Throh and Sawk
Morphs [Oak Catalogue #]
- Throh [#538]
- Sawk [#539]
Notable Bio
Throh and Sawk are two fairly closely related species of Pokémon found within Unova and its surrounding regions. Throh is a red, humanoid primate about 1.3 meters in height and about 55.5 kilograms in weight with a stocky build, three fingers on each hand, skin with a texture not unlike that of a rock, and a Y-shaped crest over their eyebrows and nose. They are most often seen wearing a black belt. Sawk are much the same, except that they stand taller at about 1.4 meters in height, are lighter at 51 kilograms, are blue in color, and are far lankier in build than their cousins. They also have a Z-shaped crest over their nose and left eye. The "gis" that both Pokémon have are actually skin.
Throh, the stockier and calmer of the two, is known as the “Judo Pokémon” due to its habit of throwing any opponent that happens to be bigger than it is. Much like a judo practitioner, Throh relies less on its own strength than using the strength of their own opponents against it. Sawk, the lankier and more aggressive of the two, is known as the “Karate Pokemon” due to its graceful fighting movements. Unlike Throh, Sawk tend to focus more on brute strength when battling.
Both species are famous for the belts that they wear, which serve as an inverse to those worn by members of the Machop Line. Unlike the gis, which can be decorated by Sewaddle and their evolutions, wild Throh and Sawk make the belts themselves using vines. When tightened, both species will gain a psychological high, allowing them to hit much harder. As a Throh or Sawk gets stronger, he will change his belt for a different one, much like a human martial artist. Much like Cubone wielding Thick Clubs, particularly esteemed members of their communities will wear belts of an especially unique make, often known as “Black Belts” among trainers. These Sawk and Throh appear to have increased martial arts apititude. Among this elite class, the most esteemed of their groups will wear belts made of a special sort of vine known as an “Expert Belt” among trainers. Throh and Sawk who have worn these belts are noted as being able to hit opponents with “super-effective” techniques with increased power, regardless of typing. In fact, Throh and Sawk found without a belt will become depressed and despondent until they can find a substitute, which can be as simple as a rope to something like ripped electrical wires. This can prove fatal to the Pokémon if those wires happened to be live beforehand.
There appears to be two known subtypes of Throh and Sawk. Those with the first subtype share a heightened “fight or flight” response upon being burned, paralyzed, or poisoned. [[Trainer's Note: Some trainers will take advantage of this by giving their Throh or Sawk Orbs that will purposely burn or poison them.]] Throh of the first subtype happen to be immune to moves that would cause a loss in concentration due to an increased level of focus, whereas Sawk of that subtype have such a physical defense that it is normally impossible to fell them with a single blow. Throh and Sawk of the second subtype trend somewhat bulkier and appear to have an increased strategic battling aptitude, allowing them to circumvent a wide range of natural defenses, including those employed by Pokemon capable of floating above the ground. Rarely, Throh and Sawk can be born with orange and purple coloration respectively. These Pokémon tend to be highly prized by collectors.
Habitat
Throh and Sawk prefer rough terrain of any kind in order to train, with a particular preference towards mountainous areas with other species of Fighting type Pokémon such as Timburr for the sake of training against. Within Unova, members of these two species can be reliably found in the outer portion of Pinwheel Forest, and Unova Routes 10, 15, and 18. Recently, they have also taken residence within Unova’s Victory Road. In Kalos, they can be mainly found along Route 11. Attempts have been made to find Throh and Sawk within Kanto and Johto (see In Human Culture), but at the time of this article they have proven fruitless. Within Hoenn, a region they have been long extirpated from, they have recently made a return along Route 112.
Diet
Both species are omnivorous with herbivorous tendencies, though Sawk tends to be the more likely of the two to attempt eating meat. When it comes to plants, they prefer eating high-energy foods rich in sugar such as Berries. When hunting for prey, Throh will either throw rocks in an attempt to crush their prey’s spine, or they’ll attempt to grab their prey and throw it off the nearest high place. In the case of Sawk, they tend to attempt to snap their prey’s neck using either chops or a well aimed kick. However, it is noted that except in cases of extreme famine they will never go after a member of the Human-Like Egg Group (See Courting and Childrearing).
Hazards
Though both Throh and Sawk are noted as having great loyalty for their trainers, like most Pokémon they do have their dangers. Despite their diminutive stature, both species are very strong for their size and will defend themselves if threatened. While Throh tend to be of a calmer temperament than Sawk, and prefer tossing their enemies away to outright confrontation, if that doesn’t work they will attempt constriction using their arms. Other techniques used involve allowing their opponent to strike them in order to get them close enough to attack with bursts of orange Aura, adrenaline boosted strikes when in low health, leers to weaken resolve, using the force of gravity to slam their opponents into the ground, and full body tackles capable of causing paralysis upon connecting. The most dangerous technique Throh can use, however, uses Aura in order to increase their strength, which they then release with a single blow. However, using this technique many times over a short period will temporarily severely weaken the user, so it is normally only used as a last resort.
Furthermore Throh live in groups of five, and they are capable of spreading their arms wide in order to protect themselves and their comrades from wide ranging moves, and it is in group combat that Throh truly excel, using their combined strength to bring down even the largest of opponents. Due to their large amounts of stamina, it is inadvisable to attempt to outlast the Pokémon if you lack any Psychic or Flying types, and anyone meeting a group of hostile Throh is better off using Repels to ward them off.
Unlike Throh, Sawk are far more aggressive, and tend to be fairly temperamental in character, often attacking those who interrupt their training in their natural habitat should they not leave immediately. Unlike the more defensive Throh (although they share a number of the same techniques for waiting out opponents), Sawk attack their enemies with chops and kicks capable of causing blows ranging from hairline fractures to major breakage. One chopping technique they have is capable of easily demolishing stacks of bricks, and when charged with Aura is even capable of breaking through psychic barriers used to blunt the blows of physical and energy based attacks. Sawk are also willing to close the distance between themselves and their opponents and attack with a flurry of punches and kicks, though this “Close Combat” can leave them open to attack. Much like Throh, without the use of suitable Pokémon the best chance of getting out with major damage is through the use of Repels. Luckily, unlike Throh Sawk are rarely seen in groups, so being attacked by a mob is unlikely.
While both species are formidable opponents alone, together they make even more fearsome opponents due to their styles covering each other’s weaknesses, with Throh tanking attacks to distract while Sawk deals blows from behind. Sawk can also use its superior speed to block techniques that are too fast for Throh while the latter wails on its opponent.
Courting and Childrearing
Due to the fact that Sawk and Throh are 100% male, a mystery that continues to vex researchers to this day, they are among the few Pokémon species that will regularly breed with other species outside of captivity. Both are fairly opportunistic breeding-wise, and will mate at any chance they get. During the gestation period, the Throh or Sawk will stay by their partner, swiftly dealing with any possible threat. After a young Throh or Sawk is born, both parents will raise the child together. In the case of the Pinwheel Forest population, the children can get mixed with the crèches of Sewaddle as their parents search for food.
Once they come of age, their fathers will challenge them to a fight. Should the young Sawk or Throh weather the onslaught, they will have earned the right to craft their own belt. In the absence of the father, any closely related Throh or Sawk can perform the ritual. Afterwards, they will either find others in order to form groups, like Throh, or strike out on their own in the case of Sawk. The breeding pair normally separates shortly afterwards, though in captivity and some rare cases in the wild these bonds can last for life. Like most known species with one gender, Throh and Sawk can only produce the mother’s species in captivity without the use of Ditto, due to an inability to enact the hormonal changes necessary to override the influence of the mother’s genes.
Social Structure
Throh normally travel in groups of five, much like a human judo team. These groups are normally for life, only having members separate upon finding a mate, and even then they normally will return once they consider their sons to be ready. Sawk, on the other hand, spend their lives mainly alone, only meeting with other Pokémon in order to spar or mate. Pinwheel Sawk do appear to be somewhat more sociable than members of their species from other places, due to their close relation with the Sewaddle.
Once every few years, Sawk and Throh from all over will travel into the mountains in order to compete in what appear to be tournaments in order to discover the strongest among them.
In Human Society
It is believed in some circles that Throh and Sawk may have exhibited a wider range in the past, due to mythological figures in the artwork of the part of the world containing Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh closely resembling members of both species, which was confirmed upon their reappearance in the Hoenn region following the attempts to awaken the super ancient Pokémon. Humans may have developed the earliest forms of karate and judo through observing and copying the movements of these Pokémon, similarly to the creation of many other forms of martial arts. Throh and Sawk are also commonly used in dojos throughout the Unova region as training aides, similar to the use of Machop, Tyrogue, and Makuhita Line members elsewhere in the world.
One of the most well known depictions of both species in popular culture are as roommates in a long running children's series.
Written by rmctagg09
