Seeing a Swoobat perched on Alex's shoulder, Julian understood how Alex had managed to track him down.
Swoobat's most distinctive feature is its heart-shaped nose, which is not only the origin of its name but also the channel for several of its moves.
Beyond its abilities in battle, though, that nose has a lesser-known function—its sense of smell.
Swoobat is monogamous and doesn't have a particularly keen sense of smell in general. However, it has an extremely sharp sensitivity to the scent of its mate.
Even if the scent was left behind forty or fifty days earlier, a Swoobat can still pick it up.
When Julian entered the secret realm, he must have been marked with the scent of a female Swoobat. This scent would remain even after bathing, with time as the only way to fade it.
Using this scent, Alex's male Swoobat had been able to track him down.
"It looks like those who harbor resentment against the Walker family have finally decided to make their move"
Julian wasn't naive, and neither was Alex. For Alex to enter the secret realm and confront him like this, he must have had significant backing.
As if in response, Julian's Alakazam, a peak Elite-level Pokémon, appeared at his side, ready to protect him.
Across from him, Alex's Mismagius, also at the peak Elite-level, appeared.
"That's it?" Julian remarked calmly.
"Today, you'll die here," Alex replied coldly.
Killing Julian would earn Alex substantial rewards from the families cooperating with him. Those families might see him as a tool, but he was equally using them to eliminate his own rivals—though he didn't know precisely which families were involved.
The noble families wouldn't directly interact with Alex; they used intermediaries to maintain secrecy.
As another Poké Ball opened, Alex's second peak Elite-level Pokémon, a Gourgeist, appeared.
Both were Ghost-types, specifically chosen to counter Alakazam.
These two peak-level Elite Pokémon were the strongest support the families had provided Alex, forming the basis of his confidence.
Even with Alakazam's power, facing two Ghost-types at the same level would be a grueling battle.
Alakazam, locked onto by both Pokémon, grew tense, already preparing to teleport Julian to safety.
Once a peak Elite-level Alakazam decided to leave, it was nearly impossible for anyone even a Champion to stop it.
As he assessed the two Ghost-types, Julian pondered which families might be behind this attack.
It was likely a coalition rather than a single family, and they'd probably loaned Alex Pokémon that weren't commonly used by their family members, avoiding any clear ties.
"Mismagius, Trick Room!"
Teleporting away is usually the best escape strategy, but if the space around them was sealed in advance, then unless Alakazam's power was significantly superior, they wouldn't be able to leave until the spatial lock faded.
When Trick Room was activated, Alakazam initially intended to teleport Julian away. But Julian, through telepathy, stopped it.
Seeing Julian and Alakazam trapped within the Trick Room, Alex smirked with confidence.
"So, this is the best Elite John's Pokémon can do," he sneered.
Alakazam stood silently as Mismagius and Gourgeist positioned themselves in front of Julian.
Alex refrained from sending out his own Pokémon, believing that these two peak Elite-level Pokémon would be enough to handle both Alakazam and Julian.
He was already picturing the spoils of his victory.
He knew that Metagross was wanted by the families backing him, so he wouldn't be able keep it, but he intended to claim the rest of Julian's Pokémon as his own;
Dragonite, Steelix, Lucario—each one a rare and powerful Pokémon.
"Can you at least tell me which families want me dead?" Julian asked.
"Sure, after you're dead. Attack!"
Avoiding the classic villain mistake of talking too much, Alex didn't waste any time. Although he thought Julian was already as good as dead, he stayed alert, aware that Trick Room had a time limit.
"Metagross, Mega Evolve. Melmetal, kill that punk"
Julian commanded, releasing Melmetal to deal with Alex directly.
Mega Evolved Metagross charged at Gourgeist while Alakazam confronted Mismagius.
Within the Trick Room, Mismagius and Gourgeist had the advantage of increased speed.
"What's that Pokémon?"
Alex's eyes widened as he saw Melmetal for the first time. Its massive, charging form radiated power, making him wary enough to send out his strongest Pokémon, Haxorus.
But Melmetal had a reputation; it had previously defeated a mid-tier Elite Gyarados while only at pseudo-Elite level.
Against Melmetal's Dynamic Punch, Haxorus, despite being a peak pseudo-Elite, was sent flying in a single turn.
"Another Pokémon with Elite-level strength!"
Alex's expression shifted—not to fear, but to excitement.
Metagross might be out of reach, but this new Pokémon seemed just as powerful, if not more.
It had never appeared in any of Julian's public battles, leading Alex to believe it might even be his strongest.
"Julian, I have to thank you for this unexpected gift!"
Alex laughed, thrilled with the prospect of capturing this unknown powerhouse.
He threw out another Poké Ball.
This time, a peak Elite-level Zebstrika emerged.
Now, there were three peak Elite-level Pokémon facing Julian.
A cold glint flashed in Julian's eyes. Once he got out of here, he would make sure to find out which families were involved.
At this point, the Trick Room contained four peak Elite-level Pokémon, and the intense aura they emitted was causing the entire space to tremble.
"Zebstrika, kill that guy!" Alex ordered.
Though the three Elite-level Pokémon wouldn't follow Alex's commands precisely, they shared the same goal: to eliminate Julian.
Zebstrika, incredibly fast, was a challenge for Melmetal to stop with its bulky frame. Seeing no other option, Melmetal turned to attack Alex directly, attempting to protect Julian by taking down the source of the threat.
Just then, Haxorus, which had been knocked back earlier, reappeared, blocking Melmetal's path.
"Mel!!"
Melmetal roared in frustration. In this life-or-death situation for its Trainer, it was infuriating to be obstructed.
As one of the Elite-level Pokémon prepared to strike, Dragonite appeared in front of it, swiftly joined by Steelix.
"Steelix, Mega Evolve!"
Steelix, initially at mid-level pseudo-Elite strength, transformed, reaching the strength of an entry-level Elite upon Mega Evolution.
Alongside the previously Mega Evolved Metagross, Julian had now activated dual Mega Evolutions for the first time.
Thanks to his intermediate psychic abilities, he could manage this feat, though he still felt his mental energy draining rapidly. Fortunately, stamina wasn't an issue.
"This guy must die"
Alex seethed as he watched Dragonite and Mega Steelix hold off Zebstrika, even if only temporarily.
His anger was only heightened by the realization of just how powerful each of Julian's Pokémon was.
Yet the prospect was equally thrilling; once Julian was gone, these extraordinary Pokémon, along with all the treasures Julian possessed, would belong to him.
Although Alakazam and Mismagius were both at the peak Elite level, the difference in their power was becoming clear. After several rounds, Alakazam was gaining the upper hand over Mismagius.
Julian had never spared any resources on Alakazam, his personal protector. Even though it was limited to the peak Elite-level due its Cyan potential, preventing it from reaching pseudo-Champion rank, its foundation was constantly increasing.
Meanwhile, Mega Metagross was in a stalemate with the Elite Gourgeist.
At the same time, Mega Steelix and Dragonite were jointly holding back the third Elite Zebstrika.
"Come on, show me if you have a fourth Elite-level Pokémon," Julian taunted coldly.
Alex froze momentarily. If he had a fourth, he would have already used it. He never expected Julian to be able to withstand three Elite-level Pokémon.
"Don't get too cocky"
Alex sneered, throwing out several Poké Balls.
With a series of pops, four Electrode appeared on the field.
"Electrode, use Explosion on those two!" Alex commanded maniacally.
The four Electrode, all pseudo-Elites, would definitely incapacitate both Mega Steelix and Dragonite if they unleashed Explosion.
In an instant, Alex recalled Zebstrika to its Poké Ball.
The four Electrode began to glow with a blinding white light, ready to explode, threatening to flatten everything within a few kilometers, with the nearby Pokémon facing the brunt of it.
Mismagius and Gourgeist were taken aback, realizing Alex was willing to sacrifice them too.
And Alex was already preparing to escape, sending out his own Alakazam to Teleport him away.
As long as Julian was killed, his mission would be complete, though he would lose several of these Pokémon.
"Metagross!"
Julian called, activating the Elite-level peak experience card he'd earned from the system as a reward.
With the experience card, and boosted by Mega Evolution, Metagross's power surged to the pseudo-Champion level.
The Electrode, on the brink of explosion, suddenly felt an immense force suppressing their detonation energy, unable to release it.
"Take them down first," Julian ordered.
Recognizing the explosive risk posed by the Electrode, Mega Metagross leaped into action, slamming its four claws down with crushing force, annihilating the four Electrode.
Then, in a blink, Metagross Teleported to Gourgeist, delivering a devastating Meteor Mash, knocking it unconscious.
The power gap between pseudo-Champion and Elite was massive, with an even wider gap between Elite and pseudo-Elite.
Seeing the sudden surge in Metagross's strength, Mismagius panicked, giving Alakazam an opening to finish it off with a Psybeam.
From the moment Julian activated the Elite-level experience card to the current scene, only three seconds had passed.
In those three seconds, Alex had already been teleported away by his Alakazam.
"Why didn't they explode?"
Reappearing about seven or eight kilometers from the battle, Alex noticed the absence of any explosion sounds, and a sense of dread filled him.
But he dismissed it as unlikely; with four pseudo-Elite Electrode using Explosion, the blast's power would be multiplied exponentially.
Once they began the move, stopping it should've been impossible—even they couldn't cancel it if they tried.
"Metagross, bring that guy back to me," Julian commanded coldly.
Within ten seconds, Metagross disappeared and reappeared, dragging a barely alive Alex back to Julian.
As for Alex's Alakazam, his brain was pierced by Metagross, and now its body was still hanging on Metagross's arm.
The Metagross species was naturally brutal, but due to their highly developed brains, they restrained their violent instincts.
This time, however, that savage nature had come to the forefront, leaving Alakazam's lifeless body as proof.
Julian retrieved the Poké Balls from Alex's belongings, returning Mismagius and Gourgeist while locking all other Poké Balls to prevent any accidental releases.
Seeing this, Alex went pale, opening his mouth to beg for mercy, but Julian didn't give him the chance.
"Gastly, use Hypnosis, then Dream Eater," Julian ordered.
A white Gastly suddenly appeared before Julian, its eyes glowing with an eerie light. In moments, Alex was overcome with drowsiness and fell asleep, fear frozen on his face.
Had Julian not needed him alive to uncover the families targeting him, he would have sent Gastly to kill Alex long ago, without giving him the chance to deploy his three Elite-level Pokémon.
This was the only reason Alex had lasted this long.
Under Dream Eater's effects, Alex's face twisted with discomfort as his dreams played out in Julian's mind with Gastly' help.
While Julian didn't uncover the specific individuals behind this, he learned that several Steel-type families were involved, though the details were still unclear.
They had only sent intermediaries to contact Alex.
Before long, Julian identified one of these Steel-type families. Alex wasn't a fool; he had secretly followed his contacts using his Alakazam's abilities, discovering one of the families in question.
With a family name in hand, the rest would be straightforward.
Before Julian could delve further, the vision abruptly ended.
He opened his eyes to find Alex foaming at the mouth, his limbs twitching uncontrollably.
When a Pokémon's Hypnosis move is used on a human, it can induce instant sleep.
However, if combined with Dream Eater or Nightmare, it can inflict severe mental damage due to the fragility of the human mind.
In mild cases, it might lead to memory loss; in severe cases, it could cause permanent brain damage, turning the person into a vegetable or, in the worst case, leading to death.
Gastly showed no mercy, using Dream Eater on Alex. The fact that Alex survived was pure luck, but his future seemed grim—he was likely to remain in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.
"Finish him"
As soon as he finished speaking, Metagross delivered a powerful punch, leaving another headless body in its wake, blood splattering onto Julian.
"Smack"
Julian slapped Metagross's head in frustration.
"Next time, could you just break their neck? Don't be so brutal. Or at least warn me beforehand, alright?"
Wiping his face, Julian's hand came away covered in a sticky white substance, and a wave of nausea hit him. Just now I… seem to have licked it?
He shot a glare at Metagross, his irritation rising.
But Metagross seemed oblivious, dragging Alex's body along with Alakazam's to a corner and continuing its corpse abuse.
To Metagross, anyone who dared harm Julian deserved a fate worse than death.
Understanding its mindset, Julian let it be.
He tried vomiting a few times but unable to bring anything up.
After the ordeal with Alex, Julian had no desire to remain in the secret realm any longer, especially since he had already been planning to leave.
He packed his belongings, placing Alex's Poké Balls and the treasures he carried into his bag.
Among Alex's Pokémon, three of them possessed Cyan qualifications and were all at the pseudo-Elite level.
Having killed Alex, Julian knew these Pokémon—raised and bonded deeply with their original trainer—would never willingly follow him.
Even if one did show loyalty, Julian wouldn't trust it. Who knew if the Pokémon truly wanted to join him or was waiting for the perfect chance to snap his neck?
Thus, he decided not to keep the Pokémon, but the treasures on Alex's body were another story entirely.
Alex's collection was impressive. For a commoner to have risen to such heights, it was no surprise he possessed numerous rare items.
Among them was one particular treasure that even Julian couldn't immediately identify.
The object wasn't very large, roughly the size of a thumb, shaped like a water droplet, and had a pale golden hue.
Julian mentally reviewed all known and documented tear drop shape treasures but couldn't place this one. It was either undiscovered or simply an ordinary trinket.
Too lazy to keep guessing, Julian activated his Probing Eyes to identify the treasure.
Heart of Arceus: The primal blood of Arceus, containing its divine power. Usable by Pokémon of all eighteen types until its energy is depleted.
Note: When used by a single Pokémon, it can achieve miraculous, fate-defying effects.
Julian's usually calm demeanor finally cracked as he read the information.
"Are you kidding me? This thing is the primal blood of Arceus?"
He couldn't help but wonder which Pokémon had the audacity to injure Arceus and spill its primal blood. Eternatus, maybe?
No wonder Alex, a commoner trainer, was pursuing a multi-type strategy—it all made sense now with such a treasure in his possession.
The Heart of Arceus wasn't just a rare elemental treasure; it was a world-class artifact.
'Damn it, if I had some kind of villain system, you, Alex, might have really been the 'Chosen One.' But now, everything you had belongs to me.'
"Metagross, get over here!"
Julian called, frowning when he noticed Metagross still tormenting the corpses. Does this guy have some kind of sadistic hobby?
Having vented enough, Metagross quickly flew over.
"Eat this"
Julian said, tossing the Heart of Arceus toward it.
Metagross opened its mouth wide and swallowed the treasure in one gulp.
The Heart of Arceus could be distributed among all Pokémon or given to a single Pokémon for maximum effect. Julian, not one to settle for mediocrity, had no hesitation in choosing the latter.
Metagross had always been Julian's ace. He had poured the majority of his resources into nurturing it, knowing that the stronger Metagross became, the more formidable he would be as a trainer.
In turn, Metagross had continuously proven itself, repaying Julian's trust. Just now, it had managed to hold its ground against a peak Elite Pokémon while only being at the early stage of pseudo-Elite, even if it was with the aid of Mega Evolution.
Afterward, Julian had used a Peak Elite Experience Card, temporarily boosting his strength to the level of a pseudo-Champion.
With the Heart of Arceus now devoured, Julian eagerly anticipated what heights his Metagross might reach in the future.
The Heart of Arceus, similar to the Fire Crystal, would be absorbed gradually by the Pokémon over time. There was no need to worry about adverse effects on Metagross—it would only grow stronger.
"Well?" Julian asked, curious. "Do you feel any different?"
"Meta!~"
Metagross: I'm hungry
Julian: (;￣д￣)
---
At the advanced-level secret realm's entrance, Julian stepped out, his demeanor calm. Military personnel stationed there quickly approached to perform their routine inspection.
They meticulously checked Julian's items and compared them to what he had brought in, paying particular attention to his Pokémon.
Seeing that Julian had only captured one Pokémon, and it wasn't an Elite from within the secret realm, they soon allowed him to pass.
Alex's belongings, including his Poké Balls, were safely stored in Julian's system space, making them undetectable.
Once outside, Julian pulled out his phone, which was now showing numerous unread messages. There was no signal inside the secret realm, so communication had been impossible.
Skimming through the notifications, Julian saw nothing of particular urgency and didn't bother replying to each one. Instead, he dialed his grandfather, John.
"Ah, my dear grandson, you're out of the secret realm?"
Although Julian hadn't told anyone about his venture into the secret realm, John had somehow found out.
"Yeah, Grandpa. I was ambushed in there"
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
After a few seconds;
"You're unharmed, right?"
"I'm fine."
"Do you know who was behind it?"
"All I know is that it involved the Dean family and possibly others. They bribed Alex, a third-year student from the Imperial University, to do the dirty work. Alex's dead now—I killed him. They even supplied him with three peak Elite Pokémon."
Another pause, this time heavier.
"I see, Grandpa will take care of it."
"Alright, I'll send over the Pokémon shortly."
With that, Julian ended the call.
---
For a family to send people to assassinate a rising star of the younger generation, it was a blatant violation of unwritten rules.
Rivalries and clashes between aristocratic families were common, but there were boundaries everyone respected.
If one family sent assassins after another's prodigy, what would stop others from doing the same? If such behavior became the norm, how many gifted youths would even survive to adulthood?
Of the over 500 Elite trainers in Drakoria, more than 400 came from big or small noble families. The rest were Elites born from ordinary backgrounds.
So, if you kill the prodigies of other families, you're not just severing the fate of an opposing family—you're also weakening the overall strength of Drakoria as a nation.
Conflicts between families were inevitable, but they must adhere to the rules. Targeting and assassinating the younger generation of rival families, however, was a clear violation of those rules.
This crosses the bottom line for all the noble families. No family wants to see their own heirs fall victim to such schemes.
If you choose not to play by the rules and I find out about it, then don't blame me for what comes next.
---
Julian wasn't entirely sure how many families had been involved in this plot against him. The only one he was certain about was the Dean family. With his grandfather's temper, it was safe to say the Dean family wouldn't last much longer.
He had Dragonite fly him to the outskirts of the city, where taxis were readily available.
For the sake of public safety and order, no flying Pokémon were allowed to be ridden over major cities unless in emergencies.
The only exceptions were licensed couriers, like food delivery and postal workers.
Trainers could also apply for a flying license, but the process was stringent. Advanced Trainers didn't even qualify to apply, and pseudo-Elites had only a slim chance of being approved.
Since Julian hadn't obtained a flying license yet, he couldn't ride Dragonite directly into the capital. Instead, he took a cab.
"Driver, take me to the Gardevoir Hotel"
Although he had washed up daily while in the secret realm, the conditions there were far from ideal. Julian decided he'd treat himself to a nice dinner at the hotel and stay the night before heading back to school the following day.
There were plenty of five-star hotels in the capital, but only a few truly stood out, and the Gardevoir Hotel was one of the most famous among them.
As for why Julian chose to go there, the reason was simple—it was a property of the Walker family, and it happened to be the closest option. Naturally, it made sense to head there.
Half an hour later, Julian arrived at the hotel entrance. While he had visited the Gardevoir Hotel in Lake City many times, this was his first time at the one in the capital.
The decor here was undoubtedly more luxurious—after all, this was the capital.
Inside the grand lobby, Julian casually picked a seat. Without even glancing at the menu, he listed off a few dishes. The waiter nodded and left to place his order.
Dining here was a privilege reserved for the wealthy or influential. Even a modest three or four dishes could easily cost the equivalent of an average person's income for three to four months.
For this reason, it wasn't uncommon for Internet celebrities and influencers to dine here occasionally. Their motives? Well, those in the know understood.
"Hey, everyone, here I am at the Gardevoir Hotel," a female influencer said softly, holding her phone as she livestreamed to her audience, showing off the hotel's elegant interior. "I just ordered three dishes, and honestly, this meal means I'll be eating instant noodles next month."
Her audience responded with enthusiasm as a virtual luxury cruise ship appeared on her screen, signaling a generous donation.
"This one's on me"
"Thanks for the luxury cruise, sweetie!"
The influencer smiled brightly and blew a kiss to the camera.
"You scored a free kiss!"
"Big Brother, showing his dominance!"
"Hey, Little Ain, the guy behind you looks so sloppy"
"No kidding! His clothes look like they haven't been washed in days!"
Still thanking her top donor, the influencer—known as "Little Ain"—glanced behind her at the comments' suggestion. When she saw Julian's somewhat dusty appearance, her brows furrowed instantly.
Julian wasn't actually unkempt—he was just wearing plain clothes and looked a bit dusty from having just emerged from the secret realm.
However, in this upscale hotel where every man was impeccably dressed in suits and every woman wore stunning attire, Julian stood out like a sore thumb.
He looked like a stray mutt that had wandered into an exclusive gathering.
"Ugh, what's with the Gardevoir Hotel? Letting just anyone in—aren't they worried about dine-and-dash freeloaders?" the influencer muttered unhappily.
Julian's seat behind her made it impossible for her to take a decent selfie. No matter how she angled her camera, he kept appearing in the frame. Since she was at a solo table, switching seats wasn't an option either.
If she couldn't take pictures or post to her social media, this meal would be utterly meaningless.
Just then, another luxury cruise ship appeared on her livestream screen.
"Little Ain, get him kicked out, and I'll send five more luxury cruises"
Her top donor messaged.
Other viewers chimed in, cheering her on. Even though a few voices objected, they were quickly drowned out by the crowd's excitement.
Five luxury cruises—worth hundreds of thousands—were more than enough to tempt the influencer. Besides, Julian's presence was indeed ruining her ability to post the perfect selfie.
"Brother, you better keep your word!"
The top donor didn't reply directly but instead sent another luxury cruise, making his intentions clear.
Excited, the female influencer summoned a waiter.
"Ma'am, how may I assist you?" the waiter asked politely.
She pointed to Julian and said with a disdainful tone, "His shabby outfit is ruining my appetite. Kick him out for me."
The waiter shook his head immediately. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but our hotel has no such policy."
The livestream chat erupted with laughter:
"Haha, Little Ain, your words don't carry weight here"
"Just drop it, Little Ain. You can't pull this off"
"This waiter's immune to charm!"
Rejected outright and ridiculed by her chat, the influencer's embarrassment quickly turned to anger.
"No, you must kick him out! Call your manager—I'll speak to them instead!"
The waiter hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "How about this, ma'am? I can arrange a different seat for you. How about one of those prime spots over there?"
He gestured toward the best seats in the hall.
As much as he wanted to avoid escalating the situation, he also knew that if the manager got involved over something trivial, he'd likely face the consequences.
"That won't do!" the influencer snapped. "He needs to leave. He's not just bothering me—he's ruining the entire dining experience for everyone!"
As her tone rose, other diners instinctively turned to see what was happening.
"Ma'am, please lower your voice"
The waiter urged, growing increasingly nervous.
"Lower my voice? Am I being loud?"
Seeing the waiter flustered only made her more confident. She felt that if she kept pushing, the staff would eventually side with her and throw that person out.
By this time, the manager had noticed the commotion and quickly approached the scene. The waiter, relieved, stepped aside.
"Ma'am, may I ask what's going on? I'm the manager of this restaurant. If there's an issue, please let me know," the manager said calmly.
The influencer sneered and pointed at Julian, who was busy devouring his meal.
"Look at him—dressed like that, eating like that. It's disgusting! He's ruining my dining experience. You should kick him out immediately. And frankly, the hotel should compensate all of us by covering our meals."
The influencer wasn't entirely clueless. She attempted to create a "shared interest" among the diners, hoping they'd back her up.
Meanwhile, Julian, who had been too focused on eating to notice earlier, finally picked up on the commotion. His delayed lunch due to Alex's situation meant he was starving, so he was eating quickly and messily, which wasn't helping the situation.
When he glanced up, he realized the influencer was targeting him specifically, trying to have him removed.
"Ma'am, how about this? We'll offer you a 30% discount on your meal"
As a policy, reputable hotels rarely evicted paying guests without a very good reason. Naturally, the manager wasn't about to agree to her unreasonable demands.
However, the influencer's persistent antics were beginning to disrupt the other diners. The manager knew he had to take action to prevent further escalation, so he decided to offer a slight concession.
"No, I'm afraid you didn't quite understand me," the influencer huffed. "He must leave, or I'll lodge a formal complaint against this hotel!"
Despite her unreasonable behavior, the manager maintained his professional demeanor, keeping a polite smile.
"Ma'am, anyone who enters this hotel is a guest. I can authorize your meal to be on the house and offer you a better table. Would that be acceptable?"
By this point, Julian had finished his meal. Taking his time, he strolled over to the commotion.
The female influencer, seeing him approach, instinctively stepped back and snapped, "Why are you coming so close? Don't you know how expensive my clothes are? If you get them dirty, can you even afford to pay for it?"
Julian ignored her. Instead, he turned to the restaurant manager and said calmly, "Do you know who I am?"
The manager, who had only caught a glimpse of Julian's profile earlier, now had a clear view of his face. Recognition dawned instantly.
'Oh no, it's him!'
Standing before him was none other than the heir of the Walker Group himself.
"Young Master Walker!" The manager immediately straightened up, and quickly greeted him with the utmost respect.
"Don't give her any discounts or free meals. Charge her exactly what she owes—no more, no less"
Julian couldn't believe he'd just experienced such a cliche "flexing and face-slapping" moment himself.
Seeing the female influencer's stunned expression;
Julian: Yep, showing off feels pretty great after all. (*￣︶￣)
He had no interest in making things harder for her—his only thought now was to get some much-needed rest.
Julian had no intention of teaching the influencer a lesson. Their statuses weren't even on the same level. If she hadn't been so persistent and disruptive to the other diners, he wouldn't have bothered with her at all.
Meanwhile, viewers in the live stream had already been paying attention to Julian. Some had found his side profile oddly familiar, but now that his face was fully visible, recognition hit them like a thunderbolt. If they couldn't figure out who he was at this point, they'd truly fail as netizens.
The influencer, however, was still clueless. Hearing the restaurant manager respectfully address the "scruffy man" as 'Young Master' left her stunned.
"Young Master? What Young Master?" she asked blankly.
Julian had been all over the internet recently due to his victory over Articuno and his involvement in the Pokémon Riot incident. However, not everyone knew who he was.
Some had heard the name but couldn't connect it to a face, and even those who had recognized him earlier might have let the memory fade now that his viral moment had passed.
The comment section of the live stream exploded with activity.
A flood of "helpful" viewers eagerly educated the influencer about Julian's background.
From 'his grandfather being the top Steel-type Elite', 'his uncle being a director of the Walker Group', and 'his father owning a national-level gym', to 'his aunt being the youngest Arceus Award recipient in history', the comments painted a vivid picture of his extraordinary lineage.
And as if that wasn't enough, they emphasized that 'Julian himself was a monstrous trainer'
His identity had long been public knowledge. Hardcore fans even knew details about his extended family—everything from his maternal grandfather's role in government to his uncle's international ventures.
The more the influencer, Little Ain, read through the barrage of comments, the paler her face became.
Each detail spelled out one undeniable fact;
'Messing with Julian was a death sentence.'
"Big brother!!!"
She suddenly wailed, tears streaming down her face as she desperately sought help from her top supporter.
But when she turned back to her screen, she saw that her top supporter had vanished without a trace.
"Big Brother ran like he was taking a train and even bought a standing ticket!"
"You're here to flaunt in a fancy restaurant for clout; he's just having dinner at his own place"
The comment section quickly turned against her, mocking her earlier smugness. Ironically, many of the same viewers had egged her on moments ago.
--
As for the influencer, Julian didn't give her another thought.
He had already arrived at Gardevoir Suite No. 1, equivalent to a presidential suite in his previous life but far larger and more luxurious.
He released all his Pokémon into the spacious room. Even his Steelix could hold its head high comfortably.
The suite was equipped with every amenity, including a Pokémon transfer system.
Julian placed Alex's Pokémon, including the three Elite-level ones, into the device and carefully entered the coordinates.
Soon all these Poké Balls were sent to his grandfather by him.
Once the Pokémon's dinner was prepared, Julian finally stepped into the bathroom, eager for a relaxing shower.
Gastly, however, was in no rush to eat. Born in the Secret Realm, everything in human society seemed magical to it.
The showerhead, for instance—why did it spray water? And why was the water warm? Its trainer looked particularly happy, which only piqued Gastly's curiosity further.
"Maybe wait until I'm done before coming in?"
Julian's expression froze as he noticed the curious Gastly hovering in the bathroom. It wasn't exactly natural to feel comfortable with a ghost-type Pokémon staring at you mid-shower.
'At least it's male'
Julian thought wryly.
"In places like this, don't just barge in, understand?" Julian Warned.
Gastly's ability to phase through walls and doors was both a blessing and a curse. The last thing Julian wanted was for it to accidentally wander into a women's restroom or bathhouse—it would be Julian, not Gastly, who'd pay the price.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, Julian slept in until the sun was high in the sky. Slowking had taken it upon itself to feed the other Pokémon breakfast, ensuring they didn't disturb their trainer.
After a leisurely brunch in the hotel, Julian prepared to leave.
As he exited the lobby, yesterday's influencer, Little Ain, suddenly appeared, blocking his path.
"Mr. Walker, I'm so sorry about yesterday! I didn't know it was you"
After speaking, the influencer looked at Julian nervously.
After learning about Julian's background, Little Ain had spent a sleepless night, terrified of the consequences. Following a private message from her top fan advising her to apologize, she had waited outside the hotel all morning.
Against all odds, her patience paid off.
Julian gave her a brief glance but didn't reply. Without saying a word, he walked past her.
Little Ain let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Her top fan had been right—people like Julian wouldn't bother to hold a grudge against someone like her. Her apology wasn't about avoiding punishment but rather an attempt to improve Julian's impression of her.
'If only I could get his contact info…' she mused. 'Or even—'
Watching Julian's retreating figure, little Ain sighed again, cutting her thoughts short.
'Better focus on making tonight's stream a hit instead'
---
Back at School;
Upon returning to campus, Julian's first stop was his homeroom teacher's office to notify of his return.
Taking a month off as a freshman was no small feat. If not for being part of the Special Recruit Class, such a request would've been nearly impossible in a regular class.
"Boss Julian, you're back!"
Just as Julian reached the door of his villa, an excited voice came from behind.
"Dalton? What are you doing here?" Julian asked.
Dalton, the class leader of the Fighting class, had started addressing Julian as 'Boss Julian' after losing to him during military training.
"I'm in your class now, Boss Julian!, I moved into the villa area this month. The Special class really is a whole different world compared to regular classes," Dalton said, beaming.
The Special class was exclusive, with only thirty students. It operated on a strict elimination system, where the lowest-ranked student at the end of each month faced a challenger from the regular classes.
If the lowest-ranked student won, they could remain in the class. If they lost, they were demoted to a regular class.
So, even after joining the Special class, if your strength wasn't up to par, you could still be eliminated due to the rules.
It was because of this, that Dalton had his chance to join.
"Did you defeat Shen?"
That was Julian's first reaction. He immediately assumed Dalton had beaten Shen to secure his spot in the Special class.
Shen's place in the class was solely due to her awakening a special ability called "Heart's Eye." However, her overall strength ranked at the bottom among the thirty students in the class.
Moreover, her "Heart's Eye" ability had only recently awakened, making it weak and short-lived.
Being defeated wasn't surprising.
Julian didn't give it much thought. The world of trainers was straightforward—survival of the fittest. Even if you were exceptional, there would always be someone better.
"No, she wasn't defeated by me. She's the second to last. But now that I'm in, she's ranked last. Next month, her spot might be in danger," Dalton explained.
Dalton's strength was already enough to qualify for the Special class. If Shen hadn't suddenly awakened her "Heart's Eye," the spot would have been his from the start.
"Got it."
Julian nodded slightly before heading into the villa.
Dalton stood there, stunned. He had expected Julian to invite him in for a chat, but instead, he was ignored.