He paused, then turned back to face Xiu, his expression serious. "Your brain, however, is another story entirely. The constant exposure to Abra's unstable psychic field has had a profound effect. Neurological activity is… hyper-accelerated. Off the charts."
He elaborated, interpreting the data. "On one hand, this likely explains your sharp intellect, your rapid learning capacity, your strong memory recall. Your cognitive functions are operating at a level significantly higher than the average human baseline." He held up a cautionary hand.
"But this hyper-activity comes at a severe cost. Your brain is consuming metabolic energy at an unsustainable rate. It's burning itself out. Simultaneously, the psychic residue is interfering with normal cellular regeneration processes within the neural tissues."
He let the technical explanation sink in before delivering the devastating conclusion. "Simply put, Xiu? You are experiencing accelerated aging, specifically focused within your central nervous system." He paused, letting the weight of the term land. "Based on current data projections," he stated gravely, "if your condition remains unchanged, maintaining this level of brain activity and continued exposure… your natural lifespan will be significantly reduced. You likely won't live much past fifty." He added quietly,
"And that doesn't account for potential complications or sudden neurological events triggered by continued contact with Abra's uncontrolled powers."
Xiu stood there silently, absorbing the diagnosis. 'Fifty years old'— a death sentence, delivered so calmly, so clinically. He felt… numb. He'd known there were risks, but hearing it quantified, given a deadline… The frown returned, deepening the lines on his young face. He didn't speak, just processed, the initial shock giving way to a strange, cold clarity. He'd already died once. Facing it again… felt less terrifying, more… frustratingly inconvenient.
Professor Oak watched Xiu closely, observing his reaction. He saw the initial shock, the flicker of despair, then the rapid adjustment, the return to stoic composure. 'Remarkable mental fortitude,' Oak noted inwardly, impressed again by the boy's resilience. 'Most people, faced with such a prognosis, would break down, demand answers, rage against the unfairness. Xiu just… accepted it, and started thinking.'
"The tests for Abra, Scyther, Happiny?" Xiu finally asked, breaking the silence, his voice quiet but steady. "When can we do those?"
"Still concerned about them first?" Professor Oak asked, surprised by Xiu's immediate focus shift away from his own mortality. "Aren't you going to ask if your condition can be saved?"
"If Abra's core problem isn't addressed," Xiu replied calmly, stating the obvious connection, "then my problem has no solution either, does it? Their fates are intertwined with mine now."
Professor Oak could only nod slowly, acknowledging the inescapable logic. "True enough," he conceded.
With the previous setup still in place, running the diagnostics on Abra, Scyther, and Happiny was relatively quick and straightforward. Abra cooperated fully, Scyther endured the process with stoic vigilance, and Happiny treated the sensor pads mostly as new toys to be investigated. Collecting the data was easy.
"Analyzing three sets of Pokémon biodata simultaneously, especially with Abra's anomalous readings, will take the computer significantly longer," Professor Oak explained afterwards, leaning back in his chair, finally showing signs of fatigue himself. "Don't expect full results until sometime tomorrow."
He yawned, stretching. Even for him, a full day of intense analysis and complex diagnostics was draining. He was, after all, still an old man, despite his formidable intellect and energy.
Xiu nodded understandingly and exited the lab, recalling his Pokémon and heading back towards the relative quiet of the warehouse.
— — —
Xiu woke early the next morning, the ingrained habit overriding his mental exhaustion. He lay still for a moment in the dim light filtering into the warehouse, staring up at the metal rafters, replaying the previous day's revelations in his mind.
'Pallet Town. Professor Oak. Accelerated aging. Fifty years…'
The reality felt both surreal and crushingly mundane— a bizarre twist in an already bizarre second life. The initial shock had faded, leaving behind a quiet resolve. 'Fine. Fifty years it is. Better make them count.'
He pushed aside the heavy thoughts, refusing to dwell on the unavoidable. He stood up, stretched, and slid open the heavy warehouse door.
The world outside was breathtaking. The early morning sun slanted through a thin, dissipating mist, illuminating dew drops clinging to every blade of grass like scattered diamonds. The air was crisp, clean, carrying the scent of damp earth and wildflowers. In the distance, Pokémon – Pidgey, Rattata, Nidoran – were already stirring, playing peacefully in the golden light.
Looking at the tranquil scene, Xiu felt the knot of tension in his chest slowly unwind, the weight on his heart lifting, dissipating like the morning mist. He took a deep, cleansing breath.
"Today," he declared softly, but with renewed conviction, to the quiet dawn, "is another day full of hope!" He released his Pokémon with a flourish. "Everyone, out!"
Abra, Scyther, and Happiny materialized, blinking in the bright morning light, momentarily stunned, perhaps, by the sheer beauty of the Pallet Town dawn.
"Alright," Xiu grinned, feeling lighter than he had in days. "Before breakfast, let's get moving!" Morning jogs were essential. Routine grounded him. Giving up now meant wasting all previous effort.
Scyther, seeming to sense Xiu's renewed energy, stretched its limbs silently, then flared its wings briefly, ready. Xiu did some quick stretches himself, loosening his muscles, preparing to 'race' his far faster companion.
"Let's go!" Xiu shouted, breaking into a run across the damp grass towards the edge of the backyard paddock. Scyther shot past him instantly, a green blur against the landscape.
"Hey! Cheater! No wings!" Xiu yelled playfully after it, pushing himself harder. But Scyther, ignoring him completely, only seemed to run faster. "Wait for me~!"
Left behind near the warehouse, Happiny's attention was immediately captured by a group of Butterfree fluttering over a patch of wildflowers nearby. Forgetting Xiu entirely, it began toddling determinedly towards them, short legs moving comically fast.
Abra watched Happiny waddle off, then, apparently deciding its own training couldn't wait, floated silently towards a remote corner near the edge of the wilder forest. Confirming Happiny was in no immediate danger, it settled into a cross-legged meditative pose in mid-air before a large, ancient-looking tree.
Xiu didn't know the specifics of the mental exercises Alakazam had taught it, but leaves began to detach themselves from the tree branches above Abra, floating down to hover before it, then arranging themselves into complex, rotating geometric patterns, guided by Abra's focused Telekinesis.
As the sun climbed higher, Pallet Town slowly came fully alive. Faint plumes of smoke rose from chimneys in the distant town, visible from the hilltop lab grounds. Tiny figures could be seen moving along the town's main street. Life continued, peaceful, ordinary.
*"Huu… Huu… Huu…" * Xiu finally slowed to a walk, gasping for breath, leaning over with his hands on his knees. He checked his watch. Just past seven. Time to start his official duties. "Alright, Scyther," he called out breathlessly towards the Pokémon, now patiently waiting for him nearby. "You keep running if you want. I've got to get breakfast ready."
He turned and started jogging back towards the warehouse. Before he reached it, however, he saw Professor Oak already walking from the main Institute building, so Xiu changed direction, running lightly towards the Professor.
"Morning, Professor!" he called out as he approached. "Just about to start the morning feeding rounds."
"Up early, I see," Professor Oak observed, smiling faintly as Xiu jogged up. "Good energy. I thought you might sleep in, after our… discussions last night." He didn't mention the diagnosis directly, but his eyes held a hint of sympathetic understanding.
"Force of habit, Professor," Xiu replied, keeping his tone light. "Besides, work needs doing, right?" He didn't know what Oak wanted, so he offered a simple, noncommittal answer.