In the villa's kitchen, Julian was bent over, scrubbing furiously with a rag in hand.
"Slow~"
Slowking: "Here, and here too."
Slowking acted like a site supervisor at a construction project, directing Julian as he cleaned the kitchen, all while glaring at him with disappointment.
It had only done a one-hour livestream teaching how to make pastries, and it had left Julian with just one job—to do the dishes. With a dishwasher, no less. And yet, he had somehow managed to 'destroy' its beloved kitchen.
If he couldn't handle even such a small task, how was it supposed to focus on streaming in the future?
"Slow~"
Slowking: "Hurry up, will you?"
That wasn't directed at Julian, but at Celebi.
Slowking was convinced that Celebi shared some responsibility for the mess—after all, it and Julian were practically glued together at home.
What really ticked it off, though, was that Celebi refused to admit its fault. It insisted that it was in its Pokéball the entire time.
Seeing Celebi dragging a cloth across the floor with a face full of silent grudge, Julian was secretly relieved. Thankfully, the little guy was helping absorb some of Slowking's wrath.
As for whether Celebi was actually innocent?
'Eh, we're all brothers here—what's a little blame between us.'
'And damn that guy Hugo…' He had asked him to wash a few dishes and he turned the kitchen into 'this'.
Of course, Julian didn't dare tell Slowking that he had actually enlisted Hugo's help. That would've made it even more furious.
"Slow~"
Slowking: Please wait. Once these two idiots finish cleaning the kitchen, I'll make coffee.
At the kitchen doorway, Nicole was watching Julian and Celebi with great amusement.
One was Slowking's Trainer, the other a mythical Pokémon—yet both were being bossed around like interns. Their place in the household hierarchy was crystal clear.
"Can you two work a little faster?"
Slowking's coffee was 'divine', and just the thought of it made Nicole impatient.
The moment she spoke, she earned twin glares from Julian and Celebi.
Celebi: 'This woman is even more annoying than usual today.'
Julian: 'Tell me about it.'
Not only was she not helping, but on top of that, she had the nerve to make snide comments.
"Slow~"
Slowking: "There's still a spot over there."
Fifteen minutes later, Julian and Celebi finally got the kitchen clean—and after a thorough inspection, Slowking deemed it acceptable.
"I'm exhausted…"
Julian collapsed onto the couch. This had felt even more tiring than a Pokémon battle.
The Pokémon: 'Uh, yeah? Because we're the ones who actually fight.'
Celebi flopped onto Julian's head, limbs dangling limply. It would need at least a whole bucket fried chicken to recover from this ordeal.
"Slow~"
Slowking brought three cups of coffee and set them on the table.
Nicole took a sip, her expression immediately melting into bliss.
A few minutes later, she set her cup down and looked at Julian—who was poking Celebi's chubby belly—and said, "Thanks for dealing with Travis earlier."
"Oh? Then how do you plan to thank me?"
Julian asked with a grin.
He was mostly joking, but Nicole actually looked thoughtful, as if she was seriously considering how to repay him.
"Then… how about I become your girlfriend?" she said.
Her tone was as calm and even as ever, like she was discussing something as ordinary as what to eat for lunch.
Julian had been about to laugh it off with a "don't take it seriously" line—but Nicole had taken it seriously. And her idea of a thank-you gift… was herself.
Now, Julian was at a loss.
'Damn, this woman is something else.'
If he said yes, wouldn't that mean he himself wanted this too?
But if he said no… wouldn't that make him look weak?
That said, Nicole was undeniably stunning. During her student days, she had ranked among Imperial University's top three campus beauties.
After graduating, she stayed on as a teaching assistant—earning the title of 'the most beautiful TA at Imperial University'.
It was already May, and the weather was warming up. Nicole wore a linen, puff-sleeved floral dress that revealed a third of her fair calves. The cinched waist accentuated her perfect curves, leaving nothing to the imagination.
It reminded Julian of those viral challenges from a while back—the A4 waist challenge and the backhand belly button touch.
'She could definitely pull those off.'
From her legs to her waist, and then—
'Yeah, if she looked down, she probably wouldn't see her feet.'
"What are you looking at?"
Under Julian's intense gaze, Nicole suddenly felt self-conscious.
As a beautiful woman, she was no stranger to men checking her out. She'd long since grown used to it—even Julian had looked at her that way before.
But this time… it felt different.
"Looking at my girlfriend."
In a flash, Julian closed the distance between them, pressing close. Nicole instinctively leaned back, but his arm snaked around her waist, holding her firmly in place.
At such close proximity, her usual composure shattered.
Julian's mind raced: 'What do I do now?!'
In his past life, he'd been clueless about romance. In this one, he'd wholeheartedly believed that "women would only slow down his journey to becoming Champion."
So, across two lifetimes, this was Julian's first time holding a woman—let alone one this breathtaking.
And he had no idea what to do next.
"Slow~"
Slowking: "Kiss her."
Julian: 'Oh. Right. Right.'
Nicole's eyes widened as she stiffened, then gradually relaxed into his embrace.
Julian: 'Damn, now I get why so many rich heirs are obsessed with women. I've been enlightened too late—but it's not too late to indulge a little now, right?'
Celebi watched them curiously—until Slowking dragged it upstairs.
Ten minutes later, Nicole fled the villa like she was escaping from a crime scene.
Julian lay sprawled on the sofa, reaching out and making a grasping motion at the air.
"Gehehehe~"
Gengar emerged from his shadow, its chubby little face wearing a mischievous grin before darting off to the backyard.
Before long, a cacophony of ghostly howls and excited chatter erupted from the backyard—no doubt Gengar had spilled the news to the others.
'Their Trainer was officially off the market!' This was definitely cause for celebration.
Steelix: "Then tonight, we feast and make merry!"
Or maybe they just wanted an excuse to party.
Of course, some Pokémon didn't quite grasp what "off the market" even meant—like Kartana, Moltres, Bagon, Pupitar, and Arcanine.
Soon, Slowking came downstairs with Celebi floating behind.
"Slowking… why didn't you stop me earlier?"
Julian wore a slightly regretful expression, looking every bit like a heartless playboy who'd just played with someone's feelings.
'If I get too caught up in romance, won't my path to becoming Champion be delayed?'
Yet despite his doubts, he couldn't shake the urge to see Nicole again—and, well, do more of those shameless things.
Slowking: 'You're just lusting after her, not actually in love.'
'But then again, isn't that how most men started?'
Celebi, oblivious to the chaos going on in Julian's head, gently patted its round belly. It was a little hungry… but it held back.
If it ate now, it could only manage one fried chicken. But if it waited a little longer… then it could fit in a whole chicken, a burger, AND an ice-cold cola!
[T/N: Don't expect much regarding the romance side. It might be only in name only in this story.]
*****
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