The Pokédex - Extended Fanon Edition

Not Drizzle, but integrated Rain Dance (I consider true Drizzle and Drought to be something only Kyogre and Groudon are capable of). It's from Feraligator in the HG&SS Expansion of the TCG.

edited 19th Jan '12 7:22:45 AM by SilentReverence

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?

Revisiting the starter gender ratio thing (again), I think I can be more clear about my thoughts now:

Obviously, we like to incorporate canonical details as much as possible, since it adds a recognition bonus for readers.

However, there are times that canonical details do not make sense; we may drop them completely, or try to find a different explanation. But this explanation should make sense too.

My issue with the "distribution" explanation of the 1:8 gender ratios is twofold... first is just that I'm skeptical that there really is a regional-scale program giving every new trainer one of a fire/grass/water trio (Some local communities/cities might, but I suspect starters generally come from family/friends/Safari Zone).

Second issue is more important/general; keep in mind that we are dealing with "real" people here. The culture may be different, but they still should show the human condition. That is, people, corporations, governments, etc., should act like humans, not like NPCs who setup arbitrary policies to enforce game mechanics.

Do you highlight everything looking for secret messages?

For the ridiculous canon, we can mention it as something previously thought when less was known about the species, so we don't have to come up with reasons why rock is less dense than water or whatever.

I agree most trainers get their starter mon from non-official sources like family/friends. I'd also say that the starter mon they're most likely to get from their family/friends would be a Com Mon like Pidgey or Bidoof. Heck, we can tell this is the case by how few NPC trainers have one of the fire/grass/water starters in the games. It's because very few trainers actually get their first mon from a Pokemon Prof(or whoever else might be certified to raise/distribute the starter trio mons).

as for the second point, I mentioned it a couple of pages back. The reason for this distribution ratio is to curb trainers potentially breeding up their own sets of starter trio mons. I'm sure that the starter trio mons are specifically raised to be more accepting of and responsive to trainers, imagine the chaos if an unscrupulous trainer started breeding their own sets of starter trio mons and distributing them to unknowing young boys and girls looking to become trainers without proper raising or preparation!(ok, this sounds slightly ridiculous even to me, but I'm sticking with it.)

Infact, I bet that's the game design intention too: I'm sure most of us here have at least once continually restarted a pokemon game until we got a female starter, just for the purpose of breeding more latter on.

edited 19th Jan '12 5:01:45 PM by Blissey1

XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!

That's exactly the in-game reason. For example, the event releases of various Dream World Pokemon (1st gen starters, 3rd gen starters, eeveelutions etc.) are all male so the ability cannot be inherited.

Posting here to state my intention to write up the Celebi article.

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Welcome, Pentigan, thanks for letting us know via the Dibs page, and good luck in the task of tackling a Legendary. You can ask for help or commentary in our usual channels.

inb4 there is actually one Celebi

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?

Removing my dibs on Twinleaf town due to lack of time, lack of writing skill, and the fact that I've already renewed it once.

I've finally got around to finishing my article about three Pokemon that possess some of the coolest moustaches in video gaming. Here is my Lillipup line article.

Lillipup Line

Morphs [Oak Catalogue #]

Lillipup [506] - Canis puppis

Herdier [507] - Canis herdis

Stoutland [508] - Canis stacheis

Physical Description

The members of the Lillipup line are a trio of canine normal type Pokémon. Lillipup measures at around 40 cm tall and weighs between 3 and 5 kg though larger and smaller members exist. Lillipup’s body is covered in tan coloured fur except for its face and a small patch of dark blue fur on its back which bears a slight resemblance to a cape. Its face is covered in an abundance of cream coloured fur which despite its large volume still shows Lillipup’s large eyes, red nose and small mouth.

After evolution Herdier has doubled in size now standing at around 90cm and weighing between 13 and 16 kg. Herdier retains its tan coloured fur over its legs, head, chest and underside. The blue fur now covers all of its back and most of its side as well as completely covering Herdier’s tail. The cream coloured fur that covered Lillipup’s face has now reduced in quantity now only forming a pair of eyebrow- like crest above Herdier’s eyes and covering its muzzle forming a rather impressive moustache.

The final stage, Stoutland stands at around 1.2m tall and weighs between 50 and 70 kg. In this stage there is little of its original tan coloured fur with only its legs and head still being this colour. Its body is completely covered in blue fur which is dark on top and becomes lighter on its underside. Its face still possess thee cream coloured “eyebrows” and its moustache has become even more impressive now being so long it flows alongside Stoutland’s body.

Notable Biology

The most obvious feature of the Lillipup line is the fur that covers their faces. As a Lillipup this fur covers their entire face and acts as an excellent radar allowing them to accurately sense their surroundings even when conditions make visibility low. As both Herdier and Stoutland this fur covers less of their face mostly making up their impressive moustaches. As a Herdier the fur also cushions the force of attacks reducing the chance of Herdier receiving a serious injury from physical attacks. Finally as a Stoutland the thickness of the fur allows them to survive freezing temperatures including those found in a blizzard.

As with most Normal- type Pokémon the members of the Lillipup line possess an omnisac which allow them to use elemental attacks such as Thunderbolt, they also possess vessels which lead from the omnisac to their jaws allowing for the use of the “elemental fang” attacks and to the surface of their skin allowing for the use of moves such as “Wild Charge” with some training. As a Herdier and Stoutland this line is strong enough to carry its trainer across bodies of water with some training. Lillipup and Herdier are also two of only four non fully evolved Pokemon able to learn the powerful "Giga Impact" move naturally.

There are three distinct sub-groups of this line of Pokémon. The first sub-group as a Lillipup exhibits what trainers call the “Vital Spirit” ability. These members possess a unique fight response to moves that would normally put them to sleep. When faced with one of these attacks their body releases caffeine-like hormone which acts to stimulate the brain and prevent sleep, this means that these members are able to resist moves that would otherwise put them to sleep including their own e.g. “Rest”. Contrary to popular belief this ability does not mean that members who possess it need no sleep at all, it simply prevents move induced sleep. As Herdier and Stoutland these members have larger quantities of fur making them look bigger as well as possessing larger, sharper teeth allowing them to scare their foes into making less powerful physical strikes. This is known by trainers as the “Intimidate” ability. The second sub-group as a Lillipup possess the unique ability to locate items in the immediate surroundings of themselves and their trainers and then acquire them; trainers refer to this as the “Pickup” ability. As a Herdier and Stoutland these members possess the “Sand Rush” ability. Members with this ability have thicker more streamlined fur which as well as preventing damage while in a sandstorm doubles this lines speed in these conditions. The third and final sub-morph is also the rarest. As a Lillipup these members possess a heightened flight response that allows them to escape from even the fastest opponents if it chooses to run from a fight. This is known to trainers as the “Run Away” ability. As a Herdier and Stoutland these members possess the “Scrappy” ability. These members possess small amounts of umbrate in their body and the ability to incorporate it into beam attacks. This ability allows them to hit Ghost- type Pokémon with attacks that would normally have no effect and pass straight through them.

As with all Pokémon the Lillipup line has members that possess a unique phenotype that alters their colour. As a Lillipup these members golden brown fur on their body, a greenish ‘cape’ and iris and light yellow face fur. As a Herdier they possess yellow-brown fur where there is normally tan, white moustache fur and grey fur where there is normally blue. As Stoutland the normally tan fur darkens to a dark brown, the dark blue fur is a greenish colour, the light blue fur has become grey and its moustache fur is now gold in colour.

Habitat

All three forms prefer open fields and light forests as their habitat with Unovan routes 1-3 being favourites of Lillipup and Herdier and Stoutland favouring Unovan route 10 though due to their increased resistance to cold climates they can also be found within the grounds of Driftviel City’s Cold Storage area. There are also small populations of this line in other regions though they tend to live far from human populations and are unlikely to be found without the aid of a Pokémon Professor or Ranger. This aid however is unlikely to be given as due to their small numbers in regions outside Unova the members of this line are protected by law.

Diet

All three members of this line are considered carnivores though as with most Pokémon they will quite happily consume berries and products derived from them. In the wild the members of this line will hunt anything smaller than themselves chasing it down in small packs made up of all members of the line. In captivity it is suggested that you feed your Pokémon specialised food that can be found in any Pokemart.

Hazards

The members of this line are usually quite friendly and are unlikely to attack. However as with any Pokémon the members of this line will attack in the event they feel they, their trainer, their friends or their pups are in danger or if provoked. In the event that an attack occurs medical attention should be sought due to the sharp teeth they possess.

Social Structure

The members of the Lillipup line tend to live in packs consisting males and females of all members of the line. These packs will be led by a single alpha male Stoutland and consist mostly of females and pups with small numbers of older males, usually Herdier, two or three of which act as ‘betas’ to the alpha Stoutland.

It is unlikely for male Herdier’s to evolve into Stoutland when living in a pack unless the current alpha dies. At which point the betas will spar until one of them evolves at which point he becomes the new alpha.

Unlike some pack Pokémon if two groups meet they will not clash, instead the two alphas will negotiate hunting grounds with a clear boundary between them. It is also quite common for packs to take in any stray line members that they meet and treat them like their own.

Courting

In the wild only Stoutland and Herdier breed though Lillipup is also capable of breeding in captivity. Female tend to breed once a year with a gestation period of about 9 weeks at which point she will give birth to around 6 Lillipup puppies. Within packs the alpha male gets first pick of the females within the pack after which the females will choose which of the breeding males to breed with. Usually the Herdier with bigger, bushier moustaches get priority. Those members that live by themselves will normally seek out solitary females or occasionally approach a nearby pack to seek the chance to breed.

Once born the pups will feed off their mother’s milk for around 6-12 weeks before becoming fully independent. At round a year old most will leave the pack and either live by themselves or find a new pack to join.

Due to the extra safety involved members that breed in captivity will lay a single less developed young within an egg.

In Human Society

The members of the Lillipup line have been ever present in human society for thousands of years mostly as faithful companions to us humans in the regions in which they are common. They have been used as farm dogs to round up livestock, hunting dogs and more recently as assistants to members of the Police Force much as Growlithe and Arcanine have in other regions. Due to the size and impressiveness of their moustaches Herdier and Stoutland both have types of moustache named after them.

Stoutland are often used to help find travellers who have lost their way in mountain and arctic areas. These Stoutland often have a barrel of brandy tied around their neck before using their amazing sense of smell to locate the lost travellers.

The members of the Lillipup line are incredibly common in most forms of media usually as faithful companions to the human characters. They have even taken a starring role in some movies including one about a group of eight sleigh Stoutland left at an Antarctic base after conditions force their human trainer to abandon the base and due to lack of room leave them behind, as well as a movie about a married pair that adopt a young Lillipup puppy and the many details of their life afterwards up until they are forced to put him down due to old age.

As usual comments and criticisms welcome.

edited 29th Jan '12 8:17:09 PM by Shadow6666

Beware the shadows. You never know what might be waiting to strike.

Pickup really can't be called a unique ability, as other mons can have have it. It's really more of an inborn tendency. I also don't like referring to abilities by their in game names, but that's just me.

and on a semi-related note, what set of dog/cat mons do ya think would be a good fit for Homeward Bound?

XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!

Commentary:

I'm not completely sold on the second binomial (also, binomials go in cursive and omit the family name in repetitions, see eg.: the Totodile article). Perhaps part of it is that the binomial sounds so... underscriptive.

On description, I love the way the description of Stoutland flows. It reads more "down and up" than the previous morphs, which also makes reading the following text easier.

As for Abilities, naming them is not too bad, considering it easies getting understood what are we talking about; however they should still made read more in-universe-y. In particular when it comes to such things as Pickup or Run Away which are hardly a binary thing. Sand Rush is well explained and does remind me of some particular traits found on the fur of cats and rats living in desertic areas; Animal Planet named it once, but I don't know if I can find it.

It would also be interesting to read how do they react to other species, in particular canine ones, which is something the article doesn't even hint at. Lillipups and their evolutions don't live alone in their habitat.

Human Culture section reads OK, and I liked the Marley And Me reference.

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?

Ok, it mentions that the betas "spa". Do you mean spar?

Also, aren't dogs more omnivores than carnivores?

Cheers for that I mustn't have hit the r key hard enough. also dogs can be described as either

I meant it was unique amongst Lillipup not unique to Lillipup.

edited 27th Jan '12 1:12:14 PM by Shadow6666

Beware the shadows. You never know what might be waiting to strike.

If my biology studies and Wikipedia are not failing me, where the term "dog" is understood as the domestic kind, it is classified as a carnivoran (simply an animal that eats meat, without any other qualifier) or a facultative omnivore (an animal designed for main diet but that can adapt to include other elements in its diet).

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?

That's how I see the Lillipup line feeding. They're designed to eat meat but they can eat vegetation such as berries where necessary. Mind you, you could say the same thing about most other Pokemon as well

Beware the shadows. You never know what might be waiting to strike.

Brandy kills you faster if you're cold.

The more you know!

They call themselves seamstresses -Feet Of Clay

well, strictly speaking, any sort of alcohol causes increased blood flow to the extremities, meaning that while the extremities do warm up, you also loose total body heat faster. So while alcohol while you're stranded in a blizzard is a bad idea, alcohol when the rescue team has found you and is getting you to safety can actually save some toes/fingers from frostbite.

XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!

I know but seeing as Stoutland is partially based on St Bernards I felt it was an appropriate reference.

Beware the shadows. You never know what might be waiting to strike.

I heard the St Bernard thing was a myth anyways...

They did it on Mythbusters. Myth Busted.

So we have a justification to throw in a Mythbusters reference? (besides for the Carvanha article, that is) Cool!

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?

Specifically, they busted the myth that alcohol will save you when you're freezing to death. Although, as pointed out above, if you're already being saved, it couldn't hurt.

That's why i put it in because the rescuers are unlikely to be far behind the dogs so the brandy should help more than hinder. Should being the key word.

edited 28th Jan '12 9:10:51 PM by Shadow6666

Beware the shadows. You never know what might be waiting to strike.

Ok, I've been thinking of doing the Gear, Nav, Watch, and C-Gear articles. Any objections?

nine nine nine? nine nine nine?

You can only call dibs on three things. Unless that's all going to be one article.

Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!