My fellow Arthenians:

Let's just jump right into this one. It'll be an interesting change of pace, right?

Viewer discretion is advised.

We rejoin our hero, who had just freed himself from Caterpie's String Shot...

Staying where he was by the water for a moment, the human male watched as an incredible change occurred in front of him: the forest seemed to have spontaneously sprung to life, as though it had been holding its breath when he arrived and was only now exhaling. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the healthy and active ecosystem around him.

Across the river, Ben spied a bear wandering back into the treeline absentmindedly. A bear it was, but a bear it was not; even from behind, from the moment he laid eyes on it the first name that came to his mind was not "Grizzly" or "Brown" but rather... "Ursaring". He stared as it disappeared behind the foliage, shaking his head. Then he began thinking in what was a warped sense of logic.

He was recognizing creatures that he was certain that he had never before seen, even by name, and even by first glance. Not only recognizing, but naming, and knowing things about them. But how was this possible...? The only somewhat rational explanation he could conjure was this, the realization he had aloud in a hushed voice: "As I looked upon the face of God, I looked upon all of his creation; I see him in everything, and he gives me knowledge". Ben stared blankly at the spot where the bear-Pokemon had disappeared for another few seconds before he muttered to himself "this is fucking weird..."

He collected his feet under his body and rose slowly to a standing position, smoothing out his robe with both hands. It felt weird to not have anything on but a robe, like he was missing something, but yet still yet feeling something else. "That something else is a draft, you idiot." He laughed to himself. Crazy for talking to himself? Probably getting there.

As he shook his head, his unknown assailant continued to creep up behind him. Two feet padded gently against the earth underneath it. No noise was made as the furry paws made contact with the soft grass. Inaudible repetition of the first syllable of its name accompanied every step it took. It was crouched down low to the ground as though preparing to pounce, as though stalking its prey. Its arms where held in front of its body in what could be perceived as either an offensive or defensive position.

As he stood with his hands on his hips, taking in this new world he was slowly starting to come to terms with, gradually beginning to understand, marginally habituating to this strange new reality, it closed the gap. Breaking out into a run, leaning forward slightly for aerodynamics as well as flare. Short fur was disturbed slightly by the wind created by the speed of the forward progress. Still noiselessly moving along.

Ben pushed his fingers along the front of his hair and turned around, looking to one side. After a second or two, his peripherals notified him of movement, and he developed a sudden sense of impending danger. A blur of yellow and brown was all he saw. That is, until he begun seeing stars.

"Bun!"

With the laconic, monosyllabic battle cry, the little creature leapt into the air, swinging its body in a diagonal motion so as to create a whiplike effect with its ears. The auditory structures above its head proved not to be like anything he had ever before experienced. As the right ear connected with his forehead, it felt as though he had been hit with a jab by... The hulk, probably.

The brute force of the impact caused him to become airborne, his body following his head as he was launched back in the direction of the river he had just begun walking away from. He swore loudly, though the first half of the word came out as more of a choked scream. An explosion of color and light flashed before his eyes, temporarily blinding him until he hit the ground. His jaw fell slightly as he released a pained groan, right hand coming up to his head to very gently touch what he was certain was a six inch deep crater in his fucking skull.

His abdominal muscles contracted to raise his upper half off the ground to look at his attacker, and he felt an equally strong hit to his ego as he saw what just hit him: A tiny little bunny with brown and yellow fur and a cute little puffy tail. And it had just successfully knocked him on his ass in one hit. Fantastic.

In his dazed state it took him a moment to recognize the creature as a Buneary. The rabbit Pokemon bounced from foot to foot like a boxer, one ear coiled up on its head like a spring, the other standing up and folded over slightly at the top. It met eyes with him and slowly ceased moving, frowning and walking closer to him. It spoke its name, and yet when it reached Ben's ears he didn't interpret it as such: "Wait, you aren't a Pokemon..."

Not going to say anything. Just comment your thoughts.

Arthenius