Eichi received the Key and said, "Thank you, Professor."
"Saying those two words once is enough," Professor Kant replied. "Saying them more than that loses its meaning. Alright, off you go."
"I'll see you next time, Professor Kant," Eichi said.
"Mhm, go on," Professor Kant responded.
After leaving, Eichi noticed that it was already late, and the colors of the sunset were already painting the sky. However, Eichi felt a surge of passion, a feeling entirely at odds with the closing day.
After dinner, he returned to his dormitory. His two Pokémon were eating their evening meal nearby, while Eichi sat at his desk. He drew the Energy No. 10 machine in his notebook and labeled all the functions and buttons of its various parts.
Writing these things down in a notebook was the safest method; a dull pen is better than a sharp memory, as the saying goes. He also recorded the other critical points that Professor Kant had mentioned.
Finally, Eichi wrote down his own experiences and insights from making the Pokéblocks. Once he was finished, he reviewed everything one last time. Satisfied that there were no errors, he moved on to other tasks.
The next day, Eichi attended a Bug-type Pokémon class, and the moment the end-of-class bell rang, he began to gather his things, planning to head to Professor Kant's office.
But then, Teacher Takemoto suddenly spoke. "Class dismissed. Eichi, come out for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."
Eichi was confused. ???
Full of questions, Eichi finished tidying his books and left the classroom. Teacher Takemoto was waiting right outside, seemingly just for Eichi.
Seeing him emerge, Teacher Takemoto said, "Follow me."
Eichi obediently followed Teacher Takemoto to an office that blended the aesthetics of both high-tech and classical styles.
Like Professor Kant's office, Teacher Takemoto's office had many bookshelves packed with books and reference materials, but unlike Professor Kant's office, Teacher Takemoto's was extremely neat. Every book was arranged perfectly, and the floor was spotless. Furthermore, signs of modern technology were visible all around the room. On his desk were three small carvings of Beedrill, Scizor, and Heracross.
Teacher Takemoto led Eichi to the sofa and said, "Have a seat." Eichi sat down dutifully. The teacher then poured Eichi a glass of water from the kettle on his desk.
"Thank you, Teacher," Eichi said.
At this point, Teacher Takemoto suddenly shifted from a stern expression to a kind one. "Eichi, I've been meaning to talk to you. I watched your matches in the Freshmen Tournament. I made sure to watch every day just to see you compete."
Eichi's eyes widened. "Ah! Teacher, why did you specifically watch my matches?"
Teacher Takemoto chuckled. "You made a deep impression on me during the first class. Subsequently, I spoke with Director Yanagi, and he told me that your dream is to become a Bug-type Elite Four member. I was very surprised at the time and wanted to find out what the battle strength of this person who aims so high was like. Sure enough, your strength greatly astonished me, especially your Beedrill. It is incredibly powerful and exceptionally well-trained. Other people might believe that any Pokémon can be trained to be very strong if you just work hard, but I tend to disagree with that.
While that may be true in theory, it depends on how you train them. I have trained a Beedrill myself, and I spent countless resources, yet at your current stage, my Beedrill was still not as strong as yours."
Following this statement, the air instantly grew silent. Teacher Takemoto still wore a kind expression and slowly took a sip of water. "Why are you so tense?"
Eichi was indeed completely stiff and looked very nervous.
"Don't be nervous," Teacher Takemoto said then. "I was just joking. Did you think a professor at the Silver Academy would try to take something from you?"
Eichi thought about it, then finally relaxed, complaining a little. "Teacher, you really scared me just now."
"But seriously, you are very impressive," Teacher Takemoto said. "To train a Pokémon like Beedrill so well truly opened my eyes."
"Right, Teacher Takemoto, you just said you are a Professor?" Eichi asked.
"That's right! I am a Professor," Teacher Takemoto confirmed. "I've just been focused on research, and since I haven't made any major breakthroughs recently, I decided to come out and teach a few classes. Don't tell me you didn't know."
Eichi looked embarrassed. "I heard others mention it, but I wasn't certain."
Teacher Takemoto said, "Oh yes, Director Yanagi mentioned that you applied to our academy because the Silver Academy has stronger research on Bug-type Pokémon."
Eichi adopted a serious expression. "That's correct. My dream is to become a Bug-type Elite Four member."
"Becoming a Bug-type Elite Four member," Teacher Takemoto mused. "That is truly a great ambition; it is the dream of so many people! Applying to the Silver Academy was your most correct decision. Let me tell you, among the Four Academies, our Silver Academy is absolutely the strongest in Bug-type research, and within the academy, I am the one with the deepest knowledge of Bug-type Pokémon."
Eichi was stunned. "Ah! Teacher, you are the person with the deepest research into Bug-type Pokémon in the entire academy? Why didn't you say so sooner? You should have stated from the beginning that you are the strongest Bug-type teacher in the entire academy! I would have come to you much earlier."
"Hmph," Teacher Takemoto scoffed. "Do you think a Professor like me would say in the first class, 'Hey everyone, I'm the strongest Bug-type teacher in Silver Academy'? That would be silly. It wouldn't suit my identity."
Eichi agreed with a nod. "That's true! By the way, Teacher, could I see your Pokémon?"
"Of course," Teacher Takemoto said. "However, most of my Pokémon are at home. Today I only brought one. Come on out, old friend."
Teacher Takemoto took a Poké Ball from his pocket. A flash of light shot out from the Ball and coalesced into a figure. Eichi was speechless when he saw the familiar shape before him. He activated his Eye of the Bug Emperor, and his eyes filled with blue energy. He saw that energy permeated every corner of this Beedrill's body. Eichi froze in amazement. This is an Elite Four-level Beedrill! And its aptitude has reached the Outstanding grade!
Eichi then walked closer to the Beedrill, observing it meticulously. Teacher Takemoto's Beedrill was nearly 1.6 meters tall, about 20 centimeters taller than his Beedrill. Its twin stingers exuded sharpness. The Beedrill was currently suppressing its aura, making it difficult to sense any danger from it. It was clear that this Beedrill was quite old.
While Eichi was observing the Beedrill, Teacher Takemoto watched him with a smile. After a while, Teacher Takemoto said, "Eichi, let your Beedrill out so I can see it. It can also meet my Beedrill."
"Oh, right," Eichi said. "Come on out, Beedrill." Eichi released his Beedrill from its Poké Ball. As soon as it appeared, it looked at Teacher Takemoto's Beedrill. Subsequently, the two Pokémon began to communicate.