Webcomic / The Story of a Gardevoir That Became a Trainer

The story of a Gardevoir that became a Trainer is a Canvas Web Comic by Inuyuru on Webtoons that's ... well, The story of a Gardevoir that became a Trainer.

The summary is as follows.

A unusual Gardevoir has dreams of becoming a Pokemon Trainer and having adventures of her own, much like the ones she observes. One day, she wakes up and all of a sudden, she is human…

Joining "Gardy" (Night Sirvoir to the rest of the world) is her best friend Eevee, a Banette that was once an abandoned Torchic, a Sawk who seeks to perfect his only move Mach Punch, a blind Scizor with a samurai theme, and more.

You can read it here.

This webtoon provides examples of:

• The Ace: Ken Nise, Hoenn's Pokémon Champion, and an Expy of Blue character-wise.
• The Atoner: Prof. Salix seems to have shaped up into this after he lost his first Torchic, the one who eventually became Gardy's Banette. And she managed to piece that together.
• Badass Biker: The Officer Jenny in angled shades, who was investigating after Team Rocket attacked Oldale. She also used to be a Pokémon (Blastoise) before becoming a human like Gardy/Night has.
• Battle Aura: When Night achieved 100% PokéSync, she receives one of these, though it's only visible to her. However, if it's overcharged, it becomes visible to everyone else, and her Pokémon gets it too.
• Bears Are Bad News: Ace Trainer Nicole's Ursaring proves to be not only a savage in battle, she's plenty fast too with Aerial Ace (which they can't learn in-game).
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Banette's reason for joining Gardy, who after beating him with Eevee, heard out his story, and assured him that Pokémon aren't tools. He also seemed to vaguely sense that she was once a Pokémon too.
• Become a Real Boy: While she never explicitly desired to be a human per se, Gardy had always wanted to be a Trainer ever since she saw one of their Bags as a Ralts, and she assumed that being a human was one of those requirements. Obviously, she got her wish thanks to Jirachi.
• Being Human Sucks: Downplayed so far, but Gardy is now realizing some extra needs she has to tend to, such as food and bathing (she only needed sunlight and water previously).
• Big Damn Heroes: Just as Juno 1 has Gardy in her grasp, a Dynamic Entry kick from Hoshiki's Blaziken saves her.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Ken's Ninetales is envious of the attention Milomi has on his mind and makes it clear when the two Trainers battle.
• Cool Shades: The Officer Jenny seen in the aftermath of the "Blockade" chapter sports a pair reminiscent of those used by Ash's Squirtle. Naturally, the comments are guessing she's a Squirtle Pokehuman. And Jirachi's implication confirms it. (Though the Jenny actually used to be a Blastoise).
• Cooldown Hug: After being freed from Redstone's control, Lucario was on a rampage, even willing to take the entire planet with him if that's what it took (since Redstone already teleported away). Gardy attempts one of these to stop him, but it fails and he pulls away from her before using Vanish.
• Crippling Overspecialization: Sawk desires to perfect his Mach Punch, to ascend it above the norm, to achieve the strongest, fastest, Mach Punch in the world. Because it's the only move he knows, and he's unable to learn more.
  • Shockwave Clap: That said, he's able to Mach Punch the air to mimic the effects of Vacuum Wave, so he probably has the potential to do more.
  • Shoryuken: He also has a Mach Punch variation that does this, if he isn't technically using Sky Uppercut.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: The Rocket battle in Oldale was going bad enough when Ken's Hitmonchan engaged them, but it fully went this way once Milo's Mewtwo enters the scene.
• Death of a Thousand Cuts: Since Ken's Scyther doesn't have many attacks to harm Night's Banette, his plan is to wail on him from above.
• Deflector Shields: As it turns out, Gardy's able to do this courtesy of previously being a Pokémon, though this tips off her opponent on what she really was.
• Dragon Rider: Chansey!Joy has a Charizard (as big as Ash's) whom she was friends with prior to becoming a human.
• Dream Weaver: Milomi's Darkrai prefers to give these over nightmares.
• Even Evil Has Standards: While Giovanna approved of Team Rocket's questionable experiments under the belief that they would be benefits in the long run, she doesn't abide outright cruelty.
• Friend to All Living Things: Zigzagged in regards to Prof. Salix. While he does try to be this, he's gotten attacked by the Pokémon he's helped a couple times.
• The Gloves Come Off: Ken declares something along these lines after Night's Pokemon take out his Scyther, but their battle is interrupted by Team Rocket robbing the Pokémon Center of its nursery eggs.
• Handicapped Badass: Scizor is blind, but this works to his advantage against Team Rocket's Nidoking's Smokescreen. This is mainly because he has Echolocation.
  A futile attempt... / 'Tis naught to blind the sightless / Your effort in vain
• Humanity Ensues: That's part of the premise, and she's pretty excited about it. And she's still able to speak to Pokémon. No being a Trainer as a Gardevoir for this girl, unfortunately.
  • The comments are under the impression that Milo was a former Pokémon too, with common theories being that she was a Lopunny judging by her colors. And they were right.
  • Turns out Team Rocket is aware of a "Pokéhuman phenomenon" that's going on, which implies Gardy and Milo aren't the only cases of this. And in "Benefactor", Jirachi explicitly confirms this, and they're in danger from Team Rocket, who wish to replicate this phenomenon.
  • According to the Pokémon Nurse seen in "Blocked", Jirachi is responsible for these transformations, though not by design. Rather, it was a result of a Pokémon's desires that draw it to them, and believing that turning them into humans will help them fulfill that wish.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Variant; Giovanna curses the need for a smoke after calling out Redstone for the Rocket Boost project's failure after his Lucario broke free from his restraints.
• I Never Said It Was Poison: Some variant occurs during Gardy and Eevee's conversation when the Pokémon Nurse steps in apologizing for interrupting their conversation to tell Night that her Banette and Sawk are in peak condition. The two "catch" her in the act, and despite the plausible excuse of merely deducing it was a conversation between a Trainer and her Pokémon (given some care of them more than usual), she fesses up to understanding Eevee, because she's also a "Pokéhuman" (a former Chansey to be exact).
• Iaijitsu Practitioner: Scizor employs a variant of this with his claws since he doesn't use a sword. Sawk is familiar with the concept, but not of a Pokémon using it.
• Indy Ploy: During the battle against Banette, Gardy has Eevee Headbutt the Shadow Ball back at him. Neither are confident with this plan, despite the fact that Normal-types are invulnerable to Ghost-type attacks. It works.
  • When Ken's Scyther was wailing on Banette, she tells him not to dodge, then has him grab the opponent's arm when he got close, and use Shadow Ball point blank. Scyther wasn't able to get away or take Banette up with him because his scythe got stuck again (this was actually lucky on Night's part).
• Know When to Fold 'Em:
  • After seeing the results of the attempted heist on the Oldale Pokémon Center failing due to Ken Nise and Elite Milomi's presence, Giovanna orders her forces to retreat despite their insistence to continue.
  • After seeing Ken (and Milo) in action against Team Rocket, Night backs down from resuming her battle against him. Given she's only just started her journey, and she was battling a Champion, this was the right choice, though she managed to earn his respect.
• Last Chance Hit Point: Nick's Spinda, after effortlessly confusing Night and her Sawk, withstands the Mach Punch that lands on him thanks to a Focus Sash tossed to him by his Trainer (as opposed to wearing it already).
• Left Stuck After Attack: Ken's Scyther ends up getting this treatment twice on separate occasions in the battle between Ken and Night, and both Night's Eevee and Banette each try to capitalize on this. The former failed because of Scyther's Metal Coat, but the latter was able to take him out with a Shadow Ball.
• A Mother to Her Men: Giovanna, the leader of Team Rocket in this webcomic's timeline.
• Meaningful Appearance: Gardy's red eyes and light green hair are her only visual carryovers from her previous form.
• Me's a Crowd: Eevee knows Double Team, which he first uses against Chloe's Ursaring. However, she's able to sniff him out and land a hit on him. But once PokéSync kicks in, and after landing a Bite on her nose, she's unable to track him the second time around.
• Modesty Towel: Gardy conspicuously gets one post-transformation and is seen with it upon waking up. It does slip off during her jubilant shout in realizing she's a human now, though. A mysterious benefactor does leave behind a box with supplies and clothes, so she isn't without clothing for long.
• The Mole: Shiki turns out to be one on behalf of Giovanna personally. And Milo's Mewtwo is now aware of this.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Gardy's "alias" Night Sirvoir comes from her species name in Japanese Sirknight. Many find this name strange, even Jirachi.
  • Just before his first battle against Night and her party, Rocket Captain George Redstone utters the first Rocket Motto as first said by Jessie and James word for word, though replaces their names with his.
  • Sapphire Birch, the new Petalburg Gym Leader, looks like May from the original Ruby and Sapphire games, but obviously older. Also, her name is the same as that from the Pokémon Adventures manga. Given that her father is (still) Norman (who has retired), it's evident that she's now married to Prof. Birch's son (though the jury is still out on his name).
  • When Night asks Prof. Salix about Eevee's potential evolution via PokéSync, he mentions studying it briefly with Bill, and all but implies that Ash and his Greninja's Battle Bond was a "prototype" of PokéSync.
• In Love with Your Carnage: Nicole's Ursaring has this feeling towards Eevee during their battle.
• Nerves of Steel: Ken has the impression that Night has these given her focus on the battle despite her Eevee being seemingly out of his league.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Redstone thinks Prof. Salix is oblivious to his affiliation with Team Rocket as he asks for sedative to "keep his Lucario calm". But it turns out Salix is all too aware of their atrocities, and that the "sedative" won't do as Redstone thinks it will do. He's just willing to play the fool to get back at them.
• Place Beyond Time: Jirachi takes Gardy (after putting her under hypnosis) to a "room" that exists outside time and space, and when she returns, no time will have passed. Also, inside the "room", she's a Pokémon again. That said, despite that, it can be barged from the outside, as Eevee was doing when he found his partner in a daze. While he should've been "stopped" in time, The Power of Friendship leaves him unaffected.
• Plant Theme Naming: Professor Salix, whom Gardy first meets at Petalburg Woods. He in fact has a lab set up there. And he turns out to have been Torchic!Banette's old Trainer.
• Power Tattoo: Redstone's Lucario has a red R on his chest. It turns out to be the result of a prototype project called the Rocket Boost system, which is a streamlined version of what they had used on Mewtwo in the past. In exchange for a massive boost in power, in induces complete submission, though it's only been successful on three Pokémon sometimes far. And Lucario is still resisting however futilely. Eventually, thanks to Gardy, he "breaks free from his chains".
• Pragmatic Villainy: Giovanna considers the idea of "Pokémon as tools" as archaic and impractical, only tolerating Redstone's project because it yielded results for a time, and called him out on it now that his Boosted Lucario is now on the loose.
• Punch Catch: After taking Mach Punches from Sawk, Sapphire's Slaking does this right before using Bide, hitting both his opponent and Eevee just before he could slip past.
  • Another occurrence is during a match between Ken and Milomi, where the latter's Pangoro does this against a Vacuum Wave attack from the former's Hitmonchan. This is thanks to Pangoro's docile nature, inclining her to calmly focus and counter rather than tank an attack.
• Pungeon Master: Milomi's Skitty, who's in on her former Pokémon status, is one of these.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: A Pokémon-turned-human, her Eevee partner, a ghost Torchic (that is now a Banette), a Sawk that (allegedly) knows only one move, and now a Scizor that speaks like a samurai film and in haikus (and is a blind master to boot).
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Averted for Night, who only has these as a carryover from her previous form. As a matter of fact, she's very friendly.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Ever since breaking free, Redstone's Lucario has gone on a terrorizing spree against all of Team Rocket, and Giovanna has made her displeasure to Redstone clear, even relieving him of field duty and shutting down the Rocket Boost project.
• Running Gag: People questioning Gardy's human alias "Night", to her consternation.
• Skinny Dipping: Gardy does this in a lake while ruminating on the prospect of Milo also being a former Pokémon. And then a Sawk shows up, to her alarm, though he apologizes.
• Synchronization: PokéSync does this between two Pokémon. Since Night was a Gardevoir, she's able to utilize this too. And it's enough to get through the effects of Nick's Spinda's Teeter Dance. Though it does leave both of them fatigued afterwards. That said, it can get ready again in just a short while. And like many examples of this trope, pain is also shared, and when too much energy is expended, both will eventually pass out.
  • As Chansey!Joy reveals, PokéSync is only usable with certain Dex Watches. The only other person she knows with the same function is Milomi, specifically her old Trainer. As for the one Gardy got, it had come with the bag she had found long ago.
    • It's also stated to be a method of a Trainer and their Pokémon's goals being one and thus the latter becomes more in tune with the former, enabling them to perform feats normally difficult or outright impossible.
    • The sync is more powerful because Gardy was a Pokémon, and it activates when her wants and feelings correspond with her Pokémon's. When her PokéSync activates, she and her Pokémon share moves and attributes, allowing for feats normally unheard of. The power does vary for each Pokémon, though. In Banette's case, it's The Power of Trust. For Sawk, it's The Power of Will, enough to deflect a Solarbeam with his bare fist. And for Eevee, it's The Power of Love, and it can influence his evolution in a new way.
    • It's later revealed that due to how different Night's PokéSync is by virtue of her former Pokémon status, she has to split her power among her party lest it kill her.
  • It's shown that Milomi has this too.
• Tears of Joy: Night after acquiring the Balance Badge, her first Gym Badge.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Inverted. Milomi feels she can't allow anyone (Ken especially, no matter how many times he tries) to beat her. Not yet. Only "her" (Gardy/Night), because she made a promise with her back when they were both Pokémon under the same Trainer.
• Villain Teleportation: After Redstone deduces that Night is a Pokehuman due to reflecting his Lucario's Aura Storm (despite Psychic humans being a thing since the first game), he has Lucario use "Vanish" to take themselves out of the area, promising they will meet again and that she's become a "person of interest".
  • He tries this again in the events of "Liberate" after things start going south for him, but his Lucario wouldn't listen, having been broken free from his control. He sends out an Abra to use Vanish instead, but not before Lucario manages to blast him in the right eye with Aura.

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