#554 - #555: Darumaka & Darmanitan

I guess Darumaka's inability to be toppled over when asleep helps
it balancing a whole-ass fruit basket on its head - or berry basket,
rather.

These Pokémon are wild, yo.

Game Freak took the concept of a daruma doll - a round, traditional Japanese doll that is popular as a good-luck charm and is modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism - and made the Pokémon that is based on it the complete opposite of what most people think Zen Buddhism represents (calmness, peace and meditation, for example). When Darumaka's internal flame burns, it is incredibly energetic and active to the point that it cannot calm down and becomes uncontrollable, even though it isn't an aggressive Pokémon by nature. It even uses its droppings to dispose of excess heat; in fact, these droppings are so hot that people back in the day used to put them in their clothes to keep themselves warm, which... kind of grosses me out a little, to be honest. Holy shit, that's actually disgusting.

Thank God for central heating, amirite?

However, Darumaka's internal flame shrinks when it falls asleep, and when it does it tucks in its arms and legs and refuses to be tipped over no matter how much it is pushed or pulled. In this state, Darumaka resembles a daruma doll of the kind that cannot be knocked over due to its low center of gravity, like a roly-poly toy. Even Darumaka's fire typing is a reference to a practice called daruma-burning, in which all daruma dolls are brought back to the temple they were purchased from for a traditional burning ceremony that is held once a year, usually right after New Year's Day. After expressing gratitude to the dolls, people turn them over to the temple and buy new ones for the next year.

Promotional TCG art of Darmanitan. Those flaming eyebrows are
nothing short of fabulous.

But if you think Darumaka is interesting, you haven't seen anything yet. It's not necessarily Darumaka who's wild; it's its evolution Darmanitan who pulls out all the stops. To quote Chris from Pokémaniacal: "[...] if Darumaka is turned up to eleven, Darmanitan just plain blows up the meter." And goddamn, the dude is right. While Darumaka looks like a cute little monkey to some extent, Darmanitan's manic grin, big-ass fists and round, black-ringed eyes will make you be sure not to mess with it. This motherfucker just looks downright insane, and its Pokédex entries back that up: Darmanitan's internal fire burns at 2,500°F, making enough power so that one punch can destroy a dump truck. And if it can destroy a dump truck with one punch, surely a plane, a bridge or even a skyscraper wouldn't be a problem, either. However, to correspond with Darmanitan's origins regarding Zen charms and all that shit, Game Freak gave it a hidden ability called Zen Mode, which is also the name of the form Darmanitan takes on whenever one with this ability drops below half of its health - or as its Pokédex entries like to state: it transforms into a stone statue whenever it is injured in a fierce battle, only to sharpen its mind and fight on mentally. Zen Mode Darmanitan even seems to be based on the adage of the three wise monkeys - "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil", often used to refer to those who deal with impropriety by turning a blind eye - judging by the fact that Zen Mode Darmanitan have their eyes become blank (like on a real daruma doll), their mouths shut tightly and their ears covered, sitting patiently in contrast to their bold posture in Standard Mode. It may even be a direct reference to Bodhidharma, achieving enlightenment.

This also makes me realize that Simisage, Simisear and Simipour - all Pokémon that are based on the three wise monkeys - are actually really redundant considering Zen Mode Darmanitan was introduced in the exact same generation as them. Perhaps the elemental monkeys look more simian than Darmanitan does, but you can't deny it looks very ape-like; in fact, its name suggests that it is based on an orangutan, with its pre-evolution probably being based on a macaque.

N with... some of his Pokémon, I guess? Actually, I think this drawing is kind of
inaccurate; only Darmanitan was his, and he released it when in the Desert Resort.

But while Darmanitan is normally a physically offensive glass cannon, Zen Mode Darmanitan is a special tank that gets the psychic type added to it, has its power shifted from the physical to the special side of the spectrum and has to deliver some speed in exchange for a lot more bulk. The thing is that this doesn't work all that well, because it means you'll have to let your Darmanitan's health bar drop to less than 50% in the first place, leaving you with a slower (albeit bulkier) Pokémon with more than half of its HP missing. Not only is this not ideal, you'll have to start off with a Standard Mode Darmanitan using physical moves and continue with a Zen Mode Darmanitan using special moves halfway through, even though a Pokémon can only learn four different moves. It's one thing giving a certain Pokémon one special move for coverage purposes, it's another building a whole moveset for a Pokémon that revolves around two different strategies. It just doesn't work.

Darmanitan, stop monkeying around. I'm starting to think that
 Game Freak were right in giving you its Japanese and German
names of Hihidaruma (ヒヒダルマ) and Flampivian, which both
contain the word for 'baboon' in their respective language (hihi
and Pavian, respectively).

Fortunately, Zen Mode Darmanitan is only available if it's given its hidden ability. Darmanitan has only one regular ability, but it's an awesome one: Sheer Force adds more power to moves with additional effects (except for moves that have a higher crit ratio or affect the user negatively), which really compliments Darmanitan's monstrous base 140 attack stat. Along with decent base 95 speed, a Jolly or Adamant nature and a Life Orb, Choice Scarf or Choice Band as its held item, this juggernaut has the potential to destroy lives. Unfortunately, defense is not really Darmanitan's forte; its amazing HP stat doesn't do anything for its nonexistent defenses, while its best physical fire-type attack is Flare Blitz, which deals recoil damage. Combine these things and Darmanitan gets worn down really quickly. There's always the option to go for Fire Punch instead, but Flare Blitz is just more common in competitive because it's more powerful, so it's not recommended. Rock Slide and Earthquake don't always go well with a fire-type move, and U-Turn is only very common on Darmanitan to get it the hell off the battlefield in an unwanted situation while still doing damage, but it has a couple of nifty coverage moves up its sleeve: Hammer Arm and Superpower are solid fighting-type options and go well with Flare Blitz, while Zen Headbutt is an option if you feel threatened by certain fighting- and poison-type Pokémon, although Earthquake is generally better to deal with the latter.

This kind of fan art suits Darmanitan perfectly, and that makes me happy.

I absolutely fucking love Darmanitan. Its origins are beyond interesting, it has an incredibly savage personality, and its design is insanely over the top; it's a downright monstrosity and that's exactly what makes me love it so much. It's a shame that Game Freak couldn't properly implement its origins into its game mechanics, because Zen Mode Darmanitan ties in perfectly with this whole Zen theme Game Freak were going for, but in the end it doesn't matter: I love Darmanitan mainly for the monster that it is, even though it may be a tad bit overpowered in an in-game setting, which is, naturally, exactly why I used it so many times in playthroughs. This Pokémon is high up on my list of favorite Pokémon and I can't give it anything other than a rock-solid rating of 5 stars.

Rating: 5/5

#550: Basculin

Official art of both Basculin forms, of course drawn by Ken
Sugimori.

I truly feel sorry for Basculin. It seems like this little fishie receives so much hate from everybody in the Pokémon community, and I honestly can't really blame those people. Basculin isn't overly strong, looks quite unremarkable, doesn't evolve into anything and was created as a last-minute addition to the Unova Pokédex when the developers realized there were very few new 'standard' fish Pokémon in Unova, as older Pokémon couldn't be caught until post-game. To make up for the small amount of fish in the region, Basculin was given two forms, but the problem most people have with this is that, in the end, the two forms don't differ all that much from each other to warrant the existence of both of them. The only differences between the Red-Striped and Blue-Striped Basculin are the color of their stripes and eyes and the shape of their fins; while it's fairly obvious which color both of the Basculin forms have, the Red-Striped Forme has round, red eyes and spiky fins and the Blue-Striped Form has blue, slit eyes and smooth fins. On the other hand, these two forms don't take up two separate spots in the Pokédex and do share the same Pokédex entries. Both Basculin are very and hostile and violent in general (when a school of Basculin appears in a lake, everything else except for Corphish and Crawdaunt disappears), but they appear to hate each other so much that they start fighting each other on sight, be it for territory or just for funsies. That's why their White, Y and Alpha Sapphire entries are so confusing; they state that sometimes members of one school of Basculin will mingle with the other's school, but if both forms get along so poorly, surely the members of the one school trying to blend in with the other will be recognized instantly and violently chased away. Right?

The Red-Striped Basculin in this piece of TCG art don't look all
that happy to see this lone Blue-Striped Basculin in their midst.

Fortunately, this angry striped bass is always nothing more than food to organisms stronger than itself, which is why the people in the Pokémon world know for a fact that this Pokémon is so incredibly delicious - one of the rare instances that hint at Pokémon being used for food. But while Basculin itself might be remarkably tasty, its stats are far from that. Its base 98 speed makes it pretty fast and its base 92 attack stat isn't all that terrible, but the base points that went into its special attack could've been put to better use if they had been distributed among its defenses. Basculin is kind of a pushover because it's so frail, even though it has access to a few amazing abilities. The hidden ability Mold Breaker may not be all that necessary on a Pokémon like Basculin, but both forms get Adaptability as their secondary ability, which gives an extra boost to all of their STAB moves and really helps making Waterfall and Aqua Jet hit much harder than they normally do on a water-type Pokémon. You could also opt for Rock Head, an ability that prevents recoil damage and only Blue-Striped Basculin has access to. Normal goes really well with water offensively, so a no-penalty Double-Edge really compliments a move like Waterfall or Liquidation, although Basculin also learns Crunch, Zen Headbutt, Superpower and Head Smash. Crunch is basically a must-have on Basculin, while Zen Headbutt, Superpower and Head Smash are merely optional; the latter is stronger than Double-Edge and gives Basculin some rock-type coverage, but it is also less accurate and deals more recoil damage than Double-Edge does. If you want to exchange durability for sheer power, I'd recommend a Red-Striped Basculin with the Reckless ability, anyway.

You might want to watch out with that, Iris; that thing can be pretty vicious.

Is it sensible to use Basculin in a competitive setting, though? You could go for a Life Orb or Waterium Z set with Adaptability and a Jolly nature, taking advantage of Basculin's strong STAB moves with a revenge-killer tactic involving Aqua Jet, but Basculin is merely a decent Pokémon to use in-game. Because, let's be honest here, Basculin isn't a terribly original Pokémon to begin with. The whole feud thing has been done before with Seviper and Zangoose, and that was executed much better through flavor and game mechanics than they did with Basculin. I actually like this thing a lot, because I used one in an Ultra Moon Wonderlocke and it served me well up until the raid on Aether Paradise, but even I have to admit that Game Freak's attempt to create another blood feud in the Pokémon world is just a bit lame: the two forms of Basculin just look too much alike to take it seriously. However, I do have to say that I've got a slight preference towards the Blue-Striped Forme, design-wise as well as mechanically.

P.S.: Is it me, or is it just weird that Basculin's English name and most of its foreign names contain something along the lines of 'masculine', 'macho' or 'manly'? I know it has a bold and volatile nature, but come the fuck on; by far not all men are aggressive or violent, and besides that, Basculin has a 50/50 gender ratio.

Rating: 4/5

#493: Arceus

Arceus.

In quite a few ways, Arceus is a highly controversial Pokémon. I can only assume that it isn't commonplace to include a creature based on a creator deity responsible for the creation of the Earth, galaxy and universe - present in many world cultures and religions - in a prominent video game franchise predominantly aimed at children. In many monotheistic religions the single God is also the creator, but I am an atheist and I wholeheartedly believe in the Big Bang, a popular term for a cosmological theory based on the general theory of relativity stating that the universe (or cosmos, if you will) came into existence 13.8 billion years ago and expanded from a very high-temperature and high-density state called a singularity. Our Earth is significantly younger - although much older than many Christians would like you to believe - and was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago, when our solar system was but a mere cloud of gas, dust and rubble originating from exploded stars. The massive cloud, often called a nebula, began to spin and clump up; and while the absolute lightest materials ended up in the middle and formed the sun, the solar wind swept away lighter elements that were the basis for gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - such as hydrogen and helium - from the closer regions and left only rocky meterials to create smaller terrestrial worlds like Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. And then, all of a sudden, Game Freak gave us a Pokémon that is the literal embodiment of a nonexistent supernatural being that is the source of all kinds of bias and misinformation in millions of humans around the world.

Just for the record: I'm not generalizing religious people. I am certain there are many progressive Christians and Muslims (or adherents of other religions, for that matter), but for every open-minded and forward-thinking Christian there seem to be a hundred of them who want to go back to the Middle Ages. Also, I should mention that I've personally had my fair share of negative experiences with Christians, so excuse me for not being a huge fan of religion in general.

Very atmospherical fan art of Arceus waiting for you on an extended platform
hovering above Spear Pillar. It was intended to be summoned in-game by use of
the Azure Flute, distrubuted by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, but the
event was ultimately cancelled.

Anyway, Arceus is believed to have hatched from an egg in a place where there was nothing and then shaped the world with its 1,000 arms, which ties in with a mythological motif found in the creation myths of many cultures and civilizations called the world egg, or cosmic egg. Its Pokédex entry is also a reference to the bodhisattva (a Sanskrit term for anyone who has generated bodhicitta, an enlightened mind) Avalokiteśvara, who in Buddhism is either pictured with eleven heads and one thousand arms or in a white, four-armed manifestation. Arceus's aesthetics derive from equines such as horses and llamas, although Bulbapedia suggests its stance and general form are similar to Egyptian bull and calf idols, particularly Apis. Uhm... okay? I don't see it, but what-fucking-ever.

Arceus... at the beginning of time? I don't know man, I just think
the background looks cool. 

Other controversial topics surrounding Arceus are its feature film and the pronunciation of its name. While 'ce' is usually pronounced with a soft c, the voice director of the anime dub at the time chose to pronounce Arceus with a hard c instead due to concerns over the soft c pronunciation's potential implications in British English-speaking territories, because of course British children would immediately think of an 'arse' (which is 'ass' in American English). As a result, there have been heated debates on the Internet about how to really pronounce Arceus's name, with roughly a 50/50 margin between the Ar-see-us and Ar-key-us camps and me joining the former. What everyone generally seems to agree on, however, is how shit the movie Arceus and the Jewel of Life actually is, not in the least because of the voice actor who was tasked with dubbing Arceus. The pitchy and whiny voice didn't fit such a mysterious and regal creature at all, and many found it highly disconcerting and irritating and didn't understand at all why Arceus wasn't given a much deeper voice. The movie's plot, which revolves around Arceus getting mad at the people of Michina Town for being betrayed in ancient times by a person called Damos and Ash traveling back to the past with his friends in order to directly influence the event for the better, isn't the worst I have ever seen and actually seems legitimately fun, but it contains some serious plot holes concerning time traveling and tampering with the timeline of events that I was really annoyed by.

This artist has managed to make Arceus look at least a little less
awkward. 

What I am also annoyed by - even though I shouldn't - is the stupid golden cross-like wheel around its abdomen, based on the bhavacakra ('wheel of life') from Buddhism. A symbolic representation of saṃsāra (or cyclic existence), it is found on the outside walls of Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries in the Indo-Tibetan region and helps ordinary people understand Buddhist teachings. This wheel thing on Arceus, which is probably more like an arc, changes color along with its eyes and hooves based on the type of plate or Z-Crystal that it is currently holding, which can basically be seen as helping ordinary people understand typings. I'm sure this arc thing plays an important role in changing the usually normal-type Arceus's typing, but there is no proof of that in the Pokédex or any other source aside from the aesthetic change. With base 120 base stats across the board - resulting in a base stat total of 720 - as well as the existence of some slightly overpowered mono-types in the competitive metagame (steel, fairy, dragon) and access to an insanely wide variety of moves, Arceus can be such a broken Pokémon in so many ways. It wasn't banned to Smogon's Uber tier for no reason, and I don't think you can actually use it in official tournaments, either. It's mainly just... there.

Even the manga didn't hold back displaying all types of Arceus.

And then its name... holy fucking shit. There are so many affixes and words that could be the inspiration for its name, and they all make sense. This is actually a warning, as it could get a bit repetitive, so if you don't feel like going through all of them, I'd recommend just skipping the following paragraph altogether.

So, the prefix arch- means 'most extreme' or 'highest', while árchon - or ἄρχων - is Greek for 'ruler' (not the mathematical kind) or 'lord' and deus is Latin for 'god' or 'deity'. It may also be the case that Arceus's name is derived from 'archaic' or from the Greek ἀρχή and ἀρχαῖος (arkhē and arkhaîos, respectively, with the former meaning 'beginning' or 'origin' and the latter meaning 'ancient') and Latin archetypus ('original'). There's 'arc' and aureus as well - with the latter being Latin for 'golden', in reference to its hooves and gold-colored wheel - but the last reference is even phonetically the same depending on which Arceus pronunciation camp you're in: Archeus - derived from the earlier-mentioned arkhaîos - which is the vital principle or force believed by the Paracelsians to be responsible for alchemical reactions within living bodies, and hence for the growth and continuation of all living beings. Essentially it was seen as the gray area wherein matter, speaking parallel and not laterally, begins to transmute into spiritual energies, and in effect it is the glue which binds the heavens to the material. It's such a vague concept that I don't fully understand it, but as Arceus is responsible for creating Sinnoh and Ransei (the region in Pokémon Conquest, my favorite Pokémon spin-off game) and possibly all life on Earth in the Pokémon world, I don't think this reference is all too farfetched.

The Last Supper re-enacted by all of the relevant legendaries, with Arceus
obviously acting like Jesus Christ.

I don't like Arceus, goddammit. There are too many religious references in its design and flavor, and I think it's all a bit too much. Arceus itself looks weird, especially with all of its body parts out of proportion (its awkwardly round abdomen, its long knobbly legs, the wheel being stuck around its body, its weird 'haircut', etc.), and I don't really see the need for such a Pokémon. Event Pokémon tend to be a little bit unnecessary in the first place, but at least most of those are competitively viable without being banned and aren't just mere collectibles. Arceus is by far my least favorite legendary/mythical Pokémon in existence and it's actually the only one not getting a passing grade - in fact, all of the other legendaries have gotten or will get at least 3.5 stars. Sucks to be you, Arceus.

Rating: 2.5/5

#492: Shaymin

Let me start off this review by saying that the Shaymin from the movie Giratina and the Sky Warrior is a conceited little asshole; its stuck-up attitude did not make the movie very enoyable to watch, especially since this Pokémon plays such a crucial part in it. The fact that a Pokémon known as the 'Gratitude Pokémon' was such an ungrateful brat didn't really make any sense to me (and to this day it still doesn't), but maybe the whole thing was done on purpose. It's just not very cute on a Pokémon that is supposed to radiate cuteness, though, and it's still a mystery to me as to why Ash didn't just leave it to its fate. Celebi, Jirachi, Manaphy and especially Mew were much more likeable in their respective movies, if I have to be honest.

OMG, aren't they cuuuuute? 

I love Shaymin when it comes to its design, flavor, form change and competitive capability, however, so its whiny and ungrateful behavior is hardly a reason for me to start disliking/hating it. The cuteness of its hedgehog Land Forme is exactly one of the reasons why I love it so much, although the more canine or reindeer-like Sky Forme's superhero aesthetics (fur like a mohawk, a flower like a cape/scarf and wing-like ears) really made me fall in love with Shaymin. It looks graceful yet feisty, although I do have to say there's an air of arrogance surrounding it. Shaymin's personality is almost opposite with each form, after all: in its Land Forme it is shy and easily frightened, while in its Sky Forme it is courageous and playful, which is probably why it looks a bit superhero-ish.

Shaymin's Land Forme (left) is usually portrayed with just one Gracidea flower, but
the other lowers burst into bloom when it senses feelings of gratitude. I do prefer its
Sky Forme over its Land Forme, though.

There are no separate Pokédex entries for Shaymin's Sky Forme, however, and I am pretty certain the entries that do exist all apply to its Land Forme. Luckily, we still have the movie, in which it is explained that Shaymin gathers with others of its kind in some flower field each season and migrates from there. This practice is called Flower Carrying, because a new field of flowers grow where it lands. As for Shaymin's Pokédex entries... well, they state that it lives in flower patches, avoiding detection by curling up to look like a flowering plant, and dissolves toxins in the air to instantly transform ruined land into a lush field of flowers. The Gracidea flowers all over its body burst into bloom if it is lovingly hugged or feels comfortable around someone, although it rapidly hides it back when it senses danger. The Gracidea is also an in-game key item that is used to change Land Forme Shaymin into Sky Forme Shaymin, although this can only be done during the day.

Lastly, Shaymin's name may be a combination of xiè (Chinese for 'thanks' or 'gratitude') and harinezumi ('hedgehog' in the same language, even though it sounds Japanese), and it is possible it's merely a corruption of shamayim (Hebrew for 'sky'), correlating directly with Shaymin's Sky Forme.

I like well-drawn art like this that makes certain Pokémon look
different yet still distinguishable.

I was never able to obtain Shaymin prior to the year-long mythical event held by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in 2016, but I am having so much fun using one in competitive play at the moment. While Shaymin's Land Forme has base 100 stats across the board, its Sky Forme has the same base stat total, although with boosts in its special attack and speed and drops in its defenses. Base 75 defenses are a tad mediocre, but they're backed up by a more-than-decent base 100 HP stat, so it will have no trouble living at least a few hits before it goes down. I only care for Sky Forme competitively, but both forms of Shaymin are largely used as fast special attackers. It really helps that this Pokémon has a couple of unique and/or devastating attacking moves in its arsenal, among which are Seed Flare, Air Slash, Psychic, Dazzling Gleam, Earth Power, Giga Drain and Energy Ball. I'd like to mention that Seed Flare and Air Slash are definite must-haves on Sky Forme, especially since its high speed stat and Serene Grace ability make it able to flinch opponents down with a 60% chance to flinch with Air Slash. Serene Grace also boosts the chance of dropping the foe's special defense with Seed Flare to a whopping 80%, which allows it to break down special walls. Attach a Life Orb to it and it'll do even more damage, although a Choice Scarf allows you to run a Modest nature instead of a Timid one and the Choice Specs aren't half bad, either. The last option is Healing Wish, which can be used in a pinch and lets Shaymin faint in order to fully recover an injured Pokémon on your team. It's your call whether you want to sacrifice a coverage move in favor of Healing Wish, but I personally don't run that move.

Sky confidently standing in a field of flowers. Don't you think its mohawk cut is
better than Scrafty's?

Land Forme is definitely bulkier than Sky Forme and is probably just as offensively viable as Sky Forme is (even though it is slightly weaker), but its ability is Natural Cure, which isn't as competitively useful as Serene Grace. Healing a status condition upon switching out is surely nothing to sneeze at, but it is merely situational, while the Serene Grace/Air Slash combo is an actual strategy that has proved to be more than effective on multiple occasions. A supportive approach might make Land Forme stand out a little bit more, as it is more suited than Sky Forme to run a moveset consisting of Leech Seed, Substitute, Protect and Giga Drain, backed up by the Leftovers as held item. It's just an example, so maybe you could ditch either Substitute or Protect and go with Synthesis for more reliable recovery instead. Perhaps you'll find yourself in need of Healing Wish because you need an injured teammate to go back to sweeping again; you never know.

GIF of Land Forme Shaymin drinking water from a pool. Adorable.

It's such a shame event Pokémon are just handed to you through a Nintendo Zone hotspot or the Nintendo Network; usually there isn't any challenging quest in the game in order to obtain them. On the other hand, without those Wi-Fi features I would never have been able to obtain all these event Pokémon and I can now safely say that my collection of legendary Pokémon is complete - with the exception of Zeraora, obviously. Shaymin is one of the best event-only Pokémon and I absolutely adore its Sky Forme for having such a sleek design, a courageous and heroic personality and amazing battling capabilities. Take one guess what rating I'm gonna give it?

P.S.: Bulbapedia suggests Shaymin may have gotten its inspiration from Chia Pets, small American-styled terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts grow within a couple of weeks to resemble the animal's fur or hair. While there was never a hedgehog Chia Pet, I can definitely see the resemblance, although I have to wonder whether Game Freak really created Shaymin with these distinctively American toys in mind. I don't know how popular - if at all - they are in Japan, but you rarely see them here in the Netherlands and I had never even heard of them prior to writing this article...

Rating: 5/5

#487: Giratina

I am terribly annoyed and frustrated with Google at the moment, because they display Blogger in English while the language on both of my Google accounts is clearly set on Dutch. And here I am, trying to write a review about a creepy ghost-type Pokémon that was banished to the Distortion World for being too violent. I feel this will not have a positive effect on my current state of mind, but my goal is to have finished the Gen. IV legendaries plus Victini by the end of May, so here goes nothing.

(Disclaimer: Yes, I know that Victini is technically from the fifth generation, but this Pokémon comes before Snivy and after Arceus in the National Pokédex, so please cut me some slack here.)

Shiny Giratina in its Altered Forme. Isn't it gorgeous?

Giratina is the box-art legendary of Pokémon Platinum in its Origin Forme and is supposed to be Dialga and Palkia's counterpart, but it is separated from the other members of its trio in the Pokédex by Heatran and Regigigas. This is not an uncommon occurrence, however; Cresselia and Darkrai aren't found next to each other in the Pokédex either, no fewer than three legendary Pokémon would be found separately from the other members of their respective groups exactly one generation later as well, and a couple of Ultra Beasts prevent Necrozma from chilling with Solgaleo and Lunala. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter, because it's all about the Pokémon themselves and not about their position in the National Pokédex. In that regard, Giratina may be the most interesting of the Creation Trio flavor-wise, even though some of the references are clearly biblical in nature. Some of Giratina's Pokédex entries claim that it was banished to the Distortion World for its excessive violence, which may be based on the story of how the Devil was once an angel who was banished to Hell for attempting a revolution. Furthering this are the possibilities that Giratina's Altered Forme is based on a basilisk and its Origin Forme on a serpent, two creatures that the Devil would often take the form of in the Bible.

Amazing art of Giratina emerging at Spear Pillar from a portal leading to the
Distortion World.

But the two forms of Giratina seem to be based on entirely different things altogether. Bulbapedia claims that Giratina's Altered Forme may be based on a giant centipede from the Japanese fairytale "My Lord Bag of Rice", which was said to be as large as a mountain and prey on dragon hatchlings. It doesn't really make sense to me, because Giratina is a dragon type itself. Sure, its six legs make it look somewhat insect-like, but not overly so; if anything, I am of the opinion that it has more saurian and draconian features. When in its Origin Forme, Giratina shares physical traits with a creature called an amphiptere, a European dragon-like creature with bat-like wings and a serpentine body but no legs. Too bad the bat-like wings are a feature of Giratina's Altered Forme, as its Origin Forme possesses six black ghostly streamers protruding from its back, and the red spikes attached to the tips of those streamers are reminiscent to scorpion stingers or spider legs.

Also, in interviews Junichi Masuda and Takeshi Kawachimaru did with G4, they said that Giratina and the Distortion World were created to be personifications of antimatter, which Cynthia also states in HeartGold and SoulSilver. I'm guessing antimatter isn't the exact opposite of time and space, but I'll buy it. It's better than having to listen to the trifecta-of-matter theory for the umpteenth time, however solid this theory may be.

Giratina's Origin Forme chillin' with its creator, Arceus. 

Too bad Game Freak cannot be consistent when it comes to creating certain Pokémon's characteristics, because Giratina still seems to be able to travel through and control dimensions besides those of time and space. The movie Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior shows that it can pass through dimensions at will by emitting a whirlwind from its mouth, thereby creating a portal. Traveling to the 'normal' Pokémon world, it ambushed Dialga and dragged it to the Reverse World - the Distortion World in Pokémon Platinum - in order to exact revenge against it for causing damage to said Reverse World during its fight with Palkia in Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai, which shows that Giratina is a highly aggressive and territorial Pokémon protective of its home and capable of kidnapping. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl it can even be caught in its Altered Forme - its default form when not in the Distortion World or holding a Griseous Orb, due to the change in gravity between dimensions - in an ancient cemetery in Sinnoh called Turnback Cave, which is not even in the Distortion World and so it has no business being there in the first place. The point I'm trying to make here is that, ultimately, banishing Giratina to the Distortion World didn't seem to have had any effect whatsoever, as it is still able to travel between all kinds of different dimensions. Great consistency there, Game Freak.

While I'm at it, I should add that I think Giratina's Origin Forme should be called its Altered Forme and vice versa. The way I see it is that Giratina had to alter its body in order to adapt to a different environment after it was banished to the Distortion World, thereby taking on the form of a serpent rather than a centipede of some sort. I think. But what do I know, right?

Giratina's Altered Forme.

In any case, real-life references and name origins are almost never downright confirmed, so we could only guess where Giratina's name comes from. It almost feels like a Japanese corruption of the world 'guillotine', but that can't be the only thing. Bulbapedia suggests that Giratina's name may be derived from girasol opal, a term that is often mistakenly used to refer to red-, orange- and yellow-colored fire opals, but true girasol is a type of translucent hyalite opal that exhibits a bluish glow or sheen that follows the light source around and is sometimes called water opal when it is from Mexico. No, let's go the 'guillotine' way instead and throw some purachina (Japanese for 'platinum') in the mix as well. As Giratina is the game mascot of Pokémon Platinum, I guess the latter isn't such an over-the-top assumption. Lastly, when it comes to Giratina's competitive utility, it actually works quite differently from Dialga and Palkia, who mainly serve as strong special attackers. In its Altered Forme Giratina is a defensive wall sporting an annoying support set consisting of at least Defog, Toxic and Rest, while its Origin Forme swaps some base defenses for some more base offenses. It still won't be knocked out easily though, not even by another legendary Pokémon. Do think twice before sending this thing out to other dragon or ghost types (as well as fairy, ice and dark types), two types Giratina is weak to, which makes it the only dual-type Pokémon that is weak to both of its own types. Ouch.

Palkia (left) and Dialga (right) facing off against Origin Forme Giratina (middle).

I love this thing. It's a creepy yet cool Pokémon to look at, and I can understand why Pokémon Platinum - and by extension also Giratina and the Distortion World - enjoys so much popularity. The fourth generation isn't my favorite by a long shot, but Sinnoh is home to some of the most amazingly designed Pokémon, including my all-time favorite, Luxray. While I'm not a big fan of religious references in Pokémon, I can certainly see the irony in a Pokémon that might be the very embodiment of the Devil, especially since the franchise receives so much backlash from Christian parents. Giratina definitely gets no less than a perfect rating from me!

P.S.: I have now tagged all of my blog posts. From now on, every review will receive labels with the respective Pokémon's typing and rating, as well as the generation it's in. This way, it'll be easier for you to search for Pokémon in certain categories, should you so desire.

Rating: 5/5

#479: Rotom

No, you didn't miss anything; between Abomasnow and Rotom there's a large batch of Gen. IV evolutions of Pokémon introduced in previous generations, and I've already reviewed them accordingly. All the better, because the huge gap in the National Pokédex makes me feel I have made some progress at least, ha ha ha.

Regular Rotom surrounded by its five alternate forms. Clockwise
starting from the top left: Frost Rotom, Fan Rotom, Wash Rotom,
Mow Rotom and Heat Rotom.

Anyway, as I've mentioned before, today's Pokémon is a curious little critter called Rotom. It is unique in the fact that it is the only electric/ghost dual-type Pokémon and the only Pokémon to have its type changed into a type that wasn't newly introduced. Introduced in Diamond and Pearl as a Pokémon with the ability of possessing several household appliances, Rotom can change its appearance in order to correspond with the design of the appliance it possesses from Platinum onwards, and for in-game purposes this means it has no fewer than six different forms. The default form is its regular electric/ghost-type form that resembles a lightning rod; the others are a microwave oven, a washing machine, a lawnmower, a refrigerator and an electric fan. These alternate forms didn't have a different type than regular Rotom when they were first introduced to us in Platinum, but this all changed in Gen. V: Heat Rotom became electric/fire, Wash Rotom electric/water, Mow Rotom electric/grass, Frost Rotom electric/ice (even though it's a refrigerator and not a freezer, it must have a built-in freezer unit), and Fan Rotom electric/flying. This opened the path for brand new competitive strategies, as a few of these type combinations are extraordinarily useful in the competitive metagame, especially when you consider all forms come with the ability Levitate and thus aren't weak to ground-type moves due to their being part electric - although this ability is quite redundant on Fan Rotom due to its flying type making it immune to ground in the first place. But I'll talk some more about Rotom's competitive utility later on in this review.

An amazing drawing of all Rotom forms gathered together. Even
the electrical auras of the different forms look different; Wash
Rotom's looks like a clothespin, Heat Rotom's is reminiscent of
oven mitts, Mow Rotom's resembles splintered wood, Frost
Rotom's bears resemblances to lightning bolts, and Fan Rotom's
look like wind currents. 

First off, how is Rotom able to enter and control these electronic devices in the first place? Well, it has a body of plasma with a whitish aura of electricity around it that forms lightning bolt-shaped appendages, and it appears to be based on uproarious and disrupting ghoul-like creatures called poltergeists. While poltergeists are generally believed to be responsible for physical disturbances such making loud noises, moving objects around (by levitation, if necessary) and sometimes even possessing certain objects, folkloric creatures called gremlins are more notorious for causing malfunctions in aircraft and other machinery. I want to believe poltergeists are the actual inspiration for Rotom here, as indicated by its specific ability to possess home appliances and the fact that ball lightning, an unexplained atmospheric electrical phenomenon involving luminous spherical objects bouncing about, might often cause the spooky movement of objects blamed on poltergeists. Also, poltergeists tend to wander about in urban/suburban areas and cause disturbances in the homes of middle-class families when depicted in popular media - or maybe I have that idea because I watched the 1982 supernatural horror film Poltergeist a couple of times, although the same could be said about the 1984 movie Gremlins. In any case, you first encounter Rotom in a creepy old mansion called the Old Chateau, inside of a defective TV, of all things. Go figure.

Official artwork of the Rotom Pokédex. The right image demonstrates how the
device actually works.

However, while Rotom is a mischievous creature and takes over electronic devices in order to play practical jokes on people, causing all sorts of problems, scientists continue to conduct research on this Pokémon because they think it could be the power source of a unique motor (Rotom is 'motor' spelled backwards, probably a reference to the fact that motors make many appliances function while Rotom makes them fail). While this specific Pokédex entry appeared in HeartGold and SoulSilver first, Game Freak surprised us three generations later by introducing the first ever Pokédex inhabited by a Pokémon: Rotom! Positioned on the lower screen of your 3DS, the Rotom Pokédex gives you unwanted advice, asks you stupid questions, rambles on about nothing in particular and sometimes makes lame-ass jokes, but also helps you out in sticky situations by granting you another chance to perform a Z-Move, gathers and stores data of all Pokémon found in Alola and shows you the way by almost continuously displaying a map of the region on its screen. It is kind of a double-edged sword, as the Rotom Pokédex can get pretty annoying at times, but I like its cheeky personality and the features it provides.

Holy shit, think about it: your Pokédex is a living, sentient being that talks to you and helps you out on your journey to becoming a Pokémon Master. Pokémon is getting more awesome every day, I swear.

Rotom having fun with a microwave oven. 

We now know what Rotom is based on and what this Pokémon encompasses, but I said I would talk about its competitive prowess; and to tell you the truth, its regular form isn't anything worth mentioning. Although the encounter music that is played when encountering Rotom in Gen. IV is the same music used with legendary encounters, its stats are all but legendary. I urge you to find the place wher you can change Rotom into one of its other five forms and do just that, because its 'measly' 440 base stat total will rise notably, exchanging a little bit of speed for significantly more bulk and slightly more offensive presence. Heat and Wash Rotom are the most popular forms to use in the competitive metagame, which isn't surprising, as fire is one of the best offensive types in the game and Heat Rotom's otherwise terrible quadruple weakness is nullified by Levitate, while Wash Rotom has literally only one weakness (also due to Levitate) and is therefore a great defensive asset to any team. Frost and Mow Rotom don't really have that defensive presence, and Fan Rotom doesn't have a STAB move that is strong enough - Heat, Wash, Mow and Frost Rotom get Overheat, Hydro Pump, Leaf Storm and Blizzard, respectively, while Fan Rotom will have to do with the much weaker Air Slash.

Looks like Rotom is having some fun in what looks like a
control room.

As for complete sets for some of these Rotom forms, I am not going into detail for all of them, especially not Fan Rotom. For Wash Rotom, however, I would definitely recommend a defensive set consisting of Hydro Pump, Volt Switch, Will-O-Wisp and Defog, to cripple physical threats and remove entry hazards. Pain Split is often used for some recovery, although it is not always a very reliable way to restore HP; an Iapapa Berry or Sitrus Berry will do the trick more effectively. More options are Substitute, Rest and Sleep Talk, as well as the Letovers as a very solid hold item and a Bold or Calm nature to boost one of its defenses. It's your call whether you want to make it physically or specially bulky. You could actually go the same way with Heat Rotom and be just fine, although an offensive moveset might do more in this case because of Heat Rotom's amazing offensive typing: a Timid or Modest nature lets it be slightly faster or specially offensive, respectively, while a Firium Z (the fire-type Z-Crystal) can change its Overheat attack to an insanely strong Inferno Overdrive. Choice Specs aren't bad either, and might even be more reliable in the long run, as a moveset consisting of Overheat, Volt Switch, Thunderbolt and either Shadow Ball or some type of Hidden Power doesn't seem all that strong in the first place and a Choice Specs might just be the item Heat Rotom needs to give its moves a little bit more oomph.

Frost and Mow Rotom aren't used as frequently as Heat and Wash Rotom, but ice and grass are pretty good offensive types, which mean you could slap the Choice Specs or an Icium Z on it (Grassium Z in Mow Rotom's case), but I reckon you should just use the Rotom of your preference. I mean, my favorite form is Mow Rotom and that's not a popular one at all - I even think it's the second least favorite form behind Fan Rotom among Pokémon fans. I don't know if it's its typing or its maniacal grin that is putting people off, but that's exactly what I like about it in the first place.

All of the Rotom forms doing what they can do best.

One more curious thing about Rotom's origins is that Bulbapedia suggests that this Pokémon is based on the main character from the 1994 Sega game Pulseman, on which Ken Sugimori (responsible for all of the Pokémon's official artwork), Satoshi Tajiri (the creator of Pokémon) and Junichi Masuda (director, producer and composer for many Pokémon games) all worked on. Aside from the spike on Pulseman's head and the fact that it was designed by Ken Sugimori, I really don't see the resemblance with Rotom. However, Pulseman is half human, half AI and I guess his subsequent power to channel electricity through his body and use it as both a weapon and a means of quick transport might be reminiscent of Rotom's ability to permeate household appliances as well as it being made up of plasma and electricity. There's a whole list of references to Pulseman in the Pokémon games, but I personally think it's a little bit of a stretch to compare the two franchises, even though the same people worked on both of them (honestly, Pulseman isn't even a franchise, just a stand-alone game).

Rotom is without a doubt one of the most unique, creative and popular Pokémon Game Freak have ever created. It's a fan favorite for a reason: there are a lot of Pokémon that are based on contemporary animals, extinct creatures, mythical entities and/or inanimate objects, but a poltergeist able to take control of electronic devices must be one Game Freak's most genius inventions. Aside from that, Rotom is pretty viable in the competitive scene, so I'm sure that contributes to its popularity as well. I have to say that Rotom is not one of my personal top favorites, but I still think it's damn worthy of a 5-star rating from me!

Rating: 5/5

#422 - #423: Shellos & Gastrodon

Today's Pokémon are the perfect embodiment of the sluggish pace at which I'm currently posting reviews, wouldn't you say? Expect me to post a lot less frequently from now on, as this here guy now has a job as a proofreader. I am so sorry, but I had such a heavy workload the past couple weeks that I didn't have any time writing something for this blog in the first place.

TCG art containing both of Shellos's forms, with the East Sea
Forme on the left and the West Sea Forme on the right.

Anyway, Shellos is based on the concept of allopatric speciation, specifically the vicariance model: an original population is separated by a geographic barrier, preventing the exchange of genetic information between the two populations (reproductive isolation) and resulting in the development of two different species (evolution). In that regard, this sea slug Pokémon based on chromodoris lochi comes in two different variants depending on where you are in Sinnoh, as the pink West Sea Forme can be found on the west side of the geographic barrier called Mt. Coronet and the blue East Sea Forme can only be caught on the other side of the mountain. It's just an aesthetic difference; neither Shellos has any special effect on the battles and/or overworld in the games, and there aren't any differences in their base stats. In fact, both forms are perfectly able to interbreed and the young inherit the mother's form. The only difference is in their Pokédex entries, and only as of Pokémon Sun and Moon: the pink West Sea Shellos secretes a purple mucus that sticks to the hands of those touching it and is troublesome to wash off, a trait that applied to both Shellos prior to Gen. VII and had a more generic description to begin with. The rest of Shellos's flavor mentions the fact that the color of its body depends on its diet and habitat (well, duh!).

That's it, really. There's literally nothing else to say about it, and I have the feeling Game Freak rushed this Pokémon a little. According to an interview with Ken Sugimori in Nintendo Power, Shellos and Gastrodon were originally intended for Ruby and Sapphire, but they weren't implemented due to time constraints. There are even early back sprites to be found of these Pokémon in the Diamond and Pearl game data, showing the West Sea Forme's pink color and bunch of fleshy head knobs and the East Sea Forme's wing-like appendages. The same can be said about Shellos's evolution Gastrodon, whose early back sprite is incredibly knobbly and doesn't even resemble the two forms of Gastrodon we're familiar with today. Basically, we just got the leftovers from the production period of Ruby and Sapphire, and other than a form difference they weren't given much of an attentive treatment.

3D art of Gastrodon's West Sea Forme.

Before I'm going to talk about Gastrodon, I have to say that I like that, wherever you are in the world, Shellos's name actually always refers to its lack of a shell, which... well, Gastrodon doesn't seem to have a shell, either, but of course its Pokédex entries contradict each other on that, too. That is something for a later time, though, as we're going to dig into Shellos's name origins first.

Japanese: Karanakushi (カラナクシ) is derived from kara, meaning 'shell', and nakushita and/or nashi, meaning 'to have lost' and 'without', respectively. The latter actually makes more sense.

English: Shellos contains 'shell' and 'loss' or 'lost', obviously referring to the fact that it doesn't have a shell. It also suggests that Shellos initially did have a shell, but assuming that its shell was lost as it grew might be a bit of a stretch.

French, German: Shellos's respective French and German names of Sancoki and Schalellos originate from sans coquille and schalenlos, wich literally mean 'without a shell'.

Korean: Kapjilmu (깝질무) contains kkapjil and mu - 'shell' and 'naught', respectively. Evidently, 'naught' refers to the absence of a shell on Shellos's body.

Mandarin Chinese: This is actually the strangest one, and the sole reason why I wanted to talk about Shellos's name origins. Wúkéhǎiniú (無殼海牛) literally means 'no shell manatee', while Gastrodon's Mandarin Chinese name Hǎiniúshòu (海牛獸) means 'manatee beast'. However, a manatee is commonly called a sea cow and is undoubtedly a mammal. Shellos and Gastrodon are based on sea slugs, which are obviously gastropods, so this whole manatee thing makes no sense, unless I'm actually missing something important here.

Eh, whatever. It's probably just a cultural thing.

Two East Sea Gastrodon chillin'.

Gastrodon itself isn't all that interesting, though. In ancient times its entire back was shielded by a sturdy shell, of which there are traces left in its cells, although it is also mentioned that its sturdy shell serves to protect its body. 'Serves', as in simple present tense rather than past tense. Come on, Game Freak, make up your goddamn mind. I know you're busy, but try to get rid of your inconsistencies for once. We're not stupid; give us a little credit here. As for the rest of its flavor, East Sea Forme's Sun and Moon entries mention researchers scouring the oceans of the world in search of a Gastrodon in a color never seen before, as well as experiments that are being conducted by scientists to discover what happens when a Gastrodon is raised in a location other than the sea where it was born. I have no idea what all of this has to do with East Sea Gastrodon specifically, but it's the only form available in Alola and I suspect the 'Gastrodon in a color never seen before' might as well refer to West Sea Gastrodon. In turn, West Sea Gastrodon has strong regenerative capabilities, so it will return to normal within a matter of hours if parts of it are bitten off by fish Pokémon. This was part of Gastrodon's general Dex entries before Sun and Moon, so I guess this trait isn't exclusive to West Sea Forme.

So, the bottom line is that giving the two Gastrodon forms separate Pokédex entries in Sun and Moon was absolutely not necessary.

West Sea Gastrodon chillin' on a cliff.

But Gastrodon has a base HP stat of 111, which is monstrous for HP standards, and base 68 and 82 defense and special defense, respectively. That makes it an excellent tank in battle, provided you use one with a Bold or Relaxed nature to buff up that defense stat. Trust me, it's necessary; in itself, a base 68 defense stat is in nothing to write home about, but a Bold nature and an excellent HP stat renders it more than useful in Gastrodon's case. Just heed grass-type moves, which deal quadruple damage due to its water/ground typing. The only thing about Gastrodon is that it is a pretty straightforward Pokémon with a rather predictable moveset most of the time, despite its versatility. It often carries Recover, Toxic, Scald and either Earth Power or Earthquake; it is genuinely the best moveset for Gastrodon, as it can heal itself with Recover - which is irritating to your opponent when you let it hold the Leftovers - and hit back with STAB moves like Earth Power and Scald. The latter also has a chance to burn the opposing Pokémon, which only adds to Gastrodon's physical bulk due to the attack cut a burn causes. Those are not the only options Gastrodon has, however: it learns useful moves such as Mirror Coat, Counter, Ice Beam, Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Clear Smog, Curse, Waterfall and Surf. Its special attack is a base 92, which in combination with its bulk is nothing to really sneeze at, although its base 83 attack and access to Curse might prove to be more helpful to you. If you want to spice up the game a little, Gastrodon is not a bad Pokémon to do that with. Of course, make sure its ability is Storm Drain at all times; not only does this ability make it immune to water-type moves, it also raises its special attack when hit by one. Sticky Hold is useful when you really don't want your item knocked off, but otherwise it is to be avoided, as is Gastrodon's hidden ability Sand Force. This powers up all of its ground-, rock- and steel-type moves in a sandstorm, but Gastrodon isn't that much of a powerhouse in the first place, so I wouldn't bother with it.

I especially like the background here.

Shellos and Gastrodon are no more than okay as far as Pokémon go. I'm not sold on their designs, but I don't carry a hatred or dislike towards it, either. On the contrary, even, because I think Gastrodon's competitive capabilities redeem its bland design a little. I do think the whole East Sea and West Sea differences are a little bit unnecessary, but I guess I can look past that, as it's not a pressing matter to me or something. I would give it 3 stars as a whole, but I guess I cannot put it on the same level with that ridiculous Overcast Forme of Cherrim (which only got 3 stars because of its cute Sunshine Forme), so I'll give it half a star extra instead.

Rating: 3.5/5

#420 - #421: Cherubi & Cherrim

I feel like Gen. IV definitely introduced the largest batch of forgettable Pokémon. I keep failing to remember Finneon and Lumineon are a thing, while I am indifferent towards Buizel and Floatzel; Pokémon like Kricketune, Mothim and Skuntank are easily overlooked, even though I personally really like them; this generation's legendary trio are by far the least used in the competitive metagame; and I feel like stand-alone Pokémon like Carnivine and Chatot don't bring much to the table other than a couple of gimmicky features.

Three basic-stage grass-type Pokémon with the same fucking
face. My GOD, maybe Game Freak and Nintendo are running out
of ideas after all! ;)

But taking home the gold for being the most forgettable Gen. IV Pokémon are Cherubi and Cherrim. Cherubi is just a pre-evolution and so it's not the little guy's fault, but let's be honest: it's literally just a cherry with a second head hanging from its stem. The head isn't sentient and is vestigial in terms of function, but it contains nutrients that contribute to Cherubi's growth as its initial source of food and is apparently very tasty, as several other Pokémon have been observed trying to pluck it off. When the second head begins to bloom, Cherubi is close to evolving into Cherrim... who is nothing but a bud with a pair of feet. This is Cherrim's Overcast Forme, which is its standard form under normal weather conditions and looks like it should be a middle-stage evolution. It only transforms into its Sunshine Forme in harsh sunlight, which doesn't make sense aesthetically: all of a sudden its feet are yellow instead of a deep pink, its eyes are on its head - where they belong - rather than near its feet, and the large purple petals it has as a bud are now small, light pink ones. And then it changes back into its standard Overcast Forme when the sunlight subsides...? I don't get this Pokémon at all. Yes, I know that cherry blossom trees are a staple of the Japanese landscape, and a Pokémon based on these was long overdue, but that doesn't justify creating a Pokémon that doesn't make a lick of sense, at least in my own humble and insignificant opinion. Photonastic traits are not uncommon in plants, but I don't think they change appearance the way Cherrim does.

Huh? Why are those cherry blossoms moving? 

Cherrim, I'm directly talking to you right now: I don't understand you. Why don't you stay in your Sunshine Forme (obviously call it something else, then) and be happy forever instead of being a docile, miserable bud for the majority of your life? You're a Pokémon, a magical being; you're not going to turn deciduous. Not as far as I know, at least.

Nice fan art of Cherrim's Sunshine Forme.

To the reader: don't even think about using this thing in competitive play, because it is absolutely terrible. Should you decide to use it for some unspecified reason, you're in for a bumpy ride: its base stat total of 450, of which its best stats are its base 87 special attack and base 85 speed, renders it pretty much useless. With mediocre offense and speed as well as very mediocre bulk, Cherrim should be avoided at all costs. It's a decent in-game Pokémon, though, with access to hard-hitting STAB moves like Petal Dance and Energy Ball, as well as type coverage in Dazzling Gleam. It gets Weather Ball through breeding, so maybe a sun strategy might work should you decide to use a bred Cherubi/Cherrim in a new playthrough: Sunny Day to set up harsh sunlight, Solar Beam for instant STAB damage (charges up a turn first when the weather conditions are normal), Weather Ball for 100-power fire-type damage (it's a 50-power normal-type move in normal weather conditions), and Dazzling Gleam for fairy-type coverage. This strategy does make Cherrim extra vulnerable to fire types, so it might not be the smartest idea, but at least it's an in-game option for you to consider. I guess it's something, although there are much better grass-type Pokémon to choose from.

3D art of Cherrim's Overcast and Sunshine Formes. 

I don't like how Cherrim's two forms are nothing alike. The incredible thing is that I don't hate the design of its Sunshine Forme at all, as I think it's actually pretty cute. It's just... what purpose does this Pokémon serve? You'll almost always see it in its Overcast Forme, as extraordinary weather conditions in-game are pretty rare, and even then you'll rarely encounter Cherrim. It was also a hassle to get, as the only way to obtain Cherubi in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum was to slather Honey on trees and wait six hours for a Pokémon to appear. Not Cherubi specifically; no, a randomly generated Pokémon. That's just not worth it.

Overall, I'm giving Cherrim 3 stars, only because its ridiculous Overcast Forme exists. 

P.S.: Don't get me started about that so-called marijuana reference in Cherubi's National Pokédex number, just because this Pokémon is a grass type. I am aware of it and I think it's stupid. Cherubi makes you high as much as Vivillion is the spawn of Satan or Bellsprout an actual reference to a blowjob. So, in other words: not at all.

Rating: 3/5