"Don't worry about the feeding rounds just yet," Professor Oak said, waving a dismissive hand as Xiu mentioned his impending duties. "It can wait an hour. Right now," his gaze shifted towards the Scyther patiently waiting nearby, "let's talk about him."
"Scyther?" Xiu echoed, surprised by the sudden shift in focus. He glanced over at the green insectoid Pokémon, who tilted its head curiously. "Why? Is something wrong with Scyther too?" Worry immediately tightened his chest again. "You said the psychic influence on him was minimal?" He thought the immediate concern was Abra.
Professor Oak ignored Xiu's question, already turning and heading back towards the Institute building. "Come," he called back over his shoulder, "Let's discuss this inside."
Confused but compelled, Xiu recalled his Pokémon and followed the Professor quickly.
Abra, who had been deep in its meditative leaf-manipulation exercise near the forest edge, suddenly opened its eyes, watching them leave. The hovering leaves dropped silently to the ground, but then, just as quickly, lifted again, resuming their intricate patterns as Abra closed its eyes once more, seemingly unperturbed.
Back inside the Institute, Professor Oak didn't lead Xiu upstairs to the lab this time, but back into the comfortable living room area where they'd first spoken. Xiu noticed two sealed document folders now resting on the coffee table – presumably the finalized diagnostic reports for his Pokémon.
"Sit, sit," Oak instructed, gesturing towards the sofa.
Xiu's anxiety spiked again seeing the sealed reports. He nodded mechanically and sat down, his attention fixed on the folders.
"Tea? Or water again?" Professor Oak asked, heading towards the small kitchenette area.
Xiu blinked, startled out of his fixation on the reports. He looked around, realizing he'd zoned out completely and Oak was already offering refreshments.
"Uh… tea would be fine this time, Professor," he managed, feeling slightly flustered.
Oak returned a moment later with two steaming mugs, pushing one towards Xiu before settling into the opposite sofa himself, cradling his own mug. "Ah," he sighed contentedly after taking a sip. "A warm cup of tea first thing in the morning… truly one of life's simple comforts."
Xiu picked up his own mug, warming his hands on it, but didn't drink. The aroma was pleasant, but his stomach still felt unsettled from the previous day's revelations and the current suspense. And drinking tea on an empty stomach… old habits from his past life's digestive issues died hard, even in this new, healthier body.
"Alright," Professor Oak said, setting his mug down. He picked up one of the folders from the table. "Before we discuss Abra… let's review Scyther's report first." He slid the folder across the table to Xiu.
Xiu eagerly took the folder and opened it, scanning the contents quickly. Complex charts, biometric data, energy readings… much of it was technical jargon beyond his current understanding. But the summary seemed clear: Scyther showed no lasting negative effects from the psychic exposure, physical condition was excellent despite recent injuries (now fully healed), growth rate slightly accelerated but within acceptable parameters…
Nothing seemed overtly wrong. Confused, he looked up. "Professor? This report seems… normal? It says the psychic impact was minimal, just like you suspected. So what's the issue?"
Professor Oak leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You've been training Scyther closely for weeks now. Haven't you noticed anything… unusual about it? Anything that seems… different from the standard descriptions?"
Xiu frowned, thinking back. 'Scyther was fast, strong, learned quickly… perhaps too quickly? Its resilience seemed high… its focus intense…' "No, not really," he admitted honestly. "It seems like a very talented, healthy Scyther. Maybe a bit… motivated? But nothing I'd call abnormal."
Seeing Xiu's genuine lack of recognition, Professor Oak seemed certain now. 'He really doesn't know.' The Professor didn't immediately explain, instead posing a seemingly unrelated question. "Tell me, Xiu, are you familiar with Scizor?"
"Scizor? Of course," Xiu replied, slightly surprised by the tangent. "Scyther's evolved form." He felt even more curious now. What does Scyther's evolution have to do with its current condition?
"Good," Oak nodded. "Then perhaps you know when the first documented appearance of Scizor occurred? Historically speaking?"
"Uh…" Xiu hesitated. "No, I don't think I've ever read anything specific about that." He felt the conversation taking a strange, unexpected turn.
"Neither have I," Professor Oak admitted with a shrug and a wry smile.
"..."
"However," Oak continued, his expression turning serious again, "we do know that Scizor, or creatures matching its description, existed in ancient times. Millennia ago." He opened the second document folder on the table, sliding a different set of papers towards Xiu. These weren't diagnostic reports, but photocopies or scans of old texts and drawings.
Xiu quickly put down his tea and picked up the new documents. He scanned the contents. Most were written in archaic scripts he couldn't decipher, accompanied by faded illustrations or photographs of ancient murals and carvings.
He focused on the images. They depicted scenes of ancient battles, rituals… and Pokémon— among them, unmistakably, were figures resembling Scyther… and figures resembling Scizor. The murals looked incredibly old, weathered, colours long since faded, leaving only etched lines on stone.
"These images," Xiu looked up at Professor Oak, "they seem to show Scyther evolving into Scizor… in ancient times?"
"Precisely," Oak confirmed. "While written records explicitly detailing Scizor's origins are scarce, archaeological evidence strongly suggests Scizor existed long before modern Pokémon League history began." He leaned forward again. "Which presents a conundrum."
He explained further. "Wild Scizor are virtually nonexistent today. Why? Because Scyther's evolution into Scizor requires… special circumstances, conditions that are almost impossible to replicate naturally in the wild."
"The evolutionary item?" Xiu interjected, recalling the game mechanics instantly. "The Metal Coat?" Just saying the name felt odd, like referencing a cheat code in a real-world scientific discussion. "That kind of alloy, that specific composition… it wouldn't occur naturally. It has to be man-made, right?"
"Correct," Professor Oak nodded, impressed by Xiu's knowledge. He pointed to one of the faded murals depicting a Scyther seemingly holding or interacting with a strange metallic object before transforming. "Ancient texts refer to similar 'metal membranes' or 'steel shells' used in evolutionary rituals. Modern science replicated and refined the process, creating the standardized Metal Coat used today."
Xiu summarized the logical conclusion. "So… the first Scizor must have been artificially induced? Created through ancient human intervention?"
"That has been the prevailing theory for decades," Oak confirmed. "The standard understanding within the academic community. Scizor, essentially, considered a product of ancient technology, not natural evolution. Its origin point, officially recognized, is tied to the development of those early metal compounds."
He paused, his eyes suddenly gleaming with intense excitement, the passion of a researcher on the verge of a breakthrough. "But now," he declared, his voice filled with energy, "I don't believe that theory is entirely correct! Our findings, your Scyther… they could overturn decades of established dogma!"
"My Scyther?" Xiu finally understood where Oak was leading. "Professor, are you saying… Scyther's condition… it's related to this ancient evolution?" The idea felt staggering. For a researcher like Oak, challenging a long-held scientific consensus, potentially rewriting Pokémon evolutionary history… it would be a monumental achievement.
No wonder Oak seemed so energized.
"Please, Professor," Xiu urged, handing the historical documents back, eager to understand. "Explain in detail."
"It's all here," Professor Oak said, tapping the first folder again – Scyther's diagnostic report. "The key lies in these anomalous energy readings…" He opened the folder again, spreading out several printouts covered in complex graphs and figures.