History FanonPokedex / Horsea

All members of this line are capable of shooting high-pressure water and even a noxious ink-like substance out of their snouts. Additionally, either naturally, though Technical Machines, or some other method, they can learn to shoot beams of light or cold, fire spheres of draconic power, summon mighty waves, boost their adrenaline with a special “dance”, charge with the speed and power of a rushing waterfall, and even go on outright rampages. Kingdra is also infamous for summoning whirlpools whenever it desires – which usually means to help it catch prey after hibernating (see "Diet"). It is also notorious among Trainers for only being weak to Dragon moves.

Modern portrayals of this line are surprisingly rare, and mostly occur in animation. An [[WesternAnimation/FindingNemo animated movie]] had a Horsea and its Seadra father as very minor characters; while a [[SpongebobSquarepants wildly popular animated TV show]] starring a Corsola had an episode where said Corsola tried to keep a hungry Kingdra as a pet.

These Pokémon are mostly solitary (see "Social Structure") – except during the breeding season. Horsea rarely breed naturally unless they somehow grow particularly old without evolving; Seadra, on the other hand, are full of “adolescent lust,” and gather in massive swarms to breed, where they fight fiercely among same-sex lines by tail-wrestling, snapping heads at each other, and even fighting with their poison spines – all to secure the best mates. However, when Kingdra show up to these gatherings, they usually just hover calmly in one place – because they know that the Seadra, upon seeing them, will all start fighting over them ( [[EvenTheGuysWantHim even ones the same gender as the Kingdra]] ), and the Kingdra will pick out the one who seems strongest and most resourceful – though [[TakeAThirdOption sometimes]] they [[{{Troll}} just mate with another Kingdra]].

As with many Pokémon, three strains exist. One has powerful swimming and fin muscles that allow them to do something normally impossible for their species - swim against fast currents (such as those induced by heavy rain); they even enjoy doing so. The second have extraordinarily good eyesight, which allow them to strike an opponent’s weak spots with more precision for more damage. Finally, the third constantly jets water from glands under its scales, making certain moves useless.

An interesting variation occurs with Seadra. Due to its poison spines, the first strain temporarily trades that skill for the skill to imbue their body scales with poison as well, allowing them to incapacitate predators. This reverts back to the ability to defy currents when the Seadra evolves, however.

Aside from those traits, an odd quirk of the line’s members is that they often swim backwards.

Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra all live in tropical and sometimes temperate oceans.

Kingdra, on the other hand, live in much deeper water – deep enough where there is little other life. They often find (or hollow out) caves in these murky depths in which they can safely hibernate.

All of these Pokémon feed on very small organisms – plankton and very young members of fish, crustacean, and mollusk Pokémon species. They also feed on eggs seasonally – when corals or fish Pokémon spawn, these Pokémon often show up to suck up massive amounts of the resulting eggs. Occasionally, they wait below the surface for small flying creatures to soar too close to the water; when they get close enough, the members of this line launch jets of water or even ink at them, and then promptly slurp up their downed catch. All can swim surprisingly fast, and Seadra also spin their bodies in such a way as to create small whirlpools, disorienting prey and then slurping them up.

Kingdra are said to create whirlpools when they yawn after a long hibernation; while it’s unknown if they truly yawn (it’s hard to tell with such a tubelike mouth), the do tend to summon whirlpools most after hibernating, and scientists have only recently figured out why.

Horsea are very docile and friendly Pokémon, and they make a great Water type for beginners as long as they are frequently exposed to an Everstone; however, they spray ink when startled, which can irritate eyes and stain clothes.

Seadra, on the other hand, is often viewed as the “cranky adolescent” stage of this line; they’re highly aggressive, and see anything that isn’t their trainer or Pokémon team members as predators or other threats that need a thorough dose of poison from their barbs. Also, inadvertently being pricked by their spines can cause one to become poisoned, which can lead to localized pain, dizziness, and even temporary unconsciousness if not treated. It is highly recommended for trainers to buy special caps for the spines of their Seadra for when it’s not in battle, as well as teaching it restraint in using its venom.

Kingdra is intelligent (as most land-based Dragon types, possibly more), fairly calm, and very often even affectionate – however, its sheer power means that when angered and/or poorly trained, it can be even more dangerous than Seadra. While it’s considered to be a little weaker than some other Dragon-types in power, its relatively strong attacks and thick, tough scales mean that an enraged Kingdra can still be utterly destructive, as Kanto and Johto found out recently, due to a Team Aqua experiment. What’s worse, poorly-trained ones can grow haughty, and will attack people who aren’t their Trainer if they insult or slight them sufficiently.

Regardless of evolutionary stage, this species has one of the most unique and bizarre reproductive methods of all Pokémon. Males have a special brood pouch, and once her eggs are fertilized, the female deposits them in there – essentially ''[[MisterSeahorse impregnating the male]]''. The male even excretes hormones similar to those of mammalian Pokémon to aid in the eggs’ development.

All members of this line live alone when not breeding. They patrol territories around their nests or lairs, with females having territories about a hundred times larger than those of males, for unknown reasons.

One strange behavior found only in Seadra is an obsession with attacking Dragon-types. These have the Dragon Scales needed for Seadra to evolve, and so they try to get ahold of one through any means necessary. Since the only dragons (aside from Kingdra) that share their aquatic habitat are the Dratini line, they most commonly assault those (including the mighty Dragonite); they will also lurk close to shore or just below the surface to confront dragons that have come to the sea to fish or even play in the surf.

Seadra have a long history of being used in traditional medicine; their fins and bones are valuable in that trade, and so the species was actually threatened at one point. However, many Leagues began passing laws that prohibited the use of Seadra parts, as well as new programs to educate the public on “modern” cures. While some illegal operations still exist, the program worked in bringing Seadra populations up. However, Horsea and Seadra now are common enough that they are often caught as bycatch in fishing nets (though not as commonly as Tentacool); therefore, some Leagues are now passing regulations based on that.

Modern portrayals of this line are surprisingly rare, and mostly occur in animation. An [[FindingNemo animated movie]] had a Horsea and its Seadra father as very minor characters; while a [[SpongebobSquarepants wildly popular animated TV show]] starring a Corsola had an episode where said Corsola tried to keep a hungry Kingdra as a pet.

Written by [[{{Tropers/Umbramatic}} Umbramatic]] (based on [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=rmvjixctp256gfq3p86y66ma&page=221#5514 the original]] by Yellow13 ); feel free to PM me on the forums if you have any suggestions. If I don't respond... consult [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=rmvjixctp256gfq3p86y66ma&page=1 the thread]].

Kingdra is intelligent (as most land-based Dragon types, possibly more), fairly calm, and very often even affectionate – however, its sheer power means that when angered and/or poorly trained, it can be even more dangerous than Seadra. While it’s considered to be a little weaker than some other Dragon-types in power, its relatively strong attacks and thick, tough scales mean that an enraged Kingdra can still be utterly destructive. What’s worse, poorly-trained ones can grow haughty, and will attack people who aren’t their Trainer if they insult or slight them sufficiently.

Kingdra were often viewed as malevolent sea monsters due to their ability to create whirlpools; one famous [[TheOdyssey classical epic]] featured a narrow strait where a Kingdra and Hydregion – both actually transformed human-like beings – worked together to prey on sailors. However, this has also made them popular with Trainers who specialize in Dragon-types; a famous example is Blackthorn City Gym Leader [[ThatOneBoss Clair]].

Written by Umbramatic (based on [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=rmvjixctp256gfq3p86y66ma&page=221#5514 the original]] by Yellow13 ); feel free to PM me on the forums if you have any suggestions. If I don't respond... consult [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=rmvjixctp256gfq3p86y66ma&page=1 the thread]].