long, satisfied sigh, though his fingers still twitched with the phantom sensation of soft paws and fluffy tails.
"Floette, Togetic, Sylveon, and Growlithe... um... cough cough..." Julian cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to regain some semblance of a 'Trainer persona.' "Look, although we've all... shared a lot of information recently, remember that this stays between us. It's our little secret. We don't need to tell the Gym Leaders or the Nurse Joys about my... specific interests."
"Floette-flo! (Alright, alright! We won't tell the scary Lucario that you're a fur-maniac, just stop being weird!)" 🌸 Floette said, hovering near the ceiling to avoid being grabbed again.
"Togekiss! (Secret safe!)" "Fly ah~! (Cross my heart!)" "Woof! (As long as the snacks keep coming!)"
The four little ones chirped and barked in unison. However, the room was still a bit of a disaster zone. Sylveon was busy using her ribbons to smooth down the fur on her back that Julian had ruffled into a mohawk, and Growlithe was frantically licking his chest fur to get rid of the "bedhead" look Julian had gifted him.
"Floette-flo~ (Instead of worrying about secrets, remember the feast! You promised! I can hear my stomach complaining from here!)"
"Sylveon-fly! (Exactly! We were terrified yesterday because of your 'mental breakdown,' and we barely had a bite this morning. You owe us a five-course meal, at least!)" 🎀
"Togekiss! (Feast! Feast! Large portions!)"
"Woof! (And my extra spicy jerky! And the steak bone!)"
Julian laughed, a bright and genuine sound. "Alright, alright! I hear you! I'm going to go prepare the ingredients right now. Just wait patiently, and I'll make sure you all have the best meal of your lives."
Julian grabbed his bag and headed for the door, but he didn't even reach the handle before a furry barricade blocked his path.
"Woof! (Wait! Usually, you go alone, but after last night, I'm not letting you out of my sight!)" Growlithe barked, wagging his tail.
"Sylveon-fly! (Me too! I want to pick out my own berries!)" Sylveon glared at Growlithe, her ribbons wrapping around Julian's leg like a pink anchor.
"Togekiss! (The whole squad is going!)"
"Floette-flo! (I promised to help you carry the bags, remember?)"
Julian looked down at the group, his heart swelling. "You guys... alright! Since we're a team with no secrets now, let's all go shopping together! If you see anything you like, just point it out. My treat!"
Before they left, Julian squatted down, his eyes softening as he looked at Growlithe. He reached out and gave the puppy a deep, thorough rub along his spine, making the dog's leg shake uncontrollably.
"No problem, Growlithe. Order whatever you want. You're the hero who helped me get through my social crisis," Julian whispered.
Then he turned to Sylveon, who was currently pouting. She looked like a tiny, pink cloud of jealousy.
"And Sylveon, don't look like that. I know I said I have a preference for fluff, and I won't lie—Growlithe is basically a walking stuffed animal. But my love for all of you is the same. I like petting him, but I love the fact that you've always been by my side."
He paused, a bashful smile creeping onto his face. "Actually... I have a confession for you specifically. Back at the research lab, when you were still an Eevee... I touched your fur every single day under the guise of an 'examination.' I already loved petting you back then. There was even one time I told you I was 'checking for insect eggs' just so I could press my face into your big, fluffy tail."
Julian rubbed his nose, his face turning bright red as he looked at the wall. "You were the first Pokémon I ever really... thoroughly petted. You started this whole obsession, Sylveon."
Sylveon froze. She tilted her head, her aqua eyes reflecting the memories of those daily check-ups at the lab. She remembered thinking Julian was the most thorough doctor in the world. Now, the truth was out.
"Sylveon-fly... (I... I actually guessed it, but I didn't know you were that far gone back then!)" 🎀
"Yeah... but after you evolved, you looked so elegant and grown-up. I felt like I couldn't just pounce on you like I used to. It felt like my little girl had grown up, and I was too embarrassed to be that handsy." Julian looked back into her eyes. "But now that the secret is out... expect to be petted three times as much."
"Sylveon-fly! (Hmph! Fine! Since you were such a sneak, I accept your apology! But as punishment for hiding the truth, you have to let me sleep in your arms every night from now on! No more using Growlithe as a pillow without me!)"
Julian laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Deal. I accept the punishment."
"Floette-flo! (Can we go now?! The market is going to close, and I'm going to pass out!)"
The Solaceon Market Parade
A few minutes later, the streets of Solaceon Town were treated to a very unusual sight. A black-haired youth in a red cap was walking down the main thoroughfare, and he looked like a mobile Pokémon playground.
Floette was perched comfortably atop his cap, holding her flower like a royal scepter. Togetic fluttered just behind his shoulder, chirping at the Pidgeys on the rooftops. Growlithe trotted proudly at his heels, his tail held high, while Sylveon was tucked firmly into Julian's left arm, her ribbons draped over his shoulder as he absent-mindedly stroked her ears while walking.
In a town full of Breeders and Trainers, it wasn't rare to see Pokémon out of their balls, but seeing a guy literally "wearing" four of them at once drew plenty of amused and curious stares.
"Woof! (Julian! Look! I want that one!)" 🥩
Growlithe skidded to a halt in front of a rustic meat stall. He pointed his paw at a massive, prime-rib bone that still had a huge, marbled chunk of meat hanging off the end. It was nearly the size of Growlithe's torso.
Julian whistled. "Whoa, buddy. That thing is half your size. Are you sure you can handle that much protein? The others don't even eat meat."
"Woof! Woof! (I have the heart of an Arcanine! And if I can't finish it, you can cook it into a stew for yourself! Just look at that marbling!)"
"Alright, alright, you glutton," Julian chuckled, squatting down to give Growlithe's head a vigorous rub before looking at the vendor. "Excuse me, sir! We'll take the big one. Wrap it up tight, please."
"Coming right up, young man! That's a healthy-looking Growlithe you've got there!" the butcher laughed, hauling the massive bone onto the scale.
"Sylveon-fly! (Julian, look over here! I want those honey-glaze Oran berries!)"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Julian signaled to the butcher that he'd be back to pick up the meat, then followed the tug on his sleeve as Sylveon led him toward a fruit stall piled high with shimmering, blue berries.
"Floette-flo! (And those Nanab berries for the nectar! Get those too!)"
Julian was a whirlwind of activity. He moved from stall to stall, buying fresh cream, specialized Pokémon flour, aromatic herbs, and enough berries to fill a small wagon. Every time he paid for an item, he'd find a moment to scratch Growlithe behind the ears or let Sylveon nuzzle his cheek.
For the first time in his life as a Trainer, he didn't feel like a tourist or a student. He felt like a dad taking his kids out for a Saturday treat. He felt grounded. He felt like he finally belonged in this world, not just as a researcher or a fighter, but as a person who loved his family—fur, feathers, and all.
"Alright, that's the last of it," Julian said, hoisting two heavy bags of groceries over his shoulders while Growlithe carried the wrapped meat bone in his mouth like a prize trophy. "Let's head back to the inn. It's time for the legendary 'Julian's Secret's-Out' Feast!"
"Floette-flo! (Hurry! Hurry!)"
As they walked back, the sun began to dip, casting a warm orange glow over the town. Julian looked at his team, all walking together in the golden light, and realized that while the last twenty-four hours had been the most embarrassing of his life, they had also been the best.
"Hey guys," Julian said softly.
"Woof?" "Fly?"
"I'm really glad I caught that egg. But I'm even gladder I have you four."
Sylveon's ribbons tightened around his wrist in a gentle squeeze. They didn't need words to tell him they felt the same way.