046: Xiao Hao's First Depression!!
"Xiaohao, wait up! You're way too fast!" Stephanie whom the students affectionately called Xiaochun finally caught up, rushing into the bus almost two minutes after Xiaohao had boarded. Her breathing was labored, and her cheeks were flushed from exertion.
"Xiaochun, hurry!" Xiaohao called back, glancing toward the rear of the bus. "We're already late, and everyone else's been waiting because of us. We don't want to hold them up any longer."
"We're really sorry, everyone," he added a bit more loudly. "Didn't mean to make you all wait."
Xiaochun didn't even pause to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Still gasping for breath, she bowed slightly and offered an earnest apology. "We're really sorry for the delay, everyone. Thanks for your patience!"
"It's okay~"
"Actually, it wasn't that long." A few students offered words of forgiveness, clearly softening under Xiaochun's sincere tone. Her demeanor was gentle and polite, and it stood in stark contrast to the earlier atmosphere. When Xiaohao had apologized just minutes before, there was visible annoyance especially from the boys in the front row, nicknamed Fatty and Xiaohu who had mumbled complaints under their breath.
But when Xiaochun spoke, the reaction was completely different.
Fatty and Xiaohu, who had scowled at Xiaohao's earlier apology, now smiled with awkward friendliness and even responded flatteringly to Xiaochun's words.
"Thank you so much," Xiaochun nodded politely, then reached into the small pink-red handbag slung over her shoulder and pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief. With it, she dabbed the sweat from her forehead.
"Xiaohao, want to use it too?" she asked, catching up to him as they moved down the narrow bus aisle. She offered the handkerchief with a smile, holding it toward him with care.
"No need." Xiaohao turned his head slightly to glance at it, returning her smile. But behind that warm exterior, a brief flicker of something else passed through his eyes disgust, veiled by courtesy, and a sliver of disdain, gone in an instant.
"Oh," Xiaochun murmured, missing the fleeting emotion. She folded the handkerchief gently and tucked it back into her little bag without hesitation.
She glanced around the interior of the bus, noting how nearly every seat was already taken. Her brow furrowed with concern, and she tugged lightly on the edge of Xiaohao's shirt sleeve. "Xiaohao... where should we sit? It looks like the bus is almost full!"
The boy didn't respond immediately. His eyes swept the cabin quickly, calculating, seeking. A few seconds later, he spotted a lone empty seat beside a quiet-looking boy near the middle of the bus. His expression brightened at once.
"Xiaochun, I found one!" he called, pointing. "I'll sit here."
Xiaohao stepped forward briskly, pulled a tissue from his pocket, and carefully wiped the surface of the cushion before sitting down. It was an unconscious habit, as if concerned about cleanliness or appearances.
"There's only one?" Xiaochun asked when she reached him. Her gaze darted between Xiaohao and the student beside him. Her face drooped a little. "Then… we won't get to sit together."
She tried to hide her disappointment, but her voice betrayed it.
But Xiaohao didn't take it to heart. He didn't even bother asking the boy next to him to trade seats or shift over. Instead, he smiled as he turned to reassure his childhood friend.
"Don't worry, Xiaochun. There are probably still open seats further back. You don't need to stick with me the whole time. Since we're here at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp, you should also take the chance to meet new friends maybe even some from Johto or Hoenn!"
"This… alright." Xiaochun's face visibly dimmed. Her delicate hands clutched the strap of her pink shoulder bag tightly, and her timid gaze drifted through the aisle as she walked further back in the bus, searching for a free spot. Though her signature hairclip from Vermilion's school uniform glinted under the bus lights, no one paid her any attention.
Meanwhile, Xiaohao completely unaware of her disappointment turned toward the two boys seated next to him with growing excitement.
"Hi! I'm Xiaohao from Vermilion City! Are you two from the Kalos region? I'd love to be friends if you don't mind!" he introduced himself eagerly, referencing the exchange program between Kalos and Kanto students recently mentioned in the camp briefing.
However, the reaction he got was far from the friendly response he expected.
The two boys, who had just been cheerfully discussing something in hushed tones, immediately stopped smiling and turned toward him with clear annoyance.
"We were talking about applying for internships at Professor Oak's Laboratory after our Trainer debut. Do you have to interrupt?" the boy named Si Cong snapped.
"Exactly. You totally broke our train of thought just now," added the boy beside him, Xiao Lin, with a scowl.
Instead of feeling embarrassed or backing off, Xiaohao's eyes lit up with interest.
"Really?! You're both hoping to intern at Professor Oak's Lab too?! That's amazing!" he exclaimed, completely oblivious to their irritation. "That must mean you both want to be Pokémon Scholars, right? Just like Professor Westwood V or Elm!"
"…Why should I tell you?" Si Cong's eyes narrowed as he leaned back with his arms crossed, his voice now sharper. "You're just nosy. You interrupted our conversation, and now you're acting like we're friends?"
In truth, both Si Cong and Xiao Lin weren't known for their patience. Although they had been keeping up appearances especially after staying two nights at Gary Oak's guesthouse, where Gary had been unusually polite—they were already reaching their limits.
Gary, grandson of the famed Professor Oak and a rising star among Pallet Town's youth, had offered them a tour of the lab, shared video logs of Pokémon fieldwork, and even invited them to dine with actual researchers. But all that effort only masked their inflated sense of superiority.
And now, this self-important kid from Vermilion dared to act familiar?
Still grinning, Xiaohao continued, not noticing the frost in their eyes.
"Actually, I also want to become a Pokémon Scholar one day just like you two! That's why I came to Pallet Town. I want to get closer to Professor Oak and hopefully secure a future spot at his lab."
He straightened up proudly and added, "Plus, my best friend Claire is Professor Sakuragi's daughter—yes, the Sakuragi, the prominent researcher at the Vermilion Institute of Pokémon Research. If you want, I can introduce you to her once we arrive!"
"If Professor Oak's internship program doesn't work out for you, maybe Professor Sakuragi's lab in Vermilion City could be your next option," Xiaohao said confidently, flashing a smile as he extended his hand to the two boys. "So how about it? Let's be friends."
But instead of the excitement or gratitude he was hoping for, he was met with glares and open disdain.
"Heh you want to be friends with us?" Si Cong sneered, turning up his nose. "Do you think you're even qualified?"
Xiao Lin let out a cold chuckle and folded his arms. "You say you want to be a Pokémon Scholar, but do you even understand what that means?"
"Becoming a real Pokémon researcher isn't about name-dropping or trying to act important," Si Cong continued. "It's about genuine curiosity wanting to unravel the mysteries of Pokémon evolution, ecosystems, and behavior, just like Professor Rowan or Birch."
"This camp isn't just a social gathering," Xiao Lin added. "It's a rare opportunity to observe Pokémon up close some kids would do anything for that."
"But you? You've said nothing about the Pokémon themselves. Where's the spark in your eyes when you talk about meeting one for the first time, or watching a wild Caterpie evolve into Metapod?"
"To be honest," Si Cong leaned in coldly, "you don't seem to have any true love for Pokémon at all."
"Which makes us seriously doubt whether your so-called dream of becoming a Pokémon Scholar is even real."
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