Pokémon The Alola Pokedex

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Alcremie (Milcery)
Creptiodefructibus eton

Overview

Alcremie, alongside vanilluxe and slurpuff, form the family Dulcifae, the cream fairies. The three species appear to be entirely made of dairy products or sugar. They do not appear to have any proper skeleton or muscle. Scientists have gone back and forth on their origins and nature with no one entirely sure why or how they are alive.

Alcremie are generally calm, benevolent, and interested in humans, which is an almost unheard of combination among fairy-types. This is especially strange as their closest living relative is one of the most murderous pokémon on the planet.

On balance, alcremie are one of the duller fairies and are far from the most powerful. This can be frustrating for trainers on the island challenge. Alcremie are still as good an introduction as any to the husbandry of fairy-types and a must-have pokémon for avid bakers and confectioners.

Physiology

Alcremie and milcerie are classified as pure fairy-type pokémon. The classification is not seriously disputed.

Milcery appear to be large drops of cream with small tentacles extending outwards from it. Two pale dots mark the eyes. Some appear to have a thin mouth. Others don’t. The mouth, and potentially the eyes, are non-functional.

Alcremie are more humanoid with an apparent torso, head, and extensive hair. All of their body except for the eyes and adornments is homogenous. The ‘hair’ is nothing of the sort. Alcremie usually form small mouths but do not ingest food through it. Their eyes are crystalized sugar with no apparent ability to sense light. They do not have a brain. Alcremie see and think regardless. One thing alcremie lack is legs. They must glide along the ground. Alcremie are at least sticky enough to cling to vertical surfaces and even move while suspended upside-down.

Upon evolution alcremie adopt a distinctive flavor and adornments. The flavor and adornments may have an impact on their biology, personality, and combat prowess. They may not. There is an ongoing debate as to whether alcremie will only evolve into a form that matches their personality and strengths, if the form determines personality and strengths, or if there is no statistically significant difference and the perceived variation is due to stereotyping and outliers. Milcery are weak and unemotive, so it is difficult to compare a specimen’s psychology and performance before and after evolution.

No one is entirely sure what alcremie are. The leading theories until the invention of the microscope were that they were either a slug or a pile of cream possessed by a ghost. Analysis of their cellular structure has confirmed that they are not living animals. They do not photosynthesize. Most of their body is organic, although they lack most hallmarks of a complex organism such as a central nervous system and cardiovascular system or any organs at all. There is a great deal of bacteria in their body constantly producing and breaking down the cream. Some scientists have theorized that alcremie are a hive mind of the bacteria.

Alcremie also have strong ties to fairy-type energy. It is not unknown for fairies to manifest as common objects in spite of all biological evidence suggesting it should be impossible. Klefki is one such example. Alcremie may just be a fairy manifesting as a mass of cream. The strongest evidence of this is slurpuff, a similar fairy made of crystalized sugars. For now all three species in the family are classified as organic pokémon adjacent to the true psychics.

Alcremie primarily feed by absorbing biomass and converting it to cream. Food is taken up by the base of the pokémon and then slowly moved into the center of the body. The exact chemical or biological process by which this occurs is poorly understood. In the wild alcremie primarily graze on plants, fungi, and bacteria. They have been documented feeding on carcasses when grasses are scarce, but it is believed that they are simple scavengers rather than predators. Alcremie have a strong aversion to violence. Even captive specimens are known to hesitate and hold back in battle.

Well-adorned, well-fed alcremie can grow to weigh three pounds. One to two pounds is more typical for the species. Alcremie can alter their body shape far more than the average pokémon. Typical specimens are between ten to fifteen inches in height most of the time, but can potentially compress down to six inches or up to twenty by widening or thinning their body. Wild lifespans are not well documented. Captive specimens typically live for five to eight years.

Behavior

Milcery are relatively simple and solitary pokémon. They prefer to seek out dark, cool places and hunt for food to absorb. This often puts them into contact with mold, one of their favorite foods. A handful of homeowners rely on milcery to perform some cleaning and sanitation duties, or at least to direct them to the least sanitary parts of a building. Some milcery have been known to sneak into refrigerators and try to blend in with white surfaces when they hear approaching vibrations. Milcery are not particularly social organisms. They are cleverer than their appearance suggests and can use their amorphous body to squeeze into tight spaces if they smell food. They can also mold their body into a thin layer and undulate it to allow for crude, short-distance flight.

Alcremie are generally nocturnal in the wild. At night they wander fields or forests and try to absorb nutrients. They have been known to climb up trees and absorb any moss growing on them. Alcremie have many potential predators. While they will try to defend themselves, in a pinch they will simply throw out part of their body with a charm woven into it. Charmed alcremie cream is a powerful psychoactive drug that induces an intense feeling of serenity. Pokémon under its effects won’t make any attempt to pursue a fleeing alcremie or even to defend themselves if another predator comes along and takes advantage of their altered mental state. Ordinary alcremie cream has much weaker effects. It tends to increase serotonin production and reduce cortisol levels, but people under its effects can and will defend themselves and pursue other goals. The blood sugar spike and caloric intake are far more dangerous than any short or long-term psychological effects.

Most alcremie eventually end up domesticated or semi-domesticated, preferring to exchange milk for cream with humans. This can be a very profitable industry for everyone involved. So long as they are given adequate food, space, and enrichment, alcremie adjust well to captivity. Alcremie may wish to change trainers but rarely wish to return to the wild after being tamed.

Husbandry

Milcery and alcremie can theoretically eat almost anything inorganic, from plant matter to meat to microorganisms. Cream and milk are their most desired foods. Powdered milk and cream can form the basis of a diet as long as they have access to water. Neither stage will drink pure water. There must be flavorings, microorganisms, or some other kind of food suspended in it. Butter and cheese are also happily accepted but are slightly harder to digest. Meat, leaves, and bark are alcremie’s least favorite foods. Moss, mold, fruit, and algae are staples of the species diet in the wild and should make up at least 8% of a captive specimen’s food intake. Alcremie will also seek out food related to their flavor and adornments. This is often fairly self-explanatory. Trainers who are confused as to what this means for their pokémon should consult specialist literature.

Inedible waste may be excreted in the form of pellets or sludge. Alcremie are easily housebroken and can dispose of waste in the correct spot. Just make sure that their waste receptacle is easily accessible for a creature of their size and does not contain litter that will be difficult to remove from their body. A box of frequently changed newspaper is often the best option. Toilets where the bowl is dry unless flushed can also work. Alcremie can be taught how to operate the toilet themselves. So long as the pokémon’s diet is based around dairy, moss, mold, algae, and fruit, they will only need to excrete once or twice a week. More frequent excretion can be a sign of dietary problems or deeper health issues.

Milcery are less intelligent and more prone to wandering. They will tend to leave waste in random locations. Thankfully they only produce an ounce or less at a time and it is easily washed out of clothing or absorbed from hard surfaces. Milcery trainers may wish to avoid having carpets or rugs in places their pokémon can access. Milcery are capable of fitting through gaps only a few millimeters wide and flying a few feet into the air, meaning that most places in their home will be accessible to them.

Alcremie are entertained by most children’s toys and media. They are fairly solitary creatures that may wish to shadow their trainer or a teammate for an hour or so a day but would otherwise like to be left alone. Many alcremie trainers have a room for them similar to a toddler’s play area filled with toys and a cool, hard surface for the pokémon to rest upon. Alcremie are also capable of operating basic technology like a television or light switch. Some have been taught to play video games, although the controls can be difficult to handle with their biology.

Milcery need little in the way of enrichment. Hermetically sealed mazes work as housing with food occasionally put inside and waste removed. Occasional flying time outside their enclosure may be associated with better adjusted alcremie post-evolution and a shorter time period to evolution. Research on the subject has been inconclusive.

Other fairies will often tolerate alcremie without being particularly friendly. Inorganic pokémon will not try to eat alcremie and can receive cleaning in return. Spectral pokémon are often playful enough to keep an alcremie entertained without posing a risk of attempted predation. Pokémon similar to animals will often try to eat alcremie, causing tensions on a team. Plant pokémon will sometimes see alcremie as a threat and lash out.

Illness

Alcremie’s bizarre biology makes treating illnesses through surgery or medication next to impossible. Thankfully, the major health problems can all be averted through proper husbandry.

Spoiling is the most common ailment. The bacteria to cream ratio rapidly increases, resulting in the pokémon digesting most of its own body and changing its color, texture, and flavor. If allowed to continue it can prove fatal. Spoiling can be avoided by frequent access to fresh food and cool, shaded areas to rest. Spoiling is treatable for a few days after onset through removal to a cool and sanity environment and the provision of a constant supply of fresh milk. Symptoms will usually partially or completely reverse within a week.

Depletion is the most common health problem among battling specimens. Alcremie can lose portions of their body during fights. Any body mass loss to consumption or attacks must be replaced. After battles, alcremie need a large amount of high-quality food to replenish their biomass. They should be allowed to rest for a few days after depletion of more than 10% and for at least a full day for depletion between 5% and 10%. Depletion of more than 40% can be fatal without prompt treatment.

Digestive problems are marked by either an excessive amount of waste or a very long interval between defecation. If either is observed, make sure that the pokémon is getting enough to eat. Then replace all food sources with milk and moss for a few days to see if the problem continues. If problems persist or lead to spoilage or depletion, immediately consult a veterinarian.

Damage to the eyes is probably just cosmetic and will heal within hours.

Many trainers have questions about whether alcremie cream is safe for consumption. After all, it comes from a living organism and is laden with bacteria. It is safe. Alcremie’s bacteria seem to preserve the cream and even prey upon other microorganisms that would cause it to rot. They are benign in the human digestive system and may even help restore it following antibiotic treatment. The cream should still be reduced for culinary reasons as undiluted alcremie cream can cause intense sugar highs, stomach aches, and a loss of appetite for days afterwards.

Evolution

In times gone by alcremie evolution was shrouded in mystery. Folk stories told of wild dances deep in the woods where a ring of fairies would spin and dance around a milcery until it evolved. Wild alcremie populations have likely been sporadic or non-existent for centuries. Alcremie are not social with conspecifics or other fairies. Captive specimens can evolve. These stories are likely only that.

Captive milcery evolve when they have had a reliable source of food for several weeks in a row. During this time the milcery will begin to grow larger and exhibit more complex behaviors. They will seek out many food sources to sample their flavors and attempt to find edible objects such as berries or candies to adorn themselves with. Once they have picked a flavor and adornment they will begin to grow to their new full size over the course of one to three weeks. Their cream will mutate to match their desired flavor’s taste and texture. The new alcremie will seek out as many adornments as they can and add them to their body in a seemingly haphazard fashion. The adornments further alter the flavor and consistency of the cream and might have an impact on elemental affinity, personality, and future dietary preferences. Going forward the adornment will be one of alcremie’s favorite foods and an easy way to bribe them.

In their native Galar, alcremie are capable of gigantamaxing. The form results in a rapid growth into a roughly ten-feet-tall version of themselves perched on top of an eighty-feet-tall multilevel cake. The frosting is so calorically dense that eating four milligrams will put the average person into a diabetic coma. Their body hardens upon impact, making it nearly impossible to defeat them with blunt force. Blades, flame, freezing, psionic attacks, and poison are the only reliable ways of dealing with a gigantamaxed alcremie.

Battle

Outside of Galar, alcremie see no use on the competitive circuits.

On the island challenge alcremie can function as slow, bulky setup sweepers. Calm mind or acid armor can be used to increase elemental or physical defenses. The former also increases elemental power. Alcremie can then rely on fairy attacks such as moonblast, draining kiss, or dazzling gleam to attack enemies. Unfortunately, alcremie learn very few coverage moves without TMs. Their options will still be limited even then. Alcremie can also support their team with aromatherapy or keep themselves healthy with recover.

Alcremie’s main natural defense is not very useful in organized combat. Opponents can avoid the deleterious effects of charmed cream by simply not eating it. The defense nullifies biting attacks and can surprise the unprepared but does little else. Alcremie are vulnerable to blunt force attacks when not gigantamaxed. Water attacks can make it difficult to maintain their consistency. Poison attacks and even some healing moves can cause severe damage to their microbial environment. Sand-based attacks can cause them extreme psychological distress. Fast, physically powerful opponents or elemental attackers with a beam attack or good coverage can knock out alcremie well before they have a chance to set up. They can be made to work by a clever trainer who plans fights around their disadvantages, but they are not easy to fit onto a team.

Milcery should not be battled with. They can reflexively defend themselves, but any combat risks serious damage that could set back their development by months.

Acquisition

Feral milcery and alcremie can occasionally be found in the forests and abandoned buildings at the base of Mt. Lanakila. The higher regions of the mountain are too cold for them and hold vanilluxe and ninetales, two known predators. Most of Alola is too hot. The feral population mostly descend from captive specimens that were abandoned during the rapid population decline in Southern and Western Ula’Ula.

It is easiest to acquire either stage from the private trade. They are popular with breeders, confectioners, and casual trainers for their cream and relative ease of care. Many fairy-specialist breeders carry them. Even a few larger pokémon or cooking supply stores will sell milcery. Shelters rarely keep the line for long as they can be rather easily rehomed and do not do well in standard shelter facilities.

Milcery and alcremie can be acquired with a Class II license.

Breeding

Scholars believed for centuries that milcery were formed when sweet particles in the air congealed into a new organism. Meanwhile, the more mystical shrine maidens and keepers of folklore warned that the fairies would cause cups of milk or plates of soft cheese to spoil if left unattended. The folklore was ultimately right. Alcremie that are sufficiently well fed can reproduce by touching and infecting cream. However, alcremie refuse to infect food specifically given to them. They must infect cream that they believe does not belong to them and they do not have permission to access. Attempts at captive breeding must rely upon deception to get the alcrmeie to do something they believe the breeder does not want them to do.

How much genetic or pseudo-genetic influence the parent has upon the child is debated. Milcery do not inherit the flavor of their parent. Laboratory studies where a milcery is given access to a variety of different flavors and adornments show only a slight preference towards their parent’s. Personalities and preferred combat styles of battling alcremie are often similar to their parent, but this could simply be selection bias. Trainers who want to battle buy milcery made by powerful alcremie and then train their new pokémon to battle. Most proper randomized trials are for flavor and nutritional value rather than personality.

Alcremie lack parental instincts. They will not cannibalize milcery unless desperate, but they will also not care for them. Adults can even be territorial with milcery and drive them away from food sources. In captivity it is best to keep them separated from their offspring.

Relatives

Traditional alcremie are one of two morphs of the species. They are born in milk cream and have physiology resembling it. The second morph, often referred to as alcrebrie, is born from whey and have a more bitter, cheesy flavor and a more solid form. Alcremie and alcrebrie can interbreed by reproducing in whey or cream, respectively. The hybrid will often have a consistency and flavor somewhere between their parents. As a result they are not classified as separate species but as morphs within the same species akin to the evolutions of eevee or the colors of butterfree.

Vanilluxe is usually regarded as alcremie’s closest relative as they are both made of cream. Whether they are a bacterial hivemind or a possessed object remains unclear. Vanilluxe have a very different temperament from alcremie and do not have distinct flavors or adornments. They will also happily prey upon any alcremie they encounter. Vanilluxe also have no particular affinity for fairy-type energy and reproduce sexually rather than asexually. These differences have led some theorists to speculate that they may simply be convergently evolved species with no close relation.

It is difficult to form a satisfying taxonomy for fey and phantoms due to the lack or unreliability of genetic evidence. Scientists disagree as to whether they should be grouped by their physical form at all or simply split into categories based on their diet and rituals. Alcremie are classified as physical, familiar, asocial, non-bargaining fey. They eat real food, are eager to associate with humans, do not partake in rituals with other fairies, and do not have any inclination or ability to make and enforce bargains. Under this schema sylveon is one of their closest relatives. This result is unacceptable to many academics, leading to discussion of a fifth or sixth criteria, such as relation to non-fairies or reproductive methods.

 

[Persephone]

Per a bonus entry poll on my discord...

Indeedee
Lares miltonii

Overview

Indeedee have long worked alongside humans as household or personal servants. They are true psychics that feed in part off of gratitude and other positive emotions. This leads to them helping an intelligent creature, often humans, with their work in exchange for silent gratitude and token material gifts.

Despite their millennia of service, indeedee have never been domesticated. They are surprisingly prideful creatures that refuse to let humans meddle in their romantic affairs or treat them as mere pets. For most indeedee trainers their pokémon is an often-unseen servant in the background, treated as an equal, and rarely battled with. Few indeedee have the inclination and temperament for combat. Like chansey they tend to fill more of a supporting role behind the scenes of a team rather than actively fighting on the frontlines. For some trainers this trade-off is more than worth it.

Physiology

Indeedee were historically often classified as dual psychic- and fairy-types. They are mercurial creatures native to Galar with many of the same quirks as fairies. However, indeedee are absolutely adamant that they are not fairy-type. This is consistent across populations. Merely implying they are fairies can result in them leaving in the dead of night. Most indeedee ignore or subtly undermine fairy-types on the team, especially bargaining fairies. Non-bargaining, asocial fairies like sylveon and alcremie may be tolerated. Indeedee have instead been classified as dual normal-types due to their almost total immunity to curses and ectoplasm-based attacks.

Indeedee are bipedal pokémon similar to mammals. Their biology appears to be more cogent than most true-psychics with a complete digestive tract, liver, heart, and kidneys. Less than 20% of indeedee have lungs. Those with lungs rarely breathe. Their heart is in the neck.

Indeedee have proportionally very large heads and hips with a torso only slightly thicker than the neck. Their legs are about half as long as their arms. Indeedee have a short tail about three inches long. It appears two to three times as long as it is due to fur.

Indeedee have white and royal blue, navy, or purple fur three to five inches thick. It is very dense and soft. Patterns vary by sex. Males tend to have white torsos, feet, and faces with darker fur everywhere else. In females the white fur extends halfway down the hips.

Indeedee’s mouth is usually quite small, only two to three inches across. Their eyes are fairly large, up to five inches tall and two inches wide on large females. Both sexes have horns on the sides of their head surrounded by coarse black fur. In males the horns curl down. In females they curl up. Touching horns greatly improves indeedee’s telepathic abilities.

Some indeedee have shown an ability to greatly amplify all psionic energy around them, apparently through chants or small rituals. These indeedee consistently refuse to explain how the act works, just that it does. Scientists have theorized this ability only develops when it is needed for service, such as when bonded with a psychic human or pokémon.

Modern indeedee are about three feet tall. Weight can be tricky to discern as indeedee consistently only weigh about five to six pounds on a scale, although when unconscious their weight can balloon up to forty to fifty pounds. It is believed that they reflexively lift most of their weight off the ground telekinetically. In Imperium Era Galar indeedee were consistently described as being five to six feet tall. Whether these were the same species as modern indeedee is disputed. See Relatives. Indeedee can live for at least two centuries.

Behavior

Behavior varies considerably between males and females. Both sexes feed passively on gratitude. They earn this gratitude through service. It is the target of their service, and the resulting adaptations, that varies between sexes.

Male indeedee tend to serve a single individual at a time. Their ward is usually human. The indeedee will take on many household tasks and other duties as they believe necessary for proper service. They are mildly precognitive and can even anticipate and address situations before they arise, such as having new plates arrive immediately after an old one breaks. They seem unwilling to avert these incidents and only use their abilities to ensure the damage is mitigated after the fact. Males prefer to perform their duties during the day when their target is awake. They rest at night. A male may perform tasks for their liege’s family if they have time, but they tend to prioritize fixing even minor problems for their liege over solving major problems for their partner and children.

When not actively in service indeedee tend to fade into the background. It is a common conception that they can make themselves invisible. They cannot. Indeedee simply exploit the boundary of the conscious and unconscious. There are many sensory inputs that the conscious mind is not aware of due to their perceived insignificance, such as the taste of one’s own saliva. Indeedee use telepathy to keep themselves out of a target’s conscious mind. If noticed at all they will be immediately dismissed as something very ordinary.

Females are more similar to chansey. They adopt a ward to serve rather than a single individual. This can be a population of pokémon, a family, a distinct unit of unrelated individuals like an apartment building, or even an institution such as a town or university.

The amount of housework females do depends on the size of their ward. An indeedee watching over an entire town may clean the streets and important buildings but will rarely enter into homes to do laundry. One serving a nuclear family in a single household will behave much like a male. Females are much more likely to serve pokémon than males are, with roughly 40% serving pokémon and 60% humans. Some blur the line by serving a Pokémon Center, helping with the housekeeping blissey can’t or won’t do. In general the two species pair well together as blissey tend to physical and emotional wounds while indeedee handle day-to-day affairs.

Neither sex of indeedee enjoys direct attention. Masking their presence to many minds is more difficult than blocking themselves from one or two. This leads females to a more nocturnal lifestyle.

Both sexes abhor violence and will usually try to break up any they witness. For males this takes the form of vigorously defending physical assaults on their trainer. Females are more likely to telekinetically pull both sides apart and make them talk things out. If violence becomes common they are likely to leave.

Husbandry

Indeedee are capable of taking care of themselves. This section is more focused on how to avoid offending one.

While indeedee are primarily aminovorous they can and will accept small offerings of food. These usually take the form of small bowls of milk, cream, tea, or some other liquid and a few small pastries or fruits. The nutritional content is irrelevant. The meaning behind the gesture as a small expression of gratitude is important. These are best left in a conspicuous place in the evening before going to sleep. Indeedee usually dislike directly recovering things. Forgetting offerings too often will offend the pokémon. In some cases, such as illness or a sudden event, they may forgive the slight so long as a somewhat grander offering than usual is left at the next opportunity.

Male indeedee usually do most laundry and cleaning for their trainer. Females bonded to a household will usually do so as well. The trainer should avoid intentionally making messes and make some effort to do tasks themselves. An indeedee that feels like they are taken for granted will likely lash out or leave.

Most indeedee are not conversational. They are telepaths and can communicate if they want, but tend to limit their conversations to figuring out how they can be of service or relaying critical information. It is rare for one to enjoy being directly addressed or even publicly acknowledged at all.

The species still has some desire for socialization. It is common for them to allow themselves to be seen during meals. Plates left for them will likely be ignored. Any food dropped to the floor will be picked up and disposed of. It is usually disposed of by eating it. Making the feeding arrangement obvious will upset them but tacit, unacknowledged gifts are appreciated. They seem to enjoy watching over communal meals and appreciate when they are held regularly in the indeedee’s usual home. Most specimens will also stay around and listen attentively if someone reads aloud. They will promptly leave if their presence is acknowledged during the reading.

The exception to these rules is usually children too young to understand indeedee’s preferences. Females in particular seem to enjoy helping children and love babysitting. Sincere gifts from children, especially of high symbolic value, are usually kept for years or even decades. Male indeedee will at least tolerate a child’s attention and will usually honor harmless requests.

In the past it was believed that offering an indeedee clothes or trying to convert them to a religion would instantly cause them to leave. This is true, but not for the reasons previously believed. Indeedee see gifts of clothing as an insult to their body and religious conversion as an insult to their way of being. Both suggest that they are beneath humans as they are. Indeedee cannot stand being looked down upon.

Clothing given for temporary, practical reasons, like keeping sand out of fur or offering protection in a hazardous area, can be accepted if explained. Females may also dress up for children as part of a game. If this game is done often they may tolerate a shopping trip alongside their usual playmate.

Similarly, religious and philosophical discussions are not strictly off-limits with more conversational specimens so long as no disrespect is implied. It is usually best to stay clear of such subjects, though, especially if a party is particularly fervent in their devotion.

Indeedee are believed to be quite clever for pokémon. Some scholars have argued they have human-comparable intelligence. It is possible to discuss delicate, fringe situations with them. In important matters they will accept being addressed directly if their input is helpful or their life is likely to be significantly impacted.

Indeedee usually help trainers with pokémon care such as supply gathering and cleaning. They will not cook under any circumstances and tend to avoid more direct tasks like grooming. Pokémon usually annoy indeedee more than they help. This is especially true for dark, psychic, and fairy-types that can resist their mental suggestions and bother them at will. More relaxed pokémon such as inorganics are their best teammates, aside from blissey and audino. Highly intelligent pokémon can serve as an additional source of gratitude.

In any case, the most important problem to avoid with teammates is competition for food. Anything that eats indeedee’s offerings is a cause of concern. It’s best to put any possible scavengers behind locked doors or inside their ball shortly after the offering is laid out.

In terms of living arrangements, indeedee appreciate soft beds sized properly for them. If all humans in a residence have their own room they will insist on one as well. If rooms are sometimes shared they may accept a smaller space. In essence, don’t give indeedee a room substantially smaller than the smallest bedroom for humans. Do not ask them to give it up for guests unless humans are doing so as well and they were consulted beforehand. Indeedee dwellings are usually sparsely decorated beyond their bed with only a few shiny rocks or gifted keepsakes. They are intensely protective of the few material possessions they do collect.

Illness

Indeedee are fairly resistant to most of the illnesses that impact true psychics and ghosts. If they are starved for gratitude they will simply leave. Unease in a person or community they protect can bleed over into stressed behaviors like skin picking, insomnia, and vacantly staring into the distance. It can be hard to identify signs of illness as they reflexively mask their presence. It is believed that these illnesses are from the stress of perceiving themselves to be bad caretakers more than a direct telepathic burden. Explaining the cause of stress and how the pokémon can and can’t help can alleviate symptoms.

Combat injuries, while rare, can be difficult to treat due to feedback loops. Sustaining serious injury often accompanies a massive loss. The loss can result in frustration in the trainer, potentially dimming gratitude or leading them to withdraw. The pokémon also cannot actively serve while injured, reducing the chances to earn gratitude. The lack of sustenance can slow healing, exacerbating the problem. Ideally serious injuries should be avoided at all costs. A healer like blissey, alomomola, or audino should be kept on team or on call to quickly heal injuries that do occur. Trainers will also have to walk the fine line of being sincerely grateful for their pokémon without coming off as insincere or patronizing following a loss.

There are good reasons not to battle regularly with an indeedee, even if they will acquiesce to doing so. They should be kept in reserve as a last resort and the battle planned to keep them out of dangerous matchups.

Evolution

Very young indeedee lack horns. They develop as they age. Indeedee lack conventional sex organs. Gender appears to be something chosen, with the appropriate horn pattern forming as a result. It is not a subject that indeedee discuss often. Both sexes are classified as the same evolutionary stage. Juveniles are essentially just miniature adults without horns. For the time being the entire line is marked as a single stage.

Battle

Few indeedee are willing to battle. Those that will are usually males bonded to someone obsessed with the sport, making combat a form of service. On occasion a female may agree to support a human in their care or, in extremely rare cases, because they enjoy it. Never assume that a given indeedee will agree to battle. Those that have in the past may change their mind at any time. Attempting to press an indeedee to change their mindis a sure-fire way to get them to leave. The indeedee that do enjoy combat rarely enjoy large crowds.

The main asset of indeedee in battle is their telepathic masking. Opponents will know they are in a fight and maybe have vague ideas of their opponent, but not be able to detect them or remember much information on counters. This effect can also be cast on the opposing trainer in some leagues. In Alola and most of the United States, including all major national-level tournaments, this is forbidden as an assault on the other trainer. In leagues where minor telepathic interference is prohibited trainers can just tell their pokémon where to aim. In those where it is allowed indeedee are best countered by telepathy-resistant pokémon or broad area of effect attacks, although in the moment an influenced trainer is unlikely to remember this advice.

A few individuals can also passively amplify psychic attacks, including their own. They can have telepathic power akin to an alakazam or boost other teammates. Indeedee can also learn disruptive techniques like encore and more niche supporting moves for double battles like follow me and helping hand. Indeedee are generally most comfortable filling supporting roles rather than dealing damage themselves.

Acquisition

There is no reliable way to obtain an indeedee. Males tend to follow a friend or relative of their mother they believe needs assistance. Females will typically test out caring for a few institutions or families near their mother’s before finally settling on one. Both sexes tend to be drawn towards marginalized and impoverished wards rather than affluent ones, especially ones who already have servants or abundant employees of their own.

It is far easier to lose an indeedee. This is what most of the section will discuss.

Indeedee leave if they are not adequately fed with gratitude. They also do not accept ostentatious displays of it. A quiet understanding, occasional smiles, and genuine but mostly unexpressed appreciation work best. Unlike bargaining fairies, there will be no repercussions to briefly, privately thanking an indeedee.

Signs of disrespect are the second most common cause of departure. These include any signs they are taken for granted, such as leaving large messes completely unattended to, expecting an indeedee to take on more work without either consulting them or taking away another responsibility, regularly forgetting offerings, or being flippant about their service when talking to others. Any mention of ownership will also be rejected. Indeedee do not believe they can be owned, even by their ward.

Indeedee do not make many requests. They will almost always leave if a rare request is denied or an important promise is broken.

Breeding

The details of indeedee reproduction is poorly understood due to their long lifespans, telepathic masking, and desire for privacy. A male and a female living in close proximity may begin to seek each other out around dusk and dawn. Both may take a roughly day-long break from their duties and retreat to a private location. Roughly six months later, a baby will appear near the female. The exact manifestation has never been observed. The mother will act perplexed when someone suggests the baby was not always there. It is best to simply go along with it.

Children stay close to their mother’s side for the first few months of life, but do not perform any duties. Around eight months of age they begin to perform basic tasks. After another two years their horns will grow. Males will depart shortly after. Females will stay near their mother as they try and select a ward. Sometimes a younger indeedee will come back to stay near their mother after leaving their previous ward. Visits that last for more than two weeks are rare.

Cross-breeding has potentially been observed between a male indeedee and a blissey. The offspring was genetically a pure happiny, but was talented with psychic moves and regarded the indeedee as their father. The indeedee was very indulgent of the happiny and allowed her to follow him almost everywhere. Both species have extremely odd reproductive methods and it is possible that they can influence each other.

Relatives

Indeedee are described as being human-sized in surviving Imperium Era sources. Over the next thousand years they became progressively smaller in literary and artistic depictions, before settling around their current height. No one is certain as to why this shift occurred.

The leading theory is that indeedee altered themselves like jynx to a form better-suited for service. It isn’t clear why they would do this. No Imperium or Medieval sources associate servants with a very short stature. Indeedee probably wouldn’t care about human perceptions of servants anyway.

Some scholars have claimed that indeedee became smaller due to starvation in the Imperium where slaves were seen as sub-human and performed most manual labor for the nobility and merchants. The cultural explanation is weakened by indeedee being about the same height throughout the world in the present day. Unless every culture on the planet is less grateful than the ancient Celts, the cause is something genetic or otherwise universal rather than a result of a poor upbringing.

Others have argued that something unique to Galar allowed indeedee to reach massive sizes. Modern specimens on the island are about the same size as everywhere else. Another theory is that the old, larger indeedee were just adults and that no living specimens are fully grown. Scientists have documented indeedee that began to slow down over time before eventually passing off what appeared to be old age. Growth also seems to stop after around five years with no statistically significant difference in height between new adults and those confirmed to be over a century old.

Whatever the cause, most taxonomists currently reject a full species split between modern and ancient indeedee but will occasionally support a subspecific one.

Indeedee’s closest relatives are difficult to determine. It is suspected that they are a missing link of sorts between the bargaining fairies and the true psychics. Both have extremely odd biology with different elemental strengths and social behaviors. It is still often theorized that gardevoir, mime sr., hatterene, or another dual psychic- and fairy-type best represent the link. But indeedee, a true psychic with fey-like qualities that denies being a fairy, make another compelling link. Alternatively, they may simply be the descendants of fairies that, for whatever reason, reject the tribe of their ancestors.

 

[Persephone]

A commission by Crashmoth

Azumarill (Azurill, Marill)
Caudaolei littoralis

Overview

The world is full of small pokémon that receive relatively little attention outside of local beginning trainers. Azumarill, as a small herbivorous lagomorph, may seem like they should be no more useful in battle than the average lopunny.

Azumarill are much odder than they appear. Their unique biology has made them of great interest to researchers and a common laboratory specimen.

They have even established a small but reliable role in even the highest levels of competitive play. Private trainers, leagues, battling associations, and even governments have intentionally introduced them outside of their native range to provide new trainers with a beginner-friendly pokémon that can hit far above its weight class.

Physiology

Azurill are classified as dual normal- and fairy-types. Marill and azumarill are instead classified as dual water- and fairy-types. Azurill show fairly little interest in the water and rarely use water-based moves. Instead, they rely more on normal-type or uncharged attacks when they must fight. They are also small mammals prone to living in fields or forests. All of this has led to a tentative provision of a normal-typing. There are still scholars who argue that a pure normal-typing better fits with the tradition of minimizing type changes between evolutions. In any event, azurill rarely stay unevolved long enough for their typing to be of much practical significance.

Azurill appear almost spherical in shape as a result of their long, blue fur. They have broad feet but arms that are barely visible beneath their coat and essentially useless. Their skin is blue and rubbery. Healthy specimens have ample fat reserves underneath.

All members of the line have large ears and incredibly well-developed hearing. Azumarill can determine which fish and other creatures are swimming in a stream just from listening from the shore. Azurill hearing is primarily tuned to the pitches used by azumarill to avoid being lost or entering an unfamiliar adult’s territory.

Azurill have a two-part tail. The first part is thin, black, and surprisingly elastic. It is typically about eight inches long but can stretch to five feet when fully extended. This seems impossible at a glance. It is. Experts are still divided on where, exactly, the extra matter comes from during maximum extensions.

The second part of the tail is a bulb roughly the size of azurill’s main body. It is highly elastic and has a high coefficient of restitution. This lets azurill move by bouncing on their tail. The bulb is ordinarily filled with fats and oils to serve as a food reserve if food is unavailable. This is necessary to help offset the line’s incredibly high base metabolism.

Marill and azumarill can also temporarily lower their metabolism by entering daily torpor, a state where their body temperature, heart rate, and respiration plunge for several hours before being brought back to baseline. This is most common during periods of scarcity or unusually high or low temperatures. A newly awakened pokémon will need to quickly eat to fully exit torpor. Many trainers struggle to distinguish a sleeping marill from a dead one. Trainers must be careful not to show excessive concern or happiness when torpor is exited, as this risks training the pokémon to associate torpor with rewards.

Marill resemble azurill in their general body shape. However, they have developed arms only a little shorter than their legs. Their tail bulb stays the same size or even contracts slightly despite growing larger elsewhere. Much of the fat reserves in the bulb are used up during evolution. Some oils remain in the bulb to help the pokémon float, or at least to know which way is up during strong currents. Marill also develop white, counter-shaded fur on their ventral area. Marill generally have a thicker coat of hydrophobic fur than azurill do.

Azumarill have a more elongated body than their pre-evolutions. They also have even longer and more sensitive ears. These contain muscles and joints that allow them to be independently maneuvered to pinpoint the origin of sounds.

Azumarill’s coat contains bubble-like patterns that disrupt the boundary between blue and white fur. This helps them blend in with the clouds of bubbles they can create to distract predators while they escape. Azumarill have an incredibly high lung capacity and are even capable of stretching their ribs to take in more air. When fully inflated, azumarill must also draw in water to fill an internal buoyancy sac. Azumarill can hold their breath for upwards of forty minutes. This can increase to several hours if they enter daily torpor while diving, something that is generally safe for them to do.

Many people believe that the line possess exceptional musculature. They are certainly capable of impressive feats of strength such as denting lairon armor with a punch. Azurill can even hurl themselves through the air by spinning around and then throwing their tail.

Azumarill are not substantially more muscular than their relatives. They are naturally strong enough to push aside objects of their own body weight, but nothing more. Azumarill’s incredible strength appears entirely dependent on how much force they want to exert and how motivated they are to do it. The ‘strongest’ azumarill in a fierce battle against a hated rival can match a machamp in raw power. Most azumarill care far less about combat and only show enhanced strength sporadically, usually when in the presence of a predator. The exact source and mechanics of this strength are the focus of much ongoing research.

Azumarill usually grow to be about thirty inches long, excluding their tail and ears, and weigh around twenty pounds. Wild specimens typically live three to five years. Captive individuals can live for up to fifteen.

Behavior

Marill and azumarill frequent open wetland ecosystems. They prefer environments with slow-moving water, muddy banks, and a great deal of foliage at the water’s edge. They prefer large streams and small rivers but can be found in estuaries, swamps, ponds, and lakes. A few have taken to living in sufficiently vegetated retention ponds. Agricultural land with access to nearby water is theoretically ideal habitat, but often results in conflict with nearby humans and their pokémon.

The species is primarily herbivorous. Grasses make up the core of their diet, but almost any form of plant material will be eaten if available. Azumarill are also not above eating tadpoles, insects, or small fish they encounter and are able to catch. Fresh carrion will also be eaten if found.

Marill and azumarill spend most of their day foraging near the water’s edge. Their tails can be extended when in the water to wrap around mangrove roots, stones, or overhanging branches and anchor them in place. They are not particularly strong swimmers and risk being swept away otherwise. Bonded pairs may also hold hands while foraging to increase the odds that at least one of them remains anchored.

Azumarill’s primary defense when a predator approaches is to jump into or out of the water. Advanced hearing can give them time to get hidden in the reeds before they are themselves seen or heard. This works well against birds and fish. It leaves them vulnerable to most mammalian predators with a well-developed sense of smell. Azumarill are not fast enough to escape most encounters. This only leaves them with the option to fight.

Most azumarill struggle to tap into their enhanced strength, even when threatened. Enough can that many predators will not bother to risk the encounter. The exceptions are pack hunters capable of distracting the azumarill and threatening from multiple angles and extremely agile, smaller-bodied predators that can avoid getting hit at all. Floatzel are particularly threatening to azumarill and are the main check on their population in Eurasia. Yungoos dislike getting wet, but a sufficiently motivated squadron can easily snap up a marill and may try to hunt an azumarill. Swampert will also happily eat any they encounter and have nothing to fear from all but the strongest azumarill.

Wild azumarill are typically diurnal in Alola so they are not ambushed by gumshoos in their sleep. Activity varies depending on the local predators.

Azumarill typically build their nests out of grasses at the edge of water channels. They will also happily take over any abandoned burrows they find. Sometimes bibarel or other species will let azumarill cohabit with them for increased protection. Torpor lowers their body heat and heart rate, making them harder to find while asleep. It also makes them slower to respond to threats if they are ambushed. Azumarill frequently sunbathe on the edge of the water while warming up after exiting torpor. This is a uniquely vulnerable time for them.

Azurill rarely leave the nest without an azumarill’s supervision. They sometimes enter the shallows on warmer days but spend most of their time learning to forage on land. Azumarill can bounce on their tails to move faster than azumarill. “Lasso throws” can be used to quickly move them short distances or injure attackers that get too close.

The species is generally solitary outside of the occasional bonded pair or an azumarill with offspring. Males and females are territorial with each other but allows some overlap with the opposite sex. They may still be defensive of their preferred foraging grounds.

Husbandry

Grains, grasses, and leafy greens should make up the majority of the pokémon’s diet. Azumarill and marill can be trusted to forage under supervision. Older azurill can be slowly introduced to foraging. Ensure that pesticides are not in use where the foraging occurs. Food must be made available immediately upon exiting torpor. Some fruit, mushrooms, or tubers can be mixed in with the food at this time. Even captive azumarill can spend several hours a day eating, especially if they frequently see battle.

As lagomorphs, azumarill naturally engage in cecotrophy. That is, their digestive system is designed for food to take two passes through it. They will eat wet pellets but leave dry ones behind. This is normal for the species. Trainers wishing to discourage the behavior should provide enough easily digestible foods such as fruit to compensate for the loss of the energy-dense pellets. Conventional litter is unattractive to azumarill. Wild azumarill do have dedicated latrine areas to mark the border of their territory. It is relatively easy to teach them to defecate in one particular spot. The lack of litter means that it must be checked and thoroughly cleaned often.

Azumarill must be supplied with adequate bedding. Straw and reeds can be used for naturalism. They will also happily accept larger boxes with blankets in it. Azumarill are fairly pokéball tolerant and are unlikely to actually sleep in their bed for long. Pokéballs replicate the energy saving and increased safety of torpor without the associated vulnerability.

Swimming opportunities should be provided when staying in one place for more than a day or two. Azumarill prefer shallow fresh or brackish water. They may venture into deeper water to retrieve something or avoid someone. Most specimens prefer to have simulated branches or other anchors draped over the water for them to hold onto. Ladders and handrails may serve this purpose. Azumarill do not share most fairy-type’s instinctive dislike of metal.

Individual azumarill can be relatively sociable and even fond of cuddling, brushing, or other interactions. Most are somewhat wary of contact with humans and other pokémon, even ones that they generally like. They also need relatively little in the way of enrichment compared to other fairies. They rarely start problems with other pokémon. Predators that act too interested in them can still lead to serious altercations and the risk of injury to both parties.

Azurill husbandry is much more hands-on. They require near-constant supervision, food and play throughout the day, and are generally slower to learn commands. Azurill can also be very skittish around larger pokémon and may attack without warning when they believe they are threatened. It is generally best to let azumarill care for their offspring until they evolved. It is not necessarily to acquire the line as infants to build a bond. Orphaned azurill are generally handled by specialists in pokémon rehabilitation.

Illness

Azumarill are susceptible to a number of internal parasites such as roundworm. This is especially common among specimens that routinely forage in the wild. Symptoms of infestation include weight loss, an unusual increase or decrease in appetite, and lethargy. Most cases can be resolved by a simple round of prescribed medication from a veterinarian.

External parasites such as ticks are actually uncommon due to the density of azumarill’s coat. It is difficult for insects to find their way through it before being washed away when the azumarill next swims.

The most concerning diseases from a public health perspective is tularemia, a human-communicable bacteria. Azumarill are less prone to infection than most lagomorphs due to the density of their coat, but they can still catch it from being around other infected lagomorphs or eating the pellets from an infected specimen. The main symptoms, fever and ulcers, are particularly difficult to detect in azumarill due to their wild swims in body temperature and difficulty of seeing the skin. Secondary symptoms such as disorientation, pained movements, and lethargy are better indicators of infection, but these only manifest late into the infection. Trainers who believe their pokémon may be infected should immediately withdraw the pokémon and bring it to a Pokémon Center. Thankfully, the disease is treatable. Unfortunately, this may require a fairly long course of antibacterial medication in a quarantine pen. This can be distressing for both pokémon and trainer.

Evolution

Azurill store an increasing amount of nutrients in their tail to prepare them for evolution. The core body does not grow much between one week and the onset of evolution, typically between six and eight weeks. The tail steadily decreases in size while rapid growth occurs in the main body. This period is typically marked by long stretches of torpor punctuated by manic feeding frenzies. In the wild, azumarill will typically bring the azurill the food they need to grow during evolution so that they can be awake for as little time as possible. Trainers should similarly ensure that an evolving azurill has access to its body weight in food at all times. The entire process takes roughly one week.

Marill evolution is more gradual. The onset is similarly marked by a slight buildup in the size of the tail followed by a period of rapid growth. Marill are awake for more of evolution and can spend up to fifteen hours a day foraging for two weeks straight. Marill evolution typically occurs around three months of age. The formal demarcation line between marill and azumarill is the resumption of normal behaviors following the evolutionary period.

Battle

Azumarill at their base strength are reasonably durable and strong for their size but otherwise unremarkable. They are capable of feats of extraordinary strength. Trainers intending to use one as a serious battler will need to train the pokémon to tap into its emotions to more consistently access this strength. A well-trained, well-bred azumarill can reliably access its enhanced strength for up to a half hour at a time. This can be further enhanced with moves such as belly drum. The risks of using it are lower for azumarill than other prominent attackers as they are not likely to withstand more than a hit or two from a competitively trained pokémon regardless.

The main drawback for azumarill is that, despite their sheer physical power, they are still quite slow on land and in the water. This can be partially offset by trick room, tail wind, and baton pass. All of these options require some setup. This leaves azumarill with three major roles.

The first option available to azumarill is that of a one-off wallbreaker. They may be slow, but species like gigalith and blissey are equally so. Aqua jet can be used to close the distance before a series of relentless blows finishes off their opponent. The azumarill will likely go down to the next pokémon sent out, but this allows their trainer to consistently demolish a wall that could have been problematic to the rest of the team at the expense of one team slot.

The second option is a late-game cleaner that relies on its teammates to knock out airborne and speedy pokémon and ideally set up the battlefield to optimize azumarill’s performance. Belly drum setup against a fairly passive pokémon can allow the azumarill to shred the rest of a team with a little skill and luck. There are more reliable cleaners, but there is something primally satisfying about watching a competitive team get demolished by a small mammal that can make these trainers quite popular.

The third option is as an emergency dragon check. Most dragons are primarily physical attackers that rely on dragonfire at range. Azumarill can consistently beat all but the strongest of dragons in a close-quarters brawl. Specimens used for this role typically have more specialized training in melee combat against faster foes and tanking a few powerful hits. Even if the dragon could potentially win, they may not wish to get close to a pokémon that can break their bones. Attacks such as ice beam can be used to punish dragons that hesitate.

The main advantage of azumarill in these roles is that they evolve quickly and are easily obtained compared to most competitively viable species. On balance, their fragility and relatively short lifespan mean that most azumarill do not enjoy long careers. Many rising trainers use them on their first competitive team before replacing them after a few years with something a little more versatile and long-lived. A few dedicated trainers will keep training new azumarill, usually with their current team member mentoring a protégé.

Azurill should not be used in anything but mock battles. Serious matches risk damage to the azurill or their opponent given their low defenses but surprisingly high power in a pinch.

Marill are very good in the early stages of the island challenge. They hit hard enough to soften up totems and the first few trials do not have many, or any, other pokémon to gang up on the marill. By the time their durability begins to catch up to them, they are likely close to evolving.

Azumarill can hit really hard when emotions are high, such as a milestone on the island challenge like a trial or grand trial. They dislike fighting multiple opponents at once. Azumarill trainers should clear a totem’s allies and then rely on azumarill to do the bulk of the work against the totem itself. Be wary of totems that use their opponent’s distraction to set up themselves. Totem ribombee and other airborne pokémon can also be challenging for azumarill to deal with.

Acquisition

Azumarill and marill have been introduced to eastern Akala. They are especially common in the mangrove swamps and slower pools of Brooklet Hill Commonwealth Park. The best time to find them is typically around dusk and dawn on the banks of slow-moving pools or streams. They dislike faster currents and particularly saline waters. Brackish areas are tolerated, especially when well-vegetated. The easiest way to win them over initially is with bribes of food and an impression of security. Both can undermine trust later on when initially fruit-heavy diets are transitioned to something healthier and the pokémon is expected to battle.

Azurill capture is currently prohibited for the average trainer. Orphaned azurill are given to licensed rehabilitators.

Wild azumarill are perfectly fine for the island challenge. There are, however, many breeders specializing in lineages of competitive azumarill. These pokémon typically have reduced fear responses and a more consistent ability to tap into supernatural strength. Trainers wishing to purchase one of these marill can expect to pay thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the quality of the bloodline and the individual attributes of the pokémon.

Marill and azumarill may be captured, purchased, or adopted with a Class I license. Azurill require a Class IV license to possess.

Breeding

Azumarill are the rare mammal to have sequential hermaphroditism. That is, roughly three out of every four azurill are born female. This allows the population to quickly grow if it has been depleted by a temporary hardship such as disease, a surge in predator numbers, or a natural disaster. If numbers are stable and the environment is near carrying capacity, some or even most female azurill will become male upon evolution. This reduces the number of potential births and helps prevent famine from overburdening the environment.

Azumarill tend to mate in the late spring. Most males do not stay near the female beyond the act of copulation. Females may mate with multiple partners and even have children in the same litter with multiple different sires. A typical litter contains six to eight azurill. Azurill are stashed away in the nest for the first two weeks of their lives while their mother periodically leaves to gather food. They are allowed very limited, heavily supervised leave for the two weeks after that. Then they are given more autonomy as the azumarill forages.

Crossbreeding is rare in the wild. It is often attempted in captivity. Males will readily hybridize with other rabbits and hares such as lopunny, cinderace, and diggersby. Females will only reluctantly do so. Many attempts have been made to cross-breed azumarill with a more famous lagomorph: raichu. The resulting cross could be an azumarill with enhAanced speed and elemental power or a raichu with enormous physical strength. The long-sought ‘pikablu’ remains out of reach. The two species are rarely willing to mate. Even artificial insemination has yet to result in offspring that survive longer than a few days.

Curiously, azumarill will at least attempt to mate with completely unrelated fairies such as wigglytuff, azumarill, and sylveon. These mixes occasionally result in viable offspring that are even stranger than their parents.

Relatives

There is some debate as to whether azumarill bred specifically for battle, including many of the introduced populations throughout the world, should qualify as a separate species or subspecies. The two populations will readily interbreed and selected traits will quickly fade after two to three generations of cross-breeding. There are few readily apparent differences between the populations as the desired traits are mostly elemental or behavioral.

Azumarill are believed to be most closely related to diggersby, with whom they share muscled ears. Azumarill’s are far less prominent and they are generally better suited for an amphibious lifestyle. It is currently believed that the two diverged due in part to interbreeding with an unknown and potentially extinct fairy-type.