The buds around Bayleef's neck contain a valuable spice which is said to increase one's energy and restore health, but increased aggression is a common side effect. Although the first Japanese voyages to the Orange Islands were sparked more by strange rumors than by any actual pokemon, the next voyages came for Bayleef spice, for it was beloved by all who imbibed it. In time, trade turned to empire, as it was easier to take over an island and force the natives to raise these pokemon for export than it was to obtain and pay for trade goods that they actually wanted.

When alchemists discovered the formula for Bayleef spice and managed to synthesize it independently of the pokemon, the empires of Japanese lords in the Orange Islands soon melted away. Many Bayleef were attacked and murdered as symbols of the oppression the people had endured, and they were soon driven to extinction in the wild. Not all was lost, however, for a small population of Bayleef had been introduced to Japan. They survived and even thrived for a time in the temperate climate of Johto, but were unable to defend themselves when predators such as Stantler and Rapidash encroached on their territory, and survive today only as pets.