Just as Xiu stood up, preparing to leave, accepting the Professor's polite refusal, Professor Oak suddenly spoke again, his tone shifting back from dismissive to thoughtful.
"Wait a moment!"
Xiu paused, turning back. "Any further advice, Professor?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral, expecting perhaps a referral to a lesser-known researcher, or maybe just a final warning.
"As you pointed out," Professor Oak began slowly, putting down his water glass and sitting upright again, regarding Xiu intently, "your Abra does represent an extremely rare case." He paused. "While I may not be inclined to undertake the… risks… associated with directly attempting to 'solve' its instability myself, perhaps we can approach this differently. A way to… 'save your life', as you put it, even if we can't immediately fix the core issue."
Xiu waited, wary but intrigued. "What did you have in mind, Professor?"
Professor Oak leaned forward slightly, a shrewd glint entering his eyes. "For example," he proposed calmly, "you could entrust Abra to my care. Permanently. For long-term observation and contained study within the Institute's secure facilities. As for compensation…" he waved a dismissive hand, "…monetary details can certainly be discussed."
Xiu's expression remained impassive, betraying none of the internal indignation he felt. 'Give up Abra? Sell it like a lab specimen?' "Professor," he replied, his voice calm but firm, "if there's nothing else relevant to Abra's well-being, then I should be going." He stood up fully, offering a curt, polite nod, making his refusal clear without needing to voice it directly.
"Ha~ Must you be so hasty?" Professor Oak chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the rejection, showing no anxiety. Instead, he leaned back again, regarding Xiu with that same calculating smile. "Director Bao Ba, perhaps out of concern for your delicate sensibilities, may not have fully impressed upon you the true dangers of prolonged psychic exposure. You seem unaware of the gravity."
He adopted a tone of faux sympathy. "Let me be perfectly clear, young man. In your current state, continuing as you are… your lifespan is significantly shortened. Best case scenario? A few more years, perhaps plagued by increasingly severe physical and mental degradation. Worst case? Much sooner. Giving Abra to me now, accepting a generous compensation… allows you to live out your remaining years in comfort, perhaps even pursue other, less dangerous interests."
"Thank you for your concern, Professor," Xiu replied, his voice still unnervingly calm, betraying no fear, no anger. "But my choices, and their consequences, are my own business." It sounded less like bravery, more like a simple statement of fact, accepting his potentially grim reality.
"Are you absolutely certain?" Professor Oak pressed, the casual smile still fixed on his face, perhaps testing Xiu's resolve one last time.
Xiu didn't bother replying. He simply turned and walked decisively towards the living room exit. He'd seen what he needed to see, asked his questions, received his answer (or lack thereof). Staying longer served no purpose.
Professor Oak watched Xiu's retreating back, the smile on his face slowly widening, becoming genuine amusement. Just as Xiu reached the doorway, Oak called out again, his voice casual but carrying clearly.
"I happen to be looking for a new research assistant, you know. Interested?"
Xiu froze mid-stride. He paused, hesitated for two long seconds, then slowly took back the step he'd taken into the hallway. He turned back towards Professor Oak, his expression carefully neutral. "What kind of assistant?"
"See for yourself." Professor Oak produced a single sheet of paper – seemingly from nowhere – and held it out.
Xiu frowned slightly but walked back over and took the paper. He glanced at it briefly. It was a simple, handwritten recruitment notice.
Position: Research Assistant (Field & Lab Support)
Responsibilities: Daily care and feeding of Pokémon residing in the Institute's habitat paddock. Assisting with data collection and observation. Basic groundskeeping and equipment maintenance. Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications: Demonstrable affinity with Pokémon. Basic understanding of Pokémon care principles. Strong work ethic.
Compensation: Room and board provided within the Institute. Access to Institute library facilities during off-hours.
Salary: None.
Xiu held up the notice, raising an eyebrow. "This looks… comprehensive," he commented dryly. "No formal interview required?" He still couldn't grasp Oak's angle, trying to subtly probe for more information.
"We just had the interview, didn't we?" Professor Oak replied with a grin, taking another sip of water. "Observing your interaction with the Pokémon outside, your knowledge during our conversation, your reaction under pressure… quite impressive." He sighed dramatically. "Truth be told, good help is hard to find, and the Institute is currently short-staffed in the paddock area. Have to make do with who's available."
"..." Xiu felt certain Professor Oak was toying with him now. 'Oak Research Institute? Short-staffed? Impossible.' Renowned researchers, aspiring students, dedicated volunteers… countless individuals would likely give anything for an opportunity to work here, even unpaid. Offering the position to him, a complete nobody with questionable credentials and a potentially dangerous Pokémon… it made no logical sense.
'Unless…'
Was this Oak's real test? A way to keep him close, observe Abra under the guise of employment? Or was his earlier refusal to help just a bluff, a negotiation tactic?
Deciding directness was the only way forward, Xiu dropped the pretense. "Professor," he asked bluntly, "what about Abra's condition? Does taking this position offer any path towards addressing that issue?"
Professor Oak's response completely blindsided him again. "Abra?" he repeated, feigning ignorance, blinking innocently. "That's your Pokémon, your problem. What does it have to do with my need for an assistant?"
"..."
Seeing Xiu's utterly bewildered expression, Professor Oak finally broke into a genuine, hearty laugh. "Food and lodging are included," he reiterated, the earlier seriousness gone, replaced by amusement. "No salary. Take it or leave it. Simple as that."
'This Professor… he's completely unreliable!' Xiu thought, baffled by the abrupt shifts in tone and the lack of any coherent negotiation or explanation. One minute, Professor Oak was diagnosing potentially fatal conditions, the next offering a menial, unpaid job as if Abra's problem was irrelevant. 'Is he serious? Is this some kind of elaborate joke? Or did he genuinely just need someone to feed the Pidgey? Why keep me here, then?'
'Could it be… he couldn't get Abra through direct request or veiled threats, so now he was keeping Xiu close, hoping to study it indirectly? Or was the earlier talk of danger just a test, and this job offer the real 'help'?'
With Xiu remaining silent, caught in indecision, the atmosphere grew quiet again. Professor Oak simply waited patiently, sipping his water, offering no further clarification, seemingly unconcerned whether Xiu accepted or not.
After a moment of rapid internal calculation, weighing the risks and potential benefits, Xiu made his decision. Proximity to Oak's knowledge, access to that library… even if he won't help directly, this is still my best chance.
"Okay," Xiu finally said, meeting Oak's gaze. "I accept the position."
"Excellent!" Professor Oak nodded, as if the outcome had never been in doubt. "Sensible choice. As I suspected you'd realize, there's no better place in the world to be if you're dealing with an anomalous Pokémon."
His words confirmed Xiu's suspicion. Oak was keeping him here because of Abra. He was a research subject, albeit now also an unpaid employee.
"Right then," Professor Oak stood up briskly. "Let's get you oriented. A quick tour of the Institute, so you know your way around, and more importantly, where not to wander." He headed towards the door.
Xiu nodded and followed, ready to finally see the inner workings of the legendary Oak Research Institute.
They started on the first floor. Oak pointed out the various rooms leading off the main corridor: his personal living quarters. 'Off-limits, naturally.' The guest reception area they were just in, two utility rooms filled with humming machinery (power generators and environmental controls), the kitchen and basic staff amenities, and then… the libraries. Plural. Several large rooms, interconnected, filled with even more towering bookshelves than the private study Xiu had glimpsed at Director Bao Ba's house.
Xiu stared, truly awestruck this time. He'd frequented major libraries in his past life – university archives, provincial collections. Those places held vast numbers of books, yes, but they were public institutions built for that purpose. This… this was the personal collection of one man, within his private research facility. The sheer volume of knowledge contained here… it was staggering.
"Have you… read all of these, Professor?" Xiu asked, unable to contain his awe.
"Most of them," Oak replied casually, with a hint of pride. "Why acquire knowledge if not to absorb it?"
"May I… use the library? During my off-hours?" Xiu asked eagerly, already imagining the secrets hidden within those countless volumes.
"Help yourself," Oak replied with a wave of his hand. "Assuming you finish your assigned duties each day, your free time is your own."
Xiu nodded subconsciously, already mentally rearranging his training and study schedule. Access to this library… it was worth more than any salary.
After touring the extensive library wing, Professor Oak led Xiu back towards the main staircase near the entrance. "Alright," he summarized. "That covers the main level. Now, you know the general layout. Just leaves the basement and the second floor."
Xiu looked towards the stairs leading down and the stairs leading up, saying nothing, waiting for Oak's direction.
Professor Oak gestured downwards first. "The basement level is primarily storage," he explained briefly. "Archival records, sensitive equipment, and," he added significantly, "the repository for Poké Balls containing Pokémon entrusted to my care by other Trainers, or specimens awaiting transfer. Experimental subjects, essentially. Off-limits to assistants."
He then gestured upwards. "The second floor," he pointed towards the ceiling, "houses my primary laboratories. Genetics, biochemistry, behavioral analysis… That's where the real research happens." His eyes held a warning glint. "Those two areas – basement storage and the upstairs labs – are strictly forbidden access for junior staff during working hours. Understand?"
He didn't offer a tour of either restricted area. "Perhaps, in the future," he added cryptically, "if circumstances warrant, you'll have the opportunity to see them. But not now."