Golett Line
Morphs [Oak Catalogue #]
- Golett [#622]
- Golurk [#623]
Physical Description
Golett and Golurk are humanoid automaton Pokemon made of greenish-blue and brown clay. Their bodies are round, with glowing yellow spiral markings and cracks, and small heads that sport similarly glowing yellow eyes, the right of which is “I” shaped and the left of which is “L” shaped. The energy animating them is still being studied, but is often described as a sort of “spiral energy” that seems to keep on going.
Golett is medium-sized (around a meter and a half tall), round, and rough, as if patched together haphazardly. Its body resembles a lumpy globe made out of clay, save for two brown “straps” that wrap around its body in an X shape, connecting at a seal on the chest with a glowing yellow spiral marking. Its head is like its body in that it is uneven and asymmetrical. Its segmented arms and legs, on the other hand, fit neatly into sockets that glow with a similar light to its eyes and spiral seal. Golett are capable of retracting their limbs and head when necessary for defense and certain attacks.
Golurk is far taller, (around 2.8 meters), more humanlike in terms of anatomy, and has a smoother, more symmetrical body structure. Its literally pillar-like legs and thick arms have the brown bands that were on its chest as a Golett wrapped around them. There are now four spiral symbols on its body- specifically, its round shoulders and the backs of its large hands.Spikes jut from the shoulders and head, and the legs emerge from a skirt-like “waist.” Its chest now sports a glowing crack, which is contained by a brown seal; if the seal is removed, the Golurk loses control of its internal energy.
As with organic Pokemon, alternate colorations exist; in this line, their bodies are black and grey instead of greenish-blue, and the glowing yellow areas glow green instead. Trainers often seek after these variants for their teams, though with a low success rate.
Notable Biology
Golett and Golurk have an impressive range of combat abilities, the most prominent being their natural umbrate-based attacks (primarily infused punches) and causing localized seismic tremors. However, they can use their large fists to learn a variety of punching attacks, from those charged with Aura to ones infused with ice, electricity, or flames. Other tactics of note are rolling into the opponent, reinforcing bodily defenses, slamming into the opponent with its weight, hurling rocks at the opponent, low-striking kicks, polishing the body to increase agility, gradually sapping the opponent’s energy, manipulating gravity, high-speed spinning tackles, levitating rock traps, and headbutts charged with psychic energy. They can also use a wide range of ranged, energy-based attacks, including but not limited to bolts of electricity, plant manipulation and psychic assaults; however, these tend to be weaker than average when used by these Pokemon, and so Trainers tend to stick to more physically-oriented tactics.
Three main strains exist of this line. The first has a hard time handling small objects, which has both drawbacks and benefits. The second, most commonly used strain has reinforced fists for better punching attacks. The third and rarest is prone to homing in close on targets, allowing its attacks to hit with more precision while also leaving it more vulnerable to enemy assault.
Interestingly, Golurk have jets powered by their internal energy built into their lower torso and arms.
◊ This allows it to fly at high speed, and it can even carry a human in flight - a trait often utilized by Trainers on the go. Golurk can also use the torso jets to function as a makeshift cannon
.
Like most Ghost Pokemon, Golett and Golurk can live indefinitely when given proper sustenance and barring accidents, and feed primarily on emotions (see Diet). However, they have limited phasing ability, only being able to do so for certain types of attacks, and cannot pass through walls or other hard surfaces.
History
Golett and Golurk origins have long been rather vague. Records from ancient civilizations show they were created as guardians to people and Pokemon alike, and the oldest Golurk have been in operation for millennia. The same records hint that the first members of this line were created from human and Pokemon volunteers somehow in some sort of military program, though the exact process is lost to time. How more Golett and Golurk are created is also a mystery, though the fact that wild populations continue to remain healthy despite capture by Trainers and occasional deaths from accidents or hostile wild Pokemon and the like suggest that they are creating more of themselves somehow. However, it is speculated that the population replenishes itself slowly enough for there to be a risk of endangerment, and protective measures as well as captive “breeding” efforts using Ditto (which are the only mons known to be able to “breed” with them) are being enacted to help keep wild Golett and Golurk populations stable, preserving part of history as well.
In modern times, they are seen guarding the ruins of large structures, such as but not limited to Dragonspiral Tower and the remains of Plasma Castle comprising what is now Victory Road, both located in northern Unova. Some evidence exists that they served the relic castle in ancient times, but no Golett population currently exists there.
Habitat
Golett and Golurk are almost always seen dwelling in ruins of some sort. The populations in Unova are some of the most studied, particularly the population in Dragonspiral Tower.
Dragonspiral Tower Golett and Golurk are known to patrol the halls of the tower or wait in one spot in case of intruders. Lone Trainers are generally not considered too much of a threat; More powerful Trainers, large groups, and especially vandals are met with hostility, and Golett and Golurk responding to threats are often accompanied by the tower’s Mienfoo, Mienshao, and Druddigon. (See Social Structure.)
Plasma Castle Golett and Golurk, being a different population, act somewhat differently, and generally less organized, alternating between stationary guarding and patrolling seemingly at random. They began to inhabit the area soon after team Plasma abandoned the fortress, partially on their own and partially due to specimens from captive “breeding” programs being released there.
Diet
Although they are artificially created, Golett and Golurk require sustenance like any other Pokemon, though noticeably less than organic Pokemon. In the case of this species, as with most Ghost Pokemon, sustenance comes from emotional “radiation”, specifically that caused by fear. Golurk feed on the emotional “waste energy” created by fearful beings, caused by the suppression of other emotions. This makes them even more valuable for use as guards, as capitalizing on the fear of intruders gives them a huge advantage.
Interestingly, these Pokemon have been recorded absorbing some organic food, such as berries and sweet treats like Casteliacones. These will not provide proper sustenance if fed over a long period of time, however.
Hazards
Despite their size, Golett are extremely strong, and care should be taken when instructing them to handle living beings or anything else delicate.
Golurk are even stronger, and larger, and present even more of a hazard. Their sheer size and strength combined with their protective tendencies means they can crush or pummel anything they deem “hostile”, resulting in serious injury or death for the victim. It is therefore vital to train a captive Golurk to distinguish friend from foe early, lest such incidents occur.
Additionally, the wide range of attacks known by this line also presents a hazard, from energy-laced punches to seismic tremors, and have a high risk of damaging property if a Trainer is not careful.
The seal on a Golurk’s chest should never be removed under any circumstances, as it will cause the Golurk’s internal energy, and the Golurk itself, to spiral out of control. This can lead to the serious injury or death of not only the Golurk, but also to that of any people or Pokemon in the vicinity.
Golurk’s flying abilities also have hazards for riders. Methods of securing oneself are recommended, due to the high speeds at which Golurk can fly. In addition, the energy emitted by Golurk’s jets can inflict severe burns on riders that aren’t careful.
More mundane hazards include Golurk’s size causing it to bump into doorways and delicate objects, causing major damage.
When confronted by a Golett line member it is best to have a Water, Grass, Ice, Dark, or Ghost type on hand; if one is not available, a Repel can serve a similar purpose.
Social Structure
The most studied population of this line is the Dragonspiral Tower population, which has a complex social structure akin to that of the local Druddigon and to a lesser extent the Mienfoo and Mienshao.
The Dragonspiral Tower Golett and Golurk are organized into three groups: Tower repair specialists, guards, and interspecies assistants. Some shuffling between the two groups occurs, in “shifts” that are determined by factors such as weather, seasons, and wild Pokemon and human activity near the tower.
Tower repair specialists consist mostly of Golett, and focus on maintaining the ruins of the tower so that it doesn’t collapse from decay. They gather materials and resources from areas out of reach of humans, then use them to repair broken supports, pathways, and other areas vital to keeping the tower erect and habitable.
Guards consist mostly of Golurk, and focus on defending the tower from intrusion. They take turns either patrolling the halls and paths or acting as sentinels, and often assist Druddigon, Mienfoo, and Mienshao in attacking and driving off intruders to the tower, as well as vice-versa.
Interspecies assistants, a fairly even mix of both morphs, perform various tasks for the Druddigon, Mienfoo, and Mienshao living in the tower, acting in a multitude of roles such as sparring partners, surrogate “nurses” protecting young individuals, and acting as bodyguards for elder, high-ranking individuals of both species.
Plasma Castle Golett and Golurk are less defined in terms of role, and they have no interspecies assistant group. However, recent observations show they are not only getting more organized, but starting to organize other mons in the ruins as well, indicating a similar social structure to those in Dragonspiral Tower may develop eventually.
In Human Culture
Golett and Golurk were often used as warriors and bodyguards in ancient times. Since then, they have enjoyed a mostly positive perception in the eyes of humanity. They are still used as guards (especially for major political events and other special occasions), construction workers, and rescue Pokemon in modern times, and their historical relevance and general public appeal means they often serve as mascots for things such as historical preservation, military efforts, or public safety. The good reputation of these Pokemon has even infiltrated Internet culture, with memes like “Good Guy Golurk” macros.
In terms of pop-culture, these Pokemon have been the inspiration for a slew of fictional humanoid robots, giant and otherwise. Some are suits of armor, others are sentient in their own right, some are ridden by other Pokemon, some are guardians as they are in in history, some are sleazy, some are superheroes, and yet others have elemental powers. The list of robots and other mechanical beings modeled at least in part off of the Golett line is incredibly long, and will likely continue to get longer.
Written by Umbramatic; feel free to PM me if you have any suggestions. If I don't answer, consult the thread.
