Knock! Knock!
"Dad, open up! It's me, I'm back!"
In the living room, Uncle Yamamoto, who was watching television, heard the familiar voice. He stood up, walked to the door, and opened it.
The sunlight streaming in was a bit blinding. Yamamoto squinted and saw two teenage boys, about thirteen or fourteen years old, standing outside.
The boy on the left had gray hair, clean-cut features, and wore a black tracksuit. The boy on the right had blond hair, was quite handsome, and wore a white tracksuit. Most notably, he radiated the unmistakable aura of someone from a wealthy family.
Yamamoto's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "Kota, you're back!"
Then, seeing the boy beside Kota, he asked curiously, "Kota, who is this?"
Kota smiled. "Dad, this is a friend I made during my journey, Takuto."
"Takuto, let me introduce you. This is my dad."
Takuto offered a warm smile. "Hello, Uncle. I'm Takuto."
Yamamoto smiled back. "So you're Kota's friend. Please, come in."
As the two entered, Yamamoto brought out two pairs of slippers. Once they had changed, Yamamoto grabbed two bottles of drinks from the refrigerator and went into the kitchen to wash some fruit.
Kota led Takuto into the house. Looking at the size and decor of the room, a trace of disdain and distaste flashed through Takuto's eyes. However, he hid it well, and Kota didn't notice.
Kota warmly invited Takuto to sit on the sofa. "Make yourself at home, Takuto."
Just then, Yamamoto returned from the kitchen carrying a tray filled with various fruits and the two drinks. He placed them on the table and looked at Takuto.
"Help yourself, don't be shy."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Takuto picked up a washed apple and took a bite. However, he only took one small nibble before stopping, simply holding the rest of the apple in his hand.
"Kota, why the sudden return?" Yamamoto asked.
Kota explained, "I'm going to participate in the Indigo League. Takuto and I have already collected six badges, so we only need two more. There's a gym in Viridian City, so we plan to challenge the Viridian Gym before heading to Vermilion City for the Vermilion Gym. Once we have all eight badges, we can go to the Indigo League. Since we were passing by home, I thought I'd stay for a couple of days."
Yamamoto nodded. So that's how it is.
Kota looked left and right. "Dad, where's Mom?"
"Oh, your mother went into the city to buy some things."
Half an hour later, Kota and Takuto were walking down the street, taking a stroll through the town. Looking at the surrounding houses, Takuto thought to himself:
As expected of a small place. There's nothing here; the fact that one Kota emerged is already a miracle.
Takuto, true to his aura, did not come from an ordinary background. His family ran a Pokéblock trade business in the Kanto region, making him a "rich second generation" kid. Beyond his wealth, he considered himself a genius trainer.
The reason he had teamed up with Kota stemmed from a gym challenge. He had gone to challenge the Fuchsia Gym, and Kota happened to be challenging it right before him. He witnessed Kota's battle with the Gym Leader.
Kota's strength was decent. Although Takuto's experienced eyes could tell that the talent of Kota's Pokémon wasn't particularly high, Kota's tactics were excellent. Kota eventually won the badge. Recognizing Kota's talent, Takuto decided to befriend him.
As they walked, Takuto suddenly spoke up. "Kota, you must be the most talented trainer in your town, right?"
Kota could indeed be called a genius. For someone from an ordinary family to reach the level of participating in the Indigo League by age thirteen or fourteen was impressive. Since childhood, the townspeople had always called him a prodigy. Usually, a small town was lucky to produce even one such talent.
Hearing Takuto's words, Kota turned his head, surprised by the question. He paused for a moment, then shook his head.
"I'm not the most talented in our town. We have a real genius here."
Hearing this, Takuto assumed Kota was just being humble. "How is that possible? No offense, but it's already a miracle that a town like this produced someone like you."
This time, the disdain in Takuto's eyes wasn't hidden. Kota knew Takuto was telling the truth, and even though it was harsh, that look of looking down on their town was truly annoying.
"I'm not lying to you. Our town has a genius named Eichi. Last year, he got into the Silver Academy, and he did it with the highest entrance score. Even the children of the big shots in Viridian City couldn't beat him. Furthermore, when he was ten years old, he single-handedly defeated a poaching group in the Viridian Forest using only a Beedrill. Everyone in Viridian City knows about it."
After finishing, Kota looked at Takuto and saw a face full of disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
Seeing Kota's serious expression, which didn't look like a lie, Takuto realized it must be true. Seeing Takuto's shocked expression gave Kota a surge of satisfaction. Even though they were friends, Takuto constantly flaunted his superiority during their travels, which made Kota feel very uncomfortable. Seeing him deflated like this made Kota feel much better.
"Wait... what did you say that genius's name was? ...Eichi?"
"Yeah, is there a problem?"
Takuto fell into thought. A month ago, his younger brother—a first-year student at the Indigo Academy whose talent was much better than his own—had participated in the Inter-Academy Exchange Tournament. His brother had come in last place. After the competition, his brother had told him about this "Eichi."
He was the strongest in their year, the one who had dominated everyone in the Freshmen Tournament. Takuto's brother had been completely crushed by Eichi during the matches.
Takuto couldn't imagine what kind of genius this Eichi was. He was powerful beyond imagination. Takuto had always assumed that someone named Eichi must be a child from a great clan in the Johto region. To be told now that Eichi came from an ordinary family... he found it hard to believe.
"Kota, are you sure his name is Eichi?"
Kota pointed toward a group of people ahead. "Of course it's true. Look, that's his house right there. The one in the cyan tracksuit is Eichi."
The two stepped forward. In front of a house stood a handsome young man in a cyan tracksuit and a white hat. A powerful aura radiated from him—a feeling Takuto had only ever felt from Elite Four-level trainers.
Kota walked over and called out.
"Eichi, long time no see!"
The figure in front turned around and looked over. Takuto felt as if the surrounding air suddenly froze, and a heavy pressure bore down on him.