The reaction of Malasiar was indeed quite similar to what Ross had speculated. And Drakoria's Elder Council had indeed called them to inform that Julian had become a Champion.
They had warned:
"If you dare listen to Celestria and take action against Julian, our military will launch a full-scale attack on you. I imagine our little brother, Pannar, would also be more than willing to send troops."
Upon hearing this, Malasiar was shocked by Julian's achievement of becoming a Champion, while also vehemently denying any association with Celestria, questioning why they would ever follow its lead.
At the same time, they hinted that they might have spoken a bit too assertively toward Drakoria in the past and wondered if there was an opportunity for collaboration.
For example, their "Sacred Water" was an excellent product—capable of curing illnesses and preventing diseases, and they inquired if Drakoria had any need for it.
Drakoria responded that this could indeed be considered.
Malasiar possessed a Top-tier secret realm with a pool of energy-infused water. Long-term consumption of this water not only prevented all illnesses but also had life-extending effects.
It was revered by Malasiar as "Sacred Water", though its production was limited, and most of it was consumed domestically.
Back then, Drakoria had attempted to trade for the Sacred Water, but Malasiar had outright refused. Now, they were practically begging to engage in trade with Drakoria.
After ending the communication with Drakoria's Elder Council, the high-level officials in Malasiar let out a heavy sigh.
"From today onward, Drakoria has completely surpassed Celestria."
"Will Celestria send Karl? After all, Julian is currently in Pannar, which is the perfect time for them to take action," speculated one high-ranking official.
"It's highly unlikely. If Celestria dares to do such a thing, Drakoria won't take it lying down."
---
Meanwhile, Julian in Pannar was blissfully unaware that his becoming a Champion had nearly provoked Celestria into taking action against him, potentially sparking a full-scale war between Drakoria and Celestria over him.
At this moment, he was on a call with his grandfather, John.
John had learned from his brother, James, that his beloved grandson had become a Champion in Pannar and immediately called to confirm.
"Yes, Metagross has become a Champion. Grandpa, aren’t I amazing?"
Julian was brimming with pride.
"Tell Dad that I've already left him in the dust."
"Hahaha! That’s my dear grandson! Well done, my boy. Now both of us are Champions. That good-for-nothing father of yours is nothing but dead weight holding us back."
"Grandpa will give him a beating when he returns home."
Jake: 'Shouldn't you be thanking me for raising such an amazing son? Why beat me?'
"Stay put in Pannar for now. A warship is coming to pick you up. Before it arrives, you’d better not wander around."
John cautioned him over the phone.
Julian wasn’t stupid. He immediately realized why and laughed as he asked: "Grandpa, does Celestria really have the guts to come after me?"
"Most likely not, but we can't rule out the possibility entirely," John said gravely.
There was an international agreement among nations prohibiting Champions from leaving their own countries.
The departure of a Champion was extremely sensitive—who knew what a Champion might do abroad? So in most cases, all countries adhered to this agreement.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. If they really dare to send their Champion, I’ll make sure that he won’t go back," Julian said with absolute confidence.
Metagross’s strength was already comparable to a late-stage Champion. To bring it down would require nothing less than a peak Champion-level opponent.
"My dear grandson is truly amazing. By the way, the Elder Council asked me to inquire about that pink Pokémon and the purple one."
"The pink one is a First-class Legendary, Mew. The purple one is a Mythical Pokémon, Genesect."
Julian then explained everything that had happened in the Top-tier secret realm to John, including how Metagross broke through to the Champion tier. After all, Metagross had jumped from mid-stage Pseudo-Champion directly to Champion—an overwhelmingly drastic power increase.
Not just Pannar—even John himself was very curious about what kind of encounter Julian had gone through.
So Julian simply laid it all out. In any case, there was no way for others to replicate his method, and there was nothing worth hiding.
Mew had already been captured by satellites, and it was clearly very friendly with him—so there was even less need for secrecy.
If anything, Julian wished the whole world knew that he was good buddies with Mew and Mewtwo. So anyone who wanted to move against him should first consider whether they had the strength to withstand two First-class Legendaries.
He was basically a First-class Legendary summoner.
"My dear grandson, if that old goat Duke ever beats me up in the future, just call Mew over to back me up," John said.
Metagross's breakthrough to the Champion level was thanks to Mew. That alone proved that Julian had a very good relationship with it—otherwise, why would Mew help him?
John was finally reassured.
At the same time, his heart swelled with pride. His grandson was truly remarkable—he had ties with not one but two First-class Legendaries.
'Old Duke, I might not be able to beat you now, but my grandson has two First-class Legendary backing him up—which means I have two First-class Legendary backing me too.'
After exchanging a few more words with Julian, John ended the call and relayed all the information to his brother, James.
"Good! Very good! The Grand Elder is set to step down next year. With Julian now breaking through to the Champion level, my position as the next Grand Elder should be secured."
"At that point, there will be an Elder seat vacant. Do you want to join?"
When the current Grand Elder steps down, among the remaining five, only he and the Second Elder had the qualifications to succeed him. Now that Julian had become a Champion, that meant he had completely defeated the Second Elder.
"My Walker family now has two Champions. How can the Second Elder possibly compete with me?"
Moreover, Julian's future potential was absolutely staggering. A Champion at 22 years old—perhaps even the peak of Champion level wouldn't be his limit.
As long as Julian didn't meet an untimely end, he could protect the Walker family for at least three hundred years. Just imagining how the Walker family would develop over the centuries made James feel giddy with excitement.
Additionally, he had already consumed Ambrosia given to him by Julian, which had extended his lifespan by two hundred years. That meant he had a real chance of living to see the Walker family reach its future peak.
"I’m not becoming an Elder. I don't like using my brain that much."
John rejected the idea outright, and his tone was as confident as could be.
Only someone like John could shamelessly claim that a renowned Champion didn't enjoy using his brain.
Moreover, the status of a Champion was far more significant than that of an Elder, so he had no interest in taking on the role. Being an Elder was bothersome; being a Champion was far freer.
"Fine, I knew you'd say that," James replied without pressing further.
As an older brother, how could he not understand his younger brother’s character?
Even if John refused, there were still plenty of suitable candidates for the position. However, only one could ultimately be chosen, and it would come down to a competition of political influence and connections.
James hadn't really expected his brother to agree—he had only brought it up casually.
*****
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