Araquanid Report

Araquanid (the Water Bubble Pokémon) is a rare Bug/Water-type Pokémon found among freshwater ponds within the Alola and Galar regions and the Blueberry Academy Terarium. Frightening to behold and more than capable of taking the brunt of special attacks, Araquanid are potent spider lookalikes that can more than put their jaws and powerful Water-type moves to use in battle to make the opposition feel a little less than welcomed. If you feel that you are in severe danger in their presence in the wild, though, you might want to put your fears aside, as these creatures are more likely to be your saving grace in the wild than a threat worth exterminating!

Dewpider and their evolved form, Araquanid, are different from most Bug-type Pokémon in that they generally prefer to live in the water over the land, as their respiratory system is much more like that of a fish than it is an insect, with gills instead of a functioning pair of lungs, and thus hunt and work better in the water. While they can still breathe through their skin to some minor extent, this is only helpful to them if the relative humidity is high, meaning that these creatures need a way to breathe that still allows them to function normally no matter what environment they live on. To correct for this issue, these creatures generate and maintain a bubble of water from their posterior and encase their heads in it at all times, created by gathering humidity in the air or extracting the needed material from a body of water and forming it around their head, encasing it in a thin film of an oil-like substances that maintains a sphere of water around their heads. This provides them with a ready source of water to breathe in at all times and has thus enabled them to take advantage of food resources on both land and in the water, though if they meet another of their species on land, they will often stop to take the time to compare bubble sizes. As a result of this, though, these creatures are generally only found among freshwater ponds and their surrounding land in order for there to be a ready supply of water to draw from if the air is relatively dry. This can make these creatures somewhat difficult to work with in certain circumstances, but seeing as it is also the only way they can protect their relatively soft heads, it works for them and additionally grants them the unique Water Bubble Ability, which helps resist damage Fire-type attacks (normally one of the biggest weaknesses of Bug-types) and Burning while giving their own Water-type powers a major boost in battle. The bubble further serves as a status symbol of age and power, as these creatures will often compare the size of their water bubble to each other when they cross paths in order to see who’s is the largest; the individual with the smaller bubble always yields to the larger, getting out of their way and allowing them to pass with no quarrels.

As with Dewpider, Araquanid mainly rely on the water bubble that covers their head as a form of offense when hunting prey and taking out enemies in battle, distracting them with moves like Infestation before smashing their bubble-covered head into the target to deal damage and potentially knock their opponent out cold. Unlike Dewpider, though, these creatures have access to a stronger variety of attacks (as well as the Wide Guard technique), possess piping in their bodies that allows them to redirect the water in the bubble surrounding their head into their limbs to launch Water-type projectile attacks with more of a high-pressure impact, drowning their prey from afar so they may snack on them at their leisure, and can even turn their head-butt move into a potent Liquidation attack later in life, so they pose a much greater threat in battle. Moreover, because of their larger size and therefore a larger surrounding bubble, in conjunction with their habit of storing things in their water bubble for later use or consumption if their belly is full, it has been observed that smaller animals might become completely encapsulated in their head bubble and drown in there, making for an easy meal in the process. This may even extend to trainers if they are not cautious, as these creatures will gladly take on prey of any size so long as they have a way of nullifying it as a threat immediately. Despite this, Araquanid generally only come onto land to hunt, preferring to pass their spare time in the water, and are actually incredibly caring and more of a help to weakened Pokémon than a threat. If these creatures come across a weak, vulnerable Pokémon, they will often partially submerge them in their water bubble for protection and carry them around in it until they can find a place to safely deposit their cargo and make sure that they are in the company of other life forms that will take care of them. This same behavior can be seen in taking care of their own kind, as these creatures will often help young Dewpider get their head in their bubbles, and even feed leftover scraps to them. This oddly caring nature has puzzled scientists for some time as it clashes strongly with their otherwise ruthless predatory behavior, but it is possible that this is a reflection of Araquanid’s own frailty, as their soft heads can easily be crushed and would be very easy to harm without their protective water bubble. Regardless, these creatures are usually more of an assistance to people and Pokémon alike than a threat, and as a result they are respected and protected in the few areas in the Alola region where they can be found, hoping to ensure that their kind nature will continue to positively affect the local ecosystem for generation to come. The combination between this caring and honorable nature and the beasts’ potentially devastating power helps to explain why an Araquanid serves as the current Totem Pokémon at Brooklet Hill of Akala Island in the Alola region, dwelling in the ponds of the area in waiting to challenge trainers that wish to pass the Water-type Trial.

While they might not come off as the most conventional of either Water or Bug-type Pokémon, Araquanid are powerful special walls that can take punishment fairly well and more than give it back in turn. It might take them a while to get access to their best moves, but these little fiends can more than prove to be a threat if the opposition is trying to use Fire-type offenses to win the battle. If you are in need of a babysitter or someone to take care of an injured Pokémon, don’t be afraid to seek these insects out; they might not take too kindly to you entering their territory unannounced, but at the very least someone will get help in the end even if you end up paying a painful price for it in turn!

Professor Wormwood