"Alright, this spot should work," Yuto declared, gesturing around the open riverbank area. "Plenty of space, water nearby for safety… no risk of accidentally starting a wildfire."
Xiu surveyed the surroundings— an artificial embankment lined both sides of the slow-moving river, creating a wide, flat expanse of sparsely vegetated wasteland. No trees or dry brush nearby, minimal flammable material.
'Ideal.' He also noticed faint scorch marks on the ground and embankment rocks – clear evidence of Yuto's previous training sessions here.
As if sensing the familiar training ground, Yuto's Growlithe became visibly excited, bounding around playfully, its fluffy mane seeming to bristle with energy. Tiny, harmless sparks occasionally popped from its mouth as it barked happily.
"Boy!" Yuto called, and Growlithe immediately trotted back, sitting obediently, though its tail continued to thump excitedly against the ground. Yuto squatted down, rubbing the Pokémon's neck vigorously. Growlithe leaned into the affection, eyes closed in contentment.
"Okay, boy," Yuto grinned, standing up. "Show Xiu what you've got! Use Flamethrower! Aim for the sky!"
Yuto patted Growlithe's head. The canine Pokémon took a few steps forward, planted its paws firmly, took a deep breath, and unleashed a torrent of fire upwards.
Xiu watched, impressed, as a pillar of intense orange flame, easily as thick as his arm, roared towards the sky. The flames were incredibly focused, condensed, causing the air around the column to shimmer and ripple with heat distortion.
Even from seven or eight meters away, Xiu felt the wave of heat wash over his face. 'And that's aimed upwards,' he noted silently. 'Aimed at anyone… the range and destructive power would be considerable.' He shuddered inwardly, imagining that torrent hitting a person or another Pokémon.
The intense blast lasted only two or three seconds before Growlithe closed its mouth, cutting off the flow. But the sheer power of the demonstration lingered in Xiu's mind. 'Pokémon… truly magical, terrifyingly powerful creatures.'
"Good boy! Well done!" Yuto praised Growlithe enthusiastically, clearly proud of his partner's display.
While Yuto fussed over Growlithe, Xiu turned his attention to Shirley and her Vulpix, who looked slightly intimidated after witnessing Growlithe's power. Time to begin.
The special training session commenced.
"Okay, Vulpix," Yuto instructed patiently, taking the lead naturally. "The key is gathering the energy first. Feel it inside, then focus it, transform it into heat, into flame… then release."
"Concentrate that energy… no, not like that…"
"Growlithe, show her again. Slow Ember, controlled puff."
"Focus the energy in your throat, Vulpix, not diffused through your whole body…"
Xiu found himself relegated to the role of observer, occasionally offering theoretical insights but largely deferring to Yuto's practical expertise. Yuto, clearly in his element, patiently guided Vulpix through the basic steps of manipulating its innate fire energy, demonstrating techniques with Growlithe, offering encouragement, correcting mistakes.
Xiu realized he still had much to learn, not just about theory, but about the art of practical Pokémon training, the intuitive communication required.
He also gained valuable insights into how Pokémon actually learned and manifested their skills – a process far more complex and nuanced than simply selecting an attack from a game menu.
'Maybe I can apply some of these principles to Abra and Scyther later…'
"Choo~"
After a long period of trying – focusing, gathering internal heat, attempting controlled exhalations – Vulpix's nose began to twitch uncontrollably. It let out an involuntary sneeze. But this time, mixed with the sneeze, a tiny shower of bright orange sparks erupted briefly from its mouth before fizzling out. Ember.
Accidental, uncontrolled, but undeniably fire.
Yuto whooped with delight. "Yes! You did it, Vulpix! It came out! We finally got it!" He turned to Shirley, grinning broadly. "See? Progress!"
Even more excited than Yuto was Growlithe, who started barking happily and jumping around Vulpix as if celebrating the achievement, its tail wagging furiously like a furry metronome.
Shirley herself stared at the spot where the sparks had appeared, her eyes wide with astonishment, then slowly blooming with pride. It was the first time her Vulpix had successfully produced fire on command (even if accidentally triggered). A small, hesitant smile spread across her face, genuine and bright.
But Xiu quickly brought them back to reality. "Okay, good start," he interjected calmly, cutting through the excitement. "But that sneeze-induced spark used energy. Your turn now, Shirley. Did you bring the recovery snacks, the water? Vulpix needs to replenish its energy immediately after using a new skill, especially for the first time."
"Huh?" Shirley snapped out of her daze, startled by Xiu's practical reminder. "Oh! Ah! Yes, I brought them!" She fumbled in her small backpack, retrieving the specially prepared nutrient-rich food pellets and a water bottle, hurrying over to offer them to the slightly confused but pleased Vulpix.
Xiu watched her interact with Vulpix, offering quiet encouragement, praising the small Pokémon. He didn't interfere, just observed.
The training continued for the rest of the morning. By the time they stopped, Vulpix, through concentrated effort guided by Yuto and encouraged by Shirley, could consistently produce small, controlled puffs of Ember, holding the flame for a second or two before it dissipated. It was a minor achievement in the grand scheme, but for Shirley, it felt monumental.
The walk back to the villa was markedly different from the walk there. Shirley, previously quiet and reserved, now chattered excitedly the entire way, recounting Vulpix's progress, already planning future training sessions, her earlier gloom completely replaced by enthusiastic energy.
As they neared the house, however, Xiu paused. "Alright," he announced. "You two head back. I won't be joining you for afternoon training."
His words immediately caught their attention. Yuto looked surprised, but Shirley's excited expression faltered, replaced by confusion and a hint of disappointment. She looked directly at him, waiting for an explanation.
"What's up?" Yuto asked openly.
Xiu offered his usual enigmatic smile, directing it slightly more towards Shirley. "It's the weekend," he stated simply. "I have some… personal business to attend to. Need to head back into the city and visit the Pokémon Center."
Yuto accepted the explanation readily enough, shrugging. But Shirley seemed to understand the unspoken message, the reminder of their shared goal, their upcoming 'test'. A thoughtful, determined expression settled on her face.
— — —
Later that afternoon, inside the bustling Fuchsia City Pokémon Center.
Xiu sat discreetly at one of the public computer terminals in the corner, scrolling through encrypted email messages received from Xiaoyuan.
Progress at the hidden printing factory and the newly established 'second-hand bookstore' front was exceeding his expectations. Xiaoyuan, empowered by responsibility and driven by her own desire for independence, was proving incredibly capable.
Sales were strong, revenue significantly boosted by expanding their catalogue beyond basic guides to include more specialized texts and even some popular non-Pokémon related books, all sourced from his initial 'acquisition' from Ōto's database. She was already laying the groundwork for expansion into nearby cities, just as he'd instructed.
'Excellent.' He typed out a coded reply, offering praise, cautioning her against complacency, reminding her of security protocols, and outlining the next phase of operational expansion and risk mitigation.
He emphasized the need to keep the printing operation completely isolated, funneling products through anonymous channels to the bookstore front. Plausible deniability remains key. He knew Xiaoyuan could handle it; her success so far spoke volumes – she deserved it.
Finished with business communications, Xiu logged off the terminal and walked towards the Pokémon Center's battle arena wing. Time for the other reason he'd come here today: reconnaissance.
He remembered the arena area being relatively quiet during his weekday visit. Today, however, was Saturday. The atmosphere was completely different. The spectator stands surrounding the three battlefields were packed, easily two-thirds full, buzzing with noise and excitement.
Families clustered together, couples on dates, groups of friends – watching amateur Pokémon battles seemed to be a popular weekend pastime in Fuchsia City, especially in an era with fewer readily available entertainment options.
And the participants on the fields were different too. Mostly children and teenagers, battling with earnest intensity, their parents or siblings cheering them on from the stands. Far fewer adults were battling compared to his previous visit.
He remembered Shirley mentioning this – weekends when students from the local Trainer schools converged here for practice battles, sometimes supervised by teachers, sometimes just competing amongst themselves for bragging rights or small rewards offered by the Pokémon Center.
Shirley herself had apparently participated a couple of times when she first got Vulpix, only to be discouraged after suffering humiliating defeats, likely at the hands of Chanel. Seniors like Yuto, focused on high-level competitions or specialized training, and rarely bothered with these weekend skirmishes anymore.
Xiu scanned the crowded stands, his eyes searching. It didn't take long. He spotted her near the front row, surrounded by a small group of admiring classmates – Chanel. Holding court, laughing, occasionally offering condescending commentary on the battles below. Her Eevee sat primly beside her.
Xiu felt no urgency. He found an unobtrusive seat higher up in the stands, partially obscured by a pillar, and settled in to watch. Observe Chanel's battling style, analyze Eevee's movements and abilities, gather intelligence. Preparation was key.