Delibird Report

Delibird (the Delivery Pokémon) is a relatively rare Ice/Flying-type Pokémon found among the edges of sharp cliffs and icy environments within the Johto, Unova, Kalos and Paldea regions, grassy seaside cliffs in the Alola and Galar regions, Icefall Cave of the Sevii Islands and the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions on rare occasions. Though generally ignored by most trainers because of their weak powers and limited offenses, Delibird are interesting creatures that seem to get a kick out of helping others that are lost in the middle of nowhere by providing food. They might be simple-minded and relatively hard to find, but any encounter with one of these strange birds is sure to be a blessing regardless; after all, how can one truly say no to a walking buffet in the middle of nowhere!?

The fact that Delibird are often associated with Santa Claus is no joke; in fact, it is quite likely that the creatures and their unique abilities may have been the inspiration behind the original legend. Delibird possess abnormally long tails (the largest of which always belongs to the flock leader) that function more like sheets than actual tails, as they are made from a huge matt of hair-like feathers that clump together to form a water-tight seal when bundled into a sack-like shape. Delibird in turn seem to have found the perfect function for such an odd tail: carrying food. Despite looking more silly than real, the tails of Delibird can actually function much like plastic bags do when wrapped around and held together at the top without the actual possibility of something leaking out; the feathers further help to insulate any food carried within the tails, keeping even fruits and vegetables fresh and unfrozen despite their local environment. It is likely that this odd tail was borne out of necessity, as food is fairly scarce in the icy areas they normally nest in and difficult to transport over long distances, a factor that proves to be extremely important because Delibird have to nest at the edges of sharp cliffs in order to keep their chicks safe from most predators, though in the Alola region they freely nest in calm, grassy cliffs near the seaside as a result of somewhat adapting to the warmer weather of the region. Despite the crucial nature of this adaptation, Delibird are extremely friendly creatures and have no trouble sharing any food they may be carrying, a trait that is only benefited by the fact that they literally never go anywhere without at least a little food stored in their tails and are thus always foraging for more; the only problem that can come with this for individuals with limited tastes lies in their omnivorous diet, as said food may at least partially consist of Bug-type Pokémon. Regardless, there have been many stories associated with hikers being saved by the food these creatures carry with them and their generous nature; in fact, some of the more recent additions to the list of humans that have managed to climb to the top of Mt. Everest were only able to do so because a wild Delibird in the area shared some food with them and prevented them from starving before reaching the top. Needless to say, this behavior has made the creatures a rarely-hunted species for the benefits they bring, though their numbers are still starting to dwindle due to shifting climatic conditions.

Despite their kind natures, however, Delibird are little more than walking piles of meat in battle because they are naturally unable to actually utilize any direct form of attack aside from a Drill Peck attack and their signature move, the utterly random and baffling Present attack. The ability to carry food in their tails has led Delibird to utilize their own strange anatomy to attack opponents with balls of pure energy that deal random amounts of damage; this appears to be the result of Delibird being unable to actually control the process of their own attack's generation, making it more akin to a simple defensive move than a true attack. Most of the time, though, the attack will damage the opposition at least a little bit if not quite a bit, so it can still function as a potent attack with a little luck; the real problem is that the move will also result in them throwing food to heal about 25% of the opposition's maximum HP about 20% of the time, so it can still prove to be more of a burden then a boon. Without artificial methods of teaching moves, there is little else that Delibird can do. It still interesting to note, though, that this in particular may have been partially responsible for some of the traits associated with the legends of Santa Claus, as it features both the traditional reward and punishment attributes associated with modern interpretations of the legend.

Despite their limited use in a battlefield setting, Delibird are still fun creatures to be around during the holiday season or just about any time of year. With access to seemingly infinite food reserves and more than a few surprises for both trainers and opponents alike, these strange birds can certainly make one heck of an impact in battle even if it may not be the sort of impact you were expecting. If you're the kind of person that just loves the holiday season and truly can't get enough of it, then consider getting one of these odd birds for yourself; that way, at least you won't have to worry about ever missing out on the simple wonder that is the spirit of giving!

Professor Wormwood