The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the small clearing where Arin stood, Echo perched confidently on his shoulder. It had been three weeks since she'd left the Pokémon Center, and their training had progressed well beyond the basics. Now, they faced a new challenge: actual battles against other Pokémon.
"You sure you're ready for this?" asked Kenji, one of the Safari Zone's groundskeepers. He was a stocky man in his forties with calloused hands and a perpetual five o'clock shadow. His Meowth lounged at his feet, lazily grooming its whiskers.
Arin nodded, trying to project more confidence than he felt. "Echo and I have been training hard. We need to see how we do in a real battle."
Kenji chuckled. "Well, I'm no trainer, but Whiskers and I have had our share of scuffles with wild Pokémon. Don't expect any fancy strategies."
That was exactly why Arin had asked Kenji first. The groundskeeper wasn't a competitive trainer—just a working man with a partner Pokémon. It was the perfect starting point for Echo's first battle experience.
"Ready when you are," Arin said, as Echo fluttered off his shoulder and hovered in the air, wings beating steadily.
Kenji nodded to his Meowth. "Alright, Whiskers, let's show the kid what you can do. Nothing too rough."
The Meowth yawned dramatically before rising to its feet, stretching languidly as if the whole affair was beneath its dignity.
"Whiskers, Scratch attack!"
The Meowth darted forward with surprising speed, claws extended toward Echo.
"Echo, dodge and use Supersonic!" Arin called, his heart suddenly racing.
Echo swooped upward, narrowly avoiding the Meowth's claws, and emitted a high-pitched pulse. The sound waves hit Whiskers, who shook its head in confusion and stumbled sideways.
"Good job!" Arin called. "Now follow up with Leech Life!"
Echo dove toward the disoriented Meowth, but Whiskers, despite its confusion, managed to swat at her with a paw. The blow connected, sending Echo tumbling through the air.
"Echo!" Arin felt a sharp twinge in his shoulder, as if he'd taken the hit himself. For a moment, his hand tingled with a faint green glow. He quickly shoved it into his pocket, hoping Kenji hadn't noticed.
Echo recovered quickly, stabilizing her flight and circling back.
"Whiskers, Fury Swipes!" Kenji called.
The Meowth charged forward, but in its confused state, it veered off course and swiped at a nearby bush instead.
"Now's your chance, Echo! Leech Life again!"
This time, Echo's attack connected. She latched onto the Meowth's back, drawing energy from it. Whiskers yowled in protest, spinning around trying to dislodge her.
"Hang on, Echo!" Arin encouraged.
After a moment, Echo released her hold and fluttered back, noticeably more energetic than before. The Meowth, meanwhile, looked winded.
"Whiskers, you okay?" Kenji asked. The Meowth gave a determined meow but was clearly tiring.
"Let's finish this, Echo. Astonish!"
Echo darted forward with a sudden, startling cry that made even Arin jump. The Meowth, already disoriented, flinched backward and lost its footing, tumbling onto its back.
"That's enough," Kenji said, stepping forward to scoop up his Meowth. "You got us fair and square, kid."
Arin blinked, surprised by the victory. "Really?"
Kenji laughed. "Don't look so shocked. That Zubat of yours has some spunk. You've trained her well."
Echo chirped proudly and returned to Arin's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek. He felt a surge of pride, but also noticed something else—a warm, tingling sensation in his hand, the same one that had glowed earlier. He kept it firmly in his pocket.
"Thanks for the battle," Arin said, trying to sound casual. "I learned a lot."
"First lesson," Kenji said, scratching Whiskers behind the ears, "is that battles are unpredictable. You can train all you want, but once you're facing another Pokémon, all bets are off. You've got to think on your feet."
Arin nodded, making a mental note. "I'll remember that."
The next day, Arin sought out Mira, one of the Safari Zone's tour guides. She was younger than Kenji, probably in her mid-twenties, with a cheerful demeanor and a Nidoran♀ that followed her everywhere.
"A battle?" she repeated when Arin asked. "Well, I'm not much of a battler, but Petal and I can give it a try."
They met during Mira's lunch break near the visitor center. A few curious tourists gathered to watch, which made Arin nervous, but he tried to focus on the task at hand.
"Petal, let's start with Growl!" Mira called.
The Nidoran♀ let out an intimidating growl that seemed at odds with its small, pink body. Echo faltered slightly, her confidence visibly shaken.
"It's okay, Echo," Arin reassured her. "Use Supersonic!"
Echo sent out sound waves, but Petal dodged nimbly to the side.
"Nice move, Petal!" Mira cheered. "Now use Scratch!"
The Nidoran♀ charged forward, its tiny claws raking across Echo's wing as she tried to evade. Echo let out a pained chirp, and Arin felt that same sympathetic twinge, this time in his arm. He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to grab his arm with his other hand, which had begun to glow faintly again.
"Echo, pull back and try Leech Life!" he called, turning slightly so the spectators wouldn't notice his glowing hand.
Echo swooped in, attempting to latch onto the Nidoran♀, but Petal was quick. It sidestepped and countered with another Scratch, catching Echo off-guard.
"You've got to anticipate their movements!" Mira called out, not unkindly. "Petal always dodges to the right—watch for patterns!"
Arin nodded, grateful for the tip. "Echo, circle around and try again!"
This time, Echo flew in a wide arc, approaching from an angle. When Petal dodged right, as Mira had inadvertently revealed was her habit, Echo adjusted her trajectory and successfully landed her Leech Life attack.
"Good observation!" Mira said, clapping. "Petal, Poison Sting!"
The Nidoran♀ fired a barrage of tiny purple needles. Most missed, but one struck Echo's wing, causing her to falter.
Arin felt a surge of panic. Poison could be serious, and Echo was still recovering from her previous injury. Without thinking, he called, "Echo, come back!"
Echo returned to his shoulder, looking disappointed but clearly in pain from the poison. Arin's hand was now glowing more noticeably, and he felt an overwhelming urge to touch Echo's wing. Instead, he quickly announced, "I think we should stop. I need to get Echo some treatment."
Mira looked concerned. "Oh no, did Petal's Poison Sting hit? I'm so sorry! The Pokémon Center is—"
"It's okay," Arin interrupted. "I have an Antidote in my bag. Thanks for the battle!"
He hurried away before anyone could ask questions, ducking behind the visitor center where no one could see. Once alone, he finally allowed his glowing hand to touch Echo's wing. The green light intensified briefly, and he felt a strange pulling sensation, as if something was flowing out of him. Echo chirped in surprise, then relaxed as the purple tinge around the sting began to fade.
"Did... did I just heal you?" Arin whispered, staring at his hand in amazement.
Echo nuzzled his cheek in response, seeming completely recovered.
Arin flexed his fingers, watching the glow fade. "We need to be more careful. I can't let anyone see this."
His third battle came later that week, against Hiroshi, one of the Safari Zone's security guards. Hiroshi was tall and serious, with a Growlithe that was equally no-nonsense.
"I heard you've been challenging the staff," Hiroshi said when Arin approached him. "Thought you might come my way eventually."
Unlike the previous battles, this one drew no audience. They met at dawn, in a secluded area near the eastern fence.
"Blaze won't go easy on you," Hiroshi warned, nodding to his Growlithe. "He's trained to deal with poachers."
Arin swallowed nervously but nodded. "We're ready."
The battle began with Blaze using Intimidate, causing Echo to falter momentarily. Arin had expected this, having researched Growlithe's abilities the night before.
"Stay calm, Echo. Use Supersonic!"
Echo's attack hit its mark, but Blaze seemed to shake it off with minimal confusion.
"Blaze, Ember!" Hiroshi commanded.
The Growlithe spat a small fireball that caught Echo's wing, singeing it. She let out a pained cry, and Arin felt a burning sensation in his own arm. His hand began to glow again, and this time, he was prepared. He kept it behind his back, out of Hiroshi's line of sight.
"Echo, keep your distance and try Astonish!"
Echo swooped down, letting out a startling cry that made Blaze flinch. It was a small opening, but enough.
"Now, Leech Life!"
Echo darted in, latching onto Blaze's back and drawing energy. The Growlithe yelped and tried to shake her off, but Echo held firm.
"Blaze, roll!" Hiroshi called.
The Growlithe dropped and rolled on its back, crushing Echo beneath it. She let go with a pained chirp, and Arin felt a sharp pressure in his chest, as if he couldn't breathe. His glowing hand pulsed brighter.
"Echo, retreat and regroup!" Arin called, his voice strained.
Echo fluttered back, clearly hurt but still able to fly. Blaze, meanwhile, was showing signs of fatigue from the Leech Life attack.
"Blaze, Bite!"
The Growlithe lunged, jaws open. Echo tried to dodge, but Blaze anticipated her movement and caught her wing in his teeth.
"Echo!" Arin cried out, feeling a sharp pain in his own shoulder. His hand was now glowing so brightly he feared Hiroshi would notice despite his efforts to hide it.
Echo struggled free, but she was badly hurt. Arin knew she couldn't take another hit.
"I concede," he said quickly. "Echo, come back."
Echo returned to him, landing gently on his arm. Hiroshi nodded respectfully.
"Not bad for a beginner," he said. "Your Zubat has heart."
"Thanks," Arin replied, trying to keep his voice steady despite the pain he was sharing with Echo. "We'll keep training."
As soon as Hiroshi and Blaze were out of sight, Arin let his glowing hand touch Echo's injured wing. The green light enveloped the wound, and he felt that same pulling sensation, stronger this time. Echo's pain eased, and so did his own.
"This is getting stronger," he murmured, watching the glow fade. "And it seems to happen more during battles..."
Over the next few days, Arin divided his time between battles, training, and finishing his app. The server connection was finally complete, and the interface was polished and ready for testing. Echo's battle skills improved with each encounter, and Arin learned valuable lessons from every match.
He also began studying basic Pokémon first aid, borrowing books from the Safari Zone's small library and watching tutorial videos on the staff computers. He learned how to apply Potions properly, how to bandage minor wounds, and how to recognize symptoms of status conditions. The more he learned, the more he realized how much he didn't know—but it was a start.
His Viridian power continued to manifest during battles, growing stronger and more difficult to hide. Twice he'd had to abruptly end matches when his hand began to glow too brightly to conceal. He practiced at night, alone with Echo, trying to control the energy flow, but it remained unpredictable.
One thing was becoming clear, though: the power responded to his emotions, especially his concern for Echo. The stronger their bond grew through shared battles, the more readily the healing energy flowed. It was as if their connection was fueling his ability.
By the end of the week, Arin felt both exhausted and exhilarated. Echo had won more battles than she'd lost, his app was finally ready for testing, and his Viridian power, while still uncontrolled, was becoming a more familiar part of him.
That night, as he sat at the staff computer making final adjustments to the app, Echo perched on his shoulder, he felt a sense of accomplishment he hadn't experienced since arriving in this world.
"Tomorrow's the big day," he told Echo, scratching her gently under the chin. "We start testing the app with the Safari Zone staff. If all goes well, we might actually have something here."
Echo chirped encouragingly, nuzzling his cheek.
Arin smiled, saving his work and logging off. "One step at a time, right? That's how we've gotten this far."
As they headed back to their room, Arin couldn't help but feel that despite all the challenges ahead, they were on the right path. The battles, the app, the mysterious power—all of it was leading somewhere. He just had to keep moving forward.
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