#283 - #284: Surskit & Masquerain

For the longest time, Surskit was the only bug/water dual-type Pokémon in the franchise. That is, until Gen. VII came around, in which no less than two new bug/water evolutionary lines were introduced (Wimpod and Golisopod, and Dewpider and Araquanid). Surskit doesn't even evolve into a bug/water Pokémon; instead, Masquerain has the much more common and less interesting bug/flying combination. Weird, but evolving from a bug/water type makes Masquerain have some interesting features.

Look at Surskit happily walking on water! 

More on that later, as I'll discuss Surskit first, a water strider Pokémon that also vaguely resembles a curling stone. Too bad Game Freak never actually did something with that curling stone design, because every bit of Surskit's character seems to be based on the water strider: the antenna on Surskit cap-like head secretes a thick, sugary syrup or a sweet scent, the former as a defense mechanism (although it sometimes doesn't work, as some Pokémon love to eat the syrup) and the latter to attract prey. Oil is secreted from the tips of its feet, which enables it to skate across large bodies of water. It would have been nice if at least one Pokédex entry mentioned that people often grab some Surskit by their antennae and push them across the water in order to see which ones comes farthest. It's cruel, but people have no conscientious objection to throwing Pyukumuku back into the ocean, so this shouldn't be a problem either, right? Right? 

Masquerain flaps the four wings on its lower body to freely fly in
any direction - even sideways and backwards, as if it were a
helicopter. Masquerain's Sapphire Pokédex entry mentions that
the 'eyes' on its antennae are droopy and appear sad when heavy
rainfall is on its way, but normally they look kind of angry and
intimidating.

Anyway, it's weird that Surskit's evolution Masquerain isn't even a water type: its head is shaped like a tear- or raindrop, and for heaven's sake, there's 'rain' in its name. Once Surskit evolves, though, it starts flying, so it trades the ever-useful water type for the less interesting flying type. There are a lot of bug/flying Pokémon already, but it has to be said that Masquerain is one of the most interesting ones out there. Despite having a water-themed flavor, it actually cannot fly when its wings are wet and its antennae (yes, the intimidating 'wings' with the eye-like patterns are actually antennae; the rhombus-shaped things on its lower body are its wings instead) become heavy and droop when it's raining. It still creates its nests along the water's edge, but as Masquerain is based on some sort of mosquito, this doesn't surprise me. Another interesting feature of Masquerain is that it's the only bug-type Pokémon to learn Scald - prior to Gen. VI, anyway - and the only bug type aside from Genesect to learn Ice Beam, while it still learns some 'standard' moves like Bug Buzz, Shadow Ball, Air Slash, Energy Ball, Signal Beam and Giga Drain. It even learns Hydro Pump, Aqua Jet and Water Pulse... If only it had the water typing to make good use of those moves, right? Why, its staple move is Quiver Dance, which boosts its special attack, special defense and speed by one stage each and soon makes Masquerain an unstoppable mosquito wiping the floor with everybody. In-game, that is, as using Masquerain is kind of risky to use in the competitive metagame. Its base 70 HP, 62 defense and 82 special defense leave it kind of vulnerable prior to a Quiver Dance, but at least it has some decent speed to set one up reliably - as of Sun and Moon, that is, in which it got a boost of 20 base points in speed, going from 60 to 80. Thankfully, Masquerain also got a boost in its base special attack in Sun and Moon, going from 80 to 100, so it should hit a lot harder now. Especially after a Quiver Dance.

Masquerain.

It's interesting how these Pokémon's behavior towards water turns a full 180 upon evolution. I still think Masquerain looks more like a mosquito than a moth, even though Bulbapedia states that its Japanese, Korean and Chinese names of Amemoth (アメモース), Binabang (비나방) and Yǔchì'é (雨翅蛾) all contain the word 'moth' in their respective languages. It's a small detail, and I think that Pokémon like Venomoth, Dustox, Mothim and Volcarona look more like moths than Masquerain does, but whatever. I like Masquerain primarily because I used it in a playthrough once. Once it had Quiver Dance, it didn't disappoint me. What's more, I think its design is actually more interesting and appealing than those of the other moth Pokémon (aside from Mothim), so I'm giving Masquerain a well-deserved rating of no less than 4 stars.

Now, I probably won't post anything during my playthroughs of Pokémon Sun and Moon, which should arrive tomorrow, so I'll see you all back in December. I hope. I'm going on a hiatus, at least, so take that into account when you're visiting Pokémon By Review. Thank you.

Rating: 4/5

#280 - #282, #475: Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir & Gallade

You probably wonder why the hell I'm wasting my time writing an entry for Ralts and its evolutions instead of playing the fuck out of Pokémon Sun and Moon, but the answer is simple: I am one of those unfortunate souls living in Europe - the Netherlands, to be exact - and I'm impatiently waiting for the games until I hear the clanging sound of my mailbox on the 23rd of November. Might as well write a couple of articles before I'm going on a 'hiatus', I'd dare say.

3D art of Ralts. If it wasn't looking up, you wouldn't be able to see the eyes that are
usually hidden beneath its cap-like head. Or maybe it is a cap, I'm not sure.

So... Ralts. It's a strange Pokémon, because it doesn't seem to be based on anything in particular. If anything, Ralts looks kind of humanoid, resembling a child. Human children often sense when something is amiss, and Game Freak have built its design and flavor from there: Ralts uses the horns on its cap-like head to read people and Pokémon's emotions and hides when it senses hostility. It reflects the mood of the person it reads, meaning that it becomes happy when its Trainer is in a cheerful mood and gets doleful when its Trainer is in a sad mood. A wild Ralts will rarely show itself to people (which is true, as it's the rarest of the early-route Pokémon), but when it does it will only draw closer when it senses the person has a positive disposition. When it evolves into Kirlia, however, the eyes - which Ralts does in fact have but are hidden beneath its 'cap' - become clearly visible now and it looks like it's wearing a... a tutu. And it has the stance ballet dancers are commonly portrayed with.

Well, I've seen Pokémon with stranger features than those.

3D art of Kirlia, in which it seems to be performing some kind of ballet dance.

Anyhow, Kirlia's horns are used to amplify its psychokinetic power and have the ability to let reality become warped. This distortion of reality causes mirages of nonexistent scenery and can cause a rip in dimensions (would Kirlia have anything to do with the Ultra Beasts in Sun and Moon?), which allows Kirlia to see into the future. It enjoys dancing on sunny mornings (well, duh!) and is said to grow beautiful when exposed to a Trainer with positive emotions. Again, cheerfulness lies at the basis of Kirlia's powers: a happy Trainer gives it energy for its psychokinetic abilities. Also interesting is Ralts and Kirlia's namesake. While the French and German names of Ralts, Tarsal and Trasla, are anagrams of the word 'astral' and even the name Ralts has something to do with it, Kirlia's name is derived from Kirlian photography. Bulbapedia describes it as "a special way of taking pictures that supposedly reveals psychic energy auras around subjects," but it is much more scientific than that: it is a collective term for photographic techniques used to capture the phenomenon of coronal discharges, electrical discharges brought on by the ionization of a fluid surrounding a conductor that is electrically charged. The techniques are named after Semyon Kirlian, a Russian inventor and researcher of Armenian descent, hence Kirlia's name.

Incredible papercraft figures of Ralts (little one in the front),
Kirlia (left), Gardevoir (right) and Gallade (middle).

Kirlia has two ways of evolving: it evolves into Gardevoir starting at level 30 or, if male, you can expose it to a Dawn Stone and let it turn into a Gallade. Gallade was inroduced one generation later than Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir as an alternative evolution of Kirlia, and it is believed to be created as a counterpart to Gardevoir: the latter is a special attacker who looks like a damsel in distress, while Gallade is a physical attacker and resembles a gallant knight. Or so goes a popular fan theory, but the truth is that Gardevoir can also be male. Its Japanese name is even Sirnight
(サーナイト), which may be derived from the phrase Saa, naito! ("Come, knight!") or just simply means Sir Knight. Or both. The English name of Gardevoir is based on the French words of garde and devoir - 'guard' and 'duty', respectively - or may be a combination of garder and voir, French verbs for 'to keep' and 'to see'. This is reflected in its Pokédex data, which explain how Gardevoir will protect its Trainer even at the cost of its own life (wow, that's some heavy shit!) and that it has the ability to see into the future, distorting the dimensions to such an extent it creates small black holes. The former explanation may also suggest that Gardevoir is based on a guardian angel, although it looks more like a principal dancer, very much like Kirlia resembles a ballet dancer.

Gardevoir laying in the grass, resting a bouquet of flowers on its chest.

However, Gardevoir is especially notorious for its role in the Internet meme called Rule 34, which is a generally accepted Internet rule that states that pornography or sexually related material exists for any conceivable object. Or, simply put: if something exists, there is pornographic content of it. Gardevoir isn't the first Pokémon to be made into hentai images (a catch-all term to describe a genre of anime and manga pornography) and it definitely won't be the last, but I can safely say it is the most prominent. Just Googling Gardevoir results into a certain 50/50 mix of normal and pornographic or suggestive images of Gardevoir, and I have to say it's disturbing. Who in their right mind would go and think, "Today I am going to create a pornographic image of a Pokémon, making the suggestion that it's sexy." A Pokémon! Ugh. I'm mentioning this aspect of Gardevoir because it is so painfully visible, otherwise I wouldn't even have mentioned it at all. It goes without saying that I won't post any hentai images of Gardevoir on this blog, nor will I recommend Googling them. And should you decide to do that anyway, enter Google at your own risk; I won't be held accountable.

Fan art of Mega Gardevoir.

It's a relief that Gardevoir is still being seen as a more-than-decent Pokémon to use, in-game as well as competitively. Its HP, attack and defense are mediocre, but its special attack and special defense are both sky-high, while its base 80 speed stat is decent. Its typing - psychic/fairy as of Gen. VI, gaining the fairy typing on top of its already existing psychic typing in X and Y - is especially helpful, as Moonblast helps against dragon types and Psychic makes short work of poison-type Pokémon that threaten its very existence. There are numerous ways to make use of Gardevoir, but it should stay a special attacker at all times. A Choice Specs set is mentioned on Smogon, but there is also a Life Orb set supported by Calm Mind and a Choice Scarf set to let Gardevoir outspeed some Pokémon in the competitive metagame. At least Gardevoir doesn't have to worry about coverage, because it has access to some pretty neat moves of many different typings, among which are Thunderbolt, Energy Ball, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Signal Beam and even Icy Wind. Phew. And that's not all, because Gardevoir got a Mega in X and Y. The horns protruding from its chest are know larger and are said to be a physical manifestation of its heart, making it able to let loose tremendous psychic power now that its heart is open. And that is clearly perceptible, because Mega Gardevoir leaves a dent in any opposing team with its base 165 special attack. Moreover, it has access to the Pixilate ability, which lets it turn normal-type moves into fairy-type moves. They also get a boost, making Hyper Voice more competitively viable than Moonblast, especially because Hyper Voice infiltrates substitutes. Before Mega-evolving, though, Trace is the preferred ability, as it copies the opposing Pokémon's ability and might turn it against them.

Shiny Mega Gardevoir. The flower on top of its head is not part of its design, but it's
a nice touch to the whole 'mourning' aspect of its design. 

Also, did you notice that regular Mega Gardevoir looks like it's wearing a wedding gown and shiny Mega Gardevoir seems to be wearing a mourning dress? That is such a nice touch, and I think shiny Mega Gardevoir is one of the most beautiful shinies out there. It's really pretty. Gardevoir is very loveable as a whole, by the way; I love everything about it, including its simple but beautiful design, its characteristics, its competitive utility and its Mega evolution - shiny Mega Gardevoir in particular.

And then we have Gallade, who isn't quite as beautiful and elegant as Gardevoir. Regular Gallade has the same stat distribution as Gardevoir, with only their attack and special attack stats swapped, so it's a very decent physical alternative to Gardevoir, but I'm just not that big a fan of its design. Its horizontally oval thighs are a bit off-putting, its slender body shape just doesn't do it for me as much as Gardevoir's, its blade-like arms don't look overly efficient and its legs are just weird. Gallade significantly earns points when it Mega-evolves, gaining a cape that fits it knightly aesthetics and blades that look more efficient than those of its regular form, as well as a head that resembles a gladiator's helmet. The weird legs and oval shape of its hips stay but are less accentuated because of the overall more busy 'knight in shining armor' design, which is a plus. Mega Gallade has a very nice design overall, but it doesn't even come close to Gardevoir's graceful looks.

I wanted to show you Gallade's weird oval hips and what better
way to do that than include its official artwork here? 

Like Gardevoir, however, Gallade fiercely fights to protect its Trainer. When doing that, it shows that it's a master of courtesy and swordsmanship and a master in predicting its foe's moves. The blade-like arms can be extended and therefore show resemblances to tonfa, melee weapons best known for their role in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts. Mega Gallade has arms that look like actual blades, however, and these are used simultaneously in a dual-wielding style by calling on its psychic powers. Predicting the foe's moves is still up to the player, though, because there's no denying it: Gallade is as frail as Gardevoir. Its Mega is kind of bulky, with 115 special defense and 95 defense, but the HP stat is never boosted upon Mega-evolving and Gallade's HP is honestly a bit subpar. Thankfully, its base 80 speed becomes 110 when it Mega-evolves and it can dish out damage hard and relatively fast. While Gardevoir usually needs a Timid nature, which ups speed and lowers attack, that is actually a bad nature for Gallade: Jolly or Adamant (both lower special attack, but the former provides an increase in speed and the latter an increase in attack) are usually the natures to go with, as well as a physical moveset, obviously. Aside from STAB moves like Psycho Cut, Zen Headbutt, Close Combat, Drain Punch and Brick Break, it also has a crazy diverse movepool: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Earthquake, Aerial Ace, Knock Off (very handy to knock off the opposing Pokémon's item, doing double the damage), Stone Edge, Rock Slide, X-Scissor, Poison Jab, Power-Up Punch, Shadow Sneak, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch and even Dual Chop are all very viable choices on a competitive Gallade's moveset. To top it all off, Gallade learns Swords Dance, which it can use to double its attack stat and perform a late-game sweep.

Wally and his Mega Gallade. 

Don't want to use Mega Gallade? That's fine, because you can use a Choice Scarf or Choice Band set on a regular Gallade, although the latter provides an attack boost rather than a speed boost and both sets lock it into using only one move until it's switched out. A Life Orb would therefore be better, especially because it allows Gallade to use Swords Dance, but Smogon also mentions a Bulk Up set. Bulk Up raises Gallade's attack and defense by one stage each, but its defense is already quite low, so it's not worth the hassle. If you can manage to pull it off, that's fine, but it's not the best way to use Gallade.

At the end of the day, Gardevoir and Gallade give the illusion that they're perfect counterparts, but that is really not the case here. Gardevoir has a 50/50 gender ratio, while Gallade is 100% male, so they're not the damsel in distress and Prince Charming everybody likes them to be. It has to be said that Gallade is a very good physical-based option if you don't need a special attacker, and its Mega is actually really cool; I like how it fits its flavor perfectly. I love everything about Gardevoir, however, while I'm not a big fan of regular Gallade's design. I'm gonna have to rate them separately: Gardevoir gets an easy 5, while Gallade will have to do with 4.5 stars. And that's mainly because of its Mega!

Rating Gardevoir: 5/5

Rating Gallade: 4.5/5

#278 - #279: Wingull & Pelipper

Ugh. Why does this thing exist, exactly?

Official art of Wingull by Ken Sugimori.

Wingull is probably more boring than Taillow is, and Pelipper isn't that much better. It goes without saying that, with wings like those, Wingull has trouble keeping said wings flapping in flight and instead of that it rides on updrafts rising from the sea as if it were a glider. I also think it is common knowledge that seagulls build their nests on steep cliffs nearby the ocean, among other things. So... meh. Whereas Wingull habitually hides prey and valuables in various locations, though, Pelipper has the tendency to carry eggs and small Pokémon around in its massive bill over long distances, bringing them to safety (the prey it scoops up from the sea is usually swallowed in one gulp). It likes to act like a buoy, bobbing in the ocean while it's resting its wings. Yeah... meh. At the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that Wingull and Pelipper are two mundane sea birds without any excessively distinctive characteristics, and their designs and flavor are just nothing short of unimaginative. On top of that, Pelipper is a bitch and a half to fight in-game. Any time I'm battling an AI opponent with a Pelipper, I find myself struggling with it, for it generally has either Supersonic or a combination of Protect and Stockpile. Even worse, Protect always seems to succeed twice or even three times in a row when used by Pelipper, wasting my time and PP and pissing me the fuck off. I haven't met a single person yet who didn't hate - or at least strongly dislike - the likes of Pelipper, and I can't imagine anyone would go and say, "Pelipper is my absolute favorite Pokémon." Like, no.

Also, Wingull is a seagull and Pelipper is a pelican. Alrighty, then.

Official art of Pelipper, also by Ken Sugimori. Drawing this
thing must have been one of his least 

And in a competitive setting? Personally, I wouldn't want to use Pelipper competitively, but for some reason it has some moderate bulk behind it. Its HP is pretty mediocre, but when it is maxed out it can back up Pelipper's excellent base 100 defense stat, especially when it has a defense-increasing nature (usually Bold). Although it is therefore used as a support Pokémon in order to remove entry hazards with Defog or try to inflict a burn on an opposing Pokémon with Scald, it cannot handle offensive pressure: any electric-type move will quickly do it in and special attacks will leave a huge dent in its health, which forces Pelipper to use Roost instead. This move does take away its flying typing for one subsequent turn, though, removing the weaknesses it has as a flying type and leaving it with only two single weaknesses to electric and grass, which may save its life. Speaking about lifesavers, U-Turn makes use of Pelipper's abominable attack stat, but it lets it get the hell off the goddamn battlefield while still doing a little bit of damage. If you can set up the rain, its hidden ability Rain Dish will heal a little bit of HP, which works very well with the Leftovers. You can even build an offensive moveset around Rain Dance, because its base 85 special attack is quite decent: Scald is boosted in the rain and still has a chance to burn the foe, while Hurricane's accuracy is buffed from 70% to 100% when the rain is up. Pelipper can also learn Ice Beam, which is a strong move almost every water type can learn, so it's a good way to complete your Pelipper's moveset. You can even let another of your Pokémon set up the rain and ditch Rain Dance for Roost, so you can keep Pelipper somewhat healthy. It's necessary, because an offensive moveset requires a Modest nature rather than a Bold one, which leaves Pelipper more vulnerable than you'd desire.

Look at this motherfucker. It's looking at me like, "I'm gonna annoy you to no end
and I'm gonna have goddamn fun doing that."

However, I don't even desire to own a fucking Pelipper in the first place. I hate this thing for everything it stands for: being a nasty little bitch who likes to stall me out for no apparent reason - and, while we're at it, break out of its goddamn Ultra Ball time and time again, even when its HP bar is in the fucking red. Seriously, why does it have a catch rate of only 45?

Fuck this thing. May its soul burn for eternity in the deepest pits of Hell.

P.S.: Have you heard its cry? Irksome.

Rating: 0.5/5

#276 - #277: Taillow & Swellow

Top row from left to right: Fletchling, Pidove and Pidgey.
Bottom row from left to right: Hoothoot, Starly and
Taillow.

Only now, after a dark-type hyena and two grass-type yōkai evolutionary lines, we meet the generic normal/flying-type birds of this region. Taillow is a feisty and gutsy little bird inspired by - based on its forked tail, pointy wings and color scheme - a barn swallow. It essentially behaves like a newborn baby bird, as it will weaken and start to cry loudly when it gets hungry, probably asking mama or papa Swellow to bring it food. It migrates to warm lands when it gets cold, traveling almost 180 miles a day. God, could its flavor be any more boring? We know that birds migrate, and we know that hatchlings get squeaky when they get hungry or thirsty, but we don't need to see it in a Pokédex entry. It's dull almost to the point that it gets a bit irritating. You're creating magical creatures one after the other and this is all you can come up with, Game Freak? It doesn't even matter that Taillow is brave and never backs down even if it faces a tough opponent, because its evolution Swellow has the ability Guts as well (which is an awesome ability, but more about that later), which indicates that Swellow is as courageous as its pre-evolution. Its predatory behavior actually make it reminiscent of a swallow-tailed kite, a bird of prey that has the same forked tail as a swallow, hence its name. Just like a bird of prey, Swellow is a fantastic dive-bomber and never misses a target. It is also very conscientious about the upkeep of... its glossy plumage. And it occasionally cleans the feathers of others of its species.

So we have a vain predatory bird? I'm giving up already.

Swellow flying about with a flock of Taillow. 

Ash had a Swellow in the anime, and it could sometimes be overly stubborn and persistent, even to the point it was willing to take a Thunder from Ash's Pikachu in order to defeat Tate and Liza's Solrock and Lunatone in a two-on-two battle. This, and Swellow's Pokédex entries, leads me to think these characteristics are any Swellow's standard personality traits, which is why it has Guts. That brings us to the competitive scene, where it could either excel or be a total letdown. Swellow has a pretty low base stat total of 430, so it's a pretty straightforward Pokémon. Its excellent speed and decent attack are the stats you should invest in, as its attack gets a 50% boost when Swellow has a status condition, due to Guts. That's why most Swellow have a Jolly nature, holding a Flame Orb or Toxic Orb to burn or poison themselves, respectively, even though having such a status condition significantly wears them down fast. That is especially the case when Swellow is rocking Brave Bird, which is a 120-power flying-type move that deals recoil damage. On top of that, Brave Bird and Facade (a 70-power move that gets doubled when the user suffers from a status condition) are the only good competitively viable physical moves it has access to, although you could make use of U-Turn. As for the fourth slot, you could give Swellow Protect in order for it to stall for one turn and see what the opponent is gonna go for (and activate the Orb item it is holding if it hasn't activated yet), or maybe Quick Attack to finish off opposing Pokémon that are at low health. Additionally, Roost heals half of Swellow's HP, but that means it has to take hit afterwards unless the opponent is switching out.

For some reason there's also a special Choice Specs moveset for Swellow to be found on Smogon, but its abysmal base 50 special attack renders it kind of useless. Why in the name of God would you run a special set on Swellow when its much better physical attack can easily be boosted by letting it hold a Flame Orb? Guts even negates the attack drop from the subsequent burn. I don't understand, but whatever.

A Trainer and his shiny Swellow.

It's such a shame Swellow's flavor is so bland, honestly, because I actually really, really like its design; and if played well, it can even be a powerhouse in competitive play. However, aside from these things there is actually nothing that makes Swellow stand out to other generic bird Pokémon. Because of that, I'll have to deprive it of a perfect rating or even a 4.5-star rating, but I guess 4 stars aren't bad, either.

Rating: 4/5

#273 - #275: Seedot, Nuzleaf & Shiftry

A papercraft Seedot on top of a pile of real-ass
acorns. Ingenious.

Remember those Pokémon that like to randomly drop from the sky, like Sunkern? Well, Seedot is the same, except in this case it makes more sense: the short stem on top of the cap-like thing on its head gives it the appearance of an acorn and is used to hang on trees, where Seedot absorbs their moisture and nutrients and falls to the ground with a thump when it becomes too heavy. It doesn't only look like an acorn, it is also classified as the 'Acorn Pokémon' and is even mistaken for a nut when it remains still, startling other Pokémon by moving when it is being 'preyed' upon. It even finds delight in scaring other Pokémon, that naughty little shit. And it doesn't get any better when it evolves into Nuzleaf, because Nuzleaf uses the leaf on its head as a flute to make music that creates senses of unease, uncertainty and even dread in people, even though it is perfectly able to play pleasant melodies. It will come out of its natural habitat - the forest - to purposely frighten people, which is not even mischievous behavior anymore but just plain bullying. Nuzleaf, you have issues. Then again, Nuzleaf is now also a dark type instead of a pure grass type like Seedot, and in Japanese the type translates to 'evil type'. What's curious is that both Seedot and Nuzleaf seem to be vain creatures: Seedot has a body that becomes glossier the more water it drinks and polishes it with leaves once a day to look pretty, whereas Nuzleaf hates having its long nose pinched, although I wouldn't like that either if I had a nose like that.

Nuzleaf on a Topps Pokémon card. 

That nose is kind of a big thing when it comes to Pinocchio - pardon me, Nuzleaf. The English name for it already contains the word 'nose', but its Japanese name is Konohana (コノハナ), which literally means 'big nose'. And that's not all, because its German name Blanas is derived from Blad, Blatt and Nase - 'brat', 'leaf' and 'nose' respectively - and its Korean name Ipseko (잎새코) contains saeko, which means 'pointy nose'. That nose is kind of an important in the designs of Nuzleaf and its evolution Shitry, because they seem to be based on the tengu, a cruel and tricky Japanese goblin often associated with a humongous nose. The earliest tengu were depicted with beaks, as they were originally believed to be avian creatures, but the long nose is widely considered the one defining characteristic of a tengu today. Shiftry's feet even resemble the type of geta (a kind of Chinese-Japanese footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops) that tengu are usually pictured with, called tengu-geta, while the hand fans Shiftry has for hands resemble the feathered fan called a ha-uchiwa most tengu are depicted holding. The dark type really does Shiftry justice, as it is a wicked and mysterious Pokémon that is said to live in the tops of 1,000-year-old trees and is feared by people as the guardian of the forest. It is said to arrive with chilly, wintry winds and the hand fans - or fan hands - can even generate gusts of wind in excess of 100 feet per second, being able to blow anything away. Shiftry is even able to read an opponent's mind, then take pre-emptive action.

Team Rocket surrounded by a bunch of Shiftry. Yes, Meowth and
James are both dressed up as Jessie; no, I don't know why. 

Unfortunately, Shiftry isn't all that menacing in competitive play. Its good HP doesn't really back up its worse-than-medicore defenses and its speed isn't anything out of the ordinary, either. Its best stats are its base 100 attack and base 90 special attack, which are workable but make Shiftry more of a glass cannon. Luckily, there are two sets you can use: a Swords Dance set and a Nasty Plot set. Swords Dance can be used to buff up Shiftry's attack stat, while the rest of the slots in its moveset consist of strong attacking moves. Its average make it more reliable on Sucker Punch than it would like to, but it is merely an option and can be replaced with Knock Off instead, while Seed Bomb, Leaf Blade, X-Scissor and Rock Slide are viable options to fill in the rest of its moveset. A physical set does require an Adamant or Jolly nature, and if you let another Pokémon set up the sun for Shiftry, it can make use of the speed boost its ability Chlorophyll provides it in harsh sunlight. This also works when Shiftry is running Nasty Plot and thus makes use of a special moveset rather than a physical one. Honestly, its special movepool is much better than its physical movepool: it learns Giga Drain, Dark Pulse, Focus Blast, Energy Ball, Leaf Storm, Shadow Ball (redundant, as ghost-type moves cover the same types dark-type moves do), Hurricane (a reference to its ability to whip up strong gusts of wind) and even Extrasensory, which is oddly Nuzleaf's former signature move, even though it's a grass/dark type and not a psychic type. It goes without saying that Shiftry needs a Modest or Timid nature when running Nasty Plot rather than Swords Dance, but one thing's for sure: both sets can be extremely deadly when Shiftry is holding a Life Orb.

And should you want to get rid of screens and/or entry hazards, Shiftry can learn Defog through breeding. I'd recommend giving another Pokémon a move that can remove entry hazards and the like, but at least the option to give it to Shiftry is right there. You can even make Shiftry a mixed attacker and give it Growth instead of Nasty Plot or Swords Dance so that it can boost both its physical and special attack by one stage each (two when the sun is in effect).

Who doesn't want a GIF of three Seedot jumping up and down? Adorable.

Shiftry is... interesting, I guess? Its design is not as appealing as Ludicolo's and it's not as viable in the competitive scene as Ludicolo is, but at least its flavor in general is kind of interesting. Both Shiftry and Ludicolo are based on certain Japanese yōkai, with the Shiftry family based on the tengu and the Ludicolo family based on the kappa. This makes them parallels to each other - or counterparts, if you will - especially when you consider both evolutionary lines are version-exclusive: Seedot can be caught on Route 102 in Ruby, while Lotad can be found in the same area in Sapphire. Shiftry's design is a little too blocky to my taste and I am of the opinion that it doesn't look as natural as Ludicolo does, but that doesn't necessarily mean I hate it. I just don't think it is worthy of any rating higher than 3.5 stars.

P.S.: What the FUCK is up with that mullet, though?

Rating: 3.5/5

#270 - #272: Lotad, Lombre & Ludicolo

Lotad watering flowers using the dish-shaped lilypad on its back.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were unique in the sense that they provided version-exclusive counterparts to be caught early on in the game. Even before you'd reach Petalburg City, Lotad could be caught on Route 102 in Sapphire, while Seedot could be caught in the same area in Ruby. While both got unique typings (Seedot evolves into the grass/dark-type Pokémon Nuzleaf, who eventually evolves into Shiftry, while Lotad is water/grass to begin with and stays that way all the way up to its final evolution Ludicolo), Lotad and its evolutions are basically the superior counterparts. Water/grass is such a good typing that it eliminates weaknesses to moves of common types like electric, grass, ice and fire, making them neutral instead, and leaves Lotad with trivial weaknesses to bug and flying and a significant one to poison due to all the fairy types chillin' around lately. Lotad itself is not all that interesting; it is a fresh-water Pokémon with a lilypad on its back, which is used to ferry smaller Pokémon that can't swim across lakes and ponds sometimes and withers when Lotad becomes dehydrated. That's pretty much all there is to say about it, to be honest. Nothing out of the ordinary to be seen here.

Lombre carrying three adorable Mudkipsies on
the hat-like lilypad on its head.

When Lotad evolves, however, it'll become a Pokémon Donald Trump would dub a 'bad hombre'. (Disclaimer: I pity any American who voted for Trump and thinks he will in fact change their country for the better, but I truly feel sorry for those who voted for Hillary Clinton and have to put up with a misogynistic, racist, homophobic and just generally douchy excuse for a President now.) You see, Lombre is a play on either hombre or sombrero - Spanish for 'man' or 'hat', respectively - or both, although its Japanese and German names of Hasubrero (ハスブレロ) and Lombrero definitely point to the latter. If you look closely, you'll see that the lilypad on its head indeed looks a little like this distinctive Mexican hat everybody would recognize from a considerable distance. Also, Lombre looks like it's wearing overalls, giving it the general appearance of a lazy Mexican, which even I think is a little stereotypical. But Lombre is primarily based on a certain creature from Japanese mythology: we've come across Golduck already, who seems to have some traits of a kappa, but Lombre is more obviously based on this creature. Kappa means 'river child' and this may be why Lombre is often mistaken for a human child, but aside from that it also has the aesthetic features of a kappa: the dish on a kappa's head is called a sara and is the source of its power, while the turtle-like beak it is often depicted with can also be found in Lombre's design (when Lombre opens its mouth, it resembles a Mexican with a mustache, too). However, there is nothing much to say about Lombre's Pokédex entries, except for the fact that the film that covers its body is unpleasant to touch and that it is a mischief-maker. When it spots anglers, it tugs on their fishing lines from beneath the surface to interfere and enjoys their consternation, and it even pops out of rivers to startle people. Naughty, naughty Lombre.

Even in the anime Ludicolo has a Mexican Trainer.

The Mexican aspects of this evolutionary line's designs become especially apparent when Lombre evolves into Ludicolo by use of a Water Stone: its headgear now looks more like a traditional sombrero, complete with a pointed crown shaped like a pineapple, while its body seems to be draped in a zigzag-patterned poncho. As if that wasn't enough already, all the cells in Ludicolo's body become stimulated when it hears children singing on hiking outings or just festive music in general, and it will break into a dance as it becomes more energetic and active, making it more powerful. All this certainly makes most people associate Ludicolo with a stereotypical Mexican dancer. However, Japan is a rather homogeneous country: 98% of the population is of Japanese descent and their knowledge of or experience with foreign people is practically nonexistent, so it could very well be that Nintendo and Game Freak were trying to create Pokémon with aesthetics referring to the Mexican culture and it didn't occur to them that said aesthetics are actually regarded as racial stereotypes. The same thing happened with Jynx, who looked evidently African in its older official art with its black skin and thick pink lips. The Story of Little Black Sambo is still considered a classic in Japan and merchandise hereof is still being sold like hotcakes, including things like palm tree kits, figurines, coffee mugs, school accessories and even fruit. It's not exactly what Jynx is based on, but I don't think it is a coincidence that it had a black skin before it was changed to purple due to controversy, even though it wasn't created with bad intentions.

Ludicolo (right) performing some exotic dance with Roserade (left) and Sceptile
(middle), playing the bongo drums in the meantime. 

I reckon the creation of Lombre and Ludicolo didn't go any differently, although it doesn't help that the suffix -colo might be an anagram of loco, Spanish for 'crazy', or may be a reference to the Spanish word for 'ridiculous', ridículo. Additionally, 'ludic' is an adjective you use when you refer to someone who is aimlessly playful (Ludicolo is also classified as the 'Carefree Pokémon') and Ludicolo's name might even refer to the word 'ludicrous', which means something is absurd or laughable. For Nintendo and Game Freak it's probably just a serious attempt to create a pocket monster, but to many people, Ludicolo being a laughably crazy Mexican dancer will have a negative connotation. I'm not particularly bothered by Pokémon clearly based on certain ethnicities, especially since I believe they affirm that Pokémon is meant to be universally recognizable. Since Gen. V, the regions in the core series games have started to be inspired by areas outside of Japan as well: Unova was based on New York City, Kalos was clearly based on France and the Alola region in the upcoming Sun and Moon games is supposed to be an adaptation of Hawaii. Still, I think Game Freak should exercise caution when it comes to applying certain stereotypical features to certain Pokémon's designs, like Ludicolo. At least it can still say it is based on a kappa, as its respective Japanese, German, Korean and Chinese names of Runpappa (ルンパッパ), Kappalores, Ropapa (로파파) and Lètiānhétóng (樂天河童) suggest - lètiān and hétóng mean 'happy-go-lucky' and kappa, respectively, so its Chinese name literally means 'happy kappa', which is cute.

A pretty cool drawing of a shiny Ludicolo.

How does this platypus duck thing hold up in the games, though? Well, while its base stat total of 480 isn't anything crazy, you'll be able to work with it. Its mediocre base 70 defense and excellent base 100 special defense are backed up by its more-than-decent base 80 HP, which makes it a moderately bulky Pokémon all around. What's more, its base 90 special attack can even be used to sweep, especially in the rain. You see, Ludicolo has access to the Swift Swim ability, which doubles its speed when it's raining, so you can set up Rain Dance and pretty much execute a late-game sweep with Hydro Pump. Because its speed is already doubled due to Rain Dance, a Modest nature and a Life Orb as Ludicolo's held item are recommended. So is a complete moveset, by the way, so give it Ice Beam and Giga Drain as a finishing touch. You can even let another Pokémon set up the rain for Ludicolo and replace Rain Dance with Focus Blast in order to have some extra type coverage, although this is optional. There's a Swords Dance set mentioned on Smogon, but due to Ludicolo's mediocre base 70 attack I don't recommend running it, unless you want to catch your opponent off guard. A Waterfall in the rain still hurts, of course, but Hydro Pump - or even Surf if you want a more accurate move - hits much harder, not to mention moves like Giga Drain and Ice Beam are more useful or hit harder than their physical counterparts Seed Bomb and Ice Punch. I mean, Giga Drain is Ludicolo's only means of recovery, except when you let it hold the Leftovers, which honestly works much better in conjunction with its second ability called Rain Dish.

Ludicolo playing in a pond with Ducklett (in the sombrero on Ludicolo's head),
Surskit (on the water), Lotad (in the water), and Goldeen and Poliwag, who can
vaguely be seen underwater.

Ludicolo is an interesting Pokémon. So far, it and its pre-evolutions are the only water/grass dual-types in the Pokémon games, unless Pokémon Sun and Moon will have some pleasant surprises in store for us (THIRTEEN MORE DAYS UNTIL I CAN FINALLY PLAY THESE GAMES I'M SO HYPED AAAAHHHHH!!!). Ludicolo is a comical yet surprisingly useful Pokémon and I really like it, so I'm giving it a 4.5-star rating.

Rating: 4.5/5

#265 - #269: Wurmple, Silcoon, Beautifly, Cascoon & Dustox

Two Wurmple and their brached evolution lines.

At first sight, Wurmple looks like a pretty unexciting Pokémon. Its design is based on nothing in particular, really, and it seems that it is nothing but your average caterpillar or larva. The fact that it spews some kind of silk that becomes gooey when exposed to the air makes me think of certain aspects of the silkworm, a worm particularly exploited for the fabric production of silk. While in some languages the adult form is referred to as a butterfly (the Dutch word zijdevlinder literally means 'silk butterfly'), it is actually a moth, which may be the reason why Wurmple can go two different ways when it evolves: it can change into either Silcoon or Cascoon, who then evolve into Beautifly and Dustox, respectively. What Wurmple is gonna evolve into actually depends on its personality value, which cannot be influenced or seen by the player, and thus it remains unknown whether it will become a Silcoon or Cascoon until it hits level 7. It's essentially random, so it's better to just catch a Silcoon or Cascoon in Petalburg Woods right away and save yourself the frustration of Wurmple evolving into the wrong goddamn thing. Silcoon and Cascoon share the exact same type, movepool, ability, body style, EV yield and base stat distribution, making them nearly identical, but they occupy two different slots in the National Pokédex nonetheless.

Beautifly (left) chillin' with Vivillon (middle) and Butterfree
(right). 

A silkworm encases itself in its own silk when it enters its pupal stage, and that is exactly what Silcoon is based on. Its official art shows spikes on it, but they're actually strands of silk with which Silcoon attaches itself to tree branches, where it quietly and motionlessly hangs while it awaits evolution. It was thought to endure severe hunger and thirst while waiting to evolve, but it is now known that it slakes its thirst by drinking rainwater and dew that collect on its silk. But as is the case with so many cocoon Pokémon its evolution comes fairly early on, and when it comes... Oh boy, brace yourselves, because there's nothing more terrifying than a territorial butterfly. Beautifly may be pretty, but it is an agressive Pokémon that will jab at foes with its long and curled proboscis if it is disturbed while collecting pollen, its favorite meal. However, as its Japanese name Agehunt (アゲハント) and Mandarin Chinese name Shòulièfèngdié (狩獵鳳蝶) suggest - shòuliè means 'to hunt' - Beautifly is also a hunter that will use its proboscis to drain body fluids from its prey (plus, agehachō and fèngdié both mean 'swallowtail butterfly', which is obviously the inspiration for Beautifly's design). Unfortunately, it is not so savage in-game, as its base stat total is a mere 395. Its base 100 special attack is actually very good, but Beautifly is awfully frail and isn't all that fast either. That's why the move Quiver Dance is a staple in any of Beautifly's movesets, because it raises its special attack, special defense and speed by one stage each when used. The rest of the slots can be filled with Bug Buzz and two other coverage moves. Air Cutter is STAB due to Beautifly's secondary flying type, but it isn't very powerful, so I'd go with Psychic and either Giga Drain or Energy Ball.

Also, should you want to Beautifly it competitively, which is risky as hell, a Timid or Modest nature and a Focus Sash are must-haves. A Timid nature gives it a slight boost to its speed while a Modest nature slightly raises its special attack, and a Focus Sash leaves it at 1 HP when it is attacked at full health and the attack would have knocked it out otherwise. It's a one-time use item, so be careful with it.

Dustox (below), Volcarona (right), Venomoth (top left) and
Mothim (bottom left) all hanging on to a Lampent, even though
it's a myth that moths are attracted to light.

And then we have Cascoon, who hides underneath leaves and inside the gaps of tree branches rather than hanging from them like Silcoon does. It is a grudge-bearing cocoon that will never forget the pain it endures during battles and seeks to get payback upon evolution, even though its silky cask is hard enough to endure attacks. You better hide, then, because you don't want to get chased by a 3'11"-tall moth. Dustox's name is apparent in the fact that its disc-shaped wings contain a noxious dust that, according to the Pokédex, will "even make pro westlers sick". Uhm... what? Since when is immunity to poison an aspect of professional wrestling? I know I don't know a whole lot about sports and the like (actually, I don't know shit about sports), but as far as I'm concerned, pro wrestlers are still human and thus as vulnerable to any poisonous substance as the rest of us. Weird. Anyway, Dustox is based on a Japanese moon moth, actias artemis, or the American luna moth, while its shiny form may be a reference to how moths mimic dead leaves. Dustox is nocturnal and apparently it is instinctively drawn to streetlights, even though actual moths aren't really attracted to light; instead, they navigate by it, operating under the assumption that the source is far away. In fact, the moon is their main source, although artificial lights - streetlights, for example - could mess up the internal navigation systems of certain animals, which is why it's understandable people would think moths are attracted to light when it will likely make them confused. Though that doesn't stop swarms of Dustox from wreaking havoc in towns and cities, where they strip the leaves off trees lining boulevards.

Again, nothing sounds more evil and savage than destroying beautiful trees that were so carefully planted ages ago, but Dustox's competitive utility is really nothing to write home about. Contrary to Beautifly, you'd do best to shy away from using Dustox entirely. Its base stat total is 385, which is only 10 less than Beautifly's, but whereas Beautifly got a boost of 10 base points in its special attack in Pokémon X and Y, Dustox got nothing. Its subpar base 60 HP doesn't make up for its mediocre defense and decent special defense and sure as heck won't prevent it from getting annihilated by a Flamethrower anyway. Its attack and special attack are both a base 50, which is just downright bad. They can't even be saved by Quiver Dance, whereas that move is actually Beautifly's saving grace if played well.

Family picture. Say 'cheese'!

Wurmple is interesting and unique in the sense that it is the only Pokémon with two branched evolutions that can evolve even further. While both second-stage evolutions don't look like much, I absolutely like Beautifly more than Dustox. I used both of them in a playthrough alongside each other and Beautifly was a real powerhouse for as long as it had a Quiver Dance up. Dustox, not so much; I boxed it after the fourth Gym and never looked back to it. I mean, there's an interesting concept behind Dustox's design, but even then I'm drawn towards Beautifly's design and flavor more than Dustox's. By and large, Beautifly is superior to Dustox in every aspect, even its shiny form; thus, I'm going to rate them separately, even though Beautifly's rating is higher by only one star.

Rating Beautifly: 4.5/5

Rating Dustox: 3.5/5