"Poli~"
Upon hearing Arthur's words, the Poliwag spun in a circle with delight, then leaned in affectionately to rub its face against the Weedle's segmented body.
"What are you doing here anyway? Where are your parents? You better be careful, or another Pokémon is going to snatch you up for a snack!"
Arthur felt a genuine pang of worry seeing such a tiny, newborn Pokémon wandering aimlessly through this titan-filled forest.
Of course, his concern was largely fueled by the fact that the little guy had just served as his personal crash pad. If not for that, Arthur—who was currently struggling just to survive—wouldn't have spared a second thought for a random Poliwag.
"Poli, poli~" the tadpole chirped, explaining its situation.
"Oh, your mom and dad brought you out to find food? You're a lucky kid. Get back to them. I'm going back into hiding. Don't go running off alone anymore."
Knowing the parents were nearby, Arthur's anxiety eased.
"Poli?" The Poliwag gestured toward the river.
"No."
"Poli?" It tilted its head.
"Because I said so."
Arthur flatly rejected the invitation. There was no way a Weedle like him was going to go hang out with a family of Poliwag.
Their parents were likely Poliwhirls; the chances of them being Politoeds or Poliwraths in the wild were slim, given the rare evolutionary items required.
But regardless of the species, they were frogs. And in the natural world, frogs ate bugs. While he'd never seen a Pokémon eat another in the anime, he wasn't about to bet his life on "cartoon logic" in this brutal reality.
"Poli." The Poliwag nodded and scurried off.
However, a few minutes later, it returned, dragging a pile of berries with its tail and dumping them right in front of Arthur's bush.
"Gwaaaa!!!"
A powerful, resonant call echoed from the distance. Recognizing its parents' summons, the Poliwag scrambled back toward the river.
Arthur poked his head out of the brush. He watched the little tadpole vanish, then looked at the "mountain" of berries before him. He felt a rare swell of emotion. That kid is actually a real sweetheart.
Arthur crawled out and began to feast.
Sweet ones. Spicy-sweet ones. Bitter-sour ones. Berries that hit every single taste bud at once.
He didn't care about the flavor profile; he was on a mission. He ate with a frantic, desperate hunger, refueling his tiny body to its absolute limit.
Just as he was finishing, the bushes nearby rustled, and a battered, scarred Weedle crawled out. It was covered in welts, clearly the victim of a recent attack. This Weedle was significantly larger than Arthur—about one and a half times his size.
"Bzz... (Help me...)"
The stranger spotted Arthur, a flicker of hope appearing in its dull eyes. It collapsed onto the dirt, too weak to wiggle another inch. If Arthur did nothing, this Weedle would die right here.
Arthur looked at his remaining stash of berries with a bit of regret, then grit his teeth. He picked up a few Oran Berries—the ones known for restoring vitality—and dragged them over to the wounded stranger.
The large Weedle looked at Arthur with immense gratitude and feebly began to nibble on the fruit. Arthur, ever the pragmatist, immediately went back to finish the rest of the pile.
He needed to be full and strong, just in case this guy decided to reclaim his strength by bullying his savior.
But Arthur had underestimated the nature of Pokémon. They weren't like humans; they didn't harbor the same capacity for cold-blooded betrayal.
After the stranger finished eating, it curled up in a nearby bush to sleep. Arthur found a safe spot of his own and drifted off.
When he woke up, he nearly jumped out of his skin. The large Weedle was resting right beside him. After a moment of panicked observation, Arthur realized the stranger wasn't attacking—it was acting as a sentry, guarding him while he slept.
I slept too soundly, Arthur thought. I didn't even hear him move.
"Do you have a name?" Arthur asked. He figured wild Pokémon didn't use names, but he was new to this world; maybe they had their own designations.
"Bzz~ (No name.)"
"Then why don't you come with me? We'll watch each other's backs."
"Bzz!" The Weedle nodded vigorously, looking genuinely happy. It leaned its horn toward Arthur—a universal sign of friendship among their kind.
"Alright, we need labels. You can call me Arthur. As for you... I'll call you Goldie."
Arthur reached out and touched his horn to Goldie's. He noticed the other Weedle's hide was a slightly lighter, more golden shade of brown than most, hence the name.
"Goldie, can you climb trees?" Arthur asked.
Goldie nodded, giving Arthur a confused look. He had been climbing trees since the day he hatched. Didn't everyone?
"Good. Let's finish these berries, then we're heading up. You'll have to give me a boost; I'm still a bit short on muscle."
"Bzz! (Okay!)"
With Goldie pushing him from behind, the climb was a breeze. They finally reached the upper canopy, and Arthur gasped at the view. Up here, the forest was teeming with life. Every tree seemed to be a miniature kingdom for Bug-types.
On the next tree over, a plump Caterpie watched them. On their own branch, another Weedle—roughly Goldie's size—glared at them with hostility.
"Bzz? (Arthur, do we fight him?)" Goldie asked.
Arthur looked around. He saw the pattern: territorialism. One bug per tree, claiming the fruit as their own. Goldie was asking if they should take over this "territory."
"No rush. Let's talk first."
In this world, most Caterpies and Weedles weren't smart enough for teamwork. They lived solitary lives until they evolved into Butterfree or Beedrill. But Arthur didn't want to wait for evolution to build a squad.
He wiggled toward the stranger. "Hello there."
"Bzz! (Leave!)"
Arthur blinked. The voice in his head sounded distinctly feminine. This was a female Weedle.
"We can work together," Arthur offered. "If we team up, we can control this whole section of the canopy."
"Bzz!! (LEAVE!!)"
Arthur sighed. She was too agitated to listen. "Goldie... take her down. Gently."
Ptu!
Arthur spat a String Shot, sticky white silk tangling the female's legs. She tried to retaliate with her own silk, but Arthur dodged it easily. Meanwhile, Goldie lunged forward and used Bug Bite on her shoulder.
A Bug Bite? Arthur was impressed. Goldie's level must be higher than I thought.
Weedles only learn three moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, and finally Bug Bite around Level 9. Most Weedles evolve into Kakuna long before they master it.
Outnumbered and outmatched, the female Weedle soon collapsed, panting. She waited for them to kick her off the branch—or worse.
"Can you hear me out now?" Arthur asked, moving closer.
"Bzz... (What do you want?)"
"Join us. We'll have all the berries we can eat, and no one will ever bully you again."
"Bzz? (Really?)" Her eyes brightened. She looked like she was about to drool at the mention of unlimited fruit.
"Really."
She immediately stopped resisting. "I'm Arthur. This is Goldie. You need a name too... how about Bella?"
Arthur looked at her. Her eyes were a bit larger and her horn a bit more elegant than the average Weedle. He didn't know much about "Bug Beauty," but she seemed like a top-tier specimen for her species.
"Bzz~ (I like it.)"
The three of them touched horns. A team was born.
"We stay on this tree for now," Arthur commanded. "Eat every berry you find. Don't waste space on leaves—berries are the key to strength. Once this tree is dry, we move to the next one."
"Right!" they chimed in unison.
Under Arthur's leadership, the trio began an eating frenzy. With the sheer volume of fruit on this tree, it would normally take them ten days to finish. But the first major change happened much sooner.
That very night, Goldie's body began to glow with an intense, white light.
Bella shrieked and hid behind Arthur. When the light faded, a hard, yellow shell stood in Goldie's place.
A Kakuna.
While Kakunas are often mocked for only knowing "Harden," Arthur knew better. They could still use their stingers if an enemy got too close. But what shocked Arthur wasn't the evolution itself—it was the scale.
A standard Kakuna is about two feet tall. Goldie, who had been a large Weedle, had exploded in size. He now stood over three feet tall. He wasn't just a Kakuna; he was a golden fortress.
What kind of forest is this? Arthur wondered, staring out into the endless, dark sea of trees. Everything here was growing far beyond the limits of the Pokédex.