Although Teacher Arno did not believe Eichi could become a Bug-type Elite, he did believe Eichi could be admitted to Silver Academy.
So during this time, he decided to help Eichi prepare for the entrance exam.
He told Eichi that Silver Academy's exam would also have a site in the Viridian City testing center.
The exam was a little over a month away, about forty days.
He told Eichi to prepare well.
Then he pulled out three books from his drawer and handed them to Eichi. "Study these carefully. If you have questions, come find me."
Eichi quickly thanked him, bowed, and took the books home.
After that, he went to Amelie's Day Care to ask about Kakuna.
He wanted to know what to watch out for.
Amelie told him, "During Kakuna's stage, it cannot eat with its mouth, and it doesn't need to eat.
Just wait a while, and it will evolve into Beedrill."
After the talk, Eichi returned home.
That evening, he sat at his desk and opened one of the three books Arno had given him.
He skimmed through it, then checked the other two.
He found knowledge there that was not in the school textbooks. It went much deeper.
For example, one section asked, "How many moves can Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur learn in theory?"
The primary school textbooks only listed three or four for Bulbasaur.
In theory, Venusaur could learn nineteen level-up moves, not including TM moves.
And this was only one entry, yet it had so much more detail.
The scope of the book covered Pokémon from both the Kanto and Johto regions.
This was only part of it. There was much more.
Eichi remembered Arno had once told him that with his current knowledge, he could already pass the Silver Academy exam.
But to place in the top thirty, where tuition was waived, he still wasn't optimistic.
That was why Arno had prepared these three books just for him.
Eichi touched Kakuna's smooth head. "Kakuna, we must work hard.
The entrance exam in one month will decide my future.
I promised you before, I will make you the strongest Bug-type Pokémon.
This is my promise!"
That night, as he slept, the same green energy flowed into Kakuna's body.
Kakuna drifted into dreams with a quiet hum of comfort.
***
Time flew by, and one month passed quickly.
At the Viridian Primary School, when the students had gone home, one figure walked alone to an office.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in," came a voice from inside.
Eichi entered, sat down, and waited.
It was him, Yoshino Eichi.
In the past month, he had studied like he was back in the last sprint before college entrance exams in his previous life.
But this was easier. Most of the knowledge only needed memorization, without physics or chemistry.
After a month of effort, Eichi felt confident.
Today, he came to let Teacher Arno test him.
He handed the three books back.
Arno flipped through one and picked a question.
"First question. What moves can Arbok learn naturally?"
Eichi thought carefully. "Arbok, the Cobra Pokémon.
It can learn twenty-one moves: Crunch, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, Bind, Glare, Poison Sting, Bite, Scary Face, Screech, Acid, Stockpile, Swallow, Spit Up, Sludge Bomb, Mud Bomb, Gastro Acid, Belch, Haze, Coil, Gunk Shot."
Arno nodded. "Not bad."
He asked a few more questions, and Eichi answered all of them with ease.
Arno was surprised. In just one month, Eichi had memorized all three books.
Finally, Arno said with a smile, "Eichi, even if you took the exam now, you could place in the top ten."
Eichi felt a wave of relief. That was what he had been waiting to hear.
After talking for a while, he left.
At home, after dinner with his father, he released Kakuna from its Poké Ball.
"Kakuna, it has already been a month. Why haven't you evolved yet?
The exam is in a week. I'm counting on you to shine."
Kakuna buzzed weakly in reply.
That night, lying in bed, Eichi's thoughts wandered.
Kakuna had still not evolved.
Yesterday, he had taken it to the Pokémon Center.
Nurse Joy had said its internal energy was already close to its limit.
She said Kakuna would likely evolve within the next few days.
She had never seen a Kakuna with such a high energy level.
How strong would it be after evolving? Eichi was excited just thinking about it.
Once Kakuna became Beedrill, he would make a new training plan.
It would learn more moves, surpassing Weedle's three.
That would finally let it face stronger opponents, instead of struggling against League-trained Pokémon.
But Eichi also felt his eyes itching again.
It reminded him of when he first found Weedle's Egg.
Back then, his eyes had changed too.
What was this green energy he kept seeing?
Maybe it was his cheat, his hidden gift.
But it had been so unreliable.
Now that his eyes itched again, Eichi wondered if something new was about to happen.
***
The next day, Eichi went to Amelie's Day Care.
As he entered Viridian City, he noticed something tense in the air.
It was still lively, but something felt wrong.
When he arrived, Amelie looked troubled.
"Amelie, what's wrong?" he asked.
She sighed. "A poaching group has appeared.
They've been hunting Pokémon in the Viridian Forest and selling them on the black market.
According to Officer Jenny, they're ruthless. Many dead Pokémon have been found at their crime scenes.
It's too cruel. So many Pokémon lives, lost like that."
Eichi's anger burned. He had not felt this furious in a long time.
If only Kakuna had already evolved, he would show them the sting of his Beedrill.
Leaving the Day Care, Eichi went to a shop and bought a communicator.
At least this way, if he saw the poachers, he could report them to Officer Jenny.
He also planned to warn Allan and the others to be careful and avoid the Viridian Forest.
He had told them before, and for a while they behaved, but then they went back to their old ways.
Eichi sighed. He had done his part. If they refused to listen, it was their choice.