Tag: Tyranitar

The Larvitar Line

bills-pokedex:

Larvitar
The Rock Skin Pokémon
Type: Rock/Ground
Official Registration #: 246
Entry: A two-foot-tall, dinosaur-like pokémon native to mountainous regions. Although it’s true that larvitar are born underground and eat soil and rocks until they tunnel to the surface, the idea that they eat entire mountains before evolution is entirely false. It just feels as if they do, as larvitar are, on average, almost 160 pounds, and they have a tendency to leap at their unsuspecting trainers when overwhelmed with the need to shower them with affection via a tackling hug.

Pupitar
The Hard Shell Pokémon
Type: Rock/Ground
Official Registration #: 247
Entry: The evolved form of larvitar, by battle experience. During evolution, larvitar encase themselves in a cocoon of rock. This stone shell is as hard and solid as bedrock, so while it fully protects the larvitar inside from any damage, it also constricts its limb movements. However, this doesn’t mean it’s entirely immobile, as pupitar possesses vents all over its body, which allow the highly compressed gases it creates within itself to escape in the form of powerful jets. In fact, these jets can be so powerful that they can propel pupitar wherever it needs to be faster than a number of other pokémon. This is, of course, doubly unfortunate for its trainer, as not only can pupitar launch itself like a rocket in any direction, but it’s also a 335-pound tank of pure destruction … that still enjoys showering its trainers with affection by throwing itself at them.

Tyranitar
The Armor Pokémon
Type: Rock/Dark
Official Registration #: 248
Entry: The evolved form of pupitar, by battle experience. On the positive side, tyranitar do not shower their trainers with affection by throwing themselves at them. On the negative side, tyranitar are highly destructive and aggressive pokémon who possess the ability to flatten miles of forest in seconds and who are constantly on the lookout for new opponents to fight, and tamed tyranitar consider doing both of these things (committing incredible amounts of property damage and fighting literally anything it can find) to be perfectly acceptable methods of showing affection towards their trainers.

Mega Tyranitar
The Armor Pokémon
Type: Rock/Dark
Official Registration #: 248+
Entry: The advanced form of tyranitar, via tyranitarite. On the positive side, achieving mega evolution with a tyranitar is proof that it and its trainer have formed an unbreakable, everlasting bond of friendship between each other. On the negative side, mega tyranitar are significantly faster, bulkier, and more powerful than their un-mega evolved forms, and the point about their generally highly aggressive nature still stands. Best of luck, trainers!

I’m a rock trainer in the mining industry. My oldest child is a caring, responsible adult trainer going through the Kanto gyms. They have been talking with me about taking the next steps in their journey, which would be hiking through the mountain ranges of Kanto and Johto. Their team is small, and they’ve been looking to add a Rock type that can assist in transportation. Since I know breeders, I can help them find one. But do you have thoughts on the pros and cons between Aggron and Tyranitar?

Both are excellent pokémon, @ghostflannel, and I admit it will be a difficult choice between the two.

Nonetheless, allow me to begin with aggron. In terms of pros, aggron is partially steel and thus resistant to a higher number of pokémon types, including three out of the four specialties of the Elite Four (if we consider one of Agatha’s specialties to be Poison and Lorelei’s to be Ice). Furthermore, if your child is quite literally halfway through their gym challenge, aggron aren’t weak to Erika’s grass-types (although they aren’t resistant to them either), and they’re positively assets in Koga’s gym. Additionally, aggron generally have tamer personalities than tyranitar, as they’re only territorial, not outright aggressive. 

On the other hand, they’re also generally weaker and slower than tyranitar (except when it comes to physical defenses), and because they’re part-steel, they may also be harder to maintain on a daily basis (as you will need to polish their armor regularly to prevent spotting or rust).

Tyranitar, on the other hand, are far stronger than aggron, and their typing renders them weaker to more elements than a steel/rock-type would be. On the other hand, a tyranitar’s dark typing allows it to be resistant to a different array of types than aggron, some of which may make tyranitar more vital to the latter half of a Kanto gym challenge. For example, whereas aggron is not resistant to psychic-types, tyranitar is perfectly immune to them, rendering Sabrina (one of the more formidable gym leaders) essentially harmless. Likewise, whereas aggron is critically weak to ground-types, tyranitar, while weak as well, won’t be crippled by them, allowing one to handle the Viridian Gym (when it uses its ground-type team, anyway). Tyranitar is additionally resistant to ghost-types and fire-types, allowing it to handle Agatha and Blaine far better than aggron would.

On the other hand, tyranitar and its preevolutions still possess a weakness to more types than aggron does, including grass, but then again, if you challenge Erika, it’s unlikely you’ll be using a rock-type anyway, so perhaps this isn’t much of a problem. What is much of a problem, however, is the fact that tyranitar’s personality make the species difficult to train. They’re naturally aggressive and are very liable to, well, rampage. They are, after all, considered to be the gyarados of the land, and with the sort of power they possess, this can often lead to catastrophic damage. However, it’s also true that with enough patience, a trainer may be able to tame a tyranitar (in much the same way a gyarados can be tamed), so if your child is a particularly patient individual, consider this to be more of a warning than a con.

In short, aggron are more docile and possess better defenses but are all-around weaker and will be less of an asset in the Kanto gyms, whereas tyranitar are dreadfully strong but extremely difficult to handle.

Best of luck on whatever you and your child choose!

Hello! My Raichu and I grew up together, we’ve been inseparable for many years. He and I love a good battle, and often train and participate in friendly fights. We do lots of traveling and my Raichu never backs down from any wild Pokemon if they try to attack. Recently we’ve been traveling into some mountains in Johto and i’m worried about Tyranitar. We take all the precautions residents recommended but my Raichu still insists on fighting. What can I do to convince him to back down?

Teach him Grass Knot.

Edit: I have just been informed by my editor that this does not, in fact, answer your question.

That having been said, as a native to the region myself, I can only guess what the locals have told you, but if they haven’t shared the most important thing to note, allow me to do so now. Tyranitar are extremely rare, as it’s necessary for them to control vast amounts of territory for themselves. Thus, they make their homes in more hostile areas, and they’re generally more interested in battling each other than a raichu that has no interest in claiming their mountains as its own. Discouraging your raichu from finding and battling them may be a simple matter of not venturing too deeply into the Johtonian mountains.

Should you encounter one anyway, inform him that you won’t give him commands throughout the battle. Your raichu will then have two choices: fight the land dragon made of rock himself or listen to reason and follow you away. If he chooses the former option or if the tyranitar notices you first, then it may be too late to deescalate the battle. One hit will alert the tyranitar to your location, which in turn will incite the tyranitar to attack. Your only choice at that point would be to follow through with the battle, so keep your raichu’s poké ball and at least one water- or one grass-type on hand—preferably a grass-type that knows Spore. Recall your raichu and have the grass-type disable the tyranitar, then get a head start on running before your raichu breaks free. 

In all other instances (that is, if you haven’t encountered a tyranitar at all), remind your raichu that if a dangerous situation arises (such as a tyranitar encounter), your safety should mean more to him than the battle. While he may be confident in his ability to keep himself safe, with a pokémon as powerful as tyranitar, there is no guarantee for you. Word it politely, of course, but be sure to get that point across. If your raichu is loyal to you, it should at least be food for thought—or an opportunity to open up some form of conversation (or, well, the closest thing one can have with a pokémon) with him.

Good luck, anonymous, and may your journey be exciting!

The Larvitar Line

Larvitar
The Rock Skin Pokémon
Type: Rock/Ground
Official Registration #: 246
Entry: A two-foot-tall, dinosaur-like pokémon native to mountainous regions. Although it’s true that larvitar are born underground and eat soil and rocks until they tunnel to the surface, the idea that they eat entire mountains before evolution is entirely false. It just feels as if they do, as larvitar are, on average, almost 160 pounds, and they have a tendency to leap at their unsuspecting trainers when overwhelmed with the need to shower them with affection via a tackling hug.

Pupitar
The Hard Shell Pokémon
Type: Rock/Ground
Official Registration #: 247
Entry: The evolved form of larvitar, by battle experience. During evolution, larvitar encase themselves in a cocoon of rock. This stone shell is as hard and solid as bedrock, so while it fully protects the larvitar inside from any damage, it also constricts its limb movements. However, this doesn’t mean it’s entirely immobile, as pupitar possesses vents all over its body, which allow the highly compressed gases it creates within itself to escape in the form of powerful jets. In fact, these jets can be so powerful that they can propel pupitar wherever it needs to be faster than a number of other pokémon. This is, of course, doubly unfortunate for its trainer, as not only can pupitar launch itself like a rocket in any direction, but it’s also a 335-pound tank of pure destruction … that still enjoys showering its trainers with affection by throwing itself at them.

Tyranitar
The Armor Pokémon
Type: Rock/Dark
Official Registration #: 248
Entry: The evolved form of pupitar, by battle experience. On the positive side, tyranitar do not shower their trainers with affection by throwing themselves at them. On the negative side, tyranitar are highly destructive and aggressive pokémon who possess the ability to flatten miles of forest in seconds and who are constantly on the lookout for new opponents to fight, and tamed tyranitar consider doing both of these things (committing incredible amounts of property damage and fighting literally anything it can find) to be perfectly acceptable methods of showing affection towards their trainers.