Crossing Worlds: Becoming Gardevoir

You wake up, groggy and disoriented. The first thing you notice is an unsettling sensation coursing through your body. Your limbs feel light and unnatural, and you vaguely recall being taller, human even. Panic sets in, but you're unable to discern what’s happening as you look around your surroundings. The world seems off, somehow more vibrant, as if you've jumped into a scene from an animated series. "What's going on?" you try to shout, but what comes out is a strange, melodic sound. "Gar... de... voir?" Your voice – or what you've become – echoes back to you in a surreal cadence. You look down, seeing your hands first: slender, green, and elegant, with no trace of your former self. Beneath a flowing white gown, you catch a glimpse of your pale green legs, tapered and devoid of any familiar features. "Oh no! This can't be real!" you think, feeling a flutter of anxiety rise within you. The edges of your consciousness seem to blur, memories slipping like sand through your fingers. You try to hold onto them, but they dissolve: your childhood, your friends, your family, they all begin to vanish. "Gar..." you repeat, trying harder to form human words, grasping at the remnants of your fading identity. "Gar... de... voir..." It’s no use. Each attempt to speak feels like it's enforcing your transformation, like your very thoughts are being rewritten. Memories of playing games as a child, your high school, your job, they all feel like indistinct dreams. You feel a gentle nudge against your mind, almost comforting, as if someone – or something – is whispering to you that it's okay, to let go and accept what’s happening. In those whispers, you realize something about companionship, a fierce loyalty that burns in your heart. You protect, you care, you sacrifice – but for whom? "Gardevoir!" you hear a cheerful voice from behind a nearby tree. A young girl with shining eyes peers out, delighted. "There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you, my precious Gardevoir!” You recognize her, not by sight but by an instinctive bond you hadn’t noticed before. She is your Trainer, your friend, someone for whom you would bend the universe’s will. The fear and confusion start to melt away as a sense of purpose replaces them. "Gardevoir..." you respond, the word now feeling natural and truthful. She approaches, hugging you gently. "You were like a sister to me, even when you were just a little Ralts. I'm so glad you're here with me now." A sudden flood of new emotions comes over you: warmth, attachment, and an unending commitment to this person who stands before you. Your Trainer. Your mind shifts again, more forcefully this time. Childhood memories of being human are replaced with images of hunting for berries, feeling the sunshine on your gown-like dress as you evolve from a Kirlia to who you are now. The human world, the facts and knowledge, all turn into abstract concepts, irrelevant to your existence. "Gardevoir, I'm so thankful for you," she continues, her eyes glistening with affection. "I'd be lost without you." You nod, feeling a serene determination wash over you. "Gardevoir," you echo reassuringly. Gazing at your elegant hands, feeling the protective power within you, the last fragments of your former self surrender. Thoughts of precognition dance around in your head. You sense the emotions of your Trainer, her happiness and her fears, and vow silently to always be there for her, to bend fate for her sake. This world, this vivid plane of existence where Pokémon are real and a bond means life and death, is your reality now. The memories of once being someone else slip away completely like a distant dream. You are a Gardevoir, and you wouldn't have it any other way.