Roselia

Bellossom is also a small, bipedal flower, but it dances. Roselia threatens. The difference is in the hands: each arm ends in a flower, one red and one blue, and each contains a different poison. The thorns on its head are a separate matter — several Pokédex entries describe them as carrying an extremely dangerous toxin.

It is 30 centimetres tall and weighs 2 kilograms, so the danger does not come from its size. The behaviour described in the games is defensive: it fires fine thorns at anyone who approaches with the intention of plucking the flowers from its arms. In return, the scent it gives off relaxes nearby living things, and that scent works as a thermometer. The stronger it is, the better its health. A specimen that smells faintly is a sick specimen.

The flowers do not always grow in the same colour. It is said that drinking nutrient-rich spring water makes unusual shades bloom, and that on very rare occasions a specimen appears with colours not seen anywhere else.

It occupies the middle step of a three-stage line. Behind it is Budew, a bud that is still closed; ahead, Roserade, which replaces the flowers with two bouquets and hides its face. Its official category is Thorn Pokémon, not Flower Pokémon, and the order of those two words says quite a lot.

400 points spread out with one clear peak and several holes. The 100 Special Attack is the only reason to bring it onto the field; the 80 Special Defense helps; the 45 Defense and 50 HP hold nothing together, and the 65 Speed leaves it moving after almost everything that can genuinely hurt it. Its physical Attack stops at 60 and only sees use through Poison Sting, at level 34.

Natural Cure is the ability that defines it, and it works without conditions: any status problem disappears as soon as it leaves battle. A poisoning or burn that another Pokémon would carry for the whole match costs Roselia one switch. Poison Point depends on the opponent deciding to touch it, while Leaf Guard, its hidden ability, only does anything if the sun is on the field.

On the attack, Grass and Poison overlap more than is convenient: together they cover Water, Ground, Rock, Fairy and Grass, and run into Steel, which resists both. Defensively, it stands up to Water, Electric, Grass, Fighting and Fairy, and gives way to Fire, Ice, Flying and Psychic.

The real problem is timing. Energy Ball does not arrive until level 43 and Petal Dance until 52, so for a large part of a playthrough its best hit is Venoshock, with 65 power, at level 25. What it does get early are status moves: Poison Powder at 11 and Stun Spore at 18.

As a middle stage, it can use Eviolite, and with it that 45 Defense stops being ridiculous. Even so, Roserade does the same job with more Special Attack and more Speed, and only one Shiny Stone stands between them. Its natural place is a single-player playthrough, handling status in the middle stretch of the journey.

It belongs to the Fairy and Grass Egg Groups, the double entry that lets it breed with both the flowery half of the Pokédex and a good part of the Fairy types. The gender ratio is clean, 50% female, so breeding one does not depend on finding the rare sex. The 20 incubation cycles work out at roughly 5355 steps.

It has no Egg Moves, TMs or tutor moves: everything it knows in Pokémon Legends: Arceus comes through levelling up, from Poison Sting at 1 to Petal Dance at 52.

The line's two evolutions use different mechanics. Budew becomes Roselia by levelling up with a friendship of 160 or more, and always during the day: at night, nothing happens no matter how much you insist. Roselia becomes Roserade with a Shiny Stone, with no minimum level or extra condition, which means the evolution can trigger early if you are in a hurry.

Its habitat is the meadow. Its catch rate, 150, is well above the 45 of difficult species: an ordinary Poké Ball and a little damage are enough. It grows at a medium-slow rate, gives 140 base experience when defeated and awards 2 effort points in Special Attack. In the wild, it can carry a Poison Barb or Hearty Grains.