"Does the Professor know this young man?" Nurse Joy asked, her professional curiosity evident as she observed the familiarity between Bao Ba and Xiu, despite their formal interaction during the 'feedback' session.
"Ah, this is Xiu," Bao Ba replied casually, clapping Xiu on the shoulder again. "He used to help out part-time at my park's Rescue Station. Good kid, hard worker. You might even remember, Nurse Joy – that incident a while back? When your transport convoy heading towards the Conservation Association drop-off was attacked by hunters? This young man was indirectly involved in the aftermath…"
As Bao Ba recounted a sanitized version of events with Xiu listening intently. He inadvertently learned another piece of the puzzle: the Hunter Organization hadn't just targeted the park; they'd brazenly attacked an official League/Pokémon Center convoy associated with Dragonair before it even reached the park.
'Lawless,' Xiu thought grimly. Offending both Nurse Joy's network and potentially League Rangers simultaneously…
"...and the compliance rate for the practicals this time reached nearly forty percent, despite the increased difficulty," Nurse Joy was saying, shifting back to the exam discussion. "The scoring adjustments seem to have worked…"
"The next phase of reform should focus on refining the practical scenarios…" Bao Ba countered, launching into a technical discussion about examination methodology.
Xiu tuned out their professional debate. After a few more minutes of discussion, another staff member who looked like Nurse Joy's assistant approached, and she excused herself, offering Xiu a final, polite nod before departing.
Xiu followed Bao Ba out of the Certification Center towards a nearby parking structure. They navigated the rows of vehicles until Bao Ba stopped beside a rugged-looking pickup truck, painted a deep blue-black, clearly modified for durability, quite different from the standard city cars parked around it.
"Alright, hop in," Bao Ba instructed, unlocking the doors and climbing into the driver's seat. Xiu complied, settling into the passenger side.
As Bao Ba expertly maneuvered the truck out of the parking structure and into the city traffic, he finally addressed the unspoken tension.
"So," He began, his tone carefully neutral, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Why leave without a word? Not satisfied with the park's bonus compensation, were you?"
Though his voice was level, Xiu detected an underlying note of… disappointment? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew his abrupt departure, without even a word to the man who had arguably saved his life and given him his start, was discourteous at best. Explaining the complex web of fear, paranoia, and calculated risk felt impossible, inadequate. He opted for the simplest, most relatable truth.
"I was scared, Director," He admitted quietly, staring out the side window.
"Ha~" Bao Ba let out a short, sharp sound, halfway between a scoff and a laugh. Disdain colored his tone. "Scared? Of what? Retaliation from the Hunters?"
"You might not need to be afraid, Director," Xiu replied softly. "You have resources, connections, power. I'm just… an ordinary person."
"No, no, you misunderstand," Bao Ba shook his head, glancing briefly at Xiu. "You don't know how those people operate. The Hunter Organization, syndicates like them… they're driven purely by profit and self-interest. Morality, good, evil – those concepts are irrelevant to them. Revenge? Only if it serves a purpose, eliminates a future threat, or recovers significant assets. They dared to attack Nurse Joy's convoy, yes, because the potential profit from capturing the Dragonair outweighed the risk."
He continued, his tone becoming more analytical. "But you? Now that Dragonair is gone, beyond their reach… what value do you hold to them? You're an obstacle removed, an insignificant footnote. Wasting resources hunting down a low-level park employee with no connection to their primary target? It's illogical. Bad business. They wouldn't bother."
Xiu just chuckled softly, a dry, humorless sound. "Perhaps," He conceded. "But I couldn't afford to bet my life on their 'business logic', could I?"
Hearing that, Bao Ba seemed to finally grasp the depth of Xiu's fear, the calculated pragmatism behind his seemingly paranoid flight. His lips moved as if to say something, then pressed thin. He remained silent for a moment, then sighed, a hint of genuine regret in his voice. "You're right. That… that is indeed my oversight. I should have explained this to you immediately after the incident. Reassured you. I just thought… minimizing your contact, keeping you uninvolved…" He trailed off again, shaking his head slightly. The truck continued in silence for a while.
Xiu watched the cityscape change as they drove, heading towards the southeastern districts of Vermilion City. Eventually, the dense urban environment gave way to greener, more affluent suburbs. The truck turned into a quiet, gated community, finally pulling up before a modern, stylish three-story house set back from the road behind a well-tended garden.
"Come on in," Bao Ba said, switching off the engine. He led Xiu through a gate, up a stone pathway winding through flowering bushes, past a small decorative pond with a trickling water feature. The house itself was sleek, contemporary, built with reinforced concrete and large glass panels.
Inside, the main hall was bright, airy, open-plan. The decor was minimalist, functional, yet clearly of high-quality – a stark contrast to the heavier, more traditional styles popular elsewhere in the city. It felt clean, uncluttered, and modern.
Before Xiu could take in much more, the sound of light footsteps came from the upper staircase. A young girl, perhaps ten or eleven years old, skipped down the stairs.
"Grandpa, you're back!" she chirped brightly.
She was impeccably dressed in a pure white lace dress, her dark hair styled neatly, framing an exquisitely doll-like face. Her voice was lively, filled with the natural exuberance of childhood.
"Shirley, my dear," Bao Ba beamed, his gruff exterior melting away in her presence. He turned to Xiu. "Xiu, this is my granddaughter, Shirley. Shirley, this young man is Xiu. Quite the genius, actually – just passed his Junior Breeder certification after only a month of self-study!"
Xiu felt slightly embarrassed by the exaggerated introduction but offered the girl a polite smile. "Hello, Shirley. I'm Xiu."
"Hello," Shirley replied curtly, her gaze indifferent. She offered no further conversation, immediately heading towards the large sofa in the living area, turning on the television.
Xiu didn't mind her dismissal; his attention had already been captured by something else coming down the stairs behind her.
A small, fox-like Pokémon, roughly the size of a house cat, hopped down the steps gracefully. Its fur was a soft, plush reddish-brown, except for a creamy white underbelly and chest. Curly orange tufts adorned the top of its head like a cap, framing intelligent, pointed ears that twitched inquisitively.
Its eyes were large and striking – a deep, warm brown, but lacking distinct pupils, giving them an unusual, solid amber appearance. And trailing behind it were not one, but three distinct, bushy, orange-tipped tails, swishing leisurely.
The Pokémon trotted over to the sofa, leaped up beside Shirley, and curled contentedly against her, the picture of comfortable companionship.
"Vulpix?" Xiu murmured under his breath, frowning slightly.
The Pokémon certainly looked like a Vulpix. But… three tails? Everything he knew – from the official Illustrated Guides he'd studied, from the games of his past life – stated Vulpix hatched with one white tail, which gradually split into six as it matured. Three tails? That wasn't right. It contradicted all established data.
"Director," Xiu asked, turning to Bao Ba, unable to contain his curiosity, "that Pokémon… it looks like a Vulpix, but… why does it only have three tails?"
Bao Ba chuckled knowingly. "Ah, yes. Understandable confusion. It's normal you wouldn't know; even many experienced breeders are unaware. What the standard Illustrated Guides often neglect to mention…" He leaned in slightly, his expression turning serious and pedagogical – the expert breeder emerging.
"Vulpix isn't born with six tails," He explained patiently. "That number signifies maturity. When a Vulpix hatches, its fur is much lighter, almost pale yellow, and it possesses only a single, pure white tail. As it grows, its coat darkens to the familiar reddish-brown, and that single tail gradually begins to split from the tip downwards. Two tails, then three, four, five… reaching the full six indicates it has reached physical maturity. Only then does it typically remain at six until evolution."
Bao Ba's explanation clarified the physical appearance, but raised another, more fundamental question in Xiu's mind.
"But… why isn't this mentioned in any of the standard Illustrated Guides?" Xiu pressed, bewildered. "I've cross-referenced several different editions, different publishers. None of them detail this developmental process!"
"Which Illustrated Guides have you been looking at?" Bao Ba asked casually, though his eyes held a keen interest.
Xiu listed the titles he'd studied, the pirated copies he possessed, and the genuine Ōto Bookstore editions he'd acquired.
Bao Ba listened patiently, then nodded slowly, a knowing expression on his face. He didn't offer a direct explanation immediately. Instead, he gestured towards the staircase.
"Come with me," He said, a cryptic smile touching his lips. "Up to my study. I think seeing something firsthand will make things clearer."