My Pokemon Turned into Girls?!

Walking through the dense forest, Kazuki tightly gripped the Aggronite in his hand. Every so often, he would take out a cloth to carefully polish the surface of the orb-shaped Mega Stone.

"Aron…" Aron, perched on his shoulder, couldn't help but give him a sideways glance. 

She was undeniably drawn to the stone, but Kazuki's obsessive cleaning was a bit much—like he thought it would melt the moment it left his hand.

"This is no ordinary Evolution Stone, like a Moon Stone or Sun Stone. You have no idea how valuable this stone is in the market… No, it's beyond valuable. It's priceless!" Kazuki said with uncharacteristic seriousness, explaining to Aron just how precious the stone was. He joked that selling it could fetch enough money to buy thousands of versions of himself.

Come to think of it, the generosity of a man like Steven Stone was truly unparalleled. To just gift such a rare Mega Evolution Stone without flinching, without even a change in expression—it was something only a Devon Corporation heir could do. 

And then there were the restorative sprays Steven had handed over as an afterthought when apologizing. The moment Kazuki applied them to Hei's injured leg, the effects were immediate and exceptional. It was the kind of product you'd never find on the market. 

Recalling Steven's graceful departure, riding his Skarmory into the sky after leaving his contact information, Kazuki couldn't help but sigh in admiration. 

He had now experienced firsthand the prowess of a Champion-level trainer. Reflecting on the battle, it became clear that Steven had been holding back significantly. Steven hadn't tried to dominate the battle—he merely responded to Kazuki's commands, countering each move without taking the initiative. And those two Pokémon? They weren't even Steven's main team. 

"Aron, we've still got a long way to go," Kazuki muttered.

Aron, however, rolled her eyes. "Aron, Aron."

Forget how far the road is; let's focus on not getting lost first.

"Well, you're not wrong, but it's not my fault! Who knows where this weird fog came from?" Kazuki complained.

After encountering Steven, they had traveled another four to five hours before the fog began to set in. At first, it only slightly obscured visibility, but it gradually thickened until they could barely see ten meters ahead. 

And from the looks of it, the dense fog wasn't going to dissipate anytime soon. 

Kazuki cursed under his breath, frustrated that the weather forecast had completely missed this. It was supposed to be clear skies for the coming days, so what had the meteorologists been doing? 

"In that case, it's probably best to camp here for the night. With the fog this thick, rushing forward might only lead us further off course. We'd have a hard time retracing our steps later," Kazuki reasoned. 

Just as he was analyzing the situation, a light, bell-like laugh echoed faintly in the air. His ears twitched as he lifted his head in confusion, glancing around. 

"Did any of you just hear that?" 

Hei and Eevee both shook their heads, while Aron gave him a disdainful side-eye. "Aron, aron."

You've been polishing that stone so much you're hearing things.

"Really? Maybe I did imagine it…"

"Hohoho~"

No, this time he definitely heard it! He turned sharply toward the direction of the sound, squinting his eyes. 

Amidst the mist, he caught a vague glimpse of a small figure wearing a white hat. 

Judging by the size, it seemed to be a little girl. 

However, the figure only lingered briefly before vanishing into the fog once more. 

"Hey, wait!" 

Kazuki called out, but there was no response. Perhaps the girl hadn't heard him, or maybe, like him, she had mistaken the voice for an illusion amidst the dense fog. 

Still, a thick fog… getting lost… a vanishing girl… 

The setting was hitting all the marks for the start of a horror movie! And this wasn't just a fictional trope—Ghost-type Pokémon were very much real in this world. 

Most of them weren't exactly known for being friendly, and at the very least, they liked to play tricks on humans. 

Cases of people being lured by illusions created by Ghost Pokémon weren't uncommon. 

But… if the figure had truly been a child, running around in such heavy fog was far too dangerous to ignore.

"Hei, I need you to stay on alert. Let's go check it out." 

As a Dark-type, Hei was immune to Ghost Pokémon's antics, and Aron's Crunch could deal with them effectively. When compared to the risk of losing a human life, the potential danger seemed negligible. 

Kazuki swung himself onto Hei's back, leaning down to press himself against the Mightyena's soft, furry coat. 

Hei turned his head back to make sure Kazuki was securely seated, then howled and sprinted off in the direction the girl had disappeared. 

The coarse black fur brushed against Kazuki's legs, causing a slight tickle. 

As someone who had ridden Ponyta and Rapidash countless times in Professor Oak's backyard as a child, experiencing this wolf-like ride felt like a fresh, unique adventure. 

The wind howled against his face as they dashed ahead, and Kazuki felt like a black-feathered arrow slicing through the mist, leaving a trail of clarity in their wake. 

It wasn't just an illusion—he could feel the dense fog thinning out around them. At the same time, the faint sound of the girl's laughter echoed again, growing closer. 

"There, up ahead!" 

Kazuki's sharp eyes caught sight of a small silhouette at the edge of his vision. The girl's petite frame stood still, her hands bouncing a white ball against the ground. 

Finally, she seemed to notice the sound of Kazuki's voice. She caught the ball mid-bounce, her shoulders twitching slightly as she prepared to turn around. At that exact moment, the fog completely cleared— 

"Wait! Hei, stop!" 

Reacting to Kazuki's urgent command, Hei unsheathed his claws for an abrupt stop, dragging them against the ground. The sudden halt carved deep grooves into the earth, sending up a cloud of dust. 

Kazuki's expression turned serious as he stared past Hei's head. Where the girl had been standing just meters away, the ground suddenly gave way to a massive cliffside. The earth was sheared off sharply, leaving nothing but open air beyond. 

Sliding off Hei's back, Kazuki cautiously approached the edge of the cliff. Looking down, he saw that the drop wasn't bottomless, but it was easily the height of several dozen floors. If they hadn't stopped in time, they would have been in for a fatal fall—and "Kazuki pancakes" didn't sound appealing. 

Peering further ahead, he noticed a sprawling city in the distance. Its shimmering lights, bustling streets, and towering skyscrapers exuded vibrancy and prosperity. At the heart of the city was an imposing skyscraper that dwarfed the surrounding buildings. Large, brightly lit letters adorned its façade, clear even from this distance: 

Silph Co.

"Silph Co.… Isn't their headquarters in Saffron City?" 

Realization dawned on Kazuki's face, filling him with joy. Somehow, against all odds, they had successfully navigated through the strange fog and reached their destination. 

But the question lingered—had the "little girl" been trying to harm them, or had she simply been guiding them toward the correct path? There was no way to know now. They likely wouldn't cross paths with her again… probably. 

---

In Saffron City, Kazuki stood before the towering Saffron Gym. 

The building's tiered, wave-like roof gave it an artistic flair, but gazing up at its ominous structure, Kazuki couldn't shake the chill running down his spine. 

"Aron, are you sure we're doing this now? Maybe we should rest for the night and tackle it tomorrow…" he suggested hesitantly. 

Saffron City, the largest and most bustling metropolis in the Kanto region, exuded energy with its wide avenues filled with endless traffic. The cacophony of honking, laughter, and chatter painted a picture of urban life. 

Yet the Saffron Gym stood in stark contrast to the city's vibrancy. The eerie silence surrounding the gym made it seem as though the locals were deliberately keeping their distance. The cold, forbidding atmosphere only heightened Kazuki's reluctance to enter. 

Before Aron could respond, hurried footsteps approached from behind. Turning around, Kazuki saw a scruffy middle-aged man jogging up to him and stopping nearby, marching in place as though trying to catch his breath. 

Without turning to look at Kazuki, the man spoke: "You're here to challenge the Saffron Gym?" 

Before Kazuki could answer, the man continued: "Then let me give you some advice—don't. The Gym Leader, Sabrina, isn't someone a trainer can defeat. If you really want a badge, find another gym to challenge instead." 

As abruptly as he had arrived, the man jogged away again, leaving Kazuki standing there with his mouth half-open, unsure whether to chase him down for clarification. 

"Aron?" 

What, are you scared now? Aron's side-eye was laced with disdain. 

"Not scared, exactly… Hey, wait!" 

Before Kazuki could finish, Aron leapt off his shoulder, pushed open the gym doors, and walked in as if she owned the place. 

Panicking, Kazuki quickly followed her inside. 

Contrary to its unsettling exterior, the interior of the Saffron Gym was lavishly decorated, resembling a small palace. A crimson carpet stretched down an endless hallway, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling emitting warm light, and intricate, valuable-looking statues lined the walls. 

As they entered, a young man wearing a mask approached, his eyes glinting with a hint of madness. His strange, unnerving tone broke the silence: 

"Are you here to challenge the Gym Leader, Sabrina?" 

Suppressing his discomfort, Kazuki nodded. 

"I see. Follow me." 

As they followed the masked youth deeper into the gym, the hallway grew increasingly dim. Suddenly, the young man spoke up: 

"Have you heard of psychic powers?" 

Psychic powers? Was he referring to Psychic-type Pokémon? Kazuki had seen plenty of them at Professor Oak's lab. 

Choosing not to answer—everyone here seemed a bit off—Kazuki decided it was best to keep quiet. 

Unbothered by the lack of response, the youth stopped in front of a large door. With a reverent, almost fanatical smile, he opened it and declared: 

"Step inside, and you will witness… true psychic power!" 

Hesitating slightly, Kazuki stepped over the threshold. As soon as his foot touched the floor, bright lights illuminated the massive hall. 

The first thing that caught his eye was the colossal battle arena, an imposing stage that wouldn't look out of place at the Pokémon League Championships. 

And sitting on a crimson sofa resembling a throne was a figure draped in elegance. Her crossed legs peeked through tight leggings, and an innocent-looking little girl with a white hat reclined casually on her lap. 

"That hat?! You're the one from the mist…" 

Seeing the "little girl" here was a shock Kazuki hadn't expected. But his eyes quickly shifted to the figure behind her, holding the girl as though she were a doll. This could only be Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City's Psychic Gym. 

But the moment Kazuki took in her face, it felt like an arrow pierced his heart. He froze in place, even briefly forgetting how to breathe. 

"S-she's so cute!"