FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

There was once a human named Aspen. He was a Hiker, a nature-lover who enjoyed exploring through scenic, wilder places. And in the Pokemon world, there are still plenty of wild places... But Aspen was no burly, husky sort like most Hikers. His scrawny frame and boyish, freckled face barely looked the part for camping out for weeks at a time, but his survivalist skills were top notch, and he knew fauna and flora alike quite well to keep himself safe and prepared for his trips. If worst came to worst, there was always his fellow Pokemon, a spirited little Deerling named Twig, to help him out of a bind.

Aspen made a career out of his passion for the natural world. He was a careful researcher, and while writing articles for books and magazines from his existing knowledge would surely be sufficient for a living, he was always eager to learn more...explore more. He often worked for governmental and city groups, going out into the wilds to gather population data about a certain species of Pokemon, or to record changes in a particular area, or any myriad of jobs that required a field researcher.

One job, though, was most-exciting for him...and most-fateful.

Mt. Silver. Smack-dab between the Kanto and Johto regions, an area you'd expect to be well-traveled-between. But most travelers came from further south, as the rugged terrain and powerful Pokemon around this mountain kept many away. Furthermore, it was League territory; only the VERY best trainers were even permitted in the area. But now...the League itself was allowing Aspen passage. Mt. Silver was a rugged place in its own right, but that said nothing of the area FURTHER north yet - a craggy, wild mess of forest and rocks that not even the best trainers had any good reason to go visit. But, the League was interested in what could be found there...suspecting the powerful Pokemon around Mt. Silver had to have come from further north. Just what WAS in those mountain ranges? Why, they would pay well to find out.

Aspen jumped on the job...though not primarily for the money. That area of the world had always interested him; he had grown up in Violet City, and Mt. Silver had always loomed far to the east...stoking a sense of adventure that had led him to his Hiker career. He was not really a Trainer by any means though - Twig was more a friend than a battle companion - and so he'd never expected to be able to actually step near his childhood wonder.

The researcher was careful to prepare for the week-long trip he had planned, prepping a quality camera, waterproof sketchpad, plenty of lasting rations, as well as survival gear befitting of multiple situations. The League had made it quite clear that the region was critically under-explored, and heavily insinuated the possibility of brand-new flora and fauna waiting to be discovered...which meant Aspen had to be able catalog what he found...as well as protect himself against it, if need be. The possibilities were equally exciting, and dangerous...but he knew how to prepare.

The plan was simple enough. Hike a half-day's walk north from Mt. Silver, set up camp, and explore and catalog a couple miles within camp's range for a week, before closing shop and heading back to the League. There were no paths in and out of the environment, but Aspen knew how to place his terrain and find his way about...and Mt. Silver would always loom to his south, helping ease his bearings.

The hike in was uneventful. The Hiker and his trusty Deerling got an early morning start, fresh with the sunrise, and quickly worked his way towards his planned camping position. Craggy and mountainous as the area was, there was a fair amount of forest rising and falling with the terrain, more the further he went...until by noon he had reached a relatively flat clearing in the thick of the forest, a perfect spot for a comfortable camp. Setup was completed by nightfall, just as planned...one tent for himself, and a smaller one for Twig. He never did confine the grass-type to his Pokeball during the trips out; not only because he was a good companion to have on otherwise-lonely expeditions such as this, but the Deerling's senses were much better-honed than the human's own in the event of danger. Fortunately for both, the wild Pokemon they'd seen so far, while clearly like the ones found around Mt. Silver, were mostly indifferent to the duo.

The next few days were informative and interesting for Aspen, though not altogether groundbreaking. He was able to record many Pokemon that were not known to be in this region, clearly migrants from other areas...but they were not new Pokemon, nor new variations of Pokemon. The plant life, though, seemed a bit more noteworthy. There was an unusual variety of flora in this forest, and he discovered a wealth of edible berries, some of which he never had seen grow successfully in this sort of craggier terrain. In fact, the wealth of flora seemed to be prolific in one particular easterly direction...

Aspen stuck to his original plan - exploring in a radius around camp, not straying too far in any one direction - for most of that week. But...by the morning of the second-to-last day of his expedition - the last day he could spend fully exploring and studying - Aspen decided to take a calculated risk. He could easily double the distance he left camp, and still arrive safe back at sunfall, if he focused on one direction...east. He was simply too intrigued by the flora that way...he HAD to see what else was out that way.

The journey quickly proved fruitful...both figuratively and literally. Further varieties of plants and berries appeared as Hiker and Deerling entered into a lusher section of the forest, some familiar, some rare...some even undiscovered! Aspen had hit upon a goldmine, and feverishly photographed and sketched and wrote down what he could. But even so - this was too incredible, too...prosperous, an area. It didn't make complete sense. Perhaps there was some special spring in the area, or...? Now that he thought about it, Aspen realized he'd barely been seeing any Pokemon since he'd entered the lusher portion...and the few he saw were atypical in their behavior as well, as if they were confused by something...

The thought came to Aspen to leave, that something was unsettling...at the same time he saw...the plant. It was huge - rooted like a bush, but with a stalk thick enough to mistake for a small tree. Sporting fern-like leaves, and with a carpet of vines sprawling out in every direction along the mossy, tangled grass...and, a canopy of fragrant maple leaves sprawled from the top of the stalk. The Hiker had never seen anything quite like it. It seemed to be the centerpiece of this lush area, 'claiming' it, even...

The researcher wasted no time in sketching it quietly from a distance, while Twig camped unsuredly behind his leg. Hesitantly, Aspen brought out his camera...snap, snap! All the while he watched the plant - as outlandish as it was, he suspected it could be a new kind of Pokemon, and watched for signs of movement. Though, there was...none; it was still as could be. It seemed an honest-to-Arceus plant...not a plant Pokemon. But the intricacies of it were simply amazing! He...needed to get closer to it... Twig had stepped back by now, out of 'range' of the plant's effects, bleating helplessly at his over-focused owner. The Deerling had noticed the weird plant had used Sweet Scent...slowly, subtly, casually, wafting a fine, creeping mist over the area. Aspen might have noticed this too had he not been so intrigued to record his findings...and now, the increasingly-heady smell was only encouraging him further to...yes! Approach! Study, learn... Closer...

That carpet of vines seemed so lifeless until the human had stepped both feet onto them. In an instant, the plant shook to life, the many vines instantly curling, weaving and wrapping around Aspen's body! He dropped his equipment, snapped back to reality as the vines hoisted him into the air, picking and pulling and RIPPING APART his attire! He looked back frantically to his Deerling, half-relieved to see his Pokemon had NOT stepped on the vines, though they were lashing around threateningly in front of the grass-type. Twig was quick to act, unleashing his one good distance attack, Energy Ball, again and again at the vines near Aspen...smashing through them! But there were just too many vines...tens, maybe hundreds! The plant simply brought over more vines to hold the human, not even considering the Deerling as Twig tuckered himself out fruitlessly...

Soon, the vines had disrobed the Hiker until he was bare as could be...though, at least, unharmed! For a moment, Aspen hoped that this plant merely wished to embarrass him, as absurd a notion as it was; but no. The Hiker knew it was merely prepping him, for... ...He couldn't begin to fathom! All his academics and studies had not prepared him for such a situation as this! But the plant humored him on this; he WOULD be taught, quite directly. A new vine rose up from the hoard, this one fatter, shinier than the others...with a notable split on the end. Rudely, this vine wasted no time in jamming itself into the human's mouth, and slinking just into his throat! Aspen couldn't bite, nor even gag; the other vines manipulated his head and jaw perfectly. The shiny vine slowly plumped from a lower portion, lump after lump of...something...climbing up...and into Aspen's jaws. The split end of the vine bloomed open like a flower, tickling the human's throat as a sticky, yet slick goop sunk down his throat, and into his belly. More, and more, and more...

Twig paced carefully, catching his breath from all the attacks he'd been using as he tried to look for an opening... The grass-type's floral tuft drooped as he saw the plant feed something into his owner's mouth...his sensitive nose detecting the sweet smell of maple sap. But it was no normal pancakes topping... The Deerling grimaced as the human's belly bloated outwards, stuffed well-past full with the sticky goo. But then...it got worse. The human's pink skin began to shift to a tanner yellow, a layer of fur slowly spreading across his skin. The Hiker's belly gurgled loudly, unnaturally, churning the sap still being pumped within it as if forced to... The sap was as calorie-heavy as it was sweet-smelling, it seemed; the Deerling had never seen his diet-mindful human fat before, yet now, in a mere matter of moments, he watched the human's body plump out thoroughly... Thicker hips, chubbier moobs, flabbier limbs, plumper cheeks...and even that distended belly grew pot-bellier, softer and rounder and all the more roomy for the sticky feedings.

And that fur... Twig knew humans were never supposed to have as much fur as was spreading across Aspen's form, and certainly not this color! The tan fuzz even shifted to a woody brown across the Hiker's hands and feet. And then...the leaves. Humans were not grass-types, Twig was one to know that; so why were leaves sprouting here and there across Aspen's body? It was only when that big, leafy tail sprouted from above the human's rear, tipped with a red-hued maple leaf just like the offending plant's own, that the Deerling understood what the plant was truly doing. A careful sniff towards his owner confirmed it; he smelled more...Leafeon, than human, now! The poor entangled Aspen was shifting to a shorter height as well, his face growing a plump snout and a button nose, his hands and feet shifting into chubby paws...the whole of his body structure was changing...!

But the more the plant forced this transformative, fattening sap into its target, the less it focused on the 'non-threatening' Deerling. Twig knew he needed to do SOMETHING...and finally, he saw his opening. The many unoccupied vines had grown lax in their defense. Aspen attacked with one last Energy Ball...but not to cut the vines holding his owner.

BZZZAM! The ball of natural energy struck right along the exposed stalk of the plant, jostling its root system something fierce! Though it made no cry, the tense shudders that ran across all its vines made it clear it had been hurt by that attack. More importantly...the vines holding Aspen spasmed worst of all, clearly no longer able to hold up the weight of the tubby Leafeon as they loosened, dropping Aspen to the ground and freeing the 'feeding vine' from his throat. Though clearly dazed and confused, Aspen had enough of his facilities to clumsily stagger to his feet to run...but, being a researcher to the core, clumsily shoved his dropped camera and sketchbook into his discarded day pack before grabbing the pack in a paw, dragging it along with him as he retreated from the dangerous plant with his trusty Deerling!

Back to camp. That was Aspen's only solid thought in his sap-addled mind. Twig, knowing this was safest too, nudged along his owner's furry hips, guiding him the right direction as the ex-human seemed to have lost his sense of direction for the time being. The two trudged along slowly, but in relative peace at least; expectedly, it was quite dark by the time they returned to the campsite. The Leafeon wordlessly collapsed into his tent, and Twig let out a concerned sigh...picking out his owner's matches from the supplies and striking it along the morning-prepared campfire with a wince. Obviously the grass type didn't enjoy playing with fire, but was rightfully concerned what could happen if they didn't set up a warding glow for the evening. Wild Pokemon tended to avoid humans...but his owner wasn't human any longer. Not that Aspen even seemed aware of it yet...

That quickly changed come morning. "LEEEEEAF?!" The cry quickly roused Twig, who popped out of his tent to see his owner peering into a metal food dish, staring at the reflection staring back at him. The exhausted ex-human had slept well, and his head had cleared enough to realize something was very, very wrong with how he felt. Now, it was confirmed... The Leafeon stammered, dropping the dish and sitting on the ground, his mind racing as he looked over his body.

Twig thought for a moment, stance a bit guarded. Now that his owner seemed more alert...the deer wondered, how human and not-human WAS he? Deerlings were prey, and Leafeons predators, after all. It was time to check...

"Hey! You ARE still my owner, right? You better prove you're not some body-snatching creature or something! I saw that movie!" Twig expressed, very concerned but still trying to sound tough...just in case. He DID see that movie, after all; he enjoyed watching horror and action flicks at Aspen's home between their trips, and the last day was starting to feel like one of those movies...

Aspen looked towards the Deerling, green eyes wide with confusion. He knew his Pokemon well...but this was the first time he'd heard anything beyond Pokemon cries from his partner. Slowly he realized...no, that wasn't it. He just understood Pokemon speech, now... "Tw...Twig?" he lazily expressed, practicing normal words with his new snout; he was still able to speak in human, at least. "What's going on...? What happened to the plant, and what happened to...me?"

"I knocked that plant into next week, POW! Serves that jerk right!" Twig spiritedly responded, feeling a bit better now that he knew his owner was still in that leafy new body. "You, though...uh... The plant messed with you bad...it fed you some sap, and...I dunno! Now you look like...um, like you do. I did stop it though! It was probably gonna do even more to you..."

Even more?... Aspen took out a mirror from his pack, the researcher in him still intact as fear half-turned to curiosity. He stood carefully back on two feet...testing his mobility, as he used the mirror to examine himself. Bellybutton, freckles, eyes, limited paw dexterity, some two-legged balance with mild anthro body structure remaining, normal speech...and of course, his mind... He still retained some human traits and features; he was not purely a Leafeon. But not much longer with that plant and he could've been, couldn't he have? "You saved me, Twig... There isn't much OF me left now, but...there would have been nothing at all left of me had you not stopped the plant... What a fascinating ability..." The Leafeon stepped forward to give Twig a pet, but stumbled...dropping neatly to all fours in front of the Deerling.

"You're still in there, man! Don't sound so lost. But, uh..." the Deerling politely backed away from the Leafeon's face, somewhat uncomfortably noting a bit of drool on Aspen's lip as the Leafeon sniffed towards him. "Hey! Maybe we can work on getting you used to all fours, today...? Seems it would be a little more comfortable for your...uh, new body." the deer suggested, hoping to shift the awkward situation away.

Aspen blinked, sheepishly turning away from his companion as he realized he had new instincts to figure out...as well as a new stance to learn, indeed. He felt a bit hungry, but why WAS he hungry? He could still feel that weight inside his gut, a stickiness all around his stomach walls...he could still taste the maple sweetness from it. Most of that sap had digested quite easily, the corrupt calories likely having much to do with both his new body and his new weight. So then, why did some remain? Perhaps some of the sap was made of an indigestible material...but what purpose did THAT serve the plant that had fed him it?

It was worth further study, perhaps...later. The Deerling had a decent point; he was in a Pokemon body; he needed to grow more accustomed to it. The two dropped his 'hunger' matter for the time being, and moved on towards walking lessons; Aspen could eat later...

"It's step, and step, and step again, like that! Easy-peasy!" the Deerling stomped with his hooves in demonstration, though far more thuddingly than your typical graceful deer, showing Aspen how to walk on all fours. "Now you try!"

"I'm not sure how important this is. I can walk on two legs still..." Aspen swayed indecisively, standing on his back feet again. "I'm a little less-balanced than I remember, sure, but..."

Twig slipped behind the Leafeon, giving his owner a resolute but well-meant headbutt to the butt, toppling Aspen to all four of his feet. "Shush-hush-ush! You got four feets now, you should use 'em! You're way slower on two feet now, and...if a big mean Pokemon jumps out of this crazy place, like BAM!" The Deerling leaped suddenly in front of Aspen. "Then you're just gonna fall onto your back and be as helpless as a Squirtle! That's no good!"

The human part of Aspen still wanted to hold onto what he could from his old body...but the researcher part of him knew his Pokemon was quite right... Gradually, he practiced the stance, as feral as it made him feel. Even with his belly-weight swaying under him, Aspen soon grew comfortable with his new mobility, impressing even Twig with the agility such a tubby Leafeon could move. Twig taught Aspen many more things that day of training, from instincts to senses, and even performing a few weaker Pokemon abilities. Though when the day came to a close...both of them were pretty hungry.

Twig didn't think much about this as their bellies both grumbled. "Whoops! I'm so hungry I could eat 10 acres of grass!" quipped the Deerling before chowing down on some particularly-green spots of grass near the campsite.

Aspen paused a bit though, realizing his appetite was demanding of him more than he was used to...though he chalked it up to unfamiliarity with Leafeon metabolisms, and the increase in nutritional needs his drastic physiological changes likely demanded. Still...that sap still remained inside his gut, even with a whole day of activity, didn't it?... The Leafeon had a few more days' rations, though, it was no trouble. Though this was to be the day they should have traveled back, the well-prepared Hiker always packed a few extra days of food just in case. He managed to fumble open a can of stew, deciding to skip heating it on the fire like he'd typically do and just downing the contents into his muzzle... ...He opened another can, then another, then another... Aspen would normally be good with one can for a meal even back when he was a larger human, but now he was a smaller Leafeon...why wasn't this filling him up? It was legitimately irritating him as he dove deeper into his pack, fishing out his other remaining rations...ALL the remaining rations, in fact. Crackers, more soup cans, beef jerky, a few cans of soda, some chips...all he scarfed down his maw, growing more forlorn as his stomach kept growling and taunting him.

"Woah! You okay? You're a Leafeon, not a Grumpig, geez." Twig remarked, having finished his grassy meal and seeing the cans and packaging strewn all about Aspen as the Leafeon chomped and gulped down the last of what he could find. "I think you just ate the rest of your food for the trip... You know, I was kidding with the eating 10 acres thing, it's not like you had to try to top me." The Deerling glomped his maw around each piece of trash on the ground and stuffed it into a little side-compartment on Aspen's pack that was normally used for trash, rolling his eyes that his normally-eco-friendly owner was being such a litterer. The deer raised his head after cleaning up the mess, and looked at the Leafeon sitting next to him...and just staring at him and drooling. "Uh." Twig remarked bemusedly, stepping back and cocking his head. "I know I already asked this, but are you SURE you aren't body-snatched or brain-nabbed or anything? Creepin' me out a little, dude..."

It was about the point where Aspen loosely dropped to all fours with a lick of his snout, then crouched in a pouncing pose while his bloated stomach STILL growled, that... "Okay no what. No. Not funny anymore." Twig growled back. "Stop it or...okay you're not stopping. Sorry about this but...BAM!" Twig unleashed a Flash attack right as Aspen pounced, blinding and misdirecting the Leafeon and sending him flying into a nearby tree instead! The tree shook with the impact of the fatty canine, a few plump apples dropping from its branches. Twig hopped in a turn, ready to use another attack if absolutely necessary as Aspen stood back to all fours and blinked his vision back... But upon seeing all the apples right next to him, the Leafeon made silly little pounces on top of each one, shoving each and every apple down his throat without pause before letting loose a belch, his stomach calming as he rubbed his face.

"...Ow. Why does my side ache all of a sudden?" Aspen remarked casually to the Deerling, sitting against the nearby tree and rubbing the side of his now-fatter gut.

"Oh no big reason at all it probably just hurts a little because YOU TRIED TO ATTACK ME AND I HAD TO SEND YOU FLYING INTO A TREE." Twig fumed, stomping his hooves. "What's WRONG with you?!"

"Wh-what? I'd never attack you, Twig!" Aspen gulped at his Pokemon's outburst. "I was just eating, I remember...and then I couldn't get full, and I wanted more to eat, but there was nothing left aside from..." he stared at his Deerling, his brain for a moment still registering the deer as 'food'. "...Oh. Crap..."

Twig 'got it' at the same time as Aspen. "WHOA HOLD THE DAMN PHONE. You wanted to EAT me? I get you're a predator Pokemon now but WHAT. THE HECK. I get the whole herbivore-carnivore relationship, circle o' life and all that, but MAN. Not cool. At all." The Deerling's ears drooped. Tough as he did like to act, what his owner had just tried to do completely hurt his feelings...

"I-I'm...not sure what came over me. I'm sorry Twig...I know you're not food, but my body was really hungry, until...I ate those apples, that filled me up finally and I...guess I came back to my senses then." Aspen gulped, drooping his own leafy ears.

"Humph." the Deerling shuffled his hooves, pacing tensely around the Leafeon for a minute to analyze the situation. "...Fine, I forgive you, you numb-nut." Twig walked up to the seated Leafeon, smooshing a hoof against the side of his big gut. "But if you do that again, Porky...POW! Straight to the moon." Twig stamped his hoof harder against the belly, making it jiggle and squish as he made his point. "Not just a little Flash attack. Got it?"

"I-I'd expect nothing less from you, Twig." Aspen stammered, quite embarrassed over what happened and accepting how uppity his Pokemon was being over this. "I guess I'm just adjusting to all...this, still. Physically, instinctively...there's a lot I need to study about this the next few days."

"A longer trip, then? Dude, you're always the same. We'll have to go back at some point though..." the Deerling trailed off, thinking how his owner going back to other humans might go. "And, what about food, for you, now?..."

It wasn't a thought that escaped Aspen either... He was dreading returning back to civilization. He absolutely needed to get used to...himself, first. "It's...fine. I still have my fishing rod, and a few traps..." Or he could hunt...more traditionally, for a Leafeon. Clearly he was capable of a good pounce...and thought of hunting somehow excited him. Though he wouldn't tell Twig that, of course...

"That...gonna keep you fed? I, uh...could forage for ya too if you need. Just not...back around that plant area. Lots of fruits over there, but at this point, I don't trust 'em one bit!" the Deerling huffed, making a good, solid point that Aspen couldn't argue with.

"Yeah...I'll be fine. I promise." Aspen hoped he could promise that, at least.

The two went to bed shortly thereafter... As Aspen sprawled in his tent, he rubbed his gut...feeling his belly churn and digest his big meal ever so rapidly now...pounds visibly adding to his form. And that sap...it was churning right along in there...almost, directing the digestion... No, that was silly, wasn't it? And it would eventually dissolve, and his body would eventually settle down... It was all transitional changes. Pokemon often experienced it briefly after an evolution, and what he underwent was sort of an evolution. That had to explain it... Perhaps...

Regardless... The Leafeon yawned, settling down against his pillow. It was going to be an interesting next few days....