Chapter 205: Him
The ugly truth settled into the Beedrill's aged consciousness. Keita, the current leader, was a pathetic opportunist, a tool used by others. His fear and incompetence led him to smother any chance the Gym had of recovering, of passing on its wisdom and teachings. He was afraid that someone more capable might emerge from within, that someone who understood the real legacy would challenge his illegitimate rule.
The old Gym Leader, the Beedrill's true master, had foreseen this conflict. He had wisely split the core inheritance: the accumulated knowledge, the secret training techniques for Beedrill, and a single sample vial of the crucial enhancement potion were hidden in the library's secret compartment.
The detailed formula for that potion, however, was entrusted to the ancient tree itself, hidden separately within the box Xiu had recovered. A safeguard. Even if one part was lost or stolen, the other might survive, preserving the potential to rebuild.
The old master had even included the sample potion, fearing future generations might lose the knowledge to replicate it without a reference. Thoughtful and cautious, yes.
But even such precautions hadn't accounted for such a swift, catastrophic collapse— so much so that it had nearly cut off the entire inheritance. Tragic.
Xiu let the silence hang for a moment, allowing the Beedrill time to process. He then gently projected his thoughts, infused with calm certainty.
He kept his own suspicions about the true orchestrator to himself. Keita was small fry.
However, the sudden, coordinated collapse of a respected Gym, the strategic elimination of heirs, the installation of an incompetent puppet… it smelled of a larger, more ruthless character behind the scenes.
Someone seeking to neutralize any opposition and consolidate control over Viridian City. One name echoed in the darker corners of the region's underworld, associated with such calculated and brutal efficiency. Giovanni. The man who would swallow the world whole.
It would explain Team Rocket's deep infiltration, their resources, and their audacity to implement such a plan. And it would explain how Giovanni, primarily known as a Ground-type specialist, possessed an unusually powerful Beedrill – using the single sample potion from the library, as a full-scale replication would have produced more than one such ace.
If Giovanni only got the sample, not the formula… that explains why we haven't seen an army of them. And now, thanks to circumstance and an old Beedrill's final plea, the complete formula, the key to that legacy, was in Xiu's hands. Giovanni's loss is my gain.
The Beedrill remained still, absorbing the information, the psychic link conveying a profound sadness. Its already faint aura flickered, threatening to extinguish entirely. The weight of loss and betrayal, seemed to settle upon it, crushing its remaining spirit.
The roots are intact, Xiu thought. In my possession. He could rebuild. Find a worthy successor, immerse them in the library's knowledge, use the formula… create a Beedrill that could truly embody the the Gym's legacy, far surpassing the pathetic Keita.
A faint pulse of gratitude emanated from the Beedrill.
Xiu admitted honestly.
He recalled the ancient Beedrill into its unique Poké Ball, the weight of the promise settling upon him. He stood alone beneath the ancient tree, looking up into its vast, silent canopy.
He pictured the Gym in its heyday – swarms of Weedle hatching high above with apprentices carefully tending to their chosen partners, climbing the massive trunk daily, feeding special herbs, forging bonds, and learning the unique skills passed down through generations. The tree itself, a living cradle, a silent witness.
Now… only silence, and one fading guardian carrying the memory of it all.
He sighed, the sound swallowed by the immensity of the place.
Suddenly, something flickered, a subtle shift in the shadows at the edge of the Inner Courtyard wall. Xiu's head snapped around, his gaze instantly sharp. In the dim pre-dawn light, his eyes seemed to gleam with a cold, dangerous intensity, like a starving wolf disturbed at its kill. Someone's watching.
Abra, sensing his shift, instantly prepared to pursue, its psychic energy flaring.
"Hmph," he scoffed under his breath. Playing hide and seek? Futile. He turned his back on the hidden observer and deliberately walked deeper into the Inner Courtyard, towards the library building. Let them wonder. Let them worry.
Meanwhile, back at the Viridian Pokémon Center, Sachiko stood before Nurse Joy, presenting the medical report.
"...suspect Keita has regained consciousness," she read formally. "Under questioning, he admitted to facilitating the training of personnel for anti-social forces…" She skipped through the lengthy transcript of his confession, extracted under psychic suggestion. "Patient sustained catastrophic spinal injuries. Complete paralysis below the cervical vertebrae. There is zero chance of recovery. He will remain bedridden and dependent on life support indefinitely."
Sachiko paused, then lowered the report slightly, leaning in conspiratorially. "Head Nurse," she whispered, unable to contain her curiosity and unease, "this… Xiu… who is he? To do something like this… here? Under our protection?" The implication was clear: crippling Keita so completely, in the Pokémon Center of all places, wasn't an act done out of justice.
Nurse Joy regarded her assistant with an enigmatic smile, a rare spark of amusement in her eyes now that the immediate crisis seemed under control. "He is… thorough, Sachiko. More thorough than you, perhaps. He understands that cutting off all hope for Keita is the surest way to make his former associates panic and turn on each other."
She chuckled softly. "He's not someone who operates within conventional boundaries. You'll likely encounter him again. Try not to embarrass our name when you do."
Sachiko blinked, confused by her boss's teasing tone and cryptic words. However, she deduced that Xiu, whatever his methods, had somehow gained the Head Nurse's approval. And Keita? Clearly an expendable pawn.
Back in the Inner Courtyard library, Xiu woke with the rising sun. The dull headache that had plagued him was finally, completely gone. He felt refreshed and clear-headed.
The bookshelves surrounding him stood empty, their precious contents now safely stored within his spatial backpack.
He pushed open the heavy library doors, stepping out into the gentle morning light bathing the courtyard. A genuine smile spread across his face, unforced and bright. He stretched, breathing in the cool air, feeling a sense of profound relief, of burdens lifted. "Today!" he declared exuberantly to the empty courtyard, "Another day full of hope!"
He performed some light stretches beneath the ancient tree, then prepared breakfast for Abra and Scizor. The aged Beedrill remained in its Poké Ball, needing prolonged hibernation to conserve its waning life force; it would only be brought out periodically for sustenance.
For the first time in what felt like weeks, Xiu felt free from immediate threats and pressing conspiracies. The Viridian crisis was largely contained, his financial situation stabilized by Oak's loan, and the Gym's secrets secured. He could finally breathe.
"Come here!" He scooped up Happiny, who had emerged looking for attention, and nuzzled its smooth, egg-like shell affectionately. He had kept the little one hidden away during the recent turmoil, wary of exposing its existence, especially around Nurse Joy. Now, finally, he could relax and interact with it openly.
Happiny squirmed, pushing its tiny hands against his face in protest, but its struggles were futile against Xiu's happy embrace. He just wanted to enjoy the simple pleasure of the moment, the feeling of peace after the storm.
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A/N: Not gonna lie, this novel is getting quite boring later on and I picked up a new novel that seems quite promising to translate named [I am Giovanni].