"Take out all of your Poké Balls. My partners want to help you, and I can't stop them."
Sato didn't dwell on whether he and Houndoom were responsible for Joseph and his Pokémon getting separated.
Regardless, Joseph had ended up benefiting from it; Sato had already formed a solid theory about that unique energy within him.
"Thank you, everyone! Thank you, Sato!"
Joseph cheerfully pulled out his Poké Balls. Houndoom, Zoroark, and Umbreon immediately stepped forward, memorizing the scent left on the Poké Balls.
The search groups were quickly formed: Zoroark on its own, Sharpedo and Umbreon in one team, Houndoom and Cacturne in another. Sato and Weavile remained at the base camp.
Gogoat had spent the entire night searching for its Trainer and was completely exhausted.
Since it also needed to protect Joseph, the Grass-type obediently stayed by his side, while Joseph prepared some recovery medicine for it.
"Joseph, wait a second."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Have you ever heard of the 'Power of Viridian'?"
"The Power of Viridian? No, I haven't." Joseph was puzzled and shook his head.
"There's a legend about Viridian Forest. Every ten years, the Guardian of the Forest, Celebi, chooses a Trainer and grants them a special power. This power allows the Trainer to naturally attract Pokémon, understand their speech, and even harness it to heal injuries and restore their energy. We call this ability the Power of Viridian."
Sato spoke in one breath, then stared at Joseph intently.
He wasn't sure if the legend was true, but he did know that the one who had received the Power of Viridian ten years ago was none other than Giovanni, the underground king and the leader of Team Rocket.
"Are you saying… I've been given the Power of Viridian?" Joseph's eyes widened in disbelief.
"It should be the case. Were you always this adored by Pokémon? And could you always understand them right after waking up?" Sato gestured toward Weavile, who was resting against a tree with its eyes closed.
"This guy has been my partner for half a year, yet it has never cared about a stranger before. It was the first to find you last night."
Weavile gave Sato a cold glance but remained silent.
"Now that you mention it… no, I wasn't like this before," Joseph admitted, eyes gleaming with realization. He finally understood why Sato had stopped him earlier; he should try using the Power of Viridian to restore Gogoat's energy!
"…So, uh… how do I actually use the Power of Viridian?" Two minutes later, Joseph pursed his lips awkwardly.
"…I don't have it, so I wouldn't know," Sato admitted. "But I'd guess you have to sense that special power inside you, then figure out how to control and direct it toward Gogogat."
Sato described how he first learned to use Dark Energy, unsure if it would be helpful in this case.
"Alright, I'll give it a try!" Joseph nodded, half understanding, and then focused intensely. His face slowly turning red with effort.
Ten minutes later, Gogoat had already dozed off, while Joseph was no closer to making progress. The only thing he'd accomplished was making the veins in his neck pop out.
"Awooo!"
Suddenly, Houndoom's distant call echoed through the forest, instantly putting everyone on alert.
Their heads snapped toward the direction of the howl.
Moments later, Houndoom and Cacturne sprinted into view, and on Houndoom's back lay a small, frail, green-haired Pokémon.
"Kirlia!" Joseph gasped and rushed over, carefully lifting it into his arms.
"Kirlia~"
Kirlia let out a weak cry, its small hands trembling as it clutched onto Joseph's fingers.
Its fragile body bore deep wounds that looked especially gruesome on such a delicate frame.
"Kirlia!" Joseph's voice cracked, tears instantly welling up in his eyes.
BZZT!
Suddenly, Joseph's hands began to glow with a soft, green light, illuminating Kirlia's body.
Within seconds, Kirlia's wounds miraculously started shrinking, its cuts sealing shut, and the smaller scratches faded away completely.
Joseph's sobbing stopped abruptly, staring at the scene in shock.
But he was afraid to disrupt the healing process, so he stayed perfectly still.
"This… this is…"
"Mm. That's the Power of Viridian. Try to remember exactly what you were thinking just now, that might be the key to using it."
"Right!" Joseph nodded firmly. The glow around his hands became slightly brighter, and Kirlia's wounds healed at an even faster rate.
"He's already figuring out how to use it? That was fast…" Sato thought to himself.
Two minutes later, Kirlia had completely healed, and its eyelids fluttered as it slowly woke up.
"Kirlia~"
Kirlia's ruby-red eyes gazed affectionately at its Trainer. It gently hooked its small hand around Joseph's fingers and shook its head, signaling that it was enough.
"As long as you're okay!" Joseph smiled in relief, seeing Kirlia regain its energy. The green glow of the Power of Viridian around his hands gradually faded.
Thud!
"Kirlia!"
"Baa baa!"
"Joseph!" Sato quickly squatted down to support Joseph, whose face had turned deathly pale.
"Kirli-Kirli~"
Kirlia anxiously looked at its Trainer, knowing he had just used his own energy to heal it.
But now he had collapsed! For the ever-loyal Kirlia, this was even worse than being injured itself!
"He's fine, he just overused the Power of Viridian. His mental strength is drained, but he just needs some sleep to recover."
"Kirlia!"
Kirlia looked at Sato with surprise and delight, as if asking if that was really true.
"Don't worry, he'll be alright. You've just recovered too, so don't overexert yourself. Get some rest as well."
"Kirlu!"
Kirlia nodded obediently but still refused to leave Joseph's side, determined to stay with him until he woke up.
Sato didn't try to stop it. Kirlia's species was known for their unwavering loyalty; once they acknowledged a Trainer, their devotion was absolute.
----
An hour later, Umbreon and Sharpedo returned, but they hadn't found anything.
When it came to tracking, Houndoom was still superior.
Still, having Umbreon back was useful, Heal Bell could help Joseph recover his mental strength faster.
Kirlia, seeing this, continuously thanked Umbreon. The two Pokémon quickly became fast friends.
An Umbreon, a Dark-type Pokémon, and a Kirlia, a Psychic/Fairy-type Pokémon... normally, their extreme type disadvantage should have kept them apart.
But as expected, neither of them was an ordinary Pokémon!
---
Zoroark had yet to return, which made Sato a little worried. Given the situation, he couldn't leave the camp.
By dusk, after finishing dinner, Sato was genuinely starting to worry about Zoroark.
Just as he was about to send Houndoom to look for it, he finally saw Zoroark approaching from a distance... alongside a flower-like Pokémon.
However, the two of them kept a significant distance from each other... and both looked rather battered!