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Chapter 3: A Time for Change

"Thank you for all the hard work, boys! I'll send the payment to the guild's office! Stay safe and remember to take a shower when you get home!" A muscular Gurdurr with a construction hat spoke loudly to the two boys.

"We will, mister Gunther!" Said the Eevee, smiling as much as he could.

"Yup! I'll remember to go easy on the electricity next time. My bad!" The Pichu made a half-apology sign with one of his hands, before beckoning to his friend and running outside of the smithing house.

The two partners were as enthusiastic and full of energy as they could be, albeit with their fur covered in so much soot it'd be hard for any other Pokémon to guess which species they were supposed to be in the first place.

It was past midday at that point, but a nice amount of clouds in the sky blocked the excess of sun rays hitting them both, making the weather not too hot despite being the middle of summer. The cool breeze hitting them as they ran through the road helped keep them cool as well, even if Leon couldn't run very far in the first place with his tiny paws.

"Another job well done for Team Horizon! I hope that got us a lot of points!" Leon said while running, his chest rising and falling quickly as he didn't slow down the pace to chat with his best friend.

"Yup! Who knew that blacksmiths could make so many kinds of utensils and stuff? I'd never have believed that making spoons was so complicated if I hadn't seen it myself! But..." Dylan looked coyly to the side, not looking directly at the smoked rodent. "Did you have to go all out on his furnace like that? I know we got away with just some smoke and soot, but you could've got hurt."

"Haha... You're right, Dylan. My bad, I'm still getting used to controlling electricity and whatnot. It feels so weird, I both know and don't know what I'm doing with it." He said while producing a small sizzle from one of his fingertips, practicing even while running as far as his tiny body could handle.

"Haha... Don't worry, bud. Soon enough you should get the hang of it. For now, tho, let's redeem those points! And maybe get ourselves a treat after a hard day's work." He smiled at his partner before picking up more speed and taking the lead.

"Hey! No fair!!!" The Pichu did his best to close up the distance between the two, all the while making their way to Audino's Guild.

It had been four months since Leon's arrival to this world, where he went from not knowing anything bar the concept of Pokémon and its associated terminologies, to someone who knew the name of every town member he met before and their associated jobs.

And even more importantly, since joining the Guild and forming Team Horizon, both Leon and Dylan had gone through many experiences together.

Their first job at the local bakery was a bit messy, especially so with Leon not knowing the value of the local coin, and with Dylan struggling to directly speak with the clients. But even with lots of hiccups, the two of them did a good enough job to sufficiently help the remainder of the staff, earning gratitude and some nice coin for it.

They've done it all around town. Helped count money at the bank, looked for special ingredients in the local forest, cleaned dishes at a fancy restaurant, carried construction materials at building sites, and even participated in a local game tournament. That last one wasn't a job per se, but seeing Pokémon playing a card game with some similarities to the ones back in the human world was quite surprising for Leon and a nice advantage for him. They didn't win, but second place was nothing to scoff at.

After running so much, the two boys finally arrived at the reception hall of the guild, the two Pokémon panting heavily from the overexertion on their bodies.

"M-Maybe we shouldn't run so much after helping out with physical stuff." Dylan said in between gasps, sweat running down his fur with each heavy breath he took.

"Y-Yeah, maybe not our smartest move so far." Leon's smile shined through his ragged state, ruffling his head fur and trying to stabilize his cowlick so it wouldn't dismantle on his head. "Still, it's good to have some exercise to build up stamina. Arceus knows we need it." He laughed at his own saying. Another thing the Pichu had adopted was some of the sayings from this land, especially the recognition of Arceus as God, whom he did not know of with how little he played the games back then.

"But Dylan's right, Leon! Running so much could be bad for your health. You could get heatstroke during the summer!" The feminine voice rang from behind the counter. When she stepped down from her seat, Margaret carried and brought a pair of towels to them with her vines. "You might be young adults, but that doesn't mean you can't get hurt."

"Sorry, Margaret. You're right." Leon took one of the towels from her and used it to dry his face from all the sweat and remaining soot on it. "I'll be more careful not to hurt myself, I promise."

"I'll hold you up to it." The Ivysaur smiled as she brought the other one to Dylan, who quickly rubbed it against his face.

"Well, at least we can take a breather for the rest of the day. We'll get our points and be on our way." Dylan said, sighing in relief as he could feel his fur getting drier with each pass of the towel.

"Oh, speaking of which. Today you two will need to go upstairs. The Guildmaster requested that you get the points with her. Said she wanted to talk with you." She mentioned that she used one of her vines to point upwards.

"O-Oh! Did we do something wrong?" Dylan approached meekly the receptionist, with some clear worry showing on his face.

"Hahaha, don't worry, silly. If you had done something wrong there'd be two whole teams to escort you there. I'm pretty sure it's something regarding your team status, with you two not progressing that much compared to other teams."

Margaret was right, for Team Horizon, despite all the work and time they had put in, had remained at the Normal rank. That was a rank reserved for very inexperienced beginners, who would quickly be advanced to the next one after around five quests. But the thing is, those estimates consisted of teams that went out into the Mystery Dungeons and actively fought in every quest, which wasn't the case for them.

Throughout all these months, even if Dylan and Leon had done requests almost daily, the points paid were very small most of the time. The payouts were good, and they were treated very well by all their employers, but with no combat involved, their team's status had barely changed since then.

"She might scold us, though. For staying as beginners for so long." He rubbed the back of his head with some anxiety, with feelings of uncertainty starting to take root. That is until he felt another paw at the back of his neck. One he was by now used to feel.

"Don't worry, Dylan! I'm sure we'll be okay. The worst case scenario would be Audrey giving us tips on how to properly rank up!" The Pichu smiled, his cowlick dancing on top of his head in tandem with his enthusiasm.

That smile always helped bring Dylan back from dark thoughts, and it was no different here. "You're right. Okay! I'm not afraid! We'll be going right away, Margaret." Said the Eevee with a newfound shred of confidence.

"Good luck, boys!" She waved at them before returning to her duties, leaving the two to climb the spiraling staircase to the top floor.

On their way up, Dylan poked Leon, bringing the Pichu's face back to look at his teammate. "Something wrong, Dylan?"

He shook his head. "No, the opposite, actually. Thanks. You always cheer me up when I'm down." The sweetest smile showed, his eyes beamed with gratitude, and a very faint blush warmed the side of his face.

The sight was too much for Leon, his cheeks blushing from the display of cuteness in front of him. Before getting too flustered, the rodent closed his eyes and patted the Eevee confidently. "And I'll continue to cheer you up, no matter how many times you need it!" He said before beckoning with his head, letting the two resume their path to Audrey's room.

Soon enough they were in front of the big doors of the Guildmaster's office. They knocked them gently. "Come on in, boys." They didn't hesitate and opened the heavy doors together. Inside was Audrey, sitting in her chair as usual as she was analyzing some papers left on top of her desk. "Thank you for coming, Team Horizon."

"Sorry for being late, Guildmaster! Our errands today took... a bit longer than expected to finish." Dylan explained plainly, addressing the Audino properly as a Guildmaster.

A faint smile formed on her face. "No need for apologies. Every time you're late I know it's due to you two having fun, and if you two are feeling well that's all that matters." She finished signing one of the documents before putting it back in the drawer, turning her attention to the two guild members.

"Hahaha. You should have seen Mister Gunther's face. I could have never imagined such a rugged and powerful-looking Pokémon laughing so much. When that happens it's hard to feel bad about my mistakes, you know?"

She giggled. "Yep, I do. From experience, rather." With the mood clearing, Audrey went for another drawer, where she grabbed a pair of papers. "Here, read it and sign it. By tomorrow everything should be settled." She handed it over to the two smaller Pokémon.

They grabbed, the two partners reading next to each other. By the time they had finished it, their eyes widened as they said it out loud together. "Our team ranked up!!!"

"Mhmm!" Audrey hummed. "Don't act like I haven't been watching your progress all this time. You might have not done any rescue missions or beat up any threatening Pokémon, but you worked hard for each point, and it's time your team gets the status it deserves."

Both furred friends look at each other's faces before hugging one another in a jump. "Hooray! We did it!" Their faces were filled with excitement and joy, showing in each movement as they danced around the Guildmaster's room.

"This is the first time I've seen any team be this happy to be promoted to Bronze Rank." She laughed as she stood up from her chair, walking around her table until she was facing the two. She knelt, getting at eye level with both of them as she held her arms behind her back. "But that's not all. The guild always gifts young dungeon explorers with tools they might need. But... you two aren't the case, right? Haha."

"Yeah, I guess we aren't." Leon let out an embarrassed laugh. "We probably wouldn't have much use for rope or orbs or whatever other things you guys use in dangerous places.

"Mhmm. And that's why we aren't giving you tools or equipment like the others." From her back, her arms come to the front, in both paws holding a small box covered in a ribbon. "So I hope you'll like these instead."

"Gifts!" Dylan was the first to lunge his little paws on the box closest to him, grabbing it eagerly while looking at how neatly it was decorated. "Thank you, Audrey! You didn't have to!"

"Oh, but I did. Can't let a promotion four months in the making be done with no exciting rewards, after all." She grinned proudly while looking at the two ranked-up members.

Leon was the next one to grab the box, analyzing it and seeing how he was going to open it. The wrapping seemed simple enough that pulling at the knot on top should make it come loose. So he tugged at it, and lo and behold it did fall off from the box.

He grabbed the top of the box and pulled it apart, and what he saw inside was pretty. Very pretty indeed. A single piece of red cloth with white triangle patterns on it. His eyes shone as he took in what the gift was. "A bandana! Man, that's so cool! Thank you, Audrey!"

She looked confused at the Pichu. "A-Actually, Leon, that's a scarf-"

"I'll wear it every day from now on! Thank you so much, Guildmaster!" He cut her off before she could properly explain, quickly grabbing it and tying it around his head. It fit him like a glove, tight enough that it wouldn't fall off but not too much so it'd pressure his head.

"Y-Yeah, sure haha." Audrey decided to just let it be, her attention coming back to the Eevee, who had opened his box to see a very pretty bracelet resting inside.

"Wow..." Dylan took it in his paws to look at it closer. It had an adjustable strap, with a simple design. It was made out of lovely blue wool, so vibrant it reminded him of the sea.

"I know it may sound cheesy, but even if you decided never to venture into dungeons, that doesn't mean you'll always be here. I ordered the color of the bracelet so even if you are very far away, and are feeling homesick, you can always look down and remember you're not far from home, and that we're always here." The smile on her face was soft, and her eyes seemed to be a bit misty.

Well, it wasn't only her eyes that were welling up with water, for soon after Dylan's tear dam broke, floods of tears trailing through his face as he jumped to hug the Audino. "Audreyyyyyyyyyyy."

While the two hugged in an incredibly adorable situation, Leon just looked at them, smiling, happy for Dylan to have someone that cared so much about him. He let them put all their feelings out, not saying anything so he wouldn't spoil the moment.

Once he noticed their faces seemed to stop leaking, he approached Leon and put a paw on his shoulder, looking directly at Audrey. "Thank you so much, Guildmaster. We'll cherish these gifts for as long as we live." He bowed before her, and Dylan followed soon.

"You two silly boys. I already told you two don't have to call me that while we're alone. Just call me Audrey." She took the opportunity with their heads lower to pat them, giving them a good shuffle, making their hair a mess, especially Leon's cowlick, which was just above his scarf.

They both giggled at it, letting her pat them as much as she wanted. "Okay, Audrey!" Leon smiled, his heart at peace in this new world.

____

"You really should eat a little slower, the food isn't going anywhere." Dylan said to the Pichu sitting across from him at the table. The little rodent was devouring his plate at an alarming speed. Every stab of the fork brought with its cuts of salad, tamato berries, and little mushrooms, all condensed neatly against each other and being taken with no mercy.

"I know. But I'm just so hungry." Leon stopped for a second to answer his friend, before resuming his rampage on the plate. Soon enough, the wooden surface was empty, but he wasn't satisfied. He quickly grabbed it and reached it out with his arm. "Seconds, please!" His enthusiasm rang clearly in his voice.

"Haha. I know you've always liked my food, but never to this degree. Then again, I'm also feeling famished after today." The Eevee filled the plate once more, with so many greens on top you wouldn't be laughed at by confusing it with a flower pot. Well, Dylan couldn't say much, not when his plate was in a similar situation, vegetables, and fruits stacked on top of each other until reached his eye level.

They arrived home at dawn, and although they worked hard just like any other day, their work didn't happen to be particularly exhausting, but their bellies were craving to be filled like no other day.

Before the last rays of sunshine had gone out, they were already having dinner. That was an hour ago. Since then, they've been eating non-stop.

"Do you think... we're overeating a bit?" With a little bit of concern in his voice, Dylan raised the point, staring at the cooking pot with barely anything left.

"Nonsense! We-" Leon stops to grab another bite. "We worked hard today! We even got promoted! We deserve this much. Now pass the ketchup, please."

After there was no more food, the two boys finally calmed down and felt the strain of too much food on their bellies. Unlike most days, they decided to not take a shower, the risk of cramps being too high for their liking, not to mention how sleepy they were, so the two went straight to bed.

Back when Leon arrived in this world, he decided to sleep on the hammock in the living room, content in letting Dylan have his space, but as they got closer and a month passed, they both decided it would be easier if they shared the room.

Dylan had told stories about how explorers used to sleep on hay, a barbaric notion to Leon, but things had changed and most people slept on soft clumps of wool. It was eerie how much it resembled a human-world bed, but he knew if he thought too much about it he'd have a headache.

Since then, they've been sleeping together, sharing the soft mattress and enjoying each other's warmth, maybe a little more than each other would think. It was a good way to save up space, not to mention, that way both of them could wake up while looking at each other. That last point wasn't something they told one another, but something that came with the deal, which they gladly took.

Before Leon closed his eyes, there was one last thing to be said. "Hey, Dylan. I... wanted to thank you..."

The Eevee squirmed a bit as he opened his eyes as if he was just drifting to sleep one moment ago. "Huh...? Thank me for what?" His mind was a bit groggy from all that happened that day.

"For... everything..." Although he was embarrassed to say it, he forced himself to not avoid his eyes. "Ever since I came here, you've done so much for me. If not for you, I'd most likely have drowned, and even if I survived, I don't know what I'd be doing by myself..."

"Leon, I already told you. You don't have to thank me. I was doing what anyone would." He smiled softly at this teammate.

"Well... I'm glad it wasn't anyone. I... am happy it was you." His cheeks flushed heavily while uttering those words, and his voice stuttered a couple of times while saying it. "W-What I mean is... I'm happy we got to be friends, and I'm happy we get to spend our time together like this. You're... someone very important to me."

Any other time, Dylan would probably be fidgeting and saying stuff to avoid his embarrassment, but maybe due to his sleepiness, he didn't. Instead, he reached out his paw to grab Leon's, holding it tightly. "And you're very important to me too. I wouldn't trade these last months for the biggest treasure trove in the world."

The answer astounded Leon. He blushed until even his ears were feeling hot. Maybe it was the wind, but even his cowlick tweaked a bit at that moment. He didn't have any words at that moment, but something was growing inside of him. Suddenly feeling his energy reserve being drained, he just slowly closed his eyes before uttering: "I love you."

By the time those words had been said, both were already asleep, their consciousness gone. Their sleeping bodies rested against the soft surface, letting any worries be carried away, with just their soft breathing making noise in the room.

With their paws held together and their hearts beating as one, both of their bodies lit up, the change so seamless that it didn't rouse them from their slumber. Even after a day full of happiness and generosity, another surprise waited for them in the morning.

____

It was a calm and restful night for the small guild team. They had slept like babies for the entirety of the night, and now the sun was showing itself to the world. The sounds of calm low-tide waves helped accentuate the pacific time the two Pokémon were having.

But they couldn't sleep all morning. Soon enough, the wooden clock started beeping on Leon's side, the sound being enough to stir the yellow rodent from his sleep. He grumbled, moving his body to try and hit the timer off the clock with his eyes still closed.

He missed the first time, hitting the table instead. It was normal, so he just grumbled and adjusted as usual, but he missed again. Annoyed by it, he tried a third time and finally hit the stop button, although he overreached and hit it with his wrist instead.

"Ughh... Guess I ate too much yesterday. Someone should have warned me..." He laid against his back before pushing himself up with his arms. Leon's eyes were still dirty from staying shut for so long, which didn't help the temptation of going back to bed.

He rubbed his eyelids clean until he could finally open them properly. The first thing he noticed after doing it is how he felt... taller? He examined his surroundings for a moment but the sensation wouldn't leave. Looking down, he could also see his fur, and instead of the very light yellow he used to have, it now had a stronger hue to it, the color much more pronounced.

"The heck...?" Moving his arm to examine his chest, he also noticed how his arm was considerably longer. About twice as big as it used to be. "Wow... Now that's a growth spurt." He smiled. Leon didn't quite understand what happened yet, but if it meant he was taller and stronger now, he wasn't going to complain.

"Hey, Dylan." He moved his head to the side to wake up his friend. "You have to check this out! I got much biggeaaaAAAAAAH!" He screamed.

Instead of waking up to a brown-furred Eevee like how he got used to every morning, instead there slept a much larger Pokémon. Also four-legged, but its fur was both white and pink, it had a ribbon on its ear, and it was much larger than Dylan, or Leon for that matter.

"W-What's going oooooon!" He stumbled back from the scare, and accidentally fell from the bed, his back hitting the floor with a heavy thud and leaving the yellow rodent dazed for a second. Alongside him, part of the blanket they were resting on also fell, landing right on his tail, covering it.

The heavy sound quickly woke up the individual on the bed. "Wha! What's going on? Leon, where are you?" The being asked with worry in his tone as he scoured the bed, not finding anyone. It didn't take long for him to look down on the other side, to find someone he didn't seem to recognize. At least, for a couple of moments. "L-Leon, is that you?"

Hearing the voice seemed to bring him back from his trance. "D-Dylan?" He rubbed his eyes again, almost in disbelief. "I-Is that you? You look so different!"

"What do you mean by that, silly? I'm the same old Eeveeaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" He went to look down at his arm and screamed when he didn't see his usual brown fur, instead a white and silky kind greeted him. "W-What happened to me?"

"Wait." Leon looked down at his body again, trying to make the cogs in his head turn properly. "I look very different from a Pichu, and you don't look like an Eevee either... Could it be that... We evolved?"

"Evolved?" Dylan quickly scanned himself, trying to get a better grasp of his features, until his eyes landed on his ribbons and ties. "Oh my Arceus, I evolved. I evolved into a Sylveon!!!" He jumped on his bed, cheering in excitement. "I can't believe it. I actually evolved!!! This is the best day ever!"

"Hahaha. If I still had any doubts you were really you, that reaction of yours washed them down the drain." He examined his body, now putting two and two together to a form he recognized. "I think I know this figure from back in the human world, I became a Pikachu."

"You sure did." Dylan hopped down the bed, although faltering a bit, not used to his new body shape. "Pikachus are usually a stronger version of a Pichu. Not many key differences besides increased body strength and more powerful electricity. Good thing you didn't evolve yesterday, or Mister Gunther's forge would've been toast."

Leon couldn't help but laugh at it. "Hahaha... True, he would've been furious with me." He turned his eyes away from his body, his sight now locked onto Dylan's new figure. "Oh wow. I can't believe you have me beat on height now."

Dylan was bigger than Leon now, not only in his height but his overall size as well. The two were about the same before evolving, but now, Dylan had some edge over him, at least an extra third of his current height. "What did you call yourself again? A Sylvion?"

"Sylveon." He corrected his friend by bopping his nose. "It's one of the possible evolutions from my species, one out of eight." He closed his eyes and grunted a bit, and soon after his ribbons started moving on their own. "I'm a fairy type now, and it seems my connection to sheer emotions should be stronger, or at least that's what I've heard from the guild master when she mega evolves."

"Awesome! Honestly, you look very good with that new look, man!"

"O-Oh. Thanks..." Dylan rubbed his arm nervously, with a slight blush on his face complemented by the surrounding pink.

"But... How did this happen? We were just hanging around last night, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Don't Pokémon evolve by fighting and leveling up?"

"Not all of them." Dylan answered. "True, most of the species have to fight and stuff to be able to evolve, but... both your line and mine are exceptions to the rule. Some of my possible paths require special stones, while others require me to... have a strong friendship, and that'd be the same case for you."

"Oh." Leon's cheeks blushed a little as well. "So that means... we've become such good friends that it triggered our evolutions?"

"Pretty much." It seemed to come as an instinct to Dylan how to control his ribbons, now he could even wave them towards the Pikachu. "Heck, I'd say that's awesome, to be honest."

"Hehehe, I agree." Warm feelings rushed over to Leon, making him feel calm and happy in their current predicament. Although, something felt off. "Hey... does my voice seem a bit higher pitched than it used to?"

"Huh, now that you mention it..." Try saying something.

"Waaaaaaaaaaa. Pikachu waaaaaaaaaaaa." Leon made some vocal sounds, and while he did, Dylan analyzed, although it wasn't that hard to notice how different it was now that he was paying attention.

"Your voice is quite more... effeminate. Like, it's higher pitched for sure, but it's also sharper. It's the kind you'd usually see in a female." He said while getting closer to his partner, taking in the new form he just grew into.

"Heh, weird. Maybe something because I just evolved? I dunno, but I'm sure it should go back after a little while. I used to inhale balloons when I was little, and the helium would make my voice all weird for a minute or two, so I'm sure it's nothing." He dismissed smugly, looking to get up on his feet.

"True, we should probably let Audrey know about this. Good thing our gifts should still fit our new bodies." Dylan looked down at his legs to observe how his blue bracelet still fit like a glove, even if the member was considerably thicker than before.

"Yep! She must have thought ahead, that'd explain why its' size was a bit larger than mine." He grabbed onto the sheet covering his tail. "Oh well. I'm sure she'll be happy for us. Anyway, let's go." He removed the piece of cloth, letting his tail spring up from underneath it.

Leon had already turned and was making his way to the living room, but he noticed a lack of steps and looked back to see Dylan not following him. "You good, Dylan? Did something happen?"

Dylan gulped hard. "L-Leon?"

"Mmmm, what's up? You look weird all of a sudden."

"Y-Your tail. Your tail." He stuttered.

"Hm?" He held his tail under his arm and brought it to his face. "Oh, it's much larger now." His eyes kept scanning it until it reached the tip. "Huh? There's a little heart shape at the end of it. Not very manly, but I can live with it, haha.

"Uuuuuum, Leon. There's something wrong." By this point, Dylan was sweating in a way the Pikachu had never seen before.

"What do you mean? Aren't all Pikachu tails like this one?" He responded obliviously, smiling at his seemingly overreacting friend.

"N-Not for males, man. Some Pokémon have very apparent physical differences between each sex. And... A heart-shaped tail only shows up on... female Pikachu..." He said those words with some weight, not sure what was going on.

"..." The Pikachu didn't answer right away. His mind was trying to grasp what exactly that meant.

The cogs started to turn as he put some information together. His more feminine voice, his genitals being more akin to a human girl than a human man and the tail exclusive only to females of his species.

As he got closer and closer to his realization, his face started to get paler, his eyes started to tremble, his breathing got heavier and he felt a deep weight in his gut. "B-But..."

"Leon?" The Sylveon picked up on the expression of the Pikachu. "Are you okay?"

"If I have a girl's tail... If I have a girl's voice... and if I have a girl's private parts..." His body started to shiver as his mind was conflicted between his persona and the reality around him... "I'm..." the last few words were almost a whisper. "... a female?"

"Leon, calm down." Dylan approached his friend as he noticed signs of him starting to sweat too much. He could see in real-time his face losing color and his eyes losing glimmer as the Pikachu's body went limp.

"LEON!!!" Dylan dashed towards his friend, catching him with his body before he could hit the floor. He turned to his side and gently laid him on his back, although the Sylveon's nerves weren't as sharp as he wished they'd be. "Leon!!! Leon, wake up!"

He tapped his paws against the soft cheek of the now unconscious Pikachu, but he didn't get a reaction. With worry, he went for his pulse, hoping it wasn't for the worst. Thankfully, he could still feel a steady pulse within, letting Dylan sigh in relief.

"Thank Arceus..." With the situation assessed, and without the apparent risk of him passing away but without the relief of him waking up at all, he started coming up with a plan.

While he was still knocked out, Dylan used the same bed sheet and wrapped it around his tail, covering it entirely, so no one around would notice the shape without first removing it.

"Okay, Okay... I don't know what happened and I might not have what I need to treat him. I should hurry to the guild, Lanna should be able to help."

In a hurry, he made a makeshift medical stretcher on his back from a leftover board and some of the bedsheets. He used his ribbons to lay him on top of the stretcher and strapped some of the curtains around it so he wouldn't fall off. He did notice the scarf Audrey gave him had fallen on top of him, so he used his ribbons to put it on the side so it wouldn't fall either.

"Hang on, Leon. I'll be as fast as I can."

The Eeveelution bashed his head against the door to open it and dashed towards the town.

____

Darkness. Black. No vision or sense of surroundings.

But voices rang. Voices of an old life.

"Dude, you're so fun."

"You're the manliest guy around."

Grunts, headache, heavy pants.

"That's how you tough it out. That's how a man is supposed to be!"

"You're the definition of masculinity, man."

Heat, anxiety, so strong he wished to puke.

"Don't ever step down, man."

"Let's pass. That stuff is for girls."

Grunts and tears.

"You won't pussy up and be a girl, right?"

____

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Leon screamed from the bottom of his lungs, his torso rising as he sat on the bed so fast he could feel pain in his back.

It was as if time hadn't passed at all. He knew he had lost consciousness at some point, but his breathing was still erratic and his eyes quaked, and his focus a complete mess. Everything was a blur.

"Woah woah. Deep breaths, honey. Waking up like this will only damage your psyche. Try to steady yourself." Leon didn't recognize the voice. It was feminine and it had a touch of smoothness to it, but still a stranger to him. All he could feel was paws calmly pushing him down so he was lying on his back.

The voice didn't reach the Pikachu at all. His face was starting to drench with sweat and he could almost feel his heart through his chest, and the feeling of dizziness was coming back.

"Leon, please..." A voice he recognized. "Listen to her, try to breathe." The voice lowered itself until he could feel a warm presence against his belly, and through it, he could sense slow and steady breathing.

Although his mind was still a mess of stray thoughts and doubts, the calming and endearing voice helped him focus for a little while.

His mind slowly cleared just enough so he could properly feel the calm air Dylan exhaled each time, allowing his own to slowly sync up to it.

It wasn't a quick process. It felt like an eternity since the Pikachu started following the Sylveon's example, but each time he breathed, he could feel his head clearing up a little.

As he was getting closer to feeling better, he felt a soothing glow emanating from the side. "Good. Good. You're doing great, sweetie."

And the process went on.

After however long had passed, his eyes were able to properly convey the information before him. He could see Dylan laying his head on his chest while he was lying down with his eyes closed, just feeling his heartbeat. "Dylan...?"

Those words were enough to wake him up from his tummy. "Leon. Are you feeling okay? Don't raise yourself yet. You need rest, okay?"

Leon just nodded, not wanting to fight the pleasant sensation of Dylan's head resting against his body. He did raise his paw to pat Dylan, though.

That brief moment of lucidity allowed him to take notice of the room. It looked like a small clinic room, nothing so fancy as the hospitals back in the human world, as this one was built more out of stone than anything else, but the white coloration gave the same vibe as those he used to see in movies.

"Alright, much better, Leon. You gave me quite a fright when Dylan just barged in here with you on his back." The feminine voice sounded once again.

He turned his head to look at the source of the voice. The one before him was something he didn't quite understand what it was. Most Pokémon resembled animals back in his world, but this one resembled a plane more than anything else.

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Lanna, Doctor from Audino's guild." The woman with red coloration introduced herself, slowly bowing even if her body wasn't touching the ground. "I'm relieved you're looking a bit better, but you should remain like that for a while to make sure you didn't hurt yourself, okay?"

He just nodded, and before he had a chance to ask, Dylan answered the question in his mind. "Latias, a very rare species."

A corner of a smile formed on his face, and he patted his head a bit more to thank him for the answer.

The Latias turned briefly to grab some papers. "Alright, at least you didn't pass through anything worse than fainting, so that's good, at least." She returned to his side, hovering slowly on the side of the bed. "But... I imagine that's the least of your concerns, right?"

Leon's frown deepened a bit, looking down without answering the doctor.

"Sorry, Dylan tried to hide it, but I had to check on you completely to make sure you didn't get hurt anywhere else. I apologize if I invaded your privacy, but it was necessary."

"It's... okay..." His tone of voice wasn't the most enthusiastic, with the reality of his discovery not sinking in quite yet.

"What do you think happened, doctor?" Dylan raised his head to inquire about him.

"I'm a guy, I'm not supposed to have girl parts or traits. I was a male, I'm certain of it." His sadness briefly gave way to frustration.

"I'll be honest, boys. This is the first time I've ever seen something like this. I heard about Pokémon that lack the parts to attribute sex with, but I've never heard about someone going from one to another. There were rumors about male Salandits evolving into female Salazzles, but that turned out to be a hoax." She closed in on Leon. "But I can say, from a clinical perspective, your sex and body are definitely of one born female."

"But why?!?! I'm not a girl! I'm a boy and I SHOULD NOT HAVE A GIRL'S BODY- " Noticing himself raising his voice, he lowered it himself. "S-Sorry, that wasn't-"

"It's okay, hun. It's expected to be upset when something so out of this world happens. But, look." She released the papers on a nearby table and leaned her claw on the bed. "I'll do my best and try to help you, okay? It's my duty as a doctor to help my patients, after all."

Leon smiled softly. It wasn't exactly reassuring, but it was... comforting to hear it from a professional. "Thanks."

Lanna smiled back. "Okay. I've got another patient in the next room. Poor boy got hit by a Blast Seed right in the forehead. He should be okay, but man was he pale." She grabbed something else from the table, a plastic object with a button on top. "If you need anything just press it and I'll come right away, okay?"

He nodded, and before he could say anything else she was gone, leaving a gust of wind behind as she flew straight through the open door.

"She sure is something, isn't she?" Dylan asked while still laying on his chest.

"Mhmmmm..." With just the two of them left in the room, Leon's muscles relaxed a bit, and he laid his head so he could look directly at the roof. "What is going on?" His question was almost a whisper.

"I don't know, but look." He looked at the Pikachu straight into his eyes. "We're gonna get you through this, okay? I know this must be... scary, but I'll be here for you through all of it, so you don't have to fear anything. Okay?"

Hearing the words from the doctor didn't help to put his fears at ease, but there was something about Dylan's words that just... made him feel better about everything. Even if he felt like the world was going out of control and that everything was in disarray, he was still a constant in his life, a brown, or rather, a pink light that cleared his mind whenever he felt unsure.

Leon mustered the best smile his face could make. "Thanks, Dylan. I... needed to hear that." He patted his friend and hugged him.

Some time passed and the two teammates remained there, just hearing each other's breathing. "I'm male." Leon mustered with his shaky voice.

"Yes, you are." Dylan answered right off the bat.

"I'm not a girl." His breathing got heavier.

"You're not a girl."

"I-I'm not female." His body lightly started to shake.

"You aren't female."

"I'm-"

"Leon" Dylan grabbed the Pikachu by the cheeks. "Don't worry. You don't have to prove anything to me. I know you are you, and if you say you're male, that's what you are, okay?" He raised his head off Leon's chest and leaned his forehead against the rodents. "You are Leon. I trust whatever you say to me. Okay?"

Leon nodded calmly. "Okay."

More silence between the two.

"H-How many know? About the, ummm, tail part?"

"Only me and Lanna." Dylan used his ribbons to grab onto the tail, and with how flexible it was it quickly came into view for the Pikachu. "I wrapped some sheets around your tail before dashing here. With them, no one has properly seen its' shape, so you're safe there. With how much the information shook you, I imagined you wouldn't want the word to spread."

"And you'd be right. I... don't want people to know." He stared at it, the thin fabric covering the painful truth of his body. "I'm a guy, and I don't want people doubting me cuz of the shape... say." His eyes returned to the Sylveon. "Did you bring the bandana Audrey gave me, by any chance?

"I did. It fell on you when I was preparing to leave, so I didn't take it off." Dylan's ribbons quickly shuffled around a bag at the bed's feet, grabbing the red scarf, and presenting it to his friend. "Here you go."

"Thank you. Also, would you mind helping me take them off real quick? I... wanna try something."

The Sylveon nodded and went back to the floor with his four paws. He didn't even have to touch the sheet, just by looking at it his ribbons had enough dexterity to loosen the knot, letting the fabric fall to the ground, and making the heart shape of his tail visible to the both of them. "There, but why did you want that?"

"'Cuz if I'm gonna do this, I should probably have a more believable story than just a plain set of sheets on my tail." With his tail free, he pulled it so his paws could reach it easily enough. Using the scarf, he wrapped the red fabric around the tip of the tail, trying his best so the shape underneath wouldn't show through. "...and, there!"

With a satisfied grunt, Leon let go of his tail and boasted his accomplishment with a proud face. His tail was completely covered by it, and with how tight it was pressing against it, the presenting setup looked like the shape of a thunderbolt, just like the other males of his species should have. "I might not have been the most talented at arts and crafts, but with my mind behind it, I can fashion my body as well as any professional." He boasted.

"Not bad!" And Dylan was being completely serious. Audrey had a keen sense of fashion, so with the anticipation of one day the Pichu evolving, the color of the Bandana already complemented his deeper hue of yellow, with the deep red creating the illusion of a burning tail of passion.

"Right? Now that's what I call manly!" No sign of his sadness was showing at that moment. It might have been something very small, but decorating his tail like that to flaunt who he truly was made him feel more at ease.

"Yeah... although... if you want for people to not notice, there's another little thing that you might want to take care of..." One of his ribbons rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"And what would that be?" He said with his newfound sharp voice. And the moment he said it, he got it.

"Yeah. Your voice is much more girly than before. Your body shape and fluff shouldn't give much away, but if you spoke to anyone they'd be confused."

"You're right... Oh, then I just gotta try and change it myself. Hold on." He stuffed his chest with air and contracted his throat hard. It hurt a bit so he loosened it a bit until he only felt the pressure of the action. "So, how is it?" The voice that came out wasn't extremely or particularly masculine, but it was right on the point of androgynous with the slight deepening of his timbre and the way he spoke helped it sound boyish.

"Hmmm... Not bad! Should work for now, I guess."

"Great! Then let's go home. I don't know how much has passed but I do know that I'm starving." Leon jumped off the bed with a grin on his face, walking out of the medical room as if nothing had even happened.

Dylan wanted to suggest to him to stay, but knowing the problem was more so emotional than physical, he couldn't bring himself to stop his friend, so he resigned to just following him back home. "Hey, wait for me, Leon!"

____

The journey home was mostly quiet. The pair wasn't stopped by anyone, only having to greet a couple of passerby and acquaintances, waving to them and going on their way. They couldn't tell for sure, but for Leon and Dylan, it didn't seem like anyone noticed the particularly harsh change the Pikachu had gone through, and that was perfect for them.

Well, that was for most of the path. They did have to talk to one Pokémon.

"Leon! Dylan! How ya two doing?" A familiar voice echoed behind them. They turned to face Zack, the Luxio they had met a couple of months ago, who they didn't know at the time was an upcoming elite solo explorer.

"Crap." Leon cursed under his breath.

"Don't worry." The Sylveon laid a ribbon on his shoulder. "We'll just tell him we're in a hurry and we should be good."

After shouting toward them, Zack closed the distance quickly, and in no time he was standing in front of them. "Oh wow, ya two really evolved! Congratulations to ya two!" He cheered them with some sparks flying from his cheeks.

"Thanks, Zack. It happened just yesterday so I don't think many know yet. How did you know?" Dylan answered in Leon's place, trying to help him out of talking.

"Oh, yeah. Word travels fast. Some people saw ya this morning and didn't recognize the new faces, but they put two and two together fast. Not many 'chus and 'vees are so close like you two, and running into the guild while out cold? Couldn't have been many others haha." He laughed at the imagery. "Ah, by the way. Heard you got sent to Lanna's, man. Are you okay?"

Leon prepared his throat as best he could and let out his voice. "H-Hey Zack. Don't worry, I just hit my head at home and passed out. I'm already good tho, so no need to worry." He said trying his best not to trip up his own words. It was one thing practicing in front of Dylan with no one around, but another trying to do the real thing.

"Ah, for real? That's great to hear, lil' buddy. Ah, I see you got some new stuff as well, I dig that blazing tail, man." The Luxio slapped the back of the Pikachu, nearly making him stumble with how strong he was.

"Hahaha, y-yeah. Audrey sure has a strong sense of style. The red looks awesome on me." He waved his tail to Zack, accentuating his point.

"She sure does. Ah! I almost forgot, ya guys wanna hang out sometime? Got some dandy berries as a reward from my last mission. Should be able to pull off something tasty." He shook his hips to bring attention to the bag tied to them, showing clear lumps from the weight being held inside.

"S-Sure, Zack! We're just a bit busy these days, but when we get some free time we'll let you know, okay?" Dylan said while already taking the first steps towards the trail to their home.

"'kay!" He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if ya' need some extra charge, you know the feline to call! See 'ya!" Zack turned and ran his way back to town.

"Phew..." Leon let out a sigh of relief in his newfound natural voice. "I barely spoke a word and my throat feels all used. Like it was stuffed full of socks!"

"...Weird analogy, but are you sure it doesn't hurt?"

"Nope! Not a thing!" He rubbed a paw under his chin. "It's very tiring, but I don't feel any pain from it."

"That's good, at least." Dylan took the rodent's paws in his ribbons. "C'mon, then. Unless you want someone else to find us on our way home."

Leon giggled and let Dylan lead him.

Luckily, they didn't find anyone else on the way back, sparing Leon's throat from the hassle.

By the time they were home, the skies were still that lovely shade of blue that Leon had gotten used to, familiar but also alien compared to what he used to see when looking up.

The Sylveon opened the home to their little haven. "Alright, you go inside and rest a bit, okay? I'm going to grab a couple of herbs from the back."

Leon nodded and went inside.

For how long he had lived in a different environment, he always found it odd how quickly he got used to this place.

These last few months had been chock full of new things to learn, about the new world he discovered, about his new friend, and especially about himself, but through it all, he already recognized the humble wooden house as his new home. Maybe it was because he got a chance at a brand new start. Maybe it was the joy of going into a new adventure and acquiring new skills he could never imagine to attain. Or maybe it was due to the company he found.

He shook his head. At first, he thought his little crush on his friend was because of his life being saved, but after months of the feeling prevailing and growing in him, it was hard to dismiss it as just an ephemeral feeling.

He took a look at his decorated tail. Thinking about what was going on with him still irked him completely, and he just couldn't acknowledge all these turns of events. But what he knew was that, if he hadn't met Dylan and had to go through these discoveries by himself, he didn't know how well he'd handle it.

Just in queue, Dylan came back with lots of greens on his back. "Good thing I planted these a while ago. Who knew the seeds we got from old lady Alice would come in handy, huh?" He smiled at his friend and made his way to the kitchen. "Just give me a few and I'll fix up something for you, okay?"

"...Okay." Leon couldn't help but smile. For how many dark thoughts were enveloping his mind at that point, Dylan's sight was always a guiding light for him, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Minutes passed while Leon sat, arms on the table remaining idle while he just observed the much bigger, and much prettier, Eeveelution preparing something.

"Okay, it's done!" Using just the tips of his ribbons, the Sylveon brought with him a warm green drink. "This is my first time brewing ginger tea, I hope it came out okay."

The Pikachu took a few sniffs, the sweet smell invading his nostrils and leaving a soothing sensation there. "If the smell is anything to go by~" He grabbed the handle and took a small sip.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmm! This feels so good!" Leon said before taking another much larger sip, swallowing it eagerly as the cozy feeling overtook his entire body. "Aaaaaaah. Wow, that's... really good!"

"Thanks! I've wanted a reason to try this out, and from what I heard it's perfect to deal with a tired throat. It's a good thing it tastes good if you plan to keep going with the voice change, that way you don't have to dread something like bitter medicine every day." He teased by patting the rodent's face.

"Yuck. Yeah, I'm good drinking this." He laughed while drinking the remainder of the drink. "Waaaa. Thanks, Dylan. After such a stressful day, this was the best thing to get home to." He relaxed under that cozy feeling, melting on top of the chair.

"Hahaha, you silly. Alright, I'll get the chores around the house done while you rest. Don't try to push yourself, even though you mostly slept today, I also know how taxing these things were on you, so make sure to get that strength back, okay?" His tone was worried but also caring while he looked directly into Leon's eyes.

"O-Okay. I promise I'll just rest for today."

Dylan sighed in relief. "Okay. If you need anything just give me a call and I'll come running~!" With those words, he left the house and went to work on things outside.

As for Leon, he obeyed the request from his friend, and he couldn't even try to pretend he wasn't tired, after all.

He decided to just lay on the hammock he used to sleep at, letting it rock back and forth as he felt drowsiness take him. It usually took a couple of minutes for him to fall asleep, but with everything that went on so far, his eyes quickly closed as his mind grew heavier. Maybe a little nap would patch him up...

____

After however long he had been sleeping, Leon felt some warm and soft sensations along his body, but without the will to properly wake up, he relented in just letting those sensations carry him away.

It felt like he was being carried off from the hammock, especially due to some of the wind blowing against the uncovered parts of his body. That sensation prevailed for a while until he felt himself being dropped off carefully somewhere, with the comfy sensation caressing his slumbering body. The texture was softer than the hammock and very familiar to him, a place the two friends spent many nights.

Even throughout all of it, Leon remained asleep, his brain was just active enough to hear something from Dylan. "Sleep well, Leon. You're one of the best things that ever happened in my life, so please don't feel discouraged. You're strong, and you can be whatever you wanna be."

With those words, his consciousness slowly sunk into that realm again, one where he didn't have control over what he thought or what was shown, he couldn't take over what was happening or hide. But he didn't go into it scared or anxious. Dylan's words cradled him softly until he slipped into his dreams.

He slept with a smile on his face.

____

Voices.

"You should act more like a man and give up on those things."

Surrounded. Fear.

"Does he still like to hang out with them? It's so not cool. A guy shouldn't be doing those things."

Worry. Pain.

"TAKE THAT OFF THIS INSTANT! BE A MAN OR I'LL SET YOU STRAIGHT!"

Despair. Darkness.

"Don't worry."

Flash.

"You are Leon."

Soothing.

"I trust whatever you say to me. Okay?"

Calm. Light.

"You're strong, and you can be whatever you wanna be."

Relief.

Sleep.