"You're back already? Grandpa hasn't returned yet?"
Yuto's cheerful voice broke Xiu's concentration. He looked up from the intricate device he was assembling on the backyard patio table to see Yuto walking towards him, having apparently finished his training session with Growlithe sooner than expected.
"What's that you're making?" Yuto asked curiously, peering over Xiu's shoulder.
"Ah, you're back," Xiu replied distractedly, gesturing towards the contraption. "It's a training device I rigged up for Abra. A bit rudimentary, maybe even childish, but it should help with fine motor control."
His self-deprecating tone only seemed to pique Yuto's interest further. "It looks interesting! How does it work? What's the principle behind it?"
Seeing Yuto's genuine curiosity, Xiu briefly explained his creation. "It's basically a variation of that old wire loop game, remember? Two parallel wires, bent into complex shapes, with a small gap between them." He held up the core component – two stiff wires twisted into a challenging path of curves, right angles, and waves. "The goal is for Abra to use its Telekinesis to guide an object – like this pen – along the path from start to finish without touching either wire."
He demonstrated, using his own hand to guide the pen along the wire path. He deliberately let it touch the wire partway through. "See? These tight curves, sharp angles… they're the difficult points. And," He pointed to adjustable screws at the ends, "the spacing between the wires can be narrowed. Make it tight enough, and even guiding the pen by hand becomes challenging. For Abra, using only Telekinesis, it forces extreme precision and control."
"Whoa! Xiu, you're brilliant!" Yuto exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "Turning a simple game into a psychic training tool? How'd you even think of that?"
"Saw kids playing something similar once," Xiu shrugged vaguely, downplaying the ingenuity. "Just adapted the concept for Pokémon." He handed the pen and wire loop frame to Yuto. "Not as easy as it looks. Try it yourself."
Yuto eagerly took the device and started attempting the puzzle. Just as Xiu had said, navigating the complex path without touching the wires proved surprisingly difficult, requiring steady hands and intense focus. Yuto found himself failing repeatedly, often before even reaching the trickier sections.
"Argh! Why did I touch it again!" He groaned in frustration after another failed attempt, though he was clearly enjoying the challenge.
Xiu watched him play, a faint smile on his face. But suddenly, that prickle of awareness, the feeling of being observed, returned. He glanced subtly towards the back door of the house. Standing there silently, watching them, was Shirley. She must have returned from school while they were preoccupied.
As soon as Xiu's eyes met hers, she immediately averted her gaze, turned, and disappeared back inside the house without a word.
Xiu frowned slightly, puzzled by her silent observation, but quickly dismissed it, turning his attention back to Yuto's struggles, already mentally optimizing the wire loop design in his head.
'The difficulty curve is still too gentle… need to make it more complex…'
Yuto didn't play for long though, as a faint red light pulsed from the Poké Ball on his belt – Growlithe. Yuto sighed, putting down the wire loop game reluctantly. "Ah, man! Training time's up already?" He looked slightly annoyed. "Guess I gotta focus on Growlithe now." He turned back to Xiu. "We'll play this again later, okay? Gotta go work with Growlithe."
"Sure," Xiu nodded, then, a thought occurred to him. "Speaking of training," He asked casually, "where do you usually go? Is there a good spot nearby, quiet and secluded? Away from houses?" He needed a better place for Scyther's more dynamic training, away from the confines of the villa's backyard.
"Oh, yeah," Yuto replied readily. "Head east from here, about five kilometers out, past the last suburban developments. There's a large stretch of undeveloped woodland and fields. Nobody really goes out there. Perfect for training." He pointed out the general direction.
Just then, the Growlithe Poké Ball on his belt wobbled impatiently. Growlithe clearly wanted out now.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Yuto laughed helplessly. He offered Xiu an apologetic smile. "Duty calls." He turned and headed back into the house, presumably to let Growlithe out elsewhere or prepare for their next session.
"Didn't realize being a Trainer involved walking the dog quite so literally…" Xiu murmured to himself with amusement as Yuto disappeared inside. He sat back down at the patio table, intending to continue refining his training device designs.
But soon, that feeling of being watched returned. He looked up. Shirley had reappeared, standing silently near the edge of the patio. Her Vulpix trotted faithfully beside her.
"Hello again, Miss Shirley," Xiu greeted her politely, unsure what she wanted. He returned his attention to his sketches.
Instead of leaving, Shirley walked closer, stopping beside his table. She squatted down, peering curiously at the wire loop device and Xiu's sketches. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Surprised by her direct approach and interest, Xiu briefly explained the training device again, just as he had to Yuto.
Shirley listened impassively this time, showing none of Yuto's earlier excitement. Her expression remained neutral, almost distant. "Aren't you a Breeder?" She asked flatly. "Why are you making training tools?"
"Breeder?" Xiu paused. "Oh, right, the certificate. Well, I just took the exam recently because I had some free time. Doesn't mean that's all I am." If he'd said that to the candidates at the Certification Center, they probably would have lynched him for his casual dismissal of their hard-earned qualification.
"So, you're a Trainer then?" Shirley pressed.
Her pointed questions, her unusual persistence, made Xiu wary. He looked at her curiously. "Miss Shirley," He asked gently, "is there something I can help you with?"
His direct question seemed to break through her reserve. She hesitated, then asked abruptly, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do you… do you know how to battle?"
Alarm bells went off in Xiu's mind. He immediately became guarded. "Battling? Not really my expertise," He replied casually, shaking his head. "Never really battled competitively."
"But," Shirley persisted, looking up at him, "my brother said your Pokémon looked strong."
"Raising healthy Pokémon and battling effectively are two different skill sets," Xiu countered smoothly, falling back on a common analogy. "Besides, Yuto attends a proper Trainer school. He learns advanced battle tactics there. He's definitely far more skilled in battling than I am."
He hoped that would end the inquiry. But Shirley's next words, spoken with a sudden, sharp bitterness that startled him, revealed the underlying issue.
"He won't help me!" She blurted out, then immediately pressed her lips together, looking away, clearly regretting the outburst.
Xiu felt a headache coming on. 'If her own brother refuses to help her with battling… there must be a reason. Family drama? Some specific conflict he didn't want to get dragged into?' He decided the safest course was feigned ignorance. He remained silent, pretending not to understand the implication.
Seeing Xiu's lack of response, Shirley seemed to deflate. "Forget it," She muttered, standing up abruptly. She turned and walked back towards the house without another word, clearly not intending to force the issue.
'Dodged that bullet,' Xiu thought with relief. But just as the quiet settled back over the backyard, a high-pitched, unfamiliar voice called out from the front of the house.
"Yuto! Brother Yuto, are you home?"
Xiu frowned. Bao Ba wasn't back yet. Yuto was presumably still occupied with Growlithe. Which meant… he was likely the only one available to answer the door. Sighing inwardly, he got up and walked through the house towards the front yard.
As he reached the front hall, he saw Shirley standing near the door, her expression strangely tense, almost apprehensive. Before Xiu could ask who the visitor was, the front door burst open, and a girl, roughly Shirley's age, bounced energetically inside.
Trailing confidently behind her was a small, brown, fox-like Pokémon with a bushy collar and tail. Eevee.
Xiu's attention was immediately drawn to the Eevee – relatively uncommon, known for its multiple evolution paths. He started to observe it more closely, noting its condition, its demeanor…
But the visiting girl spoke first, interrupting his assessment. She spotted Xiu standing in the hall, looked him up and down with open suspicion, and then, without any preamble, pointed an accusing finger directly at him.
"Who are you?" She demanded loudly. Then, her eyes narrowed, and a malicious grin spread across her face. "Thief!"
"Huh?" Xiu stared, completely bewildered by the baseless accusation. Before he could even formulate a response, the girl snapped an order at her Pokémon.
"Eevee, get him! Take down the thief!"
Eevee didn't hesitate. With a sharp yip, it crouched low and sprang forward, claws extended, aiming directly for Xiu. Its playful demeanor from moments before vanished, replaced by focused, hunting aggression.
Xiu reacted purely on instinct. He wasn't a fool; despite the absurdity of the situation, the attack was real. He automatically reached for the Poké Ball on his belt, ready to release Abra or Scyther in defense. The distance was short, but Eevee was fast…
But before he could act, another shape darted forward. Shirley's Vulpix, moving with surprising speed, intercepted the Eevee, placing itself protectively between the attacker and Xiu.
Eevee, momentarily surprised by the Vulpix's intervention, didn't stop its charge. It simply adjusted its trajectory, redirecting its attack towards the smaller Fire-type Pokémon blocking its path.
Vulpix braced itself, but Xiu could see the tremor running through its small body. It looked distinctly afraid of the larger, more aggressive Eevee charging towards it.