When the alarm rang in the morning, Eichi turned over and got out of bed. He went to wash up.
After washing, Beedrill was already waiting for breakfast.
Eichi first prepared Beedrill's meal: upgraded Moomoo Milk, honey, Pokémon food, and Pokéblocks.
Once the food was ready, Beedrill quietly began eating.
Then Eichi started preparing his own breakfast. As he did, he noticed a note left on the kitchen table by his father.
It read: "I've gone to work. Do your best on today's exam."
Eichi smiled softly and muttered, "I will."
After finishing breakfast, he packed his exam supplies and headed out.
The weather was particularly clear that day. From not far away came the sound of a car engine.
Eichi turned and saw Teacher Arno driving an off-road vehicle toward him.
Arno parked beside him and said coolly, "Get in."
"Got it!" said Eichi.
He opened the door quickly and climbed in.
"Hold on tight," Arno said with a grin.
Then he started the car. It sped forward like a wild horse breaking free of its reins.
After about ten minutes, they arrived in Viridian City.
Once inside the city, Arno slowed the car down and started chatting.
"Got everything ready?" he asked.
"All ready," Eichi replied.
"How did your review go?"
"Pretty good," said Eichi with a smile.
"I see. Then do your best."
The entrance exam for Silver Academy lasted three days. The first two days were written tests, and the last day was the practical assessment.
The exam site was at Viridian Academy, located north of the commercial district, beside a residential area.
The school had given students two days off to help Silver Academy set up the exam rooms.
There were quite a few test-takers, though still far fewer than what Eichi remembered from college entrance exams in his previous life.
Some candidates were from the same schools, chatting in small groups.
Only Eichi and Teacher Arno stood quietly in one corner.
Arno told him that about a dozen students from their school were taking the test too, but the others had come with different teachers.
Eichi was special, so Arno had personally come to pick him up. Eichi, of course, had no plans to join the others since he barely knew them.
When the time came, all candidates entered the exam hall.
Eichi looked up at the gate of Viridian Academy. It stood tall and solemn.
He walked in with determination.
Viridian Academy's tallest building was easy to spot thanks to its distinctive design.
Following the number on his admission ticket, Eichi found his exam room.
He placed his backpack in a locker near the door, keeping only his pen and ticket.
After the invigilator checked him for any items, he took his seat.
Soon, the invigilator displayed the sealed test papers to everyone, showing that none had been opened.
The exams were then distributed. Eichi flipped through his paper briefly.
Once he understood the scope, he began writing.
The questions were difficult for most, but to Eichi, only somewhat challenging.
Of course, Eichi was humble. When he said something was "a little difficult," it usually meant "very easy."
After an hour, he finished but didn't rush to turn it in. He checked it two or three times to make sure everything was correct.
Then he looked around at the other examinees.
Beside him sat a round-faced girl, cute but with a worried look on her face.
Her expression was tense; she bit her lip, on the verge of tears.
The rest of the students didn't look much better, fidgeting and scratching their heads.
It seemed everyone found the test tough.
After confirming everything once more, Eichi stood up to hand in his paper.
You could submit after the first thirty minutes, and Eichi did exactly that.
As he walked to the front, everyone stared in disbelief.
A few even sneered, assuming he'd given up because he couldn't answer the questions.
Under everyone's gaze, Eichi submitted his paper and left the room.
From the corner, Teacher Arno spotted him coming down and could tell from his calm expression that things had gone well.
Other teachers and parents also turned to look, curious who this boy was.
Some students from his own school weren't surprised—it was just like Eichi to finish first.
Arno smiled as Eichi approached.
"How was it?" he asked.
"Not bad," Eichi said. "A little challenging."
"Good. Let's go home."
Arno drove him back, since there was another session in the afternoon.
After Eichi left, the remaining students finished the exam one by one. Many complained that the questions were too difficult and that they couldn't finish in time.
That made everyone think of the boy who had turned in his paper first.
Back home, Eichi returned to his room and continued studying.
Before long, it was afternoon. The sky was still bright and clear.
Arno came again right on time.
That afternoon's exam went the same way. Eichi finished quickly, double-checked, and turned in his paper early.
The others began to panic.
It was the same guy again!
The questions were even harder this time—how could he be done so fast?
To reassure themselves, they convinced each other that Eichi had simply given up.
Once again, Eichi was the first to leave the building.
People were stunned. The tests this year were said to be the hardest in history.
Finishing early seemed impossible. Soon, everyone started asking who he was.
Arno didn't say much when Eichi came out. He just took him home.
The two days of written exams passed quickly.
Eichi handed in his paper early every single time, and by now, everyone knew about him.
Rumors spread fast: a genius student from an ordinary family, a prodigy who finished early in every subject.
It would take a week for the written results to come out.
For families with fewer resources, if a student ranked in the top thirty and passed the practical test, they could apply for a Pokémon Egg from Silver Academy.
The academy would send it directly to their home.
Of course, it wasn't free, the price was that one of that student's strongest Pokémon's offspring would later be given to the academy.
It was a fair exchange. Silver Academy gained strong Pokémon genetics, while talented students gained valuable partners.
The Pokémon provided by the academy were always of high quality, an incredible opportunity for students from modest backgrounds.
Eichi, however, didn't have to worry about that.
After all, he was... an exception.
He had literally found a Pokémon Egg by accident.
And just a few days later, he'd earned a fortune by sneaking a large batch of Berries away while Pidgeot and Fearow fought over territory.
Resources were never a problem for him.