Looking at the familiar place, Eichi smiled at Beedrill.
"It's been a month since our last training. Missed this place?"
After a small joke, Eichi let Beedrill start flying laps.
First, he had Beedrill fly one full lap at its top speed. It took thirty seconds in total.
That was five seconds faster than an average Beedrill.
Then he told it to keep circling around the grove until it couldn't fly anymore.
Eichi stood at the grove's entrance, counting each lap Beedrill made.
By the end, Beedrill had flown fifty laps, and Eichi was almost dizzy from counting.
Beedrill had grown so strong that it could maintain its top speed for twenty laps straight, only starting to slow down after that.
Eichi looked at Beedrill's condition and fed it a Pokéblock.
After Beedrill finished eating, he recorded a few more measurements.
A few days ago, Eichi had decided that it would be better to stay home and prepare for the Silver Academy entrance exam.
He discussed it with Teacher Arno, who agreed and helped him take a ten-day leave.
Yesterday, Eichi did nothing but rest at home.
After what happened the day before, he needed time to calm down, so he stayed in all day.
He didn't even tell his father what had happened; he didn't want him to worry.
Today's goal was mainly to warm up and let Beedrill adjust to its new body.
After that, he would take some measurements to create a new training plan.
Right after finishing their training, Eichi received a call from Officer Jenny, asking him to come to the police station.
When he arrived, he learned it was about his reward.
Eichi received 100,000p in cash.
It was a lot for ordinary people, but for Eichi, not so much; his Kakuna had already evolved into Beedrill, and raising a Beedrill cost much more.
Still, the money would help for now.
Leaving the station, Eichi headed out for a big shopping trip.
With money in his pocket again, he decided to buy everything Beedrill needed.
He arrived at the Johto Department Store, the same one as last time.
The building was a blue, four-sided tower.
Inside, it looked just like the shopping malls from his previous life, with elevators and escalators on every floor.
The store had six floors, each selling different things:
The first floor sold Pokémon food and drinks.
The second sold Pokéblocks.
The third sold Poké Balls.
The fourth sold Berries.
The fifth sold items and medicines.
The sixth sold TMs.
Why come here again?
Last time, the clerk had noticed how much he spent and suggested getting a membership card.
Eichi thought it was a good idea and signed up.
So, here he was again.
By now, Beedrill could handle High-Grade Pokéblocks.
Eichi browsed the Pokéblock counter and, as he picked, he activated the energy within his body.
He let it spread toward all the Bug-type Pokéblocks.
Each time his energy touched a Pokéblock, there was a faint reaction.
Among them, three kinds caused a stronger response.
This was a method Eichi came up with on the spot.
In fantasy novels from his previous life, when the protagonist went treasure hunting, their "golden finger" would react to hidden treasures, leading them straight to the good stuff.
Eichi had decided to give it a try, and to his surprise, it worked!
Cheerfully, he bought several portions of each of the three types, spending 30,000p.
He wasn't sure how long they would last.
Next came drinks.
Regular Moomoo Milk no longer had any effect on Beedrill, but the advanced version still helped fully evolved Pokémon a little.
He also bought honey, still effective for Beedrill, and then moved on to food.
Eichi wanted to pick the best Pokémon food possible.
At a smaller specialty store, he used the same method again, channeling his inner energy and observing any reaction.
After trying several, he finally found the right one tucked away in a corner.
He noted the brand and bought several large bags of it.
It wasn't well-known, but it was a top-tier brand.
The price though… 2,000p per bag.
After finishing his shopping, his wallet was 50,000p lighter.
Eichi sighed. "This really is a money-burning profession…"
With that, he went home.
Time passed quickly, and night soon fell.
That evening, Eichi sat at his desk, drafting Beedrill's new training plan.
After finishing, he sat cross-legged on his bed, trying to sense the energy inside his body like a character from a novel.
Then he once again felt the air filled with countless colored particles.
Among them were blue-green ones.
No, not energy, particles!
Eichi guessed they were Bug-type energy particles.
When absorbed, they transformed into a kind of power that was especially effective for Bug-type Pokémon.
He couldn't help but grin.
"So the heavens really do want me to become a Bug-type Champion!"
Carefully, he used his mind to pull the blue-green particles toward him.
But before he could, they came rushing in on their own, flooding into his body.
Overjoyed, Eichi accepted them all.
An hour passed like that before his legs went numb, and he stopped for the day.
It really felt like a cultivation practice.
Lying down, Eichi tried again, and to his surprise, it worked even while lying flat.
"Who said you have to sit cross-legged to cultivate?" he muttered.
He felt a little cheated, but relaxed; the absorption was just slower without focus.
Satisfied, Eichi lay in bed.
Beedrill slept in its own corner now; ever since evolving, Eichi no longer dared to share the bed, afraid of getting jabbed by its stingers.
He thought about his special ability.
It was somewhat like the Viridian Force; he could communicate with Pokémon, heal them, and even raise their levels.
But it seemed to only work with Bug-types.
Everyone else had flashy names for their powers: Viridian Force, Dragon Force, Psychic Power, Aura.
He should name his too.
But what should it be?