Skarmory Report

Skarmory (the Armor Bird Pokémon) is a rare Steel/Flying-type Pokémon found among mountainous terrain within the Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola and Galar regions and the Blueberry Academy Terarium as well as Sevault Canyon of the Sevii Islands. Vicious to the extreme and dangerous to approach without heat or electricity, Skarmory are violent birds that take great pleasure in tearing apart lesser creatures with their hard beaks and razor-sharp wings. They might not bring much to the table in terms of being Flying-types, but as one of the few Pokémon able to utilize the devastating Steel Wing attack naturally, it goes without saying that any physical brawl with one of these birds is guaranteed to be one that you'll need more than a few stitches to fix!

At birth, Skarmory are like most birds and are fairly unarmored and vulnerable to damage, but this phase only lasts for a few weeks. Skarmory intentionally build their nests among brambles because their feathers naturally respond to physical damage by building up a thick layer of metal on the outside; after a few weeks of being constantly scratched by their own home, Skarmory chicks possess strong enough armor on their bodies that they can leave the nest and survive on their own. The thick metallic armor that covers the bodies and feathers of Skarmory, despite its imposing nature, is actually quite light and pairs well with the fact that their feathers alone are hollow; in short, their durable armor does nothing to slow them down or hamper their flight capabilities. In fact, Skarmory are able to fly between 185-190 miles per hour at full strength, easily outmaneuvering most other birds regardless of their size or power. Although Skarmory have access to many of the same physical and special attacks known by other bird Pokémon (such as Peck and Air Slash), Skarmory are far more dangerous in battle because of their tremendous defenses and access to defensive moves that bird Pokémon normally do not have, particularly a Spikes technique that Skarmory can still employ even when in mid-flight, though they can still find competition in places like the Galar region, where they viciously fight with Corviknight for territory.

What truly makes Skarmory a threat, however, is their wings. As noted before, the feathers of Skarmory are covered with the same metal that covers their body; for their thin feathers, however, this metal is form-fitting and naturally comes to a sharp edge at the sides and point of each feather. In practice, this allows Skarmory to access a wide variety of slashing attacks in comparison to other bird Pokémon, including the Slash and Night Slash attacks, and it moreover makes Skarmory one of the few species able to learn the devastating Steel Wing attack naturally (and were the source of the move when it was eventually converted into a TM) as well as the single species best able to utilize it in battle. Even with metal protecting them, however, Skarmory still sustain damage to their armored hide much as other Steel-types do and eventually accumulate more than a few dings and scratches in their armor with time. Instead of repairing damage to their wings, however, Skarmory merely shed their damaged feathers once a year, after which they grow completely new ones within a few days. It is thought that ancient warriors once used the discarded feathers of Skarmory as makeshift swords when little material was available to make decent blades (making them a popular element in heraldic designs), which actually makes sense as although they might be dinged up, discarded Skarmory feathers can still maintain a sharp blade for at least a few years before becoming too dull to have much practical use; even in modern times, they are often processed to make knives with a sharpness recognized and adored by the world’s finest chefs. Overall, this only serves to demonstrate just how dangerous these metallic beasts can truly be when confined to close quarters, but a word of caution is given to Skarmory trainers to keep them out of the rain. While their armored feathers and body might be imposing both offensively and defensively, they also rust easily, and can leave these beasts unable to fly until they shed the feathers if the corrosion becomes too widespread; as such, wild Skarmory will generally stay in their nests if it is raining outside, and this should likewise be taken into consideration outdoors or in a battle if the weather suddenly turns wet.

While they might not bring the same combat efficiency as other conventional Flying-types, Skarmory are dangerous beasts that can easily devastate opponents up close with their sharp wings and unrelenting fury. With the highest base Defense stat out of all Flying-type Pokémon and a Steel Wing attack capable of smashing through rocky armor like tissue paper, it can certainly be said that this is one bird you definitely don't want to try to eat for dinner. When it comes to living by the adage of "fight or flight", this is one beast that can do both with little trouble; keep a close eye on the skies when a Skarmory is on the battlefield, or you just might end up with more than a few nasty scars after it slices you open for dinner!

Professor Wormwood