#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

#261 - #262: Poochyena & Mightyena

Huh, interesting. New generations traditionally kick off with the starter Pokémon - with the notable exception of Gen. V, which started off with Victini instead - and after them you'll usually find the generic bird, bug or rodent. Not in Hoenn's case, in which the first Pokémon in the Pokédex after the starters are dark-type canine-like Pokémon.

Poochyena (front) in the anime, with a couple of Mightyena in
the background.

And I specifically say canine-like, because Poochyena and its evolution Mightyena seem to be based on hyenas, which are carnivorous animals that belong to the suborder of feliformia or feloidea and are phylogenetically closer to felines and viverrids than to canines (in contrast, the counterpart of feliformia is caniformia or canoidea). However, hyenas are often mistakenly thought to be canine, which isn't all that surprising if you think about it: behaviorally and morphologically they are similar to canines in several facets, although certain behavioral aspects such as grooming, mating and parenting are consistent with the behavior of other feliforms. It's a little of a gray area, and there is something to be said for the pro-canine people as well as the pro-feline camp. At the end of the day, Poochyena and Mightyena are designed to look more canine ('pooch' is even slang for 'dog'), and it is possible that they're also based on a couple of canine creatures such as wolves. Poochyena might look like your average cute little doggie, but it tries to indimidate its foes by making its bushy tail bristle out and is a tenacious and obnoxious little bastard who will bite anything it sees moving and chases after its prey until they become exhausted. Often enough the victim will strike back, which causes Poochyena to turn tail and make a run for it, the cowardly little shit.

Such lovely fan art of Mightyena and Arcanine sharing a stick.

But this persistent bullying becomes coordinated teamwork when Poochyena evolves. Mightyena live in packs and a member of such a pack will follow the orders of its leader as it chases down prey. The only thing that doesn't make a whole lot of sense is that it starts giving off obvious signals when it is about to attack, like flattening its body and even growling deeply, but wouldn't the prey hear you and flee if you did that? I guess there would be other Mightyena at the ready to capture the fleeing prey should that happen, as it is a coordinated attack, after all, but it still doesn't make sense that a predator would let its prey known that it's nearby. Or maybe I'm dumb and luring the prey into fleeing in a certain direction is actual predatory behavior in real life, but it seems to me that a more stealthy approach with a couple of back-up pack members at the ready in case the prey tries to escape is a more effective way to hunt. But fuck me, right? Anyhow, Mightyena's savagery is nowhere to be found in the games, as its base stat total of only 420 doesn't lend itself to the creation of good competitive sets. Mightyena's best stat is its attack, at base 90, while its HP, defense, special defense and speed - 70, 70, 60 and 70, respectively - are mediocre at best. That's why it resides in Smogon's lowest tier possible for fully evolved Pokémon, PU. However, an Adamant nature in combination with the ability Moxie (raises its attack by one stage every time it knocks out an opponent), the held item Life Orb and the priority move Sucker Punch might(yena) make it a late-game sweeper in its respective tier. If you invest some time in breeding a Poochyena, it can learn some pretty nifty moves, too: it learns the elemental fangs as well as Iron Tail and the fairy-type move Play Rough, which is nice against fighting types that threaten it.

This artist perfectly managed to lay emphasis on Mightyena's hyenine features.

I've never been very fond of Poochyena, and that's for one reason and one reason only: I once encountered a shiny one on either Ruby or Sapphire (I forgot which one) early on in the game and accidentally knocked it out with a crit Scratch from my Torchic when I tried to weaken it. It's a good thing critical hits have been nerfed from Pokémon X and Y onwards, now dealing 1.5 times the normal damage instead of 2 times, but to this day I remain a little salty about it. Three years ago, I put Mightyena on number 36 in my list of favorite Pokémon, but that was merely based on its design, which has lost its appeal a little since then. Mightyena is still a very interesting dark type with characteristics that fit its type perfectly, but I have to hold back at least half a star - and maybe even more when time passes - from its final rating. At least for now, Mightyena may enjoy its excellent 4.5-star rating.

Rating: 4.5/5

#250: Ho-Oh

Ho-Oh as seen in the very first episode of the anime series.

You know, I don't mean to offend anyone who loves Ho-Oh, but this Pokémon is nowhere near as sick as Lugia. Ho-Oh is the first Gen. II Pokémon to be shown in the anime, and in the very first episode at that, but it didn't get the attention Lugia got: it doesn't have its own movie or anime arc and the appearances it has made so far are merely cameos. And even though Lugia doesn't have the power to resurrect Pokémon like Ho-Oh does - the latter revived Entei, Raikou and Suicune during a war that caused the Tin Tower and Brass Tower to burn down - Ho-Oh got nothing on Lugia. Game Freak even took Ho-Oh's signature move Sacred Fire and gave it to Entei, who makes far better use of it, while Lugia is still showing off what I call Aeroblast awesomeness. Poor Ho-Oh; it's as if Game Freak knows Lugia is more loved and popular than Ho-Oh and that they're deliberately putting it in the spotlights on a continuing basis because that's what the audience want. Of course, Ho-Oh is the mascot of Pokémon Gold and Pokémon HeartGold, but Lugia even got its own GameCube game in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. I absolutely LOVE Lugia and I fully understand why it is getting more attention, but that doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for Ho-Oh.

Flaming homo Fearow. :')

Like, it's not as if it's a bad Pokémon or something. It has the same base stat total as Lugia, sitting at 680, so it should obviously do something right. Right? Right, so its base 154 special defense is by far its best stat, which means you could easily run a specially defensive Ho-Oh, right? Wrong. It's not even necessary to invest in some HP EV training, because its base 130 attack and base 110 special attack make it more of a mixed attacker. At least, that's what Ho-Oh could be used for, as it learns some nifty special-based moves aside from its excellent physical-based coverage, although it is more common to run an Adamant-natured Ho-Oh holding a Choice Band or Life Orb. Naturally, its moveset should consist of STAB Brave Bird, STAB Sacred Fire (which is a physical move, strangely), Earthquake and a fourth and final move that fits your needs. You see, Ho-Oh resides in Smogon's Uber tier, like Lugia. When you know for a certainty that the opponent is bringing a Darkrai to the battlefield, you can also be sure that it's going to put you to sleep with Dark Void. So in order to counter that, you can give Ho-Oh Sleep Talk, which is a move that selects any of its other moves to attack with and makes sure you hit the Darkrai or any Pokémon your opponent switches out into. However, if you feel safer with an extra coverage move, Zen Headbutt and Iron Head are both viable options.

Ho-Oh does have its flaws, though: it has a quadruple weakness to rock and thus it's heavily damaged by Stealth Rock - and any physical-based rock-type move for that matter, due to its relatively low base 90 defense stat. Even its hidden ability Regenerator, which heals Ho-Oh when it switches out and is an amazing ability otherwise, won't do much for it then. And, to top it off, this bird's base 90 speed makes it slower than a flying beluga whale. Go figure.

Ho-Oh in front of the Bell Tower, a.k.a. the Tin Tower. This
tower was rebuilt after the war that meant the destruction of the
Brass and Tin Towers, but the former was never renovated or
rebuilt.

Yeah, while Lugia's design is just plain fabulous, Ho-Oh's design, typing and origin actually make a lot more sense. While it looks like it's based on phoenixes in general - hōō is Japanese for 'phoenix' - its Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese names of Fuhngwòhng (鳳凰) and Fèngwáng (鳳王), respectively, refer to one specific phoenix called the fenghuang, a mythological bird from Chinese folklore that reigns over all the other birds. As it often replaces the rooster in the Chinese zodiac, it is often referred to as the 'August Rooster'. While in the West it is commonly called the Chinese phoenix, mythological similarities with the Western phoenix are superficial, although the fenghuang was often depicted attacking snakes with its talons and wings spread. Anyone who has seen or read Fawkes attack the basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets knows what the fuck I'm talking about. Ho-Oh may also be based on the Huma, a mythical bird from Iranian legends and fables that is said to never alight on the ground and instead to live its entire life flying invisibly high above the Earth. In several variations of the Huma tale, the bird is said to consume itself in fire every few hundred years and rise anew from its ashes. Apparently, it can do the same thing with others, which is an obvious wink to Ho-Oh's power of resurrection: it was seen to be reborn from its own ashes and had a hand in resurrecting the legendary beasts. Also, anyone who catches a glimpse of the Huma, or even its shadow, will be sure to be a happy motherfucker for the rest of their life. Same for Ho-Oh, because the rare pure-hearted few who bear witness to it are promised eternal happiness.

Additionally, the fact that Ho-Oh leaves a trail of rainbows and myths in its wake when it flies the skies continuously on its magnificent seven-colored wings (that's another Huma reference right there) in search for Trainers with a pure heart may mean it's based on Achiyalabopa, a bird god of the Native American Pueblo peoples. It is described as being extraordinary in size and having rainbow-colored feathers that are as sharp as knives.

Okay, this wallpaper is kind of lit.

Oh, Ho-Oh... There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, it's just that Lugia gets more love. And I'm guilty of paying all of my attention to your counterpart as well, because I absolutely ADORE Lugia and I don't think you're as interesting as my second favorite Pokémon. Lugia is unique, one of a kind; this whole phoenix thing, however, was done with Moltres before you came, and has been done all over with Fletchinder and Talonflame recently. Ho-Oh, you have been deprived of being put in the spotlights by Game Freak and Nintendo over and over again, while all the love went to Lugia. You know what? I'll give you a 4.5-star rating, maybe that'll cheer you up.

Ah, who the fuck am I kidding? Ho-Oh will spend its life hiding itself until it gets faith in humanity again, and I don't see that happen anytime soon.

Rating: 4.5/5

#246 - #248: Larvitar, Pupitar & Tyranitar

Okay, let me confess something here: I don't care for pseudo-legends all that much. Other people would easily give all of them five-star ratings if they would be doing this whole rating thing, but I won't. With the notable exceptions of Metagross and Hydreigon, I don't like pseudos as much as I actually should, and I think the fact that I like Dragonair more than Dragonite is a really good example of that. Don't get me wrong here: I still like Dragonite to some extent, and I'm definitely not going to bash Tyranitar or any of the other pseudos, but you shouldn't expect me to go fanboying over them, either.

Cute little Larvitar holding on to its Substitute plush. 

However, you can't deny that Tyranitar are terrible parents. Its basic form Larvitar is born deep underground, far from its parents, and takes a long time coming to the surface: it will have to eat the surrounding soil before it can see its parents' faces. It will only enter its pupal form - i.e. evolve into Pupitar - upon eating an entire mountain's worth of earth, although in the games it just evolves at level 30. As a Pupitar it becomes trapped in a shell that is so hard that it can even withstand a collision with solid steel, and it has to create a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like jet. So it has to fart to move around? That's gross. However, it can move freely inside the shell while its arms and legs are developing, and its thrashing has such destructive power that it can topple a mountain. And Tyranitar? Tyranitar can crush a mountain with one hand. One hand. So... yeah. It has a vicious and insolent nature (see, I told you these things are bad parents!), and it will always be looking for a chance to fight because it knows its thick and rocky hide gives it a good resistance to all forms of attack. It is rarely scared and will never flinch at anything - except at a Serene Grace Air Slash from a Togekiss or a Serene Grace Iron Head from a Jirachi. If it's enraged, Tyranitar will set off outstanding non-STAB Earthquakes (the entire evolutionary line are rock types, but the secondary ground type changes into the dark type when Pupitar evolves into Tyranitar) that can completely change the entire landscape, often forcing cartographers to draw up new maps. So all things summarized, Tyranitar is nothing short of savage.

Pupitar in TCG. 

Now, you'd think that the entire evolutionary line are based on the notorious species of tyrannosaurus rex, but that is not necessarily the case. All of their Japanese names end with the suffix -giras, which may be derived from kirai ('hate') or Gojira and Angiras. Those are the Japanese names of the lizard-like creatures Godzilla and Anguirus, respectively, and are the monsters most often used in old Japanese tokusatsu movies, live-action fantasy or horror films with considerable use of special effects. As Anguirus is based on the ankylosaurus, it is more likely that Godzilla was the inspiration for Larvitar, Pupitar and Tyranitar - or Yogiras (ヨーギラス), Sangiras (サナギラス) and Bangiras (バンギラス) in Japanese. Godzilla itself was designed by combining the tyrannosaur, iguanodon and stegosaur, along with adding some crocodilian features, so we're coming full circle here. And if someone may be wondering what the prefixes of these Pokémon's Japanese names mean: Yogiras is derived from yōji ('baby') and/or yōsei ('larva'), Sangiras contains sanagi ('pupa'), and Bangiras and its foul temper were inspired from yaban ('savage') and/or ban ('barbarian'). That is awfully accurate, I'd say. Additionally, Tyranitar's English name is most likely derived from 'tyrant', referring to its vicious nature, rather than tyrannosaurus rex.

Pretty savage fan art of Mega Tyranitar.

Tyranitar is also a beast in competitive play. Aside from its speed, its base stats are decent to excellent, and it only gets better as Mega Tyranitar. It's not true that there isn't any attack that will leave a scratch on T-tar, but at least Game Freak have shown some consistency by giving it good defenses. Its base 110 defense is already sky-high, but because it's a rock type, its base 100 special defense will even increase by 50% during a sandstorm. And this only applies to regular T-tar. Its Mega has a base stat total of 700, with 164 attack, 150 defense and 120 special defense (before its ability Sand Stream whips up a sandstorm). Holy cow. You'd think it would be impossible to beat Mega T-tar at all, but it is kind of slow and has a whopping seven weaknesses, among which a quadruple one to fighting-type moves, so it has its flaws. There are some useful sets for regular Tyranitar, among which a Jolly Choice Scarf set and an Adamant Choice Band set, both with the Sand Stream ability and staple moves like Crunch, Stone Edge, Pursuit (a 40-power move that does double damage when the foe switches out on the turn it is used) and either Superpower or Earthquake. It can even be used for support, like setting up Stealth Rock and paralyze foes with Thunder Wave, but when using Mega Tyranitar I'd recommend going with a Dragon Dance set. Dragon Dance raises Mega
T-tar's attack and speed by one stage, and when it manages to pull one off, you're in big trouble, because it can finish off your Pokémon with a plethora of STAB and coverage moves.

Regular Tyranitar.

Now, I have another confession to make: I am NOT a fan of Mega Tyranitar. The spikes protruding everywhere from its body and the scales, which are now red instead of blue and enable it to emanate more power because they're seething with energy, only make it overdesigned. The scales do make Mega Tyranitar look more vicious, but they only enhance the notion that there are too many unnecessary additions to its design. So my rating today is for regular Tyranitar, who already looks savage on its own and didn't really need a Mega in the first place. And even though Tyranitar is naturally savage, its blue scales actually give it a somewhat softer look and don't make it look like it's overdesigned. I like Tyranitar more than Dragonite, but it's not one of my favorite Pokémon, so I'll guess it'll have to do with a 4.5-star rating. Which, by the way, isn't bad by any means.

P.S.: There's actually a Smogon Mega T-tar set called 'Indominus Rex', named after the new made-up dinosaur hybrid from Jurassic World. That's just fucking hilarious.

Rating: 4.5/5

#243: Raikou

Raikou is the first Johto legendary, but it's not my favorite. Let's just get the least interesting of the legendary beasts out of the way, shall we?

Raikou (right) with its fire and water counterparts Entei
(middle) and Suicune (right).

Entei, Suicune and Raikou form the trio of legendary beasts resurrected by Ho-Oh after the burning of the Brass Tower (or Burned Tower) in Ecruteak City, Johto. While Raikou is said to represent the lightning strike that ignited the fire that consumed the Brass Tower, Entei is said to represent the flames that burned it and Suicune is said to represent the rain that quenched the flames. Apparently, the purple mane on Raikou's back resembles a cumulonimbus cloud, the type of cloud most often associated with thunderstorms, and allows it to shoot bolts of lightning. It likes racing across the land while barking a cry that sounds like crashing thunder, sends shock waves shuddering through the air and shakes the ground as if lightning bolts have come crashing down. That sounds God-almighty; and rightfully so, because legendary Pokémon should have more outlandish characteristics than other Pokémon (although you don't have to make flavors too bland; RIGHT, Game Freak?). At least 'God-almighty' is the right word to describe Raikou, because it seems to be based on a few thunder and lightning deities from different folklores.

Damn, some pieces of fan art are just plain AMAZING! 

First and foremost, there's the raijū - literally 'thunder animal' or 'thunder beast' - which is a thunder demon from Japanese lore and is said to be the companion of the Japanese god of thunder, Raijin. A raijū is said to be able to take the form of a tiger, like Raikou is obviously based on, but its white-and-blue wolf form wrapped in lightning is the most common depiction of it (in fact, the Pokémon Manectric seems to be based on this form). There's also the Taoist deity of Lei Gong - literally 'Lord of Thunder' - from Chinese mythology, which is even Raikou's Mandarin Chinese name: Léigōng (雷公). This translates to Japanese as raikō, which literally means 'thunder duke' but is also taken from the words rai ('thunder') and kō (emperor). And aside from some Eastern deities, Raikou is also based on a couple of normal animals, most notably Bengal tigers and the extinct species similodon fatalis, most often referred to as the saber-toothed tiger. Bulbapedia even suggests that the white ruff around Raikou's face is akin to the Siberian tiger's thick fur around its neck, but I think that's a little farfetched. Sure, Siberian tigers live in a part of Russia close to Japan, and some even reside in China and North Korea, but I just think the designers thought the white ruff was a cool addition. Personally, I think the 'puffy cheeks' make Raikou look a little baby-faced.

Talk about being baby-faced: check out Raikou's sprites from Gold and Silver. Damn, it just looks weird.

Also, despite all its feline traits, Raikou and its companions are still considered dogs rather than cats. It has to be said that Entei and Suicune sure look canine, but Raikou really doesn't... Oh, well.

Raikou just being regal on its rock. 

The name 'legendary beast' sure does Raikou justice, though, because it is an absolute beast in battle. It is often hard to find a check for Raikou in competitive play, because its only weakness is ground and its defenses are very good. Well, its defense is quite mediocre, but its decent HP makes up for that and its base 100 special defense is good enough for it to take a few special hits. However, its special attack and speed, both a stunning base 115, are off the fucking charts. People often run a Calm Mind set on Raikou, to raise its special attack and special defense by one stage each and then annihilate the opponent with strong moves like Thunderbolt, Extrasensory, Shadow Ball and Signal Beam. Volt Switch can be thrown into mix for gaining momentum any time you need it, while Hidden Power provides some coverage of any type when you need it. The to-go nature for all Raikou sets is Timid, while a Calm Mind set can be accompanied by a held item such as a Life Orb or the Leftovers. Choice Specs or an Assault Vest are viable options as well, but both require Raikou to omit Calm Mind from its moveset. A 50% boost in special attack (Specs) or special defense (Vest) sounds nice, but it won't be able to get both with Calm Mind this way, although setting up requires the use of a valuable turn, so I understand the desire for instant power or bulk with the Specs or Vest.

There is a lot of awesome fan art of Raikou to be found on the Internet. I'd
recommend you go check it out. 

This is the same situation as with Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres: Articuno is my favorite legendary bird and wins from Zapdos and Moltres by a landslide (Team Mystic!), but I don't hate Zapdos and Moltres by any means, considering the fact I gave them both 4.5-star ratings. Raikou is nowhere near as interesting as Entei or even Suicune, but it'll get a 4.5-star rating from me nonetheless. And if I'm being honest, I might as well tell you guys that there aren't any legendary or mythical Pokémon that I hate and that most of them will get a 4-star rating or higher (although there could be one or two exceptions).

P.S.: I still have a little figurine of this thing, mind you. Not that I value it all that much, but I thought I should mention it just for the hell of it.

Rating: 4.5/5

#225: Delibird

It would be a wise decision not to accept that present, even though
it's alluring. And no, that is not just a bag behind Delibird; that is
its tail.

Santa Claus, my asscrack.

That red-and-white color scheme looks nice and all, and it may give Delibird the appearance of Santa, but Santa doesn't give presents that explode in your fucking face. And Delibird tends to do that. Like, a lot. However, the bag-like tail contains not only exploding presents, but also food it collects for its chicks. It has been known to share its food with humans stranded in icy mountains, and there was once a famous explorer who managed to reach the peak Mount Everest and managed to survive because a Delibird shared its food with him. It's curious Delibird likes to live on mountain cliffs, because penguins are usually native to the southern hemisphere and live in the southern parts of South America and southern Africa and along the coast of Antarctica - they don't even live in the Arctic area. They usually stay in the vicinity of the ocean, and there is a good chance they'll never even get to come near a goddamn mountain in their 20-year lifespans. The 2007 documentary Encounters at the End of the World even contains footage of a lone mentally deranged and disorientated penguin waddling toward the mountains, heading to a certain death. As far as anyone can tell, the penguin is aware of what it's doing, so basically that means it's committing suicide. Harsh.

The feels, man. The feels.

You gotta love this art, only for the fact that Delibird is riding an
Arcanine. That's awesome. 

So, one could wonder why Game Freak made the mountains Delibird's habitat, while penguins apparently can't thrive in mountainous areas. However, they've made some questionable choices in the past, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. What matters is that Delibird - a rockhopper penguin in aesthetics, but a puffin (a penguin-like bird capable of flight) in characteristics - is a terrible Pokémon: it has a base stat total of 330 and its base 75 speed is the best stat it has. And prepare for some more horseshit, because Delibird doesn't even evolve, so you can't get any better; what you see is what you get. Unless you're clever enough to steer away from Delibird and choose another hazard lead, that is. I mean, the combination of Spikes, Rapid Spin and Destiny Bond seems like an interesting tactic, but Delibird's defenses are so ass that it's not even funny anymore. If Delibird had packed a punch, that tactic would have been worth it, but right now Delibird isn't even good enough to use in-game. And I know what I'm talking about, because I was forced to use it in a Pokémon X Wonderlocke once; what's more, it was the first Pokémon I obtained through Wonder Trade and - surprise! - it was the very first Pokémon to fall.

I love Delibird's design, but I hate how useless it is in battles, even despite its good physical movepool - including Fly. It even has two different abilities that do the exact same thing; both Insomnia and Vital Spirit prevent it from falling asleep in battles, and the only difference between the two is that the latter has an overworld effect. It's not even a significant one at that. I would like to give Delibird a perfect rating because I love its design so much, but I just can't. I have to subtract at least half a star because it's just a mere gimmick Pokémon, which means my final rating is a 4.5. Not bad either, right?

Rating: 4.5/5

#216 - #217: Teddiursa & Ursaring

I never had a teddy bear. I had a stuffed thing that I called Knuffie (literal translation: Huggie, obviously not named after the diapers), but I didn't have a goddamn teddy bear. Until I got one in the form of a Teddiursa plush, that is, but I didn't like it very much and thus I didn't have it for very long. At a later time, I think I regretted the decision to discard it a little, because I've come to like Teddiursa and Ursaring much more than I did back then. Well, I was a stubborn child with certain favorite Pokémon and I didn't want to know anything about the rest of them. What more can I say?

This is not the Teddiursa plush I owned, but it's
so fluffy that I had to include it.

Why, I'm gonna say something about Teddiursa and Ursaring. That's what I'm gonna do, because that's what this whole article is for in the first place. Teddiursa loves honey, which is something that is derived from a trait of certain honey-loving bears such as the sloth bear or the Malayan sun bear. But Teddiursa doesn't just have a voracious appetite for this sticky stuff; no, it can also concoct its own honey by blending fruit and Beedrill pollen and absorbs the honey into its forepaws, which it is often seen licking. The crescent marking on its head - which might have been based on the mythology of the constellation Ursa Minor (more commonly called the Little Bear; ursa is Latin for 'bear') - begins to glow when it finds honey already made. Then it evolves into Ursaring: the crescent moon on its forehead changes into a full moon or new moon on its chest, and the aesthetic traits are more likely derived from Asian bears and grizzlies. Unfortunately, that's approximately where the interesting Pokédex entries end. Whereas Game Freak took the concept of honey bears and made Teddiursa's traits actually interesting because honey bears can't actually do what Teddiursa can, Ursaring is nothing special. I like its design, sure, and I have to admit it's a strong and useful Pokémon, but flavor-wise Game Freak really missed the mark when it comes to Ursaring. I mean, you're not gonna tell me that gathering food, sleeping in treetops, a keen olfactory sense (it can distinguish any kind of aroma), marking fruit-bearing trees in its territory with its claws and being too lazy to climb trees to pick fruit (it snaps them instead and collects any fruit and berries that fall down) is overly fascinating. The funny thing is that I never really complained about these Pokédex entries until I started this fucking blog and realized that the flavor of certain Pokémon isn't really all that interesting.

In battles the flavor doesn't matter, but it's nice to see one that matches a Pokémon's battle style (or vice versa) or one that's just an entirely different take on an already existing concept. It's lame to copy the traits of a certain animal and try to pull them off as the traits of a Pokémon based on that animal.

Cute, tiny Teddiursa (right) accompanied by other bear cubs: Pancham (left) and
Cubchoo (middle).

But enough with this lecture, let's take a gander at Ursaring's competitive abilities. Looking at its stats, I see a couple of problems: it's slow and its defenses are mediocre, although it is definitely capable of taking a hit or two due to its very decent HP stat. Furthermore, Ursaring's low speed can be compensated by one of its main abilities, Quick Feet, which raises its speed by 50% when it suffers from a status condition such as poison or paralysis. Guts does the exact same thing, only for attack instead of speed. Both are fine and allow Ursaring to hold onto one single item: the Toxic Orb. That item is the safest option, because the burn Ursaring gets from a Flame Orb halves its attack stat; and although Guts prevents that, Quick Feet does not. Both sets allow you to use Swords Dance, which sharply raises Ursaring's attack, and Facade, a move of base 70 power that doubles when - you guessed it - Ursaring is inflicted by a status condition, although the first set works better with a Jolly nature and the second set with an Adamant nature. To top it off, Ursaring has access to a variety of useful physical moves like Crunch, Close Combat, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Power-Up Punch, Play Rough, Gunk Shot, Seed Bomb and the elemental punches.

Don't fuck with these bears. From left to right: Cubchoo's evolution Beartic,
Ursaring, and Pancham's evolution Pangoro.

It's a shame I didn't like Teddiursa and Ursaring all that much when I was a kid, but at least I appreciate their very existence now. Although I never used it in a playthrough, I am planning on using one in a distant playthrough of Pokémon Sun or Moon. Ursaring is not one of my favorite Pokémon ever, but at least it doesn't have to worry about getting a bad rating.

Rating: 4.5/5

#214: Heracross

Heracross is ready to fuck up its opponents. 

Everything Game Freak did wrong with Pinsir they did right with Heracross. Pinsir is still a competetent and likeable Pokémon, and I didn't give it a 4.5-star rating for no fucking reason, but let's face it: with its ability to learn a ton of fighting-type moves - including its vast fighting-type level-up movepool - Pinsir should have been fighting in the first place. Heracross is less obviously a fighting type in its design (although its Mega form makes up for that) and doesn't learn as many fighting-type moves as Pinsir does, but it's definitely better than its 'predecessor'. Like Pinsir, Heracross is based on a popular bug species used in insect fighting, namely Japanese rhinoceros beetles, which are known for their incredible strength. Heracross, whose name is derived from Ἡρακλῆς ('Heracles', a demigod of Greek mythology more commonly known by its Roman name Hercules) and 'cross', has a flavor that could be expected from a combative bug: the claws on its feet are strong *blah blah blah* it uses them to dig them into the ground to gain a secure and solid footing *yada yada yada* hurls opponents and competitors for food over great distances with force *wah wah wah* thrusts its prized horn under enemies' bellies and flings them far way *yada yada yada* can lift 100 times its own weight and topple trees *blah blah blah*. No surprises there at all. Heracross feeds on fresh sap from leafy trees, though, and while it's usually a gentle and docile Pokémon, it will chase anyone who disturbs it while feeding on tree sap.

That's a sign of a serious tree sap addiction, if you ask me. I would check into rehab if I were you, Crossy. The sooner the better.

Official Mega Heracross art

In all seriousness, though, Heracross has gotten a nice new tactic in competitive play: a Mega. While I initially thought it was just a weird Mega evolution when it was first revealed, it has gradually grown on me since. Its design actually makes a lot of sense, too. It's already in Heracross's name, but Mega Heracross is based on the Hercules beetle, which is obviously derived from that same Greek demigod I was talking about earlier. The oddest thing about Mega Heracross is that its torso apparently resembles the grille of an air conditioner very much, doesn't it? It also functions as such: when it unleashes its maximum power, its body temperature increases dramatically, so it opens the shells of its arms and torso to let the heat escape. And it does indeed unleash its maximum power, because it has a whopping base attack stat of 185! Only Mega Mewtwo X exceeds that with a base attack stat of 190, but that's a legendary Pokémon and all, and Heracross most definitely isn't. It does lose a little speed upon Mega-evolving, though, so it allows you to not run a speed-boosting nature like Jolly but an attack-boosting nature such as Adamant instead. With a maxed-out attack stat of 260, Mega Heracross hits like a pulp truck crashes into an invisible dome. In other words, it hits HARD. And with the Skill Link ability, which allows moves that randomly hit two to five times to always hit five times, and a few nifty moves that benefit from it (Bullet Seed, Rock Blast and STAB Pin Missile), Mega Heracross is a force to be reckoned with. It can even use Swords Dance to boost its attack stat to utterly ridiculous levels.

It looks like this Heracross is swinging an opponent around. I believe it's Salamence,
but I couldn't be entirely sure. 

But there is also regular Heracross. It doesn't have access to Skill Link like Mega Heracross does, but it has some formidable abilities that it can use instead: Guts gives Heracross a 50% attack boost when it is inflicted by a status condition, which is why you can give it a Toxic Orb or Flame Orb to hold, while its hidden ability Moxie raises its attack by one stage every time it knocks out an opposing Pokémon. The latter works very well with a Choice Band or Life Orb rather than a Toxic Orb or something, as an Orb item only hinders Heracross when it doesn't have Guts. Both sets allow you to run a Jolly nature, but you should shy away from multi-strike moves. Go with moves that will do a massive amount of damage instantly, such as Close Combat, Megahorn, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Knock Off, Facade (only in conjunction with an Orb item) and either Night Slash or Shadow Claw.

3D (or semi-3D?) art of Mega Heracross, to be found in the Furious Fists expansion
of the Trading Card Game. The shells on its arms are open in order to ventilate its
body. 

Yes, Game Freak did a lot of things right with Heracross, and this Pokémon is a huge step forward compared to regular Pinsir - whom Game Freak did fix somewhat with a Mega. And while Mega Heracross is a monster, I'm still not a huge fan of its design. Yes, I know it's supposed to be based on a Hercules beetle, but the openable shells on its arms and torso makes me think like it's some kind of ventilation shaft. And to me, that's not exactly the definition of 'ordinary'. Then again, Pokémon based on magnets (Magnemite and Magneton) or gears (Klink, Klang and Klinklang) are quite out of the ordinary too, but at least their designs and flavor revolve all around that aspect instead of that aspect being just a small part of their designs. Like I said, I've come to appreciate Mega Heracross's design little by little, but for now I can't give it a perfect rating yet. It's a bit weird when you consider I'm giving 5-star ratings to Pokémon like Shuckle, Furret and Unown, but that's just the way it is.

Rating: 4.5/5

#204 - #205: Pineco & Forretress

Although these Pokémon are supposed to be bagworms, they actually look like pine cones. Well, at least Pineco does; it's based on a bagworm living in a pine cone, even though that is not very obviously noticeable in its design. It's more a pine cone with eyes, if you ask me. If I'm being honest, Burmy and Wormadam do this whole bagworm thing a little bit better than Pineco and Forretress design-wise, but I don't like Burmy and Wormadam all that much (Mothim is a whole other matter) and I do like Pineco and Forretress to some extent, so let's get started.

I couldn't find any good fan art, so I'll give you Pineco's official
art instead, drawn by (who else?) Ken Sugimori.

Now, Pineco is a Pokémon that likes to annoy people. Anyone who has ever played a Randomizer Nuzlocke knows what the hell I'm talking about. Its Pokédex entries explicitly say that if it is disturbed while eating hanging from its tree, it will drop to the ground and explode with no warning. That's apparent in this hand grenade's level-up movepool: it learns Self-Destruct at the ridiculously low level of 6. SIX!!! The earliest a Pokémon can learn Self-Destruct in ORAS - barring the level at which Pineco learns it, obviously - is at level 23 (Koffing). Voltorb and Electrode would be extremely jealous, I figure. Anyway, Pineco spits out a fluid on tree bark to make a kind of tree bark glue that keeps sticking to its shell, and it isn't even bothered by the added weight. It is probably one of the causes why its evolution Forretress is part steel type, as Forretress can shoot pieces of its outer steel-like shell to enemies. Tree bark leftovers? And despite its low base 40 speed stat, it can open its shell to capture prey so quickly that its interior cannot be seen; therefore, it's a complete mystery what's inside.

Is that all? Why, of course not; I would like to add that I find the word Tannenzapfen ('fir cone'), a word that lies at the basis of Pineco's German name Tannza, really amusing for some reason. The other word present in Pineco's German name is Panzer, meaning 'armor', although the Dutch pantser sounds almost the same. Despite that, I don't get the German language at all, even though I live in a country in which Dutch, a language very similar to German, is spoken every day by the majority of its inhabitants. I hate speaking German; I'd rather stick with the English language, if that's okay with you guys.

This Forretress TCG art is too cool to ignore. 

Right, so Pineco and Forretress's flavor might be a little bit bland - the fact that they're based on weaponry (Pineco on a hand grenade and Forretress's protrusions on cannons, while their ability to learn Spikes might be a reference to caltrops) is probably the most interesting aspect - but Forretress sure does its name justice: it is a fortress in battle. Well, not completely, but it's a very physically defensive Pokémon that is perfectly capable of setting up some very annoying entry hazards such as Stealth Rock, Spikes and Toxic Spikes. That sure is handy, as Omastar and Smeargle are the only other Pokémon that can learn all three at the same time. Omastar's main business is to smash its shell and wreak havoc and Smeargle is just a bad Pokémon all around, so it's a good thing a tank like Forretress is around to take care of these entry hazards. It's also able to learn Rapid Spin, a move that removes entry hazards on your side of the battlefield, and the steel-type move Gyro Ball, which does considerable damage the lower Forretress's speed is (which is why a Relaxed nature is recommended). You can teach it Volt Switch if you want to get the hell out of an undesirable situation while still doing a bit of damage, and if you don't need Forretress anymore, you can let it blow up using Explosion. It does have a quadruple weakness to fire, which is also its only weakness, but its ability Sturdy prevents it from being one-shotted when it's at full HP. And that's awesome.

While Pineco and Forretress look like rather uneventful Pokémon at first sight, they do have a little bit of oomph behind them. I actually like these scumbag bagworms a lot, so I'll give them a 4.5-star rating. Not bad for Pokémon that almost seem to be forgotten. Almost.

Rating: 4.5/5

#198, #430: Murkrow & Honchkrow

Murkrow.

So. Two more entries before I get to discussing Unown. Man, I can't wait to talk about Unown.

For now I'm gonna focus on Murkrow and Honchkrow, though. These Pokémon are obviously crows and Honchkrow is even the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch... oh wait, wrong franchise. Well, at least it is the Lord Commander of the Italian mafia, as it is not only based on a crow but on a mob boss as well. That's awesome. However, let's not jump ahead too much and take a look at Murkrow first. This bird can be taken to resemble a gang member under Honchkrow, although the crest on its head and its tail might also resemble a pointed hat and the bristles of a broom, respectively, giving it a resemblance to a witch in flight. Additionally, Honchkrow's tail looks like a besom broom, which, along with its hat- and beard-like feathers, give it the impression of a sorcerer or wizard. All this reminds me a little of Magica De Spell (in the Netherlands we call her Zwarte Magica, after zwarte magie, 'black magic'), who is a duck witch with a pet crow and continuously attempts to steal Scrooge McDuck's Number One Dime. It's all very innocent, of course, as it's Disney after all, but still...

Darker pieces of fan art are some of my favorite. This artist managed to make
Murkrow really ominous here, as seeing one is an omen of dark things to come,
although it is more of a prankster. 

And, lo and behold, Murkrow has a fondness for sparkly things and will steal objects such as jewelry to bring back to its nest, even when it comes directly from a woman's finger. Stealing glittering things is a trait that is more often attributed to magpies than to crows, but whatever. Contrary to popular belief, magpies and crows don't steal shiny things anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Murkrow does steal shiny things, and goes as far as to fight with other Pokémon that like them; Meowth and Murkrow even loot one another's stashes. Whenever it is chased, it loses its pursuer by leading it down a dark mountain trail, which it even does to other humans and Pokémon by way of a mean-spirited prank. People in the Pokémon world even get superstitious when it comes to Murkrow: they fear and loathe it and believe it to bring misfortune to those who see it at night.

Honchkrow acting as if it's putting a fedora on its head.

In short, Murkrow is nothing more than a criminal bird, which brings me to Honchkrow's origin. What, you want evidence that Honchkrow is based on the boss of a crime syndicate? Well, three leaders of villainous teams have had a Honchkrow on their teams so far: Giovanni from Team Rocket (who is a mob boss himself, which is a very nice touch Game Freak added there), Cyrus from Team Galactic and Lysandre from Team Flare. Its crest looks like a fedora hat, a piece of headgear often associated with mobsters, and its namesake screams it is based on a crime boss. Let's go:

English: Honchkrow is derived from 'honcho' - which in itself is derived from the Japanese word of hanchō - and means as much as 'leader' or 'boss'.

Japanese: Donkarasu (ドンカラス) is from don, Spanish for 'lord', and karasu, Japanese for crow. The Korean name Donkeurou (돈크로우) is a transliteration of Honchkrow's Japanese name and means exactly the same. This name actually makes the most sense, because 'Don' is a title many mafia leaders adopt.

German: Kramshef is a combination of Krähe and Chef, meaning 'crow' and 'boss', respectively.

Mandarin Chinese: Wūyātóutóu (烏鴉頭頭) is literally 'crow chief'.

French: Corboss is derived from the French word for 'crow', corneille (Bulbapedia says corbeau, but I'm going to contradict that because a corbeau is a raven), and 'boss'.

Still not convinced? Well, Honchkrow makes all Murkrow its bitches by uttering a deep cry, for which it is called the "Summoner of Night". It makes its Murkrow cronies bring it food and follow them when it wanders about at night. It is merciless by nature and never forgives the mistakes of its Murkrow followers. If that doesn't sound like a mob boss, then I don't know what does.

Honchkrow looks much more intimidating than Murkrow does.

Honchkrow is a great competitive battler as well. While Murkrow is just mediocre all around, Honchkrow gains much better HP and offensive stats and slightly better defensive stats when it evolves from Murkrow by use of a Dusk Stone (they're the only non-ghost types who can do that). Unfortunately, Honchkrow loses quite a bit of speed, so it is slower than its pre-evolution, which is never a good thing. Luckily there is a move that can get around that quite easily: Sucker Punch, which always hits first but fails when the target is not using a damaging move. Honchkrow has access to a great hidden ability, Moxie, which raises its attack by one stage when it knocks something out. Combine that with an Adamant nature and a Life Orb, and Honchkrow hits like a truck with moves like Brave Bird, Sucker Punch and Superpower (with Roost for reliable recovery). That's as far as useful moves go, though; it learns Steel Wing as well, but it's a rather weak move that's hardly worth the hassle. But fear not: there is another set that is worth your while. Honchkrow's base 125 attack is great, but its base 105 special attack is nothing to sneeze at, either. While it has no access to special-based flying-type moves, it does learn Nasty Plot naturally, with which it essentially doubles its special attack. In conjunction with a Modest nature and a Life Orb it can cause some serious damage. And it has access to just enough useful special moves, too: Dark Pulse, Psychic and Heat Wave are all viable options. It is advisable to go for Insomnia or Super Luck as its ability, though, as Moxie becomes useless when you decide to go for a special Nasty Plot set.

I think it's great Game Freak went for a mob boss Pokémon. It's such a unique concept; I don't think there are many animal Pokémon based on humans - in this case, a crow that resembles a crime boss. Well, there are humanoid Pokémon, but that's not exactly what I mean. While Honchkrow is not one of my all-time favorite Pokémon, it is definitely worthwhile of a 4.5-star rating. Honchkrow is a boss.

Rating: 4.5/5