Chapter 120: Conjecture and Consequence
Xiu noted silently as Professor Oak meticulously handled the highly corrosive substances without gloves, or even goggles— apparently optional. He made a mental note to maintain maximum distance during these particular experiments.
After rinsing the Scyther fragment with clean water, Professor Oak carefully placed it back in its petri dish using tweezers. He examined it closely under a bright desk lamp.
"Remarkable," he murmured, mostly to himself. "No etching, no discoloration… absolutely no trace of corrosion." He looked up at Xiu. "As expected, of course. The bio-metallic composite possesses properties far exceeding the original base metal."
He then put the fragment back into the first green liquid for longer-term observation.
Next, Professor Oak uncorked the second bottle, the one containing the purple liquid— a strange, cloying, almost sweet odor immediately filled the air, making Xiu feel slightly lightheaded after just one breath.
"Professor," Xiu asked, instinctively taking another step back, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve, "what are these liquids? That smell…"
Professor Oak glanced over, seemingly unaffected by the fumes. "Ah, yes. The green one is concentrated gastric fluid, extracted from a Muk. Highly acidic, capable of dissolving most common metals. The purple," he indicated the bottle he now held, "is a dissolving fluid secreted by Arbok. And the clear one," he gestured towards the third bottle, "is simply a high-molarity synthesized inorganic acid."
He added nonchalantly, noticing Xiu's reaction, "The Arbok fluid is venomous, of course. Mild neurotoxin when inhaled in sufficient concentration causes dizziness and disorientation. Best not to breathe too deeply."
"..." Xiu stared at the Professor, utterly speechless. 'Casually handling potent neurotoxins without ventilation or protection? Professor Oak is crazy!' He quickly located the controls for the lab's overhead fume hood and switched it on high, then found lids to place loosely over the open beakers containing the corrosive liquids, trying to mitigate the escaping fumes.
"Professor," Xiu managed, once the ventilation kicked in, "I thought Muk's gastric juices could dissolve any metal? Why didn't it affect the steel square earlier, or the fragment now?"
"Ah, a common misconception," Oak replied, seemingly happy to lecture while waiting for the next phase of the experiment. "Hyperbole is often used in popular Pokédex entries, so while it is incredibly potent, its effectiveness varies depending on the strength of the Pokémon and the metal's specific composition.
Some alloys, particularly those with high chromium or titanium content, exhibit significant resistance." He added, warming to the topic, "And often, it's not the metal itself that resists, but an incredibly thin, rapidly forming oxide layer created upon contact with air. That passive layer is what provides the initial protection against corrosion."
"Understood," Xiu nodded, filing the information away. He glanced towards the petri dishes again. "Shall we… continue the test?"
"No need to test the Arbok fluid or the strong acid on the metal sample now," Oak waved dismissively. "The results are predictable. The Arbok fluid would cause slow surface etching, the strong acid a slightly faster dissolution than the Muk fluid, but less… 'aggressive'."
He seemed far more interested in the fragments, continuing, "But," he added, a mischievous glint returning, "if you are curious to see the effects firsthand… feel free." He gestured towards the remaining bottles and metal squares, stepping back slightly, effectively giving Xiu permission to conduct the experiment himself.
Xiu hesitated, looking at the fuming liquids, remembering Oak's casual warnings. 'He's testing me again, but the opportunity to handle these rare substances, to observe their effects directly…'
The researcher instinct within him, however nascent, warred with his sense of self-preservation. 'Birds die for food, men die for wealth, and knowledge required experimentation.' He took a deep breath, trying to control the slight tremor in his hands.
He carefully placed a fresh steel square in a clean petri dish. Mimicking Professor Oak's earlier movements, trying to keep his hands as steady as possible as he uncorked the purple Arbok fluid bottle. The cloying smell intensified. He tilted his head away, holding his breath, and slowly poured a single drop onto the metal.
Unlike the violent reaction with the Muk fluid, this was slower, subtler— a faint sizzling sound emerged as the purple liquid spread across the metal surface. No smoke, no dramatic bubbling, but the metal visibly darkened, etched, its smooth surface turning rough, pitted.
"As expected," Professor Oak commented from nearby. "The Arbok fluid doesn't rely on sheer corrosive power; it primarily degrades surface integrity, allowing its venom component to penetrate more effectively."
Xiu nodded silently, making a mental note. He then carefully cleaned the area and repeated the process with the third bottle – the clear, synthesized strong acid. This reaction was closer to the Muk fluid, though perhaps slightly less vigorous – rapid bubbling, white fumes, quick dissolution of the metal square, leaving behind a clear but highly toxic liquid.
'Finally,' heart pounding slightly, Xiu turned his attention back to the Scyther fragments. He carefully applied drops of the Arbok fluid and the strong acid to separate fragments.
The results were identical to the Muk fluid test. Nothing. The fragments remained completely inert, untouched, seemingly impervious to even the most potent corrosive agents.
The bio-metallic composite Scyther's body had created was extraordinarily resistant.
After waiting a sufficient observation period, Professor Oak instructed Xiu to rinse the fragments again. "Get some clean water," he ordered casually.
"Yes, Professor!" Xiu practically leaped at the chance to escape the lingering fumes near the workbench, hurrying towards the sink again. 'Seriously! No gloves? No masks? This lab is a death trap!'
He couldn't fathom Professor Oak's apparent disregard for basic safety protocols.
Once the fragments were rinsed and dried, Professor Oak examined them again under a microscope. "Remarkable," he murmured, confirming the lack of any degradation. "It seems," he concluded, finally looking up at Xiu, "that Scyther's absorption process doesn't simply accumulate external metals. It fundamentally transforms them, integrating them into its own biological matrix, creating an entirely new substance with vastly different properties."
"Meaning what, exactly?" Xiu pressed, needing clarity.
"Meaning," Oak sighed, a hint of frustration returning. "We need… more samples. Different stages of integration." He looked back at Xiu, his gaze sharpening. "Which brings us back to direct experimentation on Scyther itself."
Xiu frowned, understanding the implication. The fragment analysis, while yielding interesting results, wasn't sufficient. To truly understand the process, Oak needed to monitor it live, as it happened within Scyther's body.
The two fell silent again, the research seemingly hitting another roadblock, circling back to the ethical dilemma Xiu had hoped to avoid.
Finally, after reviewing all the data collected from the fragment tests, Professor Oak handed the summary sheets to Xiu. "See anything conclusive?" he asked, perhaps testing Xiu's analytical skills again.
Xiu studied the results – hardness tests, melting points, corrosion resistance… "Surprisingly," he answered after a moment's thought, "the data seems… consistent? Across both the chromium-treated fragments and the nickel-treated ones? The final properties – hardness increase, thermal resistance, corrosion immunity – they seem remarkably similar, despite originating from different initial metals."
"My thoughts exactly," Professor Oak nodded, looking almost disappointed. "It suggests," he theorized, leaning back, "that Scyther's biological process doesn't just absorb the metal; it transmutes it, breaking it down and restructuring it into a preferred bio-metallic configuration, regardless of the initial element.
The type of metal might influence the rate of absorption, the efficiency of the process," he conceded, "but the end result… seems predetermined by Scyther's own biology." He threw up his hands slightly in mock exasperation. "Which means my grand theory about creating a 'perfected' Scizor with unique properties based on specific alloys… is likely impossible."
He paused, then added expressionlessly, "Of course, this is just conjecture based on limited fragment data. More detailed, long-term experiments on a living subject would be required for confirmation." The unspoken request hung in the air again.
Xiu frowned, processing this new hypothesis. If Scyther's body standardized the absorbed metals… then Oak's ambitious, potentially dangerous alloy experiments were pointless anyway— but confirming that required… more experiments. He felt trapped in a loop.
Seeing Xiu's renewed hesitation, Professor Oak decided not to push the issue further for now. The day's research was concluded, but Xiu knew the question of direct experimentation on Scyther would inevitably resurface.
He needed to talk to Scyther again, explain this new development. The potential risks remained, even if the potential 'rewards' Professor Oak had envisioned were now seemingly off the table.
'Trust between Trainer and Pokémon…' he thought in contemplation. 'It really is everything.'
Every Trainer should bear in mind that a Pokémon in a Poké Ball guarantees nothing, after all, it's just a residence— a convenience brought by technology.
'True partnership, the bond between Trainer and Pokémon… that has to be earned and constantly reaffirmed.' Especially when asking them to potentially endure hardship, even danger, for the sake of knowledge or survival.