!! Ekans Line

!! Morphs [Oak Catalog #]

* Ekans [023]
* Arbok [024]

Ekans is a purple-colored Snake Pokemon. A yellow band crosses just below its head, at what would be neck height. Its eyes are also yellow with a black slit pupil and it has a rattle tail. Arbok keeps the same coloring (though over time it fades to a greyish color,) but has lost the rattle tail, and a hood has now grown where the yellow band was. The hood has been found to have six different 'angry face' designs which differ by region.

!! Notable Biology
The Ekans line has some of the most powerful poisons known to man, and is also a very physically strong Pokémon. It will bite, but it does not rely totally upon the poison itself, and is perfectly willing to crush prey as well, be it with its body (which is more likely of Arbok than of Ekans) or with its fangs. It is apparently capable of consciously deciding whether or not to inject venom with any given bite, but even without poison, its bite is extremely painful. Both morphs have the ability to distend their mouth to ingest larger prey. Both Ekans and Arbok grow longer as they age, to the point where they become large and strong enough to wrap and crush steel oil drums in their coils.

!! Habitat
They are found in the grasslands and plains throughout Kanto, Johto and Hoenn. Sometimes they also appear in Pastoria Marsh and Route 212 in Sinnoh, although they are rarer there.

!! Diet
They are a carnivorous group, and tend to prey on smaller Pokémon like Rattata and Pidgey. Ekans has been known to eat the eggs of Pidgey and Spearow, and is perfectly capable of frightening these Pokémon away from their nests (or just eating them) in order to get at said eggs. Arbok's prey will sometimes be even larger, and some have been seen taking down an occasional Tauros.

!! Hazards
This line is very poisonous, and as such, any Trainer approaching will not want to startle them and risk a bite. That and their very real ability to crush without a problem makes them very dangerous to come across. People also show a very real and reasonable fear of these animals, so any approach must be made with caution. [Trainer's note: Be careful when pulling them out in public places. They may be affectionate to you, not so much to the other people. They are not recommended to be kept as house pets for anybody with a younger sibiling.]

!! Courting
Courting is a small but very complex affair that takes place in early spring. Five or more gather in a crushed circle of grass that was made by the rival males. Once the females come, what could be called a dance begins between the two males, as each tries to tower over the other while circling. If neither is cowed, they wrap around each other and attempt to outsqueeze the other, the loser giving a screech when defeated. Then the male does the same with the females, though the wrestling is mock.

!! Social Structure
Ekans live in small colonies of close nine or eleven, usually of their birth family, for protection, though some may be found alone. Arbok tend to be more solitary, though will protect hatchlings and the Ekans until they can fend for themselves (Usually a day or so).

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[-Written by Tropers/{{Skorpio}}.-]