In truth, Slowpoke's decision didn't surprise Cain.
In a place and situation , choosing to evolve into Slowking was undoubtedly the best option.
Moreover, after the massive increase in Slowpoke's psychic powers, Slowking was the evolution that suited him best.
If Cain had to choose, he likely would have had Slowpoke evolve into Slowking.
Although Slowbro could mega evolve, Cain had yet to find a single Mega Evolution stone.
Besides, Cain already had quite a few Pokémon capable of mega evolving:
Blaziken, the final form of Torchic; Aggron, the final form of Aron; and Gengar, the final form of Haunter.
All of them were Pokémon capable of mega evolution.
Compared to Slowbro's mega evolution, Cain thought the mega evolution of these three Pokémon offered better cost-effectiveness.
Of course, the Mega Evolution stone was the deciding factor. The choice of which Pokémon to mega evolve didn't rest entirely with Cain.
Nodding, Cain retrieved the King's Rock he had obtained from Umbra from his storage space.
Slowpoke wore a serious expression, although he didn't know how his trainer was aware of Slowking's evolutionary form.
After all, in his herd, he had only ever seen Slowbros.
However, for some reason, when he saw the King's Crown, Slowpoke felt a strange pull in his heart. Additionally, after the increase in his psychic power, he could sense a mysterious energy emanating from the seemingly worn crown.
Then, Cain brought out a Pokéball he had prepared long ago.
Inside was a Shellder he had found on Trial Island.
Although not a shiny Shellder, it had exceptional aptitude, which would undoubtedly boost Slowpoke's potential after evolving.
Moreover, after this surge in psychic power, Slowpoke's original quality had already begun to ascend to light blue.
Shellder's level wouldn't affect Slowpoke's evolution.
Cain immediately released Shellder.
When Shellder appeared, the Slowpoke that had been in a deep sleep began to show signs of awakening.
It was as though a call was reaching them from the depths of their being—a call resonating within their blood.
Not only them, but also Slowpoke with the King's Crown and Shellder began to eye each other. They could feel an attraction between them.
Slowpoke seemed to understand what he had to do and used his psychic power to lift Shellder.
He placed it directly on his head.
Shellder, in turn, seemed to grasp its destiny. It gazed at Slowpoke's head as though seeing a pink cake.
Shellder opened its shell and bit down on Slowpoke's head.
The moment the two Pokémon made contact, a white light enveloped them both.
Cain and the other Pokémon waited silently nearby.
Sensing Slowpoke's evolution, the Slowpoke herd, previously asleep, awakened once more.
They immediately noticed the Slowpoke undergoing evolution.
Their eyes shone anew.
They felt an energy that was familiar yet unfamiliar—a sensation that compelled them to bow before him.
They knelt before the evolving Slowpoke.
They were witnessing the birth of their king!
A minute later, the white light dissipated, and a new Pokémon appeared before their eyes.
The skin, once pale pink, had turned much darker, a deeper tone than the usual pink. The Pokémon, which had once walked on four legs, now stood on two.
His hind legs had strengthened, his front legs appeared thinner, and his tail had thickened to balance his body.
The most striking feature was the white shell on his head, resembling a crown, with a red orb in the center—a dazzling jewel in his crown.
Not only that, but around his neck was something that looked like a bib.
Slowpoke had successfully evolved into Slowking!
Moreover, based on Slowking's skin color, he remained a shiny Pokémon.
It wasn't clear whether Shellder's involvement in the evolution hadn't impacted Slowpoke's shiny status or if they had simply been lucky, but in any case, Slowking remained a shiny Pokémon.
Slowking seemed slightly awkward walking on two legs. After taking a wobbly step, he gradually adapted.
He walked over to Cain, and with the crown included, his height now reached two meters, making him significantly taller than Cain, who stood around 1.7 meters.
Additionally, with the crown, Cain could no longer pat his soft, pink head.
But now that he was a king, Cain couldn't simply touch his head as he used to.
The system activated and scanned Slowking's information.
Pokémon: Shiny Slowking (Dark Blue)
Type: Water + Psychic
Held Item: Leadership
Egg Moves: Rest, Rain Dance, Teleport
Basic Moves: Curse, Yawn, Tackle, Growl, Water Gun, Confusion, Disable, Headbutt, Water Pulse, Zen Headbutt, Slack Off, Heal Pulse, Power Gem, Nasty Plot
Learned Moves: Calm Mind, Psyshock, Miracle Eye (Shiny), Psychic (Shiny)
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Fire), Bulldoze, Flamethrower
"Leadership?" Cain thought, surprised to see Slowking's aptitude had reached dark blue, but when he noticed the "Leadership" item, everything became clear.
Upon closer inspection, Cain realized that Slowking's dark blue quality had faint traces of purple.
He had reached the peak of dark blue.
He was just one step away from reaching light purple, but that small difference could become a difficult barrier to overcome.
Nevertheless, Slowking had become Cain's first Pokémon to possess the "Leadership" item.
Cain had encountered Pokémon with this item before: Beedrill on Trial Island, Dustox on the Nameless Island, and Beautifly on the same island.
Cain had tried capturing some of them, but once caught, the "Leadership" item gradually disappeared.
However, in Slowking's case, who Cain had already caught, the "Leadership" trait showed no signs of fading.
Seeing the Slowpoke behind him with shining eyes, Cain understood.
No matter if a Pokémon had "Leadership" before or not, only when a Pokémon was recognized by its herd did it have the possibility of obtaining this intangible yet astonishingly effective trait.
"Slowking, go see your herd," Cain said with a smile.
The hand he intended to use to pat Slowking's head stopped, and instead, he patted him on the shoulder.
Slowking nodded, and an air of authority appeared on his face, surprising Cain slightly.
In his heart, Cain sighed silently: "The little Slowpoke has now grown and become the king of his herd."