Vajk's eyes fluttered open, his consciousness slowly dragging itself out of the murky depths of slumber. A low, guttural groan escaped his lips as the throbbing pain in his head made itself known, pounding against his skull like a relentless drumbeat. He silently cursed the mysterious "Arceus Vodka" that had led him to this sorry state, wondering how the bartender could have been so clueless about its potency.

With a herculean effort, Vajk pushed himself up into a sitting position, his head swaying as the world seemed to tilt and spin around him. "Oh, my head... Ouch," he muttered, his voice thick and sluggish. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog that clouded his thoughts, and immediately regretted the action as a fresh wave of pain crashed over him. "That party hit well... Foah!"

As the haze of his hangover began to dissipate, Vajk's surroundings came into focus, and a creeping sense of unease settled in the pit of his stomach. The unfamiliar trees, the strange calls of unseen creatures, the eerie stillness of the air... This was not the ruin bar. This was not Sepsi.

"Wait... Where am I?" Vajk wondered aloud, his voice tinged with a growing sense of desperation. He scanned the dense foliage, searching for any sign of his friends, any hint of familiarity, but found only the endless expanse of the forest. A sinking feeling washed over him as he realized he had no idea how he had ended up here, or how to find his way back.

At first, he clung to the notion that this was all some elaborate prank orchestrated by his mischievous friends. Perhaps they had slipped something into his drink, waited for him to pass out, and then dragged him out to this godforsaken forest to watch him stumble around in confusion. He could almost picture them hiding behind the trees, snickering as they waited for the perfect moment to jump out and yell, "It was a prank, bro!"

Clinging to this shred of hope, Vajk forced a smile onto his face and began to wander through the woods, calling out to his supposed pranksters. "Guys! I know what ya'll doing, ha-ha, it's funny and stuff, but I'd rather want to go home, so, please stop fooling around and come out! Hey-ho!"

But his words were met with nothing but the echo of his own voice, bouncing back at him from the indifferent trees. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the distant cries of unfamiliar fauna.

Vajk's confidence wavered, but he pressed on, determined to uncover the truth. "Eh... so you're not giving yourself away easy, huh?" he muttered, more to himself than to any unseen pranksters.

Suddenly, a nearby shrub rustled, and Vajk felt a jolt of fear shoot through his body. He froze, his heart hammering in his chest, as a primal instinct screamed at him to run, to hide, to get as far away from the unknown threat as possible.

"Wh-Who are you?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. Then, with a burst of false bravado, he thrust his hand forward and spoke with more force. "S-show yourself!"

But even as the words left his lips, Vajk noticed something strange about his hand. It seemed smaller, more delicate than he remembered, as if it belonged to a child rather than a grown man. 'Wait, are my hands tinier than they should be?" he thought, his mind reeling with the implications.

Before he could dwell on this unsettling realization, a creature burst forth from the bushes—a bizarre, seaweed-like being that seemed to regard him with a mix of curiosity and caution.

Vajk stared at the creature, his mouth agape, his mind struggling to comprehend the impossible sight before him. "I'm out of words right now..." he breathed, as the full weight of his situation began to sink in.

And you already know the rest...

Vajk trudged through the foggy woods, his tiny feet stomping on the soft, mossy ground with each step. His eyes darted from side to side, scanning the eerie surroundings for any sign of a portal or a way out of this bizarre world. The mist clung to his skin, its damp tendrils sending shivers down his spine, but he pressed on, determined to find his way back home.

Behind him, the Tangela followed, its vines swaying gently as it kept pace with the diminutive human. Vajk's eyes narrowed, his irritation growing with each passing moment. He could feel the Tangela's presence, its gaze boring into the back of his head like a Laser Beam.

But instead of a menacing predator, he was met with the sight of a familiar tangle of vines and tendrils, bobbing and weaving through the undergrowth like a sentient ball of yarn. The Tangela, it seemed, was still hot on his heels, its stubby little feet pitter-pattering against the forest floor as it struggled to keep up with Vajk's brisk pace.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Vajk muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Don't you have anything better to do than follow me around like a lost puppy, you overgrown weed?"

The Tangela huffed indignantly, its vines bristling with irritation. "Lost puppy?" it echoed, its voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll have you know, as I said I'm a highly respected kin of my kind! I'm just trying to make sure you don't get yourself killed out here, you ungrateful little twerp!"

Vajk rolled his eyes, a sneer curling his lips. "Still Respected kin, my ass," he scoffed, his tone laced with disdain. "More like the evolutionary dead-end. And I don't need your protection. I can take care of myself just fine!"

But even as the words left his mouth, Vajk couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. Why was this Tangela so intent on following him, anyway? It wasn't like they had some sort of deep, meaningful connection. In fact, Vajk was pretty sure that if he were in his adult body, he could easily punt the annoying little weed into the stratosphere without breaking a sweat.

So why the clinginess?

As if sensing his thoughts, the Tangela let out a long-suffering sigh, its vines drooping in resignation. "Look, kid," it began, its voice softening slightly, "I know we got off on the wrong foot, but believe it or not, I'm not just following you around for shits and giggles. There's something about you that's just... different. Like you don't belong here."

Vajk's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise dancing across his features. "No shit, Sherlock," he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What gave it away? That I just out in the woods without any memories how I get there? Or I don't know jack shit about this world beyond what a fucking Pikachu looks like?"

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Tangela's eyes narrowed, its vines twitching in annoyance. "Alright, alright, no need to get your panties in a twist," it grumbled, shaking its head in exasperation. "I'm just saying, there's something special about you, kid... You can talk with me, a pokémon, no other human could communicate with pokémon since... since I don't know... But I know this is unbelievable And whether you like it or not, I'm gonna stick by your side until we figure out why it is."

Vajk opened his mouth to retort, but before he could get a word in edgewise, a sudden rustling in the bushes caught his attention. He froze, his heart leaping into his throat as a pair of glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows, followed by a squat, reptilian figure that seemed to be made entirely of rocks and spikes.

"W-What the fuck is that thing?" Vajk stammered, his voice trembling with fear as he took a step back, his tiny hands balling into fists at his sides.

The Tangela's eyes widened in shock, its vines quivering with terror. "T-That's a Larvitar," it whispered, its voice barely audible over the pounding of Vajk's heart. "But what's it doing here? They're supposed to be up on Mt. Silver, not down in the Foggy Woods!"

As if on cue, a massive, towering figure emerged from the mist behind the Larvitar, its stony hide glinting in the dim light. It was a Tyranitar, a behemoth of a Pokémon that looked like it could crush Vajk and the Tangela with a single step of its massive, clawed feet.

"Oh, shit," Vajk breathed, his eyes wide with terror as he took another step back, his tiny body trembling like a leaf in the wind. "That's the mom, isn't it?"

The Tangela nodded mutely, its own body quivering with fear as it edged closer to Vajk, its vines wrapping protectively around his tiny frame. "W-We need to get out of here," it whispered urgently, its voice laced with panic. "If that Tyranitar thinks we're a threat to its baby, we're as good as dead!"

But even as the words left its mouth, the Tyranitar let out a deafening roar, its eyes flashing with rage as it caught sight of the two intruders. It took a menacing step forward, its massive tail lashing behind it like a whip as it fixed Vajk and the Tangela with a murderous glare.

"RUN!" the Tangela screamed, its vines tightening around Vajk's waist as it yanked him off his feet, dragging him through the undergrowth as the Tyranitar let out another earth-shaking roar, its thunderous footsteps shaking the ground beneath their feet as it gave chase.

Vajk's heart pounded against his ribcage as the Tangela dragged him through the dense underbrush, his tiny legs flailing helplessly in the air. The thunderous footsteps of the enraged Tyranitar echoed behind them, each earth-shaking step sending a jolt of terror down Vajk's spine. He could feel the Tangela's vines tightening around his waist, the rough fibers digging into his skin as the sentient weed put every ounce of its strength into propelling them forward.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Vajk cursed under his breath, his voice barely audible over the deafening roar of the pursuing Tyranitar. He risked a glance over his shoulder, his eyes widening in horror as he caught sight of the behemoth tearing through the forest like a juggernaut, its massive bulk smashing through trees and boulders like they were made of paper.

The Tangela veered sharply to the left, its vines whipping through the air as it wove between the gnarled trunks of ancient trees, desperate to lose their pursuer in the maze-like depths of the Foggy Woods. Vajk felt his stomach lurch as he was yanked along for the ride, his body swinging wildly from side to side as the Tangela zigzagged through the undergrowth.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Vajk yelled, his voice cracking with fear and frustration as he struggled to keep his bearings in the dizzying blur of motion.

"No idea!" the Tangela shouted back, its own voice laced with panic. "But anywhere's better than here!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them gave way, and Vajk felt a surge of weightlessness as he and the Tangela tumbled down a steep embankment, their bodies bouncing and rolling over rocks and exposed roots. Pain exploded through Vajk's body as he slammed into the hard-packed earth at the bottom of the ravine, the breath knocked from his lungs in a single, agonizing rush.

For a moment, he lay there, stunned and disoriented, his vision swimming with stars as he struggled to regain his senses. But the sound of the Tyranitar's roar, now tinged with a note of triumph, snapped him back to reality. He scrambled to his feet, his tiny body screaming in protest as he staggered forward, his eyes darting frantically in search of the Tangela.

He spotted the weed a few yards away, its vines tangled in a snarl of thorny bushes as it struggled to free itself. Vajk rushed to its side, his hands shaking as he tore at the vines, heedless of the sharp barbs that tore at his skin.

"Come on, come on," he muttered through gritted teeth, his heart hammering in his chest as he heard the Tyranitar's footsteps drawing closer, the ground trembling beneath his feet with each earth-shaking step.

With a final, desperate yank, Vajk managed to pull the Tangela free, its vines trailing behind it like streamers as they stumbled forward, their bodies battered and bruised but still very much alive.

"We need to find somewhere to hide," the Tangela panted, its voice ragged with exhaustion. "Somewhere that thing can't follow us."

Vajk nodded mutely, his eyes scanning the ravine for any sign of shelter. His gaze fell upon a narrow crack in the rock face, barely wide enough for him to squeeze through in his diminutive state. Without a second thought, he grabbed the Tangela's vines and pulled it towards the fissure, his heart pounding in his ears as he heard the Tyranitar's roar echoing off the walls of the ravine, now tinged with a note of frustration.

They tumbled through the crack just as the Tyranitar reached the edge of the ravine, its massive bulk blocking out the meager light that filtered through the canopy above. Vajk and the Tangela pressed themselves against the far wall of the fissure, their chests heaving with each ragged breath as they watched the behemoth pace back and forth, its eyes glowing with murderous rage as it searched for its prey.

For what felt like an eternity, they remained there, huddled together in the damp, musty darkness of the fissure, their bodies trembling with fear and exhaustion. The Tyranitar's roars gradually faded into the distance, but still, they did not dare to move, too terrified to risk drawing its attention once more.

Finally, after what might have been minutes or hours, the Tangela spoke, its voice barely above a whisper in the suffocating silence of the fissure.

"I think... I think it's gone," it said, its vines twitching nervously as it peered out through the crack, scanning the ravine for any sign of the Tyranitar.

Vajk let out a shaky breath, his body sagging with relief as he slumped against the wall of the fissure. "Thank fuck for that," he muttered, his voice hoarse with exhaustion. "I thought we were goners for sure."

The Tangela nodded, its own body trembling with the aftershocks of their narrow escape. "We were lucky," it said softly, its eyes meeting Vajk's in the dim light of the fissure. "If it hadn't been for you..."

Vajk shook his head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Don't go getting all sappy on me now, weed," he said, his tone light despite the gravity of their situation. "We're not out of the woods yet. Literally."

The Tangela chuckled, a soft, rasping sound that echoed off the walls of the fissure. "True enough," it said, its vines curling around Vajk's shoulders in a gesture of camaraderie. "But at least we're in this together, right?"

Vajk hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowing as he considered the Tangela's words. He still didn't fully understand why the sentient weed was so intent on sticking by his side, or what it hoped to gain from their unlikely partnership. But at that moment, battered and bruised and huddled together in the damp darkness of the fissure, he couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with the strange creature.

"Yeah," he said, at last, his voice soft but firm. "I guess we are."

And with that, they settled in to wait, their bodies pressed close together in the cramped confines of the fissure, each lost in their own thoughts as they pondered the strange twist of fate that had brought them together.

- TO BE CONTINUED! -