The Fletchling Line

Fletchling
The Tiny Robin Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 661
Entry: A small songbird pokémon native to the fields of Kalos. Fletchling is famous for its intricate dances and beautiful songs, which it uses in combination to perform what is objectively considered to be the cutest form of communication in the pokémon world. The author would go on to say that, despite the fact that fletchling is considered to be cute, it is somehow one of the most vicious and territorial pokémon in the Kalos region, but to be frank, many of you have been following this blog long enough to know that this is exactly what to expect from it.

Fletchinder
The Ember Pokémon
Type: Fire/Flying
Official Registration #: 662
Entry: The evolved form of fletchling, by battle experience. Using its newly acquired fire element, fletchinder hunt by setting tall grasses on fire and pouncing on whatever flees from the flames … because the pokémon kingdom is a brutal and often horrifying concept, which is exactly what many researchers consider to be fascinating about it.

Talonflame
The Scorching Pokémon
Type: Fire/Flying
Official Registration #: 663
Entry: The evolved form of fletchinder, by battle experience. With diving speeds of up to 310 miles per hour, talonflame is among the fastest pokémon in existence. In the excitement of a battle, it uses both this and its ability to expel fire from the spaces between its feathers to overwhelm and devastate its opponents … or to burn down whatever parts of a field its preevolved form has yet to set ablaze.

Spinda

Spinda
The Spot Panda Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 327
Entry: A short, red panda pokémon native to the volcanic fields of Hoenn. Although it is said that no two spinda have the same spots, a recent study has revealed that this is very unlikely. Rather, the actual odds that two spinda share the same or similar spot patterns is roughly one in 4,294,967,295. It was, of course, highly complex mathematics that was able to determine this, rather than pure observation, as counting spinda is an activity best reserved for those with extraordinary patience, due to spinda’s tendency to confuse onlookers with its wobbly, almost hypnotic gait and vacant stare. Thus, spinda trainers should be delighted to know that a fact concerning their spinda’s signature trait was found using similar methods astronomers have used to calculate the existence of trans-Neptunian planets … which, interestingly enough, are also known for their wobbly trajectories and questionable ties to reality.

Hoothoot and Noctowl

Hoothoot
The Owl Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 163
Entry: A small, owl-like pokémon native to Johtonian forests. Its brain and equilibrium organs have the capability of keeping perfect time by sensing the rotation of the planet. As it keeps time, it hoots softly and bobs back and forth in perfect time with its internal clock. Because of its accuracy, some trainers, especially in hoothoot’s native region, prefer keeping hoothoot instead of alarm clocks, as hoothoot will be able to awaken a trainer precisely on time, no matter where the trainer is located. However, be warned: a hoothoot’s preferred method of rousing a trainer is repeatedly executing Peck on one’s face, and hoothoot do not necessarily understand the concept of “please do not wake me with Peck tomorrow for the love of Ho-oh.”

Noctowl
The Owl Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 164
Entry: The evolved form of hoothoot, by battle experience. According to some cultures, especially those in the West, noctowl are thought to be extremely intelligent beings, and thus, they are symbols of wisdom in those countries. However, the idea that noctowl possesses an inordinate amount of wisdom is actually a myth. Noctowl are actually about as intelligent, if not less intelligent, than the average bird, and in Johto, they are actually more known for flying into windows, despite their heightened ability to see in the dark.

Minccino and Cinccino

Minccino
The Chinchilla Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 572
Entry: A small, rodent-like pokémon known for its soft fur and grooming habits. Because minccino fur is extremely soft and thick—with an average of sixty hairs per follicle—minccino are typically extremely meticulous about keeping clean. While part of this is indeed related to the way they groom themselves and each other, it also extends to their surroundings, as they are particularly keen on doing everything they can to keep their coats clean, including removing dirt from their habitats. For this reason, minccino are often thought among Unovan parenting communities to be popular pets for teenagers and young adults who did not embark on a trainer’s journey, as the minccino will supposedly pick up after their newly independent but questionably responsible offspring. (This, of course, is not true; minccino could really care less about their habitats outside of their respective cages. But it’s a nice sentiment nonetheless.)

Cinccino
The Scarf Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 573
Entry: The evolved form of minccino, by exposure to shiny stone. Like minccino, cinccino are famously known for their soft fur, which is additionally coated in a special oil to make it shiny and silky-smooth. This fur grows upon evolution, and consequently, cinccino fur supposedly repels dirt, static electricity, and even punches from well-drained fighting-type pokémon. The keyword there, of course, is supposedly. Do not pit your cinccino against a gauntlet of fighting-type pokémon for the sole purpose of testing the durability of its fur. This is a fantastic way to lose both your cinncino and your trainer’s license.

Rufflet and Braviary

Rufflet
The Eaglet Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 627
Entry: An eagle-like pokémon known for its particularly fascinating tendency to stand up to any opponent, no matter how large or powerful they may be. This is, in general, an honorable behavior to display. It is important to stand up for your principles, after all, even if those principles result in you rolling down Cycling Road in a trash bin because you decided to stand up to the Celadon University rugby team while conveniently forgetting that you lack any sort of battling skills, hand-to-hand combat training, or, in fact, any semblance of hand-eye coordination.

To your credit, at least it was casserole day, so you had a cushion and free dinner. —LH

Braviary
The Valiant Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 628
Entry: The evolved form of rufflet, by battle experience. A large, eagle-like pokémon that will fight for its friends, regardless of the risks to itself. Because of this behavior, braviary has been taken to be a symbol of sorts to various regions and nations—including and especially Unova, where braviary represents FREEDOM. Which is, as the writer understands it from his good friends on the internet, a distinctly separate concept from freedom, as FREEDOM apparently involves far more fireworks, guns, ursaring, and acts of throwing perfectly good tea into a questionably good harbor.

Deerling and Sawsbuck

Deerling
The Season Pokémon
Type: Normal/Grass
Official Registration #: 585
Entry: A deer-like pokémon known for two things: first, its ability to change the color and texture of its coat with the seasons, and second, the fact an entire generation of children was scarred for life upon watching an adorable animated film about a deerling whose mother was shot by a poacher. (Thanks, Pokéstar Studios.)

Sawsbuck
The Season Pokémon
Type: Normal/Grass
Official Registration #: 586
Entry: The evolved form of deerling, by battle experience. Just as deerling’s coat changes with the seasons, so too do sawsbuck’s coat and antlers. In Unova, a good way to tell what season it is would be to look at the plants adorning a sawsbuck’s antlers. Small flowers indicate spring, luscious greens indicate summer, brilliantly-colored leaves indicate autumn, and plain white antlers indicate winter. Of course, a better and far more reliable way of telling what season it is would be to look outside and figure it out based on basic seasonal hallmarks such as snow or hot sun, but who is the writer to judge the ways of the Unovans?

Glameow and Purugly

Glameow
The Catty Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 431
Entry: A fancy cat-like pokémon known for its fickleness. It adores affection and will purr when given it, but at a moment’s notice—or when trainers fail to give it enough affection or food—it will hook its sharp claws into its owner’s skin. This fickleness has made it more appealing and cute to certain groups of people. These people refer to themselves as “cat owners,” whereas the rest of the world calls them “masochists.”

Purugly
The Tiger Cat Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 432
Entry: The evolved form of glameow, by battle experience. Despite the fact that it looks pudgy or even roly-poly, much of purugly’s weight actually consists of solid muscle and fur, which it puffs up as an intimidation tactic by binding its tail tightly across its midsection. But really, its best tactic is one it executes by its presence alone: it is audacious enough to barge into pokémon nests and claim them as its own, regardless of the original occupant. Consequently, most pokémon are fully convinced that purugly is fully capable of killing them if it can get away with stealing even the most vicious pokémon’s nests with absolutely zero [PLURAL EXPLETIVE REDACTED] given.

Bidoof and Bibarel

Bidoof
The Plump Mouse Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 399
Entry: A two-foot-tall rodent-like pokémon common to the Sinnoh region. Although it looks cute, unassuming, and dim-witted, bidoof are actually among the most destructive and dangerous beginner-level rodent pokémon in existence, even more so than its cousin the rattata. The reason why is that while rattata are quick to flee from danger and while many rattata forage alone, bidoof are tenacious, brave, and prone to forming large foraging groups. Therefore, whereas a rattata can be scared away by the presence of a trained machamp, a bidoof will merely tilt its head, emit a rallying cry, and charge forward with hundreds of its fluffy, biting brethren in tow. Needless to say, trainers would be wise to take caution around the mighty bidoof.

Bibarel
The Beaver Pokémon
Type: Normal/Water
Official Registration #: 400
Entry: The evolved form of bidoof, by battle experience. While many other pokémon develop a longing for wandering or expanding their territories upon evolution, bibarel becomes more domesticated. That is to say, rather than attempting to expand its territory, bibarel spends most of its efforts focusing on very specific points of rivers, where it builds giant dams where it will raise its young. These dams have been known to have huge ecological impacts. For most humans, they become a blessing, as in building the dam, the bibarel may create a natural reservoir or divert a river to a village in dire need of water. However, it should be noted that bibarel are largely oblivious to any damage their actions may cause, and they still retain their tendency to congregate in large groups from their time as bidoof. As such, in very certain cases, large numbers of bibarel have been known to singlehandedly flood entire Sinnohean towns without even realizing it.

Chatot

Chatot
The Music Note Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 441
Entry: A highly intelligent parrot-like pokémon capable of mimicking human speech. Because of this unique ability, many people like to catch them, teach them adorable phrases and tricks, and keep them as pets. Or, in the case of trainers like the Sinnoh storage system administrator, catch six of them, teach them to sing Tom Jones’s “What’s New Pussycat” in rounds, and replace every alarm clock in your house with this team of six chatot when you have company in order to dissuade your closest colleagues from ever visiting your home again.

Furfrou

Furfrou
The Poodle Pokémon
Type: Normal
Official Registration #: 676
Entry: A regal, dog-like pokémon traditionally given to Kalosean royalty as guardians. Because of both this and their easy-to-style coarse fur, furfrou have been both status symbols and fashion icons in the region since the eighteenth century. Perhaps to quell any possible guilt one may have for styling furfrou’s fur, it is commonly said among the Kalosean people that trimming a furfrou’s coat increases its swiftness. This is not necessarily true. While, yes, shaving a furfrou and relieving it of its thick, wild coat will help it to move its limbs and run unburdened, the issue is that a pokémon can only be so swift when the fur on its head has been shaped into a giant top hat.