Seeing their trainer getting beaten by Julian, Hugo's Pokémon immediately grew anxious. They turned around, intending to rush back to protect him.
Unfortunately for them, Dragonite, Lucario, and Metagross were waiting, blocking their path.
Metagross: If you want to pass, pay the toll.
The message was clear. Dragonite and Lucario, following Metagross's lead, dashed toward Gengar, Mismagius, and Dusknoir, ready to battle.
Hugo, barely conscious, felt the world spinning. Everything sounded muffled, like he was underwater. Even the pain in his body had dulled. In his mind, for a brief moment, he thought he saw Arceus smiling down at him from above.
"Julian, stop!"
Frank called out, his voice cutting through the haze. The head teacher could see the fight had gone far enough. If Julian continued, there was a real chance Hugo would either be disfigured or dead.
"Alright, Teacher Frank"
Julian replied casually. But before he stopped, he threw one more punch at Hugo's face, sending a spray of blood into the air. He shook his fist, flicking off the blood like it was nothing.
By now, Hugo had completely blacked out. His face was almost unrecognizable, swollen beyond recognition, and his teeth were all but shattered.
Julian had made sure to send a clear message. When it came to someone like Hugo, who thrived on wild, no-rules fighting, showing mercy would only invite more problems. Being ruthless was the only way to earn respect from someone like him.
Meanwhile, Hugo's remaining Pokémon were lying on the battlefield, defeated by Dragonite and Lucario, unable to move.
Frank called for the school medic. Knowing how intense the battle might become, he had already summoned medical staff just in case things got out of hand.
The school doctor rushed over, dispatching a Chansey to heal Hugo.
"Chansey, Heal Pulse!"
Chansey's soft pink glow spread across Hugo's battered body. After a few minutes, his face started to heal, and even his broken teeth began to regrow.
With the help of Pokémon like Chansey, modern medicine had advanced to the point where even severe injuries could be healed in a short time. Humans had not only gained new partners in their everyday lives, but they had also seen their lifespans improve.
Groggy and dazed, Hugo slowly woke up. The first thing he saw was Julian's face, grinning down at him.
"Yo, welcome back," Julian said, still wiping the last bit of blood from his knuckles.
Hugo's eyes widened in terror as the memory of the brutal punches came flooding back. He scrambled back, a look of pure fear etched on his face.
"No.. No.. Don't.."
He touched his face and stared in shock at the blood on his hands.
"Alright, Julian, that's enough," Frank said as he approached. "The match is over."
Frank looked at Julian with a mix of admiration and surprise. He hadn't expected Julian to beat Hugo, the national champion of field fighting.
Wild fighting was a completely different style from regular competitions, and being able to defeat someone like Hugo was no small feat.
Of course, he could also see that Julian was not as good as Hugo in terms of wild fighting experience. The main reason Julian could win was due to his incredible reaction speed and the power of Advanced Aura.
If it weren't for Julian's ability to smash Sableye with an aura-powered punch in the beginning and his quick use of Aura Sphere, Hugo's sneak attack would have succeeded.
Thinking of Julian able to use Aura Sphere, Frank felt surprised and envious, After all which trainer didn't dream of having special abilities.
The battle, though it felt long, had taken just over a minute from start to finish.
For Hugo, this defeat was likely to leave a lasting scar—not physically but mentally. Julian might become his psychological shadow.
"Who else?" Julian called out, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
As Hugo staggered off the stage, the remaining six challengers who had faced Julian were already defeated. Except for Tyler and Yanis who faced Julian's strongest Pokémon Metagross.
The other four had tried to go head-to-head in their areas of expertise, but they still failed.
Now, as the group of twenty-three students watching the match exchanged nervous glances, no one seemed eager to step up.
The six challengers gave them a collective look of disdain.
Six: seriously?
Twenty-three: Hey, we're just following our hearts…
With this final battle, the entire class had come to realize that Julian, their representative, was undefeated.
Especially in the last match, if it was any of them, Sableye would have already taken them out, how could they be like Julian being able to beat up a Sableye.
Kate, watching the whole scene, clasped her hands together and sighed. "He's just so cool. That Aura Sphere—it really touched my heart."
Shen, standing next to her, rolled his eyes and muttered, "I advise you not to catch feelings for him."
Kate turned to Shen, raising an eyebrow. "Why? You like him or something?"
Shen smirked. "You ever heard of Iron-hearted guys of Oreburgh?"
"Yeah, sure… wait, is Julian one of them? Makes sense, given his Steel-type preferences."
"Nope," Shen corrected. "Julian's not an Iron. He's even better—he's Titanium."
Kate blinked. "Titanium? Wow… that sounds hardcore."
Shen: I'm afraid this child is suffering from a brain injury...
Julian, meanwhile, seeing that no one was coming forward recalled his Pokémon back into their Poké Balls and turned to walk back toward the class.
But as he took a step forward, the rest of the 21 students took a step back, Only Shen and Kate stayed in place, Shen looking amused, and Kate still gazing at Julian with hearts in her eyes.
Luis walked over with a grin. "Don't mind them, Walker. They're just still scared from watching you beat up Hugo."
Julian didn't respond but glanced down at his right hand, still crusted with Hugo's blood. He could understand why they might feel a little nervous.
"Walker, can I ask you something?" Luis continued, a little too eager.
"What is it?" Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.
The other party had a mouthful of Walker this and Walker that, which reminded him of Will's cheekiness, So he decided to entertain him.
"I saw you use that Aura Sphere with your hands earlier… To be honest, I've also awakened aura powers," Luis said excitedly, clearly hoping to be able to do the same.
Julian's interest piqued. Aura users were rare, and to meet another one in the special class was unexpected.
He looked at him, curious. "Show me."
Without hesitation, Luis concentrated, and a faint glow of aura appeared in his palm. It flickered for a moment before vanishing, leaving him looking a bit pale.
"Well? What do you think?" he asked, his eyes full of hope. "Can I make an Aura Sphere like you?"
Julian gave him a pat on the shoulder and said, "Go to bed early."
He had not even awakened Aura to the primary level yet.
Luis blinked. "Wait… what does that mean? Are you saying if I get enough rest, I'll be able to use an Aura Sphere too?"
Julian smirked. "Go to bed early, and you can dream about it."
Luis: (X_x)
At seven o'clock in the morning, the newest member of the team, Growlithe, padded over to Julian's bedroom door. The pup stood up on its hind legs, pressing the door handle with its paw like it had done many times before. But today, the handle wouldn't budge.
Growlithe: I could open this door a few days ago. Why isn't it working now?
After circling a few times in front of the door, Growlithe's ears perked up as an idea popped into its head. It bolted to the living room, eagerly nosing open one of the drawers. After some rummaging, Growlithe emerged, holding a key in its mouth.
Trotting back to Julian's door with the key clamped between its teeth, Growlithe placed its front paws against the door and attempted to insert the key.
After a couple of tries—and switching out two more keys—it finally found the right one. With a triumphant little growl, Growlithe managed to turn the lock and push the door open.
Once inside, the pup's tail wagged excitedly as it spotted Julian still fast asleep. Growlithe backed up a few paces, ran, and leapt into the air, landing squarely on Julian's chest with a thud.
"Bang!"
Julian's body jerked into a V-shape, his head and feet snapping upwards as the weight of the overenthusiastic Growlithe slammed down on him.
"Grow! Grow! Grow!"
Growlithe barked, its tail wagging furiously as it bounced around on the bed.
Still groggy and confused, Julian blinked at the happy Growlithe, trying to figure out how it had managed to unlock the door.
Normally, he didn't mind being woken up by his Pokémon, especially since Growlithe had taken it upon itself to be his personal alarm clock. But this method? Not so much.
"If you keep jumping on me like this, I'm going to need a doctor soon," Julian muttered, rubbing his eyes.
If it weren't for his abnormal physical strength, a 40-pound Growlithe crashing onto his stomach every morning would definitely put him in the hospital.
Seeing Growlithe inch closer, ready to give him a good-morning face wash, Julian quickly caught its muzzle with his hand.
"Alright, alright, I'm up. How about you go wake up the others instead?"
Julian gestured toward Aron and Meltan, who were still snuggled up in a corner of the room, completely oblivious to the commotion. Growlithe barked in agreement and bounded over to rouse its teammates.
By the time Julian was washed and dressed, all three Pokémon were wide awake and trailing him downstairs. At the dining table, Slowking—who had been awake for hours—was already setting out breakfast.
Slowking floated a glass of moo-moo milk over to Julian as he sat down.
"Thanks, Slow"
Julian said, though he couldn't help but feel a bit resigned. He had hoped to escape the daily moo-moo milk ritual when he left home, but no such luck.
It all started when his family called, and found out that Slowking was very good at taking care of people. After that Love took over the call and asked Julian to put Slowking on.
Julian didn't know what the two Pokémon talked about after that.
But from the next day onwards, a fresh glass moo-moo milk was placed in front of Julian by Slowking.
Breakfast was a bowl of porridge, accompanied by a stack of small pickles and ten dumplings, all made by Slowking. The taste was top-notch, as expected.
"Stop chatting with Love all the time, or you'll end up learning too much from her"
Julian said, noticing that Slowking was on the phone again. He could hear Love's voice on the other end, as they discussed how to best take care of him.
For the past few days, Slowking had been in constant contact with Love, seeking advice on looking after Julian. Love, not taking any chances, had instructed Slowking to keep a close eye on him.
Julian had even bought a mobile phone for Slowking. With its high IQ, using the phone and playing games had been easy for it.
As Julian sipped the milk, Slowking snapped a picture of the empty glass before sending it to Love for confirmation.
Julian: Even in the imperial capital, I am still under the supervision of Love.
You're a traitor, Slow.
Although he showed he was unhappy But truthfully, he was grateful.
With Slowking managing things, he could focus more on training his Pokémon and less on daily chores.
After finishing breakfast, Julian headed out to the backyard. His Pokémon were already lined up, Growlithe, ever eager, sat wagging its tail with a bowl in its mouth, waiting for its food.
Julian reached into his system space and pulled out food for each of them.
"Seriously, Slow," he said, noticing Slowking removing its crown to use as a makeshift food bowl again.
"Can you please stop using that to hold your food? It looks ridiculous."
The crown had seen better days, covered in scratches and dents from being repurposed as a dish.
And when Slowking took it off, its intelligence dropped considerably.
"Forget I said anything"
Julian could only shake his head as Slowking gave him a blank stare, clearly not understanding a word he said.
"Jigglypuff.... Jiggly...."
Before Julian could say anything else, the sound of Jigglypuff's iconic cry rang out—it was his aunt calling. He answered with a smile.
"Hey, Aunt"
"Okay I got it, Yes"
"Thank you, aunty"
A quick chat later, Julian hung up.
"My aunt says the paper on your evolution is getting published in the Pokémon magazine tomorrow, and the video will be on the Trainer Association's app," he told Slowking.
"Looks like you'll be able appear publicly with me from now on."
Slowking, crown back on and intelligence restored, nodded in acknowledgment.
Because Slowking was a new evolutionary form of Slowpoke, releasing this new form to the public requires a lot of early-stage work.
Until that work was completed, Slowking wasn't ready to show herself to the outside world.
"Slow!"
Slowking nodded.
She was curious about the outside world, especially after learning about it through the Internet. Her curiosity about what the outside world was like only grew stronger.
Julian had discovered this new evolutionary form of Slowpoke, and naturally, the Walker family would enjoy the benefits that came with it.
Not to mention, the authors of the related research paper were Quinn and Julian.
The Kings Rock available on the market had also likely been acquired by the Walker family.
The Kings Rock, which had appeared very early on, was initially misunderstood due to its resemblance to a rusty crown, leading some people to buy it as an antique.
However, the Kings Rock itself was relatively rare. Although the Walker family had managed to acquire a number of them, their quantity remained limited.
The acquisition of the Kings Rock wasn't motivated by a desire for profit; the Walker family was not lacking in money. Instead, it was a strategic move for potential future dealings with other families.
Slowking is a Water-type and Psychic-type Pokémon with a very high IQ.
Its appearance would undoubtedly attract trainers specializing in Water and Psychic types, especially those powerful trainers who understand the value of having a Slowking.
With such a high IQ, Slowking also possesses the ability to take care of people, making it all the more desirable.
"I'm going to the opening ceremony. You guys just stay at home. Growlithe, don't tear down the place"
Julian warned, concerned about Growlithe's energetic nature and fearing that the villa might not survive his absence.
Growlithe nodded vigorously. His expression didn't seem like a promise to Julian but more like a signal for him to leave quickly. It was as if he was saying, 'I'm going to demolish the house as soon as you leave. I have a three million renovation plan; would you like to hear it?'
"Slow, I'll give you the authority over him, make sure this place is still standing when I return," Julian said solemnly.
"Slo~"
Slowking nodded in agreement.
Then its crown was knocked off by Growlithe.
Slowking: Who are you?
Julian: I don't care if I don't attend the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony was mainly attended by freshmen and sophomores, but the older students—juniors and seniors—were not required to attend, as their courses were more relaxed, though they still had tasks to complete.
In the auditorium, the ceremony began with the president's speech. Interestingly, the president of Imperial College wasn't a professional trainer, but a well-known Pokémon scholar.
He had taught many outstanding students, and Julian's aunt was one of his proudest.
After the president offered words of encouragement, it was time for the teacher representative to speak. This year, it was Julian's head teacher, Frank. After him, a sophomore senior gave a speech as the student representative.
Finally, it was Julian's turn as the freshman representative. As the top student in his class, it was only natural that he would be chosen.
Most freshman representatives came from the Trainer Academy, though a few were from the Breeder Academy, the Pokémon School of Medicine, or the Pokémon Research Institute.
Almost all the speakers were tied to Pokémon, as it was central to the world they lived in, with countless professions related to it.
Julian walked up to the podium with Metagross by his side. Even in front of tens of thousands of people, he showed no signs of stage fright.
"Silver Metagross, wow! That's so cool," someone in the crowd whispered.
"I think Walker Elite is the coolest! Do you think Julian could get me an autograph?"
"He's not super handsome, but there's something about him. Like no one could be more handsome."
"Maybe you just think his Metagross is good-looking"
Whether it was because he was Walker Elite's grandson or because of his rare silver Metagross, Julian had drawn everyone's attention. Even though most people hadn't seen him before, they'd heard about him, especially after his participation in the Yale Provincial High School League.
Clips of his battles had been all over social media.
Now, even those unfamiliar with him knew from the crowd's reactions who this impressive freshman was.
"Look at my bro up there, Walker's looking great! Definitely school heartthrob material," Luis said with pride, as if Julian was his real brother.
"In terms of looks, he's not as handsome as me"
Ian added, touching his face proudly.
Though he couldn't match Julian in battle, he was determined to win in the looks department. This little victory inflated his confidence, and he stood up straighter.
"Come on, you're not even one-thousandth as handsome as Walker! Shameless," Luis scoffed.
Ian: You are more shameless, licking up to him like that.
"Hey, Walter, settle this for us! Who's more handsome, Julian or me?"
Ian asked, hoping Walter, the simple and honest looking guy, would give a fair answer.
"Julian, of course"
Walter said without a moment's hesitation.
"See? Even Walter agrees!" Luis gloated.
Ian looked at Walter in disbelief. He hadn't expected such a betrayal.
But then again, this was the same guy who, when challenged by Julian, had suggested using a level 20 Pokémon.
Walter had always been unpredictable. This experience made Ian realize what it meant to not judge a book it's cover.
Ten minutes later, Julian finished his speech. The school had provided the script, so all he had to do was memorize and recite it.
If he hadn't memorized it, he could've done like Teacher Frank and read directly from the paper.
As applause filled the auditorium, Julian stepped down from the stage.
The ceremony wrapped up soon after.
"Here, Brother Walker, have some water!"
Luis rushed up with a bottle of ice-cold water.
"Thanks," Julian said, taking it.
"No need to thank me, Brother Walker!" Luis waved his hands, almost embarrassed.
Julian didn't say much. He knew that if he spoke, Luis would launch into a ten-sentence monologue. Luis was even chattier than Will.
"Brother Walker, the clubs are recruiting new members this afternoon. Are you going?" Luis asked.
The opening ceremony took place in the morning, and the afternoon was reserved for club recruitment. Most new students would either join a club or start one of their own.
"Not interested," Julian shook his head.
Clubs were great for those looking to strengthen themselves, but for Julian, they would be a waste of time.
"If you're not going, then I'm not going either," Luis said.
He had already received an invitation from the Ice Club at the Trainer Academy, one of several clubs focused on specific Pokémon types. There might even be more than one club for the same type.
Competition between clubs for strong new members was fierce.
Julian had already been invited by three Steel-type clubs, but he had turned them all down.
Without Julian participating, Luis saw no reason to join either. For students from their background, joining clubs was more about appearances than necessity.
"I don't know why you're not interested! I think clubs are fun. I joined the Fighting Club! Most of those trainers are martial artists. I'm going to knock them out one by one with my Bajiquan!"
Shen, always the fighter, waved her fists in excitement.
Shen was a Fighting-type trainer through and through. Even her brain seemed to be made of muscle.
"Hey, Brother Walker, why don't we start our own club? We could get Ian, Walter, Hugo, and the others together and form a team to explore the secret realms!" Luis suggested.
Imperial University had two high-level secret realms and over a dozen intermediate ones, though there were no primary secret realms. The students were too advanced for those.
Most couldn't enter the high-level secret realms without contributing significantly to the university, but intermediate ones were open to anyone who had enough credits.
Students could even stay in the secret realms for extended periods if they wanted.
"Not for now."
Julian wasn't interested.
"I'm heading back."
He was more concerned about his Pokémon tearing down the house, so he left in a hurry.
"Why is Brother Walker in such a rush? It's like his house is on fire," Luis muttered.
"Maybe he's got a date"
Hugo, who had been silent until now, suggested with a mischievous grin.
All eyes turned to Hugo, who quickly added, "I was just kidding!"
Luis laughed. "Walker, on a date? That guy's going to be single for life!"
"Seems like you're holding a grudge from when he beat you yesterday," Ian teased Hugo.
"Hey, But isn't what Luis said more extreme!"
"Yeah, right. Brother Walker and I are tight. He wouldn't hold it against me," Luis said confidently.
The next day, the paper titled "Another Evolutionary Form of Slowpoke: Slowking" was published in the Pokémon Magazine, along with a video showing Julian's Slowpoke evolving into Slowking.
The video quickly spread across major portal sites and was re-shared by countless users.
Pokémon Magazine focuses on Pokémonology and covers various fields, such as Pokémon Medicine, Pokémon Research, and Pokémon Genetics.
Countless Pokémon Scholars aspire to have their work featured in its pages.
After Julian's aunt, Quinn, submitted the paper to the magazine, they tested the evolution theory with Slowpoke, using the Kings Rock provided by Quinn. When Slowpoke evolved into Slowking, it confirmed the theory, and the paper was published shortly after.
"Slowking looks goofy, but to it think it's so smart," someone commented.
"Who's got a Kings Rock? 20 million, no limit!" another exclaimed.
"As a Water-type Trainer, I need a Slowking!"
"A Psychic-type Trainer here, and I feel the same!"
"Professor Quinn's paper says Slowking's intelligence rivals that of top scientists. If I had a Slowking, would it look at me like I'm a fool?"
"Turns out those silly Slowking eyes are actually judging us," someone else joked.
The discovery of Slowking, another evolutionary form of Slowpoke, became the talk of the day. Half of the top trending topics were related to Slowking, especially since no new Pokémon evolutionary form had been discovered in years.
The video of Slowpoke evolving into Slowking had also garnered millions of views. Its seemingly clueless yet wise expression became a meme for many.
While some people read the lengthy paper, most watched the video instead, as only professionals would sift through a 100,000-word academic paper.
When some experts finally read the full paper, they saw the final signature: Quinn Walker and Julian Walker.
While Quinn's name wasn't a surprise—she's the youngest recipient of the prestigious Arceus Award—many were surprised to see Julian's name listed alongside hers as a co-author.
Quinn herself clarified on social media: "The new evolutionary form of Slowpoke, Slowking, was actually discovered by Julian, not me. I just did the data analysis and wrote the paper."
On Julian's end, he posted a photo of himself with Slowking, along with a video of Slowking preparing breakfast for him, captioned: "My Slowking is a real genius."
Will commented: "It's probably looking at you like you're an idiot."
Shen chimed in: "Slowking, taking care of a fool who is unable to take care of himself."
Luis added: "Brother Walker must've bagged many Kings Rock."
Hugo: "So smart—it could probably plan the perfect assassination plan."
Tina simply wrote: "My son is amazing!"
Meanwhile, Love, their Indeedee, added: "Get plenty of rest and eat on time."
Hmm – seems like something weird got in there.
Julian's phone buzzed non-stop as congratulations and jokes poured in, but he ignored most of it.
Instead, he stretched lazily and said, "Alright, time to register you officially."
Since Slowking hadn't existed in the outside world until now, there was no official record of it.
With the release of the paper and video, however, the Drakorian Trainer Association and various other national bodies had recognized Slowking as an official evolutionary form of Slowpoke.
"Slow~"
Slowking replied in its usual slow way, nodding. It then trotted upstairs, leaving Julian curious.
Moments later, Slowking returned, wearing a small schoolbag.
"When did you get a schoolbag?"
Julian asked, puzzled. It wasn't something he had bought. The bag was a perfect fit for Slowking, though.
Slowking pulled out its phone, showing Julian the bag on a e-commerce site. It was a custom-made order.
"Alright, let's go."
Julian patted Slowking on the head, returned Growlithe to its Poké Ball, and headed out, with him and Slowking gone, if this guy stayed at home, it will be a mess.
"Lucario, you're in charge while we're out," Julian called.
"Luca"
Lucario responded, nodding calmly from its meditation.
Metagross consciously followed behind Julian.
"Look Julian and his Slowking"
"Really?, Slowking is here?"
"It looks so cute"
"It looked at me, it really felt like he was looking at a fool"
As they walked through the academy, Slowking naturally drew attention. People whispered and snapped photos.
Slowking opened her backpack, Julian looked over curiously, and saw Slowking pulling out some small packets of walnuts and handing them to the nearest student passing by.
"For me?" one student asked in surprise.
"Slow~"
Slowking nodded.
Julian peeked into Slowking's bag—it was full of walnuts.
Slowking continued to distribute the walnuts and the students who got them happily accepted the walnuts, feeling oddly proud to have received the gifts from the world's first Slowking.
But just as they were about to snack on them, someone murmured, "Wait... aren't walnuts supposed to be brain food? Does Slowking think we're dumb?"
Everyone froze, holding their walnuts and exchanging glances with Slowking. The innocent-looking Slowking blinked back at them, oblivious.
'Walnuts might be good, but I don't want to eat them anymore.' Everyone had the same thought.
Julian, still holding his own packet of walnuts, didn't know whether to laugh or be embarrassed.
Should he eat the walnuts or not?
"Haha..ha"
"Hahaha.."
Don't know which heartless guy laughed first but laughter broke the awkward silence. Soon, the crowd joined in, and the tension evaporated in the lighthearted moment.
After registering Slowking, Julian returned home, knowing the next two weeks would be filled with military training. Classes wouldn't officially start until after the training was complete.
When he arrived at the villa, Luis and Walter were already waiting at the gate. They immediately focused on Slowking.
"Slowking looks so cool," Luis said, awestruck.
"Slow~"
Slowking responded, pulling out more walnuts and offering them to Luis and Walter.
Julian, was now truly suspicious of Slowking's walnut-giving tendencies.
Seeing Slowking handing him another pack of walnuts, Julian decisively refused.
Remembering the earlier encounter and the words spoken, the meaning of receiving walnuts from Slowking had become pretty obvious.
Since Julian didn't want them, Slowking handed the walnuts to Luis again.
"Thanks"
Luis proudly accepted two packets of walnuts and shot Walter a smug look.
'See, Slowking gave me two packs, while you got only one, it clearly likes me more.'
Slowking: It seems that only two packets are not enough.
Inviting them inside, Julian noticed Lucario had discreetly told Meltan to head back to its room to avoid being seen by the guests.
The three of them walked into the villa. Julian headed to the kitchen to boil some water, preparing tea for his guests. While waiting for the water to boil, he grabbed a few snacks and placed them on the coffee table—mostly walnuts, accompanied by other stuff.
Watching Slowking enter the kitchen again, Luis said enviously, "Brother Walker, your Slowking really takes care of everything!"
Julian shrugged. "I don't know. My Slowking just likes taking care of the house."
Slowking had only been introduced to the world today, and while there would definitely be more Slowking in the future, not all of them would be like his. Whether they would have the same traits as his Slowking was uncertain.
Luis hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Brother Walker, can I ask you something?"
Julian glanced at him. "Sure, as long as you're not asking me how to boost your Aura abilities."
"No, no, it's nothing like that!, it's definitely something you can do," Luis shook his head quickly.
"Do you still have any Kings Rock, Brother Walker?"
With the emergence of Slowking, the key item for its evolution, Kings Rock, had become widely known. Though it had been discovered many years ago, no one knew its purpose until now.
The number of Kings Rocks discovered had always been small. In the past, they were sold as decorative items, but recently, all the Kings Rocks on the market were bought up.
With Slowking's sudden emergence, it's easy to figure out who bought them.
For those who didn't already have Kings Rock in their possession, getting one now was nearly impossible.
Currently, the price of Kings Rock had skyrocketed to 50 million, yet it remained priceless due to its scarcity.
Previously, people didn't know its use. Even if some were found in secret realms or ruins, they might have been left behind because they seemed unnecessary or cumbersome.
Julian smirked. "I get why Walter would ask for one since he's a Water-type trainer, but you? You're an Ice-type specialist."
Luis grinned. "Brother Walker, Ice and Water go hand in hand!"
It was true—Many water-type Pokémon used various Ice-type moves, while fewer of the Ice-type used Water-type moves.
Through TMs, Slowking could also learn many Ice-type moves.
"Brother Walker, I'm not asking for it for free. I'll trade this Ice Stone for it."
Luis pulled a small box from his pocket. Inside was a shimmering blue stone, cold to the touch.
Ice Stones were much rarer than Fire, Water, or Thunder Stones, and the one Luis held was pretty good—between high to top-level.
Its value was more or less equal to that of a Kings Rock.
Walter, standing beside him, held out his own offer. "I've got a Mist Gem for you."
The Mist Gem could increase the power of Water-type moves.
(T/N: couldn't find it, should be a AU thing.)
Julian eyed the items for a moment. "Hold on."
He went upstairs and returned with two Kings Rocks in hand.
Meanwhile, Slowking had finished boiling the water and bought out the tea for the three of them.
"Here, take these. You don't need to give me anything in return," Julian said.
Handing the Kings Rock to both of them, Julian declined their offers of exchange. The Ice Stone and Mist Gem were of no use to him, and his family had no shortage of such items.
Seeing Julian's refusal, Walter hesitated for a moment, but Luis, standing nearby, wasted no time, accepting his with a grin. "Thanks, Brother Walker! You're the best!"
"Don't just stand there. Take it," Luis said to Walter. "Do you really think Brother Walker needs your stuff?"
At that, Walter finally accepted the Kings Rock and said, "Thank you."
Julian nodded. While Luis was more familiar and playful, Walter was much more reserved.
Julian had initially bought Kings Rock to manage certain family affairs. Even if he hadn't given it to Luis and Walter today, their family backgrounds meant they would eventually acquire one.
Everyone in the special recruitment class came from well-off families, and Julian wasn't the type to act arrogant because of his own background.
It made sense to stay on good terms with them. Besides, neither Luis nor Walter had bad personalities. Luis's cheeky attitude, calling him "brother this and brother that" so openly, made it hard for Julian not to give it to him.
---
The scorching sun beat down on the special class as they stood in formation, facing a dark-skinned instructor with a serious expression.
Military training was something every university student dreaded, and even after crossing in a world with Pokémon, there was no escaping it.
The instructor for their military training was a senior student from the Third Military Academy. His deeply tanned face made it hard to believe he was still a student.
Thinking about this, Julian couldn't help but recall Will, who was also at the Third Military Academy. When they meet again, Julian imagined he might be just as sunburned.
With his strong physique, though, military training was hardly a challenge for Julian.
It had been more than two hours since they started, and although his body could handle it, he was still feeling the exhaustion.
Finally, the instructor gave them a break.
The training ground was shared by several classes. Nearby, students from the Fighting class were also taking a break.
(T/N: for anyone who forgot cough-me, classes were divided according to types except for the special class)
Suddenly, three boys and one girl from the Fighting class approached the special recruits.
"Hey, you recruits over there! Any of you brave enough to spar with us?"
The one leading the group was a muscular boy named Kong, his military uniform stretched tight over his biceps.
All the members of the special class came from aristocratic families, and that sense of superiority ran deep, though it had been tempered by their elders.
So, when someone dared to shout at them, Luis was the first to step up. "Who dares to act wild in front of me?" he said.
Fatigued from military training and full of pent-up frustration, Luis wasn't going to let this challenge slide. "You, with the scrawny arms and legs—come over and let's see what you've got."
The boy sneered at Luis. "I am afraid you won't even be able to take one hit"
"I've been training in martial arts since I could walk. You're about to regret that" Luis said confidently.
Julian hadn't expected that Luis knew martial arts and felt that he had underestimated him.
Luis who was boasting so confidently leaned over and whispered in Julian's ear, "Brother Walker, stop me."
Julian: (??_?)
"Step aside Luis, I will take him on!"
Before the situation could escalate, kate stood up and let out a sharp shout, full of energy.
"Okay"
Luis sat down obediently.
There were three Fighting-type trainers in special class, two girls and one boy, which included Kate and Shen.
"Kate, Baguazhang."
"Warren, Xingyiquan."
(T/N: Explained at the end of chapter, plus something else I want to say too)
Both reported to each other about their respective martial arts.
The instructor didn't interfere, and soon the surrounding military training classes gathered to watch, forming rows to give the two enough space.
"Shen, which is stronger, Xingyiquan or Baguazhang?"
Luis came to Shen and asked in a low voice.
Shen shook her head. "It's not about which style is stronger. It's about who's the better fighter."
"Come on, Kate! Show him who's boss!"
Luis shouted enthusiastically.
Baguazhang and Xingyiquan are martial arts with deep roots in Drakoria, carrying a long and respected history. These arts are not just practiced in Drakoria but have spread worldwide, with martial arts schools opening in various countries, teaching the rich techniques and philosophies behind Drakoria's Kung Fu.
Kate and Warren, both students in their respective martial arts styles, exchanged their greetings before their duel. Despite Kate being a woman, Warren didn't dare look down on her.
In the world of martial arts, there was no room for gender distinction—only rivals.
Kate practiced Baguazhang, also known as "eight trigram palm" or bagua "trigrams. This style is famous for its flexible, ever-changing palm techniques and its circular, flowing footwork.
Kate's small stature added to her advantage, making her movements even more agile and graceful.
She danced around Warren like a wandering dragon, her steps light yet deadly. Though her movements were elegant and mesmerizing, they were laced with hidden dangers, each palm strike carrying lethal intent.
Warren quickly realized that Kate's skill wasn't to be underestimated. Her flexible and swift body allowed her to dodge his attacks effortlessly, leaving him frustrated as strike after strike missed their mark.
"Come on, Warren, you can't even take down a little girl?" one of the boys in the fighting class laughed.
"Come on, the girl on opposite side, take Warren down"
"Hahaha, Warren, are you sure you can defeat her?"
Seeing that Warren had not taken down Kate even after all this time, the people in the Fighting class not only did not cheer him on, but laughed at him one by one.
The special class, however, had a different atmosphere. Luis stood up, voice cracking as he shouted, "Come on, Kate! You're the best, the most beautiful!"
He turned to his classmates. "Julian, Shen, Walter, shout with me!"
Julian, Shen, and Walter exchanged awkward looks, clearly too embarrassed to join Luis in his loud cheers.
Despite Kate's agility, she was starting to slow down. Warren, with his large build and powerful strikes, was patient.
He waited for the moment when her speed faltered and seized the opportunity. With a strong punch aimed at her chest, Warren landed a blow.
Kate managed to block it, but the force sent her skidding back over ten meters before she could stop.
"Still want to fight?" Warren asked, standing still instead of rushing forward to press his advantage.
He knew he had already won, and chasing a beaten opponent wouldn't sit well with his classmates.
Kate shook her head, admitting defeat. "I concede."
Her arms trembled from the impact of Warren's punch. In terms of sheer strength, she couldn't match him, and her body had reached its limit.
As Kate returned to the class, her head low, Shen stood up and helped her down, noticing her trembling hands. Her face hardened with determination.
"I'll get back at him for you," Shen said quietly.
Without hesitation, Shen walked over to Warren. "I'll fight you next. Are you ready?"
Warren frowned.
"Another girl?" he muttered under his breath.
Shen smirked. "What? Are you afraid of losing to a girl?"
Warren hesitated. He knew Shen's words were a provocation, but refusing would make him look weak in front of everyone.
"Shen, Bajiquan (a kind of boxing style)"
"A member of martial arts family from Yale Province?"
Warren asked subconsciously when he heard the name.
"Yes" Shen nodded.
Bajiquan was widely practiced, but only a few families in Drakoria truly mastered its essence. Shen's family was among those few.
Realizing the challenge before him, Warren adjusted his stance.
"Warren, Xingyiquan."
After saluting each other, Shen wasted no time.
Bajiquan was a martial art known for its fierce, explosive movements.
Though Shen was smaller and lighter than Warren, her strikes carried the precision and power of someone far more experienced.
She moved like a tigress, launching a relentless assault. Her fists, elbows, and knees struck with rapid intensity, forcing Warren on the defensive.
Despite his size and strength, he couldn't find an opening to counter her furious attacks.
The students watching from the sidelines were in shock.
"She's brutal," one whispered.
"Don't mess with her," another added.
"Yeah, I don't want to be killed"
The people in the special class didn't have much impression of Shen at first, they only remembered that she and Julian came from the same place.
But now seeing this scene, few will forget her.
Even Hugo, who had always seen himself as a skilled fighter, felt uneasy. He raised her threat to the highest level, Shen's skills were far beyond what he had imagined. He knew that if he had to face her, he wouldn't last three seconds.
Meanwhile, Luis, standing beside Julian, glanced at Shen pummeling Warren and swallowed nervously.
"Brother Walker, aren't you afraid of her?"
Julian looked puzzled. "Afraid? Why?"
"Look at her! She's so violent"
Luis muttered, watching Shen beat a man who was about 1.9 meters tall and weighed more than 200 pound, with muscles all over his body.
"If she were your girlfriend and you didn't listen to her, she could beat you to death."
Julian chuckled. "She can't beat me."
To Luis, that sounded like Julian was just trying to sound tough.
He knew Julian's Pokémon were strong, but in a hand-to-hand fight, he wasn't so sure. He imagined Julian would get pinned to the ground if he ever faced Shen in a physical battle.
"Three Hands of Hades"
As the fight continued, Shen used a powerful Bajiquan technique—Three Hands of Hades. She lunged forward with her right hand, aiming for Warren's chest. He quickly blocked with his left forearm and tried to counter with a punch.
Shen, however, was faster, drawing back her fist and immediately going for another strike.
Shen's attacks were swift and precise. She hit Warren's chest and face in rapid succession, causing him to stagger.
In response, Warren pushed out with both palms, trying to create distance between them.
But Shen sidestepped, her body twisting fluidly into a horse stance before delivering a decisive blow to Warren's neck.
The strike was clean and devastating. Warren fell to the ground, struggling to stand as blood flow to his head momentarily halted.
Seeing this, Shen naturally stopped attacking.
It wasn't a fight to life and death with an enemy, but a learning experience.
"Three Hands of Hades" was one of the deadliest techniques in Bajiquan, and though Shen had held back enough not to kill, the move had ended the fight.
"I've lost"
Warren admitted with a bitter smile as his classmates helped him to his feet. His defeat was even more embarrassing as his fellow students in the fighting class laughed behind him.
"Why are you all laughing?" Warren snapped at his class.
"If any of you think you're so great, come fight her yourself!"
The others in the fighting class, despite their bravado, stayed silent.
They all came from martial arts background more or less, So they could all see Shen's skill and knew they wouldn't fare any better. If anything, they'd likely fall even faster than Warren had.
"Who else wants to challenge? Come on!"
Shen stood tall, her gaze sharp like a falcon's as she looked at the members of the Fighting class. The battle just now had left her feeling improved and given her new ideas, So she wanted to continue fighting in hopes of improving more.
Two boys and a girl who had followed Warren stood in front of her, looking uneasy. One of the girls stepped forward.
"Lily, Lost Track Fist"
(T/N: Lost Track Fist or "Mizongyi", is a distinctive Chinese martial art that emphasizes deception and mobility. Its history and lineage are tied to the Shaolin Temple and Sun Tong, and it has evolved over time through influences from other styles.)
"Shen, Bajiquan"
Lost Track Fist had a long history, going back over a thousand years. Many of Drakoria's ancient military generals had practiced this martial art.
Shen wasn't sure how skilled her opponent was, but she knew it didn't matter.
Within a dozen rounds, Shen had Lily on the defensive. The girl struggled to fend off Shen's relentless strikes until finally, Shen overpowered her using Bajiquan's powerful left-right split move, ending the match with a clear victory.
"That's amazing!"
"Shen is incredible!"
Watching Shen defeat two opponents in a row, even the prideful students from the special class started cheering. Luis even gave a smug thumbs-up to the Fighting class.
The spectators who had gathered clapped loudly in approval, making Shen blush slightly at the attention.
The pressure was now squarely on the Fighting class. They had come here to show off, but they had been defeated by a girl.
And looking at Shen still standing tall, it didn't seem like she was done yet.
"Is she going to take on three opponents in a row?"
Shen, having bested two already, seemed ready to keep going. Winning against various opponents using different styles wasn't just about racking up victories; it was about gaining combat experience and better understanding herself.
The best way to improve in martial arts was to fight.
"Who else?" Shen asked.
Julian raised an eyebrow. This familiar sounding tone, and that Power Trip was very similar to someone.
"Brother Walker, she got that from you," Luis whispered with a grin.
When Julian had faced off against six classmates before, he had issued a similar challenge.
It had been an extreme show of confidence. Now it was Shen's turn. At least she was showing off to the other class.
The Fighting class wasn't going to let this slide. They had their pride too. They had issued the challenge themselves, and now they couldn't back down.
"Let me experience your Bajiquan for myself."
A figure stepped out from the Fighting class. He was around 1.8 meters tall, with an ordinary appearance, but his eyes shone with intensity. It was the kind of presence that made people notice his eyes first before anything else.
"The class leader's here! Now it's getting serious!"
"This girl's done for."
"Bajiquan versus Bajiquan? This'll be good."
The newcomer was Dalton, the class leader of the Fighting class. He had earned that position by defeating anyone who challenged him.
In that sense, he was a bit like Julian.
"Dalton, Bajiquan"
"Shen, Bajiquan"
"Do you want to rest first?" Dalton asked.
"No need"
Shen shook her head. She knew momentum was crucial in battle. Taking a break would only cause her to lose the rhythm she had built up.
"Shen is in danger," said Kate suddenly from where she was resting.
"How can that be? Shen is so strong, and the opponent practices Bajiquan too. Isn't this a perfect match for her?" Luis said, brimming with confidence in Shen.
To him, Kate was just overthinking things.
"Does Dalton have something special?"
Julian could hear the seriousness in Kate's tone and asked curiously.
"If I'm right, Dalton is from the Davis family. Their Bajiquan is just as strong as Shen's family. The elder of the Davis family is a master, and Dalton is considered the top fighter of their younger generation."
"So what?" Luis scoffed. "If he's so great, why isn't he in the special recruit class?"
What Luis didn't know was that if Shen hadn't awakened her Heart's Eye at the last minute, Dalton would've likely taken her spot.
Neither party was aware of this too.
The duel between Dalton and Shen began. Both practiced Bajiquan, but their styles were slightly different.
"Shen is going to lose," Julian whispered.
Although Julian knew a little Bajiquan, and was not a martial artist, but his vision was still very good.
Luis wanted to refute, but when he saw that the speaker was Julian, he subconsciously closed his mouth.
Shen was fierce, but after several rounds, it became clear she was at a disadvantage. Dalton was more skilled, and Shen, having already fought twice, was starting to tire.
After about a dozen rounds, Dalton managed to knock her down.
"I've lost," Shen said quietly, accepting her defeat.
"Martial arts isn't about winning or losing" Dalton replied.
"But you are indeed better than me"
Shen shook her head, Even if she hadn't been tired from her previous matches, she knew Dalton was more proficient in Bajiquan.
It was a humbling experience, but it would help her grow.
Now, two of the three martial artists in the special class had lost. Only one remained, and all eyes turned toward him.
"Don't look at me," Gucci said quickly. "I don't know martial arts."
He wasn't lying. Even though he was a Fighting-type Pokémon trainer, he had never learned martial arts himself.
He had only made it into the special class by winning the National Fighting Elite Tournament, where Dalton had been one of his opponents in the quarterfinals.
In a Pokémon battle, Gucci wasn't afraid of Dalton. But in a hand-to-hand fight, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance.
"What? Are we just going to give up?" Luis asked, irritated.
The noble-born students from the special class felt the sting of defeat. They weren't used to being outclassed like this.
"If you've got the guts, challenge us to a Pokémon battle!" one of them shouted.
Dalton had expected this. He knew only two students in the special class practiced martial arts. He was standing there just because he was the class leader of Fighting class, to earn respect for their class.
He had no interest in embarrassing them any further, so he was about to leave when a voice stopped him.
"How about I be your opponent?"
Dalton turned around, surprised. Julian was standing there.
"Brother Walker, don't be impulsive!"
Luis hurriedly pulled at Julian's arm, worried for him.
"You are?"
Dalton asked, a little unsure. From what he had inquired about the special class, there were only two martial artists in there.
"Julian."
"You're this years student representative"
Hearing the name, Dalton finally recognized him as the one who had spoken at the opening ceremony.
No wonder he looked a little familiar.
But he had never heard anything about this guy knowing martial arts.
A person who wasn't from a martial arts family stepped forward to challenge Dalton. While Dalton admired Julian's courage, he couldn't help but think Julian was being overly self-righteous.
The members of the special class were taken aback. They exchanged glances, realizing their class leader was bold enough to step up and potentially get beaten.
As Julian approached Dalton, Kate rushed to Shen. "Why don't you stop him? If Dalton gets serious, Julian will be in the hospital for months!"
"Just wait and see," Shen replied calmly.
Her confidence puzzled Kate and Luis, but they remained hopeful about Julian's chances.
But was this really possible.
"Julian, Bajiquan"
What he had learned from Shen was Bajiquan, So there was no problem in reporting it.
Dalton was surprised; he hadn't expected Julian to know martial arts, and that too Bajiquan.
After all, just now even Shen was defeated by him, how could Julian think he could match him?
"Are you going to fight or not?"
Julian asked, frowning slightly at Dalton's dismissive attitude. This was the first time he felt looked down upon, and it stung.
"I hope you don't regret this," Seeing that Julian really wanted to fight with him, Dalton naturally didn't refuse.
If he could defeat this year's student representative, it would certainly bolster his reputation throughout his time at the university. Even finding a girlfriend will be a piece of cake.
"You fought Shen just now, so I won't take advantage of you. You can take three moves first," Julian said.
As soon as his words fell, the surrounding class erupted in chatter.
They initially thought Julian challenging Dalton was already arrogant enough, but now it seemed that the other party was not just arrogant but also delusional.
'You are a non-professional martial artist, where is the confidence to let a professional like Dalton make three moves first coming from?'
Dalton was also amused, he was being underestimated by the opponent, and to him the other party felt like a weak chicken, who he could defeat easily.
And now he had been underestimated by that same weak chicken, even allowing him first three moves.
"It's over, I have to make a call"
Luis said, his face turning pale as he hastily grabbed his phone to call for help.
Seeing him dial 120, Hugo quickly snatched the phone away.
(T/N: Ambulance)
"What are you doing?" Luis snapped.
"Julian knows what he's doing. He won't hurt Dalton too bad" Hugo replied.
This MF, hearing this, Luis's whole body became stiff, he even felt that his ears were playing tricks on him.
Hugo really believed that Julian could beat up Dalton in martial arts.
"Come on, don't waste time. Let's finish this quickly," Julian called, gesturing for Dalton to make his move.
His tone and demeanor were dripping with contempt, igniting Dalton's anger.
If Julian wanted to be reckless, Dalton was ready to show him the consequences.
Defeat him thoroughly and make him pay the price of arrogance.
Dalton stomped down hard, closing the distance to Julian in an instant.
He swung a powerful punch aimed straight at Julian's face, the wind whooshing from his fist.
If it connected, it would surely knock Julian's teeth out. Some of the girls in the crowd instinctively covered their eyes, bracing for impact.
Luis gasped, horrified, ready to call out a warning.
But Julian leaned slightly to the left, brushing the punch past his ear.
He had dodged it.
Dalton was taken aback; he hadn't expected Julian to evade the strike. He believed that Julian was just lucky.
"I'll see if your luck can save you a second time," Dalton sneered.
With a swift motion, he pivoted on his left foot, sweeping his right foot towards Julian.
This time, Julian didn't dodge. Instead, he reached out and caught Dalton's foot with his palm. Remarkably, Julian didn't budge an inch.
The pain surged through Dalton's right foot as if it were caught in a vice. He stared at Julian, astonished.
Even though he had only used seventy percent of his strength in that kick, yet Julian had easily caught it without even swaying.
This kind of stability was something that could only be achieved through years of rigorous training.
"I was being too superficial. I'll give it my all for the third move"
Dalton said, shaking off the ache in his foot. He now regarded Julian at the same level as himself.
He was not qualified to be merciful, and only by going all out could he hope to win.
"Bajiquan Stand-Up Cannon!" he announced.
With a grunt, he clenched his fists and bent low, channeling his energy through his legs, waist, arms, and finally his fists. The air crackled with intensity.
Those nearby felt as if someone had set off firecrackers in their ears; their ears were buzzing, which was extremely uncomfortable.
The Stand-Up Cannon was one of the eight major moves of Bajiquan, and few dared to take it head-on. Anyone who attempted to block it directly risked serious injuries and broken bones.
Expecting Julian to dodge, Dalton was surprised to see him stand firm, extending his hands as if to catch the strike.
Inwardly, Dalton scoffed, thinking, No matter how strong you are, you can't stop this move. Perhaps out of instinct, he dialed back his power slightly.
In the next moment, Dalton's fists were grasped firmly by Julian's hands. No matter how hard Dalton pushed, he couldn't force Julian back an inch.
Shock coursed through him. This guy had just blocked his third move!
"Well, the three moves are done. Now it's my turn," Julian said, releasing Dalton's fists.
Ignoring the shock in his heart, Dalton shot back, "Then I'll let you take three moves too!"
He couldn't afford to lose face now.
Julian shook his head. "No, if I can't take you down in one move, I'll accept my loss."
"What did you say, Take me down in one move?"
Dalton burst out laughing angrily, What a joke, even if Julian had some strength, he couldn't possibly take him down with just one move.
Perhaps it was because Dalton failed to win in three moves and was then underestimated by his opponent.
Power Trip and arrogance—Julian embodied these traits perfectly.
The students from the special class watched with growing excitement. Luis couldn't hold back, shouting, "Brother Walker is mighty!"
After Julian effortlessly handled Dalton's three moves, the special class realized that Julian wasn't arrogant; he truly had the skills to back it up.
Once again, the pressure shifted back to the Fighting class.
"Okay, let's see how you plan to take me down. If you succeed, I will call you big brother from now on," Dalton said.
As soon as Luis heard this, he felt a sense of crisis. Now that there was someone to take the position of the younger brother, he immediately stood up and shouted angrily: "Brother Walker's younger brother can only be me! If you want to be the younger brother, you'll have to line up behind them!"
Who was them?
Hugo, Walter, Ian, Yanis and Tyler looked at each other and cursed, 'This bast**d'.
"Julian, let's see how you beat me with one move!" Dalton roared.
Two seconds later, Dalton found himself fallen on the ground, staring up at the clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
Dalton: When did I fall?
"Damn, they're playing dirty!"
"F**k you! Dalton isn't even close to our class leader's level."
"You're the one talking shit! Can't you see Dalton's going easy on Julian?"
"Class leader if you are under any threat, just blink. We don't care if he's from the Walker family! If it comes down to it, the whole class will stand together."
The sight of Dalton's defeat left the Fighting class in disbelief. One moment, Julian was standing five or six meters away, and in a blink, he charged forward, and Dalton was on the ground.
To them, it seemed like their leader, Dalton, was holding back. They thought he was too afraid of offending the Walker family to really fight.
Hearing his classmates shouting behind him, Dalton felt embarrassed. It wasn't that he let Julian win—Julian had beaten him fair and square.
Now he understood why Julian had been so confident about giving him three free moves.
"If any of you are still not convinced, stand up"
Julian said as he walked past Dalton, who was still lost in thought. He pointed at the four loudest fighters from the Fighting class.
"Stop yelling from the sidelines. If you've got the guts, I'll let all four of you come at me at once," Julian said with a calm, almost bored expression.
The four men, having been publicly challenged, couldn't back down now. They exchanged looks, then stood up, ready to face him.
"Watch out for his speed," Dalton warned them.
"Yeah, right. How fast could he be? Just because you're scared of the Walker family doesn't mean we are," one of them scoffed, clearly dismissing Dalton's caution.
If not for Dalton, he believed he'd be the leader of the Fighting class right now. There's finally a chance for him to show off his strength.
Seeing they weren't taking his warning seriously, Dalton gave up, stepping back to watch.
If these four lost to Julian together, the embarrassment would be more than they could handle.
"We're not going to bully you," one of them said smugly. "If you can last five minutes without us beating you, you win."
"Alright"
Julian agreed, briefly glancing at the man who'd suggested this shameless time limit.
"Then I will start," Julian announced.
"Bring it"
The man responded, thinking Julian was too naive for giving a heads-up before attacking. But his confidence was short-lived.
"Swish~"
In a flash, Julian closed the gap between them.
Before the man could even blink, Julian was already in front of him. A light punch to his stomach sent him crumpling to the ground, gasping for air like he'd been hit by a Geodude.
Julian wasted no time grabbing the collars of two others. Before they could react, their heads collided with a sickening "thud," and they collapsed in a heap.
The last man stood frozen, stunned by how quickly Julian had dispatched his friends. He didn't even realize Julian was standing right in front of him until—
*Slap!*
Julian's hand cracked across his face, waking him from his stupor.
"Your friends are already down. Don't just stand there," Julian taunted.
"Ahh..."
"Shut up"
The man let out a pitiful scream, but Julian quickly shut him up with another hard slap, knocking him out cold, his teeth scattering across the ground.
Just like that, all four were down.
Julian turned to the rest of the Fighting class, and anyone who met his gaze quickly looked away.
They realized now that Julian had beaten Dalton fair and square—it wasn't because Dalton had been holding back.
As for the four challengers, two were unconscious with swollen foreheads, one was clutching his stomach, unable to move, and the last one had a face swollen like a pig's, missing a few teeth.
"Anyone else?" Julian asked.
The Fighting class shook their heads in perfect unison. Some even looked at Julian with fear in their eyes.
They wanted to live, and they wanted to do so with their dignity intact.
Julian then glanced at the other classes who had gathered to watch the spectacle.
Fire Class: "We were just passing by."
Flying Class: "We want to fly higher."
Steel Class: "Big Brother!"
"Are you really trained in Bajiquan?" Dalton asked, walking up to Julian.
"Yeah, didn't you see?" Julian replied as a matter of course.
Dalton's face stiffened. 'See?' He hadn't seen Julian use any traditional Bajiquan moves at all! How was he supposed to tell if Julian knew it?
"I see now... Your moves are pretty sharp"
Dalton said, trying to maintain his serious tone.
Even though he wasn't sure whether Julian had really studied Bajiquan, one thing was clear—Julian's fighting ability was on another level. Dalton knew that Julian's reaction time, speed, and strength were far beyond his own.
The basics of martial arts are reaction time, speed, and strength. Mastering martial arts is about harmonizing these elements and constantly refining them.
If someone excels in these three aspects, they can dominate a fight, even without formal training.
"Yeah, I've been training for a while," Julian replied casually.
"A few days?"
Dalton asked in disbelief.
"Yup, learned from Shen for a few days. She said I am very talented in this area," Julian answered.
Julian's physical condition, having Mega Pallet Town Physique, was already superhuman. Even the strongest martial artist in the world wouldn't be able to match him.
The old saying "speed is unbeatable" was true, and Julian had both speed and strength on his side.
Unfortunately for him, in this Pokémon-dominated world, martial arts alone couldn't make someone like Julian a world champion. If they lived in a purely martial arts world, Julian would easily become a grandmaster.
The special class was left in awe. They thought of Julian as a fierce little guy, but they had no idea he was this strong.
"How did you know Brother Walker would win? Did he tell you?" Luis asked Hugo, clearly jealous. It seemed Julian had confided in Hugo but not him.
"When we fought, he knocked me out. He was over 200 meters away and reached me in less than ten seconds. Don't you know what that means?" Hugo replied.
"Damn! Brother Walker could win the Olympic gold medal with that kind of speed!" Luis exclaimed in disbelief.
Hugo: ??¤?!
Julian's overwhelming strength soon became a hot topic across Imperial University, with word quickly spreading about how he single-handedly dominated the entire Fighting class.
It wasn't long before sophomores and juniors, intrigued by his abilities, came forward to challenge him. One after another, they all fell to Julian's incredible skill.
Even the president of the Fighting Club took up the challenge. Unlike the others, this opponent managed to last five rounds before Julian eventually overpowered him.
The outcome further solidified Julian's reputation as not only a talented Pokémon Trainer but also a formidable fighter in his own right.
Julian's sheer physical prowess—his strength, speed, reaction time, and endurance—made it clear that he could easily overwhelm most martial artists, even without mastering a specific martial art like Bajiquan.
This led to him being recognized as the new leader of Imperial University's military force, with everyone amazed by his strength in both Pokémon battles and personal combat.
Finally, the intense military training for the freshmen came to an end, and they transitioned into regular period.
The teaching of the special class was different from the ordinary class.
Ordinary classes were assigned based on the respective Type of the students. For example, Fire Type Trainers enter the Fire Type class, and Water Type Trainers enter the Water Type class.
This meant that students in each class of the ordinary stream share the same Type, which makes teaching easier and allows for smoother communication between students of the same Type.
Although, the special recruit class only had 30 students, but they had all 18 different Types, making the teaching much more difficult.
There's no way a Water Type specialist could teach effectively when most of the students weren't Water Types, leaving many of them without relevant information.
To address this problem, students in the special class had the freedom to attend any class in the entire school—any class, at any grade level.
If they thought they could understand what a freshman teacher was teaching, they could even choose to attend sophomore classes.
From Monday to Friday, the students in the special class selected the courses they wanted to attend.
On Saturdays, the head teacher Frank holds one-on-one matches, with himself as the Rival. Having an Elite Trainer as their Rival—something only available to the special class.
High school students get two days off each week, even in their final year. However, in university, they only got one day off. At the time, Julian silently grumbled about it.
The special class didn't require students to attend daily, so even if they didn't go to class at all, there's no penalty—as long as they pass the final exam.
Aside from the Saturday special recruit class, which was mandatory, the rest of the courses were entirely up to the students, giving them a lot of freedom.
For example, Julian had only attended one class this week.
And it wasn't even a Steel-Type course—it was a Fire-Type class, he attended specifically for Growlithe .
Julian sat in the last row of the freshman Fire-Type class, while many students kept glancing back at him curiously. After all, he was the freshman representative—and the guy who beat up the Fighting class.
Julian couldn't shake the feeling that the temperature inside the classroom was much higher than outside.
Among all the Trainers, Fire, Water, and Grass Types were the most common. Out of ten Trainers, at least five tended to focus on these three Types.
There were 50 students in a normal class, only 20 more than in the special class.
But while this was an ordinary class, it's still an ordinary class of Imperial University, where every student placed in the top 50 in their respective provinces on the college entrance exam.
With such a high entry score, everyone who passed was at a scholar-level.
The lecturer was a professor in his 60s, His Trainer rank was only Advanced, but he had a lot of knowledge about fire-types. He was a well-known fire-type researcher.
Julian was born into a Steel family, so he's very familiar with Steel-Types. Dragons came next, but he lacked deeper knowledge about the rest of the Types.
Growlithe, having eaten the Fire crystal—a Fire Type treasure—had the potential for incredible achievements, so Julian was very focused on its training.
"Besides using items to enhance the power of Fire Type moves, what other methods are there?" asked the old professor from the front of the room.
"Use Sunny Day," one student responded.
"Hmm, that's one."
"Having a battlefield advantageous for Fire-Types," another student added.
"That works."
"Are these the only two methods you all know?" the old professor asked.
The students of the class were deep in thought, trying to come up with a third method, but it seemed that only these two ways were well-known for boosting the power of Fire-Type moves.
"Whether it's Sunny Day or Having a battlefield advantage for Fire-Types, the increase in move power is only temporary."
"And while items can enhance Fire-Type moves, your Rival can also have items, which means neither side gains an advantage."
The professor's tone was slow and calm, and he didn't even open his book as he continued, "Do you know which of the Fire-Type Pokémon known so far spits out flames of the highest temperature?"
"Charizard!"
A student shouted excitedly.
"Wrong"
The old professor said, looking at the student blankly.
Another hot-headed fool.
"The correct answer is Magmortar, Magcargo, Camerupt, and Torkoal after eating coal. These four Pokémon can Spit Up the hottest flames."
"Do you know why?" he asked.
"I know! Torkoal eats coal to raise its flame temperature," the same Trainer who guessed Charizard earlier chimed in again.
"Well, you're quite smart," the professor said dryly. The smartest person in this class might just be him.
After being "praised," the student sat down, grinning.
"Now, why are the flames of the other three Pokémon so hot? Do any of you know?"
No one answered, and several students started flipping through their books in search of the answer.
"Julian, do you know?" the professor asked.
"Magmortar and Magcargo live in the mouths of volcanoes, where Magmortar can even survive in deeper magma. As for Camerupt, the volcano on its back erupts once every ten years, reaching temperatures of over 10,000 degrees. Its high flame temperature should be due to the volcano on its back"
Julian said after thinking for a moment.
The professor nodded in satisfaction. "It's very accurate. Magmortar and Magcargo live in volcanoes, which raises their flame temperatures. Camerupt has a volcano on its back."
"The first two are due to living in an environment rich in Fire elements, while the latter relies on the body structure, one is an external factor, the other is an internal factor"
"Professor, would making my Charizard live near a volcano increase its flame temperature too?" the earlier student asked.
"It would take time—at least ten years or more. Staying for just a short while wouldn't be enough to enhance the Fire element at its core," the professor explained.
"Ten years? That's way too long! I can't even manage ten days"
The professor's face twitched. "What's your name, young man?"
"Uh, my name's A.J, Professor."
"A.J., get out of the class!"