Corsola Report

Corsola (the Coral Pokémon) is a relatively rare Water/Rock-type Pokémon (Ghost-type in the Galar region) found among warm, tropical ocean waters around the world (though they are sometimes imported to northern regions like the Kalos region). Though they might have fairly little to offer in the way of direct offense or even defense, Corsola are intriguing creatures that demonstrate just how well a symbiotic relationship can work even if the two creatures involved are worlds apart in terms of structure. Granted, they might be little more than pretty faces to most trainers, but if you can get a hold of one, you can at the very least make a killing selling their old discarded coral stalks!

Corsola actually consist of two separate organisms: Corsola themselves, which are fairly defenseless creatures with a somewhat rocky skin for protection, and the living coral that adorns their bodies. This rare type of coral is known to only exist among Corsola and the two species have managed to form a fairly comfortable symbiotic relationship in the wild. The coral stalks that grow on Corsola are completely integrated into their metabolic and digestive systems and are thus their only source of nutrition; since Corsola are apparently unable to obtain nutrients for themselves by any normal means, they allow the coral on their bodies to process small plankton and other flotsam in the water into a form that Corsola can then process easily. The degree of effectiveness associated with this relationship can be directly observed in the coloration of the creatures, as their pink color will be more vibrant in places like the Alola region where the waters are nutrient-dense. In return for providing them food, Corsola protect the stalks with their life and will actively fight off other just to keep the creatures safe. This does not always go as planned, however, as the stalks are still vulnerable to being uprooted in hash currents and effectively work as the stinger of a honeybee; if they are completely removed, the Corsola they were on will die fairly quickly. Thankfully, as long as a small portion of the original stalk remains, Corsola can easily help the creatures completely re-grow their bodies within three days. Corsola will often use this to their advantage if being pursued by their coral’s dominant predators in the Alola region, Mareanie and Toxapex, and will break off parts of the coral on purpose to distract the creatures and give Corsola enough time to escape, in turn resulting in many Corsola in the region having fairly stubby branches. Interestingly enough, when shined and placed under direct light, dead Corsola coral stalks actually shine brightly in a brilliant arrangement of seven colors, in turn making them a popular gift among tourists; while this at one time threatened the safety of this species, recent laws forbidding the hunting of these creatures have managed to at least partially control the trade and eliminate most forms of Corsola poaching.

The coral stalks on Corsola are very sensitive to toxins as they have no way to naturally filter out anything that might otherwise be within the water surrounding them; as such, the presence of heavy metals and other natural toxins (especially in the cold northern seas) tends to cause the stalks to become discolored and susceptible to simply crumbling away, seriously placing the life of the Corsola they are attached to in danger. As a defensive measure, Corsola generally stick to populating warm southern seas where pollution is minimal and can often times be found in tremendous colonies because of the limited space available to them that is safe to live in. Oddly enough, though, Corsola rarely ever have to worry about moving much outside of the Alola region, where they are actively preyed upon by Mareanie and Toxapex, and in some cases have been known to remain virtually motionless their entire lives, so much in fact that some southern port cities and towns are partially or completely built on top of their rocky bodies. This seems to hurt the coral stalks very little and in fact helps protect the creatures from above (the only place where Corsola cannot easily see an attack coming), so for once human usage of an organism has actually benefited their survival rates. The fact that Corsola themselves often serve as homes for smaller fish and other aquatic life forms and that their continuously shedding, growing bodies tend to provide locals with more than enough Corsola branches to make a killing on the market only makes this relationship all the more valuable and truly makes the creatures a vital part of survival for otherwise poor coastal towns and weaker aquatic organisms in the wild.

It is lastly noted that Corsola are one of the few species of Pokémon known to have a unique variant within the confines of the Galar region. In this region, these creatures have experienced a slight drop in the base HP and Speed stats and a slight increase in their base Defense and Special Defense stats; are pure Ghost-types; have grey-toned bodies with branches made purely from ectoplasm; have access to the Astonish, Disable, Spite, Hex, Curse, Strength Sap, Night Shade and Grudge moves in place of the Water Gun, Aqua Ring, Endure, Bubble Beam, Flail, Life Dew, Earth Power and Recover moves, and have their primary Ability switched to Weak Armor exclusively and their Hidden Ability to Cursed Body. Galarian Corsola actually represent a type of ancient variant that has existed in the Galar region for an extremely long time, to the point where the oceans that they once occupied are long gone, replaced with dry land. In order to adapt to their changing environments, these creatures have, in a way, died, and have taken on a ghostly, spectral form that allows them to survive on land exclusively. Their hard bodies are the only parts of their form that are still solid, as their branches have completely faded away, being replaced by ectoplasmic copies. These spectral entities are often mistaken for stones because of their bland appearance, but kicking them is a very bad idea, as they will gladly act in defense and curse those that hurt their physical form. They mainly gain sustenance from absorbing the life energy of others with their branches, so direct contact with them is usually an unwise idea. They are further distinct from others of their kind in that they are actually able to evolve and can make good use of their spectral powers from a defensive standpoint, granting them an overall combat potential that goes beyond what their traditional variant can show, ultimately making them a bigger threat for others to have to deal with.

Despite not having much purpose in battle outside of healing themselves and possibly others, Corsola are beautiful creatures that can easily make or break the economy of a small southern coastal villages and towns. It might not be very easy for most trainers in the world to get a hold of these strange creatures, but if you've got a hankering for coral and have always wondered what it would look like if even part of it could talk back, this is probably the Pokémon for you. Just make sure that you don't use any kind of pool cleaner or anything else potentially toxic the next time you go to clean their tank; it would certainly be a waste to see one of these bright pink critters be reduced to a discolored mass of rock and brittle flesh…especially since no one wants a diseased Corsola twig as a present!

Professor Wormwood