Man, I just can't take a break.
Al's eyes locked on the creature looming before him. A man-shaped horror with the maw of a bat, wings twitching in agitation, and his companions dangling helplessly in its claws like dolls.
I'm staring death in the face, my allies are seconds from being ripped apart… and yet, he smirked inwardly, I can't deny it—this actually excites me.
The Bat moved first, a blur of muscle and membrane. It lunged straight for him.
Al's body reacted before his thoughts did. Two thick vines sprouted from his shoulders, glowing emerald, slamming down like iron whips. {Power Whip}. The impact cracked the bone and threw the Bat's arm off balance.
The monster shrieked, stumbling, but Al knew it wasn't enough.
No Solar Beam. Not yet—not without sunlight. Poison's out too. Smoke cloud plus innocent hostages? Recipe for a disaster.
His eyes darted across the battlefield—bandit supplies stacked in a half-broken cart. Perfect. He lashed out with a standard {Vine Whip}, yanking his companions from the Bat's claws and depositing them on the cart. Their terrified gasps cut through the chaos.
But turning his back had a cost. The Bat saw its opening and dove, jaws spread wide.
Al's instincts flared again. His massive frame collapsed inward, shrinking until his bulk vanished. A Bulbasaur stood where the Venusaur had been, tiny enough that the Bat's strike cleaved empty air. Its fangs scraped dirt instead of flesh.
The creature skidded across the ground, enraged. Al didn't hesitate. Green light flared around his body as he expanded once more, swelling back into Venusaur's towering form. A thick seed shot from his bloom, embedding into the Bat's thigh. Vines erupted, coiling tight around its leg and arm. {Leech Seed}.
Energy trickled into him, cool and steady, while the Bat crashed to its knees.
"Venaaa—saur!" His beast's cry shook the ground.
Got you pinned. Now… let's even the odds.
The air rippled. Above, the sky tore open in false brilliance as a miniature sun ignited overhead. Heat washed across the battlefield. {Sunny Day}.
The Bat screeched in pain, its pale skin blistering in the sudden light.
Al grinned in thought. Forgot Venusaur could dothat... Pokémon knowledge. With this boost, it feels like I'm back home on fresh grass.
The bloom on his back gathered light, petals trembling with raw power. A {Solar Beam}, charging.
But the Bat wasn't finished. With a wet snap, it tore free from the Leech Seed, ichor flying. It staggered up, furious, eyes burning blood-red.
It roared and lunged again, claws raking through the dirt, each strike narrowly missing Al's body. He weaved and sidestepped, impossibly quick for his bulk, buying precious seconds.
The glow on his back intensified—almost ready.
The Bat's final leap came, a direct line for his throat.
"VENAAA—SAUR!"
The charge is completed. A blinding column of solar energy erupted from his bloom, swallowing the creature mid-flight. The blast tore across the ground like a miniature sunbeam [Solar Beam}, driving the Bat back, flesh sizzling, until the light burned clean through.
The smell of charred meat filled the air.
When the beam faded, the Bat dropped with a hollow thud. Its body smoked, a gaping hole in its chest where its heart should've been.
Al stood, panting, vines drooping, the artificial sun flickering out above him.
One fight, and I'm already running on fumes. Figures. Guess my first fight really put a strain on me.
The prisoners peeked out from the cart, eyes wide with awe and terror. They had seen the monster fall—but what stood before them was no less terrifying.
Al turned, mouth opening as if to speak, but only a guttural cry left his throat:
"Vena… saur."
Their fear deepened.
…Right. Forgot. To them, I'm just another beast.
Al lowered his head, the weight of their stares pressing heavier than the battle had.
And then All turned his body and ran away into the forest, with him reverting into a human.
---
Early morning in the Jura Forest. Mist clung to the trees, dew glistened on the leaves, and the faint calls of birds and insect-like monsters echoed through the air.
In a cave near the forest's edge, a massive Venusaur stirred as sunlight crept inside. His eyes opened slowly, heavy with exhaustion. With a grunt, he pushed himself up on bulky legs and stepped into the open.
The rays of the sun warmed his body. He closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and stretched his vines wide. Then, with a shimmer of light, his form shrank back into that of a man.
Al lifted his gaze to the sky, vulnerability flickering in his expression. He ran both hands over his face, then dropped them with a shaky exhale.
"YAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"
His scream tore through the morning air, a raw release of confusion and fear. Then he chuckled bitterly, clutching his head as fragments of last night's battle replayed in his mind.
Man, that was… insane. I've never fought like that before. The only thing that saved me was instinct… nothing else.
The sound of rushing water pulled him from his thoughts. Following it, he made his way toward a stream—but the rustle of branches stopped him cold.
From the treeline, a massive spider lurched into view, its eyes glinting with hunger.
Al sighed. "Of course."
Light flared around him as his body grew, vines bursting outward—Venusaur again. White and pink petals whirled into a storm. {Petal Blizzard} slashed across the clearing, cutting into the spider's legs. Agile, it skittered aside, but Al's vines had already sunk into the earth.
His body glowed green. Four thorny trunks erupted from the ground, lashing out {Frenzy Plant}. The spider dodged the first strike, but Al's lips curled into a smirk. The remaining two trunks slammed down, crushing it with a wet crunch.
The vines withdrew. Silence settled over the forest.
Al reverted to human form, the same smirk lingering as he stepped past the corpse.
"Dinner can wait. First things first—where do I build my house?"