Chapter 200: Dust and Discovery
Just as the Beedrill reached the dense upper foliage, about to break through into the open sky above the canopy, it abruptly stopped. It landed on a thick, gnarled junction where several large branches met. Instead of continuing upwards or settling down, it turned its aged, clouded head and seemed to look directly at Xiu as he approached.
What now? Xiu paused, studying the old Pokémon. The vacant, confused look from before was gone, replaced by an unexpected calmness, a sense of quiet purpose.
It's lucid, at least for the moment. Since their previous encounters hadn't involved actual combat, Xiu felt little fear, only curiosity. He carefully navigated the last few feet along the branch, joining the Beedrill at the complex knot of wood. Even near the tips, these upper branches were as thick as a man's thigh, providing stable footing.
The Beedrill lifted one of its scarred stingers, pointing towards a specific spot on the branch junction where the wood bulged slightly, forming a large burl. It then tapped the spot lightly with the tip of its stinger.
Xiu immediately understood. He nodded to Abra. Scan that area. Abra's psychic senses probed the wood. So, there's a cavity inside.
"Alright," Xiu murmured, speaking more to himself than the Beedrill. "Let's see what's hidden here." He addressed the Beedrill directly, "I'm going to open this, okay?" He waited a beat, ensuring the Pokémon didn't react negatively before proceeding. Don't want to trigger any defensive instincts.
Drawing a sturdy utility knife from his belt, Xiu used its tip to carefully pry at the bark around the burl. It came away surprisingly easily, revealing not just wood underneath, but the dull glint of metal. Embedded within the living wood was a small, palm-sized box.
With some effort, Xiu worked the box free from its wooden cocoon. He examined it closely. It was made of a dark, unfamiliar metal, showing no signs of rust despite its long entombment.
The craftsmanship was exquisite, yet clearly old. Faint markings on its surface suggested it hadn't been opened often. The way the tree had grown around it, sealing it completely within the burl, implied it wasn't opened since a long time ago. Like the tree itself swallowed it whole. What could be worth hiding like this?
He offered the box to the Beedrill, but the aged Pokémon simply nudged it back towards him with its stinger.
"You want me to open it?" Xiu confirmed. Receiving no objection, he shrugged. Using the knife, he carefully broke the hardened wax seal securing the lid. He lifted it, peering inside, and frowned slightly in confusion.
Nestled within, protected by a pouch made of some kind of treated, unknown leather, was a small glass vial. The vial's mouth was also sealed with wax, and through the glass, Xiu could faintly discern a rolled-up piece of paper or parchment.
Before he could examine it further, the Beedrill suddenly launched itself from the branch, flying downwards towards the Inner Courtyard building below. Guess the tour continues. Xiu carefully secured the box and its contents in his pack and signaled Abra to follow, descending swiftly after the ancient guide.
Though dawn had broken, a heavy morning fog still clung to Viridian City, muting the light and bathing the Inner Courtyard in a gray, ethereal glow. The Beedrill landed silently before the heavy wooden doors of the ancient dojo building, seemingly waiting for him.
Xiu landed lightly beside it, his mind racing. It led me to the box, now it leads me here. This has to be connected to the previous Gym Leader. He examined the door – solid wood, weathered but sturdy. A heavy, old-fashioned padlock secured it from the outside. With a nod from Xiu, Abra focused its power— a faint click echoed in the stillness as the lock mechanism disengaged internally.
Abra's psychic senses swept the interior through the door, confirming there were no immediate threats. Xiu pushed the heavy door inward without hesitation.
The Beedrill immediately flew inside. Xiu followed, stepping across the threshold, his senses on alert.
A thick, musty smell hit him instantly – the scent of stagnant air, and long-settled dust.
It rushed out past him as if the building itself was exhaling after decades of holding its breath. Inside, every surface was coated in a thick layer of gray dust. Cobwebs draped the corners like morbid decorations. Furniture – simple, traditional wooden pieces – sat undisturbed and shrouded in grime. No one's been in here for a very, very long time.
He'd suspected as much from the outside. The neglected state of the courtyard, the lack of maintenance on such a building – it spoke of abandonment. Any place with history requires upkeep and presence. Without it, decay sets in rapidly.
The Beedrill didn't pause to explore. It zipped past a large decorative screen separating the entryway from the main hall, heading down a side corridor. Xiu hurried to keep up.
It led him to another door, this one unlocked. Pushing it open, Xiu found himself in a room that sparked a flicker of interest, quickly followed by indignation. It was a library.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined three walls, crammed with texts. Most appeared to be handwritten journals or treatises, judging by the covers. But the dust… were as thick as snowdrifts.
He pulled a random volume from a shelf, blowing off a cloud of choking dust. He flipped it open. Meticulous handwriting filled the pages – detailed research notes on Pokémon behavior and training techniques. He checked several others; different authors, different subjects, but all seemingly original works and hand-copied manuscripts.
These must be the research contributions of generations of core disciples, the intellectual legacy of this Gym.
*Sigh*, Xiu sighed, a surge of anger rising within him. All this knowledge… just left here to rot. If he'd had access to something like this when he first arrived in this world… the risks he wouldn't have had to take, the struggles he could have avoided.
This is the real treasure of the Grass-Type Gym, not some hidden stash of cash! And that idiot successor just let it decay? What a monumental waste! His expression darkened, furious at the negligent squandering of such a valuable resource.
The Beedrill, meanwhile, had been circling the room. It finally came to rest, hovering expectantly before one specific bookshelf. It turned its head, looking back at Xiu.
He approached, seeing the Beedrill gesture with its stinger towards the shelf. Okay, what now? He pulled down the book directly in front of where it pointed. Another hand-copied research journal. He flipped through it – but seemingly unremarkable compared to the others.
Was there something special about this particular volume?
Then he noticed the small gap on the shelf where the book had been. His eyes narrowed. Something's missing? Or… is the space itself important? He glanced at Abra.
"Scan behind the shelf." Abra's psychic probe seeped into the wall. Negative. Solid brick and stone structure. No hidden compartments back there.
Confused, Xiu looked back at the Beedrill, hoping for another clue. But the aged Pokémon simply continued hovering, its clouded eyes fixed on the bookshelf itself.
Not the book, then. The bookshelf. Xiu ran his eyes over it. It looked identical to the others – same dark wood, same design. Nothing obviously stood out. "Abra, scan the bookshelf itself. Inside the wood."
Abra's psychic energy flowed into the structure. After a moment, it relayed a finding. "Side panel. Lower right."
Xiu immediately knelt, running his gloved hands along the indicated side panel, feeling for irregularities in the carved decorative pattern. His fingers found it – a slight seam, almost invisible. Applying pressure, he felt a section give way slightly, revealing a small, thumb-sized metal pull-ring hidden within the carving.
He grasped the ring without hesitation and pulled firmly. The grating sound of old, stiff mechanisms turning echoed loudly in the silent library. Click. Clunk. Dust showered down from above. Xiu held his breath, listening, tracing the sound upwards. It came from the heavy wooden support beam running across the ceiling above the bookshelf.
Hidden mechanism in the ceiling beam? Damn. He nodded to Abra. "Lift me."
Psychic energy enveloped him, lifting him smoothly towards the ceiling. These old buildings relied on massive timber beams for support. This room had five – one in each corner running vertically, and this thickest one spanning the center horizontally.
He hadn't paid it much attention before, but now, it was clearly the focus. Let's see what secrets this old place holds.