"I'm sorry, truly very sorry."
In the police station, a young man kept bowing and apologizing, next to him stood a little rascal looking down at his shoes.
"Your brother has done this sort of thing more than once, hasn't he? Really, how can you just cause trouble for others like this!"
Officer Jenny said angrily.
"It's my fault, but he only did it to attract more challengers to my gym, it wasn't malicious."
The young man offered a forced smile.
"Whether it's malicious or not is not up to you to decide. Anyway, you should be seeking that gentleman's forgiveness rather than mine."
Officer Jenny pointed to Baimu, who was leisurely drinking tea and reading a newspaper on a chair nearby.
The young man approached Baimu and sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, my brother's lack of discipline has caused you trouble. I am willing to take all responsibility and compensate for your losses."
"I'm s-sorry."
The little rascal hung his head in defeat, always walking by the river and now his shoes were wet. The provocations that always succeeded in the past made him quite arrogant, which unfortunately led to Baimu teaching him a lesson.
Of course, the reason he's behaving so well is because if they can't reconcile with Baimu, the North Petalburg Gym might be closed.
After all, as a minor, any wrongdoing falls on the adults at home.
His brother had already prepared for the gym's closure, but he was unwilling to see such a scene.
"Do you really know what you did wrong?"
Baimu looked at the pair of brothers, one big and one small.
The older brother is Shunsuke, the current Gym Leader of North Petalburg Gym. The younger brother, Shuji, is only eight years old, undeniably a troublemaker.
Even if it's well-intentioned, the essence of wrongdoing doesn't change.
"I really know now."
Shuji sulked like a wilted radish.
Seeing his genuine regret, Baimu, who came to the police station to gain some experience, decided to forgive him. Even Otsuka had been given a chance, let alone a little ghost like him.
Of course, the premise is that he truly knows his fault.
----
Shuji is about as troublesome as Xiaosheng used to be.
The difference is a matter of focus; one is full of wild ideas to draw challengers for his brother, the other loves talking strategy on paper and often mocks Ash Ketchum for losing the Silver Conference, yet they are quite similar.
In the anime, younger male characters often exhibit such behaviors, impulsive in word and deed, yet sharp-tongued.
In contrast, older ones tend to be much more composed and reliable in all aspects.
Just like Shunsuke.
He appeared only about twenty years old, yet this was his tenth apology to Baimu and he still wasn't satisfied. After refusing economic compensation, he invited Baimu to dine at North Petalburg Gym.
Baimu agreed since he had nothing better to do at the time.
Mainly because the police station's inability to provide a meal for the victim left him quite disappointed; he had wanted to see what kind of cuisine the Pokémon World's police might offer, what a pity.
But since Shunsuke offered, he didn't refuse, figuring he'd inquire about the ins and outs of establishing a gym.
He'd always been curious.
As a sister city, North Petalburg City is quite close to Petalburg City, and it didn't take long for Shunsuke to drive to a Japanese-style dojo's entrance.
In appearance, North Petalburg Gym bore a seventy percent resemblance to the former Petalburg Gym.
Clearly, Shunsuke is a fervent admirer of Qianli, or perhaps the people of North Petalburg are naturally assembled enthusiasts from all over.
Once so exaggerated that they blocked Trainers headed to challenge Petalburg Gym, using endurance battles to force them to other gyms, it took Officer Jenny's intervention and Qianli's personal appearance to bring some sanity to these uncool fans.
Upon entering.
The interior was surprisingly modern. Shunsuke brewed Baimu a cup of tea and said, "Feel free to explore anywhere except the Eco Park; I'll start preparing dinner."
Many Gym Leaders have expansive Eco Parks for their Pokémon to live in, and intruding strangers might be attacked by the Pokémon inside.
"Okay."
Baimu nodded and began exploring the gym, Shuji trailing behind after escaping from his temporary confinement.
No doubt about it.
Shuji was none too happy with the guy who backstabbed him, especially since after returning home he'd been immediately grounded. He was fortunate to have escaped now, not daring to make any noise, quietly slipping in front of Baimu.
"Do you, would you like to challenge our gym?" the little rascal hesitantly asked.
"Still not giving up, huh."
Baimu was almost at a loss with Shuji, "After taking such a loss today, haven't you learned your lesson? Others may not be as easygoing as I am."
"I really know I was wrong, but my brother set up the gym in North Petalburg City and everyone's drawn to Petalburg Gym, so hardly anyone comes to challenge."
Shuji said dejectedly, "I was left with no choice but to use those methods."
"Normal, given what came before." Baimu sipped his tea, "Mr. Qianli is considered a strong contender for the next Celestial King; your brother's fame isn't as great, so it's expected there's less of a challenge turnout."
"But if it goes on like this, the gym will be closed."
Shuji fiddled with his fingers, conflicted, "My brother worked so hard to become the Gym Leader, I don't want to see the gym shut down like that."
This statement triggered a sense within Baimu as if a side quest had been activated, yet Ore awaited his efforts, leaving him no time to help revitalize North Petalburg Gym.
"This is the dilemma your brother must face. When he decided to establish the gym here, he should have anticipated a day like this. Instead of foolishly meddling, go focus on what you should be doing."
"What I should be doing?"
"Yes, like going to school." Baimu interrupted Shuji before he could say anything else, "As I mentioned, learning can bring wisdom. Once you have gained more knowledge, you'll find more ways, avoiding laughable foolishness."
Upon hearing this, Shuji's expression turned complex, "Then, should I go to school?"
----
"No, the gym doesn't need your help."
Over dinner, Shunsuke strongly rejected Shuji's suggestion to attend school to help revitalize the gym, "Allowing you to go to school is so you can learn more, to enrich yourself."
"But..."
"No buts."
Shunsuke's firm stance caused Shuji to lower his head, losing his appetite. After a few hurried bites, he turned and went back to his room.
"I apologize for making a scene."
Shunsuke said awkwardly to Baimu.
"It's not necessary, but on another note, you seem quite resistant to Shuji helping you?" The latter shook his head, then asked curiously.
Shunsuke replied, "Because Shuji has his own life, I don't want him to waste his time on me; the gym's matters are too much of a burden for him."
"That's easy to say, but do you really expect him to stand by idly? Like today, doing strange things when you're unaware."
Baimu blinked lightly.
"..."
Clearly, Shunsuke understood this too, falling silent.