#343 - #344: Baltoy & Claydol

Baltoy happily spinning about. 

Baltoy and its evolution Claydol are a strange set of Pokémon. Found in the desert area of the Hoenn region, Baltoy seems to be a living clay figurine of some sort, which is obviously why it's a ground type. As for the reason why its secondary typing is psychic... I have absolutely no clue. Being a living clay doll doesn't justify its psychic typing, nor do its characteristics: it moves around by spinning on its one foot like a top toy and cleverly balances itself on said foot while it sleeps, and as soon as it spots others of its kind, it conregates with them and then begins crying noisily in unison. Baltoy's psychic typing seems to be predominant, as most of its level-up moves are of its secondary typing, as are the TM and Move Tutor moves it can learn. It doesn't have a shortage of ground-type moves at all, but I figured I'd mention it nonetheless. What's interesting is that Baltoy is an ancient Pokémon, and primitive murals in the ruins of an ancient city it was found in depict it living among the people of old times. Unsurprising, because this Pokémon and its evolution are based on the shakōki-dogū, a 'spaceman' clay figurine from the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory (c. 14,000 - 300 BC), and Baltoy even shares some traits with a spinning top. The fact that culbuto and ottuki - found in its French and Korean names of Balbuto and Ohttukgun (오뚝군), respectively - both mean 'roly-poly toy' (or 'round-bottomed doll') doesn't seem to matter to Game Freak. Its Japanese and English names seem to take a more general or neutral approach: Yajilon (ヤジロン) is most probably an abbreviation of yajirobe'e, meaning 'balancing toy', while Baltoy may be a contraction thereof.

Claydol as seen in TCG, shooting Hyper Beams from the
protrusions on its arms.

And Claydol? Well... surely I don't have to explain where its name comes from, right? All I can say is that I think this Pokémon is weird, with its multiple eyes and beaks giving it the appearance of a couple of merged owls. It is more obviously a psychic type, though, as there's an aura of mystery surrounding Claydol and its flavor sure points to it being a psychic type as well. The spherical arms it has are not attached to its body, but are usually kept floating close by due to Claydol's psychic powers. It uses the same telekinetic abilities to move through the air and hovers in midair when it's asleep. Claydol is said to have come to life when an ancient doll made from clay, crafted by an ancient but primitive civilization dating back 20,000 years, was exposed to a mysterious ray of light. The psychic typing is also more eminent in Claydol's foreign names than Baltoy's, especially its Japanese and Chinese ones. For starters, its Japanese name Nendoll (ネンドール) contains the word nen, which is pretty much subject to interpretation: it is found in various compounds having to do with ESP-related phenomena such as nensha ('thoughtography'; the claimed ability to project images from one's mind onto surfaces such as photographic film by psychic means) and nendō ('telekinesis'), although nendo also means 'clay'. Lepumentas is Claydol's German name and originates from the Latin word for 'mind', being mentis, whereas its Chinese name Niànlìtǔ'ǒu (念力土偶) is partly derived from niànlì, which means 'psychokinesis' and also serves as the Chinese name for the move Confusion.

So, how 'bout that Mega Claydol? We don't need for it to become
bulkier, but God knows he needs a special attack boost. This
Mega reminds me of Shakkoumon from Digimon Adventure 02,
and that has everything to do with the fact that it is based on the
shakōki-dogū as well. 

One thing's for sure: Claydol won't be using Confusion anytime soon. This thing is a bulky bitch and is meant to tank hits and serve as a valuable support Pokémon. It learns Stealth Rock, with which you can set up rocks that hurt opposing Pokémon every time they're sent to the battlefield, while Rapid Spin removes entry hazards on your side of the field. Magic Coat reflects all entry hazard moves or moves that inflict a status condition (Leech Seed, Toxic, Stealth Rock and Teeter Dance, for example, but also moves like Taunt and Torment) back to the move's user. The Toxic/Protect combo is a classic tactic, although a nicer tactic is to let Claydol hold the Light Clay to extend the duration of moves like Reflect and Light Screen, which raise the entire team's defense and special defense by 50%. However, Claydol also needs a move to attack with, something like Psychic or Earth Power - as long as it's a strong STAB move it should do a considerable amount of damage. The best nature for such a Claydol is Bold or Calm, although a Modest nature can be used if you wanna go offensive. Its special movepool is crazy: Ancient Power, Earth Power, Psychic, Psyshock, Extrasensory, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Grass Knot, Dazzling Gleam and even Charge Beam, a weak electric-type move that has a big chance of raising its special attack by one stage every time it is used. And when it comes to abilities, you don't even have to rack your brains for hours trying to decide which one you're gonna use: Claydol gets Levitate by default. This ability makes it immune to ground-type moves and entry hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and resistant to rock-type moves and Stealth Rock. How's that for an entry hazard remover?

Baltoy and Claydol's official art, hand-drawn by... someone. It's actually a still of a
video tutorial teaching people how to draw Pokémon.

Personally, though, I am not the biggest fan of Claydol. Yes, it's weird. And yes, I know I said that's what gives Gen. III a little bit of redemption. I don't think Claydol is a good kind of weird, though, rather an awkward kind of weird. The multiple pairs of eyes are unsettling and its head and body are unnecessarily rotund, which gives it too much of an artificial appearance, although its flavor suggests that it is an artificial Pokémon in all aspects. I don't hate Claydol, though. It still has an interesting and original design and flavor, with a unique albeit terrible defensive typing to boot (it is weak to ghost, dark, grass, water, bug and ice). I think a rating of 3 stars is a little bit low, so I'll just give it half a star extra.

Rating: 3.5/5

#341 - #342: Corphish & Crawdaunt

Corphish in what looks like the wrong habitat. 

A common misconception I noticed among Pokémon fans is that that they think Corphish is based on some kind of crab or lobster, probably because these animals are more well-known than crayfish, the actual animal Corphish is based on - or, more specifically, the red swamp crayfish. Crayfish are a type of edible crustaceans that are similar to lobsters, sure, but they're something different: they are usually smaller, live in freshwater - Corphish live in ponds found in Petalburg City and Routes 102 and 117, and you can fish them up with a Good Rod or Super Rod - and are more commonly used for home cooking, as opposed to lobsters being considered an expensive delicacy you'll order when you're in a chic restaurant. Corphish, however, won't have none of this kitchen shit, lobster or crayfish. It's a violent Pokémon that will drive out the original inhabitants of a specific area and claim the territory for its own, subsequently defending it from anyone or anything who dares invade it, hence this Pokémon's classification as the 'Ruffian Pokémon'. The reference to a certain species of crayfish that is seen as an invasive pest and has been causing trouble for Japan's wildlife for decades couldn't have been more obvious here. Corphish were originally imported to Hoenn as pets, however, making these Pokémon the first exotic species in the National Pokédex. Eventually turning up in the wild, they quickly proliferated and adapted to any environment, whether it be polluted or not.

Ash Ketchum had a Corphish, too. The dumbass never evolved it. 

The only thing I don't understand about Corphish is the military theme in its English and Asian names. First and foremost, Corphish is derived from 'corps' - which is the term for a branch of military serviceman and is pronounced as 'core' - or maybe 'corporal'. As for the origin of its names in Northeast Asia, well... its Japanese name Heigani (ヘイガニ) derives from hei and its Korean name Gazegun (가재군) from gun, both meaning 'army' or 'troops', but its ridiculously lengthy Chinese name of Lóngxiāxiǎobīng (龍蝦小兵) originates from xiǎobīng and suggests Corphish is a foot soldier. It doesn't really make sense to me, because being a police officer or a military servant requires possessing a certain perception of obedience, reservation and discipline that Corphish - and definitely its evolution Crawdaunt - tremendously lacks. I don't get it and I probably never will, but at least Game Freak were going for something here...

Crawdaunt looks savage. 

However, Corphish is next to nothing compared to Crawdaunt. The latter is so violent and short-tempered that it is compelled to constantly challenge other living things to battle. No other Pokémon dare inhabit its territory because of this habit. Not that they get a chance to do that, because if Crawdaunt senses something venturing too close to it or its nest, it will pinch the trespasser and toss them out of its pond by using its sharp pincers or crash into them with full force. A veteran Crawdaunt that has prevailed in hundreds of battles has giant pincers marked with countless scars. It can be quite vulnerable, however, as it molts its shell on a regular basis and hides in its streambed burrow to hide from its foes when its new shell is still soft and tender. This shell may be based on Batesian mimicry in association with Sharpedo - another water/dark type introduced in the same generation - as it resembles an open shark mouth with a yellow star on the nose, just like Sharpedo's scar. However, Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both, and Crawdaunt can by no means be called harmless. Oh, well... In general, though, Crawdaunt is a relatively big and powerful Pokémon extremely prone to malice, making it a perfect secondary dark type. Because of its size and type, Crawdaunt may actually be based on a lobster, which is comparatively big when you put them next to crayfish - although Crawdaunt still live in ponds rather than saltwater and its name is derived from 'crawdad' or 'crawfish', which are just alternative names for 'crayfish'.

Crawdaunt as seen in TCG. 

Some of Crawdaunt's flavor can be found back in its in-game stats, though, as it possesses an incredible attack stat and some moderate defensive qualities on the physical side of the spectrum. Unfortunately, it is not fast or specially defensive at all; instead, some of these much-needed base points go to its unnecessarily high special attack. It's not sky-high, but it's pretty damn good, which is a shame considering the fact you're only going to utilize its physical strength. It's inevitable, because its physical attack is so much higher than its special attack and its physical movepool so much better than its special one. First off, Crawdaunt has access to an egg move called Dragon Dance, a move that increases its attack and speed by one stage each when used. Secondly, Aqua Jet is a water-type priority move that hits relatively hard after a couple of Dragon Dance boosts. Next, Knock Off is a dark-type move that deals double the damage if the opponent is holding an item. For some STAB moves that are more reliable you can always fall back on moves like Crunch, Waterfall and Crabhammer, although you could opt for some nice type coverage: Crawdaunt learns moves like X-Scissor, Rock Slide, Superpower, Brick Break and Aerial Ace.

Because of Dragon Dance - or, alternatively, Swords Dance - and Aqua Jet, you can consciously run an Adamant Crawdaunt with a Life Orb (makes Crawdaunt lose 10% of its health each turn in return for a bit more power) or a Focus Sash (leaves Crawdaunt at 1 HP when attacked at full HP). As far as abilities go, its two regular abilities Hyper Cutter and Shell Armor aren't worth your while. Sure, no critical hits (Shell Armor) or decreases in its attack (Hyper Cutter) seem like nice little side effects, and the former certainly is, but its hidden ability Adaptability boosts the power of its STAB moves even further, which makes Crawdaunt a force to be reckoned with.

This is actually some nice realistic fan art of Crawdaunt and its little baby
Corphishies. The barnacles on its body are kinda inaccurate, though, as most
barnacles are saltwater crustaceans.

I absolutely love Crawdaunt and I think it is definitely one of the better Pokémon based on a crustacean - it's more appealing than fucking Crabominable, that's for sure. I even used one in an Omega Ruby playthrough and it was the true MVP of the team, rocking a devastating Swords Dance set. I'd say it's up there with Clawitzer, but the dark typing gives it a certain edge to it that I like.

Rating: 5/5

#339 - #340: Barboach & Whiscash

"Barboach", by Ken Sugimori.

On its own merit, Barboach is a pretty cute but boring little fishie. It is based on the pond loach - also called the dojo loach - native to East Asia, and it shares a fair amount of characteristics with this bland and uninteresting fish. Barboach encases itself in mud and buries itself to hide from view, exposing the sensitive barbels that serve as a superb radar system in even the murkiest of water in order for it to detect and determine its surroundings. It secretes a slimy substance to make itself so slippery that it can squirm and slip away when grabbed by prey (or people, for that matter, as its Moon entry states that there are festivals where people compete to see how many they can catch bare-handed), but this film also protects Barboach against certain bacteria in the muddy water from entering its oblong body. Its gray body coloration is very similar to the silver or grayish brown color of the most common type of pond loach, and even its amber-colored shiny may be a reference to the rarer loaches with an orange color, although the shiny form's actual body is still gray.

Whiscash just casually swallowing the Master Ball Sullivan
threw at it.

Things gets more interesting when Barboach evolves into Whiscash, a giant catfish Pokémon with ridiculous whiskers. Whiscash is specifically based on the namazu - or ōnamazu in certain parts of Japan - which is a catfish found in Japanese mythology that is notorious for causing earthquakes and is the inspiration for Whiscash's Japanese name Namazun (ナマズン). And causing earthquakes is exactly Whiscash's shtick, because the earthquakes it triggers when defending its territory against foes extend for over three miles and it can foretell when natural ones will occur as a result of occasionally causing tremors itself. In addition to eating anything that is alive, it is shown eating inanimate objects as well. This could be seen in the episode "Whiscash and Ash" (season 7, episode 35), in which a Fisherman called Sullivan tried to hunt down a Whiscash dubbed Nero for its prominent size but failed because the enormous thing swallowed his Master Ball. Just like that. A season later, another episode with a Whiscash was set to air in Japan, but after the 2004 Chūetsu earthquakes in Niigata Prefecture, which occurred approximately two weeks prior to the scheduled air date, the episode was cancelled. It has never been broadcast in any other country either, and moves like Earthquake and Magnitude have been steered clear of in the entire anime ever since this event.

Nice hand-drawn fan art of Whiscash (above) and its little
Barboach (below).

Naw, Whiscash has hardly gotten any love since then, not even in the competitive scene. That's partly due to the fact that all of Whiscash's stats - barring its HP - are mediocre at best. Base attack and special attack stats of respectively 78 and 76 are nothing to write home about, and respective base 73 and 71 defense and special defense stats are even worse. Fortunately, Whiscash's base 110 HP back up its mediocre defenses neatly, which enables it to 'cash' a few hits that aren't super effective on it - and its water/ground typing makes it weak to only grass-type moves, so that's a plus, although this weakness is a huge one because both water and ground are weak to grass. And let's keep silent about its speed, because Whiscash will hardly move first. Fortunately, there is an answer to that: Dragon Dance. It's an egg move, but it's worth breeding for, because it increases Whiscash's attack and speed by one stage each. It won't make Whiscash an Electrode all of a sudden, but it definitely helps a little. And that attack boost is nice as well, as Whiscash has a more-than-decent physical movepool: it has STAB in Earthquake, Aqua Tail and Waterfall and type coverage in moves like Zen Headbutt, Spark, Stone Edge, Rock Slide and even Bounce. A Jolly nature complements a Dragon Dance set very well, although an Adamant nature isn't bad either and can be used over a Jolly one if you want a little more oomph behind Whiscash's moves. Let it hold a Life Orb, too, and it'll deal some serious damage.

Oh, and make sure your Whiscash has its hidden ability Hydration, which cures any non-volatile status condition when it is raining on the battlefield. Hydration is far more useful than Whiscash's normal abilities Oblivious and Anticipation; the former only keeps it from getting infatuated (seriously though, nobody uses Attract) and the latter warns it for super-effective moves, which is unecessary because you can see grass-type moves coming from miles away.

Whiscash... about to cause an earthquake, I guess?

Whiscash is a funny-looking Pokémon, but it sucks that it isn't just a little bit better competitively. If Dragon Dance had been a level-up move instead of an egg move, I'd definitely consider using this Pokémon in a playthrough. For now, I'll just appreciate it for its simple but effective design and its interesting flavor. I like it if a Pokémon is based on whatever mythology and I think this whole catfish-causes-earthquakes thing is perfectly executed in Whiscash. It's not one of my favorite Pokémon - at least, not just yet - but 4.5 stars will do for now. Don't forget that it's still eligible for a perfect rating; in fact, almost all Pokémon are if they start growing on me.

Rating: 4.5/5

#338: Solrock

Being based on the sun rather than the moon, Solrock is Lunatone's more physically oriented version counterpart, even though it's stylistically very different. While I do love Lunatone, I think Solrock has a better design overall, as it's busier and more colorful. Also, Solrock looks like it's chronically suspicious and that's an attitude I can stand behind at all times.

Solrock (above) and Lunatone (under).

Whereas Lunatone extracts its power from the light of the full moon, though, Solrock thrives on solar energy, which it absorbs in groups during the light of day. That energy is then used by rotating its body at high velocity to generate intense heat and a blinding light, which is probably the reason why this Pokémon is able to learn a plethora of fire-type moves - to such an extent, even, that it is among the few Pokémon that are not ghost or fire types to learn Will-O-Wisp. This characteristic, along with its ability to learn moves like Stealth Rock and Morning Sun and its relatively high HP and defense, is the reason why Solrock is most commonly used as a physical wall or screen setter (Reflect and Light Screen and the like) in competitive play, although it's not a fantastic competitive Pokémon in the first place. Like Lunatone, Solrock is a rock/psychic type and that means that it doesn't receive STAB from the many fire-type moves it can learn. What's more, most of them are special moves. Only Flare Blitz - which it got as a level-up move only recently, in Pokémon Sun and Moon - is physical and, on top of that, it deals recoil damage. Also, it doesn't have access to any physical psychic-type move, unless you breed for a perfect Solrock on Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire and take it to one of the Move Tutors at the Battle Resort to teach it Zen Headbutt (or Iron Head, but Solrock doesn't really need that move). Fortunately, this Pokémon is a great asset in a playthrough, being able to learn great moves like Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Flare Blitz, Acrobatics (works best when Solrock isn't holding an item) and, strangely enough, even the much-valued Earthquake.

It's a rock that floats, though. How can a levitating meteorite make the ground shake?

Pretty cool drawing of Solrock.

Frankly, I've never even used a Solrock in any playthrough, ever. It's a shame, really, because I've come to love Solrock's alien design and emotionless expression. Too bad its flavor isn't anything special: even though it looks like it's perpetually expressionless, it is able to sense the emotions and thoughts of others, but this is a trait I've seen in other Pokémon as well and I can't say I'm very impressed by it. Gardevoir does this whole sense-of-emotion thing better, anyway. Still, it's weird and interestingly designed Pokémon like Solrock that give Gen. III some redemption, because it looks like Game Freak wanted to annoy us more than ever, giving us dumb and atrocious Pokémon like Pelipper, Spinda, Luvdisc, Castform and even more useless baby Pokémon such as Azurill and Wynaut. And not only did Game Freak do nothing special with Lunatone and Solrock in Pokémon Sun and Moon - the celestial bodies these Pokémon are based on are in the names of the new games - they weren't even available until after Sun and Moon's compatibility with Pokémon Bank almost two months later. Well, then.

Rating: 5/5

#337: Lunatone

I was a little surprised that today's Pokémon Lunatone and its version counterpart Solrock (whom I will discuss at a later time) weren't included in the Alola Pokédex. You know, with them being based on meteorites shaped like certain celestial bodies the recent games were named after and all...

See? Solrock and Lunatone were anticipated to be in the Alola
Pokédex to such an extent someone integrated them in Sun and
Moon's logos. 

The moon is basically Lunatone's whole shtick: it is shaped like a crescent moon, its health ebbs and flows with the lunar cycle, and it brims with power when exposed to the light of the full moon. Lunatone is a meteorite first discovered at the site of a meteor crash, so some people theorize that it came from space, even though no one has been able to prove this theory so far. It is obviously a rock-type Pokémon, although it has psychic powers that allow it to levitate and cause its eyes to induce sleep or paralyzing fear in opponents. Unfortunately, that doesn't automatically make Lunatone a competitively viable Pokémon. It has a base 95 special attack stat and its HP got buffed from 70 to 90 in Pokémon Sun and Moon, but that doesn't quite cut it. Smogon mentions a Life Orb set with Rock Polish, a move that effectively doubles Lunatone's speed stat, but you'll need a valuable turn and the right opportunity to set it up reliably. Lunatone can be a sweeper, but I think it's in-game material rather than a competitive asset: it learns special moves like Power Gem (only as of Gen. VII), Psychic, Psyshock, Moonblast, Shadow Ball, Grass Knot, Earth Power, Signal Beam and even Ice Beam, Icy Wind and Blizzard. Not surprising, when you realize many people think it's very cold on the moon. However, in reality the moon is subject to extreme temperature changes, with temperatures ranging from -298°F at night to 224°F during the day. I'm not complaining about inconsistency or incorrectness here, because it would've been weird to see Lunatone use something like Fire Blast or Flamethrower, for example, as it does have a sort of chilly vibe to it.

Lunatone (left) and Solrock (right) posing for a family picture. 

For a long time, I thought Gen. III was the worst because of Pokémon like these, but now I realize it's the weird Pokémon that makes this generation so special: Pokémon like Exploud, Medicham and Lunatone all get maximum ratings from me because their weirdness makes them stand out to the other Pokémon in this generation, whom I think are pretty bland sometimes. And let's not talk about atrocities like Pelipper and Spinda, shall we? The best thing about Lunatone is that it has an even better and more creepy counterpart, although there is a fair amount of creepy fan art of Lunatone itself to be found on Google Images. Even its Gen. III sprites make it look more lunatic (pun most definitely intended), as it doesn't look like its eyes are deep-set but rather bulge from their sockets.

Rating: 4.5/5

#336: Seviper

So, in a one-on-one battle, who would have the upper hand; Zangoose or Seviper?

Seviper is a savage.

I would want it to be Seviper, and the image on the right certainly gives the impression it does indeed have the upper hand against Zangoose. However, Seviper is frail and Zangoose is strong and relatively fast compared to its version counterpart, which means that Zangoose will most certainly knock Seviper out before the latter even has the chance to set its venomous fangs into its opponent. Real-life mongooses are skilled snake killers as well, so go figure. Provided Seviper can live a hit, though, it can hardly retaliate with a stronger move. The best STAB move it has is Poison Jab, although in this case I'm not even counting TMs and egg moves and the like. I'm overcome by sadness just by saying this, but even in the competitive metagame Seviper never amounts to anything. It has great offensive stats, but poor defensive stats and very lackluster speed, which makes it easy prey for faster and stronger Pokémon. It's a shame, because it has such a good and diverse offensive movepool on both sides of the spectrum to make use of: Poison Jab (I hope you didn't get me wrong; it is a good move), Night Slash, Crunch, Knock Off, Earthquake, Sludge Wave, Sludge Bomb, Flamethrower, Giga Drain, X-Scissor, Dark Pulse, Dragon Tail, Iron Tail and Aqua Tail. Wanna go special? Great, Seviper even has a recovery move in Giga Drain. Wanna go physical? Awesome, Seviper loves to go physical, as you can see in the image above. Wanna go mixed? It'll be little tricky nature-wise, but it's a possibility for sure.

TCG art of Seviper.

And should you decide to use Seviper on your team, you have two great abilities to choose from: Shed Skin has a 30% chance to cure Seviper of status conditions such as paralysis, burn and poison, which is handy when your opponent is constantly throwing moves like Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp and Toxic all in your face, but Infiltrator ignores the effects of moves like Reflect, Light Screen and Substitute. While both have their uses, Infiltrator is a little better and doesn't restrain Seviper from attacking at full power, especially if it's holding a Life Orb. My advice to you is to be cautious with that item, though, as it wears Seviper down faster than a Ninjask throwing its first attack at its opponent.

A more realistic approach on Seviper, which makes
it look more like one of those pitvipers called habu.

But the thing I really want to talk to you about is Seviper's design, of which I am a HUGE fan. Its sleek and slender body is usually depicted scrunched up like an accordion, and the moment a Seviper unfolds it body it becomes that more intimidating. Seviper is quite the colorful Pokémon, too, and I want to believe these bright colors - especially those of a shiny Seviper! - are a warning to others that this Pokémon is poisonous. I like how the purple doesn't dominate Seviper's design, by the way. Don't get me wrong: purple is my favorite color, but the subtlety of the scar-like marks - along with the red eyes, fangs, tongue and tail - somewhat gives its design a sense of urgency and makes Seviper much more aesthetically pleasing. The yellow hexagonal markings on its body look like they're coming from some ancient script and indicate that Seviper date way back, which becomes even more apparent when you realize that its feud with Zangoose has gone on for ages on end. Speaking of which, Seviper is based on a species of habu called the elegant pitviper. Habu is a Japanese name to refer to certain species of venomous snakes that were often pitted against mongooses in roadside shows, but this practice is now considered inhumane and is rarely seen today. They're all interesting things for a Pokémon to be based on, but it's a pity Seviper's Pokédex entries weren't developed as much as its design and origin. Of course, most of these entries only mention its ongoing rivalry with Zangoose, countering Zangoose's 'dazzling agility' with its sword-like tail, which Seviper constantly polishes to make it edgier and also oozes a horrible poison. Not that it works much, as Zangoose have become immune to Seviper's poison anyway.

Also, Seviper's FireRed and LeafGreen entries state that it likes to strike unwary prey with its venomous fangs, but the anime has also shown it viciously killing its prey by constriction and asphyxiation only to cut it into a thousand small pieces with its honed tail.

Okay, maybe not that, but it sure coils around its opponents to immobilize them during battles.

Seviper in the anime.

If you have been paying attention, you should probably know by now what Seviper's rating's going to be. I've absolutely come to adore this Pokémon since I used one in my only Alpha Sapphire playthrough, and that adoration has never faded. Its sleek design, the subtle purple, its menacing look, its origin... I love (almost) everything about Seviper. In my humble opinion, Game Freak even managed to make it look more intimidating than Arbok, and with that face pattern on its body Arbok is supposed to be quite the intimidating Pokémon.

P.S.: Which genius ever came up with that Pokémon Trainer's Choice in the anime episode "A Fan with a Plan", episode 37 of the seventh season? Seviper was incorrectly claimed to be an evolution of Arbok, which is... moronity to the nth degree.

Rating: 5/5

#335: Zangoose

The next Pokémon, Zangoose, is known for its ongoing feud against a Pokémon that follows directly after it in the Pokédex, a snake called Seviper. You'd think that, as their flavors are so intertwined together, I should rate them together rather than separately, but you'd be wrong. Despite their antagonistic relationship, Zangoose doesn't evolve from or into Seviper and so they each get separate entries.

Zangoose.

Zangoose is classified as the 'Cat Ferret Pokémon', and surely it has some feline traits in its design, but basically this Pokémon is just a mongoose, a carnivoral animal that is well-known for its ability to hunt and kill venomous snakes. Real-life mongooses also have receptors that are shaped so that it's impossible for snake neurotoxins and α-neurotoxins (apparently not other kinds of venoms such as hemotoxins and cardiotoxins, although this is still being researched) to attach to them, effectively making them one of four mammals to be immune to some kind of snake venom, the others being pigs, honey badgers and hedgehogs. This trait manifests itself in Zangoose's primary ability Immunity, which obviously gives it an immunity to the poison status condition. While its Pokédex entries state that Zangoose usually walks on all fours, it is most commonly depicted as being bipedal, which is due to its hostile relationship with Seviper. Its sharp claws are its biggest weapons and are best used when it's standing on its hind legs, although anger could lead Zangoose to start going bipedal and strike a battle pose, especially when it only even smells or catches sight of a nearby Seviper. Then again, the century-long feud between the two Pokémon has left it with the red scars found all over its body (zankon is Japanese for 'scar', although the first syllable of Zangoose's name could come from the Portuguese word for 'angry', zangado).

Seviper has been Zangoose's arch nemesis for centuries.
Even in Horde Battles Zangoose and Seviper attack each
other rather than the Pokémon you have out. 

While the Pokédex states that Zangoose is capable of dodging attacks with its incredible agility, its base stats tell a whole different story. Sure, Zangoose is relatively fast and its base 90 speed is workable to some extent, but it's by no means incredible. Zangoose can dish out a ton of damage with its base 115 attack stat, though, especially when you give it a Toxic Orb to hold. This item poisons Zangoose, which sounds pretty contradictory given the fact that I just mentioned its immunity to the poison status condition due to its ability Immunity, but its hidden ability Toxic Boost ups the power of its physical moves by 50% while it's poisoned. This does allow you to run a Jolly nature if you want some extra speed to work with, although Adamant wouldn't be bad, either. The Toxic Orb wears Zangoose down quickly, and its only decent speed stat makes it very easy to get revenge-killed by faster Pokémon, although access to Quick Attack somewhat alleviates that. This priority move is necessary for Zangoose to finish off weakened foes, although there are three more moveslots to fill with amazing moves like Facade (a 70-power normal-type move that does double the damage if the user has a status condition; works well with Toxic Orb/Toxic Boost and Zangoose gets STAB from it), Close Combat, Knock Off, X-Scissor, Return, Shadow Claw, Rock Slide, Poison Jab, Iron Tail, Night Slash and the elemental punches. You're spoiled for choice. The only downside to using Zangoose over other normal types is the lack of speed and bulk; Zangoose is relatively fast, but there are faster and more defensive normal-type options out there for you to make use of.

Zangoose in the anime.

The only thing about Zangoose that makes it stand out to other normal types is its feud against Seviper. The same thing could be said about Seviper as well, but at least I like its design a lot more than Zangoose's, which I will discuss when I get to Seviper's entry. It's undeniable that Zangoose is a good Pokémon and I'm honestly still torn between giving it either 4 or 4.5 stars. I'll give it a solid 4-star rating for now, but keep in mind this is still subject to change.

P.S.: Anyone noticed Zangoose's claws are purple in its Gen. III sprites?

Rating: 4/5