The Yale Province High School League had officially concluded, and most participants were already heading home. Julian, too, returned after bidding farewell to Will and the others.
As he approached the house, the door was opened by his mother Tina's longtime caretaker/housekeeper an Indeedee, affectionately known as 'Love.' She was his mother's starter Pokemon.
Julian's face lit up with a smile.
"Love!" he greeted warmly.
Seeing Julian, Indeedee's eyes brightened with joy. She had been like a second mother to him, taking care of him throughout his childhood when his parents were busy.
It had been over ten days since Julian had last been home due to his participation in the league, the longest he'd ever been away from home after he started his 3rd year. Naturally, Love had missed him dearly.
Julian's parents were home, having been informed of his arrival in advance.
"My champion son is back!"
Tina exclaimed proudly as she strode into the room. She had always celebrated Julian's achievements, no matter how big or small.
His father, Jake, sat on the sofa with a more composed expression. The former champion trainer nodded at his son. Tina, unable to bear his lack of enthusiasm, glared at him and scolded, "Didn't you see your son just came back in this heat? Why don't you pour him a glass of water?"
(T/N: he might also have won the championship in his time)
Jake, ever the dutiful husband, muttered under his breath, "But Love already poured him one." Yet, despite his mild complaint, he obediently rose to fetch the water, not daring to voice his dissatisfaction too loudly.
After all, the Walker family had a long-standing tradition—love and respect for their wives.
After taking the water from Love, Julian reached into his backpack and produced three small gifts. "I got these for you from the Commercial Street at the league," he said, smiling.
Although the gifts weren't extravagant, they held sentimental value. He had picked out a stylish hat for his mother, a high-quality fishing rod for his father—one of the few hobbies Jake had maintained for over a decade—and a delicate silk scarf for Love.
Tina beamed with excitement and, taking Love by the hand, whisked her upstairs to try on the new accessories in front of the mirror.
Meanwhile, Jake examined the fishing rod, his eyes widening in astonishment. "A Kyogre "66" fishing rod... and you found this at the high street?"
The fishing rod was a rare item, one that any top angler would dream of owning.
Only 100 of these rods had ever been produced, each engraved with its unique number and Kyogre's head on the handle.
Legend had it that Kyogre itself could be caught with such a rod—an ultimate goal for all avid fishermen.
(T/N: yeah sure go catch one and it might destroy your whole country)
"I didn't just find it," Julian replied casually.
"I had to convince the shopkeeper to sell it, so I ended up paying ten times the listed price."
Jake's expression was a mix of disbelief and awe. His son had gone above and beyond to get him something so meaningful.
As they settled back in, Julian dropped another piece of news, "Oh, by the way, I've already been accepted early by Imperial University."
At the same time, he also talked about the conditions offered by the other party.
Jake nodded, acknowledging the impressive feat. "That's much better than what they offered me back in the day, sure enough having Aura really makes a difference," he said, his tone betraying a hint of envy.
Julian smirked, knowing his next revelation would stir an even bigger reaction. "I've also awakened Psychic powers."
Jake, who had been calmly lounging on the sofa, suddenly sat bolt upright. His voice grew louder in disbelief. "Wait, you did *what*?"
"Yeah," Julian replied, waving a hand nonchalantly. "I woke up and found out I had Psychic powers."
Jake stared at his son in stunned silence, his mind racing. While there were various ways for someone to awaken Psychic abilities—often triggered by intense emotions or even during sleep—it was still incredibly rare, especially to awaken such power at an intermediate level from the start.
"Show me," Jake demanded, still trying to process the news.
Julian raised his hand, and the objects on the coffee table floated effortlessly into the air, confirming his claim.
Jake could only shake his head in disbelief.
"Intermediate level already?" he muttered. "Unbelievable."
"Well, if you weren't as handsome as me, I'd be questioning if you were really my kid!" Walker joked, though a trace of genuine amazement lingered in his voice.
"Mom, Dad just said..."
"What did I say, don't talk nonsense, kid"
Jake's eyes widened and he interrupted Julian's words directly. He turned his head and said flatteringly, "Wife, Julian was jus...."
"Boy, is it so fun to make a fool of your father"
There was no one behind him, it was obviously a trick by Julian.
"Ding Dong"
Just as the banter continued, the doorbell rang.
Julian went to answer it, finding a courier standing at the door beside a large crate.
"Hello, I'm from Pidgeot Express. There's a delivery for a 'Julian,'" the courier said.
Julian produced his ID card, confirming his identity.
After receiving the parcel, Julian took a look at the Flying saddle on Pidgeot's back. If he wanted one for Dragonair, it would have to be customized. There was no Dragonair Flying saddle on the market.
"You bought something?" Tina asked as she and Love came downstairs.
"Yeah, a cyan-qualified Shellder," Julian responded.
Shellder, a Water-type Pokémon, had cost him a small fortune—300 million in the trading section of the Drakorian trainer app.
It was a rare find, and its evolutionary form, Cloyster,a Water/Ice type was a feared opponent, especially known for its prowess in taking down Dragon-types in the hands of the Ice Elites.
"Shellder, huh? I thought you'd pick Dragon as your second type. Is your plan to go with Ice?"
Jake frowned, he saw that Julian got a Dratini out of nowhere, and thought that his second type would be a dragon, but now he bought a Shellder.
Julian shook his head, smirking mischievously. "Nah, you'll find out soon enough. Let's keep that a secret for now."
Jake nodded but couldn't resist offering advice.
"Since you've awakened Psychic powers, you might want to consider the Psychic type as your second specialization. It would maximize your abilities, especially with a Pokémon like Metagross by your side."
Julian was about to respond when Tina suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, what? You've awakened Psychic powers?"
There was a moment of silence as everyone turned to face her. Only two dual-ability Trainers existed in the world:
One is in Vilhonis, the strongest champion in the nation of Vilhonis.
And the other is in Daventry, the country with the smallest population in the world, but it has a dual-ability trainer, and he is praised by the people of the nation of Daventry as the legendary Light of the world.
(T/N: not sure but from what I could find the first one is Singapore and second is Vatican City... until I find something that says otherwise)
Drakoria didn't have any, but Julian's appearance made him the first person with dual-ability in Drakoria.
"Let's keep this quiet for now," Walker said seriously. "No need to attract unnecessary attention until you've reached the pseudo-Elite level."
Julian nodded. The Walker family's high status in Drakoria had its benefits, but also its share of rivals.
For now, it was better to keep this newfound talent under wraps.
*****
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