After recording the video of Slowpoke's evolution into Slowking, Julian sent it to his aunt, Quinn Walker. However, he didn't hear back from her until later that night when she finally called. Julian figured she'd been busy all day, studying the video and not checking her phone.
Julian told his aunt the same thing he had told Jake earlier.
In terms of intellect, his aunt, a top-tier Pokémon scholar, was far sharper than his father.
While Jake had his doubts, Quinn believed Julian's story without hesitation.
It wasn't that Quinn was easier to fool than Jake, but she understood that sometimes the greatest discoveries come from unexpected accidents—often stumbled upon by those with a natural genius for the subject.
"Aunty, I'll send Slowking to you right away"
Julian said after chatting with her for a while.
His aunt hung up, reminding Julian to send Slowking over as soon as possible and instructing him not to announce the existence of Slowking until her research report was ready.
Julian knew the drill well. Other than his parents and Quinn, no one else knew about Slowking yet, although he assumed his father had already informed his grandfather.
With a Pokémon teleporter at home, it was easy to send Slowking to Quinn. He grabbed Slowking's Poké Ball and spoke to it.
"Slowking, you'll be heading to my aunt's place. Be sure to cooperate with her, okay? You'll be back soon," he assured.
The Poké Ball shook slightly, a sign of Slowking's understanding.
After placing the ball on the teleporter's slot and entering the coordinates, a quick flash of electricity signaled that Slowking was on its way to Quinn's lab.
At her lab near Norman, Quinn eagerly grabbed the Poké Ball as it arrived. The moment she opened it, Slowking appeared, standing calmly with its hands clasped behind its back.
Several of her assistants were present, their eyes lighting up with excitement at the sight of a Pokémon they'd never seen before.
Quinn's own gaze was the most intense of them all.
Even Slowking, usually unfazed by external reactions, felt a drop of cold sweat form on its forehead from all the attention.
Meanwhile, back at home, Julian was lounging on the sofa when he heard a knock on the door.
He stood up quickly and opened it, finding a Pidgeotto wearing a delivery helmet, clutching a takeaway bag in its talons.
"Pidge~"
"Thanks," Julian said with a smile, accepting the food.
The Pidgeotto gave a small nod before flying off to make its next delivery.
As Julian turned back inside, he was startled to find the family's steward/Housekeeper, Love, standing there with a disapproving look.
"Ah... you're still awake, Love?"
Julian asked awkwardly. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already eleven at night. Normally, Love would have retired for the night by ten, ready to prepare breakfast for the family in the early morning.
Love, known for her dedication to the family's well-being, was not a fan of takeout, as she deemed it unhealthy.
Julian felt a little guilty, knowing he'd been caught red-handed.
"Uh, it's just barbecue, not snail noodles or anything too smelly. And besides, I don't even like those. That's more Mom's thing"
Julian quickly explained, hoping to soften the steward's glare.
As a neat freak, Love had a strict rule against foods with strong smells, like stinky tofu or durian, and would be mortified if anyone dared eat them at home.
Love glanced at the takeaway bag, gave a resigned sigh, and retrieved a can of Coke from the fridge, setting it on the coffee table before heading back upstairs.
Love: "Rest after eating, and don't stay up too late playing on your phone"
Love instructed before disappearing upstairs.
"Yes"
Julian nodded like a good child.
Cute.JPG.
Julian exhaled, relieved. The pressure from Indeedee always felt similar to dealing with an Elite trainer—especially given how essential she was to the smooth running of their household. Julian knew better than to push his luck.
Even his mother, Tina, would tread carefully around Love. If she ever quit, the family's daily life would fall into disarray.
It was as if Indeedee was the backbone of their home life, just as much as Jake was the pillar outside.
Julian sat back down, opening the Coke. His eyes caught sight of the Pokémon endorsement on the can. The design had changed from Blastoise to Milotic, alongside a handsome middle-aged man known for his acting in Drakoria.
His partner, Mines the Milotic, was renowned for its Elite-level battle prowess.
As Julian unwrapped his barbecue, Meltan, who had been resting upstairs, appeared at his side, its little eyes fixed on the food.
"Here, but don't eat too much"
Julian said, handing Meltan a skewer of lamb.
Meltan accepted it gratefully, munching happily.
Just as Julian settled back to eat, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, seeing a message from Will.
Will: Hey, have you entered the new intermediate-level secret realm yet? It opens to the public tomorrow. If you haven't, we could form a team together.
Julian: I was part of the first batch, already been there.
Will: Damn! You lucky son of an aristocrat. Can you share some useful tips, brother?
Julian chuckled, recalling the second group that had probably just returned. It seemed like they were starting to prepare for the public opening.
Julian: Head southeast as soon as you get in, and keep going for about a day. There's a volcano area with some good finds.
Julian remembered that the Dowsing Machine had shown about ten red dots around the volcano's mouth, within a radius of 20km.
Julian had already claimed the most valuable treasure there, a fire crystal, but he knew the smaller ones could still be useful to Will.
Will: Thanks, bro! I will give a hug when we meet.
Julian: F*** off.
As his only friend in high school, Julian wanted to help Will whenever he could, and he was also optimistic about Will. If there was no accident, it was certain that the other party would become at least pseudo-Elite in the future, and more if he was lucky.
Although Will himself wanted to be a champion.
Finishing his meal, Julian tossed the empty Coke can to Meltan, who happily grabbed it, and he headed upstairs.
His room was peaceful, with most of his Pokémon already at rest, except for Steelix who was too big.
Metagross lay on its back, seemingly dreaming of something pleasant, while Lucario sat cross-legged, meditating. When the door creaked open, Lucario's eyes flicked open for a moment, but seeing Julian, it closed them again.
Dragonair had sprawled out on Julian's bed, its head and tail hanging off the sides, and Aron was gnawing contentedly on a rough diamond, occasionally blowing on it to examine its glittering surface.
Julian smiled. His Pokémon were more than just teammates—they were family.
*****
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