Arriving at the car, Julian's aunt removed her rge sungsses, revealing a face that resembled Jake's by three or four points. Though not a cssic beauty, her facial lines aures gave off a sense of calm and fort.

  From his uo his father, to his aunt, and now to Julian himself, the Walker family had never been known for stunning looks. Yet calling them ordinary wasn't right either.

  Julian, however, believed he was an exception. After all, both his mother and Love, the Indeedee, often cimed he was more handsome than his father, Jake.

  "Julian, your aunt… why do I feel like I've seen her somewhere before?"

  Will asked, squinting as he examined Quinn after she took off her sungsses.

  Before she revealed her face, Will had only noticed how young she looked, but now something about her seemed oddly familiar.

  "Could it be I've awakened some past life memories? Maybe I met her in another life?" Will mused, only half-joking.

  Julian shot him a gnce, w if Will was being serious or just showing signs of mental imbance.

  "That's my aunt, Quinn Walker. Keep whatever weird ideas you've got to yourself," Julian replied coldly.

  "Quinn Walker? Wait, isn't she the one from the textbooks?"

  Will suddenly ected the dots. No wonder she looked familiar. Wasn't this the same persoured ihird-year textbook, "The Influence of Pokémon Abilities on Moves".

  Her photo and achievements were right on the first page, celebrating her as the you-ever recipient of the prestigious Arceus Award, the highest honor for Pokémon schors.

  Will was amazed that this formidable figure, whose achievements were practically legendary, was standing right in front of him—Julian's aunt, no less.

  "Textbooks?" Quinn raised an eyebrow, her tone curious.

  Will, now a bit more serious in front of this renowned schor, expined, "Yeah, it's your book, 'The Influence of Pokémon Abilities on Moves'. It's part of our third-year curriculum."

  "Oh, that one," Quinn nodded, only vaguely recalling it.

  She'd written so many papers and books over the years that she hardly remembered them all. This particur book was likely something she had delegated to her assistant, with her only needing to sign off on it.

  "Alright, enough academic talk. It's almost noon— Little Juli should I take you two to lunch first or head straight to the b?" Quinn asked.

  "Let's go to the Laboratory, we will eat there"

  Julian had long given up on fighting the niame 'Little Juli' his aunt had bestowed upon him. After more than a decade of battling the had bee clear that his efforts to shake it were as futile as Team Rocket's endless attempts to catch Pikachu.

  As they drove toward the b, Quinn couldn't resist teasing her nephew. "Little Juli, why so glum? Don't tell me it's because I called you by that name again?"

  Julian turned his gaze out the window, signaling he had no i in engaging with her pyful remarks.

  "Elder brother calls you Little Lia, but I think Little Juli sounds much cuter," Quinn teased further.

  The visible tension in Julian's faly amused her more. She hadn't had the ce to tease him like this in three years, and now that she could, she wasn't going to let up.

  "Pfft—" Will suddenly stifled a ugh.

  Julian shot him a gre, regretting bringing him along.

  "Sorry! Saw something funny on my phone," Will said ily.

  Though the phone in his hand clearly dispyed a photo he had taken at the airport—a perfect shot of Quinn tugging at Julian's cheeks. It was just about to be sent to his circle of friends.

  "Auntie, your bodyguard has a lise to kill, right? we just get rid of him now?" Julian muttered, his voice low.

  Will: (?_??)

  Quinn's boratory was situated oskirts of the Imperial Capital, led against the sian Mountain.

  It wasn't just any b—it was one of the nation's key research ters, protected by Elite-level trainers and soldiers armed with powerful Pokémon.

  The facility housed not only Quinn, a strategic-level schor, but four other researchers, each focused on different areas of Pokémon research.

  As they arrived, the security was immediately evident—every five steps, there was a checkpoint, and the soldiers were all equipped with elite-level Pokémon.

  Quinn had already informed the b about Julian and Will's visit, and thanks to Julian's e with his grandfather, John, and his Slowking discovery, they were granted access.

  However, Will was only allowed in noricted areas.

  "Professor Walker," one of the researchers greeted as Quihem into the b's dining area.

  Several others aowledged her as they passed, their gazes shifting curiously toward Julian and Will, w who they were to warrant supany.

  The dining hall's food was of the highest quality, befitting a national research b.

  State-ba-level chefs prepared their meals, ensuring everything was not only nutritious but also delicious.

  Will, after a few bites, was ihis is amazing! Everything I've eaten before feels like pig food pared to this," he said, briefly sidering a career ge to Pokémon schorship just for the meals.

  After lunch, Quinn took them on a tour of the b's Pokémon care facility. Will's eyes widened as he saw rare and powerful Pokémon he had only read about ibooks.

  "Samehe pseudo-legendary dragon type…" Will murmured, awe-struck.

  "Gardevoir, wife material.."

  "A white Pikachu"

  "Wait—what's that?"

  Will poioward a figure standing on a high rock, its back straight, hands behind its back, and an air of wisdom emanating from it.

  "That looks like… a Slowbro?" he asked uainly.

  Julian stepped forward. "That's Slowking."

  Slowking, who had been deep in thought about the mysteries of the universe, perked up at the sound of a familiar voice.

  "Slow~!" it called out, floating down from the rod slowly making its way over to Julian.

  "How's life been at the b?" Julian asked, patting Slowking's pink belly, which had grown noticeably rounder since he'd st seen her.

  Slowking nodded, indig she was doing well, even showing off that her level had increased from 22 to 25.

  "Julian, it's called Slowking?"

  "Um"

  "How do you know it's called that?"

  "Because it's my Pokémon"

  "It's another evolution of Slowpoke," Quinn expined. "Little Juli discovered it, and I borrowed it for some research."

  Will felt like he needed a moment to process everything. First, Julian's aunt was a record-breaking schor, and now Julian owned a never before discovered Pokémon.

  "Little Juli, Slowking's IQ is extremely high—It has beeed by more than 99% of the researchers in our boratory. In fact, in its eyes, most humans are idiots. "

  "But don't worry, even though it probably thinks you're stupid, as your Pokémon, it would never say so out loud. If you have any problems with your homework iure, you ask Slowking for advice."

  Julian: (-_-)