IS32

No Matter What You Look Like (Japanese: 姿かたちが変わっても ) is the thirty-second entry of the Illust Story web series. It tells the story of and from the expansion, illustrated by Yuka Morii and Misa Tsutsui respectively. The story was published in Japanese on June 17, 2022 and in English on September 1, 2022.
==Blurb==
<ab>A trainer helps Spinarak, who tries to climb a tree to build a nest, but it doesn't go well. However, Spinarak was so happy that he got down from the tree he had climbed and jumped on the trainer. Then, how about building a nest in your own house, you thought, and brought Spinarak home, but something was wrong with Spinarak...?</ab>
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===Japanese transcript===
<ab>をろうとにろうとするが、くいかないイトマルをってあげたトレーナー。だが、しかったのかイトマルはせっかくったからり、トレーナーにびついてくる。それなら、のにをるのはどうだろうとイトマルをれてったけれど、なんだかイトマルのがおかしくて……？</ab>
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==Plot==
===English transcript===
<ab>I had made it to the entrance of the forest to complete the task I had gotten from Professor Willow when I saw a shadow at my feet move. This was the first time I had seen a Spinarak actually crawl on the ground. This Spinarak was latching itself onto a tree near the roots and looked like it was trying to climb the tree. Perhaps it was trying to spin a web in this tree. Spinarak are usually seen sitting in their webs waiting for prey, and curious about how Spinarak spin their webs, I crouched down to observe how this little one went about it.
But it looked like this Spinarak was bad at climbing trees. It had somehow hooked its legs onto the protrusions on the tree’s trunk to climb up halfway, but ultimately rolled down to the ground, unable to support its own weight. I couldn’t help but want to cheer on the Pokémon’s refusal to give up, but at this rate, the sun would go down before Spinarak was able to make it up the tree.
I thought maybe I could give it a little hand. I gave Spinarak a little nudge from underneath to give it a tiny boost up the tree, but was surprised at how much heavier it was than I expected. I quickly applied my other hand as well to support it with both hands. Spinarak turned around and looked at me, seemingly surprised, but quickly returned to making its way up the tree. Every time it lost its grip, it fell into my hands, then latched on to the trunk again, until it was finally able to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
What a relief—it should now be able to spin its web. That’s what I thought when I looked up at Spinarak, but it seemed really happy as well because it was looking at me and waving its legs. Thinking that its movements were kind of cute, I gave it a congratulatory “Great job,” but that was when it jumped toward me!
I scrambled to catch it with both arms, but I couldn’t support its weight along with the impact of the collision, and the two of us ended up tumbling to the ground. I sternly told it that that was dangerous, but I don’t think it understood me, because it just waved its legs in a satisfied way. I was exasperated, yet at the same time, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by its cute movements.
“You’re not gonna be able to spin a web like that,” I warned it. All Spinarak did was tilt its head. I thought of placing it back on the branch, but I know I would worry about it too much if I left it alone. “Do you… Do you want to make a web at my place? That way, if you fall, I can just help you up again.” When I showed the Poké Ball after saying that, the Spinarak jumped up to the ball and must have jumped with too much force, because its belly hit the button on the ball, and it got sucked in.
I hurried home, thinking that this Spinarak was a goofy one, but really happy that it took to me so well.
“There isn’t much wind around the front door, so it should be easier to make your web,” I said as I let Spinarak out of the Poké Ball.
Oh? Something’s strange...
Spinarak’s face became squiggly and silly. That was when Spinarak’s shape disappeared and became a gelatinous purple Ditto!
“Wait, you weren’t even a Spinarak?”
Ditto looked at my confused expression and puffed up its chest proudly. No wonder it couldn’t climb that tree. It wasn’t a Spinarak to begin with.
“Well then, you won’t need to stay outside, huh?”
When I opened the door, Ditto happily rushed inside.
Life with a scatterbrained Ditto, huh? I might be in for a rough time.</ab>
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===Japanese transcript===
<ab>ウィローからけたタスクをこなすためにやってくると、をくがあった。をくイトマルをたのは、これがめてだった。の、ののあたりにつかまり、イトマルはにろうとしているようにえた。このにをろうとしているのだろうか。いつもはでじっとをちえているをることがいイトマルが、どうやってをるのかがてみたくて、そののくにしゃがんでしばらくしていた。けれど、どうやらこのイトマルは、りがあまりではないようだ。をなんとかののにっかけてまでっていくけれど、しばらくするとにえられなくなって、コロコロとまでちてしまう。めないにしたくなるちはかきたてられるけど、これじゃあがれてしまいそうだった。ちょっとくらいなら、ってあげてもいいかな？と、のにしがみつくイトマルのおにをえてやると、よりもずっしりとにかかるさをじた。ててもうのもしして、でおをえてみる。イトマルはちょっといたようにこちらをりりはしたものの、びによじりめた。ちそうになる、のにちながらも、びにしがみついて、なんとかからいまでたどりく。
よかった、これでがれるだろう。そうってイトマルをてみると、そちらもようやくたどりいてしかったのか、こちらにかってをふるふるとってみせた。なんだからしいそのきに、よかったね、とをけると、イトマルはなぜかこちらにめがけてんできた！ ててでキャッチするけれど、びりたもわって、えきれずにになってにがってしまった。なかったよ、としってみるけれど、よくからないのか、イトマルはげにをパタパタさせてみせた。そのらしいきに、れつつもとれてしまう。
「そんなじゃ、いつまでってもがれないよ？」
こちらがそうするけれど、イトマルはをかしげるだけだ。このままにもうせてあげても、なんだかでっておけない。
「もしよかったら……うちにをる？そしたらちちゃっても、またけてあげられるかもしれないし」
そうってモンスターボールをせると、イトマルはぴょんとボールにびついた。いって、イトマルのおにモンスターボールのボタンがぐいっとしまれると、いまれるにボールのにっていった。やっぱり、ちょっとわっただ。それでも、こんなにいてくれたのがしくて、いでへとれてった。
「ほら、こののりなら、もたらないしがりやすいよ」
そうってモンスターボールからイトマルをしてやる。おや？なんだかがおかしい。イトマルのが、なんだかふにゃふにゃと、のけたようなになっているではないか。そのだ、イトマルのは、みるみるうちにをなくし、いろでへちゃっとしたメタモンにした。
「ええっ、イトマルじゃなかったの？」
こちらのいたをて、メタモンはげにをった。りがなのは、もともとイトマルじゃなかったからか……。
「じゃあ、じゃなくて、おののがいいかな？」
ドアをけてせると、メタモンはしそうにびんでいった。おっちょこちょいなメタモンとのらしは、これからもちょっと、しそうだ。</ab>
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==External links==
* Illust Story webpage (Japanese)
* Pokémon.com
==References==
Category:Illust Story