The warm water was great on Daisy's muscles as she tried to process what Red said to her. Daisy couldn't though. Instead she stared at the slick tile wall across from the bathtub, the whiteness of which reminded her of the inside of Saffron City's hospital. It was place she'd seen long ago, on the worst day of her own life.
Suddenly, the tub became all too hot, as Daisy remembered the fire that took both her parents, as well as the normality of her life from both her and Blue. She let out a deep breath, keeping calm as she remembered the soot that seemed to bind his hand to her own on that night, and how her kid brother waddled like a Chansey while waiting for news about their family who'd been caught in the wreckage. All of that, in those sterilized, liquorish smelling white walls of Saffron Hospital.
Daisy stood up and watched the dirty water drain. She toweled herself down until she knew she was clean, and put on a green bathrobe. And then, she walked to her room, reminding herself that her parents were in a better place now, and that Blue was going to be alright. He'd promised her on the night of the fire that he would be strong, that he would stick with her no matter what. It was all she could ask for, when the two of them had come to live with a grandfather they never knew.
She walked down the stairs, to see her grandfather in front of the television. He was laughing at a sitcom that Daisy herself was also a fan of. Sometimes they watched it together, as family bonding. But now was not the time for television. She stepped in front of it, glancing back at the voices, and forward to her grandfather.
"You know, you make a better door than a window," her grandfather joked.
Daisy picked up the remote off of the coffee table and turned the television off without taking her eyes off her grandfather. He mumbled and complained, but Daisy stood in her place.
"We need to talk about Blue," she stated.
Her grandfather gave her a stern look. "I thought we agreed he was going to be alright."
"Neither of us said that," she stated. "In fact, at this rate, I'm worried that neither of us will be able to help him out, so I gave him back a key to the house."
"What good is that going to do?" Her grandfather asked.
She crossed her arms. "It's going to give him a secure place to sleep at night, and it's going to show him that at least one of his family members still loves him, even if he does feel like a failure."
Her grandfather gave her a concerned stare. "Are you insinuating that I don't love him?"
"No," said Daisy. "You were the one who insinuated that after he lost the championship. When you told him he doesn't know how to care for his Pokémon."
"It's true though, how could he?" said the professor. "Why if that boy didn't have such a hot head."
Daisy sighed. "Someone can be cocky, and still take good care of their Pokémon. Besides, we both know where it comes from."
Oak sighed and rested his head down. They both knew Blue's cockiness was because he was a naturally good trainer. It was an Arceus-given talent, practically. But Daisy knew that it wasn't the only reason he was cocky. It was because Blue was fragile. Deep down inside of Blue, and sometimes even in her, was a child wanting for their parents to come back. And Daisy needed to protect him because of that.
"I haven't seen him like this since mom and dad's death," she said.
Oak looked up. "I was wrong, you know that right? I said all that in anger when I found out that I wouldn't get to see my grandson be champion. But I had to be the professor when Red was there."
"I know," said Daisy. "You should go to the gym tomorrow, and let him prove himself to you. Go stand in the ridiculous line of challengers he has, and battle him. I think you'll be surprised what you learn."
Oak nodded, and she turned on the television once again. Daisy left for the kitchen to make dinner and some extra leftovers for Blue. As she cooked she would glance into the living room at her grandfather, who seemed no longer to focus on the sitcom. She could tell, all the Oaks were going to be in the gym tomorrow, whether Blue liked it or not.
Daisy set down her grandfather's dinner, and finished eating for herself. She pulled out two pieces of glassware — one for the majority of the meal, and the other for Blue's dinner. As she put up the dishes she also pulled out a sticky note, wrote "good luck with your challengers tomorrow", signed it off with a smiley face, and stuck it on Blue's meal.
She knew he would need luck tomorrow.
