Metang (the Iron Claw Pokemon) is an exceptionally rare Steel/Psychic-type Pokemon found among mountainous terrain and forested areas within the Hoenn and Unova regions as well as the Sinnoh region on rare occasions.  Though seemingly more defensive than offensive, Metang are fierce combatants that can easily tear through lesser opponents with their steel-hard claws and imposing agility.  You would be wise to keep far away from Beldum swarms if you know what's good for you, as you never quite know when a pair may decide to put their own personalities on the line simply for the sake of evolution!

As with Beldum, Metang are curious organisms that firmly occupy a space between machine and living creatures; this is particularly reflected in their unique method of evolution.  Much as Magneton can be formed from either a single Magnemite replicating itself and fusing the copies or three individual Magnemite fusing together, Metang are formed when either a single Beldum acquires enough power to replicate itself and fuse the copies or when two individual Beldum fuse together.  On these same terms, the former situation will only occur when a Beldum reaches a certain experience level, while the latter case can occur with Beldum of any experience level.  The true mechanics of the latter case are messy at best and are difficult for even trained professionals to understand, but it seems that the resulting Metang always takes the best characteristics (including stats and experience level) from both units and combines them together to form an evolved unit more powerful than the sum of its parts.  Regardless of the method of evolution, the resulting Metang possess the brains of both fused Beldum, linked together via magnetic pulses that perfectly synchronize their individual movements.  However, this perfect fusion of mind and body does come at a cost: the resulting personality is highly dependent upon whether a single Beldum or two Beldum are responsible for the evolution.  If the evolution is due to only a single member, then no change in personality will be experienced; if two are involved, however, the resulting personality will be a perfect mix of the former two, which can more often than not lead to some behavioral quirks and issues for trainers.  As such, forced fusion is usually frowned upon by trainers simply because of the amount of extra work it produces for little benefit.

Upon evolving into Metang, these creatures instantly gain the ability to utilize the Magnet Rise technique (a sign of developing control over their electromagnetic powers) and the Metal Claw and Confusion attacks.  Metang possess surprisingly strong psychic abilities even though their physical strength is technically greater and are able to move exceptionally fast while floating in the air; many Metang have even taken a liking to flying on dry days and have even learned to position their limbs behind them to reduce drag while in the air (in turn enabling them to fly at over 60 miles per hour).  The metal claws that Beldum once used to anchor themselves for resting are converted into powerful physical weapon after evolution; in practice, these claws are actually sharp enough to cut through thick iron sheets like they were tissue paper, in turn making even hard armor little more than a flimsy shield to their physical attacks.  This immense power is only made more dangerous by the fact that the metal skin of Metang is practically impenetrable and won't be scratched even if a Metang collides with a passing jet plane at full speed.  Overall, Metang are extremely powerful creatures that can certainly take and dish out a beating, a trait that will only increase dramatically after evolution.

Though they might seem a bit quirky, Metang are destructive creatures that can certainly give lesser opponents a hard time in just about any combat situation.  With impressive defenses that are only complimented by steel-ripping strength, these are wicked creatures that will definitely give any trainer lucky enough to find one a major advantage over the competition.  Just try not to lose track of yours if it decides to go off on a flight; it might seem funny at first, but there are few things as potentially embarrassing as having to pay a fee because your Metang accidentally 'swapped paint' with a passing airliner!

Professor Wormwood