#Sevipers... and Zangoose! Moving into the area! You can imagine how my days are looking right now

[ask-professor-laurel]

Personal Field Notes #006: Dragonite!

This one’s a bit self-indulgent, but admittedly I’m just getting to sit down and properly chill out for the first time in days as we deal with an… unexpected guest in the woods. This batch of notes is gonna be off the top of my head for the most part, and the bias will be obvious, but what can I say? I’ll very likely get to doing one of these for each of the species I have on my team, so keep an eye out for notes on Vespiquen and Appletun in the future. But, let’s talk Dragonite.

Dragonites are like most three-stage evolution Dragon species in the sense that each evolution can be pretty clearly tiered in terms of care. The baby stage, as I call it, is relatively easy to care for and beginner friendly. Second stage is intermediate, and third stage is advanced/very difficult. This is the case for most three-stage evolution Pokemon, but Dragon types are somewhat of a drastic example, and Dragonites are no exception. 

Dratini are relatively easy to care for; they need good exercise that’s easily done by a beginner trainer or a kid who likes to run, they like heat and sunbathing, they’re omnivorous at this stage, and the most difficult part of the care is honestly helping them with their shed. Dragonair, on the other hand, require a LOT of exercise as they adjust to their new size and prepare for their very drastic evolution. They require more shade than a Dratini and enjoy being misted, not unlike a floral Grass type, because it helps keep them from drying out and getting overly dry skin. They’re still omnivores, but Dragonairs get a real taste for meat, and they can eat a lot of food! They have a big evolution to prepare for and are constantly building up to that. They become quite competitive at this stage, so battling as part of their exercise is a must, or they might become sad and lethargic. They shed more frequently than a Dratini, and they need assistance with this! Misting seriously helps- keeps everything from getting too sticky and keeps them from getting cranky if it gets stuck. 

Then you’ve got Dragonites. Dragonites require either full days out and about, or a really intense bout of exercise followed by rest. Personally, I keep Cloudhopper pretty much exclusively out a Pokeball and she roams freely. She knows and understands boundaries, and generally sticks close to me, and I’m not worried about her running into trouble because she can easily take care of herself if she happens to get into a battle situation with a wild Pokemon. When I can I do give her plenty of exercise- we go for walks, we train, and we often take flights together. I only have her in a Pokeball if I have to and she’s never in it onsite here. It’s a personal preference of mine with my entire team, and it works well for her needs. 

Dragonites are also almost entirely carnivorous. They’ll eat some greens, and it’s good for them, but the vast majority of their diet is gonna be meat. They’ll be happiest with anything you get while fishing cooked up, they love seafood and especially fatty cuts of meat will be their preference, but each Dragonite is different. Cloudhopper, as an example, isn’t a picky eater and she really loves spicy food. Some Dragonites will eat anything not unlike a garbage disposal, while others are super picky. Oh, and I think this goes without saying, but they need to eat a LOT of food. Berries are good snacks, so is a standard Dragon type kibble. Keep their meals rich and meaty to keep them healthy and happy and full, and be prepared to provide lots of snacks. 

Dragonites aren’t super picky about sun and shade. They don’t like a lot of cold, however, so having a warm place to keep out of harsher winters will keep them happy. If it gets really dry they might get uncomfortable, but this is easily remedied with a good old-fashioned misting down. They don’t shed as often as even a Dratini, but they do shed, and they do need some help because their claws can only do so much. If a Dragonite is excessively scratching, they probably have some stuck shed making them itch, and you’ll be their best friend forever if you get it off for them. They love water, so it’s easy to spray them down and help them out of it’s really stuck. I don’t recommend approaching a wild Dragonite for this unless you’re a trained professional, though. 

Dragonites have a reputation for being cute and cuddly with friendly faces. A lot of people make the assumption that they’re gentle giants who wouldn’t harm a fly. It’s a dangerous assumption to make- Dragonites might appear more gentle than a Dragon like a Salamence, but they’re still just as capable of being just as fierce. Dragonites are viciously protective and are known to be extremely territorial. They’re an incredibly competitive species on top of that, and will rise to anything they see as a challenge. Wild Dragonites won’t hesitate to mercilessly attack anything that comes near their young if they deem it a threat. I never recommend approaching a wild Dragonite unless you’re a trained professional. 

Let’s look at Cloudhopper. I’ve had her for over a decade, and I’ve raised her since she was a Dratini. She’s still incredibly protective of myself and the people in my life, and she’s taken on both attacking wild Pokemon and more unsavoury types of people to protect us in the past. She’s always with me when I’m out in the field because she’s the strongest member of my team who can get us out of bad situations with the most ease, and in the few missions I’ve taken dealing with poachers she’s been by my side. Her competitive nature was aided by her training as a battle partner when I was a trainer, but I haven’t been a trainer in a very long time, and she’s never lost her edge. Our bond is what makes her so fiercely protective, and it’s not something I’ve trained into her, it’s just how she is! Granted, it works out in our favour, because I’m often called a magnet for trouble, which I can’t really argue against. 

I’m very biased towards Dragonites. Cloudhopper is my partner, I’ve had her most of my life, we grew up together. She’s a big part of the reason my initial research focus was Dragon types. She takes a lot of care but it’s never felt like work to me, we fit together perfectly and I can’t imagine myself having any other Pokemon as my partner. I haven’t met many wild Dragonites, they’re quite elusive and live in areas not easily accessed, but the ones I have encountered are beautiful and incredibly powerful. They’re not a species to be underestimated, nor should they be handled or approached by anybody without proper training and experience. They make for great partners for trainers who can take on the challenge of raising a Dragon type, and are also great flight Pokemon. You just have to be up to the challenge and able to work with their needs, which get more and more difficult as they evolve from a Dratini to their final, massive form. 

#pokemon #professor laurel #arthur rambles #personal field notes #Cloudhopper is a great asset right now in particular #this invasive species mess is a lot easier with her being intimidating #and it's more complicated than I originally thought hence why I haven't been around #Sevipers... and Zangoose! Moving into the area! You can imagine how my days are looking right now #the Zangoose are causing problems so I'm trying to figure it all out #hopefully get them moved somewhere more suitable to their needs and away from each other #and figure out why and how they came here of all places

[crystalelemental]

I've gone on record stating that Gen 3 is not my favorite, and I stand by that.  I think Team Aqua/Magma had a lot to do with that, being far less interesting than they should have been.  As much as we mock IGN for it, the fact that the latter third of the game is a bunch of surf routes with the same Pokemon over and over is also frustrating.   Also, since I'm in the middle of playing the remakes of ORAS, I find it really frustrating the things that they changed, with my biggest gripe being that I wish my rival would go away forever.  That said, the Pokedex itself has always been something I appreciated.  A lot of my favorites came from Gen 3, so I tended to remember the Pokemon in the region fondly, even if the region wasn't my favorite.

TOP 15: 15) Mightyena line - There was so much competition for this slot, it's ridiculous. Ultimately though, I have to give it to Mightyena and its pre-evolution, Poochyena.  Both have great designs, but the thing that stood out to me most was that, in the early game, we were given a Dark type.  That's really atypical! Usually you go through the normal types, the Flying types, and the bugs, until after the first gym.  But Gen 3? You got things like Mightyena right away; it wasn't even rare!   Combined with things like Seedot/Lotad and Ralts, you had some interesting types going into the first gym.  Mightyena is a great starting point for introducing how unique Gen 3 and its Pokedex are, and I think it stands out a lot because of it.

14) Nosepass - Imagine being a kid who had faced Brock back in gen 1.   Imagine again that you started with Red and Blue, and didn't pick Charmander. Odds are, you blasted through him without a second thought.  Literally no issue. Now, imagine going to Roxanne, blasting through her Geodude like they're nothing, and then encountering Nosepass, who can tank those Grass and Water hits just fine, and hits pretty hard for early game.  Nosepass is awesome.  It's a fantastic tank, who can take all sorts of hits in that early game.  While it doesn't hit particularly hard later on, its main draw is as a wall among walls, with great support options.  The concept of basically being a walking easter island head statue is also comical.  It looks funny, but it's adorable too, making for a fantastic overall Pokemon.

13) Absol - This is a Pokemon that gets a lot of favoritism based on aesthetics. It's a sleek and pretty Pokemon, but also has a great role.  It tells of impending disasters, and is a fun but short-lived character in Red Rescue Team as well.  I really like Absol, and just wish it could be a bit faster so it could have a solid competitive niche.

12) Aggron line - We've had big bipedal rock monsters before, like Rhydon and Tyranitar.  But Aggron is just a different kind of cool.  Its sleek metal plating and terrifying design are fantastic.  The fact that it starts out as the cute little Aron only helps add to its charms.  Best of all, you get it super early game.  Rhydon was surprisingly late-game, and Tyranitar was literally only attainable when you had nothing left to do.  But Aggron? You can run one the whole game.  I love the ability to do that.

11) Metagross - YEAH!  Metagross is a beast, and a strong contender for my favorite pseudo-legend.  It's literally a walking tank, with the glorious Steel/Psychic typing.  It had one of the few Steel moves in the game that was actually useful, and back before the nerf, Steel covered all of Psychic type's weaknesses, making it a defensive and offensive nightmare.  I love the entire concept behind this behemoth, too.  It's a walking robot monster, whose evolution is basically just it gaining more legs until it becomes Omega Weapon. 

10) Breloom - I'll get to a similar case later, but Breloom is a favorite based on typing.  Grass/Fighting was unreal at the time, and it did super well for itself. Plus it's just cute.  A tiny little punching mushroom child, with stubby little arms that apparently shoot out to hit really hard.  It's a quirky concept with a fun design, and I adore it. Plus, Spore with the abilities it would later get made it a surprisingly brutal enemy to face.

9) Roselia - IT'S SO PRETTY!  Such a gorgeous Pokemon.  Grass/Poison was pretty overdone, even at this point, but I just loved the appearance of it.

8) Swampert line - Dual-type starters, at this point, were still relatively rare. Venusaur had Grass/Poison, but so did every Grass type in gen 1 barring Tangela.  Charizard had Fire/Flying, but the fact it wasn't Dragon is stupid.  Gen 3 introduced new dual-types for starters, and one great one is Water/Ground with Swampert.  While the combination had been done before with Quagsire, Swampert offered far better overall bulk and damage output, on top of its excellent typing.  It's also goofy-looking, but in a really charming way.  It's just so loveable, and every evolution retains that cute look.

7) Flygon - Flygon is just cute to me.  It looks like such a friend.   Being a Pokemon that exists in the sandstorm-focused desert area was also cool.  I really liked that there was an entire region dedicated just to the new weather effect.  Shame that Sandstorm was such a pain in the ass, but it's a really cool area!

6) Altaria - Altaria is so pretty.  Just a fluffy cotton ball bird...dragon.  It's apparently more of a songbird, too, which is just heavenly.  It also got a great mega evolution, receiving Dragon/Fairy typing, which is hilarious and excellent.

5) Latias - I'm guessing this run of Dragons is proving I really like the soft, friendly dragons over the big intimidating ones that actually do well, huh? Dragon/Psychic was, at this point, the coolest typing I had ever heard of.  But what's cooler than that?  How about a super adorable Dragon/Psychic type.  Oh, what's this?  It gets a hold item that boosts special attack and special defense 50%?  That's ridiculous, I love it. Latias is the more defensive option of the two, which I always felt was better if you factor in hold item.  The added defensive bulk is going to matter more than slightly more physical offense from their perspective.  Of course, Latios having much better special attack is ultimately better in competitive, but Latias still has her use, and is super cute.

4) Blaziken line - Remember when Fire/Fighting was a novel type?  Remember when its introduction was a kick-boxing chicken creature?  Those were the days. Torchic is one of the cutest starters, and its final evolution is surprisingly still an elegant design.  It was such a cool idea, and I love that Hidden Abilities brought it back to the top.

3) Mawile - It's such a cute little creature.  Cute and terrifying, and excellent combination for sure.  It's a shame that Mawile ultimately was a forgettable Steel type in terms of competitive use, but the acquisition of Fairy type and the best mega really helped it out on that front, too.  So I guess it's basically perfect? Sounds about right.

2) Milotic - I never caught one in gen 3.  Not fairly, anyway.  I could never figure out how to get Feebas to show up.  In fact, I don't think I've ever captured a Feebas.  I've always traded for it.  It's just so hard to find.  But man, is the final form ever beautiful.  It's such a gorgeous Pokemon, and an excellent tank to boot.  Everything about Milotic is wonderful.

1) Gardevoir line - Don't you judge me.  We all knew this would happen.  If you read anything in this post or the ones before it, you know elegant and cute are the biggest draws for me.  Gardevoir is both. It's also a Psychic type, so bonus points there.  Also, as mentioned in the Mightyena entry, it's super early-game. Rare, sure, but you can have a Psychic type from nearly the very start of the game.  I love Gardevoir so much, it's definitely an all-time favorite, and it should come as no surprise that it winds up being the favorite from this generation.

BOTTOM 10: 10) Pelipper - I like Pelipper.  Its reason for being here is that so many Gen 3 Pokemon are great, it just doesn't stand out as much as the others.  I have literally no complaints, I just locked myself into "it has to be 10" and here we are.

9) Huntail - Same as above, it just doesn't hold as much aesthetic appeal.

8) Seviper - If there's anything I actually dislike here, it's just that it's pure-Poison type.  We had a Poison snake already.  I would've liked to see a different typing added in.  Poison/Dark at this phase of the game would've been amazing.

7) Zangoose - Still good, but it loses points based on my frustrations with Pokemon Coliseum.

6) Glalie - Getting closer to legitimate frustrations, Glalie is here because its design doesn't captivate.  Snorunt is cute, but it evolves into an angry face in a block of ice.  Not exactly all that interesting.

5) Volbeat - Did nothing legitimately wrong, but I am upset that Volbeat gets a lot of nice and unique tools that Illumise does not.  I like Illumise.  I think its color scheme is a lot better.  But Volbeat gets the nice tools, so whatever I guess.

4) Ninjask - Please stop speed boosting, I am begging you.  You do nothing else but Swords Dance, Speed Boost and Baton Pass, please do something else.

3) Slaking - Okay, actual legitimate complaints.  Slaking's problem is it goes backwards.  Vigoroth was a nightmare to face, and I have a friend who stated that facing Norman's was the reason he started to respect Normal types as something other than early-game fodder.  But Slaking?   It re-acquires Truant, which is an awful ability by any standard, and requires very specific team support, on Doubles only, to mitigate.   Anyone who sees Slaking knows exactly what will happen, and is probably more than prepared to shut it down.  It's a nice design, and a nice concept, but it's been so ruined by the ability it is burdened with that it's virtually unusable.

2) Plusle/Minun - Possibly less legitimate complaint, but I feel more strongly about it. Plusle and Minun are cute and have solid designs, but their great sin is being Pikachu clones for the new area, kicking off the trend of needing an electric rodent in every area.  Worse, they do not evolve, offer little in the way of any competitive value, and existed to show off the introduction to Double Battles with their unique abilities and access to Helping Hand.  Beyond this, they offer very little, and are the reason we have to always have a new electric rodent that ultimately winds up having no competitive niche.

1) Grumpig - Literally the only one on this list I dislike.  Spoink is cute, and Grumpig is...not.  It just looks irritable and not all that friendly by comparison.  It's also nothing too impressive competitively, and offers little in the way of uniqueness, losing the quirk of constantly bouncing around like Spoink did to...just be grumpy.  It's a Pokemon I might like more on its own, but as an evolution of Spoink it doesn't seem as interesting.

#regional pokedex opinions #hoenn pokedex