After dinner, the entire family stayed at the villa. The spacious house had more than enough rooms, fully stocked with all the daily necessities.
Much to the disappointment of everyone present, John and Evelyn did not enter the same bedroom.
Lying in bed, Julian played a few rounds of Pokémon Glory with Celebi—this time, he even played the support role for Celebi as a gesture of gratitude for saving his grandmother.
He played five games as support—and they lost all five.
It almost felt like repaying kindness with enmity.
Julian: "You damn noob, you truly are beyond carrying."
Celebi, even angrier, threw its phone onto the bed: "You're one to talk! What kind of support runs away faster than the ADC?!"
Julian: "I was about to die—of course I ran!"
Celebi: "I was the ADC and I didn't run! How dare you, the support, flee?!"
"Slow~"
At this moment, Slowking pushed the door open and walked in.
Slowking: "It's late. Why aren't you two asleep yet?"
Since Slowking had been busy cleaning up the mess from dinner, it only came upstairs now—which was why it hadn't been there to carry them.
And thus, their five-game losing streak.
Seeing that it was almost midnight, Celebi, unwilling to go to sleep after five straight losses, begged:
"Slowking, please carry me for one match—just one! Julian is trash."
Julian: "Don't blame me! You were the one feeding! Don't blame the support when you can't carry. I wasn't even playing ADC!"
'If I'm playing support, then winning is the ADC's job. If we lose, it's because you suck. Support players are blameless.'
Celebi: "It's you! You are a trash-tier support!"
Watching them bicker, Slowking looked utterly unfazed—this was nothing new.
"Slow~"
Slowking: "Sleep. Now."
Julian: "Yes."
Celebi: "Yes."
Lights off, blankets pulled up, asleep in seconds—flawless execution.
Within a minute, the even breathing of Julian and Celebi filled the room.
Their greatest talent might just be how fast they could fall asleep. Practically instant.
---
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Julian, Celebi, and the entire Walker family were all forcibly "powered on" by Slowking's personal wake-up service.
Henry, yawning heavily, grumbled: "Seriously? It's a rare day off. Why drag me out of bed just for breakfast?"
He had heavy dark circles under his eyes—he hadn't gone to sleep until 2 AM but was ruthlessly awakened at 7:30 AM.
Quinn wore the same exhausted expression.
Both looked visibly displeased.
"Slow~"
Slowking: "You two got a problem with that?"
Half-squinting, hands clasped behind its back.
An invisible pressure rolled off it—like the aura of a Legendary Pokémon—instantly snapping them both to full alertness.
"No, no, no!"
The two shook their heads in unison. Though they couldn't understand what Slowking was saying, the instinctive sense of mortal danger was unmistakable.
When in doubt, survival instincts come first.
Compared to them, Julian, Celebi, Jake, and Tina all knew how terrifying Slowking could be.
As for John and Evelyn, they never slept in anyway—they'd already been up before Slowking came knocking.
As the family enjoyed Slowking's breakfast and freshly brewed coffee, they once again showered it with praise and admiration.
Slowking squinted with satisfaction, radiating waves of joy through its Aura.
Then Julian noticed something—Slowking's energy underwent a subtle transformation in that instant.
Its level rose from 70 to 71.
At this moment, Slowking officially became an early-stage Elite-level Pokémon.
---
Pokémon: Slowking (Water/Psychic)
Level: 71
Potential: Blue
Ability: Oblivious
Held Item: Twisted Spoon
Gender: Female
Moves: Tackle, Curse, Water Gun, Confusion, Yawn, Disable, Water Pulse, Power Gem, Swagger, Headbutt, Slack Off, Psychic, Psych Up, Rain Dance, Heal Pulse, Nasty Plot, Surf
TMs: Mega Punch, Low Sweep, Pay Day, Hyper Beam, Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Protect, Icy Wind, Dive
Egg Moves: Scald, Trick, Calm Mind, Psyshock
Note: Blessed by Manaphy, the Child of the Sea. Water-type moves gain a 20% power increase.
---
Slowking's breakthrough didn't go unnoticed—everyone present was either an Elite trainer, a top researcher, or at least a high-ranking professional.
Only Henry had no clue what had just happened.
Yesterday, they complimented it, and its cooking leveled up.
Today, another compliment—and it literally leveled up.
At this rate, if they kept praising it daily, wouldn't it be able to smack down a First-class Legendary in no time?
Julian found it odd—he'd praised Slowking plenty before, so why did it only start improving like crazy these past two days?
Was it because the number of people praising it before too little?
Or did it specifically need Grandma's approval?
"Truly an exceptional one."
Evelyn said softly, gently stroking Slowking's chin, eyes full of genuine admiration.
"Slow~"
Slowking: "That I am."
Julian: 'Not humble at all. Totally unlike me.'
After breakfast, the family strategically vacated the dining area, leaving only John and Evelyn. Even Slowking—initially trying to clear plates—got dragged out by Julian with instructions to clean later.
The estate was huge—it included an expansive golf course out back where Julian's Pokémon roamed freely.
Aggron and Tyranitar, both Totem-class Pokémon, left crater-like footprints with every step—their sheer mass compacting the turf dramatically.
Before long, the expensive golf course was practically ruined.
Julian walked over to Quinn, who was lounging on Arcanine's back.
He leaned against Arcanine as well.
"…Auntie, is Uncle a hopeless romantic?"
"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, puzzled.
So Julian explained his guess.
"Pfft—"
Quinn couldn't help but burst out laughing. But she quickly schooled her expression into something more serious.
"Big Brother's childhood sweetheart was turned into a vegetative state by a car crash—one that was actually targeting him."
Dramas have their three classic tragic clichés: car accidents, cancer, and amnesia.
And Henry got the car accident.
"If you want to call him a lovesick fool, sure. After all it's been twenty years, and he still hasn't moved on," Quinn sighed.
"Is she dead?"
Julian asked bluntly.
Quinn shook her head. "If she were, it might actually be better. Maybe then, Big Brother could start over. But no—she's alive, just… never waking up."
With the level of technology the Walker family now had access to, Henry must have tried everything. The fact that she still hadn't woken up could only mean it was truly hopeless.
Trapped in a coma—a fate worse than death.
"My uncle is a role model for our generation," Julian said, full of admiration. He knew he could never be that devoted.
'Is this the power of a childhood sweetheart?'
Julian had never had one, so he couldn't say for sure.
"If only your uncle was a scumbag like you," Quinn muttered.
"AUNTIE! I will sue you for slander!" Julian yelled indignantly.
*****
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