Alcremie (Milcery)
Creptiodefructibus eton
Overview
Alcremie, alongside vanilluxe and slurpuff, form the family Dulcifae, the cream fairies. The three species appear to be entirely made of dairy products or sugar. They do not appear to have any proper skeleton or muscle. Scientists have gone back and forth on their origins and nature with no one entirely sure why or how they are alive.
Alcremie are generally calm, benevolent, and interested in humans, which is an almost unheard of combination among fairy-types. This is especially strange as their closest living relative is one of the most murderous pokémon on the planet.
On balance, alcremie are one of the duller fairies and are far from the most powerful. This can be frustrating for trainers on the island challenge. Alcremie are still as good an introduction as any to the husbandry of fairy-types and a must-have pokémon for avid bakers and confectioners.
Physiology
Alcremie and milcerie are classified as pure fairy-type pokémon. The classification is not seriously disputed.
Milcery appear to be large drops of cream with small tentacles extending outwards from it. Two pale dots mark the eyes. Some appear to have a thin mouth. Others don't. The mouth, and potentially the eyes, are non-functional.
Alcremie are more humanoid with an apparent torso, head, and extensive hair. All of their body except for the eyes and adornments is homogenous. The 'hair' is nothing of the sort. Alcremie usually form small mouths but do not ingest food through it. Their eyes are crystalized sugar with no apparent ability to sense light. They do not have a brain. Alcremie see and think regardless. One thing alcremie lack is legs. They must glide along the ground. Alcremie are at least sticky enough to cling to vertical surfaces and even move while suspended upside-down.
Upon evolution alcremie adopt a distinctive flavor and adornments. The flavor and adornments may have an impact on their biology, personality, and combat prowess. They may not. There is an ongoing debate as to whether alcremie will only evolve into a form that matches their personality and strengths, if the form determines personality and strengths, or if there is no statistically significant difference and the perceived variation is due to stereotyping and outliers. Milcery are weak and unemotive, so it is difficult to compare a specimen's psychology and performance before and after evolution.
No one is entirely sure what alcremie are. The leading theories until the invention of the microscope were that they were either a slug or a pile of cream possessed by a ghost. Analysis of their cellular structure has confirmed that they are not living animals. They do not photosynthesize. Most of their body is organic, although they lack most hallmarks of a complex organism such as a central nervous system and cardiovascular system or any organs at all. There is a great deal of bacteria in their body constantly producing and breaking down the cream. Some scientists have theorized that alcremie are a hive mind of the bacteria.
Alcremie also have strong ties to fairy-type energy. It is not unknown for fairies to manifest as common objects in spite of all biological evidence suggesting it should be impossible. Klefki is one such example. Alcremie may just be a fairy manifesting as a mass of cream. The strongest evidence of this is slurpuff, a similar fairy made of crystalized sugars. For now all three species in the family are classified as organic pokémon adjacent to the true psychics.
Alcremie primarily feed by absorbing biomass and converting it to cream. Food is taken up by the base of the pokémon and then slowly moved into the center of the body. The exact chemical or biological process by which this occurs is poorly understood. In the wild alcremie primarily graze on plants, fungi, and bacteria. They have been documented feeding on carcasses when grasses are scarce, but it is believed that they are simple scavengers rather than predators. Alcremie have a strong aversion to violence. Even captive specimens are known to hesitate and hold back in battle.
Well-adorned, well-fed alcremie can grow to weigh three pounds. One to two pounds is more typical for the species. Alcremie can alter their body shape far more than the average pokémon. Typical specimens are between ten to fifteen inches in height most of the time, but can potentially compress down to six inches or up to twenty by widening or thinning their body. Wild lifespans are not well documented. Captive specimens typically live for five to eight years.
Behavior
Milcery are relatively simple and solitary pokémon. They prefer to seek out dark, cool places and hunt for food to absorb. This often puts them into contact with mold, one of their favorite foods. A handful of homeowners rely on milcery to perform some cleaning and sanitation duties, or at least to direct them to the least sanitary parts of a building. Some milcery have been known to sneak into refrigerators and try to blend in with white surfaces when they hear approaching vibrations. Milcery are not particularly social organisms. They are cleverer than their appearance suggests and can use their amorphous body to squeeze into tight spaces if they smell food. They can also mold their body into a thin layer and undulate it to allow for crude, short-distance flight.
Alcremie are generally nocturnal in the wild. At night they wander fields or forests and try to absorb nutrients. They have been known to climb up trees and absorb any moss growing on them. Alcremie have many potential predators. While they will try to defend themselves, in a pinch they will simply throw out part of their body with a charm woven into it. Charmed alcremie cream is a powerful psychoactive drug that induces an intense feeling of serenity. Pokémon under its effects won't make any attempt to pursue a fleeing alcremie or even to defend themselves if another predator comes along and takes advantage of their altered mental state. Ordinary alcremie cream has much weaker effects. It tends to increase serotonin production and reduce cortisol levels, but people under its effects can and will defend themselves and pursue other goals. The blood sugar spike and caloric intake are far more dangerous than any short or long-term psychological effects.
Most alcremie eventually end up domesticated or semi-domesticated, preferring to exchange milk for cream with humans. This can be a very profitable industry for everyone involved. So long as they are given adequate food, space, and enrichment, alcremie adjust well to captivity. Alcremie may wish to change trainers but rarely wish to return to the wild after being tamed.
Husbandry
Milcery and alcremie can theoretically eat almost anything inorganic, from plant matter to meat to microorganisms. Cream and milk are their most desired foods. Powdered milk and cream can form the basis of a diet as long as they have access to water. Neither stage will drink pure water. There must be flavorings, microorganisms, or some other kind of food suspended in it. Butter and cheese are also happily accepted but are slightly harder to digest. Meat, leaves, and bark are alcremie's least favorite foods. Moss, mold, fruit, and algae are staples of the species diet in the wild and should make up at least 8% of a captive specimen's food intake. Alcremie will also seek out food related to their flavor and adornments. This is often fairly self-explanatory. Trainers who are confused as to what this means for their pokémon should consult specialist literature.
Inedible waste may be excreted in the form of pellets or sludge. Alcremie are easily housebroken and can dispose of waste in the correct spot. Just make sure that their waste receptacle is easily accessible for a creature of their size and does not contain litter that will be difficult to remove from their body. A box of frequently changed newspaper is often the best option. Toilets where the bowl is dry unless flushed can also work. Alcremie can be taught how to operate the toilet themselves. So long as the pokémon's diet is based around dairy, moss, mold, algae, and fruit, they will only need to excrete once or twice a week. More frequent excretion can be a sign of dietary problems or deeper health issues.
Milcery are less intelligent and more prone to wandering. They will tend to leave waste in random locations. Thankfully they only produce an ounce or less at a time and it is easily washed out of clothing or absorbed from hard surfaces. Milcery trainers may wish to avoid having carpets or rugs in places their pokémon can access. Milcery are capable of fitting through gaps only a few millimeters wide and flying a few feet into the air, meaning that most places in their home will be accessible to them.
Alcremie are entertained by most children's toys and media. They are fairly solitary creatures that may wish to shadow their trainer or a teammate for an hour or so a day but would otherwise like to be left alone. Many alcremie trainers have a room for them similar to a toddler's play area filled with toys and a cool, hard surface for the pokémon to rest upon. Alcremie are also capable of operating basic technology like a television or light switch. Some have been taught to play video games, although the controls can be difficult to handle with their biology.
Milcery need little in the way of enrichment. Hermetically sealed mazes work as housing with food occasionally put inside and waste removed. Occasional flying time outside their enclosure may be associated with better adjusted alcremie post-evolution and a shorter time period to evolution. Research on the subject has been inconclusive.
Other fairies will often tolerate alcremie without being particularly friendly. Inorganic pokémon will not try to eat alcremie and can receive cleaning in return. Spectral pokémon are often playful enough to keep an alcremie entertained without posing a risk of attempted predation. Pokémon similar to animals will often try to eat alcremie, causing tensions on a team. Plant pokémon will sometimes see alcremie as a threat and lash out.
Illness
Alcremie's bizarre biology makes treating illnesses through surgery or medication next to impossible. Thankfully, the major health problems can all be averted through proper husbandry.
Spoiling is the most common ailment. The bacteria to cream ratio rapidly increases, resulting in the pokémon digesting most of its own body and changing its color, texture, and flavor. If allowed to continue it can prove fatal. Spoiling can be avoided by frequent access to fresh food and cool, shaded areas to rest. Spoiling is treatable for a few days after onset through removal to a cool and sanity environment and the provision of a constant supply of fresh milk. Symptoms will usually partially or completely reverse within a week.
Depletion is the most common health problem among battling specimens. Alcremie can lose portions of their body during fights. Any body mass loss to consumption or attacks must be replaced. After battles, alcremie need a large amount of high-quality food to replenish their biomass. They should be allowed to rest for a few days after depletion of more than 10% and for at least a full day for depletion between 5% and 10%. Depletion of more than 40% can be fatal without prompt treatment.
Digestive problems are marked by either an excessive amount of waste or a very long interval between defecation. If either is observed, make sure that the pokémon is getting enough to eat. Then replace all food sources with milk and moss for a few days to see if the problem continues. If problems persist or lead to spoilage or depletion, immediately consult a veterinarian.
Damage to the eyes is probably just cosmetic and will heal within hours.
Many trainers have questions about whether alcremie cream is safe for consumption. After all, it comes from a living organism and is laden with bacteria. It is safe. Alcremie's bacteria seem to preserve the cream and even prey upon other microorganisms that would cause it to rot. They are benign in the human digestive system and may even help restore it following antibiotic treatment. The cream should still be reduced for culinary reasons as undiluted alcremie cream can cause intense sugar highs, stomach aches, and a loss of appetite for days afterwards.
Evolution
In times gone by alcremie evolution was shrouded in mystery. Folk stories told of wild dances deep in the woods where a ring of fairies would spin and dance around a milcery until it evolved. Wild alcremie populations have likely been sporadic or non-existent for centuries. Alcremie are not social with conspecifics or other fairies. Captive specimens can evolve. These stories are likely only that.
Captive milcery evolve when they have had a reliable source of food for several weeks in a row. During this time the milcery will begin to grow larger and exhibit more complex behaviors. They will seek out many food sources to sample their flavors and attempt to find edible objects such as berries or candies to adorn themselves with. Once they have picked a flavor and adornment they will begin to grow to their new full size over the course of one to three weeks. Their cream will mutate to match their desired flavor's taste and texture. The new alcremie will seek out as many adornments as they can and add them to their body in a seemingly haphazard fashion. The adornments further alter the flavor and consistency of the cream and might have an impact on elemental affinity, personality, and future dietary preferences. Going forward the adornment will be one of alcremie's favorite foods and an easy way to bribe them.
In their native Galar, alcremie are capable of gigantamaxing. The form results in a rapid growth into a roughly ten-feet-tall version of themselves perched on top of an eighty-feet-tall multilevel cake. The frosting is so calorically dense that eating four milligrams will put the average person into a diabetic coma. Their body hardens upon impact, making it nearly impossible to defeat them with blunt force. Blades, flame, freezing, psionic attacks, and poison are the only reliable ways of dealing with a gigantamaxed alcremie.
Battle
Outside of Galar, alcremie see no use on the competitive circuits.
On the island challenge alcremie can function as slow, bulky setup sweepers. Calm mind or acid armor can be used to increase elemental or physical defenses. The former also increases elemental power. Alcremie can then rely on fairy attacks such as moonblast, draining kiss, or dazzling gleam to attack enemies. Unfortunately, alcremie learn very few coverage moves without TMs. Their options will still be limited even then. Alcremie can also support their team with aromatherapy or keep themselves healthy with recover.
Alcremie's main natural defense is not very useful in organized combat. Opponents can avoid the deleterious effects of charmed cream by simply not eating it. The defense nullifies biting attacks and can surprise the unprepared but does little else. Alcremie are vulnerable to blunt force attacks when not gigantamaxed. Water attacks can make it difficult to maintain their consistency. Poison attacks and even some healing moves can cause severe damage to their microbial environment. Sand-based attacks can cause them extreme psychological distress. Fast, physically powerful opponents or elemental attackers with a beam attack or good coverage can knock out alcremie well before they have a chance to set up. They can be made to work by a clever trainer who plans fights around their disadvantages, but they are not easy to fit onto a team.
Milcery should not be battled with. They can reflexively defend themselves, but any combat risks serious damage that could set back their development by months.
Acquisition
Feral milcery and alcremie can occasionally be found in the forests and abandoned buildings at the base of Mt. Lanakila. The higher regions of the mountain are too cold for them and hold vanilluxe and ninetales, two known predators. Most of Alola is too hot. The feral population mostly descend from captive specimens that were abandoned during the rapid population decline in Southern and Western Ula'Ula.
It is easiest to acquire either stage from the private trade. They are popular with breeders, confectioners, and casual trainers for their cream and relative ease of care. Many fairy-specialist breeders carry them. Even a few larger pokémon or cooking supply stores will sell milcery. Shelters rarely keep the line for long as they can be rather easily rehomed and do not do well in standard shelter facilities.
Milcery and alcremie can be acquired with a Class II license.
Breeding
Scholars believed for centuries that milcery were formed when sweet particles in the air congealed into a new organism. Meanwhile, the more mystical shrine maidens and keepers of folklore warned that the fairies would cause cups of milk or plates of soft cheese to spoil if left unattended. The folklore was ultimately right. Alcremie that are sufficiently well fed can reproduce by touching and infecting cream. However, alcremie refuse to infect food specifically given to them. They must infect cream that they believe does not belong to them and they do not have permission to access. Attempts at captive breeding must rely upon deception to get the alcrmeie to do something they believe the breeder does not want them to do.
How much genetic or pseudo-genetic influence the parent has upon the child is debated. Milcery do not inherit the flavor of their parent. Laboratory studies where a milcery is given access to a variety of different flavors and adornments show only a slight preference towards their parent's. Personalities and preferred combat styles of battling alcremie are often similar to their parent, but this could simply be selection bias. Trainers who want to battle buy milcery made by powerful alcremie and then train their new pokémon to battle. Most proper randomized trials are for flavor and nutritional value rather than personality.
Alcremie lack parental instincts. They will not cannibalize milcery unless desperate, but they will also not care for them. Adults can even be territorial with milcery and drive them away from food sources. In captivity it is best to keep them separated from their offspring.
Relatives
Traditional alcremie are one of two morphs of the species. They are born in milk cream and have physiology resembling it. The second morph, often referred to as alcrebrie, is born from whey and have a more bitter, cheesy flavor and a more solid form. Alcremie and alcrebrie can interbreed by reproducing in whey or cream, respectively. The hybrid will often have a consistency and flavor somewhere between their parents. As a result they are not classified as separate species but as morphs within the same species akin to the evolutions of eevee or the colors of butterfree.
Vanilluxe is usually regarded as alcremie's closest relative as they are both made of cream. Whether they are a bacterial hivemind or a possessed object remains unclear. Vanilluxe have a very different temperament from alcremie and do not have distinct flavors or adornments. They will also happily prey upon any alcremie they encounter. Vanilluxe also have no particular affinity for fairy-type energy and reproduce sexually rather than asexually. These differences have led some theorists to speculate that they may simply be convergently evolved species with no close relation.
It is difficult to form a satisfying taxonomy for fey and phantoms due to the lack or unreliability of genetic evidence. Scientists disagree as to whether they should be grouped by their physical form at all or simply split into categories based on their diet and rituals. Alcremie are classified as physical, familiar, asocial, non-bargaining fey. They eat real food, are eager to associate with humans, do not partake in rituals with other fairies, and do not have any inclination or ability to make and enforce bargains. Under this schema sylveon is one of their closest relatives. This result is unacceptable to many academics, leading to discussion of a fifth or sixth criteria, such as relation to non-fairies or reproductive methods.