Hoothoot Report

Hoothoot (the Owl Pokémon) is a common Normal/Flying-type Pokémon found among the forested parts of the Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar and Kitakami regions as well as some special preserves. Cherished among Bird Keepers for their adorable appearances and amazing psychic powers, Hoothoot are fascinating birds that certainly push the definition of psychic abilities to a whole new level of strangeness. They might not be among the most powerful of fighters, but that certainly doesn't mean that these odd birds can't mess with the opposition with a hearty mix of Flying and Psychic-type strikes; if you're a fan of the Gastly family, then consider these birds (and their evolved form, Noctowl) to be your worst enemy!

Hoothoot are unique among birds in that they actually possess an organ that allows them to measure the rotation of the earth. Since Hoothoot can see in the dark just as well as they can see in daylight, they have a tremendous advantage over prey (which usually consists of small insects and rodents) during the night and have thus adapted to a mostly-nocturnal lifestyle. In order to maximize their hunting efficiency, Hoothoot rely not on the sun but on the biological clocks of organisms to determine when it is the proper time to hunt; this is because most organisms within their prey range automatically shift into a semi-relaxed state at a certain point in the day, regardless of the sun's position, in preparation for sleep. In order to precisely mark this moment of 'ease', Hoothoot utilize a special organ near their brains to measure the forces generated by the planet's rotation; from there, Hoothoot can derive the exact time of day in whatever place they may be without a moment's hesitation. Once a Hoothoot figures out the exact moment in time its prey begins to relax in preparation for sleep, that Hoothoot will keep track of that precise moment for every day of its life, tilting their head back and forth to keep in rhythm with time and crying loudly as soon as the proper time comes in order to alert any fellow Hoothoot in the general area. Hoothoot are so accurate in their calculations that they are often used to check clocks and have even been used as complete substitutes for clocks in poorer areas; not surprisingly, this has also made Hoothoot a revered symbol of wisdom in the parts of the world they call home and in the past were even treated as divine messengers sent to tell the time to the world. They have even been known to be employed as guides within forests, as their relatively friendly dispositions make them easy to communicate with and even easier to utilize in emergency battle situations.

What makes Hoothoot and Noctowl especially interesting, however, is their ability to naturally utilize psychic energy for both defensive and offensive purposes. While many non-Psychic-types are capable of utilizing a few Psychic-type moves due to either advanced brain activity or other extraordinary features, nearly half of all the moves that Hoothoot and Noctowl naturally learn are Psychic-type in nature. Furthermore, they are among the few Normal-type Pokémon capable of naturally learning moves like Confusion, Reflect, Extrasensory, Psycho Shift and Dream Eater, all of which usually require a tremendous amount of psychic power to utilize; the fact that these Pokémon are able to do so without technically being Psychic-types makes them all the more bizarre. It appears that, as with Girafarig, Hoothoot and Noctowl developed their psychic abilities as secondary traits and may in fact be a result of the unique 'time-telling' organ located near their brains. Although a large portion of their moves are derived from their psychic powers, the fact that they do not utilize them for daily functions (and thus are not dependent upon them for survival) might explain why they do not take damage in the same fashion Psychic-types do, hence their typing as Normal/Flying-types. Regardless, these psychic abilities are particularly potent against weaker opponents and can easily make trained Hoothoot and Noctowl dangerous to deal with in battle. However, it should be noted that, because they do not rely on their psychic powers as a primary means of survival, Hoothoot and Noctowl cannot use their powers properly unless they keep their minds sharp and clear at all times. In the case of Hoothoot, this means that the birds must hone their minds by standing on one foot at all times, only shifting legs when they can no longer maintain balance (even so, the switch happens so fast that the human eye cannot normally see it). In the case of Noctowl, they simply have to twist their heads around and maintain constant thought to stay focused, even if it means thinking about problems or tasks that even humans would deem complex; it's usually easy to tell when Noctowl are engaged in such thought, as they will rotate their heads 180 degrees vertically in order to increase blood flow to their brains.

Though they might not be the most impressive fighters around, Hoothoot are still terrific creatures that can easily turn the tide in battle with their unique array of psychic powers and abilities. Whether you need one to guide you through a haunted forest or just to act as an alarm clock, you should find plenty of favor with these quirky little birds. Just be careful about relying too heavily on their psychic abilities, as they are not strong enough to deliver much of a punch in battle; that doesn't mean that you can't screw with the opposition a bit with a potent Hypnosis-Dream Eater combination, though!

Professor Wormwood