Chapter 256: Let’s All Become Catgirls Together!

[Ding! The competition has ended!]

[System Prompt: The prediction channel has now closed. Calculating betting results...]

[Calculation complete! A total of 8,472 viewers participated in this prediction event. Among them, 1,247 bet on Cynthia and have received a tenfold point payout!]

[All failed bettors will now receive a group punishment!]

[Punishment: Transform into catgirls for twenty-four hours! During the transformation period, height, body shape, and voice will irreversibly shift into catgirl form. Participants will automatically gain cat ears, a cat tail, and corresponding fur traits, and will also unconsciously display feline behavior!]

[Punishment will begin in ten seconds!]

[Regular-Seat Chat Group]

"C-c-c-c-catgirls?!"

"Wait, wait, wait! I’m a guy!! What kind of nonsense is turning a guy into a catgirl?!"

"I guess that means... a cat femboy?"

"Can you not use that word?!"

"I’m a girl, so becoming a catgirl is whatever—but I’m scared of mice! The system said it comes with feline instincts too, so am I going to pounce the second I see one?!"

[VIP Chat Group]

[Ash]: Um... can someone explain what a catgirl is?

[Gary]: You don’t know? It’s like... uh...

[Daisy Oak]: Hehe, what’s so hard to explain? Ash, just think of it as the system giving everyone a new outfit.

[Ash]: Ohh, a new skin! Then that must be awesome! Pikachu, we should—

[Pikachu]: Pika!! (Thunderbolt warning!)

[Bruno]: Hahahahahaha! How is this even a punishment?! A true warrior does not care about appearance! Even if I become a catgirl, I’ll still be the same Fighting-type Elite Four Bruno!

[Lorelei]: Bruno, save that line for after the punishment ends. I’m recording this.

[Bruno]: Record all you like! I, Bruno, have no need to explain myself to anyone!

[Steven]: Hahahaha! I never thought the punishment would be something like this! Good thing I didn’t bet!

[Wallace]: Didn’t you only avoid betting because you wasted all your points on nonsense? And you still have the nerve to gloat?

[Steven]: Wallace, why are you so tense? Don’t tell me you lost your bet?

[Wallace]: ...Steven, just you wait.

[Lisia]: Don’t worry, Uncle. Maybe everyone will actually like catgirls.

[Brock]: The world is about to gain 7,225 beautiful big sisters! What kind of glorious twenty-four hours of love and dreams is this?! I will devote all my energy to recording this historic moment! Croagunk, don’t stop me— numb... numb... (struck in the side by Poison Jab)

[Meowth]: I’m already a cat, so this punishment shouldn’t affect me, right, meow?

[Light Screen]: Detected inquiry from [Meowth]. Additional clarification: the Catgirl Experience Card is also effective on non-human Pokémon. Participant [Meowth] will receive a human form, but will still retain cat ears and a tail.

[Meowth]: What?! I’m gonna turn into a human, meow?!

[Leon]: ...Can someone tell me exactly what a catgirl looks like?

[Sonia]: Don’t worry, Leon. I’ll take pictures for you.

[Nessa]: I will too.

[Bea]: +1.

[Leon]: Since when did you three form an alliance?!

[Raihan]: Hahahahaha, Leon, your day has finally come! I bet on Cynthia! Ten times the points! Feels amazing!

While the chat group was exploding with messages, pink beams of punitive light had already descended from the sky, accurately enveloping every failed bettor.

...

In the real world, at the Indigo League.

Lance had turned into a black-cat catgirl.

The trademark red hair of the Dragon Clan had become long, straight black hair, paired with a set of slender black cat ears and an elegant black tail.

The system had randomly assigned him a dark red cloak, and on the back were embroidered the words "Dragon Tamer".

Only the lettering was pink.

Lance’s expression looked like it had been frozen solid.

His tail swayed unconsciously behind him, and every time it flicked, it lifted the hem of his cloak slightly, exposing the shirt underneath.

"Lance, that look actually suits you pretty well."

Lorelei’s voice was as calm as ever, but the cat ears on top of her head had perked straight up, completely betraying the laughter she was desperately holding back.

...

At Oak Laboratory in Pallet Town.

Gary was sitting in the swivel chair in his study, arms folded across his chest.

On top of his head was a pair of fluffy brown cat ears. A matching brown tail looped around from behind him, the tip resting on his knee and lightly patting at his pant leg of its own accord.

"Daisy, stop taking pictures."

"Just wait, just wait, this angle is especially cute."

Daisy held up her camera.

"Turn your head a little more—yes, just like that. Your cat ears are right in the sunlight, and the tips of the fur look almost translucent!"

"I am not your pet."

The tail on Gary’s knee began tapping faster and faster.

"Oh, come on, it’s just a photo. Don’t be so stingy."

Daisy leaned closer and reached up to stroke one of his ears.

Gary’s entire body instantly froze.

His tail puffed up on the spot, and a tiny purring sound escaped from deep in his throat at the same time.

It was a pure feline instinctive reaction, completely outside his conscious control.

"Were you purring just now?"

Daisy’s eyes lit up.

"...No."

Gary slapped her hand away, stood up from the chair, and strode toward the door.

But his tail absolutely refused to listen to him, drawing circles through the air behind him and swishing once with every step, like it was sulking on its owner’s behalf.

...

At Team Rocket’s secret base, inside their temporary tent in the forest.

Three pink beams descended from the sky at the same time, accurately enveloping Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Jessie touched the fluffy red cat ears on top of her head, then punched the machine beside her.

"Damn it! Why didn’t even one of the three of us bet correctly?!"

James—or perhaps Jameows would be more accurate now—was crouched in the corner of the tent, hugging his black-and-white striped tail in both hands, staring blankly at the roof while muttering to himself:

"Last time I turned into a woman... and now I’ve become a catgirl too..."

"I told you not to gamble in the first place, meow!"

Meowth had transformed into a human as well, though still shorter than Jessie by nearly half a head. Her long creamy-white hair cascaded all the way down to her waist.

"Just look at the food prices in the points shop, meow! A hundred points is enough to buy a whole month’s worth of rations! And now it’s all gone, meow!"

Meowth was still in the middle of complaining when she failed to notice that both Jessie’s and James’s pupils had narrowed into vertical slits.

They were staring fixedly at the gold coin gleaming on Meowth’s forehead.

"Meowth."

Jessie’s voice suddenly turned extraordinarily gentle.

"That gold coin on your forehead... is so pretty."

Meowth instinctively took a step back, both paws flying up to protect the coin on her forehead.

"Y-you... what are you trying to do, meow?! This is my coin! Nobody’s allowed to touch it, meow!"

Jameows didn’t say a word, but her body answered for her.

She launched herself at Meowth like a cannonball—

And at the same time, Jessie flanked from the other side.

"Noooo, meow—!"