Scyther and Beedrill began their training.
Beedrill already knew quite a few moves. Some of them weren't useless, just rarely used. In certain situations, they could still prove to be very effective.
They decided to train all of them, one by one. After finishing one, they would move on to the next.
Today was mainly a recovery day. After all, it had been many days since their last practice, and their bodies had grown stiff.
Without any training equipment on hand, they could only train like this for now. Rumor said that Silver Academy had all kinds of training rooms. He would see for himself later if that was true.
Scyther's proficiency in all its moves had improved, especially after several real battles where its mastery advanced rapidly.
Among them, Vacuum Wave, Agility, and Quick Attack had all reached the Mastery stage.
The other moves weren't used as much, but they still needed practice.
Beedrill and Scyther each trained on their own.
Eichi stood by, watching his Pokémon train.
He felt like Beedrill and Scyther's bodies had grown larger again.
He hadn't noticed it before. He'd measure their height tonight when he got home.
Under his careful care, both Pokémon were already slightly larger than normal ones of their kind.
He wondered if that growth would continue in the future.
***
While Eichi was lost in thought, Scyther was training its twin scythes, focusing purely on the speed and power of its slashes without using any moves.
It was under a lot of pressure. It knew it was still far behind Beedrill, and deep down, it wanted to catch up.
Its trainer had told it that Beedrill had only hatched about a month earlier.
But even with just that one month's difference, the gap between them had grown huge.
Why was there such a large difference in strength when their ages and talents were almost the same?
After thinking for a long time, Scyther came to one conclusion. It hadn't worked hard enough.
So it decided to work harder. What it used to consider "hard work" might have only been normal training in the eyes of Beedrill and its trainer.
Its two sharp scythes slashed repeatedly at a humanoid target.
The dummy shook violently, faster and faster, matching the growing rhythm of Scyther's blades.
Scyther was so focused that it didn't notice the flow of energy forming a specific pattern within its body. Suddenly, its scythes moved at incredible speed, slashing the target in a blur.
A heavy thud echoed through the training area, catching both Beedrill's and Eichi's attention.
Scyther froze, confused. Was that me just now?
Eichi walked up and asked, "Scyther, what did it feel like when you used that just now? Can you try it again?"
Scyther closed its eyes and tried to recall the sensation.
Its body still remembered it faintly. Opening its eyes, it swung its blades again, slashing at the dummy with blinding speed.
Another dull thump echoed. This time, Eichi saw it clearly.
"This is…"
Fury Cutter!
Scyther had learned a new move. Not bad at all.
Beedrill flew over and congratulated it.
Scyther felt proud. This proved it was getting stronger.
Eichi nodded. According to its level, Scyther should indeed have learned this move by now.
"Not bad. You learned a new move. Keep practicing and get used to it," he said.
Scyther nodded enthusiastically.
Eichi stepped aside as Scyther continued practicing Fury Cutter.
Beedrill also returned to its place, continuing to train Twineedle and Brick Break.
It was about time to update their training plans. Their strength was improving daily, so the old routines were no longer suitable.
Eichi also needed some training himself. He felt like he had grown a bit taller recently, though maybe it was just his imagination.
He took a stance, threw a punch, pulled back, then followed with a jab and a hook.
After that came a series of combination punches, flowing smoothly as he sought his rhythm.
He set up a humanoid dummy, fixed it in place, and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick. His waist twisted as the strike landed with a loud "thud."
That felt good. He kicked again, and again. The rush was addictive.
***
That night, at Akira's house, in Eichi's room, Eichi was washing Beedrill and Scyther.
He removed the Weighted Vest before cleaning both of them. Afterward, he massaged their bodies and put the vest back on Beedrill. Then it was rest time.
The two Pokémon fell asleep, while Eichi sat down at his desk.
He worked on new training plans and reviewed breeding knowledge. It had been so long since he'd studied it that he'd nearly forgotten. Time to pick it back up.
***
Elsewhere, let's turn back the clock to a little more than a month ago.
In a tall and grand building, there was a low-key yet luxurious office. The room had a European design, with sofas, desks, and bookshelves that all looked expensive.
Today, that office welcomed a special guest. The owner of the office didn't seem surprised at all and said, "Long time no see. What brings you here again?"
The guest casually sat down on the sofa opposite the desk.
"Just wanted to see an old friend. It's been a while, so I thought I'd drop by for a chat."
The office owner sighed. "Time really flies. The last time we met was years ago."
He looked at his old friend. He hadn't changed a bit.
The man still wore his gold-rimmed glasses and had neatly combed black hair.
That guest was none other than Teacher Arno.
And the office owner was the same director who had once given a lecture at Quartz Academy.
Teacher Arno said, "One of my students got into Silver Academy."
"The one named Eichi, right?" the director asked.
"Yes, that's him."
"That kid's talent is impressive."
"Of course. On the hardest exam in history, only three people across two regions scored 99 points. One in breeding, one in research, and him in battle studies."
Then Teacher Arno smiled faintly. "Do you know why he chose Silver Academy?"
"Why?"
"I told him Silver Academy specializes in Bug-type Pokémon research."
"So he applied there?"
"Yes."
"Bug-type, huh? Why's that?"
"Do you know what his dream is?"
"Oh? What is it?"
"He wants to become the Bug-type Elite Four."
The director looked surprised. "That's quite an ambition. Not an easy dream to achieve."