Chapter 273: Work To Be Done
Daisy, after some thought, agreed to Xiu's suggestion. "Alright, Big Brother Xiu. If you think it's best." She then went to find Gary, and after what sounded like a rather one-sided argument, managed to convince him to accompany them back to Professor Oak's house to pack.
Their belongings were minimal – a few changes of clothes, some personal items. The food in the refrigerator, mostly snacks Daisy had brought, was quickly gathered. Gary, however, was now nowhere to be seen, having apparently wandered off again.
"I don't think I can convince Gary to come willingly," Daisy sighed, looking exasperated. "Big Brother Xiu, could you go find him? I need to run into town quickly to pick up a few things."
Xiu nodded. Probably a good idea to stock up on some essentials, given the circumstances. He made a quick mental inventory. He went into Pallet Town and purchased necessary food items and daily supplies. The shopkeeper, pleased to see such a large order, was all smiles.
Thankfully, the news of the impending beast tide hadn't reached Pallet Town yet; prices were still normal, and there was no sign of panic buying.
"Why do we have to stay at the research institute?" Gary complained sullenly as they walked back, Daisy having eventually located and corralled him. He shot Xiu a look filled with his usual disdain.
"I don't want to either," Xiu replied with a self-deprecating chuckle. "But my strength is too weak to protect you both adequately if you're in town and I'm up at the lab. This arrangement is for your safety."
Gary clearly didn't buy it, turning his head away huffily.
This is going to be a long few days, Xiu thought with an inward groan. He even briefly entertained the absurd notion that Professor Oak had volunteered for the Viridian City mission just to escape his own grandson.
No, that's ridiculous. My brain is clearly cooked.
With Daisy's presence and insistence, Gary reluctantly returned to the institute.
After Xiu completed Scizor's initial physical training, he transitioned it to the more demanding energy manipulation exercises. Scizor became still, almost meditative, which made Gary and Daisy, who had been observing the more dynamic physical drills, look rather bored.
"What do you think of Scizor?" Xiu asked, deciding to engage the boy directly, trying to break the awkward silence.
Gary, as usual, ignored him. Daisy, however, quickly stepped in. "Xiu's Scizor is so cool! Who wouldn't like it?"
Xiu saw Gary visibly want to deny it, then hesitate, his gaze drawn back to the imposing black and gold Pokémon. The internal conflict was almost comical.
Xiu decided to press his advantage. "Let me tell you Scizor's story," he began, launching into an embellished account of his first encounter with Scizor (as a Scyther), their early training, and some of their (fictional) battles.
He'd learned a few things from watching those overly dramatic Pokémon battle commentators on TV – how to build suspense, how to use vivid descriptions to draw the listener in.
He transformed mundane encounters with weak opponents into epic, bloody struggles for survival.
Daisy and Gary listened, captivated.
"Scizor is so strong!" Gary finally exclaimed, his earlier disdain forgotten, his eyes shining with undisguised admiration as he looked at the meditating Pokémon.
"If you could capture a Scyther of your own," Xiu said casually, revealing his true motive, "I could even teach you how to breed and train it." This should keep him occupied and out of trouble for the next few days.
As for the actual breeding plans, those were his own closely guarded secrets. He certainly wouldn't mind if Professor Oak provided Gary with a better Scyther than the one he'd started with.
"Really?" Gary looked at Xiu, his surprise genuine, his earlier hostility momentarily gone. He quickly recovered, a look of indecision on his face, clearly wanting to accept but too proud to do so easily.
"Of course, I'll teach you," Xiu affirmed.
Gary's expression brightened, though he quickly tried to mask it with a stern frown. Xiu saw through the disguise instantly. No wonder Daisy enjoys teasing him so much.
"Xiu is willing to teach you, Gary!" Daisy chimed in, offering her brother a way to save face. "Why don't you thank him?"
With the offered out, Gary mumbled a reluctant, "Thank you."
"Excellent," Xiu said. "Then let's start with the basics of Scyther…"
— — —
The boot-up time for the institute's old computer, usually frustratingly slow, felt exceptionally long this evening.
Finally, the screen flickered to life. Xiu quickly logged into his secure account and opened his encrypted mailbox. Several new messages were waiting.
Most were progress reports from Xiaoyuan. As instructed, all company assets in Celadon City had been liquidated, leaving only the small bookstore in the eastern district as a discreet contact point.
She had also managed to purchase significant quantities of food and supplies, though the League had soon issued warnings, restricting further large-scale purchases.
So, the upper echelons are aware and already making their own preparations. Still, the most important part of his plan was in place: he had divested from the two primary target cities, Viridian and Celadon.
Even if things escalated dramatically, his core assets were now protected.
He quickly replied to Xiaoyuan, giving instructions for subsequent arrangements, then turned his attention to another email, this one flagged with Professor Oak's signature.
The content was a grim summary of the current situation in Viridian City and the movements of the beast tide. The League's initial containment efforts were proving… inadequate.
The sheer scale of the Pokémon swarms was overwhelming. They were being pushed back, slowly, but not decisively.
And worryingly, the swarms were still growing, absorbing more wild Pokémon as they advanced. It would still be some time, Oak estimated, before they reached the outlying towns, and then Viridian City itself.
But panic was already beginning to spread. Rumors were flying. Fortunately, Nurse Joy, leveraging Professor Oak's earlier public appearances and reputation, had managed to quell the initial outbreaks of civil unrest, but it was a temporary reprieve at best.
As the beast tide drew closer, the situation was bound to deteriorate.
In short, Xiu summarized, it's a mess.
The location of Pallet Town, nestled between Viridian Forest and the coast, made it particularly vulnerable to displaced wild Pokémon fleeing the main swarms.
Professor Oak's final instruction to Xiu was clear: defend Pallet Town. And if the situation became untenable, his absolute priority was to get Gary and Daisy to safety, to the pre-arranged evacuation point in the back mountains, and wait for his return.
Xiu felt a headache coming on. If it were just me, I could slip away to Cinnabar Island, wait for the storm to pass. No problem.
But he had promised Professor Oak about this. He was trapped, responsible for the safety of two children who, frankly, he found rather irritating.
He slumped back in his chair, feeling tired and overwhelmed. But then, he took a deep breath, his expression hardening, his mind clearing.
Rationality, calmness, reasserted control.
There was work to be done.