As the video call with Director Bao Ba ended, the screen went dark, plunging Professor Oak's study back into silence. He remained seated for a long moment, fingers steepled before him, lost in thought. The conversation lingered. Bao Ba's unusual contact, the underlying concerns about the Alliance, the looming 'change of leadership' he'd alluded to… and the boy, Xiu, sent seemingly as a pawn or perhaps a probe between old rivals.
"Now these juniors are not abiding by the rules at all," Bao Ba had lamented. "Once we old guys are gone, I don't know who can keep an eye on them~" Was Bao Ba truly worried about the future stability of the League? Or was he subtly positioning himself, using Xiu as an excuse to re-establish contact, to gauge Oak's own stance amidst shifting political tides?
"So you want to train a successor?" Oak had asked, testing the waters.
"What successor?" Bao Ba scoffed. "Just have to pay attention when you see good seeds."
Oak had pressed gently, suggesting perhaps he himself should prepare, hinting at shared concerns for the world's stability. Bao Ba's response had been sharp, almost mocking: "How many years have you been secluded in that lab? Who even listens to you anymore?" Followed immediately by the counter-jab: "Better than having your own nest ripped apart~" a clear reference to the recent invasion of Bao Ba's park, a sore spot.
Oak chuckled softly now, remembering the exchange. Old habits died hard. Their decades-long relationship, a complex mix of rivalry, respect, and divergent philosophies, always seemed to manifest in these verbal spars.
Bao Ba, the pragmatist risen from poverty, distrustful of established power.
Oak, the academic luminary, born into privilege, operating within the system while perhaps secretly envying Bao Ba's freedom to act outside it.
"Be careful, Samuel," Bao Ba's final warning about Abra echoed. "That Abra is very dangerous."
"I know," Oak had replied dismissively, "so I threw him in the warehouse." The boy, Xiu, intrigued him more than he'd let on.
And Bao Ba sending him here… yes, there were layers to this situation. The alliance was likely heading towards turbulence. And figures like Bao Ba, figures like himself… perhaps they did need to ensure the next generation was prepared. Perhaps Bao Ba had sent him a 'good seed' after all, intentionally or not.
"Those people have gone too far," Professor Oak murmured to himself, the earlier amusement fading, replaced by a familiar weariness and resolve. "Time to give them a proper lesson..." His fingers stopped their rhythmic tapping on the armrest.
— — —
Oak Research Institute, Backyard Warehouse
"Finished already?" Professor Oak pushed open the heavy warehouse door later that afternoon, expecting to find Xiu still struggling with the initial task of clearing a sleeping space. Instead, he found… order.
Xiu was just finishing tying off a bundle of discarded packing materials, the last step in a remarkably thorough cleaning and reorganization of the entire warehouse interior.
"Oh! Professor, you're back," Xiu greeted him, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "Yes, just about done here."
Professor Oak walked in, looking around in genuine surprise. Stacks of Pokémon food sacks were now neatly arranged by type and expiration date along one wall. Boxes of research materials and spare equipment parts, previously piled haphazardly, were sorted, labeled, and stacked efficiently on sturdy shelving units.
The central floor space, once cluttered, was now wide open, swept clean. Even the faint, lingering smell of old chemicals seemed diminished.
"Well now," Oak remarked, raising an eyebrow, impressed despite himself. "I only asked you to clear a corner for yourself." He had intended it as a simple test of initiative, expecting minimal effort. "Didn't expect a full reorganization."
He walked around, inspecting Xiu's work. The logic of the organization was clear, efficient. Access aisles were clear, inventory easily visible. The utilization of space was dramatically improved.
"Just sorted things out while I was at it," Xiu replied with studied humility, though a hint of pride touched his voice.
"Good work," Professor Oak acknowledged gruffly. "Very nice." He paused. "There's an old metal bed frame and mattress in the utility room back at the main building. Go fetch it. You can set it up wherever you like in here."
"Thank you, Professor!" Xiu's face lit up with genuine relief. He'd been mentally preparing himself for another night in the tent or sleeping directly on the concrete floor— a real bed felt like an unexpected luxury.
"Well? Go on then!" Oak prompted, seeing Xiu hesitate. "Why are you still standing here?" He maintained his stern facade; Bao Ba's approval didn't automatically equate to his approval. This boy still needed to prove himself.
'Besides, Oak thought with hidden amusement, Bao Ba didn't send him here for a vacation. A little hard work won't hurt him.' He knew his old friend expected him to test, perhaps even toughen up, this promising but rough-around-the-edges young man.
"Yes, sir!" Xiu snapped back to attention, realizing he was dawdling. He quickly recalled Abra, who had been assisting with moving heavier boxes telekinetically, gave brief instructions to Scyther and Happiny (who had been 'supervising' from a safe distance), and hurried off towards the main Institute building to retrieve his bed.
'He wouldn't have been able to organize all this so quickly without help,' Oak noted silently. 'Telekinesis… very useful indeed.'
By the time Xiu returned, wrestling the surprisingly heavy bed frame and rolled-up mattress, Professor Oak was waiting, having completed his own task of taking basic biometric readings from Scyther using a portable scanner.
"Alright," Oak announced, putting away his equipment. "Get that set up later. Time for introductions. You'll be responsible for their feeding starting tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir!" Xiu quickly set the bed parts aside, recalled Scyther and Happiny, and followed Professor Oak back towards the main warehouse doors, Abra floating attentively beside him again.
Inside the warehouse, Professor Oak began rapidly pointing out different sacks and containers, rattling off instructions. "Three scoops of the high-protein blend for the Tauros herd… two standard scoops of the herbivore pellets for the Nidoran family… one scoop of the aquatic mix for the pond…" His pace was fast, his instructions concise, clearly testing Xiu's ability to keep up, to process information quickly.
Xiu initially struggled to match the Professor's rapid-fire delivery while simultaneously locating and measuring the correct rations. Seeing him fall behind, he didn't hesitate. "Abra, can you help me?."
Instantly, the dynamic shifted. Abra's Telekinesis became an extension of Xiu's will. As Professor Oak pointed towards a specific sack, even before he finished stating the quantity, the correct scoop would lift into the air, measure the required amount, and deposit it neatly into the appropriate section of the feeding cart Xiu pushed.
When Oak finished speaking, the task was already complete. The process became seamless, efficient, almost instantaneous.
Professor Oak watched the display, his earlier faint smile returning, wider this time. 'Impressive...' He continued issuing instructions, deliberately increasing the speed and complexity, but Xiu and Abra matched him effortlessly.