Yoshino Eichi was busy gathering Berries, while Weedle kept watch over Pidgey.
Whenever Pidgey tried to struggle free, Weedle used String Shot again, until the Pidgey finally gave up and went limp, pretending to be dead.
Before long, Eichi's entire backpack was filled. He had found some Berries he didn't recognize, so to be safe, he picked a few of each kind.
When the pack was completely stuffed, Eichi called out to Weedle, and the two of them quickly ran off.
Halfway through, he suddenly heard the cry of a Pidgeot. Eichi's heart sank; the Pidgeot flock had returned. He instantly quickened his pace.
He didn't know how long he ran, his nerves tight the whole way, his legs refusing to stop.
At last, when he finally left the Viridian Forest, he stopped to catch his breath.
He was panting heavily, drenched in sweat.
Though exhausted, his heart raced with excitement. If he had been even one step slower, he might not have escaped alive.
Dancing on the edge of death was terrifying, but thrilling!
As he calmed down, Eichi felt a chill of fear. Once was enough for this kind of stunt. Doing it again would be suicide. The Pidgeot were surely furious now that their Berries had been plundered.
Back at home, it was finally time to count his harvest.
Eichi eagerly set down his backpack and pulled out the special boxes for Berries.
He was glad he had thought to bring extra containers today.
The moment he opened them, a fragrance of mixed Berries filled the room. Eichi inhaled deeply.
"Smells amazing."
He carefully sorted the Berries one by one, separating the ones he recognized from those he didn't.
Then he pulled out a thick book from his desk. The cover read Complete Berry Guide.
This book listed all the known Berries. Eichi had borrowed it from Teacher Arno.
So far, he had only read half of it, so the Berries he didn't know were probably in the other half.
Using the guide, he began identifying them.
When he was done, he had a total of 223 Berries.
There were Oran Berries, Pecha Berries, Mago Berries, Sitrus Berries…
Many of them were rare, with over half being especially valuable.
For example, Spelon Berries, which could be used to make Pokéblocks that enhanced a Pokémon's Cuteness.
Berries like these were worth a lot, especially to Trainers preparing for Pokémon Contests.
Eichi realized he had struck it rich. He didn't know the exact market price, but he knew someone who would. Aunt Keiko.
At the Day Care she managed, Berries were bought every day, and they even had a Pokéblock machine. She would know the prices for sure.
Eichi released Weedle and let it choose its favorite Berry.
After much hesitation, Weedle picked a Chople Berry.
Eichi kept fifteen Chople Berries for it, then packed the rest into boxes, put them in his bag, and hurried toward Viridian City.
Once there, he went straight to Aunt Keiko's Day Care.
At this hour, business was quiet. He found Aunt Keiko chatting with someone.
When she spotted him, her eyes lit up and she stood quickly.
"Eichi, what brings you here today? Release your Weedle so I can take a look."
Eichi did so, and Weedle came out looking confused.
But when it saw Aunt Keiko, it remembered she was the woman present when it first hatched by Eichi's side.
Since she was close to Eichi, she clearly wasn't an enemy.
Weedle swayed happily, greeting them both.
Aunt Keiko examined it closely, surprised.
"This Weedle has been raised wonderfully. You're impressive, Eichi!"
Eichi blushed with pride at the praise, and Weedle beamed too, clearly understanding the compliment.
Afterward, Eichi explained why he had come.
Aunt Keiko nodded.
"Take out the Berries. I'll look at them for you."
Eichi quickly set down his bag, took out the boxes, and handed them over.
Aunt Keiko opened them and examined the contents. She was stunned. Where had he gotten these?
Some of these Berries were extremely rare. By her quick estimate, the haul was worth at least several hundred thousand Pokédollars.
Eichi didn't explain where he had found them, and Aunt Keiko didn't ask.
After a moment, she said,
"These are easily worth over a hundred thousand."
She then went through the market prices, Berry by Berry.
Most Berries sold for at least 100p apiece.
Rare ones like Spelon Berries could fetch 500p, and when demand was high, even 700 or 800p each.
Just then, a voice spoke up.
"Why not sell them to our Day Care?"
Eichi looked up and saw a young woman.
She looked to be in her twenties, with long azure hair, delicate features, glasses, and a calm, intellectual beauty.
Eichi glanced at Aunt Keiko in surprise.
Aunt Keiko quickly introduced her.
"This is our manager, Amelie. Amelie, this is my nephew, Eichi."
Eichi greeted her politely.
"Hello, Manager."
Amelie smiled.
"Eichi, you still haven't answered my question."
She had spoken up because she had noticed how well Weedle had been raised.
As an Intermediate Breeder, she knew how much effort and money it would take to raise a Weedle to this standard.
Of course, she would never spend that much on a Weedle; it wouldn't be worth the investment.
But she had heard from Aunt Keiko about Eichi's ordinary background. For him to raise a Weedle like this, he clearly had skill.
Truthfully, she was curious about him and wanted to get closer.
Eichi stammered, caught off guard.
"Of course it's fine, Manager."
Amelie laughed.
"Don't call me Manager. My name is Amelie. Call me Sister Amelie."
Eichi nodded quickly.
"Yes, Sister Amelie."
While Aunt Keiko calculated the Berry prices, Amelie made small talk with Eichi, putting him at ease.
Finally, Aunt Keiko handed over a card.
Amelie passed it to Eichi.
"This is an anonymous League Card. You can use it at any Pokémon Center. It has the money for all your Berries.
I've given you 120% of the market price. That comes to 156,708p."
Eichi accepted the card and thanked her profusely.