21 Chapter 19: I Choose You!
Chapter 19: I Choose You!
Arkham Asylum, where Gotham City's most wicked and dangerous criminals are imprisoned. But for these guys, the most secluded cells are like staying at a hotel; they can leave anytime they want.
Batman repeatedly puts the escaped prisoners back in Arkham. He knows they can't be contained here, he knows they are beyond redemption, but he still adheres to his no-killing rule and brings them back.
Because they are just a bunch of maggots bred in this cesspool called Gotham, and as long as the cesspool remains, the maggots will never die.
Poison Ivy is also held captive in Arkham Asylum. She is not like the other vicious criminals, but her ability to control plants has turned her into an extreme environmentalist. To her, humans are pests destroying nature.
"We are like bugs running around in the grass."
Damian climbed to the treetop, trying to find any trace of Quinn, but all he could see was a wild forest.
He jumped down and held Dick, who was trying to get up: "Don't move, your left arm is dislocated."
Damian grasped Dick's arm and twisted it sharply. After a moment of intense pain, Nightwing felt his shoulder loosen up, and he could move freely again.
He was surprised, "Robin, you know how to reset bones?"
Damian smirked, "I learned some bone-setting techniques from my grandfather to incapacitate my opponents. Never thought it would come in handy to save someone."
Dick listened and rolled his eyes. Of course, Damian would only know deadly techniques. After all, his grandfather was a member of the League of Assassins; what else could he teach him but deadly medical skills?
"I passed out just now. What about Poison Ivy?"
Dick helped Damian block an attack and got knocked out.
Damian witnessed the whole process, "Quinn drove your car to lure Poison Ivy away. When she couldn't catch up, she flew into a rage and released a green energy wave. The next time I blinked, we were in this primordial jungle."
Dick realized that the ground he was standing on wasn't solid earth but a layer of interwoven plant roots. The vegetation was growing in astonishing density, dividing and occupying every inch of land.
"This doesn't seem like Poison Ivy's style. She's usually a mastermind who manipulates conflicts. When did she become a straightforward brawler?"
Damian agreed; after all, they had caught Poison Ivy together. If she possessed this kind of power, they would have been taken down by her already.
"Putting Poison Ivy aside for now, she went after Quinn. She doesn't pose an immediate threat to us, but this jungle..."
The tree leaves blocked the sunlight, and only fragmented beams shone through. Even at noon, the forest was as dark as midnight, and they had no idea what lurked in the darkness.
"Robin, be cautious."
Damian made a sword move, "No need to tell me."
As they remained vigilant, a vine quietly descended from above…
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Quinn sat in the luxurious sports car, and the front wheels spun wildly, leaving the car perched five meters above the ground on a tree branch.
Quinn was bewildered; moments ago, he was speeding on the road, and now, in the blink of an eye, the car was up in a tree. Could it be that the car's built-in power source was super-speed?
He took out his phone; unsurprisingly, there was no signal, indicating they were outside the service area.
"Manaphy, fly up and take a look."
After a short while, Manaphy left, and Quinn received images from it—a vast expanse of forest with a green dome overhead.
"It must be some kind of magical barrier. We're still in Gotham's territory, trapped in a secret realm created by Poison Ivy. These realms are usually closed; people inside can't leave, and outsiders can't enter. This has both advantages and disadvantages. The good news is that Poison Ivy won't harm Gotham citizens, but the bad news is we can't leave until we defeat her."
The tables had turned. Quinn and the others, the ones who were trying to escape earlier, now had to actively search for Poison Ivy in the jungle; otherwise, the harsh environment would eventually wear them down.
Leaving Damian's car hanging in the tree, Quinn, accompanied by Manaphy, moved forward. With Wayne Enterprises' deep pockets, he could buy another car later.
The forest Poison Ivy created didn't have wild animals, but some plants were even more terrifying than the fiercest beasts.
He used "Slash" to cut through the blocking plants with ease. The humid forest made Quinn sweat profusely.
"Using 'Slash' to clear the path of plants, it's quite appropriate," Quinn quipped.
The power of the secret technique, "Slash," wasn't significant; in Pokémon games, its primary use was to cut down obstructing trees.
In the game, using a move consumes PP, while for Quinn, using a move drains his stamina. Fortunately, Manaphy could create a clean source of water for him to drink, preventing dehydration.
"Manaphy, are you sure this is the right direction?" During a break, Quinn asked Manaphy.
Manaphy conveyed that it sensed a strong life force emanating from somewhere in the forest, which Quinn presumed was Poison Ivy's location.
"Mana, Mana!"
(Bad woman sleeping there, teach her a lesson!)
"Sleeping? Poison Ivy should be undergoing metamorphosis."
Seemingly mentioning her name, all the plants around them turned toward Quinn, sending shivers down his spine.
All the plants were Poison Ivy's informants; they had no way of hiding from her. Quinn knew that now was his last chance to act. Once Poison Ivy woke up, the entire forest would become her army.
Opening the system storage, Quinn retrieved the last item from the Devon's Box, one of the most famous Pokémon items.
"Manaphy..."
At the core of the deep forest, a bright red bud quietly blossomed, and Poison Ivy emerged naked from within. Her expression appeared somewhat confused.
"It feels... so different."
As her feet touched the ground, her lower half, belonging to a human, disappeared, and a mysterious power was changing her, quickly integrating her with the forest.
Taking a deep breath, the leaves in the entire forest rustled. Her breathing synchronized with the forest, her will becoming one with it, and the life of the forest became her own life.
Poison Ivy's power comes from the "The Green." As one of DC's fundamental forces, it doesn't possess a personalized will. It is a symbol, a concept. It instinctively grants the wisdom of life to those who are close to plants, bestowing them with its power. Those who receive the power of the Green become its avatars, and Poison Ivy is one of them.
Poison Ivy wasn't initially under the Green's attention, and she hadn't fully understood the nature of her power. But one day, while imprisoned in Arkham, the power of the Green actively poured into her, rapidly transforming her into a towering tree.
With this power, Ivy escaped from Arkham, but the Green's bestowal was never without purpose. It chose her to protect plants, and it chose her because Manaphy was in Gotham, and the Green wanted Manaphy.
The more powerful Ivy became, the deeper her connection with the Green. The annoying urge gradually became her own thoughts.
"I see now. That child is genuinely essential to the plants."
Ivy's eyes glowed green as she connected with the forest. She quickly located Manaphy's position.
"I see you."
All the plants pointed directly at Manaphy. Manaphy could feel their gazes, and it curled up, afraid.
"Hmm?"
Poison Ivy furrowed her brow, sweeping her gaze again, causing the entire forest to rustle, but she still found nothing.
"That police officer is gone. I guess he was lucky not to be brought in. No matter, I'll catch him soon enough."
A red flower spat out a yellow powder at Manaphy, who took a breath and fell asleep instantly. The plants below used large leaves to wrap Manaphy into a ball, passing it along to the next plant repeatedly. Before long, Manaphy was brought to Poison Ivy.
Opening the surface leaves, Poison Ivy reached out and touched Manaphy's peaceful face, the first time she had been so close to it.
Her eyes glimmered with green light as she said with a fascinated voice, "What a wondrous life, its body composed mostly of water, pure and beautiful."
As Poison Ivy touched Manaphy, it suddenly opened its eyes wide and woke up from the hypnotic spores. The effect wasn't as effective on Manaphy, and it awoke as soon as Poison Ivy showed any signs of movement.
"Manaphy!
(Bad woman!)
Manaphy instantly flew aside, looking at Poison Ivy with eyes half fearful and half resentful.
Poison Ivy couldn't understand what Manaphy was saying, but she could guess the meaning from its body language. She said in a sweet voice, "Don't be so afraid of me, I'm here to protect you."
"Mana!" (You lied!)
"The policeman? Don't be fooled by humans. Their so-called protection is just using you. Unlike me, I only feel sorry for you, my little companion." Poison Ivy's vines approached, wanting to embrace Manaphy.
"When you truly become the incarnation of the ocean, you will understand that plants and the ocean are natural partners, and we depend on each other."
Facing the approaching vines, Manaphy put two tentacles on its head into its mouth and took out a red and white Poké Ball. Manaphy threw its head back and released the Poké Ball.
"Mana, Mana!"
Under Poison Ivy's astonished gaze, the red and white Poké Ball exploded, and Qin Su, who had been preparing for a long time, emerged.
"Ma-na!"
(Use--)
"Slash"
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