#147 - #149: Dratini, Dragonair & Dragonite

For comparison: Dratini (right) and Dragonair
(left) look significantly different than Dragonite
(floating above Dratini and Dragonair).

Okay, so... I understand the concept of evolution and I know Pokémon evolution is a whole different take on this concept. But usually, Pokémon that can evolve gradually change into a final form that looks like its pre-evolution(s), whether by shape, appearance, logic, color scheme or all of the above. Bulbasaur is a dinosaur-like reptile with a seed bulb on its back and is known to evolve into Ivysaur, who has a flower on its back that's about to bloom, and then one more time into Venusaur, a huge-ass dinosaur whose flower has finally fully bloomed. Squirtle is a turtle whose final form is an even bigger turtle with fucking cannons on its back, and Charmander's change into Charizard goes quite smoothly, even though both Charmander and Charmeleon look more like salamanders than reptiles or (flying) dragons. Butterfree doesn't even remotely resemble its pre-evolutions, but it's common knowledge that ugly catterpillars change into beautiful butterflies. The evolution of Magikarp into Gyarados seems odd, but it's based on the Chinese legend of how carp leaping over the Dragon Gate become dragons. But how on Earth does the beautiful, elegant, serpent-like Dragonair evolve into the ugly, plump and clumsy Dragonite? It's... it's just... I don't get it. I really don't get it. And to make matters even worse, Dragonite's shiny form has a sickly green color to it, which is so unlike Dragonair's shiny, with its pinkish body and the bright golden color of its beads. It's so pretty and elegant. That can't exactly be said of Dragonite, not even of its regular form.

Dragonair looks really savage in this amazing piece of fan art! In
fact, I think it resembles Norse sea serpent Jörmungandr a little
here.

It's even more confusing when you realize that Dratini, Dragonair and Dragonite all seem to be based on the same entities: ryū, Chinese and Japanese dragons that are often depicted as serpent-shaped water deities that traditionally symbolize auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons and floods, and are often thought to be bringers of strength and good luck. And that's what Dratini and Dragonair's flavor is all about, too. Dratini (despite its name some Dratini can exceed 6'06", which is actually quite big) is filled with life energy and thus it is constantly growing, shedding its skin regularly in a lair behind a waterfall. Its constant growth may be a nod to Jörmungandr, a sea serpent from Norse mythology that is believed to be the middle child of Loki (if you don't know who that is, you should watch The Avengers). According to Norse folklore, the god Odin took Loki's three children and threw Jörmungandr in the great ocean that encircles Midgard, causing him to grow so rapidly that he was able to surround the Earth and grasp his own tail.

This picture really emphasizes Dragonair's beauty.

And let's face it, Dratini and Draonair are based on sea serpents. Dragonair has such a large amount of energy in its body that it can discharge it through the crystalline orbs on its neck and tail, causing its body to brighten and give off an aura that can change climate conditions in its vicinity. By itself, it exudes a gentle aura of mysteriousness. The beads on its tail may refer to the rattlesnake being one of the things that may have been the inspiration for Dragonair. Another is Hermes, the Greek god of transitions and boundaries; an intercessor between the mortal and the divine; the protector and patron of herdsman, thieves, oratory and wit, literature and poetry, athletics and sports, invention and trade, roads, boundaries, and travelers; the conductor of souls into the afterlife; and the emissary and messenger of the gods. And only because the wing-like ears on Dragonair's head, with which it is sometimes seen flying, resemble the wings on Hermes's hat and sandals. Notwithstanding, it's more likely that Dragonair is based on the imugi, a species of lesser serpentine dragons that all full-fledged dragons once were, according to Korean mythology. After an imugi lives a thousand years, it will have to catch a jewel (called a Yeouiju) that falls from the sky in order to become a true dragon. The jewel on Dragonair's neck might also be a reference to the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, in which the princess Kaguya-hime challenges her suitors to bring her back some items, including a colored jewel from a dragon's neck.

Whew. All these legends are dizzying me right now, and I haven't even had the chance to discuss Dragonite yet. Brace yourselves, this is going to be a longer article than I anticipated.

Fan art of two Dragonair, one of them shiny, embracing each
other. Yet again, this image emphasizes how pretty Dragonair
actually is, as opposed to Dragonite.

Okay. So. Dragonite. I may have given you the suggestion that I hate this thing, but I don't. I just think Dragonair is prettier and more elegant and its body parts are proportinal to its shape, size and appearance. This is not the case with Dragonite: despite being bigger and having a bulkier physique (Dragonair probably only reaches a length of 13'01" when you stretch it out), the horn on its head is actually smaller than Dragonair's, and the wings are too small relative to the size of its body. Beats me how it can fly faster than the speed of sound, being able to circle the globe in 16 hours at a pace of 1,556 mph (Mach 2). Dragonite is an intelligent and benevolent Pokémon that is known for its altruism: it searches for and saves drowning sailors and leads lost and foundering ships back to shore, hence its nickname 'Guardian of the Sea'. It is even often described as a marine Pokémon that is said to make its home somewhere in the sea. But as Chinese and Japanese dragons are often shown as being serpentine, Dragonite definitely isn't. It shares some traits with 'normal' dragons, but not too many, and I don't think we should deviate from Dratini and Dragonair's flavor anyway. Because, after all, Dragonite is a sea dragon of some sort, and I guess I'll just have to deal with the fact that Game Freak have done a bad job creating a proper evolution for Dragonair.

Some pretty cool fan art of Dragonite.

Well, at least design-wise. Because competitively, Dragonite is one of the best Pokémon to use! With a base stat total of 600 (and being the final form in a three-stage evolution line), Dragonite is considered a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, alongside Tyranitar, Salamence, Metagross, Garchomp, Hydreigon and Goodra. With the exception of Metagross, pseudo-legendaries are usually dragon-type or dragon-like Pokémon that are hard to obtain, emphasizing the power and rarity of the dragon type. This was especially apparent in the first two generations: Dratini and its evolutions were the only dragon types in Red, Blue and Yellow, and Kingdra was the only dragon-type addition to Gold, Silver and Crystal. It was almost as if they were exclusive to those who could tame them, but at least you get something in return: Dragonite is crazy strong and has access to some pretty sweet moves, if I may say so. One move is a must-have for Dragonite: Dragon Dance increases its attack and speed by one stage each. If you can pull off one or two of those, you can fire away with moves like Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Outrage, the elemental punches, Brick Break, Steel Wing, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Power-Up Punch, Waterfall, Dragon Rush, Iron Tail, Extreme Speed, Iron Head, Superpower... Whatever floats your boat (no pun intended). With a Jolly nature, a Lum Berry as its held item (heals any status condition) and its hidden ability Multiscale (halves the damage from an incoming move when Dragonite is at full HP), you'll be set. With Dragon Dance in its arsenal, an Adamant Dragonite might not be a bad idea, and a Life Orb can be chosen over a Lum Berry instead. Just be aware that this item breaks Multiscale. Finally, a Choice Band set isn't uncommon, but you won't be able to use Dragon Dance, which is kind of a shame, to be honest.

In the end, Dragonite is an absolute MONSTER in competitive play, although I don't really like it design-wise. Dragonair has always appealed to me more than Dragonite did, and it has become one of my favorite Pokémon to date. It probably won't surprise you that Dragonair gets a perfect rating and Dragonite doesn't, and they're the first pre-evo and final stage within the same generation to pull that trick. (Magneton and Magmar did it before, but their evolutions are both Gen. IV Pokémon and were introduced 11 years after their pre-evos were.)

Rating Dragonair: 5/5

Rating Dragonite: 4/5