The bathroom door groaned open after a long, humid half-hour.
Julian stepped out into the main room, looking like a man who had just won the lottery. He was carrying Growlithe over his shoulder like a fuzzy sack of potatoes, his face buried deep in the puppy's freshly blow-dried back fur. A refreshed, blissfully satisfied smile was plastered on Julian's face as he occasionally took a deep sniff of the cedar-and-soap scent clinging to the orange mane.
"How was it, buddy? My 'Full-Power Grooming Technique' is something else, right?" Julian whispered, his voice vibrating against Growlithe's spine.
"Woof~ (It... it really was~)" Growlithe murmured, his head lolling over Julian's shoulder, his eyes half-closed in a daze. (〃ﾉωﾉ)
"Then... how about I give you and Sylveon a session like this every single day from now on?" (づ′▽`)づ Julian's smile widened, practically beaming with a light that could rival a Flash move. He carried Growlithe to the bed and set him down gently next to a still-recovering Sylveon.
"Fly ah~" "Woof~" (Ye... yes~)
The two fluffy partners responded with limp, quiet cries. They were physically clean but mentally drained by the sheer intensity of Julian's "unleashed" affection.
"I knew you two were the best!" ─=≡Σ((( つ•̀ω•́)つ
Still not satisfied, Julian launched himself onto the mattress, pouncing between the two of them and rubbing his cheeks against their fur simultaneously.
"Woof! (Julian, you animal!)" "Fly ah! (Give him an inch and he takes a mile!)"
"Hehe~ You can complain all you want, but I know you loved it," Julian said with a cunning, happy grin. o(￣▽￣)o
Growlithe stayed silent, unable to argue with the facts, while Sylveon let out a haughty, tsundere huff. Seeing that they weren't actually trying to run away, Julian chuckled. "Actually, while we're all here and looking fabulous, let's take a group photo! Today is a big day. It's the day you all met the real me."
"Fly ah! (Okay!)" "Woof! (As long as you're happy!)" "Floette-flo! (Count me in!)" "Jia gei! (Picture, picture!)"
"Since that's the case, Floette, I'll leave the shutter to you!"
Floette nodded, her eyes glowing with a faint blue light as she used Psychic to lift the camera from Julian's backpack. She floated in front of the bed, framing the shot.
"Alright, everyone, strike a pose! Floette, you're in your usual spot on my head. Togetic, sit on my shoulder like you did yesterday. Come on, Sylveon, I'm leaving my lap open just for you! Growlithe, get over here on my other side. Yes, just like that! Hurry, Floette, take it!"
"Floette-flo! (Cheeeeese!)"
Click!
That night, the cycle repeated. After a massive dinner that left the team satisfied and the table messy, the "Devil's Invitation" echoed through the room once more.
"I say... you little fellows are dirty again! It's! Bath! Time!"
Floette and Togetic, being relatively easy to clean, didn't mind. But Sylveon and Growlithe actually trembled.
"Fiafiyau! (Are you kidding me? Once in the morning, once at lunch, and now at night?)" "Woof woof! (Exactly! Our fur can't take this much friction! You need to show some restraint!)"
"Hmph! Since you all know the truth anyway, why should I pretend?" Julian declared, looking like a man possessed. (♦ฺ◣ω◢)♦ฺ "Do you know how long I've been holding back? Every day, looking at your fluffy bodies and having to act like a 'professional' researcher! Especially after yesterday... do you know how broken I felt? You don't want me to go back to being depressed, do you? So... let me have my fill of fluff for the next week!" (*￣3￣)
He started with a semi-logical explanation but ended with his true colors flying high.
"Woof! (No! You've had three fills already today!)" "Fly ah! (Al-although it was very comfortable... wait, no!)"
"Hehe~ That's not up to you!" (ノ≧∀≦)ノ
Julian chuckled lewdly and, ignoring the berry sauce on Sylveon's ribbons and the crumbs in Growlithe's mane, he pounced.
"Woof! (Julian, you monster!)" Growlithe flailed his paws in the air as he was hoisted up. "Fly! (Let me go!)" Sylveon was caught by the scruff, hanging motionless as Julian marched toward the bathroom.
"Hmph. You say no, but your hearts are honest," Julian smirked. "If you really wanted to resist, you could have used Swift or Flamethrower to blast me. Lucario was right—everyone loves my petting! I don't know what I was so worried about before."
He carried the two fluffy creatures into the bathroom with a triumphant laugh.
Clang!
"Don't run, Sylveon! Your paw pads are covered in jam! They need a deep tissue massage!" "Fly ahhhhhh!" "Growlithe, stop it! Your tail is full of meat scraps! Let me suck—I mean, wash it!" "Woof! (HE SAID IT! HE SAID SU—)"
The Photo on the Desk
Late that night, the hotel room was quiet. Unusually, the four Pokémon weren't asleep; they were gathered around the desk, watching Julian work.
On the desk sat a freshly developed photograph. The background was the cozy Solaceon inn. In the center, Julian sat cross-legged on the bed, beaming. Floette was perched on his cap, Togetic was on his left shoulder, Sylveon was curled on his left thigh, and Growlithe's head was resting on his right. If you looked closely, you could see faint handprints in the fur of the two on his lap, proof of how much they'd been handled that day.
Everyone in the photo looked bright, happy, and genuinely at peace.
Julian looked at his team, then flipped the photo over to write a note on the back.
Julian and his Family
Today... is the day everyone met the real me. My hidden secret was finally exposed. To be honest, when it happened yesterday, my mind was blank. I felt like the world was ending. I felt like I'd lose everything.
But! Everyone accepted me anyway. You didn't just accept me; you let me be myself. Growlithe and Sylveon even let me pet them for hours just to help me feel better. Growlithe's belly fur is seriously addictive... and Sylveon's ribbons are softer than silk. I can't put into words how much I love you guys. Thank you for staying with me. Our journey is going to have a lot more stories to tell.
PS: Growlithe, I love you as you are, but I really hope you evolve into Arcanine soon. That massive body and even longer fur... I imagine riding on your back and leaning on your belly while sleeping would be the ultimate heaven.
Alliance Calendar: June 28th – Solaceon Town. My companions met the new me. The real me.
Julian offered an inkpad to the group. One by one, they pressed their paws and hands into the ink and then onto the back of the photo, leaving their unique marks next to his signature.
Growlithe looked at the PS note and then at Julian with a very flat expression. "Woof~ (You're already planning to use my evolution as a giant pillow, aren't you?)"
Julian reached out and stroked Growlithe's smooth head. "Of course! Who could refuse an Arcanine? I'm a fluff enthusiast, buddy. It's in my DNA!"
The Aftermath in Veilstone
Far away, in the bustling city of Veilstone, Master Lucario was sitting on a balcony, tasting a newly formulated, high-protein Pokéblock. His long ears twitched as he sensed a ripple in the Aura of a student far away.
"Oh... right," the Lucario grunted to himself, looking toward the horizon. "I forgot to tell that kid that the side effect of his Aura awakening is that it temporarily amplifies certain... 'primal' emotions. His obsession with soft things is probably hitting its peak right now."
He took another bite of the Pokéblock, a small, knowing smirk on his face. "Eh... it should be fine. It's better than him being a repressed wreck. Besides, his Pokémon seem to be handling it... mostly."