Chapter 256: Life-Saving Measures
Xiu instantly realized his oversight. For him, dealing with injured Pokémon was a familiar, even if grim, experience. But for Rinko, witnessing a creature weaken and die before her eyes, feeling helpless to intervene… she probably wouldn't have any sleep tonight...
He hurried over, gently helping Rinko to her feet. "It's alright, Rinko," he said, his voice calm and reassuring as he took the cup of berry juice from her trembling hand. "Let me handle this." He glanced at the unconscious Fearow.
Xiu's approach was less gentle and more forceful. He carefully but firmly pinched the Fearow's beak open, then poured the entire contents of the cup down its throat. He then gently massaged its long neck a few times, ensuring it swallowed. This is life support, not a tea party.
The effect of the concentrated berry medicine was almost immediate. A faint tremor ran through the Fearow's body, its breathing deepened fractionally, vitality returning to its glazed eyes. But Xiu knew, as did any experienced medic or Pokémon handler, that this was likely a temporary surge of energy before the body burned its last energy reserves. Without immediate, decisive intervention, it would soon die.
He wasted no more time. "Abra!" he called out, his voice sharp, decisive, perhaps to steady his own nerves as much as to command his Pokémon. Then, his tone softened. "Let's begin."
He instantly established a deep telepathic link with Abra, then extended his psychic control to the injured Fearow's body. A faint blue aura enveloped the jagged branch protruding from its thigh. Slowly but precisely, the branch began to move, withdrawing from the wound at a steady pace.
Rinko watched, mesmerized, her earlier distress forgotten and now replaced by a focused intensity. The lab fell silent, the only sounds present were their own hushed breathing and the faint hum of the ventilation fans.
Suddenly, Xiu felt a surge of resistance from the Fearow, a tremor of agony as the branch shifted, grating against torn muscle and bone. "Anesthesia," he projected to Abra, simultaneously reaching into his pack and retrieving the small, sealed bag of Stun Stems.
He tore it open, held it briefly beneath the Fearow's beak and allowed it to inhale a minuscule amount, then immediately resealed the bag. The Fearow's struggles ceased as it relaxed. I've gotta be careful... too much and it won't wake up.
The extraction continued, slow and steady. Finally, with a soft, sickening squelch, the branch came free. Xiu let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The cleaning of the wound, though gruesome, was relatively straightforward, especially with Abra's assistance to clear away debris and control bleeding.
"Done," Xiu finally announced, stripping off his disposable gloves, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His voice was tight with relief.
The wound was a deep, penetrating puncture. He hadn't sutured it – such wounds were best left open to drain – but after thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting it, he applied a thick layer of medicinal salve and sealed it with a sterile bandage to prevent further infection.
Only then did he allow himself to take in the state of the lab. It was… a mess. The basin of now-crimson water, the blood-soaked swabs, the tray holding the excised rotten flesh and splintered wood fragments, emitting a foul stench… it was not a pretty sight at all.
Tools lay scattered on the workbench, and despite their efforts, some blood and other fluids had inevitably splattered onto the surrounding surfaces.
"Wash your hands," Rinko said quietly, appearing at his side with a fresh basin of clean water and soap.
"Thank you, Rinko," Xiu said, accepting it gratefully. "I couldn't have managed this without you."
"I was glad I could assist," Rinko replied, a faint smile touching her lips. There was a quiet sense of accomplishment in her voice, but also a visible weariness. She had been a steadfast assistant throughout the harrowing procedure, fetching supplies, and changing out basins of bloody water (five or six times by Xiu's count). Her help had indeed been invaluable, allowing Xiu to focus entirely on the surgery.
After thoroughly washing his hands, Xiu asked Rinko for a small amount of Gloom nectar, which he carefully administered to the unconscious Fearow to counteract the stun stem.
He then followed with another dose of the concentrated berry juice and a nutrient paste. "Alright," he said, stepping back. "That's all we can do for now. The rest is up to its own." He recalled the Fearow to its Poké Ball.
The entire procedure, though successful, had been incredibly stressful. The Fearow had been on the brink of death. Only the potent berry concoction and Abra's precise psychic intervention had kept it alive.
As Xiu began to gather the soiled instruments and waste, Rinko was already quietly cleaning the workbench, disinfecting surfaces. Xiu quickly joined her.
"I can manage these, Xiu," Rinko protested gently, trying to take a tray of bloodied tools from him. "You must be exhausted. You should rest."
"No, no," Xiu interrupted. "We'll do it together. We're a team, remember? Different roles, different responsibilities, but equally important." He knew, without her calm and steady assistance, the procedure would have been far more difficult.
They worked together, quickly restoring order to the lab. Afterwards, they sat on the steps outside the villa's back door. Xiu poured some rubbing alcohol into a metal basin, then carefully lit it. The almost invisible blue flames began to consume the medical waste, sending a thin plume of acrid black smoke into the still afternoon air.
He then found the healthy Fearow on a nearby tree, perching on a branch, its anxious gaze fixed on the Poké Ball containing its mate, which Xiu had placed carefully in the shade.
"It's wonderful, isn't it?" Rinko murmured, watching the Fearow, its fierce protectiveness now transformed into a quiet, hopeful vigil. "Their loyalty."
Xiu snorted, a cynical smile playing on his lips. "It wasn't showing me much loyalty when it was trying to skewer me with its beak earlier."
"Hm?" Rinko asked, turning to him, having not quite caught his words.
Xiu just pursed his lips, then decided to explain. "Wild Pokémon, Rinko, are not like the domesticated companions you might be used to. That Fearow, out there in its natural territory… it sees humans as a threat, an intruder.
It would have shown no mercy. Don't mistake its current concern for its mate as a sign of benevolence. Most wild Pokémon are dangerous. Only a very few are naturally inclined towards humans."
"Oh, right!" Rinko exclaimed, a new thought striking her. "That reminds me… earlier, when the Fearow attacked you with that Drill Peck… you didn't even try to dodge! Weren't you terrified? You could have been seriously injured!"
Xiu chuckled, his confident arrogance returning. "Why bother dodging when there's no actual danger?"
"No danger?" Rinko looked at him, utterly bewildered. "But it almost hit you!"
"Ah," Xiu said, a knowing glint in his eye. "That involves a few little tricks, Miss Rinko. Things you learn when you not only know yourself, but also your enemy. If you understood them, you wouldn't have been so concerned."
"Tell me," Rinko urged, her curiosity thoroughly piqued.
"Alright," Xiu began, settling back against the steps. "First, you need to understand the attack patterns of a Pokémon like Fearow. Its most powerful strikes, like Drill Peck, are almost always initiated from the air, usually from a dive.
Once it's on the ground, its maneuverability is significantly reduced. Second, Drill Peck, while incredibly lethal, has a critical flaw. The faster it dives, the more momentum it builds and the more devastating the impact… but it also loses a significant degree of control over its trajectory.
It becomes a guided missile, yes, but one with a very limited ability to correct its trajectory mid-flight." He smirked. "All I had to do was wait for the last possible second, then take one small step to the side."