Arin burst through the doors of the Fuchsia City Pokémon Center, his lungs burning from the sprint. The automated glass doors barely opened in time as he rushed to the front desk where Nurse Joy looked up, startled by his sudden entrance.
"Please," he gasped, extending the Poké Ball containing his injured Zubat. "She's badly hurt."
Nurse Joy's expression shifted instantly from surprise to professional concern. She took the ball with practiced hands, her eyes noting Arin's Safari Zone uniform.
"From the Safari Zone incident?" she asked, already pressing an emergency button that summoned a Chansey with a stretcher.
Arin nodded, still catching his breath. "Cave collapse... many injured... she's critical."
"Don't worry," Nurse Joy assured him, recognizing him as a Safari Zone employee. "We have a standing arrangement with the Safari Zone for emergency care. Your Pokémon will receive priority treatment at no cost."
She placed the Poké Ball on a specialized scanner. The machine hummed briefly before displaying a holographic readout of Zubat's condition. Nurse Joy's eyes widened slightly-whether at the severity of the injuries or the Pokémon's unusual stats, Arin couldn't tell.
"Chansey, prepare the intensive care unit," she instructed. "Wing reconstruction and internal trauma protocol."
The pink Pokémon nodded with determination, wheeling the stretcher through a set of double doors. Nurse Joy followed, pausing only to address Arin once more.
"This will take time. There's a waiting area through there. I'll update you when I can."
The doors swung shut, leaving Arin alone in the lobby. The adrenaline that had carried him here began to fade, replaced by a hollow feeling in his stomach. He'd finally found his perfect partner-a Zubat with elite-level potential-only to face the possibility of losing her before their journey together could even begin.
He made his way to the waiting area, collapsing into a chair. The events of the day replayed in his mind: the alarm, the poachers, the battle, and the cave filled with injured Pokémon. So many had been overlooked in the chaos, deemed too common to prioritize. The thought made his chest tighten with a mixture of anger and guilt.
Hours passed. Other trainers came and went, collecting their healed Pokémon after routine check-ups. Some approached the counter with payment cards or cash-unlike Safari Zone employees or licensed trainers, regular citizens had to pay for Pokémon medical services. Arin remained, occasionally pacing the length of the room before returning to his seat. As evening approached, he realized he hadn't notified anyone at the Safari Zone about his whereabouts. They were likely too busy dealing with the aftermath of the poacher attack to notice his absence, but he should at least let them know he was safe.
He was about to use the Center's public phone when Nurse Joy emerged through the double doors, her expression carefully neutral. Arin's heart skipped a beat as he hurried over to her.
"How is she?"
"Your Zubat is stable," Nurse Joy said, and Arin felt a wave of relief wash over him. "But her injuries were severe. The wing damage required extensive reconstruction, and she had internal bleeding that we've managed to stop. She's resting now."
"Can I see her?" Arin asked.
Nurse Joy hesitated. "She's heavily sedated and will be for the next twelve hours at least. There's not much to see, and she won't be conscious."
"Please," Arin insisted. "I just... I need to be there."
Something in his expression must have convinced her, because after a moment, Nurse Joy nodded. "Five minutes only. She needs absolute quiet to recover."
She led him through the treatment area to a small, dimly lit room. Inside, his Zubat lay on a cushioned platform, her damaged wing carefully extended and supported by a specialized frame. Various monitoring devices beeped softly, tracking her vital signs. She looked so small and fragile, nothing like the powerful partner he had envisioned when reading her stats.
"The next twenty-four hours will be critical," Nurse Joy explained quietly. "But she's young and surprisingly resilient. Her vitals are stronger than I would expect given the trauma."
Arin approached the platform slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. He stood there, looking down at the unconscious Pokémon-his Pokémon-and felt an unexpected surge of protectiveness.
"I'll be back first thing tomorrow," he promised, both to Nurse Joy and to the sleeping Zubat. "Thank you for saving her."
"It's what we do," Nurse Joy replied simply. "The Safari Zone has been a valuable partner to our Center for years. We're always ready to help when incidents like this occur. You should get some rest yourself. There's nothing more you can do tonight."
Reluctantly, Arin left the Pokémon Center. Night had fallen over Fuchsia City, and he made his way back to the Safari Zone, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his injured partner. When he arrived, he found the staff still dealing with the aftermath of the attack. He checked in with Kenji, explaining his absence and the condition of his newly caught Zubat.
"Good instincts," the head ranger commented. "Most wouldn't have bothered with a Zubat, especially with everything else going on. Get some sleep-you're excused from morning duties tomorrow. Check on your Pokémon first."
Arin nodded gratefully and headed to his quarters. Despite his exhaustion, sleep came fitfully. His dreams were filled with images of the cave, of injured Pokémon, and of a small Zubat fighting to survive.
He woke before dawn and made his way back to the Pokémon Center as soon as it was light. Nurse Joy was already at the front desk, looking tired but professional as ever.
"You're early," she noted. "Your Zubat had a stable night. The sedation is wearing off, and she should be conscious soon. You can wait with her if you'd like."
Arin followed her to a different room than the night before. This one was brighter, designed for recovery rather than critical care. His Zubat was still on a cushioned platform, but the monitoring equipment had been reduced to a single device. Her wing was now in a lighter brace, designed to support healing rather than reconstruction.
"Talk to her," Nurse Joy suggested before leaving. "It helps with the recovery process. Pokémon respond to their trainer's voice, even new ones."
Alone with his Zubat, Arin felt suddenly awkward. He'd never actually owned a Pokémon before, never had to comfort one or build that initial bond. But he pulled a chair close to the platform and began to speak softly.
"Hey there," he started, feeling slightly foolish. "I'm Arin. I'm the one who found you in the cave yesterday. You're at the Pokémon Center now, and you're going to be okay."
He continued talking, his voice growing more confident as he went on. He told her about the Safari Zone, about his plans for the future, about the training they would do together once she was healed. He wasn't sure if she could hear him, but it felt right to share these things.
"You're special, you know," he said. "Not just because of your stats or your moves, though those are impressive. You survived when many others didn't. That kind of strength... that's what I need in a partner."
As he spoke, he noticed a slight twitch in her wing. Then, slowly, the Zubat's eyes opened-small, lidless eyes that seemed to focus directly on him despite their lack of pupils. She made a soft chittering sound, weak but unmistakably alert.
"Hey," Arin said, leaning closer. "Welcome back."
The Zubat chittered again, a slightly stronger sound. She tried to move her injured wing and made a pained noise when the brace restricted her.
"Easy," Arin soothed. "Your wing is still healing. You need to rest."
To his surprise, the Zubat seemed to understand, settling back down but keeping her eyes fixed on him. There was intelligence in that gaze, an awareness that went beyond what he'd expected from a wild Pokémon.
Nurse Joy returned to check on them, smiling when she saw the Zubat was awake. "She's responding well. That's a good sign."
"How long until she's fully recovered?" Arin asked.
"Wing injuries are complicated," Nurse Joy explained. "The basic healing will take about a week, but she'll need rehabilitation exercises after that to regain full strength and mobility. Flying Pokémon are particularly dependent on their wings, so proper recovery is essential."
Arin nodded, already calculating how this would affect his plans. A week in the Pokémon Center, then rehabilitation... it would be at least two weeks before his Zubat was battle-ready. But that was fine. He'd waited months to find the right partner; he could wait a little longer to ensure she healed properly.
"I'll need to return to the Safari Zone for my shift," he told the Zubat. "But I'll come back this evening. Rest and get stronger, okay?"
The Zubat made a soft sound that Arin chose to interpret as agreement. As he stood to leave, she shifted slightly, turning her body to keep him in her field of vision until he reached the door.
Throughout the day, as Arin performed his duties at the Safari Zone, his thoughts kept returning to the small recovery room and its occupant. He found himself looking forward to the evening, to checking on his partner's progress. It was a new feeling-responsibility mixed with anticipation.
When he returned that evening, he found his Zubat more alert, chittering excitedly when he entered the room. Nurse Joy reported that she had eaten well and was showing remarkable recovery speed for the severity of her injuries.
"She seems quite attached to you already," Nurse Joy observed. "That's unusual for a newly caught Pokémon, especially one from the wild. You must have made quite an impression."
Arin spent the evening with his Zubat, talking to her and carefully offering small treats that Nurse Joy had approved. As he prepared to leave for the night, he realized he hadn't given her a name yet.
"You need a name," he told her. "Something that suits you."
He considered various options, thinking about her potential, her resilience, and the journey they would take together. Finally, one name felt right.
"How about Echo?" he suggested. "Because you'll help me find my way, even in the dark."
The Zubat-Echo-chittered happily, the sound bouncing off the walls of the small room in a way that seemed to confirm his choice.
As Arin left the Pokémon Center that night, he felt a sense of purpose that had been building since his arrival in this world but had never been quite so clear. He had his first Pokémon now, a partner with extraordinary potential. Together, they would navigate whatever challenges this world had in store.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought of the Dratini in the lake, waiting for its chance to join them.
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