Morphs [Oak Catalog #]
- Beldum [374]
- Metang [375]
- Metagross [376]
Notable Biology
Beldum have a simple nervous system of magnetized fibers inside their hollow armor. Near the eye is a tiny brain, which is at birth magnetically "signed" to mark the Beldum as a member of the colony. Only Beldum with this "signature" can communicate with each other; two Beldum from different colonies are not capable of communication. The digestive system of the Beldum is a simple intestine connected to a mouth at the end of their body opposite the eye. Beldum do not have an anus, but instead vomit out indigestible compounds in the safety of the colony after digesting a meal. The levitation organ is a bladder containing a magnetized gas, which is used to counter out Beldum's weight and allow it to float; the intense pressure the gas is under has been known to cause Beldum with injured levitation organs to explode.
Metang and Metagross instead have a mouth on the underside of their central body, and can communicate telepathically with non-Beldum and Beldum, Metang, or Metagross of different colonies. The mouths on their limbs are instead repurposed as vents through which excess energy can be used for powerful attacks- both close-combat maneuvers such as the powerful Meteor Mash, and long-distance attacks like Hyper Beam or Flash Cannon.
Habitat
Beldum live deep in the mountains. When not hunting, they tend to reside in pitch-black caverns, hiding from predators like Aggron and other Beldum colonies that would feed on their iron bodies.
Diet
In all stages of evolution, Beldum are carnivores, and feed primarily off of other Steel and Rock types. When they spot prey, they will use their psychic abilities to destroy its mind, allowing them to feed at their leisure. This also develops their psychic abilities for evolution.
Metang hunt in pairs until evolution. One Metang will typically fight the prey to occupy it; the other will come from behind with a killing blow. Once the prey is down, the two split it evenly and eat.
Metagross pins down prey under its massive body and eats it whole. Some large species, like Steelix, which cannot be eaten whole, are psychically lobotomized before Metagross start eating. When chasing prey down, Metagross is still fully able to levitate, though it is tiring.
Hazards
Beldum, removed from a colony, are known to eat any metal object they come into contact with. As such, it is important to keep a muzzle on the Beldum's mouth, located in the center of its "hand", until evolution. When feeding the Beldum, close it in a room with a 60/40 mixture of iron scraps and raw meat. Once it has seen the food dish, slowly remove the muzzle. Replace the muzzle after feeding. It is unwise to use metal dishes for feeding Beldum. The muzzle should contain no metal. Be sure to give Beldum ample space, as they are prone to ramming whatever they see on occasion.
Metang and Metagross are incredibly aggressive, and their advanced intelligence makes them difficult to control. A skilled Trainer can bond with the Pokémon through appealing to its aggression in battle; Metang and Metagross are not recommended for novice Trainers or as pets.
Infant Beldum are known to tunnel into iron mines. Attacking them will draw the wrath of the Beldum colony they belong to; angry Beldum colonies have been known to destroy whole mining towns when one miner killed an infant. In order to safely remove the Beldum from the mine, it is advised that the Beldum be gently lifted by a couple of miners, turned toward the tunnel, and reinserted mouth-first.
Courting and Childrearing
As Metagross consumes iron, excess food develops into infant Beldum within its digestive tract. The infants, in large quantities, can cause significant pain; as such, Metagross ejects them at the beginning of each season. To do this, they return to their originating Beldum colony and vomit twenty or thirty infants into a deep pit they have dug for this purpose. The infants are only a couple of centimeters long, and lack any psychic ability. The Metagross that birthed the infants then buries them by filling the pit with dirt and leaves. The Beldum's magnetic nervous system, in its current rudimentary state, instinctively tunnels toward iron-rich ores and consumes them to grow. When it has grown to a great enough degree that its psychic abilities are developed, it homes in on the psychic activity of its colony and joins them. Beldum colonies are extremely protective of the associated infants; as such, infant Beldum should be left alone. Soon after surfacing, a Beldum will be brought a small Steel-type like Aron by the colony for it to consume, and begins to develop its eye and levitation organ. Once it has developed these, it is a full member of the colony.
Social Structure
Beldum gather in colonies of several thousand, acting as limbs of a single organism. When one Beldum has enough saved energy from its food to go through with the process, it will develop an independent will, find another strong Beldum, and lead it into a small cavern. In that cavern, the other Beldum is telepathically sedated and rendered subservient to the independent Beldum. Once the two are acting as one entity, their eyes explode to allow the network of magnetic fibers comprising their brains to fuse. From there, the individuals' digestive tracts and levitation organs are digested by their bodies to fuel the rapid growth of the central body, which contains newly-developed eyes, a mouth, and a levitation organ. In addition, the magnetic brain has more than doubled in size and complexity from its initial fused state.
After about a week, the newly-evolved Metang leaves the cavern and begins getting used to its new body while in the protection of the colony. However, the colony will not feed it; Metang must learn to use its developed body and potent psychic abilities to hunt. After becoming comfortable with its new form, the Metang leaves the cavern and heads deeper into the mountains, where it will seek out another young Metang and they will hunt as a pair. Eventually, one Metang establishes itself as the superior of the two, and will sedate its inferior once retreating to their nest. Once the inferior is sedated, it is made to digest its levitation organ, eyes, and eventually its own digestive tract. At this point, the superior ruptures both central bodies with magnetic forces and fuses the magnetic brains before reshaping the iron of the broken central body casings to form a new central body.
The resultant "semi-Metagross" isn't strong enough to fully use its new body, so it digs a shallow pit, covers the top with dirt, and lays in wait within that pit. When it feels prey above, it grabs it and eats it whole. Eventually, it has stored enough energy and iron that it can finish the evolutionary process; its brain grows once more, the vents on its limbs achieve full strength, and its four arms grow in size. The adult Metagross's personality is a mixture of both Metang, and it is extremely intelligent. Metagross's intelligence is such that they have been known to temporarily work in groups to capture migrating herds, but the groups always split off afterwards. The size of the cross-shaped steel structure on a Metagross's face can be used to tell its age; very old Metagross have imposing, full-face masks.
Written by Afti.
