Sinnoh Legendaries, Part IV

Uxie
The Knowledge Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Official Registration #: 480
Entry: According to Sinnohan lore, Uxie is the legendary guardian of Lake Acuity, the pixie of knowledge, and the being who gifted humanity with the ability to think. The latter is its main legacy; most stories regarding Uxie talk about how it flew across the land and how those humans it passed suddenly gained the ability to solve problems and improve their lives, independent of their pokémon companions. Of course, while it’s true that humanity as a whole has shown rich amounts of aptitude to do just this, whether or not Uxie had accidentally missed a few individuals here or there is still a matter of debate.

Mesprit
The Emotion Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Official Registration #: 481
Entry: According to Sinnohan lore, Mesprit is the legendary guardian of Lake Verity, the pixie of emotion, and the being who gifted humanity with the ability to feel. As it flew across the region, it taught the humans it encountered how to feel hope, love, sadness, joy, pain, and sorrow—all the things that are necessary for understanding the gift of life. Humans, in turn, promptly used its newfound gifts to create schadenfreude, politics, and war. Because you just can’t give humanity nice, noble things, apparently.

Azelf
The Willpower Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Official Registration #: 482
Entry: According to Sinnohan lore, Azelf is the legendary guardian of Lake Valor, the pixie of willpower, and the being who gifted humanity with the determination and strength to go through life. Some argue that Azelf was the most important pixie of all, as with knowledge and emotion but without determination, humanity would see no point in using their gifts of intelligence and compassion to make the world a better place. Just remember that, readers—it was not simply Uxie and Mesprit who came to us but Azelf as well, and as such, no matter what happens or what we think of ourselves or even what others think of us, we have Azelf’s gift of strength inside us all.

(And you thought the author was about to end this entry with something far more dismal, didn’t you?)

Sinnoh Legendaries: Part III

Manaphy
The Seafaring Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 490
Entry: According to Sinnoh lore, this small, sea angel-like pokémon is the legendary Prince of the Sea. Unlike other legendaries associated with the sea (specifically Kyogre and Lugia), it does not control the sea itself, nor does it control the storms above it or channels within it. Rather, its fantastic power—which it possesses at birth—allows it to bond with and communicate with all sea life, from the tiniest plankton to the massive, unfathomable creatures dwelling in the ocean’s darkest depths. Oftentimes, fans of legendary pokémon mock Manaphy and call it the most useless pokémon in a superhero fight, but let it be known that sea life includes both Kyogre and Lugia, so honestly, stop making fun of Waterman, comic book message boards on the internet.

Phione
The Sea Drifter Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 489
Entry: According to Sinnoh lore, this small, sea angel-like pokémon is born from a Manaphy when mated with a ditto. How we know this—considering the fact that Manaphy is a mythical pokémon only rumored to exist and considering the fact that ditto are not native to the sea, never mind the other thousands of questions we have about phione—the author can’t say.

Sinnoh Legendaries, Part II

Heatran
The Lava Dome Pokémon
Type: Fire/Steel
Official Registration #: 485
Entry: According to Sinnoh lore, this large, golem-like pokémon is the guardian of caves, of mountains, and of magma—or, more simply, it’s the guardian of volcanoes. Up until recently, given the fact that it’s a bulky-looking, quadruped pokémon whose very roar caused volcanoes to erupt, Johtonians were fully convinced that Heatran was nothing more than a corruption or even mockery of their own legendary of volcanoes, Entei. Then it was discovered that, no, really, Heatran actually existed, and for the first time ever in the history of Johto-Sinnoh relations, Johtonians may or may not have said words that might have given someone else the impression that they were wrong about something and that they apologize.

Sinnoh Legendaries: Part I

Shaymin
The Gratitude Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 492
Entry: According to Sinnoh lore, this small, hedgehog-like pokémon is the legendary of gratitude. Stories tell of its many abilities, most of which are in one way or another rewards for gracious humans. If it senses gratitude and love, it will dissolve the toxins in the air around it and cause entire fields to bloom with flowers and abundant greenery. If it’s given even a small offering of gracidea flowers, it will transform into a more powerful form capable of flight to become the defender of the people who worship it. And if it encounters gold rings, it will suddenly feel the need to paint itself blue, run really fast, and quip somewhat cheesy one-liners.

Hi Bill, I was wondering if you could help clear something up for me? My family and I moved from Mahogany town to Canalave city a few years ago and since then me and my brother have been getting a lot of odd looks and seem to be being treated differently than most of the other people our age. The only reason I’ve been able to see is that I’m a dark type specialist and my brother’s a specialist in ghost types. I was hoping you might know if this has anything to do with it.

Admittedly, the people of Johto and the people of Sinnoh have had a bit of a rivalry going on for ages over our respective customs. Namely, Johtonians typically honor the twin guardians Ho-oh and Lugia above all other legendary pokémon, whereas Sinnohans follow a hierarchy centered around Arceus and the guardians of time, space, and states of being. It doesn’t help, of course, that the last time our two regions did anything collaborative, the Sinnohans put an altar to Arceus in it. Johtonians, being Johtonians (even back when we worshipped the unown, which was before we worshipped Ho-oh and Lugia), responded by sealing off all entrances to said shrine except for the one going through what’s currently the Ruins of Alph. Because we Johtonians take pride in the fact that we had perfected the art of being petty long before we had a proper word for it.

Also, Johtonians in general have … a bit of a reputation about them in other regions that isn’t exactly flattering. Some regions find us funny, outspoken, or emotional. Others find us brash, loud, overly ambitious, and (if you’re from certain parts of Goldenrod or Olivine) possibly some kind of delinquent.

If I recall correctly, Mahogany Town is a bit more removed from the regional customs than many other cities and towns in Johto—including Goldenrod—and as such, the regional rivalry with Sinnoh isn’t quite as lively there as it is elsewhere. Conversely, Canalave City, being the entryway into the Sinnoh region as well as one of its many cultural centers (thanks to the Canalave Library), is also home to those who are very, very dedicated to Sinnohan customs, including maintaining a rather … welcoming attitude towards anyone who speaks with one of the Johtonian dialects.

Granted, yes, it’s also true that Sinnohans “worship” a dark-type legendary and a ghost-type legendary (in that they fear them—greatly), but for that reason, any researcher or expert who wishes to study them tends to be higher respected than one would think. There’s a reason why Canalave has a library, after all: knowledge is power in Sinnoh.

So in other words, it’s probably less because of your type specialties and more because, well, you may obviously be from Johto. This isn’t to say you absolutely must change yourselves to fit in. Speaking as someone who had left Johto to live in Kanto (a region home to even more colorful opinions of Johtonians than anything that’s crossed a Sinnohan’s mind), it’s possible to get along just fine within a region that customarily thinks you’re hilarious and quaint. In your case, I would recommend establishing yourselves as serious experts of your types. Help other Sinnohans overcome their fear of dark- or ghost-types and teach them the proper way to care for ordinary pokémon of your respective elements. The more you can serve as a teacher to others, the easier it will be to get people to feel comfortable with you … or at least take you seriously.

And because I’m certain at least one of my colleagues is just waiting to make a comment about that last part, I would like to remind all of you that I am, in fact, well-respected within the Pokémon Association and that one of you who I’m sure would love to imply otherwise also speaks with a Goldenrod accent, Bebe.

Cresselia

Cresselia
The Lunar Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Official Registration #: 488
Entry: According to Sinnohan myth, Cresselia is the lady of the crescent moon and of dreams, as well as a companion to Darkrai. As such, her mere presence can induce blissful dreams in even the most morbid creatures, and her feathers alone, known colloquially as Lunar Wings, are highly valued for their ability to induce peaceful sleep. The latter may explain why the most common souvenir in the Sinnoh region are “authentic” Lunar Wings (actually chatot feathers dyed and curled) … which, the author supposes, do bring pleasant dreams—to Sinnohan merchants.

Darkrai

Darkrai
The Pitch-Black Pokémon
Type: Dark
Official Registration #: 491
Entry: According to Sinnohan myth, Darkrai is the lord of the new moon and of dreams, as well as a companion to Cresselia. As such, its mere presence can induce terrifying nightmares in even the strongest-willed creatures. To protect itself and conceal its true domain, it consciously uses its powers to inflict a deep slumber full of horrific nightmares on all those around it, an act which it does for the sole purpose of driving intruders away. Yet also according to Sinnohan myth, it actually means no harm. Incidentally, yes, the author is aware of just how contradictory most of this entry is, and yes, he does indeed think this is highly appropriate for a pokémon that looks very much like the embodiment of the scene phase he certainly never had.

Kricketot and Kricketune

Kricketot
The Cricket Pokémon
Type: Bug
Official Registration #: 401
Entry: A small, cricket-like pokémon first discovered in the forests of Sinnoh. Kricketot’s bulbous antennae are actually hollow but configured in just the right way that when struck together, they create the xylophone sound the species is known for. As kricketot are most active in the late summer and early fall, this melodious, xylophone-like sound is considered to be the sign that autumn (or “fall” in the Sinnohan dialect) is quickly approaching. When walking through the forests of Sinnoh in early autumn, pay particularly close attention to the way the melody sounds. If it’s smooth and deliberate, with consistently timed tones, then you may be overhearing two or more kricketot conversing with one another. If, however, the sound is chaotic, loud, and ends abruptly, it could be that the unfortunately short kricketot had stumbled over its own stubby legs and struck its antennae together by sheer accident as it fell. It’s interesting to note that one of these types of sounds tends to be more frequent than the other, and suffice to say, there is very likely a reason why Sinnohans call autumn “fall,” other than because of their leaves.

Kricketune
The Cricket Pokémon
Type: Bug
Official Registration #: 402
Entry: The evolved form of kricketot, by battle experience. Kricketune is just as famous for its melodies as its pre-evolved form, but unlike its pre-evolved form, a kricketune produces its tones by rubbing its knife-like front legs together across its violin-like chest. The end result is a rapid, surprisingly variable sound related directly to their emotions. In other words, kricketune have the ability to convey their emotions through differences in their sound patterns. Tamed kricketune have a tendency to “sing” with quick, energetic waltz that indicates their happiness or contentment. Kricketune that have been separated from their mates or trainers will “sing” in slow, dark minuets or sonatas—sometimes even a dirge. Finally, wild kricketune that have just been startled usually respond with an avant garde “deleleleWHOOOP” … shortly before executing X-Scissor into the hapless researcher’s back as it leaps unexpectedly from the nearby tall grasses.

The Duskull Line

Duskull
The Requiem Pokémon
Type: Ghost
Official Registration #: 355
Entry: A small, reaper-like pokémon native to mountainous regions. This pokémon is quite fond of small children, and it’s known to appear suddenly before crying ones in particular. After that, researchers aren’t entirely sure what happens, but according to Hoennian folklore, it whisks the noisiest ones away in the middle of the night to a strange and wondrous place. The story doesn’t entirely go into what a duskull would do with a child after that point, but the author has no doubt that this pokémon fully intends on making friends with them and feeding them candy.

No, Bill. Just … no. —LH

Dusclops
The Beckon Pokémon
Type: Ghost
Official Registration #: 356
Entry: The evolved form of duskull, by battle experience. Dusclops’s body is completely hollow, save for an unending void which is said to suck out one’s soul when they gaze deep into it. How do researchers know that dusclops is hollow save for an unending void that we can’t even directly observe? Well, readers, the author isn’t at liberty to say himself, but it certainly did not involve a stick, three expendable aides, a length of rope, a blindfold, and the distant hope that there would be candy inside.

Dusknoir
The Gripping Pokémon
Type: Ghost
Official Registration #: 477
Entry: The evolved form of dusclops, via trading, if the subject is wearing a reaper cloth. The golden disk on this pokémon’s head is actually an antenna through which it receives commands from the spirit world to recapture wandering spirits. Unable to do anything else but comply, dusknoir may stop what it’s doing and seek out a lost spirit. When it finds one, it stuffs the spirit into its pliant body and drags them back to the spirit world. The author also realizes that this satisfies the tastes of at least three different questionably moral internet subcultures, so he’ll end the entry right about here.

The Gible Line

Gible
The Land Shark Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 443
Entry: A short, shark-like pokémon first discovered in the cave systems of Sinnoh. This pokémon burrows in horizontal tunnels embedded within cave walls. From there, it points its face outward and waits for prey to pass by its burrow opening. When something comes close, it launches itself out of its burrow to pounce on and bite the intruder. It’s important to note that this behavior does not stop when tamed; rather, trainers should fully expect to find their clothing gathered in a small, hole-like pile … as well as ample amounts of time spent with a gible attached to their arms shortly after discovering said pile.

Gabite
The Cave Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 444
Entry: The evolved form of gible, by battle experience. Native to dark caves, gabite is attracted to anything that glitters or glows. In the wild, this means it actively hunts down and collects any shiny object it can get its claws on—including jewels, ores, and even trash from trainers—and hoards these in its underground nest. In captivity, this means it is possibly the most entertaining pokémon to introduce a laser pointer to.

Garchomp
The Mach Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 445
Entry: The evolved form of gabite, by battle experience. The short fins on this pokémon’s arms are actually wings that allow it to fly at supersonic speeds to chase down prey. There is no punchline to this entry. The author just wanted to inform all of you that a 209-pound ground-type land shark with wings shorter than its actual claws can apparently fly and that this world is a wondrous place.