The bathroom of the Snowpoint hotel was currently a crime scene of culinary proportions.
"Hoo... hoo... haa..."
Julian leaned over the porcelain sink, his chest heaving as if he'd just sprinted up the Spear Pillar. A faint, neon-tinted, viscous smear of blue-purple liquid still clung to the corner of his mouth—a grim reminder of the "Togetic Special" he'd just forced down.
Splash! Splash!
He cranked the cold water tap to the max, cupping the freezing liquid to his face. The shock of the Snowpoint tap water—which was basically liquid ice—helped snap his brain back into reality. He wiped his mouth with a towel, staring at his reflection. He looked like he'd gone three rounds with a Gengar and lost.
"Why..." he whispered, his voice trembling. "Why was there a thick layer of pure, unmixed honey at the bottom of the bowl? Was she trying to glaze my internal organs?"
The memory of that final, saccharine gulp hit him. It had been like swallowing a spoonful of liquid gold mixed with lukewarm milk and soggy noodles. It was a texture that shouldn't exist in a civilized world.
Bang bang bang!
"Woof! (Jing? You still alive in there? Or do I need to break down the door and perform emergency CPR?)"
Growlithe's muffled bark came from the other side of the wood, followed by the sound of a heavy paw scratching at the frame.
"I'm fine! Totally fine! Just... admiring the tile work!" Julian shouted back, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
He took a few more deep breaths, rinsed his mouth for a record-breaking five minutes until the taste of fermented Oran berries finally faded, and straightened his shirt. He couldn't let Togetic see him like this. It would crush her spirit.
He opened the door and stepped out, putting on his best "I am a capable Adult Human" face.
The room was a beehive of activity. The bed had been expertly straightened—mostly by Sylveon's ribbons and Floette's telekinesis. The "Four Little Ones" were huddled around the dining area, crunching through their specialized Pokéblocks, while Growlithe was still sitting like a fuzzy gargoyle right in front of the bathroom door.
Julian couldn't help himself. Seeing that orange face filled with genuine worry melted whatever frustration he had left. He dropped to a crouch, burying his fingers in the thick, warm fur of Growlithe's neck.
"What's that look for? Worried I drowned in the sink?" Julian teased, scratching that one spot behind the ears that made Growlithe's leg thump.
Growlithe didn't bark. He just gave Julian a deadpan stare, pointed his paw directly at Julian's stomach, then grabbed Julian's pant leg with his teeth and tugged toward the exit.
"I get it, I get it," Julian laughed, standing up. "You think I need some fresh air to clear out the 'poison,' right?"
He walked over to the table, pouring himself a massive glass of water to dilute the honey-sludge in his gut. He turned to the group, who were all watching him with various levels of amusement.
"Listen up, everyone! I'm taking Growlithe out for a bit. We're going to scout the route to the Snowpoint Gym and maybe put our names on the challenge list for tomorrow. It's just a quick trip. The rest of you stay here, stay warm, and for the love of Arceus, don't order room service!"
He drained the glass in three seconds flat.
"Fly-ah? (You're going out now? Like, into the actual snow?)" Sylveon stopped chewing mid-Pokéblock, her blue eyes narrowing.
"Jia-gei! (No way! You were a shivering mess ten hours ago! Sit down!)" Togetic hovered over her bowl, looking ready to use her new Psychic powers to pin him back to the bed.
"It's okay, really," Julian said, waving them off. He did a quick, awkward pirouette in the middle of the room, rotating his arms to show he wasn't about to collapse. "I'm recharged. A night of being used as a communal mattress by you guys did wonders for my stamina. Plus, I've got Growlithe. He's been my personal space-heater for a week and I haven't even sniffled. We're just going to the Gym and back. Easy-peasy."
He poured a second glass of water. His throat still felt like it was coated in syrup.
"Fly-ah... (Then... then I'm coming too!)" Sylveon hopped off her chair, her ribbons already reaching for Julian's arm.
"Sylveon, look outside," Julian pointed at the window. The Snowpoint sky was already dumping a fresh layer of powder onto the streets. "The ground is literally ice. You don't have paw-pads made for this. If you stay out there for twenty minutes, your ribbons are going to turn into icicles. I don't want you catching a cold before the big match."
Sylveon stopped. She looked at the window, then back at Julian, her expression turning stubborn. "Fly! (I don't care! I'm not letting you wander off while you're still pale! If you go, I go!)"
Julian looked at Growlithe, hoping for some backup, but the dog just shrugged his furry shoulders as if to say, 'She's got a point, Boss.'
"Fine, fine," Julian sighed, relenting. "But the second you feel a chill, we're coming back. Deal?"
"Fly-ah~ (Deal! Let me just finish these last three blocks!)" Sylveon chirped, diving back into her bowl at high speed.
While she finished, Julian turned his attention to Togetic. He'd been holding onto a question since the last bite of breakfast.
"Hey, Togetic... just out of curiosity... why was there a hidden treasure of honey at the bottom of my noodle bowl?"
Togetic's triangles glowed happily. "Jia-gei! (Oh, that! I saw you putting it in Floette's food last week to make her stop complaining about the bitterness of her vitamins. And you always say it's 'liquid energy,' so I thought, 'Julian needs all the energy he can get!' I dumped half the jar in! But... I guess I forgot to stir it?)"
Julian stared at her. A brief, haunting silence filled the room as he processed the fact that he'd swallowed half a jar of honey in a single sitting.
"...I see," Julian said, his voice remarkably calm given the circumstances. "That... explains the sugar rush I'm currently fighting off. Just a tip for the future, Chef: honey is great, but in noodles, it's a bit... experimental. It's usually better as a topping for fruit or pancakes."
He poured a third glass of water.
"Jia-gei? (Oh! Noted! No honey in the soup next time. I'll try using Miltank cheese instead!)" Togetic nodded enthusiastically, her little finger propped under her chin like a scholar.
Cough! Cough-cough!
Julian nearly inhaled the water. He pounded his chest, gasping for air. "Cheese? Let's... let's stick to the basics for a bit, okay?"
"Mishimishi? (Jing, are you sure you're okay? You're making a lot of weird noises today,)" Carbink chimed in from the corner. It was rare for the little rock-type to speak up, but even she looked concerned.
"I'm fine, Carbink. Just a bit of water down the wrong pipe," Julian waved her off, wiping his brow. He looked at Togetic and sighed. "Wait... do you actually want to keep cooking?"
Togetic's expression turned soft. "Jia-gei... (I do. I saw how tired you were. If I can learn to make the food, you can rest more. I want to be useful outside of just battling.)"
Julian felt his heart soften. He reached out and gently stroked the top of her head with one finger. "I appreciate that, really. And since you've got the 'Psychic' thing down now, it'll actually be much easier. I'll teach you the basics properly. No more 'Surprise Honey' or 'Milk Soup' without a recipe."
"Togekiss! (You promised! No backing out!)"
"I promise," Julian smiled. "Besides, if you all help out, I'll finally have some backup in the kitchen. Before this, my only 'help' was someone who spent more time eating the ingredients than prepping them."
He shifted his gaze sideways, looking directly at Floette.
"Floe~? (Wait, why is everyone looking at me?)" Floette, who was currently elbow-deep in her bowl, froze. She swallowed a massive mouthful of Pokéblock with a loud gulp and puffed out her chest. "(If you're talking about me, I was 'Quality Control'! I had to make sure the berries weren't sour! It's a very important job!)"
Julian, Sylveon, Growlithe, and even the stoic Carbink all stared at her with the exact same skeptical expression.
( ￢ _ ￢ )
"Floe~-Floe~... (Seriously? What's with those faces?)" Floette started to look a little flustered, her blue petals fluttering.
"Well... Floette," Julian said, rubbing his forehead. "If even Carbink—who has been here for five minutes—knows you're a glutton, I don't think your 'Quality Control' excuse is holding much water."
"Mishimishi! (She definitely eats the most,)" Carbink added with brutal, rock-type honesty. "(I saw her sneak a Razz Berry from the counter when Jing was in the bathroom.)"
"Floe~! (Betrayal!)" Floette squeaked, her face turning pink.
"Haha!" Julian couldn't help but laugh. He stepped forward and gave Floette's head a tiny, affectionate tap. "It's okay. We love our little bottomless pit. If you want to eat, just eat! You don't need to make up 'tasting' protocols for it."
"Fly-ah~ (Yeah, we're all used to it by now,)" Sylveon teased, finishing her bowl and shaking out her ribbons.
"Woof! (Better a glutton than a human who thinks he can survive a blizzard on spite alone!)" Growlithe added with a toothy grin.
"Jia-gei! (Exactly! And if we're calling people out, Jing is clearly the 'Plushie Addict' here, right?)" Togetic giggled.
"Mishimishi~ (It is pretty amazing how much he pets everyone. Sometimes I think his hands never stop moving,)" Carbink added.
Julian froze. "Wait, wait! We were talking about Floette! Why am I suddenly the target? This is a mutiny!"
"Jia-gei! (But it's true! You spend at least three hours a day just brushing Growlithe!)"
"Woof! (And I'm not complaining, but you did try to use my tail as a scarf earlier,)" Growlithe barked, his eyes dancing with mischief.
"That's because it's cold! And it's soft! Who wouldn't?!" Julian defended himself, making a mock-lunge at Growlithe. "Give me that tail! If you're going to mock me, you lose your tail-warming privileges!"
Growlithe let out a playful yip and darted toward the door, his tail wagging like a frantic orange flag. "Woof-woof! (Catch me first, slow-poke!)"
"Oh, you're on!"
Julian grabbed his coat and scarf, his earlier nausea completely forgotten in the chaos of his team's laughter. As he chased Growlithe toward the door with Sylveon trailing behind, the cold air of Snowpoint didn't seem so intimidating anymore.