An eerie fragrance, evolution, and a loss of control

The floral fragrance drifting from the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree really was a little too strong. It wasn't as pungent as perfume, but Mingyou couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Attracts Pokémon of the corresponding types... That should mean Grass, Fire, Water, and Rock, right? There aren't any of the last three in the orchard, only Grass-type Pokémon. But what does 'take precautions' mean?"

Mingyou studied it carefully. After all, Ogerpon was a Legendary Pokémon, so it was only natural for her card to have some unusual traits. He needed to get to the bottom of this.

A moment later, however, he had his answer...

A sudden commotion broke out in the orchard. The Applin, Bellsprout, and Seedot living there all came rushing over in a frenzy of excitement, as though something had drawn them in.

"Hey..."

Before Mingyou could ask what was going on, the Pokémon pushed him aside. They crowded around the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree, breathing in its floral fragrance to their hearts' content. It was a truly bizarre sight.

Munchlax came out of the villa too. Although he wasn't one of the corresponding types, the fragrance had made him think there was food, so he had come running.

Comparing Munchlax with the Grass-type Pokémon, Mingyou could clearly tell that something was wrong with the latter. He couldn't help growing worried.

"Is this really okay?"

After a long moment of thought, he decided to shoo the Pokémon aside and find some plastic bags to cover the flowers. That would keep the scent down as much as possible and hopefully prevent any accidents.

But just as he started to act, one of the Bellsprout closest to the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree suddenly blazed with dazzling blue-white light!

As the light scattered outward, the other Pokémon seemed to regain some of their senses and hurriedly backed away. They watched as Bellsprout grew larger within the light. The body formed from his roots gradually shortened, turning into a brown hook at the back of his head.

Meanwhile, his yellow, bell-shaped head grew enormous, and his mouth widened along with it. Two leaves grew on either side of the yellow flower, while his tiny, beady eyes became large, round black eyes. Three dark yellow spots appeared on his forehead...

〔Weepinbell: Flycatcher Pokémon. He suddenly evolved. Amazing, right...? He loves eating, and thanks to his Acid, which can digest all sorts of things, he'll eat anything. Giving him more food should help you grow closer.〕

"Oh my gosh..."

Mingyou had just come back with the plastic bags, and he stared in astonishment. So this was a Pokémon evolving? He'd only ever seen it on television before...

No, that wasn't the point!

Why had Bellsprout suddenly evolved into Weepinbell? There hadn't been any warning at all. He'd only run up to the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree and sniffed its flowers. And then...

"Bell!"

The newly evolved Weepinbell suddenly let out a piercing cry, then spat a glob of thick purple liquid from his huge mouth. It landed on another nearby tangerine tree and dissolved it instantly.

And he wasn't done. Weepinbell immediately began spraying Acid at the surrounding Pokémon. It seemed that his sudden evolution had left him unable to control the power inside him, sending him on a rampage.

Applin and Seedot scattered in terror. Several Bellsprout stayed behind, trembling a short distance away, seemingly unable to understand why their companion had suddenly become like this.

A moment later, a blast of Acid flew straight toward them. Mingyou hurriedly lunged forward and pulled the Bellsprout to safety.

Another tangerine tree suffered for it, though. Of the three he'd bought, only the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree remained after just this brief span of time.

Ignoring the scrape on his arm, Mingyou told the Bellsprout to hide. Then he turned a grave look on the rampaging Weepinbell and shouted, "Hey! Snap out of it! Your friends are still here!"

"Bell!"

Weepinbell wasn't listening at all. He immediately turned toward the closest target—Munchlax, who was still sniffing the flowers and hadn't fled in time—and leaped!

At the sight, Mingyou hurriedly shouted, "Stop spacing out! Get out of there!"

"Lax?"

Hearing him, Munchlax turned his head to look. A moment later, his vision went dark as Weepinbell swallowed him... halfway.

Despite being suddenly bitten and unable to see, Munchlax didn't panic in the slightest. He merely reached up and tried tugging a few times. When he found he couldn't pull Weepinbell off, he couldn't be bothered anymore and simply lay down to go back to sleep.

"Lax~"

The scene took on a different sort of strangeness. Mingyou opened his mouth, then stopped, unsure how to describe it.

Weepinbell had bitten onto Munchlax, but Munchlax was too fat to swallow, leaving him unable to attack anyone else. Meanwhile, Munchlax simply ignored him...

The sudden outbreak of chaos seemed to settle just like that. After a long stalemate, Weepinbell still couldn't do anything to Munchlax. At last, he exhausted himself, burned through his power, and gradually returned to normal.

"Phew..."

Watching the Bellsprout drag Weepinbell away, Mingyou finally let out a breath of relief. He really hadn't known how to handle that situation. After all, he was just someone who grew vegetables, without a Trainer's capabilities.

The commotion had also dispersed the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree's fragrance. To keep it from spreading again, he hurriedly wrapped all the flowers in plastic bags. This would have to do for now; he could work out a better solution later...

A faint floral scent still lingered, drawing Applin and the others back, but they remained fairly clearheaded. Still, after what had just happened, Mingyou warned them that they could stay nearby, but they mustn't remove the plastic bags.

Then he looked over the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree's information, paying particular attention to the fragrance, and began to think.

Taking out his Rotom Phone, he endured the agonizing internet speed to search for information on Pokémon evolution. Bellsprout's evolution couldn't have been a coincidence...

Soon, he found a paper written by Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh Region, a leading authority on Pokémon evolution.

The paper stated that evolution was often triggered by a strong bond with a human, or by a Pokémon's fervent desire to grow stronger as they matured and became more proficient with their own power.

Sometimes, however, unexpected circumstances could arise, such as unusual emotional changes in a Pokémon, or the absorption of special energy beyond what their body could withstand...

If such circumstances caused a Pokémon to evolve prematurely, before reaching maturity, there was a very high chance they would lose emotional control and go on a rampage, or lose control of their power and lash out to release it.

The paper also cited an incident from the previous year. The notorious Pokémon mafia, Team Rocket, had used radio waves at the Lake of Rage in the Johto Region to force all the Magikarp in the lake to evolve into Gyarados, triggering the Red Tide Incident that shocked the world.

Led by a Red Gyarados, the rampaging Gyarados had attacked nearby villages and towns, injuring thousands. Only through Champion Lance's efforts had they finally been stopped, calmed, and guided out to sea...

After carefully reading the entire paper, Mingyou had a rough understanding of why Bellsprout had evolved. It all came down to the special energy contained in the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree's floral fragrance.

Bellsprout had absorbed too much at once, causing him to evolve prematurely... Or perhaps he had already been on the verge of evolution and only needed that final push. Otherwise, the other Pokémon would probably have evolved right after him.

For now, he could conclude that taking in small amounts of the fragrance benefited Pokémon, but large amounts could not only make them lose control, but also cause harm. So all he needed to do was keep their exposure within a certain limit.

That way, the Pokémon living here could slowly grow stronger while also protecting the Ogerpon Tangerine Tree. It would accomplish several things at once!

"Looks like I've planted one incredible fruit tree. If just its flowers are this attractive, what will the Ogerpon Citrus it produces be like?"

Mingyou grew more and more eager. He would find out in a few more days. For now, though, there was another serious issue that demanded his attention.

He needed a Pokémon partner who could fight by his side. Otherwise, if another accident like this happened, he would be powerless to do anything.

"There are so many Pokémon in the manor. I should be able to find one here..."

Mingyou scanned his surroundings, his gaze finally settling on Munchlax, who was still sleeping nearby. After a long moment of contemplation, he shook his head helplessly.

He continued looking around, only for a small figure to suddenly enter his field of vision.

Despite it being broad daylight, Ogerpon was bounding toward him, wearing her Ogre Mask.

She seemed to be carrying some Berries that weren't usually found nearby, apparently hoping to give someone the fruit she'd picked as a gift...