Chapter 246: Daisy
"Well, Daisy," Xiu replied, his tone polite but firm, "as the Professor's current assistant, caring for the Pokémon is my responsibility now." He casually released Scizor, Abra, and Happiny from their Poké Balls.
"But I appreciate the thought." He was a busy person, and frankly, there was no time to entertain a bored young woman, no matter how well-connected she was.
Daisy didn't seem surprised by the appearance of his Pokémon; Professor Oak had likely mentioned them. Instead, she observed them with open curiosity. "Big Brother Xiu," she commented, her voice bright, "your Pokémon are… rather unusual."
"Mhm," Xiu nodded noncommittally, already moving to prepare their morning exercise regimen, clearly not intending to elaborate.
Undeterred by his lack of engagement, Daisy persisted, her attention drawn to Scizor's striking black and gold carapace. "Why is your Scizor black? It looks so… cool!"
"He's simply built different." Xiu replied curtly, still focused on his tasks. He knew she was just trying to make conversation, and he didn't want to be entirely rude, but his patience for small talk was limited, especially when he had work to do.
Her gaze then shifted to Happiny, who was already happily toddling towards a patch of sunbeams. "And this little one!" Daisy exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "It's adorable! My teacher brought one to class once, but we weren't allowed to actually play with it." She squatted down, looking at Happiny with delight, though she hesitated to reach out and touch it.
"It's Happiny," Xiu corrected mentally, then said aloud, "I found her when she was just an egg."
Daisy's presence, however well-intentioned, had disrupted his morning routine. He couldn't just leave her standing there while he went about his work. With an inward sigh, he finished outlining the morning exercises for Scizor and Abra, then turned back towards the warehouse.
"Excuse me, Daisy," he said, his tone polite but final. "I need to prepare the morning feed for the Pokémon in the backyard."
He expected her to remain outside, perhaps observe his Pokémon, or wander off to find something else to occupy her time. To his dismay, she followed him into the dim, cluttered interior of the warehouse. What a drag... he thought, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face.
"I remember the warehouse being much… emptier… before," Daisy commented, looking around with a curious frown.
As if on cue, roused by their voices, Xiaochun emerged from her partitioned-off sleeping area, rubbing her eyes. She was wearing a thin, oversized t-shirt and shorts – likely some of the hand-me-downs Daisy herself had outgrown – and her dark hair was sleep-tousled.
Last night had been warm, and faint sweat stains darkened the collar of her shirt. She looked disheveled, vulnerable, and entirely out of place.
"This is…" Daisy began, her eyes widening in surprise. Clearly, Professor Oak hadn't mentioned Xiaochun.
"My younger sister," Xiu interjected smoothly, stepping forward to position himself slightly between the two girls. "Her name is Chun. You can call her Xiaochun."
"Oh! Hello, Xiaochun," Daisy said, recovering quickly, offering a friendly smile. Xiaochun, however, merely stared back, her expression blank, unreadable. The silence stretched, becoming awkward.
"She… has a throat condition," Xiu explained hastily. "Can't speak."
"Oh, I see," Daisy murmured, her smile faltering slightly, replaced by a look of sympathy. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Xiaochun."
"Chun," Xiu said, gently taking the younger girl's hand, "this is Professor Oak's granddaughter, Miss Daisy."
Xiaochun still offered no visible reaction, her gaze remaining fixed, unnervingly calm.
Xiu, not wanting to prolong the awkwardness, gently coaxed Xiaochun back towards her sleeping area. "Go get dressed, Chun. I'll prepare breakfast." He then turned back to the main warehouse area, focusing on measuring out the various Poké-feeds. Daisy, despite her initial surprise, followed him, her curiosity clearly piqued by Xiaochun's sudden appearance.
What followed was an excruciatingly tedious half-hour of Xiu trying to work while Daisy attempted to engage him in conversation, asking endless questions about his Pokémon, his work for her grandfather, and his relationship with Xiaochun. He kept his answers brief, focusing on his tasks, hoping she would eventually take the hint and leave him in peace.
Finally, the feed preparations were complete. Xiaochun emerged, now dressed in clean, if ill-fitting, clothes, and began her usual morning routine of taking the Pidgey for a walk in the backyard.
Daisy watched Xiaochun leave with a fleeting expression crossing her face, but Xiu didn't notice. He was too focused on his own work, pushing the heavy feed cart out of the warehouse and beginning his rounds of the backyard corrals.
To his continued dismay, Daisy trailed after him like a shadow. He tried to ignore her, but her presence was… distracting. Xiaochun, when she assisted him, moved with a quiet efficiency, anticipating his needs, never intruding.
Daisy, however well-meaning, felt like that one extrovert from work. I still owe her grandfather thirty million PokéDollars, he reminded himself grimly. Best to remain polite, however irritating her persistence.
He quickened his pace, trying to finish his chores as rapidly as possible, eager to retreat to the solitude of his own partitioned space. But even after he'd completed his rounds, Daisy was still there even when he returned the empty feed cart to the warehouse.
"Miss Daisy," Xiu finally said, his patience wearing thin, "is there… something I can help you with?" Please, just take the hint and leave.
"Oh!" Daisy looked up, as if startled from a reverie. "Well, Grandpa and Gary left early this morning for something, I think. So, I'm… rather free at the moment."
You have nothing to do then, Xiu translated internally. No wonder she's been so persistent. He sighed, a wave of resignation washing over him. He turned and began preparing breakfast for his own Pokémon.
Happiny seemed to possess a well-developed sense of when food was imminent. It abandoned its playtime with the other Pokémon and toddled eagerly towards Xiu as he began portioning out their respective Pokéblocks.
"There you are, you little glutton," Xiu chuckled, scooping up Happiny. He playfully squished its soft, egg-like body, then set it down before its bowl. "Yours," he said, pushing the bowl forward. Happiny, true to form, immediately buried its face in the food, ignoring Xiu's admonishment to "Eat slowly! Don't choke!"
He then prepared Scizor's and Abra's meals. Scizor, since its evolution, could now use its powerful pincers to manipulate a spoon, allowing it to feed itself, a significant improvement over its Scyther days when Xiu had to practically hand-feed it.
After distributing the rations, Xiu settled onto the grass with his own meager breakfast – a piece of dry bread – and pulled out his research notebook, intending to review his notes on the purple flower formula.
"You and your Pokémon seem to have a very good relationship, Big Brother Xiu," Daisy commented, seating herself gracefully on the grass nearby.
"Mhm." Xiu replied, closing his notebook with a sigh. He looked at her. "Alright, Daisy. What is it?"
Daisy rested her chin on her arms, which were clasped around her knees, and looked up at him, a hint of playful resentment in her voice. "Am I really that annoying, Big Brother Xiu? Can't I just chat with you if I have nothing better to do?"
Xiu blinked, taken aback by her directness. If he made her cry… Professor Oak would likely have his hide. He sighed again, a sound of reluctant surrender. "Fine. What did you want to talk about?"