Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 483: A Day in the Life of Slowking

March 23rd, Monday.

The orange sun leapt out of the water like a smiling face, dyeing the sky and sea in golden hues—it was a truly delightful scene.

Flocks of Wingull and Pelipper circled over the sea; from experience, this was when fish would gather near the surface to feed, and also when the birds themselves fed.

On several protruding reefs, Staryu slowly turned their bodies and crawled up. The radiant red gems on their centers became even more vibrant under the sunlight.

At that moment, a chubby black hand reached for a Staryu. Unable to dodge in time, it was caught.

Gurgle gurgle—

Staryu struggled, but it was useless.

"Ka-kaah!"

A startled cry rang out—it was Gengar holding the Staryu, extracting a beautiful red gem shard from its back. Then, without doing anything else, it placed the Staryu back onto the reef as it was.

Gengar cheerfully floated toward a familiar figure.

"A Star Piece, huh? Not many Staryu can produce those. You're lucky, Gengar," came Johan's voice.

He was leisurely riding a bicycle across the sea—yes, across the sea. Beneath him, the surface had frozen into a winding icy path. His Rotom Bike had switched to Ice Mode.

Running alongside him, Ninetales moved gracefully. Wherever her snow-white form passed, she left a trail of shimmering pink frost that looked like stars falling—utterly enchanting.

"Oowoo~~"

A crisp, joyful cry echoed as her nine tails merged behind her, swaying with each step—elegant and flawless.

Johan, who had long wanted to try biking on the sea, had finally realized his wish today. He adjusted the hat on his head and chuckled to himself:

"If I had an eyepatch right now, this would be perfect."

It was their second day at sea. Johan had taken Ninetales and Gengar out early—partly to try sea biking, and partly to fulfill yesterday's "promise."

Catch a big fish and make fish head soup!

But all they had caught were Magikarp—not exactly suitable for the pot.

"Ka-kaah~~"

Pleased with Johan's praise, Gengar tossed the "Star Piece" into its mouth with satisfaction.

Both Staryu and Starmie had a chance to produce Star Pieces and Stardust. The probability was low, and Star Pieces even rarer—less than one in a hundred.

It was said that these Pokémon could use their red gem to "communicate" with the stars above. Some legends even claimed that Staryu and Starmie were fragments of stars that fell from the sky.

The move Cosmic Power, which they could learn, seemed to support this theory.

Fishermen living near the sea often made their livelihood gathering Star Pieces and Stardust, which were seen as byproducts of their cosmic connection—like pearls from shells.

"If we get a chance, I'll take you guys tidepooling," Johan said with a smile as the wind swept his black hair.

"Ka-kaah?"

Tidepooling?

Gengar's eyes lit up. Sounded like fun.

"He's really taking it easy, huh?" Caitlin leaned against the rail on the deck, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and eating ice cream as she commented.

Cynthia smiled, letting the golden sunlight catch in her long flowing hair.

"There's no rush."

Her eyes reflected the morning sun, dazzling like an entire world hidden within.

After all, if the "king" wasn't in a hurry, why should they be?

Behind them, Baby Lugia and Larvitar were playing hide-and-seek without a care in the world—no sign of urgency to "find family."

"Bwooo~"

"Garrr—"

From the distance, two figures approached quickly.

It was Dragonite and Garchomp.

One flew high, surrounded by a milky white stream of air. Despite its bulk, it flew fast and smoothly.

The other skimmed just above the sea, trailing long jet-like contrails behind it. Waves parted below as it sped along the surface.

"Oowoo~~"

The splashing water crystallized into ice midair, neatly sectioning off the frozen path Johan was on.

"This guy..." Johan grumbled, locking eyes with Garchomp's teasing gaze.

Thud—

A four-to-five-pound fish thudded onto the deck, tossed there by Garchomp. It folded its fins and stood beside Cynthia, exhaling a slow puff of mist.

Garchomp muttered internally: That Dragonite can really fly...

They had circled half the sea; she was still full of energy, while Garchomp was feeling a bit winded.

"Bwooo~ Bwooo~"

Dragonite hovered beside Johan, flapping excitedly. The spray lifted by its wings froze again under Ninetales' influence.

Ahead, Dragonite and Garchomp had spotted a fairly large island, with signs of human activity.

"Hmm?"

Johan blinked.

Human activity?

Cynthia clearly got the message from Garchomp as well; the two exchanged glances across the water.

"You go ahead. I'll check the cabin," the handsome guy said as the sailboat dropped anchor by the island.

And so—

Johan, Cynthia, and Caitlin brought their Pokémon ashore.

The beach gleamed like soft golden powder. Coconut trees arched overhead, heavy with ripe fruit.

The island wasn't large. A modest hill rose in the center, surrounded by a light forest and then beaches and sea.

"Yoji~!"

Larvitar picked up a shell from the ground and instinctively popped it in its mouth.

Crunch—

Surprisingly crunchy—and it tasted pretty good, a bit like seaweed.

Baby Lugia perched on Johan's shoulder, wide-eyed and curious. The island looked... somewhat familiar.

"Over there—"

As a mythologist, Cynthia was first to spot an old altar on a hillside.

"There's a Psychic presence!"

Caitlin suddenly warned, tossing out a Poké Ball.

A human-like Pokémon in a gothic dress appeared in front of her.

"Gothitelle, the Astral Body Pokémon. Psychic type. Said to predict the future and project visions of the cosmos across light-years, Roto!" Rotom announced.

It was one of Caitlin's ace Pokémon, along with her Artificial Cell Egg.

Buzz—

Gothitelle's and Caitlin's eyes glowed with Psychic light.

Truthfully, Caitlin's Psychic strength, combined with Gothitelle, could rival any Elite Four's ace when used at full power.

But it came with a price—her powers were hard to control and prone to causing devastation. That's why she had hired Grimsley.

Though around Cynthia, her control visibly improved.

But only so long as she didn't push herself.

"Yadong~"

A soft voice floated in.

Caitlin and Gothitelle paused, their psychic glow fading.

Johan's expression turned odd.

A Slowking waddled toward them—rosy, chubby, and wearing a white shell crown. Its hands were clasped behind its back as it strolled slowly over.

Slowking?

"Slowking, the Royal Pokémon. Water and Psychic type. Said to possess immense wisdom and insight. Known as the Sage of the Sea, Roto!" Rotom narrated.

Its dopey eyes, once seen as dim on Slowpoke, now seemed more like "profound simplicity."

Clearly, the psychic energy Caitlin sensed came from this Slowking.

No one knew why it appeared, but it didn't feel hostile.

Cynthia's gaze flicked between Slowking and Johan, a knowing smile blooming.

"There's an old Orange Islands saying—'When in doubt, ask a Slowking.' Maybe we should ask him..." Johan muttered.

Slowking were said to be uniquely wise. They often dreamt of changing the world—only to forget everything after a nap.

Slowking slowly stepped in front of Johan and stopped.

Then—

Human and Pokémon stared at each other for a full half-minute.

Huh?

Johan tilted his head and adjusted his cap.

Slowking mirrored the motion, adjusting its crown.

Cynthia and Caitlin giggled softly.

Johan: "..."

"Yadong."

Slowking nodded thoughtfully and waved for Johan to follow.

"Ka-kaah?"

Gengar scratched its head, asking what was going on.

Johan gave it a "heck if I know" look.

Still—if Slowking was asking them to follow, might as well see where it led.

Thus, the trio and their Pokémon followed the waddling Slowking.

"You two... really are alike," Cynthia said quietly, smiling.

"Mmhmm!"

Caitlin nodded eagerly.

Johan glared at them.

What part of them was alike?

Slowking kept waddling, arms behind his back. Gengar copied him. Then Larvitar. Then Baby Lugia. Then Dragonite. Then Tinkaton...

Johan facepalmed.

What was this? Mother hen leading chicks?

Slowking suddenly stopped. Gengar stopped. Larvitar and Baby Lugia crashed into Gengar's back.

"Yadong~"

A pale blue light shimmered in Slowking's eyes. A ripe coconut dropped from a nearby tree.

With practiced ease, it bonked the coconut on its head.

Crack!

Juice spilled out.

"Yadong."

Slowking handed the coconut to Gengar.

Gengar, unfazed, pulled a straw from its mouth and sipped away.

Larvitar and Baby Lugia gulped.

Slowking turned, bonked down more coconuts, cracked them, and handed them out.

"Quite the host," Caitlin murmured.

Johan stepped in when Slowking tried to crack one more.

"I'll take it myself."

Looking at Slowking's reddened forehead, Johan winced.

Did it not feel pain, or was it just enduring?

"Why not use the crown instead? It's harder than your skull," Johan asked.

Slowking adjusted its crown.

"Yadong."

Because the crown would fall.

Johan: "..."

Hard to argue with that logic.

Soon, everyone had a coconut in hand and followed Slowking toward the mountain.

Not long after, they reached a vibrant flower field.

Butterfree, Beautifly, and Vivillon fluttered among the blooms, adding life to the colorful scenery.

Slowking picked a flower, sniffed it, then distributed blossoms—giving Cynthia and Caitlin whole bouquets like a true gentleman.

Finally, Slowking found a medicinal herb, crushed it, and applied it to its forehead—sighing in relief.

So all of this was for... first aid?

Afterward, Slowking led them slowly toward the mountain peak.

As they approached the mountaintop, Johan and the others gradually began to notice something unusual.

Despite Slowking's leisurely pace, any wild Pokémon they encountered—whether they were the Bug-types fluttering in the flower fields earlier, or the other Pokémon in the forest—would simply observe from a distance. None made any attempt to attack or approach aggressively.

It was clear that, among the wild Pokémon on this island, Slowking held a kind of "authority."

Not only was it respected, it was trusted.

So much so that its presence alone was enough to keep potential threats at bay.

And through this slow, meandering walk, Johan and the others were getting an oddly peaceful but vivid experience of what a "Slowking's Day" was like.

A little walk, a coconut, admire some flowers, another walk...

Johan silently mused:

Once we reach the top, I bet it's nap time, right?

Admittedly, the slow pace did allow them to appreciate the subtle natural beauty of the island and get a glimpse of the wild Pokémon's way of life in this unique environment.

When they finally reached the summit—

There it was: the ancient altar.

Cynthia's excitement immediately flared.

She took Rotom from Johan, eagerly using it to scan, record, and decipher the inscriptions etched into the weathered stone.

"This kind of looks like... the Slowking Island from The Power of One, doesn't it?"

If it weren't for the fact that they knew they hadn't sailed toward the Orange Archipelago, Johan might have really believed it was the same place.

"Yadong."

Slowking led Johan to the center of the altar, stopping before an ancient monolith that had stood for who-knows-how-many years.

On its surface—

There was a shallow groove.

From the shape of the indentation, it resembled... a feather.

The Silver Feather.

Slowking's intent was clear: it wanted Johan to insert the Silver Feather.

Was this its way of helping them locate Lugia?

Johan suddenly understood.

Then another thought crossed his mind—

What if I put in the Rainbow Feather instead?

...He shook his head.

No use trying to script a movie.

So he pulled the softly glowing Silver Feather from his coat pocket and gently placed it into the slot.

Buzz—

A faint beam of light shot up from the altar, piercing the sky.

The burst of light immediately drew Cynthia and Caitlin's attention from their research.

"Bwooo~~"

Standing on Johan's shoulder, Baby Lugia seemed to react as well. Empowered by the altar, it finally sensed Lugia's presence. Hope flickered in its wide eyes.

So now you remember your mom, huh...

"Yadong."

Slowking's eyes gleamed once again with psychic light, syncing with the beam.

Within its seemingly dopey eyes, now swirled a universe of stars.

The sight didn't last long.

The altar's beam slowly dimmed, and Slowking returned to normal.

It reached out and pulled Rotom from the air.

"Inputting coordinates, Roto..." Rotom's body jolted. Its screen eyes narrowed as if melting into bliss. It mumbled automatically.

With its psychic power, Slowking had directly entered a coordinate into the Rotomdex.

"Coordinates successfully input, Roto!" Rotom opened its eyes wide again, though it looked a bit lost—as if it hadn't enjoyed the experience long enough.

Johan gave it a sidelong glance.

Exact coordinates for Lugia's location?

Was Lugia just... staying in one place?

"Yadong."

Slowking, now reverting to its sage-like dazed state, flopped down beside the altar and appeared ready for a nap.

That was when Rotom fully realized what had happened, its digital face turning pale.

O-Oh no... my innocence... it's gone...

Johan paused thoughtfully.

He took out two boxes of Pokéblocks and set them in front of Slowking as a gesture of thanks.

Without hesitation, Slowking opened a box, picked up a cube, and happily popped it in its mouth.

Soon, the sound of its soft snores echoed beside the altar.

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Coconuts, flowers, the sea, and a midday nap.

Slowking's day was... genuinely simple and "dull" in the most serene way.

Still, thanks to Slowking, they now had a clear destination.

Johan picked up the limp, dazed Rotom and checked the coordinates.

Huh?

He blinked.

"Two sets of coordinates?"

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Powerstones?

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