DC: A Cop in Gotham

Chapter 74: Green Fever *

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This is 2 chapters put together into one. So the OG chapters became short again and I don't want to make it longer using Ai. Because that would leave a bad taste in everyone. Many of you are sick already of reading stories with too much Ai influence.

1. Combine 2 chapters that are short into 1.

2. Post 2 short chapters.

So what do you guys like, don't worry no.2 will be posted on the same day. It's just they're in separate chapters and not combine into 1 long.

I'll put a mark on the chapter that is combined.

maybe this "*"

So if you see * in the chapter title don't expect lemon. And im not sure if this will have one, I'm reading it as I'm editing it.

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[Name: Soothing Bell]

[Special Effect: The increased intimacy after being carried by a Pokémon is improved.]

[Description: A bell with a pleasant sound. The Pokémon it carries will be soothed and will become closer to the trainer.]

This was the truth behind everything. When Dean first gave Ivy the Soothing Bell, he had no idea that the good medicine he used to heal her would turn her into a Pokémon. He had only wanted to cheer her up. But by some bizarre twist of fate, that small act had created an illusion—one that led Ivy to develop false feelings toward him.

After listening to Dean's explanation, Ivy didn't react as violently as he had expected. She simply turned back to her experimental table, continuing to mix the potion she had been working on. Her green eyes remained focused on the liquid swirling in the test tube, her voice calm but heavy with emotion.

"I was affected by the Green of All Things before. It turned me into a madwoman, obsessed with protecting plants above all else. I finally regained my humanity, thinking I had become just an ordinary person who loved plants… Now you tell me my emotions are still being manipulated?"

Dean felt a sharp sting of guilt at her words. He had wrestled with this himself—tried to convince himself that it was all an accident, that it wasn't his fault, that he could just accept Ivy's favor without questioning it. But no matter how he tried to rationalize it, he couldn't shake the truth.

"I hate people who play with emotions the most," he admitted bitterly. "And yet, I ended up doing exactly that. I can't forgive it."

Ivy's emerald gaze lingered on the potion bottle for a moment before she finally spoke. "Are you trying to alleviate your guilt by blaming yourself?"

Dean sighed, his voice heavy with regret. "If I could, I would take action to make up for my mistake. But this kind of change is irreversible… unless I somehow summon the creator of the potion to this universe."

That was an impossible task.

The God of Creation—Arceus was the undisputed divine being of the Pokémon world. In terms of status alone, Arceus was no different from the Presence of the DC Universe. However, in terms of sheer power, Arceus was much weaker by comparison. Even so, calling forth a god from another world was no small feat. The cost to do so—if converted into points—would likely be in the hundreds of millions.

Dean had access to the Pokémon Up Pool and could extract anything he wanted from it, but he had never dared to make a request of Arceus. He knew that doing so would only make the god see him as greedy.

Ivy remained silent, carefully extracting various plant essences—including her own—and mixing them into a single potion.

This was what she had been working toward for days. She wanted to return to the Forest's Secret Realm to retrieve her heart, and for that, she needed the Green of All Things to turn its attention to her once more. But the essence of ordinary plants simply wasn't enough. It wasn't strong enough to draw the Green's notice.

Unless… she had another essence of the same level as her own.

Ivy finally turned her gaze to Dean.

"Transform into a Wild Demon Vine, and then drip your essence into this."

Dean blinked. "Huh?"

"Just do it."

Dean hesitated for a moment, but seeing the determination in Ivy's eyes—and out of his own desire to make amends—he didn't argue. Without another word, he activated his Omnitrix, transforming into the Wild Demon Vine.

A flash of green light filled the greenhouse, and the one-eyed vine Pokémon appeared in place of Dean. Ivy looked at him in a daze, taking in the sight of the Pokémon's massive leafy body, its bright red eye gleaming with curiosity.

This was no longer Hellwind. The soul of Trigon still existed, but it had been sealed inside Xiao Po Biao's mental prison, ensuring that he could no longer influence Dean's actions.

Extending his palm, the Wild Demon Vine squeezed out a single drop of brilliant green liquid, letting it drip into the potion.

"Now what?" he asked.

"You can go."

The moment she got what she needed, Ivy immediately turned back to her work, dismissing him without another word.

Dean hesitated, glancing at her one last time before finally leaving the botanical garden.

But as he walked away, a strange unease settled in his chest. Something about this didn't feel right.

Then, suddenly, realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"She's not making an ordinary potion."

His instincts screamed at him. Without hesitation, he activated the Snake Talisman, turned invisible, and rushed back inside the botanical garden just in time to witness a shocking scene.

Ivy had entered a tree hollow, a massive ancient plant she often used as her home. Now, she stood at its center, arms stretched toward the sky, chanting in a voice filled with raw determination.

"Green of All Things, turn your eyes to me again!"

She raised the potion to her lips and drank every last drop.

The reaction was instantaneous.

A tremendous surge of vitality erupted from Ivy's body, sending shockwaves of life energy rippling through the greenhouse. The plants inside the tree hollow exploded into full bloom, rapidly growing and intertwining at an alarming rate.

Vines, flowers, and leaves burst forth from the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling, spreading out of control as if the very essence of nature itself had been unleashed. The entire greenhouse was being swallowed whole.

"Damn it! I knew something was going to happen!"

Wild Demon Vine canceled his invisibility, his large red eye widening at the sight before him. He had suspected Ivy was planning something—but he hadn't expected this.

She had forced the Green of All Things to acknowledge her.

Without wasting another second, he plucked explosive seeds from his back, hurled them forward, and watched as a series of controlled detonations blasted away the rapidly expanding plants, creating an opening.

Whatever Ivy had just done… this wasn't going to end quietly.

At this moment, Ivy had completely lost her human form. Her body had merged with the surrounding plants, her delicate frame entwined with vines and petals, and her overwhelming vitality had caused her to bloom into a wild, untamed flower. She was no longer just a person—she was nature incarnate. Yet, even in this surreal transformation, the Wild Demon Vine couldn't help but see her as breathtakingly beautiful.

"Of course, the Wild Demon Vine would think that," Dean muttered to himself. "She's practically one of its kind now." But this was no time to be distracted.

"Forcibly absorbing the essence of other plants to draw the attention of the Green of All Things? That's reckless beyond belief!"

The Green of All Things was the primordial force that connected all plant life on Earth. It had no true will of its own, only an instinctive drive to preserve and guide plantkind. But to be chosen by it was not always a blessing. Without strong spiritual fortitude, being noticed by the Green could consume one's individuality entirely. The Swamp Thing, a long-time servant of the Green, had spent centuries carrying out its will, sacrificing his personal desires to act as its guardian.

And Ivy's method? It was even more extreme. The unchecked surge of vitality coursing through her body would soon erase her humanity altogether. If she continued down this path, she wouldn't even be left as a vegetable—she'd become just another plant in the Green's infinite expanse.

"Wake up, Ivy! Don't do anything stupid!"

The Wild Demon Vine extended its senses, attempting to reach out to Ivy through their shared connection with plants. If he could just stir her consciousness—

But he was wrong.

Ivy had been awake all along.

Curled up inside her plant shell, she watched him enter, and a fleeting smile crossed her lips.

"Since you're here… then come with me."

Before he could react, the Wild Demon Vine and Ivy vanished into the depths of the tree hollow.

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Darkness.

Thick roots twisted and curled around them, forming layered tunnels that stretched into infinity. The air was damp, filled with the scent of soil and ancient bark, and there was no sunlight—only the eerie glow of luminescent moss clinging to the walls.

Even without opening his single eye, the Wild Demon Vine knew exactly where they were.

"The Forest's Secret Realm… You actually managed to return here on your own."

He tightened his vines around Ivy and lifted her up. "Now tell me—what exactly do you plan to do?"

Her body was so light, as if she were barely holding onto a solid form.

"Are you going to surrender yourself to the Green and become just another environmental fanatic? Is that why you did all this—because you wanted to erase your false feelings for me?"

Sooner or later, the Green of All Things would completely consume her identity. She would become another mindless extension of the Green's will, just like the many Swamp Things before her, each replacing the last.

But Ivy shook her head.

"No… it's the opposite."

She leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his vines, her green eyes soft and unwavering.

"I came here to see what I am like—without the influence of the Soothing Bell."

"That's quite rude to your original self, you know."

A red flower bloomed at the base of the twisted roots, and from it, a second Ivy emerged.

She was identical in every way—but her presence felt different. Stronger. Wilder.

Poison Ivy smirked as she approached, her movements slow and deliberate, her hips swaying with each step. "It's been a while, little cop. It seems like a lot has happened between you and my clone, huh?"

"Clone?" The Wild Demon Vine looked down at the Ivy in his arms.

She met his gaze, her voice firm. "Don't listen to her. She's not me. She's my Forest Heart—the part of me that was taken and left behind in the Secret Realm."

Poison Ivy openly admitted it, brushing a finger along the petals of her flower. "That's right. I was just a heart—a fragment discarded by you. But thanks to the Green of All Things, I was reborn. And now… I'm complete."

Her emerald eyes gleamed with amusement.

"So, here's the real question…

"Who is the real me?"

"This empty husk with no heart?"

"Or me—the one who was reborn, whole and perfect?"

Her lips curled into a dangerous smile.

"Little cop… I'll give you the honor of choosing."

"But be careful—your answer really matters~"

If two identical women stood before you, demanding you choose between them, what was the best answer?

The correct answer was: Don't answer at all.

If you picked one, you offended the other. If you refused to choose, you offended both.

But Dean?

He didn't care about mind games.

"I'll always stand with Ivy."

His voice was clear and unwavering.

Poison Ivy froze, her playful smirk flickering into something unreadable.

She hadn't actually cared what answer he gave. In her mind, it was just a game—a way to provoke emotions from both him and her original self.

But Dean had answered so quickly—so decisively. And for the first time in a long while, Poison Ivy felt… thrown off.

Her expression darkened as she processed Dean's words. The same face, the same figure—even her clothes were more daring, her appearance more provocative—yet he had still chosen the other Ivy over her. That fact gnawed at her pride.

Gritting her teeth, she demanded, "Can I ask why?"

The atmosphere shifted. The surrounding plants trembled, their thick vines slithering like restless pythons, coiling and uncoiling around them. It was clear that if Dean's answer didn't satisfy, those vines would not remain idle.

Dean, however, didn't flinch. He calmly drew the Changhong Sword, flipped it in his grasp, and slashed himself cleanly in half.

Both Poison Ivys twitched at the sight, visibly disturbed.

They had momentarily forgotten that Dean—or rather, the Wild Demon Vine—was an entity that had ripped out his own heart in a fair competition. Out of the three plant-like beings present, he was easily the most unhinged.

His two halves hit the ground with a dull thud. One half of his body began to regenerate, forming a fully intact Wild Demon Vine, while the other half twitched for a moment before going completely still.

Dean gestured to the lifeless half.

"Look."

Both Ivys turned their attention to it.

"No matter how powerful regeneration is, it's still purely physical. My soul remains intact, so what regenerates is just my body. That means Ivy can't be a mere clone—because she was affected by the Soothing Bell. And that, Poison Ivy, is proof that she has a soul."

Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to say that I'm just a soulless husk?"

Dean wagged a finger. "No, no, no—of course not." His gaze turned sharp, almost amused. "This is about science, Ivy. Do test-tube babies have souls? What about clones? The answer is yes. A bald guy already proved that."

Poison Ivy scoffed. "Bald guy?"

"You know, Lex Luthor."

She frowned, but Dean continued before she could interrupt.

"When does a person gain a soul? Is it during pregnancy? At the moment of fertilization? No—a life gains a soul the moment it becomes a truly independent being. Life and soul are inseparable—they exist together."

His voice rang with absolute certainty.

"Your 'Forest Heart' was left behind in the Secret Realm, and the raw vitality of the Green created a completely independent life. And like all life, she instinctively modeled herself after her previous host—you."

Poison Ivy's smirk faltered slightly.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "But the forest is what you truly are. Your body is just a projection—a glove puppet you choose to wear. And since you're the one controlling what the puppet looks like, you could have made it look like anyone, right?"

With that, Dean swiftly swung his sword again, slicing Poison Ivy clean in half.

Her upper body fell away from her lower half, revealing a hollow, empty chest—just like Ivy's.

Another flower bloomed beside them, and Poison Ivy emerged once more, lying lazily on the petals.

"Not bad," she admitted, tapping her chin. "You saw through me faster than I expected."

Dean smirked. "It wasn't that hard. I've seen a lot of illusions before. A mere Wood Release clone trying to fool me? Please."

Poison Ivy tilted her head. "But you're mistaken about one thing. I've been here much longer than you think. I've only recently… matured."

Her words sent a chill down Dean's spine. Without thinking, he blurted out—

"Wait… You've existed for a long time? Don't tell me you're the May Queen?"

The temperature plummeted.

Poison Ivy's eyes narrowed dangerously.

The vines that had been waiting for a reason to strike lurched forward—then abruptly halted.

She stared at Dean, no longer smiling like a playful cat teasing a mouse.

"How did you know that I'm the May Queen?"

Dean clenched his jaw. He hadn't actually known—he had just made a subconscious guess.

But judging by her reaction, he had hit the bullseye.

The Green of All Things wasn't a single entity. It was a vast collective of all plant life on Earth, with thousands of subsystems that varied in strength and influence. Among them, one of the strongest was the May Queen, who ruled over all vines.

The May Queen had no true consciousness, but she needed a representative, someone who could act in her place.

And long ago, she had chosen Ivy.

But that choice had come at a cost—

By pushing her will into Ivy, she had overloaded her with the overwhelming instinct to protect plants at all costs.

That instinct had been so intense, so absolute, that it had driven Ivy insane.

"All this time… Poison Ivy wasn't just acting alone. It was the May Queen whispering in her mind, pushing her toward that environmental lunacy."

Dean's mouth went dry.

Poison Ivy crossed her arms. "Well? Who told you?"

Thinking fast, Dean shrugged. "I heard Swamp Thing mention it. You know, the guy in Justice League Dark."

She clicked her tongue. "Swamp Thing? That big oaf?"

Her voice dripped with disdain.

"What's the point of being that big if he doesn't even have a spine? Swamp Thing is just an enforcer—a glorified puppet for the Green. He's not even remotely on my level."

She wasn't lying. The May Queen's influence stretched far beyond the Swamp Thing. Even his Forest Council—the group that governed his existence—was only equal to the May Queen's domain.

Dean exhaled slowly.

"Alright. So, now that we know the truth, that makes you…"

He hesitated.

Poison Ivy's grin returned. "What's the matter, little cop? Don't tell me you're having trouble figuring it out."

Dean ran a hand through his hair.

"Damn it… You're an unintentional consequence."

Poison Ivy chuckled. "Go on~"

Dean sighed.

"Fine. You're… a side effect. An accident. A living, breathing entity that was formed by the unintended consequences of Ivy's… interactions with me."

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"In other words, Ivy and I are technically your parents."

Silence.

Poison Ivy froze—her teasing expression disappearing entirely.

Even the vines—which had been writhing in anticipation—suddenly stilled.

For the first time in this entire conversation, Poison Ivy had nothing to say.

Poison Ivy's anger was palpable, the forest around them trembling violently in response to her rage. The vines twisted like living snakes, coiling and uncoiling with restless energy, ready to strike at any moment. Dean, however, remained unfazed, his smirk only widening.

"What's the matter? Didn't expect to be on the receiving end of a choice for once?" he taunted, watching as Poison Ivy's fury grew.

A strong gust of wind blew through the forest, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and wild flora. It wasn't a natural breeze—it was the forest breathing, its emotions reflecting those of its queen.

Poison Ivy's emerald eyes flashed dangerously. "Very good. You want to act like my father? Let's see if you actually have the strength to handle that role."

The vines suddenly lunged at Dean like a massive tidal wave, their sharp thorns gleaming menacingly. If he were a normal human, he would have been torn apart in seconds, but Dean was far from normal.

Still, before he could move, Ivy stepped forward, her arms stretched wide as she shielded him.

"Enough! This fight is meaningless!"

Poison Ivy's attack halted, the vines stopping just short of skewering them both.

She tilted her head, amusement flickering in her expression. "Oh? And why would that be?"

Ivy stood her ground. "Because I want to see another version of myself. One that isn't ruled by instinct. Dean coming here was just an accident, and since I brought him into this mess, it's my responsibility to take him back."

Poison Ivy's lips curled into a cruel smile. "How foolish. You don't understand, do you? Without the May Queen's will, without the full power of the Green of All Things, you're nothing more than an ordinary woman with the ability to control plants. And here, there is only one ruler of the forest—and it's me."

Without warning, the very ground beneath them erupted, thick tree roots surging upward like the crashing waves of an ocean. Ivy was thrown violently into the air.

Dean moved instantly, extending his vines to weave a net in midair, catching her before she could slam into the ground.

He looked down at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. "So, how does it feel? Watching your old self from the perspective of an outsider?"

Ivy, still disoriented from the impact, let out a breathless chuckle. "It's not great. In fact, I think I've started hating my past self."

Dean grinned. "That's progress. Congratulations—you're one step closer to being a normal person."

He adjusted his grip on her before leaping back into the trees, dodging the next wave of attacks. Vines lashed out wildly, smashing through the forest like whips, tearing apart everything in their path.

Ivy looked up at him, her expression suddenly softening. Her fingers traced gently across his cheek, lingering as if memorizing the shape of his face. She had no idea if her emotions were real or artificial, but at this moment, they burned so intensely, it felt like they would melt her from the inside.

"Dean… let me go," she whispered. "You can't escape while carrying me."

Dean, completely oblivious to her longing gaze, sighed in frustration. "Who said I was running away?"

He dodged another set of incoming vines with ease before adding with a cocky smirk, "One of you wants to kill me, and the other wants to protect me… but did either of you stop to consider something?"

His voice lowered, his smirk widening.

"I'm the best player on this field."

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