Pignite Report

Pignite (the Fire Pig Pokémon) is an exceptionally rare Fire/Fighting-type Pokémon found among grassy fields and volcanic environments within the Unova region, the Blueberry Academy Terarium and the Alola region on rare occasions. Though relatively short in stature and seemingly weak in appearance, Pignite are highly-destructive creatures that can easily flatten the competition in no time with their massive frames and powerful Arm Thrust attack. They might not look like much of a threat from afar, but if your Pokémon are relatively lightweight, type isn't going to matter much once you see what their Heat Crash attack is capable of!

Similar to Pokémon like Simisear, Pignite obtain fuel for their Fire-type powers from burning the food they eat; they only difference is that Pignite are able to effectively burn many different types of compounds to produce fuel while Simisear are generally limited to sugars. In addition, similar to Blaziken, the power of a Pignite's internal flame is dependent upon the amount of adrenaline running through its system; in effect, the angrier they are and the more food they have in their stomach to burn, the more powerful their Fire-type attacks become. Their muscles are in turn stimulated by their flames, making them quicker and more agile as their power intensifies. This makes Pignite extremely difficult to battle against if they manage to build up some steam, as their strength and speed will continue to rise exponentially until they reach their physical limits (a point that can often take a long time to hit). Although they still must utilize their respiratory systems to launch their Fire-type special attacks, Pignite are slightly more versatile than Tepig and are able to easily launch devastating fireball Ember attacks from great distances without running out of air. If in danger, Pignite will blow large clouds of black smoke out of their noses in order to distract the opposition and warn others around them; in many cases, Pignite may even go so far as to channel this smoke into a semi-weak Smog attack, granting them the chance of possibly debilitating a powerful opponent with a Poison status condition.

Although Pignite only ever manage to learn one Fighting-type attack after evolution (the Arm Thrust attack, which they actually acquire immediately after evolving), the degree to which they can use the move effectively in battle is virtually unmatched among other Fighting-types (with the exception of their evolved form, Emboar, and the members of the Makuhita family) and has proven effective enough in battle to grant them the physical traits possessed by many Fighting-types. The relatively small size of Pignite actually gives them a considerable advantage in battle because of their thick frames, as their stocky builds can allow them to easily pummel other opponents into submission with repeated Arm Thrust attacks without gaining much backward momentum (and thus allowing them to remain perfectly stationary). Interestingly enough, though, their stocky build and bipedal nature also allows Pignite (as well as Emboar) to learn an exceptionally unique and powerful physical attack: the Heat Crash attack. In addition to being a relatively rare physical Fire-type attack, the Heat Crash attack is like the Heavy Slam attack in that the damage dealt is dependent upon the difference in weight between the user and the opposition. While this means that the attack can be fairly weak if the opposition weighs a considerable amount more than the user, it equally means that the damage dealt by it can be catastrophic if the opposition is lighter than the user. The mechanics of the attack are surprisingly simple, as all Pignite and Emboar have to do is engulf themselves in flame before delivering a full-body press, but the sheer destructive potential the attack has in both friendly and tournament battles is often too good to pass up.

They certainly might not look very special at first, but it can definitely be said that anyone foolish enough to underestimate the powers of a Pignite will find themselves charred and crushed before the battle is through. With the powerful Arm Thrust and Heat Crash attacks on their side and a tremendous base Attack stat to back up their power, it comes as no surprise that many consider Pignite to be among the most useful Fire-types out there for beginning and intermediate trainers alike. Just make sure to keep a level head and don't let their immense power go to your ego; after all, these mighty pigs weren't exactly built to take a lot of damage, so if you gamble against a strong Water, Ground, Flying or Psychic-type Pokémon, chances are that you are going to regret it!

Professor Wormwood