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History Characters / PokemonGenerationIGeodudeToMew
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%% %% Entries relating to Smogon, competitive Pokémon strategies, or the metagame will be commented out or removed. If they can be rewritten in a more neutral manner, please do so. %% The [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIFamilies character sheet for the first generation's Pokémon]] got so big that it had to be split. This page has the tropes for Pokémon numbered 74 to 151 (and Missingno.) in the Kanto and National Pokédex, as well as their evolutionary relatives. For the rest, go [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIBulbasaurToTentacruel here]]. [[foldercontrol]] [[folder:Geodude, Graveler, and Golem ''(Isitsubute, Golone, and Golonya)'']] [[quoteright:211:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/074-075-076_7932.png]] Simple in design, Geodude and kin look like your typical rock monsters. High physical attack and defense, but terrible speed and special stats. They're useful in the early game, but fizzle out later on. ---- * ActionBomb: Learns Self-Destruct and Explosion naturally. Golem is said to use its own explosive power to [[RocketJump leap from mountain to mountain]]. * ActionInitiative: If you get a specially Move Tutored one from Gen IV, it can have [[CombatPragmatist Sucker Punch]]. * BeTheBall: Aside from naturally being shaped like rolling boulders, Golem is seen in the anime to be able to withdraw its limbs into its body to become a rolling sphere. Given how the spin-offs and adaptations show it, this is likely how the line performs their Rollout attack. * {{Cephalothorax}}: Or maybe {{Waddling Head}}s. * ComMons: You can find Geodude in almost any cave, tunnel, or mountain. * CrutchCharacter: Its powerful attacks tend to make mincemeat (or pancakes, if you have a one that knows Rollout, Bulldoze, or Steamroller) out of other common mons, but the line's many problems (only average HP, terrible speed, poor resistance to Special attacks, and inability to fully evolve it without [[SocializationBonus assistance]]/[[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo another Game Pak/Card]]) tend to hamper its usefulness further along in the game. * DeathFromAbove: The Pokedex warns that Graveler and Golem have a habit of rolling down mountainsides like boulders in an avalanche. * DefendCommand: Can be bred to have Wide Guard, which protects the user and their allies from {{Herd Hitting Attack}}s in Double/Triple Battles. * DiscOneNuke: In ''Gold and Silver'' and their remakes, you can get one before the first Gym, have positive/neutral matchups with most of Johto's Gym Leaders, easily deal with most of the Pokemon Team Rocket carries, and naturally learn Magnitude at Level 16 (originals) or 15 (remakes). * DishingOutDirt: Rock and Ground-types. * ForMassiveDamage: [[GreenThumb Grass-type]] and [[KillItWithWater Water-type]] moves are the best way to defeat them; works especially well if the move is special rather than physical, though that's not necessarily required. * GuideDangIt: In Generation I, no trainers use Golem. The only in-game hint on its existence is a conversation between [=NPCs=], though the Japanese ''Blue'' version (and ''only'' that version) has an in-game trade that involves trading a Kadabra for a Graveler. * InASingleBound: Golem's above-mentioned ability to travel from mountain to mountain. * InNameOnly: Golem is '''not''' related to the {{Golem}}s of Hebrew legend (or for that matter, the Legendary Golem Pokémon - [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIIFamilies Regirock, Regice, Registeel,]] and [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIVFamilies Regigigas]]). * LastChanceHitPoint: Come Gen V, its Sturdy Ability allows it to survive any attack with 1 HP remaining, so long as it was at full health when it took that hit. A handy trick, considering its unfortunate and easily exploitable weaknesses. * TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: The evolutionary family goes from a rock with arms, to a bigger rock with four arms and two legs, to... a big rock with lizard-like limbs and head? ''Huh?!'' Its color scheme is totally different, too. * MightyGlacier: Slow, but can take hits just fine. It can become more of one by being bred with Curse, which boosts its Attack and Defense even further, at the cost of sacrificing what little Speed it has. * MultiArmedAndDangerous: Graveler has four arms. * NoSell: To Electric-type attacks, and OneHitKO moves if it has Sturdy. * PinataEnemy: Not normally, but there is a section in the Team Rocket HQ in Gold/Silver and their remakes where you can very easily grind a large number of Geodudes, Voltorbs, and Koffings, which will usually Self-Destruct. Bring a Ghost-type you've been meaning to train and... free levels, yay! * PlayingWithFire: Oddly, it can actually learn several Fire attack [=TMs=], though the only Fire attack it gets that it can use well (in other words, the only physical one) is the Move Tutored Fire Punch. * RollingAttack: In addition to the obvious Rollout, it's also the only Pokemon outside of the Scolipede line to learn Steamroller. * [[SiliconBasedLife Silicon Based Pokémon]]: Living rocks. * SocializationBonus: You can only get a Golem by trading. * StatusBuff: Naturally learns Defense Curl and Rock Polish, and can be bred to have Curse and Autotomize. * TooDumbToLive: During a Horde Battle in ''X and Y'', they might decide to use Magnitude and potentially OHKO their allies (unless they have [[LastChanceHitPoint Sturdy]] or the RandomNumberGod decides to make Magnitude weak). * TookALevelInBadass: The line eventually gained Sturdy, an Ability that lets them survive anything if they have 100% health and lets them NoSell any OneHitKill moves. Given their [[ForMassiveDamage quadruple weaknesses to Water and Grass-type moves]], this is very useful. * UselessUsefulSpell: Its Rock Head ability. The only recoil-inducing move it learns is Double-Edge, which is pointless to let Golem learn, as it can do more damage with STAB Earthquake or Stone Edge anyway. [[/folder]] [[folder:Ponyta and Rapidash ''(Gallop)'']] [[quoteright:191:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/077-078_8086.png]] These equine Fire-types didn't really get much use when they were first introduced back in the Gen I games; they could only be encountered once the player got to Cinnabar Island (they were found in the Pokémon Mansion in Gen I, but relocated to the Sevii Islands in the {{remake}}s), and by then, most players had a better Fire-type. The trend continued for the Gen II and III games, but it changed with ''Diamond'' and ''Pearl'', when it was literally the only other Fire-type for those who didn't pick Chimchar. Later on, ''Platinum'' introduced the Magmar, Houndour, and Flareon lines to the region, but Ponyta is still the first Fire-type you can catch in Sinnoh. ---- * BadassAdorable: Ponyta is an adorable little foal/filly... with the highest base stat total of any unevolved Pokémon that's still capable of evolving[[note]]Except Pokémon who received evolution after their debut generation, such as Tangela[[/note]]. It's also a really challenging fight in the wild. Rapidash is more badass than adorable. * CastFromHitPoints: Two of its commonly used attacks, Flare Blitz and [[ShockAndAwe Wild Charge]], deal recoil damage. It's possible to breed Double-Edge onto it to add to this. * CharacterSelectForcing: Didn't choose Chimchar in ''Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' and need a Fire-type? ''Too bad.'' These guys are all you'll get. (Well, and [[OlympusMons Heatran]], but only in the post-game.) * CoolHorse: Rapidash. Ponyta can qualify, too, but it's more cute than cool. * FeedItWithFire: If it has Flash Fire, trying to hit it with Fire attacks just makes its own Fire attacks stronger. * FlamingHair: Ponyta and Rapidash can only allow those they trust to ride with them. Anyone else would get burned by their mane (as seen in the early seasons of the anime). * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Yeah, the hooves are harder than diamond, but still... * HealThyself: Can be bred with Morning Sun. * HornAttack: Though it oddly doesn't learn Horn Attack itself, a few moves it learns seem to be based on using its horn, notably Fury Attack and the relearnable Megahorn. * InASingleBound: Ponyta is said to be so fast, it can jump over France's Eiffel Tower and Australia's Ayers' Rock in one leap -- or so their 'dex entries say. This explains why they learn the move Bounce in the later Generations. * KnowWhenToFoldEm: One of its Abilities is Run Away, letting it escape from higher-level and/or faster wild Pokemon easily. * NoSell: Fire attacks if it has the Flash Fire ability. * PlayingWithFire: Fire-type. * [[PoisonousPerson Poisonous Pokémon]]: Can re-learn Poison Jab in Gen IV for some odd reason (as well as Megahorn). * RearingHorse: Ponyta's Platinum sprite. * ThisIsADrill: Rapidash can learn [[OneHitKO Horn Drill]]. Gen V Move Tutors gave it Drill Run as well. * TookALevelInBadass: In the first three generations, Ponyta and Rapidash's natural movesets are infamously limited. But then Gen IV gave them Megahorn, Flare Blitz, and Poison Jab, giving them more versatility and a good Physical Fire STAB. Gen V also gives Rapidash Drill Run and Wild Charge to deal with Rock and Water-types respectively. * {{Unicorn}}: Rapidash grows a horn to become this. * UnskilledButStrong: While not as strong as Arcanine, Rapidash is still a respectable fighter. Unfortunately, like Arcanine, its movepool is significantly lacking. Future generations since the fourth one fixed this however. * WreathedInFlames: Its Hidden Ability is Flame Body, which can inflict burns onto Pokemon that physically strike it. [[/folder]] [[folder:Slowpoke, Slowbro, and Slowking ''(Yadon, Yadoran, and Yadoking)'']] [[quoteright:191:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/079-080-199_7761.png]] ->''Slowking debuts in Gen II'' It's kinda hard to pinpoint the exact inspiration behind this family of Pokémon, but they certainly have a lot of unusual attributes: The most notable one being its intelligence, which is unusually low for a Psychic-type Pokémon (for Slowpoke and Slowbro at least). They spend their days by the riverside in a lazy attempt to fish. They only seem to get Shellder to bite their tails, and apparently this counts as an evolution. Other strange features include a tail that's inexplicably sweet and can grow back if it has been removed, and it can apparently even summon rain by yawning. Slowking is highly intelligent, though, but that's only through its method of evolution: It requires a King's Rock and somehow, a Shellder to bite its head and release toxins into its brain. Slowbro gets a Mega Evolution for ''Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire'' where its shell ends up engulfing most of its body, granting it defensive boosts and the ability Shell Armor. ---- * ArtifactTitle: Slowpoke used to have, true to its name, the lowest base speed of any Pokemon. However, as of Gen 5, it is only the [=6th=] slowest. * AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Like Poliwhirl, in order to evolve Slowpoke into Slowking, the player needs the King's Rock. * BoringButPractical: Shell Armor doesn't have a lot of utility compared to Slowbro's other abilities, but it does mean Mega Slowbro can boost its defenses without having to worry about a random critical hit ignoring its stat boosts. * CartoonCreature: At first glance, it's difficult to figure out what the heck these Pokémon are based on. Are they giant river otters? Hippopotami? Salamanders? And then there's the Shellder added on... * ConfusionFu: The family has a great movepool, able to learn Ghost, Flying, Ground, Poison, Rock, Fighting, and even Fire-type moves, on top of its two [=STABs=], so standard Water- and Psychic-type checks have to be careful switching into it. * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: The line is surprisingly dangerous if not handled properly. * DelayedReaction: It takes Slowpoke 5 seconds to feel pain when under attack, and in a few of the [=3D=] games, a Slowbro merely stands there after losing all of its health, only fainting when the Shellder indicates that it should. * DisabilitySuperpower: Both Slowbro and Slowking owe their power to the toxins of a Shellder. They numb Slowbro's ability to feel pain and somehow improve Slowking's intellect (apparently Slowpokes are so incredibly stupid that pumping their brain full of poison is an improvement). * TheDitz: The characterization for Slowpoke. Slowbro isn't known for its intellect, either. * EasyAmnesia: Slowking forgets everything it has learned if the Shellder on its head comes off. * GameplayAndStorySegregation: A trainer doesn't really ''need'' a Shellder to evolve a Slowpoke. * HealThyself: They got Slack Off in Generation IV * HealingFactor: They can have Regenerator as an ability come Generation V. * ImprovisedArmor: The spiral shell that Slowbro has on its tail has now taken up Mega Slowbro's body. * {{Irony}}: ** One of the stupidest Pokémon in existence (so far) can become incredibly intelligent, perhaps even the smartest Pokémon ever [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs when a clam bites it on the head while it's holding a special rock.]] ** Despite Slowbro and Slowpoke being complete morons, they are Psychic types -- a type that is generally reserved for the smart Pokémon. * LethalJokeCharacter: An Oblivious Slowbro set with a Leppa Berry, Heal Pulse, Slack Off, Recycle, and Block can cause a stalemate against foes unable to defeat it. Other Pokemon can pull this off, but it's "Funbro" that made it infamous.[[note]]Oblivious prevents Taunt from working, Leppa Berry and Recycle prevent Slowbro from running out of PP, Block prevents the foe from escaping, and Slack Off allows Slowbro to heal non-lethal damage. When the opponent eventually runs out of PP and starts struggling, Heal Pulse will bring their health back up, making an endless stalemate.[[/note]] * MakingASplash: Water-type. * MightyGlacier: Slowbro has good Defense while Slowking has good Special Defense, and they both have respectable Special Attack and HP. Of course, they're some of the slowest Pokémon in the game, though they can use Trick Room to lessen that problem. Slowbro's Mega Evolution ramps up its Defense while also giving good boosts to Special Attack. * NoSell: To Infatuation and Taunt statuses, if it has Oblivious. It is also immune to Confusion if it has Own Tempo. * PlayingWithFire: For some reason, and against logic, they can be taught Flamethrower and Fire Blast. Given one of their possible inspirations is the giant salamander, [[FierySalamander a creature associated with the element]], it makes more sense. * PowerupLetdown: Slowbro gets a Mega Evolution in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, a Mega Evolution with increased stats and Shell Armor. While not being a bad ability per se, compared to Regenerator or Oblivious it comes up short. * PsychicPowers: Psychic-type. * ResetButton: Removing the Shellder on Slowbro (supposedly) causes it to devolve. Removing it on Slowking causes it to lose its memory of what it has learned. * SocializationBonus: Slowpoke needs to be traded while holding a King's Rock in order to evolve into Slowking. * SuperIntelligence: Slowking. * SuperMode: Mega Slowbro. * SurroundedByIdiots: Slowking tends to lead Slowpoke and Slowbro groups. Contrast their intellects. * TheSymbiote: With Shellder after Slowpoke evolves. * UpliftedAnimal: Slowking. * {{Youkai}}: They may be inspired by the ''sazae-oni'', a turban snail youkai with a shell on its head (represented by Slowking) and lower body (represented by Slowbro). [[/folder]] [[folder:Magnemite, Magneton, and Magnezone ''(Coil, Rarecoil, and Jibacoil)'']] [[quoteright:201:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/081-082-462_7663.png]] ->''Magnezone debuts in Gen IV'' Magnemite and its kin are robotic lifeforms that use electromagnetism to float through the air. In the Gen I games, they were pure Electric-types, [[{{Retcon}} but later generations made them part Steel-types as well.]] A Magnemite evolves by simply forming a cluster of three to make a Magneton. In Gen IV and later games, it evolves further by being exposed to a special magnetic wave that's given off in certain locations. But don't try to evolve Magnezone further by forming clusters of other Magnezones. It doesn't work. ---- * AnimateInanimateObject: Living magnets. * {{Badass}}: Magnezone, being a tough mon. * CounterAttack: Magnezone can learn Mirror Coat to reflect Special moves. This can be useful since its Special Defense is worse than its Physical Defense (although both are impressive, at base 90 and 115, respectively) and its ability can be Sturdy. * TheCracker: In the [[ExpandedUniverse Trading Card Game canon]], Dark Magneton is famous for being used to hack computer systems. * CyberCyclops: Magnemite only has one eye. * DiscOneNuke: In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'', they are very common encounters, available in the third town,[[labelnote:*]]where they are immune to the local gym's specialty type and resistant to most else that the leader uses; something an NPC outright tells you[[/labelnote]] and have great Special Attack even for being unevolved. Once you catch one, congrats! You have a Mon that can carry you through just about every Gym and Elite Four member (except [[DishingOutDirt Clay]] and [[BareFistedMonk Marshall]]) thanks to its ''13'' resistances and the buff to Sturdy. * ExtraOreDinary: [[{{Retcon}} Retroactively]], they're the first Steel-types in the series (although not pure Steel). * FacelessEye: Magnemite and Magneton are basically steel eyeballs with magnets. Magnezone has more proportionate eyes, but still no face. * ForMassiveDamage: Ground-type attacks, but thankfully, they can learn Magnet Rise to offset this. * GameplayAndStorySegregation: You wouldn't expect a Pokémon that can naturally float to not have Levitate, although they can use Magnet Rise to make themselves immune to Ground-type moves for five turns. * GuideDangIt: Alright, so I have to take this magnet-ball cluster somewhere magnetic-related and level it up to evolve it... ''Mt. Coronet?'' Where'd anyone say that was magnetic?! [[LostInTranslation In the Japanese versions]], it was called Mt. [[SdrawkcabName Tengam]]. Fortunately, in Unova, the place Magneton needs to level up in order to evolve (Chargestone Cave) is ''obviously'' associated with electricity and magnetism, as is Kalos' Route 13 and its power plants. * LastChanceHitPoint: Can have Sturdy as its ability. * LethalJokeCharacter: A level 1 Sturdy Magnemite holding Berry Juice with the moves Recycle, Toxic and Protect can be this if against an unprepared opponent.[[note]]Sturdy prevents it from getting OHKO'd at full health, Berry Juice restores all its health if it gets low, Recycle to restore the Berry Juice, Toxic for [[GradualGrinder gradual damage]], Protect to stall, and its last moves can help it survive further (Endure, Magic Coat, etc)[[/note]] * MagnetHands: Literally, with the trope taking effect as the Magnet Pull ability, which attracts fellow Steel-types. * MechanicalLifeforms * MightyGlacier: Having super high special attack, as well as ''the most'' number of elemental resistances (13 out of 17 prior to Generation VI) and great Defense (also Special Defense for Magnezone) does say something. They have Analytic as a Hidden Ability (boosts damage if the user goes last), which Magnezone can put to good use with its slow speed. * NoBiologicalSex: Genderless. * NoSell: To Poison-type attacks, and OneHitKO attacks if it has Sturdy. As of Generation VI, they're immune to paralysis. * PoorPredictableRock: Its type coverage includes Electric, Steel, Normal, Hidden Power, and Bug. ''That's it.'' * {{Retcon}}: These were the first Pokémon to have their typing changed between generations, from Electric in Gen I, to Electric/Steel in Gen II. * SealedEvilInADuel: If it has Magnet Pull and fights another Pokémon with it, neither of them can escape until one of them is defeated. * SecretArt: The only Electric-types to learn Zap Cannon naturally[[note]]Note that that's ''Electric'' Pokémon; Porygon has had it since Gen II, and a number of other non-Electrics have gotten it since[[/note]], prior to Generation V. And even then, there's only two others. * ShockAndAwe: Electric-type. * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Its Magnet Pull ability prevents Steel-type Pokémon from switching out[[note]]except the part Ghost-type Honedge line[[/note]]. [[/folder]] [[folder:Farfetch'd ''(Kamonegi)'']] [[quoteright:86:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/083_5120.png]] Back in the Generation I games, there's a girl who's willing to trade this Pokémon for a common-as-dirt Spearow. It was literally the only way to get this Pokémon, so this might have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right? Sort of. As it turns out, rarity doesn't really equal power. Based on a Japanese proverb, it's a duck that bears a leek. In other words, an extremely rare and extremely fortunate occurrence... although this doesn't apply for the duck. ---- * BlowYouAway: Flying-type with Gust. * ConfusionFu: If there is one thing it does have going for it, it has a movepool that most of its Normal/Flying kin wish they had. It can pick up Night Slash, Leaf Blade, Revenge, Poison Jab, and some useful utility moves like Knock Off and Tailwind. * CriticalHit: Taking advantage of these is pretty much the niche it's most able to fill. It has enough attacks with an increased chance to crit in its movepool to fill out a moveset (Slash, Night Slash, Leaf Blade, and Air Cutter) and has an exclusive item that increases its Critical Hit ratio by 2 (Critical Hit ratio-boosting items that work for all Pokemon only raise it by 1). * CriticalHitClass: Generation VI changed the critical hit formula so that while critical hits only deal 1.5x more damage, anything with a critical hit ratio of 3 or more will always be a critical hit. This means if a Farfetch'd with a Stick (+2) uses a high crit move (+1), it will ''always'' be a critical hit. * CrutchCharacter: It ''is'' stronger than Pidgey or Spearow. But Pidgeotto and especially Fearow greatly outclass it. Serves as a pretty obvious example of one in ''PokemonXAndY''. In Santalune City, you can trade one of the game's early ComMons for one that's already level 10, as well as sporting a Jolly nature, perfect Speed and Defense [=IVs=], and Aerial Ace, a Flying-type attack more powerful than anything you're likely to have at that point. It's pretty much tailor-made to demolish Viola's gym. Even if you don't go with the trade, the one place in X and Y where Farfetch'd appear is right next to the aforementioned gym, which is good for it, since this is the one time in the game where it doesn't have to compete with the evolved Pokémon that utterly outclass it. * EdibleBludgeon: The leek in its wing. * EndangeredSpecies: It's been hunted to near extinction for its leek. * FeatherFingers: While not to the full extent of the trope, it usually holds its leek with one wing. * {{Flight}}: Flying-type. * ImprobableWeaponUser: Uses a leek to beat its opponents, usually with minimal success. * JokeCharacter: One of the weakest Pokémon with nothing except an unique item to make it stand out. None of its base stats go above 65, and its type, Flying/Normal, is one of the most common in the series. The character concept of Farfetch'd is based on a Japanese proverb that translates to "a duck comes bearing green onions", which refers to a convenient but surprising event -- although not for the duck. * MeaningfulName: According to [[http://bulbanews.bulbagarden.net/wiki/On_the_Origin_of_Species:_Farfetch%27d this article]], the above Japanese proverb also means something to the effect of "a sucker is born every minute". * NonElemental: Normal-type. * NoSell: Ghost and Ground-type attacks won't touch it. * OralFixation: Prior to Generation IV, its leek can often be found between its beak. * PigInAPoke: Specifically the circumstances that you can get it in Generation I, and related to the proverb that it's based on. * RazorWind: It gets Air Cutter and Air Slash. * RoarBeforeBeating: Mixed with some acrobatics. In [[PokemonStadium the console games]], when Farfetch'd emerges, it'll flip its leek into the air, catch it with its tail, and quack at the opponent. Now, the ''beating'' part is a little up in the air, of course. * StatusBuff: ** Its Hidden Ability is Defiant, which causes its Attack to double when one of its stats is lowered. ** Gen VI has given it access to the somewhat rare move Simple Beam, allowing it to give the Simple Ability to any Pokémon, allowing these to have double the effect on them, as well as Status ''De''buffs. * WeaponOfChoice: Stick, which boosts its Critical Hit ratio twice as much as similar items that work for any Pokémon. [[/folder]] [[folder:Doduo and Dodrio ''(Dodo and Dodorio)'']] [[quoteright:149:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/084-085_4608.png]] Doduo and Dodrio are an intriguing species. Their most famous attribute are their multiple heads. Otherwise, they mostly resemble ratites[[note]]any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, such as ostriches, emus, cassowaries, kiwi birds, rheas, etc[[/note]]. Like ostriches, they excel at running rather than flying... although, they can somehow fly without visible wings. Perhaps they just jump really really high and [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory fall with style]]? ---- * ArmlessBiped: No arms, unless it's using its extra heads for arms. * BlowYouAway: One of the weirdest ways to pull this one off. * ConfusionFu[=/=]DrunkenMaster: Its Hidden Ability is Tangled Feet, which makes it more evasive if it's confused. Dodrio can even activate the Ability on its own using a STAB-boosted Thrash attack (Spinda can do this too, but [[JokeCharacter that's not saying much]]). * {{Flight}}: They can learn Fly, despite having no wings to fly with. Some of the 3D games portray them as running in place in order to achieve this. * GameplayAndStorySegregation: They're flightless, yet Flying-type. Amusingly, there's some AlternativeCharacterInterpretation in regards to [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php?page=0&comic=030711 Doduo's]] and [[http://www.player-two.com/?id=13 Dodrio's]] ability to fly. * FireIceLightning: One of the few Pokémon that can have Tri Attack. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Good Speed and Attack, but any decently strong move will faint it in short order. * InASingleBound: Apparently, they both "fly" this way. Remember that these guys can take you from Lavender to Cinnabar if needed. The anime takes this interpretation (to Ash's dismay, Falkner's Dodrio is trained to do this), but not remotely as exaggerated as the implications of the Fly mechanic. * KnowWhenToFoldEm: One of its Abilities is Run Away, letting it escape from higher-level and/or faster wild Pokemon easily. * MultipleHeadCase: Two as a Doduo. Three as a Dodrio. As a Dodrio, they think and sleep separately. * NoSell: To Ghost-type attacks. They're also immune to Ground-type attacks, despite their lack of wings. * NonElemental: Normal-type. * NotQuiteFlight: They don't have any obvious way of flying, so they probably just jump really far when using Fly. * PaleFemalesDarkMales: Slightly. Males have black necks, females have brown necks. * SingleMindedTwins: Played straight with Doduo; averted with Dodrio, as they have three heads and three distinct personalities, despite sharing a body. [[/folder]] [[folder:Seel and Dewgong ''(Pawou and Jugon)'']] [[quoteright:156:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/086-087_7170.png]] These pinniped Pokémon kinda resemble harp seal pups. They seem to prefer frigid marine environments best. Dewgong is named after a real sea mammal called a dugong (which isn't a seal, but a kind of sea cow). Seel is probably notable for being [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the only Pokémon whose name can be spelled on a calculator.]] It, like the Walrein line, is also capable of having the highest possible resistance to an attack type, taking only one-eighths damage from Ice-type attacks if it has the Thick Fat ability. ---- * ActionInitiative: Learns Ice Shard and Aqua Jet naturally, and can be bred with Fake Out. * [[AnIcePerson An Ice Pokémon]]: Dewgong. Seel is also strongly associated with cold areas. * {{Gonk}}: Seel has a face like a bulldog, complete with tongue constantly sticking out. Dewgong's more cute, though. * HealingFactor: ** Its Hidden Ability is Ice Body, which gives it this while it's hailing. ** One of its normal abilities is Hydration, which causes status effects to heal while it's raining. ** It naturally learns Aqua Ring, which steadily restores its HP over time. * {{Kevlard}}: Can have the Thick Fat ability, giving it additional resistances to Fire and Ice attacks. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * MasterOfNone: All around average stats with nothing that stands out. * MightyGlacier: Vaguely. Its best stats are its defensive ones (albeit not by much) and its Abilities are all defense-oriented. * MyNaymeIs: Seel and Dewgong! * OneHitKO: Can be bred with Horn Drill and Perish Song, and naturally learns Sheer Cold. * ScratchDamage: Thanks to its Ice-Type, Water-Type, and Thick Fat ability, Dewgong is one of the few Pokemon that takes only one-eighths damage from an attack type, namely, Ice. [[/folder]] [[folder:Grimer and Muk ''(Betbeter and Betbeton)'']] [[quoteright:165:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/088-089_4294.png]] Poisonous blobs that seem to appear wherever pollution is. They were born from toxic sludge that were exposed to x-rays or some such and are now living. These Pokémon may in fact be useful by absorbing poisonous material from the environment and putting it into their own bodies. ---- * ActionInitiative: It can learn Shadow Sneak to get its low Speed. Especially useful since one of its abilities, Stench (which can cause opponents to flinch), requires it to attack first to get any mileage out of it. * AntiMagic: In the early Trading Card Game, its Fossil card had the Pokemon Power ''Toxic Gas'', which allowed it to ignore all Pokemon Powers. In later releases, this was renamed the Poke-Body ''Stench'', like its in-game ability. * {{Badass}}: Muk stands out as one of the best MightyGlacier Pokémon out there. * BlobMonster: Made of toxic sludge. * DishingOutDirt: It learns Mud Slap, Mud Bomb, and Dig on the Ground side, though they're underpowered or risky. On the Rock side, it can learn the relatively useful Rock Tomb and Rock Slide attacks via TM. * FireIceLightning: Can learn the three elemental punches via move tutor. * MightyGlacier: Takes hits well with high HP, but it's slow. Taken even further if it knows Focus Punch via Gen IV [=TMs=] or Payback. The former always hits last anyway, and the latter actually gains power if it attacks last. * MuckMonster: They smell so bad that it's dangerous to get close to them. Plants don't grow after they leave behind their germs. Their smell is so bad that it's their actual ''Ability'': Stench repels wild Pokémon in Generation 3 and 4, in 5 and on it adds a potential Flinch factor in combat. * [[PoisonousPerson Poisonous Pokémon]]: By far the best example in the series. If a Grimer slides along some grass, expect the soil to be so contaminated that not even weeds will grow there. Muk's toxicity is more extreme than that; one drop of its essence can turn a pristine lake into a stagnant cesspool in minutes, and touching it causes immediate illness (and, in some cases, death). * StatusBuff: One of the rare Pokemon to learn Acid Armor naturally, which helps patch up its iffy physical Defense. Going the MightyGlacier route, it can be bred with Curse, which only gives one stage to Defense, but also boosts its Attack, at the cost of reducing its Speed. * StatusBuffDispel: It can be bred with Haze, which eliminates any Status Buffs that are on any Pokémon in play. * SuperSpit: Via breeding, it can learn the Stockpile/Swallow/Spit Up trio, as well as Acid Spray. * TookALevelInBadass: Their ability "Stench" adds a potential Flinch factor in combat from Gen 5 onwards. * WalkingWasteland: Just read the "Poisonous Pokémon" entry again. * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Can learn Mean Look and Block (The former via breeding, the latter via Move Tutor). [[/folder]] [[folder:Shellder and Cloyster ''(Parshen)'']] [[quoteright:185:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/090-091_3057.png]] Cheeky bivalve Pokémon with extremely sturdy shells. Shellder starts out as a pure Water-type, but exposing it to a Water Stone will give it an Ice subtyping, as well as an even sturdier shell. Their highest stat has always been their defense. It's just pointless to hit it with physical attacks; try hitting it with Special ones instead. ---- * ActionInitiative: Naturally learns Ice Shard. * [[AnIcePerson An Ice Pokémon]]: Cloyster; Shellder also learns several Ice attacks naturally. * {{Badass}}: Cloyster is a very dangerous Pokémon, with a dangerous move pool. * CheshireCatGrin: Cloyster, like Gengar, has always sported one. It maintains it even if it is annoyed or angry in Pokémon-Amie. * CriticalHit: Its Shell Armor Ability prevents it from getting hit with these. * CycleOfHurting: A Skill Link Cloyster holding a King's Rock. Since each hit has its own individual chance of flinching, the already monstrous 100% accuracy 125 base power STAB Icicle Spear also receives a significant 41% chance to flinch - which means that simply surviving the move (already an impressive feat) is no guarantee that you'll get to fight back against it. * {{Foil}}: To the Staryu line, being sea-dwelling invertebrates that evolve into dual Water-types by use of a Water Stone, have some of the highest stats of the Water type (Defense for Cloyster, Speed for Starmie), and [[PinataEnemy have a chance of holding]] [[VendorTrash valuable sellable items]]. In addition, Shellder is exclusive to ''[=FireRed=]'' and ''Y'' while Staryu is exclusive to ''[=LeafGreen=]'' and ''X''. * HealingFactor: Can be bred to know Aqua Ring. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * MightyGlacier: Has the highest defense of all Gen I Pokémon and has decent offensive stats. * MyNaymeIs: Cloyster's name is a corruption of "cloister", meaning to shelter or seclude oneself (fitting for its massive shell). * OffModel: In the English Red and Blue, Cloyster's shell split horizontally rather than vertically like it should. * OverlyLongTongue: Shellder. Even with its shell closed, it still sticks out. * PinataEnemy: Starting in Generation II, they have a chance of holding [[VendorTrash Pearls and Big Pearls.]] * SecretArt: Shellder's Icicle Spear, before Generation IV. Also Clamp, before Generation III. * SpamAttack: Its specialty. The Skill Link Ability ensures that these moves always hit the full five times, and it can learn Icicle Spear, Rock Blast, and Spike Cannon to take advantage of it. * StatusBuff: One of the few Pokémon to get Shell Smash, which turns it into a GlassCannon by doubling its offenses and Speed in exchange for lowering its defenses. * SuperToughness: Not even high explosives can shatter Cloyster's shell. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Even though it can still faint to the move Explosion...]] * TheSymbiote: With the Slowpoke line. * TookALevelInBadass: Gen V was a great time for Cloyster. Icicle Spear now has 25 base power (meaning that it hits harder than Outrage with Skill Link) and it got [[StatusBuff Shell Smash]]. It eventually became an event Pokémon based on the Cloyster that won the Winter Regionals 2012 Pokémon Video Game World Championships. * TrapMaster: Cloyster naturally learns Toxic Spikes and Spikes, and can have Rapid Spin bred onto it. * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Naturally learns both Clamp and Whirlpool, Water-type attacks that prevent the target from switching out during the multiple turns that it remains going. [[/folder]] [[folder:Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar ''(Ghos, Ghost, and Gangar)'']] [[quoteright:350:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/092-093-094-094m_4125.png]]]] This family was once known for being the only Pokémon who were Ghost-types and arguably the best ones to deal with Psychic-types... in theory, as they were also part Poison-type with a weakness to Psychic-type attacks. Due to balance issues, they didn't really do their job all that well. However, each generation made them better and better. Gen II gave them strong Ghost-type attacks it can use, Gen III gave them Levitate and an immunity to Ground-type attacks, Gen IV gave them new toys to play with by making them work off their best stats. Even with the introduction of other Ghost-types, they're still one of the best, and they've only gotten better in ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY''. Gengar gets a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y'' with higher Special Attack, Speed, and the ability ''Shadow Tag''. ---- * ActionBomb: They can learn Self-Destruct and Explosion, possibly because they're called the Gas Pokemon. * {{Badass}}: Gengar is incredibly tough and not to be messed with, with a decent movepool and stats. Oh yeah, and it has a Mega Evolution that kicks butt. * CastingAShadow: They learn Dark-type moves naturally, namely Sucker Punch, Payback, and Dark Pulse, and their Ghost-type moves have darkness flavoring to them, such as Shadow Ball and Night Shade. * CheshireCatGrin: This has always been Gengar's default expression. * ConfusionFu: Besides the Ghost, Poison, Dark, Normal, and Psychic moves you'd expect given its typing, it can learn a few Electric, Fighting, Grass, Ice, and Fire moves too, as well as a wide variety of status attacks. * CuteLittleFangs: Gastly! * DarkIsEvil: Gengar's Pokédex entries describe it as a malevolent and mischievous trickster that curses people and drains their life force ForTheEvulz. Haunter and Gastly aren't much better; Haunter paralyzes people by licking them and Gastly suffocates them by enveloping them in its gaseous body. In earlier installments, members of the family were such a dark purple as to be almost black, and their shiny coloration continues this trend. * DemonicPossession: It's implied to be capable of this based on the dialogue of the trainers in the Pokémon Tower in the Generation I games (and their Generation III remakes) who exclusively use members of this family and act possessed when first encountered. After the player wins the battles, the trainers behave as if they've just woken up with no memory of what they've been doing, implying that the player freed them from their possession by defeating the ghosts. * DependingOnTheArtist: Gengar's shade of purple varies between adaptations and the games. In the anime, it's almost black, while the games tend to switch between different shades of purple. Most noticeable between Platinum and HG/SS, which use the same back sprites but differently shaded front sprites. * [[{{Doppelganger}} Doppel-Gengar]]: Gengar likes to mimic the shadows of people. * EvilAlbino: The shiny form for Mega Gengar is ''stark white''. * EvilCounterpart: To the Abra family. They're Ghost/Poison types to the Abra line's Psychic type, resulting in each of them having a type advantage over the other, and while the Abra family's Pokédex entries emphasize it is intelligent but benign, the Gastly family uses their powers to prey on the weak. Their parallels are referenced throughout the series. ** The anime has Ash recruiting a Haunter to battle Sabrina's Kadabra, and another episode has an ancient Gengar do battle with an ancient Alakazam. ** Compared to Alakazam, Gengar trades a few points of Special Attack and Speed for (slightly) less horrible HP and physical stats. ** Their original cards in the Pokémon [=TCG=]--Alakazam's Pokémon Power lets it move damage counters around on the player's Pokémon, Gengar's Pokémon Power moves around damage counters on the opponent's Pokémon. Both had one attack requiring three Psychic energy, which did 30 damage with an additional effect, and they both had 80 HP. ** In Generation VI, they both got a Mega Evolution and retain their similar stat distribution through them, and Alakazam got a slight buff to its Special Defense to match Gengar's 500 Base Stat total. * FireIceLightning: Can learn the three elemental punches via breeding or tutor. [[UselessUsefulSpell They're not very useful for Gengar these days]], but before Generation IV they were all Special moves. * FrogsAndToads: At first glance, it might not be obvious, but Gastly strongly resembles a tadpole, Haunter as an adolescent (just with front limbs instead of back ones), and Gengar can be seen as a toad. Plus they all have [[OverlyLongTongue long tongues]]. * GhostlyChill: Gengar cools the area around it. Noticing this chill means that it's close and probably wants to put a curse on you. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Just like Alakazam, Gengar has high Special Attack and Speed but pitiful defenses. However, it has the advantage of three type immunities (Normal, Fighting, and Ground via Levitate), and more status attacks to disable enemies like Hypnosis and Confuse Ray, so Gengar is a bit more durable. Its Mega Evolution, while still fragile, has Special Attack and Speed levels on par with '''[[OlympusMons Mew]][[{{Badass}} two]]'''. * LarynxDissonance: In the games, Haunter and Gengar have very deep cries, yet have a 50/50 chance of being female. Gastly only faces this trope in [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} the anime]]. * LivingShadow: Gengar. * MasterOfIllusion: All three do this at least once in the anime. * NoSell: To Normal and Fighting-type attacks. They also can't be poisoned. Levitate also makes them immune to Ground-type attacks. As of Gen VI, they can't be [[YouWillNotEvadeMe trapped]] either. * OurGhostsAreDifferent: They're really more like clouds of [[DeadlyGas noxious gas]]... * OverlyLongTongue: Haunter's licks are said to cause paralysis, convulsions, and death, and both its evo and preevo are quite well endowed in that department, too. As in ''larger than its body'' in the case of Gastly. * PerpetualSmiler: The entire line. * [[PoisonousPerson Poisonous Pokémon]]: Allegedly. Notably, can't learn any poison moves, and only can be taught them via [=TMs=]. * RaymanianLimbs: Haunter's hands. * RedEyesTakeWarning: Gengar again. Mega Gengar's eyes are ''blood-red.'' * SecretArt: [[FixedDamageAttack Night Shade]], but only in Generation I. * SlasherSmile: All of them, and they almost never ''stop'' smiling. * SocializationBonus: Needs to be traded to reach its final form. * SoulPower: The only Ghost-types until Misdreavus came along. * SuperMode: Gets a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y''. It has ''White Kyurem's'' Special Attack, Mewtwo's Speed, and the ability '''[[YouWillNotEvadeMe Shadow Tag]]'''. * SupernaturalIsPurple: Purple color scheme. * ThirdEye: Mega Gengar has a yellow eye on its forehead. This may be the source of its new ability, as it resembles the animation of the move [[YouWillNotEvadeMe Mean Look]]. * TookALevelInBadass: Every Generation brings Gengar new tricks to keep it powerful as the game has evolved. ** Generation II gave it usable STAB attacks in Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb, along with some neat tools like Mean Look and the [[FireIceLightning Elemental Punches]]. ** In Generation III it got Levitate as an ability, removing its heavy weakness to Ground-type attacks like Earthquake. It also got Will-O-Wisp to Burn enemies and protect its weak physical bulk. ** Generation IV brought the Physical/Special split, making Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball Special moves so Gengar can put its STAB to proper usage. Gen IV also brought it Focus Blast, a Fighting-type attack that runs off its Special Attack. The only types to resist Ghost are the Normal, Steel, and Dark types, and Focus Blast hits them for double damage. Even better, there is no existing Pokémon that resists both Focus Blast and Shadow Ball, ensuring at least neutral damage against everything.[[note]]As of Generation VI, only a Ghost[=/=]Normal could resist both.[[/note]] ** Generation VI was ''glorious'' for Gengar; the removal of Ghost resistance from Steel types and the addition of Fairy-types weak to Poison gives Gengar's STAB better coverage than ever. It also picked up Dazzling Gleam for further coverage against Dark, Fighting, and Dragon types. And, of course, it got its Mega Evolution with Shadow Tag to keep enemies from fleeing from it and ''enormous'' Special Attack and Speed boosts. * TopHeavyGuy: Usually, Mega Gengar's legs are phased into the ground. When its legs are visible, they're tiny compared to the rest of Mega Gengar's body. * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Mega Gengar has Shadow Tag. The line is also immune to this in Generation VI thanks to their Ghost typing. [[/folder]] [[folder:Onix and Steelix ''(Iwark and Haganeil)'']] [[quoteright:188:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/095-208_9163.png]] ->''Steelix debuts in Gen II'' Onix are massive snakes made entirely out of boulders. Sounds pretty [[{{badass}} awesome]], right? Too bad its only good stat was defense and its typing left it with a ton of weaknesses. It was a pretty terrible Pokémon. They fixed it by having it evolve into a massive snake made entirely out of steel. It isn't super-amazing, but it's still a huge improvement over Onix. ---- * DishingOutDirt: Onix is a Rock and Ground-type. Steelix loses Rock, but keeps Ground. * ExtraOreDinary: Steelix * FakeUltimateMook: Onix was the former trope namer as "Level 5 Onix". Despite being a 28-foot snake made of solid rock, its only notable stats are 160 base Defense and a subpar 70 Speed, everything else is pathetic. Your ''unevolved'' starter Pokémon can hit harder than it and take hits better in return. For direct comparisons, ''Wurmple'' has higher HP and as-good Attack, and Rattata both hits harder and moves faster. * FireIceLightning: Steelix learns Fire Fang, Ice Fang, and Thunder Fang naturally (though you need the Move Relearner to get at them). * ForMassiveDamage: Onix to [[GreenThumb Grass]] and [[MakingASplash Water]] type attacks. * FragileSpeedster: Onix's Hidden Ability is Weak Armor, which causes physical attacks against it to reduce its Defense while increasing its Speed (though its terrible HP makes this strategy questionable). Their naturally-learned Rock Polish can also help with this. * LastChanceHitPoint: Its Sturdy Ability, which lets it survive any attack from full health with 1 HP remaining. * MightyGlacier: Upgrades to this upon evolving into Steelix. It gains better defensive abilities (notably HP) and decent attacking power, and in the process trades in the Speed it had as Onix. It even learns Curse naturally to make it even more of one, trading in more Speed for even more Attack and Defense. * NoSell: Don't bother using electricity against either of them. OneHitKO moves won't do much if they have Sturdy. Using poison against Steelix will end just as badly. Gen V Move Tutors have gifted Steelix with Magnet Rise, which temporarily renders it immune to Ground attacks. * SegmentedSerpent: Both of their bodies look like they're made out of individual boulders. * [[SiliconBasedLife Silicon Based Pokémon]]: Living rock/steel snake. * SocializationBonus: Needs to be traded to evolve. However, in some games Steelix can be a rare wild encounter. * [[FragileSpeedster Speedy]] StoneWall: Onix's ''only'' decent stats are Defense and Speed. Everything else approaches ''Sunkern''-level bad. * StandardStatusEffects: Potentially defied by Steelix's Sheer Force Ability. Any attack it uses that can induce one of these will forgo that chance in favor of dealing additional damage instead. Even better, it learns [[FireIceLightning all three elemental fang attacks]], all of which fall in this category. * TookALevelInBadass: ** Steelix, when compared to Onix. It has two immunities (Poison and Electric), two neutral matchups (Ice and Grass), only four 2x weaknesses (Fire, Water, Ground and Fighting), and resists everything else. It gains a doubled Attack and is tied for 2nd-highest Defense in the game, and gains a larger and more varied move pool on top of that. The only downside is that Steelix's Speed drops from 70 to 30, but even that also powers up its best STAB move, Gyro Ball. Special attacks are still painful, however. ** Steelix got the ability Sheer Force in Gen V, giving its moves that have secondary effects more power in exchange for removing the effects. ** Onix got one with the introduction of the Eviolite item, which catapults its defenses far beyond those of Steelix. Of course, Steelix still has an advantage with its typing, higher HP, and the fact that it can actually, you know, hit back, but at least Onix has ''some'' incentive to keep from evolving. ** Onix also got a small one when Sturdy was revamped to counter ''all'' one-hit KO's, which meant it needed to take ''two'' Water or Grass attacks to take it down, rather than dying horribly to one. Also see the Sandstorm Special Defense boost for its supported types. * UselessUsefulSpell: Their Rock Head Ability. The only recoil-inducing move they learn is Double-Edge, which is pointless on them, as they can hit harder with their STAB-boosted Earthquake and Stone Edge anyway. * [[WeatherControlMachine Weather Control Creature]]: Both learn Sandstorm naturally, which is helpful for patching up Onix's iffy Special Defense. [[/folder]] [[folder:Drowzee and Hypno ''(Sleep and Sleeper)'']] [[quoteright:142:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/096-097_3557.png]] Those who didn't have the luck or patience to capture Abra would have to settle for this Pokémon instead. These Pokémon love eating dreams and are willing to put anyone to sleep just to sample their dreams. Unfortunately, this habit made them earn a seedy reputation, especially since most of their targets for dream-eating/hypnotizing are children. ---- * AdultFear: Hypno likes to kidnap children and brainwash them with hypnosis. [Insert [[PedoHunt pedophilia jokes]] here]. * HypnoPendulum: Hypno uses one. * MightyGlacier: Unlike many other Psychic-types, they're slow, but have decent defenses. * PsychicPowers: Psychic-type. * StandardStatusEffects: Apart from the obvious hypnosis, they learn Poison Gas naturally for some unexplained reason. * StatusBuff: Its ability to learn Nasty Plot gives it at least one offensive advantage over Alakazam. * StoneWall: They become this after Generation I where their Special was pretty solid, but in Generation II their Special Attack got a considerable drop thanks to the Special split. * YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Their diet is made up of the dreams of other beings. The only way they can learn Dream Eater is by TM, and that is arguably the reason behind said move being a TM consistently across generations. * {{Youkai}}: They're based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_%28spirit%29 baku]], spirits who devour dreams. [[/folder]] [[folder:Krabby ''(Crab)'' and Kingler]] [[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/098-099_5723.png]] Crab Pokémon that are bright red in color, these guys boast a respectable attack stat, although it couldn't really be utilized well by their typing until Gen IV. Other talents include slicing and walking sideways. ---- * CriticalHit: ** Its Shell Armor Ability allows it to avoid these. ** On the other side, its SecretArt of Crabhammer has an increased chance to inflict one. * DishingOutDirt: ** An indirect example in its naturally-learned Mud Sport, which reduces the damage it takes from Electric attacks to one-third, thus reducing its weaknesses to one. ** Does less well in regards to attacks; Mud Shot runs off of its poor Special Attack, and Dig is often too predictable to bother with. On the other hand, it has access to Rock Tomb and Rock Slide, useful attacks that both benefit from Sheer Force. * DivergentCharacterEvolution: Unlike most {{Expy}}ed species, Kingler and [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIIFamilies Crawdaunt]] have steadily been made more dissimilar playwise (while keeping both equally viable) with future generations. Kingler has usable physical bulk, gained Agility (double speed) in Generation 4, and received the ''very'' nice Sheer Force ability (boost damage of moves with a chance of inflicting [[StandardStatusEffects secondary effects]] by 33% but remove the effect chance) in Generation 5; Crawdaunt, on the other hand, has enough special attack to run [[ConfusionFu mixed sets]], gets [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]] (raise speed and attack by 50% each) in Generation 4, and the ''very'' nice Adaptability ability (boost the bonus from using attacks of the same type as the user from 1.5 to double damage) in Generation 5. * GiantEnemyCrab: Kingler weighs 132 lbs/60 kg. * LightningBruiser: It's actually not that slow, so one good use of Agility (which it can be bred with) will give it very respectable Speed. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * MightyGlacier: Not speedy, but hits hard and can take a beating itself. Of course, it learns a number of moves that can reduce its opponent's Speed, including Bubble, Bubblebeam, Mud Shot, Icy Wind, and Rock Tomb. * NoSell: Its Hyper Cutter Ability renders it immune to effects that reduce its Attack. * OneHitKO: Naturally learns Guillotine. * PowerPincers: Kingler's left claw in particular is massive. * RightHandOfDoom: Its left claw is an exaggeration of the real-life fiddler crab's oversized claw. * SecretArt: Crabhammer, albeit no longer exclusive since Gen III. * StandardStatusEffects: Defied by its Hidden Ability of Sheer Force. Any attacks that would have a chance of inflicting one of these forgoes that chance in favor of boosted power (and the potential to boost them even further with the Life Orb item without suffering recoil damage). * StatusBuff: Gets a ''lot'' of these, actually. Swords Dance, Iron Defense, Agility, Amnesia, Double Team, Hone Claws... just about the only stat it can't boost is Special Attack. * StatusBuffDispel: It can be bred with Haze, allowing it to negate all active Status Buffs. * TookALevelInBadass: ** In Gen IV, thanks to the Physical/Special split actually allowing it to make use of its SecretArt. Gaining the ability to have Agility bred onto it also helped. ** Another in Gen V, in which they gained Sheer Force as an Ability, allowing it to hit even harder (albeit only with certain attacks). [[/folder]] [[folder:Voltorb and Electrode ''(Biriridama and Marumine)'']] [[quoteright:117:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/100-101_264.png]] Electric-type Pokémon that look like Poké Balls. They probably have the simplest design in the series. Since their game sprites resemble item sprites, unsuspecting adventurers will get a nasty shock when they find that what they thought was an item is actually an angry Pokémon that's prone to exploding. It was once known as ''the'' fastest Pokémon in the game, and is still only surpassed by Deoxys, Ninjask, and Accelgor. ---- * ActionBomb: They tend to explode at the slightest provocation. This comes into play in-game by it naturally learning Selfdestruct and Explosion, as well as having Aftermath as an ability. * CheshireCatGrin: Probably because it's always itching to ruin your day with Explosion. * ChestMonster: Look like Poké Balls on the overworld. Checking them leads to a battle. * FixedDamageAttack: A rare user of Sonicboom. * FragileSpeedster: The 4th fastest Pokémon overall (1st before Gen III brought in [[GradualGrinder Ninjask]] and [[GlassCannon De]][[StoneWall ox]][[LightningBruiser ys]]), but sub-par other stats, save for an average Special Attack and Defense. * GlassCannon: With Electro Ball in play, and even moreso with boosts from Charge Beam and Charge. * {{Irony}}: One of the fastest Pokemon in the game naturally learns Gyro Ball, an attack that gains power by its user being ''slow''. On the other hand, Gen V gave it Electro Ball, which reverses that, gaining power the faster the user is than the opponent. * ItAmusedMe: According to the Pokédex, one of the reasons Electrode tend to blow themselves up is just to amuse themselves when they're bored. * NoBiologicalSex: Genderless. * NoMouth: Voltorb. * NoSell: ** Its Soundproof Ability makes it immune to sound-based attacks like Hyper Voice and Perish Song. As of Generation VI, they're immune to paralysis. ** It can also learn Magnet Rise naturally, letting it NoSell Ground attacks and eliminate its one weakness. * PerpetualSmiler: Electrode in all of its game sprites. * PinataEnemy: Not normally, but there is a section in the Team Rocket HQ in Gold/Silver and their remakes where you can very easily grind a large number of Geodudes, Voltorbs, and Koffings, which will usually Self-Destruct. Bring a Ghost-type you've been meaning to train and... free levels, yay! * PoorPredictableRock: Well-known for having a terrible movepool, especially among Gen I Pokemon. Even worse, most of the different-typed moves it gets ([[ExtraOreDinary Gyro Ball]], [[CombatPragmatist Sucker Punch]], [[DishingOutDirt Rollout]]) run off of its shabby Physical attack stat, in addition to being poorly suited to Electrode's playstyle (as mentioned [[UselessUsefulSpell below]]). * ShockAndAwe: Electric-type. * SignatureMove: The most well-known users of [[StuffBlowingUp Selfdestruct and Explosion]], thanks to the anime; if only they had the attack power to back it up... * StandardStatusEffects: Its Static Ability can inflict paralysis on opponents that physically strike it. In addition, its high Speed but poor attacking stats lead most players to have it [[SupportPartyMember cripple opponents with Thunder Waves before they can react.]] * UselessUsefulSpell: A lot of the attacks it can use are pointless on it, even when ignoring its poor physical Attack. Gyro Ball requires the user to be slower than its opponent to do much, which isn't likely to happen with Electrode. [[ActionInitiative Sucker Punch]] is similarly pointless, given how Electrode is likely to outrun just about everything anyway. Rollout requires several consecutive hits to build its power to destructive levels, which isn't likely to happen with a FragileSpeedster like Electrode. * WildMassGuessing: About their origin, in-universe at that. [[/folder]] [[folder:Exeggcute and Exeggutor ''(Tamatama and Nassy)'']] [[quoteright:145:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/102-103_9399.png]] Exeggcute is a clutch of what appears to be six eggs with faces on them (actually plant seeds), each with distinctive expressions and cracks. Despite this, they all constitute as a single Pokémon, linked together by telepathy. They evolve together to form Exeggutor, a coconut tree with 3 heads, courtesy of the Leaf Stone. ---- * ForMassiveDamage: Bug-types will wreck it with 4x damage, but why stop there? It has six other weaknesses (Ice, Dark, Flying, Poison, Ghost, and Fire) and there are a lot of Pokémon out there that have these types (or know moves that are these types). * GoldMakesEverythingShiny: Exeggcute's shiny look. * GreenThumb: Grass-type. * HiveMind: Six distinct seeds form an individual Exeggcute, though Pokedex data suggests that individual Exeggcute can and do exist, usually looking for a group. * KryptoniteIsEverywhere: The family has ''7'' weaknesses in total, giving it the most weaknesses out of all Pokémon, though it's also tied with [[OlympusMons Celebi]], which shares its typing, and the Ice/Grass Snover and Abomasnow. Though it somewhat averted this trope in Gen I, having only 6 weaknesses, with the Dark type not made yet, and three of its weaknesses having limited viability against it due to the general brokenness of Psychic types in Gen I (Bug types had only three attacks and were usually on a part-Poison Pokemon, resulting in the potential for super-effective attacks against it, Poison had only a few attacks and was again vulnerable to Psychic, and [[GoodBadBugs Psychics were immune to Ghost type attacks]].) * LightningBruiser: If it uses Sunny Day to activate Chlorophyll. * MightyGlacier: Exeggutor has a monstrous Special Attack stat (among Grass types, only Roserade matches it), rather good HP, and decent Defense, but it's rather slow. Its Attack stat is pretty good too, and can have Curse bred onto it to boost both that and its Defense, making it even more of a MightyGlacier (its physical movepool isn't great, though). * MultipleHeadCase: Though how a group of ''six'' eggs only evolves into a ''three''-headed coconut tree is rather puzzling. * NoSell: To powder-based moves as of Gen VI. * OurMonstersAreWeird: Six egg-shaped seeds with random bruises, cracks and holes in them (plus faces on all six of them) which can turn into a giant pineapple-tree hybrid with three coconut heads -- ''and'' both of these forms have psychic powers. How it makes sense is beyond anyone's understanding. * PsychicPowers: Psychic-type. * SecretArt: [[SpamAttack Barrage]] * StandardStatusEffects: Exeggcute learns the Poisonpowder/Stun Spore/Sleep Powder trio. Exeggutor learns Hypnosis, though [[UselessUsefulSpell Sleep Powder is inherently better due to its greater reliability.]] * StatusBuff: Their Hidden Ability "Harvest" effectively gives unlimited berries. * StuffBlowingUp: Learns Egg Bomb, Seed Bomb, and Explosion. * {{Youkai}}: May be based off of the Jinmenju, a supernatural tree that has ''human heads'' for fruit that constantly smile and laugh. [[/folder]] [[folder:Cubone and Marowak ''(Karakara and Garagara)'']] [[quoteright:129:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/104-105_7090.png]] These Pokémon resemble dinosaurs that wear skulls as helmets. In Cubone's case, the skull it wears is that of its dead mother, and the stains on it are the poor creature's tears as it cries for its long-gone mommy. This made sense back in Gen I when breeding didn't exist. Starting with Gen II and the introduction of breeding, the story has been called into question, since Cubone can be bred complete with the skull and with no ill effects on the mother, so it might be an urban legend. Either way, Marowak is still a badass. Especially when holding a Thick Club. ---- * {{Badass}}: When holding a Thick Club. * BadWithTheBone: Their weapon of choice. * CombatPragmatist: Marowak is addressed as such (despite not being a Dark-type, as Dark-types didn't come until later and it wasn't retconned like Magnemite and Magneton were), being weak but using bones as weapons. * DishingOutDirt: Ground-type. * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: As mentioned elsewhere in this entry, Cubone's Dex entries [[GameplayAndStorySeparation conflict horribly with breeding mechanics]], which were introduced a generation later, but that's not where the weirdness stops; if anything, Marowak has it worse than Cubone. The original mother Marowak ghost is unlike ''anything'' else seen in the series (aside from being a "true" ghost and not a Ghost-type, it's strongly implied the ghost is angering the Gastly and Haunters in the Tower to [[DemonicPossession possess the Trainers throughout]]), and its relevance in the Lavender Town plot as a ''murder victim'' is far darker than any plot point in the series until [[PokemonBlackandWhite Ghetsis shows up]]. * FromNobodyToNightmare: Possible overlap with WhosLaughingNow Historically, the species was known for being weak and preyed upon -- until they figured out they could use bones as weapons. Then there's the whole "Cubone's mother dies and goes from crying over it to becoming a RoaringRampageOfRevenge" story... * GameBreakingBug: Victim of one in Generation 2, where a max attack Marowak that used Swords Dance would hit the Attack cap and wrap around to very low Attack. The most common solution was to run a lower attack and take advantage of it to use Hidden Power Bug. * MercyKill: The player is forced to do this to the vengeful ghost of the original mother Marowak in the Gen I games in order to stop the negative influence that her rage is having on the other pokemon and humans in the area. * MightyGlacier: Marowak's not too fast, but with a Thick Club, it can hit like a Mack truck. * NoSell: ** To Electric-type moves. ** The mother Marowak ghost from the Generation I games is unique in that she cannot be captured by any means. Even if the player were to use a Master Ball, the Marowak would dodge it perfectly. As such, she is the only wild Pokémon that is immune to Poké Balls, at least until Kyurem in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2''. * {{Revenge}}: Their reason for evolving. * SecretArt: Bone Club and Bonemerang. Bone Rush was also exclusive to them until Gen IV. * SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: Cubone wears the skull of its dead mother. * StockFemurBone: The one they're holding. * StoneWall: ''Without'' a Thick Club, Marowak's attacks aren't especially strong, and are surpassed by its (still only middle-of-the-road) defensive stats. * TookALevelInBadass: ** With the introduction of the Thick Club item, which doubles both Cubone and Marowak's Attack if held, putting them at having ''the'' highest Attack stat possible in the game, only trumped by Power Trick Shuckle (which isn't a reliable tactic anyway). ** In-universe, when you evolve Cubone into Marowak, it is said to become confident from what is initially a shy Pokémon. * WeaponOfChoice: Thick Club, which doubles the Attack of any Cubone or Marowak that holds it. * [[YouKilledMyFather You Killed My Mother]]: Saddened by the death of its mother according to the Pokédex. [[/folder]] [[folder:Tyrogue, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop ''(Balkie, Sawamular, Ebiwalar, and Kapoerer)'']] [[quoteright:216:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/106-107-236-237_691.png]] ->''Tyrogue and Hitmontop debut in Gen II'' In Gen I, when you defeated the Karate King in the Fighting Dojo, you were given a choice between two fighting Pokémon: Hitmonlee, who specializes in kicking attacks and Hitmonchan, who specializes in punching attacks. Both these Pokémon seemed to be related but didn't evolve into one another. That changed with Gen II when they introduced Tyrogue, a fighting type that [[MasterOfNone didn't seem to specialize in anything]] -- yet. He needed to be trained in a certain stat to evolve into Hitmonlee (higher attack), Hitmonchan (higher defense), or the new third member, Hitmontop, who specializes in spinning on his head (his attack and defense are even). ---- * ActionInitiative: All of them can learn Mach Punch, Bullet Punch, Fake Out, and Vacuum Wave (though they're much less effective with that last one). Hitmontop is even one of the rare few with both the Technician ability and a priority move he gets STAB with, though he oddly hasn't gotten much attention for this as Scizor and Breloom have. Additionally, Hitmonlee and Hitmontop can get [[CombatPragmatist Sucker Punch]] from Gen IV Move Tutors. Hitmonchan can't, because Sucker Punch actually has nothing to do with punching; [[DubInducedPlothole its Japanese name is more along the lines of "Dirty Trick"]], referencing its unfair nature. * AllYourPowersCombined: Being an [[OneGenderRace all-male line]] with three possible evolutions, this group has the distinction of having breedable moves, but only from the line's other forms. This leads to any one of these Pokemon being able to, for example, learn Hitmonchan's Mach Punch and Bullet Punch, Hitmonlee's Hi Jump Kick, and Hitmontop's Rapid Spin. * BareFistedMonk: Hitmonchan, being a punching specialist, is the most notable example, though all of them qualify. * BoxingBattler: Hitmonchan, with its RedBoxingGloves and boxing techniques. * UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}}: Hitmontop is based on a Capoeirista. His Triple Kick move is likely based on the ''Meia Lua de Compasso'', or "Half Moon Compass," a strong but impractical spinning kick often repeated indefinitely for show. Unlike in real life, said move has very low damage, with a base power of 60. [[note]]It hits three times but starts at 10 base, then goes up to 20 and 30 on the next few hits[[/note]] (STAB and Technician boost it up to more respectable heights, but that doesn't really help.) Starting in ''VideoGame/PokemonXandY'', Hitmontop's default stance is changed from upside-down to the standard Capoeira movement (''Ginga''). * CoolButInefficient: Hitmonchan couldn't make good use of the elemental punches until ''Diamond and Pearl'', since were tied to the wrong attack stat for Hitmonchan to use them well. * DeathOrGloryAttack: Hitmonlee's Hi Jump Kick. With the boost from Reckless, Hitmonlee has one of the hardest hitting Hi Jump Kicks in the game (Mienshao can hit harder, but players tend to prefer giving him [[HealingFactor Regenerator]] over Reckless). Of course, if Hitmonlee misses, he [[EpicFail crashes, taking half of the damage he would've dealt himself]]. * {{Determinator}}: Tyrogue's Guts ability. * DisabilitySuperpower: ** Tyrogue can have the Guts ability, which boosts his Attack if he's afflicted by a StandardStatusEffect. ** Both Tyrogue and Hitmontop can have Steadfast, which increases their Speed if they flinch (unless it's due to being interrupted while trying to use Focus Punch). * ElementalPunch: ** Hitmonchan can learn all of the ElementalPunch attacks in the games. ** Hitmonlee can also learn Blaze Kick. * EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Hitmontop [[{{Pun}} revolves]] around this. * ExtremityExtremist: Hitmonchan mainly attacks with punches, Hitmonlee mainly attacks with kicks. Hitmonchan takes it further, though, as his Iron Fist ability specifically boosts his punching attacks. * FragileSpeedster: Hitmonlee is the fastest of the three, although base 87 Speed is easily outran by several other Pokémon. His Hidden Ability, Unburden, helps somewhat, especially considering that Tyrogue naturally learns Fake Out. * GlassCannon: ** Hitmonlee has the highest Attack, but the worst Defense of the three. ** All of them could be this somewhat, as their HP stat is ''horribly'' low. They do share the same Special Defense total, which is quite high for a Fighting-type at 110... but not in the first generation, where Hitmonlee's and Hitmonchan's Special was his modern Special Attack -- really, really low. As in, '''30.''' It didn't take very much to KO those two guys. * HurricaneKick: Hitmonlee and Hitmontop both learn their own spinning kicks, though the former is more of a roundhouse. * JackOfAllStats: Hitmonchan has the most rounded stats of the three, plus a somewhat better movepool, thanks to naturally learning the three Elemental Punches. It can function more like a MightyGlacier if it uses BulkUp to boost its Attack and Defense and [[LifeDrain Drain Punch]] to heal itself. * LoopholeAbuse: Fortunately, using Reckless with Jump Kick and Hi Jump Kick doesn't increase the damage taken when the move fails, despite what the ability is supposed to do with the attacks it boosts. * MagikarpPower: Tyrogue is a contender for being one of the weakest Pokemon, with all stats at base 35 and a limited level-up movepool of essentially Tackle, Fake Out, Foresight, and Helping Hand (outside of breeding). Once it evolves into any of the three, it becomes ''very'' useful. * MightyGlacier: Hitmontop, and with his very reasonable Defense and the usual high Special Defense, he can be played somewhat defensively -- Intimidate, Feint, Pursuit, Counter, Wide Guard, Quick Guard, Rapid Spin... * NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Hitmon'''lee''' and Hitmon'''chan''' are named after Creator/BruceLee and Creator/JackieChan. Their Japanese names Ebiwalar and Sawamular are named after Japanese martial arts stars. * NoMouth: Hitmonlee. * NoSell: ** Tyrogue to sleep inducing moves if he has his Hidden Ability of Vital Spirit. If he has Guts, he ignores the Attack dropping effect of burns. ** Hitmonchan to accuracy-reducing moves if he has Keen Eye. His Hidden Ability of Inner Focus keeps him from flinching. ** Hitmonlee to paralysis if he has his Limber ability. * OddNameOut: Unlike Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, who are named after famous martial artists, Hitmontop is...capoeira/a top. * OffModel: ** Hitmonlee's [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/8/85/Spr_4d_106.png Diamond and Pearl sprite]] has his eyes spaced way too far apart, giving him a really weird appearance. ** Hitmonchan's Red/Green sprites had both his fists covering most of his body; fans had mocked it as resembling a Togekiss watching a Doduo [[ToiletHumour taking a dump]]. ** Hitmontop's ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' sprites give him a pink-and-blue color scheme instead of his regular brown-and-blue (which was fixed in ''Crystal''). * OneGenderRace: Always male. * RapidFireFisticuffs: Hitmonchan's Pokédex entries claim that he delivers volleys of punches too fast for humans to see. He starts off with [[SpamAttack Comet Punch]] so that it comes into play in-game (unfortunately, it's a weak attack that you'll be unlikely to keep for long). * RedBoxingGloves: Hitmonchan (or blue, if shiny) * RubberMan: Some adaptations indicate that Hitmonlee's legs can be this. * {{Sarashi}}: Tyrogue wears bandages around his stomach. * SecretArt: ** Hitmonlee is the only Pokémon able to learn Mega Kick via level up, and was the only Pokémon able to learn Rolling Kick, Jump Kick, and Hi Jump Kick in Gen I. Hitmonchan remains associated with Mega Punch (one of 3 Pokémon to learn it via level up), the elemental punches (only Pokémon able to learn all 3 in Gen I, and one out of 2 to learn each one) and Mach Punch (only one to be able to learn it in Gen II). Hitmontop gets Triple Kick. ** Mega Kick, Mega Punch, and the Elemental Punches, however, were [=TMs=] or tutor moves, with a large number of Pokémon able to learn them. * ShoutOutThemeNaming: In both the original and English, in fact. Hitmonlee is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadashi_Sawamura Tadashi Sawamura]]/BruceLee while Hitmonchan is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroyuki_Ebihara Hiroyuki Ebihara]]/JackieChan. * SpinToDeflectStuff: Thanks to breeding, all of them are capable of learning Rapid Spin, which gets rid of entry hazards on the user's side. * StealthPun: Tyrogue evolves into Hitmontop when he has a balance of attack and defence. [[DontExplainTheJoke Hitmontop balances on his head]]. * TookALevelInBadass: Starting Gen. IV, Hitmonchan went from "novelty Pokemon" to "incredibly useful" because suddenly its elemental punches are fueled by its strong Attack stat instead of its abysmal Special Attack stat, not to mention further enhanced by its ability Iron Fist giving it a wide coverage and good stats. [[/folder]] [[folder:Lickitung and Lickilicky ''(Beroringa and Berobelt)'']] [[quoteright:156:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/108-463_6008.png]] ->''Lickilicky debuts in Gen IV'' Lickitung is a weird lizard-like Pokémon known for having a very long and sticky tongue, reminiscent of a chameleon or a skink. It had a pretty wide movepool, but it wasn't spectacular. It was never common (it was only available via an in-game trade back in Gen I) and it was largely ignored. However, in Gen IV, it gained a new evolution that had the stats to utilize its impressive movepool. It can learn Explosion, made more powerful via STAB. ---- * ActionBomb: Lickilicky is often used for its absurdly strong Explosion. It can destroy ''anything'' that isn't a Rock, Steel, or Ghost type (and a few things that ''are''), but it makes Lickilicky faint. * BigEater: Uses its 6 foot tongue to eat. * ConfusionFu: As most good Normal-types do, it has quite an arsenal of various elemental attacks, and its Attack and Special Attack are close enough that it could work with either with equal effectiveness (though it does have fewer options for boosting its Special Attack). * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: The line has surprisingly good stats and a reasonable movepool, in spite of its outright weird appearance. * MightyGlacier: Great HP, good defenses, and reasonably usable offensive stats on both sides. Speed? Not so much. Possibly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in that wild Lickitung have a chance of holding a Lagging Tail, an item that forces its holder to move last. * NonElemental: Normal-type. * NoSell: ** Being a Normal-type, Ghost-type attacks don't affect it. ** Oblivious lets it ignore Attract and Taunt. ** Own Tempo prevents it from being Confused. * OverlyLongTongue: Nearly 7 feet long. * OurMonstersAreWeird: Look at them! * {{Retcon}}: Lickitung became able to evolve into Lickilicky by leveling up while knowing Rollout, a move it could already learn in earlier generations. * StatusBuff: Quite a few good ones, actually. It's among the rare few to get Belly Drum and Amnesia, can be bred with Curse to bolster its MightyGlacier status, or can get either Swords Dance or Work Up to just boost its offense. * TookALevelInBadass: ** Gaining an evolution to Lickilicky in Gen IV, notably. ** In Gen V, it gained the Hidden Ability Cloud Nine. While still a little situational, it is an ability that can genuinely be useful, unlike Oblivious and Own Tempo, which guard against statuses that are almost never used in comparison to others. * UselessUsefulSpell: Naturally learns Me First, which is a move that requires the user to move ''before the opponent'' to do anything. Look at [[MightyGlacier its stats]] and guess why it's a not very useful move. * [[WeatherControlMachine Weather Control Creature]]: Its Hidden Ability is Cloud Nine, which negates all effects of weather while its out. * WhipItGood: Naturally learns Power Whip. Naturally learning Wring Out could also count. * YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Lickitung could not learn Lick until Gen II. Averted in later generations, where Lickitung does actually start out with the move. [[/folder]] [[folder:Koffing and Weezing ''(Dogars and Matadogas)'']] [[quoteright:186:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/109-110_6760.png]] Koffing and Weezing are strange Pokémon with origins that are hard to pinpoint. It might be the living manifestation of smog, or it might be a levitating SeaMine. Either way, it's a very good defensive wall, with only a single weakness (once abilities came about in Gen III) and a high defense. It may be odd, but it's also the offical mascot of at least three Pokémon fansites, Website/{{Smogon}} being one example. ---- * ActionBomb: Learns Selfdestruct and Explosion. * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Though not exactly a "moron" unless you consider its role in the anime, you probably wouldn't guess at first that Weezing has a base stat total of 490, the same as Alakazam, Electabuzz, and Kangaskhan, among other heavy hitters. It also has a larger movepool than you might expect, too, including Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, and Thunderbolt. * DeadlyGas: Emits this with Poison Gas and Smog. * {{Emo}}: Weezing looks forever depressed, and you can give it a complete moveset of attacks which either only activate when Weezing is knocked out, or cause it to faint outright. * [[WalkingWasteland Floating Wasteland]]: It stores several toxic gases in its body. * MightyGlacier: Fair offensive stats and great Defense, but pitiful Speed and HP. * MuckMonster: Like the Grimer family, they are animated waste, but not such a literal example. * MultipleHeadCase: Weezing, although the two heads are conjoined. According to a few Pokédex profiles, there are occasionally ''three''-headed Weezings. * OffModel: In the Japanese ''Blue''/international ''Red'' and ''Blue'', Koffing's skull-and-crossbones marking is above its eyes. In every single other official depiction, it's below the mouth. * PerpetualFrowner: Weezing looks like it's never in a good mood. * PerpetualSmiler: Koffing looks like it's always in a good mood. * PinataEnemy: Not normally, but there is a section in the Team Rocket HQ in Gold/Silver and their remakes where you can very easily grind a large number of Geodudes, Voltorbs, and Koffings, which will usually Self-Destruct. Bring a Ghost-type you've been meaning to train and... free levels, yay! * [[PoisonousPerson Poisonous Pokémon]]: Poison-type. * SecretArt: Smog, pre-Generation IV. Although Flareon was able to learn it in Gen I as well. * SignatureMove: Most commonly associated with Smog. * SpellMyNameWithAnS: Since Koffing's Japanese name uses the same kanji as the second half of Weezing's name, it's been spelled as either "Dogas" or "Dogars". "Dogars" appears to be the correct spelling, as evidenced by Roxie's song in the Japanese ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' version of Virbank Gym (which merely spells Koffing's Japanese name over and over) including an "R" in the lyrics. * YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Couldn't learn Poison Gas until Gen 2, despite being the Poison Gas Pokemon. [[/folder]] [[folder:Rhyhorn, Rhydon, and Rhyperior ''(Sihorn, Sidon, and Dosidon)'']] [[quoteright:239:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/111-112-464_2333.png]] ->''Rhyperior debuts in Gen IV'' Rhyhorn and Rhydon vaguely resemble rhinoceros or ceratopian dinosaurs. It's a great physical Pokémon, but its special stats and speed are rather lacking. Its nose horn may draw electrical attacks to it, but luckily, it's immune to the damage due to being a Ground-type (except for in the anime). Rhyperior is basically Rhydon on steroids; it's even chunkier than before, and it's now gained some armor in the form of orange rocks which reduce super-effective damage by a third. ---- * ArmCannon: Rhyperior has gaps in its palms that function as these. * AscendedMeme: Rhydon having the Lightningrod ability, after the infamous moment in the anime where Pikachu defeated a Rhydon by aiming electricity at its horn. * {{Badass}}: Rhydon and Rhyperior both qualify, being incredibly powerful Ground-type mons. Both of them have strategies that can be used to wipe out entire teams. * ConfusionFu: While not as varied, due to its poor Special Attack stat, Rhyhorn and its evolutions have an incredibly diverse movepool, and can use every element but Psychic in one form or another. * DishingOutDirt: Ground and Rock-type. Notably, this line is the only line with this type combo to have Ground as the ''primary'' type. * TheDitz: Rhyhorn is said to be so dumb that it has rocks for brains and [[DelayedReaction can charge into a brick wall and not feel any pain until the next day]]. * ForMassiveDamage: Grass and Water-type attacks. One of Rhyperior's abilities, Solid Rock, reduces damage from such attacks as well as several other weaknesses. * MightyGlacier: Slow, but high Attack and Defense, though Special Defense is terrible. * MythologyGag: Rhydon was the first Pokémon ever created, and appropriately its index number was 1 in Gen 1. * NoSell: Electric-type moves. * NotCompletelyUseless: Since Lightningrod also has the effect of drawing away Electric-type attacks from allies in Double Battles, they can be paired with a Pokémon that is vulnerable to Electric-type attacks (like Gyarados), to keep those attacks from utterly destroying them. * PowerupLetdown: Reckless, which boosts the power of moves with recoil. Too bad the only recoil moves the line can learn are Take Down and Double-Edge. Head Smash would be absolutely devastating with this Ability, but it's only a dream at this point. * PowerupMount: In ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', a Rhyhorn can be ridden on in Route 9. It can also break boulders. The Rhyhorn outside of the player's home can also be ridden on, but it won't go any further than your doorstep. * RhinoRampage: Will charge straight ahead (no matter what -- or who -- is in its path) and only stop when it either hits a wall or [[TheDitz forgets why it's charging in the first place]]. * SecretArt: Rock Wrecker for Rhyperior, although no longer exclusive as of Gen V. * SocializationBonus: Rhydon needs to be traded while holding a Protector in order to evolve. * ThisIsADrill: Rhydon and Rhyperior are the Drill Pokémon, and have drill nose horns. * TookALevelInBadass: Subverted, like Onix and Chansey. While Rhyperior is a solid Pokémon for sure, Rhydon is one of the strongest unevolved Pokémon, and its stats don't change much upon evolution. Thus, it can use Eviolite to make it even bulkier, and sandstorms to make its poor Special Defense somewhat better. Aside from a slight increase in base stats, the main advantage Rhyperior has over its pre-evolution is its ability. * UselessUsefulSpell: Lightningrod is useless in Single Battles because the family is already immune to Electric-type attacks, and even with a boost their Special Attack is terrible. [[/folder]] [[folder:Happiny, Chansey, and Blissey ''(Pinpuku, Lucky, and Happinas)'']] [[quoteright:172:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/113-242-440_9631.png]] ->''Blissey debuts in Gen II, while Happiny debuts in Gen IV'' Chansey is a much sought-after Pokémon. Catching her is literally all up to chance, as she's normally only found in the Safari Zone; an area of the game where you don't battle the Pokémon (thus making them ''very'' hard to capture) and the Pokémon can run away from you at any time. Once caught, though, she can prove to be one of the best special walls in the game. With access to a number of healing moves and ''the'' highest HP stat (and a fantastic special defense) of any Pokémon, she can last for quite a while... unless she has to deal with a Pokémon with strong physical attacks, at which point she's screwed eight ways to Sunday. Unlike Chansey or Blissey, Happiny is too young to lay her own eggs, so instead she carries an egg-shaped rock in her pouch in imitation of her evolved forms. ---- * CombatMedic: Blissey has a usable Special Attack stat and they all get [[FixedDamageAttack Seismic Toss]], so they aren't totally helpless. * ConfusionFu: They have a ''really'' good movepool, with gems like Fire Blast, Blizzard, and Thunder! * CounterAttack: They can be bred to have Counter. If you survive the blow to use it[[note]]Counter requires getting hit with a physical attack, which is one of their {{Dump Stat}}s[[/note]], their high HP stat means something's going to hurt. * CripplingOverspecialization: They are designed for one purpose: to be a damage sponge of the ultimate degree against special attacks. Everything else is not very good, although tricky players can get around this. * DamageSpongeBoss: Chansey and Blissey have absolutely absurd HP. Blissey's base HP is '''255''', which is the highest number a base stat can legitimately be, and Chansey's base HP is just 5 points off from that. At level 100, Blissey's minimum HP is a staggering '''620.''' Maximum HP? '''''714.''''' This actually patches up their horrible Defense, letting them survive anything that isn't boosted by {{Status Buff}}s or a Fighting-type attack that isn't boosted by [=STAB=]. * DivergentCharacterEvolution: Gen V introduced Eviolite, an item that boosts the defenses of the Pokémon holding it by 50% as long as they have the ability to evolve. A Chansey holding it is ''significantly'' bulkier than the already-bulky Blissey, and becomes the ultimate StoneWall against Special Attacks. However, holding it means you have to forgo other items and become dependent on Eviolite, so moves like Knock Off, Trick, and Magic Room will cripple her far more than Blissey. Chansey's bad offenses force her to use [[FixedDamageAttack Seismic Toss]] if she wants to damage something, while Blissey's Special Attack is high enough that she isn't a complete sitting duck against opponents she can hit super effectively with the line's [[ConfusionFu movepool]]. * DumpStat: Their Attack and Defense stats, which are among the lowest in the game. Blissey's are both ''10'' while Happiny's and Chansey's are both '''5'''. * FightOffTheKryptonite: Despite their extremely low Defense, Chansey and Blissey's HP is ''so ridiculously high'' that they can work through it. A [[MinMax Mix-Maxed]] Chansey holding Eviolite can prevent [=OHKOs=] from all but [=STAB=] Close Combat/High Jump Kick levels of power. * FixedDamageAttack: Can learn Seismic Toss to deal damage equal to the user's level, which is ''very'' helpful considering the line's non-existent Attack stat and mediocre Special Attack stat. Once a move tutor move from Gen III, it was made actually breedable onto Chansey in Gen VI, though not onto Happiny for some reason. * FriendToAllLivingThings: Abhors seeing or sensing sadness, and will do whatever she can to make the person or Pokemon who's upset be happy. * HealThyself: Naturally learns Soft-Boiled to restore half of their HP. They can also learn Wish through an event. * HealingFactor: One of their abilities is Natural Cure, which removes StandardStatusEffects upon switching out. * IAmNotPretty: According to the Pokédex, Happiny doesn't like its curly hair. * KryptoniteIsEverywhere: A large number of Pokémon favour overpowering physical attacks, and roughly half of them are Fighting-type or use Fighting-type moves. Needless to say, the Egg Pokémon, with its terrible Defense stat, does not appreciate this. * MagikarpPower: Happiny is an awful Pokemon, but Chansey with Eviolite and Blissey are the two bulkiest Special Walls in the game. * TheMedic: ** Chansey are used as nursing assistants in Pokémon centers, except for Unova in the ''Black and White'' games, where Audino takes her place. ** In-game as well, with a ton of support moves like Heal Pulse, which heals a target for half of its HP, and Aromatherapy, which heals all conditions teammates have. One possible ability is "Healer" which has a chance to heal any Pokémon on your side in double or triple battles. Special mention goes to an event Chansey that has Wish, which heals whatever Pokémon switches out with it next turn, or itself if it doesn't switch. Since Wish restores HP equal to half the user's max HP, most Pokémon will be fully healed by their Wishes thanks to their godly HP stat. * MetalSlime: ** Insanely rare, hard to catch, and prone to fleeing. Bonus points for also having a small chance of holding a very desirable item. They're less rare in Sinnoh, but still ''not'' easy to find. Aside from that guy who gives you a free Happiny egg. ** They weren't as rare in Gen I, as in addition to appearing in the Safari Zone, they could also appear in the Cerulean Cave at an abnormally common rate (5% or 10% chance, depending on what floor you're on and the game). This was changed in ''Fire Red/Leaf Green'', where the only place to get a Chansey in that game (and indeed that entire gen, ''[[VideoGame/PokemonColosseum XD]]'' aside) was the Safari Zone. ** If you're lucky enough to acquire a Friend Safari with Chansey in [[PokemonXAndY Gen VI]], then their rarity is entirely [[AvertedTrope averted]] as you can run into them en masse. They're still difficult to catch however since they know Take Down, usually [=KOing=] themselves with it if you try to use False Swipe to make things easier. * MightyGlacier: In Gen 1, due to the special stat not being split yet, meaning Chansey was as formidable an attacker as she was a wall. * NiceGirl: Incredibly so. * NoSell: To Ghost-type attacks. * NonElemental: Normal-type. * PerpetualSmiler: All three of them. * PokemonSpeak: The Chansey from Copycat's house in Saffron City says "Chann! Sii" in her NPC dialogue. * RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Happiny, full stop. * OneGenderRace: Always female. * ScratchDamage: Foul Play does next to nothing to the line; it uses the target's own Attack stat for the move, while all three have no real Attack stat to speak of (Blissey's base is ''10'', the prior evolutions have '''5'''). * SecretArt: Softboiled, outside of Generation III and [[AllYourPowersCombined Mew]] in Generation I. * StoneWall: Indisputably the best special wall in the game, laughing at any special attackers that aren't swimming in [[StatusBuff Status Buffs]]. While they don't like physical hits very much, a maximum Defense investment makes them surprisingly capable of taking them. * TakingYouWithMe: Since recoil moves [[CastFromHitPoints subtract the user's HP]] based on how much the victim loses to the attack, putting a full-HP Chansey or Blissey in the way of it is a nice way to horribly damage or even knock out anything that uses a powerful recoil move. * TookALevelInBadass: Zig-zagged. The Eviolite item boosts the Defense and Special Defense of Chansey only and not Blissey. Still, Blissey is still considered generally better due to her ability to hold an item (namely, Leftovers), the fact that she isn't [[WeaksauceWeakness utterly crippled by anything that can remove her item]] the way Chansey is, and the fact that Blissey is actually [[CombatMedic capable of doing some damage]], discouraging opposing Pokemon from setting up {{Status Buff}}s when she's around. Chansey is capable of taking some hits better than her evolution, however, so there are still reasons to use her over Blissey. * UselessUsefulSpell: All of the damaging moves they learn via level-up are physical attacks. Which work of the lowest Attack stats in the game. No amount of MinMaxing or {{Status Buff}}s can salvage it; they're that weak. * WeaponOfChoice: The Lucky Punch item increases Chansey's chance to land a CriticalHit. [[/folder]] [[folder:Tangela and Tangrowth ''(Monjara and Mojumbo)'']] [[quoteright:172:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/114-465_3331.png]] ->''Tangrowth debuts in Gen IV'' Tangela was a pretty dull Pokémon back in Gen I; the only notable attribute was that it was a pure Grass type (all the others were dual-types, mostly Grass and Poison), but that wasn't anything to write home about. When Tangrowth was introduced in Gen IV, its usefulness jumped tendfold since it's a great physical wall, and capable of utilizing physical and special moves. ---- * CombatTentacles: Quite notable in this. Can learn Constrict, Bind, and Wring Out, among others, in-game to illustrate this. * DishingOutDirt: Tangela evolves into Tangrowth by learning the Rock-type attack Ancientpower. In addition, evolving gives it more attacks that involve this, such as Earthquake and Rock Slide. * GentleGiant: Despite being unintelligent, Tangrowth is noted to be very friendly. * GreenThumb: Tangela is the only one of the original 151 to be a pure Grass-type. * HealingFactor: ** Gets Regenerator as a Hidden Ability, healing it whenever it switches out. Another ability it gets, Leaf Guard, lets it heal StandardStatusEffects on it when the sun is out. ** It naturally learns Ingrain, which can be further added to with Leech Seed (which it can be bred with), and all three Grass LifeDrain moves that, as of ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'', it can learn naturally. * LightningBruiser: Can turn into this in sunny weather, thanks to its Chlorophyll ability. * MagicKnight: Tangrowth's offensive stats are high and relatively close (100 Attack and 110 Special Attack), allowing it to hit hard from either spectrum or run a mixed offensive set. * MightyGlacier: Decent Attack (both physical and special) and great Defense and HP, but has crippling Special Defense and Speed (though it can patch up the former by having Amnesia bred onto it, and can deal with the latter with its Chlorophyll Ability). * NoSell: To powder-based moves as of Gen VI. * OnlyAFleshWound: One Pokedex entry says that Tangrowth sometimes gets their arms ripped off by predators. It doesn't seem to care or notice (probably because it has a thousand more "arms" in the form of its tentacle-like vines. That, and the fact it can very easily regrow said arms). * StandYourGround: Learns Ingrain, which prevents it from getting switched out, for better or worse. * StandardStatusEffects: Learns the Poisonpowder/Stun Spore/Sleep Powder trio naturally. * TookALevelInBadass: ** Gaining the Tangrowth evolution in Gen IV. By evolving, it gains a fair amount of HP and physical attack, small boosts to its other stats (save Speed, which actually goes down), and a better movepool. ** Gen V gave it Regenerator as a Hidden Ability. * WhipItGood: Naturally learns Vine Whip and Power Whip. * YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Tangela, despite being covered in vines and aptly called the "Vine Pokémon", could not learn Vine Whip until ''Yellow''. * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Naturally learns Block. [[/folder]] [[folder:Kangaskhan ''(Garura)'']] [[quoteright:229:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/115-115m_1029.png]]]] Another Safari Zone exclusive, Kangaskhan is supposed to be a kangaroo, but she also resembles a dinosaur. She's usually depicted with a baby in her pouch. [[MamaBear Don't try and mess with the baby; if you do, she will kill you]]. She, or rather, its child, gained a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y''. In that case, both parent and child will tag team to kill you. ---- * ActionMom: She fights while holding her baby. * [[ActuallyFourMooks Actually Two Mons]]: The mother doesn't change in appearance when Mega Evolving, but the baby "grows" bigger and a bit more mature and can attack as well, making the pair attack twice in the same turn. * BadassAdorable: Its Mega Evolution has the ''baby come out of the pouch and start kicking ass''. This is a Mega Evo so powerful that ''the developer is considering nerfing it''. * BadassAndBaby: Under normal circumstances, the baby is still in the pouch while the mother fights... Unless it goes into its Mega Evolution. * BadassAndChildDuo: Mega Kangaskhan invokes this with the child working in tandem with its mother. * BadassFamily: A single Pokémon manages to count as one. * BoringButPractical: In early generations, Kanghaskhan made for a decent HM Slave, although now it has more uses. * BoxingKangaroo: Knows a variety of punching moves. * CombatPragmatist: Mega Kanghaskhan has no problem attacking twice, which makes it extremely lethal. * ConfusionFu: As is par for a Normal-type, Kangaskhan's movepool is extremely wide, and she can run so many potential sets that Mega Kangaskhan is frightening to battle. * DiscOneNuke: In HG/SS, Kangaskhan was a common Pokémon in early Pokewalker routes, came with Dizzy Punch, and has stats high enough to last you throughout the game. * [[QuadDamage Double Damage]]: Its Mega Evolution gains Parental Bond, which makes it attack twice a turn. Actually not truly doubled, as the child's attack does half as much damage. This ability only lasts for the battle. * [[FailedAttemptAtDrama Failed Attempt At Awesome]]: Just a mild note. During the Mega Evolution cutscene for Kangaskhan, her child is facing at the wrong direction, to which she then turns around before they make the Mega Evolution pose. It's rather cute! * JackOfAllStats: Save for Special Attack, stats are all-around decent with 105/80/80 defenses, 95 ATK, and 90 Speed. * LightningBruiser: Mega Kangaskhan buffs all stats up to 100, save for 125 ATK and 60 Spec. ATK. Coupled with Parental Bond to power all her attacks up 50%, she is terrifyingly powerful. * LittleMissBadass: As Kangaskhan is a female-exclusive species, one can assume the baby fits the trope after Mega Evolving. %%* KickedUpstairs: Like Mega Gengar, Mega Kangaskhan was quickbanned by Smogon; its ability effectively gave her a Base Attack of 217, could break Substitutes, Focus Sashes, and Sturdy, and made the effect of Power-Up Punch activate twice so it could double its attack in one turn with a move that could not be Taunted. Before her ban, her mere presence forced players to [[CripplingOverspecialization to run sub-par teams dedicated entirely to taking it down]], since she had no reliable counters.. * MamaBear: You mess with her baby, you die. * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Having one based off of GenghisKhan is pretty much a given. * NoSell: To Ghost-type attacks. * NonElemental: Normal-type. * OneGenderRace: Always female. * [[OneManArmy One Mon Army]]: With the right build, Mega Kangaskhan can sweep entire teams on her own. * SecretArt: Dizzy Punch, until ''Crystal''. * SuperMode: With a twist; it's not Kangaskhan itself that Mega Evolves, it's the ''baby''. * TookALevelInBadass: ** The baby during the Mega Evolution. It comes out of the mother's pouch and fights alongside her. Gameplay wise, this evolution gets the "Parental Bond" ability, allowing it to hit twice in the same turn. Even with the child's attack being half as strong as its mother's, those Returns ''are going to hurt.'' Substitute won't help, as one of them will break through. ** Even better if a Gen III one can go Mega. Double Body Slam is not something to scoff at, two 127 with STAB and a double shot at a 30% chance at paralysis is something anything not a ghost will not want to take. It can also learn the new Fighting move Power-Up Punch, which boosts attack while doing damage. Combined with Parental Bond, that's effectively a ''Swords Dance'' boost. [[/folder]] [[folder:Horsea ''(Tattu)'', Seadra, and Kingdra]] [[quoteright:192:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/116-117-230_6527.png]] ->''Kingdra debuts in Gen II'' Based on seahorses, Horsea and Seadra were typical water types, although that isn't saying much since there are a lot of water types to choose from. Then Gen II came around and it gained an evolution in the form of Kingdra, and a new typing which leaves it with a big number of resistances. [[TakesOneToKillOne Dragon]] and Fairy are the only types that can be super-effective (minus Freeze Dry), and exploiting the first is risky since Kingdra is likely to pack Dragon-type moves itself. ---- * {{Badass}}: Kingdra qualifies, having a decent range of resistances and great stats to fend off opponents. * BilingualBonus: The Japanese word for "seahorse" roughly translates into "Dragon's Child", explaining why they're called the Dragon Pokémon and why Kingdra is part Dragon-type. * CriticalHitClass: With the change to the critical hit formula in Generation VI, a Kingdra holding a Scope Lens will ''always'' land critical hits after using Focus Energy. As critical hits ignore decreases to the user's attacking stats, this allows Kingdra to spam Draco Meteor with no drawback. This is accentuated by its Sniper ability, which further increases the power of critical hits. * ForMassiveDamage: Kingdra usually takes neutral damage to Ice-type attacks thanks to its Water-typing. However, Freeze Dry is an Ice-type attack that's super effective against Water-types, meaning Kingdra takes 4x damage from it. * GlassCannon: Seadra doesn't have the benefit of increased Special Defense, Health, or the Dragon-typing. * JackOfAllStats: Kingdra's stats are well balanced and somewhat above average, and is the first Dragon-type to withstand their [[KillItWithIce dreaded weakness]]; the only other mons that possess this kind of resistance are Legendaries. In addition, while Kingdra's design suggests a focus on special attacks, it's entirely possible (and possibly easier, thanks to [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]] and the physical/special move split) to run physical sets. * {{Irony}}: Real-life seahorses are the slowest fishes in existience, yet the line can have the Swift Swim ability. * LightningBruiser: Face one with Swift Swim in the rain and you are plain boned. It gets worse in Generation 5, thanks to permanent rain being obtainable to non-legendaries. The fact that Water+Dragon is awesome STAB, resisted only by five Pokémon[[note]]Shedinja, Empoleon, Ferrothorn, Azumarill and Whimsicott[[/note]] helps. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * OurDragonsAreDifferent: Kingdra, who is a seahorse like the rest of its family. And said rest of the family is identified as the Dragon Pokémon in the Pokédex. Makes sense, because Kingdra is based off the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllopteryx Weedy Sea]] '''Dragon'''. * PerpetualFrowner: With its slanted eyes, Seadra looks like it's in a bad mood all the time. * [[PoisonousPerson Poisonous Pokémon]]: Not Poison-type, but Seadra can have the Poison Point ability, which has a chance of inflicting poison when hit with "contact" moves. Multiple Pokédex entries reference this fact. * SeahorsesAreDragons: As expected of eastern media, the idea of seahorses having draconic qualities are particularly strong in Pokémon. Though only Kingdra is actually a dragon type. * SeahorseSteed: Technically, since they can be taught Surf. * SocializationBonus: Seadra needs to be traded while holding a Dragon Scale in order to evolve. However, Kingdra are rare wild encounters in some games. * TechnicolorEyes: Horsea and Kingdra. * TookALevelInBadass: ** Generation II gave an okay Water-type a much stronger evolution with an awesome typing. ** Generation V made Drizzle available to a non-legendary Pokémon, which means that Kingdra is ''brutal'' in the rain with Swift Swim. ** While the nerf to Drizzle in Generation VI means Swift Swim Kingdra isn't as powerful as it use to be, ''Sniper'' Kingdra is a different story. Critical hits will always occur if it's raised by three stages, meaning if a Kingdra with a Scope Lens (+1) uses Focus Energy (+2), ''all of its attacks become critical hits''. Not only does this allow Kingdra to use Draco Meteor with no downsides, with the boost from Sniper, all of Kingdra's attacks do 125% more damage than usual and ignore the opponent's defense boosts. * WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Kingdra doesn't have much in the way of type coverage because Water and Dragon deal at least neutral damage to all but five Pokémon. [[/folder]] [[folder:Goldeen and Seaking ''(Tosakinto and Azumao)'']] [[quoteright:159:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/118-119_3831.png]] These Pokémon are goldfish with horns on their heads; what else can be said about them, besides the fact that they naturally learn an HM move? ---- * ElementalAbsorption: With Lightning Rod, not only is it immune to Electric moves, it gains a boost to its Special Attack, which actually brings it up to the level of its physical Attack. * FragileSpeedster: Can become this with its Swift Swim ability. * GlassCannon: Its best stat is its physical Attack. Its other stats are average at best. * HealingFactor: Naturally learns Aqua Ring. * HornAttack: Learns several attacks evidently based around use of its horn, such as Fury Attack, Megahorn, Poison Jab (though that needs to be relearned), and, of course, [[CaptainObvious Horn Attack]]. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * NoSell: ** Its Water Veil Ability renders it immune to burns. ** Its Hidden Ability of Lightningrod lets it take Electric attacks with no problem. * SecretArt: Waterfall, in the first Generation. Even to this day, Goldeen and Seaking are the only two Pokémon that can learn it by leveling up, putting them among the very, very few Pokémon that can learn [=HMs=] by such method, alongside Salamence and Rayquaza (Fly), and the 5 families that can learn Dive, and the few Pokémon that could learn Whirlpool when it was still an HM (although the first Pokémon who could learn it were in Generation III where it was no longer an HM, it regained its HM status during [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver HeartGold and SoulSilver]], before losing it again in Gen V). * StatusBuff: Can clear all of these on the field with Haze, which it can be bred with. * ThisIsADrill: Learns [[OneHitKO Horn Drill]] naturally, and can get Drill Run from Move Tutors. * TookALevelInBadass: Got the improved Lightning Rod in the fifth gen, transforming one of its weaknesses into an immunity. * UselessUsefulSpell: A user of the Soak move, which turns the target into a Water-type. Like most Pokemon that get the move, it can't really abuse it much. [[/folder]] [[folder:Staryu ''(Hitodeman)'' and Starmie]] [[quoteright:149:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/120-121_6420.png]] Staryu and Starmie are very unusual Pokémon. Unlike real starfish, which move by creeping along the bottom, Staryu and Starmie are best known for whipping around at high speeds like shuriken. They also have amazing healing powers, but don't have much in the way of a face, which is just a glowing red gem and the source of their power. Starmie is part Psychic-type as well, and learns a variety of attacks: it can go on an all-out offensive with Hydro Pump, Psychic, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam (to name a few options), or can play as a quick defender that can spin away hazards. ---- * {{Badass}}: Starmie is very tough and has a decent movepool to compliment its stats. * BoringButPractical: Very good for spinning away hazards, which can be a real problem for teams. * ConfusionFu: Just TRY guessing what its movepool is. * CoolButInefficient: Starmie is ''way'' too fast to be able to make good use of Analytic, its Hidden Ability (which boosts the power of moves if the user goes last). * EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Starmie has another star attached to its back that is constantly spinning, which it uses to propel itself along. They also learn moves such as Rapid Spin. * TheFaceless: The closest thing it has is the gem in the center. * {{Foil}}: To the Shellder line. * HealingFactor: Can regenerate any part of its body as long as the core is intact, learns the move Recover, and can have the Natural Cure ability. * JackOfAllTrades: While its base stats easily favor various LightningBruiser special-based builds, its absurdly broad movepool allow it to do nearly anything - even both agility-based (Minimize/Recover) and defense-based (Cosmic Power/Recover) StoneWall builds. Its only real flaw is its comparatively low hit points, and the various HealingFactor moves handle that. * LightningBruiser: Fast and powerful with decent defenses and the ability to heal itself. * MakingASplash: Water-type. It also commonly uses [[KillItWithIce Ice Beam]] and, somehow, [[ShockAndAwe Thunderbolt]], in addition to the usual Water and Psychic moves. * NoBiologicalSex: One of the only examples of a fully biological, non-legendary Pokémon to be this. * NotCompletelyUseless: As Analytic boosts the user's attacks if it moves last, if the opponent switches out, it'll get the Analytic boost, since switching always happens first each turn. * PinataEnemy: Starting in Generation II, they have a chance of holding [[VendorTrash Stardust and Star Pieces]]. * PowerCrystal: The gem in the center. * PsychicPowers: Starmie. * PunnyName: Star'''yu''', Star'''mie''' ("You" and "Me") * PurpleIsPowerful: Starmie's Special Attack and Speed are nothing to sneeze at. * SecretArt: Camouflage (Generation III only). * ShownTheirWork: In real life, starfish/sea stars can actually regenerate body parts as long as the central disc is intact, and can even grow into multiples of the original if cut in half! This matches its HealingFactor abilities quite well. * StarfishAliens: Literally. * SupernaturalIsPurple: Starmie. [[/folder]] [[folder:Mime Jr. and Mr. Mime ''(Manene and Barrierd)'']] [[quoteright:149:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/122-439_7396.png]] ->''Mime Jr. debuts in Gen IV'' Mr. Mime is a clown Pokémon with a talent for mimicking and miming. It is especially talented at creating transparent walls, which is very useful for repeling attacks. The English name Mr. Mime may imply that it's supposed to be male, but they can be either male or female. In the Gen I games, there was an NPC who was willing to trade their Mr. Mime for an Abra, and it was the only way to get it. In later generations it became more common, and it even received a baby with the name Mime Jr., going with the theme of having a title in their name. Just like its evolved form, it's good at mimicking people and Pokémon. It became part Fairy in Gen VI. ---- * BarrierWarrior: Mr. Mime is heavily associated with this, and learns Reflect, Light Screen, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Barrier]], Quick Guard, Wide Guard, and Safeguard naturally. * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: It may be slightly silly and have subpar stats as Mr. Mime, but it has a wide movepool and can wreak havoc on an unsuspecting foe with high Special Attack and Speed. The becoming part Fairy Type has helped it a lot. * CrutchCharacter: If you haven't raised a Kadabra, you'll be relying on Mr. Mime for a lot of the Pokémon Tower to deal with the Ghost-types in it. After that, Mr. Mime tends not to be that useful and many players will opt to replace it. * DittoFighter: to a certain extent, as Mime Jr. can learn Mimic (the requisite for its evolution into Mr. Mime), as expected from the ''Mime'' Pokémon. * EnemyMime: These mimes can set up Reflect and Light Screen. * EvilLaugh: Mr. Mime's cry in the Stadium games. * {{Foil}}: By Generation VI, it's very clear that it's this to the Jynx line. They're both now dual-typed Psychic-type Pokémon, with a baby form, similar base stat total (Mr. Mime is only 5 points higher than Jynx), and who could only acquired in Gen I by an in-game trade. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: High Special and Speed stats to make up for low HP and mediocre physical defense. Its signature Filter ability slightly decreases its vulnerability, but not by much. Its Special Defense is extremely high, though, reaching the top 25 highest of all Pokemon, being topped only by [[OlympusMons Legendary Pokemon]] and [[StoneWall dedicated walls]]. Though again, that's somewhat mitigated by its subpar HP. * MonsterClown: When it's attacking you. * NoSell: Soundproof makes it immune to sound-based moves, and as a Fairy-type, it's immune to Dragon. * OurFairiesAreDifferent: As of Generation VI, they are part Fairy-type. ** TheFairFolk: In addition to being [[UncannyValley rather unnatural-looking]], one of Mr. Mime's Pokédex entries implies this. --> It is adept at conning people. It is said to be able to create walls out of thin air by miming. * PerpetualSmiler: Mime Jr. * PsychicPowers: Psychic-type. * SecretArt: [[BarrierWarrior Barrier]] * ShesAManInJapan: The English localization turned Barrierd, a gender-neutral name, into Mr. Mime, implying a OneGenderRace, back when there wasn't gender data. Nob Osagawara, the translator of the games up to ''Platinum'' and a member of SomethingAwful under the name Doug Dinsdale, revealed that he said naming it Mr. Mime would come to bite them in the ass if gender is ever introduced. [[http://lparchive.org/Pokemon-Platinum/Update%2030/ Scroll to the bottom for what he said.]] * SquishyWizard: It hits hard and fast, but it can't hold its own when the time comes, and even at higher levels its HP is considerably lower than that of some Psychic types. * TookALevelInBadass: In Gen VI, it gains the Fairy-type, meaning that Dragon-type moves cannot hurt it and that Dark and Bug-type moves are normal effectiveness, instead of super effective. Its stats may still be subpar, but it is definitely something to watch out for compared to beforehand. [[/folder]] [[folder:Scyther and Scizor ''(Strike and Hassam)'']] [[quoteright:280:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/123-212-212m_9974.png]]]] ->''Scizor debuts in Gen II'' Savage mantis bug-types, Scyther and Scizor have a lot of fans, and for good reason. Scyther is a green person-sized Pokémon with a raptor-like head and scythes for arms. It's a pretty cool Pokémon, but it suffers a bit for being a Bug/Flying type. It later gained an evolved form in Scizor. It loses its dinosaur-like characteristics and its blinding speed, but it more then makes up for it in terms of attack, defenses, resistances, and moves. It was exclusive to the ''Red'' version in its debut generation. Scizor is one of several Pokémon to receive a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y''. Mega Scizor's claws become serrated and it also gains more armor. ---- * AchillesHeel: Fire is the ''only'' type that does better than neutral damage to Scizor. * ActionInitiative: What's a Scizor without Bullet Punch? * {{Badass}}: In both forms! * BigCreepyCrawlies: Person-sized ninja mantis-dinosaurs. * BlowYouAway: Scyther * BoringButPractical: Scizor has a fairly limited movepool and an even more limited variety of sets that it uses, but it's hits like a train, has an excellent defensive dual-typing that, aside from Fire, makes every type hit it for neutral at best, and has access to a fantastic Ability that gives a 50% base power bonus to any attack with a base power of 60 or lower. Coupled with the fact that every generation has introduced more items, moves, and gameplay elements that are nothing but kind to it, Scizor is something that will always be boring and unexciting, but undeniably good at destroying things and making game-changing plays. * ChainsawGood: Mega Scizor's claws sort of resemble chainsaws. * DiscardAndDraw: Scyther evolving to Scizor in two ways: ** Scyther looses its Flying type in exchange for gaining a Steel type ** It looses Speed, but it gets boosts in Attack and Defense. The amount of speed it looses equals to the total gain in its attack and defense. * DivergentCharacterEvolution: ** With Pinsir. They started as direct counterparts as version exclusive large Bug Pokémon that didn't suck, but then Scyther got an evolution, and Pinsir became part of a JapaneseBeetleBrothers duo with Heracross. Because of this choice they had to diverge even further in Gen IV. Mega Heracross and Mega Scizor still match up, but Mega Pinsir stands alone because since Scyther is technically unevolved it can't use Mega Stones. ** Within the same species, Scyther is a GlassCannon, while Scizor is a MightyGlacier, and the former is quite a usable Pokémon even though it's unevolved (in fact, the stat total '''DOESN'T CHANGE''' upon evolution), so 2 identical Scythers will end up playing quite differently if one is evolved and the other is not. * ExtraOreDinary: Scizor. Notably, it was one of the few Pokemon that happily carried a Steel-type attack around before Gen VI improved Steel's viability as an offensive type. * ForMassiveDamage: Rock-type attacks to Scyther. Fire-type attacks to Scizor. * {{Flight}}: Scyther (although it can't learn Fly). Scizor's ability to do so is subject to FlipFlopOfGod. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Scyther is this unless playing against other unevolved Pokémon: It has great Attack and Speed, but it edges on a double subversion in that it has about average defenses, and has a crippling weakness to Rock, a common attacking type. * HealThyself: Both can learn Roost. Scizor is notable in that it is neither a Flying type nor does it have the ability Levitate, and thus ignores Roost's normal side effects (not being Flying type/negating Levitate for the turn it's used). * {{Irony}}: The anime Pokedex entry in episode 42 states that Scyther and Electabuzz are enraged by the color red. Guess what color a Scyther becomes when it evolves into Scizor? Shinies, naturally, are excluded. * MightyGlacier: ** Scizor has a high Attack stat, good Defense, decent Special Defense, and only 1 weakness. However, it's slow and said weakness is easy to exploit since it takes [[ForMassiveDamage x4 damage]] from it. ** Mega Scizor is bulkier than ''[[StoneWall Skarmory]]'' while still being stronger than normal Scizor. * {{Ninja}}: Scyther has a ninja-esque motif. * NinjaPirateZombieRobot: They're human-sized ninja-styled preying mantises. And one of them is made of metal, while the other resembles some form of dinosaur. * NoSell: Scyther to Ground-type moves, Scizor to Poison-type moves. * OutOfCharacterMoment: The irony of Scyther being portrayed in ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' as flying during a battle when its Pokedex entry in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue FireRed]]'' and ''X'' specifically states that they rarely spread their wings to fly. * PoorPredictableRock: Scizor's natural movepool is... shallow. There's maybe 10 moves that are viable on it and you'll pretty much always see it with Bullet Punch. * PowerPincers: Scizor * PowerupLetdown: Scizor's Hidden Ability, Light Metal. It halves Scizor's weight (and unlike the move Autotomize which also halves the weight, Light Metal doesn't grant a speed boost by two stages), but the common moves that deal damage based on weight (E.G Grass Knot and Low Kick) are moves that Scizor isn't bothered by in the first place, and it makes Scizor even more vulnerable to [[KillItWithFire Heat]] [[ForMassiveDamage Crash]]. * TheSameButMore: Mega Scizor is pretty much normal Scizor on steroids, as its still a MightyGlacier and even has the same ability. * {{Samurai}}: Scizor fittingly has some samurai-ish traits. * SecretArt: Metal Claw for Scizor, until ''Pokémon Crystal'', when Sneasel could learn it too. Afterwards it became more widespread. * {{Sinister Scythe}}s [[BladeBelowTheShoulder As Hands]]: Moreso Scyther, though Scizor can count as well with its scissorhand pincers. * SocializationBonus: Needs to be traded in order to evolve. * SuperMode: Gained a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y''. * TookALevelInBadass: ** ''Platinum'' gave Scizor [[ActionInitiative Bullet Punch]], which is one of the strongest priority attacks in the series after being boosted by Technician, [=STAB=], and Scizor's high attack stat. Both got more power Bug attacks in X-Scissor, [[HitAndRunTactics U-turn]], and Bug Bite (the last of which is boosted by Technician) and could also be taught [[HealThyself Roost]] to heal up if they wanted. ** Gen V introduced Eviolite, which gives unevolved Pokemon a 50% boost to both defensive stats (and thus a reason to use Scyther). ** Gen VI gave Scizor a Mega Evolution that makes it ''even bulkier''. * TurnsRed: Not made use of often, being overshadowed by Technician and all, but both can make use of the Swarm Ability to boost its Bug-type attacks while it's at low health. * WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Scizor's movepool may be limited, but it gives it exactly what it needs to wreak havoc on the opponent while still being able to deal massive damage to a variety of Pokémon. It can also be improved with the use of [=TMs=]. * XtremeKoolLetterz: Scizor (Scissor). * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Can learn Pursuit, which deals extra damage when the opponent attempts to switch Mons. Also gets boosted by Technician if the opponent doesn't switch. [[/folder]] [[folder:Smoochum and Jynx ''(Muchul and Rougela)'']] [[quoteright:137:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/124-238_2067.png]] ->''Smoochum debuts in Gen II'' Lots of things can be said about Jynx. It's an Ice/Psychic Pokémon with poor attack and defense, but wonderful special stats and speed. It's got a lot in common with other human-shaped Pokémon. It's been compared to Mr. Mime (both were only available in in-game trades and both are Psychic-types that look similar and have similar stat totals) and Magmar and Electabuzz (they form a [[FireIceLightning Fire, Ice, and Lightning trio]], and they all received babies in Gen II). Their kisses can confuse or put its target to sleep. Jynx became the subject of controversy for allegedly promoting racist UnfortunateImplications against black people, so its [[{{Blackface}} black "skin"]] was changed to purple skin. ---- * AnIcePerson: Ice-type. * CombatClairvoyance: Gets the Forewarn Ability, which points out the most powerful move the opponent has when Jynx is switched in. * DarkSkinnedBlonde: Much more noticable before Jynx's redesign, but this trait still remains for Smoochum and Jynx. * DistaffCounterpart: To Mr. Mime (despite its sexual ratio), AND to Magmar and Electabuzz (despite them also being able to be females). * DivergentCharacterEvolution: Originally part of a FireIceLightning trio with Magmar and Electabuzz, but because it didn't get an evolved form at the same time as they did, it has since become more of a feminine counterpart to Mr. Mime. * ElementalPunch: Can learn Ice Punch. Notably, in Gen I, it was the only Pokémon aside from Hitmonchan to learn the move. * {{Foil}}: See the Mr. Mime entry. * ForMassiveDamage: Jynx's Dry Skin sadly has the drawback of giving her a major weakness to Fire attacks. Not a double weakness, but it definitely hurts. * FragileSpeedster: Is pretty quick, though it's not too difficult to find Pokémon that can outspeed her. * HealingFactor: In the rain, if she has Dry Skin. Smoochum can also heal off status effects in the rain. * InnocentFanserviceGirl: Smoochum will kiss anything that grabs her interest. * NoSell: Jynx to Water attacks if she has Dry Skin, or Attract and Taunt effects if she has the Oblivious Ability. * OneGenderRace: Always female. * PsychicPowers: Psychic-type. * PurpleIsTheNewBlack: The result of her change of skin color mentioned below. * {{Retcon}}: Jynx's skin was changed from black to purple due to complaints that she was offensive to black people (even though the black is actually a void, not her skin color, kind of like how Tangela is just two eyes peeking from a void). This is possibly why Smoochum was introduced. * SecretArt: [[StandardStatusEffects Lovely Kiss]] for Jynx. * [[SquishyWizard Squishy Witch]]: Impressive Special Attack that can be boosted further with Nasty Plot. While her Special Defense is actually pretty good, her HP is lacking, and her terrible Defense ensures that she'll fold to a beating in no time. [[note]]For comparison, Jynx's Defense is on par with ''Caterpie.'' She's actually more frail than Alakazam![[/note]] * SupernaturalIsPurple: After Jynx's skin was turned to purple. * TookALevelInBadass: Gen V gave Jynx the Hidden Ability Dry Skin. Not only does she actually have an Ability that can be consistently useful, she can take advantage of the now much more common rain, and can potentially overcome her Stealth Rock weakness by switching in on a [[MakingASplash water attack]], allowing her to immediately heal back the damage. * TheUnintelligible: Jynx's cries sound human, but nobody can figure out what they mean. In the ''Mystery Dungeon'' games, Jynx's quotes are all gibberish. * WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: A common strategy for Jynx mostly revolves around buffing her with [[StatusBuff Nasty Plot]] (using Lovely Kiss and sometimes Substitute to buy time to do so), then [[KillItWithIce blasting everything with Ice Beam]] (and Psychic). * {{Youkai}}: Jynx is ''probably'' based on a combination of the Yama-Uba, a mountain crone/witch with dark skin and white hair (explaining its unusual typing of psychic/ice), and [[SubculturesInJapan Yamanba]], a subculture named for its resemblance to said crone. Of course, since this was a distinctly Japanese cultural reference, it [[BlackFace didn't]] [[UnfortunateImplications translate]] [[EverythingIsRacist very well]]. * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Naturally learns Mean Look, which pairs very well with [[OneHitKO Perish Song]], also learned naturally. [[/folder]] [[folder:Elekid, Electabuzz ''(Eleboo)'', and Electivire ''(Elekible)'']] [[quoteright:194:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/125-239-466_8227.png]] ->''Elekid debuts in Gen II, while Electivire debuts in Gen IV'' The Electabuzz family are yellow and black-striped Pokémon that have great control over electricity. If they have a basis though, they appear to be based on Oni of Japanese legend. Their best moves involve pummeling their opponents with electrified fists. They seem to be direct counterparts to the Magmar family. They were only found in the ''Red'' version in their debut generation. ---- * {{Acrofatic}}: Electivire can move pretty fast despite its bulky frame and weighing over 300 pounds. * AnIcePerson: In a way. Until Gen IV, this line was the only one among Electric-types that could learn an Ice-type move outside of Hidden Power to counter most types resistant to Electric moves. But to this day it remains the only Electric-type line able to learn Ice Punch, which is a much better alternative to the Shinx line's Ice Fang. * AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: Elekid having a plug-like head, Electivire having a socket on its back and live-wire twin tails. * {{Badass}}: Electivire, a brutal and intimidating Pokémon with amazing strength, movepool, and Ability. In addition, two of the anime's strongest and most memorable rivals - Paul and Gary - have trained Electivire, and those Electivire are some of the strongest Pokémon in their teams. * BerserkButton: Electabuzz cannot ''stand'' the color red, according to the anime. * CartoonCreature: There are features from quite a few different creatures in Electabuzz's design - monkeys, cats, humans, Sasquatch... * ElementalAbsorption: Using an Electric move on a Motor Drive Electivire just gives it a Speed boost. * ElementalPunch: In Gen I, was the only Pokemon, aside from Hitmonchan, to learn Thunderpunch. Unlike the other two Pokemon it's frequently associated with, Electabuzz can learn all three elemental punches. * EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Elekid spin their arms around to charge up electricity. Electabuzz spins up its arms to increase the power of its punches; unfortunately, this gives the target enough time to run away. * FireIceLightning: In Gen II, Jynx was somewhat included as a trio with it and Magmar, evolving from its baby form at Level 30 like them, in moveset Jynx was actually more similar to Magmar than Electabuzz was, and each of them are closely associated with one of the three {{Elemental Punch}}es. Subsequent generations have focused on Jynx as a {{Foil}} to the Mr. Mime line, however, while Electabuzz and Magmar became even closer. * {{Foil}}: To the Magmar line. The stat totals of their members are very similar[[note]]Magmar just five points higher than Electabuzz, Electivire and Magmortar are the same[[/note]], just distributed differently, their movesets are mirror images learning moves with similar effects at the same levels, they evolve in the same manner as each other, and are sometimes version exclusive. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Electabuzz has high Speed and offensive stats, but low defenses and HP. * {{Irony}}: See Scyther and Scizor's entry. Also, in the original Red and Blue (and the remakes), guess which game they were exclusive to. * LightningBruiser: Electivire if it has the Motor Drive ability, which boosts its Speed when hit with an Electric attack. And even without that boost, at 95 Speed it's still far from slow. * LightningFireJuxtaposition: Has this with the Magmar line. * LivingBattery: Scientists are looking into utilizing Electabuzz in this way. * MightyGlacier: Electivire has even better Attack and higher Defense and HP than Electabuzz, but lower Speed. * NoSell: ** Electivire is immune to Electric attacks, thanks to Motor Drive. As of Generation VI the line is immune to paralysis. ** Its Hidden Ability of Vital Spirit keeps it from being put to Sleep. * PsychoElectro: Natures aside, this family is said to have less-than-friendly dispositions. * SecretArt: Electivire's Motor Drive, until Gen V. * SocializationBonus: Electabuzz needs to be traded while holding an Electirizer in order to evolve. * ShockAndAwe: Electric-type. * TailSlap: Electivire is said to use its twin tails in combat. [[/folder]] [[folder:Magby, Magmar, and Magmortar ''(Booby, Boober, and Booburn)'']] [[quoteright:214:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/126-240-467_5024.png]] ->''Magby debuts in Gen II, while Magmortar debuts in IV'' Despite being in the humanshape egg group, Magmar and its kin don't seem to look human-like at all, seemingly having more in common with duck-billed dinosaurs. They're nominally based on a bird (the booby) but are more like anthromorphic personifications of fire itself. They've usually appeared alongside the Electabuzz family. They were only found in the ''Blue'' version in their debut generation. ---- * ArmCannon: Magmortar has two and retracts its claws before using them in some materials. * {{Badass}}: Magmortar is very tough and dangerous, with a decent movepool to boot and cover its weaknesses. * ElementalPunch: Naturally learns Fire Punch and Thunderpunch (though the latter is only on Magmortar and needs to be relearned). Notably, was the only Pokemon outside of Hitmonchan to learn Fire Punch in Gen I. * {{Foil}}: To Electabuzz, as described above. * FragileSpeedster: Magmar has a good Speed stat of 93, but its Defense isn't very good. * GlassCannon: Magmar has all around decent Attack, Special Attack, and Special Defense, but poor Defense. Magmortar has even higher Special Attack and better defenses, but its physical Defense is still low. * IncendiaryExponent: Magmar and Magmortar's bodies are on fire. * FireIceLightning: With Electabuzz and Jynx. * LightningFireJuxtaposition: With the Electabuzz line. * MagmaMan: In addition to fire moves (including Lava Plume), it also learns Earthquake. * MightyGlacier: Magmortar is slower but has higher Special Attack and defenses. Defense still isn't that great though, and unlike Electivire, it is slower at 83 Speed, though this is still above average, even among fully evolved Pokemon. * NoSell: To sleep-inducing moves if it has its Hidden Ability of Vital Spirit. * PlayingWithFire: Fire-type. * SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: Magmortar in its Platinum sprite and official artwork. * ShockAndAwe: Magmortar is the only non-legendary Fire-type to be able to learn Thunderbolt. * SocializationBonus: Magmar needs to be traded while holding a Magmarizer in order to evolve. * StatusBuff: A rare user of Belly Drum, letting it make better use of its decent physical Attack and physical movepool. It can also be bred with Barrier, allowing it to potentially patch up its poor Defense. * StatusBuffDispel: ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' gave it Clear Smog, which lets it clear all Status Buffs off of any opponent it hits. * WreathedInFlames: Its Flame Body Ability gives it a chance to inflict a burn onto any opponent that physically strikes it. [[/folder]] [[folder:Pinsir ''(Kailios)'']] [[quoteright:243:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/127-127m_6745.png]]]] A stag beetle with two oversized horns, which act much like pincers. It likes to crush things with them, and anything it can't crush, it tosses far away. [[strike:This Pokémon is ''evil''.]] It's the version counterpart to Scyther, and can be found in ''Blue'' versions in its debut generation. In later generations, it became the version counterpart to Heracross. In ''X and Y'', Pinsir gained a Mega Evolution. Its Mega Evolution gains the ability to fly and an Ability that turns Normal-type attacks into supercharged Flying-type attacks. Now nowhere is safe. ---- * AlwaysAccurateAttack: One of the few Pokemon to learn Vital Throw, and naturally learns it to boot. * {{Badass}}: Pinsir is extremely dangerous, especially with its Mega-Evolution. * BigCreepyCrawlies: Bug-type beetle. * BlowYouAway: Its Mega Evolution becomes Bug/Flying. Its ability also turns all its Normal-typed moves into the Flying type. * CastFromHitPoints: One of the few Pokemon to learn Submission, though the move is [[UselessUsefulSpell really pretty useless]] considering Pinsir can also learn Close Combat. Mega Pinsir (once transferred through Pokébank) can use Double-Edge, which becomes a '''''156''''' base power Flying attack ''before'' STAB through Aerilate. Naturally, this can wear it out quickly. * CriticalHit: One of only two Pokemon to learn Storm Throw, which always gets a crit (provided a move or Ability isn't preventing crits). * DivergentCharacterEvolution: ** It use to be the version counterpart to Scyther, as both of them were Bug-type Pokémon that were actually good, until Scyther got an evolution. After that, it became part of a JapaneseBeetleBrothers duo with Heracross. ** It diverges from Heracross in their Mega Evolutions. While Mega Heracross is more of a MightyGlacier, Mega Pinsir is a LightningBruiser, ironically playing quite similarly to Scyther. * ForMassiveDamage: Rock-type attacks for Mega Pinsir. However, it isn't hindered by Stealth Rock as much as other Pokémon with a 4X weakness to Rock since it can only transform after Stealth Rock has been activated. However, since Mega Evolutions remain until a given battle is over, it's a bad idea to switch Mega Pinsir out when Stealth Rock is around, unless you have a means of getting rid of it before sending Mega Pinsir back in. * GlassCannon: Pinsir has been reduced to this as of the last few gens, thanks to the PowerCreep of recent generations making it more and more easily outsped, and more powerful attackers making its low HP more glaring. Its Mega Evolution's Speed and Defense are much better. * JapaneseBeetleBrothers: A Kuwagatamushi, Heracross being the Kabutomushi. * KillStreak: Its Hidden Ability is Moxie, which boosts its Attack for every opponent it knocks out. * LightningBruiser: What it was originally. Its Mega Evolution gains 20 points to its Speed and defenses, and 30 points to its Attack, effectively allowing it to regain the title. * NoSell: ** Its Hyper Cutter Ability lets it ignore attempts to lower its Attack. ** Defied by its other ability Mold Breaker, which lets it ignore any Abilities on its opponents that would let them NoSell Pinsir's attacks. ** Mega Pinsir is immune to Ground-type attacks thanks to becoming part Flying-type. * OneHitKO: Naturally learns Guillotine. * PowerGivesYouWings: It gains wings when it Mega Evolves, becoming part Flying-type in the process. * PowerPincers: On its head. * SuperMode: Gained a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y''. It gained [[BlowYouAway a new type]], along with an ability that changes all normal moves to flying. It might have finally caught that break. * TookALevelInBadass: Mega Pinsir hits ''insanely'' hard. Aerilate also gives it ridiculous Flying STAB, with Quick Attack and Feint for priority and Return and Thrash for brute power; Thrash reaches a power of 150, making it stronger than Giga Impact from a normal Pokémon without having to spend a turn recharging. And if you're really feeling ambitious, Giga Impact is powered up too, reaching almost 300 power. * WrestlerInAllOfUs: Not a Fighting type, but learns more Fighting moves than Bug ones. [[note]]The only Bug-type moves it learns? X-Scissor, Struggle Bug, and Bug Bite.[[/note]] [[/folder]] [[folder:Tauros ''(Kentauros)'']] [[quoteright:103:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/128_9688.png]] A Safari Zone exclusive in ''Red'', ''Green'', ''Blue'', and ''Yellow''. Due to how rare he is in the Safari Zone, he is usually the very last guy you needed to complete your Pokédex (unless Chansey was really living up to her name). He has a very good attack stat, but what's most surprising is his speed. This made him a top-tier Pokémon back in the color generation. ---- * ALoadOfBull: The wild bull Pokémon. * {{Badass}}: Tauros is very powerful with diverse attacks, a great ability, and strong stats for a physical sweeper. * LightningBruiser: Fast, strong, has good defenses, only the Special Attack is lacking, and that is only ''after'' the special split. * MultipleTailedBeast: Has quite a lot. * {{Nerf}}: In Generation I, Tauros was one of the best Pokémon in the game, with access to STAB Hyper Beam (in Gen I, if Hyper Beam KO'd the opponent you didn't need to skip a turn recharging), Earthquake for coverage, access to Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard coming off a decent Special stat, and a great combination of Attack and Speed (most things that outclassed it in one stat fell short in the other). Generation II removed that Hyper Beam loophole and split Special into Special Attack and Special Defense, in the process cutting Tauros' Special offense from 70 to 40. These two changes robbed it of a lot of its offensive power, and since then it's fallen victim to PowerCreep as the game has evolved with new strategies and new Pokémon have been introduced. Tauros is by no means weak, but it's not the titan it was in its heyday either. * NonElemental: Normal-type. * NonIndicativeName: His Japanese name means centaur. * NoSell: Being Normal-type, it doesn't care about Ghost attacks. * OneGenderRace: Always male, which makes it a little tricky to obtain a good one with its Hidden Ability (though SaveScumming helps). * RatedMForManly: Made to look badass. * SpearCounterpart: To Miltank. * StandardStatusEffects: Its Hidden Ability of Sheer Force defies this, as any attack that has a chance of inflicting one of these forgoes that chance to gain a power boost instead (In addition to ignoring the recoil from Life Orb when using such attacks). A shame the Special half of its movepool became useless to it after Gen I... * TookALevelInBadass: Gen V gave it the Sheer Force ability, giving its attacks a lot more punch. * UnstoppableRage: Tauros is one of the few Pokémon with the ability Anger Point. When he gets hit by a CriticalHit and survives, his attack gets ''quadrupled''. * UselessUsefulSpell: Tauros has access to [[FireIceLightning Fire Blast, Blizzard, and Thunder]], and their weaker counterparts Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt, and it also has access to Water Pulse in the games where it's a TM. Unfortunately coming from a measly 40 Special Attack, they aren't going to do much. * YouWillNotEvadeMe: Naturally learns Pursuit, which can deal a hefty hit to an opponent that's trying to switch out on the turn its used. [[/folder]] [[folder:Magikarp ''(Koiking)'' and Gyarados]] [[quoteright:350:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/129-130-130m_5386.png]]]] Magikarp is infamous for being completely useless, so many don't bother to use it. Many others ''do'' bother, though, because it evolves into Gyarados, one of the best Pokémon in existence. Patience really does pay off. With an awesome Attack stat, Intimidate, powerful physical STAB, respectable speed, good Special Defense, and a solid movepool, Gyarados is perfectly capable of wrecking ''anything'' in its way. Electric-type attacks are your best bet to take down this leviathan. Gyarados is capable of Mega evolving in ''X and Y'', where it swaps its Flying typing for a Dark typing. Truly terrifying. ---- * AchillesHeel: Electric attacks (And Freeze Dry) will absolutely devastate Gyarados. Unless it Mega Evolves mid-attack. * AlwaysChaoticEvil: Natures aside, Gyarados is pretty much pissed as soon as it evolves. When it's pissed, it destroys everything around it. It only stops being pissed when it's already destroyed everything around it. Go figure. X and Y really hammered it home by making it gain a Dark typing upon Mega Evolution [[spoiler:and having said Mega Evolution used by the game's BigBad.]] * TheArtifact: Gyarados still learns Hyper Beam naturally, even though the Physical/Special split has made the move nearly useless to it; especially ironic in hindsight are the Japanese Pokedex entries that boasted of the incinerating power of this move. * AxCrazy: Infamous for flying into destructive rages at the drop of a hat that frequently result in the destruction of entire ''cities''. * {{Badass}}: Gyarados boasts amazing offensive stats, respectable defenses, and a devastating movepool. [[CaptainObvious Averted with Magikarp]]. * BlowYouAway: Gyarados, InNameOnly. The only Flying move it can learn is Bounce (also Flying InNameOnly), and only thanks to Magikarp learning it through the Dream World. Its Flying type seems to only be there to gimp it with a [[ForMassiveDamage quadruple weakness to Electric moves]]. * ButtMonkey: Most Pokémon get very flattering dex entries, such as [[http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/7/73437/1431218-rr4he1_super.jpg Pidgeot flying at Mach 2 and Magcargo's given body temperature being hotter than the surface of the sun]]. Meanwhile, here are some excerpts of [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Magikarp#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries_2 Magikarp's dex entries]]: -->Yellow Version: "Famous for being very unreliable [...]" -->Gold Version: "An underpowered, pathetic Pokémon [...]" -->Ruby Version: "Magikarp is a pathetic excuse for a Pokémon that is only capable of flopping and splashing. This behavior prompted scientists to undertake research into it." -->[=FireRed=] Version: "[...] It is the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world." -->Diamond Version: "[...] No one knows why it has managed to survive." ** Incidentally, Magikarp isn't the weakest Pokémon in terms of base stat totals or movepools, nor does it even place in the bottom five. * CombatPragmatist: Mega Gyarados has a Water/Dark typing. * ComMons: Fish in a body of water, and you'll find a Magikarp (excepting Gen V, where it's Basculin). Became {{egregious}} when in [=DPPt=], any body of water that yielded Magikarp could also yield Gyarados if using a better rod. Including ponds smaller than it. * DarkIsEvil: Mega Gyarados is part Dark-type, matching its nasty behaviour. It is also [[spoiler:Lysandre]]'s signature Pokémon. * ADayInTheLimelight: Inverted. In Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, Magikarp is probably the most common Pokémon EVER. But in Unova, it's so far findable ''only'' in a [[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 B2W2]] exclusive location (besides the Magikarp salesman). * DiscOneNuke: Gyarados can be evolved early in-game, and wreck anything that isn't Electric. Even then it wrecks anything that ''is'' Electric, since Electric-types don't resist Water and most are {{Glass Cannon}}s. * DiscardAndDraw: Mega Gyarados has considerably different strengths and vulnerabilities compared to normal Gyarados. In addition to trading in its Ground immunity for a Psychic one, Mega Gyarados becomes weak against the Bug and Fighting attacks that it used to resist, in addition to gaining weaknesses to Fairy and Grass. In return, it loses its Rock weakness, becomes resistant to Ice, Ghost, and Dark type attacks, and, most notably, reduces its [[ForMassiveDamage double weakness]] to Electric to a standard weakness. * TheDreaded: Gyarados's vicious temper makes it highly feared throughout the series. This is reflected by its default ability Intimidate, which lowers the opponent's Attack when it enters battle. * FlyingSeafoodSpecial: ** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagged]]. Gyarados is part Flying-type and floats in midair, but the only Flying-type move it can learn is Bounce. ** In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', if you walk with a Gyarados on the cliff route before the Safari Zone, it will [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "fly through the air with grace!"]] as do all Flying types. ** Being part Flying-type, it can participate in Sky Battles in ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY''. * {{Foil}}: They gained one in the shape of the Feebas line. Both of them have base forms that are well known for a certain flaw, namely Magikarp's weakness and Feebas' ugliness. They then evolve into Pokémon that are the exact opposite of their previous forms, as Gyarados is extremely powerful while Milotic is considered one of the most beautiful Pokémon in the world. They also have the same bast stat total. * ForMassiveDamage: The only thing that stops Gyarados from being banned is its ''crippling'' weakness to Electric attacks. Like Kingdra, Freeze Dry deals 4x damage to it. Its Mega Evolution changes the 4x electric (and Freeze Dry by default) weakness to 2x though. * FragileSpeedster: The most surprising thing about Magikarp is that it's actually quite fast, at 80 base speed. And (barring its Hidden Ability) that speed ''doubles'' in rain. Its base Speed only slightly increases upon evolution. * HairTriggerTemper: Gyarados is easily enraged. * [[AnIcePerson An Ice Pokemon]]: Gyarados can learn Ice Fang or Ice Beam, which is useful against Dragon-types or any Electric-Flying types. * JokeCharacter: Magikarp, of course, was intended to be as weak as possible before getting some MagikarpPower. * {{Kaiju}}: Gyarados is a sea monster that's known to tear cities apart when enraged. * KillStreak: Gyarados can have Moxie as its Hidden Ability, which boosts its already high Attack when it takes out somebody. [[TotalPartyKill Let it pull off Dragon Dance...]] * LegendaryCarp: DoubleSubverted, Magikarp is [[JokeCharacter by no means legendary]], but when it evolves into Gyarados... * LethalJokeCharacter: Magikarp in the card game. More specifically, [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Giovanni%27s_Magikarp_%28Gym_Challenge_73%29 Giovanni's Magikarp]], which has a chance at rivaling the original Base Set Gyarados in terms of power. * MagicKnight: In the Gen I games they had a pretty decent Special stat and the movepool to abuse it. * MagikarpPower: TropeNamer, and played as straight as possible[[note]]It's absolutely worthless in battle until level 15, when it learns Tackle, and even then it's cripplingly weak, and on top of that, it requires more EXP than average compared to other Pokemon available at the same time, making it a mostly worthless EXP sponge in the early game[[/note]]. However, Magikarp evolves into Gyarados 12 levels earlier than the earliest-evolving starter in Red/Blue. It has a stat total of 540, higher than ANY of that generation's starters -- not to mention any starter in general. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * MightyGlacier: Gyarados has a high Attack stat, great defensive stats, and above average speed. It also naturally learns [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]], boosting its Attack even higher while also making it much faster. * MixAndMatchCritters: Mega Gyarados downplays the draconic elements of its appearance in exchange for more obviously piscene elements, essentially making it something akin to a fish-dragon. * NoSell: ** Gyarados to Ground-type moves. Its Mega Evolution trades this in for a Psychic immunity instead. ** Mega Gyarados also gets the Mold Breaker Ability, letting it ignore Ability-based attempts to NoSell its own attacks. * OmnicidalManiac: Gyarados, once its HairTriggerTemper is, well, triggered, will destroy ''everything'' in sight. Cities have been destroyed by raging Gyarados. * OurDragonsAreDifferent: ** Although not a Dragon-type per se, Gyarados is a sea serpent with aspects of a Chinese dragon, learns several Dragon-type moves by level-up, and is in the Dragon egg group. Gyarados is interesting in that while its appearance is pretty obviously Eastern with some slight Western motifs (it's a bit more bestial-looking than the average Eastern dragon, particularly while Mega), its behavior is exclusively Western, being largely unintelligent, extremely violent, and generally lacking anything so much as resembling benevolence, instead being a mindless beast. ** It was apparently planned to be half-Dragon-Type, but the idea was scrapped because that would've given it no weaknesses due to the only Dragon-Type attack in R/B/Y being a FixedDamageAttack. * ProngsOfPoseidon: The three-prong crest on Gyarados's forehead. * RedEyesTakeWarning: Gyarados, and you'd better take that warning seriously. * SecretArt: Splash; Magikarp was the only Pokémon able to learn it in Gen I. * ShoutOut: Magikarp and Gyarados are a reference to a Chinese legend of a carp that leapt over "The Dragon's Gate" and became a dragon. The legend is an allegory of the hard work needed to overcome a difficult task (such as getting a Magikarp up to level 20 when it doesn't learn an actual attack until level 15). * SignatureMove: Splash is strongly associated with Magikarp. * SuperMode: Gained a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y''. * ThrowTheDogABone: Magikarp is finally allowed to [[FlyingSeafoodSpecial float]] like the other fish-like Pokémon in Pokémon-Amie. * TookALevelInBadass: ** MagikarpPower is the definitive example for a reason, from JokeCharacter to LightningBruiser. ** Generation IV's Attack/Special Attack split gave Gyarados the physical Aqua Tail and Waterfall so it could finally put its physical bulk to use with STAB, and Waterfall got potential flinching to boot. The same generation made the Dragon-type Outrage physical as well, and gave it Stone Edge and Dragon Dance. ** Not enough levels in badass for you? Gen V gave it [[KillStreak Moxie]], so now each time it [=KOs=] something (and it ''will''), it gets ''even stronger''. ** What does Mega Gyarados get for Gen VI? ''[[NoSell Mold]] [[DefiedTrope Breaker]]''. Coupled with a decent Attack boost, the reduction of a 4x Electric weakness to a 2x and the loss of a Stealth Rock liability, and a not-insignificant increase in bulk, Mega Gyarados is already making a name for itself as something capable of going on brutal rampages with just one Dragon Dance while being able to shrug off quite a few things that would have Vanilla Gyarados running for the hills. * UnstoppableRage: When it gets enraged, it'll destroy entire cities and villages for a '''month''', leaving nothing alive. [[/folder]] [[folder:Lapras ''(Laplace)'']] [[quoteright:116:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/131_280.png]] A gentle plesiosaur that ferries people and other Pokémon on its back, it is sadly endangered due to overhunting. In fact, only one was available in the original games, given to you by a grateful worker in Silph Co.; later games have seen it become a ''little'' more common. One is available every Friday in ''Gold'', ''Silver'' and ''Crystal'' and their remakes. ---- * ActionInitiative: Naturally learns Ice Shard. * [[AnIcePerson An Ice Pokémon]]: And has a warm personality, as well. * BadassAdorable: A GentleGiant with an absolutely adorable design... and it can learn a great load of moves to cover its weaknesses, plus three of the four OneHitKill moves (the one it can't learn is Guillotine). * BoringYetPractical: It's one of the few Generation I Pokémon that is still standalone with no evolutionary relatives, and to this day it hasn't gotten many new tricks aside from the new [=TM=] moves and Abilities that everyone benefitted from. However, it has huge HP and all-around good stats save for Speed, good type coverage with Electric, Psychic and Dragon moves on top of [=STAB=] Water and Ice, and a good variety of status moves. * CriticalHit: Its Shell Armor Ability lets it avoid these. * ElementalAbsorption: With Water Absorb, getting hit by Water attacks just heals it. * EndangeredSpecies: It's been over-hunted to near extinction. * GentleGiant: How the Pokedex describes it, nature aside. * HealingFactor: Its Hidden Ability of Hydration lets it heal StandardStatusEffects on it while it's raining, allowing it to use Rest freely until the rain stops. Its Water Absorb Ability can also count as this. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * MightyGlacier: Good defenses, and the Shell Armor ability prevents critical hits while Water Absorb makes it immune to water attacks. Its Speed is low though. * NoSell: Its Water Absorb ensures Water attacks can't harm it. * OneHitKill: Can learn 3 out of the four attacks for this, only missing Guillotine. * PowerupMount: Lapras is the only Pokémon in ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' that is actually visible when using Surf, instead of the generic model every other Pokémon uses. * ScissorsCutsRock: Can be bred [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIFamilies Auroros']] SecretArt Freeze Dry, an ice move that's super-effective on Water types (normally less effective). Considering that the only Pokémon that can resist its STAB combination are other Water-types ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg as well as Dry Skin Jynx and Shedinja]]), this is pretty useful. * StatusBuff: Can learn two opposing ones through breeding. Curse can make it even more of a MightyGlacier, boosting its Attack and Defense at the cost of what Speed it has. Dragon Dance, on the other hand, gives it a shot at being a LightningBruiser via boosting its Attack and Speed. * StockNessMonster: [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Lapras's original English dub name was even going to be "Ness"]]. * StupidGood: Apparently, its gentle nature makes it a very easy target for hunters. * UniqueEnemy: Well, only one every week in ''Gold/Silver'' and their remakes, but still counts. [[/folder]] [[folder:Ditto ''(Metamon)'']] [[quoteright:116:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/132_338.png]] Ditto is a pink-purple blob creature with not much of a shape or form to speak of... what can it do? "What can't it do?" is the question that should be asked. It has the ability to transform into any other Pokémon and use all of their moves just as effectively as the real thing. It's also amazing at bypassing all the complications of breeding. With a Ditto's help, nearly anything can be bred to produce another of that Pokémon. The only things it can't breed with are almost all legendaries, baby Pokémon... and itself (since Gen III)... [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Nidorina and Nidoqueen, for strange reasons]]. ---- * AnythingThatMoves: It breeds with male, female, and even certain genderless Pokémon to make eggs. * BlobMonster: No definite form. * CompetitiveBalance: Ditto retains its relatively low HP stat when Transformed, only gets 5 Power Points for each move copied, and reverts back to normal when switched out. * DifficultButAwesome: A Transformed Ditto will always outspeed the opponent it's copying if it holds a Choice Scarf (it's a LuckBasedMission without it), but it'll be locked into the first move it chooses and will have to switch out in 5 turns if it doesn't want to start [[DesperationAttack Struggling]]. * DittoFighter: TropeNamer. Upon Transforming, you copy the opponent's stats (outside of HP), Ability, get to use their moves, and any {{Status Buff}}s they have. * DumpStat: For an Impostor Ditto, all stats except HP mean absolutely nothing because they'll be replaced when it transforms. The only thing that ''might'' matter is that Ditto's Individual Values and not your opponents' will determine what type the move Hidden Power becomes if you happen to use it. * GuideDangIt: Ditto's breeding abilities are stated nowhere in-game. * LuckBasedMission: Because Transform/Imposter copies the opponent's stats ''exactly'', you now have the same speed as them and have to win a speed tie (which is determined by a coinflip) each turn you're both out. * MasterOfNone: Its stats are all the same, and quite low. Fortunately, Ditto's entire point is that it doesn't need stats. * NoBiologicalSex: Genderless, but it can breed with almost any non-legendary Pokémon. * NonElemental: In its base form. It takes on the elemental attributes of whatever it transforms into. * NoSell: ** To Ghost attacks before it gets around to imitating its opponent. After that, it just depends on what Ditto has transformed into. ** Unless it has its Hidden Ability of Imposter, it's also immune to Paralysis prior to using Transform. * PowerEqualsRarity: Want an Imposter Ditto in Gen 5? '''GOOD LUCK.''' It has a 1% chance of appearing... in an event that only has a 5% chance of spawning every 252 steps... in one area. Fortunately, it's a lot easier to find in X and Y's Friend Safari. * ReallyGetsAround: Since breeding was introduced, Ditto has basically been demoted from battler to breeding mon, leading to this trope. * ScrewYourself[=/=]OppositeSexClone: Likely invokes this during breeding. * SignatureMove: Transform, as it is the only move it learns, and the whole concept behind it. * SituationalSword: Because its main shtick is being a DittoFighter, its usefulness in battle is based entirely on what it copies. * TimedMission: You are only given 5 Power Points for each attack your opponent knows each time you Transform, so you have 20 turns to make it work. If you're using the DifficultButAwesome method above, you'll only have 5! * TookALevelInBadass: ** It gets Imposter as its Hidden Ability, which makes it automatically transform into its opponent, without wasting a turn. This also copies ''every one of their stats except HitPoints''. Yes, that includes stat boosts. Combine it with a Choice Scarf and (almost) no matter what happens, you're still going first. It went from battle gimmick and egg maker to the ultimate tool of revenge. ** In Gen VI, Ditto ''can imitate Mega Evolutions'', and retain its own item while doing so. You do the math. * UnstableGeneticCode: Reorganizes its genetic code to transform. * VoluntaryShapeshifter: Transform, though it's Ditto's only move. * WeaponOfChoice: Quick Powder and Metal Powder can increase the Speed or Defenses, respectively, of any Ditto that holds them. [[UselessUsefulSpell Too bad they don't work when Ditto is Transformed]]. [[/folder]] [[folder:Eevee and Evolutions]] [[quoteright:247:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/133-134-135-136-196-197-470-471-700_5983.png]]]] ->Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon ''(Eievui, Showers, Thunders, Booster, Eifie, Blacky, Leafia, Glacia, and Nymphia)'' ->''Espeon and Umbreon debut in Gen II, Leafeon and Glaceon debut in Gen IV, Sylveon debuts in Gen VI'' Eevee is unique in the Pokémon world as the only Pokémon with ''eight'' possible evolutions, though it started with three. Eevee and all of its evolutions are designed with a very cute, basic sort of appeal and remain fan-favorites. ---- * AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal: Subverted with Sylveon, since its accessories are actually part of its body; the trailing ribbons are feelers. * AntiMagic: Espeon's Hidden Ability Magic Bounce can reflect all non-damaging moves aimed at it. * {{Badass}}: Pretty much every Eeveelution. Umbreon's stoic nature and Dark-type makes it stand out in this category, in particular. * BadassAdorable: Part of why they're so popular with many fans. * BerserkButton: Touching Espeon's forehead gem or the yellow bands on Umbreon's ears in Pokémon-Amie will result in a DeathGlare. * CartoonCreature: It isn't clear what kind of animal they're supposed to be based on, but they take inspiration from dogs, foxes, cats, rabbits and, in Vaporeon's case, fish. Interestingly, Flareon acts a lot like a dog in Pokemon-Amie. * CastFromHitPoints: Jolteon's Hidden Ability Quick Feet makes it ''even faster'' when it has a status ailment. Since Jolteon is immune to paralysis, the only way it can activate it is to hold a Flame or Toxic Orb, which saps its already low health after each turn. * CastingAShadow: Umbreon is more closely associated with the moon and darkness compared to most Dark-types, although it still learns [[CombatPragmatist some of the underhanded moves typically used by them]]. * CombatMedic: They can be bred to known Wish and be tutored to know Heal Bell. Sylveon gets a special mention since it can use Pixilate and [[MakeMeWannaShout Hyper Voice]] to inflict a surprising amount of damage while it is healing team members. [[labelnote:*]]As mentioned below, it can reach ''117 Base Power'' thanks to [=STAB=], so it hits hard even with uninvested Special Attack, which is at Base 110.[[/labelnote]] * CompetitiveBalance: They have the exact same stat total among each other, but the numbers are distributed differently. Additionally, all of them focus on one particular stat -- Vaporeon has the best HP, Jolteon has the best Speed, Flareon has the best Attack, Leafeon has the best Defense, Espeon and Glaceon share the best Special Attack, and Umbreon and Sylveon share the best Special Defense. * CuteLittleFangs: Sylveon, as shown [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/eecce77d7104afdfb51643959e242510/tumblr_mi3z3dB8F51r1alb2o1_500.png here]]. Umbreon also has them occasionally. * DarkIsNotEvil: Nowhere is it stated that Umbreon is malicious, cunning, or evil in general like most Dark-types. * {{Determinator}}: Flareon's Hidden Ability is Guts, which boosts its offense at the cost of being afflicted with a status ailment. This makes moves like Facade and Flare Blitz wail an ''extreme'' amount of hurt. * DisabilitySuperpower: ** Jolteon's Hidden Ability Quick Feet makes it even faster when it is burned or poisoned. ** Flareon's Hidden Ability Guts makes it hit even harder when it is paralyzed or poisoned. * DudeLooksLikeALady: Espeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon all have feminine appearances, but their gender ratio is still seven males to one female. * ElementalAbsorption: Jolteon and Vaporeon get healed from Electric and Water moves respectively thanks to Volt Absorb and Water Absorb. Flareon uses Flash Fire to power up its own Fire-type moves. * ElementalPowers: They each have one type, all different ones. * TheFairFolk: The preview display box for X and Y describes Sylveon as "manipulative", hinting that it might have shades of this trope. * FeedItWithFire: Flareon's ability Flash Fire makes it immune to Fire attacks and powers its own. * FiveManBand: They became this in Gen II when Espeon and Umbreon were introduced. * GlacierWaif: Vaporeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, and Sylveon don't look ''nearly'' as durable as their appearances suggest. Leafeon, in particular, has a base Defense of ''130''- that's the same base Defense as ''Metagross.'' * GlassCannon: Flareon. Despite having great Attack and Special Defense, its poor Speed, HP, Defense, defensive type, and [[PoorPredictableRock infamously sparse movepool]] leave it not well-off. It does get Flame Charge, which can boost its speed a little when used. Too bad it won't usually last long. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Espeon and Jolteon, high Speed and Special Attack (Espeon focusing on the latter and Jolteon on the former), low stats otherwise save for Special Defense. * GreenThumb: Leafeon is a Grass-type. * [[AnIcePerson An Ice Pokémon]]: Glaceon is an Ice-type. * {{Invisibility}}: Vaporeon is able to camouflage in water. * LightningBruiser: Leafeon, high Attack and Defense with the third highest Speed among the group, but low Special stats. Its Hidden Ability ''doubles'' its already respectable speed in sunlight. * MakingASplash: Vaporeon is a Water-type. * MightyGlacier: Vaporeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon -- Vaporeon focuses on HP, Special Attack, and Special Defense, Glaceon has high Special Attack and Defense and decent Special Defense, and Sylveon has high Special Defense and Special Attack with a minor in HP. All of them, however, have low Speed. * MoonRabbit: Umbreon is based on the legend about it. Sylveon has hints of this too, being rather rabbit-like and associated with the moon. * MundaneUtility: ** Sylveon seems tailor-made to deal with Horde Battles in ''X'' and ''Y''. It learns Skill Swap at a much earlier level than anything else that learns it by level up, letting it scan each individual member of the horde to find out what abilities they have and thus, if there's something worth catching in this group. If not, it has Swift and Dazzling Gleam, which with its high Special Attack, will wipe out all enemies instantly, letting you move on to the next battle. ** Sylveon's normal Ability is Cute Charm. While its usefulness in battle is questionable, it has the effect of causing Pokémon of the opposite gender of the user to appear in wild encounters (if the user is in front of the party) more frequently. It is also the only Pokémon with this ability that is predominately male. This makes Sylveon very useful if you are a breeder and need to find Pokémon of a rare gender like female starters in the Friend Safari. * NoSell: [[LongList Oh boy...]] Eevee is immune to Ghost-type attacks and if it has Run Away can not be prevented from fleeing a Wild Pokémon Battle. Vaporeon is immune to Water-type attacks with Water Absorb or immune to Status Ailments while in rain if it has Hydration. Jolteon is immune to Paralysis and is immune to Electric-type attacks if it has Volt Absorb. Flareon is immune to Burns and is immune to Fire-types if it has Flash Fire. Espeon is immune to a large variety of Status moves if it has Magic Bounce. Umbreon is immune to Psychic-type attacks and is immune to flinching if it has Inner Focus. Leafeon is immune to Leech Seed and any spore/powder based moves and is immune to Status Ailments while in harsh sunlight if it has Leaf Guard. Glaceon is immune to Freezing and damage from Hail. Sylveon is immune to Dragon-type attacks. * NonElemental: Eevee itself is not only a Normal type, but has one of the least diverse movepools of said type. * NonIndicativeName: For five whole generations, Flareon could not learn Flare Blitz without glitches. Read that again: [=FLAREon=] could not learn FLARE Blitz. It bordered on a meme at times to point this out, especially given that Flareon's movepool was pretty barren. * NotCompletelyUseless: Sylveon's Hidden Ability Pixilate, which turns Normal-type moves into Fairy-type and boosts them. It doesn't seem all that great due to its lack of Normal moves to abuse. That is except Hyper Voice, which turns into a ''117'' base power Special Fairy move that goes through substitutes and barriers -- much stronger than Moonblast. And if Hyper Voice isn't avaliable, there's also Swift, which, with STAB and Pixilate's bonus boost, becomes essentially a sure-hit Moonblast that hits all targets in Doubles and Triples. * OneSteveLimit: Jolteon's Japanese name is the one and the same with Zapdos'[[note]]Thunders and Thunder respectively[[/note]], the only difference is an "S". Some players might mix up Vaporeon and Flareon's Japanese names with Articuno and Moltres' as a result. * OurFairiesAreDifferent: Sylveon is a Fairy-type. * PlayingWithFire: Flareon is a Fire-type. * PoorPredictableRock: An underlying problem for all of these Pokémon, who are all hindered by having utterly pathetic movepools. Outside of Shadow Ball, Dig, Iron Tail, and two of their Egg Moves (Stored Power and Synchronoise), they don't get many strong options. ** Vaporeon gets Ice attacks (since ''every'' Water-type gets those) via level-up and TM and Signal Beam via Move Tutor. ** Jolteon gets Signal Beam via Move Tutor. ** Flareon gets Superpower via Move Tutor. ** Espeon gets Dazzling Gleam via TM and Signal Beam via Move Tutor. ** Umbreon gets Psychic by TM, [[UselessUsefulSpell which it can't use anyway because its Special Attack sucks, and Synchronoise can't work because it's a Dark-type]]. ** Leafeon gets Aerial Ace and X-Scissor via TM, and Knock Off via Move Tutor. ** Glaceon gets Aqua Tail [[UselessUsefulSpell (which works off its bad Attack stat)]] and Signal Beam via Move Tutors and Water Pulse via Gen IV TM. ** Sylveon gets Psyshock from TM. * PowerTrio: Began as one in Generation I with Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon. * PowerupLetdown: Flareon ''finally'' got Flare Blitz in Gen VI. This wound up being far less of a boon than originally thought; while Flareon does indeed hit like a nuke when using it, its godawful HP makes the recoil almost as brutal as the damage it does to the enemy, while its equally-bad Defense and Speed means that if it even does survive long enough to fire one off, it'll be dead before it can use it again. * PsychicPowers: Espeon is a Psychic-type. * RealMenWearPink: Male Sylveon are very capable fighters, despite their pastel colors, bowties, and ribbon-like feelers. * RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Eevee, which is basically a cross between a fox cub and a kitten with extra fluffy. All of the Eeveelutions count, as well. Especially notable is Sylveon, whose ability is Cute Charm. * RuleOfSeven: They were this in Gen IV and V after Leafeon and Glaceon appeared. * SecretArt: [[ThePowerOfTheSun Morning Sun]] for Espeon and [[{{Lunacy}} Moonlight]] for Umbreon (both attacks are [[HealingFactor HP restoring moves]]), during their debut Generation. * ShockAndAwe: Jolteon is an Electric-type. * TheStoic[=/=]PerpetualFrowner: Official art always depicts Umbreon as expressionless or otherwise upset. Funnily apparent [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/eecce77d7104afdfb51643959e242510/tumblr_mi3z3dB8F51r1alb2o1_500.png here]]. It even looks irritated in Pokémon-Amie, though the growl it lets out after a petting or eating session does indicate that it is pleased with the attention. * StoneWall: Umbreon, with high HP and focusing on Defense and Special Defense with low Speed and offense. It can use Foul Play to do a lot of damage if the target has high Attack. * ThemeNaming: ** All the evolution names end in -eon. In fact, Eevee's original English name was even going to be Eon. ** Meanwhile, each generational set of Eeveelutions' Japanese names have the same ending--"-er(s)" in generation one, "-ie/y" in generation two, and "-ia" in generations four and six. * ThirdOptionAdaptation: More Third Option Spinoff. Starting in ''Yellow'', where the rival couldn't have one of the normal starters due to the player not having one and therefore got Eevee instead, the family has a tendency to be used as a replacement starter. Examples include ''Colosseum'', ''XD'', and ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'', and Eevee's also a possible starter for the ''Mystery Dungeon'' games. * ThrowTheDogABone: After many generations of not getting the move, Flareon finally learns Flare Blitz as of Generation VI. Granted, it still has its issues, but it now has a powerful physical [=STAB=] attack at its disposal. * TookALevelInBadass: ** Espeon as of Generation V, due to its Hidden Ability Magic Bounce. ** Flareon as of Generation VI can learn Flare Blitz, complimenting its stats. * TronLines: Umbreon. It's especially evident in the Pokémon Stadium series. * UnstableGeneticCode: Which led to it having many evolutions. * UselessUsefulSpell: ** Through breeding, Umbreon can use Synchronoise. Synchronoise only inflicts damage on Pokémon of the same type. Synchronoise is also a ''Psychic-type move.'' Put two and two together. ** Due to all eight of them sharing the same evolution, some of Eevee's egg moves do not translate well between the Eeveelutions. For instance, Curse would work very well with [[StoneWall Umbreon]] but is completely useless for [[GlassCannon Espeon]] and [[FragileSpeedster Jolteon]]. ** Sylveon's normal ability (Cute Charm, which infatuates an opposite-sex opponent that used a contact attack) is very situational and not very useful overall. Sylveon is surprisingly good at tanking non-STAB neutral physical attacks, but many common physical attacks like Earthquake and Stone Edge ''don't'' make contact. * {{Youkai}}: Espeon is based on a nekomata. [[/folder]] [[folder:Porygon, Porygon2, and Porygon-Z ''([=PorygonZ=])'']] [[quoteright:166:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/137-233-474_9400.png]] ->''Porygon2 debuts in Gen II, while Porygon-Z debuts in Gen IV'' Porygon is an artificial Pokémon created by [[MegaCorp SilphCo]]. As such, it can be upgraded to its Porygon2 model, which was created for space exploration, but became able to learn. Porygon2 itself can further be "upgraded" to Porygon-Z, a model created for interdimensional travel, though a glitch in its program allowed it to gain emotions. Unfortunately, [[FlawedPrototype neither upgrade succeeded in their intended purposes]]. This line is especially notable for being banned from the anime due to the Porygon-centric episode ''Dennō Senshi Porygon'' in which flashing lights from an explosion [[MisBlamed (caused by Pikachu, not Porygon)]] caused viewers (most of which were children) to have seizures. As a result, the episode is [[BannedInChina banned in a lot of countries]] (including its home country of Japan) and Porygon and its line are rarely mentioned in the anime series (except in the Pokerap at the end of season one's episodes). ---- * [[ArtificialHuman Artificial Pokémon]]: Created by [=SilphCo=]. Notably this means you will never see Porygon in the wild, you always have to purchase them from a vendor or receive them as a gift. The one exception is that wild Porygon can appear in White Forest, which is a special unique location. * AttackItsWeakPoint: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] with the ability Download, which raises Attack if their opponent's Defense is lower than Special Defense or raises Special Attack for the inverse. The boost is given when they enter battle and stays even if the opponent switches out. * BraggingRightsReward: While the Porygon family are not weak Pokémon, they aren't really worth the tens of thousands of dollars and[=/=]or hours you need to spend at the Game Corner to be able to buy one. * CopyProtection: In-universe example, it is stated in the ''Emerald'' Dex to be why it can't be duplicated. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Not that it manages to stop anything using]] [[DittoFighter Transform]] [[GameplayAndStorySegregation from copying it, not to mention that the only way to breed one is with a Ditto and not with its own species]]. Ironic, in that ''Emerald'' is the game where Pokémon Cloning is most easily done. That includes the Porygons. Also, when was the last time DRM really prevented copying? * FireIceLightning: All three are of the few Pokémon that learn Tri Attack. * GameMod: In-universe. Porygon2 is stated to be an upgrade by the developer, but Porygon-Z is clearly an unauthorized hack that increases power but causes huge graphical glitches. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Porygon-Z's Special Attack and Speed jump another 30 points so it can move fast and dish out a lot of pain. But it's Defense and Special Defense drop back to the base Porygon's levels, and it's Speed is low enough that it could still be outsped and KO'd. * JackOfAllStats: Porygon2 has the original's stats all boosted by exactly 20, giving it more potential. Still not that impressive though. * LuckBasedMission: Because they have an almost non-existent physical movepool and their Attack stat is below average, Download will only be useful if they get the Special Attack boost. You literally have control over this outside of knowing the stats of pretty much every Pokémon ever so you know what to send them against for the boost, and even then randomly [[MinMaxing Min Maxed]] opponents can give you the boost you don't want. * MasterOfNone: The base Porygon has all-around decent stats, but all of them are low. * MightyGlacier: With an Eviolite, Porygon2 has massive Defense and Special Defense with usable Special Attack, and Recover to heal itself. Not that good with Speed though. * MultiFormBalance: Each Porygon has different roles due to their stats. * NoBiologicalSex: Genderless. * NoSell: To Ghost-type attacks. * NonElemental: Normal-type. * NotCompletelyUseless: You will almost never see Hyper Beam on any Pokémon in serious play due to being a Normal-type move and needing two turns to fire, thus it cannot hit a weakness and gives the opponent a free turn to switch or use a support move. Porygon-Z, however, is about the only Pokémon that can actually put it to good use. Due to Adaptability boosting the STAB bonus to 2x instead of 1.5x, and Porygon-Z boasting one of the highest Special Attack scores in the game along with Nasty Plot to boost it even higher, Hyper Beam is actually a viable option. It might give the opponent a free turn, but it will ''hurt''. * RaymanianLimbs: Porygon-Z's ''head''. * {{Retcon}}: It was the first manmade Pokémon created on purpose until Generation V added Golett and Golurk (two man-made robot-like golems possessed by ghosts and created to protect ancient villages from outside danger). * RidiculouslyHumanRobot: Despite being a manmade computer program, the Porygon line possess the same abilities as natural Pokémon. * TheScapegoat: Poor Porygon wasn't even the one who caused the seizures on that infamous Pokémon episode; it was Pikachu's lightning blowing up rockets. Because of this, the entire Porygon family suffers from RetGone in the anime to this day, only appearing as a FreezeFrameBonus. * SecretArt: Conversion, Conversion 2, and, until Generation V, Sharpen. Porygon-Z is also the only Pokémon able to naturally learn Trick Room. * SocializationBonus: Needs to be traded in order to evolve not once, but twice, each time while holding an item. * TookALevelInBadass: Porygon2 is the strongest Pokémon able to evolve (and unlike its closest competitor Scyther, its stat total increases upon doing so). With the Eviolite introduced in Gen V, it turns Porygon2 into one of the bulkiest Pokémon in the game with a decent Special Attack. While Porygon-Z is a GlassCannon, Porygon2 turns into a MightyGlacier. * UselessUsefulSpell: Conversion and Conversion2 allows it to change its own typing, allowing it to get STAB or gain resistance against anything, but usually takes too much effort to set up to be useful. * VirtualGhost: Porygon can revert itself to program data to enter cyberspace. * WaveMotionGun: Due to being given evolutions within different generations, ''all of them'' can learn Hyper Beam, but Porygon-Z is one of the few Pokémon in the entire franchise for which [[AwesomeButImpractical Hyper Beam]] is considered a valid move choice. With the right setup, it can potentially ''[[ImpossibleTaskInstantlyAccomplished OHKO Blissey]]''. [[/folder]] [[folder:Omanyte and Omastar ''(Omnite and Omstar)'']] [[quoteright:136:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/138-139_2766.png]] A previously extinct Pokémon and its evolution, based on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonoidea ammonites]]. Although they died out because their shells grew too large, they have seen a revival in the modern day thanks to fossil restoring technology. Since the fossil that allows Omanyte's restoration is exclusive from the one which allows the restoration of Kabuto, and their overall similarities, they are often considered Foils to each other. It's a hard-hitting special attacker with very high physical defense. ---- * {{Badass}}: Has the highest Special Attack of ''all'' Rock-types. * DishingOutDirt: Rock-type. * EverythingsSquishierWithCephalopods: They're based on ammonites, an ancient species of cephalopod. * ForMassiveDamage: By Grass-type attacks. * FossilRevival: Revived from a Helix Fossil. * InformedAbility: Downplayed. Almost every single Pokédex entry emphasizes Omastar's use of tentacles and fangs to attack its prey. It does learn Bite and Constrict, but its actual physical offense is very lacking so those are some of its worst moves. * InformedFlaw: Downplayed. Many of its Pokédex entries mention that it became extinct because of its overly large shell hindering movement. While it is not very fast in normal conditions, one of its possible abilities is Swift Swim, and that's without even getting into Shell Smash and Weak Armor, which allow it to remove its own shell to improve its speed. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * MightyGlacier: Packs one of the highest Special Attack stats of both of its types, but it's pretty slow. Good Defense helps it somewhat. * PoorPredictableRock: Due to its typing it has the expected Water, Rock, and Ice-type attacks, but it doesn't learn much else for Special Attacks besides Earth Power. Furthermore, while it learns many Rock-type attacks, most of them run off its shoddy physical Attack; there are only two Special Rock attacks in the entire game, and Ancient Power is not impressive even with a STAB boost. As a result, Omastar has a very limited set of moves it can actually make use of. * PrehistoricMonster: Originally lived a long time ago as a deadly predator. * ShedArmorGainSpeed: Their Hidden Ability, Weak Armor, lowers their Defense and raises their Speed each time they're hit by physical attacks. They're also one of the few Pokémon with Shell Smash. * StatusBuffs: ** One of their abilities is Swift Swim, which doubles their speed during Rain and turns them into {{Lightning Bruiser}}s. ** One of the few Pokémon with Shell Smash, which doubles their offenses and speed and the cost of lowering their defenses. * TookALevelInBadass: Got the extremely potent Shell Smash StatusBuff in Generation V. * TrapMaster: It is capable of learning Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Stealth Rock. [[/folder]] [[folder:Kabuto and Kabutops]] [[quoteright:153:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/140-141_4756.png]] Another previously extinct Pokémon and its evolution, they have seen a revival in the modern day thanks to fossil restoring technology. However, much like the horseshoe crabs they're based on, some can rarely be found, virtually unchanged in hundred of millions of years. While Kabuto [[FlippingHelpless may be helpless if it's flipped over]], Kabutops is definitely not. Kabutops is a ruthless predator that slices its prey apart with its huge scythes, and evolved an amphibious lifestyle. Since the fossil that allows Kabuto's restoration is exclusive from the one which allows the restoration of Omanyte, and they have many overall similarities, they are often considered Foils to each other. ---- * {{Badass}}: Kabutops is a four-foot tall bipedal horseshoe crab with scythes for hands. * BladeBelowTheShoulder: Kabutops has blades for hands. * DishingOutDirt: Rock-type. * ForMassiveDamage: By grass-type attacks, same as the Omanyte line. * FossilRevival: Revived from a Dome Fossil. * FragileSpeedster: In rain thanks to its ability Swift Swim. * GiantEnemyCrab: A Giant Enemy Horseshoe Crab in this case. * GlassCannon: Fairly high attack, okay defense, and decent speed (especially for Rock-types), but has several weaknesses and low health. * GlowingEyesOfDoom: Kabuto has glowing red eyes peering beneath its shell. * LifeDrain: Naturally learns Absorb and Mega Drain, and it can also learn (by breeding or tutoring) Giga Drain. * MakingASplash: Water-type. * {{Nerf}}: Weather is no longer permanent in Gen VI, so it has a limited number of turns to use its speed boost in the rain. * PrehistoricMonster: Originally lived a long time ago as a deadly predator. * ShedArmorGainSpeed: Their Hidden Ability Weak Armor lowers their Defense and raises their Speed each time they're hit by a physical attack. * {{Sinister Scythe}}s: Kabutops's hands are made of these. * TookALevelInBadass: Gen IV's Physical/Special split finally gave Kabutops a good physical Water move in Waterfall, while Gen V gave Drizzle to Politoed, allowing Kabutops to outspeed just about everything during the rain for the rest of the match. [[/folder]] [[folder:Aerodactyl ''(Ptera)'']] [[quoteright:315:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/142-142m_7400.png]]]] Yet another previously Extinct Pokémon, Aerodactyl is a Flying [[PteroSoarer Pterosaur]][=/=][[DinosaursAreDragons Dragon/Wyvern]] with a Rock typing, rather then a Water-Rock Invertebrate. Unlike nearly every other Rock type of this generation (and most later ones), it's extremely fast, once one of the fastest. Upon Mega evolving from ''X and Y'' onwards, it gains loads of rock spikes all over its body, and the ability to do deal more damage with contact moves. ---- * BlowYouAway: Flying-type with Whirlwind as a move. * DinosaursAreDragons: It's actually based on a pterosaur, but it's used to the same effect. It can learn various Dragon-type attacks, and is used by the Dragon specialist Lance. * DiscOneNuke: In PokemonXandY, Old Amber can be obtained from smashable rocks in Glittering Cave where you get the Sail/Jaw Fossil, and can be immediately revived in Ambrette Town's lab. While Aerodactyl doesn't have a good match up against Grant, it does have a good match up against [[BareFistedMonk Korrina]] and [[GreenThumb Ramos]], can be taught Bulldoze (which you can buy in Lumiose City) for [[ShockAndAwe Clemont]], and has stats on par with the fully evolved starters at a point in the game when you don't have anything nearly as powerful. [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill Oh, and you get its Mega Stone for free if you talk to one of the scientists in the lab]]. * DishingOutDirt: Rock-type. * FireIceLightning: Naturally learns all the elemental Fang attacks, as of Gen IV. * {{Flight}}: Flying-type. * FossilRevival: Revived from an Old Amber. * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: It has the highest Speed stat out of every Rock-type Pokémon, and it's also a powerful attacker, but its defenses are below average. * LightningBruiser: Mega Aerodactyl has even higher Attack and Speed, and both of its defenses are improved. * NoSell: To Ground-type moves. * PlotHole: Is one of the few Pokémon able to Mega Evolve, despite being extinct when Mega Evolution was originally discovered. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the official Pokémon website]] its Mega form is theorized InUniverse to be its original appearance before it became fossilized (though that raises even more questions). * PrehistoricMonster: A deadly creature that lived a long time ago. * PteroSoarer: A ferocious rock pterodactyl. * ShoutOut: Unlike the other Fossil Pokémon, Aerodactyl is not revived from an actual fossil of its ancient self, but from DNA preserved in ancient tree sap, the Old Amber. [[Franchise/JurassicPark Sound like some other famous dinosaurs we know]]? * StockDinosaurs: Technically not a dinosaur, but still. * SuperMode: Gained a Mega Evolution in ''X and Y''. * UselessUsefulSpell: ** It gets Rock Head (prevent recoil damage) as an ability, but the only move it learns that gets recoil damage is Take Down (and Double-Edge via generation 3 tutor). This is in spite of the presence of Brave Bird and Head Smash, two moves of its type that have recoil. ** Its other main Ability, Pressure, isn't much better, as making good use of it requires that both Aerodactyl and its opponent be out for an extended length of time, which isn't likely to happen with Aerodactyl being the FragileSpeedster that it is. ** [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with Mega Aerodactyl. It gets the genuinely effective Tough Claws Ability, which gives a 33% power boost to any attack that makes contact with the target, but most of the moves boosted by it don't get STAB, are weak, or have some level of AwesomeButImpractical.[[labelnote:*]]The only strong moves that get boosted are Iron Head (decent power with a flinch chance), Crunch (also decent power with a chance of lowering the target's Defense), Dragon Claw (decent power but only hits Dragons super effectively and has no secondary effect), Take Down (decent power but no super effective coverage and has recoil), Fly (gets STAB and has decent power, but is AwesomeButImpractical due to the charge turn), Aqua Tail (good power but accuracy is less than perfect at 90%), Iron Tail (stronger than Iron Head but has less than desirable accuracy at 75% and no flinch chance) and Giga Impact (strongest boosted attack, but no super effective coverage since it's a Normal attack and has that horrible recharge turn).[[/labelnote]] [[/folder]] [[folder:Munchlax and Snorlax ''(Gonbe and Kabigon)'']] [[quoteright:154:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/143-446_5251.png]] ->''Munchlax debuts in Gen IV'' Snorlax is a large, gluttonous, and lazy Pokémon, and because of that combination it tends to be responsible for the [[BrokenBridge Broken Bridges]] in the games by falling asleep in the middle of roads. Of course, this may have been a good thing, since said solving said Broken Bridges gave the chance to catch one for yourself. Got a Pre-evolution in Generation IV in the not quite as large but still gluttonous and lazy Muchlax, who was notably harder to catch since it could only be encountered via [[ScrappyMechanic Honey Slathering]]. ---- * AcquiredPoisonImmunity: One of their abilities is Immunity, owing to their tendency to try to eat anything that's edible. * ActionBomb: Snorlax can learn Self-Destruct. Combined with STAB and its high Attack, and there's little that's going to survive that. * BerserkButton: Wake up a sleeping Snorlax and it ''will'' attack you. * BigEater: Snorlax can eat almost 900 lbs. a day. * EarlyBirdCameo: Munchlax appeared in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonColosseum Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness]]'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' before the Gen IV games came out. * EyesAlwaysShut: Snorlax's eyes are always closed to reflect its nature as a HeavySleeper. * GentleGiant: Snorlax has shades of this [[BerserkButton as long as you don't interrupt its nap]]. * HeavySleeper: Whenever Snorlax isn't eating, it's sleeping. * [[ImplacableMan Implacable Mon]]: Nothing can stand in the way of a Snorlax's appetite; the only way for it to stop, is when it's time to sleep. * ItemCaddy: Munchlax can have the ability Pickup. * {{Keet}}: Munchlax, in stark contrast to when it evolves. * MightyGlacier: Has very good HP, defensive stats (especially Special Defense), and Attack, but is one of the slowest Pokémon out there. * NoSell: To Ghost-type attacks. * NonElemental: Normal-type. * PsychicPowers: They can be taught Psychic and Zen Headbutt. * StoutStrength: Large and strong. * UniqueEnemy: There are two in ''Red and Blue'', one in ''Gold and Silver'', and one in ''X and Y''; all four blocking routes. That's all the wild Snorlax you'll find in the wild so far. [[/folder]] [[folder:Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres ''(Freezer, Thunder, and Fire)'']] [[quoteright:265:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/144-145-146_9467.png]] A trio of Birds who are the very first legendary Pokémon to appear in the series, they represent [[FireIceLightning Ice, Lightning, and Fire]], respectively. ---- * AdaptationExpansion: ''[[Anime/{{Pokemon2000}} Pokémon: The Movie 2000]]'' gives them a connection to Lugia that is never mentioned in the games. * AwesomeMcCoolname: They get named after [[NorseMythology Odin, Thor]], and [[EgyptianMythology Ra]] respectively in French. * [[BigBadassBirdOfPrey Big Badass Birds Of Prey]]: All of them are deadly birds. * BlowYouAway: All of them are Flying-type. * TheCorruption: Shadow Chill (Articuno), Shadow Bolt (Zapdos), and Shadow Fire (Moltres). Just too much for Greevil to pass up. * DiscOneNuke: Zapdos can be captured with 3 badges, and will utterly decimate anything it comes across. But you'll probably have five or six badges without SequenceBreaking. * DubNameChange: Along with the lake trio, the only legendaries to change name in different languages. * ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Their rather boring Japanese names: Freezer, Thunder, and Fire. Guess which bird has each name. * FireIceLightning: They even provide the page image. * {{Flight}}: Flying-type. * FlyingFirepower: Moltres. * ForMassiveDamage: Articuno and Moltres die if they get hit with a pebble. * {{Hellfire}}: Leave your Water, Rock, and Dragon Pokémon at home; Shadow Fire burns them all the same. * [[AnIcePerson An Ice Pokémon]]: Articuno. * InfinityMinusOneSword: They're strong, but not nearly as powerful as Dragonite or Mewtwo. * LightningBruiser: All 3 of them have quite high all around stats. Special notice goes to Zapdos. It's the fastest of all three, while still having good defensive stats and a really good special attack. It also has only two weaknesses with its type combination, without the crippling double-weakness against rock. And bonus points for actually having lightning powers. * NoBiologicalSex: Genderless. * NoSell: All of them to Ground-type moves. Each of them is immune to a status ailment- Articuno to Freeze, Moltres to Burn, and Zapdos to Paralysis as of Gen VI. * NumericalThemeNaming: Artic'''uno''', Zap'''dos''', and Mol'''tres'''. * OlympusMons: The first examples. * ThePhoenix: Moltres, in a different [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebird_(Slavic_folklore) myth]]. * PlayingWithFire: Moltres. * PowerTrio: The first legendary trio in the series. * {{Pun}}: In the original [Japanese] version, Shadow Pokémon are called Dark Pokémon (the Dark-type is called Evil), the birds are called Freezer, Thunder, and Fire, and the attacks are Dark Freeze, Dark Thunder, and Dark Fire. Dark THUNDER used DARK THUNDER. * SecretArt: Moltres' Sky Attack, but only in Generation I. In XD each of them has a Signature Shadow Move; Shadow Chill, Shadow Bolt and Shadow Fire for Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres respectively. * ShockAndAwe: Zapdos. * StoneWall: Articuno, due to an odd handling of the Special split. * YouAreNumberSix: Artic'''uno''', Zap'''dos''', Mol'''tres''' ([[GratuitousSpanish Spanish]] equivalents for the numbers one, two, and three). [[/folder]] [[folder:Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite ''(Miniryu, Hakuryu, and Kairyu)'']] [[quoteright:191:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/147-148-149_2097.png]] A group of serpentine dragons, and the original Dragon-types. Dragonite was were meant to be one of the {{Infinity Plus One Sword}}s of the original pair of games due to its rarity, type, and having the highest Attack at the time. Later games made them more readily available and PowerCreep made Dragonite's Attack stat less overwhelming (but still very good), downgrading them to {{Infinity Minus One Sword}}s. They also set the trend for the "pseudo-legendaries": lines of 3-stage Pokemon with the same Base Stat Total and EXP curve that eventual become very powerful. ---- * {{Acrofatic}}: Dragonite is quite chubby, but isn't the slowest dragon around and learns Extreme Speed. * ActionInitiative: They can learn [[MakingASplash Aqua Jet]] and [[NonElemental Extreme Speed]] via breeding. * {{Badass}}: Dragonite. Don't let its cuddly appearance fool you; it's one of the strongest Dragon-types around, especially with Multiscale. * BadassAdorable: All three of them, especially Dragonite. * BewareTheNiceOnes: Do NOT make them angry; their strongest move is called Outrage for a reason. In fact, this was the lines' SecretArt in Generation II. * BlowYouAway: Dragonite. It even learns Hurricane. * BossInMookClothing: ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' has a location where there is a very small chance of fishing up one. Wild Dragonite Appeared! * ConfusionFu: In addition to Dragon-type moves, the line can naturally learn a mix of Ice, Fire, Electric and Water-type moves to cover their weakness to Ice (and later Rock). With TM and HM moves these weak spots have even more counters. * {{Flight}}: Dragonite. Dragonair too, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation in their Fire Red Pokédex entry]] and in Pokémon adaptations. * ForMassiveDamage: Ice will devastate Dragonite without Multiscale. * GameplayAndStorySegregation: ** Dragonair is said to be able to change the weather at will, yet it needs to be taught the weather-changing moves via TM. ** A more extreme example is with Dragonite. It is said to circle the globe in 16 hours, but its speed, its weak spot, is nothing to write home about. * GentleGiant: Dragonite is both one of the strongest Pokémon and one of the nicest. * HealingFactor: Can learn Roost via [=TM=] or Move Tutor, which goes ''very'' well with Multiscale. * HoistByHisOwnPetard: Generation 6 introduced the new item Weakness Policy, which doubles Attack when something is hit with a super-effective move. Dragonite can exploit this very easily thanks to Multiscale, since (as long as it remains at full health) even many Ice-type attacks cannot OneHitKill it. * InfinityMinusOneSword: Started the pseudo-legendary trend: base stat total of 600, three evolutions, [[MagikarpPower tough to level up and evolve]], and extremely powerful once fully evolved, to the point Dragonite has higher stats than the legendary birds even in Gen I, being second just to Mewtwo itself, and on par with Mew. * InfinityPlusOneElement: They were the only Dragon-types back in Gen 1, where Dragon was intentionally made to be an InfinityPlusOneElement. * InfinityPlusOneSword: In ''Red and Blue''. Dragonite had the highest Attack stat in the game and Mewtwo was the only thing with a higher Base Stat Total. * InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: The only Dragon-types in the first generation, not counting [[SuperMode Mega Evolutions]]. * TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Dragonite's more traditional dragon design differs a lot from the more serpentine look of its pre-evolutions, although its body is still serpentine; it's just hard to notice that because of the limbs and how wide it is in proportion to its length. * MercurysWings: Dragonair has these wings on its head. * MakingASplash: You usually encounter wild ones in bodies of water, they naturally learn several Water moves via level up, and they're in the Water 1 Egg Group. * MightyGlacier: Great offenses and defenses, but it's Speed is only average. * NoSell: Dragonite to Ground-type moves. * OurDragonsAreDifferent: Dragon-type. Dragonite is in particular very different from its pre-evolutions. * PowerGivesYouWings: Dragonite gains wings after evolving. * StatusBuff: Learns Dragon Dance, which increases its already high Attack and patches up its average Speed. * TookALevelInBadass: ** Generation V gave Dragonite the Hidden Ability Multiscale, which halves the damage it takes if it's at full HP. ** Gen VI introduced the Weakness Policy item, which raises Attack and Special Attack by two stages each whenever the holder is hit by a super-effective move. Dragonite's natural bulk plus Multiscale and Roost made it one of the best abusers of this item in the game. That Ice attack you were going to use to wipe it out? Well, it's going to survive thanks to Multiscale, and it's now probably going to mow down your entire team in retaliation. [[/folder]] [[folder:Mewtwo]] [[quoteright:250:[[http://serebii.net http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/150-150x-150y_3561.png]]]] Possibly the best-known legendary, Mewtwo was cloned from Mew to be the most powerful of all Pokémon. While it's now tied with several others, it does come very, ''very'' close. Even if not truly evil (and less so in [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} the Anime]], from where it goes from WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds to Type III AntiHero), it is stated to be the least compassionate Pokémon in existence, with its single objective being [[BloodKnight defeating its opponents.]] Also a huge fan favourite. Mewtwo has two Mega Evolutions in ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', called "Mega Mewtwo X" and "Mega Mewtwo Y". They are accessible only in battle and require using a special held item known as Mewtwonite X/Mewtwonite Y. Mega Mewtwo X gains a fighting type and increased physical stats. Mega Mewtwo Y enjoys its increased special stats and speed. These two forms also have the highest base stats of any Pokemon. Even beating Arceus. See also [[SelfDemonstrating/{{Mewtwo}} its Self-Demonstrating page]]. ---- * AdaptationExpansion: Mewtwo's backstory and characterization are much more detailed in the anime and (various) manga continuities. * ArtificialHuman: Has some human material mixed into its genes in a few continuities, and mostly behaves like one. * '''{{Badass}}''': Mewtwo has the shining honor of being among the most powerful Pokémon in the entire franchise since it's inception. Only 3 Pokemon top it in base stats: Arceus (who ''[[OlympusMons created the universe]]'') and [[FusionDance Black/White Kyurem]]; it's tied in base stats with [[PhysicalGod Dialga, Palkia]], and [[EldritchAbomination Giratina]]. Then ''X and Y'' brought it two Mega Evolutions, and [[TookALevelInBadass as if it weren't Badass enough]], both of these grant a 100 stat point boost to either Attack or Special Attack to ''surpass'' Arceus. The X Mega also adds Fighting as an additional type alongside the Attack boost. It also has a monstrously huge movepool, and the speed, power and bulk to put them to use and keep coming when it gets hit back. * BadassAdorable: Mega Mewtwo Y, as a hybrid of sorts between "badass" standard Mewtwo and "adorable" Mew. * BareFistedMonk: Mega Mewtwo X. * BishonenLine: Mega Mewtwo Y is essentially a SuperMode for Mewtwo, but it looks significantly more fragile and dainty than the base form. Averted with Mega Mewtwo X, which gains the fighting type and is quite burly. * BloodKnight: It ''really'' likes fighting and shows no mercy towards its opponents. * BraggingRightsReward: Mewtwo in the original RBY was this for anyone who only played single-player (or with friends who banned it), as there is literally nothing left to do in-game after catching Mewtwo, unless you decided to use it in the ''Pokémon Stadium'' games or trade it over to the Generation II games. * BreakoutCharacter: Like Pikachu, Charizard, and (formerly) Jigglypuff, it's commonly regarded as one of the "staple" characters of the franchise due to its popularity and significance. * CatsAreMean: Subverted. While it looks like a hostile genetically mutated cat, it's not "mean" so much as it is just incapable of feeling compassion towards its enemies. This is taken further in the Anime, in which it was only trying to protect its fellow clones that it felt were being treated poorly. * ConfusionFu: Not as much as Mew, but it can still learn a plethora of attacks. * DarkAndTroubledPast: ** In the games, it's only hinted at that Mewtwo's violent behavior was so destructive that they had to subdue it and imprison it in Cerulean Cave. It's made even more explicit in the Anime where it being treated as little more than a slave/pet/experiment caused it to finally snap and declare war against non-clone life. * DeathGlare: Its glare is said to strike fear into its enemy. * DependingOnTheWriter: ** In the games Mewtwo is a simple BloodKnight while in the movies it started out as an AntiVillain before its HeelFaceTurn into an AntiHero who looks after its clone Pokémon. ** [[invoked]] Likewise, the Mewtwo from the 16th movie is more of a straightforward hero, and also has a female voice. This one is a distinct character from the old one. The mere existence of this [[FanNickname Newtwo]] also diverges from the games, where the backstory heavily implies (if not outright spells it out) that only one exists and ever will exist. ** Mewtwo turning into Mega Mewtwo Y in M16 is done without a Mega Stone, and is treated like a forme change. * DistaffCounterpart[=/=]SpearCounterpart: Mega Mewtwo X and Y as masculine and feminine counterparts to each other, although all three forms are genderless. This seems to be supported by the Y form being given to a feminine Mewtwo in the anime, although X so far has only had a brief cameo appearance. However, it's unknown whether this trope was intended before Y's appearance in the anime. * DivergentCharacterEvolution: In the first Gen, Mewtwo and Mew were the ultimate Pokémon (the former stronger than the latter anyway), and pretty much packed together, but each getting a somewhat different treatment. In the second gen, Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Celebi were introduced; the first 2 got the treatment Mewtwo usually got, while Celebi got paired with Mew, and there was no exclusive treatment for Mewtwo and Mew that did not include the newer legendaries. Nowadays, Mewtwo will get the same treatment as the different legendary version mascots, while Mew gets lumped with newer event Pokémon that have the same balanced stats; the only things they seem to have in common is that they are Psychic Pokémon banned in the Battle Tower that learn Aura Sphere by level up. Until Gen V, where Mewtwo gets its own SecretArt and now has even ''more'' of a reason to be banned. Gen VI then further differentiates Mewtwo by giving it TWO Mega Evolutions - though Mega Mewtwo Y makes it slightly resemble Mew more. * EarlyBirdCameo: Mega Mewtwo Y appears in [[Anime/PokemonExtremespeedGenesectMewtwoAwakens the 16th movie]] (albeit known as "Awakened Mewtwo", along with Sylveon appearing in the accompanying short.) Mega Mewtwo Y also functioned as such for the entire Mega Evolution mechanic. * {{Expy}}: ** The original ultimate Pokémon looks quite a bit like [[VideoGame/{{MOTHER}} Giygas]], and also resembles [[Manga/DragonBall Freeza]]. ** Mega Mewtwo Y is also similar to [[Manga/DragonBall Kid Buu]]. * EvilCounterpart: To Mew; in addition, the Mewtwo in the anime has a ''good'' counterpart of the same species who appears in the 16th movie. * FinalBoss: Of ''Pokémon Stadium'': after completing every cup in the game, as well as the Gym Leader Castle, the final battle against Mewtwo is unlocked. * GameplayAndStorySegregation: Despite being said to lack compassion in the Pokedex entries, it's possible to get a Mewtwo with a "Gentle" nature. In fact, the more second Mewtwo in the anime, while not exactly "nice", is a lot more heroic and calm than her more sinister and savage predecessors and successors. * GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke: Its immense power is due to scientists altering its genes. * GeniusBruiser: Mega Mewtwo X, a Psychic/Fighting type. * GenreSavvy: One of Mewtwo's weaknesses used to be beefy Special Defense walls like Blissey that can wall its impressive Special Attack. Its new move Psystrike in Generation V uses Mewtwo's Special Attack and the target's Defense to calculate damage, so unless it's facing a pure wall devoted to both Defense and Special Defense, no matter what it faces, it can hit them where they're weakest. * GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: In X & Y's postgame. There's very little context to speak of for why it's [[spoiler:lurking in a cave in the Pokémon Village]] (other than [[CallBack Gen I nostalgia]]). * GlassCannon[=/=]FragileSpeedster: Only in comparison to other Pokémon with stats on par with it. Compared to other Pokémon that fit that criteria, Mewtwo ends up as being somewhat like this, with its defenses being its weak point. Although its bulky enough to run a defensive set and having the right move to do the job. * GoneHorriblyRight: It even provides the page quote. Or, rather, the scientist who led the project that resulted in Mewtwo's creation does: --> '''Dr. Fuji:''' We dreamed of creating the world's strongest Pokémon... [[OhCrap and we succeeded]]. * TheGreys: All three forms have similarities to stereotypical Grey aliens, but especially Mega Mewtwo Y. * HumansAreTheRealMonsters: What's driving Mewtwo during the first movie. * InfinityPlusOneSword: As one of the strongest Pokémon in the game, it can maul everything in-game. Too bad it can't be obtained until after defeating the Elite 4. * {{Irony}}: It hates humans in some continuities, but is part-human in others. * TheInsomniac: Mega Mewtwo Y's ability prevents it from falling asleep. If Mewtwo was sleeping before it Mega Evolved, it will wake up immediately upon doing so. * JigsawPuzzlePlot: The exact details about its backstory in the game are quite vague, with hints being scattered here and there throughout the generations. * LackOfEmpathy: It's said to have the most savage heart among Pokémon, having no compassion and only thinking of defeating its foes. Subverted in the Anime, where it does care for its fellow clones. * {{Leitmotif}}: It doesn't have one per se, but is strongly associated with the Kanto wild Pokémon music, down to getting remixes of it. * LightningBruiser: ** Its weak point are its defenses. They are on par with those of the starters labeled as {{Mighty Glacier}}s. ** Mega Mewtwo X is this even more so; its defenses are slightly higher, and its speed stays the same and can be boosted through its ability Steadfast (which raises Speed whenever it flinches). Not only does it keep its great Sp. Atk stat, but its Attack stat increases to an astonishing '''190'''. * MagicKnight: Regular Mewtwo has a quite decent physical attack (comparable to Snorlax) to go with its insane Special Attack, but its Mega forms take the cake: Mega Mewtwo X keeps its Special Attack, but its Attack gets a huge boost becoming the highest in the game, while Mega Mewtwo Y gets a large boost to its Special Attack (also becoming the highest in the game), and its Attack becomes comparable to that of Groudon or Rayquaza. * NoBiologicalSex: Since it's a clone of Mew, which has no defined sex either. The anime has two different specimens that take masculine and feminine gender roles. * OccultBlueEyes: As Mega Mewtwo X. * PersonOfMassDestruction: It ''was'' designed to be the world's most powerful Pokémon. * PintsizedPowerhouse: Only slightly taller than the average human, but short (or even minuscule) compared to other Pokémon of its power rank. Mega Mewtwo Y is this UpToEleven. * PlotHole: Somehow has ''2'' Mega Evolutions despite not existing when they were discovered InUniverse. * PowerupLetdown: ** The super secret Hidden Ability for this incredibly powerful Pokémon? It prevents opponents from eating berries. That's it. ** Mewtwo's X Mega Evolution might look cool and be a selling point for which version to buy, but Mewtwo's severe lack of a physical movepool to use its +80 Attack with harms it worse than Flareon. Its added Fighting type may boost Aura Sphere's power, but that's all you're really getting out of it other than neutralizing Dark-type attacks. Though this can be averted for Mewtwo transferred from previous generations, as Mewtwo can get Drain Punch and Low Kick from the move tutors in the Gen V games or [=TMs=] in Gen IV. * PsychicPowers: Psychic-type. * PunnyName: Well, not exactly punny, but the fact that it sounds quite similar to "mutant" managed to stop English-savvy Japanese from looking for a certain "Mew One" until [=GameFreak=] started the rumors. That included Nintendo itself. * PurpleEyes: Symbolizes its one of a kind status. * PurpleIsPowerful: Powerful and cool compared to Mew's pink. * PurposefullyOverpowered: And it still remains as such '''AFTER''' its type got {{Nerf}}ed. The games actively limit its use in the Battle Tower, most cups in 3D fighters, most official tournaments, and random Wifi. * RatedMForManly: Mega Mewtwo X, one of the physically strongest Pokémon in the series, ''period'' (and also possibly the smartest, along with its other forms). * RedEyesTakeWarning: As Mega Mewtwo Y. * SayMyName: In every game where you encounter Mewtwo, its cry is displayed on-screen as "Mew!". * SecretArt: Psystrike, introduced in Generation V. It's a Special Attack... which deals Physical damage. Your Special Walls may go cry in a corner now. * ShadowArchetype: Towards all other Pokémon. As a whole, other Pokémon enjoy battling each other but are happy to make companions with humans while Mewtwo is a BloodKnight who sees mankind as another opponent to fight. * SingleSpecimenSpecies: In the games' continuity; the scientists at Cinnabar probably won't be making any more of [[GoneHorriblyRight these]]. Averted in the anime, where a new, feminine Mewtwo appears as TheHero of the 16th movie. * SquishyWizard: Mega Mewtwo Y sacrifices 30 points of defense for 20 points in Special Defence and 10 points in Speed. * TheStoic: In Gen VI, while other Pokémon have energetic to at least visibly pleased reactions to positive treatment in Pokémon-Amie, Mewtwo just gives an approving nod; it's impossible to tell if it's smiling, though, but it probably isn't. It also makes no different facial expression when petting it in its sweet spot. * SuperMode: Both versions of Mega Mewtwo. How Super, exactly? Their Base Stat Total exceeds that of [[{{God}} Arceus]]. * UltimateLifeForm: It was created by the Cinnabar scientists to be the strongest Pokemon. * WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: ** Kinda. While the genetic experiments performed on it made it VERY powerful, it also made it VERY angry and VERY vicious. ** In the first movie, his madness was more [[GoMadFromTheRevelation psychologically based]] than genetic. * WolverinePublicity: In Generation VI, it seems to take over Lucario's and Zoroark's role in previous generations with the reveal of its Mega Evolution. * YouAreNumberSix: Mew'''two'''. Named for being Mew's clone, but Mewtwo is before it in the Pokémon ironically enough. [[/folder]] [[folder:Mew]] [[quoteright:99:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/151_6933.png]] Mew is Pokémon #151. It set a trend which would later be followed by Celebi, Jirachi, and others as a rare and cute-looking Legendary Pokémon that was unable to be obtained outside of promotional events. Though its stats might be lacking compared to other Legendary Pokémon, it's notable in that it is compatible with every single TM. As its name might suggest, it's related to Mewtwo; indeed, Mewtwo was cloned from its DNA, though the games seem to imply that this was done through Mew giving birth ([[ShownTheirWork just like real-life cloning procedures]]), while the anime implies that Mewtwo's DNA was extracted directly from Mew's hair and grown independently. ---- * {{Badass}}: It IS the source material for Mewtwo after all. * BadassAdorable: Isn't it just the most adorable thing ''ever''?!? -->'''WebVideo/ThatDudeInTheSuede''': BEHOLD! The ancestor of all Pokemon! The most diverse of all creatures on this planet! Able to change form at whim and second in overall stance only to those considered [[OlympusMons gods among 'Mon!]] Behold Mewtwo's folly! The being that singlehandedly destroyed one of the greatest threats to humanity ''ever unleashed''. (''clip of Mew mewing'') [[CutenessProximity Aww!]] * CatsAreMean: Subverted, Mew is shown to have a rather playful and child-like personality compared to Mewtwo's more agressive nature. * ConfusionFu: With stats that favor no one skillset and the ability to learn every TM, HM, and most Move Tutor attacks, good luck predicting its moves. * CuteBruiser: It looks like a cross between a cat and a jerboa. Above average stats in everything, can learn very nearly ''everything''[[note]]Learns every TM and all but 9 move tutors; and it all adds up when you consider multiple Generations[[/note]], and via Metronome can use about 92.84%[[note]](519 out of 559 to be precise)[[/note]] of all moves that exist. * CuteKitten: Or rather what appears to be a mix between a kitten, a jerboa, and a fetus. * DiscOneNuke: Know the glitch? You can get it before beating Misty. Have fun wiping the floor with everyone in your way. You can even get a ''second'' one by the time you reach Celadon City if you know the glitch well enough. * DivergentCharacterEvolution: See Mewtwo's entry. * FetusTerrible: Kind of--it's primarily based off a fetus, and while not evil, it's certainly powerful and dangerous to its enemies. * FluffyTheTerrible: It's called ''Mew'', for crying out loud! {{Subverted}}, as it certainly looks as cute as its namesake, but is still extremely powerful. * InfinityPlusOneSword: You cannot get it during normal gameplay without abusing glitches or hacking. * InnocentBlueEyes: Given its nature. * JackOfAllTrades: Can learn everything, has good stats for anything. Versatility, thy name is Mew. * KillerRabbit: Looks sweet and playful, but it's highly dangerous. * MasterOfAll: Its stats are equal, but high. * MythologyGag: Mew is said to be the ancestor of all Pokémon, and it happens to be the first one whose trademark was registered. * NoBiologicalSex: Though unlike Mewtwo, there are various things that suggest it can be male ''or'' female. (The one in ''PokeParkWii'' is referred to as male, by the way.) * OlympusMons: The ancestor of all Pokémon. * PintsizedPowerhouse: Weighs 8.8 lbs/4 kg. * PsychicPowers: Psychic-type. * PurposefullyOverpowered: Like its clone above, it has its use restricted in the Battle Tower, most cups and tournaments, and random Wi-Fi. * SecretCharacter: [[UpToEleven So secret that even Nintendo didn't know about it at first]], Mew was created just two weeks before the first copies of ''Red'' and ''Green'' shipped, and was squeezed into the 300 bytes of space freed up by removing debugging leftovers. It was largely by word of mouth that knowledge of its existence spread after players encountered it via glitches before it was officially acknowledged to exist. * VoluntaryShapeshifter: Can learn Transform. [[/folder]] [[folder:Missingno. (Ketsuban) and 'M]] [[quoteright:183:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Missingno_3610.png]] [[caption-width-right:183:Some of the variations of Missingno.. The top left is the most common and iconic.]] The most popular and well known "glitch" Pokémon. To encounter it, the player must talk to the Old Man in Viridian City and watch his Pokémon-catching demonstration. Because of limited memory space and the need to display a name other than the player's name ("OLD MAN"), the player's name is temporarily held in the memory slot where wild Pokémon encounter rates are held. Normally this isn't an issue (the data is loaded, then overwritten when the player enters a new area, while the current area has no places to encounter wild Pokémon), but flying to Cinnabar Island means it is ''not'' overwritten and is read as encounter data. The resulting gobbledegook has three types of encounters: Pokémon from whatever normal encounter zone you were just in, Pokémon over level 100, and this guy [[labelnote:Explanation]]What exactly makes up the Pokémon over level 100 [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Old_man_glitch is dependent on the player's name]], but Missingno. is spawned by the bit that indicates the end of the player's name and any blank spaces, so it will always appear.[[/labelnote]]. An encounter with Missingno. causes the item in the sixth slot to gain 128 copies. Comes in several different forms, with two main variants: Missingno. and "(glitchy block)'M(glitchy block)", or M-Block/'M for short. They're Bird/Normal types (''not'' Flying/Normal), but as "bird" lacks programed weaknesses/resistances, Missingno. is functionally a normal type except when dealing with the "Move Zero" and "Cool T" glitch attacks. ---- * AscendedGlitch: In part. Porygon-Z references them slightly as a Glitch Pokémon, while Giratina seems to be based on some of the more GameBreakingBug aspects they have. * BlowYouAway: It learns the Flying-type Sky Attack. * BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: If you manage to capture a glitch Pokémon, there's a very high chance your game will glitch out in such a way as to make it unplayable. [[AvertedTrope MissingNo. itself is harmless, though, and even 'M can be safely handled if care is taken]]. A general rule of thumb is; the harder it is to encounter, the more likely it is to cause damage[[note]]The most harmful ones can only be accessed with a Game Genie[[/note]]. * DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: When first caught, 'M knows Sky Attack, Water Gun, and Water Gun. * DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Missingno and M Block, strong as they are, have very low defense. Lovecraftian as they are, they aren't that hard to beat. * DummiedOut: Its "Bird" type. Interestingly, a lot of [=NPCs=] refer to Flying as "Bird", which is even kept in the remakes. [[WildMassGuessing Maybe Bird was the original name of Flying types?]] * EldritchAbomination: Its existence is a defiance of the game's internal logic, it has otherworldly powers and abilities no other Pokémon has, and its physical appearance is incomprehensible. Fan-works take this to the extreme. * GameBreakingBug: ** Some of its effects on the game. Missingno. is fairly harmless; the worst effect it's likely to have is corrupting hall of fame data or breaking things if you're stupid enough to duplicate a key item. 'M can cause far worse effects if you catch it and store it in the PC. ** There are some very real reports of games being unplayable (no, not {{Unwinnable}}, we mean '''''"break the cartridge"''''' unplayable), including on Emulators. There is much fun to be had, but '''be careful'''. ** On the plus side, who can resist the temptation of 128 [[TooAwesomeToUse Master Balls]]? Especially when the same glitch allows normal encounters with [[LuckBasedMission Safari Zone Pokémon]]? *** If you catch a level 0 'M (keep a space open in your party first... [[GameBreakingBug or else]]) and give it a Rare Candy, it evolves into Kangaskhan, meaning you can get a Kangaskhan with Sky Attack. First of all, it's pure hilarity to see the big brute using a flying attack. Second of all, she can crush Fighting-type Pokémon with it. ** For some reason, the game ''saves'' when you encounter Missingno, so just '''''looking''''' at it causes glitches to your game. * GlassCannon: The most common variation has 136 attack[[note]]Alakazam has a 135 special attack, while Dragonite has an Attack base stat of 134[[/note]], with 33/0/6 defenses. Sadly lacks the attacks (only the powerful, [[AwesomeButImpractical but unwieldy]] [[ChargedAttack Sky Attack]]) and speed (29) to abuse it. * GoMadFromTheRevelation: A popular explanation in fan-works for what happens to your player character if the cartridge becomes unplayable due to the above-mentioned GameBreakingBug. Your puny human mind snaps like a twig upon seeing the glitchy mess that is MISSINGNO. * JokeCharacter: It has a base stat total of 231, lower than most ''first-stage pokémon'', making it one of the weakest species of all, only outclassed by a few baby pokémon. It ''can'' be a viable choice when at its [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale obscenely high initial level]] because the multipliers counteract the low total, but accidentally level it "up" to 0 and you'll have a difficult time getting it back to normal. * MakingASplash: 'M knows Water Gun twice. Note this isn't supposed to be possible; a Pokémon cannot learn the same move twice no matter how hard you bend the rules. * TheMissingno: TropeNamer. * MonsterProgenitor: In a sense. After performing the necessary steps to get Missingno to appear, it's possible you may encounter other things such as M-Block (which is '''not''' as benevolent of a glitch as Missingno and should be avoided), Pokemon that break the level cap of 100 (they regress back to 100 after gaining a single experience point, not that this applies in link battles), a wild ''Professor Oak'', and other such insanities. * NoBiologicalSex: Or more like "Gender Unknown"... * TheUnpronounceable: M-Block's ingame name. [[/folder]] ----
15th Sep '14 12:49:27 AM
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* FluffyTheTerrible: It's called ''Mew'', for crying out loud! {{Subverted}}, as it certainly looks as cute as its namesake, but is still extremely powerful.
5th Sep '14 1:19:10 PM
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* ArmCannon: Rhyperior has gaps in ints palms that function as these.
* ArmCannon: Rhyperior has gaps in its palms that function as these.
5th Sep '14 10:54:50 AM
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* {{Cephalothorax}}: Or maybe {{Waddling Head}}s
* {{Cephalothorax}}: Or maybe {{Waddling Head}}s.
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* TooDumbToLive: Duing a Horde Battle in ''X and Y'', they might decide to use Magnitude and potentially OHKO their allies (unless they have [[LastChanceHitPoint Sturdy]] or the RandomNumberGod decides to make Magnitude weak).
* TooDumbToLive: During a Horde Battle in ''X and Y'', they might decide to use Magnitude and potentially OHKO their allies (unless they have [[LastChanceHitPoint Sturdy]] or the RandomNumberGod decides to make Magnitude weak).
4th Sep '14 8:53:01 AM
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* UselessUsefulSpell: Tauros has access to [[FireIceLightning Fire Blast, Blizzard, and Thunder]], and their weaker counterparts Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt, and it also has access to Water Pulse in the games where it's a TM. Unfortunately coming from a measly 40 Special Attack, they aren't going to do much.
4th Sep '14 8:50:09 AM
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* {{Nerf}}: In Generation I, Tauros was one of the best Pokémon in the game, with access to STAB Hyper Beam (in Gen I, if Hyper Beam KO'd the opponent you didn't need to skip a turn recharging), Earthquake for coverage, access to Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard coming off a decent Special stat, and a great combination of Attack and Speed (most things that outclassed it in one stat fell short in the other). Generation II removed that Hyper Beam loophole and split Special into Special Attack and Special Split, dropping Tauros' Special Attack from 70 to 40 and robbing it of a lot of its offensive power. Since then it's fallen victim to PowerCreep as the game has evolved with new strategies and new Pokémon have been introduced. Tauros is by no means weak, but it's not the titan it was in its heyday either.
* {{Nerf}}: In Generation I, Tauros was one of the best Pokémon in the game, with access to STAB Hyper Beam (in Gen I, if Hyper Beam KO'd the opponent you didn't need to skip a turn recharging), Earthquake for coverage, access to Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard coming off a decent Special stat, and a great combination of Attack and Speed (most things that outclassed it in one stat fell short in the other). Generation II removed that Hyper Beam loophole and split Special into Special Attack and Special Defense, in the process cutting Tauros' Special offense from 70 to 40. These two changes robbed it of a lot of its offensive power, and since then it's fallen victim to PowerCreep as the game has evolved with new strategies and new Pokémon have been introduced. Tauros is by no means weak, but it's not the titan it was in its heyday either.
3rd Sep '14 7:51:00 PM
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* {{Badass}}: Tauros is surprisingly powerful.
* {{Badass}}: Tauros is very powerful with diverse attacks, a great ability, and strong stats for a physical sweeper.
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* {{Nerf}}: In Generation I, Tauros was one of the best Pokémon in the game, with access to STAB Hyper Beam (in Gen I, if Hyper Beam KO'd the opponent you didn't need to skip a turn recharging), Earthquake for coverage, access to Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard coming off a decent Special stat, and a great combination of Attack and Speed (most things that outclassed it in one stat fell short in the other). Generation II removed that Hyper Beam loophole and split Special into Special Attack and Special Split, dropping Tauros' Special Attack from 70 to 40 and robbing it of a lot of its offensive power. Since then it's fallen victim to PowerCreep as the game has evolved with new strategies and new Pokémon have been introduced. Tauros is by no means weak, but it's not the titan it was in its heyday either.
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* TookALevelInBadass: Gen V gave it the Sheer Force ability, giving its attacks a lot more punch.
3rd Sep '14 1:23:45 PM
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* SeahorsesAreDragons: As expected of eastern media, the idea of seahorses having draconic qualities are particularly strong in Pokémon. Though only Kingdra is actually a dragon type.
2nd Sep '14 1:04:28 PM
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* NoMouth: Voltorb.
2nd Sep '14 7:45:13 AM
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* CombatMedic: Blissey has a usable Special Attack stat and they all get [FixedDamageAttack Seismic Toss]], so they aren't totally helpless.
* CombatMedic: Blissey has a usable Special Attack stat and they all get [[FixedDamageAttack Seismic Toss]], so they aren't totally helpless.
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