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Analysis of the Dragon-type

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INTRODUCTION

The Dragon-type is widely respected among all other types for not only its sheer power but its unusual combat characteristics, which are so dazzling in many cases that mere words alone cannot define them. Fueled in life by genetics and radically different from any other similar creatures, Dragon-types are truly the stuff of legends and can outmatch the best of fighters with a penchant for elemental resistance and a host of devastating attacks unlike any seen elsewhere in the world. Though they might be vulnerable to their own powers, extreme cold and the effects of the Fairy Force, Dragon-types nonetheless are dominating life forms that possess untold power delivered to them from long ago…and in some cases, since the beginning of the universe itself. Few trainers will ever be able to completely master the Dragon-type and fewer still will ever be able to utilize it to destroy anything that comes their way, but for those willing to try and tame these beasts, the sheer fortitude of the Dragon-type can be more than strong enough to destroy even the strongest of teams, a fact that many advanced trainers will come to learn through their own benefit or, in the case of those unwilling to accept its power, through defeat.


POWERS AND ATTRIBUTES

The true physical nature of the Dragon-type has been the subject of much debate and controversy over the years, but unlike the Ghost-type, a true answer has been found behind their origins; the problem is that this explanation is still finicky at best. It is thought that Dragon-types were all at one time a special sub-group of reptiles differentiated by their incredible resistant against natural energy-based attacks such as those delivered by Grass, Water, Fire or Electric-types and were likely among the dominant hunters of their time. In recent years, scientists have managed to completely analyze this type by genetics and, oddly enough, the occurrence of the Dragon-type's powerful offenses and defenses are due to the occurrence of a single but extremely specific section of genetic code that effectively grants these creatures every single basic attribute they have associated with their Dragon-type assignment. While many Dragon-types have undergone significant change over the past several millennia (in particular adapting to colder climates by developing an internal thermal-regulation system similar to that possessed by warm-blooded creatures), some species have remained unchanged for incredible long periods of time due to a lack of competition. Since most of these species are considered to be legendaries, analyzing their genetic code proved to be quite difficult; thankfully, however, a single surviving member of the ancient dragon lineages that gave rise to modern-day Dragon-types exists today in small numbers within the Unova region (that species being Druddigon) and were used as the basis for this genetic analysis. In regards to their powers, Dragon-types are different from other life forms in that they possess the capacity to manipulate a distinct and still misunderstood form of energy referred to as draconic energy. What this energy actually is still a mystery to most, as it only ever appears when a Dragon-type is preparing to use a move that it specializes in, namely a Dragon-type move. This unique energy allows these creatures to use otherwise ineffective attacks with serious force, breaking through the resistance held by rocky armor for such blows and effectively damaging almost all types equally regardless of the circumstance. Moreover, these creatures have developed a bizarre genetic weakness to their own powers, a trait that proves to be one of only three downfalls the type has (the others being a weakness to extreme cold and the capacity of the Fairy Force to completely dispel draconic energy). Despite the fact that little scientific data is truly available to explain the odd powers of these beasts, it can be said for certain that while the genes responsible for the Dragon-type are extremely specific in their location and occurrence, several non-reptilian creatures have managed to develop almost identical features due to random genetic mutation; this fact can more often than not prove to be the downfall of uneducated trainers, as the diversity of the Dragon-type knows little anatomical boundaries and is pervasive through even insects and birds, making it one of the hardest types to prepare for in battle outside of using the Fairy-type (as it is completely immune to Dragon-type assaults).


CATEGORIES OF IDENTIFICATION
There are currently 77 recognized species of Dragon-types, 13 of them being pure-types and 64 being dual-types (not including the Hisuian variants of Sliggoo and Goodra). Additionally, 24 of the dual-types are primary Dragon-types while the remaining 40 are secondary Dragon-types.

TRUE MODERN DRAGONS: Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite, Bagon, Shelgon, Salamence (also Mega Salamence), Axew, Fraxure, Haxorus, Gible, Gabite, Garchomp (also Mega Garchomp), Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon, Rayquaza (also Mega Rayquaza), Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o, Kommo-o, Drampa, Applin, Flapple, Appletun, Dipplin, Hydrapple, Duraludon, Archaludon, Cyclizar, Frigibax, Arctibax and Baxcalibur

These creatures span a wide variety of combat types and elemental specialties but are all dominantly characterized as true modern dragons because of the striking concordance of their anatomy. These creatures all possess some sort of tough outer skin that possess unique energy-reflecting properties that make it difficult to damage them with conventional special attacks and they all tend to evolve fairly late in life if at all (as in the case of Latias and Latios). They are all capable of wielding draconic energy as a form of offense and are all naturally weak to its effects when used against them, possibly due to a genetic fail-safe instituted to prevent population stressors on local food supplies. Lastly, they are all semi-warm-blooded, meaning that while they are not actually cold-blooded, they do not possess the same advanced hypothalamus that true warm-blooded creatures possess and are thus somewhere in between. As with the dragons of myth and legend, only some of these creatures are capable of flying, while others are permanently stuck on the ground and forced to rely on close-quarters attacks to survive in the wild.

ANCIENT DRAGONS: Druddigon

Druddigon are unique among all other Dragon-types in that they are much more closely related to ancient dragons than modern ones and possess an anatomy that is distinctly more reptilian in nature than those possessed by true modern dragons. In particular, Druddigon are cold-blooded and require warm temperatures to proliferate in the wild and will even take it upon themselves to sunbathe regularly and absorb solar energy through special patches of membrane on their wings to heat themselves internally. Unlike their ancient relatives, however, Druddigon show a surprising tolerance against cold and are actually able to keep themselves alive in stasis by forcefully solidifying their blood and organs instead of allowing cold temperatures to do the job for them. While in this state, Druddigon cannot move and can be destroyed about as well as any stone gargoyle, but few humans can ever find them as they tend to hide out in dark, frostbitten caves where they can remain in stasis for days if not many years on average. It is commonly believed that it was this survival tactic that allowed Druddigon to survive through the last glacial maximum thousands of years ago while their other close relatives died out completely.

MAMMALS: Latias (Also Mega Latias) and Latios (also Mega Latios)

These unique legendary creatures are different from other Dragon-types in that they are much more closely related to mammals than any other major group of organisms, as is reflected in their breeding patterns and requirements. Even with this said, however, they are still a mishmash of biological attributes between mammals, birds and true dragons, and thus have proven difficult to pin down a distinct identity for. Despite this, they are still noted for their impressive natural powers and their unique access to psychic energy for both offense and defense, and are thus worth looking out for in the wild.

BIRDS: Altaria (also Mega Altaria)

Altaria belong to one of three small groups of organisms that possess the correct sequence in their DNA to possess Dragon-type powers but have accidentally acquired it instead of actually inheriting it from an ancient dragon relative. Altaria are decent fighters that can certainly utilize attacks like Dragon Pulse to a limited degree, but they are still more bird than dragon and are thus poorly suited for battles against other Dragon-types, especially in consideration of their generally benevolent natures.

INSECTS: Vibrava and Flygon

Much as with Trapinch, Vibrava and Flygon are anatomically considered to be insects but have lost the capacity to utilize such powers in any way; Vibrava and Flygon take this a step further, however, in that they acquired the genetic code needed to be a Dragon-type purely by accident. The accidental nature of this transformation is quite apparent to anyone who has battled against these creatures before, as they are only mildly effective in battle and are unable to use their Dragon-type powers to much effect; thankfully, their penchant for kicking up sandstorms and their capacity to blend in quite effectively within the damaging weather condition more than supplements this loss in battle.

FOSSIL POKÉMON: Tyrunt, Tyrantrum, Dracozolt and Dracovish

These beasts are the only known Dragon-type fossil Pokémon and effectively represent the key evolutionary link to understanding the origins of the Dragon-type. Before these beasts were brought back to life, the actual point where Dragon-types first began to develop in the fossil record had been a mystery; the fact that their fossils are dated to at least 100 million years ago suggests that the Dragon-type has been around for a while, though nothing else can really be said on that note at the moment. Despite the fact that these creatures have been brought into a world unlike the one they occupied before, they seem to be adapting to the modern environment rather well, even though the members of the Tyrunt family are often forced to occupy habitats with potentially dangerous Pokémon (in terms of type advantage) like the members of the Amaura family, while Dracozolt and Dracovish are abominations whose capacity to biologically exist and survive is still a miracle in and of itself.

BATS: Noibat and Noivern

These curious beasts are the only known natural mammalian Dragon-types and in turn represent a unique branch in the development of the type. This family is relatively recent in origin and seems to have acquired its Dragon-type powers through random mutation, though it is still quite odd to see such traits within a mammal of any kind. These creatures are unable to do much with their Dragon-type powers aside from learn the potent Dragon Pulse attack late in life, but they are nonetheless noted for being the only dual-type Dragon-types that are otherwise primary Flying-types as well as Noivern being one of only three species of Pokémon  able to naturally learn the devastating Boomburst attack.

GASTROPODS: Goomy, Sliggoo (also Hisuian Sliggoo) and Goodra (also Hisuian Goodra)

This family represents perhaps the strangest Dragon-type family known and is one of the few cases seen in nature of the devolution of Dragon-type powers. Much as with Magikarp, it is hypothesized that the members of the Goomy family were once powerful beasts that held great control over the ecology of the Kalos region, but shifts in climate thousands of years ago forced them to occupy swampy territory in the region in order to keep their naturally slick bodies moist. This led to a rapid de-evolution of features as they adapted to suit their new habitats, eventually being reduced in their youngest stage to perhaps the weakest Dragon-type Pokémon in the world. These creatures are very limited in regards to their powers in battle and can spend their entire lives as weak slugs, but adult Sliggoo that are exposed to large amounts of rain can undergo radical mutation in their genes, evolving into Goodra and in turn regaining much of the Dragon-type powers that have otherwise been stripped from the rest of the family.

AQUATIC ORGANISMS: Kingdra, Dragalge and Tatsugiri

Kingdra and Dragalge represent the last group of creatures that possess the sequence of DNA needed to be a Dragon-type despite being better classified as something else, but unlike the others under this category, it has been scientifically proven that Horsea, Seadra and Skrelp themselves have the exact same sequence within their genetics; the catch is that most of the genes needed to be active for the type assimilation to occur are deactivated in these species, even though it does little to affect their capacity to naturally learn and utilize Dragon-type attacks. These genes, however, can be reactivated when exposed to certain energy fields in the case of the Horsea family, namely those found in trading devices, while a Seadra is in the presence of a Kingdra scale or Dragon Scale as they are more commonly referred to. With Skrelp, reactivation of these genes comes naturally as they age and develop and is likely a consequence of the unique toxins they have developed in their bodies as part of their natural defenses. In contrast to these creatures, Tatsugiri are primarily Dragon-types at a base level, though their small and weak forms often leave them vulnerable to attack despite their notable base Special Attack stat; as such, they usually pair up with Dondozo in order to have a better chance of securing protection and prey outside of just playing dead to fool others.

REPTILE: Turtonator

Although they might not get much in the way of Dragon-type offenses to work with naturally, Turtonator are nonetheless sturdy beasts that can make at least some use of the Dragon Pulse attack they gain access to naturally later in life. Aside from this, though, they are still sturdy Fire-types that can take quite a physical beating and use their Shell Trap attack to blast away anyone foolish enough to get too close to them. It is unknown at what point the Turtonator lineage branched off from ancient dragons, but seeing how little it uses its Dragon-type power in battle, it is safe to assume that either the divergence was some time ago and they lost much of their Dragon-type powers and attributes over time, or they didn’t have much access to much in the way of latent Dragon-type power to begin with.

PLANT: Alolan Exeggutor

Exeggutor are normally classified as Grass/Psychic-type Pokémon, but the accelerated growth that they experience in the topical climate of the Alola region has allowed them to grow so large that they have seemingly lost all need to use their psychic power that much. In its place, these creatures have unlocked a mysterious power inside of them that allows them to freely channel draconic energy, in turn making them partial Dragon-types. The exact cause of this transformation is still a relative mystery, but it does give them access to their signature Dragon Hammer attack and gives them the opportunity to make use of their new powers in ways that would otherwise be deemed impossible for a normal Grass-type Pokémon.

SPIRITS: Dreepy, Drakloak, Dragapult

These creatures may have been dragons in life, but in death, they have become spiritual in nature, This renders them very weak at a young age, but provides them with some serious power once they start to mature late in their life-cycle. Their deceptive speed grants them the first strike in many cases, and while they might not be able to hit quite as hard as some other Dragon-types, they can still put their undead nature to good use to strike back stealthily and with great precision and force, especially with Dragapult's Dragon Darts attack.

MEGA-EVOLUTION: Mega Charizard X, Mega Ampharos and Mega Sceptile

These species are not normally considered to be Dragon-types, but under the effects of a Mega Stone, sudden mutation causes them to exhibit the traditional traits of the Dragon-type so well that they are considered to be partial Dragon-types. This power will wear off once they revert back to their normal forms, but while they are active, these newfound powers can more than give these beasts an edge in battle that most opponents will not see coming.

AUTOMATON: Regidrago

Regidrago is unique among Dragon-types for being not a true dragon in any sense, but by being an automaton made entirely out of crystallized draconic energy. This grants it the power of every single Dragon-type known to exist as well as a massive degree of powerful bulk, allowing it to fight for extremely long periods of time without resting. It also grans it access to the powerful Dragon Energy attack, a devastating move that more than puts its incredible HP reserves to good use to decimate those that face it.

LEGENDARY DRAGONS OF SPACE, TIME AND EXOTIC MATTER: Palkia, Dialga and Giratina

These three legendary creatures are all considered to be the first three creatures to have been created after the arrival of Arceus in Sinnoh mythology and more than prove this notion with the immense power they wield over the universe; however, their designation as Dragon-types is based on damage modifications taken from the few short instances when they were present in public for all the world to see and not any true genetic information. Palkia serves as the living representative of space and is able to utilize its Spacial Rend attack literally tear the space around a target in order to inflict devastating damage; moreover, Palkia is able to effectively control the existence of space around in to the point where if it is critically hurt, the world around it will begin to become distorted until it literally falls apart. Dialga is the living representative of time and is capable of both time-travelling by itself and sending others into the past; this unique power is only fortified by its Roar of Time attack, as it literally destroys the time around it and disintegrates almost everything it touches into a pile of frozen atoms. Giratina serves as the living representative of an abnormal form of exotic matter with antigravitational properties that, in conjunction with its attitude towards its brethren, was deemed unfit to exist alongside normal matter and was thus banished to a different realm despite the fact that its very existence seems to be connected with the stability of the normal-matter universe humans currently exist in. Giratina makes its home in the Distortion World and almost never shows itself to others, but it is nonetheless a powerful beast whose Shadow Force attack can deal cataclysmic physical damage to anything foolish enough to get in its way.

LEGENDARY DRAGONS OF TRUTH AND IDEALS: Reshiram and Zekrom

The classification of these creatures as Dragon-types is not truly based on actual interactions with these creatures but merely from legend due to the extreme rarity of sightings. It is stated in Unovan legend that these beasts were created when the great dragon Pokémon owned by the last true Unovan king became conflicted over his son's opposite desires to lead the kingdom in the name of truth or ideals. This conflict became so aggressive that the great beast split into Reshiram and Zekrom, taking both sides at the same time by equally dividing its personality and form, while the original body and mind remained in the form of Kyurem. Eventually these creatures fought against each other and dissipated into the unknown when they ran out of energy, only becoming accessible through strange spherical stones that the king gave out many years beforehand as a gesture of peace to all in celebration of the birth of his sons. Little is truly known about these beasts due to their bizarre history, but is likely that future sightings will hopefully be able to fix this lack of viable information.

EXTRATERRESTRIAL: Kyurem and Eternatus

Kyurem and Eternatus are two of only three species of Pokémon verified by world governments and scientists alike to be of extraterrestrial origin, but unlike Deoxys, these beasts did not mutate into a Pokémon upon arriving on Earth; they were already fully-formed when they arrived and crash-landed onto the planet. Kyurem displays unheard of powers and is without a doubt the most powerful Ice-type in existence not only because it is truly the only dragon that all dragons fear but because it can use its body as a natural cryocooler to reach absolute zero. No human has ever managed to complete such a feat and Kyurem seems to be able to do it as if it was second-nature, generating monstrously cold winds and freezing everything near it with its powerful Glaciate attack, not to mention the rarely-seen Ice Burn and Freeze Shock attacks when in its Absofusion forms. Although very little is known about how Kyurem thinks, the beast shows not only signs of extraordinary intelligence but is also quite ancient in age; like most dragons, though, it is estimated that Kyurem naturally has a longer life-span than most other creatures, though the striking youth found in rare scale samples indicates that Kyurem may only be a young adult at this point despite being at least 1000 years old if not older. Eternatus, on the other hand, is a toxic creature whose power revolves around the Galar particles and resulting Dynamax energy that constantly radiates from its body, sometimes in doses strong enough to instantly and uncontrollably Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon, who have no way to control the excess energy. Much is still unknown about this creature, but its radioactive form is made the worst when it is at full power as Etwernamax Eternatus, where almost nothing is capable of stopping it. Its biological form can shift depending upon what energy levels are present in it, and while unable to Dynamax or Gigantamax itself, its Dynamax Cannon and Eternabeam attacks allow it to use Dynamax energy as a weapon, and ultimately make it a biohazard worth fearing at all times.

LORD OF ORDER: Zygarde

Zygarde is the lord of order and balance in the world and can be summoned to aid those in need at any time, though its true power is something that very few will ever be able to witness. Zygarde is unique in that it is actually comprised of a hundred individual components known as Zygarde Cells and Zygarde Cores, and although the Cores at least have a sense of sentience to them, they have no ability to attack on their own and are not even considered to be functioning Pokémon while in this state. When they gather together into large numbers, however, they can take on new forms as Zygarde with different stats and appearances, though the moves they have possession of and can learn stay the same. As more cells gather together, the creature can progress from a 10% Forme to a 50% Forme, which is the Zygarde form that most are familiar with. However, should a major crisis erupt that threatens the very existence of the world and/or many innocent lives, if the power can be obtained, it is possible for all one hundred Cells and Core to join together to form Zygarde’s Complete Forme, where it has access to all of its power. It is said in legend that it used this power in ancient times in order to control the forces of Xerneas and Yveltal in the Kalos region, and it will continue to save lives and protect the balance between life and death, creation and destruction, so the world may not suffer under the blinding light of only one side of the equation.

ULTRA BEASTS: Guzzlord and Naganadel

Guzzlord and Naganadel’s association with this type assignment is the only examples out of all of the Ultra Beasts where it does not seem to be primarily reflective of their most dominant physical traits. What can be said is that the creatures seem to be a strong source of draconic energy, and while it might not be oozing out of every part of their bodies actively, their ability to channel the energy type freely testifies to their capabilities to wield the type effectively in battle. In the case of Guzzlord, it does not do much for it defensively-speaking, but it does allow it to make great use of the Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail and Dragon Rush attacks available to it as a result of its unique special powers and massive, sturdy body. In the case of Naganadel, it is equally useful as it allows it to make the most of its powerful Dragon Pulse attack, which is also the primary reason behind the mutation that allows it to evolve from Poipole in the first place.

ULTRA DEITY OF LIGHT: Ultra Necrozma

While Necrozma is primarily identified as a Psychic-type entity in its base and fused forms, it is only in its original, complete form that it becomes apparent that it is truly supposed to be a Dragon-type creature as well, able to combine draconic energy with its reservoir of psychic energy to produce a dazzling light that can grant energy and life to all that are exposed to it. While it lacks the solid defenses possessed by its Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings forms, Ultra Necrozma is incredibly fast and offensively powerful beyond the reaches of most other Pokémon, and its visage is more than enough to scare anything and anyone that dares to gaze upon it into submission. Armed with the Light That Burns the Sky, it lords over all those that come from the Ultra Space and serves as one of the most powerful Pokémon ever discovered, potentially not even rivaled by the might of Arceus. While it is incredibly rare to see Necrozma obtain this form in its normally-broken state, for the brief moments when it does, there is little that is capable of easily besting it, and it ultimately serves as the most powerful deity-class legendary known to exist outside the confines of our universe, constantly shining its light across the vast expanse that we call the Ultra Space.

PARADOX POKÉMON: Roaring Moon, Walking Wake, Koraidon, Miraidon, Gouging Fire and Raging Bolt

Paradox Pokémon as a whole consist of Pokémon that appear to exist outside of the normal boundaries of time as seen in the present day; in other words, in the case of these specimens, Roaring Moon, Walking Wake, Koraidon, Gouging Fire and Raging Bolt are creatures from the ancient past, and Miraidon from the distant future, that have been brought to the present and whose biological functions are still a mystery. At the very least, it seems that Roaring Moon and Koraidon are relatives of Salamence and Cyclizar, respectively, with the former being draconic beasts with potential connections to Mega Salamence and not just normal Salamence, and whose brutal and ruthless aggression is oddly countered by the beauty of the feathers they leave in their wake, which is also strange as they have lost their Flying-type attributes altogether, being replaced with a wild Dark-type nature instead; and the latter taking on impressive Fighting-type powers, brutish tendencies and an aggressive temperament. Similarly, Walking Wake seem to be an ancient form of Suicune that once took a far more aggressive role in the way that it interacted with its environment, having a bipedal stance to its form with powerful back legs and a more viscous temperament compared to its more modern iteration. These monsters are extremely ruthless predators and will strike down all that dare to confront them, but what really stands out about them, however, is the fact that, despite their size, these beasts are still able to effectively walk on water with little issue. Gouging Fire are seemingly ancient forms of Entei that have taken on a more reptilian form and are partial Dragon-types as a consequence. Their immense frames are protected in the front by a sturdy head shield that they can use to defend themselves against attack, and they make good use of it to not only take the brunt of otherwise powerful attacks but can also make good use of it as part of their signature Burning Bulwark technique to ensure that anything that tries to strike them directly will likely regret the decision afterwards. Raging Bolt are seemingly ancient forms of Raikou that have taken on a more reptilian form and are partial Dragon-types as a consequence. Their unusually long necks allow them to strike at targets directly even from a notable distance away, and their access to their signature Thunderclap attack helps them to strike a target before they can even properly react if they are preparing ab attack against these beasts. It is thought that the powers these latter three have may be a consequence of the immense draconic energy that flows through their forms, but this requires more study to fully understand. Opposite to these five, Miraidon also are connected to Cyclizar, existing as descendants of some sort from the future that are far more ruthless and powerful than their modern counterparts, having taken on the shocking powers and qualities of the Electric-type and and being known for their capacity to utilize their electrical powers to scorch and reduce everything on land to ash. These beasts and their access to unique powers unseen in their present counterparts certainly sets them apart and grants them a different selection of strengths and weaknesses, and thus a different degree of versatility than that exhibited by the supposed relatives that exist in the present day, rendering them a dire threat to deal with and worth evading if only to avoid a terrible fate from getting too close to them.


TYPE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES (OFFENSIVELY)

Advantage against Dragon: The Dragon-type is different from most other types in that it, like the Ghost-type, is actually weak to attacks of the same type. It is still unknown why this weakness exists or what it has to say about dragons in general, but it is quite possible that it may have originally been designed as a way of keeping population numbers low to prevent starvation from competition with one another; assuming that dragons have been a dominant force in the wild since their first appearance, this makes at least some sense. In truth, though, the abnormal properties of draconic energy make this relationship difficult to understand; once the physical properties of this energy are better understood, it is likely that the cause of this genetic weakness will be fully revealed.

Disadvantage against Steel: Although draconic energy is capable of striking through almost every single type of conventional barrier, whether it is physical or not, metallic armor's energy-reflecting properties are still dominant, in turn making Dragon-type attacks fairly ineffective against Steel-types in general.

No Damage against Fairy: The Fairy Force is widely recognized as an equalizer in battle for its distinct and wholly unique capacity to completely and utterly dispel draconic energy in battle, even to the point where the energy field drains all of the power out of the opponent and makes them unable to even finish delivering an attack in battle. This is the only major force capable completely shutting down the otherwise monstrous Dragon-type in battle and is thus considered perhaps the greatest and most promising feature of this otherwise rare type.


TYPE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES (DEFENSIVELY)

Strong against Fire, Water, Grass and Electric: The scaly bodies of Dragon-types naturally contain a powerful chemical compound that, when hardened over the scales, grants these creatures a natural resistance against four of the major elemental types; this powerful protection does not generally translate into much physical resistance, but its capacity to reflect much of the energy used in such attacks is still just as potent as that observed in the otherwise impenetrable Steel-type.

Weak against Fairy: Along with the Ice-type and the Dragon-type itself, the Fairy-type is one of the few that has a significant advantage over the Dragon-type in battle as a result of its bizarre ability to completely dispel draconic energy, exposing a Dragon-type opponent to the full brunt of the Fairy-type's attacks with little in the way of energy-buffering between the two.

Weak against Dragon: The Dragon-type is different from most other types in that it, like the Ghost-type, is actually weak to attacks of the same type. It is still unknown why this weakness exists or what it has to say about dragons in general, but it is quite possible that it may have originally been designed as a way of keeping population numbers low to prevent starvation from competition from one another; assuming that dragons have been a dominant force in the wild since their first appearance, this makes at least some sense. In truth, though, the abnormal properties of draconic energy make this relationship difficult to understand; once the physical properties of this energy are better understood, it is likely that the cause of this genetic weakness will be fully revealed.

Weak against Ice: The universal weakness to cold temperatures is something that most if not all Dragon-types still maintain even as they have begun to become more warm-blooded in nature. Cold temperatures tend to have a drastic effect on most life forms that are not warm-blooded, as temperatures as cold as 32 degrees Fahrenheit are enough to put most small reptiles into a coma before quietly killing them. Although most Dragon-types have developed some sort of internal heating apparatus that gives them weak properties similar to those possessed by warm-blooded organisms, they are still extremely weak against cold temperatures, a trait that is perhaps their greatest biological weakness in any battle.


DIFFICULTY OF USE/REQUIRED TRAINING SPECIALTIES

The Dragon-type is perhaps the hardest type for any trainer to master due to numerous factors that help set the type apart from others. For one thing, Dragon-types are generally quite rare and difficult for trainers to come across, so the chances of a beginning trainer even seeing a Dragon-type before becoming an intermediate-level trainer are slim to none. Dragon-types tend to have extremely long life-spans and are able to live for many centuries in most cases, ensuring that the prime of their life lasts for a much longer period than normal; as a result, though, Dragon-types tend to mature much slower than other types and effectively evolve into their final forms at a later level of experience than any other creatures alive today. Moreover, Dragon-types are difficult to use offensively even though it is the type of battle they are designed for; this is because Dragon-type attacks are only super-effective against other Dragon-types and are thus only useful in most cases for dealing equal damage to almost all other types. Most importantly of all, though, Dragon-types tend to be quite difficult to control and train early-on because they rarely ever possess much power in their early stages, leading many trainers to become easily frustrated over their Pokémon's weaker powers and even more frustrated when they suddenly have a powerhouse on their team that is too powerful for them to even control. However, all of these issues are minor in comparison to the advantages the Dragon-type brings to the battlefield, as their resistance against four of the most commonly-used types and the fact that most fully-evolved Dragon-types are among the strongest Pokémon in existence make the type something worth fearing in any battle. Interestingly enough, Dragon-types are much like Normal-types in that they are capable of learning a wide variety of moves both naturally and through TMs and HMs, in turn allowing these otherwise disadvantaged creatures to deal catastrophic damage against a wide variety of targets. It is further noted that although only Dragon Tamers usually specialize in Dragon-types or even have Dragon-types to begin with, the type is actually not that dangerous to work with (though exceptions like Hydreigon do exist) and it can be quite easy for even beginning trainers to form close partnerships with young Dragon-types, something that will usually pay off quite well in the end. Overall, the Dragon-type may not be the most conventional of types or even make that much sense to most, but for the few bold enough to stick with it, it is a reliable type that can hit harder than most others and truly prove once and for all that dragons should be believed in and feared, lest the might of their untamed fury be brought upon the uneducated individual with lethal results.

Professor Wormwood
An analysis of the Dragon-type. Enjoy.
© 2012 - 2024 Mutitus
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ZarxielZerg's avatar

I'm a bit confused about a thing... here you said Latias and Latios are dragons (so reptiles), but in the Psychic analisis you said they are mammals.


This seems a contradiction... they are dragons or mammals?