So, yeah. The workers are going to be almost all male. Can't make everything real-world-accurate. Save that for the Beedrill.

The goal is not to make Pokémon "real-world accurate" anyway. Rather "real-world sensible" - you have to remember that the very fundamentals of that world are very different anyway, with Slow Electricity, Teleportation, Hard Light, etc...

Having it gender-inverted is consistent at least, if there are more males than females. Does anyone know what the reasons would be - apart from "that's how it is" - for the females to be the workers and everything in actual bees, ants etc.?

It's something to do with reproduction.

How come that can't be "just the way it is"? IS there a reason for real bees being all female? I really don't know.

Also, maybe the Vespiqueens burn out their packs of sperm quicker and have to mate more frequently as a result.

I'm aware of that. I meant the "vast majority of bees that actually do something useful besides mating".

edited 18th Jan '12 8:56:25 AM by Grenedle

Not all bees are female. Drones (male bees) exist for breeding.

Just as a heads-up, but I've made an alteration to my queue. I've dropped Snubbull (so if someone wanted it, it's yours now) and have decided to refocus my energies on something that will hopefully be a bit more straightforward creatively and overdue in-project. Namely revising the Deino article.

Just added the Tynamo article to the wiki.

edited 18th Jan '12 10:31:02 AM by rmctagg09

Well the game is programmed so 87.5% of Combee are Male, so the Females are harder to get.

Perhaps there are fewer Y-Chromosomes somehow, so males are far more common.

But, obviously, the Combee hive is Matriarchal, so the males are going to do most of the work. I liked to think that because the females are harder to come by, they are work mostly in, or very near, the hive, to protect them. If they did go out, they might have other males to guard her.

That would be a greater amount of Y-Chromosomes, since the male combination is YX.

Anyway, I think that the Phanpy article needs a revision, because, really? Predatory elephants? That sorts of reeks of darkness for no real reason at all, not to mention Artistic License – Biology.

edited 18th Jan '12 1:20:37 PM by rmctagg09

• facepalm*

Yeah. What he said. x/

Predatory elephants, you say?

Not all animals use XY as sex chromosomes, and if I'm remembering 2nd/3rd/whatever-year Genetics correctly, there are some species that have the males as the same-pair chromosomes and females as the opposite - birds, some insects, some frogs, some fish. They use the ZW (as opposed to XY or XO (where O means blank, which most insects use). Also, platypi have a ridiculous number of sex chromosomes for some reason. Just getting that out there.

So it's possible for Vespiquen that, during meiosis, only a handful of W gametes survive due to some element that triggers apoptosis, for the given figures 1 in 7 would need to remain viable. This leaves a higher ratio of Z-gametes and as in that system the female determines sex, lots of ZZ offspring - males.

Going back to the old argument of Starter Gender Ratios, the outlined genetic system could explain them too

Okay, it has been at least a year since I took a biology class, I didn't understand most of that... x-x

Aren't we overcomplicating this? x/

Definitely overcomplicating things.

Gametes are the unfertilized eggs, I think. And Apitosis is the death of cells, okay. But, if we're going to get into this, we should stick with X and Y chromosomes.

I think we should not go that deep, because we'd either have to explain all these things, and probably end up confusing/boring whoever is reading the article. >_>

see, the issue I have with the starters in game gender ratio being their actual birth ratio(population ratio would be slightly more acceptable) is that I can't imagine any reason why 15 different species of mons, distributed between 5 different regions and featuring in some cases drastically different physiology and behavior, would all have evolved the same strange gender ratio. It's just so much simpler to say that that's the universally accepted distribution ratio for new pokemon trainers.

using genetics as an explanation for gender ratios works for isolated cases(I actually like that suggestion for Vespiqueen), but applying it to such a relatively large subset of mons that have so little in common with eachother is just too much of a stretch.

In other news, everytime I write "ratio" I automatically write "ration" instead and then have to delete the n.

And as promised, here's that revision.

Morphs [Oak Catalog #]

• Deino [633] (Cryptodraco melanoculus monocephalus)
• Zweilous [634] (C. m. bicephalus)
• Hydreigon [635] (C. m. cephalocheirus)

Physical Description

Deino is a small, quadrupedal, draconic creature that averages 80 centimeters tall and weighs in at a little over 15 kilograms, with females generally trending physically larger than males. Deino possess a stubby tail and a body covered magenta scales around its shoulders and blue scales covering all other regions of its body, including its single-toed feet. Deino further possesses a coating of black protofeathers over its shoulders, neck and the back of the head. Said coating is especially dense at the top of the head, making a tall spike-like protrusion, and makes Deino appear to have a bowl cut, covering its presently underdeveloped eyes.

The second, bicephalic stage, Zweilous, increases in size and relative bulk, with typical individuals averaging 140 centimeters in height and 50 kilograms in weight. Zweilous adopts a sprawling posture after evolution, despite its limbs becoming stronger. Notable features of Zweilous' appearance include the emergence of two parallel rows of magenta scales on its belly along with the region on its shoulders, and the emergence of two distinct digits on its forelimbs. Zweilous also gains two protofeather covered wings that enable it to glide for short distances, as well as more clearly defined fangs, including a particularly prominent pair on its upper and lower jaws. Beyond expanding to accomodate its second head and its wings, the only major difference to Zweilous' region covered via protofeathers are that the spike-like tufts on top of its heads becomes bifurcated. As with Deino, the bulk of a Zweilous' body is covered in blue scales, its eyes on its heads remain underdeveloped, and its tail remains stubby.

The final, tricephalic stage, Hydreigon represents the most radical departure from Deino, dwarfing the original form by a full meter in height and almost 140 kilograms of additional bulk. Unlike both of its prior forms, Hydreigon is a bipedal creature, with legs with three claws each that have become mildly atrophied, hampering extended movement on the ground. This decline in the relative strength of its legs is compensated by the emergence of stronger and more numerous wings, with Hydreigon possessing 3 pairs, allowing for nimble flight and allowing it to remain airborne even if one or two of them become injured. In this stage, magenta scales cover a "fork" composed underside of the now lengthy and bladed tail with two "prongs" running along Hydreigon's belly, along with its shoulders and prominent crests on its heads composed of 5 spikes on the central head and 3 on its peripheral heads with the remainder covered in blue scales. A Hydreigon has 3 sets of eyes: The pair with red irises and gray-black sclera that occupies its central head is capable of seeing electromagnetic waves ranging from the Ultraviolet to the Infra-red portions of the spectrum, the eyes with black sclera without defined irises on its left and right heads are similarly, though not as underdeveloped as those of Deino and Zweilous, and appear to be capable of sensing movement. Hydreigon's protofeather covering also changes, covering additional pairs of wings and extending further along its back and small protofeathers near the blade of its tail. In addition, the pattern of pseudofeathers that has remained relatively constant through Deino's evolution into Zweilous becomes more varied: The central head is fully exposed, with an overall structure not wholly removed from that of Sceptile's, while the peripheral heads retain a protofeather coat more analogous in appearance to that of the heads of the earlier forms.

In exceedingly rare cases, individuals from this line are known to carry a mutant phenotype. Possessors of this mutant phenotype have slightly lighter-colored protofeathers, as well as green and violet scales in regions where blue and magenta regions normally occur. These creatures are highly sought after in some circles, and are known to command a hefty premium on the black market.

Notable Biology

One of the most striking features of this line of Pokemon is the anatomy and development of its nervous system:

Deino’s brain has two key chacteristics: First, there is no crossing-over of nervous pathaways: The right hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body; the left hemisphere controls the left side. The same applies to the (poorly developed) eyes: There is no optic chiasm. The other important character is that both hemispheres send down, alongside the spinal cord, axons normally found in the corpus callosum in other creatures. Those axons meet in an associative ganglion, found at shoulder level, surrounding the spinal cord before the thickening of said structure in the area where nerves controlling the arms leave it, and protected by an enlargement of the first dorsal vertebrae (due to the bodies of this line being quite compact, this shows no noticeable effect on movility), process the information, and send it to the opposite cerebral hemisphere it came from. Said ganglion also innerves two areas, each between the shoulder and the neck, under the coat, which contain accessory (and most of the time closed) respiratory openings, and invaginations of the stomach that produce extra quantities of enzymes and acid if the meal Deino consumed was particularly large. The neurons of this Pokémon also show remarkable plasticity, and generalized ability to duplicate if the need arises, as well as a solid gliar system.

Zweilous' nervous system is defined by each of its heads containing half of a larger brain, left or right hemispheres (as well as left or right basal ganglia, midbrain, cerebellum and medulla). The hypothalamus, hypophysis and pineal gland are localized in a single head, but the other half of the brain still has connections with the hypothalamus thanks to the neck ganglion. The hearing of Zwelious is one of the best of all Pokémon, thanks to each head having two ears and therefore an increased contrasting ability. It is still blind, and in the rare case the eyes are seen, each head has only one, with the other socket housing a pineal gland and being sealed closed. While the heads harbor distinct, and often competing personalities, which results in Zwelious often eating too much, they form a single collective individual that will readily coordinate to deal with would-be antagonizers.

Contrary to what an initial impression and Zweilous' nature would suggest, Hydreigon do not normally have distinct personalities. It is presently unclear whether this is due to one of the personalities from the individual's period as a Zweilous emerging dominant, or whether this state is the result of a fusion of personalities. In this stage, the innervated spots Hydreigon already possessed in its shoulders when it was a Deino develop into pseudo-heads, complete with eyes, ears and noses, as well as mouth and both respiratory and digestive access. However, such heads only have a coordinative ganglion instead of a brain, and it is up to the large neck ganglion to process the information those “heads” receive to a Hydreigon's brain, located in the central head, and to respond to signals from the brain dictating how to react to different stimuli.

Another notable element of the biology of this Pokémon is the time it takes to grow out of the Deino stage, best shown in an experiment done as part of an extensive study by several professionals: A Deino was raised alongside a Dratini, a Larvitar, a Bagon and a Gible, under equal and favorable conditions and receiving equal and favorable treatment. While the growth rate of all five Pokémon seemed to be the same, and the other four, also stages of pseudo-legendary Pokémon, are notorious late-evolvers, Deino didn’t evolve into Zwelious until after Gible had completed its evolution into Garchomp, and about the same time Bagon completed its evolution into Salamence. Dratini and Larvitar were still at the Dragonair and Pupitar stages at that point, respectively, but finished their development soon afterwards, while Zwelious took a bit longer to become Hydreigon. Still, despite what others were lead to belive, said evolution did not require any special circumstance, only time and training, disproving beliefs in the same way the truth about the evolution of Larvesta was discovered. During the experiment, the Deino appeared to possess remarkably poor relations with the Larvesta, Larvitar, and Axew as they matured. As the only behavior recorded with precedence was the poor interactions with the Axew, due to the natural rivalry that the two possess between populations in Unova, it was spurred a great deal of debate in some circles as to whether the Deino's interactions with the Larvesta and Larvitar were an isolated incident, or indicative of a recurring phenomenon.

All stages of this line possess heightened senses of smell, touch, and hearing, and are capable of perceiving stimuli of such natures that most Pokemon would be incapable of noticing reliably. In addition, these creatures appear to be capable of discerning minute changes in smell and sound, the latter of which is particularly developed, as creatures from this line have been demonstrated to discern sub 10 decibel noises in the midst of 100 decibel ambient noise as well as to discern objects via what appears to be a form of echolocation involving shrill calls. Despite this, Deino and Zweilous are known to be susceptible to being disoriented via stimuli, which occasionally leads to these creatures narrowly missing their opponents in a battle setting with their attacks.

Like many other Pokemon, creatures from this line possess structures conducive to generating and setting alight incendiary gases generated via the digestive tract. As Deino and Zweilous, these structures are used for occasional incendiary bursts, but generally do not see extensive use until the Hydreigon stage has been attained on account of sight aiding the process of targeting prey. Unlike most other creatures immediately related to it, these structures among Deino line members appear to be outgrowths of what was once an omni-sac, with vestigial components that facilitate electrogenic and cryogenic behavior. With extensive training, it is possible to teach Hydreigon how to utilize those vestigial components of its omni-sac for a narrow range of techniques.

Habitat

All stages of this line appear to dwell in mountainous regions. Deino and Zwelious are usually cave-dwellers, employing their well-developed hearing to prowl passageways stalking their prey. Creatures from this line appear to be capable of living in subterranean chambers of all sizes, though seem to fare especially well in small spaces with plenty of points from which to ambush prey. Hydreigon tend to have a greater openness to non-cavernous environments, and will often travel via air to prey on creatures living in valleys and plains below the mountains in which they reside.

Stable populations of Deino and its evolutions appear to be exceedingly rare, with one of the few such populations known to presently exist located in the general vicinity of Unova's Victory Road. It appears that Deino and its evolutions may have once had a vastly larger range, as accounts of encounters with creatures from this line exist in folklore from throughout Unova. Curiously, there is some evidence suggesting that these creatures may have at one point had a presence in the broader portion of the world that hosts Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn, suggested by anecdotal accounts of encounters with creatures whose descriptions are consistent with those of creatures from this line, as well as an uncanny similarity between Deino and its evolutions and a widely-reviled figure in those regions' folklore.

Diet

Creatures from the Deino line trend heavily carnivorous, though have been known to readily consume plant matter, if on an infrequent basis. Creatures from this line have metabolisms that are incredibly fast by reptilian standards, eclipsing that of even members of the Machop line, and are known to have a rather liberal attitude towards what is considered "edible." All stages engage in both active hunting and scavenging as a means of sustenance, with Zweilous and Hydreigon trending more to the former, and will readily consume creatures smaller than them that lack the presence of toxins, an excessively durable hide, or otherwise do not pose an existential threat. Like Salamence, Hydreigon are said to feed on their younger brethren. Unlike Salamence, this practice has been reliably recorded outside of folklore, and appears to extend over to some of the initial forms of other draconic Pokemon. It has been noted that members of this line are capable of metabolizing foods high in refined sugars, though given the effect that this has on many Pokemon that are capable of such a feat, it is generally not recommended to attempt this with creatures as powerful as Deino and its brethren.

The preferred prey of Deino appears to depend upon the relative availability of prey. Amongst individuals hailing from Unova's Victory Road, Woobat appears to be the preferred prey of Deino, due in no small part to Deino being immune to its prey's psychic attacks. Deino from this region have also been recorded to readily attack Heatmor and scavenge Durant. Zweilous from this region will take on larger prey such as Swoobat, while Hydreigon from this area appear to be fine with whatever prey they can find, but appear fairly fond of Braviary and Mandibuzz.

Hazards

Although their designations as the Irate, the Hostile, and the Brutal Pokemon are perhaps oversimplified and have long been a point of contention amongst some circles of trainers who argue that such designations serve only to reinforce unjust stereotypes, it should go without saying that unduly antagonizing Deino and its evolutions is an exercise for trainers yearning to dramatically shorten their life expectancies. The initial two stages of the Deino line, Deino and Zweilous generally specialize in melee attacks. Both forms are known to use a variety of biting, clawing, and tackling attacks, which depending upon the technique and relative strength of the user, are capable of leaving anything from simple puncture wounds to gashes deep enough to cause massive blood loss and causing anything from moderate bruising to breaking multiple bones and causing massive internal bleeding. Both of these forms are also capable of utilizing incendiary breath attacks, which are capable of inflicting second and third-degree burns. Beyond all of this, some creatures from this line of particular lineages have been known to exhibit command over paranormal phenomena exhibited by other Dark-Types, most notably the technique known as "Dark Pulse."

Although they have been known to exhibit loyalty to their trainers to the point of death, Hydreigon are truly in a class of its own relative to its prior two forms in terms of raw destructive potential. Beyond the techniques that it was capable of using as a Deino and a Zweilous, a Hydreigon will have additionally developed a long, prominent tail that can serve as an implement with which to slash and stab at foes, and possesses a much greater precision with its attacks thanks to the addition of sight along with its formidable senses of hearing, feeling, and smell. Beyond these melee techniques are a number of other ranged techniques, which are no less threatening. Like its younger brethren, Hydreigon are capable of using incendiary breath attacks, though generally are vastly more competent in their execution of said attacks In addition, Hydreigon also utilize techniques involving deafening roars to stun and disorient prey, which is capable of causing temporary, and in some cases, permanent hearing damage. Captive Hydreigon also are known to be capable of being taught some techniques that pose hazards to those foolhardy enough to antagonize the creatures, including the ability to utilize attacks that combine incendiary, cyronic, and electric bursts, as well as the ability to generate large waves of water via the technique typically referred to as "Surf" to knock foes down. Irate Hydreigon are known to be particularly hazardous, and have been known to enter frenzied states not wholly unlike those that are sometimes recorded amongst Salamence. Due to their immense strength and often aggressive temperament, it is not unknown for matches involving Hydreigon to result with its hapless opponent becoming seriously injured or killed. Because of this, a number of smaller leagues and tournaments have barred these creatures from participating in their tournaments, with the Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh Leagues presently undergoing a review of the battle-worthiness of these creatures. As of present Hydreigon remain legal to use in events sanctioned by the Unova League.

If one has the misfortune to encounter an irate Deino line member, it is generally recommended to flee rather than to fight. As with other cases, Repel is one of the most immediately useful means for securing time for escape, and with creatures such as Deino and Zweilous that are forced to rely on limited sensory inputs, is a particularly potent tool. Techniques focusing on forcing Pokemon away such as Whirlwind, or failing that, on inducing paralysis are also viable options for buying time for an escape. If all else fails, attempt to mollify the irate Deino line member with offerings of food, while trying to remain inconspicuous as possible, a technique that is also valuable for calming down upset Pokemon from this line in captivity. It should be noted that this measure is by all means a situational and last resort, and if the creature from this line is particularly offended, you may find it more useful to pray to any relevant deities that you somehow best the creature in direct battle.

Other hazards related to creatures from this line include the deceptive appearances of the members of the first morph. It should be kept in mind that for the bulk of its life, a creature from this line will retain the form of a Deino, which beyond subtle size differences and the relative abundance of wounds from sparring makes discerning the age of particular individuals difficult, and the strength of such individuals even less immediately obvious, a characteristic which has led to the hospitalization if not the demise of many an unwise trainer. It should be noted that young Deino possesses an instinctive biting response to stimuli not wholly unlike that of Totodile, which will quickly lead to injuries and the destruction of personal effects if not trained to suppress such behaviors. Coupling along with this response is the general tendency for creatures of this line to view creatures perceptibly smaller than themselves as potential prey, which if not countered while still a Deino, will make training an individual as a Zweilous exceedingly difficult, and training as a Hydreigon virtually impossible. Creatures from this line are known to be difficult to control during captive breeding, due to the particularly strong maternal behaviors that creatures from this line exhibit, which is particularly dangerous for individuals that have attained the Zweilous and especially the Hydreigon stages. It should also be noted that the Zweilous stage, while far from the most hazardous stage to care for, is perhaps the most demanding. As the independent heads are known to frequently vie for control over the body as a whole and quarrel with each other. Some trainers have found the use of a "headpuppet" doubling as a muzzle helpful to prevent a Zweilous from overly harming itself.

Courting and Childrearing

All stages of this line are fertile, with mating amongst Deino being the most commonly documented occurrence by virtue of Deino's relative abundance compared to Zweilous and Hydreigon. In all stages, courtship appears to be virtually non-existent in the wild, with most behaviors recorded around mating amongst members of this line consistent with opportunistic practices exhibited by Pokemon such as Tyranitar. After mating, a male and female from this line will separate, the female laying a clutch of eggs roughly a week after if her eggs are successfully fertilized.

Deino typically lay single eggs, whereas Zweilous and Hydreigon typically lay clutches of 2-3 and 3-5 eggs respectively. Unlike most Pokemon of their ecological niche, members of the Deino line appear to be fairly fecund, as a majority of encounters between mating individuals will yield young. Deino eggs typically hatch over the course of two weeks, and are jealously guarded by their mothers. Once they hatch, the newborn Deino will imprint on each other and on their mother, who feeds and cares for them for the first 6-8 months of their lives. Afterwards, the Deino will go separate ways, and likely won’t have any meaningful interactions with others of their kind until they look for a mate.

Social Structure

Deino's line is known to be generally asocial, with later morphs trending increasingly territorial. Deino generally do not retain intimate ties with counterparts from their line beyond the first 6-8 months of their lives, during which Deino will be cared for by their mothers and taught how to hunt. After leaving or otherwise being driven from their mother's den, Deino typically lead solitary existences, though do not appear averse to interacting with other Deino, especially if food is involved. Upon evolving into Zweilous, these creatures generally become more territorial, and will become openly hostile towards individuals of the same gender, towards Deino that are not its own young, and will typically act similarly hostile to any creature that is not a potential mate, a close acquaintance, or is otherwise something that the Zweilous was socialized with as a Deino, a behavior that carries over to the Hydreigon stage if attained. This territoriality appears to be less pronounced when sources of food are particularly abundant, as a small number of settlements near Opelucid City in Unova are known to be in close proximity to stable (if small) populations of creatures from this line, and are one of the few settings outside of captivity where Zweilous and Hydreigon are known to dampen typical hostilities towards entities that would typically be attacked in other settings.

Interactions with other creatures in the wild beyond the occasional curious examination generally fall into the rough categories of "prey" and "predator" interactions. Deino and its evolutions will typically view smaller creatures as potential meals, barring exceptions that pose an immediate threat to their well-being or are otherwise known to be inedible, and generally trend averse of larger creatures, a behavior not wholly unlike that exhibited by some populations of Pokemon in their natural environment such as the Totodile line. It should be noted that this behavior appears to be innate to an extent, as even egg-hatched Deino appear to exhibit behaviors that are analogous to, if not as pronounced those of their wild counterparts.

In Human Culture

In most cultures that have had contact with these creatures, members of the Deino line are more have more or less possessed pariah status, rarely seeing depictions mounting to more than as mindless, heartless engines of destruction hellbent on devouring the world around them. All stages were reviled for their predation of livestock, as well as their greater propensity to feed off of human beings than similarly demonized Pokemon. These accounts are further exacerbated by (in all likelihood exaggerated) anecdotal incidents, including one alleged case in which a member of this line systematically killed off the bulk of the crew members aboard an ore freighter, and another where a group of poachers that destroyed a clutch of eggs in front of its mother were supposedly stalked a fair distance before one of their number was abruptly impaled by the irate Hydreigon's tail, and then torn into two. It is theorized that either direct or indirect contact with these creatures may have been the origin of a number of monstrous or evil entities in folklore, one proposed tie being a multi-headed beast that occasionally appears in folklore in Johto and other regions in relatively close proximity.

Despite its demonization in many of the cultures that have had contact with them, members of the Deino line occasionally saw applications within the human societies that encountered them. The bulk of these applications were military in nature, focusing on Hydreigon providing aerial support to under the command of a handler against opposing forces. It should be noted that folklore surrounding the use of Hydreigon within battle typically saw praise being directed towards the creatures' handlers as opposed to the creatures themselves when they were allied, and when fielded by foes, often are used as a symbol with which to collectively compare enemies to and demonize. Another, widely-reviled application that Deino members saw in historical societies was their use as an execution method, most notably in some Unovan noble circles, not wholly unlike a similar practice involving Tynamo line members. Other, less prominent, but more benign applications that these creatures saw in human society included use as garbage disposals and pest controllers. A handful of communities in Unova, mostly around what is now Greater Opelucid, also had histories of encouraging small populations of Deino line members to dwell in close proximity via regular feedings, which continue in some communities to the present day. It is theorized that the practice may have been originated as a defense mechanism in order to ward off marauding armies.

In modern media, Deino and its evolutions' historically poor perception in most human societies continues to color its depictions. Deino and its evolutions, most notably its final form, Hydreigon appear as anatagonistic figures in a truly astonishing number of works. Some of the most prominent of these appearances include an unusually large Hydreigon serving as a generally unsympathetic rival to a unusually large Tyranitar in a long-running film series, as recurring enemies in video and tabletop games, two of the more recent depictions including as a recurring enemy in the latest installment of a long-running action-adventure video game franchise, and as a model for a boss from an action adventure game set in a world heavily influenced by Johtoan folklore. Although Deino and its evolutions have possessed a subtle dampening of traditional vitriol heaped upon the creatures in most historical depictions, outright sympathetic portrayals are virtually non-existent, all of which appear to have followed the wake of the rise to popularity of a rock band whose members wore hairdos remarkably similar to that of Deino's head protofeathers. In Unova, media depictions of Deino and its evolutions appear to have hit a recent nadir, due in no small part to the highly-publicized attempted hacking of the region's PC system and coup d'etat masterminded by prominent Unova Hydreigon trainer Ghetsis Harmonia, which was noted to have attained its final form unusually early under currently unknown circumstances.

Original Article by Eriorguez. 10/2011 Revision by Tracer Bullet.

Special thanks to rmctagg09 and Silent Reverence for proofreading the darn thing. Thoughts? Comments?

Also, in other news, am claiming Zoroark revision.

edited 8th Apr '12 11:28:05 PM by TracerBullet

the skyrim reference seems kinda out of place when Salamence would be a much better fit.

Okay, I guess I could include it... >_>

I forgot to mention this before, but those trinomes should be in italics. And perhaps an Okami reference could be in order.

They referenced Orochi already, so that wouldn't be nessisary.

It should probably be noted that none of the line learns Dark Pulse naturally - it has to be bred in meaning that seeing it in the wild is quite unlikely. Also, the method of breeding is not straightforward, no potential parents learn Dark Pulse by levelup, necessitating use of the TM in 4th-gen.

x6: That is a fair point, it's unlikely for such a system to be shared across many unrelated (somewhat-related? The starters are all share an Egg group) species.

Already gave my commentary about the revision in the chatroom. And now I have something to deliver too — the new beta of the Totodile revision.

The most important changes in this version are the addition (finally!) of a Feraligator description thanks to Luke924. Also some details on shading differences, courting behaviour and battle ability. Still pending a full write are the sections on controversy as Starters (filtering the logs is quite a hard task) and their "In Popular Culture", for which I'd welcome assistance in finding proper references.

Enjoy.

Totodile Line

Morphs [Oak Catalog #]

• Totodile (Aquacrocodilus impiger) [158]
• Croconaw (A. sempermordis) [159]
• Feraligatr (A. deimophobos) [160]

The "Totodile" species of Pokémon take on the appearance of blue crocodilian bipeds, with series of red ridges adorning their head and spine. Their belly is also of a cream colouration and has a distinctive structure and pattern depending on their evolutionary level. One of their more easily recognizable traits is the set of red spikes adorning their spine. All stages have one spike near the tip of the tail.

Totodile is the basic morph. They reach an average height of 60 cm and average weight of just under 10 kg. They have arms that terminate in short claws with 5 digits and feet with 3 digits. The bulk of their bodies are covered in light blue scales with a chevron-shaped band of yellow scales on their torso. They have two pairs of alike spikes offset from their spine spikes, and a prominent spike at the end of their tail. They also have regions of black scales around their eyes, and have a tapering snout with two exposed fangs on the tip of its lower jaw, and a nub-like structure towards the end that houses their nostrils.

Croconaw is the adolescent stage. With an overall rounder body composition than its preevolution while still keeping the base physiology, they can reach and pass the full meter of height, and average 25 kg of weight. They have gained a head crest with three backwards-curved spikes, whereas the spike on their tail has almost fully emerged, and now resembles a diamond. The rows of spikes on his back have fused onto one two-pronged crest as well, although of notoriously smaller relative size than the other crest.

Unlike Totodile and the later evolution Feraligatr, Croconaw's belly is now patterned as a large band with notorious assymetry, reaching the shoulder on one side but only the armpit on the other, and is spotted by regions of blue. This colouration also reaches their larger and bulkier jaw.

Feraligat[o]r is the adult stage and final morph of this evolutionary line. When standing upright, the average specimen measures roughly 2.3 meters tall from foot to the tip the crest spikes; these numbers make them notable as the tallest final morph of any of the recognized Starter Pokémon. Healthy individuals also weigh roughly 89 kg.

Much like it's prior evolutions, Feraligator retains the same blue scales and red ridges on it's head, back, and tail, the latter two now much larger and more prominent. The yellow "spotted" band across it's stomach has disappeared, in favour of the yellow chevron pattern making a reappearance, now situated on the stomach between the legs, and much larger than it was before. The jaws remain the same as it's previous form, although now much larger, and with six fangs (three on each side, two upwards pointing and one downwards) on display. For reasons not yet known, Feraligator's iris colour changes upon evolution from red to yellow.

Feraligator's arms and legs are much larger and thicker than in previous forms. The arms in particular now sport several large scales, giving the impression of padded armour of some sort. The evolution process has also granted sharp claws on each of Feraligator's fingers, ideal for slashing techniques such as Dragon Claw. The legs also feature two prominent "pocket-like" bumps.

Like most water Pokémon, members of this evolutionary line possess a bladder which allows them to dive and propel jets of water. The reptile also possesses a transparent third eyelid and impressive lung capacity, allowing them to stay underwater for long periods of time without discomfort.

All members of this line are expert and insistent biters, and as the "Social Structure" section explains, biting has an important meaning for them, even when applied to friends or allies. Totodile are the most playful and exploratory, and won't hesitate to bite anything no matter it looks friendly or not. As they become more versed in battle, Totodile tend to restrain this urge until they can detect a spot particularly vulnerable to biting, and then procede to attack this weak point for great damage, if enemy, or for inescapable clamping, if ally, this much to the annoyance of their Trainers. Feraligatr on the other hand are the more powerful and are capable of combining their biting ability with their Water-type elemental powers, cloaking their fangs in pressurized water as they clamp on their foes; they also become wise enough to threaten to bite before spending their effort or risking injuries, and this is an important element of their courting rituals.

Cases of special alternate pigmentation have been observed as in all other Pokémon; individual with this trait have lighter-coloured bodies and their spikes are of a blue instead of red colouration. There's also some recognizable differences in local phenotypes as the "Habitat" section describes.

Notable Biology

The Totodile line is notable for its incredibly powerful jaws— Feraligatr in particular is commonly believed to possess the strongest bite of any Pokémon in the world. The species possesses specialized muscles that allow it to lock its jaw into place, preventing struggling prey from escaping their deadly grasp. The power of Feraligatr's jaws is such that the sole imagery of the crocodilian standing before an opponent showcasing their jaws is enough to trigger fear and intimidation responses not unlike those caused by, for example, the Ekans species.

This species's red ridges are believed to help in regulating the creature’s body temperature. They are present in three groupings in the head, spine and tail; as the Pokémon grows to its final stage, the ridges of the head fuse to form an easily recognizable crest, and, unlike the spikes of the spine and tail, the edges of the head crest become curved backwards.

A trait shared by the other water-type Pokémon usually handed over as starters is a special method of empowering dubbed "Torrent" because of its effect. When a Totodile or evolution grows weaker, they start focusing their natural aura and exerting much more power to counter the threat they are facing; the combination of these factors allows them to manipulate nearby bodies of water or to extract water from their immediate surroundings to empower their own attacks.

A few specimens of this evolutionary line exhibit another, rarely observed battle trait that is present in Pokémon such as Darmanitan and, more rarely, on Pokémon such as Nidoqueen and Makuhita as well. These Pokémon transfer some of their elemental manipulation power to assist and empower their muscular strength; as a result, their physical attacks become more powerful, a display of sheer force, but the faster, rougher and less technical fighting style that results from this prevent their attacks from materializing their secondary effects.

Yet some Feraligatr can exercise the inverse effect. As they become more experienced in elemental and weather manipulation, they learn to assume stances and mental states that allow them to exude elemental manipulation aura more easily. It has been observed that some Trainers's Feraligatr who have spent years practising Rain Dance have internalized the weather manipulation in this way to the point that they can start inducing this ability on the battlefield merely by assuming a slightly different battle stance.

Finally, in all morphs the female is up to 25% larger (and deadlier) than the male.

Naming

The binomes for this species were developed by a researcher named Sullen F. The term "impiger", while directly translating to "dilligent", also carries the connotation of "eager", as the basic morphs usually are. The final morph's term, "deimophobos", combines two terms related to fear and express the most common and expected response upon meeting members of this morph, even among other wild populations.

The last morph's technical name is "Feraligator". However, as it also happened with Victreebell, the tremendous limitations of early "iPhokéx" products, pushed upon researchers by commercial interests, and the easy escision of the "o" in common speech (as with the "l" in Victreebell) caused the name to be recorded and pronounced as "Feraligatr", a practice that has extended with time to the point it even appears as such in official catalogs, thus becoming a de facto standard.

Habitat

All members of this line tend to live in rivers and lakes near forests, favouring swampy terrains and meanders right by forestline thickets. Feraligatr spends its time closer to the sea, living in rivers which feature plenty of sand and rocks to sun themselves on.

Some Feraligatr, better adapted to saline water, may swim out to the sea occasionally to hunt, but will generally stay close to land. It is presumed that several colonies of slightly darker than normal Feraligatr live on the extense beaches and semi-saline swamps in the lands south of Unova.

The Croconaw stage also exhibits some specific regional morphisms that are unexplained as of yet. During a period of time previous to the reengineering of the Kanjoh Magnet Train, entire families of the Johtoan crocodiles could be found that did not fully developed the head crest, resulting in a head with two crests preceded by a slanted protuberance◊. This trait was not exhibited by the other members of their evolutive family.

Small differences in shading have been observed in higher morphs that have been attributed to the distribution of their geographical habitats. In particular, Unovan Croconaw and Feraligatr showcase markedly lighter spikes, and also a softer scales tone, than the Johtoan morphs, who themselves have exhibited strong decoloration of spikes and recoloration of their chevron and bands when compared to far older observations. In the case of the Unovan 'diles, this difference in shading is theorized to assist them in hunting their prey while underwater, as even though this evolutionary line specializes in cross-waterline sniping, it is a bit difficult to wade towards your prey completely unnoticed when you have a markedly red spike on your head. It has also been suggested that the shading differences in scales are also dependent on the absorption of chemicals present in regions with denser foliages.

Locomotion

All morphs are capable of standing and walking upright, but drop to all fours when an extra burst of speed is needed; Croconaw and Feraligatr exhibit this behaviour more often due to their larger sizes making it harder to move on land. In water, all morphs tuck their feet to their sides and propel themselves with their forearms and tail. They are much faster at swimming than moving around on land.

While Totodile and Croconaw are able to stand upright, Feraligatr has become too massive for its spine to take such a strain and so it spends most of its time on all fours when not in the water. Despite this, it moves very quickly when crawling, able to put on sudden bursts of speed that belie its bulk. Provided strong enough footing, a Feraligatr can switch between quadrupedal and bipedal locomotion fast enough to take on any nearby prey by surprise, which is one of the reasons roaming Trainers are strongly advised to NOT pay attention to Totodile nests near the water.

[to be improved]

Diet

Typically freshwater fish and insects, along with the occasional mammal. Older specimens such as Croconaw and Feraligatr use their powerful jaws to crack open the shells of Squirtle, Corphish, Shellder and similar aquatic Pokémon. They will occasionally surge out of the water in order to catch drinking Stantler and other large mammals.

The later stages rely on biting and chewing meat, bark and other rough objects that they find to both clean their teeth and keep them sharp, so Trainers are advised to regularly feed them from a meatstore. Letting them chew on a controlled manner also sooths them down, as it helps them assert their own prowess while limiting damage to others. Partner Pokémon with regenerating shells can also help in this respect.

Battle Ability

As bipedal Pokémon with tough body constitution, members of this line easily specialize in short-range combat. While in this respect Totodile is more or less limited to scratching and biting, as it evolves to its final stage the added body mass and growth of its limbs provides the final morph with tremendous physical power enough to turn a strong grasp into a lethal grip with only a little pushing if required. It is telling that Feraligar has been observed and studied during such events as Sumo competitions, and in certain elite battle circles some of then have even been seen using advanced moves such as Submission to lock their opponent with their jaws and arms and then rolling around with them, their sheer weight and body roughness causing more damage.

When battling on land, a Feraligatr needs to make his way towards the opponent to be most effective. Once at a short enough distance, a various range of techniques can be tossed at the foe, with almost unstoppable tenacity. Added to the already notable power of their jaws, Feraligatr can take advantage of various physical strategies and learn various moves. Their arms and claws are strong enough that they can slash and tear at their opponent, yet at the same time versatile enough to be imbued with Ghost or Dragon elemental power, or even to handle objects to fling or rub and grasp at a nearby opponent to reach their weak points. Some bloodlines of this species have even been observed ingesting ore (or silverware) in an attempt to specialize their clawing attacks with Steel-type traits from other Pokémon.

Their lower body does not fall behind in battle. With strong legs capable of explosive energy bursting, they can gain incredible Agility on land for short periods of time, and they can also sustain the enormous energy load required for consistent usage of extreme attacks such as Giga Impact. Their tail can be also used to slash and swipe at the opponent, and even to unleash and redirect Water during some attacks.

In water they are also dangerous, not only because of their short-range battle ability, but because of their highly adapted body that allows them to not only traverse water but also to propel it as a means of attack. Among the highest displays of such ability, some Feraligatr have been shown to propel literal waves of water with a speed, frequency and strength specifically tuned to disperse kinetic energy, and thus damage, beyond their opponent's outermost skin layers of protections, in this way managing to bypass the type resistances against Water.

[integrate Hydro Crunch]

Hazards

Because of their thick, scaly hides and focus on teeth, nipping one's parents is a sign of affection amongst Totodile and its evolutions. As such, they do not understand that other creatures find being bitten excruciatingly painful, and thus all variants have a marked tendency to sink their teeth into anything and everything, hanging fast to their victims with remarkable tenacity. Even Totodile’s fangs can seriously mangle flesh and bone and cause extensive damage considering that this line's upper teeths have small canals that assist in the injection of a freezing agent secreted by two small cryosac under the Pokémon's eyes.

Croconaw, being the adolescent stage, have been show to try a good variety of different tricks to specialize their hunting. Some Croconaw seem to have developed their biting technique by mixing it with a form of Aura, holding the prey with their jaws in a way that renders it unable to escape. A nastier varient of this move is capable of rendering the foe incapable of acting entirely.

Feraligatr are especially dangerous as their jaws are powerful enough to crush rocks into powder; when combined with their extremely territorial nature and overprotective attitude towards their offspring, they can do considerably worse to human bones. Should you happen upon a nest of Totodile in the wild, restrain your desire to coo and pet the creatures and stay away from them; you can be sure that the mother is watching from within the bushes nearby, and she will not be happy if you touch her babies [to be toned down].

While rare, there are reports of a subspecies of Feraligatr that has been scientifically altered to the point of gaining the Electric Type; dubbed with the suffix δ ("Delta") as with other Pokémon who underwent this procedure in the Holon Region, these Feraligatr are able to generate a sort of "Battle Aura" that strengthens allied Pokémon-δ.

[Incorporate the Roll of Death]

Courting

Feraligatr congregate once every two years at deltas in order to hold mating contests. Because the overwhelming majority of the species is male, there is often stiff competition between bulls to attract a mate. Such courtship displays have been observed to include seeing who can stay upright the longest, knocking over boulders and biting at tree trunks to see who has the strongest forelimbs and jaws, and sprinting on all fours to determine who is the fastest.

Right before and during such events, members of the highest morph reunite in lakes and other bodies of water to perform a communal mate searching process. Before attempting competition, a male might decide to broadcast his availability by partially submerging his body then grumbling and bellowing, in a fashion that causes the water right above them to sprinkle. The infrasonic waves cast by this motion can travel for incredibly long distances in water. This technique has been jokingly been dubbed as a mini-"Rain Dance".

Should two or more bulls engage in battle repeatedly and be tied in all of these events, they will attempt to intimidate each other by opening their mouths and hissing in an overt threat display. Should neither bull back down, they will resort to a duel, grappling with each other and biting to establish superiority. These duels often become extremely violent, and it is not unheard of for the loser to be maimed or even killed.

Once a victor has emerged, the bull and the female meet; if there is foreplay, it consists of such things as the female trying to drown the male, or he trying to blow bubbles below her. After that they and swim off to do their business and build a nest for the eggs, of which there are typically two-to-ten. Exactly how the parents mated is not certain, and it is not wise to find out, for the only thing worse than an angry Feraligatr is an angry Feraligatr in heat.

Social Structure

Feraligatr are solitary, monogamous reptiles that mate for a single breeding season before going their separate ways. The female is then given the sole responsibility of brooding the eggs and watching over the infant Totodiles for the next eighteen months, by which point they will have become young adults (i.e., Croconaw). During this time the mother is particularly protective of her offspring, carrying them down to the water in her jaws, teaching them how to swim and utilize their water bladders, feeding them and teaching them how to catch prey, and maintaining a constant vigil over the infants while they sleep.

Once her babies have matured to this point, however, the mother loses all maternal instinct for her offspring and drives them off, seeing them as both threats to her territory and a potential meal. The Croconaw will seek out others of their kind, often crossing the land to do so, and form bands of three-to-five in order to hunt for food. These bands dissolve once the Croconaw reach adulthood and become Feraligatr.

In Popular Culture

Surrounding Controversy

[Incorporate Status as Johto Starters]

While Totodile are considered playful and cute Pokémon by some people, even when taking their powerful bite into consideration, Croconaw and Feraligatr do not exactly enjoy the same appreciation. Even after the explosive growth of the "Pokémon walk-along" trend that was recently born in the Kanjoh region, the evolved members of this line have been seen with distrust, and some storeowners have denied access to these Pokémon.

This also happened with the "People vs. Amity Square" civil action in the region of Sinnoh, when the staff of the Park unilaterally decided to deny walking rights, and in some cases entrance, to Pokémon that the city's Contest judges didn't declare as "cute", which due to a misunderstanding included most if not all non-baby Pokémon. The situation escalated when a recording was uploaded to a well-known video site where, confronted by several Trainers of evolved League-approved Starters, one of the Contest Judges categorized several Pokémon including Feraligatr with terms such as "horribly big", "ugly" and "scaly", thus leading to the civil action after which the Park and the Contest Judges were forced to publicly apologize to the Trainer community. After this more Pokémon, including the fully evolved Starters, were granted entrance and exploration privileges to the park.

edited 18th Jan '12 10:34:29 PM by SilentReverence

Where do you get Feraligatr having access to Drizzle from? Is it something in the anime or one of the mangas?