adopting kitteh
What's this? People fighting over Bidoof? 
In all seriousness, not that bad, just... unexpected.
A quick question to help me continue my next Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness entry: does it make biological sense for animals or other creatures in general to have two (notoriously) different types of venom/poison? Like for example, a neuroparalyzing one and a flesh-eating one. And if the answer is yes, any record on well-known creatures like that? My Yahoo-fu is not working well today, maybe because of the incredibly long tennis match, and I kinda need it to see how to make Poison Point "workable" on the social structure I'm studying for Nidos.
edited 24th Jun '10 6:36:08 PM by SilentReverence
Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?
Your army sucks.
Ho-Oh
Morphs [Oak Catalog #]
- Ho-Oh [#250]
Physical Descriptions
Ho-Oh is a massive phoenix-like bird with brilliant red and green plumage and a white underbelly. It's tail-feathers form into a gigantic golden crest of feathers resembling a peacock. On its head is a crest of distinctive curled feathers, a large beak, a ring of green feathers around its neck, and a ring of black around its crimson eyes. Though some interpretations depict Ho-Oh with spiral shaped eyes and golden feathers. The feathers on Ho-Oh's are said to be prismatic in nature, scattering all the colors of the visual spectrum. Giving the creature a multi-colored glow depending on what angle light is struck at it and causing a rainbow to form behind it when it flies.
Lore and History
Ho-Oh has long been considered the chief deity of the Johto reigion. Considered a sacred and mythical creature with powers over life itself. It has been called the Bird of Heaven, The Life Binder, The Phoenix King, The Guardian of the Sky, The Sacred Flame, and many others. It has been said that those who have seen Ho-Oh are destined for greatness, and its feathers are said to bring good luck.
Many ancient Johto legends have Ho-Oh as its focal point. One being that Ho-Oh came across a barren land, scarred and broken. It asked its brother Lugia to bring good winds to bring pure rain to the lands. When asked what Ho-Oh would do, it responded by razing the land with its holy fire. Wherever the flames touched flowers and trees would grow. Soon Humans and Pokemon alike would move into the once dead land. And thus the nation of Johto was born.
A second legend has a blacksmith was praying for a creation that would make him famous. In response, Ho-Oh came and burned all the trees around the blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith asked why it did that, and Ho-Oh said that new trees would grow to replace the ones it had burned. On those trees would be a magical fruit, and the blacksmith was to use that fruit to forge hallow balls that would capture even the mightiest of beasts. The blacksmith did as Ho-Oh asked and became the greatest blacksmith in Johto. This legend is the mythical origin of the legendary Azalean Apricorn Ball crafters.
The third and most famous legend takes place, supposedly, 500 years ago in feudal Johto. An evil warlord wanted to take control of Ho-Oh for his own desires and sent his army to invade Eckruteak City's sacred Tin Tower to take it by force. The ensuing battle between the warlord's army and tower's guardians was so violent that the tower itself was burned to the ground. In an act of mercy, Ho-Oh resurrected three pokemon that had died in the carnage as its earthly avatars, Raikou, Suicune, and Entei. Ho-Oh itself, disgusted with humanity's destructiveness, left the Tin Tower. Forever flying the skies of the world in search of a trainer with a pure heart.
Every spring, the citizens of Eckruteak hold a massive week-long festival. Praying for good harvest and fortune in the coming year. And celebrating the end of winter with feasts, dances, and burning pyres in Ho-Oh's name. At the end of the festival, an offering of Apricorns is taken up to the top of the Tin Tower. There an ancient dance is performed, in hopes that Ho-Oh will hear the music and finally return.
Known Sightings
Several trainers through out the world have claimed to have seen Ho-Oh flying through the sky. Often in the presence of a rainbow. If the legends are true, then it is no coincidence that most of these sightings are by either then or currently high-ranked trainers.
Recently, a certain trainer from Johto was brought to the top of the Tin Tower. There the traditional dance of the Sun was performed and Ho-OH was successfully summoned. That trainer was confirmed to have caught Ho-Oh and much information of its abilities and behavior are from personal anecdotes from that trainer.
Ho-Oh has also been reportedly seen at Naval Rock, near the Sevii Islands. And twice in the Orre region. Once where it supposedly shot down a Cypher helicopter and again at the summit of Mt. Battle. These reports are unconfirmed, however.
Diet (if any)
Ho-Oh seems to eat anything that catches its fancy. Though its shown to be a rather picky eater, as its refused to eat anything artificial or anything it perceives as "low quality".
Abilities
Ho-Oh has shown abilities similar to many fire pokemon, like being able to shoot streams of fire at over 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Indicating that it has a large internal pyro-sac. It also has the ability to intensify solar radiation in the area, in addition to being able to collect that radiation at one point and fire it as a beam.
What is peculiar about Ho-Oh's flames is that whatever soil they touch becomes incredibly fertile almost instantaneously. The ashes left behind also have been found to have incredible medicinal properties. However, Ho-Oh has yet to do anything to lend credence to its mythical ability to resurrect the dead.
Hazards
Ho-Oh is as destructive as any other fire pokemon can be. In addition to this, it is an extremely proud creature that demands respect from everyone around it, including its own trainer. Anything that does not is met with either annoyance at best, and fiery indignation at worst. It also seems to be intelligent enough to have its own sense of morality, and thus it has an extreme disdain for what it considers "evil". And it will not hesitate to purge whatever it thinks is the source of said evil.
Other
Wild pokemon seem to be instinctively loyal to Ho-Oh. Bowing to it, and bringing it food when Ho-Oh is in their presence. And becoming hostile to any supposed threats towards Ho-Oh. In fact, there was an incident where the sacred Crystal Bells of the Tin Tower were damaged by thieves, and all the wild pokemon in the area became agitated and agressive. They hunting down the thieves, and attacked anyone that got in their way. Indicating that pokemon may consider Ho-Oh just as divine as humans do.
Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!
Your army sucks.
@Silent: I don't recall any real-life specimens that have two types on venom. But I don't really see why its impossible, all you need are two separate glands that produce two separate types-of poison. In the case of the Nidos, they could use a flesh eating venom for self-defense, and it is stored in several glands at the base of its spines. And possibly in its flesh. Though flesh-eaters are, if I recall, generally used by spiders and the like to liquefy their prey so they suck up the fluid with their mouthparts. So you may want to use a more conventional venom.
Neurotoxins may be used by the Nidos for hunting, stored in a gland at the base of their cranial horns. Or stored in their cheeks and injected via bite a la snakes.
Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!
NOT THE BEES
Should we do the legendary trios as one article for all three, or individually?
Your army sucks.
I'd say individual entries, I'd say there's enough lore between them to facilitate that. Even if there isn't, you can just make shit up. That's what I do fill in holes. 
edited 24th Jun '10 7:53:15 PM by Neo_Crimson
Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!
^Exactly. Just look at my Groudon article—is there anything in canon that even hints that Groudon was worshipped as a death god? Nope, nothing whatsoever, but I wrote it anyway because I felt it would fit, and I wanted to flesh out the mythology.
The Danse Macabre Codex
insert title here
That's the whole pint of this entire project really; pull stuff outa our collective asses to fill in holes in the official data!
XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!
Cinnabar Island
Background
Prior to the 200X eruption, Cinnabar Island was a town located on the same-named island. It was a center of biological research.
Geography
Cinnabar Island is an active volcanic island located off the southern coast of Kanto, to the west of the Seafoam Islands. Though dormant for several decades, the volcano has become active again.
Industry
Cinnabar was once known solely for its agriculture, assisted by the rich volcanic soil. Upon the development of steamliners, it became a world-class port for a time, until the dredging of the Vermillion Channel in 19XX enabled large ships direct access to the heart of Kanto.
The island quickly fell by the wayside commercially, but became a hotbed of marine biology due to its relatively undisturbed waters, coral reefs, cheap geothermal power, and easy access to the open ocean.
Faced with several critically endangered populations of marine fauna, a cooperative research program into rapid breeding began. The program was ambitious in its efforts, even pursuing cloning techniques- and succeeding. This attracted geneticist talent from around the globe, spinning into the development of fossil-revivation technology.
Mansion Incident
A special project team researching Pokémon hybridization was established under the authority of Prof. Blaine, with additional backing from a yet-unknown donor. The team's headquarters and primary lab were located within Blaine's own family manor.
In 199X, the lab and much of the house were ravaged by an at-the-time unknown force; several researchers died in the attack, with others physically or mentally injured. Blaine was reticent about the events for some time, barely acknowledging them beyond taking up residence within his Gym. Eventually, he admitted that a genetic chimera christened "Mew 2" had been successfully created and unsuccesfully restrained.
awaiting Mewtwo entry for completion
Tips for Trainers
Historical Tips:
Following the Cinnabar eruption, Trainer facilities have been all but wiped out. The Cinnabar Gym has been relocated to the Seafoam Island cavern.
A skeleton Pokémon Center remains to service Trainers traversing the Sea Routes between Seafoam and Pallet Town, but Trainers are not advised to remain for long.
Advisories
The island's volcano is once again active, and still streams lava on occassion. While the volcano is under constant seismic observation, warning prior to another large eruption may come very late. Trainers should be aware that unexpected conditions may render the Pokémon Center inaccessible, and pack accordingly.
The waters to Cinnabar's immediate east can be treacherous, and anomalous incidents
have been reported. (— do urban legends really have a place here?)
NOT THE BEES
As one of the other subplots I'd like to write one day involves him (if nothing else, as an apology for how the poor guy gets shoehorned into every other bad Suefic), I'd like to take Suicune's entry if that's okay with everyone. I'm putting the last few touches on the entry.
edited 24th Jun '10 10:05:16 PM by Pykrete
Just to let everyone know, I've written a Magnemite entry and intend to post it sometime tomorrow.
So if you object to that for some reason, let me know.
Mostly Stable
I was considering writing up Magnemite, but it's totally cool if you've already done so. Probably means I'll get more work done this way. ;D
Edit: Actually, I think I'll get to work on Omanyte (Omastar being my favorite pokemon period). Take THAT, workload!
edited 24th Jun '10 10:32:26 PM by Isotrope
Amateur pilot, writer and sketchbook jockey and a fan of astronomy, fish, cars and steampunk. ...for science!
insert title here
would anyone object to an ad for help in The Trope Report? We have a lot of work to do, after all!
edited 24th Jun '10 10:35:34 PM by Blissey1
XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!
NOT THE BEES
Suicune
Morphs [Oak Catalog #]
- Suicune [#245]
Physical Descriptions
Suicune is a large quadrupedal Pokémon with both canine and feline characteristics, standing approximately six feet tall. Its frame is relatively light and slender, and its fur is very short. It is primarily colored light blue, with white diamond shapes along its sides and down its legs, and a white underbelly and muzzle. Two thin ribbon-like white tails, approximately seven feet in length, curl forward on either side of the legendary, where they appear to drift at shoulder height at all times on constant wind — no matter which way it faces. It has a thick purple mane that billows backward, as if on a completely contradictory wind. A darker blue hexagonal crest extends upward from its forehead, and its eyes are bright red.
It is widely believed that only one Suicune exists. Its gender is unknown, or indeed if gender is even applicable to it.
Lore and History
The most well-known legend concerning Suicune is that of the destruction of Tin Tower (see Ho-oh: Lore and History). After the tower burned down, Ho-oh took pity on three Pokémon that perished in the collapse and resurrected them as the Legendary Beasts of Johto. One of them became Suicune, an avatar of the North Wind, charged with running across the land to bring the wind wherever it is needed. Though Ho-oh's ability to resurrect a dead Pokémon is in question, skeptics admit that no evidence, legend, or sighting accounts of Suicune date further back than 500 years when the tower's collapse was recorded by Ecruteak scribes.
A second legend claims that Suicune is able to purify tainted water with a single touch of its paw. Once again, fact and legend blur confusingly; most sightings of Suicune are near pools of extremely clean water, but it is unknown if Suicune is only drawn to these as resting spots, or if it in fact purifies the water itself.
A third claim is that Suicune possessess a degree of psychic power as well. This has never been confirmed either, but as many legendaries are either explicitly psychic-types or have been observed to display an amount of it, and that Entei is known to communicate regularly, this would not be at all surprising.
Known Sightings
Suicune, like the other Legendary Beasts of Johto, is known for its impressive speed and stamina. Sightings are often brief flashes of eye contact before it bounds away. Beyond its evasiveness, little is known of Suicune's temperament. It has been known to assist the occasional traveler in great need, but it keeps such interactions brief, and it avoids physical contact whenever possible. Nearly all reports describe a sharp change in the wind immediately before sighting, and Suicune's tails and mane blowing in exact opposite directions when it is encountered.
Much anecdotal evidence of Suicune comes from noted traveler Eusine Minaki, who has chased Suicune for the majority of his life. Minaki has encountered the Legendary Beast on several occasions, approximately twice a year. Two years ago, he managed to take one of the only known photographs of it.
"It's fast. So fast," says Minaki. "I don't know if it's got amazing hearing, smell, sight, or something else, but it knows when I'm around, too. No doubt; any glimpses I've had, it's given freely. I hop on my Arcanine and go after it, but it's like trying to chase down a formula racer with a lawnmower. Er...no offense," he hastily adds for his annoyed Arcanine's benefit. "I think I'm starting to tell when it's near, too. The wind...it just...I dunno. It feels different. Alive. Starts coming from different angles. Almost feels like it's breathing around you."
Suicune is mainly sighted in Johto, but has been known to appear all over the world, even as far as Orre during the Snagem/Cipher debacle. Sightings have decreased dramatically since then.
"I think it got spooked during that Cipher thing," says Minaki. "It's not just that I've only seen it once since then, but the eyes are different. Used to be just a cool stare, maybe like it was even enjoying the chase a bit. But last time it was like Stantler-in-the-headlights. I mean, this used to be about the thrill of the chase and all. But honestly? Now I'm getting kinda worried."
Diet (if any)
During the brief sightings, Suicune has never been observed eating or drinking anything. Its diet is unknown, and it may not require these functions at all.
Abilities
Suicune is known to be an exceedingly powerful water-type. Travelers that it has aided in the past report that it fended off large, aggressive Pokémon such as Ursaring with immense torrents of water. Others claim to have seen attacks such as Razor Wind or Ice Beam, all of comparable magnitude.
One particularly infamous account is of the ex-Rocket, Walter Regis. Regis sighted Suicune; before it spirited away, Regis was able to summon his Golbat and execute a Mean Look to bind the Legendary to combat, in the hopes of capturing it for the gang. Regis was found four hours later, on top of a pile of all six of his Pokémon (two of them electric-types and one grass), all beaten senseless and thoroughly soaked through, and six inches of standing water covering the surrounding area. Upon arrest, Regis dazedly repeated the phrase "it has no weak" to the arresting officers.
Hazards
Given the above account, it should be fairly obvious that attempting to do battle with Suicune is not recommended. This Pokémon is known to possess power comparable to the A-teams of some of the most powerful Gym Leaders in Johto. While it is normally content to continue on its way after a brief sighting, use of Mean Look or other such tactics to force it to fight is exceedingly unwise.
Other
Suicune's origins and motives are as yet unconfirmed — it is widely assumed through the origin legend that Suicune and the other Legendary Beasts are continued servants of Ho-oh. However, when Ho-oh and its current trainer were asked about them, the great bird offered only a wry grin, and the trainer refused to comment. Perhaps the Beasts do answer to the Phoenix King, but so far it wishes to remain vague on the subject, and nobody is eager to press it for details.
edited 3rd Sep '10 12:04:39 AM by Pykrete
I'm Only Sleeping
As promised, the Scyther/Scizor entry!
Scyther Line
Morphs [Oak Catalog #]
- Scyther [#123]
- Scyther is a green Pokemon built like a praying mantis, however, its head is more reptilian than any other Bug Pokemon, with three short horns on the back. At one and a half meters tall, it is approximately the size of a small human. One of its notable features is its pair of blades, which probably inspired this Pokemon's name.
- Scizor [#212]
- Scizor, unlike its previous form, is now colored red, and the horns on the back of its head are now longer. Its two scythe-like blades are now replaced by two claws, which Hoenn researchers note to resembled the heads of Trapinch.
Notable Biology
Scyther, as noted above, seems to be a cross between a reptile (what with its head and legs) and a giant praying mantis. Thus, Pokemon researchers had developed two theories for its origin: the reptilian theory and the insect theory. The first posits that Scyther was descended from a reptilian creature, and developed the wings and blades in order to hunt more effectively. The second theory, on the other hand, proposes that Scyther was a mantis that developed reptilian features in order to easily frighten foes. Research into the breeding habits of Scyther have revealed that the latter theory holds more credence. Females of both species have larger abdomens, to accommodate egg-laying.
Due to multiple differences in physiology (such as a metal-coated exoskeleton, as opposed to a purely chitinous one), Scizor was first thought of as a similar yet distinct species from Scyther, yet Johto researchers finally proved that these two were related. Scizor are only known to evolve from Scyther from prolonged exposure to high concentrations of metal; this may also explain the Pokemon's red color resulting from the reaction of its exoskeleton with the metal. This exposure could be mimicked by exposure to Metal Coats, which have a very high concentration of metals, under certain conditions. This exoskeleton provides Scizor with far more tenacity than a Scyther, yet it more than doubles its weight and increases its sensitivity to fire.
Habitat
Scyther typically prefer living in open grasslands in packs, yet are occasionally known to prefer living in forests. The species is quite rare, especially when compared to more common bugs such as the Caterpie and Wurmple lines.
Scizor are much rarer in the wild; there had been no sighting of a wild Scizor for years. It is assumed, however, that these rare Pokemon prefer solitude, as packs of Scizor have never been sighted.
Diet
As befitting a top predator, Scyther is known to hunt Pokemon such as Stantler and Nidoran, however, it typically hunts for smaller Pokemon like Sentret and Pidgey. Scizor's diet is similar, yet the Pincer Pokemon is known to ingest rocks and metal in order to maintain its exoskeleton.
Hazards
Beginning trainers are strongly advised to stay away from Scyther and Scizor, as both possess very sharp blades and claws, that could make normally weak attacks like Aerial Ace dangerous. Even professional Rangers are advised to wear safety gear when handling these Pokemon. A recent discovery by Sinnoh scientists tells of a certain maneuver Scizor have been spotted using; this involves the Scizor exerting a brief boost of speed fast enough to catch a foe unaware. This has made it extraordinarily popular among trainers wishing to enter the Pokemon League.
Courting and Childrearing
Scyther typically mate in autumn. The male engages in a courtship dance with the female, in order to There have been isolated yet unproven reports of female Scyther eating their mates during mating, but the male generally survives. Afterwards, the female Scyther lays eggs, around a hundred, and attached to plants. The Scyther hatch in a pseudo-nymphal stage, with smaller wings, yet quickly reach adulthood.
The rarity of Scizor in the wild prevents any extensive research on the topic, yet it is believed that the process is similar.
Social Structure
As stated earlier, Scyther typically live in packs of mostly females, whereas males typically bond together. Scizor are assumed to live solitarily.
INT is knowing a tomato is a fruit. WIS is knowing it doesn't belong in a fruit salad. CHA is convincing people that it does.
insert title here
I like the bullet punch/technician reference.
XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!
Your army sucks.
Really loved how you did the Suicune entry, Pykrete. Tying it in to the Ho-Oh lore and everything.
As I warned yesterday, here comes the magnetic mite!
Magnemite Line
Morphs [Oak Catalog #]
- Magnemite[#81]
- Magnemite is a small grey orb with a single large eye. There is a magnet attached to either side of the orb, which spin rapidly. Most Magnemite also have several metal objects such as screws attached somewhere onto their body.
- Magneton[#82]
- Magneton resembles, and indeed is, three Magnemite stuck together. They are commonly found in an inverted ‘v’ shape, but other configurations have been recorded. The eyes of the three Magnemites usually point in entirely different directions, suggesting some level of shared itelligence.
- Magnezone[#462]
- Magnezone resembles a large blue oval, with a smaller sphere on each side. All three objects have an eye similar to the previous forms’, but with a noticeable red coloration. A blue ‘ring’ closely wraps around Magnezone. There is a magnet attached to the underside of each sphere, which spin in similar manner to Magnemite. There is a screw mounted on top of each sphere, and a large yellow antenna on the oval. The top of the oval is grey.
Notable Biology
Magnemite, by building up a strong enough magnetic field though rotation, are actually able to repel themselves from the earth’s own magnetic field, allowing them to float in midair. Their bodies appear to be made from Iron, making them inflexible but impervious to most methods of attack. The magnetic fields they generate attract various metal objects. Though a few of these pose no problem, Magnemite will occasionally lower their magnetic field in order to jettison the excess weight gained by this.
Magneton is not a standard evolution, but rather three Magnemite who caught in each other’s magnetic field. Newly formed Magneton often strain against each other in an attempt to escape, but they gradually form a symbiosis with each other, eventually ceasing to act as independent beings. The shared magnetic field is known to be strong enough to cause a slight increase in temperature around the Mageton. Though the field itself is stronger, Magneton has a harder time repelling itself from the ground thanks to the increased weight. This has caused their weight to appear higher than it in fact is. (NOTE: due to their tendency to scramble electronic devices and anti-gravity field, it is difficult to get an accurate measurement of the weight of these creatures.)
It has recently been discovered that prolonged exposure the unique magnetic field of Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh can cause a ‘pseudo-evolution’ in Magneton, resulting it a being dubbed Magnezone. Magnezone’s magnetic field is considerably stronger than Magneton. All traces left in the subject Magneton of independent thought among the Magnemite vanishes upon evolution. Experiments have been conducted on Magnezone to see if they may be ‘evolved’ further, but no such result was found. It has been speculated that other areas besides Mt. Coronet may cause this change, but no Magnezone has been recorded from any other location thus far.
Habitat
Magnemite is a common sight around areas with strong electricity such as power plants, generator or even just brightly lit cites.
Magneton are found in much the same areas, but are rarer. They also appear to be sensitive to the sun's magentic field, causing them to appear in greater numbers in areas where sunspot activity in abnormally high.
There are no recorded sightings of Magnezone in the wild, so it is unknown what habitat they prefer.
Diet
Magnemite do not ‘eat’ in the traditional sense, but rather absorb energy directly into their bodies. The mostly means electrical energy; they are often found siphoning energy off of power plants or generator. They also feed parasitically off of electric pokemon such as Electibuzz, Ampharos and Manetric. It is believed that before humans commonly used electricity, electric pokemon were Magnemite’s only food source.
Magnezone has much the same diet as and Magnemite and Magneton, but in greater quantities.
Hazards
Magnemite are considered a nuisance among power plant workers due to their tendency to drain the grid’s power, and commonly put up ‘Magnemite Fences’ around the perimeter in an effort to contain them. Large enough swarms of Magnemite can cause mass blackouts, but a single one is enough to drain a single home of power.
Magneton, traveling in large enough numbers, have been known to cause electrical storms in extreme cases.
All three morphs should never be allowed to be close proximity to sensitive equipment such as credit cards, computers and other electronics, as the magnetic field they emit is often fatal to these devices.
Magnemite are typically docile, preferring to ignore all but the most persistent of attackers, but are capable of attacking with a small electrical charge if provoked. This trait is present in Magneton and Magnezone as well, but the charge will be stronger, making the later two evolutions more dangerous.
Courting and Childrearing
Magnemite and its evolutions reproduce asexually.
When a Magnemite has an uncommonly high amount of energy, it will split in the process similar to cell mitosis; dividing its’ energy equally between the two resultant Magnetic. If the parent Magnemite was part of a Magneton, the energy and mass for the child is taken equally from all three. There are no recorded cases of Magnezone reproducing.
Social Structure
Magnemite travel in swarms that often contain several Magenton. However, there is no obvious communication of any kind among the members of a swarm; leading to speculation that they were solitary prior to the advent of power plants, and as such Magneton would be formed only rarely. This theory is consistent with studies that have shown that the number of Magneton sightings has exponentially increased over the past century.
Trainer’s Notes
A poorly trained Magnemite will simply ignore most commands, as they are not used to communication. Punishing them for disobedience is difficult, as not much can effectively harm their metal skin without causing irreparable damage. As such, they should be slowly encouraged; and rewarded a small flashlight or similar device will they obey your commands.Newly evolved Magneton are often confused and erratic, attempting to train them in any way before they form symbiosis is a risky endeavor.
Magnezone, by contrast, are usually well adjusted to captivity and humans, making them fairly easy to train. However, the electrical power they hold is significant and should not be taken lightly.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, let any of the morphs near any electronics you can’t afford to lose.
As always, thoughts/comments are appreciated.
edited 25th Jun '10 11:08:08 AM by Gilphon
Mostly Stable
Very nice - I'm wondering, though, about the mass difference between Magnemite and Magneton - the latter's well over three times the mass of an individual 'mite. Do the component creatures undergo some kind of individual evolution which increases their masses?
Also, since they're very mechanical-looking, what of their relationship with humans - are they For Science! Gone Horribly Wrong, or general sorts of Mechanical Lifeforms? One would think that human technology would try to include insulation on their devices for such creatures.
Again, great eye for detail. I like how they're a nuisance to other electric types as well.
edited 25th Jun '10 9:30:57 AM by Isotrope
Amateur pilot, writer and sketchbook jockey and a fan of astronomy, fish, cars and steampunk. ...for science!
Well, they're mites!
Might be good to put an update in the next Trope Report, yeah.
Do you highlight everything looking for secret messages?
Your army sucks.
I'm guessing Magnemite is a metal-based lifeform instead of a conventional carbon-based lifeform. Just like most rock pokemon are stone based, and Voltorb are (presumably) plastic based.
Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!
Pomeranian Lover
About the sunspots thing, sunspots aren't just dark spots, they're actually areas of intense magnetic energy that is twisted around itself, preventing convention from properly occurring in that spot. Thus the reference to sunspots in the Pokedex is probably more that these magnetic Pokemon are attracted to the magnetism rather than the light of the sun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspots
edited 25th Jun '10 10:17:22 AM by Rainbow
As promised, the rhyhorn entry. Once again, all suggestions are welcome.
Morphs [Oak Catalog #]
- Rhyhorn [111]
Pokémon that bears the characteristics of both a pachyderm and a triceratops. Its body is covered by jagged, overlapping plates of unusually durable keratin, and it walks on two pairs of stubby legs that end in small, two-toed feet. The creature’s roughly pyramidal head features a small horn at the end of its snout and a large neck shield to protect the soft, uncovered flesh at the base of its skull. A large, corrugated ridge runs along the creature’s spine, presumably to discourage avian predators, and it has no tail.
- Rhydon [112]
- Rhyperior [464]
, and a second horn juts from the middle of its forehead, several inches above the drill bit.
Notable Biology
Rhyhorn’s plates are incredibly durable, able to withstand impact from a high-calibre bullet without suffering so much as a nick. This, in addition to a thick epidermis that is incredibly insensitive to pain, has given rise to the belief that the creature’s bones are a thousand times harder than a human’s. As a direct consequence, Rhyhorn rarely shy away from predators and will charge anything they consider a threat, either to themselves or their young. Eyewitness reports have shown that a charging Rhyhorn once collided head-on with a speeding bus, caving in the bus’s front quarter and leaving the Pokémon stunned but otherwise unharmed.Rhydon’s tough epidermis is even stronger than Rhyhorn’s, being able to withstand a direct hit from cannon and enduring the heat of direct exposure to molten lava for short intervals. The tail is incredibly powerful, being able to severely damage steel bridge supports with only a single blow, and its arms possess similar strength. Finally, Rhydon’s most notable feature is its drill bit; contrary to all rational logic, the horn functions exactly like a carbon-tipped drill bit, and it is even capable of boring through diamond and bedrock. Prior to the invention of the drill, older societies would scavenge the drills from dead Rhydon and affix them to sticks as makeshift spears and boring tools; in addition, trained teams of Rhydon were employed as construction vehicles prior to the industrial revolution.
Rhyperior is a rather recent discovery, as no specimens have ever been observed in the wild and the fact that Rhydon could evolve at all was only proven by accident. The creature’s drill remains as powerful as that of Rhydon, while its thagomizer retains all the destructive force of Rhydon’s tail. The arms can be swung like enormous hammers, explaining why its fingers are blunt, and it can insert rocks into small impressions in its palms. These impressions are situated directly over a bundle of piston-like muscles, allowing Rhyperior to launch anything place within them with the force and accuracy of a medieval cannon.
Habitat
Rhyhorn are typically found in warm grassy plains or at the foot of mountains; those that are about to evolve into Rhydon migrate into caves, mines and other deep places of the world. They have been sighted in small numbers in the wild in Johto and Sinnoh, and stable populations have successfully been introduced to the Safari zones in both Kanto and Hoenn. No Rhyhorn have ever been encountered in Orre, which suggests that the arid region cannot support them due to lack of water.Rhydon is rarely encountered in the wild, living far underground as they bore for mineral veins. They can occasionally be found near active volcanoes where they bask in the heat and briefly swim in the boiling lava.
Rhyperior does not seem to exist in the wild, as Rhydon’s evolution only occurs due to constant exposure to an extremely rare mineral that is sometimes brought to the surface during volcanic eruptions or discovered in tiny veins by miners. This process can be accelerated by giving Rhydon a small chunk of this mineral—called “protectite”—and exchanging it for another Pokémon using a trade machine.
Diet
Despite possessing a pair of fangs in every morph, Rhyhorn and its evolutions is primarily herbivorous, browsing amidst the foliage to eat leafy plants, shoots, bushes and roots. In times of blight or drought, they can go for up to five days without eating, and if no food can be found at that time they reveal omnivorous tendencies by eating the soil and rock around them.Those specimens that live in the mountains subsist almost entirely on rock, soil and minerals, which it digs out of the ground with its horn. Rhydon prefers richer mineral veins closer to the planet’s core, and will bore numerous tunnels through the crust in an incessant search for delicious iron.
Hazards
Rhyhorn is a very simple Pokémon which categorizes nearly other animals as either nonentities or threats. It ignores those it places in the former, and will become hostile toward the latter, at which point it will attempt to trample and gore the offending organism. Fortunately, Rhyhorn’s stubby legs prevent it from turning easily, so it is possible for one to leap out of the way at the last second if caught in the path of an enraged Rhyhorn. Trainers must take care to appear as nonthreatening as possible when encountering a wild Rhyhorn, and must train this habit out of their own Pokémon or else the creature will attempt to kill anything it faces in a Pokémon battle.Rhydon behaves in much the same way, and it can supplement its charges with vicious tail swipes, hammer blows from its arms, and hurling large boulder at its opponent. Its most dangerous attack, however, is its drill; if Rhydon successfully impales an opponent on its horn, it will then spin the drill bit at maximum velocity, shredding the victim’s innards in an invariably fatal attack. For this reason, trainers are required to blunt their Rhydon’s horns before they can be used in officially-sanctioned Pokémon battles.
As Rhyperior is far bulkier and less agile than either of its previous morphs, charging and goring its opponents is out of the question. Intead it will rely on the destructive power of its thagomizer and hammer arms to deal with threats at close range, and will fire boulders with deadly accuracy to dispatch distant opponents.
Courting and Childrearing
Rhyhorn are sexually mature about a year after birth, meaning that they can reproduce in all three stages of its life cycle. Bulls will engage in duels to gain the favour of a potential mate, headbutting and ramming each other until one or the other is too concussed to continue. Once a victor has emerged, a female will step forward, thereby signaling that she has accepted him as a mate, and the pair will retire to a secluded spot in order to fornicate in peace. Rhydon courtship is much the same, the only difference being that bulls grapple with one another and pit their horns against each other in "drill breaker" competetions to see which is the more durable.Female Rhyhorn have the peculiar ability to withhold their eggs until the infant is born in a form of viviparous birth normally unseen outside of humans, and to ensure the mother's safety during the four month pregnancy the couple will use their horns to excavate a small den close to running water and mineral deposits; as the opening of the den is very small, predators cannot enter without first drawing the notice of the father, and during his mate's pregnancy the bull will consider any living thing which draws within fifteen feet of the den to be a threat, and reacte accordingly.
Rhyhorn and Rhydon typically bear a single calf per coupling; twins are almost unheard of. After birth, the calf spends the first five months of its life in close proximity to its mother, with the father keeping a more distant but no less attentive watch.
As Rhyperior is a new discovery with no specimens in the wild, it is not known what their mating habits are.
Social Structure
All stages of the line are typically solitary creatures, tending to keep their distance from one another to prevent competition over food and other resources. Despite this, childrearing sows will occassionally form small crashes in order to better protect their offspring, and males will sometimes join together in bachelor crashes if females are scarce.edited 26th Jun '10 5:19:23 PM by SullenFrog
The Danse Macabre Codex
NOT THE BEES
Really loved how you did the Suicune entry, Pykrete. Tying it in to the Ho-Oh lore and everything.Well, we should attempt to be self-consistent as well, and the resurrection legend is canonically mentioned.
Also, I'm making that a direct link to the Ho-oh article. Which now gives the mental image of Max staying up until three in the morning taking a Wiki Walk on his sister's Pokédex and having to be forcibly separated from it.
Since I seem to only have a layman's grasp of biology compared to a lot of you guys though (seriously, some of this is damn impressive), I think I'll stick to the more supernatural and not yet totally understood ones — psychics, legendaries, events kept closely under wraps, etc.
edited 25th Jun '10 10:46:58 AM by Pykrete
adopting kitteh
A nice work on Scyther — one of my favourite Pokémon — and I'll comment on that entry later. I'm almost finished with the Nidoran entry, finished with the social structure and courtship but having trouble to gather more information on their diet. I've also split the "notable biology" section into three parts that feature a) the dual-toxin generation system (I've gone with poisonous skin + blood-eating venom); b) the tremendous body changes in Nidoking and Nidoqueen; and c) the (relative) infertility of the female evolutions.
I'm thinking that I may be trying to cover too much with those however so in the spirit of having the entry published soon, I'd like to ask for opinion. I want the entry incorporate the three aspects but initially inspect only one of them deeper, whereas the others are mostly informed and will be completed later, maybe next week. If you agree on this, which feature would you like for me to expand upon first?
For me this entry is a continuous work and I intend to pay attention to it for quite a while. I'm of the opinion that Nidoran are vastly under-appreciated. 
Darn it, I was hoping to do Bidoof. I guess I'll call Burmy instead.
edited 24th Jun '10 6:16:49 PM by rmctagg09
Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.