Early the next morning, Julian went to report to the school team. With just over a month left before the 100-Schools League, the team was required to meet at Battle Arena #01 every day at 8 a.m., unless there were special circumstances.
However, only five members showed up, including Julian's cousin, Thea.
"Julian, you're finally back!"
Thea ran up to him and playfully pulling his face. She knew Julian had gone to an Advanced-level secret realm, so her face was full of curiosity as she asked.
"What did you gain from the secret realm?"
Exploring secret realms was like a treasure hunt. With enough luck, the treasures found might not make you worry-free for life, but they could significantly accelerate your growth.
On the flip side, bad luck might mean not finding anything—or worse, dying in the process.
"Not telling you"
Julian replied, deciding to annoy her after she pulled his face as soon as they met.
"Why is it just only a few of us here?"
Seeing Thea about to pull his face again with a slightly annoyed look, Julian quickly stepped back.
"Hmph. Some are on missions, and others are busy training," Thea explained.
The school team had ten members, with eight having spots to compete. The remaining two were official members but essentially served as substitutes.
Although the school team's coach, Wade, was an Elite, he was a Dragon-type Trainer so his expertise was naturally focused on Dragon-types. His understanding of other types wasn't as deep.
His primary role was to teach battle experience and help Trainers improve their adaptability and commanding skills in combat.
As for improving their Pokémon's strength, that was up to the team members themselves. Because of this, it was rare for all team members to gather at once.
Many of them spent their time taking on missions to train their Pokémon, using intensive training routines, or, like Julian, entering secret realms to grow stronger.
There were many ways to strengthen Pokémon, and it was all about choosing the method that suited you best.
"Oh? Why didn't you go?"
Julian blurted out, and immediately realized that sounded wrong.
"Julian, are you saying you don't want to see me?"
At that moment, a dangerous aura emanated from Thea. Even her psychic energy started to ripple, making her long hair float in the air.
Thea was one of the rare Trainers with psychic powers. While her ability was still at the intermediate level, she was on the verge of advancing to the next stage.
Psychic users often had a common flaw: if their abilities became too strong without proper control, it could lead to a berserk state.
Of course, Thea wasn't actually berserk. She was just putting on a show to scare Julian.
"Sis, I was wrong!" Julian quickly admitted.
He had psychic powers himself, so he knew full well Thea was fine. His apology was more out of the philosophy that 'a wise man doesn't argue with a woman.'
He absolutely wasn't backing down out of fear.
When the meeting time arrived, Coach Wade showed up right on time. He glanced around the gathered team members and frowned slightly.
"Where's Alex? Why isn't he here?"
Julian: He won't be coming anymore
If a school team member couldn't attend, they were required to inform Coach Wade in advance.
Even though Alex had been defeated by Julian and lost his spot among the eight competing members, his strength was still second only to the team captain and Julian.
When the time came for the 100-Schools League, Wade, as the coach, wouldn't leave Alex on the sidelines.
Winning first place for Imperial University was of paramount importance. Whatever personal issues existed between Julian and Alex were irrelevant to Wade.
The rest of the team members shook their heads in response to Wade's question. None of them knew where Alex had gone.
Wade pulled out his phone and tried calling Alex, but the call went to voicemail.
"Let's start training. Today, we'll pair up for practice matches. Julian, you're with me."
After hanging up, Wade decided not to dwell on Alex's absence, assuming he might've had an emergency.
As Julian and Wade headed toward another battle arena, the other team members watched them with envy.
Wade was one of the strongest Elite Trainers, a Dragon-Type specialist. Though he called it a sparring match, it was more of a coaching session. Such opportunities were rare, and those who had trained with Wade before had gained a lot from it.
"Come on, send out your Dragonite"
At the battlefield, Wade had already released his Pokémon, a Druddigon.
Druddigon was infamous among Dragon-Types, often referred to as the "Disgrace of Dragons." The title originally belonged to Flygon, but with Druddigon's appearance, it surpassed Flygon to claim this dubious honor.
Its unappealing appearance lowered the Dragon-Type's overall aesthetic, and its base stat total was only 485. The only redeeming factor was its impressive 120 base attack.
Still, the "Disgrace of Dragons" nickname depended largely on the Trainer.
There was a saying among Trainers: 'There are no weak Pokémon, only weak Trainers.'
With enough skill, even a Beedrill could become a champion.
Wade was the second-best Dragon-Type Elite Trainer after the reigning Top Dragon-Type Elite. In his hands, Druddigon was a force to be reckoned with. Even Julian's father would have to take it seriously in battle.
Julian sent out his Dragonite.
Same-Type Pokémon often shared many similarities, which was why Wade specifically asked Julian to use Dragonite.
Although Wade didn't have the ability to appraise Pokémon stats directly, his extensive experience made it clear that Julian's Dragonite was exceptionally well-trained.
If level weren't a factor, Julian's Dragonite might even surpass Wade's own.
Julian's Dragonite was currently at level 61, just stepping into the pseudo-Elite tier. Being a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, its leveling slowed significantly as it grew stronger. Julian wasn't in a rush, though—he was confident in its development.
Level doesn't always define combat power.
Even though Dragonite had only just entered the pseudo-Elite tier, if it fought with everything it had, it could at least hold its own against an early stage Elite Pokémon.
If Julian were using his Metagross instead, it could outright overpower an Elite-tier Pokémon in its early stages.
In a coaching match, winning or losing wasn't the focus. The guiding party intentionally left openings to steer their opponent's decisions and help them improve.
While the coach needed to have a high level of skill, the one being guided couldn't be too weak either.
This coaching match lasted nearly an hour. Julian gave it everything he had, yet he could barely trouble Wade's Druddigon.
Who said it was the "Disgrace of Dragons"? Under Wade's command, it was nothing short of the "Pride of Dragons."
In Wade's hands, Druddigon became a true artillery platform, with its single highest attribute—attack—pushed to the absolute limit.
Of Druddigon's five base stats, attack was the strongest, while the other four were mediocre at best, or outright terrible.
Since its weaknesses couldn't be fixed, Wade focused on amplifying its sole strength to the maximum.
The result was devastating firepower.
Moves like Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush, Hyper Beam, and Focus Blast were unleashed with incredible force.
Even with its power intentionally restrained during the battle, Druddigon left Dragonite no room to capitalize on any advantages.
After the coaching match, Julian took the opportunity to ask Wade for advice on training his Dragonite.
The Drake family was a renowned lineage of Dragon-type trainers, unrivaled in Drakoria and highly respected worldwide for their expertise in nurturing Dragon-type Pokémon.
Although Julian hailed from the Walker family, Wade's position as the school team's coach now placed them in a teacher-student relationship.
With this connection, Wade was willing to share his knowledge with Julian as long as it didn't involve the core secrets of the Drake family.
Julian already knew a fair bit about training Dragonite, but it couldn't compare to the expertise of the Drake family. Wade even remarked on how surprising it was that someone from a Steel-specialist lineage could train a Dragon-type so effectively.
Of course, only Julian himself knew the true reason behind it.
The greatest factor was the system he possessed, which allowed him to spend points to acquire treasures, energy cubes, and stat-enhancing elixirs to boost Dragonite's power and base stats.
Though he lacked the specialized knowledge of the Drakes, Julian relied on his ability of "pay to win," purchasing whatever was necessary to enhance his Pokémon's growth.
This approach extended to his other Pokémon as well.
"Have you decided on your second attribute? I suggest you go with Dragon types," Wade said.
He believed Julian's talent for training Dragon-types was on par with his Steel expertise. If Julian hadn't been born into the Walker family, Wade would have wanted to take him on as an apprentice.
While formal mentorship wasn't an option, Wade couldn't stand the thought of such potential going to waste, so he encouraged Julian to focus on Dragons for his secondary specialization.
The synergy between Steel-type's superior defense and Dragon-type's overwhelming offense was nearly perfect, combining durability and damage in a formidable way.
"I've been considering it," Julian nodded.
He had initially planned to specialize in Dragons as his secondary type. However, this plan had been delayed after he caught Pokémon like Slowking, Growlithe, and Gastly.
Even so, Julian hadn't abandoned the idea.
For now, he prioritized training his Lairon, Growlithe, and Gastly, all of which had exceptional potential. Only after nurturing them would he revisit the idea of his secondary attribute.
As for Slowking, she had already told Julian that she didn't like fighting much and preferred to support Julian and caring for his Pokémon.
Julian respected Slowking's wishes. With Metagross, Dragonite, and others ready for combat, there was no problem Slowking being the logistics specialist.
In fact, Slowking had almost reached the level of Love, the family's Indeedee in this regard. She even ensured Julian drank a glass of Moomoo Milk every day.
"That's good to hear. If you decide to pursue Dragons, come find me. I can arrange for you to access the Dragon Den once," Wade said, patting Julian's shoulder.
The Walker and Drake families had no conflicts, so nurturing a prodigious talent like Julian was in everyone's best interest.
The Dragon Den was as renowned as the Oreburgh Great Wall—both special high-tier zones. The Drakes had been in charge of the Dragon Den for as long as the Walkers had overseen the Oreburgh Great Wall.
"Thank you, Teacher Wade," Julian said respectfully.
Whether it was the guidance on training Dragonite or the promise he had just made, Julian knew he now owed Wade a favor.
'If someone respects you an inch, you respect them a foot in return.'
This exchange had established a connection between Julian and the Drake family, and he was already classmates with Ian.
The school team's morning training session had ended, leaving the afternoon free for personal pursuits.
At Imperial University, students were given significant freedom. Whether they chose to attend lectures or rest was up to them.
The university didn't enforce attendance, but students were still expected to pass their final exams and earn the necessary credits. Even if someone skipped classes for an entire semester, as long as they met the academic requirements, no one would interfere.
This freedom, however, came with high stakes.
Each year, many students failed to earn enough credits and were expelled.
There were no extensions for graduation; falling short on credits simply meant being dismissed.
Julian planned to head to the library to organize the Dragon-type training techniques Wade had shared with him. He also intended to browse other books on Dragon-type Pokémon training.
On the way, he noticed Hannah being pulled forcefully by a man. Her expression was one of restrained anger, looking helpless and pitiful as she glanced at the surrounding students, hoping someone would come to her aid.
If the man pulling her weren't who he was, someone in the crowd would have already stepped in.
Damien Dean, a notorious figure from the Dean family of the Imperial Capital, was infamous at Imperial University. Nicknamed "Dean's scourge" he exploited his family's power to harass female students, especially the pretty ones.
Rumors circulated about him driving a girl to suicide during high school.
Since coming to university, his behavior had only worsened.
Some brave souls had tried to intervene in the past but were beaten so badly by him that they ended up crippled.
While his character was despicable, his strength was still acceptable, and few could stand up to him.
Hannah, one of the top ten campus beauties, was unfortunately the least connected among them. Her family, though wealthy, lacked any significant influence.
From the moment she enrolled, she had been targeted by Damien.
However, Hannah was resourceful and knew how to maneuver social situations. She used her charm to gain admiration from various influential students, including heirs of noble families and talented commoners, creating a delicate balance of mutual deterrence that kept Damien at bay.
Today, though, Damien seemed unusually forceful.
"Young Master Dean, I'm really not feeling well today. How about make up for it another time?"
Hannah pleaded, her arm aching from his grip, but she endured the pain.
She wasn't afraid of what Damien might do to her, but she was deeply worried about her parents.
This was why many commoners resented and despised the aristocratic families.
If you offended someone like Damien, they wouldn't just come after you; they'd target your family and friends instead. They would use underhanded methods to humiliate and crush you until you had no choice but to kneel before them in despair.
"No, you're coming with me today, no matter what, Let me tell you, no one can help you today. And forget about that loser Zed—I've already had my people block him."
Hannah's pleading expression only fueled Damien's wicked desires. A surge of heat coursed through him as he stared at her helpless face.
Among Hannah's admirers, Zed was undoubtedly the most devoted.
Despite being humiliated by Julian last time because of her, Zed continued to follow her around, earning himself the infamous title of "King of Simps."
"As for the others, I've taken care of them too. Otherwise, why do you think no one's stepped forward? Now be a good girl and come with me. Think of your family. Oh, and your little sister in the Water-Type Academy."
His voice dropped to a whisper, loud enough only for Hannah to hear.
Then, he pulled out his phone and began swiping through photos. Each image displayed her younger sister—at school, in the cafeteria, in her dorm, walking along the streets.
"Your sister may not be as pretty as you, but she's still quite the cutie, If you really don't want to come with me, maybe I'll ask her to take your place instead. Sisters, after all, are meant to share everything, aren't they?"
At his words, Hannah's eyes visibly dimmed, the light in them fading at a speed visible to the naked eye.
(T/N: I would have very much liked to remove such cliches but the author is trying to make people hate the Dean family more before their annihilation, so yeah and she is not the FL or any other important character for that matter)
It seemed Damien had noticed Hannah's spirit had broken, and she gave up resistance. Smirking with satisfaction, he could no longer hold back. He stretched out his hand, aiming to touch her face in front of the crowd.
Hannah wanted to resist, but Damien's earlier words echoed in her mind. Whatever shred of defiance she had left vanished in an instant.
"Snap!"
Just as his hand was about to touch Hannah's cheek, another hand shot out, gripping Damien's wrist.
The strength of the grip was immense. Damien felt as though his wrist might shatter under the pressure, and he let out a cry of pain.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop!"
The excruciating pain overwhelmed him, leaving no room to focus on who was causing it.
Standing there, Julian stared coldly at Damien. The Dean family was one of the families that had sent Alex into the secret realm to assassinate him.
His grandfather, John, had already provided a list of key Dean family members.
And Damien's name was on it.
Julian hadn't even sought him out yet, and here the man was, delivering himself on a silver platter.
Such an opportunity wasn't one Julian planned to waste.
Hannah, meanwhile, was stunned.
She remembered approaching Julian in the library before—not out of genuine interest, but hoping to leverage the influence of his family to keep others like Damien at bay.
Her plan had failed spectacularly. Julian had been completely immune to her looks and charm, and she had even managed to irritate him.
Afterward, she had not dared to approach him again.
But she didn't expect that, at her lowest moment, with so many bystanders too afraid to intervene, the person who stepped forward to save her was none other than Julian.
An indescribable mix of emotions surged through her heart.
"Crack!"
With a little more force, Julian shattered Damien's wrist entirely.
The sound of bones snapping echoed loud and clear, making even the surrounding students turn pale with fright.
On the other hand, Damien let out a scream, his eyes rolling back as he nearly passed out.
Julian had already let go of him by now, and Damien collapsed to the ground in pain.
"Julian—you! Is your family planning to declare war on the Dean family?"
After gasping a few breaths to steady himself, Damien finally regained his senses. In his heart, he had already decided to carve the man before him into pieces. Looking up, his expression shifted from rage to stiffness and back to fury.
He was already a spoiled rich kid, and now, having lost his reason entirely, he blurted out a declaration of war against the Walker family.
Julian walked up to him then, without a word, he delivered a powerful slap to Damien's face.
The blow was so forceful it knocked out half of Damien's teeth.
"You think you're worthy?"
Julian sneered coldly. The Dean family, a native imperial capital clan known for their Steel-types, was far weaker than the Walker family.
That single slap left Damien passed out completely, so he didn't even hear the rest of Julian's words.
Had the setting been different, Julian wouldn't have hesitated to kill him right there.
Ever since the Dean family had sent Alex into the secret realm to target him, their fate had been sealed.
After finishing what he came for, Julian turned and headed toward the library. Someone else would take care of the unconscious Damien.
As soon as Julian left, the surrounding students let out a sigh of relief. They were all stunned by Julian's fierce demeanor just now, and none of them wanted to end up on the receiving end of that slap.
Fortunately, the chaos didn't spill over to them.
Nobody felt sorry for Damien. If anything, many thought Julian had done the right thing.
However, their curiosity shifted to Hannah.
There had been rumors before about Julian fighting the civilian prodigy Zed over Hannah, and now, Julian had beaten Damien to a pulp for her. This was the very definition of a "hero saving the damsel."
But what puzzled everyone was that after all this, Julian left without sparing her another glance. It didn't make sense.
Could he be putting on a show?
"Are you okay, Hannah?"
Just then a group of Hannah's girlfriends rushed over. A girl who seemed like the leader of the group looked at her with concern.
Still in a daze, Hannah shook her head. Then the group noticed the bloodied and swollen face of the man lying on the ground. His features were so distorted he looked like a Gengar.
"Who is this?"
Honestly, with his face in such a state, they couldn't recognize him.
"He's Damien," Hannah said softly.
"What? That scumbag? Did you beat him up?"
The leader looked at Hannah in shock, as if she had just met a completely different person.
"It wasn't me. It was Julian"
Hannah clarified, shaking her head.
Then, to everyone's surprise, she walked over to the unconscious Damien. Under the confused gazes of those around her, she kicked him—right in the nuts.
'F**k, that ought to hurt real bad'
Several male students instinctively crossed their legs. Even though they weren't the ones being kicked, they felt a phantom pain that left their faces pale.
Hannah had endured three years of harassment from Damien—fear, anger, and hatred building up all that time. With that single kick, a large chunk of her pent-up emotions seemed to dissipate.
But it wasn't enough. Just moments ago, he had used her parents and sister to threaten her.
Kick!.
Another kick!.
And another.
She kept kicking him as if in a frenzy, her pent-up rage pouring out with each strike.
"Enough, Hannah, that's enough!"
The girl quickly stopped Hannah. If she kept kicking, Damien might actually end up dead.
As despicable as he was and deserving of punishment, killing him in public would leave Hannah no room to escape the law.
Taking someone like him down at the cost of her own future wasn't worth it.
Soon, Hannah was whisked away by her sisterly group of friends.
The surrounding students also dispersed not long after. Not a single person bothered to check on Damien, let alone call an ambulance.
Meanwhile, the incident was already making waves across the Imperial University campus through the internet.
As for Julian, the party involved, he was already in the library, engrossed in reading materials on Dragon-Type Pokémon training.
The 'Special recruit class' group chat, was already in chaos. Someone had even uploaded a video of Julian slapping Damien. Many were tagging Julian, but with his phone on silent, he remained oblivious to the commotion.
Dalton: As expected of Boss Julian, Even your slaps are stylish.
Ian: Julian, call me next time for this kind of fun!
Luis: That guy's been on my bad side for a while now. Well done, Brother Julian.
Kate: Hero saves the day, huh? What about Shen?
Shen: We're just friends.
Hugo: Need me to finish him off? Hit me up privately if you do; prices are negotiable.
Everyone in the class: Σ┗(＠ロ@;)┛
Group Management Message: Member Hugo has been kicked out of the group chat.
Damien was a member of a noble family and had no prior dealings or grudges with Julian. Naturally, when news spread that Julian had severely injured him, it caused a stir among the noble families.
Although the Walker family was one of the top families in the nation, Julian's actions—severely injuring Damien seemingly over a woman—were seen as excessive.
Many families were eagerly waiting to see how the Deans would retaliate, wondering if they should lend some support to the Dean family to cause some trouble for the Walkers.
While they knew the Dean family couldn't overthrow the Walker family, they could still attempt to disgust them.
However, before the Dean family could confront the Walkers—though they had their suspicions about the reason—the Walker family made the first move.
It was Elite John who personally stepped in, gathering a mountain of evidence against the Dean family, including charges of treason. John then beheaded three of the Dean family's Elite-level Trainers.
The Walker Group also launched a comprehensive attack on the Dean family's businesses.
The three Elite trainers were the Dean family's pillars of strength, and their deaths caused the entire structure to collapse.
As for the evidence against the Dean family, some of it was true, while other parts were more ambiguous.
With the loss of its strongest members, the Dean family became easy prey. Other families were eager to swoop in and claim a share of the spoils. But without the Walker family's permission, no one dared to make a move.
At the same time, they were speculating about what the Dean family might have done to provoke the Walker family. It was clear that Julian beating up Damien was not enough to warrant such a complete obliteration of the Dean family.
There had to be other reasons they didn't know.
Soon, a rumor surfaced.
It was said that the Deans, along with a few other Steel-Type families dissatisfied with the Walkers, had secretly hired Alex to infiltrate a secret realm and assassinate Julian.
However, Alex was killed by Julian instead. Not only that, but Julian had also uncovered evidence that the Dean family was one of the masterminds in this attempt. This was the real reason the Walker family moved to destroy the Dean family.
If this rumor was true, then the Dean family's downfall was well-deserved.
Assassinating the heir of a noble family was a violation of the most sacred rule among noble families. Such an act could destabilize the entire system.
While one could break the rules, doing so required the strength to withstand the consequences. Without such strength, being exposed would lead to swift and severe punishment, and no one would come to your aid.
If the Dean family could target Julian, what was to stop other families from targeting the heirs and talented young members of their families?
Such chaos would bring about the collapse of the structure they had build.
Because of this, no other family was willing to stand with the Dean family. To make matters worse, the Walker family was their opponent.
Even the few families allied with the Dean family were now in a state of panic, fearing that John Walker might suspect them of being accomplice in the assassination plot against Julian.
John was known as the "Executioner of Drakoria," with countless foreign Trainers falling at his hands, and naturally a fair number of domestic ones as well.
And yet, they f***ing dared to send someone to assassinate his one and only grandson—an exceptional grandson at that. If anyone was to die for such audacity, it had to be them.
In less than three days, the once-prominent Dean family was completely wiped out. Apart from a few uninvolved distant relatives, all direct family members were either killed or imprisoned.
As for Damien, while recovering in the hospital, he tragically choked on a fishbone during a meal. Due to delayed medical intervention, he ultimately died.
This incident serves as a stark reminder: always be cautious when eating fish. A single careless moment could cost you your life.
Damien's bizarre death even made the news, and videos about it went viral on platforms like TikTok.
Hannah put her phone down with a complicated expression. The screen displayed the news report about Damien's death.
He was dead. Damien was truly gone. The nightmare that had haunted her for so long had come to an end just like that.
Leaning back on the sofa, she stared blankly at the ceiling. Memories of the past three years flooded her mind—years spent walking a tightrope among various noble families, using their influence to keep Damien at bay.
Scenes of his impatience, his threats, and her moments of despair and forced compromise played vividly in her head. And then, Julian appeared, like a ray of light in the darkness.
Not only had he resolved her immediate crisis, but the entire Dean family had also vanished.
The fall of the Dean family was a secret that ordinary people would never know. But Hannah had heard about it from her friend, whose own family, though native to the capital, was nowhere near as powerful as the Dean family.
"Impressive, Miss Hannah. Spill it—what's the real story between you and Young Master Julian? Don't tell me you've already—"
"There's nothing between us," Hannah replied with a bitter smile, shaking her head. "The fall of the Dean family must have been for some other reason."
"No, no, no. The rumor among the noble heirs is that the Dean family's destruction was entirely because of you. In their eyes, you're now the textbook definition of a femme fatale."
(T/N: Femme fatale: French for 'fatal female' or maneater)
"Well, maybe it's a good thing," her friend said with a hint of envy. "No more pests buzzing around to bother you. In fact, they'll probably try to curry favor with you now."
Her friend actually knew there was genuinely nothing between Hannah and Julian. But the timing was uncanny. When Damien tried to forcibly take her away, Julian had appeared and left him seriously injured.
And just days later, the entire Dean family was gone.
It was absurd, almost unbelievable.
While the rumors about the Dean family hiring Alex to assassinate Julian in the secret realm had already spread, and it seemed likely the Dean family's fall had little to do with Hannah personally, who would dare bet on that?
Would anyone really gamble on the chance that Julian and Hannah had no connection at all?
Winning the bet might mean gaining one of the top ten beauties at Imperial University. But losing? It could mean that their family might be the next Dean family.
Risking an entire family for the sake of a woman?
Only someone with an empty space for a brain would make such a gamble.
Because of this, many young heirs attending Imperial University received a clear warning from their family elders:
Stay away from Hannah.
Stay away from Hannah.
Stay away from Hannah.
Important things must be said three times.
Previously, she was just a beautiful woman with no powerful background among the noble families—someone they could casually flirt with. But now, in their eyes, she was a untouchable woman.
To dare pursue her, your family would need to rival the Walker family in power, and you'd also need to hold a status within your family equivalent to Julian's. If you failed to meet even one of those criteria, you were courting disaster.
"Sister, do you think I should go thank Julian?" Hannah asked hesitantly.
Julian had resolved her greatest trouble. Although it was unintentional, with Damien dead, not expressing her gratitude felt wrong. Yet, recalling Julian's previous attitude toward her, she felt he might reject her.
She found herself in a dilemma.
"Of course, you should!"
"But what if he refuses?"
"Then deal with it when he does. And when you do thank him, dress a little sexier—personally thank Young Master Julian in style."
"Don't be fooled by his cold and aloof demeanor. As long as he's a normal man, the chances of him turning down a stunning beauty are practically zero."
"Oh, and remember to wear stockings, the black silk ones."
"They tear with such a... delightful sound."
Hannah: ⊙▃⊙
"Slowking, save me! Save me!"
On the couch, Julian was playing Glory with his Slowking. They were part of a five-player team, with Julian playing as the jungler. Unfortunately, the enemy jungler had invaded his territory right from the start, leaving him under-leveled and struggling to develop.
Now, he was being chased by two opponents and was on the verge of death when Slowking, playing in the top lane, finally arrived.
"Double Kill!~"
Slowking secured a double kill, but Julian didn't even manage to get assists for either of them.
"Beautifully done!"
"Amazing!"
The teammates applauded, but when Julian checked the scoreboard, their records were all zero kills and multiple deaths.
If not for Slowking's godlike performance carrying the team, they would have lost long ago.
"Ding dong~"
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Slowking, still playing the game, went to open the door.
"Slow!"
'Who are you looking for?'
Seeing the unfamiliar woman, Slowking gave her a quick glance before returning its focus to the game. Being the only strong player surrounded by weaker ones was a common occurrence—it was used to this.
Hannah hesitated as she looked at Slowking, who was still immersed in the game. She felt like her visit might have been poorly timed.
"Is Julian home?" Hannah asked.
She had already checked; Julian wasn't at the library or the school team's facilities, so his house was the most likely place to find him.
"Slow~"
Slowking nodded and led Hannah inside.
"Push the tower! Hurry, push the tower! We've never gotten this far, never won this one!"
On the couch, Julian was shouting excitedly. The game had gone on for nearly 40 minutes, and they were finally about to win. As a fragile jungler, he couldn't even fight the super minions anymore.
As the enemy's crystal exploded and the word "victory" appeared on screen, the game was finally over.
"Phew!"
Julian let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Pfft~"
Hannah couldn't stop herself from laughing. She never expected to see Julian, the high-and-mighty young master known for his extraordinary talent, acting like an ordinary gamer so caught up in a match.
"What brings you here?"
Julian asked as he turned to Hannah. His eyes were immediately drawn to her black stockings and long legs. Paired together, they were stunning. His face, still flushed with excitement from the game, didn't calm down even after it ended.
Noticing Julian's gaze, Hannah's cheeks flushed slightly, though she couldn't help feeling a little smug.
Despite the rumors surrounding her at Imperial University—that she often had men around her and didn't have the best reputation—Hannah had her reasons. She was leveraging her beauty strategically.
A woman's beauty was a double-edged sword. When used well, it could bring countless advantages, especially in a place like Imperial University, where power and privilege were abundant.
For someone like her, without any background but blessed with striking beauty, she was undoubtedly seen as the perfect prey by many of those people.
So, she had no choice but to navigate between various powerful families, using her wit to protect herself.
"If you're here to thank me, it's unnecessary. You should know I didn't do it for you."
Julian reported his three useless teammates one by one, except for Slowking. It was precisely because of such terrible teammates that the game dragged on for so long.
(T/N: Brother have some shame)
As for Hannah's sudden visit, Julian understood her intentions. Gratitude wasn't something he needed.
Hearing Julian's words, Hannah bit her lip lightly. Once again, she found herself rejected.
Lip-biting plus black stockings?
Julian: Is she here to seduce me or something?
"Slow~"
Slowking had already picked up a shopping basket. It was about time for groceries, and it was ready to head out.
"Regardless of your reasons, you saved me—and even my entire family. How about I cook a meal for you?"
"You?"
Julian looked skeptical. This woman could cook?
Was this an act of frustration over being rejected, planning to poison him instead?
"Just you wait!"
Hannah was furious at Julian's reaction. Her beauty never received the respect it deserved from him.
She was starting to suspect Julian might actually be gay.
Determined to prove her cooking skills, she headed out with Slowking.
In the backyard, several Pokémon were either resting, playing, or training.
Julian quickly recalled Melmetal into its Poké Ball to avoid Hannah seeing it later.
Growlithe brought a Frisbee to Julian, wagging its tail and panting, eyes full of anticipation.
Julian threw the Frisbee, and Growlithe turned into a red streak of lightning, effortlessly catching it mid-air.
Growlithe's originally brown-and-yellow fur had completely turned red. If the change persisted after absorbing the Fire Crystal, it would officially become a shiny Pokémon.
Metagross, on the other hand, was lazily sprawled out on a rock, napping.
Ever since consuming the 'Heart of Arceus', Metagross's activity levels had noticeably dropped. It was now asleep for almost 20 hours a day.
If not for the Probing Eyes showing that Metagross was in excellent condition, Julian would have taken it to a hospital for a thorough checkup.
Metagross had Purple potential, and raising it to Gold-tier was incredibly difficult. Even with the system's help, it was ridiculously hard.
Yet now, within its Purple potential, there was a faint trace of Gold. It was so faint that, without careful observation, it could easily be overlooked.
But that trace of Gold was undeniably real.
The 'Heart of Arceus' was actively enhancing Metagross's potential. Whether it could fully ascend to Gold-tier, however, remained uncertain.
However, Julian felt that the chances weren't very high.
Gold-tier potential was the realm of first-level Legendary Pokémon, like Ho-Oh, Rayquaza, and Dialga.
Expecting to achieve that with just a thumb-sized piece of Arceus' Blood was nearly impossible. If he had four or five pieces, maybe it would be within reach.
So in the end, he would have to rely on the system. If he could collect ten Golden Legend Fragments, Metagross's promotion to Gold potential would be guaranteed.
Julian was already looking forward to whether the system would reward him with a Golden Legend Fragment after the upcoming Hundred Schools League.
---
Half an hour later, Slowking and Hannah returned, carrying a large haul of groceries.
"Slowking, you can rest. I'll handle the cooking."
Hannah tied on an apron. Combined with her black stockings, long legs, and elegant curves, the sight was enough to leave any man helpless.
"Slow~"
Slowking nodded and handed her a bag of walnuts.
"...Thanks."
Hannah awkwardly accepted the walnuts, her expression stiff.
It was no secret at Imperial University that Julian's Slowking liked to gift people walnuts. Every time it went grocery shopping, it would pick up a few extra and hand them out to "fortunate individuals."
The significance of these walnuts had even been explained by some well-meaning bystanders.
"Gas-ga!~"
Out of nowhere, Gastly appeared in front of Hannah, pulling a spooky face at her.
"Gastly, stop messing around."
Julian scolded the mischievous Pokémon, noticing that Hannah's face had turned pale. Apologetically, he said, "It loves scaring people; I'm sorry about that."
Hannah nodded stiffly, her eyes fixed on the shiny white Gastly that had suddenly appeared.
A new Pokémon? And it's shiny too?
Gastly floated back over to Julian, and before he could react, it greeted him with a lick.
"Gas!~"
Julian immediately felt a numbing sensation spread through him.
"Ah! Julian, are you okay?" Hannah hurriedly asked.
"I'm... fine, just fine"
Hannah: (⊙x⊙;)