"Get up!" Xiu's voice, calm but firm, came from just outside Shirley's bedroom door, accompanied by a light, polite knock.
A muffled groan came from within, followed by rustling sounds. After a moment, the door creaked open a few inches, revealing Shirley, her hair a tangled mess, eyes barely open, peering up at him sleepily.
"Ugh, so sleepy," She mumbled, leaning against the doorframe. "It's the weekend... can't I sleep in just a little?"
Xiu regarded her disheveled state with a faint, teasing smile. "Only two days into our 'special training' and you're already giving up?" He chided gently, his tone deliberately light but carrying an underlying challenge. "Tsk, tsk. Looks like Chanel might win after all~"
The mention of her rival's name was like an electric shock. Shirley's sleepy eyes snapped wide open. "No way!" she declared indignantly, and without another word, she slammed the door shut. "Wait! Give me a minute!" came her muffled voice from inside.
Xiu leaned casually against the doorframe, pulling out one of the Stationmaster's notebooks, flipping it open to review his notes from the previous night.
Just then, Yuto emerged from his own room down the hall, already dressed in sportswear. Seeing Xiu waiting, he grinned. "Morning, Xiu! Up already?"
Xiu glanced up from his book, nodded towards Shirley's closed door, and replied casually, "Waiting for Sleeping Beauty to change."
Yuto chuckled knowingly. "Only you seem to be able to actually get her out of bed on time. Usually, even on school days, she ignores me until the absolute last minute. Makes me late half the time…"
His complaint was cut off as Shirley's door burst open again. She emerged, hair hastily tied back, now wearing practical sportswear, though a trace of sleepiness still lingered in her eyes. "What were you just saying about me?" she demanded, glaring at her brother.
"N-nothing!" Yuto stammered, instantly backtracking with an awkward smile. "Just… nice weather today, isn't it?" He quickly sidestepped past her and hurried downstairs.
"He was definitely talking bad about me," Shirley muttered under her breath, watching Yuto's hasty retreat.
"Come on," Xiu interrupted, closing his notebook. "You've already wasted five minutes." He turned and headed for the stairs, ignoring the simmering sibling banter.
Down in the backyard, the morning air was cool and fresh. Xiu released Scyther from its Poké Ball, then looked expectantly at Shirley. "Alright, same routine as yesterday. Release Vulpix. Morning run first."
Shirley obediently tossed her Poké Ball. Vulpix emerged, stretching languidly like a cat waking from a nap, its three tails fluffing out before settling.
"Follow me!" Xiu commanded, breaking into a steady jog around the perimeter of the large backyard. Scyther fell in beside him instantly, its movements fluid and powerful. Vulpix, after a moment's hesitation, trotted after them, followed reluctantly by Shirley.
Yuto, meanwhile, was already several laps ahead, running easily alongside his energetic Growlithe. Their pace was relaxed, clearly part of a well-established daily routine.
Xiu and Scyther maintained a brisk pace. Yuto and Growlithe kept up effortlessly. Vulpix, despite being a Pokémon, began to lag after only a few laps, its small legs struggling to keep up, though it persisted. Shirley, however, quickly fell far behind, her initial jog devolving into a slow walk, then practically a shuffle, looking utterly miserable.
'Like a salted fish drying in the sun,' Xiu thought with amusement, but didn't push her.— at least she's moving, definitely better than the first day.
After the run, Xiu split off from Yuto and Scyther (who immediately began their own more intense training drills). He called Shirley over to the patio table where he'd laid out various ingredients. 'Time for lesson two: Pokémon nutrition.'
"Morning exercise is basic conditioning," He explained, guiding her through the process of mixing Vulpix's breakfast. "It burns energy and builds stamina in the process, so the post-exercise meal needs to replenish that energy and support muscle recovery.
The ratios change compared to a regular meal…" He walked her through adjusting the proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, and specific berries based on the intensity of the exercise Vulpix had just completed.
With his guidance over the past couple of days, Shirley was becoming surprisingly adept at preparing the basic rations correctly. Now, he focused on teaching her the why behind the formulas, how to adapt them based on changing needs.
Once Vulpix's specialized breakfast was prepared, Xiu paused their physical training for the morning, instead outlining the skill-focused drills he wanted Shirley to work on later while he supervised Scyther. He was assigning Vulpix's training directly as Shirley still lacked the knowledge to design effective drills herself.
Yuto finished his own cool-down routine with Growlithe nearby. Neither of them seemed remotely winded by the run— for them, it was clearly just a light warm-up. Growlithe looked bright-eyed and eager for more activity.
"Hey, Xiu," Yuto asked casually as he toweled off, "where's Abra? Haven't seen it the last couple of days."
"Abra's undergoing some specialized psychic training with Alakazam," Xiu replied vaguely. "Not sure when it'll be back."
Scyther, overhearing the mention of Abra, paused its drills momentarily, glancing towards Xiu.
Xiu caught the look and offered a subtle, reassuring nod. "It's okay..."
"By the way, Yuto," Xiu continued, changing the subject smoothly. "I need to start working on Vulpix's Fire-type skills later today. Flamethrower control, Ember precision… that kind of thing. Honestly, it's outside my direct experience. Could you maybe… check my plan? Offer some pointers? Since Growlithe is also a Fire-type…"
Xiu knew his limitations. He could research theoreticals, design drills based on logic, but practical experience with Fire-type energy manipulation was something he lacked.
Yuto, having trained Growlithe presumably since he was ten, would have invaluable hands-on insights. 'This was probably part of Bao Ba's plan all along,' Xiu realized. Giving Shirley a Vulpix, knowing Yuto could indirectly help guide its training… 'If only Yuto hadn't been so preoccupied with his own affairs before.'
"Sure, no problem!" Yuto agreed readily. "Happy to help, actually!" His eyes lit up, "Grandpa's busy today, so I was planning on taking Growlithe out for some field training anyway. Why don't you and Shirley come with us? We can head down to the riverbank area where I usually train. Plenty of space there."
"Your grandpa usually trains with you?" Xiu asked, surprised.
"Yeah, when he's free," Yuto confirmed. "He takes me out to the Safari Zone reserve sometimes – you know, the protected area next to the park? The training out there is intense! We train with the indigenous Pokémon sometimes, the Lat…" He trailed off, possibly realizing he was sharing restricted information.
The mention of the protected area piqued Xiu's curiosity, but Yuto's next words completely derailed his train of thought.
"What kind of training?" Xiu asked.
"Oh, you know," Yuto replied casually, as if listing everyday activities. "Free-solo rock climbing, weighted endurance swimming across the river, timed treetop navigation courses, deep-water free diving for retrieval tasks, wilderness survival simulations, mountain trail endurance runs, cross-country jungle trekking…" He ticked them off on his fingers. "Sometimes we do sparring sessions with the tribal warriors too. Their Pokémon are tough. Tomiko's Rapidash is unbelievably fast…"
Xiu stared at Yuto, momentarily speechless. 'Free-solo rock climbing? Weighted swimming?' His mind struggled to reconcile the image of the friendly, easygoing teenager before him with the description of Bao Ba's apparently demonic training regimen. 'No wonder Yuto handles Growlithe like it's nothing! He's practically superhuman himself!'
'People in this world… their baseline physical capabilities were truly on another level. And Yuto, trained directly by someone like Bao Ba in such extreme conditions…'
"Uh… right," Xiu managed, quickly hiding his shock. "Sounds… nice." He decided not to ask any further questions about Yuto's 'training'.
"So," Yuto continued enthusiastically, oblivious to Xiu's internal turmoil, "we can head out after breakfast? You guys bring Vulpix, I'll bring Growlithe. We can work on fire control drills together by the river!"
"Sounds good," Xiu agreed, forcing a calm smile. He turned towards the house. "Let me just… go prepare breakfast first." He needed a moment to process the casual revelation of Yuto's insane physical conditioning.
He took over the cooking and other minor household chores willingly now; it felt like the least he could do while living under Bao Ba's roof, benefiting from his resources and protection. Besides, it gave Bao Ba more time to potentially interact with Shirley, as Xiu had suggested.
After a quick breakfast, the small group – Xiu, Yuto, Shirley, with Growlithe trotting eagerly alongside and Vulpix riding comfortably on Shirley's shoulder – headed out, following Yuto towards the training spot he'd mentioned.
Along the way, Xiu didn't waste the opportunity. He outlined his proposed fire-skill training plan for Vulpix, soliciting Yuto's feedback. As expected, Yuto's practical insights were invaluable. He easily identified potential flaws in Xiu's purely theoretical approach, suggested modifications based on his experience managing Growlithe's fire-type energy output, and offered specific drills he'd found effective.
However, Yuto's enthusiasm also highlighted his lack of social awareness again. He tended to dominate the conversation, excitedly explaining concepts primarily to Xiu, often forgetting Shirley was even part of the discussion.
Xiu had to consciously, repeatedly draw Shirley back into the conversation, asking for her input, ensuring she understood the plan being developed for her Pokémon. If he hadn't actively mediated, she would have quickly become a silent bystander again.
This villa complex was situated in the southeastern corner of Fuchsia City. After about half an hour's walk, leaving the manicured lawns and paved streets behind, they reached the edge of the undeveloped area Yuto had described – a stretch of woodland bordering a small, winding river.