Harborcrest City, the capital of Hartford Province.
Around three o'clock in the afternoon, at Harborcrest International Airport, near the arrival gate, two men stood anxiously watching the passageway.
"Brother, I didn't expected the Turner family to send him here," said one of them.
The speaker appeared to be in his early thirties, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, and exuding an air of scholarly refinement—the kind of person who gave off an immediate "book-smart" vibe.
Beside him stood another man, slightly older, not yet forty, dressed in a well-tailored suit. His expression was stern, but his aura was the complete opposite of his companion's—rough and unpolished, like someone who had risen from the streets.
The two shared about sixty to seventy percent resemblance in appearance, making it clear they were brothers.
If any of Harborcrest City's elite were present, they would immediately recognize them as the Thornton brothers: Dean Thornton (the elder) and Nate Thornton (the younger).
Dean could be considered somewhat of a legend in Harborcrest City.
Orphaned at a young age, he had slaughtered chickens in a market stall to put his younger brother through school. Rising from the absolute bottom of society, he relied on his own skill and seized opportunities to build what is now the thriving Thornton Pokémon Breeding Company.
It became the largest breeding company in Harborcrest City—even the breeding companies owned by the city's established families couldn't compare.
Of course, the Turner family's shadow loomed behind his success. Without their backing, someone of his background would never have been able to amass such wealth without becoming a target.
"With his help, this matter will definitely be resolved perfectly."
Thinking of this, a faint smile formed on Dean's face, and the gloom that had weighed on him for days finally began to lift.
---
At 4 p.m., the flight from the Imperial Capital to Harborcrest officially landed.
"Brother, I think that's him."
Nate pointed toward a man wearing a blue T-shirt and a mask over his face.
Julian was just about to call the person who was supposed to pick him up when two men suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Young Master Walker, I'm Dean, and this is my younger brother Nate."
One of the men spoke respectfully, while the slightly younger one beside him reached out to carry Julian's bag.
"I'll carry it myself," Julian said with a wave of his hand—Celebi was sleeping inside that bag.
And that little guy was 'not' light—he could definitely feel the weight on his back.
He followed the two men into a business car.
Dean took a few bottles of alcohol from the car's mini-fridge and asked, "Young Master, would you like a drink?"
Julian shook his head—he wasn't a fan of alcohol.
"Brother, get Young Master a cola instead," Nate said from the side.
Knowing Julian was the one coming, Nate had done his research and learned a bit about his preferences—cola was one of them.
Pop!
Just as Julian took the bottle of cola, a Poké Ball at his waist opened on its own.
"Slow!"
Slowking: "You've already had one today!"
Slowking's Rule: Only One Bottle a Day.
And before boarding the plane, Julian had indeed already had one.
He'd assumed Slowking wouldn't notice while inside its Poké Ball—but clearly, he'd thought wrong.
With an awkward cough, Julian set the cola back down. "Just water is fine."
The sudden turn of events left the Thornton brothers momentarily stunned.
Slowking stared at Nate, clearly telling him to hurry up and fetch some water.
"Oh—right, here you go, Young Master!" Nate scrambled to hand him a bottle.
The abrupt appearance of Slowking cast a brief silence over the car.
And the aura it had released just moments ago had left a deep impression on both men.
It wasn't the kind of aura that came from raw power—it was more like the natural pressure a student would feel when facing a strict teacher.
---
"Young Master, some of the local families in Harborcrest City have learned of your arrival and were hoping to meet you. What do you think?" Dean asked.
Given the Walker family's status in Drakoria—and Julian's own achievements—it was only natural that countless families would want to get close to him.
But most families didn't even get the chance to meet him, let alone build any kind of connection.
And since Julian had come to Harborcrest this time for something related to the Turner family, many of their affiliated and allied families were eager to use this opportunity to get to know him.
"No need."
Julian shook his head. He had absolutely no interest in attending such gatherings.
"Understood."
Dean nodded, his expression neutral—but inwardly, he was deeply disappointed.
If Julian had agreed, the Thornton family could've ridden his coattails to greater influence in Harborcrest's elite circles.
Of course, it wasn't just the Thornton brothers who were disappointed—the young ladies of Harborcrest's elite families were equally disheartened.
Their hopes of latching onto the high branch that was the Walker family had already been crushed before they could even make a move.
Over half an hour later, the car arrived at the entrance of the Gardevoir Hotel.
Julian stepped out, declining the brothers' offer to accompany him, and walked inside with Slowking.
Back in the car, Nate exhaled.
"Brother, Young Master Walker really is just like the rumors say—not fond of socializing, and his character is pretty solid too. He doesn't put on the airs of some spoiled rich heir."
Coming from a humble background and having clawed their way up, they knew all too well what the usual rich heirs were like. Bullying the weak was the mildest of their habits.
"That's what a true aristocrat should look like. The ones we've met aren't even worthy of carrying his shoes," Dean replied.
Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang.
"Hey, honey," he answered, his face lighting up with a smile.
"Yeah, we picked him up. He's already at the hotel."
After a few more words, he hung up.
"Sis-in-law didn't blame you for not bringing Young Master Walker home?" Nate asked.
"Your sister-in-law's just a branch relative of the Turner family. She knows better than to overstep."
Dean was able to gain the support of the Turner family not just because of his own outstanding abilities, but mainly because he married a woman from one of the Turner family's collateral branches.
This woman's father had died saving Daniel, which made her status within the Turner family rather special.
Though not part of the main lineage, she enjoyed treatment equal to a direct descendant.
---
Inside Gardevoir Hotel, Julian was already lying face-down on the large bed, while Celebi fluttered out of the backpack.
Ding dong!
The doorbell rang.
"Food delivery!"
The delivery guy stared at the Metagross Suite—the most expensive room in the entire hotel, costing hundreds of thousands per night.
And yet, the person staying here had ordered… fried chicken, burgers, and fries?
'Was this the secret to their wealth?'
"Slow~"
Slowking opened the door and brought the food inside.
Whoosh!
Celebi zipped over and snatched the bag with lightning speed.
"When did you even order this?"
Julian raised an eyebrow. They'd only just arrived a few minutes ago—how was the food already here?
Celebi (smug): "I ordered it while I was still in the bag."
This was one of those rare moments when Celebi's IQ temporarily spiked—what could only be described as "petty cleverness."
Then, it tossed a burger at Julian.
Celebi: "I ordered one for you too."
"You're being unusually generous today," Julian said as he accepted the burger.
Normally, Celebi would throw a tantrum if Julian so much as touched its snacks. Yet today, it voluntarily bought him a burger?
Celebi: "The money on the card is almost used up. Transfer me some funds."
Julian had just taken a bite of the burger when he heard that—he immediately wanted to spit it out, but Celebi clamped his mouth shut.
Celebi: "You've already eaten it. Now hurry up and transfer the money."
Julian: ⊙o⊙.
'I've been scammed.'
Eating just one burger from Celebi had cost Julian a whopping 100,000. He figured even a national banquet chef's burger probably wouldn't be priced that high.
As soon as Celebi got the money, it immediately went to spend it all on gacha pulls in Pokémon Glory, desperately trying to get the limited-edition "Blastoise: Ninja Turtle" skin. Under Julian's judgmental gaze, it took a full 360 pulls before finally hitting the jackpot.
Celebi: "What terrible luck… must be because I've been spending too much time with you."
Julian: "Are you throwing shade at me right now?"
So, just to prove a point, Julian started pulling himself.
Watching as he also failed 360 times before finally getting the skin on his 361st attempt, Julian's face darkened.
Celebi (patting his shoulder): "You're just doing this to comfort me, aren't you?"
Julian grumbled as he pulled on Celebi's cheeks, "Since when did you become such a little smartass?"
"This damn gacha system is absolute garbage and the board members of this gaming company are all brain-dead morons!" Fuming, he tossed his phone onto the bed.
Meanwhile, in a corporate office, Henry Walker—Julian's uncle and a board member of the gaming company—suddenly sneezed twice during a meeting.
Henry (rubbing his nose): 'Hmm? Am I catching a cold?'
---
Harborcrest City was the second-largest city in southern Drakoria, just behind Lake City. Harborcrest was a major port city, with rich cultural and historical roots.
At the same time, it was also home to the highest concentration of aristocratic families—over 60 in total, though most were small to medium-sized. Only three could be considered major powers, and none were on the same level as top clans like the Walkers or Drakes.
The Thornton brothers' family fell into the mid-tier category.
Building a family from nothing to prominence in just a decade—even with the Turner family's backing—was a testament to Dean's shrewdness and capability.
Among the three major families, one was a direct vassal of the Walker family, while the other two also had cooperative ties with them.
This meant that while no single family dominated Harborcrest City, all three major powers had ties to the Walkers. And it was precisely because of this that none of the three major families had ever moved against the Thornton brothers' Pokémon breeding company.
At the same time, the Thornton brothers had always been very careful and disciplined, never expanding their business beyond local boundaries and avoiding industries controlled by the big players. If they had tried, they might've survived, but they'd definitely have been heavily suppressed.
---
Since he was in the second-largest southern metropolis, Julian naturally wanted to go out and explore.
Leaving Celebi behind in the hotel room, he headed out.
Metagross was too conspicuous, so it stayed inside its Poké Ball. Gengar remained hidden in his shadow—if anything unexpected happened, Gengar alone would be more than enough to handle it.
Julian was currently staying in Wulford District, the city center of Harborcrest. Just a short walk from the Gardevoir Hotel was Emberlight Street, a popular internet-famous destination that was a must-visit for tourists.
Julian wasn't particularly interested in this place, but since it was just a short walk from the hotel, he figured he might as well check it out.
Strolling down Emberlight Street with Slowking trailing behind him didn't draw too much attention.
It had already been two years since Slowking—Slowpoke's alternate evolutionary form—was officially discovered. Although the key item for its evolution—the King's Rock—was still relatively rare, two years was more than enough time for many people to obtain one.
Of course, those "many people" mostly referred to wealthy family heirs.
To the general public, a trainer with a Slowking was either exceptionally strong or exceptionally wealthy.
So, naturally, Julian attracted a few glances, but that was all.
Slowking, carrying a small backpack, occasionally peeked at the food stalls lining the street. The variety of snacks and creative presentations could inspire new ideas for its own cooking experiments.
The street was bustling with activity—so much so that it had also become a hotspot for livestreamers.
Mia, a sophomore at Harborcrest University, wasn't a Pokémon trainer but a broadcasting major.
Thanks to her good looks, sweet personality, and a love for Douyin, she had amassed nearly a million followers. Today, she was livestreaming on Emberlight Street, conducting random street interviews with quirky questions.
Her latest victim had just been asked:
"If your college advisor fell into the water, what could your major do to help?"
The interviewee thought for a moment, then answered:
"I'm an electrical engineering major—I could electrocute him."
The moment the answer dropped, laughter exploded from the over ten thousand viewers watching her stream.
Of course, the success of these interviews depended on whether the people being interviewed had outgoing personalities.
That's why Mia always observed carefully before choosing her targets.
Suddenly, the top donor in her livestream chat commented:
> "Mia, there's a guy over there with a Slowking! Go interview him!"
Mia squinted at the figure in the distance.
"Even though he's wearing a mask, he looks pretty young. To own a Slowking at his age, he's probably from a prestigious family," she mused aloud.
The chat immediately erupted with jokes:
> "Use your charms! Marry rich and retire early!"
Seeing these comments, Mia huffed, crossing her arms.
"I'm not that kind of person! I'll earn the life I want on my own!"
Still, she walked over to Julian—not because she wanted to flirt, but because she wanted to interview him.
Without warning, she shoved the mic in his face:
"Excuse me, what's the most useful piece of knowledge you've ever learned?"
Julian froze—not because he was startled by her sudden approach, but because her question caught him off guard.
'Since when did livestream interviews get this intense? And why is a pretty girl asking me this?'
"Uh… postures?" (positions)
The livestream chat went dead silent for a second. Even Mia froze.
Then—
> "HAHAHAHAHA! This guy's a LEGEND!"
("Knowledge" and "postures"—the pronunciation was eerily similar in Mandarin.)
Mia's face flushed red with embarrassment.
She quickly scrambled to change the subject and moved on to her second question:
"Ahem! Next question!" She cleared her throat. "What are your thoughts on domestic violence?"
"Opinion?"
Julian blinked, then slowly turned to glance at Slowking behind him.
'If we're talking about domestic violence… then Slowking—'
"Slow?"
Slowking smiled sweetly: "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing!"
Julian immediately looked away, shaking his head in a hurry.
At that moment, the livestream viewers felt like they suddenly understood something.
Mia was convinced now: this guy was absolute gold—a natural-born entertainer who was perfect for her stream. Watching her viewer count skyrocket, she hit him with another question:
"If your girlfriend fell into the water, would you choose to keep gaming or take a nap?"
Julian pondered for a second. "I'd RSVP for the funeral banquet."
The chat ERUPTED.
> "6666666!"
> "This man is a NATIONAL TREASURE!"
> "He's too powerful!!"
"Slow~"
Suddenly, Slowking stepped forward, staring expectantly at Mia: "Ask me something too."
Mia blinked: "Huh? What's going on?"
Julian: "It wants you to interview it too."
"Oh! Got it!"
Thinking fast, Mia asked:
"What's your opinion on… borderline content?"
Slowking, without hesitation: "Like and watch."
Since she couldn't understand what Slowking said, Mia looked to Julian.
Julian (deadpan): "It said, 'Like and watch.'"
The chat LOST IT.
> "NO WAY THAT'S THE SLOWKING TALKING!"
> "Bro, that's 100% his own opinion!"
> "This dude's too based—"
But at this point, some viewers in the stream started to recognize the masked man and the Slowking beside him.