Perhaps due to the recent wave of resignations, the personnel officer handling Xiu's departure seemed almost indifferent. The process was swift, clinical even. As Xiu was technically a part-time, non-contract employee, there was little paperwork involved. His final wages, including the extra hours worked at the Rescue Station, were calculated and transferred to his new bank card.
Just as he was about to leave the office, Xiu paused, turning back to the clerk with a casual question. "The park's reopening today, right? Business as usual?"
The staff member, busy processing the next resignation form, nodded distractedly. Then, realizing the oddity of the question from someone who had just quit, they looked up at Xiu with a puzzled expression. 'Why are you asking if you're leaving?'
Xiu just offered a faint smile and walked out without explanation.
Instead of heading away from the park, however, he walked directly into the main ticket hall near the South Gate. He approached the counter, still wearing his slightly worn park staff uniform.
"Hello," he said to the young woman behind the counter. "One Trainer ticket, please." He placed the required 2,000 Poké Dollars onto the counter.
The ticket agent looked up, recognized his uniform, and blinked in confusion. Thinking he was pulling some kind of prank, she waved a dismissive hand. "Come on, Xiu, cut it out. I'm working here."
"No joke," Xiu replied evenly. "I just resigned. Officially not an employee anymore."
The ticket hall, usually bustling, was quiet this morning. The park had just reopened after the 'storm closure,' and tourist numbers were still low. The few other staff members nearby overheard the exchange and turned to look, their curiosity piqued by Xiu's strange request.
After Xiu repeated his request firmly, confirming his resignation status, the young woman, still looking bewildered, processed the transaction. She handed him the Trainer entry pass and the standard pouch containing ten Safari Balls.
"Hello, welcome to the Fuchsia City Wilderness Area," she began reciting the standard spiel automatically. "With this pass, you are permitted to capture Pokémon within the designated zones using only the provided Safari Balls. Please adhere to all park regulations regarding Pokémon interaction and environmental protection..."
Xiu wasn't listening. He took the pouch, immediately opened it, selected one Safari Ball, and clipped it to his belt. Then, ignoring the remaining nine balls and the agent's ongoing instructions, he turned and walked back through the entrance turnstiles, re-entering the Wilderness Area he had officially left just minutes before.
"Hey! Wait! You forgot these..." the ticket agent called after him, holding up the pouch with the remaining Safari Balls. But Xiu was already gone, disappearing back into the park.
A short while later, however, he reappeared, walking back out through the exit turnstiles. The agent, assuming he'd realized his mistake, started to retrieve the pouch again. But Xiu simply walked up to the counter and placed the single Safari Ball he'd taken onto the counter beside the pouch. Inside the ball, now captured, was the Scyther.
"Okay," Xiu said calmly. "Please process the return for the remaining nine balls and refund the difference."
'Nine unused Safari Balls, refunded at 100 Poké Dollars each.' Xiu collected the 900 Poké Dollars, nodded politely to the utterly baffled ticket agent, and finally walked away from the park for good, leaving her staring after him, completely flummoxed. Using a Trainer ticket just to legitimize taking one Pokémon out? It was the most bizarre, roundabout way of 'taking advantage' of the system she'd ever witnessed.
Though officially named the 'Fuchsia City Wilderness Area,' the park itself was situated a considerable distance outside the actual city limits, beyond even the suburbs. Leaving required transportation. The only reliable link was the tourist shuttle bus service operated by the park, running on a fixed schedule between the park gate and Fuchsia City's central transport hub.
Xiu checked the timetable, timing his departure carefully as catching the next bus meant avoiding a two-hour wait.
He settled into a seat on the nearly empty shuttle bus. As the first passenger boarding at the park bus, he had the vehicle mostly to himself, save for the silent driver up front. The engine hummed quietly as they pulled away from the familiar park gates.
Xiu held the Safari Ball containing Scyther, turning it over in his hand. Spending a bit extra to bring Scyther out through official channels... the most sensible way. He could have tried smuggling it out, perhaps using Abra's Telekinesis or hiding it in the backpack. But getting caught would mean burning bridges with the park, possibly even facing legal trouble. He couldn't afford that. He'd already made an enemy of the Hunter Organization; antagonizing the park authorities as well, especially after Director Bao Ba's unexpected assistance, would be monumentally stupid. This method, while costing him the net price of one Safari Ball, ensured Scyther's departure was legitimate, traceable, clean. No loose ends.
He gazed out the window as the familiar park landscape gave way to rural countryside. He'd expected the journey to the city to take maybe half an hour, forty minutes at most. But the bus kept rolling, stopping occasionally at small villages and towns along the route to pick up local residents heading into the city. Over an hour passed before the first signs of urban sprawl appeared on the horizon – taller buildings, denser traffic, paved roads replacing dirt tracks.
"Fuchsia City Bus Terminal! End of the line!" the driver announced as the bus pulled into a busy station. Passengers began to disembark. Xiu stepped off the bus and onto the bustling city street, taking his first real steps into the wider Pokémon world beyond the confines of the park.
Modern buildings scraped the sky, vehicles zipped past emitting fumes, crowds hurried along sidewalks. For a moment, the sheer scale, the noise, the energy… it felt jarringly familiar, an echo of the world he'd left behind. He stood there, slightly dazed, until the acrid exhaust from a departing truck made him cough, snapping him back to the present.
He covered his nose, stepping away from the curb, and began to walk, no particular destination in mind, just wandering, observing, trying to get his bearings in this new, overwhelming environment.
— — —
Later that day, after inquiring about lodging prices at several establishments and being met with reactions ranging from polite refusal to outright disbelief at his budget constraints...
"This is a city, son, not a charity ward! What do you expect for that price?" one landlord scoffed, eyeing Xiu's simple clothes with disdain before practically slamming the door in his face.
Xiu sighed. He'd encountered this attitude before, back on Earth. 'No point wasting time arguing.' He simply turned and walked away.
"Try the street, cheapskate!" The landlord yelled after him, the insult echoing down the residential lane. "Sleeping there's free!"
He left the dense residential district behind, realizing quickly that finding affordable, suitable lodging within the city proper was likely impossible. He needed space, not just for himself, but for his Pokémon. Training, exercise… a cramped city apartment wouldn't work. And frankly, the fewer people around, the less chance of unwanted attention, of someone potentially recognizing him from park security bulletins or, worse, from the Hunter Organization's network.
'The suburbs, then. Quieter, cheaper, more space.'
He walked towards the city's outskirts, the environment gradually changing. The towering buildings gave way to smaller houses, shops became less frequent, the crowds thinned. The relentless energy of the city center faded into a calmer, slightly depressed atmosphere. Fewer young people here, more middle-aged and elderly residents going about their day at a slower pace with pokémon sightings on the street more frequent.
He walked for most of the day, observing, assessing, getting a feel for the different neighborhoods. As dusk began to settle, his stomach reminded him forcefully that he hadn't eaten since his quick breakfast. He found a small, cheap fast-food stall on a quiet street corner, ordered a simple meal, and ate it quickly. Afterwards, seeking a place to rest and let his Pokémon stretch their legs, he found a small, slightly run-down public park nearby.
Finding a secluded bench away from the main path, he released Abra, Happiny, and Scyther from their Poké Balls.
Scyther immediately scanned its surroundings, scythes held defensively, relaxing only slightly when it confirmed the immediate area was clear of people. Abra, predictably, closed its eyes and began meditating silently, floating just above the bench. Happiny, however, was clearly famished. It immediately started tugging at Xiu's trousers, making small, insistent "Happi! Happi!" sounds.
"Alright, alright, food, I know," Xiu chuckled, gently lifting the small Pokémon onto the bench beside him. He took out their bowls and the bags of food pellets.
An awkward moment followed. Scyther, with its sharp scythes for hands, clearly had no way to easily scoop the small pellets from the bowl. Hunting and slicing fruit in the wild was one thing; eating processed kibble was another. Xiu sighed and patiently began feeding Scyther by hand, offering small amounts which it took carefully. 'I need to figure out a better feeding method for you.'
Happiny, thankfully, was learning to feed itself, clumsily scooping pellets into its mouth with its small hands.
By the time everyone was fed and settled, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. Xiu leaned back on the bench, feeling the familiar exhaustion creep back in. He'd spent the entire day wandering Fuchsia City, getting a feel for its layout, its people, its "simple" and often harsh realities. He still hadn't found a place to stay, but he had a better understanding of the landscape.
Tomorrow, the search would continue.