As he travelled deeper into the forest it became gradually more difficult to see. This in part because of the multitude of sounds assaulting his sensitive ears and in part because of the density of the trees.

After what seemed like ten minutes of travel, Felix reached a clearing, where at the centre of a small hill a bush stood.

‘An Oran berry bush!’

Still feeling the dull ache of his wounds, he rushed upwards without thinking to eat what he knew could very well bring him relief. At least, he hoped this was the case, you could never be certain if things from the pokemon games worked the same way in this new world.

Because of his unhesitant rush, he made the same mistake once again, and got the shock of his life when out from behind the bush a combee appeared. This time he wouldn’t leave the initiative to the enemy though And yet Felix knew that another head smash could very well worsen his wounds. And with a flying target, the attack probably wouldn’t connect anyway.

‘Wait a minute… Didn’t I already become level 5? Deino learns dragon breath at level four!’

Compared to the egg move head smash, dragon breath has a lot less power. Yet it doesn’t inflict wounds on the user, can be used at range and still has a respectable 60 power, which, for the early stage is quite reliable.

‘A ranged attack is just what I need right now! DRAGON BREATH!’

Sure enough the attack connected, and the combee fainted.

Congratulations! Felix grew to level 6!

HP

24 (+3)

Atk

14 (+1)

Def

12 (+1)

Spec Atk

13 (+1)

Spec Def

10 (+1)

Spd

11 (+1)

‘Deino normally have a low special attack, but I don’t know how my nature affects this. What even is my nature? After rushing headlong into danger twice in a row, I’m starting to settle on ‘rash’. Such a nature wouldn’t do much for me now, but as a hydreigon it would only boost my already huge special attack. Let’s hope I live that long….

To be fair combee’s special defense is even lower than my special attack, so I can’t be sure…’

With the crisis once again averted, quite easily, I might add, Felix gladly munches on his prize and restores his health to what seemed like a normal level.

‘It’s about time I start training. I’ve been in a few fights now, but I’m not actually used to using any of the moves I’ve learned. If there is one thing I’ve realised from this, it’s that pokemon battles are a lot more fast paced then in the games and feral pokemon don’t wait their turn. Not to mention that I don’t have any idea of how strong the opposing pokemon are. I’ve gotten lucky so far, but who’s to say that will continue?’

Felix pondered to himself a while longer before deciding to take matters into his own hands.

‘If this was a youtube video’, Felix mused, ‘it would be time for a training montage!’

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*Eye of the tiger starts playing*

Images appear in front of you, the reader, as if professionally produced by the creators of karate kid!

Deino slamming into a tree, repeatedly until he knocks himself out!

Accidentally using dragon breath to upset a hive of beedrill and being chased through the forest!

Falling into a pond and forgetting that he can’t swim!

Using tackle on a multitude of metapod, who can’t move anyway!

And like this, Felix spent his days frolicking, training and running away for a few weeks, all the while munching on perpetually regrowing oran berries to his own advantage.

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Taking a few moments to rest, Felix reviewed his progress.

Congratulations! Felix grew to level 9!

HP

31 (+7)

Atk

19 (+5)

Def

16 (+4)

Spec Atk

16 (+3)

Spec Def

14 (+4)

Spd

14 (+3)

‘It’s strange… Over the weeks I’ve made a multitude of pokemon faint, and yet I’ve only reached level 9? Am I doing something wrong?’

“Not quite, young fella. To the average Joe your growth would seem quite “astonishing”, and I don’t mean the move, Guhahaha!”

Alarmed, Felix looked for the source of the voice that had laughed at it’s own subpar joke, yet he found nothing.

“Look up monkey brain! I’m up ‘eer!”

Sure enough, after looking around a little more he sensed a disturbance in the leaves of one of the trees, where he saw a…. monkey?

‘Why would that monkey call someone else a monkey as an insult? Is he lacking sense?

“And you’re lacking a sense a’ humor boy! Go question the sanity of a different psychic monkey kiddo! But not this one!”

And so Felix stared, astonished, (no not the move) at an Oranguru hanging in the tree a few meters away, as the monkey looked at him, slightly offended.

‘Can he read my thoughts?!’