Chapter 95: Conjecture
"But Professor," Xiu interjected quickly, cutting off Professor Oak before he could fully dismiss the idea— mind racing to find a counter-argument. "These fragments represent its actual, natural metallic composition at that stage of development."
"Hey! You can't just equate…" Professor Oak started to refute, but then he paused mid-sentence, looking down thoughtfully at the jagged green fragment still held in his hand. He turned it over slowly. "Hmm… analyzing the existing integrated metals first… establishing a baseline affinity profile before attempting further absorption… it's… not an entirely invalid approach." He murmured to himself, considering the possibilities. "Yes… a different direction, perhaps less direct, but potentially safer… We could try it…"
"I think it's a perfectly viable approach, Professor," Xiu pressed. He needed this alternative to work, needed to minimize the risk to Scyther.
"Alright," Professor Oak finally conceded, won over perhaps by the scientific merit or simply intrigued by the alternative methodology. He looked more energized than he had all morning. "I'll take these fragments up to the lab immediately and run a full analysis." He seemed genuinely excited now by the new research direction.
Without another word, he gathered the fragments carefully and hurried back towards the Institute building, leaving Xiu standing alone by the feeding stations again.
"Difficult old man," Xiu sighed, watching Professor Oak leave, relieved but also slightly drained.
He glanced back towards the warehouse, but Professor Oak's words earlier… 'the characteristics of iron versus other metals… the potential for alloys'— a new line of thought sparked.
'If Scizor's properties were influenced by the type of metal absorbed… could one theoretically create a Scizor with different attributes by using different metals? Would they have different resistances, different strengths? Could you engineer a 'super-alloy' Scizor with enhanced durability or unique properties?'
If the metals in this world even correspond to Earth's periodic table… The possibilities, the potential for optimization… it was fascinating— but completely beyond his current knowledge.
He needed more information, and there's no better place in the world than Professor Oak's library.
— — —
"Ah~ Finally done for the day."
Xiu slumped onto a chair fashioned from stacked boxes inside the warehouse, stretching his arms high above his head, feeling the satisfying ache of physical labor from a long day of juggling his assistant duties – feeding rounds, paddock cleaning, basic equipment maintenance – alongside intensive study sessions and overseeing his Pokémon's training.
Nights were spent analyzing data, planning the next day's training, attempting to decipher the ancient texts Professor Oak had recommended, and worrying about Abra's condition.
The days were relentless, packed from dawn till dusk, yet… fulfilling. Utterly exhausting, yes, but filled with purpose. A stark contrast to the soul-crushing monotony of his previous life.
Doing something he was genuinely passionate about, seeing tangible progress in his Pokémon, actively working towards a goal… it fueled him in a way no amount of caffeine ever could.
His previous self would have recoiled in horror at the thought of studying ancient and complex languages voluntarily. Foreign language courses had been the bane of his existence back in university.
Yet now, he found himself spending hours hunched over dusty tomes filled with distorted, hieroglyphic-like characters, painstakingly copying symbols, cross-referencing meanings, filling pages of his own notebook with annotations.
He had only managed to decipher a dozen pages of the introductory text so far. It wasn't lack of intellect; his mind, hyper-active due to the psychic exposure, absorbed information rapidly— but these ancient scripts… they lacked the logical structure he was used to.
It was like translating Egyptian Hieroglyphs without the Rosetta Stone… requiring sheer, brute-force memorization and contextual understanding as even his enhanced brain struggled with the sheer volume and ambiguity of it.
'Professor Oak learned the basics in a week?' The thought was humbling. Genius isn't a strong enough word. Xiu was confident he could learn it eventually, but time was a luxury he didn't have. Scyther's 'research' was starting tomorrow. If he couldn't understand the ancient texts Oak occasionally referenced, if he couldn't grasp the historical context… he would be blind, completely reliant on Professor Oak's interpretation of the text.
"Oh! Right!" A sudden, brilliant idea struck him. Memory! He remembered how Abra had transferred its entire life experience to him almost instantaneously. He didn't possess perfect recall himself, but Abra… Abra's psychic mind did.
What if… what if Abra could 'read' the ancient texts? Absorb the information, the vocabulary… and then simply transfer that knowledge directly into Xiu's mind? A psychic copy-paste. Could that work? Bypassing the tedious process of rote memorization entirely?
He felt a surge of excitement. 'I'm a genius! Why didn't I think of this sooner?'
But then, reality intruded. Was such a direct knowledge transfer even possible? He didn't know the limits or risks of Abra's telepathy. And Abra… it was already undergoing intense psychic training with Alakazam during the day, and needed rest at night. Pushing it further, asking it to undertake such a complex mental task… it felt risky. And given its unstable condition…
"Hahaha!" Xiu suddenly laughed out loud at his own thought process. "It's like thinking of all kinds of ways to prepare for the final exam." Always looking for the shortcut, the path of least resistance. 'Lazy ahh,' he chastised himself mentally, though the thought was amusing.
He shook his head, dismissing the psychic shortcut idea for now. He'd stick to the hard way, crawling into his makeshift bed – the old frame and mattress retrieved from the Institute's utility room proved surprisingly comfortable.
"Hope tomorrow is still a day full of hope," he murmured, drifting off into an exhausted sleep almost immediately.
— — —
Xiu was up before dawn, the ingrained biological clock overriding his fatigue. Late spring was transitioning into early summer; the air already held a hint of warmth even before dawn.
"Rise and shine!" He released his Pokémon, then pushed open the heavy warehouse door. Abra, Happiny, and Scyther emerged, blinking sleepily.
He stretched, twisting his neck, feeling the familiar pops and clicks. "Alright team, listen up," he addressed them. "Today's schedule is a bit different. Scyther," he looked at the insectoid Pokémon, "you'll be working with Professor Oak today, starting those… 'tests' we discussed. Just cooperate, stay calm, and follow his instructions. Abra," he turned to the psychic type, "continue your control exercises, focus on the regimen Alakazam gave you. I'll check your progress later. Happiny…" he looked down at the small pink Pokémon already fiddling with a shiny pebble, "…just try not to wander off or cause trouble, okay?"
He quickly laid out the Pokéblocks for Abra and Happiny near the warehouse. "Scyther, you come with me. We need to get you prepped up before the Professor starts."
After a quick meal, Xiu took Scyther and headed towards the main institute building. But before they reached it, Professor Oak intercepted them, already walking briskly towards the paddock area. "Ah, Xiu! Good timing! Come with me, need you to help get the morning feed distribution ready." He seemed completely focused on the day's tasks, making no mention of the impending Scyther experiments.
"Yes, Professor," Xiu replied, falling into step beside him.
As they walked towards the warehouse, Professor Oak made casual conversation. "By the way, Xiu," he remarked, glancing sideways, "you rarely mention your family. Your parents… they must be quite understanding, letting a young man like you travel and work so far from home alone." His tone was light, but Xiu sensed the underlying probe.
"Understanding?" Xiu replied, his voice carefully neutral. "Hard to say. They disappeared when I was three."
The blunt statement clearly startled Professor Oak. He stopped walking for a second, his expression shifting from casual curiosity to surprise, then sympathy. He seemed momentarily lost for words.
He had assumed, based on Xiu's competence and Bao Ba's implicit recommendation, that the boy came from some kind of background, perhaps a less privileged one, but not… an orphan. Now, thinking back— Xiu's fierce independence, his resourcefulness, his occasional guardedness… it made sense.
Xiu saw the Professor struggling for a response and quickly added, trying avoid the awkward atmosphere, "Don't worry about it, Professor. It was a long time ago. I barely even remember them, honestly. Can't even recall their faces." He offered a small, dismissive shrug. "But," he added, a harder edge entering his voice, "they did teach me one important lesson before they vanished."
"Oh?" Professor Oak looked at him curiously now, sensing something beneath the surface. "And what was that?"
Xiu met his gaze directly, his own eyes momentarily reflecting a flicker of the harshness he had endured. "Survive," he stated simply, his voice low but intense. "Use any means necessary. Just… stay alive."
The topic of parents held some emotional weight for the current Xiu as 'Li Xiu' remembered his family, yes, but those memories felt distant and disconnected. His immediate reality, shaped by 'Ka Xiu's' fragmented past and his own recent struggles, was defined by the harsh environment of the orphanage.
Professor Oak seemed to understand the unspoken history conveyed in those few words, in the sudden intensity of Xiu's gaze. He nodded slowly, wisely choosing not to press further, instead changing the subject, pointing out the landscape as they continued towards the warehouse, resuming their professional roles.
"Here we are," Professor Oak said as they reached the town's edge later that morning. The houses and shops began to thin out, replaced by open fields. "Need to pick up a delivery."