The Pokémon Origins Game V – Catchup

That’s right, we’re catching up! This game is about rolling a random party of Pokémon and guessing the inspirations behind their names and typing. In Round III, I started guessing the reasoning behind their Abilities too. Which means…two rounds have not had any speculations for Abilities! This must be REMEDIED! So the next few rounds of this game will be dedicated to guessing the Ability inspirations of the previously featured Pokémon. A few entries are evolutionary lines that share Abilities, so they’ll be lumped together. Here goes the first.

1. Bewear
   Type: Normal/Fighting
   Ability: Fluffy, Klutz, Unnerve (Hidden)

This mascot-vying beast is largely based off a teddy bear, so a Fluffy body that refreshes in Water but takes extra damage from Fire makes sense. Segue Because it looks so cute and huggable, it also works that its Klutz(iness) would prevent it from using hold items. It may refer to their swinging power, however—Bewear only looks cuddly. In reality this is a highly territorial Pokémon whose supposed waves of joy belie the purpose of warding away intruders before it’s too late. Even their hugs can kill you! If these bears take down trees by flailing their arms, maybe they’re just not coordinated enough to use held items. It also explains why they might Unnerve someone with that deceptively adorable design.

2. Mantine
   Type: Water/Flying
   Ability: Swift Swim, Water Absorb, Water Veil (Hidden)

Swift Swim doubles the bearer’s Speed in rain. Is it any surprise for a manta ray? Mantine is the Kite Pokémon, gliding through the sky as well as falling water. For their other Abilities, Water Absorb heals the bearer when hit by a Water move. That’s fitting for a thick-bodied Pokémon that lives in water. Finally, Water Veil prevents the bearer from being burned. Each Pokémon with this Ability is a Water-type with an air of mystery, beauty, or coolness. Maybe this translates somehow to the mystical burn-preventing veil.

3. Armaldo
   Type: Bug/Rock
   Ability: Battle Armor, Swift Swim (Hidden)

Armaldo is a fossil Pokémon with plates around its body. This sturdy shielding would prevent it from being struck by critical hits (Battle Armor). As for its hidden Ability, Armaldo is based off the Anamalocaris, a prehistoric creature that undulated along the sea. An aquatic animal that’s slow on land is certainly much speedier in water—or in Armaldo’s case, rain.

4. Pyroar
   Type: Fire/Normal
   Ability: Rivalry, Unnerve, Moxie (Hidden)

The fiery feline, moving powerfully through the savannah! It’s the soleil of Pokémon itself with its summer mane blazing like the sun! Top of the food chain, lions are the poster image of the African wilds. Having to defend that pride, a Pyroar could certainly feel Rivalry raising its Attack in the face of a Pokémon of the same gender (or lowering its Attack if their genders are opposite). As such self-assured/respectfully intimidating lions with the power of heat, their gazes alone could also Unnerve opponents into not being able to eat berries. Moxie raises the bearer’s Attack each time it knocks out an opponent. When a Pyroar feels the heat of battle, they could totally feel the overconfidence coming. Come on, they’re strong; do you doubt them?!

5. Shuckle
   Type: Bug/Rock
   Ability: Gluttony, Sturdy, Contrary (Hidden)

Shuckle is the apparently noodly Pokémon living inside a hard, round shell. It’s known for mixing berries with its own body fluids into stupendous juices (uh, what?) That’s where Gluttony comes from. Shuckle feeds on berries they store into their shell. The idea that they would consume a berry faster than usual makes them the obvious culprit. No eating in the kitchen!

As for its Sturdy shell, I mean really sturdy. Shuckle has walloping 230 Defenses! It’s hard to knock out a Pokémon in one hit when they have that strong of a buffer. Contrary I’m not sure about. It reverses the intended effects of stat-changing moves. Status moves influence the tide of battle in some other way that dealing damage. Perhaps shy Shuckle has the odd ability to flip the tide of strategical operations contrary to its helpless-looking face?

6. Purrloin
   Type: Dark
   Ability: Limber, Unburden, Prankster (Hidden)

Purrloin is a lithe, sneaky cat, so to prevent paralysis due to being so Limber fits. Ubnurden raises the bearer’s Speed after it consumes or loses its held item. Purrloin likes to steal things, so the idea of it becoming faster after shedding its loot also makes sense. Tying into that penchant for theft is Prankster, its hidden Ability. Prankster gives priority to status moves. It matches for the wily Purrloin to have a trick up its sleeve.

7. Foongus/Amoonguss
   Type: Grass/Poison
   Ability: Effect Spore, Regenerator (Hidden)

Man, I hate making my Pokémon touch these things. Effect Spore brings the chance of laying a status condition every time an opponent makes contact with the bearer. You could be poisoned, paralyzed, or put under sleep—and it’s no wonder, given the danger of eating mushrooms if you can’t tell them apart. Safe or deadly? Foongus and Amoonguss take the deadlier route. As for Regenerator, mushrooms are capable of recovering and growing ever larger after getting parts of themselves taken off. These sentient shrooms could easily regenerate their body parts along with 1/8^th of their HP when switched out during a battle.

Well, that’s it for this round. There’s no definitive section on Bulbapedia.com that explains why each Pokémon was assigned their Ability, so guesses have to be left to the imagination. It was still fun, though. The next two rounds are sure to be too. See you next time on…the Pokémon Origins Game!