After testing Machine Number 11, Eichi was very satisfied. This brand-new Pokéblock making machine was smaller than Machine Number 10 but had more powerful functions. After finishing the test, Eichi checked the time; it was still early, only 7:50 PM.
Eichi tidied up the table, turned off Machine Number 11, and left the storage room. He recalled Beedrill, Scizor, Heracross, and Wimpod into their Poké Balls, shouldered his backpack, and headed out for training.
As usual, he arrived at the second floor of the Battle Hall. While booking a room at the front desk, he happened to run into Sato, who was also there to train. Out of curiosity regarding Eichi's new Pokémon, Sato took the initiative to come over and ask a few questions.
Eichi chatted with him for a while. Sato's Drilbur had already hatched, and he had begun training it over the past few days. Sato seemed quite satisfied; he had already asked his family members to collect data on Drilbur from the Unova Region. Although the academy had information on Drilbur, it was only basic data, which was only slightly useful for future cultivation.
Naturally, Sato wasn't satisfied with just that, so he entrusted his family to gather more information. Coincidentally, his family had recently started establishing connections and doing business with other regions, so he believed news would arrive soon.
After hearing about Sato's Pokémon, Eichi told Sato about the Pokémon he had hatched, Wimpod. Clearly, Sato didn't know what a Wimpod was, so Eichi gave him a brief explanation and even released it to let Sato have a look. After chatting for a bit, the two parted ways and headed to their respective rooms to train.
Three minutes later, Eichi watched his three Pokémon perform their individual training. Beedrill was undergoing move training. Many of its moves had already reached the Peak level of mastery. However, some moves were so powerful and effective that the difficulty of training them had risen sharply.
For example, Swords Dance was a move Eichi had Beedrill learn early on. Since learning it, Beedrill practiced it every day, but it had yet to reach the Peak level. A Peak-level Swords Dance could be used five times, but Beedrill could only use it three times. According to Beedrill, whenever it tried to use Swords Dance for a fourth time, a tearing sensation would rip through its body. Beedrill usually endured the pain to continue, but it had a premonition that if it forced a fifth use, its body would suffer irreparable damage.
Beyond Swords Dance, moves like Protect and Substitute were in a similar state, all stuck at the Skilled level of mastery. For the Protect move, at the beginning, one could only form a circular light screen directly in front of themselves. Upon reaching the Skilled level, the screen could form around the body. However, there was still a flaw: the screen wouldn't form above the head or beneath the feet. Only by reaching the Peak level could a 360-degree protective barrier be formed, capable of blocking any attack—unless the move's power exceeded the barrier's limit, it was a perfect skill.
As for Substitute, there was even less to say. Initially, Substitute only formed an identical clone that was expressionless, immobile, lacked any offensive power, and lasted for a very short duration. At the Skilled level, the formed substitute not only looked real and had expressions but could also move and perform actions. Furthermore, it could exist for several minutes and possess one-tenth of the user's actual strength. Once Substitute broke through to the Peak level, it would possess at least half of the original's strength, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between the real and the fake, and it would last for about half an hour. To improve further, constant training was required.
Eichi pulled his gaze away from Beedrill. It was working as hard as ever; he didn't need to worry about it at all. He then looked at Scizor. It was the same; with a role model like Beedrill around, it would never slack off. As for Heracross, the training Eichi arranged was of the sort where it had no choice but to work hard. If it dared to slack off, the consequences would be terrifying.
After checking on them, Eichi looked toward Wimpod, who was hiding in the corner. It was watching Beedrill and the others train with a look of longing. It also had a desire to become stronger and wanted to be as powerful as its teammates. However, when it came to actually experiencing those training programs, it was unwilling—it was too dangerous, and staying in the corner was much more comfortable.
Eichi knew exactly what Wimpod was thinking. In a few days, he would start arranging its training. This time, no excuses would work; it was time to train. Seeing Eichi's gaze, Wimpod suddenly felt a bit scared. It had an ominous premonition and quickly avoided Eichi's eyes, curling itself into a ball.
Two more days passed. During this time, Kosei, Ami, and the others also learned that Eichi's new Pokémon was a Wimpod. This was all thanks to Tetsu's big mouth; every secret seemed to leak from him. Not just them, but the whole class knew. However, some were a bit afraid of Eichi, so they didn't dare ask too much about Wimpod's situation.
This afternoon, Eichi had no classes. The academy had rarely given them the entire afternoon off. Eichi, having nothing else to do, headed toward a specific building.
The building before him was entirely white, designed in a minimalist style. There was a password lock at the entrance and a sensor in front of it. Eichi skillfully typed a seven-digit code on the keyboard and then placed an electronic magnetic card against the sensor.
Beep.
The door opened, and Eichi walked inside. The interior was bright and filled with various electronic instruments. It looked very high-tech, and some items even felt like "black technology." The decor was bright, with several large light tubes installed on the ceiling. The white light illuminated the entire building, and the temperature inside was just right—slightly lower than outside thanks to the central air conditioning.
Upon entering, Eichi saw several researchers wearing white lab coats, just like in anime. Most researchers shared a few unique traits: many wore glasses, and some were already balding. Moreover, most looked quite old, appearing to be in their forties or fifties, though they were actually quite young. They saw Eichi and greeted him.
"You're here, Eichi."
"Eichi, long time no see."
"Eichi, when can we discuss the issue of each of your Pokémon possessing unique characteristics again?"
"Eichi, when will you let us research your Beedrill again?"