I think Chesnaught would like one of these.
Typechange Johto
- Thread starter E.I.G.
- Start date
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- Tags
- pokemon sequel transformation
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
That one is just helpful overall. The main reason I didn't include it as noted was that it did not fit with the original story, when I came up with it, and for the first part of this story it made things too simple in terms of keeping a single change long term.
... now I'm half wondering if I should have Alexa develop it herself instead of being a really rare existing thing.
Probably not anytime soon, but given she's learning the basics of magic, as well as being a Legendary of Form Changing, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for her to eventually invent a way to semi-permanently anchor a Pokémon's current form.
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
It would be late in this fic if I go with that development project.
- Pronouns
- He/Him/Ey/Em
The trick is that Mundane Clay comes from the weathering of the matrix rock in which Evolution Stones formed. Just like inert gold and gems, the larger, heavier Stones fall out of the current into placer deposits well before the fine silt that makes up the Clay can settle. A Mundane Clay bed indicates the existence of a placer bed of Evolution Stones upstream, but your odds of finding a bed of Mundane Clay downstream of any given placer deposit of Evo Stones would be vanishingly small. Most of the silt would get washed out to sea, or hopelessly diluted with inert sediments from elsewhere. The most reliable way of obtaining Mundane Clay would actually be grinding up the matrix rock from hard-rock Evolution Stone mines. (If Mundane Clay is reliably denser than inert silica clay, it will more readily form beds and you can in theory pan for it.)
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
This is very helpful, as I am not a geologist like a more prolific pokemon fanfic author most of us probably also read.
Although given part of how Mundane Clay is formed is that the energy in that part of the rock also falls out of it, I am not sure that it can be made artificially in that way. You would more likely end up with a clay that still had the typed energy of the associated evolution stones.
- Pronouns
- He/Him/Ey/Em
Doesn't all the typed energy wind up in the evolution stones themselves, though? Unless hard-rock mining of evolution stones is outright impossible because their formation depends on the weathering process, I guess. Or the matrix rock retains some of the corresponding typed energy until it gets weathered. That makes sense, but I would imagine that it could be artificially replicated.
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
So, the idea here is that evolution stones appear in mineral deposits that are heavily infused with the appropriate typed energy. I am not a geologist, so I can't say for sure how it would best happen, but the overall idea is that a region is affected by the pokemon that live there.
So the stones are formed more as the result of pokemon living in an area and using their own energy enough that rocks related to that area get enough energy into them for a subset of the overall affected stone to become usable evolution stones. So they are found in stuff that is more of a conglomerate or sandstone than a rock formed by volcanic processes.
Part of the idea of Mundane Clay is that it forms when some material is stripped away without energy, or other ways for some rock to concentrate more energy into it while leaving other material behind without that energy.
Artificial Evolution Stones are possible to make, either magically or technologically, but the process is more complex than something like our own ability to make gemstones.
Mundane Clay similarly could be made artificially, but it is harder. I think a comparison that might work is to compare to some real world sand deposits that are valuable because of specific wear patterns that form naturally in some places but are difficult or impossible to artificially reproduce. I think they are used for kinds of concrete?
- Pronouns
- He/Him/Ey/Em
I think the most monetarily valuable sand deposits are valued for the fact that they are nearly pure quartz, which makes them useful for making glass.
It has only just occurred to me, but the formation of Mundane Clay... doesn't actually seem to make sense? I mean, Normal is its own type, not the absence of a type. And some evolution stones aren't strongly associated with a single type.
On the other hand, Normal is conceptually associated with the absence of other types, and Mundane Clay could easily be inherently magical in nature, relying on metaphysics rather than typed-energy physics. Attempts to artificially create it could be spoiled by contaminating it with the concept of artifice. So ignore the paragraph above this one!
It has only just occurred to me, but the formation of Mundane Clay... doesn't actually seem to make sense? I mean, Normal is its own type, not the absence of a type. And some evolution stones aren't strongly associated with a single type.
On the other hand, Normal is conceptually associated with the absence of other types, and Mundane Clay could easily be inherently magical in nature, relying on metaphysics rather than typed-energy physics. Attempts to artificially create it could be spoiled by contaminating it with the concept of artifice. So ignore the paragraph above this one!
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
Normal Stones are incredibly rare, and possibly could be found in a place where Mundane Clay has gone through the processes required to turn clay into a kind of rock.
The process is a bit more metaphysical than physical. Normal is the generic type, the baseline one, and as a result in situations where typed energy of another type is naturally removed from materials tends to have the bit of typed energy that remains behind end up changed to Normal by the removal process.
Stripping a type from a pokemon does not usually result in Normal if not present before, but that is because pokemon aren't just their base types. The other types they have just don't have the quantity present to express themselves actively, and as a result a typeless like state occurs.
In theory you could possibly remove all typed energy from a material, but without truly typeless material to compare with it would be hard for people from the pokemon world to even realize that is a way material can exist.
Happerry DSS Items
Happerry
Bat out of Hell
- Location
- Kanto
So DSS probably has a clue from all the energy-less universes they've been running into then?
Also, on another note, and speaking of DSS...
Distilled Ichor
An exceedingly rare item created from a substance generated by an even more exceedingly obscure legendary known as Basirablemon, Distilled Ichor is the result of an attempt to take the Forest's Ichor a Basirablemon can naturally produce and retain certain useful features while stripping out certain inconvenient features. The attempt was... not entirely successful, and resulted what become known as Distilled Ichor. Created through the use of Solar Distillation, thus the name, the resulting fluid (after several repeated courses of distillation) is a rather clear substance that smells of 'nondescript forests' to quote the testers. It is also, for some reason, highly alcoholic despite the original substance not being alcoholic at all. While this distilled version of the ichor does remove the risk of the subject being mind controlled, as was desired, and retains the strong counter-possessive and counter-other-corruptive or transformative effect of the original ichor, it also renders the subject exceedingly drunk throughout the time they are effected by it, is almost certain to give them a secondary poison type and the ability to produce distilled Ichor of their own, and grants them an innate ability which has been termed 'Drunken Mastery', which seems to have the effect of greatly increasing the subjects evasion while they are confused... such as while they are drunk. Which they always are, while under the effect of the Ichor.
It should be noted with caution that, given the subject can generally produce their own Ichor once exposed or dosed until the change wears off and therefor is often able to use said ichor to keep the change, and associated drunken state, going, the phase 'the first hit is free' should be considered with care if someone is considering using Distilled Ichor to solve one of their problems...
Especially if the subject in question might decide they need to share the 'good drinkies' with their friends.
Ichor Crystals
A secondary product created during the creation of Distilled Ichor, Ichor Crystals are a left over substance that remains when the majority of the Ichor has evaporated during the distillation process. Appearing as small green and purple crystals that appear almost scale or thornlike in appearance, Ichor Crystals can serve as 'seed crystals' if planted under the skin or equivalent outer surface of most Rock, Ground, or Plant type pokemon and are then left undisturbed for a sufficient amount of time. Originally, this involved accidentally stepping on one that has been improperly disposed of and then waking up in a new form, and generally a good nap will do the trick. Upon awakening, the subject in question will find that the crystal has grown to integrate itself throughout their form and they have generally but not always gained at least one of the three types mentioned that are vulnerable to being effected by the crystals that they did not already have, as well as sometimes gaining the Poison type. It should be noted that the crystal growths that pokemon effected by this change generally serve perfectly well as sources of more Ichor Crystals if improperly disposed of, and several alternate forms seen have had crystal growths that seemed almost designed to casually break off in day to day life, so proper care should be exhibited with these forms.
It shouldn't really be a surprise for anyone familiar with the source material that anything developed from it is also fairly aggressively capable of spreading, probably...
And for another one inspired from the DSS adventures...
Polygon Stone
An unusual item found in varied black markets and semi-illegal to totally illegal trading areas, the objects known as Polygon Stone appear to be an attempt to either create artificial evolution stones or artificial mega stones, it is unclear which. The items in question appear as duplicates of normal evolution stones in looks, only 'constructed from polygons' as one observer put it, and each are of exactly one shade, coming in either stark white, utter black, or dim grey in color. When used on a pokemon, they generally but not always cause what seems to be a cross between a stone based evolution and a mega-evolution, with the pokemon in question gaining power and changing shape more akin to that of a normal stone based evolution if the pokemon could evolve with whatever the stone in question the Polygon stone appeared to be, but tending to experience the power high, and associated rampaging problems, that are more associated with mega-evolution, as well as the evolution in question generally lasting only a half hour to an hour in duration.
There is currently a bounty on information for the source or creator of these items.
So it turns out that trying to copy paste evolution stones might not be the best idea, who'd have thought? Polygon Stones probably are too digimon to really show up in this fic, but I liked the idea so I figured I'd write it up anyway. They're, as the first sentence suggested, probably someone's attempt to digitally create evolution stones with digimon type data used to patch stuff up. The White Stones are Vaccine Stones, the Grey Ones are Data Stones, and the Black Stones are Virus Stones. When used on a pokemon they cause an 'evolution' of the type of stone they appear to be and of the color they appear to be, IE, a White Fire Stone Polygon Stone would, when used on a pokemon, give that pokemon a Vaccine/Fire alternate form, or a Black Water Polygon Stone would be a Virus/Water Typechange. For the short length of time before the unstable half digital evolution and the associated energy charge granted by the stone falls apart, at least.
They might even show up naturally in some close to pokemon-universe digital worlds, who knows? They seemed like an interesting idea at least.
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E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
In theory it is technically possible, although given they are inherited fragments of a creator god's power it would be a big thing to make a whole new kind that said creator does not already have.
... Arceus would be very happy if it happened, and that is a threat more than praise.
More of a clue than anyone else, which is why a theoretical sci-fi crossover likely won't be in the same exact universe.
Unless I think I can make it work as a central plot when there is some experience with that situation on the pokemon side.
These are some very interesting options that all are definitely past the time frame of the current story. TCJ is likely going to be done before DSS finishes timeline wise.
- Location
- Alabama
Reminder of that one fangame where it's Nuclear Fallot Type. Very human type of energy, very deadly.
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
Wait, it is deadly too? Poison type deadly or more so?
Because pokemon to me is a setting where having a hazardous type from a strange energy is mostly a sign of how good they are at surviving strange things.
I would not bat an eye at a Tiberium type in a C&C crossover that works just like typical pokemon types and barely makes a dent in the overall environment.
Not that it would be safe for those without the type to be exposed, but it would be more easily survived than most settings. If only because pokemon in my interpretation has strange energy properties that help survive and adapt to extreme things.
Well, in my setting at least that is a big part of what labs do. Not every one of them, but energy manipulation is so common that it is to the pokemon world what material science or chemistry is to our world.
Pokemon material science and chemistry in fact require energy manipulation knowledge to learn because typed energy influences how they work greatly. Ground, Rock, Steel, and Electric type versions of iron ore can all have notably different properties for example.
- Location
- Alabama
It is super effective against nearly everything but itself and steel types. And takes double damage from everything except other nuclear attacks, which are halved. There is also an Eevee evolution.
Nuclear (type)
Science strikes and explodes. And Pokemon end up suffering for it. It's not pleasant for most of them.
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
Interesting, probably not going to use it myself, but it does show how it can be implemented.
National Park
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
--- National Park ---
"So, is the Pokemon Center new, or just was left out of the games?" Alexa carefully asked as they arrived at the National Park that sat at the intersection of Route 35 and 36. She was human for the moment, although she really wanted to use her new form a bit more.
"It is relatively new compared to when those were set," Lily answered. "The Hoenn disaster was bad for local Bug types, so they established one here to help them out directly."
"Well, at least you don't have to wait until the next city to get those extra trainer cards," William suggested, and that was an upside to the development. Not having one was the main reason she wasn't a Spectslurry, and Charizard had realized he needed others himself too now that he had a human illusion.
"Charizard was sort of hoping it would take longer," Alexa admitted. "But he will probably be happy to have it out of the way." She shrugged. "It gives us a reason to stop at least."
"Yeah, I didn't really have a reason to stop for more Bug type antics," William agreed in a way that made Alexa flinch. "Sorry, didn't think about the wording there."
"I'll get over Vespikiln having bad battle experiences some day, hopefully," Alexa said as she realized she also had her first dangerous wild pokemon encounter in that form too.
"They haven't had one of the catching contests for a few years anyway," Lily added. "You can still request to try and catch some local Bug types more easily here, but in general it is just a place to stop and see some rarer Bug types that are being taken care of and some nice gardens. Most trainers skip it now." The Witch nodded towards most of the trainers bypassing the location entirely.
Alexa recognized a few trainers who were there as she tried out the Earthen Contagion that seemed to have slowed down to see where she went. A few seemed to be staying behind, but at least had not questioned her directly yet. The good news there was Charizard had been able to show off his new translator gemstone while next to the famous Witch, the bad news was that Alexa had very visibly become a new shape from being human in front of them.
Once they were inside they found the Pokemon Center itself was also nearly empty of trainers, but there seemed to be a larger than normal staff. Alexa could see three Nurse Joys and looked directly at a Chansey that seemed to be able to speak human. That was on top of a small staff of non-Joy nurses as well. The building was fairly full of a number of Bug types that weren't with trainers, some that Alexa did not recognize.
The red beetle Ledyba were familiar enough from regional guides, the spider like Spinarak as well were species she was prepared for, but the small red and white caterpillar pokemon that were clustered in one corner along with stringy cocoons did not look like anything she had prepared for, and the empty shell of a Bug that was floating in mid air in front of the main reception desk was totally unknown to her and also clearly not local.
"I'm not going to spend all month translating again just because you agreed to take on a breeder's stock of Wurmple instead of just a trainer's single pokemon," the Chansey said loudly and firmly. "It is bad enough that we take every foreign Bug type that trainers don't want anymore, who I already end up translating for all the time, do we need to deal with that too? We were already just about full with the bunch of displaced Heracross in the back you've had me working with."
"Okay, things are strange before we got here," William commented, and Alexa just looked at him. "What?"
"Are you surprised by another talking pokemon?" Alexa whispered.
"No? There is a Shedinja over there and a pile of Wurmple," the illusioned Zoroark specified. "They aren't from this region. Chansey translators are more common than most people know, they just usually pretend they can't speak."
"We are in fact as rare as people think we are, I used to get transferred across the entire region before we got a couple more last year," Chansey called out. "I have half the medical training of a normal Center Chansey because of how long learning human takes. I'm still on make up classes, when I get time away from translations!" The final statement was yelled at the other Center staff, who the talking medical pokemon returned to arguing with.
"Like I said, strange before we got here," William repeated. "Didn't you say Heracross wanted to meet some wild members of his species?"
"We can ask if that's okay," Alexa agreed, and then took in how busy the place was. "Although we might have to wait a bit first."
---
Charizard was surprised to be released into the inside of a Pokemon Center, but he also found himself surprisingly unhappy to be immediately told that the actual work of getting his alternate form trainer cards would still be a bit off. "Why am I out already then?" he grumbled to Alexa after being told that by one of a number of local Joy who did not even blink at his ability to be understood.
"We had kind of hoped that two people with the issue would speed things up," William answered instead. "It is starting to look like we might have to spend the night to get it done."
There was a particularly loud Chansey that seemed to be in charge, and talking like a human, who had been the one to shoot down the idea even if the other pokemon had not spoke to him directly. "Just in case you haven't worked it out, I'm not the stereotypical combat focused 'zard. Don't expect me to get nasty about things to make them happen faster," Charizard chuckled, and tried not to think about how all of his siblings were very much the type that if they had a magical translator they would 'get nasty' about that kind of thing. Except for his human brother, who didn't need one. The thought of that small exception made him laugh a bit more.
"Honestly, if me going Spectslurry didn't do it I don't see what Charizard being out would do," Alexa complained a bit more grumpy than normal. "They aren't even giving the time to set it up so we can use a room at the Center." The clay salamander that was his trainer glared at the Chansey.
"I think I'll blame the Ghost type for this mood," he commented with a smile. "We do have tents and pokeballs. Although who stays out of theirs is a question of if you want to spend the night like that. I think the new Contagion is going to be worse to clean out than the other things."
"I can phase the tent, or the Contagion, to just let it fall out," Alexa specified dryly. "But we are next to a controlled area." Which meant the available tent space was a bit distant from the good sized Pokemon Center that should have had room for them.
"We could just leave and get the cards somewhere else," Charizard suggested more seriously. "If they are that busy we are just going to be in the way, and it isn't like we really need to get the update that quickly."
"Somebody help the pokemon-trainers before we get reported for being overworked again, the last time made things worse instead of better!" the Chansey declared at that suggestion. "Joy 7 handle them."
"Seriously, we can just leave and avoid this whole mess," Charizard said with more worry about that declaration.
"Nope, it is a bit late for that," one of the Joys sighed, presumably 'Joy 7'. "Chansey is having a bad week and the rest of us aren't having a better one. Please just call me Seven, it works better than other options and my request for a transfer hasn't gone through yet."
"We need trainer cards for new alternate forms," Charizard specified before his trainer could reply. "Myself and my trainer, it is a bit of a complicated situation."
Joy Seven looked between him, Alexa, and Lily. "Is magic involved here?" Seven asked. "Because the League said that we are only giving those out to trainers who can change themselves into other forms somehow, not to people who just are trying being a pokemon for a little bit."
"Only for Charizard's new translator, otherwise it is other stuff for us," Alexa replied. "I actually already have some for my other forms, this one is the new one." She pointed at herself and then with a burst of Ground typed energy she returned to humanity instantly. "This is my human form."
Seven didn't even blink. "Alright then, let's go to the side room so we aren't in the way," the Joy said in a tone that was a bit less collected than she managed to look. "Chansey gets worse when things pile on like this before she gets better." They were led to a small room just off the entrance with another computer setup. "Now, I'm going to need to see all of your current trainer cards and all of the new forms. I will also need pictures of any that you want added or updated."
"You go first, Alexa. I need to work out which ones I want," Charizard said to his trainer. He knew that despite the short duration he wanted Fire/Water from the Geode, and got out the stone from the bag while Alexa showed off her new change. A thought occurred to him, as he waited for his trainer to finish up a much faster process of just a picture and a copy of a scan from the Pokedex. "Hey, mind if I show this off in the pictures?"
Alexa glanced over to the tired looking Joy, the latter of whom Charizard had actually been asking. "I don't have a problem with it," his trainer slowly said, clearly trying to help get a reaction from the Nurse.
"Listen, trainers pose with stuff for these all the time, it isn't a problem," Seven sighed. "What does it do?"
Charizard got out a bottle of water, and demonstrated what the Geode did with a quick transformation. "This is the one I want, but probably not the one I really need," he admitted. "I have a couple of layers on top of it that I use more commonly."
"How different do these 'layers' look? Because we have some leeway with this sort of thing and it is often better to have the general one instead of a bunch for small differences," Seven clarified, and Alexa pointed out images of the set he had that was also on the Pokedex. "Alright, I think this one might be fine as is."
"In that case after this I only really have one more," he sighed, unhappy that he couldn't put it off longer. "It is technically an illusion with the Water/Steel form, but it looks human."
"Okay, yeah that needs one even if it is a limited illusion," Seven said with a flinch. "Human forms are always a big deal, and it is better to have a card for those if you want to use the same one over and over. Actually we recommend that any pokemon with a typical human form or illusion has a trainer card for it, just to have some ID."
He sighed at that, and moved forward to the spot to get a picture. A few minutes and a typechange later Charizard glared at the final new trainer card that currently matched his appearance while carrying the Geode in his other hand. "I kind of like how it is more obvious in the picture that I'm made of metal right now," he noted, in a human voice from a human face. There was a clear shine on the image that didn't look normal for a human.
"Change back please," his Spectslurry trainer requested, and he happily complied. "Thank you, Nurse Seven, for the help there. I don't suppose we could ask a bit more?"
"We have a teammate who wanted to see wild Heracross, and we haven't managed that yet," Charizard added and put the new cards away with his first one. "I think we heard you have some here for the moment?"
"Your teammate doesn't want to eat them do they? Because it has turned out to be that a few times," Seven questioned.
"No," Alexa said after a moment where both of them failed to find the way to respond to that. "We know for sure he is not after that. I think he would be horrified to even hear the suggestion."
"Although given he is currently Flying typed I can't say that it wouldn't sound like a good question from his appearance," Charizard reluctantly admitted. "The thing is he was originally a Heracross himself, so that is a bit..." Charizard honestly could not think of how to finish that thought.
Seven did not look horrified, or even that surprised. "Then it should be fine," the Nurse said, and Charizard noted that she had not been define about it. "Type changes from evolution typically don't make pokemon feel like they are a whole other species in my experience." Charizard really didn't like the word 'typically' either. "Chansey actually wants to get them around some trained pokemon, because from the looks of things they aren't going to be wild now. Too far displaced, and too long in the Center."
Charizard and Alexa both simply followed her out into the main room again after that, and were immediately caught in a massive cloud of purple likely-toxic dust that basically covered them. Charizard quickly drew the Clearwater Geode into his currently molten body a bit as he was surprised with the sudden attack, and took a moment to remember that his current secondary Steel type would protect him from the poison. A purple bug type with green wings was spreading even more from the Wurmple corner of the room, and Charizard chuckled briefly at the sight of an entirely enraged Chansey.
---
Heracross entered the back room alongside a currently Mephagic Alexa. He was currently a Fighting/Flying bat pokemon and he was staying like that, despite the fact that he was about to meet other Heracross and could change back whenever he wanted. He wanted to show off what else they could look like, and how he was able to fight like this.
He simply blinked as they all shuffled back quickly at the sight of him as they entered the room. He sniffed the air, and twitched his head to listen for what was scaring them.
It took a few more seconds for Heracross to realize the problem was that the nervous beetle pokemon that he was meeting were afraid of the giant bat that walked into the room.
"Um, hello," he slowly said, and failed to introduce himself further. He also failed to do the simple act of reversing the change that would explain everything.
"This is my-" Alexa started but Heracross shook his head quickly. "Fighting type pokemon. We change types a lot and he wanted to see some wild Heracross." Should he feel relieved to not actually explain why he was really here? Because there was relief as she didn't say the one thing he couldn't.
"To have a big type advantage?" one of the Heracross questioned. This was the first time he had seen one other than himself in so long that he actually found the appearance strange. So long had passed since he had really stayed in that form meant that the way they moved didn't look like right to him.
"No, no. I just heard about your species and was interested in what they were like," he quickly half lied, and Alexa was looking at him very strangely now. "Can you explain how that works out with the Bug type? I'm fairly sure you guys have wings." He flared out his wings, which were also his arms instead of part of his back like theirs, and immediately regretted it as they shrank back a bit. "Sorry, excited." Closer to terrified of the implications of his thoughts, but it was at least an excuse that worked to get the Heracross talking.
The conversation that followed didn't help, as the pokemon pointed out things about being Bug typed that he had found unimportant or even annoying now that he was able to consider them as optional. In fact he was quickly reminded of both reasons why he was sticking with other forms, and ones he had forgotten already that made him uneasy with the thought of going back. He barely recalled any details of the conversations, and instead was left with just a slowly building unease.
Luckily his trainer knew something was wrong, and managed to get an excuse to leave. Alexa said she was tired out from some status effect earlier, and that hopefully was a lie because he didn't like the idea of Alexa being hit by one of those. The reasoning got them both back to the room where they would be staying the night, separately from William this time as the actual trainer space of this Center was apparently less crowded than the pokemon spaces.
"Alright, you were looking forward to this and now you're panicked, what went wrong?" Alexa asked as soon as the door closed, which drew the attention of the rest of the team.
"I might need a name," he said, suddenly aware that he did not feel as if 'Heracross' really fit him anymore after that. "I might actually need something else to call myself, because I am not the same kind of pokemon that they are."
"Did," Charizard started to question Alexa and paused clearly to cut out 'Heracross', "he have a 'panic attack'?" The phrase was out of place, and Charizard clearly was unsure about that wording as well. Probably something the team's Starter had looked up after that horrible Gym match. Which was another reason to dislike the Bug type the former Heracross did not need to think about at the moment.
"I'm not sure, but it didn't look like he was doing well," Alexa admitted. "Talking about stuff did not help at least." She then turned to face 'Heracross' directly. "Please tell me you have name ideas. There is a reason I didn't go with them to start. I mean, my parents both have basically the same name as me."
"Do not ask me," Charizard said as he looked over to the team Starter for help. "Apparently my birth name was 'Charles Zard', and that isn't really better than what Alexa has."
"Herman," Bellossom suggested immediately, and they all turned together to look at the flower lizard. "What? It isn't like we are naming his current form, and we're weird enough. It even still starts with an H."
"Herman Cross?" Kingler laughed. No one else laughed. "Alright, that is probably too far. Sorry... I have no idea how to say 'sorry' to you right now."
"Herman works, but not the 'Cross' part," the newly named pokemon sighed and wondered if that would actually work. He technically was still a Heracross, could still be one easy enough and would go back if he didn't change himself regularly.
"Alright then," Rhydon slowly said. "I think Herman is the one of us who has been staying the farthest, even counting me." It took a second to connect 'Herman' with himself, but it felt better in the moment. "Do we need to look into a way to keep you changed too, Herman?" The Ground/Grass type clearly purposefully added his new name just to say it again.
"No, no my Heracross form isn't bad, I just," Herman paused for a moment to try and work out the right words. "I just like the others so much better I don't feel like it is my normal shape anymore."
"Okay," Rhydon said a bit slowly. "Not sure I really understand given my own situation, but I guess going from Bug to something else is a big change." That was a bit of a surprise given how much Rhydon also changed.
"If Herman says it is bigger for him I believe it," Kingler said. "I almost wish I'd been able to use the Frozen Flame to evolve as a Krabby so it would be a proper alternate evolution, although being able to go back sometimes is nice enough to make up for that."
Those both actually helped a bit. Herman laughed at the strangeness of how two other pokemon not quite understanding his feelings made him feel better about them. "Thank you," he said to all of them.
"Wait, did we tell Herman that we have an article that said he probably wasn't an actual Heracross yet?" Charizard questioned suddenly and with genuine concern. "I remember telling Leader Whitney you would be mad about it, but I don't remember you actually being mad about it," the liquid metal Charizard clarified to him directly.
"No, you did not. What is this article about?" Herman asked, because it was slightly annoying that other people figured it out before him.
---
[Author's Note]
This one worked a lot better when I realized that it could in fact be Heracross, wait sorry, Herman who was the one to find themselves upset with how different he had become.
"So, is the Pokemon Center new, or just was left out of the games?" Alexa carefully asked as they arrived at the National Park that sat at the intersection of Route 35 and 36. She was human for the moment, although she really wanted to use her new form a bit more.
"It is relatively new compared to when those were set," Lily answered. "The Hoenn disaster was bad for local Bug types, so they established one here to help them out directly."
"Well, at least you don't have to wait until the next city to get those extra trainer cards," William suggested, and that was an upside to the development. Not having one was the main reason she wasn't a Spectslurry, and Charizard had realized he needed others himself too now that he had a human illusion.
"Charizard was sort of hoping it would take longer," Alexa admitted. "But he will probably be happy to have it out of the way." She shrugged. "It gives us a reason to stop at least."
"Yeah, I didn't really have a reason to stop for more Bug type antics," William agreed in a way that made Alexa flinch. "Sorry, didn't think about the wording there."
"I'll get over Vespikiln having bad battle experiences some day, hopefully," Alexa said as she realized she also had her first dangerous wild pokemon encounter in that form too.
"They haven't had one of the catching contests for a few years anyway," Lily added. "You can still request to try and catch some local Bug types more easily here, but in general it is just a place to stop and see some rarer Bug types that are being taken care of and some nice gardens. Most trainers skip it now." The Witch nodded towards most of the trainers bypassing the location entirely.
Alexa recognized a few trainers who were there as she tried out the Earthen Contagion that seemed to have slowed down to see where she went. A few seemed to be staying behind, but at least had not questioned her directly yet. The good news there was Charizard had been able to show off his new translator gemstone while next to the famous Witch, the bad news was that Alexa had very visibly become a new shape from being human in front of them.
Once they were inside they found the Pokemon Center itself was also nearly empty of trainers, but there seemed to be a larger than normal staff. Alexa could see three Nurse Joys and looked directly at a Chansey that seemed to be able to speak human. That was on top of a small staff of non-Joy nurses as well. The building was fairly full of a number of Bug types that weren't with trainers, some that Alexa did not recognize.
The red beetle Ledyba were familiar enough from regional guides, the spider like Spinarak as well were species she was prepared for, but the small red and white caterpillar pokemon that were clustered in one corner along with stringy cocoons did not look like anything she had prepared for, and the empty shell of a Bug that was floating in mid air in front of the main reception desk was totally unknown to her and also clearly not local.
"I'm not going to spend all month translating again just because you agreed to take on a breeder's stock of Wurmple instead of just a trainer's single pokemon," the Chansey said loudly and firmly. "It is bad enough that we take every foreign Bug type that trainers don't want anymore, who I already end up translating for all the time, do we need to deal with that too? We were already just about full with the bunch of displaced Heracross in the back you've had me working with."
"Okay, things are strange before we got here," William commented, and Alexa just looked at him. "What?"
"Are you surprised by another talking pokemon?" Alexa whispered.
"No? There is a Shedinja over there and a pile of Wurmple," the illusioned Zoroark specified. "They aren't from this region. Chansey translators are more common than most people know, they just usually pretend they can't speak."
"We are in fact as rare as people think we are, I used to get transferred across the entire region before we got a couple more last year," Chansey called out. "I have half the medical training of a normal Center Chansey because of how long learning human takes. I'm still on make up classes, when I get time away from translations!" The final statement was yelled at the other Center staff, who the talking medical pokemon returned to arguing with.
"Like I said, strange before we got here," William repeated. "Didn't you say Heracross wanted to meet some wild members of his species?"
"We can ask if that's okay," Alexa agreed, and then took in how busy the place was. "Although we might have to wait a bit first."
---
Charizard was surprised to be released into the inside of a Pokemon Center, but he also found himself surprisingly unhappy to be immediately told that the actual work of getting his alternate form trainer cards would still be a bit off. "Why am I out already then?" he grumbled to Alexa after being told that by one of a number of local Joy who did not even blink at his ability to be understood.
"We had kind of hoped that two people with the issue would speed things up," William answered instead. "It is starting to look like we might have to spend the night to get it done."
There was a particularly loud Chansey that seemed to be in charge, and talking like a human, who had been the one to shoot down the idea even if the other pokemon had not spoke to him directly. "Just in case you haven't worked it out, I'm not the stereotypical combat focused 'zard. Don't expect me to get nasty about things to make them happen faster," Charizard chuckled, and tried not to think about how all of his siblings were very much the type that if they had a magical translator they would 'get nasty' about that kind of thing. Except for his human brother, who didn't need one. The thought of that small exception made him laugh a bit more.
"Honestly, if me going Spectslurry didn't do it I don't see what Charizard being out would do," Alexa complained a bit more grumpy than normal. "They aren't even giving the time to set it up so we can use a room at the Center." The clay salamander that was his trainer glared at the Chansey.
"I think I'll blame the Ghost type for this mood," he commented with a smile. "We do have tents and pokeballs. Although who stays out of theirs is a question of if you want to spend the night like that. I think the new Contagion is going to be worse to clean out than the other things."
"I can phase the tent, or the Contagion, to just let it fall out," Alexa specified dryly. "But we are next to a controlled area." Which meant the available tent space was a bit distant from the good sized Pokemon Center that should have had room for them.
"We could just leave and get the cards somewhere else," Charizard suggested more seriously. "If they are that busy we are just going to be in the way, and it isn't like we really need to get the update that quickly."
"Somebody help the pokemon-trainers before we get reported for being overworked again, the last time made things worse instead of better!" the Chansey declared at that suggestion. "Joy 7 handle them."
"Seriously, we can just leave and avoid this whole mess," Charizard said with more worry about that declaration.
"Nope, it is a bit late for that," one of the Joys sighed, presumably 'Joy 7'. "Chansey is having a bad week and the rest of us aren't having a better one. Please just call me Seven, it works better than other options and my request for a transfer hasn't gone through yet."
"We need trainer cards for new alternate forms," Charizard specified before his trainer could reply. "Myself and my trainer, it is a bit of a complicated situation."
Joy Seven looked between him, Alexa, and Lily. "Is magic involved here?" Seven asked. "Because the League said that we are only giving those out to trainers who can change themselves into other forms somehow, not to people who just are trying being a pokemon for a little bit."
"Only for Charizard's new translator, otherwise it is other stuff for us," Alexa replied. "I actually already have some for my other forms, this one is the new one." She pointed at herself and then with a burst of Ground typed energy she returned to humanity instantly. "This is my human form."
Seven didn't even blink. "Alright then, let's go to the side room so we aren't in the way," the Joy said in a tone that was a bit less collected than she managed to look. "Chansey gets worse when things pile on like this before she gets better." They were led to a small room just off the entrance with another computer setup. "Now, I'm going to need to see all of your current trainer cards and all of the new forms. I will also need pictures of any that you want added or updated."
"You go first, Alexa. I need to work out which ones I want," Charizard said to his trainer. He knew that despite the short duration he wanted Fire/Water from the Geode, and got out the stone from the bag while Alexa showed off her new change. A thought occurred to him, as he waited for his trainer to finish up a much faster process of just a picture and a copy of a scan from the Pokedex. "Hey, mind if I show this off in the pictures?"
Alexa glanced over to the tired looking Joy, the latter of whom Charizard had actually been asking. "I don't have a problem with it," his trainer slowly said, clearly trying to help get a reaction from the Nurse.
"Listen, trainers pose with stuff for these all the time, it isn't a problem," Seven sighed. "What does it do?"
Charizard got out a bottle of water, and demonstrated what the Geode did with a quick transformation. "This is the one I want, but probably not the one I really need," he admitted. "I have a couple of layers on top of it that I use more commonly."
"How different do these 'layers' look? Because we have some leeway with this sort of thing and it is often better to have the general one instead of a bunch for small differences," Seven clarified, and Alexa pointed out images of the set he had that was also on the Pokedex. "Alright, I think this one might be fine as is."
"In that case after this I only really have one more," he sighed, unhappy that he couldn't put it off longer. "It is technically an illusion with the Water/Steel form, but it looks human."
"Okay, yeah that needs one even if it is a limited illusion," Seven said with a flinch. "Human forms are always a big deal, and it is better to have a card for those if you want to use the same one over and over. Actually we recommend that any pokemon with a typical human form or illusion has a trainer card for it, just to have some ID."
He sighed at that, and moved forward to the spot to get a picture. A few minutes and a typechange later Charizard glared at the final new trainer card that currently matched his appearance while carrying the Geode in his other hand. "I kind of like how it is more obvious in the picture that I'm made of metal right now," he noted, in a human voice from a human face. There was a clear shine on the image that didn't look normal for a human.
"Change back please," his Spectslurry trainer requested, and he happily complied. "Thank you, Nurse Seven, for the help there. I don't suppose we could ask a bit more?"
"We have a teammate who wanted to see wild Heracross, and we haven't managed that yet," Charizard added and put the new cards away with his first one. "I think we heard you have some here for the moment?"
"Your teammate doesn't want to eat them do they? Because it has turned out to be that a few times," Seven questioned.
"No," Alexa said after a moment where both of them failed to find the way to respond to that. "We know for sure he is not after that. I think he would be horrified to even hear the suggestion."
"Although given he is currently Flying typed I can't say that it wouldn't sound like a good question from his appearance," Charizard reluctantly admitted. "The thing is he was originally a Heracross himself, so that is a bit..." Charizard honestly could not think of how to finish that thought.
Seven did not look horrified, or even that surprised. "Then it should be fine," the Nurse said, and Charizard noted that she had not been define about it. "Type changes from evolution typically don't make pokemon feel like they are a whole other species in my experience." Charizard really didn't like the word 'typically' either. "Chansey actually wants to get them around some trained pokemon, because from the looks of things they aren't going to be wild now. Too far displaced, and too long in the Center."
Charizard and Alexa both simply followed her out into the main room again after that, and were immediately caught in a massive cloud of purple likely-toxic dust that basically covered them. Charizard quickly drew the Clearwater Geode into his currently molten body a bit as he was surprised with the sudden attack, and took a moment to remember that his current secondary Steel type would protect him from the poison. A purple bug type with green wings was spreading even more from the Wurmple corner of the room, and Charizard chuckled briefly at the sight of an entirely enraged Chansey.
---
Heracross entered the back room alongside a currently Mephagic Alexa. He was currently a Fighting/Flying bat pokemon and he was staying like that, despite the fact that he was about to meet other Heracross and could change back whenever he wanted. He wanted to show off what else they could look like, and how he was able to fight like this.
He simply blinked as they all shuffled back quickly at the sight of him as they entered the room. He sniffed the air, and twitched his head to listen for what was scaring them.
It took a few more seconds for Heracross to realize the problem was that the nervous beetle pokemon that he was meeting were afraid of the giant bat that walked into the room.
"Um, hello," he slowly said, and failed to introduce himself further. He also failed to do the simple act of reversing the change that would explain everything.
"This is my-" Alexa started but Heracross shook his head quickly. "Fighting type pokemon. We change types a lot and he wanted to see some wild Heracross." Should he feel relieved to not actually explain why he was really here? Because there was relief as she didn't say the one thing he couldn't.
"To have a big type advantage?" one of the Heracross questioned. This was the first time he had seen one other than himself in so long that he actually found the appearance strange. So long had passed since he had really stayed in that form meant that the way they moved didn't look like right to him.
"No, no. I just heard about your species and was interested in what they were like," he quickly half lied, and Alexa was looking at him very strangely now. "Can you explain how that works out with the Bug type? I'm fairly sure you guys have wings." He flared out his wings, which were also his arms instead of part of his back like theirs, and immediately regretted it as they shrank back a bit. "Sorry, excited." Closer to terrified of the implications of his thoughts, but it was at least an excuse that worked to get the Heracross talking.
The conversation that followed didn't help, as the pokemon pointed out things about being Bug typed that he had found unimportant or even annoying now that he was able to consider them as optional. In fact he was quickly reminded of both reasons why he was sticking with other forms, and ones he had forgotten already that made him uneasy with the thought of going back. He barely recalled any details of the conversations, and instead was left with just a slowly building unease.
Luckily his trainer knew something was wrong, and managed to get an excuse to leave. Alexa said she was tired out from some status effect earlier, and that hopefully was a lie because he didn't like the idea of Alexa being hit by one of those. The reasoning got them both back to the room where they would be staying the night, separately from William this time as the actual trainer space of this Center was apparently less crowded than the pokemon spaces.
"Alright, you were looking forward to this and now you're panicked, what went wrong?" Alexa asked as soon as the door closed, which drew the attention of the rest of the team.
"I might need a name," he said, suddenly aware that he did not feel as if 'Heracross' really fit him anymore after that. "I might actually need something else to call myself, because I am not the same kind of pokemon that they are."
"Did," Charizard started to question Alexa and paused clearly to cut out 'Heracross', "he have a 'panic attack'?" The phrase was out of place, and Charizard clearly was unsure about that wording as well. Probably something the team's Starter had looked up after that horrible Gym match. Which was another reason to dislike the Bug type the former Heracross did not need to think about at the moment.
"I'm not sure, but it didn't look like he was doing well," Alexa admitted. "Talking about stuff did not help at least." She then turned to face 'Heracross' directly. "Please tell me you have name ideas. There is a reason I didn't go with them to start. I mean, my parents both have basically the same name as me."
"Do not ask me," Charizard said as he looked over to the team Starter for help. "Apparently my birth name was 'Charles Zard', and that isn't really better than what Alexa has."
"Herman," Bellossom suggested immediately, and they all turned together to look at the flower lizard. "What? It isn't like we are naming his current form, and we're weird enough. It even still starts with an H."
"Herman Cross?" Kingler laughed. No one else laughed. "Alright, that is probably too far. Sorry... I have no idea how to say 'sorry' to you right now."
"Herman works, but not the 'Cross' part," the newly named pokemon sighed and wondered if that would actually work. He technically was still a Heracross, could still be one easy enough and would go back if he didn't change himself regularly.
"Alright then," Rhydon slowly said. "I think Herman is the one of us who has been staying the farthest, even counting me." It took a second to connect 'Herman' with himself, but it felt better in the moment. "Do we need to look into a way to keep you changed too, Herman?" The Ground/Grass type clearly purposefully added his new name just to say it again.
"No, no my Heracross form isn't bad, I just," Herman paused for a moment to try and work out the right words. "I just like the others so much better I don't feel like it is my normal shape anymore."
"Okay," Rhydon said a bit slowly. "Not sure I really understand given my own situation, but I guess going from Bug to something else is a big change." That was a bit of a surprise given how much Rhydon also changed.
"If Herman says it is bigger for him I believe it," Kingler said. "I almost wish I'd been able to use the Frozen Flame to evolve as a Krabby so it would be a proper alternate evolution, although being able to go back sometimes is nice enough to make up for that."
Those both actually helped a bit. Herman laughed at the strangeness of how two other pokemon not quite understanding his feelings made him feel better about them. "Thank you," he said to all of them.
"Wait, did we tell Herman that we have an article that said he probably wasn't an actual Heracross yet?" Charizard questioned suddenly and with genuine concern. "I remember telling Leader Whitney you would be mad about it, but I don't remember you actually being mad about it," the liquid metal Charizard clarified to him directly.
"No, you did not. What is this article about?" Herman asked, because it was slightly annoying that other people figured it out before him.
---
[Author's Note]
This one worked a lot better when I realized that it could in fact be Heracross, wait sorry, Herman who was the one to find themselves upset with how different he had become.
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So, the Center wasn't going to have time to get them registered, but they found someone to do it anyway when the team was considering just going to the next Center? Interesting. They seem so overworked that trying to get new Joys trained up on what they're doing is more work than they benefit from having the extra manpower.
Heracross meeting other Heracross didn't work out to well. Seems like Herman just can't relate as well now, which is an interesting twist on the taking new forms. He's almost a different species entirely, rather than a type-changed variant.
Heracross meeting other Heracross didn't work out to well. Seems like Herman just can't relate as well now, which is an interesting twist on the taking new forms. He's almost a different species entirely, rather than a type-changed variant.
Herman seems to use the rodent-like Fighting/Normal as the base for all the other forms he likes...I wonder if Herman knew about a possible evolution to make that permanent, would he take it? I'm assuming if Chitin Powder is used on his Mundane Clay form, its turn him back into a regular Heracross right? So Herman wouldn't be totally giving up his original Heracross form, he'd turn into some Heracross evolution...I think.
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
You are assuming this center's staff includes some who are being trained, rather than just a place that has to deal with the kind of pokemon most noted to swarm in large numbers.
There are two clearly noted large groups here, and an implication that this is a thing that happens often.
One or two of the staff are likely newer than the rest by a notable amount, but the idea is a high turnover center rather than a training center. The kind of place you are sent for poor performance or go deliberately with good performance and an idea that you can just fix it.
The twist was the thing that made this chapter work for me, so I'm glad it is interesting enough for others as well.
Actually, we know that it does not work as a direct reversal in that case:
Pokemon Typechange
Heracross stumbled as he emerged from his pokeball, soon followed by a confused click as he looked over his body. "Oh, you turned back already," Alexa said with surprise at the sight of her Fighting type once more in the form of a large beetle. The trainer continued to retrieve the rest of the...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
Ah, you're right, I forgot about that. But the thing Herman likes most about the Normal form is his increased flexibility and mobility, right? And the bootleg Heracross form was segmented for more flexibility. That might be worth it, even if he loses the wings. Besides, I bet you could layer that to still have wings.
Mundane Clay->Normal/Fighting rodent
Stable Cloud->Flying/Fighting bat
Chitin Powder->Bug/Fighting some sort of winged bug that is more flexibly segmented
E.I.G.
Robo-Bird
- Pronouns
- It/They
A trio of timed changes would be more intimidating before the recent Legendary developments, but that one might be interesting to try now that easy reversals are on the table.
Sounds like she'd really like some Contagion variants to give people so they can translate instead of her.
Wonder if they should offer that or not.