allen Vth: Thanks. And yeah Liepard was a fool for thinking a forced attraction could somehow overpower true love. She was too used to deal with hotshots males explorers who only slept around and had no attachment to anyone.

Lately Shinx could tell that something was eating up Sam. Sometime when she tought he couldn't see her, she would stare at him guiltily and look away immediatly as soon as he looked back at her.

Then one day she asked a question that perplexed him. ''Hey Shinx. I was wondering, do you think you would still love me if I was a guy?''

Shinx was confused why she would ask such a thing but he tought about the question seriously. ''Well...It's hard to say honestly. I've never had a crush on any males before. So I can't say for sure that I would. But at the same time it's hard for me to imagine not loving you for any reasons.''

Vulpix looked down with a conflicted look on her face and didn't say anything else until they reached the dungeons they were about to explore for the day.

The mission they did for that day was seriously nothing to write home about. It was your standard mission about a male Nidoran who got lost in a dungeon and had to be rescued. It wasn't the most exciting in the world but not everyday could be filled with exploring new and dangerous places. They had to earn Poké and a stock of useful items, somehow. To be able do actual expeditions like that.

Once the quest was done. Shinx had all but forgotten about Sam strange question. The both of them went inside their room at the guild after a good meal and immediatly crashed asleep as they often did.

However later that night Shinx woke up and was startled when the hay bed next to him was empty. For one terryfying moment he tought that Sam's return had been nothing but a dream and that he was back to being alone without a partner.

To his immense relief he saw the silhouette of Sam illuminated by the moonlight as she silently gazed throught the window. As quietly as he could he rose up from the pile of hay he was laying on and slowly approached the Vulpix from behind.

''Sam, are you feeling fine? Did you have a nightmare?'' The small Shinx rubbed his cheek against her own and he felt a bit hopeful when she seemed to relax at the touch. But other than that she stayed silent and did not look back at him for a long time.

Eventually she finally broke the silence. ''...My name is Samuel.''

''Huh?'' Of all the thing Shinx tought she was going to day that was not one of them.

''I think not even Grovyle knew that. I always made him call me Sam because then it was easier to forget, I suppose.'' She said with her eyes full of melancholy.

''Samuel, doesn't that kind of sound like...''

''A boy's name?'' She finished and Shinx winced in reply. ''Yes, I feel ashamed that I led you on for so long. And it's not like it was on purpose or anything. I only remembered my full name after Dialga returned me. But the truth Shinx is that I'm not a girl, as a human I was a boy.''

Shinx was confused, but he was also horrified. Had he made Sam uncomfortbale for months on end by treating her like a girl all along? He was such a terrible partner, no wonder she was acting off these last few days. She must be so mad at him!

She turned her gaze back at him and his heart leapt in his throat when he saw huge streak of tears matting her fur. ''I'm sorry Shinx.'' Wait what?! Why was she- or he? The one to apologize? ''You must think I'm disgusting right? As soon as I woke up I realised immediatly that I was human and that I wasn't supposed to be a Pokémon and yet it took me half a year before I even realised I was the wrong gender. Because it felt so right and so comfortable to be a girl!''

Suddenly everything clicked in Shinx mind and he looked at her with only sympathy in his gaze. ''Sam...Were you transgender as a human?''

The Vulpix looked down at the ground with sadness and self-loathing. But she managed to nod. ''Yes...I was. I wanted to tell you sooner but I was too ashamed of how much of a freak I was. I can't believe Grovyle didn't say anything about it. He knew I was male as a human and yet he never bought it up to me, why? Maybe he was too freaked out about the fact that I was comfortable acting like a proper girl to say anything''

At that Shinx shook his head in denial. ''No, you were best friend with him for so long he probably arleady knew about it right? And since you had a real female body he probably saw no reason to bring up old wounds for no reason. At least that's how I think he saw it.''

Sam looked up at him in disbelief. ''B-but I'm an impostor, a fake. I'm only pretending to be a girl. So why would he not correct me?''

At that Shinx grew angry not at her but her way of thinking. ''An impostor?! Says who? If you feel like a girl then you're a girl and don't let anone say otherwise! Even if you suddenly grew back a penis tomorrow for some reason you would still be a girl and I would still love you!''

Sam went silent and sniffled quietly. ''Y-you really still love me even tought I used to be male?''

Shinx approached the Vulpix and kissed her right on the mouth. Sam immediatly melted into the kiss like butter and shyly returned the favor. It was kind of weird to Shinx. He was used to be the reluctant one in the relationship and Sam had always been the brave one. It felt like they had reverse role right now. But there was no way he was letting his beloved feel horrible about herself any longer.

After what felt like an eternity and yet not long enough they broke the kiss. ''I love you Sam and I will always love you whether you're a girl, a boy, a Vulpix, a human or whatever else. I will always love you.''

The Vulpix drapped her chin on his back and hugged him with one leg and sighed contently. ''I don't deserve you Shinx. And yet I'm so selfish, I never want you to leave either.''

''I'm never going anywhere, so you can be as selfish as you want.'' Shinx chuckled and lightly licked her cheek making the former human blush in response. Shinx was purring as he stayed there in her embrance. The gentle sound was enough to slowly lull Sam back to sleep.

Shinx guided her back to her bed before going back to his own. Shinx had learned a lot about Sam's previous life tonight and yet his feeling for her had not changed at all and he wouldn't have it any other way.

''Let's try our best again tomorrow. Good night, Sam...''