#529 - #530: Drilbur & Excadrill

Now, this is how you create a mole Pokémon!

Yes, I am aware of the fact that Diglett and Dugtrio are mostly based on those ridiculously stupid Whac-A-Mole arcade games from the 1980s, but that doesn't mean that their designs aren't lackluster: Diglett is nothing but a brown, phallically shaped Pokémon with merely a pair of eyes and a pink button nose for physical features, while Dugtrio is just three Diglett clumped together. Game Freak haven't made things better by giving these Pokémon Alola Formes, whose added 'hair' makes them look dumb rather than creative, even though Alolan Diglett and Alolan Dugtrio got the same typing as Excadrill, the latter of whom I will discuss today.

TCG art of Drilbur.

But first, let's start off with Drilbur. This mole Pokémon has a pointed nose, distinguishable claws and actual fucking feet, however small they might be compared to the rest of its body. Unlike Diglett, it actually looks like a goddamn mole, and I'd even dare say it's cute. Drilbur is able to straighten its body and align its claws forward, allowing it to rotate quickly and dig through soil like a drill at speeds of 30 miles per hour, which is why its arms are shaped like shovels and its claws like the teeth of burrs. Its English name Drilbur implies just that, and its Japanese name Mogurew (モグリュー) even contains the English word 'screw', a type of steel fastener usually driven into a wall with a drill (or screwdriver, for that matter). When Drilbur evolves into Excadrill at level 31, it gains the steel typing. This can only be attributed to the steel blades Excadrill has for claws, as well as the one blade on its head, giving it the appearance of wearing some kind of helmet. By straightening up and putting both claws against its 'helmet', basically hiding its face between its steel blades, Excadrill actually looks like a drill - one that is strong enough to bore through iron plates no matter the thickness. It digs tunnels up to 300 feet deep and usually builds its maze-like nests at that depth, an activity that can turn out to be detrimental to underground structures such as subway tunnels, although Excadrill's swift digging prowess might be beneficial in tunnel construction as well.

Excadrill.

But if Excadrill is strong enough to destroy even thick iron plates, surely it can hold its own in a competitive battle, right? The answer is, 'You bet.' With phenomenal base 135 attack and pretty good base 88 speed, Excadrill is a force to be reckoned with. Its speed isn't that great, but this can easily be fixed by breeding a Jolly nature onto it and/or letting it hold a Choice Scarf, only to click whatever move you feel like clicking: STAB Earthquake, STAB Iron Head, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Poison Jab, Brick Break, X-Scissor and Shadow Claw... Excadrill does have a few options to choose from. It can't take a hit very well due to its paper-thin defenses, but this problem is slightly compensated by its beefy base 110 HP stat and the slew of resistances granted to it by its steel typing. However, a Choice Scarf is not the only option for you to choose from. If any of your competitive Pokémon has the ability Sand Stream (Tyranitar, perhaps?), you could use it to set up a sandstorm to trigger one of Excadrill's abilities, Sand Rush, which doubles its speed stat as long as a sandstorm is brewing on the battlefield. This allows Excadrill to Swords Dance up and demolish everything in its way, provided you let Excadrill hold something like a Life Orb or an Air Balloon and find the right time for it to switch in. A Choice Scarf set on a sandstorm team is not a bad idea either, especially considering Excadrill's other ability - Sand Force - increases the power of all of its ground-, rock- and steel-type moves by 30% when a sandstorm is in effect. If you're not going for a sandstorm strategy, Mold Breaker is the recommended ability for Excadrill.

These are actually two Excadrill, believe it or not. The one on the left has actually
just withdrawn its face into its claws and 'helmet' in order to look like a drill. 

A Focus Sash set on Smogon suggests you give Excadrill the moves Stealth Rock, Rapid Spin and Toxic, but that is a waste of its strength, at least in my opinion. Rapid Spin is a solid option to remove entry hazards and could easily find its place on a Choice Scarf or Life Orb set, but there are much better Stealth Rock setters and Toxic stallers than Excadrill. It is simply not bulky enough for such a support role, and its massive physical attack should be used to its full potential.

Well, maybe not its full potential; for that, you'd have to give Excadrill an Adamant nature, which it really can't afford with speed like that, but you know what I'm getting at... don't you?

Excadrill drilling away at Dewott, but Dewott won't have none of it. So much for
the claim that Excadrill can even drill through iron plates. 

I absolutely love Excadrill. It is the perfect example of a Pokémon actually looking like the animal it is based on, while having some very cool additional characteristics that makes it stand out among other Pokémon. It definitely helps that it's a steel type, my favorite typing in the entire game, and that it looks like something you would not want to have an encounter with. Excadrill is nothing short of terrifying and I'd run away from it as fast as possible. The cherry on top is its excellent competitive utility, which is so good it can even be used in Smogon's legendary Uber tier - although it officially resides in OU. I've used Excadrill numerous times in my Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 playthroughs, just because it's a fantastic Pokémon that annihilates everything as it goes, especially with a Swords Dance up. The five stars I'm going to give Excadrill are more than deserved, all five of them.

P.S.: Listen, Game Freak... I know that in Greek mythology, the Minotaur - half bull, half man - dwelt at the center of an elaborate maze-like construction called the Labyrinth, but that is not a reason to include this in Excadrill's French name Minotaupe. It's just a suggestion, but perhaps you should save that for a Pokémon that is actually based on the Minotaur. Good idea, no?

Rating: 5/5

#485: Heatran

The next legendary on the list is actually a Pokémon you can catch post-game in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. Upon beating Champion Cynthia and entering the Hall of Fame, the player character has a chance to board a ship to an island somewhere in the northeast area of Sinnoh, where a volcano called Stark Mountain is located. After traversing the volcano with a fella named Buck, the legendary Heatran can be found in a cavern in the back, ready for you to catch it.

TCG promotional art of Heatran.

Heatran is not one of those overly powerful box-art legendaries like Lugia, Kyogre and Dialga, but it's a steel type and it is very popular in competitive play as a result. It's a pity that there isn't much story to be told about Heatran in the games, because design-wise this Pokémon is nothing short of fascinating. Heatran looks like a combination between a tortoise and a warty toad, but it is a cave-dwelling creature that spits fire and has a body armor made of steel, its most prominent feature being the metal bangles locked around its legs. Some parts of its body do look like they're slightly out of shape, because the intense body heat coming from its boiling blood (like magma) made them melt. It is said that some melted bits of metal on its body are the remnants of what used to be its shell, enhancing the theory that Heatran is based on a tortoise. Additionally, the cross-shaped metal claws that allow it to dig deep into walls and the feet that allow it to stick to a surface - so it can hang from and climb walls and ceilings using all four of its feet - give it the characteristics of some larger variants of insects, particularly cockroaches. It also learns Bug Bite by Move Tutor, so go figure.

This art is... different, and I like it.

However, it's almost as if Game Freak intended for Heatran to be the embodiment of the Earth's core, and not only because it is found in the interior of a volcano. Its name is probably derived from 'transition metal', referring to the fact that iron - a transition metal - forms much of Earth's outer and inner core under immense pressure, along with nickel. It's exactly the reason why Heatran is a fire/steel type and the only Pokémon with that type combination to date. Even though this typing comes with a huge quadruple weakness to ground-type moves, Heatran also benefits from being resistant to nine types (and an immunity to poison), of which five are quadruple ones: bug, steel, grass, ice and - most importantly - fairy. Fairy is one of the most common types seen in the competitive metagame nowadays, and Heatran makes for the perfect fairy-type counter. Combined with its base stat total of 600, this makes Heatran a very commonly used Pokémon in competitive play, especially when you consider its base 130 special attack stat has the chance to leave huge dents in your team if you don't watch out. Then again, you can combine almost any other type with steel and you'll have at least a decent Pokémon to work with; the type is that good. As always, there are a few exceptions, but Heatran isn't such an exception by any means and I'd recommend using it if you're looking for an offensive fire type.

Heatran is completely in its element in a volcanic area.

Let's start with the basic things: Heatran should have a Timid nature and the Flash Fire ability. As its speed isn't anything to write home about, a Modest nature is an option as well, but I would definitely stick with Flash Fire over Flame Body. Yes, there is a chance Heatran burns the opposing Pokémon if the latter uses a direct move on it (most of the time this is a physical move), but if you suspect an incoming fire-type move you can just switch in to Heatran, nullify the opponent's attack and raise the power of Heatran's own fire-type moves by 50%. If you really want to burn an opponent, you can just teach Heatran the move Will-O-Wisp anyway. The biggest problem is Heatran's glaring weakness to ground, which is often solved by giving it an Air Balloon to hold, although the Choice Specs or a Choice Scarf might not be a bad idea to give to Heatran at all. Plus, ever since the introduction of Z-Crystals it has been very common to let Heatran hold a Firium-Z and obliterate certain threats by locking them into Magma Storm and upgrade said Magma Storm to an insanely powerful Inferno Overdrive. If you want to use more reliable move than Magma Storm, which has 100 base power but is only 75% accurate, I'd recommend a moveset consisting of Fire Blast/Flamethrower/Lava Plume/Heat Wave, Flash Cannon, Earth Power and Dark Pulse, accompanied by a Choice item or a Life Orb. It is possible to ditch Dark Pulse in order to run two fire-type moves, as Flamethrower and Lave Plume are more accurate and Fire Blast is significantly more powerful. As Heatran has excellent defensive stats as well, it is often used as a utility Pokémon with Taunt, Stealth Rock and either Toxic or Will-O-Wisp, which I honestly think is wasted potential. There are so many tanks with worse offensive stats than Heatran, so I don't know why you would use Heatran as a defensive support Pokémon like that.

Ugh, whatever.

Heatran as seen in a Pokémon Ranger anime special. The yellow spots on its body
make it look as if it's sick and contagious (or warty, for that matter) rather than hot.
This depiction of Heatran is not flattering it at all. 

In any case, Heatran is no doubt an interesting Pokémon, design-wise as well as battle-wise. It's probably because Heatran is yet another steel type, but I never realized how much I love this thing until now. I wish there was a little bit more lore to it, but for a one-off legendary that isn't an event Pokémon and doesn't tie in with the rest of the Diamond and Pearl storyline, I'm surprised Heatran enjoys such a huge amount of popularity, albeit only for its immense competitive utility.

Well, it's better than not being popular at all, right?

Rating: 5/5

#483: Dialga

It's another steel type! Y'all know what rating I'm gonna give this thing, right?

Dialga as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

In all seriousness, though, Dialga may just be one of my favorite legendary Pokémon ever. It just looks incredibly cool, is amazingly powerful, has a fantastic type combination that only makes it weak to ground and fighting, and plays a big part in several games and movies. Being the box legendary of Pokémon Diamond, Dialga is the reason for Team Galactic's boss Cyrus's criminal operations, getting captured and being contained by him by use of the Red Chain he made from the crystals found on the Lake Guardians. Cyrus is a nutcase anyway, because he wants to use the power of Dialga (Palkia in Pokémon Pearl) to destroy the world and create a new one without 'illogical and irrational' emotions, one without spirit. Of course, as is the case with every game's storyline, absolute annihilation never actually occurs because the player character saves the day and even catches or defeats the big bad legendary. But why does Cyrus believe that Dialga can be used to destroy the entire fucking world in the first place? Well, according to Sinnoh myths, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina were simultaneously created by Arceus when the universe began, which is why they are often called the Creation Trio. While Palkia represents and controls space and dimensions and Giratina represents antimatter, Dialga is the representation of time and is said to have the power to control it, using the wing-like structure on its back to focus the flow of time by speeding it up, slowing it down or stopping it altogether.

The player character and their partner facing Primal Dialga as the Temporal Tower
is collapsing. Dialga can only be seen in this form in the Gen. IV Mystery Dungeon
games, as Primal Dialga is not present in the main series games. This piece of fan
art is fantastic, by the way.

In other words, Dialga may just be a more powerful creature than many other legendary Pokémon when it comes to lore, which is once more demonstrated in the Mystery Dungeon games Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness and Explorers of Sky, appearing mostly as a fearful creature called Primal Dialga, having lost control of itself and having entered a state of self-preservation due to the Temporal Tower having collapsed. It's keeping time frozen and refuses to let it flow properly, so the player caracter and its partner must return to the present from the future and take on an almost-Primal Dialga upon arriving at the collapsing tower. After beating some sense into it, Dialga is so thankful that it revives the player, who had previously been erased from existence altogether. You can be sure Dialga plays a very big part in all of the Gen. IV Mystery Dungeon games, as the storyline of Explorers of Sky barely changes compared to its two predecessors; if Platinum is an enhanced version of Diamond and Pearl, with mostly the same storyline, Explorers of Sky is an enhanced version of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. Aside from being the main 'antagonist' and biggest boss battle in the Mystery Dungeon games - as well as being integral to Pokémon Diamond and Platinum - it also appears in no fewer than four different movies, the most prominent of which are The Rise of Darkrai, Giratina and the Sky Warrior and Arceus and the Jewel of Life. Go figure.

Holy shit, this fan art of Dialga is amazing!

In short, Dialga seems to be a highly favorable Pokémon to be utilized by Game Freak due to it being the most popular of the Creation Trio aesthetically, but what is this thing actually based on? Let's get the crazy fan theory out of the way first: the Pokémon fandom believes that Dialga, Palkia and Giratina are based on the states of matter - the trifecta of solids, liquids and gases - hence Dialga's steel type, Palkia's water type and Giratina's ghost type, while all have the secondary dragon type tacked onto them. While I think it's a solid theory that sounds far more plausible than time being rigid and space being fluid or some shit like that, there are a couple of problems I have with it. First off, this theory is nowhere to be found on Bulbapedia and I don't think it's officially considered to be the inspiration for the Creation Trio's origins, much less confirmed to be true; and second, gases are still considered matter - no matter how unstable they may be - while Giratina and the Distortion World were created to be the personifications of antimatter, as confirmed by Junichi Masuda and Takeshi Kawachimaru in interviews they did with G4. There's a little inconsistency there, but this matter theory is not a bad theory at all and I am definitely not inclined to dismiss it as bullshit.

But enough about this theory; I've spent an entire paragraph on it, goddammit!

Little Riolu (probably representing the player character in
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky) facing a badass
Primal Dialga.

I'm not done yet, however, as there's more to Dialga, including plenty more reasons to why it's a steel type. The hardness of diamonds (or the fact that diamonds are compressed carbon and steel is an alloy from iron and carbon) may be a possibility, as is the fact that most part of a clock are made of metal. Additionally, the turquoise lines on its body are vaguely reminiscent to the diamond-shaped ends of clock hands you see all the time, while the spikes in its neck look similar to Time Gears, artifacts of great importance in the Mystery Dungeon games. As they help keep control of the flow of time in the Pokémon world, it is hardly a surprise that the Time Gears were designed to look specifically like parts of Dialga. The 'dia' part in its name may even derive from dia (Spanish for 'day', a unit of time) or 'sundial', the latter of which is an instrument used to tell time using shadows on a clock face. Faunatically, Dialga bears resemblances to certain genera of short-necked sauropod dinosaurs called camarasaurus supremus and brachytrachelopan mesai. Folklorically, its origins lay in the Shintō myth of Izanami and Izanagi - the respective goddess and god of both creation and death - who are said to have created one island with a spear, erected a pillar on it in order to mate and from there created the islands of Japan. Not unintentionally, you face Cyrus and the box legendary on top of Mt. Coronet, on an ancient site called Spear Pillar.

Game Freak, don't make me think you are secretly geniuses.

Dialga using its signature move Roar of Time, which is basically just a dragon-type
Hyper Beam. 

Finally, do I have to talk about Dialga's competitive utility? This beast has a base stat total of a whopping 680, making it too strong for Smogon's regular tiers. Just make sure you max out its excellent special attack and choose from its wide arrange of special moves (seriously, it learns amazing coverage moves like Power Gem, Earth Power, Aura Sphere, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Fire Blast and Flamethrower alongside STAB moves like Dragon Pulse and Flash Cannon), and you'll annihilate at least half of your opponent's team.

Honestly, Dialga has become one of my favorite legendary Pokémon by now. It certainly helps that it's a steel type, but how cool is it that you can catch an awesome-looking god-like dinosaur creature that can manipulate time at will? Think about that.

Rating: 5/5

#447 - #448: Riolu & Lucario

So now we've come to probably one of the most - if not the most - popular Pokémon among the most avid Pokémon fans, and I have to say the love for Lucario is completely justified. Some might say this thing is furry bait - according to Bogleech, there's a theory going around that holds that the easier it is to conceive a fursona out of a Pokémon, the more embraced it is by the fandom - but there aren't a ton of furries to be found in the Pokémon fandom in the first place, I don't think, and my own love for this thing has nothing to do with that whatsoever. Goddammit, I'm not effing Verlisify. Case in point: Verlisify's own mascot is Zoroark, who, in comparison with Lucario, is significantly less popular but far more furry-baity.

Mystery Dungeon art of Riolu. Obviously, the scarf isn't
part of its original design. 

But to stay on-topic: as far as anthropomorphic dogs go, Game Freak did an excellent job creating Lucario and its pre-evolution. Aesthetically, this Pokémon has close similarities to jackals, which, at the same time, gives it an Anubis-like appearance. For those few who don't know, Anubis is the Greek name of a god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion and is often depicted as canine or a man with a jackal's head. His role in Egyptian mythology was to judge the hearts of the deceased souls based on their actions during life, resembling Riolu and Lucario's ability to see a life form's special kind of energy called 'aura'. Sure enough, there's a mysterious air of ancientness surrounding both Riolu and Lucario. Riolu is remarkably sensitive to aura, and it can emanate intensified waves of this spiritual energy as a way of signaling its allies when sad or scared. However, it doesn't have the ability to fully use these powers; it can sense people's aura well enough and can use its own aura to communicate with others of its species just fine, albeit only in ripples. Like all fighting types, Riolu has superhuman strength and tremendous stamina (I apologize for that one), and it is capable of making long journeys on foot in a short amount of time, cresting three mountains and crossing two canyons in one night. It goes without saying, however, that Lucario has its aura-reading abilities completely under control by using the four black appendages it has developed on the back of its head. Lucario studies this energy to predict the movements of its opponents in battle and track its quarry, and it has the power to manipulate aura in an offensive manner - Aura Sphere, anyone?

The Riolu in the Pokémon Ranger anime special is happy to see Ash. 

Both Riolu and Lucario are being treated favorably by their creators, starring in their own Pokémon Ranger anime special and feature film, respectively, and appearing in virtually every set of games after the generation in which they were originally introduced (Riolu was available early on in Black 2 and White 2 as well as X and Y, while found post-game on Poni Island in Sun and Moon). Whereas the two parts of "Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu" are merely regarded as the 71st and 72nd episodes of the Diamond and Pearl saga of the anime series as a whole, the movie Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew became a favorite of many Pokémon fans. In fact, said movie is probably the reason why Lucario has become the favorite Pokémon of approximately 99% of the fandom and is still enjoying an excessive amount of popularity. In X and Y, it was even given away mid-game by Gym Leader Korrina, holding a Lucarionite that could be used instantly.

Lucario in Super Smash Bros., invoking its
aura-manipulating powers in an offensive manner.

And why shouldn't Lucario enjoy such popularity? I'm kind of a Lucario fanboy myself and this Pokémon - more specifically, its Mega - was probably at the basis of my recent love for steel types after I used it in my very first Pokémon X playthrough. Admittedly, Luxray pulls off the black-and-blue color scheme much better than Lucario, and the more vivid yellow color in Luxray's design looks much better than the pale beige-yellow color in Lucario's, but it is indisputably a very cool Pokémon. Mega Lucario is even cooler, especially because the tan-colored fur blends in perfectly with the rest of design and thus feels less out of place than on regular Lucario, and the red color and black veins give it a more menacing look. Perhaps the best thing about it are its origins, giving it a legendary feel despite not even being a pseudo-legendary. Its name even gets the Pikachu treatment, as it's the same all over the world, indicating that Game Freak sort of want to make Lucario the unofficial second mascot of the franchise. Lucario's name may be derived from the reverse of the Japanese transliteration of 'orichalcum', which is a mythical metal mentioned in several ancient writings. Also called aurichalcum, this element is believed to have been a noble metal like platinum, second only to gold in value, and is probably the reason why Lucario is part steel type. In numismatics, orichalcum is the golden-colored bronze alloy used by the Roman Empire for their sestertius and dupondius coins, which is probably where Riolu and Lucario's shinies come from. It's a nice little touch, although orichalcum is not the only thing to be the inspiration for Lucario's name; words like 'oracle', 'Cairo', 'pharaoh', luchar (Spanish for 'fight') and lucarius (Latin for 'one of light' or 'luminary', probably referring to Lucario's supernatural abilities involving aura) may have been apparent derivations and fit its design, origins and flavor perfectly.

Amazing fan art of Lucario Mega-evolving.

Another reason for Lucario's popularity, even if its design is disliked by people, is its versatility in the competitive scene. It's not a very defensive Pokémon, but it is powerful on the physical as well as the special side of the offensive spectrum, and it is pretty fast to boot. There are definitely quite some faster Pokémon than Lucario, so it's not going to outspeed things left and right, but it's very easy to work with stats like Lucario's. Damn, it learns Nasty Plot and Swords Dance, and it has a crazy diverse movepool on both sides of the spectrum, so you are spoiled for choice. It even has two STAB priority moves in Vacuum Wave (fighting type, special-based) and Bullet Punch (steel type, physical-based), so you'll be sure to move first a lot of the time, unless a faster Pokémon also uses a priority move. Just keep in mind a Jolly or Adamant nature is best for it on a physical set, a Timid or Modest nature is more beneficial to it on a special set, and a Hasty or Naive (or perhaps Rash, Mild, Lonely or Naughty) nature is preferable if you insist on running a mixed set. You can give Lucario a Focus Sash to live a hit from full HP if the move would have knocked it out otherwise, a Life Orb to give its attacks some extra oomph on top of its Nasty Plot or Swords Dance boost, a Choice item to instantly make it faster or stronger at the cost of letting it use only one move until it is switched out, or even the Lucarionite to let it Mega-evolve.

Just keep in mind that Smogon banned Mega Lucario to the Uber tier because of the boosts in its attack, special attack and speed upon Mega-evolving as well as its unpredictability. On top of that, Mega Lucario has the Adaptability ability, which lets STAB moves now do double damage rather than 1.5 times. It's a step up from regular Lucario's abilities Steadfast, Inner Focus and Justified (the latter of which is the best one due to the attack boost Lucario gets when hit by a dark-type move) and just too powerful to be used in one of Smogon's regular tiers.

Originally a wallpaper of Lucario being a total badass. 

Oh Lucario, you'll never cease to be thrusted into the limelight by Nintendo and Game Freak, and I honestly don't give a flying fuck about that. Lucario is a cool Pokémon and it's not hard to understand why it's so loved by at least half the fanbase. After all the praise for this Pokémon, you people will probably know by now what rating I'm going to give it, right?

Right.

Rating: 5/5

#436 - #437: Bronzor & Bronzong

This fan art of Bronzor is very... radiating.

Due to my recent love for steel types - recent being three years or so - I have come to appreciate Bronzor and Bronzong much more than I initially did. In fact, I didn't like these Pokémon at all when Diamond and Pearl were released. They looked weird, served no purpose and were just some cheap Metagross rip-offs in my eyes, just because of their steel/psychic typing (please note that I didn't particularly like Metagross in the beginning, either). You could just catch Bronzor in the wild with no explanation given; except for its Pokédex entries there's no lore behind it whatsoever, and there were no researchers in the overworld trying to explain Bronzor and Bronzong's existence - not that I know of, anyway. It wasn't until years later that I realized there was still a whole lot of mystery surrounding these Pokémon, even though the mystery wasn't necessarily to be found in the overworld. Implements shaped like Bronzor were found in ancient tombs, and it is unknown whether Bronzor are man-made objects come to life or said objects were just inspired by Bronzor's appearance at the time. It is likely the former, as Bronzor is based on a dōkyō, a bronze mirror; and sure enough, Pokémon researchers believe this Pokémon reflected like a mirror in the past, even though x-ray photos that were taken to check its body structure didn't yield any results.

But if so little is known about Bronzor, how do contemporary scientists know that ancient people believed that the herb-shaped crest on its back was imbued with a mysterious power? Do they have a special arrangement with Celebi or something?

Bronzong in TCG.

Anyway, Bronzor's evolution Bronzong isn't just a disc-shaped entity. It is based on a dōtaku instead, a Japanese bell smelted from relatively thin bronze. These bells were often richly decorated with patterns representing nature and were buried in isolated locations by ancient people - occasionally with bronze mirrors and weapons - in the hope they got blessed with plentiful harvests. Sure enough, Bronzong's natural power to summon rain clouds is incorporated into its movepool, as it has the ability to learn Rain Dance by level-up - although it is the only Pokémon who can learn this move naturally but doesn't personally benefit from it. Bronzong doesn't just sommon rain clouds by doing some silly dance, however: it brought rains by opening portals to another world. That's some dangerous shit right there. If Sun and Moon have taught me anything, it's that alternate dimensions are not to be messed with. Additionally, Bronzong apparently also used to be buried by people in ancient times, as one specimen caused a news sensation when it was dug up at a construction site after a 2,000-year sleep.

I'm pretty sure the artist is mocking Game Freak for granting
Bronzong access to the move Earthquake, of all things.

In any case, Bronzor and its evolution Bronzong look absolutely nothing alike, but that doesn't mean their evolutionary pattern is completely illogical. You see, there's an old Japanese legend best known by the title Of a Mirror and a Bell, present in the 1904 book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn, an Irish-Greek author who became a Japanese citizen and produced numerous accounts of Japanese culture and mythology. The story tells of a bunch of priests in Mugenyama who wanted a new bell for their temple and asked for the local women to donate their old bronze mirrors, which could be melted and cast into a bell. One of those mirrors belonged to a farmer's wife, but after a while the woman started to regret giving away the mirror that had been in her family for years. An old proverb said that a mirror was the soul of a woman, and she started to worry that she had given away her soul by donating her mirror to the priests. She couldn't afford to buy her precious belonging back, and when the mirrors were sent to the foundry to be forged into a bell, one of the mirrors would not melt. The mirror remained attached to the woman, kept cold in the furnace by her selfish desire, and she couldn't cope with the shame when it was discovered to whom the mirror belonged. She drowned herself, but not before leaving a letter in which she stated that she would come back as a ghost and reward the person to strike the bell hard enough to shatter it. The last wish of anyone dying in resentment was thought to possess a mystical power, so every day the locals tried to break the bell until the priests got tired of the constant noise. They rolled the bell down a hill into a deep swamp, never for it to be seen ever again... and giving the woman exactly what she wanted.

Of course, stories like these are often heavily exaggerated, as I can't imagine a fucking bell causing a woman so much misery that she decides to commit suicide, but myths like these make for pretty interesting Pokémon. The more I come to know about Bronzor and Bronzong's origins, the more I come to respect them - and Game Freak, for that matter, for adding little flavor-enhancing things like the Heatproof ability.

Props to the artist for making this Bronzong appear a bit worn
with age, giving this piece of fan art a more realistic feeling.

Now that I'm talking about that, Bronzong is a very valuable asset to any competitive team. With amazing base 116 defenses and decent base 67 HP, this bell is as tough to crack as the one in Of a Mirror and a Bell. There are a few options to consider when using Bronzong, and one of them is an all-out offensive one: Bronzong's base 89 attack stat allows it to do some pretty serious damage, and with a Macho Brace (halves its already abysmal speed) and a Brave nature (lowers its speed even further, but raises its attack), the move Gyro Ball will absolutely wreck anything that doesn't resist it. Bronzong also learns Trick Room, Earthquake, Zen Headbutt and Rock Slide, as well as Explosion - when it has lost its effectiveness during the match, you can just catch the opponent off guard and let it blow up. However, Bronzong is more commonly used as a defensive Pokémon, setting up Stealth Rock and annoying the fuck out of its foes by giving them a bad poisoning with Toxic and subsequently stalling them with Protect. Alternatively, Trick Room can still be used on a defensive set to evoke the rage of opponents who are trying to set up in order to sweep. To ensure Bronzong's longevity, you should let it hold the Leftovers so it can heal a bit of its HP every turn. With a defensive set comes a defensive nature, but preferably a speed-reducing one such as Sassy or Relaxed, just to squeeze the most damage out of Gyro Ball.

As for its abilities, the damage reduction from fire-type moves due to Heatproof seems great and is a nice little touch Game Freak added in regard to its origins, but I can assure you that the immunity to ground-type moves from Levitate is far more useful. Don't even bother with its hidden ability Heavy Metal, because it will only have effect on the damage output of Heavy Slam, which you won't be using in the first place. Additionally, Bronzong will be taking much more damage from moves like Low Kick and Grass Knot, which obviously isn't very favorable.

Can we just take a second to appreciate Bronzor's design? 

I absolutely love Bronzor and Bronzong, not only because of my love for steel types but also because there's such a mysterious vibe surrounding these Pokémon. Bronzor and Bronzong are based on very different ancient artifacts, yet their evolutionary pattern makes so much sense if you take their origins into consideration. Working your way up to my list of favorite Pokémon from rock bottom is no mean feat, but both Bronzor and Bronzong managed to do just that. Their rating probably won't come as a surprise to y'all...

P.S.: The Chinese aren't very nice people. Their name for Bronzor is Tóngjìngguài (銅鏡怪), which literally means 'bronze mirror freak'. My precious little Bronzor is not a freak, goddammit!

P.P.S.: I like how bianzhong, an ancient Chinese musical instrument consisting of bells, is phonetically similar to 'Bronzong'.

Rating: 5/5

#412 - #414: Burmy, Wormadam & Mothim

Burmy feeling uncomfortable losing its cloak.

As if the Gen. II Pokémon Pineco and Forretress weren't enough already, Diamond and Pearl gave us more bagworm Pokémon in the form of Burmy and Wormadam. Unlike Pineco, however, Burmy doesn't blow up in your face as early as level 6, nor does it have any useful moves in its level-up moveset. In fact, Burmy just uses Protect to avoid any damage on its persona, annoying players all around the world. This Pokémon learns a grand total of six moves, two of which can only be learned through a Move Tutor in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, so basically the only thing it can do is stall the player out and do nothing in particular. That sounds contradictory, but it's not. As Burmy is vulnerable in its bare form, it composes a cloak made of twigs and leaves that is thinner in hot weather and thicker in the winter in order to shelter itself from cold and wintry winds. It doesn't always stay in the same form, however: if its cloak gets broken, Burmy quickly remakes it with materials nearby. This manifests itself in the games quite well, as Burmy takes on a specific kind of cloak based on the location where it last 'battled' - Plant Cloak (green) in grassy areas, Sandy Cloak (beige) in caves or on beaches, or Trash Cloak (pink) in buildings.

Female Burmy evolve into Wormadam (bottom left), while male
Burmy evolve into Mothim (bottom right). 

Changing its cloak doesn't change the fact that it is a bug type, nor does it gain him an additional type on top of its bug typing. However, its cloak does have an effect on wich typing its evolution Wormadam ends up with when it evolves at level 20: Plant Cloak Wormadam is bug/grass, Sandy Cloak Wormadam is bug/ground, and Trash Cloak Wormadam is bug/steel. The cloak is now part of Wormadam's body and is never shed, and therefore this Pokémon cannot change its typing at will; it will always stay in the same form. Apart from their distinctive typings, the different forms of Wormadam also have their own unique base stat distributions: Plant Cloak is more specially oriented, Sandy Cloak is more physically oriented, and Trash Cloak takes a more defensive approach. Not that it matters much, because in this case, physically or specially oriented means a mediocre attack or special attack stat as well as a good defense or special defense stat backed up by a mediocre HP stat. A physically oriented Wormadam is terrible anyway, so Sandy Cloak is out. Trash Cloak is moderately defensive with its base 95 defense and special defense, but its HP is still lackluster and it can't attack for shit with those bad offensive stats, so that one is also out of the running. That means Plant Cloak is the only remaining Wormadam form, and with base 79 special attack and 105 special defense - along with access to Quiver Dance and a decent special movepool - it is the only one who is somewhat viable for an in-game team.

Yo, these moth Pokémon are drawn so well. Great style!
Clockwise starting from the top left: Dustox, Mothim,
Venomoth and Volcarona, with Masquerain in the middle. 

But as Burmy is based on a bagworm pupa that will metamorphose into a moth if male or remain a pupa-like creature if female, it also has another evolution. Only female Burmy evolve into Wormadam; male Burmy evolve into Mothim, who is - indeed - a moth Pokémon. It is one of the better ones in my opinion, especially compared to Venomoth and Dustox, but I guess I'm a little biased because I used one in a Pokémon X playthrough and I enjoyed it tremendously. Not only do I like its design and color scheme better than any one of the Wormadam, its stat distribution is far more workable, too: it has base 94 attack and special attack as well as slightly more HP and a significantly higher speed stat than Wormadam. Its base 66 speed stat still isn't anything to write home about, mind you, but it's pretty decent after a Quiver Dance boost and allows it to actually outspeed some things. And shit, does this thing have an awesome moveset for a goddamn moth; Bug Buzz, Air Slash and Psychic are level-up moves and will suffice to complete its moveset, although it also learns Energy Ball and Shadow Ball by means of TMs and Electroweb and Giga Drain when you take it to the Move Tutor in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Too bad Mothim is so frail, but I guess it's a far more efficient Quiver Dance user than Wormadam. I wouldn't recommend using it competitively, but it makes for a more-than-decent addition to any in-game team.

Mothim in the anime series.

The only thing that really bugs me about Wormadam is that it learns Confusion, Psybeam and Psychic by level-up as well as Dream Eater by TM, which applies to all Wormadam forms and implies they all should have been part psychic, but absolutely nothing in their designs and/or flavor implicates that they have any psychic abilities. Mothim learns them also, but it's not uncommon for Game Freak to give moth and butterfly Pokémon psyhic-type moves like Confusion and Psybeam, to name a few. Wormadam, on the other hand, has no business knowing those moves and cannot make use of them effectively. It's fucking dumb, really.

A more realistic interpretation of Mothim. Although its body is now reduced to a
fluffy ball, I still think it's cute.

I don't hate Wormadam. If anything, I'm impartial towards it - I can't say that I'm the biggest fan of this Pokémon, but it's here now and I'm bothered by neither its design nor its flavor. Burmy and Wormadam are a sensible take on the traditional bagworm, only with a twist; even the pink Trash Cloak Wormadam with its bug/steel typing makes a certain amount of sense, as its cloak is based on the pink-colored building insulation material made of fiberglass. Mothim makes the exact same amount of sense as Wormadam, and even though it's nothing else but the zillionth bug/flying type, there are so many more things that I love about it, including its shiny coloration.

Oh man, can I just say that its shiny is downright gorgeous? It's definitely one of my favorites so far.

Rating Wormadam: 3/5

Rating Mothim: 5/5

#410 - #411: Shieldon & Bastiodon

Official art of Shieldon by none other than Ken Sugimori.

As the defensive counterparts of Cranidos and Rampardos, we have the rock/steel dual types Shieldon and Bastiodon. While steel is my favorite type, I am not the biggest fan of this evolution line. Resurrected from the Armor Fossil rather than the Skull Fossil, Shieldon is a ceratopsid dinosaur with a shield for a face and evolves into a ceratopsid dinosaur with an entire wall for a face. It's weirdly appropriate when you consider the fact that they're based on protoceratops andrewsi and the genus of chasmosaurus, respectively. The latter is known for containing species with head growths called frills, which have large openings called fenestrae in them, very much like the yellow marks on Bastiodon's protective growth that resemble windows in castle walls. Unlike Cranidos and Rampardos, who have quite the temperament, Shieldon and its evolution are docile and gentle Pokémon who wouldn't even hurt a fly - not that they could, because their offensive stats are absolutely atrocious, but I'll get back to that later. While Shieldon spends its time polishing its outstandingly armored facial hide against tree trunks instead of banging walls, Bastiodon doesn't even have to worry about that anymore: its wall-like face is so strong it can deflect even the strongest of attacks, which is why they line up and form an impenetrable wall in order to protect their young. Though in stark contrast to its superb frontal defense, it is vulnerable from behind.

A more realistic take on Bastiodon. I think it looks great!

Fortunately, Pokémon are facing each other in a Pokémon battle, so Bastiodon doesn't have to worry about its rear end in the competitive metagame. Also, it's not how the game mechanics work, either: if Bastiodon were to hit by a move like Phantom Force or Hyperspace Fury, two-turn moves that make the user vanish during the first turn and attack the target from behind in the following turn, its massive physical defense stat isn't lowered all of a sudden. And that's just as well, because Bastiodon is an extremely defensive Pokémon on both sides of the spectrum. Remember that I told you Rampardos is sometimes used as a suicide lead used for setting up Stealth Rock? Well, Bastiodon is so much better suited for that due to its defensive traits. Considering its base 138 special defense is lower than its base 168 physical defense, it often has a nature that boosts its special defense, such as a Careful, Calm or Sassy one. Combine that with Sturdy - an ability that leaves it at 1 HP when attacked at full HP, provided the attack would otherwise have knocked it out - and the Leftovers, and you'll have a Pokémon that is tough to take down. It is very vulnerable to fighting- and ground-type moves, but there's a nifty tactic that lets it take revenge in a snap: Metal Burst. If you make sure Bastiodon is at full HP and can take an Earthquake to the face, you can retaliate with Metal Burst, which is a Counter and Mirror Coat in one and does 1.5 times the damage dealt by the foe in HP points, either physically or specially. Unlike Counter and Mirror Coat, however, Metal Burst does not have decreased priority, so Bastiodon is the only Pokémon that can reliably make use of it because of its outrageously low speed stat. There's Aggron, Bisharp and Alolan Sandslash, but they're all powerhouses and benefit more from all-out physical attacks, and Solgaleo and Dialga definitely don't need it because they're relatively fast.

I'd almost forget completing Bastiodon's competitive moveset because I ranted on about Metal Burst. Well, that and Stealth Rock should be its staple moves, although Toxic is always a reliable classic and Roar can be used to remove Pokémon from the battlefield that are trying to set up. Alternatively, Magic Coat (so not Mirror Coat) reflects any moves that cause status conditions or put up entry hazards on your side of the field back to the original user.

Bastiodon looks menacing and intimidating, but it is in fact a very docile and
gentle Pokémon.

Shieldon and Bastiodon are a couple of oddballs. I don't know if the nose bone, reminiscent of those from various indigenous tribes, was intentional on Game Freak's part, but it's kind of putting me off and I don't think it was entirely necessary for design completion. The whole castle wall aspect is a bit confusing, as castles are a medieval occurrence and not a prehistoric one, but castles in the Pokémon world could have been inspired by Bastiodon's design, so I'll let this one slide. All in all, I like Bastiodon well enough, only for its moderately derpy design, but it's far from my favorite Pokémon. Steel type or no, this one is not getting a perfect or near perfect rating from me.

Rating: 4/5

#393 - #395: Piplup, Prinplup & Empoleon

With Piplup and Prinplup's better-than-thou attitude, I doubt
real love between the species is actually possible.

Of the Sinnoh starters, Piplup is hands down the cutest-looking. With the dark blue feathers on its head extending down its neck and around its head, our little superhero appears to be wearing some kind of cape. Don't let that fool you, though, because this feisty little thing has a strong sense of self-pride and has a hard time accepting food from humans and bonding with its caretakers. It will even puff up its chest without a care after it falls down, which it often does because of its poor walking abilities. This trait becomes even worse when Piplup evolves into Prinplup, whose sense of self-pride is so high that it can't even form groups of its own kind. It lives a solitary life instead, away from others, as every one of this Pokémon species believes it is the most important. Game Freak even goes as far as to incorporate variations of 'prince' in its domestic and foreign names, with its Japanese name Pottaishi (ポッタイシ) and Korean name Pengtaiza (팽태자) coming from kōtaishi and hwangtaeja, respectively, both meaning 'crown prince'. But eventually they're gonna be king or emporor of... well, what exactly? Prinplup live alone and their snobby attitude is the one solid reason not a one of this Pokémon will give in to others of its kind, so I'm actually curious how's that going to work out once they evolve into Empoleon. Let's find out, shall we?

Empoleon surfing on the water. 

Piplup and Prinplup's high special defense stats, influences of emperor penguins and their ability to survive in cold climates and icy waters due to their thick downs would make you think Empoleon is actually a water/ice type, but nothing could be further from the truth: Game Freak decided to go the unconventional route for once and made Empoleon the first and only water/steel-type Pokémon.

STEEL TYPE REPRESENT!!!

Ahem, I am fine...

Of course, most of the time it's pretty obviously visible whether a Pokémon is a steel type or not, and the fact that this is not the case with Empoleon probably makes me love it even more. Naturally, this Pokémon has the highest sense of self-pride in the entire evolutionary line and anything or anyone who were to damage it will be slashed viciously with its wings - which can easily cleave through an ice floe, in case you were wondering. Apparently, this Pokémon is able to live in groups just fine, but the Empoleon with the biggest horns is the leader. Sure, the one with the biggest something is always the goddamn leader, isn't it? Well, I doubt emperor penguins consciously think they're better than other people or things, so I think it's the 'emperor' part that makes Piplup, Prinplup and Empoleon think so highly of themselves. And there's one certain human being that has been the inspiration for that.

Okay, somebody made this and I think it's fantastic!

We've got to take a look at Empoleon's namesake Napoleon Bonaparte to understand why it and its pre-evolution are so prideful. Obviously, the majority of you don't need to be introduced to Napoleon, as you probably know exactly who he is, but I'm going to give you a brief summary of his personality nonetheless. As you're probably all aware of, Napoleon was a highly competent military strategist who achieved victory after victory at the start of the 19th century and declared himself the Emperor of the French and King of Italy in 1804 and 1805, respectively. He hated losing, however; he cheated at card games, refused to take inspiration from other great conquerors and was accused of winning battles because of sheer luck, the kind of rumors and criticism he quickly attempted to scotch. Winning so often heightened his sense of self-grandiosity, leaving himself even more certain of his destiny and invincibility. Until, of course, he was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 - something ABBA wouldn't let France forget about - and exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena by the British shortly thereafter.

In short, he was pretty much someone who would easily have said, "Hurt my pride and pay the consequences, or keep quiet." Empoleon, my guy... I get you. It's not your fault Game Freak and Nintendo characterized you this way. Don't worry, I've got your back.

Empoleon just being plain badass. 

Of all the Sinnoh starters, Empoleon is by far the best Pokémon to use competitively. Its base 84 HP stat and 101 special defense stat provide it some awesome special bulk, making it an excellent special tank utilized for support. I'm basically saying that a moveset consisting of Stealth Rock, Defog, Scald and Roar is enough for Empoleon to work, as long as it is holding the Leftovers (or a kind of berry that weakens a common super-effective ground- or fighting-type move, such as the Shuca or Chople Berry) and has a Calm or Bold nature to increase one of its defenses. You'd think this should always be its special defense, but that stat is high enough as is and you could therefore breed for a Bold Empoleon to try equaling its defenses in battle and let it serve as an all-around tank. However, its best base stat is its special attack, at 111, and it could therefore wreck house as well. A Choice Specs set with a Modest nature and the moves Hydro Pump, Flash Cannon, Ice Beam and either Grass Knot or Signal Beam will more than suffice, although you could also swap the Choice Specs for a more reliable item such as a Life Orb or one of those berries I mentioned earlier. Don't bother giving Empoleon a Choice Scarf or anything, because it's got some lousy speed, anyway; for that matter, you might be better off giving it Agility, which is a set-up move that doubles its speed but doesn't lock Empoleon into a certain move. As for its ability... Well, Torrent is basically your only option, because its hidden ability Defiant raises its attack - which you're not gonna use if you're smart - every time one of its stats is reduced.

GIF of Empoleon from - I think - Pokkén Tournament.

I've always loved Empoleon, and I have to say this Pokémon may well have laid the basis for my current love of steel types. What makes it a steel type exactly is still a mystery to me, but I'm not complaining: I love steel types for their defensive qualities as much as their aethetics, and like many others of its type Empoleon has 10 resistances and an immunity. This Pokémon is powerful and possibly even a little too overpowered for a normal playthrough, but I've found myself choosing Piplup more often than Turtwig (and definitely Chimchar), just because I think its design is so amazing. Its Napoleonic aesthetics based on the emperor penguin are genius in itself, but the crest extending from its beak resembles the trident of Poseidon - the ancient Greek god of the sea - and is a nice little touch on a bird-like water type like Empoleon. I'm giving it no fewer than a perfect 5 stars, but by this time you really shouldn't be surprised anymore.

P.S.: I find it hilarious how the German name Impoleon contains the word 'imp' somehow. It's actually from Imperator - which means 'emperor' in German - but there's this urban myth going around about Napoleon that he was ridiculously small. At 5'02" he was a bit short for an officer at the time, sure, but about average height for French peasants.

Rating: 5/5

#385: Jirachi

I don't know what the background is supposed to be exactly, but
Jirachi sure seems happy about it. 

With all the violence coming from Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza, it's a relief to be reviewing something that's supposed to be so soothing, so serene. Jirachi doesn't have an ounce of evil in its entire body, and it is even said to grant three wishes to one single person if they write them on the notes attached to its head. That is to say, it does so after it awakens after a long period of hibernation. You see, this Pokémon hibernates enveloped in a tough crystalline shell for extensive periods of time and awakens only seven days every thousand years or if it's sung to by a voice of purity, absorbing the energy it needs to hibernate through the third eye on its chest during the short period it is awake. It can't materialize an object that is desired from a wish out of nowhere, though; rather, it teleports the desired object to the person who made the wish. Quite obviously, Jirachi is based on the concept of "wishing upon a star" - though these so-called stars that are being wished upon are usually not actual stars but a phenomenon called shooting stars, the visible path of meteoroids as they enters Earth's atmosphere, becoming meteors - which is why its body is star-shaped and why its name can basically be translated to 'wish wish', coming from the Russian zhelat' (желать) and the Japanese sachi. In addition to that, the tags on Jirachi's head are a reference to the paper strips called tanzaku that are written on the festival of Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival. It is derived from the Chinese Qixi Festival and celebrates the meeting of the deities and lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi - represented by the stars Altair and Vega - who are separated by the Milky Way and are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar.

I have to say this is an interesting rendition of Van Gogh's De sterrennacht.

In fact, Jirachi is often distributed in Japan in celebration of Tanabata, being given away every year from 2004 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2016. From 2013 on, Tanabata Jirachi have even been known to know moves that Jirachi could normally not learn: the 2013 one has Draco Meteor - a Tutor move exclusive to dragon-type Pokémon - and Meteor Mash, the 2014 one is shiny and knows Moonblast, the 2015 one knows Heart Stamp and Play Rough, and the 2016 one has Meteor Mash in addition to the moves it can already learn.

Sweet little cutie is sleepy. 

And those moves are honestly being used, too. Being a so-called 'pixie' Pokémon, Jirachi has base stats of 100 across the board, making it suitable for nearly everything, including an offensive approach on both sides of the spectrum. On top of that, Serene Grace is an ability that will double the chance of a move having an additional effect, which means a move like Heart Stamp will now have a 60% flinch rate instead of 30%, and so forth. That also means people abuse the hell out of certain moves, including Iron Head and the before-mentioned Heart Stamp, just because there's a high chance the opponent won't be able to move that turn. Easy knock-outs for the win. It's not hard to fill up the other two spots of a physical moveset, either: Jirachi has access to Play Rough, Zen Headbutt, U-Turn, Drain Punch and the elemental punches. Meteor Mash is an option, but only if you are willing to let go of Heart Stamp and Play Rough and go with Zen Headbutt and no fairy-type move at all. Alternatively, a specially offensive moveset isn't unthinkable. Charge Beam will now always cause Jirachi's special attack to go up by one stage due to Serene Grace, which makes it a dangerous potential sweeper. Its special movepool is wider and more diverse than its physical movepool as well, having access to nifty moves like Moonblast, Psychic, Flash Cannon, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Icy Wind, Hidden Power, Signal Beam and Dazzling Gleam. Obviously, the required nature for physical Jirachi is a Jolly or an Adamant nature, while special Jirachi prefer Timid or Modest; and on that note, physical Jirachi prefer a Choice Band and special Jirachi the Choice Specs, while both kinds could hold a Life Orb, a Choice Scarf, an Air Balloon, an Expert Belt or even something else.

Jirachi levitating under a starry sky, witnessing a meteor shower. 

Of course, an offensive approach is not the only option to go for: lots of people actually also use Jirachi defensively, with support move combos such as Substitute/Toxic, Toxic/Protect, Rest/Sleep Talk and Wish/Protect as well as other miscellaneous moves like Thunder Wave, Magic Coat, Stealth Rock and Healing Wish. Jirachi is just so fucking diverse. Physical attacker, special attacker, mixed attacker, defensive pivot, support Pokémon, offensive tank... you name it, and Jirachi can pull it off. Its steel/psychic typing definitely helps a bunch, as steel is one of the most defensive types out there, with resistances to 10 different types and even an immunity to poison. This is what makes Jirachi a better tank than, say, Mew or Celebi, because the latter gets bodied by bug-type moves and the former doesn't resist as much as Jirachi does. It goes without saying that it is far from clever to use an offensive nature on a defensive Jirachi, but I do recommend letting it hold the Leftovers to extend its time on the battlefield.

Jirachi even got its own movie with Pokémon - Jirachi: Wish Maker.

Jirachi is certainly an interesting Pokémon, and I don't think we had anything like it before design- and flavor-wise. It's strong, defensive, diverse and very cute and I honestly think this Pokémon appeals to a broad audience. It's not quite one of my favorite Pokémon yet (although it's a close call), but it is definitely one of the better Hoenn legendaries - I'm not going to call the other legendaries 'mythical', even though that would be the correct term to use in Jirachi's case - and biased me is just giving this thing half a star extra because of its steel typing.

Rating a Pokémon by using stars has never been so appropriate as now.

Rating: 4.5/5