Time passed quickly, and more than twenty days went by. Half a month had already passed, and now it was the end of July.
During this time, Scyther had grown so much that the word "little" no longer suited it.
It never slept in or slacked off, and it completed its daily training with full effort, even if the exercises were mostly basic.
Its strength had improved greatly. Although it had not yet experienced an actual battle, the energy within its body had already reached the peak of the Rookie stage.
It only needed one real fight to break through to the Experienced rank.
During this period, Scyther also learned Pursuit, Feint, and Agility.
All its moves had reached the Skilled level, and the first four it had learned might soon reach Mastery.
Meanwhile, Beedrill had brought all its moves, including the three learned from TMs, to the Mastery level.
Afterward, Eichi bought three new TMs for Beedrill: Aerial Ace, Struggle Bug, and Swords Dance.
Although they were newly learned, Beedrill had already mastered them to the Skilled level.
Now, Eichi was heading to Viridian City. Not long ago, he had once again visited the Beedrill colony, which he had gone to several times in recent days.
Last time, he had earned 1.7 million Pokédollars from trading honey with them, after spending only a few thousand. That made Eichi feel a bit guilty.
Since then, every visit, he brought plenty of high-quality Pokémon food and Pokéblocks for the colony.
Although they still traded honey, the profits were nowhere near that much again, which Eichi found just right.
This visit was mainly to say goodbye to the Beedrill colony, since he would be traveling for quite some time.
He probably would not see them again for a whole month.
When he returned from his journey, it would be almost time for classes to start at the Silver Academy in the Johto region. After that, he might only come home during vacations.
At the Verdant Breeding House, he came to say goodbye to Aunt Keiko and Amelie.
Inside, Aunt Keiko was carefully giving an Eevee a massage and grooming session.
Eichi didn't disturb her and instead knocked on Amelie's office door.
Knock knock.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Eichi."
"Come in."
Eichi opened the door. Amelie was leisurely reading a book and sipping coffee.
Seeing him, she casually said, "You're here, Eichi."
Eichi nodded. "Yeah."
"Sit down," she said.
"It's been a while since I last saw your Scyther. Let it out, I want to take a look."
"Okay. Come out, Scyther."
A tall, green Pokémon appeared before Amelie. By now, Scyther stood at 1.5 meters tall and weighed 56 kilograms.
Its whole body gave off a sharp aura. Its scythes gleamed with a metallic shine.
Its wings looked strong and healthy, with slightly elongated tips, and its eyes carried a fierce look.
At first glance, it was clear that Scyther had been raised very well.
Recognizing Amelie, Scyther greeted her warmly.
Amelie patted it on the head and said to Eichi, "Not bad. You've raised it well."
She examined Scyther from head to toe.
Sitting on the sofa, Eichi gathered his thoughts before speaking. "Amelie, I'll be leaving for my journey tomorrow."
"I might not be back until before school starts. Can I ask you about what I should pay attention to while traveling?"
Hearing that, Amelie shifted her gaze from Scyther to Eichi.
"You're asking the right person," she said with a smile. "I used to travel myself. Thinking back, those days were really unforgettable."
She reminisced for a moment, then patiently explained what he should pack and what to watch out for while traveling.
Eichi took careful note of everything she said.
When she finished, he bowed slightly. "Thank you, Amelie."
She smiled. "No need to thank me. We don't have to be so formal."
Eichi stood up. "Alright then, see you in two months."
"See you in two months," Amelie replied.
When Eichi left the office, Aunt Keiko had just returned from seeing off a customer.
Eichi went over, greeted her, and told her he would be leaving for his journey the next day, promising to visit her again in two months.
Aunt Keiko reminded him to stay safe on the road.
After leaving the Verdant Breeding House, Eichi went to the Johto Department Store.
He took the elevator straight to the fifth floor. When he stepped out, the same female clerk from before greeted him with a smile. "Welcome! What can I help you with today?"
"I'll be traveling for a while," Eichi said. "I'll need a tent, a sleeping bag, pots, pans…"
The clerk chuckled. "That's quite a list. Please, come with me."
She led him through each aisle, explaining the products one by one. Eichi bought whatever he found satisfactory.
An hour later, he finally had everything he needed, spending over 30,000p.
Then he went down to the fourth floor to buy some Berries, and finally to the first floor to stock up on enough Pokéblocks for Beedrill and Scyther to last three months.
Always prepare extra, that was a lesson from his past life.
Once he finished shopping, Eichi strolled home. On the way, he suddenly remembered Teacher Arno.
It had already been a month since they last met. He wondered how his teacher was doing.
When he got home, his father had just returned from work.
Eichi had once suggested that his father retire and become a leisurely fruit farmer, but his father refused, saying he couldn't part with his old friends at work.
Coincidentally, because Eichi had been accepted into the Silver Academy, his father had been promoted to a lighter, more comfortable position.
That evening, his father came home early and prepared a hearty dinner.
At the table, Beedrill and Scyther ate together while Eichi sat opposite his father. Ever since his promotion, he seemed more relaxed than before.
"I asked some colleagues who have kids traveling," he said. "They told me a few things you should be careful about…"
"I know you're responsible, and you've probably prepared everything already. Still, be cautious and take care of yourself."
Then he turned to Beedrill and Scyther. "Beedrill, Scyther, I'm counting on you two to keep Eichi safe."
Beedrill raised its arm as if to say, "Leave it to me," and Scyther swung its scythes proudly. "Scythe, scythe!" (Leave it to me!)
"Then I'm counting on you both," he said.
After dinner, Eichi took them for a walk. They wandered until they reached a small hill.
Eichi sat down. The moonlight was bright tonight, and everything was silent beneath its glow.
Beedrill and Scyther stayed quietly beside him.
Eichi felt both wistful and excited for what lay ahead.
He turned to Beedrill. "Tomorrow, we begin our journey. Along the way, we'll meet many different trainers."
"If anyone mocks you in battle, we'll teach them a good lesson and show them what you're made of."
Scyther chirped beside him. "Cha! Cha!" (Don't forget me!)
Eichi smiled. "Of course, you too, Scyther."
"You'll both become the strongest Pokémon."