"Come on in," Viktor said, stepping aside to clear the doorway.
The twins immediately filed in, curiously taking in Viktor's office.
The furnishings were much simpler than they had imagined. Aside from the necessary furniture and massive stacks of books, there were just a few interesting magical trinkets and bizarre souvenirs from around the world.
However, their attention was quickly and firmly captivated by the massive metal door sitting in the corner.
Viktor didn't offer any lengthy explanations; he simply waved his wand.
"Scourgify!"
Four soft, breeze-like rays of light simultaneously enveloped the twins, Tom, and himself.
Wherever the light passed, it didn't just sweep away all the dust, sweat, and trace magical residue that might be clinging to them.
It also formed an incredibly brief but highly effective sterile barrier. This ensured no outside biological or magical contaminants would be dragged into the highly sensitive experimental environment.
The twins felt a sudden wave of refreshing cleanliness—even their hair felt exceptionally soft. They couldn't help but blink in surprise.
"Follow me," Viktor said. He walked over to the metal door and once again tapped it with his wand in that specific rhythm while muttering an incantation.
Under the twins' wide-eyed stares, the heavy metal door—a beautiful fusion of industrial machinery and magic—slowly slid open. It revealed the bright, pristine, and heavily equipped expanse of the laboratory beyond.
"Merlin's beard..." George muttered, his jaw dropping slightly.
"This... this is..." Fred's eyes were as round as Galleons. His gaze swept from the massive central workbench to the floor-to-ceiling storage shelves lining the walls.
It darted over the gleaming precision instruments and the countless jars and bottles sporting mysterious labels.
Finally, it locked onto the complex magical lighting and ventilation systems embedded in the ceiling.
How was this just a laboratory? This was the alchemical paradise of their wildest dreams!
Every single corner radiated knowledge, creativity, and the unapologetic scent of serious funding!
Compared to their "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" R&D lab—a cobbled-together setup in an abandoned classroom with crude tools and materials sourced purely from "recycling" and "creative acquisition"—this was like comparing Hogwarts to the Hog's Head!
The two of them swallowed hard in unison, an indescribably burning light erupting in their eyes.
Choosing to follow Professor Scamander was simply the most correct, brilliant, and Merlin-blessed decision they had ever made in their entire lives!
---
Viktor didn't interrupt the twins' shock and ecstasy. He simply gave a small nod to Tom on his shoulder.
Tom leapt down gracefully. Then, pulling them out of absolute nowhere, he slipped into a tiny white lab coat and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, dressing himself with practiced ease.
With a crisp snap, he produced a miniature clipboard—again, from nowhere—and returned to his familiar post right beside Viktor.
Immediately, several faintly glowing observation crystals floated into the air in front of the cat.
Using his supernatural feline perception and his contract link with Viktor, Tom was helping monitor the magical stability of several key nodes.
Every so often, he would tap the air with a paw, adjusting the brightness of a specific rune from a distance.
His demeanor was so focused it bordered on severe. His whiskers twitched with the subtle fluctuations of the magical currents, looking every bit the experienced deputy.
By now, the twins had finally started to recover from their initial shock.
But their eyes still couldn't take it all in, darting everywhere. Their faces clearly broadcasted thoughts like I want to touch that, What is that?, and That definitely costs a fortune.
"Welcome to my mobile laboratory: The Ark," Viktor's voice rang out clearly in the spacious room, carrying a hint of pride.
"Everything here is designed for highly efficient, safe, and precise magical research and alchemical experimentation. You'll get familiar with it all in due time."
He walked over to the central workbench and secured the newly finished red-and-white box into a specialized clamp.
"Now, before I officially brief you on your future work and studies, I need to complete the final calibration on this little gadget."
With that, he signaled for Tom to take his position.
Tom immediately hopped onto a custom cushion on the side of the workbench. His little paws tapped the air, and several monitoring runes at key nodes flared to life.
Viktor picked up a specialized magical stylus tipped with a crushed sapphire. Holding his breath in intense focus, he gently pressed the tip against a microscopic, nearly invisible port on the side of the red-and-white box.
He closed his eyes. Magic flowed steadily through the stylus as his consciousness sank into the box's internal array.
He was executing the final system "boot up" and linking the foundational logic chains.
The twins held their breath, staring unblinkingly at Viktor's hand and the mysterious box.
The only sounds in the lab were the faint hum of running equipment and the subtle ringing of flowing magic—like wind chiming through a crystal forest.
About a minute passed.
Viktor opened his eyes and withdrew the stylus.
Almost simultaneously, the pitch-black screen on the front of the red-and-white box flared to life!
It wasn't a blinding glare, but a soft, milky-white glow with a distinct, pixelated texture.
Right on its heels, a cheerful, rhythmic, 8-bit electronic jingle played. The sound felt incredibly novel within the tech-and-magic-infused laboratory.
Accompanied by the jingle, an adorably chunky, pixel-art Niffler "jumped" up from the bottom of the screen!
It wiggled its round little body, blinked its beady eyes, and struck a smug pose with its paws on its hips.
Above the pixel Niffler, a few playful, pixelated magical words materialized, pulsing with a faint glow.
[Pokémon]
The twins instinctively took a step closer. "Cool!" George breathed.
Fred stared fixatedly at the incredibly lifelike pixel Niffler.
"It moved! How did you do that? Portrait magic? Or some kind of advanced illusion?"
Viktor didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached out and tapped a few buttons on the red-and-white box.
The screen immediately shifted, displaying a clean, minimalist menu of options: [New Adventure], [Pokédex], [Bag], [Friends], [Settings].
The text was crisp. Though the interface was retro, its logic was clear at a single glance.
"This isn't a simple portrait or illusion," Viktor finally spoke, picking up the device he had temporarily dubbed the "Pokédex."
"It is an interactive magical contract medium, a learning tool, and... a partner summoning device."
He looked at the twins, his eyes gleaming with the unmistakable spark of an inventor sharing his life's work.
---