When he left the incubation room, the staff member told him that this egg had been found several months ago in a river within one of the breeding gardens. Considering it had already been several months, it was likely to hatch very soon.
Eichi looked down at the electronic data at the base of the incubation pod. It displayed a single number: 1.
This meant the Pokémon egg would hatch tomorrow.
He wondered why Director Yanagi made them choose from the incubation room instead of just giving them Pokémon that had already hatched.
There were two reasons. First, the number and variety of hatched Pokémon were not as plentiful as the eggs. Second, senior students did not have much time to wait for hatching. They wanted to start training immediately to quickly build combat power. Consequently, most hatched Pokémon were reserved by upper-grade seniors.
Now, Eichi had important business to attend to.
He had gained a lot from this exchange tournament. He had seven thousand credits and six bottles of Stat Boosters. He felt these six bottles could elevate the strength of his three Pokémon to a new level.
Eichi tried putting the incubation pod into his compression backpack, and surprisingly, it fit perfectly.
Since it was noon and they hadn't eaten yet, Eichi ordered takeout. While waiting, he prepared lunch for his three Pokémon.
Half an hour later, Eichi took Beedrill, Scizor, and Heracross to the Battle Hall. He booked a training room at the front desk, paid the fee, and took the key to find his assigned room.
Upon opening the door, he found the familiar setting equipped with all the necessary training gear. He even noticed some new equipment. Normally, he would definitely try them out, but he had class in the afternoon and didn't have the time.
He set down his backpack, placed the incubation pod to the side, and took out the six bottles of Stat Boosters.
Eichi released his three Pokémon. Beedrill, Scizor, and Heracross thought it was strange to be brought to the training hall in the middle of the day.
Eichi picked up a bottle of Protein. From the outside, one could see the crystal-clear pink liquid inside. When he unscrewed the cap, a fragrant aroma drifted out.
Beedrill, Scizor, and Heracross's eyes lit up as they smelled it. It smells so good!
As they gathered around him, Eichi looked at Beedrill and said, "Beedrill, drink this."
He handed the Stat Booster to Beedrill and helped it drink the contents.
"Gulp, gulp."
Beedrill finished every last drop of the Protein. As the thick liquid entered its body, it produced an incredible effect. Its whole body felt warm, and it felt as if a new power had surged out of nowhere, yet it felt like its own.
Beedrill flew back a distance and swung its stingers forcefully. This wasn't over, as Eichi took out another bottle with a blue cap: Carbos.
"Beedrill, there's one more. Drink this too."
Knowing these bottles provided a significant boost to its strength, Beedrill quickly flew back and actively drank the Carbos.
Unlike the Protein, the Carbos felt cool and refreshing. Beedrill felt a sense of lightness in its body. It had a clear feeling that it had become stronger.
Eichi didn't know exactly how much Beedrill had improved; that required professional machinery. He turned on the Move-Testing Machine and set up a screen in front of them.
Standing up, he said to Beedrill, "Beedrill, attack it. Don't use any moves."
Beedrill was currently bursting with energy and needed an outlet. It crossed its stingers and flew in front of the screen, stopping less than a meter away. It seemed to be gathering strength. After a few seconds of stillness, its eyes sharpened like a blade.
In an instant, it lunged forward, swinging its stingers like two crescent moons. They slammed hard against the screen.
A loud "Bang!" echoed through the room. A second later, Beedrill beat its wings and soared into the air, circling the room several times at lightning speed before flying back.
The numerical value appeared on the electronic screen.
The last test before the tournament had been 4200. Out of the current 700-point increase, about 200 likely came from growth during battle, while the remaining 500 should be the boost from the Protein. Furthermore, while Beedrill was flying, Eichi could clearly see its speed had increased. Since it hadn't fully digested the boosters yet, it would likely improve even more once it did.
Seeing Beedrill's attack power rise so much, Scizor looked on with envy. Its gaze toward the remaining Stat Boosters grew even more intense.
Eichi was also surprised by the extraordinary effectiveness of the boosters. Noticing Scizor's look, he smiled and said, "Alright, Scizor, it's your turn."
He picked up another bottle of Protein. Scizor eagerly drank it down. After finishing, it looked like it wanted more, but there was no more left. Eichi then gave it a yellow-capped Iron to drink.
He then had Scizor test its attack power. Scizor excitedly struck the screen with its pincers, creating a loud bang.
The data appeared on the screen. Scizor's last measurement was 2300. With growth from battle and the 500-point increase from the booster, it had improved significantly.
Next, Eichi had Heracross drink the Protein and Zinc he had specially selected for it. Heracross wasn't actually that interested in the effects; it just thought the boosters tasted delicious and was disappointed there were only two bottles.
Under Eichi's direction, it used its full strength to deliver a heavy chop to the screen with its palm.
This confirmed it: the Stat Boosters could increase attack stats by roughly 500. If Eichi had relied on regular training, it might have taken half a month or more to see such results.
Checking the time, Eichi saw there were still thirty minutes before class. He quickly tested Beedrill's speed, Scizor's defense, and Heracross's special defense.
The results were highly satisfying. All three had seen massive improvements in their respective areas of expertise.