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A small Blipbug scurried quickly across the vast dirt floor of the jungle, foraging for plants to eat. It scanned its surroundings for quality nutritious flora, first left, then right. Next it looked up, and what it saw made it stop in its tracks.
A large, terrifying Victreebel was hanging overhead, looking for a victim. The grass type had heard the Blipbug's movements and looked down at the source, and a grumbling sound emitted from the Pokémon's "stomach". This made the small bug type react in shock, and it hurried off as fast as it could. As relieved as the Blipbug may be, it was never really in any danger. This Victreebel would never settle for such miniscule prey.
Although, this particular Pokémon was far from the only one like it in this jungle. It lives on a remote, barely explored island, which isn't even put onto most maps and isn't considered a part of any Region. The jungle, while the largest part, only makes up a portion of the landmass. Few have attempted to set foot on this island, as scientists in the fields of biology have considered many of the Pokémon who live there extremely dangerous and exceptionally competitive. Any expedition crews that have dared to spend more than an extremely short stay on the shores of the island have never been able to return home, and are presumed dead.
Victreebel is only one of the various species on the island that have adopted a more dangerous disposition and a more competitive diet. While the typical Victreebel is usually content with mostly bug types, the ones on this island will not go after anything they think too tiny for them.
Consider the eating habits of the Victreebel that just scared off Blipbug, for example. This individual spent the prior week on a tree at the edge of a small, mountainous area toward the middle of the island, an area populated by some very powerful Pokémon. However, strength means nothing when you are unwary of a Victreebel nearby. Over seven days, it consumed a Machoke, Sawk, Kommo-o, Lucario, Golem, Lunatone, and Quagsire, respectively, each taking around one day to fully digest. Some went down easier than others, but the variant of Victreebel found here on this island doesn't seem to mind the size of its prey as long as it can fit inside of its maw.
The Victreebel currently hangs in the huge, lush, and diverse jungle area of the island. The particular tree it hangs from is close to a small cave entrance in the side of a rocky wall, as well as a small bush of oran berries. It is a good vantage point with a mostly clear view of its surroundings, while still being hidden from the view of its potential prey.
Victreebel is pretty exhausted from the week long outing it had in the mountains. The Golem and Lunatone in particular really took a toll on its capacity to stretch out and hold its prey in its body, due to their large and heavy rock type bodies. It would have to find something a bit on the smaller side, but of course nothing tiny and weak like a Blipbug. No, something worthy of being this Pokémon's dinner would have to be something that can at least put up somewhat of a fight.
Meanwhile, inside of the nearby cave, there was a dire situation brewing for a particular Pokémon. Salazzle sat deep in the cavern, feeling a tinge of hunger. The reptillian cave ruler summoned one of her Salandit subordinates to remedy the situation. However, while the Salandit did manage to come over promptly, it looked extremely emaciated and weak. This prompted confusion from the Salazzle, who hadn't really noticed anything wrong before, too focused on her own well being.
The woozy Salandit communicated that the supply of berries, assorted bodies of smaller Pokémon, and other miscellaneous edible materials, was running extremely low. The Salazzle barked at the small, starving creature, communicating for it to do the obvious and send out a hunting party to gather more. However, Salazzle's own neglect of the situation has left every last Salandit under her orders in a condition similar to the one before her, and they would be unable to fulfill any request given to them.
The Salazzle flew into a rage. She lifted the Salandit who told her the situation up by the neck. She stared coldly into the pathetic reptile's terrified eyes as it weakly flailed around in a futile attempt to escape her grasp. Salazzle's own eyes turned twisted as she growled loudly and crushed the Salandit's windpipe, then dropped its lifeless body to the ground.
The Salazzle couldn't comprehend how useless and incompetent her harem of Salandit have been. She didn't think she had to remind them to go out and search for food. It was all their fault in her eyes. She thought that this was the start of her own starvation, all because of their failure. She slammed her fist on the cavern's wall.
Then, she got an idea. Her own preservation can only really be determined by herself, she thought. Her plan was to abandon her entire cave lair and every last one of her entourage of pheromone-effected Salandit, and find some food on her own. Really, it was the only option, right? At least until she can find some different, more competent Salandit to serve her.
So, the Salazzle glanced back at her rocky throne, remembering all of the years she had spent here with her large harem of Salandit, all of the time having her every last whim immediately satisfied by them. Then, she glanced at the corpse of the Salandit she killed in her rage. There was no turning back after doing that, she thought. With a clenched fist, the Salazzle, turned around, and headed towards the entrance of the cavern.
Back outside of the cave, Victreebel hung patiently from its branch. The Quagsire it had eaten the previous day had already been fully digested, bones and all, so the hunger was really starting to set in. It wondered to itself if this area was only full of tiny bug types and flying types that would be an insufficient meal. Just as it was getting ready to find another spot to hide at, something caught the hungry grass type's eye.
Salazzle poked her head out of the entrance of the rock wall of her lair. This was the first daylight she had seen in years. After all, her Salandit did all of the hunting and gathering for her up until this point. Her eyes were blinded for a short time as they adjusted to the bright sunlight that peeked through the treetops of the jungle.
When the blinding sunlight died down, Salazzle was taken aback by all of the beautiful greenery and small, colorful Pokémon populating the area. It was quite different from the near darkness of the cavernous lair she called home, and all directly outside of it! Inspired by the sights, she began to tread forward slowly, determined to make her own living.
Victreebel was elated when it noticed that some decent potential prey was nearby. It kept an eye on the Salazzle's movements, while occasionally checking where she was looking, in search of a method to strike and score its meal.
Salazzle continued her slow walking pace, searching around for something to eat as well. If she wanted, she could move on all fours instead of only her two legs, but she didn't want to move quickly. She didn't want to miss any potential food, and besides, the surroundings were gorgeous to her. These sights were new and exciting!
Finally, the lizard-like Pokémon saw what she was after. She noticed the bush of oran berries right below the branch that Victreebel was waiting at. She ran over quickly to the bush, which to her, might as well have been hosting a huge buffet of berries. She picked one, gave it a slight squish, and popped it in her mouth.
Victreebel was feeling a little tense at first, but as Salazzle stood there eating more berries one by one, it realized that she had completely failed to notice it. A rush of adrenaline began to set in on the grass type as it hung directly over the lizard, waiting for the right moment.
Salazzle, unaware of the imminent danger above, just plucked another berry and consumed it without a care.
Victreebel couldn't wait any longer. It was time to make Salazzle its prey.
Suddenly, a rustling came from the leaves above the fire type as she swallowed an oran berry. Without any time to react, Victreebel emerged from the leafy covering, and, while upside down, removed the leaf cover from its mouth, quickly descended, and closed it around Salazzle's head.
It took a second for Salazzle to realize what was going on. She hadn't been out in the cutthroat jungle, full of vicious Pokémon looking for their next victim, for a very long time. When the danger set in, she grabbed and clawed at the edge of Victreebel's body, hoping to break free.
Victreebel's mouth began to sink slowly deeper onto Salazzle as she let out muffled screams and screeches. Her neck slipped in with ease, then her shoulders, and her torso.
Salazzle felt the predator's two sharp teeth poking slightly at the front of her upper arms, causing mild pain as they scraped against her at the speed of a crawl. The walls of Victreebel's inner body felt slippery and wet, and Salazzle heard every groan and yelp she made echoed back to her in the tiny chamber that is the "Flycatcher" Pokémon.
Victreebel kept lowering itself over its helpless prey, as it always does. Soon, Salazzle's midsection disappeared into it as well. Her arm joints were now inside of the predator, leaving her hands stuck at her sides, and any hope of fighting back gone.
Next, the plantlike Pokémon began swallowing her hips, then thighs. Salazzle now realized how utterly helpless she was, now that her entire arms were inside of Victreebel's "prison". Next, the rest of her lower leg and much of her tail was taken inside the hungry Pokémon's maw.
This was as far as Victreebel could go upside down. Its lips had hit the floor of the jungle at this point. With only Salazzle's feet and the rest of its tail remaining, the grass type began to lift its catch off of the ground.
A couple of Pachirisu were climbing down the tree and happened to walk onto the branch Victreebel was hanging from. In fear, they froze when they looked down and noticed that a terrifying carnivorous grass type was just below them, probably looking for a snack. They were quickly relieved, however, when the leaf covering on Victreebel moved to reveal part of a writhing tail, and the pink soles of two reptilian feet. With the dangerous Pokémon occupied with prey already, the Pachirisu realized that they were safe, for now, and stayed on the branch for a rest.
Now that Victreebel was no longer upside down, the rest was easy. It was able to quickly get the remaining exposed parts to slide right into its body with a single slurp. Now all it had to do was wait for the stomach acid to start secreting from its innards and wait for its prey to be digested. Satisfied and content, Victreebel closed its eyes and enjoyed the feeling of its struggling prey fruitlessly trying to escape, wiggling around inside it.
Salazzle began to panic as she hung upside down inside of Victreebel, trying everything to even maybe have a chance to escape her tight, damp "prison". She tried the obvious, clawing and kicking at the walls of the carnivorous Pokémon, but the slippery texture made the attempts utterly useless. She tried heating the pink markings on her body to try and melt through, but the strength of the lining on Victreebel's inside was not to be underestimated. While grass types are weak to fire, the lining on the inside of Victreebel's body prevents any damage. Nothing that enters its mouth ever comes out unless it so decides.
Even shaking so that Victreebel itself was being pulled down was ineffective, thanks to the strength of the appendage that it holds onto trees with, and the branch itself was also quite thick and sturdy. All this accomplished was mildly annoying Victreebel and scaring off the two Pachirisu on the branch.
Finally, it happened. Salazzle gave up. She felt sick to her stomach as she realized, this was how she would die, swallowed alive by a lowly grass type, and painfully at that. Her heart felt like it was going a million miles per hour. She heaved as she took in the feelings of being trapped. The slight coloration of the walls of Victreebel from the sun beating through. The feeling of simultaneous tightness and looseness from being trapped in a space where there is only a slight bit of room. The foul smells of the acid from the previous day's catch which lingered in what little breathable air was inside the beastly plant.
Salazzle thought about what she'd been doing all these years. Sending her Salandit to risk this very same thing. She wondered if any of them had ever met the same fate that she was about to. Not like it mattered, with them abandoned, they would all meet horrible fates as well. A sigh escaped the lizard's long mouth.
At that moment, nature began to take its course. Tiny beads of acid began to form along the walls of Victreebel's inside. Gravity worked them down the sides to begin a tiny pool at the bottom of the plant, where Salazzle's head sat. She winced as the horrible stench of the acid began to grow much stronger than the faint remnants from before.
Victreebel was content with satisfaction. Another day's meal, secured. Nothing more to worry about until tomorrow. The only thing on its agenda: rest on the branch as its meal is digested over the twenty-four hours.
A few minutes pass, and the digestive acids have almost submerged Salazzle's head. If it did, she wouldn't be able to breathe, of course, so she tried to flip her body. Being only slightly smaller than the Victreebel, it was very tough, but she eventually managed to use her willpower and body strength to go from being upside down in the Pokémon, head facing the ground, to normal, head facing the sky. The rush of blood that had filled in her head from being upside down began to quickly exit, making her feel disoriented and even sicker.
The tiny pool of digestive juices now submerges Salazzle's feet as she stands inside of Victreebel. At the moment, it just feels like stepping in water. Prolonged contact, however, would be a whole different story.
As time passed, the acid rose higher and higher, bit by bit. About an hour after Salazzle switched her position, the acid had risen up to her lower body, and it began to make her experience a slight tingling sensation in the areas that were covered.
Not long after, the tingling became burning. The acid was continuing to slowly rise, and even slower it was starting to dissolve her flesh. At this point there would be no visible changes to Salazzle's appearance, only the burning pain of having her skin and flesh becoming one with Victreebel's "stomach", cell by cell.
By evening, Salazzle was almost fully covered by the digestive juice. The pain had grown very intense in the parts contacting it, and parts of her flesh were already breaking down visably. She was disgusted at the feeling of her own body melting into the very thing that kept her trapped. The tiny space between the top of Victreebel and the tip of the rising juice yielded little oxygen, and Salazzle was in plenty of distress just trying to breathe.
Finally, by nightfall, Salazzle was entirely encased in a tomb of burning liquid. Spots of exposed bone could be seen on the places that have been contacting acid the longest. She fought off her death as much as she could, but there would be no way to survive a room entirely full of acid. Salazzle floated hopelessly in the now pitch dark location. With no sunlight and a room full of liquid, it felt like its own dimension, inside of a Victreebel.
Salazzle thrashed around as she struggled for air, only bringing the deadly acid into her lungs. Absolutely nothing could save her now. She thought about the harem of Salandit she'd left behind, she thought about how nothing she did was wrong... was it? One last feeble gasp escaped the lizard and bubbled up to the top of Victreebel as the life finally escaped her body.
Over the night her corpse would begin breaking down as it floats lifelessly in the abyss of Victreebel's "stomach". By morning only tiny bits of pink and red flesh remained on the bones. Over the last few hours of the cycle, the bones themselves were broken down into the broth. By the time of when Victreebel had caught its prey the day before, no visable trace had remained of Salazzle's corporeal form. Having recieved all of the nutrition from its victim, the acid she was mixed into lowered until Victreebel's entire body was hollow again. It would only be a matter of hours before Victreebel grew hungry again.