Sato was the first to speak up, asking, "Eichi, what kind of Pokémon is this?"
"This little one is called Wimpod," Eichi replied. "It's very timid, so please don't startle it."
Following that, Eichi shared some general information about Wimpod with the group.
The others listened with wonder, expressing their surprise at how little they actually knew about the world. Subsequently, the conversation shifted to other topics; some shared amusing stories from home, while others spoke of the unique customs and delicacies of their hometowns. Some even recounted strange tales they had heard during their travels.
Eventually, the group turned to Sato. He did not refuse and shared his own experiences as well.
"I actually often hear my elders talk about rumors and sightings of certain Legendary Pokémon," Sato began.
The moment Sato mentioned this, Eichi immediately sharpened his focus to listen.
"You all know the legends of the Three Legendary Birds in the Kanto region. However, they aren't actually that rare; one of my elders even has a Zapdos," Sato revealed.
The group was instantly shocked to hear that someone in Sato's family had captured one of the Legendary Birds.
Tetsu was quick to chime in, "Sato, hurry up and tell us! What is that Zapdos like? How strong is it?"
Sato replied calmly, "That Zapdos is strong—extremely strong. My elder went to great lengths to capture it. However, because it wasn't caught as a hatchling, it only listens to him, and even then, it can be disobedient at times."
"It's quite a handful. Most importantly, it possesses the strength of an Elite Four rank."
"Once, I saw it lose its temper. The sky was filled with lightning; it was truly a staggering sight."
Time flew by, and soon it was around 10:00 PM. Seeing that it was getting late, the gathering came to an end. Eichi felt that the greatest gain from this party was that everyone had grown much closer. Even Matsumoto and Ishida had managed to blend in.
The next day, Eichi went to class as usual. When he arrived, Tetsu happened to be there as well, having arrived quite early.
Sitting in his seat, Eichi asked with some confusion, "Why did you run over here so early today?"
"What's so strange about that?" Tetsu replied. "Is there a problem with me getting up a bit earlier?"
"Nothing," Eichi said with a smile.
Tetsu sighed inwardly. He hadn't wanted to come this early either; it was just that he hadn't returned to the dorms last night and had slept at the villa instead. As a result, he had been woken up by a maid early this morning. He couldn't even sleep in if he wanted to, making him suddenly miss dormitory life.
Eichi didn't know what Tetsu was thinking, though even if he did, he would have likely told him he deserved it.
After classes ended in the afternoon, Eichi went to Professor Kant's office. At noon, Professor Kant had suddenly called, asking him to stop by the office in the afternoon, mentioning something about wanting to test Eichi's current level.
Eichi wondered what Professor Kant was up to. Most importantly, he debated whether he should reveal his skill level as an Intermediate Breeder. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided that showing the ability to produce Intermediate Pokéblocks should be acceptable now. Furthermore, he needed to hide some of his strength; appearing as if he had just reached the Intermediate level would be sufficient.
As soon as class was over, Eichi went straight to Professor Kant's office and knocked on the door.
A strange female voice came from inside: "Please come in."
Opening the door and stepping inside, he saw a beautiful girl in a white lab coat with striking hair and glasses. She looked to be about 17 or 18 years old. Upon seeing Eichi, she smiled and said, "You must be Eichi."
"Professor Kant mentioned you. He had to step out for a moment but said that if you arrived, you should wait here for him."
"Okay," Eichi replied. He entered the office and sat down on a nearby sofa.
Seeing Eichi's inquisitive gaze, the red-haired girl introduced herself. "I'll introduce myself first. My name is Mochizuki. I'm one of Professor Kant's students. I just graduated this year and am now working as the Professor's assistant."
Eichi nodded and gave a formal greeting. "Hello, senior."
Mochizuki suppressed a smile. "You don't need to be so polite with me. By the way, I have some things to attend to, so I'll be heading out first."
"Please, go ahead with your work, senior," Eichi said.
Mochizuki left with a stack of documents, leaving Eichi to wait in the office. About ten minutes later, Professor Kant finally arrived.
He apologized to Eichi immediately upon entering. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I was tied up with something just now."
"It's fine," Eichi explained with a smile. "I only just arrived myself."
Professor Kant dropped the subject and said, "Eichi, come inside with me." He opened the door to the research lab and entered.
He walked over to Pokéblock Machine No. 10 and said, "Eichi, see if you can produce an Intermediate Pokéblock."
Eichi picked up a piece of white paper from the table; it was a recipe for an Intermediate Pokéblock. It was the same one Professor Kant had shown him a few months ago.
Eichi thought for a moment before answering, "I'll give it a try."
Professor Kant added, "Good luck. If you can make it, I'll give you a grand prize."
A grand prize?
For Professor Kant, a "grand prize" wouldn't be something simple. This gave Eichi something to look forward to. However, he didn't change his plan.
He began the Pokéblock production, skillfully opening Machine No. 10. The Berries were already prepared, so he didn't need to spend time grinding them into powder.
Professor Kant watched Eichi's movements from the side. He had indeed prepared a grand prize for Eichi, depending on whether he could successfully produce the Intermediate Pokéblock. In truth, he didn't entirely believe Eichi would succeed; he just felt unwilling to give up without trying, and it wouldn't take much time anyway.
Time passed minute by minute. The research lab was exceptionally quiet, with neither of them saying a word. Only the sound of the machine could be heard. Eichi worked slowly, not wanting Professor Kant to see his true skill level.
Half an hour later, the drying process finished, and the machine stopped. Professor Kant pressed the button with some nervousness, and a blue Pokéblock was sent out.
He picked it up and began inspecting it closely. A minute later, Professor Kant set down the Pokéblock and sighed.
Then, he smiled and said, "Congratulations, Eichi. You've successfully produced an Intermediate Pokéblock."
Upon hearing this, Eichi let out a well-timed, happy smile. Then, he asked expectantly, "So, Professor, what about my grand prize?"
Professor Kant replied, "The grand prize is that I will personally produce a four-month supply of Bug-type Pokéblocks for your Pokémon."
Four months?
Eichi was truly happy now. The Pokéblocks Professor Kant had made last time had been exceptionally effective; getting a four-month supply this time was incredible. He was overjoyed. Kant was a Senior Breeder; the cost of having him personally produce Pokéblocks was astronomical. On the market, a single month's supply of specialized, custom-made Pokéblocks from a Senior Breeder would cost nearly 500,000p.