Lilligant (Petilil)
Tulp manie | Tulp montium
Overview
Most pokémon, and especially most popular pokémon, are essentially just animals with slightly odd biology and the ability to harness elemental powers. Many of the exceptions lack any carbon-based biology. Then there are pokémon that are essentially plants with odd biology and elemental energy wells. Lilligant is a fairly typical example with a very storied history. They are one of the few pokémon whose wild form was believed to be long extinct but whose domesticated form lived on. In the modern day, domesticated lilligant they are mostly associated with celebrities, art collectors, and the top grass-type breeders. While maintaining the flower does require fairly expensive and time-consuming interventions, it is not necessary for the pokémon's health to do so. Trainers who don't care if the flower blooms can care for them more easily, although their need for very good soil does make them more difficult than many other grass-types.
Wild lilligant were rediscovered in the late Nineteenth Century living in the northern reaches of Japan. Their population was decimated by disease in the decades after discovery and is at risk of extirpation in Japan itself. Some of the disease-resistant survivors have been introduced around the world in an effort to prevent a single disaster from wiping out the entire population. Alola's mountains and meadows host one of the largest wild lilligant populations in the world. Alternatively, trainers who want the more famous lilligant breed can obtain them from garden supply shops around the island.
Biology
Both stages of domesticated lilligant's evolutionary line are classified as pure grass-types. The ruling is not controversial. Wild lilligant are classified as dual grass- and fighting-types. Wild petilil are classified as pure grass-types as they are not able to utilize fighting energy or physical attacks to the same extent as their evolved form.
Both petilil species have shallow light green roots, a large bulb, and two to five dark green leaves on their head. One side of the bulb is white and contains eye spots that can detect light and movement. Petilil's leaves are very bitter but have traditionally been used as a form of medicine in Central Asia. Studies on their efficacy have had mixed results, but most show that boiling the leaves and drinking the liquid does slightly counteract or postpone old age health problems. The pokémon's skin is mildly toxic and can cause rashes if handled without gloves. Petilil can move by pulling themselves out of the ground and shuffling to a new location. This is energy intensive, slow, and seldom done. Wild petilil are smaller, less vibrantly colored, and have a thicker and rougher epidermis. Otherwise they are almost identical.
Domesticated lilligant's roots remain about the same size as those of a petilil. Their lower bulb is larger and a white stalk with two arm-like leaves and a smaller white bulb with eye spots develop over it. A mixture of light and dark green leaves flow from the top bulb. Some captive lilligant have a vibrant red flower blooming year-round. Most develop it seasonally. As a consequence of their larger size and small root structures these lilligant are almost entirely incapable of moving.
Even among grass-types the domesticated line is notable for their need for high-quality soils. This is an accidentally cultivated trait as wild lilligant can thrive in rugged montane lands and semideserts. Selective breeding for larger bulbs and more vibrant colors (as well as smaller roots to keep the precious flowers from running away) made for ever more demanding nutritional requirements. Now the only places they can naturally live long-term in the wild have either very good soil or an abundance of grass-elemental energy.
Wild lilligant lack these adverse selections. They have long limb-like leaves they can use as 'arms' and 'legs' for movement and manipulating the environemnt The edges of the leaves are very sharp. Wild lilligant use a mix of bursts of fighting elemental energy and a sophisticated hydraulic system to move themselves. Lilligant can cut through boulders, run at speeds of up to thirty miles per hour, and execute surprisingly complex dance moves. Some cold weather (more than ninety days a year below ten degrees C / fifty degrees F) is usually required for their survival. This initially confined them to the mountains in Alola, although in recent decades several have successfully migrated down to the lowlands for up to ten months of the year. They still must retreat to higher ground for a few months in the wet season.
Captive illigant can grow up to forty-five inches in height and weigh up to sixteen pounds. They can survive up to nine years in the wild or seven in captivity.
Wild lilligant usually grow to be between forty-five and sixty inches tall. Typical specimens weigh between thirty-five and fifty pounds. A few specimens, through mutation or absorbing the ambient z-energy of Alola, have managed to reach heights of over seventy inches. The exact cause of this growth is the subject of ongoing research. Wild lilligant typically live for around thirty years in the wild and captivity.
Behavior
Petilil and domesticated lilligant appear to do rather little. Once they have found a moist location with good soils and occasional sunlight they will dig themselves in and stay put. If their location is about to flood or burn down they will attempt to move. This disguises the constant battle for survival among plants where pheromones are transmitted, the environment is monitored, and defense mechanisms are prepared and deployed with no apparent external changes. Petilil are mildly venomous and generally foul-tasting so most large animals and pokémon leave them alone. Funguses and parasites are not so kind. Toxins can be prepared in advance to fend off invaders but constantly maintaining the toxins would consume many of the pokémon's available resources. When one petilil or lilligant falls sick, it transmits information on the threat to all others in the gallery and within a week the entire group is resistant. This allows for the group to save on the energy put into fungicides at the cost of a few unlucky plants that are hit first.
Domesticated lilligant released to the wild can be somewhat more proactive about larger threats. They can unleash dangerous spores or lash out with solar beam or magical leaf attacks. In Alola there is seldom a need for this as their forests and meadows are overseen by oranguru and florges, respectively. Large herbivores are kept in check or directed towards faster-growing non-pokémon plants.
Wild lilligant are considerably more active. They usually root themselves in place for a few days at a time before getting up to fight a predator, look for a more advantageous resting spot, or simply explore their environment. Wild lilligant can also cut down trees that block the sun from reaching their preferred abode. These lilligant are known for their elaborate dances that can include bows, pirouettes, leaps, and incorporation of grass elemental energy. They are just as likely to dance on their own as with a partner. The dances are not used more frequently around reproduction than in any other context. Psychic studies on the species in particular and plants in general are limited. What little evidence exists suggests that they might simply dance for their own amusement.
Husbandry
Many trainers find it difficult to bond with plant pokémon, especially one as non-expressive as domesticated lilligant or petilil. It is possible to communicate. Over time the pokémon can learn to recognize their caretaker's voice. Basic word association needed for battle and commands can also be established by saying the word for whatever the pokémon is doing as it does it. Domesticated illigant can communicate back through slight changes in posture or scent. On the bright side, the plants need relatively little emotional investment and are not physically affectionate. Very busy trainers often appreciate this.
The domesticated line are perfectly content to travel in pokéballs. When stationary they should be allowed to dig into soil. Petilil trainers and lilligant trainers unconcerned with flower quality can leave the plant outside or in a shallow pot of good soil. In order to maintain flower quality very specific soil blends at ideal temperatures and moistures are required, as well as occasional exposure to very specific scents. Under no circumstances should the lilligant be allowed to mate (see Breeding). Trainers particularly concerned with flower maintenance should consult the specialist literature.
It is safe to harvest petilil leaves for consumption at a rate of one leaf per ten days.
Wild petilil have very simiar requirements to their domesticated counterparts. Wild lilligant's needs can differ considerably. To start with, wild lilligant are considerably more active and social than their domesticated counterparts. They will sometimes uproot themselves to explore or manipulate their environment. Wild lilligant often take an interest in human music and dance, providing an easy means of enrichment. They are also quite expressive with their changes in posture and movement. After their trainer has learned what various steps mean they can communicate by reading the lilligant's dances. Some trainers can even communicate back with dances of their own.
Wild lilligant will attempt to carve their own path to sunlight if they are not receiving enough. They should be provided with an open plot of land with reasonable soil quality and direct access to sunlight most days of the week. Wild lilligant rarely need additional water. It should be offered only in very dry areas, after intense fights, or if the lilligant appears agitated for unclear reasons.
Illness
Lilligant flowers are prone to wither away or even rot. This is a natural part of their life cycle and is not a cause for concern. If any other area of a lilligant's body starts to rot that is a sign of a late-stage parasitic or bacterial infection that must be treated as soon as possible. The same goes for white molds coating any part of the body or abrupt changes in color. Wilting of non-flower parts is usually a sign of dehydration. The lilligant should be moved to a wetter area or have their soil dampened, but not waterlogged.
Wild lilligant also have their leaves rot or even fall out. This is also natural if it only occurs once every few months. The lilligant will root themselves and spend several weeks in place until the leaf regrows.
Lilligant Fracturing Disease (LFD) once defined the species in culture. The viral infection caused changes in pigmentation that led to beautiful patterns of red, blue, green, and yellow to appear on a lilligant or petilil's body. The disease inspired a great deal of artwork and was deliberately spread. Unfortunately, the infection dramatically reduced fertility and lifespan and led to the demise of nearly all known lilligant within a few generations. Of the domesticated lilligant subspecies, only the Unovan population survived. Reintroduction efforts have subsequently introduced the species back to much of its former range, although parts of Europe have become too polluted to successfully support a wild population.
Wild lilligant were believed to be lost altogether until they were rediscovered in Hisui. They have since suffered from the remnants of LFD and a variety of other illnesses and parasites that had not made their way to Hisui. The Alolan population has become rather resilient over time. Prudent trainers should still have a well-qualified plant veterinarian check on their lilligant once a month to test for illnesses that may not be immediately apparent.
Evolution
Petilil begin to evolve in their second autumn of life. After a brief scouting period to find the best place to begin the process the pokémon partially buries itself and grows dormant. First the bulb begins to expand and the eyespots are subsumed under the new layers. Then a stalk and second bulb begin to bloom. Finally, the leaves on the lilligant's head begin to develop. The entire process takes three to four weeks. At the end the new lilligant awakens and either uproots themselves or stays in place, depending on the species and quality of the area.
Botanists in Iberia have successfully evolved domesticated petilil at seven months of age through the use of a greenhouse that simulated an accelerated seasonal cycle. This is impractical for most trainers to replicate and no facility for doing so currently exists in Alola.
Battling
Domesticated lilligant suffer heavily from their lack of mobility. They also are not bulky enough to serve as immobile special tanks, although their solar beams and magical leaves are rather powerful. Pokémon such as venusaur, tropius, and tangrowth largely fill lilligant's potential niche. Quiver dance is an effective setup move but even when boosted lilligant are slow. Lilligant also has very little ability to manipulate non-grass elements and can be shut down by any bulky pokémon that resist grass attacks.
Island challengers wishing to use domesticated lilligant should prioritize power training at first. Once solar beam and magical leaf are mastered defensive tactics can be learned. Ideally lilligant should be sent in against a special attacker it can overpower at range. Anything that tries to get close can be put to sleep. Unfortunately sleep powder does tend to set in after lilligant has taken critical amounts of damage. Lilligant can overpower many early opponents, and petill are durable enough to hold up on the first island, but eventually they will stop being able to pull their weight.
Wild lilligant are far more useful in combat. Their superior mobility lets them outpace many animal pokémon. Dancing can be used to funnel elemental energy into their limbs for a temporary boost of strength or to unleash a variety of slashing attacks upon their enemies. The major drawback of these dances are that they tend not to vary much from fight to fight. Trainers with access to archival footage and enough time to study it can find ways to exploit the patterns in the lilligant's dances. Their smaller core bodies also prevent them from storing the quantity and variety of powders that domesticated lilligant can. Wild lilligant still possess the strength, speed, and grace, to hold their own until the very end of the island challenge. Trainers should just be aware that they will find some difficulty breaking in to the competitive circuits.
Acquisition
Domesticated petilil and lilligant can be found in most of the region's garden supply stores and specialty pokémon dealerships. Specimens bred for blooming can be very expensive, potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most lilligant are far cheaper and can be purchased for one to three thousand dollars. Petilil not bred for display tend to cost less than one thousand dollars. Petilil can be adopted or purchased with Class II license. Lilligant may be adopted or purchased with a Class III license.
Wild lilligant capture is currently prohibited until the population is deemed to be fully established. They can be found in the interiors and higher altitude meadows of Alola. Melemele Meadow is their favorite. Petilil are typically deposited in the Tapu Meadows and can be found there. It can be difficult to find them amidst the flowers. Dedicated trainers should consult meadow-specific guidebooks for more information on identifying them and where they can typically be found. Attacking a petilil in front of a lilligant or florges is generally a bad idea. Lilligant can be persuaded to back down after a quick proving battle. Florges tend to require a more thorough interview to give their consent. Wild petilil can be captured, adopted, or purchased with a Class II license. Wild lilligant can be purchased or adopted with a Class II license.
Breeding
Domesticated illigant begin to bloom in the late winter. When two lilligant find each other, they will press their flowers together to exchange gametes before going back to their own ranges. All lilligant are hermaphrodites and have both male and female reproductive organs. Two to five days later they will bury seeds into the ground. Petilil will emerge shortly after the Vernal Equinox.
Maintaining a domesticated lilligant's flower requires keeping the pokémon constantly in anticipation of mating. The scent of other lilligant flowers must be a constant presence but no actual exposure to another lilligant can occur. Sometimes the process requires keeping the lilligant in a cool, damp greenhouse for most of the year.
Trainers who intend to actually let their lilligant breed generally have an easy time doing so. Lilligant pairs do not raise their children together. For the most part the new parents take a very hands-off approach to child-rearing in general. Once the seeds are buried in a greenhouse or garden the parent will be quite willing to let its trainer take responsibility for the petilil.
Wild lilligant have only limited blooming for a few days in early spring, just before they head back down from the mountains. Specimens that are impressed by each other will exchange pollen. The lilligant will then cut into the earth of the meadows and deposit their seeds. Lilligant will attack anything they see digging into the soil in the days afterwards.
Relatives
The original lilligant (T. runigold) could be found across Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They were domesticated for their beauty and the medicinal properties of their leaves. LFD wiped out these populations between 1650 and 1770. All captive breeds were also eliminated save the Unovan green, the founders of the current domesticated population.
It isn't currently understood how lilligant originally made their way to Hisui. Wild populations did not exist in any of the other Japanese isles. Local folklore suggests that they had been there for some time, potentially predating humans. Ferrying by pokémon or humans is the most likely explanation. A few less reputable scholars have also suggested Sinnoh's unstable dimensional veil could introduced an alien population. This has been documented with other species before, including in Alola, but the similarities between Hisuian and continental lilligant suggests that this was not the case.