- Petal Dance -

"Right, if we are going to be Legendary pokemon we are going to show it!" Bellossom declared strongly. "I think I know how to make a Grass type Contagion, and we have a pokemon that wants one." The flower backed lizard looked around the Pokemon Center room her team was in. Her teammates and trainer all looked uneasy with their time in Ecruteak so far, but at least looked at her with interest for that declaration.

"We do have other options we can suggest that are easier for them to get themselves," Rhydon pointed out with a rustle of leaves. "Not everyone is going to want to learn to make Contagions themselves."

"For example, the only reason Flaaffy is still Fire typed without our help is that he evolved," Charizard added but more thoughtfully from where he was looking over their supplies. "Unless you have an idea how to make it last longer?" He was still in his base form.

"It is for an Eeveelution. I think we might be able to make the Contagion trigger an evolution," Bellossom said with a reptilian smile. "The pokemon wants an alternate evolution form, and the Contagion is something we can try to power up to do more than just temporarily change if they like it."

"Force an evolution," Alexa said with another thoughtful tone. "It probably won't work for most pokemon. Flaaffy was sort of unique, but an Eeveelution might still have some unstable genetics to work with." Their trainer was Mephagic at the moment, but appeared ready to switch to something less sticky with toxins soon as there was relatively little she could do in that form at the moment.

"You really think you've worked out how to manage Grass?" Rhydon asked now that they were accepting that reasoning. "I figured I'd get it first."

"Well, I have a plan," Bellossom admitted a bit more nervously. "We've found one per type so far, but the results have been more focused on what the stuff is than what type it is for. Poison goo for that type, lava for our Fire option that looks like lava, clay for that muddy Ground option, and Mercury Contagion as well gives liquid metal results instead of solid ones."

"So, you're thinking we need some kind of liquid plant?" Kingler said with a slightly disgusted tone. "Because all I can think of there is algae, and I don't want to deal with the form that would give."

Bellossom cringed as well at that idea. "No, that would probably be an alternative, but my plan is to start with the effect," she twirled in place to show off her flowers. "I'm going to make a Floral Contagion. Something to give the pokemon flowers, and at the same time the Grass type."

The rest of the group took a moment to process that, but it got them away from their other projects. "I was going for something more fluid," Rhydon admitted.

"Lava was the goal for me too," Charizard agreed. "It sounds like it might work at least."

"So, William is outside a bit worried because I could feel the Legendary plotting from the other side of the Center," Suicune cut in suddenly. "Do I dare ask?"

"How would you like to try flowery Grass type?" Bellossom asked despite the implications, because the whole point of the topic was to just roll with being Legendary pokemon of changing types.

"Yes," Suicune said with a smile, and Bellossom could hear William groan outside of the door.

"Okay, to be clear," Alexa said once they found a place to work on things. "We won't have the proper Contagion until tomorrow at the earliest. They have so far needed a full day to let the power settle into the substance. Before that it is basically just a move, and will wear off very quickly by comparison without replacing any types."

They were in a clearing that technically was a Legendary only space. Suicune had led them to the location past the gate but off the path once William had reminded everyone they didn't want to be entirely obvious about their Legendary nature. The clearing was a bit torn up, with old burned and thunderstruck areas and a few rough pools of water. Despite that it was also clearly well cared for, and just a long used training area.

"I've encountered such moves quite often, although I normally am immune to the most common one," Suicune said with a nod towards Charizard to make clear she meant Soak instead of a Legendary resistance. "I take it the plan is to work on something that produces the desired effect as a move to determine it might work entirely after it is prepared?"

"That is the plan here," Bellossom declared, and Alexa was fine with her pokemon taking lead on this project.

"Did we ever see what Contagion Cure does when it sets?" Herman asked thoughtfully. "I can't remember offhand."

"No, Herman, we did not work out how a thing that also strips a natural Poison type off pokemon turns out when it sits," Kingler criticized. "I don't know if we want to make a type stripper we can't reverse before it wears off."

"That sounds like something that would just turn me human," William complained with a look around the clearing, and then broke his illusion. "So please don't have stuff like that just sitting around. I can handle the other stuff."

"No, you can't," Alexa said, joined by everyone else. Even Suicune agreed vocally. "You need a lot of work before you're going to be more than just a puddle, and you were stressing out from being one." William failing to pull himself back together had only become more frightening as time passed, and it had been bad enough when it happened. "Stress is bad for learning that kind of complex move. Maybe if there was a TM for it we could use that to make it work faster, but they don't exist yet."

"We heard what you and Ho-Oh said about that being a problem for some species that naturally learn it, and if we can we want to get some made to help those pokemon," Charizard specified. "It is a long term thing, really something to tell Professor Larch, but we do want to help there too."

"Wait, wait, what?" Goodra asked with a bit of distortion as the pokemon didn't wait to fully reform to start speaking as he forced his way out of his pokeball. "Do you think that would work?"

"An HM is how I learned Fly," Alexa reminded the pokemon. "If one can teach me that before I even was able to use the skill, then it should also work to help with pokemon that need a skill with a move but don't have it naturally."

"They learn to use it best," Goodra then said to everyone's confusion. "The problem is that becoming fluid is too easy for those pokemon. If they don't know how to manage Acid Armor then they end up just uselessly fluid, but if they work it out they are able to use it all the time right off. If you could teach it to them with a TM then they should get the handle much more quickly and reliably." The Dragon looked at his trainer. "It isn't great to try and teach you, but if we did you'd be really good at it."

"Now I'm a bit worried to learn," William grumbled. "I've seen relatives that have 'the best' skill at stuff. It is hard for them to not use it after that. Which is a problem when you can trick reality a bit with your illusions. I'm not sure I'd go back to being solid again."

"Which, again, is why I'm going to stay extra careful with this stuff around you now," Alexa said to bring them back on topic. "Just because the plan is for this new one to not make the targets as liquid doesn't mean it will turn out that way."

"Honestly, I'm expecting flower nectar for the Acid Armor change," Bellossom admitted. "That is what I'm going for as the substance to use with it." The flower lizard then got them to begin active testing with a few examples of the first attempts.

That started with one that ended up as more of a Stun Spore variant that paralyzed Suicune briefly. The second one wasn't much better, as it simply put the Legendary Water type to sleep. Then they got to the third variant, which took a while to work out.

"The Pokedex is saying it is an Aromatherapy variant," Alexa informed Bellossom after they tried a few things to work it out. "A general status cure effect on the targets."

"Well, that is something we probably want to keep if we develop like this again," Charizard commented on that news. "It would save a lot on cure supplies."

"Still not what I'm after, but I think that means we're closer," Bellossom said thoughtfully. "Rhydon, any advice here?"

"Charizard is the one who did this kind of move making before," Rhydon replied curiously. "I don't have flowers like this so I can't really do the same stuff. Although I am looking forward to trying this one when its done."

"I think you might want to have it a bit more Leech Seed like," Alexa suggested herself. "Maybe try and mix those two a bit?"

That resulted in an attempt four that turned Suicune green for a moment, but broke down even faster than the others. Then two more had slightly longer changes until the seventh attempt resulted in Suicune growing a coat of blue flowers and turning a slight green color.

"That's given her the Grass type," Alexa said from the results. "I think we have something. Do you want to stop there or does it need some more work?"

"That should be it," Bellossom declared. "Now we just need to wait until tomorrow for the real tests."

"Am I interrupting something?" Ho-Oh then asked from the edge of the training area. "The Ashes are both having some issues and I need some time away."

"Not going to your pokemon team for that?" Suicune asked a bit too casually.

"I am actually." The massive bird revealed a belt of pokeballs looped around a wing. "I have them with me and was going to talk to them here before I tried to distract the Lugia with meeting them. Didn't expect this spot to be in use already," Ho-Oh clarified. "The flowers are a nice touch that worries me, Suicune. Dare I ask?"

"We are working on a way to help an Eeveelution that wanted to go a different way but didn't know they could," Alexa specified before a family argument could really get started. "Hanako's Espeon asked yesterday and Bellossom wanted to start on that immediately."

"I have a solid plan to give the Grass type now," Bellossom said firmly. "We just need a bit more verification we have the right stuff, and to see how it works in practice."

"So, Suicune, do you want to meet my team now?" Ho-Oh asked carefully in an attempt to change in topic back suddenly.

"Might as well," the currently Water/Grass pokemon answered shortly.

"Okay, this is Bayleef." A yellow sauropod pokemon slightly smaller than Suicune with little leaf buds around their neck and a large open leaf on their head emerged and looked around with confusion. "Ledyba." A smaller red with black spots beetle was next out. "Gligar." A purple scorpion bat pokemon then emerged, took at look around the area, and then settled on top of Bayleef. "And finally Eevee, oh wait it is Mercreon now isn't it?"

The final pokemon to emerge was personally familiar to Alexa and her team, as a liquid metal Eeveelution emerged, with two large drops of molten metal for ears, and a fancy darker color pattern along his back. "Oh! Hello again," the pokemon greeted them before he could even notice the full situation. "Is this a checkup, or did you just want to see how the evolution worked?"

"Better question, Eevee," the Bayleef said darkly. "Where is our trainer and why is Ho-Oh introducing us?"

"Um, I am your trainer actually," Ho-Oh nervously admitted, while Mercreon spattered a bit to see the Legendary bird behind him.

"Huh, I had thought our trainer was Lugia," Gligar noted with surprise.

"Lord Ho-Oh," Bayleef said very formally. "We are a four Badge team that barely made it around the region. I think we would have done better if our trainer was actually a Legendary pokemon."

"... Four Badges, father?" Suicune asked with smothered laughter. "Wasn't Ash just saying that a four Badge trainer meant a problem wasn't a big deal?"

Ho-Oh looked to Alexa for help, and she really couldn't give it here. "I made it to the tournament last year," she informed the other Legendary. "Glad to see you managed the evolution, Mercreon," she then added to the liquid metal pokemon, who looked at her with a bit of confusion but nodded. "Oh, I'm Alexa, the trainer. It turns out this stuff can work on humans too."

"Huh," Mercreon said. "Hey, Bayleef, is that more or less normal than our trainer being Ho-Oh?" Bayleef did not look happy at all with that question.

"Do you know how you managed to evolve with it?" Charizard asked to spare the other Starter. "We might want to hear that with our latest project."

Alexa was a smiling Spectslurry the next day as they approached the Dance Theater with an even happier Bellossom next to her, the lizard's claws clicking out a dance on the way. The morning scans of the new substance had shown the right metaphysical results for a new Contagion.

William and Suicune were off with their own business for the day. At least Suicune was, with the proper meeting between Ho-Oh's team and the Lugia going on. William seemed to mostly just want a bit of a break from Alexa's situation, and given how it had been going lately she was sure he could use one.

"Hello, we are here to see Hanako and her Espeon," Alexa said to the Kimono Girl who answered the door.

"How likely is it that her Espeon is going to end up a Leafeon?" the girl asked in response.

"Not at all likely!" Bellossom declared joyfully, and Alexa repeated a bit more calmly since that wasn't understood by the human in front of them.

"Bellossom made something that should give more flowers than a Leafeon usually has," Alexa then added on top of that. "It is meant to be a flower themed change, and I was hoping they would be up for helping to test it while they see if it works for what they want."

"Will we get to see other pokemon use this first?" was the followup question as they were allowed into the building. Hanako noticed them immediately, but was apparently in the middle of some kind of practice so just nodded at them very quickly.

"That is the plan, but I wanted to make sure that Espeon saw the effects before trying," Alexa clarified. "It is really important to us for the changes to be on purpose and what is wanted."

"And I want to show this stuff off too," Bellossom added, and then frowned as Alexa had to translate again. "I think we really are getting too used to humans that can understand pokemon."

The majority of the structure was a single large open room, but they were led to a smaller practice room off the back instead to be out of public view and left there to get ready while Hanako's practice finished up.

"I call first try," Charizard said as she started to let out the team. "I want to see if flowers work out better than leaves did."

"I think I'll wait for my current Syrup to wear off," Rhydon said a moment later after a bit of thought. "It probably isn't going to give me a big enough change to still loosen me up enough."

"Probably not for me," Kingler admitted. "Maybe later."

"I'm trying to work out if I want more layers or to see how this changes from my baseline first," Herman specified. "I'm fine with Charizard going first."

"Well, then I guess it might be Charizard first and then me," Alexa said. "Unless you want to try it yourself, Bellossom?"

"Let me think on that one," Bellossom said thoughtfully. "Ah, hello Espeon and Hanako."

"Hello," the Eeveelution said as Hanako came into the room with the Psychic pokemon. "Apparently you have options for me already?"

"We have a few things that we think could work, but the main new one could give you an alteration to your evolution if we work this right," Charizard specified.

"Wait, you might have a way to change Espeon's evolution?" Hanako asked happily.

"Right, translator, forgot that again," Alexa's Starter grumbled. "Yeah, but were a bit iffy so I didn't want to say that in human. We've spoken with another Eeveelution who got that way using one about it and have some basic ideas we should be able to work from. First though I'm going to make sure it gives the Grass type like we want."

The setup for that was fairly quick, Alexa and her team had become used to testing in random areas instead of her father's Lab by this point. The locals needed a bit of explanation to understand that they needed to be out of the way, but given they were aware of the Legendary stuff it was easily accepted.

"Potential Floral Contagion, set test one," Alexa said and started to list the details for the Pokedex as Bellossom got ready to apply the change. "Good to go when you are both ready."

Charizard's body changed immediately, which was a sign that it had in fact worked. The first change was his wings turning into a pair of massive green spiky leaves, with the green color quickly replacing the orange on most of the rest of his body, along with his scales turning into plant flesh. The exception was his head, which instead broke apart into a snapdragon like flower that still resembled his normal head, with a ring of short leaves at the base where it attached to what now was more of a stem. His tailflame also changed into a similar head shape, and Alexa was surprised to see that head seem to blink. His arms changed into another set of spiky leaves in about the same shape, and finally his feet changed into large brown roots.

"Is my tail another head?" Charizard questioned with a look at his translator and gloves. They now had a flower and cloud pattern with a dark green color to the gemstone. "Okay, I'm fairly sure it is from how it is talking too."

"Ability is apparently something to do with that," Alexa admitted from the Pokedex results. "But I don't really want to test it." It appeared to be a Substitute like ability where one head was used to protect the other somehow. "How does that one work compared to the Jade?"

Charizard moved around a bit, looked over his body with both head and tail, and then spat some Contagion Cure on himself. "I think I can confirm I don't like the Grass type," he said, and Alexa gave him a bit of a glare as she had only barely got a scan of that reversal. "No seriously, that form was interesting and everything, but I just can't stand photosynthesis."

"Right, Charizard isn't trying the Grass type again," Bellossom complained. "So he can use the Pokedex while we see what Alexa turns into."

"Hopefully this one isn't Psychic," Alexa joked. "Kind of works out that not all of us like every type," she added thoughtfully. "Makes us more of a Legendary typechange team and not just one overall type shifter."

Bellossom smiled at her trainer with another vial. "So you're ready then?" the flower lizard asked, and after Alexa changed back to human they quickly got into position for another test. The flower lizard was a bit unhappy with Charizard's reaction, but he at least had been willing to try again. That counted for a lot to Bellossom, as she could easily tell how badly he reacted to the Grass type.

"Right, ready when you two are," Charizard said after Alexa got in position.

"Go ahead, Bellossom," Alexa agreed, and the vial of altered nectar was tipped onto their trainer. Alexa's body immediately bulked up, but in a way that had Bellossom scramble back as she noticed Alexa's arms shifting into forelimbs. Green scales replaced skin, and Alexa's face pushed out into a large crocodilian snout. A thick matching tail grew out behind their trainer, along with feet and hands becoming spindly lizard clawed versions to match the bulky results. This was all topped off by a massive growth of flowers across Alexa's entire back that practically hid the trainer under a bed of plain white and brown flowers.

"Oh, um. Huh, wasn't expecting four legs and no arms," Alexa said right after it finished. "What do we have?" Alexa then shifted uneasily onto her hind limbs, and it took Bellossom a moment to realize that her trainer wanted to look at the gloves.

"We have an unstable type ability," Charizard noted. "Looks like terrain and weather matching from these results. Default seems to be Grass/Normal with a variable secondary type based on where you are and what is happening with the weather. We'd need to test which overrides the other."

"Well that explains the strong Grass glow, not that strong Normal, and how the rest are all sort of glowing," Alexa added from observations of the gloves. "Huh, standing up like this isn't bad, but I don't think I can even walk on two legs. Any ideas for a name?"

"You look like drawings I've seen of Florabedtor," Espeon said with worried interest. "Which given they were from the future makes me wonder if they existed before now."

"You look kind of like some Legendary pokemon we saw drawings of when we got a visit by Celebi once," Hanako added, clearly not understanding the Eeveelution. "I can't remember the name, but they are apparently the kind of flower growing pokemon that tends to make humans learn to grow flowers better if their gardens are messed with. Celebi said that part like a joke."

"Florabedtor," Bellossom said thoughtfully. "Well, Alexa, what do you think?"

"It isn't bad," her trainer replied and set back down on all fours. "I'll try it a while longer and see how it works out. The flowers are nice."

"You do have some pretty ones," Bellossom agreed. "So, are we going for more of the team next, or do we offer it to Espeon now?"

"I'll hold off until another day," Herman said with a wave of a wing. "I probably want to try a few forms for this, and we don't want to put off what we are here for that long."

"Sounds like we're offering to Hanako and Espeon first," Alexa said, and hopefully that got it across to the humans present.

"So, am I trying this too or just Espeon?" Hanako asked after that with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"Do you want to try?" Charizard asked, and really Bellossom wasn't sure why the rest of the Kimono Girls present seemed to take that question badly. It was a fairly obvious thing to ask, and that was the honest answer. "No, seriously, you saw how quick I changed back. It isn't a big deal."

"Well, a downside is that I'm not sure she can dance like normal if she is on four legs," Alexa admitted as the new Florabedtor shuffled over to where Charizard was standing. "It also isn't a very fast form."

"Please tell Hanako that I would rather not have her try," Espeon nervously admitted. "I want to, but that might be a bit much."

"I think I'll pass then, but if Espeon still wants to try we're ready," Hanako agreed without understanding.

"Charizard, give me your translator," Bellossom decided. He seemed amused with the demand, and she had to frown when it didn't resize. "Ok, hopefully this works. We are going to try this, just try, first to see if you like it. If you don't, at any point even right off the bat like Charizard, then we will turn you back. If you really like it, and I mean after a few days still like it, then we can work out making it stick."

"Assuming it doesn't stick on its own," Charizard admitted, clearly happy to not be understood by humans for the moment.

"Okay, that sounds fine to me," Hanako said. "Do you still want to try Espeon."

"Yes," the Eeveelution agreed and hopped down. "I'm sure I won't even mind if it stuck."

Bellossom handed the translator band back to its owner and then laughed at how Alexa once again stood up awkwardly to hold the Pokedex instead of the team's Starter. She sort of hoped that Alexa would stick with this one for a while, if only to see how everyone else dealt with her trainer being a four legged creature.

"I'm remembering how much harder it was to do stuff without arms," Rhydon noted aloud about that topic. "You're a bit better off than me so far."

"I seem to recall you 'practicing' being evolved about the same way," Kingler joked. "Well, Bellossom, this is apparently your show today."

Bellossom clicked out a few taps of dance as she moved back to the Eeveelution. "Right, when everyone is ready," she declared, and soon enough the third vial of the Floral Contagion they had prepared was used.

Espeon's body changed quite a bit. First the pokemon became more stocky, closer to a Flareon than the lithe shape they had before. As that happened a ruff of bright yellow petals formed around their neck, and their ears similarly changed into that kind of structure, with their face shifting color to match and looking almost like a flower. Their body entirely changed to a green color, with the only exceptions being brown along their paws, and notably more widespread than a Leafeon's green areas. Their tail shortened and split even more into a bushy fluffed up collection of leaves, and a number of small yellow flowers emerged from their back.

"This is everything I've ever wanted," the former Espeon said with wonder.

"I think Floreon fits this one better," Charizard commented while Bellossom just smiled at the pokemon.