Drifloon Report

Drifloon (the Balloon Pokémon) is a relatively rare Ghost/Flying-type Pokémon found floating in the sky in all parts of the world. Though generally ignored in favor of other Ghost-types because of their poor defenses and limited combat ability, Drifloon are fascinating creatures that can give traditional fighters a bit of a challenge in battle, if only because of their odd type combination. They might not last very long against offensively-minded opponents, but if you stick with one of these strange balloons for the long haul, it will definitely take you places you never thought you would see; just make sure that you don't let it carry you too far, or you might never see your family or home again!

As with Pokémon like Yamask, it is believed that Drifloon and Drifblim are formed from the spirits of deceased creatures burdened with regret, generally appearing in larger numbers in humid conditions; in their case, however, there appears to be no distinction between different forms of life, so every Drifloon is stuffed with a random assortment of souls and every Drifblim is an even larger assortment of resurrected life forms stuck together into one cohesive unit, their size expanding for every soul they lead astray and add to their bodies (though this is a rare occurrence, as they are generally nonchalant towards other life forms). This also might explain why Drifloon and Drifblim are designed to look like and function as balloons. If no distinction is made following death in regards to the former identity of a deceased life form, then it would only make sense that the final cohesive form made from many individuals would have to take on a form that is capable of reaching similar constructs over long distances; in other words, flight would be necessary over extremely long periods of time. Taking the form of a balloon seems to not only fulfill this necessity but also ensures that other wild Pokémon do not easily mistake them for prey (as their offenses are quite limited). Unfortunately, this choice of form also comes with two very important drawbacks: limited defenses and an inability to control movement. Because the outermost membrane that serves as their skin must be relatively thin in order to ensure proper flight, Drifloon and Drifblim are easily damaged by attacks of all types; while this issue is partially compensated for by an exceptional amount of health, it still can prove to be a major vulnerability in battle. Secondly, because of how their bodies are constructed, Drifloon and Drifblim have little to no way of actually controlling their flight direction over long distances and are thus forced to simply drift along with the wind; considering they only feed on light gases in the air, though, this does not seem to bother them much. On the plus side, this construct also makes Drifloon and Drifblim, along with Gourgeist, the only Ghost-types capable of naturally learning the devastating Explosion attack, though they do not have the actual strength to do much with it. Moreover, if their body bursts for some unexpected reason, the joke is usually on their attacker, as they let out a horrifying screeching sound as their soul spills out, only for it to reform their skin elsewhere in a safe place.

Drifloon are rather simple creatures that generally do not do much other than simply float around and absorb light gases to fuel their bodies. Unlike their evolved form, the outer membranes of Drifloon are not very good at insulating their internal gases from outside changes in temperature and humidity, in turn making it very difficult for them to fly at all in cold, dry weather (in which the gases will condense and become increasingly heavier, disabling their ability to float above the ground); as such, Drifloon are almost never seen outside unless it is fairly warm and humid out. While Drifblim have very limited control over their flight direction, Drifloon are completely at the mercy of the wind and will often travel hundreds of miles along the wind even if they do not want to; not surprisingly, many people have come to refer to Drifloon as the "Signpost for Wandering Spirits" because of this inability to control their motion. Lastly, it is interesting to note that, in comparison to Drifblim, Drifloon tend to be slightly mischievous in that they enjoy grabbing hold of the hands of children with their long, string-like arms before attempting to take them away to the spirit world (or if they just want to be friends; it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two in practice). Unfortunately, because their physical strength is extremely poor, they more often than not end up getting pulled along instead until an adult manages to notice that the child is carting around a Ghost-type; not surprisingly, for this reason, Drifloon tend to dislike heavy children and those that play roughly with them and will often float away quickly from the latter to avoid having their bodies potentially burst.

While they might not be particularly exciting or interesting to look at, Drifloon are still fun creatures for young trainers to play around with if they are looking to experiment with unorthodox fighters. You could probably find better Ghost-types out there to battle with, but if you're limited on choices and you happen to find one of these critters just floating around, you might as well catch it and learn to love it. After all, it can be relieving at times to have immunity to three different types in battle…just don't let that sort of advantage go to your head, or you might end up with nothing more than a popped Drifloon in the end!

Professor Wormwood