Eichi looked at the determined gaze in Nincada's eyes and smiled.
"Of course you can. Welcome to the team," Eichi said warmly.
Upon hearing Eichi agree, Nincada felt a surge of joy well up from the bottom of its heart. Eichi removed a Pokéball from his waist and placed it in front of Nincada.
Nincada looked at the Pokéball and pressed the button in the center with its hand. It turned its head to look at the old Ariados one last time.
Goodbye. When I return, I will definitely be a powerhouse. I will protect everyone; that is my promise, Nincada thought firmly.
Then, Nincada turned into a streak of red light and was pulled into the Pokéball.
The Pokéball shook from side to side. After three wobbles, it stopped.
It was caught.
Eichi picked up the Pokéball and clipped it to his waist. He looked back at the Ariados tribe. The next time Nincada returns, it will surely give you all a big surprise, Eichi mused.
Then, Eichi rode his bicycle into the distance. Although darkness still shrouded the morning, the future looked bright.
Watching Eichi's disappearing figure, the old Ariados sighed. All its hopes were now placed on Nincada. It knew Eichi was an incredibly powerful trainer; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to train such formidable Pokémon like Beedrill, Scizor, and Heracross. It would be satisfied if Nincada returned even half as strong as Beedrill. Still, having Nincada by its side for over two months made the parting difficult to bear.
When Eichi finally exited the forest, he was met with dazzling sunlight. This was where he belonged. Staying in the dark territory of the Ariados had been quite uncomfortable.
As he pedaled, Eichi began to reflect. He now had six Pokémon, meeting the requirements to participate in the Indigo League. The next step was Nincada's training.
Nincada was currently at the mid-Rookie stage, roughly level 18. Eichi remembered that Nincada evolves at level 20. Furthermore, this species is very special; its evolution results in two different Pokémon: Ninjask and Shedinja. Ninjask would emerge from Nincada's body, while the remaining shell would become Shedinja. It was truly miraculous for one Pokémon to evolve into two.
Night soon arrived, and Eichi managed to reach a Pokémon Center before dark. After booking a room, he handed his Pokéballs to Nurse Joy for a check-up. He specifically needed detailed data on Nincada to better plan its development.
While waiting for the results, Eichi took a hot bath in his room and then went downstairs for dinner. By the time he finished, the Pokémon were ready. He made a point to ask Nurse Joy for Nincada's physical stats.
The data showed that Nincada was severely malnourished and suffered from many untreated internal injuries. Long-term malnutrition had caused its talent to decline significantly. Fortunately, with the Bug Force, what was lost could be recovered. As for the internal injuries, Nurse Joy had already treated them, for which Eichi was very grateful.
Back in his room, Eichi began preparing dinner for his six Pokémon. With so many mouths to feed, money truly seemed to disappear like water.
He released the six Pokémon and took out Moomoo Milk, Pokémon food, and Pokéblocks from his backpack. The dinner for Beedrill, Scizor, Heracross, Wimpod, and the Black-Patterned Beedrill remained the same as usual. Nincada, however, was served Moomoo Milk, Bug-type Pokémon food, and beginner Bug-type Pokéblocks, just like any other newly hatched Pokémon.
Nincada stared blankly at its overflowing food bowl.
Is all of this mine? Nincada looked at Eichi with questioning eyes. Its previous trainer had only given it tiny amounts of food; it had never seen this much at once.
"Go ahead and eat. This is all for you. If it's not enough, just let me know," Eichi said reassuringly.
Nincada took a bite, and its eyes immediately turned red. It struggled to keep its tears from falling. It's so delicious, it thought. It was deeply moved; previously, only the old Ariados had been kind to it, and now there was Eichi.
It began devouring the food and Pokéblocks, taking gulps of Moomoo Milk whenever it got thirsty. The rest of the team watched Nincada eat with warm, approving looks.
After dinner, Eichi went downstairs to call Hara. He explained his needs; the research institute now had much more data on Bug-type Pokémon from the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions than before. These materials had been sent back by Teacher Takemoto, including extensive information on Nincada. Since Nincada is a one-of-a-kind miracle of biology, there was plenty to study.
Hara sent the documents over quickly, and Eichi printed them out. Returning to his room, he didn't rush to read. Instead, he bathed his six Pokémon one by one and gave them all massages.
When it was Nincada's turn, Eichi's hands seemed to possess magic as they pressed against its body.
This is incredible! I've never felt so relaxed. So this is what a massage is! Nincada was in bliss.
Seeing Nincada's expression, the Black-Patterned Beedrill looked a bit disdainful. What a country bumpkin, it thought, completely forgetting that it had reacted exactly the same way when it first joined.
After reviewing the data late into the night, Eichi went to sleep. He released his Bug Force, letting it permeate the bodies of his six Pokémon. The restoration of Nincada's talent would begin now.
In the Violet Gym of the Johto region, Falkner watched the battle in the sky with a grim expression. A massive pillar of fire roared through the air, causing the temperature of the entire field to spike. The source of this Fire Blast was a Charizard.
Facing the Charizard was Falkner's Pidgeot. Clearly, Pidgeot was no match for its opponent. Unable to dodge the incoming flames, it was struck directly.
"Pidgeo!" With a cry of pain, it plummeted from the sky, losing its ability to battle.
Sato watched the Pidgeot fall and a smile appeared on his lips.
"Sato, you win," Falkner said, accepting his defeat gracefully as he tossed the badge over.
Sato took out a box, opened it, and placed the badge inside. The number of badges in the box had reached four.
In another city, at the Goldenrod Gym in Goldenrod City, a Skarmory used Air Cutter against the ground. Two blades of wind carved a large pit into the floor, and a rolling Miltank tumbled right into it.
Konan seized the opportunity and commanded Skarmory to use Swift on the trapped Miltank. Struck by countless star-shaped rays of light, the Miltank immediately lost its ability to battle.