After evolving, Slowki as if a swit its brain had been flipped.

  Its thoughts were much clearer, and its reas were noticeably faster. It was as if a foggy pane of frosted gss had been repced with a perfectly clear one. Everything in its vision became sharp and distinct.

  This newfound crity also allowed Slowking to perceive things it couldn’t before.

  Take that clearly abnormal Zorua, for instano o mention its oddities further.

  Then there was that Ogerpon that came by today, a Pokémon that seemed incredibly powerful.

  What’s more, there was a faint sense of something about Ogerpon that resembled Uxie, which left Slowking with a favorable impression of it, even though Ogerpon didn’t yet know Slowking personally.

  And then there was… the oanding right before it.

  Slowking’s signature “everyone looks like an idiot to me” gaze locked onto the cat-like gre of a Pokémon with an air of feline superiority—ohat naturally regarded everyone else as beh it.

  For a brief moment, her Slowking nor the Persian said a word.

  It felt like the two were engaged in some sort of staring test.

  Finally, Slowking broke the silence.

  “Slow.”

  “Meow.”

  The tensioweewo Pokémon quickly dissipated as Slowking took the initiative to speak.

  The two began chatting away, utterly ign the humans around them.

  Their versation? It was mostly mutual praise: “I’ll be ting on you iure,” “No, no, I should be saying that to you,” and other such trivialities.

  Nothing of much substance, holy.

  Afterward, Slowking turo look at Natsume beside it.

  Sisume had said he’d help familiarize Slowking with the farm’s ma, they were currently doing a tour of the area. Slowking listened ily as Natsume expihe key points to running the farm.

  Managing a farm was a first for Slowking, so it figured it had better take the time to learn.

  Naturally, that also meant iing with the other Pokémon on the farm.

  The o had seen so far hadn’t made much of an impression on it.

  To be fair, they were all ordinary Pokémon, nothing particurly remarkable. Even the shiny Pokémoreated by Slowking with a calm indifference.

  That was, until it saw Persian.

  Hold on a sed.

  Is this Persian even legal?

  Slowking, whose evolved form had left it feeling a little self-important, suddenly felt grounded as it id eyes on Persian.

  Just looking at Persian’s sta was obvious how absurdly strong it was.

  It wasn’t joking.

  At first gnce, Slowking didn’t think much of Persian.

  “Oh, just a normal Pokémon,” it thought. Persian—a sed-stage evolution, Normal-type. Nothing fshy about it.

  Sure, it was fast, but its other attributes…

  Average. Even as a high-speed attacker, it would struggle to excel.

  Its move pool was det, good ce, but it cked a defining, decisive move.

  That was Slowking’s initial assessment.

  As such, it didn’t pay Persian much attention at first.

  It only gave Persian a sed gnce because it happeo be Natsume’s earliest panion.

  And then, Slowking noticed something was off.

  Wait a minute.

  This Persian… doesn’t feel entirely legal.

  Through its psychic perception, Slowking became certain that, purely in terms of physical dition, Persian was unparalleled among the Pokémon on the farm.

  Even Ogerpon might only barely hold its own in a test of strength.

  Seriously, is this Persian even legal?

  “You’re the st Pokémon qualified to say that,” Natsume remarked.

  Slowking g Natsume, feeling wronged.

  It wasn’t wrong—Water/Psychic-type Pokémon or not, its psychic powers were leagues beyond anything Natsume had ever entered.

  The moment it evolved, its mental energy expao cover the entire farm.

  You’re the least “legal” one here, okay?

  As for Persian?

  Having followed Natsume for over a decade, Persian had been fed a variety of Pokéblocks for just as long.

  This included the highly experimental batches Natsume made during his “edgy” phase when he aspired to bee the world’s greatest Pokéblock craftsman.

  Under suurturing ditions, wasn’t it only natural for Persian to be incredibly strong?

  “Yadon.”

  No way. This thing isn’t just strong—it’s dht terrifying.

  Its HP and SP stats are off the charts.

  While replying to Natsume, Slowking absentmindedly scrolled through information on its phone.

  It was studying human knowledge.

  Based on something it just read ohis Persian was like a character from a martial arts ic.

  It had abandoned fancy teiques and special moves, fog instead on building up raw strength and endurance—maxing out its HP and SP bars, then relying on basic attacks and sheer willpower.

  “Yadon?”

  Slowking’s fingers froze mid-scroll as it raised its head to goward the farm’s entrance.

  “What is it, Slowking?”

  Natsume, who had been expiniails about the berry grove, looked at Slowking curiously.

  He couldn’t figure out what was on its mind now.

  Holy, Natsume missed the pre-evolution Slowpoke. It had been much cuter.

  Now, after evolving, Slowking was distinctly less adorable.

  Worse, it kept asking questions he couldn’t answer.

  Like:

  “What’s the meaning of life?”

  “How do you survive the heat of the Big Bang?”

  “Why are human preferences so bizarre and varied?”

  “Could a nuclear explosion perfectly cook a pizza in a specific spot?”

  “Do dogs think they’ve met a cop when they see a police dog?”

  Natsume couldn’t answer a single one.

  It felt like Slowking was stantly exposing the gaps in his knowledge.

  “Slow.”

  Slowking’s psychises picked up someone approag the farm.

  It’s a visitor—a very cute girl.

  Scratg its , Slowking casually mentiohis while w if it should create a forum at for itself.

  Sure, it could use telepathy—and now, after evolving, it was getting pretty good at it too.

  But telepathy required effort, and sisume uood its speech just fine, Slowking didn’t see the point in overexerting itself.

  Yes, Slowking had quickly embraatsume’s philosophy of “Why use your brain if you let it rust?”

  Doubt! Uand! Transd!

  “A girl?”

  “Oh, it’s Mei.”

  Mei had mentioned earlier that she’d be ing to train at Natsume’s farm for a while.

  “Slow?”

  Do you need me to e with you?

  Are you sure you won’t get nervous?

  Slowking looked at Natsume with .

  Based on what it had read online, boys like Natsume—who had never dated, had few female friends, and small social circles—teo get nervous around girls.

  They were also easily maniputed by them.

  Just look at Denji from saw Man.

  Slowking worried that its rainer might get deceived by a bad woman.

  “I’ll be fine. But if you’re really that worried, you e along.”

  Natsume couldn’t help but ugh at Slowking’s .

  What kind of image do you have of me, anyway?

  “Slow?”

  A shy, i try boy who blushes when talking to girls?

  The type you’d see in manga, with an untainted smile unspoiled by knowledge?

  “You’re overthinking it.”

  “Slow.”

  I think it fits pretty well.

  Meanwhile, Mei was at the farm’s entrance, chatting with a Servine.

  Gcell