Professor Oak seemed unfazed by Xiu's questions and simply nodded towards the main Institute building. "Alright, cleanup can wait. Let's head inside. I need to run some comprehensive diagnostics on you first, get a clear baseline of your current condition, confirm the extent of the psychic residue Alakazam detected."
'It begins,' Xiu thought, a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach despite his outward calm. He quickly pushed the now-empty feeding cart back towards the warehouse. Abra, sensing his unease perhaps, floated closer.
"It's okay, Abra. Don't worry," Xiu projected reassuringly, then recalled the small psychic Pokémon into its custom Poké Ball. He needed to face this next step alone. As he slid the warehouse door shut, the faint smile he'd maintained vanished, replaced by a solemn, determined expression.
'Whatever Professor Oak's methods, whatever his true purpose… he should be able to provide answers, maybe even a solution.'
Xiu walked back towards the Institute, taking deep breaths, steeling himself. The main door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open gently. "Professor?" he called into the quiet hall. "I'm back."
He heard muffled sounds from upstairs, then Professor Oak's voice echoed down. "Ah, Xiu. Good. Come on up! Second floor!"
Xiu hesitated for only a second at the base of the stairs. He knew the second floor was the restricted laboratory area. Curiosity warred with apprehension as he ascended, heading towards the source of the Professor's voice.
One part wondering what secrets the lab holds, he admitted to himself, the other dreading what this 'comprehensive inspection' might entail. The two conflicting emotions churned within him as he reached the second-floor landing.
The transition was jarring. He stepped off the warm, wood-paneled staircase onto cool, seamless metal flooring. The homey atmosphere of the first floor vanished instantly, replaced by the sterile, high-tech aesthetic of a cutting-edge laboratory.
Gleaming silver-white metallic walls reflected the bright, cool light emanating from hidden ceiling panels. Strange, complex instruments lined the walls and occupied large portions of the open-plan space.
Even having braced himself, Xiu was still taken aback by the stark contrast. Downstairs felt like a comfortable home; the second floor felt like stepping onto a spaceship. He'd worked in labs before, back on Earth, but those were modern, functional spaces.
This… this felt different. More advanced— almost alien.
The entire second floor seemed to be one vast, open laboratory, subdivided not by solid walls, but by towering metal cabinets and banks of complex machinery. Near the stairwell, glass-fronted cabinets displayed rows upon rows of neatly labeled chemical reagents, sample vials, and strange crystalline structures Xiu couldn't identify. He glanced down at the metallic flooring, then cautiously walked further into the space, navigating around humming machines and blinking consoles.
He finally got a clearer view of the main research area— a massive wall-mounted screen dominated one end of the room, currently dark. Below it sat a complex computer console flanked by several unfamiliar machines connected by thick bundles of wires.
Scattered throughout the space were more specialized instruments, centrifuges, sequencing machines, maybe even… yes, what looked suspiciously like a small-scale fossil restoration apparatus tucked away in one corner.
Several freestanding bookcases stood nearby, but instead of holding books, they were filled with meticulously organized binders and data folders – likely years, perhaps decades, of Professor Oak's research notes and experimental results.
Xiu's eyes didn't linger on the potentially priceless research data. His attention was snagged by an incongruous sight amidst all the high-tech equipment: a comfortable-looking, slightly worn sofa positioned near a large panoramic window— a small table beside it held scattered papers and an empty teacup.
'Odd.' The sofa faced the window, perfectly positioned to catch the morning sun— 'a resting spot?' Xiu guessed. It humanized the otherwise sterile space slightly.
"Hey! Don't just stand there gawking! Come give me a hand!"
Professor Oak's voice snapped Xiu out of his observations. He located the Professor amidst a cluster of particularly large, complex instruments near the center of the lab. "Coming, Professor!"
"Right," Oak instructed, gesturing towards a tall, capsule-like device nearly two meters high. "Help me clear the area around this apparatus. Need space to work. I want to use this for the initial scan."
"Yes, sir." Xiu approached the strange device, curiosity piqued again. "Professor," he asked, unable to resist, "what exactly is this machine?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Oak replied dismissively, already connecting cables from the capsule to the main computer console. "Get clearing."
Resigned to the lack of answers, Xiu began carefully moving aside smaller instruments and supply carts, creating a wide, clear space around the capsule. As the area cleared, he got a better look at the device itself.
It stood on a sturdy, silver-white base supported by four thick, angled red 'legs' – likely just for stability. The main body was a large, transparent glass cylinder, capped top and bottom by smooth metal housings. Intricate wiring ran visibly along the inside of the glass, connecting the top and bottom sections.
At the core, running vertically through the center of the cylinder, was a white, opaque panel or rod, with more wires extending outwards towards the glass walls. It looked unlike any medical or scientific instrument Xiu had ever seen.
'Definitely not standard Earth technology.'
Before he could study it further, Oak called him over to help clear space around another equally unfamiliar machine nearby.
It took them over half an hour of preparation – moving equipment, connecting cables, running diagnostic checks on the consoles. Xiu looked at the array of gleaming, complex instruments now surrounding him, feeling a renewed sense of unease.
The technological disparity was jarring. Some aspects of this world felt almost primitive compared to his old one, yet technology derived from or for Pokémon seemed light-years ahead, operating on principles he couldn't begin to fathom.
"Stop daydreaming!" Oak's sharp voice interrupted his thoughts again. "Come help me with these final connections. Still need to run the calibration sequence."
"Yes, sir!" Xiu quickly refocused, pushing aside his anxieties. Getting accurate results from this examination was crucial. He could only trust Oak's expertise and cooperate fully.
Another flurry of activity ensued – plugging in sensor leads, verifying power levels, inputting commands into the main console. Professor Oak, despite his age, worked with incredible speed and precision, his fingers flying across the keyboard, his eyes darting between multiple readouts.
The weariness he sometimes displayed seemed to vanish when immersed in his research; radiating an intense, focused energy. Watching him type rapidly, muttering technical jargon under his breath, Xiu was reminded again of that almost obsessive 'keyboard warrior' spirit – 'Give me a keyboard, and I can conquer the world!' He seemed years younger, fully in his element.
"Alright," Professor Oak finally announced, leaning back from the console. "Connections secure? Calibrations complete?"
Xiu did a final check of the complex web of wires running between the machines and the main capsule. "Everything looks connected as per your instructions, Professor."
"Excellent!" Professor Oak declared. "Let's begin!" He walked over to the capsule-like instrument and pressed a hidden panel. The transparent glass cylinder hissed softly and slid upwards, revealing the interior. "Alright, Xiu," he said, turning back, gesturing towards the open capsule. "Hop in. Stand right there, on the central platform."
Xiu hesitated for only a second. 'No turning back now.' He looked at the strange apparatus, took a deep breath, and stepped inside onto the slightly raised circular platform at the base.
Professor Oak moved quickly, attaching several small sensor pads connected to thin wires to various points on Xiu's head, arms, and chest. "Don't worry," he reassured Xiu, his tone professional now. "Everything is standard. Completely safe, harmless. I've used this setup on myself countless times."
Xiu remained silent, trying to stay calm as the wires were connected. He looked around the confined glass space.
"Ready?" Professor Oak asked, stepping back from the capsule. "Just stand still. Relax as much as possible. Let me know immediately if you feel anything unusual." Without waiting for a reply, he pressed another panel. The glass cylinder slid smoothly back down, sealing Xiu inside with a soft hiss.
Professor Oak turned immediately back to the computer console, his fingers flying across the keyboard again.