"Who's next?"
"Hurry up, who hasn't battled yet?"
"Don't keep Greenie waiting!"
The Bulbasaur group was noisy as ever. Soon enough, another challenger stepped forward to face Renan.
This opponent seemed weaker than the last. Instead of using Vine Whip, it simply lowered its head and charged recklessly forward.
A faint white glow shimmered across its forehead—Tackle.
Perfect. That's the only move I know too. Let's see whose Tackle is stronger.
Renan braced his legs against the ground, eyes locked onto his foe. A similar glow gathered on his own forehead.
Bang!
The two Bulbasaur slammed into each other, horns locked, neither giving ground.
Ow, that stings… Renan bared his teeth, only to see the same pained grimace on his opponent's face. Can't back down now!
Having once boxed in amateur matches, Renan knew that when two fighters were evenly matched, the one who endured longer usually claimed victory.
Tackle, again!
Summoning every ounce of willpower, Renan lunged forward once more. Unlike a turn-based game where blows were neatly traded, in real battle his persistence allowed him to smash headfirst into the other Bulbasaur before it could recover.
Thud! The heavy impact sent the opponent stumbling back several steps before it managed to steady itself.
"Greenie's so strong! I give up." The second Bulbasaur shook its head and admitted defeat.
For them, these fights were closer to games than true battles—there was no need to knock the other unconscious.
[Bulbasaur defeated. Gained 8 EXP.]
[Randomly learning one of opponent's moves…]
This time, only Tackle and Growl flickered across the screen. The options cycled, then froze on Tackle once more.
Again? Renan grimaced. Feels like pulling a bad gacha roll… and I wanted a new move, not a duplicate!
[Congratulations, learned Tackle (Lv.1).]
[Tackle upgraded to Lv.2.]
Oh? So duplicates merge and strengthen the move? That's not bad at all. Relief washed over him. He'd assumed leveling up required endless practice, but apparently repeated rolls did the trick. Still, he wondered how many more were needed to push it to Lv.3.
"Anyone else want a match?" Renan still had energy left. Eyes gleaming, he eagerly issued another challenge.
"I'll try again," said the Bulbasaur he had beaten earlier. It had been rubbing its eye the whole time but looked recovered now. After all, Renan's first blow hadn't been a real move—just raw force. Painful then, but nothing lasting.
"Perfect." Renan still had his eye on that Vine Whip and welcomed the fight.
Whip-crack! A vine lashed out, narrowly missing as Renan darted forward. But his opponent had learned its lesson—keeping distance, retreating cautiously rather than charging in blindly.
It now regarded Renan as a real threat—perhaps even stronger than itself.
Knowing Vine Whip wasn't super-effective against Grass-types, Renan chose not to dodge, charging head-on as before.
Smack!
The Vine Whip snapped against his forehead, nearly knocking him off his feet, his speed faltering under the sting.
By the time the vine recoiled, his head burned with pain, and his foe had already retreated further, keeping the gap wide.
This is… kiting tactics! Using mid-range attacks to keep me from closing in. No wonder it keeps using Vine Whip even though Grass moves barely hurt Grass-types. This Bulbasaur's smart!
If he had been reborn as a Trainer instead of a Ditto, Renan thought, this clever Bulbasaur would've been his starter without question.
The battle wore on. After dodging two more whips, Renan's body began to slow. Exhaustion set in.
No good. I'll have to gamble on Tackle.
Two vines cut the air.
White light surged on his forehead, brighter and denser than before.
Tackle!
"Haah!" With a shout, Renan charged full force.
The whips struck squarely against his head—crack!—yet this time, the glowing energy only dimmed slightly. It did not disperse. His momentum was unstoppable.
The vines rebounded, tangled, and couldn't retract in time. His foe's escape was blocked.
With nothing in his way, Renan's forehead crashed forward like a hammer.
Thud!
"Ahhh!"
The Bulbasaur staggered back under the force, yelping, "Wait—stop, stop!"
[Bulbasaur defeated. Gained 7 EXP.]
[Level up! Lv.3 (EXP 2/37).]
Renan stepped back, eyes fixed on the system screen. Nothing else popped up.
So, the same opponent only gives skills once. And second victories grant half EXP. Ugh… there goes my farming plan.
Still, he had to admit—Tackle felt far stronger now. More power, more duration.
"Me next!" another Bulbasaur bounded forward.
This time, drained of stamina, Renan allowed himself to lose and stepped aside to watch.
There were six Bulbasaur total in the daycare, and he'd learned only two knew Vine Whip. Whether he could roll that move later depended entirely on luck.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the countryside bathed in crimson light, Haruto and Toma emerged from the house, arms full of wooden bowls and Pokémon food. The Grass-types immediately gathered at the playground, battles forgotten.
Renan slipped back into his Ditto form, soaking in his little wooden milk basin, greedily absorbing nutrients. The day's fatigue and pain gradually melted away. Pokémon recovery really was leagues above the human body.
Toma, patrolling idly, noticed his appetite. "Dad, look—Ditto's eating like crazy today! It finished the whole half-basin of milk!"
Unknowingly, Renan had indeed drained it dry.
Haruto walked over, picked Renan up and examined him carefully before telling his son, "Pour him another bowl of milk, mix in some Pokémon feed too."
"Got it."
Soon, a new wooden bowl was placed before him. Renan adjusted his body, mouth sliding into position, and drank it slowly.
Likely due to today's transformations and battles, his appetite had noticeably increased. Even after finishing half a basin, he still felt hungry.
"This Ditto's growing much faster than normal," Haruto said with a rare smile. "At this rate, it won't even take a year before he's ready for breeding."
Pffft—! Renan nearly sprayed milk everywhere. He quickly pretended nothing had happened and buried himself in food.
No way. I have to level faster!
Over the next two days, as "Greenie," he defeated every Bulbasaur in the daycare. By then, he had reached Lv.4 (5/61), with Tackle Lv.3 and Growl Lv.2.
It took four Lv.1 Tackles combined to reach Lv.3, and despite all his efforts, he never once rolled the coveted Vine Whip.
By the third victory against the same Bulbasaur, EXP had dropped to a pitiful 1 point.
So, on the fourth day, Renan lost interest in the Bulbasaur entirely. His gaze shifted toward the nine Bellsprout in the yard.
[Transformation Dex updated: Bellsprout (Ability: Chlorophyll). Entries: 2.]
[+1 Free Stat Point]
He crept toward the group skipping rope with their vines, then activated Transform.
In a flash, his body reshaped: a yellow bell-shaped head, brown root-like stem for a body, and green leaves as arms. His eyes turned into two tiny black dots—just like a real Bellsprout.
Excited, he rushed into their group. "I'm the new guy, Red. Anyone want a battle?"
"Nope." The Bellsprout kept hopping, absorbed in their skipping contest, no fighting spirit at all.
Renan scowled and tried another. "How about you?"
"Nope."
"And you?"
"No."
He asked four in a row, all rejections.
What, a bunch of pacifists?
Back in the boxing gym of his old life, if someone refused to spar, he'd leave them alone. But now, he needed EXP and skills. He couldn't afford peace and quiet.
Guess I'll have to play the villain.
Waiting for his chance, Renan stuck out a foot as one Bellsprout's skipping vine hit the ground.
The vine snapped away, the Bellsprout tumbling face-first.
"What was that for?!" it demanded, furious.
"Skipping rope's boring." Renan waved his leafy hands, left and right. "Come fight me."
Guilt pricked at him faintly, but the other Bellsprout had already stopped their game to watch.
With no escape from the spotlight, the victim huffed, tore its skipping vine in half, and lashed out with Vine Whip.
Crack! Crack! The blows landed, stinging. Renan grabbed one vine and pulled, preparing Tackle.
Based on past fights, one hit would be enough.
But—smack! Another Vine Whip struck. His body refused to release the move.
Huh? Where's my Tackle?!
Pulling up the menu, he saw both Tackle and Growl grayed out—unusable in Bellsprout form.
You've got to be kidding me!
The vine yanked back, cutting his leafy arm and drawing green sap. "Ouch!"
The Bellsprout laughed, "Serves you right for picking a fight!"
"Fine. I'll get serious."
Shimmering rainbow light engulfed him. In the blink of an eye, Greenie the Bulbasaur returned.
The Bellsprout gawked as its opponent transformed mid-battle.
Renan wasted no time—Tackle flashed white, and with a sharp lunge, the Bellsprout was sent flying.
Thud! It crashed to the ground, groaning.
[Bellsprout defeated. Gained 10 EXP.]
[Randomly learning one of opponent's moves…]
Only one option appeared—Vine Whip—and it locked in immediately.
[Congratulations, learned Vine Whip (Lv.2).]
Renan nearly cheered aloud. Turns out, their endless rope-skipping had been training Vine Whip the whole time! No wonder he learned it at Lv.2 straight away.
"Wait—that's the famous Greenie!" one Bellsprout gasped.
"Bean-eyes, I heard about him—he's the ugliest Bulbasaur around!" another muttered, clearly having spoken with the Bulbasaur earlier.
"No, no—that's him! Everyone, attack together!"
Suddenly, the entire group swarmed. Countless vines lashed toward him like a net.
"Good! Tackle!"
Relying on his durability against Grass-type attacks, Renan barreled forward, ignoring the lashes as his head smashed into another Bellsprout.
Bang! Another fell.
[Bellsprout defeated…]
"Bind him with vines!" the sharpest Bellsprout ordered.
This time, the whips twined around him, coiling over neck, limbs, and seed. Seven Bellsprout pulled together, anchoring him like a living net.
No way—they can do this too?!
He struggled, but the combined force far outmatched his own.
"Give up," the leader snarled, "and swear you'll stop bullying us!"
Renan growled low, then suddenly roared—"Haaah!"
Growl (Lv.2)! Attack power of all foes dropped. The vines slackened.
"Not giving up!" He yanked the leader close and headbutted it hard. "But fine—I won't bully you again!"
The leader collapsed. Without its command, the others fell one by one beneath his strikes.
[Level up! Lv.5 (EXP 24/91).]
The sharp-minded Bellsprout granted him a new move—Growth (Lv.1).
By the end, Vine Whip had unexpectedly become his highest-level skill, reaching Lv.4.