"Miltank!"
Whitney cried out in panic as she watched her Miltank collapse onto the ground. She bit her lip and with a wry smile, recalled Miltank into its Pokéball.
Walking over to Konan, she presented a badge. "You win. You're truly amazing; even Miltank was no match for you," Whitney said, her eyes reflecting a hint of disappointment.
She was currently only an acting Gym Leader, not a formal one. Only after passing a specific trial could she officially become a Gym Leader. She had always considered herself a prodigy, but now she felt like a joke in front of Konan.
Konan accepted the official badge and placed it in her badge case, which now also contained four badges.
Time flies. In the Kanto and Johto regions, everyone followed their own life paths. Countless people were striving for their dreams; Eichi, Sato, and Konan were working toward the League Championships, while Tetsu and the others focused on their studies.
In the blink of an eye, over two months passed.
In Silver Town, located at the foot of Silver Academy in the Johto region, Tetsu sat in his back garden. It had been nearly a month since Silver Academy's break began. Tetsu still hadn't gone home; he wasn't particularly keen on returning. Besides, with everyone else gone, there were fewer people using the academy's attribute training rooms and energy rooms.
Looking up at the azure sky, Tetsu found himself missing Eichi. I wonder what he's up to right now? he mused.
In Viridian City, a ferry docked at the harbor with a loud whistle. Passengers slowly disembarked. A handsome young man wearing a cyan tracksuit and a white hat stepped onto the pier.
Eichi took a deep breath of the fresh air. I'm finally back.
After more than three months of traveling, he had finally returned. He planned to stay for a few days before setting out once again.
Back in the familiar Viridian City, his first stop was the Verdant Breeding House to greet Amelie and Aunt Keiko. When he arrived, Amelie wasn't there. Aunt Keiko mentioned that she had gone to take the Senior Breeder exam. Amelie hadn't mentioned this to Eichi before.
After leaving the breeding house, Eichi took out his bicycle and began to pedal. The fact that he could collect all his badges so quickly during this trip was largely thanks to this bike.
With the bicycle, Eichi soon reached Viridian Town. The town hadn't changed a bit. As he rode along the central road, he could see groups of people farming in the distant fields.
Arriving home, Eichi parked his bike right at the entrance. He used his key to open the door, finding that his father, Yoshino, hadn't returned yet. Eichi went to his room to drop off his backpack and then took his dirty clothes to the washing machine in the bathroom. Finally, he lay down on his bed to rest.
After a while, Eichi heard the door open. He looked out and saw it was his father, Yoshino.
"I saw the bike at the door and knew you were back," Yoshino said with a smile upon seeing Eichi. "Are you hungry? I'll make dinner right away."
Seeing his father carrying a bag of groceries, Eichi laughed. "I actually am a little hungry."
"Then wait just a moment," Yoshino replied before heading into the kitchen.
Since his father was back, Eichi went to the living room to watch some TV. After a bit, he felt bored and suddenly remembered a new skill he had learned during his travels: photography.
Eichi recalled that when he first bought the camera, he only used it a few times before letting it collect dust in his backpack. During these three months of travel, he finally remembered he owned one.
He went back to his room, took a box out of his backpack, and opened it to reveal a collection of photos. He had already developed them all. Bringing the photos to the living room, he found several empty frames.
Eichi flipped through the photos and selected one. It featured Eichi standing on a grassy clearing in a forest. Beedrill, Scizor, Heracross, Wimpod, the Black-Patterned Beedrill, and Nincada were all gathered around him.
Eichi had taken this photo during his travels when he met a photographer who taught him some techniques. This was the shot they had taken together. Once framed, he placed it on the bookshelf behind the TV where guests could see it.
The door opened again. It was Yu, wearing a white dress. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Eichi, and she shouted in surprise.
"Eichi! You're back!" Yu cried out, rushing over and throwing herself into Eichi's arms. "I missed you so much! Do you know how much I missed you?"
Yu's sweet, childish voice was truly heart-tugging.
"Alright, alright, I'm back now, aren't I?" Eichi said, letting go of Yu.
Yu's attention was suddenly caught by the photos on the table. "Eichi, did you take all of these during your trip?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"That's right. These are the sights I saw and the friends I met during my journey," Eichi replied.
Yu picked up a photo and pointed at the people in it. "Eichi, who are they?"
"Those are friends I met in Celadon City," he explained.
They talked for a while until Yoshino finished cooking. Eichi paused the stories to eat. After dinner, he told Yu a few more stories until she went to bed. Eichi then took a nap in his room.
When Eichi woke up in the afternoon, his father had already gone to work. Even though the family was no longer short on money, Yoshino was unwilling to stay home and always missed his old friends at the office.
Eichi grabbed his backpack and rode his bike into the Viridian Forest. Halfway through, he found the forest paths too difficult to navigate, so he got off, folded the bike, and put it in his backpack.
He continued on foot for another hour until he reached his destination. As soon as he entered the territory of the Beedrill colony, the Beedrill inside sensed him and flew out.
When he saw the Beedrill Leader again, it had changed significantly. Two fierce scars had appeared on its body, making it look much more battle-hardened. It seemed they had been through some rough times recently.
Seeing Eichi again, the Beedrill Leader's eyes were full of excitement. Eichi knew what it wanted to see, so he took the Pokéball for the Black-Patterned Beedrill from his waist and released it.
In a flash of white light, the Black-Patterned Beedrill revealed its form. Its sharp twin stingers gleamed with a metallic luster. With its massive size and intimidating gaze, it exuded an incredible aura.
The Beedrill Leader felt as if it were looking at the Beedrill from before. It had a premonition that its child had completely surpassed it.