Chapter 118: The Experiment Begins
Abra simply accepted the bowl of Pokéblocks and the glass of berry juice via Telekinesis, consuming them silently while Xiu returned to cleaning up the small kitchen area after their breakfast.
The work involved in being Professor Oak's 'assistant' wasn't overly demanding – similar in scope, really, to his duties back at Fuchsia City's Safari Zone.
Feeding rounds, basic habitat cleaning, assisting with sample collection or equipment maintenance… relatively easy tasks, leaving him ample free time.
And while there was no salary, the 'hidden benefits' – access to Oak's unparalleled knowledge, his vast library, state-of-the-art equipment, and potentially even direct tutelage – were invaluable, far exceeding any monetary compensation he could have earned elsewhere.
After finishing the morning feeding rounds in the backyard paddock, Xiu had most of the day to himself. He retreated to the relative quiet of the Institute's living room, intending to finally tackle the stack of Abra research notebooks Professor Oak had provided.
He had just settled onto the sofa when Oak himself appeared, looking surprisingly energetic. "Ah, Xiu. Just the person I was looking for." He gestured towards the lab stairs. "Analysis of the scythe fragments is complete. Come upstairs. We need to discuss the next steps for Scyther's development."
Xiu immediately set aside the notebooks, his mind shifting gears. 'It's starting.' He followed Oak up to the second-floor laboratory.
"The initial analysis confirms our hypothesis," Oak began, pulling up complex graphs and molecular models on the main console screen. "As expected, iron constitutes the vast majority of the integrated metallic elements in Scyther's system. However," he zoomed in on a specific section of the data, "the trace amounts of other metals – chromium, nickel, even trace vanadium – are present in significantly higher concentrations than typically found, and their integration patterns are… unique. It strongly suggests your Scyther possesses an anomalous, broad-spectrum metallic affinity, not just limited to iron."
Xiu leaned closer, trying to decipher the data, but quickly realized it was beyond his current understanding. "So, Professor," he asked, cutting to the chase, "what does this mean for the experiment?"
"It means," Oak replied, a familiar glint of scientific excitement in his eyes, "that simply supplementing its diet with iron, aiming for a standard Scizor evolution, would be… inadequate— a waste of its unique potential." He looked directly at Xiu.
"We need to determine which metals it has the highest affinity for beyond iron, and understand how those metals affect its physiology, its potential evolution."
"And how do we do that?" Xiu asked, wary of the potential risks Oak seemed so eager to overlook.
"Ideally? Controlled infusion," Oak stated bluntly. "Introduce precise amounts of different metallic compounds directly into its system, monitor the absorption rates and physiological responses…"
"Professor!" Xiu interrupted firmly. "We agreed. No invasive procedures unless absolutely necessary."
Oak sighed dramatically, though Xiu suspected the reluctance was feigned. "Yes, yes, your conditions," he conceded dismissively. "Fine. We proceed with the less efficient, less precise method first." He gestured towards a workbench laden with various jars of powdered metals and chemical bonding agents. "External application."
He explained the revised plan. They would prepare several different metallic 'pastes' – finely powdered metals suspended in a biochemically inert adhesive gel. Each paste would feature a different primary metal (chromium, nickel, tungsten, etc.) mixed with trace catalytic compounds.
They would then apply these pastes directly onto Scyther's scythes, allowing for gradual, passive absorption through the chitinous surface over several days, while closely monitoring its condition.
"It's slower, less controlled than direct infusion," Oak admitted, "but significantly safer. We can observe the absorption rates, check for adverse reactions, analyze changes in the scythes' composition non-invasively." He looked at Xiu expectantly. "Acceptable?"
Xiu considered. External application felt far less risky than internal injection, aligning with his own earlier suggestion. "Okay," he agreed.
"Excellent!" Oak beamed. "Then let's get to work!" He handed Xiu a detailed list of precise ratios and mixing instructions. "Prepare these formulations. I need to calibrate the micro-density scanner."
Xiu immediately set to work, carefully measuring and mixing the metallic powders and adhesive gels according to Oak's specifications. There were six different formulations in total.
Once prepared, Oak meticulously applied two different pastes to Scyther's scythes – one distinct metallic compound coating the blade of the right scythe, a different one coating the left. Scyther endured the process patiently, seeming to understand this was part of its agreed-upon 'training'.
"Alright," Oak said, stepping back after applying the final coat. "The adhesive needs time to set properly, and the absorption process is slow. For the next few days, Scyther's scythes are effectively out of commission for combat or heavy use."
He looked pointedly at Scyther, then at Xiu. "Which means," he concluded with a slight smile, "its training will need to focus on other areas. Perhaps… more running?"
Xiu took Scyther away from the lab, leaving Professor Oak already engrossed in preparing the monitoring equipment.
Back in the backyard, Xiu explained the situation to Scyther. "Okay, so no slicing drills for a few days while these pastes do their work. Focus on Agility, endurance, and maybe those evasion patterns."
Scyther seemed to understand, offering no objection.
— — —
Three days later.
Xiu brought Scyther back up to the second-floor lab as instructed. Professor Oak carefully cleaned off the dried metallic pastes from Scyther's scythes, revealing the chitin beneath.
"Well now…" Oak murmured, leaning closer, examining the blades intently. "Isn't that interesting?"
Xiu peered closer too. The scythes looked… different. Especially the right one, which had been coated with the chromium-based compound. It seemed to possess a subtle, almost metallic sheen now, a faint bluish-grey luster that hadn't been there before. The left scythe, coated with the nickel compound, looked largely unchanged.
"This absorption rate… far exceeds expectations," Oak stated, clearly surprised but also delighted. "Three days of passive external contact, and there's already a visible change in the exoskeleton's surface composition, especially with the chromium." He quickly guided Scyther over to a scanning device. "Let's get precise readings."
He ran a series of tests, monitoring density, hardness, energy conductivity. The results confirmed his visual observation. The chromium compound had integrated significantly, altering the physical properties of the scythe blade. The nickel compound showed much lower absorption.
"Remarkable affinity for chromium," Oak mused, studying the data. "Far higher than expected based on this absorption rate." He looked up at Xiu, excitement burning in his eyes again. "This changes things! Opens up entirely new possibilities!"
Compared to Oak's scientific fervor, Xiu felt a growing unease. This was happening faster than he'd expected. He trusted Oak's assessment that it wasn't harmful yet, but altering Scyther's fundamental composition…
"Alright!" Oak declared, already moving towards another instrument array. "Now that we have baseline absorption data, time to test performance metrics!" He gestured towards a sturdy metal table where several strange objects were laid out. "Scyther, over here. Extend your right scythe."
Professor Oak picked up a fist-sized object from the table. It was roughly square, made of a dark, heavy-looking metal, with a protruding metallic rod on top. Its purpose was entirely unclear.
"First," Oak announced, "structural integrity test…"