Litleo Line
Morphs [Oak Catalogue #]
- Litleo [667] – Panthera ignis
- Pyroar [668] – Panthera incendium
Physical Description
The members of the Litleo line are a pair of quadruped, feline dual Fire and Normal type Pokémon. Litleo stands at around 60cm tall and can weigh anywhere between 10 and 16kg though members that are either larger or smaller exist. Litleo’s body is covered in black fur with pale brown fur on its paws, ears, tip of its tail and its muzzle. Its head holds two large black eyes, a reddish-orange nose and a red Mohawk-like tuft of hair between its ears.
Upon evolution into Pyroar it grows to between 1.35 and 1.65m tall and can weigh between 75 and 100kg. Pyroar keeps the black fur of its previous form though the pale brown fur now covers its full legs, face and underside. Its tail has grown in length and its eyes have turned blue in colour. Male Pyroar have a large red mane around its face with five yellow/gold streaks through it that make a vague Daimonji shape. Females have a long flowing red and yellow/gold swoop of hair that reaches past the base of their tail growing from their forehead.
As with all Pokémon the Litleo line has members that exhibit a rare phenotype that alters their colouring. These members as Litleo have a greyish colouring with white fur in place of pale brown. Both Litleo’s nose and tuft of hair become more orange in colour as opposed to being closer to red in colour in normal Litleo. Upon evolution to Pyroar members with this phenotype have a golden colour to their fur which lightens to a yellowish colour on their paws and face while they have red eyes instead of the usual blue and their manes are slightly lighter in colour than normal.
Notable Biology
As dual Fire and Normal Pokémon the members of the Litleo line are unique in possessing both the pyro-kinetic abilities of a Fire type Pokémon but also the unique adaptability of a Normal type Pokémon and are the only two Pokémon currently known to possess this specific combination of types. They are also the only two Pokémon currently known to be able to use the technique Noble Roar to intimidate their opponents and weakening their attacks.
Both members possess both a fully developed pyro-sac allowing them to unleash powerful torrents of flame. The pyro-sac is partially connected via fire proof tubes to their saliva glands allowing them to deliver burning bites. At higher ages Pyroar and Litleo begin to develop trace amounts of umbrate in their teeth allowing them to deliver a devastating bite known as the Crunch attack. Finally both species have powerful and highly developed vocal chords which they can use to unleash deafening roars on their foes.
Litleo and Pyroar both a small omni-sac which allows them to deliver a barrage of toxic sludge or a powerful and reckless electrical tackle if trained properly. They can also be trained deliver a powerful tackle from beneath the ground or deliver a minor shockwave through the earth. If properly trained the members of the Litleo line can use the umbrate in their teeth in conjunction with their omni-sac to unleash a pulse of umbrate on their foes.
There are three distinct sub-groups of these Pokémon. The first subgroup of these Pokémon have a high honourable streak which causes a physiological response that leads to changes in their physical strength depending on the gender of their opponent. If their opponent is male it leads to greater physical strength while a female opponent leads to lower physical strength, in the cases where the opponent has no gender physical strength remains at a base level. Scientists are still yet to fully understand how this gender based response works and are studying the Litleo line and other Pokémon with this ‘Rivalry Ability’
The second sub-group possess what is known as the ‘Unnerve Ability’. These members possess larger teeth and claws as well as the ability to stand their hair on end in order to prevent their foe from ingesting any berry it may have in its possession.
The third and rarest sub-group of the Litleo Line possess an extra modified adrenal gland that seems to work off of some psychological ‘reward system’. Whenever a member of this sub-group defeats an individual, even an ally, in battle it receives a dose of adrenalin increasing its physical strength. Scientists are still yet to fully understand this ability referred to by trainers as the ‘Moxie Ability’
Habitat
Both forms make their home in fields and plains where they can use their superior eyesight to spot prey and threats to their young. They also occasionally make their homes in hilly of slightly mountainous terrain.
Litleo is a fairly common Pokémon on Kalos’ Route 22 though it’s not known to be found anywhere else. Pyroar are rarely seen in the wild though a tourist attraction in Kiloude City has been known to have Pyroar within its boundaries.
Outside of Kalos Pyroar are known to live within the Poni Plains on Poni Island in Alola.
Diet
Litleo and Pyroar are both carnivorous in the wild with the females hunting down and killing almost anything they can find with there being reports of a group of female Pyroar taking down prey much larger then themselves.
In captivity if offered both members will happily eat berries and Pokémon food but the majority of their diet should consist of raw meat.
Hazards
Both members of the Litleo line are dangerous and much care needs to be taken around them even those that belong to a trainer. Both members of this line have incredibly sharp teeth and claws and Pyroar can easily rip apart a human. When approaching a trained Litleo or Pyroar it is important to only approach in the presence of the trainer so the Pokémon recognises you as a friend.
In the wild NEVER approach a Pyroar alone, only ever do so with other people present if absolutely necessary and while accompanied by a Rock, Ground, Fighting or Water type Pokémon, preferably more than one. Litleo in the wild should only ever be approached in order to battle it as they will see anyone approaching them as a potential threat and there is a high probability their mother is nearby and she will defend her cubs fiercely. Along with their teeth and claws both members are capable of delivering painful burns with their Fire type attacks and as such even from a distance these two Pokémon should be treated with caution.
Social Structure
Members of this line spend much of their time resting, up to 20 hours a day are spent lazing around. Though they may be active at any point in the day dusk is the most common time of peak activity. The Litleo line mostly live in prides made up of five or six female Pyroar, their Litleo cubs of both sexes and one maybe two male Pyroar. At two-three years of age male Litleo cubs are excluded from their maternal pride and become nomads. Nomads wander great distances either alone or in pairs which are often made up of brothers. Usually these males will form a pride of their own with a group of females all of whom are related to each other.
The male/s of a pride tend to stay on the fringes of the pride area and patrol its boarders. Most of the hunting within a pride is done by the females who are swifter and more agile as they are unencumbered by the heavy conspicuous mane of the males.
Courting
While both members of this line are capable of breeding in captivity in the wild it is usually only Pyroar who breed. Most females will have reproduced by the time they reach four years of age. The members of the Litleo line don’t have any specific time of year that they mate and can do so at any time of year. The males will breed with all the females of mating age within their pride and may do so twenty to forty times per day.
The female undergoes an approximately 110 day gestation cycle before giving birth to 1-4 cubs in a secluded den. The mother will generally not integrate herself and her cubs back into the pride before the cubs are six to eight weeks old though may do so in some situations, usually if one or more of the other females has also recently given birth. In these situations the females will cooperate in the raising and suckling of the cubs. Cubs are usually weaned from their mother at six to seven months of age.
In Human Society
The members of the Litleo line are one of the most beloved Pokémon to appear in human culture due to their regal and noble appearance. Male Pyroar were one of the most common emblems in the heraldry of medieval Kalos symbolising bravery, strength, valour, royalty and more. In more recent media depictions the Litleo line made up a sizeable amount of the cast in a beloved children’s movie and a cowardly Pyroar was a companion to the main character in a fantasy novel who finally finds his courage.Written by Shadow6666
