It was the second day since Eichi returned home. He got up early but still hadn't decided what to do for the day.
He first took Scyther and Beedrill out for morning training and arrived at the familiar grove. The two Pokémon ran forty or fifty laps around it, while Eichi ran ten laps himself.
The morning sunlight wasn't as glaring as at noon. The air was cool and fresh, filling him with energy as he breathed it in.
After running, they rested for a bit. He let them each practice their moves for a while before heading home. When he checked the time, it was about right, so they returned.
While showering, Eichi suddenly realized he hadn't seen Teacher Arno in a long time and wondered if he was back. After finishing his shower, he took out his communicator, found Teacher Arno's contact, and called.
"Beep… beep… beep…"
Click.
The line connected, and a familiar voice answered, "Hello?"
"Hello, Teacher Arno, it's me," Eichi said.
"Oh, Eichi! What's the matter?"
"Teacher Arno, are you back?"
"I got back a couple of days ago. Judging from your tone, you've returned from your journey?"
"Yes, I'm back. Where are you, Teacher? I'll come find you."
"I'm at home. Come quickly, let's have a good chat."
"Alright!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the other end hung up.
Eichi put the communicator back in his backpack, grabbed his things, and left.
Teacher Arno's house was also in Viridian Town, though it was located at the far end. His old house had been elsewhere, but when he returned, he demolished it and built a new one at the edge of town.
Eichi had been there once before but hadn't gone inside, only looking from the gate. People who had visited said that although the house wasn't big, it had a very large backyard.
Thinking about this, he soon arrived at Teacher Arno's front door and pressed the doorbell.
"Ding dong, ding dong."
There was an electronic screen by the door. Suddenly, it lit up, showing Eichi's face. Teacher Arno's voice came from inside.
"Oh, it's Eichi! Wait a moment."
Last time, Eichi hadn't gone inside, so he was curious about what it looked like.
A short while later, the door opened, but it wasn't Teacher Arno who greeted him, it was Jynx.
"Hello, Jynx," Eichi said politely.
"Jynx!" it replied kindly.
Jynx closed the door behind him and led him inside. The interior was simple and homey, not much different from most houses.
Teacher Arno was reading in the living room. When he saw Eichi, he waved. "Eichi, you're here. Come, have a seat."
Eichi didn't stand on ceremony and sat on the sofa. The material was unusual, soft, and very comfortable.
Jynx brought him a glass of water. After thanking it, Eichi turned to Teacher Arno, who asked, "So, how was your journey?"
Eichi's eyes brightened. "It was great! I encountered some challenges, saw amazing sights, tasted delicious food, and learned many things that aren't in textbooks."
"Not bad. Did you challenge any Gyms?"
"Yes, I earned two Badges."
"Oh? Which ones?"
"The Boulder Badge and the Cascade Badge."
He took the two Badges from his bag and showed them. Teacher Arno examined them before handing them back. "How did you find the Gym Leaders' strength?"
"The Pewter Gym Leader, Flint, was quite strong. That battle was pretty tough.
But as for the Cerulean Gym Leader… I don't really know what to say. She actually gave me the Badge."
"She gave it to you? That's not strange. I know their situation well, it doesn't surprise me at all."
"Anyway, enough about that. Did you capture any new Pokémon during your travels?"
"No, but I received a Pokémon Egg before I left."
"Oh? What Pokémon hatched from it?" Teacher Arno asked curiously.
"Come out!"
Eichi released Scyther from its Poké Ball. Seeing it, Teacher Arno adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and examined it closely.
He nodded approvingly. "This Scyther is excellent. You've raised it very well, Eichi."
"Tell me how you got it."
Eichi recounted the whole story. After listening, Teacher Arno couldn't help but sigh. "You really have incredible luck."
Then he smiled and said, "By the way, you haven't seen my backyard yet, right? I'll take you for a look."
"Sure! I've always wanted to see your backyard, Teacher."
Teacher Arno led him out back. The garden was huge, with trees, rocks, and a stream. Several Pokémon were resting peacefully inside.
It was practically a small forest. As they walked, Teacher Arno said, "I have quite a few Pokémon, about thirty or so."
Without a large area, there would be no way to keep that many.
Eichi asked curiously, "Teacher, do you take care of all these Pokémon by yourself?"
"Yes, I do," he replied.
As they continued, Eichi saw a Nidoking, a Nidoqueen, a Pidgeot, and even the Delibird that had battled Beedrill before.
They were all strong. The weakest among them had Excellent talent, and several had Outstanding talent.
Only after seeing the Indigo League could Eichi truly appreciate how powerful Teacher Arno was.
He was still young, only twenty-three.
Eichi couldn't understand why someone with such skill would return to teach at a small school in Viridian Town.
He decided to change the subject. "Teacher Arno, at Silver Academy, do they have all kinds of machines for auxiliary skill training?"
"Of course," Teacher Arno said. "It's one of the best schools in the region. Its training facilities are beyond your imagination. Someone like you will progress rapidly there.
As for auxiliary skill machines, there are plenty; almost every move has a corresponding device to help speed up training.
So don't worry about that. But, Eichi, you must be cautious. It's the best school in the region, which means there'll be many geniuses there too. You'll have to compete with them.
If you keep using only Bug-type Pokémon, you'll be at a big disadvantage. You might fall behind others completely."
Eichi answered confidently, "I won't give up. Even with only Bug-types, I'll still grow the fastest and become the strongest."
Teacher Arno smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. It's almost time for lunch. How about staying to eat? You can try my cooking."
"Sure, I'm looking forward to it!"