"Beedrill, use Twinneedle on the humanoid target."
Beedrill nodded, keeping its twin stingers crossed and its body slightly tilted.
Only a meter away from the dummy, Beedrill focused on its target, body tense.
It charged up power, then struck with both stingers at once.
From not far away, Eichi could clearly see that the dummy's shaking had lessened, but the speed was much faster.
Using both stingers at once saved about a second compared to attacking one after another. In battle, even one second could decide whether the enemy counterattacked or not.
Sacrificing some power for speed was well worth it in Eichi's view.
And Beedrill's stance just now was very deliberate. It could both attack and defend.
It was like the battle stance of martial arts, able to advance or retreat as needed.
Ordinary Beedrill kept their stingers apart, which was extremely dangerous. That left their chest wide open, a fatal flaw for a Pokémon with such fragile defenses.
This idea had just come to Eichi. He suddenly remembered Boss Giovanni's Beedrill from a comic in his past life.
In that comic, Giovanni's Beedrill always emerged with its stingers crossed in a battle-ready stance. That detail explained a lot.
When Pokémon are released from their Poké Balls, they need a moment to prepare their fighting posture.
In a match, that's normal. Everyone waits for both sides to be ready.
But Team Rocket wouldn't. Their battles weren't matches; they were fights to the death.
When facing them, they wouldn't politely wait for you to summon your Pokémon and let it prepare its stance before attacking turn by turn.
Eichi wanted to be ready for anything. He felt deep down that he would one day stand against those evil organizations.
He said seriously to Beedrill, "From now on, no matter the time or place, always keep that stance. The Twinneedle move has been adjusted, so it may feel strange at first. Get used to it properly."
Beedrill didn't ask why. It only knew that Eichi always acted for its good. All it needed to do was follow his orders.
After finishing training that day, they went home. Even then, Beedrill kept its posture. Eichi knew it must feel uncomfortable at first, but Beedrill still endured it.
***
Three days after returning.
When Eichi left home that morning, he removed most items from his backpack.
With the lighter pack on his back, he headed to the Johto Department Store, going straight to the fifth floor to collect Scyther's Weighted Vest.
He accepted it from the female clerk and released Scyther.
Once out, Scyther's eyes immediately fixed on the vest in his hands.
Unlike Beedrill's vest, Scyther's was simpler: a green ring that wrapped around its waist.
It was said that the Weighted Vest wouldn't affect Scyther's movements.
After putting it on, Scyther started posing like a woman showing off a new dress, looking quite pleased.
Eichi didn't really understand how a ring could make it feel like wearing new clothes.
When it seemed satisfied, he took the remote and turned on the vest's power. Scyther suddenly bent down, its knees giving way.
It straightened up again with effort, turning its head toward Eichi with a pitiful look, as if saying, "You could've warned me first."
After that, Eichi went down to the lower floor. In full view of the crowd, he bought a large amount of Pokémon food, of all price ranges.
These were for the Beedrill's colony.
It had been a month since he'd last seen them, and he would be leaving the day after tomorrow. After that, he might not see them again for half a year.
He walked to the Viridian Forest and stood at its entrance.
Viridian Forest, I'm back again.
The Bug Force in him stirred on its own.
He stepped forward into the forest, following his memory to Beedrill's colony. When the swarm saw Eichi and Beedrill, they greeted them warmly, buzzing in joy.
They began friendly exchanges, trading Pokémon food and resources. Both sides were satisfied with what they gained.
Just as Eichi was about to leave, the Beedrill leader motioned for him to follow.
It led him deep into the giant tree, where it handed him something covered by a leaf.
Eichi opened it and froze. His pupils shrank instantly. He looked at the leader with a serious face. "What do you want? If I have it, I'll give it to you."
The Beedrill leader made a request: that Eichi's Beedrill leave one offspring for their colony in the future.
Eichi thought for a while and didn't agree. Instead, he offered another condition, he would help them raise a Beedrill as strong as his current one.
The Beedrill leader accepted.
When Eichi held the item in his hands, he couldn't contain his excitement.
This thing... I can't believe it! My luck is incredible!
With a bright mood, he went home.
In the backyard of a villa in Viridian City, a man in a tailcoat stood respectfully before a ten-year-old boy.
"Master, the Pokémon you requested is ready."
He took a Poké Ball from the tray and handed it to the boy.
The boy said, "Thank you, Butler Ray."
"It's no trouble. Serving you, Master Sato, is my honor."
Yes, this young master was Sato himself.
Sato threw the Poké Ball forward. "Come out!"
A small figure appeared before him.
Meanwhile, in another villa, a young girl was battling someone.
After a fierce match, the girl emerged victorious.
The noblewoman watching from the side clapped enthusiastically. "Amazing, Konan!"
"This new Pokémon is really strong. No wonder your father brought it all the way from the Hoenn region for you."
Konan recalled her Pokémon and said proudly, "Of course. If it wasn't strong, it wouldn't be mine."
In her mind, she saw the faces of Eichi and Sato. I'll definitely defeat both of you someday.
***
Elsewhere, on an unknown island base, a man in a black Team Rocket uniform was talking to a boy in a tracksuit.
"This is the mission the Boss assigned to you. Remember, it's important. Don't fail."
The boy's expression didn't change. "Got it. I won't fail."
"If that's all, I'll go carry it out now."
Without waiting for a reply, he took out a Poké Ball. "Come out."
A Pidgeot appeared beside him. The boy leaped onto its back, and it spread its wings, flying off.
Soon, it vanished into the horizon.
After he left, the man clenched his fists in anger. "What arrogance! If Boss hadn't taken a liking to you, you would be nothing!"