“Hey Alex, have you heard of this game hack?” Mae pointed at his console, “For the Pokémon series.” The taller guy raised his eyebrow. Game hack? In Pokémon? “No? Then again, the whole point of th—” “No, no, it's not to hack the game you see. It's more so a ritual.” “Huh.” Within Alex's dark room, the two roommates lazed around on their coach, each occupying the corner of their sofa with their consoles being their source of light. College had its way of draining people’s energy and thus started their weekly ritual of just playing in the dark. The man still couldn’t believe his luck. That he was sleeping with a girl in his dorm room. And that they shared so much common ground with one another, like Pokémon or their love for board games. Didn’t take long for the man to develop a little crush on her. On the other side, Mae fidgeted around in her seat. Although her friends had warned her that this was probably a bad idea — to share a room with some guy — it somehow worked out. Yes, they had rules and boundaries regarding their mixed gender situation (the hall master had closed one eye due to lack of dorms) but he genuinely was a nice person. So much so that feelings flustered under her skin. She leaned towards him, pressing on one of the console’s buttons, “Yeah, apparently during a specific time, you can summon Pokémon from the series into the real world.” “That’s just a stupid myth, right?” “Well, you never know until you try it, right?” He rolled his eyes. Not like they had anything else going on with their lives (Finals had just ended and they both agreed they weren’t going to be talking about that disaster), “Fine. It better not be some crypto scam.” “Pfft.” “You never know until you try it, right?” “That’s cheating, Alex,” She grabbed the console of his hands and searched for the guide within her phone. It was a long - standing urban legend, but she never had the time to test its validity. Clicking on the smaller 3DS, she scrolled down the steps and inputted buttons in order. “So what Pokémon do you want to bring to the real world?” “I don’t know? Maybe an Eevee?” “Lameeee.” “Tch, imagine not liking Eevee.” “Don’t get me wrong,” He raised his hands up, “I like Eevee as much as the other guy. It's just basic as hell.” She keyed in a few more commands and tinkered with the settings. Ugh, this better be worth the fifteen steps she just took, “Then what about you?” “Get something like a Flygon.” “And when you can’t tame it, it flies around and starts sandstorms,” She rolled her eyes, “Didn’t think of that, did you?” With the final press of the B button, the console went blank. There the screen whirled in place as a timer popped up at the top. The duo glanced at each other. “Was this supposed to happen?” “Errr, no? Usually some Pokémon will spawn.” And it is I that answered your claims. They blinked at one another. It's been so very long since people have tried to cast this spell. Connecting our Pokeverse to the human realm. “Wait, you’re supposed to be summoned here. Popped out and be our fr-” Mae rebutted. The legend never said anything about some deep voice echoing in their minds. No. This is a forbidden spell that should never be cast in the first place. And for your insolence, you’ll have to pay the price. “Pri— Ah!” The console grew bigger till it became a small portal with Mae’s hands being pulled towards it like a vacuum sucking everything in its wake. A timer ticked down from ten minutes. Alex froze up. His mind still struggled to process what was going on. Across the portal, Mae’s fingers merged together. Bones separated themselves into three distinct parts along her arm as black fur itched alongside her hands. She shook her head, now begging for forgiveness, “Please! I didn’t mean this to happen! I’m sorry!” Rules are rules, young lady. And should I say, young man? “What? What are you doing to me?” She asked, now feeling how her nimble digits dropped from five to three. What was that? What was happening to her hand now? The force escalated, now threatening to pull her body deep inside the portal. Changing you into a suitable form to the Pokeverse. Now just calm down and make it easy for us all. Alex now pulled her hand, playing tug of war against this portal. All they had to do was stall. Stall till the timer ran out. Appeared to be working with only her left arm coated in thick black fur with bright yellow circles around her fur. Are you thinking of stalling till the timer runs out? Because it has some lethal effects. The force grew stronger. Small bits of her torso changed, now pulling her even harder. She winced in pain, her eyes looking back at Alex’s strong grip, refusing to let her go. But lethal effects? That injected fear into her heart. She moved her foreign paw, trying to pull it out. Unfortunately, it slammed against the portal, unable to drag itself through it. Though on the plus side, her arm was feeling stronger as muscle doubled its size — especially around the biceps. Alex now grabbed her body, hugging behind it to increase the total mass. When the portal opened, he realized early on that it was targeting only her while it ignored him entirely. “Alex, get off me!” “But you’re going to get sucked in there if I do!” A loud beep distracted them, now signaling it was its halfway mark. The force kicked up another notch. And just like that, her body was sucked through the portal. She slammed against the invisible barrier with Alex staring back. Aside from her new paw, she was still human. “Mae! Are you alright?” “Yeah, I think I’m still fi-breon. Umbre-umbreon?” She instinctually said, now shaking her head in panic, “Shit, I think the changes are getting to be faster than expected.” A sudden push shoved her onto the ground. Must be that stupid voice within their heads. As she tried to get up, her bones around her hands and feet clicked into place, locking her into this quadrupedal stance. Trying to stand up, pain forced her to go back down on all fours. Great. Now more of that itchy fur sprouted around her body as her clothes mysteriously vanished away. Blending with the dark room that she was in, occasional yellow circles around her body shone brightly. Illuminating for Alex to watch. Her height drastically shortened. Inches at a time, she could only helplessly watch as her body turned into an Umbreon. Her breasts flattened while her body bulked up in muscle. By this point, her hands morphed into paws as every inch of her was coated in black fur. Fur that she abhorred. Feeling the changes approaching her face, she closed her eyes. Alex could only gasp in shock with a hint of resignation, watching his friend changing into a Pokémon without any way of helping her. Her round face soon sharpened along the edges, giving her a more masculine appearance. The sharper jawline was now visible as her ears elongated and shifted towards the top of her skull, now twitching in place. With yellow stripes around her ear, she panted once again, “Umbr-umbreon.” “Mae! Can you still hear me?” “Ye…yes… Umbreon,” Her voice deepened, now confirming her status as a male, “Alex… I’m scared…” The man glanced away while the changing woman’s glowing yellow eyes glanced back at him. She wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do. But within the dark room, there’s a sense of isolation and loneliness clinging against her neck. Her bones shifted once more, now extending her paws out and making more joints. Even as she tried to walk, she tumbled onto the ground, finding ways to roll within the space to get back up. Meanwhile, her tailbone had a little push, squeezing out and popping as a tail. Long, big and fluffy, it gave her that extra boost of balance that she so desperately needed. A mirror soon shined back at her with the voice taunting once again. Look at what a handsome Umbreon you’ve become! Doesn’t this seem better than whatever boring human form you were? “Shut up! Just change me back already!” No can do. You’re going to be living as a Pokémon within one of the villages. But for how strong you are, you probably can make a living as a hunter. Mae glanced down at her body. No, his body now. Questions whirled around his glowing body. What was he going to do now? He couldn’t possibly go to some Pokémon world and live there! Just an hour ago, he was a human girl, having a crush on his roommate and now here he was, trapped between worlds as a feral Umbreon. Letting out a whimper, he watched back at Alex. His eyes brimmed with tears. Does this mean he will be alone in this new world? Isolated from everyone he knew and cared for? His tail stopped wagging with his glowing lights dimming down. On the other end, Alex scanned the area, trying to find a solution. How could this be possible? This entity trapped Mae within this portal thing and turned her into an Umbreon. A male one at that! Cease your panic, young one. There is no way to rescue the sinner. “Oh shut it! I’m getting her out there one way or another.” What naivety. To believe you could save your little crush. His face reddened up, glancing at the timer. Two minutes left. Two minutes before, he presumed that he would lose her forever. He tried scrolling through her phone, trying to see if there were any hints or clues to save her. Sweat dripped down his neck, slamming the letters into the keyboard in search of a solution. But you are free to go now. You can live your life as a regular mortal and just put this all behind you. Glancing back at the sullen Umbreon, his heart ached once more. Gah! What were the chances this entity would curse her? Changing her body into this state? The timer blinked at its final minute, counting down from sixty seconds and down. Forty-five seconds before this whole portal ends. The whirling of the portal got louder, shrinking in size. Alex gasped for air. Was this really where he would leave her? Forever? Memories of them spending time together flashed in his mind. He wanted to talk to her more. To share about his day and hear about hers. To make stupid jokes about each other’s grades and just relax with one another… His body trembled. Shit. Was this the only way to continue? He couldn’t even tell if it was possible to open this rift once again… Hesitation quickly broke apart as he lunged forward into the portal. As the portal closed up from behind, he entered into a strange liminal space with the Umbreon still moping around in the middle, “Umbre-umbreon…” “There, there,” He ruffled through his friend’s black fur, “I’m here now.” “Alex! You shouldn’t be here! Else, you’re going to ch-” The first patch of white fur sprouted on his hands, “Look! It's already happening!” The man shrugged, “So be it, I couldn’t just leave you behind, could I?” “Bu—” “No more buts,” He laid down on the floor, now feeling his clothes becoming bigger with every passing second, “I chose to be with you, alright?” “Alex!” “Yes, yes, call me an idiot, but I just couldn’t bear the thought of letting you be stuck in this world all alone,” Leaning closer to the Umbreon, he wrapped his hands around the Pokémon, “Trust me, we’ll get through this someway or another.” The Umbreon burst into tears, leaning right against his shrinking chest with more fur sprouting throughout his body. A small tiny part of him was regretting it already. Regretting from the constant white fur that sprouted. Soon enough, his body began to ache, shifting his bones around his joints and fusing multiple bones together. He quickly dropped in height, losing inches each time. Gah, he was barely taller than Mae now. Tingles surrounded his face. He closed his eyes, feeling the tiny specks of white fur blooming on his cheeks. His white fur reddened brightly while his jaw line rounded out, creating a smoother, more rounder face, “How do I look, Mae?” “Oh errr,” He stumbled on his words, “Great?” “Jeez, that’s so specific,” Alex’s voice rose in pitch, jumping by notes at a time. Unknowingly, his hair sparked pink, spreading throughout his smaller paws. He opened his wide blue eyes before screaming, “Ahhhh! Am I turning into a Sylveon?” Mae chuckled, “Suits your new gender after all.” Why yes. For someone with this much love for others, only fairy types could express this much devotion, you know? “I know! I know! But I just—” Alex pouted, “Ughhh, I thought I’ll become something cooler an-” “You’re already cool enough though.” “Not as a Sylveon!” His new fangs sharpened as his flat chest created humps — three rows of them to a noticeable degree, “Gah! And my voice is so much higher pitched!” Guilt wrecked his heart. Hanging his head low, Mae continued, “I’m sorry, alright. This is all my fault and I… I shouldn’t have done th-” “No, no, it's fine. I’m just…” His ears climbed up on top of his head, elongating out with cute pink fur and its darker blue inner covering, “Overwhelmed. This is my choice and so this isn’t your fault at all…” The Umbreon blushed up, “But… why?” A pair of ribbons spawned around his new pair of ears, acting as his new pair of arms for the changing man. Leaning forward, his four paws locked into place as paw pads popped up around his hands. Any attempts to stand on twos only pained the changing man, especially with his new breasts. Another wine escaped from his muzzle while the Umbreon’s question lingered in his head. Why? Wasn’t it obvious? Swallowing his spit down, he croaked out, “Cause… cause…” The Umbreon’s eyes stayed on his smaller body. Ah, damn, it's whatever at this point, “I like you.” “Like me? Like… you had a crush on me?” He nodded, covering his cheeks with his new ribbons. Meanwhile, muscles that once were present faded out, making the Sylveon even more vulnerable than before. His nether regions flattened, indicating the end of his masculinity as she leaned against the larger Umbreon. “So you… better take care of me, alright? Mister Malcolm.” Completely flushed, he licked back at the smaller Sylveon, “Alright Alexis.” The rest of the changes came swiftly. Another pair of ribbons spawned around her neck, giving her an additional four silky ribbons as her hands and arms. Though her body shook, she had an easier time walking on fours, circling around Malcolm. And on cue, her tail spawned behind her back — pink and fluffy –- to give her more balance. Once that was done, she panted, locking eyes with Malcolm and licked his cheeks. By the end, she was significantly smaller and shorter than the Umbreon. Like he was about twice her side. He licked her back, giving her kisses around her collar before being interrupted by the entity. Ahem. Now that you two love birds are done changing, time to send you to your new home. “Wait, wh-” Malcolm protested before a flash of light blinded them. The next thing they knew, they were in a thick forest with a lot of sounds coming from their North. All sorts of Pokémon sounds and words scattered within the air. Both of them glanced at one another, “So this is it? We’re just Pokémon now?” “I suppose so, Alexis,” He shrugged, “But I think this is set in a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game. That bastard told me that I would do well as a Hunter.” “Oh, you definitely can with those muscles. Maybe you can hunt me down later,” The Sylveon winked back, leading out in the front, causing the male to go completely red. He soon caught up to her as both of them were treated to the new village. The townsfolk were mostly friendly; some of them were former humans even, now adjusting their lives as Pokémon with inventions that the modern world had. Days flew by into months. While Malcolm was still registered as a guild member, helping other Pokémon in need while defending the town, Alexis was getting bored as his housewife. Not that their relationship was going badly (far from that actually, most of the town’s Pokémon have been asking them to tone it down with how lovey-dovey they were), but more so that she had nothing to do. And so she signed up to be a guild member, becoming part of the recon section. Scouting out for enemies, investigating anything strange and doing basic reports, her role was thankfully mostly a safe one with bodyguards supporting her as well. (Also another excuse to sneak a peek at her hubby at work). She quickly rose through the ranks, being promoted to assistant head of the recon section. Her charm and extroverted nature allowed her to coordinate the other recon members with ease. So much so that Malcolm wanted to switch to the recon section, out of jealousy. It was denied due to Malcolm adapting well to his newer instincts. Everything felt natural although it shouldn’t be. He was still reserved and shy towards most of his colleagues, but during battle, he could throw all of that away and focus on taking his opponent down. It was an immense thrill and rush that he would describe as ‘bliss’ while others would describe him as ‘battle hungry’ and ‘ruthless’. Still, while both of them didn’t love their bodies, they enjoyed their new life together. Some things could never feel the same, as not having hands to hold objects or being of the opposite gender still stuck out. Alas, on one of the nights, Malcolm wept a little, hugging Alexis close enough where they could hear each other’s heartbeat, “What’s wrong, Mal?” “Just thinking about how happy I am to be with you,” He sniffled, “I was so scared that I’d be alone. That I couldn’t see you forever. Stuck in this foreign place and body…” Her ribbons patted against his darker fur, “Same, I didn’t want to lose you too, you know? That’s why I’m here. Well, ideally not as a female Sylveon.” He chuckled, “But you look so adorable like this.” Within the yellow glow of Malcolm, her white fur briefly flushed red, “Point is… I’ll do it for you any day of the week.” “Thanks, Alexis. Love you, honey.” “Love you too.”