Arthur didn't watch Bella finish off the Caterpie. The mere thought of the scene was enough to turn his stomach; he kept his eyes fixed on the distant lake, lost in thought.
I think I've figured out what kind of hellscape this is.
Standing alone on the tip of a branch, Arthur reflected on his observations over the past week. This Pokémon world was fundamentally different from the one he knew. Simply put, this was a "Dark Mode" version of the Pokémon world.
Not only was there active predation and cannibalism among species, but the physical scale of these creatures far exceeded the averages listed in the Pokédex. Furthermore, the forest itself was terrifyingly lush, reminiscent of a prehistoric era.
He hadn't realized the scale at first, but comparing it to his own height, he noticed that even the shortest trees nearby were over fifteen meters tall, with trunks five meters thick. In his previous life, that might be impressive, but in the anime, trees were rarely taller than a two-story house.
Several signs pointed to one conclusion: This was indeed the Pokémon world, but it wasn't the peaceful era of the Pokémon League.
It was the Era of Magical Beasts—a time of constant warfare between species. Or perhaps even the Ancient Era, though the presence of modern-looking berries made the former more likely.
If this is the Era of Magical Beasts, then everything makes sense, Arthur thought.
He turned back to find Bella finished with her meal. She had curled up on the branch, eyes closed, likely settling in for a post-meal nap.
Arthur followed suit, gorging himself on berries until his belly was round before covering himself with two large leaves to drift off.
Life as a Pokémon was remarkably repetitive: eat, sleep, grow, repeat.
But when Arthur woke up next, he felt like the sky was falling.
Bella had evolved into a Kakuna.
This meant his three-member squad had reverted to a one-member squad. Goldie and Bella were now immobile husks, leaving Arthur as the sole defender.
He was debating whether to risk a solo mission to find more recruits when a scrawny, wheezing Weedle crawled up the trunk.
Seeing Arthur and a Kakuna already occupying the branch, the newcomer froze in terror. He didn't have the energy to climb back down, and jumping from this height was suicide.
With no other choice, the scrawny Weedle assumed a shaky combat stance, trying to look intimidating despite his shivering frame.
He's only about 0.35 meters tall. In this era, that's practically a case of severe malnutrition.
It was the first time Arthur had seen a Weedle more pathetic than himself. He let out a predatory, "villainous" smirk.
"Even a small fly has a bit of meat!"
One minute later, Arthur had officially added a battered new subordinate to his ranks. He named him: Whitey.
The reason? This weak little Weedle had an unusually large, hard stinger on his head, but instead of the usual metallic sheen, it was pure, bone-white.
After some questioning and observation, Arthur realized Whitey's internal toxin levels were incredibly low. This was likely because he had spent his life eating common ground-level shrubs rather than the more potent leaves of the canopy.
This sparked a realization for Arthur.
The Pokédex always stated that Weedles eat leaves to absorb trace toxins and strengthen their Poison-type energy. Eating berries was nutritious and accelerated physical growth, but it did little for their "magical" or toxic development.
It was a choice between two training paths:
The Berry Path: High physical growth, massive size, and powerful physical moves. (The "Warrior" build).
The Leaf Path: High toxic accumulation and specialized Poison-type potency. (The "Mage" build).
For a Bug-type trying to survive in the wild, the Berry Path was the obvious choice. In nature, size was the primary deterrent. A massive, muscular Beedrill was far more terrifying than a small, toxic one—especially since Beedrill relied heavily on Attack and Speed.
From now on, the whole squad eats berries! Arthur decided.
He wanted to lead a tribe of "Muscle Bees" that would dominate this forest.
The heavy mental exertion left him hungry again. He ate until he was stuffed, then collapsed alongside Whitey and the immobile Bella.
When he woke up, evening had arrived. Arthur felt another growth spurt; his skin felt tight, and something inside him felt ready to burst.
"Status check."
[Weedle]
Potential: White
Level: 8
Type: Bug / Poison
Ability: Run Away
Height: 0.45m
Weight: 4.5kg
Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot
"Not bad. I'm becoming quite the chunky little bug," Arthur noted with satisfaction. He had almost reached the local average height, compensating for his initial "newborn" disadvantage.
He could feel the urge to evolve, but he suppressed it. Whitey was still too weak to guard the tree alone.
Arthur decided to hold out for a bit longer, accumulating as much energy as possible. He wanted to hit the average height threshold before he became a Kakuna, ensuring his final Beedrill form wouldn't be a runt.