How come my Pokémon turned into a girl?

In the sports car, the young man with brown hedgehog hair sitting in the main seat held the car body with one hand and waved the other hand to greet Qianye.

"Xiao Mao?" Qianye was also very surprised. Fate was really amazing. He had just met Xiaozhi in Nibe City, but as soon as he arrived in Cerulean City, he immediately met another childhood friend of his.

Xiaomao, whose real name is Oak Shigeru, that's right... he is the grandson of the famous Professor Oak. Unlike the young and naive Satoshi, he has really studied Pokémon knowledge systematically and also has the talent of a trainer.

Handsome, a wealthy second-generation, a talented rookie trainer... As a man, he was practically perfect. His only flaw was his overconfidence, sometimes even a bit cocky. Qianye had a good impression of him, though, mainly because when they were younger, he'd given his family's convenience store a lot of cash to buy snacks.

"You really are... still as concerned about appearances as ever." He couldn't help but look at the back seat of the red sports car... There was no way, that group of girls in cheerleading outfits were too conspicuous.

I don't know who he learned this from, but Xiao Mao likes to flaunt himself with a group of "girlfriends" whenever he goes out. To be honest, these girls are just average-looking, so I don't think anyone would really envy them...

While thinking this, Qianye stretched out his hand and angrily rubbed the dog head of Heizi beside him.

"Ouch?"

As if he hadn't heard the deeper meaning in Qianye's words, Xiaomao's face was even more confident. He smugly lifted his bangs and said to the group of "girlfriends" behind him, "There's nothing I can do. My charm is just so irresistible. Don't you agree, darlings?"

"Xiao Mao Xiao Mao is the most handsome!" "Xiao Mao Xiao Mao is so awesome!"

The girls stood up from their seats one after another, waving the bouquets in their hands exaggeratedly, and praised Xiao Mao in unison, even reciting the same lines.

Hey, as a trainer, if you don't work on improving your fighting skills, but indulge in women all day long, how can you achieve success?

Shaking his head, Qianye was ready to say goodbye. Just as he was about to speak, Xiaomao spoke first with an ambiguous smile:

"I'm planning to go see the Hualan sisters' water ballet, but I accidentally bought a few extra tickets and I'm wondering who to give them to."

Oh, cricket water ballet, how could I possibly be interested in a performance that is nothing more than a performance that attracts people by just scratching the surface——

"Take me with you... ahem, mainly because I want to help my old friend share the pressure."

Qianye almost teleported to the door of the red sports car and said this with a firm and righteous look in his eyes.

Chapter 18 Three Sisters Who Don't Do Their Jobs

Water ballet is the most famous performance in Hualan City. According to incomplete statistics, tourists who travel to Hualan City to watch the performances of the three Hualan sisters account for nearly 80% of the total passenger flow each year.

Perhaps because of this, the venue for the three Hualan sisters to perform was so large. Qianye looked around and saw the dense crowd of heads stretching as far as the eye could see. The entire venue should be more than enough to accommodate thousands of people.

With such a massive scale, even the Nibi Gym that Qianye had previously challenged was no more than this size. This was understandable; the ticket sales from a single performance could easily equal a gym owner's monthly salary, and that wasn't even factoring in the high costs of gym maintenance. Such revenue generation would naturally receive strong support from the Cerulean City administration.

It must be said that a rich man is a rich man. Xiao Mao directly booked the best viewing seat in the audience. At this moment, he was touching the armrest with a comfortable look on his face, half lying on the seat.

Qianye sat on the other side, holding Eevee in her arms. After Kuroko's evolution, her size was no longer suitable for such an occasion, so she had to stay inside the ball. As for Kokodora... she simply found the performance boring and went to sleep inside the ball.

The sight passed over the large audience below and stopped in the center of the pool that served as the "stage". The spotlights converged, announcing the opening of the performance.

Three pairs of slender legs as white as mutton-fat jade were the first to emerge from the water, dangling their feet and splashing beautiful water. The water droplets falling in the air reflected the lights, like stars dancing following the jade feet.

Heavy breathing sounds reached Qianye's ears. He glanced down at the audience seats and saw several fat, greasy middle-aged men trembling with excitement, even making gurgling sounds as they swallowed their saliva.

I couldn't help but shake my head. With such dirty thoughts, how could I properly appreciate this art? How could I truly use my eyes to discover the "beauty" contained in this dance?

I continued to watch the performance with a critical eye, but just as the audience's excitement reached its climax, those beautiful legs submerged themselves in the water again. It was like peeling off the outer layer of an ice cream cone, the smooth, white flesh luring my appetite, only to have it pulled right off my face, the tugging making my heart itch even more.

Just when the audience was teased to the point of impatience, ripples suddenly appeared on the water surface, and three beautiful mermaids leaped out from the blooming hibiscus, and the splashing water droplets formed a crystal water curtain.

And after the falling water curtain, the three Hualan sisters raised their necks like swans, stretched their arms and generously showed off their grace under their swimsuits.

Her golden hair falls down like waves, her every move is graceful and calm, and her every frown and smile is like a spring breeze. This is the eldest sister Sakura; her blue hair floats on her shoulders, her swaying waist outlines a perfect curve, and her peach-like eyes convey a hint of charm. This is the second sister Acorus; her short pink hair clings to her cheeks, her raised arms reveal alluring dimples, and a devil-like smile hangs on the corner of her mouth. This is the third sister Peony.

Slurp~ This dance is really big... No, it's really white...

His eyes widened as the bouncing ball on the water captured his gaze with a powerful magnetic force. Gently wiping away the nonexistent saliva, Qianye suddenly felt something tug at his collar.

"What's wrong? Eevee..." He immediately looked down and his eyes met those round eyes.

"Bu-yi, Bu-yi?"

My lord, do you like that outfit?

Lord, what a strange name... His expression was a little subtle at first, but after hearing the second half of the sentence, Qianye suddenly had no time to pay attention to what Eevee called him.

Oh no, I was so engrossed in watching that I couldn't control my expression. No! I can't ruin the image I created in front of Ibrahimovic like this!

"Ahem... Eevee, this water ballet is a form of dance. Dance, after all, is the art of conveying emotion through the body. In other words, since swimsuits don't cover much, they can perfectly showcase the movements of the body to the audience... I'm intently observing every detail of this art form."

"Eevee~" Nodding ignorantly, Eevee continued to focus his attention on the performance in the pool.

Qianye wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling somewhat relieved. Luckily, Eevee was a relatively innocent kid. If it had been that Kokodora, he would have received a headbutt on his kidneys.

"That Eevee...where did you capture it?" Xiao Mao's voice came to my ears.

Although he was somewhat puzzled as to why the other party suddenly asked such a question, Qianye still replied, "We met at Yuejian Mountain. We just happened to fall in love, so we started traveling together."

As for the fact that Ibrahimovic was abandoned in the beginning, he deliberately concealed the past. Although the child seemed to have let it go, it would be better not to mention this sad thing in front of her.

"Your vision is as good as ever. This Eevee has good talent." Having been influenced by Professor Oak for many years, Xiao Mao naturally knows how to identify the talent of Pokémon, although it is difficult to make an accurate judgment based on appearance alone.

"Maybe, but Eevee doesn't like fighting."

"I don't like fighting..." Xiao Mao repeated Qianye's words, looking into his eyes with a meaningful smile. Without saying anything else, he turned around and continued to watch the show...

……

The performance was over, the music in the venue became quiet, and the audience, who were refreshed after appreciating the dance, also left one after another. However, Qianye did not leave immediately. He still remembered the commission from the girl named Xiaoxia whom he met in Nibi City.

I want to send the letter to the three Hualan sisters... Having said that, as water ballet dancers, they should be considered stars in Hualan City. Can I really see them without any token?

"Qian Ye, the performance is over, why don't you leave?" Xiao Mao beside him suddenly spoke.

Because I was asked to do this, and... haven't you been staying here all this time? What are you doing here? Do you want the autographs of the three Hualan sisters?

Just as Qianye was secretly guessing the other party's intentions, Xiaomao turned his head, his eyes filled with the confidence of seeing through the truth:

"As expected... you're here to challenge the Cerulean Gym!"

what?

"Hehe, I should have thought of that earlier. I was a little disappointed when Grandpa said you didn't plan to become a Pokémon trainer, but it was actually just a pretense to confuse me."

"no……"

"What a shame! I figured it out the moment I saw the Nibby badge hidden in your clothes. You were trying to get me to let my guard down by pretending you weren't a trainer, and then catch me off guard at the Quartz Conference, right? Don't underestimate my reasoning!"

No, buddy, are you crazy?

Qianye didn't know what to say to the other party's self-entertaining reasoning, and was left with an embarrassed expression.

However, the more he saw the boy's expression, the more Xiao Mao became convinced of his own inference. He stood up and pointed his eyes at the ridiculously large pool below:

"Just like now, why are you here? Is it really just to watch girls dance? No, no, your real purpose is to challenge the Cerulean Gym Leaders - the Cerulean Sisters!"

"Eh?" What does that mean? The three Cerulean sisters are gym leaders? Could that mean the Cerulean Gym is...

At the same time, the three Hualan sisters, who had just changed into formal attire and walked out of the diving platform at the other end of the pool, heard the confident voice from above:

"I'm Oki Shigeru from Pallet Town, and I'll be the first to receive the Cerulean Badge!"

……

Qianye hadn't imagined that after the water ballet performance, he'd be able to enjoy another "performance" from the same seat, but this one was clearly far inferior to the previous one. The reason was simple—the three Hualan sisters... were just too weak!

Even the word "very bad" is not quite appropriate to describe them. After accepting the challenge, they looked absent-minded the whole time. There was no tactical command, nor did they send out Pokémon in a targeted manner based on attribute restraint.

He just kept repeating the moves he had already used, and was then defeated by Xiaomao's Squirtle cleanly and efficiently, leaving him almost unscathed.

Are all the Pokémon Gym Leaders these days... arranged like this?

Recalling Brock of the Nibe Gym, he was also a young gym leader, but he was obviously much more competent than the three sisters here.

"This is your Hualan badge." The leading sister Sakura walked across the platform above the pool and handed a blue teardrop-shaped badge to Xiaomao.

There was no trace of desolation from losing the battle on her face, but rather a sense of relief and relaxation as if the work she absolutely didn't want to do but had to do overtime was finally over.

His mind was full of complaints, but he couldn't forget the important matter. Seeing that the time was almost right, Qianye took out the letter from his backpack and walked straight towards the four people over there.

"Um, I came to..." Sakura had just walked in front of them and before she could finish her words, she took out another Hualan badge from her pocket and handed it to Qianye.

"...?"

"As you can see, the battle just now has completely depleted all of our remaining Pokémon, making them unable to accept any further challenges. I apologize for sending you on this wasted trip. Please take this badge."

So casual? Gym badges can be given away just like that? No, that's not the point...

"Haha, just take the badge. A gym of this level won't be able to defeat you anyway." Xiao Mao patted the boy's shoulder and said with a smile. Seeing that happy handsome face, Qian Ye suddenly had the urge to punch him.

I was wondering why I was treated as a challenger before I even said a word. It seems you were the one making up the matter!

"I'm just here to deliver a letter." Knowing that continuing to argue would only lead to an endless stream, Qianye simply stated his purpose and handed the letter to Sakura.

"Deliver a message?"

Sakura was slightly startled and subconsciously took the letter. The pink-haired girl behind her showed an expression of great interest, her peach-colored eyes scanning Qianye's body.

"Is this a love letter to Sakura-san? Hehe, you're pretty handsome, right? Maybe Sakura-san will approve~"

"Peony!" Sakura gave her third sister a reproachful look, and had already opened the letter in her hand, quickly scanning through the contents.

"Little sister..." She muttered to herself, seemingly lost in thought. But she soon realized there were other people present, and bowed apologetically to Qianye and the other two, saying:

"If you don't mind, could you two please come inside for a chat?"

Chapter 19 It’s Mom~

The room was simply decorated, with only a few vases of flowers in the corner, apart from the basic furniture. The faint fragrance of bamboo drifted in from the window, and in front of him was a freshly poured cup of strong tea with white mist rising from it.

"Sorry for the poor hospitality."

Sakura, with a Yamato Nadeshiko-esque smile, sat down across from Chiye, her posture elegant and dignified. Unlike her graceful demeanor as she danced in the pool, she now exuded an inexplicable maternal aura, a warmth tinged with a subtle melancholy.

The strange atmosphere made Qianye feel a little awkward. If it was someone he knew, it would be fine. However, he was not very good at bringing up topics with older people of the opposite sex... If he had known this, he would have dragged Xiaomao to stay with him no matter what. Although the boy's words were indeed irritating sometimes, his presence could at least share some of the pressure.

He said he had to hurry to the next town and then ran away, even though there was still plenty of time before the Quartz Conference started. Was it to avoid being caught up by Xiaozhi?

After all, as an old friend of those two guys, I have witnessed since childhood that they are always competing for supremacy in various fields. They are completely different from myself who has no ambition and only wants to live a stable life.

"That..." The soft voice brought Qianye's thoughts back to their drifting state. Sakura gently twisted her golden hair, seeming to be hesitating about how to start.

"Little sister... I mean, how is Xiaoxia now?"

Finally, he asked the question, his emerald eyes trying to remain calm, but his grip on the teacup tightened unconsciously.

"Xiaoxia and I just met by chance, and we just happened to have a conversation that hits the spot. I'm afraid I can't guarantee anything about her current situation."

After secretly observing the other person's expression with his peripheral vision, Qianye continued, "But from my perspective, she's a girl with clear goals and a strong personality. At least she'll have no problem taking care of herself."

"I see." Sakura picked up the teacup, blew on it a few times, and then took a small sip. "Xiaoxia is different from us. She has always dreamed of becoming an outstanding Pokémon trainer. That's why she left home."

"I... am not a competent sister." Her voice was a little suppressed, Sakura lowered her head, her eyes full of guilt.

"This gym was passed down from our parents, but neither my two sisters nor I have any interest in Pokémon battles. I originally thought that we could support our family by performing water ballet..."

"But Xiaoxia doesn't want the Hualan Gym to decline?" After hearing this, Qianye probably understood why this family had such an awkward relationship.

As we all know, Pokémon Gyms are responsible for testing Trainers' skills and providing them with experience, and are closely linked to the development of the next generation of Trainers in each region. Because of this crucial role, the Alliance regularly sends personnel to conduct qualification assessments at each gym. If a gym fails to pass the assessments consecutively, its accreditation will be revoked and a newly certified trainer from the Alliance will be appointed to replace it.

The first-generation Gym Leader, appointed directly by the Alliance, is rarely replaced unless he or she wishes to retire. However, after a Gym Leader announces his abdication and designates a successor, successors like the Cerulean sisters, who lack Pokémon ambitions, often appear in the succession. This is the current crisis facing the Cerulean Gym.

"Yes, Xiaoxia doesn't want this Cerulean Gym to be discontinued. Now that the three of us sisters have given up our responsibilities as trainers, she will definitely choose to succeed us as gym leader. But..."

"But after becoming a gym leader, she can no longer leave freely. In other words, she can no longer pursue her dreams. Am I right?"

Qianye was the first to point out what Sakura was thinking. He looked at the calm water in the cup, where his face was reflected. He could almost guess the purpose of the invitation.

"The three Hualan sisters are indispensable. Even if you are willing to accept the job you dislike, the careers of the two sisters will be affected. But if you don't take over as the gym leader, it will delay Xiaoxia's ideal... So, Miss Sakura, what do you want me to do for you?"

The teacup tapped lightly on the table, the liquid sloshing inside. Sakura took a deep breath, her eyes firmer than ever before.

"If possible, I would like to hire you as the acting Cerulean Gym Leader."

……

Acting as the gym leader, it's really confusing...

Lying flat on the soft mattress with his head in his arms, Qianye recalled the events of the day. Sakura didn't force him to make a decision right away, and even thoughtfully provided a room for him to rest.