How long does it take for a Kakuna to evolve? I remember the anime mentioned that a Metapod only needs seven days to gather enough energy to become a Butterfree. A Kakuna should be roughly the same.
Arthur stared at the massive Kakuna that was Goldie.
Once a Weedle evolves into Kakuna, it no longer has to worry as much about being hunted by common avian Pokémon.
A small bird like Pidgey wouldn't dream of bothering a Kakuna—the shell is simply too hard to crack. While its evolved forms, Pidgeotto and Pidgeot, could easily prey on one, they usually find the process too much effort for too little meat and choose softer targets.
Still, just to be safe, I should keep Goldie hidden.
"Bella, go get some leaves," Arthur commanded.
The two Weedles spent the first half of the night gathering massive, broad leaves. They used their String Shot to glue the foliage onto Goldie's metallic-yellow shell.
By the time they were done, Goldie looked like nothing more than a natural bump on the tree branch, perfectly camouflaged.
They slept through the rest of the night, waking up near noon the next day to help themselves to another feast of berries.
I need to recruit more subordinates.
Seeing the sheer scale of Goldie's evolution had forced Arthur to shift his priorities. Originally, he planned to stay on this tree until every berry was gone. Now, he realized he needed a perimeter.
Arthur needed a squad to guard him during his own upcoming "dormant phase." Given the bizarre, hyper-growth nature of this forest, a single Kakuna and one Weedle wouldn't be enough to secure their safety.
Both he and Bella were likely only a day or two away from evolution. Weedles and Caterpies are the fastest-evolving Pokémon in existence, usually reaching their second stage within ten days of birth.
That's for those eating common leaves; for Arthur's crew, who had been gorging on nutrient-dense fruit, the transformation was imminent.
If all three of them became immobile husks at the same time, any passing Pidgeotto would happily put in the extra work for a three-course meal.
"Bella, let's go. We need to find others of our kind."
"Bzz~ (Are we going to eat them?)" Bella sounded strangely excited.
"...No. We're going to 'recruit' them," Arthur sighed, looking at her.
He remembered the anime portraying Pokémon as friendly, almost noble creatures. But in this reality, there was zero trust.
Predators were everywhere, and even members of the same type seemed to eye each other as potential protein. This world was deeply "wrong" compared to the stories he knew.
"Bzz." Bella let out an ambiguous chirp. She clearly didn't understand Arthur's human concepts, but she followed him regardless.
To be honest, without Goldie's massive frame behind him, Arthur felt vulnerable. He was Level 7 and larger than the average one-foot-tall Weedle, but in this "Forest of Giants," he felt like a runt.
Goldie's nineteen-inch frame had felt like the "standard" here, while Bella was close behind at eighteen inches. Arthur was still the smallest of the trio.
The two wiggled down from the safety of the canopy to the grass below.
"Bzz! (Arthur, look!)" Bella hissed, her body tensing.
Arthur spun around, but relaxed immediately when he saw the intruder.
"You again?" He nudged Bella, who was already preparing to sting the visitor.
"Poli~ (Wanted to play~)" The Poliwag tottered toward them, wagging its tail happily.
"We don't have time for games. And you! Don't just wander away from your nest. Stay with your parents, do you hear me?" Arthur scolded the tadpole.
They were weak, and every second spent playing was a second not spent preparing for survival. Besides, this kid was barely a newborn.
If he hadn't stepped in, Bella would have probably ended the poor thing right then and there. If he had parents as powerful as a Poliwag's usually were, he'd be huddled under their fins until he evolved into a Poliwhirl.
"Wahhh~" The Poliwag burst into tears and scurried away.
Arthur sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt. He knew he had to be harsh to keep the little guy safe. If he were stronger—if he were already a Beedrill—maybe he'd have the luxury of playing for a bit.
"That Pokémon is a friend. If you see him again, don't bully him."
"Bzz~ (Whatever~)" Bella replied, sounding bored.
Arthur led her to a neighboring tree. This time, he found he could scale the trunk with significantly more ease than before.
I'm getting stronger.
The sensation was visceral, fueling his drive to grow. When they reached the top, they scanned the branches. No Weedles. Instead, they found a Caterpie about twenty inches long.
Based on its size, it was on par with Goldie before he evolved.
Can Weedles and Caterpies team up? Arthur wondered.
From a human perspective, their habits were identical. In the anime, Ash's Pikachu had lived with a troop of Kangaskhan when it was a Pichu. Cross-species families existed.
"Bella, do you want him to join our team?" Arthur asked his companion.
"Bzz! (No! Enemy!)" Bella's refusal was instant and fierce.
The Caterpie across from them mirrored the sentiment, baring its mandibles. Arthur realized then that in the wild, "kin" only meant those who shared your exact DNA. Other species were rivals for food, territory, or worse. Only the naive, like the Poliwag, dared to cross those lines.
"Fine. Get him!"
Arthur didn't waste time. He and Bella lunged. It was the same tactic as before: Arthur provided long-range suppression with String Shot, while Bella darted in with Poison Sting.
The Caterpie was larger, but it couldn't handle a two-on-one assault. It was quickly overwhelmed and fell unconscious on the branch. From this moment on, this tree belonged to them.
"Wait! Bella, what are you doing?" Arthur called out as he saw Bella creeping toward the limp Caterpie.
"Bzz~ (Eating him~)"
Arthur froze. He opened his mouth to stop her, but the words died in his throat. What seemed horrific to a human was clearly the natural order of this forest.
If consuming a rival meant Bella grew faster and they all stood a better chance of surviving the night, who was he to judge?