Yhakal Elpizo didn't expect to die that day.
He wasn't a hero. He wasn't even productive. Just a freelance layout artist stuck in a rented room, nursing a mild caffeine addiction and a half-broken laptop.
The world outside had long since moved on from the things he loved—quiet games, pixel art, and old Flash-era nostalgia. But tonight, he'd indulged in an old favorite: Plants vs. Zombies.
A classic. A comfort. A forgotten relic of a world that used to have fun without needing endless logins and loot boxes.
As the Peashooters on his screen spat rhythmic green bullets into hordes of cartoon zombies, Yhakal smiled. They just don't make games like this anymore.
He barely noticed the power bank teetering on the shelf above.One second he was munching stale chips. The next—whack.
The corner of the power bank clocked him right in the temple.
When he opened his eyes, Yhakal knew something was off immediately.
It was quiet. Too quiet. No fan whirring. No neighbor's dog barking. No humid, Metro Manila heat sticking to his skin.
He sat up slowly—and froze.This wasn't his room.
Instead, he was standing on a quiet street in a small suburban neighborhood. Neatly trimmed lawns stretched in both directions. Perfect, picturesque houses lined either side—modern, identical, eerily sterile. It reminded him of American movies. But something felt...wrong.
Then it hit him.
This wasn't his Earth.
Yhakal recognized the language on the street signs—English—but the brands on the mailboxes were off.
One said "Comcube Delivery", another "Mooglo Streaming Plus+".
His eyes caught a car with solar wings instead of mirrors. People wore smartwatches that looked like glass bangles and muttered things like, "Where's the cranio-sync option on this thing?"
It was like a mirror image of Earth—but with tech that felt five years ahead, and culture ten years behind.
And nobody—not a soul—had ever heard of Plants vs. Zombies.
He'd asked once, during a short conversation at a café (before his mysterious arrival here). The barista blinked at him.
"You mean some kind of vegan survival show?"
That should've been the sign. But he didn't question it. Not until now.
Because suddenly, with no warning, everyone—Yhakal included—was whisked away in a flash of green light.
The sky cracked open like a phone screen. The ground beneath him pixelated and dissolved. One moment he was sipping synthetic cocoa, the next—
He was standing in a backyard.
His backyard, apparently.
The air shimmered like a simulation. Rows of fences formed grids. Sunlight brightened, unnaturally warm.
Holographic text scrolled across the sky like a mobile game HUD:
WELCOME TO THE BACKYARD APOCALYPSE™
Protect your lawn. Protect your brain.
You have 5 minutes to prepare.
Downloading: DEFENSE INSTINCT PROTOCOLS
Initializing...4:594:58
Yhakal turned slowly. All across the horizon, people stood in identical fenced-in yards, bewildered, terrified, tapping at floating menus in front of them.
"Is this an augmented reality game!?" someone yelled.
"Where's the tutorial!?"
"There's no internet—how am I supposed to Google what a 'Pea Pod' is!?"
Yhakal's heart pounded. Because he recognized it all.
The grid. The sun drops. The seed packets. The words Backyard Apocalypse™ were clearly a parody—an eerie, corporatized version of the game he'd played since high school.
"This is... Plants vs. Zombies," he whispered.
But here's the kicker:
No one else knew what that meant.
He opened his menu. Five plant types flickered before him:
Peashooter
Sunflower
Wall-nut
Potato Mine
Cherry Bomb(Locked)
The choice was obvious.
He planted a Peashooter in the front row, second tile. A tiny green plant sprouted from the earth, eyes narrowed and mouth curved into a permanent battle-ready frown.
Yhakal looked up and laughed—half in awe, half in madness.
"This is actually happening."
DING!
First wave incoming.
Enemies: Basic Brain-Eating Vegans
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Tip: They believe tofu is sacred. Your brain isn't.
The sky rumbled. A wave of slow-moving, barefoot figures began to shuffle toward the yards. Pale faces. Leafy crowns. T-shirts with slogans like "GO GREEN OR DIE GREEN."
Yhakal picked up a falling sun orb and planted his first Sunflower. The bright, smiling plant beamed at him like an old friend.
Sun points: 50.Time left: 00:12.
He crouched, smiling grimly as the zombie vegans groaned louder, drawing closer with every step.
"This world's doomed," he muttered.
"But I've got the plants."
🌿 Character Sheet: Yhakal Elpizo
Alias: "The Lawn Strategist"
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
Age: 24
Gender: Male
World of Origin: Original Earth (Pre-Backyard Apocalypse)
Current World: Alternate Earth → Transferred Dimension (PvZ-Style Game World)
🧠 Background:
A freelance artist and lifelong introvert, Yhakal spent much of his time in obscure strategy games and retro apps. On his Earth, Plants vs. Zombies was a childhood staple—just a game. But in his new world, that knowledge is his only advantage in a dimension where the fate of humanity depends on… lawn defense.
🧰 Starter Skills:
Plant Instinct (Passive) Can instinctively understand plant stats and functions upon placement. Cooldown: None.
Quick Draw (Active) Allows for faster deployment of one basic plant per wave. Cooldown: 30 sec.
Sun Catcher's Reflexes (Passive) Auto-collects dropped sun within a 3-tile radius.
PvZ Veteran's Insight (Hidden) Receives cryptic hints or "gut feelings" about upcoming zombie types and wave patterns.
🌻 Current Plant Loadout:
Peashooter Main offense
Sunflower Generates sun energy
Wall-nut Defensive tank
Potato Mine Delayed burst trap