"Are you okay?" Yuto asked again, rushing over as Xiu caught the Happiny. The worry hadn't faded from his face. Growlithe trailed behind him, looking utterly dejected, ears flat against its head, clearly understanding it had messed up again.
"She's fine," Xiu reassured Yuto, gently checking Happiny over one last time before setting it down. "This little one's tougher than she looks. Just got carried away with the fun, right?" He looked down at Happiny, who immediately started trying to climb his leg again, the scare already forgotten.
Yuto let out a relieved sigh. He and Xiu exchanged a look – a shared moment of exasperated helplessness familiar to anyone dealing with overly enthusiastic young Pokémon (or children). They both chuckled.
But behind them, Director Bao Ba wasn't laughing. His earlier amusement was gone, replaced by a deeply puzzled, almost disturbed expression. There was a flicker of something else in his eyes too – Fear? Concern? And his intense gaze wasn't directed at the recovered Happiny or the guilty-looking Growlithe. It was fixed squarely on Abra, who still floated serenely nearby, seemingly oblivious.
"Xiu," Bao Ba said abruptly, his voice tight, serious. "We need to talk. In my study. Bring all your Pokémon." Without waiting for a reply, without further explanation, he turned and walked briskly back towards the house.
Xiu watched him go, bewildered by the sudden shift in mood, the urgency in his tone. He exchanged a confused glance with Yuto, who looked equally perplexed. Shrugging, Xiu nodded slightly to Yuto, recalled Happiny and Scyther into their Poké Balls, and followed the Director, Abra floating silently beside him.
They returned to the second-floor room Bao Ba used as an office – functional, tidy, dominated by a large desk and computer setup, distinct from the library next door. Bao Ba gestured towards a chair, then sat down behind the desk himself, his expression grave.
He didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Xiu," He began, getting straight to the point, his gaze sharp, "if you don't mind, I need you to tell me everything about your Abra. Its origins, its abilities… everything you know."
Xiu felt his internal alarms go off. He rapidly replayed their earlier conversations, his own actions, trying to figure out what could have triggered this sudden, intense scrutiny. 'Did I say something? Did Abra do something unusual?' Finding no obvious clues, he decided caution was the best approach. "Director," He asked carefully, "is something wrong? What does this matter?"
"Just answer the question, Xiu," Bao Ba replied, his tone firm, impatient. "Don't worry, I have no ill intentions towards your Pokémon. But you… you might be in more trouble than you realize."
His ominous words settled any lingering hesitation in Xiu's mind. There was no point being evasive now. He briefly recounted the story Abra had shared with him – its atypical skill, its exile from its colony, its solitary survival, its capture by the poacher George.
Bao Ba listened intently, his frown deepening with each detail. "So," He confirmed, leaning forward, "this Abra possesses innate Telekinesis from birth?"
"That's correct," Xiu nodded.
The confirmation didn't seem to resolve anything for Bao Ba; if anything, his expression grew darker, more troubled. Even with his vast knowledge and experience, this was unprecedented. He fell silent for a long moment, clearly wrestling with some internal deduction.
The heavy silence stretched. Xiu knew something significant was bothering the Director, something related specifically to Abra's unusual abilities. Seeing Bao Ba lost in thought, Xiu decided to gently probe, break the deadlock. "Director, I realize Abra's situation is… abnormal," He began tentatively. "I was actually planning to take it to the Pokémon Center eventually, get it properly examined…"
"Good thing you didn't," Bao Ba interrupted sharply, his voice grim. "That would have only made things infinitely more complicated." He muttered under his breath, almost too low for Xiu to hear, "I truly hope it isn't what I suspect…"
Seeing Bao Ba seemingly stuck, Xiu pressed gently. "Director? Whatever it is, please tell me. I'm not a child. I can handle it."
Bao Ba looked up, meeting Xiu's steady gaze. He seemed to weigh his words carefully, pausing for a moment before speaking. "Perhaps… perhaps things aren't as dire as my initial thoughts," He conceded slowly. "But I need confirmation. I need to examine your Abra's psychic signature myself before making any definitive judgment."
"Okay," Xiu agreed immediately, without hesitation. Whatever the issue, hiding it wouldn't help.
He turned to Abra. "Okay, Abra. The Director needs to check something. Don't worry, just cooperate."
Abra, who had likely been listening telepathically the entire time, seemed to understand. It turned towards Bao Ba.
Bao Ba, however, didn't approach Abra directly. Instead, he took out a different Poké Ball from his belt. With a flash of red light, another Pokémon materialized in the study.
"Alakazam!" Xiu breathed, recognizing the powerful final evolution instantly. This was his first time seeing one in person.
Compared to Abra's small, simple form, Alakazam was imposing. Taller, leaner, with two long, drooping mustache-like appendages framing its face. Its ears were sharper, longer. The tail was gone. Its body seemed clad in segmented brown armor across its chest and shoulders, with matching bracer-like structures on its wrists and knee pads on its now thicker, more powerful legs. Its forehead was broad, smooth, radiating an aura of immense psychic power. A true mental powerhouse.
What surprised Xiu most, however, was what the Alakazam held. Not the iconic twin spoons usually depicted, but a single, perfectly spherical, nearly transparent crystal ball, held delicately in one hand.
Before Xiu could process this visual discrepancy, Abra floated upwards slightly, its previously closed eyes snapping open, focusing intently on the Alakazam. Alakazam, in turn, acknowledged Abra's presence with a brief, almost imperceptible nod, seemingly unconcerned.
"Alakazam," Bao Ba instructed calmly, "perform a psychic resonance scan. Gently."
Alakazam floated upwards, crossing its legs beneath it in a meditative pose. The crystal ball drifted from its hand, hovering directly before it. Xiu could see intricate patterns of pink psychic energy swirling within the crystal, like interwoven threads of light. Simultaneously, a faint blue aura emanated from Abra, pulsing slightly.
Seeing Abra tense up, Bao Ba quickly advised Xiu, "Have Abra relax. Lower its psychic defenses. Tell it not to resist Alakazam's probe."
Xiu immediately relayed the instruction telepathically, while also physically reaching out to gently touch Abra's shoulder. "It's okay. Just a check-up. I'm right here."
He felt Abra tremble slightly beneath his touch, but the defensive blue aura subsided. He could sense, through their own faint telepathic connection, the powerful, probing psychic energy from Alakazam slowly, carefully seeping into Abra's mind, analyzing its core patterns. 'Is it painful? Frightening?' He didn't know, couldn't know the exact sensation. All he could do was offer his silent presence, his reassurance.
The scan didn't take long. Alakazam withdrew its psychic probe, the pink energy receding back into the crystal ball, which returned to its hand. It then turned towards Bao Ba, its expression unreadable. A silent, telepathic exchange seemed to occur between Trainer and Pokémon. Xiu watched Bao Ba's face intently, trying to read his reaction – a flicker of doubt, a deepening frown, a nod of confirmation… The uncertainty was agonizing.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the silent communication ended. Before Xiu could ask, Bao Ba spoke, his voice grave. "One final test— a practical confrontation. Have your Abra use its Telekinesis to attack Alakazam. Start gently, then gradually increase the power to its maximum output."
Confused by the request but trusting the Director's purpose, Xiu nodded. He turned to Abra. "Okay, Abra. You heard him. Telekinesis attack on Alakazam. Start light, then build up. Be careful."
Perhaps sensing a chance to prove itself, or maybe still buzzing from the psychic intrusion, Abra didn't hold back its initial frustration. It floated away from Xiu, eyes blazing with blue energy. It thrust its hands forward sharply, unleashing an arc of shimmering blue telekinetic force that rushed towards Alakazam.
Even standing beside Abra, Xiu felt the pressure wave, the displaced air from the force of the attack. Yet Alakazam remained utterly relaxed, floating impassively. The telekinetic wave struck it… and dissipated instantly, like mist hitting a solid wall. No effect. No reaction. As if Abra had merely blown a gentle breeze in its direction.
Alakazam then turned back to Bao Ba, conveying another silent, serious message.