Bonds | Pokémon Fanfiction

Chapter 15: Five's a Crowd

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: FIVE'S A CROWD

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The first day of the Kalos Hotspot Tour ended with Ken and Alice getting a strike. According to the hosts, if they got three strikes then the duo would be sent home. Dan and Bailey kept a close eye on the trainers for the rest of the day, only letting them relax once they arrived at a hotel.

"You'll both get your own rooms," Dan stated as the four rode up the elevator. He spread the hotel key cards out and fanned himself. "You can order anything you want from the rooms' menus, but don't go loco, alright? Me and Bails are gonna hang out at the bar downstairs. Holler if you need us."

"What if we need you?" Alice asked, slightly frowning.

"Lemme see your phone," Bailey said. Alice hesitated before obeying, an embarrassed blush warming her cheeks when the redhead chuckled. "Cracked screens are the worst... Okay, I put mine and Danny's numbers in."

The elevator doors slid open, and Dan led the party to the end of the hallways. The hosts helped Ken and Alice settle in then waved goodbye and hightailed downstairs.

"I can't believe they left us to go to a bar," Alice muttered. She sat on Ken's bed sorting through her camera roll, erasing duplicates and blurry images. Her finger hovered over the 'delete' button when she came across the photo of Ken scolding her only to save it. "The hotel's nice and all, but I thought they'd be near us the whole time."

Ken shook his head while taking his Poké Balls out of his backpack. "They're irresponsible, especially Bailey. When we were in the Parfum Palace garden, she tossed a coin into a fountain that had a sign saying it was prohibited."

An amused smile lifted her features. "Is that why she was wet?"

"I don't understand why she didn't have a Pokémon fetch her coin."

"I wish I was there to take a picture of it. That would've been great for the photo album I'm putting together." Alice eyed the red-and-white spheres rolling around the comforter. "You know, I haven't met all your Pokémon yet."

He picked up the Poké Ball closest to him and murmured, "Say hello to Alice."

A four-legged Pokémon materialized onto the blanket. Her sleek, cerulean body stood out against the forest green sheets. Fins out of all things jutted out on either side of her face. A flared out, white collar connected to her neck, causing her round, onyx eyes seem larger than they actually were.

"Your Vaporeon's super pretty," Alice marveled. She leaned forward and bent down so she was eye-to-eye with her. "Hi there, Vaporeon,"

Vaporeon cocked her head to the side and tentatively sniffed Alice's hand, her breath tickling the girl's digits. Her throat rumbled, and she pressed her face into Alice's palm. The brunette grinned and scratched the Water-type under her fin, eliciting even louder, more delighted purrs.

"I've never seen Vaporeon warm up to somebody so quickly," Ken confessed in disbelief. He watched his once timid and meek Eeveelution wag her tail as his companion cooed. "You have a natural affinity for Pokémon."

Alice didn't look up at him as she cuddled Vaporeon. "What you mean?"

"The Gogoat from the race obeyed you despite your mad scheme—"

"That Aerial Ace won us the race. Hey, that rhymed!"

"—that terrible Pachirisu listened to you, and now Vaporeon's allowing you to hold her," Ken listed, lifting a finger for each event.

"Are you saying I have a superpower like those legendary family lines?" Alice joked. "Have no fear for the girl who can get most Pokémon to like her is here."