"Hoi-yah!" I shout, swinging my sword diagonally across a tree. I watch as the trunk was cut neatly in half, the tree moving ever so slightly before toppling over completely, landing on the ground with a loud THUD. I stand there, panting, as I watch it fall.

Today, I decided to take the day to train. Having a new weapon meant I needed to adapt new techniques to learn how I could properly use the shining iron sword. Vulpix was off with two other recruits, Charizard and Sylveon, on a fetch quest for a Floatzel. She seemed a little down I didn't want to go with her, but understood I needed to train on my own.

I feel a little bad, but working on my own, with just me and the forest, really helped relieve some stress. And that was building up for sure.

It has been probably around two weeks since I landed in the world of Pokemon, and iv'e barely gotten a chance to really breathe. Constantly having to fight for my own lives and the lives of others really can exhaust you mentally. And iv'e been on edge about the threat of Nuzleaf and the Beheeyem. I haven't seen them at all, and that really makes me worried. I know that he's the true bad guy, turning Pokemon into stone. I don't know if he's already started, though.

I whistle a small ditty as I find a new, thick tree to practice on, I take a look at my Connection Orb. There were a few extra missions that were on the list, and I hummed. Maybe I could do one while she was away...

I walk over to my stuff, which was strewn across the ground. My backpack, stuffed with items, my stick, MP3, earbuds, and phone. "Let's see here..." I mutter to myself, taking a more thorough peek at the connection orb. There were only two missions available: A battle quest from a Growlithe, and a retrieval quest from...Nuzleaf?

I took a second glance at the request. It was sent to our team specifically. He knows. I gulp. I choose the option, and see it's for Revelation Mountain with the tag 'let's explorer to the end!'. Bullshit, and we both know it. I sigh, because I already know how this one will go. I want to wait for Vulpix, but at the same time, I don't want to wait. But for her to be driven to go to Lively Town, that was the key. So I put it on hold, and accepted the battle request at Sunset Bay, a beach area nearby. Not gonna question why a fire type wants to battle at a beach, but whatever.

I put everything into my backpack, before zipping it up tight and slinging it over my shoulder. I lay my stick inside my bag, and hold my sword with a tight grip within my right hand. "Time to party."

...

It took a while, but soon, I managed to reach the beach that Arcanine requested a battle to be held at. It wasn't a dungeon, just a beach. it looked pretty nice too, actually. The waters sparkled under the sun's reflection, crystal blue, rippling with the breeze. Small waves drifted along the sandy shore, before pulling back again. A few rocks were along the sand and water too. I see Arcanine ahead, and drop my bag to loose the extra weight. I do quickly pull out an Oran berry and Rawst berry, just in case I need to heal or treat a burn. I also save, becoming surrounded by a rainbow aura that vanished the near second it appeared. GAME SAVED, read my phone. With that said and done, I set the device down in satisfaction, before grabbing my MP3 and earbuds. Why not some tunes to fight with? i scroll through the selections, pondering. I decide on the song "Tales of the C.L.O.U.D.: Sounds of Silence V3". I kept it on pause, waiting for the fight to start, gripping my sword and walking forwards at a steady pace. The tip of the silver blade drags against the sand, crating a line trail.

"Ah, so you accepted! You're the human iv'e heard so much about!" Arcanine greets, barking as he saw me. "It is really cool to see a real human. I thought they were myths. But no matter! I want to test my strength against your own!'

"I accept." I respond, taking a stance. "When you are." And the music started.

"I like the confidence! Time to rumble!" Arcanine cheers, before blasting a ball of fire out of his muzzle. I roll to the side, letting the ball of flame whiz past me towards the sand. What I don't see is the second ball of fire, which exploded upon contact with my body.

The pain was unimaginable. My skin was literally melting as I let out a inhumane screech, dropping my weapon and watching my skin melt to the bone. I felt myself falling to the sand as everything went black...

LOAD

I blinked.

And a second time.

I pinched my arm, to make sure this was real.

Wait, my arm! It wasn't burned! Nor was the rest of my body! But, I was sure that I got incinerated...and died. But how...?

The load.

I saved my 'game' before fighting Arcanine. And I reloaded. "Son of a bitch..." I muttered to myself in a shocked tone. There was no way this was real. I can literally cheat death! That is so overpowered! I felt giddy, but didn't show it. I had to be sure of one thing: either if Arcanine remembered and I just respawned, or if I literally went back to the time I loaded.

Sure enough, Arcanine had the same expression and said the same dialect, which confirmed that I did indeed go back in time to my exact save point. Kinda like a save file. And the battle began again, music blaring in my ears. It filled me with a sense of adrenaline, this time, willing myself to not die.

Arcanine reared back, spewing out a tidal wave of flame from his maw. Flamethrower, or Overheat. Seeing no real way to dodge, I run for it, trying to come up with something. The sand slowed me down. Fucking beach...wait, that's it! Plan in mind, I split across the sand towards the water. I leap in the shallow waves, where the fire doesn't reach. Bingo.

Once the fire was over and done with, I leaped out, speckles of ocean water flaking behind me. I slammed my right foot into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust as I thrust forwards, appearing in front of Arcanine in the blink of an eye. I rear my arm back, before swinging across his muzzle, the sharp edge of the sword leaving a nasty cut. Arcanine yelped in pain, staggering back a bit, before leaping forwards, jaws coated in fire. Fire Fang.

I quickly lean down, grabbing a somewhat large rock, before shoving it in his mouth as Arcanine tried to take a bite of me. His eyes widened as he nearly swallowed the chunk of stone, trying to spit it out. I decided to help him, giving him a swift cross punch to the throat. This worked well and not so well, as he spat the rock out in pain, but said rock hit me in the head, causing me to stagger back a bit. My vision swirled a bit, before having the wind knocked out of me as Arcanine rammed into me with his side. I was sent tumbling across the sand, skidding to a halt on my back. My sword spun in the air, landing blade-first into the sand a foot away.

The music seemed to kick into overdrive, helping me get my shit together as I flung myself back to my feet and grabbed my sword, just in time to avoid another blow from Arcanine. I couldn't tell what the attack was, but my question was answered as he used the move again. Double Edge. I knew how much that one will hurt if it hit, yet I also knew it did recoil damage. If I can lead him into something...I think. I parry a Fire Fang, peering around. I spotted a big looking boulder a few feet away, and slowly back towards it. I release Arcanine from my sword, before pressing my back to the rock.

"GOT YOU!" Arcanine cheered, encasing his body in a white energy. He charged forwards, sand dusting up behind him. Wait for it...

He came closer.

Wait for it...

And closer...

NOW!

I jump slightly, planting my feet diagonally against the rock, pulsing forwards out of the way. Arcanine, not having enough time or room to change direction, slammed into the rock head-first, leaving a large spiderweb of cracks. He slumped to the floor, his eyes swirls and his tongue sticking out comically as little Pidgey circled above his head. "Oops." I mutter. That had to have hurt.

I decided to help the poor dog, the battle already having been won. I turn off my music, before taking off my earbuds, tossing them in the general direction of my stuff along with my MP3. I take out an Oran berry, and crush it into a pulp within my hands. I shove the polituce into Arcanine's mouth, and use my hands to guide his head back so he could swallow. It went smoothly, and all I had to do was wait. I sat down in the sand, setting my sword down. Seeing the water so close, I decided to make a sand castle.

"Ugh...owwwww..." Arcanine muttered, whimpering. "That hurt..." He regained his senses, still sprawled across the sand. He spotted me making a sand castle, and beamed. "Good fight human! Your species are really tough!"

"Thanks." I say, smiling. "You fought well yourself. Don't count yourself out." By now, my sand castle was well molded, having the fine details carved with the help of my sword. It looked more like a house than a castle, but I made do.

"Thanks human. Let's become connected, yeah?" Arcanine offered. I nodded, taking out my Connection Orb-which I forgot I had on me. Once it booted up, an image of a question mark linked to an image of Arcanine, the words CONNECTED displayed across the screen in a gold color. "Yay! I'll help you whenever i'm around, okay?"

"Sure dude." I smile. "And, Zekko."

"Huh?" Arcanine tilts his head, now having stood up on all fours again.

"My name. Zekko." Arcanine looked surprised. "Humans always go by their names, not species. It's not really a special or sacred thing like it is with you guys." I explain. Arcanine seems to understand, and nods, his ears and mane bouncing as he panted happily. I give him a pat on the head, before the two of us bidded goodbyes.

Gathering my stuff, I shrug my backpack on, full of all of my belongings, before making the trip back to Lively Town.