#559 - #560: Scraggy & Scrafty

Scrafty (right) being pissed with its young.

Okay, I think it's time for me to make a confession: I am a sagger. I don't wear my pants below my butt or crotch like you see a lot of people of color doing all the time, especially men, but I still sag my pants and I've done that ever since I was a teenager. Today's Pokémon seem to encapsulate stereotypes that stem from various urban youth subcultures of the past few decades (namely hip-hop and punk), like giant mohawks, ill-fitting hoodies, bad behavior and, indeed, sagging or baggy pants - although it has to be said that the latter isn't exclusively associated with hip-hop or punk culture anymore due to popularization by skaters and rappers as well as the manufacture of brand underwear and boxers/boxer briefs with bright colors or patterns. However, it leaves no doubt for what reason Scraggy and Scrafty are actually dark/fighting types; this type combination perfectly summarizes their tendency to cause mischief and get into fights and implies that they're partly based on juvenile delinquents or gangsters. To justify creating Pokémon based on teens with sagging pants, Game Freak gave Scraggy and Scrafty a lot of reptilian features. The yellow substance around Scraggy's legs resembles a pair of trousers but is actually a tough rubbery piece of skin that it has shed - like lizards regularly do - and subsequently put back on. This pelt can be pulled all the way up to the neck in order to reduce the damage from attacks, and the saggier Scraggy's skin is, the more respect it garners from it.

A whole gang of Scraggy fucking up a kitchen. 

Any foe that so much as meets Scraggy's gaze will immediately have an unpleasant encounter with its massively thick cranium, as Scraggy is extremely short-fused. You'll probably also remember Ash's highly incompetent Scraggy - at least initially - that Ash hatched from an egg, requiring him to train it from scratch. The Scraggy liked to show its toughness to any Pokémon it met before trying to Headbutt them, but its overconfidence often got it into trouble as it believed it was much stronger than it actually was. Scraggy's English name really suits it, then, because it is most likely a combination of 'scrappy' (referring to its tendency to start fights out of nowhere) and either 'saggy' or 'baggy' (in reference to the molted skin 'pants').

"Wassup, dawg?"

Scrafty looks a lot scarier than Scraggy, flashing a ridiculously trendy mohawk, some fabulous eye shadow and a baggy hoodie - or rather just the hood - made of the same skin as its 'pants', which look even saggier than Scraggy's. If anything, Scrafty looks like a punker, although I'm sure anyone above the age of 30 is more inclined to call it a punk instead - which wouldn't be all that surprising considering Scrafty's Pokédex classification as the 'Hoodlum Pokémon'. It is able to expel an acidic liquid from its mouth in order to taunt opponents, which is no doubt an analogy for all the bullcrap those rude punks spit out nowadays in order to insult or taunt innocent passersby. Scrafty is known to display gang activity, living in groups with members of its species and beating up any Pokémon or human being who dares enter its territory. Gangs determine hierarchy by the size of one's crest; the bigger the crest, the more respected a Scrafty is, and the Scrafty with the largest crest becomes the gang leader. However desperate their need to rebel against the system is, though, Scrafty is shown to take very good care of its family, friends and turf. They're just misunderstood! Perhaps there comes a day when society won't treat them like total outcasts, but with a name like Scrafty ('crafty' means being skilled at deceit to achieve one's goals), I don't think the people in the Pokémon world will easily come to terms with a bunch of mohawk-sporting thugs.

I'm sure the fight this Scrafty just got out of was a
matter of life and death.

The Pokédex mentions that Scrafty is powerful enough to smash concrete blocks with its kicking attacks, although its physical attack stat leaves a lot to be desired in that regard. I mean, base 90 attack is fairly decent, especially since Scrafty has amazing defenses to boot, but it's still nothing compared to the likes of Darmanitan and Excadrill, to name a few. However, Scrafty has a very unique and useful type combination (dark/fighting) and access to a few moves that can raise its attack. The first is Dragon Dance, which raises the attack and speed of the Pokémon that uses it by one stage each, although Bulk Up raises attack and defense and plays more into Scrafty's defensive capabilities. The ability Moxie, which raises Scrafty's attack stat every time it gets a knockout, ties in perfectly with the Dragon Dance tactic and requires a Jolly nature as well as a strength-enhancing item like a Life Orb or some kind of Z-Crystal, while getting rid of status ailments with Shed Skin or lowering the opponent's attack stat with Intimidate works best when taking on a defensive approach - a Careful or Impish nature in conjunction with Bulk Up is not uncommon, and the Leftovers really help extend its durability on the field. In any case, no moveset is complete without some actual attacks. High Jump Kick and Crunch are amazing moves, and very few Pokémon resist both of these (only fairy types and Heracross, if I'm not mistaken), but moves like Iron Head, Iron Tail and Poison Jab - all very useful against said fairy types, because Scrafty is four times weak to them - as well as Head Smash, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Fire Punch and Zen Headbutt provide some neat type coverage. There are still some STAB moves like Knock Off, Drain Punch, Power-Up Punch and Brick Break for you to choose from, especially since High Jump Kick has a chance to miss and cause crash damage equal to half of the user's maximum HP as a result.

This is still a better love story than Twilight.

I don't particularly feel a connection with Scrafty just because I'm a sagger. If anything, I should feel a disconnect with it because its official art and in-game sprite show it holding the waist of its 'pants' as if it's constantly pulling them up. I don't even have to do that - though I've been told to pull my pants up millions of times - and I'm not even wearing a fucking belt. Nevertheless, Scrafty is a cool and original Pokémon with fascinating origins, versatile competitive utility and an interesting design, albeit with some simplified facial features; Bogleech here suggests Scrafty looks like an awkward notebook doodle that has accidentally come to life one day, or that Game Freak designed it with the graffiti art style in mind. I wouldn't put it past them, but I feel like this Pokémon was a half-assed attempt by Game Freak to connect with a broader audience and draw more people to the franchise. Honestly, if I hadn't been a die-hard Pokémon fan already, this Pokémon wouldn't have brought me back to the franchise at all. Still, I like Scrafty well enough, and like all Gen. V additions, this Pokémon isn't getting a bad rating from me by any means.

Rating: 4/5

#539: Sawk

TCG art of Sawk standing in front of the Unova Pokémon League,
looking as angry as a motherfucker.

Writing this review of Sawk will hopefully be a breeze, because a lot of the things I said about Throh also apply to Sawk. First and foremost, Sawk, just like Throh itself, is based on an oni, a supernatural troll- or ogre-like creature in Japanese folklore that is stereotypically depicted as being either red or blue and is often seen wearing some kind of loinclothes. They normally have horns, and Ken Sugimori once admitted in an interview that Sawk and Throh did have horns when they were still in development, but that was ultimately changed so that they wouldn't be confused with the oriinal designs of Tornadus and Thundurus. Like Throh, Sawk practises a martial arts, but rather than judo Sawk specializes in karate. Its tall and skinny appearance points to this, as does the karategi (complete with black belt) it is wearing, just like a real karateka. This is where Sawk starts to deviate from Throh, as its Pokédex entries state that this Pokémon is very seclusive, as opposed to Throh traveling in packs of five. Sawk trains in the mountains until it has mastered the strongest karate chop possible - without intermissions or sleep - and the sound of its punches against boulders and trees can be heard from all the way down. Sawk gets angry when its training routine is interrupted, and tying its black belt gets it pumped up and makes its punches even more destructive than they already are. Whereas Throh has the tendency to throw larger opponents around without due warning, as its name suggests, Sawk is capable of delivering powerful socks with utmost precision and discipline.

Sawk looking ready to sock it to you.

Throh may look like there's a lot of brutal force behind it, but Sawk is actually the strongest of the two. At base 125, its physical attack is 25 base points higher than Throh's, and it is much faster to boot. Its base 85 speed doesn't make it one of the fastest Pokémon out there, but there are a few ways to get around that. I've seen people running a Salac Berry set, which is an amazing way to raise Sawk's speed without getting hindered by the effects of a Choice Scarf. The only downside to that is that the berry will only be consumed when Sawk's remaining HP is low, but this works tremendously well in combination with Sturdy, an ability that allows Sawk to live any hit at full HP if it would have knocked it out otherwise. This makes Sawk a perfect end-game sweeper, although there are better and more reliable ways to make use of this Pokémon. Sawk benefits greatly from a Choice Scarf, which raises its speed right away but limits it to using only one move consecutively until you switch it out. A Choice Band does the same thing with Sawk's physical attack stat, which makes it an absolute powerhouse. While both sets warrant a Jolly nature, which is even recommended when using a Choice Band, you could breed a Sawk with an Adamant nature should you decide to go for a Choice Scarf instead. The Choice Scarf makes Sawk faster anyway, and some extra power behind its attacks wouldn't hurt anybody but your opponent. Speaking of attacks, Sawk has a lot of moves in its arsenal that it can use: Close Combat is its go-to STAB move, while it has excellent coverage moves like Earthquake, Knock Off, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Poison Jab, the elemental punches, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop and Dual Chop to its disposal. As for abilities, I've already mentioned Sturdy, but just like Throh it gets Mold Breaker as its hidden ability, which allows it to nullify opposing Pokémon's abilities if its moves would otherwise have no effect on them. For example, Sawk can now hit Levitate Pokémon with ground-type moves, paralyze Pokémon that have Limber and even make Pokémon with Inner Focus flinch.

Speaking of Inner Focus, Sawk also has access to this ability (again, just like Throh), but as it's frail and you want it to hit first no matter what, it is not the greatest ability for it to have. Sure, there's always a chance you'll come across the occasional Pokémon whose shtick is to make your Pokémon flinch as often as possible, but the most common ones are Jirachi and Togekiss - and perhaps even Shaymin - and those are Pokémon with types that Sawk is weak to, meaning you don't want to let it stay in against them in the first place.

Bianca is totally enamored by Sawk's flexing muscles. 

I actually like Sawk well enough, but I have to say that the weird eyebrow thingsie is a little bit off-putting. Moreover, the blue on Sawk doesn't look as good as the red does on Throh, and the latter's beefy appearance and 'come-at-me-bro' stance makes it a lot more intimidating than its counterpart. Also, I don't have quite the bond with it as I do with Throh, which I know is is kind of unfair. Sawk is okay in and of itself, and when reviewing it with its origins and its counterpart Throh in mind, there is no reason why I would give it any fewer than 3.5 stars.

P.S.: Does anybody have the feeling that Sawk should have gotten Guts and Throh should have gotten Sturdy? I think Sawk, having such mediocre HP and defenses, has no business having Sturdy as its primary ability in the first place, but I guess that's just me.

Rating: 3.5/5

#538: Throh

Two male-only fighting-type counterparts with their own specific martial art specialty... Hmmm, does anybody have any idea where I've seen that before?

All jokes aside, though, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan share their pre-evolution Tyrogue with each other and so they're technically both part of an evolution line, which means I reviewed them simultaneously (along with their third counterpart Hitmontop). Such a thing won't be happening with Throh and Sawk, especially since they will receive different ratings as well.

Throh as seen in TCG. This drawing is actually pretty accurate
as well: one of Throh's Pokédex entries states that this Pokémon
always travels in packs of five.

Even though they have a lot of things in common aesthetically, Throh - red-skinned and beefy and apparently specializes in judo - is unequivocally the opposite of Sawk, who is blue and thin and seems to specialize in the more offense-oriented martial art karate. First and foremost, though, both Pokémon are based on oni, some kind of ogre or troll creatures in Japanese folklore that are usually red or blue and are typically portrayed as hulking fugures with one or more horns growing out of their heads. In fact, according to interviews with Ken Sugimori in Nintendo Dream, Sawk and Throh both had horns when they were still in development. Game Freak did this to make these Pokémon look more like oni, but the horns were ultimately omitted in their final designs and replaced with eyebrows so as not to clash with Thundurus and Tornadus, who were both originally designed to be red and blue. To tie in with the fact that oni are often portrayed wearing something, usually loinclothes, Throh looks like a judoka wearing a white judogi with a black belt, the latter of which it actually weaves from vines and ties around its waist to increase its own power. Throh is driven by an irresistable urge to throw larger opponents, probably trying to prove itself compared to Sawk, who is taller and physically stronger.

Sawk (left) and Throh (right).

However, Sawk is also as breakable as a toothpick, while Throh has above-average defenses and a massive base 120 HP stat, allowing to live a hit from anything that isn't super-effective on it - and sometimes even when a move is super-effective. It takes on the role of Hitmonchan substitute in that regard, as that Pokémon is also a bit more defensive than Hitmonlee, although the latter is just slightly faster and more aggressive and has the same special defense stat as Hitmonchan. Throh, on the other hand, has a significantly better HP stat than Sawk and is much less offensive-oriented than its counterpart as well. The problem with that is that Throh doesn't learn a whole lot of support moves to go with its defensive disposition. Sure, there's Rest and Sleep Talk, but that usually means that Sleep Talk will select Rest when Throh is asleep because of Rest. I'm not a huge fan of this combination - except on a Pokémon that can actually pull it off quite well, like Suicune - and I'd recommend you go for an offensive set. Nothing crazy, mind you, but at least Throh learns a few nifty moves that are available to only a handful of other Pokémon: Storm Throw has a base power of 60 but always results in a critical hit, while Circle Throw has decreased priority but forces the opposing Pokémon to retreat to its Poké Ball. Throh doesn't mind the decreased priority anyway, because it's slow as hell to begin with. In fact, a moveset consisting of Bulk Up, Circle Throw/Storm Throw, Rest and Knock Off isn't that bad, as long as you give Throh a Careful nature to give its special defense a small boost and let it hold the Leftovers so that it can heal up a bit of its HP every turn. Throh also has access to a few great coverage moves if you need them. Poison Jab comes in handy against fairy types; Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Ice Punch or Thunder Punch are perfect against flying types; and Fire Punch, Earthquake and Zen Headbutt are overall handy moves against Pokémon that Throh can't touch with its STAB moves, like bug and poison types.

The trickiest is determining Throh's ability, though. Guts increases Throh's defense by 50% when it suffers from a non-volatile status condition and is amazing when it gets burned or paralyzed (poison is more annoying and takes more HP from Throh every turn than a burn does). As this Pokémon is slow, it is very susceptible to flinching, and Inner Focus prevents that altogether. Finally, Mold Breaker ignores the effects of abilities that could potentially affect the damage or effects of a move that Throh executes, meaning, for example, that Throh can bypass Levitate and use Earthquake as it goddamn well pleases.

A Throh figurine, with its counterpart Sawk standing in the background.

Design-wise, I like Throh a lot more than Sawk: in this case, red looks better than blue, beefy looks better than skinny, and the T-shaped unibrow (which probably wasn't intentional... right?) isn't as stupid-looking on Throh as the reversed S on Sawk. While I like Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan - and even Hitmontop - more or less equally, this isn't the case with Throh and Sawk at all. I even did a Pokémon Y Wonderlocke once, in which I got a Throh that pulled me and the rest of my team through pretty much 95% of the game, until I was so stupid not to heal it when it was facing a fucking Crustle with Rock Wrecker. I have to say I got a bit attached to this bulky bruiser, and for all of the reasons I mentioned I'm giving it a solid 4-star rating.

Rating: 4/5

#532 - #534: Timburr, Gurdurr & Conkeldurr

In today's episode of 'Blatant Unova Rip-Offs of Kanto Pokémon': Machop, Machoke and Machamp 2.0, only with swelling veins visible all over the surface of their bodies. Yikes.

Timburr ready to attack while tightly holding on to its
squared log.

Conceptually, though, the Timburr family really couldn't differ any more from their Kanto counterparts. While Machop, Machoke and Machamp don't seem to be based on anything more than musclemen, Timburr and its evolutions Gurdurr and Conkeldurr are obviously supposed to be construction workers judging from the objects they're holding, although Machop is most commonly associated with construction sites in its respective region as well: surely you haven't forgotten the empty plot of land in the northeastern part of Vermilion City, where an old man's Machop is preparing it for construction of a building. Timburr - which is a corruption of 'timber' - is always carrying around a squared log with it, hence its name. This Pokémon shows up at building sites to help out with construction, but I can only imagine the wooden beam it is carrying tremendously hinders it in its work. Timburr carries bigger logs as it grows, and once it can handle the lumber without difficulty, it is close to evolving - although in reality, Timburr just evolves into Gurdurr at level 25. Gurdurr - which, similarly to Timburr's name, is a corruption of 'girder' - is known to usually carry an I-beam girder in its arms that it uses to train its muscles. It is so buff, in fact, that even a group of professional wrestlers attacking it won't be able to budge it. Like Timburr, it is found at construction sites, but its Pokédex entries mention it skillfully wielding steel beams to take down buildings rather than... well, construct them. For Pokémon that are supposed to help construct things, they're pretty destructive, although it could be argued that in this profession buildings are often taken down to make place for new ones.

Gurdurr as seen in the anime, briefly putting its I-beam girder aside. 

And then there's Conkeldurr, whose unamused look, troll face, dark-ringed eyes and gray goatee give it the look of an elder from some kind of fantasy game. It is holding two cracked concrete pillars that it uses to carry out a strong attack without the need to actually use physical strength, or as walking canes to support its massive upper body - and in my opinion, the veins up there kinda have the shape of a Macho Brace. It is thought that Conkeldurr taught humans how to make concrete more than 2,000 years ago, and rather than rely on force, it has mastered moves that utilize the centrifugal force of spinning concrete. While similar to Machamp when it comes to typing, gender ratio, base stat total, stat destribution (well... sort of) and evolution method (which is trading), Conkeldurr is actually so much more interesting than its Kanto counterpart, despite the fact that the latter literally has four arms. Not only does Conkeldurr's brutal humanoid appearance suggest inspiration from ogres from all kinds of mythology, folklore and fairy tales, it may also be based on a muscleman carny from a carnival sideshow due to its buff body and clown nose.

Conkeldurr breaking one of its concrete pillars as if it were a
toothpick. Not that it matters, as it is very proficient in making
concrete.

Even though Conkeldurr is reluctant to use physical strength, it does have it. Its base attack is its highest stat, at a whopping 140, followed by some pretty good base 105 HP and decent 95 and 65 defenses. While a base special defense stat of 65 isn't that high by normal standards, Conkeldurr is often used with an Assault Vest attached to it. This item raises Conkeldurr's special defense but limits it to using only offensive moves, which is exactly what this Pokémon should be doing in the first place. An Assault Vest makes Conkeldurr all-around defensive so that it can take a few hits on either side of the spectrum before it gets a chance to attack, because my God, this thing is slow. It also doesn't have a shortage of moves in its arsenal, either, having access to coverage moves like Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Poison Jab, Payback, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch and Knock Off. As for STAB attacks, Hammer Arm and Mach Punch are must-haves: the former lowers Conkeldurr's speed, but that doesn't matter because it's slow anyway (which reminds me to tell you to make sure that its nature is Adamant at all times), and the latter is a priority move with a base power of 40, often used to finish off worn-down opponents. Drain Punch is an awesome alternative to Hammer Arm, especially to keep Conkeldurr 'hydrated' throughout the battle, and goes exceptionally well with its hidden ability Iron First, which raises the power of punching moves - including Hammer Arm - by 20%.

However, the preferred ability for Conkeldurr is Guts, which raises its attack stat by 50% whenever it is affected by a non-volatile status condition (burn, poison and paralysis; sleep and freeze render it immobile). This makes Conkeldurr an unwanted target for moves like Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave and Toxic, but once a status condition like that is inflicted on it, it becomes a force to be reckoned with. You could even inflict the burn on Conkeldurr yourself and activate Guts by letting it hold a Flame Orb. Sheer Force isn't a bad ability either, as it removes secondary effects from moves like Rock Slide, Poison Jab and the elemental punches in exchange for 30% more power and works extremely well in combination with a Life Orb or a Choice Band. Guts is still the better ability, though.

According to this guy right here, Machamp and Conkeldurr are his "bruiser bros",
which is one of the best terms I have seen for Conkeldurr to date. 

Conkeldurr is essentially a better version of Machamp, even though the latter has a nice trick up its sleeve concerning the move Dynamic Punch and the ability No Guard. Overall, Conkeldurr is just slightly more defensive and displays a much higher versatility by having no fewer than three great possible abilities as well as an excellent move that keeps its HP in the green: Drain Punch, a fighting-type move that Machamp unortunately doesn't have access to at all - just like Mach Punch, for that matter. Conkeldurr is even more interesting design- and flavor-wise, deriving from ogres/trolls, carnival employees and construction workers, while Machamp only seems to be based on one of these WWE morons (I don't like any sport, but wrestling is extraordinarily stupid) judging by the briefs and belt it is wearing. Just note that I don't hate Machamp by any means - I mean, it has a solid 3.5-star rating on this blog - but I just think Conkeldurr is far superior.

Rating: 4.5/5

#498 - #500: Tepig, Pignite & Emboar

Left: cute little Tepig seems to be a bit surprised by the flames
coming out of its snout. Right: what's a better way to show how
awkward Pignite really is than posting an image of its fucking
official art? Seriously though, who the hell came up with this?

My initial reaction to the red-hot Unova fire-type starters was... lukewarm. By the time Pokémon Black and White were released, I was as sick and tired of fire/fighting starters as everybody else in the fandom, and so I almost always ended up picking either Snivy or Oshawott when playing these games - or their sequels, for that matter. It's not Tepig's fault, really. This cute little British Saddleback piggy deftly dodges its foe's attacks while shooting fireballs from its nose, although the fire becomes pitch-black smoke when it catches a cold. Adorable. Nothing wrong with this thing... until it evolves into Pignite, that is. Whereas I would rather keep Tepig as a pet, I want to slaughter Pignite and make bacon out of it; it's that ugly. It's fat, which wouldn't have been a problem if this thing wasn't bipedal, and the brownish black fur makes it seem like it's wearing a wrestling singlet. This may sound weird coming from a gay man, but I don't think two sweaty men fighting it out in ugly bodysuits is particularly sexy, and a cartoon pig with fur that reminds me of such a suit is just plain weird. Pignite's flavor doesn't really help its cause, either: it has a fire in its stomach that it fuels with food, and the more fuel is added, the swifter and sharper its movements become. Every time it fires off a Flamethrower at your Pokémon, it's getting hit by burned-up gastric acids; think about that for a second when fighting this thing. Gross. By the way, there's nothing in the games that makes Pignite faster other than the move Flame Charge, which almost all fire-type Pokémon can learn.

Emboar being a badass in promotional TCG art.

But maybe I'm just so negative about Pignite because I really hate its design. Emboar, by contrast, is quite okay design-wise; while retaining the main feature of the British Saddleback (the 'striped' fur), it also adopts traits from wild boars and wrestlers - although arguably less awkwardly so than Pignite - as well as a couple of references to Chinese fairytales. First off, Emboar seems to be based on a soldier described in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a critically acclaimed 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong that is regarded as one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature, just like Journey to the West. Much like Infernape is based on Sun Wukong from this classical novel, Emboar may be based on the pig demon Zhu Bajie, especially since Ken Sugimori stated that the entire evolution line were designed in a Chinese style. In fact, the swirl pattern around Emboar's abdomen resembles the patterns on ding, prehistoric and ancient Chinese cauldrons used for cooking, storage and ritual offerings to the gods or ancestors. The fact that Emboar is literally the only fire-type Pokémon that can learn Scald aside from Volcanion (who is also a water type) proves that it derives heavily from ding. Flavor-wise, Emboar has the most interesting Pokédex entries when compared to its pre-evolutions: the perenially flaring beard of fire is proof that it is fired up, and it uses this wreath of flames on its chin to ignite its fists and throw fiery punches our way. Holy shit, this thing has inflammable fists and it is not afraid to use them. That is awesome.

Awesome realistic art of Emboar. This is very well done.

Too bad Emboar isn't about using its fists in the competitive metagame, then. Sure, it learns Fire Punch just fine... by means of a Move Tutor. I'm literally laughing out loud right now; sometimes I think a Pokémon is so well-thought-out that I think the people at Game Freak are geniuses, and at moments like these I tend to believe those motherfuckers absolutely don't know what the heck they're doing. Anyway, Emboar's stat distribution seems to be kind of odd in a way, with excellent HP and attack, very good special attack and mediocre everything else. That means it won't outspeed a lot of things and won't take hits as well as you'd wish it to. Fortunately, there is a Choice Scarf set that can make this Pokémon potentially dangerous for any opposing team, and it involves a Jolly nature and Emboar's hidden ability Reckless. This ability increases the base power of moves that cause recoil damage by 20%, and let me tell you that Emboar learns quite a few of these. Flare Blitz will be its main source of power, as it's a fire-type move and thus provides some excellent STAB. Head Smash is, strangely, a level-up move that Emboar has access to and it can do some serious damage if you don't watch out (it already has a base power of 150, which will increase to 180 when applying Reckless), while Wild Charge through TM provides amazing type coverage against water and flying types, both of which Emboar is weak to. The last recoil-dealing move Emboar has access to is Take Down, but that is not a good move at all and should be avoided at all costs. Instead, go with a fighting-type move that matches up with Emboar's secondary typing, like Brick Break, Hammer Arm or Superpower, or - better yet - give it Scald. It may not be the best Pokémon to make use of that move, but at least you'll have an increased chance of burning a foe that relies on physical moves, which means Emboar can take a couple of hits in turn. On top of that, it hits rock types super-effectively and perhaps even more effectively than a STAB fighting-type move.

Emboar standing in the arena, ready to kick some ass. 

I actually think Emboar isn't that bad of a Pokémon. I like it more than Infernape, whom I'm currently using in an Ultra Moon playthrough with all starters, especially because it looks far more intimidating than and doesn't have quite as busy a design as the Sinnoh fire/fighting starter. I'm glad Game Freak hasn't made any more of those, mind you, and I hope they'll continue that trend, but Emboar is here now and it's fine for what it is.

Rating: 4/5

#453 - #454: Croagunk & Toxicroak

Looks like Croagunk is contemplating its life. 

Okay, so who remembers Brock's Croagunk pulling him away from attractive women? Instead of Misty or Max grabbing him by the ear, Brock gets Poison Jabbed by his own fucking Pokémon for harassing all the girls. (If the #MeToo movement were a thing in the Pokémon world, Brock would be in big trouble.) Getting owned by his own goddamn Pokémon is embarrassing, to be honest, not to mention Poison Jab should have killed Brock a thousand times over. You see, Croagunk is based on the poison dart frog, an amphibian that uses its bright coloration to warn other species of its toxicity, which is called aposematism. The fact that its fingers and and cheek pouches contain a poisonous fluid makes it as lethally noxious as the poison dart frog, yet it has just the right amount of goofiness to act as a comic relief in the anime series. Interestingly enough, the poison from Croagunk's fingers is a crucial ingredient in a medicine for lower back pain, which is... odd. And oddly specific, too; how on earth did they find out Croagunk's poison was essential to creating a remedy for lower back pain? I'm no doctor, and I'm sure not every ache is the same, but it's still a little odd why Croagunk's poison cannot be processed as a cure for other kinds of aches as well.

Croagunk as a playable character in Pokkén Tournament DX.

Anyway, Croagunk is one of only two unevolved Pokémon that can be used as a playable character in Pokkén Tournament DX, the other one being Braixen. I don't know why they didn't just include its evolution Toxicroak, but maybe it has something to do with Croagunk's unfair fighting style? It usually distracts opponents by inflating its poison sacs and making an eerie blubbering sound with those, after which it tries to stab its opponents with its poisonous fingers. However, the Pokédex mentions that Croagunk does this only to survive and that it is normally a mild Pokémon, even though it is literally also a fighting type. It indicates that Croagunk isn't a strong Pokémon to begin with, and doesn't seem to me like Croagunk can compete against the likes of Blaziken, Scizor, Decidueye, Chandelure, Suicune, Gengar, Gardevoir and Sceptile (and a whole lot more). I've never played Pokkén, however, and so I can't say for sure.

Toxicroak in TCG.

What I can say for sure, though, is that I like Croagunk just a little bit better than Toxicroak design-wise. It's not that I think Toxicroak is a bad Pokémon per se, I just think that the bulbous poison sac beneath its chin is incredibly distracting. It would have been better if Ken Sugimori, the artist who provides official art for all Pokémon, had just drawn a red patch on Toxicroak's throat and that its in-game sprites show this patch inflating whenever it croaks. This shouldn't have been hard at all, especially since all Gen. IV sprites move when a Pokémon is sent out in battle and constantly moving sprites were introduced only one generation later. But the sac does serve a purpose, as Toxicroak churns the poison stored in its sac for more potency, channeling it to its knuckle claws through tubes in its arms. Even a scratch from these claws could prove fatal. So Toxicroak can actually be cruel and fearsome as opposed to Croagunk's mild nature, lunging out to opponents with its poisonous claws by swaying and dodging their attacks and weaving its flexible body in close. Its claws and level of ferocity may have been inspired by the hairy frog, which defends itself by breaking its own toes and projecting sharpened bones from its skin, while the spike on Toxicorak's head is reminiscent to some horned frogs and toads in general. Bulbapedia says this spike is part of its skull, and I am inclined to believe them.

Seismitoad (left) and Toxicroak (right) would undoubtedly make
for perfect BFFs.

You'd think Toxicroak's violent attitude displays itself in the competitive metagame, but I honestly have to say this Pokémon's stats are a little disappointing. It has a fair amount of HP, but it doesn't have the defenses to back it up, and its special attack and speed are average at best. Its speed can be fixed with a Choice Scarf, after which its base 106 attack can do the rest, but this means it cannot use Swords Dance or Nasty Plot as it is locked into a single move until it is switched out. With a Swords Dance set, a Jolly or Adamant nature is required (Jolly is generally better due to the slight boost in speed) and physical moves like Drain Punch, Gunk Shot, Sucker Punch, Pursuit, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Throat Chop, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Knock Off, Poison Jab or Cross Chop are used to fill up the rest of its moveset. Keep in mind that Toxicroak is a poison/fighting type and that it should at least have STAB moves of those two types, as well as a type coverage move - usually something like Knock Off or Sucker Punch. When using Nasty Plot, you're much better off with a Modest or Timid nature and a special moveset consisting of either Sludge Wave or Sludge Bomb, Focus Blast and a type coverage move like Dark Pulse or... well, that's it, basically. It has access to Shadow Ball via TM, but as it already learns Dark Pulse and both dark and ghost cover the same types, that move is pretty redundant. And let's not talk about Mud Bomb, shall we? Maybe you should give it Vacuum Wave, a weak fighting-type move that does give Toxicroak some reliable priority that it doesn't have when running a physical moveset. It would hit pretty hard after a Nasty Plot boost, too.

Either way, a Life Orb is always a great item that gives Toxicroak's attacks some much-needed oomph behind them, whereas its ability Dry Skin gives it an immunity to water-type moves (but a weakness to fire-type moves, unfortunately). The Anticipation ability causes Toxicroak to 'shudder' if an opponent has a super-effective or OHKO move on it, as well as Self-Destruct and/or Explosion, and Poison Touch has a chance to poison the opponent if Toxicroak uses a direct move against it - so it is the exact opposite of Poison Point, where the opponent may be poisoned when it uses a direct move against your Pokémon. Neither ability is all that great, and the water immunity is preferred over Anticipation or Poison Touch.

Toxicroak in the anime, fucking Electivire all the way up.

I've got to give props to Game Freak for creating an interesting Pokémon like Toxicroak, but I have to be honest and say that this Pokémon isn't one of my favorites. There are a few aspects present in its design that I think are distracting (the enormous sac) or that I deem somewhat redundant, and its red upper lip falls into the latter category. This lip gives Toxicroak the appearance of having a mustache, and I think it would have looked better on it if it had been black, really. Also, I have no idea why both of its middle toes are red as well. It's not irritating or something, and they're probably red to have them tie in with the rest of its design, but I don't think it was entirely necessary. Otherwise, this is a great attempt at creating a unique Pokémon with a unique typing, although Game Freak could have done a bit better, especially regarding Toxicroak's stat distribution.

Rating: 4/5

#447 - #448: Riolu & Lucario

So now we've come to probably one of the most - if not the most - popular Pokémon among the most avid Pokémon fans, and I have to say the love for Lucario is completely justified. Some might say this thing is furry bait - according to Bogleech, there's a theory going around that holds that the easier it is to conceive a fursona out of a Pokémon, the more embraced it is by the fandom - but there aren't a ton of furries to be found in the Pokémon fandom in the first place, I don't think, and my own love for this thing has nothing to do with that whatsoever. Goddammit, I'm not effing Verlisify. Case in point: Verlisify's own mascot is Zoroark, who, in comparison with Lucario, is significantly less popular but far more furry-baity.

Mystery Dungeon art of Riolu. Obviously, the scarf isn't
part of its original design. 

But to stay on-topic: as far as anthropomorphic dogs go, Game Freak did an excellent job creating Lucario and its pre-evolution. Aesthetically, this Pokémon has close similarities to jackals, which, at the same time, gives it an Anubis-like appearance. For those few who don't know, Anubis is the Greek name of a god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion and is often depicted as canine or a man with a jackal's head. His role in Egyptian mythology was to judge the hearts of the deceased souls based on their actions during life, resembling Riolu and Lucario's ability to see a life form's special kind of energy called 'aura'. Sure enough, there's a mysterious air of ancientness surrounding both Riolu and Lucario. Riolu is remarkably sensitive to aura, and it can emanate intensified waves of this spiritual energy as a way of signaling its allies when sad or scared. However, it doesn't have the ability to fully use these powers; it can sense people's aura well enough and can use its own aura to communicate with others of its species just fine, albeit only in ripples. Like all fighting types, Riolu has superhuman strength and tremendous stamina (I apologize for that one), and it is capable of making long journeys on foot in a short amount of time, cresting three mountains and crossing two canyons in one night. It goes without saying, however, that Lucario has its aura-reading abilities completely under control by using the four black appendages it has developed on the back of its head. Lucario studies this energy to predict the movements of its opponents in battle and track its quarry, and it has the power to manipulate aura in an offensive manner - Aura Sphere, anyone?

The Riolu in the Pokémon Ranger anime special is happy to see Ash. 

Both Riolu and Lucario are being treated favorably by their creators, starring in their own Pokémon Ranger anime special and feature film, respectively, and appearing in virtually every set of games after the generation in which they were originally introduced (Riolu was available early on in Black 2 and White 2 as well as X and Y, while found post-game on Poni Island in Sun and Moon). Whereas the two parts of "Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu" are merely regarded as the 71st and 72nd episodes of the Diamond and Pearl saga of the anime series as a whole, the movie Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew became a favorite of many Pokémon fans. In fact, said movie is probably the reason why Lucario has become the favorite Pokémon of approximately 99% of the fandom and is still enjoying an excessive amount of popularity. In X and Y, it was even given away mid-game by Gym Leader Korrina, holding a Lucarionite that could be used instantly.

Lucario in Super Smash Bros., invoking its
aura-manipulating powers in an offensive manner.

And why shouldn't Lucario enjoy such popularity? I'm kind of a Lucario fanboy myself and this Pokémon - more specifically, its Mega - was probably at the basis of my recent love for steel types after I used it in my very first Pokémon X playthrough. Admittedly, Luxray pulls off the black-and-blue color scheme much better than Lucario, and the more vivid yellow color in Luxray's design looks much better than the pale beige-yellow color in Lucario's, but it is indisputably a very cool Pokémon. Mega Lucario is even cooler, especially because the tan-colored fur blends in perfectly with the rest of design and thus feels less out of place than on regular Lucario, and the red color and black veins give it a more menacing look. Perhaps the best thing about it are its origins, giving it a legendary feel despite not even being a pseudo-legendary. Its name even gets the Pikachu treatment, as it's the same all over the world, indicating that Game Freak sort of want to make Lucario the unofficial second mascot of the franchise. Lucario's name may be derived from the reverse of the Japanese transliteration of 'orichalcum', which is a mythical metal mentioned in several ancient writings. Also called aurichalcum, this element is believed to have been a noble metal like platinum, second only to gold in value, and is probably the reason why Lucario is part steel type. In numismatics, orichalcum is the golden-colored bronze alloy used by the Roman Empire for their sestertius and dupondius coins, which is probably where Riolu and Lucario's shinies come from. It's a nice little touch, although orichalcum is not the only thing to be the inspiration for Lucario's name; words like 'oracle', 'Cairo', 'pharaoh', luchar (Spanish for 'fight') and lucarius (Latin for 'one of light' or 'luminary', probably referring to Lucario's supernatural abilities involving aura) may have been apparent derivations and fit its design, origins and flavor perfectly.

Amazing fan art of Lucario Mega-evolving.

Another reason for Lucario's popularity, even if its design is disliked by people, is its versatility in the competitive scene. It's not a very defensive Pokémon, but it is powerful on the physical as well as the special side of the offensive spectrum, and it is pretty fast to boot. There are definitely quite some faster Pokémon than Lucario, so it's not going to outspeed things left and right, but it's very easy to work with stats like Lucario's. Damn, it learns Nasty Plot and Swords Dance, and it has a crazy diverse movepool on both sides of the spectrum, so you are spoiled for choice. It even has two STAB priority moves in Vacuum Wave (fighting type, special-based) and Bullet Punch (steel type, physical-based), so you'll be sure to move first a lot of the time, unless a faster Pokémon also uses a priority move. Just keep in mind a Jolly or Adamant nature is best for it on a physical set, a Timid or Modest nature is more beneficial to it on a special set, and a Hasty or Naive (or perhaps Rash, Mild, Lonely or Naughty) nature is preferable if you insist on running a mixed set. You can give Lucario a Focus Sash to live a hit from full HP if the move would have knocked it out otherwise, a Life Orb to give its attacks some extra oomph on top of its Nasty Plot or Swords Dance boost, a Choice item to instantly make it faster or stronger at the cost of letting it use only one move until it is switched out, or even the Lucarionite to let it Mega-evolve.

Just keep in mind that Smogon banned Mega Lucario to the Uber tier because of the boosts in its attack, special attack and speed upon Mega-evolving as well as its unpredictability. On top of that, Mega Lucario has the Adaptability ability, which lets STAB moves now do double damage rather than 1.5 times. It's a step up from regular Lucario's abilities Steadfast, Inner Focus and Justified (the latter of which is the best one due to the attack boost Lucario gets when hit by a dark-type move) and just too powerful to be used in one of Smogon's regular tiers.

Originally a wallpaper of Lucario being a total badass. 

Oh Lucario, you'll never cease to be thrusted into the limelight by Nintendo and Game Freak, and I honestly don't give a flying fuck about that. Lucario is a cool Pokémon and it's not hard to understand why it's so loved by at least half the fanbase. After all the praise for this Pokémon, you people will probably know by now what rating I'm going to give it, right?

Right.

Rating: 5/5

#427 - #428: Buneary & Lopunny

Now these are some inappropriate bunnies...

Before I dive into some serious Hugh Hefner type of shit, let me get Buneary out of the way. This adorable little bunny is nothing but an adorable little bunny being an adorable little bunny. The only interesting thing about it is that it is capable of delivering powerful blows that can shatter boulders with its rolled-up ears, which I'm sure Diggersby can do much better than Buneary. There's literally nothing else to say about this thing other than its sleeping, eating and survival habits - again, it perks up its ears when it senses danger. I never knew Buneary's name made so much sense, but it's a true eye-opener (!).

Buneary in the anime, striking a pose I don't particularly perceive as 'cute'...

Seriously though, it is Lopunny where things get interesting, with it seemingly being a caricature of a Playboy Bunny - a waitress at a Playboy Club wearing a costume inspired by and matching the official logo and mascot of the monthly men's lifestyle magazine Playboy, consisting of a strapless corset teddy, satin bunny ears, black pantyhose, cuffs, a bow tie, a collar and a fluffy cottontail. We all know that Hugh Hefner, who passed away last month, intended for them to look sexy, sensual and promiscuous, even though they aren't allowed to touch the patrons of a Playboy Club and vice versa. However, the association of Playboy Bunnies with Playboy, notorious for its vast array of nude photos every month, is undeniable. So here we have Lopunny, a Pokémon based on the logo/mascot of a flagship American lifestyle magazine (special nation-specific versions are published worldwide), which contains adult content on a monthly basis and played an important part in the sexual revolution occurring from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Official art of Lopunny, drawn by none other than Ken Sugimori.
I tried looking for normal fan art of this thing, but that was hard
because it being based on a Playboy Bunny obviously begs for
Rule 34 to be applied. 

The worst part of this is that Buneary evolves into Lopunny when leveled up with high friendship, something that doesn't seem quite as equivocal in, say, Riolu and Lucario's case. The fact that we're talking about what's essentially a children's game makes the ambiguity that much more cringeworthy. Sure, the costume is still popular in Japan, where it has lost much of its association with Playboy and is commonly featured in manga and anime - which could explain Lopunny's coquettish cry and girlish figure - but to Americans and people from many other Western countries, the 'bunny suit' will forever be quintessential of the sexual image Playboy perpetuates. Of course, Lopunny is not based on a mere costume. This Pokémon is based on actual bunnies called lop-eared rabbits, domestic breeds with ears that flop over rather than stand erect. The inspiration for Lopunny's design comes specifically from the ears of the Holland Lop, but other than that the similarities are few and far between. I have a problem with the term 'Holland Lop', however, so allow me to use this transition as an opportunity to tell you that I absolutely hate it when people use the word 'Holland' in such a colloquial manner in so many languages (including my own), with people exclaiming that they've been to Holland when they refer to the country as a whole. Interestingly, my country isn't called Holland; it's called the Netherlands, and Holland consists of only two of twelve Dutch provinces, being North Holland and South Holland.

Well, the more you know...

Stat-wise, Lopunny isn't anything special, having mediocre or only decent stats across the board aside from its speed. Because it has Klutz, an ability that prevents the effects of held items from applying, people teach it Switcheroo so that it can transfer a harmful held item like a Sticky Barb or Flame Orb to the foe in exchange for the foe's own held item. Other than that, it is better to just let Lopunny hold a Lopunnite and Mega-evolve it. Trust me, it's for the best, because its base 76 attack stat becomes a hefty base 136 now, while its already good speed stat also gets a boost and ends up at a base 135. In short, Mega Lopunny is a hit-and-run Pokémon that's supposed to hit hard and fast, and that shouldn't be a problem with a nature such as a Jolly one and moves such as Return and High Jump Kick. Those two moves are the staples of its moveset, with High Jump Kick even providing STAB because Mega Lopunny is a normal/fighting type (regular Lopunny is just a normal type), while Fake Out is an excellent opener and Ice Punch is a great type coverage move. It learns Drain Punch and Power-Up Punch in case you prefer the respective healing and attack-boosting aspects of those moves over the chance of crash damage from High Jump Kick, while other coverage moves such as Iron Tail, Thunder Punch and Fire Punch could come in handy depending on which Pokémon you're facing. Don't bother with special moves, because Lopunny's base special attack is a terrible 54 even as its Mega form.

D'awww, bunny love!

While I think a fighting Playboy Bunny is kind of amusing and Mega Lopunny's design - which may have been inspired by 1980s-styled aerobics outfits - is pretty dope, I can't help but to think this Pokémon shouldn't have existed in the first place. If Pokémon had been an American franchise, I wouldn't have been writing about this thing right now; and let's face it, a creature based on mature content in a children's franchise is kind of stretching it a little bit. Of course, most kids are oblivious to all of this bullshit, so in the end it doesn't even matter, but there are a lot of adults who have been playing Pokémon since they were kids and have come to know Lopunny's origins the hard way. It's not as if you can say there aren't any adults who are amused by it, but you have to admit that a lot of people think Hugh Hefner was a misogynist asshole objectifying women by means of his Playboy magazine, Playboy Clubs, Playboy Bunnies, Playboy jet (dubbed "Big Bunny"), Playboy Mansion and lavish Playboy parties and what have you, so a Pokémon based on all of that won't sit well with those people.

And all of the children who easily have access to Bulbapedia now, you ask? Well, what can I say? The Internet is a bitch.

Also, Lopunny's flavor text is absolutely bland: it's a cautious Pokémon and it starts kicking if its delicate ears are touched roughly, which is about all there is to say about it. I wanted to include this bit a little earlier on in this review, but there was a lot to talk about and I couldn't find a proper way to fit it in, so I'm mentioning it now. To conclude, I'm giving this Pokémon 4.5 stars, but only because I think its Mega is lit.

Rating: 4.5/5

#390 - #392: Chimchar, Monferno & Infernape

TCG art of Chimchar.

Let me confess here: I have never even used Chimchar in a playthrough before in my life and I definitely don't intend to do so. It's not that I hate it or anything, because I don't, but the fire/fighting starter hype was already wearing off at the time Diamond and Pearl came out and we were ready to face some brand new starter type combinations. In that regard, Torterra and Empoleon didn't disappoint. So what is it about Chimchar that makes me go "meh"? Why, first and foremost it's based on a monkey, which is something that has been done before in a much more original or humorous manner. Granted, Ambipom was introduced in the same generation as Chimchar and its evolutions, but its design elaborated on its Gen. II pre-evolution Aipom's design, so let's not nitpick about that. Second, we would be really tired of fire/fighting starters by the time Black and White came around, and the fact that Emboar was exactly that probably didn't work in its predecessor's favor, either. And last but not least, I really do love the other two Sinnoh starters to death. They have such creative and original designs, and Infernape just... doesn't.

Monferno... digging a hole, I guess? It's probably using Dig or
something. 

Now, Chimchar is pretty cute in its own right and doesn't deserve hate whatsoever, but the red patch on its rear - a baboon trait, although Chimchar is known as the 'Chimp Pokémon' and is therefore more likely to have been inspired by chimpanzees - is usually obscured by flames produced by burning gas in its stomach, which basically means that its flaming tail is a constant fart that only weakens when it becomes ill or go out when it's asleep. That's disgusting, Game Freak. Other than that, Chimchar doesn't have much going for it; it is good at climbing rocky mountain ledges, which is pretty much a cop-out because almost all real-life monkeys are good at climbing, but aside from that there's literally nothing left to mention about it. Of course, there's Ash's Chimchar from the anime, but that's basically a retelling of Charmander's story: it gets abandoned by its previous Trainer and Ash decides to be a Good Samaritan and adopt the Chimchar in the following episode. Monferno isn't that much better, with much of its flavor revolving around its goddamn tail, of all things. It skillfully controls the intensity of the flame on its tail to keep opponents at an ideal distance, its tail can be stretched in order to make Monferno appear larger, or it tries to impress the others in the pack by relying on the size of its tail flame and the brightness of its facial marking. The bigger the flame and the brighter its marking, the higher Monferno's position in the pack.

Monferno giving Chimchar a... love letter?

Some of Monferno's traits confuse me a little, among which its classification as the 'Playful Pokémon'. Nothing in its flavor indicates it's playful and it sure doesn't look that way, either. I also don't get why its French name Chimpenfeu has a reference to chimpanzees in it and Chimchar's French name Ouisticram doesn't. I get that ouistiti is French for 'marmoset' - an umbrella term for 22 extraordinarily fluffy monkey species, most of which don't get any taller than roughly 8 inches tall - but even though Chimchar is the child stage of this evolutionary line, it isn't actually that small and it doesn't share any traits with any of these species, either. Bulbapedia says Monferno seems to be a direct impression of monkey kung fu, a Chinese martial art that utilizes ape- or monkey-like movements as part of its technique and may explain Monferno's fighting type, but as far as I know there's nothing in Monferno's stance or movements that indicates it is based on monkey kung fu, especially not when it comes to launching aerial attacks from walls and ceilings. That's just plain monkey business, if you ask me; if anything, Mankey's stance is more 'kung fu' than Monferno's. Lastly, Monferno's Bulbapedia page doesn't mention chimpanzees in its 'Origin' paragraph anymore, as opposed to Chimchar's, even though some of its foreign names clearly contain some kind of reference to this species. But that's probably none of my business, right?

Okay, then. Maybe I am just being too finicky about a goddamn middle-stage evolution, but there are too many things that seem to make sense but really don't quite fit in my opinion. Anyway, let's move on to Infernape, because there are quite a few things to say about it.

Infernape fist-bumping a Pansear. Somehow Chimchar and
Monferno seem to be threatened by it, or at least a bit jealous.

The first thing I notice is that this evolutionary line's French names seem to be all over the place; while Ouisticram and Chimpenfeu contain references to marmosets and chimpanzees, respectively, Simiabraz seems to take a more vague direction with 'simian', an adjective used to describe something relating to or resembling monkeys or apes. At least they don't go into detail which monkey they're referring to this time. What's more important, though, is its Japanese name Goukazaru (ゴウカザル), which is most likely linked to the Dragonball Z character of Son Goku - or Goku for short. It is the Japanese interpretation of Sun Wukong, one of the main characters in the Chinese 16th-century epic Journey to the West. This classical novel, one of the four to be considered the greatest in Chinese literature, is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of a Tang-dynasty Buddhist monk who traveled to Central Asia and India to obtain Buddhist sacred texts and returned after many trials and much suffering. I'm not going into too much detail about the contents of te whole story; all you need to know is that Sun Wukong is a monkey with powerful abilities (often fire-related) who was sent with the Buddhist monk to serve as his protector as an atonement for its own sins, together with three others. The gold markings on Infernape's body seem to be a direct reference to this Monkey King persona as well, as they resemble some of the markings on the Monkey King's attire in some depictions of it.

Infernape creating a ring of fire with its 

Infernape seems to be using a special kind of martial art involving all of its limbs, and you can be sure that ain't a lie: it has access to various punching and kicking moves, perhaps more than other Pokémon at the same time, and it learns Close Combat by level-up. The latter isn't necessarily exclusive to Infernape, but it fits its flavor quite well. It is also often a staple move in its various competitive movesets, along with other strong moves that provide it either STAB or neat type coverage: Fire Blast, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Gunk Shot, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Iron Tail, Grass Knot, Poison Jab, U-Turn, Shadow Claw, Focus Blast, Overheat, Acrobatics, Flamethrower, Vacuum Wave, Brick Break and even Hidden Power if you're really short on options for a specific type. You may have noticed these moves are both physical- and special-based, and the reason for that is because Infernape is often used as a mixed attacker due to its equal 104 base offensive stats. That's why most Infernape have a Hasty or Naive nature, which both boost its speed but lower one of its defenses depending on which one you have. At a base 108 speed it is indeed quite quick, but its Pokédex entry in Pearl that states that "it is beaten by none in terms of quickness" is actually false; it is outsped by quite a lot of other Pokémon. That's fine as long as it has a speed-boosting nature and its offensive stats aren't negatively affected. Although... it has to be said that a Jolly nature fits well on a Swords Dance set and a Timid nature on a Nasty Plot set, the latter move only being available to it through Chimchar. What remain are the item Infernape should hold (which is mostly a Life Orb or Choice Scarf, or maybe a Choice Band) and the ability you should breed on it (Iron Fist if you taught it punching moves such as Mach Punch or Thunder Punch, and Blaze if you don't).

Smogon also mentions a physically defensive set for Infernape, which sounds more like one of these dumb movesets recommended by a certain PokéTuber who goes by the name of Verlisify. Don't ever use Infernape as a defensive support Pokémon, because it wasn't made for that purpose in the first place and there are many, many other Pokémon that can pull it off much, much better. It may suffer from four-moveslot syndrome, but that doesn't include support moves. No sir, not in the slightest.

I may not think Infernape is the greatest Pokémon of all, but this fan art is definitely
very nice. 

Infernape is more of a hit-and-run Pokémon in the competitive metagame, but it's a very powerful one at that. Unfortunately, that doesn't particularly make me like it. I can't help but feel it is a little bit too overdesigned: the red crest above its eyes should have the same primary orange color and there are a couple of gold markings too many. I don't know whether it's the pads on its knees, wrists or shoulders or the marking around its waist, but something feels out of place and makes the design a little bit too messy altogether. I understand what Game Freak were aiming at when designing this Pokémon, but I haven't quite... warmed up to it yet. Not as much as to Torterra and Empoleon, by any means.

Rating: 3.5/5