The morning sun filtered through the thin curtains of the Canalave City hotel, casting long, golden streaks across the carpet. I groaned, my mind slowly swimming up from the depths of sleep. I tried to roll over, but my right arm felt like it had been replaced by a lead weight.
I cracked one eye open and looked down. Sylveon had managed to migrate from her own bed to mine in the middle of the night. She was curled up against my side, using my forearm as a pillow, her rhythmic breathing proof of a deep sleep. To make matters worse, her feeler-like ribbons were wrapped tightly around my bicep like decorative vine work.
On the other side of my head, Floette was tucked under the edge of my pillow, and Togepi was curled into a tiny ball right against my ear.
"I'm a human jungle gym," I whispered to the ceiling.
I didn't dare move. Sylveon had gone through the ringer yesterday, taking on Byron's heavy hitters one after another. If she wanted to use me as a mattress for an extra hour, she'd earned it.
Staring at the ceiling, I started mapping out our next moves. Originally, I'd planned to follow the standard circuit through Eterna City, but my detour to Kanto had thrown the timeline into a blender. To get from the western coast of Canalave all the way to Eterna City on foot was a massive trek.
Then I remembered the flyer I'd seen at the Pokémon Center yesterday. There was a Pokémon Contest scheduled in Floaroma Town in a few days.
Floaroma Town, I thought. The city of flowers. It was much closer to the coast, and there were regular ferries that ran from the Canalave docks straight to the Floaroma outskirts. If we took the boat, we could hit the Contest, then cut through the Eterna Forest to reach Eterna City for our third Gym Badge.
"Sylveon... (Morning, Julian...)"
A soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Sylveon was looking up at me, her blue eyes blinking sleepily. She stretched, her ribbons finally loosening their grip on my numb arm.
"Morning, sleepyhead," I said, wincing as the blood finally started rushing back into my hand. "How are you feeling? Any soreness from the Steelix incident?"
"Fly-ah! (I'm good as new!)" she chirped, standing up and shaking herself out.
"Glad to hear it. I'll get up and make breakfast. Why don't you wake the other two while I get the kitchen ready?"
The Breakfast Chronicles
Preparing meals for three different Pokémon with three very different personalities was starting to become a culinary art form.
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
The sound of my knife hitting the cutting board was rhythmic and soothing. First, I prepped a bowl for Floette. She had a sweet tooth that would put a Beedrill to shame, so I diced up some Mango Berries and drizzled them with high-quality nectar I'd bought in Kanto.
For Sylveon, I went with a mix of her favorites: Ink Plum Berries for that tart kick, mixed with Sitrus and Oran Berries to help her recover any lingering fatigue from the battle.
Finally, for the growing Togepi, I made a "baby salad." I chopped Lemon and Spiky Berries into tiny, manageable pieces so the little one wouldn't choke. And, of course, a side of handmade Fairy-type Pokéblocks for everyone.
I was just finishing up when a chaotic sound erupted from the bedroom. It sounded like a stampede of small feet and tiny wings.
"Alright, alright! Food's ready!" I called out.
The door burst open. Floette was a green-and-white blur, zipping past my head and landing directly in front of her bowl before I'd even put it on the table.
"Flo~! (Food! Food! Food!)"
"Slow down, glutton," I laughed, shaking my head. "Seriously, you just evolved and you're already eating enough to power a Galvantula. Where do you put it all?"
I carried Togepi to the table while Sylveon trotted alongside me, her ribbon wrapped affectionately around my wrist. By the time I sat down, Floette was already half-buried in her bowl. It was impressive, honestly. She was barely ten inches tall, yet she was inhaling Mango Berries like she was being paid for it.
By the time I'd even taken a sip of my own coffee, Floette's bowl was licked clean. She flopped onto her back on the table, her belly rounded like a small green ball, a smear of nectar across her face.
"Floe~... (Delicious...)" she sighed, looking like she was about to fall into a food coma.
"You're a disaster," I said, poking her round tummy. "I'm genuinely curious about the physics of your stomach. You just ate a bowl of fruit nearly as big as you are."
"Floette~! (Magic!)"
"Yeah, magic. That's usually the answer with Pokémon," I muttered. I pulled out a tissue and a wet wipe, gently cleaning the sticky nectar off her face. "You two, eat at a normal pace, please. We have a busy day."
Togepi and Sylveon were much more civilized, nibbling their fruit with a grace that Floette clearly lacked.
"Once you're done, put your dishes in the sink," I instructed. "I'm heading out to the docks to book our passage to Floaroma Town. Stay out of trouble."
"Floe~! (Got it!)"
"Fly-ah! (Be safe!)"
"Togi-pri! (Bye, Mommy!)"
"It's Daddy!" I shouted over my shoulder as I walked out the door, though I knew I was fighting a losing battle.
Setting the Course
Canalave City was bustling. Sailors were hauling crates of iron ore, and the smell of salt and diesel was heavy in the air. I made my way to the Pokémon Center first to confirm the Contest dates.
The nurse behind the counter smiled. "The Floaroma Contest is exactly seven days from today. It's one of the most popular ones in the region because of the flower festival."
Perfect. I walked down to the ferry ticket office near the canal.
"Next boat to Floaroma Town?" I asked the clerk.
"Let's see... we have a freighter leaving this afternoon, but if you want the passenger ferry, the next one is at 7:00 AM, three days from now."
"Three days?" I calculated quickly. The boat ride was only a few hours. That would give me three days of solid training here in Canalave, and another two or three days in Floaroma before the Contest.
"I'll take one ticket," I said, handing over my trainer ID.
As I walked back toward the hotel, my mind was already racing with training routines. This would be Sylveon's first official Contest. She'd been watching Floette and me practice for weeks with a look of pure envy in her eyes. It was time to let her shine.
Given her natural grace and the way she could manipulate her ribbons, she was a natural-born Coordinator. If we could just polish her move transitions, the first screening would be a breeze.
"Floaroma Town, then Eterna City," I whispered to myself. "The second act of the journey is officially starting."
I looked out at the water, the sunlight glinting off the canal. The Mine Badge was a heavy weight in my pocket—a reminder of how far we'd come. But the road ahead was even longer, and I couldn't wait to see what flowers were waiting for us in Floaroma.