Moving closer, one could see that the cocoon was connected to the ground. Behind the cover of branches and leaves lay countless mechanical devices.
Suddenly, a panel in the ceiling slid open, and a square metal box lowered from within. Once the box reached the top of the cocoon, it opened and embedded itself into the structure.
Then, the sound of spraying gas hissed through the air. Three seconds later, Eichi saw a white mist drifting out from the cocoon. Immediately after, the rumble of an engine started up.
Vroom... Rumble...
The atmosphere in the entire room grew heavy. The rate at which the Bug Force in his body absorbed energy accelerated, quickly digesting the intake to strengthen his own power.
Eichi sensed that the Bug-type energy in the room had multiplied. If the concentration in a standard Training Room was fifty percent, the concentration here felt like seventy percent.
However, the most critical factor lay inside the cocoon. When Eichi activated his Eye of the Bug Emperor, he saw that the interior was packed with Bug-type energy of a terrifying density. The concentration was ninety-nine percent Bug energy, with only one percent consisting of other substances.
Eichi could clearly see the thick energy frantically pouring into the bodies of his three Pokémon. They had all fallen into a deep sleep, their bodies instinctively absorbing the surging power.
This environment was not only beneficial for Pokémon but also highly useful for him. To Eichi, this place felt like a cultivation holy land from a Xuanhuan novel.
There was a bench in the Energy Room, so Eichi sat down and closed his eyes. He focused his mind, using his will to greedily absorb the surrounding energy. No other sounds remained in the room except for the mechanical hum of the engine.
Hummm...
Time ticked by, and Eichi slipped into a trance-like state between wakefulness and sleep.
Inside the cocoon, Beedrill watched as the shell closed. In an instant, all light vanished, plunging the space into darkness.
However, Beedrill's vision differed from a human's; it could see clearly even in total darkness. It noted that Scizor and Heracross were not panicking, waiting quietly.
Suddenly, it heard something above its head, and a gas filled the cocoon. As the three Pokémon inhaled the mist, a wave of drowsiness washed over them. So sleepy, Beedrill thought instinctively.
Beedrill felt the strength leave its body, and its eyelids grew heavy. Through its blurred vision, it saw Scizor swaying before collapsing into a slumber. Beedrill could no longer hold on; its vision went dark, and it fell asleep.
In its haze, it felt countless things pouring into its body. It was similar to when Eichi infused it with Bug Force during sleep, but the energy was increasing continuously. It was a wonderful, unprecedented experience.
After an unknown amount of time, Beedrill woke up and slowly regained consciousness. It opened its eyes to find the interior still shrouded in darkness. Scizor and Heracross were also gradually waking.
A minute later, the cocoon activated and slowly pulled open. A sliver of bright light shone in. Beedrill squinted, and after a few seconds, its eyes adjusted. The first thing it saw was Eichi standing right in front of it.
Eichi had woken up the moment the machinery powered down. He stood up and stretched his stiff body after sitting for so long. He walked to the cocoon and waited a few seconds until, with a mechanical whir, the shell opened to reveal his three Pokémon.
Beedrill, Scizor, and Heracross slowly opened their eyes. Their gazes were piercing, and their bodies radiated intense energy fluctuations.
Using the Eye of the Bug Emperor, Eichi saw that the energy within all three had jumped significantly. In terms of levels, each had effectively grown by one.
Beedrill, originally level 46, had reached level 47. Scizor, originally level 43, was now level 44. Heracross, originally level 41, had reached level 42. Since its level was the lowest, it had received the best results and was nearly level 43.
Scizor immediately told Eichi that it felt overflowing with power and wanted to vent. Eichi was very satisfied with the progress. However, the Energy Room was not something to be used frequently; it required gaps of several months between sessions, and the duration couldn't be too long.
For Elite-ranked Pokémon like them, three hours was the absolute limit. Experienced-ranked Pokémon could only handle two hours at most. If a Pokémon surpassed the Elite rank to reach Gym Leader or Elite Four levels, the allowable time would naturally increase.
Furthermore, there were three tiers of Energy Rooms. Eichi was using the third tier. There was a second tier specifically for Gym Leaders and a first tier for Elite Four members. The price increased with each tier, as did the effectiveness.
Seeing their abundant energy, Eichi returned them to their Poké Balls. He quickly left the room, took the elevator out of the Energy Room facility, and headed to the neighboring Training Room building to book a room.
Once inside, he activated the mechanisms and released the three Pokémon. The moment it emerged, Scizor charged at Beedrill. It would be a waste not to have a fight now.
Its twin claws shimmered with a metallic luster, containing startling power. Its wings vibrated, and it turned into a red bolt of lightning, lunging forward.
Beedrill's eyes glowed with a red light. It swung its twin needles in a rhythmic pattern, aiming sharp strikes at the incoming claws.
Claws met needles.
Clang! Clang!
The collisions generated gusts of wind so sharp they felt like blades against Eichi's face. He didn't doubt for a second that if the two grew any stronger, the mere shockwaves of their battle could slice a normal person's skin.
The eye-like patterns on Scizor's claws glowed, and a dazzling white light flashed across them. Not to be outdone, Beedrill thrust its needles toward Scizor. One needle struck Scizor directly; feeling the sharpness and force behind the blow, Scizor frantically retreated.
Beedrill vibrated its wings and pursued, and the two began a high-speed chase. The entire training room became their battlefield. Perhaps because they had absorbed so much energy, both fought with extraordinary ferocity, as if trying to release every ounce of strength in their bodies. Beedrill showed no intention of holding back, delivering exceptionally heavy strikes.
Unlike them, Eichi placed a humanoid target on the ground. Upon seeing it, Heracross immediately lashed out with a punch.
Bang!
The humanoid target shook violently from the impact.