My Pokemon Turned into Girls?!

"Aron, do you think I really have some kind of strange constitution…?" 

Barely two kilometers out of Cerulean City, Kazuki's path was already blocked by a peculiar figure—a robed individual wearing a silver mask, standing squarely in the middle of the road. Near him stood a Pokémon, its brown shell-coated body adorned with long, sharp silver scythes extending from its arms. The Pokémon resembled a mantis. 

The Scyther-like Pokémon fixed its piercing gaze on Kazuki and his team as they approached. With a swing of its scythe, it slashed through a tree along the roadside with a sharp, slicing sound. The sturdy tree split cleanly in two and fell to the ground with a heavy thud, its cross-section smooth as a polished mirror. This encounter was clearly no coincidence—these people were up to no good. 

"Other trainers spend their days challenging Gym Leaders… and I? I run into criminals every day," Kazuki muttered with a twitching eye, though he had already raised his guard. 

"Hey there, friend. Could you kindly step aside? We're just passing through." 

Hoping to avoid misunderstandings, Kazuki spoke up first. However, neither the man nor his Pokémon made any move to give way, standing rooted to the spot like statues. 

Kazuki wasn't naive enough to believe this meant they were being allowed to pass. If he dared to approach carelessly, that scythe-like blade would likely be aimed straight at his neck. 

The Pokémon beside the masked man must be a Kabutops, a rare Rock/Water-type Pokémon that once thrived about 100 million years ago. 

Revived through cutting-edge fossil resurrection technology, it had been presumed extinct until fairly recently. 

If not for a stroke of luck reading about such rare Pokémon in Professor Oak's research notes, Kazuki might not have recognized it. 

Kabutops were known to possess three possible abilities: "Battle Armor," which wasn't much of a threat, "Swift Swim," or the rarer "Weak Armor." The latter two could be far more dangerous. 

Hei growled low, baring his fangs in warning, while Aron jumped down from Kazuki's shoulder, firmly planting her four sturdy legs to signal she was ready for battle. 

Seeing this, the masked man also reached for a gray-and-white Poké Ball with a blue spherical design at his waist. A flash of red light later—and to Kazuki's astonishment—another Aron emerged! 

No, wait—this one was slightly different. Its armor wasn't the usual silver but a bronze hue, and its bright-blue eyes were an unsettling crimson. It was a rare shiny Pokémon! 

Shiny Pokémon, also known as "flashy" Pokémon, weren't inherently stronger than their counterparts of the same species—they were simply much rarer. However, this difference in appearance often caused them to be rejected by their own kind. 

Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to ponder the genetic origins of shiny Pokémon. 

"Aron! Use Rock Slide! Target the opposing trainer!" Kazuki commanded. 

"Aron!" Aron chirped in her sharp voice, summoning several large, heavy stones from the sky. They descended rapidly, aiming to crush not only the masked man but also his two Pokémon. 

Kazuki couldn't discern the masked man's expression through the mask, but his measured and calm tone carried through his next command: 

"Kabutops, Slash." 

"Ka-cha!" With precision, Kabutops raised its scythes and began slicing furiously at the descending boulders. The sharp blades reduced the rocks to rubble mid-air, not a single fragment landing near the masked man. 

"Aron, Rock Tomb." 

This time, the shiny Aron took action. It roared deeply as numerous stones were hurled toward Kazuki's side, aiming to both attack and restrict their movement. 

"Aron! Iron Head! Break through!" 

Kazuki quickly reacted, pointing decisively. His Aron's forehead glowed with a metallic sheen as she charged forward, shattering the rocks blocking her path. 

"Aron, use Iron Head as well," the masked man countered. 

The shiny Aron's greenish helmet similarly radiated a bright light as the two Pokémon collided like comets. Despite having been slowed by the Rock Tomb, Kazuki's Aron managed to match the shiny Aron evenly. After the clash of their metallic bodies, both Pokémon staggered back a few steps from the recoil. 

"Hei, let's charge in!" 

With both Arons locked in a temporary stalemate, Kazuki shifted his focus. They couldn't afford to give the masked man time to summon more Pokémon—he needed to be subdued as quickly as possible. But Kabutops's speed was a threat. Could Hei break through its defense? 

"Kabutops, Swords Dance." 

The masked man's command was given with cold precision. Kabutops lifted its scythes and began performing an intricate, rhythmic dance. As it moved, its blades seemed to gleam brighter with every motion. 

"Mightyena, focus on Kabutops first!" 

Kazuki decided to play it safe. Swords Dance significantly boosted attack power, and allowing Kabutops to complete its setup would endanger his entire team. Hei alone wouldn't be able to subdue the trainer, and leaving Kabutops unchecked was far too risky. 

"Ignore it. Continue using Swords Dance," the masked man instructed calmly, clearly confident in Kabutops's defenses. He believed it could withstand Mightyena's assault while completing its setup. 

However, Kazuki wasn't planning to attack conventionally. 

"Hei, Sand Attack!" 

Thanks to his larger size post-evolution, Hei's gray-black claws kicked up an even more ferocious spray of sand than before. Kabutops, caught off guard, blinked rapidly as large amounts of grit entered its eyes. 

"Ka-chuaaaaa!" Kabutops shrieked in rage. 

Sand Attack—an annoyingly effective move at any stage of a battle. With sand obscuring its vision and reducing its accuracy, Kabutops's boosted attack power became meaningless if it couldn't land a hit. 

What's more, Kabutops was naturally aggressive. Blinded and infuriated, it lost all composure, thrashing about wildly and inhibiting its own combat effectiveness. 

"Kabutops, calm down! Use Rain Dance," the masked man ordered in a low voice. 

What was surprising, however, was that the fearsome Kabutops actually began to settle. Following its trainer's command, it raised its scythes toward the sky and began its rain-calling ritual. 

To maintain such control over a savage Pokémon like Kabutops… This masked man was leagues ahead of the Pokémon Poachers Kazuki had encountered before. And with Rain Dance active, Kabutops's ability was most likely Swift Swim. 

"Hei, don't give it a chance! Use Crunch!" Kazuki shouted. 

Hei surged forward, jaws agape like a guillotine lined with razor-sharp teeth. Despite the imminent threat, Kabutops remained focused on performing Rain Dance. 

Hei bit down hard, his fangs piercing Kabutops's armor. With a pained cry, cracks began to spread outward from the point of impact, running along the brown shell. 

Did Crunch just trigger its defense-lowering effect? That was a stroke of luck! 

Yet Kazuki's brief surge of relief was short-lived. Observing Kabutops closely, he suddenly noticed something amiss. His expression shifted drastically. 

"Wait—no! That's Weak Armor! Hei, retreat now!" 

Kazuki's command came just in time. Hei had barely begun backing away when Kabutops's outer shell shattered completely and fell away. 

In a flash, Kabutops's scythe lashed out like lightning. Though Hei narrowly avoided a direct hit, one of his legs wasn't fast enough—blood trickled from a shallow gash. 

Kabutops didn't pursue. Instead, it raised its gaze to the now heavily raining sky. Droplets streamed down its face, flushing the sand from its eyes. 

"This is bad," Kazuki muttered with a bitter smile. 

During this time, his Aron had managed to break through the shiny Aron's defense with Crunch and ultimately defeated it using Iron Head. But with Kabutops now faster and stronger thanks to Weak Armor and Rain Dance, there was no one on his team capable of stopping it. 

"Well, I suppose it's a one-one trade," the masked man said unexpectedly, his previously measured tone replaced by a breezy voice. 

Recalling the fainted shiny Aron into its Poké Ball, the man reached up and removed his mask and hood, unveiling short silver-gray hair and a strikingly handsome face. 

"You're…!" Kazuki froze, his expression blank. Hei tilted his head in confusion, unsure why his trainer had suddenly gone rigid. 

"Steven Stone?!" 

Rubbing his eyes to ensure he wasn't hallucinating, Kazuki was dumbfounded. Was this some kind of joke? Why was the former Hoenn Champion disguised and pulling such a prank? 

"Ah, so you remember me. I'm honored. But one correction—I'm no longer the Champion," Steven said with a warm and approachable smile, stepping closer. 

Kazuki instinctively placed a calming hand on both Hei and Aron to prevent them from acting rashly. 

"Mr. Steven… What brings you here?" Kazuki asked cautiously. 

Typically, the appearance of a League Champion—a symbol of a trainer's ultimate accomplishment—would leave any ordinary trainer star-struck. Yet Kazuki found himself unusually calm, likely due to his prior experiences with Professor Oak. Such illustrious figures didn't intimidate him as much anymore. 

"I came specifically to find you. I'll admit, I got a bit carried away and couldn't resist testing you first… My apologies if I startled you," Steven said with a flawless bow, radiating courtesy. 

From behind, Steven produced a formally sealed letter along with a dignified badge emblazoned with the Pokémon League's symbol. 

"Kazuki of Pallet Town, on behalf of the Pokémon League, I formally invite you to join us and become a League Investigator to uphold justice and combat evil." 

"Me…?" Kazuki blinked, dumbfounded. 

"Don't rush to reject it just yet. I understand many trainers dislike the restrictions that come with being an Investigator. Here—take this Unofficial Investigator Badge. It exempts you from League orders, though it means you won't receive a salary. However, it does grant you a degree of investigative authority wherever you go," Steven explained patiently, placing both the letter and badge into Kazuki's hands. 

Looking down at the items, then back up at Steven, Kazuki asked hesitantly, "But why me? I've only been traveling for less than a month. How could I possibly handle such a responsibility?" 

"Officer Jenny in Cerulean City recommended you. In several encounters with Pokémon Poachers, you displayed both bravery and cleverness. Your performance in our battle just now also convinced me that you have the skills for this role… Oh, right." 

As though recalling something, Steven rummaged through the bag at his side and retrieved a gray, spherical stone with black-and-white striped patterns within. 

"That was official League business. But this… This is a personal gift from me," Steven said, holding out the stone. 

Kazuki's eyes widened. The stone's appearance felt strangely familiar. He noticed Aron, who usually acted aloof, staring at it intently, her eyes wide with excitement. 

Could this stone be…? 

"You're aware that Aron eventually evolves into Aggron, right? However, you might not know that Aggron has an even more powerful form—Mega Evolution," Steven explained, opening his hand further. 

As the rain clouds summoned by Kabutops dispersed, sunlight glinted off the stone, casting a mysterious glow. 

"That's right. This is the Aggronite—an Evolution Stone that enables Aggron to achieve Mega Evolution!"