Chapter 145: The Missing Professor
A series of sharp, rapid knocks echoed through the room, jolting Xiu from enjoying his happy moments with Abra and Happiny. He glanced towards the Poké Balls containing Scizor and Abra, then gave Happiny, who was curiously tilting her head at the noise, a brief, reassuring look.
'Who could it be at this hour?' It wasn't even eight yet.
He rose silently and moved to the door, peering through the peephole. A young woman in the standard pink Pokémon Center staff uniform stood outside, fidgeting nervously, her brow furrowed with anxiety. 'A nurse? Why would they be looking for me?'
Xiu opened the door just enough to see her clearly. "Yes? What is it?"
"Ah, Mr. Xiu," the nurse stammered, clearly relieved to find him. "Um... it's Professor Oak. We... we can't find him."
A slight frown touched Xiu's lips. He pushed the door open fully and stepped out into the hallway, automatically glancing towards Oak's room next door.
As if anticipating his thought, the young woman added quickly, "He didn't return last night."
Xiu processed this quickly. Professor Oak hadn't come back. Right, he mentioned visiting old friends yesterday. "Don't worry. The Professor went to meet some old acquaintances last night. He probably talked late and stayed over at his friend's place."
"But the League event!" the nurse nearly wailed, her panic escalating. "It's scheduled to start at nine! That's barely two hours from now! If Professor Oak doesn't show up..." Her voice trailed off, the implication clear. 'Ah. So that's the real issue.' Oak wasn't just any guest; his presence was a major draw for the event. His absence would be a significant problem.
Xiu felt a familiar flicker of helplessness mixed with annoyance. Professor Oak hadn't bothered to mention where he was going or provide any contact information. 'He treats me like an assistant when it suits him, but keeps me in the dark otherwise.' He forced the thought down.
He paused, thinking for a few seconds. "Does the Head Nurse know about this?"
"Yes! Head Nurse already left for the event venue earlier, asking me to come notify the Professor, but..." The nurse helplessly exclaimed.
"Alright," Xiu cut in, his voice taking on a sharper, more decisive edge. The nurse visibly flinched at the sudden shift. "Wasting time here won't help. We need to act. Go back and inform the Head Nurse immediately. She'll need to manage the situation at the venue, perhaps prepare another plan just in case. I'll go find the Professor."
The young woman stared, momentarily stunned by his sudden command, but the urgency in his tone spurred her into action. She nodded mechanically. "R-right!"
Xiu turned to go back into his room to grab his jacket, but a thought struck him. He stopped the departing nurse. "One more thing. Can you arrange a vehicle for me? Quickly."
"Uh... yes! Of course!" She nodded seriously, hurrying off towards the reception area.
A few minutes later, Xiu emerged from the main entrance to find not a standard car, but one of the distinctive red-and-white Pokémon Center response vehicles waiting – essentially a modified van or ambulance, used for field calls or transporting injured Pokémon. The same young nurse stood beside it, keys in hand.
She saw him hesitate slightly as he approached the vehicle. "Is there a problem, Mr. Xiu?"
'The problem, Xiu thought wryly, is that I've never driven in my entire life.' He vaguely recalled seeing Oak handle a similar model once, though. The controls couldn't be that different from a standard truck or van. It was an unexpected complication, but finding Oak was the priority. "No problem," he said curtly, taking the keys. "I'm leaving now."
He slid into the driver's seat, the interior smelling faintly of antiseptic. He took a moment to locate the ignition, gears, and basic controls. Inserting the key, he started the engine with a low rumble. Putting it into gear, he pulled away from the curb… perhaps a little too quickly. The vehicle lurched slightly, swerving for a moment before he corrected it, guiding it onto the main road with more care.
The nurse watched him go, a worried expression on her face, mistaking his initial awkwardness for anxious haste.
Inside the vehicle, Xiu ignored the initial wobble. His mind quickly processing the memories of driving various vehicles in Need for Speed and Asseto Corsa, applying it onto his current circumstance. Within minutes, the initial unfamiliarity faded, replaced by okay-ish control.
'Now, the question was: where to look?' Professor Oak hadn't given any specifics, only mentioning "old friends." But Xiu recalled the direction Oak had driven off in yesterday after lunch. He also recalled the information gleaned from Kurokawa about Viridian City's general layout – the different districts, the more affluent areas contrasting with sections for the working-class.
An old friend of Professor Oak… likely someone with similar status or profession. Involved with Pokémon research, training, or the academe. Combining these factors, Xiu's pointed towards one primary location: the Viridian City Trainer School. It fit the profile.
He navigated the streets, already busier than usual. Today was the day of the city-wide celebration accompanying the League event; traffic was heavier, with more pedestrians and vehicles than normal, even this early. 'The traffic will get worse later.' He focused, weaving through wherever possible to maintain speed without being reckless.
Soon, he reached the outskirts of the city where the Trainer School was located. Unlike the small, local school near the bookstore front, this was a larger institution situated near the edge of the Viridian Forest. A sprawling complex emerged at the end of the road.
From the gate, Xiu took in the design: strictly pragmatic. A large, fenced-off compound. Directly ahead lay a main training field divided into multiple standard battle arenas. Behind it rose several utilitarian buildings, six or seven stories high, painted a somewhat drab, institutional dark green. The entire place felt slightly imposing. It was also completely deserted; no students, no staff visible.
'Is it because it's a holiday? Or am I just too early?
Xiu parked the vehicle conspicuously near the main gate. He then got out and approached the front, calling out, "Hello! Anyone here?"
After a moment, a side door in a small security booth near the gate opened, and a man in a security guard uniform emerged. He eyed Xiu up and down, his expression wary and slightly dismissive. "School's closed today for the holiday," the guard stated gruffly. "Not open to the public. What do you want?"
"I'm looking for someone," Xiu began calmly. "I was wondering if yesterday afternoon..."
"No idea!" the guard cut him off abruptly, clearly uninterested in helping.
Xiu felt a familiar surge of irritation at the petty obstruction, but kept his expression neutral. He simply gestured towards the parked vehicle behind him, tapping the prominent Pokémon Center logo on its side. "Maybe take a proper look before deciding you have no idea," he suggested, his voice level but carrying an unmistakable edge of authority.
The guard's gaze followed Xiu's gesture. His eyes widened slightly as he registered the official vehicle. The casual hostility evaporated instantly, replaced by an overly solicitous smile. "Oh! My apologies, sir! Of course, of course. How can I help you? Ask anything, I'll definitely..."
"Right," Xiu interrupted coolly, a flicker of contempt crossing his face. He didn't have time for boot-licking. "Yesterday afternoon. Did you happen to see a specific vehicle – a tan or beige pickup truck?"
The guard's eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah, yes! The pickup! I remember that. Came by yesterday, yeah." He paused. "But it didn't stay long."
"Why not?" Xiu pressed. "Which direction did it go? Did the driver say anything?"
"Uh..." The guard scratched his head. "The driver, an older gentleman, asked for the Principal. But our Principal wasn't in school yesterday, seein' as it's the holiday break. So, the gentleman just turned around and left."
'Okay, a solid lead.' "Where does your Principal live?" Xiu asked immediately.
The guard readily provided an address.
'Forty minutes wasted already.' Xiu glanced at the vehicle's clock. The event started in less than ninety minutes. If Professor Oak wasn't at the Principal's house, then finding him would become significantly harder.
Fortunately, the address wasn't far, still within the suburban outskirts. Xiu thanked the guard curtly, got back into the response vehicle, and drove off, pushing the speed slightly now that he had a definite destination.
Less than ten minutes later, he arrived. He hadn't expected the Principal's residence to be quite so... substantial. It was a large, sprawling manor set back from the road, surrounded by old trees and stone walls, looking like a castle that had stood there for generations.
But Xiu paid little attention to the architecture. His eyes immediately scanned the long driveway leading up to the house. And there it was. Parked near the front entrance, unmistakable even from a distance.
Professor Oak's pickup truck.
Found him. A small measure of relief washed over Xiu. Now for the potentially awkward part: fetching the wayward Professor.