To call the World of Light a strange place would be an understatement; even to the warriors making their way through it. Thought their own worlds have their fair share of adventures and oddities, seeing the… Confused amalgam of each of their worlds mashed together and populated by enslaved puppets; facsimiles of friends was something none of them had anticipated. 

	With the threat of Galeem and Dharkon dispelled, the bulk of the spirits they’d conscripted had returned to their homeworld - but despite that, the realms they’d created hadn’t disappeared just yet. If anything - they’d entered a state of flux. Some areas were disappearing - fading into oblivion, giving hope that it’d eventually disappear, but on the other hand, certain areas, being pushed together, seemed to create something new - less like it was disappearing outright, and more like they were destabilizing. Metamorphosing without any abominable master to command them. 

	While most fighters were willing to let it be, and eagerly return to their friendly competitions, there were a few that were… Concerned. Among these bold adventurers, willing to delve into the familiar-yet-alien realm of light once more, was the elegant Lucina. 

	The Ylissean princess holds her blade tightly, preparing to thrust. Leering and bracing herself, she drives it forward, piercing clean through the target before her. 

	A pair of momentarily-stuck automatic doors.

	Lucina grimaces as she uses her sword to pry the doors apart; evoking a harsh metallic whine as they slowly give way. After a minute or two of strain, she’s finally pulled them open far enough for somebody to fit through. She huffs, sliding it back into her sheathe and looking upward.

	DUKES GYM a sign declared proudly; the words sitting beneath a logo of a creature she’d come to know as a “Hitmonchan” slugging a human in the face, and in turn, getting punched back. The building before her sat upon a city block - one of the most… Apt areas to shift. While more remote areas didn’t seem to change much - anywhere man-made seemed to change by the day - sometimes by the hour. Just yesterday she’d found a bar that Bayonetta seemed to have some familiarity with, and the day before that, she found some sort of lab, with tubes holding Chimerae and Metroids. While these places were odd enough - what was more peculiar to Lucina was that there was nobody to staff them. 

	The more wild areas were peaceful when they were empty, but places like this just felt… Eerie. 

	Looking down, Lucina’s brow quirks - she watches her shadow extend from a rough ovoid shape cast by the unending noon this world was set in, to an elongated silhouette of her body, growing ever-closer to the doorway before her. Her mind rushes back to something she’d learned from Link; about times when his shadow would come to life and attack. Drawing her blade once more, she thrusts it at the ground-

	And generates little more than a few sparks and a harsh clang.

	Lucina whips backward, and for a moment, she’s blinded by bright light… But as her eyes adjust, she finds herself greeted by a smug smile worn on the face of a green-haired goddess. 

	“Did I interrupt something?” Palutena chuckles. 

	Lucina furrows her brow and sheathes her sword again, feeling heat rush into her cheeks. “You did.” she returns passively, averting her gaze. “Is there something I can help you with?” Admittedly she was somewhat baffled - be it deific omnipotence or… Well, a lack of concern, Palutena had never really came around this twisted realm much.

	Palutena’s radiance dimmed just a little, but her smile remains. “Well, I was talking with Samus, and she’s saying things have been getting pretty weird around here. I always thought things would just sorta take care of themselves now that all the trouble’s over, but…” She points to the gym. “I don’t remember that ever being here.” The goddess steps around Lucina, approaching the doorway. The light she gives off illuminates just a little bit within - showing off a… Charming mat that reads ‘BEAT IT’. 

	Lucina moves forward, blocking the goddess’ way. “Hold on,” she begins, holding a hand out. “I’m investigating this place; It just showed up - there’s no telling what could be inside. No offense, but it isn’t something to just visit on a flight of fancy.” 

	Palutena’s brow quirks. “What, like monsters? Lingering spirits? More of those puppets?” 

	Lucina tilts her head a little. “Well- no, I haven’t found anything like that, but I can’t rule out the possibility.” 

	“Well, if it’s so dangerous, why don’t we both go in?” Palutena casts a hand toward the door. “Besides,” She twirls her staff. “you’ve seen me fight. Together, we don’t have anything to worry about.”

	Lucina looks down for a moment, then stepped out of Palutena’s way. “You’re right. But, if you see anything out of the ordinary, tell me first. I want to investigate this place thoroughly.” The goddess shrugs, making her way in. Unsure if the goddess even registered her command, Lucina draws her blade, following in suit.

	The entrance into the gym seemed to be pretty narrow - a hallway with a desk on one side, that led to another set of doors. After Lucina pried them open, Palutena led the way forward - as soon as she set foot through them, the two were blinded. With a harsh clunk, a set of lights on the ceiling activated, illuminating the bulk of the room. 

	The gym seemed rather large - even moreso than the building they entered. It was even and square; the walls lined with a selection of training equipment. Dumbbells, miscellaneous weights; but a wide variety of punching bags. For a moment, the center of the room was dark - but as Lucina stepped in, another set of lights kicked on. In the dead-center of the gym was a ring - it reminded the two of the boxing ring they’d fought on in the past, but without an audience. 

	Lucina made her way over to the ring, reaching up and pulling back on one of the ropes - then letting it snap back into position. “Huh.” she murmurs. Tentatively, she ducks under the lowest rope and climbs up onto it. It bounces a little as she steps up - causing her to wobble slightly. Once she regains her footing, she looks around the gym from her new vantage point. While there isn’t much more clear from where she is than where she was on ground level - she could make out the walls, at least. The far wall didn’t seem to have anything special, but on either side, she could make out a pair of doorways - mercifully, without any proper doors to secure them. Above each one she could make out the word LOCKERS set beneath a silhouette that was… Flexing. Nothing seemed to differentiate the two - so Lucina just shrugged.

	“Hm, I wonder if I could talk Pit into training here?” Palutena muses, making her way through the machines. She idly picks up a dumbbell, pumping it once playfully. “I mean, brains aren’t exactly his specialty, so it’d be better to work on his brawn…” She looks over to Lucina in the ring, waving to her. “Hey!”

	Lucina stiffens. “Hey-” she begins, then quickly quiets. “Hey!” she hisses. “Keep it down! We still don’t know if we’re alone!” 

	Palutena rolls her eyes. “Lighten up - I can tell there’s nobody here. Scrying, divination, all that jazz - it’s my specialty.” she declares proudly. “But it doesn’t take a goddess to figure that out. I mean, this place doesn’t really look… Lived-in.”

	Lucina raises a hand to her head wearily. “I wish you’d told me.”

	“Well,” Palutena begins, casually tossing the dumbbell over her shoulder; landing with a heavy thud. “now that’s out of the way - what’s there left for you to do here?” 

	Lucina moves over to the edge of the ring, leaning on the ropes. “It’s not just enemies I’m looking out for. I have to be on the lookout for anomalies, any signs of degradation or instability...” She trails off. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you here for?”

	Casually, Palutena shrugs. “Curiosity.” she says bluntly. 

	Truthfully, Lucina didn’t have any reason to linger. While Palutena’s… Demeanor felt a little too careless for a place like this, as she slipped under the ropes and back onto the ground, a spark of inspiration struck her. “I don’t suppose I can convince you to be curious somewhere else?” Still illuminated by her divine radiance, she can see a sour look spread over Palutena’s face. “I mean-!” she calls, holding a hand up. “If you can clear places like this for threats, it’ll make my job a lot faster.”

	“Well,” Palutena begins, her tone just a little bitter. “why not.” She beckons to the door. “Lead the way, princess.”

	Lucina smiles just a little. Having the goddess around… Well, having a goddess around certainly couldn’t hurt. She gives an affirming nod to Palutena, moving to the doorway and-

	Thud.

	The Ylissean warrior slams headlong into the glass, causing her to stagger back and land on her ass. Gripping her head, she glares up at Palutena; who, despite clapping a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing, fervently defends “What’re you looking at me for?”

	Casting a hand to the doorway, the blue-haired princess grumbles. “Then who closed it?” Lacking an answer, the goddess stays silent - rather, she tries to, unable to stifle a snicker.

	Forcing herself back onto her feet, Lucina draws her blade, jabbing it at the door and trying to pry it open again. As soon as she puts a little force into it - she can tell there’s considerably more resistance than before. A scowl across her face grows wider as she continues to strain against the doors - until she finally relents. By then, at least, Palutena has regained her composure.

	“Having trouble?” the goddess muses - only to earn another look from Lucina. “Hey-! I didn’t do it, and I don’t know what did.” Gesturing to the ceiling, she murmurs. “We both know this place is… Weird. Maybe it’s just… Changing again.” 

	Rubbing her sore forehead, Lucina gives a worried sigh. She’d seen portions of this world change before her very eyes; imploding, expanding, destroying the old in the process of creating something new. “If that’s the case, we have to get out of here.” She motions to the doorway. “See if you can do anything about the door - I’m going to investigate the lockers.” 

	As she moves away, the green-haired goddess aims her staff at the glass. For a second, a crossheir manifests, and three luminous bolts erupt from it… And immediately ricochet off of it, blasting into some of the nearby equipment. Palutena yelps, taking a step away from the door. “Uh… Have fun.” she replies anxiously. 

	The sounds of deflected magic and dull thudding against the door echo across the gym as Lucina makes her way back to the central ring, then veers leftward. While there were two locker rooms for her to investigate… Neither seemed more outwardly helpful than the other. Hell - she didn’t have any guarantee either of them would get them out… But she still felt better being proactive than trying to brute-force the door. Who knows, she thinks - she might find a key or something. 

	Darkness awaits her as she walks under the flexing banner above the hall to the locker room - but much like the gym proper, the lights seem to activate in response to her presence. They click on, one at a time, as though guiding her deeper. The deeper she goes - the more the familiar… Atmosphere of the gym seems to change. The main area was… Still. Untouched, before they arrived - there was a faintly fresh scent in the air; that being the first thing to disappear. When she finally arrived at the locker room, it felt like a completely different building. Not untouched - abandoned. 

	The tile on the floors seemed cracked. The lockers themselves had been painted; but the coat seemed to be bubbling up or peeling - revealing small patches of rust beneath. She passes a bench that seems to have been shattered in the center; splinters spread across the floor itself. The air was… Stale; with a faint tang of sweat lingering as an undertone to every breath Lucina took.

	At the far end of the room was a curtain - and darkness beyond. As she’d grown accustomed - when she approached, a light kicked on. As it did, a shadow was cast upon the curtain - one of a hulking figure standing in the room beyond. 

	Lucina cursed under her breath - that divine airhead said this place was empty. She drew her blade, holding it ready. By the way the shadow was cast, she couldn’t tell if it was facing toward or away from her. Carefully, she inched closer, brandishing her falchion. As she came within range of the curtain, she cut clear across the top, tearing it down and revealing the figure beyond.

	Standing in the center of a series of shower stalls was an Incineroar - but… It wasn’t doing anything more than that. The burly Pokemon seemed to stand idly; its head down, shoulders slumped, and arms hanging at its sides. Its fur was a colorless shade of grey - and that told the warrior everything she needed to know.

	“A puppet,” she begins, sheathing her sword. “with no strings.” No wonder Palutena didn’t pick it up - it didn’t have an actual spirit inside of it. Lucina sighs in relief - the last thing she wanted to do was get into a fight when she was trying to escape. She inches out of the way of the uninhabited puppet fighter as she enters the showers - which seemed to be the source of the stale scent about the locker room. She pushed open each stall she passed, leering inward in hopes she might find something - a key, a chest, a power-up; even a disembodied spirit. At least she had a vessel for it.

	To the princess’ disappointment - she found nothing. Lucina shook her head dejectedly, murmuring. “Maybe it’ll be in the other room. Or-” She perks up, but then grimaces. “I hope it’s not hidden in one of the lockers…”

	Preparing to make her way out of the showers, she reaches forward to shove the puppet aside-

	The moment her hand makes landfall, she can feel something is wrong. What she touches doesn’t feel like fur, or skin - rather, like clay. Looking over to it, she can see her hand pushing into the puppet - causing it to dimple in. Though that was disconcerting enough - she could see the essence of the puppet rushing up to cover her hand. “What-” she blurts out, watching the puppet’s shoulder break away into formless grey sludge, rolling up her arm. 

	Lucina tears her arm away; but the goo holds fast. It seems to connect to the puppet’s main body by a thin tube, undulating as more of it crawls over to her. While she’d simply had a thin coating of the stuff a moment ago - now it seems more like a cast. “No- no, damn it, get off!” Tugging away doesn’t seem to do anything - she braces herself against the wall and kicks at the puppet, trying to force it away from her - but all it seems to do is splat against the opposite wall, beginning to melt like a wax figure. 

	She can’t feel much from where the goo has covered her - but what she can feel is an odd sensation… In her core. Though panicked, she could recognize it as her essence - her own spirit - being… Interacted with somehow. She can see flashes of light roll across the sludge, as it bulges and swells. Worryingly - what she sees are stripes of red and black erupting across it, rolling over the smooth surface like a serpent. 

	Awkwardly, Lucina draws her falchion with her free hand, twisting the blade around and cutting through the sludge - even grazing the progressively-more-formless Incineroar opposite. Mercifully, the goo is rent easily, causing the severed stream to slip back into the cast of goo covering her arm, all the way up to her shoulder. Surrounded by the ooze, her arm feels… Hot. Uncomfortable - her first inclination is to liken it to being surrounded by blankets, but that isn’t quite accurate - she doesn’t feel like she’s wearing anything at all. It’s like flesh-against flesh - rubbing together, heating up… Lucina’s eyes are drawn to her arm - it seems, for a moment, like the goo is getting thinner. Even if her arm was totally covered, she can see the fabric of her shirt through it - getting 

	Then, she can feel a wet sensation on her thigh. Looking down, a globule of the goo seems to have rolled up her boot from when she kicked the thing - and since the puppet started to melt, she’s come to stand in a puddle of it. “No! No, no no no-” Though she tries to pick her boots up and out of the spreading goo; it’s already covered her feet - tendrils of the stuff whip their way up the leather on their way over the edge, spilling back down across her legs. She casts her blade aside and tries to grab onto one of her boots - pressing her hand through a smattering of the puppet-goo, which seems steeped with the scent of the showers - and tries to pull her leg out. The gambit doesn’t pay off; what small amount of the sludge has already entered it keeps her leg stuck fast - and now, her other hand is engulfed. 

	Lucina’s heart hammers away in her chest. Even if she wasn’t bound - she felt immobile. The goo kept her legs stuck, and her hands were covered under it. The odd stuff seems to spread beneath her clothes - compounding; swelling, and deforming her outfit further and further. She can hear the threads of it beginning to strain - and through the discomforting sensation of goo rolling across her skin, she can begin to feel her outfit reach its limits. 

	“Palutena!” she shouts - she isn’t convinced the goddess could hear her conventionally, but… Perhaps she could pick her up through some divine sense? She wasn’t sure - but it gave her hope. Sweat rolled down Lucina’s forehead as the slime heated up - and the pile of goo that had once been an Incineroar slowly disappeared. “Help!” 

	Her protests are cut short as she feels the pauldron pop off of her sleeve, falling with a clatter to the tile floor. Beneath it was a clear deformation of the slime - a profound bulge stacked on top of another bulge. There was a hole where the pauldron had been affixed - and beneath it, she saw…

	Red fur. As Lucina swung her arm forward, the tear widened, running lower down her sleeve, exposing a stripe of black beneath it. Beneath that, red, then black, and then… Her hand. For a time, it had been covered by the grey goo - but by now, was an uneven expanse of red. A ball - a… Fist. Tentatively, Lucina tried to move her hand underneath the goo-

	And, in doing so, released her wide, red paw from the fist it's been balled into. From her palm drops the tattered shreds of her glove.

	“Wh-what…” she utters breathlessly, looking to her other arm. She tries to wiggle her fingers - and she can see them stretching out from the still-forming red goo; each finger popping out - and a claw popping out of each finger, before fur begins to define itself over the mass now composing her limb. 

	Aghast, Lucina pulls both arms before her - each one swollen in a way she’d only be able to describe as grotesque on her own body… And generous even to the familiar Pokemon. The simple motion of pulling her arms in close causes both of her sleeves to burst, and a tear to form along the back of her outfit - from the shredded sleeves, wild tufts of black fur extend from around her biceps. The fur upon them is fine - noticeable but short; allowing beads of sweat rolling down them to become clear. 

“This can’t be happening,” Lucina utters, feeling the slime press down against her chest. “This can’t be happening,” She can feel flesh pile onto her midsection - causing her already-distended frame to further broaden. “This can’t be happening,” Her voice comes out lower, now - with a harsher quality. “no, no…”

	The blue-haired woman leans back; arching her back and feeling her chest swell out - powerful abs covered in fur engulfing her breasts. Already torn in back, the front of her outfit is now rent, with a bellowing “No!” belting out from Lucina. As a dark, ashen grey and stark black settles over her chest, a belt forms around her waist - for a time, grey. Only a spark of orange sits within the center; smoldering like an ember. 

	Lucina reaches down, her clawed hands clumsily pawing at her boots - hoping to spare her legs the same fate as her upper half. They rake across the leather and leave wicked gashes across the surface, but by the time she pulls her legs free - one is already the squat, muscular leg of an Incineroar, and the other still covered in a coating of grey. Yet - she was free. Her body was willed into motion before her mind even had a chance to direct it; sprinting out of the showers, past the crumpled curtain, and through the locker room. With each step her unfinished leg made, there was a wet slap, and another inch of fur spreading from her outer thigh inward.. When the panic lessened to such a degree she felt comfortable looking behind herself - she found herself dragging a rope of the sludge behind her; connected to the unfinished limb. Try as she might to shake it off, it followed along, and by the time she reached the threshold of the locker room…

	Lucina stopped, dead in her tracks. There was a hot, burning sensation that struck through her body - rolling across her lower half; in time with the tiny ember of orange spreading out across her belt. Before she had a chance to look down - she felt a wet slap behind her as the rest of the goo caught up with her; slamming against her back, hard. Lucina’s legs - though powerful - felt paralyzed as the heat began to build…

	“I… Ain’t stopping herrrrre…” she growls. With herculean effort, she wills one leg into motion - the one she knew was finished, feeling her powerful new feet stomp on the ground. Then, the next step came - the last bit of undefined sludge on her leg quaked and sprouted fur, locking it into place as another powerful paw. As she lumbered forward, the goo behind her jerked and twirled; sprouting into a tail that powerfully and angrily lashed behind her. Yet, a bit of the goo remained - as did that frustrating, nagging warmth…

	When Lucina finally reached that flexing banner again, she was blinded - a light suddenly shining into her eyes. She raised a paw over her face - the last remnants of her humanity, as a phantom voice boomed throughout the gym.

	“At long last! Here he is, the proud challenger!” Challenger? He? What- “Entering from the left side of the gym is our new contender! You love him, you hate him, you love to hate him, it’s Incineroar!” As Lucina’s eyes adjust to the light, she walks into the still-empty gym to the mixed cheers and jeers of a crowd that simply isn’t there. “And entering from the right side…” the phantom announcer continues, followed by a flash of light and a shower of sparks. “No, already in the right! Making a flashy entrance, master of the Tough contest circuit, mistress of the gym, and reigning champion - Pikachu Libre!”

	Lucina’s jaw drops as she spies the ‘champion’ standing on the corner ropes - raising her arms up high. She’d… Fought Pikachus before, but none like this. She was covered in the tight, spandex suit she’d seen them wear before, but this one was stretched wide by a protruding set of breasts; nipples defined against the fabric, and a thick set of thighs. Sticking out from behind the stacked Pikachu’s mask was a green ponytail, immediately sparking a sense of recollection…

	But the busty Pikachu’s body was sparking something else. 

	That heat within her began to build - the belt around her waist filling in more by the moment; now even luminous. Between the warrior’s legs, she’d felt a pressure building - one that, as she gazed upon the Pikachu, released for just a moment - like an animal let off a chain, only for the chain to catch on something else. 

“Oh, and it looks like our contender’s excited! Can ya blame him?” Lucina reached up to her lips, noticing two things - first, that she’d been drooling; and second, that she’d begun to develop a set of fangs. Prying her eyes away from the ring, she looks down - and settled beneath her glowing belt; between her legs, was… A fat, dark, cock. A flash of red erupted across Lucina’s face; first from a blush, and then as fur began to slowly sprout from it. It stiffened and swelled, growing beyond that which she’d ever seen before. It was thick; a foot long and growing - heavy and veiny; and an invasive thought likened it to her own, powerful muscles. Were it a part of any man’s body, Lucina thought, it’d be no small point of pride-

“What, you proud a’ that thing or somethin’?” Pika-Palutena jeers from the wring. Immediately, Lucina’s attention - and fury - is brought squarely upon her.

“What’re you sayin’?” she roars out gruffly. “What-... Are you doing?” Lucina reins herself in, coughing. The new tone of her voice is hard on her throat - bassy, powerful; and an effort to shift back from. “You know this is fucked up, we’ve got to get outta here n’ find somebody to help us!” 

Palutena looks unimpressed, crossing her arms beneath her breasts - causing the mammoth mounds to be pushed up; jiggling slightly. “I ain’t goin’ anywhere - not unless ya drag me outta here.” She grins wickedly. “But if yer man enough, that shouldn’t be a problem, huh?”

Lucina growls. “Damn right I am!” she shouts, shaking her head - and catching sight of a bit of blue hair drifting in the air, working its way slowly to the ground. “If I have to fight you,” she begins breathlessly, stomping her way over to the ring. Her claws dig into it as she hefts herself up under the bottom rope - there’s a sense of satisfaction as she stands up, and as Pika-Palutena jumps down from the corner ropes - despite her… Exceptional curves, she’s still rather diminutive. Her head only reaches up to Lucina’s crotch - a dull look comes over Lucina’s eyes as she revels in the pride of towering over her opponent… And in imagining what she could do with that height advantage. 

Lucina flinches as Palutena flicks the head of her cock - forcing out a clear bead of pre. “We doin’ this or what?” she challenges. Lucina spreads her legs and arms - her body settling naturally into the pose. She’d forgotten her blade in the showers - she’d forgotten her skills somewhere in the locker room, and she’d forgotten about the loss themselves by the time she stepped into the ring.

Palu… Pikachu runs at her, and Lucina swipes - despite the disproportionate weight of her breasts and thick thighs, the nimbly ducks under Lucin-... Against her clumsy attempt to grab her. She growls, whipping around to claw at the Pikachu again, but the busty mouse dodges again - running up close, and grabbing Lucin...neroar’s thighs. With strength masked by her petite stature, the Pikachu hefts her up and over her head, slamming Lucineroar back down onto the mat. Her(?) face scrunches in pain, and her(...?) eyes shut - the fur upon it covering the last bit of flesh on the burly Pokemon’s face.

With a series of “Oooooh”s from the invisible crowd, Pikachu mounts… Something-cineroar’s chest. “She’s going for the pin!” the announcer booms. “One!”

The electric mouse leans in closer to the Incineroar’s face, teasingly tapping their red nose. “Guess ya weren’t man enough after all. Goin’ down like that’s pretty pathetic.” she teases - but her ears twitch when she makes out a low rumble over the cries of the crowd. 

“I ain’t done yet.” Incineroar growls. His eyes shoot open - yellow and wild - and his arms reach up to grab the Pikachu by the sides. In a smooth, powerful motion, Incineroar tumbles over, reversing the pin and turning the Pikachu over. 

“Looks like it’s not over yet folks! The champion’s in trouble!” The volume of the phantom crowd rises - a few cheers of support, a couple gasps, and a lot of boos. Not that Incineroar cares. His attention is elsewhere - on the spandex-clad ass of the Pikachu before him. The petite Pokemon tries to wriggle out and away - but one burly hand reaches down and grabs a hold of her ponytail, while the other reaches around to her ass. 

A globule of drool spatters across the spandex just a moment before Incineroar tears a hole in it - revealing the firm curvature of the Pikachu’s plump rear. “Yer mine.” the burly tiger boasts, lining himself up - and with one thrust, hilts himself in the Pikachu’s rear. She lets out a cry - frustrated, but ecstatic, as he pulls back, then thrusts home again.

“Ya like that?” he bellows, tugging on her ponytail - only for the green… Wig(?) to come off. He casts it aside, as it joins the blue hair he’s shedding, leaving nothing but red and black on his body. “Gonna haveta get used ta this - I’m tha boss a’ this gym now!” As he pounds, he loses himself in the motions - in the sensation of his heavy balls slapping against the Pikachu’s thigh; in the walls tensing around his fat member, in the lights, in the cheers, in the ring…

And then, he feels a thrust come back at him, knocking him onto his back. He doesn’t part from Pikachu - who instead, is still mounted, casting him a smug look over her shoulder. “Not yet yer not.” she teases, beginning to bob up and down, with a low moan. “You wanna top, you’re gonna haveta earn it.”

The Incineroar smirks back - this was gonna be a fun matchup.