"Woof, woof, woof! (What are you so smug about up there?! Don't just hover and laugh, come down here and share the misery!)"
Growlithe craned his neck, barking up at the ceiling where Togetic was currently performing a slow, mocking victory lap. His tail thrashed against the duvet, sending a stray pillow tumbling to the floor.
"Easy, easy, big guy!" Julian hissed, his eyes widening as he checked the thin hotel walls. He lunged forward, his palms meeting the fuzzy, warm snout of the Growlithe in his lap. "Keep it down! You're going to wake up the whole floor, and I am not explaining to a sleepy hotel manager why my Pokémon is having a midnight existential crisis."
Growlithe's muffled barks died down into a series of indignant huffs against Julian's skin. He looked up, his dark eyes narrowed in a classic 'You're dead' stare.
"Woof! (You! This is all your fault! You started the ear-biting! You brought this on yourself!)"
As Julian's hands remained clamped over his mouth, Growlithe realized his target was literally serving himself up on a silver platter. Without a second thought, he leaned his head down and clamped his jaws firmly onto Julian's forearm.
"GAH!!! It hurts! It hurts! My arm is a goner! Growlithe, let go! Mercy! I surrender!"
Julian let out a dramatic, strangled cry of agony, his body sagging as if the 'Bite' attack had drained his very soul.
"Woof?! (Wait, seriously?!)"
Growlithe's eyes went wide with panic. He hadn't used any actual strength—it was supposed to be a 'play-bite,' a warning nip at most! Had he accidentally tapped into some latent power? Had Julian's arm finally turned into the soft dough he'd been kneading all night?
He immediately released his hold, his tongue darting out to frantically lick the spot he'd just bitten, his tail tucking between his legs in genuine distress.
Upon closer inspection, however... the 'wound' was pathetic. If you squinted in the right light, there was a faint, slightly pinkish indentation of a tooth, but nothing that would even require a Band-Aid.
Growlithe froze. He looked up.
Julian was still clutching his arm, making soft whimpering noises, but the corner of his mouth was twitching. Then, the dam broke. A massive, shit-eating grin split Julian's face as he let out a stifled cackle.
"Woof~ (Jing! You absolute jerk! I actually thought I'd hurt you!)" Growlithe barked, his guilt instantly replaced by hot, orange-tinted fury.
"Oh, it hurts, buddy... it really hurts," Julian said, his voice dripping with fake sorrow as he clutched his chest. "I didn't think my own partner, my best friend, would actually launch a lethal strike against me. My heart is shattered. The physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional betrayal!"
Julian put the back of his hand against his forehead, looking like a Victorian maiden about to faint.
"Woof~ (Can you stop? Just for five minutes?)" Growlithe gave him a look of pure, unadulterated boredom. "I can't believe I used to think you were the 'Strong, Silent Type.' You're a theatrical mess."
"Hehe~" Julian scratched the back of his head, the "Sensitive Artist" persona vanishing as he grinned sheepishly. "Well, I did say I was going to show you the real me, right? This is the unfiltered Julian experience. Consider it a VIP backstage pass to my personality."
Growlithe snorted, though his tail started a slow, rhythmic thump against the mattress. "Woof~ (Hmph. Just don't pull that stunt again. I don't like thinking I've broken my human.)"
"Deal," Julian laughed. "I'll try to keep the fake deaths to a minimum."
"Woof woof! (Fine. But as a penalty for the heart attack... I'm biting you again! For real this time!)"
Before Julian could react, Growlithe pounced, burying his nose into Julian's side and tickling him with a flurry of play-nips.
"Hey! No! Stop! That's a foul!"
Togetic, still floating near the light fixture, watched the two of them roll around the bed like a pair of overexcited Eevee. She let out a soft, melodic chirp and drifted down toward her own specialized pillow on the nightstand. She could feel the waves of joy coming off them—thick, warm, and genuine. It was a lot better than the stiff, professional atmosphere of the early days.
As she closed her eyes, she thought to herself... Yeah, this is much better.
"Alright, alright~ Growlithe, truce! Call it a draw," Julian panted, his hair looking like it had been through a wind tunnel.
He reached out with his left hand, picking up a fresh photo from the desk while using his right hand to gently boop the Growlithe that was still trying to "wrestle" his elbow.
"I still have one last log entry to write before the day is officially over. If I don't finish this, I won't be able to sleep. Give me five minutes of peace?"
"Woof~ (I'll allow it. For now.)"
Growlithe finally released Julian's arm, which was now damp with saliva but otherwise perfectly fine. He sat back on his haunches, watching Julian with a hawk-like intensity.
"Thank you, Oh Great and Merciful Growlithe, for sparing your humble servant," Julian joked. He reached out and spent a moment smoothing down the orange fur he'd ruffled during their scuffle, making sure the puppy looked presentable again.
"Woof~ (Hmph. I'm staying right here until you're done. Don't think you're getting out of the cuddle-limit tonight.)"
"Haha~ Looks like I better hurry then. I wouldn't want to keep the boss waiting!"
Julian turned his attention to the second photo. This one was identical to the one he'd given Aura earlier—the group shot with Drapion in the background. As he went to write the first character, the glossy paper slid slightly on the wooden surface of the desk.
Suddenly, a furry orange paw reached out, pressing firmly against the corner of the photo to hold it steady.
Julian looked down at the paw, then up at Growlithe, who was staring at the blank back of the photo as if it were a high-stakes battle. Julian felt a lump of warmth in his throat. He didn't say a word, just squeezed Growlithe's shoulder once and began to write.
Julian and his Partners—featuring Reggie and his Drapion
Today really was a 'Double-Feature' of good luck.
First, the egg finally gave us Carbink. But then, on the way back from the Nursery, we ran into an old face from the Veilstone days: Reggie, Paul's older brother. It was a surprise, to say the least.
He's a good guy, but man, it's a bit tragic. He's already cleared two regions, yet he seems totally blind to the 'Gym Leader Paradox.' He really thinks he's steamrolling through these badges on pure merit. He has no idea that guys like Volkner or Byron are essentially giving him the 'Participation Trophy' version of a battle.
I tried to drop a few hints—told him to keep his eyes peeled in Kanto—but he brushed it off. I guess some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Brandon and the Battle Frontier aren't known for being 'gentle' with overconfident challengers. That crushing defeat is looming on his horizon like a storm cloud, and I can't do much to stop it.
Still, Reggie's got a heart for caretaking. If the Trainer life doesn't pan out, he'll make a hell of a Breeder. He's got that patient, 'big brother' energy that Pokémon thrive on.
PS: It's a shame Paul wasn't around. I wonder... if Paul hasn't seen his idolized brother get dismantled by the Frontier yet, is he still that cold, 'Strength-at-all-costs' jerk we know from the future? Or is he just a normal kid right now? I'd pay good money to see a rookie Paul cross paths with a rookie Ash Ketchum right about now. The universe might actually implode from the sheer clash of personalities.