#pokemon biology irl tabletop | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 8 months

Text

Houndour & Houndoom

Houndour (#228)

Canisinfernis fidelis

Houndour are social Pokémon that form packs with others of its kind. In this world, Houndours and their evolution are substitutes for coyotes.

Houndour average at 2 feet tall (0.6 M) and 23.8 pounds (10.8 kg). They are small lads.

Habitat: The grasslands, cities, and mountains of Turtle Island/the Americas. They are incredibly versatile in the habitats that they can live in, and have recently become increasingly common in urban areas.

Life Cycles: Houndours are born in early April to average litter sizes of 6. They are entirely dependent on their two parents for food and shelter until they’re old enough to leave the nest around August timeframe. Whether or not they actually do leave their parents is a different matter. Some do, some don’t. Their family structures are fluid in these regards, with packs forming from parental pairs and their offspring, and often with siblings or even unrelated Houndours. A Houndour is usually reproductively mature come the following mating season in January/February (so long as it has reached level 15). An individual usually reaches adult proportions around September, which is often when they achieve level 15, too.

As grown Houndours, individuals may stay with their parents to patrol territory and help in hunting, or they may move on to claim their own territory. It is rare to see Houndours outside the structure of a pack.

Behavior: Houndours form packs with others of its kind, sharing immense loyalty to each other and communicating in a refined language of barks and howls. Their teamwork is considered unparalleled, and a pack of Houndours is a highly effective force not to be reckoned with. This loyalty and intelligence lends them to being excellent companions to humans, especially those with great need for a Houndour’s intellect. In high-density urban areas, Houndours have even been known to take the subway!

They communicate with each other using a refined series of barks and howls. Barks are used for determining the location of pack members, especially during a hunt, while howls are a declaration of territorial ownership.

Diet: Houndours are carnivores with a tolerance for omnivorey when necessary, giving them dietary flexibility in urban environments. When they work together, they’re able to take down prey much larger than themselves like Deerling, but they often scavenge the meals of larger predators like Stoutland.

Conservation: Least Concern with some sub-populations being Threatened.

Relationship with Humans: Houndours and Houndooms have a mixed relationship with humans. On one hand, they are treated as invaluable companions that are both loyal and have the intellect necessary to be useful to humans. On the other hand, their intellect makes them seen as wily, conniving, tricksters by many. All things considered though, Houndours and by extension Houndooms had an overall positive/mutually-respectful relationship with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (the Americas).

In modern times, when anti-predator sentiment rise in folks, Houndours are often high on the list of creatures that rural American farmers want the right to dispose of as seen fit on their own terms. Like coyotes in the real world, Houndours are given the short end of the stick in terms of environmental protections, and they’re generally treated as nuisances and vermin. Their high intelligence not doing them favors in these regards.

Because of the prejudice toward Houndours and Houndooms and dark-types in general, many municipalities do not even consider them for viable starter Pokémon for new trainers, despite their high intelligence and deep loyalty.

Classification: The genus “Canisinfernis” is a combination of “Canis” and “Infernum” (hellfire in latin), and “fidelis” means “loyal”, which in total means “Canisinfernis fidelis” means “loyal hellhound.”

Houndoom (#229)

Canisinfernis canisinfernis

General Information: Houndoom is the evolved form of Houndour. In their guts are a series of toxins that it uses to produce poisonous fire. This gives its flame-breath a foul odor, and allows it to leave burns on foes and prey that are difficult to heal. Its howls are bone-chilling, known to induce shivers in other Pokémon and sending them scurrying back to their nests.

It has a Mega Evolution.

The species averages at 4’7 feet tall (1.4 M) and 77.2 pounds (35 kg), while Mega Houndoom is 6’03 feet tall (1.9 M) and 109.1 pounds (49.5 kg)

Habitat: The same places as Houndours, especially rough terrain areas.

Life Cycles: Houndooms form monogamous pairs that will extend multiple mating seasons. If their pack is a parental pair and their children, it will be the Houndooms who reproduce, but should the pack structure follow a different dynamic, it could be any combination of Houndours and Houndooms who reproduce. Houndooms are loyal, co-operative parents. Males will go out hunting while the females stay behind to raise the Houndour puppies.

Houndooms are known to live for about 20-25 years in captivity.

Behavior: Houndooms are great parents and pack leaders. In a pack, the Houndoom with its horns raked sharply toward the back is the leader of the pack, which is determined by fights for dominance within the pack.

Diet: Houndooms are largely carnivorous but has a mild tolerance for omnivorey.

Conservation: Least Concern, but some sub-populations may be Threatened.

Relationship with Humans: Houndooms are most common as companions of gangs and mafias, since they are most likely to look past their appearance and see them for the valuable companions that they are. This, unfortunately, only contributes to the bad rep that Houndooms receive in the general cultural conscious. Even when European settlers were first exploring the Americas, they likened Houndooms to be servants of the devil and their howls from the grim reaper directly, and that perception hasn’t really changed for a lot of people. Houndooms are also misused in dog-fighting rings, to the great detriment to their cultural perception, and to the outrage of Pokémon Activists and Houndoom Trainers everywhere.

In pop media, if the writers want to quickly convey that a trainer is an intimidating sort, giving them a Houndoom is an easy way to do this—though anyone with a Houndoom of their own will tell you that they’re loving companions who want belly-rubs and treats for being good boys as much as any other dog Pokémon.

Classification: Houndoom are in the broader canids with other dog Pokémon.

Evolution: Houndour evolves into Houndoom at level 24.

~~~~~~~~

Hey guess what, if you like my stuff, this is my website where you can find other Pokémon I've written on and more information about the game that I’m slowly making! Check it out! I write books sometimes too.

#houndour #houndoom #mega houndoom #pokemon #pokemon biology #pokemon biology irl #pokemon irl #pokemon biology irl tabletop #pokemon tabletop #pokemon irl tabletop #tabletop homebrew #homebrew #ttrpg #tabletop #gen 2 #pokemon gen 2 #gen 2 pokemon #dog days of summer

30 notes · View notes

dragontamer22 · 2 years

Text

Eeveelutions (on-going thread)

Eevee (#133) Mutabellus variabilis

One of the most domesticated Pokemon in existence. Eevees are extremely adaptable Pokemon with the most varied evolutionary possibilities known to science. To date, there are eight known “Eeveelutions.” The existence of others is highly likely.

Habitat: Eevees are found worldwide including Antarctica, but some of this globality is human caused. In nature, Eevees were historically found across Eurasia, Africa, North America, and South America (they crossed over on the Bering Strait), and introduced to isolated islands and land masses by humans. Yes, Vaporeons were able to immigrate to some islands on their own, however Vaporeons are freshwater organisms and so have a low tolerance for extended stays in the ocean.

Wild and feral Eevee populations often live in urban centers, forests, and honestly anyplace that they can settle in and get enough food. They are the ultimate generalist, making them a force to be reckoned with when they invade an ecosystem, and many humans aren’t inclined to get rid of them because of their cuteness.

Life Cycles: They are fairly standard mammals. They mate once a year, have litters of 2-4 kits in spring, dual parental care, kits are left to fend for themselves by mid/late summer.

Behavior: Eevee are largely colonial creatures, so like domestic cats they often form loose social groups but are largely independent. Their social structure is highly varied (just like Eevees are), ranging from solitary hunters to sibling groups to unrelated outcasts banding together— but in general, it’s safest to describe them as “colonial” as they neither are concretely solitary Pokemon nor hypersocial like humans or dogs, but instead as a species are socially adaptable. Truly, the epitome of adaptability in any Pokemon.

Diet: Eevees are omnivores and can eat a variety of foods, but consume mostly nuts, berries, bugs, and the occasional rodent. They can be fed vegetarian diets if done correctly, however they require a high ratio of fats and proteins relative to herbivores, and if not planned for this can ill-prepare the Eevee for evolution both in terms of physicality and mentally, since many Eeveelutions are carnivores. Be sure that if you raise your Eevee on a vegetarian diet, to talk with a veterinarian/Nurse Joy at your local Pokemon Center for viable options and what evolutionary paths to avoid.

Conservation: While wild Eevee populations certainly exist, they are classified as Least Concern by most governing agencies. Some countries/continents actually consider Eevee an invasive species, such as Australia and Antarctica!

Classification: They're in the order Carnivora like bears and cats, but have no earthen equivalents and are instead their own unique members of the ecosystem.

Relationship with Humans: Eevees have been beloved companions of humans for as long as humans have cooperated with Pokemon. They are very thoroughly domesticated, to the point where it’s unclear what ancestral Eevees looked like. However, don’t let domestication fool you into thinking that all Eevees are friends, because they most certainly are not. Like feral or wild cats, wild Eevees are still wild animals that will bite you if you aggravate it.

Eevees are also very popular as merchandise, mascots, favorite Pokemon, research subjects, starter Pokemon, and more. In fact, the most popular Pokemon to breed is Eevee, with hundreds of breeds all around the world from truly exotic show varieties to local landraces. While many countries make earnest efforts to regulate Pokemon breeding, including Eevees, there are a lot of shady practices in existence, too. Black market breeders exist in abundance, and many irresponsible and unlicensed breeders release unwanted stock into the wild if not disposed of in other means. As would be implied by the existence of Boltund-racing (see Bestiary entry #836) and other questionable practices that reflect our own world, other far worse illegal fighting activities often utilize overbred Eevees as bait for things, since they are not difficult to acquire and in places where they are invasive, local governance sometimes don’t do nearly enough to stop these practices as they should.

In addition, there are places around the world that eat Eevees or hunt/raise them for their fur, which is quite soft. This is no different than the varying cultural practices around the raising and usage of dogs or other domesticated or wild animals.

#Pokemon #Pokemon tabletop #Pokemon IRL #Pokemon IRL tabletop #eevee #tabletop #homebrew #homebrew tabletop #Pokemon biology

27 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 4 days

Text

Meltan & Melmetal

Meltan (#808)

Galliumvitae singula

General Information: Meltan is a Pokémon composed of gallium and bits of solidified metal parts. They are entirely composed of inorganic substances.

Meltans are tiny Pokémon, averaging at about 8 inches (0.2 M) tall and weighing 17.6 pounds (8 kg).

Habitat: Meltans can be found around natural deposits of metal ore.

Life Cycles: Meltans have one of the strangest life cycles known to Pokemonkind. Their reproductive habits are more akin to that of certain slime molds, than anything animalian—which is to say, completely alien to our notions of how reproduction should work. To start, Meltans are born when they break off from a Meltan—this process does not harm the Meltan.

A Meltan will remain as a Meltan for a long time, living in a herd of other Meltans. Eventually, one of these Meltans will become stronger than the rest and when it is strong enough, will absorb its herdmates to become a Melmetal. This process is consensual. A Meltan can become a Melmetal starting at level 45, but it must absorb other Meltans in the process or no evolution will occur. Ideally, a Melmetal has at least five Meltans, but they can be made using fewer individuals. The biggest reason it’s better to have more Meltans than fewer, is because the Melmetal stage is effectively the “sporangia” phase of the Meltan/Melmetal lifecycle. Like with certain slime molds, the individual Meltans combine their magicks to form a bigger cohesive unit. Inside the Melmetal is the individual magicks of each Meltan that composes it, and from there these energies combine and mix together to create new Meltans, which eventually separate from the Melmetal and become its own unique entity. A Melmetal can reproduce for as long as it is alive and has the stored magic to dedicate to this task. However, unlike a slime mold, Melmetals are unable to “devolve” back into the original Meltans that composes it. The decision to become a Melmetal is permanent, as is all Evolution, no matter how foreign it may be.

Meltans can be eaten by any Pokémon that would find a living amalgamation of gallium and a hex nut to be delicious.

Behavior: Meltans are social creatures that rely on their herd for survival. They are shy but sociable, who stick together tightly with their herd.

Diet: Meltans serve the absolutely vital function of being the scavengers and up-cyclers of the Metal Pokémon Food Web. They eat the scraps of metal leftover from the bodies of dead steel-type Pokémon, scavenging kills as big as Aggrons and Metagrosses even.

Conservation: Unknown, suspected to be Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Scientists have no idea where Meltans come from. Are they Earthlings? Are they even from our dimension? Who knows! But Meltans and Melmetals have been around for so long that the ancients spoke of them. The line is so unlike any other Pokémon that scientists know of that live on Earth, that they are held to an entirely different kingdom of life (or higher, depending on who you ask) than all other Pokémon, even the Living Minerals Kingdom. Meltans are strange alien-seeming creatures living amongst us, quietly scavenging metal parts and ores. There is great ecological interest in Meltans for their role in the poorly-understood Metal Pokémon Food Web.

Classification: The genus name “Galliumvitae” simply means “Living Gallium.”

Melmetal (#809)

Galliumvitae multipula

General Information: Melmetal is the evolved form of Meltan. It is a strange Pokémon of mysterious origin, but like all life forms, it must repair and rejuvenate its body: when this happens, metal shards and flakes will fall from its body. Like its pre-evolution, Melmetal can stretch its liquid body and utilizes centrifugal force to deliver devastating punches.

Melmetal has a Gigantamax form.

Melmetals average at 8’2 feet (2.5 M) tall and weigh around 1,763.7 pounds (800 kg). The Gigantamax Melmetal is around 82+ feet (25+ M) tall.

Habitat: Melmetals can be found around metal ore deposits, or other places with lots of metal scraps and debris.

Life Cycles: See Meltan.

When a Melmetal dies of internal issues (ie: “natural causes”, “old age”, etc.), its body will rust (when applicable) and shatter. From the shattering of its gallium body, it creates Meltans one last time.

There is not much that predates upon Melmetals, and it is mostly creatures like Dusknoirs. A Melmetal could die of starvation or battle injuries, or even truly just old age. The death of a Melmetal is not common, for these creatures have no known upper limit on age, but it does happen eventually. Melmetals composed of more Meltans live longer than the ones composed of fewer, and in death its shattered metal body will produce more Meltans than a Melmetal made of fewer Meltans would.

Behavior: Melmetals are strong, stoic, but gentle giants of the mountains and forests. They may assist the Meltans nearby in their search for metal ores, utilizing their great fists to smash apart boulders for the little guys.

A fascinating thing about Melmetals, is that while they act like a single organism, they are still composed of multiple entities, who must agree on a course of action. This can cause delays in a Melmetal who experiences great confliction, and a Melmetal with more Meltans inside it may be slower to decide on a course of action. This is why Melmetals are notoriously very slow Pokémon—though their size doesn’t help.

Diet: Metal. No one is sure how a Melmetal (or Meltan) can eat any type of metal, when that’s a huge range of elements, nor how its body is able to convert that metal into energy or into gallium specifically. The ways of the Metal Pokémon Food Web are mysterious, but it is worth noting that the hard parts of a Melmetal can be composed of many different metals, depending on what its been eating.

Conservation: Unknown

Relationship with Humans: Melmetals have been scavengers of metal for ages, and humans have loved them for their ability to seemingly produce metal from nowhere. The non-living metal bits that fall off of Melmetals have been used in tool making for thousands of years… well, we’re assuming it’s only the non-living bits. Personally, I wouldn’t put it past some ancient peoples to melt down a Meltan and use its melted corpse for black/silver-smithery.

In modern times, some municipalities have implemented a Melmetal to clean up their metal “recycling”—the stuff that people throw in the recycling bin in earnest but will never actually be recycled for one stupid reason and that. Have no fear! Melmetals will eat them for you 😊

Classification: The species epithet of Melmetal is “multipula” which means “multiple.” This refers to the fact that Melmetals are actually a composite organism.

Evolution: See Meltan’s life cycle for explanation.

~~~~~~~~

#meltan #melmetal #pokemon #pokemon biology #homebrew #ttrpg #pokemon biology irl #pokemon tabletop #tabletop #tabletop homebrew #pokemon irl #pokemon biology irl tabletop #pokemon go #pokemon gen 7 #gen 7 pokemon #pokemon let's go #pokemon lgpe #pokemon let's go pikachu and eevee #gen 7

8 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 10 months

Text

Applin, Flapple, & Appletun

Applin (#840)

Malusvermis wyrm

General Information: Applin are one of the tiniest dragon-type Pokémon in the world, who make their homes inside the core of an apple! To be clear, the wyrm inside (get it, wyrm/worm?) is the actual dragon, not the apple.

Applins weigh in at an average of 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg) and a height of 8 inches (0.2 M), so… they’re the size of an apple! Makes sense.

Shiny Change: The official shiny coloration of Applin and its evolutions has a green apple instead of a red one, while the Pokémon itself remains exactly the same color. This is being changed to the following: an Applin can have any color apple, but the actual wrym of a shiny Applin and family are white instead of green.

Habitat: Applins are originally endemic to Kazakhstan, where apple trees originate from, but spread throughout the temperate climate world by humans as they spread apple trees across the globe. Because of this, Applins have managed to naturalize to many places, basically anywhere that grows apples.

Life Cycles: Applins are laid in clutches of 45-65 at the beginning of each summer, and then hatch in time for the first apples to ripen and fall from trees. When the Applins hatch they will immediately seek out an apple to burrow into and exist in. The bodily fluids that it secretes keep the apple from rotting, but should they need a new one, they will simply burrow into a fresh apple.

The individual qualities of their host apple determine whether it evolves into a Flapple or an Appletun. In theory, the apple acts as a home, a source of nutrients, and camouflage for the Applin inside, but most Pokémon have grown wise to their camouflage, or don’t give a damn. In fact, around 1/3 of any given clutch will survive the first 10 days of life, since tons of predators will snack on Applins, especially birds and frugivores like Noibat and Noivern.

Typically, Applins will evolve once they have eaten enough food, which occurs before winter. In a clutch of 50, maybe 7 will make it to Evolution. Barring Everstones, Applins usually take around 2-3 months to Evolve.

Note: Applins are unable to reproduce in this universe. They are being treated as a larval stage because of the life stage’s extreme emphasis on consumption. If you want to breed your Applin, you must Evolve it.

Behavior: Applins are shy and skittish by nature, but voracious eaters. They are relatively harmless though, and in captivity they warm up to humans quickly—especially anyone who feeds them apples! As herd creatures, Applins get along well with other Pokémon in captivity.

Diet: In addition to the apple that they exist inside, Applins eat even more apples for nutrition. That’s it. They eat apples and just apples. If they do not have apples to eat, they will starve to death. There is no two-ways around this and no Pokémon food available that will fix this, they are obligate applevores. Feed your Applin some apples, please. An average Applin will eat around an apple a day in the first month, then two apples a day until Evolution.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Applins are one of the most popular starter Pokémon in the world, alongside Eevee, due to their easy care, adorableness, their excellent temperaments, their safety, their variable Evolutions, the ease of breeding them, and the fact that they’re tiny little dragons. Amongst Applin trainers, it’s a common custom to name their Applin after a breed of apple—of which there are literally thousands, so there’s plenty to choose from.

The Applin family is one of two all-dragon lines that can be successfully bred in captivity, the other being Noibat. While other programs exist for dragon breeding, they have been met with little success so far. Applins and Noibats are the only dragon-types that make regular appearances in the starter pool.

As for their relationship with farmers, Applins garner mixed feelings. Some farmers, especially in endemic places like Kazakhstan, see them as cute critters that eventually grow up to defend the very apple orchards that they once predated upon, and the farmers have noticed the peculiar effect that apple orchards with a healthy Applin, Appletun, and Flapple herd tend to do better and produce healthier and more delicious apples. In contrast, in other parts of the world, particularly the United States, many farmers see Applins as nuisances and an unavoidable vermin on their crop. These orchards tend to fair worse against other pestilences.

In some parts of Europe, it is seen as a romantic gesture to gift someone an Applin.

Classification: Malusvermis wyrm means “Apple worm/wyrm.”

Flapple (#841)

Malusvermis drakomilos

General Information: Flapple are one of the evolved forms of Applin. It Evolves from Applin when its around 2-3 months old and has eaten enough food to satiate itself. The evolution into Flapple is determined by its pre-evolution’s host apple: if it lived inside of a tart/sour apple, it becomes a Flapple. They can hide inside their armor and look like an apple.

Flapples weigh in at a whopping 2.2 pounds (1 kg) and 1 feet tall. It has a Gigantamax form that it shares with Appletun, reaching over 78 feet tall (24 M).

Habitat: It has an identical habitat to Applin. They live in apple orchards, often seen hanging in the branches.

Life Cycles: Flapples reach reproductive maturity upon evolving, but they do not participate in courtship until the winter has passed. When the first flowers bloom is when Flapples seek out mates, and they lay their eggs in late Spring or early Summer. The males perform elaborate courtship dances to impress prospective mates.

Flapples are food for many predators, including Snorlaxes, Pinsirs, Ariadoses, and Talonflames. Once Flapples have survived their first winter (and many die during this period), they will almost certainly make it through many more winters to come now that they have all year to stock up on energy reserves. In captivity they have a lifespan of two decades.

Behavior: In the herd, Flapples tend to take on the role of protector because of their flight abilities. They spit acid from the cheeks, and their protective apple layer is used as armor against threats. When their apple armor is damaged, they excrete a fluid that repairs it, but this discolors the armor and turns the spots into a clay color. Flapple who have seen many battles have clay-colored armor.

Diet: Apples. They will also eat pears, peaches, other fruit, and bugs. Now that they are no longer an Applin, Flapples may consume other things, such as Pokémon food available from the local grocery store, but truly the absolute best diet you can give them is just to keep feeding them apples and maybe some other similar types of fruit.

In the wild, Flapples survive the winter by hibernating off and on and subsisting off of energy reserves they acquired as a ravenous Applin. During periods of awakeness, Flapples may consume whatever vegetation it can get its paws on, and have poor diets of leaves, cones (this includes junipers), and conifer needles/leaves—sometimes they even steal from bird feeders. Please understand that these diets are sub-optimal and are winter-only, and come Spring Flapples are incredibly weak and will eat whatever vegetation or bugs are available to them.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Flapples are notoriously excellent orchard guardians who will vigorously defend their apple orchard and their herd from predators. They are also seen on the teams of a lot of trainers worldwide, which makes sense given that they’re starter Pokémon for many folks.

A popular toyline of medieval knights features toy soldiers in Flapple-inspired armor, and many children’s books about knights tend to include a Flapple in the mix of knightly Pokémon.

Classification: Malusvermis drakomilo means “Apple Worm Dragon Apple.”

Appletun (#842)

Malusvermis dulcos

General Information: Appletuns are the other evolved form of Applin. They evolve from Applins when they’re around 2-3 months old, and only when the host apple is a sweet apple. They reach the incredible size of 1’4 feet tall (0.4 M) and 28.7 pounds (13 kg).

It has a Gigantamax form that it shares with Flapple, reaching over 78 feet tall (24 M).

Habitat: Appletuns live in apple orchards or near wild apple trees. They are originally endemic to Kazakhstan.

Life Cycles: Appletun become reproductively mature upon evolution, but do not partake in courtship until the spring. When Spring does come, their courtship ritual is to find flowers and gift them to their prospective mate.

Appletun are predated upon by many things, including Growlithes, Herdiers, Noiverns, Rockruffs, Talonflames, Sevipers, and much more. The nectar they secrete attracts insects, which the Appletun will sometimes eat, and in a pinch they can release a sticky more acidic nectar against unsuspecting foes. The same attraction to bugs also encourages the successful pollination of the apple trees and the survival of the trees’ pollinators.

Once they survive their first winter, Appletuns are generally able to survive many more winters to come. In captivity they have a lifespan of two decades.

Behavior: Appletuns are generally docile creatures that watch over the Applins in their orchard with deep parental instincts, though this only does so much good for keeping predators away since there are so many Applins and quite a lot of predators. They also tend to keep an eye on a tree’s health by investigating the apples that fall to the ground and eating the ones that seem even the slightest bit sickly. This both functions to ensure the Applins get healthier and more delicious apples, it feeds the Appletun, and it minimizes the spread of disease.

Diet: They eat mostly apples, but will eat other fruits and bugs. During winter they hibernate, but during periods of awakeness they will subsist on any vegetation or bugs they can find, such as cones, leaves, grubs, and conifer needles. Trainers can feed their Appletun Pokémon Food from the market, but really if you can, please feed them apples.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Humans have been fans of Appletuns for as long as humans have been around them. Appletuns are great, they make excellent food sources to hunters, they are amicable companions, they’re cute, they’re relatively harmless to humans, they only need apples and bugs to live, they eat flies and maggots, the skin on their back is delicious and grows back and its consumption doesn’t seem to bother the Appletun, and they’re great with children. Kazakh farmers like them because they’re known for tending to the apple trees and ensuring healthy, more bountiful harvests each year, and they’re sister-species, Flapples, are excellent defenders against actual vermin. Because of this, Appletuns are heavily associated with the rise of agricultural societies. They can be found in bakeries the world over as loving companions, kindergartens helping to manage the rowdy kids, and in many households.

An Appletun is the mascot to a popular bakery brand, Appletun Cakes & Pies, who sell pre-made pies and cake mix boxes that can be found at most supermarket chains.

On Tuesdays with Turtwig, the titular Turtwig has an Appletun friend who runs the local bakery, whom Turtwig visits every episode so that kids can get lessons in baking science.

Classification: Malusvermis dulcos, which means “Apple Worm Candy-Dragon.” The species epithet “dulcos” is a combination of “dulcis” (candy) and “dracos” (dragon).

Other: A group of Applins, Flapples, and/or Appletuns can be called a herd, an orchard, a basket, a bundle, or a bunch!

~~~~~~~~

#pokemon #applin #appletun #flapple #pokemon irl #pokemon biology #pokemon biology irl #pokemon biology irl tabletop #tabletop homebrew #pokemon irl tabletop #pokemon tabletop #ttrpg #homebrew #pokemon gen 8 #gen 8 pokemon #pokemon sword and shield

35 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 9 months

Text

Petilil & Lilligant

Petilil (#548)

Conroboherba parvus

General Information: Petilil are a small grass-type Pokémon with leaves that, when eaten in large amounts, cause dizziness, but in smaller amounts they provide a revitalizing effect that helps regain vigor. These leaves grow back fairly quickly.

Petilil average at 1’8 feet tall (0.5 M) and 14.6 pounds (6.6 kg). The deeper the color of their leaves, the healthier the Petilil.

Habitat: Petilil can be found throughout the Asia and Europe, where they love to live near bodies of clean water on land with rich nutritious soil. They especially love flowerbeds and lush forests. However, Petilil are highly sensitive to environmental pollution, and will be one of the first Pokémon to disappear from a habitat when humans pollute it.

Life Cycles: Petilil are born every Spring in litters of dozens, like anywhere from 60 to 90 is a normal clutch size per mother. As one can imagine from litters this big, Petilil are eaten by a lot of things. They are small, fairly harmless grass-types that also taste a bit bitter, and they’re snack-sized to a lot of larger predators, such as Talonflames, Sevipers, Galvantulas, Orangurus, Passimians, other primate Pokémon, and so forth. Around 3% of Petilils will survive to become Lilligants, barring extraordinary circumstances. As an all-female species, Petilils must seek mates from other species, with Ivysaurs often being mates of choice given the high ratio of males, and their own impressive flowers and courtship rituals.

Behavior: Petilil are friendly but (justifiably) quite skittish in nature. They are scared of humans and other large predators as a rule. They live in large flocks/gardens of scores of other Petilil, often their siblings by proximity. In captivity, especially when raised from an egg or bred from domesticated stock by Breeders, Petilil are sociable creatures who need other Pokémon around to be happy. Other grass-types are the best companions to give a Petilil, but don’t let that discourage you from giving your Petilil other friends!

Diet: Sunlight, berries.

Conservation: Vulnerable

Relationship with Humans: Petilils have been eaten by humanity since we left Africa and travelled into the Middle East. They’re small, nutritious, weak, docile, easy to catch, and they breed well in agricultural settings. Even the dizziness that one gets from eating too many of their leaves disappears upon boiling. And, since the Petilils regrow their leaves quickly, there’s little need to kill them, just plucking their leaves does the trick.

Their habitats are under threat all the time from pollution, and since they’re one of the earliest ecosystem indicators available to science, their presence or absence is a huge tell when something is going wrong in an environment. The main thing that stops Petilils from being endangered in spite of this extreme sensitivity to toxins, is their range and presence in human dwellings. Petilils would make for excellent starter Pokémon if it wasn’t for the fact that they evolve into the notoriously finicky Lilligant. But, Petilils are present on the teams of many doctors, herbalists, and chefs who use their revitalizing leaves to enhance foods and medicines. Their presence in the culinary arts and medicine is so prevalent and rooted in ancient traditions, that Petilils are seen as the symbol of herbal medicines and gardens. Many businesses throughout time use a stylized Petilil to represent herbs or herbal medicine, to the point that it is ubiquitous with the trade.

Classification: “Conroboherba” is a combination of “conroboro” which means “strengthen, invigorate” and “herba” which means “herb.”

Lilligant (#549)

Conroboherba elegans ruben ([OG] Lilligant) Conroboherba elegans tripodo ([H] Lilligant)

General Information: Lilligant are tall, elegant Pokémon with gorgeous flowers atop their heads that always bloom most beautifully in the wild. The flower produces a strong, sweet aroma that gives a heartened feeling. (OG) Lilligants average at 3’7 feet tall (1.1 M) and 35.9 pounds (16.3 kg), and (H) Lilligants are 3’11 feet tall (1.2 M) and 42.3 pounds (19.2 kg).

Habitat: Lilligants are found in the forests and mountains of Asia and Europe. (H) Lilligants are exclusively found in the Himalayas, where the cold, rocky mountains gave the Lilligants powerful legs for jumping great distances. While Petilils are common enough, Lilligants are rare in the wild.

Life Cycles: As an all-female species, Lilligants must seek out mates from other species, such as Venusaurs. They will roam forests in bands or by themselves in search of mates, and when a suitable mate has been found the flower on its head will wilt and wither away. When at last they lay eggs, they will guard their eggs enough to keep an eye out for egg-thieves, but once the Petilils hatch then the babies are left to fend for themselves unless there happens to be a Lilligant in the colony. Be aware, that captive Lilligants who have not bloomed their flower for the year are not ready to mate. While Petilils are born in vast numbers and themselves reproduce easily enough, Lilligants are not at risk of death too often and can afford to be picky about when and with whom they reproduce.

Behavior: Lilligants are finicky creatures and not terribly good mothers. While friendly enough, they are hard to please in captivity, and even veteran trainers and first-class gardeners have been known to struggle with coaxing the flower on a Lilligant to bloom. Should their flower bloom and they are then neglected, it will wilt.

Diet: Sunlight and berries.

Conservation: Vulnerable

Like Petilils, Lilligants are finicky ecosystem indicators who flee from polluted habitats and deforested lands. Their populations are spotty and fragmented, but what saves the species from being endangered is the amount of habitat that they cover across Europe and Asia, and their willingness to live in human-controlled habitats like botanical gardens, even if they are finicky to the umpteenth degree. However, the (H) Lilligant of the Himalayas is likely endangered, but it’s hard to say for the sub-species is found at incredibly high altitudes and in remote parts of the world.

Relationship with Humans: Lilligants are one of many symbols of beauty in the human world, often depicted alongside Milotic, Gardevoir, and Lopunny. They are popular amongst celebrities, and even veteran and first-rank gardeners find the needs of Lilligants to be a challenge. The flower of a Lilligant is sometimes cultivated into an incredibly rare and expensive perfume—Pokémon Rights Activists rejoice, the very nature of the flower on a Lilligant means it is treated well and it is happy!

There are parts of the world that worship Lilligants as dancers and beauties of the forest/mountains.

Classification: The species epithets of Lilligant, ruben and tripodo refer to the red flower on the head of (OG) Lilligant and the dancing movements of (H) Lilligant respectively.

Evolution: Lilligants evolve from Petilils with a Sun Stone or appropriate equivalent. The regional form is genetic, so Petilils bred from the (H) lineage will still evolve into (H) Lilligants even outside of the Himalayas.

31 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 4 months

Text

The Legendary Giants

Overview: The Legendary Giants, or Legendary Titans, are a quintet of creations by Regigigas. They are each imbued with pure elemental energy of their respective typing, and given life by Regigigas’s creation magic. Forged from rocks, ice, magma, pure electricity, and crystallized dragon energy, Regigigas created many Giants in its image. Its hard to say why it felt such need, but it did, and it made many of them. These Pokémon are today known as Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Regieleki, and Regidrago. They do not feed for they do not have mouths, and they cannot reproduce except with Mews (which doesn’t quite count since Mews can mate with anything that’s alive).

All five of the Legendary Giants are catchable, and thus featured in the bestiary even though Regigigas is not.

Regirock (#377)

Regi gaia

Regirock is one of the Legendary Giants, a quintet of different species of demigod Pokémon created by Regigigas. They are made of purely of rocks and stones, and they are embued with pure Rock-type elemental energy. No one knows how Regigigas made any of the Legendary Giants.

Regirocks are about 5’07 feet tall (1.7 M) and weigh around 507.1 pounds (230 kg)—which amounts to the height of a normal person but about 2-3 times as heavy.

Divinity: Demigod, created by Regigigas

Habitat: Regirocks are most likely to be found in mountains, canyons, deserts, or even ancient ruins. They prefer to be around places with lots of rocks.

Life Cycles: Regirocks are ancient Pokémon with no discernable life cycle or known life span. In these ancient times, all Regirocks were created by Regigigas in its image, forged from rocks from the very continents it towed into place. When a Regirock experiences chipping, it simply attaches a new rock to itself to cover up the chipping, and this heals it.

Relationship with Humans: Regirocks have been around since before humans descended from the trees of Africa and evolved to walk upright. They are mysterious beings of the mountains and canyons and deserts, who protect their homes with ferver and passion, but otherwise seem to exist quietly in their territories. They are the subject of many folktales, of heroes who have to contend with a Regirock who has sworn to protect sacred land or a castle, or perhaps the Regirock who belongs to a family that it protects with all its love. But for all their mystery and enigma, Regirocks have also been feared by humanity, and many have been locked away in Sealed Chambers by ancient peoples.

Regigigas bestowed upon the Legendary Giants a written language that became the basis for Braille. Should a Regirock wish to communicate in a way that humans can possibly hope to understand, it will communicate by writing in Regi-Braille.

Classification: The Legendary Giants are in their own kingdom of life, Regirexiae. This explicitly only includes the species that were created by Regigigas and their descendents. They are entirely incapable of breeding except specifically with Mew—but then again, anything can breed with Mews, that’s their whole thing.

Regice (#378)

Regi glacies

General Information: Regice is one of the Legendary Giants, a quintet of different species of demigod Pokémon created by Regigigas. They are made purely of crystallized ice-type energy—which is different from regular ice. Regice will never melt (though it may be weaker under intense sunlight and in hotter climates). How Regigigas made the Regices, no one knows.

Regices cloak themselves with sub-freezing air of -328 F (-200 C), thus immediately freezing anything near Regice. It can even survive being submerged in lava and other extremely hot temperatures. Regices are 5’11 feet tall (1.8 M) and 385.8 pounds (175 kg), or about the height of a reasonably Tall Fellow.

Divinity: Demigod, created by Regigigas

Habitat: Regices are most readily found in frozen climates such as Antarctica, the upper altitudes of the Himalayas, and glaciers.

Life Cycles: Regices are ancient Pokémon with no discernable life cycle or known life span. All Regices were created by Regigigas in its image, forged from the glaciers and icesheets of the Earth’s poles as Regigigas towed the continents into place. They sleep inside glaciers for upwards of thousands of years.

Relationship with Humans: Regices have been around since before humans descended from the tress of Africa and evolved to walk upright. They are mysterious beings of the glaciers and tundras of the Earth, who are known to sleep for generations in glaciers until roused. While they can be found in above-zero climates just fine, they prefer the cold, and thus it is the people of the Far North and Far South who are most familiar with these icy giants, where they are feared and revered for their mysterious powers. Some see them as dieties of the ice, some as gentle giants, others as guardians of sacred lands, and more. But for all their mystery and enigma, Regices have also been feared by humanity, with ancient societies locking them away inside Sealed Chambers, never to see the light of day again.

Regigigas bestowed upon the Legendary Giants a written language that became the basis for Braille. Should a Regice wish to communicate in a way that humans can possibly hope to understand, it will communicate by writing in Regi-Braille.

Registeel (#379)

Regi adamanteus

General Information: Registeel is one of the Legendary Giants, a quintet of different species of demigod Pokémon created by Regigigas. It is, perhaps, considered to be the first robot Pokémon, for it is a being composed of pure metal—including a core of a substance that is stronger and more flexible than any known metal. Its body cannot be scratched. How Regigigas made the Registeels, no one knows for sure. There’s different hypothesizes about its material. being of extraterrestrial origin, or perhaps it was made in the Earth’s mantle and tempered for thousands of years

Registeel is 6’03 feet tall (1.9 M) and 451.9 pounds (205 kg)

Divinity: Demigod, created by Regigigas

Habitat: Registeels can live anywhere, from mighty mountains to the forests of old, a Registeel may call it home.

Life Cycles: Regardless of the specifics of their origin, Registeels are ancient Pokémon that were created by Regigigas in its image, forged from something that is like metal but harder, sturdier, and far stretchier and more flexible than any metal seen on Earth.

Relationship with Humans: Registeels have been around since before humans descended from the trees of Africa and evolved to walk upright. They are mysterious beings that like to live inside mountains and ancient forests, enigmatic protectors of their homes, and the patience of ones who have seen eternity and will live long enough to see eternity again. Their relationship with humans is iffy, for they can be found in any terrestrial habitat, and are known to be protective of their homes to those who threaten it. In theory, Registeels are quite capable of amicable relationships with humans, for we, too, are part of the great balance of the world, but not all groups of humans are in a Registeel’s home for good reasons. For all their mystery and enigma, Registeels have been feared by humanity, and ancient societies have locked many away inside Sealed Chambers.

Regigigas bestowed upon the Legendary Giants a written language that became the basis for Braille. Should a Registeel wish to communicate in a way that humans can possibly hope to understand, it will communicate by writing in Regi-Braille.

Regieleki (#894)

Regi fulgur

General Information: Regieleki is one of the Legendary Giants, a quintet of different species of demigod Pokémon created by Regigigas. It is composed of pure electric-type energy, both magical and physical, and it feeds by absorbing free electrons in the air. Thus, nearby storms are incapable of generating lightning with Regieleki nearby. It is so powerful that it could theoretically power an entire small country’s energy needs, but good luck trying to hold one captive enough to achieve that. As with all the Regis, how Regigigas made a being of pure plasma is anyone’s guess.

Regieleki is 3’11 feet tall (1.2 M) and 319.7 pounds (145 kg).

Divinity: Demigod, created by Regigigas

Habitat: Regielekis can live anywhere, but prefer places with greater electrical charges.

Life Cycles: Regieleki are rare even amongst the Legendary Giants, an ancient species made by Regigigas in its image.

Relationship with Humans: Regielekis have been around since before humans descended from the trees of Africa and evolved to walk upright, and have been terrorizing humanity ever since. While Regirock, Regice, and Registeel are largely benign, Regielekis are extremely powerful beings of pure electricity who’s “gentle touch” is an electric shock. Whether these Regieleki are truly trying to inflict harm or not, is hard to say, but ancient peoples grew tired of their torments and sealed all of the Regielekis of the world in non-conductive bands, to minimize their power, and locked them away in Sealed Chambers with a greater passion than the other Legendary Giants received.

Regigigas bestowed upon the Legendary Giants a written language that became the basis for Braille. Should a Regieleki wish to communicate in a way that humans can possibly hope to understand, it will communicate by writing in Regi-Braille.

Regidrago (#895)

Regi draco

General Information: Regidrago is one of the Legendary Giants, a quintet of different species of demigod Pokémon created by Regigigas. It is composed of crystallized dragon-type energy, though how Regigigas made it is unknown.

Regidrago is 6’11 feet tall (2.1 M) and 440.9 pounds (200 kg).

Divinity: Demigod, created by Regigigas

Habitat: Regidrago can be found in any habitat, and is known to be an absurdly powerful guardian of its home.

Life Cycles: Regidrago is the rarest of all of the Legendary Giants—in fact, it is said there to be only one, though how true this is, is uncertain. The tale goes that Regidrago was the last of the Legendary Giants to be forged from Regigigas, as it spent the eons collecting crystallized dragon energy and gathering them in order to make Regidrago, but it ran out of crystals and was only able to make the head. Another tale tells of how the arms of Regidrago were originally the head of a mighty ancient dragon Pokémon.

Relationship with Humans: Regidrago is not as old as the other Legendary Giants, but to not mistake this for it being young. It may not have been around to see the first humans descend from the trees, but it was there when we were still being eaten by leopards, and it was there when the earth frozen over and over again in glacial maximums, and humans evolved to thrive as the Earth’s megafauna hunters. It is a fearsome beast with untold dragonic powers—so immense, that ancient humans feared the day that Regigigas would finish its greatest creation, that they locked Regidrago away inside a Sealed Chamber in the hopes that none others would ever have to live in fear of the ultimate dragon.

Regigigas bestowed upon the Legendary Giants a written language that became the basis for Braille. Should Regidrago wish to communicate in a way that humans can possibly hope to understand, it will communicate by writing in Regi-Braille.

~~~~~~~~

13 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 6 months

Text

Darkrai

Darkrai (#491)

Malhypnos darkrai

General Information: Darkrai, the Pitch Black Pokémon. This Pokémon is the stuff of legends, a being said to give unending nightmares and bad dreams, who can only be thwarted by a feather from Cresselia (Lunar Feather).

Like all legends, this has some truth to it. Darkrais are not all the same in their desires and their motivations. Darkrai are most likely to come out on moonless nights, when it’s easiest to hide under the cover of darkness. There they will seek out the nightmares of others and feed upon them. When defending themselves from threats, intruders, and so forth, they will unleash nightmares to scare them away. Darkrai are incapable of receiving nutrition from the nightmares that they create because they can’t receive a net gain of energy from the very things that they create.

Darkrais average at 4’11 feet tall (1.5 M) and 111.3 pounds (50.5 kg).

Habitat: Darkrai can be found anywhere, but tend to live in isolation away from people until the time comes every lunar cycle to feed.

Life Cycles: Unknown. Darkrai are known to live for incredibly long times, but the specifics are a mystery. There are many of them in the world, estimates suspect at least a thousand of them. It is unsure what could possibly eat them, nor do they seem to be in much competition with other Pokémon, barring the Drowzees and Munnas of the world.

Divine Lineage: Unknown, but believed to be demigodal beings akin to the legendary birds, Lati@s, etc. They most likely share an ancestry with Cresselia, but research is still out about the specifics.

Behavior: Darkrai are solitary creatures who rarely show themselves. They will appear in nightmares either that they feed upon or those that they inflict, which leads to a lot of confusion over the particular nature of Darkrais. They can be rather protective of their territory if it feels threatened, and individuals have been known to lash out at humans and Pokémon alike for apparent disrespects.

Diet: They eat bad dreams.

Conservation: Unknown

Relationship with Humans: Darkrai have been the subject of children’s fairytales and legends for countless generations. Their association with bad dreams, whether they be inflicting them or eating them, causes a natural contention amongst humans. Humanity has collectively decided that Darkrais are bad luck, they are the embodiment of nightmares, the harbingers of doom and destruction, and often associated with Absols despite the fact that Absols are actually kind creatures who forewarn of danger, rather than bring it. Still, humans are humans, and we are not without our many prejudices. More than one regent or emperor of the past has tried to have their knights and warriors kill a local Darkrai to mixed results.

In modern times, Darkrai are often associated with Halloween in media, or as a stand-in “evil” Pokémon. Many don’t believe that Darkrais actually exist, and the study of them tends to fall under cryptozoology.

Classification: The scientific name of Darkrai is Malhypnos darkrai. “Mal” means “bad” and “hypnos” is the Greek god of sleep. It is believed to be related to Cresselia, but the specifics of this are uncertain and difficult to prove.

~~~~~~~~

#darkrai #pokemon #pokemon biology #homebrew #ttrpg #pokemon tabletop #pokemon biology irl #tabletop #tabletop homebrew #pokemon irl #pokemon biology irl tabletop #pokemon gen 4 #gen 4 #gen 4 pokemon #pokemon diamond and pearl #pokemon platinum #pokemon dppt #pokemon bdsp

16 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 2 months

Text

Nacli, Naclstack, & Garganacl

Nacli (#932)

Naclaeus familiaris

General Information: Nacli are Pokémon who’s bodies are entirely composed of rock salt. When they move, they scrape their bodies against the earth leaving behind little bits of salt wherever they go.

Nacli average at 1’4 feet (0.4 M) tall and 35.3 pounds (16 kg).

Habitat: Nacli can be found in mountainous regions of the world or where large deposits of terrestrial rock salt can be found.

Life Cycles: Nacli are born deep underground, where their parents kept the eggs there for protection and safe keeping from predators and poachers alike. Not many Nacli are born at a time, often a batch of a handful every few years per parental pair. Nacli are typically born to Naclstacks and Garganacls, rather than other Naclis. This is not because of any issues with Nacli’s reproductive abilities, but rather they are often more focused on survival to evolution than they are on making more of themselves. Nacli are not eaten by much, but they are eaten by very specific types of Pokémon, namely those who eat rocks. As such, Larvitars, Tyranitars, Steelixes, Mawiles, and even the occasional Lairon or Aggron will help themselves to a Nacli. Weirdly, Sabeleyes are not a problem for Naclis, as their Purifying Salt ability deters ghost-type predation. Still, predation on Naclis is limited, and most Pokémon want to keep them alive for their delicious salt-producing benefits.

Their primary predator, Larvitars and Tyranitars, tend to leave Nacli eggs alone—they eat rocks and dirt, not eggs!

Nacli do not have a known upper limit on their lifespan. This isn’t to say one doesn’t exist, so much as they tend to evolve for their own protection before that limit can be found.

Behavior: Nacli are rarely predated upon and generally well-liked by the fleshier organic Pokémon in their environments, so they have not developed fear responses to other Pokémon—well, except to their predators of course! Because of this, Nacli are rather friendly sorts who live in colonies with each other, and are readily accepted into any habitat that they choose to live in. Even the most aggressive of Pokémon, like Rhydons and Nidos, will allow a Nacli into their territories, knowing that they’re harmless little guys that make delicious life-saving salt.

Diet: They eat dirt! Just get them some nice potting soil 😊 They’re eating the vitamins and minerals found naturally in soils.

Conservation: Endangered (in the wild), Least Concern (Captivity)

Relationship with Humans: Nacli are beloved Pokémon by humans since time immemorial. They’re little portable Pokémon that make salt. And that means, humans have been using Naclis for millions of years. The Nacli is rarely mistreated, because a well-loved Nacli will stick around of its own accord, but countless family dramas and inheritances and even violent conflicts have been fought over access to Naclis and their evolutions. People go nuts for these little guys, and as such long-ago developed mining techniques for stealing Nacli eggs from the earth, thus forcing Naclstacks and Garganacls to bury their nests deeper and deeper underground in an evergreen Red Queen Hypothesis, leading to the modern day issue of Nacli nests being immensely difficult to track down. Wild Naclis are getting harder and harder to find as the centuries go on, for more and more are being brought into captivity to be cared for by humans.

In days gone by, Naclis were so coveted by humans that dowries would include a Nacli if applicable, and that was often worth more than gold or livestock, and could see a peasant family jump to middle class if their cards were played right.

Classification: The genus “nacleus” uses “NaCl” (sodium chloride/table salt) as its base word, much like Nacli and its evolutions use it for the base of their names. “Familiaris” refers to the friendliness of Naclis.

Naclstack (#933)

Nacleus fortis

General Information: Naclstack is the evolved form of Nacli. They are able to compress its rock salt into hardened pellets that are then shot out with enough force to puncture sheets of iron! Contrary to population notions about their names, Naclstacks and family contain more than NaCl in their bodies, they contain other varieties of salts, too, based on what minerals they’re able to extract from their food and the environment around them, NaCl just happens to be the most common one.

Naclstacks average at 2 feet (0.6 M) tall and weigh 231.5 pounds (105 kg).

Habitat: Anywhere Naclis can be found.

Life Cycles: Once a Naclstack evolves from a Nacli, its chances of survival increase tenfold. There is very little that will even try eating them, reserved for hungry Tyranitars and risk-taking Aggrons. They will mate sporadically every few years with other members of the Mineral egg group, then bury their eggs deep underground where no one can find them or hurt them. After that, their parental care is incredibly minimal, but they will protect any Naclis that they happen to come across.

Behavior: Naclstack are patient Pokémon with little fear of other Pokémon. They are slow-moving creatures of the mountains and hills and salt beds, with ways that are mysterious to those around it. They don’t form the colonies that Naclis form, but also won’t deter Naclis from following them around for safety and familiarity.

Diet: Naclstack are scavengers. They no longer eat dirt (well, they do a bit, old habits die hard), and instead will happily eat the leftover rotting carcasses of other Pokémon, the parts that no one else wants, including the bones. They are immune to the diseases carried by rotting flesh, both because they use their body salt to cure their food and because as a Living Rock Pokémon (Vivogaiaformes) they don’t have true organic bodies, thus not susceptible to the diseases of organic life.

Conservation: Endangered (in the wild), Least Concern (Captivity)

Relationship with Humans: If you thought Nacli were obsessed over, wait until you meet Naclstacks. They’re bigger, stronger, and produce more salt than Naclis! A well-loved Naclstack was/is a family heirloom, someone who was invaluable to the preservation of meat, household cooking, and trade with others. A family with a Naclstack was a family that would survive winters and plagues.

Classification: They were originally named by Linneaus, by he had erroneously placed them in the same genus as Geodudes, when in fact they are largely unrelated to the other Living Rock Pokémon (Geodude, Rogenrola, Rolycoly, etc.), who are all under the Order Vivogaiaformes.

Evolution: Naclstack evolves from Nacli starting at level 24.

Garganacl (#934)

Nacleus giganticus

General Information: Garganacl is the final evolution of Nacli and Naclstack, and is known as the Rock Salt Pokémon. Their salt is rich in a variety of minerals and is known to have medicinal properties, powers so strong that even severe wounds are known to heal—whether this is a result of the salts themselves or something magical inherent to Garganacls, is unclear. Other Pokémon are known to lick up the salt that Gargancl leaves behind when it walks.

They average at 7’7 feet (2.3 M) tall and 529.1 pounds (240 kg).

Habitat: Wherever Naclis and Naclstacks can be found and beyond. Some are stationary, some are roamers. Their ways are mysterious indeed.

Life Cycles: Garganacls are known to live for centuries as patient and gentle behemoths of the forests and mountains that they call home. Long ago, there were thousands of Garganacls, even tens of thousands the world over, but these days there are perhaps only a few hundred left in the wild, a natural consequence of humans gradually taking more and more from the wild than can be replenished.

Behavior: Garganacls are finally able to stand up to their predators, Tyranitar and Aggron, and will squash Mawiles with a vengeance that is rarely seen elsewhere. They get along well with Tinkatons, likely because of Tinkaton’s proclivity toward hunting steel-types like Aggrons and Steelixes. Other than this, they are gentle giants.

They are known to rub their fingertips together over wounds, healing the injuries of Pokémon and humans alike.

Diet: Garganacls eat the heavily-decayed bodies of other Pokémon, as well as berries and nuts as seen fit. They are omnivores through and through, but do not hunt, only scavenge.

Conservation: Endangered (in the wild), Least Concern (Captivity)

Relationship with Humans: Garganacls are the gentle protectors of forests and mountains, the bringers of life-giving salt to all they encounter. But though they know no fear of predators, they do know fear for their offspring, and will go to great lengths to stop humans and Pokémon alike from stealing their eggs before they’ve even had a chance to hatch.

In ancient times, royalty and religious orders sought to have a Garganacl for themselves, an unmistakable sign of wealth and prosperity understood by all.

There are Garganacls alive today who saw the rise and fall of entire Empires, wars, and countless generations of humans. Some cultures worship Garganacls as life bringers, blessings from the gods, and so forth.

Classification: Garganacls and their pre-evolutions are in a clade all to themselves in the Vivogaiaformes.

Evolution: Garganacls evolve from Naclstack at level 38.

~~~~~~~~

9 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 9 months

Text

Absol

Absol (#359)

Absol absol

The following information is only available to Pokémon Rangers of sufficient narrative achievement.

Absols have an uncanny ability to foresee disasters with a combination of heightened senses and incredible intuition. They average in at 3’11 feet tall (1.2 M) in both their normal and their mega forms, and weigh on average 103.6 pounds (47 kg) in their normal state and 108 pounds (49 kg) in their mega form.

Habitat: Absol are found on all continents except Antarctica. They seem to have a particular fondness for alpine forests, especially deep wildernesses far away from human civilization—such as the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness.

Life Cycles: Absols reproduce rarely (about once a decade), and when they do, they pair up for the 4-5 years it takes to raise a juvenile Absol into an adult. Typically, they will have one baby at a time, though twins occur on occasion. Their mating rites seem to elude most, but the sparse documentation that exists indicates that Absol Courtship is a complex matter. An Absol will be at least a decade old before it reproduces for the first time. Infant and juvenile mortality rates seem to be exceedingly minimal thanks to the excellent parental care, and Absols are the epitome of a K-selected species in ecological terms.

Behavior: Absols are shy, elusive creatures that hide far away from human civilization. They are, however, incredibly brave, and will warn others of impending doom as is their nature. They are skillful parents in large part because of their ability to foresee disaster. However, they are ultimately pacifists who hate fighting, and only battle if they deem it necessary to uphold peace.

Diet: Opportunistic omnivores, in this context meaning they can be found munching on leaves and berries just as well as they may be found eating a Deerling that they scavenged.

Conservation: Unknown.

Relationship with Humans: Absols are Pokémon of lore and old wives’ tales that describe them as the harbingers of doom. As anyone who plays the games or watches the anime would know, an Absol is actually trying to warn people of impending danger or even help them. Unfortuntately, most folks don’t see it that way, and many cultures and people the world over have believed for generations that Absols are the harbingers of doom was described in folklore.

However, Pokémon Rangers are taught that this is very much not true and in fact they rely on Absol friends to aid them in times of crisis. Many try to educate others about the goodness of Absols, but these efforts regularly fall on uncaring ears.

Many folks don’t even believe Absols actually exist and treat them as cryptids. A fringe minority of Pokémon Activists are working on bettering Absols’ public image, but again, these efforts largely fall on deaf ears.

While Absols are catchable, trainable, and even breedable if you really want to try for that, please be aware that they are incredibly rare and hard to find. There are some trainers that exist out there with Absols of their own, but showing up to a tournament or gym match with one is the real-world equivalent of showing up to a horse show with a kelpie. The overwhelming majority of the time, a trainer with an Absol is also a Pokémon Ranger. Absols do not thrive in captivity so they are not kept in zoos, and the most an Absol will be retained by humans (outside of a mutually agreed partnership) is in wildlife rehabilitation facilities. They are mysterious creatures that few ever meet, with little about them known to science.

Mega Absol imagery has a niche following in the heavy metal scene!

Classification: The exact placement of Absols in the Tree of Life is confounding to many, so it is given its own clade and species name Absol absol. It is the only species of its kind currently known.

#Absol #pokemon #pokemon biology #pokemon biology irl #pokemon irl #pokemon biology irl tabletop #pokemon tabletop #tabletop #tabletop homebrew #homebrew #ttrpg #pokemon gen 3 #gen 3 #gen 3 pokemon

28 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 22 days

Note

This might be a weird question, but what inorganic pokemon, would you say, are the best parents?

Hmmmmm.... I had to look up the Mineral Egg Group and give the Only In This Group listing a hard look

My gut is telling me that Golurk would probably be the best parent 🤔 there were others solely in the Mineral Egg Group but then I realized they were all technically organic so didn't count. I'm uncertain if Steelix/Onix would be a good parent... Parenting is often reflective of a species role in the ecosystem (but not necessarily). A species that provides good parenting often have relatively fewer babies in a year, like birds, elephants, cats, penguins, humans, etc. But there's also cases like octopuses where they dedicate their lives to protecting their eggs and then die of starvation, but they have HUNDREDS of eggs. And few would argue that was anything less than truly stellar and dedicated parents. And there are spiders who will vigorously protect their egg sacs until they hatch, then go on with their lives afterwards, often facing immense starvation, even death. But there's also frogs and bugs and other such species. And then there's plants and fungi! Or corals (an animal). All this to say, that having not thought too hard yet about the ecology of Steelixes and Onixes, I can't say for sure if they'd actually be good parents, or if they'd be like many animals and abandon their eggs to fend for themselves... But I have a gut feeling that Steelixes/Onixes would be good parents. As for Golurks, well obviously they'd be great parents! They're golems! Golems are protectors! And Golurks with their protective natures and human-like resemblance, lends me to believe that would they would be marvelous parents.

Hope that answer was satisfactory :)

#asks #golurk #steelix #pokemon #pokemon biology #pokemon biology irl #pokemon irl #pokemon biology irl tabletop

7 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 2 months

Text

Hoppip, Skiploom, & Jumpluff

Hoppip (#187)

Eoventus viriditas

Hoppips average at 1’4 feet (0.4 M) tall and weigh about 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg)

Habitat: Hoppips will live anywhere where the weather is above freezing for more than a week during the summer. They do not like the cold (makes sense), and thrive best in warmer climates. They can be found at the tops of mountains and in great plains and in human cities alike. Truly, they are immensely prolific.

Life Cycles: Hoppips are born to large batches of hundreds of eggs every Spring or Wet Season. These batches emerge with the first rains of Spring, and in places with wet/dry season cycles, they emerge with the first rains of the wet season. While they do not exhibit any significant parental care, newborns are immediately brought into the flock, and the beginnings of Spring are often marked by the giant flocks of Hoppips that float in the air. These Hoppip fluffs are vital biomass for the ecosystems that they migrate into, for many many different Pokémon eat them. They are eaten by birds, snakes, cats, dragons, dogs, giant spiders, literally anything that can catch it will eat it.

The mating cycle of Hoppips is simple: when they reach level 15, they are reproductively viable, and they will then spend the Fall mating with any number of individuals that express interest. There is very little hierarchy within the fluff, but there is a loose preference for the Skiplooms and Jumpluffs since they are inherently older, wiser, and stronger and thus theoretically make for better genetics to pass on. The eggs are laid in warm climates, such as Central America, where the fluff lingers for awhile waiting for the eggs to hatch, and then when they do, they move on with their Hoppip lives and continue their migrations.

Behavior: Hoppips are gentle creatures that enjoy equally gentle breezes. They live together amicably in large colonies (either called flocks, fluffs, or breezes!), a defense mechanism both against predators and against being blown away by strong winds. They will link leaves and grip the ground together to keep themselves from being carried off by the winds when they’re not ready. When they are ready to migrate, Hoppips can be carried vast distances on the winds.

Fluffs range in size anywhere from the several thousands to a handful.

Diet: Sunlight. Should this be unavailable, carbohydrate heavy foods like pasta, potatoes, rice, fruits, and bread will suffice in the meantime. Be sure to give your Hoppip plenty of water and a place to cool off when the sun is too hot for them!

Players, Hoppips do not need to eat unless they have been deprived of sunlight for more than 1 day. In which case, feed them a standard amount.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Hoppips are friendly little guys that have graced humans with their presence the world over. They make for amicable companions, excellent for children, and of course, they have definitely been eaten by humans for a very long time. They’re not easy to trap, per say, but they’re not difficult to hunt either. Their abundance and ease of catch makes them ideal prey for countless predators, including humans, though in the modern day Hoppips are typically left alone by people.

In media, Hoppips are often seen in nature documentaries, children’s books about Spring, and are often seen in more whimsical scenes in films. They are regularly depicted as gentle and amicable, and make for excellent children’s toys.

As partner Pokémon, Hoppips are common starter Pokémon. They are not the strongest or the fastest, but they are certainly very common.

Classification: The genus “Eoventus” is a combination of “Eo” (to travel, to go, to sail, etc.) and “ventus” (Wind) in latin. “Viriditas” means “greenness, vigor, freshness.”

(artwork by Ken Sugimori)

Skiploom (#188)

Eoventus florescus

General Information: Skiploom the Cottonweed Pokémon, and the evolution of Hoppip. Their flowers are known to be accurate determinants of the weather, for when it’s above 64 F (18 C) the flower blossoms, and when it’s below that, the blossom closes!

Skiplooms average at 2 feet (0.6 M) tall and weigh 2.2 pounds (1 kg).

Habitat: Skiplooms are pickier about their habitat needs than Hoppips are, mostly in the sense that they like sunnier places than Hoppips do.

Life Cycles: Skiplooms are less susceptible to predation than Hoppips, but this is mostly just because of age and greater survival instincts that come with it. Otherwise, their life cycles are the same, and Skiplooms typically live for 5-10 years.

Behavior: Skiplooms are not the biggest fans of getting wet, and will seek shelter under trees when it rains. They also do not care for the cold and will simply migrate away to warmer climates when the weather gets too cold. These migrations can even take a breeze of them across the ocean.

Diet: Sunlight. Same dietary needs as Hoppip.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Skiplooms are common pets in households the world over. Their docility, sociability, low dietary and habitat needs, and short life spans make them ideal pets for anyone looking for a low-maintenance pet. In contrast, their short lifespans is also what steers many trainers away from owning one, especially as a starter Pokémon, for the loss of your first Pokémon is a unique sort of heartache, and many want to be spared the pain until later in life.

In the fashion world, a Skiploom’s flower is often used for floral patterns.

There are Skiploom connoisseurs who claim to be able to decipher a Skiploom’s birthplace by the aroma of their flowers.

Classification: The species epithet “florescus” is derived from “floresco,” Latin for “blossom” or “flower.”

Evolution: Skiploom evolves from Hoppip at level 18.

Jumpluff (#189)

Eoventus verocis

General Information: Jumpluff the Cottonweed Pokémon, and the final evolution of Hoppip.

Habitat: Wherever Hoppips and Skiplooms can be found. Jumpluffs are the best fliers of the family, able to control their migrations with dexterity and agility that Hoppip and Skiploom lack. Their flight prowess even allows them to float across the vast oceans, allowing them to lay their eggs across the globe.

Life Cycles: Jumpluffs, like all Pokémon, “lay” eggs. It is a myth, an old wive’s tale, that Jumpluff reproduce by spreading their spores, and the further belief that Jumpluff die when their spores are spent, is also simply untrue. While Jumpluff do not have long lives, 7-12 years on average (so basically the life span of a dog or cat), their lives are not forfeit because of the loss of their fluffy arms, but rather in the wild a Jumpluff who loses the fluff on its arms are no longer able to fly with control and become easy targets for predators. In captivity, an aging Jumpluff who loses its cotton-puff arms is capable of living several years longer and even a happy existence if the trainer is careful to tend to its needs.

Behavior: Jumpluffs are the ones who migrate the oceans, who travel to distant lands and spend the remainder of their lives sojourning the globe. They are just as amicable as their Hoppip and Skiploom counterparts, but wiser to the wiley ways of the world.

Diet: Identical to the needs of Hoppip and Skiploom.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Jumpluffs are often the symbol of travelers, of sojourners, of globetrotters, those who travel but do not linger. There are ancient cultures who believed Jumpluffs to be the messengers or eyes of gods, to be the guardians of travelers. Some believe that a Jumpluff is a sign of good fortune, that your passage has been marked safe.

In modern times, Jumpluffs are often on the teams of emergency rescuers because of their ability to travel great distances without growing tired. They may not be the fastest or the strongest, but their endurance for flight is unmatched by most, and is an assest to rescue organizations and Pokémon Rangers alike, who need a Jumpluff’s eyes to watch the world at large.

Classification: The species epithet “velocis” is derived from “velox” meaning agility, swiftness, dexterity in flight, etc., in homage to a Jumpluff’s advanced ability to navigate the winds that its pre-evolutions lack. The entire line was originally named by Linnaeus, who thought of them as quite charming creatures.

Evolution: Jumpluff evolves from Skiploom at level 27.

~~~~~~~~

9 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 25 days

Text

Murkrow & Honchkrow

Murkrow (#198)

Corvustenebrae americanas

General Information: Murkrow the Darkness Pokémon. They’re startlingly intelligent Pokémon that are even capable of learning human speech.

Murkrows average at heights of 1’08 ft tall (0.5 M) and 4.6 pounds (2.1 kg).

Habitat: Murkrow are native to the New World, nocturnal Pokémon who awaken at dusk in the forests and swamps that they call home. They’re also found in cities and towns, but especially cities with shadowy alleys and tall buildings to perch themselves on, making them particular menaces to society in major cities like Montreal, Chicago, Santiago, Los Angelos, São Paulo, San José, and Guatemala City. They’re occasionally found in wooded mountains and highlands, too.

Life Cycles: Murkrows are born in nests of 3-6 hatchlings every Spring after incubating for 18 days, and tended to lovingly by both parents. Unfortunately, seeing as how baby birds are the snack foods of the food web, many will die before learning to fly. Once flight is achieved around 36 days old, the mortality rates drop drastically.

Murkrows do not become reproductively viable until they are at least 2 years of age (or level 15, whichever comes last), and most do not go on to find mates of their own until they’re 4-5 years old. At which time, they will often leave the nest properly and go on to join or form other murders. During this time, their parents may have more babies, that the previous years’ fledglings will help care for and learn vital parenting skills themselves.

Mated pairs will form groups (“murders”) with each other up to as many as 15 family units at a time. This provides group cooperation and protection to everyone, especially the hatchlings and eggs. These murders stick together as a team and as a family, creating tight social bonds. It’s not uncommon for infidelity to occur within Murkrow murders, but it only serves to strengthen the desire to protect each other’s babies.

Murkrows live for 15-20 years in captivity.

Behavior: As the true menaces to society that they are, Murkrows love anything sparkly and will go to great lengths to procure objects of interest, even going so far as to loot the stashes and caches of Meowths and Gabites. This has caused some intense rivalries in major cities between Murkrow murders and Meowth colonies. These tricksters are known to lose trailers by steering them down dark alleys or dark forest paths, sometimes even doing this on purpose just to be a dick after stealing someone’s precious shiny thing.

Diet: Murkrows are omnivores. They will eat carrion, fruits, nuts, and stolen lunches! Picnickers beware!

Conservation: Least Concern… seriously, they’re crows. Crows are everywhere.

Relationship with Humans: Murkrow are feared as bringers of misfortune and naughty tricksters, though relatively harmless ones in the grand scheme of things. Colonizers of the Americas developed the chant, “Workrum, Workrum—bad luck, don’t come” to protect themselves from Murkrow shenanigans. There is also the saying, “Get home before the Murkrow fly,” that parents often say to children.

Murkrow are often depicted in ghost stories and haunting tales and featured prominently in Halloween decorations.

Classification: Murkrows are passerine bird Pokémon in the genus Corvustenebrae, the same genus as Corviknight.

Honchkrow (#430)

Corvustenebrae magistras

General Information: Honchkrow the Big Boss Pokémon and the evolved form of Murkrow.

They average at 2’11 ft (0.9 M) tall and weigh 60.2 pounds (27.3 kg).

Habitat: Honckrows are native to the New World, living primarily in forests, swamps, and cities.

Life Cycles: On rare occasions, a Murkrow will chance itself into evolving to Honchkrow, where it gains considerable strength, size, and bulk. There is rarely more than one Honchkrow in a flock, if there is one at all. The tight family bonds of Murkrow flocks/murders lends to a Honchkrow’s rise to power—with their newfound power, they become the de facto leader of the flock and primary protector for bigger threats.

Behavior: The Honchkrow is respected as family, and the Honchkrow returns the love of its murder by becoming its most threatening and violent asset. This power comes with some perks, including the ability to summon its flock with a loud command and command them when need be. But power corrupts, and the loyalty that Honckrows feel toward their flock must be returned, and individuals who betray the family/flock/murder will be dealt with mercilessly, and mistakes are not readily forgiven. Murders with a Honchkrow are more likely to be aggressive and violent toward perceived threats and territory infractions, especially to rival Meowth gangs. The Honchkrow also earns the privilege of openly mating with other members of the flock, an activity that functions to deepen social bonds and encourages inter-flock loyalties.

It is rare for a Honchkrow to be ousted by an outsider. If a coup to the leadership does happen, it will be because another Murkrow evolved and wants to take the Honchkrow’s place—but should this new Honchkrow be kin, and the old Honchkrow advanced enough in age, they may just as likely reach a mentorship arrangement, and the flock is at peace again.

Honchkrows like to spend plenty of quality time alone preening themselves—they must look presentable, after all!

Diet: Honchkrow are large omnivores that eat carrion, fruits, and whatever loot they can steal from others.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Honchkrows are the go-to Pokémonification (get it?) of the “Big Mafia Boss” stereotype in media. They are far more common on trainer teams than in the wild, but this simply because trainers tend to have easier access to Dusk Stones than wild Murkrows do. A Honchkrow is a reliable partner, who’s loyalty to its trainer knows no bounds—it’ll even try bossing its teammates around like it would a flock, though the success of this varies. “Not all Honchkrows are fit to lead” as the saying goes.

Classification: Honchkrows are named Corvustenebrae magistras. “Corvustenebrae” means “darkness crow.”

Evolution: Honchkrow evolves from Murkrow when exposed to a Dusk Stone or an equivalent.

~~~~~~~~

7 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 11 months

Text

Pokemon League Foundation's Certified Starter Pokemon

Here in this world, there is a wide range of available starter Pokémon that may not be considered in the main series videogames. Of course, no one is beholden to the below list, as this is simply the PLF's list of suggested starters, and in practice many municipalities, breeders, parents, and cultures have their own notions of what is and is not acceptable to give to a new trainer. And trainers may find their first Pokémon by their own means.

With that said, here are some guidelines to consider when establishing your municipality’s starter Pokémon:

They must be able to evolve across all genders. This means Pokémon that can only evolve if they are female (Combee, Salandit) do not make suitable starter Pokémon.

They must be appropriate to the surrounding environment. Example: Littens are not acceptable starter Pokémon in the United States, but they are in India, Siberia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Conversely, a city such as Oshkosh, WI, which is famous for its airshows and wind turbines surrounded by farmland as well as being along the Fox River, would have starters such as Squirtle, Ducklett, Hoppip, Electrike, and Mareep.

They must be temperamentally and biologically safe for even a 10-year-old. While many trainers acquire their first Pokémon at older and younger ages than that, the Pokémon League Foundation insists that 10 years old is a good beginner age.

Exceptions exist: Pokémon that are a part of 3-stage evolutionary lines are allowed to have temperamental and finicky personalities and needs in the final stage (such as Charizard) since the trainer will inevitably be of an older, more appropriate age, to handle these needs.

To this end, almost all ghost-types are considered unsuitable for beginner trainers.

Pokémon must also have species-wide behavioral patterns that are appropriate for a 10-year-old. To this end, Pokémon like Purrloin and Nickit are seen as unsuitable starter Pokémon because of their proclivities toward theft.

Pokémon with extreme needs somewhere in its evolutionary line, such as Munchlax & Snorlax, are considered unsuitable starter Pokémon.

The Pokémon must have an established domesticated stock in captivity with needs that are achievable to even poor newbie trainers.

Because of this requirement, only two dragon-types are approved starter Pokémon: Applin and Noibat. Dragons are rare, temperamental, finicky, and downright dangerous creatures in almost all circumstances. While there are other dragons, such as Goomy, that may be suitable, they do not have suitably domesticated stock in captivity nor are their specific biological needs achievable to the average low-income new trainer.

While traditional videogame starters are truly excellent choices, consider utilizing less conventional starters such as Poliwag, Ralts, or Eevee, since these Pokémon have split evolutions that allow for a greater variety of fully-evolved starters amongst the local trainers.

There must always be at least 3 starter Pokémon available, but no more than 7. Locations that are so large that they feel that they can justify more than 7 starter Pokémon should consider sub-dividing into sub-regions. For example, New York City is home to millions of people; rather than have a uniform 7 starters for the entire city, consider separate groupings for Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and so forth.

Starter Pokémon are available from every Pokémon Center. They are acquired through partnership with Certified Breeders in the area. Anyone who is at least 10 years old may go to any Pokémon Center of choice and seek an available starter Pokémon. Everyone is granted 1 government-issued (Pokémon Center) starter Pokémon, no matter what stage in their Pokémon journey that they’re in.

Mechanics: Pokémon Center Issued Starter Pokémon always have at least 70% domesticity and at least 70% handleability. Roll a d30 (or a d10 and a d20) to determine the specifics. They are free of most poor health defects, for starter Pokémon Breeders are tasked with breeding healthy & amicable individuals rather than ones that meet the breed standard. Because of this, the individual breed standard is anywhere from 1-100. Roll accordingly.

For a written list of the above chart, read below!

Normal: (A) Rattata, (OG) Meowth, (OG) Rattata, (OG) Zigzagoon, Azurill, Bidoof, Buneary, Bunnelby, Deerling, Dunsparce, Eevee, Fletchling, Glameow, Happiny, Helioptile, Hoothoot, Igglybuff, Lechonk, Lillipup, Litleo, Minccino, Patrat, Pidgey, Pidove, Pikipek, Porygon, Rufflet, Sentret, Shroodle, Skitty, Smoliv, Stantler, Starly, Taillow, Whismur, Wooloo.

Fighting: (G) Farfetch'd, (H) Sneasel, Clobbopus, Croagunk, Machop, Makuhita, Meditite, Mienfoo, Pancham, Riolu, Scraggy, Timburr, Tyrogue.

Flying: Ducklett, Fletchling, Gligar, Hoothoot, Hoppip, Ledyba, Mantyke, Murkrow, Natu, Noibat, Pidgey, Pidove, Pikipek, Rookidee, Rowlet, Rufflet, Taillow, Wattrel, Wingull, Woobat, Yanma, Zubat

Grass: Applin, Bellsprout, Bounsweet, Budew, Bulbasaur, Cacnea, Cherubi, Chespin, Chikorita, Cottonee, Deerling, Exeggcute, Ferroseed, Foongus, Gossifleur, Grookey, Hoppip, Lotad, Morelull, Oddish, Pansage, Rowlet, Seedot, Sewaddle, Shroomish, Skiddo, Smoliv, Snivy, Snover, Sprigatito, Sunkern, Tangela, Toedscool, Treecko, Turtwig.

Water: (OG) Wooper, Barboach, Binacle, Buizel, Clauncher, Corphish, Dewpider, Ducklett, Feebas, Finneon, Froakie, Goldeen, Horsea, Lotad, Magikarp, Mudkip, Oshawott, Panpour, Piplup, Poliwag, Popplio, Psyduck, Quaxley, Remoraid, Seel, Shellos, Slowpoke, Sobble, Spheal, Squirtle, Staryu, Surskit, Totodile, Tympole, Wimpod, Wingull.

Fire: (OG) Growlithe, (OG) Ponyta, (OG) Vulpix, Charcadet, Charmander, Chimchar, Cyndaquil, Fennekin, Fuecoco, Larvesta, Litleo, Litten, Magby, Numel, Pansear, Scorbunny, Tepig, Torchic.

Electric: (A) Geodude, Charjabug, Electrike, Elekid, Helioptile, Magnemite, Mareep, Pawmi, Pichu, Shinx, Tadbulb, Toxel, Tynamo, Wattrel, Yamper.

Bug: Burmy, Caterpie, Cutiefly, Dewpider, Dwebble, Grubbin, Karrablast, Kricketot, Larvesta, Ledyba, Nymble, Pineco, Scatterbug, Sewaddle, Shelmet, Snom, Surskit, Tarountula, Venipede, Venonat, Wimpod, Wurmple, Yanma.

Poison: (H) Sneasel, (P) Wooper, Bellsprout, Budew, Bulbasaur, Croagunk, Foongus, Gulpin, Nidoran, Oddish, Poipole, Shroodle, Toxel, Trubbish, Venipede, Venonat, Zubat.

Ground: (OG) Geodude, (OG) Sandshrew, (OG) Wooper, (P) Wooper, Baltoy, Barboach, Cubone, Drilbur, Gligar, Golett, Larvitar, Mudbray, Numel, Phanpy, Swinub, Toedscool, Trapinch.

Rock: (A) Geodude, (OG) Geodude, Aron, Binacle, Bonsly, Dwebble, Larvitar, Nacli, Rockruff, Roggenrola, Rolycoly.

Ice: (A) Sandshrew, (A) Vulpix, Smoochum, Snom, Snorunt, Snover, Spheal, Swinub, Vanillite.

Psychic: (G) Ponyta, (G) Slowpoke, Abra, Baltoy, Beldum, Bronzor, Chingling, Espurr, Exeggcute, Flittle, Gothita, Meditite, Mime Jr., Natu, Ralts, Smoochum, Solosis, Spoink, Staryu, Woobat, Wynaut.

Dark: (A) Meowth, (A) Rattata, (OG) Zorua, Maschiff, Pawniard.

Ghost: Golett.

Steel: (G) Meowth, Aron, Beldum, Bronzor, Ferroseed, Klink, Magnemite, Pawniard, Tinkatink.

Fairy: Azurill, Cleffa, Cottonee, Cutiefly, Fidough, Flabebe, Igglybuff, Milcery, Mime Jr., Morelull, Ralts, Snubbull, Spritzee, Swirlix, Tinkatink, Togepi.

Dragon: Applin, Noibat

(check back on the original post for hyperlink updates periodically!)

~~~~~~~~

#pokemon biology irl tabletop #pokemon tabletop #tabletop #tabletop homebrew #homebrew #da rulez #starter pokemon

39 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 2 months

Text

Charmander, Charmeleon, & Charizard

Charmander (#004)

Pygoignus ignusura

General Information: Charmander the Fire Lizard Pokémon. They are famous for their flame tails that mark an individual’s health. In a healthy individual, Charmander’s tail-fire will burn bright and strong even in the rain, while an unhealthy individual will have a small and weak flame. Yes, when a Charmander’s tail-fire goes out, it dies, but understand that the fire is not directly impacted by the environment, rather it is indicative of the Charmander’s internal vitals. The tail-fire can be rained as much as the rain pleases or even be dunked into water and do the Charmander no harm, in fact the fire will cause the water to steam away, but if the Charmander itself is exposed to the elements, its tail-fire will flicker and dim over time. To simplify, the tail-fire is an indication of health and liveliness, not the cause of poor or good health.

Charmanders average at 2 ft (0.6 M) tall and 18.7 pounds (8.5 kg).

Mechanic change: The sex ratio of the Charmander line has been changed from 1:7 to 1:3. Not all of the in-game starters will receive changes to their sex ratios, but some will.

Habitat: Charmanders are found in warm, arid climates of the American Cordillera—this is the mountain chain that extends from Alaska all the way to Chile. They are particularly numerous in the Grand Canyon region of the United States, but can certainly be found elsewhere. There are some smaller, scattered, populations in the northern latitudes, but they do not thrive as much as the populations nearer the equator.

Life Cycles: Charmander eggs are laid as singles or pairs (rarely triplets). They are often born at the start of the summer after being kept warm during the cold season by their parents and whatever warm place their parents were able to find for a nest. There are dedicated Charmander nesting grounds where many Charizards and Charmeleons will arrive at from all over the region, often returning to the nesting ground of their birth. These nesting grounds are found at geological and climate hot spots, such as Yellowstone or desert caves. Charmander eggs that are raised at these specialized sites only need to overwinter there, and will hatch in about 7-8 months, while those that are cared for in colder climates will take 10-15 months, depending on the environment.

The only primary predator of Charmanders are Moltreses. Of course, there are other creatures that will take a stab at a Charmander if given the opportunity, including opportunistic packs of Houndooms or Talonflames, but the rate of predation by these Pokémon is minimal compared to Moltreses. Most predation upon the species occurs at the Charmander stage.

Charmanders often become Charmeleons around 2 years of age. At which point, their parents leave them to return to where they came from.

Behavior: Charmanders are social creatures that will call for others of its kind/pack when they find food. While they certainly have Charizards and Charmeleons around to care for them, its important that Charmanders develop bonds and strong relationships with the other Charmanders in its cohort.

Diet: Charmanders are omnivores who eat fruit and bugs that they can catch.

Conservation: Endangered in the wild. They are threatened by habitat destruction and poaching.

Relationship with Humans: Charmanders and their evolutions are beloved by people. They’re cute little fire lizards who make excellent starter Pokémon and are generally considered safe to be around human children, despite being fire-types. Their sociality as a species makes them great companions, and their strength as they evolve makes them desirable on teams. As with all Pokémon with fire as part of their anatomy, the tail-fires of Charmanders rarely caused accidental harm.

Charmanders are mostly available from Certified Pokémon Breeders, who supply localities with domesticated stock. While they can be found in the wild, they are rare even in their natural habitats, and many states have banned or severely limited the ability for trainers to capture wild Charmanders.

Gameplay Note: Pokedexes are updated with modern catchability laws, and will warn of these laws & record the capture of illegal catches, if not outright stop them. This does not apply to Pokedexes that have been hacked (or built) to prevent this, of course.

Classification: Pygoignus ignusura is the scientific name of Charmander. Both the genus name and the species epithet mean “fire tail.”

Charmeleon (#005)

Pygoignus cepheloceros

General Information: Charmeleons are the evolved form of Charmander.

They average at 3’07 ft (1.1 M) and 41.9 pounds (19 kg).

Habitat: They live in warm, arid environments of the American Cordillera.

Life Cycles: Charmeleons are the awkward middle stage of the Charizard life cycle. They are strong and freshly independent of their parents and capable of reproducing themselves—if anyone will take them. They’ve developed strong bonds with the others in their cohort, and they’re ready to prove themselves to the others. This is the stage where Charmeleons will do a lot of stupid things (much like teenagers and young 20-somethings do in humans) in an effort to stake their identity and learn about the world around them. Because of this, Charmeleons may not be predated upon as much as Charmanders (but Moltreses still like eating them), but they do risk Death By Doing Something Stupid And Reckless. Maybe they picked a fight with a Tyranitar! Maybe they went climbing up the wrong mountain during the wrong season, who knows!

It's hard to say how long Charmeleons live for, but it can certainly take anywhere from a few years to a decade or longer to become a Charizard.

Behavior: Charmeleons are reckless, aggressive, and hot-headed. They love to pick fights with each other and other Pokémon. This is an important developmental stage for them as they grow in strength and learn to be the powerful dragons that they are destined to become one day. Strength is the name of the game amongst Charizards, and Charmeleons must learn to be strong—which involves being an idiot and reckless teenager, first.

In addition to their efforts at learning to be strong and powerful and wise to the world, Charmeleons take it upon themselves to care for the Charmanders at the hatching grounds. While there are certainly some Charmeleons who go off to explore the mountains, there are many who stay at the hatching grounds that they grew up in, since they are unable to fly away with the Charizards. But remember that not all Charmanders were raised at specific hatching grounds, and some blazes are able to raise their Charmanders at home, meaning not all Charmeleons are truly parentless upon evolution. In cases where the blazes, normally ones who have the means to raise eggs in their home territory are then brought up with greater attention from the blaze as a whole, including the passing of specific knowledge and wisdom about the local environment. These Charmeleons are less likely to find mates at this stage in life than their counterparts at the hatching grounds (who may find mates from the other Charmeleons or other Pokémon), but they are also more likely to survive to become a Charizard. Pros and cons.

Diet: Charmeleons are omnivores who eat fruits and whatever small prey they can catch.

Conservation: Endangered

Relationship with Humans: Charmeleons are known for being the Difficult Stage in raising a Charmander, and more than one Charmeleon has been abandoned at this stage in its life because of attitude problems. Domestication has done little to curb those tendencies.

Classification: The species epithet is “cepheloceros” which means “horned head.”

Evolution: Charmeleons evolve from Charmander at level 16.

Charizard (#006)

Pygoignus lacertardere

General Information: Charizard is the final evolution of Charmander and Charmeleon, known as the Flame Pokémon. They are powerful Pokémon, apex predators of the ecosystems that they inhabit.

Charizard has 3 temporary forms: possessing two mega forms (Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y) and a Gigantamax form.

Charizards average at 6’7 feet (2 M) tall even in their mega forms, but are certainly capable of being far larger, especially in the wild. Regular Charizard averages at 235 pounds (106.6 kg), Mega Charizard X is 278 pounds (126.1 kg), and Mega Charizard X is 256 pounds (116.1 kg). Then the Gigantamax form Charizard is over 91’10 ft (28 M) tall with an unknown weight average.

Habitat: Charizards can be found all over the Southern latitudes of the American Cordillera*. They often live in separate blazes from Charmeleons and Charmanders, but not necessarily. Places that are dedicated to Charizard-only blazes are called Charicific Valleys. These places are normally protected by Rangers and often their locations are kept secret by locals and state officials, for conservation reasons. * It is possible that there could be a regional variant of Charizards that are better adapted to the colder climates of Northern Latitudes, in which case there could be Charizard populations covering the entire extent of the American Cordillera, from the Andes of South America to the Aleutians of Alaska.

Life Cycles: Charizards normally reach this stage in at least the fifth year of life, but it can take decades longer. They are known to live upwards into the 100s and 200s, typically only dying from disease, organ failure, starvation, or from each other.

When it’s time to find a mate, male Charizards will compete aggressively and violently for the attentions of the females. In fact, these duals can become lethal and are the primary way that Charizards die: from each other. Strength is not the only determining factor though, and personality (including sociability and tenderness toward Charmanders) is important too, and it varies from each individual what they value more.

Charizards will copulate every several years, varying widely between individuals. Whether they migrate to hatching grounds or stay home to raise their eggs, depends largely on where they live or what blaze they are from. When they do raise Charmanders, they will remain with the babies until they evolve into Charmeleon. The females are the most likely to return to the blazes of their parents when the opportunity presents itself, but in truth blazes are often comprised of unrelated individuals, multiple sets of different cohorts who set out together as fully fledged adults to find blazes to call home. The initiation process can be brutal for newly fledged Charizards, but once a Charizard has been accepted into the blaze, they are a member for life unless extraordinary circumstances should force them to be exiled.

Behavior: Charizards do not have any true hierarchy to their blazes. They are aggressive but loyal to each other, a “we can beat each other up as much as we like, but if outsiders try to fuck with someone they’re going to find out what happens when an entire blaze of Charizards is mad at you.” They are hypersocial creatures at their core, who become depressed and lonely without others in their “pack” and are keen on being helpful to each other. This also makes them ideal companions for trainers, and is why many localities have trained Charizards to fly people around.

Diet: Charizards are omnivores that eat fruit and whatever medium-sized game they can catch. They generally find humans distasteful and too bony.

Conservation: Endangered

Relationship with Humans: Charizards are extremely popular with humanity. They’re cool, they’re big, they’re orange, they’re dragons—wait, no they’re not! Whatever! A dragon is a dragon is a dragon. They’re ferocious but loyal, dangerous but friendly, and they are immensely useful to Pokémon and Emergency Organizations the world over. They’re popular in merchandise, they’re popular in children’s literature—there’s even a Charizard on Tuesdays with Turtwig named Charla who delivers the mail! Charizards are the ultimate cool Pokémon.

They may be endangered in the wild, but their conservation is a high concern to modern humans. Many Charicific Valleys are closely guarded, and the Charmander Hatching Grounds are tightly guarded secrets amongst the Pokémon Rangers it concerns. Unfortunately, their life cycles are not terribly conducive to rapid repopulation from poaching and habitat destruction, but the effort is there.

Classification: The species epithet of Charizard is “lacertardere” which means “blaze lizard.”

~~~~~~~~

7 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 10 months

Text

some musings on Tinkaton and the implications of the steel-type food web

i love Tinkaton and family so much, and my favorite thing about them as an ecology and world-building nerd, is that their existence finally answers a burning question i've been having for years: what hunts the metal-bodied Pokemon? We know Aron will eat metal in the form of rails and posts if they have to, but the family as a whole actually eats iron from rocks. They're earth eaters, not predators of steel-types. Now, we know that Tinkatin, Tinkatuff, and Tinkaton don't eat the steel-types that they hunt, they just scrounge for metal parts and like to knock Corviknights out of the sky for the shits and giggles of it (terrifying, iconic, 10/10). I mean, they *might* eat whatever organic flesh is underneath the metal bodies, but i haven't made concrete a decision on that for the tabletop yet. Personally, I think it's funnier if they hunted steel-types and then didn't even eat them at all, they really just want the metal parts and scavangers rely on Tinkatons and family to provide food. And it's probably the route I'll go. But anyways! The point is that they finally give information to a really important part of the Pokemon food chain, and that is what hunts Pokemon with metal bodies? They're the apex predators of steel-types, the ones that recycle resources back into the food web for creatures like Aron to eat. Of course, creatures like Dusknoir have been eating anything that they can trap for centuries, but a generalist is not the same thing. But what eats Arons? I respect why Lairons and Aggrons probably aren't eaten too often, but Aron? With all the available metal from dead steel-types that would naturally exist in the world, how many Arons could there be? Or are steel-types and, more specifically, metal-bodied Pokemon much rarer than the videogames let on? What eats Arons? Tinkatuffs and Tinkatons seem to focus more on larger prey like Corviknight and Bisharps, so may ignore Arons much like how wolves will usually ignore mice. And there's lots of generalist predators out there, such as Ariados or Dusknoir, but as horrid as Ariados are I have a hard time believing that Ariadoses have any luck with hunting, trapping, and eating an Aron. Galvantula, too, falls into the same issue as Ariados. Perhaps Gibles, Gabites, and Garchomps? Gibles are known to chew on rocks and Carbinks, they might be interested in eating an Aron-- or least Gabites and Garchomps would be. And I'm not worried about what eats them, they're still made of obviously fleshy material and their ground/dragon typing is easily brought down by a well-aimed Ice Beam. Sabeleyes will eat gemstones and predate upon Carbinks, but their proclivity toward gemstones doesn't translate well in my brain as also wanting to eat metal. Or perhaps Mawile? Mawiles are fleshy but still steel-typed, but not made of metal like Corviknight and Bisharp so wouldn't be as likely to be hunted by Tinkatons and Tinkatuffs. I could totally see a Mawile chomping down on an unsuspecting Aron, especially given the whole "its jaws can chew through steel beams." What eats the Mawiles? Not sure, but the Mawiles are fleshy and could reasonably be hunted by large predators like say, a pack of Houndooms or Arcanines, or get into spats with Heatmor over Durants, or be hunted-for-sport by Aggrons or Tyranitars. Anyways I was just thinking about the steel-type food web.

27 notes · View notes

pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop · 7 months

Text

Spinarak & Ariados

Spinarak (#167)

Arachnifoveros viridis

General Information: Spinarak are spider Pokémon, who produce a poison that is fairly harmless to humans but potent enough to stun prey. They average in at 1’8 feet tall (0.5 M) and 18.7 pounds (8.5 kg). Which is, in fact, a rather large spider.

Habitat: Spinaraks are found in temperate and tropical forests across the globe. During winter they hibernate or simply die off.

Spinaraks and Ariadoses are not natively found on Antarctica, Australia, or Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Life Cycles: Spinarak are able to reproduce as soon as they are strong enough to spare the resources (level 15, as is standard). Once or twice a year, depending on the climate, they will lay around 200 fist-sized eggs (the normal size of bug types). Like other bugs, their eggs are heavily predated upon, and the babies are eaten regularly by bird Pokémon. In a clutch of 200, about 1-4 will survive to reproductive maturity.

Behavior: Spinarak live mostly solitary lives. Their main source of socialization is with other Spinaraks, when finding mates, and the occasional neutral Pokémon—someone who is neither prey nor considers the Spinarak prey. They’re amicable enough when raised by humans and can make a good companion for those who live more introverted lives.

Diet: Spinarak will try to consume anything that it can catch in its web, but due to size constrictions this tends to be other bugs. It’s favorite prey are Cutieflies!

Conservation: Least Concern.

Seriously, they’re spiders. And big ones. Just try getting rid of these fuckers—bet you can’t!

Relationship with Humans: Spinaraks are, well, spiders. While they are certainly cute spiders, they are still just spiders. They are both a nuisance to households everywhere and a boon to anyone with sense because a Spinarak will happily eat all of the other unwanted pests that come crawling around your basement! Additionally, their spider silk is incredibly strong, which humans have been using for fishing nets for thousands of years, and some cultures even use the silk to treat wounds. Spinaraks are common enough in media as any generic spider would be.

Spinarak are seen as perfectly suitable companions for new trainers, though few municipalities give Spinaraks out as starter Pokémon. This is less a problem with Spinarak, and more because of the fact that they evolve into Ariados…

Classification: “Arachnifoveros” means “horrifying spider” and “viridis” mean “green.”

Ariados (#168)

Arachnifoveros arachnifoveros

General Information: Ariadoses are the evolved form of Spinarak, and thus the Very Large Spider Pokémon. The tiny hooks on Ariados’s claws allow it to scale even vertical ceilings. Their average size is 3’7 feet tall (1.1 M) and 73.9 pounds (33.5 kg).

Habitat: Temperate and tropical forests around the globe. They have also been known to make their nests in caves.

Life Cycles: Ariados life cycles are similar to that of Spinarak, but as a much stronger Pokémon a female Ariados will lay clutches between 300 and 500 Spinarak eggs. The parent Ariadoses will even provide basic parental care of the eggs in the form of protection and guardianship up until hatching. Upon hatching, the baby Spinaraks are left to fend for themselves.

Ariados females will mate with males of other species that can withstand combat against it. Weak males are likely to be consumed. To this end, male Spinaraks rarely mate with female Ariadoses, but the reverse is not true.

There are few predators of Ariados. The most notable ones tend to be large bird Pokémon that can successfully defend itself against the Ariados, such as Talonflame, Braviary, and Corviknight. Packs of Arcanines and Houndooms have also shown themselves to be successful predators.

Behavior: The eggs of a mother Ariados will be laid in a protective nest, such as a cave or tree hollow, but in absence of a proper hollow the Ariados will create its own nest that it covers in protective spider silk to keep predators out.

Ariados are cruel hunters who will shoot single threads onto its victims, then follow them back to their nest where their bodily fluids are drank at a leisurely rate. Sometimes, it will allow one of its victims to escape with a single thread still attached to it, allowing the Ariados to follow it back to its friends.

Diet: Ariados are the ultimate generalist predator. They will eat anything that they can catch. In fact, if a Pokémon is smaller than Ariados and is not a steel, poison, ghost, rock, fire, flying, or electric type, then wild Ariadoses will consider it prey. This includes humans. The typings above are not automatically prey because of different incompatibilities, but that certainly won’t stop an Ariados from trying to eat a Pokémon of those typings. For example, a Togedemaru is a steel/electric type, making it both immune to Ariados’s venom and an excellent counter attacker with its electric shocks, but it is the right size to be Ariados prey and a young Ariados who is still learning what is and is not edible will certainly try to eat a Togedemaru that comes its way. Don’t worry, the Togedemaru will be fine in this scenario.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Ariados have been known to eat children! Yes, that’s right, human toddlers are meal-sized for a hungry Ariados, and let’s just say humans haven’t been happy with their existence ever since.

For as long as humans and Ariadoses have both been alive, there has been a heated war against each other. Ariadoses see small humans as food (because of course they do), and in retaliation we have notoriously liked killing Ariadoses, for food or for sport, though many cultures did at least eat them on principle. One would think that this would lead to the extinction of Ariadoses, but no, they breed way too quickly and are notoriously skillful predators and evasive prey. The Spinaraks might be fine (for some), but Ariadoses have been the enemy of humanity since the dawn of history. Many an old children’s story involves the slaying of a horrifying Ariados or being caught in its web, and the presence of Ariadoses (and Galvantulas) in adventure books persists well into the present day.

As for Pokémon Trainers, Ariadoses can make fine companions and excellent battlers, but the Pokémon Rangers will have better luck managing these beasts than regular trainers will. After all, millions of years of evolution-driven animosity does not make for good cooperation. The Spinarak may be a good companion for the introverted sort, but give that Spinarak an Everstone until you’re ready to take care of a Very Large Spider. Ariadoses are best suited for skilled trainers, possibly someone with several gym badges, or a Pokémon Ranger.

Classification: Ariados are the namesake of their genus, Arachnifoveros and was one of the earliest Pokémon ever classified by Linnaeus.

Evolution: Ariados evolve from Spinarak at level 22.

~~~~~~~~

15 notes · View notes