Morphs [Oak Catalog #]
- Pinsir [#127]
- Mega Pinsir [#127-M]
Morphology and Notable Bio
Pinsir are a species of lucanid Bug-type Pokémon native to forests within the Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar regions. Standing at nearly five feet tall, or 1.5 meters, they are a dull brown in color with four limbs, a three-sectioned mandible, and dark eyes locked in a seemingly permanently aggressive expression. Beneath their elytra are small wings, but following thousands if not millions of years of evolution, they are mostly vestigial. Their most prominent feature are the pincers adorning their heads used to toss and/or tear apart prey and competitors. Rarely, there are Pinsir born with a purple rather than a dull brown coloration, which are greatly prized by collectors.
Compared to many other Bug-types that don't have a Flying or Grass secondary type, Pinsir are particularly susceptible to ambient cold, and as a result have to either burrow underground or hide within tree trunks when the temperature cools, lest their movements grow sluggish, and through prolonged exposure, may prove fatal. In places where snowy and/or below freezing weather is common, Pinsir have been known to entomb themselves completely underground and hibernate until warmer weather comes.
Well known for their territoriality, they are most famous for their battles with Heracross and the Grubbin Line due to the three species occupying a similar ecological niche. Pinsir and Heracross tend to be evenly matched, though Heracross tend to have more stamina, while Pinsir have better physical defense. Against Vikavolt, however, the matches tend to be more one-sided due to the latter's increased speed and ability to generate slashing winds, which Pinsir are weak against, along with its general advantage in power.
Three known subtypes of Pinsir are known to exist. One subtype has pincers that automatically sharpen when rubbed together, rendering them more or less immune to dulling. Another has an increased tactical aptitude, allowing them to bypass the natural defenses of a number of different Pokémon. The third, rarest subtype lacks either of these attributes, but upon defeating an opponent gains a battle high that increases the power of their physical attacks.
Upon exposure to a Key Stone and the Mega Stone Pinsirite, Pinsir will transform into a new form designated as "Mega Pinsir". Mega Pinsir on average "stand" (As they spend most of their time hovering using their new wings) at more than five feet tall, or 1.7m, and weigh 59 kg, a full 3 kilograms more than the average Pinsir. The thorns on their horns get larger and spikier, their limbs longer and more segmented, their eyes turn yellow and more angular, and their clear vestigial wings become full wings capable of carrying its weight. Pinsir born with purple coloration keep it upon Mega Evolution. On average the transformation makes them more aggressive, and they become stronger, faster, and more durable, with one Mega Pinsir being clocked flying at more than 30 mph, or 13.4 m/s.
One of Mega Pinsir's oddest traits is that its Normal-type attacks appear to gain the properties of Flying-type attacks, which gives them an advantage over their main rival, Heracross, as well as other Bug and Fighting-types. Scientists aren't quite sure how this ability, commonly known as "Aerilate" in competitive training circles, works, but theorize that it's at least partially related to Pinsir also gaining the Flying-type upon Mega Evolution.
Habitat
Pinsir, as mentioned above, prefer temperate and tropical forested areas, with stable populations being found within Johto's National Park, Route 229 in Sinnoh, Unova's Route 12 and Lostlorn Forest, and Route 12 in Kalos. An introduced population also exists within the Hoenn Safari Zone, and they were an uncommon sight within the former Kanto Safari Zone. Within Alola, three populations are known from the Lush Jungle trial site on Akala Island, Exeggutor Island west of Poni, and the Poni Grove on the eponymous island. Within Galar, one population can be found on the Isle of Armor to the east of Galar's mainland, centered around the Challenge Road, Forest of Focus, and Training Lowlands.
Diet
Pinsir are primarily known for being hunters, ambushing prey from bushes or dropping from trees, their exoskeletons easily blending with the tree bark, and using their pincers in an attempt to either break their spine, or outright tear them in half. If neither is possible, they will simply use their pincers to throw them into the hardest thing in the landscape, or off the nearest high place, in an attempt to kill via inducing a lethal concussion, or cracking their armor casing enough for the Pinsir to use other attacks. While generally known for attacking other, smaller Bug-types and Flying-types, they have been known to go for larger prey, grabbing their necks by their pincers in order to snap them.
However, their other main source of nutrition is tree sap, which is also one of the few things that can get Pinsir to gather outside of mating season if the tree in question happens to be large enough to support a group of them.
Hazards
While Pinsir generally aren't aggressive to things that aren't considered prey or competition, if they do consider something a threat they will attack with extreme prejudice, their fearsome visage often preventing more inexperienced Pokémon from even attempting to fight back. While Pinsir are well known for their many grappling and throwing techniques, including one known as "Irongrip" that paralyzes on contact, or simply tossing a hapless trainer or their Pokémon into a boulder or other hard object, or off the nearest cliff, they are by no means limited to them.
Their other attacks include slashing with their horns, easily slicing through skin and muscle, taking hits on purpose only to return the damage tenfold, stabbing with their horns (which can easily prove fatal), and chopping and tackling with enough force to shatter brick and bone. This can easily be made worse if the battle is happening near other Pinsir, as they may be called in to help despite the species' infamous territoriality, and can easily cut off any escape routes.
Mega Pinsir, their aggression heightened by the Mega Evolution process, can occasionally go berserk, especially if neither trainer nor Pokémon are fully in sync, or if they are Mega evolving for the first time. Mega Pinsir can do everything their normal forms can, and more, due to Aerilate giving their Normal-type moves Flying-type attributes, which can lead to them literally shredding their opponents apart.
If cornered by a Pinsir, it is recommended that you attempt dissuading it with Repels, and if that doesn't work, use Fire, Rock, and Flying-type attacks to defeat it before it can call for help. While Mega Pinsir is far more powerful, the drawback of its new typing is a new Electric and Ice-type weakness, on top of the weaknesses it still has. While Pinsir's exoskeleton proves resistant to physical attacks, it does not work as well on energy-based techniques, and they tend to lack the stamina for prolonged battles.
It is also recommended to have Pokémon such as Heracross or the Grubbin Line stay in their Poké Balls in areas known to hold Pinsir, as it can be a coin toss as to whether they will attack or not, with the chances increasing with the scarcity of resources in the area and the extant presence of wild representatives of these lines. For these reasons, while Pinsir can be as loving as any other Pokémon when trained, they are generally not recommended for beginning trainers. [[Trainer's Note:While grooming your Pinsir, avoid handling the tips of its horns, as it may instinctively attempt to grab and throw you if you are not careful.]]
Courting and Childrearing
Pinsir mating tends to be a competitive affair, with male Pinsir locking horns in an attempt to woo females by throwing their rival off a log, or even off a cliff, though generally both sides tend to survive the encounter. Another known method is the female judging the males by the size and thickness of their horns After mating, the female Pinsir will find an area filled with decaying plant matter in order to lay her eggs, before leaving them to their fate.
The Pinsir eggs hatch on average after a month, and the young Pinsir immediately go their separate ways, unless there happens to be a food source big enough to support them all nearby.
Social Structure
Pinsir are generally solitary, only coming together to mate or when there happens to be a large enough food source to support a large amount of them, which makes them willing to tolerate one another. In those cases, when attacked Pinsir are willing to call others in their group for help.
Despite being known for their enmity with Heracross and the Grubbin Line, it appears to be to some degree a learned behavior, as members of the species raised in captivity do not exhibit the same amounts of aggression towards these Pokémon. In fact, within Alola, Pinsir and Heracross are known to team up against the Grubbin Line in their fights over territory.
In Human Culture
Within popular culture, Pinsir is most well known for its rivalry with Heracross in most of its range and the Grubbin Line within Alola, which has inspired a truly staggering amount of Bug-type themed media, particularly within the part of the world comprising Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Within this media, most often superhero shows, Pinsir often takes on a more antiheroic or even outright villainous role, compared to how Heracross are almost universally depicted as heroic.
Historically, Pinsir parts were used in folk medicine in order to relieve ailments or eaten as a delicacy, and many indigenous cultures in the regions Pinsir were native to would traditionally wear Pinsir totems as a source of good luck. Amongst the military and law enforcement, many models of mancatcher were based directly on Pinsir's jaws.
Written by rmctagg09.
