After completing his second week at the Safari Zone, Arin received an unexpected privilege. Kenji summoned him to the administrative office and presented him with a personalized access card bearing both his name and the Safari Zone emblem.
"Staff computer system credentials," the head ranger explained, his typical sternness slightly softened. "We issue these once we're confident you won't disappear after the first paycheck. Use it responsibly."
Arin accepted the card with careful restraint, masking his excitement with a professional demeanor. "I appreciate this, sir. I'll be careful with it."
"Make sure you are. The Warden has little patience for resource misuse." Kenji provided a sheet with access instructions. "The password is temporary. Change it during your first login. And remember-"
"All information stays within these walls," Arin completed the sentence. "I understand completely."
That evening after finishing his duties and having a quick meal, Arin visited the staff computer center. Situated in the administrative section, the facility surprised him with its size-eight high-end workstations arranged in orderly rows. These machines were nothing like Mrs. Varma's outdated computer; they featured cutting-edge technology with expansive displays and high-performance connections-equipment worthy of an establishment serving Kanto's elite.
Arin swiped his card at the entrance, which unlocked with a quiet tone. Inside, he found himself alone except for the soft mechanical hum. He selected a corner station offering clear views of both the door and window, a habit developed during his time on the streets. After inserting his card and entering his temporary credentials, he discovered a system far more powerful than anticipated.
The computers offered specialized applications for monitoring Pokémon demographics, evaluating habitat health, and overseeing the Zone's elaborate systems. Most surprisingly, Arin noticed over subsequent evenings that despite the exceptional equipment, most staff used these resources only for basic functions-weather updates, standard reports, or occasional personal messages. The advanced capabilities remained largely unexplored.
This presented a perfect opportunity.
His account provided access to premium research databases, technical resources, and educational platforms that would normally cost thousands of PokéDollars. During his free time, Arin embarked on a systematic learning program. He began with fundamental coding principles in this world's programming languages, progressing through tutorials and exercises. Though the syntax differed from his previous knowledge, the underlying concepts remained familiar, allowing steady advancement.
He carefully balanced his computer usage with his regular responsibilities, never shirking duties or staying late enough to attract attention. He established a routine: two hours of coding practice after dinner, followed by an hour of research before curfew. On his days off, mornings were spent exploring and observing Pokémon, while afternoons were dedicated to deeper technical studies.
Beyond coding, Arin immersed himself in Pokémon research-studying statistics, development rates, and evolutionary patterns. He discovered scholarly articles about IV distribution in wild populations, environmental influences on Pokémon development, and even restricted information about breeding programs across different regions. The Zone's subscriptions included Professor Oak's research database, though the newest findings remained restricted to senior personnel.
While examining a complex study from Cinnabar Island's research facility, Arin had a critical realization: wild Pokémon in this world possessed significantly lower IV ranges than in his previous life's games. Though the theoretical maximum remained 186 (31 in each stat), the average wild specimen rarely exceeded 90 total IVs. Those above 120 were considered exceptional, while anything exceeding 150 was virtually unheard of outside legendary species or carefully bred individuals.
This discovery transformed his approach to selecting his first partner.
"I can't compromise," he whispered while making notes in his journal. "This single decision shapes everything that follows."
He established a minimum requirement: 135 total IVs. Though ambitious by this world's standards, Arin recognized that beginning with anything less would create a permanent disadvantage. He also discovered that proper nutrition, as revealed by his "Observe" ability, could gradually improve a Pokémon's statistics-perhaps one or two points per attribute over months of optimal care.
With this standard established, Arin began methodically evaluating every Pokémon he encountered during his duties. He created detailed maps marking locations where healthier specimens gathered, documented feeding patterns, and tracked areas showing higher average IV totals. The process was tedious but essential-he wouldn't have another opportunity to make this crucial first choice.
He developed a coded notation system that would appear meaningless to casual observers. Each entry included a species code, six numerical values representing IVs, and notes about distinctive moves or characteristics. He never explicitly wrote "IVs," instead using the label "P-Factor" to avoid raising questions about his unusual knowledge.
As his research expanded, a dangerous idea emerged. He recalled an anime episode from his previous life where a rare Dratini lived in an underground cavern beneath the Safari Zone's lake. Though controversial enough to be banned in some regions, Arin remembered it clearly. If such a thing existed in this world...
The possibility was both exhilarating and frightening. A pseudo-legendary like Dratini would provide extraordinary advantages beyond conventional starters. However, it carried tremendous risks. Even if he managed to find and capture one, keeping it would present nearly insurmountable challenges. Other trainers would target him, Team Rocket would pursue him relentlessly, and the Safari Zone administration would likely consider it theft of their most valuable asset.
Despite these dangers, Arin couldn't dismiss the possibility. If even the slightest chance existed that a Dratini lived here, it might represent his only opportunity to truly transform his destiny. This thought drove him to expand his research into the Zone's history and geography.
He carefully questioned staff about the lake, framing his inquiries as simple workplace curiosity. The consistent response: the lake contained only Level 1 and Level 2 Pokémon-primarily Magikarp, Feebas, Goldeen, and similar common water-types. Not even a Horsea had been documented there. The area received little attention from staff and visitors alike, except for wealthy fishing enthusiasts occasionally paying premium fees to try their luck.
The general disinterest seemed promising. If nobody paid attention to the lake, perhaps its secrets remained undiscovered. Or perhaps nothing existed to discover, and the anime was purely fictional. Either way, Arin knew personal investigation would be necessary, but such exploration would require establishing himself more firmly and gaining complete access to all Zone areas.
Meanwhile, he developed a two-part strategy. First, he would capture a conventional Pokémon as his official initial partner-something that wouldn't attract suspicion. Then, if he ever discovered a Dratini, he would keep it hidden until he became established enough to protect it, perhaps concealing its existence until it evolved into Dragonair.
But the immediate question remained: which Pokémon should become his official first partner?
He approached this decision with characteristic methodical analysis. The Pokémon needed strong potential-at least 520 base stat total in its final form by his previous world's standards. It needed to be available within Level 1 or Level 2 classification. Ideally, it should attract minimal attention.
After extensive research comparing various options across multiple factors-base statistics, development rate, move compatibility, rarity, and public perception-Arin made an unexpected choice: Zubat.
The blood-drinking bat Pokémon was widely disliked and considered a nuisance by most trainers and even other Pokémon. Its reputation for weakness and annoyance meant few considered it seriously as a partner. But Arin recognized what others overlooked.
Zubat evolved into Golbat, which was respectable enough. But its final evolution, Crobat, was the true prize. With base statistics exceeding 530-higher even than fully-evolved starters-Crobat offered speed, power, and versatility that could compete with many higher-tier species.
More significantly, Arin discovered something fascinating: in this world, the evolution from Golbat to Crobat remained poorly understood. It occurred occasionally, but no one had publicly documented the exact mechanism. What Arin knew from his previous life-that friendship triggered this evolution-remained unknown here, giving him a crucial advantage.
The choice offered additional benefits. Zubat's abundant population in cave systems meant he could examine many specimens to find optimal IVs. Their status as "pests" meant frequent attacks from other Pokémon, creating natural selection pressure potentially producing stronger individuals. Their Supersonic ability would provide invaluable danger detection during future travels.
"Even if it takes two months to find the right specimen," Arin wrote in his journal, "I'll wait for a Zubat meeting my requirements."
With his decision made, Arin established a routine. By day, he performed his duties with increasing competence, earning supervisors' trust and gradually accessing more areas. By night, he divided time between coding practice and Pokémon research, building essential knowledge for his future plans.
His programming skills developed steadily from simple automation scripts to more complex applications. He studied existing software architecture, learning structural principles and implementation techniques. Though still months from creating anything resembling his envisioned social media platform, each day brought him closer to that goal.
Meanwhile, his Pokémon knowledge expanded dramatically. He studied regional variations, unusual move combinations, and subtle indicators distinguishing exceptional specimens. He focused particularly on dietary preferences and environmental factors affecting development, recognizing these details would be crucial for maximizing his future partner's potential.
Whenever possible, he found reasons to work near cave entrances, evaluating every Zubat encountered and documenting their statistics. Though most fell significantly below his standards, he remained patient. The right partner would justify the wait.
Regarding the lake and its potential secret, Arin bided his time. He volunteered for shifts near the water, studying its patterns and searching for signs of underground passages or unusual activity. He monitored water level fluctuations, observed known Pokémon behavior in the area, and noted any terrain anomalies. Though the search might prove fruitless-the anime wasn't necessarily accurate-the possibility was too significant to ignore.
One month into his employment, while working late in the computer lab, Arin paused his coding practice to review his journal. One page contained detailed information about his most promising Zubat discovery: a female with 112 total IVs-good, but still below his threshold. Another page showed a rough lake diagram with question marks indicating potential underwater cave entrances.
He turned to a fresh page and began a new entry:
Day 31 at the Safari Zone. No definitive evidence of unusual lake activity, though I've noticed an interesting pattern-water levels decrease slightly every third day, even without precipitation changes or obvious explanation. Could be normal variation, or something more significant. Further investigation needed.
Zubat search continues. Specimen #47 (female, cave entrance B) shows potential with 112 IVs, but remains below my minimum requirement. Will continue monitoring cave populations. Higher average IVs observed in deeper sections, possibly resulting from increased predation pressure. Need to develop unobtrusive access to these areas.
Coding progress: Completed basic database architecture for user profiles and content storage. Still resolving authentication system challenges. Additional examples needed for study.
Overall assessment: Progressing as planned, but patience essential. This isn't a competition; it's establishing foundations for everything that follows.
He secured his journal in his backpack before returning to his programming work. The screen illuminated his focused expression as his fingers moved methodically across the keyboard, each keystroke advancing him toward his objectives.
Outside, the Safari Zone rested quietly beneath moonlight. Throughout the darkness, Pokémon moved within their territories, unaware they were being evaluated against standards from another world. And perhaps, beneath the lake's calm surface, something extraordinary awaited discovery.
Arin worked until the system's automatic curfew logout. Walking back to his dormitory room, he felt a sense of purpose previously absent in this world. He now had comprehensive plans-multiple strategies, carefully layered-and the patience to execute them properly.
"Patience," he reminded himself while preparing for sleep. "This isn't a game anymore. Every decision has consequences."
He drifted to sleep contemplating high-IV Zubats, hidden Dratinis, and a future where he would no longer be subject to this world's whims, but would instead become an influential force within it.