How to get a Prom Date {Salazzle, Salandit TFTG}

    The end of the school year heralded the arrival of summer, as well as prom. Every student, from the nerdiest geek to the preppiest cheerleader eagerly hoped, or awaited, their promposal from their guy or girl of their dreams.

    Talia was one of the students at Konikoni High School excited for prom. Of course, she wasn’t the most popular girl, or the most pretty, or even confident in the least, but she had high hopes. One of the better trainers at the school, a rather attractive lad named Chase, had become single within the past two months and he had been nice to Talia a few times so she harboured a deep, secret hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d ask her to the prom.

    Of course she didn’t hold much hope that it would happen; she was chubby and wore big glasses and was not at all popular unlike Chase. He was nice to her, but perhaps he was just a nice guy and she really meant nothing to him.

    Of course with her making sad puppy-dog eyes at Chase during class and lunch someone was bound to notice what she was feeling. Unfortunately for Talia? The two girls who noticed were the type to have fun with a lovestruck, uncool, unconfident girl like Talia!

    “Hey, I saw you watching Chase during gym,” the taller of the two blonde girls, Jen, said as she put an arm around Talia’s shoulders after the last class of the day.

    “You want him to ask you to prom, don’t you?” the other girl, Candy, added while standing on Talia’s other side, the two slender girls easily keeping pace with Talia. Talia nodded, a little nervous and unsure why the girls were talking to her. Candy and Jen were very popular, they were cheerleaders for the school’s battling team as well as being rather confident trainers themselves. Why would they ever waste breath on a loser like Talia, who wasn’t even interested in doing the island challenge herself.

    “Is it that obvious?” Talia hung her head, dark blush colouring her cheeks. Her escorts tittered, which made Talia feel even more uncomfortable. Maybe she should’ve just told them to go away? Not that she had the confidence to say that to the cool students.

    “Oh silly, it’s super duper obvious!” Candy said through her light laughter, she almost sounded like an Emolga chittering in the trees. “But he won’t ask you.” Talia’s heart sunk and she sighed deeply; she knew she had no chance going to prom with someone great like Chase. Maybe I should just stay home and play games, she thought.

    “Definitely not, unless you can get his attention by doing something super duper crazy,” Jen said, a wicked grin splitting her fair features. Talia, unaware of the duplicity of the girls, perked up at this.

    “Get his attention? But how can I do that?” her voice was tainted with a chord of hopelessness. To her knowledge Chase loved Pokémon battles and training his beloved Torracat, those were his biggest passions. Talia wasn’t a trainer, she didn’t even have a Pokémon. Maybe she should try what those movies suggested and lose her glasses and dress all sexy-like. Of course, she probably couldn’t get contacts so fast and she lacked the confidence to wear the clothes the media portrayed, so that wouldn’t work. Maybe Jen and Candy had better ideas though! Maybe with their help she could have her dream prom!

    “Well, for someone like you, you know,” Candy waved her hand at Talia dismissively, indicating that the issue was all of Talia, “You need to do something that is super big to get someone like Chase to pay attention to you!” The way it was said cut Talia to the core, but it was true.; someone like Chase would never ask her to prom normally, but what could she do?

    “Perhaps you should show him that you’re not just a…well you aren’t a pretty face, but show him you’re more than the dork you look like,” Jen tapped Talia’s spectacles to emphasize her point. “You know we aren’t too far from Wela Volcano Park.”

    “And Chase does love Pokémon, you should go there and find a really rare Pokémon,” Candy continued off of Jen’s speech flawlessly, like the two were a hive mind of classical high school villainy. “One so rare he hasn’t seen one!”

    “Something like, a female Salandit?” Jen finished with a sly smirk, noticing how Talia stiffened under her arm at the words. Jen’s grin grew; she’d struck gold. “Just imagine how thrilled Chase would be to see someone bravely go to Wela Park without any Pokémon to hunt down a super rare female Salandit just to impress him!”

    “Why, he’d certainly go to prom with that girl,” Candy added with a knowing wink to Talia. “If I was single, like you, I’d definitely do something like this to impress a perfect boy like Chase!”

    The two tall, slender, pretty girls kept talking and keeping Talia between them as they did so, guiding her somewhere not that Talia realized that. She was too busy with her warring thoughts to focus on where she was walking; mainly whether her desire to date the nice, hot guy Chase could override her fears of Pokémon, especially Pokémon like Salandit. She nearly shuddered just at the thought of that Pokémon with its creepy, spindly fingers and gross slimy skin! Eurgh they were disgusting! But, if Jen and Candy were right? Even her uncool self could romance Chase, maybe even get her first ever kiss with him!

    “I’ll do it!” Talia nodded, feeling a flare of confidence flicker in her heart for the first time in years. She could do this!

    “Good! Wela Volcano Park is that way!” Jen said, pushing Talia away, towards the park.

    “Happy hunting! Make sure you don’t come back without one!” Candy laughed, walking off with her friend while Talia, passion burning in her soul, stepped forth to conquer her fears at Wela Volcano Park.

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            Wela National Park was beautiful. Tall mountains dotted the area, steam rising from holes in the ground. There was scraggly grass, bushes, trees, and the higher she climbed the more scenic the park became.

            She had come to the park before and enjoyed the view all of those times, but this time she couldn’t find it in her to look out over the mountainous park and enjoy herself. She was on her own on the hunt for a female Salandit! If she could do this, if she could catch just this one little, grotesque Pokémon the really cute Chase would take her to prom and she’d have her own Pokémon! Maybe she could trade it with Chase for something cuter, like a Pikipek or a Pikachu.

            She’d been on the hunt already for a few hours and the sun was starting to sink on the horizon. She pouted, she didn’t come prepared to spend the night, and there was no way she was returning to Konikoni without her female Salandit! Unfortunately she hadn’t seen anything except a few Fletchlings flying in the distance. Salandit were normally relatively common, and while normally she’d be elated the gross Salandit were gone today she needed to catch one.

            She sighed with frustration, wiping the sweat off her brow. The volcanic park was very hot, and she wasn’t in exactly the best shape making her sweat like a Tepig, but she couldn’t give up now. She had to catch the Salandit! Even the thought of them made her shudder, the disgusting little creatures, slimy and gross and just unpleasant in every way!

            If there were no Salandit in the easier to get to places she would have to go somewhere hard to get, where there were fewer humans around and wild Pokémon would be more common. She didn’t think about the dangers involved with that as she began climbing down a small cliff. She may not be the most athletic, but living near such a mountainous region she learned how to climb rather well so climbing down was no problem for her. From there she wandered through the sparse scrub, searching for signs of the little lizards.

            It took her a while to find the signs, though she couldn’t have found a clearer one. She saw a Salandit! A male, but definitely a Salandit! It looked a little nervous, even though it was looking away from Talia. She hid behind a bush, watching it. Maybe he would lead her back to a group of Salandit, including a female!

            The little lizard looked around, with it’s creepy, almost smirking face flicking around quickly, on guard for any predators or trainers who might be nearby. Seeing none, it began to proceed, running towards some bushes near the bottom of a cliff. Now that he was gone Talia followed his lead, finding a rather large hole in the cliff hidden behind the plants. Clever lizards, she thought, pausing for a moment at the edge of the hole.

            If she did this and caught a female Salandit? She would definitely get Chase to go to prom with her, and also prove to herself that she was stronger than her insecurities, but at the same time; lizards. Salandits were just the worst things! She took a deep breath, followed by several more. She had to do this; for Chase!

            She slipped inside the cave, crawling through it slowly while listening to the growing chorus of ‘Salandit’ coming from deeper inside the cave.

            “Salandit! Salandit! Sal, Salandit!” they said, louder as she approached. She had to stop as her chest grew tight with fear. Why was she doing this? Was a romantic date with Chase worth dealing with Salandit? Was having him lean close, brushing his wavy hair aside, as he held her close, music playing in the background as they shared their first kiss, worth it?

            She nodded, definitely. There was no way she’d go to prom with a guy like Chase any other way, or perhaps with any guy. She had to prove her bravery and dedication! She kept crawling, for Chase, listening to the lizards chant their mantra.

            She finally crawled out of the smaller tunnel and into a large, wide cavern. Fires burned from several holes, making the room extremely hot and very bright; illuminating the dozens of Salandit in the room, some clinging to the walls while others rested on the floor and on other ledges and broken stalagmites.

            She felt herself shiver, despite the heat, upon looking at the slender, monstrous forms all around. Now that she could see the Salandits she could see that they weren’t just chanting, while some of the reptiles were talking to each other, or communicating at least. If anything they looked distressed, which was perfect for her! If they were distracted she wouldn’t have to deal with them until she caught a female and fled! There were other tunnels exiting this cave, including some larger ones, so hopefully she could escape without incident.

            She looked around, and couldn’t find any females, but perhaps there would be one outside of her vision? She looked ahead, no Salandits immediately near her entrance. She reached back, rubbing the balls in her pocket. Just enough to catch her first Pokémon.

            “Salandit!” a shrill cry drew her attention upwards, there was a Salandit on the cavern wall directly above her! All the others quieted as the one Salandit cried out again and again like an alarm. They all turned, leering at her with their beady, analytical eyes, causing the terrified Talia to squirm backwards into her tunnel, until the Salandit dropped on her back.

            She shrieked in terror, rising up and starting to run, stopping in the centre of the cavern as she realized, to her horror, her blind fear had led to her being trapped in a large circle of useless male Salandit, with one resting on her back.

            “No! No! Go away! Go away!” she kicked weakly at a nearby lizard, which leapt back and seemed to chuckle at her helplessness.

            “Landit, Salandit!” a lizard said.

            “Salandit!” another replied. Not that Talia really heard; all she could hear was the pounding of her heart and her quick, short breaths. This was like her nightmares; she was trapped with no escape while surrounded by dozens of the grossest beings in the world! And one was on her back but she was too petrified to do anything to it but leave it there! Oh Arceus it was moving! Slowly, but definitely moving up towards her head!

            If she had any rational thoughts left in her head she would’ve noticed the Salandit, once it was on her shoulder, looking at her with concern, patting her gently as if to calm her. Of course she was not rational at all anymore, instead feeling ever more terrified as his long, spindly lizard fingers rested on her shoulder.

            “Sa-Salandit,” he said, causing a pause amongst the rest of the lizards, before they quickly resumed chattering rapidly. Their discussion reached a crescendo before suddenly stopping, leaving the only sounds coming from Talia’s own body and the fires crackling nearby.

            What’s going on? She thought, before as one the Salandit’s opened their mouths and released their foul, sickly sweet gas. That’s toxic! Talia’s hand quickly covered her mouth as she held her breath as long as she could, before being forced to relent and breath in the toxins.

            She coughed, falling to her knees and breathing the poison freely, unable to hold her breath any longer. Am I going to die? Over trying to get a date for prom? She thought with fear, though that was not what fate had in store for her. Under her clothes she could feel something happening, something was changing, but she couldn’t identify what. If her fear had allowed her to check she would’ve seen her skin turning hard and becoming dark interlocking scales of black, magenta, and indigo. Patchy at first, appearing in various places across her body, but it spread more and more, faster and faster with every inhalation of the Salandit’s fumes.

            Her face was starting to stretch out, long and slender, while her ears began to retreat inside her head, causing her glasses to awkwardly tilt down, leaving Talia effectively blind as everything became too blurry to focus on. Her hand lifted up automatically to adjust it, before she stopped and dipped her head down, letting them fall to the ground. She could move if she didn’t have to look at the lizards! And she could just pretend the one on her shoulder was…was a plushie, yeah!

            Though, what was that blurry thing right in front of her face? She reached up and grabbed the foreign object, she could feel it in her hands, as well as her hands on it! It was hers! She let out a squeak, what was happening to her? It was the Salandits, it had to be!

            “Salandit, Sal,” the one on her shoulder said soothingly, patting her shoulder. He was friendly, maybe…maybe despite being…so creepy and gross this one wasn’t so bad? Maybe, with his help, she could get used to all of the others. She wanted to catch the shoulder-Salandit, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it while figuring out what the hell was happening to her.

            She had some ideas, but they were impossible! It felt far too real to be a hallucination, and that meant she had to actually be transforming, but that wasn’t possible, was it? People didn’t just turn into Pokémon!

            But she was, it was happening to her right now, and there was no way to deny what was happening. She looked at her hand. Where once it she had pale human skin and thick fingers now she had long, slender fingers coated in sleek black scales. Definitely not human, and she feared she never would be again. Oddly, even when she thought that, it didn’t make her sad. She would’ve thought the realization that she was never going to be human and would forever be a slimy lizard would make her cry, but it didn’t.

            It had the opposite effect. She felt good? She felt the little Salandit nuzzling her affectionately, maybe this was going to be better than she thought, a whole new life. Even her vision was clearing up, the transformation seeming to have cured the awful sight she’d had since birth. She looked down, watching her feet alter, the main parts shrinking back, her heel lifting up to act almost like a second knee. Her toes, meanwhile, did the opposite. Stretching out long and slender like her fingers. A swell of something filled her body, something she hadn’t experienced in years.

            She felt she was beautiful.

            She cooed, leaning forwards as she felt her forming tail press out against her pants, the pressure growing more and more intense until she unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down, gasping in pleasure as her tail practically burst out, thick with dark scales on top and vivid magenta ones coating the underside, matching the markings forming on her torso.

            “Beautiful!” a small, soft voice said. She stood upright, shocked. Who was here? She looked around, but there was nobody except her Salandits. That was when she saw her shoulder-buddy’s mouth open, words coming out, “Beautiful queen!”

            “B-Beautiful queen?” Talia repeated, blushing. Nobody had ever called her beautiful before. She reached up and lifted the Salandit from her shoulder, holding him in front of herself. She looked him over, from his little, scheming eyes to his wiggling tail, she looked at his hands and feet, looking at this creature she once found absolutely repulsive, but now? Now she could see why the others didn’t mind lizards. Sure, the Salandits still creeped her out a little, but now? She could get used to them, perhaps even start to like them!

            “New queen,” the Salandit told her, squirming in her hands happily like he was trying to get closer to her. She shuddered a little, before pulling him close and hugging him. He seemed a little surprised, but then again he was a wild Pokémon and this was a very human thing to do. She felt him hug her back, his small hands resting on her slender back. She wasn’t as slim as a Salazzle should be, but she had a little but of chub on her form still. She sighed, it seemed even with her transformation she couldn’t escape being a plump girl!

    “Something wrong?” another Salandit asked, approaching Talia. She didn’t even back away, like she would have before. Instead she found herself opening up to her enraptured audience, telling them about her life, how she’d been bullied throughout school, and how she saw herself as just a fat, ugly nerd. She left out the part about being creeped out by reptiles, in fact she was finding holding her shoulder buddy and stroking him like a pet to be quite soothing.

    “And then you guys did your thing and now I’m…this?” Talia finished, looking down over her altered form. Shoulder-buddy patted her arm gently.

    “Talia beautiful, perfect shape for being mother,” her little pal said happily, smiling up at her. She kissed his snout gently.

    “Thanks little guy, do you have a name?” Talia asked, trying to think about how she thought about the lizard’s words. Perfect shape for being a mother, did they expect her to…breed?

    “Whatever Talia wants to call me!” the small lizard replied happily, nuzzling her lovingly.

    “Alright, Sedris, you’re my number one,” Talia hugged her shoulder-Salandit, Sedris, feeling warmth flow through her. “You’re going to…help me learn to be a Pokémon, right?”

    “And help make Queen Talia happy!” Sedris added eagerly, before grinning widely. He looked like an adorable little thief before he added with a cackle, “Sedris got a plan for Queen Talia’s mean humans!” Talia perked up.

    “Oh? Queen Talia is interested!”

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            “So you’re totally sure it was that Talia who like, sent it?” Candy asked Jen nervously as they stepped off the beaten paths of Wela Volcano Park.

            “Yeah, it’s definitely her,” Jen said, shuddering a little as she felt her phone rub against her leg in her pants. The two girls ha received a text from Talia who claimed she’d fallen and been injured in the park. While at first Jen and Candy had dismissed the claim, believing the chubby dork had probably skipped out of their dare and hidden at home in shame the nagging thought that Talia was laying somewhere, injured, away from more public areas was scary. If Talia was found by someone else she might tell them what had happened and get the two popular girls into trouble, potentially very deep trouble!

            So as much as the two cheerleaders disliked it, they found themselves searching the park for signs of Talia, not so because they wanted to help her but because they didn’t want to be penalized for their harmless prank.

            “Oh, I hope she’s alright, it’d totally ruin everything if she isn’t,” Candy added, arms folded over her ample chest as they hunted for Talia, unaware of the many eyes watching their every move, led by one large, shadowy figure.

            The two girls wandered farther and farther away from civilization, occasionally noticing a little Salandit peeking out at them from the rocks around them, beady eyes tracking their movements. For some reason they seemed more sinister than normal, like they had a purpose in following Candy and Jen, unnerving them. They hadn’t found Talia yet though, so they could not yet retreat.

            “Maybe we should, like, text her? See if she’s still okay?” Candy suggested, watching a Salandit run over a nearby rock to perch on top to stare at them. The girl shuddered, this felt wrong. Maybe she was developing her own fear of reptiles thanks to these creepy lizards.

            “Good plan,” Jen said, pulling out her phone. It only had a single bar of service registering, but that would be enough. She quickly tapped out ‘Where are you?’ into the phone and send it. It’d take a bit to send and receive to Jen and Candy stood still.

            A generic cellphone beep behind them made them jump in shock, both turning to see where it was coming from. There was a pile of rocks they had walked by earlier, was Talia behind it?

            “Talia? You there?” Candy called out, slowly walking towards the pile, Jen behind her looking from her phone to the rocks. They were really far from the paths, had Talia really wandered this far? It wasn’t like Salandits were rare or anything, there were three on the rock pile alone!

            From behind the pile stepped the graceful form of the incredibly rare evolution of Salandit; Salazzle! Her hands were behind her back as she stepped towards Candy and Jen, the girls too stunned to react. If Talia was here, or had been here, she likely had been attacked by this large lizard lady! 

            “Salazzle,” the reptilian greeted them, seeming to smirk at them as it approached. “Sa Salazzle, Salala Salazze,” she spoke candidly, her words meaning nothing to the now terrified duo.

            “L-Let’s go, screw Talia!” Jen said, tugging Candy’s arm to back away from the intimidating beast, but when she turned to flee she found her path blocked by a legion of the smaller male Salandits! “Oh no!” Was this their end? Were they going to die out here like Talia probably did?

            “Salazzle!” It barked, pulling from behind it Talia’s phone. Candy and Jen could say nothing, the way the Salazzle held the phone looked like it had some technical proficiency, maybe this lizard had once been a trainer’s Pokémon? Neither of them wondered if, in fact, this Pokémon had been a trainer.

            “It has her phone,” Candy muttered, thinking had. What could they do?

            They didn’t end up having long to think, as one all the lizards opened their mouths and released a sickly sweet smelling purple gas. The two tried to hold their breath, but the amount of lizards meant they could produce gas faster than it dissipated, so it was only a matter of time before Candy and Jen drew gasping breaths, finding that, while the fumes were cloying they weren’t choking them either. That, at least, was some small relief. However, the fast effects of the gas removed even that little shred of hope.

            “Kyaaa!” Candy cried out, looking at Jen. Jen looked confused, unaware her skin was starting to darken and turn into scales.

            “Candy? What’s going on?” she asked, already starting to shrink in her clothes, eyes widening as she watched her friend’s lovely blonde hair starting to fall out, being replaced by the same black scales spreading on her own face, not figuring out that they matched the Salandits surrounding them. The two sunk into their clothes, both realizing they were changing and, true to their selfish and vain natures, they started to focus far more on their own changes, in different ways of course.

            Jen was rubbing her head, feeling how smooth it was, running her changing hands over her face. Her nose, her perfect nose, perfect after the nose job at least, was stretching out, as was her mouth! She watched in horror as she slowly grew a muzzle, her slimming, darkening fingers stroking it unbelievingly. This couldn’t be happening! This was impossible!

            Candy was looking lower, seeing a tail starting to peek between her legs and stretch farther out behind her. That wasn’t even the most alarming part though! In the front she felt her lady parts change, and with a little experimentation she realized that not only did she have more reptilian reproductive organs, but specifically they were male lizard parts! She was a he! And with a quick glance, he confirmed Jen was too!

            “Hahaha! Look who’s laughing now!” the voice of the Salazzle drew their attention. The other Salandits still released their noxious fumes, making thinking harder for the ex-humans, but something about the Salazzle’s voice was familiar. “You two were the lowest of the low as humans, and now you’ll be at the bottom of my harem!”

            “Harem? What are you talking about?” Candy asked, though a sinking feeling in his stomach told him he already knew the answer. One look in the Salazzle’s cold eyes and he knew he was right.

            “Salazzles tend to keep harems of Salandit, didn’t you know? They taught this in school, dummy!” she laughed, enjoying the dumbfounded looks on Jen and Candy’s faces. It was so amusing watching them change, seeing the familiar fan-like pattern of inner flames sprouting across their backs and tails, their feet adapting to their new uses for climbing and scampering on uneven terrain. There wasn’t a trace of human left in them, save their minds.

            “W-We’ll get the police! You can’t do this!” Jen snapped. This just made the Salazzle laugh.

            “What good will that do you Jen? You two are just Salandits now, if humans find you? They won’t listen to what you have to say,” the beautiful lizard said with a grin, leaning down to look straight into Jen and Candy’s eyes as she continued, “The best you can hope for is they capture you. Just imagine those guys at school, how some of them treat their Pokémon. I wonder how you’d hold up,” the Salazzle spoke easily, which was probably why it was taking the ex-blonde’s so long to figure out her identity.

            “But…They’ll realize we’re not Pokémon,” Candy said weakly, trying to find hope, but se knew it was a false hope. Half the students at the school had been imbeciles, getting across a complex concept like being a Pokémon that used to be a human would be a miracle! The Salazzle gently patted him on the head soothingly.

            “Don’t worry, if you guys stay in my harem? I’ll be sure to take good care of you,” the Salazzle said gently, picking Candy up and hugging him close, rocking him gently to the envy of Jen. “Perhaps one day if you learn to respect me I’ll even allow you to be used for, hmhm, reproduction,” the Salazzle winked, setting Candy down, the new male stunned. Reproduction?!

            The Salazzle laughed happily, looking at her phone, the last remnant of her human life. Did she want to keep it? Did she want to someday reach out back out to her old life? There was Chase, he was very nice and handsome. Perhaps she could invite him over and change him too, hopefully into something more worthy of becoming her king than a Salandit.

            “Talia…I’m sorry!” Candy said with a sniffle, having put the pieces together finally. “Please, change us back!”

            “Hmm?” Talia turned, looking at the confused and pleading duo. She tapped a finger to her snout, “No, in fact? Burn your clothing! Your queen demands it!” She folded her arms, glaring at them.

            “Just do it Candy, it won’t be so bad,” Jen said, coughing and hacking a bit before spitting up several embers, igniting his clothes. Candy hesitated briefly, still considering running back to civilization and hoping to find someone who could help him, before he slumped, surrendering to his fate. He followed Jen’s lead, and soon all that remained of their humanity lay in ashes.

            “Perfect, come on now my new harem boys, we’ve some fun to have!” Talia called happily, laughing internally at her triumph over her old harassers. She clutched her phone in her hand, for now she’d keep it. Maybe to lure Chase here to be changed too, but she already had her shoulder Salandit, perhaps he’d make a worthy king?

            Oh the challenges a queen faced! She was going to enjoy her new life! The other two ex-humans? They’d soon fall into their new role as the lowest members of her harem. Hopefully they’d grow to enjoy it, it’s not like they could escape. They’d be caught practically immediately, and that was the only thing scarier to them than being subservient to a power-mad Talia. A very attractive power-mad Talia.