Daisy needed a break. Blue's behavior for the last week had gotten worse. Ever since they'd changed the locks, he hadn't come home. And while Daisy didn't want to hand him a key, she knew she couldn't keep it from him. Her heart seemed to sing the Perish Song as she watched her brother not come home at all.
She had two stops that day. One, to the line of trainers, where she handed one of them an envelope with the house key. The trainer swore to protect it with his life and give it to Blue. And the other, was to her sanctum, the Celadon City Department Store.
Daisy Oak loved to shop. It was something that calmed her nerves in difficult times, a syndrome almost akin to retail therapy. She loved to look at people and wander, to try on clothes, and wonder what the latest trainer fashion was. But the thing she loved to shop for the most, was herbs.
The Oak family had a lot of tea in their cabinets, as her grandfather and her both loved tea, but for Daisy it was more than simple love. It was a passion. She loved to create her own blends for different purposes, and use her family members as her own personal lab Pokémon. In fact, she created Pokémon specific teas for the lab that were to heal Pokémon.
Daisy took in the smell of roots like the Energy and Revival Roots, powders, and of course, natural ingredients. It was nice to be in her favorite store. She'd consumed so much tea ever since Blue left the house, that she needed to make her own blends once again.
"Thank you so much for shopping with us today," said the normal cashier to a customer.
She looked up at the customer, only to notice it was someone she hadn't seen in a while.
"Red," she said, heart the warmth of a kettle, "congratulations on becoming champion. That's quite a feat."
He nodded, like typical. Red was a shy boy, who had taken a long time to warm up to Daisy, even at the young age that she knew him. She couldn't fault him though. He had too kind of a heart.
"It's nice to see you too, Daisy," he mumbled back.
She smiled, trying to make conversation. "What brings you here?"
"I'm buying herbs and medicines to heal my Pokémon. I'm trying to finish the Kanto Pokédex for the Professor," he said.
Daisy chuckled. "I know. You've kept us busy haven't you. I'm surprised you have the time to finish, dealing with challengers and all."
"Not many make it past the elite four," he mumbled once again.
Daisy nodded, sensing a discomfort in the trainer who normally refused to talk. "It's good to run into you. I'm sure you're busy so I won't keep you. But stop by home sometime. I know your mom misses you, and so do we."
He nodded, and Daisy began to pick out some herbs for her herbal remedies. She heard the doorbell ring as the trainer left the shop, and she was alone in the blissful silence to pick out herbs once again. Daisy hummed, as she gathered basketfuls of Energy Root. The doorbell chimed behind her as someone else stepped in to enjoy the herbs.
"Daisy."
To her surprise, Red came back. He had an inquisitive look in his eyes, that Daisy recognized. She wondered if that was how she looked when Blue was making a fool of himself.
"What brings you back here, Red?" she asked.
Red scrunched up his face, and said, "I came back to ask how Blue has been taking things. I just wanted to make sure he's okay after what Professor Oak said to him at the league."
Daisy's interest was immediately piqued. She grumbled in her head, wondering if her grandfather was the cause of the depression and sadness that Blue was going through at home. The woman began to get angry once again, the exact opposite point of this trip.
"And what, by chance, did my grandfather say to Blue?" Daisy inquired, her voice raising to a level that was higher than it should've been.
Red sighed and teetered as he said, "The professor told Blue that he was disappointed in him, and that the reason he lost was because he didn't know how to take care of Pokémon. I don't think Professor Oak meant that, but I was worried how Blue would take it."
Daisy was shocked. Never, ever in her life, had she been so angry at someone. It didn't matter if Oak was her grandfather. He had no right to tell Blue that. Especially not after losing the one thing he'd dreamed so long to achieve. She was just simply going to have to confront her grandfather about his inexcusable actions.
"Daisy?" Red questioned.
"Sorry," she apologized, "I was angry at grandfather. The truth is, that Blue hasn't been alright. He's been running himself into the ground with challengers at the gym, as if he's had to prove himself to someone. Now I understand why, though, and I'm going to take care of it."
"Thank you Red," said Daisy.
He nodded. "You're welcome. Good luck. I'll write to ask about him later."
And then, Daisy walked over to the cash register, bought her herbs, and went home to go confront her grandfather.
