- Olivine City -
Alexa barely looked at the port city of Olivine as she quickly led her expanded group to the Pokemon Center. Their collection of non-humans were getting looks the whole way, but if any of the group had not expected that then this was either good practice or possibly something to change their minds. She wasn't hopeful for that second option, but it might be an upside if she was lucky.
"So, how did you deal with the realization that you aren't human anymore?" Kyle asked as they moved. "Because humans are looking at me differently now and I just fully realized I am not human right now."
"Um," Alexa said uneasily, as she couldn't really remember when she first thought something that. "I guess I mostly just worked out how to do stuff like I was still a person and got some clothes." Something she had not done for the Spectslurry form she was currently using yet. "Being able to turn yourself back helps too."
"I don't think Contagion Cure is as easy for the rest of us," Kyle sighed as their group approached the door. "I think just being able to pull off that move will get someone a job at Moomoo Farm, but I'd rather just use a pokeball for a week."
The Nurse Joy at the desk of the Pokemon Center looked at their group with an increasing amount of unease as they all moved in, and that distracted Alexa from replying to Kyle, who also looked a lot more self conscious with being looked at this way. "Please tell me this isn't another Legendary pokemon getting mad at people talking to pokemon with translators and making them into pokemon," the pink haired woman lamented.
"They've done what?" Alexa asked more strongly than she probably should in public.
"Leader Jasmine is currently stuck as an Ampharos, among others impacted," Nurse Joy admitted. "And the Gym cannot currently manage Gym battles because the backup Leader was also turned into a Aggron. The Legendary in question was confronted by Champion Ketchum, but was not made to reverse the changes yet."
"We're in control of these changes," Charizard said for Alexa. "If you've heard about the Moomoo Farm incident we can also say that has been resolved."
"What happened to Moomoo Farm?" the Joy asked with rising concern.
"Something I am happy to hear is fixed," an Ampharos said walking through a door at the back of the Center. "As despite my current condition I can still speak normally, and the initial report I received said that wasn't the case for the trainers who all ended up Miltank."
"Leader Jasmine," Nurse Joy confirmed. "It is good to see you up and about."
"I think I want to have some words with Bugsy after this," Jasmine complained. "I have some idea now what that girl went through when she tried her first fight as a pokemon against him, and I don't want a repeat myself now." The sheep Gym Leader rubbed her upper arm with a wince.
"You fought yourself?" Alexa had to ask, and got the attention and confusion of the transformed Gym Leader. "Um, I'm Alexa Larch. I kind of know what you're talking about really well."
"I've actually been told to see if you could help by Champion Ketchum," Jasmine admitted with a blink. "And no, I did not fight myself. Rather we have a situation where two trainers assumed that an Ampharos could lead a battle with the same amount of risk as a human. It turned out that I cannot handle a Ground type's wider attacks as well as before."
"You didn't ask Leader Falkner about that sort of thing first?" William questioned with a glance over the group. "Because I know he has been working up to that sort of thing."
"Someone gave Falkner the ability to be Flying typed?" Jasmine asked with about the right amount of concern given Alexa's own worries about that Gym Leader. "Wait, he has been trying out being a pokemon?"
"We might want to wait to discuss this more a bit later," Charizard pointed out. "We have a number of trainers who need new trainer cards for alternate forms, maybe more than are currently in those forms, and probably should take care of that before they all head out to see the city."
"If they can change back without help, then it will be better than the ones I had to make recently," Joy sighed and got out a camera. Alexa now noticed that an area near the desk that had been recently set up for photos to be taken, which was not typical for this late in the League. "Who needs the cards, and who already has some?"
"Suicune, could we get more of those pendants?" Alexa heard William ask while she went forward to help with the process.
"Unfortunately we have received a box of those from Morty already," Jasmine admitted as she inspected Suicune's pendant from a distance. The Ampharos shook her head. "It reacts badly with my electrical field, and I can't focus while using one, even in human form. I've given mine out, and those helped a lot of the victims, but I think I unfortunately lost my backup for Gym Leader duties to just being an Aggron. He's spent the whole time so far with the Gym pokemon and probably is only going back into a battle on the field."
"So, we're not getting a Gym battle here is what I'm hearing," the group's only Florabedtor trainer asked. "I might just head back to the farm. They did want someone who worked out that cure thing, and I don't think I'm getting four more Badges at this rate."
That earned the crocodilian pokemon a bit of a glare from the Gym Leader, and Alexa found herself upset herself with the embarrassing association that she was traveling with that pokemon-trainer. "Iridescent Cross isn't too far from here if you are that desperate for Badges," Jasmine said darkly. "Or wait for a boat to Cianwood, but the port is currently locked down for a bit until we're sure we found all of the cursed stones. They seem to be one time things, but we don't know how many the pokemon scattered."
"Would that do anything to me like this?" the Florabedtor asked Alexa, making the association more clear to her annoyance.
"I'd have to see one, preferably unused, and I doubt that the city didn't have some way to get better scans of these than I can," Alexa answered with a huff. "I don't know if it would still count you as 'human' enough or not, and either way would probably be a mess."
"We might actually want another check on the few we have recovered," Jasmine corrected her. "Probably not today, I need to do quite a bit about that failed match and possibly closing the Gym early this year, but if you are available tomorrow I would appreciate a second opinion." The Ampharos spotted the room's clock, and then quickly started to thread through the group. "Actually, I need to get moving to make sure that trainer knows it was my fault for that Gym battle going wrong."
"Wait!" Nurse Joy attempted to stop the Gym Leader, only to end up speaking to a closing door. "Great, now I need to go find her to make sure she's actually better." Then the nurse seemed to realize she still had a crowd of pokemon-trainers needing new trainer cards.
Alexa tried to look on the bright side, which was that this probably meant the city was prepared for pokemon acting like humans.
Less than an hour later in front of the nearest Pokemart that hope was thoroughly dashed as she found herself helping not just the pair of Lobasalt, but also a Kangaskhan who apparently ran a local pokemon nursery.
"I shop here all the time," the Normal type rumbled. "I'm smaller than I was before," she added with another upset rumble. "How can you possibly say that I won't fit like this? I'm not going to try and squeeze through the isles again as a human if I fit better like this!"
"Store policy," the employee started to recite rather than argue. "Is that pokemon over a certain size are not allowed into the store. We are not a large enough location to support that." He sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't afford to let that slip again. I was told I would lose the job if I let a pokemon your size in again."
"I think I need to speak with the manager," William said before Alexa could think of a solution to this. "Because I have a feeling I am above that size, and I will have to go to the League about this policy if it actually works like that."
"But, you're human," the employee said with a bit of confusion.
"I'll need to speak with the manager," William said again, much less kindly this time. Then when that didn't seem to work he broke his illusion to reveal that he was a large fox pokemon.
"Um, if you can stay in human form it would be fine?" the employee attempted to argue now, sounding very uncertain.
"Do I need to get someone to help with this?" Alexa grumbled as William just stared with disbelief. "I think I can find somebody to move this along."
"I'm interested in whatever is taking up the road," an Officer Jenny questioned from behind them. "Given the Zoroark and other talking pokemon I have a feeling this might involve people with trainer cards being turned away from a store?"
The Kangaskhan looked as unhappy as Alexa felt with that specification, it really should not have mattered if they were trainers, especially when they could talk, but did retrieve a trainer card with a matching picture to confirm that the Normal type was at least technically a trainer. Which was enough to get the employee to further explain that the issue was that they expected a use of transformative items to become human to follow the policy, and the uncomfortable reality that William did not actually change shape when he looked like a human enough to get inside.
Alexa was definitely going to try and get something better done about that than just going by trainer cards, if only to make it so pokemon didn't end up having to be as upset as her Charizard was over having to get one.
"Thank you," Kangaskhan, whose name Alexa had not caught yet, said to them. "I honestly am a bit smaller, but really it is that the little ones are taking my new shape better than I am. It is hard to disappoint them, especially when I ended up something so appropriate."
"I'll admit, the idea of not getting to pick sounds unpleasant," one of the Lobasalt said, the Fire type themed trainer called Ignatius rather than the other Lobasalt, Craig the Rock type trainer. "But you seem happy enough with it to me. We got a real nice look at what someone who doesn't like their current shape looks like recently, firsthand for a couple of us." Those two weren't the first to try Lobasalt, but they were the ones who outright said they liked it better than being human.
"I guess I mostly feel bad about liking it because I am part of why this whole mess happened," the Kangaskhan sighed. "I've been thinking about my job for a long time. I mostly raise pokemon to be Starters, or eggs that are found without anyone to care for them, but it isn't always easy to let them go to trainers." The empty pouch of the former human briefly drew Alexa's attention, that was an uneasy topic even without such a famously motherly pokemon saying it. "So I got one of those new translators and decided to ask some wild pokemon how they handle doing that."
"Oh," Alexa said at that, suddenly reminded of Wooper's mom, but also how strange Wooper's mom had seemed.
"It honestly was working out," Kangaskhan laughed at her reaction. "I didn't find any answers I really liked, but I did find some new friends who had the same worries." The large Normal type then looked a bit embarrassed. "Although I don't know how they will react to this happening to me."
"Why would it be a problem?" William asked sounding more collected than Alexa felt after the shift in topic. Then again the older pokemon-trainer likely knew more about that topic than anyone else here.
"Well, I guess the fact that I used to be human, and I'm living with humans still," Kangaskhan answered thoughtfully. "Huh, it feels odd to say it like that."
"I don't think that should change much for them," Alexa said with a shrug. "I mean, if they are your friends they should be fine with the change as long as you like it."
"Hmm. I guess so," the transformed human admitted. "I do need to talk with them about the strange request the League gave me. Apparently they want me to try and teach the little ones how to read and write. I've already been trying to teach them reading, it is always helpful for Starters to know what things say, but writing is a new one." The Kangaskhan chuckled. "It should be easier now that I understand them, and if I'm doing that I might as well offer to help my wild friends try as well. Oh, 'wild friends' sounds odd now too."
"You're going to be teaching wild pokemon to read and write," William said, finally unnerved by the discussion.
"Well, I'm going to offer. It might be a bit too much effort for them, I'll have to see what the others think," Kangaskhan said with a happier expression. "'Others' is kind of nice to say now actually."
Alexa wasn't sure what to think of a present where it was almost normal for some nice lady to keep running into the way things sounded different when you were turned into a pokemon, let alone a future where wild pokemon were going to school.
The next problem ended up being a lot more concerning. The trainer who liked being a Spectslurry apparently lived in the area, and was asking difficult questions as a result of the local incident.
"I was not prepared for this one, Alexa," Suicune of all people admitted as the Legendary Beast led them to the issue. Alexa wasn't sure if splitting up a bit to keep an eye on everyone had been that great of an idea to start, but it had just turned out to be needed. "Despite living in a city with a Ghost typed Gym I only have my own death and resurrection for context on this topic."
"Alexa, grandfather, help," Opheleia the Spectslurry, who really seemed to like the shape even if the now Ground/Ghost pokemon didn't like the idea of turning others to clay, said incoherently.
There was a Mismagius next to her, looking a mixture of simply old and halfway amused with an appearance resembling more of a wizard's hat and robes than a witch's. "My granddaughter is worried because the stone that did this to me hit me on the head rather hard," the pure Ghost type laughed.
"They fell from the sky?" Alexa asked with concern, then consideration when the Ghost pokemon smugly nodded.
"Of course, would I lie to my grandchildren?" the Mismagius asked seriously with a movement that made Alexa frown a bit.
She looked over to Opheleia. "He's always thought 'would I lie' was a good joke," the other Spectslurry sighed at the implied question. "I can tell that he's my grandfather, he's just been turned into a Ghost type. What does that mean?"
Alexa did not try and work out if there was a time limit on the local changes yet, mostly because she had not actually expected to run into any this quickly. Unfortunately that meant the easier answers were harder to give because she didn't know if Opheleia's grandfather would be stuck as a Ghost typed pokemon. "Well, you're a Ghost type too right now," she pointed out as a starting point, and then decided to ask a question she had on her mind. "Although, I have to question if you were actually transformed, or..." Alexa paused, and decided to just get it over with. "Or if you died of something else beforehand and think this is a funny joke?" Because to a Ghost type that might be a funny joke.
Opheleia luckily looked less horrified and more embarrassed by that possibility. "Oh no, he would do that," the Spectslurry said quietly.
"Ha, that would be a good one," the Mismagius laughed. "And well spotted, but no. I actually have never been human," the pokemon declared with a very smug expression. "I must admit, after my son didn't end up a Ghost type I didn't expect my granddaughter to end up one."
"What?" Opheleia questioned, with a lot less disbelief than Alexa had at that possible confession. "But-" Opheleia looked really shaken, but still wasn't reacting how Alexa expected. "Why does that answer so many questions?" the other Spectslurry lamented.
"Um, actual grandfather?" Suicune asked, and Alexa thought that was obvious at this point. It would be the most unusual possibility and apparently it was that kind of day.
"Of course," both of the locals said in a very similar and slightly spooky tone.
"So, whatever has happened to Opheleia does wear off or something, right?" Mismagius asked more seriously. "Because life is precious, and she should experience it as much as possible."
"You need to convince her to change back, but I made sure she knows how," Alexa explained, slightly unsure where to go from here.
"Ah, well... You are a stronger Legendary than Suicune," Mismagius then unfortunately realized aloud. "Suddenly my joke seems a lot more dangerous."
"Did you turn the others into pokemon for talking to pokemon?" Alexa questioned seriously.
"What? No! My family is full of humans that talk to pokemon," the mono typed Ghost countered with surprise.
"Then you don't have anything to worry about. I don't transform people who haven't asked to be transformed or done something to deserve it," she firmly declared.
"Suddenly that Mew that flew off is a lot more worrying," Opheleia unfortunately recalled. "Was the Mew behind why we ended up Miltank?"
"Ended up as what?" Mismagius asked darkly, and thankfully gave a brief change in topic. At least long enough to explain what exactly had led to Alexa turning Opheleia into a Ghost type. Which was long enough to have a good reason to leave them without more questions that Alexa did not want to answer.
"How could you tell he wasn't just changed?" Suicune questioned as they started back towards the Pokemon Center to meet up with William and the others again.
Alexa blinked a bit at that question, it had seemed obvious when she realized what was going on. "He didn't move like it was a new shape. Even evolved pokemon take a bit to work out what all they can do, and he was floating naturally," she explained. "Leader Jasmine and a Kangaskhan lady from earlier were doing a lot worse, so it couldn't have been the same change. I didn't know for sure that he wasn't changed, but it had to be a while ago."
"I did not really consider that. There is a bit of a learning curve," Suicune said thoughtfully. "That Kangaskhan?" she then asked about someone a short ways ahead.
It was the same pokemon. "Hello, Miss Kangaskhan," Alexa awkwardly greeted the pokemon who seemed happy to see her again. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier."
"Oh, 'Miss Kangaskhan' actually sounds rather nice," the transformed human said with a smile, and proceeded to look down at a small Totodile in her pouch. "Isn't that right, Snappy?" The young pokemon mostly just clicked back at her. "He's only a couple of days old. Usually I had a little apron with a pocket to carry them around with, so this isn't a big change."
"That's good," Alexa said with a bit of a laugh. "But you still haven't mentioned your name?" It was a funny way to say it, but Alexa kind of wanted to know the woman's actual name.
"Miss Kangaskhan is fine actually," Kangaskhan said with a nod. "I haven't had a chance to speak with my wild friends." The new Normal type seemed really amused with saying it like that now. "But I have met this nice frog pokemon with an Empoleon friend who agreed to help me with writing supplies tomorrow for the little ones."
"Oh, you met Kyle?" Suicune asked before Alexa could work out a way to clarify. "I can imagine that seeing more humans transformed into pokemon has to be unnerving."
"Kyle was human?" Kangaskhan questioned. "I didn't realize, he moved so well. I thought he was like Mismagius, and just used a human form." The little Totodile chirped a bit and was handed a small piece of food. "Did you meet the old Ghost? I know he lives down that road, and that this change stuff has finally convinced him to admit he is a pokemon."
"Did a lot of people know he was a pokemon?" Alexa asked, now resigned to not learning the woman's name.
"Oh no, I'm not sure his grandchildren even know, and little Opheleia is even a Ghost type trainer now," the older pokemon clarified. "But he comes around a lot of the time to play around with my little ones. It wasn't hard to work out who he was."
"Opheleia was in the group that came into town with me," Alexa decided to forward the news. "She's trying out a Ground/Ghost form now, and was a bit worried about how he's just openly a Mismagius now."
"Oh, that's great. I always thought she would like something of that sort," Kangaskhan said cheerfully. "Not that she should get it the hard way," the pokemon quickly corrected. "But if her grandfather could be human I was certain she could go the other way."
"Well, you aren't wrong," Suicune laughed. "We should probably be going."
The Pokemon Center had most of the pokemon-trainers from Alexa's group already there, with Opheleia being the obvious exception. This was a planned meet up to see if anyone had run into more problems and to see if they still wanted to have help from her and William with any issues they faced from being pokemon.
"Alexa, I think we more than doubled the number of transformed humans when we got here," William said to her. "It didn't seem like that, but I've met at least two pokemon who were always pokemon that are just using this as an excuse to openly be pokemon now. I think there is only a handful of people who actually got transformed."
"I'm not sure that Kangaskhan lady was human before, but everyone says she was," Kyle admitted. "From what I've heard the only real problem is the Gym Leader being changed so we can't get matches."
"My year has not been good enough for this," the Florabedtor trainer admitted more seriously than Alexa expected. "I've been thinking for a while, and the offer Moomoo Farm gave us might be better for me. Also I want to stay this Grass-gator thing, and it does not work well in a city."
"We're thinking we might just try and swim to Cianwood," Ignatius said and waved a claw at Craig. "The boats might not be going, but our new bodies are made for that kind of trip, and they can't say we're at risk of accidentally taking some of whatever did this."
"It isn't as easy as going back to Iridescent Cross, but the two of us actually tried that Gym before running into the Moomoo thing," Craig added. "As much as I want to see the Iridescent Gym Leader's reaction to you, I'd rather try a new Gym."
"We're sticking around at least long enough to see if I can help Leader Jasmine at all," Alexa admitted with a glance over at the local Nurse Joy. "Maybe to try and see how the city is handling this too, just because I want to help with this sort of problem." After everything today she was not sure that this city was really prepared for this issue. "This time it isn't just me trying out Florabedtor in a city alone."
"It didn't look as hard when I was just watching," the Florabedtor trainer complained.
[Author's Note]
So here we have an offscreen minor disaster that might not even be as big as it first looked, to contrast with the technically not a disaster of what Alexa's been doing.
Also a touch of fun with odd pokemon relatives and relationships.