The hotel room in Snowpoint City was a disaster zone. If anyone had walked in, they would have assumed a small-scale meteorological event had occurred—specifically, a blizzard of dog hair and sheer chaos.
"Growlithe! You little traitor!"
Julian stood in the center of the room, his face flushed, clutching a photograph like it was a death warrant. On the other side of the room, his Growlithe was splayed out in his nest, looking entirely unbothered. The fire-puppy gave a slow, rhythmic wag of his tail, eyes half-closed.
Julian slammed the photo down onto the table. It was a snapshot from earlier that day. There, clear as day on Julian's face in the photo, were distinct, muddy paw prints. He looked like he'd lost a fight with a lawnmower, and the expression he was wearing—a mix of confusion and indignation—was immortalized in glossy paper.
"Explain this! Right now!" Julian pointed at the print. "I thought you were just playing around during the demo, but you pressed down so hard! Even after I scrubbed my face raw, the red marks were still there for hours. No wonder Candice was staring at me like I was a circus act!"
Growlithe opened one eye, let out a soft woof, and nudged his nose into his bedding. Woof-woof-woof? (It's just a little mud, Julian. A badge of honor, really. Why are you so sensitive?)
"Sensitive? You made me look like a fool in front of the whole Academy!" Julian grumbled. He vividly remembered the photo studio clerk struggling to keep a straight face while handing him the developed prints. The guy had actually choked on his own spit trying not to laugh.
Growlithe let out a series of short, barking puffs that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Woof-woof! (Pfft. You should have seen your own face in the mirror back then. You were so busy acting all cool and stoic for the students that you didn't even notice me using your cheek as a stepping stool. You deserved it!)
"Oh, so you do understand!" Julian's eyes narrowed. "That's it. You're asking for it."
He lunged. It was the classic "cuddle-attack" maneuver, but Growlithe had been trained to dodge, evade, and counter-ambush. The puppy zipped to the left, his orange-and-black fur blurring, and landed neatly on top of the bedpost, looking down at Julian with a smug, tongue-lolling smirk.
"Don't think you're escaping! I'm going to pet you until you're fluffier than a cotton candy machine!"
"Woof! (Come and get me, human!)"
The ensuing chase was something out of a slapstick comedy. Julian dived across the bed, but Growlithe was a master of the "hit-and-run." He would bounce off the walls, lightly swatting Julian on the head with a soft paw—smack, smack—and then dart under the desk before Julian could grab him.
Carbink, who had been quietly floating in the corner after his long day, let out a concerned Mishi. Mishi-mishi? (Is this what we're supposed to do now? Are we… fighting? Do I need to Sharpen up?)
Floette, perched on the windowsill, just giggled. Fly-fly-fly! (Oh, leave them alone. Julian has been itching to get his hands on some fur all day. He's just using the paw-print incident as an excuse to tackle him.)
Sylveon, currently grooming her ribbons, added with a flick of her ears, Leafeon-leaf. (He's going to be exhausted in five minutes. Just wait.)
"Gotcha!"
Julian finally managed to corner Growlithe in the corner of the room. He dove, arms outstretched, and caught the puppy by the tail. Growlithe made a show of struggling, batting at Julian's sleeves with his paws.
"See? I told you I'd catch you!" Julian panted, breathless but grinning. He pulled the pup into his lap, ignoring the indignant little nips Growlithe was taking at his fingers.
"Woof! (That's cheating! You grabbed the tail!)"
"All is fair in love and fluff," Julian retorted, finally getting his fingers into the soft, warm fur around Growlithe's neck. He spent the next twenty minutes thoroughly ruffling the pup's coat, until the indignant barking turned into soft, contented rumbles.
Eventually, the energy in the room dissipated. Midnight had long since passed. Growlithe, completely worn out from the 'battle,' slumped over on Julian's bed, his fur sticking up at all kinds of ridiculous angles, looking like a toasted marshmallow.
Julian sat at the small hotel desk, his own hair disheveled and a few stray dog hairs clinging to his jacket. He felt a weird, quiet peace. He looked at the photo of the paw prints one last time, then flipped it over. He pulled out a pen, the ink scratching softly against the back of the print.
Alliance Calendar, July 7th – Snowpoint City
Today was a victory, in more ways than one. We secured our sixth Gym badge at the Academy, and Growlithe officially crossed the threshold into the Elite Class. We're one step closer to the dream—riding this giant, fiery fluff-ball across the plains. Honestly, I think he knows I'm obsessed, which is why he feels so comfortable stepping on my face.
Floette also hit a milestone today. The pressure of the battle pushed her to the Gym Leader level. The vet was a bit confused during the checkup—her physical structure has shifted, and there's a strange, latent energy in her. I suspect it's linked to that ancient, lingering aura we found earlier. It's not evolving her, but it's making her stronger. No wonder she's been eating twice her body weight in berries lately.
P.S. Growlithe is a menace. He forced me to take that photo with the paw prints, and I'm pretty sure he's going to hold it over my head for months. The moment he evolves into an Arcanine, I'm going to spend every night sleeping on his back. Beds are overrated anyway.
Julian set the pen down and picked up the second photo—the group shot with Candice, the students, and the Snowpoint Academy staff.
He looked at the faces—Wen Tai's stiff smile, Zoey's fierce, competitive glint, and Candice's infectious energy. It had been a long day of teaching, debating, and proving his methods.
Good luck, all of you, he thought as he scribbled on the back of this one too.
Alliance Calendar, July 10th – Snowpoint City
Invited to Snowpoint Academy by Candice. Met some familiar faces, though some of them definitely have a lot to learn about the 'unwritten' rules of battling. They think they've got the world figured out because they can recite the type chart, but I hope today showed them that the best trainers are the ones who don't just follow the path—they build their own.
Candice is a great mentor for them, even if she's a bit rough around the edges. And Zoey... she's stubborn, but she's got the heart of a champion. I'm looking forward to the day she finally stops worrying about what a 'proper' trainer should be and just starts being herself.
I made a lot of promises today. Battles, challenges, future duels. I'll be waiting for all of them. The road as a trainer is long, and I have a feeling I'm going to see these kids again when they're actually ready to test me. Until then, the journey continues.