Eichi then activated the Eye of the Bug Emperor, scanning through the bodies of all the Delibird.
Only one showed signs of energy flowing within it; the others were completely empty.
Eichi quickly shouted to Beedrill, "Beedrill, attack the third one on the right."
Beedrill's twin needles struck sharply at the third Delibird on the right.
The Delibird was caught completely off guard and was hit by the Fury Attack.
"What?"
Teacher Arno's face showed disbelief. How could Eichi tell which one was real?
Eichi pressed the advantage, "Beedrill, continue using Fury Attack." The Delibird that had just regained consciousness watched in despair as Beedrill's tail stinger pierced it.
Soon, it lost the ability to battle amid its screams.
The surrounding Pokémon felt some sympathy for the Delibird.
Beedrill then returned to Eichi, cold and composed.
Teacher Arno was stunned. I actually lost, even though our Pokémon were about equal in strength.
His face was red. He had just lost to his own student.
How embarrassing! At least no one else was here.
Outwardly calm, Arno's mind was full of shame.
Eichi felt great joy inside but only showed a bright smile on the surface.
He called Beedrill back.
Arno retrieved his Delibird into its Poké Ball.
He clapped and praised Eichi, "Very good, Eichi! Your Beedrill is really strong."
His remaining five Pokémon, whether able to clap or not, all showed respect for Beedrill.
Beedrill nodded coldly, but Eichi could sense its pride and slight embarrassment.
Arno continued, "Eichi, your strength is completely fine now. In the next two days, review your notes carefully. In battle, as long as nothing goes wrong, passing the test is guaranteed."
"That's all for now. There's one thing I'm curious about. How could you tell which Delibird was the real one?"
Eichi answered shyly, "I just went with my intuition, hehe."
Arno: …
After saying goodbye to Arno, Eichi returned home.
He immediately released Beedrill and used Bug Force to heal it.
This method was much better than using a Potion, had no side effects, and best of all, it was free.
After healing Beedrill, Eichi reviewed the battle.
Arno's Delibird had just been caught and had learned too many moves at once.
Its mastery of those moves was only at the beginner level.
Beedrill, however, had full control over all its moves, and its progress was steady. Soon it would reach mastery.
He planned to train well over the next two days.
Arno was wealthy, and having a strong Nidoking wasn't surprising.
The many moves Arno used made the battle difficult, reminding Eichi that Beedrill's skill set was still too limited. He needed to learn new moves. Buying TMs would be necessary after the test.
Eichi decided to visit Amelie's Pokémon Day Care. He hadn't been there for a while and missed it.
After some home review, Eichi and Beedrill went to Viridian City.
People were busy preparing for the Silver Academy entrance exam in two days, followed by the Quartz Academy exam in three days.
The commercial street was as bustling as ever.
At the Day Care, Eichi saw the sign. Amelie's Day Care was named "Beautiful Day Care."
Eichi thought… the name suits her perfectly.
He nodded to Aunt Keiko, who was busy, and greeted her. She nodded and continued working.
Eichi went upstairs to Amelie's office. She sat gracefully in her chair, reading documents.
"Amelie!" Eichi called.
She looked up and smiled, "Eichi! Come in and sit."
She brought a chair for him, and he nodded before sitting.
She asked, "What have you been doing these days? You haven't visited in a while."
"I've been studying, preparing for the Silver Academy entrance exam," he replied.
"Silver Academy is a good school. With your abilities, you should have no trouble getting in," she said.
After a pause, she asked, "Eichi, were you the one who defeated the Rattata Poaching Group?"
Eichi was surprised but admitted, "Yes."
Amelie thought, Of course! Then she praised him, "You're amazing. Ordinary people would run away from the poachers. You actually fought and defeated them all."
"Let me see your Beedrill!"
Eichi released Beedrill. The room temperature seemed to drop several degrees instantly.
Amelie was astonished. It hadn't been long, but the little Weedle had evolved into a Beedrill.
The Beedrill looked sharp and deadly from head to tail. Its body and size showed it had been raised expertly.
It was even stronger than some family-trained Beedrill. No wonder the poachers lost.
Amelie touched it carefully, impressed. She wondered how Eichi raised such a strong Beedrill but guessed he must have a special method.
She asked, "Is there anything else you came for today?"
Eichi hesitated, "Yes."
She sipped tea and asked, "What is it?"
"My Kakuna evolved into Beedrill. I wanted to ask if you know any Beedrill massage techniques. I want to learn!"
Amelie replied, "There are techniques, but they're not free."
"How much?" Eichi asked.
"I don't need your money, but here's a deal. I'll teach you for free, but you'll owe me a favor, what do you think?" she said.
Eichi agreed after thinking it over.
Amelie used Beedrill for demonstration. Eichi learned all day and could use the techniques correctly.
Amelie nodded, thinking he truly had talent as a Pokémon breeder.
Before leaving, Eichi asked about the Dragonite in the backyard.
Amelie explained it belonged to her. Her father's Dragonite had Elite Four-level strength and stayed with her for protection.
It seemed Amelie came from a remarkable family.