"Brock..."
An image of a rugged man with a square face and resolute expression immediately popped into Aiden's mind.
A man as strong as rock, the Pewter Gym Leader who mastered the way of rocks.
"If Brock has already taken over the gym at this point..."
"He definitely isn't the comedic character from the anime anymore."
Aiden quickly made his judgment.
Unlike the anime version where he couldn't walk straight when seeing older sisters and had a "motherly" male figure in his team, the game version of Brock was an extremely reliable gym leader.
With his unshakable willpower and serious, professional demeanor, despite being young, he was already deeply respected by the people of Pewter City.
As he recognized more popular characters from his past life, Aiden's understanding of this world became increasingly clear.
However, Kanto still felt quite distant to him.
What stage the Team Rocket in that region had reached wasn't something a Paldea gym leader like him should worry about.
He'd better focus on being a good gym leader for now...
After a quick wash-up, Aiden soon came to the living room.
On the couch, Eevee was, as usual, lying at the corner, intently watching the movie playing on TV.
But today's situation seemed a little different from usual.
Next to Eevee, a vibrant, flashy Oricorio was sitting on the sofa, occasionally letting out "Mew-mew-mew" laughter.
"..."
Aiden's expression momentarily turned complicated.
Just by hearing its voice, he knew this Oricorio was definitely suspicious. What kind of bird makes sounds like that!
This hobo prankster, how did it end up in our Sunlight Gym?
Don't you have a World Tree to guard?
"Mew?"
Noticing Aiden's odd gaze, the Oricorio quickly turned its head toward him, then covered its mouth with both hands and laughed again.
With this signature move, it was hard not to guess its true identity.
Aiden helplessly scratched his head and plopped down next to the "Oricorio," expertly lifting it up like he usually did with Eevee.
"Your disguise was great—don't bother next time."
"Mew?!"
Being lifted high, the mischievous Mew suddenly let out a startled cry, tilting its head curiously to examine Aiden.
Its seemingly flawless disguise hadn't been spotted even by Pokémon (Eevee), yet it was instantly seen through by this ordinary human?
And he even knew about me?
Aiden seemed to read the thoughts behind those wide-eyed stares and quietly explained:
"No matter how well you disguise yourself, if your voice doesn't change, it's obvious, right?"
"Mew!"
Upon his reminder, Mew finally realized—it really was like that!
So, it proceeded to mimic several different calls.
"Cooh?"
"That's a Pidove, not an Oricorio..."
"Kraa!"
"That's Skarmory, right? Still wrong!"
"Chirp-chirp-chirp?"
"Mimicking a Fletchling is pretty convincing, but you're supposed to be an Oricorio, so zero points."
"Mew!"
After several failed attempts rejected by Aiden, Mew started to get sulky.
With a sudden loud shout, the "Oricorio" broke free from Aiden's grip, emitting a blinding white light that forced him to shield his eyes.
When the light faded, Mew had shed its disguise, revealing its true form.
"Buii?"
Startled by the sudden flash, Eevee, who had been engrossed in the TV, looked over.
Where did that huge Oricorio go? How did it turn into a cat-like Pokémon?
Aiden also stared at this pink kitten with a new appearance, his expression complex.
The flash bang just now...
Was definitely retaliation against me...
Can't handle losing, huh!
"Mew-mew-mew~"
Seeing Eevee's confused look, Mew quickly flew over and patted its head with tiny hands.
Hmm, familiar feeling.
"Mew~"
"Buii!"
Simple-minded Eevee quickly accepted that its friend had changed appearances and invited it to watch TV together again.
"Mew!"
Mew turned its head defiantly, stuck its tongue out at Aiden, then returned to the sofa to sit quietly, watching the show with Eevee and occasionally laughing.
"..."
If I'm not mistaken, this is my house, right?
Though silently complaining, Aiden didn't say much about Mew's unexpected visit.
At least it gave Eevee a companion.
Besides, he probably couldn't beat this seemingly ordinary pink kitten anyway.
In the movies, even while holding back, Mew could effortlessly block Deoxys' fierce attacks.
Conservatively speaking, it likely possessed near-mythical power.
Thus, for this uninvited guest at the Sunlight Gym, Aiden could only pretend not to see it.
Looks like I'll have to prepare one more sandwich today. If I hadn't inherited the Sunlight Gym, I might not be able to afford feeding all these little ones at home...
Especially that future Cyclizar by the door, sleeping peacefully for 24 hours a day!
Good for nothing but eating first-class meals!
"Grah?"
Miraidon, who was napping on a giant cat cushion, suddenly raised its head and looked toward the interior of the door.
Did I just hear Aiden mention food?
Is it my imagination?
...
When Aiden finished making sandwiches and called his Pokémon to eat lunch, the Oricorio that had been lying on the couch was gone.
Instead, there were two identical-looking Eevees.
"Buii?" ×2
Noticing Aiden approaching, both Eevees turned to look at him, making perfectly synchronized calls.
"..."
Aiden could only sigh helplessly and pick up one of the Eevees.
Without needing the system dex prompt, he identified the fake at a glance.
"Mew, your disguise was great—don't bother next time!"
"Buii?"
The "Eevee" shook its head innocently, seeming not to understand what he meant.
For Mew's childish behavior, Aiden could only smile wryly and reach out to grab its fluffy tail.
"Let me give you a little lesson. Many Pokémon have gender differences. For example, the patterns on the tips of male and female Eevees' tails are different."
"But you don't have a gender, so the Eevee you transformed into has no pattern on its tail—it's obvious!"
It's said that Mew's transformation comes from its powerful gene pool, which is like a Pokémon genome library, so it's not entirely fake.
If it were just simple mimicry, its appearance after transforming should have been completely identical to his Eevee.
Because Eevee doesn't have a non-gendered genetic expression, it inadvertently exposed Mew's flaw.
"Mew..."
After being exposed, Mew quickly reverted to its original form, looking somewhat disheartened.
"Well, do you want to have some sandwiches together?"
Aiden felt a bit helpless toward this little guy who was either childishly playful or simply loved pranks.
Anyway, it probably wouldn't come every day.
So, for now, treat it like a stray cat...
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)