The sun was beginning to bake the cobblestone streets of Solaceon Town by the time the shopping expedition concluded. If the people of the town thought the "Parade of Five" was strange on the way in, they were practically speechless on the way out.
"I'm telling you... that's enough, isn't it?" Julian said, his voice straining under the weight of several oversized brown paper bags.
"With this amount, besides the normal meals, just the berries I've bought to turn into Pokéblocks are enough to keep you four fed for over half a month! My bag is at the structural limit. If I add one more Pecha berry, the zippers are going to explode like a Confidential move!"
Julian's mouth twitched as he looked at his team. They were like a pack of pack-mules. Growlithe was carrying a rucksack that was twice his size, looking less like a dog and more like a walking mountain of groceries. The massive, meaty bone he'd picked out earlier poked out of the top like a flag. Togetic was hovering right behind him, using her small hands to steady the bone, while Sylveon had her ribbons wrapped tightly around the bag's straps to keep the whole thing from toppling over.
As for Floette... she was floating serenely, surrounded by seven or eight large kraft paper bags that were hovering in a Psychic field. She was currently munching on a Mango Berry she'd "sampled" from one of the bags.
The four of them looked at Julian, then at each other, then back at the mountain of supplies.
︽⊙_⊙︽
Indeed, they had gone a bit overboard. Usually, Julian bought enough for a few days; today, they had bought enough to survive a minor apocalypse. Realizing their Trainer was currently a human pillar of groceries, the four little ones nodded in unison. The shopping trip was officially over.
"Phew~~~" Julian let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. "Since that's the case, let's head back quickly. Once we get home, I'm going to need some serious prep time before the feast is ready. If we leave now, we might actually get to eat before the sun goes down."
The return to the hotel was a slow, clumsy march. When they finally burst through the door, the sound of bags hitting the floor was like a round of applause.
"Finally! We're home!" Julian groaned, stretching his aching shoulders.
Immediately, the room transformed. Floette and Growlithe didn't even stop to catch their breath; they sat by the kitchen door, eyes sparkling with a hunger that could rival a Snorlax.
"Woof, woof! (Big meal! Big meal! The bone! The bone!)" 🦴
"Floette-flo! (Cook, cook! I can smell the berries in my dreams!)" 🍓
Julian chuckled, his previous exhaustion replaced by the joy of seeing his friends so excited. "Yes, yes, my lords! Please wait patiently. I will immediately begin the preparations for the Grand Celebration Feast."
He washed his hands thoroughly—still finding a stray orange hair on his wrist and smiling—and stepped into the kitchenette. It was small, but he had learned to be efficient.
First, he tackled the berries. He sliced the various fruits Floette had picked—Oran, Sitrus, and Pecha—into precise geometric shapes. Then, he tossed a mix of spicy and sweet berries into a blender, creating a thick, aromatic jam.
He took the massive bone Growlithe had picked out and made deep incisions in the meat. He stuffed the cuts with the berry jam, minced onions, and a dash of peppercorns. After sealing the openings with culinary twine, he brushed the remaining sauce over the exterior until the meat was glistening. He set it aside to marinate, the spicy-sweet aroma already filling the room.
Next came the baking. Julian mixed high-grade flour with Moomoo Milk and a reduction of Roseli and Yache berry juice. The dough was a soft, pastel pink. He looked at the towering pile of ingredients still left on the counter and realized he needed a pair of extra hands—or a set of telekinetic ones.
"Floette! Come in here and help!"
"Floette-flo~ (Coming, coming!)"
Floette zipped into the kitchen, her eyes immediately darting to the bowls of sliced fruit. Julian pointed to the large bowl of batter. "The usual, Floette. Whisk it until it's smooth and airy. I need those peaks to be perfect."
"Floette-flo! (No problem! Consider it done!)"
She used her Psychic power to grab the whisk, spinning it at a speed no human could match. Meanwhile, Julian turned his attention to a second batch of dough, kneading in Mango Berry juice to create a golden, fruity bread.
The kitchen was a symphony of sounds: the whir of the whisk, the thump of the dough, and the sizzle of the oven preheating. But after a few minutes, Julian noticed the whisking sound had become... rhythmic. Suspiciously rhythmic.
He turned his head slightly. Floette was still "whisking," but she wasn't looking at the bowl. She had drifted over to the counter where the freshly sliced Pecha berries were sitting. Her tiny hand was reaching into the bowl, and her cheeks were bulging.
Julian didn't say a word. He stepped softly across the linoleum, leaning over the table until his face was right behind her shoulder.
"Floette~ are the berries delicious?" he whispered.
"Floette-flo~ (Delicious, delicious~)" she chirped instinctively, her mouth full of sweet fruit.
A second later, the gears in her head turned. That voice... that was too close.
Floette froze. Her tiny body went stiff, and the blue flower she held actually stood upright, as if it had been struck by lightning. She slowly—very slowly—turned her head. Julian was right there, propped up on his elbow, wearing a grin that was half-amused and half-mischievous.
"Floette-flo! (JULIAN!)"
She squeaked, nearly dropping her flower. "Floette-flo... (So... sorry! I couldn't help it! They looked so shiny!)"
Caught red-handed, she lowered her head, looking like the world's most adorable criminal.
"It's okay," Julian laughed, leaning back. "How much did you actually get through?"
Floette pointed a trembling finger at a half-eaten Pecha berry and the empty bowl that had previously held the Mango slices. "(Just this much... maybe a bowl and a half?)"
"And did you finish the batter like I asked?"
Floette nodded vigorously, pointing to the bowl where the whisk was now floating idle. Julian checked the consistency—it was perfect. He reached out and gently flicked Floette's forehead.
"You've worked hard. Tell you what: take this half-bowl of Pecha berries and go eat it outside with the others. It's going to be at least another hour before the main course is ready, and I don't want you fainting from hunger. But remember—share with Sylveon and the others!"
"Floette-flo! (O-okay! Thank you, Julian!)"
Fearing he might change his mind, Floette grabbed the bowl—which was twice as big as her—and flew out of the kitchen like she was being chased by a Houndoom. She slammed the door shut behind her.
Julian leaned against the counter and covered his mouth, chuckling to himself. He looked at the closed door and whispered, "Honestly... since you all don't mind my weird secrets, how could I mind your little snacks?"
He opened the refrigerator and pulled out two more bowls of sliced berries he had hidden earlier. "I've been your Trainer for a long time, Floette. I knew exactly what would happen the moment I let you in here."
The Aroma of Home
With the "secret snacker" handled, Julian went back to work with renewed energy. He placed the marinated bone in the roasting pan and slid it into the oven. The scent of caramelizing sugars and roasting meat began to seep under the kitchen door, wafting into the living room.
Outside, he could hear the chaos.
"Woof! (I smell it! The spice! It's happening!)" "Sylveon-fly! (Floette, give me a piece of that berry! Julian said to share!)" "Jia gei! (Don't fight! There's plenty!)"
Julian leaned over the counter, shaping the Mango bread into small rolls. He felt a deep sense of contentment. Usually, when he cooked, he felt the pressure to make everything "scientifically perfect" to maximize nutrient absorption for training. But today? Today was just about flavor. It was about making something that tasted like a "thank you."
He looked at his hands, covered in flour and berry juice. He thought about how far they had come from the research lab. He thought about the upcoming hatching, and the journey ahead. For the first time, the future didn't feel like a series of goals to be met; it felt like a story he was excited to read.
He checked the oven. The meat was browning beautifully, and the pink batter was rising into fluffy, sweet cakes.
"Just a little longer," Julian murmured, wiping a smudge of flour off his nose. "The best is yet to come."