"Come on, Dora-System! Think of something quick! I'm about to die here!" Han Xin wailed, practically sobbing to the newly awakened A.I. assistant.
"Host, fear not. Behold—this technique!"
A crimson light flared, and a floating system panel appeared right before his eyes.
Big bold letters flashed across it:
[TRANSFORM!]
Han Xin's brain clicked.
Right! He was a Ditto! Transformation was literally his whole deal! In the panic, he'd completely forgotten the most important ability he had!
"Hyah!!"
He roared dramatically and, following the system's instructions, jabbed at the glowing word [Transform] with his mind.
…And absolutely nothing happened.
Han Xin froze. The system froze. Even the three monsters that had him surrounded froze—blinking dumbly at the purple blob who had just screamed his lungs out for no reason.
"…System, let me ask you something. What good are you? Hm? Come on, answer me. What's. Your. Point."
"W-Well, logically speaking… you're a Ditto. So… of course you can only transform into Pokémon, right? Totally reasonable!"
At that moment, the Velocidrome King—along with its two packmates—finally realized nothing had happened. Their eyes narrowed. The leader snorted angrily, hot breath blasting Han Xin in the face, its expression clearly saying: Stop wasting my time, squishy snack.
"Great. My final words will be…" Han Xin sighed.
"There's no need for that," the system interrupted calmly. Another panel appeared before his eyes."Analysis complete. Host has absorbed energy from the fallen [Melynx]. Transformation data available. You may now select from your gene pool and assume a corresponding form."
"My final words are: 'Heaven gives birth to all things to nourish man, yet man has nothing to repay Heaven with but—KILL!'" Han Xin shouted with renewed vigor, once again bellowing to the skies.
Guided by the system, he tapped into the strange energy he'd stolen from the dead cat earlier. Warmth surged through his gooey body, filling every corner with a mysterious power. His purple slime form exploded into dazzling white light, forcing the Velocidromes to flinch back in alarm.
When the glow faded, the Ditto was gone.
In its place stood… a cat.
Han Xin glanced down at himself, tail flicking nervously. "…System. This… doesn't look like Meowth."
In his memories, Meowth was a round-faced, white kitty Pokémon—or maybe gray in its Alolan or Galarian forms. But what he'd turned into now was unmistakable: a perfect copy of the little Melynx that had died under the tree earlier.
"Ehh, tomato, tomahto. I say you're a Meowth, so you're a Meowth! Besides, look—you've unlocked Meowth's moveset. That proves it!" the system bluffed shamelessly.
Sure enough, a new panel popped up:
[Host: Han Xin]
Species: Ditto (Currently Transformed: Meowth)
Level: 5
Ability: Technician
Moves: [Growl], [Fake Out], [Feint]
Held Item: None
Abilities that didn't belong to this world now pulsed inside Han Xin like natural instincts, begging to be unleashed.
He licked his lips with his new feline tongue, eyes glinting with manic bloodlust. "Cat bro… thanks for the energy. Now let me avenge you with your body!"
Without another word, he darted forward in a blur, closing the gap on the Velocidrome King. His claws shot out, striking its head in a lightning-fast surprise attack!
The beast screeched, stumbling back in shock.
"Ha! Eat my Fake Out!"
Adrenaline surged through Han Xin. He'd never felt such exhilaration before—fighting with claws and fury instead of fear. He let out a triumphant battle cry, body thrumming with joy.
But he knew better than to rely on Fake Out again; that move only worked once. And this wasn't a Pokémon game where enemies politely respected turn-based rules.
Sure enough, the other two Velocidromes recovered quickly. With their leader staggered, they roared and lunged at Han Xin together, claws slashing through the air.
Han Xin rolled to the side, nimble in his new feline body, tumbled across the leaf-littered ground, and skidded to a safer distance. Then he turned and let out a fierce cry:
"Myaooow!"
The sound wave rippled outward like a shockwave. The Velocidromes all flinched, their muscles slackening as a faint weakness drained their strength.
Growl had taken effect.
But the King shook its head, recovering fast. It snarled, leapt into the air, and swung its massive scythe-like tail straight down toward him.
Han Xin darted aside just in time, the impact gouging a deep trench into the earth where he'd stood. He swallowed hard. Even weakened, one clean hit would still pulp him.
Then he noticed it—the cruel smirk curling the King's mouth.
"Crap!" Han Xin's eyes widened.
From behind, two blurs shot forward in perfect sync. The lesser Velocidromes flanked him from both sides, tails whipping.
Smash!
Their hooked blades raked across his back, tearing deep gashes into his body. Blood sprayed. Han Xin was hurled across the ground, tumbling through the leaves in a ragdoll heap.
Every nerve screamed with pain, but he forced himself upright, blood dripping from his lips.
And yet… he was grinning. A wild, fevered grin.
"System… didn't I have a lottery ticket saved up?"
Ding!
Scarlet's voice rang instantly. "Checking records… oh, you're right! When you absorbed that [Melynx] energy, you earned one chance. Host, would you like to use your [Pokémon Item Lottery] now?"
Han Xin's eyes burned with resolve. He threw back his head and roared into the void:
"Scarlet! Spin that wheel!"