#504 - #505: Patrat & Watchog

Patrat as seen in TCG.

I have absolutely no idea where to start with Patrat. Like Rattata, Sentret, Zigzagoon and Bidoof, it is the mandatory Route 1 normal-type rodent and there isn't a lot to say about it other than its biological origins and the fact that a lot of people seem to despise it for some reason - and perhaps its evolution Watchog is hated even more by the fandom. I don't have a problem with any normal-type rodent in the franchise, let alone any Gen. V Pokémon, so I think the hate for it is unfounded and unjustified. In fact, Patrat's design and flavor are kind of interesting in my opinion, finding their inspiration in meerkats, African mongoose-like critters that stand sentry to look out for predators and warn others of approaching dangers - although it kinda looks like a chipmunk of some sort, if I have to be honest. According to the Dutch Wikipedia page, a bevy of other animal species take advantage of the warning cries from meerkats on guard, which is why the meerkat is called 'the warden of the desert'. Add to that the fact that Patrat - with the emphasis on the second syllable, because its name derives from 'patrol' - is very conscious and wary regarding its surroundings and is always on guard, and the likelihood that it is based on meerkats raises even more.

To make matters confusing, though, the English 'meerkat' is a loanword from Afrikaans, which in turn has a Dutch origin... but by misidentification. The Dutch meerkat stems from the Sanskrit markaṭa (मर्कट), meaning 'ape', and is used to specify the guenon monkeys from the genus cercopithecus, whereas the Dutch word for 'meerkat' is actually stokstaartje (literally 'stick tail'). This name is reminiscent of how Patrat's tail is mostly used to communicate with others of its species; it is almost always standing up straight and is raised whenever Patrat sees an enemy.

Watchog looks a whole lot more
fluorescent in its shiny form, tbh.

Patrat's cautious nature and meerkat characteristics are carried over to its evolution Watchog, whose design is now based on a roadworker, with its body resembling a protective suit and the yellow stripes forming a high-visibility public safety vest. Luminescent compounds in Watchog's body allow these stripes - and its eyes - to illuminate, which is a defense mechanism to threaten and possibly scare away predators, which especially comes in handy at night when Watchog will have to stand sentry due to its excellent night vision. Therefore, it is likely its name derives from 'watchdog', dogs used to alert their owners of an intruder's presence and scare them away - not to be confused with guard dogs, which are also capable to attack the intruder. This is all very ironic, because at base 85 its physical attack is Watchog's best stat. That is decent at best - though a lot of people would call it mediocre - and with base 77 speed as its second best stat, you're in for a tough ride if you decide to use this thing in a playthrough. And I'm specifically mentioning a playthrough, because you should steer clear from it altogether in the competitive metagame; it's too terrible for that. Actually, Watchog's level-up movepool is quite horrendous, as the best offensive moves it gets are Crunch and Hyper Fang (STAB), while you have to wait for the latter and put up with the weak Tackle until level 36. Absolutely atrocious. Okay, let's assume you're doing an Ultra Sun Wonderlocke and you receive a Patrat that you want to use, then you'll be in for some positive treats: the Move Tutors are actually very kind towards Watchog, as they'll be able to teach it Aqua Tail, Seed Bomb, Iron Tail, the elemental punches, Gunk Shot, Zen Headbutt and Stomping Tantrum, just to name a few. Or maybe the Hypnosis/Confuse Ray/Super Fang strategy is more your style...? Watchog isn't defensive enough to pull it off, but it learns these moves by level-up and they could work in your advantage. In the end, though, Watchog is heavily Move Tutor-reliant, as it also doesn't learn jack shit for TMs. No good TMs, by any means, with the exception of Return.

Gym Leader Lenora's Watchog in the anime series. 

Listen, I actually like Watchog. Its design is creative, its flavor is interesting, and it looks hilariously creepy. I know that sounds paradoxical, and maybe you're right, but despite its frightening disposition I just can't take this Pokémon seriously; those intimidating eyes can't hide the fact that its cheek pouches look adorably chubby. Like I said at the beginning of this article, I don't understand why so many people seem to act so negatively towards it. Maybe it has something to do with its early access to Detect (just a fighting-type Protect), Confuse Ray, Hypnosis and Super Fang, which it all learns at or before level 22, but dealing with that was never really an obstacle for me personally; Watchog is relatively easy to take down due to its poor defenses and it isn't as annoying as, say, a bitch-ass Pelipper. While Sentret did the lookout thing first, Patrat and Watchog take this aspect and elaborate on it quite well, and so I will by no means give them a bad rating.

Rating: 3.5/5