Lugia
The Diving Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Flying
Official Registration #: 249
Entry: The guardian of the sea, according to Johtonian legend. Also according to Johtonian legend, Lugia is the god of storms, and as such, even the slightest flutter of its wings can generate hurricanes so strong it can flatten entire villages, as well as rainstorms so persistent they last for forty days. Both are, of course, absolutely fantastic for a region that relied on the shipping and fishing industries up until fifty years ago. Thus, to ensure that they held Lugia’s favor (or, in other words, to ensure that they kept Lugia pleased so Lugia would avoid annihilating Johto’s fleets of fishing and merchant ships, as well as most of its coastal population), the Johtonians constructed one of the largest, tallest, and most ornate shrines dedicated to a legendary pokémon in existence. However, given the normal Johtonian disposition of fighting literally anything that moves and is not Johtonian, this ended just about as well as one would think it did.
Tag: Flying
Can you write about Xerneas, Yveltal and Zygarde please!
Certainly, anonymous! Apologies for the delay!
Xerneas
The Life Pokémon
Type: Fairy
Official Registration #: 716
Entry: One of the three central legends of Kalosean myth—the deer-like guardian of life. It is said that when this pokémon’s horns glow in seven colors, it shares everlasting life with all those who are bathed in its mystic glow. This, as far as the author is concerned, is a far better alternative to a similar myth found in Johto, in which a pokémon that shines with rainbow colors will bestow life onto those who are bathed … in its sacred, unrelenting fires. The author appreciates that about Kalos: its calm, peaceful guardians of their world that do not set people on fire.
Yveltal
The Destruction Pokémon
Type: Dark/Flying
Official Registration #: 717
Entry: One of the three central legends of Kalosean myth—the eagle-like guardian of death. Yveltal is known best for its massive and fearsome wings. It is said that when it spreads these, they glow a bright red and absorb the life force of anyone bathed in its fiery brilliance. First, this description may actually be a reference to Oblivion Wing, a devastating attack that simultaneously heals Yveltal’s wounds … so, yes, of course such a glow would steal the life forces of others. Second, the author takes back half of what he had said in the Xerneas entry. He is clearly wrong and apologizes for this.
Zygarde
The Order Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 718
Entry: One of the three central legends of Kalosean myth—the shapeshifting guardian of the region. Contrary to popular contemporary belief, Zygarde is not the legendary of the balance between life and death but rather the legendary guardian of Kalos’s ecosystem. It stands watch for anything that threatens the balance of nature and interacts with the problem in one of four forms (the cellular core, the dog-like 10% forme, the worm-like 50% forme, and the fierce, humanoid complete forme), depending on the level of the threat. However, it cannot be said enough that Zygarde’s interests are said to lie only in the ecosystem. Thus, if you happen to be simultaneously gifted with eternal life while being subjected to life-draining rays because Xerneas and Yveltal are engaged in combat before you … you’re on your own unless either of them destroy a tree full of pokémon. Terribly sorry.
The Nincada Line
Nincada
The Trainee Pokémon
Type: Bug/Ground
Official Registration #: 290
Entry: For most of its life, this larval pokémon hatches and lives underground, where it feeds on nutrient-rich roots in preparation for its evolution. However, because of its primarily subterranean lifestyle, the species is also largely blind, relying on sensory information transmitted to its antennae to navigate. Needless to say, removing one from its native habitat to study it in a well-lit, above-ground laboratory is … perhaps not the best of ideas, no.
Ninjask
The Ninja Pokémon
Type: Bug/Flying
Official Registration #: 291
Entry: The evolved form of nincada, by battle experience. Ninjask is known for two things. First, its speed: it moves at a lightning-fast pace, sometimes even to a point where it becomes too fast to observe by the human eye. Second, it’s a stubborn and proud pokémon and will happily express its displeasure with a command by crying loudly, at volumes that could damage a human’s hearing. In other words, ninjask is better known as “that one pokémon you may be tempted to train due to its competitive, speed-based abilities, except you will very likely regret attempting to train it due to everything else about it.”
Shedinja
The Shed Pokémon
Type: Bug/Ghost
Official Registration #: 292
Entry: The husk of a nincada, left behind upon its evolution. Despite being made of a thin chitin, this terrifying pokémon possesses an ability that renders it invulnerable to everything but fire, ghost, dark, and flying elemental abilities, as well as indirect attacks. Additionally, it does not apparently possess a soul, and perhaps because of this, the strange forces that animate it are said to suck in the souls of anyone who looks into the cavity on its back. Luckily, whenever sending this pokémon out to battle—given the amount of time it may take for an opponent to defeat your shedinja, as well as the position of your pokémon relative to you during a match—staring directly into the hole that will suck out your spirit is nigh inevitable.
Drifloon and Drifblim
Drifloon
The Balloon Pokémon
Type: Ghost/Flying
Official Registration #: 425
Entry: A small, balloon-like pokémon first discovered in the mountains of Sinnoh. This potentially dangerous pokémon is well-aware of its cute, balloon-like appearance, as it uses this to its advantage when hunting its meal of choice: the souls of children. When it spots a potential victim, drifloon floats close and offers one of its string-like appendages for the child to take. In theory, the next step would be that the drifloon lifts the child and carries them away from their home, but considering the fact that the average toddler weighs ten times (at minimum) as much as the average drifloon, what typically happens instead is that the drifloon is dragged away from its natural habitat and presented to understandably horrified parents. (This is why most drifloon who survive in the wilderness feed on a supplemental diet of berries and dreams.)
Drifblim
The Blimp Pokémon
Type: Ghost/Flying
Official Registration #: 426
Entry: The evolved form of drifloon, by battle experience. Upon evolution, this blimp-like pokémon loses its desire to hunt. Rather, it adopts a more easy-going personality and has been known to befriend both people and pokémon very willingly. Moreover, drifblim gain an increase in strength, which, combined with drifblim’s more docile nature, tends to lead trainers into believing this pokémon would be an ideal candidate to teach the Fly technique to. However, it should also be noted that although drifblim can support the weight of a fully grown human being, it cannot control where it goes once airborne or how long it remains in the air, which is to say that drifblim is really the only ideal candidate to teach Fly to if one does not mind spending a week to go from Hearthome City to Canalave by way of Sunyshore and Oreburgh … somehow.
Murkrow and Honchkrow
Murkrow
The Darkness Pokémon
Type: Dark/Flying
Official Registration #: 198
Entry: A crow-like pokémon native to the forests and mountains of Johto and Sinnoh. This wily pokémon is widely feared and loathed by many cultures, including those outside its home regions. Part of this may have to do with its tendency to collect shiny objects: it often steals from unwary travelers, which in turn provokes said travelers to chase after them. Should a human fall into this trap, the murkrow will lead them deep into the densest parts of their territories before flying off, leaving the human lost and stranded in the wilderness. Of course, a human would need to be pretty witless to follow a murkrow in the first place, given the fact that the entire species derives its name from the words “crow” and “murder.”
Bill, didn’t you once have to be rescued after following a murkrow? —LH
That was a fluke. —Bill
Of course it was. —LH
Honchkrow
The Big Boss Pokémon
Type: Dark/Flying
Official Registration #: 430
Entry: The evolved form of murkrow, by exposure to dusk stone. This giant crow-like pokémon is capable of controlling entire flocks of murkrow. When a massive scavenging job needs to be done or whenever nests need to be made, it issues a deep, booming cry to summon every murkrow within miles. Because the numbers of murkrow that respond to this call frequently block out the sun for minutes at a time, honchkrow is colloquially called the “Summoner of the Night.” Which, incidentally, is also a great and surprisingly unused name for a band.
Swablu and Altaria
Swablu
The Cotton Bird Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 333
Entry: A small, bluebird-like pokémon most commonly found in the mountains of Hoenn. This gentle pokémon is known for its highly friendly demeanor towards humans. When a human wanders into their territory, swablu like to swoop in and settle onto the human’s head like a hat made of down and soft, pillowy cotton. This specific behavior is likely due to the swablu’s preference for soft, pliable building materials for their nests, so therefore, it is said that if a swablu settles on you, then it deems you both trustworthy and comfortable. If, however, two swablu settle on you and proceed to lay eggs on your head, then they deem you extremely trustworthy and comfortable. Or at least this is what the author’s partner and editor assured him when he suddenly found himself with an entire team of swablu.
Altaria
The Humming Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Flying
Official Registration #: 334
Entry: The evolved form of swablu, by battle experience. This graceful pokémon is known for its singing ability and its soft, cloud-like wings. When bonding with its trainer, an altaria will envelope said trainer in its wings and sing a beautiful, soothing melody to lull them to sleep. Or, at least, scientists assume this is an act of bonding and that any unfortunate mishaps involving dense wings and songs that lull a human to sleep are entirely accidental. This is also something the author’s editor (or, rather, her sister) assures him whenever her altaria shows “displays of affection” and “excitement to see him.”
Skarmory
Skarmory
The Armor Bird Pokémon
Type: Steel/Flying
Official Registration #: 227
Entry: A predatory bird pokémon native to mountainous regions. This fierce raptor nests primarily in brambles, using the thorns to protect its chicks. As the hatchlings grow, the thorns scratch their wings, and the resulting scar tissue eventually hardens into a full set of metal armor that make skarmory difficult to take down. Adding to this defensive advantage, despite the weight of its own skin, skarmory is still one of the fastest bird-like pokémon in existence, clocking in at a top speed of over 180 miles per hour as it swoops in to snatch prey from crags. In short, it is, in every way, designed to be the perfect predator, which is why the mountainous areas of Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos are dangerous to traverse and ill-advised for the unprepared trainer. However, despite the dangers skarmory pose towards unwary travelers, the skarmory that nest just outside of Fallarbor Town, Hoenn, live in fear of the one creature far fiercer and more terrifying than even the toughest, most battle-hardened skarmory alive: the editor of this blog.
I maintain a perfect battle record against skarmory. 🙂 —LH
It’s the smiley that terrifies me the most. —Bill
Tropius
Tropius
The Fruit Pokémon
Type: Grass/Flying
Official Registration #: 357
Entry: A winged, dinosaur-like pokémon native to tropical jungles. Although tropius is an herbivore with a highly varied diet of plants and fruits, its favored food is the banana, which it eats in so much of an abundance that it begins to grow the fruit on its neck. This fruit is perfectly edible and identical to bananas in every way, and in some island nations, human children are known to climb tropius’s back to pick and eat its bananas. The tropius itself does not seem to mind; it is known for doing the same to its fellow tropius. In other words, the less one thinks about tropius and its dietary habits, the better, very likely.
Doduo and Dodrio
Author’s Note: Due to the editor deciding that “just because you answered a string of questions last night doesn’t mean you should end it with a sarcastic response” and that the author should “think of the readers and the poor woman I’ve hired as a PR consultant,” the author has been asked to do an entry that will, hopefully, better explain dodrio flight. And by “asked,” he actually means “ordered under threat of being shown a marathon of Binaclebob Trapezoidpants episodes.”
Doduo
The Twin Bird Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 84
Entry: Despite its designation as a partial flying-type, doduo lack developed wings and therefore cannot fly for extended periods of time. Instead, it runs using its powerful legs. These legs are so well-developed and powerful that they enable doduo to reach speeds of up to sixty miles per hour, which in turn make it one of the fastest non-evolved land pokémon in existence. At these speeds, its two heads are highly useful for, appropriately enough, two reasons. First, by bobbing its heads back and forth in an alternating motion, doduo is able to maintain its balance. Second, because each head is always looking out for the other and because both heads are connected telepathically, one head can easily tell the other, “You’re about to run us headlong into a boulder, you absolute tool.” [Note: This is, at the very least, an approximation of what a doduo might say, based on psychic scans of a doduo running headlong into a boulder.]
Dodrio
The Triple Bird Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 85
Entry: The evolved form of doduo, by battle experience. Upon evolution, doduo’s body reforms so that it possesses three of not only heads but several other organs, some of which the author cannot list in polite company. While this increases the resulting dodrio’s running endurance, it decreases its top speed. However, although dodrio is no longer capable of running as quickly as its predecessor, it makes up for it with an alternate means of transportation. Namely, while many people assume just by looking at a dodrio lacks wings, what few people realize is that the brown fluff surrounding its entire body are its wings, folded up. When unfurled, dodrio possesses a pair of wings so large and majestic that it dwarfs the wingspans of many of its fellow bird pokémon.
Bill, I explicitly told you not to give yet another sarcastic response to the question about how dodrio can fly. —LH
Actually, this one isn’t sarcastic. Their wings are actually more impressive than Ho-oh’s. —Bill
…okay, that’s it, you’re going to spend the rest of the evening with Binaclebob. —LH
Would you be able to write about swellow please? Its my favourite pokemon :)
Certainly! And thank you for your patience, anonymous.
Taillow
The Tiny Swallow Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 276
Entry: Due to their rapid growth and tendency to evolve rather quickly for bird-like pokémon, most taillow found in the wild are actually extremely young. Nonetheless, these are gutsy, spirited creatures who can hold their own in a battle. Out of a battle, however, taillow have an unfortunate tendency to cry when they’re hungry, when they’re lonely, when the weather is a few degrees colder than they care for, when it’s dark, when the wind is too strong for their liking, and several other instances that make earplugs wise investments for trainers who may be considering raising a taillow of their own.
Swellow
The Swallow Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 277
Entry: The evolved form of taillow, by battle experience. Known for its excellent flying skills—which consist of a combination of speed, endurance, and maneuverability that are virtually unmatched in the pokémon kingdom—swellow have the ability to swoop down from hundreds of feet in the air to snatch the tiniest insect in their feet with perfect accuracy. Of course, these skills are not limited for use in their daily hunting flights. In fact, swellow also use feats of aerial prowess to perform elaborate mating rituals, fly hundreds of miles to warmer climates in the autumn and winter, and coordinate with other swellow to carry coconuts tied together using a line of creeper held under the dorsal guiding feathers.
The Pokédex According to Bill 