Cottonee Line
Morphs (Oak Catalog #)
- Cottonee (#546)
- Whimsicott (#547)
Physical Description
Cottonee is a Grass and Fairy-type Pokémon. It is .3 meters tall, and weighs .6 kilograms. Its body is made up of four sections. The first is an oval-shaped white body resembling a seed in both shape and texture. The second are a pair of small green leaves protruding from its sides, which contain chlorophyll. The third is a tuft of white cotton that covers its entire body, except a small part on its front, where there are two orange eyes. The final section is a green, star-shaped flower on its back, which is used in pollination. Whimsicott resembles Cottonee very little. It evolves through a great deal of exposure to sun, which gives it a large chlorophyll boost that it needs to evolve. While this can be hard to fulfill in captivity, Cottonee will also evolve if exposed to radiation released from a small rock generally referred to by Trainers and scientists as a Sun Stone, due to this radiation mimicking the effect of the sun. It is .7 meters tall, and now weighs 6.6 kilograms. Whimsicott now has a small, humanoid body made out of a light, brown, wood-like substance, with a tuft of cotton forming a “Beard,” and orange eyes. Its leaves have been replaced by a pair of small, curling plants growing out of its head. Its cotton tuft has become much larger, now extending from its back and almost covering Whimsicott’s flower. Cottonee and Whimsicott bear a vague resemblance to the Johto-dwelling Pokémon Hoppip and its evolutions, Skiploom and Jumpluff, in both appearance and behavior. These similarities have led scientists to believe that Hoppip and Cottonee may share a common ancestor, or that one is descended from the other.
There are rare cases of Cottonee appearing with orange leaves and green eyes. These mutations evolve into Whimsicott with a darker brown body and blue leaves. These specimens are highly prized by collectors for their rarity.
Notable Biology
Cottonee’s body contains only a large pair of lungs (It uses these to propel itself through the air with powerful breaths) and a brain, as its entire digestive system is contained in its leaves and its reproductive system in its flower. It has no circulatory system, and its nervous system is underdeveloped (It is still capable of using attacks, however). As such, Cottonee has almost no control over its long-term actions, instead going wherever the wind blows it. Whimsicott, however, has a fully developed nervous system, and has learned to ride the winds in a far more controlled manner.
Both Cottonee and Whimsicott regularly shed the cotton they produce. While Cottonee and Whimsicott use this to defend themselves by blinding a foe in a storm of cotton, the shed cotton can also be made into clothing. (See In Human Society for more information on Cottonee farming) Whimsicott’s body is mostly cotton, and it has developed the ability to slip through incredibly small gaps. They have been known to sneak into houses, stealing food or valuables and leaving cotton everywhere. This has led the people of Unova (the ones who don’t farm them) to regard them primarily as pests. (See In Human Society)
Habitat
Cottonee are found in Pinwheel Forest, near Nacrene City. They form huge colonies, and so it is not uncommon to see huge white patches on trees, rocks, or grass, where these colonies have formed. Following the attempts to awaken the super ancient Pokémon, Cottonee have been sighted within the Petalburg Woods.
Whimsicott are not found in the wild very often, as they are generally floating in the air, wandering Unova. However, Cottonee colonies will sometimes have a Whimsicott as a leader, despite Cottonee not actually doing anything most of the time.
Diet
Cottonee gains all nutrients from the chlorophyll stored in its leaves, and will spend as much time as possible basking in the sun. Whimsicott is almost entirely herbivorous, eating leaves, grass, and berries. On very rare occasions, Whimsicott have been known to eat small insects, but this is only during periods of extreme drought, when plants are unavailable. In addition, Whimsicott seem to be very fond of grains and bread, and will steal them whenever possible (See In Human Society). It can eat up to half its body weight each day. Most of the nutrients go into its cotton tuft and flower for storage.
Hazards
Cottonee is almost completely harmless. Although there are accounts of humans or Pokémon wandering into Cottonee colonies during a windstorm and being suffocated to death, Cottonee are incapable of causing deliberate harm, due to their lack of control over their actions during strong winds. However, should you face a Cottonee during a still day, be careful. They have a wide arsenal of powerful moves, including Razor Leaf.
Whimsicott are not very dangerous on their own, although if one collides with you, its wooden body can leave an extremely painful bruises. However, they are very fond of playing pranks, and Whimsicott has not been known to set limits on how painful the result is to the victim (Several more kindhearted people ascribe this to a lack of knowledge about human physical capabilities). As such, if one encounters a Whimsicott, the proper response is to stay far away from anything that has any chance of severely injuring you.
[[Trainer’s Note: Should you capture a member of the Cottonee Line, it is vitally important that you make clear to it that pranks will not be tolerated. If your Whimsicott plays a prank on another person, you will be held liable for any damages that may result.]]
An additional danger, shared by both but more common to the Cottonee line, is that, during forest fires, flaming Cottonee are blown everywhere, including into Nacrene City. As such, Nacrene City has gone to great lengths to fireproof itself. Whimsicott, on occasion, will accidentally set themselves on fire during the course of their pranks. A flaming Whimsicott should under no circumstances be approached, as it will most likely decide to set you on fire as well.
Courting and Childrearing
Cottonee enter heat once a year, for a short period of up to a week. During this time, they will engage in battles, attempting to impress another Cottonee through attack power and dodging prowess, if a Cottonee is suitably impressed, it will fly to its partner, and they will secrete a fluid that sticks them together. They will remain together until evolution, at which point they will mate and part ways.
Whimsicott enter heat once per year, for a period of about a week. During this time, if two Whimsicott of the opposite gender meet, the female will decide if the male is a valid mate, based on the size and condition of his tuft and flower. If she decides to mate with him, the female will allow the male to pollinate her flower. They will then go their separate ways, both attempting to find as many mates as possible during the weeklong period.
In the course of time, the female’s seeds will be fertilized and released. Once they have landed, if they are in a suitable place (reasonably moist ground), they will proceed to grow into a baby Cottonee (usually between a millimeter and half a centimeter long). For the first month of its life, Cottonee will do nothing but absorb sunlight, completely unmoving, until they have grown to their full size.
Whimsicott do not care for their children.
Social Structure
Cottonee form large colonies, where they join each other in doing absolutely nothing. Scientists are mystified by this behavior, as there is no apparent reason for it. The various Pokémon that eat Cottonee (Mostly Insect Pokémon and humans, although Pansear, Pansage, and Panpour are also willing to eat them) are just as happy to eat large groups of them. There are no duties necessary to a Cottonee’s survival other than eating. The only viable hypothesis put forward (other than that Cottonee simply end up in the same places by accident and don’t leave) is that Cottonee huddle together to provide protection against the wind.
Whimsicott are loners, usually only coming in contact during mating season. If two Whimsicott meet under other circumstances, their reactions can be anything from fighting to playing a massive prank on the nearest living being.
In Human Society
Cottonee play a very important role in Unovan society. Many people, from Mistralton City to Undella Town, farm Cottonee for cotton. Groups of twenty to fifty Cottonee are placed in a hanging mesh enclosure and left to float around. This does not seem to bother the Cottonee in the least, and many people believe that they do not even notice the difference. As the Cottonee shed their cotton, the mesh will catch it, and the owner of the farm will collect the cotton so that they can sell it (Cottonee cotton makes excellent clothing, although it will absorb a lot of water). A good Cottonee farm can produce several pounds of cotton a day. In addition, Cottonee leaves make a great delicacy, and Cottonee is common enough that it can be hunted for food almost without restriction.
Whimsicott, however, are much less valued. Whimsicott refuse to be held in a farm for even a few days, and attempts to do so invariably result in a destroyed mesh enclosure and pranks being played on the farm for weeks afterwards. When coupled with their habits of stealing food, this has led to them being regarded largely as pests.
Written by MeMyselfAndI2.
