Chapter 283: The Noctowl's Warning

Chapter 283: The Noctowl's Warning

Chen, being naturally thin and possessing a gentle personality, seemed even more out of place amidst the chaotic atmosphere of the makeshift refugee camp. His usual quiet demeanor now highlighted his discomfort.

Chen led Xiu to a car parked in a secluded corner. Through the window, Xiu could see Mei dozing in the back seat, with young Sol resting his head on her lap. Chen knocked on the window before taking out his keys and unlocking the car door.

Mei was startled awake by the sound and instinctively shielded Sol with her hands. She visibly relaxed when she saw it was Chen.

"You're back. Did you manage to buy any food?"

Chen offered a bitter smile and handed her the bottle of water Xiu had given him. The meaning was clear.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Mei said, shaking her head helplessly but without complaint. She then looked down at her daughter.

"I bought some. It's here with me," Xiu said, opening the passenger door and sliding into the front seat. He turned around and greeted them with a smile.

"Aunt Mei, Sol, long time no see."

"It's Xiu!" Mei recognized him instantly, her surprise evident. She clearly hadn't expected to encounter him here.

Xiu had deliberately lowered his voice, not wanting to disturb Sol, but Mei's exclamation woke her up anyway. Sol sat up, rubbing her eyes.

Xiu, unconcerned, began pulling supplies from his backpack. "Here, you all must have left in a hurry and probably didn't bring much food. You must be hungry after such a long day."

He always kept a good stock of food and drinking water in his backpack. They were necessities for survival, and were ready-to-eat, as cooking would be inconvenient here: bread, biscuits, canned goods, and bottles of water.

"This… this is too much! We don't need all this," Mei protested, waving her hands and leaning forward to stop Xiu from giving them more.

"It's fine," Xiu reassured them. "These aren't particularly valuable. Besides, you treated me to a meal before. Now that you're here, in Pallet Town, it's my turn to show some hospitality. Please, don't be polite."

Xiu estimated he'd left them with about five days' worth of supplies before stopping. He then looked at Sol, who was now fully awake, and handed her two cans of fruit snacks.

"It's okay, Sol," he said with a gentle smile. "Think of it as your parents taking you on an unexpected trip. You'll be home in a few days."

Xiu had initially hoped to ask Chen about the situation in Viridian City before they fled, but with Sol present, he didn't want to discuss alarming topics in front of the child.

After chatting with Chen and Mei for a little while longer, he excused himself and left the car.

Back at the institute, Daisy and Gary were leisurely reading under the shade of a large tree, looking quite comfortable.

"Where did you go?" Daisy asked casually as Xiu returned, not seeming overly concerned.

"There was a dispute among some of the newcomers in town. I went to mediate." As Xiu spoke, he walked towards the riverbank, released Scizor from its Poké Ball, and took out his cleaning kit.

"That punch just now was good…" Xiu began, a habit he'd formed of chatting with and reviewing battles with his Pokémon while cleaning them.

It helped soothe their post-combat adrenaline and transition them out of a heightened state of readiness.

The punch Scizor had delivered to the Machoke had indeed been excellent. Its control over its body had reached a near-perfect level. The only slight imperfection was that due to the Machoke's height, the fist, originally aimed for the throat, had been a fraction off.

Under Xiu's training, Scizor always targeted weak points. For a Pokémon like Machoke, the neck area had less muscle mass and lacked the hardened skull protecting the head, making it a naturally vulnerable spot.

Moreover, given Scizor's height advantage, the upper body, particularly the neck, was the optimal target.

Daisy watched Xiu and Scizor by the river with a curious expression. From what she had observed during her stay, Xiu only engaged in this meticulous cleaning routine after their daily training sessions or particularly high-intensity combat.

Why would he be cleaning Scizor so thoroughly just from going out to mediate a dispute?

Before she could ponder it further, a Noctowl swooped down from the sky, landing directly beside Xiu.

"What's wrong?" Xiu looked at the Noctowl, his hands pausing mid-task, his expression turning slightly solemn.

Noctowl possessed psychic abilities, enough to maintain telepathic communication as Xiu quickly accessed the memories in the Noctowl's mind.

He saw a large group of Pokémon, roughly fifty or sixty of them. Most were common forest-dwelling species, but they were behaving with unusual agitation, stampeding directly towards Pallet Town.

"Go and keep an eye on them," Xiu instructed the Noctowl telepathically. "Confirm if these are the only ones in the vicinity."

His eyes snapped open. He tossed aside his cleaning tools, took out a Poké Ball, and issued a sharp warning to Scizor. "Prepare for battle!"

He then recalled Scizor and sprinted towards where Abra was meditating. The Noctowl spread its wings and flew off, heading back towards the approaching Pokémon.

As Xiu moved, Abra, deep in meditation, suddenly opened its eyes. Telepathy was far more efficient than words; Abra quickly understood the situation, closed its eyes again, and fell into step beside Xiu.

At that moment, Daisy rushed over, her voice laced with anxiety. "What happened?"

"It's nothing serious, just a few wild Pokémon that have strayed too close. I'll go take care of them," Xiu replied, his initial surprise already under control. Facing Daisy, he projected an air of calm and exceptional steadiness.

"You and Gary stay here at the institute. Don't wander off, or you'll only cause me more trouble."

Daisy looked at him, her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't argue, simply saying, "Be careful."

"Don't worry," Xiu offered a reassuring smile as he passed her. "I'll be back soon."

Reaching the bottom of the institute's steps, Xiu hopped onto his scooter and sped off towards the outskirts of town.

He felt a nagging suspicion. How could this be happening? Why would they bypass other, larger towns and head straight for Pallet Town? It's outrageous!

However, there was no time for further speculation. He had to intercept this group of nearly a hundred Pokémon.

Otherwise, if anything happened to Pallet Town, how would he explain it to Professor Oak?

The roar of the motorcycle's engine intensified as Xiu pushed it to its limits. He didn't follow the main road, instead veering onto the less-traveled side paths.

In this situation, he had to conceal the approach of the beast tide and intercept it before it reached Pallet Town.

If the news reached the already agitated outsiders, panic would surely ensue, and Pallet Town itself would descend into chaos. By then, it wouldn't be a matter of simply neutralizing a few troublemakers. Lives would undoubtedly be lost.

Xiu navigated the rough mountain trails with skill, his speed almost reckless, making it seem as though he might lose control at any moment.

One wrong move, and both he and the motorcycle would be wrecked…