Pretty much what everyone else said, it could be vastly expanded.

I haven't been contributing lately because of Honours, so that probably won't change for a while.

Seeing as nobody has done it already, I'm calling dibs on the Makuhita line.

Welcome, and very nice! Good luck with it, remember you can ask around and stuff.

Also, it's April already. In four days I'll be disappeared pretty much for the entire month due to real life (handling a national event among other things). That means I can not wait much longer so I'm gonna post the last revision of the Totodile article tomorrow or Wednesday, since I can not wait much longer for collabs. After that, I'm moving to the next Nidoran revision, which is already one month overdue.

edited 1st Apr '12 4:56:03 PM by SilentReverence

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

Well, I'm back! I will get started on brushing up the article as soon as I possibly can!

I mean, Venusaur!

Ok, I finished Makuhita. This is my first entry, so I hope I did well.

Makuhita Line

Morphs [Oak Category #]

• Makuhita [296]
• Hariyama [297]

Physical Description

In its initial form, Makuhita is a short, paunchy, yellow Pokémon standing at about 1 meter tall, and usually weighing around 86kg. They have black, leathery, “boxing gloves” on their arms that are able to use to absorb blows. There is a black collar that wraps around their necks that is made out of the same material as the gloves, but the purpose of this is not known. Their heads have a knot at the very tip, giving them some resemblance to a punching bag. They have red rings on both cheeks, and because of these and their knots, inexperienced trainers may mistake them for an overweight Pikachu.

When a Makuhita matures into a Hariyama, there is a massive increase in size. Now towering at 2.3 meters and weighing around 254kg, their small fingerless glove hands have become massive orange gloves, each with three fingers; their heads are surrounded by a large, blue, bandana-like crest, which forms a ponytail at the back. In addition, their lower stomachs are covered by an orange circle, giving off the appearance of a rising sun when coupled with the yellow skirt-like coverings above their thick legs. Because of similar appearances and a nearly identical fighting style, Hariyama is often compared to that of a sumo wrestler.

Notable Biology

Despite their size, Makuhita are more than capable battlers, using their prominent bulk to their advantage. They also have a tendency to use their powerful arms, usually to deliver devastating arm thrusts, though it is not uncommon to witness one delivering a standard punch. The species is also incredibly persistent, even when faced with defeat, a Makuhita will fight with all of their might, and it’s not unheard of one getting back on their feet the moment they faint. At its peak power, Hariyama is a force to be reckoned with. Its more developed hands makes its earlier morph’s already powerful arm thrusts even more of a threat. There have even been reports of a wild Hariyama holding back a speeding truck with nothing but its arm thrusts. Despite its fat appearance, Hariyama bulk is primarily composed of incredibly thick muscle.

Within the species are two distinct lines; the first of which is identified by an increased number of adrenal glands within the specimen’s body. Whenever a Makuhita or Hariyama with this adaptation is suffering from a status ailment such as poisoning or paralysis, the glands release adrenaline throughout the body, drastically boosting their already remarkable power. This ability has been dubbed by the Trainer community as “Guts”. The second is characterized by an increase in body mass, aiding in protection from heat and cold. This has been colloquially referred to as “Thick Fat”.

Habitat

As with most fighting type Pokémon, members of this line feel most at home in caves, where they are free to train. However, it is not unheard of Makuhita to journey into towns in close proximity to caves. Town dwelling Makuhita are docile for the most part, but occasionally stand in the middle of streets, waiting for a speeding car to test their abilities. While most cars stop and pass, some careless drivers do not notice, leading to severe damage to their cars and, sometimes tragically, the death of the Makuhita.

Diet

As expected from Pokémon of their girth, members of this line consume massive amounts of food. An omnivorous species with a preference for meat, Makuhita and Hariyama are able to subsist on anything nearby that’s edible, Because of this, it is not recommended to train a Makuhita unless the trainer can afford to support their feeding habits. If they do not meet their dietary requirements, trainers will notice a massive decline in health.

Hazards

Despite their playful nature and easily formed bond with their trainer, it is advised for novice trainers to not train Makuhita. Along with the aforementioned dietary needs, Makuhita who become close with their trainers may pick up the habit of tackling them affectionately, which can seriously injure smaller trainers. Some trainers have even become crippled for life because of a surprise tackle from their Makuhita. Because of this, the Pokémon League strongly recommends picking a more manageable fighting type Pokémon such as Machop. All but the strongest trainers should travel through areas with Hariyama. Because of their fierce dedication to training, they tend to attack anything close to their size. If one must do so, it is recommended that they bring at least 1 Pokémon that has a type advantage against it. It is further recommended that trainers do not make any attempt to catch a wild Hariyama, as they will remain resentful of the trainer and may even attempt to attack it.

Courting and Childrearing

Because 7 out of every 10 Hariyama are male, competition over females is intense. When a female Hariyama reaches sexual maturity, she will find a large boulder and repeatedly strike it, calling out to all nearby Hariyama that it is the beginning of the mating season. When all of the Hariyama reach the female, they begin competitions to determine who will mate with the female. Courtship mainly consists of tests of arm strength, and who can use their stomachs as drums more effectively. Once the potential males have been whittled down to 2, they will engage in a wrestling match, the winner winning the female. The victor and the female will retreat to mate. Gestation usually lasts around 1-1 ½ years, and 4-8 Makuhita are born. The mother takes care of these offspring until they are capable of knocking out Pokémon on their own. Afterwards, the offspring are left to train on their own.

Social Structure

Makuhita and Hariyama are not social creatures, preferring to train in solitude than work with others. However, if a young Makuhita is defeated by something, it forms a positive imprint on its mind, and will look up to it. Because of this, Makuhita will become fiercely loyal to a trainer that weakens them before being captured.

In Human Society

In human society, Makuhita and Hariyama have been painted in a mostly positive image. When they appear in Hoenn folk lore, they are usually portrayed as boisterous, jovial warriors with a large sense of honor. If there is a level in a video game portraying the Far East, expect Hariyama to make an appearance.

edited 6th Apr '12 11:03:35 AM by CameraBeardThePirate

Nice article, though I have some nitpicks. One's just a minor punctuation error:

That should be "All but the strongest trainers should avoid traveling through areas with Hariyama." Also, since we have it that mammalian Pokemon can do both viviparous and oviparous reproduction, with the latter being more common in captivity, that should be mentioned. The gestation period also seems a little long for a fairly common species, perhaps nine months like a human would work better.

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Looks good, might be a good idea to add in their Dream World ability as well but it's up to you. Good work for a first article.

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

I think that you could go a bit farther with the reference to sumo wrestlers. Like Hariyamas inspired sumo wrestling altogether, or something like that.

Very good for a first article.

XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!

I agree with what everyone else has said, and would strongly recommend the addition of the Dream World Sheer Force ability, as well.

I have added some more and brushed up on the Seel line article quite a bit. Hopefully this helps the article a whole lot. Hopefully soon it will be ready to be finalized.

I mean, Venusaur!

It's been FAR too long since I last wrote something for this, so I present to you...

Morphs [Oak Catalog #]

• Relicanth [#369]

Physical Description

Relicanth is a piscine creature that is perhaps best known for its status as a contemporary to now-extinct Pokemon such as Aerodactyl as for the confluence of characteristics it shares between piscine Pokemon and tetrapodal creatures. Mature Relicanth average roughly a meter from its lower to upper fins and roughly 2 to 2 and a half meters in length and just under 25 kilograms in weight, with female specimens trending larger than male specimens. Some of the most immediately apparent features of Relicanth's appearance are it's "squinting" eyes and its distinctive 8-finned appearance, which includes a three-lobed caudal fin, a small spike-like forward dorsal fin and a larger rear dorsal fin mirrored by a similarly shaped anal fin, as well as a pair of pectoral and pelvic fins along its lower body.

Other notable features of Relicanth's appearance include a prominent maw-like jaw structure with a mild overbite, prominent "cheekbone" projections that are larger on male individuals and a pointed vaguely beak-shaped lower jaw. Relicanth are covered in a layer of extremely durable scales, which is predominated by dark brown and tan regions. The former encompasses most of Relicanth's body and its lower fins, while the latter encompasses regions composing its head, jaws, and a region including its foremost dorsal fin along with blotch-like regions on its body and on the tip of its rear dorsal fin and center of its caudal fin. A pair of small red dot-like markings are also present on Relicanth's body, punctuating an otherwise relatively monochrome appearance. In rare cases, individuals carrying a mutant phenotype in which normally brown regions of the body are teal in color and tan regions trend lighter and more grayish have been documented, and are known to be particularly sought after in some training circles.

Notable Biology

Relicanth is famous in zoological circles as an example of a "living fossil," with individuals evidencing little change from those that are believed to have dwelt in the planet's oceans roughly 100 million years ago. Beyond this, Relicanth is believed to be a likely candidate for a transitional organism between piscine lifeforms and tetrapodal vertebrates. Beyond its fin configuration, Relicanth possess a number of other biological differences from most other piscine creatures, including the presence of a heart with the structure of a straight tube, extremely durable stone-like armored scales that allow these creatures to better weather assaults than most other aquatic Pokemon, the presence of a large gel-filled cavity in its snout referred to as a "rostral organ" that appears to possibly have electrosensitive properties, and the possession of an intracranial joint that enables these creatures to open their mouths extremely widely. Relicanth further possess inner ear structures that have been noted for their remarkable similarity to those of many tetrapodal organisms, being classified as a basilar papilla.

Relicanth possess a unique means of locomotion, which typically relies on exploiting current upwellings or downwellings and drifting. In open water, Relicanth use their fins to stabilize their movement. On the ocean floor, a Relicanth will not use its fins to aid movement, though is capable of making abrupt lunges using its caudal fin, a behavior that carries over to these creatures' movements outside of water. Due to their number of fins, Relicanth are known to be remarkably manuverable, and have been documented doing headstands and swimming belly up. It is presently thought, though not verified, that the rostal organ may play a role in allowing Relicanth to distinguish obstacles in its surroundings.

Other notable biological features of Relicanth include its possession of both true lungs and true gills, which enables it to survive prolonged periods outside of water if kept sufficiently hydrated. Like most other Pokemon in their environment, Relicanth also possess a bladder capable of storing pressurized water along with more conventional swim bladders. Another noteworthy quirk is these creatures' lifespans, as their reference as the "Longevity Pokemon" would allude. Relicanth appear to be capable of living longer than the average life expectancy for humans in most countries in appropriate conditions, one particularly noteworthy example includes an individual that has been on live display in an aquarium in a region near Unova for almost 80 consecutive years.

There are three presently known submorphs of Relicanth, which possess physiological difference that are so pronounced that upon their discovery, it was proposed that these different submorphs be recognized as different subspecies. One of the most common submorphs is known for having particularly durable scales protecting its head and surrounding regions of its body, which enables such individuals to exert amounts of force while ramming opponents that would cause injuries among most other creatures. Another common submorph consists of individuals whose scales trend less armored than those of their counterparts from other submorphs, but also possess more developed muscles associated with its general movement, enabling such individuals to move at markedly faster paces than other Relicanth in aquatic environments. The third, and rarest submorph, is the most heavily armored of the three, and appears capable of better withstanding massive singular assaults than its other counterparts, including attacks that would be mortal to most other creatures.

Habitat

Relicanth generally dwell within deep-sea settings, although populations of these creatures resting in water as shallow as 100 meters and migrating to deeper regions of water have been documented. Relicanth appear to gravitate towards cave-like regions as dwellings, due to the comparative seclusion from potential predators and are noted to be relatively comfortable with living in crowded quarters. Creatures from this line are noted to be more active under conditions where water temperature is cooler, which reduces the metabolic costs of swimming against ocean currents, leading to some documented populations exhibiting crepuscular or nocturnal behavior. With the exception of shallow-water Relicanth populations, individuals generally do not surface frequently, which puts most populations of these creatures beyond the means of the typical trainer to attempt to catch. Particularly well documented and easily accessible populations of Relicanth can be found in waters surrounding Hoenn as well as in the waters offshore of Kanto Route 12, Sinnoh Route 226, and Unova Route 4.

Diet

Relicanth have been documented as being capable of living off of an omnivorous mode of sustenance in captivity, though in their native environment, these creatures trend heavily piscivorous and molluscvorous. Typical prey for Relicanth consist of creatures that are known to live in the Benthic regions of oceans, with particularly common prey including Clamperl and weaker Finneon, Chinchou, and Shellder line members. Shallow water Relicanth are also show evidence of occasionally feeding upon creatures that dwell in shallower waters, though their diets appear to still be heavily composed of creatures that their deep-water counterparts feed on, making it unclear as to whether or not Relicanth have a clear preference for deep-water prey, or if they simply lack the means to effectively feed upon most shallow-water organisms.

Hazards

Despite their largely unassuming appearances and generally slow movements, like most other Pokemon, Relicanth are capable of posing a number of dangers to imprudent or overly antagonistic trainers that encounter them. Relicanth are known to be capable of utilizing tackling-based attacks whose effects range from mostly innocuous bruising to bone-crushing. One of the most hazardous of the techniques of this mold, though almost never seen performed by Relicanth outside of captivity, is a technique in which a Relicanth will plow into an opponent headfirst with a great degree of momentum, which is capable in and of itself of inflicting wounds requiring immediate hospitalization. In addition to more conventional physical assaults, Relicanth have also been known to utilize attacks using pressurized bursts of water. Once again, effects range by technique and individual strength, though Relicanth have been seen utilizing these techniques in manners that occasionally deviate from the behaviors of similar attacks by the likes of most other water Pokemon, one of the most spectacular is its use of pressurized water to lob large rocks at assailants underwater (it has been documented that Relicanth are also capable of performing this technique, typically referred to as "AncientPower" by directly lobbing rocks, albeit with less potency). Although Relicanth's mobility is dramatically hampered on land, they are by no means helpless, and can perform most of the above techniques without incident, or with the aid of a simple lunge.

Other, less spectacular, though still potentially hazardous techniques that Relicanth are capable of using include the technique known as "Yawn," which can cause opposing creatures to become rapidly drowsy, a potential death sentence for creatures unable to respire underwater. Relicanth also have been known to throw up plumes of mud from their surroundings, which noticeably impairs the effectiveness of electric attacks on these creatures. Relicanth also commonly adopt a stiffening defense mechanism in order to better weather attacks, which has been known to be effective enough to make the results of a human attempting to physically attack a Relicanth roughly on par with the effects of attempting to attack a large stone, and is capable of inflicting injury. It should also be noted that individuals from the heavily armored submorph have been documented utilizing techniques that their other counterparts are incapable of without special training, including one that enables individuals to attack assailants even while asleep, and another that causes phenomenon akin to localized volcanic eruptions.

Attempting to catch a Relicanth in wild settings is very much an arduous task. Beyond the potential risk of having to face attacks from an entire school of Relicanth, it should be kept in mind that Relicanth are more than capable of moving around at depths where the surrounding water pressure will cause Dive bubbles to implode, making encounters with Relicanth to begin with in all but comparatively shallow water effectively impossible.

Courting

Relicanth do not appear to have distinct courtship rituals and exhibit mating behavior that is highly opportunistic in nature. Relicanth are one of a small number of piscine Pokemon who are documented to have eggs that are capable of surviving ovoviviparous birth, a trait more commonly associated with mammalian Pokemon. In wild settings, eggs typically gestate within the mother for roughly a year, with any eggs that are laid externally effectively doomed to death in all but shallow-water settings. Relicanth eggs are large, roughly the size of a grapefruit, with only a thin membrane providing protection. When Relicanth ultimately hatch, they emerge superficially similar to their adult counterparts, with proportionally larger and less "squinted" eyes, a large yolk sac attached below the pelvic fins, and a more downward-sloping body shape. Relicanth are not cared for by their mothers after they hatch and individuals do not appear to court or mate with creatures outside of their immediate species in wild settings.

Social Structure

Relicanth do not possess particularly intimate social structures, typically grouping in schools that fluctuate depending on the availability of food and shelter. Despite this, schools of Relicanth have been observed exhibiting behaviors demanding significant levels of inter-individual coordination, such as assuming group defensive behaviors when under assault by foes. Schools of Relicanth typically average between 40 and 60 individuals, with school sizes having trended lower over the course of the last few decades, suggesting increased stress by human activities. There appears to be a remarkable lack of genetic variance among Relicanth populations, with individuals from various settings displaying almost identical genetic makeups. Despite this, Relicanth appear to be more than capable of picking out individual members of their species, even in environments with low light and in the absence of highly developed senses of hearing, which has lead some researchers to propose that these creatures may be capable of discerning each other via other senses. Recent research has suggested that Relicanth may be capable of discerning electrical currents, and display some properties similar to creatures with electrogenic capabilities, a phenomenon of curiosity as Relicanth are not presently known to be capable of utilizing any techniques incorporating the use of electric currents in battle.

In Human Society

Historically, human and Relicanth populations have had little contact, to the point where Relicanth were widely presumed extinct until roughly 80 years ago in most scientific circles, due to both the nature of Relicanth's habitat as well as Relicanth's general lack of value to commercial fisheries. Due to a combination of its tough hide and its flesh containing high concentrations of oils, urea, and wax esters, Relicanth is effectively inedible to human beings, as well as to most other creatures in its surrounding environment. In regions where Relicanth are more commonly encountered by local fisheries, it was not uncommon for fishermen to go out of their way to avoid catching these creatures, a practice that has only recently changed due to a modest growth in demand for Relicanth for training purposes.

Unsurprisingly, Relicanth have a negligible presence in human tradition and media outside of scientific journals, and in the few media depictions that they receive, are almost never used as anything beyond being used for an exotic backdrop and are typically overshadowed by other ancient creatures in media set in prehistoric settings. Curiously, it appears that ancient civilizations may have at least possessed a passing knowledge of these creatures, as evidenced by the discovery of a small number of sealed chambers in Hoenn that were found to respond when passed by in an extremely specific order with a party including a Wailord and a Relicanth. This general lack of publicly common knowledge and general apathy towards Relicanth is at once a blessing and a curse, as poaching of Relicanth is seldom documented, but at the same time, attempts to secure support for conservation efforts often flounder. A small but interesting phenomena of note is Relicanth elevation as a symbol by some social commentators in recent years, critiquing a general bias by the public towards training lines of Pokemon whose members are either disarming in appearance or particularly powerful at the expense of effectively neglecting other lines of Pokemon that do not stand out in either field.

---

Written by TracerBullet.

Thoughts / commentary / critiques are highly appreciated. Also, I've decided to add something completely different to my queue of topics to write on, namely Duskull and its evolutions.

edited 13th Apr '12 9:56:02 AM by TracerBullet

Hard Boiled Detective Since 1985

Reclaiming Chingling Line, which I swear will get done eventually....

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Interested in getting into this project. Mostly interested in writing entries for Abilities, Moves, Cities, and various notable people, however. Still, I'll see what I can do.

EDIT: Ah, what the heck. Reserve Stunfisk for me. I'll see what I can come up with.

edited 18th Apr '12 3:03:11 PM by Krika

Welcome aboard. There is an Ability template that i made a while back to help you set out your articles.

Also added Scrappy Article to the wiki

edited 18th Apr '12 11:12:39 PM by Shadow6666

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

How is this?

[[quoteright:200px:pics...]]

Rotom

Morphs [Oak Catalog #]

• Rotom [479]

Physical Description

Under normal circumstances, Rotom's physical body appears to be a small, levitating orange creature, surrounded by crackling electricity. Normally, the body is very lightweight, almost like a balloon; in some rare cases, a mutant with a slightly thicker skin will appear. This variant is purely cosmetic; the additional layer of skin has been known to scorch when the Pokémon releases electricity, however, lending the sparks surrounding its body a reddish tinge from the burning matter.

In any case, Rotom is an exceptionally intelligent Pokémon, believed close to on par with human beings. They're mischievous, and enjoy playing painful pranks on others. However, the species is timid and nonviolent; unless under duress, they'll never shock with enough force to kill a target. Rotom is considered an Electric/Ghost Pokémon from a taxonomic standpoint, but its body contains only a slightly higher than average quantity of umbrate; it's been suggested that, while it behaves similarly to true Ghost Pokémon, Rotom could be given a type all its own.

A wide variety of other morphs have been reported. These are not true morphs, however; they're a product of Rotom's ability to merge with select human technologies, as discussed below.

Notable Biology

Rotom's biology is peculiar, and makes taxonomic classification of the Pokémon difficult. Its physical body consists of a layer of an unknown substance, approximately one micron in thickness, surrounding a pocket of air. A valve under Rotom's head controls the pressure of the internal chamber, keeping it at approximately 100 atmospheres; this pressure keeps Rotom's eyes firmly affixed to the inside of its face, in spite of the lack of any physical eye socket. Two smaller valves, one to either side of the intake valve, allow Rotom to release air. The material composing Rotom's body is exceptionally durable, and seems to be some manner of polymer; however, attempts to replicate it in a lab have failed. Other than the eyes and the valves, Rotom's body is largely empty.

In the place of a traditional nervous system, Rotom has a fascinating phenomenon unlike any other Pokémon on the planet. By sheer pressure, the gases within Rotom's body change phase to a plasma; from there, it would appear that Rotom's brain actually uses the plasma as a medium for electrical activity, controlling its body's pressure and temperature as an autonomic function. Exactly how this is managed is unclear, and the rarity of Rotom makes further research difficult; however, it would appear that the interior of Rotom's skin is covered in signal receptors and transmitters, each operating at a slightly different frequency. By using the plasma as a medium to conduct an electrical signal between these, Rotom has something similar to a traditional brain.

In spite of its small size, Rotom is quite dense due to the sheer pressure of its internal plasma; as such, though the method of its levitation may seem obvious, Rotom is heavier than air and can't float. The mechanism of Rotom's levitation is tied into its electrical discharges. The sheer pressure of the plasma means that it rapidly becomes too hot for Rotom to safely contain; as such, the electrically charged, superheated plasma is regularly expelled toward the ground. This takes the appearance of "arms" of lightning, but in fact the charge on the plasma isn't much higher than the charge normally exuded from Rotom's body; the wide, lightning-bolt shape is the result of the white-hot plasma. This release generates lift; Rotom inhales gently as it drifts back to the ground before exhaling again. Pressure still builds over time within Rotom's body even with this respiratory cycle, however; as such, they're known to discharge massive amounts of plasma on occasion. A large-scale pressure discharge is a standard response of startled Rotom to large, threatening foes; this is invariably fatal for the victim.

One interesting trait Rotom possesses is the ability to merge with electrical appliances. By collapsing its body and affixing itself to an electric motor or other mechanism, it can consume electricity that would be entering the mechanism, or stimulate it with its own electrical energy. Rotom in the wild use this ability to hide from predators, primarily other Electric Pokémon which would puncture its fragile body and feed on the electrical discharge. Preying on Rotom typically proves fatal to the predator as well, but Rotom avoids conflict regardless. A few Trainers have been known to have Rotom merge with specialized equipment and use that in battle; the ethics of this practice from a sporting standpoint are debated, but it doesn't appear to do any harm to the durable Rotom. By stimulating the appropriate electrical systems, Rotom gains access to elemental attacks it ordinarily can't use; for example, when animating a washing machine, Rotom can force the machine to expel water forcefully from its chamber by increasing the intake beyond safe levels. However, it doesn't have a great deal of variety in these attacks, since the appliances it possesses are far simpler than pyro-sacs or other anatomical features; a given function of an appliance can only really be used in one manner.

The spot below Rotom's eyes resembles a mouth, but is in fact nothing more than a patch of electrically sensitive pigment. The black and white patterns are used to signal Rotom's mood; generally, as it becomes agitated, the patterns become more jagged and shift toward a greater amount of white. If the "mouth" pattern resembles canine teeth, Rotom is angry and should not be approached.

Habitat

Rotom are a recently discovered, incredibly rare species of Pokémon. However, all known specimens have been found in areas with an abundance of disused electrical appliances. It's speculated that Rotom could be a natural evolution of closely-related Ghost Pokémon such as Gastly and Spiritomb; the gradually-developing ability of many such species to use Electric-type attacks like Thunderbolt lends credence to this hypothesis. Low umbrate levels would indicate that whatever Rotom's ancestry, anthropogenic electrical activity was a power source desirable enough to anchor the population firmly to the material realm.

Diet

Rotom doesn't consume any type of physical food. However, it does drain electricity from power lines, batteries, etc. to maintain the ionization of the gas it takes in.

Hazards

Because of the powerful electrical discharges coupled with the very real threat posed by the superheated, pressurized plasma inside their bodies, Rotom are not advised for novice Trainers. Their exceptional rarity, at only 439 confirmed specimens worldwide, largely alleviates this risk; nonetheless, a novice Trainer attempting to use Rotom in battle could harm their self, the Rotom, the opponent's Pokémon, or any combination thereof. Touching Rotom's body or its vented plasma is exceptionally dangerous due to the high heat and electrical current thereof, but Rotom is a very intelligent Pokémon which prefers to avoid conflict; as such, if contact is avoided Rotom can be trained without too much difficulty. In battle, Rotom needs to be trained to minimize its plasma venting and electrical discharges, to ensure that the opponent's Pokémon isn't fatally wounded. While its thin skin may appear to be a risk, it is in fact very durable; coupled with the pressure of Rotom's body, Rotom is generally capable of surviving most physical attacks. If the skin is torn, a magnetic field on the interior lining will hold Rotom together until the plasma's heat has melded the injury together. Rotom can survive an injury, but it should under no circumstances fight while injured; any blow to the damaged area will prove fatal to Rotom and all persons or Pokémon in its immediate vicinity.

Courting and Childrearing

Rotom has not been observed reproducing in the wild, but it has been made to breed in captivity.

Rotom does not have DNA, as such. Rotom are "made" by their elders as opposed to "born". An adult Rotom will consume plastics through its intake valve if it has access to an excess of electricity in an area. The plastic is heated and compressed until it becomes a blob of the material which composes Rotom's body. From here, the compressed polymer layer is ejected into a safe area, in a balloon-like shape; the parent Rotom transfers some of its plasma into the new Rotom's body, which will start its respiration. The infant Rotom's body is still hot and malleable, so it's gradually adjusted into the familiar form of a Rotom; part of the polymer is broken off and compressed still further into several different materials, used to create the eyes. The eyes seem to have developed not from any type of animal eyes, but from camera lenses; they have an effective 8K resolution, and are freely controlled by Rotom's unique nervous structure. The hot cameras are secured to the eye sockets, and the new Rotom starts releasing pressure, enabling it to cool down once it is fully formed. Low-level telepathic abilities present between Rotom enable the infant to actually make subtle changes to its physical anatomy in the malleable state, based on its parent's experiences; this makes Rotom quick to adapt to environmental pressures in spite of their highly divergent physiology from all known species of Pokémon.

Social Structure

In the wild, Rotom are solitary Pokémon; they find a source of electricity and remain nearby until it's depleted. Since another Rotom using the source will speed its depletion, they'll never use one which is occupied. However, in captivity, Rotom's high intelligence makes them equally compatible with people, other Pokémon, and each other. They have a mischievous nature, and will use their abilities to play pranks on people and Pokémon. If two acquainted Rotom are left alone, they'll devise and implement intricate tricks to confound others; this makes keeping Rotom for research something of a challenge due to the high rates of equipment failure... ...and the overwhelming tendency of the equipment to resume functioning once a replacement has arrived.

(A personal note to whoever decided to introduce the Silph Co. R&D4 Rotom to the trollface meme: I hope you're proud of yourself. On the bright side, this does prove that Rotom's "mouth" isn't limited to the patterns it has by instinct.)

edited 24th Apr '12 9:23:48 AM by Afti

It's pretty interesting, and I like the physiological aspects. Nice article.

You may want to add a bit more about Rotom's newly granted abilities when posessing objects, for example its ability to Overheat on things as an oven, or whatever.

If that last bit is a part of the article, you may want to incorporate it into a "In Human Society" section, noting that Rotom has been observed to do such things, perhaps that since its discovery it has enjoyed a vogue in fiction due to its behaviour.

I'd suggest a patch on the Breeding thing, I'd say it can mate the same way Grimer, Slugma, or Litwick could.

edited 23rd Apr '12 7:23:24 PM by CodeRobin

My PM System is turned off so please dont send any to me.

Genderless, so that doesn't work exactly, but I've added a more robust description of how breeding might work.

The last bit is just supposed to be a personal note the researcher writing the article slipped in to a mischievous colleague. =P

I'm still planning on doing the Stunfisk entry, but I'd also like to reserve the Pressure entry. It's got some work done for it already via the Legendary Birds entries, but it's one of the first Abilities I'm interested in writing up.

So, this is my first draft of the entry for the ability Pressure.

Pressure

Description of effect

Forces foes to expend more energy to engage the foe.

Physiological Response- Biological

Pokemon with the ability Pressure have no known alterations to their biology.

Physiological Response- Physical

Pokemon with this ability do not have any known changes to their physical structure as a result of this ability.

Psychological Response

Pokemon with Pressure as their ability tend to have a much higher opinion of themselves than others of their species. When presented with a foe, they are more likely to underestimate the threat, although this effect is usually not very pronounced. Similarly, they might consider themselves self-reliant, being more inclined to refuse assistance. Scientists have also observed that a small percentage of Pokemon with this ability may be either more or less combative than normal for their species, although the percentage that exhibit this trait is about 14% of the population.

In battle Response

Pokemon with this ability all have some ability to harness latent psychic energies, although the degree varies based on the exact species. Some, such as most Legendaries with this ability do so through simple force of their individual power, while others such as Vespiqueen and Spiritomb do so via a hivemind ability (The Combee that live in the Vespiqueen’s “skirt”, and the minds that collectively make up Spiritomb respectively). They project this energy in a psychic field that boosts the fear response in their opponents. While this is generally a very weak effect, it nonethless acts as a deterrent, making it harder for their opponent to engage them.

Environmental Response

This ability has no known effect outside of battle.

Further Research

Despite this ability being considered to be psychic in nature, many pokemon that can possess this ability are Dark-typed. Research is ongoing into determining why this supposed paradox can take place, although results so far support the theory that Dark-typed abilities are simply an extremely refined subset of psychic abilities (and thus not a true antithesis as it is usually thought of). However, as there are many instances proving that Psychic and Dark abilities are not mutually exclusive (Many pokemon can use moves of both types), this nonetheless remains a conjecture.

Pokémon with this ability

So far, twenty-five of the known Pokémon morphs have been discovered to be able to have this ability with twenty-one of the morphs having it as a common ability, while the other four morphs can only have it as a sub-group known to trainers as the ‘Hidden Ability’ due to the rareness of members with the ability. The Pokémon with this ability as a common ability are Aerodactyl, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, Raikou, Entei,Suicune, Lugia, Ho-oh, Dusclops, Dusknoir, Absol, Deoxys, Vespiqueen, Spiritomb, Weavile, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Kyurem. Pokemon that can have this as their ‘Hidden Ability’ are Wailmer, Wailord, Pawniard, and Bisharp.

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Written by Krika

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

Looks good though i'd cange the mention of Wailmer and Wailord and Pawnaird and Bisharp to just say Wailmer line and Pawnaird Line but up to you. I like the mention of Vespiqueen and Spiritomb using it through a hive mind. Overall nice job.

edited 1st May '12 7:43:22 PM by Shadow6666

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

I'm kinda opposed to articles on abilities, at its kinda poking at the border between the game that pokemon really is and the RL representation we're going for here, for much the same reason I'm opposed to the pokemon articles mentioning abilities by name.

It's just unrealistic and extremely gamey to to go this far in depth with the categorization to me. I mean, while pressure is a pretty good ability to make an article about, what about, say, Pickup? I dunno, I'm having trouble putting into words exactly why I don't like this.

As for the article itself, it is pretty good. My only gripe is refering to it as a 'hidden ability' for wailmer/pawniard. Instead say something along the lines of "This trait also appears much more rarely in these mons"

XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!

no trubbish yeat?

With the power of a dragon I can make up for my inability to spill.

Silent told me to post this since he can't: http://pastebin.tropi.us/72

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Trubbish Line

Morphs [ock catalog #]

• Trubbish garbage bag Pokémon 567
• Garbodor trash heap Pokémon 568

the Trubbish species is a small garbage bag brought to life

The Grabodor species is a large living mass of wast

Trubbish is a small bag of human garbage that gained intelligence. It has arms formed by some of the waste bursting through and retaining a simple structure. It has large white eyes with tiny pupils and several sharp teeth believed by some to be broken glass.

Diet

Despite the large teeth Trubbish is not a predator. It is a forager roaming cities and garbage dumps looking for any type of matter. Trubbish well absorb anything it finds into its body where it will be forced into the center and be broken down. When Trubbish has accumulated enough mass bag skin will rip open and it will become Garbodor.

This is harder than I thought

edited 6th May '12 1:11:44 AM by RandomChaos

With the power of a dragon I can make up for my inability to spill.