Eichi nodded and said, "That's right, I am indeed going on a journey."
Professor Kant spoke with a hint of disapproval, "Sigh, well, I have one requirement: even if you are out traveling, do not neglect your studies in Pokémon breeding."
"Otherwise, no matter what you say, I won't agree to let you go," he added firmly.
Eichi couldn't help but chuckle. "Rest assured, Professor Kant."
The following day at noon, immediately after class, Eichi arrived at the door of Professor Kant's office. He knocked, and the Professor's voice called out from within.
Eichi opened the door and entered. Upon seeing him, Professor Kant stood up and led him into the laboratory. On a table in the lab sat four large boxes made of a transparent glass material that looked exceptionally high-end. All the Pokéblocks inside were neatly arranged, giving off an air of high quality at a glance.
"There you go, these four boxes are yours. Take them," Professor Kant said. "By the way, when exactly are you leaving?"
"It will probably be a few more days," Eichi replied as he packed the Pokéblocks into his backpack.
Now that he had the Pokéblocks in hand, Eichi needed to prepare his travel itinerary. It was currently April 9th, and the Indigo League was scheduled to begin on August 20th. With a gap of over four months, he needed to collect eight badges within that time frame.
His target this time was the Kanto region. Since he already possessed two badges, he only needed six more. Four months was plenty of time, especially considering one of the gyms was located right in Viridian City. He could simply challenge that gym when he eventually headed home.
However, before leaving, Eichi planned to visit the Energy Room. Despite being enrolled for some time, he had not yet visited it. In truth, the effect of the Energy Room was somewhat similar to a Rare Candy, except a Rare Candy only raised a Pokémon by one level regardless of its current stage.
The Energy Room was different. It worked best for low-level Pokémon, capable of raising them many levels at once. While the effect was slightly diminished for high-level Pokémon, it remained very useful.
That evening, Eichi took his four Pokémon out for some exercise before heading to the Energy Room. It was located in a dedicated facility not far from the Training Rooms, though its total floor area was slightly smaller. The overall structure of the Energy Room was an elliptical, egg-shaped building, and the texture of its exterior walls felt completely different from the other buildings.
Eichi stepped inside. A female staff member sat at the front desk, with two people already waiting in line. He walked over and queued behind them. He overheard the first girl ask, "Are there any Water-type Energy Rooms available?"
The staff member replied with a smile, "There are still two rooms left."
"Great," the girl said happily. "Book one for me for three hours."
"Certainly." The staff member took the girl's student card and swiped it through a slot on a square machine. She then handed a magnetic card back to the girl along with her student card.
After the girl left, a boy handed over his card. "Book a Fighting-type Energy Room for me."
"Understood," the staff member replied. She swiped the card again, deducting a certain amount of credits before handing him a brown magnetic card.
Now it was Eichi's turn. He spoke politely, "One Bug-type Energy Room for three hours, please."
"Of course," the staff member smiled. "That will be 300 credits."
So expensive? 300 credits?
Still, considering the effects of the Energy Room, the price was justified. Eichi handed over his card. After the transaction, the staff member handed back his student card and a magnetic card for the room.
"The Bug-type Energy Rooms are on the third floor," she added with a standard smile.
"Thank you for letting me know," Eichi said.
"You're welcome."
Eichi continued further inside. The elevator for the egg-shaped building was located right in the center. Upon exiting the elevator, one could go either forward or backward. Eichi pressed the button for the third floor. Fifteen seconds later, the doors opened. A sign in the elevator indicated that the Bug-type Energy Rooms were forward while the Grass-type rooms were to the rear.
Without hesitation, he walked forward. The walls of the hallway on this floor were all green. Stepping out of the elevator, he caught a scent—a very pleasant aroma of fresh grass and flowers.
Each room he passed had a number on it. Eichi's assigned room was 308. The first room from the elevator was 301, so he had to walk a bit further. Once he found his room, he saw a sensor on the metal door. This was slightly different from the Type-specific Training Rooms; he only needed to tap the magnetic card on the sensor.
Eichi tapped his green-and-yellow striped card.
Beep.
With a mechanical sound, the door split from the center and slid open. The door was twice as thick as those in the Training Rooms. Eichi peered inside, and the sight left him dumbfounded.
He had expected the interior to resemble the Training Rooms—a forest-like environment with lush trees, grass, flowers, and water. Instead, he found a massive circular cocoon wrapped in branches. The entire cocoon was green and white, made of a thick membrane of an unknown material. The rest of the room was empty.
However, the moment he entered, he smelled a very peculiar fragrance. It was so fresh that it instantly revitalized his spirit. Furthermore, the Bug Force within his body became exceptionally active. If he felt carefully, he could sense his internal Bug Force steadily strengthening.
There were instructions for use on one of the walls. Eichi read them carefully. The operation was simple: place the Pokémon into the cocoon and flip the switch. Once activated, the cocoon would close, releasing a gas to put the Pokémon into a deep sleep. Then, a massive amount of energy would be released and poured into their bodies. After that, one simply had to wait.
Eichi released three of his Pokémon: Beedrill, Scizor, and Heracross. Three were enough. Wimpod didn't need this yet; it was still in the foundation-building stage, and there was no need to rush its growth unnaturally.
As soon as the three Pokémon emerged, they found themselves in a very strange room.