A/N: Written for the drabble-tag on the Pokemon Fanfiction Challenges Forum, for the prompts: nourish, symptom, and transformation given by The Light Refrain. Also written for the 5,10,20,50,70,100 fandoms challenge on the HPFC, fandom 25: Pokemon R/S/E.
Gulpin a Glutton
Her Gulpin had become a regular glutton lately, and she didn't understand it. Her Poke-blocks hadn't changed much over the last few months, and certainly none of her other Pokemon were suddenly throwing themselves at it - or the Pokemon food she brought from a nearby breeder. He likewise claimed he hadn't changed his recipe in the slightest, so the food itself couldn't possibly explain her Gulpin's sudden growth of appetite.
She was a little worried - maybe he was sick, or low on energy, so she eased off on the training a little too - until he started shoving her other Pokemon away, and stealing their food as well. Her poor Kirlia was in tears when she'd come back from the breeder's, having left the lunches out only for Gulpin to eat them all. Minun was sparking angrily too around Marshtomp's larger frame, and her Swellow was scraping in the garden like a wild bird hunting for worms.
She had - and she was quite ashamed of herself afterwards - scolded the Gulpin quite thoroughly, but he had only attacked the pellets she carried, and she shrieked with shock as he gulped them down, and then snorted a little cloud of poison gas. Luckily, neither her nor her Pokemon breathed it in, but by the time it was safe again the poison-type had fallen asleep in the grass and her starving Pokemon looked woefully at her.
She returned her Gulpin, now worried beyond belief, and took the rest to the breeder who promised more food. Her Kirlia, Minun, Marshtomp and Swellow remained with him with a promise of her return, and then she brought Gulpin to the Pokemon Centre, and Nurse Joy.
A half-hour of pacing later, the Nurse returned with a smile.
'There's nothing wrong with your Gulpin,' she said with a smile.
'But the way it's been acting -' the trainer began.
'That is just Gulpin building up its reserves for an evolution.'
She was still worried, but the word "evolution" had triggered excitement in her too. Evolve! He would be a Swalot soon.
'Some Pokemon display unusual behavior that is symptomatic of their evolution,' Nurse Joy explained. 'It may be a good idea to battle with your Gulpin; its experience may just need a little boost.'
And with that in mind the trainer stopped the first person she saw on the road. Sadly, he was just a scout in a floral shirt, but the second was more than willing to battle her. And so battle they did, the trainer standing on pins and needles while she called out attack after attack and her Gulpin slowly followed -
And then, the transformation took place mid-Poison Gas, and there was a healthy, amiable and awkwardly apologetic Swalot in his place.