It had been a few days since Al first arrived in this strange world.
Morning light streamed through the window of his cabin, chasing away the last bits of shade. Al groaned and rolled over, trying to bury himself from it—but the light caught him again. With a grumble, he rolled the other way and promptly fell off his bed with a loud thud.
"OOOOWWW!" he groaned, clutching his back.
Pushing himself upright, he let out a long yawn—and to his mild annoyance, a wisp of flame slipped past his lips.
"…Great. Still am a fire hazard."
He stretched, rubbing his neck, and shuffled to the door. As he stepped into the morning sun, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. For a moment, he could almost feel the world breathing with him. A few sprouts poked through his green-tinted hair, and he sighed.
"Guess there's nothing wrong with Sprouts."
After steadying himself, he walked toward the open section of his cabin. His "kitchen" was basic: a sink made from carved stone, a simple water holder with a spout, and a few wooden shelves. The closed-off area to the side was his makeshift shower.
He pressed the water spout, and cool, fresh water trickled into his hands. He splashed his face, muttering,
"I need my coffee back."
Grabbing a carved wooden cup, he filled it and took a long drink before moving to the clothes rack. The silk garments he'd crafted in his Caterpie form hung neatly. He picked out a light shirt and pants, eyeing them with satisfaction.
"Softer than anything I had back home."
He hung them by the shower, stripped off his dirtied clothes, and set them aside. Spinning the valve he had rigged, water rained down from above, washing over him. He scrubbed his hair, muttering under the sound of dripping water,
"Magic and Pokémon powers, and I'm still stuck doing laundry. Figures."
When he finished, he dressed in the clean clothes, bundling the dirtied ones into a basket. Then he stepped out into the clearing.
With a deep breath, his body shifted, skin blazing orange as wings unfurled—his form now towering and draconic.
Charizard roared to life."Chari… zard!!!"
His voice shook the trees, a confident grin spreading across his snout. He flapped his wings, the downdraft stirring dust and leaves.
'Alright… time for food hunting.'
But then he paused, looking at his claws.
"Wonder what I should eat for today." He chuckled, flicking his tail flame. "Bet roasted rabbit would taste pretty good. Or fish, maybe? …Yeah, let's go fishing."
He crouched low, wings spreading wide.
With a heavy flap, Charizard launched into the sky, soaring above the Jura Forest as his tail flame blazed against the morning sun.
---
High above the sky, where the world stretched endlessly and free, a lone shadow carved through the wind. Birds scattered as a draconic figure soared past, wings stretched wide against the morning sun.
"CHARRRR!!!!"
Al roared as Charizard, fire blazing at the tip of his tail. His grin stretched wide as he leaned into the wind, feeling every current whip against his scales. The flame behind him shifted with his exhilaration—red deepening to orange, orange to pale yellow, until it burned bright white.
Yeahhh! Love the wind… love this freedom… He exhaled sharply, his heart racing. But right… I came here to fish.
He spotted a glittering lake below and tucked his wings. Mid-dive, his body shifted, wings vanishing as a massive shell grew across his back. A Blastoise crashed down with a resounding splash, the surface swallowing him whole.
He drifted deeper, heavy limbs paddling easily as he adjusted to the weight of water pressing in. Schools of fish scattered around him, their scales shimmering in the filtered light. But then, the water darkened.
A giant fish loomed ahead, a monstrous behemoth nearly twice his size. Its jagged maw split wide and clamped down on him before he could react.
Al winced as teeth scraped his shell, the crushing bite barely denting his defenses. Still, he was pinned. Tch… really? I just wanted a nice meal, not to be on the menu. Guess even lakes don't give freebies here.
The cannons on his back whirred, glowing as pressure built. He unleashed twin torrents of water {Hydro Pump}, blasting into the creature's throat. The recoil ripped him free, shoving him backward through the water.
The behemoth reeled in pain, stunned. Al's expression hardened. His tail swirled with gathering currents, a whirlpool coiling around it. He funneled magicules into the water's pull, and with a mighty swing, his {Aqua Tail} slammed forward.
The vortex engulfed the fleeing monster, dragging it in. Bubbles churned violently, the water thrashing until the great fish's struggles slowed… then ceased.
Exhaling, Al swam closer, catching the limp creature. He grabbed it by the gills, muscles straining as he kicked upward.
Moments later, the lake's surface erupted with a splash. Blastoise pushed the enormous fish toward the shore, grunting with effort. When he finally dragged it onto the bank, and he stood over it.
Well… guess I won't be hungry for a while.