He invited Max, Faye, and Finn into the house.

  "It smells so good!"

  As soon as she stepped inside, Faye's eyes lit up as she curiously looked toward the kit.

  "Slow~"

  At this moment, Slowking walked out of the kit, carrying a tray of freshly steamed soup dumplings.

  "Make some extra, Slowking. We have guests today," Julian said.

  Sinviting the three of them ur of the moment decision, he hadn't told Slowking in advanaturally, the dumplings it had made were only enough for one person.

  "Slow~"

  Slowking nodded. Luckily, it had just gone grocery shopping this m.

  The three were familiar with Slowking and had heard Juliaion before that it was the one who handled his meals.

  Plenty of Pokémon could cook, but this was the first time they had seen one make something as simple as soup dumplings smell this delicious.

  Before Julian could even speak, Faye had already picked up a dumpling, blew on it lightly, and eagerly took a bite.

  Although the broth was still a little hot, but the rid savory fvor made her eyes widen in surprise.

  "This is so good—really good!"

  Faye no longer cared about the heat and popped the rest of the dumpling into her mouth.

  "Really?"

  Finn, a little skeptical, picked one up for himself.

  A sed ter, he was already fighting with Faye over the remaining dumplings.

  "You two, what are you doing?"

  Max shot them a gre but casually picked up one as well.

  The moment he finished eating, he regretted not grabbing one soohere were barely a now.

  "Take it easy, there's more food."

  Seeing the three nearly about to start a fight over a few dumplings, Julian simply sighed. He hadn't even gotten a ce to eat yet, but he wisely decided not to joiruggle.

  He exged a gh Lucario, and the tter immediately uood, heading upstairs.

  Celebi was still sleeping in one of the rooms, and that little fool better not wander out half-asleep a seen by Max and the others.

  It wasn't that Julian didn't trust them—he just didn't want any unnecessary trouble.

  Breakfast stretched from 8 AM to 9 AM.

  Soup dumplings, seafood pe, fried dough sticks, scallion pancakes—if their stomachs weren't already pletely full, the three of them felt like they could eat all day.

  "It's over, it's over, I'll definitely gain a few pounds by tomorrow," Faye groaned.

  She leaned ba her chair without a care for appearances, rubbing her slightly rounded belly with a look ret.

  "How about letting Slowking make something else for you tomorrow?" Julian joked.

  "Deal!"

  Faye agreed without hesitation.

  Fet dieting—she could worry about that after tomorrow's meal.

  As expected, a woman's words couldn't be trusted.

  After ing up the table, Slowkio the kit to prepare coffee for the four of them.

  Seeing this, Max spoke enviously. "Julian, how is your Slowking so amazing?"

  "Yeah, yeah! Now I kind of want to raise ooo," Faye nodded vigorously.

  "The fastest ones have already sent someoo buy a King's Rock."

  Fi his phone down. He had just tacted his family, asking them to purchase a King's Rock. Since he specialized in Water-type Pokémon, a Slowking would suit him well.

  "Julian, you were too impulsive just now."

  Max took the coffee from Slowking, nodded in thanks, and took a sip. His eyes lit up instantly.

  "You mean Kaide?" Julian asked.

  But Max didn't answer right away. Instead, he closed his eyes slightly as if thinking about something.

  Faye, sitting beside him, lightly spped his arm.

  "Julian's asking you something—what's with the act?"

  Max chuckled bitterly but didn't expin.

  "Kaide is the eldest son of the current King of Gallia and the first in lio the throne. More importantly, he's incredibly strong."

  "You're nnized as the stro among Drakoria's younger geion."

  "And, Kaide is the stro of Gallia's younger geion."

  "He defeated Elite Trainers even before reag that rank himself—and not just once."

  "He's also a senior at our uy. If you hadn't appeared, he would have been the oe-level student in Imperial Uy."

  Julian had never really cared about uy affairs, so he wasn't aware of how many top-tier Trainers were around.

  If Imperial Uy didn't have a rule against fn Trainers joining the school team, theeam captain right now wouldn't be Max—it would be Kaide.

  "Julian, Max is right. Kaide is indeed a monster. Of course, I think you're an even bigger monster."

  Faye half-closed her eyes, now uanding why Max had been so silent earlier. This coffee was unbelievably good.

  Meanwhile, Finn, having finished his coffee, pulled out his phone again to edit the message.

  "You have to find me a King's Rock by the end of the week, payira isn't a problem."

  Hearing their words, Julian became more serious about Kaide, someone he had never met or even heard of before.

  Max wasn't the type to exaggerate. If he said Kaide was that strong, then he definitely was.

  And he was already ae Trainer. Even though he was a few years older than Julian, that didn't ge the fact that he was an exceptional talent.

  "What type does he specialize in?" Julian asked.

  "Steel-type," Max answered.

  "What a ce."

  Julian smiled slightly, suddenly more ied.

  In the field of Steel-types, the Walker family was unrivaled in Drakoria and among the top in the world.

  So in Drakoria, among his age group, Julian had never entered a Steel-type Trainer who truly impressed him.

  But if it was a fn Trainer—

  "The majority of the Gallian royal family actually specializes in Fire-types. For them, Aegissh holds more of a symbolic significe."

  Aegissh was the emblem of the Gallian monarchy.

  When people mentioned Aegissh, their first thought was the Gallian royal family—and vice versa.

  It was just like how the Silver Metagross symbolized the Walker family.

  If one day someoside the Walker family were to suddenly produce a Silver Metagross, how would the Walkers react? How would they ha?

  Julian uood this reasoning, but that didn't mean he couldn't be a hypocrite.

  As long as it wasn't happening to him, why should he care?

  "Julian, I suggest you settle this privately. If you fight publicly, no matter which of you loses, the sequences will be signifit."

  Both of them were the faces of their respective nations.

  If they really cshed, it wouldn't just be about personal pride—it would also refle the tries they represented.

  Max was always level-headed, which was why he suggested this, not because he thought Julian would lose.

  "I've already put my words out there. There's no taking them back. But if he approaches me privately, I'll sider my response based ouation."

  Julian never eaihe thought of losing. He wouldn't lose—especially not to someone his age.

  "Well, I guessed as much."

  Max shrugged and said no more.

  Right now, all he wanted was to quietly enjoy the cup of coffee in front of him—the ohat made him feel truly happy.

  *****

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