When Evelyn woke up, the first thing she saw was John, Henry, Jake, Quinn, Tina, and Julian—the six of them gathered around her bedside.
At first, her expression was a little dazed, as if she hadn’t yet processed what was happening—until John shoved his big, rough face right in front of hers.
"Hey, old woman. You’re finally awake."
His tone was casual, but the slight tremble in his lips betrayed his emotions.
SMACK!
Evelyn blinked, then promptly slapped him across the cheek.
"Who are you calling ‘old woman,’ you decrepit fossil?!"
Her voice was strong and clear, and the strike had enough force to leave a red mark on John’s face.
"Dad, you really can’t call Mom ‘old woman’ now. She looks younger than you!" Quinn said teasingly.
Though she wasn’t exaggerating—Evelyn really did look much younger than before she fell into the coma.
The Glossy Ganoderma hadn’t just purged the toxins from Evelyn’s body—it had revitalized her. Combined with Celebi’s natural healing, the dual restoration had reversed decades of aging.
Her appearance had shifted from that of a woman in her seventies to a vibrant forty-something, now resembling a graceful middle-aged beauty.
In fact, she looked about the same age as her eldest son, Henry. If she stood next to John now, no one would believe they were husband and wife—they’d probably just assume John was rich.
"Why are all of you here?" Evelyn asked, glancing curiously at her children and grandson.
"Mom, do you not remember what happened?"
Henry gently held her hand and explained everything—her poisoning, the coma, and how Julian had gone to find the Glossy Ganoderma to save her.
Once she understood everything that had happened, Evelyn finally came to her senses. She recalled feeling terribly ill before losing consciousness.
"My dear grandson… Thank you. Without you, grandma might have never gotten to see you again." Her voice softened with emotion.
Julian immediately shoved his uncle aside and protested, "Grandma, don’t say that! It’s what I should do! And Grandpa was worried sick too—if I hadn’t found the Glossy Ganoderma in time, he was ready to trade an offspring of his Metagross to Pampas for one!"
When Julian had learned that detail, he felt like it really was a close call. Luckily he found the Glossy Ganoderma in time—otherwise, the Silver Metagross would no longer be the Walker family’s exclusive symbol.
"Oh? This old man was actually willing to trade his precious Metagross to save me? Sounds like he was just putting on a show," Evelyn said with a cold expression.
But everyone could see right through her act—everyone except John, who huffed indignantly:
"Yeah, I was putting on a show, you damn old hag!"
"See? I knew you were just waiting for me to die. Once I’m gone, you can run off with that vixen!" Evelyn had only been acting tough at first, but John’s words instantly lit her fuse for real.
Julian had been about to calm his grandmother down—until he caught wind of this juicy gossip. He froze, ears perked.
He had always wondered why his grandparents divorced. No one in the family would explain clearly when he asked, so he’d assumed it was just marital discord.
Yet every time he visited Grandma, she’d ask about Grandpa—sometimes casually, sometimes not-so-casually. And when he got home, Grandpa would also ask how Grandma was doing.
So both of them clearly still cared about each other… then why the divorce?
Now Julian understood. Apparently, Grandpa had an affair, and Grandma found out.
With Grandma’s fiercely proud personality, she’d have skinned the other woman alive—except, judging by her words today, the "vixen" was still breathing. Which meant Grandpa must’ve stopped her.
Julian turned to look at his grandfather with a 'So this is who you really are?' kind of expression.
John, realizing his pristine image had just crumbled in his grandson’s eyes, sputtered, "I’ve told you a thousand times—we were just colleagues! You were overreacting!"
"Oh please, a colleague? You think I’d believe that? That woman’s probably in her seventies by now, and she's still unmarried—all because of you. John, you really are cold-hearted," Evelyn sneered.
Julian: '…The plot thickens.'
He scrutinized his grandfather again, eyeing him from head to toe. Who’d have thought the gruff old man had enough charm to make someone stay unmarried their whole life for him.
"You little brat, what are you lookin’ at?!"
John had nowhere to vent his frustration, and Julian’s blatantly amused, half-teasing expression finally pushed him over the edge—even dropping his usual "dear grandson" for a snarled "brat."
"Watching the drama," Julian blurted without thinking.
The moment he said it, he knew he’d screwed up. Sure enough, John’s face turned bright red with rage, clearly ready to teach him a lesson.
"Dad, let me handle this!"
Jake exclaimed in delight. He’d been dying to beat Julian for years, and now his second-biggest dream might finally come true.
There were two reasons it hadn’t happened yet:
First, Julian had always been too well-behaved to give him a reason.
Second, on the rare occasions he did, John would always protect him.
If a father never gets the chance to discipline his son, it’s not the son’s fault—it’s the father’s failure.
Now, with John too furious to intervene—finally, his moment had come.
In his excitement, Jake began whipping out the "Seven Hundred Houndooms" brand belt from his waist, his grin so crazed and eager it actually made Julian a little nervous.
"Laugh at Grandpa, will you? Today, your dear old man’s gonna whip you into next week!"
"Dad, what are you doing?!"
Julian quickly grabbed the unconscious Celebi—who had fainted after using the power of nature to cure Evelyn—and held it in front of him like a shield.
Celebi: 'Not only are you ungrateful, but you actually use me as a SHIELD?!'
But Jake showed no signs of stopping.
Julian quickly looked toward his mother for help, only to see her smiling sweetly.
He then looked pleadingly at his aunt, who cheerfully called out, "Second Brother, don’t hold back! That kid’s sturdy—he can take it!"
'Are you even human?!'
So much for relying on his aunt.
'Uncle!'
Henry met his nephew’s desperate gaze, chuckled, and slowly turned his head away.
Julian: ⊙0⊙
By now, Jake had fully unsheathed his "Seven Hundred Houndooms" belt, eyeing his son with ominous glee.
'Just one good whipping, and my second-biggest dream will finally come true.'
Just as he raised the belt high—
"Jake, if you DARE lay a finger on my precious grandson, I’ll skin you alive!"
Evelyn’s roar cut through the room like Hyper Beam. She’d even leapt out of bed, shielding Julian with her body while glaring daggers at her son.
Jake froze mid-swing, then chuckled awkwardly. "M-Mom, how could I possibly hit my son? I was just trying to scare him."
"Grandma, he beats me at home all the time!" Julian sniffled, eyes glistening with crocodile tears. "He’s even snapped several of those belts on me!"
His Oscar-worthy performance painted the picture of a poor child who had been through years of abuse, with tears nearly spilling from his eyes.
Evelyn was heartbroken just looking at him.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT—DON’T YOU DARE FRAME ME!"
He almost coughed up blood from sheer anger. Was this kid trying to change his dad or something?
'If you want a new dad, just say so.'
*****
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