Chapter 194: Preparation
Professor Oak's shoulders slumped slightly, the resignation in his posture palpable.
Xiu watched him, understanding the older man's reluctance. Oak saw the logic, the grim necessity even, but the collateral damage clearly weighed on him. He knows it's the most direct path toward results, but he can't stomach the method. Without irrefutable proof against the higher-ups, official channels were a dead end— a bureaucratic quagmire designed to protect the influential.
And the victims… very little would cry for their justice.
"Without clear evidence, Professor," Xiu stated, his voice regaining its usual calm, the earlier intensity receding, "Head Nurse Joy's hands are tied against the real players. Official investigations get bogged down and the powerful walk away clean." He paused, letting the implication hang.
"This chaos… it creates opportunities. A chance to force their hand, expose cracks, make them react. It's likely the only chance we'll get before they consolidate and erase all traces."
Oak let out a long, weary sigh, shaking his head slowly. "I... I can't do it Xiu. But I won't stand in your way either." He turned, his steps heavy as he walked away. "Do what you must."
Xiu watched him go, a flicker of understanding and pity in his eyes. He sees the board so clearly, but lacks the stomach to do what's necessary. Then, the thought was pushed aside, replaced by a cold and calculating glint in his eyes.
His reluctance doesn't change the facts. This wasn't just about striking back or seeking some abstract justice. It was pragmatic. The current stability, fragile as it was, simply wasn't enough. Viridian City needed a sharper shock, a more pronounced panic, for Xiu's own plans to truly bear fruit.
Their desperation is my opportunity. Head Nurse Joy wants accountability, and Professor Oak wants stability… and I need chaos to serve my self-interests. He needed the hidden players to bleed, to make mistakes and commit blunders.
Pushing these thoughts down, he turned and headed towards the designated rendezvous point – a secluded loading dock behind a temporarily closed section of the Pokémon Center.
Sachiko was already there, flanked by a dozen figures clad in nondescript dark uniforms – clearly Pokémon Center security or a dedicated response team, distinct from the regular nurses and staff. They moved with a quiet efficiency that spoke of training.
In front of them rested several crates filled with standard-issue Poké Balls. Xiu noted, however, that these likely had modified locking mechanisms – designed simply to contain, not to foster partnership.
"You're here," Sachiko acknowledged his arrival with a nod, her expression serious and focused. She gestured towards the team. "Anything you want to add before I brief them?"
Xiu waved a dismissive hand, stepping back to observe. "No. Proceed." Let her command her team.
Sachiko turned back to her unit. Her voice was crisp, professional, leaving no room for doubt. "Alright, listen up. The mission profile is irregular. We're leveraging confiscated Pokémon," she indicated the crates of Poké Balls, "for a targeted strike. Your objective is to infiltrate and cause significant, visible damage to the designated target – the Viridian City Bug Gym."
She paused, ensuring she had their full attention. "Choose your Pokémon from these crates. Speed is essential – you need to establish basic compliance immediately towards the Pokémon you've chosen. We move out within the hour."
"Yes, Ma'am!" The response was disciplined, unified. The team members moved forward methodically, selecting Poké Balls, their faces grimly determined.
Xiu watched them, noting the types of Pokémon being chosen – Rattata, Ekans, Zubat, Koffing – common and disposable, the typical tools of low-level thugs. These Pokémon are already accustomed to being tools, not partners.
Minimal loyalty, maximum obedience under duress. Perfect for this operation. He didn't need to choose; the dozen or so Pokémon he'd acquired from the warehouse raid were already subdued, their Poké Balls secure in his bag. Abra's passive psychic pressure likely kept them docile without conscious effort.
He found himself observing Sachiko more closely. Her bearing, her command presence, the way the team responded to her – it was impressive. She carries the 'Joy' family name, after all. He recalled Oak's occasional comments and his own observations.
Unlike the common staff, possessing that surname marked her as part of the core echelons of the Joy family, likely groomed for leadership, privy to the organization's deeper workings. It wasn't just about healing; the Joy family had influence, resources, and clearly, a capacity for decisive, even covert, action when necessary. She's more than just an assistant.
Sachiko must have felt his gaze. She turned, catching his eye, and walked over, her expression unreadable. "Is there a problem?" she asked, her voice neutral.
"No problem," Xiu replied smoothly. "Just observing. Wondering why you haven't selected your own team from the crates."
A faint, almost challenging glint appeared in her eyes. "Are you implying I'm unprepared?"
Before Xiu could formulate a response, she gave a slight, knowing smile. "Don't worry about me." She seemed about to say more when Xiu preempted her.
"I wasn't worried," he stated, pulling a single Poké Ball from his belt. With a flick of his wrist, he released the Pokémon inside. An Arbok materialized on the concrete floor, its hood flaring instinctively before it caught sight of Xiu. A visible tremor ran through its body.
"Turn around," Xiu commanded quietly, making a simple hand gesture.
Despite its obvious fear – a lingering imprint from their encounter the previous night – the Arbok obeyed instantly, coiling slightly and rotating its body to face away from them.
Sachiko watched the exchange, her eyebrows rising slightly. A small, intrigued smile played on her lips. "...Interesting," she murmured, looking from the subdued Arbok back to Xiu. "Very well. Let's finalize the approach route."
— — —
AN:
In all honesty, Xiu's character is very weird.
His persona doesn't just solely seem to come from his past on earth, but also that of his current body. It's like you have Ka Xiu and Li Xiu meshed together and thus I call him Xiu.
It's like Higashikata Josuke (Part 8) without the retrograde amnesia but instead with a very weird yet working sense of identity.
Tell me what you think.