Then the Noctowl disappeared silently into the trees.
The clearing fell quiet.
For a long moment I just sat there, staring blankly ahead while a few loose feathers drifted slowly through the air around me.
One landed on my paw.
Another floated past my nose.
My brain struggled to catch up with everything that had just happened.
I had woken up in the forest.
Discovered I was a Riolu.
Almost been blasted into next week by a giant owl.
And apparently—
I glanced down at myself again.
—I wasn't even the same gender anymore.
"…What the hell is my life right now?" I muttered weakly.
Across the trench, Miro finally relaxed his stance.
The Shinx shook out his fur and hopped lightly over the gap, landing beside me.
He studied me for a moment.
"…You good?" he asked.
I looked up at him.
"…Define good."
Miro snorted.
"Fair enough."
He flicked his tail toward the forest path.
"Come on, Rookie."
"…Where?"
"Somewhere safer than the middle of Hoot's hunting grounds."
I glanced up toward the trees where the owl had vanished.
"…You two know each other?"
Miro paused.
"…Yeah," he said simply.
That was all the explanation I got.
And somehow, I had the feeling that wouldn't be the last time I saw that owl.
…
I walked in silence for a while.
Well.
"Walked" might have been generous.
It was more like an awkward mix between walking, stumbling, and trying not to fall over every third step.
But I was improving.
Slowly.
My paws moved a little more naturally now. My balance felt less like a constant battle against gravity.
Still strange.
Still wrong.
But… manageable.
Which was honestly the least weird thing about today.
My mind kept circling back to the same thought.
Her.
I looked down at myself again as I walked.
Blue fur.
Short tail.
Slim limbs.
Definitely not my old body.
And apparently—
"…Female," I muttered.
The word felt weird just saying it.
Behind me, Miro's ears twitched.
"…What was that?"
"Nothing," I said quickly.
He shrugged and kept walking.
But my brain refused to drop the subject.
Because suddenly something else from earlier clicked into place.
I glanced at Miro.
"…Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Earlier… when I was washing in the pool."
"…Yeah?"
"You refused to look at me."
"Yep."
"…Why?"
Miro stopped walking.
Slowly, he turned his head and gave me a look.
"…Seriously?"
"What?"
He stared at me for a moment like I'd just asked why the sky was blue.
Then he sighed.
"It's called manners, Rookie."
"…Manners?"
"Yeah."
He flicked his tail.
"You were bathing."
"…So?"
He blinked.
"…You really don't get it."
"No."
Miro stared at me another second.
Then he shook his head and started walking again.
"…You're weird."
"I'm starting to notice that."
We walked a few more steps before something else popped into my head.
"…Hey."
Miro groaned.
"What now?"
"That owl earlier."
"Hoot."
"Yeah, him."
"What about him?"
"…Why didn't he eat you?"
Miro stopped again.
"…Excuse me?"
"You said some Pokémon eat other Pokémon," I explained. "He's huge. You're… less huge."
"…Wow."
"I'm just saying!"
Miro sighed and sat down on the path.
"It's not that simple."
"Then explain it."
He hesitated.
Then he gestured vaguely toward the forest around us.
"Pokémon around here know each other."
"…Like neighbors?"
"…Sort of."
He flicked his tail.
"Hoot's been in this forest a long time. Longer than me."
"And?"
"And he knows I'm not stupid enough to wander into his nest or steal his food."
"…Comforting."
Miro ignored that.
"And I know where he hunts."
"…Also comforting."
"So we stay out of each other's way."
I frowned slightly.
"…That's it?"
"…Mostly."
Something about the way he said that made me suspicious.
"…Mostly?"
Miro looked away.
"…I know things," he said.
"What kind of things?"
"The kind you only learn from watching humans."
I blinked.
Humans again.
"…You've mentioned them twice now," I said.
"What exactly are humans?"
Miro didn't answer right away.
He stared ahead at the path for a long moment.
"…Complicated," he finally said.
That word again.
I was starting to hate that word.
"I see… well, thanks for the help," I said, sheepishly rubbing my new snout with my paw.
The gesture felt weird.
Everything about my body still did.
Miro glanced back at me, his ears twitching slightly.
"Don't mention it," he said casually.
Then he flicked his tail toward the trees.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"My place."
"…You have a place?"
Miro snorted.
"Of course I have a place."
He slipped between two thick bushes, clearly expecting me to follow.
I hesitated for half a second before scrambling after him.
The forest grew a little denser as we moved deeper between the trees. The ground sloped gently downward, the air growing cooler as the sounds of running water drifted somewhere nearby.
Eventually the trees opened into a small clearing.
My eyes widened.
"Oh."
The clearing looked… lived in.
Several berry bushes grew along the edges, heavy with colorful fruit. Small piles of fallen leaves had been pushed together near a flat stone, forming something that looked suspiciously like a nest.
Nearby sat a collection of half-eaten berries.
Bright blue ones.
Small orange ones.
And a few pale yellow ones I didn't recognize.
The smell alone made my stomach suddenly twist with hunger.
"What is all this?" I asked.
"My pantry," Miro said simply.
He padded over to one of the bushes and nudged a berry loose with his paw before tossing it toward me.
The fruit rolled across the ground and stopped at my feet.
A plump blue berry.
I stared at it.
"That's an Oran Berry," Miro said. "Eat it."
"…Just like that?"
"Unless you plan on staring at it until it grows legs."
Fair point.
I picked it up cautiously and took a small bite.
The flavor exploded across my tongue.
Sweet.
Cool.
And weirdly refreshing.
Before I knew it, the entire berry was gone.
"…Okay," I admitted. "That's actually amazing."
Miro grinned.
"Told you."
He turned toward another bush nearby.
"These over here are Pecha Berry," he said. "Good for poison."
"…Poison?"
"Yeah."
"…Great."
Before I could question that further, a small rustling sound came from the nearby grass.
Both of us turned.
A small bird Pokémon hopped out from behind one of the berry bushes.
Gray feathers.
White face.
Sharp little eyes.
A Starly.
It tilted its head curiously at me.
"…Oh," Miro said casually.
"Hey, Pip."
The Starly chirped.
Then its gaze shifted to me.
It hopped a little closer.
"…Is that another one of your weird strays?" it chirped.
I blinked.
"…Did that bird just insult me?"
Miro shrugged.
"Pretty much."
The Starly circled me once, inspecting my blue fur and strange ears.
"…Never seen one of these before," it said.
"What are you supposed to be?"
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it again.
"…Honestly?"
"No idea."
The Starly snorted.
"…Great."
It looked at Miro again.
"You bringing home mysteries now?"
Miro flicked his tail lazily.
"Something like that."
The bird studied me for another moment.
Then shrugged its wings.
"…Well, if Hoot hasn't eaten you yet, you're probably fine."
I frowned slightly.
"…Is everyone in this forest obsessed with eating things?"
"Yes," Miro and pip said at the same time.
Pip fluttered down from the branch, landing lightly on a rock near the edge of the clearing. The small bird Pokémon tilted his head, dark eyes studying me with open curiosity.
"…Still weird," Pip muttered.
"Glad I can keep things interesting," I replied dryly.
Miro ignored the exchange and wandered over to one of the berry bushes, nudging the leaves aside with practiced familiarity. A moment later something dropped from the branches.
He flicked it toward me.
I caught it awkwardly between my paws.
"…Another berry?"
"Oran Berry," Miro said. "Good for energy."
I looked down at the bright blue fruit.
Energy.
Right.
Apparently that was something I needed now.
Pip hopped a little closer, circling me in small, curious steps.
"…You move funny," he said.
I sighed.
"I hatched like today. Give me a break."
Pip paused.
"…Oh."
That actually seemed to satisfy him.
Miro snorted quietly.
Pip hopped back onto the rock and puffed his chest feathers slightly.
"So what's the plan then?"
"Plan?" I repeated.
Pip gestured toward me with a wing.
"You brought her here."
Miro shrugged.
"She needed somewhere safe."
Pip stared at him.
Then a slow, mischievous grin spread across his beak.
"…Wow."
"What?"
"You're getting soft."
Miro's ears twitched.
"I'm not getting soft."
"You brought a lost hatchling back to your den."
"She was wandering near the ridge."
"And?"
"And that's Hoot's territory."
Pip ruffled his feathers smugly.
"Sounds like you're getting soft."
I rubbed my snout with a paw.
"…Do you two argue about everything?"
"Yes," they both answered immediately.
And they also seem to be in sync as well…
A pause hung between us as the forest settled into softer sounds. Pip ruffled his feathers, then tilted his head thoughtfully.
"You know," he said, voice low, "the forest's been a little restless lately."
Miro's ears twitched.
"Restless?" I echoed, ears perking.
Pip hopped closer, perching on a low branch. "Yeah. Pokémon have been skittish. More arguments than usual. Nights are louder. Even the smaller ones are acting jumpy."
Miro's tail flicked. "Humans?"
Pip gave a sharp chirp. "Exactly. Some patrols have been moving through the windmills near the ridge. Big groups. They chase and tag Pokémon, take berries, stir things up. The bigger ones—like Hoot—have been warning everyone to stay alert."
I tilted my head. Humans? Patrols? Windmills? Everything felt… suddenly larger than I thought.
"They call themselves… Team Galactic, I think?" Pip added quietly, glancing toward Miro. "Most of the forest doesn't like them."
Miro glanced at me, expression unreadable. "Don't worry. We'll stay out of their way for now."
I nodded, though the knot in my stomach wouldn't let go. New body, new life, and now… humans patrolling my forest?
Pip's wings fluttered as he glanced at the darkening canopy. "Better get used to it. Things aren't as calm as they used to be."
The sun slipped lower, leaving the clearing bathed in a warm orange glow. Shadows stretched across the ground, and the sounds of daytime creatures faded into nighttime whispers.
Miro nudged a small pile of leaves toward me. "Sleep here. You'll be safe enough."
I glanced the leaves awkwardly before sitting down and slumping onto my back. My tail wrapped loosely around my legs almost naturally.
"Try not to wander off," Pip called softly from his branch.
"I wasn't planning on it," I murmured.
With a final flutter, Pip took off into the dimming sky.
Miro settled nearby, tail flicking lazily as he scanned the edge of the clearing. The forest had shifted with the coming night—more alive than I realized, and a little more dangerous too.
I stared up through the leaves, listening to distant calls and rustling, letting the unfamiliar world settle around me.
New life. New body. New rules.
"…Hey, Miro?"
"Yeah?"
"…Thanks."
"…Don't mention it."
The forest slowly slipped into night around us, the wind carrying faint whispers of the disturbances Pip had warned about.
…
The forest was quieter now, the last of the sun's rays slipping away, leaving only the soft rustle of leaves and distant nocturnal calls. Miro perched on a fallen log, tail flicking lightly as he watched Rookie settle into her small pile of leaves.
She was… different. Not just because she was a Riolu—he'd seen the species before in a trainer's Pokédex—but in the way she moved and looked at things. Some of her gestures were awkward, sure, but a few moments had caught his attention. The way she tilted her head at the rustling leaves, the way she paused over the berries, the way her gaze lingered on Pip… it was unusual for a hatchling.
He tilted his head, ears twitching. Probably just a newborn adjusting to the world, he thought. Hatchlings often acted oddly when first out of the egg. Still, it made him curious.
Miro shifted on the log, flicking his tail against the leaves. She seemed quick to notice things, and even though she stumbled sometimes, she had a strange confidence—just small instincts, maybe, or the way some Pokémon were born alert. Nothing to worry about, he reminded himself. Just… interesting.
The clearing grew darker as the forest shifted into night. Sounds softened: leaves rustling, distant calls, the faint hum of insects. Miro leaned back, letting his paws sink into the soft earth. Rookie was small, new, and clearly still learning—but she was here, alive, and curious. That was enough for now.
It felt nice… not being alone for once